Written Assembly Questions tabled on 20 November 2013 for answer on 27 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 First Minister
Aled Roberts (North Wales): Following the statement made on October 21, when will the First Minister announce a timetable in order to set the standards for the other public bodies named in the Welsh Language Measure (Wales) 2011? (WAQ65971)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Carwyn Jones: As I noted in my statement on 21 October, the Welsh Language Commissioner is developing the rolling programme to plan subsequent standards investigations. Details of that programme will be issued by the Welsh Language Commissioner.
Aled Roberts (North Wales): When will the First Minister publish a timetable for setting the standards for the private sector that are laid down in the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011? (WAQ65972)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Carwyn Jones: As I noted in my statement on 21 October, the Welsh Language Commissioner is developing the rolling programme to plan subsequent standards investigations. Details of that programme will be issued by the Welsh Language Commissioner.
Aled Roberts (North Wales): When will the First Minister announce the schedule for setting standards for individuals who provide services to the public and who receive a total of £40,000 or more of public funding per year in line with Schedule 5 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011? (WAQ65974)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Carwyn Jones: Schedule 5 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 notes that persons providing services to the public who receive public money amounting to £400,000 or more in a financial year may be added to Schedule 6. As I noted in my statement on 21 October, the Welsh Language Commissioner is developing the rolling programme to plan subsequent standards investigations. Details of that programme will be issued by the Welsh Language Commissioner.
To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
Mohammad Asghar (South Wales East): What plans does the Welsh Government have to set up an “Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund” such as that set up by the UK Government to assist disabled people to stand for election in Wales? (WAQ65961)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Jeff Cuthbert: The UK Government's Access to Elected Office fund has been in operation since 2012 and is open for applications from candidates for UK Parliament elections, English local elections, Greater London Authority elections, English Mayoral elections and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales. It is intended to meet any additional disability-related costs that candidates might incur in standing for election.
The scheme has been in operation in English local elections since 2012 and I await with interest the results of the evaluation of the scheme so see if there are any lessons to be learned prior to the next National Assembly elections in 2016 and local elections in Wales in 2017.
In addition, the Minister for Local Government and Government Business has appointed an Expert Group on Local Government Diversity which is due to report in January. As part of this, the group will consider what might be done to encourage more disabled persons to stand for election in Wales.
Peter Black (South Wales West): What tender criteria will be used by the Welsh Government for deciding upon the agency that will oversee disbursement of the £650K funding earmarked for the Welsh Credit Union sector for 2014/15 on its behalf? (WAQ65977)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Jeff Cuthbert: Future priorities for the funding of Credit Unions are under consideration. When those priorities are finalised, they will inform the decision on how the funding will be distributed to Credit Unions for 2014/15 and what criteria will be used to award any contract.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What is the total number of projects in Wales to have successfully secured funding from the Community Asset Transfer? (WAQ65982)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Jeff Cuthbert: Sixteen projects have successfully secured funding from the Community Asset Transfer Fund.
To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): How many of the current businesses in the St Athan Enterprise Zone are in receipt of business rate relief as a result of the Enterprise Zone business rate relief scheme? (WAQ65960)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Edwina Hart: There is one current business in the St Athan Enterprise Zone that is in receipt of financial support from the Enterprise Zone Business Rate Scheme.
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Further to the report on the 'progress and future remit of Sectors and their Panels, will the Minister provide an update on the future direction for the panels, detailing the membership of the small panels and the timeframe for their formulation and implementation? (WAQ65963)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Edwina Hart: I have asked Sector Panel Chairs to report with their recommendation on how the sector growth can be sustained and continued beyond their current remit to March 2014. Reports, including recommendations, will be submitted to me. Once I have considered the reports and recommendations, I will make a decision on the future direction for sectors and panels.
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): What consideration has the Minister given to reforming the business rates multiplier in Wales? (WAQ65964)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Edwina Hart AM: I will be considering this issue and other matters of business rates policy following the UK Government's response to the Silk Commission.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Will the Minister make a statement on potential Welsh Government support for the ‘20s Plenty for Us’ campaign? (WAQ65980)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Edwina Hart: I launched the Welsh Government's Road Safety Framework for Wales in July which supports the need for introducing 20mph zones where there is a need.
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): How many staff reorganisations have been undertaken by the education department in the last four years and what is the total cost of each of these in terms of advertising/recruitment etc.? (WAQ65958)
Answer received on 22 November 2013
Huw Lewis: Staffing matters in the Welsh Government are delegated to the Permanent Secretary. I have asked Derek Jones to respond to you directly.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): With particular reference to senior management staff in the education department, how many have had to re-apply for their jobs in the last four years due to changing criteria and of these how many were successful? (WAQ65959)
Answer received on 22 November 2013
Huw Lewis: Staffing matters in the Welsh Government are delegated to the Permanent Secretary. I have asked Derek Jones to respond to you directly.
Ann Jones (Vale of Clwyd): What liaison is there with HE institutions in Wales to inform students and potential students of the employment prospects for (a) academic subjects and (b) specific vocational subjects? (WAQ65962)
Ann Jones (Vale of Clwyd): What are employment/unemployment rates for Welsh University graduates for each of the main disciplines in each of the past 10 years? (WAQ65965)
Answer received on 2 December 2013
Please refer to the page "Information Further to Written Assembly Questions (WAQ65965)"
Leighton Andrews (Rhondda): What controls are in place to prevent uncapped numbers of Welsh students being funded to attend private HE providers? (WAQ65968)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Huw Lewis: There are currently only a very small number of Welsh students being funded to attend courses provided by a private HE provider. There are no Wales only controls on privately provided, non franchised courses.
I will continue to monitor the numbers accessing support and I will consider introducing controls if the need should arise in future.
Leighton Andrews (Rhondda): What was the Welsh Government’s original 2010 estimate for the cost of the Tuition Fee Grant to 2016-17 at £9000 fee levels expressed as a per annum figure and as a total? (WAQ65973)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
TheMinister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis): The model with an average fee of £9,000 per annum produced the following financial year forecasts:
| 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | Total |
| £49.3m | £145.2m | £230.6m | £286.4m | £311.7m | £1.023bn |
In considering the possible cost of a tuition fee grant, the Welsh Government also produced forecasts that assumed an average fee of £7,000. The assumptions and modelling for both options were released in February and March 2010 as part of a series of freedom of information requests.
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Will the Minister list the Welsh Government Ministers who were not privy to the full financial modeling of the Tuition Fee Grant when it was approved by the Welsh Government in 2010? (WAQ65975)
Answer received on 28 Tachwedd 2013
Huw Lewis: Details of Ministers attending Cabinet and the outcomes of those meetings are published with the minutes and are therefore a matter of public record.
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): By what date does the Minister expect the report on the Miller Research to be published? (WAQ65976)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Ken Skates: Miller Research (UK) Ltd commissioned in January 2013 to undertake research on behalf of Energy and Utility Skills (EU Skills), the Sector Skills Council for the energy and utility sector. The research, titled, "Skills Needs Research in the Energy Sector in Wales", was funded through the Welsh Government's Sector Priorities Fund Programme, with support from the European Social Fund. It was published on 14th August 2013.
To ask the Minister for Finance
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What is the total amount spent on First Class Travel by the Welsh Government, on a department by department basis, for the Financial Years 2011/12 and 2012/13? (WAQ65981)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Jane Hutt: This is a matter for the Permanent Secretary and I have asked him to write to you.
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What is the total amount spent on external consultants and external advisors by the Welsh Government, on a department by department basis, for the Financial Years 2011/12 and 2012/13? (WAQ65979)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Jane Hutt: This is a matter for the Permanent Secretary and I have asked him to write to you.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): Of the postgraduate medical students that qualified in Welsh universities, how many have entered into employment with NHS Wales for each of the academic years: 2010/11; 2011/12 and; 2012/13? (WAQ65978)
Answer received on 25 November 2013
Mark Drakeford: The Welsh Government does not hold centrally information on whether medical students qualifying in Welsh universities start their employment with NHS Wales.
To ask the Minister for Housing and Regeneration
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister provide the total cost to the Welsh Government of calling-in the Dairy Unit application at Lower Leighton Farm, including the cost of the public inquiry? (WAQ65966)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Carl Sargeant: The information sought is not held by the Welsh Ministers.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): In relation to the letter dated 30th October 2013, where you formally set out your decision on the Section 77 Application made by Mr Fraser Jones for a Dairy Unit at Lower Leighton Farm, will the Minister publish the details of those people that made representations to you on the merits of the application, as referenced in paragraph 13? (WAQ65967)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Carl Sargeant: The representations referred to in paragraph 13 of the decision letter, dated 30th October 2013, are post inquiry representations received by the Welsh Ministers following the closure of the public inquiry. The information was subject to a recent request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and I have attached a link to the Welsh Governments disclosure log where details of the response are provided.
http://wales.gov.uk/about/foi/responses/dl2013/octdec/planning1/atisn7894/?lang=en
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources and Food
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Further to WAQ65906, of the 50 people who were helped to find training and employment under Arbed phase 1, how many now remain in ongoing employment as a result of the scheme? (WAQ65969)
Answer received on 27 November 2013
Alun Davies: This information is not available.
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister explain why there has been no financial investment in the promotion of Ynni'r Fro since April 2010? (WAQ65970)
Answer received on 28 November 2013
Alun Davies: Ynni'r Fro is a time-limited programme; initial publicity, the website and referrals between community groups have generated over 200 applications to the scheme. Further investment in publicity would have offered poor value for money.