Written Assembly Questions tabled on 18 March 2014 for answer on 25 March 2014
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 Communities and Tackling Poverty
Simon Thomas (Mid and West Wales): Is the Minister considering introducing a pilot scheme of a ‘National Citizen Service’ in Wales? (WAQ66611)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Jeff Cuthbert): The Welsh Government is in discussion with the UK Government to explore the possibility of running a Welsh Pilot Programme of the UK Government National Citizen Service during 2014.
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister confirm how many schools or Welsh teachers have taken part in the summer education programme run by CERN? (WAQ66590)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister confirm whether there is Welsh Government funding available for Welsh schools or Welsh teachers to take part in the summer education programmes run by CERN? (WAQ66591)
Answer received on 27 March 2014
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis): Applications from interested teachers are made direct to CERN through an electronic application process; consequently the Welsh Government does not have access to applicant data. My officials have reviewed information published by CERN regarding participants on previous programmes, but it has not proved possible to identify whether any of the UK teachers were from Wales (or, of course, whether any unsuccessful applications were made by Wales-based teachers). We will, however, be discussing with CERN how we can further promote access to its teacher programmes over the year ahead.
With regard to available funding for teacher participation from Wales, we understand that the application process is subject to a degree of competition and teachers meeting certain criteria. However, successful candidates this year have access to support cover from CERN of up to 2,000 CHF for living expenses, and up to 500 CHF for travel costs.
As the summer school takes place within term time, it is a matter for individual schools to agree any allocation from their own delegated resources should additional funding be necessary to meet supply cover costs. The school may also consider making use of funding available through the School Effectiveness and the Pupil Deprivation Grants, subject to the conditions for the use of these grants.
Further information on the CERN programme can be found at: http://teachers.web.cern.ch/teachers/
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister confirm how many teachers have received additional science training from the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) in each of the last five years? (WAQ66592)
Answer reveived on 27 March 2014
The Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology (Ken Skates): The aim of the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) is to increase the take-up of learning by non-traditional learners, and overcome barriers to learning arising from structural, personal, occupational or work-based factors. All WULF projects are aligned to the Welsh Government’s Essential Skills in the Workplace programme, which aims to increase the number of adults with essentials skills at level 2.
As WULF’s principle aim is to re-introduce individuals to learning and develop their essential skills, no additional science training has been delivered through WULF
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement of what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the availability of new treatment options for hepatitis C in the next two years? (WAQ66594)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The Welsh Government is committed to reducing the transmission of hepatitis C and improving the provision of treatment and support programmes for infected individuals in Wales.
Innovation in the development of new drugs and treatments is the key factor in reducing the burden of the disease. There are established processes for the introduction of new treatments into the NHS. The Welsh Government will assess any new treatments as they become available.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Further to his answer to WAQ66067-9, will the Minister advise as to when Public Health Wales will publish activity data for hepatitis C treatment centres for 2012? (WAQ66595)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: Data collection for 2012 from treatment centres was completed in February 2014. This is being collated and analysed by Public Health Wales and will be published as soon as possible and by July 2014 at the latest.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister confirm that a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan has been undertaken and publish its findings? (WAQ66596)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: The Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan is a five year plan first published in April 2010. An Implementation Board meets regularly, at least every six months, to monitor progress and to identify areas requiring further action. The Board will be evaluating the impact of the Action Plan at the end of its term. Outcomes will be published on the Public Health Wales web site.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister provide a statement on when the Welsh Government will publish its plans for hepatitis C beyond the expiry of the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan in 2015? (WAQ66597)
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What discussions has the Minister had with the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan monitoring group regarding phase 2 of the Action Plan? (WAQ66598)
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister provide a statement on when the Welsh Government will publish phase 2 of the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan? (WAQ66599)
Answer received on 24 March 2014 (WAQ66597-99)
Mark Drakeford: The Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report (2012) highlighted the need for the development of a Liver Disease Delivery Plan for Wales. The Welsh Government has asked Public Health Wales to establish a project group with key stakeholders to progress this.
The opportunities presented by the development of such a plan were discussed at a BBVHAP workshop organised jointly by Welsh Government and Public Health Wales in December 2013 and attended by health board clinical leads and specialist health professionals from across Wales.
Publication of a Liver Disease Delivery Plan for Wales for consultation is expected in the spring of 2014.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What discussions has the Minister had with the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan monitoring group and the Chief Medical Officer on progress against the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan? (WAQ66600)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: Monitoring implementation of the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan has been delegated to the Implementation Board. This is chaired by a senior official from the office of the Chief Medical Officer and includes health professionals from Public Health Wales and a health board consultant gastroenterologist. I receive progress reports on implementation of the Action Plan as appropriate.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister publish the annual reports of the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan monitoring group which were provided to the Chief Medical Officer and the Welsh Government in (a) 2010 (b) 2011(c) 2012 and (d) 2013? (WAQ66601)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: The key achievements and outcomes of the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan are published on the Health Protection pages of the Public Health Wales Health web site as follows:
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=68681
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): How many Health Boards have established Clinical Networks for the support, treatment and care of viral hepatitis since 2010? (WAQ66602)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: Since introduction of the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan, with the exception of Powys, all Health Boards in Wales now have a hepatitis treatment centre with a designated clinical lead to take forward local implementation. Patients in Powys are referred to an appropriate location in neighbouring health board areas.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on how many (a) Hepatitis Clinical Nurse Specialists; (b) Community based HCV support workers and (c) blood-borne virus public health nurse specialists have been appointed in each Health Board since 2010? (WAQ66603)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: Information is not held centrally on the numbers of specialist staff appointed by health boards.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What estimate has the Minister made of the proportion of deaths from hepatitis C that are preventable in any given year? (WAQ66604)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: Hepatitis C is a communicable disease and as such infection is preventable. If hepatitis C infection is diagnosed and treatment is effective, all deaths from hepatitis C are preventable.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on how many deaths from hepatitis C there have been in (a) Wales and (b) each Health Board in each year since 2000? (WAQ66605)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: The Office for National Statistics is responsible for statistics on deaths for residents in Wales. More information is available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/index.html
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What estimate has the Minister made of (a) the number of people who are chronically infected with hepatitis C in Wales and (b) the number of people who have received treatment for hepatitis C in Wales in each year since 2000? (WAQ66606)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: Studies suggest that 0.4 per cent of the population in Wales, around 12,300 people, have chronic hepatitis C infection. Historic data on confirmed cases of hepatitis C is published on a UK basis by Public Health England. The “Hepatitis C in the UK - 2013 Report” can be found at: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/InfectiousDiseases/BloodBorneInfections/HepatitisCInTheUK/1307HepatitisCintheUK2013report/ Figures 32 and 33 apply.
As part of the Blood Borne Viral Hepatitis Action Plan, a new data collection has been introduced which includes information on the number of patients with hepatitis C referred for treatment and the number commencing treatment. In reply to WAQ66595, I advised that data for 2011 has been published by Public Health Wales. This can be found at: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=68681. Data for 2012 is due to be published by July 2014.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What estimate has the Minister made of the annual cost of hepatitis C-related outcomes in Wales? (WAQ66607)
Answer received on 20 May 2014
Mark Drakeford: Information is not collected centrally on this issue.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on (a) how many liver transplants were carried out in Wales in each year since 2000 and (b) how many liver transplants were due to hepatitis C-related liver damage in each year since 2000? (WAQ66608)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: There have been no liver transplants undertaken in Wales since 2000. However, data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows that between April 2009 and December 2013, 126 liver transplants (123 from deceased donors and 3 from living donors) were undertaken for Welsh residents at specialist centres in Birmingham, London and Leeds. Data for previous years should be available from NHS Blood and Transplant. Welsh Government does not hold any data on the reason for the transplant.
Data on organ donation and transplants is published by NHS Blood and Transplant at: http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/statistics/
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on how many deaths from (a) end-stage liver disease and (b) hepatocellular carcinoma there were in Wales in each year since 2000? (WAQ66609)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: The Office for National Statistics is responsible for statistics on deaths for residents in Wales. More information is available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/index.html
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on how many (a) total hospital admissions and (b) emergency admissions there were for (i) hepatitis C and (ii) hepatocellular carcinoma in Wales in each year since 2000? (WAQ66610)
Answer received on 24 March 2014
Mark Drakeford: Data on total hospital admissions and emergency admissions for hepatitis C and hepatocellular carcinoma in Wales are included in the table below:
Source: Patient Episode Database Wales (PEDW), NHS Wales Informatics Service.
Date Extracted: 20/03/2014
Notes:
(a) Data may be subject to change as further submissions are received.
(b) Based on the admitted episode in hospital spell (admissions).
(c) All regular day and night admissions are included, whereas PEDW data online tables exclude these.
(d) ICD-10 codes for hepatitis C are B171 ‘acute hepatitis C’ and B182 ‘chronic viral hepatitis C’ and for hepatocellular carcinoma ICD-10 code is C220 ‘malignant neoplasm: liver cell carcinoma’.
(e) The analysis is based on the principal diagnoses only.
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources and Food
William Powell (Mid and West Wales): On what date do you plan to bring the next Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations before the National Assembly for Wales? (WAQ66593)
Answer received on 31 March 2014
The Minister for Natural Resources and Food (Alun Davies): I will write to you and a copy of the letter will be put on the internet.