Answers issued to Members on 30 January 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 Social Justice and Local Government 3 Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs 3 Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport 4 Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing 4 Questions to the Minister for Heritage 5 Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills 15 Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services Answers issued to Members on 30 January 2009 Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Further to the answer to WAQ53050 what guidance has been issued to Local Authorities regarding the numbers and location? (WAQ53166) The Minister for Social Justice and Local Government (Brian Gibbons): There has been no guidance issued to local authorities regarding numbers and location, as the decision of allocating the grant is at the discretion of the individual local authority, but all grant payments must comply with the terms and conditions of the public facilities grant. The terms and conditions of the public facilities grant require local authorities to include information as to the number of public toilets owned by the local authority that are operational, and the number of these that the local authority regards as meeting acceptable standards of safety, hygiene, and accessibility for disabled people and both sexes. In terms of applicant businesses the terms and conditions also require: • Confirmation that the Authority is reasonably satisfied that all businesses in receipt of an Authority payment under this scheme: • Allowed public access, free of charge, to the toilet facilities for a number of hours agreed with the Authority; • Provided such toilet facilities which provided acceptable standards of safety, hygiene, accessibility for disabled people and provision for both sexes; • Clearly publicised bilingually, with equal prominence given to the English and Welsh languages, the availability of the facilities and the opening hours so that it could be seen clearly by people from the outside of the premises; • Displayed the bilingual sign designated by the Assembly publicising the Assembly’s participation in the scheme. • Details of methods used by the Authority to assess from time to time the compliance of participating businesses. Christine Chapman (Cynon Valley): Will the Minister make a statement on the process by which small businesses can receive rate relief automatically in Wales? (WAQ53179) Brian Gibbons: Business rate relief in Wales is largely non-application based for all businesses with a rateable value of £6,500 per annum or below. This simple system ensures that all businesses who are eligible, receive the relief to which they are entitled and no relief goes unclaimed. The enhancement to non-domestic rate relief I introduced from 1 April 2008 in fulfilment of the Assembly Government’s ‘One Wales’ commitment is partly application based. It makes specific provision for public houses, restaurants, petrol filling stations, credit unions and child care providers as they are required to satisfy local authorities that they meet the criteria for relief by completing a notification form when they first apply for the relief from their local authority. Local authorities also have discretionary powers to grant hardship relief to businesses if they believe that it is in the interests of the local community to do so. The Assembly Government funds 75% of all hardship relief. 2 Answers issued to Members on 30 January 2009 Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): What progress has the Minister made in developing a strategy to reduce hate crime? (WAQ53182) Brian Gibbons: I launched the draft Community Cohesion Strategy on 12 January 2009. This aims to promote stronger communities within Wales and deal with a wide range of issues some of which will aim to reduce community tensions and resultant hate crime. Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs Joyce Watson (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister be monitoring the progress of, or giving evidence to, the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s current inquiry into the employment and recruitment practices in the meat processing sectors in England and Wales? (WAQ53171) The Minister for Rural Affairs (Elin Jones): I am aware of the inquiry being undertaken by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and look forward to their recommendations on how to improve employment and recruitment practices in the meat processing sectors in Wales. I do not expect to be approached to give evidence to this inquiry. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport Janice Gregory (Ogmore): By how much have local transport grants increased for each local authority in Wales, year on year, since 1999? (WAQ53176) The Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport (Ieuan Wyn Jones): Please see attached tables, covering Local Transport Packages and Local Transport Services Grant. a) Transport Grant – Local Transport Integrated Packages (£m): Local Authority 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Anglesey - - 0.200 0.072 1.780 1.370 0.595 0.977 0.250 - Blaenau Gwent - 0.425 0.710 0.276 0.650 0.360 0.230 - - - Bridgend 0.840 1.900 4.635 2.860 1.920 2.359 0.415 1.000 0.300 0.700 Caerphilly 0.725 1.625 2.160 3.146 1.080 3.040 2.867 1.340 0.030 0.145 Cardiff 1.957 4.849 4.053 7.206 2.227 4.774 2.468 3.796 5.219 7.700 Carmarthenshire 0.235 0.370 0.850 0.665 1.390 1.930 1.350 1.200 0.152 0.429 Ceredigion 0.322 0.916 1.384 1.765 1.075 1.623 1.261 0.835 0.700 - Conwy - 0.200 0.750 0.456 0.500 0.512 - 0.050 0.020 - Denbighshire 0.400 0.600 1.200 1.000 1.060 0.737 0.349 2.037 2.000 2.535 Flintshire 0.500 0.920 0.684 3.375 4.493 3.010 2.420 2.410 3.110 5.854 Gwynedd 0.760 0.415 0.700 1.251 1.360 2.840 2.530 1.900 1.600 1.000 Merthyr Tydfil 0.134 0.285 1.021 0.750 0.900 0.750 0.500 0.170 0.150 0.100 Monmouthshire - 0.350 0.645 0.160 0.585 0.660 0.350 0.350 0.224 - Neath P T 0.500 1.165 2.563 2.497 1.400 0.302 0.065 - - - Newport 0.125 0.710 1.185 0.835 0.560 0.590 0.600 0.130 0.370 0.080 Pembrokeshire - 0.250 0.700 0.700 0.882 0.385 0.376 0.020 - - Powys - - 0.600 0.925 0.535 0.490 0.155 0.155 0.380 - Rhondda C T 1.000 1.925 2.493 0.750 1.200 0.400 0.250 0.200 0.500 0.839 Swansea 2.265 2.200 2.300 3.191 7.942 7.485 5.624 5.475 7.930 7.800 Torfaen - 0.330 0.975 0.575 0.950 1.053 0.859 0.775 0.531 - Vale of Glam 0.650 0.610 2.778 0.587 1.164 1.066 0.498 0.550 0.500 0.852 Wrexham 1.000 1.075 1.000 0.900 1.257 0.500 0.330 0.200 - - Total 11.413 21.120 33.586 33.942 34.910 36.236 24.092 23.570 23.966 28.034 b) Local Transport Services Grant: The Local Transport Services Grant (LTSG) scheme helps local authorities to boost the number and range of subsidised bus and community transport services. Allocations (rounded) to local authorities under the 3 Answers issued to Members on 30 January 2009 LTSG scheme are provided in the attached table. 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Blaenau Gwent 126,586 150,480 153,648 160,869 164,124 181,584 184,300 Bridgend 321,246 366,795 368,372 385,685 393,488 435,349 467,560 Caerphilly 337,879 397,575 398,545 417,277 425,719 471,008 500,320 Cardiff 466,345 562,590 566,334 592,952 604,948 669,304 767,939 Merthyr Tydfil 119,259 139,365 141,468 148,117 151,115 167,189 179,940 Monmouthshire 298,345 329,175 340,650 356,661 363,877 402,586 407,231 Newport 224,666 271,890 295,942 309,851 316,120 349,750 396,383 Rhondda C T 470,828 549,765 543,584 569,132 580,646 642,417 711,222 Torfaen 199,615 232,560 234,727 245,759 250,731 277,405 281,221 Vale of Glam 295,637 336,870 353,605 370,224 377,714 417,897 445,350 Carmarthenshire 692,201 760,095 777,998 814,564 831,043 919,452 906,929 Neath Port Talbot 373,208 420,660 432,702 453,039 462,204 511,375 532,854 Pembrokeshire 394,091 435,195 442,996 463,817 473,200 523,541 530,467 Swansea 377,858 453,150 465,293 487,162 497,018 549,892 630,432 Conwy 269,800 307,800 317,037 331,938 338,653 374,680 396,389 Denbighshire 266,530 300,960 321,032 336,121 342,921 379,401 391,433 Flintshire 367,171 420,660 433,010 453,361 462,533 511,739 539,584 Gwynedd 488,837 533,520 530,795 555,742 566,985 627,303 615,421 Isle of Anglesey 289,161 315,495 313,688 328,431 335,075 370,722 356,990 Wrexham 289,626 336,870 362,059 379,076 386,745 427,888 456,743 Ceredigion 308,020 337,725 369,669 387,043 394,873 436,882 424,067 Powys 543,090 590,805 636,846 666,778 680,268 752,636 734,825 Total 7,520,000 8,550,000 8,800,000 9,213,600 9,400,000 10,400,000 10,857,600 Between 1998-99 and 2001-02 bus and community transport subsidies were provided through the Bus Subsidy Grant scheme.