Written Assembly Questions tabled on 22 June 2016 for answer on 29 June 2016
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
Mohammad Asghar (South Wales East): Will the Minister provide an update on Welsh Government support for the Circuit of Wales project? (WAQ70547)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates): I am very supportive of this project but as Minister I need to be satisfied that the development is being taken forward in the right way, with a fair sharing of risk on all sides - between both the tax payer and the private sector. I also need to be assured that public investment is value for money and secures lasting benefits for Wales.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire):
Has the Minister made a cost analysis of improvements to the A55 and A40 and, if so, can he provide a breakdown of these costs? (WAQ70550)
Answer received on 1 July 2016
Ken Skates: Full cost benefit analysis calculations will be carried out on the A55 and A40 improvements as part of the next stages of option and design development to demonstrate the Economic Case for the scheme and ensure best value.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister detail the Welsh Government's plans for the North Wales Metro, including:
(i) funding available; and
(ii) where in North Wales the Metro will operate? (WAQ70552)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
Ken Skates: Development of the North Wales Metro concept is in the early stages. Officials are currently developing outline proposals and we will be setting out that vision within the next 100 days.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire):
What discussions has the Minister had with mobile phone providers to ensure that the Welsh Government's target of 95 percent of Welsh customers receive 4G reception by the end of 2017 is met? (WAQ70554)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
The Minister for Skills and Science (Julie James): The 95 per cent target for 4G coverage is an obligation on Telefonica O2 set by Ofcom as part of their auction of 4G spectrum rather than a target set by Welsh Government.
However, both my officials and I maintain regular contact with the major mobile network operators to discuss their operations and future plans for Wales and how the Welsh Government can facilitate further roll-out.
These discussions have included the agreement between the UK Government and Mobile Network Operators that has seen operators agreeing to invest a collective total of £5billion (privately funded) on infrastructure improvements with each operator guaranteeing 90% geographical coverage across the UK, providing reliable signal for voice over 2G, 3G or 4G by 2017.
Ministers have also written to UK Government counterparts who have confirmed that Mobile Network Operators intend to achieve a 90% geographic in Wales by 2017 and that 98% of the Welsh landmass will be covered by at least one operator.
Discussions also covered a review of the Electronic Communications Code, governing the rights of electronic communications operators to install and maintain infrastructure on public and private land, making it less complicated and overly confusing. We believe that the reform of the code represents an important regulatory reform to support the ambition of improving mobile coverage to both mobile notspots and partial notspots across the UK, particularly in rural areas.
Dialogue will continue over the coming months with the major mobile network operators to ensure that work continues to improve mobile coverage throughout Wales in line with the agreed infrastructure improvements and with a view to even greater coverage.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister detail any discussions he has had with the UK Government to roll out superfast broadband across Wales? (WAQ70555)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
Julie James: I have met with senior BDUK officials several times to discuss superfast broadband roll-out in Wales and am due to meet again in July.
Officials are also in very regular contact with colleagues in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regarding superfast broadband roll-out.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire):Will the Minister explain how she will measure the success of the pledge to create 100,000 new apprenticeships, given her admittance on 14 June 2016 that the Welsh Government is "committing to a minimum target number of apprenticeships over the next five years, but [we are] not going to be drawn into making commitments to numbers that cannot be delivered…" ? (WAQ70556)
Answer received on 27 June 2016
The Minister for Skills and Science (Julie James): The 100,000 target for apprentices at all ages has been built into our current budget allocations to apprenticeship providers in line with current ministerial priorities.
Statistics related to 'Further Education, Work-Based Learning and Adult Community Learning', which includes information on apprenticeships, are published in line with the principles of the Code of Practice for official statistics. Releases can be found on the Welsh Government Statistics and Research web page.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): Will the Minister make a statement on the current and future provision of hospital chaplaincy service? (WAQ70548)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport (Vaughan Gething): The hospital chaplaincy service provides vital support to people in times of need and vulnerability. We currently support and will continue to support it financially through the NHS. The NHS Health and Care Standards (2015) requires that the NHS provides for the spiritual needs of service users.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister outline his plans to further action the living wage and zero hours contracts during the Fifth Assembly term? (WAQ70551)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Mark Drakeford): Further action on the Living Wage and the use of zero-hours contracts in public services will be planned in discussion with social partners at the Workforce Partnership Council.
Currently the Public Services Staff Commission is developing guidance on the use of zero hours contracts in public services and a Living Wage Technical Group is exploring the costs of implementing the Living Wage in local government on a consistent basis.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): What discussions has the Minister had with the UK Government on the living wage and zero hours contracts? (WAQ70557)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
Mark Drakeford: I have had no discussions with the UK Government on the Living Wage and zero-hours contracts.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Dai Lloyd (South Wales West): How many students from Wales are studying medicine in Cardiff and Swansea this year? (WAQ70549)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Education (Kirsty Williams): The latest year for which data is available is the academic year 2014/15 when there were a total of 1,205 enrolments by Welsh domiciled students studying medicine in Wales, including postgraduate and undergraduate, part-time and full-time students. Of these 1,024 were enrolled in Cardiff and 181 in Swansea.
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): What practical steps is the Minister taking to increase Welsh speakers the one million by 2050? (WAQ70553)
Answer received on 30 June 2016
Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language (Alun Davies): A statement will be made at the National Eisteddfod in August on how we are to move forward to increase the number of Welsh speakers.