Written Assembly Questions tabled on 16 October 2017 for answer on 23 October 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
Mark Isherwood (North Wales): How will the Cabinet Secretary ensure that the new Wales and Borders franchise will benefit rail users across Wales and the services in stations in England which are within the franchise, including users and communities in England? (WAQ74439)
Answer received on 24 October 2017
Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): It is our intention to create a rail service that benefits the whole of Wales, as well as communities in England along the border. We want the next rail service to change people's views of public transport and make it the choice that can be relied on to get around for work, to access services such as education or health services or to enjoy leisure time.
We have published Transport for Wales - Rail Services for the Future. This provides more detail on our requirements for the services and gives insight into the solutions being sought from bidders. It can be accessed via: (http://gov.wales/topics/transport/transport-for-wales/procurement/rail-services-for-the-future/?lang=en)
My officials are working closely with the Department for Transport to ensure that passengers in England continue to be treated no less favourably than passengers in Wales.
Moreover I recognise the importance of ensuring that the needs of English passengers using services under the franchise are protected. As part of the agreement, the Secretary of State will retain involvement in respect of services operating in England.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): How is the Cabinet Secretary working with internet servers and businesses across the UK and beyond, to ensure that .cymru and .wales domain names and email addresses are accepted universally? (WAQ74438)
Answer received on 19 October 2017
Minister for Skills and Science (Julie James): Nominet is the official registry for the .cymru and .wales domain names and promotes the domains through its website at:
https://www.nominet.uk/domains/our-domains/welsh-domains/
The Welsh Government actively supports and promotes .cymru and .wales through its own adoption of these domains. The Welsh Government also signposts businesses to the domain names through relevant initiatives, such as Superfast Business Wales.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): In light of NHS England's decision to ban oversized chocolate bars and crisp packets from being sold in hospitals, does the Welsh Government have plans to do the same? (WAQ74431)
Answer received on 19 October 2017
The Minister for Social Services and Public Health (Rebecca Evans): We have introduced a range of initiatives aimed at improving food in hospitals. In 2012 we issued Vending Directions which restrict the vending of less healthy product options including chocolate bars by placing restrictions on saturated fat, salt and sugar content. There are on-going discussions with Health Boards on further measures to improve healthy food choices in hospitals for staff and visitors to encompass canteen provision, vending and retail outlets.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm that there remains no intention on the Welsh Government's part to provide LHB's with additional funding to tackle deficits, and is the Cabinet Secretary confident that patient safety and the quality of care across Wales will not be compromised as a result of this decision? (WAQ74432)
Answer received on 24 October 2017
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): I have made it clear that I consider any forecast deficits unacceptable. There will be no "bail outs" for health boards in deficit. I expect health boards and trusts to deliver on their responsibilities and will track the progress and outcome of their actions in order to stabilise and improve their position. These are matters of Board governance and accountability and will remain under scrutiny, including through use of the escalation framework should there be concerns.
Whilst I am holding Boards accountable for delivery of their plans, I have held additional funding back to manage forecast deficits so that the Welsh Government budget will be balanced. As in previous years, I will make repayable cash support available to organisations in deficit at the year end to ensure that cash commitments, including paying staff and suppliers, can be met with no risk to service provision.
I am confident that patient safety and quality of care are not at risk due to the well-established procedures and governance arrangements which are already successfully embedded across NHS Wales.
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): In relation to WAQ74308, how was the £2.7 million investment in crisis intervention teams shared across Wales, and will the Cabinet Secretary provide details on what this investment has helped to achieve? (WAQ74433)
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How many CAMHS crisis teams are operational in evenings, nights and weekends in each of Wales's local authorities, and for those that are not, what plans are in place to ensure children and young people have access to 24 hour crisis mental health care? (WAQ74437)
Answer received on 24 October 2017
Vaughan Gething: Welsh Government sought proposals in 2015 from health boards to establish CAMHS crisis teams, which are available to address young people who present in crisis at peak periods. Health boards submitted proposals on the following basis for their teams to operate at the following days/times. In addition the £2.7m investment was distributed on the basis of a health board's percentage share of the under 18 year old population;
Betsi Cadwaladr – 9am-9pm 7 days a week - £600k
Aneurin Bevan – 9am-9pm Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm Saturday-Sunday - £529k
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg – 10am-10pm 7 days a week - £445k
Cardiff and Vale – 10am-10pm 7 days a week - £429k
Hywel Dda – 9am-9pm 7 days a week - £318k
Cwm Taf- 10am-10pm 7 days a week - £267k
Powys – 9am-5.00pm Monday- Friday - £107k
Where a child or young person under the age of 18 is taken to a health-based place of safety under S136 of the Mental Health Act the Code of Practice to the Act states that either a CAMHS consultant or an Approved Mental Health Professional with knowledge and experience of caring for this age group should, wherever practicable, undertake the assessment.
CAMHS crisis teams are expected to have developed good working relationships with adult psychiatric liaison teams in order to build capacity to respond in circumstances where the direct availability of adult mental health service professionals to undertake the assessment would result in substantial delay. Those assessing the child or young person should at least discuss the case with an appropriately qualified person in such circumstances.
Investing in the development of these teams has enabled health boards to improve access to timely assessment and intervention when young people present in crisis requiring intensive support; reduce admission to hospital; and reduce the length of stay on paediatric and adult mental health wards.
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Will the Cabinet Secretary list all "places of safety" for people in mental health crisis in each of Wales's local authorities? (WAQ74434)
Answer received on 24 October 2017
Vaughan Gething: The designated places of safety for Section 136 assessments are not a public access health provision in the same way as A&E or minor injuries units. This information is needed by the police service, local authorities and health boards to make sure that timely arrangements can be made to access designated places of safety when a person needs an assessment of their mental health for their own safety.
To prevent confusion for the public in presenting to the appropriate health setting, the list of designated places of safety is not published centrally.
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Will the Cabinet Secretary outline the Welsh Government's plans to collaborate and engage with the Mental Health Act Review? (WAQ74435)
Answer received on 24 October 2017
Vaughan Gething: The Welsh Government has noted the UK Government's announcement on 4 October to commission an independent review of the Mental Health Act and practice to inform what changes to legislation and, or services may be needed.
The UK Government has published the Terms of Reference for the review acknowledging that the Act contains both devolved and non-devolved matters. In Wales there have been considerable unique changes in the way mental health services are organised and delivered such as the implementation of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010. Therefore, the Welsh Government will want to ensure that there is robust engagement in the process of review so that the interest and rights of Welsh citizens and all stakeholders involved in the delivery of mental health services are fully represented and that any recommendations reflect the distinct needs of Wales.
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide details on demand and waiting times for talking therapies in Wales in 2016/17, and how does this compare with numbers for 2015/16 and 2014/15? (WAQ74436)
Answer received on 24 October 2017
Vaughan Gething: The Local Primary Mental Health Support Services (LPMHSS), introduced under the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010, recognises the role of psychological and talking therapies in improving or preventing deterioration in mental health. We have already introduced an 80% target within these services to assure timely access to the right therapeutic intervention for people following assessment [within 28 days].
Since 2014 there have been over 65,000 therapeutic interventions by LPMHSS that can include talking therapies. The all-Wales position at March 2015 showed that 73.0% of people started an intervention within 28 days of assessment, increasing to 79.7% at March 2016 and exceeding the target in March 2017 at 81.0%.
The Welsh Government has also introduced a 26 week referral to treatment target in specialist secondary care psychological therapies and health boards are now working towards that target. Processes are being put in place to enable the collection and submission of this data and from 2019 will be published by the Welsh Government.
Improving access to psychological therapies is a current priority within our Programme for Government and since 2015 we have provided an additional £4m per annum to expand psychological therapy services for both adults and children. This is alongside an additional £800,000 in the LPMHSS.
It is the health boards' responsibility to demonstrate an understanding of the mental health and mental well-being needs of their own population across the life course and as part of this work should include a capacity and demand analysis.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Sian Gwenllian (Arfon): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether the additional £104 million allocated for social care and education as part of the Welsh Government's draft budget, is new money or the reallocation of existing local government funding? (WAQ74440)
Answer received on 26 October 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Mark Drakeford): I will write to you as soon as possible and a copy of my letter will be published on the internet.