​Written Assembly Questions tabled on 21 March 2017 for answer on 28 March 2017
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 Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central): What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of accessibility requirements of rail rolling stock for disabled people in Wales? (WAQ73216)
Answer recieved on 23 March 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): Rail infrastructure and station accessibility are non-devolved. We continue to press the UK Government for capital investment and make contributions where possible. There is a rolling programme of access and integration improvements at train stations across Wales designed to have a positive effect on station accessibility.
Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central): What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the availability of rail rolling stock following the end of the current Wales and Borders franchise? (WAQ73217)
Answer recieved on 23 March 2017
Ken Skates: As part of the procurement process for the new Wales and Borders franchise we have set out some key priorities that we require the bidders to deliver, as a minimum, with their proposed rolling stock solutions. Details can be found in my statement issued on 9 November 2016.
Suzy Davies (South Wales West): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the development of a multi-storey car park at SA1, as mentioned in the letter dated 8 January? (WAQ73225)
Answer recieved on 30 March 2017
Ken Skates: The 28 day pre-application consultation period required as part of the planning process is now over and officials are currently reviewing the responses before preparing the submission of the reserved matters planning application. We are targeting receipt of a planning consent by late July/August 2017 which will enable us to commence the OJEU procurement process seeking a Developer to construct the car park in August/September 2017. Depending on the outcome of the procurement process we would expect construction work to commence in the early part of 2018.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide the 2014/15 and 2015/16 figures for the number of people newly certified as Severely Sight Impaired and Sight Impaired as a result of (a) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and (b) Diabetic Eye Disease in the area covered by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and state how this compares to the average for Wales? (WAQ73218)
Answer received on 30 March 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): The information requested is available in the following link on the Eye Care Statistics for Wales 2015-16 bulletin: http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/eye-care/?lang=en.
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide the number of people who were certified as Severely Sight Impaired or Sight Impaired in 2014/15 and 2015/16 in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board whose sight loss was preventable? (WAQ73219)
Answer received on 30 March 2017
Vaughan Gething: Figures for preventable sight loss within Aneurin Bevan University Health Board are not held by the Welsh Government.
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Cabinet Secretary provide (a) an estimate of the prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy in the area covered by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and (b) figures indicating the number of people treated for Diabetic Retinopathy in 2014/15 and 2015/16 in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board? (WAQ73220)
Answer received on 30 March 2017
Vaughan Gething: The information requested is available in the following link on the Eye Care Statistics for Wales 2015-16 bulletin: http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/eye-care/?lang=en.
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on how the Welsh Government will ensure that Aneurin Bevan University Health Board implements all the recommendations in the Health Inspectorate Wales Ophthalmology Services Thematic Review 2015/16? (WAQ73221)
Answer received on 30 March 2017
Vaughan Gething: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has developed an action plan to implement the 22 recommendations of Health Inspectorate Wales' Ophthalmology Services Thematic Review 2015/16. Progress on the action plan will be monitored through the health board's Eye Care Collaborative Group and Quality Safety and Experience Assurance Committee. Regular update reports on progress will be fed-back to the Welsh Government via the national Planned Care Board.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): What guidance does the Welsh Government currently provide local authority fostering services, independent fostering agencies and voluntary organisations providing fostering services with regards to financial savings for looked after children? (WAQ73222)
Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the findings from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales's investigation of a complaint by MR N against Bridgend County Borough Council (case 201503185)? (WAQ73223)
Llyr Gruffydd (North Wales): What guidance does the Welsh Government currently provide for looked after children and their foster carers with regards to financial savings? (WAQ73224)
Answer received on 30 March 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children (Carl Sargeant): There is a statutory requirement set out in the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services in Wales for local authorities to give a handbook to all newly approved foster carers. The handbook must include the local authority's fostering policies, procedures and guidance, as well as legal information and insurance details.
The Ombudsman's investigation clearly highlighted the way Bridgend County Borough Council managed the savings of the complainant and applied its own internal guidance for foster carers in its Fostering Handbook. I am pleased therefore that the local authority has subsequently implemented the Ombudsman's recommendations in full and has fully reimbursed the complainant.
We will be remaking the regulations and guidance governing fostering services under phase 3 of our implementation programme under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016. This gives us the opportunity to work with stakeholders to review the guidance for local authorities and help prevent similar incidences occurring.
That said, good financial education and management is an essential part of preparing care leavers to live independently and local authorities should recognise and act on this important aspect of corporate parenting without delay.