Written Assembly Questions tabled on 18 November 2013 for answer on 25 November 2013
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Ann Jones (Vale of Clwyd): How many people does the Minister estimate are living with HIV/Aids in Wales? (WAQ65929)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Mark Drakeford: It is estimated that in 2012 there were 1535 Welsh residents receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS. Data for 2013 is available up to June 2013 and shows 60 new people have been diagnosed with HIV and there have been 6 new diagnoses of Aids. Public Health Wales (PHW) estimates that there may be up to 300 people in Wales with HIV who are undiagnosed.
Surveillance of HIV/AIDS is now undertaken by Public Health England (PHE) on behalf of England and Wales, with the collaboration of PHW. Data is collected through the PHE's Survey of Prevalent HIV Infections Diagnosed (SOPHID), which collects annual data on diagnosed HIV-infected individuals resident in Wales and accessing HIV-related care.
Aled Roberts (North Wales): What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of the new drug driving legislation on healthcare professionals? (WAQ65930)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Mark Drakeford: The Welsh Government broadly welcomes the proposals within the Department for Transport's consultation on UK Government Drug Driving Regulations. However, we have made it clear that we would wish to see appropriate safeguards in place to ensure that limits proposed by the UK Government are well above normal therapeutic levels to mitigate the risk of those drivers with pre-existing medical conditions and legitimate prescriptions being penalised.
Our views have been conveyed to the Department for Transport in the Welsh Government consultation response sent on 23 September 2013.
Aled Roberts (North Wales): What meetings has the Minister had with external stakeholders to discuss the new drug driving legislation? (WAQ65931)
Answer received on 21 November 2013
Mark Drakeford: I have had no such meetings.
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources and Food
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister state what awareness-raising measures are in place to encourage sound biosecurity practice within a) public and b) private forestry? (WAQ65932)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister state what measures are in place to ensure sound biosecurity practice within a) public and b) private forestry? (WAQ65933)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Further to WAQ65866, will the Minister place the assessments of the commercial success of producers in the Assembly library? (WAQ65934)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Alun Davies: No. This information contains sensitive information which could be related back to individual companies.
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister give details of all research into forestry pests and diseases which the Welsh Government are currently supporting, which is a) ongoing, b) completed in 2013, or c) scheduled to begin in the next year? (WAQ65935)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister give details of all ongoing forestry research which the Welsh Government is supporting? (WAQ65936)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide an update on the production of a Grey Squirrel Management Action Plan for Wales? (WAQ65937)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide an update on the development of a strategic approach to dealing with invasive species, including specifically Rhododendron, Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam? (WAQ65938)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): What actions are being taken to horizon scan and monitor for the presence of previously absent pests in forestry? (WAQ65939)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister place each annual evaluation of the 'True Taste' awards, for each year from 2008 onwards, into the Assembly library? (WAQ65940)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide an update on the review of the Woodland Creation Map which identifies priority areas for woodland creation? (WAQ65941)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister state what provisions are made for the non-market ecosystem services of forestry and woodlands within the Glastir Woodland schemes? (WAQ65942)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide an update on all actions taken each year since 2011 to improve water quality within Priority Water Catchments? (WAQ65943)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister list all designated Priority Water Catchments, broken down into (a) North Wales, (b) mid Wales, (c) south-west Wales and (d) south-east Wales? (WAQ65944)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister outline all criteria used by the Welsh Government for designating Priority Water Catchments? (WAQ65945)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister detail the benefits to landowners who have Priority Water Catchments within their land? (WAQ65946)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide an update on the designation of Priority Water Catchments under Glastir? (WAQ65947)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide an updated map of the distribution of Priority Water Catchments under Glastir? (WAQ65948)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister state the monthly number of herd breakdowns within the Intensive Action Area since the initiation of the badger vaccination programme? (WAQ65949)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Alun Davies: The number of new herd breakdowns in the IAA is published within the IAA report.
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister explain why the available report on "differences between bovine TB indicators in herds in the IAA and herds in the comparison area" for the first two years of the vaccination programme (May 2010-April 2012) has redacted all of the graphic information for the years in question? (WAQ65950)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Given that the percentage of herd breakdowns began to decrease within the IAA from 2008/09, prior to more intense cattle control measures or the vaccination programme, will the Minister state whether any improvements regarding TB incidence within the IAA can be accurately attributed to the work of the vaccination progamme? (WAQ65951)
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister state how much money has been provided to the Rivers Trust by the Welsh Government to support work being conducted as part of the Water Framework Directive objectives? (WAQ65952)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Alun Davies: Natural Resources Wales is the competent authority for delivering the Water Framework Directive in Wales.
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide details of any (a) funding, (b) grants, (c) support or (d) otherwise that the Welsh Government have provided in aid of working towards the objectives outlined in the Water Framework Directive? (WAQ65953)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Alun Davies: Natural Resources Wales is the competent authority for delivering the Water Framework Directive in Wales.