Written Assembly Questions tabled on 15 March 2017 for answer on 22 March 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): What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the Welsh Government's trading position with Cardiff Aviation, including the risk to Welsh taxpayers' money? (WAQ73186)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): Before Cardiff Aviation took occupation of building 282 at St Athan a full due diligence assessment was undertaken.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm the number of jobs that Cardiff Aviation was due to create as part of its Welsh Government grant to relocate to St Athan Aviation Park? (WAQ73187)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Ken Skates: Cardiff Aviation Limited did not relocate to St Athan as it was a start up company. It has been supported through the Enterprise Zone Business Rates Scheme. The company was awarded the maximum annual grant available under the terms of the scheme for 2014/15 and 2015/16. As you are aware, the provision of Business Rates Relief is not dependent on job creation.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm what assistance, if any, was made available to Barclays Bank Plc in relation to retaining its mortgage call centre operation in Llanishen? (WAQ73188)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Ken Skates: I wrote to Barclays on 9 March requesting it reconsider the decision to close the mortgage centre and offering any support the Welsh Government could provide to help safeguard employment for those facing redundancy. Barclays has confirmed they have no plans to reverse this decision but are focusing on finding alternative employment options for all affected staff.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary issue a general statement on the trading environment at RAF St Athan in relation to civil aviation firms' use of the facilities on a 24/7 basis? (WAQ73189)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Ken Skates: The St Athan Business Park is open on a 24/7 basis and the airfield is open 7 days a week on a 9a.m. to 5p.m. basis which can be extended with prior notification.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm when the new jobs at Cardiff Aviation were meant to be created by and indicate the total sum of money that has been made available to Cardiff Aviation for job creation, versus what has been spent to date? (WAQ73190)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Ken Skates: Cardiff Aviation Limited has been supported through the Enterprise Zone Business Rates Scheme. The company was awarded the maximum annual grant available under the terms of the scheme for 2014/15 and 2015/16. As you are aware, the provision of Business Rates Relief is not dependent on job creation.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): How will the Welsh Government work with local authorities to simplify the process to apply to the Blue Badge Scheme – particularly for those reapplying to the scheme? (WAQ73203)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Ken Skates: Under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, the local authority is responsible for issuing Blue Badges to applicants in their area, including deciding whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria.
However, the Welsh Government has worked with local authorities to implement the Blue Badge Task and Finish Group recommendations on a number of aspects to the scheme including a recommendation to simplify the Blue Badge application process in 2016. The Welsh Government has worked with local authorities to review declined cases, to provide an evidence base for improving the application process. Based on this collaborative work with local authorities, the Welsh Government has refined the assessment process and procedures for Blue Badge applications, particularly for applications under the discretionary criteria. The guidance for local authorities has been improved and will be re-issued in summer 2017. A streamlined process has been identified to simplify applications for a badge where the applicant has previously undergone a robust assessment. Under the streamlined process, an applicant would need to prove their identity but would not need to undergo another assessment of their mobility when they reapply for a new badge.
The Welsh Government is facilitating workshops for local authorities to support them in their roles in processing applications and determining eligibility. Workshops have been held across Wales to give local authorities a greater understanding of how to make best use of the Independent Advisory Service. The service is fully funded by the Welsh Government, and it provides medically qualified advice and support for blue badge applications at no cost to the local authorities. The Welsh Government will also facilitate workshops across Wales in the coming months to support local authorities to make best use of the technology provided by the Blue Badge Improvement Service, to enable a more streamlined process with improved customer service.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Steffan Lewis (South Wales East): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide a breakdown of apprenticeships delivered in each Welsh local authority by public and private providers since 2010? (WAQ73204)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
The Minister for Skills and Science (Julie James): I will write to you and a copy of the letter will be put on the internet.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central): What steps is the Welsh Government taking to reduce the prevalence of lung cancer in Wales? (WAQ73194)
Answer to follow.
Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central): What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of lung cancer mortality rates in Wales over the last ten years? (WAQ73195)
Answer to follow.
Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central): How will the Cancer Delivery Plan for Wales improve services for patients with lung cancer in Wales? (WAQ73196)
Answer to follow.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement setting out the timescales for evaluating the Social Services and Well-being Act? (WAQ73197) Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): What plans does the Cabinet Secretary have to evaluate the impact of the Social Services and Well-being Act on children and young people in Wales? (WAQ73198)
Answer recieved on 23 March 2017
Minister for Social Services and Public Health (Rebecca Evans): The Social Services and Well-being Act will be evaluated in three phases:
Phase one will monitor policies made under the Act during the first year of implementation;
Phase two will focus on the on-going evaluation that has been established through the national outcomes framework (the first annual report will be published in the Autumn 2017) and the local authority performance measurement framework (the first annual report will be published in 2017-18); and
Phase three will be an independent, long term evaluation that will commence in the third year of the implementation of the Act in 2018-19.
I will also be pursuing opportunities to engage directly with stakeholders and service users myself to seek their views on the impact of the Act and see exactly what is happening on the ground and the affect that the Act is having on individuals across Wales.
I will be establishing a Stakeholder Evaluation Group who will take forward the evaluation and develop an Evaluation Strategy. This will include a practitioner group and a citizen group who will help to shape the evaluation.
The Evaluation Strategy will be published in the Autumn. This will include a specific section on how the impact of the Social Services and Well-being Act on children and young people will be evaluated, with a particular focus on those who need care and support or who are carers and need support.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Neil Hamilton (Mid and West Wales): Will the Cabinet Secretary outline his timetable for bringing forward electoral reform for Local Government in Wales? (WAQ73191)
Neil Hamilton (Mid and West Wales): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on having a more proportional system for Local Government elections in Wales? (WAQ73192)
Neil Hamilton (Mid and West Wales): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on his preferred electoral system for Local Government elections in Wales? (WAQ73193)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Mark Drakeford): The Wales Act 2017 received Royal Assent on 31 January 2017. It transfers functions in relation to elections, their timing and registration of electors to the National Assembly for Wales. When these powers are commenced the Assembly will be able to legislate on the method of voting, the electoral system, the franchise and rules for registration as regards both local government and National Assembly elections.
Also on 31 January 2017 I launched the White Paper Reforming Local Government: Resilient and Renewed. It seeks initial views on some aspects of reforming elections and voting. These proposals will form part of the wider package of electoral reform which will be subject to a detailed consultation in the summer. Following the consultation my intention is to seek to make legislation to give effect to some of the changes for the local government elections in 2022. Some of the reforms may be subject to trial before introduction.
The White Paper seeks views on the proposition that local councils in Wales should be able to decide on their own voting arrangements. It also seeks views on proposals to allow individual local councils to decide to move from the current electoral system of first past the post to a system of proportional representation. For the reasons set out in the White Paper, should a council adopt proportional representation then I believe the most appropriate system would be the single transferable vote.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Cabinet Secretary outline how he intends to implement, through Welsh legislation, those elements of The Localism Act 2011 which English communities enjoy and which have not yet been introduced here in Wales? (WAQ73199)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Mark Drakeford: The Localism Act 2011 covered many issues including the openness and transparency of local government. These are principles which the Welsh Government takes seriously and where the provisions in the Localism Act were felt to be appropriate for Wales they have been implemented, for example, pay policy guidance and statements.
As you will be aware, I am currently consulting on local government reform through the White Paper: “Reforming Local Government: Resilient and Renewed”. It covers much of the policy area included within the Localism Act but from a Welsh perspective. We will pursue our own programme of reform including a requirement for local authorities to prepare participation strategies and giving Welsh local authorities a General Power of Competence, a policy much supported by local government itself.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm how many a) pubs, b) libraries, c) community centres/town halls, d) bank branches, e) public toilets closed across Wales in 2016? (WAQ73200)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Mark Drakeford: The Welsh Government does not hold this information.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): How is the Welsh Government working towards the requirement of the WAO's 2016 financial resilience of local authorities report that it must ensure it has robust arrangements in place to oversee financial and service performance in all council services to ensure it is able to deliver its policy responsibilities effectively? (WAQ73201)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Mark Drakeford: There are well established regulatory and performance frameworks, systems, procedures and tools in place to support local authorities in delivering their range of responsibilities. We work with local authorities, the WLGA and external review bodies to ensure robust and appropriate systems are in place to ensure the delivery of sustainable and resilient council services.
Where evidence has indicated a need for additional support within individual authorities to help them develop and implement sustainable financial plans, the Welsh Government has identified and provided additional capacity and expertise.
Local authorities are autonomous and democratically accountable bodies, which are statutorily responsible for managing their financial affairs. It is the responsibility of each authority to ensure it has robust arrangements for preparing its spending plans, ensuring there is well informed member scrutiny of these plans and appropriate ongoing monitoring of performance against these plans.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What audit standards for Town and Community Councils does the Cabinet Secretary intend to be a requirement in order to be given a general power of competence, should this aspect of his current White Paper be taken forward? (WAQ73202)
Answer received on 22 March 2017
Mark Drakeford: The audit standards we require are as follows.
An Auditor’s opinion means an opinion provided by the Auditor General for Wales under section 23 of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004, having concluded an audit of a community council’s accounts for a financial year.
An opinion is unqualified if the Auditor General for Wales has not, in the opinion, expressed in any way that he or she is not satisfied in relation to the matters set out in section 17 of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004.