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Written Assembly Questions tabled on 20 November 2015 for answer on 27 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 Minister for Natural Resources

Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Will the Minister confirm his roles and responsibilities with regards to Natural Resources Wales? (WAQ69482)

Answer received on 1 December 2015

The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant): I am the Minister responsible for the oversight of Natural Resources Wales. I set the policy framework for NRW and am accountable to the National Assembly for their activities. I appoint the Chair and Board Members of NRW. I meet with their Chief Executive and Chair on a regular basis to discuss performance and current and future activities.

To ask the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty

Mark Isherwood (North Wales): Further to your statement in the chamber on 6 October on the refugee crisis, please provide an update on how many Syrian refugees have arrived in Wales and where they will be placed? (WAQ69483)

Answer received on 25 November 2015

The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty (Lesley Griffiths):

I published a Written Statement on 24 November, which outlines four Local Authorities across Wales will be welcoming approximately 50 Syrian refugees before Christmas. Exact numbers, details of the Local Authorities and arrival dates will not be disclosed, as the interests of the refugees must be uppermost in our minds.

To ask the Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): With reference to WAQ69407, will the Minister disclose the total staffing spend to date on external contractors, technical and environmental advisors working on the M4 relief road? (WAQ69481)

Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister provide the current full-time head count for the Department for the Economy, Science and Transport? (WAQ69484)

Answer received on 25 November 2015

The Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): As these questions relate to staffing matters, I have referred them to the Permanent Secretary who will write to you directly.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

David Melding (South Wales Central): What initiatives has the Welsh Government taken to introduce mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in Welsh prisons in order to reduce high rates of anxiety and depression among inmates? (WAQ69485)

Answer received on 1 December 2015

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford):

The National Psychological Therapies Management Committee, produced an action plan earlier this year, supported by Welsh Government funding. This action plan aims to increase access and availability of a range of evidence based approaches, which may include mindfulness based treatments. Health boards have been requested to develop their local plans for all their population, which includes prisons, to this action plan when utilising the £1.9m new recurrent funding for psychological therapies.

David Melding (South Wales Central): Will the Minister make a statement on the steps the Welsh Government is taking to ensure minority communities are getting equitable access to palliative care in the end of their lives? (WAQ69486)

Answer received on 4 December 2015

Mark Drakeford:

The key aim of the End of Life Care Delivery Plan is for people in Wales to have access to high quality palliative care wherever they live and choose to die, whatever their underlying disease or disability, devoid of any prejudice in relation to their personal situation.  The Welsh Government expects health boards and third sector partners to work closely with their populations to ensure specific cultural needs are embedded in their end of life care services The delivery plan builds on the work already in hand to ensure minority communities are receiving equitable access to palliative care

For example:

• The Welsh Government works closely with Marie Curie and other third sector organisations. In 2012, Marie Curie Cancer Care produced a specific three-year programme 'Improving Access to Palliative Care Services for Minority Ethnic Communities in South East Cardiff. Its main objectives were to improve links with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community leaders and community- based agencies, reduce barriers to services and increase support for those from minority communities with life limiting illnesses and their families. The project provided a better understanding of palliative care needs of people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds in South East Cardiff.  It identified barriers to access, examined possible solutions and made and planned improvements to services and facilities at the Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff and the Vale.

• Discussion around organ donation is one of the five principles adopted by the Byw Nawr Steering Group set up to encourage open conversations about end of life issues.  A specialist agency (Cognition) has been appointed to engage with minority communities to explain the new organ donation legislation.  They have directly engaged with over 3,000 people at 45 events across Wales.
• Cardiff has the highest Black Minority Ethnic proportion of the population in Wales.  The Welsh Government participates in Minority Ethnic Community Health Fairs held in Cardiff on an annual basis. These annual fairs were established to address multiple barriers which may prevent BME communities accessing preventative health and treatment services.  The fairs are sponsored by Tenovus Cancer Care, Cardiff Neighbourhood Partnership and Cardiff and Vale Health Charity, organised in collaboration with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. This year's Minority Ethnic Community Health Fair, led by the charity the Mentor Ring, was held on 25 March 2015. The event was attended by over 300 people.

David Melding (South Wales Central): What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve the appeal of general practice as a medical career given the shortage of GPs in Wales? (WAQ69487)

Answer received on 4 December 2015

Mark Drakeford:

In terms of the shortage of GPs and the appeal of general practice in Wales, it is important to recognise that overall GP numbers have increased by 10.5% between 2004 and 2014 and that there are now over 2,000 GPs serving communities right across Wales.

We have worked with partners, including the BMA GP Committee in Wales, to improve sustainability in general practice. The number of patients affected by recent changes to practice contracts and some practice closures represent less than 2% of the population of Wales. This includes those practices identified by the BMA to be at risk due to recruitment issues. Where such issues exist, measures are being put in place to alleviate the problem including practices  been placed under health board management or being merged so that they can continue to serve their patients.

We also continue to proactively attract doctors in a number of ways. The Welsh Government's a planned primary care workforce for Wales, for example, contains a number of actions on general practice, one of which is to develop, with the service and a range of partners, a national recruitment campaign that highlights the essential contribution made by general practice; and the opportunities a career in Wales can provide.

The plan also sets out actions to support those GPs who wish to step back from full time work to be retained in the workforce on a different basis; to make it easier for them to return to work in Wales; and to reform the incentives regime to try and retain more of those who train for general practice in Wales, to stay in the Welsh workforce.

Additionally, for junior doctors, we are currently running a targeted campaign calling on them to "make your future part of our future". We want to encourage new doctors to not just train in Wales, but to stay to live and work in Wales. This, coupled with actions to increase the exposure to general practice as part of training, is intended to improve the appeal of working in general practice in Wales now and in future years.