Siambr · Claire Archibald
Written questions
7 written questions on record from the Seventh Senedd on, newest first. Page 1 of 1.
WQ100753 · Tabled · Answered
What action is the Cabinet Minister taking to address Valero’s concerns about the impact of UK emissions trading scheme costs on the competitiveness of Pembroke Refinery and to protect the jobs and investment it supports in Pembrokeshire?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Welsh Government remains committed to net zero and recognises the importance of ensuring industry are supported through any associated challenges. I visited Valero on 20 August and understand the concerns they have raised regarding competitiveness and carbon leakage. Valero plays an important part in supporting employment, supply chains and economic activity not only in South West Wales but across Wales, contributing to UK fuel supply an energy resilience.
As part of the UK ETS Authority, I am assured that free allocation will continue to apply to sectors at risk of carbon leakage, such as refining, that are not currently covered by the UK Governments Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (UK CBAM). We will continue to work across the Authority to ensure the concerns raised by Valero are reflected in policy development.
I am also aware of the strength of feeling and rationale the sector has put forward for the inclusion of refined fuels within the UK CBAM. Whilst it is a reserved policy, we actively engage with the UK Government to ensure that decisions made in respect of the UK CBAM take into account the decision-making powers of the Authority on free allowances.
I will continue to engage with UK Government on issues affecting Welsh industry, including the long-term competitiveness, resilience and decarbonisation of strategically important industrial sites in Wales.
WQ100752 · Tabled · Answered
What measurable improvements in waiting times and patient outcomes does the Cabinet Minister expect health boards to deliver before the independent review of NHS performance reports in March 2027?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
Reducing NHS waiting lists and improving timely access to care is one of the Welsh Government's top priorities.
We have announced an additional £145 million investment in NHS Wales, including £100 million specifically to support reductions in waiting times, £25 million to expand surgical and diagnostic capacity, and £20 million for essential estate improvements. This investment is being linked directly to delivery and is intended to accelerate reductions in the longest waits, increase planned care activity and reduce overall waiting list size.
It is disappointing that opposition parties sought to block this crucial investment during the vote on the supplementary budget, but we are progressing these plans with health boards regardless – because the people of Wales deserve action now on what is one of their chief concerns.
Alongside this investment, we have introduced a clinically led Planned Care Reset and Delivery Plan which focuses on increasing sustainable capacity, improving productivity, expanding diagnostics, strengthening referral management and ensuring patients who have waited longest are treated more quickly. Health Boards are expected to work collaboratively to maximise available capacity and deliver sustained improvements in performance.
The approach includes increasing surgical activity, including through dedicated surgical hubs and additional theatre capacity, improving access to diagnostic tests, and redesigning pathways so that patients receive the right advice, assessment and treatment at the earliest opportunity. Referrals are being reviewed earlier and follow-up arrangements modernised, helping to release clinical capacity for patients waiting for their first appointment.
We are also strengthening national oversight and accountability arrangements. Health Boards receiving additional funding are required to demonstrate delivery against agreed trajectories, show that activity is additional and contributing to reductions in waiting times, and provide evidence of productivity improvements and service transformation.
Through this combination of additional investment, increased capacity and service improvement, our objective is to eliminate two year waits by May and continue reducing the overall waiting list, while delivering sustainable improvements for patients across Wales.
WQ100514 · Tabled · Answered
What guidance has the Welsh Government provided to local authorities to ensure that healthcare and community infrastructure keeps pace with new housing developments in expanding communities such as Penparcau in Ceredigion?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
Planning Policy Wales (PPW) identifies that planning authorities should adopt policies to locate major generators of travel demand, such as housing, employment, retailing, leisure and recreation, and community facilities (including libraries, schools, doctor’s surgeries and hospitals), within existing urban areas or areas which are, or can be, easily reached by walking or cycling, and are well served by public transport
PPW highlights that planning authorities should, in conjunction with key infrastructure providers, take a strategic and long term approach towards the provision of infrastructure as part of plan making. This may involve collaboration between planning authorities and key infrastructure providers, including providers of healthcare and other community infrastructure, to ensure infrastructure provision is sustainable, fit for purpose and can be co‑ordinated and timed to support placemaking aspirations.
WQ100055 · Tabled · Answered
Will the Cabinet Minister set out the timetable for resolving the issue that the building of 2,300 homes across more than 100 developments is being delayed by nitrogen neutrality regulations in Pembrokeshire?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
I recognise the impact on housing delivery is very concerning and alongside the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability and Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution, I am giving the issue full attention.
We are conscious the previous Welsh Government, prior to the pre-election period, issued a Written Statement on progress by a Taskforce in delivering actions to address the impact on housing. The immediate priority is to ensure those actions are being delivered.
WQ99522 · Tabled · Answered
Of the promised £15.75 million for the unpaid carers scheme and short breaks scheme, what proportion is allocated to carers within the Pembrokeshire County Council & Ceredigion County Council areas?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
The £15.75 million commitment to the Carers Support Fund and the Short Breaks Scheme funds the schemes for 2026 to 2029.
The annual investment in the Carers Support Fund is £1.75 million. The fund is delivered on our behalf by Carers Trust Wales. In 2025/26, carers in Pembrokeshire received £53,754 from the fund, equating to 3.1% of the total. Carers in Ceredigion received £43,963 from the fund, equating to 2.5% of the total.
The annual investment in the Short Breaks Scheme is £3.5 million. Funding is distributed to Carers Trust Wales (£2.3 million) and to Regional Partnership Boards (£1.3 million). West Wales Regional Partnership Board receives
£163,084. This allocation follows the agreed model for the distribution of funding across Regional Partnership Boards. The allocation of funding across the constituent local authorities is determined by the Regional Partnership Board.
In 2025/26, carers in Pembrokeshire benefitted from £139,892 of Short Breaks Scheme funding. This comprised of £87,795 via Carers Trust Wales and £52,097 via the Regional Partnership Board. Combined, this represents 4% of the overall budget.
In the same period, carers in Ceredigion benefitted from £61,026 of Short Breaks Scheme funding, comprising £28,465 via Carers Trust Wales and £32,561 via the Regional Partnership Board. This represents 1.7% of the overall budget.
The Carers Support Fund is for carers on low income who need emergency financial assistance. The Short Break Scheme provides breaks from caring responsibility for carers who are least able have these otherwise. While we wish to ensure even geographical coverage of the schemes, delivery is targeted toward those most in need.
WQ98888 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to address ambulance handover delays in Hywel Dda University health board, where 528 handovers took over one hour in October 2025?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
The Welsh Government is working closely with Hywel Dda University Health Board, the Welsh Ambulance Service and system partners to reduce ambulance handover delays.
This includes strengthening whole‑system flow, improving timely discharge, expanding same‑day emergency care, and reinforcing escalation arrangements.
Targeted oversight and support are in place to ensure sustained improvement, with a continued focus on patient safety and reducing delays at every stage of the urgent and emergency care pathway.
WQ98892 · Tabled · Answered
What measures is the Cabinet Minister implementing to improve foster-care retention in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, where placement rates consistently remain low?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Foster Wales, established in 2021, brings together all 22 local authority fostering services into a single national network, supported by over £12 million of Welsh Government investment. Its aim is to strengthen recruitment and, crucially, retention by providing a consistent, high-quality offer to foster carers across Wales, including in rural areas where smaller carer pools make retention particularly important for local placement sufficiency.
This aligns with national priorities to improve placement stability and enable more children to remain within their communities. The Foster Wales National Commitment supports this by ensuring carers receive equitable support, learning and rewards wherever they live, reducing variation across regions.
Alongside this, work is underway to review fostering allowances, so they better reflect the true cost of care, helping ensure fostering remains sustainable and valued across all parts of Wales. However, retention is not only about financial support. Foster carers must be recognised as integral members of the “team around the child,” with their experience valued in decision-making. Programmes such as Fostering Wellbeing support this by promoting stronger partnership working and equality of status.
Investment in training and support also plays a key role. A national learning and development framework provides consistent opportunities, while peer networks help reduce isolation and build resilience – particularly important in rural areas.
We are also supporting flexible approaches such as Step Up Step Down, which provides alternative roles for foster carers, helps retain experienced carers who may not wish to foster full time, and can encourage previous carers to return to the sector in a different capacity.
Supporting carers through challenges is equally critical. National training and the development of an all-Wales allegations’ toolkit aim to ensure fair, consistent processes that maintain carers’ confidence and wellbeing.
Together, these measures strengthen retention, support foster carers effectively, and improve placement stability, helping more children stay close to home.
Official verbatim record: each question and answer as the Record prints it. Answers are signed with a job title, as published.