Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
30/04/2019Cynnwys
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 ar ein hagenda ni'r prynhawn yma, unwaith eto, yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Lynne Neagle.
The first item on our agenda this afternoon, once again, is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Lynne Neagle.
1. Pa gamau y mae'r Prif Weinidog yn eu cymryd i warchod yr amgylchedd naturiol yng Nghymoedd y De? OAQ53781
1. What steps is the First Minister taking to protect the natural environment in the south Wales Valleys? OAQ53781
Diolch, Llywydd. Amongst the steps being taken to protect the natural environment is the proposed creation of the Valleys regional park. It will support innovative responses to climate change, water quality and management, and the protection of biodiversity and unique local habitats.
Diolch, Llywydd. Un o'r camau sy'n cael eu cymryd i ddiogelu'r amgylchedd naturiol yw'r bwriad i greu parc rhanbarthol y Cymoedd. Bydd yn cefnogi ymatebion arloesol i'r newid yn yr hinsawdd, ansawdd a rheolaeth dŵr, a diogelu bioamrywiaeth a chynefinoedd lleol unigryw.
Thank you, First Minister. First Minister, the report into the public inquiry on proposals to mine aggregate at a much-loved local beauty spot, known as 'the canyons', is currently with your Minister for Housing and Local Government, awaiting decision. And I'm really grateful for the cross-party support for our campaign to stop the development, and in particular to the many AMs, from all parties, who've signed my giant postcard depicting the area, in recognition of its unique natural beauty. Now, I realise that you cannot comment on an individual planning application, but will you take this opportunity to restate the Welsh Government's commitment to protecting our environment in the south Wales Valleys, not just for local residents, but also in order to unlock their massive tourism and leisure potential?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Prif Weinidog, mae'r adroddiad ar yr ymchwiliad cyhoeddus i'r cynigion i gloddio am agregau mewn llecyn o harddwch lleol y mae pobl yn hoff iawn ohono, a adnabyddir fel 'y canyons', gyda'ch Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol ar hyn o bryd, yn disgwyl penderfyniad. Ac rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y gefnogaeth drawsbleidiol i'n hymgyrch i atal y datblygiad, ac yn arbennig i'r ACau niferus, o bob plaid, sydd wedi llofnodi fy ngherdyn post anferth yn darlunio'r ardal, i gydnabod ei harddwch naturiol unigryw. Nawr, rwy'n sylweddoli na allwch chi wneud sylwadau ar gais cynllunio unigol, ond a wnewch chi achub ar y cyfle hwn i ailddatgan ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i ddiogelu ein hamgylchedd yng Nghymoedd y de, nid ar gyfer trigolion lleol yn unig, ond hefyd er mwyn datgloi eu potensial enfawr o ran twristiaeth a hamdden?
I thank Lynne Neagle for that question. Of course, I'm very pleased indeed to put on record, again, the Welsh Government's commitment to our irreplaceable natural resources, the significance that they have for the value of the landscape, for biodiversity and, indeed, for local heritage. And I commend, of course, the campaign that she has led and the imaginative way in which it has drawn attention to an issue that I know means a great deal to her and to local residents. Now, as Lynne knows, decisions on whether to recover an appeal follow a set of established and published criteria. If an appeal meets one of the criteria, then recovery is automatic, and that is what has happened in this case. Recovered appeals are processed by the Planning Inspectorate in the normal way, and that has now been completed. The decision then lies with Welsh Ministers, and, as the Member has said, it's not possible for me, or for anyone else at the Welsh Government, to comment on the merits of the proposal so as not to prejudice the final decision. But the Member's constituents will have heard what she has said today and I know will appreciate the efforts that she is making on their behalf.
Diolchaf i Lynne Neagle am y cwestiwn yna. Wrth gwrs, rwy'n falch iawn yn wir o roi ar gofnod, eto, ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i'n hadnoddau naturiol unigryw, yr arwyddocâd sydd ganddynt i werth y dirwedd, i fioamrywiaeth ac, yn wir, i dreftadaeth leol. Ac rwy'n cymeradwyo, wrth gwrs, yr ymgyrch y mae wedi hi ei harwain a'r ffordd llawn dychymyg y mae hyn wedi tynnu sylw at fater y gwn sy'n golygu llawer iawn iddi hi ac i drigolion lleol. Nawr, fel y mae Lynne yn gwybod, mae penderfyniadau ynghylch pa un a ddylid adennill apêl yn dilyn cyfres o feini prawf sydd wedi ei sefydlu a'u cyhoeddi. Os bydd apêl yn bodloni un o'r meini prawf, yna mae'r adenilliad yn awtomatig, a dyna sydd wedi digwydd yn yr achos hwn. Caiff apeliadau a adenillir eu prosesu gan yr Arolygiaeth Gynllunio yn y ffordd arferol, a chwblhawyd y gwaith hwnnw erbyn hyn. Mae'r penderfyniad yn nwylo Gweinidogion Cymru ar ôl hynny, ac fel y mae'r Aelod wedi ei ddweud, nid yw'n bosibl i mi, nac i unrhyw un arall yn Llywodraeth Cymru, wneud sylwadau ar rinweddau'r cynnig fel nad wyf yn amharu ar y penderfyniad terfynol. Ond bydd etholwyr yr Aelod wedi clywed yr hyn a ddywedodd heddiw a gwn y byddan nhw'n gwerthfawrogi'r ymdrechion y mae'n eu gwneud ar eu rhan.
Good afternoon, Minister. A recent survey found that Wales has been particularly affected by the spread of deadly fungus known as ash dieback. As a result, millions of diseased trees near buildings, roads and railways will have to be cut down, having a very significant impact on the landscape and our wildlife. First Minister, what action is the Welsh Government taking, alongside Natural Resources Wales, to increase tree planting in the Valleys, and elsewhere, to protect and preserve this vital part of our natural environment in Wales?
Prynhawn da, Gweinidog. Canfu arolwg diweddar bod Cymru wedi cael ei heffeithio'n arbennig gan ledaeniad ffwng marwol o'r enw clefyd (Chalara) coed ynn. O ganlyniad, bydd yn rhaid torri miliynau o goed i lawr sydd wedi eu heintio ger adeiladau, ffyrdd a rheilffyrdd, gan gael effaith sylweddol iawn ar y dirwedd ac ar ein bywyd gwyllt. Prif Weinidog, pa gamau mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd, ochr yn ochr â Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, i gynyddu'r gyfradd plannu coed yn y Cymoedd, ac mewn mannau eraill, i ddiogelu a gwarchod y rhan hanfodol hon o'n hamgylchedd naturiol yng Nghymru?
Llywydd, can I thank the Member for that question? He's absolutely right to point to the recent reports of the impact that ash dieback is already having in Wales and that it could go on having into the future. It's an example of the way in which threats to species do not observe any geographical barriers. Natural Resources Wales will lead for the Welsh Government in our response to ash dieback. Part of that response is about planting more trees in future, to take forward our plan for a national forest here in Wales, and to do everything that we can to deal with the specifics of ash dieback, but to advance the benefits of reforestation across Wales in the process.
Llywydd, a gaf i ddiolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna? Mae yn llygad ei le i dynnu sylw at yr adroddiadau diweddar am yr effaith y mae clefyd (Chalara) coed ynn eisoes yn ei chael yng Nghymru ac y gallai barhau i'w chael yn y dyfodol. Mae'n enghraifft o'r ffordd nad yw bygythiadau i rywogaethau yn cymryd sylw o unrhyw rwystrau daearyddol. Bydd Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn arwain ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru yn ein hymateb i'r clefyd (Chalara) coed ynn. Mae rhan o'r ymateb hwnnw'n ymwneud â phlannu mwy o goed yn y dyfodol, i fwrw ymlaen â'n cynllun ar gyfer coedwig genedlaethol yma yng Nghymru, ac i wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i ymdrin â manylion penodol clefyd (Chalara) coed ynn, ond i hyrwyddo manteision ailgoedwigo ledled Cymru wrth wneud hynny.
Although we're celebrating new-found species like the Maerdy monster, recently found on a Rhondda coal tip, the picture for other species isn't so rosy. Anyone watching the brilliant recent BBC programme Land of the Wild will be concerned by the message at the end of the series by Iolo Williams about the extent of species decline in this country. Species decline and soil degradation are key concerns of extinction rebellion, so how will you address these concerns? Now that you've agreed that we face a climate emergency, when will you outline how you are going to meet their demands on immediate emission reductions and the setting up of a citizens' assembly? And do you accept that you now need to pull your finger out on this? As this stand, you are missing your previously agreed emissions targets, and a new M4 black route decision will make things much worse, which all makes the case for the setting up of a citizens' assembly so that we can hold you to account on this.
Er ein bod yn dathlu rhywogaethau newydd fel anghenfil Maerdy, a ganfuwyd yn ddiweddar ar domen lo yn y Rhondda, nid yw'r darlun yr un mor obeithiol i rywogaethau eraill. Bydd unrhyw un sy'n gwylio'r rhaglen BBC wych ddiweddar, Land of the Wild, yn poeni am y neges ar ddiwedd y gyfres gan Iolo Williams am raddau dirywiad rhywogaethau yn y wlad hon. Mae dirywiad rhywogaethau a diraddiad pridd yn bryderon allweddol i Extinction Rebellion, felly sut y byddwch chi'n mynd i'r afael â'r pryderon hyn? A chithau bellach wedi cytuno ein bod ni'n wynebu argyfwng hinsawdd, pryd wnewch chi amlinellu sut yr ydych chi'n mynd i fodloni eu gofynion o ran lleihau allyriadau ar unwaith a sefydlu cynulliad dinasyddion? Ac a ydych chi'n derbyn bod angen i chi dynnu'r ewinedd o'r blew ynghylch hyn bellach? Ar hyn o bryd, rydych chi'n methu eich targedau allyriadau y cytunwyd arnynt yn y gorffennol, a bydd penderfyniad llwybr du newydd yr M4 yn gwneud pethau'n waeth o lawer, ac mae hynny i gyd yn dadlau'r achos dros sefydlu cynulliad dinasyddion fel y gallwn ni eich dwyn i gyfrif ar hyn.
I want to agree with the Member about the seriousness of the position that we face in relation to biodiversity and the decline in species here in Wales. And the reason why, yesterday, my colleague Lesley Griffiths declared a climate emergency on behalf of Wales is both a recognition of the seriousness of intent that we have as a Welsh Government, our commitment to galvanize action inside the Welsh Government but far beyond, and to support the social movement that there is emerging in relation to climate change, because, while Government has a core responsibility—and we set out in our low-carbon plan 100 different actions that the Government intended to take—if we are to succeed in addressing what may be the single greatest threat to humankind at any time in our history, then those actions will have to go far beyond what Government itself is able to do, and that's why the social movement is so important.
Now, Leanne Wood pointed to the fall in vertebrate populations across the United Kingdom—a fall of 60 per cent since 1970. She pointed to the problems of topsoil—85 per cent of the topsoil of East Anglia has disappeared since 1850, since intensive agriculture began. These are absolutely and fundamentally serious signs of what is happening in our environment, and we are determined as a Government to play our part in moving from a period of environmental decline to one of environmental growth. I think that support across this Chamber will be necessary to make that happen, and I know that there are Members in all parties who are committed to making that happen.
Hoffwn gytuno â'r Aelod am ddifrifoldeb y sefyllfa sy'n ein hwynebu o ran bioamrywiaeth a'r dirywiad i rywogaethau yma yng Nghymru. Ac mae'r rheswm pam, ddoe, y gwnaeth fy nghyd-Aelod Lesley Griffiths ddatgan argyfwng hinsawdd ar ran Cymru yn gydnabyddiaeth o ddifrifoldeb y bwriad sydd gennym ni fel Llywodraeth Cymru, ein hymrwymiad i weithredu'n frwd o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru ond ymhell y tu hwnt, ac i gefnogi'r mudiad cymdeithasol sy'n dod i'r amlwg o ran y newid yn yr hinsawdd, oherwydd, er bod gan Lywodraeth gyfrifoldeb craidd—ac rydym ni'n nodi 100 o wahanol gamau yr oedd y Llywodraeth yn bwriadu eu cymryd yn ein cynllun carbon isel—os ydym ni'n mynd i lwyddo i fynd i'r afael â'r hyn a allai fod yr un bygythiad mwyaf i ddynoliaeth ar unrhyw adeg yn ein hanes, yna bydd yn rhaid i'r camau gweithredu hynny fynd ymhell y tu hwnt i'r hyn y gall Llywodraeth ei wneud ar ben ei hun , a dyna pam mae'r mudiad cymdeithasol mor bwysig.
Nawr, tynnodd Leanne Wood sylw at y gostyngiad i boblogaethau fertebratau ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig—gostyngiad o 60 y cant ers 1970. Tynnodd sylw at broblemau uwchbridd—mae 85 y cant o uwchbridd East Anglia wedi diflannu ers 1850, ers dechrau amaethu dwys. Mae'r rhain yn sicr yn arwyddion difrifol a sylfaenol o'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn ein hamgylchedd, ac rydym ni'n benderfynol fel Llywodraeth i chwarae ein rhan i symud o gyfnod o ddirywiad amgylcheddol i un o dwf amgylcheddol. Credaf y bydd angen cefnogaeth ar draws y Siambr hon i sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd, a gwn fod Aelodau ym mhob plaid sydd wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd.
2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog amlinellu sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi awdurdodau lleol i ddarparu gwasanaethau hamdden? OAQ53769
2. Will the First Minister set out how the Welsh Government supports local authorities to provide leisure services? OAQ53769
I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. Even after a decade of austerity, the Welsh Government supports local authorities through revenue and capital funding for leisure purposes. Earlier this year we announced an additional £5 million worth of capital, through Sport Wales, to support the development of leisure facilities across our country.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Hyd yn oed ar ôl degawd o gyni cyllidol, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynorthwyo awdurdodau lleol trwy gyllid refeniw a chyllid cyfalaf at ddibenion hamdden. Cyhoeddwyd gwerth £5 miliwn o gyfalaf ychwanegol gennym yn gynharach eleni, drwy Chwaraeon Cymru, i gefnogi datblygiad cyfleusterau hamdden ledled ein gwlad.
Thank you, First Minister. I'm sure you'll be aware that leisure services or leisure centres that have been transferred to independent, charitable trusts are applicable for non-domestic rate relief, while those that are retained by councils aren't. This means that, across Wales, leisure trusts receive rate relief of approximately £5.4 million, whilst local authorities are paying around £3.1 million. This is obviously unfair, and I know that the finance Minister has already agreed to meet with representatives from my local authority, Rhondda Cynon Taf, to further discuss this discrepancy. However, when these centres and services are so important in improving health and well-being, can the Welsh Government commit to doing all that is in its power to level this particular playing field?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n ymwybodol bod gwasanaethau hamdden neu ganolfannau hamdden sydd wedi eu trosglwyddo i ymddiriedolaethau elusennol annibynnol yn gymwys ar gyfer rhyddhad ardrethi annomestig, er nad yw hynny'n wir ar gyfer y rhai a gadwyd gan gynghorau. Mae hyn yn golygu bod ymddiriedolaethau hamdden, ledled Cymru, yn cael rhyddhad ardrethi o tua £5.4 miliwn, tra bod awdurdodau lleol yn talu tua £3.1 miliwn. Mae hyn yn amlwg yn annheg, a gwn fod y Gweinidog cyllid eisoes wedi cytuno i gyfarfod â chynrychiolwyr o'm hawdurdod lleol i, Rhondda Cynon Taf, i drafod yr anghysondeb hwn ymhellach. Fodd bynnag, pan fo'r canolfannau a'r gwasanaethau hyn mor bwysig o ran gwella iechyd a llesiant, a all Llywodraeth Cymru ymrwymo i wneud popeth o fewn ei gallu i sicrhau tegwch yn hyn o beth?
Well, Llywydd, can I begin by agreeing with what Vikki Howells has said about the importance of sport and leisure to improving health and well-being? It was a particular pleasure to be with her in March at the opening of Cwmaman Primary School, and one of the really striking things that we saw that day was the multi-use games area available to the school during school hours but open for wider community use during the evening. And, indeed, I want to commend RCT as a local authority for the actions that it is taking to make use of the £15 million that the Welsh Government has set aside to support community-focused schools in Valley areas.
As for the specific supplementary question on non-domestic rate relief, I think it's fair for me to say, Llywydd, that while local authorities pay in money to the non-domestic rate relief pool, they get every single penny of that back. So, they are paying money in, but every penny that they pay is redistributed through the pool, and redistributed on the basis of need. Nonetheless, the Member has identified an important issue. I'm glad that Rebecca Evans will be meeting with the local authority and others on 15 May, I believe, so that we can explore in more detail with local authorities whether there is a discrepancy here and whether there is action that could be taken to address it.
Wel, Llywydd, a gaf i ddechrau trwy gytuno â'r hyn a ddywedodd Vikki Howells am bwysigrwydd chwaraeon a hamdden i wella iechyd a llesiant? Roedd yn bleser arbennig cael bod gyda hi ym mis Mawrth wrth agor Ysgol Gynradd Cwmaman, ac un o'r pethau gwirioneddol drawiadol a welsom y diwrnod hwnnw oedd y man gemau aml-ddefnydd a oedd ar gael i'r ysgol yn ystod oriau ysgol ond ar agor at ddefnydd y gymuned ehangach fin nos. Ac, yn wir, hoffwn gymeradwyo RhCT fel awdurdod lleol am y camau y mae'n eu cymryd i wneud defnydd o'r £15 miliwn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei neilltuo i gynorthwyo ysgolion bro yn ardaloedd y Cymoedd.
O ran y cwestiwn atodol penodol am ryddhad ardrethi annomestig, credaf ei bod yn deg i mi ddweud, Llywydd, er bod awdurdodau lleol yn cyfrannu arian at y gronfa rhyddhad ardrethi annomestig, eu bod nhw'n cael pob ceiniog o hynny yn ôl. Felly, maen nhw'n talu arian i mewn, ond mae pob ceiniog y maen nhw'n ei thalu yn cael ei hailddosbarthu drwy'r gronfa, ac yn cael ei hailddosbarthu ar sail angen. Er hynny, mae'r Aelod wedi nodi mater pwysig. Rwy'n falch y bydd Rebecca Evans yn cyfarfod â'r awdurdod lleol ac eraill ar 15 Mai, rwy'n credu, fel y gallwn archwilio'n fwy manwl gydag awdurdodau lleol pa un a oes anghysondeb yn y fan yma a pha un a oes camau y gellid eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â hynny.
First Minister, I'm sure you're aware of the situation at the city of Cardiff swimming club where, earlier this year, following the transfer of the Cardiff international swimming pool to Legacy Leisure, and a subsequent reduction in the council subsidy of £100,000, the club found themselves having to find £53,000 a year and a loss of pool time. This club has run for over 40 years, has seen dozens of its swimmers go on to represent Wales and the UK at Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games, including Mark Foster, David Davies and Ieuan Lloyd. I think it's very important that when we see a change in these arrangements, we remember the need to involve all our clubs and organisations using these facilities, including the elite ones that bring such honour to our nation and are really important right down the sporting pyramid, because what we see achieved at the highest level has a big impact on our ability to take up sport in general.
Prif Weinidog, rwy'n siŵr eich bod chi'n ymwybodol o'r sefyllfa yng nghlwb nofio dinas Caerdydd lle, yn gynharach eleni, ar ôl trosglwyddo pwll nofio rhyngwladol Caerdydd i Legacy Leisure, a gostyngiad dilynol i gymhorthdal y Cyngor o £100,000, canfu'r clwb bod yn rhaid iddyn nhw ddod o hyd i £53,000 y flwyddyn a cholli amser yn y pwll. Mae'r clwb hwn wedi bod yn weithredol am dros 40 mlynedd, ac mae dwsinau o'i nofwyr wedi mynd ymlaen i gynrychioli Cymru a'r DU yn y Gemau Olympaidd a Gemau'r Gymanwlad, gan gynnwys Mark Foster, David Davies ac Ieuan Lloyd. Credaf ei bod yn bwysig iawn, pan welwn ni newid i'r trefniadau hyn, ein bod ni'n cofio'r angen i gynnwys ein holl glybiau a sefydliadau sy'n defnyddio'r cyfleusterau hyn, gan gynnwys y rhai elitaidd sy'n dod â chymaint o anrhydedd i'n cenedl ac sy'n wirioneddol bwysig yr holl ffordd i lawr y pyramid chwaraeon, oherwydd mae'r hyn a welwn yn cael ei gyflawni ar y lefel uchaf yn cael effaith fawr ar ein gallu i ddechrau cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon yn gyffredinol.
I thank David Melding for that. I am indeed aware of the issue and of the history of the club, both in terms of the role models that it has supplied and the work that it does in grass-roots swimming as well. I believe that the local authority remains in discussions with the club, looking for a way to resolve some of the issues that the club has identified.
Diolchaf i David Melding am hynna. Rwyf yn ymwybodol o'r mater, yn wir, ac o hanes y clwb, o ran yr esiamplau y mae wedi eu cyflenwi a'r gwaith y mae'n ei wneud ym myd nofio ar lawr gwlad hefyd. Credaf fod yr awdurdod lleol yn dal i fod mewn trafodaethau gyda'r clwb, gan chwilio am ffordd i ddatrys rhai o'r problemau y mae'r clwb wedi eu nodi.
First Minister, leisure services across Wales have taken a hammering over recent years and, obviously, as you've said, while Tory UK Government austerity has driven much of this, over recent years a lack of Welsh Government funding to local government has compounded the issue. Now, these concerns over funding have been well made by council leaders of all political persuasions by the Welsh Local Government Association. Local leisure services clearly play a vital societal role in terms of tackling loneliness and isolation, physical fitness and social cohesion. Do you now recognise that your Government will need to commit to providing more money to local government in future years so that these vital services can be protected?
Prif Weinidog, mae gwasanaethau hamdden ledled Cymru wedi cael ergyd drom yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf ac, yn amlwg, fel y dywedasoch, er mai cyni cyllidol Llywodraeth Dorïaidd y DU sydd wedi ysgogi llawer o hyn, mae diffyg cyllid gan Lywodraeth Cymru i lywodraeth leol dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf wedi gwaethygu'r broblem. Nawr, mae'r pryderon hyn ynghylch cyllid wedi cael eu cyfleu'n eglur gan arweinwyr cynghorau o bob argyhoeddiad gwleidyddol gan Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru. Mae'n amlwg bod gwasanaethau hamdden lleol yn cyflawni swyddogaeth gymdeithasol bwysig o ran mynd i'r afael ag unigrwydd ac arwahanrwydd, ffitrwydd corfforol a chydlyniant cymdeithasol. A ydych chi'n cydnabod erbyn hyn y bydd angen i'ch Llywodraeth chi ymrwymo i ddarparu mwy o arian i lywodraeth leol yn y dyfodol fel y gellir diogelu'r gwasanaethau hanfodol hyn?
Well, Llywydd, the Welsh Government's record of supporting local government in Wales bears any examination in comparison with what has happened in other parts of the country. That is why local authorities in Wales in this financial year have a very modest uplift in the investment that we are able to provide them, whereas further cuts are happening across our border. That does not mean for a minute that, nearly a decade into austerity, there aren't real pinch points and pressures that our local authority colleagues feel, and we discussed those with them absolutely regularly, and, as a Cabinet, we worked right through last summer to find money from every place we were able to go to in the Welsh Government to provide more funding for local authorities in the current financial year
Now, for next year, we have no budget at all. There is no comprehensive spending review that has been completed and we have no knowledge of what the revenue for Welsh public services will be from 1 April next year onwards. Those are tremendously difficult circumstances for local authorities, but also for every other public service that this National Assembly supports across Wales. We will do everything we can, working with local authorities and others, to protect those vital services, but the impact of austerity on the one hand and the absolute absence of a budget within which to plan for next year make that inevitably hugely difficult for us and for all of those services that depend upon the decisions that are made here in this Chamber.
Wel, Llywydd, mae hanes Llywodraeth Cymru o gefnogi llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru yn gwrthsefyll unrhyw archwiliad o'i gymharu â'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd mewn rhannau eraill o'r wlad. Dyna pam mai ychydig iawn yn ychwanegol y gallwn ddarparu i awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon, tra bod rhagor o doriadau yn cael eu gwneud ar draws y ffin. Nid yw hynny'n golygu am eiliad nad oes, ar ôl bron i ddegawd o gyni cyllidol, mannau cyfyng a phwysau gwirioneddol y mae ein cydweithwyr mewn awdurdodau lleol yn eu teimlo, ac rydym ni wedi trafod y rheini gyda nhw yn dra reolaidd, ac, fel Cabinet, buom yn gweithio drwy gydol yr haf diwethaf i ddod o hyd i arian o bob man y gallem fynd iddo yn Llywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu mwy o gyllid i awdurdodau lleol yn y flwyddyn ariannol bresennol.
Nawr, ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf, nid oes gennym unrhyw gyllideb o gwbl. Nid oes adolygiad cynhwysfawr o wariant wedi'i gwblhau ac nid oes gennym unrhyw wybodaeth o ran beth fydd y refeniw ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus Cymru o 1 Ebrill y flwyddyn nesaf ymlaen. Mae'r rhain yn amgylchiadau eithriadol o anodd i awdurdodau lleol, ond hefyd i bob gwasanaeth cyhoeddus arall y mae'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn yn ei gefnogi ledled Cymru. Byddwn yn gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu, gan weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol ac eraill, i ddiogelu'r gwasanaethau hanfodol hynny, ond mae effaith cyni cyllidol ar y naill law a'r diffyg cyllideb llwyr i gynllunio ar ei sail ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf yn gwneud hynny, yn anochel, yn eithriadol o anodd i ni ac i'r holl wasanaethau hynny sy'n dibynnu ar y penderfyniadau a wneir yn y fan yma yn y Siambr hon.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Paul Davies.
Questions now from the party leaders. The leader of the opposition, Paul Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd. Someone must take responsibility for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board slipping into special measures, First Minister. Who is to blame?
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae'n rhaid i rywun gymryd cyfrifoldeb am y ffaith fod Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg wedi llithro i'r sefyllfa o fod yn destun mesurau arbennig, Prif Weinidog. Pwy sydd ar fai?
Well, the report that has been published today, Llywydd, is a very difficult read, and something went seriously wrong in Cwm Taf maternity services. What I think the report demonstrates is that failures happened at many levels. They were professional failures. The report undoubtedly demonstrates that there were behaviours by doctors and other clinical staff, sometimes, but not always, because of the pressures that they were working under, that do not stand up to the test of professional conduct, that there was a failure of leadership and that that created a blame culture inside that service that meant that when people felt they had something to say, they were reluctant to say it. It demonstrates that there was a systems failure, so it's not just about individuals—it is about the way the system itself responded to those concerns. And then there was a failure of the organisation itself to see what was going on and then to respond to it properly. So, I don't think it is as simple as being able to point the finger at particular individuals, because the report demonstrates that those failures took place at many levels, and putting those things right will require action right across the board and amongst those people who work for it.
Wel, mae'r adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd heddiw, Llywydd, yn anodd iawn i'w ddarllen, ac aeth rhywbeth o'i le yn ddifrifol yng ngwasanaethau mamolaeth Cwm Taf. Yr hyn yr wyf i'n credu y mae'r adroddiad yn ei ddangos yw bod methiannau wedi digwydd ar sawl lefel. Methiannau proffesiynol oedden nhw. Mae'r adroddiad yn dangos yn ddiamau bod meddygon a staff clinigol eraill wedi ymddwyn, weithiau, ond nid bob amser, oherwydd y pwysau yr oedden nhw'n gweithio oddi tano, mewn ffyrdd nad ydynt yn gwrthsefyll prawf ymddygiad proffesiynol, bod methiant o ran arweinyddiaeth a bod hynny wedi creu diwylliant o feio y tu mewn i'r gwasanaeth hwnnw a oedd yn golygu pan oedd pobl yn teimlo bod ganddyn nhw rywbeth i'w ddweud, eu bod nhw'n gyndyn o'i ddweud. Mae'n dangos bod systemau wedi methu, felly nid yw'n ymwneud ag unigolion yn unig—mae'n ymwneud â'r ffordd yr ymatebodd y system ei hun i'r pryderon hynny. Ac yna roedd methiant y sefydliad ei hun i weld beth oedd yn digwydd ac yna ymateb iddo'n briodol. Felly, nid wyf i'n credu ei fod mor syml â gallu pwyntio bys at unigolion penodol, gan fod yr adroddiad yn dangos bod y methiannau hynny wedi digwydd ar sawl lefel, a bydd unioni'r pethau hynny yn gofyn am gamau gweithredu ar draws y bwrdd cyfan ac ymhlith y bobl hynny sy'n gweithio iddo.
Well, you're right, First Minister, to question leadership on this matter, and people are questioning the leadership of your Government under these circumstances. And let me remind you, First Minister, this isn't the first time we've raised this terrible situation in this Chamber. And the last time I questioned you in March, you told me that mothers and babies are no longer at risk under Cwm Taf. If that was the case, I for one have been left wondering why the health Minister today has actually ordered maternity services at the Royal Glamorgan and Prince Charles hospitals to be put into special measures.
It's quite clear that you as a Government didn't have a grip on our health service, because your Minister has admitted today in his statement that he was unaware of an internal investigation from September last year. Surely your Government should have known what state of crisis these services were in, and why has it taken you so long to publish today's report, given that the first formal concerns at Cwm Taf were reported nearly seven years ago? And now, a review of 43 pregnancies will have to be carried out. Isn't it true that the health Minister and your Government have failed for far too long? You must be more transparent, First Minister, with the people of Wales. Instead of rearranging the seating plan around the board table, who will now actually take responsibility for this?
Wel, rydych chi'n iawn, Prif Weinidog, i gwestiynu arweinyddiaeth ar y mater hwn, ac mae pobl yn cwestiynu arweinyddiaeth eich Llywodraeth chi o dan yr amgylchiadau hyn. A gadewch i mi eich atgoffa, Prif Weinidog, nid dyma'r tro cyntaf i ni godi'r sefyllfa ofnadwy hon yn y Siambr hon. A'r tro diwethaf i mi eich holi ym mis Mawrth, dywedasoch wrthyf nad yw mamau a babanod mewn perygl o dan Gwm Taf mwyach. Pe byddai hynny'n wir, rwyf i'n un o lawer sydd wedi cael fy ngadael yn pendroni pam mae'r Gweinidog iechyd heddiw wedi gorchymyn bod gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn ysbytai Brenhinol Morgannwg a'r Tywysog Siarl yn cael eu gwneud yn destun mesurau arbennig.
Mae'n gwbl amlwg nad oedd gennych chi fel Llywodraeth afael ar ein gwasanaeth iechyd, oherwydd mae eich Gweinidog wedi cyfaddef heddiw yn ei ddatganiad nad oedd yn ymwybodol o ymchwiliad mewnol o fis Medi y llynedd. Oni ddylai eich Llywodraeth fod wedi gwybod faint o argyfwng yr oedd y gwasanaethau hyn ynddo, a pham mae wedi cymryd cyhyd i gyhoeddi'r adroddiad heddiw, o gofio i'r pryderon ffurfiol cyntaf yng Nghwm Taf gael eu hadrodd bron i saith mlynedd yn ôl? A nawr, bydd yn rhaid cynnal adolygiad o 43 o achosion o feichiogrwydd. Onid yw'n wir bod y Gweinidog iechyd a'ch Llywodraeth chi wedi methu am lawer gormod o amser? Mae'n rhaid i chi fod yn fwy tryloyw, Prif Weinidog, gyda phobl Cymru. Yn hytrach nag aildrefnu'r cynllun seddau o amgylch bwrdd y Bwrdd, pwy wnaiff gymryd cyfrifoldeb am hyn nawr mewn gwirionedd?
Well, Llywydd, the reason that we are having this very difficult conversation today is because the Minister commissioned an independent inquiry into what went on in Cwm Taf in October of last year. And I don't think there's any lack of transparency on behalf of the Government in having commissioned that report and having published it for the National Assembly to be able to debate it in the first week that we are back after Easter. And the reason that the Minister commissioned that report is in recognition of the bravery of those women and families in Cwm Taf who insisted on having the things that they could see brought to public attention. And those of us who've had an opportunity to read it will know just how powerful and how distressing it is to read the words of those women reported to us when they reflect on the experiences that they have had. And the actions of this Government are designed to make sure that the recommendations of that report are implemented, that they are implemented urgently and in full, that the failings that have taken place are corrected, and that we rebuild the confidence of patients and of staff who rely on that service every single day. There will be people using that service today, there will be people booked in to use that service over the coming weeks, and the actions that the Minister has taken are designed to ensure that those people, sometimes from some of the most health compromised parts of the whole of Wales, whose needs are greatest—that those people can be confident that the service that they receive is one that matches those needs.
Wel, Llywydd, y rheswm pam yr ydym ni'n cael y sgwrs anodd iawn hon heddiw yw bod y Gweinidog wedi comisiynu ymchwiliad annibynnol i'r hyn a ddigwyddodd yng Nghwm Taf fis Hydref y llynedd. Ac nid wyf i'n credu bod unrhyw ddiffyg tryloywder ar ran y Llywodraeth o gomisiynu'r adroddiad hwnnw a'i gyhoeddi er mwyn i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol allu ei drafod yn yr wythnos gyntaf yr ydym ni yn ôl ar ôl y Pasg. A'r rheswm y comisiynodd y Gweinidog yr adroddiad hwnnw oedd i gydnabod dewrder y menywod a'r teuluoedd hynny yng Nghwm Taf a fynnodd i sylw'r cyhoedd gael ei dynnu at y pethau yr oedden nhw'n gallu eu gweld. A bydd y rhai hynny ohonom sydd wedi cael cyfle i'w ddarllen yn gwybod yn union pa mor rymus a pha mor ofidus yw darllen geiriau'r menywod hynny a adroddwyd i ni wrth iddyn nhw fyfyrio ar y profiadau y maen nhw wedi eu cael. Ac mae camau gweithredu'r Llywodraeth hon wedi eu cynllunio i sicrhau bod argymhellion yr adroddiad hwnnw yn cael eu gweithredu, eu bod nhw'n cael eu gweithredu ar frys ac yn llawn, bod y methiannau a welwyd yn cael eu hunioni, a'n bod yn ailennyn hyder cleifion a staff sy'n dibynnu ar y gwasanaeth hwnnw bob un dydd. Bydd pobl yn defnyddio'r gwasanaeth hwnnw heddiw, bydd pobl wedi trefnu i ddefnyddio'r gwasanaeth hwnnw dros yr wythnosau nesaf, a bwriad y camau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi eu cymryd yw sicrhau y gall y bobl hynny, sydd weithiau o rai o'r rhannau o Gymru gyfan lle mae iechyd yn peri'r problemau mwyaf, sydd â'r anghenion mwyaf—y gall y bobl hynny fod yn ffyddiog bod y gwasanaeth y maen nhw'n ei dderbyn yn un sy'n diwallu'r anghenion hynny.
But, First Minister, this latest development does call into question your leadership and the leadership of this Government to run our NHS. It's a sad fact, isn't it, that with five out of seven health boards across the country under special measures or targeted interventions, there is barely anything special or unusual about it anymore? This seems the new norm and the sad reality for the people of Wales under your Government. It takes an enormous amount of resources to heavily monitor so many services. Most notably, we are now approaching the four-year mark of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board being placed into special measures, making it the longest running special measurers health board in Britain. So, how is your Government keeping up with these extra demands? With such a dangerous record of established and proven healthcare failings under successive Labour and Labour-led Governments, can you today reassure the people of Wales how you intend to turn around the fortunes of our Welsh health service?
Ond, Prif Weinidog, mae'r datblygiad diweddaraf hwn yn codi amheuon ynghylch eich arweinyddiaeth chi ac arweinyddiaeth y Llywodraeth hon i redeg ein GIG. Mae'n ffaith drist, onid yw, gyda phump o'r saith bwrdd iechyd ar draws y wlad yn destun mesurau arbennig neu ymyraethau wedi eu targedu, nad oes prin unrhyw beth arbennig neu anarferol yn ei gylch erbyn hyn? Mae'n ymddangos mai dyma'r norm newydd a'r gwirionedd trist i bobl Cymru o dan eich Llywodraeth chi. Mae angen cryn dipyn o adnoddau i fonitro cymaint o wasanaethau yn ddwys. Yn fwyaf nodedig, rydym ni'n nesáu at bedair blynedd erbyn hyn ers i Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr gael ei wneud yn destun mesurau arbennig, sy'n golygu mai dyma'r bwrdd iechyd sydd wedi bod yn destun mesurau arbennig ers y cyfnod hwyaf ym Mhrydain. Felly, sut mae eich Llywodraeth chi yn ymdopi â'r gofynion ychwanegol hyn? Gyda hanes mor beryglus o fethiannau gofal iechyd sefydledig a phrofedig o dan Lywodraethau Llafur a Llywodraethau olynol dan arweiniad Llafur, a allwch chi roi sicrwydd heddiw i bobl Cymru sut yr ydych chi'n bwriadu gweddnewid tynged ein gwasanaeth iechyd yng Nghymru?
Llywydd, I don't believe that what we have read in this report is emblematic of maternity services across Wales. I have met midwives in every single part of Wales. They are amongst some of the most impressive health professionals I have ever met and they provide and absolutely dedicated and determined service for people. I was asked by the leader of the opposition whether this was emblematic of the service that is provided by staff of the NHS across Wales and I'm simply saying to him that, in my view, it is not and it does not reflect my experience of meeting front-line staff in every part of Wales.
Nevertheless, we recognise that people across Wales need an assurance that what has been discovered at Cwm Taf is not characteristic of the service that they provide. That is why, in addition to the independent maternity oversight panel that the Minister has established, and in addition to the actions that are being taken to improve the effectiveness of board leadership and governance in that local health board, the Minister has also announced today in his statement that across the NHS in Wales, we will carry out an assurance exercise, led by the chief nursing officer and the chief medical officer, and there will be a review later this year by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales of maternity services across Wales. Because while I don't think that this is emblematic of maternity services across Wales, patients across Wales deserve to have that independent assurance that the service they are providing is one that we in this Chamber would be proud to receive ourselves.
Llywydd, nid wyf i'n credu bod yr hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei ddarllen yn yr adroddiad hwn yn nodweddiadol o wasanaethau mamolaeth ledled Cymru. Rwyf i wedi cyfarfod â bydwragedd ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Maen nhw ymhlith rhai o'r gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol gorau i mi eu cyfarfod erioed ac maen nhw'n darparu gwasanaeth cwbl ymroddedig a phenderfynol i bobl. Gofynnwyd i mi gan arweinydd yr wrthblaid a oedd hyn yn nodweddiadol o'r gwasanaeth a ddarperir gan staff y GIG ledled Cymru ac rwy'n dweud wrtho'n syml nad ydyw, yn fy marn i, ac nid yw'n adlewyrchu fy mhrofiad i o gyfarfod staff rheng flaen ym mhob rhan o Gymru.
Serch hynny, rydym ni'n cydnabod bod pobl ledled Cymru angen sicrwydd nad yw'r hyn a ddarganfuwyd yng Nghwm Taf yn nodweddiadol o'r gwasanaeth y maen nhw'n ei ddarparu. Dyna pam, yn ogystal â'r panel goruchwylio mamolaeth annibynnol y mae'r Gweinidog wedi ei sefydlu, ac yn ychwanegol at y camau sy'n cael eu cymryd i wella effeithiolrwydd arweinyddiaeth a llywodraethiant byrddau yn y bwrdd iechyd lleol hwnnw, y mae'r Gweinidog hefyd wedi cyhoeddi heddiw yn ei ddatganiad y byddwn yn cynnal, ar draws y GIG yng Nghymru, ymarfer sicrwydd, dan arweiniad y prif swyddog nyrsio a'r prif swyddog meddygol, a bydd adolygiad yn ddiweddarach eleni gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru o wasanaethau mamolaeth ledled Cymru. Oherwydd, er nad wyf i'n credu bod hyn yn nodweddiadol o wasanaethau mamolaeth ledled Cymru, mae cleifion ledled Cymru yn haeddu cael y sicrwydd annibynnol hwnnw bod y gwasanaeth y maen nhw'n ei ddarparu yn un y byddem ni yn y Siambr hon yn falch o'i gael ein hunain.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.
Wrth fynd trwy'r lefelau gwahanol o gyfrifoldeb yn yr achos yma jest nawr, roedd un lefel wnaethoch chi ddim enwi, sef y lefel weinidogol, y lefel lywodraethol—y lefel rŷch chi'n gyfrifol amdani. Does neb wedi ymddiswyddo o ganlyniad i'r methiannau damniol yn y gwasanaeth mamolaeth yng Nghwm Taf, ac eto, does bosib, mae'n rhaid i rywun gymryd cyfrifoldeb, a Gweinidogion sy'n gorfod dal y cyfrifoldeb yn y pen draw. Ac mae hynny'n eich cynnwys chi, Brif Weinidog, achos mae un o'r adroddiadau'n tynnu sylw at bryderon yn dyddio nôl i 2015, a'ch cyfnod chi fel Gweinidog iechyd.
Mae adroddiad mewnol gan fydwraig uwch wedi codi'r llen ar achosion pellach o farw-enedigaethau yn mynd nôl wyth mlynedd na wnaeth y bwrdd iechyd roi gwybod amdanyn nhw, ac mae awduron yr adroddiad, mae'n bwysig i nodi, wedi argymell bod yr achosion hynny yn cael eu gwneud yn destun ymchwiliad hefyd. Nawr, y bore yma mewn cyfweliad â'r BBC, dywedodd mam a wnaeth roi genedigaeth i'w merch yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg y llynedd, ac a fu farw wedyn, y byddai ymddiswyddiad y Gweinidog iechyd yn rhoi peth sicrwydd iddi hi a rhai tebyg iddi hi na fyddai pobl eraill yn y dyfodol yn wynebu'r un dioddefaint, er na fyddai'n dod â'i merch yn ôl. O ystyried y cyfrifoldeb rŷch chi a'ch Gweinidog iechyd yn ei rannu dros y methiannau systemig yng Nghwm Taf, onid y peth cywir i chi fel Prif Weinidog ei wneud yw nid yn unig gofyn i'ch Gweinidog iechyd ymddiheuro wrth y teuluoedd yma ond gofyn iddo hefyd wneud y peth anrhydeddus ac ymddiswyddo?
In going through the various levels of responsibility in this case a moment ago, there was one level that you failed to mention, namely the ministerial level, the governmental level—the level that you're responsible for. Nobody has resigned as a result of these damning failings in maternity services in Cwm Taf, and yet, surely somebody has to take responsibility, and it's Ministers who do have to carry the can, ultimately. And that includes you, First Minister, because one of the reports highlights concerns dating back to 2015, and your tenure as health Minister.
An internal report from a senior midwife has raised the curtain on further cases of stillbirth going back eight years that the health board didn't report on, and the authors of the report, it's important to note, have recommended that those cases should be subject to inquiry too. Now, this morning, in an interview on the BBC, a mother who gave birth to her daughter at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital last year, who subsequently passed away, said that the resignation of the health Minister would give her and those in the same position as her some assurance that others in future wouldn't face the same suffering, although it wouldn't, of course, bring her daughter back. Given the responsibility that you and your health Minister share for the systemic failures in Cwm Taf, wouldn't it be the right thing for you as First Minister to not only ask your health Minister to apologise to these families, but also to ask him to do the honourable thing and resign?
Wel, dwi ddim yn cytuno â beth mae'r Aelod wedi dweud. Fel esboniais i yn yr ateb i Paul Davies, rŷn ni yn y sefyllfa rŷn ni ynddi heddiw, yn gallu trafod beth sydd wedi digwydd yng Nghwm Taf, achos bod y Gweinidog wedi gwneud yr hyn y mae e wedi ei wneud.
Well, I do not agree with what the Member has said. As I explained in my reply to Paul Davies, we're in the situation that we are in today, where we're able to discuss what's happened in Cwm Taf, because the Minister took the action that he did.
And I don't believe, myself, Llywydd, that the terribly difficult days that those families have gone through and the very difficult day that they will go through today—that they look to a single individual as the way of resolving those difficulties. It is because of the actions that the Minister has taken that these matters have come to light. It is because of the actions that the Minister has taken that we have an independent report, and it is because of the actions that the Minister has taken that we now have a set of measures in place to give those families assurance about what has happened in the past and, to those families who still need to use that service, an assurance of the standard of care that they will receive. I commend the Minister for the fact that he is meeting those families directly, that he will speak to them, that he will hear from them of their experiences, and that he will be responsible for the actions that this Government has taken. I think that is a far better way to respond seriously, as we ought to, to the history of what has happened and to the individual experiences that lie behind the report we are discussing this afternoon.
Ac nid wyf i'n credu, yn bersonol, Llywydd, bod y dyddiau ofnadwy o anodd y mae'r teuluoedd hynny wedi eu dioddef a'r diwrnod anodd iawn y byddan nhw'n ei ddioddef heddiw—eu bod nhw'n troi at un unigolyn fel y ffordd o ddatrys yr anawsterau hynny. Oherwydd y camau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi eu cymryd y mae'r materion hyn wedi dod i'r amlwg. Oherwydd y camau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi eu cymryd y mae gennym ni adroddiad annibynnol, ac oherwydd y camau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi eu cymryd y mae gennym ni gyfres o fesurau ar waith erbyn hyn i roi sicrwydd i'r teuluoedd hynny am yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn y gorffennol ac, i'r teuluoedd hynny sy'n dal i fod angen defnyddio'r gwasanaeth hwnnw, sicrwydd ynghylch safon y gofal y byddan nhw yn ei dderbyn. Rwy'n canmol y Gweinidog am y ffaith ei fod yn cyfarfod â'r teuluoedd hynny yn uniongyrchol, y bydd yn siarad â nhw, y bydd yn clywed ganddyn nhw am eu profiadau, ac y bydd yn gyfrifol am y camau y mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi eu cymryd. Credaf fod honno'n ffordd well o lawer o ymateb o ddifrif, fel y dylem ni ei wneud, i hanes yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd ac i'r profiadau unigol sy'n sail i'r adroddiad yr ydym ni'n ei drafod y prynhawn yma.
First Minister, yesterday, your Government declared a climate emergency, which we on this side obviously welcome and which we hope the Senedd will endorse through our motion tomorrow. Most people will be reasonably of the view that yesterday's announcement will be incompatible with any subsequent decision to plough ahead with the environmentally destructive M4 black route. Can you confirm that the declaration of a climate emergency, presuming it has substance and isn't merely declaratory, is a change in policy that will be a new and materially relevant factor in your decision making on the M4, and have you asked officials for additional advice on that basis?
You have today also confirmed that you will not be making an announcement on the M4 until the first week of June. Given your party is deeply divided on this issue, isn't it just a little bit convenient, First Minister, to kick this down the road, all £2 billion-worth of it, until after the European elections? You said on Sunday you were seeking advice on whether this decision would be caught by the rules on pre-election announcements. Have you received that advice? Is that the justification for this further delay? And did the advice from officials remind you of the general principles set out in guidance that, although in some cases it may be better to defer an announcement, that needs to be balanced carefully against any implication that deferral could itself influence the political outcome?
Prif Weinidog, ddoe, fe wnaeth eich Llywodraeth ddatgan argyfwng hinsawdd, yr ydym ni ar yr ochr hon yn amlwg yn ei groesawu ac yr ydym ni'n gobeithio y bydd y Senedd yn ei gymeradwyo drwy ein cynnig yfory. Bydd y rhan fwyaf o bobl o'r farn resymol y bydd cyhoeddiad ddoe yn anghydnaws ag unrhyw benderfyniad dilynol i fwrw ymlaen â llwybr y DU yr M4 a fydd mor ddinistriol i'r amgylchedd. A allwch chi gadarnhau bod y datganiad o argyfwng hinsawdd, gan dybio bod sylwedd iddo ac nad yw'n ddatganol yn unig, yn newid polisi a fydd yn ffactor newydd a pherthnasol yn eich penderfyniad ar yr M4, ac a ydych chi wedi gofyn i swyddogion am gyngor ychwanegol ar y sail honno?
Rydych chi wedi cadarnhau heddiw hefyd na fyddwch chi'n gwneud cyhoeddiad ar y M4 tan yr wythnos gyntaf ym mis Mehefin. O gofio bod eich plaid yn rhanedig iawn ar y mater hwn, onid yw ddim ond ychydig bach yn gyfleus, Prif Weinidog, gohirio’r penderfyniad hwn, y penderfyniad gwerth £2 biliwn cyfan, tan ar ôl yr etholiadau Ewropeaidd? Dywedasoch ddydd Sul eich bod yn ceisio cyngor ynghylch pa un a fyddai'r penderfyniad hwn yn cael ei ddal gan y rheolau ar gyhoeddiadau cyn etholiad. A ydych chi wedi cael y cyngor hwnnw? Ai dyna'r cyfiawnhad dros yr oedi pellach hwn? Ac a wnaeth y cyngor gan swyddogion eich atgoffa chi o'r egwyddorion cyffredinol a nodwyd mewn canllawiau, er y gallai fod yn well gohirio cyhoeddiad mewn rhai achosion, bod angen cydbwyso hynny'n ofalus yn erbyn unrhyw awgrym y gallai'r gohirio ei hun ddylanwadu ar y canlyniad gwleidyddol?
Llywydd, I don't believe that the declaration of climate emergency is a new policy for this Government or, indeed, for this National Assembly, because I think that the environmental principles that have been important across this Chamber and across the period of devolution are summed up in that decision. Of course the decision to declare an emergency is meant to galvanise action; of course it is meant to draw attention to the emergency; of course it is meant to make sure that Wales is positioned where we would wish to see Wales positioned, which is at the leading edge of the social movement that is developing around the world on this matter, but I don't believe that it represents a sharp difference in policy. It sums up the significance and the importance that we have attached to the environment, ever since the sustainable development principle was introduced into the founding legislation of this National Assembly. And that's why we decided to do it yesterday: because we wanted to make sure that we remained consistent with and true to the history that we have developed in this institution and then to use that to go further still.
So, my colleague Lesley Griffiths has been seeking further advice on the targets that we have announced so far to see whether there is more that we could still do. I know that that advice is expected to be received on Thursday of this week and that the Minister will be meeting directly with those who have provided that advice, and we will then see whether there is even more that we can do, building on the 100 actions in the low-carbon plan that we published in March, to do even more to play our part in dealing with, as I said in my answer to Leanne Wood earlier, what may be the single greatest threat to human beings that we have ever faced.
I hope—and I'll say it again: I hope that, if we are to make the impact that we want to make, then where we share a sense of the urgency and where we share a sense of the necessity to galvanise action within Government and beyond that we will work together across the Chamber to create that new sense of urgency that is needed in our society. If we do it that way, then we will have a better chance of being able to address the problem than if we treat it as some sort of party political matter.
As far as the M4 relief road is concerned, then Adam Price is right that I've said today—I've set out, as I promised I would, the decision-making timetable for the M4. In the end, the purdah issue became irrelevant. I received further advice yesterday, which will lead to questions that I will need to explore with officials. So, there is further advice and further meetings that will need to happen over the next few weeks. Then there will need to be the legal documentation drawn up to support whatever decision I come to. Members here will know, as Adam Price said, that the M4 relief road is an inherently controversial topic, and whatever decision is made is vulnerable to potential legal challenge, so the legal documentation to support that decision has to be in the best possible order. All of that will take another small number of weeks, but I'm now confident that I will be in a position to make that decision in the first week after the Whitsun break and that it will be announced here, on the floor of the National Assembly.
Llywydd, nid wyf i'n credu bod y datganiad o argyfwng hinsawdd yn bolisi newydd i'r Llywodraeth hon nac, yn wir, i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn, gan fy mod i'n credu bod yr egwyddorion amgylcheddol sydd wedi bod yn bwysig ar draws y Siambr hon ac ar draws y cyfnod datganoli yn cael eu crynhoi yn y penderfyniad hwnnw. Wrth gwrs, bwriedir i'r penderfyniad i ddatgan argyfwng ysgogi gweithredu; wrth gwrs y bwriedir iddo dynnu sylw at yr argyfwng; wrth gwrs y bwriedir iddo sicrhau bod Cymru wedi'i lleoli lle byddem yn dymuno gweld Cymru fod wedi ei lleoli, sef ar flaen y gad o ran y mudiad cymdeithasol sy'n datblygu ledled y byd ar y mater hwn, ond nid wyf i'n credu ei fod yn cynrychioli gwahaniaeth mawr o ran polisi. Mae'n crynhoi'r arwyddocâd a'r pwysigrwydd yr ydym ni wedi eu neilltuo i'r amgylchedd, ers cyflwyno'r egwyddor datblygu cynaliadwy yn neddfwriaeth sefydlol y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn. A dyna pam y penderfynasom ni wneud hynny ddoe: gan ein bod ni eisiau gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n cadw'n gyson â'r hanes yr ydym ni wedi ei ddatblygu yn y sefydliad hwn ac yna defnyddio hwnnw i fynd ymhellach fyth.
Felly, mae fy nghyd-Aelod Lesley Griffiths wedi bod yn ceisio cyngor pellach ar y targedau yr ydym ni wedi eu cyhoeddi hyd yma i weld a oes mwy y gallem ni ei wneud o hyd. Gwn y disgwylir i'r cyngor hwnnw gael ei dderbyn ddydd Iau yr wythnos hon ac y bydd y Gweinidog yn cyfarfod yn uniongyrchol â'r rhai sydd wedi darparu'r cyngor hwnnw, ac wedyn byddwn yn gweld a oes rhagor eto y gallwn ni ei wneud, gan adeiladu ar y 100 o gamau gweithredu yn y cynllun carbon isel a gyhoeddwyd gennym ym mis Mawrth, i wneud mwy fyth i chwarae ein rhan wrth ymdrin ymdrin â'r hyn a allai fod y bygythiad mwyaf, fel y dywedais yn fy ateb i Leanne Wood yn gynharach, i fodau dynol ag yr ydym ni wedi ei wynebu erioed.
Rwy'n gobeithio—ac fe'i dywedaf eto: rwy'n gobeithio, os ydym ni'n mynd i gael yr effaith yr ydym ni eisiau ei chael, y byddwn yn cydweithio ar draws y Siambr hon pan ein bod yn rhannu synnwyr o'r brys a phan rydym yn rhannu synnwyr o'r rheidrwydd i ysgogi gweithredu o fewn y Llywodraeth a'r tu hwnt, i greu'r synnwyr newydd hwnnw o frys sydd ei angen yn ein cymdeithas. Os byddwn yn ei wneud fel hynny, yna bydd gennym ni well siawns o allu mynd i'r afael â'r broblem na phe baem ni'n ei thrin fel rhyw fath o fater gwleidyddol pleidiol.
Cyn belled ag y mae ffordd liniaru'r M4 yn y cwestiwn, yna mae Adam Price yn iawn fy mod i wedi dweud heddiw—rwyf i wedi nodi, fel yr addewais y byddwn yn ei wneud, yr amserlen ar gyfer gwneud penderfyniad ar yr M4. Yn y pen draw, daeth y mater 'purdah' yn amherthnasol. Cefais ragor o gyngor ddoe, a fydd yn arwain at gwestiynau y bydd angen i mi eu harchwilio gyda swyddogion. Felly, ceir rhagor o gyngor a rhagor o gyfarfodydd y bydd angen eu cynnal yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf. Bydd angen llunio'r dogfennau cyfreithiol wedyn i gefnogi pa bynnag benderfyniad y byddaf yn ei wneud. Bydd yr Aelodau yn y fan yma yn gwybod, fel y dywedodd Adam Price, bod ffordd liniaru'r M4 yn bwnc dadleuol yn ei hanfod, ac mae pa bynnag benderfyniad a fydd yn cael ei wneud yn agored i her gyfreithiol bosibl, felly mae'n rhaid i'r dogfennau cyfreithiol i gefnogi'r penderfyniad hwnnw fod yn y drefn orau bosibl. Bydd hynny i gyd yn cymryd nifer fach arall o wythnosau, ond rwy'n ffyddiog erbyn hyn y byddaf mewn sefyllfa i wneud y penderfyniad hwnnw yn yr wythnos gyntaf ar ôl toriad y Sulgwyn ac y bydd yn cael ei gyhoeddi yma, ar lawr y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol.
Now, as we know, the British Labour Party national executive committee is meeting now to decide their policy on a second referendum. Now, I know you either don't know or won't say how your nominee on the executive is going to vote, and I must admit, having just watched Mick Antoniw interviewed by the BBC, I'm none the wiser either. My question is simply this: what is the current policy of the Welsh Labour Government, because there does seem to be some degree of confusion? You said over the weekend that a confirmatory referendum should be 'in the mix', which prompted Alun Davies AM to say, referring to you:
'Well that wasn’t the policy that he asked me to vote for. We agreed as a Labour Group that we would vote for a policy which included a firm commitment to a referendum and @fmwales needs to be delivering on that policy.'
Given this disagreement in your own ranks, and even in your own Cabinet, can you set the record straight? Is it your Government's current policy to advocate a confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal? If a different line emerges from the NEC in London this afternoon, does that then automatically become your Government's new policy?
Nawr, fel y gwyddom, mae pwyllgor gweithredol cenedlaethol Plaid Lafur Prydain yn cyfarfod nawr i benderfynu ar eu polisi ar ail refferendwm. Nawr, gwn naill ai nad ydych chi'n gwybod neu'n gwrthod dweud sut y bydd eich enwebai ar y bwrdd gweithredol yn pleidleisio, ac mae'n rhaid i mi gyfaddef, a minnau newydd wylio Mick Antoniw yn cael ei gyfweld gan y BBC, nad wyf innau ddim callach ychwaith. Fy nghwestiwn i yn syml yw hwn: beth yw polisi presennol Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru, oherwydd mae'n ymddangos bod rhywfaint o ddryswch? Dywedasoch dros y penwythnos y dylai refferendwm cadarnhau fod yn rhan o'r drafodaeth, a ysgogodd Alun Davies AC i ddweud, gan gyfeirio atoch chi:
Wel nid dyna oedd y polisi y gofynnodd i mi bleidleisio drosto. Fe wnaethom gytuno fel Grŵp Llafur y byddem ni'n pleidleisio dros bolisi a oedd yn cynnwys ymrwymiad cadarn i refferendwm ac mae angen i @fmwales fod yn cyflawni ar y polisi hwnnw.
O ystyried yr anghytuno hwn yn eich rhengoedd eich hun, a hyd yn oed yn eich Cabinet eich hun, a allwch chi egluro'r sefyllfa? Ai polisi presennol eich Llywodraeth yw cefnogi refferendwm cadarnhau unrhyw gytundeb Brexit? Os ceir gwahanol neges gan yr NEC yn Llundain y prynhawn yma, a fydd hynny wedyn yn awtomatig yn dod yn bolisi newydd eich Llywodraeth chi?
Llywydd, here is the policy: if the UK Parliament cannot unite around an alternative proposition that includes participation in the single market and a customs union, then the only option that remains is to give the decision back to the people. That is the policy—that is the policy as set out in a motion sponsored jointly by his party and mine in front of this National Assembly earlier this year. That is the policy that I voted for—that is the policy that he voted for—and I'm very happy to be able to confirm that it remains the policy of the Government this afternoon.
Llywydd, dyma'r polisi: os na all Senedd y DU gytuno ar un cynnig amgen sy'n cynnwys bod yn rhan o'r farchnad sengl ac undeb tollau, yna'r unig ddewis sydd ar ôl yw rhoi'r penderfyniad yn ôl i'r bobl. Dyna'r polisi—dyna'r polisi fel y'i nodwyd mewn cynnig a noddwyd ar y cyd gan ei blaid ef a'm plaid innau gerbron y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn yn gynharach eleni. Dyna'r polisi y pleidleisiais i drosto—dyna'r polisi y pleidleisiodd ef drosto—ac rwy'n falch iawn o allu cadarnhau y prynhawn yma mai dyna yw polisi'r Llywodraeth o hyd.
3. Pa strategaeth y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei dilyn i gryfhau ac atgyfnerthu ei hymrwymiad i fynd i'r afael â newid hinsawdd? OAQ53760
3. What strategy will the Welsh Government follow to strengthen and reinforce its commitment to tackle climate change? OAQ53760
Llywydd, the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 sets the legislative framework for tackling climate change in Wales. Commitments were further strengthened and reinforced in the 'A Low Carbon Wales' document published last month.
Llywydd, mae Deddf yr Amgylchedd (Cymru) 2016 yn pennu'r fframwaith deddfwriaethol ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â'r newid yn yr hinsawdd yng Nghymru. Cryfhawyd ac atgyfnerthwyd yr ymrwymiadau ymhellach yn y ddogfen 'Cymru Carbon Isel' a gyhoeddwyd fis diwethaf.
First Minister, it's clear that a growing number of people—our young people and, indeed, the older generation concerned for their grandchildren—do not think that the current scale and pace of action to combat climate change is sufficient. I think we've seen, with Extinction Rebellion and the number of people protesting, the number of arrests and, indeed, Greta Thunberg, as an amazing 16-year-old advocate for our environment, manifestations of that strength of feeling. As you say, there's a worldwide movement now to do more and, I think, to go faster. So, I very much welcome the Welsh Government's declaration of a climate emergency but I do believe it needs to be followed by new energy and new action. One key area, I believe, is transport, and I do think we need a more integrated, a much more integrated, transport system in Wales. One great opportunity is the south Wales metro, and I wonder, First Minister, if Welsh Government will now look at whether it's possible to radically strengthen and accelerate the programme of work for that south Wales metro.
Prif Weinidog, mae'n amlwg bod nifer gynyddol o bobl—ein pobl ifanc ac, yn wir, y genhedlaeth hŷn sy'n poeni am eu hwyrion a'u hwyresau—nad ydyn nhw'n credu bod maint a chyflymder presennol y camau i frwydro'r newid yn yr hinsawdd yn ddigonol. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni wedi gweld, gydag Extinction Rebellion a nifer y bobl sy'n protestio, y nifer o arestiadau ac, yn wir, Greta Thunberg, fel hyrwyddwr 16 mlwydd oed anhygoel dros ein hamgylchedd, amlygiad o gryfder y teimlad hwnnw. Fel y dywedwch, ceir mudiad byd-eang erbyn hyn i wneud mwy ac, yn fy marn i, i weithredu'n gyflymach. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'n fawr datganiad Llywodraeth Cymru o argyfwng hinsawdd ond credaf fod angen ei ddilyn gydag egni newydd a chamau newydd. Un maes allweddol, yn fy marn i, yw trafnidiaeth, ac rwy'n credu ein bod ni angen system drafnidiaeth fwy integredig, llawer mwy integredig, yng Nghymru. Un cyfle gwych yw metro de Cymru, a tybed, Prif Weinidog, a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru edrych nawr i weld a yw'n bosibl cryfhau a chyflymu'n sylweddol y rhaglen waith ar gyfer y metro de Cymru hwnnw.
Well, I thank John Griffiths for that. I completely agree with him, but of course we have to take actions to support any declaration and the transport field is certainly one where carbon emissions and the transition to a low-carbon economy has to take place, and the south Wales metro is key to our ambitions in this part of our country. John Griffiths will know that the White Paper, 'Improving public transport', has integrated transport at the very heart of it, encouraging people to walk more and cycle more, but also to look at the way in which bus transportation, which after all carries far more people every day than trains do—that we make bus travel a public service responsibility again. Because, when planning bus services is properly back in public hands, then we will be able to carry out the sort of integration of public transport that John Griffiths referred to in his question, and it's exactly that approach that the Minister intends to set out in the new Wales transport strategy, which is promised for later this year.
Wel, diolchaf i John Griffiths am hynna. Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr ag ef, ond wrth gwrs mae'n rhaid i ni gymryd camau i gefnogi unrhyw ddatganiad ac mae'r maes trafnidiaeth yn sicr yn un lle mae'n rhaid i allyriadau carbon a'r newid i economi carbon isel ddigwydd, ac mae metro de Cymru yn allweddol i'n huchelgeisiau yn y rhan hon o'n gwlad. Bydd John Griffiths yn gwybod bod trafnidiaeth integredig yn ganolog i'r Papur Gwyn, 'Gwella trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus', gan annog pobl i gerdded mwy a beicio mwy, ond hefyd i edrych ar y ffordd y mae cludiant bysiau, sy'n cludo llawer mwy bobl bob dydd na threnau wedi'r cyfan—ein bod ni'n gwneud teithio ar fysiau yn gyfrifoldeb gwasanaeth cyhoeddus unwaith eto. Oherwydd, pan fydd cynllunio gwasanaethau bysiau yn ôl mewn dwylo cyhoeddus yn wirioneddol, yna byddwn yn gallu cyflawni'r math o integreiddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus y cyfeiriodd John Griffiths ato yn ei gwestiwn, a dyna'r union ddull y mae'r Gweinidog yn bwriadu ei gyflwyno yn strategaeth drafnidiaeth newydd Cymru, yr addawyd y bydd ar gael yn ddiweddarach eleni.
Minister, yesterday—obviously we've heard previously that the Government had called a climate change emergency here in Wales. I had expected to at least see a statement today because you don't use the word 'emergency' lightly. I had hoped to have heard more positive actions from you as First Minister to a series of questions that have been placed in front of the Assembly this afternoon. I have to say, I can't see, other than the press release that went out yesterday, what has changed in the Government's philosophy. So, can you enlarge maybe on, because you've called this emergency, what have you done to change the dynamics? Surely, you're not just chasing the next press release.
Gweinidog, ddoe—yn amlwg rydym ni wedi clywed eisoes bod y Llywodraeth wedi datgan argyfwng newid yn yr hinsawdd yma yng Nghymru. Roeddwn i wedi disgwyl gweld o leiaf datganiad heddiw oherwydd nid ydych chi'n defnyddio'r gair 'argyfwng' ar chwarae bach. Roeddwn i wedi gobeithio cael clywed am fwy o gamau cadarnhaol gennych chi fel Prif Weinidog i gyfres o gwestiynau a osodwyd gerbron y Cynulliad y prynhawn yma. Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, nid wyf i'n gallu gweld, ac eithrio'r datganiad i'r wasg a gyhoeddwyd ddoe, beth sydd wedi newid yn athroniaeth y Llywodraeth. Felly, a allwch chi ymhelaethu, efallai, oherwydd eich bod chi wedi datgan yr argyfwng hwn, beth ydych chi wedi ei wneud i newid y ddynameg? Siawns nad ydych chi ddim ond yn mynd ar drywydd y datganiad i'r wasg nesaf.
Well, Llywydd, there is a written statement. I'm not sure if Members have had it as yet but, if not, it will be with Members very shortly and that will set out a series of the actions that lie behind the declaration. But the declaration is important for its declaratory purpose. That is what the campaign has asked us to do and I know that it was welcomed by a large number of those people who are involved in the campaign. And sometimes in politics—personally, I think relatively rarely, but sometimes in politics—declarations are important because they send a message. That's why the campaign has asked us to do that. That is why the motion that Plaid Cymru has proposed refers to it, because political declarations create a context in which those actions can then be taken. Of course it must be more than a declaration, and it is more than a declaration here in Wales. The written statement sets out a series of those actions, drawing, as I've said, on the low-carbon plan. But the declaration itself is significant and it gives confidence and it gives hope and it gives a sense of purpose to those young people and others who have made this cause their cause and want it to be the cause of this National Assembly as well. So, I make no apologies for the declaration, because it's there for a purpose and it will be backed up, as the written statement will demonstrate, by the actions that we can take and then the actions that need to be taken by others beyond this Assembly and in Wales.
Wel, Llywydd, mae datganiad ysgrifenedig. Nid wyf i'n siŵr a yw'r Aelodau wedi ei gael eto ond, os nad ydyn nhw, bydd gyda'r Aelodau yn fuan iawn a bydd hwnnw'n nodi cyfres o'r camau sy'n sail i'r datganiad. Ond mae'r datganiad yn bwysig oherwydd ei ddiben datganiadol. Dyna'r hyn y mae'r ymgyrch wedi gofyn i ni ei wneud a gwn iddo gael ei groesawu gan nifer fawr o'r bobl hynny sy'n rhan o'r ymgyrch. Ac weithiau ym myd gwleidyddiaeth—yn gymharol anaml, yn fy marn bersonol i, ond weithiau ym myd gwleidyddiaeth—mae datganiadau yn bwysig gan eu bod yn anfon neges. Dyna pam mae'r ymgyrch wedi gofyn i ni wneud hynny. Dyna pam mae'r cynnig y mae Plaid Cymru wedi ei wneud yn cyfeirio ato, gan fod datganiadau gwleidyddol yn creu cyd-destun lle gellir cymryd y camau hynny wedyn. Wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid iddo fod yn fwy na datganiad, ac mae'n fwy na datganiad yma yng Nghymru. Mae'r datganiad ysgrifenedig yn cyflwyno cyfres o'r camau hynny, gan dynnu, fel y dywedais, ar y cynllun carbon isel. Ond mae'r datganiad ei hun yn arwyddocaol ac mae'n rhoi hyder ac mae'n rhoi gobaith ac mae'n rhoi synnwyr o bwrpas i'r bobl ifanc hynny ac eraill sydd wedi mabwysiadu'r achos hwn fel eu hachos nhw ac a hoffai iddo gael ei fabwysiadu fel achos y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn hefyd. Felly, ni wnaf i ymddiheuro o gwbl am y datganiad, gan ei fod yno i bwrpas a bydd yn cael ei ategu, fel y bydd y datganiad ysgrifenedig yn ei ddangos, drwy'r camau y gallwn ni eu cymryd ac yna'r camau y mae angen i eraill y tu hwnt i'r Cynulliad hwn ac yng Nghymru eu cymryd.
4. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i wella'r rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth ffyrdd? OAQ53747
4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve the road transport network? OAQ53747
I thank the Member for that. Our national transport finance plan sets out our priorities for the road transport network in Wales. The Minister for Economy and Transport will provide an updated plan in May of this year.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Mae ein cynllun cyllid trafnidiaeth cenedlaethol yn nodi ein blaenoriaethau ar gyfer y rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth ffyrdd yng Nghymru. Bydd Gweinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth yn darparu cynllun wedi'i ddiweddaru ym mis Mai eleni.
Thank you very much, First Minister. The cost of widening the A465 Heads of the Valleys road between Gilwern and Brynmawr was originally budgeted at £220 million. In November 2017, it was announced that costs had risen by £51 million and that the completion of the project was delayed until the end of this year. We now hear that the cost has increased by another £54 million and that the completion date will be missed again. First Minister, can you now please provide this Assembly with the revised completion date for this project? When will your Government receive the Welsh Audit Office report into the project's commercial position, which was begun last year?
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Prif Weinidog. Cyllidebwyd y gost o ledaenu ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd yr A465 rhwng Gilwern a Bryn-mawr yn £220 miliwn yn wreiddiol. Cyhoeddwyd ym mis Tachwedd 2017 bod costau wedi cynyddu £51 miliwn a bod y gwaith o gwblhau'r prosiect wedi ei ohirio tan ddiwedd eleni. Rydym ni'n clywed nawr bod y gost wedi cynyddu £54 miliwn arall ac y bydd y dyddiad cwblhau yn cael ei fethu eto. Prif Weinidog, a allwch chi roi'r dyddiad cwblhau diwygiedig ar gyfer y prosiect hwn i'r Cynulliad hwn nawr? Pryd fydd eich Llywodraeth yn cael adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ar sefyllfa fasnachol y prosiect, a ddechreuwyd y llynedd?
I thank the Member for that question. I want to recognise the seriousness of the issue to which he has pointed and Members will know that the Minister for Economy and Transport's written statement published on 3 April provided the detail that lies behind the issue that the Member has highlighted. So, here was a complex construction scheme where a solution was required to address a particular geographical feature that the company, the contractor, argue was only discoverable once construction had begun. It is a matter of regret to the Welsh Government that the contractor has then incurred substantial overspend and programme delays and the detail of that is set out in the Minister's statement. While we will not now have full completion by the end of this year, the bulk of the work will be completed—the significant bulk of the work will be completed—during 2019 and we expect the remainder of the scheme to be completed in the early part of next year.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Hoffwn gydnabod difrifoldeb y mater y mae wedi cyfeirio ato a bydd yr Aelodau'n gwybod bod datganiad ysgrifenedig Gweinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth a gyhoeddwyd ar 3 Ebrill yn rhoi'r manylion sy'n sail i'r mater y mae'r Aelod wedi tynnu sylw ato. Felly, cynllun adeiladu cymhleth oedd hwn lle'r oedd angen ateb i fynd i'r afael â nodwedd ddaearyddol benodol yr oedd y cwmni, y contractwr, yn dadlau y gellid dim ond ei chanfod ar ôl i waith adeiladu ddechrau. Mae'n destun gofid i Lywodraeth Cymru bod y contractwr wedyn wedi gorfod gorwario'n sylweddol ac oedi'r rhaglen a nodir manylion hynny yn natganiad y Gweinidog. Er na fydd y gwaith bellach wedi ei gwblhau'n llawn erbyn diwedd eleni, bydd y rhan fwyaf ohono wedi ei gwblhau—bydd mwyafrif llethol y gwaith wedi ei gwblhau—yn ystod 2019 a disgwyliwn i weddill y cynllun gael ei gwblhau yn gynnar yn y flwyddyn nesaf.
Un ffordd gost-effeithiol o wella rhwydweithiau ffyrdd ydy chwilio am gyd-fuddsoddiad. Mae o'n bosib weithiau. Mae yna sôn wedi bod ers tro am gael y National Grid i gyfrannu at gost pont newydd dros y Fenai er mwyn cludo gwifrau fel rhan o gynllun Wylfa Newydd—pont fyddai'n caniatáu seiclo diogel, er enghraifft, i'r gwaith i Barc Menai am y tro cyntaf. Rŵan bod y cynllun Wylfa Newydd ar stop, ydy'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno efo fi ei bod hi'n bwysig peidio â cholli momentwm efo cynllun y bont newydd, ac ydy o'n cytuno bod yna achos cryf iawn i barhau i chwilio am gyd-fuddsoddiad gan y grid drwy eu cael nhw i roi eu gwifrau presennol dros y Fenai ar y bont newydd honno fel rhan o broject gwerth biliynau o bunnau sy'n digwydd mewn rhannau eraill o Brydain i dynnu peilonau i lawr a chladdu gwifrau o dan ddaear mewn ardaloedd o harddwch naturiol? Mi fyddai hefyd yn ffordd o dynnu'r peilonau sydd ar hyn o bryd yn rhedeg drwy ganol pentref Llanfairpwllgwyngyll.
One cost-effective way of improving road networks is to find joint investment, and it's possible occasionally. There has been some talk about getting the National Grid to contribute to the cost of a new Menai crossing in order to carry cables as part of the Wylfa Newydd development—a bridge that would allow safe cycling to work to Parc Menai, for example, for the very first time. Now that the Wylfa Newydd proposal has been paused, does the First Minister agree with me that it's important not to lose momentum with the new bridge proposal, and does he agree that there is a very strong case to continue to seek joint investment from the grid by encouraging them to put the current cabling over the Menai on that new bridge as part of the project worth billions of pounds that is happening in other parts of the UK to remove pylons and underground cables in areas of outstanding natural beauty? It would also be a way of removing the pylons that currently run through the middle of the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll.
Wel, diolch i'r Aelod am y pwyntiau yna. Dwi'n cytuno—mae yn bwysig i ni beidio â cholli momentwm yn y cynllun sydd gyda ni am y trydydd bont dros y Menai. Dwi'n gwybod bod y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o hynny ac dyw'r oedi yn Wylfa ddim—. Rŷn ni'n awyddus fydd yr oedi yn Wylfa ddim yn cael effaith ar y cynllun am y bont newydd. Mae yn bwysig i dynnu pobl eraill i mewn, ac mae National Grid yn rhan o hynny, ond mae partneriaethau eraill rŷn ni'n gallu meddwl amdanynt. Dwi'n gwybod mae'r Gweinidog wedi clywed beth mae'r Aelod wedi'i ddweud prynhawn yma, a rŷn ni yn gweithio'n galed i gario ymlaen gyda'r cynllun a rhoi mwy o fanylion at ei gilydd, ac, i fod yn glir, dydyn ni ddim eisiau colli momentwm ar gynllun sydd mor bwysig i bobl leol.
May I thank the Member for the points he makes? I do agree that it is important for us not to lose momentum in the scheme that we have for the third crossing over the Menai straits. I know that the Minister is fully aware of that and we are keen that the pause of Wylfa does not impact the new bridge scheme. It is important to bring other people in, and the National Grid is part of that, but there are other partners that we can also think of. I know the Minister has heard the Member's words this afternoon, and we are working hard to progress the scheme and to put more details together, and, to be clear, we do not wish to lose momentum on such a crucially important scheme for local people.
5. Beth y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i atal y DU rhag arwain yr Undeb Ewropeaidd o ran darparu cymorthdaliadau i danwyddau ffosil? OAQ53791
5. What can the Welsh Government do to stop the UK from leading the European Union on providing subsidies to fossil fuels? OAQ53791
Llywydd, the Welsh Government uses our own powers to limit the extraction of fossil fuels in Wales. UK subsidies are provided using reserved powers. We continue to lobby the UK Government to invest instead in renewable energy generation, where Wales possesses such an abundance of natural resources.
Llywydd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn defnyddio ein pwerau ein hunain i gyfyngu ar echdynnu tanwydd ffosil yng Nghymru. Darperir cymorthdaliadau'r DU gan ddefnyddio pwerau a gadwyd yn ôl. Rydym yn parhau i lobïo Llywodraeth y DU i fuddsoddi yn hytrach mewn cynhyrchu ynni adnewyddadwy, lle mae gan Gymru gymaint o adnoddau naturiol.
Of course, these subsidies come at a price, because the suppression of the fuel duty rises that were due to be taking place for climate change reasons have meant that Governments have had to forgo a sum of money equivalent to twice the amount of money we pay for doctors and nurses in this country. So, we are talking about very large sums of money. And it seems to me that it's completely contradictory to charge the consumption of gas and electric in people's homes with 5 per cent taxes and to charge the insulation of people's homes, which will reduce the amount they'll have to use in the way of electric and gas, by 20 per cent. These are, obviously, really important issues as we move forward in how we tackle the climate emergency, and whilst I hear what you say about endeavouring to influence the neanderthal UK Government, what can we do in Wales to ensure that we have a level playing field to encourage people to invest in renewables rather than fossil fuels?
Wrth gwrs, mae pris i'w dalu am y cymorthdaliadau hyn, gan fod atal y cynnydd i drethi tanwydd a oedd i fod i ddigwydd am resymau newid yn yr hinsawdd wedi golygu bod Llywodraethau wedi gorfod mynd heb swm o arian sy'n cyfateb i ddwywaith y swm o arian yr ydym yn ei dalu am feddygon a nyrsys yn y wlad hon. Felly, rydym ni'n sôn am symiau mawr iawn o arian. Ac mae'n ymddangos i mi bod codi treth o 5 y cant ar y defnydd o nwy a thrydan yng nghartrefi pobl a chodi tâl am inswleiddio cartrefi pobl, a fydd yn lleihau faint y bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw ei ddefnyddio o ran trydan a nwy gan 20 y cant, yn gwbl groes i'w gilydd. Mae'r rhain, yn amlwg, yn faterion gwirioneddol bwysig wrth i ni symud ymlaen o ran sut yr ydym yn mynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng hinsawdd, ac er fy mod i'n clywed yr hyn a ddywedwch am geisio dylanwadu ar Lywodraeth neanderthalaidd y DU, beth allwn ni ei wneud yng Nghymru i sicrhau bod gennym ni sefyllfa deg i annog pobl i fuddsoddi mewn ynni adnewyddadwy yn hytrach na thanwyddau ffosil?
I thank the Member for that. As I said in my first answer, the Welsh Government already uses our own powers in relation to fossil fuel licensing to withhold support for new energy mineral extraction. The European Commission report that highlighted the UK's subsidy of fossil fuels also refers to the importance of demand reduction, energy efficiency and investment in renewables, and the Welsh Government directly plays a part in all of those things, using powers and resources that we have ourselves.
It nevertheless remains the case, Llywydd, that fuel subsidies, taxes and financial incentives are complex and largely reserved matters. What we want to see is use of the substantial financial and legislative levers in the hands of the UK Government put to work to drive down the use of fossil fuels and drive up the use of renewables—not just in wind and solar, but in marine energy particularly, where the failure to deliver a 'contract for difference' mechanism is inhibiting the growth of this vital Welsh possibility.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Fel y dywedais yn fy ateb cyntaf, mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes yn defnyddio ein pwerau ein hunain o ran trwyddedu tanwydd ffosil i beidio â chefnogi cloddio am fwynau ynni newydd. Mae adroddiad y Comisiwn Ewropeaidd a dynnodd sylw at gymorthdaliadau'r DU ar gyfer tanwyddau ffosil hefyd yn cyfeirio at bwysigrwydd lleihau'r galw, effeithlonrwydd ynni a buddsoddi mewn ynni adnewyddadwy, ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn chwarae rhan uniongyrchol ym mhob un o'r pethau hynny, gan ddefnyddio pwerau ac adnoddau sydd gennym ni ein hunain.
Serch hynny, mae'n dal i fod yn wir, Llywydd, bod cymorthdaliadau, treth a chymhellion ariannol yn ymwneud â thanwydd yn gymhleth ac yn faterion a gadwyd yn ôl i raddau helaeth. Yr hyn yr ydym ni eisiau ei weld yw'r defnydd o'r ysgogiadau ariannol a deddfwriaethol sylweddol sydd yn nwylo Llywodraeth y DU yn cael eu rhoi ar waith i leihau'r defnydd o danwyddau ffosil ac i gynyddu'r defnydd o ynni adnewyddadwy—nid yn unig ynni'r gwynt a'r haul, ond ynni'r môr yn arbennig, lle mae'r methiant i ddarparu dull 'contract ar gyfer gwahaniaeth' yn llesteirio twf y posibilrwydd hanfodol hwn yng Nghymru.
Surely the UK Government has been taxing rather than subsidising carbon use. Will the First Minister not congratulate George Osborne on his carbon tax, which has cut coal use by three quarters, or congratulate the UK Government rather than call it neanderthal, as UK carbon emissions have fallen faster than almost anywhere else in the world, by around 40 per cent since 1990 compared to only 17 per cent in Wales, or indeed congratulate the first world leader to campaign on climate change, who was Margaret Thatcher?
Siawns mai trethu yn hytrach na rhoi cymorthdaliadau i'r defnydd o garbon y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi bod yn ei wneud. Oni wnaiff y Prif Weinidog longyfarch George Osborne ar ei dreth carbon, sydd wedi lleihau'r defnydd o lo gan dri chwarter, neu longyfarch Llywodraeth y DU yn hytrach na'i galw'n neanderthalaidd, gan fod allyriadau carbon y DU wedi gostwng yn gyflymach na bron unrhyw le arall yn y byd, gan oddeutu 40 y cant ers 1990 o'i gymharu â dim ond 17 y cant yng Nghymru, neu yn wir yn llongyfarch yr arweinydd cyntaf yn y byd i ymgyrchu ar newid yn yr hinsawdd, sef Margaret Thatcher?
Llywydd, the European Commission's report to which Jenny Rathbone drew attention highlighted the fact that the UK Government subsidises fossil fuels in the United Kingdom at a level far in excess of any other European nation. I see nothing at all to congratulate them on on that record.
Llywydd, roedd adroddiad y Comisiwn Ewropeaidd, y tynnodd Jenny Rathbone sylw ato, yn amlygu'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth y DU yn rhoi cymorthdaliadau ar gyfer tanwyddau ffosil yn y Deyrnas Unedig ar lefel lawer uwch nag unrhyw wlad Ewropeaidd arall. Ni welaf ddim o gwbl i'w llongyfarch arno ar sail yr hanes hwnnw.
Dwi’n siŵr bydd nifer o bobl wedi'u brawychu gan yr hyn ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog yn gynharach mewn ymateb i Adam Price—hynny yw, 24 awr ar ôl datgan argyfwng hinsawdd, eich bod chi’n dweud bod hynny ddim o reidrwydd yn golygu bod rhaid newid polisïau. Nawr, un polisi, yn amlwg, y byddwn i’n awyddus i weld yw mwy o annog dadfuddsoddi, achos mae yna lawer o arian yn y sector cyhoeddus, yn enwedig mewn pensiynau, wrth gwrs, wedi buddsoddi mewn cwmnïau ynni ffosil. Mi ges i lythyr oddi wrth y Gweinidog cyllid yn ddiweddar a oedd yn dweud y byddai’r Llywodraeth yn annog awdurdodau pensiynau llywodraeth leol, er enghraifft, i sicrhau eu bod nhw’n ystyried y materion yma. Allwn ni gael datganiad llawer mwy diflewyn-ar-dafod oddi wrth y Llywodraeth yn ei gwneud hi’n gwbl glir, os edrychwch chi ar Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, na ddylai’r math yma o fuddsoddiadau fod yn digwydd?
I'm sure that people will be shocked by what the First Minister said earlier in response to Adam Price—that is, just 24 hours after declaring a climate emergency, that you say that that didn't necessarily mean that you needed a change of policy. Now, one policy that I would clearly want to see implemented is more encouragement for disinvestment, because there is much money in public sector pensions, particularly, invested in fossil fuel companies. I had a letter from the Minister for finance recently that said the Government would welcome local authority pension investors considering these issues. Can we have a far more unambiguous statement from Government, making it entirely clear that, if you look at the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, these kinds of investments should not be happening?
Mae’r Gweinidog yn fodlon rhoi mwy o fanylion i’r Aelod, a'r Aelodau eraill sydd â diddordeb yn y maes yma.
The Minister is willing to give more information to the Member, and other Members who have an interest in this.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru i wella'r rhwydwaith ffyrdd strategol yng nghanolbarth Cymru? OAQ53763
6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's plans to improve the strategic road network in mid Wales? OAQ53763
On 14 February, the Minister for Economy and Transport officially opened the £95 million Newtown bypass. We also plan further investments in the region that will improve connectivity and road safety.
Ar 14 Chwefror, agorwyd ffordd osgoi gwerth £95 miliwn y Drenewydd yn swyddogol gan Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth. Rydym hefyd yn bwriadu gwneud mwy o fuddsoddiadau yn y rhanbarth a fydd yn gwella cysylltedd a diogelwch ar y ffyrdd.
Thank you, First Minister, for your answer. The Cefn bridge on the A458 near Trewern is one of the main routes from mid Wales into the midlands. There's growing frustration on the ongoing delays to repair works on this bridge following an accident that occurred last December. The delay has caused extensive queuing, especially during the holiday period, and there is currently no planned date for the works to begin. That's the latest information from the trunk road agency to my constituents. There doesn't appear to be any immediate date in sight for permanent repairs to take place due to agreements that have to take place with Network Rail, due to the safety concerns of operating on a live track. I hope you can give me a date, First Minister, but if you can't, can you also exert your influence on the trunk road agency and Network Rail to bring about a date for repair work to start on this important bridge?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog, am eich ateb. Mae Pont Cefn ar yr A458 ger Trewern yn un o'r prif lwybrau o ganolbarth Cymru i ganolbarth Lloegr. Ceir rhwystredigaeth gynyddol ynghylch yr oedi parhaus i waith atgyweirio ar y bont hon yn dilyn damwain a ddigwyddodd fis Rhagfyr diwethaf. Mae'r oedi wedi achosi ciwio helaeth, yn enwedig yn ystod cyfnod y gwyliau, ac nid oes unrhyw ddyddiad arfaethedig i'r gwaith ddechrau ar hyn o bryd. Dyna'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan yr asiantaeth cefnffyrdd i'm hetholwyr. Nid yw'n ymddangos bod unrhyw ddyddiad uniongyrchol ar y gweill i atgyweiriadau parhaol gael eu gwneud oherwydd cytundebau y mae'n rhaid eu cytuno gyda Network Rail, oherwydd pryderon diogelwch o weithredu ar gledrau byw. Rwy'n gobeithio y gallwch chi roi dyddiad i mi, Prif Weinidog, ond os na allwch, a allwch chi ddefnyddio eich dylanwad i bwyso ar yr asiantaeth cefnffyrdd a Network Rail i roi dyddiad i waith atgyweirio ddechrau ar y bont bwysig hon?
Can I thank the Member for that question? He is absolutely right that two heavy goods vehicles collided on the Cefn bridge in December of last year and that caused major damage to the bridge. The bridge carries the trunk road over a railway and Russell George is quite right to point to the safety constraints that are inevitably in place where you have a live railway track and a bridge that needs repair. The bridge also has required a new steel parapet and that has had to be manufactured specifically, but that manufacture has now taken place. It's also been necessary to acquire the services of a specialist installer, but that installer is now ready to carry out the work. I'm pleased to be able to let the Member and his constituents know that Network Rail have now confirmed that track access has been granted for the weekend of Friday 7 June to Saturday 9 June, and that will allow that repair work to be carried out.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna? Mae yn llygad ei le bod dau gerbyd nwyddau trwm wedi gwrthdaro ar bont Cefn ym mis Rhagfyr y llynedd a bod hynny wedi achosi difrod mawr i'r bont. Mae'r bont yn cario'r gefnffordd dros reilffordd ac mae Russell George yn llygad ei le i dynnu sylw at y cyfyngiadau diogelwch sydd yn anochel ar waith lle mae gennych chi gledrau rheilffordd byw a phont y mae angen ei thrwsio. Bu'n rhaid cael parapet dur newydd ar gyfer y bont hefyd a bu'n rhaid gweithgynhyrchu hwnnw'n benodol, ond mae'r gweithgynhyrchu hwnnw wedi digwydd erbyn hyn. Bu'n angenrheidiol hefyd caffael gwasanaethau gosodwr arbenigol, ond mae'r gosodwr hwnnw yn barod i wneud y gwaith erbyn hyn. Rwy'n falch o allu rhoi gwybod i'r Aelod a'i etholwyr bod Network Rail wedi cadarnhau erbyn hyn y caniatawyd mynediad at y cledrau ar gyfer penwythnos dydd Gwener 7 Mehefin hyd at ddydd Sadwrn 9 Mehefin, a bydd hynny'n caniatáu i'r gwaith atgyweirio hwnnw gael ei wneud.
7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynnydd y Bil Anifeiliaid Gwyllt mewn Syrcasau Teithio (Cymru)? OAQ53789
7. Will the First Minister provide an update on the progress of the Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (Wales) Bill? OAQ53789
I thank the Member for that. Good progress is being made on introducing this Bill in Wales. The consultation on the Welsh Government's proposals received an overwhelmingly positive response and it is the intention of the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs intention to lay the Bill before this Assembly prior to the summer recess so that scrutiny can begin.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Mae cynnydd da yn cael ei wneud o ran cyflwyno'r Bil hwn yng Nghymru. Cafwyd ymateb hynod o gadarnhaol i'r ymgynghoriad ar gynigion Llywodraeth Cymru, a bwriad Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig yw gosod y Bil gerbron y Cynulliad hwn cyn toriad yr haf fel y gall y gwaith craffu ddechrau.
That's very welcome news, First Minister. At the moment, the Circus Mondao is one of the few travelling circuses in Wales that exhibit wild animals and they're currently in my constituency. You know they're there because they fly-post all over the borough and put their trailers illegally on public land to advertise what they're doing. I've no confidence that they are willing to obey the law on that ground, but I'm sure that legislation brought by the Welsh Government will compel them to obey the law by banning the use of wild animals. This is their second visit to my constituency since I've been here and I sincerely hope that this legislation will prevent a third visit.
Mae hynny'n newyddion da iawn, Prif Weinidog. Ar hyn o bryd, mae syrcas Mondao yn un o'r syrcasau teithio prin yng Nghymru sy'n arddangos anifeiliaid gwyllt, ac maen nhw yn fy etholaeth i ar hyn o bryd. Rydych chi'n gwybod eu bod nhw yno gan eu bod rhoi posteri anghyfreithlon ym mhob rhan o'r fwrdeistref ac yn rhoi eu trelars ar dir cyhoeddus yn anghyfreithlon i hysbysebu'r hyn y maen nhw'n ei wneud. Does gen i ddim ffydd eu bod nhw'n fodlon ufuddhau i'r gyfraith ar y sail honno, ond rwy'n siŵr y bydd deddfwriaeth a gyflwynir gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn eu gorfodi i ufuddhau i'r gyfraith drwy wahardd y defnydd o anifeiliaid gwyllt. Dyma eu hail ymweliad â'm hetholaeth i ers i mi fod yma ac rwy'n mawr obeithio y bydd y ddeddfwriaeth hon yn atal trydydd ymweliad.
I thank the Member for his support for the legislation. Circus Mondao have a licence under English licensing regulations, but of course, that arrangement will be overtaken by legislation that will be passed in this Assembly, should it succeed in gaining support across the Chamber. Then, they and any other operators will have to obey the new legislative requirements here in Wales.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am ei gefnogaeth i'r ddeddfwriaeth. Mae gan syrcas Mondao drwydded o dan reoliadau trwyddedu Lloegr, ond wrth gwrs, bydd y trefniant hwnnw'n cael ei oddiweddyd gan ddeddfwriaeth a gaiff ei phasio yn y Cynulliad hwn, pe byddai'n llwyddo i ennill cefnogaeth ar draws y Siambr. Yna, bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw ac unrhyw weithredwyr eraill ufuddhau i'r gofynion deddfwriaethol newydd yma yng Nghymru.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8, David Rowlands.
Finally, question 8, David Rowlands.
8. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y gwaith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i ddatblygu polisïau yn unol â Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015? OAQ53749
8. Will the First Minister provide an update on the work the Welsh Government is doing to develop policies in accordance with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015? OAQ53749
Llywydd, the Welsh Government is committed to embedding the five ways of working that underpin the Act into all policy development. We continue to make progress as we consider the long-term impact of all policies, work collaboratively with our delivery partners and look to involve our citizens in the process of policy making here in Wales.
Llywydd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i ymgorffori'r pum ffordd o weithio sy'n sail i'r Ddeddf ym mhob datblygiad polisi. Rydym ni'n parhau i wneud cynnydd wrth i ni ystyried effaith hirdymor pob polisi, gweithio ar y cyd â'n partneriaid cyflawni, a cheisio cynnwys ein dinasyddion yn y broses o lunio polisi yma yng Nghymru.
I thank the First Minister for that answer. The work of the 70/30 organisation plays a vital part in combating child abuse. Their target of reducing such abuse by 70 per cent by 2030 goes with an acceptance that parenting skills do not always come naturally to some. It would therefore seem that this issue needs to be vigorously addressed. Will the First Minister ensure that his social justice programme will have at its heart combating child abuse?
Diolchaf i'r Prif Weinidog am yr ateb yna. Mae gwaith sefydliad 70/30 yn chwarae rhan hanfodol yn y frwydr yn erbyn cam-drin plant. Mae eu targed o leihau cam-drin o'r fath gan 70 y cant erbyn 2030 yn mynd law yn llaw â derbyn nad yw sgiliau rhianta bob amser yn dod yn naturiol i rai. Byddai'n ymddangos felly bod angen rhoi sylw cadarn i'r mater hwn. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog sicrhau y bydd y frwydr yn erbyn cam-drin plant yn ganolog i'w raglen cyfiawnder cymdeithasol?
I entirely agree with the Member that child abuse is a matter that Governments have to take very seriously and that parents have to be helped with the skills that they need, sometimes to carry out the very difficult business of bringing up children in significantly adverse circumstances. We already invest significant sums of money, both through the education service and through our social services, in providing that sort of assistance and have every intention of continuing to do so in the future.
Cytunaf yn llwyr â'r aelod bod cam-drin plant yn fater y mae'n rhaid i Lywodraethau roi sylw difrifol iawn iddo a bod yn rhaid i rieni gael eu cynorthwyo gyda'r sgiliau sydd eu hangen arnynt, weithiau i gyflawni'r busnes anodd iawn o fagu plant o dan amgylchiadau arbennig o andwyol. Rydym ni eisoes yn buddsoddi symiau sylweddol o arian, drwy'r gwasanaeth addysg a thrwy ein gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, i ddarparu'r math hwnnw o gymorth ac mae gennym bob bwriad o barhau i wneud hynny yn y dyfodol.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, a dwi'n galw ar y Gweinidog Cyllid a'r Trefnydd i wneud ei datganiad—Rebecca Evans.
The next item is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to make the statement—Rebecca Evans.
Diolch, Llywydd. There's one change to today's business: the Counsel General and Brexit Minister will make a statement shortly to update the Assembly on Brexit negotiations. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae un newid i fusnes heddiw: bydd y Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Brexit yn gwneud datganiad yn fuan i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Cynulliad am drafodaethau BREXIT. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith y papurau cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau yn electronig.
Minister, could we please have a statement from the Minister for health on drug rehabilitation services in Wales? Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that the number of people dying as a result of drug poisoning in Wales has increased by 40 per cent since 2003. However, the only Welsh Government-approved residential rehabilitation centre, Brynawel Rehab, is not getting the referrals needed from the council to be cost-effective and is operating only at 60 per cent of its capacity. Last year, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales called on the Welsh Government to improve the availability of drug rehabilitation provision. Minister, can we have a statement from the Minister outlining the reasons why this vital facility is being underused, when the figures show its services are vitally needed here? Thank you.
Gweinidog, a oes modd inni gael datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd am wasanaethau adsefydlu ar gyfer y rhai sy'n gaeth i gyffuriau yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda? Mae'r ffigurau a gyhoeddwyd gan y Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol yn dangos bod nifer y bobl sy'n marw o ganlyniad i wenwyn cyffuriau yng Nghymru wedi cynyddu 40 y cant ers 2003. Fodd bynnag, nid yw'r unig ganolfan adsefydlu preswyl a gymeradwyir gan Lywodraeth Cymru, Rehab Brynawel, yn cael yr atgyfeiriadau y mae eu hangen gan y Cyngor i fod yn gost-effeithiol ac mae'n gweithredu ar 60 y cant o'i gapasiti yn unig. Llynedd, galwodd Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru ar Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod mwy o ddarpariaeth adsefydlu ar gyfer cyffuriau ar gael. Gweinidog, a gawn ni ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog yn amlinellu'r rhesymau pam nad yw'r cyfleuster hanfodol hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio'n ddigonol, pan fo'r ffigurau'n dangos bod angen dybryd am y gwasanaethau? Diolch.
Thank you for raising this important issue. Of course, residential rehabilitation and in-patient detoxification play a really important role in helping service users secure a long-term recovery. The Welsh Government remains committed to ensuring that such services are available and will remain an important element of the Welsh Government's substance misuse strategy in terms of its ongoing priorities. This year, we've committed more than £50 million to ensuring that people have the right help and support that they need to deal with the impact of substance misuse and £1 million of that will specifically support residential detox and rehab. Around half of the funding—so, £25 million—goes directly to our area planning boards, which are responsible for the assessing, commissioning and delivering of substance misuse services, and they commission those services in line with clinical guidance and with input from service users themselves.
With particular regard to organisations such as Brynawel, it is certainly for the chief executives of those organisations to advertise the good work that they do and to make those contacts and make those links in order to ensure that they are viable businesses. I know Welsh Government has supported Brynawel in a number of ways over the years, and, of course, Business Wales is very keen to engage with them to see what further support, information and advice we can offer for the future.
Diolch ichi am godi'r mater pwysig hwn. Wrth gwrs, mae canolfan breswyl a dadwenwyno cleifion mewnol yn chwarae rhan bwysig iawn wrth helpu defnyddwyr gwasanaeth i sicrhau adferiad hirdymor. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i sicrhau bod gwasanaethau o'r fath ar gael ac y byddant yn parhau i fod yn elfen bwysig o strategaeth camddefnyddio sylweddau Llywodraeth Cymru o ran ei blaenoriaethau parhaus. Eleni, rydym wedi ymrwymo mwy na £50 miliwn i sicrhau bod pobl yn cael yr help a'r gefnogaeth iawn sydd eu hangen arnynt i ymdrin ag effaith camddefnyddio sylweddau ac y bydd £1 miliwn o hynny'n cefnogi dadwenwyno ac adsefydlu preswyl yn benodol. Mae tua hanner y cyllid, £25 miliwn felly—yn mynd yn uniongyrchol i'n byrddau cynllunio ardal, sy'n gyfrifol am asesu, comisiynu a darparu gwasanaethau camddefnyddio sylweddau, ac maent yn comisiynu'r gwasanaethau hynny yn unol â chanllawiau clinigol a chyda mewnbwn gan ddefnyddwyr y gwasanaeth eu hunain.
Gan gyfeirio'n benodol at fudiadau megis Brynawel, cyfrifoldeb Prif Weithredwyr y sefydliadau hynny yn sicr yw hysbysebu'r gwaith da a wnânt a gwneud y cysylltiadau hynny er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn fusnesau hyfyw. Gwn fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cefnogi Brynawel mewn nifer o ffyrdd dros y blynyddoedd ac, wrth gwrs, mae Busnes Cymru yn awyddus iawn i ymgysylltu â nhw i weld pa gymorth, gwybodaeth a chyngor pellach y gallwn eu cynnig ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Trefnydd, you will recall that on 14 February last year, this Assembly unanimously supported a motion proposed by myself, and supported by colleagues across the Chamber, regarding the issue of unadopted roads in Wales. The motion called for the establishment of a taskforce to look at the issues facing residents across Wales who are living on these unadopted roads. These roads have often been unadopted for decades, are in a poor state of repair and result in significant levels of letters, e-mails and phone calls between residents and county councils across Wales, often going around in circles with no endpoint in sight. Now, following that vote in February 2018, the taskforce was established and has been consulting with a range of bodies, including local authorities, housing associations, utility companies, the Home Builders Federation, One Voice Wales, and everybody else, it seems to me. You will recall that the motion also sought to develop a Wales-wide programme to deliver a reduction in the number of unadopted roads in Wales. Now, in answering a written question on 26 March, the Minister for Economy and Transport stated that the taskforce was finalising its recommendations and that he expected to receive its report later that month, meaning at the end of last month. It's now the end of April. Could I ask the Government for an update in terms of the progress on this issue and when it expects to make a statement in this Chamber on the taskforce's recommendation?
Trefnydd, byddwch yn cofio, ar 14 Chwefror y llynedd, fod y Cynulliad hwn wedi cefnogi'n unfrydol y cynnig a gyflwynais i, ac a gefnogwyd gan fy nghyd-Aelodau ar draws y Siambr, ynghylch y mater o ffyrdd heb eu mabwysiadu yng Nghymru. Roedd y cynnig yn galw am sefydlu tasglu i edrych ar y materion sy'n wynebu trigolion ledled Cymru sy'n byw ar y ffyrdd hyn sydd heb eu mabwysiadu. Mae'r ffyrdd hyn yn aml wedi cael eu dad-fabwysiadu ers degawdau, maent mewn cyflwr gwael ac yn arwain at lawer iawn o lythyrau, negeseuon e-bost a galwadau ffôn rhwng trigolion a chynghorau sir ar draws Cymru, yn aml yn mynd o gwmpas mewn cylchoedd heb ddim diwedd i'w weld. Nawr, yn dilyn y bleidlais honno ym mis Chwefror 2018, sefydlwyd y tasglu ac mae wedi bod yn ymgynghori ag ystod o gyrff, gan gynnwys awdurdodau lleol, cymdeithasau tai, cwmnïau cyfleustodau, Ffederasiwn Adeiladwyr Cartrefi, Un Llais Cymru, a phawb arall, yn ôl yr hyn a welaf i. Byddwch yn cofio bod y cynnig hefyd yn ceisio datblygu rhaglen Cymru gyfan i sicrhau gostyngiad yn nifer y ffyrdd heb eu mabwysiadu yng Nghymru. Nawr, wrth ateb cwestiwn ysgrifenedig ar 26 Mawrth, dywedodd y Gweinidog dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth fod y tasglu'n llunio'i argymhellion terfynol a'i fod yn disgwyl cael ei adroddiad yn ddiweddarach y mis hwnnw, sef diwedd y mis diwethaf. Erbyn hyn mae'n ddiwedd mis Ebrill. A gaf i ofyn i'r Llywodraeth am yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf o ran y cynnydd ar y mater hwn a phryd y mae'n disgwyl gwneud datganiad yn y Siambr hon ar argymhelliad y tasglu?
Thank you for raising this issue. Of course, the issue of unadopted roads is one of concern to a great many of us in this Chamber. The work that's going on through that task and finish group really complements the work that is going on in terms of our leasehold reform agenda more widely in ensuring that there is good management of estates across Wales. I'll certainly ask the Minister with responsibility for the economy and transport to write to you with an update on progress on the issue, and to give you an idea of the timescales as to when he'll be able to provide more information on the work of that task and finish group.
Diolch ichi am godi'r mater hwn. Wrth gwrs, mae mater ffyrdd heb eu mabwysiadu yn destun pryder i lawer iawn ohonom yn y Siambr hon. Mae'r gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo drwy'r grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen hwnnw'n ategu'r gwaith sy'n digwydd ar ein hagenda diwygio lesddaliad yn fwy eang er mwyn sicrhau rheolaeth dda o ystadau ar draws Cymru. Yn sicr, fe ofynnaf i'r Gweinidog sydd â chyfrifoldeb dros yr economi a thrafnidiaeth i ysgrifennu atoch gyda'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y cynnydd ar y mater, ac i roi syniad ichi o'r amserlen ar gyfer pryd y bydd yn gallu rhoi mwy o wybodaeth am waith y grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen hwnnw .
I would like to ask for two Government statements. Firstly, I'm asking for a Government statement outlining what support has been given to staff who lost their jobs following the closure of Dawnus, which will affect your constituents as much as it affects mine, and what further help will be provided. Because it was a catastrophic closure, because it happened virtually overnight.
Secondly, I'm asking for either a Government statement, or preferably a debate, on incineration. This should include how the waste incineration directive is being implemented, whether buffer zones from properties, such as those that exist for opencast mining, could be implemented, and the reason why the Government is not bringing in a moratorium on incinerators, which I and many others in this Chamber have asked for.
Hoffwn ofyn am ddau ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth. Yn gyntaf, rwy'n gofyn am ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth yn amlinellu pa gefnogaeth sydd wedi cael ei rhoi i staff a gollodd eu swyddi ar ôl i gwmni Dawnus ddod i ben, a fydd yn effeithio ar eich etholwyr chi gymaint ag y mae'n effeithio ar fy etholaeth i, a pha gymorth pellach fydd yn cael ei ddarparu. Daeth i ben mewn modd trychinebus, oherwydd digwyddodd dros nos bron.
Yn ail, rwyf yn gofyn am naill ai ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth, neu ddadl, os oes modd, ar losgi. Dylai hyn gynnwys sut y caiff y gyfarwyddeb llosgi gwastraff ei gweithredu, a ellid gweithredu clustogfeydd o eiddo, fel y rhai sy'n bodoli ar gyfer cloddio glo brig, a'r rheswm pam nad yw'r Llywodraeth yn cyflwyno moratoriwm ar losgyddion, rhywbeth yr wyf fi a llawer o rai eraill yn y Siambr hon wedi gofyn amdano.
Thank you again for raising both of these issues. And as Mike Hedges will know, Dawnus directly employed 705 people across Wales and the UK, and 430 of those employees were based here in Wales. As he will know, the Welsh Government established a taskforce to support those individuals who were directly affected as a result of the business entering into administration. The Welsh Government's ReAct programme, Careers Wales, and the Department for Work and Pensions' Jobcentre Plus have been deployed, and they're actively supporting those individuals who have been directly affected.
The administrator has appointed a specialist recruitment agency to manage the redundancy process, with all former employees notified and either paid or expecting their redundancy payments imminently. A number of regional construction businesses across Wales have taken on a number of those former employees who were directly affected, and a new business, based on one of the subsidiary businesses of the Dawnus group, has been established, with those staff transferring across to the new entity, and that safeguards around 37 direct jobs. Officials are aware that there's an ongoing dialogue with potential buyers for the acquisition of another subsidiary business in the Dawnus group, and that could safeguard more jobs within the group.
I can also inform Mike Hedges that 35 apprentices have been identified within the business, and officials have engaged with the construction industry training board to ensure that they have continued support, to ensure that they can complete their training with other organisations. And, of course, the taskforce will continue to work with the support organisations to help those individuals affected, and the Lighthouse Club charity can provide mental health support to those construction employees who have been affected.
On the issue of your request for a statement on Welsh Government policy on incineration, I will again speak to the Minister with responsibility and ask what she thinks would be the best way to provide an update.
Diolch eto am godi'r materion hyn. Ac fel y bydd Mike Hedges yn gwybod, roedd Dawnus yn cyflogi 705 o bobl ledled Cymru a'r DU yn uniongyrchol, ac roedd 430 o'r gweithwyr hynny wedi'u lleoli yma yng Nghymru. Fel y bydd yn gwybod, sefydlodd Llywodraeth Cymru dasglu i gefnogi'r unigolion hynny yr effeithiwyd arnynt yn uniongyrchol pan aeth y busnes i ddwylo'r gweinyddwyr. Mae rhaglen ReAct Llywodraeth Cymru, Gyrfa Cymru a'r Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau wedi cael eu defnyddio, ac maent wrthi'n cefnogi'r unigolion hynny yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw'n uniongyrchol.
Mae'r gweinyddwr wedi penodi asiantaeth recriwtio arbenigol i reoli'r broses ddiswyddo, a chafodd yr holl gyn-weithwyr eu hysbysu, eu talu neu disgwylir iddynt gael eu taliadau diswyddo yn fuan. Mae nifer o fusnesau adeiladu rhanbarthol ledled Cymru wedi cyflogi nifer o'r cyn-weithwyr hynny yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw'n uniongyrchol, ac mae busnes newydd, yn seiliedig ar un o is-fusnesau grŵp Dawnus, wedi cael ei sefydlu, gyda'r staff hynny'n trosglwyddo i'r endid newydd. Mae hynny'n diogelu tua 37 o swyddi uniongyrchol. Mae swyddogion yn ymwybodol bod deialog barhaus gyda darpar brynwyr ar gyfer caffael is-fusnes arall yng ngrŵp Dawnus, a gallai hynny ddiogelu mwy o swyddi o fewn y grŵp.
Gallaf ddweud hefyd wrth Mike Hedges fod 35 o brentisiaid wedi cael eu nodi o fewn y busnes, a bod swyddogion wedi ymgysylltu â bwrdd hyfforddi'r diwydiant adeiladu i sicrhau bod ganddynt gymorth parhaus, fel y gallant gwblhau eu hyfforddiant gyda sefydliadau eraill. Ac, wrth gwrs, bydd y tasglu yn parhau i weithio gyda'r sefydliadau cefnogi i helpu'r unigolion hynny yr effeithir arnyn nhw, a gall elusen Clwb y Goleudy ddarparu cefnogaeth iechyd meddwl i'r gweithwyr adeiladu hynny yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw.
O ran eich cais am ddatganiad ar bolisi Llywodraeth Cymru ar losgi gwastraff, byddaf yn siarad eto â'r Gweinidog sydd â chyfrifoldeb ac yn gofyn beth yn ei barn hi fyddai'r ffordd orau o ddarparu diweddariad.
Can I call for a statement on waiting times for patients in north Wales, please, from the Minister for Health and Social Services? The Trefnydd will be aware that the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board had £1 million clawed back from it this year—this is on top of £3 million being clawed back last year—because of its failure to meet expectations from the Welsh Government in terms of delivering improvements on waiting time performance. And of course, over the Easter recess, it emerged that there was a row between the Welsh Government and the Countess of Chester Hospital in terms of the payments due for Welsh patients being treated there. Given that the capacity of the hospitals in north Wales is not geared up to take additional referrals as a result of the loss of the Countess of Chester's activity, this is absolutely going to add to the pressure in north Wales, lengthen waiting times, and unfortunately, I think, cause many people to languish in a lot of pain on waiting lists in the future. As I understand it, the Welsh Government has been provided with a plan, over 18 months ago, by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, to address orthopaedic waiting times in particular, and they are still waiting for that plan to be given the sign-off. Without that plan, they're unable to build the capacity in the system to be able to enable them to meet the waiting time targets. So I do think that we need a statement on this urgently, and we need an update on the situation with the Countess of Chester Hospital and whether patients are now able to be referred to there for their treatment.
A gaf i alw am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar amseroedd aros i gleifion yng Ngogledd Cymru, os gwelwch yn dda? Bydd y Trefnydd yn ymwybodol bod £1 miliwn wedi ei gymryd yn ôl oddi wrth Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr eleni—mae hyn ar ben y £3 miliwn a gymerwyd yn ôl y llynedd—oherwydd ei fethiant i fodloni disgwyliadau gan Lywodraeth Cymru o ran cyflawni gwelliannau i berfformiad amseroedd aros. Ac wrth gwrs, dros doriad y Pasg, daeth yn amlwg fod ffrae rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru ac Ysbyty Iarlles Caer o ran y taliadau sy'n ddyledus o ganlyniad i gleifion o Gymru sy'n cael eu trin yno. O gofio nad yw capasiti'r ysbytai yn y Gogledd yn barod i dderbyn atgyfeiriadau ychwanegol o ganlyniad i golli gweithgaredd Ysbyty Iarlles Caer, mae hyn yn mynd i ychwanegu at y pwysau yn y Gogledd. Bydd yn ymestyn yr amseroedd aros, ac yn anffodus, credaf y bydd yn peri i lawer o bobl fyw mewn cryn boen ar restri aros yn y dyfodol. Yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr wedi darparu cynllun, dros 18 mis yn ôl, i fynd i'r afael ag amseroedd aros orthopedig yn benodol, ac maent yn dal i aros i'r cynllun hwnnw gael ei gymeradwyo. Heb y cynllun hwnnw, ni allant feithrin y capasiti yn y system i'w galluogi i gyrraedd y targedau amser aros. Felly, credaf fod angen inni gael datganiad ar hyn ar frys, ac mae angen inni gael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y sefyllfa gydag Ysbyty Iarlles Caer ac a oes modd cyfeirio cleifion atynt yn awr i gael eu triniaeth.
Thank you for raising this. And, of course, the Minister for health will be answering questions in the Chamber tomorrow, and I see that you've tabled precisely this question for him, which will be question 4. So I know that he'll be pleased to answer that tomorrow. But I can say, with regard to the Countess of Chester, that the Minister has been very clear that the action taken by the trust is unacceptable and not in line with the statement and values and principles that we have agreed between the NHS in Wales and NHS England, and that we will always act in the best interests of patients at all times. I spoke to the Minister about this issue earlier on today, and he said that he would expect to be in a position to provide Assembly Members with an update, certainly, hopefully, by the end of this week.
Diolch am godi hyn. Ac, wrth gwrs, bydd y Gweinidog Iechyd yn ateb cwestiynau yn y Siambr yfory, a gwelaf eich bod wedi cyflwyno'r union gwestiwn hwn iddo, sef cwestiwn 4. Felly, gwn y bydd yn falch o ateb hynny yfory. Ond gallaf ddweud, o ran Ysbyty Iarlles Caer, fod y Gweinidog wedi bod yn glir iawn bod y camau a gymerwyd gan yr Ymddiriedolaeth yn annerbyniol ac nad ydynt yn cyd-fynd â'r datganiad a'r gwerthoedd a'r egwyddorion yr ydym wedi cytuno arnynt rhwng y GIG yng Nghymru a GIG Lloegr, ac y byddwn bob amser yn gweithredu er budd y cleifion. Siaradais â'r Gweinidog am y mater hwn yn gynharach heddiw, a dywedodd y byddai'n disgwyl bod mewn sefyllfa i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i Aelodau'r Cynulliad, yn sicr, gobeithio, erbyn diwedd yr wythnos hon.
Trefnydd, I'd like to raise some matters that were brought to my attention during a recent visit to the Rhondda campus at Coleg y Cymoedd. I was informed by senior management at the college, and ColegauCymru, about the serious financial constraints, not just on colleges, but also on students. Education maintenance allowance payments, which could mean up to £30 a week for some students, have not increased with the cost of living since 2004. Adjusted for inflation, payments should now stand at £45.25 a week—50 per cent higher than what they are now for some students. I've been told that a shortage of funds is often the reason for students from poorer backgrounds dropping out of their courses. So, can I ask for a statement from the education Minister about addressing the financial constraints on college students to ensure that education is accessible to all regardless of family income?
ColegauCymru and the principal at Coleg y Cymoedd are also concerned about the apprenticeship levy, which they say is a tax on Welsh employers. And many feel that Welsh employers are being penalised. Since Wales doesn't operate the digital voucher scheme, there's a feeling among employers that they are not getting their levy contributions back. In England, this scheme works differently and employers can get their contributions back. So, some companies now in Wales train their apprentices in England as a result of that. Does the Welsh Government have any idea as to how many Wales-based companies are training their apprentices in England? And furthermore, I'd like to know if this Government is able to work with the sector to overcome the problems around the apprenticeship levy to prevent Welsh employers from losing out, and to address the bureaucratic problems that companies in Wales face. A statement or a debate on this matter would be more than welcome.
Trefnydd, hoffwn godi rhai materion a ddaeth i'm sylw yn ystod ymweliad diweddar â champws y Rhondda yng Ngholeg y Cymoedd. Fe'm hysbyswyd gan uwch reolwyr yn y coleg, a ColegauCymru, am y cyfyngiadau ariannol difrifol, nid yn unig ar golegau, ond ar fyfyrwyr hefyd. Nid yw taliadau lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, a allai olygu hyd at £30 yr wythnos i rai myfyrwyr, wedi cynyddu gyda chostau byw ers 2004. Wedi'i addasu ar gyfer chwyddiant, dylai taliadau sefyll yn awr ar £45.25 yr wythnos—50 y cant yn uwch na'r hyn y mae rhai myfyrwyr yn ei gael nawr. Cefais fy hysbysu mai prinder arian yn aml yw'r rheswm pam mae myfyrwyr o gefndiroedd tlotach yn rhoi'r gorau i'w cyrsiau. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Addysg ynghylch mynd i'r afael â'r cyfyngiadau ariannol ar fyfyrwyr coleg er mwyn sicrhau bod addysg yn hygyrch i bawb, waeth beth fo incwm y teulu?
Mae ColegauCymru a'r prifathro yng Ngholeg y Cymoedd hefyd yn pryderu am yr ardoll prentisiaethau, sydd yn eu barn nhw yn dreth ar gyflogwyr Cymru. Ac mae llawer yn teimlo bod cyflogwyr Cymru yn cael eu cosbi. Gan nad yw Cymru yn gweithredu'r cynllun talebau digidol, ceir teimlad ymhlith cyflogwyr nad ydynt yn cael eu cyfraniadau ardoll yn ôl. Yn Lloegr, mae'r cynllun hwn yn gweithio'n wahanol a gall cyflogwyr gael eu cyfraniadau'n ôl. Felly, yn sgil hynny, mae rhai cwmnïau yng Nghymru bellach yn hyfforddi eu prentisiaid yn Lloegr. A oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru unrhyw syniad faint o gwmnïau o Gymru sy'n hyfforddi eu prentisiaid yn Lloegr? Ac ymhellach, hoffwn wybod a all y Llywodraeth hon weithio gyda'r sector i oresgyn y problemau sy'n gysylltiedig â'r ardoll prentisiaethau er mwyn atal cyflogwyr Cymru rhag colli allan, ac i fynd i'r afael â'r problemau biwrocrataidd y mae cwmnïau yng Nghymru yn eu hwynebu. Byddwn yn croesawu datganiad neu ddadl ar y mater hwn yn fawr.
Thank you. In relation to your first concern, I think that the most opportune moment to raise that with the education Minister would be during the debate this afternoon on support for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners. And, in regards to the apprenticeship levy, there were several detailed questions there, and I'll ensure that you are furnished with a response.
Diolch. O ran eich pryder cyntaf, credaf mai'r cyfle gorau ichi godi hynny gyda'r Gweinidog Addysg fyddai yn ystod y ddadl y prynhawn yma ar gefnogaeth i ddysgwyr difreintiedig ac agored i niwed. Ac, o ran yr ardoll prentisiaethau, roedd gennych nifer o gwestiynau manwl a byddaf yn sicrhau eich bod yn cael ymateb.
Trefnydd, I'd be grateful for two Government statements concerning the protection of wildlife. But firstly, last week, we had yet another slurry spill from a farm in west Wales near Cilgerran, with an estimated 120,000 gallons that have leached into the Afon Dyfan, a tributary of the Teifi. Natural Resources Wales, we know, is investigating, but goodness knows what damage has been done, and it will continue to be done as the pollution works its way through the food chain. I actually received an excellent poem this week from a constituent about Gammarus pulex. I wouldn't say I've got the pronunciation right, but in plain English, it's the water flea. And it says 'I'm an important indicator species for the environmental health of aquatic beasties.' And I think that's an important point, because this latest spill comes on the back of a serious incident in the same water system shortly before Christmas, and that spill near Tregaron was estimated to have killed 1,000 fish. We very often measure the damage in the number of fish that have been killed, but it won't be only fish that have been killed; it will be absolutely everything else within that environment that has been killed as well. And if we keep on as we are at the moment, with repeated slurry spills into our rivers, we won't have any life whatsoever left in those rivers, and it will take decades for that life to return. So, I believe that we need urgent action to address this, and I think we need to hold people to account who should be looking at this, and also look at the inspection regime that I hope is in place to inspect slurry facilities across the land, and also look further at whether some of these slurries are in the appropriate place, so that they cannot leach when they spill into our environment and absolutely destroy it.
The second statement that I would like is on hedge and tree netting. We've seen the recent campaigns that focused on developers using nets to prevent birds from nesting and therefore hindering planning applications and construction work, and I know that Mick Antoniw has raised this earlier this year. But I've received, as a request from a column I put in a newspaper this week, anecdotal evidence where this is happening on farm land. I know that there is a petition in front of the Assembly that is calling on us to do something seriously about reducing the use of netting that prevents birds from nesting and making it a criminal offence. I think, given that there is clear public interest in this subject, it would be really useful if the Government now did make a statement on this, because it is ridiculous to say that you're putting netting on a hedge that will stop birds from nesting, because birds will get within it and if you have any loose netting, not only will it allow the birds to get through, but it will most definitely prevent them from getting back out.
Trefnydd, byddwn yn ddiolchgar am ddau ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth ynghylch diogelu bywyd gwyllt. Ond yn gyntaf, yr wythnos diwethaf, cafwyd digwyddiad arall lle'r oedd slyri wedi gollwng o fferm yng ngorllewin Cymru ger Cilgerran, gydag amcangyfrif o 120,000 o alwyni wedi diferu i afon Dyfan, un o lednentydd y Teifi. Gwyddom fod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn ymchwilio i hyn, ond dyn a ŵyr pa ddifrod a wnaed, a bydd yn parhau i gael ei wneud wrth i'r llygredd weithio'i ffordd drwy'r gadwyn fwyd. Daeth cerdd ragorol i'm llaw yr wythnos hon gan un o'm hetholwyr ynglŷn â'r Gammarus Pulex. Fyddwn i ddim yn dweud bod yr ynganiad yn gywir, ond pryf yw hwn sy'n byw mewn dŵr glân. Dywed y gerdd, 'Dwi'n rhywogaeth bwysig ac yn ddangosydd ar gyfer iechyd amgylcheddol creaduriaid y dŵr'. A dwi'n meddwl bod hwnnw'n bwynt pwysig, achos mae'r gorlif diweddaraf yma yn dod ar ôl digwyddiad difrifol yn yr un system ddŵr ychydig cyn y Nadolig, ac amcangyfrifwyd fod y digwyddiad hwnnw ger Tregaron wedi lladd 1,000 o bysgod. Yn aml iawn, rydym yn mesur y difrod yn nifer y pysgod sydd wedi'u lladd, ond nid pysgod yn unig a laddwyd; lladdwyd popeth arall yn yr amgylchedd hwnnw hefyd. Ac os byddwn yn dal ati fel yr ydym ar hyn o bryd, ac yn gollwng mwy o slyri i'n hafonydd, ni fydd bywyd o gwbl ar ôl yn yr afonydd hynny, a bydd yn cymryd degawdau i'r bywyd hwnnw ddychwelyd. Felly, credaf fod angen gweithredu ar frys i fynd i'r afael â hyn, a chredaf fod angen inni ddwyn i gyfrif y bobl a ddylai fod yn edrych ar hyn, ac edrych hefyd ar y gyfundrefn arolygu sydd ar waith, gobeithio, i archwilio cyfleusterau slyri ar draws y tir. Hefyd mae angen edrych ymhellach i weld a yw rhai o'r slyrïau hyn yn y lle priodol, fel na allant drwytholchi wrth ollwng i mewn i'n hamgylchedd ac yn ei ddinistrio'n llwyr.
Yr ail ddatganiad yr hoffwn ei gael yw ar wrychoedd a rhwydi coed. Rydym wedi gweld yr ymgyrchoedd diweddar a oedd yn canolbwyntio ar ddatblygwyr yn defnyddio rhwydi i atal adar rhag nythu ac felly'n llesteirio ceisiadau cynllunio a gwaith adeiladu, a gwn fod Mick Antoniw wedi codi hyn yn gynharach eleni. Ond, fel cais o golofn a ysgrifennais mewn papur newydd yr wythnos hon, mae tystiolaeth anecdotaidd wedi dod i'm llaw lle mae hyn yn digwydd ar dir fferm. Gwn fod deiseb gerbron y Cynulliad sy'n galw arnom i wneud rhywbeth o ddifrif ynghylch lleihau'r defnydd o rwydi sy'n atal adar rhag nythu a'i gwneud yn drosedd. Credaf, o gofio bod diddordeb amlwg gan y cyhoedd yn y pwnc hwn, y byddai'n ddefnyddiol iawn pe bai'r Llywodraeth yn gwneud datganiad ar hyn yn awr, gan ei bod yn hurt dweud eich bod yn rhoi rhwyd ar berth a fydd yn atal adar rhag nythu, gan y bydd yr adar yn mynd i mewn yno ac os oes gennych unrhyw rwydo llac, nid yn unig y bydd hyn yn caniatáu i'r adar fynd drwodd, ond bydd yn bendant yn eu hatal rhag dod allan o'r rhwyd.
I thank Joyce Watson very much for raising two extremely important issues this afternoon. The first issue related to agricultural pollution incidents and the incident that Joyce described is subject to ongoing investigation. But, as we set out in our water strategy, agriculture is a major cause of water pollution, which is why the Minister is so keen to work with farming unions to develop sustainable solutions, whether through the better targeting of our financial assistance or by improved training through Farming Connect.
The Minister issued a statement on agricultural pollution last December, and in that she set out the requirement for regulations to be introduced, and they will come into force in 2020. And that is the right thing to do, not only for the environment, but also to ensure that Wales maintains its excellent international reputation in terms of farming. The number of incidents has increased over the last year, so that's obviously of great concern, and the Minister will work closely with the sector in terms of developing the regulatory reform and knowledge transfer, which I think are both necessary to address this particular issue.
I know that you've raised your concerns regarding netting in correspondence to the Minister and that she's prepared a response to you on that. We have received some reports of netting. We're not yet aware of how widespread it is, but clearly any incident is of real concern to us. Joyce Watson referred to the petition, which has just opened at the National Assembly for Wales. There's also one in Parliament with 330,000 signatures. So, I think that this is a real concern to members of the public. There might be occasions when the netting of trees would be legitimate, but that is only when it is absolutely genuinely needed to protect birds and prevent them from nesting during developments so that they don't come to harm, and that kind of circumstance would be extremely rare indeed. So, on the whole, I think that our policy certainly is moving away from mitigating harm and damage to integrating biodiversity and ecosystem resilience into the very earliest stages of due development control.
Diolch yn fawr iawn i Joyce Watson am godi dau fater eithriadol o bwysig y prynhawn yma. Roedd y mater cyntaf yn ymwneud â digwyddiadau llygredd amaethyddol ac mae'r digwyddiad a ddisgrifiodd Joyce yn destun ymchwiliad parhaus. Ond, fel y nodwyd yn ein strategaeth ddŵr, amaethyddiaeth yw un o brif achosion llygru dŵr, a dyna pam mae'r Gweinidog mor awyddus i weithio gydag undebau ffermio i ddatblygu atebion cynaliadwy, boed hynny drwy dargedu ein cymorth ariannol yn well neu drwy hyfforddiant gwell drwy Cyswllt Ffermio.
Cyhoeddodd y Gweinidog ddatganiad ar lygredd amaethyddol fis Rhagfyr diwethaf, ac yn hwnnw amlinellwyd y gofyniad i gyflwyno rheoliadau, a byddant yn dod i rym yn 2020. A dyna'r peth iawn i'w wneud, nid yn unig i'r amgylchedd, ond hefyd i sicrhau bod Cymru yn cynnal ei henw da rhyngwladol o ran ffermio. Mae nifer y digwyddiadau wedi cynyddu dros y flwyddyn a aeth heibio, felly mae hynny'n amlwg yn destun pryder mawr, a bydd y Gweinidog yn cydweithio'n agos â'r sector i ddatblygu'r diwygio rheoleiddiol a throsglwyddo gwybodaeth, sydd yn angenrheidiol, yn fy marn i, i fynd i'r afael â'r mater penodol hwn.
Gwn eich bod wedi mynegi eich pryderon ynghylch rhwydo mewn gohebiaeth at y Gweinidog a'i bod wedi paratoi ymateb ichi ynghylch hynny. Rydym wedi cael rhai adroddiadau am rwydo. Nid ydym yn ymwybodol eto pa mor gyffredin ydyw, ond yn amlwg mae unrhyw ddigwyddiad yn peri pryder gwirioneddol inni. Cyfeiriodd Joyce Watson at y ddeiseb, sydd newydd agor yng Nghynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru. Mae yna un hefyd yn y Senedd gyda 330,000 o lofnodion arni. Felly, credaf fod hyn yn bryder gwirioneddol i aelodau'r cyhoedd. Efallai fod adegau pan fyddai rhwydo coed yn gyfreithlon, ond dim ond pan fydd gwir angen hynny i ddiogelu adar a'u hatal rhag nythu yn ystod datblygiadau fel nad ydynt yn dod i niwed y byddai hynny'n digwydd, a byddai'r math hwnnw o amgylchiad yn eithriadol o brin yn wir. Felly, ar y cyfan, rwy'n credu bod ein polisi yn sicr yn symud i ffwrdd o liniaru niwed a difrod i integreiddio bioamrywiaeth a gwydnwch ecosystemau tuag at y camau cynharaf un o reolaeth ddatblygu briodol.
Can I firstly concur with the comments made by Joyce Watson and the Minister regarding the netting of trees? I first became aware of this over the last few weeks, and it does seem to be a cynical circumventing of the rules. It's not what the rules did intend originally, and I do hope the Welsh Government will look at it, and I'm happy to support that campaign, Trefnydd.
On a lighter, more pleasant note, I'm sure you'll want to join with me in congratulating Abergavenny RFC, who beat Oakdale—well, maybe the Member won't want to join in—to become the WRU national bowl champions recently. I wonder if we could have an update from the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism on the Welsh Government's support for locally based grass-roots sport like the national bowl championship. I think that it really does a great deal to grow sport from the grass roots, and we need to do all we can to support that.
Secondly, or thirdly I should say, over Easter we saw the tragic fire at Notre Dame in France. I'm sure that we all want to send our best wishes to the people of France as they face that enormous challenge of rebuilding that iconic cathedral. It just so happened that that very week, we had a group of 200 or so residents from Beaupréau in France in Abergavenny, the twin town of Beaupréau, and that brought to my mind the importance of twinning associations and the valuable role of twinning associations, particularly at this time with some of the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Brexit issue. I wonder if we could have a statement or an update from the Minister for international relations on support given by the Welsh Government to twinning associations and campaigns across Wales. I think they've been going on for a very long time in different towns and villages, indeed, across Wales but often don't get the respect that they deserve, and I think that a lot of people are working behind the scenes to make those campaigns a success. So, I'd be grateful to hear from the Welsh Government on what support has been given.
Yn gyntaf, a gaf i gytuno â'r sylwadau a wnaed gan Joyce Watson a'r Gweinidog ynghylch rhwydo coed? Deuthum yn ymwybodol o hyn am y tro cyntaf dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, ac mae'n ymddangos i fod yn ffordd sinigaidd o drechu'r rheolau. Nid dyna oedd bwriad y rheolau yn wreiddiol, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn edrych arno, ac rwy'n hapus i gefnogi'r ymgyrch honno, Trefnydd.
Ar nodyn ysgafnach, mwy dymunol, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch eisiau ymuno â mi i longyfarch Clwb Rygbi'r Fenni, a gurodd Oakdale— Wel, efallai na fydd yr Aelod am ymuno—i fod yn bencampwyr bowlio cenedlaethol Undeb Rygbi Cymru yn ddiweddar. Tybed a allem gael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Diwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth am gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i chwaraeon lleol fel pencampwriaeth y fowlen genedlaethol. Credaf ei fod yn gwneud llawer iawn i dyfu chwaraeon o'r gwaelod, ac mae angen inni wneud popeth a allwn i gefnogi hynny.
Yn ail, neu yn drydydd dylwn ddweud, dros y Pasg gwelsom y tân trasig yn Notre Dame yn Ffrainc. Rwy'n siŵr ein bod i gyd am anfon ein dymuniadau gorau at bobl Ffrainc wrth iddynt wynebu'r her enfawr o ailadeiladu'r Gadeirlan eiconig honno. Fel mae'n digwydd, yr wythnos honno roedd gennym grŵp o 200 neu fwy o drigolion Beaupréau yn Ffrainc yn aros yn y Fenni, gefeilldref Beaupréau, a gwnaeth hynny i fi feddwl am bwysigrwydd cymdeithasau gefeillio a rôl werthfawr cymdeithasau gefeillio, yn enwedig ar yr adeg hon o ansicrwydd ynghylch BREXIT. Tybed a gawn ni ddatganiad neu ddiweddariad gan y Gweinidog dros Gysylltiadau Rhyngwladol am y gefnogaeth a roddwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i gymdeithasau gefeillio ac ymgyrchoedd ledled Cymru. Credaf eu bod nhw wedi bod yn digwydd am gyfnod hir iawn mewn gwahanol drefi a phentrefi ledled Cymru yn wir, ond yn aml dydyn nhw ddim yn cael y parch y maen nhw'n ei haeddu, a chredaf fod llawer o bobl yn gweithio y tu ôl i'r llenni i wneud yr ymgyrchoedd hynny'n llwyddiant. Felly, byddwn yn ddiolchgar o gael clywed gan Lywodraeth Cymru pa gymorth sydd wedi cael ei roi.
Thank you for raising those two issues this afternoon, and, of course, the Minister was here to hear your request for a statement on Welsh Government support for local sporting organisations and clubs and groups. You'll have heard the First Minister, in response to one of the questions just this afternoon, talking about the importance of local sporting opportunities in terms of public health and, of course, well-being.
Again, on your concern about the importance of twinning organisations, I will ensure that the Minister is aware of your request for a statement on that particular issue.
Diolch ichi am godi'r ddau fater hynny'r prynhawn yma, ac, wrth gwrs, roedd y Gweinidog yma i glywed eich cais am ddatganiad ar gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i fudiadau a chlybiau chwaraeon lleol. Byddwch wedi clywed y Prif Weinidog, mewn ymateb i un o'r cwestiynau'r prynhawn yma, yn sôn am bwysigrwydd cyfleoedd chwaraeon lleol i iechyd y cyhoedd ac wrth gwrs, i les y cyhoedd.
Eto, o ran eich pryder am bwysigrwydd mudiadau gefeillio, byddaf yn sicrhau bod y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o'ch cais am ddatganiad ar y mater penodol hwnnw.
I've asked on numerous occasions if we could have an update from the health Minister on the eating disorders framework. We know that this is in its consultation stage, and patients and carers have been key in putting forward their ideas, although I know that there's some kickback from consultants in the field, unfortunately. This week, I've had new cases of people with eating disorders as young as nine years old, and that's very worrying indeed. So, I would really like to see the culmination of this proposal so that we can get to grips with this issue now and refocus our energy on a new framework, if that would be entirely possible.
My second request is if I could have a statement—well, he was here earlier—from Dafydd Elis-Thomas on the current discussions happening in Port Talbot with regard to the movement of the Banksy art display. We know that the only way in which the council locally can afford to adapt the building that they're going to put it in is if they can have financial support from the Welsh Government to develop a hub there as part of the Welsh Government's vision for a national art gallery for Wales. And so, in the spirit of trying to make this work, and to try and attract more people to Wales, would it be possible for the Deputy Minister, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, to provide a statement to us? They have written to him to ask whether he'd be minded to fund this—whether he could reply to them, for one, and whether he could let us know whether he is minded to support it, given the enthusiasm locally and internationally for the Banksy that will also attract other pieces of art internationally, if stages 2 and 3 can go ahead. Stage 1, we believe—touch wood—will go ahead, but we need financial backing from the Welsh Government for the next few stages, so a statement from him would be very welcome indeed.
Rwyf wedi gofyn ar sawl achlysur a oes modd cael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog Iechyd am y fframwaith anhwylderau bwyta. Gwyddom fod hyn yn ei gyfnod ymgynghori, ac mae cleifion a gofalwyr wedi bod yn allweddol o ran cyflwyno eu syniadau, er fy mod yn gwybod bod peth ymateb negyddol gan ymgynghorwyr yn y maes, yn anffodus. Yr wythnos hon, rwyf wedi cael achosion newydd o bobl ag anhwylderau bwyta mor ifanc â naw mlwydd oed, ac mae hynny'n destun pryder mawr. Felly, byddwn yn hoffi gweld penllanw'r cynnig hwn fel y gallwn fynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn yn awr ac ail-ganolbwyntio ein hegni ar fframwaith newydd, os byddai hynny'n bosib o gwbl.
Fy ail gais yw a oes modd cael datganiad—wel, roedd yma'n gynharach—gan Dafydd Elis-Thomas ar y trafodaethau cyfredol sy'n digwydd ym Mhort Talbot ynghylch symud arddangosfa gelf Banksy. Gwyddom mai'r unig ffordd y gall y Cyngor yn lleol fforddio i addasu'r adeilad ar ei gyfer yw os gallant gael cymorth ariannol gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ddatblygu canolfan yno fel rhan o weledigaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer oriel gelf genedlaethol i Gymru. Ac felly, yn yr ysbryd o geisio gwneud i hyn weithio, a cheisio denu mwy o bobl i Gymru, a fyddai modd i'r Dirprwy Weinidog, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, ddarparu datganiad i ni? Maent wedi ysgrifennu ato i ofyn a fyddai'n fodlon ariannu hyn—a fyddai modd iddo eu hateb, yn un peth, ac a allai roi gwybod inni a yw'n bwriadu cefnogi hyn, o gofio'r brwdfrydedd yn lleol ac yn rhyngwladol dros y gwaith Banksy a fydd hefyd yn denu darnau eraill o gelf yn rhyngwladol, os gall camau 2 a 3 fynd yn eu blaenau. Bydd cam 1, yr ydym yn credu —a chroesi bysedd—yn mynd yn ei flaen, ond mae angen cefnogaeth ariannol gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer yr ychydig gamau nesaf, felly byddai datganiad ganddo ef yn dderbyniol iawn.
Thank you very much for raising those issues. In terms of the eating disorder framework, the health Minister has confirmed that he has now received the report and he is waiting for some further advice on that from officials, but he will certainly make a statement as soon as he is able to do so, having considered that report.
On the Banksy issue, I'm sure that the Deputy Minister will respond to the request that he's received and reply to that correspondence, but, of course, we do have the statement on Creative Wales this afternoon, which might be another opportunity to raise this.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am godi'r materion hynny. O ran y fframwaith anhwylderau bwyta, mae'r Gweinidog Iechyd wedi cadarnhau ei fod bellach wedi cael yr adroddiad ac mae'n aros am rywfaint o gyngor pellach ar hynny gan swyddogion. Ond yn sicr bydd yn gwneud datganiad cyn gynted ag y gall wneud hynny, ar ôl ystyried yr adroddiad hwnnw.
O ran mater Banksy, rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog yn ymateb i'r cais a gafodd ac yn ymateb i'r ohebiaeth honno, ond, wrth gwrs, mae gennym y datganiad ar Gymru Greadigol y prynhawn yma, a allai fod yn gyfle arall i godi hyn.
Trefnydd, I'd like to request two statements this afternoon. The first is from the Minister for Housing and Local Government regarding grass fires. Just four months into the year, and we've already seen 102 grass fires in the Cynon Valley, and I'd like to pay tribute to the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service for the way in which they've dealt with those. But shockingly, of those 102 grass fires, 98 were started deliberately. I'd welcome the opportunity for a statement from the Minister to outline what can be done by Welsh Government and partners to tackle this trend.
On a separate matter, I'd also like to request a statement on the EU settlement scheme. I've been contacted by a constituent whose German partner has lived in and contributed to this country for 30 years. To apply for status, he has to present his identification documents, and the only location in Wales where documents can be presented is in Hengoed, in Caerphilly. Now, that's a two-hour journey from Aberdare by bus or train, despite it being in a neighbouring constituency to mine, so goodness knows how long it would take for residents from other parts of the country to travel there. So, could we have a statement from Welsh Government, please, about what it can do to support people during this difficult process?
Trefnydd, hoffwn ofyn am ddau ddatganiad y prynhawn yma. Daw'r cyntaf gan y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol ynghylch tanau gwair. Bedwar mis yn unig i mewn i'r flwyddyn, ac rydym eisoes wedi gweld 102 o danau gwair yng Nghwm Cynon, a hoffwn dalu teyrnged i Wasanaeth Tân ac Achub De Cymru am y ffordd y maent wedi ymdrin â'r rheini. Ond yn frawychus, allan o'r 102 o danau gwair hynny, dechreuwyd 98 ohonynt yn fwriadol. Byddwn yn croesawu'r cyfle am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog i amlinellu'r hyn y gall Llywodraeth Cymru a phartneriaid ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r duedd hon.
Ar fater gwahanol, hoffwn hefyd ofyn am ddatganiad ar gynllun setliad yr UE. Cysylltwyd â mi gan etholwr y mae ei bartner Almaenig wedi byw a chyfrannu i'r wlad hon ers 30 mlynedd. I wneud cais am statws, mae'n rhaid iddo gyflwyno'i ddogfennau adnabod, a'r unig leoliad yng Nghymru lle gellir cyflwyno dogfennau yw Hengoed, yng Nghaerffili. Nawr mae honno'n daith o ddwy awr o Aberdâr ar fws neu ar drên, er ei bod mewn etholaeth gyfagos i mi. Felly dyn a ŵyr faint o amser y byddai'n ei gymryd i breswylwyr o rannau eraill o'r wlad deithio yno. Felly, a gawn ni ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru, os gwelwch yn dda, am yr hyn y gall ei wneud i gefnogi pobl yn ystod y broses anodd hon?
Thank you, Vikki Howells, for raising these issues. I will certainly ask the Minister for local government to provide you with an update on Welsh Government action and the action of our partners in terms of preventing grass fires. I understand that the number of fires this month has been relatively modest and that, overall, they're likely to be far short of the level that we had in April 2015. But when you provide me with the figures that you've seen for grass fires in your constituency, then, certainly, I think that we do still have a serious issue here to address, and I've seen it certainly in my own constituency of Gower in recent weeks. I'll make sure that that advice is forthcoming to you.
And on the issue of the EU citizens, we are disappointed, to say the least, at the lack of document scanning locations that have been provided in Wales and we recognise the huge difficulties that this will cause to EU citizens without having access to Android phones, which they would need otherwise to send that documentation. I do understand that the Home Office is looking to provide more scanning locations, and we would certainly like to see more of those in Wales. I know that the Counsel General has written to the Home Office about this matter, and if you'd like to share some more specific examples of your own constituents and the trouble that that has caused, we'd certainly be able to use those as a case study.
Of course, we're providing additional support to EU citizens via Citizens Advice, to provide information about the settlement scheme, and we've also contracted with a Welsh law firm to provide a EU citizens immigration advice service here in Wales. That service will deliver a public awareness campaign about EU settled status and an individual advisory service that will encompass a legal service that is sensitive to the circumstances of individual applicants, including any family members that they might have, to enable an understanding, completion and submission of those settled status scheme applications, and we'll shortly be making a written statement about these services.
Diolch i chi, Vikki Howells, am godi'r materion hyn. Byddaf yn sicr yn gofyn i'r Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ichi am gamau gweithredu Llywodraeth Cymru a gweithredoedd ein partneriaid o ran atal tanau gwair. Deallaf fod nifer y tanau'r mis hwn wedi bod yn gymharol fach ac, yn gyffredinol, eu bod yn debygol o fod ymhell o fod yn uwch na'r lefel a gawsom ym mis Ebrill 2015. Ond pan fyddwch yn rhoi'r ffigurau imi a welsoch ar gyfer tanau gwair yn eich etholaeth, yna, yn sicr, credaf fod gennym fater difrifol i fynd i'r afael ag ef o hyd, ac rwyf wedi'i weld yn sicr yn fy etholaeth i ym Mhenrhyn Gŵyr yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod y cyngor hwnnw ar gael ichi.
Ac ar fater dinasyddion yr UE, rydym yn siomedig, a dweud y lleiaf, am y diffyg lleoliadau sganio dogfennau a ddarparwyd yng Nghymru. Rydym yn cydnabod yr anawsterau enfawr y bydd hyn yn eu hachosi i ddinasyddion yr UE sydd heb gael mynediad i ffonau Android , a byddai angen iddynt anfon y dogfennau hynny fel arall. Rwy'n deall bod y Swyddfa Gartref yn bwriadu darparu mwy o leoliadau sganio, a byddem yn sicr yn hoffi gweld mwy ohonynt yng Nghymru. Gwn fod y Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi ysgrifennu at y Swyddfa Gartref ynghylch y mater hwn, ac os hoffech rannu rhai enghreifftiau mwy penodol o'ch etholwyr eich hun a'r drafferth y mae hynny wedi'i hachosi, byddem yn sicr yn gallu defnyddio'r rheini fel astudiaeth achos.
Wrth gwrs, rydym yn rhoi cymorth ychwanegol i ddinasyddion yr UE drwy Gyngor ar Bopeth, er mwyn darparu gwybodaeth am y cynllun setliad, ac rydym hefyd wedi creu contract â chwmni cyfreithiol o Gymru i ddarparu gwasanaeth cyngor ar fewnfudo i ddinasyddion yr UE yma yng Nghymru. Bydd y gwasanaeth hwnnw'n cyflwyno ymgyrch ymwybyddiaeth gyhoeddus am statws Sefydlog yr UE a gwasanaeth cynghori unigol a fydd yn cwmpasu gwasanaeth cyfreithiol sy'n sensitif i amgylchiadau ymgeiswyr unigol, gan gynnwys unrhyw aelodau o'r teulu a allai fod ganddynt, i alluogi dealltwriaeth, cwblhau a chyflwyno ceisiadau cynllun statws sefydledig. Byddwn yn gwneud datganiad ysgrifenedig am y gwasanaethau hyn maes o law.
I'd like a statement on the position that minority-care-time parents find themselves in. I had a constituent in my office earlier today being forced to pay bedroom tax, and being put into debt as a result. He cares for his daughter on the weekends and the extra room is needed. If you look at every council across Wales, those rooms that are needed to take care of children when parents work in partnership don't count in terms of bedroom tax. So, what can be done? I'd like a statement on what you could do, please.
Hoffwn gael datganiad ar y sefyllfa y mae rhieni sy'n ofalwyr rhan amser yn eu cael eu hunain ynddi. Cefais etholwr yn fy swyddfa yn gynharach heddiw sy'n cael ei orfodi i dalu treth ystafell wely, ac yn mynd i ddyled o ganlyniad i hynny. Mae'n gofalu am ei ferch ar y penwythnosau ac mae angen yr ystafell ychwanegol arno. Os edrychwch ar bob cyngor ledled Cymru, nid yw'r ystafelloedd hynny sydd eu hangen ar gyfer gofalu am blant pan fydd rhieni'n gweithio mewn partneriaeth yn cyfrif o ran y dreth ystafell wely. Felly, beth ellir ei wneud? Hoffwn gael datganiad ar yr hyn y gallech ei wneud, os gwelwch yn dda.
Thank you for raising this and, of course, the Member will be aware that Welsh Government has, over a long period, made extensive representations to the UK Government about its bedroom tax and the fact that it is unfair to parents and families who find themselves in a variety of circumstances, such as that which you describe, but also parents and people who are disabled, for example, who need a room for carers to stay in occasionally or who need an extra room for some of the equipment, and so on, that they require. So, we've been clear for years that the bedroom tax is an unfair tax on disabled people, and we'll continue to press the UK Government on this.
Diolch am godi hyn ac, wrth gwrs, fe fydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol bod Llywodraeth Cymru, dros gyfnod hir, wedi cyflwyno sylwadau helaeth i Lywodraeth y DU am ei threth ystafell wely a'r ffaith ei bod yn annheg â rhieni a theuluoedd sy'n eu cael eu hunain mewn amrywiaeth o amgylchiadau, megis yr un a ddisgrifiwch chi. Ond hefyd mae'n annheg ar rieni a phobl sy'n anabl sydd angen ystafell i ofalwyr aros ynddi o bryd i'w gilydd er enghraifft, neu sydd angen ystafell ychwanegol ar gyfer rhywfaint o'r cyfarpar, ac ati, sydd ei angen arnynt. Felly, rydym wedi bod yn glir ers blynyddoedd bod y dreth ystafell wely'n dreth annheg ar bobl anabl, a byddwn yn parhau i bwyso ar Lywodraeth y DU ar hyn.
Business Minister, you'll be aware that the First Minister announced at your party's conference early in April that section 21 evictions will be abolished. The UK Government has made a similar announcement that these so-called no-fault evictions will come to an end, and they're considered at the moment to be one of the biggest causes of family homelessness. The UK Government made a written statement to Parliament about what is now planned by way of consultation. I think we need an oral statement to scrutinise the way that this reform will be taken forward. It is very important to examine the way the consultation will also be conducted. Whilst I think this is a desirable reform, it has to be implemented carefully because there are many interests on both sides of the question, and how in certain circumstances landlords are able to acquire their property for sale or major repair is something that needs careful investigation. I think a lot of us have realised that section 21 is no longer fit for purpose given that 20 per cent of people now are in private rental accommodation. This is a very important issue and I think we should have an oral statement as soon as possible.
Trefnydd, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol bod y Prif Weinidog wedi cyhoeddi yng nghynhadledd eich plaid ddechrau mis Ebrill y bydd adran 21 ar droi pobl allan o'u cartrefi yn cael ei dileu. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi gwneud cyhoeddiad tebyg y bydd y rhain yn dod i ben, a'u bod yn cael eu hystyried ar hyn o bryd yn un o brif achosion digartrefedd ymhlith teuluoedd. Gwnaeth Llywodraeth y DU ddatganiad ysgrifenedig i'r Senedd am yr hyn sydd bellach wedi'i gynllunio drwy ymgynghori. Credaf fod angen datganiad llafar arnom i graffu ar y ffordd y caiff y diwygiad hwn ei fwrw ymlaen. Mae'n bwysig iawn edrych ar y ffordd y bydd yr ymgynghoriad yn cael ei gynnal hefyd. Er fy mod yn credu bod hwn yn ddiwygiad dymunol, mae'n rhaid ei weithredu'n ofalus oherwydd bod llawer o ddiddordebau ar ddwy ochr y cwestiwn, ac mae sut y gall landlordiaid brynu eu heiddo i'w werthu neu ei drwsio'n sylweddol mewn rhai amgylchiadau yn rhywbeth y mae angen ymchwilio iddo'n ofalus. Credaf fod llawer ohonom wedi sylweddoli nad yw adran 21 bellach yn addas i'r diben, o gofio bod 20 y cant o bobl bellach yn cael llety preifat ar rent. Mae hwn yn fater pwysig iawn a chredaf y dylem gael datganiad llafar cyn gynted ag y bo modd.
Thank you very much. This is an important announcement in terms of how we will approach the issue of section 21 in future, and David Melding is right that it is a sensitive issue that must be handled very carefully because there are strong views on both sides of the argument. I know that the First Minister has already had an early meeting with representatives of the Residential Landlords Association to understand their concerns, and, of course, they will be important consultees as we move forward. Clearly, this will require, I think, legislative change, so it will all be subject to the full scrutiny of the Assembly. The Minister will bring forward the appropriate statement when she's able to.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mae hwn yn gyhoeddiad pwysig o ran sut y byddwn yn ymdrin â mater adran 21 yn y dyfodol, ac mae David Melding yn iawn ei fod yn fater sensitif y mae'n rhaid ei drin yn ofalus iawn, oherwydd mae teimladau cryf ar ddwy ochr y ddadl. Gwn fod y Prif Weinidog eisoes wedi cael cyfarfod cynnar â chynrychiolwyr Cymdeithas Landlordiaid Preswyl er mwyn deall eu pryderon, ac, wrth gwrs, byddant yn ymgyngoreion pwysig wrth inni symud ymlaen. Yn amlwg, bydd hyn yn gofyn am newid deddfwriaethol, yn fy nhyb i, felly bydd y cyfan yn destun craffu llawn gan y Cynulliad. Bydd y Gweinidog yn cyflwyno'r datganiad priodol pan fydd modd iddi wneud hynny.
For the past month, people from north Wales have been blocked from accessing the Countess of Chester hospital as out-patient referrals, and that includes, by the way, urgent suspected cancer referrals. You did say earlier that the Minister would probably be making a written statement, I think, quite soon. I was going to ask whether we could have an oral statement so that we as Members could ask some questions, because my understanding is that there would be broader implications not just for patients in north Wales, but for the health service across Wales. I understand that the NHS in England are asking for an 8 per cent increase in charges, and the chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr health board has made it perfectly clear that if that is the case, then any agreement would have to be replicated across all English providers. Welsh patients currently access services in 50 different health trusts in England. We can all do the maths, and I'm sure that we will all be concerned about those kinds of implications.
But, of course, in the meantime, this stand-off is causing a great deal of distress to patients, who feel as though they're being used as bargaining chips in this dispute. Many are asking how it could have come to this, because we knew that there were issues as early as last year. But similarly as well, of course, when there was a similar issue with Gobowen hospital some years ago, then there was an agreement to go to arbitration. I wouldn't mind hearing from the Minister whether he feels we might be getting to that kind of position in the near future. We need to hear really from the Minister how long he expects this stand-off, if you like, to continue and how long it'll take to resolve the situation, because, in the meantime, do you not agree with me that, at the very least, the Countess of Chester hospital should be accepting patients from Wales and not punishing those patients for the failures of others?
Yn ystod y mis diwethaf, mae pobl yn y Gogledd wedi cael eu rhwystro rhag mynd i Ysbyty Iarlles Caer fel cleifion allanol a gafodd eu hatgyfeirio, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys, gyda llaw, atgyfeiriadau achosion brys lle ceir amheuaeth o ganser. Fe ddywedoch chi'n gynharach ei bod yn debygol y byddai'r Gweinidog yn gwneud datganiad ysgrifenedig, credaf, yn eithaf buan. Roeddwn yn mynd i ofyn a gawn ni ddatganiad llafar er mwyn inni fel Aelodau allu gofyn rhai cwestiynau, oherwydd caf ar ddeall y byddai goblygiadau ehangach nid yn unig i gleifion yn y Gogledd, ond i'r gwasanaeth iechyd ledled Cymru. Deallaf fod y GIG yn Lloegr yn gofyn am gynnydd o 8 y cant mewn taliadau, ac mae Prif Weithredwr Bwrdd Iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr wedi ei gwneud yn gwbl glir, os yw hynny'n wir, y byddai'n rhaid i unrhyw gytundeb gael ei efelychu ar draws yr holl ddarparwyr yn Lloegr. Ar hyn o bryd mae cleifion o Gymru yn cael gwasanaethau mewn 50 o wahanol ymddiriedolaethau iechyd yn Lloegr. Gallwn ni i gyd wneud y symiau, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwn i gyd yn pryderu am y mathau hynny o oblygiadau.
Ond, wrth gwrs, yn y cyfamser, mae'r anghytuno hwn yn achosi llawer iawn o ofid i gleifion, sy'n teimlo fel petaent yn cael eu defnyddio yn rhan o'r broses fargeinio yn yr anghydfod hwn. Mae llawer yn gofyn sut y gallai pethau fod wedi dod i hyn, oherwydd roeddem ni'n gwybod bod problemau mor gynnar â'r llynedd. Ond hefyd, wrth gwrs, pan oedd problem debyg gan Ysbyty Gobowen rai blynyddoedd yn ôl, yna roedd cytundeb i fynd i'r broses gymrodeddu. Hoffwn glywed gan y Gweinidog a yw'n teimlo y byddem, o bosib yn cyrraedd y math hwnnw o sefyllfa yn y dyfodol agos. Mae angen inni glywed yn iawn gan y Gweinidog am faint y mae'n disgwyl i'r sefyllfa hon barhau, os mynnwch chi, a pha mor hir y bydd yn ei gymryd i ddatrys y sefyllfa, oherwydd, yn y cyfamser, onid ydych chi'n cytuno â mi, o leiaf y dylai Ysbyty Iarlles Caer gymryd cleifion o Gymru a pheidio â chosbi'r cleifion hynny am fethiannau pobl eraill?
Thank you. You would have heard me in my response to Darren Millar earlier saying that there will be opportunities to question the health Minister on this tomorrow, because there are questions tabled that are relevant to this particular issue. Our understanding is that this is a unilateral decision that has been taken by the Countess of Chester and that other providers in England are not planning similar action. I do understand that there is a meeting taking place this week and it will be after that point that the Minister will be able to provide an update to Members.
Diolch. Byddech chi wedi fy nghlywed i yn fy ateb i Darren Millar yn gynharach yn dweud y bydd cyfleoedd i holi'r Gweinidog iechyd am hyn yfory, oherwydd mae cwestiynau wedi'u cyflwyno sy'n berthnasol i'r mater penodol hwn. Ein dealltwriaeth ni yw mai penderfyniad unochrog yw hwn sydd wedi'i wneud gan Iarlles Caer ac nad yw darparwyr eraill yn Lloegr yn cynllunio camau tebyg. Rwy'n deall bod cyfarfod yn cael ei gynnal yr wythnos hon a bydd y Gweinidog, ar ôl yr amser hwnnw, yn gallu rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau.
Ac yn olaf, Alun Davies.
Finally, Alun Davies.
Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Minister, I think many of us welcomed the announcement from the Welsh Government yesterday in declaring a climate emergency, but many of us also want to know what the substance of the Welsh Government's actions are going to be as a consequence of that. I have to say, the written statement we've had this morning from the Minister is a wholly inadequate response to the declaration that was made yesterday. If this is an emergency—[Interruption.] I welcome the First Minister responding to this, if he wishes to. If this is an emergency—[Interruption.] If this is an emergency, I would—. I'm happy for the First Minister to answer this question if he's so anxious to do so. If this is an emergency—
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Gweinidog, credaf fod llawer ohonom wedi croesawu'r cyhoeddiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru ddoe wrth ddatgan argyfwng hinsawdd, ond mae llawer ohonom hefyd yn dymuno gwybod beth fydd sylwedd camau gweithredu Llywodraeth Cymru o ganlyniad i hynny. Rhaid imi ddweud, mae'r datganiad ysgrifenedig yr ydym wedi'i gael y bore yma gan y Gweinidog yn ymateb cwbl annigonol i'r datganiad a wnaed ddoe. Os yw hyn yn argyfwng—[Torri ar draws.] Croeso i'r Prif Weinidog ymateb i hyn, os yw'n dymuno. Os yw hyn yn argyfwng—[Torri ar draws.] Os yw hyn yn argyfwng, byddwn i—. Rwy'n hapus i'r Prif Weinidog ateb y cwestiwn hwn os yw mor awyddus i wneud hynny. Os yw hwn yn argyfwng—
Carry on with your questioning of the Trefnydd.
Parhewch i holi'r Trefnydd.
If this is an emergency, I would like to ask for a statement from every single one of the Ministers in front of us today on what their actions will be, what their department is going to be doing to respond to this, and what the Government is going to do to ensure that the emergency they've declared is going to have a response, which it deserves and it requires. I would also invite the Ministers to make statements to us first, to this place. A declaration of this sort should have been made in the Chamber here to allow scrutiny to take place of Ministers and Ministers' actions. A plan for a low-carbon Wales was announced, I think, three sitting weeks ago, at the end of March, yet no statement has been brought to this Chamber on the contents of that document and no opportunity has been provided for Members to scrutinise Ministers on that. We read from today's business statement that no statement is planned to be made on that either. So, I hope, Trefnydd, that you will be able to reassure me and other Members on all sides of the Chamber that we will have a series of statements from Ministers that live up to the statements that have been made to date, the declarations that have been made, and which demonstrate to us that Welsh Government is taking this seriously and that this isn't simply a press release.
Os mai argyfwng yw hwn, hoffwn ofyn am ddatganiad gan bob un o'r Gweinidogion sydd ger ein bron heddiw ynghylch beth fydd eu gweithredoedd, beth y mae eu hadran yn mynd i'w wneud i ymateb i hyn, a beth y mae'r Llywodraeth yn mynd i'w wneud i sicrhau bod yr argyfwng y maent wedi'i ddatgan yn mynd i gael ymateb, yr hwn y mae'n ei haeddu ac sydd ei angen. Byddwn hefyd yn gwahodd y Gweinidogion i wneud datganiadau i ni yn gyntaf, i'r fan hon. Dylai datganiad o'r math hwn fod wedi cael ei wneud yn y Siambr hon yma er mwyn caniatáu i waith craffu gael ei wneud ar Weinidogion a chamau gweithredu Gweinidogion. Cyhoeddwyd cynllun ar gyfer Cymru carbon isel, dair wythnos yn ôl, ar ddiwedd mis Mawrth, mi gredaf, ac eto ni chafodd datganiad ei gyflwyno gerbron y Siambr hon ar gynnwys y ddogfen honno ac nid oes cyfle wedi'i roi i'r Aelodau graffu ar Weinidogion ynghylch hynny. Darllenwn o'r datganiad busnes heddiw mai'r bwriad yw peidio â gwneud datganiad ar hynny ychwaith. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio, Trefnydd, y byddwch yn gallu rhoi sicrwydd i mi ac i'r Aelodau eraill ar bob ochr i'r Siambr y cawn gyfres o ddatganiadau gan Weinidogion sydd yn bodloni'r datganiadau a wnaed hyd yma, y datganiadau a wnaed, ac sy'n dangos i ni fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cymryd hyn o ddifrif ac nad datganiad i'r wasg yn unig yw hyn.
Well, the Member will have heard the First Minister speaking passionately this afternoon about our declaration of a climate emergency, and he will have heard the commitment that we have to addressing this issue across Government. And he would also have heard me, in a business statement prior to Easter, make the point that the low-carbon delivery plan has been published and that we were giving Members the opportunity to digest that plan, and I've already made a commitment that it will be brought forward for an opportunity for Members to discuss it on the floor of the Assembly.
Wel, bydd yr Aelod wedi clywed y Prif Weinidog yn siarad yn angerddol y prynhawn yma am ein datganiad o argyfwng hinsawdd, a bydd wedi clywed yr ymrwymiad sydd gennym ni i fynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn ym mhob rhan o'r Llywodraeth. A byddai hefyd wedi fy nghlywed i, mewn datganiad busnes cyn y Pasg, yn gwneud y pwynt bod y cynllun cyflawni carbon isel wedi'i gyhoeddi a'n bod yn rhoi cyfle i'r Aelodau ystyried y cynllun hwnnw, ac rwyf eisoes wedi gwneud ymrwymiad y caiff ei gyflwyno fel y bydd cyfle i'r Aelodau ei drafod ar lawr y Cynulliad.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
Thank you, Trefnydd.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad gan y Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Brexit ar y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am negodiadau Brexit. A dwi'n galw ar y Gweinidog Brexit, Jeremy Miles, i wneud ei ddatganiad.
The next item is a statement by the Counsel General and Brexit Minister: an update on the Brexit negotiations. And I call on the Brexit Minister, Jeremy Miles, to make the statement.
Diolch, Llywydd. Ar yr wyneb, o leiaf, mae llawer wedi newid ers y tro diwethaf inni gael cyfle i ystyried proses Brexit. Rwy’n siŵr bod y rhan fwyaf o’r Aelodau wedi croesawu penderfyniad cyfarfod eithriadol y Cyngor Ewropeaidd i gytuno i ymestyn dyddiad erthygl 50 hyd at 31 Hydref. Mae’r penderfyniad hwnnw’n golygu ein bod ni wedi llwyddo i osgoi, am nawr o leiaf, y peryg o Brexit chaotic, heb gytundeb—sefyllfa a oedd yn gwbl amhosibl i’r wlad baratoi yn iawn ar ei chyfer. Mae wedi rhoi cyfle inni anadlu a chyfle inni ystyried, ond dydy hynny ddim yn golygu’n bendant na fydd Brexit heb gytundeb yn digwydd. Dydy hyn yn ddim byd mwy, ar hyn o bryd, na symud y gorwel ymhellach ymlaen.
Wrth gwrs, fel yr ydw i ac eraill wedi dweud yn glir, rydym ni yn Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i leddfu’r canlyniadau tebygol os na fydd cytundeb. Rwyf am fanteisio nawr ar y cyfle i gydnabod yr holl waith caled gan staff ar draws y Llywodraeth a’r sector gyhoeddus yn ehangach dros y misoedd diwethaf er mwyn gwneud yr holl gynlluniau a pharatoadau wrth gefn a oedd yn angenrheidiol. Rydyn ni wedi gweld y gwasanaeth sifil a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus Cymru ar eu gorau. Yn sgil yr estyniad, rydyn ni wedi addasu dwyster ein paratoadau. Fe fyddwn ni, wrth gwrs, yn adolygu hyn yn gyson, ond yn yr un ffordd ag y mae’n rhaid inni baratoi, mae hefyd angen inni reoli’n hadnoddau mewn ffordd gyfrifol ac ymateb pan fo’r manylion yn newid.
Er hynny, ar adeg o gyni mor ddifrifol, pan fo pwysau aruthrol ar ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, mae’n warthus bod yn rhaid dargyfeirio adnoddau fel hyn. I beth? I amddiffyn pobl Cymru rhag bygythiad y gellid bod wedi ei osgoi pe bai Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig wedi cydnabod llawer yn gynt nad oedd modd achub y cytundeb a gafodd ei negodi a gofyn am estyniad hir.
Thank you, Llywydd. Superficially, at least, much has changed since we last had the opportunity to take stock of the Brexit process. I'm sure most Members will have welcomed the decision of the extraordinary meeting of the European Council to agree to an extension to the article 50 deadline until 31 October. The decision has meant that we have averted, for now at least, the prospect of a chaotic 'no deal' Brexit, a situation that would have been impossible for the country to prepare properly for. It has provided a breathing space, and an opportunity to reflect. What is has not provided is the certainty that a 'no deal' Brexit will not happen; it has merely moved the horizon.
Of course, as I and other colleagues have made clear, we in the Welsh Government have been doing everything we can within our control to mitigate the likely consequences of a 'no deal' outcome. And here I would like to pay tribute to the immensely hard work undertaken by staff across the whole Government and the broader public sector over many months to undertake the planning and preparations needed for this contingency. We have seen the civil service and public services in Wales at their best. Given the extension, the intensity of our preparations has been revised accordingly. We will keep this, of course, under constant review, but just as it is incumbent on us to prepare, it is also incumbent on us to manage resources responsibly and respond when the details have changed.
Yet, particularly at a time of such severe austerity, when our public services are under enormous pressure, it is nothing short of scandalous that resources have had to be diverted in this way. For what? Simply to protect the Welsh people against a threat that could have been averted had the UK Government recognised much earlier that the deal it had negotiated was unsalvageable and asked for a long extension.
The UK Government has squandered literally billions of pounds on 'no deal' preparations, on hiring new staff who now have little or nothing to do, on designing information technology systems we may never need and, most notoriously, on chartering ferry capacity from a company with no ships and then paying more than £30 million in compensation to aggrieved competitors, all in a vain effort to bolster the Prime Minister’s assertion that a 'no deal' outcome was acceptable—part of her failed negotiating strategy that keeping 'no deal' on the table strengthened her position when in reality it was only intended to keep her backbench colleagues at bay. But while at one level much appears to have changed, we should be in no doubt that the fundamentals remain the same.
There is, as yet, no majority in Parliament for any clear way forward. The negotiations between Government and opposition remain crucial. Both parties must engage fully, responsibly and creatively. The Government appears to view the negotiations with the opposition as an opportunity to try to sell its deal rather than to find a compromise—a compromise that, at the bare minimum, needs to involve a commitment to a permanent customs union and enshrining the Chequers commitments to regulatory alignment. Even more importantly, businesses still have no certainty about the long-term future—investment is on hold or being cancelled and jobs are being lost. This is the real damage of the Prime Minister’s disastrous handling of Brexit: livelihoods being lost, the economic prospects of whole communities being threatened and long-term damage to the future credibility of the UK as a major global player. And that looks set to continue. Because while the article 50 extension is welcome, it also entails considerable dangers. It’s tempting to agree with Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator, that six months is
‘too near for a substantial rethink of Brexit and at the same time too far away to prompt any action’.
The split in the Tory party is becoming a chasm, with the Prime Minister in office but not in power. Discontent and disillusion with politics and politicians is growing, with more than half the population, apparently, wanting a strong leader who breaks the rules, and nearly three quarters believing our democratic system needs significant reform.
There is a real risk that, rather than making decisive progress, the six months will be spent in Tory bloodletting, continued Parliamentary stasis and a European election, which, though Welsh Labour has every reason to be confident about it, will be bitter and divisive. It is already more than a month since 29 March. Before we know it, it will be September and we will be no further forward and facing a new cliff edge—that must not be allowed to happen.
What we need is clear: real progress on the cross-party negotiations, or a speedy recognition that the Government is not prepared to move sufficiently to gain the support of the opposition, and, in parallel, serious, meaningful negotiations with the devolved administrations to shape an acceptable deal; if there is no agreement, one further opportunity for Parliament to find a majority for a way forward; and preparations for a potential referendum, including draft legislation and the other steps required under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
As a Welsh Government, we will do all that we can to press both the UK Government and the opposition to take these critically important steps.
Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi gwastraffu biliynau o bunnau yn llythrennol ar baratoadau 'dim cytundeb', ar gyflogi staff newydd nad oes ganddyn nhw ddim neu fawr ddim i'w wneud, ar gynllunio systemau technoleg gwybodaeth na fydd o bosib eu hangen arnom ni fyth ac, yn fwyaf nodedig, ar sicrhau capasiti fferi gan gwmni heb longau ac yna talu mwy na £30,000,000 mewn iawndal i gystadleuwyr a dramgwyddwyd, i gyd mewn ymdrech ofer i ategu haeriad y Prif Weinidog fod canlyniad 'dim cytundeb' yn dderbyniol—rhan o'i strategaeth negodi fethedig sef bod cadw 'dim cytundeb' ar y bwrdd yn cryfhau ei sefyllfa pan mai'r unig fwriad, mewn gwirionedd, oedd cadw ei chydweithwyr ar y meinciau cefn led braich oddi wrthi. Ond er ei bod hi'n ymddangos ar un ystyr fod llawer wedi newid, ni ddylem ni fod ag unrhyw amheuaeth bod yr hanfodion yn aros yr un fath.
Hyd yn hyn, nid oes mwyafrif yn y Senedd ar gyfer unrhyw ffordd glir ymlaen. Mae'r trafodaethau rhwng y Llywodraeth a'r wrthblaid yn dal yn hanfodol. Rhaid i'r ddwy ochr ymgysylltu'n llawn, yn gyfrifol ac yn greadigol. Mae'n ymddangos bod y Llywodraeth yn gweld y trafodaethau gyda'r gwrthbleidiau fel cyfle i geisio gwerthu ei chytundeb yn hytrach na cheisio cyfaddawd—cyfaddawd sydd, beth bynnag arall, angen cynnwys ymrwymiad i undeb tollau parhaol ac ymgorffori ymrwymiadau Chequers i alinio rheoleiddiol. Yn bwysicach fyth, nid oes gan fusnesau unrhyw sicrwydd o hyd ynghylch y dyfodol hirdymor—mae buddsoddiad yn cael ei ohirio neu ei ganslo ac mae swyddi'n cael eu colli. Dyma'r gwir ddifrod o ganlyniad i'r modd trychinebus y bu'r Prif Weinidog yn ymdrin â Brexit: bywoliaethau yn cael eu colli, rhagolygon economaidd cymunedau cyfan yn cael eu bygwth a niwed tymor hir i hygrededd y DU yn y dyfodol fel un o wladwriaethau mwyaf blaenllaw y byd. Ac mae hynny'n edrych yn debygol iawn o barhau. Oherwydd er y croesewir yr estyniad i Erthygl 50, mae hefyd yn golygu peryglon sylweddol. Mae'n demtasiwn i gytuno â Guy Verhofstadt, Cydlynydd Brexit Senedd Ewrop, bod chwe mis yn
rhy agos i ailfeddwl yn sylweddol ynghylch Brexit ac ar yr un pryd yn rhy bell i annog unrhyw weithredu.
Mae'r hollt yn y blaid Dorïaidd yn troi'n agendor, gyda'r Prif Weinidog yn ei swydd ond heb fod mewn grym. Mae dadrithiad ac anfodlonrwydd â gwleidyddiaeth a gwleidyddion yn cynyddu, gyda mwy na hanner y boblogaeth, yn ôl pob golwg, yn dymuno cael arweinydd cryf sy'n torri'r rheolau, a bron i dri chwarter yn credu bod angen diwygio ein system ddemocrataidd yn sylweddol.
Mae perygl gwirioneddol, yn hytrach na gwneud cynnydd pendant, y caiff y chwe mis ei dreulio ar ddadlau ymysg y Torïaid, rhagor o barlys Seneddol ac etholiad Ewropeaidd, a fydd, er bod gan Lafur Cymru bob rheswm i fod yn hyderus yn ei gylch, yn chwerw a chynhennus. Mae'n fwy na mis eisoes ers 29 Mawrth. Cyn inni sylweddoli hynny, bydd hi'n fis Medi ac ni fyddwn ni ymhellach ymlaen ac yn wynebu dibyn newydd—ni ddylid caniatáu i hynny ddigwydd.
Mae'r hyn sydd ei angen arnom ni yn glir: cynnydd gwirioneddol ar y negodiadau trawsbleidiol, neu gydnabyddiaeth gyflym nad yw'r Llywodraeth yn barod i symud yn ddigonol i ennill cefnogaeth y gwrthbleidiau, ac, yn gyfochrog, negodiadau difrifol, ystyrlon â'r gweinyddiaethau datganoledig i lunio cytundeb derbyniol; os nad oes cytundeb, un cyfle pellach i'r Senedd ganfod mwyafrif ar gyfer ffordd ymlaen; a pharatoadau ar gyfer refferendwm posibl, gan gynnwys deddfwriaeth ddrafft a'r camau eraill sy'n ofynnol o dan Ddeddf Pleidiau Gwleidyddol, Etholiadau a Refferenda 2000.
Byddwn ni, Llywodraeth Cymru, yn gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i bwyso ar Lywodraeth y DU a'r wrthblaid i gymryd y camau hollbwysig hyn.
Thank you to the Brexit Minister for an advance copy of his statement, although I have to say that, once again, it was merely a refrain from previous statements that he has made—there was absolutely nothing new in that statement in addition to the things that he has previously said.
I think it is a bit strange that the Brexit Minister and the Welsh Government take a position that criticises the Prime Minister for attempting to bring matters to a conclusion through seeking agreement for her withdrawal agreement when you are in a position, and your party is in a position in Westminster, to support the withdrawal agreement and put an end to the uncertainty so that we can get on negotiating the future relationship with the EU going forward.
So, do you accept that the Labour Party in Westminster is a roadblock to securing an end to this uncertainty, because of the ability that it has to back the Prime Minister's withdrawal deal? You've accused the UK Government of squandering literally billions of pounds on 'no deal' preparations. Isn't that the responsible thing to do—to prepare for all eventualities? You could easily criticise your own Government for making similar preparations, yet, of course, you wouldn't dare, because the reality is that you have to prepare for these eventualities because it's not in our gift—it's not in the gift of one side, in a discussion and a negotiation, to determine what the outcome might actually be.
Now, you know full well that the EU has made it abundantly clear that the withdrawal agreement is the only agreement on the table. You're telling the Prime Minister and the UK Government to go away and to compromise and yet I've heard no compromise from you. I've heard no compromise whatsoever from the Welsh Government on its position, which it set out in the aftermath of the EU referendum result. You know, no compromise whatsoever—you're still regurgitating the same lines, frankly, that you were regurgitating almost three years ago when the referendum result actually came about. Now, you know that there's no majority for your proposals either in the House of Commons, frankly. They've also been rejected, the proposals that your party has put forward. So, get over the criticism of the Prime Minister. Get around the table and start working to put an end to this uncertainty. And the one way that we can all do that—the one way we can bring an end to this uncertainty is to back that withdrawal agreement.
Now, I want to ask you, in terms of the criticism as well of the discontent in the Conservative Party—of course, there's division in all parties, including your own. There's even division just a few seats down from you on that front row. You've got someone who takes a contrary view to the view of other colleagues in Government. I don't hear you criticising your own side for those divisions. We've seen divisions even in your literature for the EU elections, should we regretfully have to have them, in recent weeks over recess. So, I think pointing fingers and trying to highlight some of the difficulties in securing agreement within parties—you ought to have a look in the mirror at times, Minister, frankly, to see those contradictions on your own side. You say that you've got a lot of confidence for the European elections. I think that a lot of that is very misplaced indeed, because, of course, we've been seeing the problems, as I've just highlighted, already.
Now, you've highlighted a number of different options—things that you think need to be done. You think that it would be helpful to prepare for a potential referendum although it wasn't clear in your conference speech recently whether you felt that we should have one after we've exited the EU, before we've exited the EU, or what principally your position might be on the questions that might be asked in that referendum. Do you accept that holding another referendum before implementing the outcome of the referendum in June 2016 would be an affront to democracy, would be an affront to the democratic processes that this country has always abided by and would be an affront to the constitution? Because, of course, we have always, as a country, implemented the outcomes of referendums regardless of whether the political establishment have always been happy with the outcome of those referendums. Quite rightly so too. So, do you think that it is wise to not implement the outcome of that referendum when it was very clear that Wales, and especially your constituency, voted to leave the EU?
Diolch i'r Gweinidog Brexit am gopi ymlaen llaw o'i ddatganiad, er bod yn rhaid imi ddweud, unwaith eto, nad oedd yn ddim ond ailbobiad o ddatganiadau blaenorol y mae wedi eu gwneud—nid oedd dim byd newydd o gwbl yn y datganiad hwnnw yn ychwanegol at y pethau a ddywedodd o'r blaen.
Rwy'n credu ei bod hi braidd yn rhyfedd fod y Gweinidog Brexit a Llywodraeth Cymru yn arddel safbwynt sy'n beirniadu Prif Weinidog y DU am geisio can pen y mwdwl ar faterion drwy geisio cytundeb ar gyfer ei chytundeb ymadael pan rydych chi mewn sefyllfa, a'ch plaid mewn sefyllfa yn San Steffan, i gefnogi'r cytundeb ymadael a rhoi terfyn ar yr ansicrwydd fel y gallwn ni fynd ati i drafod y berthynas â'r UE yn y dyfodol.
Felly, a ydych chi'n derbyn fod y Blaid Lafur yn San Steffan yn rhwystr rhag rhoi terfyn ar yr ansicrwydd hwn, oherwydd y gallu sydd ganddi i gefnogi cytundeb ymadael y Prif Weinidog? Rydych chi wedi cyhuddo Llywodraeth y DU o afradu biliynau o bunnau yn llythrennol ar baratoi ar gyfer 'dim cytundeb'. Onid dyna'r peth cyfrifol i'w wneud—i baratoi ar gyfer pob posibilrwydd? Gallech feirniadu eich Llywodraeth eich hun yn hawdd am wneud paratoadau tebyg, ac eto, wrth gwrs, ni fyddech chi'n meiddio, oherwydd y gwir amdani yw bod yn rhaid ichi baratoi ar gyfer y digwyddiadau hyn oherwydd nid yw hi yn ein dwylo ni—nid yw hi yn nwylo un ochr, wrth drafod a negodi, i benderfynu beth allai'r canlyniad fod mewn gwirionedd.
Nawr, fe wyddoch chi'n iawn fod yr UE wedi'i gwneud hi'n gwbl glir mai'r cytundeb ymadael yw'r unig gytundeb posib. Rydych chi'n dweud wrth Brif Weinidog a Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig am fynd ymaith a chyfaddawdu ac eto nid wyf wedi clywed unrhyw gyfaddawd gennych. Nid wyf wedi clywed unrhyw gyfaddawd gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar ei safbwynt, a nodwyd ganddi yn sgil canlyniad refferendwm yr UE. Wyddoch chi, dim cyfaddawdu o gwbl—rydych chi'n dal i ganu'r un hen dôn gron ag yr oeddech chi'n ei chanu bron i dair blynedd yn ôl pan gafwyd canlyniad y refferendwm mewn gwirionedd. Nawr, fe wyddoch chi nad oes mwyafrif i'ch cynigion yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin chwaith, a dweud y gwir. Maen nhw hefyd wedi cael eu gwrthod, y cynigion y mae eich plaid wedi'u cyflwyno. Felly, rhowch ddiwedd ar feirniadu'r Prif Weinidog. Dechreuwch gydweithio a cheisio rhoi diwedd ar yr ansicrwydd hwn. A'r un ffordd y gallwn ni i gyd wneud hynny—yr un ffordd y gallwn ni roi terfyn ar yr ansicrwydd hwn yw cefnogi'r cytundeb ymadael hwnnw.
Nawr, rwyf eisiau gofyn ichi, o ran y feirniadaeth hefyd o'r anfodlonrwydd yn y Blaid Geidwadol—wrth gwrs, mae rhaniad ym mhob plaid, gan gynnwys eich un chi. Mae hyd yn oed rhaniad ychydig seddau o'ch blaen ar y rhes flaen honno. Mae gennych chi rywun sy'n arddel barn wahanol i farn cyd-Aelodau eraill yn y Llywodraeth. Nid wyf yn eich clywed yn beirniadu eich ochr chi eich hun am y rhaniadau hynny. Rydym ni wedi gweld rhaniadau hyd yn oed yn eich llenyddiaeth ar gyfer etholiadau'r UE, pe bai'n rhaid i ni, yn anffodus, eu cael, yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf dros y toriad. Felly, rwy'n credu bod bwrw'r bai a cheisio tynnu sylw at rai o'r anawsterau o ran sicrhau cytundeb o fewn pleidiau—y dylech chi gael golwg yn y drych ar adegau, Gweinidog, a dweud y gwir, i weld yr anghysonderau hynny yn eich plaid eich hun. Rydych chi'n dweud bod gennych chi lawer o ffydd ynghylch yr etholiadau Ewropeaidd. Rwy'n credu bod llawer o hynny'n gwbl gyfeiliornus, gan ein bod, wrth gwrs, wedi gweld y problemau, fel yr wyf i newydd dynnu sylw atyn nhw, yn barod.
Nawr, rydych chi wedi tynnu sylw at nifer o wahanol ddewisiadau—pethau y credwch chi fod angen eu gwneud. Rydych chi o'r farn y byddai'n ddefnyddiol paratoi ar gyfer refferendwm posib er nad oedd hi'n glir yn eich araith yn y gynhadledd yn ddiweddar pa un a oeddech chi'n teimlo y dylem ni gael un ar ôl inni ymadael â'r UE, cyn inni ymadael â'r UE, neu beth fyddai eich safbwynt yn bennaf ar y cwestiynau y gellid eu gofyn yn y refferendwm hwnnw. A ydych chi'n derbyn y byddai cynnal refferendwm arall cyn gweithredu canlyniad y refferendwm ym mis Mehefin 2016 yn sarhad ar ddemocratiaeth, y byddai'n sarhad ar y prosesau democrataidd y mae'r wlad hon wedi eu dilyn bob amser ac y byddai'n sarhad ar y cyfansoddiad? Oherwydd, wrth gwrs, rydym ni bob amser, fel gwlad, wedi gweithredu canlyniadau refferenda ni waeth a yw'r sefydliad gwleidyddol bob amser wedi bod yn fodlon ar ganlyniad y refferenda hynny. Ac yn gwbl briodol hefyd. Felly, a ydych chi'n credu ei bod hi'n ddoeth peidio â gweithredu canlyniad y refferendwm hwnnw pan roedd hi'n amlwg iawn bod Cymru, ac yn enwedig eich etholaeth chi, wedi pleidleisio i adael yr UE?
Well, I'll just start by saying that I do regret the Member's lack of welcome for the opportunity for this Chamber to continue to discuss the impact on Wales of, surely, the single biggest issue that any of us face, including his constituents. I think it's important that this forum, this Chamber, is able to give its opinion on the evolving situation in Parliament, in Europe and in Wales on this most vital issue, and I would welcome his engagement with the debate with that spirit.
He talks about my party being a roadblock in Westminster. The truth of the matter is that the Prime Minister could have avoided the situation that we are in and could have avoided the affront to democracy that he referred to obliquely in his last remarks if she had done what national leadership demanded that she should do and not seek to placate competing factions in her own party, but seek to reach out across the House of Commons and across the country, in fact, to seek to find, difficult though it would be, a form of consensus coming out of the result of the 2016 referendum. That was the task that lay in front of her. That was the responsibility of national leadership, and she has failed it, and his remarks fail to recognise that. She looked inwards rather than looking outwards at a point when that was the challenge ahead of her. He talks about compromise: we have been absolutely clear on these benches that the task for both the Government and the opposition is to enter into those discussions seeking to find an agreement and that that will require compromise. We have been clear here for more than two and a half years in the paper that we put together with Plaid Cymru, 'Securing Wales' Future', of the sort of arrangement we would see as in Wales's interests post Brexit. We have been absolutely clear that those things must be principal to those discussions but the discussions must be allowed to continue to seek to find, as I said in my statement, fully, responsibly and creatively, an outcome for that discussion. And I absolutely reject his view that the House of Commons's position hasn't moved on this. The reason we are only now discovering what the House of Commons's view is on these matters is that the Prime Minister has consistently prevented them from debating this in a democratic forum by imposing on them constraints that meant that only her deal—which was never acceptable to the House of Commons and barely acceptable to most of her party—was to be debated in the House of Commons. We are now at the eleventh hour dealing with this when we should have been dealing with it in June 2016, and it's her failure to approach that in the right spirit in June 2016 that puts us in this position.
He asked about the waste of money, and I do recognise that there's been money spent in all Governments in all parts of the UK, but who is in control of that decision? It's the Prime Minister, and, actually, she's pursued a negotiation allowing 'no deal' to remain on the table while irresponsibly not taking steps to prepare for that eventuality for the last three years. That lies at her door, not at this Government's door. And flattered though I am to hear that the Member listened to my conference speech, perhaps if he'd listened a little bit more—[Interruption.] Perhaps if he'd listened a bit more closely he'd have heard the answer to some of the questions he's raised today.
Wel, dechreuaf drwy ddweud fy mod i yn gresynu at ddiffyg croeso'r aelod i'r cyfle i'r Siambr hon barhau i drafod sut y bydd y pwnc unigol mwyaf y mae unrhyw un ohonom yn ei wynebu, gan gynnwys ei etholwyr ei hun, yn effeithio ar Gymru. Credaf ei bod hi'n bwysig bod y fforwm hwn, y Siambr hon, yn gallu mynegi barn am y sefyllfa sy'n datblygu yn y Senedd, yn Ewrop ac yng Nghymru o ran y mater hollbwysig hwn, a byddwn yn croesawu pe byddai'n cymryd rhan yn y ddadl â'r ysbryd hwnnw.
Mae'n sôn bod fy mhlaid i'n faen tramgwydd yn San Steffan. Y gwir amdani yw y gallai'r Prif Weinidog fod wedi osgoi'r sefyllfa yr ydym ni ynddi a gallai fod wedi osgoi'r sarhad i ddemocratiaeth y cyfeiriodd ato'n anuniongyrchol yn ei sylwadau diwethaf pe bai hi wedi gwneud yr hyn y mynnodd arweinyddiaeth genedlaethol y dylai ei wneud a pheidio â cheisio tawelu'r carfanau sy'n cystadlu yn ei phlaid ei hun, ond ceisio ymestyn ar draws Tŷ'r Cyffredin ac ar draws y wlad, mewn gwirionedd, er mwyn ceisio canfod, er mor anodd y byddai, ffurf ar gonsensws yn deillio o ganlyniad refferendwm 2016. Dyna'r dasg a oedd o'i blaen. Cyfrifoldeb arweinyddiaeth genedlaethol oedd hynny, ac mae hi wedi methu â gwneud hynny, ac mae ei sylwadau yntau yn methu â chydnabod hynny. Fe wnaeth hi edrych tuag at i mewn yn hytrach nag edrych tuag allan ar adeg pan mai dyna oedd yr her o'i blaen. Mae'n sôn am gyfaddawdu: rydym ni wedi bod yn gwbl glir ar y meinciau hyn mai'r dasg i'r Llywodraeth a'r wrthblaid yw dechrau ar y trafodaethau hynny gan geisio canfod cytundeb ac y bydd hynny'n gofyn am gyfaddawd. Rydym ni wedi bod yn glir yma ers dros ddwy flynedd a hanner yn y papur y gwnaethom ni ei lunio ar y cyd â Phlaid Cymru, 'Diogelu Dyfodol Cymru ', o'r math o drefniant y byddem yn ei weld fel un sy'n gwarchod buddiannau Cymru yn dilyn Brexit. Rydym ni wedi bod yn gwbl glir bod yn rhaid i'r pethau hynny fod yn rhan annatod o'r trafodaethau hynny ond mae'n rhaid caniatáu i'r trafodaethau barhau i geisio dod o hyd, fel y dywedais yn fy natganiad, i ganlyniad i'r drafodaeth hon, a hynny mewn modd cyflawn, cyfrifol a chreadigol. Ac rwyf yn gwrthod yn llwyr ei farn nad yw safbwynt Tŷ'r Cyffredin wedi newid yn hyn o beth. Y rheswm nad ydym ni ond yn darganfod yn awr beth yw barn Tŷ'r Cyffredin ar y materion hyn yw bod y Prif Weinidog wedi eu hatal yn gyson rhag cael dadl ar hyn mewn fforwm democrataidd drwy osod cyfyngiadau arnyn nhw a olygai mai dim ond ei chytundeb hi—nad oedd byth yn dderbyniol i Dŷ'r Cyffredin a phrin yn dderbyniol i'r rhan fwyaf o'i phlaid—oedd i'w drafod yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin. Rydym ni bellach ar yr unfed awr ar ddeg yn ymdrin â hyn pan ddylem ni fod wedi bod yn ymdrin ag ef ym mis Mehefin 2016, a'i methiant hi i fynd i'r afael â hynny yn yr ysbryd priodol ym mis Mehefin 2016 sy'n ein rhoi ni yn y sefyllfa hon
Gofynnodd am y gwastraffu arian, ac rwyf yn cydnabod bod arian wedi'i wario yn yr holl Lywodraethau ym mhob rhan o'r DU, ond pwy sy'n rheoli'r penderfyniad hwnnw? Y Prif Weinidog, ac, mewn gwirionedd, mae hi wedi negodi mewn ffordd a oedd yn caniatáu i 'ddim cytundeb' barhau i fod yn bosibilrwydd, gan beidio, yn anghyfrifol, â pharatoi ar gyfer y posibilrwydd hwnnw dros y tair blynedd diwethaf. Ei bai hi yw hynny, nid bai'r Llywodraeth hon. Ac er mor falch yr wyf i o glywed bod yr Aelod wedi gwrando ar fy araith a wnes yn y gynhadledd, efallai pe byddai wedi gwrando ychydig yn fwy—[Torri ar draws.] Efallai pe byddai wedi gwrando ychydig yn fwy astud y byddai wedi clywed yr ateb i rai o'r cwestiynau y mae wedi eu holi heddiw.
Thank you for your statement, Minister. I'll begin with matters that we agree on. I'd like to support your words of thanks to Welsh Government and public sector staff who have been working so diligently to prepare Wales for the catastrophic possibility of a 'no deal' Brexit. Their hard work is appreciated. I agree with you as well that it is scandalous that resources are being squandered on preparing for an eventuality that should have been ruled out from the outset. It's particularly galling to consider how this money could otherwise have been spent, given that our public services are under such financial pressures as a result of the austerity policies of the British Government.
The Prime Minister's actions in this regard are truly disgraceful, throwing money away for the sake of appeasing the extremists within her own party—money that could have been spent otherwise on the NHS, on schools, on improving infrastructure, on improving people's lives. It goes to show that the welfare of Welsh citizens means nothing to the negligent British state and that the only way to secure our own future is by taking it into our own hands as an independent country. Westminster is not exactly doing itself any favours at the moment.
But, Minister, I'd like to turn to your criticism of the length of the article 50 extension as being neither short enough to force an outcome nor long enough to rethink the doomed endeavour. I asked you on 30 March how long you believed the extension should be, but you chose not to answer my question. At that point, you relied on strategic ambiguity rather than stating a view, and it's ironic that you're now critical of others for doing the same. Plaid Cymru was clear that the extension should be a long one, up to the end of 2020, to give time and space to deal with Brexit appropriately. Do you, therefore, now regret not supporting our call in this regard?
I'd also like to ask you for some clarity in terms of your claim that you're putting pressure on the opposition, that is, your own party, to achieve real progress in cross-party negotiations. Does this mean that Welsh Government's negotiating priorities differ in some respect from Jeremy Corbyn's, and, if so, could you please provide this Chamber with details in terms of what Welsh Government is asking for specifically?
You also say that you're pressing for discussion with the devolved administrations. I welcome this, and I hope that you're successful in securing the parallel meaningful negotiations that you've mentioned. Of course, in a parallel reality, the Labour Party would have taken a principled stand on Brexit and would have a clear policy on holding a public vote so that any deal goes back to the people to decide whether to accept it or remain in the EU. Instead, we have an incomprehensible policy wrapped in convolution. When asked by BBC journalists today about how he would vote on the matter in Labour's NEC, Welsh Labour's representative, Mick Antoniw, gave an answer that succeeded only in raising the level of confusion to a new level. He said he supported a legitimisation of any Brexit deal through a vote, but that this should not be in the form of a referendum, because referendums give a range of options, as opposed to, presumably, letting people have a narrow choice of accepting or rejecting a deal that does not exist. If the definition of a referendum is 'a choice between a range of options', then I'm not sure what exactly happened on 23 June 2016. What he seemed to be saying was that the policy has now morphed into actually supporting a referendum—without calling it that—as long as remain is not an option on the ballot paper. I may have misunderstood him, so I'll quote his response. He said, 'A referendum can give you a number of options. You could actually put the key issue of whether we want to remain in the EU or not; a legitimisation could actually be saying, "This is the deal we have. Are you prepared to accept this deal and these negotiations?"' Minister, can you therefore confirm whether or not Mick Antoniw is reflecting Welsh Government policy on that committee, or is the stance of Welsh Labour somehow not the same as that of the Government? I'm unclear as to whether Welsh Government support having a confirmatory vote on any deal or just on a deal it doesn't agree with. If so, what is the democratic justification for this stance?
Finally, I welcome your call for the UK Government to begin preparations for a referendum, even though it's currently unclear whether or not you would wish this referendum to actually happen. This Assembly agreed on 13 January that work should begin immediately on preparing for a public vote. Could you set out what steps your Government has taken in this regard, either in terms of Executive action or making the case to the UK Government or the opposition?
Diolch ichi am eich datganiad, Gweinidog. Dechreuaf gyda materion yr ydym ni'n cytuno arnyn nhw. Fe hoffwn i ategu eich geiriau o ddiolch i staff Llywodraeth Cymru a'r sector cyhoeddus sydd wedi bod yn gweithio mor ddiwyd i baratoi Cymru ar gyfer y posibilrwydd trychinebus o Brexit heb gytundeb. Gwerthfawrogir eu gwaith caled. Cytunaf â chi hefyd ei bod hi'n gywilyddus bod adnoddau'n cael eu gwastraffu ar baratoi ar gyfer digwyddiad a ddylai fod wedi cael ei ddiystyru o'r cychwyn. Mae'n arbennig o anodd meddwl sut y gellid bod wedi gwario'r arian hwn fel arall, o gofio bod ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus o dan y fath bwysau ariannol o ganlyniad i bolisïau cyni Llywodraeth Prydain.
Mae gweithredoedd Prif Weinidog y DU yn hyn o beth yn gwbl warthus, gan afradu arian er mwyn tawelu'r eithafwyr yn ei phlaid ei hun—arian y gellid bod wedi ei wario fel arall ar y GIG, ar ysgolion, ar wella seilwaith, ar wella bywydau pobl. Mae'n dangos nad yw lles dinasyddion Cymru yn golygu dim i'r wladwriaeth Brydeinig esgeulus ac mai'r unig ffordd o sicrhau ein dyfodol ein hunain yw drwy ei roi yn ein dwylo ein hunain fel gwlad annibynnol. Nid yw San Steffan yn gwneud unrhyw gymwynas â'i hun ar hyn o bryd.
Ond, Gweinidog, fe hoffwn i droi at eich beirniadaeth o hyd estyniad Erthygl 50 fel un nad yw'n ddigon byr i orfodi canlyniad nac yn ddigon hir i ailfeddwl am yr ymgais ffaeledig. Gofynnais ichi ar 30 Mawrth pa mor hir y credech chi y dylai'r estyniad fod, ond fe wnaethoch chi ddewis peidio ag Fcyhydateb fy nghwestiwn. Bryd hynny, roeddech chi'n dibynnu ar amwysedd strategol yn hytrach na datgan barn, ac mae'n eironig eich bod bellach yn feirniadol o eraill am wneud yr un peth. Roedd Plaid Cymru yn glir y dylai'r estyniad fod yn un hir, hyd at ddiwedd 2020, i roi amser a modd i ymdrin â Brexit yn briodol. A ydych chi'n edifar, felly, am beidio â chefnogi ein galwad yn hyn o beth?
Hoffwn hefyd ofyn i chi am rywfaint o eglurder o ran eich honiad eich bod yn rhoi pwysau ar y gwrthbleidiau, hynny yw, eich plaid eich hun, i sicrhau cynnydd gwirioneddol mewn trafodaethau trawsbleidiol. A yw hyn yn golygu bod blaenoriaethau negodi Llywodraeth Cymru yn wahanol mewn rhyw ffordd i rai Jeremy Corbyn, ac, os felly, a allech chi roi manylion i'r Siambr hon o ran yr hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gofyn amdano'n benodol?
Rydych chi hefyd yn dweud eich bod yn pwyso am drafodaeth gyda'r gweinyddiaethau datganoledig. Rwyf yn croesawu hyn, ac rwy'n gobeithio eich bod yn llwyddo i sicrhau'r cyd-drafodaethau ystyrlon cyfochrog yr ydych chi wedi'u crybwyll. Wrth gwrs, mewn realiti cyfochrog, byddai'r Blaid Lafur wedi gwneud safiad egwyddorol o ran Brexit a byddai ganddi bolisi clir ynglŷn â chynnal pleidlais gyhoeddus fel bod unrhyw gytundeb yn mynd yn ôl at y bobl i benderfynu a ddylid ei dderbyn neu aros yn yr UE. Yn hytrach, mae gennym ni bolisi annealladwy sy'n ddryslyd ar y naw. Pan ofynnwyd iddo gan newyddiadurwyr y BBC heddiw sut y byddai'n pleidleisio ar y mater ym Mhwyllgor Gweithredu Lleol Llafur, rhoddodd cynrychiolydd Llafur Cymru, Mick Antoniw, ateb a lwyddodd i wneud dim ond creu mwy fyth o ddryswch. Dywedodd ei fod o blaid dilysu unrhyw gytundeb Brexit drwy bleidlais, ond na ddylai hyn fod ar ffurf refferendwm, gan fod refferenda yn rhoi amrywiaeth o ddewisiadau, yn hytrach na bod pobl yn cael dewis syml o dderbyn neu wrthod cytundeb nad yw'n bodoli. Os mai'r diffiniad o refferendwm yw 'dewis rhwng ystod o ddewisiadau', yna nid wyf yn siŵr beth yn union ddigwyddodd ar 23 Mehefin 2016. Yr hyn yr oedd yn ei ddweud am wn i oedd bod y polisi wedi ymffurfio bellach i gefnogi refferendwm mewn gwirionedd—heb ei alw'n hynny—ar yr amod nad yw aros yn ddewis ar y papur pleidleisio. Efallai fy mod i wedi ei gamddeall, felly dyfynnaf ei ymateb. Dywedodd gall refferendwm roi nifer o ddewisiadau i chi. Mewn gwirionedd, fe allech chi ofyn y cwestiwn allweddol, sef a ydym ni eisiau aros yn yr UE ai peidio; gallai dilysu olygu dweud mewn gwirionedd, "Dyma'r cytundeb sydd gennym ni. A ydych chi'n barod i dderbyn y cytundeb hwn a'r trafodaethau hyn?" Gweinidog, a wnewch chi gadarnhau felly a yw Mick Antoniw yn adlewyrchu polisi Llywodraeth Cymru ar y pwyllgor hwnnw, neu a yw safiad Llafur Cymru rywsut yn wahanol i safbwynt y Llywodraeth? Nid wyf yn siŵr a yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi cael pleidlais gadarnhau ar unrhyw gytundeb neu dim ond ar gytundeb nad yw'n cytuno ag ef. Os felly, beth yw'r cyfiawnhad democrataidd dros y safiad hwn?
Yn olaf, croesawaf eich galwad ar i Lywodraeth y DU ddechrau paratoi ar gyfer refferendwm, er nad yw hi'n glir ar hyn o bryd a ydych chi'n dymuno i'r refferendwm hwn ddigwydd mewn gwirionedd ai peidio. Cytunodd y Cynulliad ar 13 Ionawr y dylai gwaith ddechrau ar unwaith i baratoi ar gyfer pleidlais gyhoeddus. A allwch chi amlinellu beth mae eich Llywodraeth wedi ei wneud yn hyn o beth, naill ai o ran camau gweithredol neu wrth ddadlau'r achos i Lywodraeth y DU neu'r wrthblaid?
I thank the Member for that series of questions. I do welcome the remarks that she opened with, to thank civil servants and people across the public sector in Wales for all the work they've been doing. That will have been very well received by those who have been engaged so hard over that period. And I also welcome the attention that she draws in her question to the relationship between Brexit and the preparations for a 'no deal' Brexit in particular and the pressures of austerity. Those twin challenges, I think, place particularly acute pressures on all parts of Government, public services and, indeed, the third sector and the private sector as well, so I welcome that remark.
In relation to the question of duration, I was actually quoting Guy Verhofstadt's remark about the duration. She will know that we have indicated that, in our view, the renegotiation of the political declaration to reflect the kinds of principles that her party and mine set out jointly in 'Securing Wales' Future' was something that could be done in relatively short order that would not require that level of extension—the kind of extension that's been now given by the European Council. But it's evident, equally, that the existence of that extension reflects, really, I think, on their part, a sense of exhaustion about continuing discussion, dialogue, and, as they perhaps would describe it, the distraction from the other business and priorities that our European Union colleagues inevitably will have. But, having provided that significant extension, my point was simply to say that we need to continue to press to make sure that the discussions under way are meaningful and not regard that period as a period in which to retrench into preferences and perhaps into a sense that we don't need to engage. That would be the wrong interpretation of that period of time, of that extension.
In relation to discussions that we've had with the frontbench, obviously, those are discussions within the party, but it's absolutely clear that those reflect the principles that we've espoused publicly here, and, again, as I will say, jointly with her party in 'Securing Wales' Future', for dynamic alignment of rights, a close relationship with the single market and membership of a customs union, amongst other things. And she'll be familiar, I know, with the priorities that we have both jointly set out. I have been clear and I've provided statutory language that would enable there to be parallel discussions with the devolved administrations in relation to the development of the negotiation of the political declaration. I know that that is also an ambition of the Scottish Government, she will be unsurprised to hear. And, having written to David Lidington on exactly that point, I also followed that up in a conversation with him perhaps two weeks ago to reiterate how important it was for that to continue. I welcome the engagement that the Member continues to make in relation to this issue. I think, on the question of preparations in particular, her closing point, just to be clear—I think I've said this publicly before—we have pressed the UK Government to make sure that steps are taken by the UK Government, which is principally responsible for this, and the Electoral Commission. I raised that again with David Lidington in that same conversation only two or three weeks ago. And I know also that the First Minister has written to the Permanent Secretary asking her to reflect on what steps the Welsh Government at large need to take in order to prepare for that. But she will hear from my statement the statutory basis for most of those steps, and those steps largely lie in Westminster.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y gyfres honno o gwestiynau. Rwyf yn croesawu ei sylwadau agoriadol, a oedd yn diolch i weision sifil ac i bobl ym mhob rhan o'r sector cyhoeddus yng Nghymru am yr holl waith y maen nhw wedi bod yn ei wneud. Bydd hynny wedi cael derbyniad da iawn gan y rhai sydd wedi bod yn gweithio mor galed dros y cyfnod hwnnw. Ac rwyf hefyd yn croesawu'r modd y mae hi'n dal sylw yn ei chwestiwn ar y berthynas rhwng Brexit a'r paratoadau ar gyfer Brexit heb gytundeb yn arbennig a phwysau cyni. Mae'r ddwy her hynny, rwy'n credu, yn rhoi pwysau arbennig o drwm ar bob rhan o'r Llywodraeth, gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ac, yn wir, y trydydd sector a'r sector preifat hefyd, felly rwy'n croesawu'r sylw yna.
O ran y cwestiwn ynghylch hyd, roeddwn i mewn gwirionedd yn dyfynnu sylw Guy Verhofstadt ynglŷn â'r hyd. Bydd hi'n gwybod ein bod ni wedi nodi, yn ein barn ni, fod ailnegodi’r datganiad gwleidyddol i adlewyrchu'r math o egwyddorion a osododd ei phlaid hi a minnau ar y cyd yn 'Diogelu Dyfodol Cymru' yn rhywbeth y gellid ei wneud mewn amser cymharol fyr pryd na fyddai angen estyniad mor hir â hynny—y math o estyniad a roddwyd bellach gan y Cyngor Ewropeaidd. Ond mae'n amlwg, yn yr un modd, bod bodolaeth yr estyniad hwnnw yn adlewyrchu, rwy'n credu, ar eu rhan nhw, ymdeimlad o flinder o ran parhau i drin a thrafod ac, fel y bydden nhw'n ei ddisgrifio efallai, y tynnu sylw oddi ar y materion a'r blaenoriaethau eraill a fydd yn anochel gan ein cydweithwyr yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Ond, ar ôl darparu'r estyniad sylweddol hwnnw, y sylw a wneuthum i oedd dweud yn syml fod angen inni barhau i bwyso i sicrhau bod y trafodaethau sydd ar y gweill yn ystyrlon ac nad ydyn nhw'n gweld y cyfnod hwnnw yn gyfnod o ddychwelyd i'r status quo ac efallai i ymdeimlad nad oes angen i ni ymgysylltu. Byddai hynny'n ddehongliad anghywir o'r cyfnod hwnnw o amser, o'r estyniad hwnnw.
O ran y trafodaethau a gawsom ni gyda'r fainc flaen, yn amlwg, trafodaethau o fewn y blaid yw'r rheini, ond mae'n gwbl glir bod y rheini'n adlewyrchu'r egwyddorion a arddelwyd gennym ni yn gyhoeddus yma, ac, eto, fel y dywedaf, ar y cyd â'i phlaid yn 'Diogelu Dyfodol Cymru', er mwyn cysoni hawliau mewn modd deinamig, cael perthynas agos â'r farchnad sengl ac aelodaeth o undeb tollau, ymysg pethau eraill. A bydd hi'n gyfarwydd, rwy'n gwybod, â'r blaenoriaethau yr ydym ni wedi'u gosod ar y cyd. Rwyf wedi bod yn glir ac rwyf wedi defnyddio ieithwedd statudol a fyddai'n ei gwneud hi'n bosib cynnal trafodaethau cyfochrog â'r gweinyddiaethau datganoledig ynghylch datblygu'r trafodaethau ar y datganiad gwleidyddol. Rwy'n gwybod fod hynny'n uchelgais gan Lywodraeth yr Alban hefyd, na fydd yn syndod ganddi glywed. Ac, wedi ysgrifennu at David Lidington ar yr union bwynt hwnnw, fe wnes i hefyd holi eto ynghylch hynny mewn sgwrs gydag ef efallai bythefnos yn ôl i ddweud eto pa mor bwysig oedd hi i hynny barhau. Rwy'n croesawu'r sylw parhaus y mae'r Aelod yn ei roi ynghylch y mater hwn. Credaf, o ran paratoadau yn arbennig, ei sylw terfynol, i fod yn glir—rwy'n credu fy mod i wedi dweud hyn yn gyhoeddus o'r blaen—rydym ni wedi pwyso ar Lywodraeth y DU i sicrhau bod Llywodraeth y DU, sy'n bennaf gyfrifol am hyn, a'r Comisiwn Etholiadol, yn gweithredu. Codais hynny eto gyda David Lidington yn yr un sgwrs dim ond dwy neu dair wythnos yn ôl. A gwn hefyd fod Prif Weinidog Cymru wedi ysgrifennu at yr Ysgrifennydd Parhaol yn gofyn iddi ystyried beth y mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru ei wneud er mwyn paratoi ar gyfer hynny. Ond bydd yn clywed o'm datganiad y sail statudol ar gyfer y rhan fwyaf o'r camau hynny, a San Steffan sy'n bennaf gyfrifol am y camau hynny.
Well, there was nothing new in the statement today, but I still welcome the opportunity to debate this issue, because it does point out the utter absurdity of the Labour Party's position on the deal that it wants with the EU, encapsulated in one sentence of the statement, which says that they want
'A compromise which at the bare minimum needs to involve a commitment to a permanent Customs Union over and enshrining the Chequers commitments to regulatory alignment.'
Well, what a preposterous position that it is. We will remain subject to decisions taken by the EU, but in which we have had no part to participate and in which we've not had a vote. The Commission—. We've got at the moment one commissioner out of 28. The Council of Ministers—. We've got 8.5 per cent of the votes on qualified majority voting decisions and we've got roughly 10 per cent of the seats in the European Parliament. If we were to leave the EU on the kind of arrangements that the Counsel General has set out today, we would have no votes whatsoever in any of those decisions, and yet we would be subject to whatever decisions the EU made. That, whatever it is, is not Brexit. And this, I think, points out the fundamental hypocrisy of the Labour Party's position, because they claim to want to respect the result of the referendum whilst on the other hand committing themselves to a policy that actually produces the exact opposite of leaving the EU except in the even more damaging situation whereby we can actually have no influence whatsoever over decisions in which currently we do at least have a minimal part to play.
And let's be in no doubt that the EU would have no interest whatsoever in taking decisions that were in our interest and indeed, very often, would have every interest in doing the opposite to favour their own member states over the interests of Britain. We would actually be in a worse position than Turkey is now, but at least Turkey is prepared to accept that ignominy because it is, at least theoretically, a candidate member of the EU, whereas, we would be the opposite; we would be on the point of departure, so why on earth would we want to make those commitments whilst we were legally outside the EU? It does go to the very heart of what leaving the EU should all be about—taking back control, making decisions for ourselves, making our own laws and having the British people, ultimately, as the sovereign body that determines the way in which Governments behave. Because the European Commission has made it absolutely clear what the customs union is about. It's about a system of common rules—I'm quoting from one of their documents—that goes beyond
'the Customs Union as such—with its common tariff—and extend to all aspects of trade policy, such as preferential trade, health and environmental controls, the common agricultural and fisheries policies, the protection of our economic interests by non-tariff instruments and external relations policy measures.'
That is everything that goes to the very heart of trade and we would be giving up all that under Labour's proposals. We would, in fact, be in a state of vassalage, as Boris Johnson has previously pointed out. And as Mervyn King, the former governor of the Bank of England, has said, there are arguments for remaining in the EU and there are arguments for leaving the EU, but there is no case whatsoever for giving up the benefits of remaining without obtaining the benefits of leaving. And that is exactly what the Labour policy would mean.
And does the Counsel General not agree with me that the customs tariff that he wants to commit ourselves to in perpetuity is actually a tax on the poor, a tax on working people? There's a 15 per cent tax on footwear and clothes imports, for example, an 11.5 per cent tax on coffee, a 17 per cent tax on oranges, which we can't grow in this country anywhere, anymore than we can grow coffee. And there are lots of senseless tariffs as well. There's a tariff of 1.7 per cent on swords, cutlasses, bayonets, lances and scabbards; a tax of 15 per cent on unicycles. Now, I don't know what threat the importation of unicycles poses to the British bicycle-making industry, but I can see no justification for that whatsoever. There's even a 4.7 per cent tax on umbrellas with telescopic shafts. There are 12,160 of these absurd impositions upon working people. But also, of course, in many other respects, there are taxes on food and other necessities of life—a 5 per cent VAT on central heating fuel, for example. These are all things that are going to hit the poorest hardest, and that's what the Labour Party is committing itself to.
So, I do agree with the Counsel General in one respect: that the tragedy of the situation we've now arrived at—and he said this in answer to the Conservative spokesman—is that Theresa May has made no preparations whatsoever for coping with the dislocation that a 'no deal' arrangement would inevitably involve. We should have spent the last three years actually putting together, in outline, our trade deals with the rest of the world. We haven't even begun that process. And also we should have put in process the technical infrastructure for how to cope with trade flows across the United Kingdom borders, with a tariff regime if one were to be imposed. But also—and my last point is this—part and parcel of what the Labour Party proposes is a permanent open-door immigration policy, in effect, because that also is an essential part of the four freedoms that the single market entails.
Wel, nid oedd unrhyw beth newydd yn y datganiad heddiw, ond rwy'n dal i groesawu'r cyfle i gael dadl ar y mater hwn, gan ei fod yn tynnu sylw at ffolineb llwyr safbwynt y Blaid Lafur ar y cytundeb y mae arni ei eisiau gyda'r UE, wedi'i chrynhoi mewn un frawddeg yn y datganiad, sy'n dweud eu bod eisiau
cyfaddawd sydd angen cynnwys ymrwymiad o leiaf i Undeb Tollau parhaol yn ychwanegol at ac yn arddel ymrwymiadau Chequers o ran cyfliniad rheoleiddiol.
Wel, am sefyllfa hurt yw hynny. Byddwn yn parhau'n ddarostyngedig i benderfyniadau a wneir gan yr UE, ond lle nad ydym ni wedi cael unrhyw fodd i gymryd rhan ac nad ydym mi wedi cael pleidlais arnyn nhw. Mae'r Comisiwn—. Mae gennym ni ar hyn o bryd un Comisiynydd o 28. Cyngor y Gweinidogion—. Mae gennym ni 8.5 y cant o'r pleidleisiau ar benderfyniadau pleidleisio mwyafrifol amodol ac mae gennym ni oddeutu 10 y cant o'r seddi yn Senedd Ewrop. Petaem ni'n gadael yr UE ar y math o drefniadau y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'u hamlinellu heddiw, ni fyddai gennym ni bleidleisiau o gwbl ar unrhyw un o'r penderfyniadau hynny, ac eto byddem yn ddarostyngedig i ba benderfyniadau bynnag y byddai'r UE yn eu gwneud. Nid yw hynny, beth bynnag ydyw, yn Brexit. Ac mae hyn, rwy'n credu, yn tynnu sylw at ragrith sylfaenol safbwynt y Blaid Lafur, gan eu bod yn honni eu bod eisiau parchu canlyniad y refferendwm pan fo nhw ar y llaw arall yn ymrwymo i bolisi sydd mewn gwirionedd yn creu'r gwrthwyneb llwyr i adael yr UE ac eithrio yn y sefyllfa hyd yn oed yn fwy niweidiol lle na allwn ni ddylanwadu o gwbl ar benderfyniadau y mae gennym ni ar hyn o bryd o leiaf rhan fach i'w chwarae ynddyn nhw.
A gadewch i ni fod yn gwbl sicr na fyddai gan yr UE unrhyw ddiddordeb o gwbl mewn gwneud penderfyniadau a fyddai o fudd i ni ac yn wir, yn aml iawn, byddai ganddi bob diddordeb mewn gwneud y gwrthwyneb er mwyn ffafrio eu haelod-wladwriaethau eu hunain dros fuddiannau Prydain. Byddem ni mewn gwirionedd mewn sefyllfa waeth na mae Twrci ynddi ar hyn o bryd, ond o leiaf mae Twrci'n barod i dderbyn y cywilydd hwnnw gan fod awydd arni, yn ddamcaniaethol o leiaf, bod yn aelod o'r UE, ond byddem ni i'r gwrthwyneb; byddem ar fin gadael, felly pam ar y ddaear y byddem ni eisiau gwneud yr ymrwymiadau hynny pan fyddem ni yn gyfreithiol y tu allan i'r UE? Mae'n mynd at wraidd yr hyn y dylai gadael yr UE i gyd fod yn ymwneud ag ef—adfer rheolaeth, gwneud penderfyniadau drosom ni ein hunain, gwneud ein deddfau ein hunain a chael pobl Prydain, yn y pen draw, fel y corff sofran sy'n pennu'r ffordd y mae Llywodraethau'n ymddwyn. Oherwydd bod y Comisiwn Ewropeaidd wedi ei gwneud hi'n gwbl glir beth yw ystyr yr undeb tollau. Mae'n ymwneud â system o reolau cyffredin—rwy'n dyfynnu o un o'u dogfennau—sy'n mynd y tu hwnt i:
yr Undeb tollau fel y cyfryw—gyda'i dariff cyffredin—ac sy'n ymestyn i bob agwedd ar bolisi masnach, megis masnach ffafriol, rheolaethau iechyd ac amgylcheddol, y polisïau amaethyddol a physgodfeydd cyffredin, diogelu ein buddiannau economaidd drwy gael offerynnau di-dariff a mesurau polisi cysylltiadau allanol.
Mae hynny'n bopeth sydd wrth wraidd masnach a byddem yn ildio hynny i gyd o dan gynigion y Blaid Lafur. Mewn gwirionedd, byddem yn wladwriaeth gaeth, fel y mae Boris Johnson wedi ei ddweud o'r blaen. Ac fel y dywedodd Mervyn King, cyn-lywodraethwr Banc Lloegr, mae dadleuon o blaid aros yn yr UE ac mae dadleuon o blaid gadael yr UE, ond nid oes achos o gwbl dros roi'r gorau i'r buddion o aros heb gael y manteision o adael. A dyna'n union fyddai polisi Llafur yn ei olygu.
Ac onid yw'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol yn cytuno â mi bod y tariff tollau y mae eisiau inni ymrwymo ein hunain iddo am byth yn dreth ar y tlodion mewn gwirionedd, yn dreth ar bobl sy'n gweithio? Mae treth o 15 y cant ar ddillad ac esgidiau sy'n cael eu mewnforio, er enghraifft, treth o 11.5 y cant ar goffi, treth o 17 y cant ar orennau, na allwn ni eu tyfu yn y wlad hon yn unman, mwy nag y gallwn ni dyfu coffi. Ac mae llawer o dariffau di-synnwyr hefyd. Mae tariff o 1.7 y cant ar gleddyfau, cytlasau, bidogau, gwaywffyn a gweiniau; treth o 15 y cant ar feiciau un olwyn. Nawr, wn i ddim faint o fygythiad yw mewnforio beiciau un olwyn i'r diwydiant gwneud beiciau ym Mhrydain, ond ni allaf weld unrhyw gyfiawnhad dros hynny o gwbl. Mae treth o 4.7 y cant hyd yn oed ar ymbarelau gyda choesau telesgopig. Mae 12,160 o'r beichiau hurt hyn ar bobl sy'n gweithio. Ond hefyd, wrth gwrs, mewn sawl ffordd arall, ceir trethi ar fwyd ac angenrheidiau eraill bywyd—Treth Ar Werth o 5 y cant ar danwydd gwres canolog, er enghraifft. Mae'r rhain i gyd yn bethau sy'n mynd i daro'r tlotaf galetaf, a dyna mae'r Blaid Lafur yn ymrwymo ei hun iddo.
Felly, rwyf yn cytuno â'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol ar un ystyr: mai trychineb y sefyllfa yr ydym ni wedi'i chyrraedd yn awr—a dywedodd hyn wrth ateb llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr—yw nad yw Theresa May wedi gwneud unrhyw baratoadau o gwbl ar gyfer ymdopi â'r dryswch a fyddai yn anochel yn dod yn sgil trefniant o ymadael heb gytundeb. Dylem ni fod wedi treulio'r tair blynedd diwethaf yn llunio, yn fras, ein cytundebau masnach â gweddill y byd. Nid ydym ni hyd yn oed wedi dechrau'r broses honno. A hefyd fe ddylem ni fod wedi dechrau ar y broses o sefydlu'r seilwaith technegol ar gyfer sut i ymdopi â llif masnach ar draws ffiniau'r Deyrnas Unedig, gyda chyfundrefn dariff os byddai un yn cael ei gosod. Ond hefyd—a fy mhwynt olaf yw hyn—rhan annatod o'r hyn y mae'r Blaid Lafur yn ei gynnig yw polisi mewnfudo agored parhaol, i bob pwrpas, gan fod hynny hefyd yn rhan hanfodol o'r pedwar rhyddid y mae'r farchnad sengl yn ei olygu.
And we end where, I suspect, the Member would have preferred to begin. I'm glad he welcomes the opportunity to discuss the issue in the Chamber. He talks about the loss of democratic influence as a consequence of leaving the European Union, and that is inevitably the case. But if I am presented with the choice between the kind of hard Brexit that he evidently favours and the kind of Brexit that I've been describing, which, whilst it comes at the cost of direct political influence, does what it can, outside the European Union, to protect the jobs and livelihoods of the people of Wales—we on these benches will always choose that second option.
His antipathy to a customs union is predicated on the positive alternative of a flourishing UK trade policy, entering magnificently into free trade agreements with grateful nations across the world that felt shut out by our relationship with the European Union. We were promised 40 trade deals by the point of exit day. We are now on 29 April, and we have eight mutual recognition agreements, none of which—apart from one—makes any significant contribution to Welsh exports, thus imperiling not just the 60 per cent of Welsh exports that go to the European Union, but the 10 per cent of Welsh exports that go to countries that are the subject of those trade deals. It harks back to some fictitious past when we had a fantastic capacity to negotiate an independent trade agreement, which is simply not a reflection of the political realities of the UK for decades, perhaps even a century or more. And it is a dangerous folly to persuade people, or seek to persuade people, that that is a responsible alternative future to describe to them.
He finishes by talking about the impact on the poor. Well, all I will say to him is that the kind of Brexit that he favours, by any measure, will lead to an economy in Wales that is between 8 per cent and 10 per cent smaller than it would have been otherwise. And that is not just a number on a graph, it is not just a statistic, it's not just a mathematical calculation—it's jobs, it's livelihoods, it's standards of living, it's communities, it's organisations, right across Wales. We will always stand up for those people.
Ac rydym ni'n gorffen lle, dybiwn i, y byddai wedi bod yn well gan yr aelod ddechrau. Rwy'n falch ei fod yn croesawu'r cyfle i drafod y mater yn y Siambr. Mae'n sôn am golli dylanwad democrataidd o ganlyniad i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, ac mae hynny'n sicr yn wir. Ond os caf y dewis rhwng y math o Brexit caled y mae'n amlwg yn ei ffafrio a'r math o Brexit yr wyf i wedi bod yn ei ddisgrifio, sydd, er ei fod yn dod ar draul dylanwad gwleidyddol uniongyrchol, yn gwneud yr hyn a all, y tu allan i'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, i ddiogelu swyddi a bywoliaeth pobl Cymru—byddwn ni ar y meinciau hyn bob amser yn dewis yr ail ddewis hwnnw.
Mae ei elyniaeth at undeb tollau wedi'i briodoli i'r dewis amgen cadarnhaol o bolisi masnachu llewyrchus yn y DU, llunio cytundebau masnach rydd gogoneddus gyda chenhedloedd diolchgar ledled y byd sy'n teimlo eu bod wedi'u heithrio gan ein perthynas â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd. Addawyd 40 o gytundebau masnach inni erbyn y dyddiad ymadael. Rydym ni bellach wedi cyrraedd 29 Ebrill, ac mae gennym ni wyth cytundeb o gydnabyddiaeth ddwyochrog, ac nid oes yr un ohonyn nhw—heblaw am un—yn gwneud unrhyw gyfraniad o bwys i allforion o Gymru, gan beryglu nid dim ond y 60 y cant o allforion Cymru a aiff i'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, ond y 10 y cant o allforion Cymru sy'n mynd i wledydd y lluniwyd y cytundebau masnach hynny gyda nhw. Mae'n mynd yn ôl i ryw orffennol dychmygol pan oedd gennym ni allu rhagorol i negodi cytundeb masnach annibynnol, nad yw'n adlewyrchiad o wirioneddau gwleidyddol y Deyrnas Unedig ers degawdau, efallai ers canrif a mwy hyd yn oed. Ac mae'n ffolineb peryglus i ddarbwyllo pobl, neu geisio darbwyllo pobl, bod hynny'n ddyfodol amgen cyfrifol i'w ddisgrifio iddynt.
Mae'n gorffen drwy sôn am yr effaith ar y tlodion. Wel, y cyfan yr wyf i yn ei ddweud wrtho yw y bydd y math o Brexit y mae'n ei ffafrio, ar unrhyw gyfrif, yn arwain at economi yng Nghymru sydd rhwng 8 y cant a 10 y cant yn llai nag y byddai wedi bod fel arall. Ac nid rhif ar graff yn unig mo hynny, nid ystadegyn yn unig ydyw, nid cyfrifiad mathemategol yn unig ydyw—mae'n golygu swyddi, mae'n golygu bywoliaeth pobl, mae'n golygu safonau byw, mae'n golygu cymunedau, mae'n golygu sefydliadau, ledled Cymru. Byddwn bob amser yn sefyll dros y bobl hynny.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary—sorry, the Minister for Brexit—for his statement this afternoon? And can I also join with Delyth Jewell in supporting the comments about the hard work and dedication of the public servants who work on this, and have been working on it for so many months? You've highlighted clearly in your statement the shambles that we are seeing as a consequence of the failed leadership of the current Prime Minister. This afternoon, we've heard the Conservatives trying to defend the indefensible, and we've heard UKIP trying to deny the economic evidence that has been put in place with regard to the impact of Brexit on Wales, particularly of a 'no deal' and World Trade Organization rules, which would damage this Welsh economy severely.
But you focused on a few things as to what's been going on, and we all know that the only thing really that's changed since we last met is the fact that there is now an extension that's been put in place—until Halloween, of all nights—of the departure date. But we are still in an impasse, because the Prime Minister has failed to convince her party that her deal is worthy of being supported. And we all know why: because it actually is not good for the country, and she needs to start changing her red lines. She has not made any compromise whatsoever. Her red lines are still the same as they were 12 months ago, and I think that's the reason why we are where we are. There's no doubt about that.
There are few questions I want to ask, perhaps beyond the negotiations, but which are consequential upon those negotiations and which actually impact upon Wales very severely. This involves, perhaps, your discussions with your UK Government colleagues in relation to some of these things. Where are we on getting the movement towards a Joint Ministerial Committee on international trade so the Welsh Government can have a say in future trade agreements? Because it's important that, as we move forward, we now have an extra bit of time to do some work on getting a forum that works for Wales, and not just works for the Tory party in London.
Could I also look at some of the actions taken by the UK Government on state aid? I understand that there is a regulation being put forward that would give powers to the Secretary of State on state aid. There is a claim that it's a reserved matter, but clearly we have a very important say on the implications of using state aid. There has also been talk about changing it to the Competition and Markets Authority. But where's the Welsh representation on that? Where's the Welsh Government representation? On other public authorities—. We had an argument on the Trade Bill about Welsh representation or Welsh nomination for the trade remedies authority. What about other bodies, such as the Migration Advisory Committee? Where are the discussions going on during this time that we have to ensure that the Welsh Government voice is actually being heard in these bodies that are making important decisions?
Also, the joint scrutiny committee, which is part of the withdrawal agreement—is there going to be any involvement of the devolved nations in this joint committee scrutiny process? Are we there yet? Are the UK Government moving in that direction? Do they recognise that devolution exists, and that actually we should be having a say in some of these bodies, particularly this joint scrutiny committee, which will oversee the transition period, if there is one?
Minister, only this week we've seen the uncertainty of the student fees fiasco going on, where clearly it is possible that EU students may be now required to pay full fees—full overseas fees, I might add—which is completely going to put people off coming here and it's going to affect Welsh higher education institutions—a devolved area. It's going to affect Welsh HE research collaboration—a devolved area. So, are you having negotiations on those matters?
You haven't mentioned much in your statement about the preparations for 'no deal', other than we've gone a long way. Have you learnt lessons from it? We've passed the date of 12 April. We've gone beyond that now. We know Halloween is our next deadline. Have you learnt lessons? Or are you undertaking a review to ensure that lessons learnt on the 'no deal' preparations up to 12 April can be put into place if we have to—because we may still be in that situation on 31 October—look at a 'no deal' scenario? Are you learning lessons? How much of what you've done to date can be transferred to October?
Now, we know about the Welsh Government's purchase or lease of a warehouse. Is that going to continue until 31 October? What's the situation? Where is the stock that we may need to put in place for that and other products? Where are we in those situations? And how much does the Welsh Government expect to spend in the next six months holding those situations, whilst we await a possibility of a deal or no deal? We just don't know. Our businesses, I'm sure, would want to know exactly what support they'd have from you as well.
A gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet—mae'n ddrwg gennyf, y Gweinidog dros Brexit—am ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma? Ac a gaf i hefyd ategu Delyth Jewell a chefnogi'r sylwadau am waith caled ac ymroddiad y gweision cyhoeddus sy'n gweithio ar hyn, ac sydd wedi bod yn gweithio arno ers misoedd lawer? Rydych chi wedi nodi'n glir yn eich datganiad y llanast yr ydym ni'n ei weld yn sgil methiant Prif Weinidog presennol y DU i arwain y ffordd. Y prynhawn yma, rydym ni wedi clywed y Ceidwadwyr yn ceisio amddiffyn yr hyn na ellir ei amddiffyn, ac rydym ni wedi clywed UKIP yn ceisio gwadu'r dystiolaeth economaidd sydd wedi ei chyflwyno o ran effaith Brexit ar Gymru, yn enwedig 'dim cytundeb' a rheolau Sefydliad Masnach y Byd, a fyddai'n niweidio economi Cymru yn ddifrifol.
Ond fe wnaethoch chi ganolbwyntio ar rai pethau o ran yr hyn sydd wedi bod yn digwydd, ac rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod mai'r unig beth mewn difrif sydd wedi newid yn wirioneddol ers i ni gyfarfod ddiwethaf yw'r ffaith bod y dyddiad gadael bellach wedi ei ymestyn tan Calan Gaeaf, o bob noson. Ond rydym ni'n dal mewn cyfyngder, oherwydd mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi methu ag argyhoeddi ei phlaid fod ei chytundeb yn deilwng o gael ei gefnogi. Ac rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod pam: gan nad yw mewn gwirionedd yn dda i'r wlad, ac mae angen iddi hi ddechrau newid ei safbwyntiau. Nid yw hi wedi cyfaddawdu o gwbl. Mae ei safbwyntiau yn dal yr un fath ag yr oedden nhw 12 mis yn ôl, ac rwy'n credu mai dyna'r rheswm pam ein bod ni yn y sefyllfa yr ydym ni ynddi. Does dim dwywaith am hynny.
Mae ambell gwestiwn yr wyf i eisiau eu gofyn, efallai y tu hwnt i'r trafodaethau, ond sy'n ganlyniad i'r trafodaethau hynny ac sy'n effeithio'n ddifrifol iawn ar Gymru. Mae hyn yn cynnwys, efallai, eich trafodaethau gyda'ch cydweithwyr yn Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â rhai o'r pethau hyn. Beth yw'r sefyllfa o ran cael Cyd-bwyllgor Gweinidogion ar fasnach ryngwladol fel y gall Llywodraeth Cymru gael llais yn y cytundebau masnachu yn y dyfodol? Oherwydd mae hi'n bwysig, wrth inni gamu i'r dyfodol, fod gennym ni bellach ychydig o amser ychwanegol i wneud rhywfaint o waith i gael fforwm sy'n gweithio dros Gymru, ac nid un sy'n gweithio dim ond i'r blaid Dorïaidd yn Llundain.
A gaf i hefyd edrych ar rai o'r pethau y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi eu gwneud ynglŷn â chymorth gwladwriaethol? Rwy'n deall fod rheoliad yn cael ei gyflwyno a fyddai'n rhoi pwerau i'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol o ran cymorth gwladwriaethol. Mae honiad ei fod yn fater a gedwir yn ôl, ond mae'n amlwg bod gennym ni lais pwysig iawn o ran goblygiadau defnyddio cymorth gwladwriaethol. Bu sôn hefyd am ei newid i'r Awdurdod Cystadleuaeth a Marchnadoedd. Ond ble mae'r gynrychiolaeth Gymreig ar hynny? Ble mae cynrychiolaeth Llywodraeth Cymru? Ar awdurdodau cyhoeddus eraill—. Fe gawsom ni ddadl ar y Bil Masnach ynghylch cynrychiolaeth o Gymru neu enwebiad o Gymru i'r awdurdod atebion masnachol. Beth am gyrff eraill, megis y Pwyllgor Ymgynghorol ar Fudo? Ble mae'r trafodaethau'n mynd rhagddyn nhw yn ystod y cyfnod hwn lle mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod llais Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael ei glywed mewn gwirionedd yn y cyrff hyn sy'n gwneud penderfyniadau pwysig?
Hefyd, mae'r cyd-bwyllgor craffu, sy'n rhan o'r cytundeb ymadael—a yw'r gwledydd datganoledig yn mynd i gael eu cynnwys o gwbl yn y broses hon lle bydd y cyd-bwyllgor yn craffu ar bethau? A ydym ni wedi cyrraedd y sefyllfa honno eto? A yw Llywodraeth y DU yn symud i'r cyfeiriad hwnnw? A ydyn nhw'n cydnabod bod datganoli'n bodoli, ac y dylem ni mewn gwirionedd gael llais yn rhai o'r cyrff hyn, yn enwedig y cyd-bwyllgor craffu hwn, a fydd yn goruchwylio'r cyfnod pontio, os oes un?
Gweinidog, dim ond yr wythnos hon rydym ni wedi gweld ansicrwydd y traed moch ynghylch ffioedd myfyrwyr, lle mae'n amlwg ei bod hi'n bosib y bydd hi'n ofynnol yn awr i fyfyrwyr yr UE dalu ffioedd llawn—ffioedd tramor llawn, a gaf i ychwanegu—sy'n mynd i fod yn faen tramgwydd i bobl ddod yma ac mae'n mynd i effeithio ar sefydliadau addysg uwch Cymru—maes datganoledig. Mae'n mynd i effeithio ar gydweithrediad ymchwil Addysg Uwch Cymru—maes sydd wedi'i ddatganoli. Felly, a ydych chi'n cael trafodaethau ar y materion hynny?
Nid ydych chi wedi sôn llawer yn eich datganiad am y paratoadau ar gyfer ymadael heb gytundeb, heblaw ein bod wedi gwneud cynnydd sylweddol. Ydych chi wedi dysgu gwersi o hynny? Rydym ni wedi pasio 12 Ebrill. Rydym ni wedi mynd y tu hwnt i hynny nawr. Rydym ni'n gwybod mai Calan Gaeaf yw ein dyddiad terfynol nesaf. Ydych chi wedi dysgu gwersi? Neu a ydych chi'n cynnal adolygiad i sicrhau y gall y gwersi a ddysgwyd o ran y paratoadau 'dim cytundeb' hyd at 12 Ebrill gael eu rhoi ar waith os bydd yn rhaid inni—oherwydd efallai y byddwn ni'n dal yn y sefyllfa honno ar 31 Hydref—edrych ar sefyllfa o 'ddim cytundeb'? Ydych chi'n dysgu gwersi? Faint o'r hyn yr ydych chi wedi'i wneud hyd yma y mae modd ei drosglwyddo i fis Hydref?
Nawr, fe wyddom ni am y modd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi prynu neu brydlesu warws. A fydd hynny'n parhau tan 31 Hydref? Beth yw'r sefyllfa? Ble mae'r stoc y bydd angen inni ei hel o bosib ar gyfer y cynnyrch hwnnw a chynhyrchion eraill? Ble'r ydym ni arni o ran y sefyllfaoedd hynny? A faint mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn disgwyl ei wario yn y chwe mis nesaf wrth barhau i gynnal y sefyllfaoedd hynny, wrth inni aros am bosibilrwydd o gytundeb neu ddim cytundeb? Nid ydym ni'n gwybod. Byddai ein busnesau, rwy'n siŵr, eisiau gwybod yn union pa gymorth y byddant yn ei gael gennych hefyd.
I thank the Member for that range of questions. He started by talking about the parliamentary response to the Prime Minister's deal reflecting the very simple principle that it was not good for the country, and I think in that simple phrase he's hit the nail on the head. That is fundamentally the reason why there is no progress being made in Parliament.
He asked a question in relation to state aid. He will, I think, have seen the correspondence that I sent to the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, which dealt specifically with the question of state aid and the way in which the statutory instruments converting EU law into domestic law had operated in the context of state aid, which, as he will know, the Welsh Government was not happy with. From a policy point of view, in terms of the end result, the objective, of the statutory instrument that I referred to, in fact, we agree that that is the right outcome: to remain aligned with the EU-wide state aid arrangements and to have a UK-wide system that reflects that. But the process and the democratic principles—the devolution principles that inform that process—we disagree about with the UK Government. The UK Government's position, as he knows, is that state aid is not a devolved matter, and our position is that it is. So, from the UK Government's position, they had proceeded in the way that they had described to themselves and to us as the way they felt it ought to work. We disagreed with that, we've made that very plain to the relevant Minister and, indeed, I'll be writing shortly more broadly on the question of respecting the devolution settlement in discussions like that.
He asked for assurance that the Welsh Government is making representations to ensure that the Welsh voice is heard in the arrangements on monitoring the transition, and I can confirm to him that those discussions are under way. They have been under way for some time. They haven't yet reached the outcome that we would wish to see, but we continue to press UK Government Ministers in relation to that so that those arrangements obviously reflect the voice of people in Wales, but, importantly, are also credible and can command confidence, which is so important in this process in its entirety.
Finally, he asked about the preparation that we've undertaken to date and how much of that is relevant to a potential 'no deal' scenario delayed to the end of October. Of course, the bulk of that is going to be relevant. Clearly, though, moving, if we do, to a position where—. I described in my statement the risk of simply moving the horizon, didn't I? If that is what happens—and we fervently hope that that is not what happens—clearly, there will be considerations around departure at a different time of year, for example, and having experienced a further five or six-month delay. So, all those factors are being assessed at this point to ensure that we have the full picture.
Fe hoffwn i ddiolch i'r Aelod am yr ystod honno o gwestiynau. Dechreuodd drwy siarad am yr ymateb seneddol i gytundeb y Prif Weinidog gan adlewyrchu'r egwyddor syml iawn nad oedd yn dda i'r wlad, a chredaf yn yr ymadrodd syml hwnnw ei fod wedi taro'r hoelen ar ei phen. Yn y bôn, dyna'r rheswm pam nad oes cynnydd yn cael ei wneud yn y Senedd.
Gofynnodd gwestiwn ynghylch cymorth gwladwriaethol. Rwy'n credu ei fod wedi gweld yr ohebiaeth a anfonais at Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol, a oedd yn ymdrin yn benodol â'r cwestiwn o gymorth gwladwriaethol a'r ffordd y mae'r offerynnau statudol yn troi cyfraith yr UE yn gyfraith ddomestig wedi gweithredu yng nghyd-destun cymorth gwladwriaethol, nad oedd Llywodraeth Cymru, fel y bydd yn gwybod, yn hapus â hi. O safbwynt polisi, o ran y canlyniad yn y pen draw, nod yr offeryn statudol y cyfeiriais ato, mewn gwirionedd, fe wnaethom ni gytuno mai dyna'r canlyniad priodol: parhau i fod yn gyson â'r trefniadau ar gyfer cymorth gwladwriaethol ledled yr UE a chael system ar gyfer y DU gyfan sy'n adlewyrchu hynny. Ond mae'r broses a'r egwyddorion democrataidd—yr egwyddorion datganoli sy'n sail i'r broses honno—rydym ni'n anghytuno â Llywodraeth y DU. Safbwynt Llywodraeth y DU, fel y bydd yn gwybod, yw nad yw cymorth gwladwriaethol yn fater datganoledig, a'n safbwynt ni yw ei fod. Felly, o safbwynt Llywodraeth y DU, roedden nhw wedi mynd rhagddynt yn y ffordd yr oedden nhw wedi'i disgrifio iddyn nhw eu hunain ac i ni fel y ffordd y teimlent y dylai weithio. Roeddem ni'n anghytuno â hynny, rydym ni wedi gwneud hynny'n glir iawn i'r Gweinidog perthnasol ac, yn wir, byddaf yn ysgrifennu yn fuan yn ehangach ar y cwestiwn o barchu'r setliad datganoli mewn trafodaethau fel hynny.
Gofynnodd am sicrwydd bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyflwyno sylwadau i sicrhau bod llais Cymru yn cael ei glywed yn y trefniadau ar gyfer monitro'r pontio, a gallaf gadarnhau iddo fod y trafodaethau hynny ar y gweill. Maen nhw wedi bod ar y gweill ers tro. Nid ydyn nhw wedi cyrraedd y canlyniad yr hoffem ni ei weld eto, ond rydym ni'n parhau i bwyso ar Weinidogion Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch hynny fel bod y trefniadau hynny'n amlwg yn adlewyrchu llais pobl Cymru, ond, yn bwysig, eu bod hefyd yn gredadwy ac y gallan nhw ennyn hyder, sydd mor bwysig yn y broses hon yn ei chyfanrwydd.
Yn olaf, gofynnodd am y paratoadau yr ydym ni wedi'u gwneud hyd yma a faint o hynny sy'n berthnasol i sefyllfa bosib o 'ddim cytundeb' sydd wedi'i ohirio tan ddiwedd mis Hydref. Wrth gwrs, mae'r rhan fwyaf o hynny'n mynd i fod yn berthnasol. Yn amlwg, er hynny, byddai symud, os gwnawn ni hynny, i sefyllfa—. Disgrifiais yn fy natganiad y perygl o symud y llinell derfyn, oni wnes i? Os dyna fydd yn digwydd—ac rydym ni'n gobeithio'n daer nad dyna fydd yn digwydd—yn amlwg, bydd ystyriaethau ynghylch gadael ar adeg wahanol o'r flwyddyn, er enghraifft, ac ar ôl profi oedi pellach o bump neu chwe mis. Felly, mae'r holl ffactorau hynny'n cael eu hasesu ar hyn o bryd er mwyn sicrhau bod gennym ni'r darlun llawn.
I would like to welcome strongly the actions of the Welsh Government and, in particular, the First Minister and the Brexit Minister. At a time of febrile political discourse, Welsh Labour leaders have offered a calm, measured and constructive approach to safeguard the Welsh economy and people, whilst recognising the political decision of the people of Wales, and also upholding the democratic position supported by the Labour Party conference and members that where there is failure to uphold single market and customs union access and environmental and workers' protections, the option of a public vote is on the table. And we are seeing clearly in Westminster that, as yet, there is no majority in Parliament for any clear way forward, and, therefore, a clear prospect of a vote of no confidence in the UK Government, and I welcome this. I equally welcome the responsible and creative approach that Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party have displayed in the present negotiations between the Government and Her Majesty's opposition. But, once again, time is running out, so what dangers does the Brexit Minister foresee if a 'no deal' hard Brexit is the outcome, and what are the likely consequences for my constituents in Islwyn? What actual confidence is there in getting the UK Government to agree to include the Welsh Government in its discussions about any reform of the political declaration?
Hoffwn groesawu'n gryf weithredoedd Llywodraeth Cymru ac, yn benodol, y Prif Weinidog a'r Gweinidog Brexit. Ar adeg o anghydfod gwleidyddol cynhennus, mae arweinwyr Llafur Cymru wedi mynd ati mewn modd digyffro, pwyllog ac adeiladol i ddiogelu economi a phobl Cymru, gan gydnabod penderfyniad gwleidyddol pobl Cymru, a chan anrhydeddu hefyd y safbwynt democrataidd a gefnogwyd gan gynhadledd y Blaid Lafur ac Aelodau, sef, os na ellir parhau i elwa ar y farchnad sengl ac undeb tollau a'r agweddau hynny sy'n amddiffyn yr amgylchedd a gweithwyr, caiff y dewis o gael pleidlais gyhoeddus ei gyflwyno. Ac rydym ni'n gweld yn glir yn San Steffan nad oes, hyd yn hyn, fwyafrif yn y Senedd ar gyfer unrhyw ffordd glir ymlaen, ac, felly, bod posibilrwydd clir o gael pleidlais o ddiffyg hyder yn Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig, ac rwy'n croesawu hyn. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu'r agwedd gyfrifol a chreadigol y mae Jeremy Corbyn a'r Blaid Lafur wedi'i dangos yn y trafodaethau sy'n mynd rhagddyn nhw ar hyn o bryd rhwng y Llywodraeth a gwrthblaid ei Mawrhydi. Ond, unwaith eto, mae amser yn prinhau, felly pa beryglon mae'r Gweinidog Brexit yn eu rhagweld os mai Brexit caled heb gytundeb yw'r canlyniad, a beth yw'r canlyniadau tebygol i'm hetholwyr yn Islwyn? Pa wir hyder sydd yna o ran cael Llywodraeth y DU i gytuno i gynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei thrafodaethau am unrhyw ddiwygio ar y datganiad gwleidyddol?
I thank the Member for those questions. She asked me about the impact of a 'no deal' Brexit and our assessment of the impact of that on Wales. Well, she will know that we regard that as the worst possible outcome for people in Wales. Just the impact on the economy is extremely adverse—between 8 per cent and 10 per cent smaller than otherwise it would be. And that has a very real effect on people, businesses and organisations in Wales, and on the public services at large. It is the worst outcome. We hear in Parliament that there is no appetite for 'no deal', but we need to be absolutely clear that without the prospect of an alternative deal, that remains on the table. Whilst the time frame within which we're preparing for that is now significantly different, clearly, we keep under review those preparations to ensure that they are current.
She asked, in relation to her final question, about levels of confidence that the Welsh Government would be involved in reforms to the political declaration. I wrote to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, David Lidington, in relation to this, providing statutory language that would enable there to be a legislative footing to enable the Welsh Government, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to be involved in parallel discussions, if you like, in relation to the evolution of the political declaration, and I reiterated the importance of that in a conversation with him very recently.
With regard to the broader set of relationships between the Welsh Government and the UK Government, she will know that there is an ongoing inter-governmental review of those relationships, which we had hoped would have resulted in some outputs around this time, but because of the diversion of energies in Governments to deal with other aspects of Brexit, including 'no deal' preparations, that has not been possible. But the First Minister, I know, has been pressing very hard to ensure that that work comes back to the plenary session of the JMC at the next available opportunity. And with regard to involvement in negotiations for future phases of Brexit negotiations, I met with the relevant Government Minister only last week, to impress upon him the importance of resolving our requests in relation to fuller participation in those negotiating structures, and I very much hope that that will be a subject of discussion at the next JMC(EN).
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiynau hynny. Gofynnodd i mi am effaith Brexit heb gytundeb a'n hasesiad ni o effaith hynny ar Gymru. Wel, bydd hi'n gwybod ein bod o'r farn mai dyna yw'r canlyniad gwaethaf posib i bobl Cymru. Mae'r effaith ar yr economi yn eithriadol o anffafriol—rhwng 8 y cant a 10 y cant yn llai nag y byddai fel arall. Ac mae hynny'n cael effaith wirioneddol ar bobl, busnesau a sefydliadau yng Nghymru, ac ar y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn gyffredinol. Hwn yw'r canlyniad gwaethaf. Clywn yn y Senedd nad oes unrhyw archwaeth am 'ddim cytundeb', ond mae angen inni fod yn gwbl glir, heb argoel o gytundeb arall, bod hynny'n dal i fod yn bosibilrwydd. Er bod yr amserlen yr ydym ni'n ei pharatoi ar gyfer hynny yn sylweddol wahanol, yn amlwg, rydym ni'n dal i adolygu'r paratoadau hynny er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn gyfredol.
Gofynnodd, o ran ei chwestiwn olaf, ynglŷn â pha mor ffyddiog oedd Llywodraeth Cymru y byddai hi'n rhan o ddiwygio'r datganiad gwleidyddol. Ysgrifennais at Ganghellor Dugiaeth Caerhirfryn, David Lidington, ynghylch hyn, gan gynnig ieithwedd statudol a fyddai'n caniatáu sylfaen ddeddfwriaethol er mwyn galluogi Llywodraeth Cymru, Llywodraeth yr Alban a Gweithrediaeth Gogledd Iwerddon i gymryd rhan mewn trafodaethau cyfochrog, os mynnwch chi, ynghylch esblygiad y datganiad gwleidyddol, ac ailbwysleisais bwysigrwydd hynny mewn sgwrs ag ef yn ddiweddar iawn.
O ran y berthynas ehangach rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU, bydd hi'n gwybod bod adolygiad rhynglywodraethol yn mynd rhagddo o'r cydberthnasau hynny, yr oeddem ni wedi gobeithio y byddai wedi arwain at rai canlyniadau tua'r adeg hon, ond oherwydd bod Llywodraethau wedi dargyfeirio egni i ymdrin ag agweddau eraill ar Brexit, gan gynnwys paratoadau ar gyfer sefyllfa o 'ddim cytundeb', ni fu hynny'n bosib. Ond mae Prif Weinidog Cymru, rwy'n gwybod, wedi bod yn pwyso'n galed iawn i sicrhau bod y gwaith hwnnw'n cael ei gyflwyno i gyfarfod llawn Cyd-bwyllgor y Gweinidogion ar y cyfle nesaf posib. Ac ynglŷn â bod yn rhan o negodiadau ar gyfer camau negodi Brexit yn y dyfodol, fe wnes i gyfarfod â'r Gweinidog perthnasol yn y Llywodraeth yr wythnos diwethaf, er mwyn pwysleisio iddo bwysigrwydd datrys ein ceisiadau o ran cyfranogiad llawnach yn y strwythurau trafod hynny, ac rwy'n mawr obeithio y bydd hynny'n bwnc trafod yng nghyfarfod nesaf Y Cyd-bwyllgor Gweinidogion (Negodiadau’r UE).
Thank you. Diolch.
Diolch i chi. Diolch.
Item 4 is the statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services on Cwm Taf maternity services, and I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething.
Eitem 4 yw'r datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol am Wasanaethau Mamolaeth Cwm Taf, ac rwy'n galw ar y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, Vaughan Gething.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I have today published the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives report, following their review of maternity services at the former Cwm Taf university health board. This is accompanied by a further report, which provides accounts from the women and families who have used these services. Members will now have had an initial opportunity to consider the reports, and my written statement issued this morning.
I want to start by reiterating my apology to all the women and families affected by the failings and poor care described in the royal colleges' report. There is no doubt that the service provided to many women and their families fell well below the standard that I or anyone else would and should expect from our national health service. I do, though, want to thank the women and their families who shared their experiences to inform the review. I can't begin to fully understand the impact for those who have experienced unsafe or uncaring practice. Like most parents across Wales, our family's experience of maternity services was a positive one—one that every parent has a right to expect. The failings described in the report have no place within our NHS. I'm determined to ensure that this report is a catalyst for immediate and sustained improvement.
I commissioned the independent review of both royal colleges in October last year, after concerns relating to the under-reporting of serious incidents were brought to the attention of the Government. The reviewers have spoken with families and staff, and considered the information provided to them by the health board in forming their conclusions. My officials received the final reports on 16 April.
The report describes a number of serious concerns and there is a clear call for action. It highlights failings in governance, data accuracy, serious incident reporting, leadership and culture. The review makes clear that this has had an impact on pregnancy outcomes. The accounts from women and their families provide a deeply upsetting insight into how these failings have impacted on their experiences of pregnancy and childbirth. The report also acknowledges the extreme pressure that some of our staff have been working under. There are also significant concerns and questions about the effectiveness of the wider board leadership and governance.
In my statement this morning, I set out the steps that the Welsh Government is taking, and I'll now take this opportunity to confirm those measures for Assembly Members. As part of this response, I have placed maternity services at the former Cwm Taf university health board into special measures.
It was incredibly distressing for me to read that women and families did not feel that they were taken seriously when voicing their concerns and worries. Whilst within the report there was feedback that reflected individual good practice, overwhelmingly those who contributed spoke about distressing experiences and poor care. This morning, my officials have met with some of the women and their families affected to discuss the report, and to seek their continued engagement to improve the service. It is vital that their voices continue to be heard, and I again want to extend my thanks to them for the courage and resilience they have shown in telling their stories.
Diolch i chi, Dirprwy Lywydd. Heddiw, cyhoeddais yr adroddiad gan Goleg Brenhinol yr Obstetryddion a'r Gynaecolegwyr a Choleg Brenhinol y Bydwragedd, yn dilyn eu hadolygiad nhw o wasanaethau mamolaeth ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf gynt. Daw adroddiad arall gyda hwn, sy'n cynnwys adroddiadau gan y menywod a'r teuluoedd sydd wedi defnyddio'r gwasanaethau hyn. Bydd yr Aelodau wedi cael cyfle erbyn hyn i ystyried yr adroddiadau, a'r datganiad ysgrifenedig gennyf a gyhoeddwyd fore heddiw.
Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ymddiheuro unwaith eto i'r holl fenywod a'r teuluoedd a gafodd eu heffeithio gan y methiannau a'r gofal o ansawdd gwael a ddisgrifiwyd yn adroddiad y colegau brenhinol. Nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth bod y gwasanaeth a roddwyd i lawer o fenywod a'u teuluoedd lawer yn is na'r safon y byddwn i neu unrhyw un arall yn ei disgwyl gan ein gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol. Fe hoffwn i, er hynny, ddiolch i'r menywod a'u teuluoedd a rannodd eu profiadau i lywio'r adolygiad. Ni allaf ddechrau deall yn iawn yr effaith a fu ar y rhai sydd wedi cael profiad o ymarfer anniogel neu esgeulus. Fel y rhan fwyaf o rieni ledled Cymru, roedd profiad ein teulu ni o wasanaethau mamolaeth yn un cadarnhaol—yn un y mae gan bob rhiant hawl i'w ddisgwyl. Nid oes lle i'r methiannau a ddisgrifir yn yr adroddiad yn ein GIG ni. Rwy'n benderfynol o sicrhau y bydd yr adroddiad hwn yn gatalydd i welliant parhaol ar unwaith.
Comisiynais yr adolygiad annibynnol gan y ddau goleg brenhinol ym mis Hydref y llynedd, ar ôl i bryderon yn ymwneud â than-gofnodi digwyddiadau difrifol gael eu dwyn i sylw'r Llywodraeth. Mae'r adolygwyr wedi siarad â theuluoedd ac aelodau staff, ac wedi ystyried yr wybodaeth a roddwyd iddyn nhw gan y bwrdd iechyd wrth ddod i'w casgliadau. Daeth yr adroddiadau terfynol gerbron fy swyddogion i ar 16 Ebrill.
Mae'r adroddiad yn disgrifio nifer o bryderon difrifol a cheir galwad eglur ynddo am weithredu. Mae'n tynnu sylw at fethiannau o ran llywodraethu, cywirdeb data, adrodd am ddigwyddiadau difrifol, arweinyddiaeth a diwylliant. Mae'r adolygiad yn nodi'n glir bod hyn wedi cael effaith ar ganlyniadau beichiogrwydd. Mae'r adroddiadau gan fenywod a'u teuluoedd yn bwrw golwg gofidus iawn ar y modd y mae'r methiannau hyn wedi effeithio ar eu profiadau nhw o feichiogrwydd a rhoi genedigaeth. Mae'r adroddiad yn cydnabod hefyd y pwysau eithafol sydd wedi bod ar rai aelodau o'n staff wrth iddyn nhw weithio. Ceir hefyd bryderon a chwestiynau pwysig o ran effeithiolrwydd arweinyddiaeth a llywodraethu'r bwrdd yn fwy eang.
Yn fy natganiad y bore yma, amlinellais y camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd, a byddaf yn manteisio ar y cyfle hwn nawr i gadarnhau'r mesurau hynny i Aelodau'r Cynulliad. Yn rhan o'r ymateb hwn, rwyf wedi gosod gwasanaethau mamolaeth ym mwrdd iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf gynt mewn mesurau arbennig.
Roedd yn dorcalonnus gennyf i ddarllen nad oedd menywod na theuluoedd yn teimlo eu bod wedi cael eu cymryd o ddifrif wrth fynegi eu pryderon a'u gofidiau. Er y cafwyd adborth yn yr adroddiad a oedd yn sôn am arfer da gan unigolion, roedd y mwyafrif llethol o'r cyfraniadau yn sôn am brofiadau trallodus a gofal gwael. Mae fy swyddogion i wedi cwrdd fore heddiw â rhai o'r menywod a'u teuluoedd yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw i drafod yr adroddiad, a cheisio parhad eu hymgysylltiad nhw ar gyfer gwella'r gwasanaeth. Mae'n hanfodol y parheir i glywed eu lleisiau nhw, ac unwaith eto hoffwn i ddiolch iddyn nhw am y dewrder a'r cydnerthedd y maen nhw wedi ei ddangos wrth ddweud eu stori.
The report makes a significant number of recommendations, grouped across 10 main areas in the terms of reference that I set. I fully accept the recommendations of the report and I am grateful to the reviewers for their work. The focus now must be on implementing their recommendations. In order to achieve this progress, I'm taking action across three main areas: maternity services in the former Cwm Taf area; broader governance in Cwm Taf Morgannwg; and finally, seeking assurances on provision across Wales.
Firstly, I'm establishing an independent maternity oversight panel. This panel will be tasked with seeking robust assurance from the health board that the report recommendations are being implemented against agreed milestones. The panel will establish an independent, multidisciplinary clinical review of the 43 pregnancies considered by the report. These were identified in a look-back exercise to January 2016. The panel will also ensure that a look-back exercise to 2010 is undertaken, as recommended by the royal college's review. I want to offer reassurance that women who feel they have had an adverse outcome will be able to have their care reviewed.
The independent panel will also have a role in advising the health board on how to effectively re-engage the public whilst improving maternity services in the former Cwm Taf area in a way that generally does rebuild trust and confidence in the service. Mick Giannasi, the former chair of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, also a former commissioner for Anglesey council and a former chief constable of Gwent Police, has agreed to chair the panel. He will be supported by Cath Broderick, the author of the women and families report, who will continue to engage with women and their families. And they will be joined on the panel by senior midwifery and obstetrics leads who are, of course, independent of Cwm Taf.
Secondly, I am putting in place arrangements to improve the effectiveness of board leadership and governance in the organisation. I've asked David Jenkins, the former chair of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, to support the chair of Cwm Taf Morgannwg to provide assurance on the implementation of the recommendations. And Mr Jenkins will also advise me of any further action that may be required to improve governance at the board. The NHS Wales Delivery Unit will work with the health board to ensure that there are effective arrangements for the reporting, management and review of patient safety incidents and concerns. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales has confirmed that it intends to undertake a governance review that will align with any further review work to be undertaken by the Wales Audit Office.
And finally, I am seeking immediate assurance across Wales on the provision of maternity care. I've asked all health boards to consider the reports and how the findings may be relevant to their own services. I expect all health boards to provide assurance to me within the next two weeks. The chief nursing officer and the chief medical officer will work with health boards to ensure that the learning from these reports informs actions for Wales in the new five-year vision for maternity services.
There have been significant developments in recent years across maternity services in Wales—significant and positive. For example, OBS Cymru is a national quality improvement project that aims to reduce harm from bleeding following birth, and has received national and international accolades. Most women in Wales receive high-quality services and have a positive experience from pregnancy and childbirth. Nonetheless, many expectant mothers and their families will understandably be shaken and concerned by the reports published today.
As I said, the reports made for incredibly difficult reading, and they will do for all of us who take the time to look at the reports. At their core are mothers and babies, their experiences in pregnancy, during birth, and the level of safety that every family has a right to expect. The measures that I have announced today are the next essential step in ensuring that high-quality, effective maternity services are available to every mother and family in Wales.
I want pregnancy and childbirth and the maternity care that is provided to be a positive experience that women and their families can look back on and cherish.
Mae'r adroddiad yn gwneud nifer mawr o argymhellion, wedi eu grwpio ar draws 10 o brif feysydd yn y cylch gorchwyl a osodais i. Rwy'n derbyn argymhellion yr adroddiad yn llawn ac rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r adolygwyr am eu gwaith. Mae'n rhaid inni ganolbwyntio nawr ar weithredu eu hargymhellion nhw. I gyflawni'r cynnydd hwn, rwy'n cymryd camau ar draws tri phrif faes: gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn ardal Cwm Taf gynt; llywodraethu yn fwy eang yng Nghwm Taf Morgannwg; ac yn olaf, ceisio sicrwydd ynghylch y ddarpariaeth ledled Cymru.
Yn gyntaf, rwy'n bwriadu sefydlu panel annibynnol i oruchwylio mamolaeth. Cyfrifoldeb y panel hwn fydd ceisio sicrwydd pendant gan y bwrdd iechyd fod argymhellion yr adroddiad yn cael eu gweithredu yn ôl y cyfarwyddyd y cytunwyd arno. Bydd y Panel yn sefydlu adolygiad clinigol annibynnol, amlddisgyblaethol o'r 43 achos o feichiogrwydd a ystyriwyd yn yr adroddiad. Cafodd y rhain eu nodi mewn ymarfer i fwrw golwg yn ôl hyd at fis Ionawr 2016. Bydd y Panel yn sicrhau hefyd y cynhelir ymarfer i fwrw golwg yn ôl hyd at 2010, yn unol ag argymhelliad adolygiad y colegau brenhinol. Rwy'n awyddus i roi sicrwydd y bydd menywod sy'n teimlo eu bod wedi cael canlyniad andwyol yn gallu cael adolygiad o'r gofal a gawsant.
Bydd gan y panel annibynnol swyddogaeth hefyd o ran cynghori'r bwrdd iechyd ar sut i ailgysylltu â'r cyhoedd yn effeithiol wrth wella gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn ardal Cwm Taf gynt mewn ffordd sydd, yn gyffredinol, yn adfer yr ymddiriedaeth a'r hyder yn y gwasanaeth. Mae Mick Giannasi, cyn Gadeirydd Ymddiriedolaeth GIG Gwasanaethau Ambiwlans Cymru, sydd hefyd yn gyn Gomisiynydd Cyngor Ynys Môn a chyn-brif gwnstabl Heddlu Gwent, wedi cytuno i gadeirio'r panel. Bydd ef yn cael ei gefnogi gan Cath Broderick, awdur yr adroddiad ar fenywod a theuluoedd, a fydd yn parhau i ymgysylltu â menywod a'u teuluoedd. A bydd uwch swyddogion bydwreigiaeth ac obstetreg sydd, wrth gwrs, yn annibynnol ar Gwm Taf yn ymuno â nhw ar y panel.
Yn ail, rwy'n rhoi trefniadau ar waith i wella effeithiolrwydd arweinyddiaeth a llywodraethu'r byrddau yn y sefydliad. Rwyf wedi gofyn i David Jenkins, cyn gadeirydd Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Aneurin Bevan, i gefnogi cadeirydd Cwm Taf Morgannwg i roi sicrwydd ynghylch gweithrediad yr argymhellion. A bydd Mr Jenkins yn rhoi gwybod imi hefyd am unrhyw gamau pellach a allai fod yn angenrheidiol i wella trefniadau llywodraethu'r bwrdd. Bydd Uned Gyflawni GIG Cymru yn gweithio gyda'r bwrdd iechyd i sicrhau bod trefniadau effeithiol ar waith ar gyfer adrodd, rheoli ac adolygu digwyddiadau a phryderon sy'n ymwneud â diogelwch cleifion. Mae Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru wedi cadarnhau ei bod yn bwriadu cynnal adolygiad o lywodraethu a fydd yn gyson ag unrhyw waith arolygu pellach y bydd Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru yn ymgymryd ag ef.
Ac yn olaf, rwy'n ceisio sicrwydd ar unwaith ledled Cymru ynglŷn â'r ddarpariaeth o ofal mamolaeth. Rwyf wedi gofyn i bob bwrdd iechyd ystyried yr adroddiadau a sut y gallai'r canfyddiadau fod yn berthnasol i'w gwasanaethau nhw eu hunain. Rwy'n disgwyl i bob bwrdd iechyd roi sicrwydd imi o fewn y pythefnos nesaf. Bydd y prif swyddog nyrsio a'r prif swyddog meddygol yn gweithio gyda byrddau iechyd i sicrhau bod yr hyn a gaiff ei ddysgu yn sgil yr adroddiadau hyn yn cyfrannu at gamau gweithredu i Gymru yn y weledigaeth bum mlynedd newydd ar gyfer gwasanaethau mamolaeth.
Cafwyd datblygiadau sylweddol yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf ar draws gwasanaethau mamolaeth yng Nghymru—rhai sylweddol a chadarnhaol. Er enghraifft, mae OBS Cymru yn brosiect i wella ansawdd ledled y wlad sy'n ceisio lleihau gwaedu niweidiol wedi genedigaeth, ac mae wedi ennill gwobrau yn genedlaethol ac yn rhyngwladol. Mae'r rhan fwyaf o fenywod yng Nghymru yn cael gwasanaethau o ansawdd uchel ac yn cael profiad cadarnhaol yn ystod beichiogrwydd a genedigaeth. Er hynny, mae'n ddealladwy y bydd llawer o famau beichiog a'u teuluoedd yn cael ysgytwad ac yn bryderus yn sgil yr adroddiadau a gyhoeddir heddiw.
Fel y dywedais i, roedd yr adroddiadau yn eithriadol o anodd eu darllen, ac fe fyddan nhw felly i bob un ohonom ni sy'n rhoi o'n hamser i edrych ar yr adroddiadau. Wrth wraidd hyn mae'r mamau a'r babanod, eu profiadau nhw yn ystod beichiogrwydd, wrth roi genedigaeth, a'r lefel o ddiogelwch y mae gan bob teulu yr hawl i'w disgwyl. Mae'r camau a gyhoeddais heddiw yn gam nesaf hanfodol i sicrhau bod gwasanaethau mamolaeth effeithiol o safon uchel ar gael i bob mam a theulu yng Nghymru.
Rwy'n dymuno gweld beichiogrwydd a genedigaeth a'r gofal mamolaeth a ddarperir yn brofiad cadarnhaol y gall menywod a'u teuluoedd edrych yn ôl arno a'i drysori.
Can I thank the Minister for his statement, and indeed for the briefings that have been made available to Assembly Members and their staff today? These reports make for very grim reading indeed. They expose some very serious shortcomings at the heart of an organisation, the Cwm Taf health board at that time, which failed those in its care. The staffing, the leadership and the governance issues have had tragic consequences, frankly, for mothers, babies and their families and loved ones, and those responsible for what went wrong must be held to account for it.
The culture in these organisations is set by the leaders in the organisations. That includes members of the board and indeed senior managers in that health board. I think that some of the information that has come to light following the publication of these reports—and I do welcome the fact that they were published in full in the public domain—is very alarming indeed. It's particularly alarming and galling to see that there had been some evidence of problems that was not relayed to the Welsh Government sooner, and shared with the Welsh Government, particularly the consultant midwife who undertook a review of some of the issues in relation to the reporting of serious incidents and stillbirths, which was clearly very inadequate. I do think that it calls into question the integrity of those senior managers who would have had sight of that report and failed to disclose it to the Welsh Government and indeed to your senior officials.
So, my first question is this: what action is going to be taken to hold those individuals to account for failing to disclose the very serious issues that were identified in that report, which was completed and given to the health board back in September? I'm also very alarmed that the report suggests that basic governance processes were not met. The risk register, it says, was not even updated since 2014—2014. We're in 2019, for goodness' sake. These are things that the board should naturally be focusing on in terms of reviewing those risk registers from time to time. So, what accountability have those independent board members, who you appoint, Minister, to you for their lack of focus on some of these basic processes that ought to be in place on any board as far as governance is concerned?
I note as well that the report goes on to identify a timeline of previous reports—no fewer than nine reports raising concerns over a period from 2012 right up to September 2018, all of which provided opportunities for intervention and an opportunity to lift the lid and expose some of the problems that clearly were beginning to emerge in those maternity services. Yet, time after time, it would appear that recommendations were not followed up, that the outcomes of those reports were not fully shared with the people that they needed to be shared with, and that the things that should have been implemented arising from them were not implemented arising from them.
It calls again into question the role of senior managers in that organisation, executives in that organisation, for not being able to share that information more widely. I would remind everybody in this Chamber that the consequences of those actions have been that babies have died. That is the reality. Babies have died. Mothers, fathers, families have lost their next generation as a result of what has happened at Cwm Taf.
I wonder also whether you can tell us what is going to be done by the Welsh Government to address the workforce issues, which are not just evident at this health board in this report but more widely across Wales, in terms of the midwifery workforce and indeed in terms of the obstetrics and clinician workforce to support those midwifery services. You will know that my party has raised, on many occasions, concerns about the fact that around a third of the midwifery workforce are going to be eligible for retirement by 2023, but at the current rate of replacement we are not going to be able to fill the gaps that are there in the midwifery workforce already, and which are now growing in terms of the positions that you are currently funding for training. So, we need to make sure that there is a massive increase, frankly, in capacity to make sure that the overstretched workforce that we have is not overstretched in the future.
It is appalling, frankly, to see that there were times when doctors should have been available, but they were not available. They were on call, but wouldn't respond for three quarters of an hour. Now, in an emergency, every single minute matters. Forty-five minutes in an emergency is not acceptable, yet that's what we read about. We read about a lack of mandatory training being undertaken. As few as a quarter of the staff actually participated in some training courses. It's not good enough, and we need to make sure that there are sufficient people in these wards to be able to deliver the high-quality care that I know we all want to see.
I'm concerned as well that the voice of patients, in terms of the concerns that they had raised, had far too often been ignored. And it was harrowing—absolutely harrowing—to read those patient accounts and some of the statements in there about the lack of dignity, the lack of respect, the flippant way, frankly, that some individuals had been informed of their babies' deaths. Absolutely harrowing. And I wonder what on earth is it about some so-called professionals that leaves them in a position to treat people inhumanely in the way that some of those people had clearly been treated by people in our Welsh health service.
There's also a hint in the report about the important role of CHCs in being able to help manage—community health councils—the complaints process and perhaps be able to assist health boards in learning lessons from complaints. And I wonder whether you'll be able to tell us, today, whether you see an enhanced role for community health councils going forward in supporting health boards, in listening to the voice of patients and in implementing change when there are lessons that need to be learnt.
And finally, can you also tell us, Minister: some of the things that I read in the report suggest to me that there need to be many referrals to the Nursing and Midwifery Council and to the General Medical Council about the lack of competence from some professionals. Will the Welsh Government, or will the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board be making those referrals and, indeed, if necessary, will the police be informed and be asked to undertake a review, particularly given that medical records clearly were going missing and were inaccurate at times also? Thank you.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad, ac yn wir am y briffiadau a roddwyd i Aelodau'r Cynulliad a'u staff heddiw? Mae'r adroddiadau hyn yn cyflwyno darlun difrifol iawn o'u darllen. Maen nhw'n amlygu diffygion difrifol iawn wrth wraidd y sefydliad sef bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf ar y pryd, a wnaeth gam â'r rhai oedd dan ei ofal. Mae'r materion ynglŷn â'r staff, yr arweinyddiaeth a'r llywodraethu wedi dod â chanlyniadau trasig, a dweud y gwir, i famau, babanod a'u teuluoedd a'u hanwyliaid, ac mae'n rhaid i'r rhai a oedd yn gyfrifol am yr hyn a aeth o'i le gael eu dwyn i gyfrif am hynny.
Mae'r diwylliant yn y sefydliadau hyn yn cael ei bennu gan arweinyddion y sefydliadau. Mae hynny'n cynnwys aelodau'r bwrdd ac yn wir uwch reolwyr yn y bwrdd iechyd hwnnw. Rwyf i o'r farn fod peth o'r wybodaeth sydd wedi dod i'r amlwg yn dilyn cyhoeddi'r adroddiadau hyn—ac rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith eu bod nhw wedi cael eu cyhoeddi'n llawn yn y byd cyhoeddus—yn frawychus iawn. Mae'n arbennig o frawychus a chythruddol i sylweddoli na chafodd rhywfaint o dystiolaeth am broblemau ei thraddodi i Lywodraeth Cymru ynghynt, a'i rhannu â Llywodraeth Cymru, yn enwedig y fydwraig ymgynghorol a gynhaliodd adolygiad o rai o'r materion mewn cysylltiad ag adrodd am ddigwyddiadau difrifol a marw-enedigaethau, a oedd yn amlwg yn annigonol iawn. Credaf ei fod yn bwrw amheuaeth ar onestrwydd yr uwch reolwyr hynny a fyddai wedi gweld yr adroddiad hwnnw ac wedi methu â'i ddangos i Lywodraeth Cymru ac, yn wir, i'ch uwch swyddogion chi.
Felly, fy nghwestiwn cyntaf i yw hwn: pa gamau a gymerir i ddwyn yr unigolion hynny i gyfrif am fethu â datgelu'r materion difrifol iawn a nodwyd yn yr adroddiad hwnnw, a gwblhawyd ac a roddwyd i'r bwrdd iechyd yn ôl ym mis Medi? Rwy'n bryderus iawn hefyd fod yr adroddiad yn awgrymu na chafodd prosesau llywodraethu sylfaenol eu bodloni. Dywed na chafodd y gofrestr risg ei diweddaru ers 2014 hyd yn oed—2014. Mae'n 2019 bellach, er mwyn popeth. Mae'r rhain yn bethau y dylai'r bwrdd fod yn canolbwyntio arnyn nhw'n naturiol o ran adolygu'r cofrestrau risg hynny o bryd i'w gilydd. Felly, pa atebolrwydd fydd gan yr aelodau annibynnol hynny o'r bwrdd, y byddwch chi'n eu penodi, Gweinidog, i chi am eu diffyg canolbwyntio ar rai o'r prosesau sylfaenol hyn a ddylai fod ar waith ar unrhyw fwrdd o ran llywodraethu?
Rwy'n sylwi hefyd bod yr adroddiad yn mynd rhagddo i nodi llinell amser o adroddiadau blaenorol—dim llai na naw adroddiad yn codi pryderon yn ystod y cyfnod rhwng 2012 a mis Medi 2018, a phob un yn darparu cyfleoedd i ymyrryd a chyfle i dynnu'r gorchudd a dadlennu rhai o'r problemau a oedd yn glir yn dechrau dod i'r amlwg yn y gwasanaethau mamolaeth hynny. Ac eto i gyd, dro ar ôl tro, mae'n ymddangos na weithredwyd yr argymhellion, nad oedd canlyniadau'r adroddiadau hynny wedi eu rhannu'n llawn â'r bobl yr oedd angen eu rhannu â nhw, ac nad oedd y pethau a ddylai fod wedi cael eu gweithredu, a oedd yn codi ohonynt, wedi cael eu gweithredu.
Mae'n codi cwestiynau eto am waith uwch reolwyr y sefydliad hwnnw, swyddogion gweithredol y sefydliad hwnnw, am fethu â rhannu'r wybodaeth honno'n fwy eang. Fe hoffwn i atgoffa pawb yn y Siambr hon mai canlyniadau'r camau hynny yw bod babanod wedi marw. Dyna'r gwirionedd. Mae babanod wedi marw. Mae mamau, tadau, teuluoedd wedi colli eu cenhedlaeth nesaf o ganlyniad i'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd yng Nghwm Taf.
Tybed hefyd a allech chi ddweud wrthym beth sy'n mynd i gael ei wneud gan Lywodraeth Cymru i fynd i'r afael â materion yn ymwneud â'r gweithlu. Nid yn unig y mae'r rhain yn amlwg yn y bwrdd iechyd hwn yn yr adroddiad hwn, ond hefyd yn fwy eang ledled Cymru, o ran gweithlu'r bydwragedd ac yn wir o ran y gweithwyr obstetreg a'r clinigwyr sy'n cefnogi'r gwasanaethau bydwreigiaeth hynny. Fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod fy mhlaid i wedi crybwyll, ar sawl achlysur, bryderon ynghylch y ffaith y bydd tua thraean o'r gweithlu bydwreigiaeth yn gymwys i ymddeol erbyn 2023. Ond ar y gyfradd bresennol, ni fyddwn ni'n gallu llenwi'r bylchau sydd eisoes yn y gweithlu bydwreigiaeth, ac sydd bellach yn ehangu, o ran y swyddi yr ydych chi'n eu hariannu ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer hyfforddiant. Felly, mae angen inni sicrhau, a dweud y gwir, bod cynnydd aruthrol yn y capasiti er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr nad yw'r gweithlu sydd dan ormod o bwysau nawr yn cael ei orymestyn eto yn y dyfodol.
Mae'n arswydus, a dweud y gwir, i ystyried y cafwyd adegau pan ddylai meddygon fod wedi bod ar gael, ond nad oedden nhw ar gael. Roedden nhw ar alwad, ond ni fydden nhw'n ymateb am dri chwarter awr. Nawr, mewn argyfwng, mae pob munud yn bwysig. Nid yw pedwar deg a phump o funudau yn dderbyniol mewn argyfwng, ac eto dyna'r oedden yn darllen amdano. Roeddem yn darllen am ddiffyg hyfforddiant gorfodol. Roedd cyn lleied â chwarter y staff wedi cymryd rhan mewn unrhyw gyrsiau hyfforddi. Nid yw hynny'n ddigon da, ac mae angen inni sicrhau bod digon o bobl yn y wardiau hyn sy'n gallu darparu'r gofal o safon uchel y gwn ein bod ni i gyd yn dymuno ei weld.
Rwy'n bryderus hefyd fod llais y cleifion, o ran y pryderon a godwyd ganddynt, wedi cael ei anwybyddu'n rhy aml o lawer. Ac roedd hi'n ddirdynnol—yn gwbl frawychus—i ddarllen yr adroddiadau gan y cleifion a datganiadau am y diffyg urddas, y diffyg parch, a'r ffordd ffwrdd-a-hi y cafodd unigolion eu hysbysu am farwolaethau eu babanod. Mae'n gwbl frawychus. A sut yn y byd y gall rhai gweithwyr honedig broffesiynol fod yn y fath sefyllfa fel y gallant drin pobl mewn modd mor anhrugarog ag y cafodd rhai o'r bobl hynny'n amlwg eu trin gan bobl yn ein gwasanaeth iechyd ni yng Nghymru.
Ceir awgrym yn yr adroddiad hefyd ynglŷn â swyddogaeth bwysig y cynghorau iechyd cymuned o ran gallu helpu i reoli'r broses gwyno ac efallai gynorthwyo byrddau iechyd i ddysgu gwersi o'r cwynion. Tybed a allwch ddweud wrthym ni heddiw a ydych chi'n gweld mwy o swyddogaeth i gynghorau iechyd cymuned wrth symud ymlaen i gefnogi byrddau iechyd, o ran gwrando ar lais cleifion a gweithredu newid pan mae gwersi sydd angen eu dysgu.
Ac yn olaf, a wnewch chi ddweud wrthym hefyd, Gweinidog: mae rhai o'r pethau a ddarllenais yn yr adroddiad yn awgrymu i mi fod angen llawer o atgyfeiradau i'r Cyngor Nyrsio a Bydwreigiaeth ac i'r Cyngor Meddygol Cyffredinol ynglŷn â diffyg cymhwysedd rhai gweithwyr proffesiynol. A fydd Llywodraeth Cymru neu a fydd Bwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn gwneud yr atgyfeiriadau hynny ac, yn wir, pe bai angen, a fydd yr heddlu'n cael ei hysbysu ac yn cael eu gofyn i ymgymryd ag adolygiad, yn enwedig o ystyried ei bod yn amlwg fod cofnodion meddygol wedi mynd ar goll a'u bod yn anghywir ar brydiau hefyd? Diolch.
Thank you for the series of questions that I'll now try to run through. I'll try and deal with those matters that are broader and then some of the specific points that you've made.
The matter in terms of regulators: ordinarily, you would expect referrals to be made by the employer, and I actually think it'll come back to some of the work that the independent oversight panel will do to identify what had happened in the 43 cases, and a broader look back to see if referrals are required, but we have ensured that the reports have been directly shared with both regulators, the GMC and the NMC, and referrals should be made as appropriate. But it's not for me to determine that individual referrals should be made, but I am trying to ensure that we do have a level of understanding to know whether that should be the case.
In terms of community health councils, we actually have proposals to enhance the voice of the citizen across health and social care and reforming the way that they work, and that broader role across our continually more integrated health and social care system. I think those new proposals are outside the scope of this report, but with the current way that community health councils are constituted, of course they have a role in supporting people in making their complaints, and in the information we've put out today, we've been clear that community health councils are there to support families to do so.
Coming onto your broader point about staff numbers, there are two distinct points, I think, to make here. One is that, on midwifery numbers, it's clear that there were not enough midwives within the service, and there's a challenge about when the health board itself recognised that it was not Birthrate Plus compliant, and that, of course, is the tool that is used to understand the right number of midwives to deliver the service.
Diolch am y gyfres o gwestiynau y byddaf i'n ceisio mynd drwyddyn nhw nawr. Byddaf yn ceisio ymdrin â'r materion hynny sy'n fwy eang ac yna rai o'r pwyntiau penodol yr ydych chi wedi eu gwneud.
Y mater o ran y rheoleiddwyr: fel arfer, byddech yn disgwyl i atgyfeiriadau gael eu gwneud gan y cyflogwr, ac rwy'n credu mewn gwirionedd y bydd hynny'n dod yn ôl at beth o'r gwaith y bydd y panel goruchwylio annibynnol yn ei wneud i nodi'r hyn oedd wedi digwydd yn y 43 achos, a golwg ehangach yn ôl i weld a oes angen atgyfeiriadau. Ond rydym wedi sicrhau bod yr adroddiadau wedi cael eu rhannu'n uniongyrchol â'r ddau reoleiddiwr, sef y GMC a'r NMC, a dylid gwneud atgyfeiriadau fel y bydd yn briodol. Nid fy lle i yw penderfynu a ddylid gwneud atgyfeiriadau unigol, ond rwy'n ceisio sicrhau y bydd gennym lefel o ddealltwriaeth er mwyn gwybod a ddylai hynny ddigwydd.
O ran cynghorau iechyd cymuned, mae gennym gynigion mewn gwirionedd i wneud llais y dinesydd yn fwy hyglyw ledled y byd iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ac i ddiwygio'r ffordd y mae'r rhain yn gweithio, a'r swyddogaeth ehangach honno ar draws ein system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol sy'n fwy integredig byth. Credaf fod y cynigion newydd hynny y tu allan i gwmpas yr adroddiad hwn. Ond oherwydd cyfansoddiad y cynghorau iechyd cymuned ar hyn o bryd, wrth gwrs mae ganddyn nhw swyddogaeth i gefnogi pobl i wneud eu cwynion, ac yn yr wybodaeth a gyhoeddwyd gennym heddiw, rydym wedi egluro bod cynghorau iechyd cymuned ar gael i gefnogi teuluoedd i wneud hynny.
Gan ddod at eich pwynt ehangach am niferoedd staff, mae dau wahanol bwynt, i'w gwneud yma, yn fy marn i. Un ohonyn nhw yw ei bod yn amlwg, o ran niferoedd bydwragedd, nad oedd digon o fydwragedd o fewn y gwasanaeth, a cheir her ynglŷn â pha bryd wnaeth y bwrdd iechyd ei hun gydnabod nad oedd yn cydymffurfio â Birthrate Plus, a hwnnw, wrth gwrs, yw'r offeryn a ddefnyddir i wybod beth yw'r nifer cywir o fydwragedd ar gyfer darparu'r gwasanaeth.
Generally, within Wales we have found that our health boards have been Birthrate Plus compliant. The challenge about the future workforce that has been highlighted has been the need to do something to ensure that we recruit and train enough midwives for the future. It's part of my disappointment that the health board declared at a relatively late stage that it was not Birthrate Plus complaint. Of course, that was then re-highlighted in the report because the experience of staff has been that they were working understaffed, and patients and families recognised that themselves.
So, there's a job of work to be done immediately that is both about recruitment but also the way that health boards work together, not just within Cwm Taf Morgannwg but around them, to try to make sure that the units are adequately staffed as we try to both recruit and train for the future. But I have already recognised the need to train more midwives for the future, because, two years ago, I decided to increase midwife training places by 43 per cent. So, we are actually taking steps to make sure that, for the future, we're training many, many more midwives.
On the point about doctors, the numbers aren't actually the issue—it's the practice and behaviour that are the issue. The report sets out quite clearly that there is an adequate number of doctors in this part of the service—it's the way that they have behaved that is the challenge, and that, actually, is much more difficult to deal with in many ways. If you have the right number of staff behaving in the wrong way, then it still provides a challenge, and this report sets out that that is part of what has happened.
On your point about, in any event, the way that our staff behave, it's part of our expectation and we do not expect staff within the health service to be insensitive, unprofessional and to provide a lack of dignity for people who are often at their most vulnerable when they interact with the health service at any point, and that obviously includes people who are due to be giving birth or people who know that they may have a potentially poor outcome from their pregnancy. That was part of what I found particularly difficult to read in the report. It took me several days to read the report because it's genuinely upsetting.
On your other point about the internal report that the health board commissioned, which was provided in September 2018, it's plainly not acceptable that that report was not properly addressed through the board's reporting mechanism, that it was not provided to the board's quality and safety committee and it was not provided to the board, and action was not taken at that time. The health board chair and the chief executive have both recognised, in publishing that report today, that the health board got that completely wrong.
It's important to recognise what the health board has got wrong to actually make progress for the future. There is a question for the board that the chair is addressing, with a review led by an independent member of the board, to understand what happened at that time, why it did not come to the board, what can be a lesson in looking backwards but also what that means going forward. There are broader questions there about leadership and governance, not just to be addressed in that one individual instance—that's why the work that Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the Wales Audit Office do will be important, and the broader support of what David Jenkins will be doing as well.
It is plain that there have been system failures within the health board—that's acknowledged not just within the report but in the briefings and statements that have already been made today. But the accountability for that is not a simple question of lining up a discrete number of people to be removed from the organisation.
As you heard the First Minister point out, the report sets out challenges and failings in a number of different areas within the service, from the direct contact with individuals to people who had an area of leadership and management responsibility, to the clinical direction of the service, all the way through to the advice, information and challenge provided at executive and board level by independent members. That is why I believe it is hugely important that there is independent oversight of the work that's required to implement the recommendations of this review, and that independence comes not just from looking at the 43 serious incidents in the 2010 look-back, but that that will then provide a proper evidence base for where accountability lies and how we move on.
There's something that is very difficult here, because the report highlights that there was a punitive culture within the workplace, where people were frightened and fearful of raising concerns. That is wholly inappropriate and in no way acceptable. To get to the point where people are more confident where they could and should raise concerns, we actually need to be open about people acknowledging now what went wrong, as opposed to people looking to walk away from that because they fear for their jobs. Actually, if we don't have that more open-cultured environment, we're more likely to compromise the quality and the safety that people who use those services have a right to expect. So, a fundamental change in the culture is what is required, that is why the independence I've inserted into taking forward those recommendations is so important. But I will, of course, report back to Members when there is more information to be provided about that work and the immediate assurance exercise that I've required to be undertaken.
Yn gyffredinol, yng Nghymru rydym wedi canfod bod ein byrddau iechyd wedi cydymffurfio â Birthrate Plus. Yr her ynglŷn â gweithlu'r dyfodol sydd wedi dod i'r amlwg yw'r angen i wneud rhywbeth i sicrhau ein bod ni'n recriwtio ac yn hyfforddi digon o fydwragedd i'r dyfodol. Rhan o'r siom a gefais i yw bod y bwrdd iechyd wedi datgan yn gymharol hwyr nad oedd yn cydymffurfio â Birthrate Plus. Wrth gwrs, daeth hynny i'r amlwg eto yn yr adroddiad oherwydd profiad y staff yn gweithio heb ddigon o weithwyr, ac roedd y cleifion a'r teuluoedd eu hunain yn cydnabod hynny.
Felly, mae gwaith i'w wneud ar unwaith sy'n ymwneud â recriwtio ond, yn ogystal â hynny, â'r ffordd y mae'r byrddau iechyd yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd, nid yn unig yng Nghwm Taf Morgannwg ond o'u cwmpas nhw, er mwyn ceisio sicrhau bod digon o staff yn yr unedau wrth inni geisio recriwtio a hyfforddi ar gyfer y dyfodol. Ond rwyf eisoes wedi cydnabod yr angen i hyfforddi mwy o fydwragedd ar gyfer y dyfodol. Ddwy flynedd yn ôl, penderfynais gynyddu nifer y lleoliadau i hyfforddi bydwragedd 43 y cant. Felly, rydym yn cymryd camau i sicrhau ein bod yn hyfforddi llawer iawn mwy o fydwragedd i'r dyfodol.
Ar y pwynt ynglŷn â meddygon, nid y niferoedd sy'n ganolog mewn gwirionedd—yr ymarfer a'r ymddygiad sy'n ganolog. Mae'r adroddiad yn nodi'n gwbl glir fod nifer digonol o feddygon yn y rhan hon o'r gwasanaeth—yr her yw'r ffordd y maen nhw wedi bod yn ymddwyn, ac mae hynny, mewn gwirionedd, mewn llawer ffordd yn fwy anodd i ymdrin ag ef. Os oes gennych y nifer cywir o staff yn ymddwyn yn y ffordd anghywir, yna mae hynny o hyd yn heriol, ac mae'r adroddiad hwn yn nodi bod hynny'n rhan o'r hyn a ddigwyddodd.
O ran eich pwynt ynglŷn ag ymddygiad ein staff, mae hynny'n rhywbeth yr ydym yn ei ddisgwyl ohonynt ac nid ydym yn dymuno gweld staff o fewn y gwasanaeth iechyd yn ymddwyn yn ansensitif, yn amhroffesiynol ac yn dangos diffyg urddas tuag at y bobl sy'n aml yn fregus iawn pan fyddan nhw'n rhyngweithio â'r gwasanaeth iechyd mewn unrhyw ffordd. Ac mae hynny'n amlwg yn cynnwys pobl sydd ar fin rhoi genedigaeth neu bobl sy'n gwybod y gallai eu canlyniadau fod yn wael yn sgil eu beichiogrwydd. Roedd hynny'n rhan o'r hyn a oedd yn arbennig o anodd i mi ei ddarllen yn yr adroddiad. Cymerodd sawl diwrnod imi ddarllen yr adroddiad gan fod hynny'n wirioneddol boenus i mi.
O ran eich pwynt arall am yr adroddiad mewnol a gomisiynwyd gan y bwrdd iechyd, a ddarparwyd ym mis Medi 2018, mae'n amlwg nad yw'n dderbyniol na chafodd sylw priodol ei roi i'r adroddiad hwnnw drwy fecanwaith adrodd y bwrdd, ac na chafodd ei roi i bwyllgor ansawdd a diogelwch y bwrdd ac na chafodd ei roi i'r bwrdd, ac na chymerwyd camau bryd hynny. Mae cadeirydd y bwrdd iechyd a'r prif weithredwr ill dau wedi cydnabod, wrth gyhoeddi'r adroddiad hwn heddiw, fod y bwrdd iechyd wedi cyfeiliorni'n llwyr yn hynny o beth.
Mae'n bwysig cydnabod yr hyn a wnaeth y bwrdd iechyd yn anghywir er mwyn gwneud cynnydd yn y dyfodol. Mae yna gwestiwn i'r bwrdd y mae'r cadeirydd yn ymdrin ag ef, gydag adolygiad dan arweiniad aelod annibynnol o'r bwrdd, i ddeall yr hyn a ddigwyddodd ar y pryd, pam na ddaeth gerbron y bwrdd, a'r hyn a all fod yn wers wrth edrych yn ôl ond hefyd yr hyn y mae'n ei olygu wrth fynd ymlaen. Ceir cwestiynau ehangach yn y fan honno ynglŷn ag arweinyddiaeth a llywodraethu, nid yn unig i gael sylw yn yr un enghraifft unigol honno—dyna pam y bydd y gwaith y mae Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru a Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru yn ei wneud yn bwysig, a chefnogaeth ehangach yr hyn y bydd David Jenkins yn ei wneud hefyd.
Mae'n amlwg fod methiannau wedi bod yn y system o fewn y bwrdd iechyd—mae hynny wedi cael ei gydnabod nid yn unig yn yr adroddiad ond yn y sesiynau briffio a'r datganiadau sydd wedi bod eisoes heddiw. Ond mater syml o ddidol nifer o bobl mewn rhes i gael eu diarddel o'r sefydliad yw'r ateb.
Fel y clywsoch chi'r Prif Weinidog yn ei nodi, mae'r adroddiad yn nodi heriau a methiannau mewn nifer o wahanol feysydd o fewn y gwasanaeth, o'r cyswllt uniongyrchol ag unigolion hyd at bobl a oedd â chyfrifoldeb dros arwain a rheoli, hyd at gyfeiriad clinigol y gwasanaeth, yr holl ffordd drwodd i'r cyngor, yr wybodaeth a'r her a ddarparwyd gan aelodau annibynnol ar lefel weithredol a lefel y bwrdd. Dyna pam yr wyf i'n credu ei bod yn hynod bwysig bod goruchwyliaeth annibynnol ar y gwaith sydd ei angen i weithredu argymhellion yr adolygiad hwn, ac y daw'r annibyniaeth honno nid yn unig o ystyried y 43 digwyddiad difrifol wrth edrych yn ôl i 2010, ond y bydd hynny wedyn yn rhoi sail dystiolaeth briodol ar gyfer atebolrwydd a sut y byddwn yn symud ymlaen.
Mae rhywbeth anodd iawn yma, oherwydd mae'r adroddiad yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod diwylliant o gosbi o fewn y gweithle, lle'r oedd pobl yn ofnus ac yn bryderus am godi pryderon. Mae hynny'n gwbl amhriodol ac nid yw'n dderbyniol. Er mwyn cyrraedd y pwynt lle mae pobl yn fwy hyderus o ran pryd y gallen nhw ac y dylen nhw godi pryderon, mae gwir angen inni fod yn agored ynghylch pobl yn cydnabod nawr beth aeth o'i le, yn hytrach na phobl yn ceisio anwybyddu hynny gan eu bod yn pryderu am eu swyddi. Yn wir, os na chawn y diwylliant mwy agored hwnnw, rydym yn fwy tebygol o beryglu'r ansawdd a'r diogelwch y mae gan bobl sy'n defnyddio'r gwasanaethau hynny yr hawl i'w disgwyl. Felly, mae'n ofynnol cael newid sylfaenol yn y diwylliant, a dyna pam mae'r annibyniaeth honno o ran datblygu'r argymhellion hynny mor bwysig. Ond fe fyddaf i, wrth gwrs, yn adrodd yn ôl i'r Aelodau pan fydd rhagor o wybodaeth ar gael am y gwaith hwnnw a'r ymarfer sicrwydd uniongyrchol yr wyf wedi gofyn amdano.
I'm obviously grateful to the Minister for the statements that he's provided, for publishing the report and for the briefing I was unable to attend in person but I have been able to speak to colleagues who were present and we're grateful to the Minister for that.
The Minister, of course, is right to say that this report makes for very difficult reading. I've only had a day to read it and it is very painful. Reading the pages, 30-2, that talk about the patients' experience—how disregarded, how distressed, how humiliated these women and their families felt at a time when they are most vulnerable. Any of us who have been through the experience of pregnancy and birth know that however confident and however pleased you are to be pregnant and however safe and secure your home situation is, you feel incredibly vulnerable at that time in your life. And as the Minister rightly says, the very least that women and their families can expect is that they are made to feel as safe as possible, that they're handled with sensitivity and dignity and, particularly when there is terrible sad news to impart, that that is done sensitively and kindly.
It's also clear, and I think we should stress this, that the report sets out very clearly that there are good people working in that service—good people at the front line who are working incredibly hard to provide the best service they can in circumstances that are very, very difficult. I think we should acknowledge and express our thanks to those staff who have—I would suggest it's an overused phrase but I think it's appropriate in this case—clearly been lions being led by donkeys. They have been let down by systematic failures and it's not good enough. Terrible systematic failures—and the Minister talked about the deep cultural issues where people were disrespected, where the staff themselves were disrespected and they were disrespectful.
It is right, of course, Dirprwy Lywydd, that the Minister has apologised, and I'm sure that we are all glad that he has met some of the families and will continue to meet them and to take their views and concerns into account. It is also right, of course, that he accepts the recommendations. However, I remain unconvinced that he can be confident in delivering those recommendations. He cannot present to this Chamber today and to those families the idea that this crisis is some kind of a surprise to the Welsh Government. Darren Millar rightly highlights page 7 of the report, which sets out nine separate reports highlighting particular aspects of this issue from 2012 to 2018, and that in addition to the warnings that have been raised in this Chamber to the Minister by, among others, my colleague Leanne Wood, speaking on behalf of her constituents and the experiences that they've suffered.
Now, the Minister tells us that he's placing part of the health board into special measures. Well, those of us who represent part of the Betsi Cadwaladr health board area know that four years into those very special measures, the problems are not solved. The issues that come into my constituency postbag and I know that of others—my colleagues Llyr Gruffydd and Siân Gwenllian, for example—. Four years of special measures and the problems are not solved. So, I want to ask the Minister today, Dirprwy Lywydd, whether he accepts that there are some systematic problems with management in the NHS. Professional staff—doctors, nurses, midwives—have to have a given set of competencies, they have to be registered, we have to know that they're professionally competent. Is it not time to have that core set of competencies for people who are managing our NHS and a system of registering those staff, and particularly a system of registering those senior staff so they cannot fail in one local health board and pop up in another? There's a particular pattern of that happening across the border. I'm not suggesting that's relevant specifically here, but in terms of the systematic failures that we've seen, where people who have made a mess of things in English health management are fetched up making a mess of things in ours. Surely we need that core set competencies. We need managers and leaders who can be relied on. We need to know what's expected of them. Now, when it comes to accountability, I have heard, of course, what the Minister has said to Darren Millar, but the Minister himself has talked about needing to change the culture. Well, how can you change the culture if the same individuals who created that culture are still in charge of it? Now, I completely accept, Dirprwy Lywydd, what the Minister says about not wanting to create an environment that's even more punitive, but, unless people are held accountable, how can those frontline staff, how can those women and their families, be confident that their concerns will be addressed more sensitively if the same people are addressing them who have allowed this situation to arise in the first place? I'm not calling for heads to roll necessarily, but how can people be confident that things will change if no individuals are held accountable? In any other profession—in social work, in teaching—massive systematic failures like that would lead to people being replaced and I just do not understand why the Minister doesn't seem to feel that this is necessary.
Now, and I say this with much regret, Dirprwy Lywydd, but I have to ask the Minister whether he accepts that in our health system—and this is something I support and it's different from the position in England—the accountability for the running of the national health service in Wales rests with the Welsh Government and with the Minister. The legislation is clear about that. The Minister appoints the health boards, he sets their budgets, he sets their policies, and so should he in my view. So, finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, I have to say that, faced with this most recent, most serious failure, does the Minister believe it is time to consider his position to act accountably for what's gone wrong and resign?
Mae'n amlwg fy mod yn ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiadau, am gyhoeddi'r adroddiad ac am y cyfarfod briffio nad oeddwn i'n gallu bod yn bresennol ynddo'n bersonol ond rwyf i wedi gallu siarad â chydweithwyr a oedd yn bresennol ac rydym yn ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog amdano.
Mae'r Gweinidog, wrth gwrs, yn gywir wrth ddweud mai gwaith anodd iawn yw darllen yr adroddiad hwn. Ni chefais i ond diwrnod i'w ddarllen ac mae'n dorcalonnus iawn. Wrth ddarllen tudalennau 30 i 32, sy'n sôn am brofiad y cleifion—sut y cawsant eu diystyru, pa mor ofidus yr oeddent, sut y cafodd y menywod a'r teuluoedd hyn eu sarhau ar yr adeg pan oedden nhw fwyaf agored i niwed. Mae unrhyw un ohonom sydd wedi bod trwy'r profiad o feichiogrwydd a genedigaeth yn gwybod, pa mor hyderus bynnag a pha mor falch yr ydych chi o fod yn feichiog a pha mor ddiogel bynnag yw'r sefyllfa ar eich aelwyd, y byddwch yn teimlo'n fregus tu hwnt yn y cyfnod hwnnw yn eich bywyd. Ac fel y mae'r Gweinidog yn iawn i ddweud, y peth lleiaf y gall menywod a'u teuluoedd ei ddisgwyl yw cael teimlo mor ddiogel â phosibl, cael eu trin gyda chydymdeimlad ac urddasol ac, yn arbennig pan fo newyddion trist ofnadwy i'w roi, y gwneir hynny'n sensitif â chydymdeimlad.
Mae hefyd yn glir, ac rwy'n credu y dylem ni bwysleisio hyn, fod yr adroddiad yn nodi'n eglur iawn y ceir gweithwyr ardderchog yn y gwasanaeth hwnnw—pobl ardderchog ar y rheng flaen sy'n gweithio'n anhygoel o ddyfal i ddarparu'r gwasanaeth gorau y gallan nhw ei roi mewn amgylchiadau sy'n anodd tu hwnt. Rwy'n credu y dylem ni gydnabod a mynegi ein diolch i'r staff hynny sydd wedi bod yn llewod yn cael eu harwain gan asynnod—byddwn i'n awgrymu bod hwn yn ymadrodd a orddefnyddir ond rwy'n credu ei fod yn briodol yn yr achos hwn. Mae methiannau systematig wedi pylu eu hymdrechion nhw ac nid yw hynny'n ddigon da. Methiannau systematig ofnadwy—ac fe soniodd y Gweinidog am y materion diwylliannol dwfn lle'r oedd pobl yn cael eu trin yn amharchus, y staff eu hunain yn cael eu trin yn amharchus ac roedden nhw'n amharchus gydag eraill.
Mae'n iawn, wrth gwrs, Dirprwy Lywydd, fod y Gweinidog wedi ymddiheuro, ac rwy'n siŵr ein bod ni i gyd yn falch ei fod wedi cyfarfod â rhai o'r teuluoedd ac y bydd yn parhau i gyfarfod â nhw ac ystyried eu barn a'u pryderon. Mae'n iawn hefyd, wrth gwrs, ei fod ef yn derbyn yr argymhellion. Er hynny, nid wyf wedi f'argyhoeddi y gall fod yn hyderus wrth gyflawni'r argymhellion hynny. Ni all gyflwyno'r syniad i'r Siambr hon heddiw nac i'r teuluoedd hynny fod yr argyfwng hwn yn syndod i Lywodraeth Cymru. Mae Darren Millar yn gywir i dynnu sylw at dudalen 7 yr adroddiad, sy'n nodi naw adroddiad ar wahân sy'n tynnu sylw at agweddau arbennig ar y mater hwn rhwng 2012 a 2018, a hynny ar ben y rhybuddion a godwyd yn y Siambr hon i'r Gweinidog gan, ymysg eraill, fy nghyd-Aelod Leanne Wood, wrth siarad ar ran ei hetholwyr hi a'r profiadau y maen nhw wedi eu dioddef.
Nawr, mae'r Gweinidog yn dweud wrthym ni ei fod ef am roi rhan o'r bwrdd iechyd mewn mesurau arbennig. Wel, mae'r rhai ohonom ni sy'n cynrychioli rhan o ardal bwrdd iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr yn gwybod, bedair blynedd wedi i'r mesurau arbennig iawn hynny gael eu cyflwyno, nad yw'r problemau wedi eu datrys. Mae'r materion sy'n dod trwy'r post yn fy etholaeth i a rhai eraill,—fy nghyd-Aelodau Llŷr Gruffydd a Siân Gwenllian, er enghraifft —. Pedair blynedd o fesurau arbennig ac ni chafodd y problemau eu datrys. Felly, rwyf am ofyn i'r Gweinidog heddiw, Dirprwy Lywydd, a yw ef yn derbyn y ceir rhai problemau systematig gyda rheolaeth yn y GIG. Mae'n rhaid i staff proffesiynol—meddygon, nyrsys, bydwragedd—fod â chyfres benodol o gymwyseddau, mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw gael eu cofrestru, mae'n rhaid inni wybod eu bod nhw'n gymwys yn broffesiynol. Onid yw hi'n bryd cael y set graidd honno o gymwyseddau ar gyfer pobl sy'n rheoli yn ein GIG a system o gofrestru'r staff hynny, ac yn arbennig system o gofrestru'r staff uwch hynny fel na allan nhw fod yn fethiant mewn unrhyw fwrdd iechyd lleol ac yna ymddangos yn sydyn mewn bwrdd iechyd arall? Mae patrwm penodol o bethau felly'n digwydd dros y ffin. Nid wyf yn awgrymu bod hynny'n berthnasol yn benodol yma, ond o ran y methiannau systematig a welsom, lle mae pobl sydd wedi gwneud cawlach o bethau wrth reoli iechyd yn Lloegr yn gwneud cawlach o bethau yn ein gwlad ni. Siawns nad oes angen y cymwyseddau craidd hynny arnom ni. Mae angen rheolwyr ac arweinwyr arnom y gellir dibynnu arnyn nhw. Mae angen inni wybod beth a ddisgwylir ganddyn nhw. Nawr, o ran atebolrwydd, rwyf wedi clywed, wrth gwrs, yr hyn y mae'r Gweinidog wedi ei ddweud wrth Darren Millar, ond mae'r Gweinidog ei hun wedi sôn am yr angen i newid y diwylliant. Wel, sut allwch chi newid y diwylliant os mai'r un unigolion a greodd y diwylliant hwnnw sy'n dal i fod â gofal amdano? Nawr, rwy'n derbyn yn llwyr, Dirprwy Lywydd, yr hyn a ddywed y Gweinidog am beidio â dymuno creu amgylchedd o gosbi mwy llym, ond, os nad yw pobl yn cael eu dal i gyfrif, sut y gall y staff rheng flaen hynny, sut y gall y menywod hynny a'u teuluoedd, fod yn hyderus y bydd eu pryderon yn cael y sylw mwy sensitif os mai'r un rhai fydd yn mynd i'r afael â nhw ac sydd wedi caniatáu i'r sefyllfa hon godi yn y lle cyntaf? Nid wyf i'n galw am ddiswyddo cyffredinol o reidrwydd, ond sut y gall pobl fod yn hyderus y bydd pethau'n newid os na chaiff unigolion eu dal i gyfrif? Mewn unrhyw broffesiwn arall—mewn gwaith cymdeithasol, ym myd addysg—byddai methiannau systematig enfawr fel hynny yn arwain at bobl yn cael eu diswyddo ac nid wyf i'n deall pam nad yw'r Gweinidog yn teimlo bod hynny'n angenrheidiol yma.
Nawr, ac rwy'n dweud hyn gan resynu, Dirprwy Lywydd, ond mae'n rhaid imi ofyn i'r Gweinidog a yw ef yn derbyn yn ein system iechyd ni—ac mae hyn yn rhywbeth yr wyf yn ei gefnogi ac mae hi'n wahanol i'r sefyllfa yn Lloegr—fod yr atebolrwydd am redeg y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol yng Nghymru yn aros gyda Llywodraeth Cymru a'r Gweinidog. Mae'r ddeddfwriaeth yn glir ynglŷn â hynny. Y Gweinidog sy'n penodi'r byrddau iechyd, ef sy'n gosod eu cyllidebau, ef sy'n pennu eu polisïau, ac felly y dylai hi fod yn fy marn i. Felly, yn olaf, Dirprwy Lywydd, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, yn wyneb y methiant diweddaraf, mwyaf difrifol hwn, a yw'r Gweinidog yn credu ei bod yn bryd iddo ef ystyried ei sefyllfa a gweithredu yn atebol am yr hyn sydd wedi mynd o'i le ac ymddiswyddo?
The scale of the concern, as is set out in the report and in the timeline, was made properly aware when a new head of midwifery service actually reviewed the data within the service, and those concerns led to additional Welsh Government contact with the organisation and, ultimately, because I was not satisfied with the health board response, I decided to commission this independent review that has been reported today. So, from the scale of the concern being properly highlighted, by someone doing their job as they should do, escalating those concerns, we now reach a point where a Minister makes a decision—we have this report today. And it is an undeniable fact that, without that, we wouldn't have the objectivity in the report that we have today and the lid could well still be on top of these concerns that exist within this service. [Interruption.] When it comes to understanding the range of different reports, there are reports across a range of different services and then action is normally taken to resolve those. We actually found the scale of this concern—and, as I say, I've set out for you how and when I acted to ensure that the Royal College's review was undertaken.
Now, when it comes to special measures within the service area, we have a clear set of recommendations to work to for the service to improve against. We have independent oversight of whether those recommendations will actually be achieved and we are in the fortunate position where a number of families who have met with Welsh Government officials today and have received a personal apology from the chair of the health board are still willing to continue to engage in that work to improve services, and that is hugely important for us to be able to properly learn lessons and ensure that women's voices and their families are not forgotten in this, because, actually, what we need to do is enhance their voice in the future of the service. So, I think there should be some more positivity about how long the service area will remain in special measures, but I will say the service area will remain in special measures as long as it is appropriate to do so. I'm not going to set any sort of artificial deadline for special measures to end in this service area. There must be a proper and sustained improvement that is objectively highlighted and signed off, and it's worth pointing out that, in Betsi Cadwaladr, maternity services were one of the key concerns that led to special measures for the whole organisation and the service has delivered sustained improvement in maternity services and that's why they came out of special measures more than a year ago.
Now, on your point about management, I appreciate that some of what you had to say was not about the Welsh system at all, was actually a commentary on the system in England, but, of course, many managers are themselves clinicians. If you look at most of the executive team around health board tables in the country, they're registered healthcare professionals who still maintain their professional registration, but the job they undertake as leaders and managers requires a different sort of experience to being a clinician. And, of course, we do look at the relevant qualifications and experience upon appointment, and the health boards that appoint them do that as well. This is the point about our system having the boards to properly undertake the governance, the support and the challenge required to make sure the right people are appointed and in place. Part of what is difficult about this particular service is that, up to now, Cwm Taf has been a high-performing health board, living within its budgets and doing well when it comes to performance measures. But quality and safety is a non-negotiable part of the healthcare system here in Wales, and so the accountability that Members understandably call for—there will be evidence to underpin any form of accountability and the independent processes that I have set in place are not just designed to provide assurance to the public, they are designed also to make sure we understand where accountability should lie, because our objective is to change and improve the service, and that must require significant cultural change to do so.
So, I'm not going to set out an artificial deadline for whether anyone should leave their employment; I am interested in people who are in the health service being able to do their job properly and to do their job with the public that they serve. But we have seen a change already—there's a significant change in independent members compared to the health board in 2010. Two doctors who were in the service at the time the report was written have now left the health board. Coincidentally, we also now have a new nurse director at executive level within the health board in place within this month. They're out to recruitment for a new medical director—again, that is a matter of coincidence; that was a planned retirement in any event. And there is also now, within the last two weeks, a consultant midwife within the service as well, so there is change, and significant change, within the leadership tiers of the organisation.
The challenge now is for people to do the job that they're paid for, the job they came into the health service to do, to provide the confidence and the quality that each and every family is entitled to expect. And, of course, I will not be resigning; I will be stepping up to my responsibilities as the Minister for the national health service here in Wales and seeing through the required improvements that I recognise must take place.
Cafodd maint y pryderon, fel y nodir yn yr adroddiad ac yn y llinell amser, ei wneud yn gwbl hysbys pan wnaeth pennaeth gwasanaeth bydwreigiaeth newydd adolygu'r data o fewn y gwasanaeth. Arweiniodd y pryderon hynny at gysylltiad ychwanegol gan Lywodraeth Cymru â'r sefydliad ac, yn y pen draw, gan nad oeddwn i'n fodlon ag ymateb y bwrdd iechyd, fe benderfynais i gomisiynu'r adolygiad annibynnol hwn a adroddwyd heddiw. Felly, o ystyried maint y pryder sydd wedi cael ei amlygu'n briodol, gan rywun sy'n gwneud ei waith fel y dylai, gan ddwysáu'r pryderon hynny, rydym nawr yn cyrraedd pwynt pan fydd Gweinidog yn gwneud penderfyniad—yr adroddiad hwn sydd gennym heddiw. A heb hwnnw, ni ellir gwadu'r ffaith na fyddai gennym y gwrthrychedd sydd gennym yn yr adroddiad hwn heddiw, ac mae'n ddigon posib y byddai'r pryderon hyn sy'n bodoli yn y gwasanaeth hwn o dan orchudd o hyd. [Torri ar draws.] O ran deall yr ystod o wahanol adroddiadau, ceir adroddiadau ar draws ystod o wasanaethau amrywiol ac yna fe gymerir camau fel arfer i ddatrys y rhain. Mewn gwirionedd, fe ddaethom ni i wybod am faint y pryder hwn—ac, fel y dywedais, rwyf wedi nodi ar eich cyfer chi sut a phryd y gweithredais i er mwyn sicrhau bod adolygiad y Coleg Brenhinol yn cael ei gynnal.
Nawr, o ran mesurau arbennig o fewn y maes gwasanaeth, mae gennym gyfres glir o argymhellion i weithio tuag atynt er mwyn i'r gwasanaeth wella yn unol â nhw. Mae gennym oruchwyliaeth annibynnol i weld a fydd yr argymhellion hynny'n cael eu cyflawni mewn gwirionedd. Ac rydym yn y sefyllfa ffodus lle mae nifer o deuluoedd sydd wedi cyfarfod â swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru heddiw ac wedi derbyn ymddiheuriad personol gan Gadeirydd y Bwrdd Iechyd yn parhau i fod yn fodlon cymryd rhan yn y gwaith hwnnw i wella gwasanaethau. Mae hynny'n eithriadol o bwysig er mwyn inni allu dysgu'r gwersi'n iawn a sicrhau na chaiff lleisiau menywod a'u teuluoedd eu hanghofio yn hyn o beth, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, yr hyn y mae angen i ni ei wneud yw gwneud eu llais nhw yn fwy hyglyw yn nyfodol y gwasanaeth. Felly, rwyf i o'r farn y dylid bod yn fwy cadarnhaol ynghylch am ba hyd y bydd y maes gwasanaeth yn parhau i fod mewn mesurau arbennig. Ond fe fyddwn i'n dweud y bydd y maes gwasanaeth yn parhau i fod mewn mesurau arbennig cyn belled â'i bod yn briodol iddi fod felly. Nid wyf am osod unrhyw fath o derfyn amser artiffisial i'r mesurau arbennig orffen yn y maes hwn o wasanaeth. Mae'n rhaid sicrhau gwelliant priodol a pharhaus sy'n cael ei amlygu'n wrthrychol a'i gymeradwyo. Ac mae'n werth nodi, yn Betsi Cadwaladr, mai'r gwasanaethau mamolaeth oedd un o'r prif bryderon a arweiniodd at fesurau arbennig ar gyfer y sefydliad cyfan, ac mae'r gwasanaeth wedi cyflawni gwelliant parhaus mewn gwasanaethau mamolaeth a dyna pam maen nhw wedi dod allan o fesurau arbennig dros flwyddyn yn ôl.
Nawr, o ran eich pwynt ynglŷn â rheoli, rwy'n sylweddoli nad oedd a wnelo rhywfaint o'r hyn a oedd gennych chi i'w ddweud ddim o gwbl â'r system yng Nghymru, ac roedd mewn gwirionedd yn sylwebaeth ar y system yn Lloegr. Ond, wrth gwrs, mae llawer o reolwyr yn glinigwyr eu hunain. Os edrychwch ar y rhan fwyaf o'r tîm gweithredol o amgylch byrddau iechyd yn y wlad, gweithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol cofrestredig ydyn nhw sy'n parhau i gynnal eu cofrestriad proffesiynol, ond mae'r gwaith y maen nhw'n ymgymryd ag ef fel arweinwyr a rheolwyr yn gofyn am wahanol fath o brofiad i fod yn glinigwr. Ac, wrth gwrs, rydym ni'n edrych ar y cymwysterau a'r profiad perthnasol wrth benodi, ac mae'r byrddau iechyd sy'n eu penodi nhw'n gwneud hynny hefyd. Dyma'r pwynt ynghylch bod gan ein system ni y byrddau i ymgymryd yn briodol â'r llywodraethu, y cymorth a'r her sydd eu hangen i sicrhau bod y bobl iawn yn cael eu penodi a'u bod yn eu lle. Rhan o'r hyn sy'n anodd am y gwasanaeth arbennig hwn yw bod Cwm Taf, hyd yn hyn, wedi bod yn fwrdd iechyd sy'n perfformio'n dda, yn byw o fewn ei gyllidebau ac yn gwneud yn dda o ran mesurau perfformiad. Ond mae ansawdd a diogelwch yn rhan ddiysgog o'r system gofal iechyd yma yng Nghymru, ac felly mae'r atebolrwydd y mae'r Aelodau yn galw amdano yn ddealladwy—bydd tystiolaeth i ategu unrhyw fath o atebolrwydd ac nid prosesau annibynnol a roddais i ar waith wedi cael eu cynllunio i roi sicrwydd i'r cyhoedd yn unig, ond fe'u cynlluniwyd hefyd i sicrhau ein bod yn deall ymhle y dylai atebolrwydd orwedd. Oherwydd ein hamcan ni yw newid a gwella'r gwasanaeth, a rhaid i hynny olygu newid diwylliannol sylweddol er mwyn cyflawni hynny.
Felly, nid wyf am bennu dyddiad cau artiffisial ar gyfer ymadawiad unrhyw un o'i waith; byddai'n dda gennyf weld pobl yn y gwasanaeth iechyd sy'n gallu gwneud eu gwaith yn iawn a gwneud eu gwaith gyda'r cyhoedd y maen nhw'n ei wasanaethu. Ond rydym wedi gweld newid yn barod—bu newid sylweddol yn nifer yr aelodau annibynnol o'i gymharu â'r bwrdd iechyd yn 2010. Mae dau feddyg a oedd yn y gwasanaeth ar adeg ysgrifennu'r adroddiad wedi gadael y bwrdd iechyd erbyn hyn. Gyda llaw, mae gennym gyfarwyddwr nyrsio newydd erbyn hyn ar lefel weithredol o fewn y bwrdd iechyd, a fydd wrth y gwaith o fewn y mis hwn. Maen nhw allan yn recriwtio Cyfarwyddwr Meddygol newydd—unwaith eto, mater o gyd-ddigwyddiad yw hynny; roedd hwnnw'n ymddeoliad a gynlluniwyd beth bynnag. A hefyd, yn y pythefnos diwethaf, mae bydwraig ymgynghorol o fewn y gwasanaeth hefyd, ac felly mae yna newid, a newid sylweddol, o fewn haenau arweinyddiaeth y sefydliad.
Yr her nawr yw i bobl wneud y gwaith y maen nhw'n cael eu talu amdano, y gwaith yr aethant i mewn i'r gwasanaeth iechyd i'w wneud, er mwyn rhoi'r hyder a'r ansawdd y mae gan bob teulu'r hawl i'w disgwyl. Ac, wrth gwrs, ni fyddaf yn ymddiswyddo; byddaf yn parhau â'm cyfrifoldebau fel Gweinidog dros y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol yma yng Nghymru ac yn gwireddu'r gwelliannau sy'n ofynnol yr wyf yn cydnabod bod yn rhaid iddynt ddigwydd.
Thank you, Minister, for the statement. I have to say that I'm both shocked and saddened by what I saw in this report and the findings, and, like others, my thoughts, first and foremost, are with the families, many of whom are my constituents, of course, that have been affected by the failings in the Cwm Taf maternity services.
While I know that many women have had good experiences and good care within Cwm Taf, too many have not, and right now they have to be the focus of our concerns. There are many aspects of the report that I'd like to address with you, which include data accuracy, patient dignity, inadequate support for staff, lack of professional development training, reviews of serious incidents, poor clinical practice, inappropriate staff management, reluctance of staff to exercise their duty of candour and, of course, who actually takes ultimate responsibility within the health board. But, due to the limited time today, I will do that with you outside of this session and in direct discussions with the health board. Today, I'll just focus my comments on three particular areas and try not to repeat what others have said.
Firstly, the poor governance of maternity services in Cwm Taf is clearly of grave concern, and, whilst staffing levels are something that must be addressed, I have to say that, even if we had optimum staffing but those services are not properly managed, then we're still going to have the same problems. So, I'm particularly concerned at the statement in the report relating to false assurances given to the board by the senior executive team about the service, and I'd like to know what that means and what is going to be done about that.
Secondly, in relation to the decision in 2014 to move the consultant-led services onto one site, do you know what risk assessment was undertaken regarding the impact of staffing on that decision, given that most midwives based at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital would naturally look towards Cardiff or Bridgend and not Merthyr when considering employment changes? And why, as it appears, were the staffing issues consequent on that decision left to the last minute to address when the board has had five years to plan for it?
Finally, it will be vital to ensure that the service is not destabilised during this period of intervention, so what assurances will you and the health board be giving to prospective mothers about the safety of maternity services in Cwm Taf now, and how that will be communicated
Minister, within the Cwm Taf area, many of us will have both a political and a personal interest in ensuring that maternity services are fit for purpose, and, indeed, my first grandchild is due to be born at Prince Charles Hospital in August, so, while I welcome the proposed actions set out in your statement, what are the timescales within which you expect the health board to deliver the changes that are needed?
Diolch i chi, Gweinidog, am y datganiad. Mae'n rhaid imi ddweud fy mod i wedi fy siomi a'm tristáu gan yr hyn a welais yn yr adroddiad hwn a'r darganfyddiadau, ac, fel eraill, mae fy meddyliau i, yn gyntaf oll, gyda'r teuluoedd, y mae llawer ohonyn nhw'n etholwyr i mi, wrth gwrs, sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio gan y diffygion yng ngwasanaethau mamolaeth Cwm Taf.
Er fy mod yn gwybod bod llawer o fenywod wedi cael profiadau da a gofal da yng Nghwm Taf, mae gormod ohonyn nhw heb gael hynny, ac ar hyn o bryd mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw fod yn ganolbwynt i'n pryderon. Ceir sawl agwedd ar yr adroddiad yr hoffwn eu trafod gyda chi, sy'n cynnwys cywirdeb data, urddas cleifion, cymorth annigonol i staff, diffyg hyfforddiant datblygiad proffesiynol, adolygiadau o ddigwyddiadau difrifol, arfer clinigol gwael, rheolaeth staff amhriodol, amharodrwydd staff i arfer eu dyletswydd o fod yn ddidwyll ac, wrth gwrs, pwy yn union sydd â'r cyfrifoldeb terfynol yn y bwrdd iechyd. Ond, oherwydd prinder amser heddiw, fe wnaf i hynny gyda chi y tu allan i'r sesiwn hon a chynnal trafodaethau uniongyrchol gyda'r bwrdd iechyd. Heddiw, hoffwn ganolbwyntio fy sylwadau ar dri maes penodol a cheisio peidio ag ailadrodd yr hyn y mae eraill wedi ei ddweud.
Yn gyntaf, mae llywodraethu gwael yng ngwasanaethau mamolaeth Cwm Taf yn amlwg yn destun pryder mawr ac, er bod lefelau staffio yn rhywbeth y mae'n rhaid rhoi sylw iddo, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, hyd yn oed pe byddai gennym ni'r staffio gorau posib ond na fyddai'r gwasanaethau hynny'n cael eu rheoli'n briodol, yna fe fyddai'r un problemau gennym ni o hyd. Felly, rwy'n arbennig o ofidus am y datganiad yn yr adroddiad sy'n ymwneud â'r ffug sicrwydd a roddwyd i'r bwrdd gan yr uwch dîm gweithredol ynglŷn â'r gwasanaeth, ac fe hoffwn i wybod beth mae hynny'n ei olygu a beth gaiff ei wneud ynglŷn â hynny.
Yn ail, o ran y penderfyniad yn 2014 i symud y gwasanaethau dan arweiniad meddygon ymgynghorol i un safle, a ydych chi'n gwybod pa asesiad risg a gynhaliwyd ynghylch effaith staffio ar y penderfyniad hwnnw, o gofio y byddai'r rhan fwyaf o fydwragedd yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg yn naturiol yn edrych tuag at Gaerdydd neu Ben-y-bont ar Ogwr ac nid Merthyr wrth ystyried newidiadau cyflogaeth? A pham, fel y mae'n ymddangos, y gadawyd pethau i'r funud olaf cyn rhoi sylw i'r materion staffio o ganlyniad i'r penderfyniad hwnnw tra bod y bwrdd wedi cael pum mlynedd i gynllunio ar gyfer hynny?
Yn olaf, bydd yn hanfodol sicrhau nad yw'r gwasanaeth yn cael ei ansefydlogi yn ystod y cyfnod hwn o ymyrraeth. Felly pa sicrwydd y byddwch chi a'r bwrdd iechyd yn ei roi i ddarpar famau ynghylch diogelwch gwasanaethau mamolaeth Chwm Taf ar hyn o bryd, a sut y bydd hynny'n cael ei gyfleu.
Gweinidog, yn ardal Cwm Taf, bydd gan lawer ohonom ddiddordeb gwleidyddol a phersonol i sicrhau y bydd y gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn addas at y diben, ac, yn wir, bydd fy ŵyr cyntaf yn cael ei eni yn ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl ym mis Awst. Felly, er fy mod yn croesawu'r camau arfaethedig a nodir yn eich datganiad, beth yw'r amserlenni yr ydych yn disgwyl i'r bwrdd iechyd eu cyrraedd er mwyn cyflawni'r newidiadau sy'n angenrheidiol?
Thank you for the comments and the questions. I think you're right to point out that, of course, there is a great deal of good care that takes place every single day in every single community across our national health service, and the report does highlight a range of staff who provided good care, in particular in the community midwifery service, but it is entirely right and appropriate that we focus on the failings identified in the report today. And that does come back to your point about the management and the culture within different parts of the service, so not just at the most senior level, reporting in to the executive team and the board, but from the shop floor and all the way through and leaders and managers in different parts of the service. The report talks about a punitive culture; I would expect the trade unionists to talk about a bullying culture, and a culture of fear within the organisation, and I recognise that on reading the report. So, it isn't just one part of the culture within the maternity service in the board that needs to be addressed. And that does come back to your point about false assurances being provided, because the report sets out quite clearly that a range of concerns were suppressed and not dealt with, and reports were not then properly concluded, so, actually, people were being provided with an assurance that wasn't accurate, and I think independent members took assurance where it should not have been provided to them in that place. That is a question not just that the report sets out, it's not just a question that will be addressed in the independent review on what went wrong, as well as making recommendations for the future, it is part of what the board needs to address now. I've spoken several times to the chair of the health board and he understands very well that it is a question for the board to address adequately and properly themselves as to what information they had, what they didn't have, and what they will require to have in the future and the level of challenge they must have. That is part of the work that David Jenkins will be doing in supporting the board to do so.
In terms of your point about the move, the move to the concentration of consultant-led care at Prince Charles—you're quite right—has taken a long time to happen, longer than it should have done, frankly. And part of that is because the health board, but also the two units in question, were not determined to make the move happen in a collaborative manner. When the report took place, they still found culture between the two sites that was not accepting of the move that was imminent. And that's a real problem from the leadership teams within the doctors on both those sites. And that's not acceptable.
So, the move, and, prior to the move, there was a multidisciplinary meeting that took place, and there were two Welsh Government officials in that meeting, which confirmed that they were in a position for the move to go ahead and that, actually, there was less risk to staff and the service in going ahead with the move in March than in putting the move off and in trying to run consultant services on both sites, partly because of the fragility of staff in midwifery, but also the number of locum staff within the medical grades as well. So, yes, there was oversight, but there's still more work to do to make sure that that service is the sort of service that you or I would want for ourselves and obviously for your first grandchild.
When it comes to women and their families being supported, they should contact their midwife and contact their health boards to talk through concerns and fears that they have, to understand the options that are available to them, and to make sure that they do so as soon as they are concerned or worried, because that is part of the role that the midwife has, to support women to make their choices. Some women may want to choose to give birth in different settings, whether at home, whether it's water births, or whether it's in consultant-led care or in midwife-led care, and some people may want to think again about the location of their birth. Now, I would want to encourage the take-up, in the first instance, of all of those concerns with their community midwife, and, for the health board, it's a very clear expectation that they support women to make those choices of where they are most comfortable, where they feel best supported.
And, in terms of the timeframe for improvements, well, improvement has to take place immediately. Immediate improvements are required, but I should not pretend to you or anybody else that this will be resolved quickly, because the cultural change that I've highlighted on more than one occasion will take many months to actually be in place and then to be sustained thereafter.
Diolch am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau. Rwy'n credu eich bod chi'n iawn i dynnu sylw at y ffaith bod llawer iawn o ofal da, wrth gwrs, yn digwydd bob dydd ym mhob cymuned ledled ein gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol, ac mae'r adroddiad yn tynnu sylw at amrywiaeth o staff a roddodd ofal da, yn enwedig yn y gwasanaeth bydwreigiaeth gymunedol. Ond mae'n gwbl briodol ac yn gymwys ein bod ni'n canolbwyntio ar y diffygion a nodwyd yn yr adroddiad heddiw. Ac mae hynny'n mynd yn ôl at eich pwynt chi ynglŷn â rheolaeth a diwylliant o fewn gwahanol rannau o'r gwasanaeth, nid yn unig ar y lefel uchaf, gan adrodd i'r tîm gweithredol a'r bwrdd, ond ar lawr y gwaith yr holl ffordd drwodd i'r arweinwyr a'r rheolwyr mewn gwahanol rannau o'r gwasanaeth. Mae'r adroddiad yn sôn am ddiwylliant o gosbi; byddwn i'n disgwyl i'r undebwyr llafur siarad am ddiwylliant bwlio, a diwylliant o ofn o fewn y sefydliad, ac rwy'n cydnabod hynny wrth ddarllen yr adroddiad. Felly, nid un rhan yn unig o'r diwylliant yn y gwasanaeth mamolaeth yn y bwrdd y mae angen mynd i'r afael ag ef. Ac mae hynny'n mynd yn ôl at y pwynt a wnaethoch chi am roi ffug sicrwydd, gan fod yr adroddiad yn nodi'n gwbl glir fod amryw o bryderon wedi cael eu gorchuddio ac nad ymdriniwyd â nhw, ac wedyn ni chafodd adroddiadau eu cwblhau'n briodol. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, roedd pobl yn cael sicrwydd am bethau nad oeddent yn iawn, ac rwy'n credu bod aelodau annibynnol wedi cael sicrwydd lle na ddylai fod wedi ei roi iddyn nhw. Mae hwnnw'n fater nid yn unig a nodir yn yr adroddiad ac yr ymdrinnir ag ef yn yr adolygiad annibynnol o'r hyn a aeth o'i le, ond mae hwn yn rhan o'r hyn y mae angen i'r bwrdd fynd i'r afael ag ef ar hyn o bryd, yn ogystal â gwneud argymhellion i'r dyfodol. Rwyf wedi siarad sawl gwaith â chadeirydd y bwrdd iechyd ac mae ef yn deall yn iawn ei fod yn fater i'r bwrdd roi sylw iddo'n ddigonol ac yn briodol o ran yr wybodaeth a oedd ganddyn nhw, yr hyn nad oedd ganddyn nhw, a'r hyn fydd ei angen arnyn nhw yn y dyfodol a lefel yr her y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw ei hateb. Mae hynny'n rhan o'r gwaith y bydd David Jenkins yn ei wneud wrth gynorthwyo'r bwrdd i wneud hynny.
O ran eich pwynt am y symudiad, mae'r symudiad i ganolbwyntio gofal dan arweiniad meddygon ymgynghorol yn ysbyty Tywysog Siarl—rydych chi'n llygad eich lle—wedi cymryd amser maith i ddigwydd, mwy nag y dylai, a bod yn onest. A rhan o hynny yw oherwydd nad oedd y bwrdd iechyd, na'r ddwy uned dan sylw ychwaith, yn eiddgar i wneud i'r symudiad ddigwydd mewn modd cydweithredol. Pan gynhaliwyd yr adroddiad, roedden nhw'n parhau i ganfod diwylliant rhwng y ddau safle nad oedd yn gallu derbyn y symudiad a oedd ar fin digwydd. A honno yw'r broblem wirioneddol sydd gan y timau arwain ymhlith y meddygon ar y ddau safle hyn. Ac nid yw hynny'n dderbyniol.
Felly, y symudiad, a chyn y symudiad, cynhaliwyd cyfarfod amlddisgyblaethol, ac roedd dau swyddog o Lywodraeth Cymru yn y cyfarfod hwnnw. Cafwyd cadarnhad eu bod mewn sefyllfa i fynd ymlaen ac, mewn gwirionedd, roedd llai o berygl i'r staff a'r gwasanaeth wrth fynd ymlaen â'r symudiad ym mis Mawrth yn hytrach na gohirio a cheisio cynnal gwasanaethau ymgynghorydd ar y ddau safle, yn rhannol oherwydd natur fregus staff bydwreigiaeth, ond hefyd nifer y staff locwm o fewn y graddau meddygol. Felly, oedd, roedd diofalwch, ond mae mwy o waith i'w wneud eto i sicrhau bod y gwasanaeth hwnnw yn fath o wasanaeth y byddech chi neu y byddwn i'n ei ddymuno i ni ein hunain ac yn amlwg i'ch ŵyr cyntaf.
O ran cefnogaeth i fenywod a'u teuluoedd, fe ddylen nhw gysylltu â'u bydwraig a chysylltu â'u byrddau iechyd i drafod y pryderon a'r ofnau sydd ganddyn nhw, er mwyn deall y dewisiadau sydd ar gael iddyn nhw. Dylent wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn gwneud hynny cyn gynted â'u bod nhw'n gofidio neu'n pryderu, oherwydd mae hynny'n rhan o'r gwaith sydd gan fydwraig, sef cefnogi menywod i wneud eu dewisiadau nhw. Efallai y bydd rhai menywod yn dewis rhoi genedigaeth mewn gwahanol leoliadau, boed hynny gartref, boed yn enedigaethau dŵr, neu'n ofal dan arweiniad ymgynghorydd neu mewn gofal dan arweiniad bydwraig, ac efallai y bydd rhai pobl yn ailfeddwl am leoliad yr enedigaeth. Nawr, byddwn yn annog pobl i ddechrau trafod yr holl bryderon hynny, yn y lle cyntaf, gyda'u bydwraig gymunedol, ac, yn achos y bwrdd iechyd, mae'n ddisgwyliad clir iawn eu bod nhw'n cefnogi menywod i wneud y dewisiadau hynny ynglŷn â'r lle maen nhw'n fwyaf cartrefol, y lle maen nhw'n teimlo eu bod yn cael y gefnogaeth orau.
Ac, o ran yr amserlen ar gyfer gwelliannau, wel, mae'n rhaid i'r gwelliant ddigwydd ar unwaith. Mae angen y gwelliannau ar unwaith, ond ni ddylwn honni i chi nac i neb arall y caiff hyn ei ddatrys yn gyflym, oherwydd bydd y newid diwylliannol y tynnais eich sylw ato fwy nag unwaith yn cymryd misoedd lawer i fod yn weithredol a'i gynnal wedi hynny.
I've got a number of speakers now, and I will extend this statement. However, the major parties have had their first speaker, and I've been quite lenient with timing, so I will ask all the other speakers now just to address the statement and ask a brief question. That way, we'll probably get everybody in without overrunning for too long. Andrew R.T. Davies.
Mae gen i nifer o siaradwyr erbyn hyn, a byddaf yn ymestyn y datganiad hwn. Fodd bynnag, mae'r prif bleidiau wedi cael eu siaradwr cyntaf, ac rwyf wedi bod yn eithaf hael o ran amseru, felly gofynnaf i'r holl siaradwyr eraill yn awr ymdrin â'r datganiad yn unig a gofyn cwestiwn byr. Fel yna, mae'n debyg y bydd cyfle i bawb heb i ni fynd gormod dros ein hamser. Andrew R.T. Davies.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, thank you for the briefing that you facilitated this morning for Members and, in particular, for the apology that you have offered in your statement this afternoon. I think it is wholly appropriate, and I welcome the remarks that you made about how difficult you found reading the report. It is a very difficult report to read, because, ultimately, you are talking about something that should be a joyous occasion and, sadly, for some families, it turned into a horrendous experience that no-one should ever have to go through. And this is happening in twenty-first century hospitals, sadly, not too far from this very institution.
One thing I would like to put to you, because most of the ground has been covered, is the issue of governance and supervision, because I think that goes to the crux of the matter here. At the very top of the recommendations or concerns there is the lack of consultant availability, taking 45 minutes to come to a hospital when required. There's the inability to make evidence available until the inquiry team turned up at the hospital itself, from the board. There have been nine different reports, I believe, from 2012 to 2018. In fact, on page 11 of the report, the report authors talk of their dismay
'that the Health Board had received information highlighting areas of unsafe practice'
yet chose not to take any action when this evidence was presented to them.
I think what is of critical concern here is: when is this culture going to change? I hear what you said to date—it takes time to change that culture—but this isn't a report in isolation. This is a report built on nine previous reports, and there has been a cataclysmic failure of governance in this particular health service, in this particular discipline. And I do question whether it's isolated specifically to this discipline, maternity services, or if it's a wider issue. It cannot be right that there cannot be fundamental change in this health board, because if that change is not delivered at the top of the health board, then, really, we will be back here in two, three, four years' time, reviewing the same sad report that we're looking at this afternoon.
As I say, I do commend you for the apology you've put on the record. I think some families will find comfort in that. But we cannot and must not allow this to be another report that isn't acted on and, as I said, we're back here in two or three years' time.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Gweinidog, diolch ichi am y briff a hwyluswyd gennych y bore yma ar gyfer yr Aelodau ac, yn benodol, am yr ymddiheuriad yr ydych chi wedi'i gynnig yn eich datganiad y prynhawn yma. Credaf ei fod yn gwbl briodol, a chroesawaf y sylwadau a wnaethoch chi ynghylch pa mor anodd oedd darllen yr adroddiad. Mae'n adroddiad anodd iawn ei ddarllen, oherwydd, yn y pen draw, rydych chi'n sôn am rywbeth a ddylai fod yn achlysur llawen ac, yn anffodus, i rai teuluoedd, trodd i fod yn brofiad erchyll na ddylai neb fyth orfod ei ddioddef. Ac mae hyn yn digwydd yn ysbytai'r unfed ganrif ar hugain, yn anffodus, nid nepell o'r union sefydliad hwn.
Un peth yr hoffwn ei ofyn ichi, gan fod y rhan fwyaf o'r maes wedi cael sylw, yw mater llywodraethu a goruchwylio, oherwydd credaf fod hynny'n mynd at wraidd y mater yma. Ar frig yr argymhellion neu'r pryderon, mae'r ffaith nad oes meddyg ymgynghorol bob amser ar gael ac mae hi'n cymryd 45 munud iddyn nhw ddod i ysbyty pan fo angen. Dyna ichi'r anallu i sicrhau bod tystiolaeth ar gael nes i dîm yr ymchwiliad gyrraedd yr ysbyty ei hun, o'r bwrdd. Bu naw adroddiad gwahanol, rwy'n credu, rhwng 2012 a 2018. Yn wir, ar dudalen 11 yr adroddiad, mae awduron yr adroddiad yn sôn am eu siom:
bod y Bwrdd Iechyd wedi derbyn gwybodaeth yn amlygu meysydd o arferion anniogel
ac yna wedi dewis peidio â chymryd unrhyw gamau pan gyflwynwyd y dystiolaeth hon iddynt.
Credaf mai'r hyn sy'n peri pryder difrifol yma yw: pryd y mae'r diwylliant hwn yn mynd i newid? Clywaf yr hyn yr ydych wedi ei ddweud hyd yma—mae'n cymryd amser i newid y diwylliant hwnnw—ond nid adroddiad ar ei ben ei hun yw hwn. Mae hwn yn adroddiad sy'n deillio o naw adroddiad blaenorol, a bu methiant trychinebus yn y gwasanaeth iechyd penodol hwn, yn y ddisgyblaeth benodol hon. Ac rwy'n amau a yw wedi'i chyfyngu'n benodol i'r ddisgyblaeth hon, gwasanaethau mamolaeth, neu a yw'n fater ehangach. Ni all fod yn iawn os na ellir cael newid sylfaenol yn y Bwrdd Iechyd hwn, oherwydd os na chaiff y newid hwnnw ei gyflawni ar frig y Bwrdd Iechyd, yna, mewn gwirionedd, byddwn yn ôl yma ymhen dwy, tair, pedair blynedd, i adolygu'r un adroddiad trist yr ydym yn ei ystyried y prynhawn yma.
Fel dywedaf, rwyf yn eich canmol am yr ymddiheuriad yr ydych wedi'i roi ar goedd. Dwi'n credu y bydd rhai teuluoedd yn cael cysur o hynny. Ond ni allwn ac ni ddylem ni ganiatáu i hwn fod yn adroddiad arall pryd na cheir camau gweithredu yn ei sgil ac, fel y dywedais, y byddwn yn ôl yma ymhen dwy neu dair blynedd.
I have absolutely no intention of coming back here in two or three years' time and having to report that no further progress has been made. That's why I've taken the steps that I've confirmed today and given the assurance of independence in reviewing the progress that the health board has or has not made. Because I will be honest about the level of progress that has or has not been made by the health board every time I report back to the Chamber or to the wider public.
Again, I go back to the point about behaviour and culture, because when you talk about the report highlighting that doctors weren't available, that's a point about the medical culture, because that wasn't about the numbers of people employed within the service, it was actually about their working practice. In many ways, that is much more difficult to address, which is why I said to Dawn Bowden that we are talking about many months of work to change the culture to a point where it is more likely to be sustained and changed, and I'm under no illusions whatsoever that significant change is required within the organisation.
The work that I've highlighted is not just confined to maternity services. There is new clinical leadership within the medical team within this part of the service, there's a new clinical lead in place, and that's a positive step forward. But the work that Healthcare Inspectorate Wales are going to be doing is looking more broadly at leadership and governance within the organisation, and I'm expecting their report to be available before the end of the autumn. I've had a conversation with the chief inspector of HIW today, and that is my expectation following the conversation with her—that she expects a report to be available within the autumn.
Again, HIW reports are published and there is no hiding away from them, and so we'll be clear about what level of change has or has not taken place and what further change is still required. I would expect that we'd still hear at that point what further change is still required to make sure that that change is real and sustained. So, I'll return to this Chamber and/or committees that do or don't want to ask questions about this, and as I said, I'll be honest about where we are and about what we still need to do.
Nid oes gennyf unrhyw fwriad o gwbl i ddod yn ôl yma ymhen dwy neu dair blynedd a gorfod adrodd nad oes cynnydd pellach wedi'i wneud. Dyna pam yr wyf wedi cymryd y camau yr wyf wedi eu cadarnhau heddiw ac wedi rhoi sicrwydd o annibyniaeth wrth adolygu'r cynnydd y mae'r Bwrdd Iechyd wedi ei wneud neu heb ei wneud. Oherwydd byddaf yn onest ynghylch lefel y cynnydd a wnaed neu'r diffyg cynnydd gan y Bwrdd Iechyd bob tro yr adroddaf yn ôl i'r Siambr neu i'r cyhoedd yn gyffredinol.
Unwaith eto, dychwelaf at y pwynt ynghylch ymddygiad a diwylliant, oherwydd pan soniwch am yr adroddiad yn amlygu'r ffaith nad oedd meddygon ar gael, mae hynny'n bwynt sy'n ymwneud â'r diwylliant meddygol, gan nad oedd yn ymwneud â nifer y bobl a gyflogir gan y gwasanaeth, roedd mewn gwirionedd ynglŷn â'u hymarfer gwaith. Mewn sawl ffordd, mae'n llawer anos mynd i'r afael â hynny, a dyna pam y dywedais wrth Dawn Bowden ein bod yn sôn am fisoedd lawer o waith i newid y diwylliant hyd at y pwynt lle mae'n fwy tebygol o gael ei gynnal a'i newid, ac nid oes gennyf unrhyw amheuaeth o gwbl nad oes angen newid sylweddol o fewn y sefydliad.
Nid yw'r gwaith yr wyf wedi ei amlygu wedi'i gyfyngu i wasanaethau mamolaeth yn unig. Mae arweinyddiaeth glinigol newydd o fewn y tîm meddygol yn y rhan hon o'r gwasanaeth, mae arweinydd clinigol newydd yno, ac mae hynny'n gam cadarnhaol ymlaen. Ond y gwaith y bydd Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru yn ei wneud yw edrych yn ehangach ar arwain a llywodraethu o fewn y sefydliad, ac rwy'n disgwyl y bydd eu hadroddiad ar gael cyn diwedd yr hydref. Rwyf wedi cael sgwrs â phrif arolygydd AGIC heddiw, a dyna'r hyn yr wyf yn ei ddisgwyl yn dilyn y sgwrs—ei bod hi'n disgwyl y bydd adroddiad ar gael yn yr hydref.
Unwaith eto, cyhoeddir adroddiadau AGIC ac nid oes cuddio rhagddynt, ac felly fe fyddwn ni'n glir ynglŷn â pha lefel o newid sydd wedi digwydd neu heb ddigwydd a pha newid pellach sydd ei angen o hyd. Byddwn i'n disgwyl y byddem ni'n dal i glywed bryd hynny pa newidiadau pellach sydd eu hangen o hyd i sicrhau bod y newid hwnnw'n un gwirioneddol ac yn cael ei gynnal. Felly, byddaf yn dychwelyd i'r Siambr hon a/neu bwyllgorau sydd eisiau neu ddim eisiau gofyn cwestiynau am hyn, ac fel y dywedais, byddaf yn onest ynghylch lle yr ydym ac ynghylch yr hyn y mae angen inni ei wneud o hyd.
I attended the briefing this morning on this, and there wasn't enough time for me to ask questions there on behalf of my constituents in the Rhondda, so I hope I will be afforded the time now, Llywydd.
It's good to have an apology from the health Minister, and, I have to say, when I first read this report, which refers to a culture of people's concerns being dismissed, I immediately thought that this could also apply to the health Minister. I have lost count as to how many times I have raised on the floor of this Chamber, with both the health Minister and the First Minister, my concerns about staffing shortages and complaints in my local health board area. I have to say, most of the time, these concerns have been dismissed, or at least not taken seriously. Yes, the health board has to do better on a whole range of areas, but Minister, so do you.
It's not good to read that 67 stillbirths, going back to 2010, were not properly reported, and it's appalling to read how some patients just weren't listened to. I wonder how much of a problem this would have been in a more affluent area. Poorer people's views are often easily dismissed across a whole range of public services. So often do I hear about people being treated differently to how those from middle-class backgrounds would have been treated—people who may have gone to university and know very well how to demand their rights. This principle is known as the inverse care law, and it's been recognised and acknowledged by the medical profession. Minister, will you agree to look to see if this has been an issue in this instance? Please feed back to us.
These are my further questions. Will you agree to look seriously at every complaint and every serious case that has not been dealt with satisfactorily? Given that this report talks about a problematic culture, a punitive culture with regards to complaints, I strongly suspect—and my case files back this up—that failing to deal with complaints is a much wider problem. Do you agree with that point, and can you tell us exactly what you are going to do about it? Because I didn't hear anything specific in your statement addressing that point of culture. I welcome the fact that you are going to look into other departments. What messages can you give to worried parents-to-be, like the constituent of mine who is due to have her fifth baby and has seen the services decline over many years, and now is very worried about the care she is likely to get? Can she opt to go somewhere else, for example? Will you agree to closely monitor the situation at Prince Charles Hospital? I've had contact with many former Royal Glamorgan patients who are not happy with what they've experienced in Prince Charles Hospital over the last six weeks or so.
We in Plaid Cymru campaigned from 2013 against moving and centralising these maternity services, and we've campaigned against the moving of the children's services, which are due to move this summer. Doctors have told me their concerns about all of this as well, one telling me of their belief, and I quote, that mothers and babies will die. This report confirms that staff agree with us about centralisation, and have been prevented from speaking up. Will you listen to the staff that say that this centralisation is risky? Will you now listen to what patients are saying on this, and will you agree to monitor and work to reinstate those services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital if the situation continues to be a risk and people continue to report problems?
Bûm yn y sesiwn briffio y bore yma ar hyn, ac nid oedd digon o amser imi ofyn cwestiynau ar ran fy etholwyr yn y Rhondda, felly rwy'n gobeithio y caf yr amser yn awr, Llywydd.
Mae'n dda cael ymddiheuriad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd, ac mae'n rhaid imi ddweud pan ddarllenais yr adroddiad hwn am y tro cyntaf, sy'n cyfeirio at ddiwylliant o bryderon pobl yn cael eu diystyru, meddyliais ar unwaith y gallai hyn fod yn wir am y Gweinidog Iechyd hefyd. Ni allaf gofio sawl gwaith yr wyf wedi codi fy mhryderon, ar lawr y Siambr hon, gyda'r Gweinidog Iechyd a'r Prif Weinidog, ynghylch prinder staff a chwynion yn fy ardal bwrdd iechyd lleol. Rhaid imi ddweud, y rhan fwyaf o'r amser, fod y pryderon hyn wedi'u diystyru, neu o leiaf nad ydynt wedi'u cymryd o ddifrif. Oes, mae'n rhaid i'r Bwrdd Iechyd wneud yn well ar ystod eang o feysydd, ond Gweinidog, rhaid i chithau hefyd.
Nid yw'n dda darllen bod 67 o farw-enedigaethau, yn mynd yn ôl i 2010, heb gael eu cofnodi'n gywir, ac mae'n warthus darllen sut na wrandawyd ar rai cleifion. Tybed faint o broblem fyddai hyn wedi bod mewn ardal fwy cefnog. Yn aml, mae'n hawdd diystyru barn pobl dlotach ar draws ystod gyfan o wasanaethau cyhoeddus. Byddaf yn clywed yn aml am bobl yn cael eu trin yn wahanol i'r ffordd y byddai'r rheini o gefndiroedd dosbarth canol wedi cael eu trin—pobl sydd efallai wedi mynd i'r brifysgol ac sy'n gwybod yn iawn sut i fynnu eu hawliau. Gelwir yr egwyddor hon yn ddeddf gofal gwrthgyfartal, ac mae wedi cael ei chydnabod a'i derbyn gan y proffesiwn meddygol. Gweinidog, a wnewch chi gytuno i edrych i weld a yw hyn wedi bod yn broblem yn yr achos hwn? Rhowch adborth i ni.
Dyma fy nghwestiynau pellach. A wnewch chi gytuno i edrych o ddifrif ar bob cwyn a phob achos difrifol nad ymdriniwyd ag ef yn foddhaol? O gofio bod yr adroddiad hwn yn sôn am ddiwylliant problemus, diwylliant cosbol o ran cwynion, rwy'n amau'n gryf—ac mae fy ffeiliau achos yn ategu hyn—fod methu ag ymdrin â chwynion yn broblem ehangach o lawer. A ydych chi'n cytuno â'r pwynt hwnnw, ac a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni beth yn union yr ydych chi'n bwriadu ei wneud yn ei gylch? Oherwydd ni chlywais i ddim byd penodol yn eich datganiad yn mynd i'r afael â'r pwynt diwylliant hwnnw. Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith eich bod yn mynd i ymchwilio i adrannau eraill. Pa negeseuon y gallwch chi eu rhoi i rieni pryderus, fel un o'm hetholwyr sydd ar fin cael ei phumed baban ac sydd wedi gweld y gwasanaethau'n dirywio dros flynyddoedd lawer, a sydd erbyn hyn yn poeni'n fawr am y gofal y mae'n debygol o'i gael? A all hi ddewis mynd i rywle arall, er enghraifft? A wnewch chi gytuno i fonitro'r sefyllfa yn Ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl yn ofalus? Rwyf wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â llawer o gyn gleifion Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg nad ydynt yn hapus â'r hyn y maent wedi'i brofi yn Ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl yn ystod y chwe wythnos diwethaf.
Roeddem ni ym Mhlaid Cymru yn ymgyrchu o 2013 yn erbyn symud a chanoli'r gwasanaethau mamolaeth hyn, ac rydym wedi ymgyrchu yn erbyn symud y gwasanaethau plant, sydd i fod i symud yr haf hwn. Mae meddygon wedi sôn wrthyf am eu pryderon ynglŷn â hyn i gyd hefyd, un yn dweud wrthyf am ei gred, a dyfynnaf, y bydd mamau a babanod yn marw. Mae'r adroddiad hwn yn cadarnhau bod staff yn cytuno â ni ynglŷn â chanoli, a'u bod wedi'u hatal rhag siarad. A wnewch chi wrando ar y staff sy'n dweud bod y canoli hwn yn beryglus? A wnewch chi wrando'n awr ar yr hyn y mae cleifion yn ei ddweud am hyn, ac a wnewch chi gytuno i fonitro a gweithio i adfer y gwasanaethau hynny yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg os yw'r sefyllfa'n parhau i fod yn risg a bod pobl yn parhau i roi gwybod am broblemau?
I'll start by reiterating that I'm not going to defend the failings identified in this report. That is absolutely not what I'm going to do. It would be wholly inappropriate for me to try to do so. The challenge is how those failings are addressed, and we have a wide number of recommendations to do so. As I've said repeatedly, having a proper independent process to do so is really important, not just to the health board, but actually to the public that the board is there to serve, because no family should be treated in this way, regardless of their income, of their educational status, where they live. No family should be treated in the way that the report sets out.
If you actually look at similar communities—for example in the Gwent valleys—you don't hear the same story. We don't have the same level of concern. If you look, for example, at practice—and it goes back to culture and things that I've raised and described in many of the responses to questions today—the intervention rates within the former Cwm Taf health board are significant and different, and the report highlights that. It is not explained by the socioeconomic group of people they're dealing with. It is not explained by comorbidities in health, because, actually, similar communities have different intervention rates in terms of induction, caesarean section and assisted delivery. And that comes back to culture within the unit and the practice, and that is part of what has to change. Otherwise, we'll have women taking more risks than they should do in giving birth, potential complications afterwards, and it will change the mix of the staff and the beds that we need to properly service that. So, actually, it's really important to change around a better service and a safer service within the area and a better use of all the resources that we have. It comes back to why the independent review of the 43 serious incidents and the look-back to 2010 is important.
But I just want to finish on your point about supporting women to make choices. Yes, as I said, I expect them to be supported to make choices. And there are other consultant-led units that are not in Prince Charles where women may want to give birth, but they should start, as I said in response to Dawn Bowden, by discussing that with their community midwife to talk about fears or concerns they have and the choices that are available to them.
I don't agree with you that going back and trying to unpick the south Wales programme is the right thing to do. The concerns that existed then about fragility within our system in trying to run a larger number of sites than our staff and the case mix provides—I don't think that's the right way forward. What we do have to do is to understand the information that we're given by both staff and by people using the services, and to understand what we need to do to properly equip the service that we have in terms of capacity and staff numbers and, crucially, practice and culture.
Dechreuaf drwy ailadrodd nad ydw i'n mynd i amddiffyn y diffygion a nodir yn yr adroddiad hwn. Yn sicr, nid dyna'r hyn yr wyf am ei wneud. Byddai'n gwbl amhriodol imi geisio gwneud hynny. Yr her yw sut i ymdrin â'r methiannau hynny, ac mae gennym ni nifer fawr o argymhellion ynghylch sut i wneud hynny. Fel y dywedais dro ar ôl tro, mae cael proses annibynnol briodol i wneud hynny yn wirioneddol bwysig, nid yn unig i'r Bwrdd Iechyd, ond i'r cyhoedd y mae'r bwrdd yno i'w gwasanaethu, gan na ddylid trin unrhyw deulu yn y modd hwn, beth bynnag fo'i incwm, ei statws addysgol, ble maen nhw'n byw. Ni ddylid trin unrhyw deulu yn y ffordd y mae'r adroddiad yn ei nodi.
Os ydych chi mewn gwirionedd yn edrych ar gymunedau tebyg—er enghraifft yng Nghymoedd Gwent—nid ydych yn clywed yr un stori. Nid oes yr un lefel o bryder. Os edrychwch chi, er enghraifft, yn ymarferol—ac mae'n ymwneud â diwylliant a'r hyn yr wyf wedi'u codi a'u disgrifio yn llawer o'r ymatebion i gwestiynau heddiw—mae'r cyfraddau ymyrryd yn hen Fwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf yn sylweddol ac yn wahanol, ac mae'r adroddiad yn tynnu sylw at hynny. Nid yw'n cael ei egluro gan y grŵp economaidd-gymdeithasol o bobl y maen nhw'n ymdrin â nhw. Nid yw'n cael ei egluro gan gyd-forbidrwydd ym maes iechyd oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, mae gan gymunedau tebyg gyfraddau ymyrryd gwahanol o ran ymsefydlu, toriadau Cesaraidd ac esgor â chymorth. Ac mae'n ymwneud â diwylliant o fewn yr uned a'r arferion, ac mae hynny'n rhan o'r hyn sy'n gorfod newid. Fel arall, bydd gennym fenywod yn cymryd mwy o risgiau nag y dylen nhw wrth roi genedigaeth, cymhlethdodau posibl wedyn, a bydd yn newid cymysgedd y staff a'r gwelyau y mae eu hangen arnom i wasanaethu hynny'n iawn. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, mae'n bwysig iawn gwneud newidiadau i sicrhau gwasanaeth gwell a gwasanaeth mwy diogel o fewn yr ardal a gwell defnydd o'r holl adnoddau sydd gennym. Mae'n pwysleisio eto pam mae'r adolygiad annibynnol o'r 43 o ddigwyddiadau difrifol ac ail edrych ar 2010 yn bwysig.
Ond fe hoffwn i orffen ar y pwynt a wnaethoch chi ynghylch cefnogi menywod i wneud dewisiadau. Ydw, fel y dywedais, rwy'n disgwyl iddyn nhw gael cefnogaeth wrth wneud dewisiadau. Ac mae unedau eraill dan arweiniad ymgynghorwyr nad ydyn nhw yn Ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl lle y byddai menywod efallai eisiau rhoi genedigaeth, ond dylen nhw ddechrau, fel y dywedais mewn ymateb i Dawn Bowden, drwy drafod hynny gyda'r fydwraig gymunedol i siarad am ofnau neu bryderon sydd ganddyn nhw a'r dewisiadau sydd ar gael iddyn nhw.
Dydw i ddim yn cytuno â chi mai mynd yn ôl a cheisio datod rhaglen y de yw'r peth iawn i'w wneud. Roedd y pryderon a oedd yn bodoli bryd hynny ynghylch breuder o fewn ein system wrth geisio cynnal nifer fwy o safleoedd nag oedd ein staff a'r cymysgedd o achosion yn gallu eu darparu—dydw i ddim yn credu mai dyna'r ffordd iawn ymlaen. Yr hyn y mae'n rhaid inni ei wneud yw deall yr wybodaeth a roddir inni gan y staff a gan y bobl sy'n defnyddio'r gwasanaethau, a deall yr hyn y mae angen inni ei wneud er mwyn cyflenwi'r gwasanaeth sydd gennym yn briodol o ran capasiti a niferoedd staff ac, yn hanfodol, arferion a diwylliant.
Thank you for your statement today, Minister. As a mother myself who's given birth within the Cwm Taf area, as well as being an Assembly Member for a constituency that falls under the Cwm Taf area, I can honestly say that this report is the most distressing thing that I have read since I was elected to this place three years ago, and my thoughts are very firmly with the families that have been affected.
I'd like to add my support to comments previously expressed by other Assembly Members about the impact of these tragic consequences, the nine previous reports and missed opportunities to put things right and the urgency to put things right now. I'd also like to pay tribute to those really hard-working and dedicated front-line staff who will be feeling very vulnerable with the publication of this report today—many of whom I met when I visited the new service at Prince Charles hospital recently. From the mothers who gave evidence to this report, one theme stands out very strongly, and that's the fact they wanted to give their evidence in order to put things right for future mothers going through the service. The two areas of questioning that I'd like to focus on today are very firmly linked to that.
Firstly, for all the women that I have spoken to from my constituency and also the women from Cynon Valley whose views are expressed in the report, there's one theme that stands out very clearly, and that's the issue around notes disappearing, or record keeping not being accurate, and women going through a very difficult time in labour being repeatedly asked by different members of staff to verbally pass on information rather than the information being there at hand. Now, you'll be aware that on the Public Accounts Committee, we have been undertaking an inquiry into NHS informatics, and I wondered whether, as part of the next step after this report, it would be appropriate to consider whether informatics could be used more effectively within the Cwm Taf maternity service, in order to ensure that all the information that midwives and doctors need is at hand in order to make the right decisions at the right time for mothers and for babies.
Secondly—and this is an issue that you've touched upon in your reply to the previous Assembly Member—we know that the Cwm Taf area has particular issues around its socioeconomic make-up and resultant health issues that arise from that, but there are other areas of Wales that have those same challenges. What work can be done to link up the service provision in Cwm Taf with other very similar areas of Wales where they have fewer interventions in labour, which we know then leads often to safer outcomes for mothers and babies?
Diolch am eich datganiad heddiw, Gweinidog. Gan fy mod yn fam fy hun a roddodd enedigaeth yn ardal Cwm Taf, yn ogystal â bod yn Aelod Cynulliad dros etholaeth sydd yn dod o dan ardal Cwm Taf, gallaf ddweud yn onest mai'r adroddiad hwn yw'r peth mwyaf gofidus imi ei ddarllen ers imi gael fy ethol i'r lle hwn tair blynedd yn ôl, ac mae fy meddyliau yn sicr gyda'r teuluoedd yr effeithiwyd arnynt.
Hoffwn gefnogi sylwadau a fynegwyd yn flaenorol gan Aelodau Cynulliad eraill am effaith y canlyniadau trasig hyn, y naw adroddiad blaenorol a'r cyfleoedd a gollwyd i unioni pethau a'r brys i unioni pethau nawr. Hoffwn hefyd dalu teyrnged i'r staff rheng flaen hynny, sy'n gweithio mor galed ac ymroddedig a fydd yn teimlo eu bod mewn sefyllfa fregus iawn oherwydd cyhoeddi'r adroddiad hwn heddiw—cyfarfûm â llawer ohonyn nhw pan ymwelais â'r gwasanaeth newydd yn Ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl yn ddiweddar. Yn ôl y mamau a roddodd dystiolaeth i'r adroddiad hwn, mae un thema yn amlwg iawn, sef y ffaith eu bod eisiau rhoi eu tystiolaeth er mwyn unioni pethau ar gyfer mamau yn y dyfodol a fydd yn mynd drwy'r gwasanaeth. Mae'r ddau faes holi yr hoffwn i ganolbwyntio arnyn nhw heddiw wedi'u cysylltu'n gryf iawn â hynny.
Yn gyntaf, i'r holl fenywod yr wyf wedi siarad â nhw yn fy etholaeth a hefyd y menywod o Gwm Cynon y mynegir eu barn yn yr adroddiad, mae un thema yn amlwg iawn, sef y mater sy'n ymwneud â nodiadau'n diflannu, neu gofnodion nad ydyn nhw'n fanwl gywir, a menywod ar esgor yn mynd drwy gyfnod anodd iawn yn cael eu holi dro ar ôl tro gan wahanol aelodau o staff i drosglwyddo gwybodaeth ar lafar yn hytrach na bod yr wybodaeth yno wrth law. Nawr, fe wyddoch ein bod ni, ar y Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus, wedi bod yn cynnal ymchwiliad i wybodeg y GIG, tybed felly, yn rhan o'r cam nesaf ar ôl yr adroddiad hwn, a fyddai'n briodol ystyried a ellid defnyddio gwybodeg yn fwy effeithiol yng ngwasanaeth mamolaeth Cwm Taf, er mwyn sicrhau bod yr holl wybodaeth sydd ei hangen ar fydwragedd a meddygon wrth law er mwyn iddyn nhw wneud y penderfyniadau iawn ar yr adeg iawn ar gyfer mamau a babanod.
Yn ail—ac mae hwn yn fater yr ydych chi wedi cyfeirio ato yn eich ateb i'r Aelod Cynulliad blaenorol—gwyddom fod gan ardal Cwm Taf broblemau penodol o ran ei sefyllfa economaidd-gymdeithasol a'r problemau iechyd sy'n deillio o hynny, ond mae rhannau eraill o Gymru sydd â'r un heriau. Pa waith a ellir ei wneud i gysylltu'r ddarpariaeth gwasanaeth yng Nghwm Taf ag ardaloedd tebyg iawn eraill yng Nghymru lle mae ganddyn nhw lai o ymyriadau adeg esgor, sydd fel y gwyddom ni, yn arwain yn aml at ganlyniadau mwy diogel i famau a babanod?
Thank you for the comments and the questions. Again, I welcome the point you make about staff. There will be many staff who will be concerned going into work today and looking to go into work for the rest of this week. There's a point about how we support staff, about how we still have high expectations of how staff behave, and how they are to be supported to work in a much more open environment.
I completely recognise your point about families wanting to see improvement. Many people said expressly they came forward to tell their story because they didn't want it to happen to someone else and they wanted the service to be improved. That does go back into record keeping—one of the concerns that I recognised having read the report as well. I do think the better use of what is no longer new technology but standard technology in large parts of our life is part of doing that, to provide a greater robustness and certainty about record transfer and actually taking a more proactive approach to capture the views of people as they're using the service as well. So, I absolutely do think that is a standard part of the future.
Crucially, it goes into your second point about support from other health boards who serve similar communities. Because actually there is already good practice that exists within the system here in Wales on the doorstep of the former Cwm Taf area, and it's important to me that that is properly accessed and taken on board in improving the service within the former Cwm Taf area to make sure that we don't wait months and months and months to make no progress, but that the immediate improvements that could be made, we're clear about what those are and the support that's provided for people who are running midwifery at the services, who are running maternity services in very similar communities with different intervention rates and different outcome rates.
Diolch am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau. Unwaith eto, croesawaf y pwynt yr ydych yn ei wneud am staff. Bydd llawer o staff yn poeni am fynd i'r gwaith heddiw a gweddill yr wythnos. Mae pwynt ynglŷn â sut yr ydym ni'n cefnogi staff, ynglŷn â'r ffaith bod gennym ddisgwyliadau uchel o hyd o ran sut y mae staff yn ymddwyn, a sut y cânt eu cefnogi i weithio mewn amgylchedd llawer mwy agored.
Rwy'n llwyr gydnabod eich pwynt ynglŷn â theuluoedd yn dymuno gweld gwelliant. Dywedodd llawer o bobl eu bod wedi penderfynu dweud eu stori nhw am y rheswm penodol nad oedden nhw'n dymuno iddo ddigwydd i neb arall ac roedden nhw eisiau i'r gwasanaeth gael ei wella. Mae hynny'n mynd â ni'n ôl at gadw cofnodion—un o'r pryderon a gydnabuwyd gennyf ar ôl darllen yr adroddiad hefyd. Credaf fod gwell defnydd o'r hyn nad yw bellach yn dechnoleg newydd ond yn dechnoleg sydd wedi hen sefydlu mewn rhannau helaeth o'n bywydau, yn rhan o wneud hynny, i roi mwy o gadernid a sicrwydd ynghylch y broses o drosglwyddo cofnodion ac i fynd ati mewn dull mwy rhagweithiol i gasglu safbwyntiau pobl wrth iddyn nhw ddefnyddio'r gwasanaeth hefyd. Felly, rwy'n credu'n llwyr fod hyn yn rhan safonol o'r dyfodol.
Yn hollbwysig, mae'n cyffwrdd â'ch ail bwynt ynghylch cefnogaeth gan fyrddau iechyd eraill sy'n gwasanaethu cymunedau tebyg. Gan fod eisoes arferion da yn bodoli yn y system yma yng Nghymru ar garreg drws hen ardal Cwm Taf, ac mae'n bwysig i mi ein bod yn cael mynediad priodol i hynny ac y caiff ei ystyried wrth wella'r gwasanaeth yn hen ardal Cwm Taf i sicrhau nad ydym yn aros misoedd a misoedd a misoedd heb wneud dim cynnydd, ond bod y gwelliannau uniongyrchol y gellid eu gwneud, rydym yn glir ynghylch beth yw'r rheini a'r cymorth a roddir i bobl sy'n rhedeg bydwreigiaeth yn y gwasanaethau, sy'n rhedeg gwasanaethau mamolaeth mewn cymunedau tebyg iawn gyda chyfraddau ymyrraeth gwahanol a chyfraddau canlyniadau gwahanol.
Minister, I've been in two minds all day as to whether to speak this afternoon, but I feel it would be wrong for me to sit here as someone who herself had really poor care from Cwm Taf health board when I had my first child and say nothing. I have largely tried to blot out my experiences in Prince Charles Hospital with my first baby, but suffice to say that the stories that I've read in these reports about mothers feeling ignored, not listened to, dehumanised and made to feel worthless are ones that I very much can relate to. Having read the reports today, I also feel even more lucky than I did 16 years ago that I came out of there with the lovely boy that I've still got today.
I do agree with Leanne that there is a very significant inverse care law at play here, because I simply don't believe that these cases wouldn't have come to light sooner in a more affluent area, and I hope that that is something that you will look at in response to what Leanne Wood said.
I also wanted to ask you about the cases pre 2010, which covers the period that I had care at Prince Charles Hospital, but will have also covered the experiences of many other mothers. I think that if we can take anything from this report it's that we have to hear the voices of those who have had poor care. So, I'd like to ask you, Minister, whether you are confident that the time frame you're operating within will actually pick up all the cases that you need to, especially in view of the fact that the health board has clearly tried to conceal some information from the Welsh Government. I think it's vital that, if necessary, we do go back and look even further back in time to make sure that all those voices are heard and that we can genuinely learn the lessons from those times.
Gweinidog, rwyf wedi bod rhwng dau feddwl drwy'r dydd ynghylch pa un a ddylwn i siarad y prynhawn yma, ond rwy'n teimlo y byddai'n anghywir i mi eistedd yma a minnau'n rhywun a gafodd gofal gwael iawn gan Fwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf pan gefais fy mhlentyn cyntaf, a dweud dim. Rwyf wedi ceisio anghofio'n llwyr am fy mhrofiadau yn Ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl gyda fy maban cyntaf, ond digon yw dweud y gallaf uniaethu'n llwyr â'r storïau yr wyf wedi'u darllen yn yr adroddiadau hyn am famau'n teimlo eu bod yn cael eu hanwybyddu, neb yn gwrando arnyn nhw, yn cael eu dad-ddyneiddio a'u gwneud i deimlo'n ddiwerth. Wedi darllen yr adroddiadau heddiw, rwyf hefyd yn teimlo hyd yn oed yn fwy ffodus nag yr oeddwn i 16 mlynedd yn ôl imi ddod allan o'r fan honno gyda'r bachgen hoffus sydd gen i hyd heddiw.
Rwy'n cytuno â Leanne fod deddf gofal gwrthgyfartal sylweddol iawn ar waith yma, gan nad wyf yn credu na fyddai'r achosion hyn wedi dod i'r amlwg yn gynharach mewn ardal fwy cefnog, a gobeithiaf y bydd hynny'n rhywbeth y byddwch chi'n edrych arno mewn ymateb i'r hyn a ddywedodd Leanne Wood.
Roeddwn hefyd eisiau eich holi am yr achosion cyn 2010, sy'n cynnwys y cyfnod pryd yr oeddwn i yn derbyn gofal yn Ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl, ond a fydd hefyd yn cynnwys profiadau llawer o famau eraill. Os gallwn ddysgu unrhyw beth o'r adroddiad hwn, yna'r wers honno yw ei bod yn angenrheidiol ein bod ni'n clywed lleisiau'r rhai sydd wedi cael gofal gwael. Felly, hoffwn ofyn i chi, Gweinidog, a ydych chi'n ffyddiog y bydd yr amserlen yr ydych chi'n ei dilyn yn caniatáu ichi nodi'r holl achosion y mae angen i chi eu nodi, yn enwedig o gofio bod y bwrdd iechyd yn amlwg wedi ceisio cuddio rhywfaint o wybodaeth rhag Llywodraeth Cymru. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn hanfodol, os oes angen, ein bod ni yn mynd yn ôl ac yn edrych yn ôl ymhellach fyth er mwyn sicrhau bod yr holl leisiau hynny yn cael eu clywed ac y gallwn ni ddysgu gwersi'r cyfnodau hynny.
Of course I do take seriously what happened and why, and finding out what happened and why, which is why I've set out independent steps to do so. That includes your point about the time frame to look back as well, because that's the recommended period within the report to look back, but it's very clear to me, and it'll be clear to the independent panel, that if they believe that there should be a different look back or a further look back then they will come back and tell me that. It would be an extraordinary failing of me if I decided not to take up that advice if that were to be offered, but that has to be a view that comes from that independent group. And we've had recommendations and suggestions from both royal colleges about independent people to undertake that review, for the clinical expertise. I hope to be able to announce that within a period of a few weeks, about who those people will be. And I think that should also help to give some confidence to families, because, in feedback from the families' meeting this morning with officials, part of the feedback was that some of them were concerned that it would be covered over and that the report wouldn't be as honest as it had been in reflecting accurately what they said. And they have said they have some more confidence that something is going to happen because the report accurately reflects the concerns that they've had. I think it's really important to keep those families involved and engaged in the work that we're doing and, crucially, ongoing work then, and the work that the health board is doing making sure they're listening to people's recent experiences of pregnancy to try and understand what's worked well and, equally, what hasn't worked well too. But if the independent review, the independent panel suggest we need to take a different look, then I'll certainly report that back to Members, with my own decision on that.
Wrth gwrs fy mod i'n cymryd o ddifrif yr hyn a ddigwyddodd a pham, ac yn darganfod beth ddigwyddodd a pham, a dyna pam yr wyf wedi nodi camau annibynnol i wneud hynny. Mae hynny'n cynnwys eich pwynt ynglŷn â'r amserlen i edrych yn ôl hefyd, oherwydd dyna'r cyfnod i edrych yn ôl arno a argymhellwyd yn yr adroddiad, ond mae'n glir iawn i mi, a bydd yn glir i'r panel annibynnol, os byddan nhw'n credu y dylid edrych yn ôl yn wahanol neu'n bellach fyth, fe fyddan nhw'n dod yn ôl ac yn dweud hynny wrthyf. Fe fyddai'n fethiant mawr ar fy rhan i pe bawn i'n penderfynu peidio â derbyn y cyngor hwnnw petai hwnnw'n cael ei gynnig, ond mae'n rhaid i hynny fod yn farn sy'n dod o'r grŵp annibynnol hwnnw. Ac rydym wedi cael argymhellion ac awgrymiadau gan y ddau goleg brenhinol ynglŷn â phobl annibynnol i ymgymryd â'r adolygiad hwnnw, am yr arbenigedd clinigol. Rwy'n gobeithio gallu cyhoeddi hynny o fewn ychydig wythnosau, ynghylch pwy fydd y bobl hynny. Ac rwy'n credu y dylai hynny hefyd helpu i roi rhywfaint o hyder i deuluoedd, oherwydd, yn ôl adborth o gyfarfod teuluoedd y bore yma gyda swyddogion, rhan o'r adborth oedd bod rhai ohonyn nhw'n pryderu y byddai'n cael ei guddio ac na fyddai'r adroddiad mor onest ag a fu wrth adlewyrchu'n gywir yr hyn a ddywedon nhw. Ac maen nhw wedi dweud eu bod yn fwy ffyddiog y bydd rhywbeth yn digwydd oherwydd bod yr adroddiad yn adlewyrchu'n gywir y pryderon sydd ganddyn nhw. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig iawn fod y teuluoedd hynny yn cael eu cynnwys yn y gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud ac, yn hollbwysig, gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo, a'r gwaith y mae'r bwrdd iechyd yn ei wneud i sicrhau ei fod yn gwrando ar brofiadau diweddar pobl o feichiogrwydd i geisio deall yr hyn sydd wedi gweithio'n dda ac, yn yr un modd, yr hyn sydd heb weithio'n dda hefyd. Ond os yw'r adolygiad annibynnol, y panel annibynnol yn awgrymu bod angen i ni edrych mewn ffordd wahanol, yna byddaf yn sicr yn adrodd yn ôl i'r Aelodau, gyda fy mhenderfyniad fy hun ynghylch hynny.
And finally, Suzy Davies.
Ac yn olaf, Suzy Davies.
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, of course, you'll be aware that Bridgend, the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, is now part of the Cwm Taf area. When the consultation took place for Bridgend to be incorporated into Cwm Taf, I'm pretty sure that nobody who responded to that consultation was aware of what was happening with maternity services in Cwm Taf. I wonder, then, if you could just reassure my constituents in South Wales West that the Princess of Wales Hospital will not be affected by any steps taken through these special measures, a status that's been imposed on Cwm Taf now, and if people are going to be moved from Bridgend, in terms of their expertise, to other parts of the Cwm Taf area, that money will follow or, preferably, that nobody will be removed from the Princess of Wales Hospital's maternity and neonatal services in order to solve problems in other parts of Cwm Taf.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Gweinidog, byddwch chi, wrth gwrs, yn gwybod bod Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, bellach yn rhan o ardal Cwm Taf. Pan gynhaliwyd yr ymgynghoriad ynglŷn â chynnwys Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr yng Nghwm Taf, rwy'n eithaf sicr nad oedd neb a ymatebodd i'r ymgynghoriad hwnnw'n ymwybodol o'r hyn a oedd yn digwydd yng Nghwm Taf o ran y gwasanaethau mamolaeth. Tybed a wnewch chi, felly, dawelu meddyliau fy etholwyr yn y de-orllewin na chaiff Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru ei effeithio gan unrhyw beth a wneir drwy'r mesurau arbennig hyn, statws sydd wedi ei orfodi ar Fwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf yn awr, ac os yw pobl yn mynd i gael eu symud o Ben-y-bont ar Ogwr, o ran eu harbenigedd, i rannau eraill o ardal Cwm Taf, a fydd yr arian hwnnw'n dilyn neu, yn ddelfrydol, na chaiff neb ei symud o wasanaethau mamolaeth a newyddenedigol Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru er mwyn datrys problemau mewn rhannau eraill o Gwm Taf.
I'm happy to confirm that if people move within the health board, then the health board will need to make sure that they adequately resource the service, if people are moving around to cover challenges in other parts of the area. But it's entirely possible that people will move from the current Bridgend area. For example, the medical director post: it's possible that could be someone from the Bridgend area, it could be someone from the former Cwm Taf area, it could be someone from outside the current health board. So it's entirely possible staff will move and their roles will need to be filled if they do. But I do want to confirm in a very straightforward manner that special measures do not apply to maternity services within the Bridgend area of Cwm Taf Morgannwg; they are not affected by the decision I've made today on special measures. But, of course, the broader questions about leadership and governance affect the whole health board area, and that's part of the cultural shift that is not just about maternity services but how the whole health board operates.
Rwy'n falch o gadarnhau, os bydd pobl yn symud o fewn y bwrdd iechyd, yna bydd angen i'r bwrdd iechyd sicrhau ei fod yn darparu adnoddau digonol ar gyfer y gwasanaeth, os yw pobl yn symud i ymdrin â heriau mewn rhannau eraill o'r ardal. Ond mae'n gwbl bosib y bydd pobl yn symud o ardal bresennol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr. Er enghraifft, swydd y cyfarwyddwr meddygol: mae'n bosib y gallai hwnnw fod yn rhywun o ardal Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, gallai fod yn rhywun o hen ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf, gallai fod yn rhywun o'r tu allan i'r bwrdd iechyd presennol. Felly mae'n gwbl bosib y bydd staff yn symud ac y bydd angen llenwi eu swyddi os byddant yn gwneud hynny. Ond rwyf yn dymuno cadarnhau mewn modd syml iawn nad yw mesurau arbennig yn berthnasol i wasanaethau mamolaeth ardal Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr o Fwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg; nid yw'r penderfyniad yr wyf i wedi'i wneud heddiw ynglŷn â mesurau arbennig yn effeithio arnyn nhw. Ond, wrth gwrs, mae'r cwestiynau ehangach am arweinyddiaeth a llywodraethiant yn effeithio ar ardal gyfan y bwrdd iechyd, ac mae hynny'n rhan o'r newid diwylliannol sydd nid yn unig yn ymwneud â gwasanaethau mamolaeth ond hefyd â sut mae'r bwrdd iechyd cyfan yn gweithredu.
Thank you very much, Minister.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Gweinidog.
Item 5 on the agenda this afternoon is a statement by the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs on the bovine TB eradication programme, and I call on the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths.
Eitem 5 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw datganiad gan Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig am y rhaglen ddileu TB buchol, a galwaf ar Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig, Lesley Griffiths.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. When I launched the refreshed TB eradication programme 18 months ago, I committed to updating on progress once the complete 2018 data set of TB statistics was available. In 2018, there were 746 new TB incidents in Wales, representing a 5 per cent decrease compared to 2017. However, 11,233 cattle were slaughtered as a result of TB, representing a 12 per cent increase on 2017 figures. This increase is largely due to the heightened sensitivity of testing and the removal of more inconclusive reactors.
We expect this investment in removing infected cattle earlier to reap rewards in the medium term, as we get ahead of the disease. Our refreshed programme regionalised Wales in terms of TB, fundamentally changing the way in which Government and industry view and tackle the disease. Regionalisation created low, intermediate and high TB incidence areas, where different approaches to disease eradication could be implemented, based on the different risks in each area. Our aim is to protect the low TB area from infection and drive down disease in the intermediate and high TB areas.
I am pleased to report we are continuing to protect the low TB area of north-west Wales, seeing a relatively low number of new TB breakdowns. Introducing post-movement testing as part of the refreshed approach is helping to safeguard the area. However, more work needs to be done. There were 34 new TB breakdowns in the low TB area in 2018, an increase from 28 new TB breakdowns in 2017. I call upon low TB area farmers to do all they can to keep bovine TB out.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Pan lansiais y rhaglen newydd i ddileu TB 18 mis yn ôl, fe wnes i ymrwymo i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynglŷn â'r datblygiadau pan fyddai cyfres ddata gyflawn 2018 o ystadegau TB ar gael. Yn 2018, cafwyd 746 achos newydd o TB yng Nghymru, sef gostyngiad o 5 y cant o'i gymharu â 2017. Fodd bynnag, lladdwyd 11,233 o wartheg o ganlyniad i TB, sy'n gynnydd o 12 y cant o gymharu â ffigurau 2017. Mae'r cynnydd hwn yn bennaf o ganlyniad i sensitifrwydd cynyddol profion a chael gwared ar adweithyddion mwy amhendant.
Rydym ni'n disgwyl i'r buddsoddiad hwn o ran cael gwared yn gynharach ar wartheg sydd wedi'u heintio greu buddion yn y tymor canolig, wrth i ni achub y blaen ar y clefyd. Bu i'n rhaglen newydd ranbartholi Cymru o ran TB, gan newid yn sylfaenol y ffordd y mae'r Llywodraeth a'r diwydiant yn ystyried ac yn mynd i'r afael â'r clefyd. Mae rhanbartholi wedi creu ardaloedd achosion TB isel, canolig ac uchel, lle gellid gweithredu ffyrdd gwahanol o ddileu'r clefyd, yn seiliedig ar y gwahanol risgiau ym mhob ardal. Ein nod yw diogelu'r ardal TB isel rhag haint a lleihau'r clefyd yn yr ardaloedd TB canolig ac uchel.
Rwy'n falch o ddweud ein bod yn parhau i ddiogelu'r ardal TB isel yn y gogledd-orllewin, lle rydym ni'n gweld nifer gymharol fach o achosion newydd o TB. Mae cyflwyno profion ar ôl symud yn rhan o'r dull newydd yn helpu i ddiogelu'r ardal. Fodd bynnag, mae angen gwneud mwy o waith. Cafwyd 34 achos newydd o TB yn yr ardal TB isel yn 2018, sy'n fwy na'r 28 achos newydd o TB yn 2017. Rwy'n galw ar ffermwyr yn yr ardal TB isel i wneud popeth posib i gadw TB buchol allan.
Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.
The Llywydd took the Chair.
It is disappointing that some in the low TB area are not following the post-movement testing requirements. This minority risk spoiling it for everyone and must accept their responsibilities in protecting their herd and the wider area. We know from movement and testing data which animals need to be tested and by when, and we are tightening our enforcement protocols to take action where necessary.
In 2018-19, taking account of salvage receipts, the Welsh Government has paid over £14 million in TB compensation to farmers. This is unsustainable to the public purse and, coupled with the loss of EU funding post Brexit, emphasises the need for a fair compensation regime for the farmer and taxpayer. I therefore feel it is an appropriate time to review the current arrangements. Any new regime will drive good farming practice whilst discouraging bad practice.
On a more positive note, there are some excellent examples of co-operative working taking place, and this model will enable us to succeed. We have engaged with a group of farmers and vets on the Gower, who plan to deliver badger vaccination alongside cattle control measures in order to eradicate TB from the area.
We are working collaboratively in the intermediate TB area north in response to a developing disease situation. A strengthened contiguous testing regime is now in place here and, to support TB-free herds, veterinary 'keep it out' visits are available through the Cymorth TB programme. I would encourage all farmers in this area to take advantage of a free visit by their own vet to discuss what they can do to protect their herd from TB.
It is worth pointing out that one in three confirmed TB breakdowns in high TB areas and eight in 10 in the low TB area are primarily attributable to cattle movements. These statistics speak for themselves: some TB breakdowns can be prevented if farmers source stock more carefully. With careful consideration of the TB test history of prospective purchases, a farmer can minimise the risk of bringing disease into their herd.
We are continuously strengthening our approach to TB eradication, aiming to balance control measures with farm business sustainability—for example, expanding our portfolio of available TB tests, working with vets to improve the TB diagnostics available to us.
A key commitment in the refreshed programme introduced a formal approach to tackling persistent TB herd breakdowns. Bespoke action plans, containing enhanced measures to eradicate the disease, are put in place in herds that have been under TB restrictions for 18 months or more. By the end of December, 59 action plans had been implemented in persistent TB breakdowns and 21 herds with an action plan in place had restrictions lifted.
Another facet of the action plan process is the testing and removal of test-positive badgers. This takes place in selected herds where evidence suggests badgers are contributing to the persistence of disease. A report on last year's field work is currently being finalised and will be available shortly. Preparatory work on the third year of operations is well under way. Understanding the TB picture in wildlife is important and I would remind everyone to report badgers found dead to inform the all-Wales badger found dead survey.
I have seen the devastation a TB breakdown can bring to a farming family and business. The slaughter of TB reactors on farm, although sometimes unavoidable, can be particularly distressing to witness. I have listened to concerns raised by the industry about this matter, and officials are currently looking at ways we can reduce the instances when TB reactors need to be shot on farm. If there are ways we can make this situation any easier for those affected, I am keen to explore them. I will provide a further update on progress in the coming months.
As part of our long-term strategy, we are supporting the creation of the bovine TB centre of excellence in Aberystwyth, led by esteemed Professor Glyn Hewinson. Close linkages between the centre and our programme are being developed.
The last 18 months have been a period of progressive change for the TB eradication programme, and utilising and learning from new technology will be important going forward. However, I cannot over-emphasise the value of collaboration when it comes to TB eradication, and each of us has a role to play. By working together in partnership, with a single purpose, we will stamp out this disease. Diolch.
Mae'n siomedig nad yw rhai pobl yn yr ardaloedd TB isel yn dilyn y gofynion i gynnal profion ar ôl symud gwartheg. Mae'r risg leiafrifol hon yn amharu ar bethau i bawb ac mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw dderbyn eu cyfrifoldebau o ran diogelu eu buchesi a'r ardal ehangach. Rydym ni'n gwybod o ddata ynglŷn â symud a phrofion pa anifeiliaid sydd angen eu profi ac erbyn pryd, ac rydym ni'n tynhau ein protocolau gorfodi er mwyn gweithredu pan fo angen.
Yn 2018-19, gan ystyried derbynebau achub, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi talu dros £14 miliwn mewn iawndal TB i ffermwyr. Nid yw hyn yn gynaliadwy i'r pwrs cyhoeddus, ac yn ogystal â cholli cyllid yr Undeb Ewropeaidd ar ôl Brexit, mae'n pwysleisio'r angen am gyfundrefn iawndal deg ar gyfer y ffermwr a'r trethdalwr. Rwyf o'r farn felly ei bod hi'n amser priodol adolygu'r trefniadau presennol. Bydd unrhyw drefn newydd yn cymell arferion ffermio da ac yn atal arferion gwael.
Ar nodyn mwy cadarnhaol, mae rhai enghreifftiau gwych yn bod o weithio ar y cyd, a bydd y model hwn yn ein galluogi ni i lwyddo. Rydym ni wedi ymgysylltu â grŵp o ffermwyr a milfeddygon ar Benrhyn Gŵyr, sy'n bwriadu cyflwyno brechu moch daear law yn llaw â mesurau rheoli gwartheg er mwyn dileu TB o'r ardal.
Rydym ni'n gweithio ar y cyd yn yr ardaloedd TB canolig yn y gogledd mewn ymateb i sefyllfa lle mae'r clefyd yn datblygu. Mae cyfundrefn brofi gryfach ar gyfer buchesi cyffiniol bellach ar waith yma, ac er mwyn cefnogi buchesi sy'n rhydd o TB, mae ymweliadau 'cadw TB allan' gan filfeddygon ar gael drwy'r rhaglen Cymorth TB er mwyn cadw'r clefyd draw. Rwy'n annog yr holl ffermwyr yn yr ardal hon i fanteisio ar ymweliad am ddim gan eu milfeddyg eu hunain i drafod yr hyn y gallan nhw ei wneud i ddiogelu eu buches rhag TB.
Mae'n werth nodi y priodolir un o bob tri achos o TB sydd wedi ei gadarnhau mewn ardaloedd TB uchel ac wyth o bob 10 yn yr ardal TB isel yn bennaf i symudiadau gwartheg. Mae'r ystadegau hyn yn siarad drostyn nhw eu hunain: gellir atal rhai achosion o TB os yw ffermwyr yn prynu eu stoc yn fwy gofalus. Gan ystyried yn ofalus hanes profion TB gwartheg y mae'n ystyried eu prynu, gall ffermwr leihau'r perygl o ddod â'r clefyd i'w fuches.
Rydym ni'n parhau i gryfhau ein dull o ddileu TB, gan anelu at gydbwyso mesurau rheoli â chynaliadwyedd busnesau fferm—er enghraifft, ehangu ein hystod o brofion TB sydd ar gael, gan weithio gyda milfeddygon i wella'r ddiagnosteg TB sydd ar gael i ni.
Un o ymrwymiadau allweddol y rhaglen newydd oedd cyflwyno dull ffurfiol o fynd i'r afael ag achosion parhaus o TB mewn buchesi. Mae cynlluniau gweithredu pwrpasol, sy'n cynnwys mesurau llymach i ddileu'r clefyd, yn cael eu rhoi ar waith mewn buchesi sydd wedi bod o dan gyfyngiadau TB am 18 mis neu fwy. Erbyn diwedd mis Rhagfyr, roedd 59 o gynlluniau gweithredu wedi'u rhoi ar waith mewn achosion cyson o TB, ac roedd cyfyngiadau wedi'u dileu ar 21 o fuchesi oedd â chynllun gweithredu.
Agwedd arall ar broses y cynllun gweithredu yw profi a chael gwared ar foch daear sy'n cael profion cadarnhaol. Mae hyn yn digwydd mewn buchesi dethol pan fo tystiolaeth yn awgrymu bod moch daear yn cyfrannu at barhad y clefyd. Mae adroddiad ar waith maes y llynedd yn cael ei gwblhau ar hyn o bryd a bydd ar gael yn fuan. Mae'r gwaith paratoadol ar drydedd flwyddyn y gweithrediadau yn mynd rhagddo'n dda. Mae deall y sefyllfa o ran TB mewn bywyd gwyllt yn bwysig, ac fe hoffwn i atgoffa pawb i roi gwybod am foch daear a ganfuwyd yn farw er mwyn cyfrannu at arolwg Cymru gyfan o foch daear a ganfuwyd yn farw.
Rwyf wedi gweld y dinistr y gall achos o TB ei greu i deulu a busnes ffermio. Gall lladd gwartheg â TB arnyn nhw ar y fferm, er nad oes modd osgoi hynny weithiau, fod yn arbennig o ofidus i'w weld. Rwyf wedi gwrando ar bryderon y mae'r diwydiant wedi eu crybwyll am y mater hwn, ac mae swyddogion wrthi'n ystyried sut y gallwn ni leihau'r achosion pan fo angen saethu gwartheg sydd â TB arnyn nhw ar y fferm. Os oes ffyrdd y gallwn ni wneud y sefyllfa hon yn haws i'r rhai hynny yr effeithir arnyn nhw, rwy'n awyddus i'w harchwilio. Byddaf yn rhoi diweddariad arall ar y datblygiadau yn ystod y misoedd nesaf.
Yn rhan o'n strategaeth tymor hir, rydym ni'n cefnogi creu'r ganolfan ragoriaeth ar gyfer TB buchol yn Aberystwyth, dan arweiniad yr Athro mawr ei barch Glyn Hewinson. Mae cysylltiadau agos rhwng y ganolfan a'n rhaglen yn cael eu datblygu.
Mae'r 18 mis diwethaf wedi bod yn gyfnod o newid blaengar ar gyfer y rhaglen dileu TB, a bydd defnyddio a dysgu o dechnoleg newydd yn bwysig wrth fwrw ymlaen. Fodd bynnag, ni allaf orbwysleisio gwerth cydweithredu wrth ddileu TB, ac mae gan bob un ohonom ni ran yn hyn. Drwy weithio gyda'n gilydd mewn partneriaeth, gydag un pwrpas, fe wnawn ni roi terfyn ar y clefyd hwn. Diolch.
Minister, thank you for your statement this afternoon. There's one certainty in life in this place since I joined in 2007: that there will be various TB statements as we progress through the whole term. Indeed, the Presiding Officer led the charge for four years in her time as Cabinet Secretary in, I think, the third Assembly. I don't make those comments lightly, because this is a devastating condition in the livestock industry and to the rural economy as well. It does play, as you've highlighted in your statement this afternoon, a big economic factor in the livestock industry, but it has a huge emotional and psychological impact on farming families and, indeed, the livestock sector that are affected by this terrible disease.
One thing, regrettably, that has come over, time and time again in the 12 years that I've been an Assembly Member, is that we do not seem to have got a handle on this. The numbers that you're reporting today show a 12 per cent increase in the number of cattle killed, regrettably, due to bovine TB. A 12 per cent increase—that is a significant number by any stretch of the imagination after many goes at trying to get on top of this terrible condition. I do think that's far more reflective than maybe the number of holdings that you identified, which you seemed to take some comfort from—that there are a fewer number of holdings reporting bovine TB—but the fact of the matter is the livestock industry is contracting and there is less livestock being kept. The raw data shows that there's an increased number of cattle as a whole being taken and that clearly shows that, regrettably, the policy does not seem to be working here in Wales.
It does need a twin-tracked approach, which you've heard from these benches time and time again, to make sure that we have a healthy wildlife reservoir and, indeed, a healthy farmed livestock industry. I'd be grateful if you could highlight how many badgers have been removed that, once they've been proved infected with TB, as you touched on that in your statement—. So, we've got the cattle numbers, can you tell us how many badgers, once identified as having that infection, have been removed over the last 12 months, the reporting period you have given us?
Also, in many of the statements that have come before the Plenary, we seem to return to the compensation aspect that obviously does need to deliver value for money for the taxpayer but also a fair compensation to the livestock producer, who very often can see a whole lifetime, if not several generations, be taken away from that farm because of a bovine TB breakdown. I'd be grateful to understand what your thoughts are on this particular aspect of your statement. The finance Minister, when she was Minister, did try and bring forward proposals to change the compensation proposals and there were modest changes then. The previous First Minister, when he was environment Minister, tried to bring forward a cap on payments, some 10 or, I think, 12 years ago. My late and much missed colleague Brynle Williams was the agricultural spokesman at the time and I believe it was his vote that made that stop in its tracks. So, I do regret that you're trying to link this to Brexit. We do go back over 10, 12, 15 years and various Ministers have—[Interruption.] I hear from a sedentary position that the Minister didn't say that. The statement does say that, because of the loss of European money due to Brexit—it does actually say that, it does. I do regret trying to link this to the Brexit argument. There have been successive attacks on the compensation model by several Ministers over a longer period. If it is your intention to bring forward a consultation, can you please tell us what that consultation will be about, when it will be coming and what you have in mind to put into that consultation?
Also, I'd be grateful to understand what measures you would consider the agricultural industry needing to do over and above what's being done at the moment. I come—actually, I should have declared this at the start of the proceedings, Presiding Officer, if you'll allow me: I do declare an interest, as a livestock producer who does have cattle on his farm. What measures do you have in mind over and above the biosecurity measures that are in place at the moment—because as an industry, pre-movement and post-movement testing has come in, yearly testing has come in, where many people might have been in four-yearly parishes now are in yearly tests? And yet the agriculture industry has taken these measures on board and yet they're not seeing a more holistic approach of dealing with the wildlife reservoir that is out there and is part of the issue that is part of the contamination problem that is affecting the livestock sector. So, can you enlighten us on the points that I've put to you, Minister? I, along with most Members, if not all Members, want to see progress in this area, but unless we move forward on all fronts, then we really will be talking about this in another 12 years' time and we won't be in that position of being within touching distance of the Minister's own ambition of seeing the eradication of this terrible disease in the livestock sector.
Gweinidog, diolch ichi am eich datganiad y prynhawn yma. Mae un sicrwydd mewn bywyd yn y lle hwn ers i mi ymuno yn 2007: y bydd amryw o ddatganiadau TB wrth i ni fwrw ymlaen drwy'r tymor cyfan. Yn wir, y Llywydd a arweiniodd y gwaith hwn am bedair blynedd pan oedd hi'n Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn y trydydd Cynulliad, rwy'n credu. Nid wyf yn gwneud y sylwadau hynny yn ysgafn, oherwydd mae hwn yn gyflwr trychinebus yn y diwydiant da byw ac i'r economi wledig hefyd. Mae'n ffactor economaidd mawr yn y diwydiant da byw, fel y nodwyd gennych chi yn eich datganiad y prynhawn yma, ond caiff effaith emosiynol a seicolegol enfawr ar deuluoedd ffermio ac, yn wir, ar y sector da byw y mae'r clefyd ofnadwy hwn yn effeithio arnynt.
Un peth, yn anffodus, sydd wedi codi, dro ar ôl tro yn ystod y 12 mlynedd y bûm i yn Aelod Cynulliad, yw nad yw'n ymddangos ein bod wedi gallu mynd i'r afael â hyn. Mae'r niferoedd rydych chi'n adrodd amdanynt heddiw yn dangos cynnydd o 12 y cant yn nifer y gwartheg sy'n cael eu lladd, yn anffodus, oherwydd TB buchol. Cynnydd o 12 y cant—mae hynny'n nifer sylweddol yn sicr ar ôl sawl cynnig i geisio rheoli'r cyflwr ofnadwy hwn. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n adlewyrchiad gwell nag efallai nifer y daliadau a nodwyd gennych chi, yr oeddech chi'n ymddangos i gael rhywfaint o gysur ohonyn nhw—bod llai o ddaliadau yn cofnodi TB buchol—ond y gwir amdani yw bod y diwydiant da byw yn crebachu a llai o dda byw yn cael eu cadw. Mae'r data crai yn dangos bod nifer gynyddol o wartheg yn cael eu heffeithio arnyn nhw yn gyffredinol ac mae hynny'n dangos yn glir nad yw'r polisi, yn anffodus, yn gweithio yma yng Nghymru.
Mae angen mynd i'r afael â hyn o ddau gyfeiriad, fel yr ydych chi wedi clywed o'r meinciau hyn dro ar ôl tro, i sicrhau bod gennym ni gronfa bywyd gwyllt iach ac, yn wir, diwydiant da byw fferm iach. Byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe gallech chi nodi faint o foch daear sydd wedi'u dileu, ar ôl profi eu bod wedi eu heintio â TB, gan eich bod wedi cyfeirio at hynny yn eich datganiad—. Felly, rydym ni'n gwybod beth yw niferoedd y gwartheg, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni faint o foch daear, ar ôl canfod eu bod wedi'u heintio, a gafwyd wared arnyn nhw yn ystod y 12 mis diwethaf, y cyfnod adrodd yr ydych chi wedi'i roi i ni?
Hefyd, mewn llawer o'r datganiadau a ddaeth gerbron y Cyfarfod Llawn, ymddengys ein bod yn dychwelyd at yr agwedd iawndal sydd yn amlwg angen sicrhau gwerth am arian i'r trethdalwr ond hefyd iawndal teg i gynhyrchwyr da byw, sydd yn aml iawn yn gallu gweld oes gyfan, os nad sawl cenhedlaeth, yn cael eu hamddifadu o'r fferm honno oherwydd achos o TB buchol. Byddwn yn falch o ddeall beth yw eich barn chi ar yr agwedd arbennig hon ar eich datganiad. Aeth y Gweinidog cyllid, pan mai hi oedd y Gweinidog, ati i geisio cyflwyno cynigion i newid y cynigion iawndal a chafwyd newidiadau cymedrol bryd hynny. Ceisiodd y Prif Weinidog blaenorol, pan oedd yntau yn Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, gyflwyno uchafswm ar daliadau, rhyw 10 neu, rwy'n credu, 12 mlynedd yn ôl. Fy niweddar gyd-Aelod, y mae colled fawr ar ei ôl, Brynle Williams oedd y llefarydd amaethyddol ar y pryd ac rwy'n credu mai ei bleidlais ef a roddodd terfyn ar hynny. Felly, mae'n ofid gen i eich bod yn ceisio cysylltu hyn â Brexit. Rydym ni'n mynd yn ôl dros 10, 12, 15 mlynedd ac mae amrywiol Weinidogion wedi—[Torri ar draws.] Clywaf gan rywun ar ei eistedd na wnaeth y Gweinidog ddweud hynny. Mae'r datganiad yn dweud hynny, oherwydd colli cyllid Ewropeaidd oherwydd Brexit—mae'n dweud hynny mewn gwirionedd, ydy. Rwyf yn gresynu at geisio cysylltu hyn â'r ddadl Brexit. Cafwyd ymosodiadau olynol ar y model iawndal gan sawl Gweinidog dros gyfnod hwy. Os ydych chi'n bwriadu cyflwyno ymgynghoriad, a wnewch chi ddweud wrthym ni beth fydd diben yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw, pryd y bydd yn dod a beth ydych chi'n bwriadu ei gynnwys yn yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw?
Hefyd, byddwn yn ddiolchgar cael deall pa fesurau y byddech chi'n eu hystyried bod angen i'r diwydiant amaethyddol eu gweithredu yn ychwanegol at yr hyn sy'n cael ei wneud ar hyn o bryd. Dof i—a dweud y gwir, dylwn i fod wedi datgan hyn ar ddechrau'r trafodion, Llywydd, os caniatewch imi: rwy'n datgan buddiant, fel cynhyrchydd da byw sydd â gwartheg ar ei fferm. Pa fesurau sydd gennych chi mewn golwg yn ychwanegol at y mesurau bioddiogelwch sydd ar waith ar hyn o bryd—oherwydd fel diwydiant, mae profion cyn symud ac ar ôl symud wedi cael eu cyflwyno, mae profion blynyddol wedi cael eu cyflwyno, lle mae llawer o bobl a allai fod wedi bod mewn plwyfi pedair blynedd bellach mewn profion blynyddol? Ac eto, mae'r diwydiant amaethyddol wedi derbyn y mesurau hyn ond serch hynny nid ydynt yn gweld dull mwy cyfannol o ymdrin â'r bywyd gwyllt sydd wedi ei heintio ac sy'n rhan o'r mater sy'n rhan o'r broblem heintio sy'n effeithio ar y sector da byw. Felly, a wnewch chi ein goleuo ni ynghylch y pwyntiau yr wyf wedi'u cyflwyno ichi, Gweinidog? Rwyf i, ynghyd â'r rhan fwyaf o Aelodau, os nad pob aelod, yn dymuno gweld cynnydd yn y maes hwn, ond oni fyddwn ni'n gwneud cynnydd ym mhob maes, yna byddwn ni, mewn gwirionedd, yn siarad am hyn mewn 12 mlynedd ac ni fyddwn ni yn y sefyllfa honno o fod o fewn trwch blewyn o gyflawni uchelgais y Gweinidog ei hun o weld y clefyd dychrynllyd hwn yn cael ei ddileu yn y sector da byw.
Thank you, Andrew R.T. Davies, for the series of questions. I set out in my statement that whilst there had been a 5 per cent decrease in the 12 months that we're talking about in this statement in herd incidents, there was an increase in the number of cattle, and I stated why that was, with the heightened sensitivity, and also, I think, improved testing. But I do not underestimate the emotional or psychological impact this has on farming families and businesses and I absolutely accept that. And just, sort of, going over to your question around compensation—of course, 10 per cent of funding for the TB eradication programme comes from Europe, and I don't know whether that funding will be there. So, I certainly wasn't linking it in the way I think you're suggesting. However, it is a fact of life. All our budgets have reduced, and I do get approximately 10 per cent of my—well, I say the TB eradication programme, it's actually for all diseases. So, for instance, if we had an outbreak of African swine fever, as has been seen in Europe this year—those countries will have got the funding in relation to those diseases from the same pot of money. So, I have to look at how I'm going to fund that. I was asked questions, I think by Llyr Huws Gruffydd, in committee about where I would find that funding. Well, I would have to find that funding from within my budget. So, I'm not directly linking, I'm just stating facts that we do need to look at the way compensation is funded.
You asked me whether I'd be going out to consultation. What I've done—so, going back to this statement today, this comes following the refreshed TB eradication programme that I launched back in October 2017 when I committed to reporting on an annual basis and it was thought the most appropriate way to do that was to report on a calendar year of statistics. So, what I'm reporting on today is January to December of 2018. So, what I have said to officials is that I would like to review the compensation aspect of this. I think there are other parts of the programme that we need to watch very carefully. Certainly, it's monitored very carefully, and there is a flexibility within the programme that I've been very pleased to see. So, for instance—and, again, I referred to it in my statement—while we've seen a spike in disease in the intermediate area, we've been able to be flexible about how we look at what we're doing in that area, bringing forward additional measures.
You asked about what more we want farmers to do. Biosecurity is clearly very important, and I know you absolutely share that view, and the fact that where we have had incidents of TB breakdown and we can pinpoint it, for instance, to where farmers have purchased cattle—I've been looking at whether we need to bring in a mandatory informed purchasing system, for instance. I saw out in New Zealand they had that there and that's something that I'm considering. I prefer to do it on a voluntary basis. So, we funded livestock markets to be able to revive that information, but I haven't seen the increased information that I would have wanted to. So, I am looking at whether we need to bring forward a mandatory scheme. So, I think there are a suite of things that we can do, but I think it's really important that we work in collaboration and partnership and I want to continue to do that.
Diolch, Andrew R.T. Davies, am y gyfres o gwestiynau. Nodais yn fy natganiad, er y bu gostyngiad o 5 y cant yn y 12 mis yr ydym ni'n sôn amdanyn nhw yn y datganiad hwn o ran achosion mewn buchesi, y bu cynnydd yn nifer y gwartheg, a dywedais pam yr oedd hynny, yn sgil y sensitifrwydd uwch, a hefyd, rwy'n credu, gwella'r profion. Ond nid wyf yn bychanu'r effaith emosiynol neu seicolegol y mae hyn yn ei chael ar deuluoedd a busnesau ffermio, ac rwy'n derbyn hynny'n llwyr. A dim ond, o ran eich cwestiwn ynghylch iawndal—wrth gwrs, mae 10 y cant o'r cyllid ar gyfer y rhaglen dileu TB yn dod o Ewrop, ac wn i ddim a fydd y cyllid hwnnw ar gael. Felly, yn sicr doeddwn i ddim yn ei gysylltu yn y ffordd yr wyf i'n credu eich bod chi'n ei awgrymu. Fodd bynnag, mae'n un o ffeithiau bywyd. Mae ein cyllidebau i gyd wedi lleihau, ac rwy'n cael tua 10 y cant o'm—wel, rwy'n dweud y rhaglen dileu TB, mewn gwirionedd, mae ar gyfer pob clefyd. Felly, er enghraifft, pe byddem ni'n cael achosion o glwy Affricanaidd y moch, fel y gwelwyd yn Ewrop eleni—bydd y gwledydd hynny wedi cael yr arian ar gyfer y clefydau hynny o'r un gronfa. Felly, mae'n rhaid i mi edrych ar sut rwy'n mynd i ariannu hynny. Gofynnwyd cwestiynau imi, gan Llyr Huws Gruffydd rwy'n credu, yn y pwyllgor ynghylch lle byddwn ni'n dod o hyd i'r arian hwnnw. Wel, byddai'n rhaid imi ddod o hyd i'r arian hwnnw o'm cyllideb. Felly, dydw i ddim yn gwneud cyswllt uniongyrchol, dim ond datgan ffeithiau wyf i bod angen i ni edrych ar y ffordd mae iawndal yn cael ei ariannu.
Fe wnaethoch chi ofyn i mi a fyddwn i'n cynnal ymgynghori. Yr hyn yr wyf wedi'i wneud—felly, gan fynd yn ôl at y datganiad hwn heddiw, daw hyn yn sgil y rhaglen newydd i ddileu TB a lansiais yn ôl ym mis Hydref 2017 pan ymrwymais i adrodd yn flynyddol a chredwyd mai'r ffordd fwyaf priodol o wneud hynny oedd adrodd ar flwyddyn galendr o ystadegau. Felly, yr hyn yr wyf i'n adrodd arno heddiw yw o Ionawr i Ragfyr 2018. Felly, yr hyn yr wyf wedi'i ddweud wrth swyddogion yw y byddwn yn hoffi adolygu'r agwedd iawndal ar hyn. Rwy'n credu bod rhannau eraill o'r rhaglen y mae angen inni eu gwylio'n ofalus iawn. Yn sicr, mae'n cael ei fonitro'n ofalus iawn, ac mae hyblygrwydd yn y rhaglen yr wyf wedi bod yn falch iawn o'i weld. Felly, er enghraifft—ac, unwaith eto, cyfeiriais ato yn fy natganiad—er ein bod ni wedi gweld cynnydd sydyn yn y clefyd yn yr ardal ganolradd, rydym ni wedi gallu bod yn hyblyg ynghylch sut yr ydym ni'n edrych ar yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yn yr ardal honno, gan gyflwyno mesurau ychwanegol.
Fe wnaethoch chi ofyn i mi beth arall mae arnom ni eisiau i ffermwyr ei wneud. Mae bioddiogelwch yn amlwg yn bwysig iawn, ac rwy'n gwybod eich bod yn rhannu'r farn honno'n llwyr, a'r ffaith ein bod wedi cael achosion o TB yn digwydd ac y gallwn ni briodoli hynny'n glir, er enghraifft, i ble mae ffermwyr wedi prynu gwartheg—rwyf wedi bod yn ystyried a oes angen inni gyflwyno system brynu wybodus orfodol, er enghraifft. Fe welais i yn Seland Newydd bod ganddyn nhw hynny yn y fan honno ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth yr wyf i'n ei ystyried. Mae'n well gen i wneud hynny ar sail wirfoddol. Felly, fe wnaethom ni ariannu marchnadoedd da byw er mwyn gallu adfer yr wybodaeth honno, ond nid wyf i wedi gweld y wybodaeth gynyddol y byddwn i wedi dymuno'i gweld. Felly, rwy'n ystyried a oes angen inni gyflwyno cynllun gorfodol. Felly, rwy'n credu bod yna gyfres o bethau y gallwn ni eu gwneud, ond rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn ein bod yn gweithio ar y cyd ac mewn partneriaeth ac rwyf eisiau parhau i wneud hynny.
Thank you, Minister, for your statement, although, again, I think there is a groundhog day feel to all of this, really. We've had similar statements at regular intervals over the years and, regrettably, with the same trend in terms of managing to get on top of this disease. It feels a little bit as if you're deflecting some of the Government's failings onto farmers as well, because you say that farmers should source stock more carefully—well, do you not think that they're responsible enough in that respect? You say that you call on low-TB-area farms to do all they can to keep bovine TB out. Surely you're not suggesting that they're not already doing as much as they could, because I don't know of any farmer who'd like to find themselves in this position, and, in fact, if you expect farmers to do everything they possibly can, then I think it's only fair that farmers expect the Welsh Government to do everything it possibly can as well to tackle this horrible disease, and that, of course, means using every tool that's available to you. Since the introduction of the individual action plans—or the bespoke action plans—we've seen, I think, licences issued on just three farms across the whole of Wales with just five badgers being removed. Now, that's in contrast, of course, to over 11,000 cattle that have been slaughtered. We've already been reminded that that represents a 12 per cent increase in the number of cattle being slaughtered. In some individual regions it's even higher, actually, and that, I think, tells us a lot about what we need to know in relation to how successful the Government strategy is thus far.
Conversely, we've seen in England and elsewhere different approaches resulting in different effects on the situation of TB there. DEFRA's summary in December confirmed that they've halved the number of new breakdowns in England. So, I'm just interested, really, and my first question would be: to what extent are you learning the lessons that are being learned elsewhere? Are you taking not just those lessons from England but from the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere as well, and how are their experiences impacting or influencing on your approach here in Wales? Because a 12 per cent increase, of course, in the number of cattle slaughtered is unacceptable and that cannot mean business as usual, and I'm afraid that the statement you've issued today has a business-as-usual feel to it.
You say that a report on last year's field work is being finalised in your statement and will be available shortly. I don't want to criticise you for bringing this statement forward, but it would have been more useful, I think, for us to have had that information as part of this statement so that we could have interrogated that data with you here in the Chamber. I don't know whether you'd bring a further oral statement as opposed to a written statement because I'm sure we'd all be interested to see the latest up-to-date evidence in that respect.
You say in the statement it's time to review the current compensation regime, and, yes, £14 million is a lot of money to pay in compensation, but, of course, 11,000 cattle slaughtered is a lot of cattle slaughtered and it represents a huge loss to the farming industry. So, when you describe the current situation as unsustainable, it'd be interesting to hear from you exactly what you mean by that, because are you saying that compensation levels should be lowered? Because it sounds a bit like that, if you ask me, and I'd appreciate clarity. And, of course, the best way of reducing compensation payments is to actually get a grip of the disease and to lower the number of cattle slaughtered. It isn't that long ago, of course, that the compensation regime was reviewed and changed, and now it seems that you want to change it again. It would be useful as well to hear a bit about the process you intend to undertake as part of that: what kind of timescales are we looking at, and is there going to be a reference group, a working group, or how are you going to approach that piece of work?
I think you're perfectly right in referring to Brexit and the implications it'll have because there will be implications—the financial ones that you explicitly refer to, of course, because we know that EU funding has contributed to the Government's efforts in relation to tackling this disease, but I'm also particularly concerned about effects on the veterinary workforce and the availability of vets, because we know that around 44 per cent of all new vets in Wales in the decade up to 2017 came from overseas, and if we lose those people, then, obviously, we're going to be even more susceptible to not only TB but other forms of disease as well.
Finally, Minister, just on vaccinations: clearly, you're intent on that approach, and I suppose vaccination does have a role to play. It only prevents, of course, it doesn't cure bovine TB, so it's not an answer in itself, but it can contribute to a wider strategy. But we know, to our own detriment, that there are issues around supply, so do you not acknowledge that any vaccine strategy is always going to be susceptible to supply interruptions and that that isn't always a very dependable basis upon which to build your strategy for tackling bovine TB?
Diolch, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad, er fy mod i, unwaith eto, yn meddwl bod ymdeimlad o fod wedi profi hyn i gyd o'r blaen, mewn gwirionedd. Rydym ni wedi cael datganiadau tebyg yn rheolaidd dros y blynyddoedd ac, yn anffodus, gyda'r un duedd o ran llwyddo i reoli'r clefyd hwn. Mae'n teimlo ychydig bach fel petaech chi'n priodoli rhai o fethiannau'r Llywodraeth i ffermwyr hefyd, oherwydd rydych chi'n dweud y dylai ffermwyr brynu stoc yn fwy gofalus—wel, onid ydych chi'n credu eu bod yn ddigon cyfrifol yn hynny o beth? Rydych chi'n dweud eich bod yn galw ar ffermydd mewn ardaloedd TB isel i wneud popeth a allant i gadw TB buchol allan. Siawns nad ydych chi'n awgrymu nad ydyn nhw eisoes yn gwneud cymaint ag y gallan nhw, oherwydd dydw i ddim yn gwybod am unrhyw ffermwr sy'n dymuno canfod ei hun yn y sefyllfa hon, ac, mewn gwirionedd, os ydych chi'n disgwyl i ffermwyr wneud popeth o fewn eu gallu, yna rwy'n credu nad yw hi ond yn deg bod ffermwyr yn disgwyl i Lywodraeth Cymru wneud popeth yn ei gallu i fynd i'r afael â'r clefyd erchyll hwn, ac mae hynny, wrth gwrs, yn golygu defnyddio pob arf sydd ar gael i chi. Ers cyflwyno'r cynlluniau gweithredu unigol—neu'r cynlluniau gweithredu pwrpasol—rydym ni wedi gweld, rwy'n credu, trwyddedau yn cael eu cyflwyno ar dair fferm yn unig ledled Cymru gyfan a chael gwared ar ddim ond pum mochyn daear. Nawr, mae hynny mewn cyferbyniad, wrth gwrs, â dros 11,000 o wartheg sydd wedi cael eu lladd. Rydym ni eisoes wedi cael ein hatgoffa bod hynny'n gynnydd o 12 y cant yn nifer y gwartheg sy'n cael eu lladd. Mewn rhai rhanbarthau unigol, mae'n uwch fyth, mewn gwirionedd, ac mae hynny, rwy'n credu, yn dweud llawer wrthym ni am yr hyn y mae angen inni ei wybod ynglŷn â pha mor llwyddiannus yw strategaeth y Llywodraeth hyd yma.
I'r gwrthwyneb, rydym ni wedi gweld yn Lloegr ac mewn mannau eraill ddulliau gwahanol yn arwain at wahanol effeithiau ar y sefyllfa o ran TB yn y fan honno. Roedd crynodeb DEFRA ym mis Rhagfyr yn cadarnhau eu bod wedi haneru nifer yr achosion newydd yn Lloegr. Felly, mae gennyf ddiddordeb, mewn gwirionedd, a'm cwestiwn cyntaf fyddai: i ba raddau ydych chi'n dysgu'r gwersi sy'n cael eu dysgu mewn mannau eraill? A ydych chi'n dysgu o'r gwersi hynny, nid yn unig o Loegr ond o Weriniaeth Iwerddon a mannau eraill hefyd, a sut mae eu profiadau nhw'n effeithio neu'n dylanwadu ar eich ffordd chi o fynd ati yma yng Nghymru? Oherwydd mae cynnydd o 12 y cant, wrth gwrs, yn nifer y gwartheg sy'n cael eu difa yn annerbyniol ac ni all hynny olygu busnes fel arfer, ac mae gen i ofn bod ymdeimlad o fusnes fel arfer i'r datganiad yr ydych chi wedi'i gyhoeddi heddiw.
Rydych chi'n dweud bod adroddiad ar waith maes y llynedd yn cael ei gwblhau'n derfynol yn eich datganiad ac y bydd ar gael yn fuan. Nid wyf eisiau eich beirniadu am gyflwyno'r datganiad hwn, ond byddai wedi bod yn fwy defnyddiol, rwy'n credu, inni fod wedi cael yr wybodaeth honno yn rhan o'r datganiad hwn er mwyn inni allu cwestiynu'r data hwnnw gyda chi yma yn y Siambr. Wn i ddim a wnewch chi gyflwyno datganiad llafar arall yn hytrach na datganiad ysgrifenedig oherwydd rwy'n siŵr y byddai gennym ni i gyd ddiddordeb gweld y dystiolaeth ddiweddaraf yn hynny o beth.
Rydych chi'n dweud yn y datganiad ei bod hi'n bryd adolygu'r drefn iawndal bresennol, ac mae'n wir bod £14 miliwn yn llawer o arian i'w dalu mewn iawndal, ond, wrth gwrs, mae 11,000 o wartheg yn llawer o wartheg a laddwyd, ac mae'n golled fawr i'r diwydiant ffermio. Felly, pan rydych chi'n disgrifio'r sefyllfa bresennol fel un anghynaladwy, byddai'n ddiddorol clywed gennych chi beth yn union ydych chi'n ei olygu wrth hynny, oherwydd a ydych chi'n dweud y dylid gostwng lefelau iawndal? Oherwydd mae'n swnio braidd fel hynny, i'm clustiau i, a byddwn i'n gwerthfawrogi cael eglurhad. Ac, wrth gwrs, y ffordd orau o leihau taliadau iawndal yw mynd i'r afael â'r clefyd a lleihau nifer y gwartheg sy'n cael eu difa. Nid oes llawer o amser wedi mynd heibio, wrth gwrs, ers i'r drefn iawndal gael ei hadolygu a'i newid, a bellach mae'n ymddangos eich bod eisiau ei newid eto. Byddai'n fuddiol hefyd clywed ychydig am y broses yr ydych chi'n bwriadu ymgymryd â hi yn rhan o hynny: pa fath o amserlenni ydym ni'n eu hystyried, ac a fydd yna grŵp cyfeirio, gweithgor, neu sut ydych chi'n mynd i ymdrin â'r darn hwnnw o waith?
Rwy'n credu eich bod yn berffaith gywir i gyfeirio at Brexit a'r goblygiadau fydd ganddo oherwydd bydd yna oblygiadau—y rhai ariannol y cyfeiriwch chi yn benodol atyn nhw, wrth gwrs, oherwydd rydym ni'n gwybod bod cyllid yr UE wedi cyfrannu at ymdrechion y Llywodraeth o ran mynd i'r afael â'r clefyd hwn, ond rwyf hefyd yn pryderu'n arbennig am yr effaith ar y gweithlu milfeddygol a'r milfeddygon sydd ar gael, oherwydd rydym ni'n gwybod bod tua 44 y cant o'r holl filfeddygon newydd yng Nghymru yn y degawd hyd at 2017 wedi dod o dramor, ac os collwn ni'r bobl hynny, yna, yn amlwg, rydym ni'n mynd i fod yn fwy agored fyth nid yn unig i TB ond mathau eraill o glefydau hefyd.
Yn olaf, Gweinidog, ynglŷn â brechiadau: yn amlwg, rydych chi'n benderfynol o ddefnyddio'r dull hwnnw, ac mae'n debyg bod gan frechu ran yn hyn. Nid yw ond yn atal, wrth gwrs, nid yw'n gwella TB buchol, felly nid yw'n ateb ynddo'i hun, ond gall gyfrannu at strategaeth ehangach. Ond rydym ni'n gwybod, i'n niwed ein hunain, bod problemau yn ymwneud â chyflenwi, felly onid ydych chi'n cydnabod y bydd unrhyw strategaeth frechu wastad yn agored i unrhyw amharu ar y cyflenwad ac nad yw hynny bob amser yn sail ddibynadwy iawn ar gyfer datblygu eich strategaeth ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â TB buchol?
Diolch, Llyr, for those questions. I did promise I would bring forward a statement following the refreshed programme within this timescale, so the reason for that statement today is due to that promise. But I don't disagree with you, that it it would have been helpful to have had that field work report, and certainly, when I get the report, I'd be very happy to make that information publicly available; whether it be via an oral statement or a written statement obviously will be dependent on timescales.
Looking at different approaches is very important. In fact, the chief veterinary officer is, after this statement today, going to Dublin to talk with colleagues there and, clearly, I'm aware of the report that came out in England, the bovine TB strategy review. And, if you look at a great deal of the work that is in that review, we have it embedded in our TB eradication programme, so I was really pleased to see that key aspects of our programme are already being pursued here and are reflected within the report. I understand that DEFRA are responding to that report in the autumn and I certainly will be very interested to see what they say.
In relation to compensation, you're right, we did lower compensation when we launched the eradication programme. The answer I gave to Andrew R.T. Davies—I was trying to explain that I wasn't linking completely with Brexit, but, you're right, we are going to lose about 10 per cent of our funding, possibly, although, of course, we were told that we would not lose a penny if we left the European Union. I had that conversation yesterday with my UK counterparts when we met as part of our regular quadrilaterals; we met here in Cardiff yesterday. So, it's about looking ahead to see whether I'm going to have to find that funding from my own budget or whether we, as promised, will receive every penny and then that issue won't be there.
I did reduce the cap, you may remember, to £5,000 when we refreshed the TB eradication programme and we knew that the change probably would not affect a majority of farmers, and I have to say now I understand that it has saved us about £49,500 in relation to that cap being reduced. So, it's not a huge amount, but, again, I think it's about driving good practice and not rewarding bad practice also.
You asked about veterinary surgeons and you're absolutely right. If you look at the Government ones within the Animal and Plant Health Agency, I think 100 per cent of our vets are EU nationals, so it's a huge matter of concern and something that I've taken up, at every opportunity I've had, with Michael Gove. And, clearly, they share our concerns, because they're in exactly the same position as we are—maybe not 100 per cent, but certainly the majority of their vets are EU nationals.
In relation to vaccination, you'll be aware of the five-year programme that we had and we achieved four years of it, but then we had—the global supply of the vaccination was obviously not available. It's now becoming available again and we are looking to do that. In fact, we've had a window open where people could apply for it, to do it on a private basis. I think the window actually closes today, but certainly we've had that offer there, and, again, you will have heard me mention in my statement that we have been working with a group on the Gower who are—they're doing it independently, but we are supporting them too.
Diolch, Llyr, am y cwestiynau hynny. Addewais y byddwn yn rhoi datganiad yn dilyn cyflwyno'r rhaglen ar ei newydd wedd o fewn yr amserlen hon, felly mae'r rheswm dros y datganiad hwnnw heddiw yn ganlyniad i'r addewid hwnnw. Ond nid wyf i'n anghytuno â chi, y byddai wedi bod yn ddefnyddiol cael yr adroddiad gwaith maes hwnnw, ac yn sicr, pan gaf yr adroddiad, byddwn yn hapus iawn i sicrhau bod yr wybodaeth honno ar gael i'r cyhoedd; a hynny drwy gyfrwng datganiad llafar neu ddatganiad ysgrifenedig a fydd yn amlwg yn ddibynnol ar amserlenni.
Mae'n bwysig iawn edrych ar ddulliau gweithredu gwahanol. Yn wir, mae'r prif swyddog milfeddygol, ar ôl y datganiad hwn heddiw, yn mynd i Ddulyn i siarad â chydweithwyr yno ac, yn amlwg, rwy'n ymwybodol o'r adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd yn Lloegr, sef yr adolygiad o'r strategaeth TB buchol. Ac, os edrychwch chi ar lawer o'r gwaith sydd yn yr adolygiad hwnnw, fe welwch chi ein bod ni wedi'i ymgorffori yn ein rhaglen ni i ddileu TB, felly roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld bod agweddau allweddol ar ein rhaglen eisoes yn cael sylw yma a'u crybwyll yn yr adroddiad. Deallaf fod DEFRA yn ymateb i'r adroddiad hwnnw yn yr hydref, ac yn sicr bydd o ddiddordeb mawr i mi i weld yr hyn a ddywedant.
O ran iawndal, rydych chi'n gywir, fe wnaethom ni ostwng yr iawndal pan lansiwyd y rhaglen ddileu gennym ni. Yr ateb a roddais i Andrew R.T. Davies—roeddwn yn ceisio egluro nad oeddwn yn gwneud cysylltiad llwyr â Brexit, ond, rydych chi'n gywir, rydym ni'n mynd i golli tua 10 y cant o'n cyllid, o bosib, er y dywedwyd wrthym ni, wrth gwrs, na fyddem ni'n colli ceiniog pe baem ni'n gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Cefais y sgwrs honno ddoe gyda'm cymheiriaid yn y DU pan wnaethom ni gyfarfod yn rhan o'n cyfarfodydd pedairochrog; fe wnaethom ni gyfarfod yma yng Nghaerdydd ddoe. Felly, mae ynglŷn ag edrych i'r dyfodol i weld a fydd yn rhaid imi ddod o hyd i'r arian hwnnw o'm cyllideb fy hun neu a fyddwn ni, fel yr addawyd, yn cael pob ceiniog ac wedyn ni fydd y broblem honno yn bodoli.
Bu imi leihau'r uchafswm, efallai y cofiwch chi, i £5,000 pan wnaethom ni adnewyddu'r rhaglen dileu TB ac roeddem ni'n gwybod na fyddai'r newid yn effeithio ar fwyafrif y ffermwyr, yn ôl pob tebyg, ac mae'n rhaid imi ddweud nawr fy mod i'n deall ei fod wedi arbed tua £49,500 inni yn sgil gostwng y terfyn hwnnw. Felly, nid yw'n swm enfawr, ond, unwaith eto, rwy'n credu ei fod yn ymwneud â hybu arferion da a pheidio â gwobrwyo arferion gwael hefyd.
Fe ofynnoch chi am filfeddygon ac rydych chi yn llygad eich lle. Os edrychwch chi ar rai'r Llywodraeth yn yr Asiantaeth Iechyd Anifeiliaid a Phlanhigion, rwy'n credu fod 100 y cant o'n milfeddygon yn wladolion yr UE, felly mae'n destun pryder mawr ac yn rhywbeth yr wyf i wedi rhoi sylw iddo ar bob cyfle a gefais, gyda Michael Gove. Ac, yn amlwg, maen nhw'n rhannu ein pryderon, gan eu bod yn yr un sefyllfa yn union a ni—efallai nid 100 y cant, ond yn sicr mae'r rhan fwyaf o'u milfeddygon yn wladolion yr UE.
O ran brechu, byddwch yn ymwybodol o'r rhaglen bum mlynedd a fu gennym ni ac y cyflawnwyd pedair blynedd ohoni, ond yna cawsom—mae'n amlwg nad oedd y cyflenwad byd-eang o'r brechlyn ar gael. Mae bellach ar gael eto ac rydym ni'n gobeithio gwneud hynny. Yn wir, mae ffenest wedi agor lle gall pobl wneud cais amdano, i wneud hynny'n breifat. Rwy'n credu bod y ffenest yn cau heddiw, ond yn sicr rydym ni wedi cael y cynnig hwnnw, ac eto, byddwch wedi fy nghlywed yn sôn yn fy natganiad y buom ni'n gweithio gyda grŵp ym Mhenrhyn Gŵyr sydd—maen nhw'n ei wneud yn annibynnol, ond rydym ni yn eu cefnogi nhw hefyd.
I acknowledge the Minister's best intentions and her openmindedness and her willingness to consider doing things that are politically difficult for her in her party and her general willingness to engage with farmers and the farming community generally on this hugely difficult issue. But, despite all that and 18 months after the launch of the refreshed eradication programme, it's clear that the Government is not unambiguously winning the war against TB. And I agree with Llyr Gruffydd, in what he said earlier on, that, in the statement, the Minister does seem to be openly blaming farmers to an extent, when, actually, it's the Welsh Government that ultimately has the answer to this problem, because it's the Government's policy that is going to enable the measures to be taken that do hold out a prospect of real success. And there's no doubt on the figures that we're not really making any significant progress at all. The Minister attributes the 12 per cent increase in cattle slaughter to heightened sensitivity of testing and surveillance for TB, but the Minister said in her statement:
'We expect this investment in removing infected cattle earlier to reap rewards in the medium term'.
Well, as I've said many times, farmers don't really have the time; TB is having a drastic effect on the rural economy and devastating the livelihoods of cattle keepers, and many of them family farms. I acknowledge that she does fully appreciate the deep psychological impact as well as the economic impact that having an infected herd can bring.
In 2017, the Government did seem to be taking steps in the right direction and I applauded at the time, and have done since, her willingness to combat the disease in the wildlife population by a means of cage trapping, testing and humanely killing infected badgers. But, as Llyr Gruffydd again pointed out, the figures here are absolutely dismal. Three licences on three farms in the whole of Wales is not even a pinprick. To put this into context, a cow is slaughtered in Wales as a result of TB every 46 minutes, whereas a badger is culled every 3.6 months. So, if this is an indication of the Government's priorities, then they're wholly misconceived, in my view. NFU Cymru have said that up to one in five badgers in Wales are infected with TB, so we must, if we're to get to grips with this problem, do something about this reservoir in the wild.
Now, the Minister said in her statement that she's working with farmers and stakeholders and vets in Gower on a badger vaccine. How is success in this area going to be measured? Previous eradication programmes have proved that the so-called science-led approach actually has reaped nothing but failure. In contrast, while vets are chasing badgers across the Gower with vaccinations, in England, there's been considerable success by a totally different kind of policy. Badger culling in high-risk areas of England produced the following results: in December 2018, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs revealed reduced disease in cattle over the four-year cull period, with the number of confirmed cattle breakdowns down by around 50 per cent. In the Gloucester area, the incidence rate has dropped from 25 per cent to 12 per cent in the 12 months following the fourth year of badger culling. In Somerset, new herd incidents have dropped from 10.4 per cent to 5.6 per cent. That is real progress.
Now, I do realise that this is a difficult and emotive issue, but as I remember Simon Thomas, when he was the Plaid Cymru agriculture spokesman, saying here many times, the choice is a simple one, you either cull badgers or you cull cattle, and, of the two, I know which is preferable and most effective in the longer term. What we require is a multifaceted approach, and I accept that a lot of what the Minister says is sound common sense on biosecurity and the controls on cattle movements, individual action plans for farms, especially in high-risk areas, and easily accessible information for farmers on how to prevent TB transmission. But tackling the spread of TB in the wildlife population by way of English-style culls in Wales's worst affected areas seems to me to be an absolutely indispensable way forward if she is to make a success of the policy that I know she is keen to make a success of.
Rwy'n cydnabod bwriadau gorau'r Gweinidog, ei meddwl agored a'i pharodrwydd i ystyried gwneud pethau sy'n wleidyddol anodd iddi yn ei phlaid a'i pharodrwydd cyffredinol i ymgysylltu â ffermwyr a'r gymuned ffermio yn gyffredinol ar y mater eithriadol o anodd hwn. Ond, er gwaethaf hynny i gyd a 18 mis ar ôl cyflwyno'r rhaglen ddileu ar ei newydd wedd, mae'n amlwg nad yw'r Llywodraeth, yn ddiamwys, yn ennill y rhyfel yn erbyn TB. Ac rwy'n cytuno â Llyr Gruffydd, o ran yr hyn a ddywedodd yn gynharach, fod y Gweinidog, yn y datganiad, yn ymddangos fel pe bai'n beio ffermwyr ar goedd i raddau, pan, mewn gwirionedd, Llywodraeth Cymru sydd â'r ateb i'r broblem hon yn y pen draw, gan mai polisi'r Llywodraeth sy'n mynd i alluogi gweithredu mesurau sy'n cynnig gobaith o wir lwyddiant. Ac nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth ynglŷn â'r ffigurau nad ydym ni mewn gwirionedd yn gwneud unrhyw gynnydd sylweddol o gwbl. Mae'r Gweinidog yn priodoli'r cynnydd o 12 y cant mewn achosion o ladd gwartheg i sensitifrwydd cynyddol o ran profi a gwylio ar gyfer TB, ond dywedodd y Gweinidog yn ei datganiad:
Rydym ni'n disgwyl i'r buddsoddiad hwn o ran cael gwared yn gynharach ar wartheg sydd wedi'u heintio greu buddion yn y tymor canolig.
Wel, fel rwyf wedi dweud sawl gwaith, does dim amser gan ffermwyr mewn gwirionedd; mae TB yn effeithio'n ddirfawr ar yr economi wledig ac yn dinistrio bywoliaeth y rhai sy'n cadw gwartheg, a llawer ohonyn nhw'n ffermydd teuluol. Rwy'n cydnabod ei bod hi yn llawn werthfawrogi'r effaith seicolegol ddofn yn ogystal â'r effaith economaidd y gall buches heintiedig ei achosi.
Yn 2017, roedd hi'n ymddangos bod y Llywodraeth yn gweithredu'n briodol ac roeddwn yn cymeradwyo ar y pryd, ac wedi gwneud ers hynny, ei pharodrwydd i frwydro yn erbyn y clefyd ymhlith bywyd gwyllt drwy ddal â chewyll, profi a difa moch daear heintiedig heb greulondeb. Ond, fel y nododd Llyr Gruffydd eto, mae'r ffigurau hyn yn gwbl druenus. Nid yw'r tair trwydded ar dair fferm yng Nghymru gyfan hyd yn oed y smotyn lleiaf. I roi hyn yn ei gyd-destun, caiff buwch ei lladd yng Nghymru o ganlyniad i TB bob 46 munud, tra bydd mochyn daear yn cael ei ddifa bob 3.6 mis. Felly, os yw hyn yn arwydd o flaenoriaethau'r Llywodraeth, yna maen nhw'n seiliedig ar gamddealltwriaeth llwyr, yn fy marn i. Mae NFU Cymru wedi dweud bod hyd at un o bob pum mochyn daear yng Nghymru wedi'i heintio â TB, felly mae'n rhaid inni, os ydym ni i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem hon, wneud rhywbeth ynghylch yr haint mewn bywyd gwyllt.
Nawr, dywedodd y Gweinidog yn ei datganiad ei bod yn gweithio gyda ffermwyr a rhanddeiliaid a milfeddygon ym Mhenrhyn Gŵyr i gael brechlyn ar gyfer moch daear. Sut bydd llwyddiant yn y maes hwn yn cael ei fesur? Mae rhaglenni dileu blaenorol wedi profi nad yw'r hyn a elwir yn ddull gwyddonol wedi llwyddo i gyflawni dim ond methiant. I'r gwrthwyneb, er bod milfeddygon yn ymlid moch daear ar draws Penrhyn Gŵyr gyda'u brechiadau, yn Lloegr, cafwyd cryn lwyddiant drwy bolisi cwbl wahanol. Yn sgil difa moch daear mewn ardaloedd risg uchel yn Lloegr cafwyd y canlyniadau canlynol: ym mis Rhagfyr 2018, datgelodd Adran yr Amgylchedd, Bwyd a Materion Gwledig ostyngiad yn y clefyd mewn gwartheg yn ystod y cyfnod difa pedair blynedd, gyda nifer yr achosion o TB buchol a oedd wedi'u cadarnhau tua 50 y cant yn llai. Yn ardal Caerloyw, mae'r gyfradd o achosion wedi gostwng o 25 y cant i 12 y cant yn y 12 mis yn dilyn y bedwaredd flwyddyn o ddifa moch daear. Yng Ngwlad yr Haf, mae achosion newydd mewn buchesi wedi gostwng o 10.4 y cant i 5.6 y cant. Mae hynny'n welliant gwirioneddol.
Nawr, rwyf yn sylweddoli bod hyn yn fater anodd ac emosiynol, ond o gofio'r hyn a ddywedodd Simon Thomas lawer gwaith, pan oedd yn llefarydd Plaid Cymru ar amaeth, mae'r dewis yn un syml, un ai rydych chi'n difa moch daear neu'n difa gwartheg, ac, o'r ddau, rwy'n gwybod pa un sydd orau a'r mwyaf effeithiol yn y tymor hwy. Yr hyn sydd ei angen yw mynd ati o sawl cyfeiriad, ac rwy'n derbyn fod llawer o'r hyn a ddywed y Gweinidog yn synnwyr cyffredin o ran bioddiogelwch a'r rheolaethau ar symudiadau gwartheg, cynlluniau gweithredu unigol ar gyfer ffermydd, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd o risg uchel, a gwybodaeth hawdd ei gael i ffermwyr ynghylch sut i atal TB rhag cael ei drosglwyddo. Ond mae mynd i'r afael â'r broblem o TB yn lledaenu ymhlith bywyd gwyllt drwy ddifa yn ôl y drefn yn Lloegr yn yr ardaloedd yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw waethaf yng Nghymru yn ymddangos i mi yn ffordd gwbl anhepgorol o symud ymlaen os yw hi eisiau i'r polisi lwyddo a dyna, fel rwy'n gwybod, yw ei nod.
Thank you, Neil Hamilton, for those comments and questions. I don't see a 5 per cent decrease in the number of new incidents as a failure; I see that as a success. I absolutely agree about the number of cattle that have been slaughtered. I gave the reasons why I believe that is the case, but I do, of course, want to see a decrease in that, and I've talked about the flexibility of this programme and, in another 12 months' time, when we look at it, I hope to see, certainly, success in that area too.
Neil Hamilton talks about the bespoke action plans, and we've had 59 action plans to date. Obviously, the 18-month period that we're looking at where they've had these long-term breakdowns, which is when we've gone in and done the bespoke action plans—I mentioned that 21 are now clear of TB. You mentioned there are only three licences. Well, that's because of a variety of reasons, where the vets have decided that there is no wildlife intervention, or maybe the farmer has decided he doesn't want that aspect looked at. So, I don't think you can criticise that there were only three licences. These bespoke action plans look at a variety of things, including biosecurity. I think the badger intervention work must be regarded as a relatively small, but, of course, a complex part of a much bigger programme. No action plan has identified a herd where badgers are the only driver for the disease. I think that's really important to point out, and I have constantly ruled out an English-style badger cull. The science that I've seen, the discussions I've had with my officials, with the chief veterinary officer, have not persuaded me that that would be right for Wales.
We spoke before about the spike in the intermediate area, and Andrew R.T. Davies was asking what more farmers could do, and I mentioned the 'keep it out' visits with vets, and only two have been taken up in that area. So, that's something that perhaps farmers can engage with APHA on more. But I'm certainly not blaming farmers; I've said from the outset I want to work together, and I think collaboratively and working in partnership is the way forward if we want to eradicate this disease.
Diolch, Neil Hamilton, am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau hynny. Ni welaf fod gostyngiad o 5 y cant yn nifer yr achosion newydd yn fethiant; rwyf yn gweld hynny'n llwyddiant. Cytunaf yn llwyr am nifer y gwartheg sydd wedi'u lladd. Rhoddais y rhesymau pam fy mod i'n credu mai dyna'r achos, ond rwyf, wrth gwrs, eisiau gweld gostyngiad yn hynny, ac rwyf wedi sôn am hyblygrwydd y rhaglen hon ac, ymhen 12 mis arall, pan fyddwn yn edrych arno, gobeithiaf weld llwyddiant yn y maes hwnnw hefyd, yn sicr.
Mae Neil Hamilton yn siarad am y cynlluniau gweithredu pwrpasol, ac rydym ni wedi cael 59 o gynlluniau gweithredu hyd yn hyn. Yn amlwg, mae'r cyfnod 18 mis yr ydym ni'n ei ystyried lle cafwyd yr achosion hirdymor hyn, sef pan rydym ni ymweld â ffermydd a llunio'r cynlluniau gweithredu pwrpasol—soniais fod 21 bellach yn glir o TB. Fe sonioch chi am y ffaith mai tair trwydded yn unig sydd yna. Wel, mae hynny oherwydd amrywiaeth o resymau, lle mae'r milfeddygon wedi penderfynu nad oes unrhyw ymyriad gan fywyd gwyllt, neu efallai bod y ffermwr wedi penderfynu nad yw'n dymuno i'r agwedd honno gael ei hystyried. Felly, nid wyf yn credu y gallwch chi feirniadu mai dim ond tair trwydded oedd yna. Mae'r cynlluniau gweithredu pwrpasol hyn yn edrych ar amrywiaeth o bethau, gan gynnwys bioddiogelwch. Rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid ystyried y gwaith o ymyrryd â moch daear yn rhan gymharol fach, ond, wrth gwrs, yn elfen gymhleth o raglen fwy o lawer. Nid oes unrhyw gynllun gweithredu wedi dynodi buches lle mai moch daear yw'r unig reswm dros y clefyd. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn nodi hynny, ac yn gyson rwyf wedi gwrthod difa moch daear yn y modd y gwneir hynny yn Lloegr. Nid yw'r wyddoniaeth yr wyf i wedi'i gweld, y trafodaethau yr wyf i wedi'u cael â fy swyddogion, â'r prif swyddog milfeddygol, wedi fy narbwyllo y byddai hynny'n briodol i Gymru.
Buom ni'n siarad o'r blaen am y cynnydd sydyn dros dro yn yr ardal ganolradd, ac roedd Andrew R.T. Davies yn gofyn beth arall y gallai ffermwyr ei wneud, a soniais am yr ymweliadau 'cadw TB allan' gyda milfeddygon, a dim ond dau ymweliad y gofynwyd amdanynt yn yr ardal honno. Felly, mae hynny efallai'n rhywbeth y gall ffermwyr gysylltu ag APHA yn ei gylch yn fwy. Ond yn sicr, nid wyf yn beio ffermwyr; rwyf i wedi dweud o'r dechrau fy mod i'n dymuno cydweithio, ac rwy'n credu mai gweithio ar y cyd ac mewn partneriaeth yw'r ffordd ymlaen os ydym ni eisiau dileu'r clefyd hwn.
I thank you for your statement today. I'm not going to reiterate everything, but I'm clearly going to say that, again, I can't support—and I'm glad you don't—a full-scale badger cull. If we look at the cost of that, all the science makes it perfectly clear that, unless you so significantly or almost wipe out the badger population, it isn't going to have the effect that everybody thinks it will have. That's already happening in some parts of England, where badgers are on the verge of extinction. And, to my mind, I have never seen anything like this. This is a protected species that we are wiping out here, and we need to be clear about that. It has cost £50 million already to the taxpayer, and I never, ever hear anyone talk about that particular cost. So, I'm glad, Minister, that you look at all the different aspects, and you have identified a link between cattle movements in some cases. I was going to ask, but you seem to have already answered it, whether we must make that enforced, whether it must be mandatory. It cannot be the case that people are moving cattle without going through a process that makes it—. No farmer wants TB—I recognise that—and I think anything that we can put in place to help those farmers not have that has to be a positive, and maybe this is something that we need to do.
I think I've also asked this question before; I'm going to ask it again. It is the case that some farms have almost been in the status of being infected by TB? Should we look at the real possibility that that will always be the case and why it is the case? Are there factors like the land being so badly infected by TB, maybe by the slurry that exists on those farms? And should we look at—and I think it's probably time that we did, in some cases—coming to the final conclusion that, for some farms, putting cattle on them is actually inviting those cattle to have TB because the land is so badly infected? Now, it might be the case—and I can hear some sharp intakes of breath—that this is a difficult conclusion for some, but it might be a necessary conclusion, and all that we're going to do on those farms is end up causing distress to the farmer, to the animals, and, of course, a cost to the public purse. So, I think we really seriously need to look at that as well.
I do recognise that there's misery and that there's heartbreak behind this, and I'm really pleased to hear that we have a bTB centre of excellence that we're now working with. There was also a conference in Derby last week, and it was in the University of Derby, and it was the first ever national conference on badger vaccination. There were around 80 groups and organisations already vaccinating badgers or wanting to start up inoculation programmes, and they attended. So, again, I'd like to know if your department will review the findings of that and the outcomes of that conference and see whether we can take any learning from it and help reduce this disease.
Diolch am eich datganiad heddiw. Nid wyf yn mynd i ailadrodd popeth, ond rwy'n amlwg yn mynd i ddweud, unwaith eto, na allaf gefnogi—ac rwy'n falch nad ydych chi yn cefnogi—trefn gynhwysfawr o ddifa moch daear. Os edrychwn ni ar gost hynny, mae'r holl wyddoniaeth yn ei gwneud hi'n berffaith glir, oni bai eich bod yn difa'r boblogaeth moch daear yn sylweddol, neu bron â bod yn llwyr, nad yw hynny'n mynd i gael yr effaith y mae pawb yn credu y bydd yn ei gael. Mae hynny eisoes yn digwydd mewn rhai mannau o Loegr, lle mae moch daear ar fin diflannu. Ac yn fy marn i, nid wyf i erioed wedi gweld dim byd tebyg i hyn. Rydym ni'n difa rhywogaeth sy'n cael ei gwarchod, ac mae angen inni fod yn glir ynglŷn â hynny. Mae wedi costio £50 miliwn i'r trethdalwr yn barod, ac nid wyf i erioed wedi clywed neb yn sôn am y gost benodol honno. Felly, rwy'n falch, Gweinidog, eich bod yn edrych ar yr holl agweddau gwahanol, ac rydych chi wedi nodi cysylltiad â symudiadau gwartheg mewn rhai achosion. Roeddwn yn mynd i ofyn, ond mae'n ymddangos eich bod eisoes wedi ateb y cwestiwn yn barod, a oes rhaid inni orfodi hynny, a oes rhaid iddo fod yn orfodol. Does bosib fod pobl yn symud gwartheg heb fynd drwy broses sy'n ei gwneud—. Does dim ffermwr eisiau TB—rwy'n cydnabod hynny—ac rwy'n credu bod unrhyw beth y gallwn ni ei wneud i helpu'r ffermwyr hynny i beidio â chael yr haint yn beth cadarnhaol, ac efallai bod hyn yn rhywbeth y mae angen inni ei wneud.
Rwy'n credu fy mod i hefyd wedi gofyn y cwestiwn hwn o'r blaen, ac rwy'n mynd i'w ofyn eto. A yw hi'n wir bod rhai ffermydd bron wedi bod mewn sefyllfa o gael eu heintio gan TB? A ddylem ni ystyried y posibilrwydd gwirioneddol mai felly y bydd hi bob amser a pham mai dyna yw'r achos? A oes ffactorau fel y ffaith bod y tir wedi'i heintio mor ddrwg gan TB, efallai gan y slyri sydd ar y ffermydd hynny? Ac a ddylem ni ystyried—ac rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n hen bryd ein bod ni, mewn rhai achosion—yn dod i'r casgliad terfynol, bod cadw gwartheg, yn achos rhai ffermydd, yn gwahodd y gwartheg hynny i gael TB oherwydd bod y tir wedi'i heintio mor ddrwg? Nawr, efallai mai dyna'r achos—a gallaf glywed rhywfaint o ochneidio sydyn—fod hyn yn gasgliad anodd i rai, ond gallai fod yn gasgliad angenrheidiol, a'r cyfan yr ydym ni'n mynd i'w wneud ar y ffermydd hynny yw achosi trallod i'r ffermwr yn y pen draw, i'r anifeiliaid, ac, wrth gwrs, cost i'r pwrs cyhoeddus. Felly, rwy'n credu bod gwir angen inni ystyried hynny hefyd.
Rwy'n cydnabod bod trallod a bod torcalon yn rhan o hyn, ac rwy'n falch iawn o glywed bod gennym ni ganolfan ragoriaeth TB buchol yr ydym ni bellach yn gweithio gyda hi. Roedd cynhadledd hefyd yn Derby yr wythnos diwethaf, ym Mhrifysgol Derby, a hon oedd y gynhadledd genedlaethol gyntaf erioed ar frechu moch daear. Roedd tua 80 o grwpiau a sefydliadau sydd eisoes yn brechu moch daear neu'n dymuno dechrau rhaglenni brechu yn bresennol. Felly, unwaith eto, hoffwn wybod a fydd eich adran yn adolygu casgliadau'r gynhadledd honno ac yn gweld a allwn ni ddysgu oddi wrthi a helpu i leihau'r clefyd hwn.
Thank you, Joyce Watson, for your questions. Just picking up on that last point—and, certainly, officials constantly monitor the different programmes and systems used in relation to trying to eradicate bovine TB—I mentioned before that the chief veterinary officer is going to Dublin today, to—. I forget which university it is. Professor Hewinson, who I mentioned, working at our centre of excellence—he will also be there with her, because people want to learn from him. He's world renowned, and for me, he's a great source of advice when I need it. So, I think it is about learning from other countries, but it's also good to see that people are inviting our experts also to learn from them.
The question you raise—which is a difficult one—around specific farms, has been raised with me several times by individual farmers. But certainly, again, officials have not given me that advice. But you can clearly see where we have these long-term breakdowns, and that was one of the reasons I was so keen—. You may remember from when I made the statement about the refreshed programme that some of these breakdowns were for years and years and years. And as you say, it's complete misery, distress and heartbreak. So, whilst I haven't received advice for that, individual farmers themselves have raised that question with me, and I think it is probably something that will be discussed as we go forward.
In relation to informed purchasing, I mentioned in an earlier answer that it's something that we are considering making mandatory. I wanted to do it voluntary, certainly, and I made that funding available to livestock markets. I do think farmers do need to take greater responsibility in relation to purchasing, but they need that information, and that's why I wanted to work with livestock markets, grant funding them, so that they could upgrade their facilities to enable them to be able to very prominently display TB information of the cattle being sold. But, unfortunately, certainly when I've looked at what's been going on over the last year, there seems to be very little information coming forward from sellers to enable farmers to make those decisions.
So, certainly, I know DEFRA are also looking at the possibility of a mandatory informed-purchasing system, so we are working in collaboration with them. It is very complex. It would require, of course, consultation. It would require a change to legislation. It's not something that you can do very quickly. Pre and post-movement testing reduces, but, of course, does not eliminate the risk, because cattle can, obviously, become infected after being tested or because they may be at the earlier stages of infection and it's too early to be picked up. So, I think this is something that I need to look at, because it's absolutely vital that farmers get that information so they can give consideration to where their cattle are sourced from.
Diolch, Joyce Watson, am eich cwestiynau. Gan droi at y sylw olaf yna—ac, yn sicr, mae swyddogion yn monitro'r gwahanol raglenni a systemau a ddefnyddir o ran ceisio dileu TB buchol yn gyson—soniais o'r blaen fod y prif swyddog milfeddygol yn mynd i Ddulyn heddiw, i—. Anghofiaf pa brifysgol ydyw. Bydd yr Athro Hewinson, y soniais amdano, sy'n gweithio yn ein canolfan ragoriaeth, yno gyda hi hefyd, oherwydd mae pobl yn dymuno dysgu ganddo. Mae e'n fyd enwog, ac, i mi, mae e'n ffynhonnell wych o gyngor pan fyddaf angen hynny. Felly, rwy'n credu bod a wnelo hyn â dysgu gan wledydd eraill, ond hefyd mae'n dda gweld bod pobl yn gwahodd ein harbenigwyr ni hefyd er mwyn dysgu ganddyn nhw.
Mae'r cwestiwn yr ydych chi'n ei holi—sy'n un anodd—ynghylch ffermydd penodol, wedi ei ofyn i mi sawl gwaith gan ffermwyr unigol. Ond, yn sicr, unwaith eto, nid yw swyddogion wedi rhoi'r cyngor hwnnw imi. Ond gallwch weld yn glir lle mae gennym ni'r achosion hirdymor hyn, a dyna oedd un o'r rhesymau pam roeddwn i mor awyddus—. Mae'n bosib y byddwch chi'n cofio o'r adeg y gwnes i ddatganiad am y rhaglen wedi'i hadnewyddu fod rhai o'r achosion hyn wedi bodoli ers blynyddoedd a blynyddoedd a blynyddoedd. Ac fel y dywedwch chi, mae'n llawn trallod, trafferth a thorcalon. Felly, er nad wyf i wedi cael cyngor ynglŷn â hynny, mae ffermwyr unigol wedi codi'r cwestiwn hwnnw â mi, ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn rhywbeth a fydd yn cael ei drafod yn y dyfodol.
O ran prynu ar sail gwybodaeth, soniais mewn ateb cynharach ei fod yn rhywbeth yr ydym ni yn ystyried ei wneud yn orfodol. Roeddwn i eisiau ei wneud yn wirfoddol, yn sicr, a gwnes yr arian hwnnw ar gael i farchnadoedd da byw. Credaf fod angen i ffermwyr fod yn fwy cyfrifol o ran prynu, ond mae angen yr wybodaeth honno arnyn nhw, a dyna pam fy mod i eisiau gweithio gyda marchnadoedd da byw, rhoi arian iddyn nhw, er mwyn iddyn nhw allu uwchraddio eu cyfleusterau i'w galluogi i fod yn arddangos mewn modd amlwg unrhyw wybodaeth TB am y gwartheg sy'n cael eu gwerthu. Ond, yn anffodus, yn sicr wrth imi ystyried yr hyn sydd wedi bod yn digwydd dros y flwyddyn diwethaf, mae'n ymddangos mai ychydig iawn o wybodaeth sy'n cael ei chyflwyno gan werthwyr i alluogi ffermwyr i wneud y penderfyniadau hynny.
Felly, yn sicr, rwy'n gwybod fod DEFRA hefyd yn ystyried y posibilrwydd o system brynu ar sail gwybodaeth orfodol, felly rydym ni'n cydweithio â nhw. Mae'n gymhleth iawn. Byddai angen, wrth gwrs, ymgynghori. Byddai angen newid y ddeddfwriaeth. Nid yw'n rhywbeth y gallwch chi ei wneud yn gyflym iawn. Mae profion cyn ac ar ôl symud yn lleihau, ond, wrth gwrs, nid yw'n cael gwared ar y perygl, oherwydd mae'n amlwg y gall gwartheg gael eu heintio ar ôl cael prawf neu oherwydd y gallan nhw fod yng nghyfnod cynharach yr haint a'i fod yn rhy gynnar i'w ganfod. Felly, credaf fod hyn yn rhywbeth y mae angen imi ei ystyried, oherwydd mae'n gwbl hanfodol fod ffermwyr yn cael yr wybodaeth honno fel y gallan nhw ystyried o le i brynu eu gwartheg.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.
Thank you very much, Minister.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Gweinidog.
Item 6 on the agenda this afternoon is a statement by the Minister for Education on support for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners, and I call on the Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams.
Eitem 6 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw datganiad gan y Gweinidog Addysg am gefnogi dysgwyr dan anfantais ac agored i niwed, a galwaf ar y Gweinidog Addysg, Kirsty Williams.
Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. A young person’s ability to benefit from education should never be determined by their background or personal circumstances. Narrowing the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers is at the heart of our national mission to raise standards and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and enjoys public confidence. Secured as part of a budget deal between the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the then Welsh Government, the pupil development grant has led to over £475 million additional investment, which has directly supported over half a million young people eligible for free school meals in reaching their potential.
Year on year the PDG has been expanded, both in terms of the groups of learners it now supports and the scale of the investment. It focuses funding where it has the greatest impact, which we know is in the early years, so we have increased this element of the funding over recent years. And it supports groups that need additional support, including our care-experienced young people, which is why we have strengthened the PDG looked-after children arrangements from this month.
Schools continue to tell us how invaluable PDG funding is. However, I recognise that targeted funding cannot be the only solution. To be blunt, Deputy Presiding Officer, our current system has not always rewarded the right behaviours, and how we measure the attainment gap isn’t as simple as some claim. Science entries are a really good example. In previous years, Wales saw a significant increase in FSM pupils being wrongly entered for BTEC science, rather than GCSEs. Not only did this limit aspirations, but it meant that their performance was masked in our national attainment gap figures. We have taken action to address this, which has led to an increase of 30 per cent, since 2016, in the number of free-school-meals pupils who have achieved at least one GCSE in science.
Earlier this year, we published the detail of our draft evaluation and improvement arrangements. A previous focus on the C/D boundary supported many, but it excluded others. Instead, schools will now be evaluated according to the difference they make to the progress of every single child. This will require a system-wide culture change and will be essential in raising attainment for all.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Ni ddylai gallu person ifanc i elwa ar addysg byth fod yn ddibynnol ar ei gefndir na'i amgylchiadau personol. Mae cau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad rhwng disgyblion o gefndiroedd difreintiedig a'u cyfoedion wrth wraidd ein cenhadaeth genedlaethol i godi safonau a darparu system addysg sy'n destun balchder cenedlaethol ac sy'n ennyn hyder y cyhoedd. Sicrhawyd grant datblygu disgyblion yn rhan o gytundeb cyllideb rhwng Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru ar y pryd, ac mae wedi arwain at dros £475 miliwn o fuddsoddiad ychwanegol, sydd wedi rhoi cefnogaeth uniongyrchol i dros hanner miliwn o bobl ifanc sy'n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim i gyrraedd eu potensial.
Flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn mae'r grant datblygu disgyblion wedi'i ehangu, o ran y grwpiau o ddysgwyr y mae'n eu cefnogi erbyn hyn a maint y buddsoddiad. Mae'r cyllid yn canolbwyntio ar y meysydd lle y caiff yr effaith fwyaf, ac rydym yn gwybod mai yn y blynyddoedd cynnar y mae hynny, felly rydym wedi cynyddu'r elfen hon o'r cyllid yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Ac mae'n cefnogi grwpiau y mae angen cymorth ychwanegol arnynt, gan gynnwys ein pobl ifanc sydd â phrofiad o dderbyn gofal, a dyna pam yr ydym wedi cryfhau trefniadau'r grant ar gyfer plant sy'n derbyn gofal o'r mis hwn ymlaen.
Mae ysgolion yn parhau i ddweud wrthym pa mor amhrisiadwy yw cyllid y grant datblygu disgyblion. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n cydnabod na all cyllid wedi'i dargedu fod yr unig ateb. A bod yn blwmp ac yn blaen, Dirprwy Lywydd, nid yw ein system bresennol bob amser wedi gwobrwyo'r ymddygiadau iawn, ac nid yw'r ffordd yr ydym yn mesur y bwlch mewn cyrhaeddiad mor syml ag y mae rhai yn ei honni. Mae nifer y disgyblion sy'n cofrestru ar gyfer arholiadau gwyddoniaeth yn enghraifft dda iawn. Mewn blynyddoedd blaenorol, gwelwyd cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y disgyblion PYDd yng Nghymru a gofrestrwyd ar gam ar gyfer gwyddoniaeth BTEC, yn hytrach na TGAU. Yn ogystal â chyfyngu ar ddyheadau, roedd hyn yn golygu bod eu perfformiad wedi'i guddio yn ein ffigurau o ran y bwlch cyrhaeddiad cenedlaethol. Rydym wedi cymryd camau i fynd i'r afael â hyn, sydd wedi arwain at gynnydd o 30 y cant, ers 2016, yn nifer y disgyblion sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim sydd wedi cyflawni o leiaf un cymhwyster TGAU mewn gwyddoniaeth.
Yn gynharach eleni, fe wnaethom gyhoeddi manylion ein trefniadau gwerthuso a gwella drafft. Roedd pwyslais blaenorol ar y ffin C/D yn cefnogi llawer, ond yn eithrio eraill. Yn hytrach, bydd ysgolion erbyn hyn yn cael eu gwerthuso yn ôl y gwahaniaeth y maen nhw yn ei wneud i gynnydd pob plentyn unigol. Bydd hyn yn golygu newid yn niwylliant y system gyfan a bydd yn hanfodol ar gyfer gwella cyrhaeddiad pawb.
Through targeted resources, more intelligent accountability measures, and setting high expectations for all, we will continue to support all learners to reach the highest standards. However, I think most of us in this Chamber can agree that, at times of austerity, too often it is families and pupils from our most disadvantaged backgrounds that struggle the most.
I know that the cost of the school day is an important issue. In the last two years, we have taken a number of significant actions to support families and their children. Last year, I asked Children in Wales to produce a set of guides for schools covering key aspects of this. The guides will focus on opportunities to change culture in schools around disadvantage and provide strategies for addressing particular challenges around the cost of the school day. The first series of guides will be available from September and will be built upon thereafter.
PDG Access, which supports families with the costs of uniforms, kit and equipment, has been introduced specifically to help the families that need it most. Earlier this month, we doubled the funding available to £5 million. This means we have extended eligibility to the start of every key stage. Funding for looked-after children will be available in every school year, maximising the support we can provide to some of our most vulnerable learners. We have also increased the amount available for eligible year 7 learners from £125 to £200, recognising the increased costs associated with starting secondary school. More broadly, I want to make sure we're doing everything that we can to make school uniform more affordable. We recently consulted on new draft statutory guidance, which I hope will come into force in September of this year.
As we all know, for some of our young people and children, the school summer holidays can be a difficult time. Children who benefit from free school breakfasts and lunches can sometimes miss out on these meals and go hungry during the school holidays. That's why we are funding the school holiday enrichment programme. This delivers educational, social and health outcomes, as well as nutritional benefits, and we have further increased this investment so even more children will benefit from the scheme this summer.
Members will be aware that the Government recently announced a further £2.3 million to make period products available to learners in all schools, free of charge. I am pleased today to also announce additional funding of £845,000 to offer the same free service to learners at further education colleges. As well as supporting our disadvantaged young women, the funding will go wider, focusing on dignity, equality and well-being.
Deputy Presiding Officer, it's also important that I touch upon the support we offer to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who aspire to study at university. All the evidence indicates that it is living costs, not fees, that is the greatest barrier to people studying at university. This Government has taken action to address this, resulting in the most progressive and generous student support package in the United Kingdom.
Full-time undergraduates with household incomes up to £18,370 are entitled to the maximum grant, worth £8,100 a year. Provisional data from the Student Loans Company for 2018-19 shows that around one third of full-time undergraduates have been awarded this maximum level of grant. Our reforms are unique in Europe, offering parity of support for part-time students. Not only have we seen a 35 per cent increase in the number of part-time students receiving support, but latest figures show that half of those supported have also qualified for the maximum amount of grant.
I have also spoken before on how progression into postgraduate study is our next challenge in widening participation. By introducing equivalent living costs support for Master's students, we will address this challenge. I am delighted that the most recent recent figures show a 58 per cent increase in the number of postgraduates supported, and this is an area where we will continue to make real progress.
Deputy Presiding Officer, I have given a brief overview today of just some of the measures taken in the last two years. I am in no doubt there is a great deal more to do, and I am always keen to hear the views of Members, but, as a Government, we remain determined to do everything in our power to ensure that everyone, no matter who they are or where they are, has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Trwy adnoddau wedi'u targedu, mesurau atebolrwydd mwy deallus, a gosod disgwyliadau uchel i bawb, byddwn yn parhau i gefnogi pob dysgwr i gyrraedd y safonau uchaf. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n credu y gall y rhan fwyaf ohonom yn y Siambr hon gytuno, ar adegau o gyni, mai teuluoedd a disgyblion o'n cefndiroedd mwyaf difreintiedig sy'n ei chael hi'n anoddaf yn aml.
Gwn fod cost y diwrnod ysgol yn fater pwysig. Yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, rydym ni wedi cymryd nifer o gamau arwyddocaol i gefnogi teuluoedd a'u plant. Y llynedd, gofynnais i'r mudiad Plant yng Nghymru lunio cyfres o ganllawiau i ysgolion yn trafod agweddau allweddol ar hyn. Bydd y canllawiau'n canolbwyntio ar gyfleoedd i newid diwylliant mewn ysgolion ynghylch anfantais a darparu strategaethau ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â heriau penodol sy'n gysylltiedig â chost y diwrnod ysgol. Bydd y gyfres gyntaf o ganllawiau ar gael o fis Medi ymlaen a bydd rhagor yn cael eu datblygu ar ôl hynny.
Cyflwynwyd Grant Datblygu Disgyblion – Mynediad, sy'n cynorthwyo teuluoedd â chostau gwisgoedd ysgol, cit chwaraeon a chyfarpar, yn benodol i helpu'r teuluoedd sydd fwyaf ei angen. Yn gynharach y mis hwn, fe wnaethom ni ddyblu'r cyllid sydd ar gael i £5 miliwn. Mae hyn yn golygu ein bod wedi ymestyn y cymhwysedd i ddechrau pob cyfnod allweddol. Bydd cyllid ar gael i blant sy'n derbyn gofal ym mhob blwyddyn ysgol, gan fanteisio i'r eithaf ar y cymorth y gallwn ei roi i rai o'n dysgwyr mwyaf agored i niwed. Rydym hefyd wedi cynyddu'r swm sydd ar gael i ddysgwyr cymwys ym mlwyddyn 7 o £125 i £200, gan gydnabod y costau cynyddol sy'n gysylltiedig â dechrau yn yr ysgol uwchradd. Yn fwy cyffredinol, rwy'n dymuno sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud pob dim posibl i wneud gwisgoedd ysgol yn fwy fforddiadwy. Yn ddiweddar, rydym wedi bod yn ymgynghori ar ganllawiau statudol drafft newydd yr wyf yn gobeithio y byddant yn dod i rym ym mis Medi eleni.
Fel y mae pob un ohonom yn gwybod, i rai o'n pobl ifanc a'n plant, gall gwyliau haf yr ysgol fod yn gyfnod anodd. Weithiau gall plant sy'n cael brecwast a chinio ysgol am ddim fynd heb y prydau hyn a mynd yn llwglyd yn ystod gwyliau'r ysgol. Dyna pam yr ydym yn ariannu y rhaglen gyfoethogi yn ystod gwyliau'r ysgol. Mae hon yn cyflawni deilliannau addysgol, cymdeithasol ac iechyd, yn ogystal â manteision maeth, ac rydym wedi cynyddu'r buddsoddiad hwn eto er mwyn i fwy fyth o blant gael budd o'r cynllun yr haf hwn.
Bydd yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol bod y Llywodraeth wedi cyhoeddi £2.3 miliwn arall yn ddiweddar i sicrhau bod cynhyrchion mislif ar gael am ddim i ddysgwyr ym mhob ysgol. Rwy'n falch heddiw o gyhoeddi cyllid ychwanegol o £845,000 hefyd i gynnig yr un gwasanaeth am ddim i ddysgwyr mewn colegau addysg bellach. Yn ogystal â chefnogi ein menywod ifanc sydd dan anfantais, bydd effaith y cyllid yn ehangach, gan ganolbwyntio ar urddas, cydraddoldeb a lles.
Dirprwy Lywydd, mae'n bwysig hefyd fy mod i'n cyfeirio at y cymorth yr ydym yn ei gynnig i fyfyrwyr o gefndiroedd difreintiedig sy'n dymuno astudio yn y brifysgol. Mae'r holl dystiolaeth yn dangos mai costau byw, nid ffioedd, yw'r rhwystr mwyaf i bobl rhag astudio mewn prifysgol. Mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi cymryd camau i fynd i'r afael â hyn, gan arwain at y pecyn cymorth mwyaf blaengar a hael i fyfyrwyr yn y Deyrnas Unedig.
Mae gan israddedigion llawn amser sydd ag incwm aelwyd o hyd at £18,370 yr hawl i gael y grant uchaf posibl, gwerth £8,100 y flwyddyn. Mae data dros dro gan y Cwmni Benthyciadau i Fyfyrwyr ar gyfer 2018-19 yn dangos bod oddeutu traean o israddedigion llawn amser wedi cael y lefel uchaf hon o grant. Mae ein diwygiadau yn unigryw yn Ewrop, gan gynnig cydraddoldeb cefnogaeth i fyfyrwyr rhan-amser. Yn ogystal â chynnydd o 35 y cant yn nifer y myfyrwyr rhan-amser sy'n cael cymorth, mae'r ffigurau diweddaraf hefyd yn dangos bod hanner y rhai a gefnogwyd hefyd wedi cymhwyso ar gyfer uchafswm y grant.
Rwyf hefyd wedi siarad o'r blaen ynghylch y ffaith mai symud ymlaen i astudiaethau ôl-raddedig yw ein her nesaf o ran ehangu cyfranogiad. Byddwn yn mynd i'r afael â'r her hon trwy gyflwyno cymorth costau byw cyfwerth i fyfyrwyr gradd Feistr. Rwyf i'n falch iawn bod y ffigurau diweddaraf yn dangos cynnydd o 58 y cant yn nifer yr ôl-raddedigion a gefnogir, ac mae hwn yn faes lle byddwn yn parhau i wneud cynnydd gwirioneddol.
Dirprwy Lywydd, rwyf wedi rhoi trosolwg byr heddiw o rai o'r camau a gymerwyd yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf. Nid oes gen i unrhyw amheuaeth fod llawer mwy i'w wneud eto, ac rwy'n awyddus bob amser i glywed barn yr Aelodau, ond, fel Llywodraeth, rydym yn dal i fod yn benderfynol o wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i sicrhau bod pawb, ni waeth pwy ydyn nhw na ble maen nhw, yn cael y cyfle i gyrraedd eu llawn botensial.
Thank you very much, Minister, for that summary of Welsh Government action over the last couple of years. We agree with you that your background should not determine your ability to take part in education, and I think, actually, it would be quite useful to hear from Welsh Government at some point soon about the work that they're doing to combat the effects of adverse childhood experiences. It was certainly something that the late Carl Sargeant was very keen to take up, and I think that any information we have on that front would fit in very well with the statement that you've made today.
Just on the particulars, I was happy to see reference to the draft evaluation and improvement framework and the acknowledgement, or at least the inference, that our academically brightest children perhaps have not had the attention paid to their progress that they should have in recent years. The Welsh Conservatives have certainly raised concerns about this benign neglect over some time, so perhaps you can tell us when you anticipate that the draft framework will be finalised and published and whether there'll be a specific focus for more able and talented children articulated in that final framework—whether it'll be picked out as something to focus on.
Thank you also for allowing officials to give us a briefing on the new curriculum today. One of the things that I picked out from that is that the progression steps—and, admittedly, we've only just seen these—are not prescriptive, in the sense that teachers or schools must achieve certain outcomes by certain times. And it's not clear to me, then, how driven schools will need to be to ensure progress, or how indeed they will be driven to ensure progress for every child. And I think the evaluation and improvement framework will have something to help us understand that, when it comes to scrutiny.
I note happily the update regarding school uniform and sanitary product funding, and hope that, like me, you will be calling on the UK Government to scrap the tampon tax once we leave the EU.
I wonder if you could tell us a bit more about the funding of meals during the school holidays, though, because instinctively, of course, we understand why children in real need would need that opportunity. We see how it works during the school term, nourishing children enough to enable them to learn. So, you won't find us challenging the existence of this provision, but if you start from the premise that it's the parents' responsibility to, obviously, feed their children and that eligibility for free school meals is something of a blunt instrument—I think we've talked about this before in this Chamber—how will you be monitoring and evaluating who is actually using this provision? Will some families who can assume responsibility for their children be using this unnecessarily? But, more importantly, will there be children who are missing out on this? Because, unlike during the school term, there isn't a school attendance officer who can be visiting families. If this is an opportunity not only for children to be fed but perhaps for parents to find work—they might have time to do that if their children are in holiday clubs and stuff—how is that being monitored so that the provision of it is being used most effectively?
Thirdly, I think I've asked you before about whether you have any worries about whether the generous provision of the PDG was masking decisions made by local authorities to provide smaller amounts of core school funding. And, in the course of discussions on this in committee fairly recently, you expressed concerns about the delegation rates on centrally provided grants, about how much and how quickly that money was reaching schools. So, do you have any sense yet of how speedily the money for school uniforms, sanitary products and the holiday enrichment programme is reaching those who should be spending it? Again, is anybody missing out who should be getting this?
And then, finally, your comments around students from disadvantaged backgrounds aspiring to study at university. Now, young carers in receipt of the most supervised study will lose their carer's allowance, and I hope that you'll take this opportunity to offer some support for the Welsh Conservatives' policy to fill that funding gap for those young people who would be affected by the loss of their carer's allowance.
I'm very pleased with the news on part-time study and those who choose to take up Master's qualifications, and the living cost support that they are getting. Could you tell me what your plans are though for a longitudinal study of those MA students? Because two of the unintended consequences of the Labour drive for 50 per cent of young people to go to university was an inadvertent devaluing of things that weren't university degrees, different qualifications. It seems to me that more employers are looking for Master's qualifications now to help them distinguish candidates from those who have degrees. Now, everyone who wants to usefully study a Master's qualification should not be prevented from doing that for financial reasons, on that we absolutely agree, but how are you encouraging students to think again about whether it's a Master's that's the best next step for them, or whether another qualification or different training route might be more valuable or suit them better? The reason I ask this is, in earlier comments about the BTEC, you basically confirmed that there was no way that was ever a GCSE equivalent when it could have had parity of esteem if it had tested vocational excellence rigorously—and I'm using 'vocational' in its widest sense here. If you're supporting the MA students in this way, what plans do you have to offer similar support to people taking MA equivalents that are vocational or non-academic, if I can put it that way, if those qualifications suit them better? I think we're all serious about seeing parity of esteem for different types of student and the types of ways that they learn. While of course I applaud what you're doing with the MA, I don't want that to be to the exclusion of other equivalent qualifications for different types of study, so that this doesn't become yet another reason for sending people down a route that may not be the best route for them. Thank you very much.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Gweinidog, am y crynodeb yna o gamau gweithredu Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystod y flwyddyn neu ddwy ddiwethaf. Rydym yn cytuno â chi na ddylai eich gallu i gymryd rhan mewn addysg fod yn ddibynnol ar eich cefndir, ac rwy'n credu, mewn gwirionedd, y byddai'n eithaf defnyddiol clywed gan Lywodraeth Cymru rywbryd yn fuan am y gwaith y mae'n ei wneud i wyrdroi effeithiau andwyol profiadau yn ystod plentyndod. Roedd yn sicr yn rhywbeth yr oedd y diweddar Carl Sargeant yn awyddus iawn i'w wneud, ac rwy'n credu y byddai unrhyw wybodaeth sydd gennym am hynny yn cyd-fynd yn dda iawn â'r datganiad yr ydych wedi ei wneud heddiw.
O ran y manylion, roeddwn i'n falch o weld cyfeiriad at y fframwaith gwerthuso a gwella drafft a'r gydnabyddiaeth, neu o leiaf yr awgrym, nad yw ein plant mwyaf disglair yn academaidd wedi cael y sylw y dylent fod wedi ei gael, o bosibl, o ran eu cynnydd yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn sicr wedi codi pryderon ynghylch yr esgeulustod caniataol hwn ers peth amser, felly efallai y gallwch ddweud wrthym pryd yr ydych yn rhagweld y bydd y fframwaith drafft yn cael ei gwblhau a'i gyhoeddi ac a fydd pwyslais penodol ar blant mwy galluog a thalentog wedi'i nodi yn y fframwaith terfynol hwnnw—pa un a fydd yn cael ei ddewis fel rhywbeth i ganolbwyntio arno.
Diolch hefyd am ganiatáu i swyddogion ein briffio am y cwricwlwm newydd heddiw. Un o'r pethau y sylwais arno o hynny yw nad yw'r camau cynnydd—ac rwy'n cyfaddef, mai newydd weld y rhain ydym ni—yn rhagnodol, yn yr ystyr bod yn rhaid i athrawon neu ysgolion gyflawni deilliannau penodol ar adegau penodol. Ac nid yw'n glir i mi, felly, faint o gymhelliant y bydd ei angen ar ysgolion i sicrhau cynnydd, nac yn wir sut y cânt eu cymell i sicrhau cynnydd bob plentyn. Ac rwy'n credu y bydd y fframwaith gwerthuso a gwella yn cynnwys rhywbeth i'n helpu i ddeall hynny, o ran craffu.
Rwy'n falch o nodi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am yr arian ar gyfer gwisgoedd ysgol a chynhyrchion mislif, ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch chi, fel finnau, yn galw ar Lywodraeth y DU i gael gwared ar y dreth tampon ar ôl inni adael yr UE.
Serch hynny, tybed a wnewch chi ymhelaethu rhywfaint ynghylch cyllido prydau bwyd yn ystod gwyliau'r ysgol, oherwydd wrth reddf, wrth gwrs, rydym yn deall pam y byddai angen y cyfle hwnnw ar blant mewn angen gwirioneddol. Rydym yn gweld sut y mae'n gweithio yn ystod tymor yr ysgol, gan roi digon o faeth i blant i'w galluogi i ddysgu. Felly, ni fyddwch yn ein gweld ni yn herio bodolaeth y ddarpariaeth hon, ond os byddwch chi'n dechrau o'r safbwynt mai cyfrifoldeb y rhieni, yn amlwg, yw bwydo eu plant a bod y cymhwysedd i gael prydau ysgol am ddim yn dipyn o erfyn di-awch—rwy'n credu ein bod ni wedi sôn am hyn o'r blaen yn y Siambr hon—sut byddwch chi'n monitro ac yn gwerthuso pwy sy'n defnyddio'r ddarpariaeth hon mewn gwirionedd? A fydd rhai teuluoedd sy'n gallu bod yn gyfrifol am eu plant yn defnyddio hyn yn ddiangen? Ond, yn bwysicach, a fydd rhai plant na fyddant yn elwa ar hyn? Oherwydd, yn wahanol i'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn ystod tymor yr ysgol, nid oes swyddog presenoldeb ysgol a allai fod yn ymweld â theuluoedd. Os yw hyn yn fwy na chyfle i blant gael eu bwydo, ac efallai'n gyfle i rieni ddod o hyd i waith hefyd—efallai y bydd ganddyn nhw amser i wneud hynny os yw eu plant mewn clybiau gwyliau a phethau eraill o'r fath—sut y mae hynny'n cael ei fonitro fel bod y ddarpariaeth yn cael ei defnyddio yn y modd mwyaf effeithiol?
Yn drydydd, rwy'n meddwl fy mod i wedi gofyn i chi o'r blaen ynglŷn ag a oes gennych chi unrhyw bryderon ynghylch pa un a oedd darpariaeth hael y grant yn cuddio penderfyniadau a wnaed gan awdurdodau lleol i ddarparu symiau llai o gyllid craidd i ysgolion. Ac, yn ystod y trafodaethau ynghylch hyn yn y pwyllgor yn lled ddiweddar, mynegwyd pryderon gennych ynghylch y cyfraddau dirprwyo ar grantiau a ddarperir yn ganolog, ynghylch faint o arian a pha mor gyflym yr oedd yr arian hwnnw'n cyrraedd yr ysgolion. Felly, a oes gennych chi unrhyw syniad hyd yn hyn o ba mor gyflym y mae'r arian ar gyfer gwisgoedd ysgol, cynhyrchion mislif a'r rhaglen gyfoethogi yn ystod y gwyliau yn cyrraedd y rhai a ddylai fod yn ei wario? Unwaith eto, a oes rhywrai nad ydyn nhw'n cael hyn y dylen nhw fod yn ei gael?
Ac yna, yn olaf, eich sylwadau ynghylch myfyrwyr o gefndiroedd difreintiedig sy'n dymuno astudio yn y brifysgol. Nawr, bydd gofalwyr ifanc sy'n cael yr addysg dan oruchwyliaeth fwyaf yn colli eu lwfans gofalwr, ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch yn achub ar y cyfle hwn i gynnig rhywfaint o gefnogaeth i bolisi'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig i lenwi'r bwlch cyllido hwnnw ar gyfer y bobl ifanc hynny y byddai colli'r lwfans gofalwr yn effeithio arnynt.
Rwy'n falch iawn o glywed y newyddion ynglŷn ag astudiaethau rhan-amser a'r rhai sy'n dewis astudio am gymhwyster gradd Feistr, a'r cymorth costau byw maen nhw'n ei gael. Ond a allwch chi ddweud wrthyf i beth yw eich cynlluniau ar gyfer astudiaeth hydredol o'r myfyrwyr MA hynny? Oherwydd dau ganlyniad anfwriadol ymgyrch y Blaid Lafur i gael 50 y cant o bobl ifanc i fynd i'r Brifysgol oedd dibrisio'n anfwriadol bethau nad oeddent yn raddau prifysgol, cymwysterau gwahanol. Mae'n ymddangos i mi fod mwy o gyflogwyr yn chwilio am bobl â chymwysterau gradd Feistr erbyn hyn i'w helpu i'w gosod ar wahân i ymgeiswyr â gradd. Nawr, ni ddylid atal neb sy'n dymuno astudio cymhwyster gradd Feistr defnyddiol rhag gwneud hynny oherwydd rhesymau ariannol, rydym yn cytuno'n llwyr yn hynny o beth, ond sut ydych chi'n annog myfyrwyr i ailfeddwl pa un ai gradd Feistr yw'r cam nesaf gorau ar eu cyfer, neu a allai cymhwyster arall neu lwybr hyfforddi gwahanol fod yn fwy gwerthfawr neu a fyddai'n fwy addas ar eu cyfer? Y rheswm rwy'n gofyn hyn yw, mewn sylwadau cynharach ynghylch y BTEC, fe wnaethoch chi gadarnhau i bob pwrpas nad oedd unrhyw fodd y byddai'n gyfwerth â chymhwyster TGAU ond y byddai wedi bod â pharch cydradd pe byddai wedi profi rhagoriaeth alwedigaethol yn drwyadl—ac rwy'n defnyddio 'galwedigaethol' yn ei ystyr ehangaf yn y fan yma. Os ydych yn cefnogi'r myfyrwyr MA yn y modd hwn, pa gynlluniau sydd gennych i gynnig cymorth tebyg i bobl sy'n dilyn cyrsiau cyfwerth ag MA sy'n alwedigaethol neu'n anacademaidd, os caf ei roi felly, os yw'r cymwysterau hynny'n fwy addas ar eu cyfer? Rwy'n credu ein bod i gyd o ddifrif ynghylch gweld parch cydradd i wahanol fathau o fyfyrwyr a'r mathau o ffyrdd y maen nhw'n dysgu. Er fy mod i wrth gwrs yn cymeradwyo'r hyn yr ydych chi'n ei wneud gyda'r MA, nid wyf eisiau i hynny arwain at eithrio cymwysterau cyfwerth eraill ar gyfer gwahanol fathau o astudio, fel nad yw hyn yn dod yn rheswm arall eto dros anfon pobl ar lwybr nad yw efallai y llwybr gorau iddyn nhw. Diolch yn fawr.
Can I thank Suzy Davies for the comments and questions she has raised this afternoon? The Government has a cross-Government approach and a cross-portfolio approach to the issues of adverse childhood experiences. We are very aware of the consequences of such experiences on a child's ability to learn. Myself and my colleague Julie Morgan support a number of initiatives, such as the ACEs hub, which is designed to develop best practice and to engage with educators so that they themselves understand what they need to do in nurseries and in classrooms to overcome the challenges that children who have suffered ACEs experience.
Only yesterday, I was with Suzy at Clase Primary School in her region, at her invitation, looking at how they use the PDG to provide a nurturing environment and specific support for those children who need that support. It's really interesting to see the development of that service. Initially, it was there for the very youngest children, but the teachers have responded to the needs of their entire population and now children in years 4, 5 and 6 have the ability to come in at break time and lunch time, sit down with trained professionals to talk about anything that might be worrying them at home or outside the school that has impacted upon their study. We will continue to monitor the ability to respond positively to ACEs, given, as I said, what we know about the impact that has on a child's ability to learn.
Suzy Davies asked about issues around accountability. We are moving to a more intelligence-based accountability system, which really drives the principles of transparency. This is particularly important to me with regard to the achievement of children on free school meals and children who might be care experienced. What we've had in the past is a system, actually, that has masked the true levels of performance of those children and has not made it easy for us to identify, and for schools to identify, how they are performing to similar schools. It is a source of frustration for me, for instance, to have schools within the same local authority area, in the same city, with the same level or proportion of free school meal children and some of those schools do exceptionally well by those children and others are falling behind. We need to have much more intelligent data to be able to make those comparisons so that we can benchmark, but also to recognise, actually, that every single child in the cohort matters. And just because somebody has managed to get a C, if they had the potential to get an A, that's simply not good enough. Sometimes, for some of our children, especially children from a more deprived background, we have put a cap on their ambitions. Earlier on, we talked about an inverse care law and the consequences for people from a poorer socioeconomic background and their ability to access services. If we're honest, sometimes we've put the cap on the ambition that we have for our children from our poorer backgrounds, and we have to lay that bare and really challenge ourselves and the system to do better for those children.
In terms of accountability, the first stage of accountability comes with the professionals themselves. The education system in Wales can only be as good as the people who stand in front of our children and work with our children and young people day in, day out. It is their professional accountability and their willingness to work to the teaching standards that we have developed that's the first stage of our accountability regime. Of course, after that, we have the issue of governance and school governors, our regional school improvement services, and, of course, Estyn, and you'll be aware that we've already published details of how we expect, actually, Estyn to be in schools more often as a result of our educational reform journey.
With regard to SHEP, the summer programme, I have to say, Suzy, you are right, it is primarily the parents' responsibility to feed their children, but I don't know where you have been if you have not come across families in your region that, despite their best endeavours, sometimes working multiple jobs, they simply do not have the money that they need to pay all of their bills. I meet mothers who go without themselves, go without food themselves, so that they can ensure their children eat. Families—. We've only seen the Trussell Trust statistics over the Easter holidays: there are more people in my constituency relying on food banks than ever before and that's not because they are feckless in any way; it is because they are the innocent victims of a benefits system that simply does not work and their inability to find paid employment that allows them to cover their rent, their bills, and all the other things that they want to do for their children. And, in those circumstances, we can either sit back and sit on our hands, or we can, as a Government, take action to assist these families. Now, in 2016, when we first developed the SHEP programme, five local authorities took part. In 2017, that was up to 12 local authorities. This summer, 21 local authorities will take part in the SHEP programme as we've been able to increase the amount of money that we've been able to work with with the WLGA to deliver that programme.
In terms of evaluation, of course, it's really important. SHEP originated out of work that happened in the Cardiff area. That programme was evaluated, and that's what has given us the confidence to know that we can roll this programme out to more areas. But an evaluation programme is part of the work, and we will continue to look at what more we can do to address the issue of holiday hunger. I know, again, Julie Morgan and I are looking at whether we can extend this programme above and beyond schools and look at other settings where we may be able to address the fact that, during term time, many families, many children, get their breakfast and their lunch, and during the six-week holiday period it is a significant financial strain on families to be able to cover the extra costs of those foods. Gosh, you know that, you've got boys at home. I've just been through the Easter holidays and my three girls have eaten me out of house and home. I seem to have spent the entire Easter holidays in the supermarket buying more food because every time I go home they've eaten—. You know—we all know, that have got children—the additional costs of feeding children during the school holidays. It is significant and we can't get away from that, and I'm proud that we are able to deliver SHEP in 21 local authorities this year thanks to our partnership working with colleagues in local government.
PDG: you heard from Mrs Hope yesterday in Clase Primary School what an important programme the PDG is and the difference that it is making to schools. That money is passported straight to schools and there's no suggestion at all that anybody else is hanging on to PDG money. With regard to the various other funding streams you talked about, each of those schemes is funded in a slightly different way but I, at this stage, am not concerned and have no evidence to suggest that the money for SHEP or the money for period poverty is not getting to where it needs to get to.
A gaf i ddiolch i Suzy Davies am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau y mae hi wedi eu codi y prynhawn yma? Mae gan y Llywodraeth ddull gweithredu trawslywodraethol a dull gweithredu ar draws portffolios ar gyfer materion sy'n ymwneud â phrofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod. Rydym ni'n ymwybodol iawn o ganlyniadau profiadau o'r fath ar allu plentyn i ddysgu. Rwyf i a'm cydweithiwr, Julie Morgan, yn cefnogi nifer o fentrau, megis yr Hyb Profiadau Andwyol yn ystod Plentyndod, a gynlluniwyd i ddatblygu arferion gorau ac ymgysylltu ag addysgwyr er mwyn iddyn nhw eu hunain ddeall yr hyn y mae angen iddyn nhw ei wneud mewn ysgolion meithrin ac ystafelloedd dosbarth i oresgyn yr heriau sy'n wynebu plant sydd wedi dioddef profiad o'r fath.
Ddoe ddiwethaf, roeddwn i gyda Suzy yn Ysgol Gynradd Clase yn ei rhanbarth hi, yn dilyn gwahoddiad ganddi, i weld sut maen nhw'n defnyddio'r grant datblygu disgyblion i ddarparu amgylchedd sy'n meithrin ac yn rhoi cymorth penodol i'r plant hynny y mae ei angen arnyn nhw. Mae'n ddiddorol iawn gweld datblygiad y gwasanaeth hwnnw. Ar y cychwyn, roedd ar gael i'r plant ieuengaf un, ond mae'r athrawon wedi ymateb i anghenion eu poblogaeth gyfan ac erbyn hyn caiff plant ym mlynyddoedd 4, 5 a 6 ddod i mewn ar amser egwyl ac amser cinio, eistedd gyda gweithwyr proffesiynol hyfforddedig a siarad am unrhyw beth a allai fod yn eu poeni gartref neu y tu allan i'r ysgol sydd wedi effeithio ar eu hastudiaethau. Byddwn yn parhau i fonitro'r gallu i ymateb yn gadarnhaol i brofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod, o gofio, fel y dywedais, yr hyn a wyddom am yr effaith y mae hyn yn ei gael ar allu plentyn i ddysgu.
Holodd Suzy Davies ynghylch materion yn ymwneud ag atebolrwydd. Rydym yn symud at system atebolrwydd sy'n fwy seiliedig ar ddeallusrwydd, sydd wirioneddol yn ysgogi egwyddorion tryloywder. Mae hyn yn arbennig o bwysig i mi o ran cyflawniad plant sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim a phlant a allai fod â phrofiad o dderbyn gofal. Yr hyn a fu gennym yn y gorffennol yw system, mewn gwirionedd, sydd wedi cuddio gwir lefelau perfformiad y plant hynny ac nid yw hyn wedi ei gwneud yn hawdd i ni nodi, ac i ysgolion nodi, sut maen nhw'n perfformio o'u cymharu ag ysgolion tebyg. Mae'n peri rhwystredigaeth i mi, er enghraifft, bod ysgolion yn yr un ardal awdurdod lleol, yn yr un ddinas, â'r un lefel neu gyfran o blant sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim a bod rhai o'r ysgolion hynny'n gwneud yn eithriadol o dda ar gyfer y plant hynny a bod eraill ar ei hôl hi. Mae angen data llawer mwy deallus arnom ni i allu llunio'r cymariaethau hynny er mwyn inni allu meincnodi, ond hefyd i gydnabod, mewn gwirionedd, bod pob un plentyn yn y garfan yn bwysig. A dim ond oherwydd bod rhywun wedi llwyddo i gael gradd C, os oedd gan y person hwnnw y potensial i gael gradd A, nid yw hynny'n ddigon da. Weithiau, i rai o'n plant, yn enwedig plant o gefndir mwy difreintiedig, rydym wedi gosod terfyn ar eu huchelgeisiau. Yn gynharach, fe wnaethom ni sôn am ddeddf gofal gwrthdro a'r canlyniadau i bobl o gefndir economaidd-gymdeithasol tlotach a'u gallu i ddefnyddio gwasanaethau. Os ydym am fod yn onest, weithiau rydym ni wedi rhoi'r terfyn ar yr uchelgais sydd gennym ar gyfer ein plant o'n cefndiroedd tlotach, ac mae'n rhaid i ni ddatgelu hynny a herio ein hunain a'r system o ddifrif i wneud yn well dros y plant hynny.
O ran atebolrwydd, mae cam cyntaf atebolrwydd ar ysgwyddau'r gweithwyr proffesiynol eu hunain. Ni all y system addysg yng Nghymru ddim ond bod cystal â'r bobl sy'n sefyll o flaen ein plant ac yn gweithio gyda'n plant a'n pobl ifanc o ddydd i ddydd. Eu hatebolrwydd proffesiynol nhw a'u parodrwydd i weithio yn unol â'r safonau addysgu yr ydym wedi'u datblygu yw cam cyntaf ein cyfundrefn atebolrwydd. Wrth gwrs, ar ôl hynny, mae'r mater o lywodraethu a llywodraethwyr ysgol, ein gwasanaethau gwella ysgolion rhanbarthol, ac, wrth gwrs, Estyn, a byddwch yn ymwybodol ein bod eisoes wedi cyhoeddi manylion am sut yr ydym yn disgwyl, mewn gwirionedd, i Estyn fod mewn ysgolion yn amlach o ganlyniad i'n taith diwygio addysgol.
O ran SHEP, y rhaglen haf, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, Suzy, eich bod yn llygad eich lle, cyfrifoldeb rhieni yn bennaf yw bwydo eu plant, ond ni wn i ble yr ydych wedi bod os nad ydych chi wedi cwrdd â theuluoedd yn eich rhanbarth chi nad oes ganddyn nhw, er gwaethaf eu hymdrechion gorau a gweithio nifer o swyddi weithiau, yr arian sydd ei angen arnyn nhw i dalu eu biliau i gyd. Rwyf i'n cwrdd â mamau sy'n anwybyddu eu hangen eu hunain, yn mynd heb fwyd eu hunain, er mwyn iddyn nhw allu sicrhau bod eu plant yn bwyta. Teuluoedd—. Dim ond yn ystod gwyliau'r Pasg yr ydym wedi gweld ystadegau Ymddiriedolaeth Trussell: mae mwy o bobl yn fy etholaeth i yn dibynnu ar fanciau bwyd nag erioed o'r blaen ac nid yw hynny oherwydd eu bod yn ddiofal mewn unrhyw ffordd; y rheswm yw mai nhw yw dioddefwyr diniwed system fudd-daliadau nad yw'n gweithio a'u hanallu i ddod o hyd i waith cyflogedig sy'n caniatáu iddyn nhw dalu eu rhent, eu biliau, a'r holl bethau eraill maen nhw'n dymuno eu gwneud ar gyfer eu plant. Ac, o dan yr amgylchiadau hynny, gallwn naill ai eistedd yn ôl a gwneud dim, neu fe allwn ni, fel Llywodraeth, gymryd camau i gynorthwyo'r teuluoedd hyn. Nawr, yn 2016, pan ddatblygwyd y rhaglen SHEP gyntaf, cymerodd pum awdurdod lleol ran. Yn 2017, roedd hynny wedi cynyddu i 12 awdurdod lleol. Yn ystod yr haf eleni, bydd 21 o awdurdodau lleol yn cymryd rhan yn y rhaglen SHEP gan ein bod wedi gallu cynyddu'r arian yr ydym wedi gallu gweithio gydag ef ar y cyd â CLlLC i gyflawni'r rhaglen honno.
O ran gwerthuso, wrth gwrs, mae hynny'n bwysig iawn. Deilliodd y rhaglen o waith a wnaed yn ardal Caerdydd. Gwerthuswyd y rhaglen honno, a dyna'r hyn sydd wedi rhoi'r hyder i ni wybod ein bod yn gallu cyflwyno'r rhaglen hon mewn mwy o ardaloedd. Ond rhan o'r gwaith yw rhaglen werthuso, a byddwn yn parhau i edrych ar beth arall y gallwn ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r mater o newyn yn ystod y gwyliau. Gwn, unwaith eto, fod Julie Morgan a minnau'n edrych i weld a allwn ymestyn y rhaglen hon y tu hwnt i ysgolion ac yn edrych ar leoliadau eraill lle y gallwn fynd i'r afael â'r ffaith, yn ystod y tymor ysgol, y bydd llawer o deuluoedd, llawer o blant, yn cael eu brecwast a'u cinio, ac yn ystod y cyfnod gwyliau o chwe wythnos mae straen ariannol sylweddol ar deuluoedd i allu talu costau ychwanegol y bwydydd hynny. Diawch, rydych chi'n gwybod hynny, mae gennych chi fechgyn gartref. Rwyf i newydd fod trwy wyliau'r Pasg ac mae fy nhair merch i wedi bwyta'r cyfan sydd yn y tŷ. Mae'n ymddangos fy mod i wedi treulio holl wyliau'r Pasg yn yr archfarchnad yn prynu mwy o fwyd oherwydd bob tro yr wyf yn mynd adref maen nhw wedi bwyta—. Rydych chi'n gwybod—mae pob un ohonom ni sydd â phlant yn gwybod—am gost ychwanegol bwydo plant yn ystod gwyliau'r ysgol. Mae'n sylweddol ac ni allwn osgoi hynny, ac rwy'n falch ein bod yn gallu cyflwyno SHEP mewn 21 o awdurdodau lleol eleni, diolch i'n gwaith partneriaeth â chydweithwyr mewn llywodraeth leol.
Grant Datblygu Disgyblion: clywsoch chi gan Mrs Hope ddoe yn Ysgol Gynradd Clase am bwysigrwydd y rhaglen grant a'r gwahaniaeth y mae'n ei wneud i ysgolion. Caiff yr arian hwnnw ei drosglwyddo'n uniongyrchol i ysgolion ac nid oes unrhyw awgrym o gwbl bod unrhyw un arall yn dal gafael ar arian y grant. O ran y ffrydiau arian amrywiol eraill y gwnaethoch chi sôn amdanyn nhw, caiff pob un o'r cynlluniau hynny ei ariannu mewn ffordd ychydig yn wahanol ond nid wyf i, ar hyn o bryd, yn bryderus ac nid oes gen i unrhyw dystiolaeth i awgrymu nad yw'r arian ar gyfer SHEP na'r arian ar gyfer tlodi mislif yn cyrraedd y lle y mae ei angen.
Thank you for releasing this statement today and for the advance notice. From what I'm seeing from this statement, the main new point is something that's not far up in the statement, which is support to cover free sanitary products at FE colleges, which is something we've discussed already, but I'm sure wasn't announced when you announced it for the schools, and I wholeheartedly welcome this new announcement. If there's anything new there apart from this, then I apologise if I've missed it, but I think that's what I saw as the new focus here.
And it is important in ensuring that financial status isn't a barrier to basic and necessary products, and this isn't something that's optional for women. I'd hope that it is universally supported, although on social media, I've seen some men not support it, and I'd like to have an explanation from those men as to how difficult a time of the month it is in terms of affordability when they have no experience of it whatsoever. So, I take that with a pinch of salt. The cost of such products can be really high, and it's not something that women don't need on an ongoing basis. I'd also like to thank the campaigners who kick-started this debate over the last few years, specifically Plaid councillor Elyn Stephens from the Rhondda, whose campaign in RCT council was very important in contributing to this wider debate and which is why, I think, we are here today.
In terms of the rest of the statement, it does read something like an election broadcast for the Liberal Democrats in the Assembly. Perhaps that's warranted—I'm sure the Minister will think it is. One aspect in terms of supporting college students is access. Distance is often far and there is no statutory responsibility to provide transport beyond the second academic year after 16. There's no consideration for adult learners either, and with sixth-form colleges increasingly under threat and councils conducting school mergers, the cost of providing transport is going to increase. So, I'd like to know what discussions you've had with the economic Minister to tell us what energies you've been putting in place in terms of the White Paper so that we can see more energy being put into supporting students to access transport.
Carrying on from the questions from my colleague Leanne Wood earlier in relation to the education maintenance allowance, these are also issues that have been raised with me via CollegesWales as well, in relation to the fact that it hasn't increased since 2004. Thirty pounds per week went a lot further then than it does now, and we've had this concern raised from the NUS also, whether that should be expanded upon so that we can ensure that they can use that EMA to its full extent. So, I'd be interested to hear from you here today.
And in relation to deprivation and vulnerable learners, I don't think enough focus has been put on adult education. I've heard from quite a lot of different providers in relation to retraining in later life that there is a decline in part-time pathways, which means options for those who need to work have been limited. It is forcing some people to decide whether they'll retrain or whether they enter employment. And if the employers don't support them through that process, then they will have to decide not to take up that additional skills training. So, I wonder whether you can give us some more information on that.
I'd just like to finish by saying that I would agree with Suzy Davies in relation to the support that's needed for young carers. If we're going to be talking about disadvantaged people, we need to talk about young carers. And I know that the previous Minister in this regard I met with following a debate that I led on, and I know that work has been done, but I still think that much more needs to be done to identify young carers in the classroom as one, but also to support them through that process so that they don't feel by the time they get to the end of their school careers that they are disadvantaged in the options available to them for their future careers.
Diolch am ryddhau'r datganiad hwn heddiw ac am y rhybudd ymlaen llaw. O'r hyn yr wyf yn ei weld o'r datganiad hwn, mae'r prif bwynt newydd yn rhywbeth nad yw'n uchel iawn yn y datganiad, sef cymorth i dalu am gynhyrchion mislif rhad ac am ddim mewn colegau addysg bellach, sef rhywbeth yr ydym wedi'i drafod eisoes, ond rwy'n sicr na chyhoeddwyd hynny pan y'i cyhoeddwyd gennych ar gyfer ysgolion, ac rwy'n croesawu'r cyhoeddiad newydd hwn yn llwyr. Os oes unrhyw beth newydd yno ar wahân i hyn, rwy'n ymddiheuro os wyf i wedi ei fethu, ond rwy'n credu mai dyna a welais i fel y pwyslais newydd yn y fan yma.
Ac mae'n bwysig o ran sicrhau nad yw statws ariannol yn rhwystr i gynhyrchion sylfaenol ac angenrheidiol, ac nad yw hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n ddewisol i fenywod. Byddwn i'n gobeithio y caiff ei gefnogi'n gyffredinol, er fy mod i'n gweld ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol, nad yw rhai dynion yn ei gefnogi, a hoffwn i gael esboniad gan y dynion hynny ynglŷn â pha mor anodd yw'r adeg o'r mis o ran fforddiadwyedd pan nad oes ganddyn nhw unrhyw brofiad o hynny o gwbl. Felly, rwy'n diystyru rhywfaint ar hynny. Gall cost cynhyrchion o'r fath fod yn uchel iawn, ac nid ydyn nhw'n rhywbeth nad oes ei angen yn barhaus ar fenywod. Hoffwn i ddiolch hefyd i'r ymgyrchwyr a ddechreuodd y ddadl hon yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, yn benodol y cynghorydd dros Plaid Cymru, Elyn Stephens o'r Rhondda, yr oedd ei hymgyrch yng nghyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf yn bwysig iawn o ran cyfrannu at y drafodaeth ehangach hon a dyna pam, yn fy marn i, yr ydym ni yma heddiw.
O ran gweddill y datganiad, mae yn darllen rhywfaint fel darllediad etholiad ar gyfer y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yn y Cynulliad. Efallai fod modd cyfiawnhau hynny—rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn credu hynny. Un agwedd o ran cefnogi myfyrwyr coleg yw mynediad. Mae'r pellter yn aml yn bell ac nid oes unrhyw gyfrifoldeb statudol i ddarparu cludiant y tu hwnt i'r ail flwyddyn academaidd ar ôl 16. Nid oes unrhyw ystyriaeth i oedolion sy'n dysgu ychwaith, ac wrth i golegau chweched dosbarth fod dan fygythiad cynyddol a chynghorau'n uno ysgolion, bydd y gost o ddarparu cludiant yn cynyddu. Felly, hoffwn i wybod pa drafodaethau yr ydych chi wedi eu cael â'r Gweinidog yr economi i ddweud wrthym pa drefniadau yr ydych chi wedi bod yn eu rhoi ar waith o ran y Papur Gwyn fel y gallwn dargedu mwy o egni i gynorthwyo myfyrwyr i gael mynediad at gludiant.
Gan ddilyn ymlaen o gwestiynau gan fy nghyd-Aelod Leanne Wood yn gynharach ynghylch y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, mae'r rhain hefyd yn faterion a godwyd gyda mi trwy ColegauCymru, o ran y ffaith nad yw wedi cynyddu ers 2004. Roedd deg punt ar hugain yr wythnos yn mynd ymhellach o lawer bryd hynny nag y mae'n ei wneud heddiw, a chodwyd y pryder hwn gan Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr hefyd, a ddylid ehangu ar hynny fel y gallwn sicrhau y gallan nhw ddefnyddio'r lwfans hwnnw i'r eithaf. Felly, byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mewn clywed gennych chi yn y fan yma heddiw.
Ac o ran amddifadedd a dysgwyr sy'n agored i niwed, nid wyf i o'r farn bod digon o bwyslais ar addysg i oedolion. Rwyf i wedi clywed gan nifer sylweddol o ddarparwyr gwahanol ynghylch ailhyfforddi yn ddiweddarach mewn bywyd bod yna ddirywiad mewn llwybrau rhan-amser, sy'n golygu bod y dewisiadau i'r rhai hynny y mae angen iddyn nhw weithio wedi bod yn gyfyngedig. Mae'n gorfodi rhai pobl i benderfynu a fyddan nhw'n ailhyfforddi neu'n mynd i gyflogaeth. Ac os nad yw'r cyflogwyr yn eu cefnogi drwy'r broses honno, yna bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw benderfynu peidio â manteisio ar yr hyfforddiant sgiliau ychwanegol hwnnw. Felly, tybed a wnewch chi roi ychydig mwy o wybodaeth i ni am hynny.
Hoffwn i gloi trwy ddweud y byddwn i'n cytuno â Suzy Davies ynglŷn â'r cymorth sydd ei angen ar ofalwyr ifanc. Os ydym ni am siarad am bobl sydd dan anfantais, mae angen i ni siarad am ofalwyr ifanc. Ac rwy'n gwybod bod y Gweinidog blaenorol yn hyn o beth y gwnes i gyfarfod ag ef yn dilyn dadl a arweiniais, a gwn fod gwaith wedi'i wneud, ond rwy'n dal i feddwl bod angen gwneud llawer mwy i nodi gofalwyr ifanc yn yr ystafell ddosbarth yn un peth, ond hefyd i'w cefnogi drwy'r broses honno fel nad ydyn nhw'n teimlo erbyn iddyn nhw ddod i ddiwedd eu gyrfa ysgol eu bod dan anfantais o ran y dewisiadau sydd ar gael iddyn nhw ar gyfer eu gyrfaoedd yn y dyfodol.
Can I thank the Member for her welcome of the additional resources to ensure that we have period products free of charge in our FE colleges? The Member then goes on to make the point around the non-statutory nature of post-16 travel, and the Member is absolutely right in that regard, of course. I remember very clearly sitting on the committee at the time that dealt with that piece of legislation, the strong opposition the then Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones had to the statutory nature of post-16 travel—and he resisted it wholeheartedly, I believe, at that time—and I think we were on the committee together, and you will remember. Of course, what this Government has done is look to increase the availability of reduced bus fares for young people, not just those who are studying, but young people who may need public transport to get to work or to get to their apprenticeships.
With regard to the issue of part-time study, I'm not sure whether the Member missed the fact that we've seen a 35 per cent increase in the number of students we are supporting at degree level on a part-time basis, but, of course, there is much more to be done. It relates to the questions that Suzy Davies raised about different modes of study. Of course, this Government is also funding degree apprenticeships, which may be the right path for a student to be able to study at a higher level whilst working, and we're looking to make an announcement shortly on individual learning accounts to allow people who currently are in work, who want to study on a part-time basis to increase their job prospects, or perhaps to move into a different career, but need new qualifications to do that, looking to pilot a new and innovative scheme on individual learning accounts, as part of my agreement with the First Minister to ensure that Wales becomes a second-chance nation and that everybody in Wales has a right to lifelong learning.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Aelod am groesawu'r adnoddau ychwanegol i sicrhau bod cynhyrchion mislif ar gael gennym am ddim yn ein colegau addysg bellach? Mae'r Aelod wedyn yn mynd ymlaen i wneud y pwynt ynglŷn â natur anstatudol teithio ôl-16, ac mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei lle yn hynny o beth, wrth gwrs. Rwy'n cofio'n glir iawn bod yn aelod o'r pwyllgor ar y pryd yn ymdrin â'r darn hwnnw o ddeddfwriaeth, y gwrthwynebiad cryf gan y Gweinidog bryd hynny Ieuan Wyn Jones i natur statudol teithio ôl-16—ac fe'i gwrthododd yn llwyr, rwy'n credu, ar y pryd—ac rwy'n credu ein bod ar y pwyllgor gyda'n gilydd, a byddwch chithau'n cofio. Wrth gwrs, yr hyn y mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi ei wneud yw ceisio cynyddu faint o bobl ifanc sy'n gallu manteisio ar docynnau rhatach ar fysiau, nid yn unig y rhai sy'n astudio, ond pobl ifanc y mae angen cludiant cyhoeddus arnyn nhw efallai i gyrraedd eu gwaith neu i gyrraedd eu prentisiaethau.
O ran y mater astudio rhan-amser, nid wyf i'n siŵr pa un a yw'r Aelod wedi methu'r ffaith ein bod wedi gweld cynnydd o 35 y cant yn nifer y myfyrwyr yr ydym yn eu cefnogi ar lefel gradd yn rhan-amser, ond, wrth gwrs, mae llawer mwy i'w wneud. Mae'n ymwneud â'r cwestiynau a gododd Suzy Davies ynglŷn â gwahanol ddulliau o astudio. Wrth gwrs, mae'r Llywodraeth hon hefyd yn ariannu prentisiaethau gradd, a all fod y llwybr priodol i fyfyriwr allu astudio ar lefel uwch wrth weithio, ac rydym yn bwriadu gwneud cyhoeddiad yn fuan ynglŷn â chyfrifon dysgu unigol a fydd yn caniatáu i bobl sydd mewn cyflogaeth ar hyn o bryd, sy'n dymuno astudio'n rhan-amser i wella eu rhagolygon gwaith, neu efallai i symud i yrfa wahanol, ond bod angen cymwysterau newydd arnyn nhw i wneud hynny, a'r bwriad fydd treialu cynllun newydd ac arloesol o gyfrifon dysgu unigol, yn rhan o fy nghytundeb â'r Prif Weinidog i sicrhau bod Cymru'n datblygu'n genedl ail gyfle a bod gan bawb yng Nghymru yr hawl i ddysgu gydol oes.
First, I'd just like to pay a personal tribute to Kirsty Williams for her persistence in campaigning for the pupil development grant, because this is something that she was doing in the last Assembly as well as in this Assembly. I think that it is an instrument for ensuring that we have some attempt at levelling up the opportunities for students from poorer backgrounds. So, rather than making a cheap political point, I think we should acknowledge the successes.
I absolutely agree with you that the greatest impact is going to be in the early years, and I wondered how much attention you pay to the outcomes from those children who benefit from the Flying Start programme in terms of their readiness to start in nursery school—the numbers of words they speak and their motor skills and all that. Because it seems to me that if that is working well, then, there is an argument for ensuring that all children have those opportunities who don't have those benefits from parents who can buy them whatever occurs to them.
I was particularly happy yesterday to learn about the gardening club at Springwood Primary School in my constituency, which is in Llanedeyrn, for years 1 and 2 students. Because, for those who don't have a garden or access to a garden themselves, there's a huge benefit for children from the after-school provision, which is the enrichment programme that it's really important that all schools can offer. Because that levelling up simply won't exist if we don't have music clubs, or gardening clubs or sports opportunities for the very young who can't take themselves off to those things.
The free swimming entitlement that the Welsh Government pays for, it seems to me, is one of the best kept secrets, I'm afraid, by our leisure centres, certainly in Cardiff. It is hugely difficult to find out when these things are taking place, and the people who really need the free swimming are simply not being properly informed about it, so I think there's a real barrier there. I appreciate it may not be in your portfolio, but it's something that one of the committees needs to do some sort of evaluation on.
I also very much appreciate the consultation you've done on school uniforms, because we don't want school uniforms to be expensive items; they need to be hard-wearing, value for money, and then we need to encourage schools to have an exchange programme so that they can be passed on, because some children grow like beanstalks and they're practically new when they've grown out of them. So, as part of our climate emergency things, this is a really important issue—to ensure that little-worn items are reused in the right place.
On the period products, how much guidance is being given to institutions to think about reusable products? Because, mooncups are not for children when they first start their periods, but, in FE colleges, it'd be hugely important that they then know that they've got them for 15 years. So, that seems to me much more important than just something as a temporary stopgap.
I hope that the revised evaluation and improvement framework, which places importance on the value added by schools for each pupil, is going to put a stop to those schools—and they do exist, in my constituency—where pupils are excluded because they are needing extra help or their attainment isn't going to be in the top, or they're not going to be high attainers. It seems to me it's absolutely vital that all schools will value every single child and ensure that they progress to the extent of their ability.
Lastly, I think the 35 per cent increase in part-time students, half of whom qualify for the maximum amount, is a huge achievement and I just want to congratulate you on that.
Yn gyntaf, hoffwn i dalu teyrnged bersonol i Kirsty Williams am ei dyfalbarhad wrth ymgyrchu dros y grant datblygu disgyblion, oherwydd mae hyn yn rhywbeth yr oedd yn ei wneud yn y Cynulliad diwethaf yn ogystal ag yn y Cynulliad hwn. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn offeryn ar gyfer sicrhau ein bod yn ceisio cynyddu'r cyfleoedd i fyfyrwyr o gefndiroedd tlotach i'r un lefel â'u cyfoedion. Felly, yn hytrach na gwneud pwynt gwleidyddol rhad, rwy'n credu y dylem ni gydnabod y llwyddiannau.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â chi mai yn y blynyddoedd cynnar y bydd yr effaith fwyaf, ac roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed faint o sylw yr ydych chi'n ei roi i ddeilliannau'r plant hynny sy'n elwa ar y rhaglen Dechrau'n Deg o ran eu parodrwydd i ddechrau yn yr ysgol feithrin—nifer y geiriau maen nhw'n eu siarad a'u sgiliau echddygol ac ati. Oherwydd mae'n ymddangos i mi, os yw hynny'n gweithio'n dda, bod dadl dros sicrhau bod y cyfleoedd hynny ar gael i bob plentyn nad yw'n cael y buddion hynny gan rieni sy'n gallu prynu unrhyw beth maen nhw'n ei ddymuno.
Roeddwn i'n arbennig o hapus ddoe i ddysgu am y clwb garddio yn Ysgol Gynradd Springwood yn fy etholaeth i, sydd yn Llanedeyrn, ar gyfer myfyrwyr blynyddoedd 1 a 2. Oherwydd, i'r rhai hynny nad oes ganddyn nhw ardd neu fynediad at ardd eu hunain, mae mantais enfawr i blant o'r ddarpariaeth ar ôl ysgol, sef y rhaglen gyfoethogi y mae'n wirioneddol bwysig i bob ysgol ei chynnig. Gan na fydd y lefelu hwnnw yn bodoli os nad oes gennym ni glybiau cerddoriaeth, neu glybiau garddio neu gyfleoedd chwaraeon i'r rhai ifanc iawn sy'n methu â mynd â'u hunain i'r pethau hynny.
Mae'r hawl i nofio am ddim y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn talu amdano, mae'n ymddangos i mi, yn un o'r cyfrinachau gorau, mae arnaf ofn, y mae ein canolfannau hamdden yn eu cadw, yn sicr yng Nghaerdydd. Mae'n hynod anodd cael gwybod pryd y mae'r pethau hyn yn digwydd, ac nid yw'r bobl y mae angen y cyfle nofio am ddim arnyn nhw mewn gwirionedd yn cael yr wybodaeth briodol am hynny, felly rwy'n credu bod rhwystr gwirioneddol yn hynny o beth. Rwy'n sylweddoli efallai nad yw hyn yn eich portffolio chi, ond mae'n rhywbeth y mae angen i un o'r pwyllgorau gynnal rhyw fath o werthusiad arno.
Rwyf hefyd yn gwerthfawrogi'n fawr yr ymgynghoriad yr ydych chi wedi ei gynnal ar wisgoedd ysgol, oherwydd nid ydym eisiau i wisgoedd ysgol fod yn eitemau drud; mae angen iddyn nhw beidio â threulio'n hawdd, rhoi gwerth am arian, ac wedyn mae angen i ni annog ysgolion i lunio rhaglen gyfnewid er mwyn gallu eu trosglwyddo, gan fod rhai plant yn tyfu trwy'u dillad mor gyflym fel eu bod yn rhy fychan er eu bod bron yn newydd. Felly, yn rhan o'n pethau argyfwng hinsawdd, mae hwn yn fater pwysig iawn—i sicrhau bod eitemau nad ydyn nhw wedi eu gwisgo rhyw lawer yn cael eu hailddefnyddio yn y man cywir.
O ran cynhyrchion mislif, faint o ganllawiau sy'n cael eu rhoi i sefydliadau i feddwl am gynhyrchion y gellir eu hailddefnyddio? Oherwydd, nid yw'r mooncup yn addas ar gyfer plant pan fyddan nhw'n dechrau cael mislif, ond mewn colegau addysg bellach, byddai'n hynod bwysig eu bod yn gwybod eu bod ganddyn nhw am 15 mlynedd. Felly, mae hynny'n ymddangos i mi yn llawer pwysicach na rhywbeth sy'n gweithio dros dro.
Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y fframwaith gwerthuso a gwella diwygiedig, sy'n gosod pwys ar y gwerth a ychwanegir gan ysgolion ar gyfer pob disgybl, yn rhoi terfyn ar yr ysgolion hynny—ac maen nhw yn bodoli, yn fy etholaeth i—lle caiff disgyblion eu heithrio oherwydd bod angen cymorth ychwanegol arnyn nhw neu oherwydd na fydd eu cyrhaeddiad yn agos i'r brig, neu na fyddan nhw'n gyflawnwyr uchel. Mae'n ymddangos i mi ei bod hi'n gwbl hanfodol bod pob ysgol yn gwerthfawrogi pob un plentyn ac yn sicrhau eu bod yn gwneud y cynnydd gorau yn unol â'u gallu.
Yn olaf, rwy'n credu bod y cynnydd o 35 y cant o ran myfyrwyr rhan-amser, y mae eu hanner yn gymwys ar gyfer yr uchafswm, yn gyflawniad aruthrol a hoffwn eich llongyfarch ar hynny.
Thank you, Jenny, for your comments. With regard to free swimming, that is not a matter for me; it is a matter for the Minister. He is in his seat and he has heard your words, and I'm sure he'll want to feed back to you on what more we can do to advertise the availability of that fantastic opportunity. There aren't many places where you can go with your children and do something for free that is particularly good for their health and well-being, and he will have heard those comments.
With regard to period products, actually, one of the conditions of the grant is to have a percentage of those products be sustainable products. So, products such as Mooncups will be available, and, as you say, for our FE colleges and perhaps for older girls, those are a particularly important provision to have in place, so I can assure you that that has been factored into the grant conditions.
With regard to school uniform, you are right. I have heard some people in this Chamber and, indeed, I have heard people outside this Chamber who have mocked the issue of school uniform affordability and have tried to dismiss this as a non-important issue. Well, I can assure you it is an issue. It's an issue for those young people and it is an issue for their families. We have had an overwhelming response to the consultation—some 900 responses to our consultation on making guidance on affordability statutory. We are in the process of reviewing all of those consultation responses, and I hope that we'll be in a position to have that guidance on a statutory footing by September.
You are right—we need to make the connections between compulsory schooling but also support that is available to families from when their children are born, and we continue to work across portfolios, as I said, to see where we can really get the advantages of the success of Flying Start and ensure that that then is fed on into more formal compulsory education.
With regard to part-time students, we have seen over a number of years, for very obvious reasons, a massive decline in those people who are able to study for a degree on a part-time basis. Those numbers continue to plummet across the border in England. The fact that we have seen a 35 per cent increase in the number of students studying part time for a degree and that we are able to financially support them to do it demonstrates there was an unmet need in Wales. We are meeting that need, and those people have the opportunity to develop their full potential. Like you, I am immensely proud that we are doing that.
Diolch, Jenny, am eich sylwadau. O ran nofio am ddim, nid yw hynny'n fater i mi; mater i'r Gweinidog ydyw. Mae yn ei sedd ac mae wedi clywed eich geiriau, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd eisiau rhoi adborth i chi ynghylch beth arall y gallwn ni ei wneud i hysbysebu bod y cyfle gwych hwnnw ar gael. Nid oes llawer o fannau lle gallwch chi fynd gyda'ch plant a gwneud rhywbeth am ddim sy'n arbennig o fuddiol i'w hiechyd a'u lles, a bydd wedi clywed y sylwadau hynny.
O ran cynhyrchion mislif, un o amodau'r grant, mewn gwirionedd, yw bod canran o'r cynhyrchion hynny'n gynhyrchion cynaliadwy. Felly, bydd cynhyrchion fel Mooncups ar gael, ac, fel yr ydych chi'n ei ddweud, i'n colegau addysg bellach ac efallai i ferched hŷn, mae rhoi'r ddarpariaeth honno ar waith yn arbennig o bwysig, felly gallaf eich sicrhau bod hynny wedi'i gynnwys yn amodau'r grant.
O ran gwisg ysgol, rydych yn iawn. Rwyf wedi clywed rhai pobl yn y Siambr hon, ac, yn wir, rwyf wedi clywed pobl y tu allan i'r Siambr hon yn gwneud hwyl am ben y mater o fforddio gwisg ysgol, ac wedi ceisio diystyru hwn fel mater dibwys. Wel, gallaf eich sicrhau chi ei bod yn broblem. Mae'n broblem i'r bobl ifanc hynny ac mae'n broblem i'w teuluoedd. Rydym wedi cael ymateb ysgubol i'r ymgynghoriad—tua 900 o ymatebion i'n hymgynghoriad ar wneud canllawiau ar fforddiadwyedd yn statudol. Rydym yn y broses o adolygu pob un o'r ymatebion hynny i'r ymgynghoriad, a gobeithio y byddwn mewn sefyllfa i gael y canllawiau hynny ar sail statudol erbyn mis Medi.
Rydych yn iawn—mae angen inni wneud y cysylltiadau rhwng addysg orfodol ond hefyd y cymorth sydd ar gael i deuluoedd o'r adeg y caiff eu plant eu geni, ac rydym yn parhau i weithio ar draws portffolios, fel y dywedais, i weld lle y gallwn manteisio ar lwyddiant Dechrau'n Deg yn wirioneddol a sicrhau bod hynny wedyn yn cael ei fwydo i addysg orfodol fwy ffurfiol.
O ran myfyrwyr rhan-amser, rydym wedi gweld dros nifer o flynyddoedd, am resymau amlwg iawn, ddirywiad enfawr yn nifer y bobl hynny sy'n gallu astudio ar gyfer gradd yn rhan-amser. Mae'r niferoedd hynny'n parhau i blymio dros y ffin yn Lloegr. Mae'r ffaith ein bod wedi gweld cynnydd o 35 y cant yn nifer y myfyrwyr sy'n astudio'n rhan amser ar gyfer gradd a'n bod yn gallu rhoi cymorth ariannol iddyn nhw i wneud hynny yn dangos y bu angen heb ei ddiwallu yng Nghymru. Rydym yn diwallu'r angen hwnnw, ac mae gn y bobl hynny y cyfle i ddatblygu eu potensial yn llawn. Fel chi, rwy'n hynod o falch ein bod yn gwneud hynny.
Thank you very much, Minister.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Gweinidog.
Item 7 on the agenda is a statement by the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism on Creative Wales, and I call on the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Dafydd Elis-Thomas.
Eitem 7 ar yr agenda yw datganiad gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Diwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth ar Gymru Greadigol, a galwaf ar y Dirprwy Weinidog Diwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth, Dafydd Elis-Thomas.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae'n dda gen i roi diweddariad i’r Cynulliad am ein cymorth i'r diwydiannau creadigol. Mae'r diwydiannau creadigol fel sector yn rhoi cyfle inni elwa o'r manteision a ddaw o ddau gyfeiriad, o'r ochr economaidd ac o'r ochr ddiwylliannol, a dŷn ni'n ceisio edrych ar y ddwy agwedd yma ar weithgaredd creadigol gyda'i gilydd. Mae hynny'n caniatáu inni hefyd gyfoethogi'r hyn y gall Cymru ei gynnig i'r byd. Dŷn ni'n gallu dangos ein celfyddyd, dŷn ni'n gallu dangos ein golygfeydd naturiol, ac yna dŷn ni'n gallu cyplysu hynny gyda'r diwydiannau sy'n ffynnu a'r rhai sydd yn gallu datblygu busnesau yn y diwydiannau creadigol, ac mae yna, wrth gwrs, gysylltiad agos iawn rhwng y diwydiannau creadigol a'r diwydiannau a'r busnesau yn y maes twristiaeth ac yn y maes cyfryngau yn gyffredinol.
Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. It gives me great pleasure to provide the Assembly with an update on our support for the creative industries sector. The creative industries sector gives us an opportunity to realise the benefits that the sector brings from two directions, from the economic side, and from the cultural side. We're trying to look at those two aspects of creative activity together. That allows us also to enrich what Wales has to offer to the world. We can showcase our arts and our natural scenery, and we can couple that with the thriving industries and those who can develop businesses in the creative industries, and there is, of course, a very close connection between the creative industries and the industries and businesses in the tourism sector and also in the media generally.
Mae cynnwys diwylliant wrth ddatblygu'r economi, felly, yn ganolog i ddyhead yr hyn rydyn ni'n ei alw yn Gymru Greadigol, a does yna ddim gwrthdaro o gwbl yn fy meddwl i rhwng y ddau fath yna o greadigrwydd—y creugarwch mewn busnes a'r creadigrwydd mewn datblygu ac arloesi.
Mae partneriaethau a chydweithio yn allweddol i unrhyw gyflawni llwyddiannus. Rydym ni yn gweithio'n agos gyda'r busnesion a'r diwydiant creadigol, gan weithio gyda rhanddeiliad, gan gydweithio fel Llywodraeth i ddatblygu'r sector drwy wrando ar beth sydd gan y busnesion i ddweud wrthym ni, ar sail y profiad hirdymor sydd gan lawer ohonom ni yn y diwydiannau creadigol
Dŷn ni hefyd am sicrhau bod datblygiad sgiliau ar draws y sector, yn hanfodol i ni, ac mae yna bartneriaeth, wrth gwrs, yn hynny gyda Gweinidogion eraill o fewn y Llywodraeth, ond mae'r agweddau yma i gyd yn cael eu hystyried ynghyd pan fyddwn ni'n datblygu ein cynlluniau.
Mae codi safonau, hefyd, drwy gydweithio â'r diwydiant hefyd yn flaenoriaeth. Mae'n rhaid i hyn gynnwys datblygu ymrwymiadau ynglŷn â chyflogaeth dda gan bob partner o ran cynhwysiant, cyflog teg ac arferion gweithio. Mae amrywiaeth a chyfrifoldeb yn rhan hanfodol i fod yn greadigol.
Dŷn ni hefyd yn y broses o symleiddio ein cymorth ariannol i'r diwydiannau creadigol, a cheisio ffordd o allu ymateb yn fwy cyflym i alwadau'r sector. Dyna pam yr ydym ni'n symud i ddarparu ein cyllid drwy gontract economaidd, sydd yn digwydd ar draws y Llywodraeth, gan sicrhau budd i'r cyhoedd yn dilyn y buddsoddiadau cyhoeddus.
Dŷn ni'n ogystal, hefyd, yn ceisio tynnu ar ein profiad gyda Croeso Cymru a datblygu brand Cymru, gan arwain at farchnata a hyrwyddo'r diwydiannau creadigol yng Nghymru i'r byd, dan frand newydd Cymru Greadigol. Mae hwn yn cyplysu, wrth gwrs, gyda brand Cymru yn gyffredinol. Drwy'r brand newydd, mi fyddwn ni'n hyrwyddo cyfraniad y sector greadigol i'n diwylliant a hefyd gyfraniad diwylliant i'r canfyddiad o Gymru, ei henw da a'i llwyddiant yn fyd eang.
Mae'r holl waith yma wedi'i gyflawni gan swyddogion wrth drafod y blaenoriaethau gyda'r sector, ac mi fydd y trafodaethau yma'n parhau dros y misoedd nesaf, a dwi'n ystyried y datganiad yma heddiw yn rhan allweddol o'r broses yma gan ein bod ni am ganolbwyntio ar y materion y gallwn ni fel Llywodraeth wneud y mwyaf o wahaniaeth gyda nhw. Yn dilyn cyfnod bellach o gysylltu â rhanddeiliaid, mi fydd yna gasgliadau a blaenoriaethau yn cael eu rhannu efo chi fel Aelodau Cynulliad cyn gynted ag y bo hynny yn ymarferol.
Yn y cyfamser, dŷn ni'n parhau gyda'n cefnogaeth i'r sector ac yn canolbwyntio ar y llwyddiannau niferus yr ydym wedi'u cyflawni yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Er ein bod wedi canolbwyntio'n helaeth hyd yma ar ffilm a theledu, a dramâu teledu yn arbennig o safon uchel yn benodol—ac un gyfres, gydag ail gyfres ohonyn nhw'n ymddangos ar ein sgriniau ni bron wrth i mi siarad—mae hyn yn bendant wedi cael effaith ar economi Cymru ac wedi creu diddordeb newydd yn y diwydiannau creadigol ac yn y diwylliant yng Nghymru.
Yn dilyn cwrdd â chynrychiolwyr o'r cwmni yma yn ddiweddar, mae'n dda gen i hefyd rannu gyda'r Cynulliad yma fy mod i'n edrych ymlaen at gyhoeddi partneriaeth newydd gyda NBCUniversal, a dyma, fel y gwyddoch chi, un o'r prif gwmnïau cyfryngau ac adloniant y byd. Roedd nifer o'u prif gyfarwyddwyr nhw ddim wedi bod ym Mro Morgannwg tan yr wythnosau diwethaf, ond bellach maen nhw'n gwybod beth yw gwerth Dragon Studios a beth fydd y defnydd posib y gallen nhw ei wneud o'r stiwdios yna, o'r tair stiwdio ar hyn o bryd, ac o bosib rhagor o lwyfannau. Ac mae yna wariant o oddeutu £20 miliwn yn debygol o ddod i'r economi leol oherwydd y gweithgaredd yna. Hefyd, ochr yn ochr â hyn, mae'r cwmni am ddod â'i gynllun hyfforddi byd-enwog ar gyfer cynorthwywyr cynhyrchu yma i Gymru. Mae hynna'n golygu ein bod ni'n gallu codi safon ein sector yn ogystal, ac mae hwnna'n newyddion pwysig yn sicr.
Wrth gwrs, mae'r sector diwydiannau creadigol yng Nghymru yn llawer mwy na ffilm a theledu, ac mi fydd Cymru Greadigol, fel y bydd hi'n datblygu o fewn y Llywodraeth, yn golygu twf sylweddol o fewn y diwydiant technolegol yng Nghymru, sy'n cyflogi dros 40,000 o bobl ac yn werth rhyw £8.5 biliwn mewn trosiant i economi Cymru. Ac yn arbennig yn hynny, mi garwn i gyfeirio at y diwydiant gemau sydd yn rhan mor allweddol o bwysigrwydd y sector digidol, yn cynnwys Tiny Rebel Games Casnewydd, Sugar Creative yng Nghaerdydd, Prifysgol De Cymru, a'u partner rhyngwladol Potato, sydd wedi llwyddo i gael cyllid o fewn y categori delweddau symudol yn y rhaglen Audience of the Future sy'n cael ei hariannu gan Innovate UK. Bydd y project yn gweithio gydag Aardman, gwasanaeth eiddo deallusol, i gyflawni project cyffrous iawn.
Rydyn ni hefyd yn datblygu strategaeth ar gyfer cerddoriaeth, ac mae hyn yn rhywbeth dŷn ni'n awyddus iawn i'w ddatblygu yn gryf o fewn Cymru Greadigol, ac wrth hynny, dwi'n golygu pob math o gerddoriaeth, ac yn arbennig i fynd ymlaen gyda'r gwaith dŷn ni'n ei wneud ar hyn o bryd i fapio lleoliadau ar lawr gwlad ledled Cymru, lle mae cerddoriaeth fyw, yn enwedig cerddoriaeth boblogaidd, roc a gwerin, yn cael ei llwyfannu. Rydym mewn partneriaeth bwysig yn y fan yma efo PYST, y gwasanaeth dosbarthu digidol a labelu ar gyfer cerddoriaeth Gymraeg yn bennaf, ac mae'r gwaith yma'n datblygu. Hyd yma, mae'r artistiaid ar y platfform yma wedi cyrraedd dros 5.5 miliwn o ffrydiadau ar Spotify, Apple Music a YouTube, ac mae'r record ar gyfer gwrandawiadau ar gerddoriaeth Gymraeg wedi cael ei thorri gan y datblygiadau yma, efo Alffa, band roc o Gaernarfon rydych chi wedi fy nghlywed i'n sôn amdanyn nhw o'r blaen yn y lle yma, wedi sicrhau dros 2.5 miliwn o ffrydiadau, gan gynnwys nifer fawr yn Ne America. Dwi'n falch hefyd i gyhoeddi heddiw ein bod ni'n ymestyn gwaith PYST. Rydyn ni am gydweithio â nhw i ddefnyddio naw o artistiaid Cymraeg eu hiaith i chwarae ym mhrif ddinasoedd y Deyrnas Unedig. Mi fydd hyn yn golygu sylw a llwyfan i artistiaid Cymraeg ar draws ynysoedd Prydain.
Ac yn olaf, dwi eisiau pwysleisio y bydd hi'n haws i bobl gysylltu â Chymru Greadigol unwaith y bydd y corff wedi'i sefydlu'n glir o fewn y Llywodraeth yn ystod y ddeufis nesaf. Mi fydd hi'n bosib cysylltu â'r diwydiannau creadigol mor effeithiol, dwi'n gobeithio, ag unrhyw gysylltiad â gwasanaethau busnes y Llywodraeth yn gyffredinol. Diolch yn fawr.
Including culture in developing the economy will be at the very heart of the aspirations of what we call Creative Wales, and there is no conflict at all, in my mind, between those two kinds of creativity—the creativity of business and the creativity in development and innovation.
Partnership and collaboration are key to successful delivery. We work very closely with the creative businesses and industry, working with stakeholders and working as a Government to develop the sector by listening to what those businesses have to say to us on the basis of the long-term experience that many of them have in the creative industries.
We also want to ensure that we develop the right skills across the sector, which is vital, and there are partnerships in that with other Ministers within the Government, but all these aspects are considered together when we do develop our plans.
Raising standards, also, in collaboration with industry is also a priority. This must include developing commitments in terms of good employment from every partner in relation to inclusion, fair pay and working practices. Diversity and responsibility is an essential part of being creative.
We are also in the process of simplifying our funding support for the creative industries and trying to ensure that we have a way to respond quickly to the sector. That's why we're moving to provide our funding through an economic contract, which is happening across Government, ensuring public benefit following these public investments.
Also, we are trying to draw upon our experience with Visit Wales and the development of the Wales brand, leading on marketing and promotion of the creative industries in Wales to the world, under the new Creative Wales brand. That is coupled with the Wales brand generally. Through the new brand, we will be promoting the contribution that the creative sector makes to our culture, and also the contribution of culture to the perception of Wales and its reputation and success around the world.
All of this work is being done by officials in discussing priorities with the sector, and those discussions will continue over the coming months, and I consider this statement today a key part of that process because we want to focus on the issues that we as a Government can make the most difference on. Following another period of stakeholder engagement, there will be findings and priorities that will be shared with you as Assembly Members as soon as it's practically possible.
In the meantime, we continue with our support for the sector and continue to focus on the great successes that we have achieved in recent years. Although we have focused extensively to date on film and tv, and particularly high-end tv drama—and one series, with a second series almost appearing on our screens as I speak—this has certainly had an impact on the Welsh economy and created a new interest in the creative industries and in culture in Wales.
Following meeting representatives of this company recently, I'm pleased to announce to this Assembly that I'm looking forward to announcing shortly a new partnership with NBCUniversal, which, as you know, is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. A number of their directors hadn't been in the Vale of Glamorgan until recent weeks, but they now know the value of Dragon Studios and the possible use that they could make of the current three studios, and possibly more platforms. And there is expenditure of about £20 million likely to come to the local economy because of that activity. Also, alongside that, the company wants to bring its globally recognised boot camp for production assistants here to Wales. That means that we can raise standards in the sector as well, and that is certainly very important news.
Of course, the creative industries sector in Wales is much more than film and tv, and Creative Wales, as it develops within the Government, will mean significant growth in the tech industry in Wales, which now employs more than 40,000 people and is worth over £8.5 billion in turnover to the Welsh economy. And particularly in that, I'd like to refer to the games industry, which is such an important part of the digital sector, including Tiny Rebel Games based in Newport, Sugar Creative in Cardiff, the University of South Wales, and their international partner Potato, which were successful in securing funding through the moving image category in the Audience of the Future programme that is funded by Innovate UK. The project will work with Aardman, a renowned intellectual property service, in order to deliver this exciting project.
We have also developed a strategy for music, and that is something that we are eager to develop strongly under Creative Wales, and by that, I mean all kinds of music, in particular moving forward with the work that we're doing to map venues across Wales, where live music, particularly popular music and rock and folk music, is staged. We're in an important partnership here with PYST, the digital distribution and labelling service primarily for Welsh language music, and that work is developing. To date, artists on this platform have achieved over 5.5 million streams on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, and the record for listenings to Welsh language music has been broken by these developments, with Alffa, a rock band from Caernarfon that you've heard me mention before in this place, having delivered over 2.5 million of those streams, including a large number in South America. I'm also pleased to announce today that we're extending the work of PYST. We want to collaborate with them to take nine Welsh language artists to play in major UK cities. This exposure will be of great significance to these artists across the UK.
And finally, I want to emphasise that it will be easier for people to engage with Creative Wales once the body is established clearly within the Government during the next two months. It will be possible to engage with the creative industries as effectively, I hope, as it is to engage with any business services in the Government more generally. Thank you very much.
I hope the Assembly will indulge me if I take us all back to 1984 and the presidential election campaign and Walter Mondale's use of the Wendy's slogan, 'Where's the beef?' We've been around this racecourse a few times now, back as far as July 2016. And when it comes to Creative Wales, it seems that this Government is all preparation and no decision and we do need to make progress.
I welcome the core ambitions to embed culture in the growth of the economy, to simplify the funding model and have an economic contract at the heart of the funding mechanism and to also embed the principle of fusion. I think there'll be agreement across the Chamber that that's the direction we need to go in, but we need the decisions. When will the creative industries panel transform into the board of Creative Wales, or is that not now the objective? How will it be structured and situated within Welsh Government? When will the senior appointments, including that of the chief executive, be made? When can we expect to see a strategic priorities document for this important part of our economy, so that we can catch up, at last, with Scotland?
Gobeithio y bydd y Cynulliad yn caniatáu imi fynd â ni i gyd yn ôl i 1984 a'r ymgyrch etholiad arlywyddol a defnydd Walter Mondale o slogan cwmni bwyd cyflym Wendy's, 'Where's the beef?' Rydym ni wedi symud mewn cylchoedd sawl gwaith erbyn hyn, mor bell yn ôl â mis Gorffennaf 2016. Ac o ran Cymru Greadigol, mae'n ymddangos bod y Llywodraeth hon yn ymwneud â'r paratoi'r heb wneud penderfyniadau ac mae angen inni wneud cynnydd.
Rwy'n croesawu'r uchelgeisiau craidd i wreiddio diwylliant yn nhwf yr economi, symleiddio'r model ariannu a chael contract economaidd wrth wraidd y system ariannu a hefyd ymwreiddio'r egwyddor o asio. Rwy'n credu y bydd cytundeb ar draws y Siambr mai dyna'r cyfeiriad y mae angen i ni fynd iddo, ond mae angen y penderfyniadau arnom. Pryd bydd y panel diwydiannau creadigol yn trawsnewid i fwrdd Cymru Greadigol, neu tybed nad dyna'r nod erbyn hyn? Sut caiff hyn ei strwythuro a'i leoli o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru? Pryd bydd yr uwch benodiadau, gan gynnwys penodiad y prif weithredwr, yn cael eu gwneud? Pryd gallwn ni ddisgwyl gweld dogfen blaenoriaethau strategol ar gyfer y rhan bwysig hon o'n heconomi, fel y gallwn ni fod cystal â'r Alban o'r diwedd?
I have no interest in catching up with Scotland, because in the way that they've established Creative Scotland, they have done something else. But I'm not going to comment on what they have done with the Scottish Arts Council; that's a matter for them. Creative England is a commercial organisation. Creative Wales is going to be an organisation—and I have already explained this in this Assembly and to a committee—Creative Wales will be established within Government. We have established a model that we know works with Cadw and we will follow a similar structure. We will be recruiting in the next month the chief executive for the organisation. We will then be moving on to appoint a chair, and that chair, along with myself and colleagues, will ensure that we advertise for a board, similarly to the board that we've successfully advertised for in the case of Cadw. So, my intention is that the organisation will be able to take the substantial budgets that are currently being spent for the creative industries into their ownership, and there will be a clearly indicative budget of the order of £30 million that will be available for this organisation, and it will be functioning within the next six months.
Nid oes gen i ddiddordeb mewn ceisio bod cystal â'r Alban, oherwydd wrth iddyn nhw sefydlu Creative Scotland, fe wnaethon nhw rywbeth arall. Ond nid wyf i am wneud sylw ar yr hyn y maen nhw wedi'i wneud gyda Chyngor Celfyddydau'r Alban; mater iddyn nhw yw hynny. Mae Creative England yn sefydliad masnachol. Mae Cymru Greadigol yn mynd i fod yn sefydliad—ac rwyf eisoes wedi egluro hyn yn y Cynulliad hwn ac wrth bwyllgor—bydd Cymru Greadigol yn cael ei sefydlu o fewn y Llywodraeth. Rydym ni wedi sefydlu model yr ydym yn gwybod ei fod yn gweithio gyda Cadw a byddwn yn dilyn strwythur tebyg. Byddwn yn recriwtio prif weithredwr y sefydliad yn ystod y mis nesaf. Byddwn wedyn yn symud ymlaen i benodi cadeirydd, a bydd y cadeirydd hwnnw, ynghyd â mi a fy nghyd-Aelodau, yn sicrhau ein bod yn hysbysebu am fwrdd, yn debyg i'r bwrdd yr ydym wedi hysbysebu amdano'n llwyddiannus yn achos Cadw. Felly, fy mwriad i yw y bydd y sefydliad yn gallu bod â pherchnogaeth ar y cyllidebau sylweddol sy'n cael eu gwario ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer y diwydiannau creadigol, a bydd cyllideb ddangosol glir o ryw £30 miliwn ar gael i'r sefydliad hwn, a bydd yn gweithredu o fewn y chwe mis nesaf.
I ddechrau, hoffwn i groesawu cyhoeddiad y Llywodraeth ynglŷn â'u partneriaeth newydd gydag NBCUniversal, a'u penderfyniad i ymestyn PYST. Mae'r ddau beth yma yn newyddion da, ond, yn anffodus, dyma'r unig gyhoeddiadau newydd yn y datganiad sydd yn cynnwys unrhyw fath o fanylder. Mae pob dim arall yn y cyhoeddiad un ai'n annelwig neu'n datgan beth sydd eisoes yn digwydd yn y diwydiannau creadigol. Er enghraifft, tra rwy'n cytuno â'r rhan o'r datganiad sy'n nodi bod cynnwys diwylliant wrth ddatblygu'r economi yn ganolog i natur a dyheadau Cymru Greadigol, nid oes unrhyw ymhelaethiad na manylder polisi yma. Yn yr un modd, rwy'n cytuno bod angen datblygu ymrwymiadau gan bob partner o ran cynhwysiant, cyflog teg ac arferion gweithio, a bod amrywiaeth a chydraddoldeb yn hanfodol i fod yn greadigol. Ond y broblem yw nad yw'r datganiad yn amlinellu sut bydd yr egwyddorion pwysig yma yn cael eu gweithredu gan y Llywodraeth ar ffurf polisi.
Mae'r Dirprwy Weinidog yn trafod y corff newydd a gafodd ei gyhoeddi'r flwyddyn ddiwethaf—Cymru Greadigol—ond yr unig wybodaeth a gawn ynglŷn â hyn yw'r canlynol:
'Drwy'r brand newydd byddwn yn hyrwyddo cyfraniad y sector creadigol i'n diwylliant, ein henw da a'n llwyddiant ledled y byd.'
Mae naw mis ers y cyhoeddiad a does gennym ni fel Aelodau Cynulliad dal ddim unrhyw wybodaeth y gallwn ei defnyddio er mwyn craffu ar y cynlluniau. Mae'r ansicrwydd hwn yn cael effaith ar randdeiliaid o fewn y sector. Er enghraifft, mae pobl sy'n gweithio ym maes cynhyrchu ffilmiau yn dweud wrthym eu bod nhw ddim yn gwybod lle dylent fynd er mwyn cael mynediad at wybodaeth a chyllid. Byddem yn ddiolchgar petai'r Dirprwy Weinidog yn gallu dweud wrthym beth yw'r amserlen ar gyfer sefydlu Cymru Greadigol, a beth fydd statws y corff mewn perthynas â'r Llywodraeth, fel mae David Melding eisoes wedi gofyn. A fydd y corff yn gyfrifol am reoli cyllideb ac, os felly, beth fydd maint y gyllideb a pha effaith fydd hyn yn ei gael ar swyddogaethau cyrff eraill sy'n gwneud y gwaith hwn ar hyn o bryd? Yn ogystal, beth fydd trefniadau’r corff newydd o ran llywodraethiant?
Dirprwy Weinidog, mae brawddeg gyntaf eich datganiad yn honni mai
'diweddariad i’r Cynulliad am ein cymorth',
sef cymorth gan y Llywodraeth,
'i sector y diwydiannau creadigol yng Nghymru'
yw hyn. Ond y gwir amdani yw nad yw'n ddiweddariad o gwbl, oherwydd dyw e ddim yn drosolwg cynhwysfawr o'r diwydiannau creadigol. Nid oes unrhyw sôn am radio, am gelfyddydau perfformio, llenyddiaeth, celfyddyd gain. Hoffwn fod wedi cael diweddariad ynglŷn â'r meysydd hyn, gan gynnwys cynlluniau manwl ac amserlenni, ynghyd ag amserlen glir o ran eu gweithredu.
A oes gan y Dirprwy Weinidog gynlluniau i gyhoeddi strategaeth ddiwylliannol gynhwysfawr yn y dyfodol agos er mwyn rhoi cig ar yr asgwrn—dŷn ni wedi sôn am 'Where's the beef?', ac efallai fod hynna'n cyd-fynd yn hyn o beth—a rhoi cyfeiriad clir i'r sector a galluogi Aelodau o'r Siambr hon i graffu ar y cynlluniau?
Fel cenedlaetholwr, roedd gennych chi, Ddirprwy Weinidog, gyfle gwych yn y datganiad yma i alw am ddatganoli darlledu. Mae'n siomedig nad oes yna unrhyw sôn am hyn yn y datganiad. Un enghraifft o pam rydym ni angen y pwerau hyn ydy er mwyn sicrhau bod cwmnïau radio yn darparu canran benodol o'u cynnwys o Gymru a sicrhau bod cynyrchiadau sydd â chyllideb fawr yn gwneud defnydd o'n talent gynhenid a chynhyrchu deunydd sydd yn berthnasol i'r gynulleidfa. Rwyf felly yn gofyn i'r Dirprwy Weinidog ddarparu mwy o wybodaeth ynglŷn â'i gynlluniau, er mwyn i Aelodau y tu allan i'r Llywodraeth allu gwneud ein gwaith o graffu mewn modd priodol. Diolch.
First of all, I would like to welcome the Government's announcement on its new partnership with NBCUniversal, and its decision to extend PYST. These two things are good news, but, unfortunately, these are the only new announcements in the statement that contain any sort of detail. Everything else in the statement is either ambiguous or is stating what's already happening within the creative industries. For example, whilst I agree with the part of the statement that notes that including culture in developing the economy is central to the nature and aspirations of Creative Wales, there is no policy detail on this included. Likewise, I agree that we need to develop commitments by all partners in terms of inclusion, fair wages and working practices, and that diversity and equality are crucial to creativity. But the problem is that the statement doesn't outline how these most important principles will be implemented by Government in the form of policy.
The Deputy Minister discusses the new body that was announced last year—Creative Wales—but the only information that we receive on this is the following:
'Through the new brand we will promote the contribution that the creative sector makes to our culture, global reputation and success.'
It's nine months since the announcement and we as Assembly Members still have no information that we can use in order to scrutinise the proposals. This uncertainty is having an impact on stakeholders within the sector. For example, people working in film production tell us that they don't know where they should go to access information and funding. I would be grateful if the Deputy Minister could tell us what the timetable is for the establishment of Creative Wales, and what will be the body's status in relation to Government, as David Melding's already mentioned. Will the body be responsible for managing a budget and, if so, what will be the size of that budget and what impact will that have on the functions of other bodies currently doing this work? Also, what will be the arrangements for the new body in terms of governance?
Deputy Minister, the first sentence of your statement claims that
this is an update to the Assembly 'on our support',
namely the Government's support,
'for the creative industries sector in Wales.'
But the truth of the matter is that it's not an update at all, because it doesn't provide a comprehensive overview of the creative industries. There is no mention of radio, performing arts, literature or fine arts. I would have liked to have had an update on these areas, including detailed proposals and timetables, along with a clear timetable in terms of implementation.
Does the Deputy Minister have any plans to publish a comprehensive culture strategy in the near future in order to put some meat on the bones—we've heard the quote, 'Where's the beef?', and that may be relevant here—and to give clear direction to the sector and enable Members of this Chamber to scrutinise proposals?
As a nationalist, you, Deputy Minister, had a wonderful opportunity in this statement to call for the devolution of broadcasting. It's disappointing that there is no mention of this in the statement. One example of why we need these powers is in order to ensure that radio companies provide a specific percentage of their content from Wales and to ensure that productions that have large budgets do make use of our indigenous talent and produce material that is relevant to the audience. So, I would therefore ask the Deputy Minister to provide more information on his plans, so that Members outwith Government can carry out our scrutiny work in an appropriate manner. Thank you.
Rwy'n hapus iawn i ymddangos o flaen y pwyllgor diwylliant neu ba bwyllgor bynnag i graffu yn fwy manwl ar sut ydym ni'n datblygu ein cynlluniau ynglŷn â Chymru Greadigol, ond efallai y dylwn i ateb dau bwynt yn niwedd y cwestiwn yna. So, yn gyntaf: does dim sôn yn y datganiad yma am gelfyddyd gain—un o fy hoff ddiddordebau i, fel y gwyddoch chi. Fy etholwr creadigol iawn, David Nash, sydd ag arddangosfa ardderchog ganddo fo, yn agor yn yr amgueddfa ardderchog sydd gennym ni lawr y ffordd yma yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos yma. Dwi ddim wedi sôn am gelfyddyd gain oherwydd cyfrifoldeb cyngor y celfyddydau yw ac a fydd celfyddyd gain. Mae'r un peth yn wir am lenyddiaeth. Wrth gwrs, mae yna gysylltiad rhwng llenyddiaeth fel naratif a stori sydd yn ymddangos wedyn yn rhan o stori y diwydiant creadigol, ond mae'n rhaid inni barhau gyda'r strwythurau, megis Llenyddiaeth Cymru, megis y ddarpariaeth ar gyfer celfyddyd gain, ochr yn ochr efo'r diwydiannau creadigol, sydd yn bennaf ynglŷn â'r ochr gymhwysol i greadigrwydd. A dyna ydy'r gwahaniaeth rhwng y diwydiannau creadigol a'r gweithgaredd artistig celfyddydol yr ydw i newydd gyfeirio ato fo.
Ynglŷn â darlledu, pa mor hir y mae'n rhaid imi ddweud fel Gweinidog yn y lle hwn: dyw hi ddim yn bolisi Llywodraeth Cymru i ddatganoli darlledu. Y rheswm am hynny yw, yn y dyddiau hyn, lle mae'r diwylliant i gyd yn ddigidol, does yna ddim ystyr i ddatganoli darlledu traddodiadol, oherwydd y cyfan y mae hwnna'n mynd i'w wneud ydy aflonyddu, a dweud y gwir, ar y datblygiad creadigol a ddylai fod yn digwydd ar draws y sector digidol a'r gwahanol gyfryngau. Ond dwi ddim yn mynd i fynd ar ôl hwnna ymhellach.
Ond cyn belled ag y mae datblygiad Cymru Greadigol yn y cwestiwn, mae'r syniad yn bod mai'r ffordd i ddatblygu polisi ydy creu strategaeth a chreu rhyw fath o ddogfen meistr gynllun sydd yn gosod y peth ar ei draed. Dydw i ddim yn rhannu'r math yna o agwedd o gwbl. Dwi wedi treulio'r flwyddyn ddiwethaf yn trafod yn fanwl ac yn ymgynghori â'r diwydiannau creadigol ac yn gweld eu gwaith nhw yn fanwl, fel ein bod ni'n cynhyrchu rhywbeth a fydd yn dderbyniol i bobl o fewn y diwydiant. Dwi'n synnu eich clywed chi yn dweud bod pobl ddim yn gwybod lle i fynd am gyllid i ffilmio, oherwydd maen nhw'n mynd i'r union lefydd y maen nhw'n arfer mynd, sef at Ffilm Cymru a chynghrair sgrin Cymru—mae'r cyllid i'w gael yn y cyfeiriad yna—ac at y Llywodraeth. Rydyn ni wedi cyllido, fel roeddwn i'n dweud gynnau, Un Bore Mercher/Keeping Faith 2, sydd yn darlledu ar hyn o bryd. Rydyn ni'n parhau i gyllido, ac mi fyddwn ni'n parhau i wneud hynny. Ond pan ddaw Cymru Greadigol i fod, a dwi wedi ateb ynglŷn â maint y gyllideb—oddeutu £30 miliwn—mi fydd yna gadeirydd annibynnol, a bydd hi neu fo yn cael eu penodi drwy'r strwythur penodiadau cyhoeddus arferol. Mi fydd yna brif weithredwr wedi ei benodi cyn hynny, ac yna mi fydd yn gorff tua'r un maint â Chadw. Felly, y gymhariaeth gyfansoddiadol, os ydych chi'n chwilio am gwestiwn ynglŷn â llywodraethiant, ydy: bydd o'n debyg i Cadw. Ond mi fydd o, yn hytrach na Cadw, yn creu.
I'm more than happy to appear before the culture committee or any other committee so that you can scrutinise in more detail how we are developing our proposals on Creative Wales, but perhaps I should respond to two points at the end of that series of questions. First of all: there is no mention in this statement about fine arts—one of my major interests, as you will know. My very creative constituent, David Nash, has an excellent exhibition opening in the wonderful museum that we have just down the road—that will be opening later this week. I haven't mentioned fine arts because that is the responsibility of the arts council, and that will remain the case. The same is true of literature. Of course, there is a link between literature as a narrative and a story that will then appear as part of the story of the creative industries, but we must continue with the structures, such as Literature Wales and the provision for the fine arts, along with the creative industries, which mainly deal with creative aspects of the creative industries. And that's the difference between the creative industries and the artistic arts activities that I've just referred to.
In terms of broadcasting, well, how many times as Minister in this place do I have to say that it's not the policy of the Welsh Government to devolve broadcasting, and the reason for that is that, in these days, when culture is all digital, there is no meaning to the devolution of broadcasting in its traditional sense, because all that will do is to cause a distraction in terms of the creative development that should be happening across the digital sector and the various different media, and I'm not going to pursue that any further.
But as far as the development of Creative Wales is concerned, there is this perception that the way to develop policy is to create strategies and to create a master plan document that puts it in place. I don't share that view at all. I have spent the past year discussing in detail and consulting with the creative industries and seeing their work in detail, so that we produce something that will be acceptable to people within the industry. I'm surprised to hear you say that people don't know where to go for funding, because they are going to the very same places that they've always gone—to Ffilm Cymru and the Screen Alliance Wales. The funding is available there and through Government. And as I said earlier, we have funded Un Bore Mercher/Keeping Faith 2, which is currently being broadcast, and we will continue to fund those developments. But when Creative Wales comes into being, and I've answered on the size of the budget—it's around £30 million—there will be an independent chair, and he or she will be appointed through the usual public appointments system. There will be a chief executive appointed before then, and then there will be a body about the same size as Cadw. So, the constitutional comparison, if you are looking at the issue of governance, or a response in terms of governance, is: it will be similar to Cadw. But rather than being Cadw, it will be creative.
I welcome the statement and the opportunity to ask questions on two of the creative industries. I'm going to concentrate on two because I think that one of the things I have concerns about is that we talk about creative industry as if it's one thing. It's not—it's very many different things. First of all I want to talk about animation, and the other one I want to talk about is computer games, which is the biggest of all the industries relating to creativity, which unfortunately didn't get a mention in the Minister's statement, unless I missed it—
Rwy'n croesawu'r datganiad a'r cyfle i ofyn cwestiynau ynghylch dau o'r diwydiannau creadigol. Rwy'n mynd i ganolbwyntio ar ddau gan fy mod yn credu mai un o'r pethau sy'n fy mhryderu i yw ein bod yn siarad am ddiwydiant creadigol fel petai'n un peth. Nid dyna ydyw—mae'n llawer iawn o bethau gwahanol. Yn gyntaf, hoffwn i siarad am animeiddio, a'r peth arall yr hoffwn i siarad amdano yw gemau cyfrifiadur, sef y diwydiant mwyaf sy'n ymwneud â chreadigrwydd, ac na chafodd ei grybwyll yn natganiad y Gweinidog, gwaetha'r modd, oni bai fy mod wedi ei fethu—
Yes, I did—two paragraphs.
Do, fe wnes i—dau baragraff.
Firstly, animation: in the early 1990s, Wales experienced a golden age of animation production. S4C was integral in helping to produce a number of popular animated shows—SuperTed, Fireman Sam, sung by a friend of mine, Mal Pope, Gogs. These are just some of the shows produced, high-profile shows commissioned and produced by S4C, and produced in Wales, and then translated into English. I watched them as a parent. I'm sure some of the people here actually watched them as children, so please don't tell me you did. [Laughter.] But today what we tend to do is watch things like Peppa Pig dubbed into Welsh.
S4C rapidly gained a reputation, nationally and internationally, for their commercially successful and award-winning animation programmes developed—as S4C expanded, a host of popular characters, such as Wil Cwac Cwac, Toucan Tecs, and Funnybones. Over the years, S4C made longer cartoons and animations based on famous operas, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and stories from the Bible. We were hugely successful. What does the Minister intend to do to revive the Welsh animation industry?
The second area I wish to ask questions about is computer games. The world's biggest selling video game, which, if you didn't know, is Grand Theft Auto, started life in Dundee, as in the last 20 years the Scottish city has developed a notable cluster for the world's video games industry. Dundee has no great advantage geographically over similar sized conurbations in Wales like Swansea and Newport. There's no great thing that, 'This is Dundee, it's bound to be successful.' They developed that. We need to do the same. This is the biggest of all the creative industries. Despite the video games industry bringing in £1.4 billion for the UK economy, we have failed to develop in Wales a successful computer video games industry. If I've got it wrong, I'm sure the Minister will tell me the video games that are in the world's top 20 that are produced in Wales. How does the Minister intend to promote and develop a video games industry in Wales as successful as those in lots of other places?
There's no great care of where you are developing video games. You can develop them anywhere in the world as long as you've got access to the internet, because now things don't actually exist on disks anymore, do they—some of us remember them—they actually just are downloads. So, there are great opportunities for anywhere, rural or urban. So, what are we going to do to try and develop an industry? We have the universities teaching people the skills that are necessary for computer games. They have computer games courses in some universities in Wales. So, how are we going to turn those graduates of computer games into successes in Wales so we can be up there, not competing with some of the great cities in America, but just competing with Dundee?
Yn gyntaf, animeiddio: ar ddechrau'r 1990au, roedd Cymru'n mwynhau oes aur cynhyrchu ym maes animeiddio. Roedd S4C yn rhan allweddol o helpu i gynhyrchu nifer o sioeau poblogaidd wedi'u hanimeiddio—Superted, Sam Tân, a gafodd ei chanu gan gyfaill i mi, Mal Pope, Gogs. Dyma rai o'r sioeau a gafodd eu cynhyrchu, sioeau proffil uchel wedi'u comisiynu a'u cynhyrchu gan S4C, a'u cynhyrchu yng Nghymru, ac yna eu cyfieithu i'r Saesneg. Roeddwn i'n eu gwylio a minnau'n rhiant. Rwy'n siŵr bod rhai o'r bobl yma wedi eu gwylio nhw a hwythau'n blant, felly peidiwch â dweud wrthyf i. [Chwerthin.] Ond heddiw y duedd yw inni wylio pethau fel Peppa Pig wedi eu trosi i'r Gymraeg.
Datblygodd S4C enw da yn gyflym, yn genedlaethol ac yn rhyngwladol, oherwydd datblygodd ei rhaglenni animeiddio a fu'n llwyddiannus yn fasnachol ac sydd wedi ennill gwobrau—wrth i S4C ehangu, lu o gymeriadau poblogaidd, megis Wil Cwac Cwac, Toucan Tecs, a Funnybones. Dros y blynyddoedd, gwnaeth S4C gartwnau ac animeiddiadau hirach yn seiliedig ar operâu enwog, 'Canterbury Tales' gan Chaucer a straeon o'r Beibl. Roeddem ni'n hynod o lwyddiannus. Beth mae'r Gweinidog yn bwriadu ei wneud i adfywio diwydiant animeiddio Cymru?
Yr ail faes yr hoffwn i ofyn cwestiynau yn ei gylch yw gemau cyfrifiadur. Y gêm fideo sy'n gwerthu fwyaf yn y byd, os nad oeddech yn gwybod, yw Grand Theft Auto, a dechreuodd ei fywyd yn Dundee, hynny yw, yn ystod yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf, mae'r ddinas hon yn yr Alban wedi datblygu clwstwr nodedig ar gyfer diwydiant gemau fideo'r byd. Nid oes gan Dundee fantais fawr yn ddaearyddol o'i chymharu â chytrefi o faint tebyg yng Nghymru, fel Abertawe a Chasnewydd. Nid oes dim byd amlwg fel, 'Dyma Dundee, nid oes amheuaeth y bydd yn llwyddiannus.' Y nhw ddatblygodd hynny. Mae angen i ni wneud yr un peth. Hwn yw'r mwyaf o'r holl ddiwydiannau creadigol. Er bod y diwydiant gemau fideo wedi cyfrannu £1.4 biliwn at economi'r DU, rydym ni yng Nghymru wedi methu â datblygu diwydiant gemau cyfrifiadur llwyddiannus. Os ydw i wedi camddeall, rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn dweud wrthyf ba rai o'r gemau fideo sydd ymysg yr 20 uchaf yn y byd sy'n cael eu cynhyrchu yng Nghymru. Sut mae'r Gweinidog yn bwriadu hyrwyddo a datblygu diwydiant gemau fideo yng Nghymru mor llwyddiannus â'r rhai mewn llawer o leoedd eraill?
Nid oes dim gwahaniaeth ble yr ydych chi'n datblygu gemau fideo. Gallwch eu datblygu unrhyw le yn y byd cyhyd â bod gennych fynediad at y rhyngrwyd, gan nad yw pethau'n bodoli ar ddisgiau bellach, nac ydyn—mae rhai ohonom yn eu cofio—lawr lwythiadau ydyn nhw. Felly, mae cyfleoedd gwych i unrhyw le, yn wledig neu'n drefol. Felly, beth ydym ni am ei wneud i geisio datblygu diwydiant? Mae gennym ni'r prifysgolion yn addysgu pobl y sgiliau sydd eu hangen ar gyfer gemau cyfrifiadur. Mae yna gyrsiau gemau cyfrifiadur mewn rhai prifysgolion yng Nghymru. Felly, sut ydym ni am droi'r graddedigion gemau cyfrifiadur hynny yn llwyddiannau yng Nghymru, fel y gallwn ni fod ar y brig, heb fod yn cystadlu â rhai o ddinasoedd mawr America, ond yn cystadlu â Dundee?
I would suggest to the Member that he goes out of this building and crosses a short stretch of water and turn left, and he will find a whole series of animators, a whole range of post-production activity, which is undertaken by these companies that exist in a building—in fact built by Welsh Government funding, before my time, in the time of my colleague. That wonderful yellow castle is exactly what the industry currently requires. Now, as soon as an industry requires further development of that kind, we will certainly be able to replicate that process. Following his strictures this afternoon, I will speak again, as I've done before, with those involved in the animation industry in Wales to see whether they feel that there is a particular area of development they would like to undertake.
The key thing that the media industry does, along the whole of the River Severn, in Bristol and in Cardiff—and we must see this as one whole area, I think, of development and clusters that work with each other, and the collaboration that there is, and extends, of course, with work that goes on across and through the Thames valley into London. That is the nature of the business that we are working with, but there is no shortage of interest on the part of this Welsh Government to support any project that my colleague would like to bring forward for discussion. If he is aware of any animators who feel that they haven't been properly responded to by any of my colleagues in Welsh Government, I'd be very glad to know about this so that we can improve the relationship between us.
Byddwn i'n awgrymu wrth yr Aelod ei fod yn mynd allan o'r adeilad hwn ac yn croesi darn byr o ddŵr ac yn troi i'r chwith, ac yno bydd yn dod o hyd i lu o animeiddwyr, amrywiaeth gyfan o weithgarwch ôl-gynhyrchu, a wneir gan y cwmnïau hyn sy'n bodoli mewn adeilad—yn wir a adeiladwyd gan gyllid Llywodraeth Cymru, cyn fy nghyfnod i, yng nghyfnod fy nghyd-Aelod. Y castell melyn gwych hwnnw yw'r union beth sydd ei angen ar y diwydiant ar hyn o bryd. Nawr, pan fydd angen datblygiad pellach o'r math hwnnw ar y diwydiant, byddwn yn sicr yn gallu efelychu'r broses honno. Yn dilyn ei feirniadaeth y prynhawn yma, siaradaf eto, fel yr wyf wedi'i wneud o'r blaen, gyda'r rhai hynny sy'n ymwneud â'r diwydiant animeiddio yng Nghymru i weld a oes maes datblygu penodol yr hoffen nhw ymgymryd ag ef.
Y peth allweddol y mae diwydiant y cyfryngau'n ei wneud, ar hyd yr Afon Hafren gyfan, ym Mryste ac yng Nghaerdydd—ac mae'n rhaid inni ystyried hyn yn un ardal gyfan, yn fy marn i, o ddatblygiad a chlystyrau sy'n gweithio gyda'i gilydd, a'r cydweithio sydd i'w weld, ac sy'n ymestyn, wrth gwrs, gyda gwaith a gaiff ei wneud ledled a thrwy ddyffryn Tafwys i Lundain. Dyna natur y busnes yr ydym ni'n gweithio gydag ef, ond nid oes prinder diddordeb ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi unrhyw brosiect yr hoffai fy nghyd-Aelod ei gyflwyno i'w drafod. Os yw'n ymwybodol o unrhyw animeiddwyr sy'n teimlo nad yw unrhyw un o fy nghydweithwyr yn Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymateb yn briodol iddyn nhw, byddwn yn falch iawn o gael gwybod am hyn er mwyn inni allu gwella'r berthynas rhyngom.
Finally, Rhianon Passmore.
Yn olaf, Rhianon Passmore.
Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I do actually welcome very much today's statement and in particular I am pleased to welcome the new Creative Wales brand. Creative industries are critical and of vital importance economically, socially and culturally to Wales. This exciting new international brand will help in promoting our ever-growing creative sector. As you reference in your statement, Minister, Wales is increasingly growing an international reputation for its high-end film and television production, and also as a film location—the filming of Brave New World is a perfect example of this—and it's delivering around £20 million additionality to the Welsh economy, as you've mentioned, and this will clearly provide a massive boost to our creative economy. And this is purposeful and this is strategic. So, it is new and exciting and there are opportunities being innovated, and the exciting project mentioned around Aardman is also of importance. Our tech industries are being strategically grown, and over the recent years have been extremely progressive. But we also have to ensure that future generations are equipped with these skills to continue growing Wales's reputation across our other fields. You've mentioned, Minister, the use of technology within the music industry to promote Wales and Welsh music talent through a digital distribution and labelling system, and that also is demonstrating significant success, and that also is to be welcomed.
So, can I ask you, Minister, what the Welsh Government is doing to ensure that the next generation of Welsh musicians have the funding and teaching infrastructure in place in order to reach that full potential, because it is a fact that music support teaching services across Wales are dissolving? You will, I am sure, be aware of my calls for a national music education and performance strategy for Wales alongside our major music conservatoire and national orchestral bodies. So, I am keen to ensure the fantastic opportunities arising within the creative sector are accessible to people from all backgrounds, because it is right, in Wales, that the arts and creative industries must be open for not just a privileged few, not being based on an ability to pay, but on an ability to play. So, strategically, with regard to music, this must mean an infrastructure and a network of accessible and funded music support teaching hubs to nurture and develop our future Welsh musicians and performers, or we will not populate a vibrant, creative industries sector for the twenty-first century. And I feel that Wales's international reputation as a land of song must also be celebrated and used to further the Creative Wales brand across Wales. So, I look forward to further announcements on this matter.
And, finally, I'd also like to ask the Minister what the Welsh Government is doing to support and protect grass-roots music venues across Wales, and I welcome the plans to map and scope these venues. I hope that this can help promote local arts venues, such as the Blackwood Miners' Institute and the Newbridge Memo in my own constituency.
And, lastly, I do believe it is right that we do produce an overarching cultural strategy for Wales, and I do call upon the Minister to consider doing that. Thank you.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n croesawu'n fawr iawn y datganiad heddiw ac rwy'n arbennig o falch o groesawu'r brand newydd Cymru Greadigol. Mae diwydiannau creadigol yn allweddol ac yn hanfodol bwysig yn economaidd, yn gymdeithasol ac yn ddiwylliannol i Gymru. Bydd y brand rhyngwladol newydd cyffrous hwn yn helpu i hyrwyddo ein sector creadigol sy'n tyfu'n barhaus. Fel y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio ato yn eich datganiad, Gweinidog, mae Cymru'n meithrin enw da fwyfwy yn rhyngwladol am ei chynyrchiadau ffilm a theledu, a hefyd fel lleoliad ffilmiau—mae ffilmio Brave New World yn enghraifft berffaith o hyn—ac mae'n dod â rhyw £20 miliwn yn ychwanegol i economi Cymru, fel yr ydych chi wedi'i grybwyll, a bydd hyn yn amlwg yn rhoi hwb aruthrol i'n heconomi greadigol. Ac mae hyn yn bwrpasol ac mae hyn yn strategol. Felly, mae'n newydd ac yn gyffrous ac mae cyfleoedd arloesol yn cael eu creu, ac mae'r prosiect cyffrous y gwnaethoch chi sôn amdano o ran Aardman hefyd yn bwysig. Mae ein diwydiannau technolegol yn cael eu meithrin yn strategol, ac yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf maen nhw wedi bod yn flaengar dros ben. Ond mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau hefyd bod cenedlaethau'r dyfodol yn meddu ar y sgiliau hyn i barhau i feithrin enw da Cymru yn ein holl feysydd eraill. Rydych chi wedi sôn, Gweinidog, am y defnydd o dechnoleg yn y diwydiant cerddoriaeth i hyrwyddo Cymru a thalent cerddoriaeth Cymru drwy system ddosbarthu a labelu digidol, ac mae hynny hefyd wedi esgor ar lwyddiant arwyddocaol, ac mae hynny hefyd i'w groesawu.
Felly, a gaf fi ofyn i chi, Gweinidog, beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod gan y genhedlaeth nesaf o gerddorion yng Nghymru y seilwaith ariannu ac addysgu ar gael iddyn nhw er mwyn cyrraedd y potensial llawn hwnnw, oherwydd mae'n ffaith bod cerddoriaeth gwasanaethau addysgu cymorth cerddoriaeth yn diflannu ledled Cymru? Byddwch yn ymwybodol, rwy'n siŵr, o fy ngalwadau am strategaeth genedlaethol ar gyfer addysg a pherfformiad cerddoriaeth i Gymru ynghyd â'n conservatoire cerddoriaeth pwysig a chyrff cerddorfeydd cenedlaethol. Felly, rwy'n awyddus i sicrhau bod y cyfleoedd gwych sy'n codi yn y sector creadigol ar gael i bobl o bob cefndir, oherwydd mae hi'n briodol, yng Nghymru, bod yn rhaid i'r celfyddydau a'r diwydiannau creadigol fod ar gael nid yn unig i ychydig breintiedig, nad yw'n seiliedig ar allu i dalu, ond ar allu i chwarae. Felly, yn strategol, gyda golwg ar gerddoriaeth, mae'n rhaid i hyn olygu seilwaith a rhwydwaith o ganolfannau addysgu cymorth cerddoriaeth sydd ar gael yn rhwydd ac sydd wedi'u hariannu fel bod modd meithrin a datblygu ein cerddorion a'n perfformwyr o Gymru yn y dyfodol, neu ni fyddwn yn cyfrannu at sector diwydiannau creadigol bywiog ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Ac rwy'n teimlo bod yn rhaid dathlu hefyd enw da rhyngwladol Cymru fel gwlad y gân a'i ddefnyddio i hyrwyddo'r brand Cymru Greadigol ledled Cymru. Felly, rwy'n edrych ymlaen at ragor o gyhoeddiadau ar y mater hwn.
Ac, yn olaf, fe hoffwn i hefyd ofyn i'r Gweinidog beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n ei wneud i gefnogi a diogelu lleoliadau cerddoriaeth ar lawr gwlad ledled Cymru, ac rwy'n croesawu'r cynlluniau i fapio a chwmpasu'r lleoliadau hyn. Rwy'n gobeithio y gall hyn helpu i hyrwyddo lleoliadau celfyddydol lleol, fel Sefydliad y Glowyr yn y Coed Duon a Neuadd Goffa Trecelyn yn fy etholaeth i.
Ac, i gloi, rwyf yn credu ei bod hi'n briodol ein bod yn cynhyrchu strategaeth ddiwylliannol gyffredinol i Gymru, ac rwyf yn galw ar y Gweinidog i ystyried gwneud hynny. Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you very much for that. On your final point, the whole point of mapping venues is that we know exactly what's going on, and this money for the mapping exercise was introduced because we were very concerned that venues were closing, and we didn't even know about them. Now, what we hope we can then do is to find which venues currently we might be able to encourage, and we will find a structure in which they will be supported, obviously working with the voluntary sector, the music sector and, where appropriate, obviously, with the education sector in different areas.
I'm aware of your strong and committed support to music education, and you're absolutely right, the development of musical literacy, at all levels, is such a key issue. I had the privilege of listening to the wind band on Sunday in Hoddinott Hall, and it's brilliant to see the quality that we produce in all forms of music, and I'm very keen to make sure we encourage that. And this is why I regard the establishment of Creative Wales within a short timescale—that is, within months, so that it's working fully within four to six months, because I intend to ensure that that organisation takes the development of music of all kinds as one of its priorities, precisely to meet the challenges that you've indicated. And it's essential that there is a direct link between what Creative Wales will demand for the development of the music industry throughout Wales and the education system. I've already had discussions with the education Minister about these issues, and I can assure you that there will be a strategic approach across Government on this.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am hynny. O ran eich pwynt olaf, holl bwynt mapio lleoliadau yw ein bod yn gwybod yn union beth sy'n digwydd, a chafodd yr arian hwn ar gyfer yr ymarfer mapio ei gyflwyno oherwydd ein bod yn bryderus iawn bod lleoliadau'n cau, a doedden ni ddim hyd yn oed yn ymwybodol ohonynt. Yr hyn yr ydym ni'n gobeithio y gallwn ni ei wneud wedyn yw darganfod pa leoliadau ar hyn o bryd y gallem ni, o bosibl, eu hannog, a byddwn yn dod o hyd i strwythur lle y cânt eu cefnogi, yn amlwg, gan weithio gyda'r sector gwirfoddol, y sector cerddoriaeth ac yn amlwg, pan fo'n briodol, gyda'r sector addysg mewn gwahanol ardaloedd.
Rwy'n ymwybodol o'ch cefnogaeth gref ac ymrwymedig i addysg gerddorol, ac rydych yn llygad eich lle, mae datblygu llythrennedd cerddorol, ar bob lefel, yn fater mor allweddol. Cefais y fraint o wrando ar y band chwyth ddydd Sul yn Neuadd Hoddinott, ac mae'n wych gweld yr ansawdd yr ydym ni'n ei gynhyrchu mewn pob math o gerddoriaeth, ac rwy'n awyddus iawn i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn annog hynny. A dyna pam yr wyf yn ystyried sefydlu Cymru Greadigol o fewn amserlen fer—hynny yw, o fewn misoedd, fel ei fod yn gweithio'n llawn o fewn pedwar i chwe mis, oherwydd rwy'n bwriadu sicrhau bod y sefydliad hwnnw'n gwneud datblygu cerddoriaeth o bob math yn un o'i flaenoriaethau, i ateb yr heriau yr ydych chi wedi'u nodi yn union. Ac mae'n hanfodol bod cysylltiad uniongyrchol rhwng yr hyn y bydd Cymru Greadigol yn ei fynnu ar gyfer datblygu'r diwydiant cerddoriaeth ledled Cymru a'r system addysg. Rwyf eisoes wedi cael trafodaethau â'r Gweinidog addysg am y materion hyn, a gallaf eich sicrhau y bydd ymagwedd strategol ar draws y Llywodraeth ar hyn.
Thank you very much, Deputy Minister.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Weinidog.
Item 8 on the agenda this afternoon is the legislative consent motion on the Rivers Authorities and Land Drainage Bill, and I call on the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to move the motion. Lesley Griffiths.
Eitem 8 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw'r cynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol ar yr Bil Awdurdodau Afonydd a Draenio Tir, a galwaf ar y Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig i wneud y cynnig. Lesley Griffiths.
Cynnig NDM7037 Lesley Griffiths
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 29.6, yn cytuno mai Senedd y DU ddylai ystyried darpariaethau’r Bil Awdurdodau Afonydd a Draenio Tri i’r graddau y maent yn dod o fewn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru.
Motion NDM7037 Lesley Griffiths
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 29.6 agrees that provisions in the Rivers Authorities and Land Drainage Bill, in so far as they fall within the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales, should be considered by the UK Parliament.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I welcome the opportunity to present this LCM on the Rivers Authorities and Land Drainage Bill to the Assembly, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank members of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for considering the Bill in readiness for today's debate.
This LCM has been triggered due to the discovery of obstacles to raising the expenses of internal drainage boards covering Wales and England. Natural Resources Wales is the IDB for the whole of Wales. As the law stands, IDBs are unable to vary their rates. The Bill will rectify the situation by introducing a mechanism enabling them to do this and apply the correct levies and drainage rates. The memorandum was laid on 15 March. Since then, we've reconsidered the Bill and concluded there are two additional clauses within the competence of the National Assembly. This is due to a change in the approach taken by the Welsh Government and the UK Government in deciding whether provisions in UK Bills require the consent of the National Assembly, and a revised memorandum was laid on 18 April.
Consenting to provision being made within the Bill in relation to Wales will allow NRW to calculate the value of non-agricultural land in Wales through an alternative methodology, as they will be able to make use of alternative data for these calculations. They will also be able to use an alternative methodology for calculation of the value of agricultural land and buildings to avoid the potential distortion of the apportionment calculation.
I'm grateful to the committee for its scrutiny and pleased they found no reason to object to the Assembly agreeing the LCM. In their report, the committee sought clarification on whether regulations referred to in clause 5(6) of the Bill would engage the statutory instrument consent motion process under Standing Order 30A. This is a typical provision conferring power to make consequential amendments. It is the Welsh Government's view that any future regulations made under this provision would need to be assessed at that time to see if they would engage the statutory instrument consent memorandum process under Standing Order 30A. Should such regulations make amendments to primary legislation—including Measures and Acts of the Assembly—that fall within the Assembly's legislative competence, then an SI consent memorandum would be required. How such power could make consequential amendments to Measures and Acts of the Assembly was also made known in paragraph 17 of the memorandum made on 18 April.
The committee also asked me to clarify why the Welsh Government was not in a position to introduce its own legislation to bring about this change in Wales. The Welsh Government always follows the principle that primary legislation in devolved areas should be enacted by this Assembly. However, there will be circumstances in which it is sensible and advantageous if provision that would be within the Assembly's legislative competence is sought for Wales in UK parliamentary Bills, with the consent of the Assembly. There is no Welsh Government Bill currently before the Assembly, or planned to be introduced in this Assembly year, that would be a suitable vehicle to contain the provisions of the the Rivers Authorities and Land Drainage Bill. I move the motion.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, a chroesawaf y cyfle i gyflwyno'r cynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol hwn ar y Bil Awdurdodau Afonydd a Draenio Tir i'r Cynulliad, a hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle i ddiolch i Aelodau'r Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol am ystyried y Bil er mwyn paratoi ar gyfer y ddadl heddiw.
Mae'r cynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol hwn wedi cael ei ysgogi o ganlyniad i ddarganfod rhwystrau rhag codi treuliau byrddau draenio mewnol sy'n cwmpasu Cymru a Lloegr. Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yw'r bwrdd draenio mewnol ar gyfer Cymru gyfan. Yn ôl y gyfraith ar hyn o bryd, ni all fyrddau draenio mewnol amrywio eu cyfraddau. Bydd y Bil yn unioni'r sefyllfa drwy gyflwyno modd a fydd yn eu galluogi i wneud hyn ac i ddefnyddio'r ardollau a chyfraddau draenio cywir. Gosodwyd y memorandwm ar 15 Mawrth. Ers hynny, rydym wedi ailystyried y Bil ac wedi dod i'r casgliad bod dau gymal ychwanegol o fewn cymhwysedd y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Mae hyn o ganlyniad i newid yn y dull a ddefnyddir gan Lywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU wrth benderfynu a oes angen cydsyniad y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol ar gyfer darpariaethau ym Miliau'r DU, a gosodwyd memorandwm diwygiedig ar 18 Ebrill.
Bydd cydsynio i ddarpariaeth sy'n cael ei gwneud o fewn y Bil o ran Cymru yn caniatáu i CNC gyfrifo gwerth tir yng Nghymru nad yw'n dir amaethyddol drwy fethodoleg amgen, gan y byddant yn gallu defnyddio data amgen ar gyfer y cyfrifiadau hyn. Byddant hefyd yn gallu defnyddio methodoleg amgen ar gyfer cyfrifo gwerth tir ac adeiladau amaethyddol i osgoi'r posibilrwydd o lurgunio'r cyfrifiad dosrannu.
Rwyf yn ddiolchgar i'r pwyllgor am ei waith craffu ac yn falch na welsant unrhyw reswm dros wrthwynebu bod y Cynulliad yn cytuno ar y cynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol. Yn ei adroddiad, gofynnodd y pwyllgor am eglurhad ynghylch a fyddai'r rheoliadau y cyfeirir atynt yng nghymal 5(6) o'r Bil yn cynnwys y broses cynnig cydsyniad offeryn statudol o dan Reol Sefydlog 30A. Mae hon yn ddarpariaeth nodweddiadol sy'n rhoi pŵer i wneud diwygiadau canlyniadol. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru o'r farn y byddai angen i unrhyw reoliadau a wneir yn y dyfodol o dan y ddarpariaeth hon gael eu hasesu ar yr adeg honno i weld a fyddent yn cynnwys y broses y memorandwm cydsyniad offeryn statudol o dan Reol Sefydlog 30A. Pe bai rheoliadau o'r fath yn gwneud diwygiadau i ddeddfwriaeth sylfaenol—gan gynnwys Mesurau a Deddfau'r Cynulliad—a ddaw o fewn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol y Cynulliad, yna byddai angen memorandwm cydsyniad offeryn statudol. Rhoddwyd gwybod sut y gallai pŵer o'r fath wneud diwygiadau canlyniadol i Fesurau a Deddfau'r Cynulliad hefyd ym mharagraff 17 o'r memorandwm a wnaed ar 18 Ebrill.
Gofynnodd y pwyllgor i mi hefyd egluro pam nad oedd Llywodraeth Cymru mewn sefyllfa i gyflwyno ei deddfwriaeth ei hun i sicrhau'r newid hwn yng Nghymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru bob tro yn dilyn yr egwyddor y dylai deddfwriaeth sylfaenol mewn meysydd datganoledig gael ei deddfu gan y Cynulliad hwn. Fodd bynnag, bydd amgylchiadau pan y bydd yn synhwyrol ac yn fanteisiol os ydy darpariaeth a fyddai o fewn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol y Cynulliad yn cael ei cheisio i Gymru ym Miliau Seneddol y DU, gyda chydsyniad y Cynulliad. Nid oes Bil Llywodraeth Cymru gerbron y Cynulliad ar hyn o bryd, na bwriad i gyflwyno un yn ystod blwyddyn hon y Cynulliad, a fyddai'n gyfrwng addas i gynnwys darpariaethau Bil Awdurdodau Afonydd a Draenio Tir. Cynigiaf y cynnig.
Thank you. Can I call on Dai Lloyd to speak on behalf of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee?
Diolch. A gaf i alw ar Dai Lloyd i siarad ar ran y Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol?
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Bu i’r Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol drafod memorandwm cydsyniad deddfwriaethol Llywodraeth Cymru mewn perthynas â'r Bil Awdurdodau Afonydd a Draenio Tir yn ein cyfarfod ar 1 Ebrill.
Ar 18 Ebrill, dros gyfnod y Pasg, ysgrifennodd y Gweinidog at y pwyllgor yn rhoi gwybod inni ei bod yn bwriadu gosod memorandwm cydsyniad deddfwriaethol diwygiedig a fyddai'n ceisio cydsyniad ar gyfer cymalau 3 a 5, yn ogystal â chymalau 2 a 4. Mae'r memorandwm diwygiedig hwnnw hefyd yn cael ei drafod yma heddiw. Gosodwyd, fel y'i cyfeiriwyd eisoes, ein hadroddiad gerbron y Cynulliad yr wythnos diwethaf, ar 24 Ebrill.
Dŷn ni'n nodi rhesymau Llywodraeth Cymru dros benderfynu bod gwneud darpariaeth ar gyfer Cymru ym Mil y Deyrnas Unedig yn briodol. Fodd bynnag, dŷn ni'n dal i gredu bod diffyg eglurder ynghylch pam nad oedd Llywodraeth Cymru mewn sefyllfa i gyflwyno ei deddfwriaeth ei hun, a dŷn ni yn gofyn am eglurhad pellach ar y pwynt yma. Wedi'r cwbl, mae materion afonydd a draenio tir wedi cael eu datganoli i Gymru ers 20 mlynedd. Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru, felly, allu cyflwyno ei deddfwriaeth ei hun heb ddibynnu ar ymdrechion Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig, sydd heb edrych ar ôl y meysydd hyn mewn 20 mlynedd.
Dŷn ni'n nodi mai barn Llywodraeth Cymru, fel y'i mynegir yn y memorandwm cydsyniad deddfwriaethol diwygiedig, yw bod angen cydsyniad y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol ar gyfer cymalau 2, 3, 4 a 5 o'r Bil. Dŷn ni hefyd yn nodi mai barn Llywodraeth y DU yw bod angen cydsyniad mewn perthynas â chymalau 2 i 8 o'r Bil—hynny yw, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ac 8. Dŷn ni, fel pwyllgor, yn cytuno efo barn Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig. Credwn fod angen cydsyniad y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol ar gyfer cymalau 2 i 8 i'r graddau eu bod o fewn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol y Cynulliad hwn yn unol ag adran 108A o Ddeddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006.
Dwi'n gwrando ar beth ddywedoch chi ynglŷn â'r memorandwm cydsyniad offeryn statudol—y SICM, y broses honno. Achos o ran cymal 5 o'r Bil yma, dŷn ni'n nodi bod is-adran 6 yn caniatáu'r broses o ddiwygio Mesurau neu Ddeddfau'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol drwy reoliadau yn unig, heb ddod i fan hyn o reidrwydd. Dŷn ni wedi gofyn am eglurhad pellach ynghylch a fyddai rheoliadau o'r fath yn ddarostyngedig i'r broses memorandwm cydsyniad offeryn statudol o dan Reol Sefydlog 30A. Achos eto, wedi'r cwbl, mae yna rôl allweddol gan y Senedd yma, fel deddfwrfa i Gymru i gyd, i graffu ar y deddfu sydd yn mynd ymlaen. Nid mater yn unig rhwng Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig a Llywodraeth Cymru ydy'r prosesau yma i fod. Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee discussed the Welsh Government’s LCM in respect of the Rivers Authorities and Land Drainage Bill at our meeting on 1 April.
On 18 April, over the Easter period, the Minister wrote to the committee advising us of her intention to lay a revised LCM, which would seek consent for clauses 3 and 5, in addition to clauses 2 and 4. The revised LCM is discussed here today. As has already been mentioned, the report was laid before the Assembly last week, on 24 April.
We note the Welsh Government's reasons as to why, in its view, making provision for Wales in the UK Bill is appropriate. However, we still believe that it's unclear as to why the Welsh Government was not in a position to introduce its own legislation, and we would ask for further clarification on this point. After all, issues in relation to rivers and land drainage have been devolved to Wales for 20 years, and the Welsh Government should therefore be in a position to introduce its own legislation, without relying on the efforts of the UK Government, which hasn't been responsible for these areas for 20 years.
We note that the Welsh Government’s view, as expressed in the revised LCM, is that clauses 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Bill require the consent of the National Assembly. We further note that the view of the UK Government is that consent is needed in respect of clauses 2 to 8 of the Bill—that's 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. We, as a committee, agree with the view of the UK Government. We believe that clauses 2 to 8 require the consent of the Assembly to the extent that they are within the legislative competence of this Assembly in accordance with section 108A of the Government of Wales Act 2006.
I heard what you had to say about the SICM process, because in terms of clause 5 of this Bill, we noted that sub-section 6 permits the amendment of Measures or Acts of the National Assembly via regulations without necessarily coming to this place. We have asked for further clarification as to whether such regulations would engage the statutory instrument consent memorandum process under Standing Order 30A. Because, again, there is a key role for this Senedd, as a legislature for the whole of Wales, to scrutinise the legislation that is passed. It's not just a matter between the UK Government and the Welsh Government. That's not what these processes should be. Thank you.
I call on the Minister to reply to the debate.
Galwaf ar y Gweinidog i ymateb i'r ddadl.
Thank you, and thank you to Dai Lloyd for raising those points. I set out the reasoning why we thought the LCM was appropriate. I do think the consent is technical and it's very non-contentious. So, we thought it was a pragmatic approach that we would to that. I will ensure that your comments are fed back to DEFRA also and, if there's anything further, I would be happy to write to the Member.
Diolch, a diolch i Dai Lloyd am godi'r pwyntiau hynny. Rwyf wedi amlinellu'r rhesymau pam yr oeddem ni'n credu bod y cynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol yn briodol. Rwy'n credu bod y cydsyniad yn dechnegol ac nid yw'n ddadleuol o gwbl. Felly, roeddem ni'n meddwl ei fod yn ymagwedd bragmatig i hynny. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod DEFRA yn cael gwybod am eich sylwadau hefyd ac, os oes unrhyw beth arall, byddwn yn falch o ysgrifennu at yr Aelod.
Thank you. The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? No. Therefore, the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Diolch. Y cynnig yw bod y cynnig yn cael ei dderbyn. A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Na. Felly, derbynnir y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
And that brings today's proceedings to a close. Thank you.
A daw hynny â thrafodion heddiw i ben. Diolch.
Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am 18:47.
The meeting ended at 18:47.