Answers issued to Members on 26 February 2009

[R] signifies that the Member has declared an interest.
[W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.

Contents

Questions to the First Minister

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery

Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government

Questions to the First Minister

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the First Minister make a statement on the proportion of posts to be based at the Welsh Assembly Government offices currently under construction in Llandudno Junction which are expected to be filled by employees relocating from other Welsh Assembly Government Offices? (WAQ53452)

The First Minister (Rhodri Morgan): We remain on target to relocate 525 posts to the new Llandudno Junction office with 130 of these posts moving from Cardiff. We will not know the exact proportion of existing employees who will move with their posts until 6 months prior to the building being occupied. If staff scheduled to relocate from other offices choose not to move with their post then there will be opportunities for local recruitment.

Chris Franks (South Wales Central): What recent discussions has the First Minister had regarding the local government settlement with Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Cabinet? (WAQ53469)

The First Minister: The Minister for Social Justice and Local Government is the Minister responsible for the local government settlement. He consulted the WLGA and leaders of local authorities on the 2009-10 provisional local government settlement. The leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf responded to the consultation exercise on 5 November. This response and the other responses received were considered prior to the announcement of the final local government settlement on 10 December.

Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport

Jenny Randerson (Cardiff Central): Does the Welsh Assembly Government allocate any specific funding to train construction workers in the safe removal of asbestos? (WAQ53506) Transferred for answer by the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills.

The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (Jane Hutt): Asbestos removal is considered to be just one aspect of the removal of dangerous chemicals and toxic materials. DCELLS does not provide specific funding for training in the removal of asbestos as it forms part of Health and Safety compliance and so considered to be statutory training. Basic removal of substances is included in Apprenticeship Frameworks and other NVQ training, and so in these circumstances funding is provided indirectly. Funding is also available to construction companies who want to train their employees in the safe removal of asbestos through ConstructionSkills—the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry. Funding can range form £27 per employee per training up to £35 per employee per training day and must follow a structured programme. The Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA) currently runs 15 specific removal courses, all which are approved by the Health & Safety Executive and are funded by ConstructionSkills.

Jenny Randerson (Cardiff Central): What campaigns has the Welsh Assembly Government run in the last two years to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos in the construction sector in Wales? (WAQ53507) Transferred for answer by the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills.

Jane Hutt: The Welsh Assembly Government has established partnerships with a number of key organisations with roles in raising awareness of asbestos dangers, including the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, Trade Unions and Sector Skills Councils. During 2008 the Health & Safety Executive ran a campaign to raise awareness of asbestos called 'The hidden Killer’. In November 2008 ConstructionSkills also held events entitled "’Working Well Together’ in both North Wales (Colwyn Bay) and South Wales (Brecon and Newton). These groups allowed employers within construction an opportunity to take part in interactive workshops with local authorities, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and numerous other partners, and provided delegates with information to improve safety knowledge in the workplace. As part of the Construction Show Piece Week (starting 2nd March 2009) two similar events will be run in North and South Wales, again with one of the key themes being asbestos and hazardous waste awareness raising. The Show Piece events will be run by ConstructionSkills and its partner organisations.

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on reducing bureaucracy and red tape in the education sector? (WAQ53468)

The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (Jane Hutt): Effective and efficient use of resources in delivering public services is more important than ever. We set out our efficiency plans in Delivering the Connections: from Vision into Action and have continued to build upon this agenda across education and training. Building on initiatives such as the establishment of the Schools Workload Advisory Panel, I have introduced the Schools Effectiveness Framework and a Strategic Capital Investment Framework to drive more effective capital interventions. With partners we are taking forward actions to more fully integrate the work of schools, Further Education Institutions, Higher Education Institutions and private and voluntary post-16 providers to meet the needs of learners and employers. We are working with partners such as Fforwm to bear down on bureaucracy in existing programmes and exploring with local government how we can ensure that funding mechanisms are lean in administration while delivering effectively, for example, the creation of a single grant scheme, Cymorth from a number of previous grant schemes and continuing to work with WLGA on transferring funding streams to RSG as activity is mainstreamed.

Ann Jones (Vale of Clwyd): How many teachers of the deaf are currently working in Welsh schools? (WAQ53509)

Ann Jones (Vale of Clwyd): What estimation has the Minister made on the number of teachers of the deaf that are expected to be working in Welsh schools over each of the next five years? (WAQ53508)

Jane Hutt: The most recent information on teachers of the deaf is held by the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW) who have advised that that there are 119 qualified teachers of the deaf in Wales registered with them as at 23 February 2009. This is an increase of 11 since Janet Ryder asked a similar question on 6 June 2008 (WAQ51812).

In 2004, an audit of sensory impaired services was undertaken across Wales. The audit suggested that there was disparity with regard to policies for intervention and levels of support available to children and young people with sensory impairments. It further supported the fact that this situation was likely to be exacerbated by an increasing number of teachers reaching retirement age within the next ten years who are holding the Mandatory Qualification (MQ) for teaching pupils with sensory impairment.

To address this issue, in 2005 we issued guidance to local authorities in entitled, 'Quality Standards for Educational Services for Children and Young People with Hearing, Visual or Multi-Sensory Impairment’. The quality standards have been approved by Estyn, particularly as a self-evaluation tool for use by LEAs. It is proposed to externally evaluate the use of the standards later in 2009/2010.

We have also worked in partnership with the University of Wales, Newport to ensure that new MQ courses were available for teachers of both the hearing impaired (HI) and the visually impaired (VI). In recognition of the shortfall in the number of teachers undertaking the MQ, additional funding support totalling £192,000 has been allocated by the Assembly Government for the three academic years from September 2006—£48,000 for 2006/2007, £98,000 for 2007/2008 and £48,000 for 2008/2009.

In September 2006, 24 teachers enrolled on the Postgraduate Diploma—12 for HI and 12 for VI. When the current course finishes at the end of the academic year 2008/2009, it is expected that the training conducted by Newport will have boosted the workforce by 24 qualified staff.

Funding is also still available within the Better Schools Fund (BSF) Activity 4 to enable teachers to undertake this important specialist training. It important to recognise that this is a matter of CPD and is intended for the individual teacher wishing to undertake this professional qualification. In 2005, to raise awareness of the course, we issued a leaflet to all schools in Wales entitled 'Springboard to Specialism’ which outlined the benefits of such training.

The Welsh Assembly Government does not estimate future demand for specific types of teachers. Local education authorities are statutorily obliged to ensure appropriate education provision is made for each of its pupils, including those with hearing impairments.

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery

Peter Black (South Wales West): Further to the answer to WAQ53335, will the Minister detail how the End Year Flexibility set out in the table therein has been subsequently spent by the Welsh Assembly Government and how much of the total accumulated since 1999-00 remains unspent? (WAQ53448)

The Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery (Andrew Davies): End Year Flexibility is drawn down via Winter or Spring Parliamentary Supplementary Estimates and added to existing In-Year Reserves, which are then allocated to strategic priorities and emerging pressures. Details of the drawdown of EYF and the use of overall reserves have been detailed as part of the relevant in-year supplementary budget motions.

Examples of major allocations in recent years include £70 million in both 2005-06 and 2006-07 of near-cash EYF to contribute to the costs of reducing patient waiting times, and £97 million non-cash to cover depreciation on the Trunk Road Network. Capital allocations have included £10 million for construction of the Senedd, £10 million to improve infrastructure in the NHS and £10 million for IT improvement projects.

Provisional stocks of £164 million revenue and £224 million capital EYF were detailed in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper for 2007-08.

Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): What consideration has the Minister given to making a detailed assessment of the resources needed to fully implement the NICE fertility guidelines? (WAQ53500)

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Edwina Hart): I refer you to my answer to WAQ53456.

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): When does the Minister foresee the Welsh Assembly Government reviewing its budget position on publicly funded infertility treatment? (WAQ53501)

Edwina Hart: I refer you to my answer to WAQ53457.

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): What factors would the Welsh Assembly Government take into account that might lead to a review of its 2006 sub fertility policy? (WAQ53502)

Edwina Hart: Clear substantiated evidence that the current commissioning policy for IVF treatment was inequitable or not clinically or cost effective would be likely to trigger a review.

Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): Will the Minister provide a quantitative breakdown of actual response times for all category A calls which took over 30 minutes to respond? (WAQ53504)

Edwina Hart: This information is not held centrally.

Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): Will the Minister outline the timetable for the rollout of the new satellite navigation, vehicle location systems and mobile data terminals announced on the 18th of February? (WAQ53505)

Edwina Hart: The management of WAST are currently putting together an action plan on the implementation of the new satellite navigation, vehicle location systems. I have asked the Trust to keep me informed and to give me an indication as to how and when the rollout will take place as soon as its action plan is finalised.

Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government

Chris Franks (South Wales Central): What recent discussions has the Minister had regarding the local government settlement with Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Cabinet? (WAQ53475)

The Minister for Social Justice and Local Government (Brian Gibbons): I consult annually with the WLGA and leaders of local authorities on the local government settlement. The leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf responded to the consultation exercise on the 2009-10 provisional local government settlement on 5 November. This response and the other responses received were considered prior to the announcement of the final local government settlement on 10 December.