Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
01/05/2018Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad am 13:30 gyda’r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Assembly met at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Galw'r Aelodau i drefn.
I call Members to order.
Yr eitem gyntaf yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac rwyf wedi cael gwybod o dan Reol Sefydlog 12.58 y bydd arweinydd y tŷ, Julie James, yn ateb cwestiynau ar ran y Prif Weinidog. Y cwestiwn cyntaf, Mark Isherwood.
The first item is questions to the First Minister, and I have received notification under Standing Order 12.58 that the leader of the house, Julie James, will answer questions today on behalf of the First Minister. The first question, Mark Isherwood.
1. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau meddygon teulu locwm yng Nghymru? OAQ52065
1. Will the First Minister make a statement on the provision of GP locum services in Wales? OAQ52065
Yes. Independent general practitioner contractors and health boards will employ GP locums where there is a service need. GP practices must ensure that they are appropriately qualified and registered.
Gwnaf. Bydd contractwyr ymarferwyr cyffredinol annibynnol a byrddau iechyd yn cyflogi meddygon teulu locwm lle bo angen gwasanaeth. Mae'n rhaid i feddygfeydd teulu sicrhau eu bod yn gymwysedig ac wedi eu cofrestru yn briodol.
Thank you very much indeed. Well, in 2014, the chair of the north Wales local medical committee wrote to Members calling for urgent action to tackle a growing crisis unfolding in general practice. In 2016, the vice-chair of the north Wales local medical committee wrote to Members saying that they were very aware of how precarious general practice is in north Wales, with some areas, such as Wrexham, at risk of losing more surgeries in the very near future. And, of course, Gresford is now under threat. Last week, new Welsh Government figures showed the number of registered GPs working in Wales at its lowest level since 2013, with 83 fewer in 2016 and 2017, with just over half of the GP practitioners leaving the workforce rejoining as locums. How, therefore, do you as a Government respond to the reasons given to me by some locum GPs in north Wales two and a half weeks ago for not working in Wales as being: more affordable medical defence cover for locums doing sessions in England than in Wales, on top of the separate performance list issue; extra bureaucracy when dealing with pension contributions; the curtailment of training links with north Wales medical schools; the 'stress and danger' of working in the Welsh system; and different and inferior IT systems, et cetera, et cetera?
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Wel, yn 2014, ysgrifennodd cadeirydd pwyllgor meddygol lleol gogledd Cymru at Aelodau yn galw am gamau brys i fynd i'r afael ag argyfwng cynyddol a oedd yn datblygu ym maes ymarfer cyffredinol. Yn 2016, ysgrifennodd is-gadeirydd pwyllgor meddygol lleol gogledd Cymru at yr Aelodau yn dweud eu bod yn ymwybodol iawn o ba mor fregus yw ymarfer cyffredinol yn y gogledd, lle mae rhai ardaloedd, fel Wrecsam, mewn perygl o golli mwy o feddygfeydd yn y dyfodol agos iawn. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae Gresffordd o dan fygythiad erbyn hyn. Yr wythnos diwethaf, dangosodd ffigurau newydd Llywodraeth Cymru bod nifer y meddygon teulu cofrestredig sy'n gweithio yng Nghymru ar ei lefel isaf ers 2013, gan fod 83 yn llai nag yn 2016 a 2017, ac ychydig dros hanner y meddygon teulu a adawodd y gweithlu yn ailymuno fel meddygon locwm. Sut, felly, ydych chi fel Llywodraeth yn ymateb i'r rhesymau a roddwyd i mi gan rai meddygon teulu locwm yn y gogledd bythefnos a hanner yn ôl am beidio â gweithio yng Nghymru fel: yswiriant diogelwch meddygol mwy fforddiadwy i feddygon locwm sy'n cyflawni sesiynau yn Lloegr nag yng Nghymru, yn ogystal â'r mater rhestr perfformiad ar wahân; biwrocratiaeth ychwanegol wrth ymdrin â chyfraniadau pensiwn; cwtogi cysylltiadau hyfforddiant gydag ysgolion meddygol y gogledd; y 'straen a'r perygl' o weithio yn y system yng Nghymru; systemau TG gwahanol ac eilradd, ac yn y blaen ac yn y blaen?
It's true that using the same data source as previous years does give a fall of 83. However, statisticians have found quality issues with the data, which may mean it's considerably lower. And a more complete measure of GP capacity in Wales is to include all GP practitioners, locums, retainers and registrars. Using that method shows that there's a 0.3 per cent drop of about eight since 2016. However, I'm very pleased to say that, contrary to the gloomy impression, which I don't think is at all helpful, given by Mark Isherwood, following the conclusion of all three rounds of our 'Train. Work. Live.' recruitment into GP training posts, the Wales Deanery confirmed the appointment of 144 places, which surpasses the 136 training places available at the beginning of the recruitment round, which compares to 121 places filled following three rounds in 2016. This is an increase of 19 per cent, which I think everybody can be very, very pleased about, and it completely contradicts some of the gloom and despondency we hear from the opposite benches.
Mae'n wir bod defnyddio yr un ffynhonnell ddata â blynyddoedd blaenorol yn dangos gostyngiad o 83. Fodd bynnag, mae ystadegwyr wedi canfod problemau ansawdd gyda'r data, a allai olygu ei fod yn sylweddol is. A mesuriad mwy cyflawn o gapasiti meddygon teulu yng Nghymru yw cynnwys yr holl ymarferwyr cyffredinol, meddygon teulu locwm, ymarferwyr cyffredinol wrth gefn a chofrestryddion. Mae defnyddio'r dull hwnnw yn dangos y bu gostyngiad 0.3 y cant o oddeutu wyth ers 2016. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud, yn groes i'r argraff ddigalon, nad wyf yn meddwl sydd yn ddefnyddiol o gwbl, a roddwyd gan Mark Isherwood, ar ôl cwblhau bob un o dair rownd ein proses recriwtio 'Hyfforddi. Gweithio. Byw.' i swyddi ymarferwyr cyffredinol dan hyfforddiant, bod Deoniaeth Cymru wedi cadarnhau penodiad 144 o leoedd, sy'n fwy na'r 136 o leoedd hyfforddi a oedd ar gael ar ddechrau'r broses recriwtio, sy'n cymharu â 121 o leoedd a lenwyd yn dilyn tair rownd yn 2016. Mae hyn yn gynnydd o 19 y cant, yr wyf yn credu y gall pawb fod yn hapus dros ben yn ei gylch, ac mae'n gwbl groes i rywfaint o'r digalondid ac anobaith yr ydym yn ei glywed gan y meinciau gyferbyn.
Cabinet Secretary, isn't one of the issues with locums the fact that not only can they earn £800 plus a day without the responsibilities of running a practice, but that the tax system under which they operate means that they can effectively, by setting up as a co-operation, pay just 20 per cent tax and the rest as dividends? And what, effectively, the locum system is actually doing is undermining GP practices. Is it the case that the Government is making representations or having discussions with the UK Government about changing the tax system so that it cannot actually work in this particular way and we actually give support to those who take on the day-to-day, ongoing running of GP practice and the long-term medical provision that we require from our GPs, rather than what is, understandably, people who can see far better terms and conditions and earnings by coming in as locums?
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, onid yw'n wir mai un o'r problemau gyda meddygon teulu locwm yw'r ffaith nid yn unig eu bod yn gallu ennill £800 a mwy y dydd heb gyfrifoldebau rhedeg meddygfa, ond bod y system dreth y maen nhw'n gweithredu oddi tani yn golygu y gallan nhw, i bob pwrpas, drwy sefydlu fel menter gydweithredol, dalu dim ond 20 y cant o dreth a'r gweddill fel difidendau? A'r hyn y mae'r system locwm yn ei wneud, mewn gwirionedd, yw tanseilio meddygfeydd teulu. A yw'n wir bod y Llywodraeth yn gwneud sylwadau neu'n cael trafodaethau gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch newid y system dreth fel nad yw'n gallu gweithio yn y ffordd arbennig hon a'n bod ni'n rhoi cymorth i'r rheini sy'n ymgymryd â rhedeg meddygfa deulu yn barhaus, o ddydd i ddydd a'r ddarpariaeth feddygol hirdymor sydd ei hangen arnom gan ein meddygon teulu, yn hytrach na'r hyn sydd, yn ddealladwy, yn bobl sy'n gallu gweld telerau ac amodau ac enillion llawer gwell trwy ddod i mewn fel meddygon locwm?
Yes, it's true that the introduction of IR35 in the medical profession has probably led locum GPs to consider their taxation affairs. Taxation policy is not devolved to the Welsh Government, but it does affect, obviously, our GP workforce in the same way as it does across the rest of the UK. It's not absolutely clear how it's affecting individual career decisions by GPs, but there are many other factors currently in play like professional indemnity and last person in a practice liability and that sort of thing.
Of course, we have a different model in Wales as well to support this, and whilst the independent practitioner model has served us well for many years, many GP practices are finding it challenging to respond in the current situation. So, we are looking at different ways of providing that, including employed practices, and facilitating locums where younger doctors do want the flexibility that being a locum provides. So, we are looking at very different ways of providing that, alongside the multidisciplinary practices that we're also looking to implement in large numbers of practices in Wales.
Ydy, mae'n wir ei bod yn debygol bod cyflwyno IR35 yn y proffesiwn meddygol wedi arwain at feddygon teulu locwm yn ystyried eu materion trethiant. Nid yw polisi trethiant wedi'i ddatganoli i Lywodraeth Cymru, ond mae'n effeithio, yn amlwg, ar ein gweithlu meddygon teulu yn yr un modd ag y mae yng ngweddill y DU. Nid yw'n gwbl eglur sut y mae'n effeithio ar benderfyniadau gyrfaol unigol gan feddygon teulu, ond mae llawer o ffactorau eraill ar waith ar hyn o bryd fel indemniad proffesiynol ac atebolrwydd y person diwethaf mewn practis a'r math yna o beth.
Wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni wahanol fodel yng Nghymru i gefnogi hyn hefyd, ac er bod y model ymarferydd annibynnol wedi ein gwasanaethu ni'n dda am flynyddoedd lawer, mae llawer o feddygfeydd teulu yn ei chael hi'n anodd ymateb yn y sefyllfa bresennol. Felly, rydym ni'n edrych ar wahanol ffyrdd o ddarparu hynny, gan gynnwys arferion cyflogi, a hwyluso staff locwm pan fo meddygon iau eisiau'r hyblygrwydd y mae bod yn feddyg locwm yn ei gynnig. Felly, rydym ni'n ystyried ffyrdd gwahanol iawn o ddarparu hynny, ochr yn ochr â'r arferion amlddisgyblaeth yr ydym ni hefyd yn ceisio eu cyflwyno mewn nifer fawr o feddygfeydd yng Nghymru.
Another sign of the pressure on primary care was when those figures last week showed the number of GPs working full-time in our primary care surgeries in Wales hitting a low of more than 10 years. And, I'm sorry, but I'm not as relaxed as you are about that. You said again today, as we've heard from Government in the past, 'Don't worry about the number of full-time GPs; we've got plenty of locums.' Well, I'm afraid that's not acceptable, because what you have in a locum is somebody who will more likely work fewer hours, for more money, and it undermines the sustainability of the NHS. Isn't it about time that we saw concrete steps from Welsh Government to stop the drift towards agency and locum working, and to put primary care on a more sustainable footing for the future?
Arwydd arall o'r pwysau ar ofal sylfaenol oedd pan ddangosodd y ffigurau hynny yr wythnos diwethaf bod nifer y meddygon teulu sy'n gweithio'n llawn amser yn ein meddygfeydd gofal sylfaenol yng Nghymru ar eu hisaf ers dros 10 mlynedd. Ac, mae'n ddrwg gen i, ond nid wyf i mor hamddenol â chi ynghylch hynny. Dywedasoch eto heddiw, fel yr ydym ni wedi ei glywed gan y Llywodraeth yn y gorffennol, 'Peidiwch â phoeni am nifer y meddygon teulu llawn amser; mae gennym ni ddigon o feddygon locwm.' Wel, mae arna i ofn nad yw hynny'n dderbyniol, oherwydd yr hyn sydd gennych chi mewn meddyg locwm yw rhywun a fydd yn fwy tebygol o weithio llai o oriau, am fwy o arian, ac mae'n tanseilio cynaliadwyedd y GIG. Onid yw'n hen bryd i ni weld camau pendant gan Lywodraeth Cymru i atal y llithriad tuag at weithio asiantaeth a gweithio locwm, ac i roi gofal sylfaenol ar sail fwy cynaliadwy ar gyfer y dyfodol?
Well, again, I just disagree with the take that Rhun ap Iorwerth puts on this, because, as I said earlier, there are a number of ways of looking at how many people work as GPs, as locum GPs, as retained GPs, as GP registrars, in Wales. Many of Wales's medical centres are training practices, which are responsible for training the next generation of GPs. And, as I said in response to the earlier question, we are doing very well on our training—we're recruiting more than ever before and filling all of our training places, including in previously hard-to-recruit areas, such as Ceredigion, and so on. So, I don't think it's at all helpful to put the negative spin that you're putting on it, and actually what we really want to do is broadcast the fact that so many people are very happy as a result of our 'Train. Work. Live.' campaign, to come and fill our training places and then go on to work in Wales.
Wel, unwaith eto, rwy'n anghytuno â safbwynt Rhun ap Iorwerth ar hyn, oherwydd, fel y dywedais yn gynharach, mae nifer o ffyrdd o edrych ar faint o bobl sy'n gweithio fel meddygon teulu, fel meddygon teulu locwm, fel ymarferwyr cyffredinol wrth gefn, fel cofrestryddion meddygon teulu, yng Nghymru. Mae llawer o ganolfannau meddygol Cymru yn bractisau hyfforddi, sy'n gyfrifol am hyfforddi'r genhedlaeth nesaf o feddygon teulu. Ac, fel y dywedais mewn ymateb i gwestiwn cynharach, rydym ni'n gwneud yn dda iawn o ran ein hyfforddiant—rydym ni'n recriwtio mwy nag erioed o'r blaen ac yn llenwi pob un o'n lleoedd hyfforddi, gan gynnwys mewn ardaloedd y bu'n anodd recriwtio ynddyn nhw yn y gorffennol, fel Ceredigion, ac yn y blaen. Felly, nid wyf i'n credu ei bod yn ddefnyddiol o gwbl cynnig y safbwynt negyddol yr ydych chi'n ei roi ar y mater, a'r hyn yr ydym ni wir eisiau ei wneud mewn gwirionedd yw hysbysebu'r ffaith fod cynifer o bobl yn hapus iawn o ganlyniad i'n hymgyrch 'Hyfforddi. Gweithio. Byw.', i ddod i lenwi ein lleoedd hyfforddi ac yna mynd ymlaen i weithio yng Nghymru.
2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth o ofal cymdeithasol yng Ngogledd Cymru? OAQ52081
2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the provision of social care in North Wales? OAQ52081
Will the standing First Minister make a statement on the provision of social care in North Wales?
A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog sefydlog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth o ofal cymdeithasol yng Ngogledd Cymru?
I'm not quite sure what you mean by that, but social care plays a critical role in helping people live independently, working in partnership with health, the independent and third sectors, to manage demand and improve outcomes for people both in north Wales and nationally. This is why 'Prosperity for All' places social care as a sector of national importance.
Nid wyf i'n hollol siŵr beth yr ydych chi'n ei olygu wrth ddweud hynny, ond mae gofal cymdeithasol yn chwarae rhan hollbwysig i helpu pobl fyw yn annibynnol, gan weithio mewn partneriaeth â'r sector iechyd, y sector annibynnol a'r trydydd sector, i reoli galw a gwella canlyniadau i bobl yn y gogledd ac yn genedlaethol. Dyna pam mae 'Ffyniant i Bawb' yn neilltuo gofal cymdeithasol fel sector o bwysigrwydd cenedlaethol.
Thank you for that answer. Hampshire County Council is aiming to leverage voice-activated home-speaker Amazon Echo skills to assist with adult social care. The technology can help people not only suffering with physical illness, but also help those who are suffering from loneliness and depression. According to the council, over 9,000 people are currently benefiting from assistive technology such as Amazon Echo, with 100 new referrals being made each week. Will the Welsh Government look at introducing their own trial to help tackle the social care demand in north Wales?
Diolch am yr ateb yna. Mae Cyngor Swydd Hampshire yn bwriadu ysgogi sgiliau seinydd cartref a weithredir gan y llais Amazon Echo i gynorthwyo gyda gofal cymdeithasol i oedolion. Gall y dechnoleg helpu pobl sy'n dioddef o salwch corfforol yn ogystal â helpu'r rhai sy'n dioddef o unigrwydd ac iselder. Yn ôl y cyngor, mae dros 9,000 o bobl yn elwa ar dechnoleg gynorthwyol fel Amazon Echo ar hyn o bryd, ac mae 100 o atgyfeiriadau newydd yn cael eu gwneud bob wythnos. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried cyflwyno eu treial eu hunain er mwyn helpu i fynd i'r afael â'r galw am ofal cymdeithasol yn y gogledd?
Yes. We already have several trials in place. It's a matter of great interest to us how we can use medical technologies of all sorts to assist with both social care and, actually, medical care. We have active pilots in place looking at exactly how we can exploit those technologies.
Gwnawn. Mae gennym ni sawl treial ar waith eisoes. Mae'n fater o ddiddordeb mawr i ni sut y gallwn ni ddefnyddio technolegau meddygol o bob math i gynorthwyo gyda gofal cymdeithasol ac, yn wir, gofal meddygol. Mae gennym ni dreialon gweithredol ar waith yn ystyried sut yn union y gallwn ni fanteisio ar y technolegau hynny.
Cabinet Secretary, alarmingly, social service departments in local authorities in Wales overspent by £383 million against their budgets in 2016-17, with Cardiff Council alone exceeding their budget by a staggering £190 million. Now, many are predicted to massively overspend again over the next 12 months. Costs in social services are predicted to increase by another £344 million in the next three years, and there is evidence now that, by 2035, the number of people aged over 65 living in Wales will increase by 35 per cent and those aged over 85 by 113 per cent. This is a ticking time bomb. Now, Cabinet Secretary, what frameworks do you believe the First Minister and, indeed, your Welsh Government are putting in place now to ensure that our social care providers, and their budgets, are effectively resourced and that they are indeed futureproof for the next 20 years?
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yn frawychus, gorwariwyd £383 miliwn gan adrannau gwasanaethau cymdeithasol mewn awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru o'i gymharu â'u cyllidebau yn 2016-17, gyda Chyngor Caerdydd ar ei ben ei hun yn gwario'r swm syfrdanol o £190 miliwn yn fwy na'i gyllideb. Nawr, rhagwelir y bydd llawer yn gorwario'n enfawr unwaith eto yn ystod y flwyddyn nesaf. Rhagwelir y bydd costau gwasanaethau cymdeithasol yn cynyddu gan £344 miliwn arall yn y tair blynedd nesaf, a cheir tystiolaeth erbyn hyn y bydd nifer y bobl dros 65 oed sy'n byw yng Nghymru, erbyn 2035, yn cynyddu gan 35 y cant a'r rhai dros 85 oed yn cynyddu gan 113 y cant. Mae hon yn sefyllfa sy'n mynd i fod yn beryglus. Nawr, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, pa fframweithiau ydych chi'n ei gredu y mae eich Prif Weinidog ac, yn wir, eich Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu rhoi ar waith nawr i sicrhau bod ein darparwyr gofal cymdeithasol, a'u cyllidebau, yn cael adnoddau effeithiol a'u bod wir yn barod ar gyfer y dyfodol dros yr 20 mlynedd nesaf?
I always find it very difficult when the Conservative Party go on about spending, in view of the money—[Interruption.]
Rwyf i bob amser yn ei chael hi'n anodd pan fydd y Blaid Geidwadol yn sôn am wariant, o ystyried yr arian—[Torri ar draws.]
You have the money. You have the budget. You have the budget.
Mae'r arian gennych chi. Mae'r gyllideb gennych chi. Mae'r gyllideb gennych chi.
It's very handy to be able to have a divided brain on this subject, but I am happy to be able to tell the Member that, here in Wales, public spending on personal social services for families and children has gone up by 22 per cent between 2010-11 and 2016-17, which is a considerable difference to the spending rise in England, which is only 5 per cent.
Mae'n ddefnyddiol iawn gallu bod ag ymennydd ranedig ar y pwnc hwn, ond rwy'n falch o allu dweud wrth yr Aelod bod gwariant cyhoeddus ar wasanaethau cymdeithasol i deuluoedd a phlant, yma yng Nghymru, wedi cynyddu gan 22 y cant rhwng 2010-11 a 2016-17, sy'n wahaniaeth sylweddol i'r cynnydd i wariant yn Lloegr, sydd ddim ond yn 5 y cant.
Well, I agree that the funding coming from London is insufficient—we clearly would agree with that. But the question is, really, what is this Government doing in preparing for the reality of this £344 million injection that will be required by 2020? Just pointing fingers and blaming others isn't really answering the question. Now, only last month as well, of course, we heard that one of the UK's largest care providers, Allied Healthcare, was in financial difficulties. So, as well as telling us what more the Government will do to try and address the significant shortfall in funding, can you tell us how you will ensure that the most vulnerable in our society won't actually suffer as a consequence of Allied Healthcare's ongoing problems?
Wel, rwy'n cytuno bod yr arian sy'n dod o Lundain yn annigonol—byddem yn amlwg yn cytuno â hynny. Ond y cwestiwn, mewn gwirionedd, yw beth mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn ei wneud i baratoi ar gyfer realiti y £344 miliwn ychwanegol hwn y bydd ei angen erbyn 2020? Nid yw pwyntio bys a beio pobl eraill yn ateb y cwestiwn mewn gwirionedd. Nawr, dim ond fis diwethaf hefyd, wrth gwrs, clywsom fod un o ddarparwyr gofal mwyaf y DU, Allied Healthcare, mewn trafferthion ariannol. Felly, yn ogystal â dweud wrthym beth arall fydd y Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i geisio mynd i'r afael â'r diffyg cyllid sylweddol, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni sut y gwnewch chi sicrhau na fydd y rhai mwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymdeithas yn dioddef o ganlyniad i broblemau parhaus Allied Healthcare?
Yes, in terms of Allied Healthcare, we are aware of the contractor's requests to go into some kind of administration, and we are working very hard to ensure that we have a good plan in place. I know the Minister has been working very hard to ensure that we have continuity of care practices in place for anybody who could be affected by that, though I hasten to say, so as not to set any hares running, that we are not in a position at the moment of any care ceasing in any of the places where Allied Healthcare care is provided.
In terms of the overall issue, obviously an ageing population is a problem right across western Europe, but here we have made absolutely certain that we work alongside health to pool resources with social services, and, of course, we've stopped many of the cuts to social services that have occurred in the UK. But it is extraordinary to be able to split the austerity agenda and the results of austerity, which are insufficient money for public services, from the effects of that, which I know that you're not doing.
Gallaf, o ran Allied Healthcare, rydym ni'n ymwybodol o geisiadau'r contractwr i fynd i mewn i ryw fath o fod yn nwylo'r gweinyddwyr, ac rydym ni'n gweithio'n galed iawn i sicrhau bod gennym ni gynllun da ar waith. Gwn fod y Gweinidog wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn i sicrhau bod gennym ni ddilyniant o ran arferion gofal ar waith i unrhyw un a allai gael ei effeithio gan hynny, er fy mod i'n prysuro i ddweud, er mwyn peidio â chychwyn unrhyw sgwarnogod i redeg, nad ydym ni mewn sefyllfa ar hyn o bryd a fyddai'n golygu bydd unrhyw ofal yn dod i ben yn unrhyw un o'r mannau lle y darperir gofal Allied Healthcare.
O ran y mater cyffredinol, mae'n amlwg fod poblogaeth sy'n heneiddio yn broblem ar draws gorllewin Ewrop gyfan, ond rydym ni wedi gwneud yn hollol siŵr yma ein bod ni'n gweithio ochr yn ochr â'r maes iechyd i gyfuno adnoddau gyda gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, ac, wrth gwrs, rydym ni wedi atal llawer o'r toriadau i wasanaethau cymdeithasol sydd wedi digwydd yn y DU. Ond mae'n rhyfeddol gallu gwahanu'r agenda cyni cyllidol a chanlyniadau cyni cyllidol, sef arian annigonol ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, oddi wrth effeithiau hynny, y gwn nad ydych chi'n ei wneud.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood.
Questions now from party leaders. The Plaid Cymru leader, Leanne Wood.
Diolch, Llywydd. Would the Minister prefer the support of the Scottish Labour Party or the Tories and UKIP in Wales? [Interruption.]
Diolch, Llywydd. A fyddai'n well gan y Gweinidog gael cefnogaeth Plaid Lafur yr Alban ynteu'r Torïaid ac UKIP yng Nghymru? [Torri ar draws.]
If the leader of Plaid Cymru is referring to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, then we would prefer to have done the very best for Wales, which we have done.
Os yw arweinydd Plaid Cymru yn cyfeirio at Fil yr Undeb Ewropeaidd (Ymadael), yna byddai'n well gennym ni fod wedi gwneud y gorau posibl dros Gymru, a dyna yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud.
I'm sure the Minister is aware that, yesterday, the Scottish branches of the two parties in her Government joined together to oppose Westminster. Instead, in Wales, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have caved in, given our leverage away and weakened the hand of people here in this country. On 27 November 2017, the First Minister said in this Assembly, and I quote,
'we wouldn't accept a sunset clause. Who is to say that it wouldn't be extended ad infinitum in the future? It's a matter of principle',
he concluded. A five-year sunset clause now forms part of the agreement that your Government has signed up to. Can the Minister explain: has the Government lost all of its principles?
Rwy'n siŵr bod y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol bod canghennau'r ddwy blaid yn ei Llywodraeth yn yr Alban wedi cyfuno ddoe i wrthwynebu San Steffan. Yn hytrach, yng Nghymru, mae Llafur a'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol wedi ildio, wedi ildio ein trosoledd bargeinio ac wedi gwanhau llaw pobl yma yn y wlad hon. Ar 27 Tachwedd 2017, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog yn y Cynulliad hwn, a dyfynnaf,
ni fyddem yn derbyn cymal machlud. Pwy sydd i ddweud na fyddai'n cael ei ymestyn yn ddi-ben-draw yn y dyfodol? Mae'n fater o egwyddor,
meddai. Mae cymal machlud pum mlynedd bellach yn rhan o'r cytundeb y mae eich Llywodraeth chi wedi ymrwymo iddo. A all y Gweinidog esbonio: a yw'r Llywodraeth wedi colli ei holl egwyddorion?
No. I think, again, the hyperbole that's being demonstrated by Plaid Cymru here is really not helpful at all. Just to be absolutely clear, the Welsh Government has secured significant changes to the UK Government's EU withdrawal Bill that protect the devolution settlement, which this party agrees with. Welsh Ministers have come to an agreement with the UK Government that many areas already devolved will remain devolved. The Bill, as originally drafted, would have allowed the UK Government to take control of devolved policy areas, such as farming and fishing, and that is no longer the case. After months of intensive talks, an agreement has been reached meaning that the Welsh Government will be able to recommend that the Assembly gives consent to the Bill on the basis of an inter-governmental agreement and amendments to the Bill that have been published, and which do not say what the leader of Plaid Cymru is currently saying that they say.
Nac ydy. Rwy'n credu, unwaith eto, nad yw'r ormodiaith sy'n cael ei dangos gan Blaid Cymru yn y fan yma yn ddefnyddiol o gwbl. I fod yn gwbl eglur, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi sicrhau newidiadau sylweddol i Fil ymadael yr UE Llywodraeth y DU sy'n diogelu'r setliad datganoli, y mae'r blaid hon yn cytuno ag ef. Mae Gweinidogion Cymru wedi dod i gytundeb gyda Llywodraeth y DU y bydd llawer o feysydd sydd wedi eu datganoli eisoes yn parhau i fod wedi eu datganoli. Byddai'r Bil, fel y'i drafftiwyd yn wreiddiol, wedi caniatáu i Lywodraeth y DU gymryd rheolaeth dros feysydd polisi datganoledig, fel ffermio a physgota, ond nid yw hynny'n wir mwyach. Ar ôl misoedd o drafodaethau dwys, daethpwyd i gytundeb sy'n golygu y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gallu argymell bod y Cynulliad yn rhoi cydsyniad i'r Bil ar sail cytundeb rhynglywodraethol a gwelliannau i'r Bil sydd wedi'u cyhoeddi, ac nad ydynt yn dweud yr hyn y mae arweinydd Plaid Cymru yn ei ddweud y maen nhw'n ei ddweud ar hyn o bryd.
This is not my hyperbole. Those were the words of the First Minister, and this is nothing short of a Labour-Tory stitch-up. You were backed by Brexit believers while losing the support of every branch in your own party, and people in Wales can see that you've sold this country short.
Westminster now have control over at least 24 policy areas and many of those are extremely important to people's lives: control over agriculture, environment, public procurement—all of those issues now sit in Westminster. The only conclusion that we can draw is that you believe that the Tories in Westminster are better placed to act in the Welsh national interest than your own Government. [Interruption.] Well, let me tell you, Minister, my party doesn't trust the Tories, and we don't trust Westminster with our farms, with our environment or our NHS. Perhaps the Minister can enlighten us: when Westminster concludes a dodgy deal with Donald Trump, how does her Government plan to stop them opening up our NHS to private companies now that you've given those powers away? [Interruption.]
Nid fy ngormodiaith i yw hon. Dyna oedd geiriau'r Prif Weinidog, ac nid yw hyn yn ddim llai nag ystryw rhwng y Torïaid a Llafur. Cawsoch eich cefnogi gan gredinwyr Brexit tra y collwyd cefnogaeth pob cangen yn eich plaid eich hun, a gall pobl yng Nghymru weld eich bod wedi taro bargen wael ar ran y wlad hon.
Mae gan San Steffan reolaeth dros o leiaf 24 o feysydd polisi erbyn hyn, ac mae llawer o'r rheini yn hynod bwysig i fywydau pobl: rheolaeth dros amaethyddiaeth, yr amgylchedd, caffael cyhoeddus—San Steffan sy'n gyfrifol am bob un o'r materion hynny bellach. Yr unig gasgliad y gallwn ni ddod iddo yw eich bod chi'n credu bod y Torïaid yn San Steffan mewn sefyllfa well i weithredu er budd cenedlaethol Cymru na'ch Llywodraeth chi eich hun. [Torri ar draws.] Wel, gadewch i mi ddweud wrthych, Gweinidog, nid yw fy mhlaid i yn ymddiried yn y Torïaid, ac nid ydym ni'n ymddiried yn San Steffan gyda'n ffermydd, gyda'n hamgylchedd na'n GIG. Efallai y gall y Gweinidog ein goleuo: pan fydd San Steffan yn taro bargen amheus gyda Donald Trump, sut mae ei Llywodraeth hi yn bwriadu eu hatal nhw rhag agor ein GIG i gwmnïau preifat nawr eich bod chi ildio'r pwerau hynny? [Torri ar draws.]
I'm afraid the leader of Plaid Cymru has fundamentally misunderstood the powers in the Bill. The UK Government cannot act in place of the Welsh Government, and my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, when he took us through in great detail the Bill only very recently on the floor of the Senedd, explained the way that the freezing of the powers would work, the way that we have got concessions so that English Ministers cannot act where they would otherwise have been able to act, and, of course, the sunset clause, in its current form, whereas the comments that she talks of are, of course, from the original Bill. So, I would recommend to the leader of Plaid Cymru a very careful reading of the Bill, which she clearly has not undertaken.
Mae arna i ofn bod arweinydd Plaid Cymru wedi camddeall y pwerau yn y Bil yn sylfaenol. Ni all Llywodraeth y DU weithredu yn lle Llywodraeth Cymru, ac esboniodd fy nghyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid, pan aeth â ni drwy'r Bil yn fanwl iawn yn ddiweddar iawn ar lawr y Senedd, y ffordd y byddai rhewi'r pwerau yn gweithio, y ffordd y mae gennym ni gonsesiynau fel na all Gweinidogion Lloegr weithredu lle byddent wedi gallu gweithredu fel arall, ac, wrth gwrs, y cymal machlud, ar ei ffurf bresennol, tra bod y sylwadau y mae hi'n sôn amdanynt, wrth gwrs, o'r Bil gwreiddiol. Felly, byddwn yn argymell bod arweinydd Plaid Cymru yn darllen y Bil yn ofalus iawn, gan ei bod yn amlwg nad yw hi wedi gwneud hynny.
Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Andrew RT Davies.
Leader of the opposition, Andrew RT Davies.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Leader of the house, could you give me an assessment of what the life choices are of young people here in Wales?
Diolch, Llywydd. Arweinydd y tŷ, a allech chi roi asesiad i mi o beth yw dewisiadau bywyd pobl ifanc yma yng Nghymru?
I think the chances of young people here in Wales are very good indeed, but we could do more and, again, as I emphasise, without the austerity policies of the UK Government, we could do a great deal better.
Rwy'n credu bod cyfleoedd pobl ifanc yma yng Nghymru yn dda dros ben, ond gallem ni wneud mwy ac, unwaith eto, fel yr wyf i'n ei bwysleisio, heb bolisïau cyni cyllidol Llywodraeth y DU, gallem ni wneud llawer iawn yn well.
Well, Leader of the house, when it comes to education, many of the things that can be done to improve life chances for young people are within the gift of the Welsh Government, and, sadly, the achievement has been hindered by some of the policies that have been brought forward by previous Labour Governments. But in the field of dyslexia, there's a real poverty of ambition in trying to improve the life chances of children identified with dyslexia in our schools. The gap with children achieving A or A* to C in selective GCSE grades has widened since 2015. Thirty-three per cent of pupils used to be getting those results at GCSE. Now, 36 per cent of pupils are not hitting that target in English. When it comes to science, which used to be a positive territory for students who were identified with dyslexia, now there's a 10 per cent deficit in children achieving five good grades at GCSE. You don't need money to make that difference, you just need the policies in place to make the improvements. Over the last two to three years, we've seen a massive decrease in the number of children achieving the grades we'd like to see who've been diagnosed with dyslexia. Why isn't the Government doing more in this particular field?
Wel, Arweinydd y tŷ, pan ddaw i addysg, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gyfrifol am lawer o'r pethau y gellir eu gwneud i wella cyfleoedd bywyd i bobl ifanc, ac, yn anffodus, mae'r cyflawniad wedi ei lesteirio gan rai o'r polisïau a gyflwynwyd gan Lywodraethau Llafur blaenorol. Ond ym maes dyslecsia, ceir diffyg uchelgais gwirioneddol o ran ceisio gwella cyfleoedd bywyd plant y nodir bod ganddynt ddyslecsia yn ein hysgolion. Mae'r bwlch o ran plant sy'n ennill graddau A neu A* i C mewn cymwysterau TGAU dethol wedi lledaenu ers 2015. Roedd tri deg tri y cant o ddisgyblion yn arfer cael y canlyniadau hynny ar lefel TGAU. Erbyn hyn, nid yw 36 y cant o ddisgyblion yn cyrraedd y targed hwnnw mewn Saesneg. Pan ddaw i wyddoniaeth, a oedd yn arfer bod yn dir cadarn i fyfyrwyr y nodwyd bod ganddynt ddyslecsia, ceir bwlch o 10 y cant erbyn hyn o ran plant sy'n ennill pum gradd dda mewn pynciau TGAU. Nid oes angen arian arnoch chi i wneud y gwahaniaeth hwnnw, y cwbl sydd ei angen arnoch yw polisïau ar waith i wneud y gwelliannau. Dros y ddwy i dair blynedd diwethaf, rydym ni wedi gweld gostyngiad enfawr yn nifer y plant sy'n ennill y graddau yr hoffem ni eu gweld ac sydd wedi cael diagnosis o ddyslecsia. Pam nad yw'r Llywodraeth yn gwneud mwy yn y maes penodol hwn?
Of course, that was the whole point of the additional learning needs Bill—to give support to those who are most vulnerable in our system. But I do think that it's quite extraordinary to say that it's not money, but it's policy, because, of course, the policies for additional learning needs always involve additional support for the pupil. It's an absolute fact that the more additional learning needs the pupil has, the more support they need and the more money that costs. But, of course, we want to do the very best for all the people in our school system, including the most vulnerable and those with additional needs and that's what the legislation aims to do.
Wrth gwrs, dyna oedd holl bwynt y Bil anghenion dysgu ychwanegol—i roi cymorth i'r rhai sydd fwyaf agored i niwed yn ein system. Ond rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n dra rhyfeddol dweud nad arian yw'r broblem, ond polisi, oherwydd, wrth gwrs, mae'r polisïau ar gyfer anghenion dysgu ychwanegol bob amser yn cynnwys cymorth ychwanegol i'r disgybl. Mae'n ffaith bendant mai'r mwyaf o anghenion dysgu ychwanegol sydd gan y disgybl, y mwyaf o gymorth sydd ei angen arno a'r mwyaf o arian y mae hynny'n ei gostio. Ond, wrth gwrs, rydym ni eisiau gwneud y gorau posibl i bawb yn ein system ysgolion, gan gynnwys y rhai sydd fwyaf agored i niwed a'r rhai ag anghenion ychwanegol, a dyna yw nod y ddeddfwriaeth.
I clearly identified how the gap is widening and that clearly is unacceptable, especially over the last two to three years, where, in English and science in particular, there's been a real deterioration. Over the border in England, they've introduced phonics as a policy area to improve the ability for children to improve their reading. Since 2011, 147,000 more six-year-olds are benefiting from this policy area in England. From 2011 to 2016 that number is—147,000 children. Will the Welsh Government be developing more strategies to assist children identified with dyslexia and make sure that these numbers, which I've quoted you today, are arrested and actually put into decline so that children identified with dyslexia have a better life chance here in Wales?
Nodais yn eglur sut y mae'r bwlch yn lledaenu ac mae hynny'n amlwg yn annerbyniol, yn enwedig dros y ddwy i dair blynedd diwethaf, pan, mewn Saesneg a gwyddoniaeth yn arbennig, y bu dirywiad gwirioneddol. Dros y ffin yn Lloegr, maen nhw wedi cyflwyno ffoneg fel maes polisi i gynyddu gallu plant i wella eu darllen. Ers 2011, mae 147,000 yn fwy o blant chwe blwydd oed yn elwa ar y maes polisi hwn yn Lloegr. 147,000 o blant yw'r nifer honno rhwng 2011 a 2016. A fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn datblygu mwy o strategaethau i gynorthwyo plant y nodwyd bod ganddynt ddyslecsia ac yn gwneud yn siŵr bod y niferoedd hyn, yr wyf i wedi eu dyfynnu i chi heddiw, yn cael eu sefydlogi ac yn cael eu gostwng fel bod gan blant y nodwyd bod ganddynt ddyslecsia gyfle bywyd gwell yma yng Nghymru?
We do teach phonics in Welsh schools. I've personally visited schools and watched their phonics tuition, so I'm absolutely well aware that we teach phonics already. I'm sure that more could be done to teach more children phonics. But I do think the statistics that you're quoting are a little misleading because most dyslexic children have additional time and take different exams. So, I'm afraid I don't have the detail of that at my fingertips, but perhaps if the leader of the opposition would like to let us see these statistics he's quoting, we'll be able to respond to them fully.
Rydym ni yn addysgu ffoneg yn ysgolion Cymru. Rwyf i wedi ymweld ag ysgolion yn bersonol a gwylio eu haddysgu ffoneg, felly rwy'n gwbl ymwybodol ein bod ni'n addysgu ffoneg eisoes. Rwy'n siŵr y gellid gwneud mwy i addysgu ffoneg i fwy o blant. Ond rwy'n credu bod yr ystadegau yr ydych chi'n eu dyfynnu braidd yn gamarweiniol gan fod y rhan fwyaf o blant dyslecsig yn cael amser ychwanegol ac yn sefyll gwahanol arholiadau. Felly, mae gen i ofn nad yw manylion hynny gen i ar flaenau fy mysedd, ond efallai pe hoffai arweinydd yr wrthblaid ganiatáu i ni weld yr ystadegau hyn y mae'n eu dyfynnu, yna byddwn yn gallu ymateb iddynt yn llawn.
Arweinydd grŵp UKIP, Neil Hamilton.
Leader of the UKIP group, Neil Hamilton.
Diolch, Llywydd. It's always a pleasure to see the leader of the house at the lectern. I hope it doesn't mean that the First Minister has sadly become a bit demob-happy.
I wonder whether the leader of the house is aware that minimum pricing for alcohol is being introduced into Scotland today and that that has resulted in a bottle of Sainsbury's Basics London Gin being increased from £10.50 to £13.13, a bottle of Asda Rich & Ripe Red Wine from £3.19 up to £4.88, and 18 cans of Tennent's Lager, which cost £12 at Asda will be increased to £15.85. These are significant increases by percentage and does she not agree with me that this is going to impact disproportionately upon people with low incomes? I know she's concerned about the impact of austerity upon people, so is this the right time to be adding extra burdens on them when one of the ways in which they try to alleviate austerity is to have a moderate drink? It's not going to affect the people who've got serious alcohol problems very much, but it is going to affect the overwhelming majority of people who drink responsibly.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae hi bob amser yn bleser gweld arweinydd y tŷ wrth y darllenfwrdd. Gobeithio nad yw'n golygu bod y Prif Weinidog wedi datblygu hoffter anffodus at ddimobio.
Tybed a yw arweinydd y tŷ yn ymwybodol bod isafswm pris ar gyfer alcohol yn cael ei gyflwyno yn yr Alban heddiw a bod hynny wedi arwain at bris potel o Sainsbury's Basics London Gin i gael ei gynyddu o £10.50 i £13.13, potel o Asda Rich & Ripe Red Wine o £3.19 i fyny i £4.88 ac y bydd 18 can o gwrw Tennent's, a oedd yn costio £12 yn Asda yn cynyddu i £15.85. Mae'r rhain yn cynrychioli cynnydd sylweddol yn ôl canran ac onid yw hi'n cytuno â mi bod hyn yn mynd i effeithio'n anghymesur ar bobl ag incwm isel? Gwn ei bod hi'n pryderu am effaith cyni cyllidol ar bobl, felly ai dyma'r adeg iawn i ychwanegu beichiau ychwanegol arnyn nhw pan mai un o'r ffyrdd y maen nhw'n ceisio lliniaru cyni cyllidol yw yfed yn gymedrol? Nid yw'n mynd i effeithio rhyw lawer ar y bobl sydd â phroblemau alcohol difrifol, ond mae'n mynd i effeithio ar y mwyafrif llethol o bobl sy'n yfed yn gyfrifol.
First of all, on his remarks about the First Minister, which I think were particularly ill-judged, the First Minister is, of course, on an extremely important mission to Doha, coming in on the first Qatar Airways flight to Cardiff Airport, something which we're all immensely proud of. And, Llywydd, I feel obliged to say at this point that when I returned to Wales as part of my professional career in 1993, the first sad task I was given was to work on the compelled privatisation of Cardiff airport from the public sector, because it was making such an enormous amount of money it was an embarrassment to the then Government. I'm delighted to say that this Labour Government has been able to put it back into the public sector where, of course, it's gone from the very poor performance it had in the private sector to a sterling performance in the public sector. So, I'm grateful to the leader of UKIP for giving me that opportunity to say that.
In terms of minimum pricing for alcohol, I know that he doesn't agree with the policy, but large numbers of people die as a result of alcoholic poisoning, and that's something that this party takes very seriously indeed.
Yn gyntaf oll, o ran ei sylwadau am y Prif Weinidog, yr wyf i'n credu eu bod yn arbennig o annoeth, mae'r Prif Weinidog, wrth gwrs, ar daith hynod o bwysig i Doha, yn dod i mewn ar yr awyren Qatar Airways gyntaf i Faes Awyr Caerdydd, rhywbeth yr ydym ni i gyd yn hynod falch ohono. A, Llywydd, rwy'n teimlo ei bod hi'n ddyletswydd arnaf i ddweud ar y pwynt hwn mai'r dasg drist gyntaf a roddwyd i mi pan ddychwelais i Gymru yn rhan o'm gyrfa broffesiynol ym 1993, oedd gweithio ar breifateiddio gorfodol maes awyr Caerdydd o'r sector cyhoeddus, oherwydd ei fod yn codi cywilydd ar y Llywodraeth ar y pryd gan ei fod yn gwneud swm mor enfawr o arian. Rwy'n falch o ddweud bod y Llywodraeth Lafur hon wedi gallu ei roi yn ôl yn y sector cyhoeddus lle, wrth gwrs, y mae wedi mynd o'r perfformiad gwael iawn yr oedd ganddo yn y sector preifat i berfformiad rhagorol yn y sector cyhoeddus. Felly, rwy'n ddiolchgar i arweinydd UKIP am roi'r cyfle yna i mi ddweud hynny.
O ran isafswm pris ar gyfer alcohol, gwn nad yw'n cytuno â'r polisi, ond mae nifer fawr o bobl yn marw o ganlyniad i wenwyn alcohol, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y mae'r blaid hon yn ei rhoi sylw o ddifrif iawn yn wir iddo.
I think what the leader of the house is admitting is that it's a sledgehammer to miss a nut, because the vast majority of people are going to be affected in their pockets but it's not going to make any difference to their health. At the moment, up to 76 per cent of the price of a bottle of whisky is taken in excise duties and value added tax. Of course, this is not a tax that is proposed to the minimum pricing of alcohol, so the extra profit, if any, that is made will go into the pockets of the supermarkets. So, there won't be a fund from which public health benefits could be spread by Government policy. Surely, a much better way of tackling this problem is to target the problem drinkers themselves, rather than to impose burdens upon people who don't have a problem.
Rwy'n credu mai'r hyn y mae arweinydd y tŷ yn ei gyfaddef yw ei bod yn sefyllfa o forthwyl gof i fethu nyten, gan fod y mwyafrif llethol o bobl yn mynd i gael eu heffeithio yn eu pocedi, ond nid yw'n mynd i wneud unrhyw wahaniaeth i'w hiechyd. Ar hyn o bryd, cymerir hyd at 76 y cant o bris potel o wisgi mewn tollau cartref a threth ar werth. Wrth gwrs, nid yw hon yn dreth a gynigir ar yr isafswm pris ar gyfer alcohol, felly bydd yr elw ychwanegol, os bydd elw ychwanegol, a wneir yn mynd i bocedi'r archfarchnadoedd. Felly, ni fydd cronfa y gellid lledaenu manteision iechyd cyhoeddus ohoni trwy bolisi Llywodraeth. Does bosib na fyddai'n llawer gwell targedu'r yfwyr trafferthus eu hunain fel modd o drin y broblem hon, yn hytrach na gorfodi beichiau ar bobl nad oes ganddyn nhw broblem.
Of course, the minimum alcohol pricing policy isn't the only policy that we have in place to assist people who suffer from alcohol abuse and substance misuse problems. The leader of UKIP is quite right to say that it can be an issue with austerity that people attempt self-medication and so on, but we're very wedded to making sure that those people have the correct support that they need to be able to stop the abuse that they suffer. And we know from the research that minimum alcohol pricing is one of the pieces of armoury in that kit.
Wrth gwrs, nid y polisi isafswm pris ar gyfer alcohol yw'r unig bolisi sydd gennym ni ar waith i helpu pobl sy'n dioddef â phroblemau camddefnyddio alcohol a chamddefnyddio sylweddau. Mae arweinydd UKIP yn hollol iawn i ddweud y gall fod yn broblem gyda chyni cyllidol bod pobl yn ceisio hunanfeddyginiaethu ac ati, ond rydym ni wedi ymrwymo'n llwyr i wneud yn siŵr bod y bobl hynny yn cael y cymorth cywir sydd ei angen arnynt i allu rhoi terfyn ar y camddefnydd y maen nhw'n ei ddioddef. Ac rydym ni'n gwybod o'r gwaith ymchwil bod isafswm pris ar gyfer alcohol yn un o'r darnau o arfogaeth yn y pecyn hwnnw.
But, of course, alcoholism or alcohol dependency isn't the only public health problem that exists in Wales. There's a significant problem with obesity, there's a significant problem with cardiovascular disease, and the Public Health Wales Observatory has recently published figures that show that the risk factors for heart disease are: physical activity, 71 per cent; unhealthy eating, 67 per cent; alcohol, perhaps surprisingly, only 43 per cent; and being a current smoker, even more surprising, only 23 per cent. So, where is this policy of minimum pricing of alcohol going? If the state has allocated to itself the power to try to alter people's behaviour in their private lives by using the tax system or a variant upon it, why shouldn't we introduce a tax on food, a tax on salt, or any other of the known factors that might be a cause of deterioration in individuals' health?
Ond, wrth gwrs, nid alcoholiaeth na dibyniaeth ar alcohol yw'r unig broblem iechyd y cyhoedd sy'n bodoli yng Nghymru. Ceir problem sylweddol gyda gordewdra, ceir problem sylweddol gyda chlefyd cardiofasgwlaidd, ac mae Arsyllfa Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru wedi cyhoeddi ffigurau yn ddiweddar sy'n dangos mai'r ffactorau risg ar gyfer clefyd y galon yw: ymarfer corff, 71 y cant; methu â bwyta'n iach, 67 y cant; alcohol, yn syndod efallai, dim ond 43 y cant; ac a minnau'r ysmygwr ar hyn o bryd, yn fwy o syndod fyth, dim ond 23 y cant yw hynny. Felly, ble mae'r polisi hwn o isafswm pris ar gyfer alcohol yn mynd? Os yw'r wladwriaeth wedi neilltuo iddi ei hun y grym i geisio newid ymddygiad pobl yn eu bywydau preifat trwy ddefnyddio'r system dreth neu amrywiolyn arni, pam na ddylem ni gyflwyno treth ar fwyd, treth ar halen, neu unrhyw un arall o'r ffactorau hysbys a allai fod yn achos dirywiad i iechyd unigolion?
Well, of course, this party has a very different idea of the state's role in people's lives than UKIP does. I'm not entirely certain that it's consistent in UKIP. But, of course, we have a number of things at our disposal that the Government does indeed do. We have done a very large number of things in public health. So, for example, adult smoking prevalence rates fell to 19 per cent ahead of our 20 per cent target in 2016. Smoking amongst young people is at its lowest level, with 7 per cent of boys and 9 per cent of girls aged 15 to 16 smoking regularly, compared to 9 and 14 per cent in 2009-10. And 425,000 men and women are routinely screened in Wales for breast, cervical and bowel cancer. These are state interventions in people's lives, but they're very welcome, and they contribute hugely to public health agendas here in Wales, of which we're very proud.
Wel, wrth gwrs, mae gan y blaid hon syniad gwahanol iawn o swyddogaeth y wladwriaeth ym mywydau pobl na'r hyn sydd gan UKIP. Nid wyf yn gwbl sicr ei fod yn gyson o fewn UKIP. Ond, wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni nifer o bethau ar gael i ni y mae angen i'r Llywodraeth ei wneud. Rydym ni wedi gwneud nifer fawr iawn o bethau ym maes iechyd y cyhoedd. Felly, er enghraifft, gostyngodd nifer yr achosion o ysmygu ymhlith oedolion i 19 y cant cyn ein targed o 20 y cant yn 2016. Mae ysmygu ymhlith pobl ifanc ar ei lefel isaf, gyda 7 y cant o fechgyn a 9 y cant o ferched 15 i 16 oed yn ysmygu'n rheolaidd, o'i gymharu â 9 a 14 y cant yn 2009-10. Ac mae 425,000 o ddynion a menywod yn cael eu sgrinio fel mater o drefn yng Nghymru ar gyfer canser y fron, ceg y groth a'r coluddyn. Mae'r rhain yn ymyraethau gan y wladwriaeth ym mywydau pobl, ond maen nhw i'w croesawu'n fawr, ac maen nhw'n cyfrannu'n aruthrol at agendâu iechyd y cyhoedd yma yng Nghymru, ac rydym ni'n falch iawn o hynny.
3. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i wella cefnffyrdd yn Nwyrain De Cymru? OAQ52110
3. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve trunk roads in South Wales East? OAQ52110
Our national transport finance plan sets out our commitments for trunk road improvements across Wales, including the south-east.
Mae ein cynllun cyllid trafnidiaeth cenedlaethol yn nodi ein hymrwymiadau o ran gwelliannau i gefnffyrdd ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys y de-ddwyrain.
Thank you. The recent changes to the A4042 Rechem roundabout in Pontypool have caused massive disruption for local residents and commuters, and I've received a very large volume of correspondence from constituents regarding not just the huge delays, but also fears over the safety of the road. I'm very grateful to Welsh Government officials for agreeing to meet me later this afternoon to discuss proposed changes that could rectify this being put forward by the developer of the nearby housing estate. What assurances can you offer my constituents that Welsh Government officials and the South Wales Trunk Road Agent, working closely with the developers and Torfaen County Borough Council, will be looking at this as a matter of priority, and that a new system will be put in place as soon as possible?
Diolch. Mae'r newidiadau diweddar i gylchfan Rechem yr A4042 ym Mhont-y-pŵl wedi achosi tarfu enfawr i drigolion lleol a chymudwyr, ac rwyf i wedi derbyn nifer fawr iawn o ohebiaeth gan etholwyr ynghylch yr oediadau mawr yn ogystal ag ofnau ynghylch diogelwch y ffordd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru am gytuno i gyfarfod â mi yn ddiweddarach y prynhawn yma i drafod newidiadau arfaethedig a allai ddatrys yr hyn sy'n cael ei cyflwyno gan ddatblygwr yr ystâd dai gyfagos. Pa sicrwydd allwch chi ei roi i'm hetholwyr y bydd swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru ac Asiant Cefnffyrdd De Cymru, gan weithio'n agos â'r datblygwyr a Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Torfaen, yn ystyried hyn yn fater o flaenoriaeth, ac y bydd system newydd yn cael ei rhoi ar waith cyn gynted â phosibl?
Yes, I understand, as you just said, Lynne Neagle, that transport officials are meeting with you after this session to discuss the issue in more detail, and we have received a number of concerns about the new road layout and are working with the local authority and the developer responsible for carrying out the work and its design to address the situation as a matter of urgency. I understand that it's likely that the road markings recently installed will have to be changed to improve traffic flows, and this will take a little while to implement because of the safety checks that need to be completed. So, in the meantime, the temporary 40 mph speed limit will remain in place and new lanes provided will remain closed to traffic in order to maintain safety. The work is being carried out to increase the capacity of the roundabout, as I know she knows, to accommodate the new developments in the area. The officials are more than happy to work with you to resolve the issues.
Ydy, fel y deallaf, fel y dywedasoch nawr, Lynne Neagle, mae'r swyddogion trafnidiaeth yn cyfarfod â chi ar ôl y sesiwn hon i drafod y mater yn fanylach, ac rydym ni wedi derbyn nifer o bryderon ynghylch y cynllun ffordd newydd ac rydym yn gweithio gyda'r awdurdod lleol a'r datblygwr sy'n gyfrifol am wneud y gwaith a'i ddyluniad i roi sylw i'r sefyllfa fel mater o frys. Rwy'n deall ei bod yn debygol y bydd yn rhaid newid y marciau ffordd a gyflwynwyd yn ddiweddar i wella llif y traffig, a bydd hyn yn cymryd peth amser i'w wneud oherwydd yr archwiliadau diogelwch y mae angen eu cwblhau. Felly, yn y cyfamser, bydd y terfyn cyflymder 40 mya dros dro yn parhau, a bydd lonydd newydd a ddarparwyd yn parhau i fod ar gau i draffig er mwyn cynnal diogelwch. Mae'r gwaith yn cael ei wneud i gynyddu capasiti'r gylchfan, fel y gwn y mae hi'n ei wybod, i ddarparu ar gyfer y datblygiadau newydd yn yr ardal. Mae'r swyddogion yn fwy na hapus i weithio gyda chi i ddatrys y problemau.
The project to do dual the A465 Heads of the Valleys road is currently the largest road-building scheme in Wales. In October last year, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport announced a comprehensive programme and cost review of the project due to the delay in completion targets with significant cost implications. Will the acting First Minister advise of the timescale for this review, and will she commit her Government to making a statement in the Assembly on this important issue as soon as the review is completed?
Y prosiect i ddeuoli ffordd A465 Blaenau'r Cymoedd yw'r cynllun adeiladu ffyrdd mwyaf yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd. Ym mis Hydref y llynedd, cyhoeddodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth raglen gynhwysfawr ac adolygiad cost o'r prosiect oherwydd yr oedi o ran targedau cwblhau a chanddynt oblygiadau cost sylweddol. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog dros dro nodi'r amserlen ar gyfer yr adolygiad hwn, ac a wnaiff hi ymrwymo ei Llywodraeth i wneud datganiad yn y Cynulliad ar y mater pwysig hwn cyn gynted ag y bydd yr adolygiad wedi ei gwblhau?
Yes. The Cabinet Secretary is indicating to me that he's more than happy to update Members by way of a statement.
Gwnaf. Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn dangos i mi ei fod yn fwy na pharod i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau trwy gyfrwng datganiad.
The leader of the house will be aware of the public health scandal that is the A472 between Crumlin and Hafodyrynys. It isn't a Welsh Government trunk road, but I wondered if the Welsh Government has considered reclassifying it as a Welsh Government trunk road. It is a major route, after all, for the region and the area, but more importantly, with the resources of the Welsh Government, perhaps that trunk road's public health issues could be better resolved.
Bydd arweinydd y tŷ yn ymwybodol o sgandal iechyd y cyhoedd yr A472 rhwng Crymlyn a Hafodyrynys. Nid yw'n gefnffordd Llywodraeth Cymru, ond roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ystyried ei hailddosbarthu fel cefnffordd Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae'n llwybr pwysig, wedi'r cyfan, i'r rhanbarth ac i'r ardal, ond yn bwysicach, gydag adnoddau Llywodraeth Cymru, efallai y gellid datrys problemau iechyd y cyhoedd y gefnffordd honno yn well.
I'm afraid I don't have any details of the road that the Member is talking about. I'd be more than happy to make sure that he's written to with the details.
Mae gen i ofn nad oes gen i unrhyw fanylion am y ffordd y mae'r aelod yn sôn amdani. Byddwn yn fwy na pharod i wneud yn siŵr yr ysgrifennir ato gyda'r manylion.
I think we all welcome the potential economic benefits that Trago Mills is clearly going to be bringing to Merthyr Tydfil and the surrounding areas, but its location immediately off the Cyfarthfa roundabout on the A470 is a source of ongoing concern. The management of the opening of Trago Mills last weekend actually went very well and I think was generally very good, but the traffic remains extremely heavy in the area, given that we also have the Cyfarthfa retail park immediately opposite, and this coming bank holiday weekend, I'm sure, is going to be a bit of a nightmare up there. I think the problem is largely due to the fact that the Trago Mills development was given planning permission some 20 years ago when traffic was much lighter and the other retail developments weren't there.
So, can you please assure me of two things: one that there is going to be a long-term permanent solution to relieve the pressures for local residents at Cyfarthfa; and can you also confirm that consideration is being given to the review of time limits on planning permissions for such developments, which take no account of changing circumstances in an area over such a long period of time?
Rwy'n credu ein bod ni i gyd yn croesawu'r manteision economaidd posibl y mae Trago Mills yn amlwg yn mynd i'w cynnig i Ferthyr Tudful a'r cyffiniau, ond mae ei leoliad yn uniongyrchol oddi ar gylchfan Cyfarthfa ar yr A470 yn achos pryder parhaus. Aeth rheolaeth agoriad Trago Mills y penwythnos diwethaf yn dda iawn mewn gwirionedd ac rwy'n meddwl ei fod yn dda iawn yn gyffredinol, ond mae'r traffig yn parhau i fod yn drwm iawn yn yr ardal, o gofio bod gennym ni barc manwerthu Cyfarthfa yn union gyferbyn hefyd, ac rwy'n siŵr bod y penwythnos gŵyl y banc hwn sydd ar fin dod yn mynd i fod yn dipyn o hunllef i fyny yn y fan honno. Rwy'n credu bod y broblem i raddau helaeth oherwydd y ffaith y rhoddwyd caniatâd cynllunio i ddatblygu Trago Mills tua 20 mlynedd yn ôl pan oedd traffig yn llawer ysgafnach ac nad oedd y datblygiadau manwerthu eraill yno.
Felly, a allwch chi fy sicrhau i o ddau beth, os gwelwch yn dda: un yw y bydd ateb parhaol hirdymor i leddfu'r pwysau i drigolion lleol yng Nghyfarthfa; ac a allwch chi hefyd gadarnhau bod ystyriaeth yn cael ei rhoi i adolygu'r terfynau amser ar ganiatâd cynllunio ar gyfer datblygiadau o'r fath, nad ydynt yn rhoi unrhyw ystyriaeth i amgylchiadau yn newid mewn ardal dros gyfnod mor hir o amser?
Thank you for raising that. We're fully aware of the importance of the A470 strategic corridor. The section around Trago Mills is currently being investigated and appraised to the requirements of the Welsh transport appraisal guidance, known as WelTAG. Studies are on hold at the present time whilst the unsettled traffic patterns and demand return back to average conditions following the opening of the Trago Mills store, which we know increased demand considerably.
The bedding-in period is expected to last about six months, by which time the study will recommence by testing projected trends with those known post-opening of Trago Mills. The sensitivity testing will better inform the appropriateness of the longer term solutions that are proposed. Once the stage 2 studies along the corridor have been completed and appraised, transport interventions to address congestion will be addressed. That's expected to be completed by early 2019, and in the meantime there are medium-term measures to be progressed.
The issue about the time limits for planning consent relating to major developments is a matter for local planning authorities to consider. I know the Cabinet Secretary has a consultation out at the moment, and I'm sure that the local authority and you will be responding to that. In this case, as you know, the decision for planning consent was made in 1994 by the Mid Glamorgan planning authority and included highway improvements appropriate to the scale of development at that time, but, as the Member has highlighted, that situation has changed very much. So, the studies will inform improvements in the road once the traffic has settled again.
Diolch am godi hynna. Rydym ni'n gwbl ymwybodol o bwysigrwydd coridor strategol yr A470. Mae'r darn o'r ffordd o gwmpas Trago Mills wrthi'n cael ei ymchwilio a'i arfarnu y unol â gofynion canllawiau arfarnu trafnidiaeth Cymru, a adnabyddir fel WelTAG. Mae seibiant yn yr astudiaethau ar hyn o bryd tra bod y patrymau traffig a'r galw ansefydlog yn dychwelyd i'r amodau cyfartalog ar ôl agor siop Trago Mills, y gwyddom ei fod wedi cynyddu galw yn sylweddol.
Disgwylir i'r cyfnod ymsefydlu bara tua chwe mis, ac ar yr adeg honno bydd yr astudiaeth yn ailddechrau trwy brofi tueddiadau a ragwelir gyda'r rhai sy'n hysbys ar ôl agor Trago Mills. Bydd y profion sensitifrwydd yn hysbysu'n well priodoldeb yr atebion tymor hwy a gynigir. Ar ôl i'r astudiaethau cyfnod 2 ar hyd y coridor gael eu cwblhau a'u harfarnu, bydd ymyraethau trafnidiaeth i fynd i'r afael â thagfeydd yn cael sylw. Disgwylir i hynny gael ei gwblhau erbyn dechrau 2019, a cheir mesurau tymor canolig i fwrw ymlaen â nhw yn y cyfamser.
Mater i awdurdodau cynllunio lleol ei ystyried yw'r mater ynghylch y terfynau amser ar gyfer caniatâd cynllunio yn ymwneud â datblygiadau mawr. Gwn fod gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ymgynghoriad ar waith ar hyn o bryd, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr awdurdod lleol a chithau yn ymateb i hwnnw. Yn yr achos hwn, fel y gwyddoch, gwnaed y penderfyniad ynghylch caniatâd cynllunio ym 1994 gan awdurdod cynllunio Morgannwg Ganol ac roedd yn cynnwys gwelliannau i'r briffordd a oedd yn briodol i raddfa'r datblygiad ar y pryd, ond, fel y mae'r Aelod wedi ei amlygu, mae'r sefyllfa honno wedi newid i raddau helaeth iawn. Felly, bydd yr astudiaethau yn llywio gwelliannau i'r ffordd ar ôl i'r traffig ymsefydlu unwaith eto.
4. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o'r berthynas rhwng tai ac iechyd? OAQ52079
4. What assessment has the First Minister made of the relationship between housing and health? OAQ52079
Integrating housing and health is the platform to effective prevention and early intervention for people with social and health care needs. This is why both housing and social care are priorities in 'Prosperity for All'.
Integreiddio tai ac iechyd yw'r llwyfan ar gyfer atal ac ymyrraeth gynnar effeithiol i bobl ag anghenion iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Dyna pam mae tai a gofal cymdeithasol yn flaenoriaethau yn 'Ffyniant i Bawb'.
Can I thank you for that response? As you know, the 1945 to 1951 Labour Government had housing and health in the same ministry, led by Nye Bevan, somebody who we both hold in very high regard.
Poor housing has a serious effect on health. People, especially the old and young, become more susceptible to illness when living in cold and damp conditions. Poor conditions mean that people can't be discharged from hospital when, medically, they're able to be. But if you discharge them, you're going to have them back in again because the conditions they're living in are such that they're going to make them ill. What is being done to improve poor quality housing and thus reduce hospital admissions?
A gaf i ddiolch i chi am yr ymateb yna? Fel y gwyddoch, roedd gan Lywodraeth Lafur 1945 i 1951 dai ac iechyd yn yr un weinyddiaeth, o dan arweiniad Nye Bevan, rhywun sy'n uchel iawn ei barch gan y ddau ohonom.
Mae tai gwael yn cael effaith ddifrifol ar iechyd. Mae pobl, yn enwedig yr hen a'r ifanc, yn dod yn fwy agored i salwch pan fyddant yn byw mewn amodau oer a llaith. Mae amodau gwael yn golygu na ellir rhyddhau pobl o'r ysbyty pan, yn feddygol, y gellid gwneud hynny. Ond os byddwch yn eu rhyddhau, rydych chi'n mynd i'w cael yn ôl i mewn eto gan fod yr amodau y maen nhw'n byw ynddynt yn golygu y byddant yn eu gwneud yn sâl. Beth sy'n cael ei wneud i wella tai o ansawdd gwael ac felly lleihau derbyniadau i'r ysbyty?
I absolutely agree, poor quality home can have a very significant impact on people's lives, particularly for those from the most disadvantaged communities.
Quality standards, including the Welsh housing quality standard for social housing, are critical to helping deliver the Government's wider well-being agenda. The Welsh housing quality standard will ensure that, by 2020, more than 220,000 households in Wales will have a home that is safe, warm and secure. Currently, as at 31 March 2017, 86 per cent of social homes in Wales meet the Welsh quality housing standard. The Welsh Government is investing a further £108 million of capital funding a year to social landlords to ensure that the Welsh housing quality standard is achieved in the time period.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr, gall cartref o ansawdd gwael gael effaith sylweddol iawn ar fywydau pobl, yn enwedig i'r rheini o'r cymunedau mwyaf difreintiedig.
Mae safonau ansawdd, gan gynnwys safon ansawdd tai Cymru ar gyfer tai cymdeithasol yn hollbwysig er mwyn helpu i ddarparu agenda llesiant ehangach y Llywodraeth. Bydd safon ansawdd tai Cymru yn sicrhau, erbyn 2020, y bydd gan fwy na 220,000 o aelwydydd yng Nghymru gartref sy'n ddiogel ac yn gynnes. Ar hyn o bryd, ar 31 Mawrth 2017, mae 86 y cant o gartrefi cymdeithasol yng Nghymru yn bodloni safon ansawdd tai Cymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn buddsoddi £108 miliwn arall o gyllid cyfalaf y flwyddyn mewn landlordiaid cymdeithasol i sicrhau bod safon ansawdd tai Cymru yn cael ei fodloni yn ystod y cyfnod amser.
I think this is a very important question; I thank Mike for raising for it. Forty five per cent of accidents occur in the home, and accidents are in the top-10 causes of death for all ages, particularly high amongst children—after cancer, I think the highest—and older people. Now, in the many interventions that we make, for instance, insulation of homes, social care visits, we should be making an assessment of the safety of homes because very, very many vulnerable people could be protected if we did that and thought about preventing accidents.
Rwy'n credu bod hwn yn gwestiwn pwysig iawn; diolchaf i Mike am ei godi. Mae pedwar deg pump y cant o ddamweiniau yn digwydd yn y cartref, ac mae damweiniau ymhlith y 10 uchaf o achosion marwolaeth i bobl o bob oed, ac mae'n arbennig o uchel ymhlith plant—yr uchaf ar ôl canser, rwy'n credu—a phobl hŷn. Nawr, yn yr ymyraethau niferus yr ydym ni'n eu gwneud, er enghraifft, inswleiddio cartrefi, ymweliadau gofal cymdeithasol, dylem fod yn cynnal asesiad o ddiogelwch cartrefi oherwydd gellid diogelu llawer iawn, iawn o bobl agored i niwed pe byddem ni'n gwneud hynny ac yn meddwl am atal damweiniau.
Yes. The Member raises an important issue, and as part of the Welsh quality housing standard, of course, making sure that homes meet a standard where accidents are very much minimised is important.
There are also a number of schemes for adaptations across Wales, and I'm delighted to say that in my own council, the speed of adaptation has increased out of all recognition from where it was 10 years ago. But the Member makes a very good point, and we are very keen to ensure that as we develop new homes in Wales, the best safety standards are incorporated in the design.
Dylem. Mae'r Aelod yn codi mater pwysig, ac yn rhan o safon ansawdd tai Cymru, wrth gwrs, mae gwneud yn siŵr bod cartrefi yn bodloni safon lle y sicrheir bod cyn lleied o ddamweiniau â phosibl yn bwysig.
Ceir nifer o gynlluniau ar gyfer addasiadau ledled Cymru hefyd, ac rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud bod cyflymder addasiadau wedi cynyddu y tu hwnt i bob amgyffred yn fy nghyngor fy hun o'i gymharu â'r sefyllfa 10 mlynedd yn ôl. Ond mae'r Aelod yn gwneud pwynt da iawn, ac rydym ni'n awyddus iawn i sicrhau bod y safonau diogelwch gorau yn cael eu cynnwys yn y dyluniad wrth i ni ddatblygu cartrefi newydd yng Nghymru.
Shelter Cymru's guidance to private tenants about taking action if their home is unhealthy or in a dangerous state, and I quote:
'Firstly, you need to think carefully about whether to take action. In particular, consider whether your landlord is likely to try to evict you rather than do the work.'
Although the tenants can then ask the council to send an inspector, they are still under risk afterwards if the landlord decides to throw them out, or if they have a grudge because they have taken that action. In that regard, will you look to putting legislation forward in relation to protecting long-term renters and encourage longer term tenancies with clear and significant penalties for landlords if they take this type of action? Because, of course, we want to ensure that their houses are healthy, but if they are judged for taking action, then that is something we should all be concerned about.
Canllawiau Shelter Cymru i denantiaid preifat ynghylch cymryd camau os na fydd eu cartref yn iach neu ei fod mewn cyflwr peryglus yw, a dyfynnaf:
Yn gyntaf, mae'n rhaid i chi feddwl yn ofalus a ddylid cymryd camau. Yn benodol, ystyriwch a yw eich landlord yn debygol o geisio eich troi allan yn hytrach na gwneud y gwaith.
Er y gall y tenantiaid ofyn wedyn i'r Cyngor anfon arolygydd, maen nhw'n dal i fod mewn perygl wedyn os bydd y landlord yn penderfynu eu troi allan, neu os yw'n dal dig oherwydd eu bod wedi cymryd y camau hynny. Yn hynny o beth, a wnewch chi ystyried cyflwyno deddfwriaeth ar gyfer diogelu rhentwyr hirdymor ac annog tenantiaethau mwy hirdymor gyda chosbau eglur a sylweddol i landlordiaid os byddant yn cymryd y mathau hyn o gamau? Oherwydd, wrth gwrs, rydym ni eisiau sicrhau bod eu tai yn iach, ond os byddant yn cael eu barnu am gymryd camau, yna mae hynny'n rhywbeth y dylem ni i gyd fod yn bryderus yn ei gylch.
Yes, the Member raises a very good point, and, obviously, we want people to be both safe and healthy in their homes, but also to have secure rental arrangements because we know that insecure rental arrangements, particularly for families, contribute to long-term mental and ill health. I know that the Minister for Housing and Regeneration has very much this in mind when we're looking at our new housing Act that's coming forward in this Assembly term.
Ydy, mae'r Aelod yn codi pwynt da iawn, ac, yn amlwg, rydym ni eisiau i bobl i fod yn ddiogel ac yn iach yn eu cartrefi, ond hefyd i fod â threfniadau rhentu diogel gan ein bod ni'n gwybod bod trefniadau rhentu ansefydlog, yn enwedig i deuluoedd, yn cyfrannu at iechyd meddwl a salwch hirdymor. Gwn fod gan y Gweinidog Tai ac Adfywio hyn mewn golwg yn sicr pan fyddwn ni'n edrych ar ein Deddf tai newydd sy'n cael ei chyflwyno yn y tymor Cynulliad hwn.
5. A wnewch chi ddatganiad am yr adolygiad rhywedd sy'n cael ei gynnal gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar hyn o bryd? OAQ52107
5. Will you make a statement on the gender review that is currently being conducted by the Welsh Government? OAQ52107
The review, which is being led by myself, will help ensure that gender equality is placed at the heart of Welsh Government policy making and delivery, and that Wales becomes the safest place for women in Europe.
Bydd yr adolygiad, sy'n cael ei arwain gennyf i, yn helpu i sicrhau bod cydraddoldeb rhwng y rhywiau yn cael ei roi wrth wraidd gwaith llunio a darparu polisi Llywodraeth Cymru, ac yn sicrhau mai Cymru yw'r lle mwyaf diogel yn Ewrop i fenywod.
Rydw i’n croesawu’r adolygiad, wrth gwrs, cyn belled â bod y deilliannau yn glir ac y bydd yn arwain at wella cydraddoldeb. Wrth gyhoeddi’r adolygiad mewn araith yn Rhydychen, fe wnaeth y Prif Weinidog ddweud, fel rŷch chi newydd ei ddweud, ei fod e eisiau gweld Cymru fel y lle mwyaf saff yn Ewrop ar gyfer menywod. Ac eto, rydw i’n cytuno’n llwyr, ond mae troi’r geiriau yna yn realiti yn gofyn am ymrwymiad ac ewyllys wleidyddol gadarn. Ar hyn o bryd, mae’r agenda cydraddoldeb rhywedd yn rhan o'ch ystod o ddyletswyddau chi fel arweinydd y tŷ. Beth ydy’ch barn chi am gael Gweinidog sydd yn gallu canolbwyntio’n llwyr ar hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb i fenywod?
I welcome the review, of course, as long as the outputs are clear and that it will lead to an improvement in equality. In announcing the review in a speech in Oxford, the First Minister said, as you have also done, that he wants Wales to be the safest place for women in Europe. Again, I agree entirely, but turning those words into a reality will require commitment and firm political will. At the moment, the gender equality agenda is part of the range of responsibilities that you have as leader of the house. What's your view on having a Minister who could focus entirely on promoting equality for women?
Well, it's an interesting thought. I think it has pros and cons that are very well rehearsed and the Llywydd probably won't permit me to take an hour's speech on the pros and cons. But what is essential, of course, is that any Minister with responsibility puts it at front and centre of what they spend their time doing. The reason for the rapid review is to ensure that we haven't missed anything out; that there are no gaps and that we don't have any unintended consequences; but also that all of our policies are aimed in the same direction at the same time.
I'm very much looking forward to receiving the first report in June. We have a number of stakeholder events and I have a number of meetings with various influential women, survivors, bystanders and people who use our services, and so on, across Wales to gather as many opinions as possible while we look at focusing all our efforts on achieving equality somewhat faster than I think we would if we'd just gone along as we were in the first place.
Wel, mae'n syniad diddorol. Rwy'n meddwl bod iddo fanteision ac anfanteision sydd wedi eu trafod yn drylwyr ac mae'n debyg na wnaiff y Llywydd ganiatáu i mi gyflwyno araith awr o hyd ar y manteision a'r anfanteision. Ond yr hyn sy'n hanfodol, wrth gwrs, yw bod unrhyw Weinidog â chyfrifoldeb yn ei wneud yn flaenllaw yn yr hyn y mae'n treulio ei amser yn ei wneud. Y rheswm am yr adolygiad cyflym yw i sicrhau nad ydym wedi methu unrhyw beth; nad oes unrhyw fylchau ac nad ydym ni'n cael unrhyw ganlyniadau anfwriadol; ond hefyd bod ein holl bolisïau yn cael eu targedu i'r un cyfeiriad ar yr un pryd.
Rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at dderbyn yr adroddiad cyntaf ym mis Mehefin. Mae gennym ni nifer o ddigwyddiadau i randdeiliaid ac mae gen i nifer o gyfarfodydd â gwahanol fenywod dylanwadol, goroeswyr, gwylwyr a phobl sy'n defnyddio ein gwasanaethau, ac yn y blaen, ledled Cymru i gasglu cymaint o safbwyntiau â phosibl wrth i ni geisio canolbwyntio ein holl ymdrechion ar sicrhau cydraddoldeb ychydig yn gyflymach nag yr wyf i'n ei gredu y byddem pe byddem ni wedi parhau fel yr oeddem yn ei wneud ar y cychwyn.
Leader of the house, you told me in questions last week that the gender review will include the pay gap across all public sector organisations. As just one of the top-50 companies in Wales has a female chief executive—that's the Royal Mint—I'd be keen to understand how private companies that used to be in public ownership, or at least have strong public sector connections, are being included in your review. How do you envisage the review helping to persuade large private companies of the type that are currently under the purview of Welsh language standards, for example, to reduce their gender pay gap?
Arweinydd y tŷ, fe ddywedasoch wrthyf yn ystod cwestiynau yr wythnos diwethaf y bydd yr adolygiad rhywiau yn cynnwys y bwlch cyflog ar draws pob sefydliad sector cyhoeddus. Gan mai dim ond un o'r 50 o gwmnïau mwyaf llwyddiannus yng Nghymru sydd â phrif weithredwr benywaidd—sef y Bathdy Brenhinol—byddwn yn awyddus i ddeall sut y mae cwmnïau preifat a arferai fod mewn perchenogaeth gyhoeddus, neu sydd â chysylltiadau cryf â'r sector cyhoeddus o leiaf, yn cael eu cynnwys yn eich adolygiad. Sut ydych chi'n rhagweld y bydd yr adolygiad yn helpu i berswadio cwmnïau preifat mawr o'r math sy'n rhan o gwmpas safonau'r Gymraeg ar hyn o bryd, er enghraifft, leihau eu bwlch cyflog rhwng y rhywiau?
One of the things that we're looking at in terms of the economic action plan, the fair work agenda and our procurement policies is to see what levers we have to ensure that those goals are goals that are striven for in the private sector as well as in the public sector. I do think it's important for us to get our own house in order first, as well, but we are very much hoping, both by soft influence and by direct leverage using our funding, which a large number of private sector organisations in Wales receive, to be able to shift that agenda rather faster than it currently appears to be shifting.
Un o'r pethau yr ydym ni'n ei ystyried o ran y cynllun gweithredu economaidd, yr agenda gwaith teg a'n polisïau caffael ein hunain yw gweld pa ysgogwyr sydd gennym ni i sicrhau bod y nodau hynny yn nodau y ceisir eu cyrraedd yn y sector preifat yn ogystal ag yn y sector cyhoeddus. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig i ni roi trefn ar ein materion ein hunain yn gyntaf, hefyd, ond rydym ni'n gobeithio'n fawr iawn, trwy ddylanwad meddal a thrwy ysgogiad uniongyrchol gan ddefnyddio ein cyllid, y mae nifer fawr o sefydliadau sector preifat yng Nghymru yn ei dderbyn, gallu symud yr agenda honno ychydig yn gyflymach nag y mae'n ymddangos ei bod yn symud ar hyn o bryd.
Leader of the house, yesterday, I welcomed a student pilgrimage from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David; they'd walked from Merthyr to Pontypridd and down to Cardiff. They had banners with the suffragette message, 'Deeds not words', and in fact, the students were mainly from the College of Art in Swansea—I think that's in Mike Hedges's constituency—and they presented me with their pilgrimage manifesto. They also sang 'Bread and Roses', which was very moving, on the Senedd steps. But what they want is equality of opportunity; free childcare; job security for women on maternity leave; to continue the fight for equal pay; a commitment to diversity of representation in public organisations; and a commitment to supporting cohesion in communities through creative initiatives. So, leader of the house, I'm sure you will agree that this manifesto accords with the objectives of the gender review. Will you ensure that the voices of these students are heard and welcomed?
Arweinydd y tŷ, ddoe, croesewais bererindod myfyrwyr o Brifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant; roedden nhw wedi cerdded o Ferthyr i Bontypridd ac i lawr i Gaerdydd. Roedd ganddyn nhw faneri yn dangos neges y swffragetiaid, 'Gweithredoedd nid geiriau', ac mewn gwirionedd, roedd y rhan fwyaf o'r myfyrwyr o'r Coleg Celf yn Abertawe—rwy'n credu bod hwnnw yn etholaeth Mike Hedges—a chyflwynasant faniffesto eu pererindod i mi. Fe wnaethant ganu 'Bread and Roses' hefyd, a oedd yn wefreiddiol iawn, ar risiau'r Senedd. Ond yr hyn y maen nhw ei eisiau yw cyfle cyfartal; gofal plant am ddim; diogelwch swyddi i fenywod ar gyfnod mamolaeth; i barhau'r frwydr am gyflog cyfartal; ymrwymiad i amrywiaeth o ran cynrychiolaeth mewn sefydliadau cyhoeddus; ac ymrwymiad i gefnogi cydlyniant mewn cymunedau trwy fentrau creadigol. Felly, arweinydd y tŷ, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n cytuno bod y maniffesto hwn yn cyd-fynd ag amcanion yr adolygiad rhywiau. A wnewch chi sicrhau bod lleisiau'r myfyrwyr hyn yn cael eu clywed a'u croesawu?
Very much so. Actually, it's in my constituency and I was very sad not to be able to—.
Yn sicr. Mae yn fy etholaeth i a dweud y gwir, ac roeddwn i'n drist iawn i fethu â gallu—.
Apologies.
Ymddiheuriadau.
I did actually make my best effort to get there, but it wasn't sufficient and, sadly, I missed them, so I was very disappointed. I'm very pleased that you were able to see them there. They're an inspirational group of young women and I absolutely concur with their agenda. Would that we could do it faster.
Fe wnes i fy ngorau glas i fod yn bresennol a dweud y gwir, ond nid oedd yn ddigon, ac fe'u collais, yn anffodus, felly roeddwn i'n siomedig iawn. Rwy'n falch iawn eich bod chi wedi gallu eu gweld yno. Maen nhw'n grŵp ysbrydoledig o fenywod ifanc a chytunaf yn llwyr â'u hagenda. Pe byddem ni ond yn gallu ei wneud yn gyflymach.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau gofal iechyd yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru? OAQ52100
6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the provision of healthcare services in Mid and West Wales? OAQ52100
We continue to invest in healthcare services in Mid and West Wales, including £3 million recently for Withybush General Hospital and £25 million for Glangwili General Hospital. We are also investing £6.6 million in Llandrindod Wells County War Memorial Hospital. We will continue to work with health boards in the region to provide healthcare services that deliver the best possible outcomes for all patients.
Rydym ni'n parhau i fuddsoddi mewn gwasanaethau gofal iechyd yn y canolbarth a'r gorllewin, gan gynnwys £3 miliwn yn ddiweddar ar gyfer Ysbyty Cyffredinol Llwynhelyg a £25 miliwn ar gyfer Ysbyty Cyffredinol Glangwili. Rydym ni hefyd yn buddsoddi £6.6 miliwn yn Ysbyty Coffa Rhyfel Llandrindod. Byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda byrddau iechyd yn y rhanbarth i ddarparu gwasanaethau gofal iechyd sy'n sicrhau'r canlyniadau gorau posibl i bob claf.
I'm grateful to the leader of the house for that reply. She may know that I've raised the provision of health service facilities in the Welsh uplands, based on Blaenau Ffestiniog, in the Assembly on many occasions. The cottage hospital there was closed some years ago and has recently been replaced by a new office building—plenty of desks, but no beds. There is a continuing problem with GP recruitment, of course, and retention, and in other ways as well.
There is significant dissatisfaction amongst local people in Blaenau Ffestiniog and the surrounding area, and they recently submitted a petition to the Assembly to call for an independent inquiry into the provision of health services in the Welsh uplands. Tonight, there is a meeting of people from Blaenau Ffestiniog and Dolwyddelan to consider the possibility of taking legal action to compel an independent inquiry. I wonder whether the Welsh Government would see it as advantageous to facilitate an independent inquiry, because it couldn't possibly prejudice the provision of health service facilities in the area, but it could do a great deal to alleviate public concern.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i arweinydd y tŷ am yr ateb yna. Efallai y bydd hi'n gwybod fy mod i wedi codi'r ddarpariaeth o gyfleusterau gwasanaeth iechyd yn ucheldiroedd Cymru, yn seiliedig ar Flaenau Ffestiniog, yn y Cynulliad ar sawl achlysur. Caewyd yr ysbyty bwthyn yno rai blynyddoedd yn ôl ac fe'i disodlwyd yn ddiweddar gan adeilad swyddfa newydd—digon o ddesgiau, ond dim gwelyau. Ceir problem barhaus gyda recriwtio meddygon teulu, wrth gwrs, a chadw staff, ac mewn ffyrdd eraill hefyd.
Mae anfodlonrwydd sylweddol ymhlith pobl leol ym Mlaenau Ffestiniog a'r cyffiniau, a chyflwynwyd deiseb i'r Cynulliad ganddyn nhw yn ddiweddar i alw am ymchwiliad annibynnol i'r ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau iechyd yn ucheldiroedd Cymru. Heno, mae cyfarfod o bobl o Flaenau Ffestiniog a Dolwyddelan i ystyried y posibilrwydd o gymryd camau cyfreithiol i orfodi ymchwiliad annibynnol. Tybed a fyddai Llywodraeth Cymru o'r farn ei bod yn fanteisiol hwyluso ymchwiliad annibynnol, oherwydd ni fyddai'n bosibl i hynny niweidio'r ddarpariaeth o gyfleusterau gwasanaeth iechyd yn yr ardal, ond gallai wneud llawer iawn i leddfu pryderon y cyhoedd.
No, and I think the Member undermined his own argument by referring to a health centre as an office building. That doesn't really assist the—
Na fyddem, ac rwy'n credu bod yr Aelod wedi tanseilio ei ddadl ei hun trwy gyfeirio at ganolfan iechyd fel adeilad swyddfa. Nid yw hynny wir yn cynorthwyo'r—
It is an office building.
Adeilad swyddfa yw ef.
—the free flow of information.
—llif rhwydd o wybodaeth.
It's not an office building. Have you been in there? Have you been inside?
Nid adeilad swyddfa yw ef. Ydych chi wedi bod yno? Ydych chi wedi bod y tu mewn iddo?
I think that it's very important to get the facts out when we're discussing health, which is always in emotive subject—
Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn cael y ffeithiau allan pan ein bod ni'n trafod iechyd, sydd bob amser yn bwnc emosiynol—
Who's First Minister here?
Pwy yw'r Prif Weinidog yn y fan yma?
I don't think the leader of the house requires any support from her ministerial colleagues. Leader of the house—
Nid wyf i'n credu bod arweinydd y tŷ angen unrhyw gefnogaeth gan ei chyd-Weinidogion. Arweinydd y tŷ—
Member for Blaenau Ffestiniog who knows what he's talking about.
Yr Aelod dros Flaenau Ffestiniog sy'n gwybod am yr hyn y mae'n sôn amdano.
There are many Members—there are at least five Members for Blaenau Ffestiniog in this Chamber, something that has been central to the respect we have as Assembly Members in this Chamber from the start. Leader of the house.
Mae llawer o Aelodau—mae o leiaf pum aelod dros Flaenau Ffestiniog yn y Siambr hon, rhywbeth sydd wedi bod yn ganolog i'r parch sydd gennym ni fel Aelodau Cynulliad yn y Siambr hon o'r cychwyn. Arweinydd y tŷ.
As I was saying, there are a range of fervently held opinions on the subject, and a large variety of them expressed, as we've just seen, Llywydd, in the Chamber itself. But I think that the Cabinet Secretary has this well under control and has already answered several questions on the subject, as the Member himself said.
Fel yr oeddwn i'n ei ddweud, ceir amrywiaeth o safbwyntiau brwd ar y pwnc, a mynegwyd amrywiaeth helaeth ohonynt, fel yr ydym ni newydd ei weld, Llywydd, yn y Siambr ei hun. Ond rwy'n credu bod gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet reolaeth dda dros hyn ac mae eisoes wedi ateb sawl cwestiwn ar y pwnc, fel y dywedodd yr Aelod ei hun.
Leader of the house, I have raised my concerns over the future of west Wales health services on numerous occasions in this Chamber. For my pains, I've been accused by members of the Government and backbenchers of scaremongering, talking down the health services and harming staff recruitment—all by myself, I've harmed staff recruitment.
The current Cabinet Secretary approached the Welsh Conservatives to take part in a parliamentary review, which we did with great pleasure. One of the aims of that was to help to depoliticise the NHS in order to try to look for a strong future for the whole of Wales in the NHS. So, imagine that wave of cynicism that swept over me this weekend when I saw Labour Assembly Members, Labour MPs and the Labour political party campaigning outside Withybush and Llanelli to save our hospitals. Do tell me, please, leader of the house, in your role as chief whip, what are we to look forward to? Will the name-calling of us here, if we have the temerity to argue about this, end? Will it continue? Will you be talking to your colleagues? Above all, are we going to look for rational debate, or will the Labour Party continue to scrabble for votes in a desperate attempt to try to mitigate the problems they know they're facing with a health service that they've been in charge of for the last two decades? I'm really cross, Vaughan, because you want us to be depoliticised—that lot, get a grip.
Arweinydd y tŷ, rwyf i wedi codi fy mhryderon ynghylch dyfodol gwasanaethau iechyd gorllewin Cymru ar sawl achlysur yn y Siambr hon. Oherwydd hynny, rwyf i wedi cael fy nghyhuddo gan aelodau o'r Llywodraeth a gan aelodau'r meinciau cefn o godi bwganod, o ddilorni'r gwasanaethau iechyd ac o niweidio'r broses recriwtio staff—y cwbl ar fy mhen fy hun, rwyf i wedi niweidio'r broses recriwtio staff.
Cysylltodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet presennol â'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig i gymryd rhan mewn adolygiad Seneddol, a gwnaethom hynny gyda phleser mawr. Un o nodau hynny oedd helpu i ddadwleidyddoli'r GIG er mwyn ceisio sicrhau dyfodol cryf i Gymru gyfan yn y GIG. Felly, dychmygwch y don o sinigiaeth a ysgubodd drosof y penwythnos hwn pan welais Aelodau Cynulliad Llafur, ASau Llafur a phlaid wleidyddol Llafur yn ymgyrchu y tu allan i ysbytai Llwynhelyg a Llanelli i achub ein hysbytai. Dywedwch wrthyf, os gwelwch yn dda, arweinydd y tŷ, yn eich swyddogaeth fel prif chwip, beth ddylem ni edrych ymlaen ato? A fydd y galw enwau arnom ni yma, os ydym ni'n ddigon eofn i ddadlau ynghylch hyn, yn dod i ben? A fydd yn parhau? A fyddwch chi'n siarad â'ch cyd-Aelodau? Yn anad dim, a ydym ni'n mynd i geisio cael dadl resymegol, neu a fydd y Blaid Lafur yn parhau i grafu am bleidleisiau mewn ymgais daer i geisio lliniaru'r problemau y maen nhw'n gwybod sy'n eu hwynebu gyda gwasanaeth iechyd y maen nhw wedi bod yn gyfrifol amdano dros y ddau ddegawd diwethaf? Rwy'n ddig dros ben, Vaughan, oherwydd rydych chi eisiau i ni ddadwleidyddoli—y criw yna, calliwch.
The Member makes a very good point about the conduct of public affairs. I personally do not indulge in any of the behaviours that she mentioned. I don't agree with politicising—
Mae'r Aelod yn gwneud pwynt da iawn ynglŷn â chynnal materion cyhoeddus. Nid wyf i'n bersonol yn ymddwyn yn unrhyw un o'r ffyrdd y cyfeiriodd atynt. Nid wyf yn cytuno â gwleidyddoli—
Let's hear the leader of the house, please.
Gadewch i ni glywed arweinydd y tŷ, os gwelwch yn dda.
However, there is an open—. As I said, I know that the Member feels very fervently, as do I, that, sometimes, politics is unnecessarily divisive and political, and I do not agree with personal remarks being made about others in any way, shape or form, and I know that she agrees with that. However, there are, as I said, a range of fervently held views on any healthcare reform. There is an open consultation at the moment. A large number of people across the political spectrum have fervently held views on that subject and are making them known during the consultation period. The consultation period has a large number of weeks yet to run. I'm sure there will be more demonstrations and fervently held views expressed in that way during the course of the consultation, and then, once the consultation is closed, we will have the opportunity to discuss the outcome of the consultation, once the responses have been analysed.
Fodd bynnag, ceir—. Fel y dywedais, gwn fod yr Aelod yn teimlo'n gryf iawn, fel yr wyf innau, bod gwleidyddiaeth, weithiau, yn ddiangen o gynhennus a gwleidyddol, ac nid wyf yn cytuno â sylwadau personol yn cael eu gwneud am eraill mewn unrhyw ffordd o gwbl, a gwn ei bod hi'n cytuno â hynny. Fodd bynnag, ceir, fel y dywedais, amrywiaeth o safbwyntiau cryf ar unrhyw ddiwygiad o ofal iechyd. Mae ymgynghoriad agored yn digwydd ar hyn o bryd. Mae gan nifer fawr o bobl ar draws y sbectrwm gwleidyddol safbwyntiau brwd ar y pwnc hwnnw ac maen nhw'n eu mynegi yn ystod y cyfnod ymgynghori. Mae nifer fawr o wythnosau ar ôl yn y cyfnod ymgynghori o hyd. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd mwy o brotestiadau a safbwyntiau brwd yn cael eu mynegi yn y ffordd honno yn ystod cyfnod yr ymgynghoriad, ac yna, ar ôl i'r ymgynghoriad ddod i ben, bydd y cyfle gennym i drafod canlyniad yr ymgynghoriad, ar ôl i'r ymatebion gael eu dadansoddi.
7. Beth yw ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i ymchwil diweddaraf Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr sy'n amlygu bod y gyfradd uchaf o fyfyrwyr sy'n rhoi'r gorau i'r brifysgol yn rhai dosbarth gweithiol? OAQ52076
7. What is the Welsh Government’s response to the latest NUS research highlighting that the highest university dropout rate is amongst working class students? OAQ52076
The Welsh Government recognises the financial barriers that can stop people entering higher education. That is why, following the Diamond review, we have reformed student support, so that new full-time and part-time undergraduate students are entitled to support equivalent to the national living wage whilst they study.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cydnabod y rhwystrau ariannol sy'n gallu atal pobl rhag mynd ymlaen i addysg uwch. Dyna pam, yn dilyn adolygiad Diamond, yr ydym ni wedi diwygio cymorth i fyfyrwyr, fel bod gan fyfyrwyr israddedig llawn amser a rhan-amser yr hawl i gael cymorth sy'n cyfateb i'r cyflog byw cenedlaethol tra byddant yn astudio.
The National Union of Students report 'Class dismissed: Getting in and getting on in further and higher education' is, I think, an important contribution to a debate that needs to concern us all, because, in light of these drop-out figures and the skills challenge that are posed by the fourth industrial revolution, we need to be raising the skills base of all our young people to respond to the uncertainties of the job market ahead. I'm somewhat concerned that we still have quite a big difference in the numbers of young people achieving degrees in Wales, compared with, for example, the south-east of England: 26.5 per cent in Wales compared with just over 32 per cent in the south-east of England. I just wondered how the Welsh Government can address this, because it's clearly amongst working class young people that we need to be getting them to take up further education.
Rwy'n credu bod adroddiad Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr 'Class dismissed: Getting in and getting on in further and higher education' yn gyfraniad pwysig at y ddadl y mae angen iddi fod yn berthnasol i ni i gyd, oherwydd, yng ngoleuni'r ffigurau ymadael hyn a'r her sgiliau sy'n cael ei hachosi gan y pedwerydd chwyldro diwydiannol, mae angen i ni fod yn codi sylfaen sgiliau ein holl bobl ifanc i ymateb i'r ansicrwydd sydd i ddod yn y farchnad swyddi. Rwy'n pryderu braidd bod gennym ni gryn dipyn o wahaniaeth yn nifer y bobl ifanc sy'n ennill graddau yng Nghymru, o'i gymharu, er enghraifft, â de-ddwyrain Lloegr: 26.5 y cant yng Nghymru o'i gymharu ag ychydig dros 32 y cant yn ne-ddwyrain Lloegr. Roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru fynd i'r afael â hyn, oherwydd mae'n amlwg mai ymhlith pobl ifanc dosbarth gweithiol y mae angen i ni fod yn eu hannog i fanteisio ar addysg bellach.
Yes, absolutely. Our new student finance package is supported by the National Union of Students in Wales, and answers many of the questions raised by the review in England. It's the most generous in the UK, and it's designed to give more help towards living costs by providing the equivalent to the national living wage through a mix of non-repayable grants and loans. This means students can focus on their studies rather than worrying about making ends meet.
Wales was the first country in Europe to provide equivalent living cost support in grants and loans to full-time and part-time undergraduates, as well as postgraduates. The total amount of full-time student support awarded for the academic year 2015-16 was £797.5 million, which is an increase of 7 per cent on the previous year. Our recent performance data suggests retention rates for undergraduate higher education students in Wales are improving. Data for Wales for full-time first degree young entrants from low-participation areas shows a reduction in withdrawal rates from 9.1 per cent in the 2015-16 data to 7.6 per cent in the 2016-17 data. Because, as Jenny Rathbone correctly identifies, it's not just getting into university; it's staying there and being able to concentrate on your studies and not be undermined or disadvantaged by having to work through your student life in a way that's unfair and disadvantages you in your future endeavours. So, our support package is absolutely designed to do just that, because we want to support those communities who have the brightest children, from whatever their background, to make sure that they can be the very best person that they can possibly be.
Ie, yn hollol. Mae ein pecyn cyllid myfyrwyr newydd yn cael ei gefnogi gan Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr yng Nghymru, ac yn ateb llawer o'r cwestiynau a godwyd gan yr adolygiad yn Lloegr. Dyma'r pecyn mwyaf hael yn y DU, a bwriedir iddo roi mwy o gymorth tuag at gostau byw trwy ddarparu'r hyn sy'n cyfateb i'r cyflog byw cenedlaethol trwy gymysgedd o fenthyciadau a grantiau nad ydynt yn rhai ad-daladwy. Mae hyn yn golygu y gall myfyrwyr ganolbwyntio ar eu hastudiaethau yn hytrach na phoeni am gael dau ben llinyn ynghyd.
Cymru oedd y wlad gyntaf yn Ewrop i ddarparu cymorth sy'n cyfateb i gostau byw mewn grantiau a benthyciadau i fyfyrwyr israddedig llawn amser, yn ogystal â myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig. £797.5 miliwn oedd cyfanswm y cymorth i fyfyrwyr llawn amser a roddwyd ar gyfer blwyddyn academaidd 2015-16, sy'n gynnydd o 7 y cant o'r flwyddyn flaenorol. Mae ein data perfformiad diweddar yn awgrymu bod cyfraddau cadw ar gyfer myfyrwyr addysg uwch israddedig yng Nghymru yn gwella. Mae data ar gyfer Cymru ar newydd-ddyfodiaid gradd gyntaf llawn amser ifanc o ardaloedd cyfranogiad isel yn dangos gostyngiad i gyfraddau ymadael o 9.1 y cant yn nata 2015-16 i 7.6 y cant yn nata 2016-17. Oherwydd, fel y dywed Jenny Rathbone yn gywir, nid yw'n ymwneud â chael i mewn i'r brifysgol yn unig; mae'n fater o aros yno a gallu canolbwyntio ar eich astudiaethau a pheidio â chael eich tanseilio neu fod o dan anfantais o orfod gweithio drwy eich bywyd fel myfyriwr mewn ffordd sy'n annheg ac yn eich rhoi o dan anfantais yn eich ymdrechion yn y dyfodol. Felly, bwriedir yn llwyr i'n pecyn cymorth wneud yn union hynny, gan ein bod ni eisiau cefnogi'r cymunedau hynny sydd â'r plant mwyaf disglair, beth bynnag fo'u cefndir, i wneud yn siŵr y gallant fod y person gorau posibl y gallant fod.
8. Beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i hyrwyddo twristiaeth treftadaeth yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru? OAQ52109
8. What is the Welsh Government doing to promote heritage tourism in south-east Wales? OAQ52109
We continue to support heritage tourism initiatives in south-east Wales. For example, the Welsh Government-led heritage tourism project provided £1.058 million for visitor improvements, including access, interpretation and other facilities, at Caerphilly castle and Blaenavon ironworks. We continue to invest and to promote heritage sites to attract additional visitors to Wales.
Rydym ni'n parhau i gefnogi mentrau twristiaeth treftadaeth yn y de-ddwyrain. Er enghraifft, darparodd y prosiect twristiaeth treftadaeth dan arweiniad Llywodraeth Cymru £1.058 miliwn ar gyfer gwelliannau i ymwelwyr, gan gynnwys mynediad, dehongliad a chyfleusterau eraill, yng nghastell Caerffili a gwaith haearn Blaenafon. Rydym yn parhau i fuddsoddi a hyrwyddo safleoedd treftadaeth i ddenu rhagor o ymwelwyr i Gymru.
Thank you, leader of the house. Newport has a rich cultural history dating back 2,000 years, and included in that is Caerleon, which was one of only three permanent fortresses in Roman Britain, dating back to the first century AD. It's home to the most complete amphitheatre in the UK, impressive fortress baths, and the only remainder of Roman legionary barracks on view anywhere in Europe. The redevelopment of the Roman legionary museum was announced at the recent review of the National Museum Wales, and it's an opportunity to further promote and develop Caerleon's Roman heritage. How will the Welsh Government work with the museum and Cadw to attract visitors from across Wales and the rest of the world?
Diolch i chi, arweinydd y tŷ. Mae gan Gasnewydd hanes diwylliannol cyfoethog sy'n dyddio yn ôl 2,000 o flynyddoedd, ac yn cynnwys Caerllion, sef un o'r unig dri chaer parhaol ym Mhrydain Rufeinig, sy'n dyddio'n ôl i'r ganrif gyntaf AD. Mae'n gartref i'r amffitheatr fwyaf cyflawn yn y DU, baddonau caer trawiadol, ac unig weddillion barics y lleng Rhufeinig sydd i'w gweld unrhyw le yn Ewrop. Cyhoeddwyd ailddatblygiad yr Amgueddfa Lleng Rhufeinig yn yr adolygiad diweddar o Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru, ac mae'n gyfle i hyrwyddo a datblygu treftadaeth Rufeinig Caerllion ymhellach. Sut bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda'r amgueddfa a Cadw i ddenu ymwelwyr o bob cwr o Gymru a gweddill y byd?
Yes, I have to say I only very recently visited Caerleon Roman works and museum and had a thoroughly lovely time. I particularly liked the baths, and the illusion of people swimming in the baths is particularly effective. For anybody who hasn't been, I highly recommend it. It's a very educational and pleasant day out, so I couldn't recommend it more. We have had initial conversations to consider the future of the heritage offer at Caerleon. We're going to be involving other partners in due course, as suggested by the Thurley report, to ensure a consistent and coherent experience for tourists. Essential work to the roof at Caerleon will mean its closure for some months, unfortunately. The museum is working in partnership with Cadw, and will continue to offer an excellent education experience for schools. The Roman baths, amphitheatre and barracks will continue to be open to the public throughout the period of the museum closure. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a really excellent experience all round, and very educational.
Ie, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud es i i ymweld â gwaith Rhufeinig ac Amgueddfa Caerllion yn ddiweddar iawn a chael amser hyfryd iawn. Roeddwn i'n hoffi'n arbennig y baddonau, ac mae delwedd y bobl yn nofio yn y baddonau yn arbennig o effeithiol. I unrhyw un nad ydynt wedi bod yno, rwy'n ei argymell yn fawr iawn. Mae'n ddiwrnod addysgol a dymunol iawn, felly ni allaf ei argymell yn fwy. Rydym wedi cynnal sgyrsiau cychwynnol i ystyried dyfodol y dreftadaeth a gynigir yng Nghaerllion. Byddwn yn cynnwys partneriaid eraill maes o law, fel yr awgrymwyd gan adroddiad Thurley, er mwyn sicrhau profiad cyson a chydlynol ar gyfer twristiaid. Bydd gwaith hanfodol i'r to yng Nghaerllion yn golygu y bydd ar gau am sawl mis, yn anffodus. Mae'r amgueddfa yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth â Cadw, a bydd yn parhau i gynnig profiad addysg rhagorol i ysgolion. Bydd y baddonau Rhufeinig, yr amffitheatr a'r barics yn parhau i fod ar agor i'r cyhoedd drwy gydol y cyfnod pan fydd yr amgueddfa ar gau. Ni allaf ei argymell ddigon. Mae'n brofiad hynod o wych ym mhob ffordd, ac yn addysgol iawn.
Diolch i arweinydd y tŷ yn ei rôl yn ateb dros y Prif Weinidog.
Thank you to the leader of the house in her role in answering on behalf of the First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw arweinydd y tŷ, yn ei rôl fel arweinydd y tŷ, a'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes. Rydw i'n galw arni, Julie James, i wneud y datganiad busnes. Julie James.
The next item is the leader of the house, in her role as leader of the house, and the business statement and announcement. I call on Julie James to make the business statement. Julie James.
Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. Business for the next three weeks is shown in the business statement and announcement found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Diolch, Llywydd. Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Dangosir busnes y tair wythnos nesaf yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes ymysg papurau'r cyfarfod sydd ar gael yn electronig i'r Aelodau.
Well, may I both acknowledge your endurance and call for two Welsh Government statements, the first on the Welsh independent living grant? As, amongst other things, the chair of the cross-party group on disability, I've been articulating concerns in this Chamber and in correspondence with the Welsh Government since the decision was taken by the Welsh Government to move the Welsh independent living grant into local authority funding, unlike the situations in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where a partnership with the third sector was established. The Northern Irish commissioned under the Scottish model to ensure that the independence and control of the service user was protected. I last raised this early in March with the First Minister, describing the proposal as a betrayal of the right of disabled people to live independently and make their own decisions, but, once again—despite my calling on the First Minister to recognise that independence means giving people choice and control, and not having to agree how they spend their money with well-meaning experts in county hall when they're the real experts in their own lives, the First Minister once again rejected this. However, I've now been copied on a report from a charity of which I'm patron, stating that at the recent Welsh Labour Party conference in Llandudno, on a motion put down by the Clwyd South Labour Party, delegates voted to support the continuation of the Welsh independent living grant, despite the policy of the Welsh Government, and it's been reported that this will now be maintained at least until the Assembly elections in 2021—welcomed by the campaigners led by Nathan Lee Davies from Wrexham, but still keen to stress there's some way to go in securing the grant in the long term. Therefore, given that this isn't just a decision, I'm sure, for any party conference—this is a decision for this place—I think the Assembly must have a statement to bring us up to speed on what is a very important matter for a large number of people, particularly the campaigners who've been fighting so hard to achieve what appears to be some progress in this respect.
Secondly, and finally, could I call again, following calls last week, for a statement on the A487 Caernarfon to Bontnewydd bypass, although my request comes from a slightly different angle? We know that there was a public inquiry. We know that, following the inquiry, the Welsh Government said it would consider the inquiry report and make a decision by the winter. We know that, in March, the Welsh Government said it needed more time to consider the plans, but concerns have been raised with me by local businesses that a document they submitted to the inquiry detailing objections not to a bypass, but to the yellow route favoured by the Welsh Government, presented—. But a legal representative from the Welsh Government, the Welsh Government's barrister—. On the basis of his submissions, they refused the right to question the Welsh Government on the contents of the document, although the legal advice they'd received advised that no judge would make a decision based on any draft report, and any judicial review would only be possible on the issuing of orders. Dare I say that your barrister had said that they should have gone to a judicial review following publication of draft orders, against the legal advice received. They have raised concern with me over what they have described as the total intransigence of the Welsh Government over 10 years in considering the impact on jobs and businesses locally. They do support strongly a bypass, but have been trying to put forward their case—albeit without success to date—in asking the Welsh Government to adopt the orange or black route to protect businesses and jobs. This is a very important matter. The document I referred to is a detailed submission, which confirms that, if you read properly the original submissions, there was 75 per cent local support for the black route. That was not presented in the WelTAG evidence; it wasn't questioned at the public inquiry. I therefore support calls for a statement to the Assembly on this important scheme and in the context of these valid objections and a real threat to jobs in two major local employers on the route.
Wel, a gaf i gydnabod eich dygnwch a galw am ddau ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru, y cyntaf ar grant byw'n annibynnol Cymru? Fel, ymysg pethau eraill, cadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar anabledd, rwyf wedi bod yn mynegi pryderon yn y Siambr hon ac mewn gohebiaeth â Llywodraeth Cymru ers i Lywodraeth Cymru benderfynu symud grant byw'n annibynnol Cymru i gyllid awdurdodau lleol, yn wahanol i'r sefyllfa yn yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon, lle y sefydlwyd partneriaeth â'r trydydd sector. Comisiynodd Gogledd Iwerddon o dan fodel yr Alban i sicrhau bod annibyniaeth a rheolaeth y defnyddiwr gwasanaethau yn cael eu hamddiffyn. Codais i hyn ddiwethaf yn gynnar ym mis Mawrth gyda'r Prif Weinidog, gan ddisgrifio'r cynnig fel bradychiad o hawl pobl anabl i fyw'n annibynnol a gwneud eu penderfyniadau eu hunain, ond, unwaith eto—er gwaethaf fy ngalwad ar y Prif Weinidog i gydnabod bod annibyniaeth yn golygu rhoi dewis a rheolaeth i bobl, ac nid gorfod cytuno ar sut y maen nhw yn gwario'u harian ag arbenigwyr â bwriadau da yn neuadd y sir pan mai nhw yw'r gwir arbenigwyr yn eu bywydau eu hunain, gwrthododd y Prif Weinidog hyn unwaith eto. Fodd bynnag, rwyf wedi cael copi erbyn hyn o adroddiad gan elusen yr wyf yn ei noddi, sy'n nodi y pleidleisiodd cynadleddwyr yng nghynhadledd ddiweddar Plaid Lafur Cymru yn Llandudno, ar gynnig a gyflwynwyd gan y Blaid Lafur De Clwyd i gefnogi parhad grant byw'n annibynnol Cymru, er gwaethaf polisi Llywodraeth Cymru, ac adroddwyd y bydd hyn bellach yn parhau o leiaf tan etholiadau'r Cynulliad yn 2021—croesawyd hyn gan yr ymgyrchwyr dan arweiniad Nathan Lee Davies o Wrecsam, ond maent yn awyddus i bwysleisio bod pellter i fynd i sicrhau'r grant yn y tymor hir. Felly, o gofio nad penderfyniad i unrhyw gynhadledd plaid yn unig yw hyn, rwy'n siŵr—mae'n benderfyniad i'r lle hwn hefyd—rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid i'r Cynulliad gael datganiad i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni am yr hyn sy'n fater pwysig iawn i lawer iawn o bobl, yn enwedig yr ymgyrchwyr sydd wedi bod yn brwydro mor galed i gyflawni'r hyn yr ymddengys ei fod yn rhywfaint o gynnydd yn hyn o beth.
Yn ail, ac yn olaf, a gaf i alw unwaith eto, yn dilyn galwadau yr wythnos diwethaf, am ddatganiad ar ffordd osgoi yr A487 Caernarfon i Bontnewydd, er bod fy nghais i yn dod o ongl ychydig yn wahanol? Gwyddom y bu ymchwiliad cyhoeddus. Gwyddom, yn dilyn yr ymchwiliad, y dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru y byddai'n ystyried adroddiad yr ymchwiliad ac yn gwneud penderfyniad erbyn y gaeaf. Rydym yn gwybod, ym mis Mawrth, y dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru fod arni angen mwy o amser i ystyried y cynlluniau, ond codwyd pryderon i mi gan fusnesau lleol bod dogfen yr oeddent wedi ei chyflwyno i'r ymchwiliad yn rhoi manylion gwrthwynebiadau, nid i'r ffordd osgoi ond i'r llwybr melyn a ffefrir gan Lywodraeth Cymru, yn cyflwyno—. Ond cynrychiolydd cyfreithiol o Lywodraeth Cymru, bargyfreithiwr Llywodraeth Cymru—. Ar sail ei gyflwyniadau, fe wnaethon nhw wrthod yr hawl i holi Llywodraeth Cymru ynghylch cynnwys y ddogfen, er y dywedodd y cyngor cyfreithiol yr oedden nhw wedi'i gael na fyddai unrhyw farnwr yn gwneud penderfyniad ar sail unrhyw adroddiad drafft, ac y byddai unrhyw adolygiad barnwrol dim ond yn bosibl pe cyhoeddir gorchmynion. Mentraf ddweud bod eich bargyfreithiwr wedi dweud na ddylen nhw fod wedi mynd i adolygiad barnwrol yn dilyn cyhoeddi'r gorchmynion drafft, yn erbyn y cyngor cyfreithiol a gafwyd. Maen nhw wedi codi pryder gyda mi ynghylch yr hyn y maen nhw wedi ei ddisgrifio yn anhyblygrwydd llwyr Llywodraeth Cymru dros 10 mlynedd wrth ystyried yr effaith ar swyddi a busnesau lleol. Maen nhw'n cefnogi'r ffordd osgoi yn gryf, ond wedi bod yn ceisio cyflwyno eu hachos—heb fawr o lwyddiant hyd yma—yn gofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru fabwysiadu'r llwybr oren neu ddu i amddiffyn busnesau a swyddi. Mae hwn yn fater pwysig iawn. Mae'r ddogfen y cyfeiriais ati yn gyflwyniad manwl, sy'n cadarnhau, os darllenwch chi'r cyflwyniadau gwreiddiol yn gywir, y cafwyd 75 y cant o gefnogaeth leol ar gyfer y llwybr du. Ni chyflwynwyd hynny yn nhystiolaeth WelTAG; ni chafodd ei holi yn yr ymchwiliad cyhoeddus. Felly rwy'n cefnogi'r galw am ddatganiad i'r Cynulliad ar y cynllun pwysig hwn ac yng nghyd-destun y gwrthwynebiadau dilys hyn a bygythiad gwirioneddol i swyddi mewn dau gyflogwr lleol mawr ar y llwybr.
Well, on the first matter that he raises, we continue to maintain that a static grant can't possibly meet all of the demands of every disabled person in Wales, who have complex and varied needs. No change has been made in Government policy, and therefore I can't see that there's any requirement for a statement since nothing has changed in the Government's policy. And, as Mark Isherwood said himself, he asked the First Minister about it back in March.
On the bypass, there's a public inquiry under way. The Member has made his remarks about the conduct of that inquiry, but, clearly, it wouldn't be right for the Government to comment on the conduct and legal submissions in a public inquiry.
Wel, o ran y mater cyntaf y mae'n ei godi, rydym yn parhau i fod o'r farn na all grant sefydlog ddiwallu holl ofynion pob person anabl yng Nghymru, sydd ag anghenion cymhleth ac amrywiol. Ni wnaed unrhyw newid mewn polisi Llywodraeth, felly ni allaf weld unrhyw reswm dros ddatganiad gan nad oes dim wedi newid ym mholisi'r Llywodraeth. Ac, fel y dywedodd Mark Isherwood ei hun, gofynnodd i'r Prif Weinidog am hynny yn ôl ym mis Mawrth.
O ran y ffordd osgoi, mae ymchwiliad cyhoeddus yn mynd rhagddo. Mae'r Aelod wedi gwneud ei sylwadau am gynnal yr ymchwiliad hwnnw, ond, yn amlwg, ni fyddai'n iawn i'r Llywodraeth roi sylwadau ar ymddygiad a chyflwyniadau cyfreithiol mewn ymchwiliad cyhoeddus.
I notice, leader of the house, that it's been stated today that the incinerator proposed for Barry is likely to be operational by the end of the year, and I think there are wider lessons for the whole of Wales from the experiences the people of Barry have had over the last couple of years. Something has gone seriously wrong, I think, if we have a incinerator so close to homes, in an area of deprivation as well, in the context of air quality, which we're all trying to improve in Wales, without an environmental impact statement. It has been stated, I think, by the environment Minister here previously, that she's minded to request such an environmental impact study be done, but we're told nevertheless the incinerator's going ahead. So, I would very much like, and Plaid Cymru would like, to hear a statement from the environment Minister about whether we'll see such an environmental impact study. And if that impact study, of course, does give rise to questions around emissions, around transport links, around storage of wood, around all of the things that the local residents have been complaining about, then we need to understand how that might impact on the granting of final licences and conditions for the incinerator in Barry.
Also, I'd like to ask whether such a statement, if made, can also include any work that the Government's done with Ofgem around the fact that the current proposal seems very different to the one that originally got granted the renewable obligations certificate—it's so old, this proposal, it goes back to days of ROCs, I understand; it's done under a previous regime. But there's been a lot of change since then, including the incinerator itself being at least 10 per cent bigger in terms of its output than it had been previously. So, I think all of us would appreciate, not just for Barry but for the wider lessons that we draw on the environment in Wales, an oral statement so we have the ability to question the Minister on that.
The second item I'd like to raise is the fact that many of us did celebrate Welsh food and farming at lunchtime today, and we're very grateful to the National Farmers Union, I'm sure, for launching their campaign, We Are Welsh Farming/Ni Yw Ffermio Cymru. But the context of raising this with you today is, of course, we have this proposal of the Asda-Sainsbury’s merger, telling us this will be done with lower prices. No jobs will be lost from the shops, the shops won't close, but somehow we'll have at least 10 per cent lower prices. Now, there's only one way to squeeze lower prices out in those circumstances, and it’s from the suppliers, and the suppliers are our farmers. And, when you squeeze our famers, yes, you may get something cheaper in the shop, but you're actually squeezing our communities, because those farmers are recycling the pounds that they earn within our communities, and that's clearly demonstrated by Welsh Government's own work as well as the union's work themselves.
So, if we're going to see such a major merger and a consolidation in the supermarket sector, then it does beg the question that the supermarket ombudsman needs to be beefed up considerably, because we don't want to see any supplier—but I'm talking particularly of Welsh farmers here— be squeezed by an irregular market and the use of too much pressure and too much anti-competitive, in effect, market forces being used. So, it would be good to have a response from the Welsh Government, perhaps a letter from the Welsh Government at this stage, to the Asda-Sainsbury’s merger, what discussions you're having with UK Government around this, what steps can be taken to protect Welsh suppliers and Welsh farmers in particular, and whether you think—you, I think, yourself personally, but certainly Government has said in the past that it's very interested in beefing up an ombudsman and making sure that the voice of the supplier in the supermarket chain is strengthened, as well as, of course, what we're seeing now, which is the supermarkets themselves being strengthened.
Sylwaf, arweinydd y tŷ, y nodwyd heddiw bod y llosgydd arfaethedig ar gyfer y Barri yn debygol o fod yn weithredol erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn, ac rwy'n credu bod gwersi ehangach i Gymru gyfan o brofiadau pobl y Barri yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Mae rhywbeth wedi mynd o'i le yn ddifrifol, yn fy marn i, os oes gennym losgydd mor agos i gartrefi, mewn ardal o amddifadedd hefyd, o ran ansawdd aer, rydym ni i gyd yn ceisio'i wella yng Nghymru, heb ddatganiad ar yr effaith amgylcheddol. Nodwyd, rwy'n credu, gan y Gweinidog dros yr amgylchedd y lle hwn o'r blaen, ei bod yn bwriadu gofyn am gynnal astudiaeth o'r effaith amgylcheddol, ond dywedwyd wrthym, serch hynny, bod y llosgydd yn cael ei sefydlu. Felly, hoffwn yn fawr iawn, a hoffai Plaid Cymru, glywed datganiad gan Weinidog yr Amgylchedd ar ba un a fyddwn yn gweld astudiaeth o'r effaith amgylcheddol. Ac, wrth gwrs, os bydd yr astudiaeth honno o effaith, yn codi cwestiynau ynghylch allyriadau, ynghylch cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth, ynghylch storio pren, ynghylch pob un o'r pethau y mae trigolion lleol wedi bod yn cwyno amdanyn nhw, bydd angen inni ddeall sut y gallai hynny effeithio ar roi'r trwyddedau terfynol ac amodau ar gyfer y llosgydd yn y Barri.
Hefyd, hoffwn i ofyn a fyddai modd i ddatganiad o'r fath, os, caiff ei wneud, gynnwys unrhyw waith y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi'i wneud gydag Ofgem ynghylch y ffaith bod y cynnig presennol yn ymddangos yn wahanol iawn i'r un a gafodd y dystysgrif rhwymedigaeth ynni adnewyddadwy yn wreiddiol—mae mor hen, y cynnig hwn, mae'n dyddio'n ôl i ddyddiau'r tystysgrifau rhwymedigaeth ynni adnewyddadwy, rwyf ar ddeall; fe'i gwnaed o dan drefn flaenorol. Ond bu llawer o newid ers hynny, gan gynnwys i'r llosgydd ei hun sydd o leiaf 10 y cant yn fwy o ran ei allbwn nag yr oedd o'r blaen. Felly, rwy'n credu y byddai pob un ohonom yn gwerthfawrogi, nid dim ond ar gyfer y Barri ond ar gyfer y gwersi ehangach ynghylch yr amgylchedd yng Nghymru, ddatganiad llafar er mwyn i ni allu gofyn cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog ynghylch hynny.
Yr ail eitem yr hoffwn ei chodi yw'r ffaith y gwnaeth llawer ohonom ddathlu bwyd a ffermio yn ystod amser cinio heddiw, ac rydym yn ddiolchgar iawn i Undeb Cenedlaethol y Ffermwyr, rwy'n siŵr, i lansio eu hymgyrch, Ni Yw Ffermio Cymru. Ond y cyd-destun i godi hyn gyda chi heddiw, wrth gwrs, yw bod gennym y cynnig hwn i uno Asda a Sainsbury, yn dweud wrthym y gwneir hyn gyda phrisiau is. Ni fydd unrhyw swyddi o'r siopau yn cael eu colli, ni fydd y siopau yn cau, ond rywsut bydd gennym brisiau sydd o leiaf 10 y cant yn is. Nawr, dim ond un ffordd sydd o wasgu prisiau'n is dan yr amgylchiadau hynny, a hynny gan y cyflenwyr, a'n ffermwyr ni yw'r cyflenwyr. Ac wrth wasgu ein ffermwyr, ie, efallai y cewch chi rywbeth rhatach yn y siop, ond mewn gwirionedd rydych chi'n gwasgu ein cymunedau, oherwydd bod y ffermwyr hynny yn ailgylchu'r punnoedd maen nhw'n eu hennill yn ein cymunedau, a dangosir hynny'n glir yng ngwaith Llywodraeth Cymru ei hun yn ogystal â gwaith yr undeb.
Felly, os bydd uno ac atgyfnerthu o'r fath raddau yn y sector archfarchnadoedd, mae'n rhaid codi'r cwestiwn bod angen atgyfnerthu'r ombwdsmon archfarchnadoedd yn sylweddol, oherwydd nid ydym yn dymuno gweld unrhyw gyflenwr—ond rwyf i'n sôn yn arbennig am ffermwyr Cymru yma—yn cael eu gwasgu gan farchnad afreolaidd a defnyddio gormod o bwysau a gormod o rymoedd gwrth-gystadleuol, mewn gwirionedd, y farchnad yn cael eu defnyddio. Felly, byddai'n dda cael ymateb gan Lywodraeth Cymru, efallai llythyr gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar y cam hwn, i'r tîm uno Asda a Sainsbury, pa drafodaethau yr ydych chi'n eu cael â Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â hyn, pa gamau y gellir eu cymryd i amddiffyn cyflenwyr Cymru a ffermwyr Cymru yn benodol, ac a ydych yn credu—chi, rwy'n credu, eich hun yn bersonol, ond yn sicr mae'r Llywodraeth wedi dweud yn y gorffennol bod ganddi ddiddordeb mawr mewn atgyfnerthu'r Ombwdsmon a gwneud yn siŵr y caiff llais y cyflenwr yn y gadwyn archfarchnadoedd ei gryfhau, yn ogystal ag, wrth gwrs, beth rydym ni'n ei weld nawr, sef yr archfarchnadoedd eu hunain yn cael eu cryfhau.
I think, on that second point, Simon Thomas makes an excellent series of points. It is very worrying that such a large merger is considered, especially when one of the partners, effectively, is Walmart, which is not exactly renowned for—what shall we say—progressive policies in regard to its purchasing. It is, as you know, subject to the competition commission, but my understanding is that the competition commission generally looks at the effect on consumers and not on suppliers. The Cabinet Secretary for rural affairs and myself have some concerns about this and we will be expressing those concerns to the monopolies and mergers inquiry, because actually I share your concerns about the suppliers. There is only one way to squeeze it and it is at that end. So, it is certainly an issue for us that we will be considering.
In terms of the Barry incinerator, I'm not absolutely certain where we are in that process. I think probably the best way forward would be if the Minister updates us by way of a letter as to where we are from our point of view and then we can take it forward from there.
Rwy'n credu, o ran yr ail bwynt hwnnw, bod Simon Thomas yn gwneud cyfres ragorol o bwyntiau. Mae'n peri pryder mawr bod proses uno mor fawr yn cael ei hystyried, yn enwedig pan fydd un o'r partneriaid, i bob pwrpas, yn Walmart, gan nad yw'n enwog iawn am—dyweder—polisïau prynu blaengar. Mae'n amodol, fel y gwyddoch, ar y comisiwn cystadleuaeth, ond rwyf i ar ddeall bod y comisiwn cystadleuaeth yn edrych yn gyffredinol ar yr effaith ar ddefnyddwyr ac nid ar gyflenwyr. Mae gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros faterion gwledig a minnau bryderon am hyn a byddwn yn mynegi'r pryderon hynny i'r ymchwiliad monopolïau ac uno cwmnïau, oherwydd rwyf i'n rhannu eich pryderon, mewn gwirionedd, am y cyflenwyr. Dim ond un ffordd sydd o'i wasgu a hynny ar y diwedd. Felly, mae'n sicr yn fater i ni y byddwn yn ei ystyried.
O ran y llosgydd yn y Barri, dydw i ddim yn gwbl sicr beth yw'r sefyllfa o ran o broses honno. Rwy'n credu mai'r ffordd orau ymlaen, mae'n debyg, fyddai i'r Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni drwy lythyr ynglŷn â'r sefyllfa o'n safbwynt ni, ac yna gallwn symud ymlaen o'r fan honno.
Leader of the house, I'd ask for two statements. Do you know when we could expect an update on the surgical use of vaginal mesh in the NHS? I've raised this a number of times in the Chamber and I understand that a task and finish group is due to report soon. I think it would be appropriate if we had a statement following that in the Chamber.
The second statement I'd ask for is on animal welfare. Last week, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported that prosecutions for animal cruelty in Wales are at a four-year high and many of the instances dealt with by the RSPCA throughout 2017 concerned horses and other equines. It's frequently the case that they've been abandoned, and horses are being found sick, dying or sometimes dead. One significant problem is the difficulty finding out who owns those and perhaps registration could possibly help. So, could we have a debate in Government time on this and animal welfare more broadly?
Arweinydd y tŷ, hoffwn i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad. Ydych chi'n gwybod pryd y gallem ni ddisgwyl diweddariad ar ddefnydd meddygol o rwyll y wain yn y GIG? Rwyf i wedi codi hyn nifer o weithiau yn y Siambr, ac rwyf ar ddeall y bydd y grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen yn adrodd yn ôl yn fuan. Rwy'n credu y byddai'n briodol pe cawn ni ddatganiad yn dilyn hynny yn y Siambr.
Mae'r ail ddatganiad rwyf yn gofyn amdano yn ymwneud â lles anifeiliaid. Yr wythnos diwethaf, dywedodd y Gymdeithas Frenhinol er Atal Creulondeb i Anifeiliaid fod erlyniadau yn sgil creulondeb i anifeiliaid yng Nghymru ar y lefel uchaf mewn pedair blynedd a bod llawer o'r achosion yr ymdriniodd yr RSPCA â nhw yn ystod 2017 yn ymwneud â cheffylau ac aelodau eraill o'r un teulu o anifeiliaid. Mae'n aml yn achos o ddod o hyd iddyn nhw wedi'u hesgeuluso, ceffylau sâl, yn marw neu wedi marw weithiau. Un broblem sylweddol yw'r anhawster i ganfod pwy yw perchnogion y ceffylau hynny a gallai cofrestru helpu o bosibl. Felly, a gawn ni ddadl yn amser y Llywodraeth ar hyn a lles anifeiliaid yn ehangach?
On the vaginal mesh, I know that the Cabinet Secretary is due to make a statement once the report has come out, so we'll be sure to bring that forward as soon as is possible once that's been done.
The Cabinet Secretary is also due to make a statement on animal welfare. We are very well aware of the issue about tracing the ownership of horses, which is, Llywydd, a massive issue in my own constituency, even though it's city centre, which you wouldn't expect. We are aware of that. I know the Cabinet Secretary takes it very seriously and is going to make a statement shortly.
O ran rhwyll y wain, gwn y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn gwneud datganiad pan ddaw'r adroddiad, felly byddwn yn sicr o ddwyn hynny ymlaen cyn gynted ag y bo modd pan fydd wedi'i wneud.
Bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet hefyd yn gwneud datganiad ar les anifeiliaid. Rydym yn ymwybodol iawn o'r mater ynghylch olrhain perchnogaeth ceffylau, sydd, Llywydd, yn fater enfawr yn fy etholaeth i fy hun, er ei bod yn ganol dinas, sy'n groes i'r disgwyl. Rydym yn ymwybodol o hynny. Gwn fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cymryd y mater o ddifrif ac y bydd yn gwneud datganiad yn fuan.
Leader of the house, may I ask for a statement on the levels of child obesity in Wales? The latest child measurement programme's annual report shows that more than a quarter of children in Wales are overweight or obese. This is much higher than in England. Areas such as Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly in my region both produced results higher than the Welsh average. I understand the Welsh Government is working with Public Health Wales to develop a new strategy to tackle obesity. Could we have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health on when the strategy is likely to report, and what measures he intends to take to tackle this problem in the interim period in Wales? Thank you.
Arweinydd y tŷ, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad ar lefelau gordewdra ymhlith plant yng Nghymru? Mae adroddiad blynyddol y rhaglen mesur plant ddiweddaraf yn dangos bod mwy na chwarter y plant yng Nghymru yn rhy drwm neu'n ordew. Mae hyn yn llawer uwch nag yn Lloegr. Cafodd ardaloedd megis Blaenau Gwent a Chaerffili yn fy rhanbarth ill dau ganlyniadau uwch na chyfartaledd Cymru. Rwyf ar ddeall bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gydag Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru i ddatblygu strategaeth newydd i fynd i'r afael â gordewdra. A gawn ni ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd ar pryd y bydd y strategaeth yn debygol o adrodd, a pha ddulliau y mae'n bwriadu eu defnyddio i ymdrin â'r broblem hon yn y cyfamser yng Nghymru? Diolch.
The Cabinet Secretary has indicated that he's expecting to run a consultation and he'll provide an update before the summer recess on that consultation.
Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi nodi ei fod yn disgwyl cynnal ymgynghoriad a bydd yn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw cyn toriad yr haf.
Leader of the house, I'd like to ask for two statements if, possible. The first relates to the announcement today by the Welsh Local Government Association, who claim that children's services in Wales are nearly 'at crisis point'—and I quote. Now, clearly, increasing demand and reducing budgets is a recipe for disaster, as we all know. We have seen recently the difficulties in Powys, and it's clear that other councils in Wales are feeling the pressure in terms of the demands on their services and their ability to respond. So, with that backdrop, can I ask if the Minister for Children and Social Care therefore would be prepared to bring forward an oral statement at the earliest opportunity on the pressures facing children's services, and what the Welsh Government is planning to do to address them? That's the first one.
The second request relates to plans to develop a metro system for Swansea bay and the western Valleys. As I've mentioned previously in this Chamber, the development of a metro system that, in principle, looks to improve travel times for people in south-west Wales is to be welcomed, naturally, but you'll be aware of concerns within Neath with regard to the need to protect the status of Neath railway station as part of any metro proposal. Feelings are running high in Neath at the moment. So, given that work has started in terms of the development of the strategic outline business case for the metro, would the Cabinet Secretary for transport be prepared to bring forward an oral statement outlining the work currently being undertaken and how he sees the project developing? Diolch yn fawr.
Arweinydd y tŷ, hoffwn i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad, os yw hynny'n bosibl. Mae'r cyntaf yn ymwneud â'r cyhoeddiad heddiw gan Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, sy'n honni bod gwasanaethau plant yng Nghymru bron mewn argyfwng—. Nawr, yn amlwg, mae galw cynyddol a lleihau cyllidebau yn arwain at drychineb, fel y gwyddom ni i gyd. Rydym ni wedi gweld yr anawsterau ym Mhowys yn ddiweddar, ac mae'n amlwg bod cynghorau eraill yng Nghymru yn teimlo pwysau o ran y galwadau ar eu gwasanaethau a'u gallu i ymateb. Felly, gyda'r cefndir hwnnw, a gaf i ofyn a fyddai'r Gweinidog dros Blant a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, felly, yn fodlon cyflwyno datganiad llafar ar y cyfle cyntaf ar y pwysau sy'n wynebu gwasanaethau plant, a'r hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â nhw? Dyna'r cyntaf.
Mae'r ail gais yn ymwneud â chynlluniau i ddatblygu system fetro ar gyfer Bae Abertawe a'r Cymoedd gorllewinol. Fel yr wyf wedi sôn o'r blaen yn y Siambr hon, mae datblygu system metro sydd, mewn egwyddor, yn ceisio gwella amseroedd teithio i bobl y de-orllewin i'w groesawu, yn naturiol, ond byddwch chi'n ymwybodol o'r pryderon yng Nghastell-nedd o ran yr angen i amddiffyn statws gorsaf drenau Castell-nedd yn rhan o unrhyw gynnig metro. Mae teimladau cryf yng Nghastell-nedd ar hyn o bryd. Felly, o gofio bod gwaith wedi dechrau ar ddatblygu'r achos busnes amlinellol strategol ar gyfer y metro, a fyddai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros drafnidiaeth yn fodlon cyflwyno datganiad llafar sy'n amlinellu'r gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd a sut y mae'n disgwyl i'r prosiect ddatblygu? Diolch yn fawr.
Taking those in reverse order, on that one, my colleague the Assembly Member for Neath has been extremely vocal in his opinions about any potential closure of Neath station. No such closure is remotely on the horizon. We can't even get the UK Government to electrify the line, never mind straighten it. So, I think that's just pie in the sky. There is a conversation about the Swansea bay metro, quite rightly, and the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport has put money into a feasibility study for that, but that does not include the closure of Neath station.
On the children's services, the Minister for children is due to make a statement on those issues very shortly, and of course my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for local government is due to make a statement on Powys later on in today's agenda.
Gan ymateb iddyn nhw am yn ôl, o ran hynny, mae fy nghyd-Aelod Aelod y Cynulliad dros Gastell-nedd wedi mynegi ei farn yn glir ar unrhyw bosibilrwydd o gau gorsaf Castell-nedd. Nid yw'r fath gau yn agos at y gorwel. Ni allwn hyd yn oed ysgogi Llywodraeth y DU i drydaneiddio'r rheilffordd, heb sôn am ei sythu. Felly, rwy'n credu mai breuddwyd gwrach yw hynny. Mae yna drafodaeth ynghylch metro Bae Abertawe, rydych yn gwbl gywir, ac mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth wedi rhoi arian ar gyfer astudiaeth ddichonoldeb i hynny, ond nid yw hynny'n cynnwys cau gorsaf Castell-nedd.
O ran gwasanaethau plant, bydd y Gweinidog dros blant yn gwneud datganiad ar y materion hynny yn fuan iawn, ac wrth gwrs bydd fy nghyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros lywodraeth leol yn gwneud datganiad ar Bowys yn nes ymlaen ar yr agenda heddiw.
A fedrwch chi fy sicrhau i fy mod yn cael ateb gonest a chlir gan eich Llywodraeth ar fater syml rwyf wedi bod yn mynd ar ei ôl o rŵan ers mis Ionawr? Rwyf wedi gofyn i Weinidog y Gymraeg faint o staff sydd wedi eu lleoli yn uned Gymraeg y Llywodraeth—y staff sy'n gyfrifol am baratoi rheoliadau safonau'r iaith Gymraeg. Ar ôl cael yr ateb 'loads' mewn pwyllgor, mi ges i ateb i gwestiwn ysgrifenedig a oedd yn dweud mai'r Ysgrifennydd Parhaol a oedd i fod i ateb. Ni ches i ddim ateb ganddi hi tan ddydd Iau diwethaf, a hynny oherwydd fy mod i wedi gorfod codi'r mater yma yn y Siambr. Ac mi ges i yr ateb yma, a oedd yn syfrdanol:
'Rwy’n fodlon bod digon o swyddogion polisi yn gweithio yn yr Is-adran er mwyn ymgymryd â’r gwaith hwn yn unol â blaenoriaethau Gweinidogol.'
Yr Ysgrifennydd Parhaol ddywedodd hynny. Felly, yn gyntaf, nid wyf wedi cael ateb o hyd i gwestiwn syml gan Aelod Cynulliad ers mis Ionawr. Yn ail, onid ydy hwn yn enghraifft eto fyth o ddiffyg tryloywder gan eich Llywodraeth chi—rhan o batrwm, o ddiwylliant, yn anffodus? Ac, yn drydydd, a ydy pennaeth y gwasanaeth sifil, sydd i fod yn ddi-duedd, i fod i roi ymateb y byddai rhywun yn ei ddisgwyl a fyddai'n dod gan Weinidog, ac ai ymdrech i osgoi rhoi ateb gonest i gwestiwn syml sydd yn mynd ymlaen fan hyn? Felly, buaswn i'n hoffi cael eich cefnogaeth chi i sicrhau ateb i fy nghwestiwn i. Nid wyf fi'n meddwl y dylai'r Cynulliad yma, na'ch Llywodraeth chi, ganiatáu y math yma o ymddygiad gwrth-ddemocrataidd.
Can you give me an assurance that I will receive an honest and clear response from your Government on a simple issue, which I have been pursuing now since January? I've asked the Minister for the Welsh language how many staff are located in the Government's Welsh language unit—those staff responsible for preparing Welsh language standards regulations. Having received the response 'loads' in a committee, I received a response to a written question that it was the Permanent Secretary who should answer such a question. I received no response from her until last Thursday, and that was because I had to raise the issue here in the Chamber. I was given this response, which was shocking:
'I am content that there are sufficient policy officials within the Division to take this work forward in line with Ministerial priorities'.
That was the Permanent Secretary's response. So, first, I haven't had a response to a simple question from an Assembly Member, asked in January. Secondly, isn't this another example of a lack of transparency within your Government—part of a pattern and a culture, unfortunately? And thirdly, is the head of the civil service, who is supposed to be unbiased and impartial—should she be giving a response that one would expect from a Minister? Is this an attempt to evade giving an honest answer to a simple question? So, I would appreciate your support in securing an answer to my question. I don't think that this Assembly, or your Government, should allow this kind of anti-democratic behaviour.
I'm aware of the issue. I think that, actually, it turns out to be relatively complex. But I will write to you, Siân Gwenllian, and make sure that you have, however complex the answer is, a direct answer to your question.
Rwy'n ymwybodol o'r mater. Rwy'n credu ei fod, mewn gwirionedd, yn gymharol gymhleth. Ond byddaf yn ysgrifennu atoch chi, Siân Gwenllian, ac yn gwneud yn siŵr y cewch chi, pa mor gymhleth bynnag yw'r ateb, ateb uniongyrchol i'ch cwestiwn.
Diolch i arweinydd y tŷ.
Thank you, leader of the house.
You deserve your cup of tea now. Thank you for that.
Rydych chi'n haeddu eich cwpanaid o de bellach. Diolch ichi am hynny.
Rydym yn symud ymlaen, felly, i'r eitem nesaf, sef y datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid ar adolygiad man canol cynllun buddsoddi yn seilwaith Cymru 2018. Rwy'n galw ar yr Ysgrifennydd Cyllid i wneud ei ddatganiad—Mark Drakeford.
We move, therefore, to our next item, which is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on the Wales infrastructure investment plan mid-point review 2018. I call on the Finance Secretary, Mark Drakeford.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. At the height of the recession, and in the early years of the UK Government’s flawed and failing austerity programme, my predecessor, Jane Hutt, published the first 2012 Wales infrastructure investment plan. Ever since, this plan has been at the heart of the Welsh Government’s work to create and sustain economic growth, and to support vital public services. Its goals and priorities have guided our significant infrastructure investment right across Wales, including, in the last Assembly term alone, £1.2 billion to provide more than 11,500 affordable homes, £1.3 billion to support our twenty-first century schools and education programme, where 100 schemes have already been completed and 60 more are on their way to completion, and £1.8 billion to modernise our transport infrastructure, from the Heads of the Valleys road to the Newtown bypass.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Yn anterth y dirwasgiad, ac yn y blynyddoedd cynnar o raglen gynni ddiffygiol a ffaeledig Llywodraeth y DU, cyhoeddodd fy rhagflaenydd, Jane Hutt, y cynllun buddsoddi cyntaf yn seilwaith Cymru yn 2012. Fyth ers hynny, mae'r cynllun hwn wedi bod wrth wraidd gwaith Llywodraeth Cymru i greu a chynnal twf economaidd, ac i gefnogi gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hanfodol. Mae ei nodau a'i flaenoriaethau wedi llywio ein buddsoddiad seilwaith sylweddol iawn ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys, yn nhymor diwethaf y Cynulliad yn unig, £1.2 biliwn i ddarparu mwy nag 11,500 o gartrefi fforddiadwy, £1.3 biliwn i gefnogi ein rhaglen addysg ac ysgolion ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, ble mae 100 o gynlluniau eisoes wedi'u cwblhau a 60 ar y gweill, ac £1.8 biliwn i foderneiddio ein seilwaith trafnidiaeth, o ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd i ffordd osgoi y Drenewydd.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
Dirprwy Lywydd, we have done this, and more, at a time when our conventional capital budget will be 20 per cent lower in real terms by the end of the decade than it was in 2009-10. And all of this just at the point in the economic cycle when the UK Government should have stepped up and not shied back from investing in the future. Here in Wales, in the six years since the WIIP was first published, we have invested £9 billion of Welsh Government capital funding, and developed new ways of drawing in investment from elsewhere, to deliver ambitious projects, which deliver lasting benefits for the people of Wales.
Now, Dirprwy Lywydd, a great deal has changed since that first WIIP was published in 2012. Back then, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, promised that austerity would be over by 2015. Now, it extends to 2025. We have had the European Union referendum, and the decision to leave the European Union. The impact of the uncertainty that this has created must help explain why, at a time when economies across the eurozone are growing at their fastest rate for a decade, growth across the UK is faltering, and is at its weakest since 2012.
Dirprwy Lywydd, that is the background against which our mid-point review of the Wales infrastructure investment plan is to be published today. The review reflects on the experience of the past six years, where we can see progress, and where we can draw lessons for the future. It takes account of the many changes—some of which I've just identified—that have occurred over the lifetime of the plan so far, and it sets out our investment priorities for the remaining period of the plan, aligning it with the aims and goals of 'Prosperity for All' and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and setting the Welsh Government’s spend more directly in the context of the investment that others plan to make in Wales.
Dirprwy Lywydd, we have ambitious plans to invest further in Welsh infrastructure, with plans already set out to invest an additional £6.5 billion worth of capital in our priorities between now and 2020-21. And today, I can set out a new capital funding package of £266 million to support the delivery of Government priorities over the next three years. Amongst other objectives, these investments are strongly aligned to support the work of my Cabinet colleague Lesley Griffiths in the vital field of carbon reduction.
The new funding allocations include: £60 million over three years to accelerate the creation of active travel routes to connect residential areas, work, education sites and services; over £60 million over the next three years for the NHS, for the all-Wales capital programme; £31.5 million over three years for the next generation access broadband phase 2; £25 million over three years for the new Tech Valleys programme; and £15 million over two years to fund a pilot, as part of the ministerial taskforce for the south Wales Valleys, to ensure that schools in the area become community hubs and provide community learning centres with extended services. The mid-point review also includes an up-to-date pipeline of Welsh Government, local authority and private sector investments. It provides the details of more than 350 schemes with a value of around £42 billion, including this Government’s own flagship commitments.
Llywydd, as members of the Finance Committee will know, my principle has always been to exhaust the use of the least expensive forms of capital before using other more expensive sources. The plan, therefore, relies on our efforts to begin with to commit the vast bulk of our conventional capital, well in advance of spend, then to move on to deploy every pound of capital available to us through the regional development funds from which Wales benefits as a result of our membership of the European Union—that amounts to over £720 million in additional investment—then to make full use of the £1 billion in borrowing powers now available to us, and then to go on supporting additional borrowing for investment by our local authorities and our housing associations.
And because, even when we have pushed at the limits of all these possibilities, we still have vitally important public purposes that could otherwise not be afforded, we have devised our own mutual investment model, building from the Scottish Government’s not-for-profit schemes, to find a way to fund the new Velindre cancer hospital for south Wales, to complete the dualling of the A465 Heads of the Valleys road, and to enable us to accelerate band B of our twenty-first century schools and education programme. And, Dirprwy Lywydd, I can announce today the latest development in this area, because in line with the provisions in the Government of Wales Act 2006, agreement has now been secured with the UK Government that it will bring forward legislation to enable Welsh Ministers to issue bonds for capital investment expenditure, providing the Welsh Government with a further set of borrowing levers in the future.
Dirprwy Lywydd, we are in the process of establishing a national infrastructure commission for Wales, and later this afternoon the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs will make a statement about our preferred option for our new land use plan, the national development framework. Together, these will provide a strategic picture of our national and regional infrastructure needs, and help us ensure our investments are aligned and targeted to where they can have maximum impact in the face of continuing austerity.
Dirprwy Lywydd, rydym ni wedi gwneud hyn, a mwy, ar adeg pan fydd ein cyllideb cyfalaf confensiynol 20 y cant yn llai mewn termau real erbyn diwedd y degawd nag yr oedd hi yn 2009-10. A hyn i gyd yn union yn ystod y cyfnod yn y cylch economaidd pan ddylai Llywodraeth y DU fod wedi achub ar y cyfle yn hytrach na pheidio â buddsoddi yn y dyfodol. Yma yng Nghymru, yn y chwe blynedd ers y cafodd cynllun buddsoddi yn seilwaith Cymru ei gyhoeddi gyntaf, rydym ni wedi buddsoddi £9 biliwn o gyllid cyfalaf gan Lywodraeth Cymru, a datblygu ffyrdd newydd o sicrhau buddsoddiadau o ffynonellau eraill, i gyflawni prosiectau uchelgeisiol, sy'n creu manteision parhaol ar gyfer pobl Cymru.
Nawr, Dirprwy Lywydd, mae llawer wedi newid ers cyhoeddi'r cynllun buddsoddi yn seilwaith Cymru cyntaf un yn 2012. Bryd hynny, addawodd y Canghellor, George Osborne, y byddai cyni ar ben erbyn 2015. Bellach, bydd yn ymestyn i 2025. Rydym ni wedi cael refferendwm yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, a'r penderfyniad i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Mae'n rhaid bod effaith yr ansicrwydd y mae hyn wedi ei greu yn helpu esbonio pam, ar adeg pan mae economïau yn ardal yr ewro yn tyfu ar eu cyfradd gyflymaf ers degawd, mae twf ledled y DU yn arafu, ac mae ar ei wannaf ers 2012.
Dirprwy Lywydd, dyna'r sefyllfa sydd ohoni wrth gyhoeddi ein hadolygiad canol cyfnod o'r cynllun buddsoddi yn seilwaith Cymru heddiw. Mae'r adolygiad yn ystyried profiad y chwe blynedd diwethaf, lle gallwn ni weld cynnydd, a lle gallwn ni ddysgu gwersi ar gyfer y dyfodol. Mae'n ystyried y llu o newidiadau—rhai ohonyn nhw yr wyf i newydd sôn amdanynt—sydd wedi digwydd yn ystod oes y cynllun hyd yn hyn, ac mae'n disgrifio ein blaenoriaethau buddsoddi ar gyfer y cyfnod sy'n weddill o'r cynllun, gan ei gysoni ag amcanion a nodau 'Ffyniant i bawb' a Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, a gosod gwariant Llywodraeth Cymru yn fwy uniongyrchol yng nghyd-destun y buddsoddiad y mae eraill yn cynllunio i'w wneud yng Nghymru.
Dirprwy Lywydd, mae gennym ni gynlluniau uchelgeisiol i fuddsoddi mwy yn seilwaith Cymru, gyda chynlluniau eisoes ar y gweill i fuddsoddi gwerth £6.5 biliwn yn ychwanegol o gyfalaf yn ein blaenoriaethau rhwng nawr a 2020-21. A heddiw, gallaf gyhoeddi pecyn ariannu cyfalaf newydd o £266 miliwn i helpu cyflawni blaenoriaethau'r Llywodraeth dros y tair blynedd nesaf. Ymhlith amcanion eraill, mae'r buddsoddiadau hyn yn ategiad cryf i gefnogi gwaith fy nghyd-Aelod Cabinet Lesley Griffiths yn y maes hanfodol o leihau allyriadau carbon.
Mae'r dyraniadau ariannu newydd yn cynnwys: £60 miliwn dros dair blynedd i gyflymu'r broses o greu llwybrau teithio llesol i gysylltu ardaloedd preswyl, gwaith, safleoedd addysg a gwasanaethau; mwy na £60 miliwn dros y tair blynedd nesaf ar gyfer y GIG, ar gyfer rhaglen gyfalaf Cymru gyfan; £31.5 miliwn dros dair blynedd ar gyfer mynediad band eang cam 2 y genhedlaeth nesaf; £25 miliwn dros dair blynedd ar gyfer y rhaglen Cymoedd Technoleg newydd; a £15 miliwn dros ddwy flynedd i ariannu cynllun arbrofol, yn rhan o'r tasglu gweinidogol ar gyfer Cymoedd y de, i sicrhau bod ysgolion yn yr ardal yn dod yn ganolfannau cymunedol ac yn darparu gwasanaethau estynedig i ganolfannau dysgu yn y gymuned. Mae'r adolygiad man canol hefyd yn cynnwys rhestr gyfredol o'r buddsoddiadau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru, awdurdod lleol a'r sector preifat yn yr arfaeth. Mae'n rhoi manylion ynglŷn â mwy na 350 o gynlluniau sydd werth tua £42 biliwn, gan gynnwys ymrwymiadau blaenllaw y Llywodraeth ei hun.
Llywydd, fel y gŵyr Aelodau o'r Pwyllgor Cyllid, fy egwyddor i erioed yw dihysbyddu'r defnydd lleiaf drud o gyfalaf cyn defnyddio'r ffynonellau eraill drutach. Mae'r cynllun, felly, yn dibynnu ar ein hymdrechion yn y lle cyntaf i ymrwymo'r rhan helaethaf o'n cyfalaf confensiynol, ymhell cyn ei wario, yna wedi hynny i ddefnyddio pob punt o gyfalaf sydd ar gael i ni drwy'r cronfeydd datblygu rhanbarthol y mae Cymru yn elwa ohonynt o ganlyniad i'n haelodaeth o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd—mae hynny'n cyfateb i fwy na £720 miliwn o fuddsoddiad ychwanegol—yna i wneud defnydd llawn o'r pwerau benthyca gwerth £1 biliwn sydd yn awr ar gael i ni, ac yna i fynd ati i gefnogi benthyca ychwanegol fel bod modd i'n hawdurdodau lleol a'n cymdeithasau tai fuddsoddi.
Ac oherwydd, hyd yn oed pan rydym ni wedi dihysbyddu'r holl bosibiliadau hyn, mae gennym ni o hyd ddibenion cyhoeddus hanfodol bwysig na ellid fel arall eu fforddio, rydym ni wedi dyfeisio ein model buddsoddi cydfuddiannol ein hunain, gan adeiladu ar gynlluniau nid-er-elw Llywodraeth yr Alban, i ddod o hyd i ffordd o ariannu ysbyty canser newydd y Felindre ar gyfer de Cymru, i gwblhau'r gwaith o ddeuoli ffordd A465 Blaenau'r Cymoedd, ac i'n galluogi i gyflymu band B ein rhaglen addysg ac ysgolion ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. A, Dirprwy Lywydd, gallaf gyhoeddi heddiw y datblygiad diweddaraf yn y maes hwn, oherwydd yn unol â darpariaethau yn Neddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006, mae cytundeb bellach wedi'i sicrhau gyda Llywodraeth y DU y bydd yn cyflwyno deddfwriaeth i alluogi Gweinidogion Cymru i gyhoeddi bondiau ar gyfer gwariant buddsoddi cyfalaf, gan roi cyfres arall o declynnau benthyca i Lywodraeth Cymru yn y dyfodol.
Dirprwy Lywydd, rydym ni wrthi'n sefydlu comisiwn seilwaith cenedlaethol ar gyfer Cymru, ac yn ddiweddarach y prynhawn yma bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ynni, Cynllunio a Materion Gwledig yn gwneud datganiad ynghylch y dewis yr ydym ni'n ei ffafrio ar gyfer ein cynllun defnydd tir newydd, y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol. Gyda'i gilydd, bydd y rhain yn rhoi darlun strategol o anghenion ein seilwaith cenedlaethol a rhanbarthol, ac o gymorth inni sicrhau bod ein buddsoddiadau yn cyd-fynd a thargedau lle gallant gael yr effaith fwyaf yn wyneb cyni parhaus.
Dirprwy Lywydd, bydd adolygiad canol tymor y cynllun buddsoddi yn ein helpu i weithio mewn ffordd mwy cydweithredol ac integredig, o fewn y Llywodraeth a gyda ein partneriaid. Bydd yn sicrhau bod ein seilwaith yn gadarn, yn cyfrannu at dwf economi Cymru ac yn ein helpu i lunio dyfodol tymor hir ein gwlad a'i phobl. Rydw i'n cymeradwyo'r cynllun i'r Cynulliad.
Deputy Presiding Officer, this mid-point review of the infrastructure investment plant will help us to work in a more integrated and and collaborative way within Government and with our partners. It will ensure that our infrastructure is robust, will contribute to the growth of the Welsh economy and will help us to formulate the long-term future of our nation and its people. I commend this plan to the Assembly.
Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement this afternoon? I think we all recognise that we do remain in a time of public spending constraints. We certainly in the Welsh Conservatives welcome proposals to invest in our economy and public services, despite those obvious challenges.
Can I just say in responding at the start to your statement, Cabinet Secretary—? On your point about UK funding, which you made at the start of your contribution and at the end, the almost obligatory comment now on funding cuts—. Yes, spending cuts, you're quite right to say have extended beyond the original cut-off of 2015 that was set out back in 2010. But if the alternative was deeper, yearly cuts, then I think I would probably stick with the Chancellor's current timescale rather than look at those cuts having been faster and deeper at the time. And we know that, yes, the deficit has taken longer to come down than was previously hoped, but the UK Government is getting there in that regard. Debt itself will soon be cut, not just the deficit, and that will, in the longer term, set the UK economy and the Welsh economy on a sounder footing, so you will have more money to invest in those important public services and infrastructure. [Interruption.] You might not agree with that, Lee Waters, but many people do agree with that.
Your statement covered a wide range of investment proposals and a wide range of spending areas. I will just touch on a few of them. I warmly welcome the proposals to continue developing the twenty-first century schools programme through the second band of funding, in partnership with local authorities across Wales. I recently visited the site of Monmouth Comprehensive School, due to open in September. It's a really impressive state-of-the-art building, which shows what can be achieved when Welsh Government works with Conservative local authorities such as Monmouthshire. It will extend opportunities for modern teaching and learning. While you've increased the funding available for twenty-first century schools, could you advise of any changes to the timescale of the next phase of the programme? Is that as was originally envisaged?
On house building, we recognise that there are growing pressures on the housing market, particularly in south-east Wales, and commentators are concerned with the removal of the Severn bridge tolls and the effect that that will have on local housing supply in Monmouthshire and other local authorities in south-east Wales. How confident are you that the funding you're providing for the development of affordable housing proposals, across certainly south Wales, will be met?
You touched on the Heads of the Valleys ongoing investment scheme. I had a tour of the new road—the Clydach gorge part of the road—a few weeks ago, and it's certainly a very impressive piece of infrastructure, which is widely welcomed, I know, by businesses and local people. However, of course, on the downside, it is coming in considerably over budget and considerably behind timescale, which is leading to delays far in advance of what was originally anticipated and were tolerable by local people. So, I think my question would be: in relation to that project and similar large infrastructure projects, what mechanisms are you putting in place to make sure that the taxpayer is getting value for money, that projects like this are delivered as efficiently as possible and that there is proper scrutiny on the public purse? I know that, in future, the Public Accounts Committee, which I chair, will look at spending like this, but I'm thinking, in the meantime, what is being done at this moment in time to make sure that that spending is efficient?
I don't think you mentioned the critical care centre—I might be wrong—currently being developed in Cwmbran. That's another project on which there has been significant delay. However, it is now going up and, again, looks like an impressive building. So, could you, just at this mid point in your infrastructure programme, guarantee that that will open on the timescale that we are now looking at?
Can I finally say, as well as mentioning UK spending cuts, you also mentioned the obligatory Brexit, which features in many statements and debates—we've got another one tomorrow, I think—in this Chamber? I appreciate your concerns about Brexit and that it creates some uncertainty for your Government, but I would point out that that wasn't a decision of the UK Government; that was a decision of the UK people and the decision of, actually, a majority of the Welsh people. It probably wasn't the decision of a majority of my constituents or probably yours in Cardiff West, but it certainly was a decision that the Welsh people took. Do you not agree, Cabinet Secretary, that, rather than constantly bemoaning the effects of this, it is for the UK Government and the Welsh Government to now get on with delivering a stronger economy in the light of what's happening? I think the people of Wales will be looking to you to set forward a positive vision for the future that will take Wales where we need to go at this important juncture in our history.
A gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma? Rwy'n credu ein bod ni i gyd yn cydnabod ein bod yn dal i fod mewn amser o gyfyngiadau ar wariant cyhoeddus. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn sicr yn croesawu cynigion i fuddsoddi yn ein heconomi a'n gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, er gwaethaf yr heriau amlwg hynny.
A gaf i ddim ond dweud wrth ymateb ar y dechrau i'ch datganiad, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet—? Ynglŷn â'ch sylw ynghylch cyllid gan y DU, a wnaethoch chi ar ddechrau eich cyfraniad ac ar y diwedd, y sylw sydd bron yn orfodol bellach ynglŷn â thoriadau cyllid—. Ydy, mae toriadau gwariant, rydych chi'n hollol gywir yn dweud, wedi ymestyn y tu hwnt i'r terfyn gwreiddiol o 2015 a fynegwyd yn ôl yn 2010. Ond os mai'r dewis arall oedd toriadau dyfnach, blynyddol, yna rwy'n credu y byddwn i fwy na thebyg yn cadw at amserlen bresennol y Canghellor yn hytrach nag ystyried y toriadau hynny a fyddai wedi bod yn gyflymach ac yn llymach ar y pryd. Ac ydym, rydym ni'n gwybod, do, mae'r diffyg wedi cymryd hirach nag y gobeithiwyd yn flaenorol i'w leihau, ond mae Llywodraeth y DU yn graddol gyrraedd y nod yn hynny o beth. Caiff dyled ei hun cyn bo hir ei thorri, nid y diffyg yn unig, a bydd, yn y tymor hwy, yn gosod economi'r DU ac economi Cymru ar sylfaen gadarnach, felly bydd gennych chi fwy o arian i'w fuddsoddi yn y seilwaith a'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus pwysig hynny. [Torri ar draws.] Efallai nad ydych chi yn cytuno â hynny, Lee Waters, ond mae llawer o bobl yn cytuno â hynny.
Roedd eich datganiad yn cwmpasu ystod eang o gynigion buddsoddi ac ystod eang o feysydd gwariant. Hoffwn grybwyll rhai ohonynt. Rwy'n croesawu'n fawr y cynigion i barhau i ddatblygu'r rhaglen ysgolion ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain drwy'r ail fand o gyllid, ar y cyd ag awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru. Yn ddiweddar ymwelais â safle Ysgol Gyfun Trefynwy, sydd i fod i agor ym mis Medi. Mae'n adeilad modern o'r radd flaenaf ac yn drawiadol iawn, sy'n dangos beth y gellir ei gyflawni pan fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol Ceidwadol fel sir Fynwy. Bydd yn ehangu cyfleoedd ar gyfer addysgu a dysgu modern. Er eich bod wedi cynyddu'r cyllid sydd ar gael ar gyfer ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, allech chi roi gwybod am unrhyw newidiadau i'r amserlen ar gyfer cyfnod nesaf y rhaglen? Ai dyna fel y rhagwelwyd yn wreiddiol?
Ynglŷn ag adeiladu tai, rydym ni'n cydnabod bod pwysau cynyddol ar y farchnad dai, yn enwedig yn y de-ddwyrain, ac mae sylwebyddion yn pryderu ynglŷn â dileu tollau Pont Hafren a'r effaith a gaiff hynny ar y cyflenwad tai lleol yn sir Fynwy ac awdurdodau lleol eraill yn y de-ddwyrain. Pa mor hyderus ydych chi y bydd y cyllid yr ydych chi'n ei ddarparu ar gyfer datblygu cynigion tai fforddiadwy, ar draws y de yn sicr, yn cyflawni ei fwriad?
Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am y buddsoddiad parhaus yn rhaglen Blaenau'r Cymoedd. Dangoswyd y ffordd newydd imi—rhan ceunant Clydach o'r ffordd—ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, ac mae'n sicr yn ddarn trawiadol iawn o seilwaith, y mae busnesau a phobl leol, rwy'n gwybod, yn ei groesawu'n fawr. Fodd bynnag, wrth gwrs, yn anffodus, mae'n sylweddol fwy na'r gyllideb ac yn sylweddol y tu ôl i'r amserlen, sy'n arwain at oedi ymhell y tu hwnt i'r hyn y rhagwelwyd yn wreiddiol ac a oedd yn rhesymol gan bobl leol. Felly, rwy'n credu mai fy nghwestiwn yw: o ran y prosiect hwnnw a phrosiectau seilwaith mawr cyffelyb, pa systemau ydych chi'n eu rhoi ar waith i wneud yn siŵr bod y trethdalwr yn cael gwerth am arian, y caiff prosiectau fel hyn eu darparu mor effeithlon â phosib a bod gwaith craffu priodol ar y pwrs cyhoeddus? Rwy'n gwybod, yn y dyfodol, y bydd y Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus, yr wyf yn gadeirydd arno, yn edrych ar wariant fel hyn, ond rwy'n pendroni, yn y cyfamser, ynghylch beth sy'n cael ei wneud ar hyn o bryd i wneud yn siŵr bod y gwariant yn effeithlon?
Nid wyf yn credu ichi grybwyll y ganolfan gofal critigol—efallai fy mod i yn anghywir—sy'n cael ei datblygu ar hyn o bryd yng Nghwmbrân. Dyna brosiect arall y bu oedi sylweddol yn ei gylch. Fodd bynnag, mae'n cael ei adeiladu ac, unwaith eto, mae'n edrych yn adeilad trawiadol. Felly, a allech chi, yn y man canol hwn yn eich rhaglen seilwaith, warantu y bydd hynny yn agor yn unol â'r amserlen sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd?
A gaf i ddweud yn olaf, yn ogystal â chrybwyll toriadau gwariant y DU, fe wnaethoch chi sôn, fel sy'n orfodol bellach, am Brexit, sy'n nodwedd mewn nifer o ddatganiadau a dadleuon—mae gennym ni un arall yfory, rwy'n credu—yn y Siambr hon? Rwy'n cydnabod eich pryderon ynghylch Brexit a bod hynny'n creu rhywfaint o ansicrwydd ar gyfer eich Llywodraeth, ond fe hoffwn i nodi nad penderfyniad Llywodraeth y DU mo hwnnw; roedd yn benderfyniad pobl y DU a phenderfyniad, mewn gwirionedd, y rhan fwyaf o bobl Cymru. Nid hynny mae'n debyg oedd penderfyniad y mwyafrif o'm hetholwyr na'ch rhai chi mae'n debyg yng Ngorllewin Caerdydd, ond roedd yn sicr yn benderfyniad a wnaeth pobl Cymru. Onid ydych chi'n cytuno, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yn hytrach na chwyno'n gyson am effeithiau hyn, mai lle Llywodraeth y DU a Llywodraeth Cymru bellach yw bwrw iddi i gyflwyno economi gryfach yng ngoleuni'r hyn sy'n digwydd? Rwy'n credu y bydd pobl Cymru yn edrych atoch chi i osod gweledigaeth gadarnhaol ar gyfer y dyfodol a fydd yn arwain Cymru i'r cyfeiriad y mae angen inni fynd ar yr adeg bwysig hon yn ein hanes.
Dirprwy Lywydd, I thank the Member for those questions. Let me take the two general ones first. As far as public spending constraint is concerned, the choice that faced the Government ought not to have been between steeper, swifter cuts and the long, slow strangulation of the UK economy, which they have embarked upon; the choice ought to have been to use counter-cyclical investment, particularly of an infrastructure sort at a time when the costs of borrowing had never been lower. And instead, George Osborne, rather than doing what was done in the United States of America and on the continent of Europe to take that opportunity to stimulate economic growth, chose the most inopportune moment you can imagine to reduce capital investment right across the United Kingdom. Now, of course, I entirely agree with what Nick Ramsay said: the UK Government is not to blame for the Brexit decision and I didn't suggest that they were. What I am reflecting in my statement is what private sector businesses and organisations tell this Government and tell the UK Government all the time, which is that the uncertainty about Brexit is having an impact on their ability to plan investment into the future. I believe that there are steps that the UK Government could have taken to have provided greater certainty in the way that they have gone about Brexit, but it is an unavoidable fact, for the UK Government as well as ours, that a major change of this sort, whatever view you may take of it, brings huge uncertainty with it, and that is making an impact on investment decisions of private businesses not just in Wales, but across the United Kingdom.
Can I briefly deal with the more specific questions the Member raised? I appreciate very much what he says about the twenty-first century schools programme. Monmouth local authority, like all local authorities in Wales, has benefited significantly from band A. We're now moving into band B and the five-year time horizon for band B of the twenty-first century schools programme remains unchanged.
I am confident that the capital investment we are making in affordable housing—the single greatest investment we will make as a Government—in order to achieve the 20,000 affordable homes that we want to see built during this Assembly term, provides the investment necessary and that we are on track to make sure that it is changed into the provision of that badly needed housing on the ground.
The point that the Member made about the previous phases of the Heads of the Valleys road has been well rehearsed here. There are genuine topographical challenges in that part of the construction. What I've announced today are the further steps we are taking to complete the whole of the Heads of the Valleys road using our mutual investment model.
I didn't mention, he's quite right, the critical care centre, Dirprwy Lywydd, because that is already catered for in funding terms in the plans that the Government has already announced.
Dirprwy Lywydd, diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiynau hynny. Caniatewch imi ateb y ddau gwestiwn cyffredinol yn gyntaf. O ran cyfyngiadau ar wariant cyhoeddus, ni ddylai'r dewis a wynebodd y Llywodraeth fod wedi bod rhwng toriadau llymach, cyflymach a mygu economi'r DU yn hir ac yn araf, fel y maen nhw wedi ei wneud; dylid bod wedi dewis defnyddio buddsoddiad gwrth-gylchol, yn enwedig ar gyfer seilwaith ar adeg pan na fu costau benthyca erioed yn is. Ac yn lle hynny, dewisodd George Osborne, yn hytrach na gwneud yr hyn a wnaed yn Unol Daleithiau'r America ac ar gyfandir Ewrop i achub ar y cyfle hwnnw i ysgogi twf economaidd, yr adeg mwyaf anhymig y gallwch ei ddychmygu i leihau buddsoddi cyfalaf ledled y Deyrnas Unedig. Nawr, wrth gwrs, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr gyda'r hyn a ddywedodd Nick Ramsay: nid Llywodraeth y DU sydd ar fai am y penderfyniad ynghylch Brexit a doeddwn i ddim yn awgrymu eu bod. Yr hyn rwy'n ei ddweud yn fy natganiad yw'r hyn y mae busnesau sector preifat a sefydliadau yn ei ddweud wrth y Llywodraeth hon ac yn ei ddweud wrth Lywodraeth y DU drwy'r amser, sef bod yr ansicrwydd ynghylch Brexit yn cael effaith ar eu gallu i gynllunio buddsoddi yn y dyfodol. Rwy'n credu bod pethau y gallai Llywodraeth y DU fod wedi eu gwneud i roi mwy o sicrwydd ynghylch y ffordd y gwnaethon nhw ymdrin â Brexit, ond mae'n ffaith anorfod, ar gyfer Llywodraeth y DU yn ogystal â'n un ni, bod newid mawr o'r math hwn, pa bynnag farn sydd gennych chi yn ei gylch, yn dod ag ansicrwydd enfawr gydag ef, ac y mae yn cael effaith ar benderfyniadau buddsoddi busnesau preifat nid yn unig yng Nghymru, ond ledled y Deyrnas Unedig.
A gaf i ymdrin yn fyr â'r cwestiynau mwy penodol a holodd yr aelod? Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi yn fawr iawn yr hyn a ddywed am raglen ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Mae awdurdod lleol Mynwy, fel pob awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru, wedi elwa'n sylweddol o fand A. Rydym ni bellach yn symud i fand B ac mae'r rhychwant amser pum mlynedd ar gyfer band B o'r rhaglen ysgolion ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain yn parhau'n ddigyfnewid.
Rwy'n ffyddiog fod y buddsoddiad cyfalaf yr ydym ni'n ei wneud mewn tai fforddiadwy—y buddsoddiad mwyaf unigol y byddwn yn ei wneud fel Llywodraeth—er mwyn cyflawni'r 20,000 o gartrefi fforddiadwy yr ydym ni eisiau eu gweld yn cael eu codi yn ystod tymor y Cynulliad hwn, yn darparu'r buddsoddiad angenrheidiol a'n bod ar y trywydd iawn i wneud yn siŵr bod y ddarpariaeth honno o dai sydd ei wirioneddol angen ar lawr gwlad yn cael ei gwireddu.
Mae'r sylw a wnaeth yr Aelod ynghylch camau blaenorol ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd wedi cael ei wyntyllu'n drylwyr yn y fan yma. Mae yna heriau topograffig gwirioneddol gyda'r rhan honno o'r gwaith adeiladu. Yr hyn yr wyf i wedi ei gyhoeddi heddiw yw'r pethau ychwanegol yr ydym ni'n eu gwneud i gwblhau ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd yn ei chyfanrwydd gan ddefnyddio ein model buddsoddi cydfuddiannol.
Wnes i ddim sôn, mae'n hollol gywir, am y ganolfan gofal critigol, Dirprwy Lywydd, oherwydd ceir darpariaeth eisoes ar gyfer hynny o ran cyllid yn y cynlluniau y mae'r Llywodraeth eisoes wedi cyhoeddi.
Rwy'n croesawu'r adolygiad hanner ffordd yma. Nid wyf i wedi cael cyfle i'w ddarllen eto, wrth gwrs. Roeddwn i'n cymryd bod yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet wedi. A fyddai e'n gallu rhannu gyda ni—? Gan mai adolygiad yw e, wrth gwrs, mi fydd e wedi adnabod rhai pethau a oedd wedi gweithio'n dda iawn a rhai pethau nad oedd wedi gweithio cystal, ac, wrth gwrs, y rhai nad oedd wedi gweithio cystal efallai yw'r rhai sy'n aml iawn yn rhoi gwersi i ni. Felly, beth oedd ddim wedi gweithio mas fel roeddem ni wedi gobeithio, neu fel roedd y Llywodraeth wedi gobeithio, pan gyhoeddwyd y WIIP gyntaf, chwe blynedd yn ôl? Un o'r nodau a osodwyd bryd hynny oedd newid y broses yn gyffredinol ar gyfer buddsoddi, er enghraifft i ddod â'r angen am achosion busnes llawer cadarnach ar gyfer asesu prosiectau a defnyddio technegau gwerthuso o'r radd flaenaf yn fyd-eang. A ydy hynny wedi digwydd i'r graddau yr oedd y Llywodraeth wedi gobeithio?
I welcome this mid-point review. I've not had an opportunity to read it all as of yet, of course. I assume the Cabinet Secretary has. Could he share with us—? As this is a review, of course, it will have identified certainly things that worked very well and others that may not have worked so well, and, of course, it's those that didn't work so well that are perhaps those where lessons can be learnt. So, what didn't work out quite as the Government may have hoped when the WIIP was first announced six years ago? One of the objectives set at that point was to change the process more generally for investment, for example to bring the need for far more robust business cases in order to assess projects and to use evaluation techniques of a world-class quality. Now, has that happened to the extent that the Government had hoped?
Secondly, I'd like to turn to the question that—. We've rehearsed this issue many a time, Cabinet Secretary, but it is this issue of the balance of regional infrastructure investment across Wales. You did refer to it, actually, in your remarks in relation to the strategic picture that needs to take account both of national and regional needs. We've produced figures, of course, previously that have shown certainly the kind of imbalance in terms of capital investment that typically we see across the UK, and the fear is that we are becoming potentially a microcosm, a version, of that problem in the UK of over-concentration of capital investment, actually in the corner of the country that is already relatively affluent. Of course, we can't avoid it at the moment, but we have had—. Well, all our First Ministers have come from Cardiff and the M4 corridor around it, and we may have a fourth—
Yn ail, fe hoffwn i droi at y cwestiwn bod—. Rydym ni wedi trafod y mater hwn droeon, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, sef y mater o gydbwysedd y buddsoddi mewn seilwaith rhanbarthol ledled Cymru. Fe wnaethoch chi gyfeirio at hynny, mewn gwirionedd, yn eich sylwadau ynglŷn â'r darlun strategol sydd angen ystyried anghenion cenedlaethol a rhanbarthol. Rydym ni wedi cynhyrchu ffigurau, wrth gwrs, yn flaenorol sydd wedi dangos yn sicr y math o anghydbwysedd o ran buddsoddiad cyfalaf a welwn ni yn nodweddiadol ledled y DU, a'r ofn yw ein bod yn dod o bosib yn ficrocosm, yn fersiwn, o'r broblem honno yn y DU o ran canolbwyntio'n ormodol ar fuddsoddiad cyfalaf, mewn gwirionedd, yn y gornel o'r wlad sydd eisoes yn gymharol lewyrchus. Wrth gwrs, allwn ni ddim osgoi hynny ar hyn o bryd, ond rydym ni wedi cael—. Wel, mae pob un o'n Prif Weinidogion wedi dod o Gaerdydd a choridor yr M4 sydd o'i amgylch, ac efallai y bydd gennym ni bedwerydd—
It includes Carmarthen.
Mae'n cynnwys Caerfyrddin.
—well, that bit of the M4 corridor in south-east Wales—representing it. Obviously, politics does impact upon these decisions, so how can we make sure, whoever the next First Minister is, that there are structures in place, particularly looking at the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, to ensure that we get a better spread of investment across Wales?
And finally, on the issue of the scale of ambition, it's great, by the way, to see the power there for the Welsh Government to raise bonds; I think we've actually called for that previously. But then the next question is, of course: what is the scale of our ambition in terms of the quantum? And there, Cabinet Secretary, you're absolutely right that there has been this historic opportunity with the low interest rates et cetera, and probably, we would say, a backlog of underinvestment in the past in the Welsh infrastructure. The WIIP was there to address that and to seize that opportunity, but yet, even if we take the figures that are in your statement—the £1 billion for the mutual investment model, the £1 billion in terms of the borrowing powers—that takes us up, in terms of financing on an annual basis, to about 1 per cent of the annual budget. The Scottish Government have a target of 5 per cent. And so, if we were to match their ambition in terms of our appetite for financing a capital programme on that scale, then we would be in a totally different situation, wouldn't we, in terms of the level of capital investment that we're currently able to finance. The 350-odd projects, the £42 billion—at the current rate, it will take 20 years, a generation, for us to actually work our way through the WIIP as a whole—there or thereabouts. Shouldn't we take this opportunity as we're reviewing the WIIP also to ask ourselves, 'Is the scale of our ambition equal to the opportunity and equal to the challenge that Wales currently faces in terms of its infrastructure?'
—wel, y darn hwnnw o goridor yr M4 yn y de-ddwyrain—sy'n cynrychioli hynny. Yn amlwg, mae gwleidyddiaeth yn effeithio ar y penderfyniadau hyn, felly sut allwn ni wneud yn siŵr, pwy bynnag fydd Prif Weinidog nesaf Cymru, bod strwythurau ar waith, yn arbennig o ystyried Comisiwn Seilwaith Cenedlaethol Cymru, i sicrhau y cawn ni amrediad gwell o fuddsoddiad ledled Cymru?
Ac yn olaf, ynglŷn â'r mater o ba mor uchelgeisiol ydym ni, mae'n wych, gyda llaw, gweld bod pŵer gan Lywodraeth Cymru i godi bondiau; rwy'n credu mewn gwirionedd ein bod ni wedi galw am hynny o'r blaen. Ond wedyn y cwestiwn nesaf yw, wrth gwrs: pa mor uchelgeisiol ydym ni o ran y swm? Ac ynghylch hynny, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, rydych chi'n hollol gywir y bu'r cyfle hanesyddol hwn gyda chyfraddau llog isel ac ati, a fwy na thebyg, dylem ddweud, ôl-groniad o danfuddsoddi yn y gorffennol yn seilwaith Cymru. Diben y Cynllun Buddsoddi yn Seilwaith Cymru oedd achub ar y cyfle hwnnw, ond eto, hyd yn oed os ydym ni'n ystyried y ffigurau hynny yn eich datganiad—yr £1 biliwn ar gyfer y buddsoddiad cydfuddiannol enghreifftiol, £1 biliwn o ran y pwerau benthyca—mae hynny'n gyfystyr, o ran ariannu ar sail flynyddol, â thua 1 y cant o'r gyllideb flynyddol. Mae gan Lywodraeth yr Alban darged o 5 y cant. Ac felly, pe baem ni yr un mor uchelgeisiol â nhw o ran ein harchwaeth i ariannu rhaglen gyfalaf ar y raddfa honno, yna byddem mewn sefyllfa hollol wahanol, yn byddem ni, o ran lefel y buddsoddiad cyfalaf y gallwn ni ei ariannu ar hyn o bryd. Yr oddeutu 350 o brosiectau, y £42 biliwn—ar y gyfradd bresennol, bydd yn cymryd 20 mlynedd, cenhedlaeth, i ni weithio mewn gwirionedd ein ffordd drwy'r Cynllun Buddsoddi—neu oddeutu hynny. Oni ddylem ni fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn fel rydym ni'n adolygu'r Cynllun Buddsoddi hefyd i ofyn i ni'n hunain, 'A yw maint ein huchelgais yn cyfateb i'r cyfle ac yn cyfateb i'r her sy'n wynebu Cymru ar hyn o bryd o ran ei seilwaith?'
Dirprwy Lywydd, diolch yn fawr. Diolch i Adam Price am y cwestiynau.
Dirprwy Lywydd, thank you. I'd like to thank Adam Price for his questions.
To answer his first couple of questions first, looking back over the first period of the WIIP, what will be some of the lessons I think we would learn from it? Well, I think the first is that we are putting considerably more emphasis in the mid-point review on the way in which Welsh Government investment has to act in a complementary way with the investments that other public sector bodies make in local government, for example, but also the major investments that go into transport, energy and water, and so on, by other major investment players in Wales. I think we've learnt the need to make sure that those things are better aligned.
I think we've learnt as well of the need of public authorities to have a finer-grained grasp of infrastructure within their own localities. So, the national assets working group we've set up, which has done—as I know Adam Price knows—a mapping exercise in the Cwm Taf area, trying to make sure that all partners on the ground are aware of the infrastructure assets that are owned by others, is therefore able to make better investment decisions, sharing facilities, releasing land for housing, creating better jobs in the management side of infrastructure and making the public pound go further. And I think that's something else we have learnt in this first part, and that's why we've produced a relatively modest sum of money—around £2 million—to make sure that that mapping exercise can be replicated right across Wales.
Adam Price asked about whether we had succeeded in strengthening the way in which business cases are brought forward for investment, and the five-stage business case model has now been adopted as standard, and that was very much driven by some of the work that went into the original WIIP.
I don't dissent from the proposition that geography has to play a part in the way in which investment decisions are made, but I've never believed myself that it ought to be a determining criterion. I think, in the end, it has to be the quality of the proposal that comes forward, the return on public investment that it provides and the impact that it will have on the future of our economy. Those have to be the things we look at first, and then, of course, we have to see how investments can help us to spread and sustain prosperity in all parts of Wales.
I didn't mention in my statement the over £600 million of capital investment that will come with the city deals that have already been announced. And, of course, the growth deal for north Wales is now making further progress. There's the metro in Swansea, mentioned by Dr Dai Lloyd earlier this afternoon; the north-east Wales metro; the major investments that are going on in Anglesey to make it an energy island and the ambitions that we have there for marine energy in the future. I think we are able to show that we are investing in all parts of Wales. It's an important criterion that we use, but it is not the decisive one.
As far as ambition is concerned, I'm grateful to Adam Price for welcoming the news on bond issues. It is a matter I know he has raised regularly in the Chamber. I can tell him as well that I have already written to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury alerting her to the fact that I intend to make a case for extending the borrowing powers available to the National Assembly as part of the forthcoming spending review.
The difference between Scotland and Wales, however, is rooted at least partly in the level of PFI debt that Scotland drew up in the first decade of devolution, which we, thankfully, decided to avoid. And there is a choice that he and I have rehearsed many times outside the Chamber and here: every time you finance borrowing, you have to eat into the revenue that is available to the Welsh Government for other purposes. And a case can be made for diverting more of our revenue to support additional capital borrowing, and it's a perfectly respectable case that can be made. But every £1 we divert in that way is £1 less for the very urgent revenue demands that the Government faces on all sides of the Chamber. We know that we don't have the money we need for our schools and our hospitals and all other great public services. So, it's a matter of judgment and there's a balance to be struck, and it's a challenging one to get right.
I ateb ei gwestiwn neu ddau cyntaf yn gyntaf, wrth edrych yn ôl dros gyfnod cyntaf y cynllun buddsoddi, beth fydd rhai o'r gwersi rwy'n credu y byddem yn eu dysgu oddi wrtho? Wel, rwy'n credu mai'r cyntaf yw ein bod yn rhoi llawer mwy o bwyslais yn yr adolygiad man canol ar y ffordd y mae'n rhaid i fuddsoddiad Llywodraeth Cymru ategu'r buddsoddiadau y mae cyrff sector cyhoeddus eraill yn ei wneud mewn llywodraeth leol, er enghraifft, ond hefyd y buddsoddiadau mawr mewn trafnidiaeth, ynni a dŵr, gan fuddsoddwyr mawr eraill yng Nghymru. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni wedi dysgu bod angen gwneud yn siŵr bod y pethau hynny yn fwy cydnaws.
Rwy'n credu ein bod ni wedi dysgu hefyd bod angen i awdurdodau cyhoeddus gael dealltwriaeth fanylach o seilwaith yn eu hardaloedd eu hunain. Felly, mae'r gweithgor asedau cenedlaethol yr ydym ni wedi ei sefydlu, sydd wedi gwneud—fel y gwn i fod Adam Price yn gwybod—ymarfer mapio yn ardal Cwm Taf, yn ceisio gwneud yn siŵr bod yr holl bartneriaid ar lawr gwlad yn ymwybodol o'r asedau seilwaith y mae gwahanol gyrff yn berchen arnynt, ac mae felly yn gallu gwneud gwell penderfyniadau buddsoddi, gan rannu cyfleusterau, rhyddhau tir ar gyfer tai, creu swyddi gwell o ran rheoli seilwaith a gwneud i'r bunt gyhoeddus fynd ymhellach. Ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n rhywbeth arall yr ydym ni wedi dysgu yn y rhan gyntaf hon, a dyna pam rydym ni wedi cynhyrchu swm cymharol fach o arian—tua £2 filiwn—i wneud yn siŵr y gellir efelychu'r ymarfer mapio ledled Cymru.
Gofynnodd Adam Price ynghylch p'un a ydym ni wedi llwyddo i gryfhau'r ffordd y cyflwynir achosion busnes ar gyfer buddsoddi, a mabwysiadwyd y model busnes achos pum cam bellach fel safon, ac mae hynny i raddau helaeth yn ffrwyth peth o'r gwaith a wnaed ar y Cynllun Buddsoddi gwreiddiol.
Nid wyf yn anghydweld â'r gosodiad bod yn rhaid ystyried daearyddiaeth wrth wneud penderfyniadau buddsoddi, ond nid wyf i byth wedi credu yn bersonol y dylai hynny fod yn faen prawf ar gyfer penderfynu. Rwy'n credu, yn y pen draw, bod yn rhaid i hynny fod yn seiliedig ar ansawdd y cynnig a gyflwynir, yr adenillion ar fuddsoddiad cyhoeddus a ddaw yn ei sgil a'r effaith a gaiff ar ddyfodol ein heconomi. Dyna'r pethau y mae'n rhaid inni edrych arnyn nhw'n gyntaf, ac wedyn, wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid inni weld sut gall buddsoddiadau ein helpu i ledaenu a chynnal ffyniant ym mhob rhan o Gymru.
Wnes i ddim yn sôn yn fy natganiad am y £600 miliwn a mwy o fuddsoddiad cyfalaf a fydd yn dod yn sgil y bargeinion dinesig sydd eisoes wedi'u cyhoeddi. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae'r fargen twf ar gyfer gogledd Cymru yn gwneud cynnydd pellach erbyn hyn. Dyna'r metro yn Abertawe, y soniodd Dr Dai Lloyd amdano yn gynharach y prynhawn yma; metro gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru; y buddsoddiadau mawr sy'n digwydd ar Ynys Môn i wneud yr ynys yn ynys ynni a'r uchelgeisiau sydd gennym ni ar gyfer ynni morol yn y dyfodol. Rwy'n credu y gallwn ni ddangos ein bod yn buddsoddi ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Mae'n faen prawf pwysig yr ydym ni'n ei ddefnyddio, ond nid dyna'r un dyngedfennol.
O ran uchelgais, rwy'n ddiolchgar i Adam Price am groesawu'r newyddion ynglŷn â materion y bondiau. Mae'n fater y gwn i ei fod wedi cyfeirio ato'n rheolaidd yn y Siambr. Gallaf ddweud wrtho hefyd fy mod eisoes wedi ysgrifennu at Brif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys yn ei rhybuddio o'r ffaith fy mod yn bwriadu cyflwyno achos dros ymestyn y pwerau benthyca sydd ar gael i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol yn rhan o'r adolygiad gwariant sydd ar y gorwel.
Mae'r gwahaniaeth rhwng yr Alban a Chymru, fodd bynnag yn seiliedig yn rhannol o leiaf ar faint o ddyled sydd ynghlwm â'r fenter cyllid preifat a luniodd yr Alban yn ystod degawd cyntaf datganoli, y gwnaethom ni benderfynu, diolch byth, ei osgoi. Ac mae yna ddewis y mae ef a minnau wedi trafod droeon y tu allan i'r Siambr ac yn y fan yma: bob tro rydych chi'n cyllido benthyca, mae'n rhaid ichi ddefnyddio peth o'r refeniw sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru at ddibenion eraill. A gellir dadlau o blaid dargyfeirio mwy o'n refeniw i gefnogi benthyca cyfalaf ychwanegol, ac mae dadl gwbl glodwiw dros wneud hynny. Ond mae pob £1 a ddargyfeirir yn y modd hwnnw yn £1 yn llai ar gyfer y gofynion refeniw dybryd iawn sy'n pwyso ar y Llywodraeth o bob ochr i'r Siambr. Rydym ni'n gwybod nad oes gennym ni mo'r arian sydd ei angen arnom ni ar gyfer ein hysgolion a'n hysbytai a'r holl wasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill gwych. Felly, mae'n fater o farn ac mae angen cael cydbwysedd, ac mae'n fater heriol i'w gyflawni'n briodol.
I wholly endorse what the finance Secretary has just said about the choices that have to be made, and the reality is, of course, that we are constrained by the Welsh block, which is out of our hands. Half of the budget goes on health, another quarter goes on education, and the remainder is split between the other heads upon which the Government spends. The amount available for capital spending is therefore limited, and the finance Secretary's hands are tied. So, we are talking here about a small part of the Welsh Government budget. The urgent need for Wales, as the poorest part of the United Kingdom, is to raise the tax base here, now that we've got limited freedom to raise future revenues from taxation. This is going to become increasingly important to make Wales a more attractive place for businesses to locate and to expand and to attract entrepreneurs into the country and to encourage those who are already here.
I know that the finance Secretary starts all these statements with the ritual trip down austerity avenue, but the fantasy that a UK Labour Government would have done anything very much different from what the Conservatives have done had they been in office after 2010 I think is nonsense. The Alistair Darling plans, on which the Brown Labour Government fought the 2010 election, was actually more restrictive than the plans that George Osborne proposed in his first financial statements. The idea that you can carry on spending money forever and have infinite deficit spending is disproved by the experience of countries as various as Venezuela and Zimbabwe. We've doubled the national debt since 2010 to nearly £2 trillion, which is now £22,000 for every single person in the United Kingdom. Yes, we've lived in an era of low interest rates, but if the Government's financial policy had been much more relaxed, then those interest rates would not have fallen as fast and as far as they did. Now, of course, there's only one way forward for interest rates, and that's up. So, we have to be ever more cautious, I think, in balancing the books, or moving towards that. George Osborne was continually pushed off to another day—Philip Hammond similarly—the day on which the budget is balanced. Now, that has implications, of course, for us here in Wales too. But for the future, looking at it in the very longer term, we want to have a tax policy in Wales that is going to encourage growth and investment. You have to create wealth before you can spend it. If you spend it before it's been created, then you end up in the same position as Mr Micawber.
But to move to the specifics, I just want to make a couple of points. The statement says that the plan's been at the heart of the Welsh Government's work to create and sustain economic growth, but, of course, economic growth in terms of private sector businesses in Wales has been modest since the inception of the plan, and, in fact, mid and west Wales is one of the worst. I do endorse what Adam Price has said about the need to have a more equitable spread of investment throughout the country.
Wales, according to the Barclays entrepreneurs index, has the second lowest number of high-growth companies in the UK, at only 77. The number of companies receiving venture capital funding has also increased from 23 last year now to 32. The value of this investment hasn't increased; it's stable year on year at only £9 million. These are very disappointing figures.
The StatsWales figures on active business enterprises per 10,000 population show that, overall, the Wales figures have an increase of only 57 active businesses per 10,000 since 2012. And mid and west Wales figures are very much below the best areas and the Wales average overall. Mid Wales being, for these purposes, Powys and Ceredigion combined, shows an increase of only 31 active businesses per 10,000 population between 2012 and 2016. So, we need to do something to ensure, from the Welsh Government's ability to spend, that we build upon these modest successes so that we reduce the imbalances in Wales. Looking at the increases in business turnover between 2012 and 2017, again from the StatsWales figures, Wales has seen an overall increase of 13.8 per cent. Pembrokeshire has seen only a 3 per cent increase. I know you're never going to have everybody at the average throughout the whole country, obviously, and things change over time, but we should, I think, at least endeavour to ensure that there's a greater equity in the way Government is spending. I'm sure that Lee Waters will find that it grows on him the longer it gets. The other—[Interruption.]
Rwy'n cefnogi'n llwyr yr hyn y mae'r Ysgrifennydd cyllid newydd ei ddweud am y dewisiadau y mae'n rhaid eu gwneud, a'r gwir amdani yw, wrth gwrs, ein bod wedi ein cyfyngu gan floc Cymru, nad oes gennym ni reolaeth drosto. Caiff hanner y gyllideb ei gwario iechyd, caiff y chwarter arall ei gwario ar addysg, a rhennir y gweddill rhwng y penawdau eraill y mae'r Llywodraeth yn gwario arnynt. Mae'r swm sydd ar gael ar gyfer gwariant cyfalaf yn gyfyngedig felly, a dim ond hyn a hyn y gall yr Ysgrifennydd cyllid ei wneud. Felly, rydym ni'n sôn yma am ran fach o gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru. Yr angen dybryd i Gymru, fel rhan dlotaf y Deyrnas Unedig, yw codi'r sylfaen dreth yma, nawr bod gennym ni ryddid cyfyngedig i godi refeniw o drethi yn y dyfodol. Bydd hyn yn fwyfwy pwysig i wneud Cymru yn lle mwy deniadol i fusnesau ymsefydlu ac ehangu ac i ddenu entrepreneuriaid i'r wlad ac i annog y rheini sydd eisoes yma.
Rwy'n gwybod bod yr Ysgrifennydd cyllid yn dechrau pob un o'r datganiadau hyn drwy sôn yn ddefodol am gyni, ond mae'r ffantasi y byddai Llywodraeth Lafur y DU wedi gwneud unrhyw beth yn wahanol iawn i'r hyn a wnaeth y Ceidwadwyr pe baent wedi bod mewn grym ar ôl 2010 yn lol botes. Roedd cynlluniau Alistair Darling, yr ymladdodd Llywodraeth Lafur Brown etholiad 2010 arnynt, mewn gwirionedd yn fwy caethiwus na'r cynlluniau a gynigiwyd gan George Osborne yn ei ddatganiadau ariannol cyntaf. Mae'r syniad y gallwch chi barhau i wario arian am byth a chael diffyg gwario diddiwedd wedi ei wrthbrofi gan brofiad gwledydd mor amrywiol â Venezuela a Zimbabwe. Rydym ni wedi dyblu'r ddyled genedlaethol ers 2010 i bron £2 triliwn, sydd bellach yn £22,000 ar gyfer pob person unigol yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Do, buom ni'n byw mewn oes o gyfraddau llog isel, ond pe bai polisi ariannol y Llywodraeth wedi bod yn llawer llai caeth, yna ni fyddai'r cyfraddau llog hynny wedi gostwng mor gyflym ac mor isel ag y gwnaethon nhw. Nawr, wrth gwrs, dim ond un peth all ddigwydd i gyfraddau llog yn y dyfodol, sef cynyddu. Felly, mae'n rhaid inni fod yn fwy gofalus nag erioed, rwy'n credu, wrth gydbwyso'r llyfrau, neu wrth amcanu at wneud hynny. Cafodd George Osborne ei wthio o'r neilltu yn barhaus hyn oni ddelai diwrnod arall—a Philip Hammond yn yr un modd—y diwrnod pan fydd y gyllideb yn gytbwys. Nawr, mae gan hynny oblygiadau, wrth gwrs, i ni yma yng Nghymru hefyd. Ond ar gyfer y dyfodol, wrth edrych i'r dyfodol pell, mae arnom ni eisiau polisi treth yng Nghymru sydd yn mynd i annog twf a buddsoddi. Mae'n rhaid ichi greu cyfoeth cyn ichi allu ei wario. Os ydych chi'n ei wario cyn iddo gael ei greu, yna byddwch chi yn yr un sefyllfa â Mr Micawber.
Ond i droi at y manylion, dim ond eisiau gwneud ambell sylw wyf i. Mae'r datganiad yn dweud bod y cynllun wedi bod wrth wraidd gwaith Llywodraeth Cymru i greu a chynnal twf economaidd, ond, wrth gwrs, cymharol fychan fu'r twf economaidd o ran busnesau yn y sector preifat yng Nghymru ers sefydlu'r cynllun, ac, yn wir, mae'r canolbarth a'r gorllewin yn un o'r ardaloedd gwaethaf. Rwyf i yn cefnogi'r hyn a ddywedodd Adam Price am yr angen i gael buddsoddiad tecach ledled y wlad.
Cymru, yn ôl mynegai entrepreneuriaid Barclays, sydd â'r nifer leiaf o gwmnïau twf uchel yn y DU, sef dim ond 77. Mae nifer y cwmnïau sy'n cael cyllid cyfalaf menter hefyd wedi cynyddu o 23 y llynedd i 32 bellach. Nid yw gwerth y buddsoddiad hwn wedi cynyddu; mae'n sefydlog flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn ar ddim ond £9 miliwn. Mae'r rhain yn ffigurau siomedig iawn.
Mae ffigurau StatsCymru ynglŷn â mentrau busnes gweithredol fesul 10,000 o'r boblogaeth yn dangos, ar y cyfan, bod ffigurau Cymru wedi cynyddu gan ddim ond 57 o fusnesau gweithredol fesul 10,000 ers 2012. Ac mae ffigurau'r canolbarth a'r gorllewin yn llawer iawn llai na'r ardaloedd gorau a'r cyfartaledd yng Nghymru yn gyffredinol. Yn y canolbarth, sef at y dibenion hyn, Powys a Cheredigion gyda'i gilydd, bu cynnydd o ddim ond 31 busnes gweithredol fesul 10,000 o'r boblogaeth rhwng 2012 a 2016. Felly, mae angen inni wneud rhywbeth i sicrhau, o ran gallu Llywodraeth Cymru i wario, ein bod yn adeiladu ar y llwyddiannau cymharol fach hyn fel ein bod yn lleihau'r anghydbwysedd yng Nghymru. O edrych ar y cynnydd mewn trosiant busnes rhwng 2012 a 2017, eto o ffigurau StatsCymru, mae Cymru wedi gweld cynnydd cyffredinol o 13.8 y cant. Mae Sir Benfro wedi gweld cynnydd o ddim ond 3 y cant. Rwy'n gwybod na chewch chi fyth pawb ar y cyfartaledd ledled y wlad, yn amlwg, ac mae pethau'n newid dros amser, ond fe ddylem ni, rwy'n credu, o leiaf ymdrechu i sicrhau bod mwy o degwch yn y ffordd y mae'r Llywodraeth yn gwario. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd Lee Waters yn canfod y bydd yn closio at hynny po hiraf y caiff y cyfle. Y peth arall—[Torri ar draws.]
No, you don't get much longer because you've had far more time than the other two spokespeople. So, if you could come to some questions, thank you.
Na, chewch chi ddim llawer mwy o amser oherwydd rydych chi wedi cael llawer mwy o amser na'r ddau lefarydd arall. Felly, pe gallech chi ofyn rhai cwestiynau, diolch.
Right, of course. I defer always to your authority, Deputy Presiding Officer.
I would just like to make a further plea, lastly, in relation to broadband access because, again, for mid and west Wales, of the 10 constituencies with the slowest broadband connection, seven out of 10 were in mid and west Wales. In Carmarthen East and Dinefwr and Montgomeryshire, Ceredigion and Dwyfor Meirionnydd, over 50 per cent of broadband connections are slower than 10 MB per second in 2016. I do applaud what the Welsh Government has done in this respect to improve connectivity, but I think there is a lot more that still needs to be done, and it can only be done if we can provide greater finance for it. So, I wonder if the finance Secretary could give us his reflections on those few points that I've made.
Iawn, wrth gwrs. Ildiaf bob amser i'ch awdurdod chi, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Hoffwn wneud apêl arall, yn olaf, o ran gallu defnyddio band eang oherwydd, unwaith eto, yn y canolbarth a'r gorllewin, o'r 10 etholaeth sydd â'r cysylltiad band eang arafaf, roedd saith o'r 10 yn y canolbarth a'r gorllewin. Yn Nwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr a Sir Drefaldwyn, Ceredigion a Dwyfor Meirionnydd, roedd dros 50 y cant o gysylltiadau band eang yn arafach na 10 MB yr eiliad yn 2016. Rwyf yn canmol yr hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud yn hyn o beth i wella cysylltedd, ond rwy'n credu bod llawer mwy yn dal angen ei wneud, a gellir gwneud hynny dim ond os gallwn ni ddarparu mwy o gyllid ar ei gyfer. Felly, tybed a allai'r Ysgrifennydd cyllid roi ei farn inni ynghylch yr ychydig sylwadau rwyf wedi eu gwneud.
Thank you very much. Let me first of all identify a small number of points where I would not agree with what the Member has said. He said that the Welsh Government's hands are tied. Our hands are not as completely tied as they once were, very largely due to the work carried out by my predecessor, Jane Hutt, in setting off down the road of innovative ways of adding to the conventional capital that is available to us. And I tried to set some of those out in the way that we have supported borrowing that was capable of being undertaken by housing associations and local councils and in the way that we have used sources of funding outside the Welsh block. Of course, the big context is set by the block in the way that Neil Hamilton said. Let me say to him: austerity isn't an avenue, it's a dead end. That's what the continual pushing into the distance of the day when we will finally see it come to a conclusion demonstrates.
I've not argued at all, Dirprwy Lywydd, this afternoon, for infinite spending, but the clue is in the term, isn't it—'capital' investment? Capital spending is not just money poured down the drain, it is the money that we use to create the conditions in which we get a greater return as a result of the investment than we would have if we hadn't made it. And that's how we manage—and I agree with what he said here—to try and raise the tax base in Wales, to try and make sure that our economy is able to do better. What do businesses coming into Wales expect to see? They expect to see the sort of infrastructure that they know public spending will support the investment that they are willing to make. And so I don't agree with him that capital investment is somehow something that we should be sceptical about. We invest today in order to succeed tomorrow, and the success we have tomorrow more than pays back the investment that we make in order to get there.
I thank him for what he said at the end about broadband access. He's seen that there's over £30 million in today's announcement of additional investment over the next three years in broadband access. My understanding, but you'd hear much more of it from my colleague who has responsibility for it, is that that money will, in part at least, be spent in those parts of Wales where the broadband challenge is at its greatest and to enable us to accelerate the infrastructure that we need in digital technologies, again because businesses in that part of Wales—their future and their growth depends on it.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Caniatewch yn gyntaf imi grybwyll nifer fach o bwyntiau lle nad wyf yn cytuno â'r hyn a ddywedodd yr Aelod. Dywedodd fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei chyfyngu. Nid ydym ni wedi ein cyfyngu gymaint ag yr oeddem ni ar un adeg, i raddau helaeth oherwydd y gwaith a wnaed gan fy rhagflaenydd, Jane Hutt, wrth ddechrau mynd ati mewn ffyrdd arloesol i ychwanegu at y cyfalaf confensiynol sydd ar gael i ni. Ac fe geisiais i ddisgrifio rhai o'r rheini yn y ffordd yr ydym ni wedi cefnogi cymdeithasau tai a chynghorau lleol i fenthyca ac yn y ffordd yr ydym ni wedi defnyddio ffynonellau cyllid y tu allan i floc Cymru. Wrth gwrs, gosodir y cyd-destun mawr gan y bloc yn y ffordd y dywedodd Neil Hamilton. Caniatewch imi ddweud wrtho: nid llwybr at waredigaeth mo cyni, ond ffordd nad yw'n arwain i unlle. Dyna a ddangosir drwy ei wfftio'n barhaol pan fyddwn ni yn y pen draw yn gweld ei benllanw.
Nid wyf wedi dadlau o gwbl, Dirprwy Lywydd, y prynhawn yma am wariant diddiwedd, ond mae'r awgrym yn y term, onid yw—buddsoddi 'cyfalaf'? Nid arian wedi ei wastraffu yw gwariant cyfalaf, yr arian yr ydym ni yn ei ddefnyddio i greu'r amodau ble byddwn ni'n cael adenillion gwell o ganlyniad i'r buddsoddiad nag a gaem ni pe na baem ni wedi gwneud hynny. A dyna sut yr ydym ni'n rheoli—ac rwy'n cytuno â'r hyn a ddywedodd yn hyn o beth—i geisio codi'r sylfaen dreth yng Nghymru, i geisio sicrhau y gall ein heconomi wneud yn well. Beth mae busnesau sy'n dod i Gymru yn disgwyl ei weld? Maen nhw'n disgwyl gweld y math o seilwaith y gwyddon nhw y caiff y buddsoddiad y maen nhw'n barod i'w wneud ei gefnogi gyda gwariant cyhoeddus. Ac felly nid wyf yn cytuno ag ef bod buddsoddi cyfalaf am ryw reswm yn rhywbeth y dylem ni fod yn amheus yn ei gylch. Rydym ni'n buddsoddi heddiw er mwyn llwyddo yfory, ac mae llwyddiant yfory yn mwy nag ad-dalu'r buddsoddiad a wnawn ni er mwyn cyflawni hynny.
Diolch iddo am yr hyn a ddywedodd ar y diwedd ynglŷn â gallu defnyddio band eang. Mae wedi gweld bod mwy na £30 miliwn yng nghyhoeddiad heddiw o fuddsoddiad ychwanegol dros y tair blynedd nesaf o ran gallu defnyddio band eang. Fy nealltwriaeth i, ond fe allech chi glywed llawer mwy ynghylch hynny gan fy nghyd-Aelod sy'n gyfrifol am y maes hwnnw, yw y caiff yr arian, yn rhannol o leiaf, ei wario yn y rhannau hynny o Gymru lle mae'r her o allu defnyddio band eang ar ei uchaf ac yn ein galluogi ni i gyflymu'r gwaith o ddatblygu'r seilwaith sydd ei angen arnom ni mewn technolegau digidol, unwaith eto oherwydd bod busnesau yn y rhan honno o Gymru—mae eu dyfodol a'u twf yn dibynnu arno.
I very much welcome the statement by the Cabinet Secretary, who I'm sure agrees with me that the choice is often between austerity or growth and what austerity is doing is strangling growth in the British economy and the Welsh economy. Could I also say that it wasn't serendipity that Wales has got low PFI? It was good decisions taken by the Welsh Government at the time. They could've followed Scotland and England and built up that debt.
I'd like to put on record my personal congratulations to Jane Hutt, the person who started off this 10-year programme. I just look at the benefits it has given to my constituency: the new secondary schools, the new primary schools, the improved transport infrastructure, the new homes. That's what we try to get elected for—to improve the lives of the constituents we represent. Capital expenditure is incredibly important, not just to provide the buildings, but very much to reflate the Welsh economy. You put money in—capital expenditure—and you buy goods and you employ people and the money gets circulated inside the economy. This is something that doesn't seem to have crossed Philip Hammond's mind, because it probably doesn't appear on his spreadsheet.
It's a very important point that Adam Price raised about bonds, but the important thing about bonds is not to use them, but to have the capacity to use them to keep the Public Works Loan Board honest. Very few people—. You'll see them used—bonds—by local government bodies. Transport for London took out a very substantial bond, but very few other people have. When the Public Works Loan Board started looking at increasing interest rates, people started looking to bonds in order to push their rates down. I think it's important that we have the ability to use bonds, not necessarily because we want to use them, but because they give us power over the Public Works Loan Board, which, if we didn't have that, would be the only lender we could go to.
Can I just say I very much welcome the £60 million over three years to accelerate the creation of active travel routes to connect residential areas with key employment and educational sites and services? I'm sure that my colleague Lee Waters is going to say more about that later on. When will the split by region or local authority be available, or will local authorities have to bid, and how will those bids be decided?
Inside this money, will there be extra money available for the Swansea bay city region for transport within that region? I know we use the word 'metro' because that's the word we've got used to, but improved bus and rail links, opening additional railway stations, making it easier for people to cycle and walk within that area is really what I'm talking about in that. For relatively small sums, huge improvements can be made in terms of ensuring that cycle routes are completed, that buses and trains actually meet each other so you can get off a bus and catch a train or get off a train and catch a bus, rather than being unco-ordinated, and that buses get close to the railway stations, rather than making people walk 200 yards, or 200m in modern parlance, when it's raining.
My final question is: waste recycling collaboration, will there be money available for that, and how will that be distributed?
Rwy'n croesawu datganiad Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn fawr iawn, ac rwy'n siŵr ei fod yn cytuno â mi bod y dewis yn aml rhwng cyni neu dwf a'r hyn y mae cyni yn ei wneud yw llyffetheirio twf yn economi Prydain ac economi Cymru. A gaf i ddweud hefyd nad hap a damwain yw hi fod gan Gymru Fenter Cyllid Preifat isel? Mae'n ganlyniad penderfyniadau da a wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ar y pryd. Byddai hi wedi gallu efelychu yr Alban a Lloegr a chronni'r ddyled honno.
Hoffwn ddweud ar goedd fy mod i'n llongyfarch Jane yn bersonol, y person a ddechreuodd y rhaglen 10 mlynedd hon. Does ond angen imi edrych ar y manteision a ddaeth i fy etholaeth yn sgil hynny: ysgolion uwchradd newydd, ysgolion cynradd newydd, seilwaith trafnidiaeth gwell, cartrefi newydd. Dyna pam rydym ni'n ceisio cael ein hethol—i wella bywydau'r etholwyr yr ydym ni'n eu cynrychioli. Mae gwariant cyfalaf yn eithriadol o bwysig, nid yn unig i ddarparu adeiladau, ond i raddau helaeth er mwyn atgyfodi economi Cymru. Rydych chi'n gwario arian—gwariant cyfalaf—ac yn prynu nwyddau ac rydych chi'n cyflogi pobl ac fe gaiff yr arian ei gylchdroi yn yr economi. Mae hyn yn rhywbeth y mae'n ymddangos nad yw wedi croesi meddwl Philip Hammond, oherwydd mae'n debyg nad yw'n ymddangos ar ei daenlen.
Roedd y sylw a wnaeth Adam Price ynglŷn â bondiau yn un pwysig iawn, ond y peth pwysig ynglŷn â bondiau yw nid eu defnyddio, ond bod â'r gallu i'w defnyddio i gadw'r Bwrdd Benthyciadau Gwaith Cyhoeddus yn onest. Ychydig iawn o bobl—. Fe welwch chi y cawn nhw eu defnyddio—bondiau—gan gyrff llywodraeth leol. Manteisiodd Transport for London ar fond sylweddol iawn, ond ychydig iawn o bobl eraill sydd wedi. Pan ddechreuodd y Bwrdd Benthyciadau Gwaith Cyhoeddus ystyried cynyddu cyfraddau llog, dechreuodd pobl ystyried bondiau er mwyn gwthio eu cyfraddau i lawr. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig bod gennym ni'r gallu i ddefnyddio bondiau, nid o reidrwydd oherwydd ein bod ni eisiau eu defnyddio, ond oherwydd eu bod yn rhoi pŵer inni dros y Bwrdd Benthyciadau Gwaith Cyhoeddus, a fyddai, os nad oedd gennym ni'r bondiau hynny, yr unig fenthyciwr y gallem ni fynd ar ei ofyn.
A gaf i ddim ond dweud fy mod i'n croesawu'n fawr y £60 miliwn dros dair blynedd i gyflymu'r broses o greu llwybrau teithio llesol i gysylltu ardaloedd preswyl â safleoedd a gwasanaethau gwaith ac addysg allweddol? Rwy'n siŵr y bydd fy nghyd-Aelod, Lee Waters yn dweud mwy am hynny yn nes ymlaen. Pryd fydd y dadansoddiad fesul rhanbarth neu awdurdod lleol ar gael, neu a fydd yn rhaid i awdurdodau lleol wneud cais, a sut y penderfynir ar y ceisiadau hynny?
Yn rhan o'r arian hwn, a fydd arian ychwanegol ar gael ar gyfer dinas-ranbarth Bae Abertawe ar gyfer trafnidiaeth yn y rhanbarth hwnnw? Rwy'n gwybod ein bod ni'n defnyddio'r gair 'metro' oherwydd mai dyna'r gair yr ydym ni wedi arfer â'i ddefnyddio, ond gwell cysylltiadau bws a thrên, agor gorsafoedd rheilffordd ychwanegol, gan ei gwneud hi'n haws i bobl feicio a cherdded yn yr ardal honno yw'r hyn yr wyf yn sôn amdano mewn gwirionedd. Am symiau cymharol fach, gellir gwneud gwelliannau enfawr o ran sicrhau y caiff llwybrau beicio eu cwblhau, bod bysiau a threnau mewn gwirionedd yn cysylltu â'i gilydd fel y gallwch chi ddod oddi ar fws a dal trên neu ddod oddi ar drên a dal bws, yn hytrach na bod yn ddigyswllt, a bod bysiau yn teithio i orsafoedd rheilffyrdd, yn hytrach na gorfodi pobl i gerdded 200 llath, neu 200 metr yn yr iaith fodern, pan mae hi'n bwrw glaw.
Fy nghwestiwn olaf yw: cydweithio i ailgylchu gwastraff, fydd arian ar gael ar gyfer hynny, a sut y cyflawnir hynny?
Well, let me begin by agreeing, as Mike Hedges predicted I would, with a point he made at the outset: the problem with austerity is that it is self-defeating. It creates the problem it claims to address, and that's why we find ourselves in the position that we do. He's absolutely right to say, of course, not using PFI was a deliberate decision by Welsh Governments in the first decade of devolution, and I well remember the criticisms that were levelled at the Welsh Government at the time for making just that decision. I think we now see the wisdom of it. Every one of us, Dirprwy Lywydd, I think, can point to the impact of capital investment during the first period of the WIIP in our own constituencies, whether that is in health or in education or in transport or in housing and the other key purposes that were identified for it.
Can I thank Mike Hedges for reminding us of the multiplier effect of capital investment? It isn't just the building that you see, or the transport link that is created, it's the supply chains that it supports, it's the jobs that are created there, it's the spending in local economies, it's that benign economic cycle that capital expenditure brings.
Dirprwy Lywydd, Mike Hedges was also right to remind us that the issuing of bonds does not extend the capital limit of the Welsh Government. It doesn't give us more money to invest, but what it does is it gives us more choices in the way that we can get to that capital limit, and were the day to come where the interest rate in the Public Works Loan Board were to rise—and the UK Government were tempted to do that, as Mike said, not that long ago—we would have somewhere else to go. That's an important lever in our hands.
I'd like to be able to answer the more detailed questions that Mike raised in relation to active travel, to the Swansea area, to waste recycling and so on, but those are things that fall to my Cabinet colleagues. They will provide the detail to Members in a series of announcements that I'm sure they will be making over the coming days.
Wel, caniatewch imi ddechrau drwy gytuno, fel y rhagwelodd Mike Hedges y byddwn i, gyda sylw a wnaeth ar y cychwyn: y broblem gyda chyni yw ei fod yn tanseilio'i hun. Mae'n creu'r broblem y mae'n honni i fynd i'r afael â hi, a dyna pam y cawn ni ein hunain yn y sefyllfa yr ydym ni ynddi. Mae'n hollol gywir dweud, wrth gwrs, fod peidio â defnyddio Menter Cyllid Preifat yn benderfyniad bwriadol gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn ystod degawd cyntaf datganoli, a chofiaf yn dda y beirniadu a fu ar Lywodraeth Cymru ar y pryd am wneud yr union benderfyniad hwnnw. Rwy'n credu yn awr ein bod yn gweld doethineb hynny. Gall pob un ohonom ni, Dirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n credu, gyfeirio at effaith buddsoddi cyfalaf yn ystod cyfnod cyntaf Cynllun Buddsoddi yn Seilwaith Cymru yn ein hetholaethau, boed hynny mewn iechyd neu mewn addysg neu mewn trafnidiaeth neu mewn tai a'r dibenion allweddol eraill a nodwyd ar ei gyfer.
A gaf i ddiolch i Mike Hedges am ein hatgoffa o effaith lluosog buddsoddi cyfalaf? Mae'n fwy na'r adeilad a welwch chi, neu'r cyswllt trafnidiaeth a grëir, mae ynglŷn â'r cadwyni cyflenwi y mae'n eu cefnogi, mae ynglŷn â'r swyddi sy'n cael eu creu yno, mae ynglŷn â'r gwariant mewn economïau lleol, mae ynglŷn â'r cylch economaidd llesol hwnnw sy'n ffrwyth gwariant cyfalaf.
Dirprwy Lywydd, roedd Mike Hedges hefyd yn gywir yn ein hatgoffa nad yw cyhoeddi bondiau yn ymestyn terfyn cyfalaf Llywodraeth Cymru. Nid yw'n rhoi mwy o arian inni ei fuddsoddi, ond yr hyn y mae yn ei wneud yw rhoi mwy o ddewisiadau inni o ran y ffordd y gallwn ni gyrraedd y terfyn cyfalaf, a phe delai'r diwrnod ble byddai cyfradd llog y Bwrdd Benthyciadau Gwaith Cyhoeddus yn cynyddu—a Llywodraeth y DU yn cael eu temtio i wneud hynny, fel y dywedodd Mike, nid gymaint â hynny yn ôl—byddai gennym ni rywle arall i fynd. Mae hynny'n offeryn pwysig sydd gennym ni wrth law.
Fe hoffwn i allu ateb y cwestiynau manylach a holodd Mike ynglŷn â theithio llesol, ynglŷn ag ardal Abertawe, ynglŷn â gwastraff ailgylchu ac ati, ond mae'r rheini'n bethau y mae fy nghyd-Aelodau yn y Cabinet yn gyfrifol amdanynt. Byddant yn rhoi'r manylion i Aelodau mewn cyfres o gyhoeddiadau yr wyf yn siŵr y byddant yn eu gwneud yn ystod y dyddiau nesaf.
Cabinet Secretary, can I also welcome the midpoint review of the Wales infrastructure investment plan, which I did launch, as you stated, in 2012? We developed the plan to ensure that Welsh Government decisions on capital investment are made in accordance with agreed Wales-wide strategic Welsh Government priorities. Can I welcome the £9 billion invested as a result of the WIIP, including that pipeline of the wider public sector and private sector investment in terms of profiles and planning, and welcome the fact that that has been in accordance with the five-case business model that has underpinned the efficiency, maintenance and management of the plan?
Thus, two questions from me: in terms of the innovative finance schemes you are progressing, can you update us on the current and post-Brexit access to loans from the European Investment Bank? The bank has played a key role in infrastructure investment in Wales, including the private as well as the public sector, with the landmark Swansea University second campus as a clear example—of course, also backed by Welsh Government and European regional development funding. Will we be able to continue to access European Investment Bank funding? Can you also confirm that the European structural funds—and you highlight the £720 million that is being used for capital investment in Wales in this programme—will be fully drawn down in this programme timeline, and for what key purposes? Can I thank you for opening the Llantwit Major Comprehensive School learning campus, which, of course, was as a result of the twenty-first century schools investment programme, funded in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Council?
Just finally, Mike Hedges and you in your response to him, talked about the wider impact on the economy. The impact today on the construction sector is crucial, and it would be helpful to know if you can identify the jobs that will be created. We have shown in Wales that we can be innovative and we can, in fact, challenge austerity through innovation and careful management and prioritisation of our resources.
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a gaf i hefyd groesawu adolygiad man canol cynllun buddsoddi yn seilwaith Cymru a lansiwyd gennyf, fel y gwnaethoch chi ddweud, yn 2012? Fe wnaethom ni ddatblygu'r cynllun er mwyn sicrhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud penderfyniadau ynglŷn â buddsoddi cyfalaf yn unol â blaenoriaethau strategol Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer Cymru gyfan. A gaf i groesawu'r £9 biliwn a fuddsoddwyd o ganlyniad i'r cynllun, gan gynnwys y llif o fuddsoddiad sector cyhoeddus a'r sector preifat ehangach o ran proffiliau a chynllunio, a chroesawu'r ffaith y bu hynny yn unol â'r model busnes pum achos sydd wedi bod yn sail i effeithlonrwydd, cynnal a chadw a rheoli'r cynllun?
Felly, dau gwestiwn gennyf fi: o ran y cynlluniau cyllid arloesol yr ydych chi'n eu datblygu, allech chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ynglŷn â'r sefyllfa bresennol ac ar ôl Brexit ynglŷn â chael benthyciadau gan Fanc Buddsoddi Ewrop? Mae'r banc wedi chwarae rhan allweddol yn buddsoddi mewn seilwaith yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys y sector preifat yn ogystal â'r sector cyhoeddus, gydag ail gampws nodedig Prifysgol Abertawe yn enghraifft amlwg—wrth gwrs, a gafodd gefnogaeth hefyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru a chyllid o gronfeydd datblygu rhanbarthol Ewrop. A fyddwn ni'n dal i allu cael arian gan Fanc Buddsoddi Ewrop? A allwch chi hefyd gadarnhau y caiff y cronfeydd strwythurol Ewropeaidd—ac rydych chi'n cyfeirio at y £720 miliwn a ddefnyddir ar gyfer buddsoddi cyfalaf yng Nghymru yn y rhaglen hon—eu defnyddio'n llawn yn amserlen y rhaglen hon, ac at ba ddibenion allweddol? A gaf i ddiolch i chi am agor campws dysgu Ysgol Gyfun Llanilltud Fawr, a oedd, wrth gwrs, yn ganlyniad i'r rhaglen fuddsoddi ar gyfer ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, a ariannwyd ar y cyd â Chyngor Bro Morgannwg?
Dim ond yn olaf, fe wnaeth Mike Hedges a chithau yn eich ymateb iddo, sôn am yr effaith ehangach ar yr economi. Mae'r effaith heddiw ar y sector adeiladu yn hollbwysig, a byddai'n ddefnyddiol gwybod a allwch chi adnabod y swyddi a gaiff eu creu. Rydym ni wedi dangos yng Nghymru y gallwn ni fod yn arloesol ac y gallwn ni, yn wir, herio cyni drwy arloesi a rheoli ein blaenoriaethu a'n hadnoddau yn ofalus.
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. First of all, can I say to Jane Hutt that the Llantwit Major learning campus is an absolutely excellent example of what I said about how all our constituencies have flagship places that we can point to that are there because of the work that the WIIP set in motion?
The Member made a very important point about the construction sector. I attended an event at Coleg y Cymoedd yesterday, in which I was able to meet several groups of young people—I was very pleased to see a number of young women amongst them—who are following courses in engineering and in the railway industry, making sure that they have the skills that are needed for the construction sector in the future, and to hear from the Institution of Civil Engineers, for example, just how important the WIIP has been to them in allowing them and their Members to plan ahead for capital investment that they know is here in Wales.
Two specific questions from Jane. Firstly, in relation to the European Investment Bank, we have argued from the beginning that the UK should aim to remain a subscribing partner of the bank. We are a major capital holder within the bank, and of course Wales has benefited from it. The European Union UK phase 1 report on the negotiations says that there is a prospect of what is called a 'continuing arrangement' between the UK and the EIB. I have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the basis of that report, to press on him the point that we clearly see merit in a mutually beneficial relationship with the bank, and making a number of technical suggestions to him, based on our experience as to how an ongoing relationship with the EIB could be secured.
As to structural funds, we continue to operate within the Chancellor's guarantee, which sets a limit of 2019 for us to commit all structural funds available to us during the current round. I remain hopeful, Dirprwy Lywydd, if not optimistic, that that transition arrangement, which is part of the first phase 1 deal, once it is confirmed, that that will mean we are able to use structural funds in the current round on the basis of business as usual. That is to say that they will go to the end of the seven-year period, and two years beyond that, so that we are able to make even better use of the resources that are available to us.
Diolch ichi, Dirprwy Lywydd. Yn gyntaf oll, a gaf i ddweud wrth Jane Hutt fod campws dysgu Llanilltud Fawr yn enghraifft ardderchog o'r hyn a ddywedais ynglŷn â sut mae lleoedd blaenllaw ym mhob un o'n hetholaethau oherwydd y gwaith a sbardunwyd gan y Cynllun Buddsoddi yn Seilwaith Cymru?
Gwnaeth yr Aelod bwynt pwysig iawn am y sector adeiladu. Bûm mewn digwyddiad yng Ngholeg y Cymoedd ddoe, ble y cwrddais â nifer o grwpiau o bobl ifanc—roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld nifer o fenywod ifanc eu plith—sy'n dilyn cyrsiau mewn peirianneg ac yn y diwydiant rheilffordd, gan wneud yn siŵr bod ganddynt y sgiliau sydd eu hangen ar gyfer y sector adeiladu yn y dyfodol, ac i glywed gan Sefydliad y Peirianwyr Sifil, er enghraifft, pa mor bwysig fu'r Cynllun Buddsoddi iddyn nhw yn caniatáu iddyn nhw a'u haelodau gynllunio ymlaen llaw ar gyfer buddsoddiad cyfalaf y maen nhw'n gwybod sydd yma yng Nghymru.
Dau gwestiwn penodol gan Jane. Yn gyntaf, o ran Banc Buddsoddi Ewrop, rydym ni wedi dadlau o'r cychwyn y dylai'r DU anelu at aros yn bartner tanysgrifio i'r banc. Rydym ni'n ddeiliad cyfalaf sylweddol yn y banc, ac wrth gwrs mae Cymru wedi elwa o hynny. Mae adroddiad cyfnod 1 y DU ynglŷn â'r trafodaethau i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd yn dweud bod gobaith cael yr hyn a elwir yn 'drefniant parhaus' rhwng y DU a Banc Buddsoddi Ewrop. Rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at Ganghellor y Trysorlys ar sail yr adroddiad hwnnw, i bwysleisio wrtho y pwynt ein bod yn gweld rhinwedd amlwg cael cyd-berthynas fuddiol â'r banc, ac yn gwneud nifer o awgrymiadau technegol iddo, yn seiliedig ar ein profiad o sut y gellid sicrhau perthynas barhaus â Banc Buddsoddi Ewrop.
Ynghylch cronfeydd strwythurol, rydym ni'n parhau i weithredu o fewn gwarant y Canghellor, sy'n gosod 2019 yn derfyn inni ymrwymo'r holl gronfeydd strwythurol sydd ar gael i ni yn ystod y cylch presennol. Rwy'n parhau'n ffyddiog, Dirprwy Lywydd, os nad yn obeithiol, y bydd y trefniant pontio, sy'n rhan o fargen y cyfnod 1 cyntaf, unwaith y caiff ei gadarnhau, yn golygu y gallwn ni ddefnyddio cronfeydd strwythurol yn y cylch presennol yn ôl yr arfer. Hynny yw, byddan nhw'n berthnasol hyd at ddiwedd y cyfnod o saith mlynedd, a'r ddwy flynedd wedi hynny, fel y gallwn ni wneud hyd yn oed gwell defnydd o'r adnoddau sydd ar gael i ni.
Thank you. Finally, Lee Waters.
Diolch. Yn olaf, Lee Waters.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Cabinet Secretary, I rise to praise the Government. I warmly welcome the announcement of £20 million a year for active travel investment. Having been the first Government in the world to set out a statutory requirement for long-term planning to get walking and cycling to be a more commonly used, everyday option, I think it's right that the resource is now beginning to be put in place—not least because this is a cross-cutting benefit, not only tackling public health but climate change and congestion too.
There are a number of questions I have, but as you rightly remind us, the details are for the relevant Cabinet Secretaries. A question for you, perhaps, is if you can help point us, in the future, to the total amount of investment the Government now makes in walking and cycling schemes. It is quite difficult to disentangle the various different funding streams, and I think it would be helpful, given the scale of this announcement, to have a global figure, which would allow us to compare our spending with other countries. And also, you mentioned that the £60 million is to connect residential areas. As the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for planning is also present, I thought I'd take the opportunity just to underline the importance of getting the maximum benefit from this investment. It can't be just a matter of Welsh Government giving grants for new infrastructure. We must ensure that when new developments take place, that is hardwired into the design. So, the new 'Planning Policy Wales' iteration that's out to consultation must include, not as desirable but as an essential requirement, that active travel routes are included within planning policy. So, I would encourage you to have conversations with your Cabinet colleagues to make sure that we get the most out of the investment that you've announced, which I very warmly welcome.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, rwy'n codi i ganmol y Llywodraeth. Rwy'n croesawu'n fawr y cyhoeddiad o £20 miliwn y flwyddyn ar gyfer buddsoddi mewn teithio llesol. Gan mai ni yw'r Llywodraeth gyntaf yn y byd i osod gofyniad statudol ar gyfer cynllunio tymor hir i wneud cerdded a beicio yn ddewis mwy cyffredin, beunyddiol, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n briodol bod yr adnodd hwnnw yn dechrau cael ei roi ar waith—nid yn lleiaf oherwydd bod hyn yn arwain at fanteision mewn sawl maes gwahanol, gan fynd i'r afael nid yn unig ag iechyd y cyhoedd, ond newid yn yr hinsawdd a thagfeydd hefyd.
Mae gennyf sawl cwestiwn, ond fel yr ydych chi yn ein hatgoffa yn gwbl briodol, mae'r manylion ar gyfer yr Ysgrifenyddion Cabinet perthnasol. Cwestiwn i chi, efallai, yw a allwch chi helpu i'n cyfeirio ni, yn y dyfodol, at gyfanswm y buddsoddiad y mae'r Llywodraeth bellach yn ei wneud mewn cynlluniau cerdded a beicio. Mae'n eithaf anodd datgysylltu'r gwahanol ffrydiau ariannu amrywiol, ac rwy'n credu y byddai'n ddefnyddiol, o ystyried maint y cyhoeddiad hwn, i gael ffigwr byd-eang, a fyddai'n ein galluogi i gymharu ein gwariant â gwledydd eraill. A hefyd, fe wnaethoch chi sôn bod y £60 miliwn i gysylltu ardaloedd preswyl. Oherwydd bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet sydd â chyfrifoldeb dros gynllunio yn bresennol hefyd, roeddwn yn meddwl y byddwn yn achub ar y cyfle dim ond i bwysleisio pwysigrwydd cael y budd mwyaf posib o'r buddsoddiad hwn. Ni all fod yn fater o ddim ond Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi grantiau ar gyfer seilwaith newydd. Rhaid inni sicrhau pan fydd datblygiadau newydd yn digwydd, bod hynny'n greiddiol i'r dyluniad. Felly, rhaid i fersiwn newydd 'Polisi Cynllunio Cymru', y mae ymgynghoriad yn ei gylch ar hyn o bryd, gynnwys, nid yn elfen ddymunol ond yn elfen hanfodol ohono, bod llwybrau teithio llesol yn cael eu cynnwys mewn polisi cynllunio. Felly, byddwn yn eich annog i gael sgwrs gyda'ch cyd-Weinidogion yn y Cabinet i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn cael y gorau o'r buddsoddiad yr ydych chi wedi ei gyhoeddi, ac yr wyf i'n ei groesawu yn gynnes iawn.
Dirprwy Lywydd, thank you to Lee Waters for those points. I said, in my statement, that one of the key principles that links nearly all of the investments I've announced today is the contribution that I want to see them making to the efforts being made by Lesley Griffiths to reduce carbon emissions right across the Welsh Government. The money going to active travel will certainly help to do that. It will improve air quality, it will build physical activity into people's daily lives, it will provide those wider health benefits, and it is designed, as I said, to connect residential areas with key employment, educational sites and other places where people have to go in order to carry out their daily lives. So, other Government Members will have heard what Lee Waters has said about making the very most of the additional investment and, of course, I agree with him there. I don't have a figure immediately in front of me that would draw together the total amount of investment that the Welsh Government is now making in walking and cycling and other active travel initiatives, but I'm very happy to commission that, and I'll write to the Member with a figure that he can then rely upon.
Dirprwy Lywydd, diolch i Lee Waters am y pwyntiau yna. Dywedais, yn fy natganiad, mai un o'r egwyddorion allweddol sy'n cysylltu bron pob un o'r buddsoddiadau yr wyf i wedi eu cyhoeddi heddiw yw'r cyfraniad yr wyf yn dymuno iddynt ei wneud i'r ymdrechion y mae Lesley Griffiths yn eu gwneud i leihau allyriadau carbon ledled Llywodraeth Cymru. Bydd yr arian sy'n mynd tuag at deithio llesol yn sicr yn helpu i wneud hynny. Bydd yn gwella ansawdd yr aer, bydd yn gwneud gweithgarwch corfforol yn rhan feunyddiol o fywydau pobl, a bydd yn cynnig y manteision iechyd ehangach hynny. Cafodd ei gynllunio, fel y dywedais i, i gysylltu ardaloedd preswyl â safleoedd cyflogaeth ac addysgol allweddol a mannau eraill lle mae'n rhaid i bobl fynd i fyw eu bywyd bob dydd. Felly, bydd Aelodau eraill yn y Llywodraeth wedi clywed yr hyn a ddywedodd Lee Waters am wneud y mwyaf un o'r buddsoddiad ychwanegol ac, wrth gwrs, rwy'n cytuno ag ef yn hynny o beth. Nid oes gennyf rif yn syth o'm blaen a fyddai'n tynnu ynghyd gyfanswm y buddsoddiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud nawr o ran cerdded a beicio a mentrau teithio llesol eraill, ond rwy'n hapus iawn i gomisiynu hynny, a byddaf yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelod gyda ffigur y gall ddibynnu arno wedyn.
Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary.
Diolch yn fawr iawn ichi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet.
Item 4 on the agenda is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs on the national development framework. I call on the Cabinet Secretary, Lesley Griffiths.
Eitem 4 ar yr agenda yw datganiad gan y Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ynni, Cynllunio a Materion Gwledig ar y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol. Rwy'n galw ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, Lesley Griffiths.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Creating sustainable places where people can lead active and healthy lives and be proud to say where they come from is a priority of the Welsh Government. The planning system plays a central role in delivering these places, and the process by which we do it is place making. There are many components to successful place making. The Government must play a part in this by providing leadership and putting in place a policy framework for the planning system that has place making at its core.
Last February, I launched, for consultation, a new version of our national planning policy, 'Planning Policy Wales'. The document expressly recognises the multifaceted nature of the well-being goals and ways of working under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The revised version of PPW seeks to put sustainable place making at the centre of our national planning policy. To complement PPW and enhance place making, yesterday I issued for consultation the preferred option for the national development framework. This is the first formal outward-facing stage in the preparation of the NDF, which will replace the Wales spatial plan. Unlike the Wales spatial plan, the NDF will have development plan status.
The NDF will play an important role in the delivery of the Government’s national strategy 'Prosperity for All', which, in turn, recognises the role of the NDF and the need to co-ordinate the planning of new homes, facilities and infrastructure by local authorities, health boards, housing associations and other key partners. The NDF will have a 20-year time horizon and will sit at the top of the hierarchy of development plans in Wales. Beneath it will sit strategic development plans and local development plans, and the legislative provisions require any plans beneath the NDF to conform to it. This represents a very powerful mechanism for shaping the planning system in Wales, and it is essential that local development plans are prepared and reviewed in a timely way if we are to give effect to our place making ambitions.
The preferred option is the product of considerable stakeholder engagement, testing and challenge, and reflects the structure of the draft PPW. Taken together, PPW and the NDF strengthen the role of place making in the planning system. We must turn away from thinking of the important issues of the day, such as housing, transport, health and energy as discreet issues, and recognise their combined impacts on places. It is time to re-energise the planning system and local planning authorities to deliver sustainable places for future generations.
The consultation on the preferred option for the NDF closes on 23 July. I encourage everyone with an interest in the long-term development of Wales and the creation of sustainable places to make their opinions known by responding to both consultations on PPW and the NDF. Thank you.
Diolch ichi, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae creu lleoedd cynaliadwy lle gall pobl fyw bywydau egnïol ac iach ac ymfalchïo o ddweud o ble y maen nhw'n hanu yn un o flaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae gan y system gynllunio swyddogaeth ganolog wrth ddarparu'r lleoedd hyn, a'r broses a ddefnyddiwn ar gyfer hynny yw llunio lleoedd. Mae llunio lleoedd yn llwyddiannus yn cynnwys llawer o elfennau. Mae'n rhaid i'r Llywodraeth chwarae ei rhan drwy roi arweiniad a gosod fframwaith polisi yn ei le ar gyfer y system gynllunio sydd â llunio lleoedd yn rhan hanfodol ohoni.
Fis Chwefror diwethaf, fe lansiais i, ar gyfer ymgynghoriad, fersiwn newydd o'n polisi cynllunio cenedlaethol, 'Polisi Cynllunio Cymru'. Mae'r ddogfen yn cydnabod natur amlweddog y nodau llesiant a'r ffyrdd o weithio o dan Ddeddf Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015. Mae'r fersiwn ddiwygiedig o Bolisi Cynllunio Cymru yn ceisio gosod llunio lleoedd cynaliadwy wrth wraidd ein polisi cynllunio. Er mwyn ategu 'Polisi Cynllunio Cymru' a gwella llunio lleoedd, ddoe fe gyhoeddais i ymgynghoriad ar y dewis amgen ar gyfer y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol. Dyma'r cam cyntaf ffurfiol sy'n edrych tuag allan wrth baratoi'r fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol, a fydd yn disodli cynllun gofodol Cymru. Yn wahanol i gynllun gofodol Cymru, bydd gan yr FfDC statws cynllun datblygu.
Bydd gan yr FfDC swyddogaeth bwysig i ddarparu strategaeth genedlaethol y Llywodraeth, 'Ffyniant i Bawb', a fydd, yn ei thro, yn cydnabod swyddogaeth yr FfDC a'r angen i gydlynu cynlluniau ar gyfer cartrefi newydd, cyfleusterau a seilwaith gan awdurdodau lleol, byrddau iechyd, cymdeithasau tai a phartneriaid allweddol eraill. Bydd yr FfDC yn edrych tua gorwel cyfnod o 20 mlynedd a bydd yn eistedd ar frig hierarchaeth y cynlluniau datblygu yng Nghymru. Oddi tano bydd cynlluniau datblygu strategol a chynlluniau datblygu lleol, ac mae darpariaethau deddfwriaethol yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i unrhyw gynlluniau dan y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol gydymffurfio ag ef. Mae hyn yn cynrychioli mecanwaith grymus iawn i lunio'r system gynllunio yng Nghymru, ac mae'n hanfodol bod cynlluniau datblygu lleol yn cael eu paratoi a'u hadolygu mewn modd amserol os ydym am wireddu ein huchelgeisiau ar gyfer llunio lleoedd.
Mae'r dewis amgen yn gynnyrch ymgysylltiad sylweddol â rhanddeiliaid, arbrofi a herio, ac yn adlewyrchu strwythur drafft 'Polisi Cynllunio Cymru'. Gyda'i gilydd, mae 'Polisi Cynllunio Cymru' a'r FfDC yn cryfhau swyddogaeth llunio lleoedd yn y system gynllunio. Mae'n rhaid inni droi oddi wrth feddwl am faterion pwysig yr oes, megis tai, trafnidiaeth, iechyd ac ynni fel materion ar wahân, a chydnabod yr effaith a gaiff y rheini ar y cyd ar leoedd. Mae'n amser i ailsbarduno’r system gynllunio ac awdurdodau cynllunio lleol i ddarparu lleoedd cynaliadwy ar gyfer cenedlaethau'r dyfodol.
Mae'r ymgynghoriad ar y dewis amgen ar gyfer yr FfDC yn cau ar 23 Gorffennaf. Rwy'n annog pawb sydd â diddordeb yn natblygiad hirdymor Cymru a chreu lleoedd cynaliadwy i wneud eu barn yn hysbys drwy ymateb i'r ddau ymgynghoriad ar 'Polisi Cynllunio Cymru' a'r fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol. Diolch ichi.
Can I welcome the announcement today? One of the disadvantages—and, Deputy Presiding Officer, you'll share fully in this—of first being elected in 1999 is that we remember going around this race course in the first place, and the spatial plan was regarded as being highly innovative, ground-breaking indeed, a 20-year vision, integration across the main public policy areas so that they're not viewed as discreet entities, regional planning as a new concept that was going to give relevance to the planning cycle. That was published in 2004. And I cannot tell you how much it dominated the first Assembly, this whole concept of thinking spatially. We updated the plan in 2008 and then you did a further update in 2013. And, about half way through this whole process, in 2009, the chair of the north Wales economic forum heavily criticised the plan saying that it was good in theory but it was very difficult to actually see what it delivered. I think that's a very broad criticism and it's not entirely fair, but I think it does sum up some of the frustrations.
Can I just ask some very specific questions? When will the draft national development framework be laid before the Assembly for its consideration, because there is a danger that it'll come to us very late, in the sort of late evening of this Assembly term? I just wonder if you have anything further to tell us on that. And what then have you learned from the Wales spatial plan? What is being preserved in that concept, and what is now being ditched as not being effective? And I notice that, obviously, its statutory significance, in that local development plans have to refer to it, is a big change.
I'd like to know how the national/regional significance divide will be defined. I think that's part of the problem at this level of planning. And will your regions be the same six sub-regions in the Wales spatial plan—with slightly blurred boundaries, it has to be said—or have you come up with a different way of doing this? When will local development plans have to show that they are compliant with the NDF? It could be a long time, I think, before that happens, given the length of time this is going to take to get through the system. And how will the strategic development plans, the regional plans, work alongside city deals? I think these are some very important questions.
And then, on housing, I know we'll have some further detail possibly this afternoon, but you do say that you are now going to have regional housing projections, and I just wonder how that will fit alongside the revised projections that were produced in 2015, but not taken up—the Holmans alternative projection. And how will that current review in developing regional housing projections fit in with the recent announcement on the affordable housing supply review that is now going on?
However, it's important we get this right. Obviously, we have new legislation in this area, and I think it's important that we strive to get an integrated, coherent planning system. But, on reflecting on one of the major initiatives in the early stages of devolution, spatial planning, it doesn't seem to me to have been a stunning success.
A gaf i groesawu'r cyhoeddiad heddiw? Un o anfanteision—a, Dirprwy Lywydd, byddwch chi'n rhannu hyn—cael eich ethol gyntaf ym 1999 yw ein bod yn cofio mynd ar ôl yr ysgyfarnog hwn am y tro cyntaf. Roedd y cynllun gofodol yn cael ei ystyried yn arloesol iawn, yn wir yn torri tir newydd. Roedd yn weledigaeth 20 mlynedd, yn integreiddio'r prif feysydd polisi cyhoeddus fel nad ydynt yn cael eu hystyried yn endidau ar wahân, ac roedd cynllunio rhanbarthol yn gysyniad newydd a oedd yn mynd i wneud y cylch cynllunio yn rhywbeth perthnasol. Cyhoeddwyd hynny yn 2004. Ac ni allaf fynegi i chi cymaint y bu hynny yn tra-arglwyddiaethu'r Cynulliad cyntaf, y cysyniad cyfan hwn o feddwl yn ofodol. Diweddarwyd y cynllun yn 2008 ac yna fe'i ddiweddarwyd eto yn 2013. A, thua hanner ffordd drwy'r broses hon, yn 2009, barnwyd y cynllun yn hallt gan gadeirydd fforwm economaidd y Gogledd, gan ddweud ei fod yn dda o ran egwyddor ond ei bod yn anodd iawn i weld yr hyn yr oedd yn ei gyflawni. Credaf mai beirniadaeth fras iawn yw honno ac nid yw'n gwbl deg, ond credaf ei bod yn crynhoi rhai o'r rhwystredigaethau.
A gaf i ofyn ambell gwestiwn penodol iawn? Pryd fydd drafft y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol yn cael ei roi gerbron y Cynulliad i'w ystyried, oherwydd mae perygl y bydd yn dod atom yn hwyr iawn, yn hwyrnos y tymor Cynulliad hwn? Tybed a oes gennych unrhyw beth arall i'w ddweud ynglŷn â hynny. A pha beth ydych chi wedi ei ddysgu yn sgil cynllun gofodol Cymru? Beth sy'n mynd i gael ei gadw o'r cysyniad hwnnw, a beth sy'n mynd i gael ei adael nawr am nad yw'n effeithiol? Ac rwy'n sylwi, mae'n amlwg, fod ei arwyddocâd statudol, o ran bod yn rhaid i gynlluniau datblygu lleol gyfeirio ato, yn newid mawr.
Hoffwn wybod sut y bydd y rhaniad rhwng arwyddocâd cenedlaethol a rhanbarthol yn cael ei ddiffinio. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n rhan o'r broblem ar y lefel hon o gynllunio. Ai yr un fydd eich rhanbarthau chi a'r chwe is-ranbarth yng nghynllun gofodol Cymru—gyda ffiniau niwlog braidd, mae rhaid dweud—neu a ydych wedi dod o hyd i ffordd wahanol o wneud hyn? Pryd fydd yn rhaid i gynlluniau datblygu lleol ddangos eu bod yn cydymffurfio â'r fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol? Gallai fod yn amser maith, yn fy nhyb i, cyn i hynny ddigwydd, o ystyried yr amser y bydd yn ei gymryd i fynd drwy'r system. A sut fydd y cynlluniau datblygu strategol, y cynlluniau rhanbarthol, yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â'r cytundebau dinesig? Credaf fod y rhain yn gwestiynau pwysig iawn.
Ac yna, o ran tai, gwn y bydd gennym ychydig mwy o fanylion y prynhawn yma o bosib. Ond rydych chi'n dweud eich bod yn awr am gael amcanestyniadau o ran tai rhanbarthol, ac rwy'n holi tybed sut y bydd hynny'n cyd-fynd â'r amcanestyniadau diwygiedig a gynhyrchwyd yn 2015, ond na chawsant eu derbyn—amcanestyniad amgen Holmans. A sut fydd yr adolygiad presennol hwnnw wrth ddatblygu amcanestyniadau tai rhanbarthol yn cyd-fynd â'r cyhoeddiad diweddar ar yr adolygiad o gyflenwad tai fforddiadwy sy'n mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd?
Fodd bynnag, mae'n bwysig inni wneud hyn yn iawn. Yn amlwg, mae gennym ni ddeddfwriaeth newydd yn y maes hwn, a chredaf ei bod yn bwysig inni ymdrechu i gael system gynllunio integredig a chydlynol. Ond, o ystyried un o fentrau mawr camau cynnar y datganoli, sef cynllunio gofodol, nid yw'n ymddangos i mi iddi fod yn llwyddiant ysgubol.
Cabinet Secretary.
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, David Melding, for your observations and your questions. I think the Wales spatial plan—. I wasn't here in 1999, but I think it was very innovative, but it did have limited influence, and it didn't have the statutory weight to be able to influence decisions in the way that the national development framework will do. It also had, I think, very limited national strategic spatial prioritisation, and I think it lacked that national overview that I think we desperately need. So, that's what, certainly, I've learned from looking at how the Wales spatial plan developed. So, the statutory development plan—and you referred to this in your comments; the statutory development plan status of the NDF will ensure that it can set the direction to lower-tier development plans and then influence that decision making.
You asked about the timeline. We'll be out to consultation next year. This is the first stage of this process. It's very technical, but nothing's been written; there is no content yet. There's been a huge amount of stakeholder work that has been undertaken by my officials—I think they've spoken to about 200 different stakeholders over the past year to get to this stage, but this is really the first stage of preparing. So, next year, 2019, we'll go out to consultation. That's when, obviously, there will be scrutiny, and a plan will be in place in 2020.
You asked about city deals and growth areas and about LDPs and SDPs, and I've made it very clear to local authorities they have to have LDPs in place. We are trying to get them to work at a strategic development level as well. It is meeting with a little resistance, shall I say. Next week—I think it's next week—I'm meeting with all the lead members of planning, where we will be able to discuss this further. The planning system is very complex, and I think we need to get some simplification of it, if you like. And one of the ways of bringing all these different tiers together, and it's why I went out to consultation with PPW—. And also, in my own portfolio, I have energy policies, which sometimes clash with planning. So, I think it's really important that we get everything right, and the NDF will help us in that way too.
So, the planning system will obviously play a crucial role in delivering the Cardiff and Swansea city deals—the proposed north Wales and mid Wales growth deals also, if those bids are approved—by setting out our strategic spatial policies on housing, on employment, on transport, on education, on digital infrastructure, on tourism. And I have had conversations with all my Cabinet Secretary colleagues ahead of this stage also.
In relation to housing, I've also met with the Minister for Housing and Regeneration. What I want the NDF to do is to provide strategic direction for housing, again linked to connectivity infrastructure; I think it's very important that that happens around key facilities, and also where there are areas of growth, so we have that very clear focus on place making. I do think there is an opportunity for the NDF to identify a national policy-based population and housing projection. That could include an all-Wales range of housing numbers for a planned period. It's something that Scotland are looking at, and I'll be very happy to learn from them.
Diolch ichi, Dirprwy Lywydd, a diolch i chi, David Melding, am eich sylwadau a'ch cwestiynau. Credaf fod cynllun gofodol Cymru—. Nid oeddwn i yma ym 1999, ond credaf ei fod yn arloesol iawn, ond cyfyngedig oedd ei ddylanwad, ac nid oedd ganddo'r pwysau statudol i allu dylanwadu ar benderfyniadau fel y bydd y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol yn ei wneud. Cyfyng iawn hefyd, yn fy marn i, oedd ei flaenoriaethu strategol gofodol cenedlaethol, a chredaf ei fod yn brin o'r trosolwg cenedlaethol hwnnw y mae ei angen arnom yn daer. Dyna'r hyn a ddysgais i, yn sicr, o edrych ar sut y datblygodd cynllun gofodol Cymru. Felly, y cynllun datblygu statudol—ac roeddech yn cyfeirio at hyn yn eich sylwadau; bydd statws cynllun datblygu statudol yr FfDC yn sicrhau y bydd yn gallu pennu cyfeiriad cynlluniau datblygu'r haen is ac wedyn yn dylanwadu ar y broses o wneud penderfyniadau.
Roeddech yn holi am yr amserlen. Byddwn yn mynd allan i ymgynghoriad y flwyddyn nesaf. Dyma gam cyntaf y broses. Mae'n dechnegol iawn, ond nid oes dim ar bapur; nid oes cynnwys eto. Mae fy swyddogion wedi gwneud llawer iawn o waith gyda rhanddeiliaid—credaf eu bod wedi siarad â thua 200 o wahanol randdeiliaid dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf i gyrraedd y cam hwn, ond mewn gwirionedd dyma gam cyntaf y gwaith paratoi. Felly, y flwyddyn nesaf, 2019, byddwn yn mynd allan i ymgynghoriad. Dyna pryd, mae'n amlwg, y bydd y craffu'n digwydd, a bydd cynllun yn ei le yn 2020.
Roeddech chi'n holi am y cytundebau dinesig ac ardaloedd twf ac am gynlluniau datblygu lleol a chynlluniau datblygu strategol. Rwyf wedi ei gwneud yn glir iawn i awdurdodau lleol y bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw gael cynlluniau datblygu lleol yn eu lle. Rydym yn ceisio sicrhau eu bod yn gweithio ar lefel datblygu strategol hefyd. Rwyf wedi gweld ychydig o wrthwynebiad, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud. Yr wythnos nesaf—rwy'n credu mai'r wythnos nesaf fydd hi—byddaf yn cyfarfod â holl aelodau arweiniol cynllunio, lle bydd modd inni drafod hyn ymhellach. Mae'r system gynllunio yn gymhleth iawn, a chredaf fod angen inni symleiddio peth arni, os mynnwch chi. Ac un ffordd o ddod â'r holl wahanol haenau at ei gilydd, a dyna pam yr euthum i ymgynghoriad â pholisi cynllunio Cymru—. A hefyd, yn fy mhortffolio i fy hun, mae gennyf bolisïau ynni, sydd yn gwrthdaro weithiau â chynllunio. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn wirioneddol bwysig inni wneud pethau'n iawn, a bydd yr FfDC yn ein helpu yn y ffordd honno hefyd.
Felly, yn amlwg bydd gan y system gynllunio swyddogaeth hollbwysig o ran cyflawni cytundebau dinesig Caerdydd ac Abertawe—a chytundebau twf arfaethedig y Gogledd a'r Canolbarth hefyd, os cymeradwyir y ceisiadau hynny—drwy nodi ein polisïau gofodol strategol o ran tai, o ran cyflogaeth, o ran trafnidiaeth, o ran addysg, o ran seilwaith digidol, o ran twristiaeth. Ac rwyf wedi cael sgyrsiau gyda fy holl gydweithwyr sy'n Ysgrifenyddion Cabinet cyn y cam hwn hefyd.
O ran tai, rwyf wedi cyfarfod â'r Gweinidog Tai ac Adfywio hefyd. Yr hyn yr wyf yn dymuno i'r FfDC ei wneud yw darparu cyfeiriad strategol ar gyfer tai, eto yn gysylltiedig â seilwaith cysylltedd; rwyf o'r farn ei bod yn bwysig iawn bod hynny'n digwydd o ran cyfleusterau allweddol, a hefyd lle mae ardaloedd o dwf, fel ein bod yn canolbwyntio'n fawr iawn ar lunio lleoedd. Credaf fod cyfle i'r fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol nodi'r amcanestyniad poblogaeth cenedlaethol sy'n seiliedig ar bolisi a thai. Gallai hynny gynnwys cyfres o niferoedd tai ledled Cymru am gyfnod arfaethedig. Mae'n rhywbeth y mae'r Alban yn edrych arno, a byddaf yn hapus iawn i ddysgu oddi wrthyn nhw.
Diolch am y datganiad. Mi fydd y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol yn gosod y strategaeth genedlaethol ar gyfer cynllunio ar gyfer yr 20 mlynedd nesaf, fel rydych chi yn ei nodi. Felly, mae'n ofnadwy o bwysig bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymgynghori gymaint â phosib i sicrhau bod yr amcanion iawn yn cael eu gosod, a bod y strategaeth gywir mewn lle i gyflawni'r fframwaith. Ac, wrth gwrs, mi fydd yn rhaid i'r cynlluniau datblygu strategol, a chynlluniau datblygu lleol, gydweddu efo'r fframwaith—rheswm arall dros gael ymgynghoriad sydd yn un trwyadl yn yr ardaloedd gwledig, yn ogystal ag yn yr ardaloedd dinesig, ac efo grwpiau gwahanol o ddemograffig yng Nghymru hefyd.
Rydw i'n meddwl ei bod hi'n bwysig ofnadwy ar y pwynt yma bod pobl Cymru—a'r awdurdodau lleol, mewn gwirionedd—yn deall beth ydy pwrpas y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol a'i berthynas o efo'r ddwy haen sy'n dod oddi tano fo. Mae o'n edrych yn rhywbeth hollol dechnegol a diflas ar yr wyneb, onid yw, ond rydw i'n meddwl ei bod hi'n bwysig bod pobl yn deall bod hwn yn gosod allan y fframwaith ar gyfer datblygiad am gyfnod mor hir, a bod angen iddyn nhw fod yn rhan o'r broses. Felly, rydw i'n meddwl y byddai cael eglurhad o beth yn union ydy pwrpas hwn, reit ar y cychwyn fel hyn, yn fuddiol iawn.
Ac rydw i'n cytuno efo David Melding; mae angen dysgu gwersi o gynllun gofodol Cymru. Nid oeddwn innau, chwaith, yma yn 1999, ond rydw i'n cofio'r cyfnod yna, ac yn cofio ei fod o'n amhoblogaidd iawn, a'i fod o wedi achosi llawer o ddrwg-deimlad a gwrthwynebiad. Felly, gobeithio na fydd y fframwaith yma yn mynd i'r un cyfeiriad â'r cynllun hwnnw. Felly, a fedrwch chi roi sicrwydd fod yr ymgynghoriad yma yn mynd i fod yn ymgynghoriad yng ngwir ystyr y gair ac nid rhyw ymarferiad lle mai'r canlyniad terfynol a'r opsiwn a ffafrir—nid hwnnw fydd yn diweddu efo ni ar ddiwedd y dydd?
Mae'r ddogfen yn sôn am, ac rydw i'n dyfynnu:
'darparu cyfeiriad ar gyfer y tri rhanbarth sydd yng Nghymru—Gogledd Cymru, Canolbarth a De-orllewin Cymru a De-ddwyrain Cymru.'
Rŵan, pwy sy'n dweud mai'r rheini ydy'r tri rhanbarth yma yng Nghymru? Mae'r fframwaith hefyd yn sôn am ganolbwyntio ar dai strategol, darparu seilwaith cydgysylltiedig mewn ardaloedd bargen ddinesig a bargen twf a chefnogaeth i ardaloedd gwledig. Rŵan, nid ydw i'n deall yn union beth mae hynny i fod i feddwl. Felly, ai'r bwriad ydy gorfodi awdurdodau lleol i weithio ar faterion sydd wedi cael eu penderfynu gan Lywodraeth Cymru o fewn rhanbarthau sy'n cael eu gosod ac yn cael eu llywio gan Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig—yr ardaloedd dinesig ac yn y blaen, sydd, ar hyn o bryd, yn cael eu hefelychu hefyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru?
Gan droi at faes y Gymraeg, wrth gwrs, mae diffyg tai fforddiadwy yn broblem ddifrifol mewn llawer o gymunedau, tra bod cymunedau eraill yn teimlo bod tai wedi cael eu hadeiladu yn y llefydd anghywir heb yr isadeiledd a'r cyfleusterau a'r gwasanaethau sydd eu hangen ar gyfer y twf mewn poblogaeth. Yr her fawr fydd y Cymry'n wynebu dros yr 20 mlynedd nesaf, wrth gwrs, ydy datblygu'r Gymraeg a gwneud yn siŵr bod y Gymraeg yn ffynnu, ac mae gan y system gynllunio ran i chwarae yn y nod o gyrraedd miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg.
Ni fydd y potensial yma sydd gan y system gynllunio yn dod yn amlwg os nad ydy Llywodraeth Cymru'n darparu arweiniad cryf a chadarn yn y maes yma. Byddwn i'n awgrymu i gychwyn bod angen diwygio a chryfhau nodyn cyngor technegol 20, sy'n gwrth-ddweud Deddf Cynllunio (Cymru) 2015. Rydym ni wedi cael y drafodaeth yma o'r blaen, ond rydw i'n dal at hynny ac yn gobeithio bydd hwn yn rhoi cyfle i ni gael y drafodaeth yna unwaith eto.
Mae yna gyfle efo'r fframwaith i Lywodraeth Cymru roi arweiniad cryf i awdurdodau lleol o ran cynllunio ieithyddol. Felly, fy nghwestiwn olaf i ydy: a wnewch chi ddarparu sicrwydd y bydd y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol yn cynnwys datganiad clir a chadarn a digamsyniol ynghylch pwysigrwydd a pherthnasedd y Gymraeg wrth gynllunio sut i ddefnyddio tir? Diolch.
Thank you for the statement. The national development framework will set the national strategy for planning for the next 20 years, as you note. So, it is very important that the Welsh Government consults as much as possible to ensure that the right objectives are set and that the right strategy is in place to deliver the framework. Of course, the strategic development plans and the local development plans will have to dovetail with the framework, and that's another reason for having a thorough consultation in rural areas as well as in urban areas, and with different demographic groups in Wales.
I think it's also very important on this point that the people of Wales—and the local authorities, if truth be told—understand what the purpose of the national development framework is and its relationship with the two layers underneath it. Now, it looks like something completely technical and boring on the surface, but I think it's important that people do understand that this does set out the framework for development for such a long period of time, and that they have to be part of that process. So, I think that having a clear explanation of what the purpose of this is, right at the beginning, would be very beneficial.
I agree with David Melding that we do need to learn lessons from the spatial plan for Wales. I wasn't here in 1999 either, but I do remember that period, and I remember that it was very unpopular, that it caused a great deal of ill-feeling and opposition. So, I hope that this framework won't suffer the same fate and follow the same direction. So, could you give assurance that this consultation will be a genuine consultation and not just a tick-box exercise where the final decision and the favoured option is already decided—that that's not what we'll end up with?
Now, the document does mention providing
'direction for the three regions across Wales—North Wales, Mid & South West Wales and South East Wales.'
Who says that those are the three regions that we have in Wales? The framework also mentions focusing on strategic housing, providing connective infrastructure in the city deal and growth deal areas and support for rural areas as well. I don't understand entirely what that's supposed to mean. Is the intention to compel local authorities to work on matters that have been decided by the Welsh Government within regions that are set out and directed by the United Kingdom Government—the city regions and so on, which are currently being emulated by the Welsh Government?
Turning to the issue of the Welsh language, of course the lack of affordable housing is a particular problem in several communities, while other communities feel that housing has been built in the wrong place, without the facilities and services that are needed for the growth in population. The major challenge that Wales will face over the next 20 years, of course, is developing the Welsh language and ensuring that it flourishes, and the planning system does have a part to play in that objective of reaching a million Welsh speakers.
This potential for the planning system won't be achieved if the Welsh Government doesn't provide strong leadership and robust leadership in this area. I would suggest at the beginning that we need reform and strengthening of technical advice note 20, which contradicts the Planning (Wales) Act 2015. We've had this discussion before, but I'm sticking to my guns and I very much hope this will give us an opportunity to have that discussion again.
Now, there is an opportunity with the framework for the Welsh Government to give clear leadership to local authorities with regard to linguistic planning. So, my final question is: will you provide certainty that the national development framework will include a clear statement and an unequivocal statement about the importance of the Welsh language in planning how to use land? Thank you.
Diolch, Siân Gwenllian. I can absolutely reassure you that it is a genuine consultation. As I said in my answer to David Melding, not a word has been written yet. This is really the start of the process, even though there has been huge consultation with stakeholders by my officials over the past year. I think I mentioned about 200 stakeholders and that includes all local authorities—you referred to local authorities—health boards, public services boards. But the real hard work starts now. And it is very technical and, because it isn't something tangible, it is hard to ensure that people do understand just what an important document this is and what it is intended to do.
It will be a national land use development plan. You know that I'm out to consultation at the moment on the draft marine plan. So, that's obviously for the water and the sea. This is an equivalent for the land and, as I've mentioned, it will replace the existing Wales spatial plan and it will set out the 20-year spatial framework for land use in Wales. So, it is a context for new infrastructure, it's also for growth at national, at regional and local levels also.
You asked about rural communities and, again, how I envisage the NDF working is it will support living and working in rural places to make sure that they're economically and socially and environmentally sustainable and vibrant. The policies within it will provide a framework for rural housing, for instance, which you referred to, but also services, facilities—including health and education—and employment and connectivity. That's to make sure that our rural communities retain and attract people and obviously help deliver a much more prosperous and sustainable rural Wales.
You asked specific questions around the Welsh language. We are under a duty to consider the impacts of the NDF on the language and we're doing that as part of the integrated assessment process. Planning can obviously create conditions whereby the language is allowed to thrive and that's providing opportunities for new jobs and for housing and community facilities. So, I believe the NDF can indirectly help us reach that target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050, which we want to do, by promoting developments in the right places.
In relation to local authorities, I mentioned that officials have been in discussions with local authorities so that they do understand where the LDPs and the SDPs fit in. I think what the NDF gives us is a better means of showing the major development priorities for Wales, and that's ensuring also that the planning system is aligned. So, I want to work with local authorities and developers to show where our priorities are, but also to help them reach difficult decisions more quickly. Because you'll be aware that sometimes things land up on my desk and I think that that will help them before they get to that situation—that will help them. So, what the NDF will do is sit, if you like, at the top of a pyramid of development plans, with strategic development plans for the regional level and the local development plans at the local authority scale. It's hugely important that the three work well together. We want to avoid duplication, for instance. The NDF will focus on the national matters, if you like—the matters that affect that large part of Wales—but the strategic and local development plans will remain responsible for the detail and for identifying sites for different types of development.
Diolch, Siân Gwenllian. Gallaf eich sicrhau yn gyfan gwbl ei fod yn ymgynghoriad gwirioneddol. Fel y dywedais yn fy ateb i David Melding, nid ysgrifennwyd gair eto. Dyma ddechrau'r broses mewn gwirionedd, er y cafwyd ymgynghoriad enfawr â rhanddeiliaid gan fy swyddogion dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Rwy'n credu fy mod wedi sôn am tua 200 o randdeiliaid ac mae hynny'n cynnwys yr holl awdurdodau lleol—cyfeiriasoch at awdurdodau lleol—byrddau iechyd, byrddau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Ond mae'r gwaith caled yn dechrau nawr. Ac mae'n dechnegol iawn ac, oherwydd nad yw'n rhywbeth diriaethol, mae'n anodd sicrhau bod pobl yn deall pa mor bwysig yw'r ddogfen hon a'i bwriad.
Bydd hwn yn gynllun datblygu defnydd tir cenedlaethol. Rydych chi'n gwybod fy mod allan ar ymgynghoriad ar hyn o bryd gyda'r cynllun morol drafft. Mae'n amlwg fod hynny ar gyfer dŵr a môr. Mae hwn yn cyfateb ar y tir ac, fel y soniais, bydd yn disodli cynllun gofodol Cymru sy'n bodoli eisoes a bydd yn gosod y fframwaith gofodol am 20 mlynedd ar gyfer defnydd tir yng Nghymru. Felly, mae hwn yn gyd-destun ar gyfer seilwaith newydd, ac mae hefyd ar gyfer twf ar lefel genedlaethol, rhanbarthol a lleol.
Roeddech chi'n holi am gymunedau gwledig. Eto, rwy'n rhagweld y bydd yr FfDC yn gweithio i gefnogi bywyd a gwaith mewn mannau gwledig i wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn gynaliadwy yn economaidd ac yn gymdeithasol ac yn amgylcheddol ac yn ffynnu. Bydd y polisïau o'i fewn yn gosod fframwaith ar gyfer tai gwledig, er enghraifft, y cyfeirioch chi ato, ond hefyd wasanaethau, cyfleusterau—gan gynnwys iechyd ac addysg—a chyflogaeth a chysylltedd. Mae hynny i wneud yn siŵr bod ein cymunedau gwledig yn cadw ac yn denu pobl ac yn amlwg yn helpu i sicrhau cefn gwlad Cymru sy'n llawer mwy ffyniannus a chynaliadwy.
Roeddech chi'n gofyn cwestiynau penodol am yr iaith Gymraeg. Rydym dan rwymedigaeth i ystyried effeithiau yr FfDC ar yr iaith, ac rydym yn gwneud hynny yn rhan o'r broses asesu integredig. Gall cynllunio yn amlwg greu amodau a fydd yn galluogi'r iaith i ffynnu gan ddarparu cyfleoedd ar gyfer swyddi newydd ac ar gyfer tai a chyfleusterau cymunedol. Felly, credaf y gall yr FfDC yn anuniongyrchol ein helpu i gyrraedd y targed hwnnw o filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050, yr ydym yn awyddus i'w gyflawni, gan hyrwyddo datblygiadau yn y mannau cywir.
O ran awdurdodau lleol, soniais bod swyddogion wedi bod mewn trafodaethau gydag awdurdodau lleol fel eu bod yn deall safle'r CDLlau a'r CDSau. Credaf mai'r hyn y bydd yr FfDC yn ei roi inni yw ffordd well o ddangos y blaenoriaethau datblygu mawr ar gyfer Cymru, ac mae hynny'n sicrhau hefyd bod y system gynllunio yn gyson. Felly, rwy'n dymuno gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol a datblygwyr i ddangos ymhle y mae ein blaenoriaethau ni, ond hefyd i'w helpu i wneud penderfyniadau anodd yn gyflymach. Oherwydd byddwch yn ymwybodol fod pethau weithiau yn glanio ar fy nesg i, ac rwy'n credu y bydd hynny'n eu helpu nhw cyn iddi ddod i hynny—bydd hynny yn eu helpu. Felly, yr hyn y bydd yr FfDC yn ei wneud yw sefyll, os mynnwch chi, ar frig pyramid o gynlluniau datblygu, gyda chynlluniau datblygu strategol ar gyfer y lefel ranbarthol a'r cynlluniau datblygu lleol ar raddfa awdurdod lleol. Mae'n hynod bwysig fod y tri yn cydweithio'n dda. Rydym yn awyddus i osgoi dyblygu gwaith, er enghraifft. Bydd yr FfDC yn canolbwyntio ar y materion cenedlaethol, os mynnwch chi—y materion sy'n effeithio ar y rhan fawr honno o Gymru—ond bydd y cynlluniau datblygu strategol a lleol yn parhau i fod yn gyfrifol am y manylion ac am nodi'r safleoedd ar gyfer gwahanol fathau o ddatblygiad.
I thank the Minister for today's statement. We're talking today about plans and planning and, as the Minister just outlined a moment ago, we seem to be heading towards broadly three types of plan: local development plans at the bottom, a national development framework at the top, and strategic development plans in the middle.
We have had issues of public contention over LDPs in recent years, with councils feeling that, in some cases, their hands were tied in having to proceed with LDPs that were not always universally popular with some, or large portions, of their electorate. So, I think one of the problems, or one of the issues, or, to use a popular phrase in Government, one of the challenges that you're going to have going forward is: how do you retain democratic consent for a major overhaul of planning, involving decisions taken at regional and even national levels? That may be the main challenge that you have, going forward, because if we've had a problem at a fairly localised level with LDPs, how do we ensure that we don't actually magnify these problems, going forward, with larger-scale planning like the SDPs and the NDF as a whole? So, I suppose my first question is: broadly, how will you ensure that you retain a large measure of democratic consent to these kinds of proposals? It's going to come down a lot to the structure of what you set up.
David Melding, who spoke first, gave us what I found a very interesting historical look at what was attempted in the first Assembly term with the spatial plan, which, I must confess, I wasn't much aware of. I don't remember it being a matter of massive newspaper talk at the time, but perhaps my memory fails me. But, obviously, it was a major development of the Government in the first term, which didn't really work. So, now we are where we are with a new scheme. So, how will you learn from the lessons of the spatial plan? I wonder what lessons you take yourself, Minister, from the relative failure of the spatial plan and how we can ensure that this plan will not replicate those failures.
I think there are problems, and I'm hopeful that this will be broadly a success, but I can see issues, going forward, because you also have a local government reorganisation, which is still in the mix, which your colleague sat two doors down from you is in charge of. Obviously, there's a separation between you as the planning Minister and him as the local government Minister, and that can sometimes cause problems. You're obviously going to have to work closely together on this to ensure this is a success. I wonder how these things are going to dovetail. At the same time, we've also got the city deals coming in, the growth deals, so I hope this all doesn't become very messy and I hope that you can retain between the two of you, and the housing Minister as well, a broad measure of control over this. So, I wonder broadly what your thoughts are on those points.
One issue that I did particularly want to ask about was the SDPs. I know you stated that these are going to be statutory—sorry, the NDF will be statutory. So, this will influence, is bound to influence, decisions taken at the lower tiers. I'm just slightly puzzled as to who actually takes the decisions with the SDPs. It seems to be the local authorities together. You said you were trying to get them to work together at a strategic level. How does that work with your statutory powers? How will that actually work in practice? Will they be working at the same level as the city deals? Will it be the city regions that actually take the decisions over the SDPs, or will it be some other conglomeration of different local authorities? Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ddatganiad heddiw. Rydym yn siarad heddiw am gynlluniau a chynllunio ac, fel yr amlinellodd y Gweinidog eiliad yn ôl, mae'n ymddangos ein bod yn ymlwybro tuag at dri math o gynllun yn fras: cynlluniau datblygu lleol ar y gwaelod, fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol ar y brig, a chynlluniau datblygu strategol yn y canol.
Rydym wedi gweld achosion o gynnen cyhoeddus dros Gynlluniau Datblygu Lleol mewn blynyddoedd diweddar, gyda'r cynghorau yn teimlo, mewn rhai achosion, bod eu dwylo wedi'u rhwymo a'u bod yn gorfod bwrw ymlaen â CDLlau nad oeddent yn boblogaidd yn gyffredinol bob amser gyda rhai, neu gryn dipyn, o'u hetholwyr. Felly, yn fy marn i, un o'r problemau, neu'n un o'r materion, neu, gan ddefnyddio ymadrodd poblogaidd mewn Llywodraeth, un o'r heriau hynny yr ydych yn mynd i'w wynebu wrth fynd ymlaen yw: sut mae cadw cydsyniad democrataidd ar gyfer newid sylweddol mewn cynllunio, sy'n cynnwys penderfyniadau a wneir ar lefelau rhanbarthol a chenedlaethol? Efallai mai honno fydd y brif her fydd gennych chi, wrth symud ymlaen, oherwydd os ydym wedi cael problem ar lefel weddol leol â ChDLlau, sut allwn ni sicrhau na fyddwn ni mewn gwirionedd yn chwyddo'r problemau hyn, wrth symud ymlaen, gyda chynllunio ar raddfa fwy fel CDSau a'r FfDC yn ei gyfanrwydd? Felly, mae'n debyg mai yw fy nghwestiwn cyntaf yw: yn fras, sut fyddwch yn sicrhau eich bod yn cadw mesur mawr o gydsyniad democrataidd i'r mathau hyn o gynigion? Mae’n mynd i ddibynnu'n helaeth ar sut fath o strwythur y byddwch chi'n ei sefydlu.
Rhoddodd David Melding, a siaradodd yn gyntaf, olwg hanesyddol inni, a diddorol iawn yn fy nhyb i, ar yr hyn y ceisiwyd ei gyflawni yn nhymor cyntaf y Cynulliad gyda'r cynllun gofodol nad oeddwn i, mae'n rhaid cyfaddef, yn ymwybodol ohono. Ni allaf gofio i hynny fod yn bwnc llosg yn y papurau newyddion ar y pryd, ond efallai mai wedi anghofio yr wyf i. Ond, yn amlwg, yr oedd yn ddatblygiad mawr gan y Llywodraeth yn y tymor cyntaf, ac ni lwyddodd mewn gwirionedd. Felly, erbyn hyn rydym yn y sefyllfa hon gyda chynllun newydd. Sut fyddwch chi'n yn dysgu o wersi'r cynllun gofodol? Tybed pa wersi y byddwch yn eu dysgu eich hun, Gweinidog, o fethiant cymharol y cynllun gofodol a sut y gallwn sicrhau nad fydd y cynllun hwn yn ailadrodd y methiannau hynny.
Rwy'n ystyried bod problemau'n bodoli, ac rwy'n obeithiol y bydd hyn yn llwyddiant yn fras. Ond gallaf weld problemau, wrth symud ymlaen, gan fod gennych chi hefyd ad-drefnu llywodraeth leol, sydd dan ystyriaeth o hyd, y mae eich cyd-Aelod sy'n eistedd y drws nesaf ond un i chi yn gyfrifol amdano. Mae'n amlwg fod chi fel Gweinidog cynllunio ac yntau fel Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol ar wahân, ac weithiau gall hynny achosi problemau. Rydych yn amlwg yn mynd i orfod cydweithio'n agos gyda'ch gilydd ar hyn i sicrhau llwyddiant. Tybed sut mae'r pethau hyn yn mynd i asio. Ar yr un pryd, mae gennym ni'r cytundebau dinesig, y cytundebau twf, felly rwy'n gobeithio na fydd hyn i gyd yn annibendod llwyr. A gobeithiaf y byddwch chi rhwng y ddau ohonoch chi, a'r Gweinidog tai hefyd, yn llwyddo i gadw rhywfaint o drefn ar hyn. Felly, tybed yn fras beth yw eich barn ar y pwyntiau hyn.
Un mater yr oeddwn yn arbennig o awyddus i'ch holi yn ei gylch oedd y Cynlluniau Datblygu Strategol. Rwy'n gwybod eich bod wedi dweud bod y rhain yn mynd i fod yn statudol—mae'n ddrwg gennyf i, bydd yr FfDC yn statudol. Felly, bydd hyn yn dylanwadu, yn sicr o ddylanwadu ar benderfyniadau a wneir yn yr haenau is. Rwyf mewn ychydig o benbleth braidd o ran pwy sydd mewn gwirionedd yn gwneud y penderfyniadau gyda'r CDSau. Mae'n ymddangos mai'r awdurdodau lleol gyda'i gilydd fydd yn gwneud hynny. Roeddech chi'n dweud eich bod yn ceisio eu cael i weithio gyda'i gilydd ar lefel strategol. Sut fydd hynny'n gweithio gyda'ch pwerau statudol? Sut fydd hynny yn gweithio yn ymarferol mewn gwirionedd? A fyddan nhw'n gweithio ar yr un lefel â'r cytundebau dinesig? A fydd y dinas-ranbarthau mewn gwirionedd yn gwneud y penderfyniadau am y CDSau, neu a fydd yn gydglymiad arall o wahanol awdurdodau lleol? Thank you very much.
I thank Gareth Bennett for his comments and questions. I think I need to reassure—. Well, I've ensured my officials have reassured local planning authorities, and I'm very happy to reassure members that the NDF isn't some kind of power grab or a bypass for good, effective local decision making. If we think about it, over 25,000 planning applications are dealt with by local planning authorities each year, and only a handful are taken by Welsh Ministers. That won't change as a result of the NDF. What the NDF gives us is a better means of showing the major development priorities for Wales and ensuring that that planning system is aligned. You're absolutely right; you heard me in my answer to Siân Gwenllian that the NDF will sit at the top of a pyramid of development plans and the SDPs and the LDPs will be underneath at a regional and local authority level.
Local authorities have already played a very significant part in reaching this very early consultation stage. They've been very involved with early engagement. However, I do think there is much more we can do with them. I have an offer on the table to all local authorities to work with us as we gather our evidence now ahead of bringing forward the draft NDF. I will continue to seek the views of local authorities, but of course there is an onus on them to play a very full and active role. I've also made it very clear that the NDF is not an excuse to delay any work on local development plans or the review of LDPs that is currently taking place by all the planning authorities. There won't be any surprises in terms of the content of the NDF, because we expect them to work with us in preparing it.
You referred to the Wales spatial plan, which you didn't know about, being a failure. I wouldn't go as far as to say that, but I will go—. I think David Melding referred to the sort of enthusiasm that the first Wales spatial plan was greeted with, and I think it's absolutely fair to say that it didn't deliver the meaningful change that the first Government wanted.
You asked me what lessons we've learned and I think the big lesson that I've personally learned, and clearly officials have learned, is that because it didn't have that framework and that status of being a development plan, it didn't have the teeth, if you like, to bring forward that meaningful change. So, that's why we've given that status to the NDF, because I don't want it just to become some sort of glossy document that sits on the shelf and it doesn't have the teeth to drive that change that we want to see.
I work closely with all my Cabinet Secretary and ministerial colleagues. I mentioned that I've met them all before we've even got to this stage to see what their priorities are. It's very much a cross-Government document. We don't work in silos. We work very closely together, and I referred to what work I've been doing with my colleague the Minister for Housing and Regeneration. The Cabinet Secretary for Local Government, as you say, is initiating work around reform. This will dovetail with it. Obviously, we've got 25 local planning authorities with the 22 local authorities and, clearly, in the work that Alun Davies is taking forward, I will work very closely with him on that.
Diolch i Gareth Bennett am ei sylwadau a'i gwestiynau. Credaf fod angen imi roi sicrwydd—. Wel, rwyf wedi sicrhau bod fy swyddogion wedi rhoi sicrwydd i awdurdodau cynllunio lleol, ac rwy'n hapus iawn i roi sicrwydd i'r Aelodau nad yw'r FfDC yn rhyw fath o ymaflyd yn yr awenau neu'n ffordd o osgoi gwneud penderfyniadau lleol da ac effeithiol. Os ydym yn ystyried y peth, ymdrinnir â mwy na 25,000 o geisiadau cynllunio gan awdurdodau cynllunio lleol bob blwyddyn, a dim ond llond llaw sy'n cael eu cymryd gan Weinidogion Cymru. Ni fydd hynny'n newid o ganlyniad i'r FfDC. Yr hyn y mae'r FfDC yn ei gynnig inni yw ffordd well o ddangos y blaenoriaethau datblygu mawr i Gymru a sicrhau bod y system gynllunio yn gyson. Rydych chi'n llygad eich lle; clywsoch yr hyn a ddywedais yn fy ateb i Siân Gwenllian y bydd yr FfDC yn sefyll ar frig pyramid o gynlluniau datblygu a bydd y CDSau a'r CDLlau oddi tano ar lefel awdurdodau lleol a rhanbarthol.
Mae awdurdodau lleol eisoes wedi chwarae rhan sylweddol iawn wrth gyrraedd y cyfnod ymgynghori cynnar iawn hwn. Maen nhw wedi bod yn rhan bwysig o'r ymgysylltiad cynnar. Serch hynny, rwyf i o'r farn y gallwn wneud llawer mwy gyda nhw. Mae gennyf i gynnig ar y bwrdd i bob awdurdod lleol weithio gyda ni wrth inni gasglu ein tystiolaeth nawr cyn inni gyflwyno'r FfDC drafft. Byddaf yn parhau i geisio barn awdurdodau lleol, ond wrth gwrs mae'n ddyletswydd arnyn nhw i chwarae rhan lawn a gweithgar iawn. Rwyf hefyd wedi egluro nad yw'r FfDC yn esgus i ohirio unrhyw waith ar gynlluniau datblygu lleol neu adolygiad o GDLlau a sy'n digwydd ar hyn o bryd gan yr awdurdodau cynllunio. Ni fydd unrhyw beth annisgwyl yng nghynnwys yr FfDC, oherwydd rydym yn disgwyl iddyn nhw weithio gyda ni wrth ei lunio.
Roeddech chi'n cyfeirio at gynllun gofodol Cymru, nad oeddech chi'n gwybod amdano, fel methiant. Ni fyddwn yn mynd mor bell â dweud hynny, ond byddwn yn—. Rwy'n credu bod David Melding wedi cyfeirio at y math o frwdfrydedd y gwnaeth cynllun gofodol cyntaf Cymru ei ennyn, a chredaf ei bod yn hollol deg dweud na lwyddodd i sicrhau'r newid ystyrlon yr oedd ar y Llywodraeth gyntaf ei eisiau.
Roeddech chi'n gofyn i mi pa wersi yr ydym wedi'u dysgu ac rwy'n credu mai'r wers fawr yr wyf i'n bersonol wedi'i dysgu, ac yn amlwg y mae'r swyddogion wedi'i dysgu, yw nad oedd ganddo'r fframwaith hwnnw a'r statws o fod yn gynllun datblygu, ac felly nid oedd ganddo'r dannedd, os mynnwch chi, i gyflwyno'r newid ystyrlon hwnnw. Felly, dyna pam yr ydym wedi rhoi'r statws hwnnw i'r FfDC, oherwydd nid wyf i'n dymuno iddi fod ond yn rhyw fath o ddogfen sgleiniog sydd yn eistedd ar y silff ac heb dannedd i sbarduno'r newid hwnnw yr ydym yn eiddgar i'w weld.
Rwyf i'n gweithio'n agos gyda fy holl gydweithwyr sy'n Ysgrifenyddion y Cabinet ac yn gyd-Weinidogion. Soniais fy mod wedi cwrdd â phob un ohonyn nhw cyn inni gyrraedd y cyfnod hwn hyd yn oed i weld beth yw eu blaenoriaethau nhw. Mae'n ddogfen draws-Lywodraethol i raddau helaeth iawn. Nid ydym yn gweithio mewn seilos. Gweithiwn yn agos iawn at ein gilydd, a chyfeiriais at y math o waith yr wyf wedi'i wneud gyda fy nghyd-Aelod y Gweinidog Tai ac Adfywio. Fel y dywedwch, mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol, yn dechrau ar waith sy'n ymwneud â diwygio. Bydd hyn yn cydweddu â hynny. Yn amlwg, mae gennym ni 25 o awdurdodau cynllunio lleol gyda 22 o awdurdodau lleol ac, yn amlwg, byddaf yn gweithio'n agos iawn gydag Alun Davies yn y gwaith y mae ef yn ei gyflwyno.
I strongly support the principle of a national development plan and a strategic development plan sitting above the local development plans. I think that we too often look at areas in isolation, and for those who know the area near where I live, you have Parc Trostre and you have Fforestfach retail park, which are both three or four miles apart. They have an effect on each other, but they're dealt with by different planning authorities, and under any changes anybody's put forward in recent times, it would still be under different planning authorities. We've seen the development of a second campus in Swansea, which I think has been a tremendous building, but it actually has a much bigger effect on Swansea than it does on Neath Port Talbot, the council which by serendipity it appears in. It was a bit of land that nobody used, and they followed a stream down to get a boundary. So, I think it is really important that we do end up having a strategic overview.
Can I go back to before the spatial plan? The spatial plan only replaced the old county plans. The county plans existed and they designated areas within a county for different usages. It's quite interesting that the county plans disappeared, because the counties' planning departments disappeared, because somebody decided that if there was a planning department in a district and a planning department in the county, there must be some form of overlap there where you can bring efficiency in by merging them. People have always wanted to merge things to bring efficiencies in; one day it will work. And we found out then that the county plans disappeared, so you didn't have a county development plan, which was very useful. I think that we do need overall development plans, because people are always affected by the area next to them, and that's not solved by the boundaries of Wales or the boundaries of council areas, however big you make them, or by the boundaries of the city regions.
I've got two real questions. Will you be looking to designate land for forestry? One of the great failures over the last few years is that the amount of afforestation that should have taken place in Wales hasn't. Many people in this room are very keen on increasing the amount of forestry in Wales. Will you be designating areas, like the county plans used to designate areas for minerals and areas for forestry? Will that be in there so that you can have areas designated, so that we can actually have enough land available for afforestation to actually meet our plans?
The second question is: we've now got a marine plan separate to the national development plan—why? I've come to the conclusion that the sea at every point meets land. And I'm also of the view that ports, for example, have an effect on marine; at least part of them is on land and part of them is at sea. Surely, one unitary plan covering marine and land would be better than having two plans, because I'm sure somebody in the future will be wanting to join them.
Rwy'n cefnogi'n gryf yr egwyddor o gynllun datblygu cenedlaethol a chynllun datblygu strategol uwchben y cynlluniau datblygu lleol. Credaf ein bod yn rhy aml yn edrych ar ardaloedd ar wahân i'w gilydd, ac i'r rheini sy'n adnabod yr ardal gerllaw'r lle rwyf i'n byw, mae gennych chi Barc Trostre, ac mae gennych chi Barc Manwerthu Fforest-fach, sydd dair neu bedair milltir oddi wrth ei gilydd. Maen nhw'n effeithio ar ei gilydd, ond maen nhw'n cael eu trin gan wahanol awdurdodau cynllunio, ac o dan unrhyw newidiadau y mae unrhyw un wedi'u cyflwyno'n ddiweddar, bydden nhw'n aros o dan wahanol awdurdodau cynllunio. Rydym ni wedi gweld datblygiad yr ail gampws yn Abertawe, y credaf ei fod wedi bod yn adeilad rhagorol, ond mae ganddo mewn gwirionedd effaith llawer mwy ar Abertawe nag y sydd ganddo ar Gastell-nedd Port Talbot, y cyngor y mae'n ymddangos ynddo drwy serendipedd. Darn o dir oedd hwn nad oedd neb yn ei ddefnyddio, a dilyn y nant wnaethon nhw i gael ffin. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig iawn ein bod yn cael trosolwg strategol yn y pen draw.
A gaf i ddychwelyd at gyfnod cyn y cynllun gofodol? Nid oedd y cynllun gofodol yn disodli ond yr hen gynlluniau sirol. Roedd y cynlluniau sirol yn bodoli ac roedden nhw'n dynodi ardaloedd o fewn Sir ar gyfer gwahanol ddefnydd. Mae'n ddiddorol iawn bod y cynlluniau sirol wedi diflannu, am fod adrannau cynllunio'r siroedd wedi diflannu, am fod rhywun wedi penderfynu pe byddai adran gynllunio mewn rhanbarth ac adran gynllunio yn y sir, mae'n rhaid fod peth gorgyffwrdd y gellid cymhwyso eu heffeithlonrwydd drwy eu huno nhw. Mae pobl bob amser yn awyddus i uno pethau ar gyfer sicrhau arbedion effeithlonrwydd; un diwrnod fe ddaw hynny i weithio. Ac fe welsom ni wedyn fod y cynlluniau sirol wedi diflannu, ac felly nid oedd cynllun datblygu sirol i'w gael gennych chi, ac roedd hynny'n ddefnyddiol iawn. Credaf fod angen cynlluniau datblygu cyffredinol arnom ni, oherwydd caiff pobl eu dylanwadu bob amser gan yr ardal gyfagos, ac nid yw hynny'n cael ei ddatrys gan ffiniau Cymru na ffiniau ardaloedd y cynghorau, ni waeth pa mor fawr y byddwch chi yn eu gwneud nhw, neu gan ffiniau'r dinas-ranbarthau.
Mae gennyf i ddau gwestiwn gwirioneddol. A fyddwch yn edrych ar ddynodi tir ar gyfer coedwigaeth? Un o'r methiannau mawr dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf yw nad yw cyfanswm y coedwigo a ddylai fod wedi digwydd yng Nghymru wedi digwydd. Mae llawer yn yr ystafell hon yn awyddus iawn i gynyddu'r swm coedwigaeth yng Nghymru. A fyddwch yn dynodi ardaloedd, fel y gwnaethai'r cynlluniau sirol ddynodi ardaloedd ar gyfer mwynau ac ardaloedd ar gyfer coedwigaeth? A fydd hynny i'w gael fel eich bod yn gallu dynodi ardaloedd, fel y gallwn gael mewn gwirionedd ddigon o dir ar gael ar gyfer coedwigo i fodloni ein cynlluniau mewn gwirionedd?
Yr ail gwestiwn yw: erbyn hyn mae gennym gynllun morol ar wahân i'r cynllun datblygu cenedlaethol—pam hynny? Rwyf i wedi dod i'r casgliad bod y môr yn cwrdd â'r tir ymhobman. Ac rwyf hefyd o'r farn fod porthladdoedd, er enghraifft, yn cael effaith ar y môr; mae o leiaf ran ohonynt ar dir a rhan ohonynt ar y môr. Siawns na fuasai un cynllun cyfunol sy'n cwmpasu'r morol a'r tir yn well na chael dau gynllun, oherwydd yr wyf yn siŵr y bydd rhywun yn y dyfodol dymuno eu huno nhw.
Thank you, Mike Hedges, for those questions. I'll take the second one first. I think that's actually a very good point as to why we did separate plans, and I suppose when I came into the portfolio exactly two years ago I was very conscious of the fact that we didn't have any strategic view of our marine—our seas and our waters—and it was becoming more and more of an issue, and I was very keen to get the marine plan up and running. As it was, it took me just over a year. If I'd have waited for the NDF as well—and, obviously, the NDF isn't going to come until 2020—that would have prolonged it, but I think it is very important that they do dovetail very much together.
In relation to your question around forestry, certainly, I absolutely agree with you that we're not planting as many trees as we would all wish to, and clearly that's a piece of work that my colleague the Minister for Environment is taking forward. I think what the NDF has the potential to do is aid the delivery of the natural resources policy that we've brought forward. I think there's potential for all three of the NRP's priorities to be supported by the NDF. Obviously, the planning system has a key role to play in helping to reverse the decline of biodiversity, for instance. So, we can certainly look as to whether we designate areas for forestry and, again, I mentioned that is absolutely a blank piece of paper at the moment. So, we can certainly see what responses come in from the consultation, but I do think that that is an area that we can look at going forward.
Diolch ichi, Mike Hedges, am y cwestiynau hyn. Byddaf yn cymryd yr ail un yn gyntaf. Credaf mai pwynt da iawn yw hwnnw mewn gwirionedd ynghylch pam oedd cynlluniau ar wahân gennym, ac rwy'n amau pan yr etifeddais y portffolio ddwy flynedd yn union yn ôl roeddwn yn ymwybodol iawn o'r ffaith nad oedd gennym unrhyw farn strategol ar ein morol—ein moroedd a'n dyfroedd—ac roedd yn mynd yn broblem gynyddol, ac roeddwn yn awyddus iawn i gael y cynllun morol yn weithredol. Fel yr oedd hi, fe gymerodd ychydig dros flwyddyn i mi. Pe byddwn wedi aros am yr FfDC hefyd—ac, mae'n amlwg, nid yw'r FfDC am ddod tan 2020—byddai hynny wedi ei ohirio, ond mae'n bwysig iawn eu bod nhw'n ymblethu gyda'i gilydd yn dynn iawn.
O ran eich cwestiwn am goedwigaeth, yn sicr, cytunaf yn llwyr â chi nad ydym yn plannu cymaint o goed ag y byddem oll yn ei ddymuno, ac yn amlwg mae hwnnw'n ddarn o waith y mae fy nghyd-Aelod, y Gweinidog dros yr Amgylchedd yn ei wneud. Credaf mai'r hyn sydd gan yr FfDC y potensial i'w wneud yw cynorthwyo wrth gyflawni'r polisi adnoddau naturiol yr ydym wedi'i gyflwyno. Credaf fod potensial i bob un o dair blaenoriaeth cynllunio cyfoeth naturiol gael eu cefnogi gan yr FfDC. Yn amlwg, mae gan y system gynllunio swyddogaeth allweddol wrth helpu i wrthdroi'r dirywiad bioamrywiaeth, er enghraifft. Felly, gallwn yn sicr edrych a ydym yn dynodi ardaloedd ar gyfer coedwigaeth, ac eto, crybwyllais mai darn gwbl wag o bapur sydd gennym ar hyn o bryd. Felly, gallwn weld yn sicr pa ymatebion sy'n dod i'r ymgynghoriad, ond rwy'n credu bod hwn yn faes y gallwn edrych arno wrth fynd yn ein blaenau.
Diolch am y datganiad, Gweinidog. Rydw i jest eisiau ffocysu ar un agwedd o'r datganiad, sef ynni. Mae'r datganiad, yn hytrach na'r ymgynghoriad, yn ei wneud yn glir bod ynni yn ganolog i ddatblygiad yn ôl lleoliad, fel rŷch chi wedi amlinellu. Yn benodol, mae lot o sôn yn yr ymgynghoriad, yn y papur, ynglŷn ag ynni adnewyddol, sydd yn nwylo Llywodraeth Cymru, wrth gwrs. Ond mae hefyd yn wir i ddweud bod yna ddatblygiadau ynni o bwys y tu hwnt i ynni adnewyddol sydd yn effeithio ar gymunedau. Rŷch chi'n meddwl, er enghraifft, am orsaf bŵer Aberddawan. Fe gafodd y pwyllgor newid hinsawdd dystiolaeth yr wythnos diwethaf fod cau'r orsaf honno, sydd yn yr arfaeth gan Lywodraeth San Steffan ar hyn o bryd, yn hollbwysig i dargedau newid hinsawdd Llywodraeth Cymru. Rŷm ni newydd weld cais cynllunio ar gyfer ailagor pwll glo yn Aberpergwm, sydd hefyd yn codi cwestiwn ynglŷn â sut mae datblygiadau ynni fel hyn yn ffitio i mewn gyda'r cysyniadau eraill sydd gyda chi. Achos pwrpas unrhyw gynllun strategol cenedlaethol yw cyflawni ar lawr gwlad beth sydd gyda chi fel polisi cenedlaethol. Dyna beth yw ei bwrpas e. Felly, pan ŷch chi'n sôn yn yr ymgynghoriad am ynni sydd o bwysigrwydd cenedlaethol, a fedrwch chi jest ddweud wrthym ni heddiw a ydy'r 'cenedlaethol' yn fanna yn cyfeirio at Gymru neu'r Deyrnas Gyfunol? Rydw i ond yn defnyddio 'cenedlaethol' i feddwl Cymru, wrth gwrs, ond rydw i'n gweld 'cenedlaethol' weithiau yn cael ei ddefnyddio mewn cyd-destun arall. Felly, jest inni ddeall hynny, fel ein bod ni'n gallu bod yn glir yn ei gylch e.
Yn ail, fel sydd wedi cael ei grybwyll inni eisoes, mae eich dewis amgen ymysg yr ymgynghoriad yma yn sôn am dri rhanbarth yng Nghymru, sydd yn golygu bod y canolbarth yn mynd gyda'r de-orllewin. Ond, wrth gwrs, pedwar rhanbarth, i bob pwrpas, sydd gyda ni bellach, gyda rhanbarth uchelgais y gogledd, rhanbarth twf Ceredigion a Phowys gyda'i gilydd, ac wedyn y ddwy ddinas-ranbarth yn y de. Fel rŷch chi'n gwybod, efallai, ddoe fe gynhaliwyd cynhadledd yn Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau yn Abertawe, yn edrych ar ynni yn ninas-ranbarth bae Abertawe—roedd wedi cael ei chynnal gan yr IWA—ac un o'r pethau a drafodwyd, ac, yn wir, a argymhellwyd, yn y gynhadledd yna oedd y dylai fod targedau ynni ac ynni adnewyddol rhanbarthol yng Nghymru. Hynny yw, er mwyn cyrraedd eich targedau cenedlaethol sydd yn yr ymgynghoriad yma, rŷch chi eisiau targedau rhanbarthol, achos mae gwahanol ranbarthau yn gwneud yn well na'i gilydd o ran ynni adnewyddol—mae'r canolbarth yn cyfrannu yn helaeth o ran ynni o felinau gwynt, er enghraifft. Felly, a ydych chi wedi glynu wrth y syniad yma o dri rhanbarth, ac a fyddwch chi'n cyflwyno yn eu sgil dargedau adnewyddol rhanbarthol?
Thank you for the statement, Minister. I just want to focus on one aspect of it, and that's energy. The statement, rather than the consultation, makes it clear that energy is at the heart of the place making, as you suggested. Specifically, there's a great deal of talk in the consultation, in the paper, of renewable energy, which is in the Welsh Government's hands, of course. But it's also true to say that there are major energy developments beyond renewable energy that can affect communities. You think of the Aberthaw power station, for example. The climate change committee heard evidence just last week that the closure of that power station, which is in the pipeline from the Westminster Government, is crucially important for the Welsh Government's climate change targets. We've just seen a planning application for the reopening of the coal mine in Aberpergwm, which raises questions as to how energy developments of this kind fit in with the other concept that you espouse, because the purpose of any national strategic plan is to deliver on the ground what you have within national policy; that its purpose. So, when you talk in the consultation about nationally important energy projects, can you just tell us today whether the 'national' there is referring to Wales or the UK? I only use 'national' in reference to Wales, of course, but I occasionally see it being used in the context of the UK. So, it's just so that we can understand that fully, so that we can be clear about that.
Secondly, as has been mentioned already, your alternative choice in this consultation talks about three regions in Wales, which means that mid Wales goes with the south-west of Wales. But, of course, we do have four regions to all intents and purposes with the ambition region in north Wales, the Ceredigion and Powys growth area, and then the two city regions in the south. As you perhaps know, yesterday, there was a conference held in the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, looking at energy in Swansea bay city region—it was held by the Institute of Welsh Affairs—and one of the things that was discussed and indeed was recommended in that conference was that there should be energy and renewable energy targets at a regional level in Wales. That is, in order to reach your national targets, as set out in this consultation, you will also need regional targets, because different regions may perform better than others in terms of renewable energy—mid Wales makes a significant contribution in terms of wind turbines, for example. So, related to this idea of three regions, are you wedded to that, and, as a result, will you be introducing renewable energy targets on a regional basis?
Thank you. In relation to the word 'national', I too am talking about Wales when I refer to the NDF. I think getting our energy policy and our planning policy aligned and correct is very important. I mentioned a clash of policies at times, and I'm having to look at a planning application for renewable energy, say wind turbines, and because it sits outside an area—you know, the planning policy—there is that clash. You mentioned another one that's just come before me. So, I think it's really important that we do align our policies, and that's one of the reasons for going out on 'Planning Policy Wales' in order that we are able to reach the targets that I set for renewable energy and the types of energy back in December.
In relation to the regions, no I'm not wedded to these, and I think this is an area that we can look at over this period now when we're looking at the preferred option and setting the scene, if you like, ahead of the draft NDF coming out next year. Looking at whether we should have regional targets for energy is something that we can look at. I think the most important thing is that the NDF supports our decarbonisation aims and helps us build resilience to the impacts of climate change. I think that's something that I would want it, obviously, to do.
If we're going to achieve our strategic decarbonisation goals, I think that has to be a central goal of the NDF, and that includes, obviously, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050. So, what I want the NDF to do is support the delivery of our targets through policies that then support generation through a range of technology, and also provide a framework for the delivery of local energy generation also.
You mentioned major energy infrastructure, and, again, I think it gives us an excellent opportunity—the NDF—to spatially express our very positive planning policies on energy infrastructure in order, again, that we can meet our climate change obligations and also our renewable energy targets. My officials are currently examining opportunities to map the potential for new large-scale renewable energy infrastructure across Wales. And, again, placing those in planning policy I think will enable us to show real leadership where we consider the developments are best placed.
Diolch ichi. O ran y gair 'cenedlaethol', rwyf innau hefyd yn sôn am Gymru pan gyfeiriaf at yr FfDC. Rwyf i o'r farn fod cysondeb a chywirdeb ein polisi ynni a'n polisi cynllunio yn bwysig iawn. Soniais am wrthdaro polisïau ar brydiau, ac mae'n rhaid imi edrych ar gais cynllunio ar gyfer ynni adnewyddadwy, tyrbinau gwynt dyweder, a chan ei fod yn gorwedd y tu allan i ardal—wyddoch chi, y polisi cynllunio—ceir y gwrthdaro hwnnw. Roeddech chi'n sôn am un arall sydd newydd ddod ger fy mron. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig iawn ein bod yn cysoni ein polisïau, a dyna un o'r rhesymau am fynd allan ar 'Bolisi Cynllunio Cymru' er mwyn inni allu cyrraedd y targedau a osodais ar gyfer ynni adnewyddadwy a'r mathau o ynni yn ôl ym mis Rhagfyr.
O ran y rhanbarthau, nid wyf wedi fy rhwymo i'r rhain, a chredaf fod hwn yn faes y gallwn edrych arno dros y cyfnod hwn pan fyddwn yn edrych ar y dewis a ffefrir ac yn gosod y llwyfan, os mynnwch chi, o flaen cyflwyno'r FfDC drafft y flwyddyn nesaf. Mae ystyried a ddylid cael targedau rhanbarthol ar gyfer ynni yn rhywbeth y gallwn ni edrych arno. Credaf mai'r peth pwysicaf yw bod yr FfDC yn cefnogi ein hamcanion datgarboneiddio ac yn ein helpu i fagu nerth i wrthsefyll effeithiau newid hinsawdd. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n rhywbeth, yn amlwg, y buaswn yn dymuno iddo ei gyflawni.
Os ydym am gyflawni ein hamcanion datgarboneiddio strategol, rwy'n credu y bydd yn rhaid i hynny fod yn amcan canolog i'r FfDC, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys, yn amlwg, leihau allyriadau nwyon tŷ gwydr o leiaf 80 y cant erbyn 2050. Felly, rwy'n dymuno gweld yr FFDC yn helpu i gyflawni ein targedau drwy bolisïau a fydd wedyn yn cefnogi cynhyrchu drwy amrywiaeth o dechnoleg, ac yn darparu fframwaith ar gyfer cynhyrchu ynni lleol hefyd.
Roeddech chi'n sôn am seilwaith mawr i ynni, ac, eto, credaf ei fod yn gyfle gwych inni—yr FfDC —fynegi'n ofodol ein polisïau cynllunio cadarnhaol iawn ar seilwaith ynni er mwyn, unwaith eto, inni allu ateb ein rhwymedigaethau o ran newid hinsawdd a'n targedau ynni adnewyddadwy hefyd. Mae fy swyddogion yn ymchwilio ar hyn o bryd i gyfleoedd i fapio'r potensial ar gyfer seilwaith ynni adnewyddadwy ar raddfa fawr newydd ledled Cymru. Ac, eto, rwy'n credu y bydd gosod y rheini mewn polisi cynllunio yn ein galluogi ni i roi arweiniad gwirioneddol wrth ystyried y lleoliadau gorau ar gyfer y datblygiadau.
I'm very pleased, and I very much welcome the hardwiring of the well-being goals and the ways of working of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 into the planning policy for Wales, and into the national development framework. In the light of that, I wonder if you can say a little bit more about its development plan status and whether it enables you to do some of the following. For example, does it enable you to make it clear that out-of-town shopping centres will not be welcomed in the future because of the damage they do to place making in city centres or town centres? Does it enable you to insist that significant new housing developments will only take place where there is also decent public transport links, as it's impossible for us to meet our climate change obligations unless we control development to areas that are properly connected? Does it enable us, for example, to repeal the Land Compensation Act 1961, which is one of the main barriers to the development of new land for housing where there is housing need, as it enables people to hold on to land in the hope that at some future date it might become considerably more valuable than it is in its current status? So, I'd be keen to understand a little bit more about what levers this new national development framework gives you to really deliver on the well-being of future generations Act's aims.
Rwy'n falch iawn ac rwy'n croesawu'n fawr y modd y mae'r nodau llesiant a'r ffyrdd o weithio yn Neddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 yn rhannau annatod o bolisi cynllunio Cymru, a'r fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol. Yng ngoleuni hynny, tybed a allwch chi ddweud ychydig mwy am ei statws fel cynllun datblygu ac a yw'n eich galluogi chi i wneud rhai o'r canlynol. Er enghraifft, a yw'n eich galluogi chi i'w gwneud yn glir na fydd canolfannau siopa ar gyrion trefi yn cael croeso yn y dyfodol oherwydd y niwed y maen nhw'n ei achosi i lunio lleoedd mewn canol dinas neu dref? A yw'n eich galluogi chi i fynnu y bydd datblygiadau sylweddol o dai newydd yn digwydd yn unig lle ceir cysylltiadau da o ran trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus hefyd, gan y bydd yn amhosib inni fodloni ein rhwymedigaethau newid hinsawdd oni bai ein bod yn rheoli datblygiad i ardaloedd sydd â'r cysylltiadau priodol? A yw'n ein galluogi ni, er enghraifft, i ddiddymu Deddf Iawndal Tir 1961, sydd yn un o'r prif rwystrau i ddatblygu tir newydd ar gyfer tai lle ceir angen am dai, gan ei bod yn caniatáu i bobl ddal eu gafael mewn tir yn y gobaith y gallai rywbryd yn y dyfodol fod yn llawer mwy gwerthfawr nag ydyw ar hyn o bryd? Felly, byddwn yn awyddus i ddeall ychydig mwy am y pwerau sydd gan y fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol newydd hwn i'w rhoi i chi er mwyn cyflawni amcanion Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol mewn gwirionedd.
Thank you, Jenny Rathbone. You're absolutely right—I think the ways of working in relation to the well-being of future generations Act have been absolutely integral to the development of the NDF, even during the work that we've undertaken to date, but absolutely for the work ahead. We've really considered how the ways of working shape what we do and how they can help us achieve the sustainable development that we want to see. They've also been used to inform the review of the evidence and identify issues, and also to look at the structure of the assessment framework. It's obviously a requirement of several pieces of legislation that we do undertake a variety of assessments in relation to the NDF. So, we have really sought to integrate the approach already at the assessment process.
You ask about specific points, and I think you're absolutely right—it's vitally important that when we're looking at where housing developments are going to be placed, for instance, that there is the public transport around it. When I've had discussions with my Cabinet colleagues and ministerial colleagues ahead of this, it's been something they're looking at. So, for instance, when I was talking to Kirsty Williams, if she was looking to put a new tertiary college somewhere, it would be important to look at what surrounds that—whether the housing is there, whether the public transport is there. So, absolutely, that will be part of this.
You ask me about the 1961 compensation Act—I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that question, but I'll certainly be happy to send a note to the Member.
Diolch ichi, Jenny Rathbone. Rydych chi yn llygad eich lle—rwy'n credu bod y ffyrdd o weithio o ran Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol wedi bod yn hollbwysig i ddatblygiad yr FfDC, hyd yn oed yn ystod y gwaith a wnaed hyd yn hyn, ond yn arbennig felly ar gyfer y gwaith sydd o'n blaenau. Rydym wedi ystyried yn fanwl sut y mae'r dulliau o weithio yn llywio'r hyn a wnawn a sut y gallan nhw helpu inni gyflawni'r datblygiad cynaliadwy yr ydym yn dymuno ei weld. Cawsant eu defnyddio hefyd i lywio adolygiad y dystiolaeth a nodi materion, a hefyd i edrych ar strwythur y fframwaith asesu. Mae'n ofyniad, yn amlwg, gan nifer o ddarnau o ddeddfwriaeth ein bod yn ymgymryd ag amrywiaeth o asesiadau mewn cysylltiad â'r fframwaith datblygu cenedlaethol. Felly, mewn gwirionedd rydym wedi ceisio integreiddio'r dull sydd eisoes yn y broses asesu.
Rydych yn holi am bwyntiau penodol, a chredaf eich bod yn llygad eich lle—mae'n hanfodol bwysig pan fyddwn ni'n edrych ar y mannau y mae datblygiadau tai yn mynd i fod, er enghraifft, fod cludiant cyhoeddus ar gael yno. Rwyf wedi cael trafodaethau gyda'm cydweithwyr yn y Cabinet a chydweithwyr gweinidogol cyn hyn, ac mae'n rhywbeth y maen nhw'n edrych arno. Felly, er enghraifft, pan oeddwn yn siarad â Kirsty Williams, pe byddai hi'n ceisio lleoli coleg trydyddol newydd yn rhywle, byddai'n bwysig edrych ar yr hyn sydd o gwmpas y lleoliad—a yw'r tai yno, a yw'r cludiant cyhoeddus yno. Felly, yn sicr, bydd hynny'n rhan o hyn.
Roeddech yn fy holi am Ddeddf iawndal 1961—nid oes gennyf i ateb i'r cwestiwn hwnnw, rwy'n ofni, ond byddaf yn sicr yn hapus i anfon nodyn at yr Aelod.
Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet.
Yr eitem nesaf yw datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus: Cyngor Sir Powys—diweddariad ar gefnogaeth o dan Fesur Llywodraeth Leol (Cymru) 2009. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, Alun Davies.
The next item is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services on Powys County Council—an update on support under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009. I call on the Cabinet Secretary, Alun Davies.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Following a critical inspection by Care Inspectorate Wales of Powys County Council’s children’s services, my colleague Rebecca Evans, the then Minister for Social Services and Public Health, issued a warning notice to the council under Part 8 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. On 16 April, my colleague Huw Irranca-Davies, Minister for Children and Social Care, provided an update on progress on the actions arising from the warning notice.
Earlier today, Care Inspectorate Wales published their report of their inspection of Powys’s adult services. The inspection highlights areas of significant concern for Powys to address. It was clear in the previous report on children’s services and in today’s report on adults’ services that improvement in the authority as a whole is necessary to enable improvement in social services.
In November last year I received a request for formal support from Powys’s leader, Councillor Rosemarie Harris. I subsequently exercised my powers under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 to provide Powys with a comprehensive package of support to assist with corporate improvement. This was developed in partnership with Powys County Council and the Welsh Local Government Association.
In December 2017 I appointed Sean Harriss, an experienced and well-respected local authority chief executive, to carry out a rapid review of the council. I tasked him to scope the main challenges facing the council and to provide a report setting out his findings and the steps required to address them. His report, 'Review of Leadership, Governance, Strategy and Capacity', was published in February 2018, and I provided an update to the Members on his key findings. The report highlighted that the council had made progress but still faced significant challenges in strengthening its corporate leadership and capacity. The report also stressed that those challenges could be overcome with, and I quote, an 'increased capacity and capability in the local authority coupled with an enhanced and intense package of sector led improvement’.
To ensure continuity and consistency, I asked Sean Harriss to continue his work with Powys County Council and oversee a second phase of support. He has provided them with support in the following key areas: performance and quality, vision, organisational change, and, finally, strengthening the budget position.
We met again, yesterday, and he provided an update on progress at the end of his second phase of work. His assessment was that progress is evident, but significant challenges remain, and enhanced corporate leadership capacity is necessary to deliver and sustain the level of change required. This requirement was reflected in his February report, which recommended the appointment of an experienced interim chief executive with a proven track record of transformational change.
Powys council has been following up this recommendation and I would like to congratulate Mohammed Mehmet, previously chief executive of Denbighshire County Council, on his appointment as the interim chief executive of Powys County Council. His track record in Denbighshire speaks for itself, having led the council through a period of significant challenge to being one of the best performing authorities in Wales. With the appointment of a new acting chief executive, Mr Harriss’s time and work with Powys will now draw to a close. I would like to thank him for his work with the council, but also, Deputy Presiding Officer, I would like to recognise the work of David Powell, the interim chief executive, and also the positive way in which the council, its staff and members have responded to these challenges.
The leader of the council and the new acting chief executive will be supported by the new improvement and assurance board, which has been established with a broader remit and replaces the former social services improvement board. I am pleased to say that Jack Straw, who chaired the social services improvement board, is continuing as chair.
The Welsh Government and Powys County Council have appointed Bozena Allen, a former director of social services, to the role of the social services external member, and Jaki Salisbury, a former chief executive and director of finance, to the corporate role on the board. They will provide support, challenge and guidance to the council. They are experts in their field, with a proven track record of successfully implementing and leading organisations during periods of transformational change. The board held its first meeting on Wednesday, 25 April, and the board will provide regular updates on progress and will advise on where further sector-led or Welsh Government support is required.
Deputy Presiding Officer, I believe the actions for the council are clear. They must deliver the social services improvement plan they have in place for children’s services and ensure a similar plan is delivered for adult services. They must also follow through on the recommendations in Sean Harriss’s review of leadership, governance, strategy and capacity. I will expect the council to implement an up-to-date, robust and sustainable medium-term financial strategy that prioritises its spending in key services and can deliver the package of measures needed to transform the council. I have provided some investment to assist with this.
I have met the leader of the council today, and she has assured me of her commitment to driving through progress and ensuring Powys County Council is able to offer the same high-quality services that people have a right to expect. The Minister for social services also joined us in that meeting. Both I and my colleague the Minister for Children and Social Care will continue to update Members on progress. Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Yn dilyn arolygiad beirniadol gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru o wasanaethau plant Cyngor Sir Powys, cyhoeddodd fy nghyd-Aelod, Rebecca Evans, y Gweinidog Iechyd y Cyhoedd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar y pryd, hysbysiad rhybuddio i'r cyngor o dan Ran 8 o Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014. Ar 16 Ebrill, cafwyd diweddariad gan fy nghyd-Aelod, Huw Irranca-Davies, y Gweinidog Gofal Cymdeithasol a Phlant ar gynnydd y camau gweithredu a oedd wedi deillio o'r hysbysiad rhybuddio.
Yn gynharach heddiw, cyhoeddodd Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru ei hadroddiad o'i harolygiad o wasanaethau oedolion ym Mhowys. Mae'r arolygiad yn tynnu sylw at feysydd o bryder sylweddol y mae angen i Bowys fynd i'r afael â nhw. Roedd yn glir yn yr adroddiad blaenorol ar wasanaethau plant ac yn adroddiad heddiw ar wasanaethau oedolion fod angen gwelliannau yn yr awdurdod yn ei gyfanrwydd er mwyn caniatáu ar gyfer gwelliannau mewn gwasanaethau cymdeithasol.
Ym mis Tachwedd y llynedd, cefais gais am gymorth ffurfiol gan arweinydd Powys, y Cynghorydd Rosemarie Harris. Yn dilyn hynny, fe wnes i arfer fy mhwerau o dan Fesur Llywodraeth Leol (Cymru) 2009 i ddarparu pecyn cynhwysfawr o gymorth i Bowys er mwyn helpu i sicrhau gwelliannau corfforaethol. Datblygwyd hyn mewn partneriaeth â Chyngor Sir Powys a Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru.
Ym mis Rhagfyr 2017, penodais Sean Harriss, prif weithredwr awdurdod lleol profiadol ac uchel ei barch, i gynnal adolygiad cyflym o'r cyngor. Rhoddais iddo'r dasg o bennu cwmpas y prif heriau a oedd yn wynebu'r cyngor a llunio adroddiad yn nodi ei ganfyddiadau a'r camau yr oedd eu hangen i fynd i'r afael â nhw. Cyhoeddwyd ei adroddiad, 'Adolygiad o Arweinyddiaeth, Llywodraethu, Strategaeth a Gallu', ym mis Chwefror 2018, a rhoddais ddiweddariad i'r Aelodau ar ei ganfyddiadau allweddol. Amlygodd yr adroddiad fod y cyngor wedi gwneud cynnydd ond ei fod yn dal i wynebu heriau sylweddol wrth gryfhau ei arweinyddiaeth a'i allu corfforaethol. Pwysleisiodd yr adroddiad hefyd y gellid goresgyn yr heriau hynny, ac rwy'n dyfynnu, drwy 'gynyddu capasiti a gallu yn yr awdurdod lleol, ynghyd â phecyn dwys o welliannau dan arweiniad y sector'.
Er mwyn sicrhau parhad a chysondeb, gofynnais i Sean Harriss barhau i weithio gyda Chyngor Sir Powys a goruchwylio ail gam o gymorth. Mae wedi rhoi cymorth i'r cyngor yn y meysydd allweddol canlynol: perfformiad ac ansawdd, gweledigaeth, newid sefydliadol, ac, yn olaf, cryfhau sefyllfa'r gyllideb.
Cawsom gyfarfod eto ddoe, a rhoddodd ddiweddariad ar y cynnydd ar ddiwedd ail gam y gwaith. Yn ôl ei asesiad ef, mae'n amlwg bod cynnydd wedi'i wneud, ond mae heriau sylweddol yn parhau, ac mae angen arweinyddiaeth gorfforaethol well er mwyn cyflawni a chynnal lefel y newid sydd ei hangen. Roedd y gofyniad hwn wedi'i adlewyrchu hefyd yn ei adroddiad ym mis Chwefror, a oedd yn argymell penodi prif weithredwr dros dro profiadol, â record wedi'i brofi o weddnewid.
Mae Cyngor Powys wedi bod yn cymryd camau yn dilyn yr argymhelliad hwn, a hoffwn longyfarch Mohammed Mehmet, cyn-brif weithredwr Cyngor Sir Dinbych, ar gael ei benodi'n brif weithredwr dros dro Cyngor Sir Powys. Mae ei hanes yn Sir Ddinbych yn siarad drosto'i hun, wedi iddo arwain y cyngor drwy gyfnod o her sylweddol i fod yn un o'r awdurdodau sy'n perfformio orau yng Nghymru. Gan fod prif weithredwr dros dro newydd wedi'i benodi, bydd amser a gwaith Mr Harriss gyda Phowys yn dirwyn i ben yn awr. Hoffwn ddiolch iddo am ei waith gyda'r cyngor, ond hefyd, Dirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn gydnabod gwaith David Powell, y prif weithredwr gweithredol, a'r ffordd gadarnhaol y mae'r cyngor, ei staff a'i aelodau wedi ymateb i'r heriau hyn.
Caiff arweinydd y cyngor a'r prif weithredwr dros dro newydd eu cefnogi gan fwrdd gwella a sicrwydd newydd, sydd wedi'i sefydlu â chylch gwaith ehangach ac sy'n disodli'r bwrdd gwella gwasanaethau cymdeithasol blaenorol. Rwy'n falch o ddweud bod Jack Straw, a gadeiriodd y bwrdd gwella gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, yn parhau yn gadeirydd.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru a Chyngor Sir Powys wedi penodi Bozena Allen, cyn-gyfarwyddwr gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, yn aelod allanol gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, a Jaki Salisbury, cyn-brif weithredwr a chyfarwyddwr cyllid, yn aelod corfforaethol ar y Bwrdd. Byddan nhw'n darparu cymorth, her ac arweiniad i'r cyngor. Maen nhw'n arbenigwyr yn eu maes, ac mae ganddyn nhw hanes o weithredu llwyddiannus ac arwain sefydliadau yn ystod cyfnodau o weddnewid. Cynhaliodd y bwrdd ei gyfarfod cyntaf ddydd Mercher, 25 Ebrill, a bydd y bwrdd yn rhoi diweddariadau rheolaidd ar gynnydd ac yn rhoi cyngor ar ba gymorth pellach sydd ei angen dan arweiniad Llywodraeth Cymru neu'r sector.
Dirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n credu bod y camau gweithredu ar gyfer y cyngor yn amlwg. Mae'n rhaid iddo gyflawni'r cynllun gwella gwasanaethau cymdeithasol sydd ganddyn nhw ar waith ar gyfer gwasanaethau plant, a sicrhau bod cynllun tebyg yn cael ei weithredu ar gyfer gwasanaethau oedolion. Mae'n rhaid iddo hefyd gymryd y camau dilynol priodol yn unol â'r argymhellion yn adolygiad Sean Harriss o arweinyddiaeth, llywodraethu, strategaeth a gallu. Byddaf yn disgwyl i'r cyngor weithredu strategaeth ariannol tymor canolig gyfoes, gadarn a chynaliadwy, sy'n blaenoriaethu ei wariant ar wasanaethau allweddol, ac a all gyflawni'r pecyn o fesurau sydd ei angen i weddnewid y cyngor. Rwyf wedi darparu rhywfaint o fuddsoddiad i helpu yn hyn o beth.
Rwyf i wedi cyfarfod ag arweinydd y cyngor heddiw, ac mae hi wedi fy sicrhau ei bod yn ymrwymedig i gyflawni'r cynnydd a sicrhau bod Cyngor Sir Powys yn gallu cynnig y gwasanaethau o ansawdd uchel y mae gan bobl bob hawl i'w disgwyl. Ymunodd y Gweinidog Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol â ni yn y cyfarfod hwnnw hefyd. Byddaf i a fy nghyd-Aelod, y Gweinidog Plant a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, yn parhau i roi diweddariadau i Aelodau ar y cynnydd a wneir. Diolch.
Diolch. Russell George.
Diolch. Russell George.
Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement this afternoon? Can I also thank and put on record my thanks to Huw Irranca-Davies and his predecessor Rebecca Evans for being very open to providing briefings for relevant Members and keeping us updated, following the inspection of Powys children's services? Also, I appreciate the Cabinet Secretary's offer, as well, to meet for a briefing. I appreciate that. It's also encouraging, I think, that Powys County Council themselves have provided the opportunity for briefings for Assembly Members with regard to the recent issues.
I am pleased to learn that the actions seem to already be taking place by the local authority to implement the recommendations, and that the leadership of the council seem to be positively taking forward the recommendations in a transparent and positive way.
You stated, Cabinet Secretary, or you started your statement, by referring to the Care Inspectorate Wales report published today, which highlights areas of significant concern for Powys to address with regard to adult services. I was pleased, looking at that, that it does highlight the fact that the morale of staff has been boosted now. That wasn't the case some time ago, so I think that's positive. Can I ask you: how are you going to measure the improvements that the local authority are required to make? Ultimately, improved outcomes will determine, of course, whether adult services are sufficient enough to no longer need such a high level of intervention from Welsh Government. So, could you outline some specific targets for improvements and clarify what work is currently being undertaken with Powys to develop these?
The report published today also repeatedly highlights the fact that the workforce delivering adult services has a high sickness and absence rate, high turnover and inconsistent levels of supervision. So, I wonder what role the Welsh Government will play in establishing a workforce strategy that is able to build strength in the workforce and deliver a timely, informed and effective service.
You have congratulated Mohammed Mehmet on his appointment as the interim chief executive. It's my understanding he's the acting chief executive, rather than the interim—if you could clarify that. But I have picked up myself very positive feedback on his appointment. You referred, yourself, to his track record in your statement. Are you confident that the new chief exec or the acting chief exec is the correct appointment? It perhaps would be useful to know, as well, what the recruitment process is—what Welsh Government's role is in that recruitment process.
Finally, do you recognise that, in order to build capacity and to ensure that these improvements are lasting, that stability to the political landscape is important? Therefore, do you agree with me that the proposals in the Green Paper on the local government reform to preserve Powys as a single local authority on the same footprint as the health board contributes to the stability and gives that best possible chance for lasting improvements to be made?
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. A gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma? A gaf i hefyd ddiolch a rhoi ar gofnod fy niolch i Huw Irranca-Davies a'i ragflaenydd Rebecca Evans am fod yn agored iawn i roi briff i Aelodau perthnasol a rhoi'r newyddion diweddaraf i ni am y sefyllfa, yn dilyn yr arolygiad o wasanaethau plant Powys? Hefyd, rwy'n gwerthfawrogi cynnig Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, i gyfarfod am sesiwn briffio. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi hynny. Mae hefyd yn galonogol, yn fy marn i, bod Cyngor Sir Powys eu hunain wedi rhoi cyfle i Aelodau'r Cynulliad gael eu briffio am y materion diweddar.
Rwy'n falch o glywed bod yr awdurdod lleol yn cymryd camau gweithredu eisoes i weithredu'r argymhellion, ac ymddengys bod arweinwyr y cyngor yn bwrw ymlaen yn gadarnhaol â'r argymhellion, a hynny mewn ffordd dryloyw ac adeiladol.
Fe wnaethoch chi nodi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, neu fe wnaethoch chi ddechrau eich datganiad drwy gyfeirio at adroddiad Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru a gyhoeddwyd heddiw, sy'n tynnu sylw at feysydd sy'n peri pryder sylweddol y mae angen i Bowys fynd i'r afael â nhw o ran gwasanaethau oedolion. Roeddwn yn falch, wrth edrych ar hynny, ei fod yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod morâl y staff wedi cael hwb erbyn hyn. Nid oedd hi felly beth amser yn ôl, felly mae hynny'n gadarnhaol yn fy marn i. A gaf i ofyn i chi: sut byddwch chi'n mesur y gwelliannau y mae'n ofynnol i'r awdurdod lleol eu gwneud? Yn y pen draw, bydd gwell canlyniadau yn pennu, wrth gwrs, a yw gwasanaethau oedolion yn ddigon da fel nad oes angen lefel mor uchel o ymyrraeth gan Lywodraeth Cymru mwyach. Felly, a wnewch chi amlinellu rhai targedau penodol ar gyfer gwelliannau ac egluro pa waith sy'n cael ei wneud gyda Phowys ar hyn o bryd i ddatblygu'r rhain?
Hefyd, mae'r adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd heddiw yn tynnu sylw sawl gwaith at y ffaith bod gan y gweithlu sy'n darparu gwasanaethau oedolion gyfradd uchel o salwch ac absenoldeb, trosiant uchel a lefelau anghyson o oruchwyliaeth. Felly, tybed pa swyddogaeth fydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru wrth sefydlu strategaeth gweithlu sy'n gallu meithrin cryfder y gweithlu a darparu gwasanaeth amserol, gwybodus ac effeithiol.
Rydych chi wedi llongyfarch Mohammed Mehmet ar ei benodiad yn brif weithredwr dros dro. Fy nealltwriaeth i o'r sefyllfa yw ei fod yn brif weithredwr gweithredol, yn hytrach na phrif weithredwr dros dro—a wnewch chi egluro hynny? Ond rwyf innau wedi clywed sylwadau cadarnhaol iawn mewn ymateb i'w benodiad. Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am ei hanes da yn eich datganiad. A ydych chi'n hyderus bod penodiad y prif weithredwr newydd neu'r prif weithredwr gweithredol yn gywir? Efallai byddai'n ddefnyddiol gwybod, hefyd, am y broses recriwtio—beth yw swyddogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn y broses recriwtio honno.
Yn olaf, a ydych chi'n cydnabod, er mwyn meithrin gallu a sicrhau bod y gwelliannau hyn yn parhau, bod sefydlogrwydd o ran y dirwedd wleidyddol yn bwysig? Felly, a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi fod y cynigion yn y Papur Gwyrdd ar ddiwygio llywodraeth leol i gadw Powys yn un awdurdod lleol â'r un ôl-troed â'r bwrdd iechyd yn cyfrannu at y sefydlogrwydd hwnnw ac yn rhoi'r cyfle gorau un o sicrhau bod gwelliannau parhaus yn cael eu gwneud?
I'd like to thank the Conservative spokesperson for his kind words at the beginning of his contribution, and also on his ingenuity at engineering local government reform into the final contribution of that speech.
I'll start, perhaps, most easily, by answering some of your final questions first. The Welsh Government does not have a role in appointing the chief executive of Powys or any other authority. It's a matter for the authority to take those decisions. Clearly, the Welsh Government stands ready to assist and to support, but it is right and proper that the local government itself takes these decisions. The appointment of Mohammed Mehmet was made by Powys County Council, in line with their procedures, and I welcome the appointment. I have absolute confidence in him and his ability to lead the professional workforce in Powys County Council and to deliver the professional leadership that is required in order to restore the council to where we all wish it to be in the future.
In terms of the role of Welsh Government, the Conservative spokesperson has, Deputy Presiding Officer, asked a number of questions that refer to the potential role of the Welsh Government, in terms of workforce strategy and delivering against a series of interventions. Let me say this: I think one of the positives, looking at the interventions that have been delivered to Powys and with the support of Powys, has been that this has been very much led by people who have experience of and are rooted in the delivery of social services and also local government. This is local government sustaining and supporting local government. I hope that we will be able to put in place, over the next few years, more structures that will enable local government to sustain and support local government services.
I hope the days of interventions from Welsh Government will soon be at an end, in fact. I hope that we will be able to put in place structures and means and processes by which local government will be taking responsibility for the improvement of services delivered to and by and for local government. That is how it should be. It's right and proper that local government has those structures in place and, certainly, Welsh Government will seek to do all it can to provide the help and support required to reach that point.
The Conservative Member has asked a number of questions on how we will measure improvements and the high level of intervention required in order to deliver on our targets and objectives. I will say to him that I expect the improvement board to publish its objectives and to publish its work streams in due course, and we will all be able to hold the improvement board to account for how it achieves and delivers on those ambitions.
But let me also say this: like him, I've read the report on adult services, which was published at lunch time today. We see the failings there. We recognise the failings, but we also recognise what has been said about the service delivery there. The point that was made by Russell George in his contribution, about staff and workforce morale, I believe, is absolutely central to everything else we're seeking to achieve here. We are putting in place the structures and the people who can help ensure that we have the technical skills and the managerial skills to deliver the services that we require and that the people of Powys have a right to expect. But more than that, we need to address issues of corporate culture; we need to address corporate culture in Powys, and sometimes elsewhere as well.
I hope that the wider changes, which the leader absolutely recognises are being made, will deliver that change in culture within the organisation as well. I will say, Deputy Presiding Officer, to Members that the meeting that I had with Councillor Harris this afternoon was a very good and very positive meeting. The Minister for Children and Social Care and I left the meeting feeling very positive about the commitment that Councillor Harris was making to improvement and the journey that she is leading within Powys. And it is certainly a matter for myself and all ministerial colleagues involved in this that we will ensure that Welsh Government provides all the support that Powys requires in order to complete this journey.
Hoffwn ddiolch i lefarydd y Ceidwadwyr am ei eiriau caredig ar ddechrau ei gyfraniad, a hefyd am ei ddyfeisgarwch wrth sleifio'i sylwadau ar ddiwygio llywodraeth leol i ddiweddglo'r araith honno.
Fe ddechreuaf, efallai, y peth hawsaf, drwy ateb rhai o'ch cwestiynau olaf yn gyntaf. Nid oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru unrhyw ddylanwad wrth benodi prif weithredwr Powys nac unrhyw awdurdod arall. Mater i'r awdurdod yw gwneud penderfyniadau o'r fath. Yn amlwg, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn barod i helpu a chefnogi, ond mae'n iawn ac yn briodol i'r llywodraeth leol ei hun wneud y penderfyniadau hyn. Penodwyd Mohammed Mehmet gan Gyngor Sir Powys, yn unol â'i weithdrefnau, ac rwyf i'n croesawu’r penodiad. Mae gen i bob ffydd ynddo ef a'i allu i arwain y gweithlu proffesiynol yng Nghyngor Sir Powys a chynnig yr arweinyddiaeth broffesiynol sydd ei hangen er mwyn adfer y cyngor i'r sefyllfa yr ydym ni i gyd yn dymuno iddo fod ynddi yn y dyfodol.
O ran swyddogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru, mae llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Dirprwy Lywydd, wedi holi nifer o gwestiynau sy'n cyfeirio at swyddogaeth bosibl Llywodraeth Cymru, o ran strategaeth y gweithlu a chyflawni cyfres o ymyriadau. Gadewch imi ddweud hyn: un o'r pethau cadarnhaol, yn fy marn i, wrth edrych ar yr ymyraethau a gyflawnwyd i Bowys gyda chymorth Powys, yw bod y gwaith hwn wedi'i arwain i raddau helaeth iawn gan bobl sydd â phrofiad o ddarparu gwasanaethau cymdeithasol a phrofiad o lywodraeth leol, ac sydd wedi'u gwreiddio ynddynt. Dyma llywodraeth leol yn cynnal ac yn cefnogi llywodraeth leol. Rwy'n gobeithio y gallwn ni, yn ystod y blynyddoedd nesaf, roi mwy o strwythurau ar waith a fydd yn galluogi llywodraeth leol i gynnal a chefnogi gwasanaethau llywodraeth leol.
Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y dyddiau o ymyrraeth gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn dod i ben yn fuan, mewn gwirionedd. Rwy'n gobeithio y byddwn yn gallu rhoi strwythurau a dulliau a phrosesau ar waith y gall llywodraeth leol eu defnyddio er mwyn cymryd cyfrifoldeb am wella'r gwasanaethau a ddarperir i, gan ac ar gyfer llywodraeth leol. Dyna sut y dylai hi fod. Mae'n iawn ac yn briodol bod gan lywodraeth leol y strwythurau hynny ar waith ac, yn sicr, bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ceisio gwneud popeth yn ei gallu i ddarparu'r cymorth a'r gefnogaeth sydd eu hangen i gyrraedd y pwynt hwnnw.
Mae'r Aelod Ceidwadol wedi holi nifer o gwestiynau ynghylch sut y byddwn yn mesur gwelliannau a'r lefel uchel o ymyrraeth sydd ei hangen er mwyn cyflawni ein targedau a'n hamcanion. Dywedaf wrtho fy mod i'n disgwyl i'r bwrdd gwella gyhoeddi ei amcanion a chyhoeddi ei ffrydiau gwaith maes o law, a byddwn ni'n gallu dwyn y bwrdd gwella i gyfrif am sut y mae'n mynd ati i gyflawni a gwireddu'r uchelgeisiau hynny.
Ond gadewch imi ddweud hyn hefyd: rwyf i, fel ef, wedi darllen yr adroddiad ar wasanaethau oedolion, a gyhoeddwyd amser cinio heddiw. Rydym yn gweld methiannau yn y fan yna. Rydym yn cydnabod y methiannau, ond rydym ni hefyd yn cydnabod yr hyn a ddywedwyd am y gwasanaethau a ddarperir yno. Mae'r pwynt y gwnaeth Russell George yn ei gyfraniad ef, am forâl y staff a'r gweithlu, yn fy marn i, yn gwbl ganolog i bopeth arall yr ydym yn ceisio'i gyflawni yma. Rydym yn rhoi strwythurau ar waith ac yn sicrhau bod y bobl iawn yno i allu helpu i sicrhau bod gennym ni'r sgiliau technegol a'r sgiliau rheoli i ddarparu'r gwasanaethau sydd eu hangen, ac sydd gan bobl Powys bob hawl i'w disgwyl. Ond yn fwy na hynny, mae angen i ni fynd i'r afael â materion sy'n ymwneud â'r diwylliant corfforaethol; mae angen i ni fynd i'r afael â diwylliant corfforaethol ym Mhowys, ac weithiau mewn mannau eraill hefyd.
Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y newidiadau ehangach, y mae'r arweinydd yn cydnabod yn hollol eu bod yn cael eu gwneud, yn sicrhau'r newid hwnnw mewn diwylliant o fewn y sefydliad hefyd. Dywedaf, Dirprwy Lywydd, wrth yr Aelodau fod y cyfarfod a gefais â'r Cynghorydd Harris y prynhawn yma yn un da iawn a chadarnhaol iawn. Wrth adael y cyfarfod, roedd y Gweinidog Plant a Gofal Cymdeithasol a minnau yn teimlo'n gadarnhaol iawn am yr ymrwymiad y mae'r Cynghorydd Harris yn ei wneud i wella, a'r daith y mae'n ei harwain ym Mhowys. Ac mae'n sicr yn fater i mi a'r holl gydweithwyr gweinidogol sy'n ymwneud â hyn, i sicrhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn darparu pob cymorth sydd ei angen ar Bowys er mwyn cyrraedd pen y daith hon.
Diolch i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet am ei ddatganiad ac am y cyfle i drafod nifer o faterion tebyg yn y gorffennol, gyda'r Gweinidog yn ogystal. A gaf i ddechrau gyda'r pwynt y gwnaeth yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet bennu arno? Mae'n dda gen i glywed ei fod e'n ffyddiog bod pethau wedi gwella ym Mhowys, ond o edrych ar dri pheth, a dweud y gwir—yr adroddiad ar wasanaethau plant, yr adroddiad heddiw ar wasanaethau i oedolion ac, wrth gwrs, y gwaith y mae yntau wedi ei wneud ynglŷn â llywodraethiant y tu fewn i gyngor Powys—rydym ni yn gweld mai, yn fras iawn, yr un bobl sydd nawr yn gwella'r gwasanaethau a oedd yn gyfrifol pan aeth y gwasanaethau i drafferth yn y lle cyntaf. Er eu bod nhw wedi newid eu swyddogaethau, maen nhw'n dal yn rhan o'r un criw, i bob pwrpas, sydd wedi bod yno ers gwnaed rhai o'r penderfyniadau, yn enwedig y penderfyniadau cyllido, a wnaeth ein harwain ni i mewn i'r gors arbennig yma.
Felly, a gaf i ddechrau gyda'r trosolwg hwnnw, gan groesawu a dymuno'n dda i Mohammed Mehmet, pan fydd yn dechrau ar ei waith fel prif weithredwr dros dro, gan ddweud hefyd fy mod innau wedi cwrdd—ac Aelodau Cynulliad eraill—tuag wythnos yn ôl, gyda phrif swyddogion ac arweinydd y cyngor? Roeddem ni wedi ein plesio gydag atebion y prif swyddogion, yn sicr. Roeddwn i'n meddwl eu bod nhw wedi cael gafael ar y sefyllfa. Ond, erbyn hyn, a ydych chi o'r farn, fel y Gweinidog gyda chyfrifoldeb am lywodraeth leol, fod y diffyg capasiti a oedd wedi cael ei amlinellu bellach wedi'i lanw o ran y staff hŷn, o ran y Cabinet ym Mhowys yn deall eu rôl hwythau yn gyrru'r gwaith yma ymlaen, ac o ran y dynodiad cyllidol ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â'r broblem yma? Felly, o ran y diffyg capasiti a'r tri chwestiwn penodol hynny, a ydych chi bellach—ac yn sgil eich cyfarfod heddiw—yn hapus gyda hynny?
Os caf i droi at yr adroddiad sydd wedi'i gyhoeddi heddiw, wrth gwrs rydym ni'n trafod hwnnw yng nghyd-destun adroddiad gwaeth o lawer yng nghyd-destun gwasanaethau plant, sydd yn lliwio i raddau beth yr ydym ni'n—. Mae'n anodd gwybod sut y byddem ni wedi ymateb i adroddiad heddiw oni bai ein bod ni wedi cael yr adroddiad cynt. Achos, fel roedd Russell George yn ei grybwyll, mae nifer o'r pethau a ddylai fod wedi digwydd nawr ar y gweill, ac rydym ni'n croesawu hynny, ond un o'r pethau sy'n gyffredin rhwng y ddau adroddiad yw diffyg dealltwriaeth—ac nid jest diffyg dealltwriaeth, ond absenoldeb dealltwriaeth—o'r Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014. A ydych chi o'r farn bod yr hyfforddiant bellach yn ei le i wneud yn siŵr bod pob swyddog ym Mhowys sydd yn gyfrifol, o dan y Ddeddf honno, bellach yn derbyn yr hyfforddiant yna?
Yr ail beth sy'n gyffredin rhwng y ddau adroddiad yw trosiant staff difrifol—staff yn symud, staff yn mynd, diffyg parhad staff. Mae wedi cael ei awgrymu i fi fod—os liciwch chi—y drefn fwy llym yn ddiweddar wedi gyrru rhai staff i benderfynu efallai eu bod nhw am adael y gwasanaeth, ond y mae'n dal yn drosiant, ac y mae'n dal angen i'r staff ddeall y sefyllfa ym Mhowys a bod yn glir ynglŷn â'u cyfrifoldebau. Beth sy'n gyfrifol am y diffyg dealltwriaeth yma? Ai'r trosiant naturiol sy'n digwydd? Ai natur Powys, fel cyngor cefn gwlad? Ai'r ffaith eu bod nhw'n delio, weithiau, dros y ffin â Lloegr hefyd? A ydych chi'n hapus bellach fod y mater yna wedi'i ddatrys, yn enwedig o safbwynt hyfforddi?
Un o'r pethau eraill sy'n dod allan o'r adroddiad heddiw yw bod gofal wedi'i ohirio ymysg oedolion yn effeithio ar wasanaethau ehangach ym Mhowys yn y gwasanaeth ysbytai a gofal. Byddwn i jest yn hoffi gwybod a oes gennych chi fwy i'w ddweud am fynd i'r afael â'r broblem arbennig honno hefyd.
Ac yn olaf, un o'r pethau rydw i'n meddwl sydd wedi ein harwain ni i'r sefyllfa yma ym Mhowys yw'r diwylliant gwleidyddol sydd wedi bod yn y cyngor sir yn y gorffennol: y diffyg herio, y diffyg rhannu gwybodaeth, diffyg tryloywder ymysg rhai o aelodau'r cabinet hŷn. Efallai bod hynny'n newid. Rwyf i'n gwybod bod rhai o'r grwpiau gwleidyddol yn fwy awyddus y tro yma i ddal pobl i gyfrif, ac yn y cyd-destun hwnnw, a ydych chi o'r farn bod y cyngor sir ei hun yn rhoi digon o gefnogaeth—hyfforddiant a chefnogaeth yn ystyr ehangach y gair—i'r gwrthbleidiau, i gynghorwyr unigol, fel eu bod nhw'n gallu dal y cabinet presennol i gyfrif, a hefyd fel bod ganddyn nhw arfau i ddeall y broblem yna, ac i fod yn rhan o'r ateb i ddatrys y broblem yn ogystal?
I'd like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement and for the opportunity to discuss many similar issues in the past, with the Minister too. May I just start with the point that the Cabinet Secretary finished with? I'm pleased to hear that he's confident that things have improved in Powys, but in looking at three issues—the report on children's services, the report today on adult services and, of course, the work that he has done on governance within Powys council—we do see that, broadly speaking, it's the same people who are improving the service now who were responsible for the initial problems. Although they've changed their functions, they are still part of the same group, to all intents and purposes, who have been there since some of the decisions were taken, particularly the budgetary decisions that led us into these particular problems.
So, may I start with that overview by welcoming Mohammed Mehmet and wishing him well as he starts in his role as interim chief executive, and may I say that myself and other Members met, about a week ago, with senior officials and the council leader? We were certainly impressed with the answers given by the senior officers. I think they have a grip on the situation now, but as the Minister with responsibility for local government, are you of the opinion that the lack of capacity that had been highlighted has now been addressed in terms of senior staff, in terms of the Cabinet's understanding of their role in driving this work forward in Powys, and in terms of the funding allocation to address these problems? So, in terms of the lack of capacity and those three specific issues, are you now content, in the light of your meeting today, with those areas?
If I could turn to the report published today, of course, we're discussing that in the context of a far worse report in the context of children's services, which will colour our response. It's difficult to know how we would have responded to today's report if we hadn't seen the earlier report. Because, as Russell George mentioned, many of the things that should have happened are now in the pipeline, and we welcome that, of course, but one of the things that both reports have in common is a lack of understanding—and not just a lack of understanding, but the absence of any understanding—of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Are you of the opinion that the training is now in place in order to ensure that every officer in Powys who has responsibilities under that Act is now getting that necessary training?
The second thing that both reports have in common is the staff turnover—with staff moving, churn, a lack of continuity in terms of staff. It's been suggested to me that the more stringent regime has driven some staff to decide that they want to leave the service, but it's still staff turnover, and staff do need to understand the situation in Powys and be clear about their responsibilities. So, what's responsible for this lack of understanding? Is it the natural turnover of staff—the natural churn? Is it the nature of Powys as a rural authority? Is it the fact that they are dealing with cross-border issues in England too? Are you now content that that issue has been addressed, particularly in relation to training?
One of the other things that emerges from the report today is that deferred care for adults is having an impact on broader services in Powys, in hospitals and care specifically. So, I would like to know whether you have more to say about tackling that particular issue too.
Finally, one of the things that I think has brought us to this situation in Powys is the political culture that's existed in the council in the past: a lack of challenge, a problem in terms of sharing information, a lack of transparency among some senior cabinet members. That may be changing. I am aware that some political groups are now more eager to hold people to account and, in that context, are you of the view that the council itself is giving sufficient support and training, and support in the broadest sense, to the opposition parties and to individual councillors so that they can hold the current cabinet to account, and that they have the necessary tools to understand those problems and to be part of the solution to those problems too?
Rydw i'n ddiolchgar, Dirprwy Lywydd, i'r Aelod am y ffordd y mae wedi dod â'i gyfraniad y prynhawn yma—cyfraniad adeiladol a phositif, ac rwy'n gobeithio bod yna gytundeb ar draws y Siambr y mae ei angen arnom ni pan rydym ni'n delio â rhai o'r problemau rydym ni'n eu hwynebu ym Mhowys.
I'm grateful to the Member for the way that he has given his contribution this afternoon—a very constructive and positive contribution, and I very much hope that there is the agreement across the Chamber that we do need when we are dealing with some of these issues in Powys, to have that kind of approach.
Rydych chi wedi gofyn sawl cwestiwn, ac, yn anffodus, rydw i'n credu fy mod yn mynd i ateb bron bob un yn yr un ffordd. Ydy, mae'r sefyllfa wedi gwella, ac mae yna welliant yn digwydd yn sir Powys, ond nid yw hynny yn meddwl ein bod ni'n gallu camu yn ôl, ac nid yw'n meddwl eu bod nhw wedi cyrraedd y math o amcanion ac uchelgais yr oedd Russell George wedi'i awgrymu yn ei gyfraniad e. Felly, pan ydw i'n edrych—. Ac rydw i'n cytuno gyda chi bod eisiau trosolwg o'r sefyllfa ym Mhowys, ac nid i edrych ar wasanaethau plant neu oedolion neu'r mater o lywodraethiant y cyngor ar wahân ac yn unigol. Mae'n rhaid edrych ar draws pob un o'r adroddiadau a'r dadansoddiadau yma.
Nid ydw i'n yn siŵr fy mod i'n cytuno mai'r un bobl sydd, yn eich geiriau chi, wedi achosi'r problemau ydy'r un bobl sy'n trio datrys y problemau. Rydym ni wedi gweld penodiadau newydd, fel rydw i wedi awgrymu yn fy natganiad i, ac rydw i'n gobeithio mi fyddan nhw yn gallu newid y ffordd mae'r cyngor yn cael ei redeg, a hefyd y steil a'r diwylliant. Rŷch chi wedi sôn amboutu'r diwylliant yn y cyngor, ac rydw i yn cytuno gyda chi ar hynny. Rydw i'n credu bod angen newid, nid jest yn y ffordd y mae pobl yn gweithio, ond sut maen nhw'n gweithio hefyd, ac mae hynny yn meddwl bod eisiau newid diwylliant, ac mae Aelodau, rydw i'n credu, o bob ochr y Siambr yn cydnabod bod hynny'n cymryd amser. Nid yw'n digwydd dros nos, a hefyd, mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau ym mhob un rhan o'r Siambr ein bod ni'n rhoi tipyn bach o gefnogaeth i'r arweinyddiaeth i'w galluogi nhw i wneud hynny, er bod angen ar yr un pryd sicrhau bod y tensiynau priodol o sgrwtini ac atebolrwydd yn dal i ddigwydd y tu fewn i'r cyngor. Ac rydw i'n cytuno bod angen cydbwysedd yno, ac mae'n gydbwysedd sy'n gallu bod yn anodd ambell waith.
Rydw i yn meddwl bod y capasiti y tu fewn i'r cyngor, fel y mae hi heddiw, yn ddigonol i alluogi nhw i gyrraedd yr amcanion rydym ni wedi'u gosod iddyn nhw. Rydw i yn meddwl bod gyda nhw y capasiti presennol i wneud hynny. Wrth gwrs, os ydym ni yn darganfod yn ystod y misoedd nesaf bod eisiau neu angen gymorth neu gefnogaeth ychwanegol, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn fodlon sicrhau eu bod nhw'n cael y gefnogaeth sydd ei hangen arnyn nhw. Ein hamcan ni yw galluogi Powys i wella Powys. Ein hamcan ni yw sicrhau bod Powys yn gallu symud ar y daith yma gyda'n cefnogaeth ni, ac i sicrhau bod gyda nhw bob un o'r adnoddau sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw i wneud hynny.
Rydw i'n cytuno, ac rydw i'n gweld, bod yna ddiffyg deallusrwydd ambell waith amboutu—. Rydych chi wedi enw'r Ddeddf gwasanaethau cymdeithasol; rydw i'n cytuno gyda chi ar hynny. Rydw i'n meddwl bod e'n mynd tipyn bach tu hwnt i hynny ac yn bellach na hynny ambell waith hefyd, ond mae'n rhaid i ni hefyd sicrhau bod pobl yn cael y math o hyfforddiant sydd ei angen arnyn nhw i alluogi nhw i wneud y gwaith rydym ni'n gofyn iddyn nhw ei wneud, ac rydw i'n hyderus bod hynny yn gallu digwydd a bod hynny yn mynd i ddigwydd.
Rydych chi wedi gofyn amboutu drosiad staff a morâl ymhlith y gweithlu ym Mhowys, ac yn y gweithlu yn yr adran gwasanaethau cymdeithasol yn benodol. Rydw i'n cydnabod y pwynt yr ydych chi'n ei wneud. Nid yw i fi gynnig fy marn ar natur Powys fel cyngor sy'n gwasanaethau ardal neu ranbarth wledig. Ni fuaswn i'n cytuno bod problem yn y fan honno. Rydw i'n credu bod y problemau y mae Powys wedi eu hwynebu wedi bod yn broblemau y tu fewn i'r cyngor, ac wedi bod yn broblemau oherwydd y diwylliant sydd wedi bod tu fewn i'r cyngor. Ac rydw i'n gobeithio, fel yr ydym ni'n gwella'r ffordd y mae gwasanaethau yn cael eu rhedeg ym Mhowys, mi fyddwn ni'n gweld diwylliant gwell ym Mhowys hefyd. Mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau ein bod ni'n deall yr impact ar wasanaethau ychwanegol y tu fewn i'r cyngor, rydw i'n cytuno gyda chi ar hynny, ac rydw i'n hyderus mi fydd y prif weithredwr ac arweinyddiaeth newydd yn gallu gwneud hynny.
Ac a gaf i bennu ateb eich cwestiynau gyda hyn? Mae diwylliant gwleidyddol ym Mhowys wedi bod yn un Powysaidd iawn dros y blynyddoedd ac mae pob un ohonom ni sydd wedi cynrychioli'r sir yn y lle yma, a'r rhai sy'n cynrychioli'r sir heddiw, yn deall hynny. Rydym ni hefyd yn gweld, ambell waith, nad yw'r diwylliant gwleidyddol—rydw i'n ofalus gyda'm geiriau fan hyn—wedi bod yn ddiwylliant sydd wedi hybu sgrwtini ac wedi hybu'r math o densiynau sy'n angenrheidiol mewn unrhyw sefydliad democrataidd. Rydw i'n credu bod hynny yn newid ac mae'n rhaid i gynghorwyr o bob rhan o'r sbectrwm gwleidyddol ym Mhowys dderbyn y cyfrifoldeb dros wella Powys, gwella'r ffordd maen nhw'n rhedeg y cyngor a gwella hefyd sut maen nhw'n sgrwtineiddio'r executive ym Mhowys. Rydw i wedi gweld hyn yn digwydd yn fy nghyngor i ym Mlaenau Gwent ac rydw i'n hyderus bod y newid diwylliant gwleidyddol sydd ei angen—ac rydw i'n cytuno gyda chi ar hynny—yn bosibl ym Mhowys hefyd.
Now, you've asked several questions, and, unfortunately, I think I'm going to answer most of them in the same way. Yes, the situation has improved, and there is improvement happening in Powys, but that doesn't mean that we can step back and think that we've reached the kind of ambition and objectives that Russell George suggested in his contribution. So, I agree with you that we need an overview of the situation in Powys, and not just to look at children's services or adult services or governance alone and individually. We need to look across those services and all the reports and the analyses that have been made.
I'm not sure that I agree that, in your words, the same people who caused the problems are the ones who are trying to solve them. We have seen new appointments, as I suggested in my statement, and I do hope that they will be able to change the way that the council is run and the style and culture that you have mentioned. You talked about the culture in the council and I agree with you on that. We do need to change not just the way that people are working, but how they work as well, and that means that we need a change of culture. I believe that all Members in the Chamber acknowledge that that takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. Also, we need to ensure in all parts of the Chamber that we do give some support to the leadership to enable them to do that, whilst at the same time ensuring that the appropriate tensions in terms of scrutiny and accountability still take place within the council. I do acknowledge that it's a balance we have to strike, but it's a difficult one to strike sometimes.
I do think that there is capacity within the council, as it stands today, and that that's sufficient to enable the council to meet the objectives that we've set for them. I do believe that they have the current capacity to do that. Of course, if we do find, over the next few months, that they require additional support, the Welsh Government is willing to ensure that they do receive the support that they need. Our objective is to enable Powys to improve Powys. Our objective is to ensure that Powys can move forward on this journey with our support, and to ensure that they have all of the resources that they need in order to do that.
I agree, and I do see, that there is a lack of understanding sometimes about—. You've named the social services and well-being Act, and I agree with you on that; I think it goes further than that sometimes as well, but we also need to ensure that people do receive the training that they need to enable them to do the work that we're asking them to do, and I'm confident that that can happen and that that is going to happen.
You asked about staff turnover and morale amongst the workforce in Powys, and in the social services workforce specifically. I acknowledge the point that you make. It's not for me to give my opinion on the nature of Powys as a council that serves a rural region. I wouldn't agree that there is a problem in that regard. I think that the problems that Powys has experienced have been problems within the council itself, and they've been problems that have arisen because of the culture within the council. I do hope, as we improve the way that services are run in Powys, that we will see a better culture in Powys as well. We need to ensure that we understand the impact on additional services within the council, I agree with you on that, and I'm confident that the new chief executive and leadership will be able to do that.
To conclude, the political culture in Powys has been a very Powysesque one over the years, and all of us who have represented the county in this place, and those who represent the county today, understand that. We also see, sometimes, that the political culture—I'm being very careful with my words here, but it hasn't been a culture that has encouraged scrutiny and has promoted the kind of vital tension that any democratic institution needs. I think that is changing, and the councillors on all parts of the political spectrum in Powys need to take responsibility for improving Powys, improving the way that they run the council and also improving how they scrutinise the executive in Powys. I have seen this happening in my council in Blaenau Gwent, and I'm confident that the change of political culture that is required—and I agree with you on that—is possible in Powys as well.
Can I also commend the Cabinet Secretary and his two colleagues for the way in which they have been open and transparent—[Inaudible.]—tragic affair. This isn't a subject out of which anybody is trying to make any party political points, for it would be quite wrong, and I think the sensitivity that the Government Ministers have brought to this difficult task is highly commendable. Because you certainly don't want to reduce morale still further in Powys County Council and we all appreciate the difficulties of local administration in a county that is so extended and where transport links are difficult and the population is highly dispersed. In rural areas, social problems are often much more difficult to solve than they are in concentrated urban areas. So, we all have tremendous sympathy for the county council and the difficulty of the tasks that they have to perform. But, ultimately, as in all these kinds of cases, it's down to a failure of leadership and I do take the point that Simon Thomas made, that a lot of the same people who were involved in the decisions that brought us to where we are now are still in place. The question is to what extent they have the capacity to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them. That is, at the moment, something that we have to take on trust, and I appreciate the Cabinet Secretary's difficulty in making a statement like this today. All that's happened, fundamentally, is that we've put new people at the top in these places who have to take the fundamental decisions that are going to, we hope, sort things out in the future. And I certainly wish Mr Mehmet well in his difficult task.
What I reflected on most in the original report about the children services was the bald statement that
'the most significant challenge appeared to be the simplest, namely that of good communication and coordinated planning, based on a thorough understanding of Child A’s daily lived experiences and the significant impact of serious early childhood trauma.'
It was the professionals who, paradoxically, had the difficulties in communicating. The child himself was very eloquent in being able to describe his needs. And that is a most extraordinary situation to be in. I'm sure it's been a traumatising experience for those who are on the staff of Powys County Council. Nobody should underestimate that and one should be sympathetic. I don't like pointing the finger of blame in these circumstances except with the aim of having some positive outcome. And I think the approach that the Government has taken to this, with the Cabinet Secretary in the position of—well, akin to the one described by Walter Bagehot in The English Constitution about Queen Victoria, that he has the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn. He very properly, I think, in answer to Russell George, pointed out the separation in functions between the Welsh Government on the one hand and local authorities on the other. I do think, though, as one of the more combative Members of this place, that he does have the necessary skills to draw people along as well. He has the leadership skills, which, without wishing to be too heavy-handed about it, give us the opportunity, I think, of making the best out of the bad job that has been inherited from the past.
One of the extraordinary things, I felt, in Sean Harriss's report was where he says:
'there is some lack of understanding of “what good looks like” in the organisation'
and that
'the Council at times was “insufficiently daunted” by the size, scale and nature of the change required.'
I hope that that has now been addressed. He also said:
'The Council is insufficiently clear about what needs to be done and how to do it.'
I do hope the new appointments will address that lacuna as well. Although Sean Harriss's report was strong on management speak, we all, I think, know what needs to be done. And it's got to be a co-operative enterprise. There is a peer group that has been put together to co-ordinate things. Can the Cabinet Secretary tell us how often he's going to be able to report to us on the progress that is being made by these new individuals and organisations? Because at the moment everything is being taken on trust; nobody has any alternative to that. But we will I think very soon be in a position to ask are the right decisions being taken, are the new management teams being put together, and be able to draw some conclusions as to the lessons that have been learned from the past.
The conclusion of Sean Harriss's report was that, in five years' time, all the residents of Powys should be assured that the management of the county council and provision of all its services are being provided to the highest possible standard. So, I think that we need to be assured in a relatively short time frame that the remedial decisions that are essential have been taken. So, I wonder if the Cabinet Secretary could reassure us on those points.
A gaf innau hefyd ganmol Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet a'i ddau gydweithiwr am y ffordd y maent wedi bod yn agored a thryloyw— [Anghlywadwy.]—mater trasig. Nid yw hwn yn bwnc y mae unrhyw yn ceisio'i ddefnyddio i wneud unrhyw bwyntiau gwleidyddol, gan y byddai hynny'n gwbl anghywir, ac rwy'n credu bod y sensitifrwydd y mae Gweinidogion y Llywodraeth wedi'i ddangos wrth fynd i'r afael â'r dasg anodd hon yn gymeradwy iawn. Oherwydd, yn sicr, ni fyddech chi eisiau lleihau'r morâl mwy fyth yng Nghyngor Sir Powys, ac rydym ni i gyd yn cydnabod pa mor anodd yw gweinyddiaeth leol mewn sir sydd mor fawr, lle mae cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth yn anodd ac mae'r boblogaeth yn wasgaredig iawn. Mewn ardaloedd gwledig, mae problemau cymdeithasol yn aml yn llawer mwy anodd eu datrys nag y maent mewn ardaloedd trefol mwy dwys. Felly, mae gennym bob cydymdeimlad â'r cyngor sir a'r gwaith anodd sydd ganddynt i'w wneud. Ond, yn y pen draw, fel ym mhob achos o'r fath, methiant o ran arweinyddiaeth sy'n gyfrifol ac rwy'n derbyn pwynt Simon Thomas, bod llawer o'r un bobl a oedd yn rhan o'r penderfyniadau a'n harweiniodd ni at y pwynt hwn yn dal i fod yno. Y cwestiwn yw, i ba raddau y mae ganddyn nhw'r gallu i ddysgu o'r camgymeriadau hynny, a pheidio â'u hailadrodd. Mae hynny, ar hyn o bryd, yn rhywbeth y mae'n rhaid i ni ei dderbyn ar eu gair, ac rwy'n gwerthfawrogi pa mor anodd yw hi i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wneud datganiad fel hwn heddiw. Y cyfan sydd wedi digwydd, yn y bôn, yw ein bod ni wedi rhoi pobl newydd ar y brig yn y lleoedd hyn sy'n gorfod gwneud y penderfyniadau sylfaenol a fydd, gobeithio, yn datrys pethau yn y dyfodol. Ac yn sicr, rwy'n dymuno'n dda i Mr Mehmet yn y dasg anodd sydd o'i flaen.
Yr hyn y gwnes i fyfyrio arno fwyaf yn yr adroddiad gwreiddiol am y gwasanaethau plant oedd y datganiad beiddgar
'ymddengys mai'r her fwyaf arwyddocaol oedd y peth symlaf, sef cyfathrebu da a chynllunio cydlynol, yn seiliedig ar ddealltwriaeth drylwyr o brofiadau bywyd beunyddiol plentyn A ac effaith sylweddol trawma difrifol mewn plentyndod cynnar.'
Y gweithwyr proffesiynol, yn baradocsaidd, a oedd yn cael anawsterau wrth gyfathrebu. Roedd y plentyn ei hun yn huawdl iawn wrth allu disgrifio'i anghenion. Ac mae honno'n sefyllfa ryfeddol ar y naw i fod ynddi. Rwy'n siŵr y bu'n brofiad trawmatig i staff Cyngor Sir Powys. Ni ddylai neb danbrisio hynny a dylid dangos cydymdeimlad. Nid wyf yn hoff o fwrw bai yn yr amgylchiadau hyn, ac eithrio â'r nod o gael canlyniadau cadarnhaol. Ac rwy'n credu bod ymagwedd y Llywodraeth yn hyn o beth, gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet mewn sefyllfa—wel, tebyg i'r un a ddisgrifiwyd gan Walter Bagehot yn The English Constitution am y Frenhines Fictoria, fod ganddo hawl i ymgynghori, yr hawl i annog, a'r hawl i rybuddio. Roedd yn briodol, yn fy marn i, iddo ateb Russell George, gan dynnu sylw at y rhaniad yn swyddogaethau Llywodraeth Cymru ar y naill law a llywodraeth leol ar y llaw arall. Rwyf yn credu, fodd bynnag, ac yntau'n un o'r Aelodau mwy ymosodol yn y lle hwn, fod ganddo'r sgiliau angenrheidiol i ddenu pobl i ymuno ag ef hefyd. Mae ganddo'r sgiliau arwain, sydd, heb ddymuno bod yn rhy llawdrwm am y peth, yn rhoi'r cyfle i ni wneud y gorau o'r llanastr sydd wedi'i etifeddu o'r gorffennol.
Un o'r pethau rhyfeddol, yn fy marn i, yn adroddiad Sean Harriss yw lle mae'n dweud,
'mae rhywfaint o ddiffyg dealltwriaeth o beth yw "da" yn y sefydliad'
ac
'ar adegau, nid oedd y Cyngor wedi'i "ddychryn ddigon" gan faint, graddfa a natur y newid sydd ei angen.'
Gobeithio bod hynny wedi newid erbyn hyn. Dywedodd hefyd,
'Nid yw'r Cyngor yn ddigon clir ynglŷn â'r hyn sydd angen ei wneud, a sut i wneud hynny.'
Rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr y bydd y penodiadau newydd yn ymdrin â'r diffyg hwnnw hefyd. Er bod adroddiad Sean Harriss yn llawn iaith rheoli, rydym ni i gyd, rwy'n credu, yn gwybod beth sydd angen ei wneud. Ac mae'n rhaid iddi fod yn fenter gydweithredol. Mae grŵp o gyfoedion wedi'u tynnu ynghyd i gydgysylltu pethau. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddweud wrthym ba mor aml y bydd yn gallu adrodd i ni ar y cynnydd a wneir gan yr unigolion newydd a'r sefydliadau hyn? Oherwydd ar hyn o bryd, rydym yn cymryd pawb ar eu gair; nid oes gan neb unrhyw opsiwn arall. Ond byddwn ni, rwy'n credu, mewn sefyllfa yn fuan iawn i ofyn a yw'r penderfyniadau cywir yn cael eu gwneud, a yw'r timau rheoli newydd yn cael eu ffurfio, a byddwn ni'n gallu dod i gasgliadau ynghylch pa wersi sydd wedi'u dysgu o'r gorffennol.
Casgliad adroddiad Sean Harriss oedd y dylai holl drigolion Powys, ymhen pum mlynedd, fod yn dawel eu meddwl bod y cyngor sir yn cael ei reoli, a bod ei holl wasanaethau yn cael eu darparu i'r safon uchaf posibl. Felly, rwy'n credu bod angen i ni gael ein sicrhau yn eithaf buan bod y penderfyniadau unioni angenrheidiol yn cael eu gwneud. Felly, tybed a wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dawelu ein meddyliau ni ar y pwyntiau hynny.
Deputy Presiding Officer, I'm grateful to the leader of UKIP for his kind remarks and the tone in which he's addressed the Chamber this afternoon. I seem to be starting every contribution today by answering the final questions first. How often will we report? I think I'm very happy to report on a termly basis to Members here, and I'm sure that the Minister for Children and Social Care, who also of course has a remit in these matters, will be content and happy to do so on a similar basis. I do see he's nodding from his seat so we will assume that is now a commitment on behalf of us both to do that. We will find a way of ensuring that those reports are made available to Members, whether it's a formal statement on the floor or whether it's through committees or through a written statement. But we certainly will look towards discussing with Members how they would wish to receive those updates.
I will again emphasise that Ministers are always available to particularly those Members representing Powys constituencies to speak to privately and to have conversations, if that is needed or necessary, and we're very happy to continue to do that. I think when my colleague Rebecca Evans first raised these issues she was very, very clear about where the issues lay. I think it's also fair to say that she was clear in how she wanted to see the Government and the local authority work together to resolve some of those issues. Clearly, those issues were seen to be wider later than at first, and it's right and proper that we take a wider view of these matters as a consequence of that.
I don't wish to provide a commentary this afternoon, or at any other time, on some of the reasons—and the leader of UKIP, Deputy Presiding Officer, talked about a failure of leadership. I think that's clear at some levels; I think that is absolutely clear. However, what I would like to be able to do today is to ensure that we have a focus on taking the authority forward, rather than looking backwards to the reasons for and why that happened. There may well be a time and it may well be appropriate for a committee of the council or of this place to take a look at those matters, and I would certainly wish to co-operate with any inquiry that does take place into those matters, but, for me, I'm anxious that we do now deliver leadership and deliver leadership that the people and staff of Powys want, need and deserve, and we will do that through working together. We will do it through learning from each other and, I hope, as the leader of UKIP has said, learning from potential mistakes that have been made in the past.
He is absolutely right in what he has said about issues around communication and planning. Those are serious issues and they are matters that will be and must be addressed. I am absolutely confident that the people who have been appointed to leadership positions within Powys have the skill base to be able to do it, but they also have the understanding of what leadership means and what transformational leadership means. This isn't a matter of steady as she goes, it's not a matter of ticking boxes, and it isn't a matter of simply remedial action to address individual issues within an individual department. This is about transformational change within an authority to address the culture within the authority, how that authority runs itself, and then to be held to account for those changes by the people they represent in Powys.
I recognised a great deal of what Sean Harriss wrote in his report. You've quoted him saying that there was a lack of understanding of what 'good' looks like, and a lack of understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it. I have to say to Members that that is not the first time I've read those sentences in a report of this sort. I know that there is some reticence in different parts of the Chamber about some of the proposals that I've made to address some of these matters, but I will say to Members that it is incumbent upon all of us to look seriously at the structures we have in place, and to ensure that we are able not just to address individual issues in individual authorities when they arise, but that we put in place structures that are more sustainable in the future.
Members will have seen the press coverage today of social services functions in local authorities, and what is being said by the WLGA. I will say here that I agree with the comments made by the WLGA today. I do not believe that the structures we have in place are sustainable for the future. I've made that very, very clear. It is for each individual party represented here to then consider their response to those challenges, and I hope that we will be able, over the coming weeks and months, to look towards an agreed vision of the future, where we have strong, robust local authorities able to take responsibility for improvement of services for local government, delivering within local government. And I hope that we will be able to do that in a co-operative spirit and a co-operative approach, which is exactly what the leader of UKIP has suggested this afternoon. That is what I seek, and I think there is great agreement for that not only in this Chamber, but throughout local government as well.
Dirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n ddiolchgar i arweinydd UKIP am ei sylwadau caredig a chywair ei anerchiad i'r Siambr y prynhawn yma. Mae'n ymddangos fy mod i'n dechrau pob cyfraniad heddiw drwy ateb y cwestiynau olaf yn gyntaf. Pa mor aml y byddwn ni'n adrodd? Rwy'n credu y byddwn i'n hapus iawn i adrodd i'r Aelodau yma bob tymor, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog Plant a Gofal Cymdeithasol, y mae ei gylch gwaith yn ymdrin â'r materion hyn hefyd wrth gwrs, yn fodlon ac yn hapus i wneud hynny mewn modd tebyg. Rwy'n gweld ei fod yn nodio'i ben o'i sedd, felly fe wnawn ni gymryd bod hynny'n ymrwymiad ar ran y ddau ohonom i wneud hynny. Fe wnawn ni ddod o hyd i ffordd o sicrhau bod yr adroddiadau hynny ar gael i Aelodau, boed ar ffurf datganiad ffurfiol ar y llawr, neu drwy bwyllgorau neu drwy ddatganiad ysgrifenedig. Ond byddwn yn sicr yn ceisio trafod â'r Aelodau sut y bydden nhw'n dymuno derbyn y diweddariadau hynny.
Rwy'n pwysleisio unwaith eto bod Gweinidogion bob amser ar gael, yn arbennig i'r Aelodau hynny sy'n cynrychioli etholaethau Powys, i siarad yn breifat ac i gael sgwrs, os oes angen hynny, ac rydym yn hapus iawn i barhau i wneud hynny. Rwy'n credu pan gododd fy nghyd-Aelod, Rebecca Evans, y materion hyn gyntaf, roedd hi'n glir iawn, iawn o ran ym mhle yr oedd y materion hyn yn bodoli. Rwy'n credu hefyd ei bod yn deg dweud ei bod hi'n glir o ran sut yr oedd yn dymuno gweld y Llywodraeth a llywodraeth leol yn cydweithio i ddatrys rhai o'r materion hynny. Yn amlwg, gwelwyd yn ddiweddarach fod y materion hynny yn ehangach nag yr oeddent yn ymddangos yn y lle cyntaf, ac y mae'n iawn ac yn briodol i ni edrych yn ehangach ar y materion hyn o ganlyniad i hynny.
Nid wyf i'n dymuno rhoi sylwebaeth y prynhawn yma, neu ar unrhyw adeg arall, ar rai o'r rhesymau—fe soniodd arweinydd UKIP, Dirprwy Lywydd, am fethiant yr arweinyddiaeth. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n glir ar rai lefelau; rwy'n credu bod hynny'n gwbl glir. Fodd bynnag, yr hyn yr hoffwn i allu ei wneud heddiw yw sicrhau ein bod yn canolbwyntio ar symud yr awdurdod yn ei flaen, yn hytrach nag edrych yn ôl ar y rhesymau pam y digwyddodd hynny. Mae'n bosibl iawn y bydd amser pan allai fod yn briodol i bwyllgor y cyngor neu bwyllgor y lle hwn edrych ar y materion hynny, ac yn sicr, byddwn i'n awyddus i gydweithredu ag unrhyw ymchwiliad a fydd yn digwydd i'r materion hynny, ond, i mi, rwy'n awyddus i ni ddarparu arweinyddiaeth yn awr, a darparu'r arweinyddiaeth y mae ar bobl a staff Powys ei heisiau, ei hangen a'i haeddu, ac fe wnawn ni hynny drwy weithio gyda'n gilydd. Fe wnawn ni hynny drwy ddysgu gyda'n gilydd a, rwy'n gobeithio, fel y dywedodd arweinydd UKIP, dysgu o'r camgymeriadau posibl a wnaed yn y gorffennol.
Mae'n llygad ei le yn yr hyn a ddywedodd am faterion cyfathrebu a chynllunio. Mae'r rhain yn faterion difrifol ac maen nhw'n faterion y mae'n rhaid rhoi sylw iddynt ac a fydd yn cael sylw. Rwy'n gwbl hyderus bod gan y bobl sydd wedi eu penodi i swyddi arweinyddiaeth ym Mhowys y sgiliau i allu arwain, ond mae ganddyn nhw ddealltwriaeth hefyd o'r hyn y mae'n ei olygu i arwain ac ystyr arweinyddiaeth weddnewidiol. Nid mater o fynd ymlaen gan bwyll bach yw hyn, nid mater o dicio blychau, ac nid mater o wneud dim ond cymryd camau unioni syml i ymdrin â materion unigol o fewn un adran. Mae a wnelo â newid gweddnewidiol o fewn awdurdod i fynd i'r afael â'r diwylliant o fewn yr awdurdod, sut y mae'r awdurdod yn cynnal ei hun, ac yna'n cael ei ddwyn i gyfrif am y newidiadau hynny gan y bobl maen nhw'n eu cynrychioli ym Mhowys.
Fe wnes i gydnabod llawer iawn o'r hyn yr ysgrifennodd Sean Harriss yn ei adroddiad. Rydych chi wedi'i ddyfynnu yn dweud bod diffyg dealltwriaeth o'r hyn sy'n 'dda', a diffyg dealltwriaeth o'r hyn sydd angen ei wneud a sut i wneud hynny. Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud wrth yr Aelodau nad hwn yw'r tro cyntaf i mi ddarllen brawddegau o'r fath mewn adroddiad o'r fath. Gwn fod rhywfaint o gyndynrwydd mewn gwahanol rannau o'r Siambr am rai o'r cynigion yr wyf i wedi'u gwneud i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r materion hyn, ond dywedaf wrth yr Aelodau ei bod yn ddyletswydd ar bob un ohonom i edrych o ddifrif ar y strwythurau sydd gennym ar waith, a sicrhau ein bod yn gallu gwneud mwy na dim ond ymdrin â materion unigol mewn awdurdodau unigol pan fyddan nhw'n codi, ond yn hytrach, mae'n rhaid i ni sefydlu strwythurau sy'n fwy cynaliadwy yn y dyfodol.
Bydd yr Aelodau wedi gweld y sylw a roddwyd gan y wasg heddiw i swyddogaethau gwasanaethau cymdeithasol mewn awdurdodau lleol, a'r hyn y mae Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru yn ei ddweud. Dywedaf i yn y fan hon, fy mod i'n cytuno â'r sylwadau a wnaed gan Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru heddiw. Nid wyf i'n credu bod y strwythurau sydd gennym ar waith yn gynaliadwy at y dyfodol. Rwyf wedi gwneud hynny'n glir iawn, iawn. Mater ar gyfer pob plaid unigol a gynrychiolir yma felly yw ystyried eu hymateb i'r heriau hynny, ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallwn ni, yn ystod yr wythnosau a'r misoedd nesaf, edrych tuag at weledigaeth y gallwn gytuno arni ar gyfer y dyfodol, lle bo gennym awdurdodau lleol cryf a chadarn sy'n gallu cymryd cyfrifoldeb am wella gwasanaethau ar gyfer llywodraeth leol, gan gyflawni o fewn llywodraeth leol. Ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallwn wneud hynny mewn ysbryd cydweithredol a thrwy ymagwedd gydweithredol, sef yr union beth a awgrymwyd gan arweinydd UKIP y prynhawn yma. Dyna'r hyn rwyf i'n ceisio'i gyflawni, ac rwy'n credu bod yna gytundeb eang i hynny, nid yn unig yn y Siambr hon, ond ledled llywodraeth leol hefyd.
I just want to pick up on the very last point that the Cabinet Secretary made, and that's one about co-operation. We all know that, over the years—and we've heard it being asked for—there are many, many examples of best practice in local government. We have asked over the years, when we have reports like this, about the sharing of that information. So, it's not new, it's not rocket science, we know it's out there, Powys council would have known that it was out there, because other authorities have gone through the same problems and come to some resolution. So, I suppose, in a way, that is my first question.
The other thing that may be useful—and maybe the Cabinet Secretary might think of it, and it has been done before, certainly in child protection—is to ensure that the councillors, when they are challenging this improvement within their authority, understand the questions they ought to be asking, rather than simply scoring political points against each other. Because we all know—and I don't want to look back in history—but we do know, some of us, the history of the failure to work together politically in Powys, and the disruption that that causes because there is no overall leadership. And I have very often struggled with the reconfiguration of who is in charge and who is supporting who, why and how. And, you know, I'm pretty educated in political configurations, so if I'm struggling with it, I'm fairly certain that the public would have been struggling with it too. So, I suppose my plea today here, above everything else, is that the councillors and the political leaders in the council put the politics aside, put the people first and that they drive change and step up to the challenge that they now have to face. And that challenge, it is fairly clear, is political leadership, it is about putting the right policies together, and it is about ensuring the implementation of those policies in an agreed forum with our support.
So, I suppose my question to you will be: will the improvement and assurance board continue to co-ordinate the improvements in both adult and children's social services in Powys, and will Welsh Government continue to support that process until a time when you feel that they can continue without that support? And also, where I started, will it be the case that local government in and of itself will start to help local government improve, and can you somehow help ensure that best practice is emulated and is learnt from?
Hoffwn ychwanegu at y pwynt olaf a wnaeth Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a hynny'n ymwneud â chydweithredu. Rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod, dros y blynyddoedd—ac rydym ni i gyd wedi clywed y cwestiwn yn cael ei ofyn—mae yna lawer iawn, iawn o enghreifftiau o arferion gorau mewn llywodraeth leol. Rydym ni wedi gofyn dros y blynyddoedd, pan ddaw adroddiadau fel hyn i law, ynglŷn â rhannu'r wybodaeth honno. Felly, nid yw'n beth newydd, nid yw'n astrus o gymhleth, rydym ni'n gwybod bod arferion gorau ar gael, byddai Cyngor Powys wedi gwybod eu bod ar gael, gan fod awdurdodau eraill wedi wynebu'r un problemau ac wedi llwyddo i'w datrys. Felly, mae'n debyg, mewn ffordd, dyna yw fy nghwestiwn cyntaf.
Peth arall a allai fod yn ddefnyddiol—ac efallai wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ei ystyried, ac mae wedi'i wneud cyn hyn, yn sicr ym maes amddiffyn plant—yw sicrhau bod y cynghorwyr, wrth herio'r gwelliannau hyn yn eu hawdurdod, yn deall y cwestiynau y dylen nhw fod yn eu gofyn, yn hytrach na gwneud dim ond sgorio pwyntiau gwleidyddol yn erbyn ei gilydd. Oherwydd rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod—ac nid wyf i eisiau edrych yn ôl i'r gorffennol—ond rydym ni yn gwybod, rhai ohonom, hanes y methiant i gydweithio'n wleidyddol ym Mhowys, a'r anawsterau y mae hynny wedi'u creu gan nad oes arweinyddiaeth gyffredinol yno. Ac rwy'n aml iawn wedi'i chael hi'n anodd deall cyfluniad y peth a phwy sy'n gyfrifol a phwy sy'n cefnogi pwy, pam a sut. Ac fel y gwyddoch chi, rwy'n eithaf hyddysg mewn cyfluniadau gwleidyddol, felly os ydwyf i'n cael trafferth i'w ddeall, rwy'n eithaf sicr y byddai'r cyhoedd yn ei chael hi'n anodd hefyd. Felly, mae'n debyg mai fy mhle i yma heddiw, yn anad dim, yw bod y cynghorwyr a'r arweinwyr gwleidyddol yn y cyngor yn rhoi'r wleidyddiaeth o'r neilltu, yn rhoi pobl yn gyntaf ac yn ysgogi newid, ac yn codi i'r her maen nhw'n ei hwynebu yn awr. Ac mae'n eithaf amlwg mai arweinyddiaeth wleidyddol yw'r her honno, ac mae a wnelo â sicrhau bod y polisïau hynny yn cael eu gweithredu mewn fforwm y cytunir arni, gyda'n cefnogaeth ni.
Felly, mae'n debyg mai fy nghwestiwn i chi yw hyn: a fydd y bwrdd gwella a sicrwydd yn parhau i gydgysylltu'r gwelliannau, a hynny yng ngwasanaethau cymdeithasol plant ac oedolion ym Mhowys, ac a fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i gefnogi'r broses honno hyd nes y cyrhaeddir adeg pan fyddwch chi'n teimlo y gallan nhw barhau heb y gefnogaeth honno? Hefyd, gan ddychwelyd at fy man cychwyn, a fydd hi'n wir y bydd llywodraeth leol ynddi'i hun yn dechrau helpu llywodraeth leol i wella, ac a oes modd i chi rywsut helpu i sicrhau bod arferion gorau yn batrwm i eraill ac yn cael eu hefelychu?
Some fascinating questions. Yes, I hope that we can ensure that best practice—. You know, local government delivers some fantastic services. We tend to debate these issues when there are issues with those services, and I think we should also celebrate the successes of local government in delivering services to millions of people day on day. And we should recognise that, where there are issues, the people who are best placed to resolve those issues happen to be in local government as well, in my view—people who are experienced professionals at delivering high-quality services and who are able to identify the weaknesses that we have described this afternoon and debated today and identify solutions to those areas. So, I hope that best practice will be able to be understood throughout local government and that we can help local government, if necessary, put in place the sorts of structures required in order to make best practice something that is seen and witnessed across local government throughout the whole of Wales year on year.
In terms of where we're going with the improvement and assurance board, we put in place the board under the leadership of Jack Straw, the former chief executive of Swansea, in order to deliver the assurance we require that the lessons have been learnt and that the improvements are being delivered. I have provided funding for that board in order for it to be able to pursue its work. I have given an undertaking this afternoon and the Minister for Children and Social Care has also given an undertaking that we will report back regularly to Members on the improvements as they're taking place.
The improvement and assurance board is there to improve not just social services but wider corporate issues within the council. I'm absolutely confident that we have the structures in place that will ensure that those improvements take place and do so in a timely manner. I will ensure that we have all the information made available to Members so that Members on all sides of this Chamber can hold us to account for those commitments and those assurances that I give today, this afternoon.
In terms of the political culture within any institution, it is very much in the hands of the members. The members do need to fulfil the roles of accountability and scrutiny. It is absolutely clear and right that opposition members and members representing the executive have to hold the executive to account. That is true here, it is true in Powys, it is true in any democratic institution. But how the authority leadership is held to account is a different question. I hope that all members of all political parties and no political parties represented in Powys will do so in a way that is constructive and that is positive. I perhaps don't share entirely your optimism, Joyce, that politics will be put to one side—we've said that before on other occasions—but I do hope, and I do know the opposition leaders in Powys—. I know Matt Dorrance, James Gibson-Watt and Elwyn Vaughan, and I know that they're all deeply committed to the people of Powys and to serve the people of Powys. I know that all of the opposition leaders will work hard to ensure that Powys is put back on the right tracks and will work with the executive to ensure that that happens, whilst at the same time, holding the executive to account in the way that they're elected to do. That is a difficult balance to find, but I'm absolutely confident that the members of Powys County Council are able to do that.
Cwestiynau diddorol iawn. Ie, rwy'n gobeithio y gallwn ni sicrhau bod arferion gorau—. Wyddoch chi, mae llywodraeth leol yn darparu rhai gwasanaethau gwych. Mae tuedd i ni drafod y materion hyn pan fo problemau gyda'r gwasanaethau hynny, ac rwy'n credu hefyd y dylem ni ddathlu llwyddiannau llywodraeth leol wrth ddarparu gwasanaethau i miliynau o bobl bob dydd. A dylem gydnabod, lle ceir problemau, bod y bobl orau i ddatrys y materion hynny yn digwydd bod mewn llywodraeth leol hefyd, yn fy marn i—pobl sy'n weithwyr proffesiynol profiadol yn darparu gwasanaethau o ansawdd uchel ac sy'n gallu adnabod y gwendidau yr ydym ni wedi'u disgrifio y prynhawn 'ma ac wedi'u trafod heddiw a nodi atebion i'r meysydd hynny. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd modd deall arferion gorau drwy lywodraeth leol ac y gallwn ni helpu llywodraeth leol, os oes angen, i roi'r mathau o strwythurau ar waith sydd eu hangen i wneud arferion gorau yn rhywbeth a welir ac a dystir ar draws llywodraeth leol ledled Cymru, flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn.
O ran ble yr ydym ni'n mynd gyda'r bwrdd gwella a sicrwydd, rydym ni wedi sefydlu'r bwrdd o dan arweinyddiaeth Jack Straw, cyn-brif weithredwr Abertawe, er mwyn darparu'r sicrwydd sydd ei angen arnom fod gwersi wedi'u dysgu a bod y gwelliannau yn cael eu cyflawni. Rwyf i wedi darparu cyllid ar gyfer y bwrdd hwnnw er mwyn iddo allu fwrw ymlaen â'i waith. Rwyf wedi rhoi ymrwymiad y prynhawn 'ma ac mae'r Gweinidog Plant a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol wedi ymrwymo hefyd i adrodd yn ôl yn rheolaidd i'r Aelodau ar y gwelliannau wrth iddyn nhw ddigwydd.
Bwriad y bwrdd gwella a sicrwydd yw gwella nid yn unig gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, ond materion corfforaethol ehangach hefyd o fewn y Cyngor. Rwy'n gwbl hyderus bod gennym ni'r strwythurau ar waith a fydd yn sicrhau bod y gwelliannau hyn yn digwydd, a hynny mewn modd amserol. Byddaf i'n sicrhau bod yr holl wybodaeth yn cael ei rhoi ar gael i'r Aelodau fel y gall yr Aelodau ar bob ochr o'r Siambr hon ein dwyn ni i gyfrif am yr ymrwymiadau hynny a'r sicrwydd hynny yr wyf i'n eu rhoi heddiw, y prynhawn 'ma.
O ran y diwylliant gwleidyddol o fewn unrhyw sefydliad, mae hynny yn nwylo'r Aelodau i raddau helaeth. Mae angen i'r Aelodau gyflawni swyddogaethau atebolrwydd a chraffu. Mae'n gwbl glir ac yn gywir bod yn rhaid i aelodau'r gwrthbleidiau a'r aelodau sy'n cynrychioli'r weithrediaeth ddwyn y weithrediaeth i gyfrif. Mae hynny'n wir yn y fan hon, mae'n wir ym Mhowys, mae'n wir mewn unrhyw sefydliad democrataidd. Ond mae sut y dylid dwyn arweinyddiaeth yr awdurdod i gyfrif yn gwestiwn gwahanol. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd pob aelod o bob plaid wleidyddol, ac nid oes plaid wleidyddol nad oes cynrychiolaeth ohoni ym Mhowys, yn gwneud hynny mewn ffordd adeiladol a chadarnhaol. Efallai nad wyf i'n rhannu'n llwyr eich optimistiaeth chi, Joyce, y caiff gwleidyddiaeth ei rhoi i'r neilltu—rydym ni wedi dweud hynny o'r blaen ar adegau eraill—ond rwyf yn gobeithio, ac rwyf yn adnabod arweinwyr y gwrthbleidiau ym Mhowys—. Rwy'n adnabod Matt Dorrance, James Gibson-Watt ac Elwyn Vaughan, a gwn fod pob un ohonyn nhw wedi ymrwymo'n llwyr i bobl Powys ac i wasanaethu pobl Powys. Gwn y bydd pob un o arweinwyr y gwrthbleidiau yn gweithio'n galed i sicrhau bod Powys yn cael ei roi yn ôl ar y trywydd iawn ac y byddan nhw'n gweithio gyda'r weithrediaeth i sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd, ac ar yr un pryd, yn dwyn y weithrediaeth i gyfrif yn y ffordd y maent wedi'u hethol i'w gwneud. Mae hynny'n gydbwysedd anodd ei gyflawni, ond rwy'n gwbl hyderus y gall aelodau Cyngor Sir Powys wneud hynny.
Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet.
Item 6 is a statement by the Minister for Housing and Regeneration on low-cost home ownership. I call on the Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Rebecca Evans.
Datganiad gan y Gweinidog Tai ac Adfywio ar berchentyaeth cost isel yw eitem 6. Galwaf ar y Gweinidog Tai ac Adfywio, Rebecca Evans.
Thank you. The Welsh Government believes in social housing; we believe in affordable housing. It's our ambition for everyone to live in a home that meets their needs and supports a healthy, prosperous and successful life. We know that we must work across Government to achieve this. 'Prosperity for All' not only affords housing the priority it deserves, but reaffirms our long-standing commitment to both social housing and affordable housing. We will deliver 20,000 affordable homes during this term of Government. Social rented housing will account for the biggest proportion of this. Last year alone, we supported the investment of £179 million through our social housing grant and housing finance grant programme.
Under Thatcher's right to buy, we lost 139,000 homes from our social housing stock. We have legislated to put a stop to that, preserving our social housing stock for those who need it most, and giving local authorities the confidence to build. And I want to work with them to build at scale and pace. We know that no single type of tenure is right for everyone. We believe that home ownership is not just for people on higher incomes. People on lower incomes have aspirations to own their own home, and we will help them in ways that do not diminish our social housing.
Rising house prices and higher deposit requirements have made it more difficult for potential home owners to get their foot on the housing ladder. Indeed, the Resolution Foundation recently published their prediction that under half of millennials may own their own home by the time they reach 45. This is why I want to increase and improve the range of options available to people who wish to own their own home, providing new opportunities alongside our longer-standing products. Between January 2014 and the end of March 2018, our Help to Buy—Wales scheme had supported the construction and sale of nearly 6,900 homes, with more than 750 in the immediate pipeline awaiting completion. The scheme will make a significant contribution to the delivery of our 20,000 affordable homes target.
Help to Buy—Wales is delivering exactly what it set out to do. It provides a shared equity loan of up to 20 per cent of the property's value, allowing buyers of new-build properties to move into a home with a minimum deposit of only 5 per cent. This is especially important for first-time buyers and, as a result, they make up over 75 per cent of Help to Buy—Wales applications. In addition, it continues to provide a boost to the housing industry by supporting the construction of new homes across Wales. Investing in housing has clear benefits for the economy, supporting the construction industry and the associated supply chain.
We continue to make Homebuy—Wales available. This shared-equity scheme offers purchasers the opportunity to buy an existing home, and has particular appeal in the areas where there is limited new build, including rural areas where there is little volume building. I have asked my officials to revisit this established scheme and, in collaboration with local authorities and registered social landlords, consider whether any additional measures can be identified to improve and support its growth. I am keen to consider additional home ownership opportunities for people living in rural areas where house prices are particularly high. My officials are exploring options such as self-build, which may provide additional opportunities.
I am pleased to draw Members' attention to the fact that we have made significant strides to improve our low-cost home ownership offer in the last few weeks, introducing two new schemes and the Your Home in Wales website. I launched the Rent to Own—Wales and Shared Ownership—Wales schemes to help a broader range of people access home ownership. Rent to Own—Wales will help people who can afford monthly payments but are not able to save enough for a mortgage deposit. Shared Ownership—Wales will help those who have access to a small deposit and are able to get a mortgage on a proportion of the value of the property.
The Welsh Government is investing £70 million in these new home ownership initiatives as part of our commitment to build 20,000 affordable homes during this term of Government. Early interest in the schemes has been very positive, with six housing associations across Wales now registered to take part and offering a portfolio of homes. The focus will now be on improving the supply of homes across all local authority areas in Wales. The launch of these two new schemes represents an increase in the options available to support aspiring home owners, including first-time buyers and young people hoping to stay in, or return to, their communities.
Clear information is essential for people considering buying their own home, and I recognise that, with a number of different options, there does need to be clarity about what is available. That's why I have launched the Your Home in Wales website that provides key information on all Welsh Government-funded home ownership schemes. This practical guide will help people determine which scheme is best suited to their personal circumstances. These schemes will all contribute to our ambitious target of delivering 20,000 affordable homes during the lifetime of this Assembly.
I want to lay the groundwork for the prospect of setting even more stretching targets in the future, in response to a range of housing needs. I also want Welsh Government to continue to create a climate that drives innovation and improvements in terms of design, quality and energy efficiency. To support this, Members will be aware that I've commissioned a review of affordable housing supply. To ensure that the review is fair, transparent and robust, I am establishing an independent panel to oversee this work under independent chair, Lynn Pamment. The review will need to balance the growing need for affordable homes against a backdrop of continuing pressures on the public expenditure available to support house building, and I look forward to providing detail as the review progresses.
Our low-cost home ownership schemes, combined with our work in other areas of housing and our forthcoming review, clearly demonstrate that the Welsh Government is committed to achieving its ambition for everyone to live in a home that meets their needs and supports a healthy, prosperous and successful life.
Diolch. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn credu mewn tai cymdeithasol; credwn mewn tai fforddiadwy. Ein huchelgais yw bod pawb yn byw mewn cartref sy'n diwallu eu hanghenion ac yn cefnogi bywyd iach, ffyniannus a llwyddiannus. Rydym yn gwybod bod yn rhaid inni weithio ar draws y Llywodraeth i gyflawni hyn. Mae 'Ffyniant i bawb' nid yn unig yn rhoi blaenoriaeth haeddiannol i dai, ond mae'n ailddatgan ein hymrwymiad hirdymor i dai cymdeithasol a thai fforddiadwy. Byddwn yn darparu 20,000 o gartrefi fforddiadwy yn ystod tymor y Llywodraeth. Y gyfran fwyaf fydd tai rhent cymdeithasol. Y llynedd, cefnogwyd buddsoddiad o £179 miliwn drwy ein grant tai cymdeithasol a'r rhaglen grant cyllid tai.
O dan hawl i brynu Thatcher, collwyd 139,000 o gartrefi o'n stoc tai cymdeithasol. Rydym wedi deddfu i atal hynny, ac i gadw ein stoc tai cymdeithasol ar gyfer y rhai sydd eu hangen fwyaf, ac i roi hyder i awdurdodau lleol adeiladu. Ac rwyf eisiau gweithio gyda nhw i adeiladu llawer o dai yn gyflym. Rydym yn gwybod nad yw un math o ddeiliadaeth yn addas i bawb. Credwn nad yw perchentyaeth ar gyfer pobl ar incwm uwch yn unig. Mae gan bobl ar incwm is uchelgais i fod yn berchen ar eu cartrefi eu hunain, a byddwn yn eu helpu mewn ffyrdd na fydd yn gostwng lefel ein tai cymdeithasol.
Mae cynnydd mewn prisiau tai a'r gofyn am flaendal uwch wedi ei gwneud hi'n anos i'r rhai a allai fod yn berchenogion cartrefi i gael eu traed ar yr ysgol dai. Yn wir, yn ddiweddar cyhoeddodd y Resolution Foundation ei ragfynegiad y gallai dan hanner y millennials fod yn berchen ar eu cartrefi eu hunain erbyn iddyn nhw gyrraedd 45 oed. Dyma pam yr wyf eisiau cynyddu a gwella'r amrywiaeth o ddewisiadau sydd ar gael i bobl sy'n dymuno bod yn berchen ar eu cartref eu hunain, a darparu cyfleoedd newydd ochr yn ochr â'r cynhyrchion sydd gennym eisoes. Rhwng Ionawr 2014 a diwedd mis Mawrth 2018, roedd ein cynllun Cymorth i Brynu—Cymru wedi cefnogi'r gwaith o adeiladu a gwerthu bron 6,900 o gartrefi, gyda mwy na 750 ar y gweill sy'n disgwyl cael eu cwblhau yn fuan. Bydd y cynllun yn cyfrannu'n sylweddol at gyflawni ein targed o 20,000 o gartrefi fforddiadwy.
Mae Cymorth i Brynu—Cymru yn cyflawni'r union beth y bwriadwyd iddo ei wneud. Mae'n rhoi benthyciad rhannu ecwiti hyd at 20 y cant o werth yr eiddo, gan alluogi prynwyr eiddo newydd i symud i mewn i gartref gydag isafswm blaendal o 5 y cant yn unig. Mae hyn yn arbennig o bwysig i brynwyr am y tro cyntaf ac, o ganlyniad, y nhw sy'n gyfrifol am dros 75 y cant o geisiadau Cymorth i Brynu—Cymru. Hefyd, mae'n parhau i roi hwb i'r diwydiant tai drwy gefnogi adeiladu cartrefi newydd ledled Cymru. Mae buddsoddi mewn tai yn cynnig manteision amlwg i'r economi, drwy gefnogi'r diwydiant adeiladu a'r gadwyn gyflenwi sy'n gysylltiedig â hwnnw.
Rydym yn parhau i sicrhau bod Cymorth i Brynu—Cymru yn dal i fod ar gael. Mae'r cynllun ecwiti a rennir hwn yn cynnig cyfle i brynwyr brynu cartref sy'n bodoli eisoes, ac mae hynny'n apelio, yn arbennig yn yr ardaloedd hynny lle mae adeiladau newydd yn brin, gan gynnwys ardaloedd gwledig lle nad oes adeiladu ar raddfa fawr. Rwyf wedi gofyn i'm swyddogion ailedrych ar y cynllun hwn sydd wedi ei sefydlu ac, mewn cydweithrediad ag awdurdodau lleol a landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig, iddyn nhw ystyried a ellir nodi unrhyw fesurau ychwanegol i wella a chefnogi ei dwf. Rwyf yn awyddus i ystyried cyfleoedd perchentyaeth ychwanegol ar gyfer pobl sy'n byw mewn ardaloedd gwledig lle mae prisiau tai yn arbennig o uchel. Mae fy swyddogion yn edrych ar bosibiliadau megis hunanadeiladu, a all gynnig cyfleoedd ychwanegol.
Rwyf yn falch o dynnu sylw'r Aelodau at y ffaith ein bod wedi cymryd camau sylweddol i wella ein cynnig ynghylch perchentyaeth cost isel yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, gan gyflwyno dau gynllun newydd a'r wefan Eich Cartref yng Nghymru. Lansiais y cynlluniau Rhentu i Brynu—Cymru a Rhanberchnogaeth—Cymru i helpu ystod ehangach o bobl i fod yn berchen ar eu cartref eu hunain. Bydd Rhentu i Brynu—Cymru yn helpu pobl sy'n gallu fforddio taliadau misol ond sy'n methu â chynilo digon ar gyfer blaendal morgais. Bydd Rhanberchnogaeth—Cymru yn helpu'r rheini sy'n gallu cael gafael ar flaendal bach ac felly yn gallu cael morgais ar gyfran o werth yr eiddo.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn buddsoddi £70 miliwn yn y mentrau perchenogaeth cartref newydd hyn fel rhan o'n hymrwymiad i adeiladu 20,000 o gartrefi fforddiadwy yn ystod tymor y Llywodraeth. Mae'r diddordeb cynnar yn y cynlluniau wedi bod yn gadarnhaol iawn, gyda chwe chymdeithas dai ledled Cymru bellach wedi cofrestru i gymryd rhan ac i gynnig portffolio o gartrefi. Byddwn nawr yn canolbwyntio ar wella'r cyflenwad o gartrefi ar draws ardaloedd pob awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru. Mae lansio'r ddau gynllun newydd hyn yn dangos y cynnydd sydd yn y dewisiadau sydd ar gael i gefnogi darpar berchnogion cartrefi, gan gynnwys prynwyr am y tro cyntaf a phobl ifanc sy'n gobeithio aros yn eu cymunedau neu ddychwelyd iddyn nhw.
Mae gwybodaeth eglur yn hanfodol i bobl sy'n ystyried prynu eu cartref eu hunain, ac rwyf yn cydnabod, gyda nifer o ddewisiadau gwahanol, mae angen egluro'r hyn sydd ar gael. Dyna pam yr wyf wedi lansio'r wefan Eich Cartref yng Nghymru sy'n rhoi gwybodaeth allweddol ynghylch pob un o'r cynlluniau perchentyaeth a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Bydd y canllaw ymarferol hwn yn helpu pobl i benderfynu pa gynllun sydd fwyaf addas ar gyfer eu hamgylchiadau personol nhw. Bydd y cynlluniau hyn i gyd yn cyfrannu at ein targed uchelgeisiol o ddarparu 20,000 o gartrefi fforddiadwy yn ystod oes y Cynulliad hwn.
Rwyf eisiau gosod y sylfeini ar gyfer y posibilrwydd o bennu targedau mwy uchelgeisiol yn y dyfodol, mewn ymateb i amrywiaeth o anghenion tai. Rwyf hefyd eisiau i Lywodraeth Cymru barhau i greu hinsawdd ar gyfer gwthio arloesedd a gwelliannau o safbwynt dylunio, ansawdd ac effeithlonrwydd ynni. I gefnogi hyn, bydd yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol fy mod i wedi comisiynu adolygiad o'r ddarpariaeth o dai fforddiadwy. Er mwyn sicrhau bod yr adolygiad yn deg, yn dryloyw ac yn gadarn, rwyf yn sefydlu panel annibynnol i oruchwylio'r gwaith hwn dan y cadeirydd annibynnol, Lynn Pamment. Bydd angen i'r adolygiad sicrhau cydbwysedd rhwng yr angen cynyddol am dai fforddiadwy a'r pwysau parhaus ar wariant cyhoeddus sydd ar gael i gefnogi adeiladu tai. Edrychaf ymlaen at gyflwyno manylion wrth i'r adolygiad fynd rhagddo.
Mae ein cynlluniau perchentyaeth cost isel, ynghyd â'n gwaith mewn meysydd tai eraill a'r adolygiad sydd ar y gweill, yn dangos yn glir bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i gyflawni ei huchelgais i weld pawb yn byw mewn cartref sy'n diwallu eu hanghenion ac yn cefnogi bywyd iach, ffyniannus a llwyddiannus.
Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.
The Llywydd took the Chair.
I feel I ought to start in a more generous spirit than I did last week, because we often clash on housing matters. So, let me just welcome some of the tone of this statement and such phrases as: 'I want to work with them to build at scale and pace'—that's the various people building houses; 'We believe that home ownership is not just for people on higher incomes'—well, that's why I defended the right to buy, although the Minister can coherently hold to this principle as well, I'm not denying that, even though we would disagree; 'The focus will now be on improving the supply of homes across all local authority areas in Wales'; and 'I want to lay the groundwork for the prospect'—'prospect' is a bit weak, but anyway—'of setting even more stretching targets in the future'. So, some of the tone has improved, but I fear now I have to go back to type and just remind people of our current situation, and I'll try, also, to compare it to that of England, which is also in a housing crisis. I've always been balanced in my remarks, and I don't think the Welsh Government has invented the sort of housing market that we're currently in, but it's just its level of response and the projections that it has come out with for housing need that I have particular problems with. If we don't have the correct targets to aim for, we're not going to meet the justified aspirations of so many people, especially younger people and people forming families.
If I look at the house building stats, the current projections, which are accepted by the Welsh Government, are that we need 8,700 homes each year—8,700. That's 5,200 market, 3,500 social. In fairness, the Welsh Government now has a target of 4,000 social each year—or 'roughly affordable' is a more general description. The alternative Holmans projection produced in 2015 estimated that the following was needed each year: 7,000 market, 5,000 social. That gives you 12,000 as a target. It couldn't be achieved instantly, but it's something that you would have to work up to. If the alternative projection is more accurate—and I think there is a high level of academic opinion, anyway, that it is—we will be short of 66,000 homes by 2031, and I'm taking 2031 as a reasonable period of time now in which to look at our deeper housing strategy. That is a real concern, and I do hope your review is going to look at these projections seriously and come up with a serious response, which the Welsh Government has never done. It has never responded officially to Professor Holmans's projection and said why it doesn't agree with him. It just has ignored it, it has made no attempt to refute it.
Now, look at England: the UK Government wants to build 300,000 homes each year in England by the mid-2020s. That equates, or would equate if we had the same target by the mid-2020s, to 15,000 homes each year in Wales. It is a massively different scale, and I think, when you're setting the strategy in these fundamental reviews, you've got to talk this language and tell us where you want to set your targets, what is your pace or whatever—scale and pace, to use the words in your own statement.
Let me just tell you what we are doing at the moment. In 2017, we built 6,885 new dwellings. The last time we reached the Welsh Government's target of 8,700 was in 2008. That's the scale of the current crisis. Now, I don't completely blame the Government for this, there are wider factors, but target setting is really, really important.
Can I just come to a couple of focused questions? What is the Minister's latest estimate of the number of affordable homes that we are building in Wales each year? We're now two years through this five-year Assembly and I want to know if we're anywhere close to the scale and, therefore, the pace to meet the 20,000 target, because by my calculations—the data is not very complete and we await more releases, obviously—there are grounds for being concerned. By the time of your affordable housing supply review report, and that's set to be completed by April 2019, we will be over halfway through the Assembly's term. It'll be too late then to be told that these targets are no longer realistic or that we need more ambitious targets. I think we need to know what your ambition is now. In particular, why is the review, in terms of its terms of reference, not even looking at housing need? The current projections are not being met, of course, as I've outlined, but they're not high enough anyway, even if we could meet them, but there's nothing in the terms of reference that I can work out—of course, we've not had the opportunity of closely scrutinising you on this—that they will be really looking at projections. It's only on the best evidence and projections that we can base housing policy and strategy for the future. Thank you.
Teimlaf y dylwn i ddechrau mewn ysbryd mwy hael nag y gwneuthum yr wythnos diwethaf, oherwydd rydym yn aml yn gwrthdaro ar faterion tai. Felly, gadewch imi groesawu naws y datganiad hwn ac ymadroddion megis: 'Rwyf eisiau gweithio gyda nhw i adeiladu llawer o dai yn gyflym'—dyna'r amrywiol bobl sy'n adeiladu tai; 'Credwn nad yw perchentyaeth ar gyfer pobl ar incwm uwch yn unig'—wel, dyna pam yr amddiffynnais yr hawl i brynu, er y gall y Gweinidog ddilyn yr egwyddor hefyd, ac nid wyf yn gwadu hynny, hyd yn oed os anghytunwn; 'Byddwn nawr yn canolbwyntio ar wella'r cyflenwad o gartrefi ar draws ardaloedd pob awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru.'; ac 'Rwyf eisiau gosod y sylfeini ar gyfer y posibilrwydd'—mae 'posibilrwydd' braidd yn wan, beth bynnag 'o bennu targedau mwy uchelgeisiol yn y dyfodol'. Felly, mae rhywfaint o naws y datganiad wedi gwella, ond ofnaf fod yn rhaid imi ddychwelyd i lle'r oeddwn i ac atgoffa pobl o'r sefyllfa bresennol. Ceisiaf, hefyd, ei gymharu â'r hyn a geir yn Lloegr, sydd hefyd yn dioddef argyfwng tai. Rwyf wastad yn cadw cydbwysedd yn fy sylwadau ac nid wyf yn credu bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dyfeisio'r math o farchnad dai yr ydym ynddi ar hyn o bryd. Ond y broblem i mi yw lefel ei hymateb a'i rhagamcanion ynghylch yr angen am dai. Os nad oes gennym y targedau cywir i anelu atynt, nid ydym yn mynd i ddiwallu dyheadau cymaint o bobl, yn enwedig pobl ifanc a phobl sy'n magu teuluoedd.
Os edrychaf ar yr ystadegau adeiladu tai, y rhagamcanion cyfredol, sy'n cael eu derbyn gan Lywodraeth Cymru, yw bod angen 8,700 o gartrefi bob blwyddyn arnom ni—8,700. Sef 5,200 o dai ar y farchnad, 3,500 o dai cymdeithasol. Er tegwch, mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru bellach darged o 4,000 o dai cymdeithasol bob blwyddyn—neu 'yn weddol fforddiadwy' yw'r disgrifiad mwy cyffredinol. Yn 2015 amcangyfrifodd rhagamcan arall, sef rhagamcan Holmans, fod angen y canlynol bob blwyddyn: 7,000 o dai ar y farchnad, 5,000 o dai cymdeithasol. Mae hynny'n rhoi targed o 12,000. Ni ellid ei gyflawni ar unwaith, ond mae'n rhywbeth y byddai'n rhaid ichi anelu ato. Os yw'r rhagamcan arall yn fwy cywir—ac rwy'n credu mai'r farn academaidd gref yw ei bod hi, yna byddwn 66,000 o dai yn brin erbyn 2031, ac rwy'n cymryd 2031 fel cyfnod rhesymol o amser er mwyn edrych ar ein strategaeth dai ddyfnach. Mae hynny'n bryder mawr, ac rwyf yn gobeithio y bydd eich adolygiad yn edrych ar y rhagamcanion hyn o ddifrif ac yn cyflwyno ymateb difrifol, rhywbeth nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru erioed wedi ei wneud. Nid yw wedi ymateb yn swyddogol i ragamcan yr Athro Holmans a dweud pam nad yw'n cytuno ag ef. Mae wedi ei anwybyddu'n llwyr, a heb wneud unrhyw ymgais i'w wrthbrofi.
Nawr, edrychwch ar Loegr: mae Llywodraeth y DU eisiau adeiladu 300,000 o gartrefi bob blwyddyn yn Lloegr erbyn canol y 2020au. Mae hynny yn cyfateb, neu fe fyddai'n cyfateb pe bai gennym yr un targed erbyn canol y 2020au, i 15,000 o gartrefi bob blwyddyn yng Nghymru. Mae'n raddfa wahanol iawn, a chredaf, pan fyddwch yn gosod eich strategaethau yn yr adolygiadau sylfaenol hyn, fod yn rhaid ichi siarad yr iaith hon a dweud wrthym ble yr ydych am osod eich targedau, beth yw eich cyflymder neu beth bynnag—adeiladu llawer o dai yn gyflym, i ddefnyddio'r geiriau yn eich datganiad eich hun.
Gadewch imi ddweud wrthych beth yr ydym yn ei wneud ar hyn o bryd. Yn 2017, adeiladwyd 6,885 o anheddau newydd. Y tro diwethaf inni gyrraedd targed Llywodraeth Cymru o 8,700 oedd yn 2008. Dyna hyd a lled yr argyfwng presennol. Nawr nid wyf yn rhoi'r bai yn gyfan gwbl ar y Llywodraeth am hyn, mae yna ffactorau ehangach, ond mae gosod targedau yn bwysig iawn iawn.
A gaf i ofyn un neu ddau o gwestiynau penodol? Beth yw amcangyfrif diweddaraf y Gweinidog o nifer y tai fforddiadwy yr ydym yn eu hadeiladu yng Nghymru bob blwyddyn? Rydym bellach ddwy flynedd i mewn i dymor bum mlynedd y Cynulliad hwn ac rwyf am wybod a ydym yn agos o gwbl at adeiladu llawer o dai yn gyflym i gyrraedd y targed o 20,000, oherwydd yn ôl fy nghyfrifiadau i—ac nid yw'r data yn gyflawn ac rydym yn aros am fwy o gyhoeddiadau, yn amlwg—mae rhesymau da dros fod yn bryderus. Erbyn yr amser y bydd eich adroddiad ar yr adolygiad o gyflenwadau tai fforddiadwy ar gael, sydd i'w gwblhau erbyn Ebrill 2019, byddwn dros hanner ffordd drwy dymor y Cynulliad. Bydd yn rhy hwyr yr adeg honno ichi gael gwybod nad yw'r targedau hyn yn realistig mwyach neu fod arnom angen targedau mwy uchelgeisiol. Credaf fod angen inni wybod beth yw eich uchelgais nawr. Yn benodol, pam nad yw'r adolygiad, o ran ei gylch gorchwyl, yn edrych ar yr angen am dai? Nid yw'r rhagamcanion cyfredol yn cael eu bodloni, wrth gwrs, fel yr amlinellais, ond nid ydyn nhw'n ddigon uchel beth bynnag, hyd yn oed petaem ni'n gallu eu bodloni, ond nid oes dim yn y cylch gorchwyl y gallaf weld—wrth gwrs, nid ydym wedi cael y cyfle i graffu arnoch yn fanwl ynghylch hyn—y byddant yn edrych o gwbl ar ragamcanion. Dim ond ar y dystiolaeth a'r rhagamcanion gorau y gallwn seilio polisi tai a strategaeth ar gyfer y dyfodol. Diolch.
I thank you very much for those comments and particularly welcome the way in which you opened the remarks in a positive sense. I will certainly seek to move forward in that spirit as well. You mentioned that you are pleased to hear that I'm keen to work with local authorities, particularly, to start building at scale and pace, and you would have heard me talk in the Chamber previously about the work that I'm doing to try and work with local authorities to increase the borrowing cap. I just would provide an update, really, that I've consulted with local authorities on a couple of proposals. One is in the short term: how do we use that unallocated borrowing capacity that we have, so around £17 million—how do we focus that at the local authorities that are ready to build? And to also challenge them over the medium term to work up some potential schemes that could be brought forward very quickly, should additional money and borrowing capacity be made available from the UK Government? We're certainly having those discussions with the Treasury, and as soon as I'm able to update Members further on that, I'll be pleased to do so, but, as I say, there is work progressing with that.
In terms of housing need, I'm very aware of the Public Policy Institute for Wales report that Alan Holmans was commissioned to do and was published back in 2015. I do recognise that those figures now need to be updated. I know there's been much debate between you and Welsh Government over several years on those figures. You refer to the alternative projection, which is the projection that suggests we would need 12,000 units a year. Those alternative projections, as I understand it, were based on an earlier set of household projections—the 2006-based census—and those don't take account of the most recent changes to household size and type, as recorded by that census. So, we are moving on a different trajectory, which is why we need to look again and do some further work and reassess those figures. So, we are doing that.
My officials have met with experts, with a view to developing a robust piece of work that will look at housing need across Wales, and it will very much be in the context of that that the review takes place. I would also say that officials have been gathering information about the method of determining housing need that is used by other UK Governments, and they've certainly had some constructive conversations with officials—from the Scottish Government particularly. So, this information, combined with advice from external experts, will help determine the approach that we take, but I just want to reassure Members how seriously I take the issue of housing need in the future and having robust targets that are achievable but also very much reflect the need that is in the community, but also looking at housing need, breaking it down into the different types of tenure and different types of housing: social housing, intermediate housing, affordable housing and, then, market housing.
Where Welsh Government does have the opportunity— . Although we don't have many levers in terms of market housing, actually I believe that we can create a climate for improving the delivery of, and speeding up the delivery of market housing. One of the ways that we can do that can be through our innovative housing programme, which I think will provide us with ways in which to build houses at a much quicker pace in future. I was very pleased that, last Thursday, we opened the 2018-19 round for applications, and this is the first time, now, that we've opened this not just to social landlords, but also the private sector, so that private sector builders can apply for funding in order to support the innovation element of their build as well. I think that this could give us the opportunity to see more innovative housing built at scale. This is a £90 million investment, over three years; £19 million was awarded to 22 innovative projects over the last year, so £71 million remains. So, there is plenty of opportunity for good schemes to come forward, but I'm very clear that although we're at this stage of innovating and testing out lots of different ideas, we are going to have to come to a point where we actually, through the evaluation of the various different projects, decide what's best for Wales and where we want to put our efforts in terms of creating the kind of scale of build that we would want to see in the future.
In terms of whether I'm confident that we are going to hit our 20,000 target—yes, I am. And I can tell you that we're breaking down that target: 5,500 units of social housing grant; 1,500 housing finance grant 2; 6,000 of the units will be through Help to Buy; 1,000 will be rent to own, or shared ownership, and those are the two schemes I've particularly been highlighting today; 1,000 we would hope would be built through the local authority council house building programme; 1,000 through the innovative design programme; 1,000 through section 106 agreements; 800 through Vibrant and Viable Places; and RSL self-funded build—2,500. That would actually take us over the 20,000 mark. And one of the reasons that I am confident that we are able to achieve that target is because, as Members will be aware, house builders often work on a three-year rolling programme, so we're able to see the kind of projects that are coming down the line and the volume of houses that are in the pipeline. That does give us confidence that we will be able to hit that target. But as I say, I would like the review to be looking at setting even more stretching targets for the future.
Diolch yn fawr am y sylwadau hynny ac rwy'n croesawu'n arbennig y ffordd yr agoroch chi eich sylwadau mewn modd cadarnhaol. Byddaf yn sicr yn ceisio symud ymlaen yn yr ysbryd hwnnw hefyd. Fe sonioch chi eich bod yn falch o glywed fy mod yn awyddus i weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol, yn enwedig, i ddechrau adeiladu llawer o dai yn gyflym, a byddech wedi fy nghlywed yn sôn yn y Siambr o'r blaen am y gwaith yr wyf yn ei wneud i geisio gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i gynyddu'r cap benthyg. Fel diweddariad felly, rwyf wedi ymgynghori ag awdurdodau lleol ar rai cynigion. Mae un yn y tymor byr: sut ydym yn defnyddio'r capasiti benthyca sydd heb ei neilltuo sydd gennym, felly tua £17 miliwn—sut ydym yn canolbwyntio hynny ar yr awdurdodau lleol sy'n barod i adeiladu? A hefyd sut ydym yn mynd i'w herio nhw dros y tymor canolig i lunio rhai cynlluniau posibl y gellid eu cyflwyno'n gyflym iawn, petai arian ychwanegol a chapasiti benthyg ar gael gan Lywodraeth y DU? Rydym yn sicr yn cael y trafodaethau hynny gyda'r Trysorlys, a chyn gynted ag y gallaf i ddiweddaru'r wybodaeth i'r Aelodau, byddaf yn falch o wneud hynny. Ond, fel rwy'n dweud, mae gwaith yn mynd rhagddo ynghylch hynny.
O ran yr angen am dai, rwyf yn ymwybodol iawn o adroddiad y Sefydliad Polisi Cyhoeddus i Gymru a gomisiynwyd gan Alan Holmans a'i gyhoeddi yn ôl yn 2015. Rwyf yn cydnabod bod angen diweddaru'r ffigurau hynny bellach. Gwn fod llawer o ddadlau wedi bod rhyngoch chi a Llywodraeth Cymru dros nifer o flynyddoedd ynglŷn â'r ffigurau hynny. Rydych yn cyfeirio at y rhagamcan arall, sef y rhagamcan sy'n awgrymu y byddai angen 12,000 o unedau'r flwyddyn. Fel rwy'n deall, roedd y rhagamcanion eraill hynny yn seiliedig ar set gynharach o ragamcanion aelwydydd—y cyfrifiad yn seiliedig ar 2006—ac nid yw'r rheini yn ystyried y newidiadau mwyaf diweddar i faint aelwydydd a'r math o aelwydydd, a gofnodwyd gan y cyfrifiad. Felly, rydym yn symud ar hyd llwybr gwahanol, a dyna pam y mae angen inni edrych eto a gwneud mwy o waith ac ailasesu'r ffigurau hynny. Felly, rydym yn gwneud hynny.
Mae fy swyddogion wedi cyfarfod ag arbenigwyr, gyda'r bwriad o ddatblygu darn o waith cadarn a fydd yn edrych ar yr angen am dai ledled Cymru, ac yng nghyd-destun hynny yn sicr y bydd yr adolygiad yn digwydd. Dywedaf hefyd fod swyddogion wedi bod yn casglu gwybodaeth am y dull o wneud penderfyniadau ynghylch yr angen am dai a ddefnyddir gan lywodraethau eraill y DU, ac yn sicr maen nhw wedi cael rhai sgyrsiau adeiladol gyda swyddogion—o Lywodraeth yr Alban yn arbennig. Felly, bydd yr wybodaeth hon, ynghyd â chyngor gan arbenigwyr allanol, yn helpu i benderfynu beth fydd ein dull ni o weithredu. Hoffwn dawelu meddwl yr Aelodau drwy ddweud fy mod yn ystyried yr angen am dai yn y dyfodol yn ddifrifol ac felly hefyd sicrhau targedau cadarn ymarferol sydd hefyd yn adlewyrchu'r angen sydd yn y gymuned. Ond rwyf hefyd yn edrych ar yr angen am dai, gan ei dorri i lawr i'r gwahanol fathau o ddeiliadaeth a'r gwahanol fathau o dai: tai cymdeithasol, tai canolraddol, tai fforddiadwy ac yna dai'r farchnad agored.
Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru gyfle—. Er nad yw'n rhwydd inni wthio ac ysgogi tai'r farchnad agored, credaf mewn gwirionedd y gallwn greu hinsawdd ar gyfer gwella'r broses o gyflenwi, a chyflymu cyflenwi tai'r farchnad agored. Un ffordd o wneud hynny fyddai drwy ein rhaglen dai arloesol a fydd, rwy'n credu, yn rhoi modd inni adeiladu tai yn llawer cyflymach yn y dyfodol. Ddydd Iau diwethaf roeddwn yn falch iawn ein bod wedi agor cylch ceisiadau 2018-19. Dyma'r tro cyntaf inni agor hwn nid yn unig i landlordiaid cymdeithasol, ond hefyd i'r sector preifat, fel y gall adeiladwyr y sector preifat wneud cais am gyllid er mwyn cefnogi'r elfen o arloesi wrth iddyn nhw adeiladu hefyd. Rwy'n credu y gallai hyn gynnig cyfle i lawer mwy o dai arloesol gael eu hadeiladu. Buddsoddiad o £90 miliwn dros dair blynedd yw hwn; dyfarnwyd £19 miliwn i 22 o brosiectau arloesol yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, felly erys £71 miliwn. Mae digon o gyfle i gynlluniau da gael eu cynnig, ond mae'n glir, er ein bod ar hyn o bryd yn arloesi ac yn rhoi llawer o wahanol syniadau ar brawf, bydd yn rhaid inni gyrraedd pwynt lle byddwn mewn gwirionedd, drwy werthuso gwahanol brosiectau, yn penderfynu ar yr hyn sydd orau i Gymru, ac yn penderfynu ymhle i ganolbwyntio ein hymdrechion o ran creu'r raddfa o adeiladu y byddem eisiau ei weld yn y dyfodol.
O ran a wyf i'n hyderus y byddwn yn cyrraedd ein targed o 20,000—ydw, rydw i'n hyderus. A gallaf ddweud wrthych ein bod ni'n chwalu'r targed hwnnw: 5,500 o unedau grant tai cymdeithasol; 1,500 o unedau grant cyllid tai 2; daw 6,000 o'r unedau drwy Cymorth i Brynu; bydd 1,000 yn rhai Rhentu i Brynu, neu'n rhai Rhanberchnogaeth, a dyna'r ddau gynllun y tynnais sylw arbennig atyn nhw heddiw; byddem yn gobeithio i 1,000 gael eu hadeiladu drwy raglen adeiladu tai cyngor yr awdurdod lleol; 1,000 drwy'r rhaglen dylunio arloesol; 1,000 drwy gytundebau adran 106; 800 drwy Leoedd Llewyrchus Llawn Addewid; a 2,500—adeiladau hunanariannu Landlordiaid Cymdeithasol Cofrestredig. Byddai hynny'n fwy na 20,000. Ac un o'r rhesymau pam yr wyf yn hyderus ein bod yn gallu cyrraedd y targed hwnnw yw oherwydd, fel y bydd yr Aelodau yn gwybod, mae adeiladwyr tai yn aml yn gweithio i raglen dreigl dair blynedd, felly rydym yn gallu gweld y math o brosiectau sydd ar y ffordd a'r nifer o dai sydd ar y gweill. Mae hynny'n rhoi hyder inni y byddwn yn gallu cyrraedd y targed hwnnw. Ond fel rwy'n dweud, hoffwn weld yr adolygiad yn ystyried gosod targedau mwy uchelgeisiol hyd yn oed ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Thank you for an advance copy of the statement, and before I go into some questions about this particular statement, I'd just like to ask your views on some of the news reports, over the weekend, about the fact that there are councils in England that are minded to buy some housing stock here in Wales—I think Merthyr council was quoted. This isn't a new phenomenon, actually. When I was a student at Aberystwyth university, I saw a DVD from a borough in London, wanting to promote Ceredigion as a place to live for tenants in London, which, obviously, I don't think is a bad thing—we should encourage people to come to Wales if they choose to come and live in Wales—but what does that mean for you, as the Government, if there are councils in the city of London that are buying up stock that potentially you want to develop here in Wales, with Welsh councils? How can we understand what your engagement is with those particular local authorities, to know what that will mean then for our targets here in Wales?
We do welcome the review being set up. I also welcome the terms of reference, and particularly the focus on funding options to secure the long-term affordable housing choices that we have. I understand—as we all do—that financial considerations are important in the current environment, but of course, we need to be ambitious, not just in the social rented sector but in terms of homes to buy. It's estimated that if the UK had built 300,000 homes in the UK per year since 1996, then the average UK house price today would be only 7 per cent lower than it currently is. The current housing crisis is not only the product of a lack of homes. It's the product of a lack of accommodation amongst lenders and Government to recognise the role that unstable jobs, stagnant pay and the rising cost of living are having across the whole sector. So, where Government can step in to help, then we certainly would welcome that.
It's crucial, given the cost of housing and the rising cost of living, combined with stagnant wages, that there is real support for people trying to obtain an affordable home. So, I do welcome this website launch. It's important to have all of the help and information available in one place. We have been critical in the past of perhaps some piecemeal announcements and lots of information in lots of different places, so we are hopeful that this website will serve to alleviate that, to a large extent.
In terms of the two new schemes launched and other aspects of the review, I'd like to ask some specific questions. How much of the £70 million does the Welsh Government estimate it will recoup from the funding, particularly in relation to rent to own? Are you confident that the amount is enough? In terms of the other existing schemes, I feel it should be pointed out that Help to Buy isn't only a scheme for first-time buyers. The average price of a home under the scheme was £180,000, and a quarter of buyers were not first-time buyers. So, perhaps there could be a way to be more focused on the actual target audience. This scheme was initially launched as something to help the construction industry too, I believe, so I would like to ask whether the review could look at whether there are more effective ways to assist first-time buyers.
An FOI by ITV recently showed that there are now 43,000 empty homes in Wales—almost double the number from just a few years ago. This is despite the Welsh Government scheme to attempt to put empty homes back into use. So, could your review look into how effective current policies are in this regard? I understand that councils have powers to put homes back into use, but clearly they're not using those powers, otherwise the numbers would not be as low as what I have just quoted.
I'd also like the review to investigate what could be done about high rents and increases. At the moment, average private sector rent increases are lower than the amount allowed for rent increases in the social rented sector. So, this is something that needs to be looked at, along with other options.
Finally, you mentioned rural communities and how you want to look at other innovative ways of encouraging rural communities to look at housing options. I would also like to say that we need to have more community involvement in communities, so that if they can identify potentially what is needed, be it language, be it specific characteristics that need to be potentially retained in those areas—quite often a controversial topic, but a topic that we need to address—then what will your department be considering as viable options in that regard?
Diolch am anfon copi o'r datganiad ymlaen llaw, a chyn imi ofyn cwestiynau am y datganiad arbennig hwn, hoffwn ofyn eich barn chi am rai o'r adroddiadau ar y newyddion, dros y penwythnos, a oedd yn sôn am gynghorau yn Lloegr yn ystyried prynu stoc dai yma yng Nghymru—credaf i Gyngor Merthyr gael ei grybwyll. Dyw hyn ddim yn ffenomen newydd, mewn gwirionedd. Pan oeddwn yn fyfyriwr ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, gwelais DVD gan Fwrdeistref yn Llundain, a oedd yn awyddus i hyrwyddo Ceredigion fel lle i fyw i denantiaid yn Llundain, sydd, yn amlwg, ddim yn beth drwg yn fy marn i—dylem annog pobl i ddod i Gymru os ydynt yn dewis byw yng Nghymru—ond beth mae hynny'n ei olygu i chi, fel Llywodraeth, os oes cynghorau yn Llundain yn prynu stoc y byddech chi efallai eisiau ei ddatblygu yma yng Nghymru, gyda chynghorau Cymru? Sut ydym i ddeall beth yw eich ymgysylltiad chi â'r awdurdodau lleol hynny, er mwyn gwybod sut y bydd hynny yn effeithio ar ein targedau yma yng Nghymru?
Rydym ni yn croesawu'r adolygiad. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu'r cylch gorchwyl, ac yn enwedig y canolbwyntio ar opsiynau ariannu i sicrhau'r dewisiadau o dai fforddiadwy hirdymor sydd gennym. Rwy'n deall—fel yr ydym i gyd—bod ystyriaethau ariannol yn bwysig yn yr hinsawdd bresennol, ond wrth gwrs, mae angen inni fod yn uchelgeisiol, nid yn unig yn y sector rhentu cymdeithasol ond o ran cartrefi i'w prynu. Amcangyfrifir pe byddai'r DU wedi adeiladu 300,000 o gartrefi yn y DU bob blwyddyn ers 1996, yna ar gyfartaledd byddai pris tŷ yn y DU heddiw dim ond 7 y cant yn is nag ydyw ar hyn o bryd. Nid canlyniad prinder cartrefi'n unig yw'r argyfwng tai presennol. Mae'n ganlyniad methiant y Llywodraeth a benthycwyr i gydnabod yr effaith y mae swyddi ansefydlog, cyflog llonydd a'r cynnydd mewn costau byw yn ei chael ar draws y sector cyfan. Felly, petai'r llywodraeth yn gallu camu i'r adwy i helpu pan fo'n bosib, byddwn yn sicr yn croesawu hynny.
Mae'n hollbwysig, o ystyried cost tai a chostau byw cynyddol, ynghyd â chyflogau llonydd, bod cymorth iawn ar gael i bobl sy'n ceisio cael cartref fforddiadwy. Felly, croesawaf lansiad y wefan hon. Mae'n bwysig cael yr holl help a gwybodaeth mewn un lle. Yn y gorffennol rydym wedi beirniadu rhai cyhoeddiadau tameidiog a'r sefyllfa lle ceir llawer o wybodaeth mewn llawer o leoedd gwahanol, felly rydym yn obeithiol y bydd y wefan hon yn gwella'r sefyllfa i raddau helaeth.
O ran y ddau gynllun newydd a lansiwyd ac agweddau eraill ar yr adolygiad, hoffwn i ofyn rhai cwestiynau penodol. Faint o'r £70 miliwn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn amcangyfrif y bydd yn ei adennill o'r ariannu, yn arbennig o safbwynt Rhentu i Brynu? A ydych yn hyderus fod y swm yn ddigonol? O ran y cynlluniau cyfredol eraill, credaf y dylid nodi nad cynllun ar gyfer prynwyr am y tro cyntaf yn unig yw Cymorth i Brynu. Ar gyfartaledd, pris cartref dan y cynllun oedd £180,000, ac nid prynwyr am y tro cyntaf oedd chwarter y prynwyr. Felly, efallai fod modd canolbwyntio mwy ar y gynulleidfa darged wirioneddol. Credaf i'r cynllun hwn gael ei lansio ar y dechrau i helpu'r diwydiant adeiladu hefyd, felly hoffwn ofyn a allai'r adolygiad ddod o hyd i ffyrdd mwy effeithiol o gynorthwyo prynwyr am y tro cyntaf.
Dangosodd cais rhyddid gwybodaeth gan ITV yn ddiweddar fod 43,000 o gartrefi gwag yng Nghymru erbyn hyn—bron dwbl y nifer ychydig o flynyddoedd yn ôl. Mae hyn er gwaethaf cynllun Llywodraeth Cymru i wneud yn sicr bod cartrefi gwag yn cael eu defnyddio unwaith eto. Felly, a all eich adolygiad geisio canfod pa mor effeithiol yw'r polisïau cyfredol yn hyn o beth? Deallaf fod gan gynghorau bwerau i sicrhau bod cartrefi gwag yn cael eu defnyddio unwaith eto, ond yn amlwg nid ydynt yn defnyddio'r pwerau hynny, neu byddai'r nifer yn uwch na'r hyn yr wyf newydd ei ddyfynnu.
Hoffwn hefyd i'r adolygiad ymchwilio i'r hyn y gellid ei wneud ynghylch rhenti uchel a chynnydd. Ar hyn o bryd, mae cynnydd rhent y sector preifat ar gyfartaledd yn llai na'r swm a ganiateir ar gyfer cynnydd mewn rhent yn y sector rhentu cymdeithasol. Felly, mae angen edrych ar hyn, ynghyd â dewisiadau eraill.
Yn olaf, fe wnaethoch chi sôn am gymunedau gwledig a sut yr ydych yn awyddus i edrych ar ffyrdd arloesol eraill o annog cymunedau gwledig i edrych ar y dewisiadau ym maes tai. Hoffwn ddweud hefyd bod angen inni gael mwy o ymgysylltu cymunedol mewn cymunedau. Felly, os gallant o bosib nodi'r hyn sydd ei angen, er enghraifft iaith neu nodweddion penodol y mae angen eu cadw o bosib yn yr ardaloedd hynny—pwnc dadleuol yn aml, ond pwnc y mae angen inni fynd i'r afael ag ef—yna beth fydd eich adran yn eu hystyried yn ddewisiadau ymarferol i'r perwyl hwnnw?
Thank you very much for those questions. I'll begin where you left off, in terms of the support for house building and support for people aspiring to own a home, particularly in rural communities. Because we know that, in rural communities, there is a particularly acute challenge in terms of affordability, particularly, I think, for some of our key workers—nurses, teachers and so on—who find it really difficult to be able to afford a home within their own community.
The role of our rural housing enablers is particularly important in terms of working alongside local authorities, and with our housing associations, in those rural communities, in order to pinpoint the areas where we do need to be putting in further investment and creating further opportunities for home building. I'm particularly keen to see what we can do about encouraging self-builds, and I've asked officials to provide me with some advice on this. It's something, actually, that could be beneficial for all kinds of communities, but I think in rural communities particularly it might be something that provides opportunities for people.
We've also established a rural strategic group, and that includes those rural housing enablers, housing associations, local authorities, Community Housing Cymru and the WLGA. They are a group that now meets quarterly in order to advise Welsh Government, but also to test ideas and share good practice as well. I agree that our housing proposals, but also working in partnership with planning, do offer the opportunity to support and promote the Welsh language, particularly often again in rural communities. I think that housing does have an important role to play in supporting the Welsh language.
You also referred to empty homes, and I share your concern about the number of empty homes that there are across Wales. Some of those properties could quite easily provide people with a much needed home. So, we are committed again to working with local authorities in Wales to bring back houses into use and to provide ongoing support to those authorities, to our Houses into Homes and town centre loan schemes. These initiatives, which are operated by local authorities together, have amounted to over £50 million, providing home owners with the finance that they require in order to renovate those properties and bring them up to a standard that is suitable for rent or for sale.
The terms and conditions of the Houses into Homes scheme have recently been amended to enable local authorities to have greater flexibility so they can offer a more customer-focused solution to the problem of empty houses, and loans are now available to bring empty houses back and commercial buildings back into use, but actually splitting them into flats as well in order to try and create a greater number of homes as well. So, there is work going on on empty homes, but I agree that we need to be considering what further we can do. Locally, I know of good examples in Swansea where the council is providing funding to empty home owners who are then encouraged to bring their homes up to a standard on the understanding that they will have a guaranteed tenant. So, that meets both of our agendas in terms of creating greater amounts of social housing, but also bringing empty homes back into use as well.
The rising cost of living and the difficulty in securing enough funding for a deposit is one of the real drivers behind the rent to own Wales scheme and the shared ownership Wales scheme, and it was remiss of me not to point out earlier that the rent to own scheme particularly was one of the agreements that we came to with Kirsty Williams, who's been particularly passionate about this and the opportunity that it provides for quite some time.
The rent to own scheme provides people with the opportunity to move into the house that they want at an early stage, but then they will be able to pay rent on that property and, between two and five years later, will be able to claim back 25 per cent of the money that they paid as rent and use that as a deposit, alongside some of the value of any increase in the value of that property as well. So, it's an opportunity for people, often young people, but as you say not always young people, to move into the house that they would like to live in and like to settle down in at an early stage.
Six housing associations are working with us at the moment but we are having discussions to increase that and I would like to see these houses being made available across Wales. Whether people choose to go for rent to own or the shared ownership scheme will be a matter of judgment for that individual, but those particular houses are available for either scheme as well.
I'll certainly be having some discussions with officials in terms of conversations they've had with the local authorities about the stories that you referred to over the weekend. But I will say that cross-border movement of people is very much something that's on my radar, particularly in the Newport area following the announcement of the removal of the tolls on the Severn bridge. I've had discussions with house builders and they're telling me that it is genuinely having an impact on the pressure on the housing market in that area. They're seeing increased desire for house building in the area, so there'll be some discussions that we need to be continuing to have with the local authority there to ensure that we're able to meet the needs of people within the area who want to stay within their area as well.
Diolch yn fawr iawn ichi am y cwestiynau hynny. Rwy'n mynd i ddechrau lle gwnaethoch chi orffen, o ran y gefnogaeth i adeiladu tai a chymorth i bobl sydd eisiau bod yn berchen ar gartref, yn enwedig mewn cymunedau gwledig. Oherwydd, rydym yn gwybod, mewn cymunedau gwledig, fod yna her arbennig o ddifrifol o ran fforddiadwyedd, yn enwedig rwy'n credu, i rai o'n gweithwyr allweddol—nyrsys, athrawon ac ati—sy'n ei chael yn wirioneddol anodd fforddio cartref yn eu cymuned eu hunain.
Mae swyddogaeth ein swyddogion galluogi tai gwledig yn arbennig o bwysig o ran gweithio ochr yn ochr ag awdurdodau lleol a chymdeithasau tai, yn y cymunedau gwledig hynny, er mwyn nodi'r meysydd lle mae angen inni roi rhagor o fuddsoddiad a chreu mwy o gyfleoedd i adeiladu cartrefi. Rwy'n arbennig o awyddus i weld beth allwn ni ei wneud ynghylch annog hunanadeiladu, ac rwyf wedi gofyn i swyddogion roi cyngor i mi ar hyn. Mae'n rhywbeth, mewn gwirionedd, a allai fod yn fuddiol ar gyfer pob math o gymunedau. Ond mewn cymunedau gwledig yn benodol, credaf y gallai fod yn rhywbeth sy'n rhoi cyfleoedd i bobl.
Rydym hefyd wedi sefydlu grŵp strategol gwledig, ac mae hwnnw'n cynnwys y swyddogion galluogi tai gwledig hynny, cymdeithasau tai, awdurdodau lleol, Cartrefi Cymunedol Cymru a CLlLC. Mae'r grŵp yn cwrdd bob chwarter bellach er mwyn cynghori Llywodraeth Cymru, ond hefyd i brofi syniadau a rhannu arferion da. Rwy'n cytuno bod ein cynigion tai, ond hefyd gydweithio mewn partneriaeth â chynllunio, yn gyfle i gefnogi a hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg, yn enwedig yn aml eto, mewn cymunedau gwledig. Rwy'n credu bod gan dai swyddogaeth bwysig i gefnogi'r Gymraeg.
Gwnaethoch gyfeirio hefyd at gartrefi gwag, ac rwy'n rhannu eich pryder ynghylch nifer y cartrefi gwag ledled Cymru. Gallai rhai o'r rheini yn hawdd fod yn gartrefi y mae eu hangen yn fawr ar bobl. Felly, rydym wedi ymrwymo eto i weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru i ailddefnyddio tai a darparu cefnogaeth barhaus i'r awdurdodau hynny, i'n cynlluniau Troi Tai'n Gartrefi a benthyciadau canol trefi. Gyda'i gilydd, mae'r mentrau hyn, a weithredir gan awdurdodau lleol, yn cyfateb i dros £50 miliwn, gan roi'r cyllid sydd ei angen ar berchnogion cartrefi er mwyn iddynt adnewyddu'r eiddo hynny a dod â nhw i safon sy'n addas i'w rhentu neu werthu.
Diwygiwyd telerau ac amodau'r cynllun Troi Tai'n Gartrefi yn ddiweddar i alluogi awdurdodau lleol i fod yn fwy hyblyg er mwyn iddynt allu cynnig ateb i'r broblem tai gwag sy'n canolbwyntio mwy ar gwsmeriaid. Mae benthyciadau ar gael erbyn hyn i allu ailddefnyddio tai gwag ac adeiladau masnachol, ond mewn gwirionedd i'w rhannu'n fflatiau hefyd er mwyn ceisio creu mwy o gartrefi. Felly, mae gwaith ar y gweill ar gartrefi gwag, ond rwy'n cytuno bod angen inni ystyried beth arall y gallwn ni ei wneud. Yn lleol, rwy'n gwybod am enghreifftiau da yn Abertawe lle mae'r cyngor yn darparu cyllid i berchnogion cartrefi gwag sydd yna'n cael eu hannog i wella safon eu cartrefi ar y ddealltwriaeth y bydd ganddynt denant gwarantedig. Felly, mae hynny'n ateb ein hagenda ni a'u hagenda nhw o ran creu mwy o dai cymdeithasol, ond hefyd o ran ailddefnyddio cartrefi gwag.
Mae'r cynnydd yn y costau byw a'r anhawster i sicrhau digon o arian ar gyfer blaendal yn rhai o'r ysgogiadau mawr y tu ôl i gynllun Rhentu i Brynu: Cymru a chynllun Rhanberchenogaeth: Cymru. Dylwn fod wedi nodi yn gynharach bod y cynllun rhentu i brynu yn benodol yn un o'r cytundebau y daethpwyd iddo gyda Kirsty Williams, sydd wedi bod yn arbennig o frwd ynghylch hwn a'r cyfle y mae'n ei gynnig ers tro byd.
Mae'r cynllun rhentu i brynu yn gyfle i bobl symud i mewn i'r tŷ y maent ei eisiau yn gynnar yn y broses, ond yna byddant yn gallu talu rhent ar yr eiddo hwnnw a, rhwng dwy a phum mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, byddant yn gallu hawlio yn ôl 25 y cant o'r arian a dalwyd ganddynt fel rhent, a defnyddio hwnnw fel blaendal, ynghyd â pheth o werth unrhyw gynnydd yng ngwerth yr eiddo hwnnw hefyd. Felly, mae'n gyfle i bobl, pobl ifanc yn aml, ond fel y dywedwch chi nid pobl ifanc bob amser, symud i mewn i'r tŷ y byddent yn hoffi byw ynddo ac y byddent yn hoffi ymgartrefu ynddo yn gynnar yn y broses.
Mae chwe chymdeithas dai yn gweithio gyda ni ar hyn o bryd ond rydym yn cael trafodaethau i gynyddu'r rheini a hoffwn i weld y tai hyn ar gael ledled Cymru. Mater i'r unigolyn i benderfynu arno yw dewis mynd am rhentu i brynu neu'r cynllun rhanberchenogaeth, ond mae'r tai penodol hynny ar gael ar gyfer y ddau gynllun hefyd.
Byddaf yn sicr yn cael rhai trafodaethau gyda swyddogion am y sgyrsiau a gawsant ag awdurdodau lleol am y storïau dros y penwythnos y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio atyn nhw. Ond byddwn yn dweud bod symudiadau pobl dros y ffin yn rhywbeth sy'n sicr ar fy radar i, yn enwedig yn ardal Casnewydd yn dilyn y cyhoeddiad am gael gwared ar y tollau ar bont Hafren. Rwyf wedi cael trafodaethau gydag adeiladwyr tai ac maen nhw'n dweud wrthyf ei fod yn cael effaith wirioneddol ar y pwysau ar y farchnad dai yn yr ardal honno. Mae nhw wedi gweld mwy o awydd am adeiladu tai yn yr ardal, felly bydd yna rai trafodaethau y bydd angen inni barhau i'w cael gyda'r awdurdod lleol yn y fan honno i sicrhau y gallwn ddiwallu anghenion pobl yr ardal sydd eisiau aros o fewn eu hardal hefyd.
Thanks to the Minister for today's statement. I'm sure that we'd all acknowledge that there is a major problem facing today's younger generation who are seeking to get onto the housing ladder, and that is that, for many people, houses are simply not affordable. A major issue is that wage increases are not keeping pace with house price increases, which does create a challenging environment if we are trying to improve home ownership rates.
Your statement today focused quite a lot on shared ownership schemes. I think, to some extent, it's good to try and be innovative in helping people to raise the finance to get onto the housing ladder, and I appreciate there are different kinds of schemes—two in particular that you talked of today—but, unfortunately, shared ownership is not always a viable solution. A lot of the time, even shared ownership schemes are out of reach for many workers. Many people in jobs paying well above the minimum wage still can't get approved for mortgages in shared ownership schemes. An unfortunate consequence of this is that the same people then often end up spending even more money than the mortgage payments would have been on their monthly rent.
There is a potential danger in making it easier for people to get approved for mortgages, because the schemes have to be sustainable for those people; it's not just about the down payment, as I'm sure you'd appreciate. What we don't want is people managing an initial down payment then struggling to keep up their monthly payments, and ultimately defaulting on their mortgages. So, there are a lot of issues relating to shared ownership. There is a fair bit of evidence that shared ownership does not automatically convert easily into full ownership. So, do you recognise that there is a big difficulty in meeting this challenge and achieving your targets? Are low-cost housing schemes providing value for money to the public purse, do you think? And are the eligibility and affordability checks robust enough?
Another problem is the changing labour market. If home owners become unemployed they can face difficulties, as they're not automatically eligible for housing benefit. This isn't a devolved area—I understand that—but we do have a workplace now in which very few people are going to have a job for life. People even with good CVs can face periods of, hopefully temporary, unemployment. If they have taken out a mortgage, not everyone has taken out insurance. Some people are not even aware of this issue when they take out a mortgage in the first place. So, I suppose this is another case for financial education to be included in the school curriculum. Flowing from that, Minister, another question is: are you liaising to good effect with the education Minister on this issue of providing school students with this kind of financial education?
I was encouraged to hear you mention self-build homes in today's statement. There have been surveys that suggest that many people in the UK, including in Wales, would consider building their own home given the opportunity. There was recently on one of the UK's leading plot-finding websites 'currently wanted' adverts for self-build homes in Wales. We do have a much lower rate of self-building in the UK generally than many other European countries. On the important issue of finance, lenders tend generally to perceive self-build loans as a higher risk, and I don't believe there's currently any Welsh Government grant available to people who want to do self-build. I appreciate that you say you're looking at this now, so this is something you are peering into. Also, I know that the Welsh Government did relax some planning requirements to enable the development of Lammas, which was a rural eco-village in north Pembrokeshire, so there has been some flexibility displayed in this field in the past. I wonder if you have any more information today on any proposals for Welsh Government self-build schemes. Thank you.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am y datganiad heddiw. Rwy'n siŵr y byddai pob un ohonom ni'n cydnabod bod problem fawr yn wynebu'r genhedlaeth iau heddiw, sy'n ceisio cael troed ar yr ysgol dai, sef, i lawer o bobl, nad yw tai yn fforddiadwy. Un broblem fawr yw nad yw codiadau cyflog yn cadw'n wastad â'r cynnydd mewn prisiau tai, sy'n creu amgylchedd heriol os ydym ni'n ceisio gwella cyfraddau perchentyaeth.
Roedd eich datganiad heddiw yn canolbwyntio cryn dipyn ar gynlluniau rhanberchenogaeth. Rwy'n credu, i ryw raddau, ei bod yn dda i geisio bod yn arloesol i helpu pobl i godi cyllid i gael troed ar yr ysgol dai. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi bod yna wahanol fathau o gynlluniau—dau yn benodol y gwnaethoch chi sôn amdanyn nhw heddiw—ond, yn anffodus, nid yw rhanberchenogaeth bob amser yn ateb ymarferol. Yn aml iawn, mae cynlluniau rhanberchenogaeth, hyd yn oed, allan o gyrraedd llawer o weithwyr. Ni all llawer o bobl sydd mewn swyddi sy'n talu llawer mwy na'r isafswm cyflog gael eu cymeradwyo ar gyfer morgeisi mewn cynlluniau rhanberchenogaeth. Un o ganlyniadau anffodus hyn yw bod yr union bobl hyn yna'n aml yn y pen draw yn gwario hyd yn oed mwy o arian nag y byddai'r taliadau morgais wedi bod ar eu rhent misol.
Mae perygl posibl o'i gwneud yn haws i bobl gael eu cymeradwyo ar gyfer morgeisi, oherwydd mae'n rhaid i'r cynlluniau fod yn gynaliadwy ar gyfer y bobl hynny; nid dim ond y blaendal, fel rwy'n siŵr eich bod yn gwerthfawrogi. Yr hyn nad ydym ni ei eisiau yw pobl yn ymdopi â blaendal cychwynnol ond wedyn yn cael trafferthion i gadw at eu taliadau misol, ac yn y pen draw yn diffygdalu ar eu morgeisi. Felly, mae yna lawer o faterion yn ymwneud â rhanberchenogaeth. Ceir cryn dipyn o dystiolaeth nad yw rhanberchenogaeth yn troi'n awtomatig ac yn hawdd i berchenogaeth lawn. Felly, a ydych chi'n cydnabod bod yna anhawster mawr wrth ymateb i'r her hon a chyrraedd eich targedau? A yw cynlluniau tai cost isel yn darparu gwerth am arian i'r pwrs cyhoeddus, yn eich barn chi? A yw'r gwiriadau cymhwysedd a fforddiadwyedd yn ddigon cadarn?
Problem arall yw'r farchnad lafur gyfnewidiol. Os bydd perchnogion cartrefi yn colli eu swyddi gallant wynebu anawsterau, gan nad ydynt yn gymwys yn awtomatig am fudd-dal tai. Nid yw hwn yn faes datganoledig—rwy'n deall hynny—ond mae gennym weithle yn awr lle na fydd gan lawer o bobl swydd am oes. Gall pobl â CV da, hyd yn oed, wynebu cyfnodau o ddiweithdra, dros dro, gobeithio. Os ydyn nhw wedi cymryd morgais, nid oes gan bawb yswiriant. Nid yw rhai pobl hyd yn oed yn ymwybodol o'r broblem hon pan fyddan nhw'n cymryd morgais yn y lle cyntaf. Felly, mae'n debyg bod hwn yn achos arall dros gynnwys addysg ariannol yn y cwricwlwm ysgol. Cwestiwn arall sy'n deillio o hynny, Gweinidog, yw: a ydych chi'n cydgysylltu'n effeithiol â'r Gweinidog Addysg ar y mater hwn o ddarparu'r math hwn o addysg ariannol i ddisgyblion ysgol?
Roedd yn galonogol eich clywed yn sôn am gartrefi hunanadeiladu yn y datganiad heddiw. Bu arolygon yn awgrymu y byddai llawer o bobl yn y DU, gan gynnwys yng Nghymru, yn ystyried adeiladu eu cartref eu hunain pe byddai cyfle iddynt wneud hynny. Yn ddiweddar, ar un o wefannau blaenllaw y DU ar gyfer dod o hyd i lain, roedd hysbysebion 'ei heisiau ar hyn o bryd' ar gyfer cartrefi hunanadeiladu yng Nghymru. Mae gennym gyfradd is o lawer o hunanadeiladu yn y DU yn gyffredinol nag mewn llawer o wledydd Ewropeaidd eraill. Ar y mater pwysig o gyllid, mae benthycwyr yn tueddu yn gyffredinol i ystyried benthyciadau hunanadeiladu yn rhai risg uwch, ac ni chredaf fod unrhyw grant ar gael gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ar hyn o bryd, i bobl sydd eisiau hunanadeiladu. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi eich bod yn dweud eich bod yn ystyried hyn ar hyn o bryd, felly mae hyn yn rhywbeth yr ydych chi'n edrych arno. Gwn hefyd fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwanhau rhai gofynion cynllunio er mwyn galluogi datblygiad Lammas, sef eco-bentref gwledig yng Ngogledd Sir Benfro. Felly dangoswyd rhywfaint o hyblygrwydd yn y maes hwn yn y gorffennol. Tybed os oes gennych chi fwy o wybodaeth heddiw am unrhyw gynigion ar gyfer cynlluniau hunanadeiladu Llywodraeth Cymru. Diolch.
Thank you very much for those questions. I'd begin by reflecting on your comments about wage increases and how difficult some people find it in order to get on the housing ladder. Our schemes today do make that easier, but I agree it's not for everybody. So, there will be an important focus from Welsh Government on ensuring that, actually, we have a healthy housing sector right across the piece, and I would start by saying that this involves work with the private rented sector particularly. You'll be aware that we already have Rent Smart Wales up and running, and that's providing assurance that those people who are renting homes to people are sufficiently licensed and have the information that they need in order to be good landlords.
I've also committed to very shortly be introducing legislation in order to ban fees charged to tenants by letting agents and also committed to working with the sector in order to continue to drive up standards. You'll be aware, also, that we've recently finished consulting on our homes-fit-for-human-habitation standards. So, I'm quite pleased that we are working in a really constructive way with the private rented sector in order to increase and improve the offer that they're able to give, partly because I think the sector is going to become even more important in future for all of the reasons that people have described about how difficult it is for many people to get on the housing ladder—and, actually, not everybody will want to, because they'll have different priorities and different lifestyles that might not mean that they want to be settled down in one particular place.
So, I think a healthy housing sector across the piece is important. But I would just provide reassurance that we take eligibility and affordability really seriously in terms of the products that we offer. We don't want to set people up to fail in any way. So, we're very keen that people obviously take all of the absolutely important and vital advice that they need. One way in which we are enabling some of that to happen is of course through the accredited conveyancing scheme, which I introduced as part of the package on leasehold reform. That will ensure that people are getting the adequate information they need, not only about leasehold, but are getting the kind of quality advice that they need in order to make that decision as to whether homeownership is right for them.
I completely agree on the importance of financial education, and that is certainly something that we are progressing in schools, particularly through the curriculum reform, but we're not waiting for that. There's also good work already happening as part of our financial inclusion delivery plan, which seeks to ensure that people do leave school with a strong understanding of the important information that they will need simply just to run a home, because, actually, it's a lot more complicated than people often imagine.
On the issue of self-build, I appreciate the comments that you've made today and I'll bear them in mind as we look to develop some further proposals in this area, which I would hope to share with the Chamber in due course.
Diolch yn fawr iawn ichi am y cwestiynau hynny. Fe wnaf ddechrau drwy ystyried eich sylwadau am godiadau cyflog a pha mor anodd yw hi i rai pobl gael troed ar yr ysgol dai. Mae ein cynlluniau ni heddiw yn gwneud hynny'n haws, ond cytunaf nad yw hyn yn addas i bawb. Felly, bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi pwyslais mawr ar sicrhau bod gennym sector tai iach yn gyffredinol, a byddwn yn dechrau drwy ddweud bod hyn yn cynnwys gwaith gyda'r sector rhentu preifat yn benodol. Byddwch yn ymwybodol bod Rhentu Doeth Cymru eisoes wedi ei sefydlu ac mae hwnnw'n rhoi sicrwydd bod y bobl hynny sydd yn rhentu cartrefi i bobl wedi'u trwyddedu'n ddigonol a bod ganddynt yr wybodaeth sydd ei hangen arnynt er mwyn bod yn landlordiaid da.
Rydw i hefyd yn ymrwymedig i gyflwyno deddfwriaeth yn fuan i wahardd ffioedd a godir ar denantiaid gan asiantau gosod ac rwyf hefyd wedi ymrwymo i weithio gyda'r sector er mwyn parhau i godi safonau. Byddwch chi'n ymwybodol, hefyd, ein bod yn ddiweddar wedi gorffen ymgynghori ar ein safonau cartrefi ffit i bobl fyw ynddynt. Felly, rwy'n falch iawn ein bod yn gweithio mewn ffordd adeiladol gyda'r sector rhentu preifat er mwyn cynyddu a gwella'r cynnig y maen nhw'n gallu ei roi, yn rhannol oherwydd fy mod yn credu y bydd y sector yn dod yn bwysicach eto yn y dyfodol am yr holl resymau y mae pobl wedi'u disgrifio ynghylch pa mor anodd yw hi i lawer o bobl gael troed ar yr ysgol dai—ac, mewn gwirionedd, ni fydd pawb yn dymuno gwneud hynny, oherwydd bydd ganddyn nhw wahanol flaenoriaethau a gwahanol ffyrdd o fyw a allai olygu nad ydyn nhw eisiau ymgartrefu mewn un lle penodol.
Felly, rwy'n credu bod sector tai iach yn gyffredinol yn bwysig. Ond byddwn yn rhoi sicrwydd ein bod yn ystyried cymhwysedd a fforddiadwyedd yn ddifrifol iawn o ran y cynhyrchion a gynigiwn. Nid ydym eisiau gwneud i bobl fethu mewn unrhyw ffordd. Felly, rydym yn awyddus iawn bod pobl yn amlwg yn cymryd yr holl gyngor hynod bwysig a hanfodol sydd ei angen arnynt. Un ffordd o alluogi hynny i ddigwydd wrth gwrs yw drwy'r cynllun trawsgludo achrededig, a gyflwynais fel rhan o'r pecyn diwygio lesddaliadau. Bydd hynny'n sicrhau bod pobl yn cael digon o wybodaeth, nid yn unig am lesddaliadau, ond eu bod yn cael y cyngor gorau posib i wneud y penderfyniad hwnnw ynghylch a yw perchentyaeth yn iawn iddyn nhw.
Cytunaf yn llwyr ar bwysigrwydd addysg ariannol, ac mae hynny'n sicr yn rhywbeth yr ydym ni'n ei ddatblygu mewn ysgolion, yn enwedig drwy ddiwygio'r cwricwlwm, ond nid ydym ni'n aros am hynny. Mae hefyd gwaith da yn digwydd eisoes fel rhan o'n cynllun cyflawni cynhwysiant ariannol, sy'n ceisio sicrhau bod pawb yn gadael yr ysgol â dealltwriaeth gref o'r wybodaeth bwysig fydd ei hangen arnynt i gynnal cartref, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, mae hyn yn llawer mwy cymhleth nag y mae pobl yn aml yn ei ddychmygu.
Ar fater hunanadeiladu, rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'r sylwadau a wnaethoch chi heddiw a byddaf yn eu cadw mewn cof wrth inni geisio datblygu rhai o'r cynigion eraill yn y maes hwn, y gobeithiaf eu rhannu gyda'r Siambr maes o law.
House prices are driven by scarcity. It's in the large house builders' interests to reduce supply below the demand, as that will increase prices. The converse would also be true, and if you visit Spain you'll see a lot of semi-built houses because supply started to exceed demand. It's also in the interests of landowners to reduce the supply of land for houses so as to increase the value of their land. If they sold all their land in one go, then the value of that land would drop dramatically.
Help to Buy, of course, added money to the demand side. I think what I've found strange—and perhaps others have as well—is that I've met a number of young professionals over the last few months in their early 30s who are still living in privately rented accommodation. These are people who've done all the things that we as society have told them to do. They've gone out and they've studied hard, they've got good degrees, they've then followed that by getting good jobs, and they're still unable to buy a house. Now, people of my generation—and I was talking to Peter Black about this a couple of months ago—in our 20s, we went to a building society, got some money and bought a house. It was quite simple. There wasn't much fuss about it, actually. But young people now today—I use the word 'young' to describe people in their 30s, which perhaps tells you something about my age, if nothing else—. There is that problem. Most of the low-cost housing is older housing, often pre-twentieth century housing. It's certainly true in my constituency, and I believe it's true in your constituency as well, that the older housing is the cheaper housing rather than the new, modern—I say 'new'; the post-war semis and detached houses that have been built.
What is the Welsh Government going to do to improve the quality of older housing? Bring empty homes back into use: I mean, we've all, in our campaigning days, wandered around knocking on doors and wondered why No. 23 was empty—and you could see it was empty, rather than somebody hadn't registered—and then, going down another street, wondering why there were three empty houses in a block of nice terraced housing.
Supporting co-operative housing: I know I bang on about this, probably more than anybody else in this room would like to hear, but I think co-operative housing, it's something that is so popular in North America and in Europe—Vancouver's got more than Britain—that we really do need to look at it. It's a third method of providing houses, and it's something that has been ignored by Governments—well, I was going to say from a certain time, but it's been ignored by Governments for ever in this country. It's on the too-hard list. We need to build more council houses and, I think, get councils to sell land and use that to build council houses so they're building it out of their own resources.
And the last thing is: what about—? The LDP identifies large chunks of land, and, I think, in Swansea, it's 10 houses or more. There are lots of infill sites in existence in Swansea. I can't talk about other parts of Wales, but, in Swansea, there are lots of infill sites. How about encouraging councils to allow self-build on those infill sites? This could actually deal with it. We always talk about the LDP, but, you go down a street, and there's quite often a gap where you could build two houses, but nobody has—and, over the garage often, where the garages used to be—that could be available for self-build. Why don't we do some more of this? We give money to housing associations, we support large builders, we set targets. How about doing some more innovative things that will actually get more houses built and get people moving into them?
Mae prisiau tai yn cynyddu oherwydd prinder tai. Mae'n fanteisiol i'r adeiladwyr tai mawr leihau'r cyflenwad yn is na'r galw, gan y bydd hynny'n cynyddu prisiau. Byddai'r gwrthwyneb hefyd yn wir, ac os ydych chi'n ymweld â Sbaen byddwch yn gweld llawer o dai ar hanner eu hadeiladu gan fod y cyflenwad wedi dechrau bod yn fwy na'r galw. Mae hefyd yn fanteisiol i dirfeddianwyr leihau'r cyflenwad o dir ar gyfer tai er mwyn cynyddu gwerth eu tir. Pe bydden nhw'n gwerthu eu tir i gyd ar yr un pryd, yna byddai gwerth y tir hwnnw yn gostwng yn sylweddol.
Gwnaeth Cymorth i Brynu, wrth gwrs, ychwanegu arian at ochr y galw. Rwy'n credu mai'r hyn yr wyf i wedi ei ganfod yn rhyfedd—ac eraill hefyd o bosib—yw fy mod wedi cyfarfod â nifer o weithwyr proffesiynol ifanc dros yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf yn eu 30au cynnar sydd yn dal i fyw mewn llety rhentu preifat. Mae'r rhain yn bobl sydd wedi gwneud yr holl bethau yr ydym ni fel cymdeithas wedi dweud wrthyn nhw am wneud. Maen nhw wedi mynd allan ac mae nhw wedi astudio'n galed, mae ganddyn nhw raddau da, yna maen nhw wedi cael swyddi da, a dydyn nhw'n dal ddim yn gallu prynu tŷ. Aeth pobl o'm cenhedlaeth i—a bûm yn siarad â Peter Black am hyn rai misoedd yn ôl—yn ein 20au, at gymdeithas adeiladu, a chawsom rywfaint o arian a phrynu tŷ. Roedd yn eithaf syml. Doedd dim llawer o drafferth a sôn amdano, mewn gwirionedd. Ond mae pobl ifanc heddiw—rwy'n defnyddio'r gair 'ifanc' i ddisgrifio pobl yn eu 30au, sydd o bosib yn dweud rhywbeth wrthych chi am fy oedran i, os dim byd arall—. Ceir y broblem honno. Mae'r rhan fwyaf o'r tai cost isel yn dai hŷn, yn aml yn dai o'r cyfnod cyn yr ugeinfed ganrif. Mae'n sicr yn wir yn fy etholaeth i, ac mae'n wir yn eich etholaeth chi hefyd, rwy'n credu, bod y tai hŷn yn rhatach na'r tai newydd, modern—rwy'n dweud 'newydd'; rwy'n golygu'r tai pâr a'r tai sengl a adeiladwyd ar ôl y rhyfel.
Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd i'w wneud i wella ansawdd tai hŷn? Ailddechrau defnyddio cartrefi gwag: wyddoch chi, rydym ni i gyd, yn ein dyddiau ymgyrchu, wedi crwydro o gwmpas yn curo ar ddrysau ac wedi meddwl tybed pam mae rhif 23 yn wag—a gallech weld ei fod yn wag, yn hytrach na bod rhywun heb gofrestru—ac yna, wrth fynd i lawr stryd arall, yn meddwl tybed pam mae tri thŷ gwag mewn bloc o dai teras braf.
Mae cefnogi tai cydweithredol: rwy'n gwybod fy mod i'n rhygnu ymlaen am hyn, mwy nag y mae neb arall yn yr ystafell hon yn dymuno ei glywed, fwy na thebyg, ond rwy'n credu bod tai cydweithredol, mae'n rhywbeth sydd mor boblogaidd yng Ngogledd America ac yn Ewrop—mae mwy yn Vancouver nag ym Mhrydain—yn rhywbeth y mae gwir angen inni eu hystyried. Mae'n drydydd dull o ddarparu tai, ac mae'n rhywbeth sydd wedi cael ei anwybyddu gan Lywodraethau—wel, roeddwn i'n mynd i ddweud o amser penodol, ond mae wedi cael ei anwybyddu gan lywodraethau erioed yn y wlad hon. Mae ar y rhestr rhy anodd. Mae angen inni adeiladu mwy o dai cyngor ac, yn fy marn i, cael y cynghorau i werthu tir a defnyddio hwnnw i adeiladu tai cyngor fel eu bod yn eu hadeiladu o'u hadnoddau eu hunain.
A'r peth olaf yw: beth am—? Mae'r Cynllun Datblygu Lleol yn nodi darnau mawr o dir, ac rwy'n credu, yn Abertawe, mae 10 neu fwy o dai. Mae yna lawer o safleoedd mewnlenwi yn bodoli yn Abertawe. Ni wn am rannau eraill o Gymru, ond yn Abertawe, mae yna lawer o safleoedd mewnlenwi. Beth am annog y cynghorau i ganiatáu hunanadeiladu ar y safleoedd mewnlenwi hynny? Gallai hyn ymdrin ag ef. Rydym bob amser yn sôn am y Cynllun Datblygu Lleol, ond, ewch i lawr stryd, ac yn aml iawn mae yna fwlch lle gallech chi adeiladu dau dŷ, ond nid oes neb wedi gwneud hynny—ac uwchben i garej yn aml, lle'r arferai'r garej fod—gallai hwnnw fod ar gael ar gyfer hunanadeiladu. Pam na wnawn ni ragor o hyn? Rydym yn rhoi arian i gymdeithasau tai, rydym yn cefnogi adeiladwyr mawr, rydym yn gosod targedau. Beth am wneud rhai pethau mwy arloesol a fydd yn sicrhau bod mwy o dai yn cael eu hadeiladu a chael pobl i symud i mewn iddynt?
I thank you very, very much for those comments. I particularly would begin by saying that I share your interest in co-operative housing and seeing what further we could do there, because, in the time I've been in post, I've been able to see—well, one particularly stands out in my mind, the example of the co-operative housing that we've supported in Carmarthen. I was really struck by the fact, actually, that's not just about building homes, that really is about building communities, because there was two years' worth of work that went into working alongside those residents before they even moved into their new homes in order to help them become good co-operative members, but also to create a community as well.
The skills that people have learned through being engaged with that, and the value that they've had, goes well beyond, I think, just the homes that they're able to live in. So, we do provide funding to the Wales Co-operative Centre for support for that work. But one thing I will say is that we all, I think, need to be encouraging local authorities and RSLs to be considering co-operative housing because, actually, there is a lot of heavy lifting needed at the front of this, which is perhaps one of the reasons why it is less popular and there hasn't been as much take-up as I would like. But I have agreed further funding for the Wales Co-operative Centre this year to see what we can do in terms of furthering the work on co-operative housing. I understand that there are discussions with at least 25 interested parties at the moment, so I would hope that this is an area where we can see some growth in future, just purely because of that added value that you get when you do undertake co-operative house building.
Land for housing is another area where I do recognise that there is a lot of pressure, so I'm keen to see what more we can do about utilising Welsh Government land, which I know can play a really important part in the provision of housing in Wales. A number of significant Welsh Government-owned sites have already been brought forward for housing delivery, and I'm in close contact with Ken Skates and his department, looking at the land that Welsh Government owns and whether we can bring it forward for use by RSLs particularly, potentially offering it to them at a market rate but without having to put it on the market, for example. So, looking at innovative ways in which we can support land for RSLs in particular.
We do have a land for housing scheme, and that is a loan scheme, which enables RSLs to purchase land to support the delivery of affordable and/or market homes, and that scheme has already invested £42 million to date. That's going to facilitate the delivery of over 2,800 homes, 85 per cent of which will be affordable homes. We're also looking much further afield than Welsh Government-owned land—so, land owned across the public sector—because that can be really key to the delivery of further affordable homes in future. Affordable homes have actually been delivered on land made available by the public sector during the last year to the number of 689. So, it is something that is happening, although I accept that it's something that we need to be looking at scaling up as well.
You mentioned, of course, land sitting vacant, and you'll be aware of the proposals for the vacant land tax. I think that's a positive way in which to stimulate and encourage house building in future and prevent people and organisations sitting on land that isn't going to be used for the purpose for which we understand it.
I think small and medium-sized enterprises also have an important role to play in terms of building on those small parcels of land, land that would not be attractive to larger builders, but could be attractive to small builders or to self-builds. So, we're working really closely with the Federation of Master Builders, the Builders Merchants Federation and Welsh builders merchants in promoting a wide range of schemes that we already provide and we're also working through the house builder engagement programme, which also includes representatives on there of small private developers, including SMEs, to understand the barriers that they face to building more housing, and what we can do in order to tackle that. I met the house builder engagement programme alongside Ken Skates and Lesley Griffiths just in the last couple of weeks to understand further the barriers that there are, particularly around planning in terms of building those smaller schemes as well.
So, there is clearly a lot happening, but I appreciate that there's lots more to do, and improving the quality of existing homes is something that's of concern to me. Some of the homes in the greatest disrepair are those homes that are in the owner-occupier sector, and we need to be thinking about what we do—. Once we've achieved the Welsh housing quality standard in the RSL sector and local authority sector, then we need to start thinking, really, about the support we might be able to offer to people who own their own homes but just don't have access to the finance that they need to bring them up to a standard that we would want to see.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, iawn am y sylwadau hynny. Byddwn i'n dechrau yn benodol drwy ddweud fy mod yn rhannu eich diddordeb mewn tai cydweithredol a gweld beth arall y gallem ni ei wneud yno, oherwydd, yn yr amser yr wyf i wedi bod yn y swydd, rwyf wedi gallu gweld—wel, mae un yn arbennig yn sefyll allan yn fy meddwl, yr enghraifft o'r tai cydweithredol yr ydym wedi'u cefnogi yng Nghaerfyrddin. Gwnaed argraff fawr arnaf gan y ffaith, mewn gwirionedd, nad yw hynny dim ond yn ymwneud ag adeiladu cartrefi, ond mae hefyd mewn gwirionedd yn ymwneud ag adeiladu cymunedau. Cafwyd gwerth dwy flynedd o waith yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â'r preswylwyr hynny cyn iddynt hyd yn oed symud i mewn i'w cartrefi newydd er mwyn eu helpu i ddod yn aelodau cydweithredol da, ond i greu cymuned hefyd.
Mae'r sgiliau y mae pobl wedi eu dysgu drwy fod yn gysylltiedig â hynny, a'r gwerth a gafwyd ohono, yn mynd ymhell y tu hwnt i'r cartrefi y maen nhw'n gallu byw ynddynt, yn fy marn i. Felly, rydym yn darparu cyllid i Ganolfan Cydweithredol Cymru i gefnogi'r gwaith hwnnw. Ond un peth a ddywedaf yw bod angen i ni i gyd, yn fy marn i, annog awdurdodau lleol a landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig i ystyried tai cydweithredol. Oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, mae angen gwneud llawer o waith yn ystod y camau cyntaf, sef efallai yn un o'r rhesymau dros fod yn llai poblogaidd ac na fu cymaint o fanteisio ar dai cydweithredol nag yr hoffwn ei weld. Ond rwyf wedi cytuno i ragor o gyllid ar gyfer Canolfan Cydweithredol Cymru eleni er mwyn gweld beth allwn ei wneud i hyrwyddo'r gwaith ar dai cydweithredol. Rwy'n deall bod yna drafodaethau gydag o leiaf 25 o bartïon sydd â diddordeb ar hyn o bryd, felly byddwn yn gobeithio bod hwn yn faes lle gallwn weld rhywfaint o dwf yn y dyfodol, dim ond oherwydd y gwerth ychwanegol hwnnw a gewch wrth i chi adeiladu tai cydweithredol.
Mae tir ar gyfer tai yn faes arall lle rwy'n cydnabod y gall fod llawer o bwysau, felly rwy'n awyddus i weld beth arall y gallwn ni ei wneud ynghylch defnyddio tir Llywodraeth Cymru. Gwn y gall chwarae rhan bwysig iawn yn y ddarpariaeth o dai yng Nghymru. Cyflwynwyd nifer sylweddol o safleoedd sy'n eiddo i Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer darparu tai eisoes, ac rwyf mewn cysylltiad agos â Ken Skates a'i adran, yn ystyried y tir y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn berchen arno ac a allwn ni ei gyflwyno i'w ddefnyddio gan landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig yn benodol, gan o bosibl ei gynnig iddyn nhw ar gyfradd y farchnad ond heb orfod ei roi ar y farchnad, er enghraifft. Felly, rydym yn ystyried ffyrdd arloesol o gefnogi tir ar gyfer landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig yn benodol.
Mae gennym ni dir ar gyfer cynllun tai, ac mae hwnnw'n gynllun benthyciadau, sy'n galluogi landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig i brynu tir i gefnogi'r ddarpariaeth o dai fforddiadwy a/neu gartrefi'r farchnad, ac mae'r cynllun hwnnw eisoes wedi buddsoddi £42 miliwn hyd yn hyn. Mae hynny'n mynd i hwyluso'r ddarpariaeth o dros 2,800 o gartrefi, 85 y cant ohonyn nhw'n gartrefi fforddiadwy. Rydym ni hefyd yn ystyried tir heblaw am dir sy'n eiddo i Lywodraeth Cymru—felly, tir a berchnogir ar draws y sector cyhoeddus—oherwydd gall hynny fod yn wirioneddol allweddol ar gyfer cyflenwi mwy o gartrefi fforddiadwy yn y dyfodol. Mewn gwirionedd, darparwyd cartrefi fforddiadwy ar dir a ddaeth i fod ar gael gan y sector cyhoeddus yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, 689 ohonyn nhw. Felly, mae'n rhywbeth sy'n digwydd, er y derbyniaf ei fod yn rhywbeth y mae angen inni fod yn ystyried ei wneud ar raddfa fwy hefyd.
Gwnaethoch chi sôn, wrth gwrs, am dir sy'n cael ei gadw'n wag, a byddwch chi'n ymwybodol o'r cynigion ar gyfer y dreth ar dir gwag. Credaf fod hynny'n ffordd gadarnhaol o ysgogi ac annog adeiladu tai yn y dyfodol ac atal pobl a sefydliadau rhag cadw tir sydd ddim yn mynd i gael ei ddefnyddio at y diben penodedig.
Rwy'n credu bod gan fentrau bach a chanolig hefyd swyddogaeth bwysig o ran adeiladu ar y parseli bach hynny o dir, tir a na fyddai'n ddeniadol i gwmnïau adeiladu mwy o faint, ond a allai fod yn ddeniadol i gwmnïau adeiladu bach neu ar gyfer hunanadeiladu. Felly, rydym yn cydweithio'n agos â Ffederasiwn y Meistr Adeiladwyr, Ffederasiwn Cyflenwyr Adeiladwyr a Chyflenwyr Adeiladwyr Cymru i hyrwyddo amrywiaeth eang o gynlluniau yr ydym eisoes yn eu darparu. Rydym hefyd yn gweithio drwy'r rhaglen ymgysylltu ag adeiladwyr tai, sydd hefyd yn cynnwys cynrychiolwyr datblygwyr preifat bach, gan gynnwys busnesau bach a chanolig, er mwyn deall y rhwystrau sydd ganddyn nhw o ran adeiladu mwy o dai, a'r hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â hynny. Fe wnes i, Ken Skates a Lesley Griffiths gyfarfod â'r rhaglen ymgysylltu ag adeiladwyr tai yn yr ychydig wythnosau diwethaf er mwyn deall mwy am y rhwystrau sy'n bodoli, yn enwedig o ran cynllunio adeiladu'r cynlluniau llai hynny hefyd.
Felly, yn amlwg mae llawer iawn yn digwydd, ond rwy'n sylweddoli bod llawer mwy i'w wneud, ac mae gwella ansawdd cartrefi sy'n bodoli eisoes yn rhywbeth sy'n peri pryder i mi. Mae rhai o'r cartrefi hynny sydd yn y cyflwr gwaethaf yn y sector perchen-feddianwyr, ac mae angen inni ystyried yr hyn yr ydym yn ei wneud—. Pan fyddwn wedi cyflawni safon ansawdd tai Cymru yn y sector landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig a'r sector awdurdodau lleol, yna mae angen inni ddechrau meddwl, mewn gwirionedd, am y cymorth y gallem ni ei gynnig i bobl sy'n berchen ar eu cartrefi eu hunain ond nad yw'r cyllid angenrheidiol ganddyn nhw i ddod â nhw i'r safon y byddem ni eisiau ei weld.
I'd like to welcome the review of the affordable housing supply, and I feel that local authorities are under pressure to entice big developers with low affordable housing targets, because that's the only way you can get big developers to build. I fear that the current local development plan system works with that grain rather than against it, to the outrage of residents who want affordable housing. For example, an estate has been agreed in my constituency for 260 houses, of which 60 are affordable. That is what happens when you put tactics before strategy and you have LDPs before you have strategic development plans. I don't think the Government has been right on that.
I'd like to just read to you some evidence that was given by the chief planning officer to the policy and resources scrutiny committee in Caerphilly council regarding targets for affordable homes. He said:
'It's only a target, and if it's not viable for the developers then we have to accept a reduced figure. Developers know the targets exist but they have their own set fixed costs, including their profit margins. If the developer can't make what they expect to be a profit, and the landowner can't sell the land at a price that they feel satisfactory, then no development takes place.'
This keeps us trapped in this housing crisis and I feel that the last bit of the answer to Mike Hedges that you gave does give us hope in that small firms can start to break through and start to smash that cartel—the cartel of the big four housing developers. I'm hoping to hold a cross-party group later this year and I would like to know, Minister, if you'd be willing to attend that cross-party group and hear from small house builders there. But, also, do you agree that the dominance of the big four construction companies actually works against the provision of affordable housing?
Hoffwn i groesawu'r adolygiad o'r cyflenwad o dai fforddiadwy, ac rwy'n credu bod awdurdodau lleol dan bwysau i ddenu datblygwyr mawr â thargedau tai fforddiadwy isel, oherwydd dyna'r unig ffordd y gallwch chi sicrhau bod datblygwyr mawr yn adeiladu. Mae arnaf ofn bod y system bresennol o gynlluniau datblygu lleol yn gweithio yn y modd hwnnw yn hytrach nag yn ei erbyn, ac mae trigolion sydd eisiau tai fforddiadwy o'r farn bod hynny'n gywilyddus. Er enghraifft, cytunwyd ar ystad yn fy etholaeth i ar gyfer 260 o dai, a 60 ohonyn nhw'n rhai fforddiadwy. Dyna beth sy'n digwydd pan rydych chi'n rhoi tactegau cyn strategaeth ac mae gennych chi gynlluniau datblygu lleol cyn bod gennych gynlluniau datblygu strategol. Dydw i ddim yn meddwl bod y Llywodraeth wedi bod yn iawn ar hynny.
Hoffwn i ddarllen i chi rywfaint o'r dystiolaeth a roddwyd gan y prif swyddog cynllunio i'r pwyllgor craffu polisïau ac adnoddau yng Nghyngor Caerffili ynghylch targedau ar gyfer tai fforddiadwy. Dywedodd:
'Dim ond targed yw hwn, ac os nad yw'n ymarferol ar gyfer y datblygwyr wedyn mae'n rhaid inni dderbyn ffigur is. Mae'r datblygwyr yn gwybod bod y targedau'n bodoli ond mae ganddyn nhw eu costau sefydlog eu hunain, gan gynnwys maint eu helw. Os na all y datblygwyr wneud yr elw y maen nhw'n ei ddisgwyl, ac os na all y tirfeddiannwr werthu'r tir am bris boddhaol, yna does dim datblygiad yn digwydd.'
Mae hyn yn ein dal ni yn yr argyfwng tai hwn ac rwy'n teimlo bod y darn olaf o'ch ateb i Mike Hedges yn rhoi gobaith i ni y gall cwmnïau bach ddechrau torri trwyddo a dechrau chwalu'r cartél hwnnw—cartél y pedwar datblygwr tai mawr. Rwy'n gobeithio cynnal grŵp trawsbleidiol yn nes ymlaen eleni, a hoffwn wybod, Gweinidog, a fyddech chi'n barod i ddod i'r grŵp trawsbleidiol hwnnw a chlywed gan adeiladwyr bach yno. Ond, hefyd, a ydych chi'n cytuno bod goruchafiaeth y pedwar cwmni adeiladu mawr yn gweithio yn erbyn y ddarpariaeth o dai fforddiadwy, mewn gwirionedd?
I thank you for those questions and I'd certainly welcome the opportunity to come along to a meeting of the cross-party group and I look forward to agreeing a date with you in future.
I think that your passion for small and medium-sized enterprises and also the recognition that you have of the fact that they can play a greater role in house building in Wales is very welcome. You'll be pleased to learn that we have our Wales property development fund and that's a fund specifically for SMEs to have access to finance, because, often, a lot of money needs to be spent upfront on all of the various planning and so on that is necessary—so, lots of money to be spent upfront and they often can't access that from normal sources. So, Welsh Government is able to step in there and provide access to finance to get those small and medium-sized enterprises building again. I'm very pleased to have increased the funding, previously, that is available to that. I'm also intending to announce a significant scheme designed to support SMEs and increase home building shortly, and I look forward to making a further announcement on that. So, there's been a little bit of a teaser in the Chamber today.
In terms of Help to Buy, or in terms of the role of the big developers, I think one of the cards that we have is the fact that Help to Buy is such a boon to that particular part of the industry, and they very much, I think, rely on Help to Buy. So, I think that we can be asking more through Help to Buy, for example the work that we've done on asking for sprinklers to be installed in new homes. There was some resistance to that at first, but, actually, because we do have a strong working relationship now through our home builders engagement board, I do think there are opportunities to start looking to the next Help to Buy to see what we should be asking there in future, because this one will come to an end at the end of this Assembly, and it's important we start thinking about what do we do in future, and also having those discussions with the Government across the border to understand what their plan for Help to Buy is, so we can have an understanding of the finance available to us, but also, having discussions, really, in terms of the context of the challenges that are facing us around climate change and our keenness to move towards zero carbon and so on.
So, I think that there is opportunity to work closely and constructively with all of the large home builders, as we did when we had that agreement with them to not sell any new-build houses as leasehold, for example. I think there are opportunities for positive working, whilst also trying to ensure that we get the maximum for our money in terms of the investment that we make.
Diolch ichi am y cwestiynau hynny a byddwn yn sicr yn croesawu'r cyfle i ddod i gyfarfod o'r grŵp trawsbleidiol ac edrychaf ymlaen at gytuno ar ddyddiad gyda chi yn y dyfodol.
Rwy'n credu bod eich angerdd dros fentrau bach a chanolig a hefyd y gydnabyddiaeth sydd gennych o'r ffaith y gallan nhw chwarae mwy o ran wrth adeiladu tai yn Nghymru yn dderbyniol iawn. Byddwch chi'n falch o glywed bod gennym ni ein cronfa datblygu eiddo Cymru ac mae'r gronfa honno yn benodol ar gyfer busnesau bach a chanolig i gael cyllid, oherwydd, yn aml, mae angen gwario llawer o arian ymlaen llaw ar yr holl gynllunio amrywiol ac ati sy'n ofynnol—felly, llawer o arian i'w wario ymlaen llaw ac, yn aml, nid ydynt yn gallu cael hwnnw o'r ffynonellau arferol. Felly, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gallu camu i mewn yn y fan hon a chynnig cyllid i gael y mentrau bach a chanolig hynny'n adeiladu unwaith eto. Rwy'n falch iawn o fod wedi cynyddu'r arian a oedd ar gael ar gyfer hynny yn flaenorol. Rwyf hefyd yn bwriadu cyhoeddi cynllun sylweddol i gefnogi busnesau bach a chanolig a chynyddu adeiladu cartrefi cyn bo hir, ac edrychaf ymlaen at wneud cyhoeddiad arall ar hynny. Felly, dyna damaid i aros pryd yn y Siambr heddiw.
O ran Cymorth i Brynu, neu o ran swyddogaeth y datblygwyr mawr, rwy'n credu mai un o'r pethau sydd o'n plaid ni yw'r ffaith bod Cymorth i Brynu yn gymaint o fendith i'r rhan benodol honno o'r diwydiant, ac maen nhw dibynnu yn fawr iawn, yn fy marn i, ar Cymorth i Brynu. Felly, rwy'n credu y gallwn ni fod yn gofyn mwy drwy Cymorth i Brynu, er enghraifft y gwaith a wnaed gennym i ofyn am osod systemau chwistrellu mewn cartrefi newydd. Cafwyd rhywfaint o wrthwynebiad i hynny ar y dechrau, ond, mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd bod gennym ni berthynas waith gref bellach drwy ein bwrdd ymgysylltu ag adeiladwyr cartrefi, rwy'n credu bod cyfleoedd i ddechrau edrych ar y Cymorth i Brynu nesaf i weld beth ddylem ni fod yn gofyn amdano yn y fan honno yn y dyfodol. Bydd hwn yn dod i ben ar ddiwedd y Cynulliad hwn, ac mae'n bwysig inni ddechrau meddwl am yr hyn y byddwn yn ei wneud yn y dyfodol. Hefyd, mae angen cynnal trafodaethau gyda'r Llywodraeth ar draws y ffin i ddeall beth yw eu cynllun nhw ar gyfer Cymorth i Brynu, er mwyn i ni allu cael dealltwriaeth o'r cyllid sydd ar gael i ni, ond hefyd, gynnal trafodaethau, mewn gwirionedd, ar gyd-destun yr heriau sy'n ein hwynebu gyda newid yn yr hinsawdd a'n hawydd i symud tuag at economi ddi-garbon ac ati.
Felly, rwy'n credu bod yna gyfle i weithio'n agos ac yn adeiladol â'r holl gwmnïau adeiladu mawr, fel y gwnaethom pan oedd gennym y cytundeb gyda nhw i beidio â gwerthu unrhyw dai newydd fel lesddeiliadaeth, er enghraifft. Rwy'n credu bod yna gyfleoedd i weithio'n gadarnhaol, gan hefyd geisio sicrhau ein bod yn cael yr uchafswm am ein harian o ran y buddsoddiad a wnawn.
As you've said already, Minister, I think we do need to understand the particular situations across Wales if we're going to make the progress necessary to meet the demand for homes in our country. In Newport, it's clear that that pressure for new homes is very considerable indeed. Since July of last year, when the announcement was made that the tolls on the Severn crossings would be abolished at the end of this year, there's been a 5 per cent rise in the lower quartile of house prices, up to February this year, and the average is 3 per cent. I think the 5 per cent is particularly difficult, because it is that lower-cost housing that's most affordable for first-time buyers, and that's where the biggest increase in price has taking place. Everybody, I think, expects these trends to accelerate as we get closer to the abolition of the tolls and, indeed, when they are actually ended. So, I would very much urge Welsh Government to recognise that situation and work with Newport City Council, the registered social landlords, the developers and others to meet that particular challenge.
I'm sure you know, Minister, it's not as if a lot of work isn't taking place in Newport by the city council, the housing associations and developers. Six hundred units of affordable housing have been delivered between 2013 and 2017, and there is a continuing programme over the next five years. As Hefin David said, viability is stated as an issue by the big housing companies when it comes to meeting the affordable housing proportions that are expected. The power that they have is a real problem as far as that's concerned, and we would like to see that addressed.
Help to Buy has been particularly significant in Newport and, indeed, since 2014, 1,248 homes have been purchased with the help of that scheme, and that's nearly a fifth of the Wales total, so obviously that is particularly significant. I would ask that you look at how that scheme will be taken forward in the future with regard to the particular challenges of Newport and how it's helped meet those particular issues.
Could I just end, Minister, by saying that, in view of all of those challenges, yes, Help to Buy has a big role to play, and affordable housing as part of big schemes and viability issues are very significant, but I would agree very much with what others have said—that we need to be innovative beyond that. Self-build, actually, has quite a significant history in Newport in places like Llanvaches and Penhow in my constituency, for example, and there is real interest in self-build. So, it's not just for rural areas, as, in fact, you said earlier; it's obviously applicable in urban areas as well.
We do have a lot of empty properties, and I wonder what might be done to force those empty properties to be brought back into use, subject to the appropriate level of support to be put in place to enable that. Nonetheless, if that opportunity isn't then taken, what might be put in place to enforce the bringing back of those properties into constructive use?
And finally, co-operatives. We've had a recent example in Newport of co-operatives playing an interesting part in meeting demand, but I wonder whether you could look at expanding that again, in the way that you mentioned earlier, building on what's already in place in Newport.
Fel rydych wedi dweud eisoes, Gweinidog, rwy'n credu bod angen i ni ddeall y sefyllfaoedd penodol ledled Cymru os ydym i wneud y cynnydd sy'n angenrheidiol er mwyn ateb y galw am gartrefi yn ein gwlad. Yng Nghasnewydd, mae'n amlwg bod y pwysau hwnnw am gartrefi newydd yn sylweddol iawn. Ers mis Gorffennaf y llynedd, pan wnaed y cyhoeddiad y byddai'r tollau ar bontydd Hafren yn cael eu diddymu ddiwedd y flwyddyn hon, bu cynnydd o 5 y cant yn y chwartel isaf o brisiau tai, hyd at fis Chwefror eleni, a 3 y cant yw'r cyfartaledd. Rwy'n credu bod y 5 y cant yn arbennig o anodd, gan mai'r tai rhatach hynny yw'r mwyaf fforddiadwy i brynwyr tro cyntaf, a dyna lle mae'r cynnydd mwyaf mewn pris yn digwydd. Mae pawb, rwy'n credu, yn disgwyl i'r tueddiadau hyn gyflymu wrth inni agosáu at ddiddymu'r tollau ac, yn wir, pan fyddant yn dod i ben. Felly, byddwn yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru yn fawr iawn i gydnabod y sefyllfa honno a gweithio gyda Chyngor Dinas Casnewydd, y landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig, y datblygwyr ac eraill i ymateb i'r her arbennig honno.
Rwy'n siŵr y gwyddoch chi, Gweinidog, yn sicr mae llawer o waith yn digwydd yng Nghasnewydd gan gyngor y ddinas, y cymdeithasau tai a datblygwyr. Darparwyd chwe chant o unedau tai fforddiadwy rhwng 2013 a 2017, ac mae rhaglen barhaus dros y pum mlynedd nesaf. Fel y dywedodd Hefin David, mae'r cwmnïau mawr yn dweud bod hyfywedd yn broblem o ran bodloni'r cyfrannau tai fforddiadwy a ddisgwylir. Mae'r pŵer sydd ganddyn nhw yn broblem wirioneddol yn hynny o beth, a hoffem ni weld camau i fynd i'r afael â hynny.
Mae Cymorth i Brynu wedi bod yn arbennig o arwyddocaol yng Nghasnewydd ac, yn wir, ers 2014, prynwyd 1,248 o gartrefi gyda chymorth y cynllun hwnnw, ac mae hynny bron yn un rhan o bump o gyfanswm Cymru. Felly mae'n amlwg ei fod yn arbennig o arwyddocaol. Byddwn yn gofyn ichi ystyried sut y bydd y cynllun hwnnw'n cael ei ddatblygu yn y dyfodol o ran yr heriau penodol i Gasnewydd a sut mae wedi helpu i ateb y problemau penodol hynny.
A gaf i orffen, Gweinidog, drwy ddweud, o ystyried yr holl heriau hynny, oes, mae gan Cymorth i Brynu swyddogaeth fawr, ac mae tai fforddiadwy yn rhan o gynlluniau mawr a phroblemau hyfywedd yn sylweddol iawn. Ond byddwn yn cytuno â llawer iawn o'r hyn a ddywedwyd gan eraill—bod angen inni fod yn arloesol y tu hwnt i hynny. Yn wir, mae gan hunanadeiladu hanes arwyddocaol yng Nghasnewydd mewn lleoedd fel Llanfaches a Phen-hŵ yn fy etholaeth i, er enghraifft, ac mae diddordeb gwirioneddol mewn hunanadeiladu. Felly, nid ar gyfer ardaloedd gwledig yn unig y mae hyn, fel, yn wir, y dywedasoch chi'n gynharach; yn amlwg, mae'n berthnasol mewn ardaloedd trefol hefyd.
Mae gennym ni lawer o eiddo gwag. Tybed a oes modd gwneud rhywbeth i orfodi'r eiddo gwag hynny i gael eu hailddefnyddio, yn amodol ar y lefel briodol o gymorth i alluogi hynny. Serch hynny, os nad achubir ar y cyfle hwnnw, beth y gellid ei wneud i orfodi defnydd adeiladol o'r eiddo hynny?
Ac yn olaf, y cynlluniau cydweithredol. Rydym ni wedi cael enghraifft ddiweddar yng Nghasnewydd o gynlluniau cydweithredol yn chwarae rhan ddiddorol wrth ateb y galw. Ond tybed a oes modd ichi ystyried edrych ar ehangu hynny eto, yn y ffordd y sonioch amdani yn gynharach, gan adeiladu ar yr hyn sydd eisoes ar waith yng Nghasnewydd.
Thank you very much for those questions. I do very much recognise that the market in Newport is being impacted by the plans to scrap the tolls on the second Severn crossing. I recognise that and we're very alive to that in Government.
That is why I was so pleased to attend, this week, the launch of Melin Homes's vision for Newport and parts of Monmouthshire for the next five years. They intend to build 1,000 new homes, but also, while they're doing that, trying to keep as much of the value as they possibly can within the community, which is why they're putting lots of focus on the work that they do in terms of employment and apprenticeships. I was really pleased to meet up with some of their apprentices and understand the benefits and the opportunities that they're having as a result of the investment that Melin Homes is making in them. And this is an opportunity for me to congratulate Melin Homes on being number 17 in The Sunday Times list of best not-for-profit organisations to work for. Certainly, speaking to those apprentices gave me a strong sense that they felt that they were very much being invested in and that they were working in an organisation where they felt valued as part of that culture. And the organisation, as well, has a really strong focus on encouraging women within it, and they hope to promote or attract women to take on larger numbers of their maintenance jobs as well, so moving women and providing opportunities for women in fields where they haven't always been available. So, that's certainly very positive, and I look forward to those 1,000 homes coming forward in the Newport area.
On co-operatives, I also think there are opportunities for co-operatives in the future, as we look to where we go beyond leasehold. Because we've got the Law Commission review going on at the moment, which I wrote to Assembly Members about earlier on today, but actually I think that we could be looking at co-operative models for running blocks or even estates and so on in future. So, I think there is plenty of potential for co-operatives to come much more to the fore in terms of how we deliver housing and those associated services in Wales as well.
On the empty properties, I did outline in my response to Bethan Jenkins some of the schemes that we have, but I think there is an issue as well, which I've asked officials to advise me on, in discussion with officials from Ken Skates's department, about compulsory purchases, because often it is the case, not only for housing but also in terms of high street regeneration, that owners either can't be found, in many cases, or that they're reluctant to let go of properties that are proving to be a blight on the high street or that aren't being used to a purpose for social good. So, I think that this is an area, again, that we can be making some inroads into, working across Government.
Diolch yn fawr iawn ichi am y cwestiynau hynny. Rwy'n cydnabod bod y cynlluniau i gael gwared ar y tollau ar gyfer ail bont Hafren yn cael effaith ar y farchnad yng Nghasnewydd. Rwy'n cydnabod hynny ac mae'r Llywodraeth yn ymwybodol iawn o hynny.
Dyna pam yr oeddwn i mor falch o gael mynd yr wythnos hon i lansiad gweledigaeth Melin Homes ar gyfer Casnewydd a rhannau o Sir Fynwy am y pum mlynedd nesaf. Maent yn bwriadu adeiladu 1,000 o gartrefi newydd, ond hefyd, wrth wneud hynny, maent yn ceisio cadw cymaint ag y gallant o'r gwerth o fewn y gymuned, a dyna pam y maen nhw'n canolbwyntio llawer ar y gwaith a wnânt o ran cyflogaeth a phrentisiaethau. Roeddwn yn falch iawn o gyfarfod â rhai o'u prentisiaid, a deallaf fod manteision a chyfleoedd iddyn nhw o ganlyniad i'r buddsoddiad y mae Cartrefi Melin yn ei wneud. Ac mae hwn yn gyfle imi longyfarch Melin Homes ar gyrraedd rhif 17 yn rhestr The Sunday Times o'r sefydliadau nid-er-elw gorau i weithio iddyn nhw. Yn sicr, drwy siarad â'r prentisiaid hynny y cefais i'r teimlad cryf eu bod nhw o'r farn bod rhywrai mewn gwirionedd yn buddsoddi ynddynt a'u bod yn gweithio mewn sefydliad sy'n eu gwerthfawrogi nhw fel rhan o'r diwylliant hwnnw. Ac mae'r sefydliad hefyd yn canolbwyntio'n gryf iawn ar annog y menywod sy'n gweithio yno, ac maent yn gobeithio hyrwyddo neu ddenu menywod i ymgymryd â llawer mwy o'u swyddi cynnal a chadw, gan felly symud y menywod a rhoi cyfleoedd iddyn nhw mewn meysydd sydd heb fod ar gael iddynt bob amser. Felly, mae hynny'n sicr yn gadarnhaol iawn, ac edrychaf ymlaen at weld y 1,000 o gartrefi hynny yn dod i ardal Casnewydd.
O ran cwmnïau cydweithredol, credaf hefyd fod cyfleoedd i fentrau cydweithredol yn y dyfodol, wrth inni edrych ar ble i fynd y tu hwnt i lesddaliad. Oherwydd mae adolygiad Comisiwn y Gyfraith yn mynd yn ei flaen ar hyn o bryd, ac ysgrifennais at Aelodau'r Cynulliad am hyn yn gynharach heddiw. Ond mewn gwirionedd, credaf y gallem ni fod yn edrych ar fodelau cydweithredol ar gyfer cynnal blociau neu hyd yn oed ystadau ac ati yn y dyfodol. Felly, credaf fod digon o botensial i fentrau cydweithredol ddod yn fwy amlwg o ran sut rydym yn darparu tai a'r gwasanaethau cysylltiedig hynny yng Nghymru hefyd.
O ran eiddo gwag, amlinellais yn fy ateb i Bethan Jenkins rai o'r cynlluniau sydd gennym. Ond credaf fod yna fater hefyd, yr wyf wedi gofyn am gyngor gan swyddogion arno, mewn trafodaeth â swyddogion o adran Ken Skates, ynghylch prynu gorfodol. Yn aml mae'n wir, nid yn unig ar gyfer tai ond hefyd o ran adfywio'r stryd fawr, nad oes modd dod o hyd i berchnogion, mewn llawer o achosion, neu maen nhw'n amharod i ollwng gafael ar eiddo sydd yn profi i fod yn bla ar y stryd fawr neu nad yw'n cael ei ddefnyddio at ddiben cymdeithasol da. Felly, credaf, eto, fod hwn yn faes y gallem ni fod yn mynd i'r afael ag ef, gan weithio ar draws y Llywodraeth.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf yw'r datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg ar sgiliau digidol a chodio. Rydw i'n galw ar yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet i wneud ei datganiad. Kirsty Williams.
The next item is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education on digital skills and coding, and I call on the Cabinet Secretary to make the statement. Kirsty Williams.
Diolch yn fawr. A vital part, Presiding Officer, of our national mission is to equip all learners with high-level digital skills that ensure that our young people are digitally competent to become enterprising, creative and critical thinkers. I know that this is an area of interest to many Members, so I thought it would be helpful today to outline progress made.
Our national education action plan sets out how the school system will implement the new curriculum, with a focus on leadership, professional learning, and excellence and equity at the heart of a self-improving system. The digital competence framework—the DCF—aimed at embedding digital skills, was made available in September 2016 as the first element of our new curriculum. Digital competence will form one of three cross-curricular responsibilities, alongside literacy and numeracy, within the new curriculum. That, in itself, is a clear signal of the importance that I and the Welsh Government attach to this important area. A range of tools is available on our learning platforms, Hwb and Learning Wales, to help schools implement the DCF, plan their provision and develop a digital vision. Digital pioneer schools are actively supporting schools across Wales to implement and develop the materials hosted on Hwb.
Diolch yn fawr. Thank you. Rhan hanfodol o'n cenhadaeth genedlaethol, Llywydd, yw sicrhau bod pob dysgwr yn cael y sgiliau digidol lefel uchel sy'n golygu bod ein pobl ifanc yn ddigidol gymwys i fod yn feddylwyr beirniadol, creadigol a mentrus. Gwn fod hwn yn faes o ddiddordeb i lawer o Aelodau, felly tybiais heddiw y byddai'n ddefnyddiol amlinellu'r cynnydd a wnaed.
Mae ein cynllun gweithredu cenedlaethol ar gyfer addysg yn nodi sut y bydd y system ysgol yn gweithredu'r cwricwlwm newydd, â phwyslais ar arweinyddiaeth, dysgu proffesiynol, a rhagoriaeth a thegwch wrth wraidd system hunanwella i ysgolion. Roedd y fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol—y DCF—a oedd yn anelu at ymwreiddio sgiliau digidol, ar gael ym mis Medi 2016 fel elfen gyntaf ein cwricwlwm newydd. Bydd cymhwysedd digidol yn ffurfio un o'r tri chyfrifoldeb trawsgwricwlaidd, ochr yn ochr â llythrennedd a rhifedd, o fewn y cwricwlwm newydd. Mae hynny, ynddo'i hun, yn arwydd clir o'r pwysigrwydd a roddaf i a Llywodraeth Cymru i'r maes pwysig hwn. Mae amrywiaeth o adnoddau ar gael ar ein llwyfannau dysgu, Hwb a Dysgu Cymru, i helpu ysgolion i weithredu'r DCF, cynllunio eu darpariaeth a datblygu gweledigaeth ddigidol. Mae ysgolion arloesi digidol wrthi ar hyn o bryd yn cefnogi ysgolion ledled Cymru i weithredu a datblygu deunyddiau a gynhelir ar Hwb.
To enable schools to be fully embedded in the DCF, regional consortia are undertaking detailed work to configure digital professional learning to the new professional standards, national professional learning models and the leadership academy's endorsement requirements to develop a national digital professional learning framework for all schools. This new framework will support teachers and leaders to develop effective, sustainable digital learning experiences for pupils, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to work in an increasingly digital society. The teaching and leadership standards consider in detail important concepts and behaviours relevant to digital learning. Detailed web design work led by the Welsh Government will be undertaken during the summer term, prior to making the interactive digital professional learning framework available to all schools through a phased approach.
Presiding Officer, you will also know that I have spoken many times of the importance of coding. Last June, I launched 'Cracking the code', our plan to improve coding skills. Backed by over £1 million-worth of funding, we are working with consortia, businesses, third sector partners and universities so that more learners have the opportunity to develop these skills in advance of the new curriculum. In addition, 'Cracking the code' is supported by a number of key stakeholders, such as Code Club UK, Sony, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and Technocamps. And only this morning, Presiding Officer, I had the opportunity to visit St Philip Evans school, here in Llanedeyrn, in Cardiff. It is a fantastic example of how digital competency and coding skills are being developed from the earliest of ages. I'm sure that some of the nursery and year 1 students could have put some of us to shame with their understanding and their ability to see the importance of these skills.
'Cracking the code' is also aimed at increasing awareness of coding, as well as supporting schools, and I'm pleased with the progress that we have made in a short space of time. At the end of March 2018, 473 active clubs were registered with Code Club UK, and that's an increase of around 173 clubs, compared to June in the previous year. Many more schools are working with Code Club UK and the four regional educational consortia that may not have formally registered with Code Club UK as of yet, thus making it difficult to ascertain the actual numbers of clubs that are currently running. Alongside 'Cracking the code', Technocamps—the industrial liaison unit of the department of computer science in Swansea University—has received over £1.2 million of Welsh Government education funding to deliver computer coding workshops to pupils and teachers in schools in Wales. This gives teachers and learners hands-on experience with a range of coding activities and tools, and it ensures that every secondary school has at least one teacher with direct experience of working with code.
The next phase of the Learning in Digital Wales programme will give teachers more choice about the digital tools that they employ in the classroom, with the introduction of Google for Education into the Hwb platform from spring 2018. Building upon the existing set of tools available, including Microsoft Office 365 and Just2easy, teachers will be able to choose from a wide range of tools, such as Google Classroom, facilitating powerful class collaboration and device management for Chromebooks.
Members will be aware that prioritising schools’ access to superfast broadband was a key part of the progressive agreement that brought me into this Government. Together, we must ensure that every school has access to superfast broadband, and our infrastructure must meet our ambition. I have therefore since announced an additional £5 million to upgrade broadband connections in schools across Wales, and the work is currently under way. There are a small number of schools where issues around broadband capacity continue to frustrate. All but one of those schools' orders have been placed with internet providers—infrastructure providers—and we continue to work with all schools to find solutions.
Alongside this, a set of digital education standards to help schools access tools and resources is being developed. Working with local authorities and regional consortia, we are currently undertaking an assessment of 180 schools to help shape standards and understand what support and guidance will be needed for the future. It's also important to recognise that our work does not stop at schools. In a recent visit to Coleg Meirion Dwyfor, I witnessed at first hand how the college is working with key partners and schools to encourage young learners to get involved in coding programmes. The students involved in the college’s coding clubs initiative spoke of their joy at working with local schools and the progression achieved from one visit to the next and the enthusiasm of learners in completing coding programmes, which, in their own words, were praised as almost market ready.
In my annual HEFCW remit letter, published last month, I outlined my expectation for the council and universities to further increase their engagement with industry and schools in enhancing access to coding. That is why I have made available £1.2 million to support Welsh universities in the establishment of the Institute of Coding. This includes £200,000 to support the civic mission activity of coding initiatives in schools, colleges, work-based learning providers and universities. The funding will allow Cardiff and Swansea universities to become active members of the UK-wide consortium that is creating the Institute of Coding. The institute will train the next generation of digital specialists at levels 6 and 7 and allow partners to develop and deliver innovative, industry-focused education across the United Kingdom. This new funding will ensure that Wales plays its full part and that we are well placed to reap the benefits of the institute.
Presiding Officer, as I have outlined, this Government is taking a number of significant actions to ensure our young people are equipped with high-level digital skills. However, what is especially important is that all of these actions, taken in turn, form a cohesive plan delivered in way that will raise standards in the classroom, while supporting pupils in becoming enterprising, creative and critical thinkers. Thank you.
Er mwyn galluogi ysgolion i gael eu hymgorffori'n llawn yn y DCF, mae consortia rhanbarthol yn gwneud gwaith manwl i gyflunio dysgu proffesiynol digidol â'r safonau proffesiynol newydd, y modelau dysgu proffesiynol cenedlaethol a gofynion cymeradwyo yr academi arweinyddiaeth, i ddatblygu fframwaith dysgu proffesiynol digidol cenedlaethol ar gyfer pob ysgol. Bydd y fframwaith newydd hwn yn cefnogi athrawon ac arweinwyr i ddatblygu profiadau dysgu digidol effeithiol a chynaliadwy ar gyfer disgyblion, ac yn rhoi iddynt yr wybodaeth a'r sgiliau angenrheidiol i weithio mewn cymdeithas fwyfwy digidol. Mae safonau addysgu ac arweinyddiaeth yn ystyried yn fanwl gysyniadau ac ymddygiadau pwysig sy'n berthnasol i ddysgu digidol. Cynhelir gwaith manwl ar ddylunio ar gyfer y we, a arweinir gan Lywodraeth Cymru, yn ystod tymor yr haf, cyn y bydd y fframwaith dysgu proffesiynol digidol rhyngweithiol ar gael i bob ysgol yn raddol.
Llywydd, byddwch hefyd yn gwybod fy mod wedi siarad droeon am bwysigrwydd codio. Fis Mehefin diwethaf, lansiais gynllun 'Cracio'r Cod', ein cynllun i wella sgiliau codio. Gyda chefnogaeth dros £1 miliwn o gyllid, rydym yn gweithio gyda chonsortia, busnesau, partneriaid trydydd sector a phrifysgolion fel bod mwy o ddysgwyr yn cael y cyfle i ddatblygu'r sgiliau hyn cyn y cwricwlwm newydd. Hefyd, cefnogir 'Cracio'r Cod' gan nifer o randdeiliaid allweddol, megis Clwb Cod y DU, Sony, yr Asiantaeth Trwyddedu Gyrwyr a Cherbydau a Technocamps. A dim ond y bore yma, Llywydd, cefais gyfle i ymweld ag ysgol St Philip Evans, yma yn Llanedeyrn yng Nghaerdydd. Mae'n enghraifft wych o sut y mae cymhwysedd digidol a sgiliau codio yn cael eu datblygu gan blant o oedran ifanc iawn. Rwy'n siŵr y gallai rhai o blant y feithrinfa a phlant blwyddyn 1 fod wedi codi cywilydd ar rai ohonom â'u dealltwriaeth a'u gallu i weld pwysigrwydd y sgiliau hyn.
Mae 'Cracio'r Cod' hefyd yn anelu at godi ymwybyddiaeth o sgiliau codio, yn ogystal â chefnogi ysgolion, ac rwy'n falch o'r cynnydd yr ydym wedi'i wneud mewn cyfnod byr o amser. Ar ddiwedd mis Mawrth 2018, cofrestrodd 473 o glybiau gweithredol â Chlwb Cod y DU, ac mae hynny'n gynnydd o tua 173 clybiau, o'i gymharu â mis Mehefin y flwyddyn flaenorol. Mae llawer mwy o ysgolion yn gweithio gyda Chlwb Cod y DU a'r pedwar consortiwm addysgol rhanbarthol, sydd o bosib heb gofrestru'n ffurfiol â Chlwb Cod y DU eto, gan ei gwneud yn anodd gwybod faint yn union o glybiau sy'n bodoli ar hyn o bryd. Ochr yn ochr â 'Cracio'r Cod', mae Technocamps—uned cyswllt diwydiannol o adran gyfrifiadureg Prifysgol Abertawe—wedi derbyn dros £1.2 miliwn o gyllid addysg Llywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu gweithdai codio cyfrifiadurol i ddisgyblion ac athrawon mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru. Mae hyn yn rhoi profiad ymarferol i athrawon a dysgwyr mewn amrywiaeth o weithgareddau ac offer codio, ac mae'n sicrhau bod gan bob ysgol uwchradd o leiaf un athro sydd â phrofiad uniongyrchol o weithio gyda chodio.
Bydd cam nesaf y rhaglen Dysgu yn y Gymru Ddigidol yn rhoi mwy o ddewis i athrawon o ran yr offer digidol a ddefnyddir ganddynt yn yr ystafell ddosbarth, gyda Google for Education yn cael ei gyflwyno i lwyfan Hwb o dymor y gwanwyn 2018. Gan adeiladu ar yr offer presennol sydd ar gael, gan gynnwys Microsoft Office 365 a Just2easy, gall athrawon ddewis o blith ystod eang o adnoddau, megis Google Classroom, gan hwyluso cydweithredu a rheoli dyfais pwerus ar gyfer Chromebooks.
Bydd yr Aelodau yn ymwybodol bod blaenoriaethu'r mynediad gan ysgolion at fand eang cyflym iawn yn rhan allweddol o'r cytundeb blaengar a ddaeth â mi i'r Llywodraeth hon. Gyda'n gilydd, mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod gan bob ysgol fynediad at fand eang cyflym iawn, ac mae'n rhaid i'n seilwaith fodloni ein huchelgais. Felly rwyf wedi cyhoeddi y bydd £5 miliwn ychwanegol ar gael i uwchraddio cysylltiadau band eang mewn ysgolion ledled Cymru, ac mae'r gwaith yn mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd. Mae yna nifer bach o ysgolion lle mae materion ynghylch capasiti band eang yn parhau i fod yn rhwystredig. Mae pob un ond un o archebion yr ysgolion hynny wedi'u cyflwyno i'r darparwyr rhyngrwyd—darparwyr seilwaith—ac rydym yn parhau i weithio gyda phob ysgol i ddod o hyd i atebion.
Ochr yn ochr â hyn, mae cyfres o safonau addysg digidol i helpu ysgolion i gael offer ac adnoddau yn cael ei datblygu. Gan weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol a chonsortia rhanbarthol, rydym ar hyn o bryd yn cynnal asesiad o 180 o ysgolion i helpu i lunio safonau a deall pa gymorth ac arweiniad fydd eu hangen yn y dyfodol. Mae hefyd yn bwysig cydnabod nad yw ein gwaith yn dod i ben gyda'r ysgolion. Ar ymweliad diweddar â Choleg Meirion Dwyfor, gwelais â'm llygaid fy hun sut y mae'r coleg yn gweithio gyda phartneriaid allweddol ac ysgolion i annog dysgwyr ifanc i gymryd rhan mewn rhaglenni codio. Soniodd y myfyrwyr a oedd yn ymwneud â menter clybiau codio'r Coleg am eu llawenydd wrth weithio gydag ysgolion lleol a'r dilyniant o un ymweliad i'r nesaf a brwdfrydedd y dysgwyr wrth gwblhau'r rhaglenni codio, a oedd, yn eu geiriau nhw, bron â bod yn barod ar gyfer y farchnad.
Yn fy llythyr cylch gorchwyl CCAUC blynyddol, a gyhoeddwyd fis diwethaf, soniais fy mod yn disgwyl i'r cyngor a phrifysgolion gynyddu eu hymgysylltiad â diwydiant ac ysgolion i wella'r mynediad at godio ymhellach. Dyna pam yr wyf wedi darparu £1.2 miliwn i gefnogi prifysgolion Cymru i greu Sefydliad Codio. Mae hyn yn cynnwys £200,000 i gefnogi gweithgarwch cenhadaeth ddinesig o godio mentrau mewn ysgolion a cholegau, ac i ddarparwyr dysgu seiliedig ar waith a phrifysgolion. Bydd y cyllid hwn yn caniatáu i brifysgolion Caerdydd ac Abertawe fod yn aelodau gweithgar o gonsortiwm y DU-gyfan sy'n creu'r Sefydliad Codio. Bydd y sefydliad yn hyfforddi'r genhedlaeth nesaf o arbenigwyr digidol ar lefelau 6 a 7 ac yn galluogi partneriaid i ddatblygu a darparu addysg arloesol, sy'n canolbwyntio ar y diwydiant ledled y Deyrnas Unedig. Bydd y cyllid newydd hwn yn sicrhau bod Cymru yn chwarae ei rhan yn llawn a'n bod mewn sefyllfa dda i elwa ar fanteision y sefydliad.
Llywydd, fel yr amlinellais, mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn cymryd nifer o gamau arwyddocaol i sicrhau bod ein pobl ifanc yn meddu ar sgiliau digidol lefel uchel. Fodd bynnag, mae'n neilltuol o bwysig bod pob un o'r camau hyn, yn eu tro, yn ffurfio cynllun cydlynol a ddarperir mewn ffordd a fydd yn codi safonau yn yr ystafell ddosbarth, ac yn cefnogi disgyblion i fod yn feddylwyr mentrus, creadigol a beirniadol. Diolch.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement today. I welcome the news that Swansea and Cardiff universities are to receive funding to expand coding in schools, colleges and communities. This will help these universities to be part of the UK Institute of Coding, created by the Conservative Government, which is a partnership deal with leading tech firms, universities and industry bodies in an effort to bolster future digital skills in this country. I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary will join me in praising this UK Government initiative.
Coding is a skill that every organisation needs. Today, code is so fully integrated not only across businesses, but also our entire lives, that almost all businesses have code at their core. So, may I ask how will she ensure that Government planning to provide Wales with specialised digital skills will keep pace with the scale of the challenges that lie ahead? Teaching youngsters how to succeed in the digital world is crucial. The Welsh report called 'Cracking the code: A plan to expand code clubs in every part of Wales' made several commitments under each strategic heading. However, many of these commitments are vague, with no timescale for change, therefore making progress difficult to monitor. So, how will the Welsh Government monitor the progress of this plan?
The Welsh Government has committed to an increase in the quality and the amount of Welsh language support for schools for coding. Can the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether or not it has created a dedicated zone of Hwb to bring partners together with schools to create a repository of projects and resources? We need a coherent and a long-term commitment from the Welsh Government for digital Wales, from skills to infrastructure. Estyn has raised concerns that pupil progress in digital skills has not kept pace with technology in Wales. They report that opportunities to develop ICT skills across subjects are limited in many secondary schools and in a third of primary schools. In just under two thirds of primary schools, there are important shortcomings in standards of ICT. Though most pupils are confident using programmes such as Word processing and creating presentations, their skills are often limited to a narrow range of applications. How will the Cabinet Secretary address this issue and deal with the fact that the number of students studying ICT in Wales has decreased? There is also a huge gender disparity in the number of students studying computing at A-level. Three hundred and thirty nine students sat A-level computing last year; only 32 of these were women. Will the Cabinet Secretary commit to tackling this shocking gender gap?
One major issue is that our digital lives are changing so fast that educators are struggling to keep up with this. Digital skills are changing faster than formal education providers. Industry is developing at such a rate that by the time a curriculum is crafted and approved by the various bodies, and students finally graduate, you can be talking almost a decade from start to finish. How will the Welsh Government ensure that our educators keep up with the pace of change?
Cabinet Secretary, a person's level of digital ability is fast becoming a key determinant of their earning power, yet Wales is a patchwork of digital skills. The Barclays digital development index 2017, which analysed 88,000 UK job adverts and 6,000 adults, claims that Welsh employees score amongst the lowest of all UK regions for their digital skills. I hope we will receive regular statements from you on progress in putting Wales at the top of the league of digital skills in the United Kingdom. Thank you.
Diolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei datganiad heddiw. Rwy'n croesawu'r newyddion y bydd prifysgolion Abertawe a Chaerdydd yn derbyn cyllid i ehangu codio mewn ysgolion, colegau a chymunedau. Bydd hyn yn helpu'r prifysgolion hyn i fod yn rhan o Sefydliad Codio'r DU, a grëwyd gan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol, sy'n bartneriaeth â chwmnïau technoleg blaenllaw, prifysgolion a chyrff y diwydiant mewn ymgais i gryfhau sgiliau digidol yn y wlad hon yn y dyfodol. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ymuno â mi wrth ganmol y fenter hon gan Lywodraeth y DU.
Mae codio yn sgil sydd ei angen ar bob sefydliad. Mae cod wedi dod yn rhan mor annatod o fusnesau, ac o'n bywydau cyfan, fod cod wrth wraidd bron i bob busnes erbyn heddiw. Felly, a gaf i ofyn sut y bydd hi'n sicrhau bod cynlluniau'r Llywodraeth i roi sgiliau digidol arbenigol i Gymru yn cyfateb i faint yr heriau sydd o'n blaenau? Mae'n hanfodol addysgu pobl ifanc sut i lwyddo yn y byd digidol. Gwnaeth yr adroddiad Cymreig o'r enw 'Cracio’r Cod: Cynllun i ehangu clybiau codio ym mhob rhan o Gymru' sawl ymrwymiad o dan bob pennawd strategol. Fodd bynnag, mae llawer o'r ymrwymiadau hyn yn amwys, ac nid oes amserlen ar gyfer newid, sy’n ei wneud yn anodd monitro'r cynnydd. Felly, sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn monitro cynnydd y cynllun hwn?
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i gynyddu ansawdd a maint y cymorth cyfrwng Cymraeg i ysgolion ar gyfer codio. A all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet gadarnhau a yw'r Llywodraeth wedi creu parth pwrpasol ar Hwb i ddod â phartneriaid ac ysgolion at ei gilydd i greu ystorfa o brosiectau ac adnoddau? Mae angen ymrwymiad cydlynol a hirdymor arnom ni gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer Cymru Ddigidol, o sgiliau i seilwaith. Mae Estyn wedi codi pryderon nad yw cynnydd sgiliau digidol disgyblion yn cadw'n gyfredol â thechnoleg yng Nghymru. Mae'n adrodd bod cyfleoedd i ddatblygu sgiliau TGCh ar draws y pynciau yn gyfyngedig mewn llawer o ysgolion uwchradd ac mewn traean o'r ysgolion cynradd. Mewn ychydig o dan ddwy ran o dair o ysgolion cynradd, ceir diffygion mawr yn safonau TGCh. Er bod y rhan fwyaf o ddisgyblion yn hyderus wrth ddefnyddio rhaglenni megis prosesu geiriau a chreu cyflwyniadau, mae eu sgiliau yn aml yn gyfyngedig i ystod gul o raglenni. Sut y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn mynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn ac yn ymdrin â'r ffaith bod nifer y myfyrwyr sy'n astudio TGCh yng Nghymru wedi gostwng? Hefyd, ceir gwahaniaeth anferth o ran rhywedd yn nifer y myfyrwyr sy'n astudio cyfrifiadureg ar Safon Uwch. Safodd tri chant tri deg a naw o fyfyrwyr gyfrifiadureg Safon Uwch y llynedd; dim ond 32 o'r rhain oedd yn fenywod. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ymrwymo i fynd i'r afael â'r bwlch syfrdanol hwn rhwng y rhywiau?
Un mater pwysig yw bod ein bywydau digidol yn newid mor gyflym fel bod addysgwyr yn cael trafferth i gadw'n gyfredol â hyn. Mae sgiliau digidol yn newid yn gynt na darparwyr addysg ffurfiol. Mae'r diwydiant yn datblygu ar y fath gyfradd, ond gall fod deng mlynedd rhwng yr amser o ddechrau llunio cwricwlwm a'i gymeradwyo gan y gwahanol gyrff, i'r adeg y bydd myfyrwyr yn graddio yn y pen draw. Sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau bod ein haddysgwyr yn cadw i fyny â chyflymder y newid?
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae lefel gallu digidol unigolyn yn prysur ddod yn ffactor allweddol yn ei allu i sicrhau cyflog da, ac eto mae Cymru'n glytwaith o sgiliau digidol. Mae mynegai datblygu digidol Barclays 2017, sy'n dadansoddi 88,000 o hysbysebion swyddi'r DU, ynghyd â 6,000 o oedolion, yn honni bod gweithwyr Cymru yn sgorio ymhlith yr isaf o holl ranbarthau'r DU o ran eu sgiliau digidol. Gobeithio y byddwn yn derbyn datganiadau'n rheolaidd gennych chi ar y cynnydd a gaiff ei wneud wrth roi Cymru ar frig y gynghrair o sgiliau digidol yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Diolch.
Could I thank the Member for his questions? Firstly, I think it is really important that Wales plays its part in the development of UK-wide organisations. We should not cut ourselves off from participating in these initiatives, and I'm delighted that we've been able to successfully fund, via HEFCW, projects from Cardiff and Swansea universities. It builds on their strong tradition, strong presence in these subjects, and will allow them to participate fully in the development of the Institute of Coding. So, I'm delighted that we've been able to work via HEFCW to provide those resources.
The Member asked about the expansion of code clubs. We are seeing significant expansion of code clubs, but of course there is always more that we would like to do, and we've put resources into that. It's important to me, as well as, I know, to other Ministers, that those code clubs are a mixture of provision within school for schoolchildren and that we also look at community code clubs that are open to the more general population. We do recognise that there are benefits for adult learners, for instance, in being able to acquire these skills in terms of improving their employability.
With regard to specialist zones on Hwb, you don't need to take my word for it, Oscar, you just need to log on to Hwb. You can Google Hwb today, you can click on the zones and you will be able to see that we are continually populating the Hwb platform with new and innovative content, including work that is supporting our network of excellence in mathematics and our network of excellence in science and technology, and also, most recently, our new zone on Hwb, which is to support the spread of good practice regarding the foundation phase.
I absolutely recognise what the Estyn inspector's annual report says about the quality of ICT teaching in schools, but we should always make the distinction between ICT and computing. Taking exams in ICT and taking exams in computing are not the same thing, and that's one of the reasons why the digital competence framework—the very first part of our national curriculum—needed to be put out there first to address what the Estyn inspection report has to say.
There are two crucial things that schools need to do in this regard. They need to be able to look creatively at how they can use digital technology not in a stand-alone class, Oscar, but actually coherently through the entire curriculum. The school I went to this morning does not have a computer suite where children go off for a 15-minute period. Computers and digital technology are a fundamental part of how the entire curriculum is delivered, in every lesson and every single part of the school day, and we need to ensure that what I saw this morning at St Philip Evans is replicated across Wales.
One of the key reasons why sometimes that doesn't happen, especially in subjects outside computing and ICT, is the competence of the teachers themselves and the confidence of the teachers, especially if those teachers have done their initial teacher training and their professional practice before these technologies were readily available. That's why I spent a great deal of time in my statement talking about the development of national professional standards and a professional learning package to support those teachers, because they need to have the confidence, the skills and the knowledge. And I would say to all schools that there is a tool available on Hwb where you can test the capability in your school, as it currently stands, and begin to plan what you will need to do to improve your provision.
You also talked about women in these issues. You will be aware that the leader of the house, in part of her work on equality, alongside myself and the Cabinet Secretary for the economy, works closely with a group that is overlooking the implementation of the women in STEM report. We recognise that there is more to do to ensure that girls and women see a space for themselves taking these subjects at school and, crucially, pursuing careers with those skills that they have acquired within the classroom. We will continue to work with outside agencies and individuals to address those issues with regard to making sure that more girls see themselves as taking advantage of these opportunities and the career opportunities that studying these subjects brings.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei gwestiynau? Yn gyntaf, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn bod Cymru'n chwarae ei rhan wrth ddatblygu sefydliadau ledled y DU. Ni ddylem gau'r drws ar gymryd rhan yn y mentrau hyn, ac rwy'n falch ein bod ni wedi gallu ariannu prosiectau prifysgolion Caerdydd ac Abertawe yn llwyddiannus drwy CCAUC. Mae hyn yn datblygu ar eu traddodiad cryf, eu presenoldeb cryf yn y pynciau hyn, a bydd yn caniatáu iddynt gymryd rhan lawn yn y gwaith o ddatblygu'r Sefydliad Codio. Felly, rwy'n falch ein bod ni wedi gallu gweithio drwy CCAUC i ddarparu'r adnoddau hynny.
Gofynnodd yr Aelod am ehangu'r clybiau codio. Rydym ni'n gweld ehangiad sylweddol yn y clybiau codio, ond wrth gwrs mae mwy y byddem ni'n hoffi ei wneud bob amser, ac rydym ni wedi rhoi adnoddau i mewn i hynny. Mae'n bwysig i mi, ac rwy'n gwybod ei bod yn bwysig i Weinidogion eraill hefyd, fod y clybiau codio yn gymysgedd o ddarpariaeth o fewn yr ysgol ar gyfer plant ysgol a'n bod ni hefyd ystyried clybiau codio cymunedol sy'n yn agored i'r boblogaeth fwy cyffredinol. Rydym ni'n cydnabod bod manteision ar gyfer dysgwyr sy'n oedolion, er enghraifft, i gael y gallu i feithrin y sgiliau hyn er mwyn gwella eu cyflogadwyedd.
O ran parthau arbenigol ar Hwb, nid oes angen ichi ddibynnu ar yr hyn yr wyf i'n ei ddweud wrthych chi am hyn, Oscar, y cyfan sydd ei angen i chi ei wneud yw mewngofnodi i Hwb. Gallwch gwglo Hwb heddiw, gallwch glicio ar y parthau a byddwch yn gallu gweld ein bod ni'n llenwi platfform Hwb â chynnwys newydd ac arloesol yn gyson, gan gynnwys gwaith sy'n cefnogi ein rhwydwaith o ragoriaeth mewn mathemateg a'n rhwydwaith o ragoriaeth mewn gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg, a hefyd, yn fwyaf diweddar, ein parth newydd ar Hwb, sydd â'r nod o gefnogi lledaenu arfer da o ran y cyfnod sylfaen.
Rwy'n cydnabod yn llwyr yr hyn a ddywedir yn adroddiad arolygu blynyddol Estyn am ansawdd yr addysgu TGCh mewn ysgolion, ond dylem ni bob amser wahaniaethu rhwng TGCh a chyfrifiadureg bob amser. Nid yw sefyll arholiadau TGCh a sefyll arholiadau cyfrifiadureg yr un peth, a dyna un o'r rhesymau pam yr oedd angen inni roi'r fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol—y rhan gyntaf un o'n cwricwlwm cenedlaethol—ar waith yn gyntaf er mwyn mynd i'r afael â'r hyn sydd gan adroddiad arolygu Estyn i'w ddweud.
Mae dau beth allweddol sydd angen i ysgolion eu gwneud yn hyn o beth. Mae angen iddynt allu edrych yn greadigol ar sut y gallan nhw ddefnyddio technoleg ddigidol mewn dosbarth annibynnol, Oscar, ond hefyd mewn gwirionedd mewn modd cydlynol drwy'r cwricwlwm cyfan. Nid oes gan yr ysgol yr es i iddi y bore yma ystafell gyfrifiaduron y mae plant yn mynd iddi am gyfnod o 15 munud. Mae cyfrifiaduron a thechnoleg ddigidol yn rhan annatod o sut y caiff y cwricwlwm cyfan ei gyflwyno, ym mhob gwers ac ym mhob un rhan o'r diwrnod ysgol, ac mae angen inni sicrhau bod yr hyn a welais y bore yma yn ysgol Sant Philip Evans yn cael ei ail-greu ledled Cymru.
Un o'r rhesymau allweddol pam nad yw hyn yn digwydd weithiau, yn enwedig mewn pynciau y tu allan i TGCh a chyfrifiadureg, yw cymhwysedd yr athrawon eu hunain a hyder yr athrawon, yn enwedig os yw'r athrawon hynny wedi gwneud eu hyfforddiant athrawon cychwynnol a'u hymarfer proffesiynol cyn i'r technolegau hyn fod ar gael yn rhwydd. Dyna pam yr wyf i wedi treulio llawer o amser yn fy natganiad yn sôn am ddatblygu safonau proffesiynol cenedlaethol a phecyn dysgu proffesiynol i gefnogi'r athrawon hynny, oherwydd bod angen iddynt fod â'r hyder, y sgiliau a'r wybodaeth angenrheidiol. Ac fe ddywedwn i wrth bob ysgol fod offeryn ar gael ar Hwb lle y gallwch chi roi prawf ar y gallu a geir yn eich ysgol chi, fel y mae ar hyn o bryd, a dechrau cynllunio'r hyn y bydd angen i chi ei wneud i wella eich darpariaeth.
Gwnaethoch chi sôn hefyd am fenywod yn y materion hyn. Fe fyddwch chi'n ymwybodol bod arweinydd y tŷ, yn rhan o'i gwaith ar gydraddoldeb, ac ar y cyd â minnau ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr economi, yn gweithio'n agos gyda grŵp sy'n goruchwylio'r gweithredu ar yr adroddiad menywod mewn pynciau STEM. Rydym ni'n cydnabod bod mwy i'w wneud i sicrhau bod merched a menywod yn gweld bod yna le iddyn nhw i ddilyn y pynciau hyn yn yr ysgol ac, yn hanfodol, i ddilyn gyrfa gan ddefnyddio'r sgiliau hynny y maen nhw wedi'u caffael yn yr ystafell ddosbarth. Byddwn ni'n parhau i weithio gydag asiantaethau allanol ac unigolion i fynd i'r afael â'r materion hynny er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr bod mwy o ferched yn manteisio ar y cyfleoedd hyn a'r cyfleoedd gyrfa a ddaw yn sgil astudio'r pynciau hyn.
A gaf i ddiolch i’r Ysgrifennydd am ei datganiad a chroesawu’r hyn yr oedd ganddi hi i ddweud? Mae Plaid Cymru, ers cryn amser, wedi cefnogi gwneud mwy i ddysgu disgyblion i greu yn ogystal â defnyddio adnoddau digidol fel hyn, ac felly rŷm ni’n sicr yn symud i’r cyfeiriad iawn. Mor bwysig ag yw cael fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol, wrth gwrs, fel y mae’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet wedi cydnabod, nid yw hynny yn ei hunain yn ddigon. Yr her fwyaf fan hyn yw grymuso athrawon ar y rheng flaen i allu gweithredu’r fframwaith hwnnw’n effeithiol. Felly, mae datblygiad proffesiynol parhaus a rôl hyfforddiant cychwynnol athrawon yn y maes yma’n gwbl, gwbl allweddol.
Rŷm ni wedi clywed cyfeiriad at y sylwadau y mae Estyn wedi’u gwneud. Wel, mae’r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg hefyd wedi datgan, yn ein hymchwiliad ar addysg ac addysgu proffesiynol athrawon, nad yw’r gweithlu addysg yn barod ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer gweithredu’r cwricwlwm newydd. Ac o safbwynt y fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol yn benodol, mae’r pwyllgor wedi dweud ei bod hi’n bryder mawr, gan fod canlyniadau arolwg gan y pwyllgor wedi tynnu sylw at y diffyg dealltwriaeth neu wybodaeth ymysg athrawon sy’n ymwneud â’r newidiadau sydd i ddod yn y cyd-destun yma. Rŷch chi eisoes wedi cyfeirio, wrth gwrs, at Estyn yn sôn nad oes gan yr athrawon y wybodaeth na’r hyder sydd eu hangen i fedru gweithredu hwn i’w llawn botensial. A bach iawn, iawn o ysgolion, er enghraifft, hyd y gwelaf i, sydd wedi gwneud awdit o gymhwysedd digidol eu staff, neu’n sicr mae hynny’n rhywbeth yr oedd Estyn yn tynnu sylw ato fe.
Rŷch chi’n sôn am phased approach i’r digital professional learning framework, ac rŷch chi wedi sôn am y safonau ac yn y blaen. A allwch chi roi amserlen fwy penodol i ni? Os oes phased approach yn mynd i fod, erbyn pryd ŷch chi’n disgwyl y bydd pawb wedi cyrraedd y lefel angenrheidiol o safbwynt cael y gallu i ddelifro hwn yn effeithiol?
Rŷch chi wedi cyhoeddi adnoddau ychwanegol heddiw ac mae hynny, wrth gwrs, i’w groesawu, yn enwedig ar ôl beirniadaeth ynghylch y datganiad y gwnaethoch chi rai misoedd yn ôl gan Aelodau mainc cefn y Llywodraeth. Mae’n bosibl bod hynny’n dal i ganu yn eich clustiau achos roeddech chi’n troi at yr Aelod a wnaeth y cerydd yna pan ateboch chi’r cwestiynau blaenorol. Yr oedd un cerydd a wnaethpwyd bryd hynny yng nghyd-destun Minecraft for education. Yr oedd sôn am 10 ysgol—yn y datganiad blaenorol—yn ymwneud â hynny, allan o 1,600 o ysgolion, a dywedwyd nad oedd hyn yn ddigon da. Wel, mae’n dda gweld, yn y datganiad yma, beth bynnag, fod mwy o ysgolion yn ymwneud â Code Club UK. Rwy’n credu bod hynny’n bositif. Mae’r ffigwr rŷch chi wedi’i roi yn dweud un stori wrthym ni, wrth gwrs. Nid wyf i'n gwybod os oes gennych chi wybodaeth ynglŷn â spread daearyddol rhai o’r ysgolion yna. Nid wyf i'n disgwyl i chi ateb, efallai, yn y Siambr, ond byddai cael y math yna o wybodaeth yn fuddiol, oherwydd yn aml iawn mae'n dibynnu ar unigolyn o fewn consortiwm neu sir i fod yn gyrru'r agenda yma weithiau, ac mi fyddwn i yn cael cysur o wybod bod y twf yna'n digwydd ar draws Cymru ac efallai ddim o reidrwydd wedi'i ganoli dim ond mewn rhai ardaloedd.
Mae'r £1.2 miliwn ychwanegol yma rŷch chi wedi cyfeirio ato fe yn eich datganiad i'w groesawu, fel roeddwn i'n dweud. Nid yw'n glir i mi a ydy hynny ar gyfer eleni neu o nawr tan ddiwedd y Cynulliad yma. A ydy e'n ymrwymiad blynyddol, neu a oes yna ymrwymiad hirdymor y tu hwnt i hynny? Oherwydd mae angen sicrwydd ariannu tymor hir yn aml iawn i fedru gwreiddio y diwylliant newydd yma o weithredu i mewn i'r gyfundrefn. Felly, byddai gwell eglurder yn rhywbeth y byddwn i'n ei groesawu. A thra bod hynny wrth gwrs yn gadarnhaol o safbwynt prifysgolion Abertawe a Chaerdydd, a ydy hi'n fwriad i edrych i ddatblygu hyn mewn sefydliadau eraill? Rydw i'n meddwl am Fangor a Glyndŵr yn fy rhanbarth i, wrth gwrs, oherwydd rydym ni'n awyddus i ddatblygu’r arbenigeddau a'r modd i hyfforddi fel hyn ym mhob rhan o Gymru, buaswn i'n tybio, er mwyn sicrhau bod pawb yn cael yr un cyfle.
Ni allaf adael i unrhyw ddatganiad sy'n cyfeirio at Hwb fynd heibio heb gyfeirio at eich penderfyniad chi i beidio â pharhau â Hwb+. Rŷm ni wedi cael sawl exchange ar hynny yn y gorffennol, ac rwy'n derbyn bod y penderfyniad wedi cael ei wneud, ond mi fyddwn i yn pwyntio at y ffaith bod Larry Nelson, rheolwr-gyfarwyddwr byd-eang partneriaid addysg Microsoft Corporation, wedi disgrifio platfform Hwb+ fel un sy'n arwain y byd ac fel, ac rwy'n dyfynnu,
May I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement and welcome what she had to say? Plaid Cymru, for some time, has supported doing more to teach pupils to create as well as use digital resources such as this, so we are certainly moving in the right direction in that regard. As important as it is to have a digital competence framework, as the Cabinet Secretary has recognised, that, in and of itself, won’t be sufficient. The greatest challenge here is to empower teachers on the front line in order for them to implement that framework effectively, and, therefore, CPD and the role of initial teacher training in this area are crucially important.
We’ve heard reference already to the comments made by Estyn. The Children, Young People and Education Committee have also stated in their inquiry into professional education for teachers that the education workforce isn’t currently prepared for implementing the new curriculum. In terms of the digital competence framework specifically, the committee has stated that it’s a great concern, because the results of a survey by the committee highlighted the lack of information or understanding among teachers related to the changes that are in the pipeline in this context. You’ve already referred to Estyn mentioning that the teachers don’t have the information and the confidence needed to deliver this to its full potential, and very few schools, as far as I can see, have carried out an audit of the digital competence of their staff, and that is certainly something that Estyn highlighted.
You mention a phased approach to the digital professional learning framework, and you’ve mentioned standards and so on. Can you give us a more specific timetable? If there is to be a phased approach, when do you expect everyone to be up to speed in terms of being able to deliver this effectively?
You’ve announced additional resources today, and that’s to be welcomed, of course, particularly given the criticism of a statement that you made some months ago from backbench Labour Members. That may still be ringing in your ears, because you turned to the Member who criticised you when you were answering earlier questions. In the context of a previous statement, one criticism was in relation to Minecraft for education as only 10 schools, out of 1,600, were involved in that work, and it was stated that that wasn’t good enough. Well, it’s good to see, in this statement at least, that more schools are to be involved with Code Club UK. I think that’s very positive. The figure that you’ve given tells us one story, of course. I don’t know if you have any information about the geographical spread of some of those schools. I don’t expect you to answer in the Chamber, perhaps, but having that sort of information would be beneficial, because very often it depends on an individual within a consortium or a particular council to be driving this agenda. It would be comforting to know that that growth is happening across Wales rather than being centralised in certain areas.
The additional £1.2 million that you referred to in your statement is to be welcomed, as I’ve already said. It’s not clear to me if that is for this year or for now until the end of this Assembly. Is it an annual commitment or is there a long-term commitment beyond that? Because we do need a long-term financial assurance in order to embed this new culture in the regime. So, more clarity would be something that I would welcome. And whilst that of course is positive in terms of Swansea and Cardiff universities, is it the intention to look to develop this in other institutions? I’m looking at Bangor and Glyndŵr in my region, of course, because we are eager to develop these areas of expertise and this training in all parts of Wales, I would have thought, in order to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity.
I can’t let any statement referring to Hwb pass without referring to your decision not to continue with Hwb+. We’ve had a number of exchanges on that in the past, and I accept that the decision has been taken, but I would point to the fact that Larry Nelson, the managing director of Microsoft Corporation education partners, has described the Hwb+ platform as world leading and a
'global showcase and an example of how technology can support change in educational practice.'
arddangosfa fyd-eang ac yn enghraifft o sut y gall technoleg gefnogi newid mewn arfer addysgol.
Ac fe wnaeth gwerthusiad Llywodraeth Cymru ei hunan wrth gwrs ddod i'r casgliad, ac rydw i'n dyfynnu eto:
And the Welsh Government’s own evaluation came to the conclusion, and I quote again:
'abandoning the project would severely disappoint and alienate teachers who are enthusiastic about further take-up of digital learning and have invested their considerable time and effort setting up Hwb+ school sites and promoting it to colleagues at their school.'
byddai rhoi'r gorau i'r prosiect yn siomi ac yn dieithrio athrawon sy'n frwd dros annog mwy o ddefnydd o ddysgu digidol, ac sydd wedi buddsoddi cryn amser ac ymdrech i sefydlu safleoedd ysgol Hwb+ a'u hyrwyddo i gydweithwyr yn eu hysgol.
Felly, nid wy'n mynd i ofyn am y penderfyniad, yr hyn rydw i'n mynd i ofyn yw: sut allwn ni felly fod yn hyderus na fydd y brwdfrydedd y mae gwerthusiad y Llywodraeth yma'n cyfeirio ato fe ddim yn cael ei danseilio gan y penderfyniad i beidio â pharhau â Hwb+?
Ni wnaethoch chi ymateb i'r cwestiwn blaenorol ynglŷn â darpariaeth adnoddau cyfrwng Cymraeg, oherwydd un o'r rhwystrau a nodwyd yn 'Cracio'r cod' yw'r diffyg yn lefelau darpariaeth arbenigwyr, hwyluswyr ac adnoddau Cymraeg i ysgolion yn y maes yma. Mae e yn broblem mewn meysydd eraill, ac mae'n rhywbeth mae'r pwyllgor addysg yn edrych arno fe fory mewn sesiwn graffu arbennig. Fe fyddwn i'n falch i glywed ac i gael sicrwydd gennych chi y bydd gan ysgolion fynediad i'r adnoddau angenrheidiol sydd eu hangen i ddarparu sgiliau digidol a chodio trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.
Ac yn olaf, mi oeddech chi'n dweud, os wnes i ddeall yn iawn, oherwydd fe wnaethoch chi ychwanegu rhywbeth ar lafar nad oedd yn ysgrifenedig, fod pob ysgol ond un bellach â phroblemau cael mynediad i fand llydan neu yn y broses o gael rhyw ddatrysiad wedi'i roi yn ei le. Fe fyddai diddordeb gyda fi i wybod pa un yw'r ysgol sydd ar ôl. Diolch.
Therefore, I’m not going to ask a question about the decision. What I am going to ask is: how can we have confidence that the enthusiasm that the Government’s evaluation refers to won’t be undermined by the decision not to continue with Hwb+?
You didn’t respond to an earlier question on the provision of Welsh-medium resources, because one of the frustrations noted in ‘Cracking the code’ is the lack in the levels of Welsh language resources and facilitators in this area. It is a problem in other areas, and it’s something that the education committee is looking at tomorrow in a particular scrutiny session. I would be pleased to hear, and to have an assurance from you, that schools will have access to the necessary resources to provide digital skills and coding through the medium of Welsh.
Finally, you were saying, if I understood you correctly, because you did add something orally that wasn’t included in the written statement, that every school bar one has problems in accessing broadband or is in the process of finding a solution to be put in place. I would be interested to know which one school is left. Thank you.
Thank you, Llyr. With regard to Cardiff and Swansea universities' successful grant application, it is for HEFCW to make the decision on which universities will be funded. Those two universities sent forward a bid that was regarded as worthy of that funding and I'm sure HEFCW and individual institutions that want to participate in this work will continue to have those conversations. What I'm really pleased about is that Welsh institutions will form part of this new body. We should not cut ourselves off from UK development, and Welsh universities need to be at the table, especially when they have such strengths in these areas and an outstanding department, for instance, like Swansea has. It would be awful to think that we were not part of the table because of a lack of resources. I'm glad that we've been able to do something about that.
I would offer you the same advice as I offered to—. Llyr, you don't need to take my word for the expansion in code clubs—if you Google Code Club UK's website, they have a map that will show you exactly where every code club that is registered with them is currently located. The clubs are being developed all the time, and therefore sometimes those things take a little bit of time—there's a lag—but I've just been looking at my most recent club, which is hosted in Brecon library on a Saturday morning, and I'm glad to see that that's on there. So, by all means have a look. What you will see is that there are code clubs the length and breadth of Wales—in urban areas, rural areas—but, of course, there is always more we can do because our young people are everywhere, and we should be looking to do what we can to encourage volunteers to be able to provide those opportunities for young people.
Diolch, Llŷr. O ran cais grant llwyddiannus prifysgolion Caerdydd ac Abertawe, mater i CCAUC fydd penderfynu pa brifysgolion a gaiff eu hariannu. Anfonodd y ddwy brifysgol hynny gais yr ystyriwyd ei fod yn deilwng o'r cyllid hwnnw, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd CCAUC a sefydliadau unigol sy'n dymuno cymryd rhan yn y gwaith hwn yn parhau i gynnal y sgyrsiau hynny. Yr hyn yr wyf i'n falch iawn ohono yw y bydd sefydliadau yng Nghymru yn rhan o'r corff newydd hwn. Ni ddylem ni ynysu ein hunain rhag datblygiadau yn y DU, ac mae angen i brifysgolion Cymru fynnu lle wrth y bwrdd, yn enwedig pan fod ganddynt gymaint o gryfderau yn y meysydd hyn ac adran ragorol, er enghraifft, yr adran sydd gan Abertawe. Byddai'n ofnadwy meddwl nad oeddem ni'n rhan o'r bwrdd oherwydd diffyg adnoddau. Rwy'n falch ein bod ni wedi gallu gwneud rhywbeth am hynny.
Byddwn i'n cynnig yr un cyngor i chi ag y cynigiais i—. Llŷr, nid oes angen i chi dderbyn fy ngair i am yr ehangu sydd wedi bod yn y clybiau codio—os ewch ati i chwilio am wefan Code Club UK, mae ganddyn nhw fap sy'n dangos ymhle yn union y mae pob clwb codio sydd wedi'i gofrestru â nhw wedi'i leoli ar hyn o bryd. Mae'r clybiau'n cael eu datblygu drwy'r amser, ac felly weithiau mae'r pethau hyn yn gallu cymryd ychydig bach o amser—mae yna oedi—ond rwyf newydd edrych ar fy nghlwb mwyaf diweddar, a gynhelir yn Llyfrgell Aberhonddu ar fore Sadwrn, ac rwy’n falch o weld bod hwnnw wedi'i restru yno. Felly, ar bob cyfrif, cyfeiriwch at y wefan. Yr hyn a welwch chi yw bod yna glybiau codio ym mhob cwr o Gymru—mewn ardaloedd trefol, ardaloedd gwledig—ond, wrth gwrs, mae mwy y gallwn ni ei wneud bob amser oherwydd mae ein pobl ifanc ni ym mhobman, a dylem ni fod yn ceisio gwneud hyn a allwn ni i annog gwirfoddolwyr i allu darparu'r cyfleoedd hynny i bobl ifanc.
The reason I looked at Lee Waters was because Lee and I continue to have these discussions because he doesn't just let it drop—he doesn't do his five minutes of glory in the Chamber and then forget about an issue. I'm sure nobody does that, actually; I'm sure no Member ever gets up and says something in the Chamber and then forgets all about it once they've left and they've had their two minutes for their press release. Lee, actually, continues to bother me on a regular basis about this issue outside the limelight of the Chamber, and I'm grateful for his insights.
It's clear to me that we have a way to go in ensuring the true spirit of the DCF is embedded throughout our curriculum. There are a number of things we need to do about that. We need to ensure that schools know where they are at the moment, and that's why I would urge all schools to use the DCF mapping tool that is available on Hwb, and the professional learning needs tool, which will help schools plan their provision and develop a digital vision.
I continue to liaise with the National Digital Learning Council to give me advice on what more we can do to ensure that schools are using these resources and that schools are really thinking about, and planning, for the needs of the DCF. But crucially, professional learning is a key part of that, and that's why, for instance, we continue at the moment to use our LiDW continuing professional development grant, which is in phase 2. That money continues to be available via the regional consortia. It provides a focus on a range of activities, including support for practitioners in school to develop their confidence and competence in using a range of digital resources and tools through the LiDW programme. It's providing capacity for expert digital leader support, which co-ordinates work in schools with the regional consortia. It's actively promoting digital citizenship in relation to safe and responsible use of technology—that's something that hasn't been discussed so far in the Chamber, but it's actually an important part of the digital competence framework: it's not only giving young people the skills but knowing how to use those responsibly and to keep themselves safe while they're online. So, that grant is available to consortia, and its primary focus is to develop skills, competence and confidence.
With regard to Hwb+, this decision has been welcomed by those outside of Government who are knowledgeable in this field, who provide advice in this field, and it's based on an ever-developing understanding of what resources work best in schools, and it reflects feedback. That's not to say that everything in Hwb+ was bad—I'm not saying that—but the contract has come to an end, and that's when the contract was due to come to an end. It gives Government and Ministers an opportunity to reflect on the best way forward. We have taken a decision that that platform is not the optimum platform that we need, going forward, to support teachers. We've been very clear about what schools need to do to migrate their data, and we have provided support for that to schools.
I have to say, Llyr, the feedback that my officials have had is that schools themselves have not raised any questions with us, or complained to us, about the removal of Hwb+. What we're giving them is a greater choice, and hopefully a greater level of easy interaction with the platform that will help them embed these facilities into their everyday practice. As I said, we've provided remote support to help schools transfer their data, and where schools have requested it, we have provided individual on-site support for those schools that have needed that level of support.
The issue of the schools—as with all of these things, you think you've cracked it, and everything is done. There is one school—and I have the name somewhere, but I will write to the Member with it—where an order has not been placed, so for all the other schools, orders have been placed with the suppliers, and that work is programmed to be done. But there is one outlying school, and we are working to look to see how we can address those needs.
Increasingly what is coming to the fore with schools is not the infrastructure outside the school, it is now infrastructure inside the school. And we do continue to receive complaints from schools who are struggling, but often on examination of that, it's problems within the school. That's why we're working with 180 schools at the moment to get a feel for what the constraints are and what the issues are that we need to tackle, so that we can look, once we've addressed speeds outside, at what we can do then to address infrastructure within schools to ensure that it is what it needs to be.
Y rheswm pam yr edrychais ar Lee Waters oedd oherwydd bod Lee a minnau yn parhau i gael y trafodaethau hyn oherwydd nad yw ef yn gadael llonydd i bethau—nid yw'n cael ei bum munud o ogoniant yn y Siambr ac wedyn yn anghofio am rywbeth. Rwy'n siŵr nad oes neb yn gwneud hynny, mewn gwirionedd; rwy'n siŵr nad oes unrhyw Aelod yn codi ar ei draed ac yn dweud rhywbeth yn y Siambr ac yna'n anghofio amdano unwaith y mae wedi gadael ac wedi cael ei ddau funud ar gyfer ei ddatganiad i'r wasg. Mae Lee, mewn gwirionedd, yn parhau i'm trafferthu yn rheolaidd ynghylch y mater hwn y tu allan i sylw'r Siambr, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar am ei sylwadau.
Mae'n amlwg i mi fod gennym ni gryn ffordd i fynd i sicrhau bod gwir ysbryd y fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol wedi ymwreiddio drwy ein holl gwricwlwm. Mae yna nifer o bethau y mae angen inni eu gwneud ynghylch hynny. Mae angen inni sicrhau bod ysgolion yn gwybod lle maen nhw ar hyn o bryd, a dyna pam y byddwn yn annog pob ysgol i ddefnyddio offeryn mapio'r fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol sydd ar gael ar Hwb, a'r offeryn anghenion dysgu proffesiynol, a fydd yn helpu ysgolion i gynllunio eu darpariaeth a datblygu gweledigaeth ddigidol.
Rwy'n parhau i drafod gyda'r Cyngor Dysgu Digidol Cenedlaethol er mwyn cael cyngor ynglŷn â beth arall y gellir ei wneud i sicrhau bod ysgolion yn defnyddio'r adnoddau hyn a bod ysgolion mewn difrif yn meddwl am, ac yn cynllunio ar gyfer anghenion y fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol. Ond yn hollbwysig, mae dysgu proffesiynol yn rhan allweddol o hynny, a dyna pam, er enghraifft, ein bod yn parhau ar hyn o bryd i ddefnyddio ein grant datblygu proffesiynol parhaus sy'n rhan o'r Rhaglen Dysgu yn y Gymru Ddigidol, sydd yng ngham 2. Mae'r arian hwnnw yn parhau i fod ar gael drwy'r consortia rhanbarthol. Mae'n rhoi pwyslais ar amrywiaeth o weithgareddau, gan gynnwys cymorth ar gyfer staff mewn ysgolion i ddatblygu eu hyder a'u hyfedredd wrth ddefnyddio ystod o adnoddau digidol ac offer drwy'r Rhaglen Dysgu yn y Gymru Ddigidol. Mae'n rhoi'r modd i roi cymorth arbenigol i arweinwyr digidol, sy'n cydlynu gwaith mewn ysgolion gyda'r consortia rhanbarthol. Mae'n hybu dinasyddiaeth ddigidol o ran defnyddio technoleg yn ddiogel a chyfrifol—mae hynny'n rhywbeth nad yw wedi ei drafod hyd yma yn y Siambr, ond mae mewn gwirionedd yn rhan bwysig o'r fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol: mae nid yn unig yn rhoi'r sgiliau i bobl ifanc ond ynglŷn â gwybod sut i ddefnyddio'r rheini yn gyfrifol ac i gadw'u hunain yn ddiogel pan fo nhw ar-lein. Felly, mae'r grant hwnnw ar gael i'r consortia, a'i brif bwyslais yw datblygu sgiliau, cymhwysedd a hyder.
O ran Hwb+, mae'r penderfyniad hwn wedi'i groesawu gan y rhai y tu allan i'r Llywodraeth sydd yn wybodus yn y maes hwn, sy'n darparu cyngor yn y maes hwn, ac mae'n seiliedig ar ddealltwriaeth sy'n gyson ddatblygu o ba adnoddau sy'n gweithio orau mewn ysgolion, ac mae'n adlewyrchu adborth. Nid yw hynny'n dweud y bu popeth yn Hwb+ yn ddrwg—nid wyf yn dweud hynny—ond mae'r contract wedi dod i ben, a dyna pryd yr oedd y contract i fod i ddod i ben. Mae'n rhoi cyfle i'r Llywodraeth a Gweinidogion fyfyrio ynghylch y ffordd orau ymlaen. Rydym ni wedi penderfynu nad y cyfrwng hwnnw yw'r cyfrwng gorau posib sydd ei angen arnom ni, yn y dyfodol, i helpu athrawon. Rydym ni wedi bod yn glir iawn ynghylch yr hyn y mae angen i ysgolion ei wneud i symud eu data, ac rydym ni wedi rhoi cymorth i ysgolion yn hynny o beth.
Mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, Llyr, yr adborth a gafodd fy swyddogion yw nad yw'r ysgolion eu hunain wedi codi unrhyw gwestiynau gyda ni, neu gwyno wrthym ni, am gael gwared ar Hwb+. Yr hyn yr ydym ni yn ei roi iddyn nhw yw mwy o ddewis, a'r gallu gobeithio i ryngweithio'n haws gyda'r cyfrwng i'w helpu i ymgorffori'r cyfleusterau hyn yn eu harferion bob dydd. Fel y dywedais, rydym ni wedi darparu cymorth o bell i helpu ysgolion drosglwyddo eu data, a lle mae ysgolion wedi gwneud cais, rydym ni wedi darparu cymorth personol ar y safle i'r ysgolion hynny a oedd angen y cyfryw gefnogaeth.
Y mater o'r ysgolion—fel gyda'r holl bethau hyn, rydych chi'n credu eich bod wedi datrys y peth, a bod popeth wedi ei wneud. Mae un ysgol—ac mae gennyf yr enw yn rhywle, ond byddaf yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelod gyda hwnnw—lle na roddwyd archeb, felly, ar gyfer yr holl ysgolion eraill, mae archebion wedi'u gosod gyda'r cyflenwyr, ac mae gwaith wedi'i raglennu i gael ei wneud. Ond mae un ysgol ar ôl, ac rydym ni'n gweithio i edrych i weld sut y gallwn ni roi sylw i'r anghenion hynny.
Yr hyn sy'n dod i'r amlwg yn gynyddol gydag ysgolion yw nid y seilwaith y tu allan i'r ysgol, ond bellach seilwaith y tu mewn i'r ysgol. Ac rydym ni yn parhau i gael cwynion gan ysgolion sy'n cael trafferth, ond yn aml wrth archwilio hynny, mae a wnelo hynny â'r problemau o fewn yr ysgol. Dyna pam ein bod ni'n gweithio gyda 180 o ysgolion ar hyn o bryd i weld beth yw'r cyfyngiadau a beth yw'r materion y mae angen inni fynd i'r afael â nhw, fel y gallwn ni ystyried, unwaith yr ydym ni wedi mynd i'r afael â chyflymder y tu allan, beth y gallwn ni ei wneud wedyn i fynd i'r afael â seilwaith o fewn ysgolion i sicrhau ei fod yr hyn y dylai fod.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement. Can I say it receives a broad welcome from both me and my party? We were particularly pleased to hear about the involvement of businesses and the funding for Welsh universities in your proposals, as well as your emphasis on prioritising superfast broadband provision in Welsh schools. I also welcome the fact that the scheme 'Cracking the code' has raised awareness of coding in schools and, in particular, I note there are now 473, maybe even more, active clubs registered with Code Club UK, which obviously shows a significant increase in engaging children in coding. Can we congratulate you on that success?
There are some points about the finer details of the statement that I would like to briefly comment on. Firstly, and I think Mohammad Asghar touched on this in his comments, there will always be educators, companies and universities who will want to sell or receive Government funding to teach coding and computer skills. After all, that has been the case for the past 30 or 40 years. However, the nature of computers, software and code rapidly changes as technology and the pace at which such technology progresses are likely to quicken in the coming years. So, it is important that the education programmes that the Cabinet Secretary is proposing will not just be programmes that are at the cutting edge of technology now, but are long-lasting education programmes that develop transferable computing and coding skills that students can use for many years into the future. I must say that signs look promising in this regard, given the Cabinet Secretary's quite detailed outline of the involvement of stakeholders such as Sony and the involvement of Cardiff and Swansea universities.
Can I just briefly discuss the topic of what lies behind a piece of computer code, software or technology? Why does the software produce the outputs that we see? Why does it do what it does? What makes it do what it does? There will be some intellectually curious learners on the programmes that the Cabinet Secretary is proposing who will be asking just these kinds of questions. There is an immense amount of academic theory underpinning code of software, as you will obviously know. Some of that theory lies in the sphere of mathematics, often pure mathematics, and, of course, various systems of logic. Unfortunately, I have to point out that the teaching of logic tends to be categorised somewhat nebulously in our universities. Sometimes, it goes to the mathematics department, but, much of the time, it goes to the philosophy department. Figures for philosophy in Welsh universities are not as positive as they might be. The philosophy department that was at Aberystwyth in the 1980s and 1990s was actually shut down at the end of that decade. So, Cardiff University's department is not amongst the biggest department of this sort in the UK, even though it is one of the larger ones in Wales.
So, can I conclude by asking the Cabinet Secretary does she not see a massive opportunity to use her coding programmes as a springboard to develop the intellectual curiosity of Welsh students to consider more traditional university courses such as logic, philosophy and pure mathematics? Can she further see an opportunity for these more traditional subjects to be expanded in Welsh universities, using the programmes she details as a springboard?
Diolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei datganiad. A gaf i ddweud fy mod i a'm plaid yn ei groesawu'n fawr? Roeddem ni'n arbennig o falch o glywed am gyfranogiad busnesau a'r cyllid ar gyfer prifysgolion Cymru yn eich cynigion, yn ogystal â'ch pwyslais ar flaenoriaethu darpariaeth band eang cyflym iawn yn ysgolion Cymru. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu'r ffaith bod y cynllun 'Cracio'r Cod' wedi codi ymwybyddiaeth o godio mewn ysgolion ac, yn benodol, sylwaf fod 473 bellach, efallai hyd yn oed mwy, o glybiau gweithredol cofrestredig gyda Chlwb Cod y DU, sy'n amlwg yn dangos cynnydd sylweddol o ran cymell plant i ymwneud â chodio. A gawn ni eich llongyfarch am y llwyddiant hwnnw?
Mae yna rai agweddau ynglŷn â manylion y datganiad yr hoffwn i eu crybwyll yn gryno. Yn gyntaf, ac rwy'n credu y soniodd Mohammad Asghar yn fras am hyn yn ei sylwadau, bydd addysgwyr, cwmnïau a phrifysgolion o hyd fydd yn dymuno gwerthu neu dderbyn cyllid gan y Llywodraeth i ddysgu sgiliau codio a chyfrifiadur. Wedi'r cyfan, dyna fu'r achos ers y 30 neu 40 mlynedd diwethaf. Fodd bynnag, mae natur cyfrifiaduron, meddalwedd a chodau yn newid yn gyflym oherwydd mae technoleg a'r cyflymder datblygiad technoleg o'r fath yn debygol o gyflymu yn y blynyddoedd i ddod. Felly, mae'n bwysig bod y rhaglenni addysg y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn eu cynnig nid yn unig yn rhaglenni sydd ar flaen y gad o ran technoleg ar hyn o bryd, ond eu bod yn rhaglenni addysg hirhoedlog sy'n datblygu sgiliau cyfrifiadureg a chodio trosglwyddadwy y gall myfyrwyr eu defnyddio am flynyddoedd lawer yn y dyfodol. Mae'n rhaid imi ddweud bod pethau'n argoeli'n addawol yn hyn o beth o ystyried amlinelliad eithaf manwl Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet o gynnwys rhanddeiliaid megis Sony a chynnwys prifysgolion Caerdydd ac Abertawe.
A gaf i drafod dim ond yn fyr y pwnc o'r hyn y mae darn o god cyfrifiadur, meddalwedd neu dechnoleg yn seiliedig arno? Pam fod y feddalwedd yn cynhyrchu'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei weld? Pam ei fod yn gwneud yr hyn y mae'n ei wneud? Beth sy'n gwneud iddo wneud yr hyn y mae'n ei wneud? Bydd rhai dysgwyr deallusol chwilfrydig ar y rhaglenni y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn eu cynnig a fydd yn gofyn y mathau hyn o gwestiynau yn union. Mae swm anferth o theori academaidd sy'n sail i god meddalwedd, fel y gwyddoch chi'n amlwg. Mae peth o'r ddamcaniaeth honno yn perthyn i faes mathemateg, mathemateg pur yn aml, ac, wrth gwrs, systemau gwahanol o resymeg. Yn anffodus, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud bod addysgu rhesymeg yn tueddu i gael ei gategoreiddio braidd yn niwlog yn ein prifysgolion. Weithiau, mae'n rhan o'r adran fathemateg, ond, lawer o'r amser, mae'n rhan o'r adran athroniaeth. Nid yw'r ffigurau ar gyfer athroniaeth ym mhrifysgolion Cymru mor gadarnhaol ag y gallent fod. Mewn gwirionedd, caewyd yr adran athroniaeth a oedd yn Aberystwyth yn y 1980au a'r 1990au ar ddiwedd y degawd. Felly, nid yw adran Prifysgol Caerdydd ymhlith yr adran fwyaf o'r math hwn yn y DU, er ei bod yn un o'r rhai mwyaf yng Nghymru.
Felly, a gaf i gloi drwy ofyn i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet onid yw hi'n gweld cyfle enfawr i ddefnyddio ei rhaglenni codio yn gyfrwng i ddatblygu chwilfrydedd deallusol myfyrwyr Cymru i ystyried cyrsiau prifysgol mwy traddodiadol megis rhesymeg, athroniaeth a mathemateg pur? A all hi ymhellach weld cyfle ar gyfer ehangu'r pynciau mwy traddodiadol hyn ym mhrifysgolion Cymru, gan ddefnyddio'r rhaglenni y mae hi yn manylu arnynt yn gyfrwng?
I'd like to thank the Member for his welcome to the statement and the work that the Welsh Government is doing in this area. He raises an interesting proposition about the curriculum at Wales's universities. What I should tell him is that any even sniff of Government interference in the autonomy of our academic institutions is something that I would wish to avoid. The curriculum and offer of each individual university is really a matter for them, but, like you, I'm glad that, in Wales's universities, we have a strong tradition in many of the subjects, including maths. Computer science, as I said, is particularly strong in Swansea. There is a table that comes out about what happens to people when they've done a certain degree, and what their destination is. Swansea computing does particularly well in finding its graduates some very well-paid jobs only a matter of months after their graduation. So, it's certainly something that the students who take that course do very well. But it really is a matter for the universities. What I'm keen to do is harness, in the universities, the expertise that they have within their departments, across their curriculum, and to be able to use their expertise to help us build up capacity in our schools system, which was one of the reasons why we are investing, as we are, via the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, in these universities, and we have done previously with Technocamps, because we recognise that this is a collective endeavour—individual schools, the private sector and enterprise, as well as our universities. By working together, we can provide a really fantastic offer for our children.
Hoffwn ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei groeso i'r datganiad a'r gwaith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud yn y maes hwn. Mae'n codi cwestiwn diddorol am y cwricwlwm ym mhrifysgolion Cymru. Beth y dylwn i ei ddweud wrtho yw bod hyd yn oed yr arlliw lleiaf o ymyrraeth y Llywodraeth yn annibyniaeth ein sefydliadau academaidd yn rhywbeth rwy'n dymuno ei osgoi. Mae'r cwricwlwm a chynnig pob prifysgol unigol mewn gwirionedd yn fater iddyn nhw, ond, fel chi, rwy'n falch, ym mhrifysgolion Cymru, bod gennym ni draddodiad cryf mewn llawer o bynciau, gan gynnwys mathemateg. Mae gwyddoniaeth gyfrifiadurol, fel y dywedais, yn arbennig o gryf yn Abertawe. Caiff tabl ei gyhoeddi ynglŷn â beth sy'n digwydd i bobl pan maen nhw wedi gwneud gradd benodol, a beth yw eu hanes wedyn. Mae cyfrifiadureg yn Abertawe yn gwneud yn arbennig o dda yn dod o hyd i rai swyddi bras iawn i'w graddedigion dim ond ychydig fisoedd ar ôl iddyn nhw raddio. Felly, mae'n sicr yn rhywbeth y mae'r myfyrwyr sy'n dewis y cwrs hwnnw yn ei wneud yn dda iawn. Ond mewn gwirionedd mae'n fater i'r prifysgolion. Yr hyn rwy'n awyddus i'w wneud yw manteisio, yn y prifysgolion, ar yr arbenigedd sydd ganddyn nhw yn eu hadrannau, ar draws eu cwricwlwm, a gallu defnyddio eu harbenigedd i'n helpu i adeiladu gallu yn ein system ysgolion, a oedd yn un o'r rhesymau pam yr ydym ni'n buddsoddi, fel yr ydym ni, drwy Gyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Cymru, yn y prifysgolion hyn, ac fel yr ydym ni wedi gwneud o'r blaen gyda Technocamps, oherwydd rydym ni'n cydnabod bod hon yn ymdrech ar y cyd—ysgolion unigol, y sector preifat a mentrau, yn ogystal â'n prifysgolion. Drwy weithio gyda'n gilydd, gallwn gynnig rhywbeth gwirioneddol wych ar gyfer ein plant.
Cabinet Secretary, maybe I could bother you a little more. I wish you'd said in your statement what you said in the questions, because I do think you genuinely get the problem. I was slightly depressed that the statement puts a gloss on where we're at, and it seems to me that if we've got any chance of addressing the scale of change we need to carry out, it needs to start with an honest analysis of where things are at. You quoted the Estyn report, which said that, in two thirds of primary schools, there are important shortcomings in standards of ICT that should be a wake-up call to all of us. My frustration goes across all departments in the way that we are embracing digital. But in terms of education, I don't think that listing a litany of useful initiatives we are undertaking really does cut it, given the scale of the challenge that does face us. I genuinely am alarmed that we are way behind where we should be.
You mentioned that there are 473 code clubs. I'd be interested to know how many pupils are going through those code clubs. I would be particularly interested to know how many pupils on free school meals are going through those code clubs. Let's not kid ourselves: the amount of people we're engaging with is trivial, given the challenges that we are facing as a society, and I'd much rather the Welsh Government started its statement by saying that, and be honest about where we're at, rather than trying to pretend all was well.
The other findings in the Estyn report are that teachers lack knowledge and confidence. You mentioned that Hwb is a tool on it—a DCF mapping tool—but given the fact that schools are not auditing their digital competence already, they're hardly likely to start using a mapping tool on Hwb. It was also said in the Estyn report that schools lack a clear vision about ICT from senior leaders. That is a profound and damning indictment of the state of our school leadership. If they haven't got the skills and the knowledge and the confidence, they're not about to suddenly start doing this. The items you addressed are some way in the future, and they are going to take a long time to trickle down through all of our schools. That's what we should all be confronting. As it happens, I agree with you on Hwb+. I think Llyr Gruffydd is wrong on that. I think the feedback I'm getting from the profession was that that had lost its way and a new approach needs to be taken.
But I do implore you, Cabinet Secretary, to be honest with us all about where we're really at, and what really needs to change, and the pace and scale at which it needs to do so.
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, efallai y gallwn i boeni ychydig yn fwy arnoch chi. Petai chi ond wedi dweud yn eich datganiad yr hyn y gwnaethoch chi ei ddweud yn y cwestiynau, oherwydd rwy'n credu eich bod yn deall y broblem mewn gwirionedd. Roeddwn yn ddigalon braidd bod y datganiad yn rhoi sglein ar y sefyllfa yr ydym ni ynddi, ac mae'n ymddangos i mi os oes gennym ni unrhyw obaith o fynd i'r afael â maint y newid y mae angen inni ei gyflawni, mae angen dechrau gyda dadansoddiad onest o'r sefyllfa sydd ohoni. Fe wnaethoch chi ddyfynnu adroddiad Estyn, a ddywedodd, mewn dwy ran o dair o ysgolion cynradd, bod diffygion arwyddocaol yn safonau TGCh a ddylai fod yn ysgytwad inni i gyd. Rwy'n rhwystredig gyda phob adran o ran sut yr ydym ni'n cofleidio technoleg ddigidol. Ond o ran addysg, nid wyf yn credu bod rhestru llwyth o fentrau defnyddiol yr ydym ni'n eu cynnal yn gwneud y tro mewn gwirionedd, o ystyried maint yr her sy'n ein hwynebu. Rwyf yn wirioneddol synnu ein bod ymhell ar ei hôl hi o ran lle y dylem ni fod.
Fe wnaethoch chi sôn bod yna 473 o glybiau cod. Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb gwybod faint o ddisgyblion sy'n mynychu'r clybiau cod hynny. Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb arbennig mewn gwybod faint o ddisgyblion prydau ysgol am ddim sy'n mynychu'r clybiau cod hynny. Gadewch inni beidio â thwyllo ein hunain: mae faint o bobl rydym ni'n ymgysylltu â nhw yn ddibwys, o ystyried yr heriau sy'n ein hwynebu fel cymdeithas, a byddai'n llawer gwell gennyf petai Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dechrau ei datganiad drwy ddweud hynny, a bod yn onest ynghylch y sefyllfa, yn hytrach na cheisio esgus bod popeth yn iawn.
Y canfyddiadau eraill yn adroddiad Estyn yw bod diffyg gwybodaeth a hyder gan athrawon. Fe wnaethoch chi sôn bod offeryn yn bodoli ar Hwb—offeryn mapio ar gyfer y fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol—ond o ystyried y ffaith nad yw ysgolion yn archwilio eu cymhwysedd digidol eisoes, maen nhw'n annhebygol o ddechrau defnyddio offeryn mapio ar Hwb. Dywedwyd hefyd yn yr adroddiad Estyn fod diffyg gweledigaeth glir am TGCh gan uwch arweinwyr ysgolion. Mae hynny'n gyhuddiad damniol a dwys o gyflwr ein harweinyddiaeth mewn ysgolion. Os nad oes ganddyn nhw'r sgiliau a'r wybodaeth a'r hyder, dydyn nhw ddim yn sydyn iawn yn mynd i ddechrau gwneud hyn. Mae'r eitemau y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio atyn nhw beth ffordd yn y dyfodol, ac maen nhw'n mynd i gymryd amser hir i dreiddio drwy ein hysgolion i gyd. Dyna beth ddylai pob un ohonom ni fod yn ei wynebu. Fel mae'n digwydd, rwy'n cytuno â chi ynglŷn â Hwb+. Rwy'n credu bod Llyr Gruffydd yn anghywir ynglŷn â hynny. Rwy'n credu mai'r adborth yr wyf i'n ei gael gan y proffesiwn oedd bod hwnnw wedi colli ei ffordd a bod angen dull gweithredu newydd.
Ond rwyf yn erfyn arnoch chi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, i fod yn onest gyda ni ynglŷn â lle'r ydym ni arni mewn gwirionedd, a beth sydd angen newid mewn gwirionedd, a pha mor gyflym ac i ba raddau y mae angen i hynny ddigwydd.
Thank you, Lee. I don't shy away from the fact and the findings of the Estyn report about what needs to happen in day-to-day practice in our schools. That's what's absolutely key: what can we do that is impactful on practice, because we need to see a step change within classrooms? How we can get that leadership from the very top of the school to recognise the importance of this and then to plan appropriately is key. I continue to discuss with the learning council who advise on these issues what more we can do and what more I can do to ensure that each school is addressing that seriously, strategically and consistently, rather than individuals getting ahead.
Our pioneer school network is also absolutely key in this in ensuring that they are out working with schools that are not part of the pioneer network to see change and practice. I think it's really important that we do that because, sometimes, some of the resistance to change is, 'It can't possibly work in my school. It's all very good for you, the sage on the stage, to tell me that, but you come to my classroom—', and actually by using the pioneer network we are demonstrating that these are approaches that have been trialled and tested in schools and that have worked and therefore, 'There is nothing to stop this being transferred into your own school.' So, the pioneers are a crucial part of that. We will continue via Estyn inspections of individual settings to keep a very close eye on how those schools are addressing these particular needs.
To hand, I don't have figures on free school meal children accessing coding club. I will go back to officials to see if it's possible to ascertain that data. We don't want this to become yet another divide between those children who can and those children who cannot. What was really interesting with the approach taken at the primary school in Llanedeyrn this morning is that that headteacher pays the teaching assistants to stay after school for an extra hour so that all children, whether they've got access to computers or technology at home, get to have that time to use that technology for their homework or to attend the coding club. That's just really interesting. That's in a school with over 20 per cent of children on free school meals, in an area of very mixed economic status for the families attending the school.
This will continue to form part of my work that I'm doing, following on from the debate that we had last week, about the true cost of secondary education and what the financial barriers are for all children being able to experience all that our education system has to offer. I'm determined to keep my officials' feet to the fire on this; also there is the digital council's willingness to keep my feet to the fire on how we can develop this to create that step change that you talked about, and it is my intention to continue to come back to the Assembly so we can monitor and you can monitor developments in this case.
But I don't underestimate the challenge of incorporating the DCF into the literacy and numeracy framework. When we think about how long it took the literacy and numeracy framework to be embedded into practice, and we were talking about concepts that all schools would have been familiar with—the teaching of literacy and numeracy—that gives us a picture of the challenge of introducing something consistently in our classrooms where perhaps there hasn't been that experience and that track record. And we should be mindful of that, and we are learning the lessons of the implementation of the literacy and numeracy frameworks in how we approach this.
Diolch i chi, Lee. Nid wyf yn osgoi'r ffaith a chanfyddiadau adroddiad Estyn ynghylch beth ddylai ddigwydd yn feunyddiol yn ein hysgolion. Dyna beth sy'n hollol allweddol: beth allwn ni ei wneud wnaiff effeithio ar arfer, oherwydd mae angen inni weld newid sylweddol yn yr ystafell ddosbarth? Mae sut y gallwn ni gael yr arweinyddiaeth o frig yr ysgol i gydnabod pwysigrwydd hyn ac wedyn i gynllunio'n briodol yn allweddol. Rwy'n parhau i drafod gyda'r cyngor dysgu sy'n rhoi cyngor ar y materion hyn beth mwy y gallwn ni ei wneud a beth mwy y gallaf i ei wneud i sicrhau bod pob ysgol yn ymdrin â hynny o ddifrif, yn strategol ac yn gyson, yn hytrach nag unigolion yn gwneud cynnydd.
Mae ein rhwydwaith o ysgolion arloesi hefyd yn gwbl allweddol yn hyn i sicrhau eu bod yn gweithio gydag ysgolion nad ydynt yn rhan o'r rhwydwaith arloesi i weld newid ac arsylwi arferion. Mae'n bwysig iawn inni wneud hynny oherwydd, weithiau, elfen o'r gwrthwynebiad i newid yw, 'does dim posib i hynny weithio yn fy ysgol i. Mae'n hawdd iawn i chi, y doethor hollwybodus, ddweud hynny wrthyf i, ond dewch i fy ystafell ddosbarth i—', ac mewn gwirionedd drwy ddefnyddio'r rhwydwaith arloesi rydym ni'n dangos bod y rhain yn ddulliau sydd wedi eu treialu a'u profi mewn ysgolion a'u bod wedi gweithio ac felly, 'Does dim i atal hyn gael ei drosglwyddo i'ch ysgol eich hun.' Felly, mae'r ysgolion arloesi yn rhan hanfodol o hynny. Byddwn yn parhau drwy gyfrwng arolygiadau Estyn o leoliadau unigol i gadw golwg agos iawn ar sut mae'r ysgolion hynny yn mynd i'r afael â'r anghenion penodol hyn.
Wrth law, nid oes gennyf ffigurau ynglŷn â phlant prydau ysgol am ddim sy'n mynychu clybiau codio. Byddaf yn holi swyddogion i weld a yw'n bosib canfod y data hwnnw. Does arnom ni ddim eisiau i hyn fod yn rhaniad arall rhwng y plant hynny sy'n gallu a'r plant hynny nad ydyn nhw'n gallu. Beth oedd yn ddiddorol iawn gyda'r dull a ddefnyddir yn yr ysgol gynradd yn Llanedeyrn y bore yma yw bod y pennaeth hwnnw yn talu cynorthwywyr addysgu i aros ar ôl ysgol am awr ychwanegol fel gall y plant i gyd, p'un a oes ganddyn nhw fynediad i gyfrifiaduron neu dechnoleg yn y cartref ai peidio, gael yr amser hwnnw i ddefnyddio'r dechnoleg ar gyfer eu gwaith cartref neu i fynd i'r clwb codio. Mae hynny'n ddiddorol iawn. Mae hynny mewn ysgol gyda dros 20 y cant o'r plant ar brydau ysgol am ddim, mewn ardal o statws economaidd gymysg iawn o ran y teuluoedd sy'n mynychu'r ysgol.
Bydd hyn yn parhau i fod yn rhan o'r gwaith yr wyf yn ei wneud, yn dilyn y ddadl a gawsom ni yr wythnos diwethaf, am wir gost addysg uwchradd, a beth yw'r rhwystrau ariannol, fel bod pob plentyn yn gallu profi popeth sydd gan ein system addysg i'w gynnig. Rwy'n benderfynol o roi pwysau ar fy swyddogion yn hyn o beth; hefyd, mae'r cyngor digidol yn barod iawn i roi pwysaf arnaf i o ran sut y gallwn ni ddatblygu hyn i greu'r newid hwnnw y gwnaethoch chi sôn amdano, ac mae'n fwriad gennyf barhau i ddod yn ôl i'r Cynulliad fel y gallwn ni gadw llygad ac y gallwch chi gadw llygad ar ddatblygiadau yn yr achos hwn.
Ond nid wyf yn bychanu'r her o ymgorffori'r fframwaith cymhwysedd digidol i'r fframwaith llythrennedd a rhifedd. Pan fyddwn ni'n meddwl am faint o amser gymerodd hi i ymgorffori'r fframwaith llythrennedd a rhifedd i arferion, ac roeddem ni'n sôn am gysyniadau y byddai pob ysgol yn gyfarwydd â nhw— addysgu llythrennedd a rhifedd—mae hynny'n rhoi darlun inni o'r her o gyflwyno rhywbeth cyson yn ein hystafelloedd dosbarth lle efallai na fu'r profiad hwnnw na'r hanes hwnnw. Ac fe ddylem ni fod yn ymwybodol o hynny, ac rydym ni yn dysgu'r gwersi o'r broses o weithredu'r fframweithiau llythrennedd a rhifedd o ran sut yr ydym ni'n ymdrin â hyn.
Finally, David Rees.
Yn olaf, David Rees.
Diolch Llywydd. Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement today, because, clearly, the important role of computing and digital competency within our future operations is critical? I won't repeat some of the points on Estyn. You've made those answers quite clear so far, but I want to remind you, perhaps—and remind everybody—that digital competency and coding are not the same things. In fact, coding is perhaps a more advanced skill within digital competency, and we have two different tasks there to achieve. It is important that we assess the skills and coding skills of staff, and I think that Llyr is right that we do need an audit of those competencies: can someone use digital technology to actually deliver the work, but also can someone code? Because that's also different.
I also welcome the work of Professor Faron Moller and Technocamps, originally set up I think by Beti Williams. I have to admit that I was involved with—. I knew of Beti Williams' role in the early days as part of the team that helped Beti set those things up. But my concerns are, again, the skills and coding, because back in the early part of the last Assembly we had Tom Crick who led the working group initiated by the then Minister, Leighton Andrews, and he set up the need to look at the differences, including science to ICT, as you've already highlighted in one of your answers, and he indicated the work we would need to do because we were already then behind the work in England. I still think our skills in coding among teachers, and the competence and confidence of teachers in that coding, is short, and we need to actually get something under way.
So, how is the Welsh Government taking this forward, not just in Technocamps, because that's limited, but how are you going to push so that every teacher in every school who is delivering the curriculum in computer science has the skill to actually deliver coding, and make sure it's coding in a particular language that is applicable across all of Wales, so you don't get different languages across different schools, which can confuse pupils and confuse teaching mechanisms? In my days, I was teaching Assembly language, CESIL and BASIC, but those days have gone, and we are now into C# and Java and other things, but there we go.
But, again, it's important about that development, because if we want to get young people who are developing apps and who are developing and modding games, they need to have those skills. The staff need to have those skills. Very often, we find that young people actually have better skills than the staff, and the staff learn off them, but we should not be frightened of that. And the staff should not be frightened of that, because staff tend to find they have a lot of other things to do. Pupils and young people tend to find they have a lot of time to spend on games and coding, but that's important and we need to develop that.
And can you also look at what industrial partners are involved in developing those skills, and the girls? To give you an example, Microsoft have been running this DigiGirlz scheme, and I hope that you would agree with me that we want to praise the young pupils in Ysgol Bae Baglan who went up to Microsoft last week, and came back with a social impact award from that event. These are young girls going into a competition and developing code at Microsoft. That's the type of scheme we want, to ensure that pupils can see a future and can see a career, and they can take it further, because there's a difference between using ICT and developing applications that actually produce those applications by writing the software code for them. That is hugely important. So, can you look at where we're going with that, so that we can where industrial partners will direct girls on and will give role models as well, because there are many female role models required? I can give you the names of several, but we need to ensure that that is there as well.
Can you also look at schemes that allow teachers to go and work in software development, because being given training and development in a classroom environment to develop those skills is different from actually going in to the workplace and actually applying those skills to software development itself? And you learn an awful lot more by ensuring that the short cuts and techniques you gain are passed on to your young people.
Diolch Llywydd. A gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei datganiad heddiw, oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae rôl bwysig cyfrifiadura a chymhwysedd digidol o fewn ein gweithrediadau yn y dyfodol yn hollbwysig? Ni fyddaf yn ailadrodd rhai o'r pwyntiau a wnaed am Estyn. Rydych chi wedi gwneud yr atebion hynny yn gwbl glir hyd yn hyn, ond rwy'n dymuno'ch atgoffa chi, efallai—ac atgoffa pawb—nad yw cymhwysedd digidol a chodio yr un peth. Yn wir, efallai bod codio yn sgil uwch o fewn cymhwysedd digidol, ac mae gennym ni ddwy dasg wahanol i'w cyflawni yn hynny o beth. Mae'n bwysig i ni asesu sgiliau a sgiliau codio staff, ac rwy'n credu bod Llyr yn llygad ei le o ran bod angen archwiliad o'r cymwyseddau hynny arnom: a all rhywun ddefnyddio technoleg ddigidol i gyflawni'r gwaith mewn gwirionedd, ond hefyd a all rhywun godio? Gan fod hynny'n wahanol hefyd.
Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu gwaith yr Athro Faron Moller a Technocamps, a sefydlwyd yn wreiddiol, rwy'n credu, gan Beti Williams. Mae'n rhaid imi gyfaddef nad oeddwn yn ymwneud â—. Roeddwn i'n gwybod am waith Beti Williams yn y dyddiau cynnar, a minnau'n rhan o'r tîm a helpodd Beti i sefydlu'r pethau hynny. Ond, unwaith eto, fy mhryderon i yw'r sgiliau a'r codio, oherwydd yn ôl tua dechrau'r Cynulliad diwethaf roedd gennym ni Tom Crick a arweiniodd y gweithgor a sefydlwyd gan y Gweinidog ar y pryd, Leighton Andrews, a sefydlodd yr angen i edrych ar y gwahaniaethau, gan gynnwys gwyddoniaeth i TGCh, fel yr ydych chi wedi'i amlygu eisoes yn un o'ch atebion, a nododd ef y gwaith y byddai angen i ni ei wneud oherwydd ein bod ni ar ei hôl hi eisoes o'i gymharu â Lloegr. Rwy'n credu bod ein sgiliau codio ymhlith athrawon, a chymhwysedd a hyder athrawon wrth godio, yn brin o hyd, ac mae angen i ni roi rhywbeth ar waith mewn gwirionedd.
Felly, sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn dwyn hyn ymlaen, nid dim ond mewn Technocamps, oherwydd bod hynny'n gyfyngedig, ond o ran sut yr ydych chi am wthio'r peth fel bod gan bob athro ym mhob ysgol sy'n cyflwyno'r cwricwlwm mewn cyfrifiadureg y sgiliau i gyflwyno codio, a gwneud yn siŵr bod y codio mewn iaith benodol sy'n berthnasol ledled Cymru, fel nad oes gennych chi wahanol ieithoedd mewn gwahanol ysgolion, a all ddrysu disgyblion a drysu dulliau addysgu? 'Slawer dydd, roeddwn i'n addysgu iaith gydosod, CESIL a BASIC, ond mae'r dyddiau hynny wedi hen fynd, ac rydym ni bellach yn defnyddio C# a Java a phethau eraill, ond dyna ni.
Ond, unwaith eto, mae'n bwysig o ran y datblygiad hwnnw, oherwydd os ydym ni eisiau i bobl ifanc ddatblygu apiau a datblygu ac addasu gemau, mae angen y sgiliau hynny arnyn nhw. Mae angen y sgiliau hynny ar y staff. Yn aml iawn, rydym ni'n gweld bod gan bobl ifanc sgiliau gwell na'r staff, mewn gwirionedd, a bod y staff yn dysgu oddi wrthyn nhw, ond ni ddylem ni fod ag ofn hynny. Ac ni ddylai fod ar staff ofn hynny, oherwydd bod tuedd i staff weld bod ganddynt lawer o bethau eraill i'w gwneud. Mae tuedd i ddisgyblion a phobl ifanc weld bod ganddynt lawer o amser i'w dreulio ar gemau a chodio, ond mae hynny'n bwysig ac mae angen inni ddatblygu hynny.
Ac a wnewch chi hefyd edrych ar ba bartneriaid diwydiannol sy'n cymryd rhan yn y gwaith o ddatblygu'r sgiliau hynny, a'r merched? I roi enghraifft i chi, mae Microsoft wedi bod yn cynnal y cynllun DigiGirlz , ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddech chi'n cytuno â mi bod eisiau i ni ganmol y disgyblion ifanc yn Ysgol Bae Baglan a aeth i Microsoft yr wythnos diwethaf, a dod yn ôl o'r digwyddiad hwnnw â gwobr effaith gymdeithasol. Merched ifanc yw'r rhain, yn mynd i gystadleuaeth a datblygu cod ym Microsoft. Dyna'r math o gynllun sydd ei angen arnom ni, i sicrhau y gall disgyblion weld dyfodol a gweld gyrfa, ac yn gallu datblygu hynny, oherwydd bod gwahaniaeth rhwng defnyddio TGCh a datblygu cymwysiadau sydd mewn gwirionedd yn cynhyrchu'r cymwysiadau hynny drwy ysgrifennu'r cod meddalwedd ar eu cyfer. Mae hynny'n hynod o bwysig. Felly, a wnewch chi edrych ar ein sefyllfa ni yn hynny o beth, fel y gallwn weld i ble y bydd partneriaid diwydiannol yn cyfeirio merched ac yn cynnig modelau rôl hefyd, oherwydd bod angen llawer o fodelau rôl benywaidd? Gallaf i roi enwau sawl un i chi, ond mae angen i ni sicrhau bod y rheiny ar gael hefyd.
A wnewch chi hefyd edrych ar gynlluniau sy'n galluogi athrawon i fynd i weithio ar ddatblygu meddalwedd, oherwydd bod cael hyfforddiant a datblygu'r sgiliau hynny mewn amgylchedd ystafell ddosbarth yn wahanol, mewn gwirionedd, i fynd i'r gweithle a chymhwyso'r sgiliau hynny i waith datblygu meddalwedd ei hun mewn gwirionedd? Ac rydych chi'n dysgu llawer iawn mwy drwy sicrhau bod y llwybrau byr a'r technegau y byddwch chi'n eu hennill yn cael eu trosglwyddo i'ch pobl ifanc.
Thank you very much, David, for those series of observations and questions. Just to reassure you, Tom Crick remains an integral part of support for Government on these areas. He chairs one of the networks of excellence, and I notice from his Twitter feed today that he has very much welcomed the announcement and thinks that it's a really important thing that we've done today in terms of the investment in Swansea and Cardiff.
With regard to coding, gosh, I'm so old that even I remember doing BASIC, and I'm so old I did O-levels. When I did an O-level in computer science, in fact, Beverley Thomas and I were the only two girls in the class. It was either computer science or scripture, so Beverley Thomas and I went to do computer science, the only two girls in the class, and we learnt BASIC.
I think the issue about coding, I wouldn't want us to be in a position where we said to schools, 'That's the only coding programme that you should use', because first of all, there's a developmental issue there. So, for instance, you wouldn't want to start your very youngest children on Python, for instance—it's probably too advanced for them—but you probably would want to start your youngest children on Blockly, which gives them the basic understanding of instructions, and then you would build them up to something like Python. So, you don't want to just say to schools, 'That's the only one—' [Interruption.] Like you know anything about it. [Laughter.] Nice try. But you wouldn't want to say that's the only language that we would use in school. But what we do need is to develop the skills of those teachers within our schools. You're quite right; many of the teachers are being taught by the young people themselves, and trying to keep pace with them is a real challenge for the staff, and that's why we need to develop our national learning programme for all staff, so, no matter where they are in Wales, they can have access to a professional development programme that is going to assist them in many, many different ways. Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, David, am y gyfres honno o sylwadau a chwestiynau. I dawelu'ch meddwl chi, mae Tom Crick yn parhau i fod yn rhan annatod o'r gefnogaeth sydd ar gael i'r Llywodraeth yn y meysydd hyn. Mae'n cadeirio un o'r rhwydweithiau rhagoriaeth, ac rwy'n sylwi o'i gyfrif Twitter heddiw ei fod wedi croesawu'r cyhoeddiad yn fawr iawn a'i fod yn credu ein bod wedi gwneud rhywbeth pwysig iawn heddiw o ran y buddsoddiad yn Abertawe a Chaerdydd.
O ran codio, wel, rwy' mor hen, rwyf innau hyd yn oed yn cofio gwneud BASIC, ac rwy' mor hen y gwnes i arholiadau lefel O. Pan wnes i lefel O mewn cyfrifiadureg, yn wir, Beverley Thomas a fi oedd yr unig ddwy ferch yn y dosbarth. Roedd yna ddewis rhwng cyfrifiadureg ac ysgrythur, felly aeth Beverley Thomas a fi i wneud cyfrifiadureg, yr unig ddwy ferch yn y dosbarth, ac fe wnaethom ni ddysgu BASIC.
Rwy'n credu o ran y mater ynghylch codio, ni fyddwn i'n dymuno i ni fod mewn sefyllfa lle'r ydym ni'n dweud wrth ysgolion, 'Hon yw'r unig raglen godio y dylech fod yn ei defnyddio', oherwydd, yn gyntaf oll, mae yna fater datblygiadol yn y fan honno. Felly, er enghraifft, ni fyddech chi eisiau dechrau eich plant ieuengaf ar Python, er enghraifft—fe fyddai'n rhy anodd iddyn nhw fwy na thebyg—ond fe fyddech chi mae'n siŵr eisiau dechrau eich plant ieuengaf ar Blockly, sy'n rhoi iddyn nhw'r ddealltwriaeth sylfaenol o gyfarwyddiadau, ac wedyn byddech chi'n eu datblygu'n raddol i rywbeth fel Python. Felly, nid ydych chi eisiau dweud wrth ysgolion, 'Dyna'r unig un—' [Torri ar draws.] Siawns eich bod chi'n gwybod dim am y peth. [Chwerthin.] Go dda. Ond fyddech chi ddim eisiau dweud mai dyna'r unig iaith y byddem ni'n ei defnyddio yn yr ysgol. Ond yr hyn sydd angen i ni ei wneud yw datblygu sgiliau'r athrawon hynny yn ein hysgolion. Rydych chi yn llygad eich lle; mae llawer o'r athrawon yn cael eu haddysgu gan y bobl ifanc eu hunain, ac mae ceisio cadw i fyny â nhw yn her wirioneddol i'r staff, a dyna pam y mae angen i ni ddatblygu ein rhaglen ddysgu genedlaethol ar gyfer pob aelod o staff, ni waeth ymhle y maent yng Nghymru, er mwyn iddynt allu cael mynediad at raglen datblygu proffesiynol a fydd yn eu helpu mewn llawer iawn o wahanol ffyrdd. Diolch.
Diolch i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, a dyna ddiwedd ar ein trafodion ni am y dydd.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary, and that brings today's proceedings to a close.
Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am 18:45.
The meeting ended at 18:45.