National Assembly for Wales

Croeso, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn. Cyn i ni ddechrau, dwi angen nodi ychydig o bwyntiau. Cynhelir y cyfarfod hwn ar ffurf hybrid, gyda rhai Aelodau yn y Siambr ac eraill yn ymuno drwy gyswllt fideo. Bydd yr holl Aelodau sy'n cymryd rhan yn y trafodion, ble bynnag y bônt, yn cael eu trin yn gyfartal. 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 ddarpariaethau Rheol Sefydlog 34 yn gymwys ar gyfer y cyfarfod yma heddiw, ac mae'r rheini wedi'u nodi ar eich agenda.

Yr eitem gyntaf yw'r cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Laura Anne Jones.

I’m committed to looking beyond cladding, taking a holistic approach to building safety. This includes changing regulations that govern building control, legislation and addressing existing building safety issues through the Welsh building safety fund. Aluminium composite material cladding removal from the majority of high-rise buildings is completed, with plans in place for all the rest.

Thank you. Llywydd, I'd just like to declare an interest on this issue.

My question to you, Minister, is that I have constituents in buildings that are waiting for their properties to be made safe, as you've just outlined. At the moment, they're waiting for that process, and, in that time, they're not able to sell their properties, upsize—there are a whole host of issues obviously affected by that, and it's affecting the housing market. What are you doing and what active steps are you taking to ensure that that process is speeded up or resolved as soon as possible so that they are able to get those fire certificates so that they can sell their properties? Thank you.

So, I have got a statement just on this next week actually to go into it in more detail, but just to say that we're very committed to making sure that all of the defects in the buildings, not just the ACM cladding, are remedied. So, the ACM cladding, we've sorted that out. The private sector buildings have all got plans in place that are under construction and approved to do that particular bit of it.

In the meantime, we’ve been doing the surveys. We’ve completed all of the desktop exercise surveys and begun the intrusive surveys. Intrusive surveys have to be done, obviously, in conjunction with the people living in the buildings because they are intrusive and therefore we’ve got to be sure that people are happy and they can cope with it in their everyday lives. And as soon as the intrusive surveys are complete on the buildings, then we’ll be able to commission the work to put the buildings right. I will go into a lot more detail next week in my statement rather than pre-announce things today.

Good afternoon, Minister. Last week, I hosted a vigil to mark five years since 72 people lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire, and many more people lost their homes as well. I was grateful to all the Members of the Senedd and campaigners who joined us. I wonder if I could ask about an issue concerning the relationship between the Welsh Government and your colleagues in Westminster. It seems to me that there is a total breakdown in inter-governmental working that has led to Welsh homeowners missing out on key developments in the UK Building Safety Act 2022. And I wonder if you could just outline what these issues are so that Welsh homeowners can have the same access to the same recourse as those in England and that, crucially, developers are required and offer the finance to start urgent and immediate work to put right their failures. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Yes, as I say, I will go into a lot more detail on this next week, because I'll take up the whole of question time if I do it now. But, suffice it to say that, as a result of an inter-ministerial group meeting with Michael Gove, we've made some progress in making sure that we're included in the negotiations with the main developers. Next week, I'll be able to give some more detail of that. The issues that we were unhappy with were the last-minute additions to the Building Safety Act that we had no real time to consider. Although, we did not want to be involved in one aspect of that—that's where the leaseholders are the backstop payees, because we still take the view that leaseholders should not be made to pay for the remediation of the buildings even as a backstop, but I'll go into more detail in my statement next week.

Diolch. Trees provide a wide range of benefits, including carbon storage, biodiversity, flood alleviation and recreation. We have undertaken detailed evaluation of these benefits, including through the environmental and rural affairs modelling and monitoring programme's national forest evidence pack and work on natural capital accounts—sorry, that's hard to say: 'natural capital accounts'.

Diolch am yr ymateb yna.

I think we're all in principle in favour of planting a lot more trees, although, I must say, I have real concern about decisions taken by Welsh Government to buy good agricultural land to plant trees on. But that's not the focus of my question today; it's about protecting the trees we already have. In Holyhead, there's real anger about the plans that have been in place for a decade or so now to fell a large area of woodland at Penrhos, to make way for the construction of a leisure village. Now, the baseline area of outstanding natural beauty assessment report for that leisure development application itself tells us that Anglesey is one of the least wooded counties in the UK. But, at Penrhos, I think something like 27 acres of woodland is earmarked for felling, and it's in a much-loved area, a publicly used area, which will be lost. Does the Government consider it worth while to step in to protect trees, is it willing to take action to protect woodland, or is it just about buying up land to plant new ones?

So, that's quite a complicated set of issues, Rhun, although I appreciate the sentiment and agree with it. So, just on the criticism of land purchased by NRW, we do purchase small amounts of land across Wales, and have done for very many years, as substitute planting land, particularly where we have windfarm siting on the Welsh woodland estate, and so the acreage of trees that comes down for each of the pillars is replaced as part of that policy. If Members haven't had a chance to do so, I recently went up to Pen y Cymoedd, to have a look at what happened with the replanting around the turbines there, and the increase in biodiversity is quite startling. And it's great, because they had a baseline when they put the windfarm in, and what they've got now. So, over those five years, it's the first time we've actually had some proper baseline to see what's happened. You can see that the change in the planting, to biodiverse, broadleaf mixed woodland, away from monocultural Sitkas has made a really serious difference there. So, that's replacement land. It's been done for ages, it's not a binary issue of any sort. We make sure that we don't do it on the best agricultural land, of course, and it's a mixture of land that is often done in conjunction with some of the young farmers scheme, just to be clear. I did say in committee the other day that if any Member had evidence of a particular farm that they wanted us to look at that's been purchased by either the Welsh Government or NRW, to let us know, because I'm not aware of any. That doesn't mean to say we know everything, of course, so if you have information, please let us know.

Going back to Anglesey, two things have happened on Anglesey, Ynys Môn. The first is that we've commissioned work on the red squirrel issue, which I know has been brought up. I know that's not the issue you've just talked about, but we were discussing that not very long ago, and I think Darren Millar, amongst others, has also raised it. So, I've commissioned a piece of work to tell us how best to protect the habitat in the productive forests there. So, we've got that piece of work, which I'm expecting to have very shortly, to base it on. On Penrhos, that's rather more complicated, because it's a planning authority planning application issue. So, I can't comment on the individual aspects of that, because, obviously, I'm the planning Minister and I might end up with an appellate role there. But, generally, it's the local planning authority that has responsibility for both instituting its policies in its local development plan and then taking them forward. So, obviously, that's Ynys Môn council.

As we all know, trees are very important to tackling climate change. But with the Welsh Government's decision recently to purchase Gilestone Farm in my community, I think I just heard you, Minister, say you do not plant on productive land. So, I'd just like some assurances from yourself, and for the community in my constituency, that you do not intend to plant trees on Gilestone Farm, which is what you've just said.

Also, a second question: with big corporations buying up vast swathes of farmland in my constituency for carbon offsetting, there are big concerns that these corporations can access funding from the Welsh Government to plant these trees, so could I have some assurances from you that you're looking at this, to make sure that actual grants to plant trees are focused on genuine farm businesses that want to diversify and not to help big corporations meet their climate change targets? Diolch, Llywydd.

So, Gilestone Farm, as I know the Member knows perfectly well, has been bought as part of the economic development portfolio attempt to secure the future of the Green Man festival, one of the only independent festivals left in Europe. And it's nothing to do with NRW or tree creation. Of course, I cannot promise not to plant a single tree on the land of Gilestone Farm—that would be ridiculous.

In terms of directing the woodland creation schemes to active farmers, this is a matter that's been rehearsed in this Chamber a number of times. And, of course, we encourage applications from charities and third sector organisations, such as the Woodland Trust, some of whom have headquarters outside of Wales, to make applications to increase the coverage of our biodiverse forest. The people on the benches opposite go on at me a lot about climate change and biodiversity rescue. We cannot do that unless we change the way that we use our land. The climate change committee has been very clear what acreage of land needs to be covered by biodiverse forests in Wales, and we are following that balanced pathway. 

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Janet Finch-Saunders. 

Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, it is a fact that people on the lowest incomes in Wales are breathing in the most polluted air. Friends of the Earth have found that, in Wales, income-deprived areas disproportionately have the worst air pollution, and people of colour are 2.5 times more likely to live in an area with high particulate pollution, and five times more likely to live in a nitrogen oxide-polluted neighbourhood. Clearly, inaction by this Welsh Government is harming our black, our Asian, our minority ethnic communities and the poorest in society the most. Indeed, Joseph Carter, very well known to us here in the Chamber because of the work that he's done as chair of Healthy Air Cymru, was spot on when he said,

'This new research is shocking but not surprising.'

Even the First Minister knew of the seriousness of air pollution when he pledged in his 2018 Labour leadership manifesto to develop a new clean air Act. However, Minister, over three and a half years later, even you were unable to inform our climate change committee just last week whether the clean air legislation is drafted to the extent where it could be brought forward, if the First Minister decides. Now, whilst I would be pleased to understand whether or not you support the First Minister's delaying of clean air legislation, I would also be grateful if you could clarify why the consultation outcome of the White Paper on a clean air (Wales) Bill, which ended on 7 April, 2021—

You have three questions, Janet Finch-Saunders, and you're way over in your first question. So, please come to a question. 

—14 months ago, still has not been published.

Okay. Thank you. 

Well, I think that was five questions, actually. [Laughter.]

No, just the one question. Tell us why the report's not been—

Well, which one would you like me to answer, Janet?

The clean air—why the paper hasn't been published.

Okay, that's very straightforward. I'm pleased to say that we published on 7 June the engagement plan, which will help us with the information that we need in order to bring forward the clean air Act. 

Now that's an excellent way to do it—ask a short question, Janet, as you did towards the end and you get a short answer. 

That's the beauty of spokespersons' questions—we do have some leverage. 

No. I think I'd move quickly on if I was you, Janet. 

The repeated delays by this Welsh Government are a mess, and if you don't believe me, listen to Haf Elgar, vice-chair of Healthy Air Cymru and director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, who states, 

'If Wales wants to be a fair and just nation, as well as a green one, we must clean up our act now.'

Wales Environment Link and Healthy Air Cymru have stated that Wales needs access to environmental justice. Their letter to the Welsh Government highlights that, in Wales, 1,600 people die each year due to air pollution, only a fraction of our best nature sites on land and sea are in good condition, and that continued delays in passing laws to protect and improve our environment undermines people's right to environmental justice. What greater warning do 20 organisations and all members of WEL need to give you before you listen to our calls for you to take environmental justice seriously, put robust legislation in place to drive nature recovery, as well as the tools to hold your own Government to account?

So, once again, it's very fine words and absolutely no action from you. So, we have done a number of things already on the clean air (Wales) Bill, which we'll introduce in this Senedd term. It's one of a number of actions set out in the clean air plan for Wales, 'Healthy Air, Healthy Wales', which we are taking to improve air quality. The action taken includes, of course, the Welsh transport strategy, 'Llwybr Newydd', and the roads review, and the stopping of building of roads all over Wales, which increases both the emissions and the particulates. And you don't like those bits. The robust action that we do take, you're unable to support in any way. So, fine words, no action, once again, from the Tory benches. 

It's fair to say that if the Welsh Conservatives were in Government and had your levers, then we'd actually be using them.

Now, despite England and Northern Ireland having the Office for Environmental Protection, Scotland having environmental standards, here in Wales we are still relying on temporary arrangements that WEL and Healthy Air Cymru have described as lacking legal powers, public strategy, and an easily navigable webiste. However, even more concerning is that the interim environmental protection assessor for Wales's annual report highlights, and I quote:

'One key issue identified during the review has been that demand for the service has been significantly higher than originally expected.'

Minister, in light of this, we have been working to put in place more robust processes to ensure that we are targeting our resources at issues where we can add the most value. In light of the high demand for assistance with environmental law, will you fast-track the process of establishing a permanent body?

So, Janet, again, once more, how many times have I got to say the same thing? We are absolutely committed to putting an environmental protection body in place. The interim environmental protection plan is working; it's actually highlighting how many people want their issues looked at, and in a much shorter timescale than was ever possible before. As you well know, we are working with the deep dive on biodiversity to put the standards in place that will have the targets that will hold our feet to the fire. Having a badge that says, 'I don't know what I want, but I want it now' is all very well, but it's actually important to have targets that mean something and that will actually push the thing forward, and not just, once more, a set of empty words.  

Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Delyth Jewell.  

Diolch, Llywydd. Hoffwn dynnu sylw at gyfraniad band eang ffeibr i'n taith i sero net a'n dyfodol cynaliadwy. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gosod nod i 30 y cant o'r gweithlu weithio o gartref yn rheolaidd, neu'n agos at gartref, erbyn 2030. Yr hyn sy'n amlwg ydy bod angen rhwydwaith band eang sy'n darparu profiad gwaith symlach a dibynadwy o'n cartrefi a chanolfannau cydweithio cymunedol. Mae ymchwil diweddar gan y Sefydliad Materion Cymreig wedi tynnu sylw at sut yn union y byddai uwchraddio'r rhwydwaith ffeibr llawn yn cefnogi ymdrechion datgarboneiddio, naill ai drwy ailddefnyddio pibellau a pholion ffôn presennol, neu oherwydd bod technolegau newydd yn rhyddhau 80 y cant yn llai o garbon hyd yn oed cyn ystyried defnyddio ynni digarbon. Felly, Weinidog, beth ydy rôl band eang ffeibr go iawn yn strategaeth ehangach Llywodraeth Cymru i gyrraedd allyriadau carbon sero net erbyn 2050 neu'n gynharach, plis? 

Diolch, Delyth. I completely agree; a digital strategy is absolutely essential to doing that. You're absolutely right; we are committed to having at least 30 per cent of people working from home or near home—so, much less commuting time and hopefully much less polluting commuting type. In order to do that, of course, we have to provide them with facilities to be able to do that, both digitally and in an office environment. We are looking, as you know, at community hubs in various places in Wales to enable that to happen, and, actually, the social part of that is a big deal as well, because people can become isolated at home.

The Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters, recently outlined in the Chamber the fact that we've changed slightly our digital strategy for Wales, having had a very successful roll-out of Broadband Cymru, because actually this isn't a devolved area. We've intervened, because otherwise the UK Government would not have, and we would have had a large number of premises without any reliable broadband. But, recently, we've had another look at that, and we've had some success in getting the UK Government to look again at its strategy. They've just introduced a number of promises, which we hope will come to fruition, and we've been reusing some of our money. Very recently, in answer to a question from Rhun, I think it was, Lee Waters announced the work with Bangor University, for example, which is a really interesting new innovation that may well bring much better connectivity to people across Wales. 

So, we broadly agree. We continue to put pressure on the UK Government, and we are targeting our own money much more specifically at premises—the white premises, as they're called—with no connectivity at all, rather than upgrading people who have connectivity to full fibre with our money, because we think that the UK Government should step up to its responsibilities and do that. 

Thank you for that, Minister. For my second and final question, I'd like to turn to deforestation and supply chains. At COP26, you said that you were determined to change the Welsh Government procurement policy to ensure that we're promoting supply chains that are fair, that are ethical and that are sustainable. I welcome that. That would not only reduce Wales's global footprint, it would also support local economies. We have an opportunity to become a leader in this place, following, or rather joining, pioneers like France and the state of California, which have introduced procurement policies to end deforestation and tackle climate change. Minister, there is evidence as well that the public are supportive of these actions. A recent WWF Cymru survey of rural Welsh communities found that 84 per cent of respondents agreed that public services that provide and sell food, like schools and hospitals, should not buy food from sources where it can contribute to nature loss and climate change both in Wales and overseas. So, could you tell us, Minister, what progress has been made to introduce deforestation-free targets, risk assessments and due diligence processes in public sector procurement practices, please?

Yes, certainly, Delyth. Procurement is actually in Rebecca Evans's portfolio, but obviously I work very, very closely with Rebecca. She has recently announced a number of research issues into procurement, one of which is absolutely making sure that Wales does not use up more of the world's resources than is our fair share. Part of that is to make sure, when buying products or having supply chains here that rely on products that necessarily mean deforestation in other parts of the world, that we look to replace those products in the supply chain and assist the countries to come away from the practices that they have to reforestation. 

We're very proud of our work in Africa, in Uganda, in Mbale, with the trees that we plant—one tree there, one tree here, for every child born in Wales. It's always worth reminding people of that. We're very proud of the reforestation that we've been able to do. I've promised to work with Size of Wales on a project that allows both the public sector and, as far as possible, the private sector in Wales to understand what its supply chains look like and to make sure that products that necessarily incur deforestation across the world are removed from those supply chains as fast as possible.

Our north Wales metro programme will transform rail, bus and active travel services across north Wales. The metros offer some of the best opportunities to meet our target of 45 per cent of journeys being made by public transport or active travel by 2040, helping reduce road congestion, carbon emissions and air pollution.

I appreciate your response, Minister. My inbox has been flooded with correspondence from gravely concerned constituents regarding local transport matters. Transport-related problems now total the second highest category of my casework. The problems that my constituents have to endure range from inadequate and infrequent bus timetabling, especially in more rural areas of the constituency, to overcrowded trains and a lack of forward planning by the rail services, with too few carriages being put on during known busy events such as Chester races and local sporting events. Given your Government has set ambitious aims to tackle climate change, it isn't rocket science that the problems I've outlined will need rectifying, especially if you want to attract more passengers onto public transport. So, Minister, what are you going to do to reassure my concerned constituents on these issues and enhance their experience of utilising public transport within the Vale of Clwyd?

Thank you. I understand you've raised concerns with Transport for Wales regarding the poor performance of trains in your constituency, and I think you've had a response from them. There have been occasions where TfW have had to make last-minute cancellations, and incidents where we needed to operate rail replacement services to ensure there are alternative journey options. Some 68 per cent of those cancelled services are related to Network Rail issues where they needed to investigate various incidents on the infrastructure. The track and signalling of the north Wales coast main line is managed and operated by Network Rail and this limits TfW's ability to operate when an incident arises. Unfortunately, some incidents, such as a trespasser on the line or a fatality, require sensitive attention and involve the British Transport Police.

Where possible, Transport for Wales attempt to replace the service to make sure that people can travel. Sometimes, the alternative would be to cancel it altogether. And although, of course, we are very sorry for the crowded conditions, it's sometimes better to have the service in crowded conditions than not to have it at all, which might be the other option. And of course we're working to improve the network overall. Recent strikes—yesterday's and tomorrow's—and today's disruption are caused by the way that Network Rail interacts with the rail operating companies. So, having a proper conversation with the UK Government about why that system put in place by the Conservatives really has been shown to fail in every single regard is one of the things that's top of our list.

Our allotment support grant is now in its second year and will allocate £750,000 across all of Wales's local authorities to help improve and increase allotment provision. In addition to this dedicated fund, a range of other programmes, such as Local Places for Nature, also help support the development of allotments.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. The pandemic has shone a light on many inequalities in society, and access to green space was, for me, one of the greatest lessons we need to learn and address. For many in the most densely populated areas, stepping into the garden is not possible, and in city centre wards, such as those in my constituency, green spaces are often limited. Therefore, allotments and community gardens are a vital lifeline to nature and the social interactions that come with them. The benefits are far-reaching. On the most basic level, they help with food production, especially when the cost of living is biting, and they also help to address isolation and improve mental well-being. Community allotments are needed where people are most densely populated, however this is also where land is often at its most premium. How can the Welsh Government help to ease the process where disused land can be transformed into places that benefit the community, and what support can we give local authorities and housing associations to scope out those ignored pockets so that they can better support local people?

I completely agree, Jayne; the pandemic certainly highlighted the need for people to have an outside space that was usable and actually connect back to nature, which is good for not just physical health but also very good for mental health, of course. We have Welsh Government guidance available that provides community groups with the knowledge and tools to take ownership of green spaces—actually, including wasteland spaces; they wouldn't necessarily be green right now. A variety of organisations provide expert advice and support the transfer of green spaces to community organisations. We fund the community land advisory service to provide support for local groups and identify and take ownership or control of green spaces for recreation and food growing. We've worked with over 200 groups since 2018 to help negotiate transfers of land to community groups, including, I'm pleased to say, two in Newport. I know that you're familiar with the Local Places for Nature programme, which has created over 300 green spaces across Wales in the last year alone, with 22 in Newport, including work I know you're familiar with at Pill community allotment.

I'd like to thank my colleague Jayne Bryant for bringing this question to the forefront. Some schools in my region and elsewhere in Wales have surplus land available as part of their school grounds. Some such as, and pardon my pronunciation, Olchfa Comprehensive School in your constituency—[Interruption.] That's it, yes—are selling off their land for housing. However, some schools have surplus land that, although may not be large enough for housing development, may be suitable for allotments, thereby increasing the engagement of schools with the communities they serve and teaching pupils about where their food comes from and the importance of fresh vegetables for a healthy diet. What discussions have you had, Minister, with ministerial colleagues and others about potentially encouraging schools to turn over parts of their grounds for farming and growing in partnership with community organisations? 

We already do that. It's part of the curriculum, apart from anything else. We of course encourage schools to encourage community use. I've had not only conversations but visits with my colleague Jeremy Miles to schools doing just that. We're very keen to get schools on board with that project, so if you know of any who aren't yet doing it who would like to, then we'd be very pleased to help.

Thank you, Jenny. To meet our net-zero ambitions will require land use change. The majority of land in Wales is used for agriculture. The sustainable farming scheme will incentivise farmers to make best use of their land to deliver economic, social and environmental outcomes through a land sharing approach.

I want to follow up on the questions that both Jayne Bryant and Natasha Asghar have asked, but in relation to growing food for sale. We obviously have to reduce our carbon emissions from food, including the miles that food has to travel. The Sustain report on fringe farming, published earlier this year, highlights the importance of protecting peri-urban land with grade 1 and grade 2 soils for growing food. I'm looking forward to the work that Food Cardiff is doing with Cardiff Council to map exactly who owns which pieces of land on the fringes of Cardiff as well as Newport. I particularly have my eye on the floodplain between Cardiff and Newport, which seems an ideal place for growing food. So, what action will the Welsh Government take to protect fertile peri-urban land on the edge of towns and cities for growing food as part of your ambition for sustainable urban communities? 

I'm very much on board with that, Jenny. We have a national plan system in Wales—a planned system that allows us to have a robust framework for ensuring agricultural land is protected for productive use through 'Planning Policy Wales' and 'Future Wales: the national plan 2040'. 'Planning Policy Wales' seeks to ensure the best use is made for land. For example, it has a clear preference for the use of suitable and sustainable previously developed land for development within existing settlements, it has a strong policy to protect peri-urban areas against development, including urban sprawl, and seeks to conserve the best and most versatile agricultural land as a finite resource for the future. It requires local planning authorities to undertake a search sequence when preparing local development plans to prioritise the allocation of suitable and sustainable sites. Best and most versatile agricultural land, grades 1, 2 and 3A, should only be developed if there is what's called 'an overriding need'. That's a legal term; it's a very high bar. It doesn't mean 'just because you can't think of anywhere better'; they have to show that no other suitable land is available before that's permitted to that overriding need.

We've also got a long-term strategy to promote a dietary shift and encourage Welsh consumers to eat a healthier, more sustainable food source. While we want to encourage people to buy high-quality, local Welsh produce, we can work with our food production sector to ensure it's produced in a truly sustainable manner and avoid simply offshoring emissions to other countries. I had a very good meeting with the Country Land and Business Association very recently where we discussed the various ways, for example, that you could produce Welsh breed cattle without importing any kind of soy produce, reducing not only the food miles if you buy and eat that meat, but the food miles to produce it in the first place. So, we're doing a very good piece of work with my colleague Lesley Griffiths on that while protecting the peri-urban land. And then, in conjunction with a conversation with Jayne and with Natasha, making sure that all available land is used to bring particularly urban populations back into touch with how food is grown and where it's best produced.

Minister, the 'Net Zero Wales Carbon Budget 2' states that:

'Meeting net zero will require using more timber in sectors such as construction to replace currently high energy manufacture materials such as steel and concrete.'

and also that this Government intends to develop a new timber industrial strategy

'to develop a wood economy and encourage greater use of timber in construction.'

But my concern is none of this is particularly transparent in terms of how the carbon footprint of timber is calculated. It suggests that timber use in construction is somehow carbon free, when, in fact, it is manufactured product that needs energy inputs for harvesting and transportation, and then there is the carbon released from soil disturbance. It then needs to be processed using energy-intensive chemical preservatives and glues. And none of this takes account of the life cycle of carbon during the in-use phase of the building. Minister, I was disappointed in your response to my written question regarding carbon emissions from soil, because it highlighted the insufficient evidence there is to support this Government's plan going forward. Indeed, by the time your timber industry strategy even begins to come to fruition in 40 to 50 years' time, the concrete industry will already be completely decarbonised. With this in mind, Minister, what consideration has this Government given to measuring the potential of the concrete industry in the carbon sequestration process? And will the Minister agree to meet with me and representatives of the industry to discuss how concrete can play an important part in the decarbonisation of Wales? Thank you.

So, obviously, there's a complex series of calculations around carbon and carbon sequestration for a variety of different products. I can't pretend to be an expert in that, but we have a number of people advising us, including on the deep-dive panels and so on, who are. One of the things that we want to do is come, especially for soil, to an agreement with farmers for how they measure carbon on their land, for example, and their carbon emissions. So, we have a piece of work going on across the Government on agreeing a set of standards and standard measurement tools in order to do just that. We're very pleased to work with any industry in Wales that wants to decarbonise, and we're more than happy to meet you with any industry that wants to do that. For example, we've had a number of beneficial conversations with the steel industry about their decarbonisation journey, and I'm more than happy to do that for any industry in Wales that wants to go on that journey.   

With over three quarters of all Welsh land being comprised of farmland, it's important that we utilise the products from this land on our journey to net zero. There is no product more natural than sheep's wool. Unfortunately, the price of a fleece of wool sits at around 20p—a price that is dwarfed by the £1.40 it costs to shear. I know that the Welsh Government pledged to use more wool in public buildings back in 2020, but we need to do more. The Irish Farmers Association called on the Irish Government to create incentives to ensure that domestic wool became the insulation of choice across their country. Would the Welsh Government be supportive of a scheme like this in Wales? And with the potential mammoth task of retrofitting the Welsh housing stock to be more energy efficient, will the Welsh Government explore the use of domestic wool as insulation in such a retrofitting programme to support our farmers and continue our journey to net zero?

Yes. The very short answer to that is 'yes'. It's very much part of the optimised retrofit programme and the innovative housing programme. What those programmes do is they take a whole series of products and we build housing—new housing for the IHP and retrofitted housing for the ORP programme—and then we test out what the product has claimed against what it actually performs like. As I’ve said a number of times in this Chamber, we’re two years into the ORP, whereas five, I think I’m right in saying—maybe six—into the IHP programme, and that means we’ve got quite a lot of very good empirical data about how various types of things perform in conjunction with others. So, for example, for sheep’s wool, does that perform well sandwiched between two plasterboard walls, or two straw walls, or—? All that kind of thing. So, the programme is quite exhaustive. I’d encourage any Member who hasn’t visited one of the sites to do so. You’ll be given a comprehensive tour of the various types of tech. I visited one down in my colleague Mike Hedges’s constituency only yesterday, and it’s completely fascinating to see the data coming back. As a result of that, of course we will use that to increase the supply chains, help commercialise the product, develop a marketing strategy and get it into the main stream, as that’s the whole purpose of the programme.

Thank you, Darren. Placemaking principles underpin national planning policy. They require the provision of adequate infrastructure to support housing development and the promotion of quality places. Local planning authorities must take a strategic approach to the provision of infrastructure when planning for new housing, and the Government offers ongoing support to achieve this.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. I do appreciate the position of the Welsh Government on this matter. I’ve been contacted by many residents in Colwyn Bay regarding a potential development in the Pwllycrochan area in the town, and, unfortunately, as you will appreciate, many of the schools in the town are bursting at the seams, there’s a lack of dentists, our healthcare facilities are struggling as well to cope with the demands that are placed upon them, and we’ve got drainage problems in and around this site too. I appreciate you can’t comment on individual planning cases, but would you consider strengthening the guidance that you issue to local authorities to make sure that they do take these things into account fully and properly as part of the planning process, so that, when new developments are proposed, and people do move into an area, they can enjoy the facilities that they expect to be able to enjoy, and shouldn’t have a situation where flooding is a particular challenge too?

Yes, so, I write to planning authorities all the time reinforcing various parts of ‘Planning Policy Wales’. We also have a planning officers forum and I’m very shortly to meet—I’m afraid I just can’t remember off the top of my head when—with the new cabinet members who are responsible for planning right across local government, as all authorities have now formed their new cabinets. I’ll be meeting with the leaders and the relevant cabinet members to reinforce how we work and what they should do. We’ve also asked all of our planning authorities to look again at their local development plan process, and you’ll be aware that my colleague Rebecca Evans is bringing forth the regulations to enable the new corporate joint committees to do the regional strategic planning arrangements, which will allow us to put the infrastructure in place at that regional level. So, the local authority will have to work regionally to ensure that across the region there are sufficient—well, all of the issues that you just raised.

So, the policy is strong already; they need to have regard to it. Obviously, if they don’t have regard to it, then they’re subject to challenge. But obviously I can’t comment on the individual application.

Thank you. Our funding objectives to reduce flood risk to communities are set out in our national flood strategy and the programme for government. This year, we announced a record level of investment of more than £214 million over the next three years to help protect at least 45,000 homes from flood risk.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. I’ve heard accounts from many of my constituents really struggling to get insurance in subsequent years after flooding events. Some of these properties have not even been flooded, but they fall within the postcode area, and therefore are classed as high flood risk. These people have significantly less choice of insurance providers, often paying a lot higher for premiums, as there are few options for them to shop around. Those people are very fearful of even making very small insurance claims, for fear of actually losing their insurance altogether. So, what support can the Welsh Government give to these residents who are facing this impossible situation? Diolch, Llywydd.

Yes, there is a specialist insurance scheme, which I’m sure the Member is aware of, called Flood Re, which allows people who have properties in flood-risk areas—and I appreciate that it’s even more frustrating if they haven't actually been flooded—to obtain insurance through the Flood Re programme. That's a programme in which a number of insurers come together to spread the risk, effectively, of that. We also assist local authorities to assist people who really struggle to get the insurance as well. And, of course, we have a number of income support projects to do that. So, there is a programme for that in place. I appreciate it can be more expensive, then, to insure your house, and that's a matter I'm afraid that we have no power to intervene in, as the insurance industry is not devolved. But we work closely with the UK authorities and we've had a number of summits in the past, where we've got the insurance companies to the table—a number of my colleagues have been involved in those summits—to make sure that the Flood Re programme is fit for purpose and isn't just completely unaffordable for those people who are affected.

Diolch. We have invested over £53.7 million in more than 100 projects that support the delivery of broader town-centre placemaking plans. We continue to invest and work in partnership with all sectors to make our towns and cities even better places to live, work and visit.

Diolch, Minister. Many of the town centres within my region are struggling. A perfect storm of high business rates, the rise of online shopping and the cost-of-living crisis has made prospects look bleak for many traders. Despite investment of £900 million in Wales in the last eight years, one in seven shops on a high street remain empty, according to Audit Wales. They also say that:

'Powers that can help stimulate town-centre regeneration are not utilised effectively nor consistently.'

What plans has the Welsh Government to learn lessons from previous strategies to address this downward trend? Do future plans include any ideas to repurpose parts of town centres to provide more leisure accommodation and hot-desking opportunities for start-up businesses or people who may now be working from home permanently?

Yes, absolutely, and this is a very difficult problem as the world changes around us. And so it's quite clear, isn't it, that many of us no longer shop in or go to town centres in the way that we used to in order to get ordinary goods and services. So, our 'town centre first' policy, which is embedded in the national planning framework, 'Future Wales', says that town centres should be the first consideration for all decisions on the location of workplaces and services, not just retail, so that we don't have out-of-town decisions made for everything you can think of, really, from the local college to entertainment venues and so on. That's to get the footfall and make the town a destination for people, which isn't just about retail.

You read out the list of challenges that we wrestle with every day. The town absolutely has to reinvent and reinvigorate itself into a place where people want to go, whether they want to go for an event or they want to go to socialise or to meet up with friends. So, it has to be a place that's welcoming and that has space that's family friendly and so on. During the pandemic, you'll know that we repurposed some road space for cafes and restaurants to make them more pleasant places to sit. It's a mystery, I think, to many of us why we don't do that in a more widespread way in Britain. We seem to feel that our weather is terrible, but anybody who has been to France in the winter will know that their weather is just as bad and they're still happily taking part in their outdoor spaces in their town squares and so on. So, we need to think again.

We've got a number of programmes across the Government designed to help local authorities do that thinking and to make sure that, when they make their decisions, as well as when we make our decisions, they think 'town centre first', to make sure that you get a concentration of services and people-pulls, if you like, into the town centre and you don't have this urban sprawl issue that, of course, knocks on to some of the other things we've discussed today about the use of peri-urban land and so on.  

Thank you, Peter. The programme for government commits us to reducing flood risk for over 45,000 homes over the lifetime of this administration. This year we are investing over £71 million through local authorities and Natural Resources Wales. This is the most funding ever provided in Wales in a single year.

Thanks very much, Minister, for that response. It seems funny, on a beautiful sunny day, to be thinking about flooding, but, Minister, you'll know very well that, over the past few years, communities across Monmouthshire have experienced some devastating flooding, particularly during those winter months, with the examples of Skenfrith constantly being flooded, and Monmouth, where mobile homes were washed away—indeed, the Welsh Water plant flooded and there was no water to the town for several days, which we managed to overcome—and, of course, Llanwenarth, the area there, where the Usk broke its banks, but we know Natural Resources Wales won't adopt those assets going forward. I know how committed you are to this area, Minister, but how is the Welsh Government working with risk management authorities, local authorities and communities to prepare for this autumn/winter to help reduce the impact of potential flooding events on life, business and property? And with climate change increasingly influencing the weather, what action are you taking to futureproof defences in the likes of Monmouthshire against these serious concerns? 

Thank you, Peter. The national flood strategy sets out how we will manage the risk over the next decade, and underlines the importance we place on tackling flood risk and the growing impacts of climate change. This year, in conjunction with Plaid Cymru as part of the co-operation agreement, we announced a record level of investment of more than £240 million over the next three years to help us meet the programme for government commitments. We publish the annual flood and coastal programme online, and it features the list of schemes being funded and an accompanying map. We've also got an interactive map on DataMapWales, where the public can use the map to find out more detail about the schemes included within the programme for this year. 

Monmouthshire County Council itself has had £360,000 to deliver eight different schemes benefiting 140 properties, which were some of the ones that you just mentioned as being impacted over the last couple of winter storms. And in co-operation with Plaid Cymru, again, we've commissioned an independent review of the local government section 19 and Natural Resources Wales reports into extreme flooding in the winters of 2020-21.

As you identified yourself, Peter, it's the responsibility of risk management authorities to identify the areas that require the flood alleviation works. The flood strategy makes that clear, and the decisions taken by NRW with regards to adopting privately owned defences has to consider the future funding implications. But we expect the RMAs and NRW to work together to put the plan in place, and then work towards protecting the communities at highest risk, obviously, in a descending hierarchy. 

Diolch i'r Gweinidog.

Yr eitem nesaf felly yw'r cwestiynau i Weinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf heddiw gan Ken Skates.

The education estate in the area of Clwyd South benefited from an investment of over £20 million during the first wave of funding through the sustainable communities for learning programme, and will continue to benefit with a further £22 million through the current wave of investment. This includes Welsh-medium capital grant funding.

Minister, thank you for your answer. That's superb news, and that £20 million has gone a long way in enhancing not just school estates, but also communities as a whole. I'd be extremely grateful if you could update Members and my constituents in Clwyd South on progress being made specifically in the community of Brymbo, in the north of the constituency, where a new twenty-first century school would be valued by all citizens, and particularly by learners.

I thank the Member for that supplementary question, and also I'm aware that he has recently written to me in relation to this, and to confirm to him that a letter is about to be sent back in reply to that enquiry. Welsh Government officials are continuing to work with the local authority and the developers of the Brymbo site generally. As the Member is obviously very, very well aware, it's a site with a number of dimensions and a number of plans. In different ways, the school plan is one of those proposed developments, and officials are working to secure that comprehensive development of the site. My understanding is that good progress has been made on certain aspects of the land management, which are necessary in order for things to be able to move forward. So, that is progress, and I'll be reporting back in more detail to him in the letter that I'll send to him shortly. 

I thank the Member for Clwyd South for submitting this important and very timely question, because just last week I welcomed pupils from St Mary's Brymbo primary school to the Senedd here, and they took quite an interest in a lively, perhaps difficult Q&A at times, especially when I was asked about age restrictions on blades. But one of the specific questions, actually, was about the twenty-first century schools programme, which I was quite impressed that they had knowledge of. Obviously, it's important for them and their school. It became clear to me in the Q&A with those children from the school that more needs to be done to accelerate and see progress in the programme, especially at Brymbo. So, in light of this, Minister, I'd like to join the calls of the Member for Clwyd South and ask what assurances you can give me that this school is a priority for the programme, and what discussions you are having personally with Wrexham County Borough Council to facilitate progress of the programme there. Thank you.

I thank Sam Rowlands for that. As I said in my answer to Ken Skates, my officials are working with the authority on this site. It has a number of dimensions. School development is one aspect of that. But, there has been good progress on a number of the key elements required for that to progress, which I'm happy to report. I congratulate him on engaging the pupils in his region on the potential of the school build programme. I think that there are good opportunities, in particular in relation to the net-zero schools of the future, to embed that learning in the curriculum itself, and to use the construction of the school as a teaching tool in its own terms.

Rwy'n ymwybodol, o fy nhrafodaethau gyda'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithsol, ei bod hi, mewn sgyrsiau gyda Bangor, wedi amlinellu ein disgwyliadau ni ynghylch y ddarpariaeth Gymraeg. Mae'r Gymraeg yn ystyriaeth greiddiol i Fangor, sy'n cymryd camau rhagweithiol i gynyddu’r ddarpariaeth Gymraeg wrth iddynt fynd ati i ddatblygu a gweithredu'r cwricwlwm newydd.

Mi wnes i holi’r Gweinidog iechyd yma yn y Siambr yn ddiweddar ynghylch sut y gallai’r ysgol feddygol newydd ym Mangor helpu i wireddu polisi ardderchog 'Mwy na Geiriau', ond rhaid imi ddweud, siomedig oedd yr ateb ges i. Dyna pam dwi’n parhau efo’r thema efo chi yma heddiw yma. O’r hyn dwi’n ei ddeall, prin ydy’r nifer o siaradwyr Cymraeg sy’n hyfforddi drwy’r ysgol feddygol ym Mangor ar hyn o bryd, ac mae hynny hefyd yn siomedig.

A ydych chi’n credu bod targedau digonol wedi cael eu gosod ar gyfer recriwtio siaradwyr Cymraeg ar gyfer y rhaglen hyfforddi meddygon ym Mangor? A wnewch chi ddod yn ôl ataf i, os gwelwch yn dda, efo esboniad llawn am sut rydych chi yn bwriadu gwella’r sefyllfa os ydy’r hyn dwi’n ei ddeall yn gywir? Mae gennym ni gyfle gwych efo sefydlu’r ysgol feddygol newydd i sefydlu targedau i gefnogi’r egwyddor bod angen gweithlu cyfrwng Cymraeg priodol ar gyfer diwallu egwyddorion 'Mwy na Geiriau', a hefyd strategaeth 'Cymraeg 2050'.

Rwy’n hapus iawn i ysgrifennu gyda mwy o fanylion at yr Aelod am y cwestiwn pellach y mae hi wedi’i ofyn. Fel y bydd hi’n gwybod, mae gwerthusiad wedi digwydd o gynllun 'Mwy na Geiriau', ac mae’r Gweinidog yn bwriadu gwneud datganiad pellach dros yr wythnosau nesaf ynglŷn â’r camau nesaf fydd yn dod yn sgil y gwaith y gwnaeth pwyllgor Marian Wyn Jones ar ein rhan ni yn ddiweddar.

Felly, heb fynd i fanylu ar hynny, mae’n glir mai gweithlu dwyieithog yw un o’r blaenoriaethau o fewn beth fydd yn digwydd yn y dyfodol o ran 'Mwy na Geiriau' a bod angen hefyd symud, efallai, o fframwaith i ddefnyddio’r polisi fel rhywbeth sydd yn fwy rhagweithiol ac yn gallu gyrru cynnydd, mewn ffordd rwy’n sicr y bydd yr Aelod yn ei chroesawu. Mae cefnogi a datblygu sgiliau Cymraeg y gweithlu presennol a gweithlu’r dyfodol, wrth gwrs, yn rhan greiddiol o hwnnw, a bydd rôl sicr gan yr ysgol feddygol ym Mangor i'w chwarae yn hynny.

I absolutely concur with the points that have been made by Siân Gwenllian about the need to make sure that we've got doctors coming through the system who are proficient in the Welsh language.

It's also really important, of course, that those who are in the education workforce, teaching, who do have Welsh language skills are able to continue to use them. I raised in the Senedd yesterday a situation in a further education institution, where there are courses currently delivered through the medium of Welsh, in a largely Welsh-speaking community and area in southern Denbighshire, and those are going to be relocated to the coast, where there are fewer Welsh speakers, and where the demand for those courses will be different. It's going to severely disadvantage those young people who want to take advantage of the opportunity to continue to learn through the medium of Welsh when they go into post-16 education.

What are you doing to make sure that, where we do have tutors, teachers and others in the education workforce who are able to currently deliver in Welsh, that those opportunities aren't diminished as a result of silly decisions, frankly, by further education institutions and, indeed, some schools too?

Well, I'm not going to comment on the particular decision, because obviously I'm not in a position to do that, but as he knows from the First Minister's answer yesterday, I will follow that up. We passed the third stage of a piece of legislation yesterday, which, in the particular context—the FE context—in which he frames the question, certainly yesterday and I think he was making the same point today, will, I think, see a step change in the provision of further education through the medium of Welsh. Obviously, one of the challenges has been making sure we have a workforce that is able to do that, and he will be aware, of course, of the plan that we brought forward to increase the educational workforce generally in Wales for those who are able to teach through the medium of Welsh.

In my discussions with further education colleges in all parts of Wales, there is absolutely a recognition that we need to do more and an enthusiasm to work together to do that, and so I look forward to doing that with them and I'll take up the point that he's raised specifically. Thank you.

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Samuel Kurtz.

Diolch, Llywydd, ac yn gyntaf hoffwn ddiolch i'n cynghorau lleol am eu hymdrechion i ddod o hyd i leoliadau addysg ar gyfer plant o Wcráin. Mae pob awdurdod lleol wedi cyflawni i sicrhau bod pob plentyn o Wcráin yn cael mynediad at addysg. Mae hyn yn cynnwys, yn unol â'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf, 73 o blant Wcráin mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg neu ddwyieithog yma yng Nghymru.

Yr hyn sy'n wych am ein hiaith yw ei bod yn perthyn i bawb. Gellir ei dysgu a'i charu gan unrhyw un o unrhyw gefndir, fel sy'n wir yma. Ond gall dysgu ein hiaith fod yn anodd, nid lleiaf i'r rhai sydd wedi eu dadleoli gan ryfel. Felly, Weinidog, a allwch amlinellu pa gymorth ychwanegol rydych wedi'i gynnig i athrawon cyfrwng Cymraeg sy'n darparu addysg ragorol i'r plant hyn tra'u bod nhw yn westeion yn ein gwlad?

Wel, mae hi wedi bod yn flaenoriaeth i ni sicrhau bod addysg Gymraeg ar gael i'r rhai sydd eisiau cymryd mantais ar hynny o Wcráin, ac wedi bod yn sicrhau, o ran plant a hefyd oedolion, fod mynediad ar gael i wersi yn y Gymraeg, ac wedi gweithio gyda Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg i sicrhau bod hynny yn bosib, ac mae'r adnoddau sydd ar gael yn ddwyieithog yn sicrhau bod hynny yn hygyrch iddyn nhw. Byddwn i'n hoffi gweld mwy a mwy o blant o Wcráin yn dewis addysg Gymraeg, os taw hynny maen nhw eisiau ei wneud, a sicrhau bod angen cefnogaeth i ysgolion i allu darparu hynny hefyd.

Diolch i chi am hynny, Weinidog, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Wcrainiaid ledled Cymru yn gwerthfawrogi'r ateb a'r cymorth hwnnw.

O ran addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg, hoffwn ddiolch i chi am ateb llythyr a halais atoch ynglŷn â'r hyn sy'n ymddangos fel pe bai'n blaenoriaethu addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg dros addysg cyfrwng Saesneg. Byddwch yn gwybod am enghreifftiau o gynnig cludiant am ddim i ddisgyblion cyfrwng Cymraeg ond nid disgyblion cyfrwng Saesneg. Yn eich ateb, rydych yn nodi mai cynghorau lleol sydd â'r cyfrifoldeb am gynllunio eu trefniadau addysg. Eto, mae canllawiau ein Llywodraeth ar y Gymraeg, yng nghyd-destun cynlluniau addysg strategol, yn annog awdurdodau lleol i drafod eu hanghenion unigol gyda Llywodraeth Cymru. Os yw'r canllawiau hynny yn wir, pam felly fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cymeradwyo cynlluniau strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg sy'n creu anghydbwysedd yn y cymorth sydd ar gael?

Dwi ddim yn credu ein bod ni yn gwneud hynny.

Dyna ni. Diolch. Ond o'r ateb a ges i yn y llythyr a ges i o'r Gweinidog, dwi'n credu bod angen edrych ar hwn unwaith eto. Dwi'n ddigon hapus i ddod ymlaen â chwestiynau eraill ynglŷn â hyn.

Weinidog, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn ymwybodol o fy aelodaeth hir a phleserus o fudiad y ffermwyr ifanc, a hoffwn ddatgan diddordeb. Mae'n fudiad sydd wedi ei drwytho yn nhraddodiadau cefn gwlad Cymru, ac yn un sydd wedi cael effaith fawr ar ddatblygiad llawer o bobl ifanc ar draws ein gwlad. Mae sefydliadau ieuenctid fel y ffermwyr ifanc yn bwysig wrth helpu i gyflawni amcanion uchelgeisiol 'Cymraeg 2050'. Maent yn annog dysgu a datblygu sgiliau iaith dwy'r gymuned, ac yn ategu gwaith pwysig datblygiad yr ysgol. Er fy mod yn ymwybodol o gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i'n clybiau ffermwyr ifanc, drwy gyllido swyddog iaith Gymraeg amser llawn, rwy'n awyddus i ddeall a yw sefydliadau ieuenctid eraill, megis mudiad y Sgowtiaid neu gadetiaid y fyddin, yn cael cynnig adnoddau tebyg. Diolch.

Dwi ddim yn gwybod beth yw'r gyllideb benodol ar gyfer y mudiadau eraill mae'r Aelod yn sôn amdanyn nhw, ond mae gennym ni, wrth gwrs, gynllun o gefnogaeth ariannol i amryw o gyrff gwirfoddol, cyrff trydydd sector, cyrff ieuenctid hefyd. Rŷm ni'n edrych ar hyn o bryd ar adolygu cynllun grantiau hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg yn gyffredinol. Mae cwmni allanol wedi cael ei benodi ar gyfer edrych ar yr adolygiad hwnnw. Un o'r blaenoriaethau sydd gyda fi, fel rŷch chi'n gwybod, fel Gweinidog, yw sicrhau ein bod ni'n gwneud popeth y gallwn ni i gynyddu nid jest nifer y bobl sy'n dysgu'r Gymraeg ond hefyd cyfleoedd i ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg a gofyn i'n partneriaid ni i edrych ar ffyrdd o allu grymuso pobl i ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg yn ein cymunedau ni. Felly, bydd y gwaith hwnnw'n dod i ben maes o law. Bydd yn gyfle inni edrych eto ar y cynllun grantiau yn gyffredinol, ond, yn sicr, mae'r gwaith y mae amryw o fudiadau, o'r math y mae e wedi bod yn sôn amdanyn nhw yn ei gwestiynau, yn ei wneud yn bwysig iawn.

Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Sioned Williams.

Diolch, Llywydd. Prynhawn da, Weinidog. Wales's level of research and innovation investment is significantly below that of the UK and EU averages, and this picture will get worse as Welsh universities are disproportionately disadvantaged by the losses of EU structural funding given the high level of historical dependency on that funding. By now, gross expenditure on research and innovation in Wales is one of the lowest of 12 UK regions. So, given this, the Welsh Government needs to address this huge gap in funding that will endanger our research and innovation capability. So, why has the Welsh Government abandoned the strategy suggested by Professor Graeme Reid’s reivew to address this very situation? Can the Minister tell me why the Welsh Government has abandoned this strategy aimed at the long-term transformation and support of the research and innovation landscape in Welsh higher education institutions? Diolch.

Well, this policy area is not mine; it's my colleague Vaughan Gething's, who's made a statement recently in relation to the Government's response to the Reid review. Part of that is about the implementation of a number of the points that Professor Reid recommended for us to take in that review, including in relation to opening an office specifically in London to access some of the other opportunities that arise there and the increase in quality research funding, which we have increased in excess, as I recall, of that which Professor Reid recommended. But there are a number of other contexts to the Government's response to the Reid review, which my colleague Vaughan Gething outlined in a recent statement. So, I refer the Member to that.

Diolch. Mae aildrefnu ysgolion yn ardal Pontypridd wedi bod yn bwnc llosg ers blynyddoedd bellach. Un o'r prif bryderon yw cau Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pont Siôn Norton yng Nghilfynydd, gan olygu y bydd rhaid i blant sydd yn byw yn Ynys-y-bŵl, Coed-y-cwm, Glyn-coch, Trallwn a Chilfynydd deithio milltiroedd yn bellach i dderbyn addysg Gymraeg. Cyflwynodd ymgyrchwyr dystiolaeth i Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf o ba mor niweidiol yw hyn i addysg Gymraeg, gan annog y cyngor i agor ysgol newydd Gymraeg ar safle yng Nglyn-coch. Brynhawn yma, mae cabinet y cyngor wedi cymeradwyo ysgol Saesneg newydd ar yr union safle hwn ac yn gwrthod cyflwyno ffrwd Gymraeg ynddi.

I rwbio halen yn y briw, yn yr adroddiad sydd wedi mynd i'r cabinet, dywedwyd bydd yr ysgol newydd hon yn gwella darpariaeth Saesneg yn yr ardal a chynyddu capasiti Saesneg. O ble daw y disgyblion ychwanegol hyn os nad o addysg Gymraeg? Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ariannu 81 y cant o gost yr ysgol newydd. Pa gamau sydd yn cael eu cymryd gennych i sicrhau nad yw'r Llywodraeth yn parhau i ariannu cynlluniau fel hyn sydd yn tanseilio addysg Gymraeg mewn ardaloedd lle mae dirfawr angen cynnydd, os ydym am gyrraedd y targed o filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg? Ydych chi'n rhannu fy mhryder am y sefyllfa hon?

O ran cynlluniau strategol a phob awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru, byddaf yn gwneud datganiad ynglŷn â lle maen nhw, ar ôl yr adolygiadau sy'n mynd rhagddyn nhw ar hyn o bryd, o fewn yr wythnosau nesaf, cyd diwedd y tymor, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys cynlluniau cyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf hefyd. Beth rydw i wedi'i ddweud yn y gorffennol yw ei bod yn bwysig ein bod ni'n sicrhau nid jest, fel petai, fod y niferoedd sy'n dysgu'r Gymraeg yn cynyddu ond bod daearyddiaeth—dosbarthiad iaith a mynediad i addysg Gymraeg—hefyd yn bwysig yn sgil y cynlluniau hynny yn y dyfodol. A byddaf eisiau gweld cynnydd o ran darpariaeth Gymraeg wrth edrych ar y cynnydd o fewn ystâd ysgolion Saesneg ar y cyd.

Mae cwestiwn 3 [OQ58207] wedi ei dynnu yn ôl. Cwestiwn 4, Joel James.

Yes. Regional consortia support schools to improve, including through professional learning, direct engagement and facilitating school-to-school working. I'll be publishing school improvement guidance next week, setting out how the Welsh Government expects regional consortia to support school improvement under the Curriculum for Wales.

Thank  you, Minister. I was recently following the events of the National Association of Headteachers Conference in Telford, and my interest was peaked by a motion put forward by NAHT Cymru, which remarked that the quality of service provided by the consortium model has been, to date, inequitable, and for many schools it has been entirely inadequate. The motion by NAHT Cymru went further, and wanted to see the development of an accountability structure for Wales that supports the reformed curriculum and twenty-first century learning, and also that there was no further expansion, additional layers, or extra bodies created that could take away already limited funding and resources, away from the core purpose of schools and front-line education. With this in mind, Minister, what consideration have you given to reforming the consortia model, in light of these criticisms, and to develop a fit-for-purpose accountability structure in Wales that supports twenty-first century learning? Thank you.

I thank the Member for that question. I don't accept the funding takes money away from the school system; the funding is there in order to support the school improvement programme that we have right across Wales. And the majority of the funding that is made available to the regional consortia is delegated directly to schools, rather than being retained by the consortia themselves.

On the broader point that the Member makes, I think he's basing, or perhaps NAHT were basing some of their reflections on the thematic report from Estyn recently into the regional consortia and local authority support for curriculum design, which described the consortia as demonstrating the curriculum design progress and stages of curriculum development, developing stronger approaches to supporting collaboration between primary and secondary schools, and generally targeting support for schools that are causing concern, but also indicating that more work needed to be done in relation to maintaining consistency across the understanding of the quality of teaching and learning, for example.

So, I think that report was helpful, in that it identified a number of measures that we can take to further support our collective ambition for curriculum reform. My officials are working closely both with the consortia and, in those areas where there isn't a consortium, with the local authorities, to ensure that schools have the support that they need to prepare for the curriculum, and working also to develop a clearer model for capturing and understanding some of the information that is available in the system, in response to a specific recommendation that Estyn has made. And my officials have also ensured that the terms and conditions for grants to regional consortia for the coming financial year are clear and closely align to the priorities and requirements to support schools to implement the new curriculum.

Diolch, Jack. I gefnogi eu cynlluniau i dyfu addysg Gymraeg, mae’r cyngor wedi cael cymeradwyaeth mewn egwyddor i sefydlu ysgol gynradd newydd, trwy gyllid cyfalaf Llywodraeth Cymru.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Weinidog. And I think it's clear that you agree that investing in Welsh-medium school buildings is going to be key if we really are truly to deliver and give all parents and children the chance of Welsh-medium education in Wales. Flintshire County Council have published an ambitious strategic plan to increase the number of Welsh speakers in Flintshire. I wonder if you could comment further, Minister, on how you will support this plan and this council's ambitions, and how you would invest in schools like Ysgol Croes Atti in Shotton, in my own constituency.

Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn pellach ac am ei ddefnydd o'r Gymraeg yn ei gwestiwn cyntaf. Mae awdurdod lleol sir y Fflint wedi ymrwymo yn eu cynllun strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg drafft i gynyddu canran y dysgwyr mewn addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg o 6.3 y cant ar hyn o bryd i 15 y cant o fewn y 10 mlynedd nesaf. Fe wnes i gyhoeddi'n ddiweddar, ym mis Mawrth, 11 o brosiectau a fydd yn elwa o'r grant cyfalaf addysg Gymraeg—cronfa o ryw £30 miliwn—a bydd sir y Fflint yn un o'r naw awdurdod lleol a fydd yn elwa o'r cyllid hwn. Mae elfen wedi ei dyrannu'n barod i sefydlu ysgol Gymraeg newydd, ac mae ardal Bwcle yn etholaeth yr Aelod yn un o'r opsiynau ar gyfer y lleoliad hwnnw. A bydd sir y Fflint hefyd yn cyflwyno'u hachos busnes er mwyn buddsoddi yn Ysgol Croes Atti, i gefnogi'r galw cynyddol am addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn yr ardal, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen i weld y cynllun hwnnw.

Can I thank also the Member for Alyn and Deeside for submitting this question, as well, because I too have a keen interest in Welsh language education in Alyn and Deeside? And as stated by the Member, it is important that we enable Welsh language education and encourage more people to speak and learn Welsh.

Ers dod yn Aelod o'r Senedd, rwyf wedi cael y pleser o ymuno â chynllun dysgu Cymraeg y Senedd, ac rwy'n mwynhau'n fawr iawn.

But, as we do know, Minister, much of the provision and delivery of Welsh language education is largely down to our local authorities working with schools, working with regional consortia, such as GwE in north Wales. So, in light of this, what assessment have you made of the collaboration between local authorities in north Wales working with GwE, working with schools, so that they can work as a team to deliver ambitions around Welsh language education in my region? Diolch yn fawr iawn. 

A gaf i ddweud mor braf yw e i glywed mwy o Aelodau yn siarad Cymraeg yn y Siambr? Llongyfarchiadau i Sam, ynghyd â Jack, heddiw. 

Ie, mae e wir yn bwysig, er mwyn i ni allu gweld y cynnydd rŷn ni eisiau ei weld o fewn darpariaeth Gymraeg, a bod mynediad hafal gan bob plentyn yng Nghymru i addysg Gymraeg yn unrhyw ran o Gymru, fod cynlluniau uchelgeisiol o ran cynlluniau strategol ar waith, ond hefyd fod gwaith da yn digwydd rhwng ysgolion, rhwng awdurdodau lleol a'r consortia. Ac rwy'n sicr bod hynny'n digwydd yng ngogledd Cymru fel mae e ym mhob rhan o Gymru. 

Mae pecyn cymorth cynhwysfawr ar waith, sydd yn werth £24 miliwn yn gyfan, i roi blaenoriaeth i ddysgwyr sy’n gwneud eu harholiadau. I gyd-fynd â hyn, mae mesurau ymarferol wedi’u cymryd hefyd, gan gynnwys addasu cynnwys yr arholiadau, rhoi gwybodaeth ymlaen llaw i ddysgwyr, a ffiniau graddau man canol er mwyn gwneud y broses o ailgydio mewn arholiadau mor deg â phosibl.

Diolch am yr ymateb yna. Dwi'n datgan diddordeb fel tad i un disgybl lefel A, ond dwi yn gwybod fy mod i'n siarad ar ran llawer o ddisgyblion a'u rhieni sydd wedi pryderu'n fawr am yr arholiadau lefel A eleni yng nghyd-destun COVID. Dyma i chi ddisgyblion sydd erioed wedi sefyll arholiad allanol o'r blaen achos bod eu TGAU nhw a'u AS nhw wedi cael eu canslo, ac eto mae mwy na'r arfer o'u gradd nhw, y radd gyfan i lawer, yn gwbl ddibynnol ar arholiad yr haf yma. Ac mae rhai sydd wedi colli efallai un o ddau arholiad yr haf yma oherwydd COVID, sy'n golygu bydd eu gradd nhw yn cael eu bennu ar sail eu perfformiad yn yr un papur maen nhw wedi llwyddo i'w sefyll. Mae o'n teimlo'n annheg i lawer. Felly, pa sicrwydd y gall y Gweinidog ei roi y bydd y broses apêl yn cael ei chryfhau, er mwyn gallu delio yn gyflym a delio yn deg efo achosion lle mae yna deimlad bod yr amgylchiadau eleni wedi arwain at ddisgybl yn cael cam?

Wel, mae e wedi bod yn sefyllfa anodd eleni i'r rheini sydd heb sefyll arholiad allanol o'r blaen, ac mae hynny yn ddealladwy. Ac, felly, mae'r pryder sy'n dod yn sgil papurau oedd efallai yn annisgwyl i unigolion, wrth gwrs, wedyn yn cael effaith arnyn nhw. Rwy'n ymwybodol, wrth gwrs, o ran ambell bapur arholiad, yn cynnwys lefel A mathemateg, fod cwynion a phryderon wedi bod ynglŷn â chynnwys rhai o'r papurau hynny. Mae'r Aelod yn sicr wedi gweld ymateb y cyd-bwyllgor addysg i hynny ynglŷn â'r cynnwys, a bydd unrhyw gŵyn sydd yn cael ei gwneud iddyn nhw yn cael ymchwiliad trylwyr a review o'r papur hwnnw. 

Mae un enghraifft o bapur Saesneg lle roedd cynnwys yn eisiau, ac mae hynny'n amlwg wedi bod yn gamgymeriad, a bydd review penodol yn digwydd yn sgil hwnnw, ond mae e'n bosib gosod y graddau wrth farcio'r papurau mewn ffordd sydd yn adlewyrchu'r ffaith bod cynnwys wedi bod yn eisiau, neu hefyd yn adlewyrchu'r ffaith bod rhai o'r cwestiynau yn anoddach na'r disgwyl.

Felly, gallaf roi sicrwydd i'r Aelod ei bod hi'n bosib edrych ar y sgîm graddau wrth fynd ati i farcio'r papurau hynny, ond hefyd, wrth gwrs, bydd y trefniadau sydd ar gael o ran apêl yn gallu delio gyda rhai o'r cwestiynau eraill sydd yn codi. Ac, eleni, rŷn ni hefyd yn sicrhau na fydd cost apêl yn rhwystr i'r rheini efallai a fyddai'n stryglo i allu fforddio gwneud hynny fel arall, i sicrhau bod tegwch yn y system. 

Minister, this is an issue I know I've raised with you previously as well, in terms of the extra support that students need to be supported due to missing education over the course of the pandemic. But I would ask you to what extent the mechanisms that you've developed to offer that additional support will remain in place after the pandemic, for perhaps other means where students need additional support. I'm particularly thinking of the new curriculum with that in mind as well.

I think that's a very good question. The Power Up campaign, as he knows from our previous exchanges and, I'm sure, his own experience, provides a package of revision support, but signposting for other support as well, as well as, in the case of this year, the adaptations to content for the exams specifically. It's a sort of comprehensive, if you like, one-stop shop. I think there are approaches from that that might be beneficial into the future, in particular some of the well-being approaches, because what we obviously know is that the pressures that exist for learners this year will not simply disappear for learners next year. So, we will be looking creatively at how we can maintain some of those resources. Some of them obviously lend themselves to being available into the future in any case; some are more specific to the exams for this summer. But, just to assure the Member, we are looking at what we can do with that to make it more widely available into the future as well. 

A range of vocational education opportunities are available at all levels to suit our learners in Pembrokeshire. Vocational qualifications play a vital role in delivering the skills and training that our learners need to address the demands of our economy.

Thank you for that response. Minister, I recently visited Haverfordwest County AFC with my colleague Laura Anne Jones to learn more about their pre-apprenticeship programme, which is delivered by Achieve More Training. The programme provides local opportunities for young people in Pembrokeshire who want a career in education, sport or leisure, and helps to meet the skills gap in those sectors. So, Minister, will you join me in applauding Haverfordwest County AFC on their work to support and nurture young people by delivering apprenticeships in Pembrokeshire? And can you tell us what the Welsh Government is doing to support such initiatives? 

Yes, I'd be very happy to join the Member in his congratulations to the college, and I'm looking forward to being with him tomorrow in Pembrokeshire College, where we'll have an opportunity to talk to many of the young learners there—and the advantages they're able to take of the range of opportunities that are available there as well. As he will know, in terms of our approach to apprenticeships, we are fully committed to increasing our  apprenticeship opportunities across Wales, including obviously in Pembrokeshire. And, over the next three years, we'll be investing £366 million to deliver 125,000 apprenticeships across Wales, and we are working with Business Wales, the Skills Gateway for Business team and a range of others, to make sure that there's an efficient service available to employers looking to recruit an apprentice, so we'll make that process as smooth and as accessible to as many of our young learners as possible.  

In addition to the announced adaptations to exam content and grade boundaries, a £24 million support package was put in place, including the Lefel Nesa/Power Up campaign. This investment has provided learners with information, exam resources, hints and tips to help them prepare for the 2022 exam season.

Thank you, Minister. It's following on from a question that you had earier from Rhun, actually, about preparations for the exams this summer, considering that there were very concerning multiple reports that set texts had been missing off A-level English literature, as you've outlined already, and that pupils had unexpected content—that was in maths, with the difficulty, as you've already outlined, so I won't go over it. But what assurances can you give learners today that those lessons have been learnt by the examination board, and that we won't have repeat mistakes from the exam board this time for GCSE learners? Thank you. 

I've obviously met with the exam board and with Qualifications Wales, as I do regularly, and have discussed this summer's exam season as part of our discussions generally. Learners this year have faced a particular set of challenges, being the first cohort perhaps not to have sat any external exams, but facing them for the first time this year. Clearly, as I was saying in the earlier answer, learners will feel very anxious as a consequence of that. You will have seen the response that the WJEC has given specifically on the question of examined content. Just to repeat the point, alongside the overall system-wide adjustment to the grades, which is the mid point between 2019 and 2021—that sort of overall adjustment—it is also possible to adjust grade boundaries on papers to reflect the content and the overall performance on that paper, which obviously captures some of the points that you were making. So, just to give that assurance. That set of decisions is made when the marking of the paper itself happens, so it can take into account the sorts of issues which the Member has raised. I do understand that learners are anxious, but I want to give them that assurance that there is a mechanism in the system that can respond to that. 

The 2022-23 settlement sees the highest level of investment in further education in recent history. We recognise that more learners are choosing to stay in post-16 education. Through the budget, we will ensure that learners in post-16 education are offered the best possible support, in particular following the impact of the pandemic.

Diolch yn fawr am yr ateb.

The vast majority of my region is made up of working-class communities where the cost-of-living crisis is being felt most acutely. The announcement last week that interest rates on student loans would be capped at 7.3 per cent to prevent them rising to 12 per cent was a mercy, but a very small one at that. An interest rate of 7.3 per cent is still extortionate and off-putting. I fear this huge interest rise on student loans will deter many young people from working-class families from fulfilling their potential and attending university. This may only serve to increase the attainment gap between the haves and the have nots, something NUS Cymru has already spoken out about. How is the Welsh Government reacting to the latest developments in student loan interest rates, combined with the added pressure brought on by the cost-of-living crisis, to ensure that kids from working class families are not discouraged from entering higher education?

I thank the Member for his point. It's a really important question. He might have seen some of the remarks I made last week in particular about access to all kinds of education for young people from perhaps some of our most disadvantaged backgrounds. For the first time this year, and in each subsequent year, we will be able to provide—obviously, subject to the consent of the individual—for example, data through UCAS on the free school meals eligibility of individual learners to enable contextualised offers to be made.

He's making a slightly different point about the costs of going to university. I agree with him; the measures that we see the UK Government taking are a great concern, as well as some of the changes they are mooting in relation to requiring different grade thresholds for GCSE, which I think are regressive and have no place in any policy that is based on widening access to university.

As he may know, although the ability to fund student finance is devolved to Wales, some of the choices we make are constrained by our ability to be able to liaise with HMRC and the Student Loans Company, which are not, obviously, devolved. We continue to have in Wales the most progressive student finance support package of any part of the UK in terms of the mix between loans and grants, but also—which is not very often remarked upon—in Wales, as soon as you start to repay your debt, you immediately get a £1,500 discount on your repayment, which is the only part of the UK in which that happens.

But, I take very seriously the point that he's made. Whatever we can do, we will do. Obviously, we are committed to our progressive system here in Wales. On the point of interest rates in particular, what I would say is that that doesn't affect the monthly outgoing, it's the length of the loan that that affects. I don't diminish for a second that it's a very important point, but in terms of the immediate affordability, it won't have that immediate increase on the monthly outgoing. But, it's an important point, as it does extend the cost of tuition overall.

Mae cyfleoedd gwirfoddoli fel rhan o addysg yn hanfodol er mwyn creu cymdeithas o wirfoddolwyr a meithrin yr arfer o wirfoddoli ymysg pobl ifanc. Rydyn ni’n parhau i gefnogi cyrff seilwaith y trydydd sector a chynlluniau grant cenedlaethol i hwyluso mynediad at gyfleoedd gwirfoddoli i bobl ifanc.

Diolch, Weinidog. Fel y byddwch chi'n ymwybodol, yn 2021, fe gomisiynodd ColegauCymru adroddiad oedd yn nodi bod nifer o ddysgwyr sy'n gwirfoddoli ers 2020 wedi colli cyfleoedd ymarferol i gymhwyso eu dysgu, gyda'r mwyafrif o'r rhain yn dod o gyrsiau chwaraeon. O ystyried bod Wythnos Gwirfoddolwyr wedi'i chynnal ar ddechrau'r mis hwn, ydych chi'n cytuno, Weinidog, bod rhaid i ni sicrhau bod y cyfleoedd hyn ar gael yn ehangach i ddysgwyr—dwi'n derbyn bod yna waith yn mynd rhagddo—a bod hyn yn bwysig nid yn unig ar gyfer nodau addysgol a'r cyfraniad at gymuedau, ond hefyd o ran iechyd meddwl a llesiant dysgwyr? Os felly, sut y gallwn sicrhau bod mwy o gyfleoedd ar gael iddynt?

Diolch i Heledd Fychan am godi'r cwestiwn. Fe welson ni yn ystod cyfnod y pandemig gynnydd o bron i 4,500 o bobl ifanc, sy'n cynrychioli bron i 20 y cant o'r cofrestriadau newydd, ar blatfform Gwirfoddoli Cymru, sy'n galonogol, dwi'n credu. Mae gwirfoddoli yn ffordd bwysig o ddangos gwerthoedd dinasyddiaeth, ac yn ran bwysig o'r broses ddemocrataidd cymunedol hefyd. Dwi'n cwrdd yn rheolaidd gyda chyrff gwirfoddoli trydydd sector trwy'r WCVA i drafod cyfleoedd gwirfoddoli a sut mae hynny ar gael i bobl ifanc hefyd. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei gwneud hi'n flaenoriaeth i gefnogi'r sector gwirfoddoli gyda phecyn o gefnogaeth ariannol sylweddol, ac mae fy nghydweithiwr y Gweinidog Cyfiawnder Cymdeithasol wedi sefydlu grŵp traws-sector arweinyddol i edrych ar beth mwy gallwn ni ei wneud i esbonio gwerth gwirfoddoli, yn cynnwys i bobl ifanc hefyd. 

We move on to item 3, topical questions. There were no topical questions accepted.

We'll go on to item 4, 90-second statements. I call on Elin Jones.

Mae'n bosib y bydd rhai heb sylwi ar ddigwyddiad pwysicaf yr wythnos yma. Ddydd Llun, lansiwyd A Repertory of Welsh Manuscripts and Scribes c.800-c.1800, gwaith y Dr Daniel Huws, a’i gyflwyno i’r Prif Weinidog. Bu Dr Huws yn gweithio ar y cyfrolau ers ei ymddeoliad o’r llyfrgell genedlaethol 30 mlynedd yn ôl, a mis yma mi fydd Daniel Huws yn 90 oed. Fe’i cynorthwywyd gan brosiect ar y cyd rhwng Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru a'r llyfrgell genedlaethol, ac yn benodol gan yr Athro Ann Parry Owen, Dr Maredudd ap Huw, Glenys Howells a Gruffudd Antur.

Mae’r tair cyfrol yn pwyso 5 kg ac yn cynnwys dros 1,500 o dudalennau. Mae cyfrol gyntaf y repertory yn cynnwys disgrifiadau o tua 3,300 o lawysgrifau Cymreig. Yng nghyfrol 2, ceir gwybodaeth fywgraffyddol am tua 1,500 o ysgrifwyr. Yng nghyfrol 3, ceir rhyw 900 delwedd sy’n cynnig enghreifftiau o amrywiol lawiau’r ysgrifwyr pwysicaf.

Mae'r cyfrolau yma yn gampwaith. Fe’u hymchwilwyd, lluniwyd, golygwyd a’u hargraffwyd yn bennaf yng Ngheredigion, ond nawr y maent yn perthyn i ysgolheictod y byd. Gall ambell un ddweud mai prin fydd y bobl fydd yn pori drwy’r tudalennau yma, ond mi fedra i ddweud, o’r tua 60 Aelod oedd yma yn y Senedd y prynhawn ddoe yn pleidleisio ar ddeddfwriaeth, mi oedd o leiaf un Aelod yn darllen drwy gyfrol 2 Daniel Huws. Fe gewch chi ddyfalu pwy.

Diolch i Daniel am y magnum opus yma a fydd yn adrodd hanes y Cymry i'r byd ac i'r canrifoedd i ddod am byth.

This week marks Armed Forces Week across the United Kingdom, a week that brings together our armed forces community, including servicepeople, their families and the organisations that support them. It provides an opportunity for people across the country to show our appreciation for the work that they do. As part of the week, we held Wales's Armed Forces Day in the city of Wrexham on Saturday, and Scarborough will be hosting the UK Armed Forces Day, which will take place this coming Saturday.

Wales, of course, has a proud association with our armed forces. In mid Wales, we have the headquarters of the army, the base of 160th (Welsh) Brigade, and a secure base now, thanks to a decision by the UK Government. And in north Wales, at RAF Valley, every single Royal Air Force pilot, jet pilot, is trained. Here in Cardiff, just down the road, we have HMS Cambria, Wales's only Royal Navy reservist unit. But today, we mark Reserves Day, an opportunity to show our appreciation for armed forces reservists who play a vital but often underappreciated role. There are more than 2,000 reservists in Wales who volunteer to balance their day jobs and a family life with a military career. And as the recent pandemic has shown us all, they are ready to serve when they're called upon.

So, as we mark this Armed Forces Week, and today as Reserves Day, let's renew our commitment to all those who are serving, or who have served, and work with the UK and Welsh Governments, our veterans commissioner, and others to give them the support that they so richly deserve.

Yesterday marked Global Motor Neurone Disease Awareness Day, and I'd like to thank the many Members of the Senedd who yesterday joined with me in meeting people living with and affected by MND on the steps of the Senedd to raise awareness of this cruel disease. And those there very much appreciated you being there.

It's pleasing that significant changes have happened in Wales over the past two years, but more needs to be done quickly. MND sufferers desperately need more investment in areas that will better their quality of life. They need to see more investment in MND research in Wales, improvements to care and services, and there's the need for an all-Wales lead consultant neurologist for MND. And it's also important that local authorities need to find ways to fast-track home adaptations to enable those with MND to live with dignity and not suffer in what is already a terrible time in their lives. MND is truly devastating for both those living with it and their families, but this is where we, the Welsh Parliament, can make a difference by ensuring that their lives are not made even more difficult. In fact, each and every one of us in this Chamber, as Welsh parliamentarians, has a moral obligation to ensure that the voices of those with MND are heard and listened to. After all, MND sufferers do not have time to waste and desperately need more support now. 

Yr eitem nesaf yw'r ddadl ar adroddiad y Pwyllgor Safonau Ymddygiad, y pedwerydd adroddiad i’r chweched Senedd o dan Reol Sefydlog 22.9. Dwi'n galw ar Gadeirydd y pwyllgor i wneud y cynnig—Vikki Howells.

Diolch, Llywydd. As the Chair of the Standards of Conduct Committee, I formally move the motion.

The committee considered the report from the commissioner for standards in relation to a complaint made against Eluned Morgan MS regarding her conviction for speeding offences. The Standards of Conduct Committee gave the commissioner's report careful consideration, and our report sets out the committee's judgment as to the sanction that is appropriate in this case.

The facts relating to the complaint and the committee's reasons for its recommendation are set out in full in the committee's report. A number of other matters arose during the consideration of this complaint, which the committee thinks appropriate to note as matters of principle relating to the conduct of Members generally, and I draw Members' attention to those. In particular, I draw Members' attention to the commissioner's comments about Members informing him of convictions for any offence. The committee would like to reiterate that this is not only good practice, but also in line with the transparency principle in the code of conduct and helps to maintain the high standards that we have set for ourselves. The motion tabled invites the Senedd to endorse the committee's recommendation.

I'd like to thank the standards committee for their work and for their consideration of the standards commissioner's report. I'm aware that the role of elected representatives is to lead by example. There's an expectation on all of us to uphold the highest standards, and, throughout this process, I've accepted that I failed to do so through my actions in this case. I'd like to place on record in the Chamber my sincere remorse and deep regret for my actions and I confirm that I pleaded guilty and accepted the court's judgment. I apologise unreservedly and wholeheartedly to you, my fellow Senedd Members, and to the people of Wales for the embarrassing position that I've put myself and this respected institution in, and I want to say sorry to anyone who has been affected by my actions.

Dwi'n ymwybodol o’r cyfrifoldeb sydd arnom ni i gyd fel Aelodau i arwain drwy enghraifft, a dwi'n derbyn nad wyf fi wedi cadw at y safonau sydd yn ofynnol ohonom ni fel Aelodau Seneddol yn yr achos yma. Dwi eisiau ei wneud yn glir yn y Senedd heddiw fy mod i'n ymddiheuro i chi i gyd, fy nghyd-Aelodau, ac i bobl Cymru am y sefyllfa anffodus dwi wedi gosod fy hun ynddi, a dwi am ddweud ei fod yn flin gen i am unrhyw embaras dwi wedi achosi i'r sefydliad ac i unrhyw un sydd wedi dioddef fel canlyniad o fy ngweithredoedd. Dwi am gadarnhau fy mod i wedi pledio yn euog i'r cyhuddiad o oryrru a dwi wedi derbyn dyfarniad y llys. Diolch, Llywydd.

Ydy'r Cadeirydd eisiau ymateb?

Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to thank Eluned Morgan MS for her words here today. I'd also like to thank my fellow members of the Standards of Conduct Committee for their work on this matter and the clerking team for all of their hard work and professionalism in supporting our inquiry.

Y cwestiwn, felly, yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Does dim gwrthwynebiad. Felly, mae'r cynnig wedi'i dderbyn yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.

Yr eitem nesaf yw'r ddadl Aelodau o dan Reol Sefydlog 11.21(iv). Y ddadl yma ar rymuso cymunedau. Dwi'n galw ar Luke Fletcher i wneud y cynnig.

Diolch, Llywydd. In a report published this year, the Bevan Foundation found that Wales has some of the weakest provisions for community rights of ownership and control in the UK. Another report found that communities face a now arduous and demoralising process, and that it was extremely likely that the situation in Wales has led to many assets being permanently lost to communities. Assets such as playing fields, historic buildings and areas of stunning natural beauty can end up in disrepair or disuse as a result of a poor and complicated system. As a country with a proud history of championing our communities, we cannot allow this to continue.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns meant that we all got to know a little bit more about our local respective towns, cities and villages. We were more aware of that nice little path around the corner, the new field down the road to take the dog to, or the playing fields that we hadn't visited since we were children. Despite the many wonderful sites across the country, we must be proactive in ensuring that they stay well maintained and well used within their communities. One of the best ways to ensure that the local park or whatever it may be is looked after is to place it in the hands of the community. After all, who is better placed to ensure a community asset is given the care and attention it needs and deserves than the community itself?

Following the pandemic, the latest 'Wellbeing of Wales' report showed a marked increase in the number of people who feel they can influence decisions in their local area. Across Wales, we saw a community-level response to COVID, which led to numerous examples of improved understanding, decision making and collaboration between communities and public bodies. We live in a nation where people are proud of their communities and want to be involved in their futures. But, despite being a country full of proud communities, we're yet to reach a position where the support is available to empower these communities. The recently published Institute of Welsh Affairs report, 'Our Land: Communities and Land Use' offers several recommendations that, if enacted, would allow residents to take control of their local area and ensure a strong and empowered future for their community, as well as the Wales Co-operative Centre report, 'Community ownership of land and assets: enabling the delivery of community-led housing in Wales'. However, the system that we currently find ourselves in is not fit for purpose. The community asset transfer system is one that is more suited to local authorities' cost cutting rather than community empowerment.

We don't need to look far for examples of community empowerment supported by Governments. The Scottish Land Fund has allowed a number of communities across Scotland to take control of local assets and mould them into something fit for local people. This is what we need in Wales. That's why we are calling on the Government to co-produce a community strategy, to develop an enabling state for community action, and for the Government to explore the legal options for establishing a community right to buy in Wales. For too long, our communities have been underpowered, at the mercy of outside interests. What we are proposing—Mabon, Buffy and I—is that we put the power back into the hands of the people. It's as simple as that.

I thank Mabon ap Gwynfor for submitting today's motion, also Buffy Williams and Luke Fletcher for co-submitting. In addition to this, of course, I was pleased to be able to record my support for today's motion, and, as I'm sure Members will be well aware, I never miss an opportunity to talk about our local communities, in particular empowering them, as is so, so important, as already outlined initially by Luke Fletcher just then. But, in contributing in today's debate, I'd like to focus on two key areas that I think are crucial in empowering our local communities before looking to address the two main action points in today's motion.

And the first point really is the importance and role of our councillors and councils in making this ambition a success. As I've stated time and time again in the Chamber, it's councillors who often know their communities best and often are true advocates of their communities, because they're democratically elected to do so. And it's councillors who need to be given the levers and power to deliver the change as needed in the community, to truly empower them and the residents that they represent.

It states in point 4 of today's motion that 'local authorities often play' an important role

'in ensuring community ownership of assets,'

whilst working with community groups. Now, Luke Fletcher's point was well made in terms of that some of the existing powers perhaps aren't as transparent or easy for community groups to engage with as they should be.

But also, as outlined in point 2, it's these community groups and councillors who really went above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we can't lose that enthusiasm. We really should be harnessing that. It's crucial that our locally elected champions are trusted and fully supported, if we want to maximise that enthusiasm that we've seen over recent years.

Secondly, when talking about empowering communities, I just want to mention the importance of having pride of place, being proud of the place that we work and live in. As we sadly know, many of our communities are in desperate need of some very basic improvements and perhaps don't receive the service that they deserve to have that pride in the place that they live in. Again, through the pandemic, didn't we, we saw a renewed sense of community and pride in our local areas, as Luke Fletcher already outlined—many people using our local parks, appreciating natural scenery, often taken for granted for a long time, but suddenly coming to life as we all took our one-hour daily exercise down the local footpath. Seeing those small improvements in the place that we live in makes such a difference, and a real sense of ownership also makes such a difference. We see the improvements elsewhere by seeing the physical improvements in the environment that we live in. We see communities flourish, that pride restored in the place that we live, and it's often community champions, our local residents, who are right at the heart of all this.

But in terms of the action points, as it were, in today's motion, the motion

'Calls on the Welsh Government to:

'a) coproduce a communities strategy to develop an enabling state for community action;

'b) explore the legal options for establishing a community right to buy in Wales.'

As you'd expect from me, a right to buy is something I certainly support in many different aspects. That's also why we on this side of the Chamber today are really happy to support today's motion, because, as we've outlined in our recent manifesto as Conservatives, we think that empowering local communities is really important, and being able to support them in protecting their local services is important as well. We've explored and thought about ideas around things like a community ownership fund, which perhaps could be within the thinking of Governments in the future as well. A community ownership fund would help local communities to buy facilities, such as a local pub, shop or library that needs saving, that perhaps is closing down, and just really empower those communities or groups to get hold of those things that are very important to their village or their town.

As I'm sure Members across the Chamber would agree, again, it's those local people, it's our residents that we serve at a very local level, who often know best what is needed for their area, but they haven't got the right powers and the tools at the moment to quickly enable them to do that—

Would you possibly take an intervention?

Certainly, Rhianon.

Thank you so much. Nobody would disagree with any of those sentiments—

Thank you very much.

—and comments, but my question, really, is: surely, empowering communities is about having the funding within those communities so that we have libraries and leisure centres and vibrant schools, and would you say that the austerity agenda, deliberate cuts to Wales, has diminished that capacity?

You're exactly right; as I said, funding is an important element of this, and local authorities have a role to play in that. I think what we're talking about here, though, today, is actually assets, the ownership of things, not just going through local authorities, but at an even more local level, with community groups, anybody who sees something that they think makes a big difference to their community getting hold of that and actually doing a good job of running that facility.

But thank you for your opening comments there, Rhianon; I always appreciate being supported by you over there. I can't remember where I was up to in terms of what I was saying there; you threw me there.

But, in addition to these points just made then, empowering local communities also looks like local neighbourhood plans as well. I think, at times, our planning system, with all the legal restraints that it has and has to have, sometimes can miss out on that very local involvement with people having decision making about how things look and feel within their locality, how things look and feel in terms of of what is built around them as well.

So, just in closing today, it is a great opportunity, I think, for us as Members across the Senedd, across the political Chamber, to come together to recognise the importance of our local communities and support the aspiration of empowering them, as Rhianon so eloquently said. In light of this, I'd like to again thank Mabon for submitting today's motion, and I look forward to hearing many more contributions and hopefully be able to contribute myself further as the debate goes on. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

I think this is a very important debate to make people feel that they have some control over their communities, when so much seems to be not in people's control. Therefore, it's really important that we equip communities with better tools to protect themselves from external interests with no stake in an area, who just want to monetise everything they can get their hands on.

Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira paid with their lives trying to highlight the galloping destruction of the Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world. Tragically, the rule of law has been undermined or ignored, not least by the current Brazilian Government. Commercial interests—some commercial interests—know no bounds in the search for profit, untroubled by the impact on nature, the Amazonian Indians who have lived there for millennia, and the devastating impact that this is likely to have on the future of our planet collectively. It's an extreme example, but it's not an isolated incident, so I particularly want to focus on point 8 in the motion, about enabling communities to retain local buildings and land as community facilities.

I recently visited the site of the Llanishen and Lisvane reservoirs, which is on the border of Cardiff Central and Cardiff North, which will in a couple of years' time return to being a community asset open to the public. The amenity would have been completely lost were it not for the efforts of the community, spearheaded by the Reservoir Action Group, known as RAG, and a 10-year campaign to combat one of the largest American mulitinationals—Pennsylvania Power & Light—who wanted to turn it into housing because, obviously, that is much more profitable than being the custodian of a former water reservoir.

As soon as it was acquired from Welsh Water in 2004, Pennsylvania Power & Light set about kicking off the sailing club that was on the site, refusing permission to the fishing club and putting up huge barriers to prevent people getting on to the site to enjoy this very special site of special scientific interest, due to the presence of a wide variety of grassland fungi and the over-wintering birds that land on Lisvane reservoir.

So, Pennsylvania Power & Light, through its subsidiary, Western Power Distribution, were arguing that this amenity was no longer needed, and it was only the efforts of RAG that enabled it to become a listed building, and it took three public inquiries to defeat Pennsylvania Power & Light. They finally threw in the towel in 2010—no, I think a little bit later, in 2013, but not until they had already completely drained the Llanishen reservoir, which is a multimillion pound venture to refill and repair, given the strict restrictions around reservoirs, for good reasons. So, it is an irony that this asset is now back in the hands of Dŵr Cymru due to the efforts of the much-loved and long-lamented Carl Sargeant, who persuaded them to take back the site that they had sold off in the first place.

It will be a wonderful site, but if it wasn't for the real efforts of a very large-scale community campaign, we would simply not have this, and it's really been down to the community to protect it. So, it's really illustrating of just how determined people need to be and also the fact that the planning regime and the community asset regulations that exist in other parts of Britain are simply absent in Wales, and that needs to be rectified.

So, for current problems, there's a pub called the Roath Park in my constituency, on City Road. It is the last remaining Victorian-era pub on that road, and it's destined for demolition because it's cheaper to simply tear it down and put up some modern flats instead. I'm sure they'll be hideous. And instead, they could be amending this fine building to make dwellings for future use. So, there has to be an alternative to this. Cadw refuse to list it, and even had it been locally listed by Cardiff Council, that wouldn't have protected it.

So, we need to look again at how we can protect things in our communities that people value and want to preserve. And if people are there saying, 'We will take this on', then they shouldn't have people who just simply have the money and just want to make a quick buck to prevent them doing so. And if we don't do this, there's no way we're going to be able to develop the 15-minute city that's being developed in Paris and Nottingham and other places, which is the only way forward if we are going to meet our sustainability goals.

Fel y gwyddom ni oll, mae grwpiau cymunedol yn chwarae rôl bwysig a hanfodol yn ein cymunedau a hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch, o waelod calon, i bob grŵp cymunedol sydd yn weithgar yn y rhanbarth rwyf yn ei gynrychioli. Ac er bod nifer o grwpiau cymunedol yn derbyn cefnogaeth gan awdurdodau lleol, mae nifer yn wynebu heriau hefyd. Yr hyn yr hoffwn i yn bersonol ei weld yn deillio o'r cynnig hwn yw ei gwneud hi'n haws i gymunedau berchnogi asedau lleol o werth cymunedol.

O fis Hydref 2021 i Ebrill eleni, fe dderbyniodd fy swyddfa 11 ymholiad gan grwpiau cymunedol yn ceisio cymorth yn benodol o ran y broses trosglwyddo asedau cymunedol. Mae un enghraifft o grŵp cymunedol sydd eisiau achub caeau chwarae lleol a'u hadfer ar gyfer deunydd cymunedol, tra bod y cyngor lleol, sydd berchen y tir, eisiau gwerthu'r tir ar gyfer adeiladu tai cymdeithasol. Profiad y grŵp cymunedol hwn oedd bod swyddogion y cyngor, oedd i fod i gefnogi trosglwyddo asedau cymunedol, wedi cael eu cyfaddawdu oherwydd bod barn bendant gan y cyngor o ran dyfodol y llecyn hwnnw o dir. Ble, felly, oedd y gefnogaeth ar gyfer y grŵp penodol hwn?

Yn wir, mae tir yn cael ei werthu'n rheolaidd gan gynghorau lleol heb i gymunedau fod yn ymwybodol nac ychwaith gael cyfle i'w diogelu fel asedau cymunedol. Mae llawer o'r rhain yn ddarnau bychan o dir o fewn cymunedau presennol sy'n cael trafferth gyda materion lluosog megis parcio, mynediad i wefru cerbydau trydan, ac, wrth gwrs, efo'r argyfwng costau byw, ddim efo llecyn er mwyn tyfu bwyd yn lleol. Byddai hawl cymunedol i brynu yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i adrannau ystadau ymgysylltu â chymunedau lleol ynghylch cynlluniau i werthu parseli o dir, ac ymgysylltu â'r gymuned i sefydlu diddordeb a phenderfynu sut y gellid defnyddio asedau o'r fath i ddiwallu anghenion lleol.

Mae grŵp arall a gysylltodd â'm swyddfa newydd sicrhau'r brydles ar eu hased cymunedol, bum mlynedd ar ôl dechrau eu trafodaethau â'r awdurdod lleol. Gall y broses hirfaith hon roddi pwysau aruthrol ar wirfoddolwyr sy'n rhan o grwpiau cymunedol a rhoi cyllid y mae dirfawr ei angen arnynt mewn perygl, a hefyd bygwth dyfodol yr asedau y mae cymunedau'n gweithio'n galed i'w hachub, oherwydd rydym ni'n gwybod eu bod nhw'n mynd i ddirywio os nad ydy'r buddsoddiad yna'n dod tra maen nhw'n aros penderfyniad gan y cynghorau lleol.

Profiad cymunedau sydd wedi cysylltu â mi, felly, yw bod rhai awdurdodau lleol yn trin cymunedau fel pe baent yn endidau masnachol yn hytrach na fel rhan allweddol o'r gymuned y mae'r awdurdod wedi ymrwymo i’w gwasanaethu. Mae'n sicr bod yn rhaid inni roi rhyw fesur ar waith. Dydy'r system fel y mae hi ddim yn gweithio, a dwi'n ddiolchgar i Mabon ap Gwynfor am godi'r pwnc pwysig eithriadol hwn. Wedi'r cyfan, rydym ni i gyd yn elwa os ydym ni'n grymuso ein cymunedau. Rydym ni i gyd yn elwa os ydy adeiladau hanesyddol neu ddarnau o dir yn cael defnydd sydd er budd i ni oll. Felly dwi'n falch iawn o gefnogi, ond mae angen hefyd gweld gweithredu gan y Llywodraeth ar hyn. Diolch.