National Assembly for Wales

The Welsh Government welcomes the Windsor Framework as a step towards resolving the difficulties around the Northern Ireland Protocol, and towards a new phase of improved relations between the UK and the EU, both of which are important to Wales. We hope that all governments within the UK can have the chance to consider the full implications of the Framework constructively.

Regrettably, the UK Government did not engage the Welsh Government on the detail of the Framework in advance of the announcement; and has not so far done so in assessing the implications of the Framework for trade flows across the Irish Sea. This remains a concern that we continue to pursue with the UK Government. The Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd represented the Welsh Government at a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group on UK-EU relations on 20 March. This formed part of the preparation for the 24 March meeting of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee that will take decisions on implementing the Framework.

Free swimming is available to all veterans residing in Wales, regardless of age.  Veterans aged 59 or younger have access to free swimming through the Welsh Government’s Armed Forces Free Swimming Scheme.  Veterans aged 60 or over are eligible for the Welsh Government’s 60+ Free Swimming scheme.

Figures available up to end of financial year 2018/19, indicate that 13,878 jobs have been supported by Welsh Government interventions, across the eight EZs in Wales. 

We do not hold information on jobs supported through other means.

Work to validate and publish data for the subsequent three year cycle is ongoing. 

188 farm businesses.

We continue to monitor the disease situation to ensure that the Avian Influenza control measures in place in Wales are appropriate for the level of risk we face.

This includes work to develop a risk-based exit strategy for the measures implemented under the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, working closely with the other UK Administrations.

The organisations are listed in Chapter 4 of the Panel’s final report entitled ‘Stakeholder Engagement’.

The local authorities are listed in Chapter 4 of the Panel’s final report entitled ‘Stakeholder Engagement’.

The current estimated cost of the public information campaign to support the change of the default speed limit on restricted roads to 20mph is £810,690. This cost is incurred across the financial years of 2022/23 and 2023/23, and includes, but is not limited to, television, radio, and social media advertising. These funds are within the overall cost for implementing the change.

No discussions have yet taken place.

The £375 million allocated for building safety has been provided over three years (2022/3 – 2024/5).

To date, we have used £1.4 million to fund our survey work; £40 million has been made available to undertake fire safety works on 38 buildings in the social sector and £20 million has been made available to establish a loan fund to incentivise early developer action in Wales. 

It should be noted, as a loan, this will be repaid following a set period of time.

In 2020 the Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards (RRRS) funding programme was introduced.  This funding has been designed to enable all schools in Wales to recruit additional staff to ensure that they have the capacity needed to support children and young people’s learning and well-being and to ensure that the current and ongoing impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic are minimised.

To date, RRRS funding has increased the number of practitioners across all schools in Wales by an additional 2,452 FTE.  Of this increased capacity, 62.2 percent are support staff (1525 FTE) and 29.9 per cent are teachers (733 FTE). On average each school has gained 1.05 FTE support staff member, and a 0.5 FTE teacher. Welsh medium schools are slightly more likely to spend on teachers’ hours (1 FTE teacher per 1.5 FTE support staff) than English medium schools (1 FTE teacher per 2.4 FTE support staff).

RRRS funding has been distributed to all schools in Wales, with an additional weighting for more vulnerable and disadvantaged learners. The RRRS funding allocated to schools in 2020-21 was £59.1million, in 2021-22 £68.9million and in 2022-23 £37.5million.  Funding will continue in 2023-24 at £37.5million and £28.5 million has been allocated for distribution to schools in the 2024-25 financial year. 

An initial evaluation of the RRRS programme has recently been undertaken by Miller Research and this will be published early in the Summer Term.  It is clear from this evaluation that schools have benefitted significantly from the RRRS funding.  Headteachers, in particular, have welcomed the flexibility to recruit the right staff to support the needs of their individual learners, within the unique context of their school. 

Substantive response 

Doctors can provide prescriptions for intervals that they feel are clinically appropriate.

To support clinical decision making, there was a Welsh Health Circular published on 16 December 2022 outlining updated guidance on prescribing intervals in Wales.

The extension to prescribing intervals is an important change to previous guidance as it will reduce workload for pressurised services, especially in community pharmacy.

The potential impact implementing this guidance could have on dispensing practices in General Medical Services (GMS) is noted, and discussions are currently ongoing with General Practitioners Committee Wales (GPCW) to find a solution that addresses these concerns.

Full details of the circular can be accessed in English and Welsh. Copies have also be shared alongside this response.