Written Assembly Questions tabled on 14 July 2016 for answer on 21 July 2016
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
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Following his recent announcement of a new economic strategy for Wales since the EU Referendum results, will the Minister outline the terms, targets and timetables for this economic strategy? (WAQ70700)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): I am in the process of talking to businesses and other key partners about the priorities that will need to feature in a new economic development strategy – to frame our approach to delivering more and better jobs closer to home, through a stronger and fairer economy.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Following the announcement of a taskforce for the South Wales Valleys, will the Minister outline the parameters and duties it will undertake? (WAQ70701)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
The Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language (Alun Davies): The Ministerial Taskforce for the South Wales Valleys will meet for the first time in September. During this meeting, members will agree the group's Terms of Reference and prioritise key areas of work. Our discussions will focus on how we can develop a new approach to investing in the future of the most economically deprived areas of the South Wales Valleys, ensuring every individual has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. The taskforce will work across Welsh Government departments to stimulate action and will include a strong focus on the economy, education, health and housing.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review and its impact on north Wales? (WAQ70702)
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister provide an update on the recent summit's discussions about the Northern Powerhouse and the North Wales Growth Deal? (WAQ70703)
Russell George (Montgomeryshire):Will the Minister provide an outline of the recommendations from the recent summit to discuss the Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review? (WAQ70704)
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister confirm whether a cross border working group has been established in light of the recent summit to discuss the Northern Powerhouse and North Wales Growth and, if so, what its terms of reference are? (WAQ70705)
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): What discussions has the Minister had with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority regarding cross-border alliances between North Wales and the English City Deals? (WAQ70706)
Answer received on 23 October 2017
Ken Skates: I provided Members with an up-date on 12 July regarding the Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review and its impact on North Wales. In my Written Statement, which is available to view at http://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2016-new/northwalessummit/?lang=en, I also provided an up-date on the North Wales Summit that I held on 8 July, including our discussions and recommendations. Arrangements are currently in hand to establish the cross-border working group as agreed at the meeting. Arrangements are also in hand for me to meet the UK Government to discuss cross-border alliances between North Wales and the English City Deals.
As indicated in my Statement, I will provide Members with further up-dates as matters progress.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): With reference to the Final Evaluation of the ReAct Programme 2008-2014, will the Minister explain why there was a drop of 52% of projected female participants in 2011 to 21% forecast in 2014? (WAQ70707)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
The Minister for Skills and Science (Julie James): ReAct programme targets were essentially designed to ensure that support was open to all applicants, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or other socio-demographic characteristics. It was noted in the evaluation report that these targets were somewhat arbitrary since it could not be known in advance how many people in different social groups would become redundant and would be eligible for – and seek - ReAct II support.
However, as further detail was available based on actual demand for the programme and as additional funding was made available some targets were adjusted. This included an increase in the expected number of total participants (including female participants). The independent evaluation suggests a number of factors may have continued to levels of participation for particular groups. One suggested in the evaluation report is that some groups, women particularly, may have found it easier than other groups to get a new job following redundancy and, therefore, were less likely to seek ReAct support. Another suggested factor is that one or more of those groups could have been re-employed in sectors or occupations which were less affected by redundancies.
The total number of female participants assisted and the total number of female participants gaining qualifications during the 2008-2014 period was very close to the initial numbers anticipated.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): What strategic planning has the Minister taken to increase female and Black and Minority Ethnic participation in the ReAct II Programme? (WAQ70708)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
ReAct programme targets were essentially designed to ensure that support was open to all applicants, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or other socio-demographic characteristics. It was noted in the evaluation report that these targets were somewhat arbitrary since it could not be known in advance how many people in different social groups would become redundant and would be eligible for – and seek - ReAct II support.
The Welsh Government is considering the evaluation report recommendations in respect of Equal Opportunities to strengthen management information by recording employers' starting points in respect of their pre-ReAct approaches to equality. We will also consider the value of making ReAct support conditional on employers meeting a minimum requirement in respect of their approach to equality.
[1] Page 9: http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/evaluation-redundancy-action-programme/?lang=en
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of those employed and those who have gained qualifications through the ReAct II Programme in the years 2015-16? (WAQ70709)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
Julie James: The ReAct programme reports the number of participants who have (i) gained employment and (ii) gained qualifications upon leaving the programme to WEFO on a cumulative basis and the figures are not reported by financial year. The recent Final Evaluation of ReAct showed that 4,259 participants gained employment immediately upon leaving the programme. The number of participants who gained a formal qualification upon leaving the programme was 4,594.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Can the Minister confirm that funding for ReAct II will continue beyond 2017? (WAQ70710)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
Julie James: The ReAct II programme closed on 31st March 2015 and was immediately replaced by ReAct III, which is approved to run until 2018.
In my recent oral statement I outlined the intended direction for employability support in Wales, and referred to our manifesto commitment to creating a new employability programme to support individuals of all ages to find good quality employment.
Our aim is to bring together the activities from our main employability programmes – ReAct, Jobs Growth Wales, Traineeships and our new Employability Skills Programme - into a single employability support programme that will better meet the needs of those requiring support to gain and, retain jobs and to progress within the workplace.
The new programme will be introduced in April 2018 and is being developed using the most recent evidence and research into the delivery of effective labour market programmes. It will be informed by evaluations of the ReAct, Work Ready and Jobs Growth Wales Programmes, the Skills Conditionality pilots which we conducted with DWP, and the Traineeships evaluation and review. We have a wealth of evidence available to us on what works.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the number and proportion of farm businesses which are unable to directly access broadband via their landlines from their own premises? (WAQ70711)
Answer received on 23 October 2017
Julie James:The Welsh Government has not made an assessment that specifically focuses on farm businesses however the Ofcom 2015 Communications Market Report shows that 100 per cent of premises in Wales have access to fixed line broadband.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire):
Will the Minister provide a breakdown of funding provided to the ReAct II Programme in the year 2015-16? (WAQ70714)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
Julie James: In the financial year 2015-2016, the expenditure for the ReAct programme was £6,210,000 and the total income from ESF was £4,710,000. The remaining £2,040,000 was met from Welsh Government funds.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister confirm the number of road traffic accidents which have occurred at the Brynglas Tunnels in each of the last full five calendar years, and in 2016 to date? (WAQ70725)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Ken Skates: There have been 5 accidents in the Brynglas Tunnels that were reported to the police between 2011 and 2015. The data for 2016 has not yet been submitted to the Welsh Government by Gwent Police. Please see below table:
| Number of accidents for the Brynglas Tunnel reported to the police, and subsequently recorded on Stats19 returns, 2011 to 2015: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Killed | Serious | KSI* | Slight | Total | ||||||||
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| 2014 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |||||||
(*Killed and Serious injured)
The data for all road traffic accidents in Wales can be found at the following link:
http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/police-recorded-road-casualties/?lang=en
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): What steps is the Minister taking to support pilot schemes to lower underage drinking in Wales? (WAQ70695)
Answer received on 23 October 2017
The Minister for Minister for Social Services and Public Health(Rebecca Evans): Tackling underage drinking is of vital importance and we have invested in this area by supporting the development of three Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAPs) across Wales. These are in Newtown, Pontardawe and Porth. The aim of the CAPs is to tackle underage drinking through co-operation between local stakeholders such as trading standards, police, schools and alcohol retailers. They support communities in developing their own capacity to deliver a coordinated and localised response to underage alcohol misuse. Evaluation of this work is mandatory, allowing CAPs to continuously review and improve the model whilst at the same time providing evidence of effectiveness.
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister detail financial support from Welsh Government for Wales-wide campaigns to lower underage drinking? (WAQ70696)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport(Vaughan Gething): We continue to promote an alcohol free childhood, and our substance misuse delivery plan 2016-18 sets out the actions we are taking to raise awareness of the dangers of underage drinking in Wales, including guidance and education campaigns to raise awareness of alcohol related harm.
Results from the 2013/14 health behaviour in school-aged children study show that rates of drinking among adolescents in Wales have continued to decline sharply and are currently at their lowest rates since the survey began in 1986, and are substantially below their peak around 1996. We hope to see this trend continue.
The Welsh Government continues to provide over £2m per annum to the all Wales schools core liaison programme which operates in 100% of schools across Wales and delivers substance misuse education to children and young people at all key stages of the school curriculum.
In addition, £2.75m of the substance misuse action fund is ring fenced specifically for children and young people's services. These have enabled children and young people to access a range of prevention and treatment services across the country.
Simon Thomas (Mid and West Wales): What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve staffing levels at neonatal care units across Wales? (WAQ70713)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
Vaughan Gething: I will write to you and a copy of the letter will be put on the internet.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the £26 million pledged in 2016 to the Warm Homes Programme, including projects benefiting from this funding and targets set? (WAQ70688)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs (Lesley Griffiths): In 2016-17, I will be investing £26.5 million in Welsh Government Warm Homes, which includes the demand-led Nest scheme and area-based Arbed schemes.
Under Nest, £18.5 million will be invested to enable over 4,500 homes of low income households to be improved with free energy efficiency measures.
Under Arbed, £5 million will be invested in grant funding to Local Authorities to deliver home energy efficiency improvements in the most deprived areas of Wales. £0.5 million will be invested in match funding for Warm Zones, which will lever a further £0.5 million of funding into Wales. A further £2.5 million has been allocated to match fund a new EU area-based scheme to succeed Arbed 2 ERDF, subject to approval from the Wales European Funding Office (WEFO). A new EU scheme will be targeted at households most likely to be living in fuel poverty.
At this stage in the process it is not possible to confirm which projects will be funded under the area-based investment schemes. In the next few weeks, Local Authorities will be invited to submit bids to Welsh Government and to Warm Zones for consideration for funding. The bids will be assessed and successful projects are expected to be announced in the early autumn.
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the 2017 targets on the reduction of fuel poverty? (WAQ70689)
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister provide a statement on the Fuel Poverty Strategy 2010? (WAQ70690)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
Lesley Griffiths: The Fuel Poverty Strategy 2010 sets out the actions we will take to achieve our statutory target to eradicate fuel poverty, as far as is reasonably practicable, in all households in Wales by 2018. The strategy remains in place and there are no separate interim fuel poverty targets for 2017.
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister detail the support the Welsh Government provides to homes in local authority areas, such as Gwynedd and Blaenau Gwent, in which over 26 percent of households are in fuel poverty? (WAQ70691)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
Lesley Griffiths: The Welsh Government Warm Homes (WGWH) programme, which includes the Nest and Arbed schemes, is delivering in areas of deprivation and fuel poverty across Wales.
The WGWH programme includes grant funding to help Local Authorities deliver energy efficiency schemes in their areas, focusing on deprived areas and support for fuel-poor and low income households. Authorities are required to take a community or street-by-street approach, delivering schemes of an appropriate size to ensure even access to funding. Through this approach we funded fifteen Local Authority schemes across Wales in 2015/16, including projects at Peblig in Gwynedd and Llanhilleth in Blaenau Gwent.
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister detail the support the Welsh Government provides to those who are in vulnerable households and in fuel poverty, as outlined in the report "Characteristics of low income households most at risk of living in cold homes"? (WAQ70692)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
Lesley Griffiths: The Welsh Government provides a package of support to vulnerable households who are in fuel poverty through a number of programmes and schemes in particular through the Welsh Government Warm Homes demand-led Nest scheme and the area-based Arbed schemes.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): How much does the Welsh Government expect to have saved in the 2015-16 financial year by making the Gwlad magazine available online only? (WAQ70712)
Answer received on 26 July 2016
Lesley Griffiths: Gwlad magazine continued in production until the end of the 2015-16 financial year. There were, therefore, no savings in that financial year.
Savings from 2016-17 onwards will amount to £150,000 per annum.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): With regard to the Minister's recent comments regarding social landlords, housing associations and local authorities tackling anti-social behaviour, will he detail the support that the Welsh Government will be providing to these bodies so that they may be able to reduce such behaviour? (WAQ70685)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children (Carl Sargeant): Alongside the ongoing work of 500 Community Support Officers and joint working between Welsh Government and the Police and Crime Commissioners, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 introduces a new 'occupation contract',
requiring g a 'prohibited conduct term' aimed at addressing Anti-social Behaviour and other prohibited conduct by the tenant.
This Autumn, I will be convening a new steering group to improve Social Landlords' responses to housing-based Anti-social Behaviour and vulnerability, the recommendations from which will feed into a new national framework for Social Landlords on tackling anti-social behaviour.
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister make a statement on figures which show that nearly 32 percent of people in the Gwent Police Area witnessed or were victims of anti-social behaviour in 2014-15? (WAQ70686)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Carl Sargeant: The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows that the number of people who witnessed or experienced anti-social behaviour in Gwent fell between 2013-14 and 2014-15 from 34% to 32%.
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of Community Protection Notices served by Local Housing Associations and social landlords in the year 2015-16? (WAQ70687)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Carl Sargeant: The Welsh Government does not collect information on the numbers of Community Protection Notices served by Local Housing Associations and social landlords.
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): With regard to the Minister's response WAQ70540 of 28 June, will the he provide a breakdown of funding to the Phoenix Project in the years 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17? (WAQ70693)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Carl Sargeant: The Welsh Government awarded the three Fire and Rescue Authorities funding to deliver a range of youth intervention programmes across Wales between 2012-2017, including the Phoenix programme. Funding provided for all these programmes in each financial year is detailed below:
| £ | |
| 2012-13 | 562,786 |
| 2013-14 | 569,108 |
| 2014-15 | 868,093 |
| 2015-16 | 470,466 |
| 2016-17 | 360,500 |
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): With regard to the Minister's response WAQ70540 of 28 June, will he provide a breakdown of the Welsh Government's funding of £4.420 million to the Promoting Positive Engagement for Young People? (WAQ70694)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Carl Sargeant: A breakdown of the funding is below.
| Area | Amount £'s |
| Western Bay (Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend) | 718,201.38 |
| North Wales (Wrexham, Flintshire, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Ynys Mon) | 986,646.54 |
| Cardiff & Vale | 654,472.00 |
| Dyfed Powys (Powys, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion) | 616,466.24 |
| Gwent (Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Newport) | 928,059.00 |
| Cwm Taf (Merthyr and Rhondda Cynon Taf) | 425,988.11 |
| Youth Justice Board Cymru | 90,000.00 |
| TOTAL | 4,419,833.27 |
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of youth crime statistics in Wales by police authority during the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16? (WAQ70697)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Carl Sargeant: As youth justice includes services that are both devolved and non-devolved, we work closely with the Youth Justice Board to prevent and divert young people away from the youth justice system through our joint Strategy "Children and Young People First".
The following figures have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board.
Offences committed by young people resulting in a court or out of court disposal
| 2013/14 (1) | 2014/15 (1) | 2015/16 (2) | |
| Dyfed Powys | 1075 | 498 | 329 |
| Gwent | 1211 | 1211 | 880 |
| North Wales | 1286 | 1152 | 827 |
| South Wales | 1889 | 1705 | 1196 |
| Wales | 5,461 | 4,566 | 3,232 |
Young people in the youth justice system in Wales who received a substantive outcome
| 2013/14 (1) | 2014/15 (1) | 2015/16 (2) | |
| Dyfed Powys | 560 | 283 | 187 |
| Gwent | 537 | 470 | 418 |
| South Wales | 846 | 652 | 577 |
| North Wales | 662 | 523 | 360 |
| Wales | 2,605 | 1,928 | 1,542 |
Source:
Bespoke analysis of Youth Justice Management Information System
Source:
1. Data for 2013/14 and 2014/15 is published data
2. Data for 2015/16 is provisional and subject to change
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the £6.4million funding announced for the CEMET project, including targets set for the project and duration? (WAQ70698)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Mark Drakeford): The breakdown of funds for the £6.4m CEMET (Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Emerging Technology) project, led by the University of South Wales, includes £4.2m of EU funds, £1.9m of match funding from the University of South Wales and £0.3m of private sector match funding.
The university will use its expertise to help businesses develop new products and services in the technology field, and improve their competitiveness. Agreed targets for the project are:
| Enterprises supported (non-financial) | 100 |
| Enterprises cooperating with supported research institutions | 72 |
| Enterprises supported to introduce new to firm products | 36 |
| Enterprises supported to introduce new to market products | 10 |
The project is currently scheduled to operate until February 2021.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister detail his recent discussions with the EU Structural and Investment Funds Programme Monitoring Committee, as well as the outcome of that meeting? (WAQ70699)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Mark Drakeford: The discussion and outcome of the meeting of the Wales Programme Monitoring Committee for the European Structural and Investments Funds 2014-2020, held on 8 July, are recorded in the minutes published on the EU funding pages of the Welsh Government website: http://gov.wales/funding/eu-funds/2014-2020/programme-monitoring-committee/?lang=en&DHN
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister outline a timetable of reform to business rates exemptions for small and medium enterprises? (WAQ70715)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Mark Drakeford: Small and medium enterprises are not exempt from non‑domestic rates; they receive support through our Small Business Rates Relief Scheme. I will consider how this relief is best delivered over the summer, informed by the outcome of the 2017 revaluation currently being undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister provide detailed information about his business rate plans during the fifth Assembly, especially with regard to small and medium enterprises; including details of the levels at which 100 per cent rate relief will be provided and whether a taper will be applied? (WAQ70716)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minsiter confirm whether he will apply a split multiplier for business rates, as happens in England? (WAQ70717)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Mark Drakeford: Wales has its own non-domestic rates (NDR) system. We continue to keep this under review.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of Welsh Government projected costs of raising 100 per cent business rates relief above the current threshold of £6,000? (WAQ70718)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Mark Drakeford: In 2016-17, our Small Business Rates Relief scheme is costing approximately £98 million. Increasing the threshold for 100 percent relief would increase the cost of the scheme, by how much would depend on where the threshold is set.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister confirm whether he has set aside funding in his departmental budget for a threshold rise in business rates relief and, if so, can he provide a breakdown of this funding? (WAQ70719)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Mark Drakeford: This will be considered as part of the budget planning for 2017-18.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister outline whether he has considered switching the uprating of the non domestic rates multiplier from the retail price index to the consumer price index? (WAQ70720)
Answer received on 22 July 2016
Mark Drakeford: I am aware of the measure announced by the UK Government in their March Budget. Once further policy detail is available, including whether there is any associated consequential funding, I will make an assessment of the position in Wales.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): What strategic planning measures has the Ministery had with regard to local government reform and its impact on the collection of business rates in Wales? (WAQ70721)
Answer received on 23 October 2017
Mark Drakeford: I am meeting local authority leaders over the summer to explore all options for the future arrangements for local government, before making an announcement in the autumn. The local government finance system must operate as part of these to provide sustainable funding for vital local services in Wales at all levels. One element of these arrangements is the collection of non-domestic rates.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister detail any Welsh Government support for small and medium enterprises after the Valuation Office Agency revalues business properties in 2017? (WAQ70722)
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): What assurances can the Minister give to small and medium enterprises about their business rate relief before the Valuation Office Agency revalues properties in 2017? (WAQ70723)
Derbyniwyd ateb ar 22 Gorffennaf 2016
Mark Drakeford: Over the summer, I will be considering how relief is delivered to best support small businesses. This will be informed by the outcome of the 2017 revaluation exercise currently being undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency. The draft Rating List will be published on 30 September and I am committed to making timely decisions on relief schemes to provide businesses with the clarity they need to calculate their rates bills.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Further to his statement in June 2016, does the Minister propose to issue a formal response to the consultation on the Draft Directions to the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission Wales, which closed in November 2015? (WAQ70724)
Answer to follow.