​Written Assembly Questions tabled on 14 December 2016 for answer on 21 December 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 Health, Well-being and Sport

Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): When does the Minister expect the Together for Children and Young People Programme to complete its work to map existing training and intervention programmes for staff, children and young people set out in the Universal Resilience and Wellbeing workstream? (WAQ71718)

Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): When does the Minister expect the Together for Children and Young People Programme to complete its work developing a professional resource pack on mental health and well-being, as set out in the Universal Resilience and Wellbeing workstream? (WAQ71719)

Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): When does the Minister expect the Together for Children and Young People Programme to complete its work developing a measuring well-being toolkit for schools and services, as set out in the Universal Resilience and Wellbeing workstream? (WAQ71720)

Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): When does the Minister expect the Together for Children and Young People programme to complete its revision of the Local Primary Mental Health Support Service pathway as set out in the Early Intervention and Support for Vulnerable Children and Young People workstream? (WAQ71721)
 
Answer received on 22 December 2016

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething):  Together for Children and Young People is a NHS led programme launched in February 2015 with the work streams established at the end of 2015.  Over the last 18 months the programme has been focusing on developing key pieces of work to support and guide local services in planning and delivery. Significant engagement has taken place which has shaped the work of the programme and its workstreams. 
 
The Universal Resilience and Wellbeing workstream has completed the mapping of existing training programmes.  A joint task and finish group is being established with the Early Intervention workstream to provide an evidence rating of the mapped interventions.  The Early Intervention Foundation will support this work.  It is anticipated this second phase will be completed by the end of March.  A competency-based workforce framework which incorporates staff training is under development and will be issued in draft very shortly for informal comment.  A feedback event will be held early in the New Year.  This will subsequently be published in the form of an interactive tool kit with links provided to existing training opportunities. 
 
A proposal for the well-being toolkit for schools and services has been developed and consideration is now being given to how this can be extended to incorporate population measures for the mental well-being of children and young people.  The final scope and timescale for development will be confirmed in the first quarter of 2017.
 
The local primary mental health support service care pathway work will be completed by the summer of 2017.

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs

Simon Thomas (Mid and West Wales): Are nitrate vulnerable zones being considered under the Glastir Organic grant scoring card criteria? (WAQ71725)W
 
Answer received on 22 December 2016

Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs (Lesley Griffiths): Nac ydynt.  Ni ystyrir Parthau Perygl Nitradau o dan feini prawf sgorio Glastir Organig.  Ar gyfer Glastir Organig, caniateir defnyddio ardaloedd blaenoriaeth ansawdd dŵr os gallai eu rheoli at ddiben amaethyddol gyfrannu at wireddu amcanion Cyfarwyddeb y Fframwaith Dŵr neu Safle o Ddiddordeb Gwyddonol Arbennig.  Mae modd dewis Parthau Perygl Nitradau er hynny os ydyn nhw'n gorgyffwrdd ag ardaloedd yr amcanion hyn ac eraill. 
 
Simon Thomas (Mid and West Wales): On what basis were the criteria for application scoring cards for Glastir Organic grants set? (WAQ71726)W

Answer received on 22 December 2016

Lesley Griffiths: Neilltuwyd is-set o amcanion Glastir a fyddai'n elwa o gael eu rheoli'n organig.  Yn eu plith yr oedd amcanion bioamrywiaeth, ardaloedd blaenoriaeth dŵr a phridd carbon.  Cafodd yr amcanion eu haenu yn ôl pa mor gyffredin oeddynt, felly ymdriniwyd yn ffafriol ag amcanion prinach.  Cawsant eu pwysoli yn ôl lefel eu blaenoriaeth. 

 
Simon Thomas (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister provide an explanation of how the Welsh Government avoids paying farmers twice for the same thing, with regard to the same criteria for Glastir Advanced and Glastir Organic? (WAQ71727)W
 

Answer received on 22 December 2016

Lesley Griffiths: Mae taliadau Glastir Organig yn seiliedig ar gyflawni mwy nag y gofynnir amdanynt yn y rheoliadau llorweddol a'r gofynion lleiaf ar gyfer gwrtaith a phlaladdwyr.  Mae'r taliadau'n ystyried hefyd ymrwymiadau amaeth-amgylcheddol a hinsawdd gan eu defnyddio fel llinell sylfaen.  O'r herwydd, lle ceir contract Glastir Uwch, ni thelir taliadau Glastir Organig ond ar gyfer y gweithgareddau sy'n cyflawni mwy na'r gofynion hynny.

 
Simon Thomas (Mid and West Wales): What is the methodology for working out farm scores for funding applications under the Glastir Organic score card? (WAQ71728)W
 
Answer received on 22 December 2016

Lesley Griffiths: Mae parseli tir yn cael eu hasesu ar sail amcanion gan gynnwys rhai'r ardaloedd blaenoriaeth ar gyfer bioamrywiaeth, ansawdd dŵr a phridd carbon.  Cyfrifir y sgoriau trwy luosi'r pwyntiau sydd wedi'u pwysoli fydd wedi'u neilltuo yn ôl eu blaenoriaeth trwy fand ac yn ôl pa mor gyffredin y mae pob amcan.  Lluosir y sgôr gan faint y parsel sy'n gorgyffwrdd â'r amcan.  Cyfunir holl sgoriau'r parsel gan eu normaleiddio wedyn trwy rannu arwynebedd y cais i wneud yn siwr nad yw ceisiadau mawr yn cael ffafriaeth awtomatig.

To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Meic advocacy, information and advice helpline for children in Wales and whether the service has been subject to independent evaluation? (WAQ71722)

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What was the total cost of the Meic advocacy, information and advice helpline for children in Wales in each year since it was established and what budget has been allocated for future financial years? (WAQ71723)

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): How many calls from children and young people have been received by the Meic advocacy, information and advice helpline for children in Wales in each year since it was established? (WAQ71724)

Answer received on 22 December 2016

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gymunedau a Phlant (Carl Sargeant): The Welsh Government commissioned an independent evaluation of Meic, by 20 Degrees Consulting in 2014, which recommended that we continue to manage and plan within a tight budget in a flexible manner. The current contract reflects these recommendations.
 
Initially the contract was £750,000 (£680, 000 running costs, £70,000 for marketing) for 3 years in 2011.  In 2012/13 additional funding of £100,000 was awarded for additional advisors and setting up a bank of volunteer practitioners.

From 2013 to 2015 the annual contract was £850,000, (£780,000 allocated to the running of the helpline; with £70,000 retained by the Welsh Government to fund marketing, communications and awareness activity).

From April 2016 to March 2018 the annual cost of the contract (with an option to extend for a further 2 years on an annual renewable basis) is £416,657.50 with a £50,000 marketing budget retained by Welsh Government.

Total contacts over the lifetime of the helpline up to September 2016