Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd

Plenary - Fifth Senedd

25/02/2020

Cynnwys

Contents

1. Cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog 1. Questions to the First Minister
2. Datganiad a Chyhoeddiad Busnes 2. Business Statement and Announcement
3. Datganiad gan Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig: Y Diweddaraf am yr Uwchgynhadledd Argyfwng am y Llifogydd 3. Statement by the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs: Emergency Flood Summit Update
4. Datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol: Y Wybodaeth Ddiweddaraf am Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr 4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Update
5. Datganiad gan y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol: Ail-ddychmygu adeiladu tai cymdeithasol yng Nghymru—Strategaeth dulliau modern o adeiladu ar gyfer Cymru 5. Statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government: Re-imagining social house building in Wales—A modern methods of construction strategy for Wales
6. Datganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi, Thrafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru: Prosiectau Metro yng Nghymru 6. Statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales: Metro Projects in Wales
7. Datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol: Cynnydd ar y Llwybr Canser Sengl 7. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Progress on the Single Cancer Pathway
8. Datganiad gan y Cwnsler Cyffredinol a’r Gweinidog Brexit: Deddfwriaeth yn ymwneud â gadael yr UE 8. Statement by the Counsel General and Brexit Minister: Legislation related to leaving the EU
9. Rheoliadau Rhentu Cartrefi (Ffioedd etc.) (Terfynau Rhagnodedig ar gyfer Taliadau Diffygdaliad) (Cymru) 2020 9. The Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Prescribed Limits of Default Payments) (Wales) Regulations 2020
10. Cynnig i amrywio trefn ystyried gwelliannau Cyfnod 3 i'r Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Ansawdd ac Ymgysylltu) (Cymru) 10. Motion to vary the order of consideration of Stage 3 amendments to the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Bill
11. Dadl: Adolygiad Blynyddol Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol ar gyfer 2018-19 11. Debate: The Equality and Human Rights Annual Review 2018-19
12. Cyfnod Pleidleisio 12. Voting Time

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.

1. Cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog
1. Questions to the First Minister

Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni y prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Mohammad Asghar.

The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Mohammad Asghar.

Lles Anifeiliaid Fferm
The Welfare of Farm Animals

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. Good afternoon, First Minister.

Diolch, Madam Lywydd. Prynhawn da, Prif Weinidog.

1. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wella lles anifeiliaid fferm yng Nghymru? OAQ55109

1. What plans does the Welsh Government have to improve the welfare of farm animals in Wales? OAQ55109

Llywydd, I thank the Member for that question. Maintaining high levels of farm animal health and welfare has always been a key priority for successive Welsh Governments. Now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union, we are determined to ensure that we retain these high standards in Wales.

Llywydd, diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Mae cynnal lefelau uchel o iechyd a lles anifeiliaid fferm wedi bod yn flaenoriaeth allweddol erioed i Lywodraethau Cymru olynol. Nawr bod y Deyrnas Unedig wedi gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, rydym ni'n benderfynol o sicrhau ein bod ni'n dal i gynnal y safonau uchel hyn yng Nghymru.

Thank you very much, First Minister, for the reply. CCTV has been mandatory in every abattoir in all areas in England where live animals are kept for slaughtering since 2018. Scotland announced plans for similar new laws last year. However, in Wales, 14 out of 24 slaughterhouses do not have cameras, although the Welsh Government has made money available for their installation. RSPCA Cymru and Animal Aid both support mandatory CCTV to deter abuse and to help vets with regulation and monitoring. First Minister, when will your Government make CCTV in abattoirs mandatory in Wales, please?

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Prif Weinidog, am yr ateb. Mae teledu cylch cyfyng wedi bod yn orfodol ym mhob lladd-dy ym mhob ardal yn Lloegr lle cedwir anifeiliaid byw i'w lladd ers 2018. Cyhoeddodd yr Alban gynlluniau ar gyfer deddfau newydd tebyg y llynedd. Fodd bynnag, yng Nghymru, nid oes gan 14 o 24 o ladd-dai gamerâu, er bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu arian ar gyfer eu gosod. Mae RSPCA Cymru ac Animal Aid fel ei gilydd yn cefnogi teledu cylch cyfyng gorfodol i atal camdriniaeth ac i helpu milfeddygon gyda rheoleiddio a monitro. Prif Weinidog, pryd fydd eich Llywodraeth yn gwneud teledu cylch cyfyng mewn lladd-dai yn orfodol yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda?

I thank the Member for that follow-up question. He makes a number of important points there. The Member will be aware, I am sure, of the £1.1 million food business investment scheme that we run as a Welsh Government. The latest round of applications to that fund are currently being assessed. They include a series of applications from abattoirs in Wales to install, upgrade or improve CCTV facilities at those abattoirs. When those applications have been assessed, the Minister will make a judgement as to whether or not we have sufficient coverage of CCTVs in Welsh slaughterhouses, to avoid the need for a mandatory scheme. But, if she concludes that we've not made the progress that we wanted to see on the voluntary basis, where the taxpayer is paying for CCTV to be installed, then she will think about whether mandation is the right way ahead. 

Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn dilynol yna. Mae'n gwneud nifer o bwyntiau pwysig yn y fan yna. Bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol, rwy'n siŵr, o'r  cynllun buddsoddi mewn busnesau bwyd gwerth £1.1 miliwn yr ydym ni'n ei redeg fel Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae'r rownd ddiweddaraf o geisiadau i'r gronfa honno'n cael eu hasesu ar hyn o bryd. Maen nhw'n cynnwys cyfres o geisiadau gan ladd-dai yng Nghymru i osod, uwchraddio neu wella cyfleusterau teledu cylch cyfyng yn y lladd-dai hynny. Pan fydd y ceisiadau hynny wedi eu hasesu, bydd y Gweinidog yn penderfynu ar ba un a oes gennym ni ddarpariaeth ddigonol o deledu cylch cyfyng mewn lladd-dai yng Nghymru, i osgoi'r angen am gynllun gorfodol. Ond, os daw hi i'r casgliad nad ydym ni wedi gwneud y cynnydd yr oeddem ni eisiau ei weld ar y sail wirfoddol, pan fo'r trethdalwr yn talu am osod teledu cylch cyfyng, yna bydd hi'n meddwl am ba un ai gorfodi yw'r ffordd iawn ymlaen.

Mi fydd unrhyw un a wyliodd Ffermio ar S4C neithiwr yn gwybod bod y cyfnod wyna ar ein pennau ni erbyn hyn, ac mae'n fater dwi wedi codi'n gyson yn y Siambr yma, wrth gwrs, sef y gofid ynglŷn ag ymosodiadau gan gŵn ar ddefaid, ac wŷn wrth gwrs ar yr adeg yma o'r flwyddyn. Dwi wedi codi'n flaenorol yr angen i fynd i'r afael â hyn, a'r ateb dwi wedi cael nôl yw bod y Llywodraeth yn gwneud mwy er mwyn hyrwyddo ymwybyddiaeth ymhlith perchnogion cŵn ynglŷn â'r hyn sydd angen ei wneud. Allwch chi felly ein diweddaru ni, gan ein bod ni'n dod i gyfnod allweddol nawr, lle mae llawer o wŷn newydd-anedig yn wynebu'r risg o gael ymosodiadau gan gŵn, beth yn union y mae'r Llywodraeth yn gwneud i godi'r ymwybyddiaeth yna i berchnogion cŵn ynglŷn â'u cyfrifoldebau yn y maes yma?

Anyone who watched Ffermio on S4C last night will know that the lambing season is upon us now, and it's an issue I've raised regularly in this Chamber, of course, namely this concern about dog attacks on sheep and lambs at this time of the year. Now, I've previously raised the need to tackle this, and the response I've heard is that the Government is doing more in order to promote awareness among dog owners on what needs to be done. Can you therefore give us an update, as we are coming to a key period now, where many newborn lambs will face the risk of dog attacks, on what exactly is the Government doing to raise that awareness among dog owners on their responsibilities in this area?

Diolch i Llyr am y cwestiwn yna. Wrth gwrs, mae'r cyfrifoldeb cyfreithiol dal gyda'r person sy'n berchen ar y ci. Dyna beth mae Deddf 1953 yn dweud, ac yn dweud yn gryf.

I thank Llyr for that question. Of course, the legal responsibility remains with the dog owner. That is what the 1953 legislation makes clear.

As a Government, we work closely with local authorities, with the RSPCA and others to make sure that owners of dogs are in no doubt about the responsibility that they have to ensure that they remain in control of animals if they take them into the countryside. It is a crime to allow dogs to worry farm animals in that way. Owning a dog is a privilege and not a right, and we work with others to make sure that the codes of practice that we have provided, in partnership with the industry, remind owners of their obligations to control their pets in those circumstances. 

Fel Llywodraeth, rydym ni'n gweithio'n agos gydag awdurdodau lleol, gyda'r RSPCA ac eraill i wneud yn siŵr nad oes gan berchenogion cŵn unrhyw amheuaeth ynghylch y cyfrifoldeb sydd arnyn nhw i sicrhau eu bod nhw'n cadw rheolaeth ar anifeiliaid os ydyn nhw'n mynd â nhw i gefn gwlad. Mae'n drosedd caniatáu i gŵn aflonyddu ar anifeiliaid fferm yn y ffordd honno. Braint yw bod yn berchen ar gi, nid hawl, ac rydym ni'n gweithio gydag eraill i wneud yn siŵr bod y codau ymarfer yr ydym ni wedi eu darparu, mewn partneriaeth â'r diwydiant, yn atgoffa perchnogion o'u rhwymedigaethau i reoli eu hanifeiliaid anwes yn yr amgylchiadau hynny.

First Minister, we're all concerned about animal welfare, and I've raised this question in the Chamber before about my concerns about live animal exports. Now that the UK Government have said that they will be stopping live animal exports, and we are now finally leaving the EU, will the Welsh Government commit today that they will be doing the same?

Prif Weinidog, rydym ni i gyd yn pryderu am les anifeiliaid, ac rwyf i wedi codi'r cwestiwn hwn yn y Siambr o'r blaen am fy mhryderon am allforion anifeiliaid byw. Nawr bod Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig wedi dweud y bydd yn atal allforion anifeiliaid byw, a'n bod ni'n gadael yr UE o'r diwedd, a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ymrwymo heddiw y bydd yn gwneud hynny hefyd?

We supported the UK Government's call for evidence on a UK-wide ban in relation to the export of live animals for overseas slaughter. So, I think the Member can take it from that—that we supported the UK Government in that call for evidence on a UK-wide ban—that we would continue to support it in that way. We're working with DEFRA and the Scottish Government to determine the next steps now that that consultation has been concluded. In the meantime, the Welsh Government goes on enforcing the rules that govern the transportation of live animals on long journeys: rest periods, adequate access to feed and to water. But if there is to be a ban, and if it is to be a UK-wide ban, then we will support that.

Fe wnaethom ni gefnogi galwad Llywodraeth y DU am dystiolaeth ar waharddiad ar draws y DU gyfan o ran allforio anifeiliaid byw i'w lladd dramor. Felly, rwy'n meddwl y gall yr Aelod ei gymryd o hynny—ein bod ni wedi cefnogi Llywodraeth y DU yn y galwad hwnnw am dystiolaeth ar waharddiad DU gyfan—y byddem ni'n parhau i'w gefnogi yn y ffordd honno. Rydym ni'n gweithio gyda DEFRA a Llywodraeth yr Alban i benderfynu ar y camau nesaf nawr bod yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw wedi dod i ben. Yn y cyfamser, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i orfodi'r rheolau sy'n llywodraethu cludo anifeiliaid byw ar siwrneiau hir: cyfnodau gorffwys, bod digon o fwyd a dŵr ar gael iddyn nhw. Ond os bydd gwaharddiad, ac os yw'n mynd i fod yn waharddiad ar draws y DU gyfan, yna byddwn yn cefnogi hynny.

13:35
Llifogydd
Flooding

2. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymateb i effeithiau'r llifogydd diweddar ar ardaloedd gwarchodedig o'r amgylchedd naturiol yng Ngorllewin De Cymru? OAQ55121

2. How is the Welsh Government responding to the effects of recent flooding on protected areas of the natural environment in South Wales West? OAQ55121

I thank the Member for that. While some localised flooding has been reported, Natural Resources Wales do not believe that the ecology of protected areas has been affected by recent flooding events. However, inspection and monitoring of land and assets continues, so new information may come to light as this work progresses. At this point, NRW's priority remains the recovery and assistance it is affording to flooded communities.

Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Er yr adroddwyd am rai llifogydd lleol, nid yw Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru o'r farn bod digwyddiadau llifogydd diweddar wedi effeithio ar ecoleg ardaloedd gwarchodedig. Fodd bynnag, mae'r gwaith o arolygu a monitro tir ac asedau yn parhau, felly gallai gwybodaeth newydd ddod i'r amlwg wrth i'r gwaith hwn fynd rhagddo. Ar hyn o bryd, blaenoriaeth Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru o hyd yw'r gwaith adfer a chymorth y mae'n ei wneud mewn cymunedau sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd.

Thank you for that answer. I've raised the issue of Kenfig nature reserve and its dunes with you before, and that has been hit by weather and flooding, not just in the past two weeks, but since Christmas. And you're right, all eyes are on homes and businesses at the moment, and I certainly don't want to detract from that, but I'm rather surprised to hear that NRW has taken the line it has. Have they not approached you, or the owners of that site approached Welsh Government, for any assistance towards mitigating the effects of that flooding?

Diolch am yr ateb yna. Rwyf i wedi codi mater gwarchodfa natur Cynffig a'i thwyni gyda chi o'r blaen, ac mae honno wedi cael ei tharo gan y tywydd a llifogydd, nid yn ystod y pythefnos diwethaf yn unig, ond ers y Nadolig. Ac rydych chi'n iawn, mae pob llygad ar gartrefi a busnesau ar hyn o bryd, ac yn sicr nid wyf i eisiau bychanu hynny, ond rwy'n synnu braidd o glywed bod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi dilyn y trywydd y mae wedi ei ddilyn. Onid ydyn nhw wedi cysylltu â chi, neu a yw perchnogion y safle hwnnw wedi cysylltu â Llywodraeth Cymru, am unrhyw gymorth tuag at liniaru effeithiau'r llifogydd hynny?

I'm not aware of any direct approach, and I did ask for a check to be made directly with NRW yesterday, and there was no report in the information I saw back of an approach in that way either. Of course, I will ask for a further check to be made, to see whether any request has come in. The note that I received from NRW did confirm that there had been some localised flooding within the Kenfig nature reserve, and while the flooding may have obstructed public access to the site for a time, NRW did not believe at that point that the ecology of the site had been damaged. Indeed, their advice to me was that, as a wetlands site, it's not unusual to see some inundation of water during severe weather, and that these areas are inherently resilient to the effects of bad weather, and that, at this point in their ability to assess the position, NRW don't believe that any further protection from flooding, from an ecological point of view, will be needed at the Kenfig nature reserve.FootnoteLink

Nid wyf i'n ymwybodol o unrhyw gysylltiad uniongyrchol, ac fe wnes i ofyn am i wiriad gael ei wneud yn uniongyrchol gyda Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ddoe, ac nid oedd unrhyw adroddiad yn yr wybodaeth a welais yn ôl o gysylltiad yn y ffordd honno ychwaith. Wrth gwrs, byddaf yn gofyn am i wiriad pellach gael ei wneud, i weld a oes unrhyw gais wedi ei dderbyn. Roedd y nodyn a gefais gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn cadarnhau y bu rhywfaint o lifogydd lleol yng ngwarchodfa natur Cynffig, ac er y gallai'r llifogydd fod wedi rhwystro mynediad i'r cyhoedd at y safle am gyfnod, nid oedd Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn credu bryd hynny bod ecoleg y safle wedi ei difrodi. Yn wir, eu cyngor i mi oedd nad yw'n anarferol, fel safle gwlyptir, gweld rhywfaint o ddŵr yn gorlifo yn ystod tywydd garw, a bod yr ardaloedd hyn yn gallu gwrthsefyll effeithiau tywydd garw yn gynhenid, ac nad yw Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn credu, ar yr adeg hon yn eu gallu i asesu'r sefyllfa, y bydd angen unrhyw amddiffyniad pellach rhag llifogydd, o safbwynt ecolegol, yng ngwarchodfa natur Cynffig.FootnoteLink

Unfortunately, in some areas, the flooding has either been caused or has been exacerbated by blocked or broken culverts. In Ystalyfera, in the Swansea valley, I understand a capital bid has already been put to Welsh Government by Neath Port Talbot Council, so that remedial works can be undertaken to a broken culvert on land being purchased by the local authority for this purpose. Can you give an assurance that these types of capital funding bids will now be expedited to try and minimise future risks, and will you give an update in terms of discussions that you are having with Neath Port Talbot Council with regards to its overall capital funding requirement?

And in a neighbouring authority, in Gorseinon in the city and county of Swansea, I'm informed that householders who have been flooded have been told that they will be charged by the council to collect household items that were ruined by the flood. Surely, you will agree that this seems extremely unfair, and will you look to ensure that no council is charging householders in this situation?

Yn anffodus, mewn rhai ardaloedd, mae'r llifogydd naill ai wedi cael eu hachosi neu eu gwaethygu gan gwlfertau wedi eu blocio neu sydd wedi torri. Yn Ystalyfera, yng nghwm Tawe, deallaf fod cais cyfalaf eisoes wedi ei gyflwyno i Lywodraeth Cymru gan Gyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot, fel y gellir gwneud gwaith adfer i gwlfert sydd wedi torri ar dir sy'n cael ei brynu gan yr awdurdod lleol at y diben hwn. A allwch chi roi sicrwydd y bydd y mathau hyn o geisiadau am arian cyfalaf yn cael eu cyflymu nawr i geisio sicrhau cyn lleied â phosibl o risgiau yn y dyfodol, ac a wnewch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf o ran y trafodaethau yr ydych chi'n eu cael gyda Chyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot ynghylch ei anghenion cyllid cyfalaf cyffredinol?

Ac mewn awdurdod cyfagos, yng Ngorseinon yn ninas a sir Abertawe, dywedir wrthyf fod deiliaid tai sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd wedi cael gwybod y bydd y cyngor yn codi tâl arnyn nhw i gasglu eitemau cartref a gafodd eu difetha gan y llifogydd. Does bosib nad ydych chi'n cytuno bod hyn yn ymddangos yn hynod annheg, ac a wnewch chi geisio sicrhau nad oes yr un cyngor yn codi tâl ar ddeiliaid tai yn y sefyllfa hon?

Llywydd, there are questions on the order paper to me today about the general impact of flooding. I'll try and answer a couple of the points that Dr Lloyd has raised, but I don't think any of them refer to protected areas of the natural environment, as the question asked by Suzy Davies posed.

But in answering Dr Lloyd's specific question about capital for culvert repairs, that is covered by announcements the Welsh Government has already made about emergency help for local authorities, and I'm aware of other local authorities in Wales who have taken very direct and, I think, positive action to make sure that, where households have been flooded, they have as easy access as possible to skips, for example, without charge, without the need for permits to be provided, so that people who are in that dreadful position of having to clear homes of rubbish don't face another difficulty in their path. 

Llywydd, mae cwestiynau ar y papur trefn i mi heddiw am effaith gyffredinol llifogydd. Byddaf yn ceisio ateb un neu ddau o'r pwyntiau a godwyd gan Dr Lloyd, ond nid wyf i'n credu bod yr un ohonyn nhw'n cyfeirio at ardaloedd gwarchodedig o'r amgylchedd naturiol, fel y nodwyd yn y cwestiwn a ofynnodd Suzy Davies.

Ond i ateb cwestiwn penodol Dr Lloyd am gyfalaf ar gyfer atgyweirio cwlfertau, mae hynny wedi ei gwmpasu gan gyhoeddiadau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes wedi eu gwneud am gymorth brys i awdurdodau lleol, ac rwy'n ymwybodol o awdurdodau lleol eraill yng Nghymru sydd wedi cymryd camau uniongyrchol iawn ac, yn fy marn i, cadarnhaol iawn, i wneud yn siŵr, pan fo aelwydydd wedi dioddef llifogydd, bod sgipiau ar gael iddyn nhw mewn modd mor rhwydd â phosibl, er enghraifft, yn ddi-dâl, heb fod angen darparu trwyddedau, fel nad yw pobl sydd yn y sefyllfa ofnadwy honno o orfod clirio sbwriel o'u cartrefi yn wynebu anhawster arall ar eu ffordd.

13:40
Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Arweinwyr y Pleidiau
Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Paul Davies.  

Questions now from the party leaders. Leader of the opposition, Paul Davies. 

Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, the last few weeks have seen communities across Wales devastated by storm Ciara and storm Dennis, and I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the emergency services and the communities up and down Wales who have worked tirelessly to support those affected. 

Now, I appreciate that the Minister will be making a statement on this matter later today, but are you confident that the Welsh Government has done, and is doing, all that it can to protect and support those affected by flooding across the whole of Wales? 

Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, mae cymunedau ledled Cymru wedi cael eu distrywio gan storm Ciara a storm Dennis dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, a hoffwn achub ar y cyfle i ddiolch i'r gwasanaethau brys a'r cymunedau ar hyd a lled Cymru sydd wedi gweithio'n ddiflino i gynorthwyo’r rhai yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw.

Nawr, rwy'n sylweddoli y bydd y Gweinidog yn gwneud datganiad ar y mater hwn yn ddiweddarach heddiw, ond a ydych chi'n ffyddiog fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwneud, ac yn gwneud, popeth o fewn ei gallu i ddiogelu a chynorthwyo'r rhai sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio gan lifogydd ledled Cymru gyfan?

I thank the Member for that question. Can I echo what he said? Everywhere I went last week, Llywydd, meeting people in the most difficult of circumstances, the first thing they wanted to say to me was just how much they appreciated the efforts made by emergency services, sometimes to rescue them directly from life-threatening situations. So, even when they themselves were in awful predicaments, the first thing they wanted to do was to pay tribute to others, and I'm keen to echo his sentiments in that regard.

And he's absolutely right in what he said about community activity as well. I spent quite a part of one evening in Taff's Well rugby club just outside Cardiff and, the whole time that I was there, there was a procession of people coming to the club bringing goods, asking what more they could do, volunteering to be part of the effort that that centre was making to respond to the needs of people in those very difficult circumstances. And that sense of community effort in a crisis, I think, has been very characteristic of responses across Wales over the last two weeks. 

The Welsh Government is focused, at this point, on the services that we can provide to help individuals and households, businesses and local authorities in dealing with the immediate aftermath of the crisis, and we've put a series of measures in place to assist them in doing that. There will be a much longer haul for many householders and businesses, and indeed for local authorities in repairing bridges, making good roads that have been damaged, checking flood defences to make sure that they can be made resilient for the next time an event of this sort happens; and, in that, we will be seeking the assistance of the UK Government, because the costs of that are well beyond what the Welsh Government itself could, in an emergency of this sort, be expected to bear. 

Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. A gaf i ategu'r hyn a ddywedodd? Ym mhobman yr euthum i iddyn nhw yr wythnos diwethaf, Llywydd, gan gyfarfod â phobl o dan yr amgylchiadau anoddaf, y peth cyntaf yr oedden nhw eisiau ei ddweud wrthyf i oedd cymaint yr oedden nhw'n gwerthfawrogi'r ymdrechion a wnaed gan y gwasanaethau brys, weithiau i'w hachub yn uniongyrchol o sefyllfaoedd a oedd yn peryglu eu bywydau. Felly, hyd yn oed pan yr oedden nhw eu hunain mewn helyntion ofnadwy, y peth cyntaf yr oedden nhw eisiau ei wneud oedd talu teyrnged i eraill, ac rwy'n awyddus i ategu ei eiriau ef yn hynny o beth.

Ac mae yn llygad ei le yn yr hyn a ddywedodd am weithgarwch cymunedol hefyd. Treuliais ran helaeth o un noson yng nghlwb rygbi Ffynnon Taf ar gyrion Caerdydd, a'r holl amser yr oeddwn i yno, roedd rhesi o bobl yn dod i'r clwb gyda nwyddau, gan ofyn beth arall y gallen nhw ei wneud, gan wirfoddoli i fod yn rhan o'r ymdrech yr oedd y ganolfan honno'n ei gwneud i ymateb i anghenion pobl o dan yr amgylchiadau anodd iawn hynny. Ac mae'r synnwyr hwnnw o ymdrech gymunedol mewn argyfwng, yn fy marn i, wedi bod yn nodweddiadol iawn o ymatebion ledled Cymru dros y pythefnos diwethaf.  

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn canolbwyntio, ar hyn o bryd, ar y gwasanaethau y gallwn ni eu darparu i helpu unigolion ac aelwydydd, busnesau ac awdurdodau lleol i ymdrin â chanlyniadau uniongyrchol yr argyfwng, ac rydym ni wedi rhoi cyfres o fesurau ar waith i'w cynorthwyo i wneud hynny. Bydd taith llawer hwy yn wynebu llawer o ddeiliaid tai a busnesau, ac yn wir awdurdodau lleol o ran atgyweirio pontydd, trwsio ffyrdd sydd wedi eu difrodi, archwilio amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd i wneud yn siŵr y gellir eu gwneud yn gydnerth ar gyfer y tro nesaf y gwelir digwyddiad o'r math hwn; ac, yn hynny o beth, byddwn yn ceisio cymorth Llywodraeth y DU, gan fod costau hynny ymhell y tu hwnt i'r hyn y gellid disgwyl i Lywodraeth Cymru ei hun eu hysgwyddo, mewn argyfwng o'r math hwn.  

First Minister, whilst some steps have rightly been taken and considerable progress has been made, I know first-hand from the conversations that I've had with some of those affected as well that they feel more could and should have been done sooner, and so it's clear that there are still lessons to be learnt and questions to answer.

Now, rightly or wrongly, some have expressed concerns around the co-ordination of the responses to some of these events, and I believe that that takes governments at all levels working together and collaborating more effectively than we've actually seen before. 

Now, you may be aware of concerns raised by Mari Arthur, chair of Welsh Water's independent advisory panel, who said that:

'We're missing that leadership, I feel, at the top to bring that together. That's why things aren't happening.'

Now, in addition to that, I understand that it's also been 10 years since the publication of the last flood risk management strategy and, whilst the Government has consulted, we are yet to see an updated strategy, which surely will help in making sure that responses are better co-ordinated in the future. 

First Minister, do you accept that the delay in publishing an updated specific Welsh flood risk management strategy has made some communities feel that flooding is simply not a priority? And how do you respond to the views of some in the sector that, moving forward, it's time that more effective leadership is shown on this matter?

Prif Weinidog, er bod rhai camau wedi eu cymryd yn briodol a bod cynnydd sylweddol wedi ei wneud, gwn yn bersonol o'r sgyrsiau yr wyf i wedi eu cael gyda rhai o'r rheini sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio hefyd eu bod nhw'n teimlo y gellid ac y dylid bod wedi gwneud mwy yn gynharach, ac felly mae'n amlwg bod gwersi i'w dysgu a chwestiynau i'w hateb o hyd.

Nawr, yn gam neu'n gymwys, mae rhai wedi mynegi pryderon ynghylch cydgysylltiad yr ymatebion i rai o'r digwyddiadau hyn, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n golygu bod angen i lywodraethau ar bob lefel weithio gyda'i gilydd a chydweithredu'n fwy effeithiol nag yr ydym ni wedi ei weld o'r blaen mewn gwirionedd.

Nawr, efallai eich bod chi'n ymwybodol o bryderon a godwyd gan Mari Arthur, cadeirydd panel cynghori annibynnol Dŵr Cymru, a ddywedodd:

Nid yw'r arweinyddiaeth gennym ni ar y brig, rwy'n teimlo, i ddod â hynny at ei gilydd. Dyna pam nad yw pethau'n digwydd.

Nawr, yn ogystal â hynny, deallaf fod 10 mlynedd wedi mynd heibio hefyd ers cyhoeddi'r strategaeth rheoli perygl llifogydd ddiwethaf ac, er bod y Llywodraeth wedi ymgynghori, nid ydym ni wedi gweld strategaeth wedi'i diweddaru eto, a fydd, siawns, yn helpu i wneud yn siŵr bod ymatebion yn cael eu cydgysylltu'n well yn y dyfodol.

Prif Weinidog, a ydych chi'n derbyn bod yr oedi cyn cyhoeddi strategaeth benodol wedi'i diweddaru ar gyfer rheoli perygl llifogydd yng Nghymru wedi gwneud i rai cymunedau deimlo nad yw llifogydd yn flaenoriaeth o gwbl? A sut ydych chi'n ymateb i farn rhai yn y sector ei bod yn bryd, yn y dyfodol, i arweinyddiaeth mwy effeithiol gael ei dangos o ran y mater hwn?

I'll begin by agreeing with the point that the Member has made about there being lessons to learn. There are bound to be lessons to learn, aren't there? And it's really important that, when the immediate crisis is over, all of those who've had a part to play in responding to it take the time to see whether everything that was there in the plan was delivered on the ground in the way that was intended.

I think there were very real efforts made to co-ordinate response across Wales. The emergency co-ordination centre that the Welsh Government runs was open throughout the weekend of storm Dennis. The emergency services command structure was in operation throughout that weekend and had been doing storm Ciara in north Wales as well. It was an important test of that command structure, and when I met one of the chief constables in Wales, he told me that he felt that the rehearsals that we had held here in Wales over recent months in preparing for a 'no deal' exit from the European Union and in relation to coronavirus had stood them in good stead in being able to put those arrangements into practice. That is not to say that there aren't lessons that we can draw on when we stand back from all of this, but I do think that there were real efforts made to co-ordinate and to use the structures that had been put in place to respond to emergency circumstances. 

As far as the strategy is concerned, then yes, the strategy was out for consultation earlier last year. It closed in the autumn, and the Minister intends to publish the updated strategy in the months ahead. I doubt very much myself, Llywydd, that communities that found themselves on the sharp end of flooding events were concerned about the publication of a strategy at the point that they were dealing with the emergency, but that strategy is well in preparation. It will be published shortly and it will help build resilience and prioritise future investment in most at-risk communities.

Hoffwn ddechrau trwy gytuno â'r pwynt y mae'r Aelod wedi ei wneud bod gwersi i'w dysgu. Mae'n sicr y bydd gwersi i'w dysgu, onid yw? Ac mae'n bwysig iawn, pan fydd yr argyfwng uniongyrchol ar ben, bod pawb a fu â rhan i'w chwarae mewn ymateb iddo yn cymryd yr amser i weld a ddarparwyd popeth a oedd yno yn y cynllun ar lawr gwlad yn y ffordd a fwriadwyd.

Rwy'n credu y gwnaed ymdrechion gwirioneddol i gydgysylltu'r ymateb ledled Cymru. Roedd y ganolfan cydgysylltu argyfyngau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei rhedeg ar agor drwy gydol penwythnos storm Dennis. Roedd strwythur gorchymyn y gwasanaethau brys yn weithredol drwy gydol y penwythnos hwnnw ac wedi bod yn ymateb i storm Ciara yn y gogledd hefyd. Roedd yn brawf pwysig o'r strwythur gorchymyn hwnnw, a phan gyfarfûm ag un o'r prif gwnstabliaid yng Nghymru, dywedodd wrthyf ei fod yn teimlo bod yr ymarferion a gynhaliwyd gennym ni yma yng Nghymru dros y misoedd diwethaf i baratoi ar gyfer ymadawiad 'heb gytundeb' o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd ac o ran coronafeirws wedi bod o fudd mawr iddyn nhw o ran gallu rhoi'r trefniadau hynny ar waith. Nid yw hynny'n golygu nad oes gwersi y gallwn ni fanteisio arnyn nhw pan fyddwn ni'n sefyll yn ôl oddi wrth hyn i gyd, ond rwy'n credu bod ymdrechion gwirioneddol wedi eu gwneud i gydgysylltu ac i ddefnyddio'r strwythurau a roddwyd ar waith i ymateb i amgylchiadau brys.

Cyn belled ag y mae'r strategaeth yn y cwestiwn, yna oedd, roedd y strategaeth yn destun ymgynghoriad yn gynharach y llynedd. Daeth i ben yn yr hydref, ac mae'r Gweinidog yn bwriadu cyhoeddi'r strategaeth wedi'i diweddaru yn ystod y misoedd nesaf. Rwy’n amau'n fawr iawn fy hun, Llywydd, bod cymunedau a ganfu eu hunain yng nghanol achosion o lifogydd yn poeni am gyhoeddi strategaeth ar yr adeg yr oedden nhw'n ymdopi â'r argyfwng, ond mae paratoadau ar gyfer y strategaeth honno wedi datblygu'n dda. Bydd yn cael ei chyhoeddi'n fuan a bydd yn helpu i ddatblygu cydnerthedd a blaenoriaethu buddsoddiad yn y dyfodol mewn cymunedau sydd yn y mwyaf o berygl.

13:45

Well, I do say to the First Minister, it is important to have an updated strategy so that we can avoid, perhaps, some of these events in the future. And perhaps we need to rethink as well how we address flooding in the future, especially given the warning signs received at the start of this Assembly. In 2016, for example, the Wales Audit Office reported that lack of capacity within the Welsh Government and councils had delayed progress and threatened to undermine the long-term approach to managing the risks of coastal flooding and erosion.

Well, perhaps we're feeling the effects of that now, First Minister, and with no updated risk management strategy, it's hard to see how we can make sufficient and appropriate progress in the short term. Therefore, in light of the impact that the recent storms have had across Wales, what lessons has your Government learned about the way in which flooding is prioritised by your Government? And will you also commit to providing a full breakdown of how the Welsh Government will be allocating its resources on flood risk management so that communities right across Wales can see the level of investment that the Welsh Government is making in their areas?

Wel, rwyf i'n dweud wrth y Prif Weinidog, ei bod hi'n bwysig cael strategaeth wedi'i diweddaru fel y gallwn ni osgoi, efallai, rhai o'r digwyddiadau hyn yn y dyfodol. Ac efallai bod angen i ni ailfeddwl hefyd sut yr ydym ni'n mynd i'r afael â llifogydd yn y dyfodol, yn enwedig o ystyried yr arwyddion rhybudd a gafwyd ar ddechrau'r Cynulliad hwn. Yn 2016, er enghraifft, adroddodd Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru bod diffyg capasiti o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru a chynghorau wedi oedi cynnydd ac wedi bygwth tanseilio'r dull hirdymor o reoli risgiau llifogydd ac erydu arfordirol.

Wel, efallai ein bod ni'n teimlo effeithiau hynny nawr, Prif Weinidog, a heb strategaeth rheoli risg wedi'i diweddaru, mae'n anodd gweld sut y gallwn ni wneud cynnydd digonol a phriodol yn y byrdymor. Felly, yng ngoleuni'r effaith y mae'r stormydd diweddar wedi ei chael ledled Cymru, pa wersi mae eich Llywodraeth wedi eu dysgu am y ffordd y caiff llifogydd eu blaenoriaethu gan eich Llywodraeth? Ac a wnewch chi hefyd ymrwymo i ddarparu dadansoddiad llawn o sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn dyrannu ei hadnoddau ar gyfer rheoli'r perygl o lifogydd fel y gall cymunedau ledled Cymru weld lefel y buddsoddiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud yn eu hardaloedd?

I thank the Member for that. I agree that we will have to think differently about the future. I don't draw exactly the same conclusions as he draws, because I think that the figures will demonstrate when these events are over that there were 73,000 households across Wales, as a minimum, that were protected from the effects of this extreme weather event because of the flood prevention schemes that have been implemented in Wales over recent times. So, the idea that things had not been done, I don't think will bear scrutiny.

Where he is right, I think, is that the plans that have been in place have been drawn up in order to be able to resist the sorts of weather events that we have experienced over the last 50 years. And it may well be—climate science is telling us that the sorts of events that we saw over the last two weeks are likely to become more frequent and more intense in the future, and therefore, the test against which we judge flood prevention schemes will have to be different in order to meet that new intensity of risk, and in that sense, the future will have to be different to the past.

I discussed this yesterday with the Secretary of State in the meeting that we jointly chaired about coal tips in Wales. Coal tips that pose a risk are inspected very frequently by local authorities, by the coal authority and by NRW. They inspect them against the sort of risk that a winter would pose. If those risks are going to be different, then the standards of inspection will need to be different, and, therefore, the future, as Paul Davies said, will have to now meet those new circumstances.

As to publication of expenditure by the Welsh Government under the flood and coastal risk management programme, we do that all the time. Whenever a scheme is agreed—£44 million in the south-west of Wales recently—then we publish those schemes and we publish the amounts of money associated with them, because we are very keen that people in Wales can see how the £350 million that is being spent over this Assembly term is being used to protect them from the effects of river and coastal flooding.

Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Rwy'n cytuno y bydd yn rhaid i ni feddwl yn wahanol am y dyfodol. Nid wyf i'n dod i'r un casgliadau yn union ag y mae e'n dod iddyn nhw, gan fy mod i'n credu y bydd y ffigurau'n dangos pan fo'r digwyddiadau hyn ar ben bod 73,000 o aelwydydd ledled Cymru, o leiaf, a amddiffynnwyd rhag effeithiau'r digwyddiad tywydd eithafol hwn oherwydd y cynlluniau atal llifogydd a weithredwyd yng Nghymru yn y cyfnod diweddar. Felly, nid wyf i'n credu y bydd y syniad nad oedd pethau wedi cael eu gwneud yn gwrthsefyll craffu.

Yr hyn y mae'n iawn yn ei gylch, rwy'n meddwl, yw bod y cynlluniau sydd wedi bod ar waith wedi cael eu llunio er mwyn gallu gwrthsefyll y mathau o ddigwyddiadau tywydd yr ydym ni wedi eu gweld dros yr 50 mlynedd diwethaf. Ac mae'n ddigon posibl—mae gwyddor hinsawdd yn dweud wrthym ni fod y mathau o ddigwyddiadau a welsom ni dros y pythefnos diwethaf yn debygol o ddod yn amlach ac yn fwy dwys yn y dyfodol, ac felly, bydd yn rhaid i'r prawf yr ydym ni'n barnu cynlluniau atal llifogydd yn ei erbyn fod yn wahanol er mwyn bodloni'r dwysedd newydd hwnnw o risg, ac yn yr ystyr hwnnw, bydd yn rhaid i'r dyfodol fod yn wahanol i'r gorffennol.

Trafodais hyn ddoe gyda'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yn y cyfarfod a gyd-gadeiriwyd gennym ni ar domenni glo yng Nghymru. Mae tomenni glo sy'n peri risg yn cael eu harchwilio'n aml iawn gan awdurdodau lleol, gan yr awdurdod glo a chan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru. Maen nhw'n eu harchwilio yn erbyn y math o risg y byddai gaeaf yn ei hachosi. Os yw'r risgiau hynny'n mynd i fod yn wahanol, yna bydd angen i'r safonau archwilio fod yn wahanol, ac, felly, bydd yn rhaid i'r dyfodol, fel y dywedodd Paul Davies, bellach fodloni'r amgylchiadau newydd hynny.

O ran cyhoeddi gwariant gan Lywodraeth Cymru o dan y rhaglen rheoli perygl llifogydd ac arfordiroedd, rydym ni'n gwneud hynny drwy'r amser. Pryd bynnag y caiff cynllun ei gytuno—£44 miliwn yn y de-orllewin yn ddiweddar—yna rydym ni'n cyhoeddi'r cynlluniau hynny ac yn cyhoeddi'r symiau o arian sy'n gysylltiedig â nhw, gan ein bod ni'n awyddus iawn i bobl yng Nghymru allu gweld sut mae'r £350 miliwn sy'n cael ei wario yn ystod y tymor Cynulliad hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio i'w hamddiffyn rhag effeithiau llifogydd afonol ac arfordirol.

13:50

Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.

Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.

Diolch. Last week, I saw for myself, first-hand, the deep sense of community spirit that the First Minister also referred to, and I'll be visiting residents in Pentre again tomorrow. This is not a time to walk on by on the other side, when people are facing such hardship and distress, or, in the case of Boris Johnson, simply not to turn up at all, of course.

Now, the repair bill—I've seen one estimate—could be up to £180 million in Rhondda Cynon Taf alone, and I know the Welsh Government has provided £10 million of immediate hardship relief. Could the First Minister say whether you have yet a figure for the amount that you're asking for the UK Government to provide? In the event that they are not willing to make up the shortfall, does the Welsh Government itself have sufficient reserves for the scale of the challenge that we face?

Diolch. Yr wythnos diwethaf, gwelais drosof fy hun, yn uniongyrchol, yr ymdeimlad dwfn o ysbryd cymunedol y cyfeiriodd y Prif Weinidog ato hefyd, a byddaf yn ymweld â thrigolion Pentre unwaith eto yfory. Nid yw hwn yn amser i gerdded heibio ar yr ochr arall i'r ffordd, pan fo pobl yn wynebu'r fath galedi a thrallod, neu, yn achos Boris Johnson, peidio â throi i fyny o gwbl, wrth gwrs.

Nawr, gallai'r bil atgyweiriadau—rwyf i wedi gweld un amcangyfrif—fod hyd at £180 miliwn yn Rhondda Cynon Taf yn unig, ac rwy'n gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu £10 miliwn o ryddhad caledi ar unwaith. A allai'r Prif Weinidog ddweud a oes gennych chi ffigur eto ar gyfer y swm yr ydych chi'n gofyn i Lywodraeth y DU ei ddarparu? Os na fyddan nhw'n fodlon gwneud iawn am y diffyg, a oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru ei hun ddigon o gronfeydd wrth gefn ar gyfer maint yr her sy'n ein hwynebu?

I thank Adam Price for those questions. He is right to say that what the Welsh Government has done is to focus upon the immediate aftermath of the floods to make sure that we provide funding for individual householders directly affected, to pay for the clean-up costs of local authorities, to be able to begin to help businesses to get back on their feet. We can cover those costs from within our own budgets, by very careful management and drawing together of funds from different parts of Government. But beyond the immediate impact, when local authorities have major infrastructure repairs to be carried out, then that is not going to be £10 million, that's going to be tens and tens of millions of pounds. My colleague, Rebecca Evans wrote to the Treasury yesterday, formally setting out the fact that we will be looking to the Treasury for assistance with that bill.

It isn't possible, at this point, Llywydd, to put a precise figure on how much that will be, because some of the damage that will need to be repaired is literally still under water, so it hasn't been possible to get engineers down to look at the scale of the damage and to give us an assessment of what it will cost to put it right. The figure that Adam Price has referred to, which comes from RCT, I think is not an unreasonable estimate of what the damage in that county may be, and there's damage in many other parts of Wales, as well.

Diolchaf i Adam Price am y cwestiynau yna. Mae'n iawn wrth ddweud mai'r hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei wneud yw canolbwyntio ar ganlyniad uniongyrchol y llifogydd i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn darparu cyllid i ddeiliaid tai unigol sydd wedi eu heffeithio'n uniongyrchol, i dalu am gostau glanhau awdurdodau lleol, i allu dechrau helpu busnesau i godi yn ôl ar eu traed. Gallwn dalu'r costau hynny o'n cyllidebau ein hunain, trwy reolaeth ofalus iawn a chan ddwyn ynghyd arian o wahanol rannau o'r Llywodraeth. Ond y tu hwnt i'r effaith uniongyrchol, pan fydd gan awdurdodau lleol atgyweiriadau seilwaith mawr i'w gwneud, yna ni fydd hynny'n £10 miliwn, mae hynny'n mynd i fod yn ddegau a degau o filiynau o bunnoedd. Ysgrifennodd fy nghyd-Aelod, Rebecca Evans, at y Trysorlys ddoe, gan nodi'n ffurfiol y ffaith y byddwn ni'n disgwyl i'r Trysorlys ein cynorthwyo gyda'r bil hwnnw.

Nid yw'n bosibl, ar hyn o bryd, Llywydd, rhoi union ffigur ar faint fydd hynny, gan fod rhywfaint o'r difrod y bydd angen ei drwsio yn dal i fod o dan ddŵr yn llythrennol, felly ni fu'n bosibl cael peirianwyr i lawr i edrych ar faint y difrod ac i roi asesiad i ni o'r hyn y bydd yn ei gostio i'w drwsio. Yn fy marn i, nid yw'r ffigur y mae Adam Price wedi cyfeirio ato, sy'n dod gan Rhondda Cynon Taf, yn amcangyfrif afresymol o'r difrod a allai fod yn y sir honno, a cheir difrod mewn llawer o rannau eraill o Gymru hefyd.

As the clean-up begins, of course, questions will need to be addressed about what could have been done differently—the lessons learned that the First Minister referred to. I was wondering if he could address some of those initial concerns. Natural Resources Wales have already admitted, I understand, that debris left behind by logging operations on the mountain above Pentre contributed to flooding there. There are also serious concerns that NRW don't have the capacity to cope with work that urgently needs to be undertaken. In Trehafod, Dŵr Cymru has made a £1,000 payment to 40 households without accepting liability as the pumping station there didn't function. So, can you, as a matter of urgency, look at the budget of NRW to ensure that it's adequately funded to deal with disasters on this scale and also set up an investigation into the role or contribution that any actions by either a statutory body or the utility made to some of the flood damage?

Wrth i'r gwaith glanhau ddechrau, wrth gwrs, bydd angen rhoi sylw i gwestiynau am yr hyn y gellid bod wedi ei wneud yn wahanol—y gwersi a ddysgwyd y cyfeiriodd y Prif Weinidog atyn nhw. Roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed a allai roi sylw i rai o'r pryderon cychwynnol hynny. Mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru eisoes wedi cyfaddef, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, bod gweddillion a adawyd gan weithrediadau torri â thrin coed ar y mynydd uwchlaw Pentre wedi cyfrannu at lifogydd yn y fan honno. Ceir pryderon difrifol hefyd nad oes gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru y capasiti i ymdopi â gwaith y mae angen ei wneud ar frys. Yn Nhrehafod, mae Dŵr Cymru wedi gwneud taliad o £1,000 i 40 o aelwydydd heb dderbyn atebolrwydd gan nad oedd yr orsaf bwmpio yno yn gweithio. Felly, a allwch chi, fel mater o frys, edrych ar gyllideb Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i sicrhau ei fod wedi ei ariannu'n ddigonol i ymdrin â thrychinebau ar y raddfa hon a hefyd sefydlu ymchwiliad i'r rhan neu'r cyfraniad a wnaed drwy unrhyw gamau gan naill ai gorff statudol neu'r cyfleustod i rywfaint o'r difrod llifogydd?

13:55

Well, just to repeat what I said to Paul Davies, Llywydd: of course, lessons will need to be learned. In relation to NRW's logging operation at Pentre, my understanding is that, in clearing diseased larch from a small part of the wood there, NRW did what the current guidance would suggest that they should do, which is to leave some of the smaller debris that you get when trees are being felled on the ground, because that's how you protect soil from erosion when trees are logged, and it's how you protect biodiversity gain. So, they were acting within the rule book as it's currently constructed. The question has to be now asked: is the rule book fit for these sorts of events, should they happen in future? That's just one example of lessons learned.

The summit that we held last week, Llywydd, did its best to draw everybody who had had a part to play in responding to the floods around one table. That included Dŵr Cymru, as it included the third sector and the voluntary sector in part of that response to the flooding that Adam Price referred to. We will be looking to see how all those players think about the part that they played and whether there are things that they would want to do differently in the future.

NRW's budget, like the budgets of all public services in Wales, has had to be calibrated against the impact of 10 years of austerity. I probably should have said, in answering Adam Price's first question, about the impact of the flooding on capital expenditure in the future. Part of the reason why we are having to ask the UK Government for assistance is because with six weeks of this financial year left to go, the Treasury wrote to us requiring us to repay to them £100 million of financial transactions capital, and £100 million of conventional capital, before the end of this financial year. They said that they had recalculated Barnett consequentials, and that that money needed to be returned to them. When I say to the Prime Minister that I want money to help us with the impact of flooding here in Wales, I'm essentially asking him to hand back to us money that he took away from us in the last few weeks.

Wel, dim ond i ailadrodd yr hyn a ddywedais wrth Paul Davies, Llywydd: wrth gwrs, bydd angen dysgu gwersi. O ran gwaith torri a thrin coed Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ym Mhentre, fy nealltwriaeth i yw bod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, trwy glirio coed llarwydd heintiedig o ran fach o'r goedwig yn y fan honno, wedi gwneud yr hyn y byddai'r canllawiau presennol yn awgrymu y dylen nhw ei wneud, sef gadael rhai o'r gweddillion llai yr ydych chi'n eu cael pan fo coed yn cael eu cwympo ar y ddaear, oherwydd dyna sut yr ydych chi'n diogelu pridd rhag erydu pan fydd coed yn cael eu torri, a dyna sut yr ydych chi'n diogelu lles bioamrywiaeth. Felly, roedden nhw'n gweithredu'n unol â'r llyfr rheolau fel y mae wedi ei lunio ar hyn o bryd. Mae'n rhaid gofyn y cwestiwn nawr: a yw'r llyfr rheolau yn addas ar gyfer y mathau hyn o ddigwyddiadau, a ddylen nhw ddigwydd yn y dyfodol? Dyna un enghraifft yn unig o wersi a ddysgwyd.

Fe wnaeth yr uwchgynhadledd a gynhaliwyd gennym yr wythnos diwethaf, Llywydd, ei gorau i ddenu pawb a oedd â rhan i'w chwarae wrth ymateb i'r llifogydd o amgylch un bwrdd. Roedd hynny'n cynnwys Dŵr Cymru, a hefyd yn cynnwys y trydydd sector a'r sector gwirfoddol yn rhan o'r ymateb hwnnw i'r llifogydd y cyfeiriodd Adam Price atyn nhw. Byddwn yn edrych i weld sut y mae'r holl sefydliadau hynny'n meddwl am y rhan a chwaraewyd ganddynt ac a oes pethau y bydden nhw eisiau eu gwneud yn wahanol yn y dyfodol.

Bu'n rhaid graddoli cyllideb Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, fel cyllideb pob gwasanaeth cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, yn erbyn effaith 10 mlynedd o gyni cyllidol. Mae'n debyg y dylwn i fod wedi dweud, wrth ateb cwestiwn cyntaf Adam Price, am effaith y llifogydd ar wariant cyfalaf yn y dyfodol. Rhan o'r rheswm pam mae'n rhaid i ni ofyn i Lywodraeth y DU am gymorth yw oherwydd, gyda chwe wythnos o'r flwyddyn ariannol hon yn weddill, ysgrifennodd y Trysorlys atom yn gofyn i ni ad-dalu £100 miliwn o gyfalaf trafodion ariannol iddyn nhw, a £100 miliwn o gyfalaf confensiynol, cyn diwedd y flwyddyn ariannol hon. Dywedasant eu bod nhw wedi ail-gyfrifo symiau canlyniadol Barnett, a bod angen i'r arian hwnnw gael ei ddychwelyd iddyn nhw. Pan fyddaf yn dweud wrth y Prif Weinidog fy mod i eisiau arian i'n helpu ni gydag effaith llifogydd yma yng Nghymru, gofyn yr wyf i, yn y bôn, iddo ddychwelyd arian i ni a gymerodd oddi wrthym yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf.

When Yorkshire was hit with severe flooding in July and in November last year, and again this month, UK armed forces were drafted in to help. In the autumn, RAF Chinooks were called in to assist a pumping station near Doncaster following heavy rainfall. This resource—this level of response—might have been invaluable in the case of Trehafod and elsewhere. Although no infantry units are based in Wales—the First Battalion The Rifles is based, for example, just across the border, near Chepstow—Welsh men and women loyally serve in the forces and would, no doubt, have made a valuable contribution in serving Welsh communities during the crisis if asked to do so. Did you ask the UK Government, First Minister, for the assistance of the army? If not, why not, and will you in future if the need arises?

Pan gafodd Swydd Efrog ei tharo gan lifogydd difrifol ym mis Gorffennaf ac ym mis Tachwedd y llynedd, ac eto y mis hwn, anfonwyd lluoedd arfog y DU i helpu. Yn yr hydref, galwyd hofrenyddion Chinook yr Awyrlu Brenhinol i mewn i gynorthwyo gorsaf bwmpio ger Doncaster yn dilyn glaw trwm. Byddai'r adnodd hwn—y lefel hon o ymateb—wedi gallu bod yn amhrisiadwy yn achos Trehafod ac mewn mannau eraill. Er nad oes unedau milwrol wedi'u lleoli yng Nghymru—mae Bataliwn Cyntaf y Reifflau wedi'i leoli, er enghraifft, ychydig dros y ffin, ger Cas-Gwent—mae dynion a menywod o Gymru yn gwasanaethau'n deyrngar yn y lluoedd a bydden nhw, heb amheuaeth, wedi gwneud cyfraniad gwerthfawr wrth wasanaethu cymunedau Cymru yn ystod yr argyfwng pe gofynnwyd iddyn nhw wneud hynny. A wnaethoch chi ofyn i Lywodraeth y DU, Prif Weinidog, am gymorth y fyddin? Os naddo, pam felly, ac a wnewch chi yn y dyfodol pe byddai'r angen yn codi?

Well, the question as to whether or not assistance from the armed forces should be sought was very actively discussed by the emergency services command structure. Their decision over that weekend was not to make such a request because circumstances were so difficult and dangerous that only people who were specifically trained to be able to deal with them were thought to be safely capable of being deployed. That was the advice that they gave, and I thought that it was sensible to follow their advice.

They thought that drawing in the armed forces at that point would not have been a helpful thing to do because you needed those very specialist abilities and training to be able to cope with the sorts of extreme weather event that we saw, Llywydd. At the height of that storm, 900 cubic metres of water were coming down the Taff every second, and if you are trying to act in those circumstances, then you don't need a general army training to know what to do, you need to be trained in the way that our emergency services are trained, to know what is safe to do. Now, should that change, and should the assessment of those people who are better equipped than we are in this room, I think, to know whether help from armed forces would be a useful contribution, then of course we would look at it. But in the circumstances of that weekend, the assessment of those who are best equipped to make the assessment was that that was not the right moment to ask for such assistance.

Wel, trafodwyd y cwestiwn o ba un a ddylid ceisio cymorth gan y lluoedd arfog ai peidio yn frwd iawn gan strwythur gorchymyn y gwasanaethau brys. Eu penderfyniad dros y penwythnos hwnnw oedd peidio â gwneud cais o'r fath gan fod yr amgylchiadau mor anodd a pheryglus, fel mai dim ond pobl a hyfforddwyd yn benodol i allu ymdopi â nhw yr ystyriwyd y gellid eu defnyddio yn ddiogel. Dyna'r cyngor a roesant, ac roeddwn i'n meddwl ei bod hi'n ddoeth dilyn eu cyngor.

Roedden nhw'n credu na fyddai tynnu'r lluoedd arfog i mewn ar yr adeg honno wedi bod yn beth buddiol i'w wneud gan eich bod chi angen yr union alluoedd a hyfforddiant arbenigol iawn hynny i allu ymdopi â'r mathau o dywydd eithafol a welsom, Llywydd. Ar anterth y storm honno, roedd 900 metr ciwbig o ddŵr yn dod i lawr afon Taf bob eiliad, ac os ydych chi'n ceisio gweithredu o dan yr amgylchiadau hynny, yna nid oes angen hyfforddiant cyffredinol y fyddin arnoch chi i wybod beth i'w wneud, mae angen i chi fod wedi eich hyfforddi yn y ffordd y mae ein gwasanaethau brys wedi eu hyfforddi, i wybod beth sy'n ddiogel i'w wneud. Nawr, pe byddai hynny'n newid, a phe byddai asesiad y bobl hynny sy'n fwy cymwys nag yr ydym ni yn yr ystafell hon, rwy'n credu, i wybod a fyddai cymorth gan y lluoedd arfog yn gyfraniad defnyddiol, yna wrth gwrs byddem ni'n ei ystyried. Ond o dan amgylchiadau'r penwythnos hwnnw, asesiad y rhai sydd fwyaf cymwys i wneud yr asesiad oedd nad dyna'r adeg iawn i ofyn am gymorth o'r fath.

14:00

Arweinydd Plaid Brexit, Mark Reckless.

Brexit Party leader, Mark Reckless.

First Minister, in response to Paul Davies, you said that local government, coal authorities and NRW all inspected coal tips. I wonder if you could reflect whether their responsibilities in that area are sufficiently clearly delineated or whether they're overlapping, with any associated potential for confusion. Could I also ask you, First Minister, whether you think changes to flood protection budgets, particularly the significant cut I recall, at least initially, being announced in 2016, have affected the current situation in any way? I infer from the funding request letter from Rhondda Cynon Taf politicians to the UK Government that this has Welsh Government support, and I hope that UK Government will agree to it. Do you think that this letter, this request for financial assistance outside of the block grant, could provide a template for future co-operation between Welsh and UK Governments?

Prif Weinidog, wrth ymateb i Paul Davies, dywedasoch fod llywodraeth leol, awdurdodau glo a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i gyd wedi archwilio tomenni glo. Tybed a allech chi fyfyrio ar ba un a yw eu cyfrifoldebau yn y maes hwnnw wedi eu nodi'n ddigon eglur neu a ydyn nhw'n gorgyffwrdd, gydag unrhyw botensial cysylltiedig ar gyfer dryswch. A gaf i hefyd ofyn i chi, Prif Weinidog, pa un a ydych chi'n credu bod newidiadau i gyllidebau amddiffyn rhag llifogydd, yn enwedig y toriad sylweddol yr wyf i'n ei gofio, o leiaf i ddechrau, yn cael ei gyhoeddi yn 2016, wedi effeithio ar y sefyllfa bresennol mewn unrhyw ffordd? Rwy'n casglu o'r llythyr cais am gyllid gan wleidyddion Rhondda Cynon Taf i Lywodraeth y DU bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi hyn, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn cytuno iddo. A ydych chi'n credu y gallai'r llythyr hwn, y cais hwn am gymorth ariannol y tu allan i'r grant bloc, ddarparu templed ar gyfer cydweithredu rhwng Llywodraethau Cymru a'r DU yn y dyfodol?

I thank the Member for those questions. I don't think that the budget in terms of flood prevention has been the problem over the last two weekends. Thinking of lessons learned, one of the things I think we will need to look at very carefully from now on is the many flood defences in Wales that held good, but were perilously close to being overtopped—in Monmouth, for example, where the flood defence is constructed to be able to deal with a rise in floodwater of 4.3m, and the river actually rose by 4.2m. So it was within a centimetre of those flood defences being overwhelmed. Now, they weren't overwhelmed, just as they weren't overwhelmed in Cardiff, and they weren't overwhelmed in Swansea, but in many places the gap between holding and not holding was narrow, and in lessons learned for the future we need to see whether we need to do anything to strengthen those further.

As far as help from the Treasury is concerned, I think we are already acting in a way that is consistent with rules that have been established over many years. When a completely unforeseeable event happens, and it happens on the scale of the sort that we saw over this weekend—and I don't think anybody believes that the ferocity with which the storm hit south Wales was foreseeable—[Interruption.]

Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiynau yna. Nid wyf i'n credu mai'r gyllideb o ran atal llifogydd fu'r broblem dros y ddau benwythnos diwethaf. Gan feddwl am wersi a ddysgwyd, un o'r pethau yr wyf i'n meddwl y bydd angen i ni edrych arnyn nhw'n ofalus iawn o hyn ymlaen yw'r nifer fawr o amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd yng Nghymru a fu'n llwyddiannus, ond a oedd yn agos iawn at gael eu trechu—yn Nhrefynwy, er enghraifft, lle mae'r amddiffynfa rhag llifogydd wedi ei hadeiladu i allu ymdopi â chynnydd o 4.3 medr i lifddwr, a chododd yr afon 4.2 medr mewn gwirionedd. Felly roedd o fewn centimedr o lifo dros ben yr amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd hynny. Nawr, ni chawsant eu llethu, yn union fel na chawsant eu llethu yng Nghaerdydd, ac ni chawsant eu llethu yn Abertawe, ond mewn llawer o leoedd roedd y bwlch rhwng dal a methu â dal yn fach, ac mewn gwersi a ddysgir ar gyfer y dyfodol mae angen i ni weld a oes angen i ni wneud unrhyw beth i gryfhau'r rheini ymhellach.

Cyn belled ag y mae cymorth gan y Trysorlys yn y cwestiwn, rwy'n credu ein bod ni eisoes yn gweithredu mewn ffordd sy'n gyson â rheolau sydd wedi eu sefydlu dros nifer o flynyddoedd. Pan fydd digwyddiad hollol anrhagweladwy yn digwydd, a'i fod yn digwydd ar y raddfa o'r fath a welsom dros y penwythnos hwn—ac nid wyf i'n credu bod unrhyw un yn credu bod modd rhagweld ffyrnigrwydd y storm a darodd de Cymru— [Torri ar draws.]

You're answering the leader of the Brexit Party, and not the local Assembly Member.

Rydych chi'n ateb arweinydd Plaid Brexit, ac nid yr Aelod Cynulliad lleol.

I don't believe that the event of that weekend was predictable, and when unpredictable events happen and costs are commensurately high, the ability to go to the Treasury for help from reserves is one we've used before, and we're using it again here.

Nid wyf i'n credu bod modd rhagweld digwyddiad y penwythnos hwnnw, a phan fydd digwyddiadau anrhagweladwy yn digwydd a bod costau yn gymesur o uchel, mae'r gallu i fynd at y Trysorlys am gymorth o gronfeydd wrth gefn yn un yr ydym ni wedi ei ddefnyddio o'r blaen, ac rydym ni'n ei ddefnyddio eto yn y fan yma.

First Minister, you were interrupted, but I will also just remind you of the point about the division of responsibilities between local government and NRW and the coal authorities in terms of those inspections.

One thing struck me about the RCT-based letters: it was a request to draw supplementary funding above the block grant in a devolved area, and as such could represent a change from the Barnett formula. If we are to see that as a template for future co-operation between Welsh Government and UK Government, would Welsh Government consider writing a letter of that sort, perhaps to draw capital from the shared prosperity fund for infrastructure projects, such as improvements to the A55 in north Wales or even the M4 relief road that you had promised to build? Also, Wales has an overall fiscal deficit this year of £13.7 billion, or 19 per cent of GDP, and we're asking UK Government for additional funding above that. Doesn't that show the danger of always demanding more and more powers and devolution and separation of Wales from the UK?

Prif Weinidog, torrwyd ar eich traws, ond hoffwn eich atgoffa hefyd am y pwynt ynglŷn â rhannu cyfrifoldebau rhwng llywodraeth leol a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r awdurdodau glo o ran yr archwiliadau hynny.

Fe'm trawyd gan un peth am y llythyrau Rhondda Cynon Taf: roedd yn gais am gyllid atodol uwchlaw'r grant bloc mewn maes datganoledig, ac felly gallai gynrychioli newid o fformiwla Barnett. Os ydym ni eisiau ystyried hynny fel templed ar gyfer cydweithredu rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU yn y dyfodol, a fyddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystyried ysgrifennu llythyr o'r math hwnnw, efallai i gymryd cyfalaf o'r gronfa ffyniant gyffredin ar gyfer prosiectau seilwaith, fel gwelliannau i'r A55 yn y gogledd neu hyd yn oed ffordd liniaru'r M4 yr oeddech chi wedi addo ei hadeiladu? Hefyd, mae gan Gymru ddiffyg cyllidol cyffredinol eleni o £13.7 miliwn, neu 19 y cant o gynnyrch domestig gros, ac rydym ni'n gofyn i Lywodraeth y DU am gyllid ychwanegol y tu hwnt i hynny. Onid yw hynny'n dangos y perygl o fynnu mwy a mwy o bwerau a datganoli drwy'r amser a gwahanu Cymru oddi wrth y DU?

I don't draw that conclusion at all, Llywydd. I think the case for seeking assistance from the UK Government is simply the case for the union. The union is a mutual insurance scheme in which we all pay in, and we're all able to draw out in circumstances where help is needed. It's why I've always been a supporter of the United Kingdom, because I think that system of mutual insurance has always been in Wales's interests. It's why I hope that the Prime Minister—who has awarded himself the title of Minister for the Union—will see that the request that we have made for assistance is one where he can demonstrate that the union really does work for Wales.

Nid wyf i'n dod i'r casgliad hwnnw o gwbl, Llywydd. Rwy'n credu'n syml mai'r ddadl dros geisio cymorth gan Lywodraeth y DU yw'r ddadl dros yr undeb. Mae'r undeb yn gynllun yswiriant cydfuddiannol lle'r ydym ni i gyd yn talu i mewn, ac rydym ni i gyd yn gallu codi arian o dan amgylchiadau pan fo angen cymorth. Dyna pam yr wyf i wedi bod yn gefnogwr o'r Deyrnas Unedig erioed, gan fy mod i'n credu bod y system yswiriant cydfuddiannol honno wedi bod o fudd i Gymru erioed. Dyna pam rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Prif Weinidog y DU—sydd wedi rhoi'r teitl Gweinidog yr Undeb iddo'i hun—yn gweld bod y cais yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud am gymorth yn un lle gall ef ddangos bod yr undeb wir yn gweithio i Gymru.

14:05
Metro Bae Abertawe a Chymoedd y Gorllewin
Swansea Bay and Western Valleys Metro

3. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am ddatblygu metro bae Abertawe a Chymoedd y gorllewin? OAQ55138

3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the development of a Swansea bay and western Valleys metro? OAQ55138

Diolch i Dai Lloyd am y cwestiwn. Mae £432,000 wedi cael eu rhoi i Ddinas a Sir Abertawe yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon i ddatblygu'r achosion busnes rheilffordd a bws ar gyfer metro'r de-orllewin. Bydd gwasanaethau newydd yn helpu i gwtogi amser teithio ar draws y rhanbarth.

I thank Dai Lloyd for that question. Four hundred and thirty two thousand pounds has been awarded to the City and County of Swansea in this financial year to develop the rail and bus business cases for the south-west Wales metro. New services will help to reduce travel times across the region.

Thank you for that answer. So, are you fully confident that you have all the moneys that you're able to put forward towards the development of the Swansea bay metro, and will you ensure, on top of that, that the Valleys communities in the west are not neglected as part of this development?

Diolch am yr ateb yna. Felly, a ydych chi'n gwbl hyderus bod yr holl arian gennych chi y gallwch chi ei roi tuag at ddatblygu metro bae Abertawe, ac a wnewch chi sicrhau, ar ben hynny, nad yw cymunedau'r Cymoedd yn y gorllewin yn cael eu hesgeuluso yn rhan o'r datblygiad hwn?

Llywydd, my colleague Ken Stakes will be making a statement on all of this later this afternoon. As I explained in my first answer, the Welsh Government has provided funding to the City and County of Swansea to allow them to carry out the necessary preliminary work to develop the south Wales metro. Stage 1 is completed, stage 2 will be completed shortly, and we look forward to working with local authorities—not just in Swansea, but, as Dr Lloyd has said, in the surrounding areas—to make sure that that multi-modal approach to the construction of a metro, bus and train services, that we are able to put that to work for the benefit of local residents.

Llywydd, bydd fy nghyd-Weinidog Ken Skates yn gwneud datganiad ar hyn i gyd yn ddiweddarach y prynhawn yma. Fel yr esboniais yn fy ateb cyntaf, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu cyllid i Ddinas a Sir Abertawe i'w caniatáu i wneud y gwaith rhagarweiniol angenrheidiol i ddatblygu metro de Cymru. Mae Cam 1 wedi'i gwblhau, bydd Cam 2 yn cael ei gwblhau yn fuan, ac edrychwn ymlaen at weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol—nid yn unig yn Abertawe, ond, fel y dywedodd Dr Lloyd, yn yr ardaloedd cyfagos—i wneud yn siŵr bod y dull aml-fodd hwnnw o adeiladu metro, gwasanaethau bysiau a threnau, ein bod ni'n gallu rhoi hynny ar waith er budd trigolion lleol.

I strongly support a metro system for the Swansea city region. Does the First Minister agree that stage 1 needs to be to get bus/rail interchanges at current railway stations with aligned timetables and buses stopping as close as possible to the railway station? Llansamlet, for example, not all of the bus stops are outside Llansamlet station and one of them is around the corner down another road, which, if you didn't know the area, you'd probably have great difficulty in finding. And can I also make my regular request for the reopening of Landore station?

Rwy'n cefnogi system metro ar gyfer dinas-ranbarth Abertawe yn frwd. A yw'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno mai'r cam cyntaf ddylai fod cael cyfnewidfeydd bws/rheilffordd mewn gorsafoedd rheilffordd presennol gydag amserlenni cyson a bysiau yn aros mor agos â phosibl i'r orsaf drenau? Yn Llansamlet, er enghraifft, nid yw pob un o'r arosfannau bws y tu allan i orsaf Llansamlet ac mae un ohonyn nhw ar ôl i chi droi'r gornel i lawr ffordd arall, y mae'n debyg, pe na byddech chi'n adnabod yr ardal, y byddech chi'n cael anhawster mawr i'w ganfod. Ac a gaf i hefyd wneud fy nghais rheolaidd am ailagor gorsaf Glandŵr?

I thank the Member for those important points on behalf of his constituents, and of course he is right that the integration of bus and train services is at the heart of the metro concept—an integrated transport system.

The bus legislation that we hope to bring in front of this National Assembly will provide local authorities with the powers they need to be able to make practical sense of the disposition of bus and rail services so they are genuinely integrated in that way. And Mike Hedges, I know, will have welcomed the plan to improve bus services, particularly along the corridor between Ystradgynlais and Mumbles, which specifically is looking at how bus timetables and rail timetables can be brought together so that bus services operate in ways that are reliable, attractive, frequent and therefore better usable to residents.

Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y pwyntiau pwysig yna ar ran ei etholwyr, ac wrth gwrs mae'n iawn bod integreiddio gwasanaethau bysiau a threnau yn ganolog i gysyniad y metro—system drafnidiaeth integredig.

Bydd y ddeddfwriaeth bysiau yr ydym ni'n gobeithio ei chyflwyno gerbron y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn yn rhoi i awdurdodau lleol y pwerau sydd eu hangen arnynt i allu gwneud synnwyr ymarferol o'r ffordd y mae gwasanaethau bysiau a threnau yn cael eu trefnu fel eu bod wedi eu hintegreiddio'n wirioneddol yn y modd hwnnw. A gwn y bydd Mike Hedges wedi croesawu'r cynllun i wella gwasanaethau bysiau, yn enwedig ar hyd y coridor rhwng Ystradgynlais a'r Mwmbwls, sy'n edrych yn benodol ar sut y gellir dod ag amserlenni bysiau ac amserlenni rheilffyrdd at ei gilydd fel bod gwasanaethau bysiau yn gweithredu mewn ffyrdd sy'n ddibynadwy, yn ddeniadol, yn aml ac felly'n fwy defnyddiol i drigolion.

Storm Dennis
Storm Dennis

4. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru amlinellu pa gymorth y mae'n yn ei roi i gymunedau y mae storm Dennis wedi effeithio arnynt? OAQ55117

4. Will the Welsh Government outline what support they are providing to communities that have been affected by storm Dennis? OAQ55117

7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi cymunedau sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd yng Nghymru? OAQ55141

7. Will the First Minister provide an update on how the Welsh Government is supporting flooded communities in Wales? OAQ55141

Llywydd, I understand that you have given permission for questions 4 and 7 to be grouped together. Following the multi-agency emergency flood summit last week, we have been working hard to put practical and financial support in place for households, businesses and local authorities affected by the flooding from both storm Ciara and storm Dennis.

Llywydd, rwy'n deall eich bod chi wedi rhoi caniatâd i gwestiynau 4 a 7 gael eu grwpio gyda'i gilydd. Yn dilyn yr uwchgynhadledd llifogydd brys aml-asiantaeth yr wythnos diwethaf, rydym ni wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed i roi cymorth ymarferol ac ariannol ar waith ar gyfer aelwydydd, busnesau ac awdurdodau lleol yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw gan y llifogydd o storm Ciara a storm Dennis.

First Minister, I'd like to place on record my thanks to yourself, to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, and to all of Welsh Government for your efforts to support those whose homes and businesses have been ruined by storm Dennis. The financial support that you are putting in place is much appreciated by constituents that I have spoken with, and, alongside support from Rhondda Cynon Taf council, will help those who have lost everything. The very visible presence of yourself and the environment Minister is also appreciated. You both visited flood-stricken areas of RCT several times in the last week, including on Wednesday when the environment Minister visited Mountain Ash with myself. This stands in stark contrast, First Minister, with the UK Government where Boris Johnson has not visited a single community that has been affected by flooding, or offered financial assistance, despite written requests from myself and other RCT AMs and MPs. Do you agree with me, First Minister, that the UK Government has a duty to help, both morally and legally?

Prif Weinidog, hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i chi, i Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig, ac i holl Lywodraeth Cymru am eich ymdrechion i gynorthwyo'r rhai y mae eu cartrefi a'u busnesau wedi eu difetha gan storm Dennis. Mae'r cymorth ariannol yr ydych chi'n ei roi ar waith yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr gan etholwyr yr wyf i wedi siarad â nhw, ac ynghyd â chymorth gan gyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf, bydd yn helpu'r rhai sydd wedi colli popeth. Gwerthfawrogir eich presenoldeb amlwg iawn chi eich hun a Gweinidog yr amgylchedd hefyd. Fe wnaeth y ddau ohonoch ymweld ag ardaloedd a oedd yn dioddef llifogydd yn Rhondda Cynon Taf sawl gwaith yn ystod yr wythnos ddiwethaf, gan gynnwys ddydd Mercher pan ymwelodd Gweinidog yr amgylchedd ag Aberpennar gyda mi. Mae hyn yn gwrthgyferbynnu'n llwyr, Prif Weinidog, â Llywodraeth y DU lle nad yw Boris Johnson wedi ymweld ag unrhyw gymuned y mae llifogydd wedi effeithio arni, nac wedi cynnig cymorth ariannol, er gwaethaf ceisiadau ysgrifenedig gennyf i ac ACau ac ASau eraill yn Rhondda Cynon Taf. A ydych chi'n cytuno â mi, Prif Weinidog, bod dyletswydd ar Lywodraeth y DU i helpu, yn foesol ac yn gyfreithiol?

14:10

I thank Vikki Howells for that, and let me equally pay tribute to the actions that local Members across the Chamber have taken in their local constituencies to respond to the difficulties that local residents have faced. I know that Members here have been hard at work over the last fortnight in north and south Wales in making sure that local residents know that this National Assembly, this Senedd, takes very seriously the predicament that they have faced—my colleague Lesley Griffiths in Llangollen and Llanrwst, and Ken Skates as the Minister for north Wales in north Wales, as well as the visits to which Vikki Howells has referred. 

As to the UK Government, the help that I look for from them is not necessarily visits, but the harder edged help of cash—the money that we will need, the money that, as I mentioned a moment ago, was taken away from us over the last few weeks, that money needs to be restored so that we are able to make sure that whether it is our very hard-pressed local authorities, or whether it is NRW as we heard earlier, that those organisations on the ground have the money they need to be able to deal not just with the events of these weeks, but the events of months ahead for affected communities.

Diolchaf i Vikki Howells am hynna, a gadewch i minnau dalu'r un deyrnged i'r camau y mae Aelodau lleol ar draws y Siambr wedi eu cymryd yn eu hetholaethau lleol i ymateb i'r anawsterau y mae trigolion lleol wedi eu hwynebu. Gwn fod yr Aelodau yn y fan yma wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed dros y pythefnos diwethaf yn y gogledd a'r de i sicrhau bod trigolion lleol yn gwybod bod y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn, y Senedd hon, yn rhoi ystyriaeth ddifrifol iawn i'r cyfyng-gyngor y maen nhw wedi ei wynebu—fy nghyd-Aelod Lesley Griffiths yn Llangollen a Llanrwst, a Ken Skates fel Gweinidog gogledd Cymru yn y gogledd, yn ogystal â'r ymweliadau y mae Vikki Howells wedi cyfeirio atyn nhw.

O ran Llywodraeth y DU, nid ymweliadau yw'r cymorth yr wyf i ei eisiau ganddyn nhw o reidrwydd, ond cymorth mwy pendant arian parod—yr arian y bydd ei angen arnom ni, yr arian a gymerwyd oddi wrthym ni dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, fel y soniais eiliad yn ôl, mae angen i'r arian hwnnw gael ei roi yn ôl fel y gallwn wneud yn siŵr bod y sefydliadau hynny ar lawr gwlad, boed hynny yn ein hawdurdodau lleol sydd dan bwysau mawr, neu boed yn Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru fel y clywsom yn gynharach, yn cael yr arian sydd ei angen arnyn nhw i allu ymdrin nid yn unig â digwyddiadau'r wythnosau diwethaf, ond y digwyddiadau yn y misoedd i ddod i gymunedau sydd wedi eu heffeithio.

First of all, I'd like to add my deepest sympathies with all those who've been affected by the floods across Wales, and pay tribute to the emergency services and outstanding community efforts. The response from you, First Minister, and the environment Minister has been excellent and very welcome. However, the impact of these floods will be felt for months, even years to come, and I'm keen to see that momentum and support continues. Lessons do need to be learned and potential weak points in our defences need to be strengthened.

While Newport didn't see the levels of devastation by floods in other parts of Wales, I visited some of the worst parts in my constituency affected by flooding. The River Ebbw was at worrying levels in Dyffryn and at Bassaleg, and whilst the defences mainly held, in many places this was a matter of centimetres. Residents are grateful and they're hugely sympathetic to the worst areas across Wales, but are obviously fearful for the future. They have asked for assessments of the current defences and what support grants can be made available to better protect their homes.

Businesses have also been hit very hard. The popular Cefn Mably Farm Park has been devastated, and they're looking at months of closure as a result. This will not only affect the business and its customers, but the employees and their families. What support can we provide to ensure that businesses get back on their feet as quickly as possible? 

Yn gyntaf oll, hoffwn ychwanegu fy nghydymdeimlad dwys â phawb sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio gan y llifogydd ledled Cymru, a thalu teyrnged i'r gwasanaethau brys a'r ymdrechion cymunedol rhagorol. Mae'r ymateb gennych chi, Prif Weinidog, a Gweinidog yr amgylchedd wedi bod yn ardderchog ac i'w groesawu'n fawr. Fodd bynnag, bydd effaith y llifogydd hyn yn cael ei theimlo am fisoedd, a hyd yn oed am flynyddoedd i ddod, ac rwy'n awyddus i weld y momentwm a'r cymorth hwnnw'n parhau. Mae angen dysgu gwersi ac mae angen cryfhau mannau gwan posibl yn ein hamddiffynfeydd.

Er na welodd Casnewydd y lefelau o ddinistr gan lifogydd a welwyd mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru, ymwelais â rhai o'r rhannau gwaethaf yn fy etholaeth i yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw gan lifogydd. Roedd afon Ebwy ar lefelau a oedd yn achosi pryder yn Nyffryn ac ym Masaleg, a thra'r oedd yr amddiffynfeydd yn gadarn ar y cyfan, roedd hyn yn fater o gentimetrau mewn sawl man. Mae'r trigolion yn ddiolchgar ac maen nhw'n cydymdeimlo'n fawr â'r ardaloedd gwaethaf ledled Cymru, ond mae'n amlwg eu bod nhw'n ofnus ynghylch y dyfodol. Maen nhw wedi gofyn am asesiadau o'r amddiffynfeydd presennol a pha grantiau cymorth y gellir eu rhoi ar gael i amddiffyn eu cartrefi'n well.

Mae busnesau hefyd wedi cael eu taro'n galed iawn. Mae'r Parc Fferm Cefn Mably poblogaidd wedi ei ddistrywio, ac maen nhw'n edrych ar fisoedd o fod ar gau o ganlyniad. Bydd hyn nid yn unig yn effeithio ar y busnes a'i gwsmeriaid, ond ar y gweithwyr a'u teuluoedd. Pa gymorth allwn ni ei ddarparu i sicrhau bod busnesau'n codi yn ôl ar eu traed cyn gynted â phosibl?

I thank Jayne Bryant for that, Llywydd. I'll focus, if I may, just on the final part of that supplementary question—the help that is available for businesses. We made it clear last week at the summit that councils are able to use their discretionary powers to suspend council tax and non-domestic rate obligations on properties that have been flooded, and that the Welsh Government will reimburse those costs to local authorities under the emergency financial assistance scheme. So, that's immediate and direct help, and local authorities now know that they can offer that help and that the cost won't fall on them; they will be picked up through the Welsh Government's emergency financial assistance scheme. 

Business Wales has been very active over the last week. There's a helpline that businesses can use to get through directly to a help desk that Business Wales is providing, making sure that businesses have the advice they need to deal with cash flow issues, liquidity issues. There was a surgery held in Pontypridd on Friday of last week that Business Wales was involved in, together with Mick Antoniw, the local Member. It was repeated on Monday in Coleg y Cymoedd, again making sure that businesses have that help directly provided to them. The Development Bank of Wales are targeting smaller businesses that may benefit from their £25,000 fast-track loan, again to try to make sure that where businesses need immediate help, we use that route to assist them, and my colleague Ken Skates has indicated that he is looking within budgets that he has, provided originally to assist businesses in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit, to see whether we might be able to repurpose some of those funds to assist businesses who find themselves in the circumstances set out by Jayne Bryant.

Diolchaf i Jayne Bryant am hynna, Llywydd. Hoffwn ganolbwyntio, os caf, ar ran olaf y cwestiwn atodol hwnnw yn unig—y cymorth sydd ar gael i fusnesau. Fe'i gwnaed yn eglur gennym yr wythnos diwethaf yn yr uwchgynhadledd y gall cynghorau ddefnyddio eu pwerau disgresiwn i atal rhwymedigaethau treth gyngor ac ardrethi annomestig ar eiddo sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd, ac y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ad-dalu'r costau hynny i awdurdodau lleol o dan y cynllun cymorth ariannol brys. Felly, mae hwnnw'n gymorth ar unwaith ac uniongyrchol, ac mae awdurdodau lleol bellach yn gwybod y gallan nhw gynnig y cymorth hwnnw ac na fyddan nhw'n ysgwyddo'r gost; byddan nhw'n cael eu talu trwy gynllun cymorth ariannol brys Llywodraeth Cymru.  

Mae Busnes Cymru wedi bod yn weithgar iawn dros yr wythnos ddiwethaf. Ceir llinell gymorth y gall busnesau ei defnyddio i gysylltu'n uniongyrchol â desg gymorth y mae Busnes Cymru yn ei darparu, gan wneud yn siŵr bod busnesau'n cael y cyngor sydd ei angen arnyn nhw i ymdrin â phroblemau llif arian, problemau hylifedd. Cynhaliwyd cymhorthfa ym Mhontypridd ddydd Gwener yr wythnos diwethaf y cymerodd Busnes Cymru ran ynddi, ynghyd â Mick Antoniw, yr Aelod lleol. Cafodd ei ailadrodd ddydd Llun yng Ngholeg y Cymoedd, gan sicrhau unwaith eto bod busnesau'n cael y cymorth hwnnw yn uniongyrchol. Mae Banc Datblygu Cymru yn targedu busnesau llai a allai elwa ar eu benthyciad carlam o £25,000, unwaith eto i geisio gwneud yn siŵr, lle mae busnesau angen cymorth brys, ein bod ni'n defnyddio'r llwybr hwnnw i'w cynorthwyo, ac mae fy nghyd-Weinidog Ken Skates wedi nodi ei fod yn edrych yn y cyllidebau sydd ganddo, a ddarparwyd yn wreiddiol i gynorthwyo busnesau pe byddai Brexit 'heb gytundeb', i weld a allem ni arallgyfeirio rhywfaint o'r arian hwnnw i gynorthwyo busnesau sy'n canfod eu hunain yn yr amgylchiadau a nodwyd gan Jayne Bryant.

14:15

Can I identify with the sentiments that are being expressed across the Chamber in support of the help that is being given from all sides, whether it's the volunteers, the emergency services, or just communities themselves coming together for the flood victims in my own electoral region but also across Wales because this has affected the whole of Wales?

I would like to go back to the point that the leader of the opposition raised with you about the flood risk management strategy. Two years ago, the environment committee took evidence on this in its pre-budget scrutiny and was told that this was a document in preparation and would be available shortly. In response to that question today, First Minister, you said it will be with us in a few months' time. Really, First Minister, some two years on, the title says it all. It is the flood risk management strategy that would direct the rulebook that you highlighted that NRW work to at the moment and many other facets that are put in place to try and help alleviate some of this flooding that goes on with the climate change we are seeing at the moment. I appreciate you wouldn't be able to stop all flooding, but if you have a strategy that is dedicated to alleviating the risks of flooding, surely that document should be live and in circulation rather than, again this afternoon, hearing from you that it will still be a couple more months before that document is available. Can you indicate more precisely when that document will be available, and importantly, will that document have the budgetary considerations that will be needed to put the measures in place?

A gaf i uniaethu â'r teimladau sy'n cael eu mynegi ar draws y Siambr o blaid y cymorth y mae pob ochr yn ei roi, boed hynny y gwirfoddolwyr, y gwasanaethau brys, neu gymunedau eu hunain yn dod at ei gilydd ar gyfer y rhai sydd wedi dioddef oherwydd y llifogydd yn fy rhanbarth etholiadol i ond hefyd ledled Cymru, gan fod hyn wedi effeithio ar Gymru gyfan?

Hoffwn fynd yn ôl at y pwynt a godwyd gan arweinydd yr wrthblaid gyda chi ynglŷn â'r strategaeth rheoli perygl llifogydd. Ddwy flynedd yn ôl, cymerodd pwyllgor yr amgylchedd dystiolaeth ar hyn yn ei waith craffu cyn y gyllideb a dywedwyd wrtho bod hon yn ddogfen a oedd yn cael ei pharatoi ac y byddai ar gael yn fuan. Mewn ymateb i'r cwestiwn hwnnw heddiw, Prif Weinidog, dywedasoch y byddai gyda ni ymhen ychydig fisoedd. Yn wir, Prif Weinidog, tua dwy flynedd yn ddiweddarach, mae'r teitl yn dweud y cyfan. Dyma'r strategaeth rheoli perygl llifogydd a fyddai'n cyfarwyddo'r llyfr rheolau y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio ato y mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn gweithio'n unol ag ef ar hyn o bryd a llawer o elfennau eraill sy'n cael eu rhoi ar waith i geisio lliniaru rhywfaint ar y llifogydd hyn sy'n digwydd yn sgil y newid yn yr hinsawdd yr ydym ni'n ei weld ar hyn o bryd. Rwy'n sylweddoli na fyddech chi'n gallu atal yr holl lifogydd, ond os oes gennych chi strategaeth benodol ar gyfer lliniaru'r perygl o lifogydd, siawns y dylai'r ddogfen honno fod yn fyw ac ar gael yn hytrach nag, unwaith eto y prynhawn yma, clywed gennych chi y bydd hi'n fis neu ddau arall eto cyn bod y ddogfen honno ar gael. A allwch chi ddweud yn fwy manwl pryd bydd y ddogfen honno ar gael, ac yn bwysig, a fydd y ddogfen honno'n cynnwys yr ystyriaethau cyllidebol y bydd eu hangen i roi'r mesurau ar waith?

Well, Llywydd, let me just say again that the draft national strategy is available. Anybody who responded to the consultation will have seen it, and there was a good response to the consultation, and that didn't close until the autumn. So, there has been work to do to make sure that the comments that people contributed as part of the consultation are considered seriously and make a difference to the final strategy, which we intend to publish later this spring. So, we're not delaying it unduly. It will be an important document. I agree with what Andrew R.T. Davies and Paul Davies said about the importance of that strategy because it will show how the £350 million investment that this Government is making in flood and coastal erosion risks are being deployed in the best possible way.

And to return to a theme of earlier this afternoon once more, Llywydd, in terms of lessons learnt, one of the things that we will pick up in that strategy will be the need to try and shift some of the expenditure on flood management away from concrete-based solutions towards more natural-based flood defences, where we can use natural disbursement, for example, as a way of mitigating flood risk further downstream. So, the strategy is important, it will help us to pick up the lessons not just of the last couple of weeks but of this whole Assembly term, and it will underpin the very significant amount of expenditure that is already committed in this area.

Wel, Llywydd, gadewch i mi ddweud unwaith eto bod y strategaeth genedlaethol ddrafft ar gael. Bydd unrhyw un a ymatebodd i'r ymgynghoriad wedi ei gweld, ac roedd ymateb da i'r ymgynghoriad, ac ni ddaeth hwnnw i ben tan yr hydref. Felly, gwnaed gwaith i sicrhau bod y sylwadau a gyfrannodd pobl yn rhan o'r ymgynghoriad yn cael eu hystyried o ddifrif ac yn gwneud gwahaniaeth i'r strategaeth derfynol yr ydym ni'n bwriadu ei chyhoeddi yn ddiweddarach yn y gwanwyn. Felly, nid ydym ni'n ei gohirio'n ormodol. Bydd yn ddogfen bwysig. Rwy'n cytuno â'r hyn a ddywedodd Andrew R.T. Davies a Paul Davies am bwysigrwydd y strategaeth honno, oherwydd bydd yn dangos sut y mae'r buddsoddiad o £350 miliwn y mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn ei wneud o ran peryglon llifogydd ac erydu arfordirol yn cael ei ddefnyddio yn y ffordd orau bosibl.

Ac i ddychwelyd at thema a drafodwyd yn gynharach y prynhawn yma unwaith eto, Llywydd, o ran gwersi a ddysgwyd, un o'r pethau y byddwn ni'n rhoi sylw iddyn nhw yn y strategaeth honno fydd yr angen i geisio symud rhywfaint o'r gwariant ar reoli llifogydd o atebion sy'n seiliedig ar goncrit tuag at amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd mwy naturiol, lle gallwn ddefnyddio dosbarthiad naturiol, er enghraifft, fel ffordd o liniaru perygl llifogydd ymhellach i lawr yr afon. Felly, mae'r strategaeth yn bwysig, bydd yn ein helpu i ddysgu'r gwersi nid yn unig o'r wythnosau diwethaf ond o'r tymor Cynulliad cyfan hwn, a bydd yn sail i'r swm sylweddol iawn o wariant sydd eisoes wedi ei ymrwymo yn y maes hwn.

The high rainfall levels have caused utter misery for hundreds of people in the Rhondda, and seeing is believing when it comes to the mess that's been left behind in people's homes, gardens and in the streets. We're all thankful for one thing, however, and that is that no-one lost their life in the Rhondda.

I've called for an urgent review of the stability of all coal tips left behind as a result of our industrial past. The disturbing landslide in Tylorstown is one that many people will have seen, but there have also been landslides in Clydach and Pontygwaith, and we all know how devastating and frightening a moving coal tip can be. I wrote to you last week about these coal tips, and it's good to see that there has been some action on this since then. But I wonder if you can tell me what the timescale is for inspecting all of the coal tips in the Rhondda. Does the First Minister agree with me that we need to recalibrate what we thought was once safe, due to the adverse weather that is becoming increasingly common due to the climate emergency? Will he also accept that this new normal cannot be acceptable? We should have known that this was coming; we do know that it will happen again.

And finally for now, will the First Minister consider the reintroduction of a land reclamation scheme for brownfield sites that was cut just a few years ago, as this would go some way to ensuring the former coal tips are not just brought back into economic use but are also made safe?

Mae'r lefelau uchel o law wedi achosi trallod llwyr i gannoedd o bobl yn y Rhondda, ac mae'n rhaid gweld i gredu pan ddaw i'r llanast sydd wedi cael ei adael ar ôl yng nghartrefi a gerddi pobl ac ar y strydoedd. Rydym ni i gyd yn ddiolchgar am un peth, fodd bynnag, sef na chollodd neb ei fywyd yn y Rhondda.

Rwyf i wedi galw am adolygiad brys o sefydlogrwydd yr holl domenni glo a adawyd ar ôl o ganlyniad i'n gorffennol diwydiannol. Mae'r tirlithriad sy'n peri pryder yn Nhylorstown yn un y bydd llawer o bobl wedi ei weld, ond bu tirlithriadau yng Nghlydach a Phontygwaith hefyd, ac rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod pa mor ddinistriol a dychrynllyd y gall tomen lo sy'n symud fod. Ysgrifennais atoch yr wythnos diwethaf ynglŷn â'r tomenni glo hyn, ac mae'n dda gweld y bu rhywfaint o weithredu ar hyn ers hynny. Ond tybed a allwch chi ddweud wrthyf i beth yw'r amserlen ar gyfer archwilio'r holl domenni glo yn y Rhondda? A yw'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno â mi bod angen i ni ailystyried yr hyn yr oeddem ni'n feddwl oedd yn ddiogel ar un adeg, oherwydd y tywydd garw sy'n dod yn fwyfwy cyffredin oherwydd yr argyfwng hinsawdd? A wnaiff ef hefyd dderbyn na all y normal newydd hwn fod yn dderbyniol? Dylem ni fod wedi gwybod bod hyn yn dod; rydym ni yn gwybod y bydd yn digwydd eto.

Ac yn olaf am nawr, a wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ystyried ailgyflwyno cynllun adfer tir ar gyfer safleoedd tir llwyd a gafodd ei ddiddymu ychydig flynyddoedd yn unig yn ôl, gan y byddai hyn yn gwneud cryn dipyn i sicrhau nad yw'r hen domenni glo nid yn unig yn cael eu dychwelyd i ddefnydd economaidd ond eu bod hefyd yn cael eu gwneud yn ddiogel?

14:20

I thank the Member for those questions and agree with her entirely that to visit and to see and to speak to people whose homes have been devastated by the floods is a deeply sobering experience. And the level of human misery that has been caused in those households is palpable when you go there. And as people said to me when I was visiting them, in the end you can buy a new sofa, but what you can't do is replace the things that you have built up, having brought up a family, having lived in a property for not just years but decades, where all your memories are invested in it, and those things can never be recovered in that way. They made the same point to me as Leanne Wood has made this afternoon, that nevertheless, no lives were lost and that memories can be recovered and sofas can be rebought, but people can't be brought back. And there was a real sense of the effort that the emergency services had made to prevent the very worst from happening.

In relation to coal tips, what yesterday's meeting established was that NRW, the coal authority and the local authority have a shared approach, which is to identify on a scale those coal tips that give them the greatest cause for concern. And we received assurances yesterday that all those coal tips that are at the top of that list will have been investigated by the end of this week. Most of them have been investigated already, and assurances have been received from engineers that they don't pose a risk to life and property.

But there was a very important discussion that connects to Leanne Wood's point about the new normal, that those assessments are being made against the standards that have been used over the last decades, and those standards may not be satisfactory for years ahead. So, we will definitely return to that discussion with those authorities and with the experts that they deploy on the ground. Interesting ideas were being explored yesterday about better monitoring possibilities for those tips—new technologies that weren't available in the 1980s that we may be able to deploy today. And that effort will go on. The group that met yesterday will meet again to receive further reports, to look ahead and to make sure that the reassurances that people have every right to expect can be made, and that if further action is necessary, it will be taken, and that the standards against which the different public authorities carry out their responsibilities to provide those assurances are fit for the future.

Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiynau hynny ac rwy'n cytuno â hi'n llwyr bod ymweld a gweld a sgwrsio â phobl y mae eu cartrefi wedi cael eu distrywio gan y llifogydd yn brofiad sobreiddiol iawn. Ac mae lefel y trallod dynol a achoswyd yn y cartrefi hynny yn amlwg pan ewch chi yno. Ac fel y dywedodd pobl wrthyf i pan yr oeddwn i'n ymweld â nhw, yn y pen draw gallwch chi brynu soffa newydd, ond yr hyn na allwch chi ei wneud yw cael pethau yn lle y rhai yr ydych chi wedi eu hel at ei gilydd, ar ôl magu teulu, ar ôl byw mewn cartref am ddegawdau, nid blynyddoedd, y mae eich holl atgofion wedi eu buddsoddi ynddo, ac ni ellir byth adfer y pethau hynny yn y ffordd honno. Gwnaed yr un pwynt i mi ganddyn nhw ag y mae Leanne Wood wedi ei wneud y prynhawn yma, sef, er hynny, ni chollodd neb ei fywyd ac y gellir cael atgofion yn ôl a phrynu soffas newydd, ond ni ellir dod â phobl yn ôl. Ac roedd teimlad gwirioneddol o'r ymdrech yr oedd y gwasanaethau brys wedi ei gwneud i atal y gwaethaf oll rhag digwydd.

O ran tomenni glo, yr hyn a ganfuwyd trwy gyfarfod ddoe oedd bod gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, yr awdurdod glo a'r awdurdod lleol ddull gweithredu ar y cyd, sef nodi ar raddfa y tomenni glo hynny sy'n achosi'r pryder mwyaf iddyn nhw. A chawsom ni sicrwydd ddoe y bydd yr holl domenni glo hynny sydd ar frig y rhestr honno wedi cael eu harchwilio erbyn diwedd yr wythnos hon. Mae'r rhan fwyaf ohonyn nhw wedi cael eu harchwilio eisoes, a chafwyd sicrwydd gan beirianwyr nad ydyn nhw'n peri risg i fywyd ac eiddo.

Ond cafwyd trafodaeth bwysig iawn sy'n cysylltu â phwynt Leanne Wood am y normal newydd, sef bod yr asesiadau hynny'n cael eu gwneud yn erbyn y safonau sydd wedi eu defnyddio dros y degawdau diwethaf, ac efallai na fydd y safonau hynny'n foddhaol ar gyfer y blynyddoedd i ddod. Felly, byddwn ni'n sicr yn dychwelyd at y drafodaeth honno gyda'r awdurdodau hynny a chyda'r arbenigwyr y maen nhw'n yn eu defnyddio ar lawr gwlad. Roedd syniadau diddorol yn cael eu harchwilio ddoe ynglŷn â gwell posibiliadau monitro ar gyfer y tomenni hynny—technolegau newydd nad oedden nhw ar gael yn y 1980au efallai y gallem ni eu defnyddio heddiw. A bydd yr ymdrech honno'n parhau. Bydd y grŵp a gyfarfu ddoe yn cyfarfod eto i dderbyn adroddiadau pellach, i edrych ymlaen ac i wneud yn siŵr bod modd cynnig y sicrwydd y mae gan bobl bob hawl i'w ddisgwyl, ac os bydd angen cymryd camau pellach, byddan nhw'n cael eu cymryd, a bod y safonau y mae'r gwahanol awdurdodau cyhoeddus yn cyflawni eu cyfrifoldebau yn unol â nhw i ddarparu'r sicrwydd hwnnw yn addas ar gyfer y dyfodol.

Gwasanaethau Fasciwlar
Vascular Services

5. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am ddiogelwch y gwasanaethau fasciwlar yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr ers iddyn nhw gael eu had-drefnu? OAQ55124

5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the safety of vascular services in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board since they were restructured? OAQ55124

Diolch i Siân Gwenllian am y cwestiwn. Mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr wrthi'n cynnal adolygiad o'r gwasanaeth rhwydwaith fasciwlar, a sefydlwyd fis Ebrill 2019. Mae disgwyl i'r adroddiad gael ei drafod yn eu cyfarfod bwrdd ar ddiwedd mis Mawrth.

Thank you, Siân Gwenllian, for that question. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is currently undertaking a review of the vascular network service, established in April 2019. It is anticipated that the report will be discussed at their board meeting at the end of March.

Diolch am gadarnhau bod y bwrdd yn mynd i gynnal adolygiad mewnol i'r problemau dyrys a phryderus sydd wedi codi yn sgil ad-drefnu'r gwasanaethau fasciwlar. Ond, Prif Weinidog, dydy adolygiad mewnol ddim digon da. Mae pobl yn y gogledd wedi colli pob ffydd yn rheolwyr Betsi Cadwaladr, er, wrth gwrs, yn gwerthfawrogi gwaith y staff ar y rheng flaen yn fawr iawn. Felly, dwi'n siomedig iawn nad ydy'ch Llywodraeth chi am gynnal ymchwiliad annibynnol yn sgil yr holl gwynion sydd wedi dod i'r fei drwy waith y cyngor iechyd cymunedol. Pam na wnewch chi dderbyn y darlun du iawn sydd yn ymddangos erbyn hyn, a pham na wnewch chi ddim cynnal adolygiad annibynnol, a hynny ar frys?

Thank you for confirming that the board will be holding an internal review of the very grave and concerning problems that have arisen as a result of the restructuring of vascular services. But, First Minister, an internal review is not good enough. People in north Wales have lost all confidence in the managers of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, whilst, of course, appreciating the work of the front-line staff very much indeed. So, I am most disappointed that your Government is not going to hold an independent review in light of all the complaints that have been unearthed by the community health council. Why won't you accept the very grave picture that is now emerging, and why won't you go there and hold an independent review as a matter of urgency?

14:25

Wel, Llywydd, dwi ddim yn meddwl ei fod e'n deg jest i gyfeirio at y gwaith mae Betsi Cadwaladr yn ei wneud fel rhywbeth jest mewnol, achos maen nhw'n defnyddio pobl tu fas i'r bwrdd i gynghori ar y gwaith sydd yn mynd ymlaen. Ac mae'r ymgynghoriad maen nhw'n ei gael gyda phobl sydd yn arbenigwyr yn y maes, ac maen nhw'n annibynnol ar y bwrdd hefyd. Dyna pam mae'r Athro John Brennan, sy'n gweithio yn Lerprwl—a consultant vascular surgeon—yn rhan o'r broses o edrych yn ôl at y gwasanaeth, sydd wedi bod yno am lai na blwyddyn ar hyn o bryd. A hefyd maen nhw'n defnyddio—. Yn y gwaith mae Betsi Cadwaladr wedi rhoi ar waith, maen nhw'n defnyddio data cenedlaethol newydd, sydd wedi dod atom ni, i gymharu'r gwasanaeth sydd ar gael nawr yng ngogledd Cymru—i gymharu beth sy'n mynd ymlaen yn Betsi Cadwaladr gyda beth sy'n ymlaen mewn gwasanaethau eraill o'r un fath mewn llefydd eraill yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Does neb fan hyn wedi gweld yr adroddiad eto. Dwi'n fodlon aros i weld beth mae'r adroddiad yn ei ddweud, i weld beth mae pobl annibynnol sydd wedi bod yn rhan o'r gwaith yn ei ddweud yn yr adroddiad yna, ac i weld os bydd yn rhaid inni wneud rhywbeth arall ar ben y top.

Well, Llywydd, I don’t think that it is fair just to refer to the work of Betsi Cadwaladr as something that is just an internal review, because they will be using people outwith the board to advise on the work going forward. The consultation that they will be holding is with experts in the field, and they are independent of the board as well. That is why Professor John Brennan, who works in Liverpool and is a consultant vascular surgeon, is part of the process of reviewing the service, which has existed for less than 12 months currently. Also, in the work that Betsi Cadwaladr has commissioned, they will be using new national data that has emerged in order to compare the service currently available in north Wales—to compare what goes on in Betsi Cadwaladr with what goes on in other comparable services in other places within the United Kingdom. Nobody here has seen that report as yet, and I am willing to wait to see what that report says, to see what the independent compilers of this report have to say in it, and to see whether we need to do anything in addition to that.

Gwariant Llywodraeth Cymru
Welsh Government Spend

6. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o werth am arian ac effeithiolrwydd gwariant Llywodraeth Cymru? OAQ55140

6. What assessment has the First Minister made of the value for money and effectiveness of Welsh Government spend? OAQ55140

Llywydd, we draw on a wide range of guidance and evidence to help assess our investment decisions, including the high-level principles set out in Her Majesty's Treasury's Green Book, and the seven goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Llywydd, rydym ni'n defnyddio amrywiaeth eang o ganllawiau a thystiolaeth i helpu i asesu ein penderfyniadau buddsoddi, gan gynnwys yr egwyddorion lefel uchel a nodir yn Llyfr Gwyrdd Trysorlys ei Mawrhydi, a saith nod Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015.

I thank the First Minister for that reply. Does he agree with me that one of the many failures of devolution is that, over the last 20 years, Wales has actually dropped to the bottom of the income table of the home nations and the regions of England, and one of the biggest failures of Labour and Plaid Cymru Governments in the last 20 years has been the failure to attract higher paid employment to Wales? The Government has been strong on road maps and strategies, but actually very poor on delivery. We've had enterprise zones that have spent about £250 million in the last decade, at a cost of about £20,000 per job, but that has only scratched the surface. In the case of the area around Ebbw Vale, the Government turned away the chance of £450 million-worth of private investment for the Circuit of Wales to replace it with £100 million promised of taxpayers' money in 2018, and, as yet, no foundations have been laid for the buildings that were promised, and, of course, no jobs have been created. In the meantime, the Heads of the Valleys road—the Gilwern to Brynmawr section—is £100 million over budget, and much delayed. What we see here is a Government that just hasn't got a grip on the major economic problems of Wales. Is it any wonder, therefore, that more and more people are thinking that this place is pointless and that the Assembly should be scrapped?

Diolchaf i'r Prif Weinidog am yr ateb yna. A yw e'n cytuno â mi mai un o fethiannau lu datganoli yw bod Cymru, dros yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf, wedi syrthio i waelod tabl incwm y gwledydd cartref a rhanbarthau Lloegr, ac un o fethiannau mwyaf Llywodraethau Llafur a Phlaid Cymru yn ystod yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf fu'r methiant i ddenu gwaith â chyflogau uwch i Gymru? Mae'r Llywodraeth wedi bod yn gadarn o ran mapiau ffordd a strategaethau, ond yn wael iawn o ran cyflawni. Rydym ni wedi cael parthau menter sydd wedi gwario tua £250 miliwn yn ystod y degawd diwethaf, am gost o tua £20,000 y swydd, ond dim ond wedi crafu'r wyneb mae hynny. Yn achos yr ardal o gwmpas Glynebwy, gwrthododd y Llywodraeth y cyfle i gael gwerth £450 miliwn o fuddsoddiad preifat ar gyfer Cylchffordd Cymru i'w disodli gyda £100 miliwn a addawyd o arian trethdalwyr yn 2018, a hyd yn hyn, nid oes unrhyw sylfeini wedi'u gosod ar gyfer yr adeiladau a addawyd i ni, ac, wrth gwrs, nid oes unrhyw swyddi wedi eu creu. Yn y cyfamser, mae ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd—y rhan rhwng Gilwern a Bryn-mawr—£100 miliwn dros y gyllideb, ac wedi ei hoedi'n sylweddol. Yr hyn a welwn ni yn y fan yma yw Llywodraeth nad yw wedi mynd i'r afael â phroblemau economaidd mawr Cymru. A oes unrhyw ryfedd, felly, bod mwy a mwy o bobl yn meddwl bod y lle hwn yn ddibwrpas ac y dylid cael gwared ar y Cynulliad?

I think the Member is much in danger of confusing views of the institution with views of individuals who find themselves here. So, it's a mirror, rather than an analysis, that he—that would lead him to the best conclusion. 

Look, I completely disagree with what he has to say, Llywydd. He's ever gloomy in his views of Wales and of Welsh people. People who were here in 1999 will remember that if we'd said then that, within 20 years, Wales would have economic inactivity levels at or below the UK average, when we were so far behind 20 years ago, and getting further behind—. If, within 20 years, you thought that that gap had not just been narrowed, but had been completely filled, people would have said to you that you were being absurdly optimistic about what could be achieved in a 20-year period. If you'd said then that the latest unemployment figures showed unemployment in Wales not just at the UK average but below the UK average, people would have thought that you were being stretchingly ambitious in what could be achieved in that period. If you'd said to people back then that the rate of business growth in Wales would be faster than the UK average, that business survival rates at the end of a year would be greater than the UK average, people would have thought you were describing an economic future that was beyond our grasp. That's the reality of the Welsh economy. It's so far away, it is so far away from what the Member hopes to be able to describe in a way to rescue his own future here. It has nothing at all to do with the future of Wales. 

Rwy'n meddwl bod yr Aelod mewn perygl mawr o ddrysu safbwyntiau'r sefydliad gyda safbwyntiau unigolion sy'n digwydd bod yma. Felly, mae'n ddrych, yn hytrach na dadansoddiad, y mae ef—a fyddai'n ei arwain ef at y casgliad gorau.

Edrychwch, rwy'n anghytuno'n llwyr â'r hyn sydd ganddo i'w ddweud, Llywydd. Mae'n gwbl ddiobaith ei farn ynghylch Cymru ac ynghylch pobl Cymru. Bydd pobl a oedd yma ym 1999 yn cofio pe byddem ni wedi dweud bryd hynny y byddai gan Gymru, o fewn 20 mlynedd, lefelau anweithgarwch economaidd yr un fath â chyfartaledd y DU neu'n is, pan yr oeddem ni mor bell ar ei hôl hi 20 mlynedd yn ôl, ac yn mynd ymhellach ar ei hôl hi—. Pe byddech chi, o fewn 20 mlynedd, wedi meddwl y byddai'r bwlch hwnnw nid yn unig wedi ei leihau, ond wedi ei gau'n llwyr, byddai pobl wedi dweud wrthych chi eich bod chi'n wirion o optimistaidd ynghylch yr hyn y gellid ei gyflawni mewn cyfnod o 20 mlynedd. Pe byddech chi wedi dweud bryd hynny bod y ffigurau diweithdra diweddaraf yn dangos diweithdra yng Nghymru nid yn unig ar lefel cyfartaledd y DU ond yn is na chyfartaledd y DU, byddai pobl wedi meddwl eich bod chi'n fwy uchelgeisiol na'r hyn y byddai'n bosibl ei gyflawni yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw. Pe byddech chi wedi dweud wrth bobl bryd hynny y byddai cyfradd twf busnes yng Nghymru yn gyflymach na chyfartaledd y DU, y byddai cyfraddau goroesi busnesau ar ddiwedd blwyddyn yn uwch na chyfartaledd y DU, byddai pobl wedi meddwl eich bod chi'n disgrifio dyfodol economaidd a oedd y tu hwnt i'n gafael. Dyna wirionedd economi Cymru. Mae mor bell i ffwrdd, mae mor bell i ffwrdd o'r hyn y mae'r Aelod yn gobeithio gallu ei ddisgrifio mewn ffordd i achub ei ddyfodol ei hun yn y fan yma. Nid oes gan hyn ddim o gwbl i'w wneud â dyfodol Cymru.

14:30
Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio
The Valuation Office Agency

8. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gytundeb lefel gwasanaeth Llywodraeth Cymru gydag Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio? OAQ55119

8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s service level agreement with the Valuation Office Agency? OAQ55119

I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. The Welsh Government concludes an annual service level agreement with the Valuation Office Agency. It sets performance targets that the Welsh Government expects the VOA to meet. Decisions made by the VOA are determined by that agency, and are entirely independent of the Welsh Government.

Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cwblhau cytundeb lefel gwasanaeth blynyddol gydag Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio. Mae'n gosod targedau perfformiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn disgwyl i Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio eu bodloni. Caiff penderfyniadau Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio eu gwneud gan yr asiantaeth honno, ac maen nhw'n gwbl annibynnol ar Lywodraeth Cymru.

I'm sorry, First Minister, I call that 'passing the buck'. During Plenary last November, I raised the fact that your Welsh Government had a £9 million of taxpayers' money SLA with the VOA. Now, some of my businesses in Aberconwy are still waiting over two years to see their business rate appeal's progress, leaving many businesses with financial difficulty and, in fact, financial ruin. Now, the Counsel General, of course, agreed to look into this last November. What a waste of time, because in response to a recent written Assembly question, the Counsel General stated:

'As the provisions in the service level agreement are being met'

They're not being met. Those are your words.

'and the agreement itself is being monitored, I have not identified the need for further action.'

Well, I would invite either you or you, First Minister, to come and speak to some of my businesses who are still waiting now for their business rate appeal. When I procure something for me or my family, I have a say in the quality of that service delivered. You are the First Minister of Wales, you have a say on the quality of the service delivery from the VOA. There's no getting away from it. So, I would like to know how are you going to review the targets that the VOA are expected to meet, and how do you actually scrutinise the use of taxpayers' money and this failing service here in Wales? Thank you.

Mae'n ddrwg gen i, Prif Weinidog, 'taflu'r baich' wyf i'n galw hynna. Yn ystod Cyfarfod Llawn fis Tachwedd diwethaf, codais y ffaith bod gan eich Llywodraeth Cymru chi CLG £9 miliwn o arian trethdalwyr gydag Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio. Mae rhai o fy musnesau i yn Aberconwy yn dal i aros dros ddwy flynedd i weld cynnydd yn eu hapeliadau ardrethi busnes, gan adael llawer o fusnesau â thrafferthion ariannol ac, mewn gwirionedd, wedi eu distrywio'n ariannol. Nawr, cytunodd y Cwnsler Cyffredinol, wrth gwrs, i ystyried hyn fis Tachwedd diwethaf. Dyna beth yw gwastraff amser, oherwydd mewn ymateb i gwestiwn ysgrifenedig Cynulliad diweddar, dywedodd y Cwnsler Cyffredinol:

'Gan fod y darpariaethau yn y cytundeb lefel gwasanaeth yn cael eu bodloni'

Dydyn nhw ddim yn cael eu bodloni. Eich geiriau chi yw'r rheini.

'a bod y cytundeb ei hun yn cael ei fonitro, nid wyf wedi nodi'r angen i weithredu ymhellach.'

Wel, byddwn naill ai'n eich gwahodd chi neu chi, Prif Weinidog, i ddod i siarad â rhai o fy musnesau i sy'n dal i aros nawr am eu hapêl ardrethi busnes. Pan fyddaf i'n caffael rhywbeth i mi neu i fy nheulu, mae gen i lais o ran ansawdd y gwasanaeth hwnnw sy'n cael ei ddarparu. Chi yw Prif Weinidog Cymru, mae gennych chi lais o ran ansawdd y gwasanaeth sy'n cael ei ddarparu gan Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio. Nid oes modd ei osgoi. Felly, hoffwn wybod sut yr ydych chi'n mynd i adolygu'r targedau y disgwylir i Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio eu bodloni, a sut yr ydych chi'n craffu mewn gwirionedd ar y defnydd o arian trethdalwyr a'r gwasanaeth diffygiol hwn yma yng Nghymru? Diolch.

I thank the Member. I want to agree with her that the performance of the VOA in specific instances of the current appeals process is not satisfactory. But the Member does need to recognise that this is quite properly an entirely independent arm of Government, and it has to be. It's right that it is. I did ask my officials yesterday to see whether the VOA could provide me with any further updates on the two instances that the Member has written to me about over recent months, and they refused to provide those details. They refused to provide the details because they said it would not be proper for them to disclose to Government the confidential matters that they have to determine with the people who use their service. And, on reflection, I think they were right. That's why we have arm's length organisations, so that Governments don't make these decisions; the VOA does.

Now, if the VOA is not delivering on its service level agreement with us, then we need to put that right. But my way of putting it right is probably different to the Member's, because I want us to change the appeal system in Wales altogether. The appeal system is not fit for purpose. It's been changed in England and has run into enormous difficulties there. What we have said is that we have brought forward the revaluation from 2022 to 2021, provided the UK Government stick to that—it was interesting to see that they didn't have anything in their Queen's Speech to put that commitment on to the statute book, but it's a commitment they've given in the past. If they honour it, then we want to change the appeal system here in Wales, alongside that revaluation, because it's just leading up to and just following a revaluation, Llywydd, that the appeals come in. We want a new system next time around, and that will allow us, I believe, to avoid some of the difficulties that we've seen with the current system. 

Diolchaf i'r aelod. Hoffwn gytuno â hi nad yw perfformiad Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio mewn achosion penodol o'r broses apelio bresennol yn foddhaol. Ond mae angen i'r Aelod gydnabod bod hon, yn gwbl briodol, yn gangen hollol annibynnol o Lywodraeth, ac mae'n rhaid iddi fod. Mae'n iawn ei bod. Gofynnais i'm swyddogion ddoe i weld a allai Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio roi unrhyw ddiweddariadau pellach i mi o ran y ddau achos y mae'r Aelod wedi ysgrifennu ataf i yn eu cylch yn ystod y misoedd diwethaf, ac maen nhw wedi gwrthod darparu'r manylion hynny. Fe wnaethon nhw wrthod darparu'r manylion gan eu bod yn dweud na fyddai'n briodol iddyn nhw ddatgelu i'r Llywodraeth y materion cyfrinachol y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw wneud penderfyniadau yn eu cylch gyda'r bobl sy'n defnyddio eu gwasanaeth. Ac, o fyfyrio, rwy'n credu eu bod nhw'n iawn. Dyna pam mae gennym ni sefydliadau hyd braich, fel nad yw Llywodraethau yn gwneud y penderfyniadau hyn; Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio sy'n eu gwneud. 

Nawr, os nad yw Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio yn cyflawni ei chytundeb lefel gwasanaeth gyda ni, yna mae angen i ni unioni hynny. Ond mae'n debyg bod fy ffordd i o unioni'r sefyllfa yn wahanol i ffordd yr Aelod, oherwydd rwyf i eisiau i ni newid y system apelio yng Nghymru yn gyfan gwbl. Nid yw'r system apelio yn addas i'w diben. Mae hi wedi cael ei newid yn Lloegr ac wedi mynd i drafferthion enfawr yn y fan honno. Yr hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei ddweud yw ein bod wedi dod â'r ailbrisiad ymlaen o 2022 i 2021, ar yr amod bod Llywodraeth y DU yn cadw at hynny—roedd yn ddiddorol gweld nad oedd ganddyn nhw ddim yn Araith y Frenhines i roi'r ymrwymiad hwnnw ar y llyfr statud, ond mae'n ymrwymiad y maen nhw wedi ei roi yn y gorffennol. Os byddan nhw'n ei anrhydeddu, yna rydym ni eisiau newid y system apelio yma yng Nghymru, ochr yn ochr â'r ailbrisiad hwnnw, oherwydd yn y cyfnod yn arwain at ailbrisiad ac yn syth ar ei ôl, Llywydd, y mae'r apeliadau yn dod. Rydym ni eisiau system newydd y tro nesaf, a bydd hynny'n ein galluogi, rwy'n credu, i osgoi rhai o'r anawsterau yr ydym ni wedi eu gweld gyda'r system bresennol.

14:35

Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 9, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Finally, question 9, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Coronavirus
Coronavirus

9. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gefnogaeth gan Lywodraeth Cymru i sefydliadau addysg uwch yr effeithir arnynt gan gamau i atal lledaenu coronafeirws? OAQ55114

9. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for educational establishments affected by steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus? OAQ55114

Diolch i Rhun ap Iorwerth am y cwestiwn. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi datblygu a chyhoeddi canllawiau gyda Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru ar gyfer holl ysgolion a sefydliadau addysg Cymru. Mae'r rhain yn rhoi cyngor ar y camau i'w cymryd i atal y coronafeirws rhag lledu.

I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for the question. The Welsh Government has developed and published guidance with Public Health Wales for all schools and educational establishments in Wales. These advise on which steps should be taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Diolch am yr ymateb yna. Mae coronafeirws, wrth gwrs, yn fygythiad yn barod i symudedd pobl ar draws y byd, a'r budd sy'n dod o ran y symudedd hwnnw. Mae fy mhrifysgol leol i, Prifysgol Bangor, yn un o'r rheini sydd wedi dod i ddibynnu mwy a mwy ar ei gallu i recriwtio myfyrwyr o dramor. Mae myfyrwyr o Tsieina yn dod i Fangor, er enghraifft, mewn niferoedd sylweddol. A allaf i ofyn pa ystyriaeth y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi dechrau ei roi i sut, efallai, y byddai angen rhoi cefnogaeth i sefydliadau fel Prifysgol Bangor pe bai hi'n dod yn fwy anodd i alluogi myfyrwyr o wledydd fel Tsieina i ddod yno i astudio? Rydyn ni'n gobeithio, wrth gwrs, na fydd hi'n dod i hynny, ond mae angen gwneud y gwaith paratoi rŵan, rhag ofn.

Thank you for that response. Coronavirus, of course, is already a threat to the mobility of people across the world, and the benefit that that mobility provides. My local university, Bangor University, is one of those that has become more and more reliant on their ability to recruit students from abroad. Students from China come to Bangor in significant numbers. So, can I ask you what consideration the Government has started to give to how we may need to provide support for institutions such as Bangor University if it became more difficult to allow students from nations such as China to come and study there? We hope, of course, that it won't come to that, but we need to do that preparatory work now, in case.

Diolch i Rhun ap Iorwerth am y cwestiwn yna. Mae'n wir i ddweud bod effaith coronafeirws yn mynd i gael effaith ar ein prifysgolion ni, ac mae'r effaith yna wedi digwydd yn barod, achos mae myfyrwyr gan rai o'n prifysgolion ni draw yn Tsieina ac maen nhw wedi eu casglu nhw nôl. Mae aelodau o'r staff lawr i fynd draw i Tsieina, a'r gwledydd eraill yn y rhan yna o'r byd, a dydyn nhw ddim yn gallu mynd ar hyn o bryd. Dwi wedi gweld adroddiad manwl gan Gyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Cymru, sy'n tynnu gwybodaeth at ei gilydd o bob prifysgol yng Nghymru, sy'n setio allan y sefyllfa ar hyn o bryd, edrych ymlaen ar yr heriau bydd yna os bydd coronafeirws yn parhau drwy'r flwyddyn yma, a'r effaith y mae hwnna yn mynd i'w gael ar recriwtio myfyrwyr i fewn i Gymru. Ac fe allaf i ofyn i'r Gweinidog Addysg i weld a allwn ni rannu'r wybodaeth sydd gyda ni ar hyn o bryd ar Fangor gyda Rhun ap Iorwerth, neu â'r Aelodau eraill sydd â phrifysgolion yn eu hardaloedd nhw.

I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for that question. It's true to say that the impact of coronavirus will have an effect on our universities, and that effect has already been seen, because students from some of our universities are out in China and they've recalled them back. Some staff members are due to go to China, and other countries in that part of the world, and they're unable to go there at present. I have seen a detailed report from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, which draws the information together from all the universities in Wales, and which sets out the current situation, it then looks forward to the challenges if the coronavirus continues throughout this year, and the impact that that will have on student recruitment into Wales. I can ask the Minister for Education to see whether we can share the information that we have at present on Bangor with Rhun ap Iorwerth, and other Members who have universities in their own areas.

2. Datganiad a Chyhoeddiad Busnes
2. Business Statement and Announcement

Y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes sydd nesaf. Dwi'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud y datganiad hynny, Rebecca Evans.

The business statement and announcement is next. I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement, Rebecca Evans.

Diolch, Llywydd. There are several changes to this week's business. Immediately after this business statement, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs will make a statement to update Members on the emergency flood summit. Later this afternoon, the Counsel General and Brexit Minister will make a statement on legislation related to leaving the European Union. To accommodate these statements, I've postponed the statement on Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board until next week, 3 March, and progress on the single cancer pathway until 17 March. 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, Lywydd. Mae nifer o newidiadau i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Yn syth ar ôl y datganiad busnes hwn, bydd Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig yn gwneud datganiad i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau ynghylch yr uwchgynhadledd frys ar lifogydd. Yn ddiweddarach y prynhawn yma, bydd y Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Brexit yn gwneud datganiad ar ddeddfwriaeth sy'n ymwneud â gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Er mwyn darparu ar gyfer y datganiadau hyn, rwyf i wedi gohirio'r datganiad ar Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr tan yr wythnos nesaf, 3 Mawrth, a chynnydd ar y llwybr canser sengl tan 17 Mawrth. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi ei nodi yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith papurau'r cyfarfodydd sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau yn electronig.

Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Education about the disruption of pupil learning caused by the strike action by teachers at Llanwern High School and Caerleon Comprehensive School in Newport? Teaching unions say that industrial action has been prompted by the overhaul of the curriculum in Wales. The acting general secretary of NASUWT says that the union has not heard any convincing argument for why this proposed restructuring is necessary. The National Education Union Cymru says that Caerleon Comprehensive School has suffered from historic and prolific underfunding and the staff have been subjected to restructuring and redundancy procedures on a regular basis for a number of years. They fear a reduction in staffing levels, and support for children with special needs being withdrawn. Can we have a statement from the Minister on what action she's taking to allay the fears of teaching unions, so that disruption to the education of pupils at these two Newport schools can be avoided? Thank you.

Gweinidog, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Addysg ynghylch y tarfu ar ddysgu disgyblion a ddigwyddodd yn sgil y streic gan athrawon yn Ysgol Uwchradd Llanwern ac Ysgol Gyfun Caerllion yng Nghasnewydd? Mae undebau'r athrawon yn dweud mai'r hyn sydd wedi ysgogi gweithredu diwydiannol yw adolygu'r cwricwlwm yng Nghymru. Mae Ysgrifennydd Cyffredinol dros dro Cymdeithas Genedlaethol yr Ysgolfeistri ac Undeb yr Athrawesau yn dweud nad yw'r Undeb wedi clywed unrhyw ddadl argyhoeddiadol dros pam mae angen yr ailstrwythuro arfaethedig hwn. Mae Undeb Cenedlaethol Addysg Cymru yn dweud bod Ysgol Gyfun Caerllion wedi dioddef tanariannu hanesyddol a thoreithiog a bod y staff wedi gorfod dioddef  ailstrwythuro a gweithdrefnau diswyddo yn rheolaidd am nifer o flynyddoedd. Maen nhw'n ofni gostyngiad yn y lefelau staffio, a'r cymorth  ar gyfer plant ag anghenion arbennig yn cael ei ddiddymu. A gawn ni datganiad gan y Gweinidog ynghylch y camau y mae hi'n eu cymryd i dawelu ofnau undebau athrawon, fel bod modd osgoi tarfu ar addysg disgyblion yn y ddwy ysgol hyn yng Nghasnewydd? Diolch.

14:40

I thank Mohammad Asghar for raising his concerns relating to two specific schools in Newport, but perhaps on this occasion, certainly in the first instance, I would invite him to write to the Minister for Education setting out those concerns, so that she can consider an appropriate response to you. 

Diolch i Mohammad Asghar am godi ei bryderon ynghylch dwy ysgol benodol yng Nghasnewydd, ond efallai ar yr achlysur hwn, yn sicr yn y lle cyntaf, byddwn i'n ei wahodd i ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog Addysg yn nodi'r pryderon hynny, fel y gall hi ystyried ymateb priodol i chi.

The matter I wish to raise today concerns Christopher Kapessa, a 13-year-old black boy whose body was found in the River Cynon near Fernhill last year. I mentioned the colour of Christopher's skin because his family strongly believe that it's a factor in the Crown Prosecution Service's decision not to bring a prosecution in connection with his death.

The decision came despite the CPS's assertion that there was, to use their own words, 'sufficient evidence' that Christopher was pushed into the river. Christopher's distraught family says that there may well have been further evidence to make a stronger case, had the police interviewed more than only four of the 14 people who were at the scene during his death. It's hard to argue with the assertion of Christopher's mother, Alina, when she says:

'If this had been 14 black youths and a white victim we have no doubt that the approach of the police and outcome would have been different.'

While criminal justice remains a reserved matter there are limits as to what the Welsh Government can do. However, at the time of the incident, I conveyed the concerns from the family and urged, albeit informally, that this Welsh Government look into the matter, because community cohesion is devolved, and so this is a case that should be of concern to you from that perspective.

So, what representations do the Welsh Government intend to raise on this matter? And can this Government send out a clear statement that everyone in Wales is equal, that they should be treated equally, regardless of gender, sexual preference and skin colour, and that everyone deserves to understand that black lives really do matter? 

Mae'r mater yr wyf i'n dymuno ei godi heddiw yn ymwneud â Christopher Kapessa, bachgen du 13 oed y cafodd ei gorff ei ddarganfod yn Afon Cynon ger Fernhill y llynedd. Soniais am liw croen Christopher oherwydd bod ei deulu'n credu'n gryf ei fod yn ffactor ym mhenderfyniad Gwasanaeth Erlyn y Goron i beidio â dwyn erlyniad mewn cysylltiad â'i farwolaeth.

Daeth y penderfyniad er gwaethaf haeriad Gwasanaeth Erlyn y Goron bod, gan ddefnyddio eu geiriau eu hunain, 'digon o dystiolaeth' fod Christopher wedi ei wthio i'r afon. Mae teulu trallodus Christopher yn dweud ei bod hi'n ddigon posibl y byddai mwy o dystiolaeth i gyflwyno achos cryfach, pe byddai'r heddlu wedi cyfweld â mwy na dim ond pedwar o'r 14 o bobl a oedd yn y fan a'r lle pan fu farw. Mae'n anodd dadlau â honiad mam Christopher, Alina, pan ei bod hi'n dweud:

Pe byddai hyn wedi bod yn 14 o bobl ifanc du a dioddefwr gwyn nid oes gennym ni unrhyw amheuaeth y byddai agwedd yr heddlu a'r canlyniad wedi bod yn wahanol. 

Gan fod cyfiawnder troseddol yn parhau i fod yn fater a gadwyd yn ôl, mae cyfyngiadau ar yr hyn y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud. Fodd bynnag, ar adeg y digwyddiad, fe wnes i gyfleu pryderon y teulu gan annog, er yn anffurfiol, bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymchwilio i'r mater, oherwydd bod cydlyniant cymunedol wedi ei ddatganoli, ac felly mae hwn yn achos a ddylai fod yn destun pryder i chi o'r safbwynt hwnnw.

Felly, pa sylwadau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu eu codi ar y mater hwn? Ac a wnaiff y Llywodraeth hon anfon datganiad clir bod pawb yng Nghymru yn gyfartal, y dylen nhw gael eu trin yn gyfartal, beth bynnag yw eu rhyw, eu tueddiad rhywiol a lliw eu croen, a bod pawb yn haeddu deall bod bywydau duon yn wirioneddol bwysig?

I thank Leanne Wood for raising what is a particularly harrowing and distressing case. I remember reading about Christopher and finding the entire story that I was reading absolutely appalling and horrific.

Leanne Wood is right that criminal justice does remain a reserved matter, but the Welsh Government and, I know, this Senedd as a whole has a really strong interest in ensuring that we promote equality and respect and a strong, diverse Wales here in our country.

So, I will ask the Minister with responsibility for relationships with the police, and the Minister who also has responsibility for equalities and community cohesion, to give some thought to your comments this afternoon in terms of what more we can do to promote a strong, cohesive Wales and ensure that everybody in Wales is equal, and what more we can do to push forward that message that everybody deserves to be treated absolutely equally. 

Diolch i Leanne Wood am godi'r hyn sy'n achos arbennig o erchyll a gofidus. Rwy'n cofio darllen am Christopher a theimlo bod y stori gyfan yr oeddwn i'n ei darllen yn gwbl arswydus ac erchyll.

Mae Leanne Wood yn iawn bod cyfiawnder troseddol yn parhau i fod yn fater a gadwyd yn ôl, ond mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru, a gwn fod gan y Senedd hon yn ei chyfanrwydd, ddiddordeb cryf iawn mewn sicrhau ein bod yn hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb a pharch a Chymru gref ac amrywiol yma yn ein gwlad.

Felly, byddaf yn gofyn i'r Gweinidog sydd â chyfrifoldeb dros gysylltiadau â'r heddlu, a'r Gweinidog sydd hefyd yn gyfrifol am gydraddoldebau a chydlyniant cymunedol, roi rhywfaint o ystyriaeth i'ch sylwadau y prynhawn yma o ran beth yn rhagor y gallwn ni ei wneud i hyrwyddo Cymru gref, gydlynus a sicrhau bod pawb yng Nghymru yn gyfartal, a beth arall allwn ni ei wneud i wthio'r neges honno ymlaen bod pawb yn haeddu cael eu trin yn gwbl gyfartal.

Could I ask for two statements? One statement would be from Welsh Government Ministers on the issue of erosion of land behind Valley terraces on which run old unadopted lanes alongside watercourses, which threaten over time to erode not only the lanes but the rear gardens of private properties.

So, in Caerau in my constituency we have a row of terraced houses backing onto such a watercourse and an unadopted lane; the sort of lanes that the old council wagons, in the days of those tiny wagons, went up the back and took the steel galvanised bins away and so on. They no longer use them. They're unadopted. They're not owned by anybody, it seems now, but yet the river erodes. In the storms that we've recently seen, they're increasingly being eaten away towards the back gardens of these properties. It's contested land, it's no-person's land, nobody wants to do anything about it, and yet the home owners are really worried.

So, could we have a statement on what happens to this no-man's land, in effect, of unadopted lanes on the backs of properties where streams, in these sort of deluges that we've seen, are now being eaten away and the effect on properties? Or perhaps the Minister could meet with me to discuss this, because I suspect it's something that is widespread across the south Wales area. 

Could I also ask for a statement on the issue of safe road crossings on A roads? Now, A roads, of course, are major roads, they're heavy with traffic, that's why they are A roads, they're major thoroughfares. But the difficulty is that, in some of our Valleys, including my own in the Llynfi, but also in the east of my constituency, it's the only road that goes up that Valley. If people can't cross from one side where they live to the shops or the school on the other side because—. The explanation given is that the guidance does not allow for safe crossings to be done across A roads normally. Well, it would be helpful to have clarity on that. Failing that, perhaps I could meet with the Minister, if the business manager, the Trefnydd, could help me; meet with the Minister, discuss this problem, and seek clarity on the guidance on safe road crossings for pedestrians and others on A roads in the Valleys.

A gaf i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad? Byddai un datganiad gan Weinidogion Llywodraeth Cymru ar fater erydiad tir y tu ôl i derasau'r Cymoedd lle y ceir hen lonydd heb eu mabwysiadu ochr yn ochr â chyrsiau dŵr, sy'n bygwth erydu nid yn unig y lonydd ond gerddi cefn eiddo preifat.

Felly, yng Nghaerau yn fy etholaeth i, mae gennym ni res o dai teras â'u cefnau tuag at gwrs dŵr o'r fath a lôn heb ei mabwysiadu; y math o lonydd yr oedd hen wagenni’r cyngor, yn nyddiau'r wagenni bach hynny, yn mynd yn ôl ac ymlaen arnynt i fynd â'r biniau galfanedig i ffwrdd ac yn y blaen. Nid ydyn nhw'n eu defnyddio mwyach. Nid ydyn nhw wedi cael eu mabwysiadu. Nid ydyn nhw'n eiddo i neb, mae'n ymddangos yn awr, ond eto mae'r afon yn erydu. Yn ystod y stormydd diweddar, maen nhw wedi eu herydu fwyfwy tuag at gerddi cefn yr eiddo hyn. Mae'n dir y dadleir amdano, mae'n dir neb, nid oes neb eisiau gwneud unrhyw beth amdano, ond eto mae perchenogion y cartrefi yn poeni'n fawr.

Felly, a allem ni gael datganiad ynghylch yr hyn sy'n digwydd i'r tir neb hwn, mewn gwirionedd, o lonydd heb eu mabwysiadu ar gefnau eiddo lle mae nentydd, yn y mathau hyn o law trwm yr ydym ni wedi'i weld, bellach yn cael eu herydu ymaith a'r effaith ar eiddo? Neu efallai y gallai'r Gweinidog gwrdd â mi i drafod hyn, oherwydd rwy'n amau ei fod yn rhywbeth sy'n gyffredin ar draws ardal de Cymru.  

A gaf i ofyn hefyd am ddatganiad ar fater croesfannau diogel ar ffyrdd A? Nawr, mae ffyrdd A, wrth gwrs, yn brif ffyrdd, mae'r traffig yn drwm arnyn nhw, dyna pam maen nhw'n ffyrdd A, maen nhw'n dramwyfeydd mawr. Ond yr anhawster yw, yn rhai o'n cymoedd, gan gynnwys fy un i yn y Llynfi, ond hefyd yn nwyrain fy etholaeth, dyma'r unig ffordd sy'n mynd i fyny'r Cwm hwnnw. Os nad yw pobl yn gallu croesi o un ochr lle maen nhw'n byw i fynd i'r siopau neu'r ysgol ar yr ochr arall oherwydd—. Yr esboniad sy'n cael ei roi yw nad yw'r canllawiau, fel arfer, yn caniatáu croesfannau diogel ar draws prif ffyrdd. Wel, byddai'n ddefnyddiol cael eglurder ar hynny. Os na chaf hynny, efallai y cawn i gyfarfod â'r Gweinidog, pe gallai'r rheolwr busnes, y Trefnydd, fy helpu i; cyfarfod â'r Gweinidog, trafod y broblem hon, a gofyn am eglurhad ar y canllawiau ar groesfannau ffordd diogel i gerddwyr ac eraill ar ffyrdd A yn y Cymoedd.

14:45

Thank you to Huw Irranca-Davies for raising both of those issues. The first related to unadopted lanes, and, of course, the Minister, Ken Skates is currently undertaking a piece of work that looks at unadopted roads, and I'm sure that many of the lessons that we'll learn from that particular piece of work will apply equally to the issue of unadopted lanes.

We've heard a lot from the First Minister today about our immediate response to the recent floods, but the next piece of work, as we move on from the immediate urgency of an emergency situation, will be to look at those longer term issues. Of course, the First Minister referred to the Welsh Government's forthcoming flood strategy, and that will encourage wider catchment programmes and more natural flood management, recognising the role that it plays in reducing run-off and peak flows in rivers and so on. So, some of that, I think, will also be relevant to your concerns today.

But I will certainly seek to arrange a meeting with the Minister to achieve that clarity that you require on the issue of crossings on A roads, and I'm sure that he will be in touch shortly to arrange that.

Diolch i Huw Irranca-Davies am godi'r ddau fater hyn. Roedd y cyntaf yn ymwneud â lonydd heb eu mabwysiadu, ac, wrth gwrs, mae'r Gweinidog, Ken Skates, yn gwneud darn o waith ar hyn o bryd sy'n ystyried ffyrdd heb eu mabwysiadu, ac rwyf yn siŵr y bydd llawer o'r gwersi y byddwn ni'n eu dysgu o'r darn penodol hwnnw o waith yr un mor berthnasol i'r mater o lonydd heb eu mabwysiadu.

Rydym ni wedi clywed llawer gan y Prif Weinidog heddiw ynghylch ein hymateb cyflym i'r llifogydd diweddar, ond y darn nesaf o waith, wrth i ni symud ymlaen o'r angen i ymateb ar unwaith i sefyllfa frys, fydd edrych ar y materion tymor hwy hynny. Wrth gwrs, cyfeiriodd y Prif Weinidog at strategaeth llifogydd Llywodraeth Cymru sydd ar y ffordd, a bydd hynny yn annog rhaglenni dalgylch ehangach a rheoli llifogydd mewn modd mwy naturiol, gan gydnabod y rhan y mae hynny'n ei chwarae wrth leihau llif dŵr ffo a llifoedd brig mewn afonydd ac ati. Felly, yn fy marn i, bydd rhywfaint o hynny hefyd yn berthnasol i'ch pryderon chi heddiw.

Ond, byddaf yn sicr yn ceisio trefnu cyfarfod gyda'r Gweinidog i sicrhau'r eglurder hwnnw yr hoffech chi ei gael o ran croesfannau ar brif ffyrdd, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd ef yn cysylltu â chi yn fuan i drefnu hynny.

Organiser, could I seek a statement, please, from the economy Minister in relation to St Athan enterprise park, and the airfield, in particular? The Welsh Government had a contract with Serco to provide seven-day air control cover so that operators could use the airfield on a seven-day basis. As I understand, there's been an issue recruiting suitably qualified air traffic controllers, and, therefore, that's limited the use of the airfield, and in particular, lost business for some of the operators who operate out of the facilities there.

As of 1 April, Cardiff Airport are taking over the management, as I understand it, of this particular operation and the airfield itself, and I hope you'd agree with me that, given 1 April is only a month away now, it would be opportune to bring a statement forward outlining what compensation, if any, has been paid to operators on the airfield because of the lack of seven-day cover, what money has been recovered from Serco because they haven't fulfilled their contract, and what improvements might be put in place once Cardiff Airport take over the operation, so that seven-day-a-week use of the airfield can be brought forward. 

Trefnydd, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad, os gwelwch yn dda, gan Weinidog yr economi ynglŷn â pharc menter Sain Tathan, a'r maes glanio, yn arbennig? Roedd gan Lywodraeth Cymru gontract gyda Serco i ddarparu gwasanaeth rheoli traffig awyr bob dydd o'r wythnos fel y gallai gweithredwyr ddefnyddio'r maes awyr ar sail saith diwrnod yr wythnos. O'r hyn yr wyf i'n ei ddeall, mae problem wedi codi wrth recriwtio rheolwyr traffig awyr sydd â chymwysterau addas, ac, felly, mae hynny wedi cyfyngu ar y defnydd o'r maes awyr, ac yn arbennig, colled o fusnes i rai o'r gweithredwyr sy'n gweithredu o'r cyfleusterau yno.

O 1 Ebrill ymlaen, mae Maes Awyr Caerdydd yn cymryd drosodd y rheolaeth, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf i, o'r gweithrediad penodol hwn a'r maes glanio ei hun, ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddech chi'n cytuno â mi, o gofio nad yw'r cyntaf o Ebrill ddim ond mis i ffwrdd erbyn hyn, y byddai'n amserol cyflwyno datganiad yn amlinellu pa iawndal, os o gwbl, sydd wedi ei dalu i weithredwyr ar y maes glanio oherwydd y diffyg darpariaeth saith diwrnod yr wythnos, pa arian sydd wedi ei adennill oddi wrth Serco oherwydd nad ydyn nhw wedi cyflawni eu contract, a pha welliannau a allai gael eu rhoi ar waith ar ôl i Faes Awyr Caerdydd gymryd cyfrifoldeb dros y gweithrediad, fel y gellid dwyn ymlaen y defnydd saith diwrnod yr wythnos o'r maes glanio.

The Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales does have questions tomorrow in the Senedd, so that might be an opportune moment to raise those particular concerns about St Athan airfield, but, failing that, I will certainly make the Minister aware of your request for a fuller statement.

Mae gan Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru gwestiynau yfory yn y Senedd, felly efallai y byddai hwnnw'n gyfle da i godi'r pryderon penodol hynny ynghylch maes glanio Sain Tathan, ond, os na fydd hynny'n digwydd, byddaf yn sicr yn gwneud yn siŵr bod y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o'ch cais am ddatganiad llawnach.

I'd like to ask for a statement from the Welsh Government covering what support will be made available for children who are affected by the recent flooding. This has affected communities throughout my region, in Monmouth, in Newbridge, in Llanbradach and lots of other places.

Last week, I visited residents in Edward Street in Ystrad Mynach, who were woken at 2.30 a.m. by a neighbour who just happened to be awake to alert them to the fact that their street was flooding. They were able to do what they could, but, obviously, a great deal of damage was done to their properties, and it'll take months to do the repair work. But, aside from the physical damage done to the actual houses, what was concerning the residents most was the impact that this has had on their children—children who were just traumatised by seeing their homes turned upside down; who lost toys; who have to stay away with relatives and friends; children who lost school uniforms; and who have nowhere to do their homework now that schools are back after the holiday. At one point, one resident was in tears telling me that her children were staying with their grandparents at the moment, but they're afraid to come home at all, because they're convinced that the flooding will happen again in the middle of the night.

So, I'd ask what work the Government could do to work with councils, with schools across the region to co-ordinate what help and support could be offered. But I'd also ask what the Welsh Government could do, if they'd consider making counselling services available to children who aren't of school age who are affected by the flooding, who won't be able to take any advantage of support services that are available in schools, but who are, nonetheless, in need of care and compassion, because of how frightened and confused they are. What's happened with the floods will have been devastating for everyone affected, but it must be especially terrifying for children. I'd welcome any opportunity to meet someone from the Government to discuss this. Thank you.

Hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn ymwneud â pha gymorth a fydd ar gael i blant sydd wedi eu heffeithio gan y llifogydd diweddar. Mae hyn wedi effeithio ar gymunedau ledled fy rhanbarth i, yn Nhrefynwy, yn Nhrecelyn, yn Llanbradach a llawer o leoedd eraill.

Yr wythnos diwethaf, ymwelais â thrigolion yn Stryd Edward yn Ystrad Mynach, a gafodd eu deffro am 2.30 a.m. gan gymydog a oedd yn digwydd bod ar ddihun i'w rhybuddio bod eu stryd yn gorlifo. Fe wnaethon nhw lwyddo i wneud yr hyn y gallen nhw, ond, yn amlwg, cafodd llawer iawn o ddifrod ei wneud i'w heiddo, a bydd yn cymryd misoedd i wneud y gwaith atgyweirio. Ond, ar wahân i'r difrod ffisegol a gafodd ei wneud i'r tai, yr hyn a oedd yn peri'r pryder mwyaf i'r trigolion oedd yr effaith a gafodd hyn ar eu plant—plant a oedd newydd gael eu trawmateiddio wrth weld eu cartrefi'n cael eu troi wyneb i waered; a gollodd deganau; sy'n gorfod aros i ffwrdd gyda pherthnasau a ffrindiau; plant a gollodd wisgoedd ysgol; ac nad oes ganddynt unman i wneud eu gwaith cartref nawr bod yr ysgolion wedi ail-ddechrau ar ôl y gwyliau. Ar un adeg, roedd un preswylydd yn ei dagrau yn dweud wrthyf i fod ei phlant yn aros gyda'u mam-gu a'u tad-cu ar hyn o bryd, ond eu bod nhw ofn dod adref o gwbl, oherwydd eu bod yn siŵr y bydd y llifogydd yn digwydd eto yng nghanol y nos.

Felly, rwy'n gofyn pa waith y gallai'r Llywodraeth ei wneud i weithio gyda chynghorau, gydag ysgolion ledled y rhanbarth i gydgysylltu unrhyw gymorth a chefnogaeth y byddai modd eu cynnig. Ond rwyf i hefyd yn gofyn beth allai Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud, pe bydden nhw'n ystyried sicrhau bod gwasanaethau cwnsela ar gael i blant nad ydyn nhw o oedran ysgol sydd wedi eu heffeithio gan y llifogydd, na fyddan nhw'n gallu manteisio o gwbl ar wasanaethau cymorth sydd ar gael mewn ysgolion, ond sydd,  er hynny, angen gofal a thosturi, oherwydd pa mor ofnus a dryslyd y maen nhw. Bydd yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd wedi bod yn ergyd drom i bawb y mae'r llifogydd wedi effeithio arnyn nhw, ond mae'n rhaid ei fod yn arbennig o frawychus i blant. Byddwn i'n croesawu unrhyw gyfle i gwrdd â rhywun o'r Llywodraeth i drafod hyn. Diolch.

Thank you to Delyth Jewell for raising what's a really important aspect of the recent flooding episodes, and that is the distress it will cause particularly to children and also to young people as well, who, for all the reasons that you've described, might find it difficult to go home and feel safe at home. So, the points that you made are very well made, and we do have a statement next this afternoon from the Minister for environment. Although this is very much a cross-Government response, the Minister this afternoon will be setting out some of the things that we have been doing right across the Government. Of course, we will take into consideration your points as we move forward on this. 

Diolch i Delyth Jewell am godi agwedd wirioneddol bwysig ar y llifogydd diweddar, a hynny yw y trallod y bydd yn ei achosi yn arbennig i blant ac i bobl ifanc hefyd, a allai, am yr holl resymau yr ydych chi wedi eu disgrifio, ei chael hi'n anodd  i fynd adref a theimlo'n ddiogel yn y cartref. Felly, cafodd y pwyntiau a wnaethpwyd gennych eu gwneud yn dda iawn, ac mae gennym ni ddatganiad nesaf y prynhawn yma gan Weinidog yr amgylchedd. Er mai ymateb trawslywodraethol yw hwn i raddau helaeth, bydd y Gweinidog y prynhawn yma yn amlinellu rhai o'r pethau yr ydym ni wedi eu gwneud ym mhob rhan o'r Llywodraeth. Wrth gwrs, byddwn yn rhoi ystyriaeth i'ch pwyntiau chi wrth i ni symud ymlaen ar hyn.

14:50

Can I ask for two statements, Minister? Yesterday, we had the great news of 100 jobs being allocated at William Hare in Risca on a steel fabrication plant. But, in an interview with the news broadcasters, the managing director identified that Port Talbot works was a crucial part of the future of the steel industry, not just in Wales but the UK. Now, I understand that the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales has had a meeting on the steel council with the previous Secretary of State. But, can we have an update in relation to what happened at that steel council meeting?

Can you also include in that update what progress is being made in discussions with the new Secretary of State to ensure that, as we go forward, the budget that is due in a few weeks' time actually reflects upon the high energy costs that industries such as the steel industry are facing, and something that the UK Government can do to ensure that the steel industry actually has a strong future here in the UK? 

The second one, I have a constituent who has met with me recently on a boundary dispute issue. He actually wrote to the Secretary of State for Wales, and a response from an official indicated—and the words were—that boundary disputes are now the responsibility of the devolved nations. Now, I'm unaware of that, but if we could have clarity as to the Welsh Government's role in boundary disputes, that would be helpful, so that when issues come to me I can address those points. That was from a UK Minister's office.

A gaf fi ofyn am ddau ddatganiad, Gweinidog? Ddoe, cawsom ni'r newyddion gwych bod 100 o swyddi yn cael eu neilltuo yn William Hare yn Rhisga mewn gwaith dur ffabrigedig. Ond, mewn cyfweliad â'r darlledwyr newyddion, nododd y rheolwr gyfarwyddwr fod gweithfeydd Port Talbot yn rhan hanfodol o ddyfodol y diwydiant dur, nid yn unig yng Nghymru ond yn y DU. Nawr, rwy'n deall bod Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru wedi cael cyfarfod ar y cyngor dur gyda'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol blaenorol. Ond, a gawn ni ddiweddariad o ran yr hyn a ddigwyddodd yn y cyfarfod cyngor dur hwnnw?

A allwch chi hefyd gynnwys yn y diweddariad hwnnw pa gynnydd sy'n cael ei wneud mewn trafodaethau gyda'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol newydd i sicrhau, wrth i ni symud ymlaen, fod y gyllideb sydd ar ddod ymhen ychydig wythnosau mewn gwirionedd yn adlewyrchu ar y costau ynni uchel y mae diwydiannau fel y diwydiant dur yn eu hwynebu, a rhywbeth y gall Llywodraeth y DU ei wneud i sicrhau bod gan y diwydiant dur ddyfodol cryf yma yn y DU?

Yr ail un, mae gennyf i etholwr sydd wedi cwrdd â mi'n ddiweddar ynghylch mater anghydfod ffin. Mewn gwirionedd, fe ysgrifennodd at Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru, ac fe nododd ymateb gan swyddog—a'r geiriau oedd—bod anghydfodau ffin bellach yn gyfrifoldeb y cenhedloedd datganoledig. Nawr, nid wyf i'n ymwybodol o hynny, ond a gawn ni eglurder ynglŷn â swyddogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru mewn anghydfodau ffin, byddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol, fel fy mod i'n gallu mynd i'r afael â'r pwyntiau hynny pan ddaw materion i'm sylw. Roedd hynny o swyddfa Gweinidog y DU.

Thank you to David Rees. I'll certainly ensure that I liaise with my colleagues to provide you with detailed answers to both of those points. On the first, being the steel industry meeting, I'll ensure that you do get an update as to the outcomes of that and the discussions that have taken place following that particular meeting. Of course, Ken Skates does have questions tomorrow again, so there could be opportunities to raise that issue with him.

On the boundaries issue as well, I know that the Minister will provide you with a written answer on that issue. I know that she has organised a detailed briefing session for Assembly Members from the planning inspectorate, so that might be a useful opportunity to explore some of these issues as well.  

Diolch yn fawr i David Rees. Byddaf i'n sicr yn gwneud yn siŵr fy mod yn cysylltu â'm cydweithwyr i roi atebion manwl i chi i'r ddau bwynt hynny. O ran y cyntaf, sef cyfarfod y diwydiant dur, byddaf yn sicrhau eich bod yn cael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynghylch canlyniadau hwnnw a'r trafodaethau sydd wedi eu cynnal yn dilyn y cyfarfod penodol hwnnw. Wrth gwrs, mae gan Ken Skates gwestiynau yfory eto, felly gallai fod cyfleoedd i godi'r mater hwnnw gydag ef.

O ran mater y ffiniau hefyd, rwy'n gwybod y bydd y bod hi wedi trefnu sesiwn briffio manwl ar gyfer aelodau'r Cynulliad o'r arolygiaeth gynllunio, felly gallai hynny fod yn gyfle defnyddiol i ymchwilio i rai o'r materion hyn hefyd.

I'd like to ask for a statement on water resilience. You may find that a strange thing for me to ask, given the flooding of recent times, so perhaps I should say: drinking water resilience across Wales. I know that we have a statement on the emergency flood summit immediately after this statement. I think that this is an issue that may or may not come up during that statement, Minister, but it is one that is a standalone issue that needs to be looked at.

There was a pretty major issue with the Mayhill water treatment works in Monmouth last week, which I know the Minister is aware of. The treatment works were flooded. Dŵr Cymru could not get into the treatment works to fix it, so they ended up having to put on replacement tankers. They did an incredibly good job, actually, despite the fact that lots of the roads were flooded, and the worst-case scenario was warded off.

However, I wonder if, at this point in time, or once the floods subside, the Minister could look at drinking water resilience across Wales to make sure that, in future, any weak spots in the system like the Mayhill treatment station are dealt with, so that people across Wales can be sure that, when we in future do have more instances— as we probably will, with climate change increasing—like the recent flooding, the water system will be able to cope.

Hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad ar gydnerthedd dŵr. Efallai eich bod chi'n gweld  hynny'n beth rhyfedd i mi ei ofyn, o gofio llifogydd y cyfnod diweddar, felly efallai y dylwn i ddweud: cydnerthedd dŵr yfed ledled Cymru. Rwy'n gwybod bod gennym ni ddatganiad ynghylch yr uwchgynhadledd frys ar lifogydd yn syth ar ôl y datganiad hwn. Rwy'n credu bod hwn yn fater a allai godi neu na allai godi yn ystod y datganiad hwnnw, Gweinidog, ond mae'n fater ar wahân y mae angen edrych arno.

Bu problem go fawr gyda gwaith trin dŵr Mayhill yn Nhrefynwy yr wythnos diwethaf, ac rwy'n gwybod bod y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol ohoni. Gorlifodd y  llifogydd i'r gwaith trin dŵr. Nid oedd Dŵr Cymru yn gallu mynd i mewn i'r gwaith trin dŵr i'w drwsio, ac felly, yn y pen draw, bu'n rhaid iddyn nhw ddefnyddio tanceri eraill. Fe wnaethon nhw waith anhygoel o dda, a dweud y gwir, er gwaethaf y ffaith fod llawer o'r ffyrdd dan ddŵr, a bod y sefyllfa waethaf bosibl wedi ei hatal.

Fodd bynnag, tybed a allai'r Gweinidog, ar hyn o bryd, neu ar ôl i'r llifogydd leihau, edrych ar gydnerthedd dŵr yfed ledled Cymru i sicrhau, yn y dyfodol, bod modd ymdrin ag unrhyw fannau gwan yn y system fel gorsaf driniaeth Mayhill, fel bod pobl ledled Cymru yn gallu bod yn siŵr, pan fydd gennym ni achosion yn y dyfodol—fel y byddwn ni'n siŵr o'u cael, wrth i'r newid yn yr hinsawdd gynyddu—fel y llifogydd diweddar, bydd y system ddŵr yn gallu ymdopi.

Well, I'm very pleased that the treatment works issues that you described have now been resolved but, of course, the Minister has been here to hear your request for a statement on drinking water resilience more widely.

Wel, rwy'n falch iawn bod y materion sy'n ymwneud â'r gwaith trin dŵr yr ydych chi wedi eu disgrifio wedi eu datrys erbyn hyn ond, wrth gwrs, mae'r Gweinidog wedi bod yma i glywed eich cais am ddatganiad ar gydnerthedd dŵr yfed yn ehangach.

The first statement that I wanted to ask for was from the Deputy Minister for Culture, actually, in relation to the soundings that we're hearing from the UK Government that there may be changes to the BBC licence fee, and that it may potentially change to a subscription service. Now, I know that this all has not been confirmed, but of course this will have implications for Wales in relation to BBC Wales and also S4C, whose whole funding stream will be moved imminently to the licence fee. Would we be able to have a statement about what conversations the Deputy Minister has had with the UK Government in this regard, and then potentially in relation to how they may be looking at alternatives to how Wales and broadcasting in general may be looking for the future here in Wales.

My second request for a statement is with regard to a request to the environment Minister for a statement on opencast restoration. I ask this because, in the last week, it's not directly to do with flooding, but the Kenfig Hill void that was left by Celtic Energy is that—it's water that has been contained because Celtic Energy left without restoring the whole site. Bridgend council has said that they can't afford to fully restore it, and they have said that, in light of the floods, it's safe, which I've written to NRW to confirm, but the wider point is that we need to ensure that all of these opencasting applications are restored, which they're not being, and I would urge the Government to give us a statement as to what future planning they have in mind to help these areas become naturalised again so that we are not left with these big holes in the ground.

Roedd y datganiad cyntaf yr oeddwn i eisiau gofyn amdano gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Diwylliant, mewn gwirionedd, yn ymwneud â'r sīon yr ydym ni'n eu clywed gan Lywodraeth y DU y gall fod newidiadau i ffi trwydded y BBC, ac y gallai, efallai, newid i fod yn wasanaeth tanysgrifio. Rwy'n gwybod nad yw hyn i gyd wedi'i gadarnhau, ond wrth gwrs bydd gan hyn oblygiadau i Gymru o ran BBC Cymru a hefyd S4C, y bydd eu ffrwd ariannu gyfan yn cael ei symud yn fuan i ffi'r drwydded. A allwn ni gael datganiad ynglŷn â pha sgyrsiau y mae'r Dirprwy Weinidog wedi eu cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â hyn, ac yna, efallai, ynghylch sut y gallen nhw fod yn ystyried dewisiadau eraill o ran sut y gallai Cymru a darlledu yn gyffredinol fod yn edrych ar gyfer y dyfodol yma yng Nghymru.

Mae fy ail gais am ddatganiad yn ymwneud â chais i Weinidog yr amgylchedd am ddatganiad ar adfer safleoedd mwyngloddio brig. Rwy'n gofyn hyn oherwydd, yn yr wythnos ddiwethaf, nid yw'n ymwneud yn uniongyrchol â llifogydd, ond y gwagle ym Mynydd Cynffig yr oedd Celtic Energy wedi'i adael—mae'n ddŵr sydd crynhoi oherwydd bod Celtic Energy wedi gadael heb adfer yr holl safle. Mae Cyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr wedi dweud nad ydyn nhw'n gallu fforddio ei adfer yn llawn, ac maen nhw wedi dweud, yng ngoleuni'r llifogydd, ei fod yn ddiogel, ac rwyf i wedi ysgrifennu at Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i gadarnhau hynny, ond y pwynt ehangach yw bod angen i ni sicrhau bod yr holl safleoedd mwyngloddio brig hyn yn cael eu hadfer, ac nid yw hynny'n digwydd, a byddwn i'n annog y Llywodraeth i roi datganiad i ni ynglŷn â pha gynllunio sydd ganddyn nhw mewn golwg ar gyfer y dyfodol i helpu i sicrhau bod yr ardaloedd hyn yn cael eu gwneud yn naturiol unwaith eto fel nad ydyn ni'n cael ein gadael gyda'r tyllau mawr hyn yn y ddaear.

14:55

Thank you for raising those two issues. The issue of the BBC licence fee is very much an emerging issue, and I know that the Deputy Minister is very alive to the discussions and the issues that are coming to the fore there. I know that, in due course, if there is an update to provide you, we'll certainly be keen to do so. The environment Minister heard your request for a statement on opencast restoration, and she says in the first instance, please could you write to her in order for her to respond fully to those particular concerns that you've raised.

Diolch am grybwyll y ddau fater yna. Mae ffi drwydded y BBC yn fater sy'n codi ei ben yn gyson, ac rwy'n gwybod fod y Dirprwy Weinidog yn ymwybodol iawn o'r trafodaethau a'r materion cysylltiedig. Rwy'n gwybod, maes o law, os oes diweddariad i'w roi ichi, y byddwn yn sicr yn awyddus i wneud hynny. Clywodd Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd eich cais am ddatganiad ynglŷn ag ail-ddechrau cloddio glo brig, ac mae hi'n dweud, fel cam cyntaf, a fyddech chi gystal ag ysgrifennu ati er mwyn iddi ymateb yn llawn i'r pryderon penodol hynny yr ydych chi wedi'u crybwyll.

3. Datganiad gan Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig: Y Diweddaraf am yr Uwchgynhadledd Argyfwng am y Llifogydd
3. Statement by the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs: Emergency Flood Summit Update

Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad gan Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig ar y diweddaraf am yr uwchgynhadledd argyfwng am y llifogydd, ac dwi'n galw ar y Gweinidog i wneud ei datganiad, Lesley Griffiths.

The next item is a statement by the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, the emergency floods summit update, and I call on the Minister to make the statement, Lesley Griffiths.

Diolch, Llywydd. Over the last two weeks, many communities throughout Wales have suffered devastating effects from storms Ciara and Dennis. I want to say again that my thoughts, and those of my Cabinet colleagues, are with all those who have been affected.

These two storms are two of the most severe and widespread flooding incidents we have experienced in Wales for many years. At the peak of storm Dennis, there were 61 flood alerts, 89 flood warnings and two severe flood warnings in force. This is more than Natural Resources Wales has ever issued. The rivers Taff and Usk reached their highest levels in more than 40 years and, at its peak, 900 tonnes of water per second was flowing down the River Taff.

As a result of these two storms, we have seen severe and widespread flooding in communities in north, mid and south Wales. There are confirmed accounts of more than 1,000 homes suffering internal flooding and more than 300 businesses being directly affected. The threat has not yet passed. Yesterday, a severe flood warning was issued in Bangor-on-Dee and we saw flash flooding in Dolgellau over the weekend following further heavy rain. We do not yet know the full extent of damage. Teams on the ground are continuing to verify the damage and likely cost of repairs as they start the clean-up. The Welsh Government wants to thank everyone involved in the response to the flooding, from the emergency response to the ongoing recovery. The emergency services, local authorities, Natural Resources Wales and volunteers have worked around the clock to address the immediate impact of the flooding.

I have seen first-hand some of the devastation caused as I visited communities across Wales, in Llanrwst, Tylorstown, Pontypridd, Llanhilleth, Crickhowell and Mountain Ash. But many more communities have been affected. I have spoken with people who saw for themselves the incredible response from their local community as schools, halls and centres opened their doors to help those in need. There were incredible acts of kindness and generosity as people came together to help and there were powerful and humbling levels of resilience. One example, Llanhilleth Miners Institute in Blaenau Gwent, provided shelter, advice and three meals a day to all those who needed it.

These floods have had a significant and financial impact on councils, businesses and individuals. Last week, the First Minister chaired an emergency summit, announcing a £10 million fund to help meet the costs of the initial response, including support for those affected by the flooding. However, this of course will not be enough to cover the full costs to repair the damage caused by storms Ciara and Dennis.

The emergency flood relief scheme is now available. Households affected by flooding will be able to claim £500 each with a further payment of £500 available to those without flooding insurance. Support will also be available for businesses and high streets. Business Wales is ready to support affected businesses. Any business affected should contact their helpline, who can provide practical advice, including help with recovery plans.

I've heard from many home owners who lost everything and who have previously been declined flood cover. Since 2016, Flood Re has been in place to enable home owners to access affordable insurance, but there is a lack of awareness about the scheme. I want to work with the insurance sector to ensure Flood Re is publicised more effectively.

Emergency funding for repairs to flood infrastructure was immediately made available after storm Ciara, and extended to cover storm Dennis. Urgent works to assets, including defences and culverts, will be 100 per cent funded by the Welsh Government. This applies to both NRW and local authorities.

The number of properties affected and the damage caused has been devastating. But we know this could have been a lot worse without the network of flood defences. Across Wales, more than 73,000 homes were protected from flooding by this network of flood defences. This is a reflection of the £350 million we've invested in flood risk management since 2016. Going forward, we will work with local authorities and NRW to identify whether more schemes will be needed to further reduce risk. I also want to increase financial and practical support to local authorities to accelerate the development of new flood projects.

My officials are exploring ways to better support the development of new schemes and maintenance works, including providing 100 per cent funding for all preparatory work prior to construction. This would include all costs of modelling and design. We will also explore practical ways on how to progress more natural solutions, and wider catchment management to reduce both the amount and the rate of run-off, to reduce peak flows and help address the quick onset of flooding.

These storms have once again raised the issue of the safety of coal tips for communities living in their shadow. Many of us will have seen images of the dramatic landslip at Tylorstown. There are more than 1,200 of these tips across the former mining areas of south Wales. They are a legacy of our industrial past. Many of these tips were abandoned more than a century ago, and we have been working since devolution to address the issue of tips, and some of the sites have undergone work to transform them. The First Minister met the Secretary of State for Wales yesterday to discuss the safety of these. As a priority, we are working closely with the UK Government and partners—including the Coal Authority, Natural Resources Wales and local authorities—to ensure we have a full picture about the current checks and monitoring systems in place.

All the evidence suggests that we will see more storms as a result of climate change. Later this year, I will publish our new national strategy for flood and coastal erosion, which sets out how we will manage the risk over the coming decade. But flood risk management is more than just building higher and stronger defences. We cannot prevent all flooding. We need to be more resilient, we need to prevent flooding from happening and we need to be better at raising awareness about the risk of flooding so better decisions can be made.

We are promoting wider catchment projects, adaptive measures to respond to climate change, better information provision to communities and the sharing of ideas to do things better. We will continue to support people to recover from these storms and the flooding they caused. I commend and sincerely appreciate the work of all those who continue to work on the recovery effort, supporting people, businesses and communities alike.

Diolch, Llywydd. Dros y pythefnos diwethaf, mae llawer o gymunedau ledled Cymru wedi dioddef effeithiau dinistriol yn sgil stormydd Ciara a Dennis. Rwyf eisiau dweud eto bod fy meddyliau i, a rhai fy nghyd-Aelodau yn y Cabinet, gyda phawb yr effeithiwyd arnynt.

Mae'r ddwy storm hyn yn ddau o'r achosion llifogydd mwyaf difrifol ac eang a welsom ni yng Nghymru ers blynyddoedd lawer. Ar anterth storm Dennis, cafwyd 61 hysbysiad o berygl llifogydd, 89 o rybuddion llifogydd a dau rybudd o lifogydd difrifol. Mae hyn yn fwy nag y mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi'i gyhoeddi erioed. Cyrhaeddodd afonydd Taf ac Wysg eu lefelau uchaf mewn mwy na deugain mlynedd ac, ar ei anterth, roedd 900 o dunelli o ddŵr yr eiliad yn llifo i lawr Afon Taf.

O ganlyniad i'r ddwy storm hyn, rydym ni wedi gweld llifogydd difrifol ac eang mewn cymunedau yn y gogledd, yn y canolbarth ac yn y de. Cadarnhawyd bod mwy na 1,000 o gartrefi wedi dioddef llifogydd mewnol ac effeithwyd ar fwy na 300 o fusnesau'n uniongyrchol. Nid yw'r bygythiad wedi mynd heibio eto. Ddoe, cyhoeddwyd rhybudd llifogydd difrifol ym Mangor-is-y-coed  a gwelsom lifogydd yn datblygu'n gyflym yn Nolgellau dros y penwythnos yn dilyn mwy o law trwm. Nid ydym yn gwybod hyd a lled y difrod yn llawn eto. Mae timau ar lawr gwlad yn parhau i wirio difrod a chost debygol gwaith trwsio wrth iddyn nhw ddechrau glanhau. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisiau diolch i bawb a fu'n gysylltiedig â'r ymateb i'r llifogydd, o'r ymateb brys i'r gwaith adfer sy'n mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd. Mae'r gwasanaethau brys, awdurdodau lleol, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a gwirfoddolwyr wedi gweithio bob awr o'r dydd a'r nos i fynd i'r afael ag effaith uniongyrchol y llifogydd.

Rwyf wedi gweld drosof fy hun rywfaint o'r dinistr a achoswyd wrth imi ymweld â chymunedau ledled Cymru, yn Llanrwst, Tylorstown, Pontypridd, Llanhiledd, Crucywel ac Aberpennar. Ond mae hyn wedi effeithio ar lawer mwy o gymunedau. Rwyf wedi siarad â phobl a welodd drostynt eu hunain yr ymateb anhygoel gan eu cymuned leol wrth i ysgolion, neuaddau a chanolfannau agor eu drysau i helpu'r rhai mewn angen. Roedd yna weithredoedd anhygoel o garedigrwydd a haelioni, wrth i bobl ddod at ei gilydd i helpu ac roedd y cydnerthedd yn rymus ac yn gwneud i rywun deimlo'n wylaidd iawn. Un enghraifft, Sefydliad Glowyr Llanhiledd ym Mlaenau Gwent, a ddarparodd loches, cyngor a thri phryd y dydd i bawb oedd angen hynny arnynt.

Mae'r llifogydd hyn wedi cael effaith sylweddol ac ariannol ar gynghorau, busnesau ac unigolion. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cadeiriodd y Prif Weinidog uwchgynhadledd frys, gan gyhoeddi cronfa o £10 miliwn i helpu i dalu costau'r ymateb cychwynnol, gan gynnwys cymorth i'r rhai y mae'r llifogydd wedi effeithio arnynt. Fodd bynnag, ni fydd hyn wrth gwrs yn ddigon i dalu'r costau llawn i drwsio'r difrod a achoswyd gan stormydd Ciara a Dennis.

Mae'r cynllun cymorth llifogydd brys bellach ar gael. Gall aelwydydd yr effeithiodd y llifogydd arnynt hawlio £500 yr un gyda thaliad pellach o £500 ar gael i'r rhai sydd heb yswiriant llifogydd. Bydd cymorth hefyd ar gael i fusnesau a strydoedd mawr. Mae Busnes Cymru yn barod i gefnogi busnesau yr effeithir arnynt. Dylai unrhyw fusnes yr effeithiwyd arno gysylltu â'r llinell gymorth, lle gellir cael cyngor ymarferol, gan gynnwys cymorth gyda chynlluniau adfer.

Rwyf wedi clywed gan lawer o berchnogion cartrefi a gollodd bopeth ac y gwrthodwyd yswiriant llifogydd iddynt yn y gorffennol. Ers 2016, mae cynllun 'Flood Re' wedi bod ar waith i alluogi perchnogion cartrefi i gael yswiriant fforddiadwy, ond mae diffyg ymwybyddiaeth o'r cynllun. Rwyf eisiau gweithio gyda'r sector yswiriant i sicrhau y caiff 'Flood Re' gyhoeddusrwydd mwy effeithiol.

Roedd arian brys i drwsio'r seilwaith llifogydd ar gael ar unwaith ar ôl storm Ciara, ac ymestynwyd hynny i gynnwys storm Dennis. Caiff gwaith brys i asedau, gan gynnwys amddiffynfeydd a cheuffosydd, ei ariannu 100 y cant gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Mae hyn yn berthnasol i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol.

Mae nifer yr eiddo yr effeithiwyd arnynt a'r niwed a achoswyd wedi bod yn ddinistriol. Ond gwyddom y gallai hyn fod wedi bod yn llawer gwaeth heb y rhwydwaith o amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd. Ar draws Cymru, roedd mwy na 73,000 o gartrefi wedi'u diogelu rhag llifogydd gan y rhwydwaith hwn o amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd. Mae hyn yn adlewyrchiad o'r £350 miliwn yr ydym ni wedi ei fuddsoddi mewn rheoli perygl llifogydd ers 2016. Wrth symud ymlaen, byddwn yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i weld a fydd angen rhagor o gynlluniau i leihau risg ymhellach. Rwyf hefyd eisiau rhoi mwy o gymorth ariannol ac ymarferol i awdurdodau lleol i gyflymu'r gwaith o ddatblygu prosiectau llifogydd newydd.

Mae fy swyddogion yn archwilio ffyrdd o roi gwell cefnogaeth i ddatblygu cynlluniau newydd a gwaith cynnal a chadw, gan gynnwys darparu cyllid o 100 y cant ar gyfer yr holl waith paratoadol cyn y gwaith adeiladu. Byddai hyn yn cynnwys holl gostau modelu a dylunio. Byddwn hefyd yn archwilio ffyrdd ymarferol o ddatblygu atebion mwy naturiol, a rheoli dalgylchoedd yn fwy eang i leihau swm a chyfradd dŵr ffo, i leihau llifoedd brig ac i helpu i fynd i'r afael â'r cynnydd sydyn mewn llifogydd.

Mae'r stormydd hyn unwaith eto wedi codi'r mater o ddiogelwch tomenni glo ar gyfer cymunedau sy'n byw yn eu cysgod. Bydd llawer ohonom ni wedi gweld lluniau o'r tirlithriad syfrdanol yn Tylorstown. Mae mwy na 1,200 o'r tomenni hyn ar draws hen ardaloedd glofaol y de. Maent yn waddol o'n gorffennol diwydiannol. Gadawyd llawer o'r tomenni hyn dros ganrif yn ôl, ac rydym ni wedi bod yn gweithio ers datganoli i fynd i'r afael â'r tomenni hyn, a bu gwaith ar rai safleoedd i'w trawsnewid. Cyfarfu'r Prif Weinidog ag Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru ddoe i drafod diogelwch y rhain. Fel blaenoriaeth, rydym ni'n gweithio'n agos gyda Llywodraeth y DU a phartneriaid—gan gynnwys yr Awdurdod Glo, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol—i sicrhau bod gennym ddarlun llawn o'r systemau gwirio a monitro sydd ar waith ar hyn o bryd.

Mae'r holl dystiolaeth yn awgrymu y byddwn yn gweld mwy o stormydd o ganlyniad i'r newid yn yr hinsawdd. Yn ddiweddarach eleni, byddaf yn cyhoeddi ein strategaeth genedlaethol newydd ar gyfer llifogydd ac erydu arfordirol, sy'n nodi sut y byddwn yn rheoli'r risg dros y degawd nesaf. Ond mae rheoli'r perygl o lifogydd yn fwy na dim ond adeiladu amddiffynfeydd uwch a chryfach. Ni allwn ni atal pob llifogydd. Mae angen i ni fod yn fwy cydnerth, mae angen i ni atal llifogydd ac mae angen i ni fod yn well wrth godi ymwybyddiaeth o berygl llifogydd fel y gellir gwneud penderfyniadau gwell.

Rydym yn hyrwyddo prosiectau dalgylch ehangach, mesurau addasu i ymateb i newid yn yr hinsawdd, darparu gwybodaeth well i gymunedau a rhannu syniadau i wneud pethau'n well. Byddwn yn parhau i helpu pobl i ddechrau ar y gwaith adfer ar ôl y stormydd hyn a'r llifogydd a achoswyd ganddynt. Rwy'n cymeradwyo ac yn gwerthfawrogi'n ddiffuant gwaith pawb sy'n parhau i weithio ar yr ymdrech i adfer y sefyllfa, gan gefnogi pobl, busnesau a chymunedau fel ei gilydd.

15:00

Thank you, Minister, for your statement, and I appreciate there will be some cross-over with, obviously, the remarks that the First Minister dealt with during his questions, but rightly so that they were taken in such high profile in the First Minister's questions segment of today's business.

I too would join in the comments that you have identified with and sided with on thanks to the emergency services, to the volunteers, and to individuals themselves, who, in the face of complete and utter devastation of whole lives being washed away, have been remarkable in their courage and fortitude in the way they've faced up—whether that be in the first week of storms, or whether that be in the second week of storms. Looking at the weather this morning, another great big blob of rain, sadly, is due at the end of this week again, it is. And to actually see that resilience in our communities really does show what it is be Welsh, and ultimately stand shoulder to shoulder with each other in their greatest time of need.

I'd like to touch on specific areas, if I may, because I know just from our benches we have six contributions on this particular statement, and so I'd like to be quite precise in what I'm asking you, and I'm sure other Members will deal with those points in the statement.

The coal tips that you touched on is a really important area of concern in many communities, but in particular in my own electoral ward, because most probably that was one of the visuals that people could see played night after night on the news clips. And as you've identified in your statement, there are some 1,200 tips of one shape or form or another across Wales and, as I understand it, a third here in the top category, category D. The First Minister in his answer identified three authorities who are responsible for inspecting those tips—they were the Coal Authority, NRW and councils. Can you confirm that they do have a joined-up inspection process and that when each authority inspects, that information is shared with the other authorities so that there is complete confidence that things aren't sitting on shelves, and when problems might or might not occur, one organisation knew about it but another didn't know about it? And also, can you identify what type of measures might be being considered by Government to move forward in making sure that any advice that is given is acted on, more importantly, because obviously this is going to come at a cost?

I heard what you said about the meeting with the First Minister and the Secretary of State. So far today, I've heard three costs of what people think the potential clear-up operation might be. Yourself in your press conference—this isn't a criticism—this morning touched on tens of millions. The First Minister in his radio broadcast touched on £100 million, and I think in First Minister's questions a Member said £180 million just in Rhondda Cynon Taf alone. So, it is really important for us to understand how Welsh Government, working with its partner organisations and the UK Government, are able to put a final figure on what might be required to support communities and support local authorities and other public agencies, and businesses as well, in seeking that money from the Treasury. Because I think in fairness to the Welsh Government, if demands were coming in thick and fast they would want to know the quantum of what they're being asked for, and I think it's vital that we understand how Government is working to bring that figure to a conclusion, so that we can actually understand the magnitude of what is required here.

I'd also like to understand exactly how the infrastructure points are being taken forward within Government. My colleague Nick Ramsay from Monmouth touched on the clean drinking water situation in Monmouthshire, but other infrastructure issues have stuck up above the parapet on this one. If you take Natural Resources Wales and the issue of the culvert in Pentre in the Rhondda, there are many issues about how this infrastructure is managed and how it is regularly maintained and, importantly, where faults are found, the timeline that is put in place to rectify the faults that are found. Can you indicate how your department interacts with Natural Resources Wales, local authorities and other partner bodies that are responsible, such as Dŵr Cymru, to make sure that when maintenance programmes are required, those maintenance programmes are carried out on that important infrastructure?

I'd also like to understand how you're working with the UK Government on the insurance side of things. I appreciate it's for the insurance industry to step up to the plate and, in fairness, in many instances I've heard of insurance assessors going over and above what would be expected of them to get claims processed and inspect properties so that people can have peace of mind that those inspection claims are being processed in a timely manner. But it is important that the speed of processing and the speed of assessment is kept up, and whilst we move further and further from the date of the actual flood, we can understand that there might be some taking the foot off the throttle on this. That cannot be allowed be happen and you in Government and, in particular, the UK Government working collaboratively, must make sure the insurance sector steps up to the plate on this.

I would again reiterate how important it is that we have the flood risk management strategy as soon as possible. This has been a piece of work that has been undertaken by Welsh Government for some considerable time, and as it is such a vital piece of work to inform Government and other public bodies of what the responsibilities will be, to know that it will be with us in a couple of months really does leave some questions to be asked. If you could be more specific, as it is your department dealing with this, to give us a timeline that we're working to on this and, importantly, the budget consequences that you think that current development work is looking at, then that would be reassuring to say the least, going forward.

With those questions, I look forward to the answers that you'll be able to give but, again, I would like to put on the record my thanks to everyone who has worked over and above and gone that extra mile to give people peace of mind in what has been a very bleak couple of days.

Diolch, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad, ac rwy'n sylweddoli y bydd rhywfaint o orgyffwrdd, yn amlwg, gyda'r sylwadau yr ymdriniodd y Prif Weinidog â nhw yn ystod ei gwestiynau, ond mae hi'n briodol iawn eu bod wedi cael lle mor flaenllaw yn y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog yn rhan o fusnes heddiw.

Hoffwn innau hefyd ategu'r sylwadau yr ydych chi wedi uniaethu â nhw a'u hategu o ran diolch i'r gwasanaethau brys, i'r gwirfoddolwyr, ac i'r unigolion eu hunain, sydd, yn wyneb y dinistr llwyr o fywydau cyfan yn cael eu golchi ymaith, wedi bod yn rhyfeddol yn eu dewrder a'u cydnerthedd yn y ffordd y maen nhw wedi wynebu—boed hynny yn yr wythnos gyntaf o stormydd, neu boed hynny yn yr ail wythnos o stormydd. Wrth edrych ar y tywydd y bore yma, mae ysbaid arall o law, ysywaeth, wedi ei ddarogan ar gyfer diwedd yr wythnos hon eto. Ac mae gweld bod y cydnerthedd hwnnw yn ein cymunedau mewn gwirionedd yn dangos beth yw hanfod bod yn Gymro neu Gymraes, ac yn y pen draw, sefyll ysgwydd wrth ysgwydd â'i gilydd yn y cyfnod mwyaf anghenus.

Hoffwn grybwyll meysydd penodol, os caf i, oherwydd rwy'n gwybod, dim ond o'n meinciau ni, bod gennym ni chwe chyfraniad at y datganiad arbennig hwn, ac felly hoffwn fod yn eithaf manwl yn yr hyn rwy'n ei ofyn i chi, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd Aelodau eraill yn ymdrin â'r pwyntiau hynny yn y datganiad.

Mae'r tomenni glo y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio atyn nhw yn faes pryder gwirioneddol bwysig mewn llawer o gymunedau, ond yn benodol yn fy ward etholiadol fy hun, oherwydd mae'n debyg mai dyna oedd un o'r lluniau yr oedd pobl yn ei weld yn cael ei chwarae noson ar ôl noson ar y clipiau newyddion. Ac fel rydych chi wedi dweud yn eich datganiad, mae tua 1,200 o domenni o ryw ffurf neu'i gilydd ar draws Cymru ac, fel rwy'n ei ddeall, mae traean yma yn y categori uchaf, categori D. Yn ei ateb, soniodd y Prif Weinidog am dri awdurdod sy'n gyfrifol am arolygu'r tomenni hynny—Yr Awdurdod Glo, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a chynghorau. A wnewch chi gadarnhau bod ganddynt broses arolygu gydgysylltiedig, a phan fydd pob awdurdod yn arolygu, y caiff yr wybodaeth honno ei rhannu gyda'r awdurdodau eraill, fel bod hyder llwyr nad yw pethau'n cael eu hanghofio, a phan gyfyd problemau neu beidio, y canfyddir fod un sefydliad yn gwybod amdano ond nid y llall? A hefyd, a wnewch chi ddweud pa fath o fesurau y gallai'r Llywodraeth fod yn eu hystyried i symud ymlaen i sicrhau y gweithredir ar unrhyw gyngor a roddir, oherwydd, yn bwysicach na dim, yn amlwg, mae hyn yn mynd i gostio?

Clywais yr hyn y gwnaethoch chi ei ddweud am y cyfarfod gyda'r Prif Weinidog a'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol. Hyd yn hyn heddiw, rwyf wedi clywed tri swm gwahanol o'r hyn y mae pobl yn ei gredu byddai cost posib y clirio. Fe wnaethoch chi eich hun ddweud yn eich cynhadledd i'r wasg—nid beirniadaeth mo hyn—crybwyllwyd y bore 'ma y swm o ddegau o filiynau. Crybwyllodd y Prif Weinidog yn ei ddarllediad radio £100 miliwn a chredaf yn y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog y dywedodd aelod y byddai'r gost yn £180 miliwn yn Rhondda Cynon Taf yn unig. Felly, mae'n bwysig iawn ein bod yn deall sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru, gan weithio gyda'i sefydliadau partner a Llywodraeth y DU, roi ffigur terfynol ar yr hyn y gallai fod ei angen i gefnogi cymunedau a chefnogi awdurdodau lleol ac asiantaethau cyhoeddus eraill, a busnesau hefyd, wrth geisio'r arian hwnnw gan y Trysorlys. Gan fy mod yn credu er tegwch i Lywodraeth Cymru, pe cyflwynid gofynion rif y gwlith, byddent eisiau gwybod faint y gofynnir iddynt amdano, a chredaf ei bod hi'n hanfodol ein bod yn deall sut y mae'r Llywodraeth yn gweithio i bennu ffigur terfynol, er mwyn i ni allu deall swm a sylwedd yr hyn sydd ei angen yma.

Hoffwn hefyd ddeall yn union sut mae'r pwyntiau seilwaith yn cael eu datblygu o fewn y Llywodraeth. Cyfeiriodd fy nghyd-Aelod Nick Ramsay o Drefynwy at y sefyllfa o ran dŵr yfed glân yn Sir Fynwy, ond mae materion eraill yn ymwneud â seilwaith wedi amlygu eu hunain yn hyn o beth. O feddwl am Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a mater y geuffos ym Mhentre yn y Rhondda, mae llawer o faterion yn codi ynghylch sut y rheolir y seilwaith hwn a sut y caiff ei gynnal yn rheolaidd ac, yn bwysig, os canfyddir diffygion, yr amserlen a roddir ar waith i gywiro'r diffygion a ganfyddir. A wnewch chi ddweud sut y mae eich adran yn rhyngweithio â Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, awdurdodau lleol a chyrff partner eraill sy'n gyfrifol, megis Dŵr Cymru, i sicrhau, pan fydd angen rhaglenni cynnal a chadw, y gwneir y gwaith cynnal a chadw hwnnw ar y seilwaith pwysig hwnnw?

Hoffwn hefyd ddeall sut yr ydych chi'n gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU o ran yswiriant. Rwy'n sylweddoli bod yn rhaid i'r diwydiant yswiriant ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb ac, i fod yn deg, mewn sawl achos rwyf wedi clywed am aseswyr yswiriant yn gwneud llawer mwy na'r disgwyl i gael ceisiadau wedi'u prosesu ac archwilio eiddo fel y gall pobl fod yn dawel eu byd bod y ceisiadau arolygu hynny'n cael eu prosesu mewn modd amserol. Ond mae hi yn bwysig y delir ati i brosesu ac asesu'n gyflym, ac wrth inni symud ymhellach ac ymhellach o ddyddiad y llifogydd eu hunain, gallwn ddeall y gallai fod rhai yn llaesu dwylo yn hyn o beth. Ni ellir caniatáu hynny ac mae'n rhaid i chi yn y Llywodraeth ac, yn enwedig, drwy gydweithio â Llywodraeth y DU, sicrhau bod y sector yswiriant yn ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb yn hyn o beth.

Byddwn eto'n ailadrodd mor bwysig yw hi inni gael y strategaeth rheoli perygl llifogydd cyn gynted ag y bo modd. Bu hwn yn ddarn o waith y bu Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio arno ers cryn amser, a chan ei fod yn ddarn o waith mor hanfodol i hysbysu'r Llywodraeth a chyrff cyhoeddus eraill o beth fydd y cyfrifoldebau, mae clywed y bydd ar gael inni mewn rhyw ddau fis yn gadael, mewn difrif calon, rai cwestiynau i'w hateb. Os wnewch chi fod yn fwy penodol, gan mai eich adran chi sy'n ymdrin â hyn, o ran rhoi amserlen i ni yr ydym yn gweithio iddi yn hyn o beth ac, yn bwysig, yr hyn y credwch chi fydd goblygiadau cyllidebol y gwaith datblygu cyfredol, yna byddai hynny'n tawelu meddyliau rhywun a dweud y lleiaf, wrth symud ymlaen.

Gyda'r cwestiynau hynny, edrychaf ymlaen at yr atebion y gallwch chi eu rhoi ond, unwaith eto, hoffwn ddiolch ar goedd i bawb a weithiodd mor ddygn ac a aeth yr ail filltir honno i roi tawelwch meddwl yn ystod dyddiau llwm iawn. 

15:05

Thank you, Andrew R.T. Davies, for those observations and questions. I don't think we can thank the emergency services, local authorities, the volunteers and third sector organisations such as NRW and Dŵr Cymru enough. I think we just need to continue to do that over the coming days and weeks.

You started your questions around the coal tips, and I think you're right, that very visual image of the water coming down in Tylorstown, that was something that, as you say, was played over and over again. The First Minister and I visited Tylorstown last Tuesday—I think it was—to see it for ourselves, and I was very pleased to see that the Rhondda Cynon Taf local authority, who, I think, have been exemplary in their dealings with residents, had gone to great lengths to ensure that they were talking to residents who were obviously concerned when that happened. This is clearly a priority around the ongoing work that needs doing in relation to the coal tips and, as you say, the First Minister met with the Secretary of State yesterday and I understand a further meeting will be convened, I think at an official level, next week. These tips are owned by a variety of organisations, and even some of them are privately owned. So, it is vital that there is that joined-up approach between the Coal Authority, NRW, and local authorities going forward.

In relation to your questions around insurance, I think that was a really good point. I heard you say that you'd listened to the lobby briefing this morning. I went to great pains to say that the representative who attended the flood summit last week from the insurance association, he said that the assessors would be out there as quick as possible. They'd, sort of, doubled up their efforts to make sure that that happened because, I think, certainly in the lobby briefing this morning, journalists were raising with me their concern that insurance companies tried not to pay out if they could, which—that wasn't the understanding that we had from the representative who was there, and that these assessors would go out. In fact, the First Minister and I were at a meeting of RCT's group that they brought together in relation to ongoing work following the floods, and there was an individual there who owned property on the Treforest industrial estate that's been particularly badly affected, and that morning his assessor had been out. So, certainly within 48 hours, the insurance assessor had been out. So, I think that we should pay tribute to those that do that.

You asked for a final figure. I'm afraid you're going to have to be very patient. We are not going to be able to give a final figure as to the entire cost of this for a long time. So, if you just think about RCT, for instance, we know there are several bridges that have been damaged, but it's not safe for divers to go down yet to see what damage is done. So, it is going to be a long process and we are not going to be able to give a final figure. So, you heard me say tens of millions, the First Minister the same, and I heard somebody say £180 million. I haven't heard that specific figure of £180 million, but I can assure you it will be tens of millions of pounds. I was in Mountain Ash with Vikki Howells last week, and just to see the debris alone on the streets that had come off the mountain, it is incredible that nobody was killed. All that is going to take a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of resources.

Around the strategy, I heard you say in your question to the First Minister that two years ago we were promised this. Well, we only closed the consultation in the autumn of last year, and the strategy will set out our strategic direction alongside revised objectives and measures for delivery over the next decade. I do think it's really benefited for that consultation and for the feedback, the workshops, the close working groups that we've had, the work we've done with our stakeholders following the responses, and I will be publishing it later this year.

Diolch, Andrew R.T. Davies, am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau yna. Nid wyf yn credu y gallwn ni ddiolch digon i'r gwasanaethau brys, awdurdodau lleol, y gwirfoddolwyr a sefydliadau'r trydydd sector fel Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a Dŵr Cymru. Rwy'n credu bod angen i ni barhau i wneud hynny dros y dyddiau a'r wythnosau nesaf.

Fe wnaethoch chi ddechrau eich cwestiynau gyda'r tomenni glo, ac rwy'n credu eich bod yn iawn, y darlun trawiadol iawn hwnnw o'r dŵr yn pistyllio yn Tylorstown, roedd hynny'n rhywbeth, fel y dywedwch chi, a ddangoswyd droeon. Ymwelodd y Prif Weinidog a minnau â Thylorstown ddydd Mawrth diwethaf—rwy'n credu—i'w weld drosom ein hunain, ac roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld bod awdurdod lleol Rhondda Cynon Taf, sydd, mi gredaf, wedi bod yn rhagorol wrth ymwneud â thrigolion, wedi mynd i drafferth i sicrhau eu bod yn siarad â thrigolion a oedd yn amlwg yn bryderus pan ddigwyddodd hynny. Mae hyn yn amlwg yn flaenoriaeth o ran y gwaith parhaus y mae angen ei wneud mewn cysylltiad â'r tomenni glo ac, fel y dywedwch chi, cyfarfu'r Prif Weinidog â'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol ddoe a deallaf y cynhelir cyfarfod arall, swyddogol, rwy'n credu, yr wythnos nesaf. Mae amrywiaeth o sefydliadau yn berchen ar y tomenni hyn, ac mae hyd yn oed rhai ohonyn nhw mewn dwylo preifat. Felly, mae'n hanfodol bod yr Awdurdod Glo, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, ac awdurdodau lleol yn gweithio yn y modd cydgysylltiedig hwnnw yn y dyfodol.

O ran eich cwestiynau ynghylch yswiriant, credaf fod hwnnw'n bwynt gwirioneddol dda. Fe'ch clywais yn dweud eich bod wedi gwrando ar y sesiwn friffio i'r lobi y bore yma. Es i drafferth i ddweud bod cynrychiolydd y gymdeithas yswiriant a fu yn yr uwchgynhadledd llifogydd yr wythnos diwethaf wedi dweud y byddai'r aseswyr yn ymweld mor gyflym â phosib. Roedden nhw wedi dyblu eu hymdrechion i wneud yn siŵr bod hynny'n digwydd oherwydd, rwy'n credu, yn sicr yn y sesiwn friffio i'r lobi y bore yma, roedd newyddiadurwyr yn sôn wrthyf am eu pryder bod cwmnïau yswiriant yn ceisio peidio â thalu os gallen nhw, sef—nid dyna'r ddealltwriaeth a gawsom ni gan y cynrychiolydd a oedd yno, ac y byddai'r aseswyr hyn yn ymweld. Yn wir, roedd y Prif Weinidog a minnau mewn cyfarfod o grŵp Rhondda Cynon Taf a ddygwyd ynghyd ganddyn nhw o ran y gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo yn dilyn y llifogydd, ac roedd unigolyn yno a oedd yn berchen ar eiddo ar Ystâd Ddiwydiannol Trefforest yr effeithiwyd yn arbennig o ddrwg arno, a'r bore hwnnw roedd ei asesydd wedi bod yno. Felly, yn sicr o fewn 48 awr, roedd yr asesydd yswiriant wedi ymweld. Felly, credaf y dylem ni dalu teyrnged i'r rhai sy'n gwneud hynny.

Fe wnaethoch chi ofyn am ffigur terfynol. Rwy'n ofni y bydd yn rhaid i chi fod yn amyneddgar iawn. Nid ydym yn mynd i allu rhoi ffigur terfynol ynglŷn â'r holl gost am gyfnod hir. Felly, os ydych chi'n meddwl am Rondda Cynon Taf, er enghraifft, gwyddom fod sawl pont wedi'u difrodi, ond nid yw'n ddiogel i ddeifwyr fynd i'r dŵr eto i weld pa ddifrod a fu. Felly, mae'n mynd i fod yn broses hir ac nid ydym yn mynd i allu rhoi ffigur terfynol. Felly, clywsoch fi'n dweud degau o filiynau, y Prif Weinidog yr un fath, a chlywais rywun yn dweud £180 miliwn. Nid wyf wedi clywed y ffigur penodol hwnnw o £180 miliwn, ond gallaf eich sicrhau y bydd yn ddegau o filiynau o bunnau. Roeddwn yn Aberpennar gyda Vikki Howells yr wythnos diwethaf, a dim ond o weld y deunydd ar y strydoedd a ysgubwyd oddi ar y mynydd, mae'n anhygoel na chafodd neb ei ladd. Mae hynny i gyd yn mynd i gymryd llawer o arian, llawer o amser, a llawer o adnoddau.

O ran y strategaeth, fe'ch clywais yn dweud yn eich cwestiwn i'r Prif Weinidog ein bod wedi cael addewid o hyn ddwy flynedd yn ôl. Wel, dim ond yn yr hydref y llynedd y gwnaethom gau'r ymgynghoriad, a bydd y strategaeth yn amlinellu ein cyfeiriad strategol law yn llaw ag amcanion a mesurau diwygiedig ar gyfer cyflawni dros y degawd nesaf. Rwy'n credu y bu hi o fudd mawr i'r ymgynghoriad hwnnw ac i'r adborth, y gweithdai, y gweithgorau agos yr ydym wedi'u cael, y gwaith yr ydym ni wedi'i wneud gyda'n rhanddeiliaid yn dilyn yr ymatebion, a byddaf yn ei gyhoeddi'n ddiweddarach eleni.

15:10

I'd like to place on record my thanks to the emergency services, as others have as well, but I also want to pay a special thanks to the community volunteers because, initially, some people saw no-one official at all, and these volunteer teams were a lifeline to people.

I have to say as well that last week was one of the toughest weeks I've had to face as an Assembly Member representing the communities where I grew up. It's been absolutely gut-wrenching to see how the lives of people have been torn apart just over the course of one weekend. I've spoken with many, many people who have been affected, and the initial shock turned to anger quite quickly and frustration about what happened and the lack of support from certain agencies at the events that led up to the flooding, events that, in the eyes of many people, exacerbated the floods. So, on behalf of all of those people, I have some questions for the Minister and for this Government.

Many culverts and rivers became blocked as a result of hundreds of tons of debris left behind after tree felling operations was washed down the mountains. The drainage network stood no chance. This was particularly evident in Pentre, where many streets were flooded by a deluge the town has not seen the likes of. Natural Resources Wales, responsible for tree felling and leaving the material behind, have admitted that the debris contributed to the flood and have pledged to review their policies internally. Minister, this isn't good enough, especially as Pleasant Street in Pentre was flooded for a second time. Now, as the Minister responsible for Natural Resources Wales, will you insist on a full and independent investigation into what happened? And if that investigation deems Natural Resources Wales were liable for the flooding, will you ensure that people are fully reimbursed for the damages, in full, without any consequence to their home or car insurance policies?

In terms of keeping waterways clear, some residents took matters into their own hands—they were forced to because help was not on its way. In Ynyshir, people lowered themselves down underneath a road bridge and used saws to cut into a mass of tree limbs, twigs and muck that had formed a dam and blocked the river below the bridge. This happened in a number of places. So, will concerted efforts be made to ensure that all culverts and waterways are cleared as a matter of urgency?

As part of any review into the floods, will you also look at how other countries cope with flooding in order to learn best practice? The Netherlands has to be an obvious example; people there live below sea level without the problems that we have seen here.

As people attempt to rebuild their lives, help with the cost of utility bills are needed. Once water and muck is swept out, the next stage is to dry out all affected parts of the property, and industrial heaters and dehumidifiers are deployed. But, of course, they're energy intensive and very expensive to run, which means that people could be forced into fuel poverty just by drying out their home. In the absence of a publicly owned energy company in Wales that prioritises people and not profit, like the one Plaid Cymru proposes, will you look at ways in which assistance can be provided to households struggling to cope with the energy cost of dealing with the aftermath of the flooding?

I'm also concerned by the psychological damage the flooding has caused to people, especially, but not exclusively, to children who are often less experienced and therefore less resilient to deal with trauma on this level. The community pulled together in the Rhondda last week to put on a fun day for the children who were affected, which was great, but professional support is needed. Schools are being brilliant, but what additional efforts are being made to ensure that mental health support and counselling is available to children as well as to adults in order to cope with the aftermath of this devastation?

And finally for now, will the Government also look at ensuring that people in Wales have parity with people in England when it comes to flood relief? I note that there's a flood resilience scheme in England that offers up to £5,000 to households to futureproof themselves from flooding. That would be welcome to many, along with what seems to be enhanced support in England for businesses that have been caught up with the floods as well. Can we expect people in Wales to see something similar?

Hoffwn ddiolch ar goedd i'r gwasanaethau brys, fel y mae eraill wedi ei wneud hefyd, ond rwyf eisiau diolch yn arbennig i'r gwirfoddolwyr cymunedol oherwydd, ar y dechrau, ni welodd rhai pobl unrhyw un swyddogol o gwbl, ac roedd y timau gwirfoddol hyn yn achubiaeth i bobl.

Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud hefyd bod yr wythnos ddiwethaf yn un o'r wythnosau anoddaf rwyf wedi gorfod eu hwynebu fel Aelod Cynulliad sy'n cynrychioli'r cymunedau lle cefais fy magu. Mae wedi bod yn gwbl dorcalonnus gweld sut mae bywydau pobl wedi cael eu rhwygo'n ddarnau yn ystod dim ond un penwythnos. Rwyf wedi siarad â llawer iawn iawn o bobl yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw, a throdd y sioc gychwynnol yn ddicter yn bur gyflym a rhwystredigaeth ynghylch yr hyn a ddigwyddodd a'r diffyg cefnogaeth gan rai asiantaethau yn y digwyddiadau a arweiniodd at y llifogydd, digwyddiadau a oedd, yng ngolwg llawer o bobl, wedi gwaethygu'r llifogydd. Felly, ar ran yr holl bobl hynny, mae gennyf rai cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog ac i'r Llywodraeth hon.

Cafodd llawer o geuffosydd ac afonydd eu rhwystro o ganlyniad i gannoedd o dunelli o rwbel a adawyd ar ôl yn sgil gwaith cwympo coed gael ei olchi i lawr y mynyddoedd. Nid oedd gan y rhwydwaith draenio unrhyw siawns. Roedd hyn yn arbennig o amlwg ym Mhentre, lle bu llifogydd ar rai strydoedd na welodd y dref erioed eu tebyg. Mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, sy'n gyfrifol am dorri coed a gadael y deunydd ar ôl, wedi cyfaddef bod y malurion wedi cyfrannu at y llifogydd ac wedi addo adolygu eu polisïau'n fewnol. Gweinidog, nid yw hyn yn ddigon da, yn enwedig gan fod Pleasant Street ym Mhentre wedi dioddef llifogydd am yr eildro. Nawr, fel y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, a fyddwch chi'n mynnu ymchwiliad llawn ac annibynnol i'r hyn a ddigwyddodd? Ac os yw'r ymchwiliad hwnnw'n barnu bod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn atebol am y llifogydd, a wnewch chi sicrhau y caiff pobl eu had-dalu'n llawn am y difrod, yn llawn, heb unrhyw effaith o gwbl ar eu polisïau yswiriant cartref neu gar?

O ran cadw dyfrffyrdd yn glir, aeth rhai trigolion â materion i'w dwylo eu hunain—gorfodwyd nhw i wneud hynny am nad oedd cymorth ar ei ffordd. Yn Ynyshir, roedd pobl yn gostwng eu hunain o dan bont ffordd ac yn defnyddio llifiau i dorri toreth o goesau coed, brigau a mwd oedd wedi ffurfio argae ac wedi rhwystro'r afon o dan y bont. Digwyddodd hyn mewn sawl lle. Felly, a fydd ymdrechion glew yn cael eu gwneud i sicrhau y caiff pob ceuffos a dyfrffordd eu clirio fel mater o frys?

Fel rhan o unrhyw adolygiad o'r llifogydd, a wnewch chi edrych hefyd ar sut y mae gwledydd eraill yn ymdopi â llifogydd er mwyn dysgu'r arferion gorau? Mae'n rhaid bod yr Iseldiroedd yn enghraifft amlwg; mae pobl yno'n byw islaw lefel y môr heb y problemau yr ydym ni wedi'u gweld yma.

Wrth i bobl geisio ailadeiladu eu bywydau, mae angen cymorth gyda chost biliau cyfleustodau. Ar ôl ysgubo dŵr a baw allan, y cam nesaf yw sychu'r holl rannau o'r eiddo yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw, a defnyddir dadleithyddion a gwresogyddion diwydiannol. Ond, wrth gwrs, maen nhw'n defnyddio llawer o ynni ac yn ddrud iawn i'w rhedeg, sy'n golygu y gallai pobl gael eu gorfodi i ddioddef tlodi tanwydd drwy ddim ond sychu eu cartref. Yn absenoldeb cwmni ynni yng Nghymru sydd mewn perchenogaeth gyhoeddus ac sy'n rhoi blaenoriaeth i bobl ac nid elw, fel yr un a gynigir gan Blaid Cymru, a wnewch chi edrych ar ffyrdd y gellir darparu cymorth i aelwydydd sy'n cael trafferth ymdopi ag ôl-effeithiau llifogydd o ran costau ynni?

Rwyf hefyd yn pryderu am y niwed seicolegol y mae'r llifogydd wedi'i achosi i bobl, yn enwedig, ond nid yn unig, i blant sy'n aml yn llai profiadol ac felly'n llai cydnerth i ymdrin â thrawma fel hyn. Tynnodd y gymuned ynghyd yn y Rhondda yr wythnos diwethaf i gynnal diwrnod hwyl i'r plant yr effeithiwyd arnynt, a oedd yn wych, ond mae angen cefnogaeth broffesiynol. Mae ysgolion yn wych, ond pa ymdrechion ychwanegol a wneir i sicrhau bod cymorth a chwnsela iechyd meddwl ar gael i blant yn ogystal ag i oedolion er mwyn dygymod â chanlyniad y dinistr hwn?

Ac yn olaf am nawr, a wnaiff y Llywodraeth hefyd ystyried sicrhau bod pobl yng Nghymru yn cael yr un driniaeth â phobl yn Lloegr o ran lliniaru llifogydd? Sylwaf fod cynllun gwrthsefyll llifogydd yn Lloegr sy'n cynnig hyd at £5,000 o gartrefi i ddiogelu eu hunain rhag llifogydd. Byddai hynny'n cael ei groesawu gan lawer, ynghyd â'r hyn sydd i'w weld yn gymorth ychwanegol yn Lloegr i fusnesau a gawsant eu dal yn y llifogydd hefyd. A allwn ni ddisgwyl i bobl yng Nghymru weld rhywbeth tebyg?

15:15

I'd like to begin by echoing Leanne Wood's remarks around the community volunteers, and I mentioned volunteers, the third sector and the communities in my statement too. I certainly saw that right across Wales over the last two weeks, and that coming together of communities.

I agree with you, I think last week was one of the toughest weeks I've had as an elected representative, to see the devastation and the trauma, and I don't think 'trauma' is too strong a word to use with people who, as you say, have lost everything. And I repeat again, I think we've been very lucky that nobody was killed. I'm sorry to hear that you came across anger, frustration and blame, because I certainly didn't. Last week, nobody said that word to me; everybody was incredibly grateful. I do appreciate that it's very early days and there is a long way to go. And if your house has had 4 ft of water—. The two streets I was in in Blaenau Gwent, which had never flooded before, they went from six inches to 4 ft of water at 3 o'clock in the morning in 20 minutes. That is so traumatic, and I absolutely would have understood if they were angry with me, but what I got in those streets was, 'Please let me go upstairs and make you and your team a cup of tea, because you're very cold and wet.' So, I didn't come across that. I certainly would understand if I had, but I think people were just incredibly grateful. And you heard the First Minister say in his answers that that was the first thing that they wanted to share—their gratitude for the support and help they received.

In relation to the drainage network, I know, over the weekend—. On the Sunday, I spoke to Andrew Morgan, the leader of RCT, and there were some culverts that they cleared three times. From Friday evening, knowing the storm was coming, they cleared them three times, but, each time, debris was coming off the mountain or from the rivers or from streets. So, we are providing 100 per cent funding for clearance of grids and culverts going forward to assist local authorities to do that very quickly.

You mentioned about learning from other countries, and, of course, best practice should always be shared, and I'd be very happy if any Members have got any examples of best practice, but, certainly, I think we must look at other countries to see how they do it, in the way that other countries are looking, for instance, at coal tips. We are international experts there; we have people from all over the world come to this country to look at that.

Psychological—and you mentioned children specifically, and I know that Delyth Jewell raised that with the Trefnydd in her statement. You will have heard that this is completely a cross-Government response to the flooding, and, obviously, this is an issue that we can take up with the Minister for health and the Minister for Education—they're both here to hear your question around that. 

In relation to the cost of energy, clearly this is going to be ongoing as part of the costs going forward. It's not just about infrastructure; it is about such things as for people to get those dehumidifiers in the houses. But this is—. As I say, this is going to be a long-term approach; it could be months before people are able to return to their homes, for instance, so we need to look at that as part of our ongoing response.

Hoffwn ddechrau drwy adleisio sylwadau Leanne Wood am y gwirfoddolwyr cymunedol, a soniais am wirfoddolwyr, y trydydd sector a'r cymunedau yn fy natganiad hefyd. Yn sicr, gwelais hynny ledled Cymru dros y pythefnos diwethaf, a'r ffaith bod cymunedau'n dod ynghyd.

Rwy'n cytuno â chi, rwy'n credu y bu'r wythnos diwethaf yn un o'r wythnosau anoddaf yr wyf wedi'u cael yn gynrychiolydd etholedig, i weld y dinistr a'r trawma, ac nid wyf yn credu bod 'trawma' yn air rhy gryf i'w ddefnyddio gyda phobl sydd, fel y dywedwch chi, wedi colli popeth. Ac rwy'n ailadrodd eto, rwy'n credu y buom ni'n ffodus iawn na chafodd neb ei ladd. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf glywed ichi weld dicter, rhwystredigaeth a bai, oherwydd yn sicr ni welais i ddim. Yr wythnos diwethaf, ni ddywedodd neb y gair hwnnw wrthyf; roedd pawb yn ddiolchgar tu hwnt. Rwy'n sylweddoli mai dyddiau cynnar iawn yw hi a bod ffordd bell i fynd. Ac os oedd pedair troedfedd o ddŵr yn eich tŷ—. Y ddwy stryd yr oeddwn i arnynt ym Mlaenau Gwent, nad oedd erioed wedi cael llifogydd o'r blaen, aethant o chwe modfedd i bedair troedfedd o ddŵr am 3 o'r gloch y bore mewn 20 munud. Mae hynny mor drawmatig, a byddwn yn sicr wedi deall pe baent yn ddig wrthyf, ond yr hyn a gefais yn y strydoedd hynny oedd, 'Gadewch imi fynd i fyny'r grisiau a gwneud paned o de i chi a'ch tîm, gan eich bod yn oer iawn ac yn wlyb.' Felly, ni ddes ar draws hynny. Yn sicr, byddwn yn deall petawn i wedi dod ar draws hynny, ond rwy'n credu bod pobl yn ddiolchgar tu hwnt. Ac fe glywsoch y Prif Weinidog yn dweud yn ei atebion mai dyna'r peth cyntaf yr oedden nhw eisiau ei rannu—eu diolch am y gefnogaeth a'r cymorth a gawsant.

O ran y rhwydwaith draenio, rwy'n gwybod, dros y penwythnos—. Ar y Sul, siaradais ag Andrew Morgan, arweinydd Rhondda Cynon Taf, ac roedd rhai ceuffosydd a gliriwyd ganddynt dair gwaith. O nos Wener, o wybod bod y storm yn dod, fe'u cliriwyd dair gwaith, ond, bob tro, roedd malurion yn dod oddi ar y mynydd neu o'r afonydd neu o'r strydoedd. Felly, rydym yn darparu 100 y cant o gyllid ar gyfer clirio gridiau a cheuffosydd wrth symud ymlaen i gynorthwyo awdurdodau lleol i wneud hynny'n gyflym iawn.

Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am ddysgu o wledydd eraill, ac, wrth gwrs, dylid rhannu arferion gorau bob amser, a byddwn yn hapus iawn pe bai gan unrhyw aelodau unrhyw enghreifftiau o arferion gorau, ond, yn sicr, credaf fod yn rhaid inni edrych ar wledydd eraill i weld sut maen nhw'n gwneud hynny, yn y ffordd y mae gwledydd eraill yn edrych, er enghraifft, ar domenni glo. Rydym ni'n arbenigwyr rhyngwladol yn y maes hwnnw; mae gennym bobl o bob cwr o'r byd yn dod i'r wlad hon i edrych ar hynny.

O ran yr agwedd seicolegol—ac fe wnaethoch chi sôn am blant yn benodol, ac rwy'n gwybod bod Delyth Jewell wedi codi hynny gyda'r Trefnydd yn ei datganiad. Byddwch wedi clywed mai ymateb trawslywodraethol i'r llifogydd yw hyn yn llwyr, ac, yn amlwg, mae hwn yn fater y gallwn ni ei ddwyn i sylw'r Gweinidog Iechyd a'r Gweinidog Addysg—mae'r ddau ohonyn nhw yma i glywed eich cwestiwn ynghylch hynny. 

O ran cost ynni, mae'n amlwg y bydd hyn yn parhau yn rhan o'r costau wrth symud ymlaen. Nid yw'n ymwneud â seilwaith yn unig; mae'n ymwneud â phethau megis trefnu bod pobl yn cael y dadleithyddion hynny yn y tai. Ond dyma—. Fel y dywedais, bydd hyn yn ddull gweithredu tymor hir; gallai fod yn fisoedd cyn y gall pobl ddychwelyd i'w cartrefi, er enghraifft, felly mae angen inni edrych ar hynny yn rhan o'n hymateb parhaus.

15:20

Minister, I'm going to concentrate mainly on the disasters that hit Rhondda Cynon Taf, because of the focus and concentration of the deluge, but can I first of all thank you for coming to my constituency? Can I also thank the First Minister for coming and visiting in the immediate aftermath? Can I thank Jeremy Corbyn? Can I thank Adam Price, and the Prince of Wales, who also came to visit? Because those visits are important, because they are an act of solidarity with hard-hit communities. They also uplift morale, and they show that we care and that we are listening. So, I thank all those who actually came to visit—and how well received they were by persons who were cleaning out their houses at the very time that those visits took place—and also reiterate again my thanks to not only the public sector and emergency workers, but the volunteers, many of whom are still, at this very moment, working away, helping within their communities. And a particular thanks to the leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, Andrew Morgan, because I think it's been almost universally accepted that the response from RCT almost immediately has been exemplary and has been outstanding and it has been an honour to work with him and his colleagues and with all those public sector workers in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

If I can make a comment also in terms of the scale of the damage, that, as is obvious to so many people, it is those—some of the communities in my constituency, it is some of those who had the least who have lost everything. And how important the grants, the contributions that have been made, the donations that have been made to a fund that myself and the MP Alex Davies-Jones made, which, within a matter of days, had achieved in the region of £30,000, and all the other funds that have been set up to do that.

I spoke with the council leader this morning about the actual scale of the damage—it's important to get this on the record—in Rhondda Cynon Taf. There are nine bridges closed—severe damage to those bridges and they may all need replacing. The council have inspected 199 bridges; there are 32 left to inspect. There are dozens and dozens of collapsed river walls and collapsed, damaged culverts, all of which have to be dealt with. There has been the inspection of 43 category C and D coal tips. There is a considerable list being drawn up in respect of the work needed on highway inspections and highway repairs.

We have in Rhondda Cynon Taf 557 flooded homes—25 per cent of the UK total. We have 500 flood-damaged business properties, and the businesses damaged alone in one area of Treforest, where something like 90 per cent of the businesses were affected, is potentially estimated at around £100 million to £150 million. So, the guesstimate from the council—and it can only be a guesstimate at this stage—is in the region of £30 million to £40 million of damage, but I suspect it is going to be considerably more once those inspections are actually completed, and I know the council leader wanted to put on record the thanks for the support. He has had vehicles and equipment from other local authorities around Wales, and it is that community spirit across Wales that is something that I think, as a country and as a community, we can be so proud of.

Can I just say one thing also, then, in respect of the money that is actually needed? We are not asking for some extra devolution handout. We are part of the United Kingdom, we pay into the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister is the Minister of the union, and it is incumbent on any union to actually help those areas when disaster hits. What is being asked for is no more than any part of the United Kingdom—Wales, England, Scotland or Northern Ireland—could ask for and, in the past, have actually received.

Can I ask for one particular thing that I think does need to be done, and that is, firstly, to assure everybody that Pontypridd is open for business? Because those businesses are up and running, despite some of the damage they still have, and that has been a remarkable effort. Can I thank the Secretary of State for Wales in respect of the fast action in respect of the derogation in respect of the Department of Social Security?

And can I then ask one further thing, and that is: we need to specifically look at specialist advice being given to our communities in respect of the issue of insurance. There are many who have insurance, there are all sorts of games that are being played by the insurance industry—'Is it flood damage? Is it storm damage?' or whatever. The fact of the matter is, I think this is a matter where the Association of British Insurers really need to rein in and take control of the situation, engage with Government and local government, and ensure, firstly, that those people who have insurance are properly compensated under their insurance policies. And then I reiterate everything that the First Minister has said, that is we need to look at the existing arrangements that may be available in terms of insurance and, possibly, how we may even devise and enhance a specific Welsh arrangement, to ensure that our people do not suffer. Thank you, Minister.

Gweinidog, rwy'n mynd i ganolbwyntio'n bennaf ar y trychinebau a darodd Rhondda Cynon Taf, oherwydd bod y dilyw yno mor ddrwg a sylweddol, ond a gaf i yn gyntaf oll ddiolch i chi am ddod i'm hetholaeth? A gaf i hefyd ddiolch i'r Prif Weinidog am ddod i ymweld yn syth wedyn? A gaf i ddiolch i Jeremy Corbyn? A gaf i ddiolch i Adam Price, a Thywysog Cymru, a ddaeth i ymweld hefyd? Oherwydd mae'r ymweliadau hynny'n bwysig, am eu bod yn weithred o undod â chymunedau sydd wedi'u taro'n galed. Maen nhw hefyd yn codi ysbryd, ac yn dangos ein bod yn poeni a'n bod yn gwrando. Felly, diolchaf i bawb a ddaeth i ymweld—ac am y croeso a roddwyd iddyn nhw gan bobl a oedd yn glanhau eu tai ar yr union adeg y cynhaliwyd yr ymweliadau hynny—a hoffwn hefyd ddiolch eto nid yn unig i'r sector cyhoeddus a gweithwyr y gwasanaethau brys, ond i'r gwirfoddolwyr, y mae llawer ohonynt yn dal i fod, ar hyn o bryd, yn gweithio, yn helpu yn eu cymunedau. A diolch yn arbennig i arweinydd Cyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf, Andrew Morgan, oherwydd credaf y bu bron i bawb dderbyn y bu'r ymateb gan Rondda Cynon Taf o'r dechrau'n deg bron yn rhagorol ac yn wych ac mae wedi bod yn anrhydedd gweithio gydag ef a'i gydweithwyr a chyda'r holl weithwyr sector cyhoeddus hynny yn Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Os caf i wneud sylw hefyd o ran maint y difrod, sef, fel sy'n amlwg i gynifer o bobl, y rheini—rhai o'r cymunedau yn fy etholaeth i, rhai o'r rhai hynny a oedd â'r lleiaf sydd wedi colli popeth. A pha mor bwysig yw'r grantiau, y cyfraniadau a wnaed, y rhoddion a wnaed i gronfa a sefydlwyd gennyf i a'r AS Alex Davies-Jones a, a oedd, o fewn ychydig ddyddiau, wedi codi tua £30,000, a'r holl gronfeydd eraill a sefydlwyd i wneud hynny.

Siaradais ag arweinydd y cyngor y bore yma am union faint y difrod—mae'n bwysig cofnodi hyn—yn Rhondda Cynon Taf. Mae naw pont wedi'u cau—mae difrod difrifol i'r pontydd hynny ac efallai fod angen eu hadnewyddu i gyd. Mae'r Cyngor wedi arolygu 199 o bontydd; mae 32 ar ôl i'w harchwilio. Mae dwsinau a dwsinau o furiau afonydd wedi dymchwel a cheuffosydd wedi dymchwel, wedi'u difrodi, ac mae'n rhaid ymdrin â phob un ohonynt. Archwiliwyd 43 o domenni glo categori C a D. Mae rhestr sylweddol yn cael ei llunio ynglŷn â'r gwaith sydd angen ei wneud o ran archwilio priffyrdd ac atgyweirio priffyrdd.

Mae gennym ni 557 o gartrefi sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd yn Rhondda Cynon Taf—25 y cant o gyfanswm y DU. Mae gennym ni 500 o eiddo busnes a ddifrodwyd gan lifogydd, ac mae amcangyfrif bod y difrod a wnaed i fusnesau mewn dim ond un ardal o Drefforest, lle mae'n bosibl yr effeithiwyd ar tua 90 y cant o'r busnesau, oddeutu £100 miliwn i £150 miliwn. Felly, mae'r dyfalbris a gafwyd gan y cyngor—a dim ond dyfalbris y gall e fod ar y cam hwn— tua £30 miliwn i £40 miliwn o ddifrod, ond tybiaf y bydd yn fwy o lawer unwaith y caiff yr arolygiadau hynny eu cwblhau, ac rwy'n gwybod bod arweinydd y Cyngor eisiau diolch ar goedd am y gefnogaeth. Mae wedi cael cerbydau ac offer gan awdurdodau lleol eraill o gwmpas Cymru, ac mae'r ysbryd cymunedol hwnnw ledled Cymru yn rhywbeth rwy'n credu, fel gwlad ac fel cymuned, y gallwn fod mor falch ohono.

A gaf i ddweud un peth hefyd, o ran yr arian sydd ei angen mewn gwirionedd? Nid ydym yn gofyn am arian datganoli ychwanegol. Rydym yn rhan o'r Deyrnas Unedig, rydym yn cyfrannu'n ariannol at y Deyrnas Unedig. Mae Prif Weinidog Prydain yn Weinidog yr Undeb, ac mae'n ddyletswydd ar unrhyw undeb i helpu'r ardaloedd hynny pan fydd trychineb yn taro. Nid yw'r hyn y gofynnir amdano'n ddim mwy nag y gallai unrhyw ran o'r Deyrnas Unedig—Cymru, Lloegr, yr Alban neu Ogledd Iwerddon—ofyn amdano ac, yn y gorffennol, maen nhw wedi ei gael mewn gwirionedd.

A gaf i ofyn am un peth arbennig y credaf y mae angen ei wneud, sef, yn gyntaf, sicrhau pawb bod Pontypridd ar agor ar gyfer busnes? Oherwydd mae'r busnesau hynny ar agor, er gwaethaf rhywfaint o'r difrod sydd ganddynt o hyd, ac mae hynny wedi bod yn ymdrech ryfeddol. A gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru o ran y gweithredu cyflym ynglŷn â'r rhanddirymiad mewn cysylltiad â'r Adran Nawdd Cymdeithasol?

Ac a gaf i wedyn ofyn un peth arall, sef: mae angen i ni edrych yn benodol ar gyngor arbenigol a roddir i'n cymunedau mewn cysylltiad â mater yswiriant. Mae gan lawer o bobl yswiriant, mae'r diwydiant yswiriant yn chwarae pob math o gemau— 'ai difrod llifogydd ydyw? Ai difrod stormydd?' neu beth bynnag. Y gwir amdani yw, rwy'n credu bod hwn yn fater lle mae gwir angen i Gymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain dynnu'r ffrwyn a chymryd rheolaeth dros y sefyllfa, trafod â'r Llywodraeth a llywodraeth leol, a sicrhau, yn gyntaf, bod y bobl hynny sydd ag yswiriant yn cael eu digolledu'n briodol o dan eu polisïau yswiriant. Ac yna ailadroddaf bopeth a ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog, sef bod angen inni edrych ar y trefniadau presennol a allai fod ar gael o ran yswiriant ac, o bosib, sut y gallwn ni hyd yn oed ddyfeisio a gwella trefniant penodol ar gyfer Cymru, er mwyn sicrhau nad yw ein pobl yn dioddef. Diolch yn fawr, Gweinidog.

15:25

Thank you, Mick. I think the statistics and the numbers that you came forward with demonstrate very clearly that RCT local authority was so severely impacted. I was going to also say I know, through my discussions with Andrew Morgan and at the summit also, how grateful he was to neighbouring local authorities for their assistance.

Just to pick up on a couple of specific points that you raise—absolutely, Pontypridd is open for business. I think it is so humbling to see the way that businesses get back there. I was in Llanrwst a week last Thursday, following storm Ciara, and the businesses there were clearing out. It was great to see the one shop that was up and running one day ahead of Valentine's Day was the florist—she had all her flowers and her balloons outside, and I thought that was just great, to see that sort of resilience from our businesses, so I'm very happy to put that on record.

In relation to insurance, it's a very, very important point, because I think we need to do more to promote Flood Re. I don't think enough people are aware of it, so people who will have had flood insurance refused—even if that's happened, Flood Re will be able to provide some cover. So, certainly, the discussions that we had with the representative from the association of insurers at the flood submit—that's one area where I think we need to do more. So, for anybody now who is listening, the thing to do, if you don't know about it, is ring your insurance company—the one that you're with now—and ask them to look into that for you.

Diolch, Mick. Credaf fod yr ystadegau a'r ffigurau a gyflwynwyd gennych yn dangos yn glir iawn fod yr effaith ar awdurdod lleol Rhondda Cynon Taf mor ddifrifol. Roeddwn hefyd yn mynd i ddweud fy mod yn gwybod, drwy fy nhrafodaethau gydag Andrew Morgan ac yn yr uwchgynhadledd hefyd, pa mor ddiolchgar ydoedd i awdurdodau lleol cyfagos am eu cymorth.

I gyfeirio at ychydig o bwyntiau penodol yr ydych chi'n eu crybwyll—yn sicr, mae Pontypridd ar agor ar gyfer busnes. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n destun gwyleidd-dra mawr gweld y ffordd y mae busnesau'n agor eto. Roeddwn yn Llanrwst wythnos i ddydd Iau diwethaf, yn dilyn storm Ciara, ac roedd y busnesau yno'n clirio. Roedd yn wych gweld mai'r un siop a oedd ar waith un diwrnod cyn dydd Sant Ffolant oedd y gwerthwr blodau—roedd ganddi ei holl flodau a'i balwnau y tu allan, a chredais fod hynny'n wych, i weld y math hwnnw o gydnerthedd gan ein busnesau, felly rwy'n hapus iawn i ddweud hynny ar goedd.

O ran yswiriant, mae'n bwynt pwysig iawn, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod angen i ni wneud mwy i hyrwyddo'r cynllun 'Flood Re'. Dydw i ddim yn credu bod digon o bobl yn ymwybodol ohono, felly os oes pobl y gwrthodwyd eu ceisiadau am yswiriant llifogydd—hyd yn oed os yw hynny wedi digwydd, bydd 'Flood Re' yn gallu darparu rhywfaint o gymorth. Felly, yn sicr, roedd y trafodaethau a gawsom ni gyda chynrychiolydd cymdeithas yr yswirwyr yn yr uwchgynhadledd llifogydd—dyna un maes lle rwy'n credu bod angen i ni wneud mwy. Felly, i unrhyw un sydd nawr yn gwrando, y peth i'w wneud, os nad ydych yn gwybod am y cynllun, yw ffonio eich cwmni yswiriant—eich cwmni presennol—a gofyn iddyn nhw edrych ar hynny i chi.

Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.

I would also like to reiterate and would like to thank all the emergency services and the local villages, on behalf of my party, for the work that they've done over the last few weekends and their continued work on the recovery.

One thing that we can take from the last few weeks is that support from this institution and Welsh Government needs to be reviewed now. Minister, lots of constituents have been e-mailing me about the lack of support from local authorities during the flooding. Will the Welsh Government now review action plans and guidance for flood prevention? Because one thing that we can be sure of is that this sort of rainfall can and will happen again.

Minister, I agree that flood risk management is more than just building higher and stronger defences, but how we provide support, and how support is communicated to residents and businesses must also be improved. I spoke to a number of farmers who wonder if NRW could possibly look at the way flood warnings are communicated to help them, as flooding as had a huge impact on their businesses. You also mentioned future schemes in your statement. Will you please confirm that rural areas will have a scheme to help local authorities in these areas across Wales, please?

In my own village, homes and businesses were flooded when a small stream running through the village actually melded with the flood waters coming down from the mountains. It washed down into the village. The county council—I got in touch with them for the villages previous to that happening, because we could see the water rising—haven't given sandbags to residents for the last few years, Denbighshire County Council, and they really weren't interested, even though I asked for them for the villages, because the water was going into the houses and the local businesses.

My two villages, either side of where I live, were totally cut off. If it wasn't for the locals pulling together, it would have been a lot worse for all the residents there. I've driven those roads since 1986, and I've not seen water like that myself. The gullies this year were cleared earlier, but they soon backfilled due to the rubble and the rocks washing down from the mountain roads.

The River Dee has flooded all the fields up to the main roads between the villages and beyond for the last few years, and a lack of dredging is definitely being blamed for this. Can we please restart river dredging as soon as possible, as this is vital for the smooth water flow depth of our rivers, which will help to alleviate future flooding if done regularly? Thank you. 

Hoffwn hefyd ategu a hoffwn ddiolch i'r holl wasanaethau brys a'r pentrefi lleol, ar ran fy mhlaid, am y gwaith y maen nhw wedi ei wneud dros y penwythnosau diwethaf a'u gwaith parhaus o ran dod yn ôl i drefn.

Un peth y gallwn ei ddysgu o'r ychydig wythnosau diwethaf yw bod angen adolygu'r gefnogaeth gan y sefydliad hwn a Llywodraeth Cymru nawr. Gweinidog, mae llawer o etholwyr wedi bod yn anfon negeseuon e-bost ataf ynglŷn â'r diffyg cefnogaeth gan awdurdodau lleol yn ystod y llifogydd. A fydd Llywodraeth Cymru nawr yn adolygu cynlluniau gweithredu a chanllawiau ar gyfer atal llifogydd? Oherwydd un peth y gallwn fod yn sicr ohono yw y gallwn ni, ac y  byddwn ni, yn gweld glaw o'r math hwn eto.

Gweinidog, cytunaf fod rheoli'r perygl o lifogydd yn fwy na dim ond adeiladu amddiffynfeydd uwch a chryfach, ond rhaid gwella hefyd y modd yr ydym yn darparu cymorth, a sut y rhoddir gwybod i drigolion a busnesau am y cymorth sydd ar gael. Siaradais â nifer o ffermwyr sy'n meddwl tybed a allai Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru edrych ar y ffordd y rhoddir rhybuddion llifogydd i'w helpu, oherwydd cafodd llifogydd effaith enfawr ar eu busnesau. Fe wnaethoch chi sôn hefyd am gynlluniau'r dyfodol yn eich datganiad. A wnewch chi gadarnhau, os gwelwch yn dda, y bydd gan ardaloedd gwledig gynllun i helpu awdurdodau lleol yn yr ardaloedd hyn ledled Cymru, os gwelwch yn dda?

Yn fy mhentref fy hun, llifodd dŵr i gartrefi a busnesau pan, mewn gwirionedd, ymunodd nant fechan a oedd yn rhedeg drwy'r pentref â'r llifddyfroedd a ddoi i lawr o'r mynyddoedd. Rhuthrodd y dŵr i'r pentref. Nid yw'r Cyngor Sir—fe wnes i gysylltu â nhw ar ran y pentrefi cyn hynny, oherwydd gallem weld y dŵr yn codi—wedi rhoi bagiau tywod i drigolion dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, Cyngor Sir Ddinbych, ac nid oedd ganddynt ddiddordeb mewn gwirionedd, er imi ofyn amdanynt ar gyfer y pentrefi, gan fod y dŵr yn llifo i'r tai a'r busnesau lleol.

Cafodd fy nau bentref, y naill ochr a'r llall i'r lle rwy'n byw, eu hynysu'n llwyr. Pe na bai'r bobl leol wedi cyd-dynnu, byddai wedi bod yn llawer gwaeth i'r holl drigolion yno. Rwyf wedi gyrru ar hyd y ffyrdd hynny ers 1986, ac nid wyf wedi gweld dŵr fel hwnnw fy hun. Cafodd y ceunentydd eu clirio'n gynharach eleni, ond cyn pen dim o dro roeddent yn llawn oherwydd y rwbel a'r creigiau a oedd yn llifo o'r ffyrdd mynydd.

Mae'r Afon Ddyfrdwy wedi llifo dros yr holl gaeau hyd at y priffyrdd rhwng y pentrefi a thu hwnt dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac mae diffyg carthu gwely'r afon yn bendant yn cael ei feio am hyn. A allwn ni ailgychwyn carthu afonydd cyn gynted â phosib, gan fod hyn yn hanfodol os yw ein hafonydd i lifo'n ddwfn ac yn llyfn, a fydd yn helpu i liniaru llifogydd yn y dyfodol os gwneir hynny'n rheolaidd? Diolch.  

15:30

Thank you. I think there will be lessons to be learnt from these two storms, but I think we have to accept that—you said you hadn't seen rainfall like it—we had a month's rainfall in less than 24 hours. So, I think we need to remember that.

In relation to future flood prevention and flood alleviation schemes, there are about 25 in the pipeline, and that's right across Wales. It's up to local authorities to come forward with preparatory work around business cases for such schemes. I've got 25 in the pipeline, and just before these two storms, I'd asked for a rapid review of those schemes to see which we could bring forward. It's really important, obviously, that local authorities and NRW have the capacity to be able to deliver these schemes within the year of the funding that is provided. 

You were criticising Denbighshire County Council. I suggest you write to them. If you want to copy me into the correspondence, I can share that with them. 

Diolch. Credaf y bydd gwersi i'w dysgu o'r ddwy storm hyn, ond credaf fod yn rhaid inni dderbyn—fe wnaethoch chi ddweud nad oeddech wedi gweld glaw tebyg—cawsom fis o law mewn llai na 24 awr. Felly, rwy'n credu bod angen i ni gofio hynny.

O ran cynlluniau atal llifogydd a lliniaru llifogydd yn y dyfodol, mae tua 25 ar y gweill, ac mae hynny ledled Cymru. Yr awdurdodau lleol sy'n gorfod cyflwyno gwaith paratoadol mewn cysylltiad ag achosion busnes ar gyfer cynlluniau o'r fath. Mae gennyf 25 ar y gweill, ac ychydig cyn y ddwy storm hyn, roeddwn i wedi gofyn am adolygiad cyflym o'r cynlluniau hynny i weld pa rai y gallem ni eu cyflwyno. Mae'n hynod bwysig, yn amlwg, bod gan awdurdodau lleol a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru y gallu i gyflawni'r cynlluniau hyn yn ystod blwyddyn y cyllid a ddarperir.

Roeddech yn beirniadu Cyngor Sir Ddinbych. Awgrymaf eich bod yn ysgrifennu atynt. Os ydych eisiau fy nghynnwys yn yr ohebiaeth, gallaf rannu hynny â nhw.

I would like to thank the Minister for this update, and also take this opportunity to raise the issue of promised funding for flood victims. We still have a crisis situation in Aberconwy. During storm Ciara, around 10 properties in Betws-y-Coed and 60 in Llanrwst were flooded out, on 9 February. We then had storm Dennis, and I've got to be honest, it was the community rallying around that stopped further devastation there, and the emergency services. But again, this weekend, we saw roads cut off and Llanrwst feeling almost isolated.

Now, you will be aware, Minister, that on 11 February I did ask you what funding would be available to the local authority and residents to assist with the clean-up, and I also wrote to the Minister for Finance for emergency financial support on 14 February. Yet, it took the First Minister until 18 February to announce the creation of an emergency funding relief scheme. And it was only yesterday that you could actually access that. Forms were only available yesterday.

So, you can understand that my residents in Aberconwy feel very frustrated that the First Minister seemed—and I will say seemed, or appeared—to choose to wait until after storm Dennis to take any action. For my—[Interruption.] So, why were the forms only available yesterday? For my constituents, that means they have been waiting over 15 days for any emergency financial assistance. For some without insurance, that is over two weeks without even being able to start to tackle—[Interruption.] You can shout all you want, it's exactly right what's happened.

Only non-chemical cleans have been undertaken on some flooded estates. I've still got children in my constituency having to live upstairs because their homes have just had a jet wash, yet there was sewage mud running through those homes. At least three businesses without insurance have now ceased trading, and others continue to fight for their future. Many constituents have been desperately trying to get hold of any promised financial support.

The community response to their plea, though, has been exceptional. Many of us have been making an effort to be on hand, to help where we can, be that through making representation to the local authority—. And I have to give credit to Conwy County Borough Council for their immense efforts during storm Dennis, to ensure that those already affected weren't affected yet again.

Whilst I am grateful for the fact that all households affected by flooding throughout Wales will technically receive £500, possibly £1,000, for those without house insurance it's just a mere drop in the ocean. I had a resident on the phone to me yesterday, she's lost her business, her home, and her car. She has nothing left, as we speak today.

So, Minister, why did it take until after storm Dennis for the First Minister to announce financial support to individuals affected by storm Ciara? Can consideration be given to increasing the amount of financial support available in exceptional circumstances? What emergency support will be available to our flood-hit farms, which saw losses of livestock? No mention of that in your statement. And will money be available to help undo damage to our listed, precious, historical buildings? And you know where I'm going with this: Gwydir castle and gardens. The unfairness caused to them is immense.

It is well known that I want to see an independent inquiry into flood mitigation measures in Aberconwy, because we were flooded out in December 2015, March last year, storm Ciara, and more effects from storm Dennis. Your Welsh Government—. You said in your question response to me, 'No further reviews'. People in Llanrwst feel that you are not interested, Minister. [Interruption.] I've asked four questions.

I now ask: will you work with Natural Resources Wales to reassess previously proposed and rejected options? And I endorse what Mandy Jones has said over there: people believe that the River Conwy, now recording at its highest levels, should actually have an implemented flood risk mitigation scheme in terms of dredging, or some form of support for that river. Thank you.

Hoffwn ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am y diweddariad hwn, a manteisio ar y cyfle hwn hefyd i grybwyll mater y cyllid a addawyd ar gyfer y rhai a ddioddefodd o achos y llifogydd. Mae gennym ni sefyllfa argyfyngus yn Aberconwy o hyd. Yn ystod storm Ciara, effeithiwyd ar tua 10 eiddo ym Metws-y-coed a 60 yn Llanrwst, ar 9 Chwefror. Yna cawsom storm Dennis, ac mae'n rhaid i mi fod yn onest, y gymuned yn dod ynghyd yn wyneb hynny a rwystrodd fwy o ddinistr yn hynny o beth, a'r gwasanaethau brys. Ond eto, y penwythnos hwn, gwelsom ffyrdd yn diflannu dan ddŵr a Llanrwst yn teimlo bron yn ynysig.

Nawr, byddwch yn ymwybodol, Gweinidog, fy mod wedi gofyn i chi, ar 11 Chwefror, pa gyllid a fyddai ar gael i'r awdurdod lleol a'r trigolion i helpu gyda'r gwaith glanhau, ac ysgrifennais hefyd at y Gweinidog Cyllid am gymorth ariannol brys ar 14 Chwefror. Eto i gyd, cymerodd y Prif Weinidog tan 18 Chwefror i gyhoeddi y byddai cynllun cefnogaeth o arian brys yn cael ei greu. A dim ond ddoe roedd modd ymgeisio am hynny. Dim ond ddoe roedd ffurflenni ar gael.

Felly, gallwch ddeall bod fy nhrigolion yn Aberconwy yn teimlo'n rhwystredig iawn gan ei bod yn ymddangos bod y Prif Weinidog—ac fe wnaf i ddweud ymddangos, neu ei fod fel pe bai—wedi dewis aros tan ar ôl storm Dennis i wneud unrhyw beth. Ar ran fy—[Torri ar draws.] Felly, pam mai dim ond ddoe yr oedd y ffurflenni ar gael? I'm hetholwyr i, mae hynny'n golygu y buont yn aros dros 15 diwrnod am gymorth ariannol brys. I rai heb yswiriant, mae hynny dros bythefnos cyn gellid hyd yn oed dechrau mynd i'r afael â—[Torri ar draws.] Gallwch weiddi faint fynnoch chi, dyna'n union sydd wedi digwydd.

Dim ond glanhau heb unrhyw gemegau sydd wedi digwydd ar rai ystadau sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd. Mae gennyf i blant yn fy etholaeth i y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw fyw i fyny'r grisiau o hyd gan mai dim ond golchiad syml efo peiriant chwistrellu dŵr y maen nhw wedi ei gael, ond roedd llaid carthion yn rhedeg drwy'r cartrefi hynny. Mae o leiaf dri busnes heb yswiriant bellach wedi rhoi'r gorau i fasnachu, ac mae eraill yn parhau i frwydro am eu dyfodol. Mae llawer o etholwyr wedi bod yn ymdrechu'n daer i gael gafael ar unrhyw gymorth ariannol a addawyd.

Ond mae ymateb y gymuned i'w ple wedi bod yn eithriadol. Mae llawer ohonom ni wedi gwneud ymdrech i fod wrth law, i helpu lle y gallwn ni, boed hynny drwy gysylltu â'r awdurdod lleol—. Ac mae'n rhaid i mi roi clod i Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy am eu hymdrechion mawr yn ystod storm Dennis, i sicrhau nad effeithiwyd eto ar y rhai yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw eisoes.

Er fy mod yn ddiolchgar am y ffaith y bydd pob cartref yr effeithiwyd arnynt gan lifogydd ledled Cymru yn cael £500 yn dechnegol, £1,000 o bosib, ar gyfer y rheini sydd heb yswiriant tŷ, dim ond diferyn yn y môr ydyw. Roedd gennyf breswylydd ar y ffôn ddoe, mae hi wedi colli ei busnes, ei chartref, a'i char. Nid oes ganddi ddim byd ar ôl, wrth inni siarad heddiw.

Felly, Gweinidog, pam y cymerodd hi tan ar ôl storm Dennis i'r Prif Weinidog gyhoeddi cymorth ariannol i unigolion a effeithiwyd gan storm Ciara? A ellir ystyried cynyddu faint o gymorth ariannol sydd ar gael mewn amgylchiadau eithriadol? Pa gymorth brys fydd ar gael i'n ffermydd a ddioddefodd lifogydd, a gollodd eu da byw? Nid oes sôn am hynny yn eich datganiad. Ac a fydd arian ar gael i helpu dadwneud difrod i'n hadeiladau rhestredig, gwerthfawr, hanesyddol? Ac fe wyddoch chi at beth rwy'n cyfeirio wrth ddweud hyn: Castell a gerddi Gwydir. Mae'r annhegwch a achoswyd iddynt yn anferthol.

Mae'n hysbys fy mod eisiau gweld ymchwiliad annibynnol i fesurau lliniaru llifogydd yn Aberconwy, oherwydd cawsom ein boddi ym mis Rhagfyr 2015, fis Mawrth y llynedd, storm Ciara, a mwy o effeithiau o storm Dennis. Dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru—. Fe wnaethoch chi ddweud yn ymateb i'm cwestiwn, 'dim adolygiadau pellach'. Mae pobl yn Llanrwst yn teimlo nad oes gennych chi ddiddordeb, Gweinidog. [Torri ar draws.] Rwyf wedi gofyn pedwar cwestiwn.

Gofynnaf nawr: a wnewch chi weithio gyda Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i ailasesu'r posibiliadau a gynigiwyd yn flaenorol ac a wrthodwyd? Ac ategaf yr hyn y mae Mandy Jones wedi'i ddweud draw yn y fan yna: mae pobl yn credu y dylai afon Conwy, na fu erioed mor uchel, gael cynllun lliniaru perygl llifogydd sy'n cael ei roi ar waith o ran carthu'r gwely, neu ryw fath o gefnogaeth i'r afon honno. Diolch.

15:35

I really object to Janet Finch-Saunders's tone. I was in Llanrwst on 13 February—[Interruption.] Do you want to listen or not? Do you want to listen? I really object. I was in Llanrwst on 13 February, visiting houses in your constituency, and I spoke to many of the residents. Not one of them took the tone that you did—not one of them. So, I will tell you why it takes several days—and that's all it's been, several days—to set up—[Interruption.]

Nid wyf yn hoffi cywair datganiad Janet Finch-Saunders o gwbl. Roeddwn yn Llanrwst ar 13 Chwefror— [Torri ar draws.] Ydych chi eisiau gwrando ai peidio? Ydych chi eisiau gwrando? Rwy'n gwrthwynebu'n llwyr. Roeddwn yn Llanrwst ar 13 Chwefror, yn ymweld â thai yn eich etholaeth, a siaradais â llawer o'r trigolion. Ni siaradodd yr un ohonyn nhw fel yr ydych chi'n ei wneud—dim un ohonynt. Felly, fe wnaf i ddweud wrthych chi pam y mae'n cymryd sawl diwrnod—a dyna'r cyfan, sawl diwrnod—i sefydlu—[Torri ar draws.]

Will you let the Minister speak? I have 10 more speakers after this, and we've 20 minutes, so not all 10 are going to get in. Minister.

A wnewch chi adael i'r Gweinidog siarad? Mae gennyf i 10 arall o siaradwyr ar ôl hyn, ac mae gennym ni 20 munud, felly ni fydd pob un o'r 10 yn gallu dweud ei bwt. Gweinidog.

I'll tell you why it takes several days to set up a scheme: it's public money. And that public money has to be accounted for. It has to be audited. You have to have a mechanism to be able to deliver that funding. Do you want to listen or not? So, every house that's had internal flooding—. You can smirk, Janet Finch-Saunders; I'm not even going to look at you, because you—. In fact, Deputy Presiding Officer, I don't think she's worthy of an answer.

Fe wnaf i ddweud wrthych chi pam y mae hi'n cymryd sawl diwrnod i sefydlu cynllun: mae'n arian cyhoeddus. Ac mae'n rhaid rhoi cyfrif am yr arian cyhoeddus hwnnw. Mae'n rhaid iddo gael ei archwilio. Rhaid ichi gael system i allu darparu'r cyllid hwnnw. Ydych chi eisiau gwrando ai peidio? Felly, mae gan bob tŷ lle bu llifogydd mewnol—. Gallwch grechwenu, Janet Finch-Saunders; dydw i ddim hyd yn oed yn mynd i edrych arnoch chi, oherwydd eich bod chi—. Mewn gwirionedd, Dirprwy Lywydd, nid wyf yn credu ei bod hi'n deilwng o ateb.

15:40

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you, Minister. I'd like to repeat again the thanks made by many Members across this Chamber for the effort made by countless heroes to help those affected by recent flooding, and to repeat also my thanks to you for visiting businesses and residents in Mountain Ash with me last week. The visible leadership from yourself and the First Minister was welcome. 

My questions. I hope you will have seen the letter jointly sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer by representatives of RCT, and I note your comments about working with the UK Government. Will you make representations to ensure that RCT gets the help that it needs, where there is a duty on the UK Government, such as funding for infrastructure, council tax and rate relief exemption? 

I also note your comments about Flood Re and I think it's really important, as other Members have said and yourself, to make sure that people know how they can access that affordable insurance. But I am concerned about a lack of clarity in this area. I've met with a number of people who have been very, very distressed to discover that they are underinsured against flood damage. So, I'd like to ask particularly what we can do to make sure that that information is clear and that insurance companies are forced to make that information a lot more clear than it is now? 

And finally, I'd like to close by again reiterating the comments made by other Members in this Chamber about the need for support for the emotional impact of flooding as well. Financial support to help people rebuild their lives is really important, but those long term psychological scars will come to the fore over time. I've met with people in Ynysybwl who were hit by a seven foot wave of water rushing through their properties. So, just to place on record, please, my ask for some assistance with counselling services for those who require it.  

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Diolch yn fawr, Gweinidog. Hoffwn ategu eto'r diolchiadau gan lawer o Aelodau o bob rhan o'r Siambr hon am yr ymdrech a wnaed gan arwyr di-rif i helpu'r rheini yr effeithiwyd arnynt gan y llifogydd diweddar, ac i ategu hefyd fy niolch i chi am ymweld â busnesau a thrigolion Aberpennar gyda mi yr wythnos diwethaf. Roedd yr arweiniad gweladwy gennych chi a'r Prif Weinidog i'w groesawu.

Fy nghwestiynau. Gobeithio y byddwch wedi gweld y llythyr a anfonwyd ar y cyd at Ganghellor y Trysorlys gan gynrychiolwyr Rhondda Cynon Taf, ac rwy'n cydnabod eich sylwadau ynglŷn â gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU. A wnewch chi gyflwyno sylwadau i sicrhau bod Rhondda Cynon Taf yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen, lle mae dyletswydd ar Lywodraeth y DU, megis cyllid ar gyfer seilwaith, y dreth gyngor a rhyddhad ardrethi?

Rwy'n cydnabod hefyd eich sylwadau ynglŷn â llifogydd ac rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn, fel y mae Aelodau eraill wedi'i ddweud a chithau, i sicrhau bod pobl yn gwybod sut y gallant gael gafael ar yr yswiriant fforddiadwy hwnnw. Ond rwy'n pryderu am ddiffyg eglurder yn y maes hwn. Rwyf wedi cyfarfod â nifer o bobl sydd wedi bod yn ofidus iawn o ddarganfod nad ydyn nhw wedi'u hyswirio rhag difrod llifogydd. Felly, hoffwn ofyn yn arbennig beth y gallwn ni ei wneud i sicrhau bod yr wybodaeth honno'n glir a bod cwmnïau yswiriant yn cael eu gorfodi i wneud yr wybodaeth honno'n llawer cliriach nag ydyw ar hyn o bryd?

Ac yn olaf, hoffwn gloi drwy ategu eto y sylwadau a wnaed gan Aelodau eraill yn y Siambr hon am yr angen am gefnogaeth oherwydd effaith emosiynol llifogydd hefyd. Mae cymorth ariannol i helpu pobl i ailadeiladu eu bywydau yn bwysig iawn, ond bydd y creithiau seicolegol hirdymor hynny'n dod i'r amlwg dros amser. Rwyf wedi cwrdd â phobl yn Ynysybwl a gafodd eu taro gan don saith troedfedd o ddŵr yn rhuthro drwy eu heiddo. Felly, hoffwn ofyn ar goedd, os gwelwch yn dda, am rywfaint o gymorth gyda gwasanaethau cwnsela i'r rhai sydd ei angen.    

I think most of the points that Vikki Howells raises, outside what other Members have raised, are really about the cross-Government approach that we're taking in relation to the flooding. So, you'll be aware my colleague, the Minister for Finance, has written to the Treasury regarding this. Obviously, the First Minister has had discussions around funding, because—I think that Mick Antoniw raised the point—it's not a devolution handout. This is money that we need and it's money that we should have from the UK Government.

And it's the same around the emotional impact. I answered Leanne Wood before that, obviously, the Minister for Health and Social Services and the Minister for Education will ensure that that support is available as we go along the next weeks and months and even years. Because I think you're right; the majority, particularly around storm Dennis, and storm Ciara too, happened in the night. I always things are much worse in the dark and in the night and to go—as I say, the houses I visited in Blaenau Gwent—from six inches of water to four foot of water in just 20 minutes is incredibly frightening. The same: I visited Crickhowell in the constituency of Kirsty Williams on Thursday, and again it was in the night that they obviously had this huge surge of water in their homes. 

I think that you make a very pertinent point around insurance and about ensuring that people have got adequate cover. Flood Re is available for domestic. It's not available for businesses, but it is available for domestic. And I think there is a point around it perhaps being made available for businesses, and this is an issue for the UK Government, but it is something that I will be writing to the appropriate Minister about.

Rwy'n credu bod y rhan fwyaf o'r pwyntiau y mae Vikki Howells yn eu crybwyll, y tu hwnt i'r hyn y mae Aelodau eraill wedi'i grybwyll, yn ymwneud mewn gwirionedd â'r dull trawslywodraethol yr ydym ni'n ei gymryd mewn perthynas â'r llifogydd. Felly, byddwch yn ymwybodol bod fy nghyd-Aelod, y Gweinidog Cyllid, wedi ysgrifennu at y Trysorlys ynglŷn â hyn. Yn amlwg, mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi cael trafodaethau ynghylch cyllid, oherwydd—credaf i Mick Antoniw wneud y sylw—nid cyllid datganoli ydyw. Mae hwn yn arian y mae ei angen arnom ni ac mae'n arian y dylem ei gael gan Lywodraeth y DU.

Ac mae'r un peth yn ymwneud â'r effaith emosiynol. Atebais Leanne Wood o'r blaen, yn amlwg, bydd y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a'r Gweinidog Addysg yn sicrhau bod y gefnogaeth honno ar gael yn ystod yr wythnosau a'r misoedd a hyd yn oed y blynyddoedd nesaf. Oherwydd rwy'n credu eich bod yn gywir; fe ddigwyddodd y mwyafrif o'r difrod, yn enwedig o ran storm Dennis, a storm Ciara hefyd, yn y nos. Mae pethau bob amser yn llawer gwaeth yn y tywyllwch ac yn ystod y nos ac mae mynd—fel y dywedaf, y tai yr ymwelais â nhw ym Mlaenau Gwent—o chwe modfedd o ddŵr i bedwar troedfedd o ddŵr mewn dim ond 20 munud yn frawychus iawn. Yn yr un modd: ymwelais â Chrucywel yn etholaeth Kirsty Williams ddydd Iau, ac eto roedd hi yn ystod y nos arnyn nhw yn amlwg yn cael yr ymchwydd hwn o ddŵr yn eu cartrefi.

Credaf eich bod yn gwneud pwynt perthnasol iawn ynglŷn ag yswiriant a sicrhau bod pobl wedi'u hyswirio'n ddigonol. Mae Flood Re ar gael ar gyfer cartrefi. Nid yw ar gael i fusnesau, ond mae ar gael ar gyfer cartrefi. Ac rwy'n credu bod rhywbeth i'w ddweud o ran sicrhau ei fod yn cael ei ddarparu i fusnesau efallai, ac mae hwn yn fater i Lywodraeth y DU, ond mae'n rhywbeth y byddaf yn ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog priodol yn ei gylch.

A gaf innau ategu y diolch a'r teyrngedau sydd wedi cael eu talu i'r gwasanaethau arbennig, i'r gweithwyr cyngor, i weithwyr Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, y gwirfoddolwyr a'r cymunedau sydd wedi dod at ei gilydd yn wyneb y darluniau eithriadol rydym ni wedi gweld dros yr wythnosau diwethaf?  

A gaf i ofyn yn gyntaf, Weinidog, sut ydych chi'n ymateb i ddau o arweinyddion cynghorau'r gogledd, yn sir Ddinbych a sir Conwy, sydd wedi beirniadu arafwch ymateb y Llywodraeth? Hynny yw, doedd yna ddim sôn am £500 o daliad i drigolion gafodd eu heffeithio yn Llanrwst, yn Llanfair Talhaearn ac yn y blaen. Ond, wrth gwrs, ar ôl y digwyddiadau yn Rhondda Cynon Taf, wedyn mi roedd yna gyhoeddiad mawr fod yna arian yn dod, a bod yna £10 miliwn i gychwyn ac mi fyddai yna ragor. Dwi'n gwybod bod y scale yn wahanol, ond mae'n rhaid inni gofio roedd yna dros 100 o gartrefi wedi cael eu heffeithio yn y gogledd, a dwsinau lawer o fusnesau hefyd. Felly, sut ŷch chi'n ymateb i'r awgrym efallai bod y Llywodraeth ddim wedi ymateb fel y dylen nhw i'r sefyllfa yn y gogledd tan i'r hyn ddigwyddodd yn y de ddigwydd?

Mae'r cyngor yn y Rhondda, wrth gwrs, yn cynnig arian ychwanegol—y £500 ychwanegol yma. Mae yna sylwadau wedi cael eu gwneud hefyd sy'n gresynu at y ffaith nad yw, er enghraifft, cyngor Conwy yn cynnig £500 o daliad ychwanegol i drigolion sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio mewn llefydd fel Llanrwst, ac mi fyddwn i yn licio clywed gennych chi. Achos yr un yw'r difrod, yr un yw'r effaith mae'r llifogydd yma yn ei gael, ble bynnag rŷch chi'n byw, ond mae'n dechrau edrych fel petasai yna ryw fath o loteri cod post: os ŷch chi'n byw yn y Rhondda, gewch chi £500 ychwanegol; os ŷch chi'n byw yng Nghonwy, gewch chi ddim. Byddwn i eisiau gwybod: onid yw cysondeb yn bwysig? Onid yw tegwch yn bwysig? Ac onid yw'r un mynediad i gefnogaeth, ble bynnag ŷch chi'n byw, yn bwysig? Mi fyddwn i'n awyddus i glywed eich ymateb chi i hynny. 

Dwi wedi codi gyda chi, ac rŷch chi'n gwybod, yn y pwyllgor a fan hyn ac mewn fforymau eraill, gofidiau ynglŷn ag adnoddau Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru—y dyletswyddau ychwanegol, y cyfrifoldebau ychwanegol, ond ar yr un pryd, adnoddau yn crebachu. Nawr, wrth gwrs, mi fydd yna waith ychwanegol yn deillio i ymateb i'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd, nid yn unig yr ymateb uniongyrchol o ddelio gyda'r gyflafan, ond, wrth gwrs, mi fydd yna asesiadau ychwanegol angen eu gwneud i is-adeiledd ac mi fydd ymchwiliadau cyhoeddus, o bosib, y bydd angen eu harwain neu gyfrannu atyn nhw. A wnewch chi ymrwymo, felly, i sicrhau os oes yna unrhyw waith ychwanegol yn sgil hyn yn dod i gyfeiriad Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, yna y byddan nhw'n derbyn yr adnoddau angenrheidiol i ddelio â hynny?

Ac wrth gwrs, nid dim ond Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru; mae awdurdodau lleol yn yr un sefyllfa, ac wrth gwrs mae yna ystod ehangach o gyrff efallai dŷn ni ddim yn sôn amdanyn nhw. Mae Asiant Cefnffyrdd Gogledd a Chanolbarth Cymru, er enghraifft, sy'n gyfrifol am y gullies ar y gefnffordd drwy Lanrwst. Ie, dwi'n gweld y Gweinidog yn dechrau gwrando nawr, ar ôl clywed y term yna. Wel, mae eisiau bod yn glir bod gan yr holl ystod o gyrff perthnasol yr adnoddau angenrheidiol, a tra'i bod hi'n angenrheidiol i ni ffocysu ar y darlun mawr a'r cynlluniau is-adeiledd mawr, mae'n rhaid cofio mai gwaith caib a rhaw, yn llythrennol, sy'n bwysig hefyd o safbwynt glanhau ffosydd, culverts, gullies, ac yn y blaen. Felly, dwi eisiau gwybod pa asesiad nawr fyddwch chi fel Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod gan yr ystod yma o gyrff y capasiti angenrheidiol ar gyfer y gwaith caib a rhaw yna? Yn benodol, mi fyddwn i'n licio clywed hynny gennych chi.

Mae yna nifer o bwyntiau o safbwynt y system gynllunio y byddai'n well cyfeirio at y Gweinidog perthnasol ac mi fydd yna gyfle i wneud hynny rywbryd eto, ond byddai ateb i'r tri neu bedwar yna—mi fyddwn i'n ddiolchgar amdano.

May I endorse the thanks and the tributes that have been paid to the emergency workers, council workers, NRW workers, volunteers and the communities that have come together in light of the exceptional pictures that we have seen over the past few weeks?

May I ask first of all, Minister, how do you respond to two north Wales council leaders, in Denbighshire and Conwy, who have criticised the pace of the Government's response? There was no talk of a £500 payment for the residents affected in Llanrwst, in Llanfair Talhaiarn and so on and so forth. But of course, after the events in RCT, there was a major announcement that funding was to be made available. There was to be an initial £10 million and there would be more available later. I know the scale is different, but we must bear in mind that over 100 homes were affected in north Wales, and many tens of businesses too. So, how do you respond to the suggestion that the Government didn't respond as they should have done to the situation in north Wales until the events unfolded in south Wales?

The council in RCT is offering an additional £500. Some comments have been made, too, that regret the fact that Conwy council isn't offering an additional £500 payment to residents affected in places such as Llanrwst, and I would like to hear from you. Because the damage is the same and the impact is the same in terms of these floods, wherever you live. But it’s starting to look as if there was some kind of postcode lottery: if you live in the Rhondda, you'll have an additional £500, but if you live in Conwy, you won't. I would like to know: isn't consistency important? Isn't fairness important? And shouldn't there be equality of access to support, wherever you live? Isn't that important? I'd like to hear your response to that.

I've raised with you in committee, in this place and in other fora, some concerns about the resources available to NRW and the additional responsibilities placed upon them whilst their resources are shrinking. Now, there will be additional work emerging in response to what has happened, not only the direct response in dealing with the impacts, but there will be additional assessments to infrastructure and there may be public inquiries that may need to be led or contributed to. So will you commit, therefore, to ensuring that, if there is any additional work in light of this that falls on NRW that they will receive the necessary resource to deal with that?

It’s not just NRW; local authorities are in the same situation and, of course, there’s a wider range of bodies that we don't always mention: the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent, which is responsible for gulleys through Llanrwst, for example—and I see the Minister starting to listen now, having heard reference to that. We do need clarity that this whole range of relevant bodies have the necessary resources. While it is necessary to focus on the bigger picture and the major infrastructure schemes, we must bear in mind that it’s the day-to-day work, the spade work, quite literally, that is also important in terms of cleaning culverts, gulleys, and so on and so forth. So I want to know what assessment you as a Government will now make to ensure that this range of bodies has the necessary capacity for that spade work, and I would like to hear from you on that. 

There are a number of points on the planning system that would be better referred to the relevant Minister, and there will be an opportunity to do that on a future date, but a response to those three or four questions would be something I would be grateful for.

15:45

Diolch. You make a very important point about transport and roads and I think, again, we should place on record our sincere thanks to staff across the entire transport sector for those of us from north Wales who've had to come down again this week. It was equally as bad as last week, but I know they have been working tirelessly since the flooding began nearly two weeks ago to support the travelling public and to make sure we reopen our public transport and road network as quickly as possible.

You ask again about the public money that was being made available, so I mentioned that I visited Llanrwst on the Thursday; I was in my constituency on the Friday. I did try to get down to Cardiff on the Saturday when we realised the impact of storm Dennis, and I was unable to because of the train network. I'd already started to have conversations with the First Minister around what support we could give to people who had been flooded, and as I said in my answer to Janet Finch-Saunders, it does take a while to set up that scheme, but what the First Minister did straight away—but this wasn't made public, because obviously, you're doing it collectively as a Government—was that we identified the money. So, the First Minister, in the first meeting that I had with him on the Monday morning—he was adamant that that money would be found. We then found the mechanism to make sure that that money got out as quickly as possible to the public, so it opened yesterday. It did take a few days, but as I say, you've got to make sure that public money can be accounted for in the correct way.

The fact that RCT local authority are giving their residents an additional £500 is a matter for RCT. If Conwy Council choose not to do that, that's up to them. You know that the budget that local authorities get—it's up to them how they spend it with their local population, so you need to take that matter up with Conwy and Denbighshire. The money that we're giving as a Welsh Government will be the same. For a house that's been flooded, it will be £500. For a house that's been flooded that doesn't have insurance, it will be £1,000. There's also business funding available through—and people should contact—Business Wales. There was an earlier question around farms: they are businesses, and I have to say, most of the farmers I've spoken to have got insurance, but clearly, they are just as able to access that funding as a business as any other type of business. I mentioned in an earlier answer that we will be giving 100 per cent funding for clearing culverts and grids.

In relation to your questions around NRW, there are clearly lots of questions around NRW and what they have had to deal with over the last two weeks. I'm meeting with the Chair and the chief exec—I think it's next week—and obviously, this will be top of the agenda. But, what I have said to them is—. I've asked the specific question: do they have the resources—and that's human as well as financial resources—to be able to deal with that? So, I can give you a commitment that I will clearly look at anything that comes forward from them. But, again, I think that it's a little bit early to answer that question in detail.

Diolch. Rydych chi'n gwneud pwynt pwysig iawn am drafnidiaeth a ffyrdd, a chredaf, unwaith eto, y dylem ni ddiolch ar goedd yn ddiffuant i staff ym mhob rhan o'r sector trafnidiaeth o ran y rheini ohonom ni o'r gogledd sydd wedi gorfod dod i lawr eto'r wythnos hon. Roedd hi yr un mor wael â'r wythnos diwethaf, ond rwy'n gwybod y buont yn gweithio'n ddiflino ers i'r llifogydd ddechrau bron i bythefnos yn ôl i gefnogi'r cyhoedd sy'n teithio ac i sicrhau ein bod yn ailagor ein rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus a ffyrdd cyn gynted â phosib.

Rydych chi'n gofyn eto am yr arian cyhoeddus a oedd yn cael ei ddarparu, felly crybwyllais fy mod wedi ymweld â Llanrwst ar y dydd Iau; roeddwn yn fy etholaeth ar y dydd Gwener. Fe wnes i geisio teithio i Gaerdydd ar y dydd Sadwrn pan fu inni sylweddoli beth oedd effaith storm Dennis, ac nid oeddwn yn gallu gwneud hynny oherwydd y rhwydwaith trenau. Roeddwn eisoes wedi dechrau cael sgyrsiau gyda'r Prif Weinidog ynghylch pa gefnogaeth y gallem ei rhoi i bobl oedd wedi dioddef llifogydd, ac fel y dywedais yn fy ateb i Janet Finch-Saunders, mae'n cymryd amser i sefydlu'r cynllun hwnnw, ond yr hyn a wnaeth y Prif Weinidog ar unwaith—ond ni chafodd hyn ei wneud yn gyhoeddus, oherwydd yn amlwg, rydych chi'n ei wneud ar y cyd fel Llywodraeth—oedd ein bod ni wedi dynodi'r arian. Felly, roedd y Prif Weinidog, yn y cyfarfod cyntaf a gefais gydag ef fore Llun—roedd yn bendant y byddid yn dod o hyd i'r arian hwnnw. Yna daethom o hyd i'r dull i sicrhau bod yr arian hwnnw'n cyrraedd y cyhoedd cyn gynted â phosib, felly agorodd y gronfa ddoe. Fe wnaeth hyn gymryd ychydig ddyddiau, ond fel rwy'n dweud, mae'n rhaid i chi sicrhau bod modd rhoi cyfrif am arian cyhoeddus yn y ffordd gywir.

Mater i Rhondda Cynon Taf yw'r ffaith bod awdurdod lleol Rhondda Cynon Taf yn rhoi £500 ychwanegol i'w drigolion. Os yw Cyngor Conwy yn dewis peidio â gwneud hynny, eu dewis nhw yw hynny. Gwyddoch mai'r gyllideb a gaiff awdurdodau lleol—mater iddyn nhw yw sut y maen nhw'n ei wario gyda'u poblogaeth leol, felly mae angen ichi godi'r mater hwnnw gyda Chonwy a Sir Ddinbych. Yr un fydd yr arian yr ydym ni, Llywodraeth Cymru, yn ei roi. Ar gyfer tŷ sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd, bydd yn £500. Ar gyfer tŷ sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd nad oes ganddo yswiriant, bydd yn £1,000. Mae arian busnes ar gael hefyd drwy—a dylai pobl gysylltu â—Busnes Cymru. Roedd cwestiwn cynharach ynghylch ffermydd: busnesau ydyn nhw, ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, mae yswiriant gan y rhan fwyaf o'r ffermwyr yr wyf wedi siarad â nhw, ond yn amlwg, mae'r cyllid hwnnw ar gael iddyn nhw fel busnes gymaint ag y mae i unrhyw fath arall o fusnes. Soniais mewn ateb cynharach y byddwn yn rhoi cyllid o 100 y cant ar gyfer clirio ceuffosydd a gridiau.

O ran eich cwestiynau ynghylch Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, mae'n amlwg bod llawer o gwestiynau ynghylch Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r hyn y maen nhw wedi gorfod ymdrin ag ef yn ystod y pythefnos diwethaf. Rwy'n cyfarfod â'r Cadeirydd a'r Prif Weithredwr—wythnos nesaf rwy'n credu—ac yn amlwg, dyma fydd ar frig yr agenda. Ond, yr hyn yr wyf wedi ei ddweud wrthynt yw—. Rwyf wedi gofyn y cwestiwn penodol: a oes ganddyn nhw'r adnoddau—a'r adnoddau dynol yn ogystal â'r rhai ariannol—i allu ymdrin â hynny? Felly, gallaf roi ymrwymiad ichi y byddaf yn amlwg yn edrych ar unrhyw beth y byddant yn ei gynnig. Ond, eto, rwy'n credu ei bod hi braidd yn gynnar i ateb y cwestiwn hwnnw'n fanwl.

15:50

Thank you. I have seven speakers and eight minutes left. So, please can I now just ask the remaining speakers: will they just ask a question of the Minister, rather than—? I know that we all want to put our thanks on record from our particular areas, but I think that it's been well documented, so if we could have some questions straight to the Minister. Russell George.

Diolch. Mae gen i saith siaradwr ac wyth munud ar ôl. Felly, a gaf i ofyn i'r siaradwyr sy'n weddill nawr: a wnân nhw ofyn cwestiwn yn unig i'r Gweinidog, yn hytrach na—? Rwy'n gwybod ein bod i gyd eisiau diolch ar goedd o'n hardaloedd penodol, ond credaf fod y diolchiadau hynny'n hysbys iawn bellach, felly pe gallem ni ofyn rhai cwestiynau'n syth i'r Gweinidog. Russell George.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, I'm going to raise a question that I have raised with you a number of times before, and that is about the management of Clywedog and Lake Vyrnwy reservoirs. Pictures show on social media, and video footage, great swathes of mid Wales underwater, including B roads and trunk roads and properties partly underwater as well. I have no doubt that, even if those reservoirs were managed in a way that I would like to see them managed and the people of mid-Wales want to see them managed, we would still see significant disruption because of the sheer level of rain that fell in such a short period of time. But, I also have no doubt that if those reservoirs were managed better, we would see significantly less reduction.

What we do see, for days on end, is water tipping over the top of both reservoirs. Common sense tells you that you have lost control of the reservoir when that is the case. We need a greater drawdown of water, I would suggest, during dry periods of weather on both reservoirs. I know that you are aware of the section 20 operating rules; I think that they urgently need to be reviewed. I accept that this isn't your responsibility alone; it is jointly between yourself, Natural Resources Wales, the Environment Agency and the water companies—I fully accept that. But, can I ask you to lead on meetings with some urgency to get this operating rule reviewed and changed, and ask that you and your officers lead on that particular area?  

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Gweinidog, rwy'n mynd i ofyn cwestiwn yr wyf wedi gofyn ichi sawl gwaith o'r blaen, ac mae a wnelo hwn â rheoli cronfeydd dŵr Clywedog a Llyn Efyrnwy. Mae lluniau'n dangos ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol, a deunydd fideo, rannau helaeth o'r canolbarth o dan ddŵr, gan gynnwys ffyrdd B a chefnffyrdd ac eiddo sy'n rhannol dan y dŵr hefyd. Nid oes gennyf unrhyw amheuaeth, hyd yn oed pe cai'r cronfeydd dŵr hynny eu rheoli mewn ffordd y byddwn yn hoffi eu gweld yn cael eu rheoli ac mewn ffordd y mae pobl y canolbarth eisiau eu gweld yn cael eu rheoli, y byddem yn gweld tarfu sylweddol o hyd oherwydd lefel y glaw a syrthiodd mewn cyfnod mor fyr o amser. Ond, nid oes gennyf amheuaeth hefyd, pe cai'r cronfeydd dŵr hynny eu rheoli'n well, y byddem yn gweld gostyngiad llai o lawer.

Yr hyn a welwn ni, am ddyddiau lawer, yw dŵr yn llifo dros ben y ddwy gronfa. Mae synnwyr cyffredin yn dweud wrthych eich bod wedi colli rheolaeth ar y gronfa ddŵr pan fo hynny'n digwydd. Mae angen inni wagio mwy ar y dŵr, byddwn yn awgrymu, yn ystod cyfnodau sych yn y ddwy gronfa ddŵr. Rwy'n gwybod eich bod yn ymwybodol o reolau gweithredu adran 20; credaf fod angen eu hadolygu ar frys. Rwy'n derbyn nad eich cyfrifoldeb chi yn unig yw hyn; mae'n gyfrifoldeb ar y cyd rhyngoch chi, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd a'r cwmnïau dŵr—rwy'n derbyn hynny'n llwyr. Ond, a gaf i ofyn i chi gynnull cyfarfodydd gyda pheth brys er mwyn adolygu a newid y rheol weithredu hon, a gofyn i chi a'ch swyddogion arwain ar y maes penodol hwnnw?

I suppose that the short answer is 'yes'. I'll be very happy to look at that, and perhaps I can update the Member in due course.

Mae'n debyg mai 'cewch' yw'r ateb byr. Byddaf yn hapus iawn i ystyried hynny, ac efallai y gallaf roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelod maes o law.

I'd like to pay tribute to those communities most affected in my constituency, which is Machen, Bedwas, Llanbradach, Ystrad Mynach, Tredomen, Nelson and Penpedairheol; those with commercial businesses and residential businesses. Bedwas RFC's Bridge club was hugely affected and has benefited from crowdfunding. It is struggling to survive, it has to be said, at this point in time, and I'm doing all that I can to help them.

On Thursday 20 February, Caerphilly County Borough Council announced a £250,000 fund to support businesses and residents in the Caerphilly community. I have to say that Caerphilly council have been working 24/7 through this process, and I have praise for them. Can she confirm that the Welsh Government's funding is entirely separate to that, and any application will be looked upon separately to any application to the Caerphilly County Borough Council fund?

The only other question that I've got—. I've had an e-mail today from a resident who tried to apply for the Welsh Government's fund through the link I sent them to the council. She followed the link that I sent, and said that, upon ringing the number, she went through to the council switchboard, who said that they didn't know about the Welsh Government's part of it, and tried to direct them to the discretionary assistance payment. So, if any of your civil servants are listening at this point in time, please could they ensure that local authorities are well aware of the mechanism for drawing down Welsh Government funding? Caerphilly council: I've written to the chief executive and the leader to explain this difficulty. But, the sooner that that is resolved, the better.

Hoffwn dalu teyrnged i'r cymunedau hynny yr effeithiwyd arnynt fwyaf yn fy etholaeth i, sef Machen, Bedwas, Llanbradach, Ystrad Mynach, Tredomen, Nelson a Phenpedairheol; y rhai â busnesau masnachol a busnesau preswyl. Effeithiwyd yn fawr ar Glwb Rygbi Bedwas ar Gae'r Bont ac mae wedi elwa ar gyllido torfol. Mae'n cael trafferth goroesi, mae'n rhaid dweud, ar hyn o bryd, ac rwy'n gwneud popeth a allaf i'w helpu.

Ddydd Iau 20 Chwefror, cyhoeddodd Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili gronfa o £250,000 i gefnogi busnesau a thrigolion cymuned Caerffili. Rhaid imi ddweud bod Cyngor Caerffili wedi bod yn gweithio bob awr o'r dydd a'r nos drwy'r broses hon, ac rwy'n eu canmol. A all hi gadarnhau bod cyllid Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwbl ar wahân i hynny, ac y caiff unrhyw gais ei ystyried ar wahân i unrhyw gais i gronfa Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili?

Yr unig gwestiwn arall sydd gen i—. Rwyf wedi cael e-bost heddiw gan breswylydd a geisiodd wneud cais i gronfa Llywodraeth Cymru drwy'r ddolen a anfonais atynt i'r cyngor. Dilynodd y ddolen a anfonais, a dywedodd, ar ôl ffonio'r rhif, y cafodd ei chysylltu â switsfwrdd y Cyngor, a ddywedodd nad oeddent yn gwybod am ran Llywodraeth Cymru, ac y ceisiwyd ei chyfeirio at y taliad cymorth dewisol. Felly, os yw unrhyw rai o'ch gweision sifil yn gwrando ar yr adeg hon, a fyddech cystal â sicrhau bod awdurdodau lleol yn ymwybodol iawn o'r system ar gyfer cael arian gan Lywodraeth Cymru? Cyngor Caerffili: rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at y Prif Weithredwr a'r arweinydd i egluro'r anhawster hwn. Gorau po gyntaf y caiff hynny ei ddatrys.

Thank you. I can confirm that the Welsh Government funding is entirely separate to anything that Caerphilly council want to do in the same way that RCT are doing also. I'm concerned to hear your last point. As soon as I finish my statement, I will go upstairs and make sure that that is corrected as quickly as possible. Obviously, it's the discretionary assistance fund that's doing the scheme for us. I know that, just last week, they had 200 applications for the ordinary DAF funding, and I think that they gave out significant funding. It's either £50 or £100. So, those two schemes are entirely separate as well. But, Deputy Presiding Officer, I will go upstairs and do that, and hopefully, by the time I come back down I will be able to give Hefin David an answer. 

Diolch. Gallaf gadarnhau bod cyllid Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwbl ar wahân i unrhyw beth y mae Cyngor Caerffili eisiau ei wneud yn yr un modd ag y mae Rhondda Cynon Taf yn ei wneud hefyd. Rwy'n bryderus o glywed eich sylw olaf. Cyn gynted ag y byddaf yn gorffen fy natganiad, byddaf yn mynd i fyny'r grisiau ac yn gwneud yn siŵr y caiff hynny ei gywiro cyn gynted â phosib. Yn amlwg, y gronfa cymorth dewisol sy'n gwneud y cynllun ar ein cyfer. Rwy'n gwybod eu bod wedi cael 200 o geisiadau, dim ond yr wythnos diwethaf, am arian arferol y gronfa cymorth dewisol, a chredaf iddynt roi cyllid sylweddol. Mae naill ai yn £50 neu'n £100. Felly, mae'r ddau gynllun hynny yn gwbl ar wahân hefyd. Ond, Dirprwy Lywydd, fe af i fyny'r grisiau i wneud hynny, a gobeithio, erbyn imi ddychwelyd i lawr, y byddaf yn gallu rhoi ateb i Hefin David.

15:55

Can I extend my sympathies to all those affected in South Wales Central by this most distressful event and the experiences that followed of seeing your homes flooded? It's the speed at which it happens—I think you've referred to that. It is astonishing. In my 21 years in the Chamber, when I've talked to flood victims, speed is what they say, which means we need the most effective warning systems possible.

Can I praise the joint work between the Welsh Government and the UK Government? I know there have been a few things flying about the Chamber today, but actually, both sides seem to have co-operated very well, and you need to continue this. I do commend the fact that the Secretary of State, Simon Hart, did visit RCT on Friday.

My main point is that we do need, because of climate change, to look at the whole hydrology of the south Wales catchment area. We have very fast-moving rivers. They're short. The energy they possess is astonishing, and quite frankly, some of the culverts are not fit for purpose for the speed of the water flow. We need to look at these water courses and examine them in the whole system, about what can be done to deepen them and strengthen them and move that water away from the areas at most risk around businesses and homes.

A gaf i gydymdeimlo â phawb yr effeithiwyd arnynt yn rhanbarth Canol De Cymru yn y digwyddiad hynod drallodus hwn a'r profiadau a ddilynodd o weld eich cartrefi'n dioddef llifogydd? Mae'n digwydd mor gyflym—rwy'n credu eich bod wedi cyfeirio at hynny. Mae'n syfrdanol. Yn fy 21 mlynedd yn y Siambr, pan wyf wedi siarad â dioddefwyr llifogydd, y cyflymder yw'r hyn a ddywedant, sy'n golygu bod angen y systemau rhybuddio mwyaf effeithiol posib arnom ni.

A gaf i ganmol y gwaith ar y cyd rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU? Rwy'n gwybod y cyfeiriwyd at ambell broblem yn y Siambr heddiw, ond mewn gwirionedd, mae'r ddwy ochr fel pe baent wedi cydweithredu'n dda iawn, ac mae angen i chi barhau â hyn. Rwyf yn cymeradwyo'r ffaith bod yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol, Simon Hart, wedi ymweld â Rhondda Cynon Taf ddydd Gwener.

Fy mhrif bwynt yw bod angen inni, oherwydd newid yn yr hinsawdd, edrych ar hydroleg gyfan dalgylch y de. Mae gennym ni afonydd sy'n llifo'n gyflym iawn. Maen nhw'n afonydd byrion. Mae'r egni sydd ganddynt yn syfrdanol, ac i fod yn onest, nid yw rhai o'r ceuffosydd yn addas i'r diben ar gyfer cyflymder llif y dŵr. Mae angen inni edrych ar y cyrsiau dŵr hyn a'u harchwilio yn rhan o'r system gyfan, ystyried yr hyn y gellir ei wneud i'w dyfnhau a'u cryfhau a symud y dŵr hwnnw o'r ardaloedd lle ceir y risg mwyaf yng nghyffiniau busnesau a chartrefi.

Thank you. Yes, I think that last point is very important. I mentioned in an earlier answer that, on the Sunday, I spoke to Andrew Morgan, the leader of RCT, and he sent me some photographs of a culvert that had been cleared out three times. It was completely destroyed because of the speed of the water, to which you refer. There's a massive infrastructure operation that's going to have to take place over the coming months and years, probably.

But clearly, some things are more urgent than others, and as we work through—as each local authority goes through the clean-up operation and comes back with what's required, that's when we need to look at specific and individual things that need repairing immediately, and what needs to be done in the longer term.

Diolch. Ydw, rwy'n credu bod y pwynt olaf yn bwysig iawn. Soniais mewn ateb cynharach fy mod, ar y dydd Sul, wedi siarad ag Andrew Morgan, arweinydd Rhondda Cynon Taf, ac anfonodd ataf rai lluniau o geuffos a gafodd ei chlirio deirgwaith. Cafodd ei dinistrio'n llwyr oherwydd cyflymder y dŵr, y cyfeiriwch ato. Mae'n debyg y bydd angen gwaith aruthrol ar y seilwaith dros y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd i ddod.

Ond yn amlwg, mae mwy o frys am rai pethau nag eraill, ac wrth inni weithio drwy—wrth i bob awdurdod lleol gwblhau'r gwaith glanhau a dod yn ôl â'r hyn sy'n ofynnol, dyna pryd y mae angen inni edrych ar bethau penodol ac unigol y mae angen eu hatgyweirio ar unwaith, a beth sydd angen ei wneud yn y tymor hirach.

I think all my exchanges with the Minister in the last four years about flooding have involved coastal flooding. I wonder if she would agree with me that we now need to give much greater attention and priority to dealing with the consequences of inland flooding as well. Nobody could fail to have been impressed by Mick Antoniw's tale of woe in RCT earlier on, and I very much agree with what he said and what the First Minister said earlier on—that it's very much a responsibility of the UK Government to make a proper contribution towards alleviating the problems that have now been created. It is part of the price that we pay, if there is a price at all, for being part of the United Kingdom, and that's the way in which we can help to cement the various parts of it together.

Chris Bryant said yesterday in the House of Commons that many of his constituents have to choose between putting food on the table or paying for insurance against disasters of this kind, and I'm sure the Minister would agree with me that that's not really an acceptable situation for people to be in in the twenty-first century in one of the richest countries in the world. What's happened here is a humanitarian disaster equally as much as the kind of flood damage that we see in other parts of the world, for which our overseas aid budget is designed to cope. Only 14 per cent of that overseas aid budget actually goes towards distress relief of this kind. So I wonder if she'd agree with me that, if the British Government comes up with the old excuse that they haven't got enough money to give us, the poorest part of the United Kingdom, in the one of the poorest areas within Wales, the money that is needed to help to alleviate significantly these difficulties, then that budget, which is currently earmarked for various absurd projects like a £6 million project to persuade Chinese housewives to put less salt in their cooking, which is funded by the Department for International Development, that money should be diverted to Wales—and indeed for future occasions of this kind—so that we are not put in a position where we are scrabbling around for the cash that is needed to sort out as quickly as possible the very, very real problems that ordinary people are now suffering. 

Rwy'n credu bod fy holl drafodaethau â'r Gweinidog yn ystod y pedair blynedd diwethaf ynghylch llifogydd wedi cynnwys llifogydd arfordirol. Tybed a fyddai hi'n cytuno â mi fod angen nawr inni roi llawer mwy o sylw a blaenoriaeth i ymdrin â chanlyniadau llifogydd mewndirol hefyd. Ni allai neb fethu â chael eu plesio gan stori Mick Antoniw o wae yn Rhondda Cynon Taf yn gynharach, a chytunaf yn llwyr â'r hyn a ddywedodd a'r hyn a ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog yn gynharach—sef ei bod hi'n gyfrifoldeb mawr ar Lywodraeth y DU i wneud cyfraniad priodol tuag at liniaru'r problemau sydd wedi'u creu erbyn hyn. Mae'n rhan o'r pris yr ydym yn ei dalu, os oes pris o gwbl, am fod yn rhan o'r Deyrnas Unedig, a dyna sut y gallwn ni helpu i asio'r gwahanol rannau ohoni gyda'i gilydd.

Dywedodd Chris Bryant ddoe yn Nhŷ'r cyffredin fod yn rhaid i lawer o'i etholwyr ddewis rhwng rhoi bwyd ar y bwrdd neu dalu am yswiriant rhag trychinebau o'r math hwn, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi nad yw hynny mewn gwirionedd yn sefyllfa dderbyniol i bobl fod ynddi yn yr unfed ganrif ar hugain yn un o wledydd cyfoethocaf y byd. Yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd yma yw trychineb dyngarol yn yr un modd â'r math o ddifrod llifogydd a welwn ni mewn rhannau eraill o'r byd, y mae ein cyllideb cymorth tramor wedi'i gynllunio i ymdopi ag ef. Dim ond 14 y cant o'r gyllideb cymorth dramor honno sy'n mynd tuag at ymdrin â thrallodion o'r math hwn mewn gwirionedd. Felly tybed a yw hi'n cytuno â mi, os bydd Llywodraeth Prydain yn cyflwyno'r hen esgus nad oes ganddynt ddigon o arian i roi i ni, y rhan dlotaf o'r Deyrnas Unedig, yn un o'r ardaloedd tlotaf yng Nghymru, yr arian sydd ei angen i helpu i liniaru'r anawsterau hyn yn sylweddol, yna dylai'r gyllideb honno, sydd wedi'i chlustnodi ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer gwahanol brosiectau hurt fel prosiect £6 miliwn i berswadio gwragedd tŷ yn Tsieina i ddefnyddio llai o halen wrth goginio, a ariennir gan Yr Adran dros Ddatblygu Rhyngwladol, y dylid dargyfeirio'r arian hwnnw i Gymru—ac yn wir ar gyfer digwyddiadau fel hyn yn y dyfodol—fel na chawn ni ein rhoi mewn sefyllfa lle'r ydym yn ymbalfalu am yr arian y mae ei angen i ddatrys mor gyflym â phosib y problemau gwirioneddol, real iawn, y mae pobl yn awr yn eu dioddef.  

Well, I don't have the inside knowledge that Neil Hamilton seems to have of the workings and the way DfID gives out money, but what I do know is exactly what Chris Bryant said. There are lots of reasons why people don't have insurance, and when I was visiting people last week, we discussed some of those reasons. Some of them were because they'd been flooded before and they couldn't get insurance. Others were—the cost was a barrier. Clearly, we need to ensure that people can access affordable insurance.

Before I go on to the next questions, Deputy Presiding Officer, officials have just e-mailed Ken Skates in response to the question raised by Hefin David, to say the link is correct—it's an extension of the discretionary assistance fund. So, perhaps, if you can get that message back. And again, if there are any further difficulties, I'd be very happy to look into them.

Wel, nid oes gennyf yr wybodaeth fewnol sydd gan Neil Hamilton yn ôl pob golwg o'r drefn a'r ffordd y mae'r Adran dros Ddatblygu Rhyngwladol yn didoli arian, ond yr hyn yr wyf yn ei wybod yw'r union beth a ddywedodd Chris Bryant. Mae llawer o resymau pam nad oes gan bobl yswiriant, a phan oeddwn yn ymweld â phobl yr wythnos diwethaf, fe wnaethom ni drafod rhai o'r rhesymau hynny. Roedd rhai ohonyn nhw oherwydd eu bod wedi dioddef llifogydd o'r blaen ac na allent gael yswiriant. Rhai eraill oedd—roedd y gost yn rhwystr. Yn amlwg, mae angen inni sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu cael yswiriant fforddiadwy.

Cyn imi fynd ymlaen at y cwestiynau nesaf, Dirprwy Lywydd, mae swyddogion newydd anfon e-bost at Ken Skates mewn ymateb i'r cwestiwn a godwyd gan Hefin David, i ddweud bod y ddolen yn gywir—mae'n estyniad o'r gronfa cymorth dewisol. Felly, efallai, os wnewch chi drosglwyddo'r neges honno. Ac eto, os oes unrhyw drafferthion eraill, fe fyddwn i'n hapus iawn i ymchwilio iddyn nhw.

16:00

Thank you. I have three speakers left. As long as they promise me they have a question, just one question each, then we'll get through them. Dawn Bowden.

Diolch. Mae gen i dri siaradwr ar ôl. Cyn belled â'u bod yn addo i mi bod ganddyn nhw gwestiwn, dim ond un cwestiwn yr un, yna gallwn eu clywed i gyd. Dawn Bowden.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I think it's important for me just to place on record my sympathy for the residents of my constituency, where we didn't see flooding on anything like the scale of Rhondda Cynon Taf, but we did see flooding in Troedyrhiw, Pentrebach, Aberfan, Quakers Yard, Pontsticill, Heolgerrig, Tir-Phil and Deri, and that was not insignificant for those individuals affected, as I'm sure you'll appreciate.

Most of the questions and the points that I wanted to raise, Minister, have now been raised, but there's one thing that I wanted to pick up. You will appreciate that landslides in my constituency have a very deep and painful history, and you have talked about the work being done on coal tips, and I appreciate that entirely. But I had a whole community in Troedyrhiw that were evacuated because of landslips in Troedyrhiw, but they were not actually to do with coal tips; it was literally the topography of the valley. There are very steep hills that are running right the way through our valleys—some of which are not related to coal tips. But those hills, those mountain sides, were so saturated, and they have streams and rivers running through them, that they couldn't cope with the amount of water coming through and they slipped, and we had to evacuate a number of streets in Troedyrhiw. So, my question to you, Minister, is, over and above what's being done around coal tips, what can we be doing to look at the general topography and stability of the hillsides, because this isn't going to be one-off? This is going to happen again, and we need to find some way of making sure that those steep hillsides are as secure as they can be when those heavy rains come again.

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig i mi ddweud ar goedd fy mod yn cydymdeimlo â thrigolion fy etholaeth, lle na welsom ni lifogydd tebyg i'r hyn a welwyd yn Rhondda Cynon Taf, ond gwelsom lifogydd yn Nhroedyrhiw, Pentrebach, Aberfan, Mynwent y Crynwyr, Pontsticill, Heolgerrig, Tir-Phil a'r Deri, ac nid rhywbeth dibwys oedd hynny i'r unigolion hynny yr effeithiwyd arnynt, fel rwy'n siŵr eich bod yn sylweddoli. 

Mae'r rhan fwyaf o'r cwestiynau a'r pwyntiau yr oeddwn eisiau eu crybwyll, Gweinidog, wedi'u crybwyll bellach, ond mae un peth yr oeddwn eisiau ei grybwyll. Byddwch yn sylweddoli bod hanes ingol a phoenus iawn i dirlithriadau yn fy etholaeth i, ac rydych chi wedi sôn am y gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud ar domenni glo, ac rwy'n gwerthfawrogi hynny'n llwyr. Ond roedd gennyf gymuned gyfan yn Nhroedyrhiw y bu'n rhaid iddynt adael y pentref oherwydd tirlithriadau yn Nhroedyrhiw, ond nid oeddent mewn gwirionedd yn ymwneud â thomenni glo; roedd a wnelo hynny yn llythrennol â thopograffi'r Cwm. Ceir bryniau serth iawn sy'n rhedeg yr holl ffordd drwy ein cymoedd—rhai ohonynt heb fod yn gysylltiedig â thomenni glo. Ond roedd y bryniau hynny, llethrau'r mynyddoedd hynny, mor wlyb, ac mae ganddyn nhw nentydd ac afonydd yn rhedeg drwyddyn nhw, fel na allent ddygymod â chyfaint y dŵr, a llithrodd y tir, a bu raid i ni symud llawer o drigolion o'u cartrefi yn Nhroedyrhiw. Felly, fy nghwestiwn i chi, Gweinidog, yw, yn ogystal â'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud ynghylch tomenni glo, beth allwn ni ei wneud i edrych ar dopograffeg gyffredinol a sefydlogrwydd y bryniau, gan nad eithriad yw hyn? Mae hyn yn mynd i ddigwydd eto, ac mae angen inni ddod o hyd i ryw ffordd o sicrhau bod y llethrau serth hynny mor ddiogel ag y gallan nhw fod pan fydd y glaw trwm yn dod eto.

Thank you, Dawn Bowden. I mentioned in my earlier answer—I'm not sure if it was to Vikki or to somebody else—but around when I was in Mountain Ash with Vikki Howells, and to see the size of the boulders that had come down from the mountain was truly horrific. So, clearly, it was the culmination of—. We've had probably one of the wettest winters that we've had for a long time and a wet autumn as well. So, we need to be looking at this issue alongside everything else, because I'm very well aware that there have been landslips, as you say, not in relation to the spoil tips to which you originally referred.

Diolch, Dawn Bowden. Crybwyllais yn fy ateb cynharach—nid wyf yn siŵr ai i Vikki ynteu i rywun arall—ond ynghylch pan oeddwn yn Aberpennar gyda Vikki Howells, ac roedd gweld maint y clogfeini a oedd wedi dod i lawr o'r mynydd yn wirioneddol erchyll. Felly, yn amlwg, roedd yn ganlyniad ac yn gyfuniad—. Mae'n debyg ein bod wedi cael un o'r gaeafau gwlypaf a gawsom ni ers tro byd a hydref gwlyb hefyd. Felly, mae angen i ni edrych ar y mater hwn gyda phopeth arall, oherwydd rwy'n ymwybodol iawn y bu tirlithriadau, fel y dywedwch chi, nid mewn cysylltiad â'r tomenni gwastraff y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio atyn nhw yn wreiddiol.

I'm grateful to the Minister for this statement. May I ask the Minister a question on contingency planning for flooding by the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales? Last week, I was contacted by a group based in the London Borough of Brent that provides assistance in emergency situations, such as those who lost homes in the fire at Grenfell Tower. They offered to provide a large amount of aid to flooding victims in south-east Wales in the form of food, blankets, cleaning material and other household essentials. Unfortunately, having contacted many community centres, I could not find any place and no venue whatsoever large enough that was available to store the amount of aid offered to us. Please, Minister, if such floods occur in future, could consideration be given to establishing a central point where aid can be delivered before being passed on to the flood victims? And two more questions: co-ordination among the local existing county councils; and, finally, the media must be active to make sure there is a flood-victim support website there straight away to help the people in the country. Thank you.

Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog am y datganiad hwn. A gaf i ofyn cwestiwn i'r Gweinidog am gynllunio wrth gefn ar gyfer llifogydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru a Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru? Yr wythnos diwethaf, cysylltwyd â mi gan grŵp ym Mwrdeistref Brent yn Llundain sy'n darparu cymorth mewn sefyllfaoedd brys, megis y rhai a gollodd gartrefi yn y tân yn Nhŵr Grenfell. Fe wnaethon nhw gynnig darparu llawer iawn o gymorth i ddioddefwyr llifogydd yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru ar ffurf bwyd, blancedi, deunyddiau glanhau a hanfodion eraill yn y cartref. Yn anffodus, ar ôl cysylltu â llawer o ganolfannau cymunedol, ni allwn ddod o hyd i unrhyw le na lleoliad o gwbl a oedd ar gael ac yn ddigon mawr i storio'r holl nwyddau a gynigiwyd i ni yn gymorth. Os gwelwch yn dda, Gweinidog, os bydd llifogydd o'r fath yn digwydd yn y dyfodol, a ellid ystyried sefydlu man canolog lle y gellir cludo deunydd cymorth cyn eu trosglwyddo i'r rhai sy'n dioddef gan y llifogydd? A dau gwestiwn arall: cydlynu ymhlith y cynghorau sir lleol presennol; ac, yn olaf, rhaid i'r cyfryngau fynd ati i sicrhau bod gwefan cymorth i ddioddefwyr llifogydd ar gael ar unwaith i helpu pobl y wlad. Diolch.

Well, that certainly wasn't my experience. I mentioned in my statement about Llanhilleth Miners Institute in Blaenau Gwent, where people were just continually coming with donations. And I saw it elsewhere, in Mountain Ash—we visited a community hub in Vikki Howells's constituency where a local supermarket had come with mops and bleach and disinfectant. So, that is not my experience of it at all, unfortunately. So, I don't think I can really add anything else.

Wel, nid hynny oedd fy mhrofiad i yn sicr. Soniais yn fy natganiad am Sefydliad Glowyr Llanhiledd ym Mlaenau Gwent, lle yr oedd pobl yn dod gyda rhoddion yn barhaus. Ac fe'i gwelais mewn man arall, yn Aberpennar—fe wnaethom ni ymweld â chanolfan gymunedol yn etholaeth Vikki Howells, lle yr oedd archfarchnad leol wedi dod â mopiau a channydd a diheintydd. Felly, nid dyna fy mhrofiad i o'r sefyllfa o gwbl, yn anffodus. Felly, dydw i ddim yn credu y gallaf i ychwanegu unrhyw beth arall mewn gwirionedd.

16:05

Thank you. As a person who has lived through a personal flood experience in the Towyn floods 30 years ago this week, my heart goes out to each and every person that's seen the devastation of flooding in their homes and businesses over the past fortnight with storm Ciara and storm Dennis. I also know that it brings out the best in people as well, and I know that each one of us that's visited a community in recent weeks will have the seen the way that communities have pulled together and grown together through the terrible experiences that they have had. 

Imagine, then, being in a situation, as some of my residents are in the community of Llanfair Talhaearn, which has been impacted by flooding three times in the past eight years. Three times in the past eight years, having the builders in, ripping everything out, trying to put everything back together and to piece your life together. It has just been absolutely horrific. And I would ask you, Minister: can you ensure that communities like Llanfair TH, like Llanrwst and others, which have been impacted frequently in recent years by flooding, are given that little bit extra priority because I think that they need it and they deserve it? That's not taking away from the awful impact of floods elsewhere, which also need attention, but, clearly, there's something seriously wrong when a community that is told that it has a flood risk of about one in every 50 years has been hit three times in eight. There's something not right with the modelling, which needs to be addressed.

You also referred, Minister, earlier on, and I think Llyr Gruffydd referred to this, to the capacity of certain councils to be able to respond through additional assistance and support in the same way that Rhondda Cynon Taf has been able to, with financial payments to those who've been without insurance, and perhaps even those who've had some insurance. Conwy County Borough Council, as you will know, has one of the lowest settlements this year with its revenue support grant, and it doesn't have the capacity in the same way that some of these other local authorities have to be able to support residents in its communities that have been impacted by flooding. Can I ask what support you might make available to councils with significant financial pressures, like Conwy, in order that it can respond perhaps in a different way to the challenges that residents in that community are facing?

And finally, one of the near misses that we had during the recent storms was on the coast in Kinmel Bay, in the community of Sandy Cove. As I said at the opening of my remarks on this statement, it was 30 years ago this week that that community suffered the devastating Towyn floods, along with other communities along the north Wales coast, as often the Deputy Presiding Officer is only too keen to remind me. But, clearly, having a near miss in a community that suffered such devastation in the past is also a concern. So, what support can you make available as rapidly as possible for communities on the coast in Towyn and Kinmel Bay to ensure that their flood defences are also robust and up-to-scratch, so that they can avoid the sort of devastation that people in RCT and elsewhere have suffered in recent weeks?

Diolch. A minnau wedi byw drwy brofiad llifogydd personol yn y llifogydd yn Nhywyn 30 mlynedd yn ôl yr wythnos hon, rwy'n cydymdeimlo o waelod calon â phawb sydd wedi gweld dinistr llifogydd yn eu cartrefi a'u busnesau dros y pythefnos diwethaf gyda storm Ciara a storm Dennis. Rwy'n gwybod hefyd ei fod yn tynnu'r gorau o bobl hefyd, ac rwy'n gwybod y bydd pob un ohonom ni sydd wedi ymweld â chymuned yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf wedi gweld y ffordd y mae cymunedau wedi dod at ei gilydd ac wedi tyfu gyda'i gilydd drwy'r profiadau ofnadwy y maen nhw wedi'u cael.

Dychmygwch, felly, fod mewn sefyllfa, fel yr un y mae rhai o'm trigolion yng nghymuned Llanfair Talhaearn ynddi, lle mae llifogydd wedi effeithio arni deirgwaith yn yr wyth mlynedd diwethaf. Dair gwaith yn yr wyth mlynedd diwethaf, cael yr adeiladwyr i mewn, rhwygo popeth allan, ceisio rhoi popeth yn ôl at ei gilydd ac i ail-lunio eich bywyd. Mae wedi bod yn hollol erchyll. A byddwn yn gofyn ichi, Gweinidog: a allwch chi sicrhau bod cymunedau fel Llanfair TH, fel Llanrwst ac eraill, y mae llifogydd wedi effeithio arnyn nhw'n aml yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, yn cael y mymryn bach lleiaf hwnnw o flaenoriaeth ychwanegol oherwydd credaf fod arnynt angen hynny a'u bod yn haeddu hynny? Nid yw hynny'n diystyru effaith ofnadwy llifogydd mewn mannau eraill, sydd hefyd angen sylw, ond, yn amlwg, mae rhywbeth difrifol o'i le pan fydd cymuned y dywedir wrthi fod ganddi siawns o gael llifogydd oddeutu unwaith bod 50 mlynedd, yn cael ei tharo deirgwaith mewn wyth mlynedd. Mae rhywbeth yn anghywir gyda'r modelu, ac mae angen mynd i'r afael ag ef.

Bu ichi gyfeirio hefyd, Gweinidog, yn gynharach, a chredaf i Llyr Gruffydd gyfeirio at hyn, at allu rhai cynghorau i ymateb drwy gynnig cymorth a chefnogaeth ychwanegol yn yr un modd ag y gallodd Rhondda Cynon Taf, gyda thaliadau ariannol i'r rhai a fu heb yswiriant, ac efallai hyd yn oed y rhai hynny oedd â rhywfaint o yswiriant. Mae gan Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy, fel y gwyddoch chi, un o'r setliadau lleiaf eleni gyda'i grant cynnal refeniw, ac nid oes ganddo'r un gallu â rhai o'r awdurdodau lleol eraill hyn i gefnogi trigolion yn ei gymunedau y mae llifogydd wedi effeithio arnynt. A gaf i ofyn pa gefnogaeth y gallech ei darparu i gynghorau gyda phwysau ariannol sylweddol, fel Conwy, fel y gall y cyngor hwnnw ymateb mewn ffordd wahanol efallai i'r heriau y mae trigolion yn y gymuned honno'n eu hwynebu?

Ac yn olaf, un trychineb a osgowyd o drwch blewyn yn ystod y stormydd diweddar oedd ar yr arfordir ym Mae Cinmel, yng Nghymuned Sandy Cove. Fel y dywedais ar ddechrau fy sylwadau ar y datganiad hwn, roedd hi 30 mlynedd yn ôl i'r wythnos hon pan fu i'r gymuned honno ddioddef o'r llifogydd enbyd yn Nhywyn, ynghyd â chymunedau eraill ar hyd arfordir y gogledd, fel mae'r Dirprwy Lywydd yn aml yn awyddus iawn i'm hatgoffa. Ond, yn amlwg, mae dianc o drwch blewyn mewn cymuned a ddioddefodd y fath ddistryw yn y gorffennol hefyd yn bryder. Felly, pa gymorth gallwch chi ei ddarparu cyn gynted â phosib i gymunedau ar yr arfordir yn Nhywyn a Bae Cinmel er mwyn sicrhau bod eu hamddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd yn gadarn ac yn y cyflwr y dylent fod, fel y gallant osgoi'r math o ddinistr y mae pobl yn Rhondda Cynon Taf ac mewn mannau eraill wedi ei ddioddef yn yr wythnosau diwethaf?

As a north Walian, I very well remember and actually visiting Towyn 30 years ago; it's incredible to think it's that long ago, it was so devastating. You're right; the people I met in Blaenau Gwent, it was the first time these two streets had been flooded. It was a manhole coming off that had caused the flooding there—they'd never been flooded before—but the complete devastation and the fact that the water went from six inches to four foot in 20 minutes can tell you just how traumatic an experience that was. 

In relation to Llanfair TH, when I was in Llanrwst I obviously met with Conwy council and talked about what we could do there and, obviously, NRW are delivering a flood scheme there. I've asked for it to be expedited, so that is in relation to Llanfair TH. I think I've answered this already; I've already asked for a rapid review of the schemes that are currently in the pipeline to see again what we can accelerate there.

In relation to local authorities, it's a matter for a local authority how they spend their funding. RCT have chosen to do what they have chosen to do. It's up to Conwy—and Denbighshire was in my earlier answer to Llyr Huws Gruffydd—if they want to give funding. They all have reserves for a rainy day; well, you don't get much rainier than this, do you? So, if they choose to give their funding in that way, that's up to them.

And, again, about the—. We've had a lot of near misses. I mean, our flood alleviation schemes right across Wales stood up, but some by literally centimetres, and I'm thankful for that, obviously, but, again, we need to go back, I think, and revisit those schemes to see what more we need to do because, clearly, if we'd been working to one-in-a-hundred-years events and you mentioned three in eight years, I'm not saying that was a flood scheme, but we need to look to make sure our flood alleviation schemes right across Wales are up for the job. Diolch.

A minnau'n ogleddwraig, rwy'n cofio'n dda iawn ymweld â Thywyn 30 mlynedd yn ôl; mae'n anhygoel meddwl ei bod hi mor bell yn ôl â hynny, roedd hi mor ddinistriol. Rydych chi'n iawn; y bobl y cyfarfûm â nhw ym Mlaenau Gwent, dyma'r tro cyntaf i'r ddwy stryd yma ddioddef llifogydd. Caead draen a ddaeth yn rhydd a achosodd y llifogydd yn y fan yna—nid oedden nhw erioed wedi dioddef llifogydd o'r blaen—ond gall y dinistr llwyr a'r ffaith bod uchder y dŵr wedi codi o chwe modfedd i bedair troedfedd mewn 20 munud ddweud wrthych chi pa mor drawmatig oedd y profiad hwnnw.

O ran Llanfair TH, pan oeddwn yn Llanrwst, cyfarfûm â Chyngor Conwy yn amlwg, a soniais am yr hyn y gallem ni ei wneud yn y fan yna, ac yn amlwg mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn rhoi cynllun llifogydd ar waith yn y fan yna. Rwyf wedi gofyn am gyflymu hynny, felly mae hynny mewn cysylltiad â Llanfair TH. Rwy'n credu fy mod i wedi ateb hyn eisoes; rwyf eisoes wedi gofyn am adolygiad brys o'r cynlluniau sydd ar y gweill ar hyn o bryd i weld eto beth y gallwn ni ei wneud ynghynt yn hynny o beth.

O ran awdurdodau lleol, mater i awdurdod lleol yw sut y mae'n gwario ei gyllid. Mae Rhondda Cynon Taf wedi dewis gwneud yr hyn y maen nhw wedi dewis ei wneud. Dewis Conwy—a soniais am Sir Ddinbych yn fy ateb cynharach i Llyr Huws Gruffydd—yw pa un a ydyn nhw eisiau rhoi arian ai peidio. Mae ganddyn nhw i gyd gronfeydd wrth gefn ar gyfer diwrnod glawog; wel, dydych chi ddim yn cael llawer o ddiwrnodau mwy glawog na hyn, nac ydych? Felly, os ydyn nhw'n dewis defnyddio eu cyllid yn y ffordd honno, eu dewis nhw yw hynny.

Ac, eto, ynglŷn â'r—. Bu ond y dim iddi fod yn waeth mewn llawer lle. Hynny yw, fe weithiodd ein cynlluniau lliniaru llifogydd ledled Cymru, ond roedd rhai yn llythrennol o fewn centimetrau i orlifo, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar am hynny, wrth gwrs, ond, unwaith eto, mae angen inni fynd yn ôl, rwy'n credu, ac ailedrych ar y cynlluniau hynny i weld beth yn rhagor y mae angen inni ei wneud oherwydd, yn amlwg, pe baem ni wedi bod yn gweithio ar sefyllfaoedd un-mewn-can-mlynedd ac fe wnaethoch chi sôn am dair gwaith mewn wyth mlynedd, nid wyf yn dweud mai cynllun llifogydd oedd hwnnw, ond mae angen inni geisio sicrhau bod ein cynlluniau lliniaru llifogydd ledled Cymru'n addas i'r diben. Diolch.

16:10
4. Datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol: Y Wybodaeth Ddiweddaraf am Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr
4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Update

Item 4 on the agenda this afternoon has been postponed until 3 March. 

Cafodd eitem 4 ar agenda'r prynhawn heddiw ei ohirio tan 3 Mawrth.

5. Datganiad gan y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol: Ail-ddychmygu adeiladu tai cymdeithasol yng Nghymru—Strategaeth dulliau modern o adeiladu ar gyfer Cymru
5. Statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government: Re-imagining social house building in Wales—A modern methods of construction strategy for Wales

So, item 5 is a statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government: re-imagining social house building in Wales—a modern methods of construction strategy for Wales. There we go. So, I'll call on the Minister for Housing and Local Government to move the statement. Julie James.

Felly, eitem 5 yw datganiad gan y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol: Ail-ddychmygu adeiladu tai cymdeithasol yng Nghymru—Strategaeth dulliau modern o adeiladu ar gyfer Cymru. Dyna ni. Felly, rwy'n galw ar y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol i symud y datganiad. Julie James.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm very pleased to provide Members with an update on Welsh Government's modern methods of construction strategy, 'Re-imagining social house building in Wales', and how it will support our ambition to deliver more high-quality social and affordable homes across Wales.

Unlike other parts of the UK, this Government has continued to invest in affordable housing, providing £2 billion-worth of funding in this term of office, but we want to build more and we want to build better. Welsh social homes will be built to high space and beauty standards, embrace sound place-making principles, and, of course, be near-zero carbon in terms of emissions. Producing homes using modern methods of construction will play a vital role in making this happen.

The strategy I share with you today was produced in response to recommendations following the affordable housing supply review, which identified modern methods of construction, or MMC as it is known, as a way of more quickly increasing housing supply. Over the past year, we engaged with a range of key stakeholders and leading experts in the housing sector, construction industry and academia to co-produce and test the approach of our MMC strategy. We received overwhelming support for our proposed direction and I would like to thank everyone who contributed. Your invaluable input has helped ensure that our strategy is robust, well-supported and gives us the best chance of maximising the opportunity MMC presents for social house building and for our economy in Wales.

Although still in its infancy, there is recognition in Wales and across the UK that use of MMC can help us build better quality homes faster than traditional methods to meet housing need. We see MMC as an umbrella term that includes various construction methods, from new materials and technologies to off-site manufacturing, which either replace or complement traditional methods of construction.

Whilst some types of MMC may be more advanced than others, what is clear is that innovation in this field has advanced in leaps and bounds over the years. We have certainly moved from pre-fab to ab-fab. Gone are the days of association with poor-quality, temporary pre-fabricated housing; MMC now produces high-quality, desirable and energy-efficient affordable homes that tenants can be proud of.

Our approach to MMC aligns directly with other recommendations of the affordable housing review. It will support councils to build at scale and pace. Our grant system will ensure MMC schemes are not disadvantaged compared to traditional ones, and proposed new space standards ensure traditional and MMC buildings are treated with parity.

We recognise the need to cultivate a consistent approach to MMC adoption with our neighbours. This includes aligning to the UK-wide approach to warranties and accreditation of MMC homes to bolster lender and consumer confidence and utilising recognised definitions.

MMC opportunities go beyond house building. The strategy supports our ambitions to move to a circular economy, as building with MMC could reduce construction waste by as much as 70 to 90 per cent. Reducing emissions from the housing sector is a key element of our climate change emergency mitigation.

We are exploring how best to identify the new skills required to accommodate greater use of MMC, which represents a sea change in the construction industry. We need to ensure that the existing construction workforce is upskilled to meet our ambitions, attract new and diverse entrants and marginalised groups such as offenders, to explore employment and training opportunities.

Our plans provide real opportunity for Welsh MMC producers, many of which are SMEs and family-run, supporting Welsh businesses in finding a home-grown solution and strengthening Welsh suppliers. Linked to this is the longer term use of Welsh timber in house building.

As part of this approach, we have commenced an exercise to engage with all Welsh MMC providers to understand their capability, expertise and contribution to our social housing goals in Wales. We are fortunate to have a wealth of experienced MMC producers in Wales already supplying high-quality products to homes and commercial developments across the UK. The combination of their product, experienced workforce and indigenous supply chain means they are ideally placed and ready to respond to the increase in demand for MMC homes. We want to support these businesses to reap the rewards of increased order books and harness the economic and social benefits increased MMC production brings. Welsh Government wants to drive forward the use of MMC in social housing, and next month we are hosting a summit to bring together MMC producers and social landlords across Wales in order to share knowledge and broker new relationships and opportunities.

In many ways, we are already ahead of the game due to the success of our £90 million innovative housing programme that includes a number of MMC projects that are already under way. Nonetheless, to further accelerate the programme, I am making £20 million available for MMC businesses, who, in partnership with Welsh social landlords, want to build the next generation of social housing. I am making a further £25 million available for IHP round 4, focused on an MMC special.

Translating the strategy into tangible benefits is not solely about financial investment. Over the coming months, we will shape these aims into an implementation plan that will provide more detail on how we deliver the objectives of the MMC strategy. I will provide an update for Members before summer recess, but work has already begun in earnest. Greater adoption of MMC presents some challenges, however these are not insurmountable, and I am confident that we have identified the right approach and partners to work with to address them. Our strategy keeps us at the vanguard of new and innovative developments, ensuring that social housing leads the way in driving up standards for all housing in Wales. Diolch.

Diolch yn fawr i chi, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n falch iawn o roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau am strategaeth Llywodraeth Cymru o ran dulliau modern o adeiladu, 'Ail-ddychmygu adeiladu tai cymdeithasol yng Nghymru', a sut y bydd y strategaeth hon yn cefnogi ein huchelgais i ddarparu mwy o dai cymdeithasol a fforddiadwy o ansawdd uchel ledled Cymru.

Yn wahanol i rannau eraill o'r DU, mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi parhau i fuddsoddi mewn tai fforddiadwy, gan ddarparu gwerth £2 biliwn o arian yn ei thymor cyfredol, ond rydym yn awyddus i adeiladu mwy ac rydym yn awyddus i adeiladu'n well. Fe fydd cartrefi cymdeithasol Cymru yn cael eu hadeiladu i safonau uchel o ran lle a harddwch, yn anwesu egwyddorion cadarn o ran creu cynefin, ac, wrth gwrs, braidd dim allyriadau o garbon. Fe fydd adeiladu cartrefi gan ddefnyddio dulliau adeiladu modern yn chwarae rhan hanfodol wrth wireddu hyn.

Fe gafodd y strategaeth yr wyf i'n ei rhannu â chi heddiw ei chynhyrchu mewn ymateb i argymhellion yn dilyn yr adolygiad o gyflenwad tai fforddiadwy, a oedd yn nodi dulliau modern o adeiladu, neu MMC (modern methods of construction) fel y'i gelwir, yn ffordd o gynyddu'r cyflenwad tai yn gyflymach. Dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, fe wnaethom ni ymgysylltu ag amrywiaeth o randdeiliaid allweddol ac arbenigwyr blaenllaw yn y sector tai, y diwydiant adeiladu a'r byd academaidd i gydgynhyrchu a phrofi dull gweithredu ein strategaeth MMC. Fe gawsom ni gefnogaeth aruthrol i'n cyfeiriad arfaethedig ni a hoffwn ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu. Mae eich cyfraniad amhrisiadwy chi wedi helpu i sicrhau bod ein strategaeth ni'n un gadarn, gyda chefnogaeth dda iddi a'i bod yn rhoi'r cyfle gorau inni fanteisio i'r eithaf ar y cyfle a gyflwynir gan MMC i adeiladu tai cymdeithasol ac i'n heconomi ni yng Nghymru.

Er mai megis dechrau y mae hyn, mae yna gydnabyddiaeth yng Nghymru a ledled y DU y gall defnyddio MMC ein helpu ni i adeiladu cartrefi o ansawdd gwell yn fwy cyflym na'r dulliau traddodiadol i ddiwallu'r angen am dai. Rydym ni'n ystyried MMC yn derm trosfwaol sy'n cynnwys dulliau adeiladu amrywiol, o ddeunyddiau a thechnolegau newydd hyd at weithgynhyrchu oddi ar y safle, sydd naill ai'n disodli neu'n ategu dulliau adeiladu traddodiadol.

Er y gallai rhai mathau o MMC fod yn fwy datblygedig na rhai eraill, yr hyn sy'n amlwg yw bod arloesedd yn y maes hwn wedi cynyddu'n ddirfawr dros y blynyddoedd. Rydym yn sicr wedi symud oddi wrth dai parod i dai hollol wych. Fe ddaeth y dyddiau i ben o ymhél â thai parod dros dro o ansawdd gwael; erbyn hyn, mae MMC yn adeiladu cartrefi fforddiadwy o safon uchel, sy'n ddymunol ac sy'n defnyddio ynni'n effeithlon ac mae tenantiaid yn gallu ymfalchïo ynddyn nhw.

Mae ein dull ni o weithredu MMC yn cyd-fynd yn uniongyrchol â'r argymhellion eraill yn yr adolygiad o dai fforddiadwy. Fe fydd yn helpu cynghorau i adeiladu ar raddfa fawr ac ar gyflymder. Fe fydd ein system grantiau ni'n sicrhau nad yw cynlluniau MMC o dan anfantais o'u cymharu â rhai traddodiadol, ac mae safonau newydd arfaethedig o ran creu lleoedd yn sicrhau bod adeiladau traddodiadol ac MMC yn cael eu trin yn gydradd â'i gilydd.

Rydym yn cydnabod yr angen i feithrin dull cyson o fabwysiadu MMC gyda'n cymdogion. Mae hyn yn cynnwys alinio â dull y DU gyfan o warantau ac achredu cartrefi MMC ar gyfer rhoi hwb i hyder benthycwyr a defnyddwyr a defnyddio diffiniadau cydnabyddedig.

Mae cyfleoedd MMC yn mynd y tu hwnt i adeiladu tai. Mae'r strategaeth yn cefnogi ein huchelgais ni i symud tuag at economi gylchol, oherwydd fe allai adeiladu gan ddefnyddio MMC leihau gwastraff adeiladu gymaint â 70 i 90 y cant. Mae lleihau allyriadau o'r sector tai yn elfen allweddol o'n hymgais ni i liniaru newid hinsawdd ar frys.

Rydym yn ystyried y ffordd orau o nodi'r sgiliau newydd sydd eu hangen i wneud mwy o ddefnydd o MMC, sy'n cynrychioli newid sylweddol yn y diwydiant adeiladu. Mae angen sicrhau bod gan y gweithlu adeiladu presennol y sgiliau angenrheidiol i gyflawni ein huchelgeisiau ni, a denu pobl newydd ac amrywiol a grwpiau ar y cyrion fel troseddwyr, i archwilio cyfleoedd cyflogaeth a hyfforddiant.

Mae ein cynlluniau'n rhoi cyfle gwirioneddol i gynhyrchwyr MMC Cymru, y mae llawer ohonyn nhw'n fusnesau bach a chanolig ac yn rhai sy'n cael eu rhedeg gan deuluoedd, gan gefnogi busnesau Cymru wrth ddod o hyd i ddatrysiad o Gymru a chryfhau cyflenwyr Cymru. Yn gysylltiedig â hyn mae defnyddio pren o Gymru yn yr hirdymor i adeiladu tai. 

Yn rhan o'r dull hwn o weithredu, rydym wedi dechrau ymarfer i ymgysylltu â holl ddarparwyr MMC Cymru er mwyn deall eu gallu, eu harbenigedd a'u cyfraniad nhw i'n nodau ni o ran tai cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Rydym ni'n ffodus fod gennym  gyfoeth o gynhyrchwyr MMC profiadol yng Nghymru sydd eisoes yn cyflenwi cynnyrch o ansawdd uchel i gartrefi a datblygiadau masnachol ledled y DU. Mae'r cyfuniad o'u cynnyrch nhw, eu gweithlu profiadol nhw a'u cadwyn gyflenwi gynhenid nhw'n golygu eu bod ni mewn sefyllfa ddelfrydol ac yn barod i ymateb i'r cynnydd yn y galw am dai MMC.  Rydym eisiau cefnogi'r busnesau hyn i elwa ar fwy o archebion ar eu llyfrau nhw a manteisio ar y buddion economaidd a chymdeithasol a ddaw yn sgil cynhyrchu MMC. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn awyddus i hyrwyddo'r defnydd o MMC mewn tai cymdeithasol, a'r mis nesaf rydym yn cynnal uwch-gynhadledd i ddod â chynhyrchwyr MMC a landlordiaid cymdeithasol at ei gilydd ledled Cymru ar gyfer rhannu gwybodaeth a meithrin perthynas a chyfleoedd newydd rhwng pobl a'i gilydd.

Ar lawer ystyr, rydym ar flaen y gad yn barod o ganlyniad i lwyddiant ein rhaglen dai arloesol gwerth £90 miliwn sy'n cynnwys nifer o brosiectau MMC sydd ar y gweill eisoes. Er hynny, i gyflymu'r rhaglen eto, rwyf i am sicrhau y bydd £20 miliwn ar gael ar gyfer busnesau MMC a fydd, mewn partneriaeth â landlordiaid cymdeithasol Cymru, yn adeiladu'r genhedlaeth nesaf o dai cymdeithasol. Rwyf i am sicrhau y bydd £25 miliwn arall ar gael ar gyfer rownd 4 y Rhaglen Tai Arloesol, sy'n canolbwyntio ar yr MMC yn arbennig.

Nid yw trosi'r strategaeth i fuddion gweladwy yn ymwneud yn unig â buddsoddiad ariannol. Dros y misoedd nesaf, fe fyddwn ni'n llunio'r nodau hyn mewn cynllun gweithredu a fydd yn darparu mwy o fanylion ynglŷn â'r modd y byddwn ni'n cyflawni amcanion y strategaeth MMC. Fe fyddaf i'n rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau cyn toriad yr haf, ond mae gwaith wedi dechrau o ddifrif eisoes. Mae mabwysiadu MMC ymhellach yn peri rhai heriau, ond nid yw'r rhain yn anorchfygol, ac rwy'n hyderus ein bod ni wedi dod o hyd i'r dull iawn a'r partneriaid iawn i fynd i'r afael â nhw. Mae'r strategaeth hon yn ein cadw ni ar flaen y gad o ran datblygiadau newydd ac arloesol, gan sicrhau bod tai cymdeithasol yn arwain y ffordd wrth godi safonau ar gyfer tai Cymru yn eu cyfanrwydd. Diolch.

16:15

Can I welcome this statement on modern methods of construction—MMC hereafter? The Welsh Conservative Party throughout this Assembly term has promoted this type of construction, and in our White Papers on urban design and on housing, we promoted the concept of greater use of MMC. It is becoming a preferred route rather than one driven by necessity or scarcity, as it has in the past. It's actually, as you've said, at the cutting edge of modern house building. So, it's really something that we need to focus on, and I do think, as you said, it's giving opportunities for SMEs and other firms to take this up. I've also visited a plant—the one I visited was in Pyle; I think you visited one in Neath—but it's important to see the opportunities that are there, and as you've said, it offers particular advantages and opportunities for the Welsh timber industry long term.

I think MMC does require training and upskilling, but this can also mean a more attractive career option—for one, most of your work is done indoors. I think the downside on this—and it will attract people who want the more highly skilled careers because of the nature of the work that is involved—as the Association of British Insurers have pointed out, great precision is needed, both in the manufacture and then on the on-site construction of MMC homes, or a lot of the advantages, particularly on energy efficiency and then in any repair work that's done in the course of the houses' lives—we can lose an awful lot of the advantages. So, there are real issues about training.

I've just got a couple of questions because, as I said, I think we're very much on the same page here. By my calculation, the Minister is announcing an investment of £45 million in MMC, but can she confirm this, please? I don't think there's any overlap between the £20 million that you're making available for MMC businesses and then the further tranche of the innovative housing programme round 4, which will be an 'MMC special', as you so vividly put it. But can you just confirm that?

As far as the strategy that is being rolled out, I look forward to the further statement in the summer term. Can you assure us that you have been working with—as well as the manufacturers and other stakeholders—the Association of British Insurers? Because they welcome this form of construction, but they are aware of the insurance risks if it's not done in a full and proper way. And you may have seen their note that they've put out to Members today, and I do think it's not just a case of special pleading; they're making very substantial points, which I think we should apply all due diligence to. But I conclude by welcoming the statement.

A gaf i groesawu'r datganiad hwn ar ddulliau modern o adeiladu—MMC o hyn ymlaen? Mae Plaid Geidwadol Cymru drwy gydol y tymor Seneddol hwn wedi hybu'r math hwn o adeiladu, ac yn ein papurau gwyn ni ar ddylunio trefol ac ar dai, roeddem ni'n hyrwyddo'r syniad o ddefnyddio mwy ar MMC. Mae hwn yn llwybr yr ydym yn ei ffafrio yn hytrach nag yn un sy'n cael ei ysgogi gan anghenraid neu brinder, fel y bu yn y gorffennol. Mae hyn mewn gwirionedd, fel yr ydych chi wedi dweud, ar flaen y gad o ran adeiladu tai mewn dull modern. Felly, mae hwn yn rhywbeth y mae angen inni ganolbwyntio arno, ac rwyf i o'r farn, fel yr ydych chi wedi dweud, ei fod yn rhoi cyfleoedd i fusnesau bach a chanolig a chwmnïau eraill fanteisio ar hyn. Rwyf i wedi ymweld â ffatri hefyd—yn y Pîl yr oedd hynny; rwy'n credu i chi ymweld ag un yng Nghastell-nedd—ond mae'n bwysig i weld y cyfleoedd sydd ar gael yno, ac fel yr ydych chi wedi dweud, mae'n cynnig manteision a chyfleoedd arbennig i ddiwydiant coed Cymru yn yr hirdymor.

Rwy'n credu bod MMC yn gofyn am hyfforddiant ac uwchsgilio, ond fe all hyn olygu dewis mwy deniadol o ran gyrfa—yn un peth, mae'r rhan fwyaf o'ch gwaith chi'n cael ei wneud dan do. Rwy'n credu mai'r anfantais yn hyn o beth—ac fe fydd yn denu pobl sy'n awyddus i gael y gyrfaoedd gorau o ran crefft oherwydd natur y gwaith—fel y nododd Cymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain, mae angen gwaith manwl iawn, yn ystod y gweithgynhyrchu ac yna ar safle adeiladu cartrefi CCM, ac o ran y manteision, yn enwedig o ran effeithlonrwydd ynni ac yna unrhyw waith atgyweirio sy'n cael ei wneud yn ystod oes y tai—gallwn golli llawer iawn o'r manteision. Felly, mae yna faterion gwirioneddol yn codi ynghylch hyfforddiant.

Mae gennyf ychydig o gwestiynau oherwydd, fel y dywedais i, rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n gytûn yn hyn o beth i raddau helaeth iawn. Yn ôl fy nghyfrifiad i, mae'r Gweinidog yn cyhoeddi buddsoddiad o £45 miliwn mewn MMC, ond a wnaiff hi gadarnhau hynny? Nid wyf i'n credu bod yna unrhyw orgyffwrdd rhwng y £20 miliwn yr ydych chi'n ei roi ar gyfer busnesau MMC ac yna'r rhan arall o rownd 4 y rhaglen tai arloesol, a fydd i'r MMC yn arbennig, fel y mynegwyd gennych chi'n glir iawn. Ond a wnewch chi gadarnhau hynny?

O ran y strategaeth sy'n cael ei chyflwyno, rwy'n edrych ymlaen at y datganiad pellach yn nhymor yr haf. A wnewch chi ein sicrhau ni eich bod chi wedi bod yn gweithio gyda—yn ogystal â'r gweithgynhyrchwyr a rhanddeiliaid eraill—Chymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain? Maen nhw'n croesawu'r math hwn o adeiladu, ond maen nhw'n ymwybodol o'r risgiau yswiriant os nad yw'n cael ei wneud mewn modd sy'n gyflawn a phriodol. Efallai eich bod chi wedi gweld y nodyn a gyflwynwyd ganddyn nhw i'r Aelodau heddiw, a chredaf nad dim ond achos o bledio arbennig yw hyn; maen nhw'n gwneud pwyntiau pwysig iawn, ac rwy'n credu y dylem ni roi'r diwydrwydd dyladwy. Ond rwy'n cloi drwy groesawu'r datganiad.

Thank you very much for those remarks, David Melding. On the insurance point, I made the point very briefly in the statement that we are co-operating with a UK-wide series of special interest groups, insurers being one of them, because it's actually very important so that people can get mortgages and get the warranties right. And there's a big issue with the International Organization for Standardization standards and needing to update them for modern methods of construction. So, some of the ISO standards were made back in the 1970s, when these things just did not exist. And, actually, the carbon-neutral elements of this often don't comply with the ISO standards, for all sorts of very good reasons. So, there's quite a bit of work to do, which is why there'll be an implementation strategy to follow around what we need to do to ensure that we're on the right page for all of that, and, quite clearly, we'll want people to be able to work across the UK—and, in fact, across Europe and so on—from a Welsh manufacturing base. And so it's very important to make sure that we get the standards that are right for the sector. So, I don't disagree with any of that.

I take the point about the precision in assembly and construction, but one of the things I was really struck by when I visited Hale Construction in Jeremy Miles's constituency yesterday—I've visited a number of these factories and it's the same in all of them—was that, actually, of course, there's much closer supervision of each section of the construction as it goes along. And, unfortunately, we've seen, with traditional methods of construction and all of the fire risks that we've discussed many times in this Chamber, that actually that oversight is not there on the traditional building site—for all kinds of perfectly good reasons, but it isn't there—and so, actually, there have been a lot of subsequent faults discovered, whereas this process actually highlights them straight away. We were shown yesterday the injection of the insulation into a panel, for example, where it's quite obvious that doing it indoors, in the dry, with an injection system, gets every single crevice out of it and all the air and everything else, whereas that's not the case when you do it on-site with an injection system. So, it has lots of advantages. There are a couple of disadvantages, though, that's for sure.

The other thing is that yesterday morning it was pouring with rain, and there were—. It was incredibly awful weather, as we've been hearing in the earlier part of business this afternoon, and the factory was in full production. And I had passed several construction sites on the way to the visit, which I know have social housing being built on them, which were all on stop, because the weather was appalling and nothing could happen. But this factory was in absolute full production, and all of its staff members were in the warm and dry and they were carrying on as normal. So, actually, that's no small thing in a climate emergency and a country like ours. It was also demonstrated to us yesterday that a large part of the construction is watertight immediately. So, even if you're assembling it on-site, it's still waterproof—the panels are waterproof and so on. So, there are lots of benefits for a place like ours.

And the last thing I want to just welcome your saying is the opportunity for the Welsh timber industry, because I think this is an important point in terms of the flooding problem that we had earlier. Obviously we need to plant a lot more trees—trees take up water; we need to plant them at the top of watercourses and so on. They take up water, they stop a lot of these flood events, they hold soil in place, they stop mountains from moving and so on. But you can also crop those trees, because, if you do it properly, you're not clear cropping—what you're doing is selectively cropping species of tree out of an existing forest, and not affecting run-off and soil erosion and so on. We just need to get a lot cleverer about the way that we use our forests so that they stay being forests, but are also a renewable crop for our Welsh timber industry. That would support very many more people off those acres of land than are currently supported.

Diolch yn fawr iawn am y sylwadau yna, David Melding. O ran y pwynt ynghylch yswiriant, fe wnes i'r pwynt yn fyr iawn yn y datganiad ein bod ni'n cydweithredu â chyfres o grwpiau diddordeb arbennig ledled y DU, a bod yswirwyr yn un o'r grwpiau hynny, oherwydd mae'n bwysig iawn mewn gwirionedd y gall pobl gael morgeisi a bod y gwarantau yn briodol. Ac mae yna broblem fawr gyda safonau'r Sefydliad Rhyngwladol ar gyfer Safoni (ISO) a'r angen i'w diweddaru ar gyfer dulliau modern o adeiladu. Felly, fe gafodd rhai o safonau'r ISO eu gwneud yn ôl yn y 1970au, pan nad oedd y pethau hyn yn bodoli. Ac, mewn gwirionedd, nid yw'r elfennau carbon-niwtral sydd yn hyn yn cydymffurfio â safonau'r ISO yn aml, am bob math o resymau da iawn. Felly, mae cryn dipyn o waith eto i'w wneud. A dyna pam y bydd strategaeth weithredu i ddilyn a bydd angen inni sicrhau ein bod ni yn y sefyllfa iawn ar gyfer hynny, ac, yn ddigon amlwg, fe fyddem ni'n dymuno i bobl allu gweithio ledled y DU—ac, mewn gwirionedd, ledled Ewrop ac ati—o sylfaen weithgynhyrchu yng Nghymru. Ac felly mae'n bwysig iawn sicrhau ein bod ni'n gosod y safonau sy'n addas ar gyfer y sector. Felly, nid wyf i'n anghytuno â dim o hynny.

Rwy'n derbyn y pwynt am y gwaith manwl ynglŷn â chydosod ac adeiladu, ond un o'r pethau a wnaeth fy nharo i pan ymwelais â Hale Construction yn etholaeth Jeremy Miles ddoe—rwyf i wedi ymweld â nifer o'r ffatrïoedd hyn ac mae'r un peth ym mhob un ohonyn nhw—oedd, wrth gwrs, y ceir goruchwyliaeth lawer dwysach ar bob cam o'r adeiladu wrth iddo fynd yn ei flaen. Ac, yn anffodus, rydym wedi gweld, gyda dulliau traddodiadol o adeiladu a'r holl risgiau tân yr ydym ni wedi eu trafod sawl gwaith yn y Siambr hon, nad yw'r oruchwyliaeth honno'n bodoli ar y safle adeiladu traddodiadol—am bob math o resymau da, ond nid yw yno—ac felly, mewn gwirionedd, daeth llawer o namau yn amlwg wedyn, tra bod y broses hon mewn gwirionedd yn tynnu sylw at y namau hynny ar unwaith. Dangoswyd inni ddoe chwistrelliad o inswleiddio i mewn i banel, er enghraifft, ac mae'n amlwg iawn bod gwneud hynny dan do, lle mae'n sych, gan ddefnyddio system chwistrellu, yn golygu ei fod yn mynd i mewn i bob twll a chornel ac yn cael gwared â'r holl aer a phopeth arall, ond nid yw hynny'n wir pan mae'n cael ei wneud â system chwistrellu allan ar y safle. Felly, ceir llawer o fanteision. Ond ceir ambell i anfantais hefyd, siŵr o fod.

Y peth arall oedd ei bod hi'n tywallt y glaw bore ddoe, ac roedd—. Roedd y tywydd yn arw ofnadwy, fel y clywsom yn ystod y rhan gyntaf o fusnes y prynhawn yma, ac roedd y ffatri'n gweithredu'n llawn. Roeddwn i wedi mynd heibio sawl safle adeiladu ar y ffordd i'r ymweliad, a gwn fod tai cymdeithasol yn cael eu hadeiladu arnyn nhw, ac roedd pob un ohonyn nhw ar stop, oherwydd bod y tywydd yn drybeilig ac na allai dim ddigwydd yno. Ond roedd y ffatri hon yn gweithredu'n llawn, ac roedd pob aelod staff yno'n gynnes ac yn sych ac yn gwneud ei waith fel arfer. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, nid peth dibwys mo hynny mewn argyfwng hinsawdd ac mewn gwlad fel ein gwlad ni. Dangoswyd inni ddoe hefyd fod rhan helaeth o'r adeiladwaith yn dal dŵr ar unwaith. Felly, hyd yn oed os ydych chi'n ei gydosod ar y safle, mae'n parhau i ddal dŵr—mae'r paneli'n dal dŵr, ac yn y blaen. Felly, ceir llawer o fanteision i wlad fel hon.

A'r peth olaf y dymunaf ei groesawu yw eich bod wedi dweud bod cyfle i ddiwydiant coed Cymru, oherwydd credaf fod hwn yn bwynt pwysig o ran y broblem gyda llifogydd a oedd gennym ni'n gynharach. Mae'n amlwg bod angen plannu llawer mwy o goed—coed sy'n amsugno dŵr; mae angen eu plannu nhw ar flaenau dyfrffosydd ac yn y blaen. Maen nhw'n amsugno dŵr, maen nhw'n atal llawer o'r llifogydd hyn, maen nhw'n dal y pridd yn ei le, maen nhw'n atal mynyddoedd rhag symud ac yn y blaen. Ond fe allwch chi gynaeafu'r coed hynny hefyd oherwydd, os ydych chi'n gwneud hyn yn iawn, nid ydych chi'n torri'r cyfan i lawr—yr hyn yr ydych chi'n ei wneud yw dethol rhywogaethau o goed i'w torri o goedwig sy'n bodoli eisoes, heb effeithio ar ddŵr ffo nac erydiad y pridd ac yn y blaen. Y cyfan sydd angen inni ei wneud yw bod yn llawer callach o ran sut y defnyddiwn ein coedwigoedd fel eu bod yn parhau i fod yn goedwigoedd, ond yn gnwd adnewyddadwy hefyd i'n diwydiant coed ni yng Nghymru. Fe fyddai hynny'n gynhaliaeth i lawer mwy o bobl oddi ar yr erwau hynny o dir na'r hyn sy'n digwydd ar hyn o bryd.

16:20

There has been a consensus in this Chamber that we need to substantially increase the amount of affordable housing, although there has been less of a consensus on whether it's fair to class homes sold for over £150,000 through Help to Buy as affordable. For that reason, Plaid Cymru has preferred to specifically use the term 'social housing' when talking about our own targets for house building, and that is, of course, where the main problem regarding supply is. So, we welcome this strategy as a step in the right direction, and we agree that prefab housing of the sort that's been highlighted in the media today can be a useful part of providing that, with the usual caveats about quality control and so on. 

So, I just have a couple of questions for you, Minister. Firstly, are you in a position to give us some figures in terms of the numbers you want to see delivered? Now, the media reports, of course, use the 20,000 affordable homes figure, but we know that target includes homes that, in reality, are unaffordable, as we've discussed before, and that doesn't have a specific target for social housing. So, if you could give us an indication about how much social housing you'd want to see delivered through this, that would be helpful. And, secondly, currently the planning system already struggles to get the level of affordable housing it should through developments. Sometimes, this is because developers rely on the planning inspector to water down affordable housing commitments to guarantee that a development remains profitable, and that's something that no other industry has, and something that we really should reflect on. But at other times, it's simply because planning departments don't negotiate well, or they accept cash payments that are inadequate. I'm aware of one development where the cash payments amounted to around £50,000 per home they alleged to be able to build, which is clearly inadequate.

Now, of course, one advantage of prefab housing is that the cost per unit is substantially reduced, but, clearly, what we don't want is developers taking advantage of that and reducing their cash payments accordingly. So, instead, Minister, will you strengthen the planning system to actually require more affordable homes within developments to reflect the fact that it will cost less?

Mae yna gonsensws wedi bod yn y Siambr hon fod angen inni gynyddu nifer y tai fforddiadwy yn sylweddol, er y bu llai o gonsensws ynghylch a yw hi'n deg ystyried tai a werthwyd am dros £150,000 drwy Gymorth i Brynu yn dai fforddiadwy. Am y rheswm hwnnw, mae Plaid Cymru wedi dewis defnyddio'r term 'tai cymdeithasol' wrth sôn yn benodol am ein nodau ni ein hunain ar gyfer adeiladu tai, ac yn y fan honno, wrth gwrs, y ceir y brif broblem ynglŷn â chyflenwad. Felly, rydym yn croesawu'r strategaeth hon fel cam i'r cyfeiriad cywir, ac rydym yn cytuno y gall tai parod o'r math y tynnwyd sylw atynt yn y cyfryngau heddiw fod yn rhan ddefnyddiol o ddarpariaeth hynny, gyda'r rhybuddion arferol ynglŷn â rheoli ansawdd ac ati.

Felly, mae gennyf un neu ddau o gwestiynau i chi, Gweinidog. Yn gyntaf, a ydych chi mewn sefyllfa i roi rhai ffigurau inni o ran y niferoedd yr ydych chi am eu gweld yn cael eu cyflenwi? Nawr, mae'r adroddiadau yn y cyfryngau, wrth gwrs, yn defnyddio'r ffigur o 20,000 o gartrefi fforddiadwy, ond fe wyddom ni fod y nod hwnnw'n cynnwys cartrefi nad ydyn nhw, mewn gwirionedd, yn fforddiadwy, fel yr ydym ni wedi ei drafod o'r blaen, ac nad oes nod penodol ynddo ar gyfer tai cymdeithasol. Felly, pe gallech roi syniad inni faint o dai cymdeithasol yr hoffech chi eu gweld yn cael eu cyflenwi yn sgil hyn, yna fe fyddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol iawn. Ac, yn ail, ar hyn o bryd mae'r system gynllunio'n cael trafferth yn barod i gyrraedd y lefel o dai fforddiadwy a ddylai drwy ddatblygiadau. Weithiau, mae hyn yn digwydd oherwydd bod datblygwyr yn dibynnu ar yr arolygydd cynllunio i wanhau ymrwymiadau tai fforddiadwy i warantu bod datblygiad yn dal i fod yn broffidiol, ac mae hwnnw'n rhywbeth nad yw'n bodoli mewn unrhyw ddiwydiant arall, ac yn rhywbeth y dylem ni roi ystyriaeth wirioneddol iddo. Ond dro arall, y rheswm syml yw nad yw adrannau cynllunio yn cyd-drafod yn dda iawn, neu eu bod nhw'n derbyn taliadau arian parod sy'n annigonol. Rwy'n ymwybodol o un datblygiad lle'r oedd y taliadau arian parod yn cyfateb i tua £50,000 fesul cartref, yr oedden nhw'n honni eu bod nhw'n gallu ei adeiladu, sy'n annigonol, yn amlwg.

Nawr, wrth gwrs, un fantais o dai parod yw bod y gost am bob uned yn llawer llai, ond, yn amlwg, yr hyn nad ydym ni'n ei ddymuno yw bod datblygwyr yn manteisio ar hynny ac yn lleihau eu taliadau arian parod nhw yn unol â hynny. Felly, yn lle'r sefyllfa honno, Gweinidog, a wnewch chi gryfhau'r system gynllunio fel ei bod yn ofynnol y bydd mwy o dai fforddiadwy yn cael eu cynnwys mewn datblygiadau i adlewyrchu'r ffaith y bydd hyn yn costio llai?

16:25

Those are two very good points. There isn't a target for this at the moment, because we're still running through the innovative housing programme stats. The whole point of the innovative housing programme is to test out what the manufacturers are claiming for the houses, and make sure that they actually deliver what they claim. So, all of them will tell you that they reduce bills by any number of hundreds of pounds and that the cost of building them is lower and all the rest of it, but they're all very new and innovative projects. So, what we're doing is we're monitoring them over the years of the project, so those that are in year 1, for example, of the three years of monitoring.

The truth is that many of them have done what they said they would do, but some of them haven't. And so what we're trying to do is make sure that we roll out at scale the ones that do do what they say, and the others are given an opportunity to figure out what went wrong and correct it and put that in place. So, I'm not prepared to put a target on that, because we want to get it right. It's important to get it right as well.

In terms of the planning system, which is not today's strategy, but is obviously a related point, we are working very hard with local authorities and registered social landlords to get some pre-approved planning in place. Shortly, I'll be announcing some self-build schemes that we're looking at as well, where, basically, what we're saying is the local authority will put the planning in place before the land goes out, and then they'll be looking for partner developers or RSLs to develop the land. So, that takes that problem away. That's a related strategy, it's not this strategy today.

And the second thing is: you'll know, you've heard me talk in this Chamber a lot about moving that kind of planning to the strategic planning level at a regional point, and that's to do two things. That's to make sure that we spread the rare expertise around, so that authorities that are negotiating with the private sector for big pieces of land have access to proper expertise, because often that will be the only one they have ever done, and they'll skill themselves up and then lose it again—so, to share that expertise around in local authorities is really important. Also, it will enable them to put the strategic infrastructure plan in place, so that when a private sector builder comes forward, they will know what infrastructure they are expected to contribute to, as opposed to a random amount of money based on the affordability of the scheme in question. So, there are lots of other things to do.

What this is doing, though, is it's allowing us to build much more quickly the sorts of houses that people want to live in. I'll just share with you one story from—from Ammanford, actually, where I met Mr and Mrs Potter. You may have seen a little video online from Mr and Mrs Potter, who were ecstatic with the house that they were living in, developed by Coastal, a registered social landlord. Mrs Potter said this to me, and it's really stuck with me, 'We saw the old garage being knocked down and the houses going up and we thought, "Oh, another posh development for posh people. I'm still living in this terrible flat that I've been allocated and my son has got all kinds of problems".' And then she said, 'Somebody rang the doorbell from the RSL and said, "Would you like to come and look at the house we're thinking of allocating to you?", and they took me to this posh development that I had been slagging off in the local shop as not for the likes of us, and here we are, living in it.'

That's the point, that these are the best houses in Wales, not the worst. They're the ones that most people want to live in. They're houses of choice, not houses of necessity, and I think that is the most telling part of it.

Mae'r ddau bwynt yna'n rhai da iawn. Ni cheir nod ar gyfer hyn ar yr adeg hon, gan ein bod ni'n parhau i fynd trwy'r ystadegau yn y rhaglen tai arloesol. Holl ddiben y rhaglen tai arloesol yw profi'r hyn y mae'r gweithgynhyrchwyr yn ei honni am y tai, a gwneud yn siŵr eu bod nhw mewn gwirionedd yn cynhyrchu'r hyn y maen nhw'n ei honni. Felly, mae pob un ohonyn nhw'n dweud wrthych eu bod yn lleihau biliau gan faint a fynnir o gannoedd o bunnoedd a bod y gost o'u hadeiladu nhw'n is ac yn y blaen, ond eu bod nhw'n brosiectau newydd ac arloesol iawn i gyd. Felly, yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yw eu monitro nhw dros flynyddoedd y prosiect, felly y rhai ym mlwyddyn 1, er enghraifft, o'r tair blynedd o fonitro.

Y gwir amdani yw bod llawer ohonyn nhw wedi cyflawni'r hyn y dywedasant y byddent yn ei wneud, ond nid yw eraill wedi gwneud hynny. Felly, rydym yn ceisio gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn defnyddio'r rhai sy'n gwneud fel y dywedasant ar y raddfa iawn, a bod y lleill yn cael cyfle i nodi'r hyn aeth o'i le a'i gywiro a rhoi hynny ar waith. Felly, nid wyf i'n barod i osod targed ar hynny, oherwydd rydym yn awyddus i wneud hyn yn iawn. Mae gwneud hyn yn iawn yn bwysig.

O ran y system gynllunio, nid strategaeth heddiw yw honno, ond mae'n amlwg yn bwynt cysylltiedig, ac rydym yn gweithio'n galed iawn gydag awdurdodau lleol a landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig i sefydlu rhywfaint o gynllunio a gymeradwyir ymlaen llaw. Yn fuan iawn, byddaf yn cyhoeddi rhai cynlluniau hunan-adeiladu yr ydym yn eu hystyried hefyd, ac yn y bôn, yr hyn yr ydym yn ei ddweud yw y bydd yr awdurdod lleol yn rhoi'r cynllun ar waith cyn i'r tir gael ei ryddhau, ac yna fe fyddan nhw'n chwilio am ddatblygwyr partner neu Landlordiaid Cymdeithasol Cofrestredig i ddatblygu'r tir. Felly, mae hynny'n goresgyn y broblem honno. Mae honno'n strategaeth gysylltiedig, ond nid y strategaeth hon heddiw mohoni.

A'r ail beth yw: fe fyddwch yn gwybod, rydych wedi fy nghlywed i'n siarad yn y Siambr hon yn aml am symud y math hwn o gynllunio i lefel cynllunio strategol ar bwynt rhanbarthol, ac mae hynny ar gyfer gwneud dau beth. Mae ar gyfer sicrhau ein bod ni'n lledaenu'r arbenigedd prin, fel bod awdurdodau sy'n negodi gyda'r sector preifat ar gyfer darnau mawr o dir yn gallu cael gafael ar arbenigedd priodol, oherwydd yn aml dyna'r unig dro y byddan nhw'n erioed yn gwneud hynny, ac fe fyddan nhw'n ennill sgiliau ac yna'n eu colli eto—felly, mae rhannu'r arbenigedd hwnnw mewn awdurdodau lleol yn bwysig iawn. Hefyd, fe fydd yn eu galluogi nhw i roi'r cynllun seilwaith strategol ar waith, fel y byddan nhw'n gwybod, pan fydd adeiladwr sector preifat yn dod yn ei flaen, pa seilwaith y disgwylir iddyn nhw gyfrannu ato, yn hytrach na swm mympwyol o arian yn seiliedig ar fforddiadwyedd y cynllun dan sylw. Felly, mae llawer o bethau eraill i'w gwneud.

Yr hyn y mae'r strategaeth yn ei wneud, serch hynny, yw caniatáu inni adeiladu'n gyflymach o lawer y math o dai y mae pobl yn awyddus i fyw ynddyn nhw. Fe wnaf i rannu un stori gyda chi o—o Rydaman, mewn gwirionedd, lle y gwnes i gyfarfod â Mr a Mrs Potter. Efallai eich bod chi wedi gweld fideo byr ar-lein gan Mr a Mrs Potter, a oedd wrth eu bodd yn y tŷ yr oedden nhw'n byw ynddo, a ddatblygwyd gan Coastal, landlord cymdeithasol cofrestredig. Dywedodd Mrs Potter wrthyf, ac mae hyn wedi aros gyda mi, 'Fe welsom ni'r hen garej yn cael ei dymchwel a'r tai'n cael eu codi ac roeddem ni'n meddwl, "O, datblygiad crand arall ar gyfer pobl grand. Rwy'n byw o hyd yn y fflat ofnadwy a neilltuwyd imi ac mae gan fy mab i bob math o broblemau". Ac yna fe ddywedodd, 'Fe gnociodd rhywun o'r Landlordiaid Cymdeithasol Cofrestredig y drws a dweud, "A hoffech ddod i weld y tŷ yr ydym ni'n ystyried ei neilltuo i chi?", ac fe aethon nhw â fi i'r datblygiad crand hwn yr oeddwn i wedi bod yn lladd arno yn y siop leol gan nad oedd ar gyfer ein siort ni, a dyma ni nawr, yn byw ynddo.'

Dyna'r pwynt. Y rhain yw'r tai gorau yng Nghymru, nid y gwaethaf. Dyma'r tai y mae'r rhan fwyaf o bobl yn dymuno byw ynddyn nhw. Maen nhw'n dai o ddewis, nid tai o anghenraid, a chredaf mai dyna'r peth mwyaf hynod.

I welcome the Minister's statement. I am pleased that this Government has committed to continue to invest in affordable housing, providing £2 billion of funding in this term of office, and its commitment to build more and to build better.

You've probably heard me—I think everybody else heard me—talking about the importance of building more council houses, and, yes, I agree with what the Minister just said: we want to build quality. Some of us have read about, though we're probably too young to remember, Parker Morris, but that was council houses being built to a quality that people could get.

I've also visited a development where the houses built for the registered social landlord were larger and to a higher quality than those being sold into the private sector. There is nothing wrong with that happening. I think that we ought to say, 'The public sector is a poorer quality should not be the mantra. The public sector should be at least as good, but preferably better.'

I am, however, sceptical but convincible about modern methods of construction as a way of quickly increasing affordable housing supply.

As the Minister is aware, the new methods of construction in the 1960s did not turn out well: steel houses in Swansea; high alumina cement in Olchfa school; Ronan Point; non-traditional houses in Swansea being demolished in Blaen-y-Maes and Clase and replaced by traditionally built houses by a registered social landlord; and also the tenements, which were more common in Scotland, but we had a few in Wales, and we had one in Swansea. You won't find that anymore either, because that's been knocked down.

An awful lot of these very modern, innovative developments of the 1960s are no more. So, why is the Minister convinced that there will be no problems with this generation of non-traditional housing build? Because traditional housing build has got one great advantage: they stay up for a very long time.

Rwy'n croesawu datganiad y Gweinidog. Rwy'n falch bod y Llywodraeth hon wedi ymrwymo i barhau i fuddsoddi mewn tai fforddiadwy, gan ddarparu £2 biliwn o gyllid yn y tymor Seneddol hwn, a'i hymrwymiad i adeiladu mwy ac adeiladu'n well.

Mae'n debyg eich bod chi wedi fy nghlywed i—rwy'n credu bod pawb arall wedi fy nghlywed i—yn sôn am bwysigrwydd adeiladu mwy o dai cyngor, ac ydw, rwy'n cytuno â'r hyn y mae'r Gweinidog newydd ei ddweud: rydym ni'n dymuno gweld adeiladau o ansawdd. Er ei bod hi'n debygol ein bod ni'n rhy ifanc i gofio, ond mae rhai ohonom wedi darllen am Parker Morris, ond tai cyngor oedd y rheini a oedd yn cael eu hadeiladu i safon y gallai pobl ei gael.

Rwyf wedi ymweld hefyd â datblygiad lle'r oedd y tai a adeiladwyd ar gyfer y landlord cymdeithasol cofrestredig yn fwy o faint ac o ansawdd uwch na'r rhai a werthwyd i'r sector preifat. Nid oes dim o'i le ar hynny. Rwy'n credu y dylem ddweud, 'Nid y mantra yw y dylai'r sector cyhoeddus fod o ansawdd is. Fe ddylai'r sector cyhoeddus fod cystal o leiaf, ond yn well os oes modd.'

Serch hynny, mae gennyf fy amheuon ond gellir fy argyhoeddi bod dulliau adeiladu modern yn ffordd o gynyddu'r cyflenwad o dai fforddiadwy yn gyflym.

Fel y gŵyr y Gweinidog, ni wnaeth y dulliau adeiladu newydd yn y 1960au droi allan yn dda: tai dur yn Abertawe; sment â chyfradd uchel o alwmina yn Ysgol Olchfa; Ronan Point; tai anhraddodiadol yn Abertawe yn cael eu dymchwel ym Mlaen-y-Maes a'r Clâs a'u disodli gan dai a adeiladwyd yn draddodiadol gan landlord cymdeithasol cofrestredig; a'r tenement hefyd, a oedd yn fwy cyffredin yn yr Alban, ond roedd gennym ni ychydig ohonyn nhw yng Nghymru, ac roedd un yn Abertawe. Ni welwch hwnnw erbyn hyn ychwaith, gan iddo gael ei ddymchwel.

Mae llawer iawn o'r datblygiadau arloesol, modern iawn hyn yn y 1960au wedi diflannu. Felly, pam mae'r Gweinidog wedi ei darbwyllo na fydd problemau'n codi gyda'r genhedlaeth hon o dai a gaiff eu hadeiladu mewn ffordd anhraddodiadol? Oherwydd mae gan dai traddodiadol un fantais fawr: maen nhw'n sefyll am amser maith iawn.

16:30

As usual, Mike Hedges makes a very good point very succinctly, although I will say something in praise of the steel houses. My grandmother lived in one of the steel houses, as he knows—four houses outside my constituency into his constituency. At the time, those houses were the most splendid houses in Swansea by a long way. Again, she couldn't believe that she was living in one of them. Although the steel cladding hasn't stood the test of time, the house is very much still there, and still beautiful and still spacious, actually. So, it can be done.

The reason I am quite convinced about these methods, though, is because of the innovative housing programme and, as I was just saying in response to Delyth Jewell, that we are testing it. We are getting claims from the manufacturers and then we are pushing them through a testing programme to make sure that the claims are realised. So, actually, we are not rolling out at scale and pace something that we hope will work; we are rolling out things that we know will work and do deliver what they are said to deliver. That's a very important point because we don't want to make the mistakes that have been made in the past.

In terms of design, I am absolutely with him on the subject of design. We want beautiful houses, beautifully designed, that are houses for life. So, for these houses, we are looking for designs that will allow somebody to buy them as a starter home for the first time, and then stay in that house for the rest of their lives, adding bedrooms and even taking bedrooms away. So, the house can grow with you and then diminish with you over time, with wide doorways that accommodate wheelchairs and prams and buggies, wide stairwells, proper bathrooms on the ground floor—all the sorts of things that you need for a lifetime experience in a single house.

These methods of construction allow you to do just that. So, people are not disrupted from their community if they have a disability in the family, or if they have an older person, or if they have caring responsibilities. The houses are adaptable in situ.

Fel arfer, mae Mike Hedges yn gwneud pwynt da iawn yn gryno iawn, er hynny, fe ddywedaf i air o ganmoliaeth o ran y tai dur. Roedd fy mam-gu'n byw yn un o'r tai dur, fel y gŵyr ef—pedwar tŷ y tu allan i'm hetholaeth i, yn ei etholaeth ef. Ar y pryd, y tai hynny oedd y tai mwyaf ysblennydd yn Abertawe o bell ffordd. Unwaith eto, ni allai hi gredu ei bod yn byw yn un ohonyn nhw. Er nad yw'r cladin dur wedi sefyll prawf amser, mae'r tŷ'n parhau i fod yno, ac yn parhau i fod yn hardd ac yn parhau i fod yn helaeth, mewn gwirionedd. Felly, mae hyn yn bosibl.

Y rheswm pam rwyf i'n gwbl argyhoeddedig o'r dulliau hyn, serch hynny, yw oherwydd y rhaglen tai arloesol ac, fel roeddwn i'n dweud wrth ymateb i Delyth Jewell, ein bod ni'n rhoi prawf arni. Rydym yn cael ceisiadau gan y gweithgynhyrchwyr ac wedyn rydym yn eu gwthio nhw drwy raglen brofi i wneud yn siŵr bod yr honiadau yn cael eu gwireddu. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, nid ydym yn cyflwyno rhywbeth ar raddfa a chyflymder a fydd, rydym yn gobeithio, yn gweithio; rydym yn cyflwyno pethau yr ydym ni'n gwybod eu bod nhw'n mynd i weithio ac sy'n cyflawni'r hyn y dywedwyd eu bod yn gallu ei gyflawni. Mae hwn yn bwynt pwysig iawn oherwydd nid ydym eisiau gwneud y camgymeriadau a wnaed yn y gorffennol.

O ran dylunio, rwy'n gwbl gytûn ag ef ynglŷn â mater dylunio. Rydym eisiau cael tai hardd, a gafodd eu dylunio'n hardd, sy'n dai am oes. Felly, ar gyfer y tai hyn, rydym yn chwilio am ddyluniadau a fydd yn caniatáu i rywun eu prynu fel cartref cychwynnol am y tro cyntaf, ac yna'n aros yn y tŷ hwnnw am weddill eu hoes, gan ychwanegu ystafelloedd gwely a hyd yn oed gael gwared ar ystafelloedd gwely. Felly, gall y tŷ dyfu gyda chi ac yna leihau gyda chi dros amser, gyda drysau llydan ar gyfer cadeiriau olwyn, pramiau a bygis, grisiau llydan, ystafelloedd ymolchi priodol ar y llawr gwaelod—yr holl bethau y mae eu hangen arnoch i gael profiad oes mewn un tŷ.

Mae'r dulliau adeiladu hyn yn caniatáu ichi wneud yn union hynny. Felly, nid yw pobl yn cael eu rhwygo o'u cynefin os oes ganddyn nhw anabledd yn y teulu, neu os oes ganddyn nhw unigolyn sy'n hŷn, neu os oes ganddyn nhw gyfrifoldebau gofalu. Fe all y tai gael eu haddasu yn y fan a'r lle.

Thank you for your statement, Minister. As you are well aware, I have been a long-term proponent of prefabricated and modular housing as an answer to our social housing shortage and have been arguing for this approach since I was first elected. As someone who grew up in a prefab, I have many fond memories of my prefab home. I realise that the prefabs of yesteryear won't meet modern standards, but then neither do any homes built in that era.

I welcome the Welsh Government's new strategy for social housing, which accepts that traditional building methods cannot address our dire need for social housing. As the Minister has outlined in her statement, modern methods of construction and off-site construction will address our social-home shortage by building more of them, more quickly. Minister, I fully support this approach and hope to see the results very soon.

You state that building with MMC could reduce construction waste by up to 90 per cent. The need to decarbonise the construction industry cannot be overstated. Minister, given that the Welsh Government has failed to meet its tree-planting targets, will there be sufficient sustainable wood supplies to meet the future demands of MMC? Minister, how will you ensure that only Welsh-sourced materials are used in future construction products?

Your strategy states that MMC and OSM will help reduce energy bills. So, what consideration has been given to mitigating the need for active cooling as our climate becomes warmer and wetter? We have seen the devasting effects of severe weather events in the last few weeks. Minister, can you confirm that new homes built using MMC, whether on or off-site, will have in-built protections against flooding, such as one-way valves and flood barriers? 

And finally, Minister, one of the biggest advantages of growing up in a prefab was access to a garden and the community. Will you ensure that all social homes built with MMC and OSM have a garden? Access to a garden is essential for families and children, but also elderly people, as it enables them to keep pets. So, Minister, will you ensure that social tenants in these new homes will be able to keep pets in order to help combat isolation and loneliness? Thank you.

Diolch i chi am eich datganiad, Gweinidog. Fel y gwyddoch chi'n iawn, rwyf wedi dadlau ers amser maith o blaid tai parod a modwlar i ateb y diffyg sydd gennym o ran tai cymdeithasol ac wedi bod yn dadlau o blaid y dull hwn ers imi gael fy ethol gyntaf. Fel rhywun a fagwyd mewn tŷ parod, mae gennyf i lawer o atgofion melys o'm cartref tŷ parod. Rwy'n sylweddoli na fyddai tai parod y gorffennol yn bodloni safonau modern, ond wedyn nid oes unrhyw un o'r cartrefi a godwyd yn yr adeg honno'n gwneud hynny.

Rwy'n croesawu strategaeth newydd Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer tai cymdeithasol, sy'n derbyn na all dulliau adeiladu traddodiadol fynd i'r afael â'r angen dirfawr am dai cymdeithasol. Fel yr amlinellodd y Gweinidog yn ei datganiad hi, fe fydd dulliau modern o adeiladu ac adeiladu oddi ar y safle yn mynd i'r afael â'n prinder ni o gartrefi cymdeithasol drwy adeiladu mwy ohonyn nhw, a hynny'n gyflymach. Gweinidog, rwyf i'n cefnogi'r dull hwn yn llwyr ac yn gobeithio gweld ei ganlyniadau yn fuan iawn.

Fe ddywedwch chi y gallai adeiladu gan ddefnyddio MMC leihau gwastraff adeiladu hyd at 90 y cant. Ni ellir gorbwysleisio'r angen i ddatgarboneiddio'r diwydiant adeiladu. Gweinidog, o gofio bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi methu â chyrraedd ei thargedau o ran plannu coed, a fydd digon o gyflenwadau pren cynaliadwy ar gael i fodloni gofynion MMC yn y dyfodol? Gweinidog, sut ydych chi am sicrhau mai dim ond deunyddiau a ddaw o Gymru a ddefnyddir mewn cynhyrchion adeiladu yn y dyfodol?

Mae eich strategaeth chi'n nodi y bydd MMC a gweithgynhyrchu oddi ar y safle yn helpu i leihau biliau ynni. Felly, pa ystyriaeth a roddwyd i liniaru'r angen am oeri gweithredol wrth i'n hinsawdd ni gynhesu a mynd yn wlypach? Rydym wedi gweld y dinistr yn sgil effeithiau'r tywydd garw yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf. Gweinidog, a wnewch chi gadarnhau y bydd cartrefi newydd sy'n cael eu hadeiladu gan ddefnyddio MMC, boed ar y safle ai peidio, yn cynnwys amddiffyniadau rhag llifogydd, megis falfiau unffordd a rhwystrau rhag llifogydd? 

Ac yn olaf, Gweinidog, un o fanteision mwyaf cael fy magu mewn tŷ parod oedd bod â gardd a chymuned o'ch cwmpas. A wnewch chi sicrhau y bydd gardd i bob cartref cymdeithasol a gaiff ei adeiladu drwy MMC a gweithgynhyrchu oddi ar y safle? Mae bod â gardd yn hanfodol i deuluoedd a phlant, ond i bobl oedrannus hefyd, gan ei bod yn eu galluogi nhw i gadw anifeiliaid anwes. Felly, Gweinidog, a wnewch chi sicrhau y bydd tenantiaid cymdeithasol yn y cartrefi newydd hyn yn gallu cadw anifeiliaid anwes er mwyn helpu i fynd i'r afael ag unigedd ac unigrwydd? Diolch.

16:35

Thank you for that series of questions and comments. In terms of the wood supplies, as I was saying in response to David Melding, this is absolutely associated with the growth of the timber industry in Wales. So, we certainly do not have enough wood of the right sort at the moment; we need to plant it, and we need to plant it in a way that assures a biodiverse forest. So, it's a forest that's recognisable as a forest—for those of us who drew a picture of a forest, it would look like that—but it's also crop-able, and that's the point. So, you don't clear crop. It's not a crop in itself, it's a forest. But you can crop it in a way that means that the forest stays, but you have single-species cropping of various sorts running through it. That's the best way to do it. It's done in lots of places in the world and there's no reason why we can't do it here.

I can't at the moment, unfortunately, say that we'll only do it with Welsh-sourced materials because that wouldn't be possible. But it's certainly our aim to get to there, and we are working with all of the manufacturers in this field, alongside Ken's business advisers and Business Wales, to look at their supply chains and see what we can do about making sure that they are sourcing, where possible, Welsh products, and where there's a gap in the supply chain, what we can do to stimulate somebody stepping into that gap and making sure that there is a Welsh product available. So, that's very much ongoing, and my colleague Lee Waters, with the Better Jobs Closer to Home piece and the foundational economy piece, has been doing the same thing with us, about making sure that the supply chain pulls together.

In terms of weather-proofing, not all of the modular systems and the modern methods of construction—which are not all modular, I have to say—do have complete flood protection, because not all of them will be designed to be built on a flood plain. But we are looking to see what we can do for houses that are built on flood plains. Actually, the best solution to that is not to build them on the flood plain in the first place. But we certainly will be looking to see what we can do in terms of weather-proofing. In terms of heat and cool, that's absolutely built in. So, air-source and ground-source heat pumps both cool and heat the house, depending on what the ambient temperature outside is, and that's a very important point.

In terms of a garden, the space standards will specify a garden in certain circumstances, but not in all circumstances. For example, sometimes it is both desirable and actually will be essential, because of the growing population, to have high-density, high-rise buildings. That doesn't mean low quality or low design or low spec.  But of course, if you're on the fifth floor, you will not have a garden associated with your flat for your own use. What you will have access to is good, green infrastructure around the high-density building, and that's very important as well, so that we get the green infrastructure in our cities, and we get the high-density residential buildings right, so that people do have access to that essential outside space. On that I do agree. But it's not quite as simple as saying that people have a garden; it's much more complicated than that.

The last thing I wanted to say—and I apologise because I should have done this in response to a number of people—is that, yes, the money is cumulative, but it's not all modular. So, modern methods of construction are not all modular, and some of the IHP stuff is about modern methods of construction that are not necessarily off-site manufacture. So, it's not quite as simple as saying it's £45 million for that, but it is all around the modern methods of construction. Some of the IHP programme is about the testing mechanisms for what the claims are as well; some of the money will be used on that.

And the last thing I want to say in response to Caroline Jones and a number of other people who raised it is that this is very much a system based on the life cost of the building. So, it's not about driving the upfront cost of building it down to the lowest common denominator—Delyth raised this point with me as well—this is about making sure that, when the planning authority and the local authority look at the cost of the house, they look at the lifetime cost of the house, including what it costs to live in it and so on, not just the cost of constructing it in the first place.

Diolch i chi am y gyfres yna o gwestiynau a sylwadau. O ran cyflenwadau o goed, fel roeddwn i'n dweud wrth ymateb i David Melding, mae hyn yn gwbl gysylltiedig â thwf y diwydiant coed yng Nghymru. Felly, yn sicr nid oes gennym ddigon o bren o'r math cywir ar hyn o bryd; mae angen i ni blannu, ac mae angen i ni blannu hynny mewn ffordd sy'n sicrhau coedwig fioamrywiol. Felly, fe fydd hi'n goedwig sy'n edrych fel coedwig—i'r rhai ohonom ni a fyddai'n gwneud darlun o goedwig, fe fyddai'n edrych fel yna—ond mae'n bosibl ei thocio hi, a dyna'r pwynt. Felly, nid ydych chi'n ei thocio hi'n llwyr. Nid cnwd yn unig mohoni, ond coedwig. Ond fe allwch ei thocio hi mewn ffordd sy'n golygu bod y goedwig yn aros, ond mae gennych chi gnydau o un rhywogaeth o wahanol fathau yn rhedeg drwyddi. Dyna'r ffordd orau o wneud hyn. Fe wneir fel hyn mewn llawer man yn y byd ac nid oes unrhyw reswm pam na allwn ni wneud fel hyn yng Nghymru.

Ar hyn o bryd, yn anffodus, ni allaf ddweud mai dim ond deunyddiau o Gymru a ddefnyddir i hyn oherwydd ni fyddai hynny'n bosibl. Ond yn sicr y nod sydd gennym yw gwneud hynny. Rydym yn gweithio gyda'r holl weithgynhyrchwyr yn y maes hwn, ochr yn ochr â'r cynghorwyr busnes sydd gan Ken a Busnes Cymru, i edrych ar eu cadwyni cyflenwi a gweld beth allwn ni ei wneud ynghylch sicrhau eu bod nhw'n defnyddio, lle bo hynny'n bosibl, gynhyrchion o Gymru, a lle ceir bwlch yn y gadwyn gyflenwi, beth allwn ni ei wneud i ysgogi rhywun i ddod i'r adwy a sicrhau bod cynnyrch o Gymru ar gael. Felly, mae hynny'n wir yn mynd rhagddo, ac mae fy nghydweithiwr i, Lee Waters, gyda'r darn Swyddi Gwell yn nes at Gartref a'r darn economi sylfaenol, wedi bod yn gwneud yr un peth gyda ni, ynglŷn â gwneud yn siŵr bod y gadwyn gyflenwi yn dod at ei gilydd.

O ran diogelu rhag effeithiau'r tywydd, nid yw pob un o'r systemau modwlar a'r dulliau modern o adeiladu—nid modiwlau yw'r cyfan ohonyn nhw, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud—yn cael eu diogelu rhag llifogydd yn llwyr, oherwydd ni fwriedir i bob un ohonyn nhw gael eu hadeiladu ar orlifdir. Ond rydym yn rhoi ystyriaeth i'r hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud ar gyfer tai sy'n cael eu hadeiladu ar orlifdiroedd. A dweud y gwir, yr ateb gorau i hynny yw peidio â'u hadeiladu ar orlifdir yn y lle cyntaf. Ond fe fyddwn ni'n sicr yn rhoi ystyriaeth i'r hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud o ran diogelu rhag effeithiau'r tywydd. O ran gwres ac oeri, mae hynny'n gwbl annatod. Felly, mae pympiau sy'n tarddu o'r awyr a gwres o'r ddaear yn oeri ac yn cynhesu'r tŷ, yn dibynnu ar y tymheredd amgylchynol y tu allan, ac mae hwnnw'n bwynt pwysig iawn.

O ran gardd, fe fydd y safonau o ran gofod yn pennu gardd mewn rhai amgylchiadau, ond nid ym mhob un amgylchiad. Er enghraifft, weithiau fe fydd yn ddymunol ac yn wir yn hanfodol, oherwydd y boblogaeth sy'n tyfu, i gael adeiladau sy'n uchel ac o ddwysedd uchel. Nid yw hynny'n golygu diffyg ansawdd na ddiffyg dyluniad na ddiffyg manyleb. Ond wrth gwrs, os ydych chi ar y pumed llawr, ni fydd gennych ardd yn rhan o'ch fflat chi at eich defnydd chi eich hun. Yr hyn y gallwch ei gael yw seilwaith gwyrdd da o amgylch yr adeilad dwysedd uchel, ac mae hynny'n bwysig iawn hefyd, cael seilwaith gwyrdd yn ein dinasoedd ni, a sicrhau bod dyluniad yr adeiladau preswyl dwysedd uchel yn addas, fel bod gan bobl fan awyr agored hanfodol i fynd iddo. Rwy'n cytuno â hynny. Ond nid yw hyn mor syml â dweud bod gan bobl ardd; mae'n llawer mwy cymhleth na hynny.

Y peth olaf rwyf eisiau ei ddweud yw—ac rwy'n ymddiheuro oherwydd dylwn fod wedi gwneud hyn mewn ymateb i sawl un—ydy, mae'r arian yn gronnol, ond nid yw'n hollol fodiwlaidd. Felly, nid yw dulliau modern o adeiladu yn fodiwlaidd i gyd, ac mae peth o'r stwff Rhaglen Tai Arloesol yn ymwneud â dulliau adeiladu modern nad ydyn nhw o reidrwydd yn cynhyrchu oddi ar y safle. Felly, nid yw mor syml â dweud bod £45 miliwn ar gyfer hynny, ond mae'r cyfan yn ymwneud â dulliau modern o adeiladu. Mae rhywfaint o'r Rhaglen Tai Arloesol yn ymdrin â'r dulliau o brofi'r hyn a gaiff ei honni hefyd; fe fydd rhywfaint o'r arian yn cael ei ddefnyddio i hynny.

A'r peth olaf yr wyf am ei ddweud wrth ymateb i Caroline Jones a nifer o bobl eraill a gododd hyn yw mai system yw hon a gaiff ei seilio ar gost oes yr adeilad i raddau helaeth. Felly, nid yw'n ymwneud â gostwng cost ymlaen llaw'r adeiladu hyd at yr enwadur cyffredin isaf—fe gododd Delyth y pwynt hwn gyda mi hefyd—mae hyn yn ymwneud â sicrhau, pan fydd yr awdurdod cynllunio a'r awdurdod lleol yn edrych ar gost y tŷ, y byddan nhw'n edrych ar gost oes y tŷ, gan gynnwys y gost o fyw ynddo ac ati, nid cost ei adeiladu yn y lle cyntaf yn unig.

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said, so I just want to focus on some further aspects. I just want to focus on the word 'beauty' in your statement, because I think that's a really important ambition. Why do we want to build ugly buildings? There's a huge cost to ugly buildings that we shouldn't be allowing.

I recently visited Ewenny Court in Ely, which in the First Minister's constituency, to see the nine one-and two-bedroom homes that anybody would be proud to be living in, because they meet the beauty criteria as well as the placemaking criteria. In the Public Accounts Committee inquiry that we're doing into planning, I've come across the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission's report that was produced about a month ago, which has three asks: ask for beauty, refuse ugliness, and promote stewardship. That echoes the Minister's ambitions for placemaking. In that report, they quote a senior building expert who says:

'Some housebuilders…believe they can build any old crap and still sell'.

And I am sure that is the case. I just wondered what we can do to outlaw rubbish that costs huge amounts of money to rectify, and to ensure that we not only have the same high-quality standards for private housing as we have for social housing, as well as ensuring that planning authorities have the guts and the ability to refuse poor proposals, which are a cost to society. If we put up rubbish buildings, we've then got to tear them down or redo them.

So, I wondered if you could incorporate that into your review of the building regulations, as well as in your instructions to planning authorities, to simply refuse building proposals that aren't good enough and are not fully integrated into the placemaking ambitions that we have through this statement.

Rwy'n cytuno gyda phopeth bron sydd wedi cael ei ddweud, felly rwyf am ganolbwyntio ar rai agweddau pellach. Fe hoffwn i ganolbwyntio ar y gair 'harddwch' yn eich datganiad chi, oherwydd rwyf i o'r farn fod honno'n uchelgais pwysig iawn. Pam rydym ni'n dymuno adeiladu adeiladau hyll? Mae cost enfawr i adeiladau hyll na ddylem ni fod yn ei chaniatáu.

Fe wnes i ymweld yn ddiweddar â Llys Ewenni yn Nhrelái, sydd yn etholaeth y Prif Weinidog, i weld y naw cartref sydd ag un neu ddwy ystafell wely y byddai unrhyw un yn falch o fod yn byw ynddyn nhw, oherwydd maen nhw'n bodloni'r meini prawf o ran harddwch yn ogystal â'r meini prawf ar gyfer creu lleoedd. Yn ymchwiliad y Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus i gynllunio yr ydym yn ei gynnal, rwyf wedi dod ar draws adroddiad y Comisiwn Building Better, Building Beautiful a gynhyrchwyd tua mis yn ôl, sydd â thri gofyniad ynddo, sef gofyn am harddwch, ymwrthod â hagrwch, a hyrwyddo stiwardiaeth. Mae hyn yn adleisio uchelgeisiau'r Gweinidog o ran creu lleoedd. Yn yr adroddiad hwnnw, maen nhw'n dyfynnu uwch arbenigwr adeiladu sy'n dweud:

Mae rhai adeiladwyr tai ... yn credu y gallan nhw adeiladu unrhyw hen sothach a'i werthu beth bynnag.

Ac rwy'n siŵr bod hynny'n wir. Tybed beth allwn ni ei wneud i wahardd sbwriel sy'n costio symiau mawr i unioni'r broblem, a sicrhau bod gennym nid yn unig yr un safonau o ansawdd uchel ar gyfer tai preifat ag sydd gennym ni ar gyfer tai cymdeithasol, yn ogystal â sicrhau bod gan yr awdurdodau cynllunio y dewrder a'r gallu i wrthod cynigion gwael, sy'n gost i'r gymdeithas. Os byddwn ni'n codi adeiladau tila, yna mae'n rhaid eu rhwygo i lawr neu eu hailgodi nhw.

Felly, tybed a wnewch chi ymgorffori hynny yn eich adolygiad chi o'r rheoliadau adeiladu, yn ogystal ag yn eich cyfarwyddiadau chi i awdurdodau cynllunio, i wrthod cynigion adeiladu yn hollol nad ydyn nhw o safon a heb eu hintegreiddio yn llawn yn yr uchelgeisiau o ran creu lleoedd sydd gennym ni yn sgil y datganiad hwn.

16:40

Yes, I'd probably agree with that. The problem with the word 'beautiful' is that it's obviously subjective. So, what we're doing is we're using it as a short-term word for 'built to very good and exacting standards'. So, you might not look at a house and think, 'Gosh, that's beautiful', but another person might; but what you will be able to say is, 'It's built to a high quality, with good-sized rooms, good light, and good sources of everything else', and the fact that you don't like it because it's pink or blue won't matter.

And actually, one of the things we're looking at doing with local authorities that are developing some of this alongside us is having pattern books, so that they can pre-approve planning applications for particular sets of patterns of housing that obviously conform to all of the highest design quality requirements—the DQR, as they call it—but obviously look different. Because people have a different idea of what beautiful looks like. What we mean by beautiful is beautiful in size, in space, in energy efficiency, in liveability, and then whether you think it's green or pink on the outside is a matter for you and for the rest of the development. So, I do think it's important to make that point.

But we are designing that in, and we are rapidly going—in our consultation on Part L and the White Paper that will follow it—towards having the same space standards and the same beauty standards across Wales for all types of housing, and not differential as they are now. Mike Hedges I think pointed out that, at the moment, if you have social housing in Wales, you're probably in a better standard home than if you've recently bought one. I don't know that everybody knows that, and I don't have problem with that from a social housing point of view, but I do have a problem with it for the sustainability of the private sector. So, we are rapidly going towards having the same standards throughout.

Byddwn, fe fyddwn i'n cytuno â hynny, mae'n debyg. Y broblem gyda'r gair 'harddwch' yw mai rhywbeth goddrychol yw hynny, yn amlwg. Felly, yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yw ein bod ni'n ei ddefnyddio fel gair byrdymor am 'adeiladwyd yn ôl safonau da iawn a manwl iawn'. Efallai na fyddech chi'n edrych ar dŷ ac yn meddwl, 'Wel, am hardd', ond efallai y byddai unigolyn arall yn gwneud hynny; ond yr hyn y gallech ei ddweud yw, 'Fe gafodd hwn ei adeiladu i safon uchel, gydag ystafelloedd o faint da, golau da, a ffynonellau da o bopeth arall', ac ni fyddai'r ffaith nad ydych chi'n ei hoffi oherwydd ei fod yn binc neu'n las yn bwysig.

A dweud y gwir, un o'r pethau yr ydym ni'n ystyried eu gwneud gydag awdurdodau lleol sy'n datblygu rhan o hyn gyda ni yw cael llyfrau o batrymau, fel y gallan nhw gymeradwyo ceisiadau cynllunio o flaen llaw am setiau arbennig o dai sydd yn amlwg yn cydymffurfio â'r gofynion ansawdd dylunio uchaf—y DQR, fel y'u gelwir—ond maen nhw'n edrych yn wahanol i'w gilydd, mae'n amlwg. Oherwydd mae gan bobl wahanol syniadau ynglŷn â'r hyn y mae harddwch yn ei olygu. Ystyr harddwch i ni yw hardd o ran maint, lle, effeithlonrwydd ynni, a sut le ydyw i fyw ynddo, ac yna os ydych chi'n meddwl mai gwyrdd neu binc y dylai fod ar y tu allan, wel mater i chi ac i weddill y datblygiad fyddai hynny. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig gwneud y pwynt hwnnw.

Ond rydym ni'n cynnwys hynny yn y dylunio, ac rydym ni'n prysur symud—yn ein hymgynghoriad ni ar Ran L a'r Papur Gwyn a fydd yn dilyn—tuag at fod â'r un safonau o ran lle a'r un safonau o ran harddwch ledled Cymru ar gyfer pob math o dai, ac nid yn wahaniaethol fel y maen nhw ar hyn o bryd. Fe ddywedodd Mike Hedges, rwy'n credu, ar hyn o bryd, os oes gennych chi dŷ cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, mae'n debyg eich bod chi mewn cartref o safon well na phe baech chi wedi prynu un yn ddiweddar. Ni wn a yw pawb yn gwybod hynny, ac nid oes gennyf i broblem â hynny o safbwynt tai cymdeithasol, ond mae gennyf broblem â hynny o ran cynaliadwyedd y sector preifat. Felly, rydym ni'n prysur anelu at gael yr un safonau drwyddi draw.

I was really pleased to be awakened by your dulcet tones this morning on the tv, announcing with a cheery smile that you were going to build more homes in Wales. As chair of the cross-party group on construction, that is extremely good news.

But to be successful in achieving the ambition set out in the strategy, of course, we have to take many people along that journey with us. The Construction Industry Training Board and the industry are keen to support the strategy and to work with us to deliver the outcomes, and they are particularly interested in hearing more details around the number of homes, the projected timescale for development, and the proportion of affordable homes to be built using off-site manufacturing.

They are interested—and I'm sure everybody else here is—about the clarity that is needed to help develop the pipeline the sector will require to enable it to invest in these new types of technologies, and therefore the skills required to meet them. Therefore, Minister, they're hoping for fairly accurate and readily available information in the near future. Because it is important to recognise that the skills requirements for delivering more social housing through modern technologies will be somewhat different to the skills that are required now, and it will be the case that the Construction Industry Training Board, the employers and the colleges will want to help you deliver your desired outcome.

With that in mind, they would like to understand, really, how we're going to teach those skills, and whether we might consider teaching the modern methods of construction through the eight new qualifications that are going to be introduced in 2021, and maybe include a new GCSE, an AS-level and A-level in construction and the built environment within that proposal. So, it would be really interesting to know whether that is in our thinking.

And finally from me, I am, and others have asked and are extremely interested to know where the raw material—the wood, in other words—is going to be sourced from. And I know that you answered that question several times today, but what I'm particularly keen to seek from you, Minister, is an absolute assurance that we will not, in our ambition to build good houses for some people, destroy the homes of others because that would somehow be an almost ridiculous situation. 

Roeddwn i'n hapus iawn o gael fy neffro'r bore yma gan eich llais hyfryd ar y teledu, yn cyhoeddi gyda gwên siriol eich bod chi am adeiladu mwy o dai yng Nghymru. A minnau'n gadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar adeiladu, newyddion da iawn yw hynny.

Ond ar gyfer llwyddo wrth gyflawni'r uchelgais a nodir yn y strategaeth, wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid i ni fynd â llawer o bobl gyda ni ar y daith honno. Mae Bwrdd Hyfforddi'r Diwydiant Adeiladu a'r diwydiant ei hun yn awyddus i gefnogi'r strategaeth a gweithio gyda ni i gyflawni'r canlyniadau, ac fe fyddai'n arbennig o dda ganddyn nhw gael clywed rhagor o fanylion ynghylch nifer y cartrefi, yr amserlen arfaethedig ar gyfer datblygu, a chyfran y tai fforddiadwy i'w hadeiladu gan ddefnyddio gweithgynhyrchu oddi ar safle.

Mae diddordeb ganddyn nhw—ac rwy'n siŵr fod gan bawb arall yn y fan hon—yn yr eglurder sydd ei angen i helpu i ddatblygu dull y sector o fuddsoddi yn y mathau newydd hyn o dechnolegau, ac felly'r sgiliau sydd eu hangen i'w bodloni. Felly, Gweinidog, maen nhw'n gobeithio am wybodaeth weddol fanwl a hawdd ei chael yn y dyfodol agos. Mae'n bwysig cydnabod y bydd y gofynion sgiliau ar gyfer darparu mwy o dai cymdeithasol drwy dechnolegau modern ychydig yn wahanol i'r sgiliau sydd eu hangen ar hyn o bryd, ac fe fydd Bwrdd Hyfforddi'r Diwydiant Adeiladu, y cyflogwyr a'r colegau yn dymuno eich helpu chi i gyflawni'r canlyniad a ddymunir gennych. 

Gyda hynny mewn golwg, fe fydden nhw'n hoffi deall sut yr ydym ni'n bwriadu dysgu'r sgiliau hynny, ac a fyddem ni'n ystyried dysgu'r dulliau modern o adeiladu drwy gyfrwng yr wyth cymhwyster newydd a gaiff eu cyflwyno yn 2021, ac efallai gynnwys TGAU newydd, Lefel AS a Lefel A mewn adeiladu a'r amgylchedd adeiledig o fewn y cynnig hwnnw. Felly, byddai'n ddiddorol iawn cael gwybod a yw hynny'n rhan o'n hystyriaeth ni.

Ac yn olaf o'm rhan i, rwyf i ac eraill wedi gofyn, a byddai'n dda iawn gennym wybod, o ble y daw'r deunydd crai—y pren, mewn geiriau eraill. Ac fe wn i eich bod wedi ateb y cwestiwn hwnnw sawl gwaith heddiw, ond yr hyn yr wyf i'n arbennig o awyddus i'w gael gennych chi, Gweinidog, yw sicrwydd llwyr na fyddwn ni, yn ein huchelgais i adeiladu tai da ar gyfer rhai pobl, yn dinistrio cartrefi pobl eraill, oherwydd fe fyddai honno rywsut yn sefyllfa hurt iawn.  

16:45

Thank you very much for that, Joyce Watson. Just on the wood point, I'll just reiterate it, because I think it is worth reiterating. The strategy aims to create a strong domestic market for Welsh wood, and links to our aspiration to be a forest nation. And they are not in opposition to one another at all. Our ambition is to develop that thriving timber industry, and that requires a thoughtful national approach to commercial tree planting and harvesting. So, as I say, you don't clear crop mountainsides causing devastating soil loss, and all the rest of it; you have careful planting and cropping strategies in a sustainable biodiverse forest. That's perfectly possible and it's done in lots of places in the world, and there's no reason why we can't do that. That will need to harness our natural assets and it will help our economy, and it will help our environmental outcomes for that. 

And then, the whole point of the IHP programme—the innovative housing programme—is to trial that so that we know what will work, we know where to plant it, we know where they're currently sourcing that wood and that we work with NRW and our councils to make sure that we source that responsibly. As I said in response to Caroline Jones, we can't currently do all of that from Wales, but we are working very hard on planting the timber now that will enable us to do that in the future. So, I think that's a really good point, well made; we do need to be really emphasising that. The fact that you're using a timber industry doesn't mean you're deforesting, because we definitely are not wanting to do that.

In terms of the construction industry, we have been working very closely with the construction sector. We certainly welcome their response to wanting to work with us to assist us in skills development, and so on. I mentioned in the statement that we'll be developing an implementation plan for the strategy, and as part of the implementation plan, we will certainly be addressing the skills base necessary in the workforce, and how we plan to integrate that with the qualifications and, indeed the apprenticeship programme that my colleague Ken Skates is looking at alongside the new qualifications, Joyce, that you've already mentioned.   

And then, the last thing to say just in terms of prioritisation, we are very keen on getting vulnerable groups into employment via that route. I did say briefly in the statement that we'll be looking at groups like prisoners, but we're also looking at long-term unemployed. These factories can be really quite small so they can be local to where the house building is, so you don't have one big source—a big, massive factory taking up a load of land somewhere and distributing stuff by lorry; you've got small, local factories building local housing for local people, using local employment. So, creating local employment using local people.

So, there are lots of win-wins in this strategy that I think we will be working on with the construction industry and the SME house builders, in particular, to take that forward.

Diolch yn fawr iawn am hynny, Joyce Watson. O ran y pwynt ynghylch pren, hoffwn ei ailadrodd, oherwydd bod gwerth ei ailadrodd yn fy marn i. Nod y strategaeth yw creu marchnad ddomestig gref i goed Cymru, ac mae'n cysylltu â'n dyhead i fod yn genedl goedwig. Ac nid ydynt yn gwrthwynebu ei gilydd o gwbl. Ein huchelgais yw datblygu'r diwydiant coed ffyniannus hwnnw, ac mae hynny'n gofyn am ddull gweithredu cenedlaethol meddylgar o blannu a chynaeafu coed yn fasnachol. Felly, fel y dywedais, nid ydych yn clirio ochrau mynydd cnydau gan arwain at golled ddinistriol i'r pridd, a phopeth arall; rydych yn llunio strategaethau plannu a thyfu cnydau yn ofalus mewn coedwig fioamrywiol gynaliadwy. Mae hynny'n berffaith bosibl ac mae'n digwydd mewn llawer o leoedd yn y byd, ac nid oes unrhyw reswm pam na allwn ni wneud hynny. Bydd angen i hynny harneisio ein hasedau naturiol a bydd yn helpu ein heconomi, a bydd yn helpu ein canlyniadau amgylcheddol ar gyfer hynny.

Ac yna, holl bwynt y rhaglen IHP—y rhaglen tai arloesol—yw treialu hynny er mwyn inni wybod beth fydd yn gweithio, er mwyn inni wybod ble i'w plannu, er mwyn inni wybod o ble mae'r pren yn dod ar hyn o bryd, a'n bod yn gweithio gyda Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'n cynghorau i wneud yn sicr bod y pren yn dod o ffynonellau mewn modd cyfrifol. Fel y dywedais wrth ymateb i Caroline Jones, ni allwn wneud hynny i gyd o Gymru ar hyn o bryd, ond rydym yn gweithio'n galed iawn i blannu'r coed nawr a fydd yn ein galluogi i wneud hynny yn y dyfodol. Felly, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n bwynt da iawn wedi ei wneud yn dda; mae angen inni bwysleisio hynny. Nid yw'r ffaith eich bod yn defnyddio diwydiant coed yn golygu eich bod yn datgoedwigo, oherwydd yn bendant nid ydym yn awyddus i wneud hynny.

O ran y diwydiant adeiladu, rydym wedi bod yn gweithio'n agos iawn gyda'r sector adeiladu. Rydym yn sicr yn croesawu eu hymateb i fod eisiau gweithio gyda ni i'n cynorthwyo i ddatblygu sgiliau, ac yn y blaen. Soniais yn y datganiad y byddwn yn datblygu cynllun gweithredu ar gyfer y strategaeth. Ac yn rhan o'r cynllun gweithredu, byddwn yn sicr yn mynd i'r afael â'r sylfaen sgiliau sydd ei hangen yn y gweithlu, a sut yr ydym yn bwriadu integreiddio hynny â'r cymwysterau ac, yn wir, y rhaglen brentisiaeth y mae fy nghyd-Aelod Ken Skates yn ei hystyried ynghyd â'r cymwysterau newydd, Joyce, yr ydych chi eisoes wedi eu crybwyll.

Ac yna, y peth olaf i'w ddweud yn unig o ran blaenoriaethu, rydym yn awyddus iawn bod grwpiau agored i niwed yn cael cyflogaeth drwy'r llwybr hwnnw. Fe wnes i ddweud yn fyr yn y datganiad y byddwn yn edrych ar grwpiau fel carcharorion, ond rydym hefyd yn edrych ar bobl ddi-waith yn y tymor hir. Gall y ffatrïoedd hyn fod yn eithaf bach yn wir, felly gallan nhw fod yn lleol yn y man lle mae'r tai yn cael eu hadeiladu. Nid oes gennych chi un ffynhonnell fawr—ffatri enfawr yn defnyddio llawer iawn o dir yn rhywle ac yn dosbarthu pethau ar lori; mae gennych ffatrïoedd bach lleol sy'n adeiladu tai lleol ar gyfer pobl leol, trwy ddefnyddio cyflogaeth leol. Felly, mae'n creu cyflogaeth leol trwy ddefnyddio pobl leol.

Felly, mae llawer o enillion i bawb yn y strategaeth hon, ac rwy'n credu y byddwn yn gweithio arnyn nhw gyda'r diwydiant adeiladu a'r adeiladwyr tai BBaCh, yn benodol, i fwrw ymlaen â hynny.

6. Datganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi, Thrafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru: Prosiectau Metro yng Nghymru
6. Statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales: Metro Projects in Wales

Item 6 on the agenda this afternoon is a statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales: metro projects in Wales, and I call on the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates.  

Eitem 6 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw datganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru: prosiectau'r metro yng Nghymru, a galwaf ar Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru, Ken Skates.

Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd. This Government’s ambition to see a more prosperous, greener and equal Wales is one I hope we all aspire to in this Senedd. I'd also expect everyone to share our ambition for a modern transport system in Wales, a transport system that plays its part in contributing to three ambitions: delivering economic growth in rural and urban areas; encouraging people to use more sustainable forms of transport in order to minimise environmental impacts; and providing efficient and affordable journeys accessible to all.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd uchelgais y Llywodraeth hon i weld Cymru fwy ffyniannus, yn fwy gwyrdd ac yn fwy cyfartal yn un y mae pob un ohonom yn ceisio ei wireddu yn y Senedd hon. Byddwn i hefyd yn disgwyl i bawb rannu ein huchelgais am system drafnidiaeth fodern yng Nghymru, system drafnidiaeth sy'n chwarae ei rhan i gyfrannu at dri uchelgais: cyflawni twf economaidd mewn ardaloedd gwledig a threfol; annog pobl i ddefnyddio dulliau mwy cynaliadwy o deithio er mwyn lleihau'r effeithiau amgylcheddol; a darparu teithiau effeithlon a fforddiadwy sy'n hygyrch i bawb.

As we know, our railway infrastructure in Wales has been continuously and systematically starved of investment. Unsurprisingly, as a consequence, Wales has some of the UK’s slowest inter-city rail speeds, the lowest level of rail ridership, and the highest percentage of car journeys. This is simply not sustainable.

Our metro programmes in the south east, in the south west, and the north will deliver the necessary changes through a customer-focused, integrated, accessible and sustainable multi-modal network across all regions. Trains, buses and the active travel network will work together to connect people and places efficiently and effectively for work, life, and leisure.

To deliver this, however, we require Welsh Government to be in control of all the levers necessary to deliver a fully integrated transport system, and despite the constraints of the current rail ecosystem, in which the UK Government defines priorities and allocates investment according to their own priorities, the Welsh Government has nonetheless funded and progressed the ambitious south Wales metro programme to develop the economy and support regeneration across the Cardiff capital region.

And today, I wish to reaffirm our commitment to our metros and set out our plans to develop similarly ambitious programmes for south-west Wales and Swansea bay, north Wales, and further expansion in the Cardiff capital region. These will build on the current metro principles, but now with an even greater focus on connectivity, decarbonisation, and integration as we develop future phases.

Following the recent triggering of the transfer of ownership and responsibility of the core Valleys Lines, the next phase of this ambitious project will deliver electrification, new trains, faster and more frequent services, and provide the foundation for further and necessary expansion. This ambitious programme to address climate change, improve air quality, and relieve congestion clearly demonstrates what is possible when powers and funding are devolved and decentralised.

Now, until full rail devolution is secured, we need the UK Government to improve wider network capability, capacity and resilience including upgrading our mainlines to enable faster, more frequent, and more reliable services, alongside measures to address network bottlenecks such as Ebbw Valley and junction, between Wrexham and Chester, Cardiff west, and Swansea station.

Now, the spine of our metro in north Wales will be a major upgrade of the Borderlands line to offer turn-up-and-go services from Wrexham, and through working with Merseytravel, deliver services all the way through to Liverpool. We will develop our key hubs, for example at Shotton, to provide an interchange between rail services, as well as integrated bus services across our regional hubs. To effectively deliver integrated, attractive services across the north Wales coast and the Borderlands line, we need new all-stop commuter services to complement faster long distance services running on an upgraded, electrified mainline.

In west Wales and Swansea bay, Transport for Wales has worked with the region to develop an initial package of measures, including new long distance and local metro rail services along the currently under-utilised Swansea District Line, offering reduced journey times from west Wales to Swansea, Cardiff, and across the border.

The new metro services would, via new rail infrastructure, and a number of new stations and strategic park-and-ride sites, connect the urban areas of Swansea and Neath directly to both Swansea High Street and Neath stations, encouraging further development at those locations. Now, we've also progressed work to enhance and expand bus services in the Swansea bay region, which will be integrated with this rail programme. Subject to further business case development, this will be a rolling programme that will start to deliver benefits across the region within the next two years.

In advance of any changes to the devolution settlement in respect of rail infrastructure, I would like the UK Government to work with us to accelerate this programme. We wish to explore more innovative approaches to the application of traditional rail standards to assess the potential for new and/or reopened lines.

Our forthcoming bus legislation will offer us opportunities to significantly enhance and expand our bus services, filling in current gaps in our rail network and offering increased frequency, integration and speeds to our regional hubs. We will assess the potential for segregated busways and public transport priority measures to support further network expansion. These public transport networks will be critical to supporting regional and local economic development and regeneration. It will also allow us to develop places designed around communities. 

Our climate change obligations dictate that we progress these ambitious proposals. We need to ensure that decision making on metros in Wales is fully integrated, of course, with regional planning and with wider investment in infrastructure and service delivery. The ongoing development and application of sophisticated transport, land use, and economic models covering the whole of Wales will provide the necessary analytical foundation for these developments. They'll also support our economic and regeneration interventions at key interchanges and at smaller community hubs across the country. In doing so, we want to work with local authorities to locate more of our public services and operations to hub locations connected to these networks. 

We're already working on proposals to co-locate more activities near Wrexham General and our plans for Deeside Industrial Park station will offer viable public transport options for commuters. This approach could also have major impacts in Newport and Swansea where commuting contributes to daily peak-hour congestion on the M4. 

Now, we're also working to embed the development and delivery of metros across the country to develop local supply chains, to diversify expertise, and expand skills. I have asked TfW to direct effort to develop and deliver our metros and will share further details of progress with Assembly Members. 

Finally, Dirprwy Llywydd, to be clear, to deliver these programmes and to address decades of underinvestment by the UK Government in our rail network, we need ownership and funding of rail infrastructure. Wales has, for too long, been low on the list of Westminster's priorities for enhancing the rail network in England and in Wales. Rail devolution will enable us to put this right, building on the recent rail franchise award and infrastructure ownership, which are already delivering results. We look forward to the imminent Williams review and the White Paper to allow us to reform our railways and to create the fully integrated public transport network that Wales richly deserves. The effects of a decade of austerity have been felt across all regions and sectors. Plans by the UK Government to increase spend on infrastructure in this Parliament are very welcome, and Wales's share of this will amount to some £3.7 billion. With this funding, and a fair share of the HS2 spend over the next 10 years, we will deliver our plans to transform urban and inter-city connectivity in Wales.

Fel y gwyddom, mae ein seilwaith rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru wedi ei amddifadu'n barhaus ac yn systematig o fuddsoddiad. O ganlyniad, nid yw'n syndod bod gan Gymru rai o'r cyflymderau rheilffordd inter-city arafaf yn y DU, y lefel isaf o bobl yn defnyddio'r rheilffyrdd, a'r ganran uchaf o deithiau mewn ceir. Yn syml, nid yw hyn yn gynaliadwy.

Bydd ein rhaglenni metro yn y de-ddwyrain, yn y de-orllewin, ac yn y gogledd yn cyflawni'r newidiadau angenrheidiol drwy rwydwaith amlfoddol, cynaliadwy, hygyrch, integredig, sy'n canolbwyntio ar y cwsmer ar draws pob rhanbarth. Bydd trenau, bysiau a'r rhwydwaith teithio llesol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd i gysylltu pobl a lleoedd yn effeithlon ac yn effeithiol ar gyfer gwaith, bywyd a hamdden.

Fodd bynnag, er mwyn cyflawni hyn mae'n ofynnol i Lywodraeth Cymru fod â rheolaeth ar yr holl ysgogiadau sydd eu hangen i ddarparu system drafnidiaeth gwbl integredig. Er gwaethaf cyfyngiadau'r ecosystem reilffyrdd bresennol, lle mae Llywodraeth y DU yn diffinio blaenoriaethau ac yn dyrannu buddsoddiad yn ôl ei blaenoriaethau ei hun, mae Llywodraeth Cymru, serch hynny, wedi ariannu a datblygu'r rhaglen Metro De Cymru uchelgeisiol i gynyddu'r economi a chefnogi adfywiad ar draws prifddinas-ranbarth Caerdydd.

A heddiw, hoffwn i ailddatgan ein hymrwymiad i'n metros a nodi ein cynlluniau i ddatblygu rhaglenni sydd yr un mor uchelgeisiol ar gyfer y de-orllewin a Bae Abertawe, y gogledd, ac ehangu pellach ym mhrifddinas-ranbarth Caerdydd. Bydd y rhain yn adeiladu ar egwyddorion presennol y metro, ond â phwyslais mwy hyd yn oed erbyn hyn ar gysylltedd, datgarboneiddio, ac integreiddio wrth inni ddatblygu cyfnodau yn y dyfodol.

Yn dilyn y broses ddiweddar o drosglwyddo perchenogaeth a chyfrifoldeb dros reilffyrdd craidd y Cymoedd, bydd cam nesaf y prosiect uchelgeisiol hwn yn cyflenwi trydaneiddio, trenau newydd, gwasanaethau cyflymach ac amlach, ac yn darparu'r sylfaen ar gyfer rhagor o ehangu sy'n angenrheidiol. Mae'r rhaglen uchelgeisiol hon i fynd i'r afael â newid hinsawdd, gwella ansawdd aer, a lliniaru tagfeydd yn dangos yn glir yr hyn sy'n bosibl pan gaiff pwerau a chyllid eu datganoli.

Nawr, nes bod rheilffyrdd wedi eu datganoli'n llawn, mae angen i Lywodraeth y DU wella gallu, capasiti a chydnerthedd y rhwydwaith ehangach gan gynnwys uwchraddio ein prif linellau i alluogi gwasanaethau cyflymach, amlach a mwy dibynadwy, ynghyd â mesurau i fynd i'r afael â thagfeydd ar y rhwydwaith megis yng Nglynebwy a'r gyffordd rhwng Wrecsam a Chaer, Gorllewin Caerdydd, a gorsaf Abertawe.

Nawr, bydd asgwrn cefn ein metro yn y gogledd yn uwchraddio rheilffordd y Gororau yn sylweddol i gynnig gwasanaethau cyrraedd a mynd o Wrecsam a, thrwy weithio gyda Merseytravel, darparu gwasanaethau yr holl ffordd i Lerpwl. Byddwn yn datblygu ein hybiau allweddol, er enghraifft yn Shotton, i ddarparu cyfnewidfa rhwng gwasanaethau rheilffordd, yn ogystal â gwasanaethau bws integredig ar draws ein hybiau rhanbarthol. Er mwyn darparu'n effeithiol y gwasanaethau integredig a deniadol ar draws arfordir y gogledd a llinell y Gororau, mae angen gwasanaethau cymudwyr pob gorsaf newydd i ategu gwasanaethau pellter hir cyflymach sy'n rhedeg ar brif lein wedi'i thrydaneiddio ac wedi'i huwchraddio.

Yn y gorllewin a Bae Abertawe, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi gweithio gyda'r rhanbarth i ddatblygu pecyn cychwynnol o fesurau, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau rheilffordd metro pell a lleol newydd ar hyd Llinell Bwrdeistref Abertawe, sydd wedi'i thanddefnyddio ar hyn o bryd, sy'n cynnig llai o siwrnai gwaith o'r gorllewin i Abertawe, Caerdydd, a thros y ffin.

Byddai'r gwasanaethau metro newydd, drwy seilwaith rheilffyrdd newydd, a nifer o orsafoedd newydd a safleoedd parcio a theithio strategol, yn cysylltu ardaloedd trefol Abertawe a Chastell-nedd yn uniongyrchol â gorsafoedd Stryd Fawr Abertawe a Chastell-nedd, gan annog datblygiadau pellach yn y lleoliadau hynny. Nawr, rydym hefyd wedi datblygu gwaith i wella ac ehangu gwasanaethau bysiau yn rhanbarth Bae Abertawe, a fydd yn cael ei integreiddio â'r rhaglen reilffyrdd hon. Yn amodol ar ragor o ddatblygu achosion busnes, bydd hon yn rhaglen dreigl a fydd yn dechrau cyflawni buddion ar draws y rhanbarth o fewn y ddwy flynedd nesaf.

Cyn unrhyw newidiadau i'r setliad datganoli mewn cysylltiad â'r seilwaith rheilffyrdd, hoffwn i Lywodraeth y DU weithio gyda ni i gyflymu'r rhaglen hon. Rydym yn awyddus i ymchwilio i ddulliau mwy arloesol o weithredu safonau rheilffyrdd traddodiadol er mwyn asesu'r potensial ar gyfer llinellau newydd a/neu ailagor llinellau.

Bydd ein deddfwriaeth bysiau sydd ar ddod yn cynnig cyfleoedd inni wella ac ehangu ein gwasanaethau bysiau yn sylweddol, gan lenwi'r bylchau presennol yn ein rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd a chynnig gwasanaethau amlach, integreiddio a chyflymder i'n hybiau rhanbarthol. Byddwn yn asesu'r potensial ar gyfer ffyrdd bysiau ar wahân a mesurau blaenoriaeth i drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus er mwyn cefnogi'r gwaith o ehangu'r rhwydwaith ymhellach. Bydd y rhwydweithiau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus hyn yn hanfodol i gefnogi datblygiad ac adfywiad economaidd rhanbarthol a lleol. Bydd hefyd yn ein galluogi i ddatblygu lleoedd wedi'u cynllunio o amgylch cymunedau.

Mae ein rhwymedigaethau newid hinsawdd yn mynnu ein bod yn datblygu'r cynigion uchelgeisiol hyn. Mae angen sicrhau bod y penderfyniadau a wneir ynghylch metros yng Nghymru yn gwbl integredig, wrth gwrs, gyda chynllunio rhanbarthol a gyda buddsoddiad ehangach mewn seilwaith a darparu gwasanaethau. Bydd y gwaith parhaus o ddatblygu a chymhwyso trafnidiaeth soffistigedig, defnydd tir a modelau economaidd sy'n cwmpasu Cymru gyfan yn darparu'r sylfaen ddadansoddol angenrheidiol ar gyfer y datblygiadau hyn. Byddan nhw hefyd yn cefnogi ein hymyriadau economaidd ac adfywio yn y cyfnewidfeydd allweddol ac mewn hybiau cymunedol llai ledled y wlad. Wrth wneud hynny, rydym yn awyddus i weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i leoli mwy o'n gwasanaethau a'n gweithrediadau cyhoeddus mewn hybiau sy'n gysylltiedig â'r rhwydweithiau hyn.

Rydym eisoes yn gweithio ar gynigion i gydleoli mwy o weithgareddau ger Wrecsam Cyffredinol, a bydd ein cynlluniau ar gyfer gorsaf Parc Diwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy yn cynnig opsiynau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus hyfyw i gymudwyr. Gallai'r dull gweithredu hwn gael effaith fawr hefyd yng Nghasnewydd ac Abertawe lle mae cymudo'n cyfrannu at dagfeydd dyddiol yn ystod yr oriau brig ar yr M4.

Nawr, rydym hefyd yn gweithio i ymwreiddio'r gwaith o ddatblygu a chyflawni metros ledled y wlad i ddatblygu cadwyni cyflenwi lleol, i amrywio arbenigedd, ac ehangu sgiliau. Rwyf wedi gofyn i Trafnidiaeth Cymru wneud ymdrech uniongyrchol i ddatblygu a chyflawni ein metros a bydd yn rhannu rhagor o fanylion am y cynnydd ag Aelodau'r Cynulliad.

Yn olaf, Dirprwy Lywydd, i fod yn glir, er mwyn darparu'r rhaglenni hyn ac er mwyn mynd i'r afael â degawdau o danfuddsoddi gan Lywodraeth y DU yn ein rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd, mae angen perchenogaeth arnom ni o'r seilwaith rheilffyrdd a chyllid ar ei gyfer. Ers gormod o amser, mae Cymru wedi bod yn isel ar restr blaenoriaethau San Steffan ar gyfer gwella'r rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd yn Lloegr ac yng Nghymru. Bydd datganoli rheilffyrdd yn ein galluogi i unioni'r sefyllfa, gan adeiladu ar y dyfarniad masnachfraint rheilffyrdd diweddar a pherchnogaeth o'r seilwaith, sydd eisoes yn sicrhau canlyniadau. Edrychwn ymlaen at adolygiad Williams sydd ar y gorwel a'r Papur Gwyn i'n galluogi i ddiwygio ein rheilffyrdd ac i greu'r rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus cwbl integredig y mae Cymru'n ei haeddu'n llwyr. Mae effeithiau degawd o gyni wedi cael effaith ar draws pob rhanbarth a sector. Mae cynlluniau Llywodraeth y DU i gynyddu'r gwariant ar seilwaith yn y Senedd hon i'w croesawu'n fawr, a bydd cyfran Cymru o hyn yn cyfateb i ryw £3.7 biliwn. Gyda'r arian hwn, a chyfran deg o wariant HS2 yn ystod y 10 mlynedd nesaf, byddwn yn cyflawni ein cynlluniau i weddnewid cysylltedd trefol ac inter-city yng Nghymru.

16:55

Can I thank the Minister for his statement and for the advanced copy as well? Can I perhaps answer the first question? I think a metro system to drive economic growth in south-west and north Wales is much needed, and we on these benches welcome those projects and the ambition that you've set out.

I think it's also correct to say that the UK Government is investing a record amount in Wales's railway infrastructure, and Network Rail investment in the Wales route for control period 6 will be over £1.5 billion. Can I also say—and I know this—that the UK Government is and will support rail infrastructure, including new stations that have a strong business case behind them? And it's also, of course, been confirmed that there will be an additional Barnett consequential from the recent bus announcement, which I'm sure that the Minister will welcome.

Minister, with regard to the metro system, if I can take you back to a statement in March 2017, entitled 'Moving North Wales Forward', you listed exciting projects in development, including rail and integrated transport schemes. Almost three years on, I'm keen to see what progress has been made. There have been concerns about a lack of action, so can you provide a timetable of exactly when these integrated transport hubs will be rolled out, and how much funding in total is being set aside for the project?

During the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee general transport scrutiny just under two weeks ago, members of the committee questioned you on your latest position on each metro project and the governance arrangements around them. I was left unclear as to which organisation provided the overall strategic direction for each of the three projects. Now, whilst your statement today suggests that there is an intention for Transport for Wales to be given a remit and to have overall strategic direction for each of the projects, work does seem, and has seemed, to be fragmented at the moment, with different stakeholders, including the Welsh Government and local authorities, working together up until this point. So, therefore—and perhaps since the committee session—I wonder what discussions you may have had with Transport for Wales on the governance and funding arrangements of each of the projects. Will you put this information in the public domain, and are you confident that Transport for Wales has the capacity to deliver the schemes on time and on budget, and can you set out a clear road map of delivery of these projects?

Your 2017 vision rightly points out, Minister, that there are strong links between the economy of north-east Wales and that of north-west England, and I hope you can agree with me that it's a welcome announcement from the UK Government in regard to HS2, which has a huge potential to support economic growth and boost skills and promote regeneration across north-east Wales. Passengers travelling from north Wales will directly benefit from interconnecting into HS2 at Crewe, with significant reductions in journey times in England. And I wonder also—would you agree with me, Minister, that it's not just about where money and development is spent, it's about who benefits from that spend and development?

With regard to the transfer of the core Valleys lines into Welsh Government ownership to allow for work on the south-east Wales metro to progress, you have previously stated that the transfer would take place in September 2019, and, during the committee session on 29 January, Transport for Wales stated that they expect the transfer to be completed by the end of March 2020. So, can you provide an explanation as to why there has been a delay, and is the transfer on track to be completed by the end of March this year?

A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad ac am y copi ymlaen llaw hefyd? A gaf fi ateb y cwestiwn cyntaf efallai? Rwy'n credu bod angen mawr am system fetro i ysgogi twf economaidd yn y de-orllewin a'r gogledd, ac rydym ni ar y meinciau hyn yn croesawu'r prosiectau hynny a'r uchelgais yr ydych wedi ei nodi.

Rwy'n credu ei bod hefyd yn gywir dweud bod Llywodraeth y DU yn buddsoddi'r swm uchaf erioed yn seilwaith rheilffyrdd Cymru, a bydd buddsoddiad Network Rail yn llwybr Cymru ar gyfer cyfnod rheoli 6 gwerth dros £1.5 biliwn. A gaf i ddweud hefyd—ac rwy'n gwybod hyn—bod Llywodraeth y DU yn cefnogi seilwaith rheilffyrdd, ac y bydd yn ei gefnogi, gan gynnwys gorsafoedd newydd sydd ag achos busnes cryf i'w cefnogi? Ac wrth gwrs, cadarnhawyd y bydd swm ychwanegol yn sgil Barnett yn deillio o'r cyhoeddiad diweddar am fysiau, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn croesawu hynny.

Gweinidog, o ran y system metro, a gaf i eich tywys chi'n ôl i ddatganiad ym mis Mawrth 2017, o dan y teitl 'Symud Gogledd Cymru Ymlaen'? Fe wnaethoch restru prosiectau cyffrous sy'n cael eu datblygu, gan gynnwys cynlluniau rheilffyrdd a thrafnidiaeth integredig. Bron i dair blynedd yn ddiweddarach, rwy'n awyddus i weld pa gynnydd sydd wedi ei wneud. Bu pryderon ynghylch diffyg gweithredu, felly a wnewch chi ddarparu amserlen o ba bryd yn union y bydd yr hybiau trafnidiaeth integredig hyn yn cael eu cyflwyno, a chyfanswm y cyllid sy'n cael ei neilltuo ar gyfer y prosiect?

Yn ystod proses graffu Pwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau ar drafnidiaeth yn gyffredinol ychydig yn llai na phythefnos yn ôl, fe wnaeth aelodau'r pwyllgor eich holi ynghylch y sefyllfa ddiweddaraf o ran pob un o'r prosiectau metro a'r trefniadau llywodraethu yn eu cylch. Nid oedd yn eglur i mi ba sefydliad oedd yn darparu'r cyfeiriad strategol cyffredinol ar gyfer pob un o'r tri phrosiect. Nawr, er bod eich datganiad chi heddiw yn awgrymu bod bwriad i roi cylch gwaith i Trafnidiaeth Cymru ac iddyn nhw sicrhau cyfeiriad strategol cyffredinol ar gyfer pob un o'r prosiectau, mae yn ymddangos, ac mae wedi ymddangos bod y gwaith yn dameidiog ar hyn o bryd, wrth i wahanol randdeiliaid, gan gynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol, weithio gyda'i gilydd hyd at y pwynt hwn. Felly—ac efallai ers sesiwn y pwyllgor—tybed pa drafodaethau yr ydych wedi eu cael efallai gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru ynglŷn â threfniadau llywodraethu ac ariannu pob un o'r prosiectau. A wnewch chi gyflwyno'r wybodaeth hon i'r cyhoedd, ac a ydych yn hyderus bod gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru y gallu i gyflawni'r cynlluniau o fewn yr amserlen ac o fewn y gyllideb, ac a wnewch chi nodi map ffordd clir ar gyfer cyflawni'r prosiectau hyn?

Mae eich gweledigaeth ar gyfer 2017 yn nodi'n gywir, Gweinidog, fod cysylltiadau cryf rhwng economi gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru a gogledd-orllewin Lloegr, ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallwch chi gytuno â mi bod y cyhoeddiad gan Lywodraeth y DU ynglŷn ag HS2 i'w groesawu, gan ei fod yn cynnwys llawer iawn o botensial i gefnogi twf economaidd a hybu sgiliau a hyrwyddo adfywiad ar draws y gogledd-ddwyrain. Bydd teithwyr sy'n teithio o'r gogledd yn elwa'n uniongyrchol ar ryng-gysylltu ag HS2 yn Crewe, a lleihad sylweddol yn yr amseroedd teithio yn Lloegr. Tybed hefyd—a fyddech yn cytuno â mi, Gweinidog, nad yw'n ymwneud yn unig â lle y caiff arian a datblygiad ei wario, ond ei bod yn ymwneud hefyd â phwy sy'n elwa ar y gwariant a'r datblygiad hwnnw?

O ran trosglwyddo llinellau craidd y Cymoedd i berchnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru er mwyn caniatáu i waith ar Fetro De-ddwyrain Cymru fynd yn ei flaen, rydych wedi datgan yn flaenorol y byddai'r trosglwyddo yn digwydd ym mis Medi 2019, ac, yn ystod sesiwn y pwyllgor ar 29 Ionawr, dywedodd Trafnidiaeth Cymru eu bod yn disgwyl i'r trosglwyddo gael ei gwblhau erbyn diwedd mis Mawrth 2020. Felly, a wnewch chi roi eglurhad am yr oedi, ac a fydd y broses drosglwyddo yn cael ei chwblhau erbyn diwedd mis Mawrth eleni?

17:00

Can I thank Russell George for his questions, and also for the support he has demonstrated for our ambitions for the metro systems across Wales?

Can I just deal with the very first point that Russell George made concerning investment in rail infrastructure in Wales in control period 6? All of that investment during control period 6 will be for maintenance of the rail network—maintenance. No money is being allocated towards rail enhancements. That means that, essentially, because of underinvestment over the past decade, we are seeing the UK Government finally waking up to the fact that deferred maintenance costs an incredible sum of money. And it's as a result of that deferred maintenance, that irresponsible approach to maintaining the rail network along the Wales route, that the UK Government has now had to dig deep in order to pull forward the investment for maintenance. We wish to see a similarly generous offer for rail enhancements.

I do welcome any consequential that would come from the Prime Minister's announcement concerning bus services and active travel—the £5 billion fund. That could equate to something in the order of £50 million per year over five years, and would certainly allow us to increase the bus services support grant, so I do welcome a consequential from that particular fund. But, if we are to deliver the game-changing ambitious plans for our metros, we require further investment from UK Government. For example, I've talked about a four-trains-per-hour service from Wrexham through to Liverpool. That will require, as Members may be aware from the letter that I have sent with the metro mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, approximately £150 million of investment from UK Government. That is a tiny, tiny sum of money when you consider that, over the past five years, we've seen around £1 billion of underinvestment—money taken away from Wales, money that should have been spent on the Wales route.

Now, HS2 does indeed have the potential to transform many communities that it will serve. But if Wales is to benefit from HS2, then certain conditions must be met. We must have the right outcome at Crewe, the right hub must be developed and delivered at Crewe. We must also see electrification of the north Wales main line, and electrification of the Crewe to Chester line. That would then enable future high-speed trains to travel through to Holyhead. That is absolutely vital. The estimated cost for those works is around about £1 million, which, again, compared to the £1.6 billion estimate for HS2 is not a huge amount of investment, and then I would agree that HS2 could deliver significant benefits to north Wales.

In terms of delivering further benefits to south Wales, because there could be a net adverse impact on the economy of south Wales, we wish to see those business cases that were promised by UK Government taken forward to the next stage. Those business cases, when the electrification of the south Wales main line was cancelled, included the promise to look at improving speed on the south Wales main line. That must happen. We must see improvements to the south Wales main line as a matter of urgency.

I take the point that the Member made concerning strategic direction, and it has been different in each of the metro areas where, for example, in the Swansea bay area, we've been working very much alongside the four local authorities. In north Wales, it's very much been focused on a collaboration between Welsh Government and Flintshire council, because the commencement of the metro concept is in Deeside. However, TfW have been remitted for the forthcoming year to take strategic direction into their responsibilities and to ensure that programmes across all three metro areas are accelerated as much as possible. But, again, Russell George asked about TfW's ability to be able to cost the work. Well, TfW will be relying on UK Government funding to take forward the programmes.

The CVL transfer asset has now been triggered, and it will be completed by the end of March. There was a delay due to negotiations, but I am pleased that it has now been triggered, and I look forward to taking control of that major piece of infrastructure so that we can invest £0.75 billion in the transformational south-east Wales metro.

A gaf i ddiolch i Russell George am ei gwestiynau, a hefyd am y gefnogaeth a ddangosodd i'n huchelgeisiau ar gyfer systemau'r Metro ledled Cymru?

A gaf i ymdrin â'r pwynt cyntaf un a wnaeth Russell George ynghylch buddsoddi yn y seilwaith rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru yng nghyfnod rheoli 6? Bydd yr holl fuddsoddi hwnnw yn ystod cyfnod rheoli 6 ar gyfer gwaith cynnal a chadw'r rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd—gwaith cynnal a chadw. Nid oes dim arian yn cael ei ddyrannu er mwyn gwella'r rheilffyrdd. Mae hynny'n golygu, i bob pwrpas, oherwydd tanfuddsoddi dros y degawd diwethaf, ein bod yn gweld Llywodraeth y DU yn deffro o'r diwedd i'r ffaith bod angen swm anhygoel o arian ar gyfer gwaith cynnal a chadw a ohiriwyd. Ac o ganlyniad i'r gohirio hwnnw yn y gwaith cynnal a chadw, y dull anghyfrifol hwnnw o gynnal a chadw'r rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd ar hyd llwybr Cymru, mae Llywodraeth y DU bellach wedi gorfod twrio'n ddwfn er mwyn dwyn ymlaen y buddsoddiad ar gyfer gwaith cynnal a chadw. Hoffem weld cynnig mor hael â hynny ar gyfer gwella'r rheilffyrdd.

Rwy'n croesawu unrhyw swm canlyniadol a fyddai'n dod yn sgil cyhoeddiad y Prif Weinidog ynghylch gwasanaethau bysiau a theithio llesol—y gronfa gwerth £5 biliwn. Gallai hynny gyfateb i ryw £50 miliwn y flwyddyn dros bum mlynedd, a byddai'n sicr yn caniatáu inni gynyddu'r grant cymorth i wasanaethau bysiau, felly, rwy'n croesawu swm canlyniadol o'r gronfa benodol honno. Ond, os ydym yn bwriadu cyflawni'r cynlluniau uchelgeisiol chwyldroadol ar gyfer ein systemau metro, mae angen rhagor o fuddsoddiad arnom gan Lywodraeth y DU. Er enghraifft, rwyf wedi sôn am wasanaeth pedwar trên yr awr o Wrecsam i Lerpwl. I wneud hynny bydd angen, fel y bydd yr Aelodau yn gwybod o'r llythyr a anfonais gyda maer metro Lerpwl, Steve Rotherham, ryw £150 miliwn o fuddsoddiad gan Lywodraeth y DU. Mae hwnnw'n swm bach, bach iawn o arian o ystyried ein bod, dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf, wedi gweld rhyw £1 biliwn o danfuddsoddi—arian a dynnwyd i ffwrdd o Gymru, arian a ddylai fod wedi cael ei wario ar lwybr Cymru.

Nawr, yn wir, mae gan HS2 y potensial i drawsnewid llawer o'r cymunedau a fydd yn cael eu gwasanaethu ganddo. Ond er mwyn i Gymru elwa ar HS2, mae'n rhaid bodloni amodau penodol. Mae'n rhaid inni gael y canlyniad cywir yn Crewe, mae'n rhaid datblygu a darparu'r hyb iawn yn Crewe. Mae'n rhaid hefyd i brif reilffordd y gogledd gael ei thrydaneiddio, ac mae'n rhaid trydaneiddio'r rheilffordd rhwng Crewe a Chaer. Byddai hynny wedyn yn galluogi trenau cyflym yn y dyfodol i deithio yr holl ffordd i Gaergybi. Mae hynny'n gwbl hanfodol. Amcangyfrifir mai rhyw £1 miliwn yw'r gost ar gyfer y gwaith hwnnw, ac unwaith eto, o'i gymharu â'r amcangyfrif o £1.6 biliwn ar gyfer HS2, nid yw hwn yn swm enfawr i'w fuddsoddi, ac yna byddwn i'n cytuno y gallai HS2 sicrhau manteision sylweddol i'r gogledd.

O ran sicrhau rhagor o fanteision i'r de, oherwydd gallai fod effaith andwyol net ar economi'r de, hoffem weld yr achosion busnes hynny a addawyd gan Lywodraeth y DU yn cael eu dwyn ymlaen i'r cam nesaf. Roedd yr achosion busnes hynny, pan gafodd y cynllun i drydaneiddio prif linell y de ei ganslo, yn cynnwys yr addewid i ystyried gwella cyflymder ar brif linell y de. Mae'n rhaid i hynny ddigwydd. Mae'n rhaid inni weld gwelliannau ar brif linell y de fel mater o frys.

Rwy'n derbyn y pwynt a wnaeth yr Aelod ynglŷn â'r cyfeiriad strategol, ac mae wedi bod yn wahanol ym mhob un o ardaloedd y metro lle'r ydym, er enghraifft, yn ardal Bae Abertawe, wedi bod yn gweithio llawer iawn gyda'r pedwar awdurdod lleol. Yn y gogledd, bu'r pwyslais i raddau helaeth ar gydweithrediad rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a chyngor Sir y Fflint, oherwydd bod cysyniad y metro yn dechrau yng Nglannau Dyfrdwy. Fodd bynnag, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi cael cylch gwaith ar gyfer y flwyddyn sydd i ddod i gynnwys cyfeiriad strategol yn eu cyfrifoldebau ac i sicrhau bod rhaglenni ar draws y tair ardal metro yn cael eu cyflymu gymaint â phosibl. Ond, unwaith eto, gofynnodd Russell George am allu Trafnidiaeth Cymru i gostio'r gwaith. Wel, bydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn dibynnu ar gyllid gan Lywodraeth y DU i fwrw ymlaen â'r rhaglenni.

Mae ased trosglwyddo rheilffyrdd craidd y cymoedd wedi ei gychwyn erbyn hyn, a bydd wedi'i gwblhau erbyn diwedd mis Mawrth. Bu oedi oherwydd trafodaethau, ond rwy'n falch ei fod wedi ei gychwyn erbyn hyn, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gael rheolaeth o'r darn mawr hwnnw o seilwaith er mwyn gallu buddsoddi £0.75 biliwn ym metro trawsnewidiol de-ddwyrain Cymru.

17:05

Gaf i hefyd ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am y datganiad?

May I also thank the Minister for the statement?

Thank you very much indeed for the statement and for the advance copy. Similarly to Russell George, I'm very happy to give the commitment of these benches to supporting the principles behind the developments of these metros. We all, of course, want to see a more prosperous, greener and more equal Wales. I'm a little bit surprised, in the Minister's statement, that he talks about putting an even greater focus on connectivity, decarbonisation and integration, because I thought that was the point of the metros in the first place, but, nevertheless, that may be somewhat churlish.

If I may, I'll just raise a couple of general points with the Minister and then I've got some more detailed matters that I'd like to raise. To begin with, I'd like to associate myself with everything that he said about historic underinvestment by UK Governments in our rail structure. Of course, this is not something that began 10 years ago, and I would say that this is not exactly the best example of the UK's solidarity, regardless of which party is in control in Westminster, that the First Minister is always keen to remind us of.

But, be that as it may, I'm very glad to see that the Welsh Government has come to Plaid Cymru's thinking in terms of devolution of rail to this Senedd. We've advocated this move for a very long time, and it's good to see that the Minister's caught up with us. But, in terms of whether or not this is going to happen, can I ask the Minister what discussions he's been able to have recently with the UK Government? I fully appreciate that it may have been difficult to do that because we've got reshuffles, and you may have new people in charge, but can you update us on their thinking in terms of full devolution, which of course would require the full devolution of the necessary funding as well? And, can I ask the Minister: if the UK Government won't do what he's asking them to do, what is the fallback position? If they won't either devolve or make the investment that he's asking for, what kind of contingency plans does he require those developing the metro systems to build in, so that we can make some steps towards these laudable aims, even if we don't have the resources that we need to?

Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi am y datganiad ac am y copi ymlaen llaw. Yn yr un modd â Russell George, rwy'n hapus iawn i roi ymrwymiad y meinciau hyn i gefnogi'r egwyddorion sy'n sail i ddatblygiadau'r systemau metro hyn. Rydym ni i gyd, wrth gwrs, yn awyddus i weld Cymru sy'n fwy ffyniannus, yn fwy gwyrdd ac yn fwy cyfartal. Rwy'n synnu braidd, yn natganiad y Gweinidog, ei fod yn sôn am roi hyd yn oed mwy o bwyslais ar gysylltedd, datgarboneiddio ac integreiddio, oherwydd roeddwn i'n credu mai hynny oedd diben y systemau metro yn y lle cyntaf, ond, serch hynny, efallai fod hynny braidd yn anfoesgar.

Os caf i, hoffwn i godi un neu ddau o bwyntiau cyffredinol gyda'r Gweinidog ac yna mae gennyf ychydig o faterion manylach yr hoffwn eu codi. I ddechrau, hoffwn ategu popeth a ddywedodd am danfuddsoddi hanesyddol gan Lywodraethau'r DU yn ein strwythur rheilffyrdd. Wrth gwrs, nid yw hyn yn rhywbeth a ddechreuodd 10 mlynedd yn ôl, a byddwn i'n dweud nad hon yw'r enghraifft orau o undod y DU, ni waeth pa blaid sy'n rheoli yn San Steffan, fel y mae'r Prif Weinidog bob amser yn awyddus i'n hatgoffa.

Ond, ni waeth am hynny, rwy'n falch iawn o weld bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dechrau cytuno â syniadaeth Plaid Cymru o ran datganoli'r rheilffyrdd i'r Senedd hon. Rydym wedi argymell y symudiad hwn ers amser maith, a da yw gweld bod y Gweinidog wedi cyrraedd yr un pwynt â ni. Ond, o ran a yw hyn yn mynd i ddigwydd ai peidio, a gaf i ofyn i'r Gweinidog pa drafodaethau y mae wedi gallu eu cael yn ddiweddar gyda Llywodraeth y DU? Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'n llwyr y gallai fod wedi bod yn anodd gwneud hynny oherwydd bod gennym ni'r ad-drefnu, ac efallai fod gennych chi bobl newydd wrth y llyw, ond a wnewch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni am eu meddylfryd o ran datganoli llawn, a fyddai wrth gwrs yn galw am ddatganoli'n llawn yr holl gyllid angenrheidiol hefyd? Ac, a gaf i ofyn i'r Gweinidog: os na fydd Llywodraeth y DU yn gwneud yr hyn y mae'n gofyn iddyn nhw ei wneud, beth yw'r sefyllfa wrth gefn? Os na fyddan nhw naill ai'n datganoli neu'n gwneud y buddsoddiad y mae'n gofyn amdano, pa fath o gynlluniau wrth gefn sydd ganddo i'w gwneud yn ofynnol i'r rhai sy'n datblygu'r systemau metro eu hadeiladu, fel y gallwn ni wneud rhai camau tuag at y nodau canmoladwy hyn, hyd yn oed os nad oes gennym yr adnoddau sydd eu hangen arnom?

I'm also very glad to see that the Welsh Government has come around to our side of the argument with regard to Wales getting its fair share out of the HS2 spend. The Minister may or may not remember a Welsh Government spokesperson saying some years ago—and I quote—when we were talking about the Barnett consequential: 'This is embarrassing guff from Plaid Cymru. They've got it totally wrong on HS2. Rather than admit their mistake, Plaid are digging a deeper and deeper hole.' I wasn't there, so I'm not quite sure what hole that was. We were then accused of a lack of humility. I'm sure that the Minister will now want to dissociate himself from that previous statement and to be absolutely ready to say that we were right all along.

If I can turn to some specifics, with regard to the north Wales metro, it's good to see some progress on this. But, in that context, it's quite concerning, and perhaps counter-intuitive, that of the additional £2 billion investment in transport that the Welsh Government intends to make in its budget, which is very welcome, only £20 million of that has been allocated to the north. Would he accept that, as things stand, the north-east plan relies very heavily on improving current services rather than looking at the transformation of services, and does he think that that's good enough?

Unsurprisingly, I disagree with Russell George with regard to the extent of the investment in linking the north of Wales into the north of England. That, of course, is important to do, but there is also a need for us to build stronger links between the north and south of Wales and, indeed, between the north-east of Wales and the north-west of Wales. I think that we need to have a balance, and it would be interesting to hear from the Minister what his understanding is, when he talks about the investment for that link to Liverpool, how much of that investment he expects to be spent in Wales and how much he expects to be spent in England.

Again, I'm very pleased to welcome what he's had to say about the Swansea metro, but I hope that the Minister will agree with me that it's very important that the Swansea metro—well, Swansea and south-west Wales, indeed—doesn't just link east to west along the rail equivalent of the M4 corridor, but also has the north-south links that will enable Valleys communities, further to the question that my colleague Dai Lloyd asked earlier, to make reliable use of those rail, light rail and bus services. Obviously, that's very important for people to be able to get access to good-quality job opportunities.

With regard to the forthcoming bus legislation that the Minister mentions, he will recall that we raised some concerns in the committee about the focus in the legislation on empowering local government, which of course I'm sure we would all very much welcome, but we are concerned, as I'm sure the Minister will remember, about whether or not this legislation provides the right vehicle for national and regional co-ordination. I understand and accept what the Minister said to the committee about regional co-ordination, but I'm still at a loss to see where this legislation will support the national co-ordination that we need if the metro developments are truly to work.

In terms of leadership and strategic direction, in response to Russell George, the Minister did clarify a little bit more about the role of Transport for Wales, but I'm still not clear about where the accountability and leadership is going to sit for this. Obviously, in terms of our scrutiny as Members of this Senedd, we will be scrutinising the Minister, but we also need to know who the Minister is asking questions of in terms of this broader strategic direction. I would be grateful if the Minister could tell us a little bit more about that, and how that accountability is going to balance with the very much more local and regionalised focus on bus services.

I want to briefly abuse my privilege and make a regional point. The Minister mentions in his statement hub locations, Wrexham general hospital—all very welcome. I wonder if the Minister will commit today to allowing his officials to discuss with the Hywel Dda health board the potential for public transport around the proposed new hospital site. Obviously, that proposed new hospital is a very long way off, and I know that the business case hasn't been completed. But, in discussions that we've had on this side of the house with Hywel Dda, they are very keen that, from the beginning, that hub should be a hub that can be supported by really effective public transport, because otherwise that will just increase the pressure on the roads in that area. And I wonder if the Minister will be prepared to commit today to his officials working at this very early stage with Hywel Dda to enable that to be a hub, potentially, as part of the south-west metro.

Finally, the Minister mentions the infrastructure, the Barnett consequential that we expect of £3.7 billion. Are we to take from his statement today that he expects all of that to be spent on transport, or is that a matter for further discussion? Because at the moment, if one reads his statement, that is what one would think.

Just a final comment more than a question: the Minister talks about transforming urban and inter-city connectivity in Wales. We of course have many communities in Wales that have almost no public transport at all, and I'd urge the Minister that, in his focus on the need, and we're not disagreeing with the need for this urban and Valleys and inter-city connectivity, we don't lose sight of those communities—and I'm thinking particularly of some in Gwynedd, some in Pembrokeshire—that have no access to public transport. I'm seeking some reassurance from the Minister that this isn't an either/or.

Rwyf hefyd yn falch iawn o weld bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dod draw i'n hochr ni o'r ddadl ynglŷn â sicrhau bod Cymru yn cael ei chyfran deg o wariant HS2. Efallai y bydd y Gweinidog yn cofio, neu efallai ddim, lefarydd o Lywodraeth Cymru yn dweud rai blynyddoedd yn ôl—ac rwy'n dyfynnu—pan oeddem yn sôn am swm canlyniadol Barnett: Mae hyn yn rwtsh i beri embaras i Blaid Cymru. Maen nhw'n gwbl anghywir ynglŷn â HS2. Yn hytrach na chyfaddef eu camgymeriad, mae Plaid yn cloddio twll dyfnach a dyfnach. Nid oeddwn i yno, felly nid wyf i'n gallu bod yn hollol siŵr pa dwll oedd hynny. Yna cawsom ein cyhuddo o ddiffyg gostyngeiddrwydd. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn awyddus erbyn hyn i ddatgysylltu ei hun oddi wrth y datganiad blaenorol hwnnw a bod yn gwbl barod i ddweud ein bod yn iawn ar hyd yr amser.

Os caf i droi at rai pethau penodol, o ran Metro Gogledd Cymru, mae'n dda gweld rhywfaint o gynnydd yn hyn o beth. Ond, yn y cyd-destun hwnnw, mae'n peri cryn bryder, ac efallai ei fod yn wrthreddfol, mai dim ond £20 miliwn o'r buddsoddiad o £2 biliwn ychwanegol mewn trafnidiaeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu ei wneud yn ei chyllideb, sydd i'w groesawu'n fawr, sydd wedi'i ddyrannu i'r gogledd. A fyddai'n derbyn, fel y mae pethau ar hyn o bryd, fod cynllun y gogledd-ddwyrain yn dibynnu'n fawr iawn ar wella'r gwasanaethau presennol yn hytrach na cheisio gweddnewid gwasanaethau, ac a yw'n credu bod hynny'n ddigon da?

Nid yw'n syndod fy mod i'n anghytuno â Russell George ynglŷn â maint y buddsoddiad i gysylltu gogledd Cymru â gogledd Lloegr. Mae hynny, wrth gwrs, yn bwysig i'w wneud, ond mae angen hefyd inni feithrin cysylltiadau cryfach rhwng gogledd a de Cymru ac, yn wir, rhwng gogledd-ddwyrain a gogledd-orllewin Cymru. Rwy'n credu bod angen cael cydbwysedd, a byddai'n ddiddorol clywed gan y Gweinidog beth yw ei ddealltwriaeth ef, pan fydd yn sôn am y buddsoddiad ar gyfer y cyswllt hwnnw â Lerpwl, o faint o'r buddsoddiad hwnnw y mae ef yn disgwyl i gael ei wario yng Nghymru a faint y mae'n disgwyl i gael ei wario yn Lloegr.

Unwaith eto, rwy'n falch iawn o groesawu'r hyn y mae wedi ei ddweud am y metro yn Abertawe, ond rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi ei bod yn bwysig iawn nad yw Metro Abertawe—wel, Abertawe a'r de-orllewin, yn wir—yn cysylltu'r dwyrain a'r gorllewin yn unig ar hyd y rheilffordd sy'n cyfateb i goridor yr M4, ond ei fod hefyd yn cynnwys cysylltiadau gogledd-de a fydd yn galluogi cymunedau'r Cymoedd, i ychwanegu at y cwestiwn a ofynnodd fy nghyd-Aelod Dai Lloyd yn gynharach, i wneud defnydd dibynadwy o'r gwasanaethau rheilffordd, rheilffordd ysgafn a bysiau hynny. Yn amlwg, mae hynny'n bwysig iawn er mwyn i bobl allu cael mynediad i gyfleoedd am swyddi o ansawdd da.

O ran y ddeddfwriaeth bysiau sydd ar ddod y mae'r Gweinidog yn sôn amdani, bydd yn cofio inni godi rhai pryderon yn y pwyllgor ynglŷn â'r pwyslais yn y ddeddfwriaeth ar rymuso llywodraeth leol, ac wrth gwrs rwy'n siŵr y byddem ni i gyd yn croesawu hynny'n fawr, ond rydym yn pryderu, fel rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn ei gofio, ynghylch a yw'r ddeddfwriaeth hon yn darparu'r cyfrwng cywir ar gyfer cydgysylltu cenedlaethol a rhanbarthol. Rwy'n deall ac yn derbyn yr hyn a ddywedodd y Gweinidog wrth y pwyllgor ynglŷn â chydgysylltu rhanbarthol, ond nid wyf i'n gweld o hyd ymhle y bydd y ddeddfwriaeth hon yn cefnogi'r cydgysylltu cenedlaethol y mae ei angen arnom er mwyn i'r datblygiadau metro weithio'n wirioneddol.

O ran arweinyddiaeth a chyfeiriad strategol, mewn ymateb i Russell George, fe wnaeth y Gweinidog egluro ychydig yn fwy am swyddogaeth Trafnidiaeth Cymru, ond nid wyf i'n glir o hyd ymhle y bydd yr atebolrwydd a'r arweinyddiaeth yn gorffwys ar gyfer hyn. Yn amlwg, o ran ein gwaith craffu fel Aelodau o'r Senedd hon, byddwn yn craffu ar waith y Gweinidog, ond mae angen inni wybod hefyd i bwy y mae'r Gweinidog yn gofyn cwestiynau o ran y cyfeiriad strategol ehangach hwn. Byddwn i'n ddiolchgar pe gallai'r Gweinidog ddweud ychydig mwy wrthym am hynny, a sut y bydd yr atebolrwydd hwnnw yn cydbwyso â'r pwyslais llawer mwy lleol a rhanbarthol ar wasanaethau bysiau.

Hoffwn i gam-drin fy mraint yn fyr a gwneud pwynt rhanbarthol. Mae'r Gweinidog yn crybwyll yn ei ddatganiad leoliadau hyb, ysbyty cyffredinol Wrecsam—mae'r cyfan i'w groesawu yn fawr. Tybed a wnaiff y Gweinidog ymrwymo heddiw i ganiatáu i'w swyddogion drafod gyda bwrdd iechyd Hywel dda y potensial i gael trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus o amgylch safle arfaethedig yr ysbyty newydd. Yn amlwg, mae'r ysbyty newydd arfaethedig hwnnw yn bell iawn o gael ei gwblhau, ac rwy'n gwybod nad yw'r achos busnes wedi ei gwblhau. Ond, mewn trafodaethau yr ydym ni wedi eu cael ar yr ochr hon o'r tŷ gyda Hywel Dda, maen nhw'n awyddus iawn, o'r dechrau, y dylai'r hyb hwnnw fod yn hyb y gellir ei gefnogi gan drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus hynod effeithiol, oherwydd fel arall bydd hynny dim ond yn cynyddu'r pwysau ar y ffyrdd yn yr ardal honno. A tybed a fydd y Gweinidog yn barod i ymrwymo heddiw i'w swyddogion sy'n gweithio ar y cyfnod cynnar hwn gyda Hywel Dda i alluogi hynny i fod yn hyb, o bosibl, yn rhan o Metro'r De-orllewin.

Yn olaf, mae'r Gweinidog yn sôn am y seilwaith, y swm canlyniadol Barnett yr ydym yn ei ddisgwyl o £3.7 biliwn. A ydym i gymryd o'i ddatganiad heddiw ei fod yn disgwyl i hynny i gyd gael ei wario ar drafnidiaeth, neu a yw hynny'n fater i'w drafod ymhellach? Oherwydd ar hyn o bryd, os bydd rhywun yn darllen ei ddatganiad, dyna y byddai'n ei feddwl.

Mae gennyf un sylw olaf yn hytrach na chwestiwn: mae'r Gweinidog yn sôn am weddnewid cysylltedd trefol ac inter-city yng Nghymru. Wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni lawer o gymunedau yng Nghymru nad oes ganddyn nhw braidd dim trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus o gwbl. Felly, byddwn i'n annog y Gweinidog, wrth iddo ganolbwyntio ar yr angen, ac nid ydym yn anghytuno â'r angen am y cysylltedd trefol a'r Cymoedd ac inter-city hyn, nad ydym yn anghofio am y cymunedau hynny—ac rwy'n meddwl yn arbennig am rai yng Ngwynedd, rhai yn Sir Benfro—nad oes ganddyn nhw fynediad at drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus o gwbl. Rwy'n gofyn am rywfaint o sicrwydd gan y Gweinidog nad yw hyn yn fater o naill ai/neu.

17:15

Can I thank Helen Mary Jones for her questions and assure her that that focus is equally on rural and distinct communities as it is on urban communities? It's why we've invested so heavily in services through the TrawsCymru network. It's why we believe that the reforms to local bus services through legislation that's going to be brought to this Chamber is so vitally important, and we are fully committed to improving connectivity right across Wales, in rural and in urban areas.

Of course, the £3.7 billion consequential will be spent against Welsh Government priorities, and transport is a key Welsh Government priority. We know the cost of rail infrastructure improvements. That £3.7 million could pay for many projects that would improve the metro infrastructure in north and south Wales. 

Now, I'm going to go back to the first points that Helen Mary Jones made, and thank her for the support for the principles of the metro projects. I think that support is consistent with other support that has been offered across this Chamber for the Welsh Government's approach to rail infrastructure, and in particular to our submission to Williams. In essence, the problem that we have with investment in infrastructure in the UK is that the business case is set against Treasury Green Book rules, and that will always skew investment towards areas that have already benefited heavily from investment—areas where there already is good connectivity and areas where there is already a high concentration of wealth. Those rules need to be torn up. I took heart from briefings that took place over the Christmas period by either UK Government Ministers or advisers to the press that Ministers were looking at tearing up those rules. We've seen nothing of any paper being torn up since, but I am hopeful that they will take a different approach now that they have a different Prime Minister, and that they will back up their claims of wanting to rebalance the UK economy by implementing new rules for investment. 

In terms of questions about devolution of rail infrastructure, and whether there might be a plan B, we simply don't know what Keith Williams is going to recommend when his report is finally published. Therefore, we don't know what could be contained with the rail White Paper. I've met with Secretaries of State on numerous occasions, not just within transport, but also in the Wales Office, and pressed the case for full devolution and a fair settlement to go with it. I think we've made a powerful and united case for devolution—a united case that has received support from every single party in this Chamber, and so I remain optimistic. However, if it's decided that devolution will not take place, then we would expect a carefully considered method of investing what we deserve in Wales, and in a way that gives us control over enhancements. 

Now, in terms of HS2, I'm not entirely certain what the Plaid Cymru position is on HS2, to be honest. I think it is to oppose HS2 even if it brings a £50 million annual benefit to north Wales. The position of Plaid Cymru seems to be to oppose HS2, and I would invite Plaid Cymru just to confirm whether or not Plaid Cymru would oppose HS2 if we were successful in electrifying the line from Crewe to Holyhead. [Interruption.] Right, so we've had the answer. We've had the answer. In no circumstances will Plaid Cymru support better connectivity across north Wales and to London and to the midlands and to the north-west with HS2. That is its position—that north Wales will lose out under Plaid Cymru. If they were to take forward their proposals, we would never see electrified HS2 services to the north of our country. That is simply unacceptable as a position to take, because we know, for example, that, there or thereabout, 25,000 people cross the border from Wales to England each day. They can't access their jobs by rail at the moment or by public transport—they are having to take motor vehicles. That's why our focus at the outset has been on improving connectivity in and around the Deeside industrial estate.

A similar number of people cross the border the other way to get employment, contributing hugely to carbon emissions, and that's why, as a responsible Government that is determined to meet its obligations in the climate emergency, we are investing in the metro in that area. And it's also why I believe that HS2 could be beneficial to the north of Wales—[Interruption.]—but only if the right option for Crewe is delivered and we get that £1 billion investment from Crewe to Holyhead. [Interruption.] The Member shouts, 'That is not on the table.' That is precisely what the Prime Minister has been told is needed by the First Minister. We've not had a response yet from the Prime Minister, but it is very well known now that with the TEN-T programme, with the obligation on the UK Government to deliver electrification—if that takes place, we could see future Avanti services, HS services, high-speed services travelling through north Wales. Why would Plaid Cymru oppose HS2 delivering for north Wales? It's a bizarre position to take.

Now, the £20 million that is being allocated for metro improvements is money that can be spent in the financial year that it's being allocated—money that will deliver improvements across north Wales, not just within that immediate Deeside enterprise park area. And it's part of our plans to spend £1 billion on transport schemes in north Wales—£1 billion. We would hope the UK Government would meet our investment with £1 billion to electrify the main line as well.

In terms of accountability for metro schemes, for bus services and so forth—well, of course, it sits with the Welsh Minister in so far as Welsh Government responsibilities are concerned. But with the corporate joint committees, they would have, through their council leaders—responsibility and accountability would be with them.

I can promise the Member that we are already working with the health board with regard to Hywel Dda and making sure that we do have good public transport links to that particular piece of social infrastructure. It's absolutely vital that people are able to access hospitals by public transport, and that's exactly what we're going to make sure we do with Hywel Dda.

A gaf i ddiolch i Helen Mary Jones am ei chwestiynau a'i sicrhau bod yr un pwyslais hwnnw ar gymunedau gwledig ag sydd ar gymunedau trefol? Dyna pam yr ydym wedi buddsoddi cymaint mewn gwasanaethau drwy rwydwaith TrawsCymru. Dyna pam yr ydym ni o'r farn bod y diwygiadau i wasanaethau bysiau lleol drwy ddeddfwriaeth a fydd yn cael ei chyflwyno i'r Siambr hon mor hanfodol bwysig, ac rydym wedi ymrwymo'n llwyr i wella cysylltedd ledled Cymru gyfan, mewn ardaloedd gwledig a threfol.

Wrth gwrs, bydd y swm canlyniadol o £3.7 biliwn yn cael ei wario ar flaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru, ac mae trafnidiaeth yn flaenoriaeth allweddol i Lywodraeth Cymru. Rydym yn gwybod beth yw cost gwelliannau i'r seilwaith rheilffyrdd. Gallai'r £3.7 miliwn hwnnw dalu am lawer o brosiectau a fyddai'n gwella'r seilwaith metro yn y gogledd a'r de.

Nawr, rwyf am fynd yn ôl at y pwyntiau cyntaf a wnaeth Helen Mary Jones, a diolch iddi am y gefnogaeth i egwyddorion y prosiectau metro. Rwy'n credu bod y gefnogaeth honno yn gyson â chefnogaeth arall a gynigiwyd ar draws y Siambr hon i ddull Llywodraeth Cymru o ymdrin â seilwaith rheilffyrdd, ac yn benodol i'n cyflwyniad i Williams. Yn ei hanfod, y broblem sydd gennym o ran buddsoddi mewn seilwaith yn y DU yw bod yr achos busnes yn cael ei osod yn erbyn rheolau Llyfr Gwyrdd y Trysorlys, a bydd hynny bob amser yn gogwyddo buddsoddiad tuag at ardaloedd sydd eisoes wedi elwa'n sylweddol ar fuddsoddiad—ardaloedd lle mae cysylltedd da eisoes yn bodoli ac ardaloedd lle mae crynodiad uchel o gyfoeth eisoes. Mae angen rhwygo'r rheolau hynny. Cefais fy nghalonogi gan sesiynau briffio a gynhaliwyd dros gyfnod y Nadolig naill ai gan Weinidogion neu gynghorwyr Llywodraeth y DU i'r wasg bod Gweinidogion yn ystyried rhwygo'r rheolau hynny. Nid ydym ni wedi gweld unrhyw bapur yn cael ei rwygo ers hynny, ond rwy'n gobeithio y byddan nhw'n defnyddio dull gwahanol gan fod ganddyn nhw Brif Weinidog gwahanol erbyn hyn, ac y byddan nhw'n ategu eu honiadau o fod eisiau ailgydbwyso economi'r DU drwy weithredu rheolau newydd ar gyfer buddsoddiad.

O ran y cwestiynau ynglŷn â datganoli seilwaith rheilffyrdd, ac a allai fod cynllun B, yn syml nid ydym yn gwybod beth y bydd Keith Williams yn ei argymell pan gaiff ei adroddiad ei gyhoeddi o'r diwedd. Felly, nid ydym yn gwybod beth y gellid ei gynnwys gyda'r Papur Gwyn ar reilffyrdd. Rwyf wedi cwrdd ag Ysgrifenyddion Gwladol ar sawl achlysur, nid yn unig o fewn trafnidiaeth, ond hefyd yn Swyddfa Cymru, ac wedi pwysleisio'r achos dros ddatganoli llawn a setliad teg i gyd-fynd ag ef. Rwy'n credu ein bod wedi gwneud achos pwerus ac unedig dros ddatganoli—achos unedig sydd wedi cael cefnogaeth gan bob un blaid yn y Siambr hon, ac felly rwy'n parhau i fod yn optimistaidd. Fodd bynnag, os penderfynir na fydd datganoli'n digwydd, yna byddem yn disgwyl dull sydd wedi ei ystyried yn ofalus o fuddsoddi yr hyn yr ydym yn ei haeddu yng Nghymru, ac mewn ffordd sy'n rhoi rheolaeth i ni dros welliannau.

Nawr, o ran HS2, nid wyf yn hollol sicr beth yw safbwynt Plaid Cymru ynglŷn â HS2, a dweud y gwir. Rwy'n credu mai gwrthwynebu HS2 y maen nhw hyd yn oed os bydd yn dod â £50 miliwn o fudd blynyddol i'r gogledd. Mae'n ymddangos mai safbwynt Plaid Cymru yw gwrthwynebu HS2, a byddwn i'n gwahodd Plaid Cymru i gadarnhau a fyddent yn gwrthwynebu HS2 ai peidio pe baem ni'n llwyddo i drydaneiddio'r rheilffordd o Crewe i Gaergybi. [Torri ar draws.] Iawn, felly rydym wedi cael yr ateb. Rydym wedi cael yr ateb. Ni fydd Plaid Cymru yn cefnogi cysylltedd gwell ar draws y gogledd ac i Lundain ac i Ganolbarth Lloegr ac i'r gogledd-orllewin gyda HS2 o dan unrhyw amgylchiadau. Dyna yw ei safbwynt—y bydd y gogledd ar ei cholled o dan Blaid Cymru. Pe baent yn bwrw ymlaen â'u cynigion nhw, ni fyddem byth yn gweld gwasanaethau HS2 wedi eu trydaneiddio i'r gogledd o'n gwlad. Mae hynny'n safbwynt gwbl annerbyniol i'w arddel, oherwydd rydym yn gwybod, er enghraifft, bod 25,000 o bobl, fwy neu lai, yn croesi'r ffin o Gymru i Loegr bob dydd. Nid ydyn nhw'n gallu cyrraedd eu swyddi ar drenau ar hyn o bryd nac ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus—mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw ddefnyddio cerbydau modur. Dyna pam ein bod wedi canolbwyntio o'r cychwyn ar wella cysylltedd yn ystad ddiwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy ac o'i hamgylch.

Mae nifer tebyg o bobl yn croesi'r ffin y ffordd arall i gael gwaith, gan gyfrannu'n aruthrol at allyriadau carbon, a dyna pam, fel Llywodraeth gyfrifol sy'n benderfynol o gyflawni ei rhwymedigaethau yn yr argyfwng hinsawdd, ein bod yn buddsoddi yn y metro yn yr ardal honno. A dyma hefyd pam yr wyf i'n credu y gallai HS2 fod yn fuddiol i'r gogledd—[Torri ar draws.]—ond dim ond os yw'r opsiwn cywir ar gyfer Crewe yn cael ei gyflawni a'n bod yn cael y buddsoddiad hwnnw o £1 biliwn o Crewe i Gaergybi. [Torri ar draws.] Mae'r Aelod yn gweiddi, 'Nid yw hynny ar y bwrdd.' Dyna'n union y mae Prif Weinidog Cymru wedi dweud wrth Brif Weinidog y DU y mae ei angen. Nid ydym wedi cael ymateb gan y Prif Weinidog hyd yn hyn, ond mae'n hysbys iawn erbyn hyn, gyda'r rhaglen TEN-T, gyda'r rhwymedigaeth ar Lywodraeth y DU i gyflwyno trydaneiddio—os bydd hynny'n digwydd, y gallem weld gwasanaethau Avanti, gwasanaethau HS, gwasanaethau cyflym iawn yn teithio trwy'r gogledd yn y dyfodol. Pam fyddai Plaid Cymru yn gwrthwynebu HS2 yn cyflawni ar gyfer y gogledd? Mae'n safbwynt rhyfedd i'w arddel.

Nawr, mae'r £20 miliwn sy'n cael ei neilltuo ar gyfer gwelliannau i'r metro yn arian y gellir ei wario yn y flwyddyn ariannol y mae'n cael ei ddyrannu ynddi—arian a fydd yn sicrhau gwelliannau ar draws y gogledd, nid dim ond o fewn ardal gyfagos parc menter Glannau Dyfrdwy. Ac mae'n rhan o'n cynlluniau i wario £1 biliwn ar gynlluniau trafnidiaeth yn y gogledd—£1 biliwn. Byddem yn gobeithio y byddai Llywodraeth y DU yn cyfateb ein buddsoddiad ag £1 biliwn i drydaneiddio'r brif reilffordd hefyd.

O ran atebolrwydd ar gyfer cynlluniau metro, ar gyfer gwasanaethau bysiau ac yn y blaen—wel, wrth gwrs, mae'n gorffwys gyda Gweinidogion Cymru cyn belled ag y mae cyfrifoldebau Llywodraeth Cymru yn y cwestiwn. Ond gyda'r cydbwyllgorau corfforaethol, drwy eu harweinwyr cyngor—byddai'r cyfrifoldeb a'r atebolrwydd yn gorffwys gyda nhw.

Gallaf addo i'r Aelod ein bod ni eisoes yn gweithio gyda'r bwrdd iechyd yng nghyswllt Hywel Dda ac yn sicrhau bod gennym ni gysylltiadau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus da â'r darn penodol hwnnw o seilwaith cymdeithasol. Mae'n gwbl hanfodol bod pobl yn gallu cael mynediad i ysbytai ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, a dyna'n union y byddwn yn sicrhau ein bod yn ei wneud gyda Hywel Dda.

Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.

The Llywydd took the Chair.

17:20

Can I thank the Minister for his statement this afternoon? We, of course, all share your ambition to see a more prosperous Wales. We might sometimes disagree on how to achieve that, but I think it is true to say that, by and large, we as a party have supported your attempts to reinvigorate the economy with a more business-friendly approach, with the improvements in infrastructure forming a large part of your support for the private business economy in Wales. However, following on from Russell George's remarks, given its rather stumbling start, do you still believe that Transport for Wales has the expertise and the resources to deliver on your ambitions?

We all understand, if not the key enabler, a transport system that takes people and goods around the country in the most efficient and, hopefully, with maximum comfort, is one that has a major impact on the growth of the economy. Companies, for instance, now use the just-in-time operational methods, where they do not hold large stocks of components, but rely on fast, efficient delivery of such from a number of suppliers. So, fast, efficient transport systems are critical to these manufacturers, often deciding on where companies locate. Can I ask the Minister: has he had maximum consultation with companies with regard to these sorts of operations?

We all understand, Minister, getting people out of their cars and onto trains and buses is a major challenge. As you outline in your statement, Wales has suffered from underinvestment by the UK Government for far too long, and we appreciate the financial and operational constraints you operate under. We therefore fully support your call for the devolution of rail infrastructure projects and operations to Wales. I was going to ask you what sort of pressure you were putting on the UK Government to deliver those competencies, but I think in answer to earlier questions you've given a comprehensive answer to that.

We also support your connectivity ambitions with regard to the expansion of the metro principles to both north and west Wales. A transport system, whether by bus or rail, which links all of Wales must be a priority for the Welsh Government. Do you envisage that local authority bus companies will play a large part in that connectivity of these more remote regions?

Minister, in the past, industries linked up with and along lines of transport. In your statement, you refer to co-locating activities alongside rail networks. We would agree with this strategy, because it not only makes far easier market access but it would also enable more use of public transport for commuters, thus reducing overall traffic on our roads.

In conclusion, Minister, we welcome and support the ambitions laid out in your statement. We acknowledge that if Wales is to climb the economic league table and deliver better jobs, and subsequently better lives for the people of Wales, a fast, efficient, well-connected transport system is an essential ingredient in making this attainable. But please, Minister, sooner rather than later.

A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma? Rydym ni, wrth gwrs, yn rhannu eich uchelgais o weld Cymru fwy ffyniannus. Efallai y byddwn ni'n anghytuno weithiau ynghylch sut i gyflawni hynny, ond rwy'n credu ei bod yn deg dweud ein bod ni fel plaid, at ei gilydd, wedi cefnogi eich ymdrechion i adfywio'r economi gydag ymagwedd sy'n fwy ystyriol o fusnesau, gyda'r gwelliannau mewn seilwaith yn ffurfio rhan fawr o'ch cefnogaeth ar gyfer yr economi busnes preifat yng Nghymru. Fodd bynnag, yn dilyn sylwadau Russell George, gan ystyried ei ddechrau simsan, a ydych chi'n dal i gredu bod gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru yr arbenigedd a'r adnoddau i gyflawni eich uchelgeisiau?

Rydym ni i gyd yn deall, os nad y prif alluogydd, bod system drafnidiaeth sy'n mynd â phobl a nwyddau o amgylch y wlad yn y modd mwyaf effeithlon, a hynny, gobeithio, mor gyfforddus â phosibl, yn un sy'n cael effaith fawr ar dwf yr economi. Mae cwmnïau, er enghraifft, erbyn hyn, yn defnyddio'r dulliau gweithredu 'dim ond mewn pryd', lle nad ydyn nhw'n dal stociau mawr o gydrannau, ond yn dibynnu ar nifer o gyflenwyr i'w darparu'n gyflym ac yn effeithlon. Felly, mae systemau trafnidiaeth cyflym, effeithlon yn hanfodol i'r gweithgynhyrchwyr hyn, gan benderfynu yn aml ynghylch ble y mae cwmnïau'n ymsefydlu. A gaf i ofyn i'r Gweinidog: a yw wedi ymgynghori i'r eithaf â chwmnïau ynghylch y mathau hyn o weithrediadau?

Rydym ni i gyd yn deall, Gweinidog, fod cael pobl allan o'u ceir ac ar drenau a bysiau'n her fawr. Fel yr ydych chi'n amlinellu yn eich datganiad, mae Cymru wedi dioddef tanfuddsoddiad gan Lywodraeth y DU am gyfnod rhy hir o lawer, ac rydym ni'n gwerthfawrogi'r cyfyngiadau ariannol a gweithredol yr ydych chi'n gweithredu y tu mewn iddyn nhw. Rydym ni felly yn cefnogi'n llwyr eich galwad am ddatganoli prosiectau a gweithrediadau seilwaith rheilffyrdd i Gymru. Roeddwn i'n mynd i ofyn i chi pa fath o bwysau yr oeddech chi'n ei roi ar Lywodraeth y DU i gyflawni'r cymwyseddau hynny, ond rwy'n credu eich bod, mewn ymateb i gwestiynau cynharach, wedi rhoi ateb cynhwysfawr i hynny.

Rydym ni hefyd yn cefnogi eich uchelgeisiau cysylltedd o ran ehangu egwyddorion y metro i ogledd a gorllewin Cymru. Mae'n rhaid i system drafnidiaeth, boed ar fws neu drên, sy'n cysylltu Cymru gyfan fod yn flaenoriaeth i Lywodraeth Cymru. A ydych chi'n rhagweld y bydd cwmnïau bysiau awdurdodau lleol yn chwarae rhan fawr yng nghysylltedd y rhanbarthau mwy anghysbell hyn?

Gweinidog, yn y gorffennol, roedd diwydiannau'n cysylltu â, ac yn lleoli ar hyd, llinellau trafnidiaeth. Yn eich datganiad, rydych chi'n cyfeirio at gydleoli gweithgareddau ochr yn ochr â rhwydweithiau rheilffyrdd. Byddem ni'n cytuno â'r strategaeth hon, oherwydd ei bod nid yn unig yn ei gwneud yn haws o lawer i gael mynediad at y farchnad ond byddai hefyd yn galluogi cymudwyr i ddefnydd trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn fwy, gan leihau traffig yn gyffredinol ar ein ffyrdd.

I gloi, Gweinidog, rydym i'n croesawu ac yn cefnogi'r uchelgeisiau a gafodd eu nodi yn eich datganiad. Rydym ni'n cydnabod, os yw Cymru eisiau dringo'r tabl cynghrair economaidd a darparu gwell swyddi, ac yn dilyn hynny, bywydau gwell i bobl Cymru, fod system drafnidiaeth gyflym, effeithlon, gyda chysylltiadau da, yn elfen hanfodol er mwyn sicrhau bod hyn yn bosibl. Ond os gwelwch yn dda, Gweinidog, cyn gynted ag y bo modd.

17:25

Can I thank David Rowlands for his contribution and again recognise the clear support that is forthcoming from his party for our position on rail devolution? I'd like to thank David Rowlands as well for recognising the importance of the private sector to our prosperity in Wales, and that is vitally important, particularly at this moment in time when we do face uncertainty over Brexit still. Whilst enjoying record low unemployment, we wish to develop a country that has more high-quality job opportunities for its citizens.

And we have engaged quite extensively with the business community through business councils in the development of transport proposals. For example, in developing our vision for the metro in north Wales, we engaged and consulted with Deeside professionals. We've also engaged with the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce. We've engaged with the business council for north Wales as well, ensuring that the needs of businesses across the region are recognised in the development of our plans.

Fast and efficient transport links are absolutely vital in growing businesses and in attracting inward investment, particularly in areas of Wales that are close to the border. It's all too easy sometimes to allow our competitors to take jobs and opportunities through not investing in infrastructure, and that's why it's vitally important that the UK Government steps up and invests with capital in rail transport.

In terms of local authority bus companies, this is just one of the provisions—if you like, one of the tools—that will be available in the legislation that's going to be coming forward, and the ability for councils to be able to run their own bus companies of course is something that could be considered in rural areas where there is no competition, or where there is equally no provision. And it's just one of the tools that we'll be providing for in the legislation that's going to be introduced in the spring to this Chamber.

I would agree also with the Member in what he said about the co-location of services. It aligns very neatly as well with our town-centre-first approach to public investment, to the public sector locating in areas where it can generate town-centre income for shop owners and service providers. And a good example of how we're looking at co-locating services is in Wrexham, with the Wrexham gateway vision, where we will be investing in Wrexham General station, but where I'm pleased to say that we will be purchasing land at the kop end of Wrexham Racecourse. It's a particularly proud moment for Welsh Government to be in a position to do that, because it could lead to the transformation of that particular areas, that gateway area of Wrexham, bringing in more services at a historic site.

A gaf i ddiolch i David Rowlands am ei gyfraniad a chydnabod unwaith eto y gefnogaeth glir a ddaw gan ei blaid i'n safbwynt ar ddatganoli rheilffyrdd? Hoffwn ddiolch i David Rowlands am gydnabod pwysigrwydd y sector preifat i'n ffyniant ni yng Nghymru, ac mae hynny'n hanfodol bwysig, yn enwedig ar hyn o bryd pan rydym ni'n dal i wynebu ansicrwydd ynghylch Brexit. Er bod gennym y diweithdra isaf erioed, rydym ni eisiau datblygu gwlad sydd â chyfleoedd swyddi o ansawdd uwch ar gyfer ei dinasyddion.

Ac rydym ni wedi ymgysylltu'n eithaf helaeth â'r gymuned fusnes drwy gynghorau busnes wrth ddatblygu cynigion trafnidiaeth. Er enghraifft, wrth ddatblygu ein gweledigaeth ar gyfer y metro yn y gogledd, fe wnaethom ni ymgysylltu ac ymgynghori â gweithwyr proffesiynol Glannau Dyfrdwy. Rydym ni hefyd wedi ymgysylltu â Siambr Fasnach Gorllewin Swydd Gaer a Gogledd Cymru. Rydym ni wedi ymgysylltu â chyngor busnes gogledd Cymru hefyd, gan sicrhau bod anghenion busnesau ledled y rhanbarth yn cael eu cydnabod wrth i ni ddatblygu ein cynlluniau.

Mae cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth cyflym ac effeithlon yn gwbl hanfodol i dyfu busnesau ac i ddenu mewnfuddsoddiad, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd o Gymru sy'n agos at y ffin. Mae'n rhy hawdd weithiau caniatáu i'n cystadleuwyr gymryd swyddi a chyfleoedd drwy beidio â buddsoddi mewn seilwaith, a dyna pam mae'n hanfodol bwysig bod Llywodraeth y DU yn cymryd camau ac yn buddsoddi gyda chyfalaf mewn trafnidiaeth rheilffyrdd.

O ran cwmnïau bysiau'r awdurdodau lleol, dim ond un o'r darpariaethau yw hyn—os mynnwch chi, un o'r dulliau—a fydd ar gael yn y ddeddfwriaeth a fydd yn cael ei chyflwyno, ac mae gallu cynghorau i gynnal eu cwmnïau bysiau eu hunain yn un peth y byddai'n bosibl ei ystyried mewn ardaloedd gwledig lle nad oes cystadleuaeth, neu yn yr un modd,  lle nad oes darpariaeth. Ac un yn unig yw hwnnw o'r dulliau y byddwn ni yn darparu ar eu cyfer yn y ddeddfwriaeth a gaiff ei chyflwyno yn y Siambr hon yn y gwanwyn.

Byddwn yn cytuno hefyd â'r Aelod o ran yr hyn a ddywedodd am gydleoli gwasanaethau. Mae'n cyd-fynd yn daclus iawn â'n dull gweithredu canol-y-dref-yn-gyntaf o fuddsoddi cyhoeddus a hynny i'r sector cyhoeddus sy'n lleoli mewn ardaloedd lle y gall gynhyrchu incwm yng nghanol y dref i berchenogion siopau a darparwyr gwasanaethau. Ac enghraifft dda o sut yr ydym ni'n ystyried cyd-leoli gwasanaethau yw yn Wrecsam, gyda gweledigaeth porth Wrecsam, lle byddwn ni'n buddsoddi yng ngorsaf Gyffredinol Wrecsam, ond lle rwy'n falch o ddweud y byddwn ni'n prynu tir ben y Kop yng Nghae Ras Wrecsam. Mae'n foment hynod o falch i Lywodraeth Cymru fod mewn sefyllfa i allu gwneud hynny, oherwydd gallai arwain at weddnewid yr ardaloedd penodol hynny, sef ardal y porth honno yn Wrecsam, gan gyflwyno mwy o wasanaethau ar safle hanesyddol.

17:30

Minister, it is important that the north Wales metro delivers for generations to come, and it is the transport network that residents in north Wales deserve. For residents in Alyn and Deeside, this is about delivering the Flintshire corridor to act as the spine of the north Wales metro. It is also about creating key transport hubs to achieve a fully integrated, multi-modal system, and I welcome in your statement, Minister, that you have recognised Shotton as a key hub.

However, we will need more hubs to ensure all areas, including our rural communities, benefit. This will have to include places like Buckley and Broughton, to allow them and surrounding rural areas to be properly connected. Minister, we also need to deliver on a station for Deeside industrial park, and I welcome your commitment to that station, which will link people from right across north Wales and across the border to the north west of England to their place of work. So, Minister, what work can be done to make sure all of these communities can benefit from such a metro, in particular our rural areas?

And if I may, Minister, bring you back to your statement where you were absolutely right to mention the years of under-investment from a UK Conservative Government, a Government that is spending over £100 billion on an England-only HS2. Minister, what message do you send to the UK Government and others who are refusing to give the people of north Wales what is rightfully theirs?

Gweinidog, mae'n bwysig bod metro gogledd Cymru yn cyflawni am genedlaethau i ddod, a dyma'r rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth y mae trigolion gogledd Cymru yn ei haeddu. I breswylwyr yn Alun a Glannau Dyfrdwy, mae hyn yn ymwneud â darparu coridor Sir y Fflint i weithredu fel asgwrn cefn metro gogledd Cymru. Mae'n ymwneud hefyd â chreu canolfannau trafnidiaeth allweddol i sicrhau system aml-ddull, gwbl integredig, ac rwyf yn croesawu yn eich datganiad, Gweinidog, eich bod wedi cydnabod Shotton yn un o'r prif ganolfannau.

Fodd bynnag, bydd angen mwy o ganolfannau arnom i sicrhau bod pob ardal, gan gynnwys ein cymunedau gwledig, yn elwa. Bydd yn rhaid i hyn gynnwys lleoedd fel Bwcle a Brychdyn, i ganiatáu i'r ardaloedd gwledig hynny a'r cyffiniau gael eu cysylltu'n gywir. Gweinidog, mae angen inni hefyd ddarparu gorsaf ar gyfer parc diwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy, ac rwy'n croesawu eich ymrwymiad i'r orsaf honno, a fydd yn cysylltu pobl o bob rhan o'r Gogledd a thros y ffin i ogledd-orllewin Lloegr â'u mannau gwaith. Felly, Gweinidog, pa waith y mae modd ei wneud i sicrhau y gall pob un o'r cymunedau hyn elwa ar fetro, yn enwedig yn ein hardaloedd gwledig?

Ac os caf i, Gweinidog, ddod â chi yn ôl i'ch datganiad lle'r oeddech chi'n hollol gywir i sôn am y blynyddoedd o dan-fuddsoddi gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU, Llywodraeth sy'n gwario dros £100 biliwn ar HS2 yn Lloegr yn unig. Gweinidog, pa neges yr ydych chi'n ei chyfleu i Lywodraeth y DU ac eraill sy'n gwrthod rhoi i bobl y Gogledd yr hyn y mae ganddyn nhw'r hawl iddo?

Absolutely. Can I thank Jack Sargeant for his questions and the points that he's made? HS2 could have the potential to transform north Wales. It is absolutely vital, therefore, that we get the right solution, as I've said to many Members now, both at Crewe and for north Wales, the electrification of the main line. If that happens, it could be hugely, hugely beneficial for north Wales. That, I believe, is something that every party should be fighting for, for north Wales, not just for parts of Wales, but for north Wales and all parts of Wales.

In terms of the work that is being taken forward within the Deeside area, I can inform Jack that Transport for Wales has been commissioned to develop schemes for an integrated Shotton station and also a new Deeside Parkway station, working in partnership with both Network Rail and with Flintshire County Council. This work will, in turn, complement the £12 million of funding in the last three financial years to improve bus schemes along the A548 and the B5129 and within Deeside industrial park.

Jack Sargeant raised the prospect of stations in Broughton and closer to the centre of the town in Buckley. They are both projects that I think merit further investigation. I think, in particular, a station near Airbus in Broughton would have huge potential to remove the need for 6,000 people to drive to work.

In terms of the Flintshire corridor scheme, this is particularly exciting. This £300 million scheme would enable us to deliver dedicated bus lanes and dedicated bus rapid transport systems. We could create, in turn, the longest bus corridor stretching from Deeside industrial park right along A55 to Rhyl and potentially beyond, linking together the north west of Wales and the north east of Wales through bus transport on the A55, as well as through the north Wales main line, which again I would hope, at some point in the future, will be electrified, with high-speed services running along it.

Yn hollol. A gaf i ddiolch i Jack Sargeant am ei gwestiynau a'r pwyntiau y mae ef wedi'u gwneud? Gallai HS2 fod â'r potensial i drawsnewid gogledd Cymru. Mae'n gwbl hanfodol, felly, ein bod ni'n cael yr ateb iawn, fel y dywedais wrth lawer o'r Aelodau nawr, yn Crewe ac yng ngogledd Cymru, sef trydaneiddio'r prif reilffordd. Os digwydd hynny, gallai fod yn hynod fuddiol i'r Gogledd. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n rhywbeth y dylai pob plaid fod yn brwydro drosto, dros ogledd Cymru, nid yn unig ar gyfer rhannau o Gymru, ond ar gyfer y gogledd a phob rhan o Gymru.

O ran y gwaith sy'n cael ei ddatblygu yn ardal Glannau Dyfrdwy, gallaf roi gwybod i Jack fod Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi cael ei gomisiynu i ddatblygu cynlluniau ar gyfer gorsaf integredig Shotton a hefyd gorsaf newydd Glannau Dyfrdwy Parcffordd, gan weithio mewn partneriaeth â Network Rail a Chyngor Sir y Fflint. Bydd y gwaith hwn, yn ei dro, yn ategu'r £12 miliwn o gyllid yn ystod y tair blynedd ariannol ddiwethaf i wella cynlluniau bysiau ar hyd yr A548 a'r B5129 ac ym mharc diwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy.

Cododd Jack Sargeant y posibilrwydd o gael gorsafoedd ym Mrychdyn ac yn agosach at ganol y dref ym Mwcle. Mae'r ddau brosiect yn haeddu sylw pellach, yn fy marn i. Rwy'n credu y byddai gan orsaf ger Airbus ym Mrychdyn, yn benodol, botensial enfawr i ddileu'r angen i 6,000 o bobl yrru i'r gwaith.

O ran cynllun coridor Sir y Fflint, mae hyn yn arbennig o gyffrous. Byddai'r cynllun £300 miliwn hwn yn ein galluogi i ddarparu lonydd bysiau pwrpasol a systemau trafnidiaeth cyflym penodol ar gyfer bysiau. Byddem yn gallu creu, yn ei dro, y coridor bws hiraf yn ymestyn o barc diwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy ar hyd yr A55 i'r Rhyl ac o bosibl y tu hwnt, gan gysylltu gogledd- orllewin Cymru a gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru  â'i gilydd drwy gludiant bysiau ar yr A55, yn ogystal â thrwy brif reilffordd gogledd Cymru, yr wyf eto'n gobeithio a fydd, rywbryd yn y dyfodol, yn cael ei thrydaneiddio, gyda gwasanaethau cyflym yn rhedeg ar ei hyd.

We are almost out of time on this statement, and I have very many speakers still wanting to contribute. I'll extend it slightly and call at least three other speakers, but I will want all of you to be as succinct as possible so I can call as many speakers—and succinct from the Minister, as well, please. Mark Isherwood.

Mae ein hamser ni ar y datganiad hwn bron ar ben, ac mae gennyf lawer o siaradwyr sydd eisiau cyfrannu. Fe wnaf i ei ymestyn ychydig gan alw o leiaf tri siaradwr arall, ond byddaf i eisiau i bob un ohonoch fod mor gryno â phosibl fel y gallaf  alw cynifer o siaradwyr—ac yn gryno gan y Gweinidog hefyd, os gwelwch yn dda. Mark Isherwood.

Diolch, Llywydd. I welcome your acknowledgement of the research showing that the HS2, if connected through the appropriate Crewe hub, will have a beneficial economic impact for north Wales and the wider region.

In March 2016, the UK Government announced its growth deal offer to north Wales and the Welsh Government. The following month, the Welsh Government announced its proposals for the north Wales metro, and I think the first time you mentioned it in this Chamber after the 2016 election was in response to a question from me about the north Wales growth deal offer. You mentioned the north Wales business council and, I think, the chamber of commerce, but what direct input has the north Wales growth board and economic ambition board had into the design and delivery of the evolving north Wales metro?

You say you will develop key hubs, you refer to Shotton as an example, to provide integrated bus services. Your written statement on the north Wales metro last October said you were working in partnership with Flintshire council and bus operators to deliver a bus quality partnership covering services. Can you provide an update on that, four months down the road, in terms of that partnership? And what, again, direct input, given their expressed interest in this, have community transport operators in north-east Wales had into the design and delivery of the north Wales metro?

You stated last October in your statement that, having initially focused on the delivery of the metro integrated transport hub approach in Deeside, you intend to roll out the concept to other key employment hubs, including Wrexham, Rhyl, Prestatyn, St Asaph, Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Llandudno and the Menai area, and you made some reference to this earlier. Realistically, what timescales are you thinking of, notwithstanding a political clock in the future, to enable that to occur?

And finally, you refer to even greater focus on connectivity, decarbonisation, and integration—something that Helen Mary Jones referred to earlier—and your plans for Deeside industrial park, you say, will offer viable public transport options for commuters. In your written statement last October, you also talked about the new park-and-ride site and active travel routes on Deeside industrial park. However, I understand there's been a failure of connectivity. For example, only two double chargers are being installed for the 240 parking spaces in that park and ride, and even that only occurred after sector intervention with the council. So, how will you ensure better integration of decarbonisation technology as we take this forward?

Diolch, Llywydd. Rwy'n croesawu eich cydnabyddiaeth o'r ymchwil sy'n dangos y bydd yr HS2, os caiff ei gysylltu drwy ganolfan briodol Crewe, yn cael effaith economaidd fuddiol i ogledd Cymru a'r rhanbarth ehangach.

Ym mis Mawrth 2016, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth y DU ei chynnig ar y fargen dwf i ogledd Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru. Y mis canlynol, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei chynigion ar gyfer metro gogledd Cymru, ac rwy'n credu mai'r tro cyntaf i chi ei grybwyll yn y Siambr hon ar ôl etholiad 2016 oedd mewn ymateb i gwestiwn gennyf i am gynnig bargen twf Gogledd Cymru. Fe sonioch chi am gyngor busnes gogledd Cymru ac, rwy'n credu, y siambr fasnach, ond pa fewnbwn uniongyrchol y mae bwrdd twf ac uchelgais economaidd gogledd Cymru wedi ei gael i'r gwaith o ddylunio a darparu metro Gogledd Cymru sy'n datblygu?

Rydych yn dweud y byddwch yn datblygu canolbwyntiau allweddol, rydych yn cyfeirio at Shotton fel enghraifft, i ddarparu gwasanaethau bysiau integredig. Dywedodd eich datganiad ysgrifenedig ar fetro gogledd Cymru fis Hydref diwethaf eich bod yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth â Chyngor Sir y Fflint a chwmnïau bysiau i ddarparu partneriaeth fysiau o safon yn cynnwys gwasanaethau. A allwch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y bartneriaeth honno, bedwar mis yn ddiweddarach? A pha fewnbwn uniongyrchol, unwaith eto, o gofio'r diddordeb a fynegwyd ynddo, y mae'r gweithredwyr trafnidiaeth gymunedol yn y gogledd-ddwyrain wedi ei gael i'r gwaith o ddylunio a darparu metro gogledd Cymru?

Roeddech chi wedi dweud fis Hydref diwethaf yn eich datganiad, ar ôl canolbwyntio i ddechrau ar ddarparu canolbwynt trafnidiaeth integredig y metro yng Nglannau Dyfrdwy, eich bod yn bwriadu cyflwyno'r cysyniad i ganolfannau cyflogaeth allweddol eraill, gan gynnwys Wrecsam, y Rhyl, Prestatyn, Llanelwy, Abergele, Bae Colwyn, Conwy, Llandudno ac ardal Menai, ac fe wnaethoch gyfeiriad at hyn yn gynharach. Yn realistig, pa amserlenni yr ydych chi'n eu hystyried, er gwaethaf cloc gwleidyddol yn y dyfodol, i alluogi hynny i ddigwydd?

Ac yn olaf, rydych yn cyfeirio at fyw o ganolbwyntio eto ar gysylltedd, datgarboneiddio ac integreiddio—rhywbeth y cyfeiriodd Helen Mary Jones ato'n gynharach—ac rydych yn dweud y bydd eich cynlluniau ar gyfer Parc Diwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy yn cynnig opsiynau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus hyfyw i gymudwyr. Yn eich datganiad ysgrifenedig fis Hydref diwethaf, roeddech wedi sôn hefyd am y safle parcio a theithio newydd a'r llwybrau teithio llesol ym mharc diwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n deall bod methiant cysylltedd wedi bod. Er enghraifft, dim ond dau wefrydd dwbl sy'n cael eu gosod ar gyfer y 240 o fannau parcio ar y safle parcio a theithio hwnnw, ac roedd hynny dim ond wedi digwydd ar ôl ymyrraeth y sector â'r cyngor. Felly, sut y byddwch chi'n sicrhau bod technoleg datgarboneiddio yn cael ei hintegreiddio'n well wrth inni fwrw ymlaen â hyn?

17:35

Can I thank Mark Isherwood for his questions? With regard to the charging scheme that we have at Deeside industrial park, we expect the market, first and foremost, to invest in these schemes, and then, when there's market failure, we will use taxpayers' valuable investment to invest in these schemes. But all of the indications are that, in places such as Deeside industrial park and in our railway stations, the private sector is ready to invest. And that's why TfW, Transport for Wales, have been remitted to work on a strategy for utilising the public estate to draw in private sector investment.

In terms of HS2, I just go back to the point I made earlier: yes, there would be a £50 million benefit to the economy of north-east Wales, however, it is dependent on the right hub being developed in Crewe. But the benefits could be so much greater, so much greater, if an additional £1 billion was to be spent on electrifying from Crewe to Chester and then through to Holyhead; £1 billion compared to the £1 billion great train robbery that we've seen in the past five years. This is simply IOUs coming to reality, if the UK Government decides to invest. And against an overall spend of £106 billion, £1 billion of investment in north Wales is not a considerable ask of the UK Government.

In terms of engagement with the North Wales Economic Ambition Board on our vision, we have presented to and engaged with council leaders, higher education leaders, further education leaders and representatives of business organisations. Much of the work stems from the recommendations of Growth Track 360, the report that provided the Welsh Government and the UK Government with a framework for investment in rail services and rail infrastructure. And the Member will be aware that Growth Track 360 comes from the work of the Mersey Dee Alliance, which includes council leaders who also sit on the North Wales Economic Ambition Board.

Now, Mark Isherwood is right to question the investment and when it will lead to improvements at those hubs that I mentioned in my statement. I'm pleased to say that that £20 million of additional money for the north Wales metro will be used for some of those hubs. Whether it can be spread across all of them with major impact is to be determined, but we're going to use that £20 million for those hubs elsewhere in north Wales and not just concentrate it within Deeside where there is already a considerable sum of investment.

A gaf i ddiolch i Mark Isherwood am ei gwestiynau? O ran y cynllun codi tâl sydd gennym ym mharc diwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy, rydym yn disgwyl i'r farchnad, yn anad dim, fuddsoddi yn y cynlluniau hyn, ac yna, pan fydd methiant yn y farchnad, byddwn yn defnyddio buddsoddiad gwerthfawr trethdalwyr i fuddsoddi yn y cynlluniau hyn. Ond mae'r arwyddion i gyd yn awgrymu, mewn lleoedd fel parc diwydiannol Glannau Dyfrdwy ac yn ein gorsafoedd rheilffordd, bod y sector preifat yn barod i fuddsoddi. A dyna pam mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru, wedi cael y gwaith o weithio ar strategaeth i ddefnyddio'r ystad gyhoeddus i ddenu buddsoddiad gan y sector preifat.

O ran HS2, rwy'n mynd yn ôl at y pwynt a wnes i'n gynharach: fe fyddai mantais o £50 miliwn i economi gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru, ond mae'n ddibynnol ar y ganolfan gywir yn cael ei datblygu yn Crewe. Ond gallai'r manteision fod gymaint yn fwy, cymaint yn fwy, petai £1 biliwn ychwanegol yn cael ei wario ar drydaneiddio o Crewe i Gaer ac yna draw i Gaergybi; £1 biliwn o'i gymharu â'r £1 biliwn a gafodd ei ddwyn oddi arnom yn ystod y pum mlynedd diwethaf. Yn y bôn, mae hyn ond yn gwireddu dyledion, os yw Llywodraeth y DU yn penderfynu buddsoddi. Ac yn erbyn gwariant cyffredinol o £106 biliwn, nid yw £1 biliwn o fuddsoddiad yng Ngogledd Cymru yn ormod i'w ofyn oddi wrth Lywodraeth y DU.

O ran ymgysylltu â Bwrdd Uchelgais Economaidd Gogledd Cymru o ran ein gweledigaeth, rydym wedi cysylltu ac ymgysylltu ag arweinwyr cynghorau, arweinwyr addysg uwch, arweinwyr addysg bellach a chynrychiolwyr sefydliadau busnes. Mae llawer o'r gwaith yn deillio o argymhellion Growth Track 360, sef yr adroddiad sy'n rhoi fframwaith ar gyfer buddsoddi mewn gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd a seilwaith rheilffyrdd i Lywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU. A bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol bod Growth Trac 360 yn dod o waith Cynghrair Mersi Dyfrdwy, sy'n cynnwys arweinwyr cynghorau sydd hefyd yn eistedd ar fwrdd Uchelgais Economaidd Gogledd Cymru.

Nawr, mae Mark Isherwood yn iawn i gwestiynu'r buddsoddiad a phryd y bydd yn arwain at welliannau yn y canolfannau hynny yr oeddwn i wedi cyfeirio atynt yn fy natganiad. Rwy'n falch o ddweud y bydd y £20 miliwn o arian ychwanegol ar gyfer metro gogledd Cymru yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer rhai o'r canolfannau hynny. Ni phenderfynwyd hyd yn hyn a oes modd ei ymestyn ar draws pob un ohonyn nhw, a fyddai'n cael effaith fawr, ond rydym yn mynd i ddefnyddio'r £20 miliwn hwnnw ar gyfer y canolfannau hynny mewn mannau eraill yng ngogledd Cymru, yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio ar Lannau Dyfrdwy yn unig, lle mae cryn dipyn o fuddsoddiad eisoes.

17:40

Diolch, Llywydd, am y cyfle, yn gyntaf, i bwyntio mas bod Plaid Cymru wedi gwrthwynebu HS2 oherwydd ei effaith negyddol ar Gymru ers dros ddegawd, pan oedd y syniad wedi codi'i ben yn gyntaf o dan y Llywodraeth Lafur diwethaf. Rwy'n gwybod hynny achos fi oedd y llefarydd trafnidiaeth yn San Steffan ar y pryd. Felly, o leiaf rydym ni wedi bod yn gyson, ac rydym ni wedi bod yn gyson iawn ar y pwnc yma.

Roeddwn i eisiau holi ynglŷn â Chymoedd y gorllewin eto. Rwy'n dweud 'eto' achos roedd Dai Lloyd wedi codi'r peth gyda'r Prif Weinidog—chafodd e ddim ateb. Roedd Helen Mary wedi codi'r peth gyda chi nawr—dal heb gael ateb. Felly, tri chynnig ar gyfer Cymoedd y gorllewin.

Mi oedd yna gytundeb dair blynedd yn ôl, fel rhan o gytundeb y gyllideb rhwng Plaid Cymru a Llywodraeth Lafur, eich bod chi'n mynd i ariannu gwaith datblygol ar metro i fae Abertawe a Chymoedd y gorllewin—gan gynnwys cymoedd Aman, Gwendraeth, Dulais, Tawe a Nedd—oherwydd y pwysigrwydd o sicrhau bod yr ardaloedd ôl-ddiwydiannol hynny ddim yn cael eu heithrio o'r metro.

Ac eto, does dim gair nawr am y cymoedd hynny yn eich datganiad chi heddiw, a dwi wedi cael ateb nôl gyda chi sydd yn cadarnhau doedd yr astudiaeth dichonoldeb oedd wedi cael ei hariannu yn sgil y cytundeb rhyngom ni ddim wedi edrych ar Gymoedd y gorllewin o gwbl. Pam ydych chi wedi cefnu ar y cytundeb rhyngom ni, a pham ddylai unrhyw un yng Nghymoedd y gorllewin gredu gair rŷch chi a'ch Llywodraeth yn ei ddweud?

Thank you, Llywydd, for the opportunity, first of all, to point out that Plaid Cymru has opposed HS2 because of its negative impact on Wales for over a decade, since the idea was first raised under the last Labour Government. I remember that as I was the spokesperson for transport in Westminster. We've been consistent on this issue.

I wanted to ask about the western Valleys again. I say 'again' because Dai Lloyd did raise this with the First Minister—and he didn't receive a response. Helen Mary raised it with you just now—and still hasn't received an answer. So, third time lucky, hopefully, for the western Valleys.

There was an agreement three years ago, as part of the budget agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Labour Government, that you were going to fund development work on a metro to Swansea bay and the western Valleys—including the valleys of Amman, Gwendraeth, Dulais, Tawe and Neath —because of the importance of ensuring that those post-industrial areas weren't left out of the metro.

And yet, there's no word of those valleys in your statement today, and I've received a response from you that confirms that the feasibility study that was funded as a result of the agreement between us hasn't looked at the western Valleys at all. Why have you turned your back on the agreement between us, and why should anyone in the western Valleys believe a word that you and the Government are saying?

Can I first of all pick up on the point of HS2 again? If my interpretation of Plaid's position is correct, Plaid are opposing, under all circumstances, HS2; that includes if HS2 were to be extended to north Wales. That is Plaid Cymru's position. I think it's absolutely right that people in north Wales know that Plaid Cymru would oppose high-speed rail services to north Wales. It's absolutely vital that people understand that.

In terms of west Wales and the development work, that development work has been conducted. We've also funded development work by the four councils in south-west Wales. A metro scheme must begin, first and foremost, with an assessment of what we're trying to solve, what problems we're trying to overcome. That's precisely what's happening with WelTAG studies. That's precisely what's happening with metro enhancement framework projects to assess corridor opportunities, and then to carry out further work in order to discover whether it would be best to deploy rail-based solutions or bus solutions. That is consistent with work right across Wales, whether it be in the south-west Wales Valleys, or north Wales, or the south east of Wales as we enhance the metro in the south east as well.

Yn gyntaf oll, a gaf i godi pwynt HS2 eto? Os wyf yn dehongli safbwynt Plaid Cymru yn gywir, mae Plaid yn gwrthwynebu HS2, o dan bob amgylchiad; mae hynny'n cynnwys pe bai HS2 yn cael ei ymestyn i ogledd Cymru. Dyna yw safbwynt Plaid Cymru. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn gwbl briodol bod pobl yn y gogledd yn gwybod y byddai Plaid Cymru yn gwrthwynebu gwasanaethau rheilffordd cyflym i'r gogledd. Mae'n gwbl hanfodol bod pobl yn deall hynny.

O ran gorllewin Cymru a'r gwaith datblygu, mae'r gwaith datblygu hwnnw wedi'i gyflawni. Rydym hefyd wedi ariannu gwaith datblygu gan y pedwar cyngor yn ne-orllewin Cymru. Rhaid i gynllun metro ddechrau, yn bennaf oll, gydag asesiad o'r hyn yr ydyn ni'n ceisio'i ddatrys, pa broblemau yr ydym ni'n ceisio'u goresgyn. Dyna'n union beth sy'n digwydd gydag astudiaethau Arweiniad ar Arfarnu Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Dyna'n union sy'n digwydd gyda phrosiectau fframwaith gwella'r metro i asesu cyfleoedd coridorau, ac yna i wneud gwaith pellach er mwyn darganfod ai'r peth gorau fyddai defnyddio datrysiadau sy'n seiliedig ar reilffyrdd neu ddatrysiadau bysiau. Mae hynny'n gyson â gwaith ledled Cymru, boed hynny yng Nghymoedd y de-orllewin, neu yn y gogledd, neu yn y de-ddwyrain wrth inni wella'r metro yn y de-ddwyrain hefyd.

What about our agreement?

Beth am ein cytundeb ni?

Minister, I just want to raise a few points with regard to your report and your references to the south-east Wales metro. As you know, in the Taff Ely area, there's been considerable economic regeneration from the development of the metro. That's had a massive impact on Pontypridd itself. But of course, it was only a few weeks ago that we saw all this publicity over an announcement by the Prime Minister of £500 million for opening new lines. It received considerable coverage.

Yet, for a number of years now, we've been talking about and having discussions between—quite advanced discussions now—Rhondda Cynon Taf and Cardiff council, and of course various representations have been made, which Welsh Government's involved in, and that is for the re-opening of a railway line from Cardiff through to the Beddau spur, through to Llantrisant, Pontyclun, which would link. Some 85 per cent to 90 per cent of that railway line still actually exists. And of course, it is an area where, over the next decade or so, there are going to be 20,000 or so new homes. So, it is an area where there is a massive expansion of population and no capacity on the roads and so on. 

Now, as you'll know, Minister, there's a report, a business plan, that's being prepared—it was funded by the councils, et cetera—that is due for publication soon, I think. None of us has seen it, and I'm not quite sure whether it is quite complete yet. I wonder if you could update us as to what the status is now of that report and what the next steps are likely to be with what is, I think, a really exciting potential project, and that is the re-opening of an old railway line in an area that is massively congested—massive economic growth—and where there are major environmental issues that can be resolved by that.

Gweinidog, hoffwn i godi ychydig o bwyntiau ynglŷn â'ch adroddiad a'ch cyfeiriadau at fetro de-ddwyrain Cymru. Fel y gwyddoch, yn ardal Taf Elái, cafwyd adfywiad economaidd sylweddol wrth ddatblygu'r metro. Mae wedi cael effaith enfawr ar Bontypridd ei hun. Ond wrth gwrs, dim ond ychydig wythnosau yn ôl fe wnaethom ni weld yr holl gyhoeddusrwydd am gyhoeddiad gan y Prif Weinidog o £500 miliwn ar gyfer agor llinellau newydd. Cafodd gryn sylw.

Ac eto, ers nifer o flynyddoedd bellach, rydym wedi bod yn trafod ac yn cynnal trafodaethau—trafodaethau eithaf datblygedig erbyn hyn—rhwng cyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf a Chaerdydd, ac wrth gwrs, mae amrywiaeth o sylwadau wedi'u gwneud, y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymwneud â nhw, a hynny ar gyfer ailagor rheilffordd o Gaerdydd i ffordd gangen Beddau, trwodd i Lantrisant, Pont-y-clun, a fyddai'n cysylltu â'i gilydd. Mae tua 85 y cant i 90 y cant o'r rheilffordd honno'n dal i fodoli. Ac wrth gwrs, yn ystod y ddegawd nesaf, mae'n ardal lle bydd 20,000 o gartrefi newydd yn cael eu codi. Felly, mae'n ardal lle mae'r boblogaeth yn ehangu'n aruthrol a dim capasiti ar y ffyrdd ac ati.  

Nawr, fel y gwyddoch, Gweinidog, mae adroddiad, cynllun busnes, yn cael ei baratoi—cafodd ei ariannu gan y cynghorau, ac ati—mae i'w gyhoeddi cyn bo hir, rwy'n credu. Nid oes neb wedi'i weld, ac nid wyf yn hollol siŵr a yw wedi'i gwblhau eto. Tybed a allech roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni am statws yr adroddiad hwnnw erbyn hyn a beth fydd y camau nesaf yn debygol o fod gyda phrosiect a allai fod yn un cyffrous iawn, yn fy marn i, sef ailagor hen reilffordd mewn ardal sydd â llawer o dagfeydd—twf economaidd enfawr—a lle mae materion amgylcheddol mawr y gellid eu datrys gan hynny.

17:45

Can I thank Mick Antoniw for his questions? He makes a very powerful case for the reopening of lines in his constituency, in the region and across Wales. It can lead to regeneration and to the creation of opportunities for people to get into sustained, decent jobs.

The reverse Beeching fund, amounting to £500 million, will not deliver the sort of new infrastructure, it will not deliver the number of reopened stations that I think many people hope could be delivered through such a programme. Five hundred million pounds wouldn't deliver the whole reopening of the Carmarthen to Aber line. It would simply not deliver major projects that require significant investment. My understanding of that particular fund is that any project promoted for consideration must be promoted by a Member of Parliament and that that work must be undertaken imminently. Unfortunately, I do not believe that the report that Mick Antoniw refers to will be ready for Members of Parliament representing constituencies in the region to present to the Secretary of State for Transport, and, therefore, as a Government, once that report is concluded, once we have our hands on it, we will be making the case to UK Government for investment along that particular stretch.

I think it's absolutely right that we look at all opportunities to extend the south-east Wales metro. We have the frameworks now in place for examining each of the travel corridors that could benefit from investment, but, at the end of the day, it still comes down to requiring UK Government to invest in infrastructure.

A gaf i ddiolch i Mick Antoniw am ei gwestiynau? Mae'n cyflwyno achos grymus iawn dros ailagor rheilffyrdd yn ei etholaeth, yn y rhanbarth a ledled Cymru. Gallai arwain at adfywio a chreu cyfleoedd i bobl gael swyddi da, parhaol.

Ni fydd cronfa gwrthdroi Beeching, sy'n cyfateb i £500 miliwn, yn darparu'r math o seilwaith newydd, ni fydd yn sicrhau'r nifer o orsafoedd wedi'u hailagor yr wyf i'n credu y byddai llawer o bobl yn gobeithio y gellid eu darparu drwy raglen o'r fath. Ni fyddai pum can miliwn o bunnau yn cyflawni'r holl waith o ailagor y rheilffordd rhwng Caerfyrddin ac Aber. Ni fyddai'n cyflawni prosiectau mawr y mae angen buddsoddiad sylweddol ynddyn nhw. Fy nealltwriaeth i o'r gronfa benodol honno yw bod yn rhaid i unrhyw brosiect a gaiff ei hybu i'w ystyried gael ei hybu gan Aelod Seneddol a bod yn rhaid i'r gwaith hwnnw gael ei wneud yn fuan. Yn anffodus, nid wyf yn credu y bydd yr adroddiad y mae Mick Antoniw yn cyfeirio ato yn barod i Aelodau Seneddol sy'n cynrychioli etholaethau yn y rhanbarth ei gyflwyno i'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Drafnidiaeth, ac, felly, fel Llywodraeth, wedi i'r adroddiad hwnnw gael ei gwblhau, ar ôl i ni gael ein dwylo arno, byddwn yn cyflwyno'r achos i Lywodraeth y DU am fuddsoddiad ar hyd y darn penodol hwnnw.

Rwy'n credu ei bod yn gwbl briodol ein bod ni'n ystyried pob cyfle i ymestyn metro'r de-ddwyrain. Mae'r fframweithiau ar waith gennym erbyn hyn ar gyfer archwilio pob un o'r coridorau teithio a allai elwa ar fuddsoddiad, ond, yn y pen draw, mae'n dal yn fater o'i gwneud yn ofynnol i Lywodraeth y DU fuddsoddi mewn seilwaith.

7. Datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol: Cynnydd ar y Llwybr Canser Sengl
7. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Progress on the Single Cancer Pathway

Mae'r eitem nesaf, eitem 7, wedi ei gohirio.

The next item, item 7, has been postponed.

8. Datganiad gan y Cwnsler Cyffredinol a’r Gweinidog Brexit: Deddfwriaeth yn ymwneud â gadael yr UE
8. Statement by the Counsel General and Brexit Minister: Legislation related to leaving the EU

Ac felly eitem 8 yw'r eitem nesaf i'w trafod a honno'n ddatganiad gan y Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Brexit ar ddeddfwriaeth yn ymwneud â gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Rwy'n galw ar y Gweinidog felly i wneud ei ddathganiad—Jeremy Miles.

And therefore item 8 is the next item for discussion, and that's a statement by the Counsel General and Brexit Minister on legislation related to leaving the EU. I call on the Minister to make his statement—Jeremy Miles.

Diolch, Llywydd. I thought it would be helpful to update Members on both recent developments and prospects in relation to legislation arising from our exit from the European Union. 

I'll firstly consider the matter of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 and the implications for the Sewel convention. Members will recall that, on the twenty-first of last month, the Senedd followed the Welsh Government’s recommendation in refusing consent for that legislation. As has been rehearsed already in the Senedd, the reasons for this were principally constitutional—the threat that this legislation poses to the Senedd’s competence and the Welsh Government’s capacity to influence the forthcoming negotiations that will have serious consequences for devolved policy areas.

We did all we could to improve the Bill, both before its introduction and then working closely with Members of the House of Lords to put forward amendments that would have made it acceptable from a devolution perspective, but, ultimately, we could not persuade the UK Government.

Our decision here in the Senedd mirrored similar votes in the Northern Ireland Assembly and in the Scottish Parliament—the first time that all three legislatures had refused consent for a single piece of UK parliamentary legislation. Notwithstanding this, the UK Government pushed the Bill to Royal Assent with Parliament overriding the views of the three legislatures. This could have developed into a major constitutional crisis, threatening the foundations of devolution. However, in correspondence, the Secretary of State for the Department for Exiting the European Union described the circumstances as 'singular, specific and exceptional', and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster described them as 'unique'. There were similar comments by Lord Callanan, Minister of State at DExEU, in the Third Reading in the House of Lords and in a written statement issued by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

I subsequently wrote to both Stephen Barclay and Michael Gove, recognising these encouraging signs that the UK Government recognised the graveness of this step and was interpreting the Sewel 'not normally' as 'only in the most exceptional circumstances'. On this basis, I reminded them that we had called, in 'Reforming our Union', for codification of the convention by setting out the circumstances and criteria under which the UK Government might, in extremis, proceed with its legislation, notwithstanding a lack of devolved legislative consent, and called for the UK Government to engage in a further discussion of this. So, while the UK Government’s decision to proceed with the withdrawal agreement Bill without the consent of the devolved legislatures is of significant concern, it would appear that the UK Government and ourselves believe it should be ring-fenced as a special case, and we now need to build on that.

Moving on, Members will be aware that almost all EU law continues to apply in the UK during the transition period, but the Welsh Government has been considering whether powers to keep pace with EU legislation beyond the transition period are practical and necessary. We do not at this point see an urgent need to bring forward a Senedd Bill containing powers to keep pace with EU legislation at this stage. There are a number of reasons for this. 

Diolch, Llywydd. Roeddwn i'n meddwl y byddai'n ddefnyddiol rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau am y datblygiadau diweddar a'r rhagolygon o ran deddfwriaeth sy'n deillio o ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd. 

I ddechrau, byddaf yn ystyried mater Deddf yr Undeb Ewropeaidd (y Cytundeb Ymadael) 2020 a'r goblygiadau i Gonfensiwn Sewel. Bydd yr Aelodau'n cofio, ar yr unfed ar hugain o fis diwethaf, bod y Senedd wedi dilyn argymhelliad Llywodraeth Cymru i wrthod cydsyniad ar gyfer y ddeddfwriaeth honno. Fel yr adroddwyd eisoes yn y Senedd, roedd y rhesymau am hyn yn gyfansoddiadol yn bennaf—y bygythiad y mae'r ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ei achosi i gymhwysedd y Senedd a gallu Llywodraeth Cymru i ddylanwadu ar y negodiadau sydd i ddod a fydd â chanlyniadau difrifol i feysydd polisi datganoledig.

Fe wnaethom bopeth a allem i wella'r Bil, cyn ei gyflwyno ac yna gan weithio'n agos gydag Aelodau Tŷ’r Arglwyddi i gyflwyno gwelliannau a fyddai wedi ei wneud yn dderbyniol o safbwynt datganoli, ond, yn y pen draw, ni allem ddarbwyllo Llywodraeth y DU.

Roedd ein penderfyniad ni yma yn y Senedd yn adlewyrchu pleidleisiau tebyg yng Nghynulliad Gogledd Iwerddon ac yn Senedd yr Alban—y tro cyntaf i'r tair deddfwrfa wrthod rhoi cydsyniad ar gyfer un darn o ddeddfwriaeth seneddol y DU. Er gwaethaf hyn, gwthiodd Llywodraeth y DU y Bil i Gydsyniad Brenhinol a'r Senedd yn anwybyddu barn y tair deddfwrfa. Gallai hyn fod wedi datblygu'n argyfwng cyfansoddiadol o bwys, gan fygwth sylfeini datganoli. Fodd bynnag, mewn gohebiaeth, disgrifiodd Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yr Adran dros Ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd yr amgylchiadau fel rhai unigol, penodol ac eithriadol, ac fe wnaeth  Canghellor Dugiaeth Caerhirfryn eu disgrifio fel rhai unigryw. Cafwyd sylwadau tebyg gan Arglwydd Callanan, Gweinidog Gwladol yn yr Adran dros Ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, yn y Trydydd Darlleniad yn Nhŷ'r Arglwyddi ac mewn datganiad ysgrifenedig a gyhoeddwyd gan Ganghellor Dugiaeth Caerhirfryn.

Ysgrifennais wedyn at Stephen Barclay a Michael Gove, gan gydnabod yr arwyddion calonogol hyn fod Llywodraeth y DU yn cydnabod difrifoldeb y cam hwn ac yn dehongli 'nid fel arfer' Sewel fel 'dim ond o dan yr amgylchiadau mwyaf eithriadol'. Ar y sail hon, fe atgoffais i nhw ein bod wedi galw, yn 'Diwygio ein Hundeb', am godeiddio'r confensiwn drwy nodi'r amgylchiadau a'r meini prawf y gallai Llywodraeth y DU, mewn cyfyngder, fwrw ymlaen â'i deddfwriaeth, er gwaethaf diffyg cydsyniad deddfwriaethol datganoledig, a galwyd ar Lywodraeth y DU i gymryd rhan mewn rhagor o drafodaethau ar hyn. Felly, er bod penderfyniad Llywodraeth y DU i fwrw ymlaen â'r Bil cytundeb ymadael heb gydsyniad y deddfwrfeydd datganoledig yn peri pryder sylweddol, mae'n ymddangos bod Llywodraeth y DU a ninnau'n credu y dylid ei neilltuo fel achos arbennig, ac mae angen i ni adeiladu ar hynny yn awr.

Gan symud ymlaen, bydd yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol bod bron pob un o gyfreithiau'r UE yn parhau i fod yn gymwys yn y DU yn ystod y cyfnod pontio, ond mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn ystyried pa un a yw pwerau i gadw i fyny â deddfwriaeth yr UE y tu hwnt i'r cyfnod pontio yn ymarferol ac yn angenrheidiol. Ar hyn o bryd, nid ydym yn gweld bod angen taer i ni gyflwyno Bil Senedd sy'n cynnwys pwerau i gadw i fyny â deddfwriaeth yr UE ar y cam hwn. Mae nifer o resymau am hyn.  

Y prif reswm, o bosibl, yw bod gennym bryderon o ran a fyddai’n dderbyniol i’r Senedd hon, pe bai Gweinidogion Cymru yn cael pwerau eang, i gadw gyda deddfwriaeth yr Undeb Ewropeaidd o fewn cymhwysedd datganoledig drwy Fil hollgynhwysfawr. Ni fyddai hynny’n gyson â’r safbwyntiau y mae Aelodau wedi’u mynegi yn y gorffennol, felly byddai’r bar ar gyfer cynnig gweithred o’r fath yn cael ei osod yn uchel.

Mae yna hefyd ffyrdd eraill o alluogi Cymru i gadw gyda datblygiadau pan fyddwn ni'n gweld yr angen. Yn gyntaf, mae gan Weinidogion Cymru eisoes bwerau i gadw gydag addasiadau technegol i ddeddfwriaeth drydyddol yr Undeb Ewropeaidd drwy swyddogaethau a gafodd eu creu gan yr offerynnau statudol ar gyfer ymadael â’r Undeb Ewropeaidd fel rhan o’r rhaglen gywiriadau, neu drwy bwerau domestig sydd eisoes yn bodoli. Byddai angen mynd ati i ddadansoddi pa bwerau sydd eisoes ar gael er mwyn ymateb i gynigion deddfwriaethol penodol yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd wrth iddyn nhw gael eu datblygu.

Ar gyfer deddfwriaeth fwy sylweddol yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, byddai eu proses ddeddfwriaethol nhw yn darparu mwy na digon o amser i alluogi Senedd Cymru i gyflwyno a phasio Bil pe bai angen.

Mae cyd-destun hyn oll yn bwysig. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn dal i fod wedi’i hymrwymo i broses y fframweithiau cyffredin. Rydyn ni’n credu y dylai’r broses honno alluogi a rheoli gwahaniaethau mewn polisi rhwng Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig a’r Llywodraethau datganoledig, neu yn wir rhwng y Llywodraethau datganoledig eu hunain. Rŷn ni’n bwriadu dilyn proses y fframweithiau cyffredin hyd at ei diwedd cyn penderfynu ble y gall fod angen inni ddilyn datblygiadau yn neddfwriaeth yr Undeb Ewropeaidd yn y dyfodol. Serch hynny, hoffwn i sicrhau Aelodau y byddwn ni'n parhau i gadw'r sefyllfa o dan drosolwg.

Yn olaf, dylai Aelodau fod yn ymwybodol y bydd angen corff sylweddol o is-ddeddfwriaeth eleni. Ni allwn ni ddweud ar hyn o bryd faint fydd ei angen cyn gwybod beth fydd hynt y negodiadau â’r Undeb Ewropeaidd, ac yn wir â thrydydd gwledydd eraill. Beth bynnag, bydd galw yn codi o’r gwaith arferol i weithredu cyfraith yr Undeb Ewropeaidd sy’n dod i rym eleni; yr offerynnau statudol cywiro pellach sy’n angenrheidiol i sicrhau bod cyfraith yr Undeb Ewropeaidd a ddargedwir yn gweithio yng nghyd-destun diwedd y cyfnod pontio; a’r is-ddeddfwriaeth fydd ei hangen i weithredu’r systemau newydd sy’n cael eu sefydlu gan Filiau’r Deyrnas Unedig a Deddf y cytundeb ymadael ei hun.

Mae’r gwaith wedi hen ddechrau i benderfynu faint o ddeddfwriaeth fydd yn angenrheidiol, cymaint ag y gallwn ei benderfynu ar hyn o bryd, a byddaf i, wrth gwrs, yn parhau i roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i Aelodau o bryd i'w gilydd.

Perhaps the principal one is that we have concerns as to whether providing Welsh Ministers with wide powers to keep pace with all EU legislation within devolved competence through a portmanteau Bill would be acceptable to this Senedd. It would not be consistent with the views expressed by Members in the past therefore the bar for proposing such an approach would be set high.

There are also other available means of enabling Wales to keep pace where we consider it necessary. First, Welsh Ministers already have powers to keep pace with technical modifications to EU tertiary legislation either through functions created in the EU exit SIs as part of the corrections programme or through existing domestic powers. Analysis of the availability of existing powers will need to be undertaken in response to specific EU legislative proposals as they are being developed.

For more significant EU legislation, the legislative process in the EU would provide more than enough time to enable a Bill to be introduced and passed by the Senedd if that was considered necessary.

The context for this analysis is important. The Welsh Government remains committed to the common frameworks process, which we believe should both allow and manage policy divergence between the UK and the devolved Governments, or indeed between each of the devolved Governments. We intend to follow the common frameworks process through to its end before concluding where we might need and be able to follow developments in future EU legislation. Nevertheless, I want to assure Members that we will keep the position under review.

Finally, Members should be aware that a significant body of secondary legislation will be required during this year, although we cannot quantify it in advance of knowing how the negotiations with the EU, and indeed with other third countries, will proceed. In any event, there will be demands from the usual work to implement EU law that comes into force this year; the further correcting SIs that are needed to ensure that retained EU law works in the context of the end of the transition period; and secondary legislation needed to implement the new regimes being established by UK Bills and the withdrawal agreement Act itself.

Work is already well underway to determine the amount of legislation that will be necessary to the extent that we can determine at this point in time, and I will, of course, keep Members updated.

17:50

Can I thank the Minister for the advance copy of the statement that he shared with me this afternoon? I'm very grateful for the statement. I think it does present a very different sort of language and tone than some of the statements we've had in the past in this Chamber regarding arrangements post Brexit, and I very much welcome it. I think that it's very clear that you've considered the future legislative arrangements that might arise in some detail and you're clearly cracking on with any work that may be required as we go forward. 

I note that you have decided not to proceed with a portmanteau Bill at present, and I think that that is very wise. I don't think that there's a great deal of appetite for that sort of approach in this Chamber, and I think you recognise that, too, in your statement, which I very much welcome. It doesn't mean, of course, that we would want to accept all of the legislative changes that may happen in this period between now and 31 December. Now, I recognise the fact, for example, that there will be some pieces of legislation that will go through the European Parliament but may not actually have an impact until beyond 31 December, for example. I wonder how you're differentiating between the legislative changes that you may need to keep pace with because they will be implemented during the transition period, versus those that you may not need necessarily to implement because they will be beyond that 31 December timetable. 

As you've quite rightly said, there are already significant powers at the disposal of Welsh Ministers to be able to implement and make some technical changes to arrangements through tertiary legislation and, indeed, there will be some secondary legislation powers as well that you may be able to use in order to modify the existing regulations that apply here in Wales. I think it would be useful, perhaps, if there could be some sort of bringing together of those powers into a single document that we can be able to determine where those powers might lie in terms of the levers that you can pull without having to resort to primary legislation in order to make some changes. So perhaps there's some compendium of information that the Welsh Government might usefully be able to bring to the Chamber in order to assist the National Assembly as well, I think, in terms of the scrutiny function that we have as Assembly Members. 

I'm very pleased that you recognise the importance of common frameworks across the United Kingdom and that you're seeking to work constructively with the UK Government in order to achieve those. I recognise that, sometimes, there will be healthy debate about how those common frameworks and arrangements might work and that we clearly do need to pin down the systems that will govern those arrangements in the future in order to ensure that the voice of devolved legislatures and the voice of devolved Governments can be strongly influential and appropriately influential in the way that those frameworks are developed. Clearly, you've made a number of statements in the past about how the union should operate, going forward, and I recognise that there need to be changes, too. I think I've put on record in the past my recognition that a future arrangement should be a federal arrangement, and I'm more than happy to have a dialogue with people in any political party in this Chamber in order to try to seek those sorts of arrangements, going forward. But I do think that we need to have some clarity, really, on those powers that you already have, so if you could bring that to us, that would be very helpful indeed. 

Perhaps you can also tell us what discussions you've been having with the UK Government to date on those common frameworks. I know that there'll be future discussions taking place, too, but perhaps you can just bring us up to speed in terms of the work that might be going on between your officials and UK Government officials in that respect. 

Another concern that I have is about the capacity of Welsh Government, given the significant legislative demands that are already upon this Parliament between now and the next elections to the Welsh Parliament in May next year. What is the capacity of the Welsh Government to be able to bring further significant pieces of legislation forward that might be required, if there are significant pieces of work that might need to be done?

A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am gopi ymlaen llaw o'r datganiad a rannodd gyda mi y prynhawn yma? Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y datganiad. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn cyflwyno math gwahanol iawn o iaith a thôn na rhai o'r datganiadau a gawsom yn y gorffennol yn y Siambr hon ynglŷn â threfniadau ar ôl Brexit, ac rwy'n croesawu hynny'n fawr. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn gwbl eglur eich bod wedi ystyried yn fanwl y trefniadau deddfwriaethol yn y dyfodol a allai godi ac rydych yn amlwg yn bwrw ymlaen ag unrhyw waith y gallai fod ei angen wrth i ni symud ymlaen.

Nodaf eich bod wedi penderfynu peidio â bwrw ymlaen â Bil cyfuno ar hyn o bryd, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n ddoeth iawn. Nid wyf yn credu bod llawer o archwaeth am y math hwnnw o ddull yn y Siambr hon, ac rwy'n credu eich bod chi'n cydnabod hynny, hefyd, yn eich datganiad, ac rwy'n croesawu hynny'n fawr iawn. Nid yw'n golygu, wrth gwrs, y byddem ni'n dymuno derbyn yr holl newidiadau deddfwriaethol a allai ddigwydd yn y cyfnod hwn rhwng nawr a 31 Rhagfyr. Nawr, rwy'n cydnabod y ffaith, er enghraifft, y bydd rhai darnau o ddeddfwriaeth a fydd yn mynd drwy Senedd Ewrop ond na fydd, o bosibl, yn cael effaith tan ar ôl 31 Rhagfyr, er enghraifft. Tybed sut ydych chi'n gwahaniaethu rhwng y newidiadau deddfwriaethol y gallai fod angen i chi gadw i fyny â nhw oherwydd eu bod yn cael eu rhoi ar waith yn ystod y cyfnod pontio, o'u cymharu â'r rhai na fydd efallai angen i chi eu rhoi ar waith o reidrwydd gan y byddan nhw y tu hwnt i'r amserlen 31 Rhagfyr honno.

Fel yr ydych chi wedi ei ddweud yn gwbl gywir, mae pwerau sylweddol eisoes ar gael i Weinidogion Cymru i allu gweithredu a gwneud rhai newidiadau technegol i'r trefniadau drwy ddeddfwriaeth drydyddol ac, yn wir, bydd rhai pwerau is-ddeddfwriaeth hefyd, y gallwch chi o bosibl eu defnyddio i addasu'r rheoliadau presennol sy'n berthnasol yma yng Nghymru. Rwy'n credu y byddai'n ddefnyddiol, efallai, pe gellid cael rhyw fath o gyfuno'r pwerau hynny mewn un ddogfen fel y gallwn benderfynu ym mha le y gallai'r pwerau hynny fod o ran yr ysgogiadau hynny y gallwch chi eu defnyddio heb orfod troi at ddeddfwriaeth sylfaenol er mwyn gwneud rhai newidiadau. Felly efallai fod yna ryw grynodeb o wybodaeth y byddai'n ddefnyddiol i Lywodraeth Cymru ei gyflwyno i'r Siambr er mwyn cynorthwyo'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hefyd, rwy'n credu, o ran y swyddogaeth graffu sydd gennym fel Aelodau Cynulliad.

Rwy'n falch iawn eich bod yn cydnabod pwysigrwydd fframweithiau cyffredin ledled y Deyrnas Unedig a'ch bod yn ceisio gweithio'n adeiladol gyda Llywodraeth y DU er mwyn eu cyflawni. Rwy'n cydnabod y bydd dadl iach, weithiau, ynghylch sut y gallai'r fframweithiau a'r trefniadau cyffredin hynny weithio a'i bod yn amlwg bod angen i ni bennu'r systemau a fydd yn llywodraethu'r trefniadau hynny yn y dyfodol er mwyn sicrhau bod llais y deddfwrfeydd datganoledig a llais Llywodraethau datganoledig yn gallu dylanwadu'n gryf a dylanwadu'n briodol yn y ffordd y datblygir y fframweithiau hynny. Yn amlwg, rydych chi wedi gwneud nifer o ddatganiadau yn y gorffennol ynglŷn â sut y dylai'r undeb weithredu, wrth symud ymlaen, ac rwy'n cydnabod bod angen gwneud newidiadau hefyd. Rwy'n credu fy mod wedi rhoi ar gofnod yn y gorffennol fy mod i'n cydnabod y dylai trefniant yn y dyfodol fod yn drefniant ffederal, ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i gael deialog gyda phobl mewn unrhyw blaid wleidyddol yn y Siambr hon er mwyn ceisio sefydlu trefniadau o'r fath, wrth symud ymlaen. Ond rwy'n credu bod angen i ni gael rhywfaint o eglurder, mewn gwirionedd, ar y pwerau hynny sydd gennych eisoes, felly os gallech chi ddod â hynny i ni, byddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol iawn yn wir.

Efallai y gallwch chi ddweud wrthym ni hefyd pa drafodaethau yr ydych chi wedi bod yn eu cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU hyd yma ynglŷn â'r fframweithiau cyffredin hynny. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd trafodaethau'n cael eu cynnal yn y dyfodol hefyd, ond efallai y gallwch chi ein diweddaru ni o ran y gwaith a allai fod yn cael ei wneud rhwng eich swyddogion chi a swyddogion Llywodraeth y DU yn hynny o beth.

Pryder arall sydd gennyf yw hwnnw yn ymwneud â chapasiti Llywodraeth Cymru, o ystyried y galwadau deddfwriaethol sylweddol sydd eisoes ar y Senedd hon rhwng nawr a'r etholiadau nesaf i Senedd Cymru ym mis Mai y flwyddyn nesaf. Beth yw capasiti Llywodraeth Cymru i gyflwyno rhagor o ddarnau sylweddol o ddeddfwriaeth y gallai fod yn ofynnol, os oes darnau sylweddol o waith y gallai fod angen eu gwneud?

17:55

I thank Darren Millar for his questions and for the constructive way in which he has put them. I think in relation both to secondary legislation and the discussion around common frameworks—both of which he touched on, obviously, in his question—those have been, probably of all the areas of engagement, the ones where relationships have been most productive, and we have always sought as a Government to point to those as examples of how when all the Governments in the UK engage together constructively, as we have always sought to do on these benches, then steps forward can be taken. He will know from our previous exchanges that we have not always persuaded the UK Government of that approach, which is a matter of regret.

Nevertheless, on the question of a compendium of powers, I think the availability of the powers that need to be deployed to deal with individual aspects of keeping pace, if I can just put it in that way, will of course depend on the nature of the legislation that is brought forward. Some of those powers we already have through a combination of the European withdrawal Act and the EU withdrawal agreement Act. Some of them we have under the already existing devolution settlement, and then there'll be set of future analyses required as and when legislation comes through to ascertain whether the capacity to keep pace with those fall within the powers that we already have, perhaps through the devolution settlement. Exactly what they are at this point we can't assess, because those decisions are to be taken in the future.

There's a category of secondary legislation that will stem from Bills being passed by the UK Parliament in the context of leaving the European Union. Again, some of those we can identify at this point, but many of them we can't. So, as we stand here today, I'm sadly not in a position to say to you that we understand the full extent of that, because the decisions that govern that analysis haven't yet been made. We would like to be in a position of much greater certainty, but that, obviously, is outside our control. 

You asked specifically about the question of common frameworks. It is still our objective to get to a position by the end of this year where we've made significant progress in relation to those. There is a monthly, I believe, formal programme board between officials that keeps that under review. We are very clear that we want to be in a position, as soon as we can reach agreement, to put those into a position where they can be scrutinised by stakeholders and by legislatures across the UK, and we continue to press for progress in relation to that. 

In relation to primary legislation, as we stand here today, we don't foresee specific items coming forward but, again, that depends on what is a sadly very fluid and very changing set of circumstances that, for reasons that we don't need to rehearse here again today, are certainly beyond our control as a Government. I think we would all regret the fact that there remains a significant degree of uncertainty in that landscape.

Diolch i Darren Millar am ei gwestiynau ac am y ffordd adeiladol y mae wedi eu cyflwyno. Rwy'n credu o ran is-ddeddfwriaeth a'r drafodaeth ynghylch fframweithiau cyffredin—y cyfeiriodd atyn nhw, yn amlwg, yn ei gwestiwn—dyna'r rhai sydd wedi bod, mae'n debyg o'r holl feysydd ymgysylltu, y rhai lle bu'r berthynas fwyaf cynhyrchiol, ac rydym bob amser wedi ceisio fel Llywodraeth i gyfeirio at y rheini fel enghreifftiau o'r modd y mae'r holl Lywodraethau yn y DU yn ymwneud â'i gilydd yn adeiladol, fel yr ydym ni bob amser wedi ceisio ei wneud ar y meinciau hyn, yna gellir cymryd camau ymlaen. Bydd ef yn gwybod o'n trafodaethau blaenorol nad ydym bob amser wedi argyhoeddi Llywodraeth y DU o'r ymagwedd honno, sy'n destun gofid. 

Serch hynny, ar y cwestiwn am grynodeb o bwerau, rwy'n credu bod y cwestiwn o ba un a fydd y math o bwerau y mae angen eu defnyddio i ymdrin ag agweddau unigol ar gadw'n gyfredol ar gael, os caf ei roi felly, yn dibynnu, wrth gwrs, ar y math o ddeddfwriaeth a gyflwynir. Mae gennym ni rai o'r pwerau hynny eisoes drwy gyfuniad o Ddeddf yr Undeb Ewropeaidd (Ymadael) a Deddf yr Undeb Ewropeaidd (Y Cytundeb Ymadael). Mae rhai o'r rhain gennym o dan y setliad datganoli sydd eisoes yn bodoli, ac yna bydd angen cyfres o ddadansoddiadau yn y dyfodol wrth i ddeddfwriaeth gael ei chyflwyno i ganfod pa un a yw'r gallu i gadw'n gyfredol â'r rheini yn dod o fewn y pwerau sydd gennym eisoes, efallai drwy'r setliad datganoli. Ni allwn asesu beth yn union ydyn nhw ar hyn o bryd, oherwydd bydd y penderfyniadau hynny'n cael eu gwneud yn y dyfodol.

Mae categori o is-ddeddfwriaeth a fydd yn deillio o Filiau sy'n cael eu pasio gan Senedd y DU yng nghyd-destun ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd. Unwaith eto, gallwn nodi rhai o'r rheini ar hyn o bryd, ond mae llawer ohonyn nhw na allwn ni eu nodi. Felly, wrth i ni sefyll yn y fan yma heddiw, yn anffodus nid wyf i mewn sefyllfa i ddweud wrthych chi ein bod ni'n deall graddau llawn hynny, oherwydd nid yw'r penderfyniadau sy'n llywodraethu'r dadansoddiad hwnnw wedi eu gwneud eto. Hoffem fod mewn sefyllfa o lawer mwy o sicrwydd, ond mae hynny, yn amlwg, y tu hwnt i'n rheolaeth. 

Fe wnaethoch chi ofyn yn benodol am y cwestiwn ynghylch fframweithiau cyffredin. Ein hamcan o hyd yw cyrraedd sefyllfa erbyn diwedd eleni pryd y byddwn ni wedi gwneud cynnydd sylweddol yn gysylltiedig â'r rheini. Ceir bwrdd rhaglen ffurfiol bob mis, rwy'n credu, rhwng swyddogion sy'n cadw golwg ar hynny. Rydym ni'n glir iawn ein bod ni'n dymuno bod mewn sefyllfa, cyn gynted ag y gallwn ddod i gytundeb, i roi'r rheini mewn sefyllfa lle y gall rhanddeiliaid a deddfwrfeydd ledled y DU graffu arnyn nhw, ac rydym yn parhau i bwyso am gynnydd yn gysylltiedig â hynny.

O ran deddfwriaeth sylfaenol, wrth i ni sefyll yn y fan yma heddiw, nid ydym yn rhagweld eitemau penodol yn cael eu cyflwyno ond, unwaith eto, mae hynny'n dibynnu ar gyfres o amgylchiadau sy'n gyfnewidiol iawn a newidiol iawn, yn anffodus, sydd, am resymau nad oes angen i ni eu hailadrodd yma heddiw, yn sicr y tu hwnt i'n rheolaeth ni fel Llywodraeth. Rwy'n credu y byddem ni i gyd yn gresynu at y ffaith bod cryn dipyn o ansicrwydd yn parhau yn y dirwedd honno.

18:00

A allaf i ddiolch i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Brexit am ei ddatganiad ar y ddeddfwriaeth yn ymwneud ag ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd? A gaf i ddiolch yn benodol iddo fo am ei ddadansoddiad manwl o'r sefyllfa ddeddfwriaethol astrus ac anodd braidd rydym ni'n ei hwynebu wrth ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd? Nawr, rydych chi'n sôn am fframweithiau, ac mae fframweithiau cyffredin yn golygu, fel rydych chi wedi crybwyll sawl tro yn y Siambr yma, rhannu llywodraethiant ac, wrth gwrs, yn golygu parch rhwng gwahanol Lywodraethau. Dylai fod dim rhagor o Senedd San Steffan yn penderfynu a phob Senedd arall yn yr ynysoedd hyn i fod i ddilyn yn slafaidd ufudd, er wedi dweud hynny, nid yw'r rhagolygon yn addawol, fel rydych chi wedi olrhain yn y datganiad yma o'r hanes diweddar.

Gwrthododd y Senedd hon roi ei chydsyniad deddfwriaethol i'r Ddeddf cytundeb ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, yn union fel yr Alban—fe wnaethant hwy wrthod hefyd—a Gogledd Iwerddon—fe wnaethant hwy wrthod hefyd—ac eto, ymlaen aeth Senedd San Steffan efo'r Ddeddf ymadael, gan lwyr anwybyddu holl Senedd-dai eraill yr ynysoedd yma. Nawr, dydy hynna ddim yn swnio fel rhannu llywodraethiant i fi, na pharchu barn Senedd-dai eraill yr ynysoedd yma, ond dwi'n gweld o'ch datganiad eich bod chi wedi symud ymlaen eisoes.

Rydych chi wedi cytuno ag aelodau Llywodraeth San Steffan taw achos eithriadol neu achos unigryw oedd anwybyddu barn ein Senedd-dai datganoledig. Ond ar ba sail, allaf i ofyn? Ar ba sail sydd gennych chi i gredu na all hyn ddigwydd eto, neu bob tro yn y dyfodol y byddwn ni'n gweld colli pwerau neu o dan fygythiad colli pwerau, neu y byddwn yn cael ein hanwybyddu eto, fel rydych chi wedi cyfaddef eich bod chi wedi cael eich anwybyddu dros y tair blynedd diwethaf, rhywbryd yn y dyfodol pan fyddwn ni eto yn cwyno, na fydd y diffiniad o achos eithriadol yna yn cael ei ddefnyddio eto? Pa sicrwydd a allwn ni ei gael na fydd hyn yn digwydd dro ar ôl tro a phob tro y bydd y Senedd yma yn cael ei hanwybyddu ei fod o'n mynd i fod yn achos eithriadol, unigryw arall? Pa sicrwydd ydych chi wedi'i dderbyn ar y pwynt yna?

Nawr, wrth gwrs, mae yna gryn dipyn o ddeddfwriaeth sydd angen ei phasio, fel rydych chi wedi crybwyll, a llawer ohoni mewn meysydd sydd wedi'u datganoli, fel pysgodfeydd, amaeth, yr amgylchedd—wedi'u datganoli i fan hyn ers 20 mlynedd. Pa ddylanwad, felly, sydd gennych chi, neu a fydd gennych chi, ar y broses o ddeddfu o hyn ymlaen yn y meysydd datganoledig yma? Wrth adael Ewrop, dydyn ni dim eisiau colli unrhyw bwerau rydym ni'n draddodiadol wedi eu harddel yn y Siambr yma ers 20 mlynedd. Ie, wrth gwrs, o dan adain Ewrop yn wreiddiol a nawr o dan adain y Deyrnas Unedig, ond dydyn ni ddim eisiau gweld crebachu pwerau o fan hyn mewn meysydd sydd wedi'u datganoli i fan hyn ers 20 mlynedd.

Ac, yn olaf, cawsoch chi'r drafodaeth hefyd ynglŷn â'r ddeddfwriaeth eilradd sydd yn deillio o'r prosesau yma. Mae'n anodd iawn, fel rydych chi wedi darogan eisoes, rhagweld faint yn union o hynna sydd yn mynd i ddigwydd, ond sut fyddwch chi'n gallu sicrhau gwella craffu ar ran y Senedd yma o'ch gwaith chi yn y Llywodraeth, wrth basio deddfwriaeth eilradd—SICMs ac ati? Achos rydym ni wedi cael cryn anhawster fel deddfwrfa i allu craffu ar beth sydd yn digwydd efo ystod eang o SICMs ac ati. A fydd y drefn yn dal yn ddibynnol ar Aelodau cyffredin meinciau cefn yn y lle yma i wthio am drafodaeth ar SICMs—ar y cydsyniadau deddfwriaeth eilradd yma—neu a fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn fwy parod ac yn fwy rhagweithiol o hyn ymlaen nag y maent wedi bod i fyny at nawr i hwyluso dadleuon ar faterion eilradd deddfwriaethol heb ddefnyddio'r esgus oesol bod amser yn brin neu fod baich pwysau gwaith yn ormodol? Diolch yn fawr.

May I thank the Counsel General and Brexit Minister for his statement on legislation related to leaving the EU? May I thank him specifically for his detailed analysis of the complex and difficult legislative position that we find ourselves in in exiting the European Union? Now, you mentioned common frameworks, and common frameworks, as you've mentioned on a number of occasions in this Chamber, do mean shared governance, and, of course, require respect between different Governments. It shouldn't be a matter of the Westminster Parliament deciding and every other Parliament on these isles following slavishly in their wake, although, having said that, the outlook isn't particularly promising, as you've set out in this statement of the recent history.

This Parliament refused to give its legislative consent to the EU withdrawal agreement Act, just as did the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland, but yet the Westminster Parliament proceeded with the withdrawal Act, entirely ignoring all other Parliaments on these isles. Now, that doesn't sound like shared governance to me, and it doesn't sound like the views of other Parliaments on these isles are being respected either, but I do see from your statement that you have already moved on.

You have agreed with members of the Westminster Government that that was an exceptional or a unique position in terms of ignoring the views of the devolved Parliaments. But on what basis have you come to that position? Why would we believe that this couldn't happen again in future, or in all future occasions where we see powers being lost or powers being threatened, or that we will be ignored again, as you have admitted you have been ignored over the past three years, at some point in the future when we again complain, that the definition of a singular, specific and exceptional case will not be used again? What assurance can we have that this will not happen time and time again and every time that this Parliament is ignored that it will be a singular, specific, exceptional case? What assurance have you received on that point?

Now, of course, there's a great deal of legislation that will need to be passed, as you've mentioned, much of it in devolved areas, such as fisheries, agriculture, environment—all devolved to this place for 20 years. So, what influence do you have, or will you have, on the legislative process from this point onwards in these devolved fields? In leaving the European Union, we don't want to lose any powers that we have traditionally held in this Chamber and have done so over 20 years. Yes, of course, originally under the auspices of the European Union, and now under the auspices of the UK, but we don't want to see any powers lost from this place in those areas that have been devolved for 20 years.

And, finally, you also discuss secondary legislation that emerges from these processes, and you've already said that it's difficult to predict exactly how much of that will be required, but how can you ensure that there is improved scrutiny from this Senedd in terms of your work within Government as secondary legislation is passed—statutory instrument consent motions and so on and so forth? Because we've had some difficulty as a legislature in scrutinising what is happening with a broad range of SICMs and so on. So, will the system still be reliant on ordinary backbench Members in this place to push for debates on SICMs, on these secondary legislative consent motions, or will the Welsh Government be more willing and more proactive from here on in than they have been to date in facilitating debates on issues of secondary legislation without using that age-old excuse that time is short or that the burden of work is too great? Thank you very much.

18:05

Diolch i Dai Lloyd am y cwestiynau hynny. Rwy'n cytuno ag e bod angen dangos parch at Lywodraethau datganoledig gan Lywodraeth San Steffan, rŷm ni, fel Llywodraeth, wastad wedi cymryd pob cyfle i ddadlau achos Cymru—sefyll i fyny dros fuddiannau Cymru—ac i fod, hyd y gallwn ni, yn adeiladol. Dyna fydd ein bwriad ni yn y dyfodol, ac mae disgwyl i Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig ymateb yn yr un ffordd.

Fe wnaeth e grybwyll y cwestiwn o gonfensiwn Sewel—hynny yw, pa sicrwydd sydd gyda ni fod hyn yn sefyllfa unigryw. Wel, y peth cyntaf buaswn i'n ei ddweud yw: rwy'n gobeithio y buasai e'n cytuno â ni fod hon yn sefyllfa unigryw. Rwy'n gwybod ei fod wedi darllen y ddogfen, 'Diwygio ein Hundeb', sydd yn disgrifio, mewn manylder, y camau rŷm ni'n credu sydd angen eu cymryd i ddiwygio'r confensiwn, i ddiwygio'r setliad. Hynny yw, dŷn ni ddim yn credu bod y sefyllfa bresennol yn ddigonol; rŷm ni'n credu bod angen ei diwygio hi. Rŷm ni wedi esbonio bod angen codeiddio a disgrifio'n fanwl sut y gall disgresiwn cael ei ddefnyddio i symud yn eu blaenau heb gydsyniad y Seneddau datganoledig. Rŷm ni wedi hefyd sôn am gyfle i'r Senedd yn San Steffan i gymryd hynny o dan ystyriaeth wrth gymryd y cam hwnnw. Felly, rŷm ni'n bell o'r sefyllfa o gredu bod y sefyllfa sydd ohoni yn ddelfrydol. Ond, wedi dweud hynny, mae'n sicr hefyd yn bwysig i danlinellu'r ffaith bod yr amgylchiadau hyn wedi bod yn amgylchiadau unigryw iawn.

Gwnaeth e sôn am ehangu ein pwerau ni a sicrhau bod y setliad datganoledig yn parhau i gael ei barchu. Wel, dyna'n union a lwyddon ni ei wneud fel Llywodraeth drwy'r cytundeb rhynglywodraethol yn amser y Mesur ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd. Yn sgil y cytundeb hwnnw, gwnaethom ni sicrhau ehangu y pwerau sy'n cael eu defnyddio gan Lywodraeth Cymru a'r Senedd hon, ac mae hynny'n enghraifft o beth sy'n gallu digwydd pan rŷm ni fel Llywodraeth yn dodi cynigion ger bron ac yn dadlau ein hachos ar sail tystiolaeth ac ati.

Yn olaf, gwnaeth e sôn am gwestiynau ynglŷn â chraffu ar waith y Llywodraeth. Mae trafodaeth gyson, wrth gwrs, wedi bod gyda'r pwyllgorau ynglŷn â sut orau i wneud hynny. O'r cychwyn cyntaf, gwnaeth y Llywodraeth sicrhau ein bod ni yn cydymffurfio â'r mesurau a gytunwyd o ran craffu. Hynny yw, datganiadau ysgrifenedig yn esbonio'r camau rŷm ni wedi eu cymryd, a hefyd y cwestiwn o SICMs. Mae e, wrth gwrs, yn agored i unrhyw Aelod ddod â'r cwestiwn o SICM i lawr y Senedd. Mae hynny wedi digwydd yn llwyddiannus pan wnaeth Suzy Davies ddod â hynny o'n blaenau ni. Felly, mae'n fater i unrhyw Aelod, fel y dylai fod, i allu gwneud hynny, ac rwy'n sicr, o drafodaethau rydw i wedi eu cael gyda'r pwyllgor, fod Aelodau'n hapus bod ganddyn nhw'r capasiti a'r wybodaeth a'r access at y dogfennau priodol i allu gwneud hynny, a gwelsom ni hynny'n llwyddo yn yr enghraifft wnes i sôn amdani jest nawr.

Thank you to Dai Lloyd for those questions. While I agree with him that we need to show respect to the devolved Governments, and that respect needs to be shown by the UK Government, we as a Government have always taken every opportunity to make the case for Wales—to stand up for Wales's interest—and to be, to the best of our abilities, constructive in our approach. And that's what our approach will be in the future, and we expect the UK Government to respond in kind.

He mentioned the question of the Sewel convention—namely, what certainty we have that this a unique situation. Well, the first thing I would say is that I hope that he would agree with me that this is, indeed, a unique situation. I know that he's read the document, 'Reforming our Union', which describes in detail the steps that we believe need to be taken to reform the convention and the settlement. We don't believe that the current situation is adequate; we feel that it needs to be reformed. We've explained that we need to codify and describe in detail how discretion can be used to move ahead without the consent of the devolved Governments. We've also spoken about the need for the UK Government to consider that in taking that step. So, we are far from being in a situation of believing that the current situation is ideal, but, having said that, it’s also certainly important to underline the fact that the circumstances have been unique circumstances.

He also mentioned expanding our powers and ensuring that the devolved settlement continues to be respected. Well, that's exactly what we succeeded in doing as a Government through the inter-governmental agreement at the time of the EU withdrawal Bill. Following that agreement, we ensured that the powers that are wielded by the Welsh Government and this Senedd are expanded, and that’s an example of what can happen when we, as a Government, put forward proposals and make our case on the basis of evidence and so on.

Finally, he asked about scrutiny of the Government’s work. There’s been constant discussion with committees about how best to do that. And from the very beginning the Government ensured that we complied with the measures agreed in terms of scrutiny, namely written statements explaining the steps that we have taken and also this question of SICMs. Of course, it's open to any Member to raise a question with regard to a SICM on the floor of the Senedd, and that’s happened successfully when Suzy Davies brought that same issue before us. So, it’s a matter for any Member, as it should be, to do that. I'm sure from discussions that I've had with the committees that Members are content that they have the capacity and the information and the access to appropriate documents to be able to do that, and we saw that succeeding in the example that I mentioned just now.

18:10

May I thank the Minister for his statement? When I saw the title 'legislation related to leaving the EU', I had assumed it would focus on the flow of statutory instruments and the approach we were taking to those, so I particularly thank him for the last two paragraphs that do address that issue. And if I may take into account the tone we had from Darren Millar in his response—I recall a number of similar contributions in the past with a very different tone.

But in light of that, can I reference what the Minister says about the Sewel convention? He says this could have developed into a major constitutional crisis threatening the foundations of devolution, and then references a number of things that the UK Government has done or implied that lead to this not being that. But there's another side to that, and I think that reflects the position of Welsh Government who are looking to reduce the temperature on this and find common ground with UK Government and interpret what they're doing in such a way as to minimise the extent to which they see that as a breach, and I think that is a sensible and an appropriate way of moving forward and putting this behind them.

I do however think that the precedent of that breach of Sewel is still there, and the Minister references three or four documents or speeches from UK Government that means that precedent counts for less in his mind than might otherwise be the case. May I raise one on the other side, and that relates to the comments the Minister makes about our decision here in the Senedd mirroring similar votes in the Northern Ireland and Scottish Parliaments, and the reference to UK Government overriding the views of the three legislatures? Of course, the two other legislatures were expressing the views and representing their electorates who had voted remain. Here, the people of Wales voted to leave, yet, again, with this legislative consent motion, we saw actions that were at least open to the interpretation of being of a piece with three and a half years of seeking to use such powers as we have to impede Brexit.

And the Minister refers to Welsh Government's capacity to influence the forthcoming negotiations. Isn't the key thing that reduces that capacity the fact that Welsh Government, along with Plaid Cymru, adopted a Brexit-in-name-only policy, and then when ultimately Theresa May offered them basically that, and including a customs union—and the Minister said he was happy with the withdrawal agreement and perhaps just a few points about the political declaration—when it came to the crunch, Welsh Government changed its mind, and supported what Welsh Labour and UK Labour did in not standing by that BRINO policy—with the honourable exception, perhaps, of Stephen Kinnock and one or two others—but instead saying, 'Well, we did say that before, but we're not going to stick to that, and we would prefer to have a second referendum and gamble on blocking Brexit altogether, notwithstanding that we said we would respect the referendum before'? Is that not why you do not have the purchase you would wish as UK Government leads these trade negotiations with a majority of 80?

Finally, may I speak about what the Minister says about keeping pace with EU legislation? He seems to talk as if there is the prospect of dynamic alignment with EU standards and regulations through a trade treaty. May I reinforce with him, or at least emphasise the stated position of UK Government, that there will be no such dynamic alignment. We trust they will keep to their promises. If they do, surely there will be no requirement for us to be keeping pace with EU legislation in this way, and if, as he says, there are other available means of enabling Wales to keep pace when we consider it necessary, doesn't that imply that in many areas we will be diverging from UK legislation applicable in England, in a way that will make business in Wales more difficult and less attractive?

A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad? Pan welais y teitl 'deddfwriaeth yn ymwneud ag ymadael â'r UE', roeddwn wedi tybio y byddai'n canolbwyntio ar lif offerynnau statudol a'r dull gweithredu yr oeddem ni'n ei ddilyn ar gyfer y rheini, felly hoffwn ddiolch yn arbennig iddo am y ddau baragraff olaf sy'n ymdrin â'r mater hwnnw. Ac os caf ystyried y tôn a gawsom gan Darren Millar yn ei ymateb—rwy'n cofio nifer o gyfraniadau tebyg yn y gorffennol â thôn wahanol iawn.

Ond yng ngoleuni hynny, a gaf i gyfeirio at yr hyn y mae'r Gweinidog yn ei ddweud am Gonfensiwn Sewel? Mae'n dweud y gallai hyn fod wedi datblygu'n argyfwng cyfansoddiadol mawr sy'n bygwth sylfeini datganoli, ac yna mae'n cyfeirio at nifer o bethau y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi eu gwneud neu wedi awgrymu nad yw hyn yn arwain at y llall. Ond mae ochr arall i hynny, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n adlewyrchu sefyllfa Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n ceisio lleihau'r tymheredd ar hyn a dod o hyd i dir cyffredin gyda Llywodraeth y DU a dehongli'r hyn y maen nhw yn ei wneud mewn modd sy'n lleihau'r graddau y maen nhw yn ystyried hynny yn doriad, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n ffordd gall a phriodol o symud ymlaen a rhoi hyn y tu ôl iddyn nhw.

Rwy'n credu, fodd bynnag, fod cynsail y toriad hwnnw i Sewel yn dal i fod yno, ac mae'r Gweinidog yn cyfeirio at dair neu bedair dogfen neu areithiau gan Lywodraeth y DU sy'n golygu bod cynsail yn cyfrif am lai yn ei feddwl ef nag a fyddai fel arall yn wir. A gaf i godi un ar yr ochr arall, ac mae hynny'n ymwneud â'r sylwadau y mae'r Gweinidog yn eu gwneud am ein penderfyniad ni yma yn y Senedd yn adlewyrchu pleidleisiau tebyg yn senedd Gogledd Iwerddon a senedd yr Alban, a'r cyfeiriad at Lywodraeth y DU yn anwybyddu barn y tair Deddfwrfa? Wrth gwrs, roedd y ddwy ddeddfwrfa arall yn mynegi barn ac yn cynrychioli eu hetholwyr a oedd wedi pleidleisio i aros. Yn y fan yma, pleidleisiodd pobl Cymru i ymadael, ac eto, unwaith eto, gyda'r cynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol hwn, gwelsom gamau gweithredu a oedd o leiaf yn agored i'r dehongliad o fod yn ddarn â thair blynedd a hanner o geisio defnyddio pwerau o'r fath sydd gennym i rwystro Brexit.

Ac mae'r Gweinidog yn cyfeirio at gapasiti Llywodraeth Cymru i ddylanwadu ar y trafodaethau sydd ar y gweill. Onid y peth allweddol sy'n lleihau'r gallu hwnnw yw'r ffaith fod Llywodraeth Cymru, ynghyd â Phlaid Cymru, wedi mabwysiadu polisi Brexit mewn enw yn unig, ac wedyn pan wnaeth Theresa May, yn y pen draw, gynnig hynny iddyn nhw yn y bôn, gan gynnwys Undeb Tollau—a dywedodd y Gweinidog ei fod yn hapus â'r cytundeb ymadael ac efallai dim ond ychydig o bwyntiau am y datganiad gwleidyddol—pan ddaeth i'r pen, newidiodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei meddwl, a chefnogi'r hyn a wnaeth Llafur Cymru a Llafur y DU a pheidio â chefnogi'r polisi BRINO hwnnw—gydag eithriad clodwiw, efallai, Stephen Kinnock ac un neu ddau arall—ond yn hytrach yn dweud, 'Wel, fe wnaethom ni ddweud hynny o'r blaen, ond nid ydym ni'n mynd i lynu at hynny, a byddai'n well gennym ni gael ail refferendwm a gamblo ar atal Brexit yn gyfan gwbl, er ein bod ni wedi dweud y byddem yn parchu'r refferendwm yn flaenorol'? Onid dyna pam nad oes gennych chi'r dylanwad y byddech chi'n dymuno ei gael wrth i Lywodraeth y DU arwain y trafodaethau masnach hyn gyda mwyafrif o 80?

Yn olaf, a gaf i sôn am yr hyn y mae'r Gweinidog yn ei ddweud am gadw'n gyfredol â deddfwriaeth yr UE? Ymddengys ei fod yn siarad fel pe byddai gobaith am gyfochri dynamig â safonau a rheoliadau'r UE drwy gytundeb masnach. A gaf i atgyfnerthu gydag ef, neu o leiaf bwysleisio safbwynt Llywodraeth y DU, na fydd unrhyw gyfochri dynamig o'r fath. Hyderwn y byddan nhw'n cadw at eu haddewidion. Os gwnân nhw hynny, siawns na fydd yn ofynnol i ni gadw'n gyfredol â deddfwriaeth yr UE yn y modd hwn, ac os, fel y dywed, bod dulliau eraill ar gael i alluogi Cymru i gadw'n gyfredol pan ystyriwn fod angen hynny, onid yw hynny'n awgrymu y byddwn ni, mewn llawer o feysydd, yn gwyro oddi wrth ddeddfwriaeth y DU sy'n berthnasol yn Lloegr, mewn modd a fydd yn gwneud busnes yng Nghymru yn fwy anodd ac yn llai deniadol?

18:15

I think I heard two questions in that contribution. One relates to the actions of this Senedd in relation to voting to withhold consent for the withdrawal agreement Bill. I'll just take the opportunity once again to say, since we seem to be going over some pretty old territory at this point, that the reason this Assembly withheld its consent was because the provisions in the Bill, which the Government recommended to the Assembly, were threatening the position of this institution as part of the devolution settlement. It was not a question of not reflecting the will of the people of Wales. The people of Wales have voted on two occasions for this institution to have certain powers, and that legislation did not respect those, which is why the Senedd withheld its consent.

On the question of dynamic alignment, it's a matter of regret to us as a Government that the UK Government has not decided to seek dynamic alignment, but we have been very clear that we do not wish to see a devolution of standards in relation to the social and environmental and labour standards that we have regarded as an asset here in Wales, and so the very purpose of looking to keep pace with regulation into the future is just to continue to be able to express our values here in Wales in defence of those rights and standards into the future. We would like to be in a position where the UK Government—as all Governments in the UK—feels that the best deal for the UK is in ensuring that those standards are maintained into the future. That's certainly the best deal for businesses across the UK and workers across the UK, and those of us who've enjoyed those standards as part of our daily life, but the UK Government is not persuaded of that, and I think that's a matter of regret.

Rwy'n credu fy mod i wedi clywed dau gwestiwn yn y cyfraniad yna. Mae un yn ymwneud â gweithredoedd y Senedd hon ynghylch pleidleisio i wrthod rhoi cydsyniad i'r Bil cytundeb ymadael. Hoffwn achub ar y cyfle unwaith eto i ddweud, gan ein bod ni'n mynd dros diriogaeth eithaf hen ar hyn o bryd, mai'r rheswm yr ataliodd y Cynulliad hwn ei gydsyniad oedd oherwydd bod y darpariaethau yn y Mesur, a argymhellwyd gan y Llywodraeth i'r Cynulliad, yn bygwth sefyllfa'r sefydliad hwn yn rhan o'r setliad datganoli. Nid oedd yn fater o beidio ag adlewyrchu ewyllys pobl Cymru. Mae pobl Cymru wedi pleidleisio ddwywaith i'r sefydliad hwn gael pwerau penodol, ac nid oedd y ddeddfwriaeth honno'n parchu'r rheini, a dyna pam yr ataliodd y Senedd ei chydsyniad.

O ran y cwestiwn o gyfochri dynamig, mae'n destun gofid i ni fel Llywodraeth nad yw Llywodraeth y DU wedi penderfynu ceisio sicrhau cyfochri dynamig, ond rydym ni wedi bod yn glir iawn nad ydym eisiau gweld safonau'n cael eu datganoli o ran safonau cymdeithasol ac amgylcheddol a llafur yr ydym wedi eu hystyried yn gaffaeliad yma yng Nghymru, ac felly'r union bwrpas o geisio cadw i fyny â'r rheoliadau yn y dyfodol yw parhau i allu mynegi ein gwerthoedd yma yng Nghymru er mwyn amddiffyn yr hawliau a'r safonau hynny yn y dyfodol. Hoffem fod mewn sefyllfa lle mae Llywodraeth y DU—fel pob Llywodraeth yn y DU—yn teimlo mai'r cytundeb gorau i'r DU yw sicrhau bod y safonau hynny'n cael eu cynnal yn y dyfodol. Yn sicr, dyna'r cytundeb gorau i fusnesau ledled y DU a gweithwyr ledled y DU, a'r rhai hynny ohonom sydd wedi mwynhau'r safonau hynny yn rhan o'n bywyd bob dydd, ond nid yw Llywodraeth y DU wedi'i hargyhoeddi o hynny, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n destun gofid.

Can I thank the Minister for his statement this afternoon? And I welcome what he has said. It is clearly important that we now address some of the issues of legislation on Brexit, because people still think Brexit is done, but we all know Brexit is not done. There are many things ahead of us, and we face some challenging times.

You indicated in your statement the question as to Sewel and the fact that the three legislatures said 'no' to the Bill, and I'll highlight my position: I voted against the Bill because it actually was a poor Bill. It didn't give what it should have given: the rights of committees in this institution to scrutinise the actions of the Government in these future EU-UK relationship negotiations. I felt that was something that should have been there, and it was taken out by the UK Government, and therefore I felt the Bill, actually, was not appropriate for this institution.

But you also highlighted that you actually sent a response to both the Secretary of State for DExEU—who is no longer the Secretary of State for DExEU, because that's gone—but also the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, so Stephen Barclay and Michael Gove. Have you had a response from either of those two to your letter? Because you indicated that you recognised it was, as they said, unique, specific, special. Have they agreed with you that it was unique, specific and special, and therefore would not be repeated again? So, it would be nice to know if you've had a response. 

You talk about common frameworks. Are you analysing current EU directives and legislation, which may now impact upon those frameworks? And, therefore, when you have the negotiations, you're going to make sure that the common frameworks are able to reflect everything properly, particularly in the sense of the inter-governmental review we're still awaiting; we don't know what that means, or what impact that will have on the common frameworks. Also, in response to the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee's report on common frameworks, you indicated that you would not be in a position to discuss policy issues, because there were still discussions ongoing, and you were awaiting, perhaps—30 March was one of the dates given. Where are we in relation to that, and can we expect a response by 30 March, or are we delayed a little bit further down the line, because, as you highlighted, we are approaching 31 December the more we go on, and on 31 December, this current UK Government has said, the transition ends with or without a deal? And that's a deep concern. You might have been preparing for a 'no deal' scenario prior. You may still need to prepare for a 'no deal' scenario on 31 December as well.

What discussions have you had with the European Parliament on EU legislation that actually will come before it, because you've mentioned in your statement that you expect the legislation process in the European Parliament to be long? I would assume, therefore, they know what's coming in the next 12 months. So, have you had discussions with the European Parliament to say what's going to come before them in the next 12 months? Are there things we should be aware of, and which we may wish to take consideration of in this Chamber, because it is important that we reflect upon that?

And why not bring forward legislation that will require future Welsh Governments to actually bring before the Assembly, or the Senedd, as it will be then, the reasoning as to why they may not want to bring forward any EU legislation in Wales? Because you say where there will be or will not be, but when will we know about it? When will you tell us, as Members of the Senedd, and actually say, 'Well, we don't think this EU legislation is appropriate for Wales'? And will you put that in place to ensure that future Governments will also do the same, so that no-one can basically ignore what's going on in Europe and leave us without an opportunity to discuss it and reflect upon whether it is appropriate for Wales or not?

In relation to the SIs, how many do we still have to go? It's difficult for you—[Inaudible.] It would be nice to know how many we've still got to go because, as has been pointed out by Darren Millar, we have quite a full programme of legislation coming up between now and the end of this Assembly. So, how many are left to go, and how many do you anticipate as a consequence of the transition period, because it is likely that we may have a thin agreement, which is not the full agreement the UK expects? We now know the EU's negotiating position; they've confirmed that today, and they've confirmed the strengthening of their position in relation to a level playing field. So, we also know the UK position is about to be confirmed on Thursday. So, it is important we understand what SIs will be in place, what SIs may be in place as a consequence of a thin agreement, what SIs may be needed as a consequence of no agreement, and therefore that we know the type of timescales we put in this institution. 

We do need to know about the 'no deal' scenario because I'm still fearful that it's a possibility, and what the World Trade Organization regards on that—. And, yesterday, the committee heard evidence that that could be catastrophic for us if we get to that stage. And a thin deal won't be great for us, but we need to be ready and prepared for these. The immigration Bill, or the immigration points system has just been announced. We'll have the Agriculture Bill going through; fisheries is coming through. We know fisheries is going to be a big issue in this negotiation—the French have already made that quite clear. So, where are we getting ready in our legislation process, between now and the end of this Assembly, to ensure that Wales is ready to face the next type of relationship that the UK has with the EU?

A gaf fi ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma, ac rwy'n croesawu'r hyn y mae wedi ei ddweud. Mae'n amlwg yn bwysig ein bod yn awr yn mynd i'r afael â rhai o faterion deddfwriaethol Brexit, oherwydd mae pobl yn dal i gredu bod Brexit wedi ei wneud, ond rydym ni gyd yn gwybod nad yw Brexit wedi ei wneud eto. Mae llawer o bethau o'n blaenau, ac rydym ni'n wynebu cyfnod heriol.

Fe wnaethoch chi nodi yn eich datganiad y cwestiwn ynglŷn â Sewel a'r ffaith bod y tair deddfwrfa wedi dweud 'na' i'r Bil, ac fe amlygaf fy safbwynt i: pleidleisiais yn erbyn y Bil am ei fod mewn gwirionedd yn Fil gwael. Nid oedd yn rhoi'r hyn a ddylai fod wedi'i roi: hawliau pwyllgorau yn y sefydliad hwn i graffu ar weithredoedd y Llywodraeth yn y trafodaethau hyn yn y dyfodol rhwng yr UE a'r DU. Teimlaf fod hynny'n rhywbeth a ddylai fod wedi digwydd, ac fe'i tynnwyd allan gan Lywodraeth y DU, ac felly roeddwn i'n teimlo nad oedd y Bil, mewn gwirionedd, yn briodol ar gyfer y sefydliad hwn.

Ond fe wnaethoch chi nodi hefyd eich bod wedi danfon ymateb at yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd—nad yw bellach yn Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, oherwydd mae hynny wedi mynd—ond hefyd Canghellor Dugiaeth Caerhirfryn, felly Stephen Barclay a Michael Gove. Ydych chi wedi cael ymateb gan yr un o'r ddau hynny i'ch llythyr? Oherwydd fe wnaethoch chi nodi eich bod yn cydnabod ei fod, fel y dywedason nhw, yn unigryw, yn benodol, yn arbennig. A ydyn nhw wedi cytuno â chi ei fod yn unigryw, yn benodol ac yn arbennig, ac felly na fyddai'n cael ei ailadrodd eto? Felly, byddai'n braf gwybod a ydych chi wedi cael ymateb.

Rydych chi'n sôn am fframweithiau cyffredin. A ydych chi'n dadansoddi cyfarwyddebau a deddfwriaeth gyfredol yr UE, a allai effeithio erbyn hyn ar y fframweithiau hynny? Ac, felly, pan fyddwch chi'n cynnal y trafodaethau, rydych chi'n mynd i sicrhau bod y fframweithiau cyffredin yn gallu adlewyrchu popeth yn iawn, yn enwedig o ran yr adolygiad rhynglywodraethol yr ydym ni'n dal i aros amdano; nid ydym ni'n gwybod beth mae hynny'n ei olygu, na pha effaith y bydd hynny'n ei chael ar y fframweithiau cyffredin. Hefyd, mewn ymateb i adroddiad y Pwyllgor Materion Allanol a Deddfwriaeth Ychwanegol ar fframweithiau cyffredin, dywedasoch na fyddech mewn sefyllfa i drafod materion polisi, oherwydd bod trafodaethau'n parhau o hyd, ac roeddech yn disgwyl, efallai—30 Mawrth oedd un o'r dyddiadau a roddwyd. Ble'r ydym ni ynghylch hynny, ac a allwn ni ddisgwyl ymateb erbyn 30 Mawrth, neu a oes mwy o oedi, oherwydd, fel y dywedasoch, rydym ni'n agosáu at 31 Rhagfyr po fwyaf yr awn ymlaen, ac ar 31 Rhagfyr, yn ôl Llywodraeth bresennol y DU, mae'r cyfnod pontio yn dod i ben gyda neu heb gytundeb? Ac mae hynny'n bryder mawr. Efallai eich bod wedi paratoi ar gyfer sefyllfa 'dim cytundeb' yn flaenorol. Efallai y bydd angen o hyd i chi baratoi ar gyfer sefyllfa 'dim cytundeb' ar 31 Rhagfyr hefyd.

Pa drafodaethau ydych chi wedi eu cael gyda Senedd Ewrop ar ddeddfwriaeth yr UE a fydd yn dod ger ei bron mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd rydych chi wedi sôn yn eich datganiad eich bod yn disgwyl i'r broses ddeddfu yn Senedd Ewrop fod yn hir? Byddwn yn tybio, felly, eu bod yn gwybod beth sy'n dod yn ystod y 12 mis nesaf. Felly, a ydych chi wedi cael trafodaethau gyda Senedd Ewrop i ddweud beth sy'n mynd i ddod ger eu bron yn y 12 mis nesaf? A oes pethau y dylem ni fod yn ymwybodol ohonyn nhw, ac y byddwn efallai yn dymuno eu hystyried yn y Siambr hon, oherwydd mae'n bwysig i ni fyfyrio ar hynny?

A beth am gyflwyno deddfwriaeth a fydd yn galw ar Lywodraethau Cymru yn y dyfodol i gyflwyno mewn gwirionedd y rhesymau pam nad ydyn nhw o bosibl eisiau cyflwyno unrhyw ddeddfwriaeth yr UE yng Nghymru gerbron y Cynulliad, neu'r Senedd, fel y bydd bryd hynny? Oherwydd rydych chi'n dweud ble y bydd neu na fydd, ond pryd y byddwn ni'n gwybod amdano? Pryd fyddwch chi'n dweud wrthym, fel aelodau o'r Senedd, ac yn dweud mewn gwirionedd, 'Wel, nid ydym ni'n credu bod y ddeddfwriaeth UE hon yn briodol i Gymru'? Ac a wnewch chi roi hynny ar waith i sicrhau y bydd Llywodraethau'r dyfodol yn gwneud yr un peth hefyd, fel na all unrhyw un yn y bôn anwybyddu'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn Ewrop a'n gadael ni heb gyfle i'w drafod ac ystyried pa un a yw'n briodol i Gymru ai peidio?

O ran yr offerynnau statudol, faint o waith sydd gennym ni i'w wneud o hyd? Mae'n anodd i chi—[Anhyglywadwy.] Byddai'n braf gwybod faint o waith sydd gennym o hyd i'w wneud oherwydd, fel y dywedodd Darren Millar, mae gennym raglen ddeddfwriaethol eithaf llawn rhwng yn awr a diwedd y Cynulliad hwn. Felly, faint sydd ar ôl, a faint ydych chi'n eu rhagweld o ganlyniad i'r cyfnod pontio, oherwydd mae'n debygol y bydd gennym ni gytundeb gwan, nid y cytundeb llawn y mae'r DU yn ei ddisgwyl? Rydym ni bellach yn gwybod beth yw safbwynt negodi'r UE; maen nhw wedi cadarnhau hynny heddiw, ac maen nhw wedi cadarnhau y byddan nhw'n cryfhau eu safbwynt o ran chwarae teg. Felly, gwyddom hefyd y bydd sefyllfa'r DU yn cael ei chadarnhau ddydd Iau. Felly, mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n deall pa offerynnau statudol fydd ar waith, pa offerynnau statudol a allai fod ar waith o ganlyniad i gytundeb gwan, pa offerynnau statudol a allai fod yn angenrheidiol o ganlyniad i ddim cytundeb, ac felly ein bod yn gwybod y math o amserlenni yr ydym yn rhoi yn y sefydliad hwn.

Mae angen i ni wybod am y sefyllfa 'dim cytundeb' oherwydd rwy'n dal i ofni ei fod yn bosibilrwydd, a'r hyn y mae Sefydliad Masnach y Byd yn ei feddwl am hynny—. A ddoe, clywodd y pwyllgor dystiolaeth y gallai hynny fod yn drychinebus i ni pe byddem ni'n cyrraedd y cam hwnnw. Ac ni fydd cytundeb gwan yn dda iawn i ni, ond mae angen i ni baratoi a bod yn barod ar gyfer y rhain. Mae'r Bil mewnfudo, neu'r system pwyntiau mewnfudo newydd gael ei gyhoeddi. Bydd y Bil amaethyddiaeth yn mynd trwodd; mae pysgodfeydd yn dod trwodd. Rydym yn gwybod bod pysgodfeydd yn mynd i fod yn fater pwysig yn y trafodaethau hyn—mae'r Ffrancwyr eisoes wedi gwneud hynny'n gwbl glir. Felly, ble yr ydym ni'n paratoi yn ein proses ddeddfu, rhwng yn awr a diwedd y Cynulliad hwn, i sicrhau bod Cymru'n barod i wynebu'r math nesaf o berthynas a fydd gan y DU gyda'r UE?

18:20

I thank David Rees for that range of important questions. On the exchange of correspondence with the UK Government, in their letters to me, they have referred to the circumstances as being unique, exceptional. So, that's language that has come from correspondence that they have sent to us, and I am sure he would join me in hoping that those circumstances are indeed unique, as they are described.

I can assure him that, in the context of the legislation being contemplated during the transition period, we are absolutely keeping abreast of the developments there. The point I was making about future developments related to longer term legislation, so that, as the processes of the European Parliament proceed, that will provide sufficient time for us to be able to identify if there are any future gaps in the powers that we would need to be able to reflect those laws in Welsh law and to take steps in the Senedd to legislate in accordance with those requirements. So, that's a slightly longer time frame.

He raised the question around the common frameworks, and absolutely it is our plan to respond to the committee within the time frame that we've set out to the committee, which is the end of March. As I alluded to briefly in the earlier response, there are regular meetings between officials across all Governments on the question of common frameworks, and so we will be in a position to provide an update within that time period. 

In relation to the sorts of issues that might not fall within the keeping pace ambit, if you like, things that we might, I guess, elect not to keep pace with—EU legislation, as he knows very well, covers a range of areas. Some of them are geographically specific, some of them are so intimately tied up to the machinery of membership of the European Union as not to be appropriate, some European law provides a range of means by which member states themselves are able to give those directions force of law and so forth. So, there's a range of scenarios in which keeping pace may not apply, if you like, which we will need to keep under review. 

I have some sympathy with him in relation to his last question. He asks somewhat plaintively how many SIs are we contemplating. I'm not in a position, unfortunately, to say to you today what that number is. Some of them will relate to implementation of legislation going through Parliament now, some of them will relate to correcting changes that arise from the change in the date on which EU law ceases to apply, so the end of this year. Some of it will relate to implementing obligations on a continuing basis throughout the transition period, and some of it will relate to implementing the outcomes of any agreements with the European Union and, indeed, with third countries. And just by describing the list, I know you will appreciate that it's today impossible to quantify with any precision what that amounts to. But there are certainly scenarios in which that could surpass the volume of SIs that we have to enact in order to contemplate a 'no deal' departure, and I know that he's aware of the Herculean task that that involved. 

Diolchaf i David Rees am yr ystod yna o gwestiynau pwysig. O ran cyfnewid gohebiaeth â Llywodraeth y DU, yn eu llythyrau ataf i, maen nhw wedi cyfeirio at yr amgylchiadau fel rhai unigryw, eithriadol. Felly, dyna iaith sydd wedi dod o ohebiaeth y maen nhw wedi ei hanfon atom ni, ac rwyf yn siŵr y byddai ef yn ymuno â mi i obeithio bod yr amgylchiadau hynny'n wirioneddol unigryw, fel y cânt eu disgrifio.

Gallaf ei sicrhau, yng nghyd-destun y ddeddfwriaeth sy'n cael ei hystyried yn ystod y cyfnod pontio, ein bod yn gwbl ymwybodol o'r datblygiadau yn hynny o beth. Roedd y pwynt yr oeddwn yn ei wneud am ddatblygiadau yn y dyfodol yn ymwneud â deddfwriaeth tymor hwy, felly, fel y bydd prosesau Senedd Ewrop, yn symud ymlaen, bydd hynny yn rhoi digon o amser i ni allu nodi os bydd unrhyw fylchau yn y dyfodol yn y pwerau y byddai eu hangen arnom i allu adlewyrchu'r cyfreithiau hynny yng nghyfraith Cymru a chymryd camau yn y Senedd i ddeddfu yn unol â'r gofynion hynny. Felly, mae honno'n amserlen ychydig yn hwy.

Cododd y cwestiwn ynghylch y fframweithiau cyffredin, ac yn bendant, ein bwriad yw ymateb i'r pwyllgor o fewn yr amserlen yr ydym wedi ei gosod gerbron y pwyllgor, sef diwedd mis Mawrth. Fel y crybwyllais yn fyr yn yr ymateb cynharach, cynhelir cyfarfodydd rheolaidd rhwng swyddogion ar draws pob Llywodraeth ar fater fframweithiau cyffredin, ac felly byddwn mewn sefyllfa i roi diweddariad o fewn y cyfnod hwnnw o amser.

O ran y mathau o faterion sydd o bosibl ddim yn rhan o'r cwmpas ar gyfer cadw'n gyfredol, pethau y gallem, am wn i, ddewis peidio â chadw'n gyfredol â nhw—mae deddfwriaeth yr UE, fel y gŵyr ef yn dda iawn, yn cwmpasu amrywiaeth o feysydd. Mae rhai ohonyn nhw yn ddaearyddol benodol, mae rhai ohonyn nhw wedi eu clymu mor agos at beirianwaith aelodaeth o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd fel nad ydyn nhw'n briodol i ni, mae rhai deddfau Ewropeaidd yn darparu ystod o ffyrdd i'r aelod wladwriaethau eu hunain allu rhoi grym y gyfraith i'r cyfarwyddiadau hynny ac yn y blaen. Felly, mae amrywiaeth o sefyllfaoedd lle efallai na fydd cadw'n gyfredol yn berthnasol, os mynnwch chi, y bydd angen i ni gadw golwg arnyn nhw.

Mae gennyf rywfaint o gydymdeimlad ag ef ynghylch ei gwestiwn olaf. Mae'n gofyn braidd yn ddolefus faint o offerynnau statudol yr ydym ni'n eu hystyried. Nid wyf i mewn sefyllfa, yn anffodus, i ddweud wrthych chi heddiw beth yw'r nifer hwnnw. Bydd rhai ohonyn nhw yn ymwneud â gweithredu deddfwriaeth sy'n mynd drwy'r Senedd ar hyn o bryd, bydd rhai ohonyn nhw yn ymwneud â cywiro newidiadau sy'n codi o'r newid yn y dyddiad y bydd cyfraith yr UE yn peidio â bod yn gymwys, felly diwedd eleni. Bydd rhywfaint ohono'n ymwneud â gweithredu rhwymedigaethau ar sail barhaus drwy gydol y cyfnod pontio, a bydd rhywfaint ohono'n ymwneud â gweithredu canlyniadau unrhyw gytundebau gyda'r Undeb Ewropeaidd ac, yn wir, gyda trydydd gwledydd. A dim ond drwy ddisgrifio'r rhestr, rwy'n gwybod y byddwch chi'n gwerthfawrogi ei bod heddiw yn amhosibl meintioli gydag unrhyw fanylder beth fydd nifer y rheini. Ond yn sicr ceir sefyllfaoedd lle gallai hynny fod yn fwy na nifer yr offerynnau statudol y mae'n rhaid i ni eu deddfu er mwyn ystyried ymadawiad 'dim cytundeb', a gwn ei fod yn ymwybodol o'r dasg anferthol yr oedd hynny yn ei olygu.  

18:25

Can I just add my support to the Counsel General for the approach he's taken? I think it's fair to say, despite our occasional disagreements, that the Welsh Government, in trying to strengthen the British constitution under devolution, usually ends up in the right place. I sometimes have arguments about how you eventually got there, but I do think the work you've done with the Sewel convention is important, given that it obviously was breached, because there was not a normal circumstance. And I've never thought the word 'normal' was very helpful, and at least we now have language from the UK Government—'singular' and 'exceptional', and I think you used another adjective as well—which I do think is helpful.

But what I do support is that we move to some sort of expanded convention or codify somehow around the phrasing that you chose, in terms of it would be denied only in the most exceptional circumstances. I do think that would be a better description of the position we're in where we have to acknowledge ultimate parliamentary sovereignty in Westminster, but obviously devolution is just made a nonsense if Sewel really is in a fairly casual way defied. So, I think that's important.

I think you're right: there doesn't seem a need for a Senedd Bill to keep pace with EU legislation in the transition period. I'm completely satisfied that you can do that through the various technical powers you have and, should something major come along, then the proper thing is to bring a Bill in. I can't see anyone finding an objection to that. 

If you permit me the indulgence, Presiding Officer, I do want to congratulate my colleague Darren Millar on his conversion or avowal now of federalism. [Laughter.] I have to say it's been a lonely—[Interruption.]—it's been a lonely—[Interruption.] I do apologise, it must have been a bit of a whisper and I didn't pick it up. [Laughter.] But I'm delighted to have such a distinguished ally. I do recommend to you, Darren, and indeed to the Counsel General, if you've not already read it, my e-book available at the IWA, The Reformed Union—. Now, where did we hear that phrase? Who pinched that later? The Reformed Union: The UK as a Federation.

A gaf fi ychwanegu fy nghefnogaeth i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol o ran yr agwedd y mae wedi ei mabwysiadu? Rwy'n credu ei bod yn deg i ddweud, er gwaethaf ein hanghytundebau achlysurol, bod Llywodraeth Cymru, wrth geisio cryfhau'r cyfansoddiad Prydeinig o dan ddatganoli, fel arfer yn diweddu yn y lle iawn. Rwyf weithiau'n cael dadleuon ynglŷn â sut y gwnaethoch chi gyrraedd yn y pen draw, ond rwy'n credu bod y gwaith yr ydych chi wedi'i wneud gyda chonfensiwn Sewel yn bwysig, o gofio ei fod yn amlwg wedi'i dorri, oherwydd nad oedd amgylchiadau normal. Ac nid wyf i erioed wedi meddwl bod y gair 'normal' yn ddefnyddiol iawn, ac o leiaf mae gennym iaith yn awr gan Lywodraeth y DU—'hynod' ac 'eithriadol', a chredaf i chi ddefnyddio ansoddair arall hefyd—sy'n ddefnyddiol yn fy marn i.

Ond yr hyn yr wyf i yn ei gefnogi yw ein bod yn symud i ryw fath o gonfensiwn ehangedig neu'n codeiddio rywsut o gwmpas y geirio a ddewisoch, o ran y byddai ddim ond yn cael ei wrthod o dan yr amgylchiadau mwyaf eithriadol. Rwyf i yn credu y byddai hynny'n ddisgrifiad gwell o'r sefyllfa yr ydym ni ynddi lle mae'n rhaid i ni gydnabod sofraniaeth y Senedd yn San Steffan, ond yn amlwg mae datganoli yn troi mewn i ffars lwyr os yw Sewel yn cael ei anwybyddu mewn modd mor ddidaro. Felly, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n bwysig.

Rwy'n credu eich bod yn iawn: nid yw'n ymddangos bod angen Bil Senedd i gadw'n gyfredol gyda deddfwriaeth yr UE yn y cyfnod pontio. Rwy'n gwbl fodlon y gallwch chi wneud hynny drwy'r gwahanol bwerau technegol sydd gennych a, pe byddai rhywbeth mawr yn codi, yna'r peth iawn i'w wneud yw cyflwyno Bil. Ni allaf weld unrhyw un yn anghytuno â hynny.

Os gwnewch chi ganiatáu'r goddefgarwch, Llywydd, hoffwn longyfarch fy nghyd-Aelod Darren Millar ar ei dröedigaeth neu ei addefiad nawr i ffederaliaeth. [Chwerthin.] Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud ei bod wedi bod yn unig—[Torri ar draws.]—mae wedi bod yn unig—[Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n ymddiheuro, mae'n rhaid ei fod wedi sibrwd a wnes i ddim ei glywed. [Chwerthin.] Ond rwyf wrth fy modd i gael cynghreiriad mor nodedig. Rwy'n argymell i chi, Darren, ac yn wir i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol, os nad ydych chi wedi ei ddarllen eisoes, mae fy e-lyfr ar gael yn y Sefydliad Materion Cymreig, The Reformed Union—. Nawr, ble clywsom ni'r ymadrodd hwnnw? Pwy wnaeth ddwyn hwnnw'n ddiweddarach? The Reformed Union: The UK as a Federation.

18:30

Well, I've been absolutely tantalised by the instalments on Twitter from David Melding's book on the future of the constitution, which I commend to all Members. On the question of keeping pace, we will keep under review whether that needs to be brought forward. Our assessment today is that isn't necessary, but we will be keeping that under review. Should that analysis change, then so might the recommendation. 

Just briefly, on the question of the Sewel convention, I think his point is that this requires reform, and there is a platform of discussions on which we now have to build for that to be reformed. As I mentioned in my statement, 'Reforming our Union' sets that out in detail. And, as a lawyer, I'm drawn to looking at the more precise formulations for that, but there is also a case for discussing whether or not we should move from simply 'not normally' to 'not'.

Wel, mae'r dyfyniadau ar Twitter o lyfr David Melding ar ddyfodol y cyfansoddiad wedi fy nghyffroi yn fawr, ac rwy'n ei gymeradwyo i bob aelod. O ran cadw'n gyfredol, byddwn yn dal i adolygu i weld a oes angen dwyn hynny ymlaen. Ein hasesiad ni heddiw yw nad oes angen hynny, ond byddwn yn cadw golwg ar hynny. Petai'r dadansoddiad hwnnw'n newid, yna gallai'r argymhelliad newid hefyd.

Yn fyr iawn, o ran confensiwn Sewel, credaf mai ei bwynt yw bod angen diwygio hyn, ac mae yna lwyfan o drafodaethau y mae'n rhaid inni adeiladu arno'n awr er mwyn diwygio hynny. Fel y crybwyllais yn fy natganiad, mae 'Diwygio ein Hundeb' yn amlinellu hynny'n fanwl. Ac, a minnau'n gyfreithiwr, rwy'n cael fy nenu i edrych ar y fformwleiddiadau mwy manwl gywir ar gyfer hynny, ond mae achos hefyd dros drafod a ddylem ni symud o 'ddim fel arfer' i 'ddim'.

Diolch i'r Gweinidog am y datganiad.

I thank the Minister for the statement.

9. Rheoliadau Rhentu Cartrefi (Ffioedd etc.) (Terfynau Rhagnodedig ar gyfer Taliadau Diffygdaliad) (Cymru) 2020
9. The Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Prescribed Limits of Default Payments) (Wales) Regulations 2020

Felly, yr eitem nesaf yw Rheoliadau Rhentu Cartrefi (Ffioedd etc.) (Terfynau Rhagnodedig ar gyfer Taliadau Diffygdaliad) (Cymru) 2020. Rwy'n galw ar y Gweinidog tai i wneud y cynnig. Julie James. 

The next item is the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Prescribed Limits of Default Payments) (Wales) Regulations 2020. I call on the Minister for housing to move the motion. Julie James.

Cynnig NDM7273 Julie James

Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru; yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 27.5:

1. Yn cymeradwyo bod y fersiwn ddrafft o’r Rheoliadau Rhentu Cartrefi (Ffioedd etc.) (Terfynau Rhagnodedig ar gyfer Taliadau Diffygdaliad) (Cymru) 2020 yn cael ei llunio yn unol â’r fersiwn ddrafft a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 28 Ionawr 2020.

Motion NDM7273 Julie James

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales; in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:

1. Approves that the draft The Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Prescribed Limits of Default Payments) (Wales) Regulations 2020 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 28 January 2020.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Llywydd. This is the fourth statutory instrument to be made under the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019. The Act creates offences for a landlord or letting agent to require certain payments in consideration of granting, renewing or continuing a standard occupation contract. Any payment of money is prohibited unless it is permitted under section 4(1)(a) or is a permitted payment by virtue of Schedule 1 to the Act.

Paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 to the Act provides that regulations may prescribe a limit on a default payment in respect of a failure by the contract holder to pay rent by the due date and specify any additional description of default. In such cases where the contract holder is at fault, the landlord may require the contract holder to make a payment in default. These regulations specify prescribed limits for certain types of payments required in the event of a default by a contract holder of a standard occupation contract in relation to late rent and the cost of changing, adding or removing a lock and replacement of a key or other security device. Following our public consultation, it was clear that these are amongst the most commonly charged default payments and, as stakeholders suggested during scrutiny of the Bill, the ones most open to abuse.

In relation to late rent, the prescribed limit will be determined by regulation at the Bank of England base interest rate plus 3 per cent as an annual percentage rate, or APR, on the overall amount outstanding, seven days after the rent was due. This will prevent a landlord or agent from issuing unduly high charges for late payment of rent, which can create a cycle of debt and undermine the ability of the contract holder to sustain the tenancy. 

In relation to the cost of changing, adding or removing a lock and the replacement of a key or other security device, the regulations will ensure that landlords do not have to cover the cost of these when the contract holder is at fault and that contract holders are only charged the actual cost. I intend to monitor the impact of these regulations along with the Act in general; this will assist in determining whether limits needs to be placed on other default payments in the future. Diolch.

Diolch, Llywydd. Dyma'r pedwerydd offeryn statudol i'w wneud o dan y Ddeddf Rhentu Cartrefi (Ffioedd etc.) (Cymru) 2019. Mae'r Ddeddf yn ei gwneud hi'n drosedd i landlord neu asiant gosod fynnu taliadau penodol yn gydnabyddiaeth am ganiatáu, adnewyddu neu barhau â chontract meddiannaeth safonol. Gwaherddir talu unrhyw arian oni chaniateir hynny o dan adran 4(1)(a) neu os yw'n daliad a ganiateir yn rhinwedd Atodlen 1 y Ddeddf.

Mae paragraff 6 o Atodlen 1 y Ddeddf yn disgrifio y caiff rheoliadau ragnodi terfyn ar ddiffygdaliad mewn cysylltiad â methiant deiliad y contract i dalu rhent erbyn y dyddiad dyledus a nodi unrhyw ddisgrifiad ychwanegol o ddiffygdaliad. Mewn achosion o'r fath pan fo deiliad y contract ar fai, mae'n bosib y bydd y landlord yn gofyn i ddeiliad y contract wneud diffygdaliad. Mae'r rheoliadau hyn yn pennu terfynau rhagnodedig ar gyfer mathau penodol o daliadau sy'n ofynnol mewn achos o ddiffygdaliad gan ddeiliad contract meddiannaeth safonol mewn cysylltiad â rhent hwyr a chost newid, ychwanegu neu dynnu clo ac amnewid allwedd neu ddyfais ddiogelwch arall. Yn dilyn ein hymgynghoriad cyhoeddus, roedd yn amlwg bod y rhain ymhlith y diffygdaliadau a godir amlaf ac, fel yr awgrymodd rhanddeiliaid wrth graffu ar y Bil, y rhai sydd fwyaf tebygol o gael eu camddefnyddio.

O ran rhent hwyr, penderfynir ar y terfyn a ragnodir drwy reoliad ar gyfradd llog sylfaenol Banc Lloegr yn ogystal â 3 y cant fel cyfradd ganrannol flynyddol, neu APR, ar y swm cyffredinol sy'n ddyledus, saith diwrnod ar ôl y diwrnod pan oedd y rhent yn ddyledus. Bydd hyn yn atal landlord neu asiant rhag codi taliadau rhy uchel am dalu rhent yn hwyr, sy'n gallu creu cylch o ddyled a thanseilio gallu deiliad y contract i gynnal y denantiaeth.

O ran y gost o newid, ychwanegu neu dynnu clo ac amnewid allwedd neu ddyfais ddiogelwch arall, bydd y rheoliadau'n sicrhau na fydd yn rhaid i landlordiaid dalu'r costau hyn pan fydd deiliad y contract ar fai a chodir tâl sy'n adlewyrchu'r gost wirioneddol yn unig ar ddeiliad y contract. Bwriadaf gadw golwg ar effaith y rheoliadau hyn ynghyd â'r Ddeddf yn gyffredinol; bydd hyn o gymorth wrth benderfynu a oes angen gosod terfynau ar ddiffygdaliadau eraill yn y dyfodol. Diolch.

Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.

Thank you. I have no speakers. Therefore, 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. Nid oes gennyf unrhyw siaradwyr. Felly, y cynnig yw derbyn y cynnig. 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.

10. Cynnig i amrywio trefn ystyried gwelliannau Cyfnod 3 i'r Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Ansawdd ac Ymgysylltu) (Cymru)
10. Motion to vary the order of consideration of Stage 3 amendments to the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Bill

Item 10 is a motion to vary the order of consideration of Stage 3 amendments to the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Bill. I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services to move the motion. Vaughan Gething.

Eitem 10 yw cynnig i amrywio trefn ystyried gwelliannau Cyfnod 3 i'r Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Ansawdd ac Ymgysylltu) (Cymru). Galwaf ar y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol i gynnig y cynnig. Vaughan Gething.

Cynnig NDM7272 Rebecca Evans

Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 26.36: 

Yn cytuno i waredu’r adrannau a’r atodlenni i’r Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Ansawdd ac Ymgysylltu) (Cymru) yng Nghyfnod 3 yn y drefn ganlynol:

a) Adrannau 2 - 12;

b) Atodlen 1;

c) Adrannau 13 - 21;

d) Atodlen 2;

e) Adrannau 22 - 25;

f) Atodlen 3;

g) Adrannau 26 - 28;

h) Adran 1;

i) Teitl hir.

Motion NDM7272 Rebecca Evans

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales in accordance with Standing Order 26.36:

Agrees to dispose of sections and schedules to the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Bill at Stage 3  in the following order:

a) Sections 2 - 12;

b) Schedule 1;

c) Sections 13 - 21;

d) Schedule 2;

e) Sections 22 - 25;

f) Schedule 3;

g) Sections 26 - 28;

h) Section 1;

i) Long title.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Move formally.

Cynnig yn ffurfiol.

Move formally, 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.

Cynnig yn ffurfiol, diolch. Y cynnig yw derbyn y cynnig. 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.

11. Dadl: Adolygiad Blynyddol Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol ar gyfer 2018-19
11. Debate: The Equality and Human Rights Annual Review 2018-19

Detholwyd y gwelliant canlynol: gwelliant 1 yn enw Siân Gwenllian. 

The following amendment has been selected: amendment 1 in the name of Siân Gwenllian.

Item 11 on our agenda this afternoon is a debate on the equality and human rights annual review of 2018-19. I call on the Deputy Minister and the Chief Whip to move the motion. Jane Hutt.

Eitem 11 ar ein hagenda y prynhawn yma yw dadl ar adolygiad blynyddol 2018-19 o gydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol. Galwaf ar y Dirprwy Weinidog a'r Prif Chwip i gynnig y cynnig. Jane Hutt.

Cynnig NDM7271 Rebecca Evans

Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru:

Yn nodi adroddiad blynyddol Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol Cymru, Adroddiad Effaith Cymru 2018-19.

Motion NDM7271 Rebecca Evans

To propose the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales annual report, Wales Impact Report 2018-19.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I welcome the opportunity today to debate the latest Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales committee annual report, the 'Wales Impact Report 2018-19'. The annual debate on the outstanding work of the commission here in Wales always provides the opportunity for reflection and discussion on how Wales is performing on equality and human rights. It also provides the opportunity to consider what more can be done to further advance and improve equality and human rights. Over the years, I've met regularly with the chair and head of the EHRC in Wales, as have my ministerial colleagues, to discuss the state of equality in Wales and strengthen our commitment to work together to tackle entrenched and persistent inequalities.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Croesawaf y cyfle heddiw i gael dadl ar adroddiad blynyddol diweddaraf Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol Cymru, 'Adroddiad Effaith Cymru 2018-19'. Mae'r ddadl flynyddol ar waith eithriadol y comisiwn yma yng Nghymru bob amser yn rhoi cyfle i fyfyrio a thrafod sut mae Cymru yn perfformio o ran cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol. Mae hefyd yn rhoi cyfle i ystyried beth arall y gellir ei wneud i hyrwyddo a gwella cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol ymhellach. Dros y blynyddoedd, rwyf wedi cyfarfod yn rheolaidd â chadeirydd a phennaeth y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol yng Nghymru, yn ogystal â'm cyd-Weinidogion, i drafod y sefyllfa o ran cydraddoldeb yng Nghymru ac i gryfhau ein hymrwymiad i weithio gyda'n gilydd i fynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldebau dwfn a hirsefydlog. 

Since its establishment in 2007, the Welsh Government has developed an excellent and highly valued relationship with the EHRC here in Wales. And, whilst the EHRC has responsibility as a regulator, it also provides the invaluable role of the critical friend. This valued relationship is going to be particularly important over the next three years, given the amount of work that we want to achieve. We are taking a more co-productive approach across Welsh civil society to many of the strands of work we're taking to safeguard and enhance equality and human rights in Wales. The EHRC will be central to this.

I'll turn to the 'Wales Impact Report 2018-19', which clearly highlights the breadth of hard work and dedication of the EHRC in Wales to put equality and human rights at the heart of life in Wales. Their work during 2018-19 included the 'Is Wales Fairer?' report, which looked at all areas of life in Wales and has proven to be a valuable and essential source of evidence to help us ensure that our decision making is robust and that our policies and services take account of people's needs and are accessible to all. Officials across Welsh Government have been using the findings, evidence and recommendations to shape the action plan that will accompany the final set of equality objectives within the Welsh Government's strategic equality plan for 2020 to 2024, which will be published at the end of March.

The commission undertook an extensive exercise to monitor levels of compliance with the statutory requirements of the public sector equality duty—PSED for short—and to gather evidence and intelligence on what work was undertaken across the different sectors to address key inequalities. Following the monitoring exercise, the commission has met with the majority of chief executives of the listed public bodies to discuss their findings, and sectoral briefings were produced as a result of the findings. The briefings are intended to be used to improve public bodies' equality objectives and also to inform the review of the duties, to which the Welsh Government is committed. The review will look at how we can improve the Welsh-specific duties to require public bodies in Wales to take action to address pay and employment differences, report on progress and publish pay gap data.

Last year, the EHRC and Welsh Government jointly organised a symposium event to gather thinking about the review to ensure that it has maximum impact. This approach will help to ensure that any changes to the PSED contribute to the Welsh Government's wider work on advancing and strengthening equality and human rights. The commission's legal work showed how the commission makes a real difference to people's lives—for example, by helping to clarify the law to ensure that disabled tenants are able to make reasonable alterations to their homes, allowing them to live independently. Its disability and housing report looks at the current provision of accessible and adaptable housing for disabled people and makes recommendations for the Welsh Government, and this has helped shape our new framework, 'Action on Disability: The Right to Independent Living', which I launched last September. The framework sets out how we are fulfilling our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UNCRPD, and also highlights the role of key legislation, including the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. The social model of disability lies at the heart of both the UN convention and our new framework and I committed to promoting the social model through our new framework. We're working actively to promote the model both within Welsh Government and more widely. 

The commission's work on harassment in the workplace and the inquiry into racial harassment in higher education exposed unacceptable treatment that should not and cannot be tolerated in Wales or anywhere else in the world. In the foreword to the EHRC report 'Is Wales Fairer?', former commissioner for Wales June Milligan, to whom I pay tribute for her time in that role, called on the Welsh Government to enact the socioeconomic duty. So, as Members are fully aware, it's the intention of this Government to commence the socioeconomic duty, requiring certain public bodies to consider the inequalities caused by their strategic decisions, and the commission has been hugely helpful in ensuring that, once enacted, the duty delivers its intended effect.

Following the referendum on exiting the European Union, the UK's four statutory bodies for human rights and equality were united in their commitment to protect and enhance equality and human rights standards across the UK, being particularly concerned that loss of the protections afforded within the EU charter of fundamental rights would lead to a regression of rights, such as employment rights, women's rights, health and safety protections, et cetera. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has recommended that Welsh Government should further incorporate UN treaties, including the United Nations' convention on the rights of disabled people, and where possible legislate to replace gaps in rights in domestic law resulting from the loss of the EU charter.

I was pleased to announce at my oral questions on 28 January that research has been commissioned on wider options to strengthen and advance equality and human rights in Wales, and the research will be undertaken by a consortium led by Swansea University. Among other things, the research will consider the possible incorporation of UN conventions into Welsh law and whether there may be a need for fresh legislation, such as a human rights Bill for Wales. It will consider how such actions would interact with the existing framework provided by the well-being of future generations Act. It will also look at whether further integration will strengthen and improve the promotion of equality. This research is expected to report by the end of this year, 2020. This work accords with the amendment tabled to this debate, which we will support.

To oversee and provide strategic direction to this work, I've convened a steering group consisting of key stakeholders, which I chair. The group also oversees the implementation of phase 2 recommendations of our gender equality review, and the commencement of the socioeconomic duty. I'm pleased to have the EHRC as members of this group.

The commission's work on apprenticeships and their involvement in the inclusive apprenticeships task and finish group helped shaped the action plan to increase the participation of disabled people in apprenticeships in Wales.

Of course, there are other areas of work that are equally important. Despite many positive changes in the way that disabled people, LGBT+ people, women and black and minority ethnic communities are treated, our country still isn't a fair and more equal place for everyone. The commission's work has highlighted this, and its advice and recommendations to us and the wider public sector have influenced and driven policy decisions and continued action to achieve our vision of a more equal Wales. There is more to be done and more we will do. Diolch.

Ers ei sefydlu yn 2007, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi datblygu perthynas ragorol a gwerthfawr iawn â'r Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol yma yng Nghymru. Ac, er bod gan y comisiwn gyfrifoldeb fel rheoleiddiwr, mae hefyd yn chwarae rhan amhrisiadwy y cyfaill beirniadol. Bydd y berthynas werthfawr hon yn arbennig o bwysig dros y tair blynedd nesaf, o ystyried faint o waith yr ydym eisiau ei gyflawni. Rydym yn ceisio cydweithio'n well â holl gymdeithas sifil Cymru o ran llawer o'r meysydd gwaith yr ydym yn ymdrin â nhw i ddiogelu a gwella cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol yng Nghymru. Bydd y comisiwn yn ganolog i hyn.

Trof at 'Adroddiad Effaith Cymru 2018-19', sy'n dangos yn glir ehangder gwaith caled ac ymroddiad y comisiwn yng Nghymru i roi cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol wrth galon bywyd yng Nghymru. Roedd eu gwaith yn ystod 2018-19 yn cynnwys yr adroddiad 'A yw Cymru'n Decach?', a oedd yn edrych ar bob agwedd ar fywyd yng Nghymru a gafwyd yn ffynhonnell werthfawr a hanfodol o dystiolaeth i'n helpu i sicrhau bod ein penderfyniadau yn gadarn a bod ein polisïau a'n gwasanaethau yn ystyried anghenion pobl ac yn hygyrch i bawb. Mae swyddogion ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn defnyddio'r canfyddiadau, y dystiolaeth a'r argymhellion i lunio'r cynllun gweithredu a fydd yn cyd-fynd â'r gyfres derfynol o amcanion cydraddoldeb yng Nghynllun Cydraddoldeb Strategol Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer 2020 i 2024, a gaiff ei gyhoeddi ddiwedd mis Mawrth.

Ymgymerodd y comisiwn ag ymarfer helaeth i fonitro lefelau cydymffurfio â gofynion statudol dyletswydd cydraddoldeb y sector cyhoeddus—PSED yn fyr—ac i gasglu tystiolaeth a gwybodaeth ynghylch pa waith a wnaed ar draws y gwahanol sectorau i fynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldebau allweddol. Yn dilyn yr ymarfer monitro, mae'r comisiwn wedi cyfarfod â mwyafrif prif weithredwyr y cyrff cyhoeddus a restrwyd i drafod eu canfyddiadau, a chynhyrchwyd briffiau sectoraidd o ganlyniad i'r canfyddiadau. Bwriedir i'r papurau briffio gael eu defnyddio i wella amcanion cydraddoldeb cyrff cyhoeddus a hefyd i lywio'r adolygiad o'r dyletswyddau, y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo iddynt. Bydd yr adolygiad yn ystyried sut y gallwn ni wella'r dyletswyddau penodol i Gymru i'w gwneud hi'n ofynnol i gyrff cyhoeddus yng Nghymru gymryd camau i fynd i'r afael â gwahaniaethau o ran cyflogau a chyflogaeth, adrodd ar gynnydd a chyhoeddi data ar y bwlch cyflog.

Y llynedd, trefnodd y comisiwn a Llywodraeth Cymru ddigwyddiad symposiwm ar y cyd i gasglu syniadau am yr adolygiad er mwyn sicrhau ei fod yn cael yr effaith fwyaf posibl. Bydd y dull hwn yn helpu i sicrhau bod unrhyw newidiadau i'r PSED yn cyfrannu at waith ehangach Llywodraeth Cymru ar hybu a chryfhau cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol. Dangosodd gwaith cyfreithiol y comisiwn sut y mae'r comisiwn yn gwneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i fywydau pobl—er enghraifft, drwy helpu i egluro'r gyfraith er mwyn sicrhau bod tenantiaid anabl yn gallu gwneud addasiadau rhesymol i'w cartrefi, gan eu galluogi nhw i fyw'n annibynnol. Mae ei adroddiad ar anabledd a thai yn edrych ar y ddarpariaeth bresennol o dai hygyrch a hyblyg i bobl anabl ac yn gwneud argymhellion i Lywodraeth Cymru, ac mae hyn wedi helpu i lunio ein fframwaith newydd, 'Gweithredu ar Anabledd: yr Hawl i Fyw'n Annibynnol ', a lansiais fis Medi diwethaf. Mae'r fframwaith yn nodi sut yr ydym yn cyflawni ein rhwymedigaethau o dan Gonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau Pobl ag Anableddau, yr UNCRPD, ac mae hefyd yn tynnu sylw at swyddogaeth deddfwriaeth allweddol, gan gynnwys Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 a'r Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014. Mae'r model cymdeithasol o anabledd wrth wraidd Confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig a'n fframwaith newydd ac ymrwymais i hyrwyddo'r model cymdeithasol drwy ein fframwaith newydd. Rydym yn gweithio'n ddiwyd i hyrwyddo'r model o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru ac yn ehangach.

Amlygodd waith y comisiwn ar aflonyddu yn y gweithle a'r ymchwiliad i aflonyddu hiliol mewn addysg uwch driniaeth annerbyniol na ddylid ac na ellir ei goddef yng Nghymru nac yn unman arall yn y byd. Yn y rhagair i adroddiad y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol, 'A yw Cymru'n Decach?', galwodd cyn Gomisiynydd Cymru June Milligan, yr wyf yn talu teyrnged iddi am ei hamser yn y swyddogaeth honno, ar Lywodraeth Cymru i droi'r ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol yn ddeddf. Felly, fel y mae'r Aelodau yn llwyr ymwybodol, bwriad y Llywodraeth hon yw cychwyn y ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol, gan ei gwneud hi'n ofynnol i gyrff cyhoeddus penodol ystyried yr anghydraddoldebau a achosir gan eu penderfyniadau strategol, ac mae'r comisiwn wedi bod o gymorth mawr wrth sicrhau, ar ôl dod i rym, fod y ddyletswydd yn cyflawni'r effaith a fwriadwyd.

Yn dilyn y refferendwm ar ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, roedd pedwar corff statudol y DU ar gyfer hawliau dynol a chydraddoldeb yn unedig yn eu hymrwymiad i ddiogelu a gwella safonau cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol ledled y DU, gan bryderu'n arbennig am golli'r amddiffyniadau o fewn siarter hawliau sylfaenol yr UE a fyddai'n arwain at leihau hawliau, megis hawliau cyflogaeth, hawliau menywod, gwarchod iechyd a diogelwch ac ati. Mae'r Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol wedi argymell y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru gynnwys mwy o gytuniadau'r Cenhedloedd Unedig, gan gynnwys confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar hawliau pobl anabl, a deddfu, lle bo hynny'n bosibl, i wneud iawn am y bylchau o ran hawliau yn y gyfraith ddomestig o ganlyniad i golli siarter yr UE.

Roeddwn yn falch o gyhoeddi yn fy nghwestiynau llafar ar 28 Ionawr fod ymchwil wedi'i gomisiynu ar bosibiliadau ehangach i gryfhau a hybu cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol yng Nghymru, a chynhelir yr ymchwil gan gonsortiwm dan arweiniad Prifysgol Abertawe. Ymhlith pethau eraill, bydd yr ymchwil yn ystyried y posibilrwydd o ymgorffori confensiynau'r Cenhedloedd Unedig yng nghyfraith Cymru a pha un a fyddai o bosib angen deddfwriaeth newydd, megis Bil hawliau dynol i Gymru. Bydd yn ystyried sut y byddai camau gweithredu o'r fath yn cydblethu â'r fframwaith presennol a ddarperir gan Ddeddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol. Bydd hefyd yn ystyried a fydd mwy o integreiddio yn cryfhau ac yn gwella'r broses o hybu cydraddoldeb. Disgwylir adroddiad ar yr ymchwil hwn erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn, 2020. Mae'r gwaith hwn yn cyd-fynd â'r gwelliant a gyflwynwyd i'r ddadl hon, y byddwn yn ei chefnogi.

I oruchwylio a darparu cyfeiriad strategol i'r gwaith hwn, rwyf wedi cynull grŵp llywio sy'n cynnwys rhanddeiliaid allweddol, yr wyf yn ei gadeirio. Mae'r grŵp hefyd yn goruchwylio'r broses o weithredu argymhellion cam 2 o'n hadolygiad cydraddoldeb rhywiol, a chychwyn y ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol. Rwy'n falch o gael y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol yn aelodau o'r grŵp hwn.

Bu gwaith y comisiwn ar brentisiaethau a'r rhan y buont yn ei chwarae yn y grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen prentisiaethau cynhwysol o gymorth i siapio'r cynllun gweithredu i gynyddu faint o bobl anabl sy'n cymryd rhan mewn prentisiaethau yng Nghymru.

Wrth gwrs, mae meysydd gwaith eraill sydd yr un mor bwysig. Er gwaethaf llawer o newidiadau cadarnhaol yn y ffordd y mae pobl anabl, pobl LGBT+, menywod a chymunedau pobl dduon a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yn cael eu trin, nid yw ein gwlad eto yn lle teg a mwy cyfartal i bawb. Mae gwaith y comisiwn wedi tynnu sylw at hyn, ac mae ei gyngor a'i argymhellion i ni a'r sector cyhoeddus ehangach wedi sbarduno a dylanwadu ar benderfyniadau polisi a chamau gweithredu parhaus i gyflawni ein gweledigaeth o Gymru fwy cyfartal. Mae mwy i'w wneud ac mae mwy y byddwn yn ei wneud. Diolch.

18:40

Thank you. I have selected the amendment to the motion and I call on Helen Mary Jones to move that amendment, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian.

Diolch. Rwyf wedi dethol y gwelliant i'r cynnig a galwaf ar Helen Mary Jones i gynnig y gwelliant hwnnw, a gyflwynwyd yn enw Siân Gwenllian.

Gwelliant 1—Siân Gwenllian

Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:

Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i amlinellu strategaeth gynhwysfawr ar gyfer diogelu hawliau dynol mewn ffordd gadarn ac ystyrlon nawr bod y DU wedi gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd.

Amendment 1—Siân Gwenllian

Add as new point at end of motion: 

Calls on the Welsh Government to outline a comprehensive strategy for protecting human rights in a robust and meaningful way now that the UK has left the European Union.

Cynigiwyd gwelliant 1.

Amendment 1 moved.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm very pleased to move this amendment, speaking in the place of my colleague Leanne Wood, who is unable to be with us this afternoon. I'd like to begin by saying that I'm very grateful to the Minister for accepting our amendment, which was tabled in the spirit hoping that she would.

I want to associate myself with all the positive things that the Minister has said about the work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission here in Wales. It's my belief that they do a great deal of work with relatively little resource and I know that that work impacts, as the Minister has said, and I know that it will continue to do so.

However, I wish to raise some concerns, not about the Equality and Human Rights Commission, but about the environment in which it may find itself working. We know that the Conservative Government at Westminster, which is responsible for the funding and the management of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, under the UK legislation that currently governs equality law here in Wales, has a long-term commitment to repealing and replacing this legislation. As the Minister has said in her speech, I have real concerns about what that replacement might contain.

This is a Government with a strong commitment to deregulation—a Westminster Government with a strong commitment to deregulation—and we know, do we not, Dirprwy Lywydd, that deregulation often means removing the protections of the most vulnerable, whether that's the protections of people working in dangerous environments under health and safety, or whether, in this case, this is the protections, for example, of women and girls to have their rights protected in work if they need to go on maternity leave.

I'm very pleased to hear the Minister say that she is intending, as she's said before, to enact the socioeconomic duty and I'd be grateful if she was able to tell us this afternoon what sort of time frame she's intending to do this. Because it's our contention on these benches that the tradition of support for the promotion of equality and social justice, which has been, I think, shared fairly broadly across many parts of this Assembly, is now under threat by the changing environment at Westminster. I believe that we need to insert a sense of urgency in some of the work that the Minister has already outlined.

I was very pleased to hear her say earlier that she was committed to the research, which she's already mentioned to us, to look at what kind of legal framework we may need to have here in Wales to protect the rights of our citizens going forward. I was also pleased to hear her say that that work includes looking at the potential to incorporate the UN conventions on human rights more broadly into Welsh law.

I feel that it is time, and we believe that it is now time, to consider going further than that and to seek a clear and simple devolution of equality responsibilities to this Senedd, because it is my firm belief that we will be able to develop a consensus around the kind of approach to equality and human rights that it may not be possible to deliver in Westminster. And it is my concern that the positive work that the Equality and Human Rights Commission do now may become impossible if they are working in an environment where the UK Government—working at a GB level in this case, of course, because arrangements in the north of Ireland are different—are hostile to its work.

The Minister may remember, going back a very, very long time to the 1980s and early 1990s, that a lot of the good work that was then done by the Equal Opportunities Commission in Wales, led by our late colleague Val Feld, actually had to be done in spite of the central policy that was coming out of the then central Government. I don't think we can expect our Equality and Human Rights Commission to function that way 30 years later, doing positive work like—. For example, the Deputy Minister will remember the creation of Chwarae Teg, which is a very, very important organisation in Wales now, that had to be done in spite of rather than with the support of the then Equal Opportunities Commission centrally.

So, I would ask the Minister, in her response to this debate—and I won't repeat the positive things she's said about the specific pieces of work that the Equality and Human Rights Commission have done this year—to inject some speed into this work, because I feel that the environment may change more quickly than we are expecting, and that we may find ourselves with more work to do if we don't, for example, create a Wales-based legislative framework to protect the human rights of our fellow citizens and to promote the more equal society that I know the Deputy Minister—and she has our full support—is seeking to promote.

So, I don't disagree at all, Diprwy Lywydd, with anything that the Minister has said—I would support it all—but what I am concerned about is that changing environment and the need to inject some speed into this work, so that we don't find ourselves, for example, with an Equality and Human Rights Commission in Wales that has been so stripped of resources that it can barely do its job. Diolch yn fawr. 

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n falch iawn o gynnig y gwelliant hwn, gan siarad yn lle fy nghydweithiwr Leanne Wood, nad yw'n gallu bod gyda ni y prynhawn yma. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddweud fy mod yn ddiolchgar iawn i'r Gweinidog am dderbyn ein gwelliant, a gyflwynwyd yn yr ysbryd o obaith y byddai'n gwneud hynny.

Rwyf eisiau ategu'r holl bethau cadarnhaol y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'u dweud am waith y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol yma yng Nghymru. Fy nghred i yw eu bod yn gwneud llawer iawn o waith gydag adnoddau cymharol brin a gwn fod y gwaith hwnnw yn cael effaith, fel y mae'r Gweinidog wedi dweud, a gwn y bydd yn parhau i wneud hynny.

Fodd bynnag, hoffwn godi rhai pryderon, nid am y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol, ond am yr amgylchedd y gallai fod yn gweithio ynddo. Gwyddom fod gan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol yn San Steffan, sy'n gyfrifol am ariannu a rheoli'r Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol, o dan ddeddfwriaeth y DU sy'n rheoli cyfraith cydraddoldeb yma yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd, ymrwymiad hirdymor i ddiddymu a disodli'r ddeddfwriaeth hon. Fel y dywedodd y Gweinidog yn ei haraith, rwy'n pryderu'n fawr am yr hyn y gallai'r newid hwnnw ei olygu.

Mae hon yn Llywodraeth sydd ag ymrwymiad cryf i ddadreoleiddio—Llywodraeth yn San Steffan sydd ag ymrwymiad cryf i ddadreoleiddio—a gwyddom, oni wyddom, Dirprwy Lywydd, fod dadreoleiddio'n aml yn golygu dileu amddiffyniadau'r rhai mwyaf agored i niwed, boed hynny'n amddiffyniadau pobl sy'n gweithio mewn amgylcheddau peryglus o ran iechyd a diogelwch, neu, yn yr achos hwn, ai dyma'r amddiffyniadau, er enghraifft, i fenywod a merched i gael eu hawliau wedi'u diogelu yn y gwaith os oes angen iddynt gymryd absenoldeb mamolaeth.

Rwy'n falch iawn o glywed y Gweinidog yn dweud ei bod yn bwriadu, fel y dywedodd o'r blaen, gwneud y ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol yn ddeddf a byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe byddai'n dweud wrthym y prynhawn yma o fewn pa fath o amserlen y mae hi'n bwriadu gwneud hyn. Oherwydd ein haeriad ar y meinciau hyn yw bod y traddodiad o gefnogaeth i hybu cydraddoldeb a chyfiawnder cymdeithasol, sydd wedi cael ei rannu, rwy'n credu, yn weddol eang ar draws sawl rhan o'r Cynulliad hwn, bellach o dan fygythiad gan yr amgylchedd sy'n newid yn San Steffan. Credaf fod angen inni wneud rhywfaint o'r gwaith y mae'r Gweinidog eisoes wedi'i amlinellu ar fyrder.

Roeddwn yn falch iawn o'i chlywed yn dweud yn gynharach ei bod wedi ymrwymo i'r ymchwil, sydd eisoes wedi'i grybwyll wrthym, i edrych ar ba fath o fframwaith cyfreithiol y bydd angen inni ei gael yma yng Nghymru i ddiogelu hawliau ein dinasyddion yn y dyfodol. Roeddwn hefyd yn falch o'i chlywed yn dweud bod y gwaith hwnnw'n cynnwys edrych ar y posibilrwydd o ymgorffori confensiynau'r Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau Dynol yn fwy cyffredinol yng nghyfraith Cymru.

Teimlaf ei bod yn bryd, a chredwn ei bod yn bryd bellach, ystyried mynd ymhellach na hynny a cheisio datganoli cyfrifoldebau cydraddoldeb yn glir ac yn syml i'r Senedd hon, oherwydd fy nghred gadarn yw y byddwn yn gallu datblygu consensws ynghylch y math o agwedd at gydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol efallai na fydd yn bosibl ei chyflawni yn San Steffan. A'm pryder i yw y gall y gwaith cadarnhaol y mae'r Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol yn ei wneud yn awr fod yn amhosibl os ydynt yn gweithio mewn amgylchedd lle mae Llywodraeth y DU—yn gweithio ar lefel Prydain Fawr yn yr achos hwn, wrth gwrs, oherwydd bod y trefniadau yng Ngogledd Iwerddon yn wahanol—yn wrthwynebus i'w waith.

Efallai y bydd y Gweinidog yn cofio, gan fynd yn ôl yn bell iawn, iawn i'r 1980au a dechrau'r 1990au, y bu'n rhaid gwneud llawer o'r gwaith da a wnaethpwyd wedyn gan y Comisiwn Cyfle Cyfartal yng Nghymru, dan arweiniad ein diweddar gyd-Aelod Val Feld, er gwaethaf polisi canolog y Llywodraeth ganolog ar y pryd. Nid wyf yn credu y gallwn ddisgwyl i'n Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol weithredu felly 30 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, gan wneud gwaith cadarnhaol fel—. Er enghraifft, bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog yn cofio creu Chwarae Teg, sy'n sefydliad pwysig iawn yng Nghymru nawr, y bu'n rhaid gwneud hynny er gwaethaf y Comisiwn Cyfle Cyfartal ar y pryd yn hytrach na gyda'i gefnogaeth yn ganolog.

Felly, byddwn yn gofyn i'r Gweinidog, yn ei hymateb i'r ddadl hon—ac ni fyddaf yn ailadrodd y pethau cadarnhaol y mae wedi'u dweud am y darnau penodol o waith y mae'r Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol wedi'u gwneud eleni—i gyflymu'r gwaith hwn i ryw raddau, oherwydd teimlaf y gall yr amgylchedd newid yn gyflymach nag yr ydym yn ei ddisgwyl, ac efallai y cawn ragor o waith i'w wneud os nad ydym, er enghraifft, yn creu fframwaith deddfwriaethol ar gyfer Cymru i ddiogelu hawliau dynol ein cyd-ddinasyddion a hybu'r gymdeithas fwy cyfartal yr wyf yn gwybod bod y Dirprwy Weinidog—a chaiff ein cefnogaeth lawn—yn ceisio'i hybu.

Felly, nid wyf yn anghytuno o gwbl, Dirprwy Lywydd, gydag unrhyw beth y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i ddweud—byddwn yn cefnogi'r cyfan—ond yr hyn yr wyf yn pryderu yn ei gylch yw'r amgylchedd hwnnw'n newid a'r angen i gyflymu'r gwaith hwn, fel nad ydym yn cael ein hunain, er enghraifft, â Chomisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol yng Nghymru sydd wedi colli cymaint o adnoddau fel mai prin yw ei allu i wneud ei waith. Diolch yn fawr.  

18:45

I'm pleased to speak in this debate in my capacity as Chair of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee. I do believe that the commission's 'Impact Report' lists a wide range of activities across almost all areas of devolved responsibility, and so is very much a matter for important and significant debate here. Of course, the commission acts as an important source of expertise, both for the Assembly and, indeed, for the Government.

One of the big achievements of this reporting period was the publication of 'Is Wales Fairer?' in 2018, and I do believe that's a comprehensive and, indeed, illuminating report, setting out both the challenges we face in making Wales more equal and fair, and also in terms of the set of 42 broad recommendations that could help deliver real and lasting change if implemented.

In fact, much of those recommendations chime with our committee's findings, and in particular I would like to highlight those relating to protecting equality and human rights post Brexit: improving data collection on homelessness; encouraging more employers in Wales, including the Welsh Government, to offer flexible working from day one; addressing pregnancy and maternity discrimination; improving the public sector equality duties; ensuring full implementation of the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015; and minimisation of barriers to ensure that the broadest range of people take part in Welsh political life.

We are currently, as a committee, following up these issues in our current scrutiny work—or we will be looking to do so during the final months of the Assembly. And I would, Dirprwy Lywydd, like to ask the Deputy Minister if she can outline whether recommendation 25, which calls for the Welsh Government to set achievable and binding targets for poverty reduction and to report on progress annually, will be implemented; and, if so, when these targets will be set.

Moving on to other areas of the commission's work over the reporting period, our committee has benefited from their expertise in our work, in particular: when they gave evidence to our inquiry into parenting, employment and maternity in July 2018; and as part of our joint work alongside the Finance and Children, Young People and Education Committees in November 2018, when we looked at the effectiveness of Welsh Government budget impact assessments; and their work on the cumulative impact of tax and welfare reforms on public spending, which was very much informative in terms of our consideration of the possible devolution of those benefits.

In addition to that, our committee has been directly influenced by the 'Impact Report' and its indications in terms of the breadth of the commission's work. That, of course—in terms of our understanding and appreciation of their work—very much includes the way that they've supported individual legal cases on important issues, such as access to education and adapting homes in the rental sector. And, of course, their report is also important in terms of highlighting their goals for 2019 to 2022, all of which we can agree are important and commendable objectives: ensuring that people's life chances aren't held back by barriers in their way; making sure we have strong foundations on which to build a more equal and rights-respecting society; and to protect the rights of people in the most vulnerable situations.

So, given all of that very important and significant work, Dirprwy Lywydd, I look forward to seeing how these goals are met through the commission's work in the coming year. And, in closing, I would like to commend the 'Impact Report' to the Assembly and that very important work that the commission continues to do.

Rwy'n falch o gael siarad yn y ddadl hon yn rhinwedd fy swyddogaeth yn Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb, Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau. Rwyf yn credu bod 'Adroddiad Effaith' y comisiwn yn rhestru ystod eang o weithgareddau ar draws bron pob maes cyfrifoldeb datganoledig, ac felly mae'n fater pwysig iawn i'w drafod yn hyn o beth. Wrth gwrs, mae'r comisiwn yn gweithredu fel ffynhonnell bwysig o arbenigedd, i'r Cynulliad ac, yn wir, i'r Llywodraeth.

Un o gyflawniadau mawr y cyfnod adrodd hwn oedd cyhoeddi 'A yw Cymru'n Decach?' yn 2018, ac rwy'n credu bod hwnnw'n adroddiad cynhwysfawr ac, yn wir, yn ddadlennol, sy'n nodi'r heriau a wynebwn wrth wneud Cymru'n fwy cyfartal a theg, a hefyd o ran y gyfres o 42 o argymhellion eang a allai helpu i sicrhau newid gwirioneddol a pharhaol pe bai'n cael ei weithredu.

Mewn gwirionedd, mae llawer o'r argymhellion hynny'n cyd-fynd â chanfyddiadau ein pwyllgor, ac yn arbennig hoffwn dynnu sylw at y rheini sy'n ymwneud â diogelu cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol ar ôl Brexit: gwella casglu data ar ddigartrefedd; annog mwy o gyflogwyr yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru, i gynnig gweithio hyblyg o'r diwrnod cyntaf; mynd i'r afael â gwahaniaethu beichiogrwydd a mamolaeth; gwella dyletswyddau cydraddoldeb y sector cyhoeddus; sicrhau bod y Ddeddf Trais yn erbyn Menywod, Cam-drin Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol (Cymru) 2015 yn cael ei rhoi ar waith yn llawn; a lleihau rhwystrau i sicrhau bod yr ystod ehangaf o bobl yn cymryd rhan ym mywyd gwleidyddol Cymru.

Rydym ar hyn o bryd, fel pwyllgor, yn rhoi sylw i'r materion hyn yn ein gwaith craffu presennol—neu byddwn yn ceisio gwneud hynny yn ystod misoedd olaf y Cynulliad. A hoffwn, Dirprwy Lywydd, ofyn i'r Dirprwy Weinidog a wnaiff hi amlinellu a gaiff argymhelliad 25, sy'n galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i bennu targedau cyraeddadwy a chyfrwymol ar gyfer lleihau tlodi ac adrodd ar gynnydd bob blwyddyn, ei weithredu; ac, os felly, pryd y caiff y targedau hyn eu gosod.

Gan symud ymlaen i feysydd eraill o waith y comisiwn dros gyfnod yr adroddiad, mae ein pwyllgor wedi elwa ar eu harbenigedd yn ein gwaith, yn benodol: pan roddodd dystiolaeth i'n hymchwiliad i rianta, cyflogaeth a mamolaeth ym mis Gorffennaf 2018; ac fel rhan o'n gwaith ar y cyd â'r pwyllgorau cyllid a phlant, pobl ifanc ac addysg ym mis Tachwedd 2018, pan fu inni edrych ar effeithiolrwydd asesiadau o effaith cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru; a'u gwaith ar effaith gronnol diwygiadau treth a lles ar wariant cyhoeddus, a oedd yn ddefnyddiol iawn o ran ein hystyriaeth o'r posibilrwydd o ddatganoli'r budd-daliadau hynny.

Yn ogystal â hynny, dylanwadwyd yn uniongyrchol ar ein pwyllgor gan yr 'Adroddiad Effaith' a'i arwyddion o ran ehangder gwaith y comisiwn. Mae hynny, wrth gwrs—o ran ein dealltwriaeth a'n gwerthfawrogiad o'u gwaith—yn cynnwys yn bendant y ffordd y maen nhw wedi cefnogi achosion cyfreithiol unigol ar faterion pwysig, megis gallu cael addysg ac addasu cartrefi yn y sector rhentu. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae eu hadroddiad hefyd yn bwysig o ran amlygu eu nodau ar gyfer 2019 i 2022, y gallwn gytuno eu bod i gyd yn bwysig ac yn amcanion clodwiw: sicrhau nad yw cyfleoedd bywyd pobl yn cael eu llesteirio gan rwystrau; sicrhau bod gennym ni seiliau cadarn i adeiladu cymdeithas fwy cyfartal sy'n parchu hawliau; ac amddiffyn hawliau pobl yn y sefyllfaoedd mwyaf bregus.

Felly, o ystyried yr holl waith pwysig ac arwyddocaol hwnnw, Dirprwy Lywydd, edrychaf ymlaen at weld sut y caiff y nodau hyn eu cyflawni drwy waith y comisiwn yn y flwyddyn sydd i ddod. Ac, i gloi, hoffwn gymeradwyo'r 'Adroddiad Effaith' i'r Cynulliad a'r gwaith pwysig iawn y mae'r comisiwn yn parhau i'w wneud.

18:50

As this annual 'Wales Impact Report' states, the Equality and Human Rights Commission's goals are to:

'Ensure that people's life chances aren't held back by barriers in their way'

—in other words, the social model—

'Make sure we have strong foundations on which to build a more equal and rights-respecting society'

and 

'Protect the rights of people in the most vulnerable situations'.

It refers to the launch of their 'Housing and disabled people: Wales's hidden crisis' report. I chaired a meeting of the cross-party group on disability, at which the commission spoke about this. They expressed concern about: the lack of data held by local authorities around disabled people's housing requirements and knowledge of the stock they hold; concern that only 55 per cent of local authorities said that they conducted equality and impact assessments on their local development plans; and they rightly stressed the importance of listening to disabled people.

The report found that there is a significant shortage of accessible homes. Disabled people are not getting the support they need to live independently. There was no target in the Welsh Government's 20,000 affordable housing target by 2021 for accessible homes. Only one out of 22 local authorities has set a percentage target for accessible and affordable homes, and only 15 per cent of local authorities in Wales said that the information they had about disabled people's housing requirements was good.

The European convention on human rights was drafted by the Council of Europe, not the European Union. As a signatory, the UK would be breaking international law if it failed to respect the rights in the convention. The 2019 UK Conservative manifesto states that the UK Government 

'will update the Human Rights Act'

and establish

'a Constitution, Democracy & Rights Commission that will examine these issues in depth'.

I trust the commission will be involved in this. It also states that

'the UK has long been a beacon of freedom and human rights—and will continue to be so.'

This 'Impact Report' refers to the commission's 2018 'Is Wales Fairer?' report, and the commission is keen for the Welsh Government to provide actual evidence detailing how it is taking forward its specific recommendations. I hope the Minister will respond to that. 

Highlighting the difficulties experienced by disabled people accessing public transport, it recommended that Transport for Wales should work with Network Rail and rail contractor KeolisAmey to improve accessibility of the existing rail infrastructure across Wales, and that public transport providers and regulators should provide training to ensure all staff have the knowledge and skills to help meet the needs of disabled passengers. 

Although the Welsh Government has stated that it intends to explore further incorporation of human rights in law in Wales, it voted against Darren Millar's proposal to incorporate the UN principles for older persons in Welsh law. It therefore now needs to set out its specific proposals.

I regularly hear from disabled people who have been discriminated against and, therefore, need the commission to support strategic legal cases that establish legal precedent. I therefore welcome the cases that were supported by the commission that resulted in the Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales ruling that a north Wales school unlawfully discriminated on the grounds of disability—it sounds identical to a case I was involved with, involving an autistic pupil—and in a judgment that means that we heard that landlords must allow disabled leaseholders to make changes that are reasonable and necessary. 

I've previously spoken here in support of a proposed Bill to incorporate the UN convention on the rights of disabled persons into Welsh law, and called for Welsh Government action to address the failure by public agencies to carry out their duties and responsibilities to disabled people, noting that the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to think ahead and address barriers that impede disabled people. This 'Impact Report' notes that the Welsh Government has committed to review the public sector equality duty in Wales, in line with the commission's recommendations. 

I will therefore close by referring to just three recent examples amongst many where this is being ignored on the ground: where a local education authority has told the parents of a young girl that she should not go to her local primary school because they deemed her wheelchair adaptations too expensive without consulting them—that is current; where Flintshire based Changing Places campaigner Kim Edwards stated, 'Currently, people with profound disabilities are excluded from their local towns because they're not able to have their basic human needs met, simply to use a toilet'; and where social services failed to establish and meet the communication and processing needs of an autistic child when they interviewed her, and then determined that she was not at risk of abuse from her perpetrator—fortunately, the court saw through this earlier this month. 

Fel y dywed yr 'Adroddiad Effaith Cymru' blynyddol hwn, amcanion y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol yw:

sicrhau nad yw cyfleoedd bywyd pobl yn cael eu llesteirio gan rwystrau,

—mewn geiriau eraill, y model cymdeithasol—

sicrhau bod gennym seiliau cadarn i adeiladu cymdeithas fwy cyfartal ac sy'n parchu hawliau

ac i

amddiffyn hawliau pobl yn y sefyllfaoedd mwyaf bregus.

Mae'n cyfeirio at lansio eu hadroddiad 'Tai a phobl anabl: argyfwng cudd Cymru'. Cadeiriais gyfarfod o'r grŵp trawsbleidiol ar anabledd, lle y siaradodd y comisiwn am hyn. Mynegwyd pryder ganddynt ynghylch y canlynol: diffyg data sydd gan awdurdodau lleol am ofynion tai pobl anabl a gwybodaeth am y stoc y maen nhw yn ei chadw; pryder mai dim ond 55 y cant o awdurdodau lleol a ddywedodd eu bod yn cynnal asesiadau cydraddoldeb ac effaith ar eu cynlluniau datblygu lleol; ac roeddent yn briodol yn pwysleisio pwysigrwydd gwrando ar bobl anabl.

Canfu'r adroddiad fod prinder sylweddol o gartrefi hygyrch. Nid yw pobl anabl yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt i fyw'n annibynnol. Nid oedd targed ar gyfer cartrefi hygyrch yn nharged 20,000 o dai fforddiadwy Llywodraeth Cymru erbyn 2021. Dim ond un o'r 22 o awdurdodau lleol sydd wedi gosod targed canrannol ar gyfer cartrefi hygyrch a fforddiadwy, a dim ond 15 y cant o awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru a ddywedodd fod yr wybodaeth a oedd ganddynt am ofynion tai pobl anabl yn dda.

Drafftiwyd y confensiwn Ewropeaidd ar hawliau dynol gan Gyngor Ewrop, nid yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Fel llofnodwr, byddai'r DU yn torri cyfraith ryngwladol pe bai'n methu â pharchu'r hawliau yn y confensiwn. Mae maniffesto 2019 Ceidwadwyr y DU yn datgan y bydd Llywodraeth y DU

yn diweddaru'r Ddeddf Hawliau Dynol

a sefydlu

Comisiwn Cyfansoddiad, Democratiaeth a Hawliau a fydd yn archwilio'r materion hyn yn fanwl.

Rwy'n cymryd y bydd y comisiwn yn ymwneud â hyn. Mae hefyd yn nodi

y bu'r DU ar flaen y gad o ran rhyddid a hawliau dynol ers tro byd—a bydd yn parhau felly.

Mae'r 'Adroddiad Effaith' hwn yn cyfeirio at adroddiad y comisiwn yn 2019, 'A yw Cymru'n Decach?', ac mae'r comisiwn yn awyddus i Lywodraeth Cymru ddarparu tystiolaeth wirioneddol yn egluro'n fanwl sut y mae'n bwrw ymlaen â'i hargymhellion penodol. Gobeithiaf y bydd y Gweinidog yn ymateb i hynny.

Gan dynnu sylw at yr anawsterau y mae pobl anabl yn eu cael wrth ddefnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, argymhellodd y dylai Trafnidiaeth Cymru weithio gyda Network Rail a'r contractwr rheilffyrdd KeolisAmey i wella hygyrchedd y seilwaith rheilffyrdd presennol ar draws Nghymru, ac y dylai darparwyr a rheoleiddwyr trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ddarparu hyfforddiant i sicrhau bod gan bob aelod o staff yr wybodaeth a'r sgiliau i helpu i ddiwallu anghenion teithwyr anabl.

Er bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi datgan ei bod yn ystyried ymgorffori mwy o hawliau dynol yn y gyfraith yng Nghymru, pleidleisiodd yn erbyn cynnig Darren Millar i ymgorffori egwyddorion y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar gyfer pobl hŷn yng nghyfraith Cymru. Felly, mae angen iddi nawr amlinellu ei chynigion penodol.

Clywaf yn rheolaidd gan bobl anabl y gwahaniaethwyd yn eu herbyn ac, felly, mae angen i'r comisiwn gefnogi achosion cyfreithiol strategol sy'n sefydlu cynsail cyfreithiol. Felly, croesawaf yr achosion a gefnogwyd gan y comisiwn a arweiniodd at ddyfarniad Tribiwnlys Anghenion Addysgol Arbennig Cymru bod ysgol yn y gogledd wedi gwahaniaethu ar sail anabledd yn anghyfreithlon—mae'n swnio'n union yr un fath ag achos yr oeddwn i yn gysylltiedig ag ef, yn ymwneud â disgybl awtistig—ac mewn dyfarniad clywsom fod yn rhaid i landlordiaid ganiatáu i lesddeiliaid anabl wneud newidiadau sy'n rhesymol ac yn angenrheidiol.

Rwyf wedi siarad o'r blaen yn y fan yma i gefnogi Bil arfaethedig i ymgorffori confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar hawliau pobl anabl yng nghyfraith Cymru, a gelwais ar Lywodraeth Cymru i weithredu i fynd i'r afael â methiant asiantaethau cyhoeddus i gyflawni eu dyletswyddau a'u cyfrifoldebau i bobl anabl, gan nodi bod Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 yn ei gwneud hi'n ofynnol i ddarparwyr gwasanaethau feddwl ymlaen llaw a mynd i'r afael â rhwystrau sy'n llesteirio pobl anabl. Mae'r 'Adroddiad Effaith' hwn yn nodi bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i adolygu dyletswydd cydraddoldeb y sector cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, yn unol ag argymhellion y comisiwn.

Rwyf am gloi felly drwy gyfeirio at ddim ond tair enghraifft ddiweddar ymhlith llawer lle mae hyn yn cael ei anwybyddu ar lawr gwlad: pryd dywedodd awdurdod addysg lleol wrth rieni merch ifanc na ddylai fynd i'w hysgol gynradd leol oherwydd eu bod nhw'n ystyried bod yr addasiadau ar gyfer ei chadair olwyn yn rhy ddrud heb ymgynghori â nhw—mae hynny'n gyfredol; pryd dywedodd yr ymgyrchydd Kim Edwards o Changing Places yn Sir y Fflint, 'Ar hyn o bryd, mae pobl sydd ag anableddau dwys yn cael eu cadw draw o'u trefi lleol am na ellir hyd yn oed ddiwallu eu hanghenion dynol sylfaenol, dim ond i ddefnyddio tŷ bach hyd yn oed'; a phryd methodd y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol â sefydlu a diwallu anghenion cyfathrebu a phrosesu plentyn awtistig pan fuont yn ei holi hi, a phenderfynu wedyn nad oedd hi mewn perygl o gael ei cham-drin gan ei thramgwyddwr—yn ffodus, gwelodd y llys drwy hyn yn gynharach y mis hwn.  

18:55

I wanted to start on the rights of children, really, to talk about this, because there are serious gaps in where we are in Wales. This is a concrete example: where a child in care can allege abuse, the child will not receive an advocate as they should do—they have the right to an advocate, as confirmed by the children's commissioner recently; they will not be taken to a place of safety—or they could, in some circumstances, not be taken to a place of safety; and it's possible they will not be spoken to by a child protection specialist. So, we are debating equalities and rights and so on here today, but this is happening right now. It has happened, and it really needs addressing. It's completely unacceptable that young people are deprived of their rights and their voices are just not being listened to.

I'd like to talk as well about the progress that needs to be made in terms of maternity rights and also paternity rights for fathers. I think we're still well behind the curve on the domestic abuse of men, because one in three victims now are male, and there really is a huge lack of provision. I remember when I first mentioned it here in the Assembly, I was told to get my facts right—sorry, not to get my facts right, but to get my priorities right. That was the word—'priorities'. And I thought, 'Wow, I'm here as somebody who's been through that, actually', years ago and there was nowhere to go—nowhere to turn. And I remember, from my experience, telling people that I'd taken up white-collar boxing, because I was so embarrassed about the state of my face. I see person after person in my office and there's very, very little support for them out there.

In December, I gave a lecture in equalities at Bradford University—I did the Rosa Parks memorial lecture. I really thought there that we're light years behind in Wales in terms of equalities. We have a very multicultural capital, but it is not reflected in the environment of this Assembly in terms of professional staff. I think there's a big issue. It's either unconscious racism or it's perhaps clever, conscious racism in many areas of Welsh society, and every person of colour I speak to, we have the same conversation, because when we think we're being assertive, we're always called 'aggressive'; when we think we're being passionate, we're told that we're angry; when we try to do the best we can, we're told that we're awkward and not team players. And recently, I'm just fed up, really, with the number of articulate, bright, intelligent women of colour who I meet who are automatically labelled 'angry' because they assert their own personality and they want to be themselves, and they insist on being themselves and they speak up for themselves and because of this, they're 'angry' and 'aggressive'. I think there's a whole load of subconscious racism in society that we need to, first of all, admit exists. What was great about the lecture I gave: I asked the question at the beginning, 'Who is prejudiced here?', and everyone put their hands up. There are many environments where I could have asked the same question and no hands would have gone up at all.

I want to finish, lastly, on class, because I think the biggest inequality we face is class inequality and in particular housing. The number of young people and working class people who are unable to buy their own properties now, and they pay a tremendous amount of money in rent to councils and rent to housing associations and that money is lost to their families. Whereas, with the more middle-class people who own properties or several properties, their children will have the inheritance from that—the inheritance from equity—and what this Assembly has done in passing laws to stop people being able to buy social housing has reinforced inequality—[Interruption.] Yes.

Roeddwn eisiau dechrau gyda hawliau plant, mewn gwirionedd, i siarad am hyn, oherwydd ceir diffygion difrifol o ran y sefyllfa yng Nghymru. Mae hon yn enghraifft bendant: pan fo plentyn mewn gofal yn honni ei fod yn cael ei gam-drin, ni fydd y plentyn yn cael eiriolwr fel y dylai—mae ganddo hawl i gael eiriolwr, fel y cadarnhawyd gan y comisiynydd plant yn ddiweddar; ni chaiff ei gludo i fan diogel—neu, efallai o dan rhai amgylchiadau ni chaiff ei gludo i fan diogel; ac mae'n bosib na fydd arbenigwr amddiffyn plant yn siarad ag ef. Felly, rydym yn trafod cydraddoldeb a hawliau ac ati yma heddiw, ond mae hyn yn digwydd ar hyn o bryd. Mae wedi digwydd, ac mae gwir angen mynd i'r afael ag ef. Mae'n gwbl annerbyniol bod pobl ifanc yn cael eu hamddifadu o'u hawliau ac nad oes neb yn gwrando ar eu llais.

Hoffwn siarad hefyd am y cynnydd sydd angen ei wneud o ran hawliau mamolaeth a hefyd hawliau tadolaeth i dadau. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n dal ymhell ar ei hôl hi o ran dynion yn dioddef achosion o gam-drin domestig, oherwydd gwryw yw un o bob tri dioddefwr erbyn hyn, ac mae diffyg darpariaeth enbyd mewn gwirionedd. Rwy'n cofio pan soniais am hyn gyntaf yma yn y Cynulliad, y dywedwyd wrthyf imi gael fy ffeithiau'n gywir—mae'n ddrwg gennyf, nid i gael fy ffeithiau'n gywir, ond i gael fy mlaenoriaethau'n gywir. Dyna'r gair—'blaenoriaethau'. A meddyliais, 'waw, rwyf i yma yn rhywun sydd wedi bod drwy hynny, mewn gwirionedd', flynyddoedd yn ôl ac nid oedd unman i fynd—nid oedd unman i droi. Ac rwy'n cofio, o'm profiad, yn dweud wrth bobl fy mod wedi dechrau cymryd rhan mewn bocsio coler wen, gan fy mod yn teimlo cywilydd oherwydd cyflwr fy wyneb. Rwy'n gweld unigolyn ar ôl unigolyn yn fy swyddfa a does dim llawer o gefnogaeth ar gael iddyn nhw.

Ym mis Rhagfyr, traddodais ddarlith ar gydraddoldeb ym Mhrifysgol Bradford—traddodais ddarlith goffa Rosa Parks. Roeddwn i wir yn credu ein bod ni flynyddoedd maith ar ei hôl hi yng Nghymru o ran cydraddoldeb. Mae gennym ni brifddinas amlddiwylliannol iawn, ond nid yw'n cael ei hadlewyrchu yn amgylchedd y Cynulliad hwn o ran staff proffesiynol. Rwy'n credu bod problem fawr. Mae naill ai'n hiliaeth anymwybodol neu efallai'n hiliaeth glyfar, ymwybodol mewn llawer rhan o'r gymdeithas yng Nghymru, ac wrth siarad â phobl groenliw yr un yw'r sgwrs, oherwydd pan fyddwn ni'n credu ein bod yn siarad yn bendant, rydym ni bob amser yn cael ein galw'n 'ymosodol'; pan fyddwn ni'n credu ein bod ni'n angerddol, rydym yn cael ein galw'n ddig; pan fyddwn ni'n ceisio gwneud y gorau gallwn ni, rydym ni'n cael ein galw'n lletchwith ac nid yn rhan o'r tîm. Ac yn ddiweddar, rwyf wedi cael llond bol, mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd bod llawer o'r merched croenliw huawdl, disglair a deallus yr wyf yn eu cyfarfod sy'n cael eu galw'n 'ddig' yn awtomatig am eu bod yn arddel eu personoliaeth eu hunain ac eisiau bod yn nhw eu hunain, ac maen nhw'n mynnu bod yn nhw eu hunain ac maen nhw'n achub eu cam eu hunain ac oherwydd hyn, maen nhw'n 'ddig' ac yn 'ymosodol'. Rwy'n credu bod llawer iawn o hiliaeth isymwybodol mewn cymdeithas y mae angen i ni, yn gyntaf oll, gyfaddef ei fod yn bodoli. Yr hyn oedd yn wych am y ddarlith a roddais: gofynnais y cwestiwn ar y dechrau, 'pwy sy'n rhagfarnllyd?', a chododd pawb eu dwylo. Gallwn fod wedi gofyn yr un cwestiwn hwnnw mewn llawer lle ac ni fyddai unrhyw ddwylo wedi codi o gwbl.

Rwyf eisiau gorffen, yn olaf, gyda dosbarth, oherwydd rwy'n credu mai'r anghydraddoldeb mwyaf sy'n ein hwynebu yw anghydraddoldeb dosbarth ac yn enwedig tai. Mae cymaint o bobl ifanc a phobl dosbarth gweithiol yn methu â phrynu eu heiddo eu hunain nawr, ac maen nhw'n talu swm aruthrol o arian mewn rhent i gynghorau ac i gymdeithasau tai ac mae eu teuluoedd yn colli'r arian hwnnw. Ond yn achos pobl dosbarth canol sy'n berchen ar eiddo neu sawl eiddo, yna bydd eu plant yn etifeddu'r rheini—etifeddiaeth o ecwiti—ac mae'r hyn a wnaeth y Cynulliad hwn wrth basio deddfau i atal pobl rhag gallu prynu tai cymdeithasol wedi atgyfnerthu anghydraddoldeb—[Torri ar draws.] Ie.

19:00

That's an important point, but the main reason for this is a lack of housing supply—that is what has driven house prices up and maintained a section of society that have an interest in seeing house prices remaining high. And I have to say that the person who consistently argues against more house building in this Chamber is you.

Mae hwnnw'n bwynt pwysig, ond y prif reswm dros hyn yw diffyg cyflenwad tai—dyna sydd wedi cynyddu prisiau tai a chynnal rhan o gymdeithas sydd â diddordeb mewn gweld prisiau tai'n aros yn uchel. Ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud mai'r sawl sy'n dadlau'n gyson yn erbyn rhagor o adeiladu tai yn y Siambr hon yw chi.

No, you're wrong there. What I consistently argue against is building on greenfield sites. For example, right now in Cardiff, there are 1,300 empty proprieties standing, unused. They should be renovated and we should put people back in them. What I'm actually talking about is the inability of people to save a huge, huge deposit and buy a property. It's reinforcing inequality. And until we enable people to buy their own houses and we enable people to be independent in their own lives in that way—in asserting their own personal sovereignty—then we're not going to really address the issue of class inequality. Diolch.

Na, rydych chi'n anghywir yn y fan yna. Yr hyn yr wyf i'n dadlau'n gyson yn ei erbyn yw adeiladu ar safleoedd tir glas. Er enghraifft, ar hyn o bryd yng Nghaerdydd, mae 1,300 o eiddo gwag yn sefyll, heb eu defnyddio. Dylid eu hadnewyddu a dylem roi pobl yn ôl ynddyn nhw. Yr hyn yr wyf i'n sôn amdano mewn gwirionedd yw anallu pobl i gynilo i gael blaendal enfawr a phrynu eiddo. Mae'n atgyfnerthu anghydraddoldeb. A hyd nes ein bod yn galluogi pobl i brynu eu tai eu hunain a galluogi pobl i fod yn annibynnol yn eu bywydau eu hunain yn y ffordd yna—gan fynnu eu sofraniaeth bersonol eu hunain—yna ni fyddwn yn mynd i'r afael â'r broblem o anghydraddoldeb dosbarth mewn gwirionedd. Diolch.

Can I, before I begin, just say what a pleasure it is to serve on the committee under the stewardship of John Griffiths? I concur with many of the comments that he made in terms of the varied evidence that we've seen in various inquiries in the time that I've been on there and preceding me as well. And I very much welcome the Minister's statement in response to the report of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the work that the commission is doing. I think this country of ours in Wales has led the way very much. It has built on the very good progress that we've made in the previous decade and more on a UK basis, but has carved its own way in terms of equality and human rights as well.

But I just want to focus on one area, because today I've been mulling over a report that deals with one particular area of inequality, and it's the area that deals with health inequality. I think there's nothing more stark than the knowledge that where you're born, the situation and circumstances you're born into, will materially affect how many years you have to live and the quality of that life. The Marmot report has come out in the last few days—a very authoritative report. The Government itself has welcomed the report, but I think it's probably going to struggle to deal with some of the conclusions that it has come to. I've been looking though, Deputy Presiding Office, some of the charts, because it helps me very often when I look at some of the pictorial evidence in front of us, when we see the charts that show that life expectancy is now falling amongst the poorest people in certain English regions. By the way, it says there are implications in Wales as well, which I'll come to in a moment.

In the past decade, a third of English children were living in poverty for three years running, and those numbers are going up. If we look at some of the other key ones, which I've printed off today, the increase in life expectancy at birth in England began to slow after 2010, and this is projected to continue. The UK has now a higher proportion of children living in poverty than Poland, Ireland and the OECD average, and if Members want to know what the OECD average is, it's 13.1 per cent living in poverty, and in the UK, it's now 17.5 per cent. All the indicators in England are going the wrong way, but they're also going the wrong way across England as well. So, how have we got to this position? And by the way, it does all point to a certain departure point where things started going wrong.

Well, what we see now is that life expectancy has now stalled in the UK for the first time in more than a hundred years, and it has reversed for certain groups, including ethnic minorities, and also the most deprived women in society. The report that has come out, the Marmot report, which is authoritative, is expert-led and is wide in its scope and deep in its expert research, has put that down largely to the impact of cuts that have come directly out of austerity policies. It is not me saying this—it is the report that is saying it. In fact, Marmot, who is the director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity said, and I quote directly,

'The UK has'—previously—

'been seen as a world leader in identifying and addressing health inequalities but something dramatic is happening. This report is concerned with England, but in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the damage to health and wellbeing is similarly nearly unprecedented.'

And he goes on to say,

'austerity has taken a significant toll on equity and on health, and it is likely to continue to do so.'

It is responsible for life expectancy flatlining, people's health deteriorating and the widening of health inequalities. And if I can just go slightly further on, in a foreword to the report Marmot says,

'From rising child poverty and the closure of children's centres'—

Bear in mind that he's talking about England, but the impact of austerity has got a wide reach, because he says it also applies to Scotland and Wales as well.

'From rising child poverty and the closure of children’s centres, to declines in education funding, an increase in precarious work and zero hours contracts, to a housing affordability crisis and a rise in homelessness, to people with insufficient money to lead a healthy life and resorting to foodbanks in large numbers, to ignored communities with poor conditions and little reason for hope.'

Austerity, he says,

'will cast a long shadow over the lives of children born and growing up under its effects'.

He describes it as 10 lost years, and the generation that have gone through those 10 years will bear the burden of those 10 lost years, the children who are born within it.

A gaf i, cyn imi ddechrau, ddweud mor falch yr wyf o wasanaethu ar y pwyllgor dan stiwardiaeth John Griffiths? Rwy'n cytuno â llawer o'r sylwadau a wnaeth o ran y dystiolaeth amrywiol yr ydym wedi'i gweld mewn amryw o ymchwiliadau yn y cyfnod yr wyf wedi bod ar y pwyllgor a chyn hynny hefyd. Ac rwy'n croesawu'n fawr ddatganiad y Gweinidog mewn ymateb i adroddiad y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol a'r gwaith y mae'r comisiwn yn ei wneud. Rwy'n credu bod ein gwlad ni yn sicr wedi arwain y ffordd. Mae wedi adeiladu ar y cynnydd da iawn a wnaed gennym yn ystod y degawd diwethaf a mwy ar sail y DU, ond mae wedi torri ei chwys ei hun o ran cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol hefyd.

Ond rwyf eisiau canolbwyntio ar un maes yn unig, oherwydd heddiw rwyf wedi bod yn cnoi cil dros adroddiad sy'n ymdrin ag un maes penodol o anghydraddoldeb, sef y maes sy'n ymwneud ag anghydraddoldeb iechyd. Rwy'n credu nad oes unrhyw beth yn fwy trawiadol na'r wybodaeth y bydd y lle y cewch eich geni, y sefyllfa a'r amgylchiadau y ganwyd chi iddyn nhw, yn effeithio'n sylweddol ar hyd eich bywyd ac ansawdd y bywyd hwnnw. Mae adroddiad Marmot wedi cael ei gyflwyno yn ystod y diwrnodau diwethaf—adroddiad awdurdodol iawn. Mae'r Llywodraeth ei hun wedi croesawu'r adroddiad, ond rwy'n credu y bydd yn cael anhawster wrth ymdrin â rhai o'i gasgliadau. Rwyf wedi bod yn edrych serch hynny, Dirprwy Lywydd, drwy rai o'r siartiau, oherwydd mae'n fy helpu'n aml iawn pan fyddaf yn edrych ar rywfaint o'r dystiolaeth ddarluniadol sydd o'n blaenau, pan welwn y siartiau sy'n dangos bod disgwyliad oes yn gostwng nawr ymhlith y bobl dlotaf mewn rhai rhanbarthau yn Lloegr. Gyda llaw, mae'n dweud bod goblygiadau yng Nghymru hefyd, a dof at hynny yn y man.

Yn ystod y degawd diwethaf, roedd traean o blant Lloegr yn byw mewn tlodi am dair blynedd yn olynol, ac mae'r niferoedd hynny'n codi. Os edrychwn ni ar rai o'r rhai allweddol eraill, yr wyf wedi'u hargraffu heddiw, dechreuodd y cynnydd mewn disgwyliad oes adeg geni yn Lloegr arafu ar ôl 2010, a rhagwelir y bydd hyn yn parhau. Erbyn hyn mae gan y DU gyfran uwch o blant yn byw mewn tlodi na Gwlad Pwyl, Iwerddon a chyfartaledd yr OECD, ac os yw'r Aelodau eisiau gwybod beth yw cyfartaledd yr OECD, mae 13.1 y cant yn byw mewn tlodi, ac yn y DU, mae'n 17.5 y cant erbyn hyn. Mae'r holl ddangosyddion yn Lloegr yn mynd i'r cyfeiriad anghywir, ond maen nhw'n mynd i'r cyfeiriad anghywir ar draws Lloegr hefyd. Felly, sut wnaethom ni gyrraedd y sefyllfa hon? A chyda llaw, mae'r cwbl yn pwyntio i fan gadael penodol pan ddechreuodd pethau fynd o chwith.

Wel, yr hyn a welwn yn awr yw bod disgwyliad oes bellach wedi bod yr un fath yn y DU am y tro cyntaf ers dros gant o flynyddoedd, ac mae wedi lleihau i rai grwpiau, gan gynnwys lleiafrifoedd ethnig, a hefyd y menywod mwyaf difreintiedig mewn cymdeithas. Mae'r adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd, adroddiad Marmot, sy'n awdurdodol, y bu arbenigwyr yn gweithio arno ac sy'n eang ei gwmpas ac yn fanwl yn ei ymchwil arbenigol, wedi priodoli hynny yn bennaf i effaith toriadau sydd wedi dod yn uniongyrchol o bolisïau cyni. Nid fi sy'n dweud hyn—yr adroddiad sy'n dweud hyn. Yn wir, dywedodd Marmot, sef Cyfarwyddwr Sefydliad Ecwiti Iechyd yr UCL, a dyfynnaf yn uniongyrchol:

'Mae'r DU'—yn flaenorol—

'wedi cael ei gweld fel arweinydd byd o ran adnabod a mynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldebau iechyd ond mae rhywbeth syfrdanol yn digwydd. Mae'r adroddiad hwn yn ymwneud â Lloegr, ond yn yr Alban, Cymru a Gogledd Iwerddon, mae'r niwed i iechyd a lles yn agos at fod yn ddigynsail hefyd.'

Ac mae'n mynd ymlaen i ddweud bod

'cyni wedi cael effaith sylweddol ar degwch ac ar iechyd, ac mae'n debygol o barhau i wneud hynny'.

Mae'n gyfrifol am y disgwyliad oes yn aros yn ei unfan, am iechyd pobl yn dirywio ac am anghydraddoldeb iechyd yn lledu. Ac os caf fynd ychydig ymhellach, mewn rhagair i'r adroddiad dywed Marmot,

'O dlodi plant sy'n cynyddu a chau canolfannau plant'—

Cofiwch ei fod yn siarad am Loegr, ond mae effaith cyni wedi cyrraedd yn bell, oherwydd dywed ei fod hefyd yn berthnasol i Gymru a'r Alban hefyd.

'O dlodi plant sy'n cynyddu a chau canolfannau plant, i ddirywiad mewn cyllid addysg, cynnydd mewn gwaith ansicr a chontractau dim oriau, i argyfwng o ran fforddiadwyedd tai a chynnydd mewn digartrefedd, i bobl heb ddigon o arian i fyw bywyd iach ac sy'n troi at fanciau bwyd yn eu niferoedd, i gymunedau sy'n cael eu hanwybyddu ac mewn cyflwr gwael gydag ychydig iawn o resymau dros fod yn obeithiol.'

Bydd cyni, meddai,

'yn bwrw cysgod sylweddol dros fywydau plant a anwyd ac a gaiff eu magu dan ei effeithiau.'

Mae'n ei ddisgrifio fel 10 mlynedd goll, a bydd y genhedlaeth sydd wedi mynd drwy'r 10 mlynedd hynny'n ysgwyddo baich y 10 mlynedd goll hynny, y plant sy'n cael eu geni ynddi.

19:05

Thank you. Can I now call the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip to reply to the debate? Jane Hutt.

Diolch. A gaf i nawr alw ar y Dirprwy Weinidog a'r Prif Chwip i ymateb i'r ddadl? Jane Hutt.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I would like to thank contributions from across the Chamber by Assembly Members, and also take the opportunity to thank the Wales committee of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and I think many of them are here today. I'd like to just start by thanking Helen Mary Jones for her very pertinent points about the challenges that we face, and quite rightly as well acknowledging the work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission to question us about how we are delivering and addressing those challenges, and working with the EHRC in terms of the opportunities.

Of course, the opportunity that we have taken is to enact the socioeconomic duty. It was, as I said, very clearly called for in 'Is Wales Fairer?' and it will apply to relevant eligible public bodies, and that will include, of course, Welsh Ministers, local health boards, NHS trusts, Welsh special health authorities, local authorities, fire and rescue services, the Welsh Revenue Authority and national park authorities—so, key public bodies under the 2010 Act. And we are working towards a coming-into-force date of 1 April 2020. We've had the consultation, which was launched last year, and we've got a wide range of views from members of the public from events that we held, and feedback was generally positive in terms of welcoming the duty.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn ddiolch i Aelodau'r Cynulliad am eu cyfraniadau o bob rhan o'r Siambr, a hoffwn hefyd fanteisio ar y cyfle i ddiolch i bwyllgor Cymru y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol, a chredaf fod llawer o'r aelodau yma heddiw. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch i Helen Mary Jones am ei phwyntiau perthnasol iawn am yr heriau a wynebwn, ac yn gwbl briodol am gydnabod gwaith y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol yn ein holi ynghylch sut yr ydym yn cyflawni ac yn mynd i'r afael â'r heriau hynny, a gweithio gyda'r comisiwn o ran y cyfleoedd.

Wrth gwrs, y cyfle yr ydym ni wedi'i gymryd yw gwneud y ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol yn ddeddf. Fel y dywedais, yn amlwg roedd galw am hyn yn 'A yw Cymru'n Decach?' a bydd yn berthnasol i gyrff cyhoeddus, cymwys, perthnasol, a bydd hynny'n cynnwys, wrth gwrs, Gweinidogion Cymru, byrddau iechyd lleol, ymddiriedolaethau'r GIG, awdurdodau iechyd arbennig Cymru, awdurdodau lleol, gwasanaethau tân a gwasanaethau achub, Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru ac awdurdodau parciau cenedlaethol—felly, cyrff cyhoeddus allweddol o dan Ddeddf 2010. Ac rydym yn bwriadu iddi ddod i rym ar 1 Ebrill 2020. Rydym wedi cael yr ymgynghoriad, a lansiwyd y llynedd, ac fe gawsom ni amrywiaeth eang o safbwyntiau gan Aelodau'r cyhoedd o'r digwyddiadau a gynhaliwyd gennym, ac roedd yr adborth yn gadarnhaol ar y cyfan o ran croesawu'r ddyletswydd.

But, as I mentioned about the co-productive approach to policy making, we are going to engage with partners in terms of developing the guidance to ensure that the socioeconomic duty works for public bodies to whom it applies, and delivers for the people of Wales. Of course, we will seek that, and it will tackle many of the points that have been made by Members about tackling socioeconomic inequalities.

Of course, there have been numerous calls in recent years for the Welsh Government to take legislative action to strengthen and advance equality and human rights here in Wales, and commencing the socioeconomic duty under the Equality Act 2010 is going to ensure that we look at the impact of strategic decisions on the poorest people and groups in Wales. But clearly, also reviewing the Welsh-specific duties under the public sector equality duty is vital to ensure that they're up to date, proportionate, and effective, and I thank Mark Isherwood for giving concrete examples so that public bodies and, of course, the EHRC, listening to this can see where indeed we do need to undertake a rigorous review of the PSED and how we deliver that.

Of course, we are working closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to review the monitoring and improve the reporting arrangements so that equality data reports from Welsh public bodies are easy to find and understand. It's very clear that if we are going to develop and create a fairer society where diversity is valued and respected, where people don't face discrimination and prejudice, a society where people can participate, flourish and have the opportunity to fulfil their objectives—. So, we will, obviously, take that forward in terms of our responsibilities with our equality objectives for the next four years.

I'm grateful to John Griffiths for your points as well in terms of responding to 'Is Wales Fairer?' and for the valuable work that you undertake with leading your committee. And, of course, you are quite right in terms of tackling poverty, and that call for the socioeconomic duty to be tackled will be one part of the response to that. But the Welsh Government doesn't hold all the levers needed to make that difference to the headline figure for poverty in Wales, and we have to recognise the research by EHRC into the impact of the UK Government's tax and welfare reforms. You talked about the cumulative impact of tax and welfare reforms, and the fact that disabled households and those with children are particularly at risk. So, the work that we are doing to address this is crucial, not just in terms of the socioeconomic duty, but particularly in terms of access to transport and enforcement, and that's where, of course, our framework, 'Action on Disability: The Right to Independent Living' is so important.

So, I think, also, just in terms of responding to our responsibilities, I was very pleased to come before the committee to be scrutinised on our progress with the violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence legislation, and the progress that we are making in term of delivering five years into that pioneering legislation, and we're holding an event in north Wales to develop a strategy for the next five years. The Wales Audit Office did find that the Act is transforming services, and there's evidence of good collaboration in parts of Wales. But it is also about prevention and making sure that we are working not just in terms of the perpetrators, but with education, with children and young people.

I would like to thank Huw Irranca for speaking about the importance of tackling health inequalities as well. Of course, it is the health inequalities, recognising Professor Marmot's pioneering and inspiring work, that it's clear we need to address.

On data gaps, thank you, Mark, for mentioning that as well. There are clear gaps in the data in Wales that make it difficult to understand the experiences of people sharing all protected characteristics, but tomorrow I am meeting the deputy national statistician to discuss the census and ways in which we can look at the statistics and work, indeed, with the UK Government to explore whether limitations can be overcome by data linkage. 

Action on the disability framework is an absolutely key priority for the Welsh Government, using the social model of disability and engaging, as we already are in terms of access and inequalities in relation to transport. 

I would like to conclude by recognising that the landscape of equality and human rights over the next months and years is challenging. The presence and dedication of the EHRC to work with us on this agenda is vital. It's clear that we have opportunities to strengthen our resolve, seek the positive outcomes that will make a real difference to the lives of the people we serve in our richly diverse nation.  

Ond, fel y soniais ynghylch y dull cyd-gynhyrchiol o lunio polisïau, rydym yn mynd i ymgysylltu â phartneriaid o ran datblygu'r canllawiau er mwyn sicrhau bod y ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol yn gweithio i gyrff cyhoeddus y mae'n berthnasol iddynt, ac yn cyflawni ar gyfer pobl Cymru. Wrth gwrs, byddwn yn ceisio hynny, a bydd yn mynd i'r afael â llawer o'r pwyntiau a wnaed gan Aelodau ynghylch mynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldeb economaidd-gymdeithasol.

Wrth gwrs, galwyd sawl gwaith yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf ar i Lywodraeth Cymru gymryd camau deddfwriaethol i gryfhau a hybu cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol yma yng Nghymru, ac mae dechrau'r ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol o dan Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 yn mynd i sicrhau ein bod yn ystyried effaith penderfyniadau strategol ar y bobl a'r grwpiau tlotaf yng Nghymru. Ond yn amlwg, mae adolygu'r dyletswyddau sy'n benodol i'r Gymru o dan ddyletswydd cydraddoldeb y sector cyhoeddus yn hanfodol er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn gyfredol, yn gymesur ac yn effeithiol, a diolchaf i Mark Isherwood am roi enghreifftiau pendant er mwyn i gyrff cyhoeddus ac, wrth gwrs, y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol, wrth wrando ar hyn, weld ble yn wir mae angen i ni gynnal adolygiad trwyadl o'r PSED a sut yr ydym yn cyflawni hynny.

Wrth gwrs, rydym yn gweithio'n agos gyda'r Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol i adolygu monitro a gwella'r trefniadau adrodd fel bod adroddiadau data cydraddoldeb gan gyrff cyhoeddus Cymru yn hawdd eu canfod a'u deall. Mae'n amlwg iawn os ydym yn mynd i ddatblygu a chreu cymdeithas decach lle caiff amrywiaeth ei gwerthfawrogi a'i pharchu, lle nad yw pobl yn wynebu gwahaniaethu a rhagfarn, cymdeithas lle gall pobl gymryd rhan, ffynnu a chael cyfle i gyflawni eu hamcanion—. Felly, byddwn, yn amlwg, yn bwrw ymlaen â hynny o ran ein cyfrifoldebau gyda'n hamcanion cydraddoldeb ar gyfer y pedair blynedd nesaf.

Rwy'n ddiolchgar i John Griffiths am eich pwyntiau hefyd o ran ymateb i 'A yw Cymru'n Decach?' ac am y gwaith gwerthfawr yr ydych yn ei wneud wrth arwain eich pwyllgor. Ac, wrth gwrs, rydych chi'n hollol iawn o ran mynd i'r afael â thlodi, a bydd yr alwad honno am fynd i'r afael â'r ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol yn un rhan o'r ymateb i hynny. Ond nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn meddu ar yr holl ddulliau ysgogi sydd eu hangen i wneud y gwahaniaeth hwnnw i'r prif ffigur ar gyfer tlodi yng Nghymru, ac mae'n rhaid i ni gydnabod ymchwil y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol i effaith diwygiadau treth a lles Llywodraeth y DU. Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am effaith gronnol diwygiadau treth a lles, a'r ffaith bod aelwydydd anabl a'r rhai sydd â phlant mewn perygl arbennig. Felly, mae'r gwaith yr ydym yn ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â hyn yn hollbwysig, nid yn unig o ran y ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol, ond yn enwedig o ran gallu defnyddio trafnidiaeth a gorfodi'r gyfraith, a dyna lle, wrth gwrs, mae ein fframwaith, 'Gweithredu ar Anabledd: Yr Hawl i Fyw'n Annibynnol' mor bwysig.

Felly, rwy'n credu, hefyd, dim ond o ran ymateb i'n cyfrifoldebau, roeddwn yn falch iawn o ddod gerbron y pwyllgor er mwyn iddo gael craffu ar ein cynnydd gyda'r ddeddfwriaeth trais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol, a'r cynnydd yr ydym yn ei wneud o ran cyflawni, pum mlynedd ers rhoi'r ddeddfwriaeth arloesol honno ar waith, ac rydym yn cynnal digwyddiad yn y gogledd i ddatblygu strategaeth ar gyfer y pum mlynedd nesaf. Canfu Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru fod y Ddeddf yn gweddnewid gwasanaethau, ac mae tystiolaeth o gydweithio da mewn rhannau o Gymru. Ond mae hefyd yn ymwneud ag atal a sicrhau ein bod yn gweithio nid yn unig o ran y tramgwyddwyr, ond gydag addysg, gyda phlant a phobl ifanc.

Hoffwn ddiolch i Huw Irranca am siarad am bwysigrwydd mynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldeb iechyd hefyd. Wrth gwrs, gan gydnabod gwaith arloesol ac ysbrydoledig yr Athro Marmot, mae'n amlwg mai'r anghydraddoldebau iechyd yw'r rhai y mae angen i ni fynd i'r afael â nhw.

Ynghylch diffygion data, diolch, Mark, am grybwyll hynny hefyd. Mae diffygion amlwg yn y data yng Nghymru sy'n ei gwneud hi'n anodd deall profiadau pobl sy'n rhannu'r holl nodweddion gwarchodedig, ond yfory byddaf yn cyfarfod â'r dirprwy ystadegydd gwladol i drafod y cyfrifiad a'r ffyrdd inni edrych ar yr ystadegau a gweithio, yn wir, gyda Llywodraeth y DU i archwilio a ellir goresgyn cyfyngiadau drwy gysylltu data.

Mae gweithredu ar y fframwaith anabledd yn flaenoriaeth gwbl allweddol i Lywodraeth Cymru, gan ddefnyddio'r model cymdeithasol o anabledd ac ymgysylltu, fel rydym eisoes yn ei wneud o ran mynediad ac anghydraddoldeb mewn cysylltiad â thrafnidiaeth.

Hoffwn gloi drwy gydnabod bod y sefyllfa o ran cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol dros y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd nesaf yn heriol. Mae presenoldeb ac ymroddiad y Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol i weithio gyda ni ar yr agenda hon yn hanfodol. Mae'n amlwg bod gennym ni gyfleoedd i gryfhau ein penderfyniad, i geisio'r canlyniadau cadarnhaol a fydd yn gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i fywydau'r bobl yr ydym yn eu gwasanaethu yn ein gwlad amrywiol iawn.    

19:15

Thank you. The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Therefore we'll defer voting under this item until voting time. 

I intend to now move to voting time, unless three Members wish for the bell to be rung. No. Okay, then. 

Diolch. Y cynnig yw derbyn gwelliant 1. A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Felly gohiriwn y bleidlais o dan yr eitem hon tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

Bwriadaf symud yn awr i'r cyfnod pleidleisio, oni bai bod tri aelod yn dymuno i'r gloch gael ei chanu. Na. Iawn, felly.

Gohiriwyd y pleidleisio tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

Voting deferred until voting time.

12. Cyfnod Pleidleisio
12. Voting Time

We'll vote on the debate on the equality and human rights annual review 2018-19. I call for a vote on amendment 1, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian. Open the vote. Close the vote. For the amendment 32, 10 abstentions, 1 against. Therefore the amendment is agreed.

Byddwn yn pleidleisio ar y ddadl ar adolygiad blynyddol cydraddoldeb a hawliau dynol ar gyfer 2018-19. Galwaf am bleidlais ar welliant 1, a gyflwynwyd yn enw Siân Gwenllian. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid y gwelliant 32, 10 yn ymatal, 1 yn erbyn. Felly, derbynnir y gwelliant.

NDM7271 - Gwelliant 1: O blaid: 32, Yn erbyn: 1, Ymatal: 10

Derbyniwyd y gwelliant

NDM7271 - Amendment 1: For: 32, Against: 1, Abstain: 10

Amendment has been agreed

I now call for a vote on the motion as amended, tabled in the name of Rebecca Evans.

Galwaf yn awr am bleidlais ar y cynnig fel y'i diwygiwyd, a gyflwynwyd yn enw Rebecca Evans.

Cynnig NDM7271 fel y'i diwygiwyd:

Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru:

1. Yn nodi adroddiad blynyddol Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol Cymru, Adroddiad Effaith Cymru 2018-19.

2. Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i amlinellu strategaeth gynhwysfawr ar gyfer diogelu hawliau dynol mewn ffordd gadarn ac ystyrlon nawr bod y DU wedi gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd.

Motion NDM7271 as amended:

To propose the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the Equality and Human Rights Commission Wales annual report, Wales Impact Report 2018-19.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to outline a comprehensive strategy for protecting human rights in a robust and meaningful way now that the UK has left the European Union.
 

Open the vote. Close the vote. For the amended motion 43, 1 abstention, 1 against. Therefore the amended motion is agreed. 

Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid y cynnig fel y'i diwygiwyd 43, 1 yn ymatal, 1 yn erbyn. Felly, derbynnir y cynnig fel y'i diwygiwyd.

Cynnig NDM7271 fel y'i diwygiwyd: O blaid: 43, Yn erbyn: 1, Ymatal: 1

Derbyniwyd y cynnig fel y'i diwygiwyd

Motion NDM7271 as amended: For: 43, Against: 1, Abstain: 1

Motion as amended has been agreed

That brings today's proceedings to a close. 

Daw hynny â thrafodion heddiw i ben.

Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am 19:17.

The meeting ended at 19:17.