Written Assembly Questions tabled on 18 November 2015 for answer on 25 November 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 First Minister
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the First Minister provide figures for (i) the number of external consultants who provided a paid service to the First Minister's office for 2013-14, and 2014-15, and (ii) the total cost for these services for 2013-14, and 2014-15? (WAQ69462)
Answer received on 24 November 2015
The First Minister (Carwyn Jones): External consultants have not provided services to my office.
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What considerations has the Minister given to providing support to farmers in order to assist them to abide by the rules of the Glastir agreements? (WAQ69467)
Answer received on 25 November 2015
The Deputy Minister for Farming and Food (Rebecca Evans): I have given approval for officials to begin procedures to procure Glastir advisory support, part of which will be to offer advice and guidance to existing and would-be Glastir participants. However, support is already available to farm businesses from across the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme (WGRC) 2014 - 2020. There is a wide range of advisory and knowledge transfer services available, as well as significant financial support for farm business investments to support our vision of a more sustainable, prosperous and resilient sector, which, in turn, helps them to mitigate the risk of breaching baseline requirements and scheme rules. The WGRC, as a whole, will help the industry in promoting Wales' present and future well-being.
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): What is the Welsh Government doing to increase the uptake of STEM subjects by girls? (WAQ69461)
Answer received on 25 November 2015
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis):
This Government understands the importance of increasing girls' progression in the study of STEM subjects. Attainment in STEM affords greater opportunity for quality employment, and we remain committed to increasing the number of young people, and girls specifically, studying these critical subjects. STEM related occupations also form a cornerstone of our economic development and, as set out in Science for Wales, increasing the STEM talent pool is essential in underpinning a prosperous and sustainable knowledge economy in Wales.
This Government has put in place clear and integrated strategies which include a number of commitments specifically addressing the issue of girls' uptake of STEM subjects, some of which are highlighted below. Our approach is set out in detail in our STEM in Education Delivery Plan, to be published shortly. The plan sets out a strategic objective to improve girls' progression in STEM subjects, and a copy of the draft document was reviewed by the Enterprise and Business Committee earlier this year.
I launched the Qualified for Life: Focus on Science campaign last year with a key theme of promoting the study of science and careers in STEM to girls. This multifaceted campaign continues to help teachers and parents understand and address gender imbalances in science, and STEM more widely. As part of that campaign we reach out to young people with careers information, particularly through Careers Wales' refreshed Spotlight on STEM, ensuring a presence at events across Wales. At the two Skills Cymru events this year Focus on Science content was designed to spark girls' interest, and we saw a 29% increase in enquiries about science study.
Ensuring equal opportunity for girls and boys from the early years is a key priority for Welsh Government. That is why our grant support to Techniquest and Techniquest Glyndŵr includes an objective that ensures their Gender Equality Coordinators review all science and mathematics enrichment provision in line with Chwarae Teg's 'gender lensing' principles. Alongside this, our funding provides for activity to raise girls' aspirations, such as holding female-only STEM career days.
We are aware of the specific issue around girls' progression to study physics at A level. To address this we are also funding Techniquest to deliver outreach provision to enhance girls' engagement in physics at Key Stage 4. Alongside, as part of a dual approach, we also fund the Institute of Physics' Stimulating Physics Network programme providing mentoring support for non-specialist physics teachers in 50 schools across Wales. Initial evidence from this approach in England shows a notable impact in girls' progression rates in the subject.
Encouraging girls to continue to study STEM subjects has been identified as one of the three key principles for grant funding through the National Science Academy (NSA). This Government has also gained agreement from the European Commission for girls' progression to feature as a priority within the STEM Specific Objective of the new ESF programme in West Wales and the Valleys. The first successful bid under that objective, EESW's STEM Cymru II programme, was announced in September. Girls' progression in STEM is a key priority for EESW's work.
The Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales set up a group to consider the role of women in STEM based careers in Wales. The group was tasked to develop recommendations for steps to help recruitment, retention and promotion of women in STEM. Work has been led by Professors Karen Holford of Cardiff University and Hilary Lappin-Scott of Swansea University, and the resulting report is expected in January 2016.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
William Graham (South Wales East): What plans does the Minister have to make the new in-work support programme to help people with health problems to stay in work available across all local authorities in Wales? (WAQ69457)
William Graham (South Wales East): What is the estimated cost of delivering 130 workshop for SME managers and employees? (WAQ69458)
William Graham (South Wales East): How will the Welsh Government communicate the delivery of the 130 workshops that are available to SME managers and employees? (WAQ69459)
William Graham (South Wales East): Following the announcement of a programme to support 4000 people with health problems to stay in work, on 13 November, when will this programme be accessible in Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea? (WAQ69460)
Answer received on 25 November 2015
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford):
The scheme is funded through European Social Funds (ESF) and is only eligible for funding in West Wales & Valleys EU Convergence area. Following implementation of the current programme, opportunities will be explored to extend support to other areas in West Wales & Valleys EU Convergence area, subject to identifying further sources of match funding and availability of ESF funds. We will also look to apply learning from this work more widely.
Costs for the delivery of the workshops are subject to procurement exercises and pending funding agreements with Joint Beneficiaries, who lead on the delivery of the workshops.
The workshops will be developed and publicised through local engagement with SMEs and employer organisations. They will also be promoted though the Welsh Government's and Public Health Wales' Healthy Working Wales network.
The programme is in a mobilisation period and is receiving a small number of referrals to tests systems and processes. A date for the formal launch will be published in the coming weeks once funding agreements are signed off with Joint Beneficiaries.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Across the Welsh NHS budget, what is the total spend on elderly and mentally infirm (EMI) care? (WAQ69463)
Answer received on 1 December 2015
Mark Drakeford: The total NHS spend on elderly mental illness is detailed in the NHS programme budget expenditure statistics, published on Stats Wales. The total spend for 2013-14, the most recent year available, was £181.7 million.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister outline the daily cost of caring for a patient in an EMI bed, and the amount paid to EMI care homes, per bed, per day, to provide this care? (WAQ69464)
Answer received on 25 November 2015
Mark Drakeford: The average cost per bed per day for EMI services provided by NHS Wales is £361. The Welsh Government does not hold information on the amounts paid to independent care homes for EMI services.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister provide figures for the number of patients waiting for an EMI bed in each health board across Wales? (WAQ69465)
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): How is the Minister working with health boards to increase the number of EMI beds available where demand is highest? (WAQ69466)
Answer received on 1 December 2015
Mark Drakeford: Welsh Government does not hold data on waiting lists for older person's mental health beds centrally. However, we do record bed occupancy rates in old age psychiatry: the latest figures, published on the StatsWales website https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/v/BBQF (for 2014-15) indicate that across Wales the average occupancy rate is 86%, with 75.9% for BCU, which would not suggest that additional beds are required in this speciality.