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Written Assembly Questions tabled on 18 February 2016 for answer on 25 February 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 First Minister

Suzy Davies (South Wales West): How many meetings has the First Minister had in relation to seeking to ensure designation of St David's Day as a bank holiday in Wales, and on what date were those meetings? (WAQ69829)

Answer received on 1 March 2016

The First Minister (Carwyn Jones): 

I have had no meetings in relation to seeking to ensure designation of St David's Day as a bank holiday in Wales.

I wrote to the Secretary of State for Wales (David Jones MP) on 28 October 2013 and suggested that the Wales Bill presented an opportunity to confer the necessary legislative competence on the Assembly to allow it to consider proposals that may come forward in future to make St David's Day a bank holiday.  The Secretary of State responded on 13 November 2013 that in line with long standing policy, the UK Government currently has no plans to make such a change.

This remains the position and Bank holidays are covered by reservation 14 (Financial Services) in the draft Wales Bill published on 20 October 2015.

To ask the Minister for Natural Resources

Suzy Davies (South Wales West): How many wind turbines are based on the Welsh Government's estate; and how much money have they generated in each of the last five financial years? (WAQ69828)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant):

Forty one. Welsh Government does not hold figures for the money they have generated as this is a commercial matter between the turbine operators and the purchasers of their power, and/or the UK Government in respect of support payments.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): What number of newly qualified teachers leave Wales to find employment? (WAQ69831)

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): What number of Newly Qualified Teachers do not register with the Educational Workforce Council after gaining qualified teacher status? (WAQ69838)

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): What measures is the Welsh Government undertaking to promote teaching as a career for young people in Wales? (WAQ69839)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis):

Of the 1332 Initial Teacher Education students who gained Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in Wales between 1st June 2014 and 1st March 2015, 1004 (75%) were registered with the Education Workforce Council and eligible to seek work in Wales on 1st March 2015.

There are a range of conditions whereby a newly qualified teacher (NQT) who qualified at a Welsh Institution may not go on to register with Education Workforce Council. Some NQTs may go to another country to teach, some take time out before commencing their careers, or work in education but not in a post which requires registration.  There is no evidence to indicate whether those that did not register with the Council were seeking employment outside of Wales.

We continue to focus on attracting the very best qualified people with the right skills and personal qualities to consider teaching as a career.

Financial incentives to attract graduates with the highest levels of subject knowledge into postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes have been available for some time. In recent years the Welsh Government has targeted the highest levels of financial support toward attracting top graduates with high levels of degree subject knowledge in the secondary designated priority recruitment subjects of mathematics, chemistry, physics, Welsh, foreign languages and computer sciences. For academic year 2016/17, up to £20,000 will be available for top postgraduate students who want to train to teach the key recruitment priority subjects in our schools. Eligible Welsh students will also be entitled to a tuition fee grant to support their studies.

Additional financial incentives of £2,000 are available under the Welsh Medium Improvement Scheme for secondary postgraduate chemistry and physics ITE trainees training to teach through the medium of Welsh, who need extra support to teach their specialist subject effectively in Welsh.

Welsh Government also operates Employment-based teacher training routes where individuals, whilst undertaking their teacher training and working towards achieving QTS, are employed as an unqualified teacher in a school. The flexibility of this employment-based route offers the opportunity to commence a career in teaching, whilst also receiving a consistent salary for the duration – which is vital to career changers and those with family and financial commitments.

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): What measures is the Welsh Government taking to promote teaching as a career for older adults and adult learners? (WAQ69840)

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): What measures is the Welsh Government taking to encourage teachers from outside Wales to come and work in Wales? (WAQ69841)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

Huw Lewis:

We continue to focus on attracting the very best qualified people with the right skills and personal qualities to consider teaching as a career.

Financial incentives to attract graduates with the highest levels of subject knowledge into postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes have been available for some time. In recent years the Welsh Government has targeted the highest levels of financial support toward attracting top graduates with high levels of degree subject knowledge in the secondary designated priority recruitment subjects of mathematics, chemistry, physics, Welsh, foreign languages and computer sciences. For academic year 2016/17, up to £20,000 will be available for top postgraduate students who want to train to teach the key recruitment priority subjects in our schools. Eligible Welsh students will also be entitled to a tuition fee grant to support their studies.

Additional financial incentives of £2,000 are available under the Welsh Medium Improvement Scheme for secondary postgraduate chemistry and physics ITE trainees training to teach through the medium of Welsh, who need extra support to teach their specialist subject effectively in Welsh.

Welsh Government also operates Employment-based teacher training routes where individuals, whilst undertaking their teacher training and working towards achieving QTS, are employed as an unqualified teacher in a school. The flexibility of this employment-based route offers the opportunity to commence a career in teaching, whilst also receiving a consistent salary for the duration – which is vital to career changers and those with family and financial commitments.

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): How many teaching posts have been vacant for three or more months in the years 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16? (WAQ69842)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

Huw Lewis:

Welsh Government does not currently collect information on the length of time taken to fill vacant posts.  However, information is collected on a calendar year basis on the number of posts advertised and the number of posts where an appointment was made, via the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC). 

The table below shows the number of posts advertised and the number of posts where an appointment was made in calendar years' 2012 to 2014 for posts teaching both Primary and Secondary school ages. Data for 2015 is not yet available.

To ask the Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport

Suzy Davies (South Wales West): How does the Welsh Government plan to invest in destination management plans in the next financial year? (WAQ69826)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

The Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism (Ken Skates): Tourism officials are currently working on the 2016/2017 budget for the Regional Tourism Engagement Fund which is the key Welsh Government support mechanism to help destination partnerships deliver on their management plans.

Suzy Davies (South Wales West): How much has the Welsh Government invested in destination management plans per annum since 2013? (WAQ69827)

Answer received on 26 Febraury 2016

Ken Skates: Since 2013 Welsh Government has provided £2.3m in direct revenue funding to support destinations and product development

Bethan Jenkins (South Wales West): Has the Welsh Government offered any support to the staff of Crown Foods in Neath, whose factory has entered phased closure? (WAQ69843)

Answer received on 24 February 2016

The Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): We have been in close contact with the company since their announcement and throughout the course of the consultation process. We have introduced Careers Wales and JCP who have given an overview of the services available.  I instructed my officials to assemble a task force with other public sector partners to assist the affected workers in the event of plant closure and to ensure ongoing support.  The task force has met with trade unions to provide an overview of the outplacement support available.

To ask the Minister for Finance and Government Business

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): How many contracts with a value of £0.5 million or more have been signed by the Welsh Government over the course of this Assembly and what percentage of these were awarded to Welsh firms or firms that use products manufactured in Wales? (WAQ39838)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

The Minister for Finance and Government Business (Jane Hutt):

Welsh Government Corporate Procurement have awarded 130 contracts valued over £0.5m during the current term of the Assembly, with 53% of these going to Wales-based business. Welsh Government Capital Procurement have awarded 44 contracts over £0.5m for the same period with 36% going to Wales-based business.  The inclusion of Community Benefits approaches in  these procurements are delivering positive results for Wales - the Head of the Valleys road scheme although awarded to an England-based contractor has delivered 84% spend with Welsh business.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): By local health board, how many women in Wales were diagnosed with endometriosis in each of the past 3 years? (WAQ69832)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford):

The Welsh Government does not hold information about the number of women diagnosed with endometriosis.

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on the pathway for the care of women diagnosed with endometriosis in Wales? (WAQ69833)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

Mark Drakeford: In the first instance, women with symptoms suggestive of endometriosis should visit their GP. Many women diagnosed with endometriosis who have relatively mild symptoms can be managed in primary care with pain medication or hormone therapy, together with information and, if needed, support from third sector organisations.

The most recent clinical consensus guideline on the management of endometriosis from 2014 provides some evidence-based guidance but identifies many areas where evidence of effectiveness of interventions is lacking:  (http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/01/15/humrep.det457.full.pdf+html ) 

This overlaps with the current Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology guidance about chronic pelvic pain, which recommends consideration of referral to a gynaecologist if there is no improvement in symptoms after a three to six-month trial of treatment in primary care.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance about the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis is expected to be published in 2017.

Secondary care gynaecology services manage many women with endometriosis effectively but some will require onward referral for specialist care.

Surgical treatment for endometriosis includes diathermy ablation or excision, or sometimes more extensive surgery where clinically indicated and agreed between the woman and her clinician. 

Welsh Government officials are working with the Women's Health National Specialist Advisory Group to review care pathways and provision for women with endometriosis in Wales.

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): By local health board, what proportion of women diagnosed with endometriosis underwent excision procedures for their condition in each of the past three years? (WAQ69834)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

Mark Drakeford:

The Welsh Government does not hold this information. However the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy-accredited centre in Cardiff, which provides a regional service for South Wales, undertook 22 cases for severe rectovaginal endometriosis in 2014 and 26 cases in 2015. Figures for 2013 are not available.

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): By local health board, what proportion of women diagnosed with endometriosis underwent diathermy in relation to their condition in each of the past three years? (WAQ69835)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

Mark Drakeford:

This table contains the details of the number of admissions for endometriosis treated with diathermy in each of the last three years by health board (using Patient Episode Data for Wales supplied by the NHS Wales Informatics Service).

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on why applications for excision for endometriosis must be made via an individual patient funding request in some parts of Wales but not others? (WAQ69836)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

Mark Drakeford:

In the absence of an evidence base showing superiority of any specific surgical approach, provision of an alternative to locally-available diathermy ablation requires a specific clinical indication to a specialised service. This is considered on the normal grounds for an individual patient funding request (IPFR).

Only Cardiff and Vale University Health Board provides an excision service ­– where this is clinically indicated, clinicians in other health board areas may use the IPFR process to access the excision service in Cardiff or from other centres in England on behalf of their patients.

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): By local health board will the Minister make a statement on the number of women with endometriosis referred to centres accredited by the British Association for Gynaecological Endoscopy? (WAQ69837)

Answer received on 26 February 2016

Mark Drakeford:

The Welsh Government does not hold this information.