Siambr · Sarah Cooper-Lesadd
Written questions
68 written questions on record from the Seventh Senedd on, newest first. Page 2 of 2.
WQ98749 · Tabled · Answered
What discussions has the Cabinet Minister had with the UK Cabinet Office on the coordination of ombudsman services where complaints involve both devolved and reserved matters?
Answered by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
No discussion has taken place with the UK Cabinet Office on this matter.
WQ98748 · Tabled · Answered
How does the Welsh Government evaluate whether community investment programmes are reaching the areas of greatest need?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Finance
The Welsh Government has a wide range of different funding streams covering different aspects of community funding across Wales. It is difficult to provide any further information without specific detail of what grant schemes or funding streams are included under the broader term “community investment programmes”.
WQ98747 · Tabled · Answered
How does the Welsh Government measure the effectiveness of funding programmes delivered through third sector and community organisations?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Finance
Arrangements for how funding is delivered through grant or procurement methods is set out in either grant scheme guidance, including the grant award letter, or procurement contract specification and associated conditions. A range of measures are used, as appropriate and proportionate, including:
As part of the Welsh Government’s funding management arrangements, these can vary significantly depending on the size, complexity and nature of the grant award / procurement contract, grant or contract managers can gain assurance of compliance with the conditions throughout the lifecycle of the chosen funding method.
WQ98746 · Tabled · Answered
How does the Welsh Government track whether capital grants are spent within expected timescales?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Finance
Capital grants can vary in size, value and complexity, and are awarded across different Groups within Welsh Government. Most capital grant schemes are issued under Welsh Government’s standard grant award letter, which sets out legally binding terms and conditions the grant recipient must sign up to and agree e.g. purposes, target, monitoring arrangements. Grant managers can tailor these conditions to the individual scheme, which enables regular monitoring to ensure compliance with the conditions of funding, including delivery timescales. Monitoring is an important part of grant management, helping to ensure projects deliver as intended, with arrangements that are specific and proportionate to each scheme.
WQ98648 · Tabled · Answered
What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact on Welsh supply chains following reports that UK sanctions on Russian oil have been eased?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
The implementation of sanctions is a reserved matter and the responsibility of UKG.
The UK Government has not eased sanctions on imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil in third countries, rather it has paused the rate of implementation due to start in May. The stated purpose of this pause is to provide UK companies with greater flexibility when purchasing these products from global markets, due to recent supply disruption caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
We understand that the government now plans to "phase in” the ban in the coming months. The rules will be reviewed regularly and "will allow for the full ban to be phased in without causing instability" amid the fuel supply shock stemming from the Middle East conflict.
The UK Government has not provided an assessment as to the impact this will have on UK prices and supply. Given there is also uncertainty as to how long the general trade license will be in effect, it is not possible for the Welsh Government to make a detailed assessment as to the impacts of this policy on Welsh supply chains.
The availability and cost of jet fuel and diesel are essential to the operation of our economy and its supply chains. We will monitor the situation as it develops and engage with stakeholders to support market stability as far as is possible in this fast-evolving position.
WQ98573 · Tabled · Answered
How many deaths of care-experienced young people aged 16 to 25 have been recorded in each of the last five years, broken down by age, gender, local authority and last known cause of death?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
The death of any care experienced young person is deeply distressing for all concerned. The Children Looked After Census captures information on an episode of being looked after ending due to the death of the child, but cause of death is not requested and published data does not include gender or age breakdown. The data is available here Episodes finishing for children looked after during year by reason for finishing | StatsWales. This data only applies to children looked after aged under 18.
To inform inspection, assurance and escalation activity, local authorities are required to notify Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) of deaths of looked after children and deaths of young people in continuing care or receiving aftercare. Registered providers also have statutory notification duties in relation to deaths.
The Child Death Review Programme collects information on all deaths of children in Wales, as well as Welsh-resident children who die elsewhere. The Programme analyses national and regional patterns and trends to identify factors contributing to these deaths, with the aim of informing interventions that may help prevent future child deaths. The Programme covers deaths of children who are live-born, where the death occurs on or after 1 October 2009 and before the child’s 18th birthday, and where the child is either normally resident in Wales or dies within Wales. This includes children looked after who are placed outside of Wales, as well as those who may temporarily reside outside Wales for healthcare or education purposes.
The Procedural Response to Unexpected Death in Childhood (PRUDiC)
sets a minimum standard for a response to unexpected deaths in infancy and childhood. It describes the process of communication, collaborative action and information sharing following the unexpected death of a child. The Regional Safeguarding Children Boards will monitor the PRUDiC processes initiated in their regions and ensure that the procedural response is followed to completion. The Child Death Review Programme will produce reports which describe findings on patterns and trends of child deaths in Wales in addition to Rapid Reviews to issues of concern.
The Single Unified Safeguarding Review (SUSR) provides a single, proportionate mechanism in which to conduct a review following the most serious of incidents in Wales. Where one or more review criteria are met, the SUSR process will avoid the need to undertake a series of multiple reviews in relation to the same single incident. This process will apply to the deaths of care-experienced young people aged 16-25 where the criteria for a review are met.
However, there is no single, national mechanism that systematically captures or reviews all deaths of care‑experienced young people or aggregates learning. Welsh Government does not collect data on the number, age, gender, local authority and last known cause of death of all care experienced young people aged 16-25.
WQ98571 · Tabled · Answered
What role will the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and Constitution play in ensuring that the childcare plan is delivered on time and meets its original targets?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness & the Constitution
Substantive response
WQ98558 · Tabled · Answered
What guidance does the Welsh Government issue to local authorities on how children in care should be informed about permanency decisions, including adoption, long-term foster care and family reunification?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
The Welsh Government, through the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (Wales) Regulations 2015 and the Part 6 Code of Practice (Looked After and Accommodated Children), requires local authorities to ensure that children in care are appropriately informed and involved in decisions about their permanence.
The Code of Practice makes clear that children must be provided with information about their care plans and future options throughout the care planning process, in a manner that is appropriate to their age, understanding and communication needs. Local authorities must support children to understand what permanence options mean for them, enable them to express their views, wishes and feelings, and ensure access to advocacy where needed to support their participation. These views must be given due weight in decision-making about their long-term care arrangements.
The Regulations require the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to be informed of placement decisions, with the Code of Practice setting out their role in providing independent oversight of the care planning process and helping to ensure that the child’s rights and participation remain central to decision-making.
WQ98557 · Tabled · Answered
How many care leavers aged 18 to 25 presented to Welsh local authorities as homeless or threatened with homelessness during the latest year and what were the outcomes of those applications, including a) temporary accommodation, b) relief duty, c) prevention duty, d) main housing duty acceptance, or e) refusal of assistance?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
The Welsh Government collects data on the number of care leavers between the ages of 18-21 years placed in bed and breakfast accommodation. This data is available at the link below. No other information is collected.
https://stats.gov.wales/en-GB/a174195e-6df1-41d2-9359-224c1b059341/pivot/mvlne5k6uqpp?page_size=25#dataset-nav
WQ98556 · Tabled · Answered
How many sibling groups of children looked after by Welsh local authorities are currently placed separately, broken down by the primary reason for separation, including: a) safeguarding concerns; b) risk of harm; c) parentification; d) behavioural needs; e) placement sufficiency; f) lack of foster carers; g) lack of residential provision; and h) other reasons?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
The Welsh Government does not collect data on the number of sibling groups of children looked after by Welsh local authorities who are placed separately. Information on sibling groups would be held at a local authority level.
WQ98555 · Tabled · Answered
What arrangements are currently in place to record, review and learn from the deaths of care-experienced young people aged 16 to 25?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
The death of any care experienced young person is deeply distressing for all concerned. The Children Looked After Census captures information on an episode of being looked after ending due to the death of the child, but cause of death is not requested and published data does not include gender or age breakdown. The data is available here Episodes finishing for children looked after during year by reason for finishing | StatsWales. This data only applies to children looked after aged under 18.
To inform inspection, assurance and escalation activity, local authorities are required to notify Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) of deaths of looked after children and deaths of young people in continuing care or receiving aftercare. Registered providers also have statutory notification duties in relation to deaths.
The Child Death Review Programme collects information on all deaths of children in Wales, as well as Welsh-resident children who die elsewhere. The Programme analyses national and regional patterns and trends to identify factors contributing to these deaths, with the aim of informing interventions that may help prevent future child deaths. The Programme covers deaths of children who are live-born, where the death occurs on or after 1 October 2009 and before the child’s 18th birthday, and where the child is either normally resident in Wales or dies within Wales. This includes children looked after who are placed outside of Wales, as well as those who may temporarily reside outside Wales for healthcare or education purposes.
The Procedural Response to Unexpected Death in Childhood (PRUDiC)
sets a minimum standard for a response to unexpected deaths in infancy and childhood. It describes the process of communication, collaborative action and information sharing following the unexpected death of a child. The Regional Safeguarding Children Boards will monitor the PRUDiC processes initiated in their regions and ensure that the procedural response is followed to completion. The Child Death Review Programme will produce reports which describe findings on patterns and trends of child deaths in Wales in addition to Rapid Reviews to issues of concern.
The Single Unified Safeguarding Review (SUSR) provides a single, proportionate mechanism in which to conduct a review following the most serious of incidents in Wales. Where one or more review criteria are met, the SUSR process will avoid the need to undertake a series of multiple reviews in relation to the same single incident. This process will apply to the deaths of care-experienced young people aged 16-25 where the criteria for a review are met.
However, there is no single, national mechanism that systematically captures or reviews all deaths of care‑experienced young people or aggregates learning. Welsh Government does not collect data on the number, age, gender, local authority and last known cause of death of all care experienced young people aged 16-25.
WQ98554 · Tabled · Answered
How many Welsh Government policy announcements made in the last five years have been delivered on time and met their original targets?
Answered by First Minister
Substantive response
WQ98535 · Tabled · Answered
How will the Welsh Government measure the success of the newly created role of Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness & the Constitution
For this Government, effectiveness means focused delivery against the priorities set out in our manifesto. We are clear about what we want to achieve, and our First 100 Days Plan sets the foundation for delivery.
The role of Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution has been created to strengthen cross-government working, improve accountability, and support delivery across the Welsh Government.
A strengthened Cabinet Office structure has been established to support clearer coordination, shared priorities and a stronger focus on measurable outcomes across departments. Progress against those priorities and measures will be discussed and reported transparently and cooperatively across government, ensuring a shared focus on delivery and accountability.
As part of this work, and as set out in our First 100 Days Plan, we will develop and publish a set of measurable outcomes and progress milestones to provide a clear and transparent basis for assessing progress.
Success will be reflected in the delivery of our priorities, underpinned by greater transparency, stronger accountability and a relentless focus on outcomes that deliver tangible improvements for the people of Wales.
WQ98534 · Tabled · Answered
What target has the Welsh Government set for closing the educational attainment gap between care-experienced children and their peers, and by when does it expect to meet it?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Care experienced children are a diverse group, but many have experienced trauma and face other barriers which impact educational outcomes. Our manifesto has a strong focus on literacy and numeracy; multi-agency collaboration and trauma-informed practice. Our intention is to drive up standards and address mental health and behavioural challenges in our schools. In developing this holistic approach, we will ensure the needs of care experienced learners are fully considered.
WQ98533 · Tabled · Answered
What specific, measurable objectives has the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution set, and how will he publish them?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness & the Constitution
For this Government, effectiveness means focused delivery against the priorities set out in our manifesto. We are clear about what we want to achieve, and our First 100 Days Plan sets the foundation for delivery.
The role of Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution has been created to strengthen cross-government working, improve accountability, and support delivery across the Welsh Government.
A strengthened Cabinet Office structure has been established to support clearer coordination, shared priorities and a stronger focus on measurable outcomes across departments. Progress against those priorities and measures will be discussed and reported transparently and cooperatively across government, ensuring a shared focus on delivery and accountability.
As part of this work, and as set out in our First 100 Days Plan, we will develop and publish a set of measurable outcomes and progress milestones to provide a clear and transparent basis for assessing progress.
Success will be reflected in the delivery of our priorities, underpinned by greater transparency, stronger accountability and a relentless focus on outcomes that deliver tangible improvements for the people of Wales.
WQ98532 · Tabled · Answered
Does the Welsh Government plan to adopt a similar policy to the UK Government by introducing delivery advisors into private offices who are accountable to both ministers and cabinet office?
Answered by First Minister
The Welsh Government has no plan to introduce delivery advisors into private offices. A strengthened, digitally enabled Welsh Cabinet Office has been established to drive priorities forward, supported by a culture of openness, transparency and measurable outcomes. The Welsh Government’s focus is on putting in place arrangements that best support the delivery of our First 100 Days plan and manifesto, coordinated by the Minister for Government Effectiveness.
WQ98531 · Tabled · Answered
How does the Welsh Government define “effectiveness” in relation to the newly created Cabinet role dedicated to Government effectiveness?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness & the Constitution
For this Government, effectiveness means focused delivery against the priorities set out in our manifesto. We are clear about what we want to achieve, and our First 100 Days Plan sets the foundation for delivery.
The role of Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution has been created to strengthen cross-government working, improve accountability, and support delivery across the Welsh Government.
A strengthened Cabinet Office structure has been established to support clearer coordination, shared priorities and a stronger focus on measurable outcomes across departments. Progress against those priorities and measures will be discussed and reported transparently and cooperatively across government, ensuring a shared focus on delivery and accountability.
As part of this work, and as set out in our First 100 Days Plan, we will develop and publish a set of measurable outcomes and progress milestones to provide a clear and transparent basis for assessing progress.
Success will be reflected in the delivery of our priorities, underpinned by greater transparency, stronger accountability and a relentless focus on outcomes that deliver tangible improvements for the people of Wales.
WQ98479 · Tabled · Answered
What progress does the First Minister expect to make against the 100-day plan given the constraints of a minority Government, and how will this progress be measured?
Answered by First Minister
I outlined how we are making progress on our First 100 Days Plan in my Oral Statement to the Senedd on 19 May.
Progress against the plan will be measured through an agreed set of outcomes and milestones. The Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution will lead this work and will update the Senedd accordingly.
Official verbatim record: each question and answer as the Record prints it. Answers are signed with a job title, as published.