Written Assembly Questions tabled on 21 January 2014 for answer on 28 January 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)

To ask the First Minister

Mohammad Asghar (South Wales East): Will the First Minister provide a list of the dates of meetings he has attended with officials of Cardiff Council and other bodies to discuss the proposed bid to hold the Commonwealth Games in 2026? (WAQ66303)

Answer received for publication on 30 January 2014

The First Minister (Carwyn Jones): I have attended one such meeting at which the proposed Commonwealth Games bid was on the agenda: with Cardiff Council on 26 September 2012.

Mohammad Asghar (South Wales East): Will the First Minister provide a list of the dates of meetings his Major Events Unit has held with officials of Cardiff Council and other bodies to discuss the proposed bid to hold the Commonwealth Games in 2026? (WAQ66304)

Answer received for publication on 23 January 2014

First Minister: A Commonwealth Games Steering Group was established by the Welsh Government to examine the feasibility of a bid for the 2026 Games.  The Group includes representatives from the Welsh Government, Cardiff Council, Sport Wales and the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales and has met on the following occasions to date:

08.12.11

22.02.12

23.03.12

30.05.12

20.09.12

27.11.12

25.03.13

11.06.13

05.11.13

To ask the Minister for Culture and Sport

Janet Finch-Saunders (Aberconwy): What guidance is in place for local authorities to follow in order to afford protection from building / commercial development on any site or land designated as a World Heritage Site in Conwy and across Wales? (WAQ66297)

Answer received for publication on 4 February 2014

The Minister for Culture and Sport (John Griffiths): The key guidance for Local Authorities regarding protection of World Heritage Sites is Planning Policy Wales which directs that development plan policies should reflect the ‘outstanding international importance’ of World Heritage Sites and stresses the need to protect both the sites and their settings for future generations.  In practice, World Heritage Sites are a material consideration to be taken into account in planning decisions.

Local Authorities are able to draw on specialist advice on the potential impact of developments on World Heritage Sites from Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service and ICOMOS-UK, (the International Council on Monuments and Sites).  The ICOMOS document Guidance on Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties (2011) provides guidance for decision-makers, site managers and developers on suitable methods to use to evaluate the potential impact of developments.

To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport

Eluned Parrott (South Wales Central): Further to the answer to WAQ66252, will the Minister be recording and publishing separate figures for each Enterprise Zone for the number of jobs created, safeguarded and assisted, or will you be recording and publishing one overall total? (WAQ66298)

Answer received for publication on 24 January 2014

Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): I will be reporting against the published indicators which aggregate performance across the Enterprise Zones.

Eluned Parrott (South Wales Central): How many enquires did the Welsh Government Business Information Helpline receive between January and December 2013, and how many of those enquiries resulted in an offer of a) advisory services, b) finance or c) both? (WAQ66306)

Answer received for publication on 27 January 2014

Edwina Hart: The Welsh Government Business Wales Helplines received 30,308 enquires between January and December 2013. A full breakdown of the information requested is not collated.

To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What are the total anticipated costs associated with the Wedinos Project in the current financial year and future financial years? (WAQ66307)

Answer received for publication on 23 January 2014

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): £102,000 has been awarded in respect of the Wedinos project in 2013-14.  Confirmation of funding for the 2014-15 financial year will be made shortly.

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister publish details of the business case for the Wedinos Project? (WAQ66308)

Answer received for publication on 27 January 2014

(Mark Drakeford): I will ensure a summary of the Wedinos project business case is published in the members’ library.

To ask the Minister for Housing and Regeneration

Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Minister outline the number of houses to be built for each Local Authority under the terms of their Local Development Plans? (WAQ66299)

Answer received for publication on 27 January 2014

The Minister for Housing and Regeneration (Carl Sargeant): The table below shows the total housing provision set out in the 13 adopted Local Development Plans (LDPs) across Wales.

Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): What specific criteria has the Minister issued to Local Planning Authorities in relation to Local Development Plans with specific reference to the number of new domestic properties to be built? (WAQ66300)

Answer received for publication on 27 January 2014

The Minister for Housing and Regeneration (Carl Sargeant): National planning policy is set out in Planning Policy Wales (PPW) supplemented by Technical Advice Notes (TANs). PPW, paragraph 9.2.2 states: “The latest Welsh Government local authority level Household Projections for Wales should form the starting point for assessing housing requirements.” Local planning authorities can deviate from these projections provided they can justify their approach by explaining the rationale behind them in terms of the issues stated in PPW (paragraph 9.2.1).

Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): What assessment has the Minister made of the number of houses required in Wales over the course of the next decade to satisfy Welsh demand, and will the Minister publish all supporting evidence? (WAQ66301)

Answer received for publication on 27 January 2014

Carl Sargeant: The Welsh Government (Knowledge and Analytical Services Division) prepares and publishes population and household projections for Wales. The Welsh Government has produced 2006 and 2008-based population and household projections at a unitary authority level. The 2011 based population projections were published in July 2013.  All statistical information is available on the Welsh Government’s website: http://wales.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/local-authroity-population-projections/?lang=en

http://wales.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/household-projections/?lang=en

All local planning authorities have access to the data and methodology used to prepare the projections.

Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the Minister publish all communication his department has had with the UK Government regarding the creation of Local Development Plans in Wales? (WAQ66302)

Answer received for publication on 27 January 2014

Carl Sargeant: There is no correspondence between the Department of Housing and Regeneration and the UK Government regarding the creation of LDPs in Wales.

To ask the Minister for Natural Resources and Food

Suzy Davies (North Wales): Further to WAQ66253, can the Minister explain why the obligations introduced in England under the Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) Regulations 1999 were not also mandatory in Wales? (WAQ66305)

Answer received for publication on 29 January 2014

The Minister for Natural Resources and Food (Alun Davies):  The Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) Regulations 1999 saw the introduction of WaterSure for water companies based wholly or mainly in England.  At the time the Welsh Minister decided not to introduce these regulations in Wales.  One of the reasons for this was that the regulations only applied to metered households.

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water have developed a tariff to assist vulnerable households called Welsh Water Assist, which is available to both metered and unmetered households.  Dwr Cymru Welsh Water currently has 30,279 households signed up to Welsh Water Assist.

Welsh Ministers published Guidance on social tariffs in 2013 and both Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Dee Valley Water are developing social tariffs to be available to their customers from 2015.