Written Assembly Questions tabled on 18 February 2015 for answer on 25 February 2015
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 Minister for Natural Resources
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure members of the public are made aware of where they can go for assistance should a large animal require rescue, following the decision of North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority to withdraw rescue services for large animals? (WAQ68393)
Answer received on 24 February 2015
The Deputy Minister for Farming and Food (Rebecca Evans): The Welsh Government is aware that North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority (NWFRA) decided to end animal rescue services as part of its budget-setting for 2015-16. There is no legal obligation on FRAs to rescue animals in any circumstances, although in practice they often do.
The welfare of all animals is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Act also contains a duty of care to animals - anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal’s welfare needs are met. Therefore it is the responsibility of the owner or keeper to ensure that their animals are protected from pain, injury, suffering or disease.
There are two main delivery authorities responsible for enforcing animal welfare on behalf of the Welsh Government, the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Local Authorities. They should be the first point of contact for any animal welfare concerns.
To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): What assessment has the Minister made of levels of poverty and economic activity amongst people with learning disabilities in Wales? (WAQ68391)
Answer received on 26 February 2015
The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Lesley Griffiths): No specific assessment has been made on the levels of poverty and economic activity amongst people with learning disabilities.
I will ask my officials to look into this issue in more detail and let you know if it is feasible to make any assessments of this nature.
I am aware the Minister for Health and Social Services has provided grant funding of over £300,000 this year to Learning Disability Wales.
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): What steps is the Minister taking to support people with learning disabilities into work? (WAQ68390)
Answer received on 24 February 2015
The Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology (Julie James): All programmes that support unemployed people, both through the Welsh Government and the Department for Work and Pensions, are not restricted to any specific interest group and should be open to all irrespective of their personal circumstances.
Supporting people to find sustainable employment remains a key priority for the Welsh Government. We are continuing to deliver on our Programme for Government commitments through the extension of apprenticeships, providing training opportunities and creating 4,000 jobs each year over four years to March 2016 for young people through our Jobs Growth Wales programme.
In January 2014 we published our Policy Statement on Skills which sets out our ambition for a more responsive employment and skills system that supports businesses and individuals, and actively promotes jobs and growth.
The Skills Implementation Plan, launched on 15 July 2014, focusses on the key actions to be taken forward by the Welsh Government to develop a skills system that can provide the support necessary to assist individuals both in and into employment. This includes providing individuals with access to the information they need to improve their skills as well as preventing vulnerable individuals, such as those with disabilities, from dropping out of the workforce.
Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that ESF funding will be available to support people with a learning disability into employment? (WAQ68392)
Answer received on 24 February 2015
Julie James: Supporting people to find sustainable employment remains a key priority for the Welsh Government. We are continuing to deliver on our Programme for Government commitments through the extension of apprenticeships, providing training opportunities and creating 4,000 jobs each year over four years to March 2016 for young people through our Jobs Growth Wales programme.
The 2014-2020 ESF Programmes are hugely significant programmes which, in line with the Welsh Government’s commitment to Tackling Poverty, will invest significant resources to supporting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals within our communities to overcome the barriers they face to engaging with the labour market.
The ESF programmes have a number of priorities which offer the opportunity for adding value to Welsh Government, public, third and private sector investments to support people with learning disabilities into employment.
The Tackling Poverty through Sustainable Employment priority represents over 20% of the total ESF funding available. Within this priority, one of the key target groups will be economically inactive or long term unemployed individuals with work limiting health conditions or disabilities, which can include those with learning disabilities.
The new European Structural Funds programmes 2014–2020 also include dedicated investment priorities to support youth employment and attainment in Wales. Actions will focus on those who are Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) or at highest risk of becoming NEET and will aim to support individuals in gaining access to employment including activity to address barriers, including learning disabilities, which may cause unemployment.
The Cross Cutting themes of Tackling Poverty and Social Exclusion, Sustainable Development and Equal Opportunities will also paly a key role in the ESF 2014-2020 programmes, ensuring non discrimination and equal opportunities across the programmes, including for those with disabilities
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What services are available to children suffering from schizencephaly systolic cerebral palsy in Wales as a whole and in north Wales? (WAQ68395)
Answer received on 26 February 2015
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): Cerebral Palsy in children is a complex condition with many different forms. The services required by each individual child will vary significantly therefore it is not possible to list all specific services. If you require information in relation to a specific circumstance this will be available from health boards.
The neurological conditions delivery plan sets out a continued focus on the delivery of patient centred services for people with neurological conditions. I expect the actions and measures set out in the plan to make a tangible difference to the care people of all ages receive with neurological conditions, such as Cerebral Palsy, including access to appropriate treatment and support.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Could the Minister please detail what treatment the Welsh NHS funds for patients with sleeping disorders? (WAQ68396)
Answer received on 26 February 2015
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): NHS Wales routinely provides care for patients whose sleep is affected by sleep disordered breathing, which can be related to asthma and other respiratory conditions. The precise treatment available varies widely depending on the respiratory cause of the sleep disorder and an individual patient’s circumstances. Obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) is one common condition, affecting around 4-6% of middle-aged adults. Early diagnosis and a prudent approach to treatment should form the basis for OSAHS interventions, ranging from lifestyle advice for mild symptoms to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy and home bi-level ventilation for moderate to severe cases.
The Respiratory Health Implementation Group is taking forward the Respiratory Health Delivery Plan. This includes action to ensure pathways for the investigation of sleep-disordered breathing are established to assess and treat patients with OSAHS within established Referral to Treatment Times. It also includes a population needs assessment and review of current levels of service for sleep-disordered breathing against the recommendations of the Strategy Document for Sleep Disordered Breathing Services in Wales.
To ask the Minister for Public Services
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve the standards of Wales's worst-performing authorities, in light of the Local Authority Services Performance Report 2013-14? (WAQ68394)
Answer received on 24 February 2015
The Minister for Public Services (Leighton Andrews): Responsibility for effective performance and delivery rests squarely with Local Authorities, as does responsibility for service or corporate failure. Too often, neither the Executive, senior management nor scrutiny have addressed problems before they have become failures identified through audit or inspection. This has, on occasion, led to the Welsh Government providing formal support, directions or intervention to seek improvements where there have been concerns relating to specific governance or performance challenges faced by Authorities. The Local Authority Services Performance Report contains the latest performance data to support the accountability and scrutiny of Public Services by citizens and by Elected Members acting on their behalf. Transparency of data allows the public and Elected Members to identify below-average performance and take action.