Written Assembly Questions tabled on 12 April 2017 for answer on 21 April 2017
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self-identifying question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm the total sum of rent Cardiff Aviation has paid to date to the Welsh Government for the facilities it occupies as a tenant of St Athan? (WAQ73374)
Answer received on 24 April 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): Welsh Government and Cardiff Aviation and have reached a settlement via mediation over payment of outstanding building rent. Under the terms of the legal agreement reached at mediation the details are “commercial in confidence”.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm that the St Athan runway is unable to be used by civilian operators during weekends, bank holidays, before 9am and after 5pm? (WAQ73375)
Answer received on 24 April 2017
Ken Skates: I refer to the letter I sent to AMs on 28 March concerning St Athan Business Park where I confirmed that access to the runway outside of standard opening hours can be arranged with prior notification.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Is the Welsh Government taking similar action to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England to protect people in England who are using websites to obtain prescription medicines, suspending the registration of one of these providers, imposing conditions on two of them, and instructing a fourth to improve its practice? (WAQ73372)
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Is there a similar registration procedure in Wales to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England to protect people in England who are using websites to obtain prescription medicines, and who've suspended the registration of one of these providers, imposing conditions on two of them, and instructing a fourth to improve its practice?(WAQ73373)
Answer received on 26 April 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) has the power to inspect any service providing registerable services. These inspections assess whether the requirements of the Care Standards Act 2000, the Independent Health Care (Wales) Regulations 2011 and the National Minimum Standards for Independent Healthcare Services in Wales are being met by the provider. Whilst HIW and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) operate within different legislative frameworks, both organisations are focused on the provision of safe, effective care. Where either organisation holds a concern, HIW and CQC will share intelligence about providers who operate regulated services across both countries.
All private clinics or agencies with a base in Wales must be registered with Healthcare Inspectorate Wales for the services they provide, regardless of whether they provide services on a face to face basis or online. Failure to do so could mean they are committing an offence and may result in action being taken against them.
In addition the General Pharmaceutical Council is responsible for regulating and registering pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises in Wales. The Council can investigate any concerns raised about the conduct of a pharmacist, pharmacy technician or pharmacy and, if appropriate, issue a warning, set conditions that limit how they can practise, or it can suspend them or remove them from the register.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Further to the answer to WAQ73326, has the Cabinet Secretary or his department had any discussions with or correspondence from an individual, organisation or interested party relating to proposals for a new medical centre in Sully, specifically the 'Glebe field' site – if so, what assistance does he or his department plan to provide in securing the new medical facility? (WAQ73377)
Answer received on 26 April 2017
Vaughan Gething: I can confirm that neither I, nor my department, has had any discussions or correspondence in relation to a proposed new medical centre in Sully.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs
Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on local authority farms and the Welsh Government's approach to farm estate management in Wales? (WAQ73376)
Answer received on 24 April 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs (Lesley Griffiths): Local Authority farms are important routes of entry to the agriculture industry. A constant flow of new entrants and new ideas are vital to the industry’s success.
In August last year I wrote to the Chief Executive Officers and Portfolio holders at each Local Authority to highlight the importance of the Smallholding Estate in encouraging new and young entrants into the industry.
Discussions with Local Authorities about preserving their smallholding estates for current and future tenants, and the wider farming community, have been positive. The findings from the 2014/15 Annual Report on Local Authority Smallholdings shows a reduction in the total land area held by Local Authorities for this purpose since the previous Report, however, they have been more creative in using the land available to the best advantage. In 2014/15 the number of holdings provided increased.
The management of the Local Authority Smallholding estate is, however, a matter for the individual Local Authorities as Welsh Government Ministers do not have legal powers either to directly control the management practices, nor to prevent the rationalisation of Local Authority estates.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): What are the expenditure limits for providers under the provision of a managed service for agency workers under the NPS Frameworks for Wales? (WAQ73378)
Answer received on 24 April 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Mark Drakeford): The NPS framework for Wales has an upper expenditure limit of £225 million in aggregate across the seven framework providers over the four year period for which it was let.
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): How many Welsh language (Welsh essential) vacancies have been passed to second tier providers under the provision of a managed service for agency workers under the NPS Frameworks for Wales? (WAQ73379)
Answer received on 24 April 2017
Mark Drakeford: There are seven managed service providers appointed to the NPS Framework agreement. Since the commencement of the framework no Welsh language (Welsh essential) vacancies have been passed to second tier providers.
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): How many Welsh language jobs (Welsh essential) have been requested through the provision of a managed service for agency workers under the NPS Frameworks for Wales? (WAQ73380)
Answer received on 24 April 2017
Mark Drakeford: Since the commencement of the NPS framework for Wale, 3191 requests for Welsh language jobs (Welsh essential) have been requested