Written Assembly Questions tabled on 17 January 2017 for answer on 24 January 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 Health, Well-being and Sport
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement and provide details of how much money has been made available to the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in relation to the Waiting List Initiatives for optometry services? (WAQ71881)
Answer received on 20 January 2017
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): For 2016-17, we have given Cardiff and Vale University Health Board £7.5 million to help maintain performance over the winter period. It is up to the health board to decide how they spend this money to achieve the targets agreed in line with their priorities for their local community.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide optometry waiting times for the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board for the last three years? (WAQ71882)
Answer received on 20 January 2017
Vaughan Gething: Attached is a link to the StatsWales website for the latest Referral to Treatment (RTT) figures: https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/NHS-Hospital-Waiting-Times/Referral-to-Treatment/patientpathwayswaitingtostarttreatment-by-month-groupedweeks
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm what monies have been paid to CESP for providing optometry services at the University Hospital Wales within the Waiting List Initiative and any other monies for services in optometry to date? (WAQ71883)
Answer received on 20 January 2017
Vaughan Gething: This information is not held centrally.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Can the Cabinet Secretary confirm that CESP was awarded its contract for optometry services at the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board after a competitive tender process was carried out? (WAQ71884)
Answer received on 24 January 2017
Vaughan Gething: Health boards in Wales, as individual statutory bodies, are responsible for managing their own procurement of goods and services. The Welsh Government does not hold this information
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs
Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an assessment of the report "Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide"? (WAQ71885)
Answer received on 24 January 2017
Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs (Lesley Griffiths): We are aware of this peer-reviewed paper which was published 9 January in Nature Scientific Reports. We have forwarded it to the secretariat of the Expert Committee on Pesticides, who provide advice to UK Ministers on pesticides issues for their expert consideration.
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Further to the answer to WAQ71844, will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether she is satisfied that the access track for the Mynydd y Gwair wind farm is complete, or whether any further exchange of land is needed for the access track to be completed? (WAQ71886)
Answer received on 24 January 2017
Lesley Griffiths: The application received to deregister certain land as common land and register other land as replacement common land at Mynydd y Gwair was in part to enable the development of an access track. The order granting the application included parts of the existing track, and the replacement common land.
The alignment of the access track is a matter for the City and County of Swansea and the developer.
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Further to the answer to WAQ71844, will the Cabinet Secretary provide a detailed map outlining specifically which land relating to the access track for the Mynydd y Gwair wind farm is released land that has been deregistered as common land? (WAQ71887)
Answer received on 24 January 2017
Lesley Griffiths: The maps showing the deregistration and exchange of common land under section 16 and 17 of the Commons Act 2006 in respect of common land at Mynydd y Gwair are published on the Welsh Government website at the following link.
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Further to the answer to WAQ71844, will the Cabinet Secretary provide a copy of the deregistration and exchange order issued by Welsh Ministers in relation to the access track for the Mynydd y Gwair wind farm? (WAQ71888)
Answer received on 24 January 2017
Lesley Griffiths: The deregistration and exchange order made under section 16 and 17 of the Commons Act 2006 in respect of common land at Mynydd y Gwair is published on the Welsh Government website at the following link.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether the additional £10 million announced by the Welsh Government for business rates relief will be distributed to local authorities for them to apply automatically as part of the bill issuing process? (WAQ71877)
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether businesses will have to apply for the extra transitional fund and, if so, what will this application process involve? (WAQ71878)
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary specify what criteria businesses will have to meet in order to qualify for the additional support in respect of business rates relief? (WAQ71879)
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether the additional transitional relief fund is intended for small businesses or businesses of all sizes facing increased business rates bills? (WAQ71880)
Answer received on 24 January 2017
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Mark Drakeford): I provided an update on the additional £10 million targeted relief for high street retailers in Plenary on 18 January. I will be introducing a specially targeted grant scheme similar to the previous Wales Retail Relief scheme. The relief will be administered by local authorities and will provide a flat-rate reduction in liability for eligible ratepayers. The full details of the scheme are being finalised with local authorities to ensure that the relief can be targeted at those most in need of support and easily and effectively administered. Legal considerations are also in hand to determine whether the relief can be applied directly to eligible ratepayers' bills. I will make a written statement providing Members with details of the scheme in due course.