Written Assembly Questions tabled on 20 November 2014 for answer on 27 November 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 Natural Resources
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister provide a list of companies providing technical officers to Ynni'r Fro for each of the following years: (a) 2011/12; (b) 2012/13; (c) 2013/14; and (d) 2014 to date? (WAQ68055)
Answer received 2 December 2014
The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant): Three companies were awarded contracts in 2010 to deliver the Technical Development Officer service element of Ynni’r Fro until the end of the programme in March 2015. The organisations are Severn Wye Energy Agency, Awel Aman Tawe and Ecodyfi.
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister outline the number of advisors employed by Ynni'r Fro on i) a full time basis, ii) part-time basis, and iii) contract basis for each of the following years: (a) 2011/12; (b) 2012/13; (c) 2013/14; and (d) 2014 to date? (WAQ68056)
Answer received on 2 December 2014
Carl Sargeant: The Ynni’r Fro programme has never employed advisors.
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister detail the amount spent by Ynni'r Fro on Technical Officers in each of the following years: (a) 2011/12; (b) 2012/13; (c) 2013/14; and (d) 2014 to date? (WAQ68057)
Answer received no 2 December 2014
Y Gweinidog Cyfoeth Naturiol ( Carl Sargeant): Ynni’r Fro Technical Development Officer costs for the following years were as follows:
2014 to date = £154,910.
The Deputy Minister for Farming and Food (Rebecca Evans): This information is held by Hybu Cig Cymru not by the Welsh Government.
The number of cattle herds under restriction as a result of a TB incident in Wales by can seen as the number of new TB incidents. Data between 2011 and the 2014 year to date (until August 2014) is attached. It should be noted that data is published approximately 3 months in arrears in order to allow time for the majority of post‐mortem examination and laboratory test results to feed into the published data.
The Defra published TB statistics can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/incidence-of-tuberculosis-tb-in-cattle-in-great-britain
To ask the Minister for Finance and Government Business
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister outline how much the Welsh Government spent on expenses for task and finish groups in each of the following years: (a) 2011/12; (b) 2012/13; (c) 2013/14; and (d) 2014 to date, providing a breakdown by department? (WAQ68052)
Answer received 25 November 2014 (WAQ68051-52)
The Minister for Finance and Government Business (Jane Hutt): Expenses for both advisory groups and task and finish groups are not separately identified within the finance systems. To provide this information in the format requested would require significant staff resource across each department within the Welsh Government, involving the review of all invoices and/or claims for the period in question.
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister identify (a) each show, fair or similar event at which the Welsh Government has had a stand during the years 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014 to date and (b) the monetary cost of such stands at each event? (WAQ68053)
Answer received on 28 November 2014
The Minister for Finance and Government Business (Jane Hutt):
The events attended by the Welsh Government during these financial years are
b). The costs for attending these events are:
Financial year Expenditure
2011-12 £264,000
2012-13 £273,000
2013-14 £282,000
2014-15 £231,122
(All figures exclude VAT)
These figures cover attendance at events procured and managed by Central Communications division only. Figures for individual departments are listed in the document attached.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Antoinette Sandbach (North Wales): Will the Minister state how many GPs are employed in work within Wales and how many of these GPs work a full five day week, providing information for 2012/13 and 2013/14? (WAQ68054)
Answer received on 28 November 2014
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): Information about the number of GPs employed full-time in Wales at 30 September 2012 and 2013 can be found by following the link below:-
http://wales.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/general-medical-practitioners/?lang=en
Information about the number of GPs employed at 30 September 2014 will be released in March 2015.
The number of GP practitioners in Wales (excluding registrars, retainers and locums) was 1,996 at 30 September 2012, equivalent to 1,846 whole time equivalent (wte) GPs.
The number of GP practitioners in Wales (excluding registrars, retainers and locums) was 2,026 at 30 September 2013, equivalent to 1,901 whole time equivalent (wte) GPs.
Further information in regards to the number of GPs employed at 30 September, by local health board, can be found on StatsWales at:
Information about the number of GPs who work a full five-day week is not held centrally.