16/05/2014 - Cwestiynau ac Atebion Ysgrifenedig y Cynulliad

Cyhoeddwyd 13/06/2014 | Diweddarwyd Ddiwethaf 02/04/2015

Cwestiynau Ysgrifenedig y Cynulliad a gyflwynwyd ar 9 Mai 2014 i’w hateb ar 16 Mai 2014

R - Yn dynodi bod yr Aelod wedi datgan buddiant.
W - Yn dynodi bod y cwestiwn wedi’i gyflwyno yn Gymraeg.

(Dangosir rhif gwreiddiol y Cwestiwn mewn cromfachau)

Mae’n rhaid cyflwyno Cwestiynau Ysgrifenedig bum diwrnod gwaith o leiaf cyn y maent i gael eu hateb. Yn ymarferol, mae’r Gweinidogion yn ceisio ateb rhwng saith ac wyth diwrnod, ond nid yw’n orfodol iddynt wneud hynny. Cyhoeddir yr atebion yn yr iaith y’u cyflwynir ynddi, gyda chyfieithiad i’r Saesneg o ymatebion a roddir yn y Gymraeg.

Gofyn i’r Gweinidog Diwylliant a Chwaraeon

Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Dwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr): A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am yr oedi o ran cyhoeddi ymgynghoriad papur gwyrdd i ddeddfwriaeth mynediad a hamdden awyr agored ? (WAQ67004)

Derbyniwyd ateb ar 21 Mai 2014

Weinidog Diwylliant a Chwaraeon (John Griffiths): I recently issued a Written Statement outlining the Welsh Government’s position on access and outdoor recreation. A green paper on improving public access to land and seeking better facilitation of voluntary access to water will be issued later on this year.

Gofyn i’r Gweinidog Cymunedau a Threchu Tlodi

David Melding (Canol De Cymru): Beth sy’n cael ei wneud i sicrhau bod y gweithle’n darparu’n well ar gyfer pobl sy’n colli eu golwg? (WAQ67007)

Derbyniwyd ateb ar 15 Mai 2014

Y Gweinidog Cymunedau a Threchu Tlodi (Jeff Cuthbert): In general, employment programmes are the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Although employment policy is not a devolved responsibility of Welsh Government, employment was included as a key priority in our Framework for Action on Independent Living for disabled people which was published last year. Besides promoting independence, being in work can help improve confidence, health and well-being, and provide a route out of poverty. People can also benefit enormously from the social aspects of employment.

The Welsh Government is therefore supporting disabled people into employment within our devolved powers through our education and training policies and through our support for business. For example, we expect any business seeking support from Welsh Government to sign up to our principles of Corporate Social Responsibility, which include a commitment to good employment practices.

When developing the Framework for Action on Independent Living, disabled people told us about the barriers they face to getting and keeping a job, for example:

Disproportionately low skill and qualification levels. This can be for all sorts of reasons, from absence from school during childhood, barriers to access to mainstream education, lack of specialist support, and low expectations – sometimes of parents or staff, and sometimes of disabled people themselves;
Physical barriers, such as access to buildings and transport to work;
Negative attitudes of employers or other staff; and
Lack of awareness of the support that is available to help support people into education and skills training, and into employment.

tWe are aiming to address lower skills and qualifications levels amongst disabled people by ensuring that all Welsh Government education and training policies are fully inclusive so that disabled children, young people and adults have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers.

Other priorities in the Framework for Action on Independent Living include accessibility of public transport and access to buildings; making progress in these areas will also help create an enabling society that provides the all-round support needed to help disabled people to get and keep good jobs. This is important for people with sight loss as Blind people often face additional barriers in accessing work, sometimes attitudinal.

As regards UK-wide employment policy, Welsh Government officials are working closely with DWP as they develop the thinking on their UK Disability and Health Employment Strategy to help ensure that we maximise positive outcomes for disabled people in Wales.

The UK Government’s Disability Confident campaign is intended to work with employers to remove barriers to employing disabled people, increase understanding, help address negative attitudes and ensure that disabled people have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. I support these intentions and want to help ensure that we get that message across to employers in Wales so I will be participating in a regional event being held in Cardiff on 20^th May as part of this campaign.

Officials are also working closely with their counterparts in the DWP to help ensure that we maximise support through DWP’s Access to Work Programme which can provide support to disabled people, including people with sight loss, to secure and stay in employment.

Programmes that support unemployed people, or people in the workplace, either through the DWP or the Welsh Government are generally open to all, irrespective of their personal circumstances.

The Equality Act 2010 also supports disabled people in the workplace

by placing a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments. The duty to make reasonable adjustments aims to make sure that, as far as is reasonable,a disabledworker has the same access to everything that is involved in doing and keeping a job as a non-disabled person.

For people with sight loss this could mean for example providing special equipment such as large screens, providing instruction manuals in Braille or audio format, or arranging facilities for assistance dogs. Many of the adjustments employers can make may not be particularly expensive, and employers are not required to do more than what is reasonable. What is reasonable depends, among other factors, on the size and nature of the organisation.

Gofyn i Weinidog yr Economi, Gwyddoniaeth a Thrafnidiaeth

William Graham (Dwyrain De Cymru): Yn dilyn yr ateb i WAQ65251, a wnaiff y Gweinidog roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y cynigion ar gyfer y tri chynllun ardrethi busnes a oedd yn cael eu datblygu? (WAQ67015)

Derbyniwyd ateb ar 15 Mai 2014

Weinidog yr Economi, Gwyddoniaeth a Thrafnidiaeth (Edwina Hart): We have established the Open for Business, New Developments and Wales Retail Relief Schemes. Information about these schemes can be found on the Welsh Government website.

William Graham (Dwyrain De Cymru): A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y ceisiadau llwyddiannus ar gyfer yr Ardaloedd Gwella Busnes newydd? (WAQ67016)

Derbyniwyd ateb ar 15 Mai 2014

Edwina Hart: Funding has been announced for nine areas. These areas are working to progress to successful Business Improvement District (BID) ballots, and complete feasibility reports which are to be submitted by 31 July 2014.

Gofyn i’r Gweinidog Addysg a Sgiliau

David Melding (Canol De Cymru): Pa asesiad y mae’r Gweinidog wedi’i wneud o’r cysondeb yn y modd y caiff polisi dysgu cynnar y Cyfnod Sylfaen ei gyflwyno? (WAQ67005)

Derbyniwyd ateb ar 14 Mai 2014

Y Gweinidog Addysg a Sgiliau (Huw Lewis): Following the full roll-out in 2010, the Foundation Phase is undergoing a long-term evaluation undertaken by the WISERD research centre at Cardiff University, to ensure that its implementation is progressing well and that it promotes effective learning for all children in Wales.

Early evidence from the Foundation Phase evaluation and from Estyn thematic reports has been positive about the Foundation Phase and I am pleased that early indications from those delivering the Foundation Phase show that there is a positive reported impact on our youngest learners, in particular around wellbeing, attitudes to learning and confidence. I am also aware that we needed to take a closer look at how the Foundation Phase is being implemented across Wales and to look to strengthen that delivery now.

For that reason I commissioned a short-term stocktake of the Foundation Phase, which began in September 2013, with a final report submitted at the end of March 2014. The stocktake was confined to looking at implementation, quality and reducing variability. The Foundation Phase stocktake report is due to be published shortly.

We will need to carefully consider the recommendations falling from that report along with the findings from the Foundation Phase evaluation which completes in June 2014 and other ongoing reviews

David Melding (Canol De Cymru): A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ba gynnydd sydd wedi’i wneud o ran sefydlu rheoleiddiwr arholiadau annibynnol? (WAQ67006)

Derbyniwyd ateb ar 19 Mai 2014

Huw Lewis: The First Minister has already made a commitment that we will bring forward legislation on the establishment of Qualifications Wales before the end of this Assembly term. A consultation on the establishment of the new body was issued in October 2013 and work is underway to develop the necessary legislation to establish the new body. A summary of the responses to the consultation will be published shortly.

Kirsty Williams (Brycheiniog a Sir Faesyfed): A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am sut y bydd bandio ysgolion cynradd yn cael ei roi ar waith yng nghyswllt ysgolion bach gwledig? (WAQ67008)

Derbyniwyd ateb ar 15 Mai 2014

Huw Lewis: I issued a Ministerial Written Statement last week regarding the development of a primary school grading model, alongside the review of the measures included in the secondary school banding model.

This work is in early development therefore I cannot comment on how primary school grading will be applied specifically to small rural schools. I recognise that within small primary schools there are some inherent difficulties which are being considered as part of the process of developing a primary school grading model.

Eluned Parrott (Canol De Cymru): Pa asesiad sydd wedi cael ei wneud o’r bobl sy’n symud o Twf Swyddi Cymru i’r Rhaglen Recriwtiaid Ifanc, a faint o bobl y mae Llywodraeth Cymru’n amcangyfrif a gafodd ostyngiad yn eu cyflogau yn ystod y broses hon, ar ôl cael yr isafswm cyflog cenedlaethol gyda Twf Swyddi Cymru, ac sydd nawr yn cael yr isafswm cyflog cenedlaethol i Brentisiaid, sy’n sylweddol is? (WAQ67017)