Answers Issued to Members on 7 July 2009

Answers issued to Members on 7 July 2009

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

Contents

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

2 Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing

3 Questions to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery

4 Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

4 Questions to the Minister for Heritage

5 Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs

Answers issued to Members on 7 July 2009

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

Brynle Williams (North Wales): Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Assembly Government defines, separately, illiteracy and innumeracy? (WAQ54461)

The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (Jane Hutt): The Welsh Assembly Government has no standard definitions of illiteracy and innumeracy. Our aspiration for the citizens of Wales, as set out in ‘Words Talk—Numbers Count: The Welsh Assembly Government’s Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy in Wales’, is that everyone has the help and support they need to achieve levels up to and including Level 1 in Literacy and Numeracy as described in the National Qualification Framework; that they have the ability to read, write and speak in English or Welsh and to use mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress both in work and in society.

Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing

Brynle Williams (North Wales): Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Assembly Government’s support for the recovery of energy from waste? (WAQ54427)

The Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing (Jane Davidson): The Assembly Government’s position on the recovery of energy from waste is set out in ‘Wise about Waste: The National Waste Strategy for Wales’, published in June 2002 (WAQ49195). This strategy is currently under review and contains a proposed cap on treatment through energy from waste of municipal waste of 30%. The preferred option is combined heat and power (CHP).

Waste treatment infrastructure must be put in place in order for local authorities and Wales as a whole to meet landfill diversion targets and to ensure sustainable waste management.

Through the Waste Procurement Programme Office support is provided to local authorities for the procurement of the facilities required to treat food waste and residual waste. The nature of this support is: • Programme co-ordination; • Quality assurance support; • Development and circulation of best practice; • Engaging with the market and other key stakeholders; • Providing local authority project teams with access to experienced waste procurement professionals; and • Funding for procurement costs and a capital and revenue contribution to a total of around 25% gate fee. The residual waste treatment programme is a long term programme of investment. It aims to meet landfill diversion targets for 2019-20 and views residual waste as a valuable resource to minimise the land filling of municipal waste in Wales.

Brynle Williams (North Wales): Will the Minister make a statement on the reduction of carbon emissions from landfill? (WAQ54429)

Jane Davidson: The Assembly Government’s strategies for waste and climate change aim to reduce significantly the emission of methane from landfill because it is a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Methane is produced in landfill as a result of the decomposition of biodegradable waste. Reducing the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill reduces the amount of landfill gas methane released into the atmosphere.

2 Answers issued to Members on 7 July 2009

As a result of funding support from the Assembly Government, local authorities have reduced the amount of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled from 929,914 tonnes in 2004/05 to 680,912 tonnes in 2007/08, a reduction of 27%. In doing so they have met collectively, two years early, the EU Landfill Directive limit for Wales of a maximum of 710,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste that can be landfilled in 2009/10.

The EU Landfill Directive requires all landfills in Wales to have landfill gas collection and treatment systems that reduce methane emissions. Unpublished estimates from the Environment Agency indicate that landfill gas recovery has increased around 10 fold over a ten year period, with saved equivalent emissions of approximately 280,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 1996 and approximately 2,800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2006.

Nerys Evans (Mid and West Wales): When will the TAN 6 review start and what will the structure and aims of the review be? (WAQ54438)

Jane Davidson: To inform the review of TAN 6 I issued a consultation paper ‘Planning Policy Changes to support Sustainable Development in Rural Areas’ last summer. The draft TAN will be published in the near future and will provide guidance on the role of the planning system in supporting sustainable rural communities. It will take forward the One Wales Commitment to broaden the scope of the existing agriculture and forestry dwelling category to other rural enterprises.

Alun Cairns (South Wales West): Will the Minister make a statement on the progress of the Baseline Survey made in conjunction with the Helwick Bank dredging licence? (WAQ54442)

Jane Davidson: The Monitoring Strategy associated with this dredging license consent is still under consideration between the Welsh Assembly Government, its advisers and the license holder, Llanelli Sand Dredging Ltd. Because the strategy has not yet been approved the baseline survey work has not yet started.

I will write to you once a decision has been made on the Monitoring Strategy.

Questions to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): Of the capital expenditure projects which were earmarked for delivery during the 3rd Assembly, how many have been delivered on budget and what was the value of any overspend?(WAQ54487)

The Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery (Andrew Davies): The Assembly Government is making good progress in delivering its capital investment programme.

I will write to you further after the Assembly Government’s accounts for 2008/09 have been finalised.

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): How many capital expenditure projects have been delayed or cancelled during this financial year and what is their advised start date and the reason for delay or cancellation? (WAQ54488)

Andrew Davies: The Assembly Government is making good progress in delivering its capital investment programme. Information on progress as at then end of the final quarter of 2009/10 is currently being prepared and I will write to you further on this.

3 Answers issued to Members on 7 July 2009

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): Would the Minister confirm the number of capital expenditure projects began during this financial year and what is their value? (WAQ54489)

Andrew Davies: Capital expenditure in 2009/10, as set out in the Final Budget approved by the Assembly in December, totals £1.628bn. There is a wide range of capital projects and programmes which cumulatively create the Assembly Government’s capital investment programme.

Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

Andrew R.T. Davies (South Wales Central): What is the current backlog of capital expenditure for the NHS in Wales and would the Minister provide a breakdown by NHS Trust area? (WAQ54490)

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Edwina Hart): These figures are available in The NHS Estate in Wales: Estate Condition and Performance Report 2007/08. You can request a copy of this report by writing to Welsh Health Estates PO Box 182, Bevan House, 24-30 Lambourne Crescent, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5GS.

Questions to the Minister for Heritage

Alun Cairns (South Wales West): What commitments were given to the organisers of the Ryder Cup regarding spending in Wales to encourage greater golf participation? (WAQ54439)

Alun Cairns (South Wales West): Will the Minister detail all Welsh Assembly Government expenditure aimed at encouraging the participation in golf in Wales for each of the last 6 years? (WAQ54440)

The Minister for Heritage (Alun Ffred Jones): The European Tour specified that they wanted a general commitment to support golf not only to develop the sport at a junior level but also to support professional golf tournaments. More specifically they requested that a £2m trust fund was established to help develop the game and encourage more people to participate in golf.

Ryder Cup Wales Ltd (RCW) report that they are fully meeting these requirements through work being carried out by Golf Development Wales. Furthermore they have established a £2m legacy fund which to date has supported 40 projects across Wales. The emphasis on these projects is to create affordable pay and play courses that will help to inspire a new generation, especially girls, to experience golf.

Through RCW we continue to support a series of professional ‘Summer of Golf’ tournaments throughout Wales. The profile and standard of these events has grown year on year and Wales is now attracting high quality competitors. This has helped raise the profile of the game in Wales with the tournaments also providing coaching facilities and opportunities for young players.

The Welsh Assembly Government fully supports the development of golf and wishes to encourage more participation. Over the past six years, through the Sports Council for Wales, we have invested the following, which totals over £900,000.

Exchequer to Sportsmatch GUW/GDW 03-04 £145,000 04-05 £145,000 05-06 £145,000 06-07 £145,000 07-08 £150,000 £17,600 08-09 £150,000 £27,762

4 Answers issued to Members on 7 July 2009

Total £880,000 £45,362

GUW—Golfing Union of Wales GDW—Golf Development Wales.

Irene James (Islwyn): What discussions has the Minister had with Heritage Lottery Fund regarding lower levels of spending by Heritage Lottery on projects in the South East Wales Valleys? (WAQ54454)

Alun Ffred Jones: I meet with the Chair and the Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in Wales on a twice yearly basis.

HLF has identified four local authority areas—Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil and Torfaen— as areas where substantially fewer HLF grants have been allocated than elsewhere in Wales. This is based on grants awarded below £1 million. The HLF Wales development team is working proactively in these areas to try and promote interest in heritage, and to support applicants to make well informed applications. For example in May, an event for heritage-interest groups from all four areas was held at Llancaiach Fawr and attended by over 80 people.

Nerys Evans (Mid and West Wales): What statutory demands are placed on local authorities to promote sport and, particularly following the closure of Tavernspite Motocross track 3 months ago, does this include motorcross? (WAQ54464)

Alun Ffred Jones: There are no statutory duties/requirements placed on local authorities to promote sport although they do have wide permissive powers to do so. For example section 19 of the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976 provides local authorities to provide such recreational facilities as it thinks fit.

Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs

Brynle Williams (North Wales): Will the Minister make a statement on the extent of under grazing in Wales? (WAQ54446)

The Minister for Rural Affairs (Elin Jones): Over 20,000 hectares of statutory conservation sites in Wales are classed as undergrazed but the overall extent of undergrazing on all farmland in Wales is unknown. Undergrazing leads to the development of rank swards and scrub encroachment. This is a major problem for certain semi-natural habitats, limiting available grazing for livestock and leads to a loss of botanical diversity and characteristic species. Undergrazing is not simply an issue of a lack of livestock, although agricultural abandonment is a significant factor, it is more a problem of appropriate grazing and grazing management.

There is an environmental cross-compliance requirement under the Single Payment Scheme for recipients not to undergraze and undergrazing will be considered in the work being undertaken on the implementation of the Commons Act 2006 in Wales.

Brynle Williams (North Wales): Will the Minister detail, separately, the costs of livestock, land eligibility and agri-environment farm inspections in each year since 1999? (WAQ54447)

Elin Jones: The final out-turn costs on the Welsh Assembly Government’s finance system only go back to the 2003/04 finanacial year. The costs for the Rural Inspectorate for Wales (RIW) who undertake these inspections are as follows:

5 Answers issued to Members on 7 July 2009

2003/04 £1.790 million 2004/05 £2.431 million 2005/06 £2.387 million 2006/07 £2.600 million 2007/08 £2.668 million 2008/09 £2.898 million

Although the majority of RIW costs relate to inspections, the costs include all functions carried out by the RIW. It is not possible to split the costs reliably.

Brynle Williams (North Wales): Will the Minister provide a list of all of the current policy targets within her portfolio, including the target itself, the date by which the target is to be achieved and, where possible, the strategy, document or legislation from which the target is derived? (WAQ54449)

Elin Jones: I refer you to the Action Plan for my new strategy 'Farming, Food & Countryside—Building a Secure Future’. Launched in May; the Strategy sets out a clear vision of Welsh farming at the heart of a sustainable countryside and profitable rural economy, able to meet future challenges and take advantage of the opportunities presented in an increasingly volatile and globalised economy.

Farming, Food & Countryside links outputs, responsibilities, milestones and outcomes to each action. Monitoring and reviewing the strategy by an independent group will be ongoing and it will be updated to reflect the changing delivery needs.

I have made a commitment to report annually to the Assembly on those findings and to publish a public report.

Irene James (Islwyn): Has the Minister at any time considered having a fully independent Audit of the Bovine TB problem such as the one carried out in Northern Ireland? (WAQ54455)

Elin Jones: The TB Eradication Programme is made up of nine separate components, each of these will be considered and reviewed by Assembly Government officials working alongside partner agencies. The work-strands are further monitored through existing programme management governance and stakeholder engagement procedure. I have also assured the National Assembly for Wales that progress of the programme will be presented to it for scrutiny on an annual basis, the first of which will be on the 8 July.

Irene James (Islwyn): Will the Minister publish all examples she has of non compliance with the current rules and regulations regarding cattle control and the spread of Bovine TB? (WAQ54456)

Elin Jones: All matters of non-compliance are dealt with by Assembly Government and Animal Health officials on a case by case basis. It is not our intension to publish details of these cases.

TB Health Check Wales is an initiative to test every cattle herd in Wales for bovine TB, over a period of fifteen months, which started in October 2008. As part of Health Check Wales officials have successfully dealt with a number of non-compliant cattle keepers and in doing so significantly reduced the number of overdue TB tests.