Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
12/01/2021Cynnwys
Contents
Yn y fersiwn ddwyieithog, mae’r golofn chwith yn cynnwys yr iaith a lefarwyd yn y cyfarfod. Mae’r golofn dde yn cynnwys cyfieithiad o’r areithiau hynny.
In the bilingual version, the left-hand column includes the language used during the meeting. The right-hand column includes a translation of those speeches.
Cyfarfu'r Senedd drwy gynhadledd fideo am 13:29 gyda'r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met by video-conference at 13:29 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Croeso, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn. Cyn i ni ddechrau, dwi eisiau nodi ychydig o bwyntiau. Mae Cyfarfod Llawn a gynhelir drwy gynhadledd fideo, yn unol â Rheolau Sefydlog Senedd Cymru, yn gyfystyr â thrafodion y Senedd at ddibenion Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006. Bydd rhai o Reolau Sefydlog 34 yn gymwys ar gyfer Cyfarfod Llawn heddiw, ac mae'r rheini wedi'u nodi ar eich agenda chi. Dwi eisiau atgoffa'r Aelodau fod y Rheolau Sefydlog sy'n ymwneud â threfn yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yn berthnasol i'r cyfarfod yma.
Welcome to this Plenary session. Before we begin, I want to set out a few points. A Plenary meeting held by video-conference, in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Welsh Parliament, constitutes Senedd proceedings for the purposes of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Some of the provisions of Standing Order 34 will apply for today's Plenary meeting, and these are noted on your agenda. I would remind Members that Standing Orders relating to order in Plenary meetings apply to this meeting.
Y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog yw'r eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Gareth Bennett.
The first item is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Gareth Bennett.
1. Pa werthusiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i bandemig COVID-19? OQ56088
1. What evaluation has the First Minister made of the Welsh Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ56088
Llywydd, throughout this unprecedented crisis the Welsh Government has acted to save lives and livelihoods. We continue to monitor and review the actions we take to keep Wales safe in line with the latest clinical and scientific advice.
Llywydd, drwy gydol yr argyfwng digynsail hwn mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gweithredu i achub bywydau a bywoliaethau. Rydym ni'n parhau i fonitro ac adolygu'r camau yr ydym ni'n eu cymryd i gadw Cymru yn ddiogel yn unol â'r cyngor clinigol a gwyddonol diweddaraf.
Thanks for that response. We have had a lower vaccination rate than the other parts of the UK so far. The rate in England is about 3.5 per cent of the population, while in Wales it has been 2.7 per cent. Although you have tried to play down this difference, it does amount to an extra 25,000 people who could have been vaccinated in Wales if you and your health Minister had been on the ball. Given that your health Minister has not even set foot in an NHS hospital in recent months because he is worried that he will be getting in the way, does he now need to resign so that he isn't getting in the way of vaccinating more people, and do we now need to adopt a UK-led approach to vaccinations?
Diolch am yr ymateb yna. Mae ein cyfradd frechu wedi bod yn is na rhannau eraill o'r DU hyd yma. Mae'r gyfradd yn Lloegr tua 3.5 y cant o'r boblogaeth, ac yng Nghymru mae wedi bod yn 2.7 y cant. Er eich bod chi wedi ceisio bychanu'r gwahaniaeth hwn, mae'n gyfystyr â 25,000 o bobl ychwanegol y gellid bod wedi eu brechu yng Nghymru pe byddech chi a'ch Gweinidog iechyd wedi bod yn effro. O gofio nad yw eich Gweinidog iechyd hyd yn oed wedi camu i mewn ysbyty GIG yn y misoedd diwethaf gan ei fod yn poeni y bydd ar y ffordd, a oes angen iddo ymddiswyddo nawr fel nad yw ar y ffordd o ran brechu mwy o bobl, ac a oes angen i ni fabwysiadu dull o frechu a arweinir gan y DU bellach?
No.
Nac oes.
First Minister, the vaccination programme is a huge programme for the Government and the people of Wales to embark on, and it's important people maintain confidence in its delivery in every part of Wales. What consideration have you given to creating a position within the Government of a vaccination Minister to help drive this logistical exercise across Wales, to iron out any of the difficulties that might occur? Because we do know that the NHS as a whole is under enormous pressure, and the current health Minister has to spend a considerable amount of time dealing with those issues, rightly so, because, obviously, elective surgery has been postponed in many areas and those pressures will be unrelenting in the coming weeks. So, have you given any consideration to drawing on some of the talent on your back benches, such as Carwyn Jones or Alun Davies, who could fulfil such a position of a vaccination Minister?
Prif Weinidog, mae'r rhaglen frechu yn rhaglen enfawr i'r Llywodraeth a phobl Cymru fynd i'r afael â hi, ac mae'n bwysig bod pobl yn cadw ffydd yn ei darpariaeth ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Pa ystyriaeth ydych chi wedi ei rhoi i greu swydd o fewn y Llywodraeth i Weinidog brechu i helpu i sbarduno'r ymarfer logistaidd hwn ledled Cymru, i ddatrys unrhyw un o'r anawsterau a allai godi? Oherwydd rydym ni yn gwybod bod y GIG yn ei gyfanrwydd o dan bwysau aruthrol, ac mae'n rhaid i'r Gweinidog iechyd presennol dreulio cryn dipyn o amser yn ymdrin â'r materion hynny, a hynny'n gwbl briodol, oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae llawdriniaeth ddewisol wedi ei gohirio mewn sawl ardal a bydd y pwysau hynny yn ddi-ildio yn yr wythnosau nesaf. Felly, a ydych chi wedi rhoi unrhyw ystyriaeth i ddefnyddio rhywfaint o'r rhai talentog ar eich meinciau cefn, fel Carwyn Jones neu Alun Davies, a allai wneud swydd Gweinidog brechu o'r fath?
Llywydd, I thank the Member for his recognition of the scale of the effort that is needed and is being made to roll out the vaccination programme on the size and scale that is necessary here in Wales, and for his recognition of the enormous pressure that the health service is currently operating under while it rolls out the vaccination programme.
My view is that vaccination is intimately connected with everything else that the health service seeks to do—that you cannot make decisions in one part of the NHS's responsibility severed off from everything else. Much better, I believe, to allow the health Minister, who is intimately acquainted with everything that has happened in the last 10 months with the coronavirus effort of the health service, including vaccination, to be in charge of that effort. I think that works better than trying to hand over just part of what the NHS has to do to one other person, inevitably creating new barriers and borderlines, and so on. Our health Minister has worked absolutely tirelessly over the last 10 months. He is in the best position to make sure that everything we need to do in vaccination is taken forward in line with the plan that was published yesterday.
Llywydd, diolchaf i'r Aelod am ei gydnabyddiaeth o faint yr ymdrech sydd ei hangen ac sy'n cael ei gwneud i gyflwyno'r rhaglen frechu ar y maint a'r raddfa sy'n angenrheidiol yma yng Nghymru, ac am ei gydnabyddiaeth o'r pwysau enfawr y mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn gweithredu oddi tano ar hyn o bryd wrth iddo gyflwyno'r rhaglen frechu.
Yn fy marn i, mae cysylltiad agos rhwng brechu a phopeth arall y mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn ceisio ei wneud—na allwch chi wneud penderfyniadau mewn un rhan o gyfrifoldeb y GIG wedi'i wahanu oddi wrth bopeth arall. Byddai'n well o lawer, rwy'n credu, caniatáu i'r Gweinidog iechyd, sy'n gyfarwydd iawn â phopeth sydd wedi digwydd yn ystod y 10 mis diwethaf gydag ymdrech coronafeirws y gwasanaeth iechyd, gan gynnwys brechu, fod yn gyfrifol am yr ymdrech honno. Credaf fod hynny yn gweithio'n well na cheisio trosglwyddo rhan yn unig o'r hyn y mae'n rhaid i'r GIG ei wneud i un person arall, gan greu, yn anochel, rhwystrau a ffiniau newydd, ac yn y blaen. Mae ein Gweinidog iechyd wedi gweithio yn gwbl ddiflino dros y 10 mis diwethaf. Fe sydd yn y sefyllfa orau i wneud yn siŵr bod popeth y mae angen i ni ei wneud i frechu yn cael ei wneud yn unol â'r cynllun a gyhoeddwyd ddoe.
I'm glad the First Minister gave such short shrift to the questioner on this matter. This was, of course, somebody who wanted to invite Donald Trump to open his ill-fated office in Pontypridd, and also has got everything wrong at every point over the last nine months.
What is important now in terms of reviewing how we go forward is to ensure that we continue to support people through this pandemic. The First Minister will be aware that the Conservatives are promoting the idea that there's £1 billion sitting either underneath his sofa or in his back pocket somewhere. Will the First Minister confirm that the Welsh Government is using all its funds, all its resources to support the people of Wales and businesses across the whole country as we move forward through this terrible pandemic?
Rwy'n falch na ddangosodd y Prif Weinidog fawr o drugaredd tuag at yr holwr ar y mater hwn. Roedd hwn, wrth gwrs, yn rhywun a oedd eisiau gwahodd Donald Trump i agor ei swyddfa drwg ei thynged ym Mhontypridd, ac mae hefyd wedi cael popeth yn anghywir ar bob adeg dros y naw mis diwethaf.
Yr hyn sy'n bwysig nawr o ran adolygu sut yr ydym ni'n bwrw ymlaen yw sicrhau ein bod ni'n parhau i gynorthwyo pobl drwy'r pandemig hwn. Bydd y Prif Weinidog yn ymwybodol bod y Ceidwadwyr yn hyrwyddo'r syniad bod £1 biliwn yn eistedd naill ai o dan ei soffa neu yn ei boced ôl yn rhywle. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog gadarnhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn defnyddio ei holl gyllid, ei holl adnoddau i gynorthwyo pobl Cymru a busnesau ledled y wlad wrth i ni symud ymlaen drwy'r pandemig ofnadwy hwn?
Well, Llywydd, thanks to Alun Davies for both of those questions. In fact, a constituent sent me the quotes from the person who asked the question in which he invited the President of the United States to open his office in Pontypridd, an office as you remember that never did open, many thousands of pounds of public money having been wasted in the process. The same constituent also reminded me that Mr Bennett had placed an amendment in front of the Senedd in December saying that he believed that the new level of restrictions that were being introduced in Wales were disproportionate. Well, he'll have seen now that the rest of the United Kingdom has followed suit. It was not disproportionate; it was simply necessary. He was wrong on that, as he's wrong on what he has asked me today.
And on this complete canard about £1 billion just sitting in the Welsh Government, Llywydd, in November, we were two thirds of the way through the financial year and we had spent two thirds of our budget. At the end of December, we were three quarters of the way through the financial year, and we'd spent three quarters of our budget. We've spent 80 per cent of the budget now in January. Can you imagine anything more irresponsible than urging the Welsh Government to be entirely spent out of our budget with a quarter of the financial year still to go, and a very demanding and challenging quarter as well? I thought the points that were made by Conservative MPs were not simply misguided, Llywydd, they were foolish and they were designed to misinform, and I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to put that record straight this afternoon.
Wel, Llywydd, diolch i Alun Davies am y ddau gwestiwn yna. Mewn gwirionedd, anfonodd etholwr y dyfyniadau ataf gan y sawl a ofynnodd y cwestiwn pan wahoddodd Llywydd yr Unol Daleithiau i agor ei swyddfa ym Mhontypridd, swyddfa fel y cofiwch na wnaeth erioed agor, gan wastraffu miloedd lawer o bunnoedd o arian cyhoeddus yn y broses. Fe'm hatgoffwyd gan yr un etholwr hefyd fod Mr Bennett wedi gosod gwelliant gerbron y Senedd ym mis Rhagfyr yn dweud ei fod yn credu bod y lefel newydd o gyfyngiadau a oedd yn cael eu cyflwyno yng Nghymru yn anghymesur. Wel, bydd wedi gweld nawr bod gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig wedi dilyn ein hesiampl. Nid oedd yn anghymesur, ond yn hytrach yn angenrheidiol. Roedd yn anghywir am hynny, fel y mae'n anghywir am yr hyn y mae wedi ei ofyn i mi heddiw.
Ac o ran chwedl wag hon am £1 biliwn yn eistedd yn Llywodraeth Cymru, Llywydd, ym mis Tachwedd, roeddem ni ddwy ran o dair o'r ffordd drwy'r flwyddyn ariannol ac roeddem ni wedi gwario dwy ran o dair o'n cyllideb. Ddiwedd mis Rhagfyr, roeddem ni dri chwarter ffordd drwy'r flwyddyn ariannol, ac roeddem ni wedi treulio tri chwarter ein cyllideb. Rydym ni wedi gwario 80 y cant o'r gyllideb nawr ym mis Ionawr. A allwch chi ddychmygu unrhyw beth mwy anghyfrifol nag annog Llywodraeth Cymru i fod wedi gwario ein cyllideb yn llwyr gyda chwarter y flwyddyn ariannol yn dal yn weddill, a chwarter anodd a heriol iawn hefyd? Roeddwn i'n meddwl bod y pwyntiau a wnaed gan ASau Ceidwadol nid yn unig yn gyfeiliornus, Llywydd, roedden nhw'n ffôl ac fe'u bwriadwyd i gamarwain, ac rwy'n falch iawn fy mod i wedi cael y cyfle i unioni'r sefyllfa honno y prynhawn yma.
2. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau buddsoddiad mewn cynhyrchu batris ar gyfer cerbydau trydan yng Nghymru? OQ56105
2. What plans does the Welsh Government have to secure investment in electric vehicle battery production in Wales? OQ56105
I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. Plans to use the research, development and manufacturing strength of the sector in Wales have already secured two sites at the top of the UK shortlist for bigger factory production of electric vehicle batteries, and four different research and commercialisation projects, as part of the £380 million Faraday battery challenge.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Mae cynlluniau i ddefnyddio cryfder ymchwil, datblygu a gweithgynhyrchu'r sector yng Nghymru eisoes wedi sicrhau dau safle ar frig rhestr fer y DU ar gyfer mwy o gynhyrchiant mewn ffatrïoedd o fatris cerbydau trydan, a phedwar gwahanol brosiect ymchwil a masnacheiddio, yn rhan o her batri Faraday gwerth £380 miliwn.
Thank you very much for that information—that's very encouraging. This may seem a slightly odd question in the middle of this pandemic, but we do know that we have to stay focused on a green recovery, and to meet our climate and air pollution targets as well. We know that all new vehicles sold in the UK will need to be powered by renewable technology by 2030, and therefore existing vehicle production facilities using fossil fuels are a depleting asset, unless they are converting to electric or hydrogen. And I'm very pleased to hear from Hitachi that they are trialling the use of batteries on trains to run on main lines that the UK Government has failed to electrify. And that obviously includes the main line that runs west from Cardiff Central, so this could be highly relevant to avoiding the belching diesel fumes on trains heading west in the future. But trains are a niche product compared to cars, and I just wondered what can be done to really work with existing UK vehicle manufacturers to see that Wales has a unique offer in terms of our engineering and compound semiconductor expertise in which to site electric vehicle battery production at scale.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am yr wybodaeth yna—mae hynny'n galonogol iawn. Efallai fod hwn yn ymddangos yn gwestiwn braidd yn rhyfedd yng nghanol y pandemig hwn, ond rydym ni'n gwybod bod yn rhaid i ni barhau i ganolbwyntio ar adferiad gwyrdd, a bodloni ein targedau llygredd hinsawdd ac aer hefyd. Rydym ni'n gwybod y bydd angen i'r holl gerbydau newydd sy'n cael eu gwerthu yn y DU gael eu pweru gan dechnoleg adnewyddadwy erbyn 2030, ac felly mae cyfleusterau cynhyrchu cerbydau presennol sy'n defnyddio tanwydd ffosil yn ased sy'n lleihau, oni bai eu bod nhw'n newid i drydan neu hydrogen. Ac rwy'n falch iawn o glywed gan Hitachi eu bod nhw'n treialu'r defnydd o fatris ar drenau i redeg ar y prif reilffyrdd y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi methu â'u trydaneiddio. Ac mae hynny'n amlwg yn cynnwys y brif reilffordd sy'n rhedeg i'r gorllewin o Gaerdydd Canolog, felly gallai hyn fod yn berthnasol iawn i osgoi'r mygdarth diesel ar drenau sy'n teithio tuag at y gorllewin yn y dyfodol. Ond mae trenau yn gynnyrch arbenigol o'u cymharu â cheir, ac roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed beth ellir ei wneud i weithio o ddifrif gyda gweithgynhyrchwyr cerbydau presennol y DU i weld bod gan Gymru gynnig unigryw o ran ein harbenigedd peirianneg a lled-ddargludyddion cyfansawdd i leoli gwaith cynhyrchu batris cerbydau trydan ar raddfa fawr.
Llywydd, I thank Jenny Rathbone for that very important question. She's absolutely right to point out that, while coronavirus preoccupies us as an immediate public health crisis, the crisis of climate change has not gone away and needs to still be at the forefront of our thoughts. The Member will be pleased to know that, in the automotive transformation fund, which I didn't refer to in my original answer, Wales has succeeded in getting three projects funded in the first round of that fund. All three of them are in that south-east corner of Wales—in Newport and in Caldicot—where we have that cluster of expertise in semiconductors. And I think that is a recognition of the fact that we have that source of expertise that has developed here in Wales and which will be of advantage to the whole of the UK. And, indeed, there are UK manufacturers who are already contributing to the effort that Jenny Rathbone mentioned—Hydro Aluminium, for example, a company that is preparing components for the all-electric London taxi fleet. And that's just one example; there are other firms in Wales already supplying components in this very important area.
And as for trains, I was very grateful to have the chance to meet just before Christmas the senior vice-president of Hitachi, who was visiting the United Kingdom, and to explore with him the interest that Hitachi has in the work that we are doing here in Wales in the railway sector, planning for the future, making sure that we play our part in the great effort that will be needed, as Jenny Rathbone said, Llywydd, to make sure that our transport and our public transport in the future meets the challenge that climate change poses to us all.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Jenny Rathbone am y cwestiwn pwysig iawn yna. Mae yn llygad ei lle wrth dynnu sylw at y ffaith, er bod coronafeirws yn mynd â'r rhan fwyaf o'n sylw fel argyfwng iechyd cyhoeddus uniongyrchol, nad yw'r argyfwng newid hinsawdd wedi diflannu a bod angen iddo fod yn flaenllaw yn ein meddyliau o hyd. Bydd yr Aelod yn falch o wybod, yn y gronfa trawsnewid modurol, na chyfeiriais ati yn fy ateb gwreiddiol, bod Cymru wedi llwyddo i gael cyllid ar gyfer tri phrosiect yn rownd gyntaf y gronfa honno. Mae'r tri ohonyn nhw yn y gornel dde-ddwyreiniol honno o Gymru—yng Nghasnewydd ac yng Nghil-y-coed—lle mae gennym ni'r clwstwr hwnnw o arbenigedd mewn lled-ddargludyddion. Ac rwy'n credu bod hynny yn gydnabyddiaeth o'r ffaith fod gennym ni'r ffynhonnell honno o arbenigedd sydd wedi datblygu yma yng Nghymru ac a fydd o fantais i'r DU gyfan. Ac, yn wir, ceir gweithgynhyrchwyr yn y DU sydd eisoes yn cyfrannu at yr ymdrech y cyfeiriodd Jenny Rathbone ati—Hydro Aluminium, er enghraifft, cwmni sy'n paratoi cydrannau ar gyfer fflyd tacsis cwbl drydanol Llundain. A dim ond un enghraifft yw honno; mae cwmnïau eraill yng Nghymru eisoes yn cyflenwi cydrannau yn y maes pwysig iawn hwn.
Ac o ran trenau, roeddwn i'n ddiolchgar iawn o gael y cyfle i gyfarfod ychydig cyn y Nadolig gydag uwch is-lywydd Hitachi, a oedd yn ymweld â'r Deyrnas Unedig, ac i archwilio gydag ef y diddordeb sydd gan Hitachi yn y gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yma yng Nghymru yn y sector rheilffyrdd, yn cynllunio ar gyfer y dyfodol, gan wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n chwarae ein rhan yn yr ymdrech fawr y bydd ei hangen, fel y dywedodd Jenny Rathbone, Llywydd, i sicrhau bod ein trafnidiaeth a'n cludiant cyhoeddus yn y dyfodol yn ymateb i'r her y mae'r newid yn yr hinsawdd yn ei gosod i bob un ohonom ni.
First Minister, you will be aware, I hope, that Britishvolt signed a memorandum of understanding with you and your Government in a bid to build the UK's first large-scale electric vehicle battery factory here in Wales. Now, despite the Vale of Glamorgan site being the initial favourite and the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales informing us in October that he was in regular calls with Britishvolt, our nation has lost out in the race to be a global hub for the electrified vehicle industry. Britishvolt will be, sadly, taking it's £2.6 billion investment, 3,000 highly skilled jobs and up to 5,000 more in the wider supply chain to Northumberland. Why did you, as the First Minister, allow this battery to run flat on Britishvolt in Wales? And why did you not offer any financial incentives whatsoever to supercharge such an important industry and development for Wales? Diolch.
Prif Weinidog, byddwch yn ymwybodol, gobeithio, fod Britishvolt wedi llofnodi memorandwm o gyd-ddealltwriaeth gyda chi a'ch Llywodraeth mewn ymgais i adeiladu ffatri batris cerbydau trydan graddfa fawr gyntaf y DU yma yng Nghymru. Nawr, er mai safle Bro Morgannwg yw'r ffefryn cynnar ac i Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru ein hysbysu ym mis Hydref ei fod yn cael galwadau rheolaidd gyda Britishvolt, mae ein gwlad wedi colli'r ras i fod yn ganolfan fyd-eang i'r diwydiant cerbydau wedi'u trydaneiddio. Yn drist, bydd Britishvolt yn mynd â'i fuddsoddiad o £2.6 biliwn, 3,000 o swyddi medrus iawn a hyd at 5,000 yn fwy yn y gadwyn gyflenwi ehangach i Northumberland. Pam wnaethoch chi, fel y Prif Weinidog, ganiatáu i'r batri hwn fynd yn fflat o ran Britishvolt yng Nghymru? A pham na wnaethoch chi gynnig unrhyw gymhellion ariannol o gwbl i wefru i'r eithaf diwydiant a datblygiad mor bwysig i Gymru? Diolch.
Llywydd, I'm afraid the Member read out her question but was not very well informed about it. We continue to be in discussions with Britishvolt. The move to Blyth is their first factory. As I said in my answer to Jenny Rathbone, Wales has two sites—the Bro Tathan site and the Baglan site—in the top five of the United Kingdom Government's shortlist for gigafactory production of electric batteries. We continue to be in discussion with Britishvolt. They have ambitions beyond Blyth, and Wales is very much on their list for the next phase of their development. I am very keen that we continue to pursue those possibilities and certainly not to run down the efforts that the company made with the Welsh Government to bring jobs and activity to Wales.
Llywydd, mae gen i ofn bod yr Aelod wedi darllen ei chwestiwn ond nad oedd yn wybodus iawn amdano. Rydym ni'n dal i fod mewn trafodaethau gyda Britishvolt. Y symudiad i Blyth yw eu ffatri gyntaf. Fel y dywedais yn fy ateb i Jenny Rathbone, mae gan Gymru ddau safle—safle Bro Tathan a safle Baglan—yn y pump uchaf ar restr fer Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig ar gyfer cynhyrchiant gigaffatri o fatris trydan. Rydym ni'n parhau i drafod gyda Britishvolt. Mae ganddyn nhw uchelgeisiau y tu hwnt i Blyth, ac mae Cymru yn sicr ar eu rhestr ar gyfer cam nesaf eu datblygiad. Rwy'n awyddus iawn ein bod ni'n parhau i fynd ar drywydd y posibiliadau hynny ac yn sicr i beidio â bychanu'r ymdrechion a wnaeth y cwmni gyda Llywodraeth Cymru i ddod â swyddi a gweithgarwch i Gymru.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Questions now from the party leaders. The Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, Mohamud Hassan was a fit and healthy 24-year-old. On Friday evening he was arrested at a property in Cardiff, where neighbours reportedly spoke of a significant commotion. Having been taken into custody at Cardiff Bay police station, Mr Hassan was released without charge on Saturday. Later that evening, he tragically died. Witnesses were reportedly shocked by Mr Hassan's condition following his release, saying that his tracksuit was covered in blood and he had severe injuries and bruising. There can be no doubt that this is a deeply harrowing case and every effort should be made to seek the truth of what happened. Why was Mohamud Hassan arrested? What happened during his arrest? Did he have legal representation? Was there any aftercare? Why did this young man die? Whilst we should not prejudge the outcome of any inquiry, will you commit, First Minister, to doing everything within your power to help the family find those answers? And do you support their call for an independent investigation of this case?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, roedd Mohamud Hassan yn ŵr ifanc 24 oed heini ac iach. Nos Wener, cafodd ei arestio mewn eiddo yng Nghaerdydd, lle y cyfeiriodd cymdogion yn ôl adroddiadau at gynnwrf sylweddol. Ar ôl cael ei gymryd i'r ddalfa yng ngorsaf heddlu Bae Caerdydd, cafodd Mr Hassan ei ryddhau heb gyhuddiad ddydd Sadwrn. Yn ddiweddarach y noson honno, bu farw'n drasig. Dywedwyd bod tystion wedi'u syfrdanu gan gyflwr Mr Hassan ar ôl iddo gael ei ryddhau, gan ddweud bod ei dracwisg wedi'i gorchuddio mewn gwaed a bod ganddo anafiadau a chleisiau difrifol. Nid oes amheuaeth nad yw hwn yn achos dirdynnol iawn a dylid gwneud pob ymdrech i ddarganfod y gwir am yr hyn a ddigwyddodd. Pam gafodd Mohamud Hassan ei arestio? Beth ddigwyddodd yn ystod ei arestiad? A oedd ganddo gynrychiolaeth gyfreithiol? A oedd unrhyw ôl-ofal? Pam y bu farw'r gŵr ifanc hwn? Er na ddylem ni ragfarnu canlyniad unrhyw ymchwiliad, a wnewch chi ymrwymo, Prif Weinidog, i wneud popeth o fewn eich gallu i helpu'r teulu i ddod o hyd i'r atebion hynny? Ac a ydych chi'n cefnogi eu galwad am ymchwiliad annibynnol i'r achos hwn?
Well, Llywydd, I thank the leader of Plaid Cymru for that question. I've read the reports to which he referred. They are deeply concerning, of course, and our thoughts must be with the family of the young man, who was, as Adam Price said, a fit and healthy individual, whose death in the circumstances that the leader of Plaid Cymru described must be properly investigated. Now, I understand that the police have already referred, as they would have to, this matter to the independent police investigation service. The first step in any inquiry will have to be to allow them to carry out their work. I absolutely expect that to be done rigorously and with full and visible independence. I am glad that the family have secured legal assistance to them in order to pursue their very understandable concerns. And if there are things the Welsh Government can do, then I will make sure that we attend properly to those without, as the Member said, prejudging in any way the outcome of the independent investigations that now need to follow.
Wel, Llywydd, diolchaf i arweinydd Plaid Cymru am y cwestiwn yna. Rwyf i wedi darllen yr adroddiadau y cyfeiriodd atyn nhw. Maen nhw'n peri pryder mawr, wrth gwrs, ac mae'n rhaid i'n meddyliau fod gyda theulu'r gŵr ifanc, a oedd, fel y dywedodd Adam Price, yn unigolyn heini ac iach, ac mae'n rhaid ymchwilio yn briodol i'w farwolaeth o dan yr amgylchiadau a ddisgrifiwyd gan arweinydd Plaid Cymru. Nawr, rwy'n deall bod yr heddlu eisoes wedi cyfeirio'r mater hwn, fel y byddai'n rhaid iddyn nhw ei wneud, at wasanaeth ymchwilio annibynnol yr heddlu. Y cam cyntaf mewn unrhyw ymchwiliad fydd caniatáu iddyn nhw wneud eu gwaith. Rwy'n llawn ddisgwyl i hynny gael ei wneud yn drylwyr a chydag annibyniaeth lawn a gweladwy. Rwy'n falch bod y teulu wedi sicrhau cymorth cyfreithiol iddyn nhw fel y gallant fynd ar drywydd eu pryderon cwbl ddealladwy. Ac os oes pethau y gall Llywodraeth Cymru eu gwneud, yna byddaf yn gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n rhoi sylw priodol i'r rheini heb, fel y dywedodd yr Aelod, ragfarnu mewn unrhyw ffordd canlyniad yr ymchwiliadau annibynnol y mae angen iddyn nhw ddilyn nawr.
In 1990, following the most high-profile murder case in the history of South Wales Police, three black men were wrongly convicted of the murder of Lynette White, and, 11 years later, 12 police officers were acquitted on a technicality in the largest police corruption case in history. In the case known as the Butetown Three, five police officers were disciplined 11 years ago following an incident in Cardiff when two black students who had been attacked by skinheads were themselves arrested and charged with violent disorder. In 2019, the death of 13-year-old Christopher Kapessa, who drowned in the River Cynon, was described as an accident within 24 hours by South Wales Police. Only after a persistent campaign did the Crown Prosecution Service admit there was sufficient evidence for a manslaughter prosecution. Christopher's mother Alina described the force as 'institutionally racist'. Given the history and their daily experience, do you understand, First Minister, why so many people of colour would have some sympathy with that statement?
Ym 1990, yn dilyn yr achos llofruddiaeth mwyaf uchel ei broffil yn hanes Heddlu De Cymru, cafwyd tri gŵr du yn euog o lofruddiaeth Lynette White, ac, 11 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, cafodd 12 o swyddogion yr heddlu eu rhyddfarnu ar dechnegoldeb yn yr achos llygredd heddlu mwyaf mewn hanes. Yn yr achos a adnabyddir fel y Butetown Three, disgyblwyd pum heddwas 11 mlynedd yn ôl yn dilyn digwyddiad yng Nghaerdydd pan gafodd dau fyfyriwr du yr ymosodwyd arnyn nhw gan sginheads eu harestio eu hunain a'u cyhuddo o anhrefn treisgar. Yn 2019, disgrifiwyd marwolaeth Christopher Kapessa, a oedd yn 13 oed, a fu foddi yn Afon Cynon, fel damwain o fewn 24 awr gan Heddlu De Cymru. Dim ond ar ôl ymgyrch barhaus y cyfaddefodd Gwasanaeth Erlyn y Goron bod digon o dystiolaeth ar gyfer erlyniad dynladdiad. Dywedodd mam Christopher Alina bod yr heddlu yn 'sefydliadol hiliol'. O ystyried yr hanes a'u profiad dyddiol, a ydych chi'n deall, Prif Weinidog, pam y byddai cynifer o bobl groenliw yn cydymdeimlo i raddau â'r datganiad hwnnw?
Well, Llywydd, let me say for the record, as I know the Member himself would, black lives matter in absolutely every aspect of public services and public life here in Wales, and that obligation lies with our police services as much as with any other part of Welsh life. I have been, though—to make the record a fair one, I have myself attended with senior members of the South Wales Police at mosques and other gatherings of black communities here in Wales at points when those communities felt very badly under threat, because, for example, of the Christchurch attacks in New Zealand 18 months or so ago. That night, South Wales Police mobilised across the whole of their area, making sure that mosque communities felt protected, that they knew there was a visible presence of the South Wales Police there, and I attended myself with the chief constable at a number of meetings with leaders of those communities, making sure that they knew that their police service was there to look after and to protect them.
So, I think that we have to look at the record in the round. Where disturbing matters happen—and I was a member of the South Wales Police Authority during those awful years around 1990, when there was a failure to grasp the significance of what had gone on and the depths to which cover-ups had been engaged in, but I think, while we take those things seriously, and absolutely must do, there is a wider record and a great deal of commitment from very senior people in our police services here in all parts of Wales to make sure that the right things are done, and we need to support them in that even while we make sure that those individual examples, of the sort that the leader of Plaid Cymru began his questions with today, get the proper, independent and open attention that they need to reassure those people who are most directly touched by them.
Wel, Llywydd, gadewch i mi ddweud ar goedd, fel y gwn y byddai'r Aelod yn ei wneud ei hun, mae bywydau du o bwys ym mhob un agwedd ar wasanaethau cyhoeddus a bywyd cyhoeddus yma yng Nghymru, ac mae'r rhwymedigaeth honno yn gorwedd gyda'n gwasanaethau heddlu gymaint â chydag unrhyw ran arall o fywyd Cymru. Rwyf i wedi bod, serch hynny—i wneud y cofnod yn un teg, rwyf i fy hun wedi bod yn bresennol gydag uwch aelodau Heddlu De Cymru mewn mosgiau a chynulliadau eraill o gymunedau pobl dduon yma yng Nghymru ar adegau pan oedd y cymunedau hynny yn teimlo o dan fygythiad mawr, oherwydd, er enghraifft, ymosodiadau Christchurch yn Seland Newydd 18 mis yn ôl. Y noson honno, aeth Heddlu De Cymru ar draws eu hardal gyfan, gan wneud yn siŵr bod cymunedau mosgiau yn teimlo eu bod nhw'n cael eu hamddiffyn, eu bod nhw'n gwybod bod presenoldeb amlwg Heddlu De Cymru yno, a mynychais fy hun gyda'r prif gwnstabl nifer o gyfarfodydd gydag arweinyddion y cymunedau hynny, gan wneud yn siŵr eu bod nhw'n gwybod bod eu gwasanaeth heddlu yno i ofalu amdanyn nhw ac i'w hamddiffyn.
Felly, rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid i ni edrych ar y cofnod yn ei gyfanrwydd. Pan fo materion sy'n peri pryder yn codi—ac roeddwn i'n aelod o Awdurdod Heddlu De Cymru yn ystod y blynyddoedd ofnadwy hynny tua 1990, pan oedd methiant i amgyffred arwyddocâd yr hyn a oedd wedi digwydd a'r dyfnderoedd y cymerwyd rhan mewn gweithredoedd cuddio tystiolaeth yr aethpwyd iddyn nhw, ond rwy'n credu, er ein bod ni'n cymryd y pethau hynny o ddifrif, ac mae'n bendant bod yn rhaid i ni wneud hynny, bod cofnod ehangach a llawer iawn o ymrwymiad gan bobl uchel iawn yn ein gwasanaethau heddlu yma ym mhob rhan o Gymru i wneud yn siŵr bod y pethau iawn yn cael eu gwneud, ac mae angen i ni eu cefnogi yn hynny hyd yn oed tra ein bod ni'n gwneud yn siŵr bod yr enghreifftiau unigol hynny, o'r math y dechreuodd arweinydd Plaid Cymru ei gwestiynau â nhw heddiw, yn cael y sylw priodol, annibynnol ac agored sydd ei angen arnyn nhw i dawelu meddyliau'r bobl hynny sy'n cael eu cyffwrdd ganddyn nhw yn fwyaf uniongyrchol.
First Minister, you're right, obviously, to point to those positive steps that should be supported and encouraged, but would you accept that more can and needs to be done? I'll give you one example—just 2.6 per cent of South Wales Police officers are black, Asian and minority ethnic, compared to 6.7 per cent of the population within the force area. Statistics produced by the Wales Governance Centre show that our prison population here in Wales is even more racially disproportional than that in the United States. You're five and a half times more likely to go to prison if you're black than if you're white in the US; in Wales, the figure is six and a half. In June last year, when we were discussing the case of George Floyd and the repercussions of that, I asked you to commit to setting up a wide-ranging inquiry into the roots and remedies of structural racism and racial disadvantage here in Wales. You said then you would consider that proposal. Have you made a decision?
Prif Weinidog, rydych chi'n iawn, yn amlwg, i dynnu sylw at y camau cadarnhaol hynny y dylid eu cefnogi a'u hannog, ond a fyddech chi'n derbyn y gellir gwneud mwy a bod angen gwneud mwy? Rhoddaf un enghraifft i chi—dim ond 2.6 y cant o swyddogion Heddlu De Cymru sy'n ddu, yn Asiaidd ac o leiafrifoedd ethnig, o'i gymharu â 6.7 y cant o'r boblogaeth yn ardal yr heddlu. Mae ystadegau a gynhyrchwyd gan Ganolfan Llywodraethiant Cymru yn dangos bod poblogaeth ein carchardai yma yng Nghymru hyd yn oed yn fwy anghymesur yn hiliol nag yn yr Unol Daleithiau. Rydych chi bum gwaith a hanner yn fwy tebygol o fynd i'r carchar os ydych chi'n ddu na phe byddech chi'n wyn yn yr Unol Daleithiau; yng Nghymru, chwech a hanner yw'r ffigur. Ym mis Mehefin y llynedd, pan oeddem ni'n trafod achos George Floyd ac effeithiau hynny, gofynnais i chi ymrwymo i sefydlu ymchwiliad eang i wreiddiau ac atebion hiliaeth strwythurol ac anfantais hiliol yma yng Nghymru. Dywedasoch bryd hynny y byddech chi'n ystyried y cynnig hwnnw. A ydych chi wedi gwneud penderfyniad?
Well, Llywydd, I definitely agree that more could and should be done. Lots of that will be represented in the race equality action plan, which the Welsh Government will publish in just a few weeks' time. That race equality action plan has been informed by the report into the structural causes of racism here in Wales, which has already been commissioned and has already reported. So, that report was chaired and produced by Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, a distinguished academic and member of the black community here in Wales. It makes for sobering reading, as the Member I'm sure would agree, and there's no place where it is more shocking than in the figures to which Adam Price has referred this afternoon in the criminal justice system. The level of discrimination faced by black people in the wider criminal justice system absolutely has to be grasped and remedied. It's one of the reasons why taking forward the proposals of the Thomas commission is so important, because it would give us opportunities we don't have now to be able directly to deal with some of the points that the Member has quite rightly raised this afternoon.
On his final question about a report into structural racism here in Wales, that report has been commissioned and that report is available, and it has formed the basis of the race equality action plan. I'm very grateful indeed to Professor Ogbonna for his continued engagement in the production of that plan, which will use all the levers available to us here through our devolved powers to address the pernicious impacts to which the leader of Plaid Cymru has referred in his questions this afternoon.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n sicr yn cytuno y gellid ac y dylid gwneud mwy. Bydd llawer o hynny yn cael ei gynrychioli yn y cynllun gweithredu ar gydraddoldeb hiliol, y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei gyhoeddi ymhen ychydig wythnosau yn unig. Mae'r cynllun gweithredu ar gydraddoldeb hiliol hwnnw wedi lywio gan yr adroddiad ar achosion strwythurol o hiliaeth yma yng Nghymru, sydd eisoes wedi'i gomisiynu ac sydd eisoes wedi adrodd. Felly, cafodd yr adroddiad hwnnw ei gadeirio a'i lunio gan yr Athro Emmanuel Ogbonna, academydd nodedig ac aelod o'r gymuned pobl dduon yma yng Nghymru. Mae ei ddarllen yn eich sobreiddio, fel y byddai'r Aelod rwy'n siŵr yn cytuno, ac nid oes unrhyw le y mae'n fwy brawychus nag yn y ffigurau y mae Adam Price wedi cyfeirio atyn nhw y prynhawn yma yn y system cyfiawnder troseddol. Mae'n rhaid i lefel y gwahaniaethu a wynebir gan bobl dduon yn y system cyfiawnder troseddol ehangach gael ei deall a'i hunioni, yn sicr. Dyma un o'r rhesymau pam mae bwrw ymlaen â chynigion comisiwn Thomas mor bwysig, oherwydd byddai'n rhoi cyfleoedd i ni nad oes gennym ni ar hyn o bryd i allu ymdrin yn uniongyrchol â rhai o'r pwyntiau y mae'r Aelod wedi eu codi yn gwbl briodol y prynhawn yma.
O ran ei gwestiwn olaf am adroddiad ar hiliaeth strwythurol yma yng Nghymru, mae'r adroddiad hwnnw wedi ei gomisiynu ac mae'r adroddiad hwnnw ar gael, a dyna fu sail y cynllun gweithredu ar gydraddoldeb hiliol. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn yn wir i'r Athro Ogbonna am ei ymgysylltiad parhaus â'r gwaith o lunio'r cynllun hwnnw, a fydd yn defnyddio'r holl ysgogiadau sydd ar gael i ni yn y fan yma drwy ein pwerau datganoledig i fynd i'r afael â'r effeithiau niweidiol y mae arweinydd Plaid Cymru wedi cyfeirio atyn nhw yn ei gwestiynau y prynhawn yma.
Arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr, Paul Davies.
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Paul Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, the Welsh Government's vaccine strategy has confirmed that 280,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 47,000 of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have now been received here in Wales, and yet we know that only around 91,000 doses have been administered. And we know, as of yesterday, 2.7 per cent of the population of Wales has been vaccinated, compared to 3 per cent in Scotland and 3.5 per cent in England. Can you explain to the people of Wales why the roll-out of the vaccine has fallen behind other UK nations to date, and can you tell us why you believe this is not a sprint, given that this is a race to actually beat the virus?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, mae strategaeth frechu Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cadarnhau bod 280,000 dos o frechlyn Pfizer a 47,000 o frechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca bellach wedi dod i law yma yng Nghymru, ac eto rydym ni'n gwybod mai dim ond tua 91,000 o ddosau sydd wedi eu rhoi. Ac rydym ni'n gwybod, ddoe, bod 2.7 y cant o boblogaeth Cymru wedi cael eu brechu, o'i gymharu â 3 y cant yn yr Alban a 3.5 y cant yn Lloegr. A allwch chi egluro i bobl Cymru pam mae cyflwyno'r brechlyn wedi cwympo y tu ôl i wledydd eraill y DU hyd yma, ac a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni pam yr ydych chi'n credu nad sbrint yw hon, o gofio mai ras yw hon i guro'r feirws mewn gwirionedd?
Well, Llywydd, the leader of the opposition is right that the race is against the virus, not against any other part of the United Kingdom. That race will be run not over a week, but over months and months ahead. We will still be vaccinating people here in Wales well into the final months of this calendar year, and what I was trying to explain to people is that that will have to be a sustained effort, not something that is just over and done with in a few days or a week. We are going to have to gear up to make sure that we are flat out right across the system to vaccinate the maximum number of people as quickly and as safely as possible.
Let me deal with the first point that the leader of the opposition made, Llywydd, to make sure that people understand the position here. We are using every bit of the Oxford vaccine that we get as soon as we get it—22,000 doses last week; we expect 25,000 doses this week; 80,000 and maybe a bit more than that next week; and then a rising, and, let's hope, rapidly rising, volume of supply. With the Pfizer vaccine, we received the majority of those 2,800 doses just around Christmas. They have to last us until the end of the first week of February. They're not given to us to use in a few days; that is the supply Wales has for the whole of January and the first week of February as well. And that's why it would never have been a sensible proposition to have suggested that we should have used the whole of that supply in the first few days. That supply has to be evened out over the weeks for which it is available, so that we have vaccinators with work to do in every week able to make the very most of that supply. And the Member will remember that, on 31 December, the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation changed. At that point, we thought we would have to halve that supply, because we needed to be able to deliver two doses of it to everybody within the time that we had that vaccine to use. On 31 December, that advice was changed, and I think it was the right thing to do. It will save, we think, 10,000 people here in Wales from contracting coronavirus, to be able to use a first dose of that vaccine for people more rapidly. But the reason why it hasn't all been used in the first few days is because it's got to last us for six weeks.
Wel, Llywydd, mae arweinydd yr wrthblaid yn iawn mai ras yn erbyn y feirws yw hon, ac nid yn erbyn unrhyw ran arall o'r Deyrnas Unedig. Bydd y ras honno yn cael ei rhedeg nid dros wythnos, ond dros fisoedd a misoedd i ddod. Byddwn yn dal i frechu pobl yma yng Nghymru ymhell i fisoedd olaf y flwyddyn galendr hon, a'r hyn yr oeddwn i'n ceisio ei egluro i bobl yw y bydd yn rhaid i honno fod yn ymdrech barhaus, nid yn rhywbeth sy'n cael ei gwblhau ymhen ychydig ddiwrnodau neu wythnos. Bydd yn rhaid i ni baratoi i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n gwneud ein gorau glas ar draws y system i frechu'r nifer fwyaf posibl o bobl cyn gynted ac mor ddiogel â phosibl.
Gadewch i mi ymdrin â'r pwynt cyntaf a wnaeth arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Llywydd, i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn deall y sefyllfa yn y fan yma. Rydym ni'n defnyddio pob diferyn o frechlyn Rhydychen yr ydym ni'n ei gael cyn gynted ag y byddwn ni'n ei gael—22,000 dos yr wythnos diwethaf; rydym ni'n disgwyl 25,000 dos yr wythnos hon; 80,000 ac efallai ychydig yn fwy na hynny yr wythnos nesaf; ac yna, maint cyflenwad a fydd yn cynyddu, a gadewch i ni obeithio, yn cynyddu'n gyflym. O ran brechlyn Pfizer, cawsom ni'r rhan fwyaf o'r 2,800 dos hynny o gwmpas adeg y Nadolig. Mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw bara tan ddiwedd wythnos gyntaf mis Chwefror. Nid ydyn nhw'n cael eu rhoi i ni eu defnyddio mewn ychydig ddiwrnodau; dyna'r cyflenwad sydd gan Gymru ar gyfer mis Ionawr ac wythnos gyntaf mis Chwefror hefyd. A dyna pam na fyddai erioed wedi bod yn gynnig synhwyrol awgrymu y dylem ni fod wedi defnyddio'r cyflenwad hwnnw i gyd yn ystod y diwrnodau cyntaf. Mae'n rhaid i'r cyflenwad hwnnw gael ei wasgaru dros yr wythnosau y mae ar gael ar eu cyfer, fel bod gennym ni frechyddion sydd â gwaith i'w wneud ym mhob wythnos sy'n gallu gwneud y mwyaf posibl o'r cyflenwad hwnnw. A bydd yr Aelod yn cofio, ar 31 Rhagfyr, bod cyngor y Cydbwyllgor ar Frechu ac Imiwneiddio wedi newid. Bryd hynny, roeddem ni'n meddwl y byddai'n rhaid i ni haneru'r cyflenwad hwnnw, oherwydd roedd angen i ni allu darparu dau ddos ohono i bawb o fewn yr amser yr oedd y brechlyn hwnnw gennym ni i'w ddefnyddio. Ar 31 Rhagfyr, newidiwyd y cyngor hwnnw, ac rwy'n credu mai dyna oedd y peth iawn i'w wneud. Rydym ni'n credu y bydd gallu defnyddio dos cyntaf o'r brechlyn hwnnw i bobl yn gyflymach yn atal 10,000 o bobl yma yng Nghymru rhag dal coronafeirws. Ond y rheswm pam nad yw'r cwbl wedi cael ei ddefnyddio yn ystod yr ychydig ddiwrnodau cyntaf yw oherwydd bod yn rhaid iddo bara i ni am chwe wythnos.
Well, First Minister, the health Minister was absolutely right to say that it was a race, and that's why it's crucial that, when doses are received, they are administered as quickly as possible to those in priority groups across Wales. It's clear that the Welsh Government must urgently accelerate the roll-out of the vaccine in Wales if we have any chance of seriously suppressing this virus in our communities. It's also clear that the Welsh Government has to look at using all available medical practitioners to help administer the vaccines, including retired clinicians and more community pharmacists. However, in an open letter, retired consultant surgeon Professor John Fairclough has made it clear that the failure to ease the method by which retired clinicians can be recruited will reduce the capacity of the NHS to achieve its vaccination roll-out.
Indeed, in my own health board area, a retired clinician made it clear to me, and I quote, 'Having read a request for volunteers from our local health board, Hywel Dda, in the local newspaper, I applied a few weeks ago but have heard nothing. It appears I am not the only one who has experienced this. It pains me to see my GP colleagues struggling with their work and having to take on the additional responsibility of administering the vaccine.' End quote. Surely, the Welsh Government should be doing everything possible to recruit retired clinicians to help deliver the vaccine across the country. Therefore, First Minister, can you tell us what steps the Welsh Government is taking to recruit retired clinicians to administer the vaccine? Can you confirm the number of community pharmacists the Welsh Government is planning to use to help roll out the vaccine? And can you also tell us what discussions have been had with health boards across Wales about utilising retired clinicians as an additional workforce in administering the vaccine in Wales and whether there are any barriers in place preventing retired clinicians from helping to deliver the vaccine?
Wel, Prif Weinidog, roedd y Gweinidog iechyd yn llygad ei le wrth ddweud mai ras oedd hi, a dyna pam mae'n hanfodol, pan fydd dosau yn cael eu derbyn, eu bod nhw'n cael eu rhoi cyn gynted â phosibl i'r rhai mewn grwpiau blaenoriaeth ledled Cymru. Mae'n amlwg bod yn rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru gyflymu'r broses o gyflwyno'r brechlyn yng Nghymru ar frys i ni fod ag unrhyw obaith gwirioneddol o atal y feirws hwn yn ein cymunedau. Mae hefyd yn amlwg bod yn rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru ystyried defnyddio'r holl ymarferwyr meddygol sydd ar gael i helpu i roi'r brechlynnau, gan gynnwys clinigwyr sydd wedi ymddeol a mwy o fferyllwyr cymunedol. Fodd bynnag, mewn llythyr agored, mae'r llawfeddyg ymgynghorol sydd wedi ymddeol, yr Athro John Fairclough, wedi ei gwneud yn glir y bydd y methiant i hwyluso'r dull o recriwtio clinigwyr sydd wedi ymddeol yn lleihau gallu'r GIG i gyflwyno'r brechiad.
Yn wir, yn ardal fy mwrdd iechyd i fy hun, fe wnaeth clinigwr sydd wedi ymddeol egluro i mi, a dyfynnaf, 'Ar ôl darllen cais am wirfoddolwyr gan ein bwrdd iechyd lleol, Hywel Dda, yn y papur newydd lleol, fe wnes i gais ychydig wythnosau yn ôl ond nid wyf i wedi clywed dim. Mae'n ymddangos nad fi yw'r unig un sydd wedi cael y profiad hwn. Mae'n fy mhoeni i weld fy nghyd-feddygon teulu yn ymlafnio gyda'u gwaith ac yn gorfod ymgymryd â'r cyfrifoldeb ychwanegol o roi'r brechlyn.' Diwedd y dyfyniad. Does bosib na ddylai Llywodraeth Cymru fod yn gwneud popeth posibl i recriwtio clinigwyr sydd wedi ymddeol i helpu i ddarparu'r brechlyn ledled y wlad. Felly, Prif Weinidog, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i recriwtio clinigwyr sydd wedi ymddeol i roi'r brechlyn? A allwch chi gadarnhau nifer y fferyllwyr cymunedol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu eu defnyddio i helpu i gyflwyno'r brechlyn? Ac a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni hefyd pa drafodaethau a gafwyd gyda byrddau iechyd ledled Cymru ynghylch defnyddio clinigwyr sydd wedi ymddeol fel gweithlu ychwanegol i roi'r brechlyn yng Nghymru a pha un a oes unrhyw rwystrau ar waith i atal clinigwyr sydd wedi ymddeol rhag helpu i roi'r brechlyn?
Llywydd, I have been in—[Inaudible.]—between the injection and the infection, and that is the race that I am focused on and the health Minister is focused on: making sure that we maximise our capacity to use whatever supply of vaccine comes our way as a result of the UK Government's procurement of it. Let me be clear, Llywydd—I'm grateful for the opportunities that there have been to discuss this with the UK Government. I discussed it with the other First Ministers and with Michael Gove on Wednesday of last week. I expect to have another discussion tomorrow. The health Ministers met on Thursday of last week, and I'm quite confident that everything that can be done is being done by all four nations to get supplies of the vaccine and to get it to where they are needed and to use it as fast as possible. That's the race that we are involved in here in Wales.
Of course we want to use as many qualified contractors to help us in that effort, and I'm hugely grateful to the enormous response that we have had from GP practices the length and breadth of Wales. I think every single GP practice in the Hywel Dda area has signed up to deliver the vaccine, and we will be deploying community pharmacists as well. The first community pharmacy to deliver the vaccine will be by the end of this week, and that will be in north Wales. There are, as I'm sure Paul Davies understands, some practical things that have got to be sorted out, and you've got to have a bit of a chance to make sure that everything is being done in the best and safest way. You've got to give it a bit of a chance to allow that to be tested. We will test that with community pharmacy in north Wales before the end of this week, and then we will want to use community pharmacists in all parts of Wales. They were very much part of our effort to deliver flu vaccine over the autumn: 1,100,000 people received flu vaccination in Wales over the autumn period, and that just demonstrates the capacity of the system here in Wales to deliver vaccination on a mass scale, using all the different levers available to us. We want people who are retired to come back to help us with that effort. That is how the people that the leader of the opposition referred to knew about that. They'd had an invitation. They'd had a request to come back. Now, we still have to make sure that returning staff are properly equipped for the job we're asking them to do. Even if you're an experienced vaccinator, you've never used these vaccines; you've got to be trained in using these particular vaccines. You need to know the potential ab reactions that there may be to it and that does have to be in place in order for people to be able to operate successfully, effectively and safely. I want those barriers to be the minimum possible, but they've still got to be there to safeguard the person who is carrying out the job and to give confidence to the people who are being vaccinated.
Llywydd, rwyf i wedi bod—[Anghlywadwy.]—rhwng y pigiad a'r haint, a dyna'r ras yr wyf i'n canolbwyntio arni ac y mae'r Gweinidog iechyd yn canolbwyntio arni: gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n manteisio i'r eithaf ar ein gallu i ddefnyddio pa gyflenwad bynnag o frechlyn a ddaw i ni o ganlyniad i gaffaeliad Llywodraeth y DU ohono. Gadewch i mi fod yn eglur, Llywydd—rwy'n ddiolchgar am y cyfleoedd a gafwyd i drafod hyn gyda Llywodraeth y DU. Fe'i trafodais gyda'r Prif Weinidogion eraill a Michael Gove ddydd Mercher yr wythnos diwethaf. Rwy'n disgwyl cael trafodaeth arall yfory. Cyfarfu'r Gweinidogion iechyd ddydd Iau yr wythnos diwethaf, ac rwy'n eithaf ffyddiog bod popeth y gellir ei wneud yn cael ei wneud gan bob un o'r pedair gwlad i gael cyflenwadau o'r brechlyn ac i'w gludo i ble mae eu hangen a'u defnyddio cyn gynted â phosibl. Dyna'r ras yr ydym ni'n rhan ohoni yma yng Nghymru.
Wrth gwrs, rydym ni eisiau defnyddio cynifer o gontractwyr cymwysedig â phosibl i'n helpu yn yr ymdrech honno, ac rwy'n hynod ddiolchgar am yr ymateb enfawr yr ydym ni wedi ei gael gan feddygfeydd teulu ar hyd a lled Cymru. Rwy'n credu bod pob un meddygfa deulu yn ardal Hywel Dda wedi cofrestru i ddarparu'r brechlyn, a byddwn yn defnyddio fferyllwyr cymunedol hefyd. Bydd y fferyllfa gymunedol gyntaf i ddarparu'r brechlyn yn gwneud hynny erbyn diwedd yr wythnos hon, a bydd hynny yn y gogledd. Fel y bydd Paul Davies yn deall, rwy'n siŵr, ceir rhai pethau ymarferol y mae'n rhaid eu datrys, ac mae'n rhaid i chi gael rhywfaint o gyfle i wneud yn siŵr bod popeth yn cael ei wneud yn y ffordd orau a mwyaf diogel. Mae'n rhaid i chi roi rhywfaint o gyfle iddo i ganiatáu i hynny gael ei brofi. Byddwn yn profi hynny gyda fferylliaeth gymunedol yn y gogledd cyn diwedd yr wythnos hon, ac yna byddwn eisiau defnyddio fferyllwyr cymunedol ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Roedden nhw'n rhan bwysig iawn o'n hymdrech i ddarparu brechlyn ffliw dros yr hydref: cafodd 1,100,000 o bobl frechiad rhag y ffliw yng Nghymru dros gyfnod yr hydref, ac mae hynny'n dangos gallu'r system yma yng Nghymru i frechu ar raddfa fawr, gan ddefnyddio'r holl wahanol ysgogiadau sydd ar gael i ni. Rydym ni eisiau i bobl sydd wedi ymddeol ddod yn ôl i'n helpu gyda'r ymdrech honno. Dyna sut yr oedd y bobl y cyfeiriodd arweinydd yr wrthblaid atyn nhw yn gwybod am hynny. Roedden nhw wedi cael gwahoddiad. Roedden nhw wedi cael cais i ddod yn ôl. Nawr, mae'n rhaid i ni wneud yn siŵr o hyd bod staff sy'n dychwelyd wedi'u harfogi yn briodol ar gyfer y gwaith yr ydym ni'n gofyn iddyn nhw ei wneud. Hyd yn oed os ydych chi'n frechydd profiadol, dydych chi erioed wedi defnyddio'r brechlynnau hyn; mae'n rhaid i chi gael eich hyfforddi i ddefnyddio'r brechlynnau penodol hyn. Mae angen i chi wybod pa adweithiau ab posibl a allai fod iddo ac mae'n rhaid i hynny fod ar waith er mwyn i bobl allu gweithredu yn llwyddiannus, yn effeithiol ac yn ddiogel. Rwyf i eisiau i'r rhwystrau hynny fod cyn lleied â phosibl, ond mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw fod yno er hynny i ddiogelu'r sawl sy'n gwneud y gwaith ac i roi hyder i'r bobl sy'n cael eu brechu.
First Minister, the Welsh Government's COVID-19 vaccination strategy also confirms that the number of mass vaccination centres across Wales will be increasing to 35 over the coming weeks, with at least one in each county. Given that the Welsh Government started with seven centres five weeks ago, there is at least some progress on this front, however, it is absolutely critical, which I'm sure that the First Minister will agree with me, that all parts of Wales have a vaccination centre in their own locality.
In my own constituency, which is home to a large elderly population, many people continue to be frustrated at the lack of a vaccination centre in Pembrokeshire, and yet we're still no closer to seeing one set up. Therefore, can you provide the people of Wales with a timetable as to when these new mass vaccination centres will be established, along with their locations, so that we can actually track and monitor their development? And can you also tell us what criteria have been used to decide on the location of each of these centres, so that the people of Wales can understand the rationale behind the Welsh Government's decision making on this particular issue?
Prif Weinidog, mae strategaeth frechu COVID-19 Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd yn cadarnhau y bydd nifer y canolfannau brechu torfol ledled Cymru yn cynyddu i 35 dros yr wythnosau nesaf, gydag o leiaf un ym mhob sir. O gofio bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dechrau gyda saith canolfan bum wythnos yn ôl, mae o leiaf rhywfaint o gynnydd yn hyn o beth, fodd bynnag, mae'n gwbl hanfodol, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Prif Weinidog yn cytuno â mi, bod gan bob rhan o Gymru ganolfan frechu yn eu hardal eu hunain.
Yn fy etholaeth i, sy'n gartref i boblogaeth oedrannus fawr, mae llawer o bobl yn dal i deimlo'n rhwystredig oherwydd diffyg canolfan frechu yn sir Benfro, ac eto nid ydym yn nes at weld un yn cael ei sefydlu. Felly, a allwch chi roi amserlen i bobl Cymru o ran pryd y bydd y canolfannau brechu torfol newydd hyn yn cael eu sefydlu, ynghyd â'u lleoliadau, fel y gallwn ni olrhain a monitro eu datblygiad? Ac a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni hefyd pa feini prawf a ddefnyddiwyd i benderfynu ar leoliad pob un o'r canolfannau hyn, fel y gall pobl Cymru ddeall y rhesymeg sy'n sail i benderfyniadau Llywodraeth Cymru ar y mater penodol hwn?
I thank Paul Davies for that, Llywydd. He's right that we started with seven mass vaccination centres; we had 14 before Christmas; we have 22 today; and we'll have 35 by the end of the month. I'm confident that there will be one, as there should be, in Pembrokeshire because we want one in every county in Wales. The criteria that have been used to identify those centres are a combination of availability, accessibility and speed. We have to use locations that are quickly available to us. We need them in places where people can get to; people will be driving to them and they've got to be able to park, there has got to be all of those sorts of things, and they need to be the places that can be most speedily brought into use. So, those are amongst the criteria that have been identified in finding the vaccination centres.
I should say, because I know that the Member will be interested in this, that we've got 70 army staff now working with the Welsh Government on exactly those logistical issues. I came into work here in Cathays Park this morning at 8 o'clock and the first four people who went in in front of me were people wearing army fatigues, and we are very grateful indeed for the help that we are getting from the armed forces—both the 14 army vaccinators who are helping us directly with vaccinations, but the 70 other army staff who are helping us with the planning and the provision of the centres that we need and the facilities that go alongside them in every part of Wales.
Diolchaf i Paul Davies am hynna, Llywydd. Mae e'n iawn ein bod ni wedi dechrau gyda saith canolfan frechu torfol; roedd gennym ni 14 cyn y Nadolig; mae gennym ni 22 heddiw; a bydd gennym ni 35 erbyn diwedd y mis. Rwy'n ffyddiog y bydd un, fel y dylai fod, yn Sir Benfro gan ein bod ni eisiau un ym mhob sir yng Nghymru. Mae'r meini prawf a ddefnyddiwyd i nodi'r canolfannau hynny yn gyfuniad o'r hyn sydd ar gael, hygyrchedd a chyflymder. Mae'n rhaid i ni ddefnyddio lleoliadau sydd ar gael yn gyflym i ni. Rydym ni eu hangen nhw mewn mannau y gall pobl eu cyrraedd; bydd pobl yn gyrru iddyn nhw ac mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw allu parcio, mae'n rhaid bod gennym yr holl fathau hynny o bethau, ac mae angen iddyn nhw fod y lleoedd y gellir eu defnyddio gyflymaf. Felly, mae'r rheini ymhlith y meini prawf sydd wedi eu nodi wrth ddod o hyd i'r canolfannau brechu.
Dylwn i ddweud, oherwydd gwn y bydd gan yr Aelod ddiddordeb yn hyn, bod gennym ni 70 o staff y fyddin yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth Cymru erbyn hyn ar yr union faterion logistaidd hynny. Deuthum i'r gwaith yma ym Mharc Cathays y bore yma am 8 o'r gloch ac roedd y pedwar person cyntaf a aeth i mewn o fy mlaen i yn bobl a oedd wedi'u gwisgo yng ngwisgoedd y fyddin, ac rydym ni'n ddiolchgar dros ben am y cymorth yr ydym ni'n ei gael gan y lluoedd arfog—y 14 o frechwyr y fyddin sy'n ein helpu yn uniongyrchol gyda brechiadau, ond hefyd y 70 o aelodau staff eraill y fyddin sy'n ein helpu gyda chynllunio a darparu'r canolfannau sydd eu hangen arnom ni a'r cyfleusterau sy'n mynd ochr yn ochr â nhw ym mhob rhan o Gymru.
3. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y gwahaniaeth rhwng y ffigurau a ddarperir gan Lywodraeth Cymru a'r rhai a ddarparerir yn adroddiadau wythnosol Iechyd Cyhoeddus Lloegr ar hysbysiadau am glefydau heintus mewn perthynas â COVID-19? OQ56121
3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the difference between the figures provided by the Welsh Government and those provided in Public Health England's notifications of infectious diseases weekly reports in relation to COVID-19? OQ56121
Llywydd, the notifications of infectious diseases weekly reports published by Public Health England show only the numbers of suspected cases of coronavirus-19, as reported by clinicians. Public Health Wales publishes the total number of cases of COVID-19, as confirmed by laboratory tests.
Llywydd, mae'r adroddiadau wythnosol yn hysbysu am glefydau heintus a gyhoeddir gan Public Health England yn dangos nifer yr achosion tybiedig o coronafeirws-19 yn unig, fel y nodwyd gan glinigwyr. Mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru yn cyhoeddi cyfanswm yr achosion o COVID-19 a gadarnhawyd gan brofion labordy.
I thank the First Minister for that answer. However, First Minister, will you give us definitive figures that illustrate that this is a health crisis caused by an infectious disease like no other? In 2018, there were 32,000 deaths from typhoid fever; in 2019, 17,000 died from—[Inaudible.] And again, in 2018, cumulative deaths from communicable diseases amounted to 91,000. Why is it that we had no lockdowns in these years, yet 99.9 per cent of the population survived? Can you tell us why our health service is overwhelmed by an extra 50 people in intensive care—they were the figures given to us by Vaughan Gething last week—especially given that A&E admissions are down by 30 per cent? Is it not true that every year, during the winter months, for the last two decades, the health service has been in a crisis at this time?
Diolchaf i'r Prif Weinidog am yr ateb yna. Fodd bynnag, Prif Weinidog, a wnewch chi roi ffigurau pendant i ni sy'n dangos bod hwn yn argyfwng iechyd sydd wedi'i achosi gan glefyd heintus fel dim un arall? Yn 2018, bu 32,000 o farwolaethau o dwymyn teiffoid; yn 2019, bu farw 17,000 o bobl o—[Anghlywadwy.] Ac unwaith eto, yn 2018, 91,000 oedd cyfanswm y marwolaethau cyfunol o glefydau trosglwyddadwy. Pam na chawsom ni unrhyw gyfyngiadau symud yn y blynyddoedd hyn, ac eto fe wnaeth 99.9 y cant o'r boblogaeth oroesi? A allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni pam mae ein gwasanaeth iechyd yn cael ei lethu gan 50 o bobl ychwanegol mewn gofal dwys—dyna'r ffigurau a roddwyd i ni gan Vaughan Gething yr wythnos diwethaf—yn enwedig o gofio bod nifer y derbyniadau i adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys wedi gostwng gan 30 y cant? Onid yw'n wir bod y gwasanaeth iechyd, bob blwyddyn, yn ystod misoedd y gaeaf, dros y ddau ddegawd diwethaf, wedi bod mewn argyfwng ar yr adeg hon?
Did you hear that properly, First Minister? I think that we were struggling with the sound from you, David Rowlands. If you speak later on this afternoon, if you can just speak to the IT people regarding the quality of your sound. First Minister, did you get enough of the question to be able to answer?
A glywsoch chi hynna yn iawn, Prif Weinidog? Rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n cael trafferth gyda'r sain oddi wrthych chi, David Rowlands. Os byddwch chi'n siarad yn nes ymlaen y prynhawn yma, a wnewch chi siarad â'r bobl TG am ansawdd eich sain. Prif Weinidog, a glywsoch chi ddigon o'r cwestiwn i allu ateb?
I believe I did, Llywydd, although, as you said, it was a bit of a struggle to hear the beginning part. I have heard the Member previously somehow suggest that we are making a fuss about nothing when it comes to coronavirus, that there have been other diseases in other times that we have managed to survive. I honestly fail to understand what he is unable to grasp about this killer disease, which has caused the deaths of thousands of people here now in Wales, and where we are seeing at this point, in this wave of the virus, even more people dying, week by week.
It does absolutely nobody any favours at all to act as though this were not the public health crisis that it is. Over a third of beds in Welsh hospitals today are occupied by people who are so ill with coronavirus that they need the care of a hospital setting. We have almost as many people in critical care today because of coronavirus as at any point in the progress of this disease. Where David Rowlands is right is to say that the health service is trying to go on doing all of the other things that we need it to do. So, there are as many people in critical care beds for other reasons as there are for coronavirus.
But, in order for the health service to be able to get back to dealing, in the way we would all like to see, with all of the other health needs that there are here in Wales, every one of us has to do everything that we can to bear down on the current upswing in the virus here in Wales. Talking about coronavirus as though it were not the serious threat that it is simply undermines, rather than supports, the great national effort that others are making.
Rwy'n credu fy mod i, Llywydd, er, fel y dywedasoch, roedd hi braidd yn anodd clywed y rhan gyntaf. Rwyf i wedi clywed yr Aelod yn y gorffennol yn awgrymu rywsut ein bod ni'n gwneud ffwdan am ddim o ran coronafeirws, y bu clefydau eraill mewn cyfnodau eraill yr ydym ni wedi llwyddo i'w goroesi. Ni allaf ddeall yn onest yr hyn nad yw'n gallu ei ddeall am y clefyd hwn sy'n lladd pobl, sydd wedi achosi marwolaeth miloedd o bobl yma yng Nghymru erbyn hyn, a lle'r ydym ni'n gweld ar hyn o bryd, yn y don hon o'r feirws, hyd yn oed mwy o bobl yn marw, o wythnos i wythnos.
Nid yw'n gwneud dim ffafr ag unrhyw un o gwbl i ymddwyn fel pe na byddai hwn yr argyfwng iechyd cyhoeddus yr ydyw. Mae mwy na thraean o welyau ysbytai Cymru heddiw wedi'u meddiannu gan bobl sydd mor sâl gyda coronafeirws fel eu bod nhw angen gofal mewn ysbyty. Mae gennym ni bron cymaint o bobl mewn gofal critigol heddiw oherwydd coronafeirws ag ar unrhyw adeg yn ystod hynt y clefyd hwn. Lle mae David Rowlands yn iawn yw i ddweud bod y gwasanaeth iechyd yn ceisio mynd ati i wneud yr holl bethau eraill yr ydym ni angen iddo eu gwneud. Felly, mae cymaint o bobl mewn gwelyau gofal critigol am resymau eraill ag sydd oherwydd coronafeirws.
Ond, er mwyn i'r gwasanaeth iechyd allu dychwelyd at ymdrin, yn y modd yr hoffem ni i gyd ei weld, âr holl anghenion iechyd eraill sydd yma yng Nghymru, mae'n rhaid i bob un ohonom ni wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i atal y cynnydd presennol yn y feirws yma yng Nghymru. Y cwbl y mae siarad am coronafeirws fel pe na byddai y bygythiad difrifol yr ydyw yn ei wneud yw tanseilio, yn hytrach na chefnogi, yr ymdrech genedlaethol fawr y mae pobl eraill yn ei gwneud.
First Minister, figures are important. It is important that members of the public and Members of this Senedd and members of the Government have the opportunity to scrutinise the pace of the progress of the disease, and also, of course, the pace of the roll-out of the vaccination here in Wales, in terms of the programme. Many people in north Wales have been in touch with me in recent weeks because, of course, it does seem as though north Wales is lagging behind somewhat in terms of the pace of progress with the roll-out of the programme, albeit that the gap between north Wales and other parts of the country is beginning to close, which I'm pleased to have noted.
Do you accept that we do need to have further data published on a more regular basis, and that, on a daily basis, we should be publishing, by health board, the number of vaccination doses that have been delivered, the proportion of those delivered to each of the priority groups and, indeed, information on missed appointments, which I have been getting reports of at some of the vaccination centres, which of course is depriving other people who do need to get their vaccinations quickly in order to protect them against this dreadful disease?
Prif Weinidog, mae ffigurau yn bwysig. Mae'n bwysig bod aelodau'r cyhoedd ac Aelodau'r Senedd hon ac aelodau'r Llywodraeth yn cael cyfle i graffu ar gyflymder cynnydd y clefyd, a hefyd, wrth gwrs, cyflymder cyflwyniad y brechiad yma yng Nghymru, o ran y rhaglen. Mae llawer o bobl yn y gogledd wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â mi yn yr wythnosau diwethaf oherwydd, wrth gwrs, mae'n ymddangos bod y gogledd ar ei hôl hi braidd o ran cyflymder y cynnydd o ran cyflwyno'r rhaglen, er bod y bwlch rhwng y gogledd a rhannau eraill o'r wlad yn dechrau cau, ac rwy'n falch o fod wedi nodi hynny.
A ydych chi'n derbyn bod angen i ni gyhoeddi data pellach yn fwy rheolaidd, ac y dylem ni, yn ddyddiol, fod yn cyhoeddi, fesul bwrdd iechyd, nifer y dosau o frechiad a roddwyd, cyfran y rhai a roddwyd i bob un o'r grwpiau blaenoriaeth ac, yn wir, gwybodaeth am apwyntiadau a fethwyd, yr wyf i wedi bod yn cael adroddiadau ohonyn nhw yn rhai o'r canolfannau brechu, sydd wrth gwrs yn amddifadu pobl eraill sydd angen cael eu brechiadau yn gyflym er mwyn eu diogelu rhag y clefyd ofnadwy hwn?
Well, Llywydd, I hope that it helps if I just give a very brief set of examples of the data that is published all the time in Wales. Testing figures: published daily. Vaccine figures: published daily. TTP figures: published weekly. PPE figures: published weekly. Care home figures: published fortnightly. NHS activity: published fortnightly. I could go on. There is a very long list indeed of data that the Welsh Government publishes all the time, and that is because I agree with the basic point that the Member makes, which is of the importance of keeping people as informed as we can of the progress that the NHS is making.
In that spirit, I'm sure that the Member will welcome the fact that, in the figures that I have seen for today, the number of vaccinations carried out in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area is now the highest of any part of Wales. So, over 16,000 vaccinations now completed in north Wales. There is no other part of Wales that has broken through the 16,000 barrier as yet. Now, over the weeks, I'm absolutely certain that there will be some days when other health boards do slightly more than north Wales, and there will be days when north Wales is back at the top of the list again. But no part of Wales is being left behind, no part of Wales is being denied its share of the vaccine, and as it happens, today, the part of Wales that has carried out the most vaccinations of all is the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and I know the Member will welcome that.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd yn helpu os rhoddaf gyfres gryno iawn o enghreifftiau o'r data a gyhoeddir drwy'r amser yng Nghymru. Ffigurau profi: fe'u cyhoeddir yn ddyddiol. Ffigurau brechlynnau: fe'u cyhoeddir yn ddyddiol. Ffigurau Profi, Olrhain, Diogelu: fe'u cyhoeddir yn wythnosol. Ffigurau cyfarpar diogelu personol: fe'u cyhoeddir yn wythnosol. Ffigurau cartrefi gofal: fe'u cyhoeddir bob pythefnos. Gweithgarwch y GIG: fe'i gyhoeddir bob pythefnos. Gallwn barhau. Ceir rhestr hir dros ben o ddata y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cyhoeddi drwy'r amser, a hynny oherwydd fy mod i'n cytuno â'r pwynt sylfaenol y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud, sef y pwysigrwydd o roi cymaint o wybodaeth ag y gallwn ni i bobl am y cynnydd y mae'r GIG yn ei wneud.
Yn yr ysbryd hwnnw, rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Aelod yn croesawu'r ffaith, yn y ffigurau yr wyf i wedi eu gweld ar gyfer heddiw, mai nifer y brechiadau a roddir yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr erbyn hyn yw'r uchaf mewn unrhyw ran o Gymru. Felly, mae dros 16,000 o frechiadau wedi'u cwblhau yn y gogledd erbyn hyn. Nid oes unrhyw ran arall o Gymru sydd wedi mynd y tu hwn i'r ffigur o 16,000 hyd yma. Nawr, dros yr wythnosau, rwy'n hollol sicr y bydd rhai diwrnodau pan fydd byrddau iechyd eraill yn gwneud ychydig yn fwy na'r gogledd, a bydd diwrnodau pan fydd gogledd Cymru yn ôl ar frig y rhestr unwaith eto. Ond nid oes unrhyw ran o Gymru yn cael ei gadael ar ôl, nid oes unrhyw ran o Gymru yn cael ei hatal rhag cael ei chyfran o'r brechlyn, ac fel y mae'n digwydd, heddiw, y rhan o Gymru sydd wedi cyflawni'r mwyaf oll o frechiadau yw Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, a gwn y bydd yr Aelod yn croesawu hynny.
4. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gyda Gweinidogion Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch cynlluniau i dorri credyd cynhwysol o fis Ebrill ymlaen? OQ56123
4. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with UK Government Ministers regarding plans to cut universal credit from April? OQ56123
Llywydd, I thank Joyce Watson for that very important question. We have and we will continue to lobby the UK Government to maintain the additional £20 universal credit weekly payment and to announce this without delay. If they do not, many households in Wales—300,000 of them—will lose over £1,000 annually. This uncertainty is causing untold levels of anxiety for some of our most vulnerable families.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Joyce Watson am y cwestiwn pwysig iawn yna. Rydym ni wedi a byddwn yn parhau i lobïo Llywodraeth y DU i gynnal y taliad credyd cynhwysol ychwanegol wythnosol o £20 ac i gyhoeddi hyn ar unwaith. Os na fyddan nhw'n gwneud hynny, bydd llawer o aelwydydd yng Nghymru—300,000 ohonyn nhw—yn colli dros £1,000 y flwyddyn. Mae'r ansicrwydd hwn yn achosi lefelau enfawr o bryder i rai o'n teuluoedd mwyaf agored i niwed.
First Minister, I thank you for that answer, and the figures are indeed, as you've just said, staggering, with the numbers of people who would be subjected to this decrease in what is, we know, the very basic income that they need to exist.
I assume, of course, that the UK Government did predicate this change on some evidence that people needed an additional £20 per week just to survive. What interests me now is what evidence they might have provided to inform them that those people can now survive on £20 less from next April. I haven't seen the evidence. I just wonder, First Minister, whether you've seen the evidence that I haven't.
We know that this is an extremely stressful time for all families in all areas of the UK. It does seem rather inhumane to me to keep that pressure on those families who are struggling, in all sorts of ways, and the uncertainty that it is giving them that, in just eight weeks, they might have their funds cut even further, and the choices that they're having to make on a daily basis being placed upon them. So, could I ask you, First Minister, when you next speak to your counterparts in the Westminster Government, could you ask them to provide the evidence that they seem to have to reduce this very basic of incomes for the families most in need?
Prif Weinidog, diolchaf i chi am yr ateb yna, ac mae'r ffigurau yn sicr, fel yr ydych chi newydd ei ddweud, yn syfrdanol, o ran nifer y bobl a fyddai'n dioddef y gostyngiad hwn i'r hyn sydd, fe wyddom, yr incwm sylfaenol iawn y maen nhw ei angen i fodoli.
Rwy'n tybio, wrth gwrs, bod Llywodraeth y DU wedi seilio'r newid hwn ar ryw dystiolaeth bod pobl angen £20 ychwanegol yr wythnos dim ond i oroesi. Yr hyn sydd o ddiddordeb i mi nawr yw pa dystiolaeth y gallen nhw fod wedi ei darparu i'w hysbysu y gall y bobl hynny oroesi bellach ar £20 yn llai o fis Ebrill nesaf ymlaen. Nid wyf i wedi gweld y dystiolaeth. Tybed, Prif Weinidog, a ydych chi wedi gweld y dystiolaeth nad wyf i wedi ei gweld.
Rydym ni'n gwybod bod hwn yn gyfnod eithriadol o anodd i bob teulu ym mhob rhan o'r DU. Mae'n ymddangos braidd yn annynol i mi gadw'r pwysau hwnnw ar y teuluoedd hynny sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd, mewn pob math o ffyrdd, a'r ansicrwydd y mae'n ei roi iddyn nhw, ymhen dim ond wyth wythnos, efallai y bydd eu harian yn cael ei dorri ymhellach fyth, a'r dewisiadau y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw eu gwneud bob dydd yn cael eu gosod arnyn nhw. Felly, a gaf i ofyn i chi, Prif Weinidog, pan fyddwch chi'n siarad nesaf â'ch cymheiriaid yn Llywodraeth San Steffan, a allech chi ofyn iddyn nhw ddarparu'r dystiolaeth y mae'n ymddangos sydd ganddyn nhw i leihau'r incwm sylfaenol iawn hwn i'r teuluoedd mwyaf anghenus?
Well, Llywydd, I'm very happy to do just that. In November, the Chancellor said that he will be making a determination on this matter early in the new year. On 8 January we finally got a reply to a letter that the finance Minister here had written with counterparts in the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive back in November, saying that the Chancellor was going to wait for more evidence before making up his mind. Well, what evidence does he need, Llywydd? Presumably the £20 a week was a recognition of four years of freezing benefits for people of working age and the abolition of the family element of tax credits and universal credit. If they need further evidence, Llywydd, I'm happy to provide it myself.
I'll just for one moment tell you that my constituency office staff, as well as having spent the run up to Christmas having to give out food bank vouchers on a scale we'd never seen before, on Christmas Eve we were contacted by a single-parent family with five children who literally had nothing in the house at all with which to feed those children over the Christmas period. My office, like all of yours, people are working from home and they are having to do the very best they can in those circumstances, and they spent Christmas Eve running around trying to make sure that those five children had something to eat over Christmas. In the end, a fantastic local business provided them with the food they needed and we managed to get it to them.
But, Llywydd, I cannot tell you how angry it makes me that, in the twenty-first century, we have a system that leaves children here in Wales in that position. They were in that position not by accident; they were in that position because the family cap policy of this Government had left that family in that circumstance. It is a cruel policy—a cruel policy—that shifts onto children the consequences of parents' behaviour. I'm very happy to provide that evidence to UK Ministers when next I have an opportunity, and to say to them that those families need to know now—now—that they are not going to be asked to manage with £1,000 less after the end of March of this year.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n hapus iawn i wneud yr union beth hwnnw. Ym mis Tachwedd, dywedodd y Canghellor y bydd yn gwneud penderfyniad ar y mater hwn yn gynnar yn y flwyddyn newydd. Ar 8 Ionawr cawsom ateb o'r diwedd i lythyr yr oedd y Gweinidog Cyllid yn y fan yma wedi ei ysgrifennu gyda chymheiriaid yn Llywodraeth yr Alban a Gweithrediaeth Gogledd Iwerddon yn ôl ym mis Tachwedd, yn dweud bod y Canghellor yn mynd i aros am fwy o dystiolaeth cyn penderfynu. Wel, pa dystiolaeth sydd ei hangen arno, Llywydd? Mae'n debyg bod yr £20 yr wythnos yn gydnabyddiaeth o bedair blynedd o rewi budd-daliadau i bobl o oedran gweithio a diddymu elfen deuluol credydau treth a chredyd cynhwysol. Os oes angen rhagor o dystiolaeth arnyn nhw, Llywydd, rwy'n hapus i'w ddarparu fy hun.
Dywedaf wrthych chi am eiliad bod staff fy swyddfa etholaethol, yn ogystal â threulio'r cyfnod cyn y Nadolig yn gorfod dosbarthu talebau banc bwyd ar raddfa nad oeddem ni erioed wedi ei weld o'r blaen, ar Noswyl Nadolig cysylltodd teulu un rhiant â ni gyda phump o blant nad oedd ganddyn nhw ddim yn y tŷ, yn llythrennol, i fwydo'r plant hynny dros gyfnod y Nadolig. Mae pobl fy swyddfa i, fel eich rhai chithau i gyd, yn gweithio gartref ac maen nhw'n gorfod gwneud y gorau y gallan nhw o dan yr amgylchiadau hynny, a threuliasant Noswyl Nadolig yn rhedeg o gwmpas yn ceisio gwneud yn siŵr bod gan y pum plentyn hynny rywbeth i'w fwyta dros y Nadolig. Yn y pen draw, darparodd busnes lleol gwych y bwyd yr oedd ei angen arnyn nhw a llwyddwyd i'w gael atyn nhw.
Ond, Llywydd, ni allaf ddweud wrthych chi pa mor ddig y mae'n fy ngwneud, yn yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, bod gennym ni system sy'n gadael plant yma yng Nghymru yn y sefyllfa honno. Doedden nhw ddim yn y sefyllfa honno drwy ddamwain; roedden nhw yn y sefyllfa honno oherwydd bod polisi cap teuluol y Llywodraeth hon wedi gadael y teulu hwnnw yn yr amgylchiadau hynny. Mae'n bolisi creulon—polisi creulon—sy'n trosglwyddo canlyniadau ymddygiad rhieni i blant. Rwy'n hapus iawn i ddarparu'r dystiolaeth honno i Weinidogion y DU y tro nesaf y caf i gyfle, ac i ddweud wrthyn nhw bod y teuluoedd hynny angen gwybod nawr—nawr—na ofynnir iddyn nhw ymdopi gyda £1,000 yn llai ar ôl diwedd mis Mawrth eleni.
The UK Government has boosted the welfare system by £7.4 billion in 2021, including the temporary £20-a-week uplift in universal credit standard allowance and working tax credit basic element. In common with the Welsh Government, the UK Government is keeping all its coronavirus measures under review as the pandemic position changes. As the Prime Minister reconfirmed last week, extending the universal credit uplift beyond April is being kept under review. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has stated:
'As the Government has done throughout this crisis, it will continue to assess how best to support low-income families, which is why we will look at the economic and health context in the new year.'
It therefore doesn't have plans to cut universal credit from April. However, given your devolved responsibilities, how do you respond to the calls by the Bevan Foundation, Citizens Advice Cymru and Community Housing Cymru for the Welsh Government to establish a single point of access for benefits and support schemes administered in Wales?
Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi rhoi hwb o £7.4 biliwn i'r system les yn 2021, gan gynnwys y cynnydd dros dro o £20 yr wythnos i lwfans safonol credyd cynhwysol ac elfen sylfaenol credyd treth gwaith. Yn yr un ffordd â Llywodraeth Cymru, mae Llywodraeth y DU yn parhau i adolygu ei holl fesurau coronafeirws wrth i sefyllfa'r pandemig newid. Fel y cadarnhaodd Prif Weinidog y DU unwaith eto yr wythnos diwethaf, mae ymestyn y cynnydd i gredyd cynhwysol y tu hwnt i fis Ebrill yn dal i gael ei adolygu. Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Waith a Phensiynau wedi datgan:
Fel y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi ei wneud drwy gydol yr argyfwng hwn, bydd yn parhau i asesu'r ffordd orau o gynorthwyo teuluoedd incwm isel, a dyna pam y byddwn ni'n edrych ar y cyd-destun economaidd ac iechyd yn y flwyddyn newydd.
Nid oes ganddi felly gynlluniau i dorri credyd cynhwysol o fis Ebrill ymlaen. Fodd bynnag, o ystyried eich cyfrifoldebau datganoledig, sut ydych chi'n ymateb i alwadau Sefydliad Bevan, Cyngor ar Bopeth Cymru a Cartrefi Cymunedol Cymru i Lywodraeth Cymru sefydlu un pwynt mynediad ar gyfer cynlluniau budd-daliadau a chymorth a weinyddir yng Nghymru?
Well, Llywydd, the Member attempts to be an apologist for the UK Government in this regard; it does him no good at all. Keeping it under review is no good to those families in my constituency who rely on that £20 every week to put food on the table for their children. They don't need a review, Mr Isherwood; they need to know that the money is coming to them. Alun Davies asked me a question earlier, Llywydd, about the nonsense that Conservative politicians are putting around about the £1 billion that the Welsh Government is said to have and that we will use during the rest of this financial year. The Treasury has £25 billion in its coronavirus reserve. Why don't they make their minds up and tell those families who rely on it that that money is coming to them? That's what I'd like to see.
Wel, Llywydd, mae'r Aelod yn ceisio bod yn ddiffynnydd ar ran Llywodraeth y DU yn hyn o beth; nid yw'n gwneud dim lles iddo o gwbl. Nid yw parhau i'w adolygu yn dda i ddim i'r teuluoedd hynny yn fy etholaeth i sy'n dibynnu ar yr £20 hwnnw bob wythnos i roi bwyd ar y bwrdd i'w plant. Nid adolygiad sydd ei angen arnyn nhw, Mr Isherwood; maen nhw angen gwybod bod yr arian yn dod iddyn nhw. Gofynnodd Alun Davies gwestiwn i mi yn gynharach, Llywydd, am y lol y mae gwleidyddion Ceidwadol yn ei ledaenu am yr £1 biliwn y dywedir sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac y byddwn yn ei ddefnyddio yn ystod gweddill y flwyddyn ariannol hon. Mae gan y Trysorlys £25 biliwn yn ei gronfa coronafeirws wrth gefn. Pam na wnawn nhw wneud penderfyniad a dweud wrth y teuluoedd hynny sy'n dibynnu arno bod yr arian hwnnw yn dod iddyn nhw? Dyna'r hyn yr hoffwn i ei weld.
While I share some of the obvious and genuine anger that the First Minister feels about the way in which the benefit system affects people here in Wales, I'd like to put it to the First Minister that there is something that he could do for some of those families. It's estimated by the Child Poverty Action Group that there are about 70,000 children in Wales whose families are in receipt of universal credit and yet they are not eligible for free school meals in Wales. Can I ask the First Minister today, should the UK Government make the decision to remove the £20 uplift—and like the First Minister, I very much hope that they don't do that and that they provide families with certainty—but if they do that, does the First Minister accept that there is of course something that the Welsh Government could do for those families within its devolved powers, and that is to provide those children and those families with entitlement to free school meals?
Er fy mod i'n rhannu rhywfaint o'r dicter amlwg a gwirioneddol y mae'r Prif Weinidog yn ei deimlo am y ffordd y mae'r system fudd-daliadau yn effeithio ar bobl yma yng Nghymru, hoffwn awgrymu i'r Prif Weinidog bod rhywbeth y gallai ei wneud ar ran rhai o'r teuluoedd hynny. Mae'r Grŵp Gweithredu ar Dlodi Plant yn amcangyfrif bod oddeutu 70,000 o blant yng Nghymru y mae eu teuluoedd yn derbyn credyd cynhwysol ac eto nad ydyn nhw'n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim yng Nghymru. A gaf i ofyn i'r Prif Weinidog heddiw, pe byddai Llywodraeth y DU yn gwneud y penderfyniad i ddiddymu'r cynnydd o £20—ac fel y Prif Weinidog, rwy'n gobeithio yn fawr na fyddan nhw'n gwneud hynny ac y byddan nhw'n rhoi sicrwydd i deuluoedd—ond os byddan nhw'n gwneud hynny, a yw'r Prif Weinidog yn derbyn bod rhywbeth wrth gwrs y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud, ar ran y teuluoedd hynny o fewn ei phwerau datganoledig, sef rhoi hawl i'r plant hynny a'r teuluoedd hynny gael prydau ysgol am ddim?
I thank Helen Mary Jones for that question. Of course, it's an important one. She will know that the Welsh Government has led the way in making sure that free school meals are available to current beneficiaries through the school holidays, not now just until the end of 2020, but for the whole of 2021. The policy that the Member advocates is one that would have to be looked at very carefully. I'll give her the costings of it: if we assume that those 70,000 families had one child each, then that would cost us £33 million. If we assume that they had two children each, it would cost us £67 million, and if we thought that they had, on average, three children each, it would cost us £101 million. That is very serious money indeed in the circumstances we find ourselves in, and that money will have to be found from somewhere else, because there is no money sitting around in the Welsh Government doing nothing. So, I think there's a case to be made—of course there is—and I've seen it made by the Child Poverty Action Group and others. But I just have to put it to the Member that it is not a choice between doing that and letting everything else carry on; it is a choice between doing that and stopping something else that is undoubtedly necessary and important to many other Welsh citizens.
Diolchaf i Helen Mary Jones am y cwestiwn yna. Wrth gwrs, mae'n un pwysig. Bydd yn gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi arwain y ffordd o ran gwneud yn siŵr bod prydau ysgol am ddim ar gael i fuddiolwyr presennol trwy gydol gwyliau'r ysgol, nid yn unig tan ddiwedd 2020 bellach, ond ar gyfer 2021 i gyd. Mae'r polisi y mae'r Aelod yn ei argymell yn un y byddai'n rhaid edrych arno yn ofalus iawn. Rhoddaf y costau iddi: os tybiwn fod gan y 70,000 o deuluoedd hynny un plentyn yr un, yna byddai hynny'n costio £33 miliwn i ni. Os tybiwn bod ganddyn nhw ddau o blant yr un, byddai'n costio £67 miliwn i ni, a phe byddem ni'n credu bod ganddyn nhw, ar gyfartaledd, dri phlentyn yr un, byddai'n costio £101 miliwn i ni. Mae hynny'n arian difrifol iawn yn wir o dan yr amgylchiadau yr ydym ni ynddyn nhw, a bydd yn rhaid dod o hyd i'r arian hwnnw o rywle arall, oherwydd nid oes arian yn eistedd o gwmpas yn Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud dim. Felly, rwy'n credu bod dadl i'w gwneud—wrth gwrs bod—ac rwyf i wedi ei gweld yn cael ei gwneud gan y Grŵp Gweithredu ar Dlodi Plant ac eraill. Ond mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud wrth yr Aelod nad yw'n ddewis rhwng gwneud hynny a gadael i bopeth arall barhau; mae'n ddewis rhwng gwneud hynny a rhoi terfyn ar rywbeth arall sy'n sicr yn angenrheidiol ac yn bwysig i lawer o ddinasyddion eraill Cymru.
5. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â hiliaeth mewn chwaraeon? OQ56119
5. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to tackle racism in sport? OQ56119
Racism in any form has no place in Wales—direct or indirect. A great deal of ground still has to be made up at all levels before sport in Wales fully reflects and celebrates the diversity of our nation.
Nid oes unrhyw le i hiliaeth ar unrhyw ffurf yng Nghymru—uniongyrchol nac anuniongyrchol. Mae'n rhaid ennill llawer iawn o dir ar bob lefel o hyd cyn bod chwaraeon yng Nghymru yn adlewyrchu ac yn dathlu amrywiaeth ein gwlad yn llawn.
Thank you, First Minister. Over the Christmas period, Dragons Rugby winger Ashton Hewitt was subjected to racial abuse on social media. Sadly, this is not an isolated event, and it was only one in a long line of posts that Ashton has received because he's a black player. It's not just confined to one person or sport. Last year, Ashton used his platform to call out racial abuse and raise awareness of racism. Ashton has praised the support he's had from his club—the Dragons—and the Welsh Rugby Players Association, but he has said:
'It was just important for me to highlight that it does happen in my sport. It's not perfect and it's important that people acknowledge and take action.'
Much of the abuse on social media comes from anonymous accounts. While Ashton has said he would like to have a constructive conversation with the person who racially abused him, social media anonymity is a problem with obvious solutions. Many apps and advertising require proof of identification to create an account; similar checks could easily be made on social media platforms. Will the First Minister join me in commending Ashton Hewitt for speaking out about racism in sport, and look at how we can support him and others to put an end to all racism? And will the First Minister use his voice in urging the social media giants to strengthen their regulations around anonymous accounts, so that there's nowhere for people to hide?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Dros gyfnod y Nadolig, cafodd asgellwr Rygbi'r Dreigiau Ashton Hewitt ei gam-drin yn hiliol ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol. Yn anffodus, nid yw hwn yn ddigwyddiad unigryw, a dim ond un ydoedd mewn cyfres faith o negeseuon y mae Ashton wedi eu cael oherwydd ei fod yn chwaraewr du. Nid yw wedi ei gyfyngu i un person neu gamp yn unig. Y llynedd, defnyddiodd Ashton ei lwyfan i dynnu sylw at gam-drin hiliol a chodi ymwybyddiaeth o hiliaeth. Mae Ashton wedi canmol y gefnogaeth y mae wedi ei chael gan ei glwb—y Dreigiau—a Chymdeithas Chwaraewyr Rygbi Cymru, ond mae wedi dweud:
Roedd yn bwysig i mi dynnu sylw at y ffaith ei fod yn digwydd yn fy nghamp i. Nid yw'n berffaith ac mae'n bwysig bod pobl yn cydnabod ac yn gweithredu.
Daw llawer o'r cam-drin ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol o gyfrifon dienw. Er bod Ashton wedi dweud yr hoffai gael sgwrs adeiladol gyda'r sawl a'i camdriniodd yn hiliol, mae anhysbysrwydd cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn broblem ag iddi atebion amlwg. Mae llawer o apiau a hysbysebion yn gofyn am brawf adnabod i greu cyfrif; gellid cynnal archwiliadau tebyg yn hawdd ar blatfformau cyfryngau cymdeithasol. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ymuno â mi i ganmol Ashton Hewitt am dynnu sylw at hiliaeth mewn chwaraeon, ac edrych ar sut y gallwn ni ei gefnogi ef ac eraill i roi terfyn ar bob math o hiliaeth? Ac a wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddefnyddio ei lais i annog y cewri cyfryngau cymdeithasol i gryfhau eu rheoliadau ynghylch cyfrifon dienw, fel nad oes unman i bobl guddio?
I thank Jayne Bryant for that, and of course I'm very keen to join her in commending the way in which Mr Hewitt responded to the dreadful abuse that he received. I thought his response was remarkable, really. It was dignified and it was designed to try to put right the wrongs that had been carried out. I absolutely commend him for that.
The general point that Jayne Bryant makes is a really important one. As I understand it, the account of the person who abused Mr Hewitt has now been cancelled. But, we've seen, not just in this instance—surely we saw it across the Atlantic in the United States recently—the harm that is done when people who abuse social media platforms go unchallenged. And I think, maybe, in some ways, we are all a bit inclined to dismiss that stuff as somehow just belonging to a fringe element, and we shouldn't get too worked up about it all. But I think the events that we saw in the United States demonstrate just how insidious that far-right occupation of social media has become, and it's here in Wales as well. It spreads the myths about coronavirus, it encourages people to believe that people who are providing public services to assist them are somehow never to be trusted and always to be suspected.
I think there is more—definitely more—that the platforms themselves need to do to challenge disinformation, to challenge people who seek to pursue their pernicious views in ways that the internet, which in other ways is such a blessing and a boon—the way it has opened up a space for people who wish to use it for entirely illegitimate and destructive purposes. And I agree with what the Member said about the need to urge them to do more to make sure that that does not happen.
Diolchaf i Jayne Bryant am hynna, ac wrth gwrs rwy'n awyddus iawn i ymuno â hi i ganmol y ffordd yr ymatebodd Mr Hewitt i'r cam-drin echrydus a ddioddefodd. Roeddwn i'n meddwl bod ei ymateb yn rhyfeddol, a dweud y gwir. Roedd yn urddasol ac fe'i cynlluniwyd i geisio cywiro'r camweddau a gyflawnwyd. Rwy'n ei gymeradwyo'n llwyr am hynny.
Mae'r pwynt cyffredinol y mae Jayne Bryant yn ei wneud yn un pwysig iawn. Yn ôl a ddeallaf, mae cyfrif y sawl a gamdriniodd Mr Hewitt wedi ei ddileu erbyn hyn. Ond, rydym ni wedi gweld, nid yn unig yn yr achos hwn—siawns ein bod ni wedi ei weld ar draws yr Iwerydd yn yr Unol Daleithiau yn ddiweddar—y niwed sy'n cael ei wneud pan na fydd pobl sy'n camddefnyddio platfformau cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn cael eu herio. Ac rwy'n meddwl, efallai, mewn rhai ffyrdd, ein bod i gyd braidd yn dueddol o ddiystyru'r pethau hynny fel pethau sy'n perthyn rywsut i elfen ymylol, ac na ddylem ni gynhyrfu yn ormodol am yr holl beth. Ond rwy'n credu bod y digwyddiadau a welsom ni yn yr Unol Daleithiau yn dangos pa mor llechwraidd y mae'r meddiannaeth adain dde eithafol honno o gyfryngau cymdeithasol wedi dod, ac mae yma yng Nghymru hefyd. Mae'n lledaenu'r celwydd am coronafeirws, mae'n annog pobl i gredu na ddylid byth ymddiried mewn pobl sy'n darparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus i'w cynorthwyo ac y dylid eu drwgdybio bob amser.
Rwy'n credu bod mwy—yn sicr mwy—y mae angen i'r platfformau eu hunain ei wneud i herio twyllwybodaeth, i herio pobl sy'n ceisio mynd ar drywydd eu safbwyntiau niweidiol mewn ffyrdd y mae'r rhyngrwyd, sydd mewn ffyrdd eraill yn gymaint o fendith a mantais—y ffordd y mae wedi creu lle i bobl sy'n dymuno ei ddefnyddio at ddibenion cwbl anghyfreithlon a dinistriol. Ac rwy'n cytuno â'r hyn a ddywedodd yr Aelod am yr angen i'w hannog i wneud mwy i wneud yn siŵr nad yw hynny yn digwydd.
Happy new year, First Minister. The Black Lives Matter protest and incidents like that just raised by Jayne Bryant have encouraged governments at all levels now to look at the inequalities facing BAME people in all aspects of life, and sport has had a particularly high profile due to sportsmen like Sir Lewis Hamilton and all the premiership football teams still taking the knee. Campaigners have made the point, though, that nothing will change unless there is greater representation of BAME people in the higher echelons of sporting organisations. In football, for example, a quarter of Premier League football players are black, however there are only six managers from a BAME background in the professional game, and just one director of football. In 2003, in the National Football League in America, they brought in the Rooney rule to address the under-representation of African American coaches in American football, by which at least one black candidate is on the shortlist for interview when a manager's job becomes vacant. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with sports councils, sports organisations, clubs and national governing bodies to review representation and pathways for black, Asian and minority ethnic people in Wales?
Blwyddyn newydd dda, Prif Weinidog. Mae protest Black Lives Matter a digwyddiadau fel yr un y mae Jayne Bryant newydd ei godi wedi annog llywodraethau ar bob lefel bellach i edrych ar yr anghydraddoldebau sy'n wynebu pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig ym mhob agwedd ar fywyd, a bu gan chwaraeon broffil arbennig o uchel oherwydd mabolgampwyr fel Syr Lewis Hamilton a holl dimau pêl-droed uwch gynghrair Lloegr sy'n dal i fynd i lawr ar un ben-glin. Mae ymgyrchwyr wedi gwneud y pwynt, serch hynny, na fydd dim yn newid oni bai bod mwy o gynrychiolaeth o bobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yn haenau uwch sefydliadau chwaraeon. Ym myd pêl-droed, er enghraifft, mae chwarter chwaraewyr pêl-droed Uwch Gynghrair Lloegr yn ddu, ond dim ond chwe rheolwr o gefndir pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig sydd yn y gêm broffesiynol, a dim ond un cyfarwyddwr pêl-droed. Yn 2003, yn y National Football League yn America, cyflwynwyd rheol Rooney ganddyn nhw i fynd i'r afael â thangynrychiolaeth hyfforddwyr Americanaidd-Affricanaidd mewn pêl-droed Americanaidd, lle mae o leiaf un ymgeisydd du ar y rhestr fer ar gyfer cyfweliad pan ddaw swydd rheolwr ar gael. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu cael gyda chynghorau chwaraeon, sefydliadau chwaraeon, clybiau a chyrff llywodraethu cenedlaethol i adolygu cynrychiolaeth a llwybrau ar gyfer pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yng Nghymru?
I thank Laura Anne Jones for her new year greeting, but also for shining a light on this really important area and for some of the ideas that she has explored. We are absolutely not immune from this difficulty here in Wales. There are no black people on any of the 17 sporting boards that were recently investigated, and that includes the Welsh Rugby Unio and the Football Association of Wales. Nine out of 17 Welsh sports organisations have no BAME staff members and 10 out of 17 Welsh sports organisations have no BAME board members. These are not acceptable figures, Llywydd, they're absolutely not, and the Rooney rule is one of the ways in which some of that can be addressed.
I do want to say that Sport Wales is very actively trying to address this itself. The Tell Your Story and Our Stories Matter campaigns are both designed to make sure that the experience of black people in sport in Wales is properly understood and recognised, but that needs to be true of the very top of the sporting world as well. At board level, we need to see the experience of black sportsmen and women properly represented. The Welsh Government is committed to that, our race equality action plan will help us with that, and there are other ways, Llywydd, as well.
The audit of commemoration in Wales, which we instituted earlier in the autumn, identified a number of black rugby league players who were forced to leave Wales because of discrimination in the union code. It is remarkable to me that Billy Boston, who I believe is still alive, has a statue to him in Wigan and a statue to him in Wembley, but no statue to him at all here in Wales, and I commend the actions that Cardiff council is taking to try to put that right. So, I thank the Member for raising the points that she did, because they are very important and there is a really serious agenda that sport in Wales is grappling with and needs to make proper progress in resolving.
Diolchaf i Laura Anne Jones am ei chyfarchiad blwyddyn newydd, ond hefyd am daflu goleuni ar y maes pwysig iawn hwn ac am rai o'r syniadau y mae hi wedi eu harchwilio. Yn sicr, nid ydym yn rhydd o'r anhawster hwn yma yng Nghymru. Nid oes unrhyw bobl dduon ar unrhyw un o'r 17 bwrdd chwaraeon yr ymchwiliwyd iddyn nhw yn ddiweddar, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys Undeb Rygbi Cymru a Chymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru. Nid oes gan naw o 17 o sefydliadau chwaraeon yng Nghymru unrhyw aelodau staff o blith pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig ac nid oes gan 10 o 17 o sefydliadau chwaraeon yng Nghymru unrhyw aelodau bwrdd pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig. Nid yw'r rhain yn ffigurau derbyniol, Llywydd, ddim o gwbl, ac mae rheol Rooney yn un o'r ffyrdd y gellid mynd i'r afael â rhywfaint o hynny.
Hoffwn ddweud bod Chwaraeon Cymru wrthi'n ceisio yn ddiwyd iawn mynd i'r afael â hyn ei hun. Mae ymgyrchoedd Tell Your Story ac Our Stories Matter ill dau wedi eu cynllunio i sicrhau bod profiad pobl dduon mewn chwaraeon yng Nghymru yn cael ei ddeall a'i gydnabod yn iawn, ond mae angen i hynny fod yn wir ar frig y byd chwaraeon hefyd. Ar lefel bwrdd, mae angen i ni weld profiad mabolgampwyr duon gwrywaidd a benywaidd yn cael ei gynrychioli yn briodol. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i hynny, bydd ein cynllun gweithredu ar gydraddoldeb hiliol yn ein helpu gyda hynny, a cheir ffyrdd eraill, Llywydd, hefyd.
Nododd yr archwiliad o goffáu yng Nghymru, a sefydlwyd gennym ni yn gynharach yn yr hydref, nifer o chwaraewyr du yn rygbi'r gynghrair a orfodwyd i adael Cymru oherwydd gwahaniaethu yng nghod yr undeb. Mae'n rhyfeddol i mi bod gan Billy Boston, sydd, rwy'n credu, yn dal yn fyw, gerflun iddo yn Wigan a cherflun iddo yn Wembley, ond dim cerflun iddo o gwbl yma yng Nghymru, a chymeradwyaf y camau y mae cyngor Caerdydd yn eu cymryd i geisio unioni hynny. Felly, diolchaf i'r Aelod am godi'r pwyntiau y gwnaeth hi, oherwydd maen nhw'n bwysig iawn ac mae agenda wirioneddol ddifrifol y mae chwaraeon yng Nghymru yn mynd i'r afael â hi ac mae angen iddyn nhw wneud cynnydd priodol i'w datrys.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y strategaeth ar gyfer cyflwyno brechlyn COVID-19? OQ56102
6. Will the First Minister provide an update on the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out strategy? OQ56102
I thank Angela Burns for that question, Llywydd. Plans for the roll-out of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been made and are now being activated. These plans will run alongside the existing arrangements for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, of which we continue to receive supplies.
Diolchaf i Angela Burns am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Mae cynlluniau ar gyfer cyflwyno brechlyn AstraZeneca wedi eu gwneud ac maen nhw'n cael eu gweithredu erbyn hyn. Bydd y cynlluniau hyn yn rhedeg ochr yn ochr â'r trefniadau presennol ar gyfer brechlyn Pfizer-BioNTech, yr ydym ni'n parhau i dderbyn cyflenwadau ohono.
Thank you for that. The first thing I have to say is that the vaccinations are a light in a very, very dark tunnel, and I'm deeply grateful, as I know millions of us are, to those amazing scientists who've come up with the vaccine programmes of all the different countries in such a short space of time. It's so important to get that vaccine roll-out into the community, because we all know that by tackling the community, then we can start to drive down this terrible coronavirus. I just want to pose two questions to you, where I've come across barriers or things that could be potential barriers to the roll-out of that vaccine in our community, because I think that time is of the essence, and it's very important that you and everyone else is really aware of this.
The first is that I've had GPs in Pembrokeshire come to me deeply concerned because district nurses have been told that in order to be able to vaccinate, they need to undertake basic life support training. It just strikes me, first of all, that district nurses, of all of us, will understand and know basic life support. It's a function of being a front-line healthcare worker. Secondly, they vaccinate every single day, for flu and all sorts of things. I did hear your answer to Paul Davies, and I do understand that some of the vaccinations do have side effects and we have to be really well aware of things like anaphylactic shock et cetera. But I wondered if you would have a look at this and see if that and those other barriers are stopping people who are trained professionals, who are already in the health service, from being able to be part of the vaccination programme, because I think it is key that we get as many people out there vaccinating as possible.
And the second part is: I wonder if you are aware or can explain why health boards and, to my understanding, Public Health Wales, chose not to go down the route of getting a wholesale distribution licence for the vaccine so that they could then buy and sell it on, transfer it straight to the general practices, which would help again with the speedy deployment of the vaccine in the community, instead of the GPs having to go through quite an arcane ordering process, setting up new rules and regulations. Both of these have been queries that have been raised with me, and I'd be very grateful for your view on them either now or in a subsequent letter.
Diolch am hynna. Y peth cyntaf y mae'n rhaid i mi ei ddweud yw bod y brechiadau yn olau mewn twnnel tywyll iawn, iawn, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn, fel y gwn fod miliynau ohonom ni, i'r gwyddonwyr rhyfeddol hynny sydd wedi creu'r rhaglenni brechu o'r holl wahanol wledydd mewn cyfnod mor fyr. Mae mor bwysig cyflwyno'r brechlyn hwnnw i'r gymuned, oherwydd rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod, drwy fynd i'r afael â'r gymuned, yna gallwn ni ddechrau lleihau'r coronafeirws ofnadwy hwn. Hoffwn ofyn dim ond dau gwestiwn i chi, lle'r wyf i wedi canfod rhwystrau neu bethau a allai fod yn rhwystrau posibl i gyflwyno'r brechlyn hwnnw yn ein cymuned, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod amser yn hanfodol, ac mae'n bwysig iawn eich bod chi a phawb arall yn ymwybodol iawn o hyn.
Y cyntaf yw fy mod i wedi cael meddygon teulu yn Sir Benfro yn dod ataf yn bryderus dros ben oherwydd bod nyrsys ardal wedi cael eu hysbysu bod angen iddyn nhw gael hyfforddiant cynnal bywyd sylfaenol, er mwyn gallu brechu. Mae'n fy nharo i, yn gyntaf oll, y bydd nyrsys ardal, o bob un ohonom ni, yn deall ac yn gwybod am gynnal bywyd sylfaenol. Mae'n swyddogaeth o fod yn weithiwr gofal iechyd rheng flaen. Yn ail, maen nhw'n brechu bob un dydd, ar gyfer y ffliw a phob math o bethau. Clywais eich ateb i Paul Davies, ac rwy'n deall bod gan rai o'r brechiadau sgil-effeithiau ac mae'n rhaid i ni fod yn ymwybodol iawn o bethau fel sioc anaffylactig ac yn y blaen. Ond tybed a wnewch chi gymryd golwg ar hyn a gweld a yw hwnnw a'r rhwystrau eraill hynny yn atal pobl sy'n weithwyr proffesiynol wedi'u hyfforddi, sydd eisoes yn y gwasanaeth iechyd, rhag gallu bod yn rhan o'r rhaglen frechu, oherwydd rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n allweddol ein bod ni'n cael cynifer o bobl allan yna yn brechu â phosibl.
A'r ail ran yw: tybed a ydych chi'n ymwybodol neu'n gallu esbonio pam y dewisodd byrddau iechyd ac, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, beidio â dilyn y llwybr o gael trwydded ddosbarthu cyfanwerthu ar gyfer y brechlyn fel y gallen nhw ei brynu a'i werthu ymlaen wedyn, ei drosglwyddo yn syth i'r meddygfeydd teulu, a fyddai eto'n helpu i gyflwyno'r brechlyn yn gyflym yn y gymuned, yn hytrach na bod y meddygon teulu yn gorfod mynd drwy broses archebu eithaf dirgel, gan sefydlu rheolau a rheoliadau newydd. Mae'r ddau hyn wedi bod yn ymholiadau a godwyd gyda mi, a byddwn yn ddiolchgar iawn am eich barn arnyn nhw naill ai nawr neu mewn llythyr dilynol.
Llywydd, I thank Angela Burns for that, and, of course, I'll look properly into the questions that she's raised, and if there's more to add, I'll write to her with it.
I think she probably answered her first question herself. All new vaccines bring with them new risks. And even if you're a really experienced vaccinator in other contexts, it is just right that you are trained to make sure that you are aware of the risks that may be there and that you're equipped to respond to them. I want that to be done in the easiest way possible and the quickest way possible, and I certainly don't want to have people who are well equipped already having to go over things that they already know, but with a new vaccine, and a new virus—this time last year, we'd hardly heard of the virus, let alone of the vaccine to it—and making sure that the people we ask to do these really important jobs are as equipped as they need to be, I think, is important, and a bit of investment in that in the early stage will pay off hugely over the run ahead.
In relation to the ordering process, I think it is simply there in order to ensure fairness. We had only 22,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine last week; we've only 25,000 doses of it this week. If we simply allowed GPs to be in a free-for-all for ordering it, there might not be any vaccine in Pembrokeshire at all because it would have been collared by GPs who just got quicker on the line and got it elsewhere. So, our ordering process is designed to make sure that there is vaccine available in every part of Wales, and as we bring them on stream, to every practice. We're hoping there'll be 34 practices in Hywel Dda, for example, every practice in the Member's own constituency, with vaccine to use by the week of 24 January. And having an ordering process that allows us to make sure that the limited supply we have is fairly available in all parts of Wales is what lies behind the system that we have. If there is more to it than that, I'll make sure that I write to the Member with a further explanation.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Angela Burns am hynna, ac, wrth gwrs, byddaf yn edrych yn iawn ar y cwestiynau y mae hi wedi eu codi, ac os oes mwy i'w ychwanegu, byddaf yn ysgrifennu ati i roi gwybod iddi.
Rwy'n credu ei bod yn bur debyg ei bod wedi ateb ei chwestiwn cyntaf ei hun. Mae pob brechlyn newydd yn dod â risgiau newydd gyda nhw. A hyd yn oed os ydych chi'n frechwr profiadol iawn mewn cyd-destunau eraill, mae'n gwbl briodol eich bod chi'n cael eich hyfforddi i wneud yn siŵr eich bod chi'n ymwybodol o'r risgiau a allai fod yn bodoli a'ch bod chi'n gymwys i ymateb iddyn nhw. Rwyf i eisiau i hynny gael ei wneud yn y modd hawddaf bosibl a'r modd cyflymaf posibl, ac yn sicr nid wyf i eisiau cael pobl sydd eisoes yn gymwys yn gorfod mynd dros bethau y maen nhw eisoes yn eu gwybod, ond gyda brechlyn newydd, a feirws newydd—yr adeg hon y llynedd, prin yr oeddem ni wedi clywed am y feirws, heb sôn am y brechlyn ar ei gyfer—mae gwneud yn siŵr bod y bobl yr ydym ni'n gofyn iddyn nhw wneud y swyddi pwysig iawn hyn yn gymwys fel y mae angen iddyn nhw fod, rwy'n credu, yn bwysig, a bydd ychydig o fuddsoddiad yn hynny yn y cyfnod cynnar yn talu ar ei ganfed dros y cyfnod sydd o'n blaenau.
O ran y broses archebu, rwy'n credu ei bod hi yno dim ond i sicrhau tegwch. Dim ond 22,000 dos o frechlyn AstraZeneca oedd gennym ni yr wythnos diwethaf; dim ond 25,000 dos ohono sydd gennym ni yr wythnos hon. Pe byddem ni'n caniatáu yn syml i feddygon teulu fod mewn cystadleuaeth â'i gilydd i'w archebu, efallai na fyddai unrhyw frechlyn yn Sir Benfro o gwbl gan y byddai wedi ei fachu gan feddygon teulu a fyddai wedi llwyddo i gael ar y lein yn gyflymach a'i gael yn rhywle arall. Felly, mae ein proses archebu wedi ei chynllunio i wneud yn siŵr bod brechlyn ar gael ym mhob rhan o Gymru, ac wrth i ni eu cyflwyno, i bob meddygfa. Rydym ni'n gobeithio y bydd gan 34 o feddygfeydd yn Hywel Dda, er enghraifft, pob meddygfa yn etholaeth yr Aelod ei hun, frechlyn i'w ddefnyddio erbyn wythnos 24 Ionawr. A'r hyn sy'n sail i'r system sydd gennym ni yw bod â phroses archebu sy'n caniatáu i ni wneud yn siŵr bod y cyflenwad cyfyngedig sydd gennym ni ar gael yn deg ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Os oes mwy i'r mater na hynny, byddaf yn gwneud yn siŵr fy mod i'n ysgrifennu at yr Aelod gydag esboniad pellach.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 7, Dawn Bowden.
Finally, question 7, Dawn Bowden.
7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am drafodaethau diweddar gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch cyllid ychwanegol i Gymru? OQ56110
7. Will the First Minister provide an update on recent discussions with the UK Government regarding additional funding for Wales? OQ56110
Llywydd, despite our repeated calls, the UK Government continues to make funding announcements at the eleventh hour without any engagement with the devolved Governments and without any immediate clarity on implications for Wales. Confusion surrounding last week's announcement on business support is only the latest example.
Llywydd, er gwaethaf ein galwadau niferus, mae Llywodraeth y DU yn parhau i wneud cyhoeddiadau am gyllid ar yr unfed awr ar ddeg heb unrhyw ymgysylltiad â'r Llywodraethau datganoledig a heb unrhyw eglurder ar unwaith ynghylch y goblygiadau i Gymru. Dim ond yr enghraifft ddiweddaraf yw'r dryswch ynghylch cyhoeddiad yr wythnos diwethaf ar gymorth busnes.
Thank you for that answer, First Minister. Last week, I was very pleased to read on the Welsh Conservatives' social media accounts that the UK Government was providing £220 million of—and I quote—'extra funding' to support jobs and businesses in Wales. That would certainly be very welcome and much needed at this time, especially in areas like my constituency of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney. The announcement was also described by the Welsh Conservatives' economy spokesman, Russell George, as—and again, I quote—'an additional £227 million'. Then the UK Treasury embarrassingly corrected its own press notice after wrongly claiming that the Chancellor's announcement meant extra or additional money for Wales. I recall that, last July, the Institute for Fiscal Studies warned that the whole lack of transparency in Treasury budgets was contributing to the confusion about the financial support being given to devolved Governments, making it more difficult to scrutinise and saying that this was corrosive to public trust. Well, First Minister, I got my calculator out, and that tells me that £227 million multiplied by nil equals nil. So, is my calculator wrong, or have we, in fact, been told one of the most misleading and dishonest statements ever told by the Welsh Tories? And does this not prove that the UK Government should follow the Welsh Government's more transparent approach?
Diolch am yr ateb yna, Prif Weinidog. Yr wythnos diwethaf, roeddwn i'n falch iawn o ddarllen ar gyfrifon cyfryngau cymdeithasol y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig bod Llywodraeth y DU yn darparu £220 miliwn—a dyfynnaf—o 'gyllid ychwanegol' i gefnogi swyddi a busnesau yng Nghymru. Byddai hynny yn sicr i'w groesawu yn fawr ac wir ei angen ar hyn o bryd, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd fel fy etholaeth i, sef Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni. Disgrifiwyd y cyhoeddiad hefyd gan lefarydd economi y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Russell George, fel—ac eto, dyfynnaf—'£227 miliwn yn ychwanegol'. Yna, â chryn gywilydd, cywirodd Trysorlys y DU ei hysbysiad ei hun i'r wasg ar ôl honni yn anghywir bod cyhoeddiad y Canghellor yn golygu arian ychwanegol i Gymru. Rwy'n cofio, fis Gorffennaf diwethaf, i'r Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllid rybuddio bod yr holl ddiffyg tryloywder yng nghyllidebau'r Trysorlys yn cyfrannu at y dryswch ynglŷn â'r cymorth ariannol sy'n cael ei roi i Lywodraethau datganoledig, gan ei gwneud yn fwy anodd craffu a dweud bod hyn yn niweidiol i ymddiriedaeth y cyhoedd. Wel, Prif Weinidog, agorais fy nghyfrifiannell, ac mae honno'n dweud wrthyf i fod £227 miliwn wedi'i luosi â dim yn gwneud dim. Felly, a yw fy nghyfrifiannell i yn anghywir, neu a ydym ni, mewn gwirionedd, wedi cael un o'r datganiadau mwyaf camarweiniol ac anonest a wnaed erioed gan Dorïaid Cymru? Ac onid yw hyn yn profi y dylai Llywodraeth y DU ddilyn dull mwy tryloyw Llywodraeth Cymru?
Well, Llywydd, I'm afraid that the Member's calculator is accurate. And she's right of course—she set out the history of it. The Treasury made an announcement—I heard it myself on the radio—that there was an extra £227 million coming to Wales. That was, I thought, very good news—we would have been able to use it to top up the most generous package of support for businesses anywhere in the United Kingdom. And then it turned out a few hours later that, no, this wasn't extra money at all—we'd apparently had it already. Well, that really isn't the way to conduct business across the UK nations.
The Welsh Government will lay a further supplementary budget, Llywydd, which we'll put in front of the Senedd early in February. This will be the third time that Senedd Members have had a chance to see how the Welsh Government is using the money that is available to us in this extraordinary financial year. Finance Committee will be able to consider it, questions will be asked on the floor of the Senedd, and all the figures will be there, for all Members to see. The UK Government has not published a single supplementary estimate, in the whole of this financial year. And I think the Member makes a very good point about the importance of being clear with people, where the money is coming from, what it's being used for. We try and do that here in the Welsh Government, and we would have been helped, particularly over the issue that Dawn Bowden has referred to, if there had been some greater accuracy and transparency in the way the UK Government described the money, which in the end did not come at all to Wales.
Wel, Llywydd, mae arnaf ofn bod cyfrifiannell yr Aelod yn gywir. Ac mae hi'n iawn wrth gwrs—amlinellodd yr hanes. Gwnaeth y Trysorlys gyhoeddiad—fe'i clywais fy hun ar y radio—fod £227 miliwn ychwanegol yn dod i Gymru. Roedd hynny, roeddwn yn credu, yn newyddion da iawn—byddem wedi gallu ei ddefnyddio i ychwanegu at y pecyn cymorth mwyaf hael i fusnesau yn unrhyw le yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Ac yna daeth i'r amlwg ychydig oriau'n ddiweddarach nad arian ychwanegol oedd hwn o gwbl—mae'n debyg ein bod eisoes wedi'i gael. Wel, nid dyna'r ffordd i weithredu ar draws gwledydd y DU.
Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gosod cyllideb atodol arall, Llywydd, y byddwn yn ei chyflwyno gerbron y Senedd yn gynnar ym mis Chwefror. Dyma fydd y trydydd tro i Aelodau'r Senedd gael cyfle i weld sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn defnyddio'r arian sydd ar gael i ni yn y flwyddyn ariannol eithriadol hon. Bydd y Pwyllgor Cyllid yn gallu ei hystyried, gofynnir cwestiynau ar lawr y Senedd, a bydd yr holl ffigurau ar gael, i'r holl Aelodau eu gweld. Nid yw Llywodraeth y DU wedi cyhoeddi hyd yn oed un amcangyfrif atodol, yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon i gyd. Ac rwy'n credu bod yr Aelod yn gwneud pwynt da iawn am bwysigrwydd bod yn glir gyda phobl, o ble mae'r arian yn dod, yr hyn y mae'n cael ei ddefnyddio ar ei gyfer. Ceisiwn wneud hynny yma yn Llywodraeth Cymru, a byddai wedi bod o gymorth i ni, yn enwedig ynghylch y mater y mae Dawn Bowden wedi cyfeirio ato, pe bai mwy o gywirdeb a thryloywder wedi bod yn y ffordd y disgrifiodd Llywodraeth y DU yr arian, na ddaeth o gwbl i Gymru yn y pen draw.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Pontio Ewropeaidd yn rhinwedd ei swydd fel swyddog cyfreithiol. Ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Mandy Jones.
The next item is questions to the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition in respect of his law officer responsibilities. And the first question is from Mandy Jones.
1. Pa asesiad y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i wneud o effaith COVID-19 a'r cyfyngiadau symud cysylltiedig ar fynediad at gyfiawnder yng Ngogledd Cymru? OQ56080
1. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the impact of COVID-19 and associated lockdowns on access to justice in North Wales? OQ56080
Listing in all north Wales magistrates' courts is now at pre-COVID levels, and all Crown courtrooms in north Wales have been made safe for jury trials. We're seeking assurance from Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service that the existing measures are suitable for the current transmissibility of the virus. Providers delivering advice services via the Welsh Government single advice fund have been working to deliver remote access to advice during the pandemic.
Mae'r rhestrau ym mhob un o lysoedd ynadon y gogledd bellach yn debyg i'r hyn yr oedden nhw cyn COVID, ac mae pob un o lysoedd barn y Goron yn y gogledd wedi'u gwneud yn ddiogel ar gyfer achosion gyda rheithgor. Rydym yn ceisio sicrwydd gan Wasanaeth Llysoedd a Thribiwnlysoedd Ei Mawrhydi bod y mesurau presennol yn addas o ystyried pa mor drosglwyddadwy yw'r feirws ar hyn o bryd. Mae darparwyr sy'n darparu gwasanaethau cynghori drwy gronfa gynghori sengl Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio i sicrhau bod modd cael cyngor o bell yn ystod y pandemig.
Thank you for that answer, Counsel General. During the course of last year, many reports suggested a huge and growing backlog of cases in both criminal and civil courts, and concerns have been raised that victims of rape and sexual assault, in particular, may be put off carrying on with their cases, as they just want to move on with their lives. What discussions have you had with the Ministry of Justice about this, and what is the position in Wales, please?
Diolch am yr ateb yna, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. Llynedd, awgrymodd llawer o adroddiadau bod rhestr hirfaith a chynyddol o achosion wedi cronni ar gyfer llysoedd troseddol a sifil, a chodwyd pryderon y gallai hyn fod yn peri i bobl sydd wedi dioddef trais rhywiol ac ymosodiadau rhywiol beidio â pharhau â'u hachosion, oherwydd eu bod nhw eisiau symud ymlaen gyda'u bywydau. Pa drafodaethau ydych chi wedi'u cael gyda'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder ynglŷn â hyn, a beth yw'r sefyllfa yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda?
We have had discussions with the Ministry of Justice in relation to appropriate court facilities across Wales for the purposes that the Member has referred to today. There has been a magistrates' court recovery programme, on which the Ministry of Justice position is that that is largely work in terms of building back capacity in all parts of Wales, including in north Wales. And in the Crown courts system, there have been some refurbishment works and repurposing works to courtrooms in order to extend capacity, and, as the Member will be aware, in south Wales in particular, the use of Nightingale courts as well. But the point that the Member makes is very important, in that the impact of COVID can be felt in many different aspects of our society, and obviously in the justice system as well. And I'm pleased that she has highlighted this issue in proceedings today; it's a matter that, as a Government, we continue to make representations to the Ministry of Justice.
Rydym ni wedi cael trafodaethau gyda'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder ynglŷn â chyfleusterau llys priodol ledled Cymru at y dibenion y mae'r Aelod wedi cyfeirio atyn nhw heddiw. Cafwyd rhaglen i ailddechrau defnyddio llysoedd ynadon, a safbwynt y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder yw bod hynny'n gweithio i raddau helaeth i adfer capasiti ym mhob rhan o Gymru, gan gynnwys yn y gogledd. Ac yn system llysoedd y Goron, bu rhywfaint o waith adnewyddu a gwaith addasu at ddibenion gwahanol yn y llysoedd barn er mwyn ehangu capasiti, ac, fel y gŵyr yr Aelod, yn y de yn benodol, y defnydd o lysoedd Nightingale hefyd. Ond mae'r sylw y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud yn bwysig iawn, gan y gellir teimlo effaith COVID mewn sawl agwedd wahanol ar ein cymdeithas, ac yn amlwg yn y system gyfiawnder hefyd. Ac rwy'n falch ei bod wedi tynnu sylw at y mater hwn yn y trafodion heddiw; mae'n fater yr ydym ni, y Llywodraeth, yn parhau i bwyso ar y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder yn ei gylch.
2. A wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y camau cyfreithiol a gymerwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn erbyn Llywodraeth y DU mewn perthynas â Deddf Marchnad Fewnol y Deyrnas Unedig 2020? OQ56084
2. Will the Counsel General provide an update on the legal action taken by the Welsh Government against the UK Government relating to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020? OQ56084
3. A wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru i herio Deddf Marchnad Fewnol y Deyrnas Unedig 2020 yn y Goruchaf Lys? OQ56089
3. Will the Counsel General provide an update regarding the Welsh Government's plans to challenge the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 in the Supreme Court? OQ56089
Ysgrifennodd Llywodraeth Cymru at yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol ar 16 Rhagfyr i ddweud ein bod ni'n bwriadu cynnig sialens gyfreithiol i'r Bil, fel oedd e ar y pryd hwnnw. Rydyn ni wedi cael ymateb i'r llythyr hwnnw yn y dyddiau diwethaf, ac rydyn ni'n cysidro cynnwys y llythyr hynny ar hyn o bryd. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru'n cymryd pob cam posibl i amddiffyn y Senedd rhag yr ymosodiad ar ei phwerau sydd yn y Mesur hwn.
The Welsh Government wrote to the Secretary of State on 16 December 2020 indicating our intention to challenge the Bill, as it was at that point. We have received a response to that letter in the past few days, and we are considering the content of that letter at the moment. The Welsh Government will take all possible steps to protect the Senedd from this outrageous attack on its powers in this Bill.
Diolch am yr ateb yna, achos, wedi'r cwbl, gwnaeth y Senedd hon wrthod rhoi cydsyniad deddfwriaethol i'r Ddeddf yma. Wfftio hynny wnaeth Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig. Rydyn ni'n colli pwerau, colli arian a cholli rheolaeth dros ein harian. Nid yw gwrthod cydsyniad wedi helpu o gwbl. Felly, sut fyddwch chi'n sicrhau na fyddwn yn colli pwerau ac arian yn gyfreithiol wrth herio'r Ddeddf marchnad fewnol yma? A pha drafodaethau ydych chi wedi eu cael efo Llywodraeth yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon, sydd hefyd wedi gwrthod rhoi cydsyniad deddfwriaethol i'r Ddeddf yma?
Thank you for that response, because, after all, this Parliament refused its legislative consent to this Bill. That was ignored by the UK Government. We are losing powers, we are losing funds and losing control over our funds. Rejecting consent hasn't helped at all. So, how will you ensure that we don't lose powers and funds by challenging this internal market Bill? And what discussions have you had with the Scottish Government and the Northern Irish executive, who have also refused their legislative consent to this legislation?
Wel, o'r cychwyn cyntaf, gwnes i fe'n glir y byddai'r Llywodraeth yma yn cymryd pob cam posibl i amddiffyn pwerau'r Senedd. Rydyn ni wedi gwneud hynny o ran strategaeth gwelliannau yn y Senedd yn San Steffan yn gweithio gyda'r Arglwyddi. Rydyn ni wedi gwneud hynny o ran argymell gwrthod cydsyniad i'r Senedd, fel sydd wedi, wrth gwrs, digwydd. A'r drydedd elfen i'r strategaeth yw cymryd y camau cyfreithiol yr wyf wedi sôn amdanyn nhw eisoes. Fel rwy'n dweud, rydyn ni wedi derbyn llythyr yn ymateb i'r llythyr y gwnes i anfon. Mae hynny'n cael ei edrych arno fe ar hyn o bryd mewn manylder. Ond yr hyn ddywedwn i wrth yr Aelod yw hyn: rwyf wedi darllen y llythyr ac, yn fy marn i, dyw'r cwestiynau roeddwn i'n codi ddim wedi cael eu hateb ac, felly, rwy'n disgwyl y byddwn ni yn cymryd y camau nesaf i gychwyn achos llys, ac rwy'n disgwyl i fod mewn sefyllfa i wneud y datganiad ysgrifenedig i Aelodau'r wythnos nesaf i'w diweddaru nhw ar hynny.
Well, from the very outset, I made it clear that the Government here would take all possible steps to safeguard the powers of the Senedd. We have done that in terms of our strategy of tabling amendments in Westminster working with the House of Lords. We've done so in terms of recommending the rejection of legislative consent, as, of course, happened. And the third element of that strategy is to take the legal steps that I have already alluded to. As I have said, we've received a letter in response to the letter that I sent and that is being considered at the moment in detail. But what I would tell the Member is this: I've read the letter and, in my view, the questions that we posed haven't been answered. So, I do expect us to proceed with legal proceedings and I expect to be in a position to make a written statement to Members next week updating them on that.
Dwi wedi cydsynio i gais i grwpio cwestiwn dau a thri ac, felly, mi wnaf ofyn i Delyth Jewell i ofyn ei chwestiwn atodol i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol.
I have agreed that questions two and three should be grouped and, therefore, I will call Delyth Jewell to ask her supplementary question to the Counsel General.
Diolch, Lywydd. I thank the Counsel General for that answer that he gave to my colleague, Dai Lloyd. I also thank him for making plans to bring forward this challenge against the Act's unacceptable provisions in relation to devolution, which, of course, I'd urged him to take in September. I note what he just said in terms of the written statement that we can expect next week. But I wonder whether he would be in a position, either now or then, to be able to share more details with us in the Senedd about these plans. I'd be interested to learn about the basis for the legal challenge, given that the Act has been drawn in such a way as to attempt to preclude such a challenge from being brought, which provisions specifically he intends to challenge. I'd also like to know the timescale involved, given that there is an election coming up and, also, that the internal market Act, in its current form, could make it difficult for the next Senedd to pass important legislation, such as reducing the use of single use plastics. So, could I ask, is the Counsel General in a position to be able to share that information today, or, indeed, in the statement next week? Or are there legal reasons why he can't do that at the current time, please?
Diolch, Llywydd. Diolch i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol am yr ateb yna a roddodd i'm cyd-Aelod, Dai Lloyd. Diolch iddo hefyd am wneud cynlluniau i gyflwyno'r her hon yn erbyn darpariaethau annerbyniol y Ddeddf mewn cysylltiad â datganoli, yr oeddwn i, wrth gwrs, wedi'i annog i'w wneud ym mis Medi. Rwy'n cydnabod yr hyn y mae newydd ei ddweud o ran y datganiad ysgrifenedig y gallwn ei ddisgwyl yr wythnos nesaf. Ond tybed a fyddai mewn sefyllfa, naill ai nawr neu bryd hynny, i allu rhannu mwy o fanylion gyda ni yn y Senedd am y cynlluniau hyn. Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb dysgu am y sail ar gyfer yr her gyfreithiol, o ystyried bod y Ddeddf wedi'i llunio mewn modd sy'n ceisio atal cyflwyno her o'r fath, pa ddarpariaethau y mae'n bwriadu eu herio'n benodol. Hoffwn wybod hefyd beth yw'r amserlen dan sylw, o ystyried bod etholiad ar y gweill a hefyd y gallai Deddf y farchnad fewnol, ar ei ffurf bresennol, ei gwneud hi'n anodd i'r Senedd nesaf basio deddfwriaeth bwysig, megis lleihau'r defnydd o blastig untro. Felly, a gaf i ofyn, a yw'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol mewn sefyllfa i allu rhannu'r wybodaeth honno heddiw, neu, yn wir, yn y datganiad yr wythnos nesaf? Neu a oes rhesymau cyfreithiol pam na all wneud hynny ar hyn o bryd, os gwelwch yn dda?
Well, can I firstly acknowledge gratefully the support that the Member has given to the Welsh Government in our intention to stand up for the Senedd? I'm mindful of the fact that, I think, very early after I made my statement that we planned to do that, the Member was very supportive. So, I'd like to acknowledge that if I may.
There are two or three aspects to the Member's question. Firstly, in relation to advice I have given to other colleagues in relation to the basis for the claim, obviously the advice will be privileged in the usual way, as I'm sure the Member is aware. But obviously I will want to make sure that the basis of the claim and the response from the UK Government is taken fully into account in the statement that I make to Members, so that you can have a clear picture of what's intended and the analysis of the Government to the letter, which I think came in on Friday of last week. In relation to timescale, there is obviously a court procedure, which will be followed when the time comes. Clearly, I wish to give an indication of the outline of that in the statement next week, and I plan throughout to keep Members fully appraised on developments in this matter, given its significance to Members and to the institution generally.
Wel, a gaf i gydnabod yn gyntaf yn ddiolchgar y gefnogaeth y mae'r Aelod wedi'i rhoi i Lywodraeth Cymru yn ein bwriad i sefyll dros y Senedd? Rwy'n ymwybodol o'r ffaith bod yr Aelod, rwy'n credu, yn gynnar iawn ar ôl i mi wneud fy natganiad ein bod yn bwriadu gwneud hynny, yn gefnogol iawn. Felly, hoffwn gydnabod hynny os caf.
Mae dwy neu dair agwedd ar gwestiwn yr Aelod. Yn gyntaf, o ran y cyngor yr wyf wedi'i roi i gyd-Aelodau eraill ynglŷn â sail yr honiad, mae'n amlwg y bydd y cyngor yn gyfrinachol yn y ffordd arferol, fel y gŵyr yr Aelod rwy'n siŵr. Ond mae'n amlwg y byddaf eisiau sicrhau y caiff sail yr honiad a'r ymateb gan Lywodraeth y DU eu hystyried yn llawn yn y datganiad a wnaf i'r Aelodau, fel bod gennych chi ddarlun clir o'r bwriad ac o ddadansoddiad y Llywodraeth o'r llythyr, a dderbyniwyd ddydd Gwener yr wythnos diwethaf, rwy'n credu. O ran amserlen, mae'n amlwg bod gweithdrefn llys, a ddilynir pan ddaw'r amser. Yn amlwg, hoffwn roi syniad o'r amlinelliad o hynny yn y datganiad yr wythnos nesaf, a bwriadaf drwy gydol y broses roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau am ddatblygiadau yn y mater hwn, o gofio ei arwyddocâd i Aelodau ac i'r sefydliad yn gyffredinol.
The internal market legislation, as it stands, runs roughshod over the democratic institutions of the United Kingdom and the very mandate of this place. What Boris and his cronies have done so far has made even Tory ex-Ministers and Tory Prime Ministers object in the strongest possible terms because it will disenfranchise Welsh citizens and encourage the break-up of the UK they purport to protect. That Wales's international musicians have been denied visas by the UK Government while Boris blames Brussels or that Boris has now weakened environmental protections and allowed a dangerous pesticide back into the UK that kills bees and ecosystems is telling. So, Counsel General, now that the UK Government is reneging on their false promises to give European money to the NHS or that Wales will not lose out financially or that environmental protections will stay, this means only that we're starting to see those consequences of leaving emerge. So, what assurances can you give the Senedd that the Welsh Government will explore all of the legal avenues to ensure that the very best interests of Wales and our citizens are served?
Mae deddfwriaeth fewnol y farchnad, fel y mae, yn tanseilio sefydliadau democrataidd y Deyrnas Unedig a mandad y fan hon. Mae'r hyn y mae Boris a'i ffrindiau wedi'i wneud hyd yma wedi peri i hyd yn oed cyn-Weinidogion Torïaidd a Phrif Weinidogion Torïaidd wrthwynebu'n groch oherwydd bydd yn difreinio dinasyddion Cymru ac yn annog chwalu'r DU y maen nhw'n honni ei diogelu. Mae'r ffaith y gwrthodwyd fisâu i gerddorion rhyngwladol Cymru gan Lywodraeth y DU tra bod Boris yn beio Brwsel, neu fod Boris bellach wedi gwanhau amddiffyniadau amgylcheddol ac wedi caniatáu plaladdwyr peryglus yn ôl i'r DU sy'n lladd gwenyn ac ecosystemau yn dweud cyfrolau. Felly, Cwnsler Cyffredinol, gan fod Llywodraeth y DU bellach yn torri eu haddewidion ffug i roi arian Ewropeaidd i'r GIG neu na fydd Cymru ar ei cholled yn ariannol neu y bydd amddiffyniadau amgylcheddol yn parhau, nid yw hyn ond yn golygu ein bod yn dechrau gweld y canlyniadau hynny o adael yn dod i'r amlwg. Felly, pa sicrwydd y gallwch chi ei roi i'r Senedd y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystyried pob llwybr cyfreithiol i sicrhau y gwasanaethir buddiannau gorau Cymru a'n dinasyddion?
Well, I'm glad to give the assurance that the Member seeks. The most recent example of that is, of course, the internal market Act itself and the steps that we have outlined as a Government that we will take in all the options available to us to protect the competence of the Senedd.
In relation to the broader point that the Member asks about, representing Wales's interests in the world after we have departed from the European Union, as we have, and the end of the transition period, she gives two examples there. One was in relation to the use of neonicotinoids, I believe, and I know my colleague the environment Minister will want me to reassure her that this, in Wales, is devolved to Wales. And in relation to the other point that she makes, about access to visas, we have continued throughout to make representations to the UK Government in relation to the operation of its new immigration system. Probably two years ago, mid 2019, was the last inter-governmental meeting between Ministers in relation to migration policy. And since then, we have not succeeded in being able to re-establish those. They are very important. Even though migration policy obviously is reserved, the impact of it in Wales, in the way that the Member's question identifies and in a range of other ways, is felt very keenly, and therefore it's very appropriate for Governments to work together in relation to some of these aspects, and we call on the UK Government to reinstate that inter-ministerial set of discussions so that we can do just that.
Wel, rwy'n falch o roi'r sicrwydd y mae'r Aelod yn ei geisio. Yr enghraifft ddiweddaraf o hynny, wrth gwrs, yw Deddf y farchnad fewnol ei hun a'r hyn yr ydym ni'r Llywodraeth wedi amlinellu y byddwn yn ei wneud o ran yr holl ddewisiadau sydd ar gael inni i ddiogelu cymhwysedd y Senedd.
O ran yr agwedd ehangach y mae'r Aelod yn holi amdani, sy'n cynrychioli buddiannau Cymru yn y byd ar ôl inni ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, fel yr ydym ni wedi gwneud, a diwedd y cyfnod pontio, mae'n rhoi dwy enghraifft yn y fan yna. Roedd un yn ymwneud â defnyddio neonicotinoidau, rwy'n credu, a gwn y bydd fy nghyd-Aelod, Gweinidog yr amgylchedd, eisiau imi ei sicrhau bod hyn, yng Nghymru, wedi'i ddatganoli i Gymru. Ac o ran y sylw arall y mae'n ei wneud, ynglŷn â gallu cael fisâu, rydym ni wedi parhau ar bob cam i gyflwyno sylwadau i Lywodraeth y DU o ran gweithrediad ei system fewnfudo newydd. Mae'n debyg mai dwy flynedd yn ôl, ganol 2019, oedd y cyfarfod rhynglywodraethol diwethaf rhwng Gweinidogion o ran polisi ymfudo. Ac ers hynny, nid ydym ni wedi llwyddo i allu ailsefydlu'r rheini. Maen nhw'n bwysig iawn. Er bod polisi ymfudo'n amlwg wedi'i gadw yn ôl, mae ymwybyddiaeth arbennig o effaith hynny yng Nghymru, yn y ffordd y mae cwestiwn yr Aelod yn ei amlygu ac mewn amrywiaeth o ffyrdd eraill, ac felly mae'n briodol iawn i Lywodraethau gydweithio ar rai o'r agweddau hyn, a galwn ar Lywodraeth y DU i adfer y gyfres ryng-weinidogol honno o drafodaethau fel y gallwn ni wneud hynny'n union
4. A wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am yr ohebiaeth rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch achos ymgyrch Menywod yn erbyn Anghyfiawnder Pensiwn y Wladwriaeth ar gyfer menywod o'r 1950au y gwrthodwyd eu pensiynau iddynt? OQ56095
4. Will the Counsel General provide an update on correspondence between the Welsh Government and the UK Government regarding the case of the Women Against State Pension Injustice campaign for 1950s-born women who have been denied their pensions? OQ56095
Absolutely. The Deputy Minister and Chief Whip last wrote to the UK Government in November. Their response defends the position to increase state pension age and highlights the judgments from the legal challenge in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, which supported the actions of the Department for Work and Pensions. But the Government continues to make the case on behalf of the women affected.
Wrth gwrs. Y tro diwethaf i'r Dirprwy Weinidog a'r Prif Chwip ysgrifennu at Lywodraeth y DU oedd ym mis Tachwedd. Mae eu hymateb yn amddiffyn y safbwynt i gynyddu oedran pensiwn y wladwriaeth ac yn tynnu sylw at y dyfarniadau o'r her gyfreithiol yn yr Uchel Lys a'r Llys Apêl, a oedd yn cefnogi gweithredoedd yr Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau. Ond mae'r Llywodraeth yn parhau i gyflwyno'r achos ar ran y menywod yr effeithir arnyn nhw.
I'm grateful to the Counsel General for his answer, and I know that the members of the Llanelli WASPI group and other WASPI groups across Mid and West Wales and across Wales will be grateful for the Welsh Government's continuing stance on this. I wonder if the Counsel General has any further information with regard to the timing of the investigation currently being undertaken by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman into potential maladministration. We're obviously all aware that that was delayed because of the legal cases, but, now those legal cases are resolved, I wonder if the Counsel General and Welsh Government would feel able to make some inquiries with the ombudsman to see by when they expect to report on the potential maladministration in this case.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol am ei ateb, a gwn y bydd aelodau grŵp Llanelli Menywod yn erbyn Anghyfiawnder Pensiwn y Wladwriaeth a grwpiau WASPI eraill ar draws y canolbarth a'r gorllewin a ledled Cymru yn ddiolchgar am safbwynt parhaus Llywodraeth Cymru ar hyn. Tybed a oes gan y Cwnsler Cyffredinol unrhyw wybodaeth bellach am amseriad yr ymchwiliad sy'n cael ei gynnal ar hyn o bryd gan ombwdsmon y Senedd a'r Gwasanaeth Iechyd i gamweinyddu posib. Rydym ni i gyd yn amlwg yn ymwybodol bod hynny wedi'i ohirio oherwydd yr achosion cyfreithiol, ond, nawr bod yr achosion cyfreithiol hynny wedi eu datrys, tybed a yw'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a Llywodraeth Cymru yn teimlo y gallent wneud rhai ymholiadau gyda'r ombwdsmon i weld erbyn pryd y maen nhw'n disgwyl adrodd yn ôl ar y camweinyddu posib yn yr achos hwn.
I thank the Member for that supplementary. I will make sure that the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip has heard that, because the substantive matter is obviously within her portfolio. But in relation to the proceedings insofar as they relate to the ombudsman itself, my understanding is that the investigation relates to a sample of six complaints about DWP communications. They have been on hold, as I understand it, as a consequence of COVID, but I will make sure that I pass on the question and the point the Member has made to my ministerial colleague who can make sure that we get the best possible indication of what the future process may look like and the time that may take. It's absolutely essential, as the Member's question implies, that the women affected get the clarity of the outcome of those proceedings at the earliest possible opportunity.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn atodol yna. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod y Dirprwy Weinidog a'r Prif Chwip wedi clywed hynny, oherwydd mae'r mater sylweddol yn amlwg o fewn ei phortffolio. Ond o ran y trafodion i'r graddau y maen nhw'n ymwneud â'r ombwdsmyn ei hun, fy nealltwriaeth i yw bod yr ymchwiliad yn ymwneud â sampl o chwe chwyn am gyfathrebu'r Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau. Maen nhw wedi'u gohirio, yn ôl a ddeallaf, o ganlyniad i COVID, ond gwnaf yn siŵr fy mod yn trosglwyddo'r cwestiwn a'r sylw y mae'r Aelod wedi'i wneud i'm cydweithiwr gweinidogol a all sicrhau y cawn ni'r argoel gorau posibl o sut olwg allai fod ar y broses yn y dyfodol a'r amser a allai hynny gymryd. Mae'n gwbl hanfodol, fel y mae cwestiwn yr Aelod yn awgrymu, fod y menywod yr effeithir arnyn nhw yn cael eglurder canlyniad y trafodion hynny cyn gynted â phosib.
5. Pa gyngor cyfreithiol y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i roi i Lywodraeth Cymru ynghylch cyfreithlondeb rhoi llety i geiswyr lloches ym maes milwrol Penalun ger Dinbych-y-pysgod? OQ56093
5. What legal advice has the Counsel General provided to the Welsh Government regarding the legality of housing asylum seekers in the Penally military base near Tenby? OQ56093
Decisions relating to the asylum system are reserved and so are beyond our direct control. However, given the impact of the decision to utilise Penally on community cohesion and public services, we should have been fully consulted, and we are still unclear about the legal basis under which this development was initiated by the UK Government.
Mae penderfyniadau sy'n ymwneud â'r system loches wedi'u cadw yn ôl ac felly maen nhw y tu hwnt i'n rheolaeth uniongyrchol ni. Fodd bynnag, o ystyried effaith y penderfyniad i ddefnyddio Penalun ar gydlyniant cymunedol a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, fe ddylid fod wedi ymgynghori'n â ni'n llawn, ac rydym yn dal i fod yn aneglur ynghylch y sail gyfreithiol ar gyfer cychwyn y datblygiad hwn gan Lywodraeth y DU.
I'm grateful to the Counsel General for his answer. Does he believe that the temporary planning permission that has been granted, which expires in March this year, is actually lawful and will continue to be, and what further steps can he and the Welsh Government take through that legal process in an attempt to ensure that this evidently unsuitable site for these people ceases to be used in this way? It's clear that the COVID crisis has made that particular site even less suitable than it was before for occupancy by these vulnerable individuals. So, is there more that the Counsel General can do, looking at the legality of the planning process, to attempt to influence the return of this property to the Ministry of Defence as soon as possible?
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol am ei ateb. A yw ef yn credu bod y caniatâd cynllunio dros dro sydd wedi'i roi, sy'n dod i ben ym mis Mawrth eleni, mewn gwirionedd yn gyfreithlon ac y bydd yn parhau i fod, a pha gamau eraill y gall ef a Llywodraeth Cymru eu cymryd drwy'r broses gyfreithiol honno mewn ymgais i sicrhau bod defnydd o'r safle hwn, sy'n amlwg yn anaddas i'r bobl hyn, yn dod i ben? Mae'n amlwg bod argyfwng COVID wedi gwneud y safle penodol hwnnw hyd yn oed yn llai addas nag yr oedd o'r blaen ar gyfer meddiannaeth gan yr unigolion bregus hyn. Felly, a oes rhagor y gall y Cwnsler Cyffredinol ei wneud, gan edrych ar gyfreithlondeb y broses gynllunio, i geisio dylanwadu ar ddychwelyd yr eiddo hwn i'r Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn cyn gynted â phosibl?
I thank the Member for that supplementary, and she is of course absolutely right to say that this accommodation is inappropriate for the purpose to which it's being put. That is the position of the Welsh Government and we've obviously acted on that basis and made representations in that way to the UK Government. As I mentioned to her, in relation to the underpinning legal infrastructure and framework around the decision that's been taken by the UK Government, we've received no confirmation from them of the legislative basis on which they are themselves basing their decision to use Penally, so it's unclear to us whether the powers they have been using in relation to that have been properly complied with. A range of powers potentially come into play—the Immigration and Asylum Act in particular, but also there'll be requirements in the Equality Act, the public sector equality duty, and the European convention that would require steps to be taken, which, it appears to us, may well not have been taken. Some of those will have involved working with—[Inaudible.]—including the Welsh Government, and certainly that hasn't been complied with. So, there's a range of potential legal issues that might arise. But, as I say, at this point in time we still do not have clarity from the UK Government about the legal basis upon which it's been operating.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn atodol hwnnw, ac wrth gwrs mae hi yn llygad ei lle wrth ddweud bod y llety hwn yn amhriodol at y diben sydd wedi'i bennu iddo. Dyna safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ac rydym yn amlwg wedi gweithredu ar y sail honno ac wedi cyflwyno sylwadau yn y ffordd honno i Lywodraeth y DU. Fel y soniais wrthi, o ran y seilwaith cyfreithiol sylfaenol a'r fframwaith ynghylch y penderfyniad sydd wedi'i wneud gan Lywodraeth y DU, nid ydym ni wedi cael cadarnhad ganddyn nhw o'r sail ddeddfwriaethol y maen nhw eu hunain yn seilio eu penderfyniad i ddefnyddio Penalun arno, felly nid yw'n glir a oes cydymffurfio priodol wedi bod â'r pwerau y maen nhw wedi bod yn eu defnyddio. Gallai ystod o bwerau ddod i rym—y Ddeddf Mewnfudo a Lloches yn benodol, ond hefyd bydd gofynion yn y Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb, dyletswydd cydraddoldeb y sector cyhoeddus, a'r confensiwn Ewropeaidd a fyddai'n ei gwneud yn ofynnol i gamau gael eu cymryd, ac mae'n ymddangos yn ddigon posibl i ni nad ydyn nhw wedi'u cymryd. Bydd rhai o'r rheini wedi ymwneud â gweithio gyda—[Anghlywadwy.] —gan gynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru, ac yn sicr nid oes cydymffurfio wedi bod â hynny. Felly, mae amrywiaeth o faterion cyfreithiol posibl a allai godi. Ond, fel yr wyf i'n ei ddweud, ar hyn o bryd nid oes gennym eglurder o hyd oddi wrth Lywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â'r sail gyfreithiol y mae wedi bod yn gweithredu arni.
Diolch i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol.
I thank the Counsel General.
Felly, rŷn ni'n symud ymlaen i'r eitem nesaf, a honno yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, a dwi'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud y datganiad hynny. Rebecca Evans.
That brings us to our next item, and that is the business statement and announcement. I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement. Rebecca Evans.
Diolch, Llywydd. I have several changes to this week's business. The Minister for Health and Social Services will shortly make a statement on the COVID-19 vaccine strategy. To accommodate this, with Business Committee's agreement, I've reduced the time allocated to the debate on my draft budget statement to 60 minutes. Later this afternoon, the Government will seek a suspension of Standing Orders to enable us to debate the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020, the Health Protection (Coronavirus, South Africa) (Wales) Regulations 2020, and the LCM on the Trade Bill. Finally, Business Committee has agreed to postpone tomorrow's debate by the Independent Alliance for Reform group until next week. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae gennyf i sawl newid i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Cyn bo hir, bydd y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yn gwneud datganiad ar strategaeth frechu COVID-19. Er mwyn darparu ar gyfer hyn, gyda chytundeb y Pwyllgor Busnes, rwyf i wedi lleihau'r amser sydd wedi'i neilltuo i'r ddadl ar fy natganiad cyllideb ddrafft i 60 munud. Yn ddiweddarach y prynhawn yma, bydd y Llywodraeth yn ceisio atal Rheolau Sefydlog i'n galluogi ni i drafod Rheoliadau Diogelu Iechyd (Cyfyngiadau Coronafeirws) (Rhif 5) (Cymru) (Diwygio) 2020, Rheoliadau Diogelu Iechyd (Cyfyngiadau Coronafeirws) (Rhif 5) (Cymru) (Diwygio) (Rhif 2) 2020, Rheoliadau Diogelu Iechyd (Coronafeirws, De Affrica) (Cymru) 2020, a'r cynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol ar y Bil Masnach. Yn olaf, mae'r Pwyllgor Busnes wedi cytuno i ohirio'r ddadl yfory gan grŵp y Gynghrair Annibynnol dros Ddiwygio tan yr wythnos nesaf. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi ar y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith papurau'r cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau'n electronig.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
I call for a Welsh Government statement regarding autistic adults being prioritised for the COVID vaccine. As a constituent wrote, 'My brother lives in north Wales and he has both a learning disability and autism. Recent research by Public Health England stated that the death rate from COVID is six times higher for people with a learning disability than the general population. We know from the cross-party autism group', they said, 'that there are many more individuals like my autistic brother in Wales, and receiving the COVID vaccine would be an enormous help to them and their families.'
I also call for a statement responding to the calls by the North Wales Police Federation for policing to be considered for some priority on the COVID-19 vaccination programme. As they told me, 'Day in, day out, police officers put their own safety, health and well-being at risk whilst protecting us all. Sadly, in north Wales we've seen many colleagues who've become unwell with COVID-19, some requiring hospital treatment and many more having to self-isolate.' I call for those statements accordingly.
Rwy'n galw am ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru ynghylch rhoi blaenoriaeth i oedolion awtistig ar gyfer y brechlyn COVID. Fel yr ysgrifennodd un etholwr, 'Mae fy mrawd yn byw yn y gogledd ac mae ganddo anabledd dysgu ac awtistiaeth. Fe gyfeiriodd at ymchwil ddiweddar gan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Lloegr a ganfu fod cyfradd y marwolaethau oherwydd COVID chwe gwaith yn uwch ymysg pobl ag anabledd dysgu na'r boblogaeth yn gyffredinol gyffredinol. Fe wyddom drwy'r grŵp awtistiaeth trawsbleidiol fod llawer mwy o unigolion fel fy mrawd awtistig yng Nghymru, a byddai cael y brechlyn COVID yn help enfawr iddyn nhw a'u teuluoedd.'
Rwy'n galw hefyd am ddatganiad yn ymateb i alwadau Ffederasiwn Heddlu Gogledd Cymru i blismona gael ei ystyried am rywfaint o flaenoriaeth ar raglen frechu COVID-19. Fel y gwnaethon nhw ei ddweud wrthyf i, 'O ddydd i ddydd, mae swyddogion yr heddlu yn peryglu eu diogelwch, eu hiechyd a'u lles nhw eu hunain wrth geisio amddiffyn pob un ohonom ni. Yn anffodus, yn y gogledd rydym wedi gweld llawer o gydweithwyr yn sâl gyda COVID-19, a rhai ohonynt angen triniaeth mewn ysbyty, a llawer mwy yn gorfod hunanynysu.' Rwy'n galw am ddatganiadau yn unol â hynny.
Thank you to Mark Isherwood for raising both of those issues. As I set out in the business statement, we do have a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services next on today's agenda and that does deal specifically with our approach to vaccination in Wales. I know that he will take that opportunity to say more about the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the advice that it provides to Welsh Government in terms of the priority schedules. So, Llywydd, we do have that debate coming next this afternoon.
Diolch i Mark Isherwood am godi'r ddau fater hynny. Fel y nodais i yn y datganiad busnes, mae gennym ni ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol nesaf ar yr agenda heddiw ac mae hynny'n ymdrin yn benodol â'n dull ni o frechu yng Nghymru. Gwn y bydd yn manteisio ar y cyfle hwnnw i ddweud rhagor am y Cydbwyllgor ar Frechu ac Imiwneiddio a'r cyngor y mae'n ei roi i Lywodraeth Cymru o ran yr amserlenni blaenoriaeth. Felly, Llywydd, mae'r ddadl honno'n dod nesaf y prynhawn yma.
I want to press the case for a COVID vaccination centre for the Rhondda and also for vaccines to the wider community to be available on the basis of need. There remains a high prevalence of COVID within my constituency, and many of us now know families who have lost someone tragically to this. The health board have discussed with the local authority where to locate the centres in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Aberdare has been chosen. It's not possible for many people from the Rhondda to get to Aberdare. We've got low car ownership and, of course, people are being discouraged from using public transport. Now, I welcome the news that GP surgeries are engaging in this and will be vaccinating the high-risk groups soon, and much of that work has started already. But it has been suggested that the Rhondda will not get our share of vaccines. Now, I'm not sure of the truth of this, but I want to put the case for that extra sense of urgency for my constituency, the Rhondda, given the high level of prevalence and need that we have here.
Rwyf i eisiau pwyso'r achos o blaid canolfan frechu COVID ar gyfer y Rhondda a hefyd i frechlynnau ar gyfer y gymuned ehangach fod ar gael ar sail yr angen. Mae COVID yn parhau i fod yn uchel yn fy etholaeth i, ac mae llawer ohonom ni bellach yn adnabod teuluoedd sydd wedi colli rhywun yn drasig i hyn. Mae'r bwrdd iechyd wedi trafod gyda'r awdurdod lleol ymhle i leoli'r canolfannau yn Rhondda Cynon Taf, ac mae Aberdâr wedi'i ddewis. Nid yw'n bosibl i lawer o bobl o'r Rhondda gyrraedd Aberdâr. Ychydig iawn o bobl sy'n berchen ar geir ac, wrth gwrs, mae pobl yn cael eu hannog i beidio â defnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Nawr, rwy'n croesawu'r newyddion bod meddygfeydd meddygon teulu'n cymryd rhan yn hyn ac y byddan nhw'n brechu'r grwpiau risg uchel yn fuan, ac mae llawer o'r gwaith hwnnw eisoes wedi dechrau. Ond cafwyd awgrym na fydd y Rhondda yn cael ein cyfranni o frechlynnau. Nawr, nid wyf i'n siŵr pa mor wir yw hyn, ond rwyf i eisiau cyflwyno'r achos dros yr ymdeimlad ychwanegol hwnnw o frys i fy etholaeth i, y Rhondda, o gofio'r lefel uchel o achosion a'r angen sydd gennym ni yma.
Thank you to Leanne Wood for raising that. We all feel that real sense of urgency on behalf of the people we represent here at the Senedd. Again, I'd point to the fact that we've got the statement from the Minister for health next this afternoon. I appreciate it's only just been added to the agenda today, so Members weren't aware that it would be forthcoming, but, as I say, any requests for statements regarding the vaccination process will be met with the statement by the Minister next this afternoon.
Diolch i Leanne Wood am godi hynny. Mae pawb ohonom yn teimlo'r ymdeimlad gwirioneddol hwnnw o frys ar ran y bobl yr ydym ni'n eu cynrychioli yma yn y Senedd. Unwaith eto, hoffwn i dynnu sylw at y ffaith y byddwn yn cael y datganiad gan y Gweinidog iechyd nesaf y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n sylweddoli mai dim ond newydd gael ei ychwanegu at yr agenda heddiw y mae, felly nid oedd yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol y byddai ar gael, ond, fel y dywedais, bydd unrhyw geisiadau am ddatganiadau ynglŷn â'r broses frechu yn cael eu cyflawni gan ddatganiad y Gweinidog y prynhawn yma.
Minister, I wonder if I could have a statement from the Government on the roll-out of the drug fampridine in Wales. This is a drug available in respect of multiple sclerosis. A statement was issued by the health Minister a year ago that it would be available for free on the NHS. I have a constituent who has been paying £200 a month for the drug. He has raised this matter. I've certainly notified Welsh Government on this, but there is no indication yet from Cardiff and Vale health board that they are able to deliver this drug, which he continues to pay for, and it seems to me to be appropriate at this stage for there to be a proper assessment of the extent to which this drug is being rolled out and is freely available, rather than people still having to pay for it, if that is the case.
Gweinidog, tybed a gaf i ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth ynghylch cyflwyno'r cyffur fampridine yng Nghymru. Mae hwn yn gyffur sydd ar gael ar gyfer sglerosis ymledol. Cafodd datganiad gan y Gweinidog iechyd ei gyhoeddi flwyddyn yn ôl y byddai ar gael am ddim drwy'r GIG. Mae gennyf i etholwr sydd wedi bod yn talu £200 y mis am y cyffur. Mae ef wedi codi'r mater hwn. Rwyf i'n sicr wedi rhoi gwybod i Lywodraeth Cymru am hyn, ond nid oes unrhyw arwydd eto gan fwrdd iechyd Caerdydd a'r Fro ei fod yn gallu darparu'r cyffur hwn, y mae e'n parhau i dalu amdano, ac mae'n ymddangos i mi ei bod yn briodol ar hyn o bryd i gael asesiad dilys o'r graddau y mae'r cyffur hwn yn cael ei gyflwyno a'i fod ar gael yn rhad, yn hytrach na bod pobl yn dal i orfod talu amdano, os yw hynny'n wir.
Thank you to Mick Antoniw for raising that. I know that he has had the opportunity to raise this directly with the health Minister on behalf of his constituent as well. I will say that I understand that it was the case that the recommendation by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group to allow this drug for use in Wales was ratified by the Welsh Government on 12 December, and it has been made available in health boards. But I do understand that there is a specific delay in Cardiff and the Vale, and I understand that that is due to consultant vacancies. I can reassure Mick Antoniw that Dr Andrew Goodall has written to the chief executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in December asking for an update on that latest position and what the health board is proposing to do to ensure that patients can access the drug without delay, and the health Minister will update Mick Antoniw as soon as we do have a response from the health board on that.
Diolch i Mick Antoniw am godi hynny. Gwn ei fod wedi cael cyfle i godi hyn yn uniongyrchol â'r Gweinidog iechyd ar ran ei etholwr hefyd. Gallaf ddweud fy mod i'n deall ei bod yn wir fod argymhelliad Grŵp Strategaeth Feddyginiaethau Cymru i ganiatáu i'r cyffur hwn gael ei ddefnyddio yng Nghymru wedi'i gadarnhau gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar 12 Rhagfyr, a'i fod ar gael mewn byrddau iechyd. Ond rwy'n deall bod oedi penodol yng Nghaerdydd a'r Fro, ac rwy'n deall mai swyddi gwag meddygon ymgynghorol sy'n achosi hynny. Gallaf sicrhau Mick Antoniw fod Dr Andrew Goodall wedi ysgrifennu at brif weithredwr Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro ym mis Rhagfyr yn gofyn am yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y sefyllfa ddiweddaraf honno a'r hyn y mae'r bwrdd iechyd yn bwriadu ei wneud i sicrhau y gall cleifion gael gafael ar y cyffur yn ddi-oed, a bydd y Gweinidog iechyd yn rhoi'r wybodaeth honno i Mick Antoniw cyn gynted ag y cawn ni ymateb gan y bwrdd iechyd ar hynny.
Thank you. Russell George.
Diolch. Russell George.
Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer, and happy new year, Trefnydd. Could I ask for an oral statement, Trefnydd, on further financial support for Welsh businesses during the pandemic? I appreciate fully that the vaccination programme is a priority for Government, but also I'd suggest is the ongoing business support that is needed. There's a particular concern for more clarity and information about the support available for the hospitality sector, which was forced to close on 20 December and was under considerable restrictions before that date. I would be grateful if you could bring forward an oral statement so we can also, as Members, ask questions on the Government's progress. And particular areas that need to be addressed I'd suggest are the economic resilience fund and issues around eligibility for that fund. There's a suggestion of the 1 September date, which has been set by the Welsh Government to be signed up by for particular funding, which I think needs to be questioned. And I also think we do need a rolling programme of support for business payments on a monthly basis, and I would like that to be discussed as well during a Senedd statement. I would be grateful if you could consider a statement either from yourself or from the economy Minister.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, a blwyddyn newydd dda, Trefnydd. A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad llafar, Trefnydd, ar gymorth ariannol ychwanegol i fusnesau Cymru yn ystod y pandemig? Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'n llwyr fod y rhaglen frechu yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth, ond hefyd byddwn i'n awgrymu bod y cymorth busnes parhaus sydd ei angen yn flaenoriaeth. Mae pryder penodol o ran mwy o eglurder a gwybodaeth ynghylch y cymorth sydd ar gael i'r sector lletygarwch, a gafodd ei orfodi i gau ar 20 Rhagfyr, ac a oedd dan gyfyngiadau sylweddol cyn y dyddiad hwnnw. Byddwn i'n ddiolchgar os gallech gyflwyno datganiad llafar fel y gallwn ni hefyd, fel Aelodau, ofyn cwestiynau am gynnydd y Llywodraeth. Byddwn i'n awgrymu mai'r meysydd penodol y mae angen mynd i'r afael â nhw yw'r gronfa cadernid economaidd a materion sy'n ymwneud â chymhwysedd ar gyfer y gronfa honno. Mae awgrym o ddyddiad 1 Medi, sydd wedi'i bennu gan Lywodraeth Cymru i'w gofrestru ar gyfer cyllid penodol, ac rwy'n credu bod angen ei gwestiynu. Ac rwy'n credu hefyd fod angen rhaglen dreigl o gymorth ar gyfer taliadau busnes yn fisol, a hoffwn weld hynny'n cael ei drafod hefyd yn ystod datganiad gan y Senedd. Byddwn i'n ddiolchgar os gallech chi ystyried datganiad naill ai gennych chi neu gan Weinidog yr economi.
I'm grateful to Russell George for raising this issue, and I do share his view that the support for business absolutely has to be a top priority for Welsh Government, and I can provide the reassurance that it is. Russell George will remember that before Christmas the Welsh Government announced a package of £450 million of further support for businesses across Wales, maintaining our most generous package of business support anywhere in the UK.
I can say that I have been having some meetings with my colleague the Minister for the economy to discuss what further support might be needed when we get beyond the end of this month in terms of support for business, depending, of course, on the picture in terms of the pandemic. And we would, obviously, provide that clarity to business as soon as we are able to do so. But I will, obviously, again make sure that he's aware of that request for an oral statement to accompany any further detail about support for business.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Russell George am godi'r mater hwn, ac rwy'n rhannu ei farn bod yn rhaid i'r gefnogaeth i fusnes fod yn brif flaenoriaeth i Lywodraeth Cymru, a gallaf sicrhau hynny. Bydd Russell George yn cofio i Lywodraeth Cymru gyhoeddi pecyn gwerth £450 miliwn o gymorth pellach i fusnesau ledled Cymru cyn y Nadolig, gan gynnal ein pecyn mwyaf hael o gymorth busnes yn unrhyw le yn y DU.
Rwy'n gallu dweud fy mod i wedi bod yn cael rhai cyfarfodydd gyda fy nghyd-weithiwr, Gweinidog yr economi, i drafod pa gymorth ychwanegol y gallai fod ei angen pan fyddwn ni'n mynd y tu hwnt i ddiwedd y mis hwn o ran cymorth i fusnesau, yn dibynnu, wrth gwrs, ar y darlun o ran y pandemig. Ac fe fyddem ni, yn amlwg, yn rhoi'r eglurder hwnnw i fusnes cyn gynted ag y gallwn ni wneud hynny. Ond fe fyddaf, yn amlwg, unwaith eto'n sicrhau ei fod yn ymwybodol o'r cais hwnnw am ddatganiad llafar i gyd-fynd ag unrhyw fanylion ychwanegol o ran cymorth i fusnesau.
I'd like to request, Trefnydd, a statement from the education Minister on a number of matters relating to how the system is responding to the current crisis. Firstly, there's a question of school deficits, school debts. Before COVID-19, Carmarthenshire County Council was working very hard with school leaders to bring down school deficits. However, since March 2020, schools and local authorities have been having to provide additional support for pupils, and we would like to ask Welsh Government for assurances around how that funding will be able to continue, and that there will be a sympathetic approach taken to those schools who have not been able to resolve their deficits.
I'd like to be able to question the Minister about funding for school refurbishment. Carmarthenshire County Council tell me that they're unable to use twenty-first century schools funding to refurbish buildings, but they are able to build new ones. Obviously, the pandemic has had an effect on the ability to roll out new school buildings, and that's led to some issues, particularly, for example, in Ysgol Dewi Sant in Llanelli, where there's an urgent need for refurbishment and the local authority doesn't feel it has sufficient budgets.
And finally, I'd like to be able to ask the Minister about the processes for consulting on school changes during the COVID period. A number of local authorities across the mid and west region are consulting on changes, many of those very positive changes that I'm sure most representatives would wish to support, but it has been put to me, for example, by parents from Ysgol Mynydd y Garreg near Kidwelly, that it's very difficult for communities to respond to proposed changes at a time of COVID, when people can't meet, it's very difficult to campaign, it's very difficult to have the discussions with your local representatives. So, I'd like to be able to ask the Minister whether she feels that, given the new restrictions, we need to review whether or not this is the right time for those consultations to proceed, in order to ensure that all voices can be heard where big changes are to be made that affect communities.
Hoffwn i ofyn, Trefnydd, am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Addysg ar nifer o faterion yn ymwneud â sut mae'r system yn ymateb i'r argyfwng presennol. Yn gyntaf, mae'r cwestiwn o ddiffygion mewn ysgolion, dyledion ysgolion. Cyn COVID-19, roedd Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin yn gweithio'n galed iawn gydag arweinwyr ysgolion i leihau diffygion mewn ysgolion. Fodd bynnag, ers mis Mawrth 2020, mae ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol wedi bod yn gorfod darparu cymorth ychwanegol i ddisgyblion, a hoffem ofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru am sicrwydd ynghylch sut y bydd y cyllid hwnnw'n gallu parhau, a bod cydymdeimlad yn cael ei ddangos tuag at yr ysgolion hynny nad ydynt wedi gallu datrys eu diffygion.
Hoffwn i allu holi'r Gweinidog ynghylch cyllid ar gyfer adnewyddu ysgolion. Dywed Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin wrthyf nad ydyn nhw'n gallu defnyddio cyllid ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain i adnewyddu adeiladau, ond gallan nhw adeiladu rhai newydd. Yn amlwg, mae'r pandemig wedi cael effaith ar y gallu i gyflwyno adeiladau ysgol newydd, ac mae hynny wedi arwain at rai materion, yn enwedig, er enghraifft, yn Ysgol Dewi Sant yn Llanelli, lle mae angen dybryd am adnewyddu ac nid yw'r awdurdod lleol yn teimlo bod ganddo ddigon o gyllidebau.
Ac yn olaf, hoffwn i allu gofyn i'r Gweinidog am y prosesau ar gyfer ymgynghori ar newidiadau mewn ysgolion yn ystod cyfnod COVID. Mae nifer o awdurdodau lleol ar draws rhanbarthau'r canolbarth a'r gorllewin yn ymgynghori ar newidiadau, a llawer o'r rhain yn newidiadau cadarnhaol iawn yr wyf i'n siŵr y byddai'r rhan fwyaf o gynrychiolwyr eisiau eu cefnogi. Ond mae rhieni o Ysgol Mynydd y Garreg ger Cydweli wedi dweud wrthyf ei bod yn anodd iawn i gymunedau ymateb i newidiadau arfaethedig yn ystod COVID, pan na all pobl gyfarfod. Mae'n anodd iawn ymgyrchu, ac mae'n anodd iawn cael y trafodaethau gyda'ch cynrychiolwyr lleol. Felly, hoffwn i allu gofyn i'r Gweinidog a yw'n teimlo, o ystyried y cyfyngiadau newydd, fod angen inni ni adolygu ai dyma'r adeg iawn i'r ymgynghoriadau hynny fynd rhagddynt ai peidio, er mwyn sicrhau bod modd clywed pob llais lle mae newidiadau mawr i'w gwneud sy'n effeithio ar gymunedau.
I thank Helen Mary Jones for raising those three particular areas of concern this afternoon. So, it was school deficits, school refurbishment within the context of twenty-first century schools, and the process for consulting on any changes during the current period of restrictions and the context of the pandemic. I will, on this occasion, ask Helen Mary to send that in a letter to the education Minister, so that she can respond to each of those concerns, because they are quite detailed and complex areas and perhaps it would be good to be able to point to the relevant guidance and so on on this occasion.
Diolch i Helen Mary Jones am godi'r tri maes pryder penodol hynny y prynhawn yma. Felly, diffygion mewn ysgolion, adnewyddu ysgolion yng nghyd-destun ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, a'r broses ar gyfer ymgynghori ar unrhyw newidiadau yn ystod y cyfnod presennol o gyfyngiadau a chyd-destun y pandemig. Y tro hwn, rwy'n gofyn i Helen Mary anfon llythyr at y Gweinidog Addysg, er mwyn iddi allu ymateb i bob un o'r pryderon hynny, oherwydd maen nhw'n feysydd eithaf manwl a chymhleth ac efallai y byddai'n dda gallu cyfeirio at y canllawiau perthnasol ac yn y blaen y tro hwn.
Sorry, I think I've returned. So sorry about that. That was an internet failure. It was the circle of doom that went round. Alun Davies.
Mae'n ddrwg gennyf i, rwy'n credu fy mod i wedi dod yn ôl. Felly mae'n ddrwg gennyf am hynny. Methiant ar y rhyngrwyd oedd hynny. Y cylch tynged a aeth o amgylch. Alun Davies.
I'm grateful to see you back, Deputy Presiding Officer. I think we all are. I think also all of us were also appalled and shocked to see the scenes from Washington last week, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families, of course, who lost loved ones in that attempt to undermine America's democracy. Now, what we saw last week was no accident. It was a pre-planned attempt to undermine the democracy of the American election. It was clearly incited by Donald Trump, but it was more rooted in lies and misinformation over many, many months and years. And it is a warning, I think, Minister, Deputy Presiding Officer, to everyone who believes in democracy, and I'm concerned about the integrity of our own election, to be held in the next few months. We've already seen in Wales how the far right and their friends at the moment who are currently in the Abolish party are willing to undermine our own democracy with their use of misinformation and sometimes outright lies in order to reach people. It is important, therefore, that we are able to have a debate on how we conduct our elections and our politics in this country. Minister, I would like to see a debate in Government time on these matters. I would also like to ask the Government and the Senedd Commission to speak to Facebook, to Twitter, to regulators such as Ofcom, and the Electoral Commission, to ensure that our democracy is not undermined by those who cannot win an election.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar o'ch gweld yn ôl, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n wir am bob un ohonom ni. Rwy'n credu hefyd bod pob un ohonom ni wedi ein dychryn ac wedi ein syfrdanu o weld y golygfeydd o Washington yr wythnos diwethaf, ac mae ein meddyliau a'n gweddïau, wrth gwrs, gyda'r teuluoedd a gollodd anwyliaid yn yr ymgais honno i danseilio democratiaeth America. Nawr, nid damwain oedd yr hyn a welsom yr wythnos ddiwethaf. Roedd yn ymgais a oedd wedi'i gynllunio ymlaen llaw i danseilio democratiaeth etholiad America. Yn amlwg, cafodd ei annog gan Donald Trump, ond roedd wedi'i wreiddio'n fwy mewn celwyddau a gwybodaeth anghywir dros fisoedd a blynyddoedd lawer. Ac mae'n rhybudd, rwy'n credu, Gweinidog, Dirprwy Lywydd, i bawb sy'n credu mewn democratiaeth, ac rwy'n pryderu ynghylch gonestrwydd ein hetholiad ein hunain, i'w gynnal yn ystod y misoedd nesaf. Rydym eisoes wedi gweld yng Nghymru sut mae'r dde eithafol a'u ffrindiau sydd yn y blaid Diddymu ar hyn o bryd yn barod i danseilio ein democratiaeth ni ein hunain gyda'u defnydd o wybodaeth anghywir ac weithiau gelwydd noeth er mwyn cyrraedd pobl. Mae'n bwysig, felly, ein bod ni'n gallu cael dadl ar sut yr ydym ni'n cynnal ein hetholiadau a'n gwleidyddiaeth yn y wlad hon. Gweinidog, hoffwn i weld dadl yn amser y Llywodraeth ar y materion hyn. Hoffwn i hefyd ofyn i'r Llywodraeth a Chomisiwn y Senedd siarad â Facebook, â Twitter, â rheoleiddwyr fel Ofcom, a'r Comisiwn Etholiadol, i sicrhau nad yw ein democratiaeth yn cael ei thanseilio gan y rhai nad yw'n bosibl iddyn nhw ennill etholiad.
Thank you to Alun Davies for raising this issue this afternoon. I, and colleagues in Government, shared that sense of shock at the scenes that we saw unfolding last week, and clearly it's devastating that it did result in the loss of lives as well. I share his deep concern about misinformation and the impact that that may have on our democracy, so I will absolutely take it upon myself to have those conversations appropriately within Government to explore how we can engage with the social media giants and others to ensure that they play their part in ensuring that misinformation is addressed. And I'd also point, within the context of the COVID pandemic, to the good work that Public Health Wales is doing in terms of addressing some of those concerning aspects of misinformation that are circulating regarding the virus and the vaccine and so forth, and so I'd be keen to encourage colleagues to share the dispelling of those myths and misinformation that Public Health Wales is working on.
Diolch i Alun Davies am godi'r mater hwn y prynhawn yma. Fe wnes i a fy nghyd-Aelodau yn y Llywodraeth rannu'r ymdeimlad hwnnw o sioc yn y golygfeydd a welsom yn datblygu yr wythnos ddiwethaf, ac yn amlwg mae'n drychinebus iddo arwain at golli bywydau hefyd. Rwy'n rhannu ei bryder mawr ynghylch camwybodaeth a'r effaith y gallai hynny ei chael ar ein democratiaeth. Felly rwy'n cymryd y cyfrifoldeb fy hun yn llwyr i gael y sgyrsiau hynny'n briodol o fewn y Llywodraeth i archwilio sut y gallwn ni ymgysylltu â'r cewri cyfryngau cymdeithasol ac eraill i sicrhau eu bod yn chwarae eu rhan i sicrhau yr eir i'r afael â chamwybodaeth. A byddwn i hefyd yn cyfeirio, yng nghyd-destun pandemig COVID, at y gwaith da y mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru yn ei wneud o ran mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r agweddau pryderus ar gamwybodaeth sy'n cylchredeg ynglŷn â'r feirws a'r brechlyn ac yn y blaen, ac felly byddwn i'n awyddus i annog cydweithwyr i rannu'r broses o chwalu'r mythau a chamwybodaeth honno y mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru yn gweithio arni.
Trefnydd—two statements that I'm looking for, please. The first is an urgent written joint statement from the Minister for Education and the Minister for local government about the real confusion being experienced by families about the school or hub settings that councils are providing during the period of school closures. The three local authorities in South Wales West are doing things completely differently, or at least I assume so, as, unfortunately, Swansea city council hasn't had the courtesy to respond to my enquiries. The information on the Welsh Government website is not resolving confusion about critical workers and key workers, the apparent ability of councils to pick and choose who counts as a critical or key worker, and the turning of a blind eye to the Welsh Government requirement that only one parent need be a critical worker in order for a child to be eligible to attend school or a hub. I would like some information about the actual education to be anticipated to be received at those hubs as well.
And then, secondly, just a brief statement from the Welsh Government to fully explain the confusion that occurred over the weekend regarding the vaccination for certain members of school staff who administer intimate care to children in special schools. It wasn't great communication at a time when we were all talking about vaccines anyway, but the short clarification that came out doesn't seem to cover the situation for teachers in mainstream schools, not just other staff, who find themselves having to administer a level of personal care to children who need that care. I think we could all do, actually, with further clarification on that. Thank you.
Trefnydd—rwy'n edrych am ddau ddatganiad, os gwelwch chi'n dda. Mae'r cyntaf yn ddatganiad ysgrifenedig brys ar y cyd gan y Gweinidog Addysg a'r Gweinidog llywodraeth leol am y dryswch gwirioneddol y mae teuluoedd yn ei brofi ynglŷn â'r ysgolion neu'r lleoliadau hyb y mae cynghorau'n eu darparu yn ystod cyfnod cau ysgolion. Mae'r tri awdurdod lleol yng Ngorllewin De Cymru yn gwneud pethau'n hollol wahanol, neu o leiaf rwy'n tybio hynny, gan nad yw cyngor dinas Abertawe, yn anffodus, wedi cael y cwrteisi i ymateb i fy ymholiadau. Nid yw'r wybodaeth ar wefan Llywodraeth Cymru yn datrys y dryswch ynghylch gweithwyr hanfodol a gweithwyr allweddol, gallu ymddangosiadol cynghorau i ddewis a dethol pwy sy'n cyfrif fel gweithiwr hanfodol neu allweddol, ac anwybyddu gofyniad Llywodraeth Cymru mai dim ond un rhiant sydd angen bod yn weithiwr hanfodol er mwyn i blentyn fod yn gymwys i fynychu'r ysgol neu ganolfan. Hoffwn i gael rhywfaint o wybodaeth ynghylch yr addysg benodol y bydd disgwyl ei chael yn yr hybiau hynny hefyd.
Ac yna, yn ail, dim ond datganiad byr gan Lywodraeth Cymru i egluro'n llawn y dryswch a ddigwyddodd dros y penwythnos ynglŷn â'r brechiad i rai aelodau o staff ysgol sy'n darparu gofal personol i blant mewn ysgolion arbennig. Nid oedd yn gyfathrebu gwych ar adeg pan oeddem ni i gyd yn siarad am frechlynnau beth bynnag, ond nid yw'n ymddangos bod yr eglurhad byr a ddaeth i'r amlwg yn ymdrin â'r sefyllfa i athrawon mewn ysgolion prif ffrwd, nid staff eraill yn unig, sy'n gorfod darparu lefel o ofal personol i blant sydd angen y gofal hwnnw. Rwy'n credu y gallem ni i gyd, mewn gwirionedd, elwa ar eglurhad pellach ar hynny. Diolch.
Thank you for raising those issues. I will make sure that the education and local government Ministers are aware of that first request in terms of some clarity around the hub settings. My understanding is that there is an issue in terms of how many children are able to access those hub settings, but, of course, I will speak to both of those Ministers to try and get the kind of clarity that's being sought there.
And then, in terms of the JCVI advice, I know that, again, we have the statement from the health Minister this afternoon on vaccinations, so there may be an opportunity to clarify it there, but, if not, I will ask the Minister to write to colleagues with some more information on the advice that we are receiving from the JCVI.
Diolch am godi'r materion hynny. Byddaf i'n sicrhau bod y Gweinidogion Addysg a llywodraeth leol yn ymwybodol o'r cais cyntaf hwnnw o ran cael rhywfaint o eglurder ynghylch y lleoliadau hybiau. Yn ôl a ddeallaf i, mae problem o ran faint o blant sy'n gallu defnyddio'r lleoliadau hyb hynny, ond, wrth gwrs, byddaf yn siarad â'r ddau Weinidog i geisio cael y math o eglurder sy'n cael ei geisio.
Ac yna, o ran cyngor y JCVI, unwaith eto, gwn fod gennym ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog iechyd y prynhawn yma o ran brechiadau, felly efallai y bydd cyfle i'w egluro yno, ond, os na, gofynnaf i'r Gweinidog ysgrifennu at ei gyd-Aelodau gyda rhagor o wybodaeth am y cyngor yr ydym ni'n ei gael gan y JCVI.
I'd like a statement, please, from the Government explaining why so many people who are in their 80s and 90s and who are housebound have been invited to appointments for vaccinations in mass vaccination centres, when they were never going to be able to get to those appointments. I've been contacted by numerous constituents, primarily in Caerphilly, but I'd wager that it's probably happening in communities across Wales, whose family members have been sent invitations to appointments that they just can't make. Now, I've raised this with the health board, and I know that other Members have done this too, and I do feel reassured that mobile units will be making house visits to people who are housebound once the work of vaccinating residents of care homes is completed. Now, I understand that they're also considering working with district nurses to do this, but surely, Trefnydd, the Welsh Government should have ensured that no-one was sent those letters for appointments that they wouldn't be able to make. These letters have caused confusion and anxiety for many vulnerable people, and apparently a helpline that's dealing with this isn't always working. So, I'd like a statement, please, reiterating what the national plan is, as well as a timetable for people who are housebound and how you'll be working with health boards to ensure that people who aren't able to leave their houses but are in the priority groups are going to be vaccinated. I would also, finally, Trefnydd, like an explanation about why this wasn't communicated better from the start to avoid unnecessary confusion and distress for people.
Hoffwn i gael datganiad, os gwelwch chi'n dda, gan y Llywodraeth yn esbonio pam mae cynifer o bobl sydd yn eu 80au a'u 90au ac sy'n gaeth i'r tŷ wedi cael eu gwahodd i apwyntiadau ar gyfer brechiadau mewn canolfannau brechu torfol, pan nad oedden nhw byth yn mynd i allu cyrraedd yr apwyntiadau hynny. Mae nifer o etholwyr wedi cysylltu â mi, yng Nghaerffili yn bennaf, ond byddwn i'n tybio ei bod yn debygol ei fod yn digwydd mewn cymunedau ledled Cymru, i ddweud bod aelodau o'u teuluoedd wedi cael gwahoddiadau i apwyntiadau na allan nhw eu cadw. Nawr, rwyf wedi codi hyn gyda'r bwrdd iechyd, ac rwy'n gwybod bod Aelodau eraill wedi gwneud hyn hefyd, ac rwy'n teimlo'n dawel fy meddwl y bydd unedau symudol yn ymweld â phobl sy'n gaeth i'r tŷ unwaith y bydd y gwaith o frechu preswylwyr cartrefi gofal wedi'i gwblhau. Nawr, rwy'n deall eu bod hefyd yn ystyried gweithio gyda nyrsys ardal i wneud hyn, ond siawns, Trefnydd, y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru fod wedi sicrhau na chafodd neb y llythyrau hynny ar gyfer apwyntiadau na fyddent yn gallu'u cadw. Mae'r llythyrau hyn wedi achosi dryswch a phryder i lawer o bobl sy'n agored i niwed, ac mae'n debyg nad yw'r llinell gymorth sy'n ymdrin â hyn bob amser yn gweithio. Felly, hoffwn i gael datganiad, os gwelwch yn dda, yn ailadrodd beth yn union yw'r cynllun cenedlaethol, yn ogystal ag amserlen ar gyfer pobl sy'n gaeth i'r tŷ a sut y byddwch chi'n gweithio gyda byrddau iechyd i sicrhau bod pobl nad ydyn nhw'n gallu gadael eu tai, ond sydd yn y grwpiau blaenoriaeth, yn mynd i gael eu brechu. Byddwn i hefyd, i orffen, Trefnydd, yn hoffi cael esboniad pam na chafodd hyn ei gyfleu'n well o'r dechrau er mwyn osgoi dryswch a gofid diangen i bobl.
So, the Welsh Government was the first Government in the UK to publish a vaccination plan, so that occurred yesterday and might provide some of the information that is required. I was concerned to hear the comment about the helpline not necessarily being available, so I'll certainly make sure that we look into that. And then I'd also just highlight again that the next item of business this afternoon is the statement on vaccinations, so I'm sure that the Minister has been listening closely to all of the contributions during the business statement today and will obviously be listening closely again to contributions during his statement this afternoon.
Felly, Llywodraeth Cymru oedd y Llywodraeth gyntaf yn y DU i gyhoeddi cynllun brechu. Ddoe ddigwyddodd hynny ac fe allai ddarparu rhywfaint o'r wybodaeth sydd ei hangen. Roeddwn i'n bryderus o glywed y sylw nad yw'r llinell gymorth o reidrwydd ar gael, felly fe fyddaf i'n sicrhau ein bod ni'n ymchwilio i hynny. Ac yna byddwn i hefyd yn tynnu sylw eto at y ffaith mai'r eitem nesaf o fusnes y prynhawn yma yw'r datganiad ar frechiadau, felly rwy'n siŵr bod y Gweinidog wedi bod yn gwrando'n astud ar yr holl gyfraniadau yn ystod y datganiad busnes heddiw ac mae'n amlwg y bydd yn gwrando'n astud eto ar gyfraniadau yn ystod ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma.
I'd like to ask for a statement, please, on the operation of the childcare offer for Wales during these tier 4 arrangements. Parents in my constituency have been told that if they decide not to send their children into nursery, because they're trying to follow the Welsh Government's advice to stay home, they will either have to pay the money themselves or lose their place. And further to that, I'm very concerned about the impact that that would have on the viability of childcare provision, especially in areas like the Valleys. So, I think it's vital that we have urgent clarification on this and I'd be grateful if a statement could be brought forward. Thank you.
Hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad, os gwelwch chi'n dda, ar weithrediad y cynnig gofal plant i Gymru yn ystod y trefniadau haen 4 hyn. Mae rhieni yn fy etholaeth i wedi cael gwybod, os byddan nhw'n penderfynu peidio ag anfon eu plant i'r feithrinfa, oherwydd eu bod yn ceisio dilyn cyngor Llywodraeth Cymru i aros gartref, y bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw naill ai dalu'r arian eu hunain neu golli eu lle. Ac yn ychwanegol at hynny, rwy'n pryderu'n fawr am yr effaith y byddai hynny'n ei chael ar hyfywedd darpariaeth gofal plant, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd fel y Cymoedd. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn hanfodol bod gennym ni eglurhad brys ar hyn a byddwn i'n ddiolchgar os byddai modd cyflwyno datganiad. Diolch.
Thank you to Lynne Neagle for raising this. I know that she has already taken the opportunity, on behalf of constituents, to raise it directly with the Deputy Minister for social care as well. I know, as a result, the Deputy Minister is really very alive to this particular issue and is looking to resolve it as soon as possible, and I know that she'll be keen to provide the clarity that Lynne Neagle is seeking.
Diolch i Lynne Neagle am godi hyn. Rwy'n gwybod ei bod hi eisoes wedi manteisio ar y cyfle, ar ran etholwyr, i godi hyn yn uniongyrchol gyda'r Dirprwy Weinidog gofal cymdeithasol hefyd. Gwn, o ganlyniad, fod y Dirprwy Weinidog yn ymwybodol iawn o'r mater penodol hwn ac mae'n bwriadu ei ddatrys cyn gynted â phosibl, ac rwy'n gwybod y bydd yn awyddus i roi'r eglurder y mae Lynne Neagle yn ei geisio.
I just wanted to return to the tragic death of Mohamud Mohammed Hassan, who was one of my constituents. Obviously, I completely share the concerns expressed by the First Minister in response to questions from the leader of Plaid Cymru, but this could not have come at a worse time for the community, when everybody's in lockdown, when everybody's very tense about the virus as well as the impact that it disproportionately has on people living in very crowded accommodation. I just wondered if it's possible to have a statement from the Deputy Minister on how we can endeavour to reassure the community in the current situation, whilst we await the independent investigation into the issues surrounding this young man's death.
Roeddwn i eisiau dychwelyd at farwolaeth drasig Mohamud Mohammed Hassan, a oedd yn un o fy etholwyr i. Yn amlwg, rwy'n rhannu'n llwyr y pryderon a fynegodd y Prif Weinidog mewn ymateb i gwestiynau gan arweinydd Plaid Cymru, ond ni allai hyn fod wedi dod ar adeg waeth i'r gymuned, pan fydd pawb dan gyfyngiadau symud, pan fydd pawb yn ofidus iawn am y feirws yn ogystal â'r effaith y mae'n ei gael yn anghymesur ar bobl sy'n byw mewn llety gorlawn iawn. Tybed a yw'n bosibl cael datganiad gan y Dirprwy Weinidog ar sut y gallwn ni ymdrechu i dawelu meddwl y gymuned yn y sefyllfa bresennol, wrth inni aros am yr ymchwiliad annibynnol i'r materion sy'n ymwneud â marwolaeth y dyn ifanc hwn.
I thank Jenny Rathbone for raising this, this afternoon. I echo absolutely everything that the First Minister was saying regarding Mohamud and the fact that his family is very much in our thoughts today. We do urge that the death is fully investigated, and I think that what Jenny Rathbone has just outlined demonstrates why there is an absolute urgency about that. So, we would ask the services involved to expedite the case and, obviously, then to demonstrate that black lives really do matter.
So, we would be looking to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and those involved in undertaking the postmortem, and all of the other work that needs to go on, to do so as soon as possible to complete their work. But, that important point that Jenny was making about community cohesion and reassurance and so on will be something that the Deputy Minister will be considering how best to respond to.
Rwy'n diolch i Jenny Rathbone am godi hyn, brynhawn heddiw. Rwy'n ategu popeth yr oedd y Prif Weinidog yn ei ddweud ynglŷn â Mohamud a'r ffaith ein bod yn meddwl llawer iawn am ei deulu heddiw. Rydym yn annog y dylid cael ymchwiliad llawn i'w farwolaeth, ac rwy'n credu bod yr hyn y mae Jenny Rathbone newydd ei amlinellu yn dangos pam mae hwnnw'n fater pwysig iawn. Felly, fe fyddem ni'n gofyn i'r gwasanaethau dan sylw brysuro'r achos ac, yn amlwg, i ddangos bod bywydau pobl dduon yn wirioneddol bwysig.
Felly, fe fyddem ni'n disgwyl bod Swyddfa Annibynnol Ymddygiad yr Heddlu a'r rhai sy'n ymwneud â chynnal y post-mortem, a'r holl waith arall sydd angen ei gyflawni, yn gwneud hynny cyn gynted â phosibl er mwyn cwblhau eu gwaith. Ond, fe fydd y pwynt pwysig yr oedd Jenny yn ei wneud am gydlyniant cymunedol a sicrwydd ac yn y blaen yn rhywbeth y bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog yn ystyried y ffordd orau o ymateb iddo.
Finally, Huw Irranca-Davies.
Yn olaf, Huw Irranca-Davies.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, a blwyddyn newydd dda ichi gyd.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and a happy new year to you all.
Could I ask, Trefnydd, for a statement from the environment Minister on any implications for Wales of the decision by the UK Government over the weekend to allow a temporary licence for neonicotinoid use in parts of the UK? Within days of the end of the transition out of the EU, the UK Government has allowed a measure that smacks of that deregulatory approach that we were all fearful of. It's permitting the use, albeit limited at the moment to sugar beet in England, of neonics, when a 2019 report by the World Health Organization said that
'A rapidly growing body of evidence strongly suggests that the existing levels of environmental contamination'—
by neonicotinoids—
'are causing large-scale adverse effects on bees and other beneficial insects'.
So, the concern, Trefnydd, shared by many, is that this is just the start of a deregulatory trend. So, a statement could help clarify how this Senedd, and how the Welsh Government, can protect Wales against threats of weakening of environmental protections imposed from Westminster, and also where the Welsh Government stands on proposals for a Welsh national pesticide action plan to properly translate the sustainable use of pesticides directives into Wales, and to live up, I have to say, to what is a really great aim by the environment Minister, of environmental standards in Wales being the same as, if not better than, other places in the UK. Thank you, Trefnydd.
A gaf i ofyn, Trefnydd, am ddatganiad gan Weinidog yr amgylchedd ynglŷn ag unrhyw oblygiadau i Gymru yn sgil penderfyniad Llywodraeth y DU dros y penwythnos i ganiatáu trwydded dros dro ar gyfer defnydd plaladdwyr neonicotinoid mewn rhannau o'r DU? O fewn dyddiau i ddiwedd cyfnod pontio'r UE, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi caniatáu mesur sydd â blas o'r dull hwnnw o ddadreoleiddio yr oeddem ni i gyd yn ofni y byddai'n dod i'r amlwg. Mae'n caniatáu defnyddio plaladdwyr neonicotinoid, er bod hynny'n gyfyngedig ar hyn o bryd i fetys siwgr yn Lloegr, pan ddywedodd adroddiad yn 2019 gan Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd
Mae corff o dystiolaeth sy'n tyfu'n gyflym yn awgrymu'n gryf bod y lefelau presennol o lygredd amgylcheddol—
gan blaladdwyr neonicotinoid—
yn achosi effeithiau andwyol ar raddfa fawr ar wenyn a thrychfilod buddiol eraill.
Felly, y pryder sydd gan lawer, Trefnydd, yw mai dim ond dechrau'r duedd o ddadreoleiddio yw hyn. Felly, fe allai datganiad helpu i egluro sut y gall y Senedd hon, a Llywodraeth Cymru, ddiogelu Cymru rhag y bygythiadau o lastwreiddio amddiffyniadau amgylcheddol a orfodir gan San Steffan. A hefyd fe allai datganiad helpu i egluro safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ar gynigion ar gyfer cynllun gweithredu plaladdwyr cenedlaethol i Gymru er mwyn trosi'n briodol y defnydd cynaliadwy o gyfarwyddebau ar blaladdwyr i Gymru, a gwneud cyfiawnder, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, â'r hyn sy'n nod gwirioneddol wych gan Weinidog yr amgylchedd, sef bod y safonau amgylcheddol yng Nghymru yn cyfateb i'r safonau mewn mannau eraill yn y DU, os nad yn well na nhw. Diolch, Trefnydd.
Thank you. The environment, energy and rural affairs Minister will obviously have heard your concerns this afternoon. I can say that Welsh Ministers are able to consider and approve the granting of emergency authorisations for Wales where there is a need for these products, should there be a perceived need for these products. But, I have to say that that just sets out where the law is, and this is very much a devolved issue.
In this case, obviously, there was no decision for Welsh Ministers to take anyway because this was only an application in relation to England. But the most important thing, really, is to recognise that the Welsh Government has always taken a very cautious and precautionary approach in this area, and I wouldn't imagine that we would change from that particular strong commitment to the approach in future. But, as I say, the Minister will be aware of the concerns that you have raised and will want to have a further discussion, I'm sure.
Diolch. Mae'n amlwg bod Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig wedi clywed eich pryderon chi'r prynhawn yma. Fe allaf i ddweud bod Gweinidogion Cymru yn gallu ystyried a chymeradwyo caniatáu awdurdodiadau brys ar gyfer Cymru lle mae angen y cynhyrchion hyn, pe bai angen yn cael ei amgyffred am y cynhyrchion hyn. Ond, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud mai nodi barn y gyfraith yn unig a wna hynny, ac mai mater datganoledig yw hwn i raddau helaeth iawn.
Yn yr achos hwn, yn amlwg, nid oedd yna benderfyniad i Weinidogion Cymru beth bynnag gan mai dim ond cais o ran Lloegr oedd hwn. Ond y peth pwysicaf un, mewn gwirionedd, yw cydnabod bod Llywodraeth Cymru bob amser wedi gweithredu mewn dull gofalus a rhagofalus iawn yn y maes hwn, ac nid wyf yn gallu dychmygu y byddem yn newid ein hymrwymiad arbennig o gryf i'r dull hwnnw yn y dyfodol. Ond, fel y dywedais, mae'r Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o'r pryderon a godwyd gennych ac fe fydd yn awyddus i gael trafodaeth bellach, rwy'n siŵr.
Thank you very much, Trefnydd.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Trefnydd.
Item 4 on the agenda this afternoon is a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services on the COVID-19 vaccine strategy. I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services to speak to the statement. Vaughan Gething.
Eitem 4 ar ein hagenda ni'r prynhawn yma yw datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ynglŷn â strategaeth frechu COVID-19. Rwy'n galw ar y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol i roi'r datganiad. Vaughan Gething.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Yesterday, I published our national COVID-19 vaccination plan for Wales. The plan was published on the same day as we commenced daily reporting on the number of vaccines administered in Wales. As of this morning, more than 91,000 people across Wales have now received their first dose of one of the two approved COVID vaccines. This marks significant progress given that we are still just over a month since NHS Wales mobilised the biggest vaccine programme that our country has ever seen.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Ddoe, fe gyhoeddais i'r cynllun brechu COVID-19 cenedlaethol sydd gennym ni i Gymru. Fe gyhoeddwyd y cynllun ar yr un diwrnod ag y dechreuwyd adrodd yn ddyddiol ar nifer y brechlynnau a weinyddir yng Nghymru. Fore heddiw, roedd yna dros 91,000 o bobl ledled Cymru wedi cael eu dogn cyntaf nhw o un o'r ddau frechlyn COVID sydd wedi cael eu cymeradwyo. Mae hynny'n nodi cynnydd sylweddol o gofio mai dim ond ychydig dros fis sydd yna ers i GIG Cymru sbarduno'r rhaglen frechu fwyaf a welwyd erioed yn ein gwlad ni.
The plan reflects months of detailed delivery planning, and sets out our national strategy and priorities for the coming months. The plan sets out three key milestones. By mid February, all care home residents and staff, front-line health and social care staff, everyone over 70 and everyone who is extremely clinically vulnerable or the shielded population will have been offered the vaccination. By the spring, vaccination will have been offered to all the other phase 1 priority groups. This is everyone over 50 and everyone who is at risk because they have an underlying health condition. Completing all groups identified as priorities in phase 1 will protect those groups in which we understand that 99 per cent of all avoidable deaths occur. By the autumn, vaccination will have been offered to all other eligible adults in Wales, in line with any guidance issued by the independent expert Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
By the autumn, the aim is that 2.5 million people in Wales will have been offered immunisation—all within a matter of months. This is a mammoth task for NHS Wales. It is worth noting that no decisions have yet been made on phase 2 and how to prioritise that phase of the roll-out. The JCVI will however provide advice on the next phase for the four Governments of the United Kingdom to consider.
The milestones in the plan are predicated on sufficient supply of vaccines being available. We have received assurances from the UK Government that supplies will be forthcoming. However, ultimately, this is a matter outside of the Welsh Government’s control.
The plan also includes three markers, which we are aiming to achieve as part of the journey towards achieving milestone 1. These are that, by 18 January, all front-line Welsh ambulance staff will have been offered their first dose of the vaccine. This is part of our aim to vaccinate all front-line health and care staff as soon as possible, given the pressure that our NHS is under and the critical role that our health and care staff are playing in this pandemic. By the end of January, all care home residents and staff will have been offered their first dose of the vaccine. Whilst many care home staff attended our vaccination centres for their first dose of the vaccine in the early weeks of the programme, outreach into care homes was difficult because of the well-advertised challenges associated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. They are a priority focus following the introduction of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine last week. And also, by the end of January, our aim is for at least 250 general practices across Wales to be part of the delivery model. The role of primary care is a critical element in our programme: 250 practices coming on stream in a matter of weeks illustrates the opportunities for scale presented by primary care. Scale is one thing, but another key consideration is accessibility, and primary care solutions will ensure that vaccines are offered closer to home for those that need it most.
The plan lays out our medium-term approach for vaccinating 2.5 million people in Wales. If the last year has taught us anything, it is that things will change. Our plan will be updated at points to reflect these changes. It will also be updated as we move through the milestones and greater clarity emerges on the next steps, particularly with respect to phase 2 of the programme.
However, I do need to remind Members and the watching public that the situation in Wales at the start of 2021 remains very serious. Cases of the virus are very high, and a new, more infectious strain of coronavirus—the Kent strain—has emerged right across the UK, and is circulating in all parts of Wales. This is a race against the virus, and the vaccine programme provides us with great hope. Reaching the finish will be a marathon effort over the coming months ahead. The vaccine is not a quick fix, but I am confident that team NHS Wales will deliver a vaccination programme that we can all be proud of, and it will help to save many lives.
Just as our NHS, local government, the military assistance being provided, and volunteers all have a part to play in delivering the largest vaccination programme in history, we all have a part to play to keep Wales safe: to keep washing our hands regularly, to maintain a good distance with other people not from our household, to wear a face mask where required, and, yes, to make sure that we're providing good ventilation wherever possible. We all have a part to play in helping to keep Wales safe. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.
Mae'r cynllun yn adlewyrchu misoedd o gynllunio manwl ar y ddarpariaeth, ac yn nodi ein strategaeth a'n blaenoriaethau cenedlaethol ni ar gyfer y misoedd nesaf. Mae'r cynllun yn nodi tair carreg filltir allweddol. Erbyn canol mis Chwefror, fe fydd pob un sy'n preswylio mewn cartrefi gofal yn ogystal â'r staff, holl staff rheng flaen iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, pawb dros 70 oed a phawb sy'n eithriadol o agored i niwed yn glinigol neu'r rhai sydd ar y rhestr warchod wedi cael cynnig y brechlyn. Erbyn y gwanwyn, fe fydd brechu wedi cael ei gynnig i'r holl grwpiau eraill o flaenoriaeth yng ngham 1. Mae hynny'n golygu pawb dros 50 oed a phawb sydd mewn perygl oherwydd bod ganddyn nhw gyflwr iechyd sylfaenol. Fe fydd cwblhau hyn o ran pob grŵp a nodwyd yn flaenoriaeth yng ngham 1 yn diogelu'r grwpiau hynny y mae 99 y cant o'r holl farwolaethau y gellir eu hosgoi yn digwydd iddynt. Erbyn yr hydref, fe gaiff brechlyn ei gynnig i bob oedolyn arall sy'n gymwys yng Nghymru, yn unol ag unrhyw ganllawiau a gyhoeddwyd gan y Cyd-bwyllgor arbenigol annibynnol ar Frechu ac Imiwneiddio.
Erbyn yr hydref, y nod yw y bydd 2.5 miliwn o bobl Cymru wedi cael cynnig eu himiwneiddio—y cyfan o fewn ychydig fisoedd. Mae hon yn dasg enfawr i GIG Cymru. Mae'n werth nodi nad oes unrhyw benderfyniadau wedi eu gwneud ar gam 2 eto a sut i flaenoriaethu proses cyflwyno'r brechiadau ar gyfer y cam hwnnw. Serch hynny, fe fydd y JCVI yn rhoi cyngor ar y cam nesaf i'w ystyried gan bedair Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig.
Mae'r cerrig milltir hyn yn y cynllun ar yr amod fod yna gyflenwad digonol o frechlynnau ar gael. Rydym wedi cael sicrwydd gan Lywodraeth y DU y bydd y cyflenwadau ar gael. Eto i gyd, yn y pen draw, mae hwn yn fater sydd y tu hwnt i reolaeth Llywodraeth Cymru.
Mae'r cynllun yn cynnwys tri nod hefyd, ar rydym yn bwriadu eu cyflawni nhw fel rhan o'r daith tuag at gyflawni carreg filltir 1. Erbyn 18 Ionawr, bydd holl staff ambiwlans rheng flaen Cymru wedi cael cynnig eu dos cyntaf o'r brechlyn. Mae hyn yn rhan o'n nod ni i frechu'r holl staff iechyd a gofal rheng flaen cyn gynted â phosibl, o ystyried y pwysau sydd ar ein GIG ni a swyddogaeth hollbwysig ein staff iechyd a gofal ni yn y pandemig hwn. Erbyn diwedd mis Ionawr, fe fydd holl breswylwyr a staff cartrefi gofal wedi cael cynnig eu dos cyntaf o'r brechlyn. Er bod llawer o staff cartrefi gofal wedi mynd i'n canolfannau brechu am eu dos cyntaf o'r brechlyn yn ystod wythnosau cynnar y rhaglen, roedd allgymorth i gartrefi gofal yn anodd oherwydd yr heriau cyfarwydd iawn sy'n gysylltiedig â brechlyn Pfizer-BioNTech. Maen nhw'n destun blaenoriaeth nawr yn dilyn cyflwyno brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca yr wythnos diwethaf. A hefyd, erbyn diwedd mis Ionawr, ein nod ni yw y bydd o leiaf 250 o bractisau cyffredinol ledled Cymru yn rhan o'r model cyflenwi. Mae swyddogaeth gofal sylfaenol yn elfen hanfodol yn ein rhaglen ni: mae'r 250 o bractisau a fydd yn gweithredu ymhen ychydig wythnosau yn amlygu'r cyfleoedd o ran niferoedd y mae gofal sylfaenol yn eu cyflwyno. Un peth yw niferoedd, ond ystyriaeth allweddol arall yw hygyrchedd, ac fe fydd datrysiadau o ran gofal sylfaenol yn sicrhau bod y brechiadau yn cael eu cynnig yn nes adref i'r rhai sydd eu hangen fwyaf.
Mae'r cynllun yn nodi ein dull tymor canolig ni o frechu 2.5 miliwn o bobl yng Nghymru. Os yw'r flwyddyn ddiwethaf wedi dysgu unrhyw beth i ni, gwyddom y gall pethau newid. Fe fydd ein cynllun ni'n cael ei ddiweddaru o bryd i'w gilydd i adlewyrchu'r newidiadau hyn. Fe gaiff ei ddiweddaru hefyd wrth inni fynd o un garreg filltir i'r llall ac wrth i fwy o eglurder ddod i'r amlwg ar y camau nesaf, yn enwedig o ran cam 2 y rhaglen.
Serch hynny, mae angen imi atgoffa'r Aelodau a'r cyhoedd sy'n gwylio fod y sefyllfa yng Nghymru ar ddechrau 2021 yn parhau i fod yn un ddifrifol iawn. Mae achosion y feirws yn niferus iawn, ac mae'r math newydd, mwy heintus o goronafeirws—straen Swydd Caint—wedi dod i'r amlwg ledled y DU, ac mae'n ymledu ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Ras yn erbyn y feirws yw hon, ac mae'r rhaglen frechu yn destun gobaith mawr i ni. Bydd cyrraedd y llinell derfyn yn farathon o ymdrech dros y misoedd nesaf i ddod. Nid yw'r brechlyn yn ddatrysiad cyflym, ond rwy'n hyderus y bydd tîm GIG Cymru yn cyflwyno rhaglen frechu y bydd pawb ohonom ni'n ymfalchïo ynddi, ac fe fydd yn helpu i achub llawer o fywydau.
Yn union fel mae gan ein GIG ni, llywodraeth leol, cymorth y lluoedd arfog, a'n gwirfoddolwyr ni bob un eu rhan wrth ddarparu'r rhaglen frechu fwyaf erioed mewn hanes, mae gan bob un ohonom ni hefyd ein rhan wrth gadw Cymru'n ddiogel: dal ati i olchi ein dwylo'n rheolaidd, cadw pellter priodol oddi wrth bobl eraill nad ydynt yn byw ar ein haelwyd ni, a gwisgo masg wyneb lle bod angen, ac, ie, gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn darparu awyru da lle bynnag y bo modd. Mae gan bob un ohonom ni ran wrth helpu i gadw Cymru'n ddiogel. Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Thank you, Minister, for your statement this afternoon. If I could place on record my sincere thanks to all involved with the vaccination campaign, because the intensity of the effort must have been huge, and will continue to be huge and demanding as we go forward.
Could I ask a series of questions, please, Minister, in relation to the plan that you put forward yesterday and given the statement on today? It is well documented that, regrettably, here in Wales we are behind other parts of the United Kingdom. How will the plan enable us to catch up and overtake the other parts of the United Kingdom in the roll-out of the vaccine, and what lessons have we learnt from the start of the campaign that need to be ironed out? We heard yesterday that two fifths of 80-year-olds in England have been vaccinated. Can you update us today how many over-80s have been vaccinated here in Wales? Because, certainly in my mailbox, I'm getting lots of constituents of that particular age bracket addressing their concerns about not being contacted.
Yesterday, only 5,121 people were vaccinated here in Wales. How will this plan enable the roll-out of the vaccine to speed up the numbers beyond that 5,121 that's being done on a daily basis? And can you confirm if the Welsh immunisation service is now up and running? Training for vaccinators is also critically important and, as we go forward, it is going to be vital that we can bring vaccinators on stream to help in the national effort. Can you confirm what measures you have taken to facilitate the speeding up of training for vaccinators and, indeed, the ability for retired medical professionals to come back into service to help in the national effort?
You refer to the 'second phase' in your statement. I'm assuming that means the second round of vaccines, but I'd be grateful to understand exactly what you mean by the 'second phase'. But I'm taking it to mean the second round of vaccines, and when people will be called up for those vaccines. So, I'm assuming we have to wait for more information to come forward.
This morning, myself and the constituency Member for the Vale of Glamorgan were approached by a Barry care home, where the vaccination team had turned up with little or no PPE to perform the vaccinations within that care home, other than masks. Can you confirm that, under the plan, PPE will be an integral part of the delivery mechanism of the vaccination programme in Wales and that there's a plentiful supply of PPE, so there's no reason why teams should be out in the community delivering the vaccination without PPE?
It's important, also, to understand how many no-shows are actually happening when people are booking themselves in. Have you any numbers that you could provide Members with this afternoon to show the no-show rate at vaccination centres here in Wales? And when will all counties have a vaccination centre? The First Minister was asked on this specifically in First Minister's questions, and I note today that Barry, the largest town in Wales, in the council area of the Vale of Glamorgan, does not have a centre, as does Pembrokeshire not have a centre designated. Are you in a position to tell us when that map might be filled in so that all counties in Wales will have that vaccination centre?
And finally, it has been alluded to, the fact that to speed up the vaccination programme, there is the opportunity for 24/7 vaccination. Is this something that's under active consideration under the plan, Minister, and if it is, are you able to tell us how this might accelerate the speed of vaccination across Wales? Thank you very much.
Diolch, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad chi'r prynhawn yma. Fe hoffwn i ddiolch yn ddidwyll iawn ar goedd i bawb sy'n ymwneud â'r ymgyrch frechu, oherwydd mae'n rhaid bod hynny wedi golygu ymdrech enfawr, ac fe fydd hi'n parhau i fod yn enfawr ac yn anodd wrth inni fwrw ymlaen â'r gwaith.
A gaf i ofyn cyfres o gwestiynau, os gwelwch chi'n dda, Gweinidog, ynglŷn â'r cynllun y gwnaethoch chi ei gyflwyno ddoe a'r datganiad heddiw? Mae'r dystiolaeth yn hysbys iawn ein bod ni, yn anffodus, yma yng Nghymru, ar ei hôl hi o'n cymharu â rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig. Sut wnaiff y cynllun hwn ein galluogi ni i ddal i fyny a goddiweddyd rhannau eraill y Deyrnas Unedig wrth gyflwyno'r brechlyn, a pha wersi a ddysgwyd gennym ers dechrau'r ymgyrch? Fe glywsom ni ddoe fod dwy ran o bump o'r rhai sy'n 80 oed wedi cael eu brechu yn Lloegr. A wnewch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni heddiw ynglŷn â nifer y rhai dros 80 oed sydd wedi cael eu brechu yma yng Nghymru? Oherwydd, yn sicr yn fy mlwch post i, rwy'n darllen am lawer o etholwyr o'r grŵp oedran penodol hwnnw yn mynegi eu pryderon oherwydd nad oes unrhyw un wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â nhw.
Ddoe, 5,121 o bobl yn unig oedd wedi cael brechiad yma yng Nghymru. Sut fydd y cynllun hwn yn caniatáu cyflymu cyflwyno'r brechlyn i gyrraedd niferoedd mwy na'r 5,121 yna sy'n digwydd yn feunyddiol? Ac a wnewch chi gadarnhau a yw gwasanaeth imiwneiddio Cymru ar waith erbyn hyn? Mae hyfforddiant i'r rhai sy'n gweinyddu'r brechlyn yn hollbwysig hefyd ac, wrth inni fwrw ymlaen, fe fydd yn hanfodol inni gael brechlynnau eraill ar waith i helpu yn yr ymdrech genedlaethol. A wnewch chi gadarnhau pa fesurau sydd wedi eu cymryd gennych i hwyluso'r gwaith o gyflymu hyfforddiant i'r rhai sy'n gweinyddu'r brechiadau ac, yn wir, a oes modd i weithwyr meddygol proffesiynol sydd wedi ymddeol ddychwelyd i'r gwasanaeth i helpu yn yr ymdrech genedlaethol?
Rydych chi'n cyfeirio at yr 'ail gam' yn eich datganiad. Rwy'n tybio mai ystyr hynny yw'r ail rownd o frechlynnau, ond fe hoffwn i'n fawr gael deall yn union beth yw ystyr yr 'ail gam' i chi. Rwy'n cymryd mai'r ystyr yw ail rownd o frechlynnau, a'r amseru o ran pryd y bydd pobl yn cael eu galw i gael y brechlynnau hynny. Felly, rwy'n tybio y bydd yn rhaid inni aros nes y bydd mwy o wybodaeth wedi dod i'r amlwg.
Fore heddiw, fe gysylltodd cartref gofal yn y Barri gydag Aelod etholaethol Bro Morgannwg a minnau, lle'r oedd y tîm brechu wedi cyrraedd heb fawr ddim cyfarpar diogelu personol ar gyfer gweinyddu'r brechiadau yn y cartref gofal hwnnw, ar wahân i fasgiau wyneb. A wnewch chi gadarnhau, o dan y cynllun, y bydd cyfarpar diogelu personol yn rhan annatod o fecanwaith cyflawni'r rhaglen frechu yng Nghymru a bod yna ddigonedd o gyfarpar diogelu personol, fel nad oes yna unrhyw reswm i dimau fod allan yn y gymuned yn gweinyddu'r brechiadau heb y cyfarpar hwnnw?
Mae'n bwysig, hefyd, deall faint o bobl mewn gwirionedd sy'n methu â bod yn bresennol ar ôl gwneud eu hapwyntiad eu hunain. A oes gennych rifau y gallech chi eu rhoi i'r Aelodau y prynhawn yma i ddangos y gyfradd honno sy'n methu eu hapwyntiadau mewn canolfannau brechu yma yng Nghymru? A phryd fydd yna ganolfan frechu ym mhob sir? Fe ofynnwyd i'r Prif Weinidog am hyn yn benodol yn ystod cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac rwy'n nodi heddiw nad oes yna ganolfan yn y Barri, y dref fwyaf yng Nghymru, yn ardal cyngor Bro Morgannwg, ac nad oes canolfan ddynodedig yn sir Benfro. A ydych mewn sefyllfa i ddweud wrthym pryd y gellid llenwi'r bylchau ar y map fel y bydd gan bob sir yng Nghymru ganolfan frechu?
Ac yn olaf, fe gyfeiriwyd at hyn, y ffaith fod yna gyfle i frechu 24 awr y dydd er mwyn cyflymu'r rhaglen frechu. A yw hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n cael ei ystyried ar hyn o bryd o dan y cynllun, Gweinidog, ac os felly, a wnewch chi ddweud wrthym sut y gallai hynny gyflymu'r broses o weinyddu brechiadau ledled Cymru? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
I thank the Member for his series of questions. Sorry, there's been a problem with my computer. I'll just get rid of this.
So, in terms of the series of questions that he's asked, I think he asked a couple of questions that were essentially the same question in a different way. The plan that I announced yesterday will help us, and it sets out how we're going to speed up the roll-out of the vaccine, and that is, in particular, in relation to the use of both the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but also the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The significant increase in primary care—and I should say that I had a very constructive meeting with the Royal College of General Practitioners earlier today—will allow us to have a significant reach in terms of access and speed. And that will come alongside not just the first two weeks of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that we've got—and you'll have heard the First Minister say that we've had a bit over 20,000 for each of the first two weeks—but we're expecting a much bigger increase in vaccine supply for the third week. Getting primary care up and running and ready is really important for that third week where we'll have much greater supply. I've seen some of the concerns that some primary care deliverers have had that they could do more if they had more supply, but we're actually running, with that Oxford-AstraZeneca supply, with the supplies that we've been given. I do think people in all parts of Wales should take some assurance from the fact that we expect a much more significant supply to come into Wales, which will then be delivered in Wales from next week in particular.
On not just the points about access, I think it's probably worth dealing with your points about vaccination centres. We expect every local authority will eventually have a mass vaccination centre, but I think that perhaps there's confusion between a symbol and the reality of access. Delivering the vaccine through primary care with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will mean much greater ease of access to people. When you've got several hundred general practices working, whether from their own premises, or others that they'll liaise with in conjunction, especially, with local authorities and health boards, that will practically mean that access will be made much easier. I don't think the public will be much bothered about whether there is a triangle on a map in their local authority or whether they can have easy access to a vaccination venue when it's time for them to receive their vaccine. That will be about people going to those venues, whether in a local health centre, whether a hotel or a converted restaurant, a bowls pavilion, or indeed a mass vaccination centre. I think the public want to know, 'When I will get easy and good access?' That includes our delivery, of course, in care homes.
On your question about the Welsh immunisation service, yes, it's up and running. No, I can't give you the figures on the number of no-shows today, and I don't have a figure to give you about the over-80s, but when we're publishing our weekly dashboard, we will be providing more information on some of the detail that you've asked for. And in terms of the lack of contact, everyone will start to be getting a letter from today onwards, from health boards and local government partners, to set out the approach locally and to give people some of that reassurance that the health service hasn't forgotten them.
When it comes to training vaccinators, we've worked with people in Health Education and Improvement Wales and across the service to make sure we make it as easy as possible. I've seen some of the concerns in every nation of the UK, including, of course, in England, where people are concerned the process is too bureaucratic, including for retired staff to return to practice to help with the programme. So, we are looking again at what is possible to do. Now, it's entirely possible that I don't need to make a single decision on that. I've been very clear about the policy directive to make this as quick as possible and as easy as possible for trusted staff, whether volunteers or not, to deliver the vaccines. If there is a need for me to make ministerial choices, then I'm more than prepared to do so to speed up the programme.
When it comes to phase 2, I was actually referring to phase 2 in terms of the priorities list. I think in your question you were really asking me about the second dose, and that's partly about supply. So, expect to see the second dose starting in earnest once we get through to March, when more and more people will be starting to get their second doses come through, and then into April as well, and that is part of what we'll be doing. You will have noticed we're already reporting on how many people have had their first dose and their second dose in the totals that we provide. So, we'll be transparent about the progress we're making.
I'm not aware of the individual issue about the Barry care home you refer to, but PPE supply is available, it's in plentiful supply. I think Members right across the political spectrum can be very proud of the way that we have procured and supplied PPE here in Wales throughout this pandemic, at good value for money, for all of us, for all taxpayers, and without a single whiff of corruption in the way that that PPE has been supplied and procured.
When it comes to the 24/7 suggestion, that is something that health boards are looking at. I'm not setting an objective that everyone must have a 24/7 delivery model; I want the best and the quickest delivery model available. If we set an objective that everyone must deliver 24/7, that may not achieve that. I think some health boards will trial it to see if it really does not just expand access but speed of delivery, and I look forward to learning from that. We won't know until that's essentially been tried, but like I said, my directive to the system is to go as fast as possible, as safely as possible, but to do so in a way where we look after our staff and our volunteers who are delivering the vaccines, and make it as easy as possible for the public to get those vaccines as well. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.
Diolch i'r Aelod am ei gyfres o gwestiynau. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, mae problem wedi codi ar fy nghyfrifiadur i. Rwyf am gael gwared ar hwn.
Felly, o ran y gyfres o gwestiynau a ofynnodd ef, rwy'n credu ei fod wedi gofyn nifer o gwestiynau a oedd yn mynegi'r un cwestiwn mewn gwahanol ffyrdd. Fe fydd y cynllun a gyhoeddais i ddoe yn ein helpu ni, ac fe nodir ynddo sut y byddwn ni'n cyflymu'r broses o gyflwyno'r brechlyn, ac mae hynny, yn benodol, o ran defnyddio'r brechlyn Pfizer-BioNTech, ond brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca hefyd. Fe fydd y cynnydd sylweddol mewn gofal sylfaenol—ac fe ddylwn i ddweud fy mod wedi cael cyfarfod adeiladol iawn gyda Choleg Brenhinol yr Ymarferwyr Cyffredinol yn gynharach heddiw—yn caniatáu inni ymestyn ein gallu ni'n sylweddol o ran hygyrchedd a chyflymder. Ac fe fydd hynny'n dod ochr yn ochr nid yn unig â phythefnos gyntaf y brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca sydd gennym ni—ac fe glywsoch y Prif Weinidog yn dweud ein bod ni wedi cael ychydig dros 20,000 ar gyfer pob un o'r ddwy wythnos gyntaf—ond rydym ni'n disgwyl cynnydd llawer mwy yn y cyflenwad o frechlynnau ar gyfer y drydedd wythnos. Mae rhoi gofal sylfaenol ar waith yn bwysig iawn ar gyfer y drydedd wythnos honno lle bydd gennym ni gyflenwad llawer mwy. Rwyf wedi gweld rhai o'r pryderon sydd wedi bod gan rai darparwyr gofal sylfaenol y gallen nhw wneud mwy pe bai ganddyn nhw fwy ohono, ond rydym ni mewn gwirionedd yn defnyddio'r cyflenwad hwnnw o frechlyn Rydychen-AstraZeneca, y cyflenwadau a gawsom ni. Rwy'n credu y dylai pobl ym mhob rhan o Gymru gael rhywfaint o gysur yn y ffaith ein bod yn aros am gyflenwad llawer mwy sylweddol i ddod i Gymru, a gaiff ei weinyddu wedyn yng Nghymru o'r wythnos nesaf yn benodol.
Ond nid yn unig y pwyntiau o ran hygyrchedd, rwy'n credu ei bod yn werth ymdrin â'ch pwyntiau chi ynglŷn â chanolfannau brechu. Rydym yn disgwyl y bydd gan bob awdurdod lleol ganolfan frechu torfol yn y pen draw, ond rwy'n credu efallai fod yna ddryswch rhwng y symbol a'r hygyrchedd gwirioneddol. Fe fydd darparu'r brechlyn drwy ofal sylfaenol gyda brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca yn golygu llawer mwy o hwylustod i bobl. Pan fydd gennych gannoedd o bractisau cyffredinol ar waith, os bydd hynny o'u hadeiladau nhw eu hunain, neu mewn mannau eraill yn gysylltiedig â nhw, yn enwedig gydag awdurdodau lleol a byrddau iechyd, fe fydd hynny'n golygu yn ymarferol y bydd hi'n haws o lawer. Nid wyf i o'r farn y bydd y cyhoedd yn poeni rhyw lawer a oes yna driongl ar fap yn eu hawdurdod lleol nhw neu a allan nhw gyrraedd lleoliad brechu yn hawdd pan fydd hi'n bryd iddyn nhw fynd i gael eu brechlyn. Bydd yn golygu pobl yn mynd i'r lleoliadau hynny, boed mewn canolfan iechyd leol, neu westy neu fwyty a addaswyd, pafiliwn bowlio, neu yn wir ganolfan frechu torfol. Rwy'n credu mai'r hyn y mae'r cyhoedd am ei wybod yw, 'Pryd y caf i fynd yn ddidrafferth ac yn rhwydd?' Mae hynny'n cynnwys ein darpariaeth ni, wrth gwrs, mewn cartrefi gofal.
O ran eich cwestiwn chi am wasanaeth imiwneiddio Cymru, ydy, mae hynny ar waith. Ni allaf roi ichi'r ffigurau o ran nifer y rhai a fethodd apwyntiadau heddiw, ac nid oes gennyf ffigur i'w roi i chi ar bobl dros 80 oed, ond pan fyddwn ni'n cyhoeddi ein dangosfwrdd wythnosol, fe fyddwn ni'n rhoi mwy o wybodaeth am rai o'r manylion yr ydych chi wedi gofyn amdanynt. Ac o ran y diffyg cysylltu, fe fydd pawb yn dechrau cael eu llythyrau o heddiw ymlaen, gan fyrddau iechyd a phartneriaid llywodraeth leol, sy'n disgrifio'r dull o weithredu'n lleol ac yn rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd felly i bobl nad yw'r gwasanaeth iechyd wedi anghofio amdanyn nhw.
O ran hyfforddiant i roi brechiadau, rydym wedi gweithio gyda phobl ym maes Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru ac ar draws y gwasanaeth i sicrhau ein bod ni'n gwneud pethau mor hawdd â phosibl. Rwyf wedi gweld rhai o'r pryderon hyn ym mhob gwlad yn y DU, gan gynnwys, wrth gwrs, yn Lloegr, lle mae pobl yn pryderu bod y broses yn rhy fiwrocrataidd, gan gynnwys y broses ar gyfer staff sydd wedi ymddeol sy'n dychwelyd i gynorthwyo gyda'r rhaglen. Felly, rydym ni'n edrych eto ar yr hyn sy'n bosibl ei wneud. Nawr, mae'n gwbl bosibl nad oes angen imi wneud un penderfyniad ynglŷn â hynny. Rwyf wedi bod yn glir iawn ynglŷn â'r gyfarwyddeb polisi i wneud hyn cyn gynted â phosibl ac mor hawdd â phosibl fel y gall staff dibynadwy, yn wirfoddolwyr neu beidio, weinyddu'r brechiadau. Pe byddai angen imi wneud dewisiadau gweinidogol, yna rwy'n fwy na pharod i wneud hynny i gyflymu'r rhaglen.
O ran cam 2, roeddwn i mewn gwirionedd yn cyfeirio at gam 2 o ran y rhestr flaenoriaethau. Rwy'n credu eich bod chi'n gofyn i mi am yr ail ddos yn eich cwestiwn chi, ac mae hynny'n ymwneud â'r cyflenwad yn rhannol. Felly, fe allwch chi ddisgwyl gweld yr ail ddos yn dechrau cael ei roi o ddifrif pan ddaw'n fis Mawrth, pan fydd mwy byth o bobl yn dechrau cael eu hail ddos, ac fe aiff hynny ymlaen i fis Ebrill hefyd, ac mae hyn yn rhan o'r hyn y byddwn ni'n ei wneud. Fe sylwch ein bod eisoes yn rhoi gwybod am faint o bobl sydd wedi cael eu dos cyntaf a'u hail ddos yn y cyfansymiau a ddarperir gennym. Felly, byddwn yn dryloyw o ran y cynnydd a wnawn ni.
Nid wyf yn ymwybodol o'r mater unigol am y cartref gofal yn y Barri yr ydych chi'n cyfeirio ato, ond mae cyflenwad o gyfarpar diogelu personol ar gael, mae digonedd ohono ar gael. Rwy'n credu y gall yr Aelodau o bob lliw gwleidyddol fod yn falch iawn o'r ffordd yr ydym ni wedi caffael a chyflenwi cyfarpar diogelu personol yma yng Nghymru drwy gydol y pandemig hwn, a chael gwerth da am arian, i bob un ohonom ni, i bob trethdalwr, heb unrhyw argoel o lwgrwobrwyo yn y dull o gyflenwi a chaffael y cyfarpar diogelu personol hwnnw.
O ran yr awgrym am 24 awr y dydd, mae hwnnw'n rhywbeth sy'n cael ei ystyried gan y byrddau iechyd. Nid wyf am osod nod ei bod yn rhaid i bawb gael model cyflawni 24 awr y dydd; fe hoffwn i weld y model gorau a chyflymaf sydd ar gael ar gyfer gwneud hynny. Pe byddem ni'n gosod nod i bawb ei gyflawni o ran 24 y dydd, efallai na fyddai hynny'n cyflawni'r diben. Rwy'n credu y bydd rhai byrddau iechyd yn treialu hyn i weld a fydd yn cyflymu'r gweinyddu yn ogystal â gwella hygyrchedd, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at ddysgu o hynny. Ni fyddwn ni'n gwybod yn y bôn nes inni roi prawf ar hynny, ond fel y dywedais, fy nghyfarwyddeb i i'r system yw gweithredu mor gyflym â phosibl, mor ddiogel â phosibl, ond gwneud hynny mewn modd y gallwn ni ofalu am ein staff a'n gwirfoddolwyr ni sy'n gweinyddu'r brechlynnau, a'i gwneud mor hawdd â phosibl i'r cyhoedd gael y brechlynnau hynny hefyd. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Thank you for the statement. It's good to have the chance to make a few comments and ask four or five questions as well. I'm glad we now have a rough guide to the timetable that the Welsh Government is hoping to follow. I wrote to the Minister on Saturday evening and I asked for targets so we could measure performance against them. But can I just have a little bit more detail, please? You talk of hitting priority groups by spring. When is spring, for example? Are we talking start of spring or end of spring? I think we just need a bit more detail on that.
The Minister has told us that daily vaccination number updates will now be given, but I think we need more than a universal figure regularly. As I asked in that letter, we need a daily update on how many of each type of the vaccine we've received, how many of each type of the vaccine has been distributed to each health board, how many have been administered, and to which priority groups, on health board and local authority areas. I'm pleased to hear others calling for detailed data as well, including the Royal College of Physicians. This is really important in giving focus to your work and in letting the public, as well as us, whose role it is to scrutinise Government—we need to know how we're doing and we need to have confidence that we are on track.
Can I also ask for a tightening of the prioritising within the health and care workforce, after reports that some non-patient-facing staff have been vaccinated? I know that one health board says that's because vaccines have been given to some non-patient-facing staff at the end of the day, to stop any prepared doses having to be thrown away. I've suggested that perhaps we could follow the Israel model, where unused doses could actually be offered to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, at the end of the day. I also pointed out other innovations in Israel that have made them world leaders in vaccination, including seven-day working and drive-through vaccination centres, for example. You say maybe you don't want 24/7; we certainly need the seven.
I'd also like to know what you're doing on the ground to ensure that your own priority list is being followed. I know, for example, that GPs in my own constituency wanted to follow your guidelines, get all care home residents done in one day—all in one go, 500 of them; they are the number one priority—but instead, doses were given out to do some community vaccination of 80-year-olds and over. Don't get me wrong, we need our most senior citizens in the community vaccinated with real speed, but that doesn't actually follow the priority list you have given to us. Perhaps you could comment on that. If we have a priority list, we need a strategy to stick to it, surely.
I'm hearing from other GPs, in other parts of Wales, frustrations at what appears to them to be poor strategy—sending vaccines to each surgery in turn, rather than build up area-wide capability. I quote one who's made public comments in the Hywel Dda area here:
'If you are unlucky enough to be a patient in one of the later allocated surgeries then you have to wait for the vaccine—even if you are in the top priority group....This should be about priority groups not postcodes.'
And finally, there are other priorities—I hope you'd agree with me on that—beyond the top nine. I'm not suggesting deprioritising any of the top nine priority groups, but be it the police or teachers or others in public-facing roles, can you explain how you intend to expand that priority list to those who need protection most, outside the priority groups we now have?
I'll end with a sporting analogy. People have compared how things are going with the roll-out in Wales with other UK nations. It's natural that people do—we've been falling behind. The First Minister has said it's not a race, that it's a marathon not a sprint. Those who take their marathons very seriously pretty much get out of the blocks at sprint pace, and the winners pretty much sprint the whole 26 miles. I'm not talking about a race to beat other nations—that's neither here nor there—but we do need to know that we are racing forward as quickly as we can, for the benefit of the citizens of Wales, and speed is of the essence.
Diolch i chi am y datganiad. Peth buddiol yw cael cyfle i roi ychydig o sylwadau a gofyn pedwar neu bump o gwestiynau hefyd. Rwy'n falch bod gennym ganllaw bras erbyn hyn o ran yr amserlen y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gobeithio ei dilyn. Fe ysgrifennais i at y Gweinidog nos Sadwrn a gofyn iddo ef am dargedau inni allu mesur perfformiad yn eu herbyn. Ond a gaf i ychydig mwy o fanylion, os gwelwch chi'n dda? Rydych chi'n sôn am daro'r targed ar gyfer y grwpiau blaenoriaeth erbyn y gwanwyn. Pryd yn y gwanwyn, dywedwch? A ydym ni'n sôn am ddechrau'r gwanwyn neu ddiwedd y gwanwyn? Rwy'n credu bod angen ychydig mwy o fanylion ynglŷn â hynny.
Fe ddywedodd y Gweinidog wrthym y bydd yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am nifer y brechiadau dyddiol bellach yn cael eu rhoi, ond rwyf i o'r farn fod angen mwy na ffigur cyffredinol rheolaidd arnom ni. Fel y gofynnais i yn y llythyr hwnnw, mae angen diweddariad dyddiol o ran niferoedd pob math o'r brechlyn a dderbyniwyd, niferoedd pob math o'r brechlyn a ddosbarthwyd i bob bwrdd iechyd, y niferoedd a weinyddwyd, ac i ba grwpiau blaenoriaeth, ac ynglŷn ag ardaloedd byrddau iechyd ac awdurdodau lleol. Rwy'n falch o glywed eraill yn galw am ddata manwl hefyd, gan gynnwys Coleg Brenhinol y Ffisigwyr. Mae hyn yn bwysig iawn o ran rhoi canolbwynt i'ch gwaith chi ac wrth roi gwybod i'r cyhoedd, yn ogystal â ni, sydd â swyddogaeth wrth graffu ar y Llywodraeth—mae angen inni wybod ble rydym ni arni ac mae angen i ni fod yn hyderus ein bod ni ar y trywydd iawn.
A gaf i ofyn hefyd am dynhau'r blaenoriaethu o fewn y gweithlu iechyd a gofal, ar ôl adroddiadau bod rhai o'r staff nad ydyn nhw'n dod wyneb yn wyneb â chleifion wedi cael eu brechu? Fe wn i fod un bwrdd iechyd yn dweud mai'r rheswm am hynny yw bod brechlynnau wedi cael eu rhoi yn y diwedd i rai staff nad ydyn nhw'n wynebu cleifion fel nad oes unrhyw ddosau sy'n barod yn cael eu gwastraffu. Rwyf i wedi awgrymu efallai y dylem ni fabwysiadau model Israel, lle gellid cynnig dosau na ddefnyddiwyd i'r cyhoedd ar sail y cyntaf i'r felin, ar derfyn dydd. Rwyf wedi tynnu sylw hefyd at ddatblygiadau arloesol eraill yn Israel sydd wedi eu gwneud nhw'n arweinwyr byd-eang ym maes brechu, gan gynnwys gweithio saith diwrnod a chanolfannau brechu gyrru drwodd, er enghraifft. Rydych chi'n dweud efallai nad ydych chi'n dymuno gweld 24 awr y dydd; ond yn sicr mae angen saith diwrnod yr wythnos.
Fe hoffwn i wybod hefyd beth ydych chi'n ei wneud ar lawr gwlad i sicrhau bod eich rhestr flaenoriaethau chi eich hun yn cael ei defnyddio. Fe wn i, er enghraifft, fod meddygon teulu yn fy etholaeth i yn awyddus i ddilyn eich canllawiau chi, a sicrhau bod holl breswylwyr cartrefi gofal yn cael eu brechu mewn un diwrnod—i gyd ar yr un pryd, 500 ohonyn nhw; y nhw yw'r brif flaenoriaeth—ond yn hytrach, fe ddosbarthwyd dosau ar gyfer cyflawni rhyw gymaint o frechu cymunedol i bobl 80 oed a throsodd. Peidiwch â'm camddeall i, mae angen i'n dinasyddion hynaf ni yn y gymuned gael eu brechu ar fyrder mawr, ond nid yw hynny mewn gwirionedd yn cydymffurfio â'r rhestr flaenoriaethau y gwnaethoch chi ei rhoi inni. Efallai y gwnewch chi wneud sylw i ni ynghylch hynny. Os oes rhestr flaenoriaeth ar gael, mae angen strategaeth i gadw ati, siawns gen i.
Rwy'n clywed meddygon teulu eraill, mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru, yn mynegi eu rhwystredigaethau ynglŷn â'r hyn sy'n ymddangos iddyn nhw yn strategaeth wael—gan anfon brechlynnau i bob meddygfa yn ei thro, yn hytrach nag atgyfnerthu'r gallu drwy'r ardal i gyd. Rwy'n dyfynnu un sydd wedi gwneud sylwadau cyhoeddus yn ardal Hywel Dda:
Os ydych chi'n ddigon anlwcus i fod yn glaf yn un o'r cymorthfeydd sydd i gael ei dyraniad yn nes ymlaen yna fe fydd yn rhaid ichi aros am y brechlyn—hyd yn oed os ydych chi yn y grŵp blaenoriaeth uchaf.... Dylai hyn olygu grwpiau blaenoriaeth, nid codau post.
Ac yn olaf, fe geir blaenoriaethau eraill—gobeithio y byddech chi'n cytuno â mi yn hynny o beth—y tu hwnt i'r naw uchaf. Nid wyf i'n awgrymu diystyru unrhyw un o'r naw prif grŵp blaenoriaeth, ond o ran yr heddlu neu'r athrawon neu'r rhai eraill sy'n wynebu'r cyhoedd wrth weithio, a wnewch chi egluro sut ydych chi'n bwriadu ehangu'r rhestr flaenoriaeth honno i gynnwys rhai y mae angen eu hamddiffyn fwyaf, y tu allan i'r grwpiau blaenoriaeth sydd gennym ni nawr?
Rwyf am orffen gyda chymhariaeth o fyd chwaraeon. Mae pobl wedi cymharu sut mae pethau'n mynd gyda'r brechu yng Nghymru gyda gwledydd eraill y DU. Mae'n naturiol bod pobl yn gwneud hynny—rydym ni wedi bod ar ei hôl hi. Mae Prif Weinidog Cymru wedi dweud nad ras yw hon, mai marathon ydyw ac nid sbrint. Mae rhedwyr marathon eiddgar yn sbrintio o ddechrau'r ras, ac mae'r rhai sy'n fuddugol yn sbrintio am y 26 milltir i gyd, fwy neu lai. Nid sôn yr ydwyf i am ras i wneud yn well na gwledydd eraill—nid yw hynny yma nac acw—ond mae angen inni gael gwybod ein bod yn llamu ymlaen cyn gynted ag y gallwn ni, er lles dinasyddion Cymru, ac mae'r cyflymder yn hanfodol.
Thank you for your comments and questions. Just to make clear, I've said repeatedly that this is a race against the virus; it's a marathon effort, over many months, and we all want to move as quickly as possible. I don't think I can be any clearer about the approach of the Welsh Government and the direction that our national health service is taking. I really do think we should all be very proud of what our staff are doing—staff who are under pressure. As ever, there are times when criticism of the programme can be taken personally by staff. I appreciate that most Members will say they're not criticising staff, they're criticising me as the Minister, but there is a need to think about the entirely legitimate question that Members will have for me and for health board leadership and the impact that has on our staff who are working under incredible pressures.
Diolch i chi am eich sylwadau a'ch cwestiynau. Er eglurder, rwyf wedi dweud dro ar ôl tro mai ras yn erbyn y feirws yw hon; marathon o ymdrech yw hi, dros fisoedd lawer, ac rydym i gyd yn dyheu am symud cyn gynted â phosibl. Nid wyf i'n credu y gallaf i fod yn fwy eglur o ran dull gweithredu Llywodraeth Cymru na'r cyfeiriad y mae ein gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol ni'n ei gymryd. Rwy'n credu mewn gwirionedd y dylai'r hyn y mae ein staff ni'n ei wneud—staff sydd dan bwysau—fod yn destun balchder i ni i gyd. Fel ym mhob achos, mae yna adegau pan fydd beirniadaeth o'r rhaglen yn achos gofid personol i'r staff. Rwy'n sylweddoli y bydd y rhan fwyaf o'r Aelodau yn dweud nad ydynt yn beirniadu'r staff, fy meirniadu i fel Gweinidog y maen nhw, ond mae angen ystyried y cwestiwn cwbl ddilys sydd gan yr Aelodau i mi ac i arweinwyr y byrddau iechyd ac effaith hynny ar ein staff ni sy'n gweithio dan bwysau aruthrol.
Turning to your first point about spring, spring is the season and it's not a never-ending season. So, you won't have this sort of idea, as David Jones, when he was in the Welsh Office, suggested, that spring and summer actually then went on, at some point, into the autumn and the winter. The reason why we've given spring as an outline timescale is that that really is part of where we are with vaccine supply. If I had absolute certainty of vaccine supply through to the end of April, I could probably give you a much clearer timescale. But some of those are uncertainties. To be fair, I don't think the UK Government are going to be able to give me a cast-iron guarantee on all deliveries up to the end of April right now. We'll give more detail, as we review the plan, about when in the spring we think we'll be able to complete all of the phase 1 priorities. But, just to give some reassurance, by the end of spring is when we expect to do that.
If there is a challenge in vaccine supply, if there is a challenge in delivery, then we're completely upfront about that. You'll recall that we had a COVID outbreak in the Cardiff mass vaccination centre. We lost more than two days of delivery, because the outbreak had to be dealt with, the place had to be cleaned and staff who weren't contacts had to be brought in to continue running the centre. So, it is always possible that events will intervene, it is always possible that supply will intervene, but if there are any of those challenges, we'll be absolutely upfront about what the position is and, crucially, what we are still able to do to make sure the programme carries on.
In terms of the significant detail that you're asking for in terms of daily figures, I just don't think that is the priority issue for us at this point in time on a daily basis. We'll have weekly detail that will give much greater colour about the delivery of the programme, and I am sure that, once people are used to that weekly set of data, people will be ready to ask questions and to look at what that data provides in detail. If I were to try to make a choice to say that I wanted that level of detail on a daily basis, we'd need to put more time, energy and effort into data entry and to analysis to get it right, and I think we'd end up having to give significant caveats about the information. There's a choice about whether that investment in data entry to meet with the Member's demands for individual daily accounting is the right choice, as opposed to wanting to have a greater focus and priority on the delivery end. But there will be regular information each week that we'll provide to Members and the wider public.
On your point about prioritisation—I've been asked this question a couple of times—there appears to be a handful of examples that I think health boards have looked at to understand what's going on. I don't have any problem at all with end-of-day doses, to make sure they're not wasted, being offered to health or care staff who are nearby, or, indeed, to the public. I don't think that's the greatest policy question that I need to address as the Minister with the responsibility for vaccine delivery. My concern is that we adhere to the prioritisation list we've got, that we make sure that we don't have leaking of people coming into that group who are, somehow, gaming the system, which is a concern that I've had. Some people have expressed to me that, somehow, they've been able to jump the queue in a way that isn't simply about a handful of doses left at the end of the day that I don't think anyone has any particular concern about. I've checked again with health boards, and my understanding is that they are running through the prioritisation list properly. But it's up to all of us to do the right thing, and if you're offered a link to jump the queue over other people who are undertaking patient-facing work, there's a responsibility on you not to queue jump and put yourself ahead of other people who are putting themselves in harm's way each and every day on our behalf.
When it comes to seven-day working, we are already seeing lots of working over the weekend, and I do expect that every health board will be undertaking some seven-day working in the vaccine delivery programme. I hope that's helpful, just to be straight about that. General practitioners are working with health boards on priority delivery. They're also working with local government. Every health board and set of local government partners are meeting over the coming days, if they haven't met already, to run through the detail of their programme. They'll be able to go through what they're able to do with primary care to make sure they have appropriate premises, because, as I said, many primary care premises will be fit-for-purpose premises to run a vaccination centre from—a local one. Some of them, though—and we'll all be aware of those general practitioners who are working from, essentially, converted terraced houses—may not be appropriate in terms of a venue for vaccination. But this is about how we have appropriate venues within local communities that are in much easier reach for people to allow access and an increase in volume and pace.
When it comes to the question about occupational groups and the priority list, I think I've been very clear about this and I'm happy to reiterate the position. We have from the JCVI an endorsed list of priority groups that will help us to avoid 99 per cent of avoidable mortality—that's phase 1. If we add into that groups who are outside that, then what we will do is we will deprioritise people who are in the most vulnerable group. Whether it's teachers, police officers or any other group, if they come into phase 1, then someone else will be deprioritised who is of greater need. Think about it this way: if you're thirteenth in a queue, and you move up to tenth place, then you can't say, 'I'm not asking for anyone to be deprioritised, I just want to go to tenth.' The people who are ahead of you are now behind you. And the very clear advice we have had is that if we were to do that, for whichever the group of front-line workers it is, then that would mean that we would knowingly be making a choice that would put other people at risk, and that would cause avoidable hospitalisation and mortality.
I'm grateful to the Member for raising the point, and I would reiterate that that's why we have this approach. It's not a finger in the wind list, it really is about protecting the public and about saving lives. I know that the Member understands that and will support that approach; other voices, of course, have taken a different view and have demanded that we take an entirely different approach. I hope Members across the political spectrum understand that's the choice we're making. That's the decision that I have made here in Wales, and I'm not going to make an alternative choice that may keep an individual group of stakeholders happy for a few minutes, but what I'm sure will cause much greater concern and consternation and, frankly, to avoidable mortality.
Gan droi at eich pwynt cyntaf chi ynglŷn â'r gwanwyn, tymor yw'r gwanwyn ac nid yw'n dymor sydd byth yn darfod. Felly, ni fydd gennych chi syniad fel hyn, fel yr awgrymodd David Jones pan oedd ef yn y Swyddfa Gymreig, fod y gwanwyn a'r haf yn para wedyn, rywsut, tan yr hydref a'r gaeaf. Y rheswm pam rydym ni wedi nodi'r gwanwyn fel amserlen amlinellol yw bod hynny'n rhan wirioneddol o'n sefyllfa ni o ran cyflenwad y brechlynnau. Pe bai gennyf i sicrwydd llwyr o'r cyflenwad o frechlynnau hyd at ddiwedd mis Ebrill, mae'n debyg y gallwn ni roi amserlen lawer cliriach ichi. Ond fe geir peth ansicrwydd ynglŷn â hyn. A bod yn deg, nid wyf i'n credu y byddai Llywodraeth y DU yn gallu rhoi gwarant cwbl gadarn imi ar hyn o bryd o bob cludiad a ddaw cyn diwedd mis Ebrill. Fe fyddwn ni'n rhoi mwy o fanylion, wrth inni adolygu'r cynllun, ynghylch pryd yn y gwanwyn y byddwn ni'n credu y gallwn gwblhau'r holl flaenoriaethau yng ngham 1. Ond, er mwyn rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd, rydym ni yn disgwyl gwneud hynny cyn diwedd y gwanwyn.
Pe byddai yna her gyda'r cyflenwad o frechlynnau, pe byddai her o ran y gweinyddu, rydym ni am fod yn gwbl agored ynglŷn â hynny. Rydych chi'n cofio i ni gael achos o COVID yng nghanolfan frechu torfol Caerdydd. Fe wnaethom ni golli mwy na dau ddiwrnod o weinyddu, oherwydd fe fu'n rhaid ymdrin â'r achos hwnnw, fe fu'n rhaid glanhau'r safle a bu'n rhaid dod â staff i mewn nad oedd â chysylltiadau er mwyn parhau i redeg y ganolfan. Felly, mae'n bosibl bob amser i ddigwyddiadau ymyrryd, mae'n bosibl bob amser y bydd toriad yn y cyflenwad, ond pe byddai yna unrhyw her fel hynny, rydym ni am fod yn gwbl agored ynglŷn â'r sefyllfa honno ac, yn hollbwysig, ynglŷn â'r hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud er hynny i sicrhau parhad y rhaglen.
O ran y manylion sylweddol yr ydych yn gofyn amdanyn nhw o ran ffigurau dyddiol, nid wyf i o'r farn mai honno yw'r flaenoriaeth i ni bob dydd ar hyn o bryd. Fe fydd gennym ni fanylion wythnosol a fydd yn rhoi llawer mwy o fanylion o ran cyflwyniad y rhaglen, ac rwy'n siŵr, pan fydd pobl wedi dod yn gyfarwydd â'r gyfres wythnosol honno o ddata, y byddant yn barod i ofyn cwestiynau a chraffu ar yr hyn y mae'r data hyn yn ei gyfleu yn fanwl. Pe byddwn i'n ceisio dweud fy mod i'n dewis gweld y gyfradd honno o fanylder bob dydd, fe fyddai angen rhoi mwy o amser, egni ac ymdrech i hynny wrth olrhain y data a'u dadansoddi nhw i wneud cyfiawnder â'r gwaith, ac rwy'n amau y byddai'n rhaid inni roi amodau sylweddol ynglŷn â'r wybodaeth yn y pen draw. Mae'n rhaid gofyn ai'r dewis cywir yw buddsoddi mewn cofnodi data i fodloni gofynion yr Aelod ynglŷn ag ystadegau pob diwrnod unigol, neu a ydym yn dymuno gweld mwy o ganolbwyntio a blaenoriaeth o ran gweinyddu'r brechlyn. Ond fe fydd yna wybodaeth reolaidd yn wythnosol y byddwn ni'n ei darparu i Aelodau a'r cyhoedd yn fwy eang.
O ran eich pwynt chi am flaenoriaethu—fe ofynnwyd y cwestiwn hwn i mi sawl tro—mae'n ymddangos mai rhyw ddyrnaid o enghreifftiau ydyn nhw y mae'r byrddau iechyd wedi edrych arnynt i ddeall beth sy'n digwydd, yn fy marn i. Nid oes gennyf i unrhyw broblem o gwbl gyda dosau ar derfyn dydd, i sicrhau nad ydyn nhw'n cael eu gwastraffu, yn cael eu cynnig i staff iechyd neu ofal sydd o gwmpas, neu, yn wir, i'r cyhoedd. Nid wyf i o'r farn mai hwnnw yw'r cwestiwn mwyaf o ran polisi y mae angen imi fynd i'r afael ag ef fel y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am weinyddu brechlynnau. Fy ngwaith i yw sicrhau ein bod ni'n cadw at y rhestr flaenoriaethu sydd gennym ni, ein bod ni'n sicrhau nad oes gennym bobl yn sleifio i'r grŵp hwnnw, rywsut, drwy dwyllo'r system, sydd wedi bod yn ofid i mi. Mae rhai pobl wedi dweud wrthyf eu bod nhw, rywsut, wedi gallu neidio'r ciw mewn ffordd sydd â dim i'w wneud â dyrnaid o ddosau ar derfyn dydd, rhywbeth nad wyf i'n credu y bydd unrhyw un yn poeni'n arbennig amdano. Rwyf i wedi gofyn i'r byrddau iechyd unwaith eto, a'm dealltwriaeth i yw eu bod nhw'n dilyn y rhestr o flaenoriaethu mewn ffordd briodol. Ond mater i bob un ohonom ni yw ymddwyn yn egwyddorol, ac os oes yna ddolen yn cael ei chynnig ichi ar gyfer neidio'r ciw dros bobl eraill sy'n wynebu cleifion wrth eu gwaith, mae'r cyfrifoldeb arnoch chi i beidio â gwneud hynny a mynd o flaen pobl eraill sy'n rhoi eu hunain mewn perygl bob dydd ar ein rhan ni.
O ran gweithio am saith diwrnod yr wythnos, rydym yn gweld llawer o weithio dros benwythnosau eisoes, ac rwy'n disgwyl y bydd pob bwrdd iechyd yn gweithio am saith diwrnod o bryd i'w gilydd yn ystod y rhaglen gweinyddu brechlynnau. Rwy'n gobeithio bod hynny o fudd, i egluro hynny. Mae meddygon teulu yn gweithio gyda byrddau iechyd o ran cyflenwi o ran y blaenoriaethau. Maen nhw'n gweithio gyda llywodraeth leol hefyd. Fe fydd pob bwrdd iechyd a detholiad o bartneriaid llywodraeth leol yn cyfarfod dros y dyddiau nesaf, os nad ydyn nhw wedi cyfarfod yn barod, i fynd trwy fanylion eu rhaglen nhw. Fe fyddan nhw'n gallu mynd drwy'r hyn y gallan nhw ei wneud gyda gofal sylfaenol i sicrhau bod ganddyn nhw safleoedd sy'n addas, oherwydd, fel y dywedais i, fe fydd llawer o safleoedd gofal sylfaenol yn adeiladau addas at y diben o redeg canolfan frechu—un leol. Er hynny, efallai na fydd rhai ohonyn nhw—ac rydym ni i gyd yn ymwybodol o'r meddygon teulu sy'n gweithio o feddygfa a addaswyd yn wreiddiol o res o dai teras—yn briodol fel lleoliad ar gyfer brechu. Ond mae hyn yn ymwneud â pha leoliadau addas sydd gennym ni mewn cymunedau lleol sy'n hygyrch i bobl fel y ceir cynnydd o ran niferoedd a chyflymder.
O ran y cwestiwn ynglŷn â grwpiau galwedigaethol a'r rhestr flaenoriaethau, rwy'n credu imi fod yn eglur iawn yn hyn o beth ac rwy'n hapus i egluro'r sefyllfa unwaith eto. Mae gennym ni restr o grwpiau blaenoriaeth oddi wrth y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu a gafodd ei gymeradwyo ganddo a fydd yn ein helpu ni o ran 99 y cant o'r marwolaethau y gellir eu hosgoi—dyna yw cam 1. Pe byddem ni'n ychwanegu at honno rai nad ydyn nhw ar y rhestr, yna fe fyddem ni'n amddifadu pobl sydd yn y grŵp mwyaf agored i niwed. Felly, o ran athrawon, swyddogion yr heddlu neu'n unrhyw grŵp arall, os rhoddir lle iddyn nhw ar gam 1, fe fyddai rhywun arall sydd â mwy o angen yn cael ei amddifadu. Meddyliwch chi am y peth fel hyn: os ydych chi'n drydydd ar ddeg yn y ciw, a'ch bod chi'n cael eich symud i'r degfed lle, ni allwch chi ddweud wedyn, 'Nid wyf i'n galw am amddifadu neb, dim ond i mi gael bod yn ddegfed.' Mae'r rhai a oedd o'ch blaen chi y tu ôl ichi erbyn hyn. A'r cyngor eglur iawn a gawsom ni yw pe byddem ni'n gwneud hynny, ar gyfer pa grŵp o weithwyr rheng flaen bynnag, yna fe fyddai hynny'n golygu y byddem ni'n gwneud dewis bwriadol a fyddai'n rhoi pobl eraill mewn perygl, ac fe fyddai hynny'n achosi anfon cleifion i'r ysbyty a marwolaethau y gellir eu hosgoi.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Aelod am godi'r pwynt, ac fe fyddwn innau'n ailadrodd mai dyna pam mai'r dull hwn sydd gennym ni. Nid penderfyniad mympwyol mohono, mae'n ymwneud mewn gwirionedd â diogelu'r cyhoedd ac achub bywydau. Fe wn i fod yr Aelod yn deall hynny ac y bydd ef yn cefnogi'r dull hwn; mae yna leisiau eraill, wrth gwrs, sy'n mynegi safbwynt arall ac wedi mynnu ein bod ni'n defnyddio dull hollol wahanol. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Aelodau o bob lliw gwleidyddol yn deall mai hwnnw yw'r dewis yr ydym ni'n ei wneud. Dyna'r penderfyniad a wneuthum i yma yng Nghymru, ac nid wyf i'n mynd i wneud dewis arall a fyddai o bosibl yn cadw grŵp unigol o randdeiliaid yn hapus am ychydig funudau. Fe fyddai hynny, rwy'n siŵr, yn achosi llawer mwy o ofid a dryswch ac, a dweud y gwir, yn arwain at farwolaethau y gellid eu hosgoi.
Thank you. We've had two questions and we're two thirds of the way through the allocated time for the statement, so if I could just gently remind people about the need to get everybody in. I've got quite a few speakers. Alun Davies.
Diolch. Rydym ni wedi cael dau gwestiwn ac mae dwy ran o dair o'r amser a neilltuwyd ar gyfer y datganiad wedi mynd, felly a gaf i atgoffa' pobl yn garedig am yr angen i gynnwys pawb. Mae gen i gryn dipyn o siaradwyr. Alun Davies.
I'm grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer. I have two questions. The first relates to the speed at which those over 70 and with a condition that makes them clinically vulnerable will be offered a vaccine because they will be, clearly, at elevated risk, and it's important that we're able to address those. But also people who share households with people who would not fit into one of those vulnerable groups, but, clearly, the household is a single family unit, and if we are vaccinating one part of that unit, it seems to make sense intuitively to vaccinate the whole of that family unit to provide that protection around a vulnerable individual.
The second question is about unpaid carers. We all know that unpaid carers are the great army of people who take care of some of the most vulnerable people in this country. What is the place of unpaid carers? I think, if there's a gap in this strategy, it is those people who are taking care of vulnerable adults and children everyday.
And finally, Minister, members of staff at special schools. I noticed that you were saying that those staff who do provide care—intimate care—and support for children and children who are particularly vulnerable in special schools will be a part of the priority list. And I was wondering where they would be within that, and when they could expect to receive a vaccine. Thank you.
Diolch i chi, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae gennyf i ddau gwestiwn. Mae'r cyntaf yn ymwneud â pha mor gyflym y bydd y rhai dros 70 oed sydd â chyflwr sy'n eu gwneud nhw'n agored i niwed clinigol yn cael cynnig brechlyn oherwydd fe fyddan nhw, yn amlwg, mewn mwy o berygl, ac mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n gallu ymdrin â'r rhain. Ond hefyd y bobl hynny sy'n rhannu aelwyd â'r bobl hynny na fydden nhw'n perthyn i un o'r grwpiau agored i niwed hynny, ond, yn amlwg, mae'r aelwyd yn un uned deuluol, ac os ydym am frechu un rhan o'r uned honno, mae'n ymddangos ei bod yn gwneud synnwyr yn reddfol i frechu'r uned deuluol gyfan honno er mwyn diogelu'r unigolyn sy'n agored i niwed.
Mae'r ail gwestiwn yn ymwneud â gofalwyr nad ydyn nhw'n cael eu talu. Mae pawb ohonom yn gwybod mai gofalwyr nad ydyn nhw'n cael eu talu yw'r fyddin enfawr o bobl sy'n gofalu am rai o'r bobl fwyaf agored i niwed yn y wlad hon. Beth yw safle'r gofalwyr di-dâl? Yn fy marn i, os oes yna fwlch yn y strategaeth hon, mae'n golygu'r rheini sy'n gofalu bob dydd am oedolion a phlant sy'n agored i niwed.
Ac yn olaf, Gweinidog, aelodau staff mewn ysgolion arbennig. Fe nodais eich bod chi'n dweud y bydd y staff sy'n darparu gofal—gofal personol—a chymorth i blant a phlant sy'n arbennig o agored i niwed mewn ysgolion arbennig yn cael eu cynnwys ar y rhestr flaenoriaeth. Tybed beth fyddai eu safle nhw ar y rhestr honno, a phryd y gallen nhw ddisgwyl cael eu brechu. Diolch.
Thank you for the questions.
So, on the speed of the over-70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable, otherwise known as the shielded group of people, we're expecting to have offered all of those their vaccination by the middle of February. That is for them as opposed to the whole household. We have asked, and there have been a number of questions that have gone back to the JCVI around the space, including the question on unpaid carers. They'll continue to look at the evidence of how we can provide the greatest benefit in terms of avoiding harm and mortality. But I understand entirely the case that is made around unpaid carers. It is entirely possible we'll see some revised advice, because that's exactly what happened with special school staff who provide intimate care: we looked again. And they're analogous, essentially, to social care staff who provide intimate care as well. So, they will be prioritised within this first phase group, and so we will be looking to make sure that they receive offers of vaccination. It's a relatively discrete group of staff, and that is because their care is directly analogous with the care that you would expect some front-line health and care workers to provide.
I'll ask again with our chief medical officer about the questions we've gone back to the JCVI about, both questions, but my understanding is that, on unpaid carers, they'll come in in priority groups; they may be in a different priority and will get into the second phase. A number of those carers, if they fit into other categories in the first phase, will be vaccinated according to that category. We know that a number of unpaid carers are actually within the age profiles we're currently dealing with in phase 1, but not all of them will be. So, we're looking at whether there's a way to describe them in a way that people will understand, that the NHS will be able to meet and match, and provide the reassurance that I know that the Member is seeking, and quite rightly is asking on behalf of his constituents.
Diolch i chi am y cwestiynau.
Felly, ynglŷn ag amseriad y rhai dros 70 oed a'r rhai sy'n agored iawn i niwed yn glinigol, sef y bobl a warchodir, rydym ni'n disgwyl cynnig brechlyn i bawb ohonynt erbyn canol mis Chwefror. Mae hynny ar eu cyfer nhw yn hytrach na'u haelwyd gyfan. Rydym ni wedi holi, ac aeth nifer o gwestiynau yn ôl i'r JCVI ynglŷn â'r bylchau, gan gynnwys y cwestiwn am ofalwyr di-dâl. Fe fyddan nhw'n parhau i edrych ar y dystiolaeth o ran sut y gallwn ni wneud y buddiant mwyaf o ran osgoi niwed a marwolaethau. Ond rwy'n deall yn llwyr yr achos a wneir ynghylch gofalwyr di-dâl. Mae'n gwbl bosibl y byddwn ni'n gweld rhywfaint o gyngor diwygiedig, oherwydd dyna'n union a ddigwyddodd gyda staff ysgolion arbennig sy'n rhoi gofal personol: fe wnaethom ni ailystyried. Ac maen nhw'n gyfatebol, yn y bôn, i staff gofal cymdeithasol sy'n rhoi gofal personol hefyd. Felly, fe fyddan nhw'n cael blaenoriaeth o fewn y grŵp cam cyntaf hwn, ac fe fyddwn ni'n ceisio sicrhau eu bod nhw'n cael y cynnig i gael eu brechu. Mae hwn yn grŵp ar wahân o staff, a hynny oherwydd bod eu gofal nhw'n cyfateb yn uniongyrchol â'r gofal y byddech chi'n disgwyl i rai gweithwyr iechyd a gofal rheng flaen ei roi.
Fe fyddaf i'n holi'r prif swyddog meddygol eto ynglŷn â'r ddau gwestiwn yr aethom yn ôl â nhw i'r JCVI, ond fy nealltwriaeth i yw y byddan nhw, o ran gofalwyr di-dâl, yn cael eu cynnwys mewn grwpiau blaenoriaeth; fe allan nhw gael blaenoriaeth wahanol ac fe fyddan nhw'n mynd i'r ail gam. Fe fydd nifer o'r gofalwyr hynny, os ydyn nhw'n perthyn i gategorïau eraill yn y cam cyntaf, yn cael eu brechu yn ôl y categori hwnnw. Fe wyddom fod nifer o ofalwyr di-dâl mewn gwirionedd o fewn y proffiliau oedran yr ydym ni'n ymdrin â nhw yng ngham 1 ar hyn o bryd, ond nid pob un ohonyn nhw. Felly, rydym yn ystyried a oes yna ffordd o'u disgrifio mewn modd y bydd pobl yn ei ddeall, ac y bydd y GIG yn gallu ei fodloni a'i ateb, a rhoi'r sicrwydd y gwn y mae'r Aelod yn ei geisio ac yn gofyn amdano ar ran ei etholwyr, a hynny'n briodol iawn.
Thank you for your statement, Minister, and I'd like to take a moment to thank all the scientists and volunteers who've made it possible for us to be discussing this vaccination programme. Yesterday marked one year since the first ever recorded death from COVID-19, and in just 12 months we have approved three vaccines. This is truly remarkable. Minister, how will you be monitoring the effectiveness of the vaccine over time, especially as the period between doses is vastly different from that undertaken during phase 3 trials?
I, too, am concerned about vaccines being wasted due to people not attending, so I am concerned about what plans you have to minimise the wastage. Have you considered just having a list of people, especially teachers or police officers, who could be called in at the end of the day to be vaccinated, ensuring not a single dose of this precious resource goes to waste?
Finally, Minister, how will you ensure that people receiving their second dose will be given the same vaccine as their first dose? We have to ensure that we receive sufficient supplies of each vaccine to guarantee that there will be no mixing of different vaccines. And finally, how will you be monitoring this and what arrangements have you made with the UK Government to secure additional doses of a particular vaccine if required? Diolch yn fawr. Thank you.
Diolch am eich datganiad, Gweinidog, ac fe hoffwn i gymryd ennyd i ddiolch i'r holl wyddonwyr a'r gwirfoddolwyr sydd wedi ei gwneud hi'n bosibl inni allu trafod y rhaglen frechu hon. Ddoe, roedd yn flwyddyn i'r diwrnod ers y farwolaeth gyntaf erioed o COVID-19, ac mewn dim ond 12 mis rydym wedi cymeradwyo tri brechlyn. Mae hyn yn wirioneddol ryfeddol. Gweinidog, sut fyddwch chi'n monitro effeithiolrwydd y brechlyn dros amser, yn enwedig gan fod y cyfnod rhwng dosau yn wahanol iawn i'r hyn a gynhaliwyd yn ystod treialon cam 3?
Rwyf innau hefyd yn pryderu am wastraffu brechlynnau oherwydd nad yw pobl yn cadw at apwyntiadau, felly rwy'n pryderu o ran pa gynlluniau sydd gennych chi i leihau'r gwastraff. A ydych chi wedi ystyried cael rhestr o bobl, yn enwedig athrawon neu swyddogion yr heddlu, y gellid eu galw nhw i mewn i gael eu brechu ar derfyn dydd, gan sicrhau nad oes yr un dos o'r adnodd gwerthfawr hwn yn mynd yn wastraff?
Yn olaf, Gweinidog, sut ydych chi am sicrhau y bydd pobl sy'n cael eu hail ddos yn cael yr un brechlyn â'u dos cyntaf? Mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod gennym ddigon o gyflenwad o bob brechlyn unigol i warantu na fydd brechlynnau amrywiol yn cael eu cymysgu. Ac yn olaf, sut ydych chi am fonitro hyn a pha drefniadau a wnaethoch chi gyda Llywodraeth y DU i wneud yn siŵr fod yna ddosau ychwanegol o frechlyn penodol pe byddai angen? Diolch yn fawr. Diolch i chi.
Thank you for the questions. On the second dose being the same as the first in terms of the type of vaccine, that is certainly what our plan is. I saw a rather unhelpful New York Times suggestion we might mix them, and that's never been the approach we've planned to take here in Wales, and at this point in time, we don't have an issue with supply. If there was a need to do that, then, I am more than happy, prepared and capable of going to the UK vaccines Minister to make sure that we get the right amount of supply to make sure the second dose can be delivered. We'll be able to have that information, to not just rapidly, but safely deliver doses of the vaccine through the Welsh immunisation service, again, built from scratch here in Wales by our staff.
On wastage, there is already a call-in approach, so health boards already have a backstop approach to the end of the day if there is unnecessary wastage. Actually, our wastage figures are very good, and I expect that'll be part of the weekly information that we provide. We think we can provide a useful figure on wastage that should show very low levels of wastage, and, again, that's credit to the staff delivering the programme.
In terms of having more to learn and the effectiveness over time of the impact of the vaccines, well, of course, we'll learn much of that as we deploy them. We think, from the evidence that we've been provided, delivering the vaccine to the first phase group of people and once we get through all of them will deal with 99 per cent of avoidable hospitalisations and mortality. That, in itself, will make a significant difference to where we are. We'll then learn more about the longevity of the vaccine and issues about transmission, if you've had the vaccine or not, as we move through time. But, as ever, our knowledge base is not complete. We can be confident that we have vaccines that are effective, are providing a high protection in the first dose, but much more to learn for all of us in the months ahead.
Diolch am y cwestiynau. O ran bod yr ail ddos yn defnyddio'r un math o frechlyn â'r dos cyntaf, yn sicr dyna yw ein bwriad ni. Fe welais i awgrym braidd yn ddi-fudd yn y New York Times y gellid eu cymysgu nhw, ac ni fu hynny erioed yn fwriad yng Nghymru, ac ar hyn o bryd, nid oes gennym broblem gyda chyflenwad. Pe byddai angen gwneud felly, yna rwy'n fwy na bodlon, parod ac abl i fynd at Weinidog brechlynnau y DU i sicrhau ein bod yn cael y swm cywir o'r cyflenwad ar gyfer rhoi'r ail ddos. Fe fyddwn yn gallu cael yr wybodaeth honno, nid yn unig yn gyflym, ond i roi dosau o'r brechlyn yn ddiogel drwy wasanaeth imiwneiddio Cymru, unwaith eto, a adeiladwyd o'r newydd gan ein gweithwyr ni yma yng Nghymru.
O ran gwastraff, mae yna drefn galw i mewn eisoes yn bodoli, felly mae gan y byrddau iechyd ddull wrth gefn eisoes ar derfyn dydd pe bai yna wastraff diangen. Yn wir, mae ein ffigurau ni'n dda iawn o ran gwastraff, ac rwy'n disgwyl y bydd hynny'n rhan o'r wybodaeth wythnosol y byddwn ni'n ei rhoi. Rydym yn credu y gallwn ddarparu ffigur defnyddiol ar wastraff ac fe ddylai hwnnw ddangos lefelau gwastraff isel iawn, ac, unwaith eto, mae hynny'n glod i'r staff sy'n cyflwyno'r rhaglen.
O ran bod â mwy i'w ddysgu ac effeithiolrwydd y brechlynnau ymhen amser, wel, wrth gwrs, fe fyddwn ni'n dysgu llawer wrth inni eu defnyddio. Rydym yn credu, o'r dystiolaeth a gawsom, pan fyddwn wedi rhoi'r brechlyn i bawb sydd yn y grŵp o bobl yn y cam cyntaf y bydd hynny'n ymdrin â 99 y cant o'r achosion o gleifion yn cael eu derbyn i ysbyty a'r marwolaethau y gellir eu hosgoi. Fe fydd hynny, ynddo'i hunan, yn gwneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol i'n sefyllfa ni. Fe fyddwn ni'n dysgu mwy wedyn am hirhoedledd y brechlyn a'r materion sy'n ymwneud â throsglwyddiad, os ydych chi wedi cael y brechlyn neu beidio, gyda threigl amser. Ond, fel bob amser, nid yw ein sylfaen wybodaeth yn gyflawn eto. Gallwn fod yn hyderus bod gennym frechlynnau sy'n effeithiol, ac sy'n cynnig amddiffyniad uchel yn y dos cyntaf, ond mae gan bob un ohonom ni lawer i'w ddysgu eto yn y misoedd i ddod.
Minister, I'm going to take you back to the phase 2 prioritisation if I may, as you didn't quite answer Andrew R.T.'s question on this. I don't think any of us are suggesting that that the phase 1 roll-out be re-prioritised in any way, but I want to know whether you're personally sympathetic to the argument that school staff should be within the phase 2 prioritisation alongside those for which we've already had some indication. I appreciate what you say about JCVI, but towards the end of that prioritisation list, it seems to be mainly about age. All Governments are saying that schools should be the last to close and first to open, so I'd be grateful to hear from you on that.
And then secondly, quickly, with the question that Alun Davies raised about staff providing intimate care for pupils in special schools, can you tell us whether there was a reason why this wasn't rolled out to mainstream schools where staff also have to administer intimate care to those children who need it? Thank you.
Gweinidog, rwyf am fynd â chi yn ôl at flaenoriaethu cam 2 os caf i, gan na wnaethoch ateb cwestiwn Andrew R.T. ynglŷn â hyn. Nid wyf yn credu bod unrhyw un ohonom ni'n awgrymu y dylid ail-flaenoriaethu'r broses o gyflwyno cam 1 mewn unrhyw ffordd, ond rwy'n awyddus i wybod a ydych chi'n bersonol yn cydymdeimlo â'r ddadl y dylai staff ysgol fod o fewn y blaenoriaethu cam 2 ochr yn ochr â'r rhai yr ydym eisoes wedi cael rhyw syniad ohonyn nhw. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'r hyn a ddywedwch chi am y JCVI, ond tua diwedd y rhestr flaenoriaeth honno, mae'n ymddangos ei bod yn ymwneud ag oedran yn bennaf. Mae pob Llywodraeth yn dweud mai ysgolion ddylai fod y rhai diwethaf i gau a'r cyntaf i agor, felly fe fyddwn i'n falch o gael clywed rhywbeth gennych chi am hynny.
Ac yna'n ail, yn gyflym, gyda'r cwestiwn a gododd Alun Davies am staff yn rhoi gofal personol i ddisgyblion mewn ysgolion arbennig, a wnewch chi ddweud wrthym a oedd yna reswm pam na chafodd hyn ei gyflwyno mewn ysgolion prif ffrwd lle mae'n rhaid i'r staff roi gofal personol i'r plant hynny sydd ei angen yn y fan honno hefyd? Diolch.
Thank you for the questions. To be fair, I think the question about the phase 2 roll-out was confused at the start, and in terms of the phase 2 roll-out and the question about school staff, of course I'm sympathetic to a range of occupational groups who are working as key workers to keep all of us safe. In particular whilst we're staying at home, we're relying on groups of people to maintain some sense of normality in these extraordinary times. I also have sympathy for people who work in the police and other services, but the priority list is all about how we save lives.
When it comes to phase 2, as I made clear in my statement, we don't yet have advice from the JCVI or our chief medical officers on prioritisation within that second phase. And I will be interested in the evidence on how we can avoid the greatest harm, how we can go as quickly as possible to protect the adult population. But to give you an idea of the sort of differential rate that we are dealing with, the deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, indicated to Ministers across the four nations in a call not that long ago that 43 vaccinations of care home residents would probably save one life, about 100 vaccinations of the over-80s will save one life; to save one life of a teacher who is under 30 without additional vulnerabilities, you need to vaccinate 62,000 people. So, it really does reiterate why we've got prioritisation of the groups we currently have. And when we get into the second phase, we can be confident that we are vaccinating people where there is still a risk, but the risk is much lower. And so that's why we have our priority list approach and that's why we're taking the approach of prioritisation for staff within that.
Diolch am y cwestiynau. A bod yn deg, rwy'n credu bod y cwestiwn am gyflwyno cam 2 yn ddryslyd ar y dechrau, ac o ran cyflwyno cam 2 a'r cwestiwn am staff ysgol, wrth gwrs rwy'n cydymdeimlo ag amrywiaeth o grwpiau galwedigaethol sy'n gweithio fel gweithwyr allweddol i gadw pob un ohonom yn ddiogel. Yn benodol, er ein bod ni'n aros gartref, rydym yn dibynnu ar grwpiau o bobl i gynnal rhywfaint o normalrwydd yn y cyfnod eithriadol hwn. Mae gennyf i gydymdeimlad hefyd â phobl sy'n gweithio yn yr heddlu a gwasanaethau eraill, ond mae'r rhestr flaenoriaeth yn ymwneud â sut yr ydym ni'n achub bywydau.
O ran cam 2, fel y dywedais i'n eglur yn fy natganiad i, nid ydym eto wedi cael cyngor gan y JCVI na'n prif swyddogion meddygol ni ar flaenoriaethu yn ystod yr ail gam hwnnw. Ac fe fydd y dystiolaeth ynglŷn â sut y gallwn ni osgoi'r niwed mwyaf, a sut y gallwn fwrw ymlaen cyn gynted â phosibl i ddiogelu'r boblogaeth oedolion o ddiddordeb mawr i mi. Ond i roi syniad i chi o'r cyfraddau gwahaniaethol yr ydym yn ymdrin â nhw ar hyn o bryd, fe ddywedodd y dirprwy brif swyddog meddygol, Jonathan Van-Tam, wrth Weinidogion ar draws y pedair gwlad mewn galwad nid mor bell yn ôl â hynny y byddai 43 o frechiadau i breswylwyr cartrefi gofal yn arbed un bywyd, mae'n debyg, a byddai tua 100 o frechiadau i bobl dros 80 oed yn achub un bywyd; i achub bywyd un athro sydd dan 30 oed heb fod yn agored i unrhyw niwed ychwanegol, mae angen brechu 62,000 o bobl. Felly, mae hyn yn tanlinellu pam mai'r grwpiau sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd sy'n cael eu blaenoriaethu. A phan fyddwn ni'n dechrau ar yr ail gam, gallwn fod yn hyderus ein bod ni'n brechu pobl lle mae risg yn bodoli o hyd, ond risg sy'n llawer llai. Ac felly dyna pam mae gennym restr flaenoriaeth a dyna pam rydym ni'n mabwysiadu'r dull o flaenoriaethu staff o fewn hwnnw.
Allaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad a hefyd llongyfarch a thalu teyrnged i holl staff y gwasanaeth iechyd sy'n darparu'r gwasanaethau hollol sylfaenol yma sy'n mynd ymlaen? Diolch iddyn nhw i gyd. Mae'r sefyllfa'n ddifrifol, fel y mae'r Gweinidog wedi dweud, a dwi'n credu bod angen gwthio'r brechlyn i mewn i filoedd o bobl fel mater o argyfwng, fel mater o frys. Mae lefel y feirws yn parhau yn uchel iawn yn ein cymunedau. Mae angen gweithredu ar garlam, felly, a sicrhau bod Cymru yn cael ei chyfran deilwng o frechiadau hefyd, achos mae yna ddelwedd allan yna fod Cymru ar ei hôl hi efo'r brechlyn yma, a phobl yn poeni bod y lefelau uchel o'r feirws yn mynd i esgor ar amrywiadau newydd eto o'r feirws fel y mae'r amser yn mynd ymlaen a'r lefelau uchel o'r feirws yn parhau. Mae'n bwysig gweithredu ar garlam felly; a fyddai'r Gweinidog yn cytuno?
May I thank the Minister for his statement and also congratulate and pay tribute to all of those NHS staff who are providing these crucially important services being provided? The situation is grave, as the Minister has said, and I think we need to push the vaccine out to thousands of people as a matter of urgency. The level of the virus remains very high in our communities and we need urgent action to ensure that Wales gets its fair share of the vaccinations, too, because there is a perception out there that Wales is falling behind on vaccination, and people are concerned that the high levels of the virus will bring about new variants again as time progresses and we experience high levels of the virus. It's important that we take urgent action, therefore. Would the Minister agree with me on that?