Written Assembly Questions tabled on 18 June 2014 for answer on 25 June 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 First Minister

Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire): How will the Welsh Government be spending its £3 million budget to maximise the benefits of the NATO summit and would the Minister provide a breakdown? (WAQ67257)

Answer received on 25 June 2014

The First Minister: The Welsh Government has made available a budget of up to £3 million to help promote Wales on the world stage and also to ensure a safe and successful Summit. Of this money, around a third of the budget will be spent on promoting Wales. The remaining amount will be spent on improving and enhancing the infrastructure to support the Summit therefore ensuring security and resilience measures are being adhered to.

To ask the Minister for Culture and Sport

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister make a statement on what actions the Welsh Government is taking to ensure the bridle path network across Wales is preserved and maintained? (WAQ67249)

Answer received on 29 July 2014

The Minister for Culture and Sport (John Griffiths): Responsibility for bridleways rests primarily with local authorities. The Welsh Government provides funding for their maintenance via the Revenue Settlement and additional monies for improvements to the network through the Rights of Way Improvement Plan Implementation Programme.

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the number of Welsh Government officials who will be travelling to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and all associated costs involved? (WAQ67266)

Answer received on 25 June 2014

John Griffiths: The First Minister and I will be making separate visits to the Games. In both instances one accompanying official will support. Costs are not yet known.

To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty

Peter Black (South Wales West): Is the Welsh Government conducting an investigation and/or has it conducted an investigation in this Assembly term into the operations of Minority Ethnic Women’s Network or how the organisation used grant money? (WAQ67254)

Peter Black (South Wales West): What actions has the Minister taken with regards to establishing the integrity of projects that were previously supported by the Minority Ethnic Women’s Network? (WAQ67255)

Peter Black (South Wales West): Following the Minority Ethnic Women’s Network going into liquidation, how is the Welsh Government auditing the projects the organisation was responsible for and measuring their outcomes? (WAQ67256)

Answer received on 25 June 2014 (WAQ67254-6)

The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Jeff Cuthbert): The Welsh Government is aware of a police investigation in relation to MEWN Swansea; the Finance Minister and I have written to Members and it would be inappropriate to make any further comment while the investigation is ongoing.

We are working with MEWN’s partners to mitigate the impact of their closure on MEWN beneficiaries and staff. The projects that MEWN were involved in delivering are continuing to deliver, with support to MEWN’s beneficiaries being offered by the partner organisations. The partners are currently in the process of contacting MEWN’s project beneficiaries to signpost them to alternative support available through the existing project partners.

The lead sponsors for the projects have taken steps to check the relevant audit trails and to protect the documentation for future inspection. The projects will be monitored and audited by Welsh Government in accordance with standard and regulated departmental procedures. Outcomes will be measured as part of this ongoing monitoring.

To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide details on what attempts or efforts that the Welsh Government has made to ensure that the European Super Cup event is a success and showcases Cardiff and Wales as a destination for tourism? (WAQ67262)

Answer received on 24 June 2014

The Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): We are working with the City of Cardiff Council and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) to ensure that the Wales brand achieves as high a level of prominence as possible during the event. A pre-match programme of official events, hosted by the FAW, City and County of Cardiff and Welsh Government, which will be attended by UEFA, is also being developed. These events will champion Welsh food, drink and culture.

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister detail whether Visit Wales is keeping an advertising presence in the Cardiff City Stadium this season and, if so, whether the cost for advertising Visit Wales at the stadium will be reduced this season due to Cardiff’s change in league status? (WAQ67263)

Answer received on 24 June 2014

Edwina Hart: Welsh Government Sponsorship was dependent on Cardiff City FC retaining a place in the Premier League. My officials have written to Cardiff City confirm that the agreement will not be renewed.

To ask the Minister for Finance

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minster ensure that the Procurement Fitness Checks carried out by KPMG on all local authorities are published along with details on the support that the Welsh Government is providing to assist them meet their procurement recommendations? (WAQ67264)

Answer received on 23 June 2014

The Minister for Finance (Jane Hutt): The Minister for Local Government & Government Business and I will be issuing a joint Written Statement in July setting out the outcome of the Procurement Fitness Checks undertaken for Welsh local authorities and the support that is being made available to assist them to progress their improvement plans.

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minster advise on the overall number of Welsh companies winning contracts through Sell2Wales and how many were first time contract winners? (WAQ67265)

Answer received on 29 July 2014

Jane Hutt: The total number of contracts awarded to Welsh companies since the launch of Sell2Wales in June 2013 is 1,351 which equates to 67% of all awards published. The site does not report on first time winners.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister confirm the number of clinical nurse specialists in Wales for (a) breast cancer and (b) urological cancers? (WAQ67246)

Answer received on 29 July 2014

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The number of whole time equivalent (WTE) Clinical Nurse Specialists posts in NHS wales for Breast Care is 34.95 and the number for Urology is 27.2. These nurse specialists care for patients with breast or urological conditions but not exclusively cancers. The table sets out the break down of these posts by Health Board and Trust.

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister detail the support mechanisms in place for prostate cancer patients? (WAQ67247)

Answer received on 25 June 2014

Mark Drakeford: The Together for Health - Cancer Delivery Plan - A Delivery Plan up to 2016 for NHS Wales and its Partners, includes a specific action for Local Health Boards to assign a key worker to each person diagnosed with cancer. The key worker plays an important role in empowering and helping individuals to find appropriate support.

Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister publish how many occasions ambulance handover times exceeded two hours and how many exceeded three hours in May 2014? (WAQ67248)

Answer received on 25 June 2014

Mark Drakeford: The Welsh Government does not hold this data centrally. However, I have directed officials to write to the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust and request the information you require on your behalf. The Trust will respond to you directly.

Suzy Davies (South Wales West): What is Welsh Government doing to ensure that NICE clinical guideline 161, ‘Falls: assessment and prevention of falls in older people’, is being met in Wales? (WAQ67258)

Answer received on 25 June 2014

Mark Drakeford: In Wales, we have a number of services working to help people to either prevent falls, or to help people who have fallen. The 1000 Lives ‘how to reduce harm from falls’ guide incorporates NICE guidance.

The aim of 1000 Lives work is to prevent falls in older people by identifying those people most at risk of falling and co-ordinating appropriate preventative action. It also requires that a basic falls risk assessment is completed for any patient who has a fall and appropriate plans are put in place to prevent further harm.

To ask the Minister for Natural Resources and Food

Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): Does the Minister support the creation of statutory targets for the Welsh Government on climate change? (WAQ67250)W

Answer received on 29 July 2014

The Minister for Natural Resources and Food (Alun Davies): The Climate Change Strategy and Delivery Plan for Emissions Reduction provide a quantification of Welsh Government and UK policies demonstrating how the 3% target could be achieved.

The Climate Change Annual Report and the associated technical annex present a comprehensive, published performance monitoring framework, which tracks progress towards meeting the emission reduction targets set out in the 2010 Climate Change Strategy.

Progress towards the Welsh Government’s 3% target is reported each year.

Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): Has the Welsh Government conducted an assessment of its policies in terms of their effect on carbon emissions and their contribution to their Government’s target of cutting emissions by 3% every year and, if so, will the Minister publish the assessment? (WAQ67251)W

Answer received on 29 July 2014

Alun Davies: As a Government we have had a strong and consistent commitment for our climate change targets, which were outlined in the Climate Change Strategy 2010 and reaffirmed in the current Programme for Government.

In undertaking the policy refresh, the focus is on actions that will drive forward delivery and increase momentum in reducing our emissions.

Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): As part of the refresh of the Welsh Government’s climate change strategy, has consideration been given to an evaluation of the 2010 climate strategy for Wales and, if so, will the Minister publish it? (WAQ67252)W

Answer received on 3 July 2014

The Minister for Natural Resources and Food (Alun Davies): The Strategy is evaluated annually as part of the Annual Report on climate change. It is also externally evaluated by the Climate Change Commission for Wales and the UK Committee on Climate Change. These evaluations have fed into the work on the climate change refresh.

Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): Will the Minister list the sectoral adaptation plans that the Welsh Government is expected to announce and outline the dates when they are due to be published? (WAQ67253)W

Answer received on 29 July 2014

Alun Davies: The Welsh Government has already produced a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Health and I will be giving an update on progress with the sectoral adaptation plans in my oral statement to Plenary on 15^th July.

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister outline the consultancy costs that the Welsh Government has incurred in the development of the Glastir part of the Rural Development Plan and the Rural Development Plan 2014-2020 as a whole? (WAQ67259)

Answer received on 24 June 2014

Alun Davies: There are no consultancy costs for Glastir and for the whole of the RDP the only consultancy costs are those for the Ex Ante evaluation which is being undertaken through a contract that covers all the Economic Strategic Investment (ESI) funds. Spend on RDP elements to date is £53,390.

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide the legal costs incurred by the Welsh Government relating to animal health policy in Wales in the past year? (WAQ67260)

Answer received on 23 June 2014

The Minister for Natural Resources and Food (Alun Davies): Animal health policy issues are supported by the Legal Services Department of the Welsh Government. The cost of that support is not separately identified.

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide a detailed list of all fairs and other public events related to his position as Natural Resources and Food Minister that a) he has attended and b) at which there has been an official Welsh Government presence (i.e. stand or stall)? (WAQ67261)

Answer received on 24 June 2014

Alun Davies: The table below sets out fairs and other public events that I have attended in relation to my Ministerial position since taking post:

The table below sets out fairs and other public events where the Natural Resources and Food Department has had an official presence, stand or stall, since I have been in post: