Siambr · Steven Rodaway
Written questions
18 written questions on record from the Seventh Senedd on, newest first. Page 1 of 1.
WQ101126 · Tabled · No answer published
What work has the Welsh Government undertaken to identify the number of leaseholders currently awaiting remediation works on buildings with known fire safety defects?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
WQ101124 · Tabled · No answer published
What financial support has the Welsh Government provided to leaseholders who continue to incur costs associated with interim safety measures while awaiting remediation works?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
WQ101123 · Tabled · No answer published
What assurance can the Welsh Government provide that leaseholders at buildings under 11 metres will not face disproportionate remediation costs compared with leaseholders in taller buildings?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
WQ101122 · Tabled · No answer published
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve transparency around building safety remediation and funding decisions affecting leaseholders?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
WQ101121 · Tabled · No answer published
What criteria are being applied by the Welsh Government when determining whether information concerning developer remediation discussions should be withheld from publication?
To be answered by: Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
WQ100991 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister confirm where the additional £5.8 million required to fund the Cynnal pilot scheme for a full year will be sourced from, should the scheme continue beyond its initial funding period?
Answered by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
We will publish our Draft Budget on 17 November setting out the spending plans of this Government. It will be a multi-year budget in line with our UK Government Spending Review settlement. I do not recognise the basis on which the £5.8 million figure has been calculated. The final cost of the pilot, and the financial years these costs will fall, will depend on a range of factors, including its design, duration and operational requirements.
WQ100990 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister confirm whether there is a budgetary commitment to ensure that funding for the Cynnal scheme extends beyond the initial £2 million allocated to support the families selected in the pilot scheme?
Answered by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
We will publish our Draft Budget on 17 November setting out the spending plans of this Government. It will be a multi-year budget in line with our UK Government Spending Review settlement.
WQ100851 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to record and publish social housing allocations to people from overseas compared with people from Wales, given the absence of published data from Swansea Council?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
The Welsh Government does not collect or hold data on the nationality of people allocated social housing in Wales. Housing registers and social housing allocations are managed by individual local authorities, and the Welsh Government has no plans to introduce national data collection or publication requirements regarding nationality of households allocated accommodation.
WQ100833 · Tabled · Answered
How does the Welsh Government monitor Welsh Ambulance Service Trust spending on its plans relating to electrification and decarbonisation?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
All capital and revenue funding provided to NHS organisations, including the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust is closely monitored by the Health, Care and Prevention Finance Department. This includes monthly financial returns and regular capital meetings. The Trust are responsible for monitoring and managing the day to day spend on individual schemes including those relating to electrification and decarbonisation.
In line with other organisations across NHS Wales, all capital schemes are required to consider decarbonisation measures – identifying what is possible alongside value for money.
WQ100733 · Tabled · Answered
What measures has the Welsh Government made available to protect residents from the impact of unapproved, high-occupancy short-term lets while retrospective planning applications and any subsequent appeals are being considered?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
Planning authorities have the ability to control the number of second homes and short-term lets in an area through the issuing of an Article 4 Direction which removes certain permitted development rights.
The Use Classes Order differentiates between ‘Dwellinghouses, used as sole or main residences’ (Class C3), ‘Dwellinghouses, used otherwise than as sole or main residences’ (Class C5) and ‘Short-term Lets’ (Class C6)
The practical effect of this is that changes between the use classes, C3, C5 and C6 can be made without needing to apply for planning permission unless a local planning authority decides to remove these specific ‘permitted development rights’ within a specified area.
It is a matter for each planning authority to assess whether there is a need for them to control the number of second homes and short-term lets in specific parts of their area and subsequently to decide whether to issue an Article 4 direction to enable this control to be put into effect.
In terms of enforcement, planning legislation contains a range of powers that a Planning Authority can use to remedy unauthorised development. A Stop Notice, served in conjunction with an Enforcement Notice can achieve an immediate cessation of building operations. In considering the merits of serving an Enforcement Notice, the decisive issue for an authority is whether the breach of planning control would unacceptably affect public amenity or the existing use of land and buildings meriting protection in the public interest.
Impacts on residential amenity from excessive noise could constitute a statutory nuisance and local authority Environmental Health Departments are able to take enforcement action if appropriate to do so.
The Visitor Accommodation Licensing Scheme remains under development.
WQ100413 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister confirm how many teachers delivering relationships and sexuality education have completed accredited training and explain why the Welsh Government has not mandated a standardised syllabus for each age group?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Through the Welsh Government funded Addysg Cwtch curriculum support grant, all local authority areas have a dedicated RSE advisor to offer advice, support and professional learning to every school in the area for a three-year period, up to March 2028.The mandatory RSE Code does set out required learning across different age groups to ensure this is developmentally appropriate.
Schools are legally required to take account of a range of factors, including the learner’s age, knowledge and maturity, any additional learning needs, and their anticipated physiological and emotional development. The required learning across different phases indicates when practitioners should start to consider teaching topics. It does not mean learners are ready at that point, but it does mean they should not be taught topics before that. RSE must also be delivered in a way that is objective, critical, and pluralistic.
WQ100306 · Tabled · Answered
What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the wider economic and community impact of the WRU's decision to move from four to three regions in professional rugby on the communities who will lose a professional club, and will the Cabinet Minister publish any such assessment before the WRU make their decision on the final region?
Answered by Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport
Decisions on the structure of professional rugby are a matter for the WRU as an independent organisation. Therefore, the Welsh Government has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of any decision by the WRU to move from four to three professional regions.
However, in my recent meeting with the WRU, I stressed the importance of considering the wider implications for clubs, supporters and communities.
WQ99771 · Tabled · Answered
Further to WQ99426 and WQ99427, will the Cabinet Minister confirm how current performance compares with the agreed performance indicators, and publish the latest data for each indicator?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government identifies what matters to patients when accessing health and care services through regular engagement with Llais, patient groups and other stakeholders, supported by evidence reviews and feedback from services. Officials are also engaging with a wide range of health and social care stakeholders over the summer to inform ‘what good looks like’ for emergency and acute care, including people’s experiences and priorities when accessing services.
Regarding the indicators used to monitor the resilience of the health and social care system over winter, I refer you to my previous answers to WQ99426 and WQ99427.
For those metrics, the latest published data on ambulance responsiveness, ambulance patient handover, emergency department performance and pathways of care delays is available on the StatsWales website.
The remaining metrics are sourced from NHS management data held by health boards and NHS Trusts. Performance against these metrics will be reviewed during or after the Winter 2026/27 period, depending on how frequently NHS organisations capture the data.
WQ99770 · Tabled · Answered
Further to WQ99426 and WQ99427, will the Cabinet Minister explain how they have identified what is important to patients?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government identifies what matters to patients when accessing health and care services through regular engagement with Llais, patient groups and other stakeholders, supported by evidence reviews and feedback from services. Officials are also engaging with a wide range of health and social care stakeholders over the summer to inform ‘what good looks like’ for emergency and acute care, including people’s experiences and priorities when accessing services.
Regarding the indicators used to monitor the resilience of the health and social care system over winter, I refer you to my previous answers to WQ99426 and WQ99427.
For those metrics, the latest published data on ambulance responsiveness, ambulance patient handover, emergency department performance and pathways of care delays is available on the StatsWales website.
The remaining metrics are sourced from NHS management data held by health boards and NHS Trusts. Performance against these metrics will be reviewed during or after the Winter 2026/27 period, depending on how frequently NHS organisations capture the data.
WQ99769 · Tabled · Answered
Further to WQ99426 and WQ99427, will the Cabinet Minister identify the indicators used that he refers to in his answer?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government identifies what matters to patients when accessing health and care services through regular engagement with Llais, patient groups and other stakeholders, supported by evidence reviews and feedback from services. Officials are also engaging with a wide range of health and social care stakeholders over the summer to inform ‘what good looks like’ for emergency and acute care, including people’s experiences and priorities when accessing services.
Regarding the indicators used to monitor the resilience of the health and social care system over winter, I refer you to my previous answers to WQ99426 and WQ99427.
For those metrics, the latest published data on ambulance responsiveness, ambulance patient handover, emergency department performance and pathways of care delays is available on the StatsWales website.
The remaining metrics are sourced from NHS management data held by health boards and NHS Trusts. Performance against these metrics will be reviewed during or after the Winter 2026/27 period, depending on how frequently NHS organisations capture the data.
WQ99718 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister confirm the Government's current position on parental opt-out rights in relation to Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is mandatory within the Curriculum for Wales. There is no parental right to withdraw from any part of the curriculum. This ensures all children and young people have access to learning that supports their safety and well-being. Learning includes helping learners to recognise harmful behaviours and understand how and where to seek support
RSE is legally required to be developmentally appropriate, objective, critical, and pluralistic.
Schools are also expected to engage openly with parents and carers, so they understand the curriculum and have the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns.
WQ99427 · Tabled · Answered
What trigger points will the Welsh Government use to identify if the Welsh NHS is coming under pressure this winter?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
We will judge success through improvements in the areas that matter most to patients— reduced ambulance patient handover delays, shorter waits in emergency departments, improved hospital flow and safe discharge home when people no longer require hospital care, and patient experience and mortality rates.
To identify emerging winter pressures, we and NHS Wales Performance and Improvement monitor a range of indicators including escalating demand, ambulance handover performance, emergency department waits, bed occupancy, discharge delays and health board escalation status, enabling early action where pressures begin to build.
WQ99426 · Tabled · Answered
What milestones will the Welsh Government use to monitor whether their interim winter plan is succeeding?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
We will judge success through improvements in the areas that matter most to patients— reduced ambulance patient handover delays, shorter waits in emergency departments, improved hospital flow and safe discharge home when people no longer require hospital care, and patient experience and mortality rates.
To identify emerging winter pressures, we and NHS Wales Performance and Improvement monitor a range of indicators including escalating demand, ambulance handover performance, emergency department waits, bed occupancy, discharge delays and health board escalation status, enabling early action where pressures begin to build.
Official verbatim record: each question and answer as the Record prints it. Answers are signed with a job title, as published.