Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd

Plenary - Fifth Senedd

08/03/2017

Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad am 13:30 gyda’r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.

The Assembly met at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.

Galw’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol i drefn.

I call the National Assembly to order.

1. 1. Cwestiynau i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig
1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs

Mae [R] yn dynodi bod yr Aelod wedi datgan buddiant. Mae [W] yn dynodi bod y cwestiwn wedi’i gyflwyno yn Gymraeg.

[R] signifies the Member has declared an interest. [W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.

Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni y prynhawn yma yw’r cwestiynau i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig. A’r cwestiwn cyntaf, Gareth Bennett.

The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs. And the first question, Gareth Bennett.

Targedau Ailgylchu

Recycling Targets

1. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddatganiad am berfformiad o’i gymharu â thargedau ailgylchu gwastraff trefol ledled Cymru? OAQ(5)0115(ERA)

1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on performance against municipal waste recycling targets across Wales? OAQ(5)0115(ERA)

Member
Lesley Griffiths 13:30:00
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs

Thank you. We are making excellent progress against our recycling targets. Latest figures show 62 per cent recycling for the 12 months ending September 2016, up 4 per cent on the 12 months to September 2015. We are No. 1 in the UK, we’ve risen to No. 2 in Europe, and that’s a great testament to the commitment of councils and residents across Wales.

Diolch. Rydym yn gwneud cynnydd rhagorol yn erbyn ein targedau ailgylchu. Dengys y ffigurau ailgylchu diweddaraf gynnydd o 62 y cant ar gyfer y 12 mis hyd at fis Medi 2016, 4 y cant yn uwch na’r 12 mis blaenorol hyd at fis Medi 2015. Rydym ar y brig yn y DU, rydym wedi codi i’r ail safle yn Ewrop, ac mae hynny’n dyst i ymrwymiad cynghorau a thrigolion ledled Cymru.

Thank you for that information, Cabinet Secretary, and, in itself, yes, that is a good performance. The problem is that, as councils advance towards recycling targets, frequently fly-tipping rates rise. In the two years up to 2016, fly-tipping rose by 10 per cent in Conwy, by 22 per cent in Gwynedd and, in Pembrokeshire, by a massive 47 per cent. In the light of these figures, is it time for your department to review its recycling targets?

Diolch am y wybodaeth honno, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ac mae hynny ynddo’i hun yn berfformiad da. Y broblem yw bod nifer yr achosion o dipio anghyfreithlon yn aml yn codi wrth i gynghorau anelu at gyrraedd targedau ailgylchu. Yn y ddwy flynedd hyd at 2016, bu cynnydd o 10 y cant mewn tipio anghyfreithlon yng Nghonwy, 22 y cant yng Ngwynedd, ac yn Sir Benfro, bu cynnydd enfawr o 47 y cant. Yng ngoleuni’r ffigurau hyn, a yw’n bryd i’ch adran adolygu ei thargedau ailgylchu?

Well, I am reviewing our recycling targets, but only to make them even more ambitious. I think you need to take great care when you interpret the increase in the 2015-16 figures around fly-tipping. It is a difficult crime to detect, however I do want to see prosecutions where it is happening. But, you know, fly-tipping incidents in Wales had been steadily declining, and then, as you say, they did increase in 2015-16. But I think a number of changes have been made by local authorities, and it’s really important that we do take the public with us. But I think the increase that we’ve seen, in reaching our targets, does show that the public are with us on this one.

Wel, rwy’n adolygu ein targedau ailgylchu, ond rwyf ond yn gwneud hynny er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn fwy uchelgeisiol hyd yn oed. Credaf fod angen i chi fod yn ofalus iawn wrth ddehongli’r cynnydd yn ffigurau 2015-16 mewn perthynas â thipio anghyfreithlon. Mae’n anodd dal y troseddwyr, ond rwyf am eu gweld yn cael eu herlyn pan fo’n digwydd. Ond, wyddoch chi, roedd nifer yr achosion o dipio anghyfreithlon yng Nghymru wedi bod yn gostwng yn raddol, ac yna, fel y dywedwch, bu cynnydd yn 2015-16. Ond credaf fod yr awdurdodau lleol wedi gwneud nifer o newidiadau, ac mae’n bwysig iawn fod y cyhoedd yn dod gyda ni ar hyn. Ond credaf fod y cynnydd a welsom, o ran cyrraedd ein targedau, yn dangos bod y cyhoedd gyda ni ar hyn.

Ceredigion oedd yr awdurdod lleol gorau o ran ailgylchu yn y 12 mis hyd at ddiwedd Medi 2016, gyda 70 y cant o’i wastraff yn cael ei ailgylchu. Mae pob un o’r awdurdodau lleol sy’n cael eu harwain gan Blaid Cymru yn cyrraedd y targed cenedlaethol o ailgylchu 60 y cant o wastraff. Mae rhai awdurdodau, fel Blaenau Gwent, Caerdydd a Phen-y-bont ar Ogwr, yn parhau i fethu â chyrraedd y targed cenedlaethol. A ydy’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn cytuno bod angen gwneud mwy i ysgogi a galluogi pobl i ailgylchu er mwyn sicrhau bod pob awdurdod lleol yn cyrraedd safon Ceredigion ac yn ailgylchu 70 y cant o’u gwastraff erbyn 2025? Ac, er enghraifft, beth am gael cynllun i adael plastig, gwydr a chaniau—y ‘deposit-return scheme’—a chynllun gwahardd polystyren ym mhob ardal?

Ceredigion was the best performing local authority in terms of recycling in the 12 months up to the end of September 2016, with 70 per cent of waste recycled. All of the local authorities led by Plaid Cymru are reaching the national target of recycling 60 per cent of waste. Some authorities, such as Blaenau Gwent, Cardiff and Bridgend, continue to fail to achieve that national target. Does the Cabinet Secretary agree that we need to do more to encourage and enable people to recycle so that every local authority reaches the standards of Ceredigion and recycles 70 per cent of its waste by 2025? For example, why not create a deposit-return scheme for plastic, glass and cans, and a ban on polystyrene in all areas?

Well, 19 of 22 Welsh local authorities reached the target. Bridgend and Cardiff weren’t two of the three that didn’t. The three local authorities that didn’t reach the targets, I’ve now had the opportunity to meet with them, to see why they did fail to reach the targets. And I will be continuing to work, and my officials will continue to work with them to make sure that, next year, they do reach those targets.

You mentioned a couple of initiatives that we are looking at. The deposit-return scheme is one that I think we should give consideration to. But I think, for it to be really beneficial, it needs to be done not just on a Wales-wide—I think we’d have to work with England very closely, and I know Scotland are also looking at it.

Wel, cyrhaeddodd 19 o’r 22 awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru y targed. Nid Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr a Chaerdydd oedd dau o’r tri na lwyddodd i wneud hynny. O ran y tri awdurdod lleol na lwyddodd i gyrraedd y targedau, rwyf bellach wedi cael cyfle i gyfarfod â hwy i weld pam na lwyddwyd i gyrraedd y targedau. A byddaf yn parhau i weithio gyda hwy, a bydd fy swyddogion yn parhau i weithio gyda hwy er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn cyrraedd y targedau hynny y flwyddyn nesaf.

Fe sonioch am ambell fenter yr ydym yn eu hystyried. Credaf y dylem ystyried y cynllun dychwelyd blaendal. Ond er mwyn iddo wneud cymaint o les â phosibl, credaf fod angen ei roi ar waith, nid ledled Cymru’n unig—credaf y byddai’n rhaid i ni weithio’n agos iawn gyda Lloegr, a gwn fod yr Alban yn ei ystyried hefyd.

Cabinet Secretary, there’s no room for taking the foot off the pedal on this. We have to target fly-tipping as well as recycling targets. There’s no such thing as throwing away—all waste needs to be disposed of in some way or another. So, there’s a cost in that. And, in Cardiff, they have achieved the Welsh Government target, which I’m very pleased about. And we need to keep going, because the landfill site at Lamby Way is going to close next year because it’s reached capacity, and that means any further landfill disposal will cost £80 a tonne. And so, therefore, there has to be that emphasis on getting the public to recycle what they need to recycle, and not put it into the non-recyclable bins. Will you join me in supporting this concept, that there is no such thing as throwing away, and we need to tackle every industrial outlet that is developing non-recyclable waste to get them to change, so that we can always reuse and recycle?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ni allwn dynnu’n troed oddi ar y pedal mewn perthynas â hyn. Mae’n rhaid i ni dargedu tipio anghyfreithlon yn ogystal â thargedau ailgylchu. Nid oes y fath beth â chael gwared ar wastraff—mae angen trin pob gwastraff mewn rhyw ffordd neu’i gilydd. Felly, ceir costau yn hynny o beth. Ac yng Nghaerdydd, maent wedi cyrraedd targed Llywodraeth Cymru, ac rwy’n falch iawn o hynny. Ac mae angen inni barhau, oherwydd bydd y safle tirlenwi ar Ffordd Lamby yn cau y flwyddyn nesaf gan ei fod yn llawn, a golyga hynny y bydd unrhyw warediadau tirlenwi pellach yn costio £80 y dunnell. Ac felly, dylai fod pwyslais ar sicrhau bod y cyhoedd yn ailgylchu’r hyn y mae angen iddynt ei ailgylchu, yn hytrach na’i roi yn y biniau ar gyfer gwastraff na ellir ei ailgylchu. A wnewch chi ymuno â mi i gefnogi’r cysyniad hwn, nad oes y fath beth â chael gwared ar wastraff, a bod angen i ni fynd i’r afael â phob safle diwydiannol sy’n cynhyrchu gwastraff na ellir ei ailgylchu er mwyn eu perswadio i newid, fel y gallwn bob amser ailddefnyddio ac ailgylchu?

Yes, I absolutely agree with what the Member for Cardiff Central says. I’ve actually said to my officials I want us to be the No. 1 country, not just in Europe, but in the world. And I really do think that we can achieve that. I think that’s a very realistic target, you know, to be No. 1 in the world. So, we certainly won’t be taking our foot off the target. We do need to look at ways of encouraging people who don’t currently recycle to do so. I think officials recognise, and I think local authorities recognise, that there will always be a group of people that it will be very difficult to persuade, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to persuade them.

Gwnaf, a chytunaf yn llwyr â’r hyn a ddywed yr Aelod dros Ganol Caerdydd. Rwyf wedi dweud wrth fy swyddogion fy mod yn awyddus i’n gwlad fod ar y blaen, nid yn unig yn Ewrop, ond drwy’r byd. Ac rwy’n credu o ddifrif y gallwn gyflawni hynny. Credaf fod sicrhau ein bod ar y blaen drwy’r byd yn darged realistig iawn. Felly yn sicr, ni fyddwn yn tynnu ein troed oddi ar y targed. Mae angen i ni edrych ar ffyrdd o annog pobl nad ydynt yn ailgylchu ar hyn o bryd i wneud hynny. Credaf fod swyddogion ac awdurdodau lleol yn cydnabod y bydd bob amser grŵp o bobl sy’n anodd iawn eu perswadio, ond nid yw hynny’n golygu na ddylem geisio eu perswadio.

Pren o Gymru

Welsh Timber

2. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau cyflenwad digonol o bren o Gymru ar gyfer y diwydiant gweithgynhyrchu yng Nghymru? OAQ(5)0106(ERA)

2. What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure an adequate supply of Welsh timber for the manufacturing industry in Wales? OAQ(5)0106(ERA)

Welsh Government is maximising opportunities to increase woodland planting and management. This should ensure there is an adequate supply of timber for the manufacturing sector. Our natural resources policy will be key in planning and prioritising use of land in the future.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ceisio sicrhau cynifer o gyfleoedd â phosibl i gynyddu gwaith plannu a rheoli coetiroedd. Dylai hyn sicrhau bod cyflenwad digonol o bren ar gyfer y sector gweithgynhyrchu. Bydd ein polisi adnoddau naturiol yn allweddol wrth gynllunio a blaenoriaethu’r defnydd o dir yn y dyfodol.

Cabinet Secretary, you’ll be aware that the latest Woodland for Wales indicators report revealed that, in the year to March 2016, just 348 acres of new woodland was created, which is significantly down from over 16,000 acres that were planted on average in each of the five years to 2014. That step change in planting seemed to coincide with the creation of Natural Resources Wales, and many in the timber manufacturing industry have expressed concerns about continuity of supply, and that will influence some of their business decisions about where investment goes. What do you say to companies like Clifford Jones Timber in Ruthin, in my own constituency, that have raised concerns about this? You’ve indicated that there is going to be an increase. Are we going to get up to this 16,000 acres plus that we were previously achieving historically, so that we can have these adequate supplies not just for the next five or six years, but for 10 and 20 years hence?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod adroddiad dangosyddion diweddaraf Coetiroedd i Gymru wedi datgelu mai dim ond 348 erw o goetiroedd newydd a grëwyd yn ystod y flwyddyn hyd at fis Mawrth 2016, sy’n llai o lawer na’r 16,000 erw a mwy a blannwyd ar gyfartaledd yn ystod pob un o’r pum mlynedd hyd at 2014. Ymddengys bod y newid sylweddol hwnnw o ran plannu wedi cyd-daro â chreu Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, ac mae sawl un yn y diwydiant gweithgynhyrchu pren wedi mynegi pryderon ynglŷn â pharhad y cyflenwad, a bydd hynny’n dylanwadu ar rai o’u penderfyniadau busnes ynglŷn â ble i fuddsoddi. Beth sydd gennych i’w ddweud wrth gwmnïau fel Clifford Jones Timber yn Rhuthun, yn fy etholaeth, sydd wedi mynegi pryderon ynglŷn â hyn? Rydych wedi dweud y bydd cynnydd. A ydym yn mynd i gyrraedd yr 16,000 a mwy o erwau yr oeddem yn ei gyflawni yn y gorffennol, fel y gallwn sicrhau’r cyflenwadau digonol hyn, nid yn unig ar gyfer y pump neu chwe blynedd nesaf, ond am 10 ac 20 mlynedd?

Yes, I too have visited Clifford Jones Timber in Ruthin, and they raised those very same concerns with me. NRW is the largest provider of timber in Wales, and that does supply, I think, 60 per cent of the total sector requirements. We have to increase the amount that we have been doing. We’ve now got the timber marketing plan, which does outline timber availability. That is only for five years, but I think it’s a good starting point. I’ve also asked officials to make sure we continue to work with farmers, for instance, because we want farmers to diversify, and this is an area that they can do that.

Do, rwyf innau hefyd wedi ymweld â Clifford Jones Timber yn Rhuthun, a mynegwyd yr un pryderon wrthyf. Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yw darparwyr pren mwyaf Cymru, a chredaf fod hynny’n cyflenwi 60 y cant o holl ofynion y sector. Mae’n rhaid i ni gyflenwi mwy nag yr ydym wedi bod yn ei wneud. Bellach, mae gennym y cynllun marchnata pren, sy’n amlinellu argaeledd pren. Bydd hwnnw’n para am bum mlynedd yn unig, ond credaf ei fod yn fan cychwyn da. Rwyf hefyd wedi gofyn i swyddogion sicrhau ein bod yn parhau i weithio gyda ffermwyr, er enghraifft, gan ein bod yn awyddus i ffermwyr arallgyfeirio, ac mae hwn yn faes y gallant wneud hynny ynddo.

Cabinet Secretary, you remember the visit to Pentre Solar in Glanrhyd in Pembrokeshire, where you and I both saw how local Welsh timber had been used not only for house construction, but also for skills and increasing skills in the local workforce to work that timber. What further steps can you take, because I think there’s a great potential for timber for house construction in particular in Wales, and also, of course, the growth of woodland helps with flood prevention in areas, carbon sequestration and, also, air quality. So, isn’t it now time for a further push from the Welsh Government on a more bespoke support scheme for woodlands in Wales, because of the benefits not only to manufacturing, but to the quality of life that woodland can bring?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, fe gofiwch yr ymweliad â’r Pentre Solar yng Nglanrhyd yn Sir Benfro, lle y gweloch chi a minnau sut y defnyddiwyd pren lleol Cymreig, nid yn unig i adeiladu tai, ond hefyd o ran sgiliau a chynyddu sgiliau yn y gweithlu lleol i drin y pren hwnnw. Pa gamau ychwanegol y gallwch eu cymryd, gan y credaf fod cryn botensial i bren yn enwedig ar gyfer adeiladu tai yng Nghymru, a hefyd, wrth gwrs, mae twf coetiroedd yn helpu i atal llifogydd mewn rhai ardaloedd, dal a storio carbon, ac ansawdd aer hefyd? Felly, onid yw’n bryd yn awr i Lywodraeth Cymru wneud ymdrech bellach i sicrhau cynllun cymorth mwy pwrpasol ar gyfer coetiroedd yng Nghymru, oherwydd y manteision nid yn unig i’r diwydiant gweithgynhyrchu, ond i ansawdd bywyd y gall coetiroedd ei gynnig?

Yes, absolutely, and it was a very good example of how timber could be used in house construction at Pentre Solar, which we both visited. I’ve been having those discussions with my colleague, Carl Sargeant, the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, in relation to looking at different ways of building houses. I mentioned in my previous answer to Darren Millar that we’ve got the new timber marketing plan. I think we need to have a look. We’ve just set up a woodlands strategy advisory panel task and finish group. That’s going to be to look at timber availability, and one area they could concentrate on is in relation to housing.

Ydy, yn bendant, ac roedd enghreifftiau da iawn o sut y gellid defnyddio pren wrth adeiladu tai ym Mhentre Solar pan fu’r ddau ohonom yno. Rwyf wedi bod yn trafod hyn gyda fy nghyd-Aelod, Carl Sargeant, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gymunedau a Phlant, mewn perthynas ag edrych ar wahanol ffyrdd o adeiladu tai. Soniais yn fy ateb blaenorol i Darren Millar fod gennym gynllun marchnata pren newydd. Credaf fod angen i ni edrych ar hyn. Rydym newydd sefydlu grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen ar gyfer y panel cynghori ar y strategaeth goetiroedd. Bydd yn edrych ar argaeledd pren, ac mae tai yn un maes y gallent ganolbwyntio arno.

Cabinet Secretary, timber obviously is a major element here, and we’ve seen in my area the harvesting of timber change because of the diseases within the valley area. Therefore, the replanting is important, to look at, as Simon Thomas says, not just the nature of the land, but also perhaps the opportunity for other businesses beyond manufacturing, such as tourism areas. What progress has been made in replanting in the Afan valley to ensure that we can get that back to where it was?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae’n amlwg fod pren yn elfen bwysig yma, ac rydym wedi gweld cynaeafu pren yn newid yn fy ardal yn sgil y clefydau yn ardal y cwm. Felly, mae ailblannu’n bwysig, er mwyn edrych, fel y dywed Simon Thomas, nid yn unig ar natur y tir, ond hefyd efallai ar y cyfleoedd i fusnesau eraill y tu hwnt i’r diwydiant gweithgynhyrchu, megis ardaloedd twristiaeth. Pa gynnydd a wnaed ar ailblannu yng Nghwm Afan er mwyn sicrhau y gallwn gael hynny’n ôl i’r hyn yr arferai fod?

I can’t give you specifics for the Afan valley, but I’d be very happy to write to you.

Ni allaf roi manylion penodol i chi ynglŷn â Chwm Afan, ond rwy’n fwy na pharod i ysgrifennu atoch.

Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Lefarwyr y Pleidiau

Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Simon Thomas.

Questions now from the party spokespeople. Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Simon Thomas.

Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, rydym ni wedi cael ein hatgoffa eto ddoe, o’r dystiolaeth gan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, ynglŷn â’r ffaith bod llygredd awyr yn argyfwng iechyd cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, gan achosi rhywbeth fel 2,000 o farwolaethau y flwyddyn. Mae 6 y cant o’r holl farwolaethau sy’n digwydd yng Nghymru yn dilyn yn sgil llygredd awyr, ac yn ail yn unig felly fel achos marwolaeth i ysmygu. Beth felly mae’r Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod yr hyn rydym ni’n ei wneud ar gyfer ansawdd awyr yn cael ei gadw wrth i ni fynd o’r Undeb Ewropeaidd a cholli, ar hyn o bryd, rai o’r rheoliadau hynod bwysig yn y cyd-destun yma?

Cabinet Secretary, we were reminded again yesterday, in evidence from Public Health Wales, about the fact that air pollution is a public health crisis in Wales, causing something in the region of 2,000 deaths per annum. Six per cent of all deaths in Wales are as a result of air pollution, which is second only as a cause of death to smoking. So, what is the Government doing to ensure that our efforts on air quality are retained as we leave the European Union and lose some of the most important regulations in this context?

Thank you. It’s very clear to me that we definitely need a concerted effort across all sectors to address this very important issue. We need some radical solutions and I’ve made it very clear that, within my portfolio, this is one of my top priorities.

You will be aware that we’ve just had a recent consultation on local air quality, and I will be bringing forward a written statement before the end of this month regarding the responses that we’ve received. I think that, by leaving the EU, if anything, we will increase our targets. I think that air quality, as you say, affects so many of our aspects of our life, including our well-being and our health. But, as I say, I think we do need to have a real concerted effort in this area.

Diolch. Mae’n amlwg i mi fod angen ymdrech gydunol arnom ar draws pob sector er mwyn mynd i’r afael â’r mater pwysig hwn. Mae arnom angen atebion radical ac rwyf wedi dweud yn glir iawn fod hyn yn un o fy mhrif flaenoriaethau yn fy mhortffolio.

Fe fyddwch yn gwybod ein bod newydd gael ymgynghoriad diweddar ar ansawdd aer lleol, a byddaf yn cyflwyno datganiad ysgrifenedig cyn diwedd y mis hwn ar yr ymatebion a gawsom. Drwy adael yr UE, os rhywbeth, credaf y byddwn yn cynyddu ein targedau. Credaf fod ansawdd aer, fel y dywedwch, yn effeithio ar gymaint o agweddau ar ein bywyd, gan gynnwys ein lles a’n hiechyd. Ond fel y dywedais, credaf fod angen i ni sicrhau ymdrech gydunol yn y maes hwn.

Diolch am yr ateb, ac rwy’n falch o glywed eich bod chi’n rhoi hyn ar ben y rhestr o flaenoriaethau sydd gennych chi, achos nid oes dim byd mwy amlwg yn eich portffolio chi sydd hefyd yn effeithio ar fywyd bob dydd nifer fawr ohonom sydd yn byw mewn ardaloedd lle mae llygredd awyr yn wael. Rydych chi’n sôn bod angen i hyn gael ei wneud ar draws Llywodraeth. Mae Bil Iechyd Cyhoeddus (Cymru) ar hyn o bryd yn cael ei ystyried gan y Cynulliad. Ar hyn o bryd, nid yw’r Bil hwnnw’n cynnwys unrhyw gyfeiriad at lygredd awyr neu fynd i’r afael â llygredd awyr fel mater o iechyd cyhoeddus. Er nad chi yw’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet sy’n gyfrifol am y Bil, beth ydych chi’n ei wneud wrth drafod gyda’ch cyd-Ysgrifenyddion Cabinet i sicrhau bod y Bil yma’n eich helpu chi i fynd i’r afael â llygredd awyr yng Nghymru?

Thank you for that response. I am pleased to hear that you are putting this at the top of your list of priorities, because there is nothing more prominent in your own portfolio that also has an impact on the daily lives of so many of us living in areas where air pollution is a problem. You’ve mentioned that this needs to be done across Government. The Public Health (Wales) Bill is currently being considered by the Assembly. At the moment, that Bill doesn’t include any reference to air pollution or to tackling air pollution as a matter of public health. Although you’re not the Cabinet Secretary responsible for that Bill, of course, what are you doing, in negotiation with your fellow Cabinet Secretaries, in order to ensure that this Bill helps you to address the issue of air pollution in Wales?

Those discussions have taken place, and it is obviously, as you say, something, as it’s going through the Assembly, that we can look at, because there is nothing more important, obviously, from a public health point of view, than air quality. As you say, we were reminded very sharply of that yesterday.

Mae’r trafodaethau hynny wedi digwydd, ac mae’n amlwg, fel y dywedwch, ei fod yn rhywbeth y gallwn edrych arno wrth iddo fynd drwy’r Cynulliad, gan nad oes dim yn bwysicach, mae’n amlwg, o safbwynt iechyd y cyhoedd, nag ansawdd aer. Fel y dywedwch, cawsom ein hatgoffa o hynny’n bendant ddoe.

I hope that those discussions do lead to a little more joined-up thinking on that Bill, and, of course, the whole Assembly will get the opportunity to amend it, if necessary. But can I also return to the issue of Aberthaw power station, on which, when I last questioned you and the First Minister on this, I was told that Natural Resources Wales had now contacted the owners of Aberthaw and had asked them to come forward by, I think, now with a proposal for how they would reduce their unlawful emissions, which have been found so by the European Court of Justice. Can you update the Assembly on developments in Aberthaw and whether you are now content that there’s a programme in place to reduce those harmful emissions?

Gobeithiaf y bydd y trafodaethau hynny’n arwain at feddwl mwy cydgysylltiedig mewn perthynas â’r Bil hwnnw, ac wrth gwrs, bydd y Cynulliad cyfan yn cael y cyfle i’w ddiwygio, os oes angen. Ond a gaf fi ddychwelyd hefyd at orsaf bŵer Aberddawan, oherwydd y tro diwethaf i mi eich holi chi a’r Prif Weinidog ynglŷn â hyn, dywedwyd wrthyf fod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru bellach wedi cysylltu â pherchnogion Aberddawan ac wedi gofyn iddynt gyflwyno cynnig erbyn hyn, rwy’n meddwl, ynglŷn â sut y byddent yn lleihau’r allyriadau y barnodd Llys Cyfiawnder Ewrop eu bod yn anghyfreithlon. A allwch roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i’r Cynulliad ynglŷn â’r sefyllfa yn Aberddawan, ac a ydych bellach yn fodlon fod rhaglen ar waith i leihau’r allyriadau niweidiol hynny?

I am meeting NRW next week—I think it’s on the fifteenth—to discuss that, but I will be very happy to update after that meeting.

Byddaf yn cyfarfod â Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yr wythnos nesaf—ar y pymthegfed, rwy’n credu—i drafod hynny, ond byddaf yn fwy na pharod i roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ar ôl y cyfarfod hwnnw.

Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Paul Davies.

The Welsh Conservatives’ spokesperson, Paul Davies.

Diolch, Lywydd. Cabinet Secretary, your predecessor commissioned the independent review of the dairy sector in Wales, which detailed a number of recommendations to help support the dairy industry and increase its competitiveness. Following that report, can you update us on the progress that the Welsh Government has made in responding to that review and outline what outcomes you’ve delivered to make the dairy industry in Wales more competitive?

Diolch, Lywydd. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, comisiynodd eich rhagflaenydd yr adolygiad annibynnol o’r sector llaeth yng Nghymru, a fanylai ar nifer o argymhellion i helpu i gefnogi’r diwydiant llaeth a’i wneud yn fwy cystadleuol. Yn dilyn yr adroddiad hwnnw, a allwch roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ynglŷn â’r cynnydd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi’i wneud yn ymateb i’r adolygiad hwnnw ac amlinellu pa ganlyniadau a gyflawnwyd gennych i wneud y diwydiant llaeth yng Nghymru yn fwy cystadleuol?

I think we have seen progress in relation to the dairy sector following that review, which, as you say, my predecessor undertook. One of the recommendation’s that came out of it was that we should have a dairy champion. I’m very keen to take this forward and, at the current time, we are trying to identify the most suitable and appropriate person to do that.

Credaf ein bod wedi gweld cynnydd mewn perthynas â’r sector llaeth yn dilyn yr adolygiad hwnnw a gynhaliwyd gan fy rhagflaenydd, fel y dywedwch. Un o’r argymhellion a ddaeth o’r adolygiad oedd y dylem gael hyrwyddwr llaeth. Rwy’n awyddus iawn i fwrw ymlaen â hyn, ac ar hyn o bryd, rydym yn ceisio dod o hyd i’r unigolyn mwyaf addas a phriodol i wneud hynny.

Another recommendation in that review was to raise the issue of taxation of agricultural businesses in Wales and to take a deeper look at the current regime and whether it hinders future investment in the sector. In a recent response to a written question, you said that the delivery of this recommendation has been delayed and that this should be looked at in partnership with other parts of the UK, with which I agree. Can you now update us on this specific agenda and tell us what the Welsh Government is intending to deliver in terms of outcomes on this particular issue?

Argymhelliad arall yn yr adolygiad hwnnw oedd tynnu sylw at fater trethu busnesau amaethyddol yng Nghymru, ac edrych yn agosach ar y drefn bresennol a pha un a fydd yn atal rhagor o fuddsoddiad yn y sector yn y dyfodol. Mewn ymateb diweddar i gwestiwn ysgrifenedig, fe ddywedoch fod y broses o gyflawni’r argymhelliad hwn wedi cael ei harafu ac y dylid edrych ar hyn mewn partneriaeth â rhannau eraill o’r DU, a chytunaf â hynny. A allwch roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ynglŷn â’r agenda benodol hon a dweud wrthym beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu ei gyflawni mewn perthynas â chanlyniadau ar y mater penodol hwn?

I can’t give you an update on that at the current time. Those discussions are ongoing. Indeed, officials from the four nations are currently meeting, as we speak. I’m not sure if this is on the agenda, but this is something certainly that officials are looking at right across the UK.

Ni allaf roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynglŷn â hynny ar hyn o bryd. Mae’r trafodaethau hynny’n parhau. Yn wir, mae swyddogion o’r pedair gwlad yn cyfarfod ar hyn o bryd. Nid wyf yn siŵr a yw hyn ar yr agenda, ond yn sicr, mae swyddogion yn edrych ar hyn ledled y DU.

I’d encourage, obviously, the Cabinet Secretary to put it on the agenda, given that it was one of the recommendations in this particular review. The independent review was also quite right in recognising that there are significant cash flow problems for some farmers within the dairy sector, although I’m sure that that’s also an issue for dairy farmers across the UK. Indeed, this matter is not helped by the fact that there are high input costs for dairy farmers and there’s very little support from the Welsh Government to secure funding for capital improvements. Will you, therefore, commit to evaluating the costs attached to dairy farming in Wales, and look at ways in which the Welsh Government can provide support to dairy farmers through additional capital investment support to help to improve the efficiency and therefore the viability of the sector for the future?

Yn amlwg, byddwn yn annog Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i roi hyn ar yr agenda, o ystyried ei fod yn un o’r argymhellion yn yr adolygiad penodol hwn. Roedd yr adolygiad annibynnol hefyd yn llygad ei le yn cydnabod bod rhai ffermwyr yn y sector llaeth yn wynebu problemau sylweddol o ran llif arian, er fy mod yn siŵr fod hynny hefyd yn broblem i ffermwyr llaeth ledled y DU. Yn wir, nid yw’r costau mewnbwn uchel i ffermwyr llaeth yn helpu, ac ychydig iawn o gymorth sydd ar gael gan Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau cyllid ar gyfer gwelliannau cyfalaf. A wnewch chi, felly, ymrwymo i werthuso’r costau sydd ynghlwm wrth ffermio llaeth yng Nghymru, ac i edrych ar ffyrdd y gall Llywodraeth Cymru gefnogi ffermwyr llaeth drwy gymorth buddsoddi cyfalaf ychwanegol i helpu i wella effeithlonrwydd, ac felly dichonoldeb y sector ar gyfer y dyfodol?

Yes, it’s an area that we’re looking at. You’ll be aware of the new small grants scheme, but we’re going to call that ‘farm grants’ so as not to mix it up with the rural development programme. This is an area, perhaps, where we will be able to help dairy farmers specifically.

Ie, mae’n faes yr ydym yn ei ystyried. Fe fyddwch yn gwybod am y cynllun grantiau bach newydd, ond byddwn yn eu galw’n ‘grantiau fferm’ er mwyn osgoi drysu rhyngddo a’r rhaglen datblygu gwledig. Mae hwn yn faes, efallai, lle y byddwn yn gallu helpu ffermwyr llaeth yn benodol.

Llefarydd UKIP, Neil Hamilton.

UKIP spokesperson, Neil Hamilton.

Diolch, Lywydd. Brexit is probably going to have a greater impact on agriculture than almost any other sector, obviously because it’s regulated under the common agricultural policy and funded largely through the European Union. The Government, therefore, has to be thinking ahead very deeply about what’s going to be our agricultural regime after we’ve left the European Union.

I’ve been reading the minutes of the European advisory group, which the First Minister established six months ago, to see what their thinking is, and I was surprised to discover that agriculture hasn’t featured at all, as yet, in their considerations. That may be related to the fact that there’s only one member who has any recognisable agricultural credentials amongst those who have been appointed to it. So, I wonder whether this indicates that the Welsh Government isn’t, perhaps, terribly interested in the future of agriculture in our country.

Diolch, Lywydd. Yn ôl pob tebyg bydd Brexit yn cael mwy o effaith ar amaethyddiaeth nag ar y rhan fwyaf o’r sectorau eraill, yn amlwg oherwydd ei fod yn cael ei reoleiddio o dan y polisi amaethyddol cyffredin ac yn cael ei ariannu i raddau helaeth drwy’r Undeb Ewropeaidd. Mae’n rhaid i’r Llywodraeth, felly, feddwl yn ofalus iawn am yr hyn fydd ein cyfundrefn amaethyddol ar ôl i ni adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd.

Rwyf wedi bod yn darllen cofnodion y grŵp cynghori ar Ewrop a sefydlwyd gan y Prif Weinidog chwe mis yn ôl i weld beth y maent yn ei feddwl, a chefais fy synnu wrth weld nad yw amaethyddiaeth wedi codi o gwbl yn eu trafodaethau hyd yn hyn. Efallai fod hynny’n gysylltiedig â’r ffaith mai un aelod yn unig o’r rhai a benodwyd sydd ag unrhyw gymwysterau amaethyddol amlwg. Felly, tybed a yw hyn yn dangos nad oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru lawer o ddiddordeb, efallai, yn nyfodol amaethyddiaeth yn ein gwlad.

Not at all and I think the agriculture sector would tell the Member how pleased they are with the stakeholder engagement that we’ve had. You’ll be aware that straight after the vote to leave the European Union I began stakeholder events. At the end of this month we’ll have, I think, either the sixth or the seventh one. Ministerial engagement is very firmly now set in our calendars. We meet once a month, so, during recess, all the agriculture and environment Ministers met in Scotland.

We are working very closely together. I mentioned that officials from all four UK countries are currently meeting as we speak, so there’s been a huge amount of input into the future of agriculture. During recess, I attended the National Farmers Union conference in Birmingham, where I held a debate with George Eustice, the UK agriculture Minister, and I have to say that the Welsh delegates made it very clear that we are far in advance of any other country with our engagement.

Ddim o gwbl, a chredaf y byddai’r sector amaethyddol yn dweud wrth yr Aelod pa mor fodlon ydynt ynglŷn â’n hymgysylltiad â’r rhanddeiliaid. Fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fy mod wedi dechrau cynnal digwyddiadau i randdeiliaid yn syth ar ôl y bleidlais i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Ar ddiwedd y mis, credaf y byddwn yn cynnal y chweched neu’r seithfed. Mae ymgysylltiad y gweinidogion wedi’i sefydlu yn ein calendrau bellach. Rydym yn cyfarfod unwaith y mis, felly, yn ystod y toriad, cyfarfu’r holl Weinidogion amaethyddiaeth ac amgylchedd yn yr Alban.

Rydym yn gweithio’n agos iawn gyda’n gilydd. Soniais fod swyddogion o bedair gwlad y DU yn cyfarfod ar hyn o bryd, felly cafwyd llawer iawn o fewnbwn ar ddyfodol amaethyddiaeth. Yn ystod y toriad, mynychais gynhadledd Undeb Cenedlaethol yr Amaethwyr yn Birmingham, lle y cynhaliais ddadl gyda George Eustice, Gweinidog amaeth y DU, ac mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud bod y cynrychiolwyr Cymreig wedi dweud yn glir iawn ein bod ymhell ar y blaen i unrhyw wlad arall o ran ymgysylltu.

Well, I’m very pleased to hear that, and I can say from my own experience that, talking to people who are involved in groups that represent agriculture and farming, they’re pleased with the level of engagement that you have given them. But I don’t know whether you’ve yet had a chance to read the policy statement on Brexit that has been published by NFU Cymru, but one of the positive things that they say in there is that leaving the European Union gives us the opportunity to review the regulations that currently affect farming and agriculture, and they say that poor regulation is the reason for a lack of farm business confidence—and this is related to the costs of compliance, and time given over to compliance and to demonstrating compliance. These add significantly to farmers’ workloads.

So, without wanting to throw the baby out with the bathwater and get rid of all regulation, it is a great opportunity for us to review the effectiveness of regulation and whether it imposes disproportionate costs for the public benefits that are supposed to flow from it. Can the Cabinet Secretary tell the Assembly that the Welsh Government will look seriously at reviewing regulation and reducing its impact on farmers without compromising public safety and other objectives?

Wel, rwy’n falch iawn o glywed hynny, a gallaf ddweud o fy mhrofiad fy hun, wrth siarad â phobl sy’n ymwneud â grwpiau sy’n cynrychioli amaethyddiaeth a ffermio, eu bod yn hapus gyda lefel yr ymgysylltu a roesoch iddynt. Ond nid wyf yn gwybod a ydych wedi cael cyfle eto i ddarllen y datganiad polisi ar Brexit a gyhoeddwyd gan Undeb Cenedlaethol Amaethwyr Cymru, ond un o’r pethau cadarnhaol a ddywedant yw bod gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd yn rhoi cyfle i ni adolygu’r rheoliadau sy’n effeithio ar ffermio ac amaethyddiaeth ar hyn o bryd, a dywedant mai rheoleiddio gwael yw’r rheswm dros ddiffyg hyder busnesau fferm—ac mae hyn yn gysylltiedig â chostau cydymffurfiaeth, a’r amser a roddir i gydymffurfiaeth a dangos cydymffurfiaeth. Mae’r rhain yn ychwanegu’n sylweddol at lwyth gwaith ffermwyr.

Felly, heb daflu’r llo a chadw’r brych a chael gwared ar yr holl reoliadau, mae’n gyfle gwych i ni adolygu effeithiolrwydd rheoleiddio a pha un a yw’n gosod costau anghymesur o ran y budd cyhoeddus sydd i fod i ddeillio ohono. A all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddweud wrth y Cynulliad y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn edrych o ddifrif ar adolygu rheoleiddio a lleihau ei effaith ar ffermwyr heb gyfaddawdu ar ddiogelwch y cyhoedd ac amcanion eraill?

Well, we’re going to have to review it, because, clearly, when all of the powers from the EU come back to Wales, we will then have the opportunity to have our Welsh agricultural policy. Clearly, regulation—if you ask many farmers who did vote ‘leave’ why they voted ‘leave’, regulation is cited as one of the reasons. I don’t think it helped that the UK Tory—or some of the UK Tory Ministers were saying that we would be decreasing particularly our environmental regulations. That is not going to happen, and I’ve made that very clear—if anything, we will strengthen them.

But I think it is a very good opportunity to have a look at regulation, talking in partnership with the sector, to make sure that the regulation is correct. Again, that’s one of the things that we are talking about in our stakeholder events.

Wel, bydd yn rhaid inni ei adolygu, oherwydd, yn amlwg, pan fydd yr holl bwerau o’r UE yn dychwelyd i Gymru, bydd gennym gyfle wedyn i sicrhau ein polisi amaethyddol ein hunain yng Nghymru. Yn amlwg, mae rheoliadau—os gofynnwch i nifer o ffermwyr a bleidleisiodd dros ‘adael’ pam eu bod wedi pleidleisio dros ‘adael’, mae rheoleiddio’n cael ei grybwyll fel un o’r rhesymau. Ni chredaf ei fod wedi helpu fod Gweinidogion Torïaidd y DU—neu rai o Weinidogion Torïaidd y DU—wedi dweud y byddem yn lleihau ein rheoliadau, yn enwedig ein rheoliadau amgylcheddol. Nid yw hynny’n mynd i ddigwydd, ac rwyf wedi gwneud hynny’n gwbl glir—os rhywbeth, byddwn yn eu cryfhau.

Ond credaf ei fod yn gyfle da iawn i edrych ar reoleiddio, gan siarad mewn partneriaeth â’r sector, er mwyn sicrhau bod y rheoleiddio hwnnw’n gywir. Unwaith eto, mae hynny’n rhywbeth yr ydym yn ei drafod yn ein digwyddiadau i randdeiliaid.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. Brexit does give us the freedom to introduce new regulations and controls as well in areas where we might have wished to do so but had been thwarted in the past by the lack of enthusiasm on part of our other partners in the European Union. One of these areas is the live export of animals, for example, which we’ve been prevented from banning and also introducing regulations in relation to animal welfare, for example, the maximum eight-hour journey time for animals travelling, for fattening and slaughter. So, can the Cabinet Secretary give me an assurance that measures of this kind may be on the agenda as well?

Diolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei hateb. Mae Brexit hefyd yn rhoi’r rhyddid i ni gyflwyno rheoliadau a rheolaethau newydd mewn meysydd lle y gallem fod wedi dymuno gwneud hynny, ond lle y cawsom ein rhwystro yn y gorffennol gan ddiffyg brwdfrydedd ar ran ein partneriaid eraill yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Un o’r meysydd hyn yw allforio anifeiliaid byw, er enghraifft, y cawsom ein hatal rhag ei wahardd a hefyd cyflwyno rheoliadau mewn perthynas â lles anifeiliaid, er enghraifft, yr uchafswm o wyth awr o amser teithio ar gyfer anifeiliaid sy’n cael eu cludo i gael eu pesgi a’u lladd. Felly, a all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi sicrwydd i mi y gall mesurau fel hyn fod ar yr agenda hefyd?

I think everything is on the agenda, to be perfectly honest with you. We are wading through a huge amount of regulations and legislation just in agriculture and fisheries. In my own portfolio, there are 5,000 pieces of legislation and regulations. So, I think, you know, we are—. I have said that I really want to work very closely with the sector to make sure we have the absolute best policy. But one thing we have made very clear to UK Government, time after time, is that when those powers come from the EU, the powers are ours—they’re not theirs to be repatriated. They are ours from the beginning and we will ensure that we have a fit-for-purpose policy.

Credaf fod popeth ar yr agenda, i fod yn berffaith onest â chi. Rydym yn boddi o dan lawer iawn o reoliadau a deddfwriaeth mewn perthynas ag amaethyddiaeth a physgodfeydd yn unig. Yn fy mhortffolio i, mae 5,000 o ddarnau o ddeddfwriaeth a rheoliadau. Felly, wyddoch chi, credaf ein bod—. Rwyf wedi dweud fy mod yn awyddus iawn i weithio’n agos iawn gyda’r sector i sicrhau bod y polisi gorau posibl gennym. Ond rydym wedi’i dweud yn glir iawn wrth Lywodraeth y DU, dro ar ôl tro, pan ddaw’r pwerau hynny o’r UE, mai ein pwerau ni fyddant—nid eu rhai hwy i’w cymryd yn ôl. Ein pwerau ni fyddant o’r cychwyn cyntaf a byddwn yn sicrhau bod ein polisi’n addas at y diben.

Mynediad at Gefn Gwlad

Access to the Countryside

3. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i wella mynediad at gefn gwlad Cymru? OAQ(5)0113(ERA)

3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to the Welsh countryside? OAQ(5)0113(ERA)

Thank you. The Welsh Government continues to provide significant funding for the Wales Coast Path and to local authorities for public access throughout Wales. I recently announced my intention to develop and publish proposals on amending legislation in order to develop a better and fairer approach to public access for outdoor recreation.

Diolch. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i ddarparu cyllid sylweddol ar gyfer Llwybr Arfordir Cymru ac i awdurdodau lleol ar gyfer mynediad cyhoeddus ledled Cymru. Yn ddiweddar, cyhoeddais fy mwriad i ddatblygu a chyhoeddi cynigion i ddiwygio deddfwriaeth er mwyn datblygu ymagwedd well a thecach at fynediad cyhoeddus ar gyfer hamdden awyr agored.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I very much look forward to that widening of access, which I think is probably long overdue. It’s very important that more people in Wales, Cabinet Secretary, enjoy our great outdoors, which we are so fortunate to have. There are the obvious health and activity benefits, as well as appreciating the countryside more and, perhaps, being more environmentally responsible as a result. So, would you agree with me, Cabinet Secretary, that establishing the Wales Coast Path, which you mentioned, was a huge step forward in encouraging more people to enjoy our great outdoors? But there are some unfinished aspects to that, for example the creation of the circular routes, which were envisaged, linking local communities with the coast path, and also, perhaps, having a very high-profile annual celebration on the anniversary of the creation of the Wales Coast Path, so we could ensure it’s all walked by local communities and schools on that anniversary date?

Diolch i chi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at ehangu’r mynediad hwnnw, ac rwy’n credu, yn ôl pob tebyg, ei bod yn hen bryd. Mae’n bwysig iawn fod mwy o bobl yng Nghymru, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yn mwynhau’r awyr agored yr ydym mor ffodus i’w gael. Mae yna fanteision amlwg o ran iechyd a gweithgareddau, yn ogystal â’r ffaith y bydd pobl yn gwerthfawrogi cefn gwlad yn fwy ac efallai, yn fwy cyfrifol yn amgylcheddol o ganlyniad. Felly, a fyddech yn cytuno â mi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, fod sefydlu Llwybr Arfordir Cymru, a grybwyllwyd gennych, yn gam mawr ymlaen o ran annog mwy o bobl i fwynhau ein hawyr agored? Ond mae yna rai agweddau anorffenedig ynglŷn â hynny, er enghraifft y gwaith o greu’r llwybrau cylchol a ragwelwyd ar gyfer cysylltu cymunedau lleol â llwybr yr arfordir, a hefyd, efallai, cael dathliad blynyddol proffil uchel iawn ar ben blwydd creu Llwybr Arfordir Cymru, er mwyn i ni sicrhau bod cymunedau lleol ac ysgolion yn cerdded y llwybr ar y pen blwydd hwnnw.

Yes, I think that’s a very good idea and, of course, it’s the fifth anniversary this year. The contribution to the Welsh economy, for instance, I think is something that’s not always recognised. But I do agree that we should celebrate it.

As you know, we do provide funding to Natural Resources Wales to continue to improve and promote the path and I think there are also things we can do, perhaps, that don’t cost a lot of money. I think perhaps we could link up canals, for instance, with other parts of the countryside and then, obviously, we have the coast path that links into that also. Our officials are working very closely because next year is going to be the Year of the Sea. So, I think, again, there’s an opportunity to really promote the coast path. And both I and the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure are very keen to ensure that any future marketing plans around that help to realise the really full benefits of the investment we have put into the Wales Coast Path.

Byddwn, rwy’n credu bod hwnnw’n syniad da iawn ac wrth gwrs, mae’r pumed pen blwydd eleni. Credaf nad yw’r cyfraniad at economi Cymru, er enghraifft, yn rhywbeth sy’n cael ei gydnabod bob amser. Ond rwy’n cytuno y dylem ei ddathlu.

Fel y gwyddoch, rydym yn darparu cyllid i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i barhau i wella a hyrwyddo’r llwybr ac rwy’n credu bod yna bethau y gallwn eu gwneud hefyd, efallai, nad ydynt yn costio llawer o arian. Rwy’n credu efallai y gallem gysylltu camlesi, er enghraifft, â rhannau eraill o gefn gwlad, ac yna, yn amlwg, mae gennym lwybr yr arfordir sy’n cysylltu â hynny hefyd. Mae ein swyddogion yn gweithio’n agos iawn oherwydd bydd hi’n Flwyddyn y Môr y flwyddyn nesaf. Felly, rwy’n credu, unwaith eto, fod yna gyfle i hyrwyddo llwybr yr arfordir yn dda. Ac rwyf fi ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a’r Seilwaith yn awyddus iawn i sicrhau bod unrhyw gynlluniau marchnata yn y dyfodol mewn perthynas â hynny yn helpu i wireddu manteision llawn y buddsoddiad yr ydym wedi ei wneud yn Llwybr Arfordir Cymru.

Cabinet Secretary, access to the countryside is something to be welcomed and hopefully it creates a greater understanding of what the countryside is for, which primarily is to produce food for us—to live off the fat of the land, as many people might say—but there is a serious issue about educating people when they do access fields and they do access the countryside that there are risks and there are dangers. In my own area of South Wales Central, only a couple of years ago several walkers sadly were trampled by cattle in the St Fagans and Radyr area. Across the UK, it is one of the biggest killers of people in the countryside: livestock interacting with people who aren’t aware of the safety precautions they need to take. Would you, along with your incentives to open up parts of the countryside, make sure that there is a robust education campaign and public awareness campaign out there, so that tragedies like those that have happened in my own region can be avoided wherever possible?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae mynediad at gefn gwlad yn rhywbeth i’w groesawu a gobeithio ei fod yn creu gwell dealltwriaeth o bwrpas cefn gwlad, sef, yn bennaf, cynhyrchu bwyd ar ein cyfer—byw ar dda’r wlad, fel y byddai sawl un yn ei ddweud—ond mae yna fater difrifol ynglŷn ag addysgu pobl, pan fyddant yn mynd i gaeau ac yn mynd i gefn gwlad, fod yna risgiau a pheryglon. Yn fy ardal fy hun, sef Canol De Cymru, ychydig o flynyddoedd yn unig yn ôl, yn anffodus, cafodd nifer o gerddwyr eu sathru gan wartheg yn ardal Sain Ffagan a Radur. Ledled y DU, mae’n un o’r pethau sy’n lladd fwyaf o bobl yng nghefn gwlad: da byw yn dod i gysylltiad â phobl nad ydynt yn ymwybodol o’r rhagofalon diogelwch sydd eu hangen. A fyddech chi, ynghyd â’ch cymhellion i agor rhannau o gefn gwlad, yn gwneud yn siŵr fod yna ymgyrch addysg gadarn ac ymgyrch ymwybyddiaeth gyhoeddus ar lawr gwlad, fel y gellid osgoi trychinebau fel y rhai sydd wedi digwydd yn fy rhanbarth ble bynnag y bo’n bosibl?

The Member does raise a very important point and I think it is about getting that balance right as well. Certainly, we’ve had about 5,800 responses to the Welsh Government consultation around that, and you won’t be surprised to hear that subjects such as those you have just raised were brought up in that. But, certainly, we can look to make sure that—. As I say, I am going to look at the legislation, and certainly alongside that we could look to have some sort of education campaign, as you suggest.

Mae’r Aelod yn nodi pwynt pwysig iawn ac rwy’n credu ei fod yn ymwneud â chael y cydbwysedd hwnnw’n iawn hefyd. Yn sicr, rydym wedi cael tua 5,800 o ymatebion i ymgynghoriad Llywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â hynny, ac ni fyddwch yn synnu clywed bod pynciau megis y rhai yr ydych newydd eu crybwyll wedi cael eu nodi yn hwnnw. Ond yn sicr, gallwn edrych i wneud yn siŵr fod—. Fel y dywedais, byddaf yn edrych ar y ddeddfwriaeth, ac yn sicr gallem ystyried cael rhyw fath o ymgyrch addysg ochr yn ochr â hynny, fel yr ydych yn ei awgrymu.

I support, in principle, extending access to the countryside for everyone. However, a balance needs to be found between the right of people to roam in and enjoy our countryside, and the needs of landowners and farmers to manage and use their land effectively. What discussions have you had with landowners, and organisations representing them, to persuade them to allow increased access to their land?

Rwy’n cefnogi, mewn egwyddor, ymestyn mynediad at gefn gwlad i bawb. Fodd bynnag, mae angen dod o hyd i gydbwysedd rhwng hawl pobl i grwydro a mwynhau ein cefn gwlad, ac anghenion tirfeddianwyr a ffermwyr i reoli a defnyddio eu tir yn effeithiol. Pa drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda thirfeddianwyr, a sefydliadau sy’n eu cynrychioli, i’w perswadio i ganiatáu mwy o fynediad at eu tir?

Well, I mentioned in my previous answer to the leader of the Conservatives that there has to be that balance, and those discussions are continual, really. But when I look to altering the legislation, I think that is another chance to have that discussion with landowners. But, certainly, I would say it’s raised in most of my meetings with the agriculture sector. Particularly when I go on farm visits, it is an issue that they do raise with me.

Wel, soniais yn fy ateb blaenorol i arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr fod yn rhaid cael y cydbwysedd hwnnw, ac mae’r trafodaethau hynny’n barhaus, mewn gwirionedd. Ond pan fyddaf yn ystyried addasu’r ddeddfwriaeth, credaf y bydd hwnnw’n gyfle arall i gael y drafodaeth honno gyda thirfeddianwyr. Ond yn sicr, byddwn yn dweud ei fod yn fater sy’n codi yn y rhan fwyaf o fy nghyfarfodydd gyda’r sector amaethyddiaeth. Yn enwedig pan fyddaf yn ymweld â ffermydd, mae’n fater y maent yn ei ddwyn i fy sylw.

Y Cynllun Datblygu Gwledig

The Rural Development Plan

4. I ba raddau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ystyried addasu ei chynllun datblygu gwledig yn sgil gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd? OAQ(5)0112(ERA)

4. To what extent has the Welsh Government considered amending their rural development plan in light of Brexit? OAQ(5)0112(ERA)

Diolch. Stakeholders have given me their assessment of the impacts on both economy and communities. I will invest in projects of good value to assist businesses and communities build their long-term resilience. Later this month, I will announce details of when and how the remaining funds will be committed and spent.

Diolch. Mae rhanddeiliaid wedi rhoi eu hasesiad i mi o’r effeithiau ar yr economi ac ar gymunedau. Byddaf yn buddsoddi mewn prosiectau gwerthfawr i gynorthwyo busnesau a chymunedau i adeiladu eu cydnerthedd hirdymor. Yn ddiweddarach y mis hwn, byddaf yn cyhoeddi manylion ynglŷn â phryd a sut y bydd yr arian sy’n weddill yn cael ei ymrwymo a’i wario.

Could the Cabinet Secretary state whether it would be possible to adapt the programme, even at this late stage, in order, for example, to expand the use of financial instruments within the programme, providing further loan facilities for businesses in rural communities, which could, then, be recirculated in the economy post Brexit?

A allai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddweud pa un a fyddai’n bosibl addasu’r rhaglen, hyd yn oed ar y cam diweddar hwn, er mwyn, er enghraifft, ehangu’r defnydd o offerynnau ariannol yn y rhaglen, gan ddarparu cyfleusterau benthyca pellach i fusnesau mewn cymunedau gwledig, a allai gael eu hailddosbarthu yn yr economi ar ôl Brexit?

We did look very seriously at using financial instruments in the RDP, but they’re very complex. They’re very slow to set up, and they are very costly to administer, and we found it would take about two years to set it up, and then, you know, make the first payment. So, you know, with Brexit now coming down the track, I don’t think there would be the time. I don’t think it would be cost-effective to do so now, but I think there are other ways of using our funding that we need to look at very closely. I’m keen to get as much of the funding out as quickly as possible. And, as I say, I will be making an announcement later this month.

Rydym wedi edrych o ddifrif ar ddefnyddio offerynnau ariannol yn y Cynllun Datblygu Gwledig, ond maent yn gymhleth iawn. Maent yn cymryd amser i’w sefydlu, ac maent yn gostus iawn i’w gweinyddu, ac rydym wedi canfod y byddai’n cymryd tua dwy flynedd i’w sefydlu, ac yna, wyddoch chi, gwneud y taliad cyntaf. Felly, wyddoch chi, gyda Brexit ar y gorwel, nid wyf yn credu y byddai gennym amser. Nid wyf yn credu y byddai gwneud hynny yn awr yn gosteffeithiol, ond rwy’n credu bod angen i ni edrych yn ofalus iawn ar ffyrdd eraill o ddefnyddio ein cyllid. Rwy’n awyddus i ryddhau cymaint o’r cyllid cyn gynted ag y bo modd. Ac fel y dywedais, byddaf yn gwneud cyhoeddiad yn ddiweddarach y mis hwn.

Rydw i’n falch o glywed yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn dweud ei bod hi’n sylweddoli pwysigrwydd gwneud yn fawr o’r hyn sydd gennym ni ar ôl o’r rhaglenni Ewropeaidd sydd yn bodoli ar hyn o bryd. Mi ydw i, yn y gorffennol, wedi trafod gyda hi a’i swyddogion y posibilrwydd o sefydlu parc cynhyrchu bwyd yn Ynys Môn. A fydd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn barod i ystyried hynny rŵan, fel un o’r cynlluniau mawr, yn buddsoddi yn yr economi wledig mewn ardal fel Ynys Môn, a allai fanteisio ar yr arian sydd ar ôl rŵan?

I’m pleased to hear the Cabinet Secretary saying that she understands the importance of making the most of what we have left of the European programmes currently in existence. In the past I have discussed with her and her officials the possibility of establishing a food production park on Anglesey. Will the Cabinet Secretary be willing to consider that now, as one of the major projects, investing in the rural economy in an area such as Anglesey, which could benefit from the funding available now?

Funnily enough, I was talking with my officials about food production areas—not just in Ynys Môn, but in other part of Wales—yesterday, and it’s certainly something we can look at. As I say, I’ve recently agreed the future delivery mechanisms for the remainder of the programme, but I will be making a fuller announcement because we still have £223 million of the programme available. If it’s possible, we can certainly look at that.

Yn rhyfedd ddigon, roeddwn yn siarad gyda fy swyddogion am ardaloedd cynhyrchu bwyd—nid yn unig yn Ynys Môn, ond mewn rhannau arall o Gymru—ddoe, ac mae’n sicr yn rhywbeth y gallwn edrych arno. Fel y dywedais, yn ddiweddar cytunais y systemau cyflwyno ar gyfer gweddill y rhaglen yn y dyfodol, ond byddaf yn gwneud cyhoeddiad llawnach oherwydd mae gennym £223 miliwn o’r rhaglen ar gael o hyd. Os yw’n bosibl, gallwn yn sicr yn edrych ar hynny.

Cabinet Secretary, there are clearly many unanswered questions surrounding the hugely complicated process that is Brexit. In answer I think to a question from Neil Hamilton earlier, you said that Wales is way ahead of other nations at this point—I presume by that, you mean within the UK—in terms of looking at how we’re going to develop the systems after Brexit. Can you update us—? Can you explain a little bit more about your reasoning behind that? And also, what discussions have you had with the farming unions in Wales to make sure that farming support does continue?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae’n amlwg fod llawer o gwestiynau heb eu hateb ynglŷn â phroses hynod gymhleth Brexit. Mewn ateb i gwestiwn gan Neil Hamilton, rwy’n credu, yn gynharach, fe ddywedoch fod Cymru ymhell ar y blaen i wledydd eraill ar y pwynt hwn—rwy’n tybio, wrth ddweud hynny, eich bod yn golygu o fewn y DU—o ran edrych ar sut y byddwn yn datblygu’r systemau ar ôl Brexit. A allwch roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni—? A allwch egluro ychydig mwy ar eich rhesymeg i gefnogi hynny? A hefyd, pa drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda’r undebau ffermio yng Nghymru i wneud yn siŵr fod cymorth ffermio’n parhau?

There are many, many, unanswered questions. The magnitude of this work is huge, but we are grasping it, and I think the answer I gave to Neil Hamilton was that we were way ahead of the four UK countries in relation to stakeholder engagement. I think that was the specific answer I gave to Neil Hamilton. So, I’ve had many, many discussions with the farming unions, but not just the farming unions—the wider stakeholders. Because it’s not just about farming unions; it’s also about the environment sector, the forestry sector. We’re making sure that in our stakeholder engagement events, everybody is around the table. I was very keen to avoid silo working, so you’d have the agricultural sector working over here, and the environment sector working over there, and I think that’s why we’ve had such good buy-in, really, from our stakeholders.

Mae yna lawer iawn o gwestiynau sydd heb eu hateb. Mae maint y gwaith hwn yn enfawr, ond rydym yn mynd i’r afael ag ef, ac rwy’n credu mai’r ateb a roddais i Neil Hamilton oedd ein bod ymhell ar y blaen i bedair gwlad y DU mewn perthynas ag ymgysylltu â rhanddeiliaid. Credaf mai dyna’r ateb penodol a roddais i Neil Hamilton. Felly, rwyf wedi cael llawer iawn o drafodaethau â’r undebau ffermio, ond nid yr undebau ffermio yn unig—y rhanddeiliaid ehangach. Oherwydd nid yw’n ymwneud yn unig â’r undebau ffermio; mae hefyd yn ymwneud â’r sector amgylchedd, y sector coedwigaeth. Rydym yn gwneud yn siŵr fod pawb yn cael eu cynnwys yn ein digwyddiadau ymgysylltu â rhanddeiliaid. Roeddwn yn awyddus iawn i osgoi gweithio mewn seilos, felly byddai gennych y sector amaethyddol yn gweithio fan yma, a’r sector amgylchedd yn gweithio fan acw, ac rwy’n credu mai dyna pam yr ydym wedi cael cymaint o gefnogaeth, mewn gwirionedd, gan ein rhanddeiliaid.

Twristiaeth Bwyd

Food Tourism

5. Beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i hyrwyddo twristiaeth bwyd ledled Cymru? OAQ(5)0104(ERA)

5. What is the Welsh Government doing to promote food tourism across Wales? OAQ(5)0104(ERA)

Thank you. The food tourism action plan, launched in April 2015, identifies initiatives and promotional activity to develop Welsh tourism. It includes steps to develop food tourism as a sector and selling point for Wales, with Welsh food promoted at major events, activities and attractions.

Diolch. Mae’r cynllun gweithredu twristiaeth bwyd, a lansiwyd ym mis Ebrill 2015, yn nodi mentrau a gweithgaredd hyrwyddo i ddatblygu twristiaeth yng Nghymru. Mae’n cynnwys camau i ddatblygu twristiaeth bwyd fel sector ac fel pwynt gwerthu i Gymru, gyda bwydydd o Gymru yn cael eu hyrwyddo mewn digwyddiadau, gweithgareddau ac atyniadau mawr.

I’m pleased to hear, of course, that the Welsh Government has made it clear that food is an essential part of the tourism offer in Wales. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm in my constituency, which isn’t just a working farm, but it’s also the UK’s first full-time edible insect restaurant, known as Grub Kitchen, and I would encourage you to visit because I’m sure, like me, you’d find it fascinating. Given that the Welsh Government has made it clear that food is an essential part of the tourism offer, can you therefore tell us what the Welsh Government is doing to support smaller, more unique food tourism businesses like the bug farm, and what is the Government doing to encourage more and more people to visit these sorts of attractions in the future?

Rwy’n falch o glywed, wrth gwrs, fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dweud yn glir fod bwyd yn rhan hanfodol o’r cynnig twristiaeth yng Nghymru. Yn ddiweddar, cefais y pleser o ymweld â Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm yn fy etholaeth, sydd, yn ogystal â bod yn fferm weithredol, yn cynnwys y bwyty pryfed bwytadwy amser llawn cyntaf yn y DU, a elwir yn Grub Kitchen, a byddwn yn eich annog i ymweld ag ef oherwydd rwy’n siŵr y byddech chi, fel fi, yn ei ystyried yn ddiddorol tu hwnt. O ystyried bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dweud yn glir fod bwyd yn rhan hanfodol o’r cynnig twristiaeth, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym felly beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i gefnogi busnesau twristiaeth bwyd llai o faint a mwy unigryw, fel y fferm bryfed, a beth y mae’r Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i annog mwy a mwy o bobl i ymweld â’r mathau hyn o atyniadau yn y dyfodol?

You’re right; I did mention that food and tourism are priority sectors, and if we put the two together, we can see that food is absolutely an essential part of the tourism offer here in Wales. It provides, I think, a common point of contact. People come to Wales for the wonderful scenery; they also come for our wonderful food and drink. So, we’ve got the food tourism action plan. That focuses on the importance of Welsh food and drink in terms of the visitor experience, and I’d be very happy to visit the Grub Kitchen if the Member would like to invite me.

Rydych yn iawn; soniais fod y sector bwyd a’r sector twristiaeth yn sectorau blaenoriaeth, ac os ydym yn rhoi’r ddau gyda’i gilydd, gallwn weld fod bwyd yn rhan gwbl hanfodol o’r cynnig twristiaeth yma yng Nghymru. Mae’n darparu pwynt cyswllt cyffredin, rwy’n credu. Mae pobl yn dod i Gymru i weld y golygfeydd rhyfeddol; maent hefyd yn dod i fwynhau ein bwyd a diod gwych. Felly, mae gennym y cynllun gweithredu twristiaeth bwyd. Mae hwnnw’n canolbwyntio ar bwysigrwydd bwyd a diod o Gymru mewn perthynas â phrofiad yr ymwelwyr, a byddwn yn hapus iawn i ymweld â’r Grub Kitchen os yw’r Aelod yn dymuno fy ngwahodd.

Cabinet Secretary, in my party’s Assembly manifesto, we called for 2018 to be designated as a national year of Welsh food and drink. [Interruption.] I’m still in the party. Easy, please. 2017 is the Year of Legends, so does your Government support my party’s call for a national food and drink year next year?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ym maniffesto fy mhlaid ar gyfer y Cynulliad, roeddem yn galw am ddynodi 2018 yn flwyddyn genedlaethol bwyd a diod Cymru. [Torri ar draws.] Rwyf yn y blaid o hyd. Gan bwyll, os gwelwch yn dda. Mae 2017 yn Flwyddyn y Chwedlau, felly a yw eich Llywodraeth yn cefnogi galwad fy mhlaid am flwyddyn genedlaethol ar gyfer bwyd a diod y flwyddyn nesaf?

I’m not sure if the Member was in the Chamber, but in an answer just a couple of answers ago, I mentioned it’s the Year of the Sea next year, but we can certainly have a look—

Nid wyf yn siŵr a oedd yr Aelod yn y Siambr, ond mewn ateb ychydig o atebion yn ôl, soniais ei bod yn Flwyddyn y Môr y flwyddyn nesaf, ond gallwn yn sicr edrych ar—

Oh, right. The year after? [Laughter.]

O, ie. Y flwyddyn wedyn? [Chwerthin.]

I’m unsure; that obviously falls within the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Infrastructure’s department. I really don’t know what 2019 is, but I can certainly have a look.

Nid wyf yn siŵr; mae hynny’n amlwg yn dod o fewn adran Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a’r Seilwaith. Nid wyf yn gwybod beth yw 2019, ond gallaf yn sicr gael golwg ar hynny.

Parciau Cyhoeddus

Public Parks

6. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddatganiad am barciau cyhoeddus? OAQ(5)0108(ERA)

6. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on public parks? OAQ(5)0108(ERA)

Thank you. The provision and maintenance of public parks is the responsibility of local authorities. Our public parks can enhance the resilience of our ecosystems and help us tackle the impacts of climate change such as flooding. Public parks provide spaces for recreation, children’s play, outdoor learning and opportunities to improve physical and mental well-being.

Diolch. Cyfrifoldeb awdurdodau lleol yw darparu a chynnal a chadw parciau cyhoeddus. Gall ein parciau cyhoeddus wella cydnerthedd ein hecosystemau a’n helpu i fynd i’r afael ag effeithiau newid yn yr hinsawdd fel llifogydd. Mae parciau cyhoeddus yn darparu mannau ar gyfer gweithgareddau hamdden, ardaloedd chwarae i blant, dysgu awyr agored a chyfleoedd i wella lles corfforol a meddyliol.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her answer. I have to declare an interest as the species champion for the shrill carder bee, an important part of the Gwent ecosystem. The Cabinet Secretary, I’m sure, appreciates the importance of public parks to our ecosystem and to its habitats, and she’ll be aware I’m sure of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘State of UK Public Parks 2016’ report last year, which reported that Wales was anticipating the highest percentage reduction to staff, as well as the greatest proportion of declining parks. No park managers in Wales expect to have parks that are improving in condition in the next three years. What could she say to reassure me that that is absolutely not the case?

Diolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei hateb. Mae’n rhaid i mi ddatgan buddiant fel hyrwyddwr rhywogaeth y gardwenynen feinlais, sy’n rhan bwysig o ecosystem Gwent. Rwy’n siŵr fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn gwerthfawrogi pwysigrwydd parciau cyhoeddus i’n hecosystem a’i chynefinoedd, a bydd yn gwybod, rwy’n siŵr, am adroddiad ‘Cyflwr Parciau Cyhoeddus y DU 2016’ Cronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri y llynedd, a oedd yn dweud bod Cymru yn rhagweld y gostyngiad canrannol uchaf i staff, yn ogystal â’r gyfran fwyaf o barciau’n dirywio. Nid oes yr un o reolwyr parciau Cymru yn disgwyl gweld cyflwr parciau’n gwella yn y tair blynedd nesaf. Beth y gallai ei ddweud i fy sicrhau nad yw hynny’n wir?

As I say, it is an issue for local authorities, and we’ve made our views very clear. You’ll be aware that we were recently consulting on the natural resources policy—that closed on 13 February—and I’m getting ready to publish the final policy later spring, early summer, and this is an area that we are focusing on.

Fel y dywedaf, mae’n fater ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol, ac rydym wedi datgan ein barn yn glir iawn. Fe fyddwch yn gwybod ein bod wedi ymgynghori’n ddiweddar ar y polisi adnoddau naturiol—daeth yr ymgynghoriad i ben ar 13 Chwefror—ac rwy’n paratoi i gyhoeddi’r polisi terfynol ddiwedd y gwanwyn neu ddechrau’r haf, ac mae hwn yn faes yr ydym yn canolbwyntio arno.

In our manifesto, Cabinet Secretary, Welsh Conservatives pledged to a community right to bid for registered assets of community value. I appreciate we don’t have that but, actually, in the Labour manifesto your party stated that you would introduce measures to prevent unnecessary closures, and to assist communities to take ownership of community assets themselves, where possible and appropriate. I’m wondering whether you’ve had an opportunity to speak to your Cabinet colleague, bearing in mind that a consultation by your own Government revealed that there was a lot of popular support for this idea, about when something similar might happen in Wales so that we can know what it looks like, and have the opportunity to support it.

Yn ein maniffesto, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig wedi addo hawl gymunedol i wneud cais am asedau cofrestredig o werth cymunedol. Rwy’n sylweddoli nad oes gennym hynny, ond mewn gwirionedd, ym maniffesto’r Blaid Llafur dywedodd eich plaid y byddech yn cyflwyno mesurau i atal cau diangen, ac i gynorthwyo cymunedau i gymryd perchnogaeth o asedau cymunedol eu hunain, lle y bo hynny’n bosibl ac yn briodol. Tybed a ydych wedi cael cyfle i siarad â’ch cyd-Aelod Cabinet, o gofio bod ymgynghoriad gan eich Llywodraeth eich hun wedi dangos bod yna lawer o gefnogaeth boblogaidd i’r syniad hwn, ynglŷn â phryd y gallai rhywbeth tebyg ddigwydd yng Nghymru er mwyn i ni allu gwybod sut y mae’n edrych, a chael cyfle i’w gefnogi.

Yes, I have had the opportunity, and obviously I was in that portfolio previously, and I know that the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children is considering it.

Ydw, rwyf wedi cael cyfle, ac yn amlwg roeddwn yn y portffolio hwnnw yn flaenorol, a gwn fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gymunedau a Phlant yn ei ystyried.

I think everybody agrees that the parks in Cardiff are glorious, and I was very pleased that the friends of Cefn Onn park, which is in my constituency of Cardiff North, secured a £495,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant towards improving the park. Work is actually beginning on this this month. So, would she congratulate the friends of Cefn Onn park and the local authority in definitely taking major steps forward to improve this park in Cardiff?

Rwy’n credu bod pawb yn cytuno bod y parciau yng Nghaerdydd yn ogoneddus, ac roeddwn yn falch iawn fod cyfeillion parc Cefn Onn, sydd yn fy etholaeth, sef Gogledd Caerdydd, wedi sicrhau grant o £495,000 gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri tuag at wella’r parc. Mae gwaith ar hyn yn dechrau’r mis hwn mewn gwirionedd. Felly, a wnaiff hi longyfarch cyfeillion parc Cefn Onn a’r awdurdod lleol am gymryd camau mawr i wella’r parc hwn yng Nghaerdydd?

Yes, absolutely. It’s very good to see this work being undertaken. I absolutely agree with you about the parks in Cardiff. I think that’s one of the things, when I first started visiting Cardiff as an adult; the parks are indeed very glorious and there is so much green space in our capital city.

Gwnawn, yn sicr. Mae’n dda iawn gweld y gwaith hwn yn cael ei wneud. Cytunaf yn llwyr â chi ynglŷn â’r parciau yng Nghaerdydd. Rwy’n credu bod hynny’n un o’r pethau, pan ddechreuais ymweld â Chaerdydd fel oedolyn; mae’r parciau’n ogoneddus iawn yn wir ac mae cymaint o fannau gwyrdd yn ein prifddinas.

Mynediad i Gefn Gwlad

Access to the Countryside

7. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wella mynediad i gefn gwlad ar gyfer hamdden yng Nghymru? OAQ(5)0103(ERA)

7. What plans does the Welsh Government have to improve access to the countryside for recreation in Wales? OAQ(5)0103(ERA)

Thank you. I refer you to my written statement of the 13 February. Welsh Government is already supporting improvements to existing access infrastructure. It is my intention to develop and publish proposals on amending legislation in order to develop a better and fairer approach to public access for outdoor recreation.

Diolch. Fe’ch cyfeiriaf at fy natganiad ysgrifenedig ar 13 o Chwefror. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes yn cefnogi gwelliannau i seilwaith mynediad presennol. Mae’n fwriad gennyf ddatblygu a chyhoeddi cynigion ar ddiwygio deddfwriaeth er mwyn datblygu ymagwedd well a thecach tuag at fynediad cyhoeddus ar gyfer hamdden awyr agored.

Thank you for the positive reply, Minister. A report by the Environment Agency in 2007 highlighted the importance of angling to the Welsh economy. It was estimated that the Welsh inland fisheries generated £75 million of expenditure by anglers, many of whom were visitors to Wales from abroad. Does the Cabinet Secretary agree that increasing responsible and sustainable access to Welsh inland waters, together with a campaign to promote Wales as a venue for angling, could bring immense benefits to the Welsh economy in the near future?

Diolch am yr ateb cadarnhaol, Weinidog. Roedd adroddiad gan Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd yn 2007 yn amlygu pwysigrwydd pysgota i economi Cymru. Amcangyfrifwyd fod pysgodfeydd mewndirol Cymru yn cynhyrchu £75 miliwn o wariant gan bysgotwyr, gyda llawer ohonynt yn ymwelwyr â Chymru o dramor. A yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cytuno y gallai cynyddu mynediad cyfrifol a chynaliadwy at ddyfroedd mewndirol Cymru, ynghyd ag ymgyrch i hyrwyddo Cymru fel lleoliad ar gyfer pysgota, ddod â manteision enfawr i economi Cymru yn y dyfodol agos?

Angling is obviously a very important recreation in Wales and some of the most passionate letters I think I’ve received—I think one of them was from a 10-year-old boy, who was a young fisherman with his father. We are certainly looking, as I say, at the responses we had to the consultation and I will be bringing forward a statement later this year.

Mae pysgota yn amlwg yn weithgaredd hamdden pwysig iawn yng Nghymru ac mae rhai o’r llythyrau mwyaf angerddol i mi eu derbyn, rwy’n credu—credaf fod un ohonynt wedi’i ysgrifennu gan fachgen 10 oed, a oedd yn bysgotwr ifanc gyda’i dad. Fel y dywedais, rydym yn sicr yn edrych ar yr ymatebion a gawsom i’r ymgynghoriad a byddaf yn cyflwyno datganiad yn ddiweddarach eleni.

We’re blessed in Wales with a stunning landscape and extensive countryside and a great way of seeing that countryside and taking exercise at the same time is on horseback. It’s not just a means of taking exercise; it can be of great benefit to disabled people and there have been schemes across the country for riding for the disabled. Maintaining a riding establishment has become ever more difficult and many have shut. What support are you offering to riding establishments to get them up and running again, so that they can offer this facility to people like the disabled?

Rydym wedi cael ein bendithio yng Nghymru â thirwedd syfrdanol a chefn gwlad helaeth ac un ffordd wych o weld cefn gwlad a gwneud ymarfer corff ar yr un pryd yw ar gefn ceffyl. Nid ffordd o wneud ymarfer corff yn unig ydyw; gall fod o fudd mawr i bobl anabl a chafwyd cynlluniau marchogaeth ar gyfer pobl anabl ar draws y wlad. Mae cynnal sefydliad marchogaeth wedi mynd yn fwyfwy anodd ac mae llawer wedi cau. Pa gymorth rydych chi’n ei gynnig i sefydliadau marchogaeth i’w cael yn weithredol eto, fel y gallant gynnig y cyfleuster hwn i bobl fel yr anabl?

I absolutely agree with you that horse riding is something that disabled people can take part in. I can’t think of any specific initiatives we’ve got or anything that’s actually across my desk from anybody asking for assistance in that way, but I would be very happy to consider it if that were the case.

Cytunaf yn llwyr â chi fod marchogaeth yn rhywbeth y gall pobl anabl gymryd rhan ynddo. Ni allaf feddwl am unrhyw fentrau penodol sydd gennym nac unrhyw beth ar fy nesg gan unrhyw un sy’n gofyn am gymorth yn y ffordd honno, ond byddwn yn hapus iawn i’w ystyried pe bai hynny’n digwydd.

Prosiectau Cynhyrchu Ynni sy’n Eiddo i’r Gymuned

Community-owned Energy Generation Projects

8. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer targedau ynni o brosiectau cynhyrchu ynni sy’n eiddo i’r gymuned yng Nghymru? OAQ(5)0114(ERA)

8. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the Welsh Government plans for energy targets from community-owned energy generation projects in Wales? OAQ(5)0114(ERA)

Thank you. I will be setting ambitious targets for renewable energy. We are working with stakeholders to consider what aspects energy targets might cover. I believe community and locally owned energy projects are important, as we want to see projects retaining economic and social benefit in Wales.

Diolch. Byddaf yn gosod targedau uchelgeisiol ar gyfer ynni adnewyddadwy. Rydym yn gweithio gyda rhanddeiliaid i ystyried pa agweddau y gallai targedau ynni ymwneud â hwy. Rwy’n credu bod prosiectau ynni cymunedol a lleol yn bwysig, gan ein bod eisiau gweld prosiectau’n cynnal budd economaidd a chymdeithasol yng Nghymru.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that reply. I’m aware of an NRW tender for a single turbine project in south Wales, which is an ideal scale, really, for a community project. The criteria for the tender really are prohibitive for community projects at that scale, requiring track record of delivery and several years’ worth of accounts. I obviously understand the need for due diligence and for there to be appropriate levels of assurance but I note that in the tender, there’s a reference to community benefits being expressed in pounds, which seemed to me to show the limited approach of that. Does she agree with me that we need to try and find ways, consistent with the need for assurance, for these small-scale projects to be genuinely accessible to community energy production?

Diolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am yr ateb hwnnw. Rwy’n ymwybodol o dendr Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ar gyfer prosiect tyrbin unigol yn ne Cymru, sydd ar raddfa ddelfrydol, mewn gwirionedd, ar gyfer prosiect cymunedol. Mae’r meini prawf ar gyfer y tendr yn wirioneddol waharddol ar gyfer prosiectau cymunedol ar y raddfa honno, ac yn gofyn am hanes o gyflenwi a gwerth sawl blwyddyn o gyfrifon. Rwy’n amlwg yn deall yr angen am ddiwydrwydd dyladwy a’r angen i gael lefelau priodol o sicrwydd, ond rwy’n nodi bod cyfeiriad yn y tendr at fanteision cymunedol yn cael eu mynegi mewn punnoedd, a oedd i’w weld i mi yn dangos agwedd mor gyfyngedig yw hynny. A yw’n cytuno bod angen i ni geisio dod o hyd i ffyrdd, yn gyson â’r angen am sicrwydd, i’r prosiectau bach hyn fod yn wirioneddol hygyrch i gynhyrchiant ynni cymunedol?

Absolutely, and we’ve continued to encourage NRW to create the maximum possible local benefit from the estate, and we offer support under the local energy service to enable community developers to deliver on these opportunities. I am aware that there have been groups, particularly co-operatives, that have come forward and because they haven’t got that sort of historical, financial history, it has led to issues. I know that Value Wales have been looking at these specific issues and I have asked NRW to link up with them to see what more can be done in that area.

Yn hollol, ac rydym wedi parhau i annog Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i greu’r budd lleol mwyaf posibl o’r ystad, ac rydym yn cynnig cymorth o dan y gwasanaeth ynni lleol i alluogi datblygwyr cymunedol i gyflawni ar y cyfleoedd hyn. Rwy’n ymwybodol fod grwpiau wedi dod gerbron, yn enwedig cwmnïau cydweithredol, ac oherwydd nad oes ganddynt y math hwnnw o gofnod hanesyddol, ariannol, mae wedi arwain at broblemau. Gwn fod Gwerth Cymru wedi bod yn edrych ar y materion penodol hyn ac rwyf wedi gofyn i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru gysylltu â hwy i weld beth arall y gellir ei wneud yn y maes hwnnw.

Mae’r Llywodraeth wedi ymrwymo, o fis Ebrill yma ymlaen rwy’n credu, i sicrhau bod 100 y cant o ynni y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn dod o ffynonellau adnewyddol. A fyddai’n bosib i fynd un cam ymhellach, a chael targed ar gyfer Cymru gyfan, a sicrhau bod 100 y cant o’n holl anghenion ynni ni yn dod o ffynonellau adnewyddol o fewn 20 mlynedd?

The Government has committed, from this April onwards, I believe, to ensuring that 100 per cent of energy in the public sector comes from renewable sources. Would it be possible to take a step further and have a target for the whole of Wales, and ensure that 100 per cent of all of our energy needs are provided from renewable sources within 20 years?

Yes, it’s certainly something that we can look at. We’ve got a debate next Tuesday, Presiding Officer, in Government time, around this and targets, et cetera. I was very pleased to see that target coming forward from next month and 50 per cent of that energy will come from Wales, initially. I do think we need to be very ambitious—pragmatic and realistic, but I think we have to be very ambitious—and I’m very happy to look at what the Member suggests.

Ie, mae’n sicr yn rhywbeth y gallwn edrych arno. Mae gennym ddadl ddydd Mawrth nesaf, Lywydd, yn amser y Llywodraeth, sy’n ymwneud â hyn a thargedau ac yn y blaen. Roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld y targed hwnnw’n cael ei gyflwyno o’r mis nesaf a bydd 50 y cant o’r ynni hwnnw’n dod o Gymru ar y cychwyn. Rwy’n credu bod angen i ni fod yn uchelgeisiol iawn—yn ymarferol ac yn realistig, ond rwy’n credu bod yn rhaid i ni fod yn uchelgeisiol iawn—ac rwy’n hapus iawn i edrych ar yr hyn y mae’r Aelod yn ei awgrymu.

Cabinet Secretary, we’ll be discussing the foundational economy in a debate later, and it seems to me that community energy projects and the whole greening of the Welsh and British economy are areas where we could really have great advances that would empower local people very considerably.

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, byddwn yn trafod yr economi sylfaenol mewn dadl yn ddiweddarach, ac mae’n ymddangos i mi fod prosiectau ynni cymunedol a’r holl broses o wyrddu economi Cymru a Phrydain yn feysydd ble y gallem gael datblygiadau mawr a fyddai’n grymuso pobl leol yn sylweddol.

Yes, I absolutely agree with the Member. I think it’s really important that we do all we can to make sure the process isn’t as difficult as, perhaps, it’s been at times. Certainly, when I’ve met with groups that have got these community energy schemes off the ground, they’ve needed incredible tenacity and patience and I think we need to do all we can to support them. I think we have put a lot of resources into doing that, not just financial, but also that support that’s so needed.

Ie, rwy’n cytuno’n llwyr â’r Aelod. Rwy’n credu ei bod yn wirioneddol bwysig ein bod yn gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i sicrhau nad yw’r broses mor anodd ag y mae wedi bod ar adegau, o bosibl. Yn sicr, pan fyddaf yn cyfarfod â grwpiau sydd wedi rhoi’r cynlluniau ynni cymunedol hyn ar waith, maent wedi bod angen dycnwch ac amynedd anhygoel ac rwy’n credu bod angen i ni wneud popeth yn ein gallu i’w cefnogi. Rwy’n meddwl ein bod wedi rhoi llawer o adnoddau tuag at wneud hynny, nid adnoddau ariannol yn unig, ond hefyd y cymorth sy’n fawr ei angen.

Y Sector Ynni Adnewyddadwy

The Renewable Energy Sector

9. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddatganiad am sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi’r sector ynni adnewyddadwy yng Nghymru? OAQ(5)0109(ERA)

9. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on how the Welsh Government is supporting the renewable energy sector in Wales? OAQ(5)0109(ERA)

Thank you. In our drive for a decarbonised future, we are fully committed to supporting more renewable energy projects in Wales. Our wealth of natural resources enables us to benefit from a wide range of opportunities, from major projects such as tidal lagoons to community-scale energy generation schemes.

Diolch. Yn ein hymgyrch i sicrhau dyfodol wedi’i ddatgarboneiddio, rydym wedi ymrwymo’n llwyr i gefnogi mwy o brosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy yng Nghymru. Mae ein cyfoeth o adnoddau naturiol yn ein galluogi i elwa o ystod eang o gyfleoedd, o brosiectau mawr megis môr-lynnoedd llanw i gynlluniau cynhyrchu ynni ar raddfa gymunedol.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. We know that the renewable energy sector has enormous potential to boost the economy and through efficient supply networks, any benefits can be spread throughout Wales. How is the Welsh Government ensuring that finance is available so that these projects can be taken forward? I’m thinking in terms, here, of direct support for community generation, as mentioned in the previous question, but also in terms of investment from external sources.

Diolch i chi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rydym yn gwybod bod gan y sector ynni adnewyddadwy botensial aruthrol i hybu’r economi a thrwy rwydweithiau cyflenwi effeithlon, gellir lledaenu unrhyw fanteision ledled Cymru. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau bod cyllid ar gael i fwrw ymlaen â’r prosiectau hyn? Rwy’n meddwl yma ynglŷn â chymorth uniongyrchol ar gyfer cynhyrchu cymunedol, fel y crybwyllwyd yn y cwestiwn blaenorol, ond hefyd ynglŷn â buddsoddiad o ffynonellau allanol.

Well, we work with numerous companies to promote investment into all regions of Wales. In the renewable energy sector, we attract inward investment through conferences, through exhibitions, such as RenewableUK’s all-energy and wave and tidal events. It’s really important that we have Welsh supply chain companies on our Welsh Government stands, so that they can make the contacts, and that then supports their growth plans. It also highlights the depth of expertise that is available to inward investors. Just recently, as the First Minister—you’ll be aware—was in the United States last week, I was in Dubai. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure has recently visited both China and Japan, and I mean, it’s not just about renewable energy—it’s about all sectors—but we’re making sure that we do attract that investment here.

Wel, rydym yn gweithio gyda nifer o gwmnïau i hyrwyddo buddsoddi ym mhob un o ranbarthau Cymru. Yn y sector ynni adnewyddadwy, rydym yn denu buddsoddiad drwy gynadleddau, drwy arddangosfeydd, megis digwyddiadau holl-ynni ac ynni’r tonnau a’r llanw RenewableUK. Mae’n bwysig iawn fod gennym gwmnïau cadwyn gyflenwi o Gymru ar ein stondinau Llywodraeth Cymru, er mwyn iddynt allu ffurfio’r cysylltiadau, ac mae hynny wedyn yn cefnogi eu cynlluniau ar gyfer twf. Mae hefyd yn tynnu sylw at ddyfnder yr arbenigedd sydd ar gael i fewnfuddsoddwyr. Yn ddiweddar, pan oedd y Prif Weinidog—fel y gwyddoch—yn yr Unol Daleithiau yr wythnos diwethaf, roeddwn i yn Dubai. Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a’r Seilwaith wedi ymweld â Tsieina a Siapan yn ddiweddar, a hynny yw, mae’n ymwneud â mwy nag ynni adnewyddadwy’n unig—mae’n ymwneud â phob sector—ond rydym yn gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn denu’r buddsoddiad hwnnw yma.

I’m sure, Cabinet Secretary, you share my disappointment that the budget today did not include a positive statement around the tidal lagoon. That’s something that would be extremely welcome here in Wales. What further steps can she take now to press the UK Government to come forward with a positive decision on the tidal lagoon? Also, bearing in mind, for example, that we had a very good event here last night, at which we heard from Milford Haven Port Authority, what can we do to build a supply chain that’s ready, throughout Wales, to supply that lagoon when, hopefully, it gets the go-ahead?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, rwy’n siŵr eich bod yn rhannu fy siom nad oedd y gyllideb heddiw yn cynnwys datganiad cadarnhaol am y morlyn llanw. Mae hynny’n rhywbeth a fyddai’n cael croeso enfawr yma yng Nghymru. Pa gamau pellach y gall hi eu cymryd yn awr i bwyso ar Lywodraeth y DU i gyflwyno penderfyniad cadarnhaol ar y morlyn llanw? Hefyd, o gofio, er enghraifft, ein bod wedi cael digwyddiad da iawn yma neithiwr, pan glywsom gan Awdurdod Porthladd Aberdaugleddau, beth y gallwn ei wneud i adeiladu cadwyn gyflenwi sy’n barod, ledled Cymru, i gyflenwi’r morlyn hwnnw pan fydd, gobeithio yn cael y golau gwyrdd?

Well, Presiding Officer, Members will understand that I am limited in what I can say about particular projects or proposals, and that does include the proposed tidal lagoon for Swansea bay, given my statutory role. However, you’ll be aware that we’ve had discussions—myself and Ken Skates—with Charles Hendry. We support, in principle, the development of a tidal lagoon energy industry in the UK and we will continue to have those discussions.

Wel, Lywydd, bydd yr Aelodau’n deall fy mod yn gyfyngedig o ran yr hyn y gallaf ei ddweud am brosiectau neu gynigion penodol, ac mae hynny’n cynnwys y morlyn llanw arfaethedig ar gyfer Bae Abertawe, o ystyried fy rôl statudol. Fodd bynnag, fe fyddwch yn gwybod ein bod wedi cael trafodaethau—Ken Skates a minnau—gyda Charles Hendry. Rydym yn cefnogi, mewn egwyddor, y bwriad i ddatblygu diwydiant ynni môr-lynnoedd llanw yn y DU a byddwn yn parhau i gael y trafodaethau hynny.

Cabinet Secretary, I’ve asked you previously about connectivity to the grid, which acts as a real stumbling block for many small-scale renewable projects to actually get off the ground. When I asked you this question the last time, you said the Government are making very good progress. I followed that up with a written question that indicated there had only been two meetings with officials and the distributors, Western Power Distribution. So, could you enlarge on exactly how the good progress that you informed me the Welsh Government was making the last time I asked you this question is actually translating onto the ground, so that there is a greater increase in capacity so more community-based renewable projects can actually have that connection and be allowed to go forward?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, gofynnais i chi o’r blaen ynglŷn â chysylltedd â’r grid, sy’n rhwystr go iawn i lawer o brosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy ar raddfa fach i gael eu traed danynt mewn gwirionedd. Pan ofynnais y cwestiwn hwn i chi y tro diwethaf, fe ddywedoch fod y Llywodraeth yn gwneud cynnydd da iawn. Dilynais hynny gyda chwestiwn ysgrifenedig a ddangosodd mai dau gyfarfod yn unig a gafwyd gyda swyddogion a’r dosbarthwyr, Western Power Distribution. Felly, a wnewch chi ymhelaethu ar sut yn union y mae’r cynnydd da y dywedoch wrthyf fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud y tro diwethaf y gofynnais y cwestiwn hwn i chi i’w weld ar lawr gwlad, fel bod mwy o gynnydd yn y capasiti er mwyn i fwy o brosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy yn y gymuned allu cael y cysylltiad hwnnw a gallu bwrw ymlaen mewn gwirionedd?

We have a significant number now of community energy-based projects going forward. I think we’ve got about 11, now, in construction. I am actually meeting with the National Grid, if it’s not next week I think it’s the week after, which will be my initial meeting, but, as I said, officials have had meetings also.

Mae gennym nifer sylweddol o brosiectau ynni yn y gymuned yn cael eu datblygu bellach. Rwy’n credu bod gennym oddeutu 11 wrthi’n cael eu hadeiladu ar hyn o bryd. Byddaf yn cyfarfod â’r Grid Cenedlaethol, os nad yr wythnos nesaf, yr wythnos wedyn, a hwnnw fydd fy nghyfarfod cyntaf, ond fel y dywedais, mae swyddogion wedi cael cyfarfodydd hefyd.

Diolch i’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary.

2. 2. Cwestiynau i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gymunedau a Phlant
2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children

Mae [R] yn dynodi bod yr Aelod wedi datgan buddiant. Mae [W] yn dynodi bod y cwestiwn wedi’i gyflwyno yn Gymraeg.

[R] signifies the Member has declared an interest. [W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.

Yr eitem nesaf ar ein hagenda ni yw’r cwestiynau i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gymunedau a Phlant, a’r cwestiwn cyntaf, Angela Burns.

The next item on our agenda is questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, and the first question is from Angela Burns.

Trais Domestig

Domestic Violence

1. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am sut y mae’n bwriadu cefnogi dioddefwyr trais domestig? OAQ(5)0117(CC)

1. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on how he intends to support victims of domestic violence? OAQ(5)0117(CC)

I thank the Member for her question, and, Presiding Officer, if I may, wish you and women and girls across Wales a very happy International Women’s Day.

Our national strategy sets out the actions we are taking to support victims of domestic violence through the delivery, development and implementation of the framework. Since the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015 was passed, we have appointed a national adviser, published the national framework on training, and piloted the ‘Ask and Act’.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei chwestiwn, a Lywydd, os caf, hoffwn ddymuno Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod hapus iawn i chi ac i fenywod a merched ledled Cymru.

Mae ein strategaeth genedlaethol yn nodi’r camau yr ydym yn eu cymryd i gefnogi dioddefwyr trais domestig drwy gyflwyno, datblygu a gweithredu’r fframwaith. Ers i Ddeddf Trais yn Erbyn Menywod, Cam-drin Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol (Cymru) 2015 gael ei phasio, rydym wedi penodi cynghorydd cenedlaethol, wedi cyhoeddi’r fframwaith cenedlaethol ar hyfforddiant, ac wedi treialu ‘Gofyn a Gweithredu’.

Thank you for that response and thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for attending the Mothers Affection Matters event earlier today. Because here we are, celebrating International Women’s Day 2017, and yet, today, we heard some harrowing stories and learnt of the deep fear of abused people who are reluctant to seek help because they feel their children will be removed. I’ll be absolutely honest, a couple of the stories I heard today have really affected me, so, my apologies. Because we should all be free and so should these women.

It costs far less to support safe mothers and far more when children are removed into the care system. Could I press you, Cabinet Secretary, to review the successful German model of removing the perpetrators of domestic violence and enabling the abused person to remain in their community, with the support of police, social services, and GPs? I would like to see if this excellent practice could be a lesson learnt for us here in Wales. We’ve been so successful in so many other areas in being the first in the world on things like children’s commissioners and so on, and I would like us to see if we can do something really radical, and perhaps learn from our European neighbours. Thank you.

Diolch am yr ymateb a diolch i chi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, am ddod i’r digwyddiad Mothers Affection Matters yn gynharach heddiw. Oherwydd dyma ni, yn dathlu Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod 2017, ac eto, heddiw, clywsom straeon dirdynnol a dysgu am ofn enbyd pobl sydd wedi cael eu cam-drin ac sy’n gyndyn i ofyn am gymorth am eu bod yn teimlo y bydd eu plant yn cael eu cymryd oddi wrthynt. Fe fyddaf yn hollol onest, mae rhai o’r straeon a glywais heddiw wedi effeithio’n fawr arnaf felly, fy ymddiheuriadau. Oherwydd dylem i gyd gael bod yn rhydd, a’r menywod hyn hefyd.

Mae’n costio llawer llai i gynorthwyo mamau diogel a llawer mwy pan fydd plant yn cael eu symud i’r system ofal. A gaf fi bwyso arnoch, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, i adolygu’r model llwyddiannus yn yr Almaen o symud y rhai sy’n cyflawni trais domestig a galluogi’r sawl a gamdriniwyd i aros yn eu cymuned, gyda chefnogaeth yr heddlu, gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, a meddygon teulu? Hoffwn weld a allai’r arferion ardderchog hyn fod yn wers y gallwn ei dysgu yma yng Nghymru. Rydym wedi bod mor llwyddiannus mewn cymaint o feysydd eraill drwy fod y wlad gyntaf yn y byd gyda phethau fel comisiynwyr plant ac yn y blaen, a hoffwn i ni weld a allwn wneud rhywbeth radical mewn gwirionedd, a dysgu gan ein cymdogion Ewropeaidd o bosibl. Diolch.

I thank the Member for her question and the opportunity to briefly meet some of the people at the event at lunch time. Llywydd, no-one should blame victims who take the time and courage to come forward. We all know and admire the courage they show when they speak out, and what we can and should blame are the onlookers who know what’s going on and stay silent about these things.

In regard to the very specific question on this, the VAWDASV Act is one piece of the jigsaw; the housing Act actually does look at removing perpetrators from a property. So, there is a suite of tools that we do have, but I will look at the model that the Member raises and ask my advisory panel to give me some more thoughts around that.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei chwestiwn a’r cyfle i gyfarfod yn sydyn â rhai o’r bobl yn y digwyddiad yn ystod amser cinio. Lywydd, ni ddylai neb feio dioddefwyr sy’n rhoi o’u hamser a’u dewrder i godi llais. Rydym i gyd yn gwybod am y dewrder a ddangosant pan fyddant yn codi llais, ac yn ei edmygu, a’r rhai y gallwn ac y dylwn eu beio yw’r rhai sy’n gwybod beth sy’n digwydd ac yn aros yn dawel ynglŷn â’r pethau hyn.

O ran y cwestiwn penodol ar hyn, mae’r Ddeddf Trais yn erbyn Menywod, Cam-drin Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol yn un darn o’r jig-so; mewn gwirionedd mae’r Ddeddf tai yn edrych ar symud cyflawnwyr o eiddo. Felly, mae yna gyfres o ddulliau gennym, ond byddaf yn edrych ar y model y mae’r Aelod yn ei grybwyll a gofyn i fy mhanel cynghori i roi mwy o syniadau ynglŷn â hynny mi.

Last week, I asked what was being done to prevent female genital mutilation and to support those who are affected by it. A year ago, on International Women’s Day, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and BAWSO, supported by the Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board, launched Voices Over Silence, and it’s a project aimed at doing just that. It is a Welsh Government-funded project that allows 16 young women to be trained as youth ambassadors on FGM to spark conversations about FGM in schools and in communities across Wales.

I’m really pleased to say that the project, last night, won the Royal College of Midwives award for partnership working. So, I ask you, Cabinet Secretary, if you will join me in congratulating all those involved in this outstanding initiative.

Yr wythnos diwethaf, gofynnais beth oedd yn cael ei wneud i atal anffurfio organau cenhedlu benywod ac i gynorthwyo’r rhai y mae’n effeithio arnynt. Flwyddyn yn ôl, ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod, lansiodd y Gymdeithas Genedlaethol er Atal Creulondeb i Blant a BAWSO, gyda chefnogaeth Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Prifysgol Caerdydd a’r Fro, y prosiect Llais Nid Tawelwch, sy’n anelu at wneud hynny. Mae’n brosiect a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru sy’n caniatáu i 16 o fenywod ifanc gael eu hyfforddi fel llysgenhadon ieuenctid ar anffurfio organau cenhedlu benywod i danio sgyrsiau am anffurfio organau cenhedlu benywod mewn ysgolion ac mewn cymunedau ledled Cymru.

Rwy’n hynod o falch o ddweud fod y prosiect wedi ennill gwobr Coleg Brenhinol y Bydwragedd neithiwr am weithio mewn partneriaeth. Felly, gofynnaf i chi ymuno â mi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, i longyfarch pawb sy’n rhan o’r fenter ragorol hon.

Indeed. NSPCC, BAWSO and the university and the youth ambassadors indeed are doing a fantastic job and I was delighted when the Welsh Government-funded programme was awarded the RCM award. It is a big congratulations from me and I’ve already tweeted to say congratulations to them, too.

Yn wir. Mae NSPCC, BAWSO a’r brifysgol a’r llysgenhadon ieuenctid yn sicr yn gwneud gwaith gwych ac roeddwn wrth fy modd pan enillodd y rhaglen a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru wobr Coleg Brenhinol y Bydwragedd. Llongyfarchiadau mawr oddi wrthyf fi ac rwyf eisoes wedi trydar i’w llongyfarch hefyd.

Brynhawn ddoe, fe wnaethoch chi wrthod cefnogi gwelliant gan Blaid Cymru a fyddai wedi’i gwneud hi’n orfodol i gyflwyno addysg perthnasoedd iach yn ysgolion Cymru. Buaswn i’n hoffi deall pam y gwnaethoch chi wrthod cefnogi hynny. Sut ydym ni’n mynd i leihau trais yn erbyn merched mewn ffordd barhaol os nad ydy ein plant ni a’n pobl ifanc ni’n cael cyfle i drafod materion allweddol o gwmpas sicrhau perthnasoedd iach? Ac, os nad ydy o’n orfodol yn yr ysgolion, nid oes sicrwydd y bydd o’n digwydd ac yn digwydd gyda chysondeb ar draws Cymru.

Yesterday afternoon, you declined to support a Plaid Cymru amendment that would make it mandatory to introduce healthy relationships education in schools. I would like to understand why you rejected that amendment. How are we going to reduce violence against women in a permanent way unless our children and young people have an opportunity to discuss key issues around ensuring healthy relationships? And if it isn’t mandatory in schools then there is no assurance that it will happen and will happen consistently across Wales.

I thank the Member for her question. Yesterday, the Member is right, you tabled an amendment in regard to healthy relationships, and I did respond to you in that debate yesterday on the reason why we weren’t supporting it then—because we have a working group that the Cabinet Secretary for Education has set up; we want to learn from that. But you’re pushing at an open door here; it’s about the way we do this and introduction of it. I agree with the Member in terms of how it should be done, it’s just when we do that in the appropriate manner through the curriculum, and that will become clearer with the Cabinet Secretary’s statements shortly.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei chwestiwn. Mae’r Aelod yn iawn, ddoe fe gyflwynoch welliant ar berthnasoedd iach, ac ymatebais yn y ddadl ddoe ynglŷn â’r rheswm pam nad oeddem yn ei gefnogi bryd hynny—am fod gennym weithgor y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros addysg wedi’i sefydlu; rydym am ddysgu gan y gweithgor hwnnw. Ond rydych yn gwthio yn erbyn drws agored yma; mae’n ymwneud â’r ffordd yr ydym yn gwneud hyn ac yn ei gyflwyno. Rwy’n cytuno â’r Aelod o ran sut y dylai gael ei wneud, mae’n ymwneud â pha bryd y gwnawn hynny mewn modd priodol drwy’r cwricwlwm, a daw hynny’n gliriach gyda datganiadau Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn fuan.

Ffioedd Asiantau Gosod

Letting Agent Fees

2. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynigion Llywodraeth Cymru ynghylch ffioedd asiantau gosod? OAQ(5)0113(CC)

2. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on Welsh Government proposals regarding letting agent fees? OAQ(5)0113(CC)

I thank the Member for his question. I’m very concerned that fees charged by letting agents are placing a disproportionate burden on tenants. I hope to be able to announce shortly how we as a Government propose to respond to this matter.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei gwestiwn. Rwy’n bryderus iawn fod y ffioedd a godir gan asiantau gosod yn gosod baich anghymesur ar denantiaid. Cyn hir, gobeithiaf allu cyhoeddi sut yr ydym ni fel Llywodraeth yn bwriadu ymateb i’r mater hwn.

Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that response? I, along with several colleagues, most notably Jenny Rathbone, have been opposing letting fees being charged to tenants for several years. Currently, action is being taken in England and has been taken in Scotland. Can the Cabinet Secretary give an indication of the timescale for action being taken?

A gaf fi ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am yr ymateb hwnnw? Rwyf fi, ynghyd â sawl chyd-Aelod, a Jenny Rathbone yn fwyaf nodedig, wedi bod yn gwrthwynebu codi tâl ar denantiaid am ffioedd gosod ers nifer o flynyddoedd. Ar hyn o bryd, mae camau’n cael eu cymryd yn Lloegr ac wedi cael eu cymryd yn yr Alban. A all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi syniad o’r amserlen ar gyfer rhoi camau ar waith?

We are aware Scotland banned these fees some years ago. England will soon be consulting on their proposals. Their experience will help to inform the proposals here in Wales. I don’t have a fixed timeline on this, but I will encourage the Member, again, and, of course, Jenny Rathbone and other Members, if they feel free to submit to the Members’ ballot, it will be supported by the—

Rydym yn ymwybodol fod yr Alban wedi gwahardd y ffioedd hyn rai blynyddoedd yn ôl. Bydd Lloegr yn ymgynghori ar eu hargymhellion cyn bo hir. Bydd eu profiad yn helpu i lywio’r argymhellion yma yng Nghymru. Nid oes gennyf amserlen sefydlog ar hyn, ond rwy’n annog yr Aelod, unwaith eto, a Jenny Rathbone ac Aelodau eraill wrth gwrs, i deimlo’n rhydd i’w gyflwyno ar gyfer pleidlais yr Aelodau, caiff ei gefnogi gan y—

[Continues.]—Government, if possible.

[Yn parhau.]—Llywodraeth, os oes modd.

I, too, would like to wish all the women in the Chamber a happy International Women’s Day. In response to previous calls to ban letting fees at the start of a tenancy, your Government has claimed that renters would end up paying more in the longer term in regard to increased rent. However, since laws surrounding agency fees have been enforced in Scotland, the charity Shelter has stated that there has been no visible increase in rents, and the organisation easyProperty has also stated that, due to competition in the sector, it was unlikely that agencies would pass on charges to landlords. What lessons will you be taking from Scotland in this regard? And I would echo Mike Hedges’s question: when are we going to get this review completed so that we can implement this here in Wales?

Hoffwn innau hefyd ddymuno Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod hapus i’r holl fenywod yn y Siambr. Mewn ymateb i alwadau blaenorol i wahardd ffioedd gosod ar ddechrau’r denantiaeth, mae eich Llywodraeth wedi honni y byddai rhentwyr yn talu mwy yn y tymor hwy oherwydd cynnydd yn y rhent. Fodd bynnag, ers i ddeddfau’n ymwneud â ffioedd asiantaethau gael eu rhoi mewn grym yn yr Alban, mae’r elusen Shelter wedi datgan na fu unrhyw gynnydd gweladwy mewn rhenti, ac mae’r sefydliad easyProperty hefyd wedi datgan ei bod yn annhebygol, oherwydd cystadleuaeth yn y sector, y byddai asiantaethau’n trosglwyddo taliadau i landlordiaid. Pa wersi a ddysgoch gan yr Alban yn hyn o beth? A byddwn yn ategu cwestiwn Mike Hedges: pa bryd y cawn yr adolygiad hwn wedi’i gwblhau er mwyn i ni allu rhoi hyn ar waith yma yng Nghymru?

Well, that was one of the issues we were concerned about—a transfer of risk to tenants, particularly in fees. We are more content now with the evidence coming from Scotland that that doesn’t appear to be the case. This is a piece of legislation that we’d have to introduce, so that will depend on introduction on the legislative timetable, if and when we’re able to do that.

Wel, dyna oedd un o’r materion yr oeddem yn pryderu yn eu cylch—trosglwyddo risg i denantiaid, yn enwedig mewn ffioedd. Rydym yn fwy bodlon bellach â’r dystiolaeth sy’n dod o’r Alban nad yw’n ymddangos bod hynny’n digwydd. Dyma ddeddfwriaeth y byddai’n rhaid i ni ei chyflwyno, felly bydd hynny’n dibynnu ar ei gyflwyno yn ôl yr amserlen ddeddfwriaethol, os a phryd y gallwn wneud hynny.

Cabinet Secretary, can I begin by congratulating you on your resplendent buttonhole? Not only would Lady Rhondda have approved, but I think our former colleague William Graham would have approved. He would have probably conceded that you did better than him in this occasion.

The problem with the current structure is it distorts the market. We need these fees to sit with the responsibility of the landlord. It will be reflected in rents, but landlords would be able to get better value for money for these services and, at the minute, it really acts as the consumer’s disadvantage in having to pay, in effect, for the privilege of buying a service.

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a gaf fi ddechrau drwy eich llongyfarch ar eich blodyn llabed ysblennydd? Nid yn unig y byddai Lady Rhondda wedi cymeradwyo, ond rwy’n credu y byddai ein cyn gyd-Aelod William Graham wedi cymeradwyo hefyd. Rwy’n siŵr y byddai wedi cyfaddef eich bod wedi gwneud yn well nag ef ar yr achlysur hwn.

Y broblem gyda’r strwythur presennol yw ei fod yn ystumio’r farchnad. Mae arnom angen i’r ffioedd hyn barhau’n gyfrifoldeb i’r landlord. Bydd yn cael ei adlewyrchu mewn rhenti, ond byddai landlordiaid yn gallu cael gwell gwerth am arian am y gwasanaethau hyn ac ar y funud, mae’n sicr yn gweithredu er anfantais i’r defnyddiwr ei fod yn gorfod talu, i bob pwrpas, am y fraint o brynu gwasanaeth.

I’m grateful for the acknowledgement that, if we were to introduce legislation, the Member may even support it as we move through with the passage of that. Look, Members, I hope to be able to announce shortly how the Government propose to respond to this matter. I will bring that to the Chamber accordingly.

Rwy’n ddiolchgar am y gydnabyddiaeth, pe baem yn cyflwyno deddfwriaeth, y byddai’r Aelod yn ei chefnogi wrth i ni fwrw ymlaen i’w chyflwyno. Edrychwch, Aelodau, rwy’n gobeithio gallu cyhoeddi’n fuan sut y mae’r Llywodraeth yn bwriadu ymateb i’r mater hwn. Byddaf yn cyflwyno hynny i’r Siambr yn unol â hynny.

Cabinet Secretary, Wales has been the trailblazer in so many issues, so it’s doubly disappointing that, on the issue of abolishing letting agent fees, we are so far behind the rest of Britain. Letting agency fees make it near impossible for many families to enter the private rented sector and increases the demand for social housing. Cabinet Secretary, there is absolutely no evidence that abolishing fees will push up rents, so when will your Government follow the rest of Britain and abolish these punitive fees?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae Cymru wedi bod yn arloeswr mewn cymaint o faterion, felly mae’n fwy siomedig byth ein bod yn llusgo’n bell ar ôl gweddill Prydain ar fater diddymu ffioedd asiantau gosod. Mae ffioedd asiantaethau gosod yn ei gwneud bron yn amhosibl i lawer o deuluoedd fynd i mewn i’r sector rhentu preifat ac yn cynyddu’r galw am dai cymdeithasol. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, nid oes unrhyw dystiolaeth o fath yn y byd y bydd diddymu ffioedd yn arwain at godi rhenti, felly pa bryd fydd eich Llywodraeth yn dilyn gweddill Prydain ac yn diddymu’r ffioedd cosbol hyn?

I refer the Member to my last response.

Cyfeiriaf yr Aelod at fy ymateb diwethaf.

I’d just like to add my voice on the urgency of this matter. Not only are students being asked to pay £150 to simply take the property off the market while they sort out the tenancy contract, which may never occur, but single people on housing benefits, people who are part of the Supporting People programme on employment support allowance, are having to pay for these fees out of the money they’re supposed to be using for food, because they cannot get housing benefit to cover these fees. So, this is a really, really urgent matter, and I hope I can impress on you that we need to get on with it.

Hoffwn ychwanegu fy llais ar bwysigrwydd y mater hwn. Nid yn unig y gofynnir i fyfyrwyr dalu £150 i gael yr eiddo wedi’i dynnu oddi ar y farchnad tra’u bod yn datrys y contract tenantiaeth, a allai beidio â digwydd o gwbl, ond mae pobl sengl ar fudd-daliadau tai, pobl sy’n rhan o’r rhaglen Cefnogi Pobl ar lwfans cyflogaeth a chymorth, yn gorfod talu’r ffioedd hyn o’r arian y maent i fod i’w ddefnyddio ar fwyd, am na allant gael budd-dal tai i dalu’r ffioedd hyn. Felly, mae hwn yn fater gwirioneddol bwysig, ac rwy’n gobeithio y gallaf eich argyhoeddi bod angen i ni fwrw ymlaen â’r mater.

The Member regularly meets me to talk about these very issues. I want to make good law in Wales, Llywydd. I will not be rushed into it. However, I will give it careful consideration on the effectiveness, a tailored approach for the needs in Wales, and that the capability to enforce this is in place. But I will bring a statement back to the Chamber.

Mae’r Aelod yn cyfarfod yn rheolaidd â mi i siarad am yr union faterion hyn. Rwyf am wneud cyfraith dda yng Nghymru, Lywydd. Nid wyf am gael fy rhuthro i mewn i hyn. Fodd bynnag, byddaf yn rhoi ystyriaeth ofalus i’w effeithiolrwydd, dull o weithredu wedi’i deilwra ar gyfer yr anghenion yng Nghymru, a bod y gallu i orfodi hyn yn ei le. Ond byddaf yn dod â datganiad yn ôl i’r Siambr.

Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Lefarwyr y Pleidiau

Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Mark Isherwood.

Questions now from the party spokespeople. Welsh Conservatives spokesperson, Mark Isherwood.

Diolch, Lywydd. As you consider the future for building resilient communities as the changes you’ve announced go forward, a lot has been happening with local area co-ordination, supporting residents and communities to, quote, ‘get a life, not a service’, driving collaboration between local people, families, communities and organisations to build something bigger and more sustainable alongside the people and the communities themselves. What consideration have you given or will you give to the conversations around local area co-ordination that started in Monmouth in 2013?

Diolch, Lywydd. Wrth i chi ystyried y dyfodol ar gyfer adeiladu cymunedau cryf wrth i’r newidiadau yr ydych wedi’u cyhoeddi fynd rhagddynt, mae llawer wedi bod yn digwydd gyda chydgysylltu ardaloedd lleol, gan gynorthwyo trigolion a chymunedau, ac rwy’n dyfynnu, ‘i gael bywyd, nid gwasanaeth’, ac ysgogi cydweithredu rhwng pobl, teuluoedd, cymunedau a sefydliadau lleol i adeiladu rhywbeth mwy o faint a mwy cynaliadwy ochr yn ochr â’r bobl a’r cymunedau eu hunain. Pa ystyriaeth a roesoch, neu y byddwch yn ei roi i’r sgyrsiau ynglŷn â chydgysylltu ardaloedd lleol a ddechreuodd ym Mynwy yn 2013?

My team have already started a discussion with the local service delivery boards, which were, effectively, the operations management of Communities First. That is also expanding now to community groups and other interested agencies, and I’m sure my team would be delighted to look at the proposals the Member has raised with me today.

Mae fy nhîm eisoes wedi dechrau trafod gyda’r byrddau darparu gwasanaethau lleol, a oedd, i bob pwrpas, yn rheoli gweithrediad Cymunedau yn Gyntaf. Mae hwnnw’n ehangu yn awr hefyd i grwpiau cymunedol ac asiantaethau eraill sydd â diddordeb, ac rwy’n siŵr y byddai fy nhîm yn falch o edrych ar y cynigion y mae’r Aelod wedi eu dwyn i fy sylw heddiw.

Further—that was just the start, because local area co-ordinators in Swansea are working on the principle of getting to know people, their families, and communities, to build their vision for a good life, to stay strong and connected, and to feel safer and more confident for the future. Again, could you consider the work that’s been developed in a number of local authorities, with cross-party support, in many parts of Wales?

Ymhellach—dechrau’n unig oedd hynny, oherwydd mae cydgysylltwyr ardaloedd lleol yn Abertawe yn gweithio ar yr egwyddor o ddod i adnabod pobl, eu teuluoedd, a chymunedau, i adeiladu eu gweledigaeth ar gyfer bywyd da, i aros yn gryf ac yn gysylltiedig, ac i deimlo’n fwy diogel ac yn fwy hyderus ar gyfer y dyfodol. Unwaith eto, a allech ystyried y gwaith a ddatblygwyd mewn nifer o awdurdodau lleol, gyda chefnogaeth drawsbleidiol, mewn sawl rhan o Gymru?

Indeed. I think we shouldn’t close the door on community engagement in any way. We should think about how best effective support for communities can be delivered with communities, not to them.

Yn wir. Rwy’n credu na ddylem gau’r drws ar ymgysylltu â’r gymuned mewn unrhyw ffordd. Dylem feddwl am y ffordd orau o ddarparu cefnogaeth effeithiol ar gyfer cymunedau gyda chymunedau, nid i gymunedau.

Well, thank you, and the biggie—it’s not in Wales, it’s in Derby, because local area co-ordination in the UK began in Derby in 2012, building on the very successful model implemented in Australia, which provides evidence of positive outcomes for citizens and savings. In Derbyshire, an independent evaluation by Derby university over 10 to 12 months found savings of £800,000 for the health and social care economy and also found that this had introduced and built relationships, established trust, worked to the person, using people strengths, and built connections with families and citizens to create solutions for those communities. This convinced the local authority and NHS there to invest and expand to all 17 council wards. So, if a project that has 50 people can improve lives, reconnect communities, and save £800,000, will you give serious consideration to how this model could be embraced here?

Wel, diolch i chi, a’r enghraifft fwyaf—nid yng Nghymru y mae, ond yn Derby, gan fod cydgysylltiad ardaloedd lleol yn y DU wedi dechrau yn Derby yn 2012, gan adeiladu ar fodel llwyddiannus iawn a weithredir yn Awstralia, sy’n darparu tystiolaeth o ganlyniadau cadarnhaol ar gyfer dinasyddion ac arbedion. Yn Swydd Derby, canfu gwerthusiad annibynnol gan Brifysgol Derby dros 10 i 12 mis arbedion o £800,000 i’r economi iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol a gwelwyd hefyd fod hyn wedi cyflwyno a meithrin perthnasoedd, wedi sefydlu ymddiriedaeth, wedi gweithio ar sail yr unigolyn, gan ddefnyddio cryfderau pobl, a ffurfio cysylltiadau gyda theuluoedd a dinasyddion i greu atebion ar gyfer y cymunedau hynny. Argyhoeddodd hyn yr awdurdod lleol a’r GIG yno i fuddsoddi ac i ehangu i bob un o’r 17 ward cyngor. Felly, os gall prosiect sydd â 50 o bobl wella bywydau, ailgysylltu cymunedau, ac arbed £800,000, a wnewch chi roi ystyriaeth ddifrifol i sut y gellid mabwysiadu’r model hwn yma?

Thank you. I was slightly relieved, because I thought the Member was going to invite me for a trip with him to Derby, but I’m glad he didn’t do that, because I would hate to refuse him on the floor. But I think the Member’s got a really interesting point there about looking at what works in communities, and it’s something that I will ask my team to look at closely. We have got some already effective programmes working in Wales that meet the demands of communities with communities. A Derby or Australian model—it’d be something that I’d be very interested to look at.

Diolch. Roedd yn rhyddhad braidd, gan i mi gredu bod yr Aelod yn mynd i fy ngwahodd ar daith gydag ef i Derby, ond rwy’n falch na wnaeth hynny, oherwydd byddai’n gas gennyf ei wrthod ar y llawr. Ond rwy’n credu bod gan yr Aelod bwynt gwirioneddol ddiddorol yn ymwneud ag edrych ar yr hyn sy’n gweithio mewn cymunedau, ac mae’n rhywbeth y byddaf yn gofyn i fy nhîm edrych arno’n ofalus. Mae gennym raglenni sydd eisoes yn gweithio’n effeithiol yng Nghymru sy’n diwallu gofynion cymunedau gyda chymunedau. Model o Derby neu Awstralia—byddai gennyf lawer o ddiddordeb mewn edrych arno.

Llefarydd UKIP, Michelle Brown.

UKIP spokesperson, Michelle Brown.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Until 1970, thousands of children from across the UK were forcibly deported to countries across the Commonwealth as part of an unconscionable governmental policy that tore young children away from their families and sent them across the globe to be used as cheap labour, to be neglected and sometimes abused. What measures have you taken to ascertain how many Welsh children were deported under the child migration programme since the 1950s, many of whom may still be alive today?

Diolch i chi, Lywydd. Tan 1970, cafodd miloedd o blant o bob cwr o’r DU eu halltudio dan orfod i wledydd ar draws y Gymanwlad fel rhan o bolisi llywodraeth afresymol a rwygodd blant oddi wrth eu teuluoedd a’u hanfon ar draws y byd i gael eu defnyddio fel llafur rhad, i gael eu hesgeuluso a’u cam-drin weithiau. Pa gamau a roesoch ar waith i ganfod faint o blant Cymru, y bydd rhai ohonynt yn dal yn fyw heddiw o bosibl, a gafodd eu halltudio o dan y rhaglen plant mudol ers y 1950au?

We are working very closely with the UK Government in terms of the commission around abused children. I understand my team have already started discussions to talk about children who were sent to different countries and what those numbers look like. But there is an operational helpline for people who wish to disclose historic abuse; they are able to talk to people in this country now.

Rydym yn gweithio’n agos iawn gyda Llywodraeth y DU ar y comisiwn sy’n ymwneud â phlant a gafodd eu cam-drin. Rwy’n deall bod fy nhîm eisoes wedi dechrau trafodaethau i siarad am blant a gafodd eu hanfon i wahanol wledydd a beth yw’r niferoedd hynny. Ond ceir llinell gymorth weithredol ar gyfer pobl sy’n dymuno rhoi gwybod am gam-drin hanesyddol; gallant siarad â phobl yn y wlad hon yn awr.

Okay. Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. The children’s lives were totally torn apart, and they were torn away from their families. What support are you able to offer to try and reunite them with those families?

Iawn. Diolch i chi am eich ateb, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Cafodd bywydau’r plant eu chwalu’n gyfan gwbl, a chawsant eu rhwygo oddi wrth eu teuluoedd. Pa gymorth y gallwch ei gynnig i geisio eu haduno â’r teuluoedd hynny?

Well, of course, the first port of call, really, is for the disclosure or contact by these young—older people now, but when they were young and sent off to other countries, it must have been very frightening for most of those individuals. We have professionally trained individuals to deal with those contact points, subject to people coming forward.

Wel, wrth gwrs, y peth cyntaf, mewn gwirionedd, yw datgeliad neu gyswllt gan y bobl ifanc hyn—sy’n bobl hŷn bellach, ond pan oeddent yn ifanc a chael eu hanfon i wledydd eraill, mae’n rhaid ei bod yn frawychus iawn i’r rhan fwyaf o’r unigolion hynny. Mae gennym unigolion wedi’u hyfforddi’n broffesiynol i ymdrin â’r pwyntiau cyswllt hynny, cyn belled â bod pobl yn rhoi gwybod.

Thank you. I’m very pleased to hear that, Cabinet Secretary. I’m sure you’re aware that the alleged sexual abuse of children deported under the programme is currently being investigated by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, as part of their investigation into the protection of children outside the UK. What input will you be having into that investigation?

Diolch. Rwy’n falch iawn o glywed hynny, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rwy’n siŵr eich bod yn ymwybodol fod achosion o gam-drin rhywiol honedig ymhlith blant a alltudiwyd o dan y rhaglen yn cael eu harchwilio ar hyn o bryd gan yr ymchwiliad annibynnol i gam-drin plant yn rhywiol, fel rhan o’u hymchwiliad i amddiffyn plant y tu allan i’r DU. Pa gyfraniad fydd gennych chi i’r ymchwiliad hwnnw?

My team meets with the officials of that independent inquiry on a regular basis, and we supply all information that’s relative to that inquiry. We will help and support them do their job.

Mae fy nhîm yn cyfarfod â swyddogion yr ymchwiliad annibynnol yn rheolaidd, ac rydym yn darparu pob gwybodaeth sy’n berthnasol i’r ymchwiliad. Byddwn yn eu helpu a’u cynorthwyo i wneud eu gwaith.

Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Bethan Jenkins.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Bethan Jenkins.

Cabinet Secretary, last summer, the very first question I asked you was about the data collection and publishing in relation to anti-poverty schemes, which was a key recommendation of the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee in the previous Assembly. Can you tell me what progress is being made on this, and when we can expect to see better data collection and measurement?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yr haf diwethaf, roedd y cwestiwn cyntaf a ofynnais i chi yn ymwneud â chasglu a chyhoeddi data mewn perthynas â chynlluniau gwrth-dlodi, a oedd yn un o argymhellion allweddol y Pwyllgor Cymunedau, Cydraddoldeb a Llywodraeth Leol yn y Cynulliad blaenorol. A allwch ddweud wrthyf pa gynnydd sy’n cael ei wneud ar hyn, a phryd y gallwn ddisgwyl gweld data’n cael ei gasglu a’i fesur yn well?

All the issues that we’ve introduced, in terms of performance and data measurement, are around the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and we’ll be judged in the future on the performance of that. The indicators of that Act are important, to make sure that we are delivering for Wales what we say we’re going to deliver, in turning communities around in a positive way.

Mae’r holl faterion a gyflwynwyd gennym, o ran mesur perfformiad a data, yn ymwneud â Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, a chawn ein barnu yn y dyfodol ar berfformiad honno. Mae dangosyddion y Ddeddf honno yn bwysig, er mwyn sicrhau ein bod yn cyflawni dros Gymru yr hyn yr ydym yn dweud y byddwn yn ei gyflawni, o ran newid cymunedau mewn ffordd gadarnhaol.

I appreciate what you say in relation to that, but, of course, we’ve still got many schemes that are based on current data and past data. And I’ve been speaking recently to a range of organisations, which have told me that they were unable to find data on outcomes for 29 out of 35 European social fund community funded programmes since 2007, despite funding being recently extended to 2020. So, since there is still a clear lack of measurable data, what was the basis for extending this particular funding?

Rwy’n gwerthfawrogi’r hyn a ddywedwch mewn perthynas â hynny, ond wrth gwrs, mae’n dal i fod gennym nifer o gynlluniau sy’n seiliedig ar ddata cyfredol a data o’r gorffennol. A bûm yn siarad yn ddiweddar ag ystod o sefydliadau, sydd wedi dweud wrthyf nad oeddent yn gallu dod o hyd i ddata ar ganlyniadau ar gyfer 29 allan o’r 35 o raglenni cymunedol a ariannwyd o gronfa gymdeithasol Ewrop ers 2007, er bod y cyllid wedi cael ei ymestyn yn ddiweddar hyd nes 2020. Felly, gan ei bod yn amlwg fod yna brinder data mesuradwy o hyd, beth oedd y sail dros ymestyn y cyllid penodol hwn?

Well, I’m not aware of the particular programmes that the Member raises with me today, but if she’d like to give me some more detail, I will give her a fuller response to that comment. The issue around the 2020 deadline is that the European funding is available until 2020, we are aware. And we will continue to draw down that as long as we possibly can.

Wel, nid wyf yn ymwybodol o’r rhaglenni penodol y mae’r Aelod yn eu dwyn i fy sylw heddiw, ond os hoffai roi ychydig mwy o fanylion i mi, fe roddaf ymateb llawnach i’r sylw hwnnw. Y mater ynglŷn â’r dyddiad terfynol yn 2020 yw ein bod yn ymwybodol fod y cyllid Ewropeaidd ar gael tan 2020. A byddwn yn parhau i ddefnyddio hwnnw cyhyd ag y gallwn.

One of those projects was Communities for Work, and I’ve raised this many times with you, not only here, but in committee also. So, I think that’s one example that you could, potentially, look at and get back to me on. But, with regard to the future of your anti-poverty strategies more generally, I have had it also put to me that the problem with many schemes in the past is that they don’t measure the long-term outcomes, and actually end up with data that can be misleading. So, for example, somebody who gets a job via the Communities for Work programme is counted as a success, in and of itself, regardless of whether they’re still in that job in a few weeks’ time. But we all know poverty of people in work remains a huge problem. So, how is that particular scheme and others like it judged a success, when I’ve just outlined that it’s very hard for you to understand whether they’re in it for a week, or a fortnight, or a month, after they actually get that particular work placement?

Un o’r prosiectau hynny oedd Cymunedau am Waith, ac rwyf wedi crybwyll hyn wrthych droeon, nid yn unig yma, ond yn y pwyllgor hefyd. Felly, rwy’n credu bod honno’n un enghraifft y gallech edrych arni, o bosibl, a dod yn ôl ataf. Ond mewn perthynas â dyfodol eich strategaethau gwrth-dlodi yn fwy cyffredinol, rwyf wedi clywed hefyd mai’r broblem gyda llawer o gynlluniau yn y gorffennol yw nad ydynt yn mesur y canlyniadau hirdymor, ac yn creu data a all fod yn gamarweiniol mewn gwirionedd. Felly, er enghraifft, bydd rhywun sy’n cael swydd drwy’r rhaglen Cymunedau am Waith yn cael ei gyfrif yn llwyddiant ynddo’i hun, pa un a fydd yn dal i fod yn y swydd ymhen ychydig wythnosau ai peidio. Ond rydym i gyd yn gwybod bod tlodi pobl mewn gwaith yn dal i fod yn broblem enfawr. Felly, sut y bernir bod y cynllun penodol hwnnw ac eraill tebyg iddo yn llwyddiant, a minnau newydd amlinellu ei bod yn anodd iawn i chi ddeall a ydynt yn rhan ohono am wythnos, neu bythefnos, neu fis, ar ôl iddynt gael y lleoliad gwaith penodol hwnnw mewn gwirionedd?

I recognise the Member’s point. I would say that the access to work is one element of success. The long-term success is about making sure that we can sustain employment. But the experience that people go through on the course itself is a very core skill for those individuals, to grow into the opportunities to get into work in the first place. So, one output of getting a job and sustaining that is important, but there are other aspects of that course that are important as well. I will write to the Member with details of that. But, if she wishes to furnish me with the full detail of her question, I’m more than happy to ask my team to respond to her.

Rwy’n cydnabod pwynt yr Aelod. Fe ddywedwn fod mynediad at waith yn un elfen o lwyddiant. Mae llwyddiant yn y tymor hir yn ymwneud â sicrhau ein bod yn gallu cynnal cyflogaeth. Ond mae’r profiad y mae pobl yn mynd drwyddo ar y cwrs ei hun yn sgil craidd i’r unigolion hynny, i dyfu i mewn i’r cyfleoedd i gael gwaith yn y lle cyntaf. Felly, mae un allbwn o gael swydd a’i chynnal yn bwysig, ond mae yna agweddau eraill ar y cwrs hwnnw sy’n bwysig hefyd. Byddaf yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelod gyda manylion ynglŷn â hynny. Ond os yw’n dymuno rhoi’r manylion llawn i mi ynglŷn â’i chwestiwn, rwy’n fwy na pharod i ofyn i fy nhîm ymateb iddi.

Y Cynllun Cynhwysiant Ariannol

The Financial Inclusion Action Plan

3. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddatganiad am gynnydd o ran gweithredu’r cynllun cynhwysiant ariannol? OAQ(5)0123(CC)

3. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on progress in implementing the financial inclusion action plan? OAQ(5)0123(CC)

I thank the Member for her question. Since publication of the financial inclusion delivery plan in December 2016, we have progressed many of the actions, by working with partner organisations across all sectors. An annual update will be published in December 2017, setting out the progress we’ve made.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei chwestiwn. Ers cyhoeddi’r cynllun cyflawni cynhwysiant ariannol ym mis Rhagfyr 2016, rydym wedi datblygu llawer o’r camau gweithredu, drwy weithio gyda sefydliadau partner ar draws pob sector. Bydd diweddariad blynyddol yn cael ei gyhoeddi ym mis Rhagfyr 2017 gan nodi’r cynnydd a wnaethom.

Thank you very much for that answer. As part of your financial inclusion strategy, credit unions are required to provide outreach services and education, such as school savers clubs. But when I introduced the Financial Education and Inclusion (Wales) Bill, one of the key things we identified after consultation was the availability of these services throughout Wales. There would be some schools that will be amazing at doing it, and a school down the road that wouldn’t have anything at all. What can you assure me will be done to work with credit unions, so that they are not struggling to provide these services, when, potentially, funding for them could be reduced? We need to ensure that organisations that go into schools can do so across the board, as opposed to just having expertise in one school and not in the other.

Diolch yn fawr am eich ateb. Fel rhan o’ch strategaeth cynhwysiant ariannol, mae gofyn i undebau credyd ddarparu gwasanaethau allgymorth ac addysg, megis clybiau cynilo mewn ysgolion. Ond pan gyflwynais y Bil Addysg a Chynhwysiant Ariannol (Cymru), un o’r pethau allweddol a nodwyd gennym ar ôl ymgynghori oedd argaeledd y gwasanaethau hyn ledled Cymru. Byddai rhai ysgolion yn gwneud gwaith rhyfeddol arno, ac ysgol gerllaw yn gwneud dim o gwbl. Beth y gallwch sicrhau y bydd yn cael ei wneud i weithio gydag undebau credyd, fel nad ydynt yn cael trafferth i ddarparu’r gwasanaethau hyn, pan allai cyllid fod wedi’i leihau iddynt o bosibl? Mae angen i ni sicrhau y gall sefydliadau sy’n mynd i ysgolion wneud hynny ym mhob man, yn hytrach na chael arbenigedd mewn un ysgol ac nid yn y llall.

Yes, of course. I think consistency is really important. The professionalism of the service is important too. We’ve done a lot of work with credit unions. Credit unions have provided £20.4 million worth of loans to more than 25,000 financially excluded members between April 2014 and September 2016. The latest funding of £422,000 was made available in 2017-18, which will help credit unions continue the financial support for excluded members and deliver action plans within the financial inclusion strategy.

I will consider the Member’s point in regard to consistency in areas and see what advice comes back. But I did visit a great credit union in Jayne Bryant’s constituency in Pill only a few weeks ago where the young people were starting to save for fantastic things that they wanted to buy for the future.

Wrth gwrs. Rwy’n credu bod cysondeb yn bwysig iawn. Mae proffesiynoldeb y gwasanaeth yn bwysig hefyd. Rydym wedi gwneud llawer o waith gydag undebau credyd. Mae undebau credyd wedi darparu gwerth £20.4 miliwn o fenthyciadau i fwy na 25,000 o aelodau wedi’u hallgáu’n ariannol rhwng mis Ebrill 2014, a Medi 2016. Rhyddhawyd y cyllid diweddaraf o £422,000 yn 2017-18, a bydd yn helpu undebau credyd i barhau â’r cymorth ariannol ar gyfer aelodau sydd wedi’u hallgáu ac yn cyflwyno cynlluniau gweithredu o fewn y strategaeth cynhwysiant ariannol.

Byddaf yn ystyried pwynt yr Aelod mewn perthynas â chysondeb mewn rhai ardaloedd a gweld pa gyngor a ddaw yn ôl. Ond fe ymwelais ag undeb credyd gwych yn etholaeth Jayne Bryant yn ardal Pill ychydig wythnosau’n ôl yn unig lle roedd y bobl ifanc yn dechrau cynilo ar gyfer y pethau gwych yr oeddent yn awyddus i’w prynu yn y dyfodol.

The financial inclusion plan states that its vision is for a Wales where, amongst other things, everyone can

readily access their own money, whether by automated or over-the-counter means.’

That’s a quote from it. Tomorrow, I have finally managed to get a meeting with the HSBC bosses in Maesteg, where they’re planning to close their branch there. I appreciate you can’t comment on individual potential closures, but I do want to be able to tell them what pressure you can bring to bear on them, so that they take notice of your financial inclusion plan, particularly in areas where the cumulative effect of closures has a disproportionate effect on individual communities, perhaps who aren’t even well linked to broadband.

Mae’r cynllun cynhwysiant ariannol yn datgan mai ei weledigaeth yw Cymru lle y gall pawb, ymhlith pethau eraill,

gael mynediad hwylus at eu harian eu hunain, boed drwy ddulliau awtomataidd neu dros y cownter.

Dyna ddyfyniad ohono. Yfory, byddaf wedi llwyddo o’r diwedd i gael cyfarfod gyda phenaethiaid HSBC ym Maesteg, lle y maent yn bwriadu cau eu cangen yno. Rwy’n sylweddoli na allwch roi sylwadau ar achosion unigol posibl o gau, ond rwyf am allu dweud wrthynt pa bwysau y gallwch ei roi arnynt, fel eu bod yn cymryd sylw o’ch cynllun cynhwysiant ariannol, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd lle y mae effaith gronnus cau yn effeithio’n anghymesur ar gymunedau unigol, nad oes ganddynt gysylltiad da â’r band eang hyd yn oed, o bosibl.

Suzy Davies, you can take from me my support for your meeting tomorrow with HSBC. Tell them that I hope that they can continue to support your community and many communities across Wales. A bank is a very organised centrepiece of a community, and we should continue, as much as we can, to encourage them to stay in the communities that you represent and I represent.

Suzy Davies, gallwch fynd â fy nghefnogaeth i’ch cyfarfod yfory gyda HSBC. Dywedwch wrthynt fy mod yn gobeithio y gallant barhau i gefnogi eich cymuned a llawer o gymunedau ledled Cymru. Mae banc yn ganolbwynt trefnus iawn i gymuned, a dylem barhau, cymaint ag y gallwn, i’w hannog i aros yn y cymunedau yr ydych yn eu cynrychioli ac yr wyf fi’n eu cynrychioli.

Diwygio Lles

Welfare Reform

4. Pa asesiad y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi’i wneud o effaith cyhoeddiadau polisi diweddar Llywodraeth y DU ar Gymru o ran diwygio lles? OAQ(5)0116(CC)

4. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact in Wales of recent UK Government policy announcements on welfare reform? OAQ(5)0116(CC)

I thank the Member for Ogmore for his question. We have assessed the impact in Wales of the UK Government’s welfare reforms being introduced between 2015-16 and 2019-20. Welsh households will lose an average of 1.6 per cent of their income. That’s around £460 a year, equivalent to £600 million a year in Wales as a whole.

Diolch i’r Aelod dros Ogwr am ei gwestiwn. Rydym wedi asesu effaith diwygiadau lles Llywodraeth y DU a gyflwynir rhwng 2015-16 a 2019-20 ar Gymru. Bydd aelwydydd yng Nghymru yn colli 1.6 y cant o’u hincwm ar gyfartaledd. Mae hynny oddeutu £460 y flwyddyn, sy’n cyfateb i £600 miliwn y flwyddyn yng Nghymru yn ei chyfanrwydd.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer and for clarifying the impact. He will know that, a year ago, before the last March budget, the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions resigned over the then pending cuts to personal independence payments—the PIPs—arguing that the cuts were indefensible in a budget that benefitted higher-earning taxpayers. And in resigning, he said:

There has been too much emphasis on money saving exercises and not enough awareness from the Treasury, in particular, that the government’s vision of a new welfare-to-work system could not be repeatedly salami-sliced.’

This year, there is further tightening of the PIP regime through a statutory instrument, rather than on the floor of the Commons in full public view. Some Conservative MPs have expressed deep disquiet over this, not least after a Minister said he wanted to focus on the ‘really disabled’, for which he has subsequently apologised. So, will the Cabinet Secretary commission an up-to-date examination of the impact of these and other very recent UK policy changes on people with disabilities, and on rates of poverty in Wales, perhaps through the office of the auditor general, so that we can assess the damage to individuals and communities, and with that evidence, present the UK Government with the true impact of these policies?

Diolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei ateb ac am egluro’r effaith. Bydd yn gwybod, flwyddyn yn ôl, cyn y gyllideb fis Mawrth diwethaf, fod yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Waith a Phensiynau wedi ymddiswyddo dros y toriadau a oedd ar y ffordd ar y pryd i daliadau annibyniaeth personol gan ddadlau nad oedd modd amddiffyn y toriadau mewn cyllideb a oedd yn creu budd i drethdalwyr ar gyflogau uwch. Ac wrth ymddiswyddo, fe ddywedodd:

Bu gormod o bwyslais ar ymarferion arbed arian a dim digon o ymwybyddiaeth gan y Trysorlys, yn benodol, na allai gweledigaeth y llywodraeth o system fudd-dal i waith newydd gael ei thorri fesul tamaid dro ar ôl tro.

Eleni, ceir tynhau pellach ar drefniadau taliadau annibyniaeth personol drwy offeryn statudol, yn hytrach nag ar lawr Tŷ’r Cyffredin yng ngolwg y cyhoedd. Mae rhai ASau Ceidwadol wedi mynegi anesmwythyd dwfn ynglŷn â hyn, nid yn lleiaf wedi i Weinidog ddweud ei fod am ganolbwyntio ar yr ‘anabl iawn’, a chafwyd ymddiheuriad ganddo yn sgil hynny. Felly, a wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet gomisiynu archwiliad cyfredol o effaith y rhain a newidiadau polisi eraill diweddar iawn yn y DU ar bobl ag anableddau, ac ar gyfraddau tlodi yng Nghymru, efallai drwy swyddfa’r archwilydd cyffredinol, fel bod modd i ni asesu’r niwed i unigolion a chymunedau, a chyflwyno gwir effaith y polisïau hyn i Lywodraeth y DU gyda’r dystiolaeth honno?

I thank the Member for his question. I did speak to the Minister of State for Disabled People, and she wrote to me following her announcement stating that this was not a policy change in regard to payments, and it would not result in any personal independent payment claimant receiving a reduction in the amount of PIP previously awarded to them. However, it does appear that the UK Government is seeking to overturn the upper tribunal judgment, which would increase eligibility for PIP. I’ve asked my officials to follow up with her department, to seek clarity around that, and the impacts for people with disabilities and health conditions here in Wales.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei gwestiwn. Fe siaradais â’r Gweinidog Gwladol dros Bobl Anabl, ac ysgrifennodd ataf yn dilyn ei chyhoeddiad yn datgan nad oedd hwn yn newid polisi mewn perthynas â thaliadau, ac na fyddai’n golygu bod unrhyw un sy’n hawlio taliad annibyniaeth personol yn cael gostyngiad yn swm y taliadau annibyniaeth personol a ddyfarnwyd iddynt yn flaenorol. Fodd bynnag, mae’n ymddangos bod Llywodraeth y DU yn ceisio gwrthdroi dyfarniad yr uwch dribiwnlys, a fyddai’n cynyddu cymhwysedd ar gyfer y taliad annibyniaeth personol. Rwyf wedi gofyn i fy swyddogion fynd ar drywydd hynny gyda’i hadran, i geisio eglurder ynglŷn â hynny, a’r effeithiau ar gyfer pobl ag anableddau a chyflyrau iechyd yma yng Nghymru.

A number of organisations have published comprehensive analysis, and academics and Government, on the impact of UK welfare reform on Wales. I’d like to ask the Cabinet Secretary—not going against the spirit of what the Member for Ogmore said—but perhaps we can go beyond analysing the impact to seeking solutions made here in Wales. Will the Cabinet Secretary therefore commit to publish a Welsh Government White Paper on creating a strong Welsh social safety net? This could include looking at how we could maximise powers that are already in competence, looking at strengthening partnership with local government and other service providers and maybe, dare I say, even, looking to the future, the possibility of transfer of certain social protection responsibilities from Westminster to Wales. So, will he commit to publishing a Welsh Government White Paper for a new humane Welsh approach to social security?

Mae nifer o sefydliadau wedi cyhoeddi dadansoddiad cynhwysfawr, ac academyddion a’r Llywodraeth, ar effaith diwygiadau lles y DU ar Gymru. Hoffwn ofyn i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet—heb fynd yn erbyn ysbryd yr hyn a ddywedodd yr Aelod dros Ogwr—ond efallai y gallwn fynd y tu hwnt i ddadansoddi’r effaith i chwilio am atebion a wnaed yma yng Nghymru. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, felly, ymrwymo i gyhoeddi Papur Gwyn gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar greu rhwyd ddiogelwch cymdeithasol gref yng Nghymru? Gallai hyn gynnwys edrych ar sut y gallem wneud y gorau o bwerau cymhwysedd sydd gennym eisoes gan edrych ar gryfhau partneriaeth â llywodraeth leol a darparwyr gwasanaethau eraill ac efallai, os caf fentro dweud, gan edrych tua’r dyfodol, y posibilrwydd hyd yn oed o drosglwyddo cyfrifoldebau diogelwch cymdeithasol penodol o San Steffan i Gymru. Felly, a wnaiff ymrwymo i gyhoeddi Papur Gwyn Llywodraeth Cymru ar ymagwedd drugarog Gymreig newydd tuag at nawdd cymdeithasol?

We have undertaken work about the risks to the UK welfare system in Wales. I’m sure that the UK Government would be delighted to transfer the risk to Wales, and they have done in the past around council tax benefits, where we were pushed some money across from the M4, but not enough, and I’m sure they will continue to do that. What we are seeking to do is maximise the support for people who need that in Wales and we’ll continue to do so in the future.

Rydym wedi gwneud gwaith ar y risgiau i system les y DU yng Nghymru. Rwy’n siŵr y byddai Llywodraeth y DU wrth ei bodd yn trosglwyddo’r risg i Gymru, ac maent wedi gwneud yn y gorffennol mewn perthynas â budd-dal y dreth gyngor, lle y gwthiwyd rhywfaint o arian drosodd o’r M4, ond nid oedd yn ddigon, ac rwy’n siŵr y byddant yn parhau i wneud hynny. Rydym yn ceisio sicrhau cymaint â phosibl o gymorth i bobl sydd ei angen yng Nghymru a byddwn yn parhau i wneud hynny yn y dyfodol.

Cabinet Secretary, I’ve raised, previously, concerns with you over the impact of the Westminster Government’s changes to the local housing allowance from 2019 and the impact that that will have on Wales, compounded, I think you’ll agree with me, by the disgraceful decision that was taken last week to remove housing benefits for young people between the ages of 18 and 21.

A study that was commissioned by Merthyr Valleys Homes looked at the level of frozen local housing allowance in comparison to the average private rental rate in Merthyr Tydfil and identified a difference of up to £7.35 a week that would have to be met by the tenant. As I understand it, part of the changes will see moneys currently paid as housing benefit devolved to Wales. Can the Cabinet Secretary advise me what discussions he or his officials have had with the UK Government on how that level of devolved funding will be determined and what assurance he can give that that will be ring-fenced in some way to help the most disadvantaged by the freezing of the LHA?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, rwyf wedi tynnu eich sylw’n flaenorol at bryderon ynglŷn ag effaith newidiadau Llywodraeth San Steffan i’r lwfans tai lleol o 2019 a’r effaith a gaiff hynny ar Gymru, wedi’i dwysáu, rwy’n credu y byddwch yn cytuno â mi, gan y penderfyniad gwarthus a wnaed yr wythnos diwethaf i gael gwared ar fudd-daliadau tai ar gyfer pobl ifanc rhwng 18 a 21 oed.

Edrychodd astudiaeth a gomisiynwyd gan Cartrefi Cymoedd Merthyr ar y lefel o lwfans tai lleol sydd wedi’i rewi o gymharu â’r gyfradd rhent preifat ar gyfartaledd ym Merthyr Tudful a nododd wahaniaeth o hyd at £7.35 yr wythnos y byddai’n rhaid i’r tenant ei dalu. Yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, bydd peth o’r newid yn golygu bod arian a delir fel budd-dal tai ar hyn o bryd yn cael ei ddatganoli i Gymru. A all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddweud wrthyf pa drafodaethau a gafodd ef neu ei swyddogion gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â sut y caiff y lefel honno o gyllid datganoledig ei phennu a pha sicrwydd y gall ei roi y bydd yn cael ei glustnodi mewn rhyw ffordd i helpu’r rhai mwyaf difreintiedig drwy rewi’r Lwfans Tai Lleol?

The LHA differences affect some communities more than others. It will be something on which I will have a discussion with my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for finance—to have further discussions with the Treasury, as and when he has those, on a regular basis.

Mae’r gwahaniaethau yn y Lwfans Tai Lleol yn effeithio ar rai cymunedau yn fwy nag eraill. Bydd yn rhywbeth y byddaf yn cael trafodaeth yn ei gylch gyda fy nghyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros gyllid—i gael trafodaethau pellach gyda’r Trysorlys, pan fydd yn eu cael, ar sail reolaidd.

Tlodi Plant

Child Poverty

5. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wella cefnogaeth ar gyfer cymunedau i leihau tlodi plant yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru? OAQ(5)0108(CC)

5. What plans does the Welsh Government have to improve support for communities to reduce child poverty in south-east Wales? OAQ(5)0108(CC)

Our priorities for tackling child poverty include improving outcomes in the early years, building a strong economy, increasing employability and supporting parents into work. Empowered and engaged communities will play a vital part in ensuring children in south-east Wales, and throughout the rest of Wales, have the best start in life.

Mae ein blaenoriaethau ar gyfer trechu tlodi plant yn cynnwys gwella canlyniadau yn y blynyddoedd cynnar, adeiladu economi gref, cynyddu cyflogadwyedd a chynorthwyo rhieni i gael gwaith. Bydd cymunedau sydd wedi’u grymuso ac sy’n cymryd rhan yn chwarae rhan hanfodol yn y broses o sicrhau bod plant yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru, a thrwy weddill Cymru, yn cael y dechrau gorau mewn bywyd.

Thank you for that reply, Minister. When announcing the scrapping of the Communities First programme, the Cabinet Secretary said that he wanted to create communities that can offer children the best start in life. However, the Bevan Foundation has warned that organisations that deliver Communities First and the communities themselves are in a real period of limbo by the scrapping of the scheme. When will the Cabinet Secretary be in a position to remove this uncertainty by announcing his proposal to replace Communities First and will he confirm that reducing child poverty will be a key priority of any replacement scheme in his budget? Thank you.

Diolch i chi am yr ateb hwnnw, Weinidog. Wrth gyhoeddi bod y rhaglen Cymunedau yn Gyntaf yn dod i ben, dywedodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ei fod am greu cymunedau sy’n gallu cynnig y dechrau gorau mewn bywyd i blant. Fodd bynnag, mae Sefydliad Bevan wedi rhybuddio bod y sefydliadau sy’n cyflwyno Cymunedau yn Gyntaf a’r cymunedau eu hunain mewn cyfnod o limbo go iawn yn sgil cael gwared ar y cynllun. Pa bryd y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet mewn sefyllfa i gael gwared ar yr ansicrwydd hwn drwy gyhoeddi’r hyn a ddaw yn lle Cymunedau yn Gyntaf ac a wnaiff gadarnhau y bydd lleihau tlodi plant yn flaenoriaeth allweddol mewn unrhyw gynllun newydd yn ei gyllideb? Diolch.

I’m slightly surprised by the Member’s question. I’m not sure if the Member was in the Chamber only a week ago when I announced the issue of the transition of Communities First and the programmes. He’ll not see in any of the statements that I made that I was intending to scrap any programme. We have made a very positive proposal for a transition. My team have been out last week meeting the north Wales and south Wales local delivery boards for Communities First to discuss the future and how that will look, with 70 per cent of the funding allocated for this year and a transition funding of £10 million revenue and capital for the next four years. I think it is a great opportunity for communities to start becoming different in the way that they manage resilience for the individual cases that Members have in their own constituencies.

Rwy’n synnu braidd ynglŷn â chwestiwn yr Aelod. Nid wyf yn siŵr a oedd yr Aelod yn y Siambr wythnos yn ôl pan wneuthum gyhoeddiad ynghylch cyfnod pontio Cymunedau yn Gyntaf a’r rhaglenni. Ni fydd yn gweld yn unrhyw un o’r datganiadau a wneuthum fy mod yn bwriadu cael gwared ag unrhyw raglen. Rydym wedi gwneud argymhelliad cadarnhaol iawn ar gyfer pontio. Mae fy nhîm wedi bod allan yr wythnos diwethaf yn cyfarfod â byrddau cyflawni lleol Cymunedau yn Gyntaf yng ngogledd Cymru a de Cymru i drafod y dyfodol a sut olwg fydd arno, gyda 70 y cant o’r cyllid a ddyrannwyd ar gyfer eleni a’r cyllid pontio o £10 miliwn o refeniw a chyfalaf ar gyfer y pedair blynedd nesaf. Rwy’n credu ei fod yn gyfle gwych i gymunedau ddechrau bod yn wahanol o ran y ffordd y maent yn rheoli cydnerthedd o ran yr achosion unigol sydd gan Aelodau yn eu hetholaethau eu hunain.

Cabinet Secretary, the Flying Start scheme is making a very significant contribution to tackling issues amongst some of our youngest children and delivering considerable benefits in my constituency, but there are some families that are outwith the reach of the scheme due to the postcode nature of accessing that particular provision. So, are you able to say anything today to those constituents of mine, and I’m sure of other Members, Cabinet Secretary, who are outwith the scheme at the moment as to whether it might be extended and have a wider reach?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae’r cynllun Dechrau’n Deg yn gwneud cyfraniad sylweddol iawn at fynd i’r afael â phroblemau ymhlith rhai o’n plant ieuengaf ac yn darparu manteision sylweddol yn fy etholaeth, ond mae rhai teuluoedd y tu allan i gyrraedd y cynllun oherwydd natur cod post y broses o gael mynediad at y ddarpariaeth honno. Felly, a allwch ddweud unrhyw beth heddiw wrth yr etholwyr hynny, ac etholwyr Aelodau eraill, rwy’n siŵr, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, sydd y tu allan i’r cynllun ar hyn o bryd ynglŷn â’r posibilrwydd o’i ymestyn ac ehangu ei gyrhaeddiad?

Well, we should say, ‘Congratulations and thank you’ to the Flying Start staff right across Wales. In South Wales East, we’ve reached around just under 10,000 children in that area, supporting them with services for their families. With the transition from Communities First into the new community resilience programmes, Flying Start and Families First are part of the integrated approach to delivery of services, and I’m looking to support that with a flexibility in that approach, where the people in need outside of that area may have the opportunity to access Flying Start or Families First or adverse childhood experiences profiling, which will help, I hope, your community and communities right across Wales.

Wel, dylem ddweud, ‘Llongyfarchiadau a diolch’ wrth staff Dechrau’n Deg ledled Cymru. Yn Nwyrain De Cymru, rydym wedi cyrraedd ychydig o dan 10,000 o blant yn yr ardal honno, gan eu cefnogi gyda gwasanaethau ar gyfer eu teuluoedd. Gyda’r pontio rhwng Cymunedau yn Gyntaf a’r rhaglenni cryfder cymunedol newydd, mae Dechrau’n Deg a Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf yn rhan o’r ymagwedd integredig tuag at gyflwyno gwasanaethau, ac rwy’n bwriadu cefnogi hynny gyda hyblygrwydd yn y dull hwnnw o weithredu, lle y gall pobl mewn angen y tu allan i’r ardal honno gael cyfle i gael mynediad at Dechrau’n Deg neu Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf neu broffilio profiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod, a fydd, gobeithio, yn helpu eich cymuned a chymunedau ledled Cymru.

Diogelwch Rhag Tân

Fire Safety

6. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn hyrwyddo diogelwch rhag tân yng Nghymru? OAQ(5)0111(CC)

6. How is the Welsh Government promoting fire safety in Wales? OAQ(5)0111(CC)

We continue to support the Welsh fire and rescue authorities to improve fire safety. We have provided £1.4 million for them this year.

Rydym yn parhau i gefnogi awdurdodau tân ac achub yng Nghymru i wella diogelwch tân. Rydym wedi darparu £1.4 miliwn ar eu cyfer eleni.

Diolch. Responding to your 7 February statement on safer communities, I referred to press reports the previous day of an 11 per cent increase in deliberate fires in Wales the previous year, which had diverted from other 999 calls and diverted fire crews away from their other priorities. Ten days later, press coverage of Welsh Government figures reported a third increase in deliberately started grass fires in Wales last year, with some 2,604 grass fires started on purpose. When you replied to me on 7 February, you referred to the previous Minister having had a joint meeting with local authorities, fire authorities and the police, but, given these significant increases now on your watch, what action have you or will you be taking with the relevant authorities?

Diolch. Wrth ymateb i’ch datganiad ar 7 Chwefror ar gymunedau mwy diogel, cyfeiriais at adroddiadau yn y wasg y diwrnod cynt am gynnydd o 11 y cant yn nifer y tanau bwriadol yng Nghymru yn y flwyddyn flaenorol a oedd wedi dargyfeirio o alwadau 999 eraill a dargyfeirio criwiau tân i ffwrdd oddi wrth eu blaenoriaethau eraill. Ddeng diwrnod yn ddiweddarach, roedd sylw yn y wasg i ffigurau Llywodraeth Cymru yn sôn am drydydd cynnydd yn nifer y tanau glaswellt a gynheuwyd yn fwriadol yng Nghymru y llynedd, gydag oddeutu 2,604 o danau glaswellt wedi’u cynnau’n fwriadol. Pan ymateboch i fy nghwestiwn ar 7 Chwefror, fe ddywedoch fod y Gweinidog blaenorol wedi cael cyfarfod ar y cyd ag awdurdodau lleol, awdurdodau tân a’r heddlu, ond o ystyried y lefelau cynyddol hyn yn awr o dan eich gwyliadwraeth chi, pa gamau a roddwyd ar waith gennych neu y byddwch yn eu cymryd gyda’r awdurdodau perthnasol?

Well, the results speak for themselves. Fires have more than halved since devolution and the responsibility for fire services has come to Wales. The Member is right to raise the issue of it peaking in grass fires. Look, any fire that is set like that is unlawful, and I encourage the authorities, or individuals who have any information about that, to tackle that by ringing the police in this case. I do meet with the fire authorities on a regular basis. I met them only last week. I will discuss how critical this issue is with them, in regard to the grass fires specifically, as we move forward into spring.

Wel, mae’r canlyniadau’n siarad drostynt eu hunain. Mae nifer yr achosion o danau wedi mwy na haneru ers datganoli ac mae’r cyfrifoldeb am y gwasanaethau tân wedi dod i Gymru. Mae’r Aelod yn iawn i dynnu sylw at y ffaith ei fod wedi cyrraedd uchafbwynt mewn tanau glaswellt. Edrychwch, mae unrhyw dân sy’n cael ei gynnau felly yn anghyfreithlon, ac rwy’n annog yr awdurdodau, neu unigolion sydd ag unrhyw wybodaeth am hynny, i fynd i’r afael â’r mater drwy ffonio’r heddlu yn yr achos hwn. Rwy’n cyfarfod â’r awdurdodau tân yn rheolaidd. Cefais gyfarfod â hwy yr wythnos diwethaf. Byddaf yn trafod pwysigrwydd y mater gyda hwy, o ran y tanau glaswellt yn benodol, wrth i ni symud ymlaen at y gwanwyn.

Obviously, arson is an extremely serious offence. I want to pay tribute to the fire services who turned out so promptly at a deliberate arson attack on a vehicle in Llanedeyrn on 15 January, because, without that, there would have been serious loss of life. But I also want to pay tribute to the Cardiff youth services and their work with the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to ensure that young people who deliberately set fire to things are really aware of the potential dangers. They’re not targeting anybody in particular; they think it’s just a recreational activity. So, the Phoenix project, the young firefighters scheme and the fire setting intervention scheme seem to me to be three things that really do help young people understand that setting fire to anything is a very dangerous activity, and something to absolutely be avoided.

Yn amlwg, mae cynnau tanau bwriadol yn drosedd ddifrifol iawn. Hoffwn dalu teyrnged i’r gwasanaethau tân a ymatebodd mor sydyn mewn ymosodiad tân bwriadol ar gerbyd yn Llanedern ar 15 Ionawr, oherwydd heb hynny, byddai bywydau wedi’u colli. Ond rwyf hefyd eisiau talu teyrnged i wasanaethau ieuenctid Caerdydd a’u gwaith gyda Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub De Cymru i sicrhau bod pobl ifanc sy’n cynnau tanau’n fwriadol yn wirioneddol ymwybodol o’r peryglon posibl. Nid ydynt yn targedu neb yn benodol; maent yn ei weld fel adloniant. Felly, mae prosiect Phoenix, y cynllun diffoddwyr tân ifanc a’r cynllun ymyrraeth cynnau tanau i’w gweld i mi yn dri pheth sy’n help mawr i bobl ifanc ddeall bod llosgi unrhyw beth yn weithgaredd peryglus iawn, ac yn rhywbeth i’w osgoi’n gyfan gwbl.

I thank the Member for her question. I agree with the Member—I’m incredibly proud of our firefighters across Wales. We have a great service, and, indeed, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority provides several fire safety programmes to young people in Cardiff and beyond. These are funded by the Welsh Government and provided in collaboration with public and third sector partners, and they’ve proven highly effective in keeping young people safe from fire and reducing deliberately set fires in particular. This also goes hand in hand with work by the police liaison team, and it’s something that we recognise does have a big impact where we have intelligence of where there is some risk of young people setting fires.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei chwestiwn. Rwy’n cytuno gyda’r Aelod—rwy’n hynod o falch o’n diffoddwyr tân ledled Cymru. Mae gennym wasanaeth gwych, ac yn wir, mae Awdurdod Tân ac Achub De Cymru yn darparu nifer o raglenni diogelwch tân i bobl ifanc yng Nghaerdydd a thu hwnt. Mae’r rhain yn cael eu hariannu gan Lywodraeth Cymru a’u darparu ar y cyd â phartneriaid yn y sector cyhoeddus a’r trydydd sector, ac maent wedi mynd ati’n effeithiol iawn i gadw pobl ifanc yn ddiogel rhag tân a lleihau nifer y tanau sy’n cael eu cynnau’n fwriadol yn arbennig. Mae hyn hefyd yn mynd law yn llaw â gwaith gan dîm cyswllt yr heddlu, ac mae’n rhywbeth yr ydym yn cydnabod ei fod yn effeithiol iawn lle y mae gennym wybodaeth ynglŷn â ble y ceir peth risg o bobl ifanc yn cynnau tanau.

Prosiectau Cymorth Cymunedol

Community Support Projects

7. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddatganiad am ddyfodol prosiectau cymorth cymunedol yng ngogledd Cymru? OAQ(5)0120(CC)

7. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the future of community support projects in north Wales? OAQ(5)0120(CC)

I thank the Member for her question. The Welsh Government will continue to provide core funding for county voluntary councils across Wales, including CVCs in Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey and Wrexham. In addition, community support projects will be benefiting from the Communities First transition, legacy funding and the employment grant.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei chwestiwn. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i ddarparu cyllid craidd ar gyfer cynghorau gwirfoddol sirol ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys Cynghorau Gwirfoddol Sirol yng Nghonwy, Sir Ddinbych, Sir y Fflint, Gwynedd, Ynys Môn a Wrecsam. Yn ogystal, bydd prosiectau cymorth cymunedol yn elwa ar gyfnod pontio Cymunedau yn Gyntaf, cyllido etifeddol a’r grant cyflogaeth.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Following on from the announcement of the intention to phase out Communities First in its current form and the shift of focus onto employability-type programmes, I’m sure you’re already aware, Cabinet Secretary, of the numerous employability programmes in Flintshire that are providing support not only to prepare people for the world of work, but to also enable and empower them into work—projects such as the Building Futures course in bricklaying skills, and the brilliant one that I saw on a recent visit to Ysgol Maesglas in Greenfield. It is a brilliant initiative they’re doing there to work with the parents on an employability programme. Of course, we’ve got the Lift programme, which has seen over 200 participants, and partnership programmes with Lift on social care. Cabinet Secretary, are you able to provide a further update on the future sustainability of such projects and perhaps provide an idea of alternative support that could be made available for any projects that don’t fall directly under the future criteria under the new employability scheme?

Diolch i chi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Yn dilyn y cyhoeddiad am y bwriad i ddirwyn Cymunedau yn Gyntaf yn ei ffurf bresennol i ben a’r newid ffocws i raglenni cyflogadwyedd, rwy’n siŵr eich bod eisoes yn ymwybodol, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, o’r rhaglenni cyflogadwyedd niferus yn Sir y Fflint sy’n darparu cefnogaeth nid yn unig i baratoi pobl ar gyfer byd gwaith, ond hefyd i’w galluogi a’u grymuso i gael gwaith—prosiectau fel y cwrs Adeiladu’r Dyfodol mewn sgiliau gosod brics, a’r un gwych a welais ar ymweliad diweddar ag Ysgol Maesglas yn Greenfield. Mae ganddynt fenter wych yno gan weithio gyda rhieni ar raglen gyflogadwyedd. Wrth gwrs, mae gennym y rhaglen Esgyn, gyda thros 200 o gyfranogwyr, a rhaglenni partneriaeth gydag Esgyn ar ofal cymdeithasol. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a allwch roi’r newyddion diweddaraf ynglŷn â chynaliadwyedd prosiectau o’r fath yn y dyfodol a rhoi syniad efallai pa gymorth amgen y gellid ei roi i unrhyw brosiectau nad ydynt yn dod yn uniongyrchol o dan y meini prawf ar gyfer y dyfodol o dan y cynllun cyflogadwyedd newydd?

There are two elements to that. There is a transition period where we will provide 70 per cent of the funding to prepare Communities First clusters to start thinking about what the future looks like and how they are able to attract other finance sources. Also, we’ve made an £11.7 million investment through the employability programme, Communities for Work, Lift, and PaCE. We’re continuing proposals as we drive that forward.

The other priorities for local authorities or for delivery boards will be a matter for them in terms of the amount of funding available to them and how they can work with the Communities First current settlement to move forward for the future. I’m confident that, given time, they will be able to adjust the programmes accordingly.

Mae dwy elfen i hynny. Ceir cyfnod pontio lle y byddwn yn darparu 70 y cant o’r cyllid ar gyfer paratoi clystyrau Cymunedau yn Gyntaf i ddechrau meddwl am yr hyn a fydd yn digwydd yn y dyfodol a sut y gallant ddenu ffynonellau cyllid eraill. Hefyd, rydym wedi gwneud buddsoddiad o £11.7 miliwn drwy’r rhaglen gyflogadwyedd, Cymunedau am Waith, Esgyn, a Rhieni, Gofal Plant a Chyflogaeth. Rydym yn parhau â’r argymhellion wrth i ni fwrw ymlaen â hynny.

Bydd y blaenoriaethau eraill ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol neu ar gyfer byrddau cyflawni yn fater iddynt hwy o ran faint o gyllid sydd ar gael iddynt a sut y gallant weithio gyda setliad presennol Cymunedau yn Gyntaf i symud ymlaen ar gyfer y dyfodol. Rwy’n hyderus y byddant, gydag amser, yn gallu addasu’r rhaglenni yn unol â hynny.

When you announced that you were phasing out Communities First, my response referred to the ‘Valuing Place’ report commissioned by the Government, based on research in three communities, including Connah’s Quay, somewhere I think you’re very familiar with. They found that establishing local networks to connect people together who want to take local action should be of priority.

In the answer you’ve just given, you referred to the delivery boards and local authorities, but how do you respond to the article from the Bevan Foundation in their spring 2017 publication exploring what the idea of resilient communities is, stating that community buy-in is essential and there’s a consensus that, if people feel that policies are imposed on them, the policies don’t work?

Pan gyhoeddoch eich bod yn dirwyn Cymunedau yn Gyntaf i ben, cyfeiriodd fy ymateb at yr adroddiad ‘Valuing Place’ a gomisiynwyd gan y Llywodraeth, yn seiliedig ar waith ymchwil mewn tair cymuned, yn cynnwys Cei Connah, y credaf eich bod yn gyfarwydd iawn ag ef. Gwelsant fod sefydlu rhwydweithiau lleol i gysylltu pobl sydd am roi camau gweithredu ar waith yn lleol yn flaenoriaeth.

Yn yr ateb yr ydych newydd ei roi, fe gyfeirioch at y byrddau cyflawni ac awdurdodau lleol, ond sut rydych yn ymateb i’r erthygl gan Sefydliad Bevan yn eu cyhoeddiad yng ngwanwyn 2017 a oedd yn archwilio’r syniad o gymunedau cryf, ac yn datgan bod cefnogaeth y gymuned yn hanfodol a bod consensws na fydd polisïau’n gweithio os yw pobl yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu gorfodi arnynt?

Well, that’s always the case, isn’t it? I think you get that with political parties and political will across the spectrum. My intention is to make sure that public services boards and local authorities are very close to their communities. We legislated on this, about engagement being a critical part of involvement in decision making. I would expect any authority that moves into a transition period from Communities First to engage with the communities that they work with, so that we can build this from the ground up as opposed to doing things to communities, working with them to make sure the ideas come from the centre.

Wel, mae hynny bob amser yn wir, onid yw? Rwy’n meddwl eich bod yn cael hynny gyda phleidiau gwleidyddol ac ewyllys gwleidyddol ar draws y sbectrwm. Fy mwriad yw gwneud yn siŵr fod byrddau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ac awdurdodau lleol yn agos iawn at eu cymunedau. Rydym wedi deddfu ar hyn, ar y ffaith fod ymgysylltiad yn rhan hanfodol wrth wneud penderfyniadau. Byddwn yn disgwyl i unrhyw awdurdod sy’n symud i gyfnod pontio Cymunedau yn Gyntaf ymgysylltu â’r cymunedau y maent yn gweithio gyda hwy, er mwyn i ni allu adeiladu hyn o’r gwaelod i fyny yn hytrach na gwneud pethau i gymunedau, gan weithio gyda hwy i wneud yn siŵr fod y syniadau’n dod o’r canol.

Y Rhaglen Cyfleusterau Cymunedol

The Community Facilities Programme

8. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ddatganiad am ariannu cynlluniau o dan y Rhaglen Cyfleusterau Cymunedol ar gyfer 2017/18? OAQ(5)0109(CC)[W]

8. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on funding plans under the Community Facilities Programme for 2017/18? OAQ(5)0109(CC)[W]

I recently announced an additional £4 million for the community facilities programme in each of the next four financial years. This brings the total available for projects in 2017-18 to £6 million. Priority will be given to applications seeking to improve the sustainability of facilities serving Communities First communities.

Yn ddiweddar, cyhoeddais £4 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer y Rhaglen Cyfleusterau Cymunedol ym mhob un o’r pedair blynedd ariannol nesaf. Daw hyn â’r cyfanswm ar gyfer prosiectau yn 2017-18 i £6 miliwn. Rhoddir blaenoriaeth i geisiadau sy’n ceisio gwella cynaliadwyedd cyfleusterau sy’n gwasanaethu cymunedau Cymunedau yn Gyntaf.

Yr wythnos nesaf, mi fydd hi’n 11 mis ers i Ganolfan y Fron gyflwyno cais am grant o’r rhaglen yma. Mae oedi gan y Llywodraeth yn rhoi dyfodol y prosiect cyfan mewn perygl. Mae hi hefyd bron i naw mis ers i GISDA— elusen pobl ifanc bregus—anfon eu cais nhw ac maen nhw hefyd yn disgwyl i glywed a oedd eu cais yn llwyddiannus. Roedd y Llywodraeth wedi addo y buasen nhw wedi derbyn ymateb erbyn mis Hydref. Rwyf i wedi ysgrifennu atoch chi nifer o weithiau dros y misoedd diwethaf ynglŷn â hyn. Yn eich ymateb i un o fy llythyrau, bedwar mis yn ôl, fe soniwyd fod penderfyniad ar fin ei gyrraedd. Nid oes dal dim ateb. Mae’r ddau fudiad yma yn gwneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol i fywydau nifer o bobl yn fy etholaeth i, ond maen nhw’n cael eu dal yn ôl yn sylweddol oherwydd diffyg gwybodaeth gan y Llywodraeth. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet roi gwybod i ni heddiw yr union ddyddiad y caiff GISDA a Chanolfan y Fron wybod os yw eu ceisiadau nhw wedi bod yn llwyddiannus?

Next week, it will be 11 months since Canolfan y Fron submitted an application for a grant from this programme. Delays within the Government are putting the whole project at risk. It’s also almost nine months since GISDA—a vulnerable young people’s charity—sent in their application, and they are still waiting to hear whether they have been successful in their bid. The Government had pledged that they would have received a response by October. I’ve written to you a number of times over the last few months on this issue, and in your response to one of my letters, four months ago, it was mentioned that a decision was about to be reached. But there has been still no response. Both of these organisations make a considerable difference to the lives of many people in my constituency, but they are being held back significantly because of a lack of information from the Government. Will the Cabinet Secretary inform us today the exact date that GISDA and Canolfan y Fron will learn whether their applications have been successful?

If the Member wishes to keep pushing me on a response, rather than me giving her a measured response to this process—. Will they be getting any funding today? No, they won’t. If that’s the response the Member wants, I can give her that today. Actually, the Member would be much better off waiting for me to make a collective decision on how we’re going to allocate this funding, and we will do that shortly.

Os yw’r Aelod am ddal i fy ngwthio i ymateb, yn hytrach na fy mod yn rhoi ymateb pwyllog iddi i’r broses hon—. A fyddant yn cael unrhyw gyllid heddiw? Na fyddant. Os mai dyna’r ymateb y mae’r Aelod ei eisiau, gallaf roi hwnnw iddi heddiw. Mewn gwirionedd, byddai’n llawer gwell pe bai’r Aelod yn aros i mi wneud penderfyniad ar y cyd ynglŷn â sut rydym yn mynd i ddyrannu’r cyllid hwn, a byddwn yn gwneud hynny cyn bo hir.

Wel, rwy’n falch o glywed am y buddsoddiad ychwanegol, beth bynnag. Mae canllawiau’r rhaglen cyfleusterau cymunedol yn dweud y gall awdurdodau lleol, byrddau iechyd, cyrff cyhoeddus eraill a busnesau fod yn bartneriaid i sefydliadau lleol sydd eisiau ymgeisio i’r gronfa. Ond, mae’n debyg bod mwyafrif y prosiectau yn cael eu gweinyddu a’u trefnu drwy awdurdodau lleol. Mae’n anodd i weld pa mor hawdd yw hi i sefydliadau lleol weithio gyda busnesau preifat a defnyddio’r cyfoeth o sgiliau a gwybodaeth sydd ganddyn nhw. A fyddai’n bosibl ichi ddweud faint o brosiectau’r rhaglen sy’n gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol o’i gymharu â busnesau lleol? Sut fath o anogaeth y mae’r sefydliadau a’r busnesau yn ei chael i gydweithio?

Well, I’m pleased to hear of the additional investment, at least. The community facilities programme guidance says that local authorities, health boards and other public bodies, as well as businesses, can be partners to local organisations who want to make a bid to the fund. But, it appears to me that most of the projects are administered through the local authorities. It’s difficult to see how easy it is for local organisations to work with private businesses and use the wealth of skills and information that they have. Would it be possible for you to tell us how many programme projects work with local authorities as compared to those working with local businesses? What kind of encouragement do these businesses have to actually collaborate on this?

That’s a really interesting question that the Member raises. I don’t have the detail on me today, but I will write to the Member with notice of that. I’m really keen for as much involvement and third-party activity around these programmes as possible. Rather than single access points, I think, actually, we gain much more from the private sector and public sector working together with volunteers to create a community facility. I will give that some further thought, but, as I said in my response initially, my concentration of this fund now will be in Communities First areas in terms of transition.

Mae’r Aelod yn gofyn cwestiwn diddorol iawn. Nid yw’r manylion gennyf heddiw, ond byddaf yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelod yn ei hysbysu ynglŷn â hynny. Rwy’n awyddus iawn i weld cymaint ag y bo modd o gyfranogiad a gweithgarwch trydydd parti mewn perthynas â’r rhaglenni hyn. Yn hytrach na phwyntiau mynediad sengl, rwy’n meddwl mewn gwirionedd ein bod yn ennill llawer wrth i’r sector preifat a’r sector cyhoeddus gydweithio â gwirfoddolwyr i greu cyfleuster cymunedol. Byddaf yn ystyried hynny ymhellach, ond fel y dywedais yn fy ymateb i ddechrau, o ran y cyfnod pontio, byddaf yn canolbwyntio’r gronfa hon yn awr ar ardaloedd Cymunedau yn Gyntaf.

Blaenoriaethau Adfywio ar gyfer Sir Benfro

Regeneration Priorities for Pembrokeshire

9. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet amlinellu blaenoriaethau adfywio Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer Sir Benfro? OAQ(5)0110(CC)

9. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline the Welsh Government’s regeneration priorities for Pembrokeshire? OAQ(5)0110(CC)

The regeneration priorities for Pembrokeshire continue to support the communities through a range of regeneration programmes that underpin sustainable development.

Mae’r blaenoriaethau adfywio ar gyfer Sir Benfro yn parhau i gefnogi’r cymunedau drwy ystod o raglenni adfywio sy’n sail i ddatblygiad cynaliadwy.

I’m grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for that response. As the Member for Mid and West Wales said in earlier questions, last night I hosted a reception here in the Senedd with Milford Haven Port Authority to learn more about their investment plans for the local area, which will significantly transform the Milford Haven area as we currently know it. In light of their plans, can you tell us what discussions you’ve had about how the Welsh Government can support the authority’s regeneration plans? Can you also tell us what additional support the Welsh Government can offer organisations such as the Milford Haven Port Authority in order to encourage future investment in Pembrokeshire?

Diolch i Ysgrifennydd Cabinet am yr ymateb hwnnw. Fel y dywedodd yr Aelod dros Ganolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru mewn cwestiynau cynharach, neithiwr cynhaliais dderbyniad yma yn y Senedd gydag Awdurdod Porthladd Aberdaugleddau i ddysgu mwy am eu cynlluniau buddsoddi ar gyfer yr ardal leol, a fydd yn trawsnewid ardal Aberdaugleddau fel yr ydym yn ei hadnabod. O ystyried eu cynlluniau, a allwch ddweud wrthym pa drafodaethau a gawsoch ynglŷn â sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru gefnogi cynlluniau adfywio’r awdurdod? A allwch ddweud wrthym hefyd pa gymorth ychwanegol y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei gynnig i sefydliadau megis Awdurdod Porthladd Aberdaugleddau er mwyn annog buddsoddi yn Sir Benfro yn y dyfodol?

Of course, and I think there are some opportunities there about working in partnership. Under the Vibrant and Viable Places framework, we are supporting Pembrokeshire County Council with a £2.25 million town-centre loans scheme, which is a 15-year recyclable loan grant. This will, I hope, be able to reduce the number of vacant and redundant sites and premises in town centres like Pembroke, Milford Haven and Haverfordwest. So, we are already taking significant actions with the authority, in terms of a new offer for the area that the Member represents.

Wrth gwrs, ac rwy’n credu bod cyfleoedd yno i weithio mewn partneriaeth. O dan y fframwaith Lleoedd Llewyrchus Llawn Addewid, rydym yn cefnogi Cyngor Sir Penfro gyda chynllun benthyciadau canol y dref gwerth £2.25 miliwn, sef grant benthyciad ailgylchadwy 15 mlynedd. Bydd hyn, gobeithio, yn lleihau nifer y safleoedd ac adeiladu gwag a segur yng nghanol trefi fel Penfro, Aberdaugleddau a Hwlffordd. Felly, rydym eisoes yn rhoi camau sylweddol ar waith gyda’r awdurdod, o ran cynnig newydd ar gyfer yr ardal y mae’r Aelod yn ei chynrychioli.

I welcome what the Cabinet Secretary has just said about regeneration in the port of Milford Haven, but I wanted to ask him in particular about other communities in Pembrokeshire that are more difficult to reach for regeneration and support. Following his decision to change—well, to withdraw—over a period of time from Communities First, I was particularly concerned as to what now could be delivered for the Gypsy and Traveller community in Pembrokeshire. I asked the First Minister some of these questions in the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister in Carmarthenshire as well, and I’m still struggling to understand what the Welsh Government’s approach will now be to tackle these communities.

I intend to visit one of the communities in Pembrokeshire in the next month or so, and I’d like to take them a positive message from the Welsh Government about how they will be supported going forward, particularly on how educational opportunities and support for young people in Gypsy and Traveller communities will be achieved. What can the Cabinet Secretary tell me that I can take to my constituents?

Rwy’n croesawu’r hyn y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet newydd ei ddweud am adfywio ym mhorthladd Aberdaugleddau, ond roeddwn eisiau gofyn iddo’n benodol am gymunedau eraill yn Sir Benfro sy’n fwy anodd eu cyrraedd o ran adfywio a chymorth. Yn dilyn ei benderfyniad i newid—wel, i dynnu’n ôl—dros gyfnod o amser oddi wrth Cymunedau yn Gyntaf, roeddwn yn arbennig o bryderus ynglŷn â beth y gellid ei gyflawni yn awr ar gyfer y gymuned Sipsiwn a Theithwyr yn Sir Benfro. Gofynnais rai o’r cwestiynau hyn i’r Prif Weinidog yn y Pwyllgor Craffu ar Waith y Prif Weinidog yn Sir Gaerfyrddin hefyd, ac rwy’n dal i’w chael hi’n anodd deall beth fydd dull Llywodraeth Cymru yn awr o fynd i’r afael â’r cymunedau hyn.

Rwy’n bwriadu ymweld ag un o’r cymunedau yn Sir Benfro yn ystod y mis neu ddau nesaf, a hoffwn fynd â neges gadarnhaol iddynt gan Lywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â sut y cânt eu cefnogi wrth symud ymlaen, yn enwedig o ran sut y darparir cyfleoedd a chymorth addysgol ar gyfer pobl ifanc mewn cymunedau Sipsiwn a Theithwyr. Pa neges sydd gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i mi ei rhoi i fy etholwyr?

I don’t know when the Member is visiting the site, but what I can do is try to ask one of my officials to join him in order to have a conversation with the young people and Gypsies and Travellers on that site to see what actions they’re seeking to happen. I think we have a very positive Gypsy and Traveller strategy, and I’ve got a team of officials who work with Gypsy and Traveller families very closely. The educational attainment levels of Gypsy and Traveller families and their children is an important factor that we consider. I would be happy to ask one of my team to come along with you to visit this site.

Nid wyf yn gwybod pa bryd y bydd yr Aelod yn ymweld â’r safle, ond gallaf geisio gofyn i un o fy swyddogion ymuno ag ef er mwyn cael sgwrs gyda phobl ifanc a Sipsiwn a Theithwyr ar y safle i weld pa gamau y maent eisiau eu gweld yn digwydd. Rwy’n credu bod gennym strategaeth Sipsiwn a Theithwyr gadarnhaol iawn, ac mae gennyf dîm o swyddogion sy’n gweithio’n agos iawn gyda theuluoedd Sipsiwn a Theithwyr. Mae lefelau cyrhaeddiad addysgol teuluoedd Sipsiwn a Theithwyr a’u plant yn ffactor pwysig sy’n cael ei ystyried gennym. Byddwn yn hapus i ofyn i un o fy nhîm ddod gyda chi i ymweld â’r safle.

Aflonyddu ar Fenywod

Harassment Against Women

10. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet amlinellu’r mesurau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i fynd i’r afael ag aflonyddu ar fenywod yng Nghymru? OAQ(5)015(CC)

10. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline the measures the Welsh Government is taking to tackle harassment against women in Wales? OAQ(5)015(CC)

The Welsh Government is committed to working with all of its partners to tackle harassment against women in Wales. Violence against women is unacceptable in all of its forms. It is right that, on International Women’s Day, we raise awareness of the issues many women are still facing.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i weithio gyda phob un o’i phartneriaid i fynd i’r afael ag aflonyddu ar fenywod yng Nghymru. Mae trais yn erbyn menywod yn annerbyniol ym mhob un o’i ffurfiau. Mae’n iawn, ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod, ein bod yn codi ymwybyddiaeth o’r problemau y mae llawer o fenywod yn dal i’w wynebu.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for that response. Concerns have been raised with me about how cases of harassment are dealt with—with the necessary and appropriate sensitivity and seriousness—by those who work in front-line public services. Cabinet Secretary, are you able to provide reassurance on the work being done to prevent harassment with those in front-line devolved public services? Also, what work is being done with non-devolved public services, such as the police, to ensure that cases of harassment are dealt with correctly?

Diolch i chi am yr ymateb hwnnw, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Mynegwyd pryderon wrthyf ynglŷn â sut yr ymdrinnir ag achosion o aflonyddu—gyda’r sensitifrwydd a’r difrifoldeb angenrheidiol a phriodol—gan y rhai sy’n gweithio mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus rheng flaen. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a allwch roi sicrwydd ynghylch y gwaith sy’n cael ei wneud i atal aflonyddu gyda’r bobl mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus datganoledig rheng flaen? Hefyd, pa waith sy’n cael ei wneud gyda gwasanaethau cyhoeddus heb eu datganoli, megis yr heddlu, i sicrhau y caiff achosion o aflonyddu eu trin yn gywir?

I thank the Member for her question. I take a zero-tolerance approach on bullying, harassment and abuse. I wouldn’t care if somebody was a friend or a political ally—if they cross the line, there can be no compromise on this: this is wrong. I am confident that we are working across Welsh Government to address the long-term entrenched inequalities. Objective 4 of our strategic equality plan sets out the actions that Welsh Government will take to reduce the instances of all forms of harassment and abuse. We should all take a responsibility in making sure that this happens in our public sector bodies.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei chwestiwn. Mae gennyf ymagwedd dim goddefgarwch at fwlio, aflonyddu a cham-drin. Ni fyddwn yn poeni pe bai rhywun yn ffrind neu’n gyd-wleidydd—os ydynt yn croesi’r llinell, nid oes modd cyfaddawdu ar hyn: mae’n anghywir. Rwy’n hyderus ein bod yn gweithio ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru i fynd i’r afael ag anghydraddoldebau hirdymor a hirsefydlog. Mae amcan 4 ein cynllun cydraddoldeb strategol yn nodi’r camau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i leihau nifer yr achosion o bob math o aflonyddu a cham-drin. Dylem i gyd ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb i wneud yn siŵr fod hyn yn digwydd yn ein cyrff sector cyhoeddus.

Back to the Mothers Affection Matters event earlier on today, Cabinet Secretary, listening to some of the people who gave their stories, they talked about harassment turning into abuse from a very, very early age. I’d like to just reinforce the calls made by Sian Gwenllian, and I think others yesterday, for healthy relationships training and counselling and development in schools. If we can train young children, young girls and boys, young men and women to respect and cherish each other, then we will have gone a long way to stopping harassment and abuse of women and men in their more adult lives.

Yn ôl at ddigwyddiad Mothers Affection Matters yn gynharach heddiw, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a gwrando ar rai o’r bobl a roddodd eu straeon; roeddent yn sôn am aflonyddu yn troi’n gam-drin o oed cynnar iawn. Hoffwn atgyfnerthu’r galwadau a wnaed gan Sian Gwenllian, ac eraill ddoe rwy’n meddwl, am hyfforddiant a chwnsela a datblygu perthynas iach mewn ysgolion. Os gallwn hyfforddi plant ifanc, merched a bechgyn ifanc, dynion a menywod ifanc i barchu a thrysori ei gilydd, yna byddwn wedi mynd gryn ffordd i atal aflonyddu a cham-drin menywod a dynion yn eu bywydau fel oedolion.

You don’t need to convince me on this argument. I am working with the Cabinet Secretary for Education to see how this is achievable and we will, hopefully, have something positive to say shortly.

Nid oes angen i chi fy argyhoeddi ynglŷn â’r ddadl hon. Rwy’n gweithio gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg i weld sut y gellir cyflawni hyn a gobeithio y bydd gennym rywbeth cadarnhaol i’w ddweud cyn bo hir.

Diolch i’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary.

3. 3. Datganiadau 90 Eiliad
3. 3. 90-second Statements

Yr eitem nesaf ar ein hagenda ni yw’r datganiadau 90 eiliad. Julie Morgan.

The next item on our agenda is the 90-second statements. Julie Morgan.

Cofio Val—Remembering Val: Val Feld was the AM for Swansea East and it’s fitting that we remember her here on International Women’s Day. Val was passionately committed to equal opportunities and social justice. She was one of the key architects of devolution: one of the leaders of the ‘Yes for Wales’ campaign. The embedding of equal opportunities in the Assembly is largely due to the work of Val. We worked together when I was an MP in Westminster pursuing the Secretary of State at the time to ensure that the principle of equality of opportunity for all people was included in the first Government of Wales Act in 1998 and was to become the bedrock of this Assembly. She was relentless. She saw devolution as an opportunity to make Wales a more equal and more socially just society.

Val had a remarkable record of public and voluntary service: she was a founder of Shelter Cymru, recognising the plight of the homeless and the importance of housing, and she was a director of the Equal Opportunities Commission for Wales from 1989 to 1999. She was also a mother and a partner. Some of you knew her during her short period as an Assembly Member. When she spoke, everyone listened. She spoke authoritatively, she had a wealth of experience and principles to bring. The sky was the limit for Val and her potential was tragically cut short with what turned out to be a fatal illness. I remember visiting her in Swansea with Jane Hutt shortly before she died. We miss her very much.

Rydym yn ei cholli yn fawr iawn.

Cofio Val: Val Feld oedd yr AC dros Ddwyrain Abertawe ac mae’n addas ein bod yn ei chofio yma ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod. Roedd Val wedi ymrwymo’n angerddol i gyfle cyfartal a chyfiawnder cymdeithasol. Hi oedd un o benseiri allweddol datganoli: un o arweinwyr yr ymgyrch ‘Ie dros Gymru’. Mae gwreiddio cyfle cyfartal yn y Cynulliad yn deillio i raddau helaeth o waith Val. Buom yn gweithio gyda’n gilydd pan oeddwn yn Aelod Seneddol yn San Steffan yn pwyso ar yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol ar y pryd i sicrhau bod egwyddor cyfle cyfartal i bawb wedi’i gynnwys yn y Ddeddf Llywodraeth Cymru gyntaf yn 1998 a oedd i ddod yn sylfaen i’r Cynulliad hwn. Roedd hi’n ddi-ildio. Gwelai ddatganoli fel cyfle i wneud Cymru’n gymdeithas fwy cyfartal a mwy cyfiawn yn gymdeithasol.

Roedd gan Val hanes rhyfeddol o wasanaeth cyhoeddus a gwirfoddol: roedd hi’n sylfaenydd Shelter Cymru, gan gydnabod trafferthion y digartref a phwysigrwydd tai, ac roedd yn gyfarwyddwr Comisiwn Cyfle Cyfartal Cymru rhwng 1989 a 1999. Roedd hefyd yn fam a phartner. Roedd rhai ohonoch yn ei hadnabod yn ystod ei chyfnod byr fel Aelod Cynulliad. Pan siaradai, roedd pawb yn gwrando. Siaradai gydag awdurdod, roedd ganddi gyfoeth o brofiad ac egwyddorion i’w cyfrannu. Nid oedd terfyn ar yr hyn y dymunai Val ei wneud a rhoddwyd diwedd ar y potensial hwnnw’n drasig iawn gyda’r hyn a oedd yn salwch angheuol yn y diwedd. Rwy’n cofio ymweld â hi yn Abertawe gyda Jane Hutt yn fuan cyn iddi farw. Rydym yn gweld ei cholli’n fawr.

We miss her very much.

The Bards of Wales’ is a poem that can be recited off by heart by many Hungarians, but in Wales little is known of this poem, written by Janos Arany in 1857. Just a few days ago marked his two-hundredth anniversary of his birthday. After refusing to write a poem celebrating the emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph, following a failed revolution in 1848 against the empire, Janos wrote ‘The Bards of Wales’, which recounts a legendary story of rebellion at which 500 Welsh poets were slaughtered by King Henry I at Montgomery castle after they refused to sing his praises as their conqueror.

While Arany’s nineteenth-century poem is still taught in schools in Hungary, many living in Montgomeryshire and across Wales have never heard of it. So, I’m pleased to spread the word today. Last Thursday, a special televised celebration of his life—the life of Janos Arany—was held in Budapest, attended by the Hungarian President, at which Arany was presented with a posthumous honorary status of ‘Freeman of Montgomery’ by the mayor of the town.

Mae ‘Beirdd Cymru’ yn gerdd y gall llawer o Hwngariaid ei hadrodd ar eu cof, ond yng Nghymru ychydig a wyddys am y gerdd hon, a ysgrifennwyd gan Janos Arany yn 1857. Ychydig ddyddiau’n ôl dathlwyd daucanmlwyddiant ei eni. Ar ôl gwrthod ysgrifennu cerdd i glodfori ymerawdwr Awstria, Franz Joseph, yn dilyn chwyldro aflwyddiannus yn 1848 yn erbyn yr ymerodraeth, ysgrifennodd Janos ‘Beirdd Cymru’, sy’n adrodd stori chwedlonol am wrthryfel pan gafodd 500 o feirdd Cymru eu lladd gan y Brenin Harri I yng nghastell Trefaldwyn ar ôl iddynt wrthod canu ei glodydd fel eu gorchfygwr.

Er bod cerdd Arany yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg yn dal i gael ei dysgu mewn ysgolion yn Hwngari, nid oes llawer o bobl sy’n byw yn Sir Drefaldwyn ac ar draws Cymru erioed wedi clywed amdani. Felly, rwy’n falch o roi’r gair ar led heddiw. Ddydd Iau diwethaf, cynhaliwyd dathliad arbennig o’i fywyd a gafodd ei ddarlledu—bywyd Janos Arany—yn Budapest, gydag Arlywydd Hwngari’n bresennol, a chyflwynwyd statws anrhydeddus ‘Rhyddfreiniwr Trefynwy’ i Arany er coffadwriaeth gan faer y dref.

4. 4. Cynnig i Ddiwygio Rheol Sefydlog 23 mewn perthynas â Deisebau'r Cyhoedd
4. 4. Motion to Amend Standing Order 23 in relation to Public Petitions

Yr eitem nesaf yw’r cynnig i ddiwygio Rheol Sefydlog 23 mewn perthynas â deisebau’r cyhoedd. Rydw i’n galw ar aelod o’r Pwyllgor Busnes i wneud y cynnig—Paul Davies.

The next item is the motion to amend Standing Order 23 in relation to public petitions. I call on a member of the Business Committee to move the motion—Paul Davies.

Cynnig NDM6250 Elin Jones

Cynnig bod y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 33.2:

1. Yn ystyried Adroddiad y Pwyllgor Busnes ‘Diwygio Rheolau Sefydlog: Rheol Sefydlog 23—Deisebau’r Cyhoedd’ a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 28 Chwefror 2017; a

2. Yn cymeradwyo’r cynnig i adolygu Rheol Sefydlog 23, fel y nodir yn Atodiad B i Adroddiad y Pwyllgor Busnes.

Motion NDM6250 Elin Jones

To propose that the National Assembly, in accordance with Standing Order 33.2:

1. Considers the Report of the Business Committee ‘Amending Standing Orders: Standing Order 23—Public Petitions’ laid in the Table Office on 28 February 2017; and

2. Approves the proposal to revise Standing Order 23, as set out in Annex B of the Report of the Business Committee.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Felly, derbynnir y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.

The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? The motion is therefore agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

5. 5. Dadl gan Aelodau Unigol o dan Reol Sefydlog 11.21(iv): Yr Economi Sylfaenol
5. 5. Debate by Individual Members under Standing Order 11.21(iv): The Foundational Economy

Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw’r ddadl gan Aelodau unigol o dan Reol Sefydlog 11.21 ar yr economi sylfaenol. Rydw i’n galw ar Lee Waters i wneud y cynnig.

The next item is the debate by individual Members under Standing Order 11.21 on the foundational economy. I call on Lee Waters to move the motion.

Cynnig NDM6210 Lee Waters, Jeremy Miles, Vikki Howells, Hefin David

Cefnogwyd gan David Melding, David Rees

Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru:

1. Yn nodi bod tua 40 y cant o’r gweithlu sy’n cael eu cyflogi yn yr ‘Economi Sylfaenol’ yn cyflenwi nwyddau a gwasanaethau hanfodol fel seilwaith; cyfleustodau; prosesu bwyd, manwerthu a dosbarthu; ac iechyd, addysg a gofal.

2. Yn cydnabod bod y sectorau hyn yn aml yn fwy abl i wrthsefyll ergydion economaidd allanol a bod ganddynt gryn botensial i sicrhau mwy o werth lleol o ddarparu nwyddau a gwasanaethau lleol.

3. Yn gresynu fod llawer o’r sectorau o fewn yr Economi Sylfaenol yn nodedig am swyddi â thâl isel ac ansicrwydd.

4. Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddatblygu strategaeth i wneud yn fawr o effaith yr ‘Economi Sylfaenol’ ledled Cymru fel rhan o’i gwaith ar ddatblygu strategaeth economaidd newydd, gan gynnwys mesurau i wella amodau cyflogaeth yn y sectorau hynny.

Motion NDM6210 Lee Waters, Jeremy Miles, Vikki Howells, Hefin David

Supported by David Melding, David Rees

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes that approximately 40 per cent of the workforce is employed in the ‘Foundational Economy’ supplying essential goods and services such as: infrastructures; utilities; food processing, retailing and distribution; and health, education and care.

2. Recognises that these sectors are often more resilient to external economic shocks and have considerable potential to generate greater local value from the provision of localised goods and services.

3. Regrets that many of the sectors within the Foundation Economy are marked by low paid and insecure jobs

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to develop a strategy to maximise the impact of the ‘Foundational Economy’ across Wales as part of its work on developing a new economic strategy, including measures to improve employment conditions in those sectors.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Lywydd. As we were reminded last week by the speculation about the future of Ford in Bridgend, and the month before by the debate around the future of Tata Steel, our economy is profoundly vulnerable—vulnerable to the decisions of foreign-owned multinational corporations, vulnerable to external shocks like Brexit or oil price fluctuation, and vulnerable, like all modern economies, to the long-term impacts of climate change, food insecurity and energy scarcity.

The purpose of today’s motion, tabled in my name and in the names of my colleagues Jeremy Miles, Vikki Howells, Hefin David, David Rees, and my friend David Melding, is to consider how you might use the framing of a new economic strategy for Wales to think about how the Welsh Government can help our communities build resilience to these threats. My colleagues will explore some of the ways a foundational approach will make a difference in practice. In my opening remarks, I’ll focus on the case for change.

Diolch, Lywydd. Fel y cawsom ein hatgoffa yr wythnos diwethaf gan y dyfalu am ddyfodol Ford ym Mhen-y-bont, a’r mis cynt gan y ddadl ynglŷn â dyfodol Tata Steel, mae ein heconomi mewn sefyllfa fregus iawn—yn fregus yn wyneb penderfyniadau corfforaethau rhyngwladol sy’n eiddo i gwmnïau tramor, yn fregus yn wyneb ergydion allanol fel Brexit neu amrywiadau ym mhris olew, ac yn fregus, fel pob economi fodern, yn wyneb effeithiau hirdymor newid yn yr hinsawdd, ansicrwydd ynglŷn â’r cyflenwad bwyd a phrinder ynni.

Diben y cynnig heddiw, a gyflwynwyd yn fy enw i ac yn enwau fy nghyd-Aelodau Jeremy Miles, Vikki Howells, Hefin David, David Rees, a fy nghyfaill David Melding, yw ystyried sut y gallech ddefnyddio’r broses o fframio strategaeth economaidd newydd ar gyfer Cymru i feddwl ynglŷn â sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru helpu ein cymunedau i ddatblygu gallu i wrthsefyll y bygythiadau hyn. Bydd fy nghyd-Aelodau’n archwilio rhai o’r ffyrdd y bydd dull sylfaenol yn gwneud gwahaniaeth yn ymarferol. Yn fy sylwadau agoriadol, byddaf yn canolbwyntio ar yr achos dros newid.

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

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

We’ve been trying a variation on the same theme in Welsh economic policy now for several generations, and we are running to stand still. Our national wealth level, or gross value added per head, has barely shifted in 20 years since we promised that the creation of a National Assembly would create an economic powerhouse for Wales. Two decades on, and we continue to search for a magic bullet—that much-loved transformational project. If only we could get a few high-profile inward investment projects and hope against hope for another Admiral Insurance, which, by the way, remains Wales’s only FTSE 100 company, almost 25 years after it was founded. And while we search desperately for a ribbon to cut, the day-to-day economy of our communities continues to tick over.

Today’s motion is a plea to look at what is hiding in plain sight, and discuss what we might do to nurture it—the mundane economy, as Professor Karel Williams has described it. Now, his is a name you’ll hear a few times this afternoon, I’m sure. Along with his colleagues in Manchester Business School, he’s done much to give life to the idea of the economy of the everyday, the so-called foundational economy. As a son of Llanelli, Karel Williams has taken the forlorn state of the town I represent in our National Assembly as a case study in what can be done to bolster the bits of the economy that have been left behind after the heavy industry that inspired their creation has gone.

It’s the foundational economy that underpins the social fabric of our communities, and penetrates even our most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The industries and businesses that are there because the people are there, the food we eat, the homes we live in, the energy we use and the care we receive. This isn’t a small part of our economy; it accounts for about four out of 10 jobs and £1 in every £3 we spend. Our focus has been on anchor companies employing more than 1,000 people in one place, but there are more than 3,000 people employed in making sofas across Wales, and they don’t feature in any economic strategy, but this is the type of unglamorous activity that forms the bedrock of our local economies.

Globalisation has seen us look the other way as local producers have been crowded out of the market by foreign-owned subsidiaries, who often pressure Welsh suppliers to drop their prices and ship the profits overseas. If we get it right, the foundational economy approach offers the chance to reverse the deterioration of employment conditions, stop the leakage of money from our communities and reduce the environmental cost of extended supply chains. There are big hurdles that stand in our way—it’s pointless to pretend otherwise—and rather than ignoring them, I’d like to confront them head on.

The first is undoubtedly cost. Public sector spending—the £5.5 billion we spend every year buying in goods and services—is often cited as a direct means of boosting our foundational economy. But just as the drive to reduce budgets has led to the domination of large-scale privatised companies in the delivery of our public services, so too a reversal of this trend will require investment. Local businesses will need increased support to bid and deliver public sector contracts. We need to invest in higher skilled staff in local government with specialist procurement skills, and most likely the cost of goods and services we buy at the end of it all will go up, and we need to be honest about that. To achieve any genuine restructure will require significant investment, and a recognition that short-term financial gains should be deprioritised in favour of longer-term benefits, and we must be honest about that, too.

But the realities of our economic landscape and of impending automation make it costly not to. I’ve spoken before about how the eruption of computers being able to learn for themselves means that human brains, as well as human hands, are now in danger of being replaced by machines and algorithms. Accountants, underwriters, clerks and analysts—whole rafts of professions are profoundly vulnerable. In total, an estimated 700,000 jobs are at risk of automation in Wales alone. And whilst the high-value, knowledge-based jobs that will remain following this second wave of automation will hold considerable attraction, we must ensure that the jobs at the other end of the spectrum—those that make up the mundane bedrock of our economy—do too.

The second equally valid argument against ploughing scarce resources into the foundational economy is that it is radical and an untested approach. But as I set out earlier, our existing economic strategy has been tested—it’s not working. Our failure to rejuvenate our economy through conventional approaches has meant we’ve had to plough money into anti-poverty programmes and employment support programmes to mop up the mess. But the attraction of the foundational economy is that it would address both the weakness of our economy and the social consequences of it. And, yes, it is radical—that’s the point. We are facing a confluence of public disaffection. Brexit and the fourth industrial revolution—our operating environment is changing radically and we must do likewise. We must move away from the orthodox and give experimental a go, because failing to take notice of our foundations means we risk our entire fragile economic structure crumbling. Diolch.

Rydym wedi bod yn rhoi cynnig ar amrywiadau ar yr un thema ym mholisi economaidd Cymru bellach ers nifer o genedlaethau, ac rydym yn rhedeg er mwyn sefyll yn llonydd. Prin y mae ein lefel cyfoeth cenedlaethol, neu werth ychwanegol gros y pen wedi newid yn yr 20 mlynedd ers i ni addo y byddai ffurfio Cynulliad Cenedlaethol yn creu pwerdy economaidd i Gymru. Ddau ddegawd yn ddiweddarach, rydym yn parhau i chwilio am ateb gwyrthiol—prosiect trawsnewidiol hoff gan bawb. Pe baem ond yn gallu cael ychydig o brosiectau mewnfuddsoddi proffil uchel a gobeithio ar ein gwaethaf am Admiral Insurance arall, yr unig gwmni FTSE 100 sydd gan Gymru o hyd gyda llaw, bron i 25 mlynedd ar ôl iddo gael ei sefydlu. Ac wrth i ni chwilio’n daer am ruban i’w dorri, mae economi ein cymunedau o ddydd i ddydd yn parhau i droi’n araf deg.

Mae cynnig heddiw yn apêl i edrych ar yr hyn sy’n cuddio yng ngolwg pawb, a thrafod yr hyn y gallem ei wneud i’w meithrin—yr economi bob dydd, fel y’i disgrifiwyd gan yr Athro Karel Williams. Nawr, dyna enw y byddwch yn ei glywed sawl tro y prynhawn yma, rwy’n siwr. Ochr yn ochr â’i gydweithwyr yn Ysgol Fusnes Manceinion, mae wedi gwneud llawer i roi bywyd i’r syniad o economi bob dydd, yr economi sylfaenol fel y’i gelwir. Fel un o feibion Llanelli, mae Karel Williams wedi defnyddio cyflwr diobaith y dref rwy’n ei chynrychioli yn ein Cynulliad Cenedlaethol fel astudiaeth achos yn yr hyn y gellir ei wneud i gryfhau’r rhannau o’r economi a adawyd ar ôl wedi diflaniad y diwydiant trwm a ysbrydolodd eu creu.

Yr economi sylfaenol sy’n sail i wead cymdeithasol ein cymunedau, ac mae’n treiddio i’n cymdogaethau mwyaf difreintiedig hyd yn oed. Y diwydiannau a busnesau sydd yno am fod y bobl yno, y bwyd rydym yn ei fwyta, y cartrefi yr ydym yn byw ynddynt, yr ynni a ddefnyddiwn a’r gofal yr ydym yn ei dderbyn. Nid rhan fechan o’n heconomi yw hon; dyma yw oddeutu pedair o bob 10 swydd a £1 o bob £3 a wariwn. Mae ein ffocws wedi bod ar gwmnïau angor sy’n cyflogi mwy na 1,000 o bobl mewn un lle, ond mae mwy na 3,000 o bobl wedi’u cyflogi i wneud soffas ar draws Cymru, ac nid ydynt yn rhan o unrhyw strategaeth economaidd, ond dyma’r math o weithgaredd anatyniadol sy’n sylfaen i’n heconomïau lleol.

Mae globaleiddio wedi ein dal ar y droed ôl wrth i gynhyrchwyr lleol gael eu gwthio allan o’r farchnad gan is-gwmnïau tramor, sy’n aml yn rhoi pwysau ar gyflenwyr Cymru i ostwng eu prisiau ac allforio’r elw tramor. Os cawn hyn yn iawn, mae’r economi sylfaenol yn cynnig cyfle i wrthdroi dirywiad amodau cyflogaeth, atal colli arian o’n cymunedau a lleihau cost amgylcheddol cadwyni cyflenwi estynedig. Mae rhwystrau mawr yn sefyll yn ein ffordd—mae’n ddibwynt esgus fel arall—ac yn hytrach na’u hanwybyddu, hoffwn fynd i’r afael â hwy’n uniongyrchol.

Y cyntaf yn ddi-os yw’r gost. Yn aml, nodir gwariant y sector cyhoeddus—y £5.5 biliwn a wariwn bob blwyddyn yn prynu nwyddau a gwasanaethau i mewn—fel ffordd uniongyrchol o hybu ein heconomi sylfaenol. Ond yn union fel y mae’r ymgyrch i leihau cyllidebau wedi arwain at gwmnïau mawr wedi’u preifateiddio yn dominyddu’r modd y darperir ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, felly hefyd y bydd gwrthdroi’r tueddiad hwn yn galw am fuddsoddiad. Bydd angen mwy o gefnogaeth ar fusnesau lleol i geisio am gontractau sector cyhoeddus a’u cyflawni. Mae angen i ni fuddsoddi mewn staff â sgiliau uwch ym maes caffael arbenigol mewn llywodraeth leol, ac yn ôl pob tebyg, bydd cost y nwyddau a’r gwasanaethau a brynwn yn y diwedd yn codi, ac mae angen inni fod yn onest ynglŷn â hynny. Er mwyn cyflawni ailstrwythuro go iawn, bydd angen buddsoddi sylweddol, a chydnabyddiaeth y dylai enillion ariannol yn y tymor byr gael eu dadflaenoriaethu o blaid manteision mwy hirdymor, ac mae’n rhaid i ni fod yn onest ynglŷn â hynny, hefyd.

Ond mae realiti ein tirwedd economaidd a’r awtomeiddio sydd ar y ffordd yn ei gwneud yn gostus i beidio â’i wneud. Rwyf wedi siarad o’r blaen am y ffordd y mae ffrwydrad o gyfrifiaduron sy’n gallu dysgu drostynt eu hunain yn golygu bod ymennydd dynol, yn ogystal â dwylo dynol, mewn perygl o gael eu disodli gan beiriannau ac algorithmau bellach. Cyfrifwyr, yswirwyr, clercod a dadansoddwyr—mae yna lu o broffesiynau’n agored iawn i hyn. Amcangyfrifir bod 700,000 o swyddi i gyd mewn perygl yn sgil awtomeiddio yng Nghymru yn unig. Ac er y bydd y swyddi gwerth uchel sy’n seiliedig ar wybodaeth a fydd yn parhau yn dilyn yr ail don hon o awtomeiddio yn atyniadol iawn, rhaid inni sicrhau bod y swyddi ar ben arall y sbectrwm—y rhai sy’n ffurfio sylfaen bob dydd ein heconomi—yn atyniadol hefyd.

Yr ail ddadl yr un mor ddilys yn erbyn buddsoddi adnoddau prin yn yr economi sylfaenol yw ei bod yn ymagwedd radical a heb ei phrofi. Ond fel y nodais yn gynharach, mae ein strategaeth economaidd bresennol wedi cael ei phrofi—nid yw’n gweithio. Mae ein methiant i adfywio ein heconomi drwy ddulliau confensiynol wedi golygu ein bod wedi gorfod buddsoddi arian mewn rhaglenni gwrth-dlodi a rhaglenni cymorth cyflogaeth i geisio clirio’r llanast. Ond atyniad yr economi sylfaenol yw y byddai’n mynd i’r afael â gwendid ein heconomi a chanlyniadau cymdeithasol hynny. Ac ydy, mae’n radical—dyna’r pwynt. Rydym yn wynebu dadrithiad cyhoeddus mawr. Brexit a’r pedwerydd chwyldro diwydiannol—mae ein hamgylchedd gweithredu yn newid yn radical ac mae’n rhaid i ni wneud yr un fath. Rhaid i ni symud oddi wrth y confensiynol a rhoi cynnig ar yr arbrofol, gan fod methu rhoi sylw i’n sylfeini yn golygu bod perygl y bydd ein strwythur economaidd bregus yn ei gyfanrwydd yn dadfeilio. Diolch.

It’s a pleasure to follow the Member for Llanelli and I congratulate him and his colleagues for securing this important opportunity to create some space for new thinking, for the reasons that he has eloquently outlined—we certainly need them, don’t we? I think Karel Williams has said that there’s a word in Welsh for actually repeating the same mistake over and over again, it’s called ‘twp’. And we simply will replicate the failures of the past unless we’re prepared to experiment in the radical way that the Member has suggested.

We should not, of course, shy away from the fact that what the foundational economy and, indeed, other sets of related ideas—the work of Mark Lang on deep place, and Dave Adamson on the distributed economy—represent together, I think, a coherent critique and alternative to the economic policy paradigm that has prevailed over many a generation, which essentially is almost the mirror opposite, indeed, of what has been served up to us as conventional thinking. So, whereas the foundational economy has two core elements, really, which is sheltered markets—local sheltered markets—and grounded firms, we have been focusing on global markets and foreign-owned firms, with little appreciable long-term economic benefit. And so, I think it’s time to turn the world the right way up as far as the Welsh economy is concerned.

It’s going to take, I think, a huge concerted effort, which will take some years and probably efforts across party, I think, to defeat the prevailing paradigm. It is so deeply embedded in our thinking—look at the apprenticeship levy: we actually take the retail sector out of the apprenticeship levy, whereas, actually, in terms of the long-term benefit of employees in that sector in communities, looking at driving up the skills base in a sector that has been bedevilled by low-skill, low-wage labour, you know, is the way that we should be going. So, we need unconventional approaches. I do hope the Welsh Government will create a national innovation body. But that national innovation body, to drive up innovation—in all sectors, in all areas—should not be captured by the old, narrow science and technology global-market-facing version of innovation, because innovation needs to be there at the heart of our foundational economy as well.

So, there are very, very significant challenges, but that is no reason for us to shy away from the opportunity. We will have a new economic strategy unveiled, I believe, in the next few months, over the spring period. Now is the time for the Cabinet Secretary to be bold. The answers of the past have failed us.

One of the themes that Karel Williams and his team have referred to and talked about is the missing middle strand. And one of the problems that many of our successful medium-sized companies have faced, time after time—Rachel’s Dairy, Avana Bakeries, I suppose, is another example of it—is that, when we create success from within our grounded firms and we create successful medium-sized businesses, of course, they reach a point, often due to succession planning, where people want to exit, and yet, of course, we have no means at our disposal, at the moment, of keeping that ownership, keeping that grounded firm grounded, and we all know the results of that.

The policy challenge, to go from the meta to the very specific. The development bank that we are creating, will it be based upon the ideas in terms of finance that are being promoted by Karel Williams and his team? Not the venture capital model, not actually getting people to cash out, but actually creating long-term finance. As I referred previously, La Caixa, the charitably owned bank in Catalonia, which actually takes long-term stakes in businesses that are deeply rooted within their economy, has the double benefit, not just of developing and generating a dividend for the charity that owns the bank, but also making sure that those successful companies stay successful for generations to come.

Mae’n bleser dilyn yr Aelod dros Lanelli ac rwy’n ei longyfarch ef a’i gyd-Aelodau am fanteisio ar y cyfle pwysig hwn i greu ychydig o le i syniadau newydd, am y rhesymau y mae wedi’u disgrifio mor huawdl—yn sicr, rydym eu hangen, onid ydym? Rwy’n meddwl bod Karel Williams wedi dweud bod yna air yn Gymraeg mewn gwirionedd am ailadrodd yr un camgymeriad drosodd a throsodd, fe’i gelwir yn ‘dwp’. A byddwn yn ailadrodd methiannau’r gorffennol oni bai ein bod yn barod i arbrofi yn y ffordd radical y mae’r Aelod wedi awgrymu.

Wrth gwrs, ni ddylem ochel rhag y ffaith mai’r hyn y mae’r economi sylfaenol ac yn wir, cyfresi eraill o syniadau cysylltiedig—astudiaethau dwfn Mark Lang, a Dave Adamson ar yr economi ddosbarthedig—yn eu cynrychioli gyda’i gilydd, rwy’n meddwl, yw beirniadaeth gydlynol a dewis yn lle’r patrwm polisi economaidd sydd wedi bodoli ers sawl cenhedlaeth, ac sydd yn y bôn bron yn wrthwyneb llwyr i’r hyn a gyflwynwyd i ni fel meddylfryd confensiynol. Felly, er bod dwy elfen graidd i’r economi sylfaenol mewn gwirionedd, sef marchnadoedd gwarchodedig—marchnadoedd lleol gwarchodedig—a chwmnïau gwreiddiedig, rydym wedi bod yn canolbwyntio ar farchnadoedd byd-eang a chwmnïau tramor, gydag ond ychydig o fudd economaidd hirdymor. Ac felly, rwy’n meddwl ei bod yn bryd troi’r byd yn ôl y ffordd iawn o ran economi Cymru.

Mae’n mynd i alw am ymdrech enfawr, rwy’n credu, a bydd yn cymryd rhai blynyddoedd ac ymdrechion trawsbleidiol yn ôl pob tebyg i drechu’r patrwm cyffredinol. Mae wedi’i wreiddio mor ddwfn yn ein ffordd o feddwl—edrychwch ar yr ardoll prentisiaethau: mewn gwirionedd rydym yn tynnu’r sector manwerthu allan o’r ardoll prentisiaethau, ond o ran y budd hirdymor i weithwyr yn y sector hwnnw mewn cymunedau, edrych ar wella’r sylfaen sgiliau mewn sector a blagiwyd gan sgiliau isel a chyflogau isel, wyddoch chi, yw’r ffordd y dylem fod yn mynd mewn gwirionedd. Felly, mae angen dulliau anghonfensiynol. Rwy’n gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn creu corff arloesi cenedlaethol. Ond ni ddylai’r corff arloesi cenedlaethol hwnnw, er mwyn gwella arloesedd—ym mhob sector, ym mhob maes—gael ei gaethiwo gan yr hen fersiwn gul o arloesi sy’n ymwneud â gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg a’r farchnad fyd-eang, oherwydd mae angen i arloesedd fod yno wrth galon ein heconomi sylfaenol hefyd.

Felly, mae yna heriau sylweddol tu hwnt, ond nid yw hynny’n rheswm i ni ochel rhag y cyfle. Byddwn yn datgelu ein strategaeth economaidd newydd yn yr ychydig fisoedd nesaf, rwy’n credu, dros gyfnod y gwanwyn. Nawr yw’r amser i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet fod yn feiddgar. Mae atebion y gorffennol wedi methu.

Un o’r themâu y mae Karel Williams a’i dîm wedi cyfeirio atynt ac wedi siarad amdanynt yw’r edefyn canol sydd ar goll. Ac un o’r problemau y mae llawer o’n cwmnïau llwyddiannus canolig eu maint wedi’u hwynebu, dro ar ôl—Rachel’s Dairy, ac mae Avana Bakeries yn enghraifft arall ohono am wn i—pan fyddwn yn creu llwyddiant o fewn ein cwmnïau gwreiddiedig ac yn creu busnesau canolig eu maint sy’n llwyddiannus yw eu bod yn cyrraedd pwynt, wrth gwrs, yn aml oherwydd cynllunio olyniaeth, pan fydd pobl yn awyddus i adael, ac eto, wrth gwrs, nid oes gennym unrhyw fodd ar gael i ni, ar hyn o bryd, o gadw’r berchnogaeth honno, cadw’r cwmni gwreiddiedig yn wreiddiedig, ac mae pawb ohonom yn gwybod beth yw canlyniadau hynny.

Yr her o ran polisi yw mynd o’r meta i’r penodol iawn. A fydd y banc datblygu yr ydym yn ei greu yn seiliedig ar y syniadau ynglŷn â chyllid sy’n cael eu hyrwyddo gan Karel Williams a’i dîm? Nid y model cyfalaf menter, nid cael pobl i gynhyrchu arian parod, ond creu cyllid hirdymor mewn gwirionedd. Fel y dywedais eisoes, mae mantais ddwbl gan La Caixa, y banc sy’n eiddo i elusen yng Nghatalonia, sydd â chyfrannau hirdymor mewn busnesau a wreiddiwyd yn ddwfn yn eu heconomi, nid yn unig yn yr ystyr eu bod yn datblygu a chynhyrchu difidend ar gyfer yr elusen sy’n berchen ar y banc, ond hefyd am eu bod yn gwneud yn siŵr fod y cwmnïau llwyddiannus hynny’n parhau’n llwyddiannus am genedlaethau i ddod.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to congratulate the Members who’ve put forward this debate, because I think it does give the space to try to look at economic strategy and perhaps try to do it at a bit of a distance and to try to think of new ideas. So, I congratulate them on doing that.

The argument about what makes certain city regions, countries or areas grow faster than others is very long standing. It would be daft to try to claim that people moved from rural Ceredigion to Senghenydd in Hefin David’s constituency, as my grandparents did, because of the schools and hospitals and other infrastructure. They moved because of the coal mines. New coal mines opening up would be classed as population-creating industries, with schools, hospitals and the food and drink industries being classed as population-serving economic activities. If the mine is there, the pit village grows around it; schools and health centres, railways and roads, bakeries and breweries have to grow up nearby to serve the new local population.

This motion, as I understand it, is calling for investment and a fresh approach to the economy of the every day. And I support that, but what I would like to hear in the debate is what that actually means in practice. What would this new approach to the foundation economy actually be? Because it makes absolute sense to listen to and that’s where we should invest and that’s what we should develop. I was very pleased to hear Karel Williams speak, as well, in the Pierhead some time ago. I think it’s very important that we try to look at the situations that we have with fresh eyes and try to think of a strategy that will address some of the long-standing problems that we’ve had.

I think it still remains that, within Wales, the main variable in causing Wales, or indeed different parts of Wales, to prosper or not, is what replaces the original staple industries of the industrial revolution. I think what replaces the mines in the Valleys is as live an issue today as it was in the 1930s. I think that is where I would like to hear some more of the thinking as to how we develop the foundation industry in order to deal with the situation where those staple industries have gone, in places like the Valleys, where I come from.

In my constituency of Cardiff North, it’s a very different situation, because what keeps Cardiff North going is the world of public services. It’s never been a manufacturing constituency and it never was, except for the Royal Ordnance Factory, which came in the last war and continued, I think, for 50 years after that—the only big base of manufacturing and, of course, it’s all now houses. But what has kept Cardiff North on an even keel today is the huge investment in health services by way of the University Hospital of Wales at Heath park; the children’s hospital; the medical school at Cardiff University; the dental hospital; and, of course, the forthcoming massive investment in creating the new Velindre hospital. So, of course, the provision of public services of that character links with the emergence of new high-tech industries. Of course, on the Velindre site there’ll be a cancer research and a clinical trials business park allied with the new Velindre, and if there was more room at UHW, there would be an even bigger facility for spin-offs from the medical school. I think there’s a wider lesson there about how the foundation economy side interacts both ways with the more mobile parts of the economy.

I think, if you look at some of the most successful cities and regions in the United States, you can see that places like Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio, have grown up as public sector infrastructure state capitals, providing state administration and huge, well-resourced, prestigious state universities. Now, that’s where the new high-tech industries want to locate, because both Apple and Google have decided to locate their second campuses in Austin because it’s got the right buzz. I think it’s very important that we look at the areas of growth that are most successful, that we put our resources into those, and that we plan carefully where they should be throughout Wales, and put the impetus there as well as trying to look at the foundation economy and do what we can to develop that. So, I’m very grateful to have taken part briefly in this debate today, and I congratulate the Members who are doing this economic thinking about where we’re going in Wales today. Thank you.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn longyfarch yr Aelodau sydd wedi cyflwyno’r ddadl hon, oherwydd credaf ei bod yn rhoi lle i geisio edrych ar y strategaeth economaidd a cheisio’i wneud o beth pellter efallai, a cheisio meddwl am syniadau newydd. Felly, rwy’n eu llongyfarch am wneud hynny.

Bu dadlau ers amser maith ynglŷn â’r hyn sy’n gwneud i ddinas-ranbarthau, gwledydd neu ardaloedd penodol dyfu’n gyflymach nag eraill. Byddai’n hurt ceisio honni bod pobl wedi symud o Geredigion wledig i Senghenydd yn etholaeth Hefin David, fel y gwnaeth fy nhad-cu a fy mam-gu, oherwydd yr ysgolion a’r ysbytai a seilwaith arall. Symud oherwydd y pyllau glo a wnaethant. Byddai pyllau glo newydd a fyddai’n agor yn cael eu galw’n ddiwydiannau creu poblogaeth, gyda’r ysgolion, yr ysbytai a’r diwydiannau bwyd a diod yn cael eu categoreiddio fel gweithgareddau economaidd i wasanaethu’r boblogaeth. Os yw’r pwll glo yno, mae pentref y pwll yn tyfu o’i gwmpas; rhaid i ysgolion a chanolfannau iechyd, rheilffyrdd a ffyrdd, poptai a bragdai dyfu gerllaw i wasanaethu’r boblogaeth leol newydd.

Mae’r cynnig hwn, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, yn galw am fuddsoddi yn yr economi bob dydd ac ymagwedd newydd tuag ati. Ac rwy’n cefnogi hynny, ond yr hyn yr hoffwn ei glywed yn y ddadl yw beth y mae hynny’n ei olygu’n ymarferol. Beth fyddai’r ymagwedd newydd hon tuag at yr economi sylfaenol mewn gwirionedd? Oherwydd mae’n gwneud synnwyr llwyr i wrando arno a dyna ble y dylem fuddsoddi a dyna y dylem ei ddatblygu. Roeddwn yn falch iawn o glywed Karel Williams yn siarad hefyd yn y Pierhead beth amser yn ôl. Credaf ei bod yn bwysig iawn i ni geisio edrych ar y sefyllfaoedd sydd gennym gyda llygaid newydd a cheisio meddwl am strategaeth a fydd yn mynd i’r afael â rhai o’r problemau hirsefydlog sydd wedi bod gennym.

Rwy’n credu ei bod yn dal i fod yn wir mai’r prif amrywiad yng Nghymru sy’n achosi i Gymru, neu wahanol rannau o Gymru yn wir, i ffynnu neu beidio â ffynnu, yw’r hyn sy’n dod yn lle prif ddiwydiannau gwreiddiol y chwyldro diwydiannol. Rwy’n credu bod yr hyn sy’n dod yn lle’r pyllau glo yn y Cymoedd yn gwestiwn mor fyw heddiw ag yr oedd yn y 1930au. Rwy’n meddwl mai dyna ble yr hoffwn glywed mwy o’r syniadau ynglŷn â sut y gallwn ddatblygu diwydiant sylfaenol er mwyn mynd i’r afael â sefyllfa lle y mae’r prif ddiwydiannau hynny wedi diflannu, mewn llefydd fel y Cymoedd, o ble rwy’n dod.

Yn fy etholaeth i, sef Gogledd Caerdydd, mae’n sefyllfa wahanol iawn, gan mai’r hyn sy’n cadw Gogledd Caerdydd i fynd yw byd y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Nid yw erioed wedi bod yn etholaeth weithgynhyrchiol, ac eithrio’r Ffatri Ordnans Frenhinol, a ddaeth yn ystod y rhyfel diwethaf a pharhau, rwy’n meddwl, am 50 mlynedd wedyn—yr unig safle gweithgynhyrchu mawr ac wrth gwrs, mae’r cyfan yn dai bellach. Ond yr hyn sydd wedi cadw Gogledd Caerdydd i redeg yn llyfn heddiw yw’r buddsoddiad enfawr mewn gwasanaethau iechyd drwy gyfrwng Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru ym mharc y Mynydd Bychan; ysbyty’r plant; yr ysgol feddygol ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd; yr ysbyty deintyddol; ac wrth gwrs, y buddsoddiad enfawr sydd ar y ffordd i greu ysbyty newydd Felindre. Felly, wrth gwrs, mae darparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus o’r mathau hyn yn cysylltu â dyfodiad diwydiannau uwch-dechnoleg newydd. Wrth gwrs, ar safle Felindre bydd parc busnes ymchwil canser a threialon clinigol yn gysylltiedig ag ysbyty newydd Felindre, a phe bai mwy o le yn Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru, byddai cyfleuster hyd yn oed yn fwy ar gyfer sgil-gynhyrchion o’r ysgol feddygol. Rwy’n credu bod yna wers ehangach i’w dysgu yno am y modd y mae’r ochr economi sylfaenol yn rhyngweithio y ddwy ffordd â rhannau mwy symudol o’r economi.

Os edrychwch ar rai o ddinasoedd a rhanbarthau mwyaf llwyddiannus yr Unol Daleithiau, rwy’n credu y gallwch weld bod llefydd fel Austin, Texas, a Columbus, Ohio, wedi tyfu fel prifddinasoedd taleithiol i seilwaith y sector cyhoeddus, gan ddarparu gweinyddiaeth daleithiol a phrifysgolion taleithiol enfawr, mawreddog gyda llawer o adnoddau. Nawr, dyna ble y mae diwydiannau uwch-dechnoleg newydd yn awyddus i sefydlu, gan fod Apple a Google wedi penderfynu lleoli eu hail gampysau yn Austin am fod y wefr gywir i’w theimlo yno. Credaf ei bod yn bwysig iawn i ni edrych ar yr ardaloedd twf mwyaf llwyddiannus, ein bod yn rhoi ein hadnoddau tuag atynt, a’n bod yn cynllunio’n ofalus lle y dylent fod ledled Cymru, a rhoi’r ysgogiad yno yn ogystal â cheisio edrych ar yr economi sylfaenol a gwneud yr hyn a allwn i ddatblygu hynny. Felly, rwy’n ddiolchgar iawn am gael cymryd rhan yn fyr yn y ddadl hon heddiw, a hoffwn longyfarch yr Aelodau sy’n meddwl yn economaidd yn y ffordd hon ynglŷn â ble rydym yn mynd yng Nghymru heddiw. Diolch.

I’m pleased to be able to contribute to this debate today, and I also congratulate the Members for securing the debate on this subject—a subject that I hadn’t previously known a great deal about. As we’ve already heard today, the concepts of the foundational economy enshrine the principles of ‘mittelstand’ and social franchising, and there is great potential, I think, for Wales, given the fact that a significant percentage of our workforce is employed in sectors that provide essential goods and services. So, I hope I can bring a few ideas of my own to this debate this afternoon, with regard to supporting the principles of a foundational economy in Wales.

I think the fact that the UK Government’s industrial strategy has recognised the capacity for involving businesses as a social franchise for education and skills is something to be welcomed. Also, of course, the establishment of university technical colleges would introduce a business and entrepreneurship element to many vocational courses and would, of course, bring learners, colleges, universities, and businesses together, prioritising skills and improving the status of vocational qualifications. In practice, I think this will mean that members from local business communities will be encouraged to participate on school governing panels, to advise on the curriculum, to create an environment where students can develop the work-ready skills that industry say that they need, as well as, of course, working with employers to increase the diversity of apprenticeships. Spreading the growth across the country was, of course, a priority of the UK Government’s industrial strategy, and this includes additional infrastructure funding to unlock growth in areas where connectivity is holding it back, taking into account the balance, of course, of spending per head between different regions of the UK when developing future rounds of infrastructure funding. We’re still waiting, of course, for the Welsh Government’s new economic strategy, but when it’s published, I certainly hope that it will put a similar emphasis on addressing the regional disparity in economic prosperity and the skills shortages that exist.

Point 2 of the motion, I think, is particularly strong. For me, for some years I’ve been very keen to have a red meat charter—something that I would like the Welsh Government to consider again—and this is something that could really promote the local procurement of our outstanding red meat products. I have asked previously for the National Assembly for Wales to have the ability to scrutinise the development bank’s business case to ensure that businesses are fully supported through the proposals. Such scrutiny, I think, will lead to developing it further into a model that would really support the foundational economy. So, I think we’ve got an opportunity in that regard there, as well.

The development bank, also, I think, should have a regional element in Wales, giving small and medium-sized businesses the opportunity to access finance locally. I want to see a series of regional high street banks across Wales established, and localised access to finance for small businesses. I also want to see a system where a number of geographical, accountable, Welsh regional investment banks can be brought forward as well, bringing finance closer to businesses in all regions of Wales. A few of the speakers today have talked about the differences in different parts of Wales and the different needs, so I think having a localised focus to regional funding would be good, as well.

Finally, the Localism Act 2011 has also devolved a number of significant powers to local communities that should empower them to support the foundational economy. So, England has implemented the community rights since 2011, and Scotland is also implementing its own version of community rights. So, I’d like to see the Welsh Government take this approach as well, because I think that would help communities and councils to come together to deliver services supporting the foundational economy. The foundational economy has a significant role to play and to ensure, I think, that Wales does have a healthy economy. I welcome the debate today and I’m happy to indicate my support for the motion.

Rwy’n falch o allu cyfrannu at y ddadl hon heddiw, ac rwyf innau hefyd yn llongyfarch yr Aelodau am gyflwyno’r ddadl ar y pwnc hwn—pwnc nad oeddwn yn gwybod rhyw lawer iawn amdano yn flaenorol. Fel y clywsom eisoes heddiw, mae’r cysyniadau ynglŷn â’r economi sylfaenol yn ymgorffori egwyddorion ‘mittelstand’ a rhyddfreinio cymdeithasol, ac mae potensial mawr, rwy’n credu, i Gymru, o ystyried y ffaith fod canran sylweddol o’n gweithlu yn cael ei chyflogi mewn sectorau sy’n darparu nwyddau a gwasanaethau hanfodol. Felly, rwy’n gobeithio y gallaf ddod â rhai syniadau fy hun i’r ddadl y prynhawn yma, o ran cefnogi egwyddorion economi sylfaenol yng Nghymru.

Rwy’n meddwl bod y ffaith fod strategaeth ddiwydiannol Llywodraeth y DU wedi cydnabod y gallu i gynnwys busnesau fel rhyddfraint gymdeithasol ar gyfer addysg a sgiliau yn rhywbeth i’w groesawu. Hefyd, wrth gwrs, byddai sefydlu colegau prifysgol technegol yn cyflwyno elfen fusnes ac entrepreneuriaeth i lawer o gyrsiau galwedigaethol a byddai, wrth gwrs, yn dod â dysgwyr, colegau, prifysgolion, a busnesau at ei gilydd, gan roi blaenoriaeth i sgiliau a gwella statws cymwysterau galwedigaethol. Yn ymarferol, rwy’n meddwl y bydd hyn yn golygu y bydd aelodau o gymunedau busnes lleol yn cael eu hannog i gymryd rhan ar baneli llywodraethu ysgolion, i roi cyngor ar y cwricwlwm, er mwyn creu amgylchedd lle y gall myfyrwyr ddatblygu’r sgiliau parod am waith y mae’r diwydiant yn dweud eu bod eu hangen, yn ogystal, wrth gwrs, â gweithio gyda chyflogwyr i gynyddu amrywiaeth prentisiaethau. Roedd lledaenu’r twf ar draws y wlad, wrth gwrs, yn flaenoriaeth yn strategaeth ddiwydiannol Llywodraeth y DU, ac mae hyn yn cynnwys cyllid seilwaith ychwanegol i ddatgloi twf mewn ardaloedd lle y mae cysylltedd yn ei ddal yn ôl, gan ystyried cydbwysedd gwariant y pen, wrth gwrs, rhwng rhannau gwahanol o’r DU wrth ddatblygu rowndiau cyllid seilwaith yn y dyfodol. Rydym yn dal i aros, wrth gwrs, am strategaeth economaidd newydd Llywodraeth Cymru, ond pan gaiff ei chyhoeddi, rwy’n sicr yn gobeithio y bydd yn rhoi pwyslais cyffelyb ar fynd i’r afael â’r anghyfartaledd rhanbarthol mewn ffyniant economaidd a’r prinder sgiliau sy’n bodoli.

Mae pwynt 2 y cynnig yn arbennig o gryf yn fy marn i. I mi, ers rhai blynyddoedd rwyf wedi bod yn awyddus iawn i gael siarter cig coch—rhywbeth yr hoffwn i Lywodraeth Cymru ei ystyried eto—ac mae hyn yn rhywbeth a allai hyrwyddo caffael lleol mewn perthynas â’n cynnyrch cig coch rhagorol. Rwyf wedi gofyn o’r blaen i Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru gael y gallu i graffu ar achos busnes y banc datblygu i sicrhau bod busnesau’n cael eu cefnogi’n llawn drwy’r argymhellion. Byddai craffu o’r fath, rwy’n credu, yn arwain at ei ddatblygu ymhellach yn fodel a fyddai o ddifrif yn cefnogi’r economi sylfaenol. Felly, rwy’n meddwl bod gennym gyfle yn hynny o beth hefyd.

Rwy’n meddwl y dylai’r banc datblygu gynnwys elfen ranbarthol yng Nghymru hefyd, gan roi cyfle i fusnesau bach a chanolig eu maint gael gafael ar gyllid yn lleol. Rwyf eisiau gweld cyfres o fanciau stryd fawr rhanbarthol yn cael eu sefydlu ar draws Cymru, a mynediad lleol at gyllid ar gyfer busnesau bach. Rwyf hefyd am weld system lle y gellir cyflwyno nifer o fanciau buddsoddi rhanbarthol daearyddol, atebol, Cymreig yn ogystal, gan ddod â chyllid yn agosach at fusnesau ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Mae rhai o’r siaradwyr heddiw wedi siarad am y gwahaniaethau mewn gwahanol rannau o Gymru a’r gwahanol anghenion, felly rwy’n meddwl y byddai cael ffocws lleol i gyllid rhanbarthol yn dda hefyd.

Yn olaf, mae Deddf Lleoliaeth 2011 hefyd wedi datganoli nifer o bwerau arwyddocaol i gymunedau lleol a ddylai eu grymuso i gefnogi’r economi sylfaenol. Felly, mae Lloegr wedi gweithredu’r hawliau cymunedol ers 2011, ac mae’r Alban hefyd yn gweithredu ei fersiwn ei hun o hawliau cymunedol. Felly, byddwn yn hoffi gweld Llywodraeth Cymru yn mabwysiadu’r ymagwedd hon hefyd, gan fy mod yn credu y byddai hynny’n helpu cymunedau a chynghorau i ddod at ei gilydd i ddarparu gwasanaethau i gefnogi’r economi sylfaenol. Mae gan yr economi sylfaenol rôl arwyddocaol i’w chwarae, rwy’n meddwl, ac i sicrhau bod gan Gymru economi iach. Rwy’n croesawu’r ddadl heddiw ac rwy’n hapus i ddangos fy nghefnogaeth i’r cynnig.

It’s a pleasure to speak in a debate that had its own cinematic trailer, which featured Professor Karel Williams on his visit to the Pierhead that Julie Morgan mentioned. It’s an unusual personal honour to be elected to represent, here in the National Assembly for Wales, your community and the one in which you were born and brought up. It encourages reflection on what the place that’s always been home can be.

As an academic, I’ve been interested in business and the roles small firms play in our economy. I’ve interviewed for my own research many business owners in south Wales and the west of England. However, in preparation for this debate today, I took a walk down Hanbury Road and High Street in Bargoed, and I reflected on the businesses that operate there, from Rossi’s cafe and Chisholms’ carpets to Thomas’s pet and garden supplies, which has been there since the 1950s. I took time to appreciate their existence, the role that they’ve played in my background and in my life as I went to school at Heolddu.

Indigenous businesses, buffered but unbowed, provide goods and services that contribute to our everyday lives. These businesses, rooted in our different communities, are far from immune from global economic shocks, but they are the necessary foundation to our local economies. As noted in the motion, small firms can thrive in such an environment and are less likely to leave, and, instead, can become embedded in their local supply chains. Here, they can grow and contribute to regeneration within our town centres.

My own understanding of this is heavily based on the concept of social capital. Whereas human capital refers to the knowledge and skills held by the individual, social capital refers to the extent to which that individual can gain further benefits from the knowledge that exists in their environment. Small businesses know this intuitively and connect with each other in a way that simply does not happen with larger firms, and, indeed, there is more of a hostile experience with larger firms. Using what is termed ‘bridging’ social capital, described also by Mark Granovetter in his seminal work as ‘the strength of weak ties’, firms form economic relationships that become social in nature and participants gain personal understanding, abiding trust and a deeper knowledge of one another. You may have seen it when you use local businesses and the way they talk about ‘we’ and ‘us’.

There’s a body of research that suggests that transfers of knowledge between small firms influences growth and this itself is influenced by the business network that supports social capital. It’s been argued that in order to be beneficial in the long term, networks need to be extended beyond local social contexts, and this is important, because the topography of the south Wales Valleys has been a barrier to this, and the consequence has been low-paid, low-skills work in the foundational economy.

Our environment encourages us to think in terms of our connections with the city, rather than looking to our eastern and western valley neighbours. And, alongside my colleague Vikki Howells AM, I advocate a change in our thinking and our language. We should consider our communities from Cynon to Blaenau Gwent as the northern valleys, connected and interdependent places, and not spokes linking to a vibrant city hub. By doing so, we will gain a better understanding of how we can regenerate our economic prosperity, tackle infrastructural challenges, and grow social capital. A foundational economy should stretch across the northern valleys.

In his evidence to the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee’s inquiry into the rail franchise and the metro, Dr Mark Lang—mentioned already by Adam Price—cites the fact that there is a

'lack of international evidence to support the view that transport investment leads to positive economic or social outcomes’.

He also raises concerns that a

'lack of a detailed spatial understanding of South East Wales against which to plan an integrated transport network’

can be inhibitive. It’s as well to voice these concerns, and the committee will consider them in detail.

I don’t dispute the view that cross-valley connections alone will assist growth. But, if our communities are to prosper, if we are to connect in a way that we haven’t in my lifetime, if we are to harness the potential of our reserves of social capital, then we need to make these connections to that social capital, across the northern valleys.

Mae’n bleser gennyf siarad mewn dadl gyda’i rhagflas sinematig ei hun, gyda’r Athro Karel Williams ar ei ymweliad â’r Pierhead fel y soniodd Julie Morgan. Mae’n anrhydedd personol anarferol i gael eich ethol i gynrychioli eich cymuned, lle y cawsoch eich geni a’ch magu, yma yng Nghynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru. Mae’n ysgogi’r meddwl ynglŷn â beth y byddai’r hyn sydd bob amser wedi bod yn gartref yn gallu bod.

Fel academydd, mae gennyf ddiddordeb mewn busnes a’r rolau y mae cwmnïau bach yn eu chwarae yn ein heconomi. Rwyf wedi cyfweld llawer o berchnogion busnes yn ne Cymru a gorllewin Lloegr ar gyfer fy ymchwil. Fodd bynnag, wrth baratoi ar gyfer y ddadl hon heddiw, euthum am dro ar hyd Heol Hanbury a’r stryd fawr ym Margoed, a meddyliais am y busnesau sy’n gweithredu yno, o gaffi Rossi a charpedi Chisholms’ i gyflenwyr anifeiliaid anwes a gardd Thomas, sydd wedi bod yno ers y 1950au. Treuliais amser yn gwerthfawrogi eu bodolaeth, y rhan y maent wedi chwarae yn fy nghefndir ac yn fy mywyd wrth i mi fynd i’r ysgol yn Heolddu.

Mae busnesau cynhenid, sydd wedi cael eu taro ond heb eu trechu, yn darparu nwyddau a gwasanaethau sy’n cyfrannu at ein bywydau bob dydd. Mae’r busnesau hyn sydd wedi’u gwreiddio yn ein cymunedau gwahanol yn bell o fod yn ddiogel rhag ergydion economaidd byd-eang, ond hwy yw’r sylfaen angenrheidiol i’n heconomïau lleol. Fel y nodwyd yn y cynnig, gall cwmnïau bach ffynnu mewn amgylchedd o’r fath ac maent yn llai tebygol o adael, ac yn lle hynny, gallant wreiddio yn eu cadwyni cyflenwi lleol. Yma, gallant dyfu a chyfrannu at adfywio canol y dref.

Mae fy nealltwriaeth i o hyn yn seiliedig i raddau helaeth ar y cysyniad o gyfalaf cymdeithasol. Mae cyfalaf dynol yn cyfeirio at y wybodaeth a’r sgiliau sydd gan yr unigolyn, ac mae cyfalaf cymdeithasol yn cyfeirio at y graddau y gall unigolion elwa ymhellach ar y wybodaeth sy’n bodoli yn eu hamgylchedd. Mae busnesau bach yn gwybod hyn yn reddfol ac yn cysylltu â’i gilydd mewn ffordd nad yw’n digwydd gyda chwmnïau mwy, ac yn wir, mae’r profiad yn fwy gelyniaethus ymhlith cwmnïau mwy o faint. Gan ddefnyddio’r hyn a elwir yn gyfalaf cymdeithasol ‘pontio’, a ddisgrifir hefyd gan Mark Granovetter yn ei waith arloesol fel ‘cryfder cysylltiadau gwan’, mae cwmnïau’n ffurfio cydberthnasoedd economaidd sy’n dod yn gymdeithasol eu natur ac mae cyfranogwyr yn ennill dealltwriaeth bersonol, ymddiriedaeth barhaus a gwybodaeth ddyfnach am ei gilydd. Efallai eich bod wedi’i weld pan fyddwch yn defnyddio busnesau lleol a’r ffordd y maent yn siarad am ‘ni’.

Mae yna gorff o ymchwil sy’n awgrymu bod trosglwyddo gwybodaeth rhwng cwmnïau bach yn dylanwadu ar dwf ac mae hyn ynddo’i hun yn cael ei ddylanwadu gan y rhwydwaith busnes sy’n cefnogi cyfalaf cymdeithasol. Er mwyn bod o fudd yn y tymor hir, dadleuwyd bod angen ymestyn rhwydweithiau y tu hwnt i gyd-destunau cymdeithasol lleol, ac mae’n bwysig am fod topograffi Cymoedd de Cymru wedi bod yn rhwystr i hyn, a’r canlyniad yw gwaith ar gyflogau isel nad yw’n galw am lefel uchel o sgiliau yn yr economi sylfaenol.

Mae ein hamgylchedd yn ein hannog i feddwl mewn perthynas â’n cysylltiadau â’r ddinas, yn hytrach nag edrych ar ein cymdogion yn y cymoedd i’r dwyrain a’r gorllewin. Ac ar y cyd â fy nghyd-Aelod Vikki Howells AC, rwy’n dadlau dros newid yn ein ffordd o feddwl a’n defnydd o iaith. Dylem ystyried ein cymunedau o Gwm Cynon i Flaenau Gwent fel y cymoedd gogleddol, lleoedd cysylltiedig a chyd-ddibynnol, ac nid sbôcs yn cysylltu â chanol dinesig bywiog. Drwy wneud hynny, cawn well dealltwriaeth o sut y gallwn adfywio ein ffyniant economaidd, mynd i’r afael â heriau seilwaith, a thyfu cyfalaf cymdeithasol. Dylai economi sylfaenol ymestyn ar draws y cymoedd gogleddol.

Yn ei dystiolaeth i ymchwiliad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau i’r fasnachfraint reilffyrdd a’r metro, mae Dr Mark Lang—a grybwyllwyd eisoes gan Adam Price—yn cyfeirio at y ffaith fod yna

'ddiffyg tystiolaeth ryngwladol i gefnogi’r farn fod buddsoddiad trafnidiaeth yn arwain at ganlyniadau economaidd neu gymdeithasol cadarnhaol'.

Mae hefyd yn mynegi pryderon y gallai

'diffyg dealltwriaeth ofodol fanwl o dde-ddwyrain Cymru ar gyfer cynllunio rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth integredig'

fod yn llesteiriol. Mae’n werth lleisio’r pryderon hyn, a bydd y pwyllgor yn eu hystyried yn fanwl.

Nid wyf yn amau’r farn y bydd cysylltiadau ar draws y cymoedd ynddynt eu hunain yn cynorthwyo twf. Ond os yw ein cymunedau i ffynnu, os ydym i gysylltu mewn ffordd nad ydym wedi’i wneud yn fy oes, os ydym i harneisio potensial ein cronfeydd wrth gefn o gyfalaf cymdeithasol, yna mae angen i ni wneud y cysylltiadau hyn â’r cyfalaf cymdeithasol ar draws y cymoedd gogleddol.

Can I start by saying that, if I’d signed the form in the right place, I would have been one of the co-proposers of this motion? I am relieved I am at least a supporter. I’m yet to go on the basic skills course, ‘life in the modern office’, but I will do that at some point—I promise my PA.

I think, as we’ve heard from the excellent speeches so far—and I do like these backbench debates, because I think the range of subjects we’re discussing are really insightful, and the level of consensus also, and challenge, that they generate is really refreshing—this is a really overlooked area, because it is so resilient and so fundamental to everyday life.

But, you know, as Hefin said, walking down the Bargoed high street—I was brought up in Neath, and in Skewen in particular. And I remember, as a boy, being sent off to do the shopping, if my mother, who helped run the family business, was particularly busy. I could go to Mr Jones the butcher—and he was Mr Jones—and I could just say, ‘We need meat for the weekend’, and that’s all I needed to tell him. He would prepare it, I would take it away, and he’d call later for payment. It’s a remarkable service, and leaves one with really fulfilling memories. But it is also full of potential for economic growth for enterprise, and, really, for allowing people to flourish in their communities, because of the confidence they get.

We do live in an age, I think, when people feel dislocated and undervalued. The lack of common worth, the equality of worth, in our populations in western countries is a real, real concern. The message ‘take back control’ I think spoke to much more than just the Brexit debate. There’s a real, real problem, I think, in western societies about this sense that there are people who are economically successful, and then there are the rest. It’s a real, real problem. So, I think, in terms of citizen fulfilment, and citizen confidence in the whole political economic system, this subject should not be overlooked.

Can I just give a couple of examples? Social care, childcare: the first thing here is that it’s a growing need, because of the patterns of change in our population—people living longer, but also both parents seeking work. But we’ve not caught up with the fact that these skills should be better rewarded. That’s probably the basic problem we have now, that those jobs cannot really give a proper living wage. So, that’s something that our economy has to look at and challenge. But it’s a really important sector, it’s one that invites innovation—the range of services that are required to support people in their homes or to have really effective childcare, at hours that are convenient and demanded. That, I think, is something that we need to look at.

Also, specific programmes that we do sponsor to increase childcare in deprived areas to allow people access to jobs—really, really important, but sometimes we don’t even start with making sure that those childcare job opportunities are given to local people. That would be a start, wouldn’t it, and would be a good way of empowering that local economy. This goes through a lot of procurement, as has already been mentioned. We deliver a lot of services—social services, a range of services provided by public agencies—and they’re often given to people who do not live in the area, who are fairly middle-class, when locals could be doing those jobs very, very effectively. We need to remember that principle.

I think some other areas—we heard earlier about community energy projects; their management and maintenance is something that local people can be involved in. I think there’s a whole range of activity out there in the civic sector where people without formal skills run organisations, raise tens of thousands of pounds for charities: this sort of activity can also be directed into our economy. There is that potential there with people. And many community assets, I think, could benefit from taking on this approach.

Tourism is an ideal activity to examine from the foundational economy point of view. The potential is massive. We live in Wales. It just invites tourists to come, really—the tourism capital, whatever we call it, or the cultural capital that we have. But we could be better at the bespoke services. That’s what people want. They want to stay in really interesting, individual hotels that are not replicated. They want a food culture. Livestock’s been our staple for a long time, but we’ve not really gone that stage further to ensuring that we finish the higher products in the food chain. So, there are many, many things, I think, that can be built on. And, in empowering local people and giving them the confidence to flourish, I think it would be a marvellous way of getting some economic optimism back into our communities.

A gaf fi ddechrau drwy ddweud, pe bawn i wedi llofnodi’r ffurflen yn y lle iawn, y byddwn wedi bod yn un o gydgynigwyr y cynnig hwn? Rwy’n falch fy mod yn un o’r cefnogwyr o leiaf. Rwyf eto i fynd ar y cwrs sgiliau sylfaenol, ‘bywyd yn y swyddfa fodern’, ond fe wnaf hynny ar ryw bwynt—rwy’n addo hynny i fy nghynorthwyydd personol.

Fel y clywsom yn yr areithiau rhagorol hyd yn hyn—ac rwy’n hoff o’r dadleuon meinciau cefn hyn, oherwydd credaf fod yr ystod o bynciau yr ydym yn eu trafod yn wirioneddol addysgiadol, ac mae lefel y consensws hefyd, a’r her a gynhyrchant yn wirioneddol braf—rwy’n credu bod hwn yn faes sydd wedi’i esgeuluso’n fawr mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd mae mor wydn ac mor hanfodol i fywyd bob dydd.

Ond wyddoch chi, fel y soniodd Hefin am gerdded ar hyd y stryd fawr ym Margoed—ces fy magu yng Nghastell-nedd, ac yn Sgiwen yn benodol. Ac rwy’n cofio, yn fachgen, cael fy hel i siopa, os oedd fy mam, a oedd yn helpu i redeg y busnes teuluol, yn arbennig o brysur. Gallwn fynd at Mr Jones y cigydd—a Mr Jones oedd ei enw—a gallwn ddweud, ‘Rydym angen cig ar gyfer y penwythnos’, a dyna’r oll y byddai angen i mi ei ddweud wrtho. Byddai’n ei baratoi, byddwn yn ei gasglu, a byddai’n galw’n ddiweddarach i gael ei dalu. Mae’n wasanaeth hynod, ac yn rhoi atgofion pleserus iawn i mi. Ond mae hefyd yn llawn potensial ar gyfer twf economaidd ar gyfer menter, ac mewn gwirionedd, ar gyfer caniatáu i bobl ffynnu yn eu cymunedau, oherwydd yr hyder a gânt.

Rwy’n credu ein bod yn byw mewn oes pan fo pobl yn teimlo’u wedi’u dadleoli ac nad ydynt yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi. Mae diffyg gwerth cyffredin, gwerth cydradd, yn ein poblogaethau yn y gwledydd gorllewinol yn bryder go iawn. Rwy’n credu bod y neges ynglŷn ag ‘adfer rheolaeth’ wedi ymwneud â llawer mwy na dadl Brexit yn unig. Mae yna broblem go iawn, rwy’n credu, mewn cymdeithasau gorllewinol yn yr ystyr fod yna bobl sy’n llwyddiannus yn economaidd, ac yna ceir y gweddill. Mae’n broblem go iawn. Felly, o ran bodlonrwydd y dinesydd, a ffydd y dinesydd yn y system economaidd wleidyddol gyfan, ni ddylid esgeuluso’r pwnc hwn.

A gaf fi roi un neu ddwy o enghreifftiau? Gofal cymdeithasol, gofal plant: y peth cyntaf yma yw ei fod yn angen cynyddol, oherwydd patrymau’r newid yn ein poblogaeth—pobl yn byw yn hirach, ond hefyd, dau riant yn chwilio am waith. Ond nid ydym wedi dal i fyny â’r ffaith y dylid gwobrwyo’r sgiliau hyn yn well. Mae’n debyg mai dyna’r broblem sylfaenol sydd gennym yn awr, na all y swyddi hynny roi cyflog byw priodol mewn gwirionedd. Felly, mae hynny’n rhywbeth sy’n rhaid i’n heconomi edrych arno a’i herio. Ond mae’n sector pwysig iawn, mae’n un sy’n gwahodd arloesedd—yr amrywiaeth o wasanaethau sydd eu hangen i gefnogi pobl yn eu cartrefi neu i gael gofal plant effeithiol iawn yn ystod oriau cyfleus y mae galw amdanynt. Mae hynny, rwy’n meddwl, yn rhywbeth y mae angen inni edrych arno.

Hefyd, rhaglenni penodol yr ydym yn eu noddi i gynyddu gofal plant mewn ardaloedd difreintiedig i ganiatáu i bobl gael mynediad at swyddi—gwirioneddol bwysig, ond weithiau nid ydym hyd yn oed yn dechrau drwy sicrhau bod y cyfleoedd gwaith gofal plant hynny’n cael eu rhoi i bobl leol. Byddai hynny’n ddechrau, oni fyddai, ac yn ffordd dda o rymuso’r economi leol honno. Mae hyn yn mynd drwy lawer o gaffael, fel y crybwyllwyd eisoes. Rydym yn darparu llawer o wasanaethau—gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, ystod o wasanaethau a ddarperir gan asiantaethau cyhoeddus—ac yn aml, cânt eu rhoi i bobl nad ydynt yn byw yn yr ardal, sydd braidd yn ddosbarth canol, pan allai pobl leol fod yn gwneud y swyddi hynny’n effeithiol iawn. Mae angen i ni gofio’r egwyddor honno.

Rwy’n credu bod rhai meysydd eraill—clywsom yn gynharach am brosiectau ynni cymunedol; mae eu rheolaeth a’u cynnal a’u cadw yn rhywbeth y gall pobl leol fod ynghlwm wrtho. Rwy’n credu bod yna amrywiaeth eang o weithgareddau ar gael yn y sector dinesig lle y gall pobl heb sgiliau ffurfiol redeg sefydliadau, codi degau o filoedd o bunnoedd i elusennau: gellir cyfeirio’r math hwn o weithgaredd i mewn i’n heconomi hefyd. Mae’r potensial hwnnw yno gyda phobl. Ac rwy’n credu y gallai llawer o asedau cymunedol elwa o fabwysiadu’r ymagwedd hon.

Mae twristiaeth yn weithgaredd delfrydol i’w archwilio o safbwynt yr economi sylfaenol. Mae’r potensial yn enfawr. Rydym yn byw yng Nghymru. Mae’n gwahodd ymwelwyr i ddod, mewn gwirionedd—y cyfalaf twristaidd, beth bynnag y’i galwn, neu’r cyfalaf diwylliannol sydd gennym. Ond gallem ddarparu gwasanaethau unigryw yn well. Dyna’r hyn y mae pobl ei eisiau. Maent yn awyddus i aros mewn gwestai gwirioneddol ddiddorol, unigryw sy’n wahanol i bob man arall. Maent eisiau diwylliant bwyd. Mae da byw wedi bod yn nwydd pwysig i ni ers amser hir, ond nid ydym wedi mynd y cam pellach hwnnw mewn gwirionedd i sicrhau ein bod yn gorffen y cynnyrch uwch yn y gadwyn fwyd. Felly, mae yna lawer iawn o bethau y credaf y gellir adeiladu arnynt. Ac wrth rymuso pobl leol a rhoi hyder iddynt ffynnu, rwy’n meddwl y byddai’n ffordd wych o adfer rhywfaint o optimistiaeth economaidd yn ein cymunedau.

Today in the House of Commons, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £1,000 business rate relief for the pubs in England, no doubt under pressure from his own back benches. Whilst the pub can indeed in some communities be the last business standing, having seen the closure of the shop, the primary school, and the community centre, I hope that we in Wales can be a bit more discerning in how we keep the glue of community cohesion together. It’s a pity we don’t have a more vociferous voice giving rate and rent relief to fruit and veg shops, which are much more at threat than pubs, rather than the purveyors of alcohol, with all the attendant problems that can cause, as well as the opportunity to socialise with our neighbours.

I’m distressed to hear that the main fruit and veg shop in the community of Llanedeyrn, which I represent, is considering giving up after over 20 years serving the community because she’s said that she’s simply not going to be able to afford the increased rent once the shopping centre is redeveloped and the rents inevitably go up. So, that is a huge cause of concern as to how that community is going to be able to access fresh fruit and vegetables in the future. And we can see that many of the corner shops that do survive in communities rarely offer any real, fresh food.

Some three years ago, Cardiff Council was forced to stop employing the couple of staff who ran the community café in the community, which provided fresh food for people who often lived alone and didn’t any longer have the capacity to cook their own meals. Although there was an initial attempt by a voluntary organisation to run it from outside the community, that foundered because they didn’t have the commitment or the organisation required to run a consistent, reliable service. So, it withered on the vine. So, I’m hopeful that the renewed community bid to reopen the café can both be glue to keep our community together, but also a mechanism for promoting real food to families who often never prepare food at home but simply buy processed food and serve it up without any input themselves, and also to provide work experience for young people who may need a better understanding of the requirements required to work in the retail industry.

Looking at the health service, Wales is a major trainer of doctors, nurses, and other allied professionals. Although these services are highly valued by our communities, we nevertheless have a persistent shortage of nurses, midwives, doctors, and other health professionals who want to stay and work in Wales. This is a conundrum that we really need to get our heads around, because, at the moment, the only people who benefit are the employment agencies, who charge very large premiums on supplying us with extra staff.

So, I was very pleased last night to hear from the vice-chancellor of Swansea University, who attended the Milford Haven event, that Swansea University is working with Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board and others to recruit more Welsh-based students to enter into the health profession, as it’s much more likely that these people are going to want to stay and work in Wales. I think that’s an excellent example of how we can be boosting the foundational economy.

But I also want to reiterate the challenge that’s involved in automation. The experts tell us that a third of all existing jobs at the moment are going to be done away with as a result of automation. I have to say that I think we need to ensure that we can use automation to enhance the foundational economy rather than simply seeing it as a way of eliminating staff. There are so many jobs that remain undone in our society that we need to be able to re-vive those resources, to liberate them, so that we can tackle some of the things we’ve already discussed today, whether it’s domestic violence, healthy relationships, fire safety, decent homes—these are things that we really need to think about deeply as to how we’re going to ensure that automation is not a way of simply cutting services, but of enhancing services, and replacing jobs that can be done by machinery with better jobs done by people.

Heddiw yn Nhŷ’r Cyffredin, cyhoeddodd Canghellor Trysorlys y DU ryddhad ardrethi busnes o £1,000 i’r tafarndai yn Lloegr, o dan bwysau gan ei feinciau cefn ei hun yn ddiau. Er mai’r dafarn, yn wir, yw’r unig fusnes sydd ar ôl mewn rhai cymunedau ar ôl cau’r siop, yr ysgol gynradd, a’r ganolfan gymunedol, rwy’n gobeithio y gallwn ni yng Nghymru fod ychydig yn fwy craff o ran sut i gadw glud cydlyniant cymunedol at ei gilydd. Mae’n drueni nad oes gennym lais mwy croch dros roi rhyddhad ardrethi a rhenti i siopau ffrwythau a llysiau, sydd o dan lawer mwy o fygythiad na thafarndai, yn hytrach nag i werthwyr alcohol, gyda’r holl broblemau cysylltiedig y gall hwnnw eu hachosi, yn ogystal â’r cyfle i gymdeithasu gyda’n cymdogion.

Mae’n ofid clywed bod y brif siop ffrwythau a llysiau yng nghymuned Llanedern, a gynrychiolaf, yn ystyried rhoi’r gorau iddi ar ôl dros 20 mlynedd yn gwasanaethu’r gymuned oherwydd mae hi wedi dweud nad yw’n mynd i allu fforddio’r rhent uwch pan gaiff y ganolfan siopa ei hailddatblygu gan arwain yn anochel at godi’r rhenti. Felly, mae hynny’n achos pryder enfawr o ran sut y mae’r gymuned honno yn mynd i allu cael gafael ar ffrwythau a llysiau ffres yn y dyfodol. A gallwn weld mai anaml y bydd llawer o’r siopau cornel sydd wedi goroesi mewn cymunedau yn cynnig unrhyw fwyd go iawn ffres.

Oddeutu tair blynedd yn ôl, gorfodwyd Cyngor Caerdydd i roi’r gorau i gyflogi’r ddau aelod o staff a oedd yn rhedeg y caffi cymunedol a oedd yn darparu bwyd ffres ar gyfer pobl a oedd yn aml yn byw ar eu pen eu hunain ac yn analluog bellach i goginio eu prydau bwyd eu hunain. Er y cafwyd ymgais gychwynnol gan gorff gwirfoddol i’w redeg o’r tu allan i’r gymuned, methodd hwnnw am nad oedd ganddynt yr ymrwymiad neu’r drefniadaeth angenrheidiol i redeg gwasanaeth cyson, dibynadwy. Felly, fe ddaeth i ben cyn dechrau’n iawn. Felly, rwy’n obeithiol y gall y cais cymunedol newydd i ailagor y caffi fod yn lud i gadw ein cymuned gyda’i gilydd, ond hefyd yn fecanwaith ar gyfer hyrwyddo bwyd go iawn i deuluoedd na fyddant yn aml yn paratoi bwyd gartref ond yn hytrach, yn prynu bwyd wedi’i brosesu a’i weini heb unrhyw fewnbwn eu hunain, a hefyd ar gyfer darparu profiad gwaith i bobl ifanc a allai fod angen gwell dealltwriaeth o’r gofynion angenrheidiol ar gyfer gweithio yn y diwydiant manwerthu.

O edrych ar y gwasanaeth iechyd, mae Cymru’n hyfforddi llawer o feddygon, nyrsys, a gweithwyr mewn proffesiynau perthynol eraill. Er bod y gwasanaethau hyn yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi’n fawr gan ein cymunedau, mae gennym brinder parhaus o nyrsys, bydwragedd, meddygon, a gweithwyr eraill mewn proffesiynau perthynol i iechyd sydd eisiau aros a gweithio yng Nghymru. Mae hon yn broblem y mae gwir angen i ni ei deall, oherwydd ar hyn o bryd, yr unig bobl sy’n elwa yw’r asiantaethau cyflogaeth, sy’n codi premiymau mawr iawn am ddarparu staff ychwanegol ar ein cyfer.

Felly, roeddwn yn falch iawn neithiwr o glywed gan is-ganghellor Prifysgol Abertawe, a fynychodd y digwyddiad yn Aberdaugleddau, fod Prifysgol Abertawe yn gweithio gyda Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Prifysgol Abertawe Bro Morgannwg ac eraill i recriwtio mwy o fyfyrwyr o Gymru i weithio yn y proffesiwn iechyd, gan ei bod yn llawer mwy tebygol y bydd y bobl hyn yn mynd i fod eisiau aros a gweithio yng Nghymru. Rwy’n credu bod honno’n enghraifft ardderchog o sut y gallwn hybu’r economi sylfaenol.

Ond rwyf hefyd yn awyddus i ailadrodd yr her sy’n ymwneud ag awtomeiddio. Mae’r arbenigwyr yn dweud wrthym fod traean o’r holl swyddi presennol ar hyn o bryd yn mynd i gael eu colli o ganlyniad i awtomeiddio. Mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud fy mod yn credu bod angen sicrhau y gallwn ddefnyddio awtomeiddio i wella’r economi sylfaenol yn hytrach na’i weld yn unig fel ffordd o gael gwared ar staff. Mae cymaint o waith sy’n parhau heb ei wneud yn ein cymdeithas y mae angen i ni allu ailystyried yr adnoddau hynny, i’w rhyddhau, fel y gallwn fynd i’r afael â rhai o’r pethau yr ydym eisoes wedi’u trafod heddiw, boed yn drais yn y cartref, perthnasoedd iach, diogelwch tân, cartrefi gweddus—mae’r rhain yn bethau y mae gwir angen i ni feddwl yn ddwfn sut y gallwn sicrhau nad yw awtomeiddio ond yn ffordd syml o dorri gwasanaethau, ond ei fod yn gwella gwasanaethau, ac yn sicrhau swyddi gwell wedi’u gwneud gan bobl yn lle swyddi y gellir eu gwneud gan beiriannau.

The foundational economy, whilst not a complete analysis of our economy, is a very important analysis of a key part of it. Given the needs that the sectors meet, the foundational economy is here to stay, but public policy in all parts of the UK hasn’t adequately addressed how we can help it to flourish and to deliver jobs that support a decent living. I want to focus in my speech on the particular role that the public sector can play to support the foundational economy generally.

Public bodies, and I include in that local councils, NHS bodies and universities, are huge economic actors as well as deliverers of essential services. They have the capacity to stimulate their local economies through procurement. Some see this role as closer to their core mission than others. Whereas local councils probably have this at least as an aspiration, I’m willing to bet that there aren’t many conversations happening within our universities, for example, about how they can proactively grow the local supply chain.

It’s not realistic to expect to procure everything from the local economy, but we need an approach to procurement that cultivates the local economy, helping to develop and grow businesses in the local supply chain over the long term, and not being satisfied simply with community benefits or a billing-postcode approach.

In a recent conference that I convened in Neath on the regional economy, we heard of contractors shut out of bidding for construction work because the contracts let were too large, when they could have been disaggregated and made accessible to local players. What we need to tackle this sort of issue is a new duty of local economic development on major public bodies, which would take us beyond the idea of community benefits.

Julie Morgan mentioned examples from Ohio, and, in Cleveland there, public bodies have worked together, developed a collaborative model, through which, in partnership, they proactively support local economic development through their procurement capacity. We are a small country and this is what we should be doing in Wales as well. But there is a more ambitious role for public bodies to play in key parts of the foundational economy. Take the social care sector, which several speakers have already referred to: a growing sector embedded in local communities, and one where the foundations on which it will grow in future are, frankly, precarious. Councils could invest in building care homes and rent them to not-for-profit operators. There’s an enormous gap between the profit margins that a commercial operator demands and the current returns on local authority pension funds, and somewhere in between those two points is a point where the public sector can invest for a better return, and for care to be provided more cheaply and with better wages for the workforce than today. Most care workers are women, of course, so let’s recognise today, of all days, the particular need to address terms and conditions in this sector.

Take, as well, the energy sector, which has also been mentioned. Our communities are totally detached from their own capacity to generate energy, resulting in loss of value to major utilities companies and in fuel poverty, which will never be addressed by a community benefits approach, however generous that is. There are 300,000 residential properties across the Swansea bay regional area. A large number will need energy efficiency measures or renewable energy installation, and all can benefit from cheap energy. Nottingham council owns and operates an ESCo, an energy supply company, Robin Hood Energy. It has created local jobs, cut fuel poverty, reduced energy inefficiency and cut carbon emissions. It generates revenues to reinvest locally. They’re looking to expand, by the way, so it’s another growing sector.

We should also acknowledge today some of the very innovative work under way in both energy and care, and other fields, by social housing providers in our community, who are key partners in the foundational economy. Smart local intervention could transform the foundational economy across, say, the Swansea bay city region. We are about to have a city deal. What we need alongside our city deals are region-wide community deals, investing in sustainable models in the foundational economy to take advantage of low borrowing costs, as well as the potential of the new UK municipal bonds authority and innovative joint pension fund management. There are long-term returns to the public sector and huge economic and well-being gains to the community.

What the foundational economy is about is a broader, less economistic view of the economy—one that takes well-being seriously. It isn’t about altruism, but about a sustainable economic model with a long-term horizon. It requires some imagination and the confidence to look at the economy differently, informed by a sense of common purpose.

Er nad yw’n ddadansoddiad cyflawn o’n heconomi, mae’r economi sylfaenol yn ddadansoddiad pwysig iawn o ran allweddol ohoni. O ystyried yr anghenion y mae’r sectorau yn eu diwallu, mae’r economi sylfaenol yma i aros, ond nid yw polisi cyhoeddus ym mhob rhan o’r DU wedi mynd i’r afael yn ddigonol â sut y gallwn ei helpu i ffynnu ac i ddarparu swyddi sy’n cefnogi bywoliaeth weddus. Rwyf am ganolbwyntio yn fy araith ar y rôl benodol y gall y sector cyhoeddus ei chwarae i gefnogi’r economi sylfaenol yn gyffredinol.

Mae cyrff cyhoeddus, ac rwy’n cynnwys y cynghorau lleol, cyrff y GIG a phrifysgolion yn hynny, yn weithredwyr economaidd enfawr, yn ogystal â darparwyr gwasanaethau hanfodol. Mae ganddynt allu i ysgogi eu heconomïau lleol drwy gaffael. Mae rhai yn gweld y rôl hon yn agosach at eu cenhadaeth graidd nag eraill. Er bod hyn yn ôl pob tebyg yn ddyhead, o leiaf, i gynghorau lleol, rwy’n barod i fentro nad oes llawer o sgyrsiau’n digwydd yn ein prifysgolion, er enghraifft, ynglŷn â sut y gallant fynd ati’n rhagweithiol i dyfu’r gadwyn gyflenwi leol.

Nid yw’n realistig disgwyl caffael popeth o’r economi leol, ond mae angen ymagwedd at gaffael sy’n meithrin yr economi leol, gan helpu i ddatblygu a thyfu busnesau yn y gadwyn gyflenwi leol dros y tymor hir, a heb fodloni’n syml ar fuddiannau cymunedol neu ddull cod post o weithredu.

Mewn cynhadledd ddiweddar a gynhaliais yng Nghastell-nedd ar yr economi ranbarthol, clywsom am gontractwyr yn cael eu rhwystro rhag gwneud cais am waith adeiladu oherwydd bod y contractau ar osod yn rhy fawr, pan allent fod wedi cael eu dadgyfuno a’u gwneud yn hygyrch i gwmnïau lleol. Yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom i fynd i’r afael â materion o’r fath yw dyletswydd datblygu economaidd lleol newydd ar gyfer cyrff cyhoeddus mawr, a fyddai’n mynd â ni y tu hwnt i’r syniad o fanteision cymunedol.

Crybwyllodd Julie Morgan enghreifftiau o Ohio, ac yn Cleveland yno, mae cyrff cyhoeddus wedi gweithio gyda’i gilydd, wedi datblygu model cydweithredol, lle y maent yn mynd ati’n rhagweithiol mewn partneriaeth i gefnogi datblygu economaidd lleol drwy eu gallu caffael. Rydym yn wlad fach a dyma y dylem fod yn ei wneud yng Nghymru hefyd. Ond mae yna rôl fwy uchelgeisiol i gyrff cyhoeddus ei chwarae mewn rhannau allweddol o’r economi sylfaenol. Cymerwch y sector gofal cymdeithasol, y cyfeiriodd nifer o’r siaradwyr ato eisoes: sector sy’n tyfu ac sy’n rhan annatod o gymunedau lleol, ac un lle y mae’r sylfeini y bydd yn tyfu arnynt yn y dyfodol yn ansicr a dweud y gwir. Gallai cynghorau fuddsoddi mewn adeiladu cartrefi gofal a’u rhentu i weithredwyr di-elw. Ceir bwlch enfawr rhwng maint yr elw y mae gweithredwr masnachol yn galw amdano a’r enillion cyfredol ar gronfeydd pensiwn awdurdodau lleol, a rywle rhwng y ddau bwynt ceir pwynt lle y gall y sector cyhoeddus fuddsoddi er mwyn cael enillion gwell, ac er mwyn i ofal gael ei ddarparu’n rhatach a chyda chyflogau gwell i’r gweithlu na’r hyn sy’n digwydd heddiw. Mae’r rhan fwyaf o weithwyr gofal yn fenywod, wrth gwrs, felly gadewch i ni gydnabod heddiw, o bob diwrnod, yr angen arbennig i roi sylw i delerau ac amodau yn y sector hwn.

Cymerwch y sector ynni, sydd hefyd wedi cael ei grybwyll. Mae ein cymunedau wedi’u gwahanu oddi wrth eu gallu i gynhyrchu ynni, gan arwain at golli gwerth i gwmnïau cyfleustodau mawr ac at dlodi tanwydd, problem nad eir byth i’r afael â hi drwy’r dull manteision cymunedol, ni waeth pa mor hael y bo. Ceir 300,000 eiddo preswyl ar draws ardal ranbarthol bae Abertawe. Bydd angen i nifer fawr ohonynt gael mesurau effeithlonrwydd ynni neu osod ynni adnewyddadwy, a gall pob un fanteisio ar ynni rhad. Mae cyngor Nottingham yn berchen ar, ac yn gweithredu cwmni cyflenwi ynni Robin Hood Energy. Mae wedi creu swyddi lleol, wedi lleihau tlodi tanwydd, wedi cyfyngu ar aneffeithlonrwydd ynni a lleihau allyriadau carbon. Mae’n cynhyrchu refeniw i’w ailfuddsoddi’n lleol. Maent yn ystyried ehangu, gyda llaw, felly mae’n sector arall sy’n tyfu.

Heddiw hefyd, dylem gydnabod peth o’r gwaith arloesol iawn sydd ar y gweill ym maes ynni a gofal, a meysydd eraill, gan ddarparwyr tai cymdeithasol yn ein cymuned sy’n bartneriaid allweddol yn yr economi sylfaenol. Gallai ymyrraeth leol ddoeth drawsnewid yr economi sylfaenol ar draws, dyweder, dinas-ranbarth Bae Abertawe. Rydym ar fin cael bargen ddinesig. Yr hyn yr ydym ei angen ochr yn ochr â’n bargeinion dinesig yw bargeinion cymunedol i ranbarthau cyfan, i fuddsoddi mewn modelau cynaliadwy yn yr economi sylfaenol er mwyn manteisio ar gostau benthyca isel, yn ogystal â photensial asiantaeth bondiau trefol newydd y DU a’r dull arloesol o reoli cronfa bensiwn ar y cyd. Ceir enillion hirdymor i’r sector cyhoeddus ac elw enfawr i’r gymuned o ran yr economi a lles.

Mae’r economi sylfaenol yn ymwneud ag edrych yn ehangach, ac yn llai economistig ar yr economi—gan fod o ddifrif ynglŷn â lles. Nid yw’n ymwneud ag allgaredd, ond â model economaidd cynaliadwy ag iddo orwel hirdymor. Mae’n gofyn am beth dychymyg a’r hyder i edrych ar yr economi mewn modd gwahanol wedi’i lywio gan ymdeimlad o bwrpas cyffredin.

Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. It gives me great pleasure also to speak in this debate. The foundational economy, as the Bevan Foundation rightly states, is a grand name for those business activities that we use every day and see all around us. Business like the Welsh retail, care, food, health and energy industries that have been mentioned may not have the glamour of other aspects of the economy, but it is high time that we all gave them the importance that they are due. I believe also that social procurement has a vital and critical role to play in stimulating our economy.

In Wales, the foundational economy provides real jobs for over half a million people. It provides essential services that form the heartbeat of local communities such as the village shop or care setting or processing or distribution or health centres. It is essential for a safe, sustainable and secure society less reliant on wider nations and insecure supply lines. The foundational economy is also relatively stable against external economic shocks—critical, post Brexit. It is relatively evenly spread across Wales. But equally, it is proven to have majoritively poorer terms and conditions, as has already been mentioned—majoritively women. So, addressing these issues could improve Welsh workers’ pay and also our economic and fiscal base.

We know that we live in an ever-changing world, and no longer are people afforded the security of a job for life. Pay a visit to any national supermarket and you are met with self-service tills where once you were met by a member of staff, as has been mentioned by Lee Waters and Jenny Rathbone. Yet in this world of hurtling change we know one constant, and that is: work affords people the opportunity to earn money and the opportunity to have enhanced self-respect in their lives, and adds to the well-being of a shared community where everyone’s success impacts on us all. We must all back a renewed emphasis on the foundational economy, because at its heart it is vital as we seek to combat poverty, and all in a world of vastly shrinking public sector funding and hugely retracting welfare safety nets.

Today in the UK, 13.5 million people are living in poverty. Of these, 7.9 million are working-age adults. Sadly, most shocking of all, 66 per cent of working households are in poverty—and they have someone doing paid work. When the political journalist of the ‘Argus’, Ian Craig, interviewed me earlier this year, he asked me what my priorities were as Islwyn Assembly Member. The answer was obvious. I said to him that, as a young adult, I was instrumental in setting up a number of tenants and residents associations, including at the Ty-Sign housing estate where I live today—the largest in my county borough—and that as a Welsh Assembly Member, I want to do everything that I can do to tackle poverty, both in Islwyn and across Wales.

The biggest issue for the people I see in my office, as many do in this Chamber on a regular basis, is poverty. It is paying your bills. It is having a decent standards of living. It is employment rights. It is security at work. It is economic viability. Many people today are suffering through a whole tranche, a tsunami of things, which are forced on them, increasing poor mental health, increasing workload on our hospitals, increasing people’s unhappiness.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Mae’n rhoi pleser mawr i minnau hefyd siarad yn y ddadl hon. Mae’r economi sylfaenol, fel y mae Sefydliad Bevan yn dweud yn gywir, yn enw mawreddog ar y gweithgareddau busnes a ddefnyddiwn bob dydd ac a welwn o’n cwmpas. Efallai na fydd busnes fel y diwydiannau manwerthu, gofal, bwyd, iechyd ac ynni yng Nghymru sydd wedi cael eu crybwyll yn meddu ar apêl agweddau eraill o’r economi, ond mae’n hen bryd i bawb ohonom roi’r parch y maent yn eu haeddu iddynt. Rwy’n credu hefyd fod gan gaffael cymdeithasol rôl hanfodol ac allweddol i’w chwarae yn ysgogi ein heconomi.

Yng Nghymru, mae’r economi sylfaenol yn darparu swyddi go iawn i dros hanner miliwn o bobl. Mae’n darparu gwasanaethau hanfodol sy’n ffurfio curiad calon cymunedau lleol fel y siop y pentref neu’r lleoliad gofal neu brosesu neu ddosbarthu neu ganolfannau iechyd. Mae’n hanfodol i gymdeithas ddiogel, gynaliadwy a saff sy’n llai dibynnol ar wledydd ehangach a llinellau cyflenwi ansicr. Mae’r economi sylfaenol hefyd yn gymharol sefydlog yn erbyn ergydion economaidd allanol—sy’n allweddol yn sgil Brexit. Mae wedi’i gwasgaru’n weddol gyfartal ledled Cymru. Ond yn yr un modd, profwyd bod ei hamodau a’i thelerau gan amlaf yn dlotach, fel y soniwyd eisoes—ac mae’n cynnwys mwy o fenywod na dynion. Felly, gallai mynd i’r afael â’r materion hyn wella cyflogau gweithwyr Cymru yn ogystal â’n sylfaen economaidd ac ariannol.

Rydym yn gwybod ein bod yn byw mewn byd sy’n newid yn gyson, ac nad yw sicrwydd swydd am oes ar gael i bobl bellach. Os ymwelwch ag unrhyw archfarchnad genedlaethol fe welwch diliau hunanwasanaeth lle y byddai aelod o staff yn sefyll o’r blaen, fel y crybwyllodd Lee Waters a Jenny Rathbone. Eto i gyd, yn y byd hwn o newid sydyn rydym yn gwybod bod un peth yn gyson, sef bod gwaith yn rhoi cyfle i bobl ennill arian a’r cyfle i wella’u hunan-barch yn eu bywydau, ac yn ychwanegu at les cymuned a rennir lle y mae llwyddiant pawb yn effeithio ar bob un ohonom. Mae’n rhaid i bawb ohonom gefnogi pwyslais o’r newydd ar yr economi sylfaenol, oherwydd mae’n hanfodol wrth i ni geisio trechu tlodi, a’r cyfan mewn byd lle y mae cyllid y sector cyhoeddus yn crebachu’n enfawr a rhwydi diogelwch lles wedi’u cyfyngu fwyfwy.

Heddiw yn y DU, mae 13.5 miliwn o bobl yn byw mewn tlodi. O’r rhain, mae 7.9 miliwn yn oedolion o oedran gweithio. Yn anffodus, yn fwyaf syfrdanol, mae 66 y cant o aelwydydd sy’n gweithio yn byw mewn tlodi—ac mae ganddynt rywun sy’n gwneud gwaith am dâl. Pan gefais fy nghyfweld gan newyddiadurwr gwleidyddol yr ‘Argus’, Ian Craig, yn gynharach eleni, gofynnodd i mi beth oedd fy mlaenoriaethau fel Aelod Cynulliad dros Islwyn. Roedd yr ateb yn amlwg. Dywedais wrtho, fel oedolyn ifanc, fy mod wedi cyfrannu at y gwaith o sefydlu nifer o gymdeithasau tenantiaid a phreswylwyr, gan gynnwys ystad dai Ty Sign lle rwy’n byw heddiw—y fwyaf yn fy mwrdeistref sirol—ac fel Aelod o Gynulliad Cymru, rwyf am wneud popeth y gallaf ei wneud i drechu tlodi, yn Islwyn ac ar draws Cymru.

Y broblem fwyaf i’r bobl a welaf yn fy swyddfa, fel y bydd nifer yn y Siambr hon yn eu gweld yn rheolaidd, yw tlodi. Talu eich biliau, cael safon byw sy’n weddus, hawliau cyflogaeth, gwaith sicr, hyfywedd economaidd: mae llawer o bobl heddiw yn dioddef drwy gyfres gyfan, tswnami o bethau, a orfodir arnynt, pethau sy’n cynyddu iechyd meddwl gwael, llwyth gwaith ein hysbytai ac anhapusrwydd pobl.

Will the Member take an intervention?

A wnaiff yr Aelod dderbyn ymyriad?

I’m sorry, I don’t have time.

I’m particularly concerned about people in work not earning enough. In preparing for this debate, I found the Joseph Rowntree report ‘UK Poverty: Causes, costs and solutions’ important and also refreshing. I wholeheartedly support the call for better pay and conditions. We can and must press for the voluntary living wage to be introduced as a high priority in all public sector employment and rolled out in public procurement contracts. Private sector employers should be supported and encouraged to introduce it. It is right that we in Welsh Labour propagate and lead the way and, as such, I wish to thank my Welsh Labour colleagues Lee Waters, Hefin David, Vikki Howells and Jeremy Miles for bringing this motion forward today. I want to add my voice to a call for innovation, bravery and ambition with a new Welsh resilient economic strategy, fit for purpose, for a modern, vibrant and prosperous Wales. Thank you.

Mae’n ddrwg gennyf, nid oes gennyf amser.

Rwy’n arbennig o bryderus nad yw pobl mewn gwaith yn ennill digon. Wrth baratoi ar gyfer y ddadl hon, roedd adroddiad Sefydliad Joseph Rowntree ‘UK Poverty: Causes, costs and solutions’ yn bwysig a hefyd yn galondid. Rwy’n llwyr gefnogi’r alwad am gyflog ac amodau gwell. Fe allwn ac fe ddylem bwyso i gael y cyflog byw gwirfoddol wedi’i gyflwyno fel blaenoriaeth uchel ym mhob swydd yn y sector cyhoeddus a’i gyflwyno mewn contractau caffael cyhoeddus. Dylai cyflogwyr sector preifat gael eu cynorthwyo a’u hannog i’w gyflwyno. Mae’n briodol ein bod ni yn Llafur Cymru yn lledaenu hyn ac yn arwain y ffordd ac fel y cyfryw, hoffwn ddiolch i fy nghyd-Aelodau Llafur Cymru Lee Waters, Hefin David, Vikki Howells a Jeremy Miles am gyflwyno’r cynnig hwn heddiw. Rwyf am ychwanegu fy llais at alwad am arloesedd, dewrder ac uchelgais gyda strategaeth economaidd newydd gadarn, ac addas i’r diben, ar gyfer Cymru fodern, fywiog a ffyniannus. Diolch.

Thank you. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates.

Diolch. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a’r Seilwaith—Ken Skates.

Member
Ken Skates 15:52:00
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I begin my speech by thanking Members for their thoughtful contributions today? It’s been an absolute pleasure to listen to each and every Member. This debate on the foundational economy comes at a very important time because, as Members are aware, I’m currently taking a fresh look at our economic priorities and, as part of this work, I’ve been talking to people, businesses, trade unions and organisations right across Wales.

It’s struck me that the economy does have many strong features. From Airbus and Toyota in the north to BAMC and GE in the south, there is a world-class innovation, knowledge and skills base right across the economy, more than we sometimes actually appreciate.

But also, as I’ve travelled around the country, one thing is very clear. Rhianon Passmore identified it, David Melding identified it and many others have as well. People feel insecure. Communities feel insecure. Beyond the headline of the 150,000 jobs that the Welsh Government supported in the last Assembly term, it’s clear to me that our economy and our economic model needs to be re-engineered to ensure that regional and local economies are more sustainable, to remove the lumpiness of growth across the economy. Indeed, not just to build economies but, as David Melding alluded to, to build places—places that people have pride in and feel secure in. We need an economy that is itself more secure to the shocks of globalisation, technology and political disruption, which will only increase and intensify in the coming years.

The vulnerability that Lee Waters talked of risks intensifying, unless change happens there. That’s where today’s debate makes an important contribution and, indeed, why the cross-party consensus that is so obvious on the importance of the foundational economy will be of enormous assistance in delivering a bolder, more inclusive strategy for a prosperous and secure Wales.

I can confirm to Members that our ‘prosperous and secure’ strategy will within it contain a very strong role for the foundational economy. If we get the approach right, not just within my department in terms of the services that I’m responsible for delivering and the support that I’m responsible for, but right across Government, then the foundational economy can play a hugely significant role in not just helping to grow our economy, but growing our economy with a purpose: reducing inequalities between people and between our communities.

We know the best route out of poverty is work, so we need to help people into work, to stay in work, and, crucially, to progress through work. The foundational economy offers great opportunities in that regard. The foundational economy happens where people live, so offers opportunities to stimulate sustainable, local economic growth—better jobs, closer to home. And I recognise that some parts of the foundational economy are marked for low-paid work, as Members have identified, relatively poor employment conditions and an absence of progression opportunities. That is the reason for the Welsh Government taking a clearer leadership role, when four out of every 10 jobs in Wales are in the foundational economy. By supporting innovation, improving management, filling skills gaps, helping develop new business models and, ultimately, encouraging better pay and conditions, we can develop those more resilient local communities.

An example of this is in the social care sector, which Jeremy Miles and others spoke eloquently of. Here, a new approach, drawing on the breadth of our levers across Government and focused on this national priority sector, can deliver real results and better outcomes for our economy and society. We are under no illusion that there is pressure on the social care sector, arising from factors such as financial constraints and an ageing population. So, we’re looking at ways in which we might be able to better support this sector and the businesses that operate within it. There are things we can do around procurement, around skills support and property that could make a real difference to service delivery and the sustainability of the sector, and the social care sector is, of course, geographically dispersed. Assisting local homes could help with accessibility to employment for people in communities right across the country and, crucially, in the process, driving up the quality of jobs, employment conditions and the sustainability of the businesses within it.

Members also spoke about energy, which isn’t just an essential component of the foundational economy. Arguably, it is, for Wales, our twenty-first century economic hedgehog, demonstrating how we are leading the world in certain energy subsectors. We’ll have much more to say on this and our broader ambitions for the foundational economy as our ‘prosperous and secure’ strategy is presented in the coming months. I am in no doubt that we want to harness the power and opportunities presented by the foundational economy, and so I welcome this debate today and the thoughtful input of Members, which we can factor into our work.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. A gaf fi ddechrau fy araith drwy ddiolch i’r Aelodau am eu cyfraniadau meddylgar heddiw? Mae wedi bod yn bleser pur cael gwrando ar bob Aelod. Daw’r ddadl hon ar yr economi sylfaenol ar adeg bwysig iawn oherwydd, fel y bydd yr Aelodau’n gwybod, ar hyn o bryd rwy’n edrych o’r newydd ar ein blaenoriaethau economaidd ac fel rhan o’r gwaith hwn, rwyf wedi bod yn siarad â phobl, busnesau, undebau llafur a sefydliadau ledled Cymru.

Mae wedi fy nharo bod llawer o nodweddion cryf yn perthyn i’r economi. O Airbus a Toyota yn y gogledd i BAMC a GE yn y de, ceir arloesedd, gwybodaeth a sylfaen sgiliau o’r radd flaenaf ar draws yr economi, yn fwy nag y sylweddolwn weithiau mewn gwirionedd.

Ond hefyd, wrth i mi deithio o amgylch y wlad, mae un peth yn glir iawn. Cafodd ei nodi gan Rhianon Passmore, a chan David Melding ac mae sawl un arall wedi gwneud hynny hefyd. Mae pobl yn teimlo’n ansicr. Mae cymunedau’n teimlo’n ansicr. Y tu hwnt i bennawd y 150,000 o swyddi a gefnogwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru dros dymor diwethaf y Cynulliad, mae’n amlwg i mi fod angen ailbeiriannu ein heconomi a’n model economaidd er mwyn sicrhau bod economïau rhanbarthol a lleol yn fwy cynaliadwy, a chael gwared ar natur dalpiog twf ar draws yr economi. Yn wir, nid yn unig er mwyn adeiladu economïau ond fel y cyfeiriodd David Melding, er mwyn adeiladu lleoedd—lleoedd y mae pobl yn ymfalchïo ynddynt ac yn teimlo’n ddiogel ynddynt. Mae arnom angen economi sydd ei hun yn fwy diogel yn wyneb ergydion globaleiddio, technoleg ac aflonyddwch gwleidyddol, sydd ond yn mynd i gynyddu a dwysáu yn y blynyddoedd i ddod.

Mae’r natur fregus y siaradodd Lee Waters amdani mewn perygl o ddwysáu oni bai bod newid yn digwydd. Dyna ble y mae dadl heddiw yn gwneud cyfraniad pwysig ac yn wir, pam y bydd y consensws trawsbleidiol sydd mor amlwg ar bwysigrwydd yr economi sylfaenol o gymorth enfawr wrth gyflwyno strategaeth fentrus, fwy cynhwysol i Gymru ffyniannus a diogel.

Gallaf gadarnhau wrth yr Aelodau y bydd ein strategaeth ‘ffyniannus a diogel’ yn cynnwys rôl gref iawn o’i mewn ar gyfer yr economi sylfaenol. Os cawn y dull yn gywir, nid yn unig yn fy adran i o ran y gwasanaethau rwy’n gyfrifol am eu darparu a’r cymorth rwy’n gyfrifol amdano, ond ar draws y Llywodraeth i gyd, yna gall yr economi sylfaenol chwarae rôl sylweddol iawn nid yn unig wrth helpu i dyfu ein heconomi, ond wrth dyfu ein heconomi gyda phwrpas: lleihau anghydraddoldebau rhwng pobl a rhwng ein cymunedau.

Gwyddom mai’r llwybr gorau allan o dlodi yw gwaith, felly mae angen i ni helpu pobl i gael gwaith, i aros mewn gwaith, ac yn hanfodol, i gamu ymlaen yn y gwaith. Mae’r economi sylfaenol yn cynnig cyfleoedd gwych o ran hynny. Mae’r economi sylfaenol yn digwydd ble y mae pobl yn byw, felly mae’n cynnig cyfleoedd i ysgogi twf economaidd lleol, cynaliadwy—swyddi gwell, yn nes at adref. Ac rwy’n cydnabod bod rhai rhannau o’r economi sylfaenol wedi’u nodi ar gyfer gwaith ar gyflog isel, fel y nododd yr Aelodau, amodau cyflogaeth cymharol wael a diffyg cyfleoedd i gamu ymlaen. Dyna’r rheswm dros sicrhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn mabwysiadu rôl arweiniol gliriach, pan fo pedair allan o bob 10 o swyddi yng Nghymru yn yr economi sylfaenol. Drwy gefnogi arloesedd, gwella rheolaeth, llenwi bylchau mewn sgiliau, helpu i ddatblygu modelau busnes newydd ac yn y pen draw, annog gwell cyflogau ac amodau, gallwn ddatblygu’r cymunedau lleol cryfach hyn.

Ceir un enghraifft o hyn yn y sector gofal cymdeithasol, a siaradodd Jeremy Miles ac eraill yn huawdl am hyn. Yma, gall dull newydd o weithredu, gan bwyso ar ehangder ein dulliau ar draws y Llywodraeth a chanolbwyntio ar y sector hwn sydd â blaenoriaeth yn genedlaethol, sicrhau canlyniadau real a gwell i’n heconomi a’n cymdeithas. Nid oes gennym unrhyw amheuaeth fod pwysau ar y sector gofal cymdeithasol, yn deillio o ffactorau megis cyfyngiadau ariannol a phoblogaeth sy’n heneiddio. Felly, rydym yn edrych ar ffyrdd o allu cefnogi’r sector hwn a’r busnesau sy’n gweithredu o’i fewn yn well. Mae yna bethau y gallwn eu gwneud ym maes caffael, o ran cymorth sgiliau ac eiddo a allai wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i’r modd y caiff gwasanaethau eu darparu a chynaliadwyedd y sector, ac mae’r sector gofal cymdeithasol, wrth gwrs, yn wasgaredig yn ddaearyddol. Gallai cynorthwyo cartrefi lleol helpu gyda mynediad at gyflogaeth i bobl mewn cymunedau ar draws y wlad ac yn hollbwysig, yn y broses, gwella ansawdd swyddi, amodau cyflogaeth a chynaliadwyedd y busnesau o’i fewn.

Siaradodd yr Aelodau hefyd am ynni, ac mae’n fwy na rhan hanfodol o’r economi sylfaenol. Gellid dadlau mai dyma yw ein draenog economaidd yng Nghymru yn yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, gan ddangos sut yr ydym yn arwain y byd mewn is-sectorau ynni penodol. Bydd gennym lawer mwy i’w ddweud am hyn a’n huchelgeisiau ehangach ar gyfer yr economi sylfaenol wrth i’n strategaeth ‘ffyniannus a diogel’ gael ei chyflwyno yn y misoedd nesaf. Nid oes gennyf unrhyw amheuaeth ein bod yn awyddus i fanteisio ar y grym a’r cyfleoedd a gyflwynir gan yr economi sylfaenol, ac felly croesawaf y ddadl hon heddiw a chyfraniad meddylgar yr Aelodau, y gallwn ei gynnwys yn elfen o’n gwaith.

Thank you very much. I call on Vikki Howells to reply to the debate.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Galwaf ar Vikki Howells i ymateb i’r ddadl.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Thank you to all the Members who have contributed to today’s debate. For my closing remarks, I want to start by outlining a few reasons why the foundational economy is so different. In contrast to what has been described as ‘the monoculture of mainstream economics’, where growth and innovation have been constrained within a one-size-fits-all policy, a refreshed focus on the foundational economy will allow us to develop bespoke solutions that meet different needs across different parts of Wales, including, critically, in my own constituency and the rest of the northern Valleys. A foundational economy would, instead, be built around innovative policies that engage the specifics of activity, time and place. It also challenges us to review, reappraise and re-evaluate the activities already going on all around us, moving away from a blinkered rejection of the everyday to instead embrace their benefits and importance. This is a point well made by David Melding when he talked about aspects of our workforce feeling undervalued.

In an excellent seminar here at the Senedd yesterday, Professor Julie Froud noted the need to build, grow and develop grounded firms. By doing so, the foundational economy offers Wales a chance to be a world leader. Growing internationally recognised brands, which can be exported around the world, is one area that has been identified as a key challenge for us as we strive to grow our foundational economy. I’m very proud to be able to say that Penderyn whisky, which is distilled and packaged in my constituency before being sold around the world, is perhaps one of our best examples of a recognisably Welsh international brand. Its success shows us that by thinking outside the box, having confidence and accessing appropriate business support, as referred to by Russell George, it is possible for us to access niche markets and to become a world leader.

But, aside from these more glamorous high-end niche sectors, there are powerful economic arguments in favour of the foundational economy. Professor Karel Williams has highlighted what should be a self-evident truth: the Welsh economy is dominated by the foundational economy, producing the mundane basic goods that we all rely on. Nearly 40 per cent of Welsh jobs are located in the foundational economy. In the Cynon Valley, enterprises like furniture makers Ashwood Designs and dairy producer Ellis Eggs are key local employers. In Mountain Ash, Rocialle provides essential consumable items to healthcare, employing just under 400 people to make things like bandages, bowls and cotton-wool balls.

Carpet Fit Wales, another very successful firm based in my constituency, boasts well-developed horizontal supply chains, and highlights the way in which local procurement networks can be used to grow and stimulate the Welsh economy. During my preparation for this debate, I spoke to Carpet Fit Wales and was impressed by the way they are connected to neighbouring businesses. Their suppliers are based in Swansea, Cardiff and Bridgend, they use a local floor manufacturer based in Caerphilly, and their human resources, information technology, design and garage services are all provided within the Cynon Valley.

As this example shows, the foundational economy benefits all of Wales, not just hotspots that can leave other swathes of Wales feeling isolated and left behind, providing localised goods and services that communities can be proud of. An additional strength is provided by its longevity and resilience, with the businesses, services and infrastructure within the sector having proved remarkably resilient to external crashes over time—a point stressed by Lee Waters.

Cresta Caterers in Aberdare has been in business for over 50 years, and Welsh Hills Bakery for over 60 years—still a family owned business in Hirwaun that exports across Europe, America, Australia and the middle east. Both of these are examples of the food sector so well referenced by my colleague Jenny Rathbone. In addition, my colleague Hefin David drew on examples from his constituency and his academic background to powerfully reinforce the message of social capital being used as an asset.

In addition to the powerful economic arguments for focusing on the foundational economy, there are also strong moral arguments in its favour, too. The manifesto for the foundational economy persuasively argued that a rebalancing of economic and well-being gains will enable us to aim at a Wales with a reinvigorated social franchise that has a stronger focus on reciprocal social relations. In this model, economic needs and quality of life would go hand in hand, so that employers cannot impose unacceptable working practices and bigger businesses cannot ride roughshod over smaller suppliers or local concerns.

This is very necessary, because, as the Bevan Foundation has rightly pointed out, many of the industries and occupations associated with the foundational economy have a real problem with low pay and poor working practices—a point well made by Rhianon Passmore. We must take action to improve problems like work insecurity, zero-hours contracts and inadequate pay. One area to focus on, as Karel Williams notes, is the opportunities and challenges provided by the growing adult care sector. We must consider these elements not just as economic determinants but as providers of invaluable social benefit, and value them accordingly.

Jeremy Miles used care as one example where strengthening the foundational economy will bring long-term returns to the public sector and huge local economic and well-being gains to the community. I welcome the work the Welsh Government is doing around this, and also similar initiatives like the childcare pilot. When this policy is fully implemented, there is the potential for significant growth in the childcare sector, providing additional jobs in the foundational economy, and it is another area in which Wales can again take a lead. It is vital that the employment opportunities provided by this policy are well planned on a local and regional basis, with the Welsh Government overseeing the process to ensure that the jobs created are secure and fairly paid.

To conclude, today marks a call for action in a renewed focus on the foundational economy. As Members have pointed out, many of the businesses and activities that make up the sector have been with us for years, but have never been properly integrated into our economic vision. I hope the Welsh Government will fully integrate support for the foundational economy into its forthcoming economic strategy. As Julie Morgan stated, it would be beneficial for us to consider this in our existing and current economic plans. And I am very pleased with the commitment that the Cabinet Secretary has made here today in his response to the debate, focusing on aspects of the foundational economy and issues such as procurement.

At the heart of the economic strategy must be a focus on developing grounded firms. I have cited some excellent examples from my own constituency but they tend to be exceptional in a Welsh economy that is defined as possessing a missing middle—a point well-made by Adam Price—where we lack the medium-sized enterprises that adapt and thrive within, for example, the German economy, by building on first-class reputations and exemplary brand presence. There are clear challenges here around access to finance and succession planning, and I hope that we can meet these.

Additionally, we must look again at how procurement works in Wales. I know the Welsh public sector spends £5.5 billion on goods and services, and although moves have been made to strengthen local procurement, they haven’t always gone far enough. There are opportunities around local government reorganisation and regional working to really get this right, but we need to get public sector and our foundational economy enterprises together to make sure conversations can be had. This can, in turn, then be used to strengthen and protect working conditions and really build a prosperous Wales that works for all of its citizens. I commend this motion today.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Diolch yn fawr i’r holl Aelodau sydd wedi cyfrannu at y ddadl heddiw. Ar gyfer fy sylwadau cloi, rwyf am ddechrau drwy amlinellu ychydig o resymau pam y mae’r economi sylfaenol mor wahanol. Yn wahanol i’r hyn a ddisgrifiwyd fel ‘ungnwd o economeg prif ffrwd’, lle y cafodd twf ac arloesedd eu gwthio i mewn i un polisi ar gyfer pawb, bydd ffocws newydd ar yr economi sylfaenol yn ein galluogi i ddatblygu atebion pwrpasol sy’n bodloni anghenion gwahanol ar draws gwahanol rannau o Gymru, gan gynnwys, yn allweddol, yn fy etholaeth fy hun a gweddill y Cymoedd gogleddol. Yn lle hynny, byddai economi sylfaenol yn cael ei hadeiladu o amgylch polisïau arloesol sy’n mynd i’r afael â manylion gweithgarwch, amser a lleoliad. Mae hefyd yn ein herio i adolygu, ailystyried ac ailwerthuso’r gweithgareddau sydd eisoes yn digwydd o’n cwmpas, gan symud oddi wrth ymwrthodiad cibddall o bethau bob dydd i gofleidio eu manteision a’u pwysigrwydd yn lle hynny. Gwnaeth David Melding y pwynt hwn yn dda pan soniodd am rannau o’n gweithlu’n teimlo nad ydynt yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi’n ddigonol.

Mewn seminar ardderchog yma yn y Senedd ddoe, nododd yr Athro Julie Froud yr angen i adeiladu, tyfu a datblygu cwmnïau gwreiddiedig. Drwy wneud hynny, mae’r economi sylfaenol yn cynnig cyfle i Gymru arwain yn y byd. Mae tyfu brandiau a adwaenir yn rhyngwladol yn un maes a nodwyd fel her allweddol i ni wrth i ni ymdrechu i dyfu ein heconomi sylfaenol. Rwy’n falch iawn o allu dweud bod wisgi Penderyn, sy’n cael ei ddistyllu a’i becynnu yn fy etholaeth cyn ei werthu o gwmpas y byd, yn un o’n henghreifftiau gorau efallai o frand rhyngwladol Cymreig adnabyddadwy. Mae ei lwyddiant yn dangos i ni ei bod hi’n bosibl i ni, drwy feddwl y tu allan i’r bocs, gael hyder a chymorth busnes priodol, fel y dywedodd Russell George, i gael mynediad at farchnadoedd arbenigol a dod yn arweinydd byd.

Ond ar wahân i’r sectorau mwy arbenigol ac atyniadol hyn ar ben uchaf y farchnad, mae yna ddadleuon economaidd pwerus o blaid yr economi sylfaenol. Mae’r Athro Karel Williams wedi tynnu sylw at yr hyn a ddylai fod yn wirionedd hunanamlwg: dominyddir yr economi yng Nghymru gan yr economi sylfaenol, gan gynhyrchu nwyddau sylfaenol bob dydd yr ydym i gyd yn dibynnu arnynt. Mae bron i 40 y cant o swyddi Cymru yn yr economi sylfaenol. Yng Nghwm Cynon, mae mentrau fel y gwneuthurwyr dodrefn Ashwood Designs a’r cynhyrchydd llaeth Ellis Eggs yn gyflogwyr lleol allweddol. Yn Aberpennar, mae Rocialle yn darparu eitemau traul hanfodol i ofal iechyd, gan gyflogi ychydig dan 400 o bobl i wneud pethau fel rhwymynnau, powlenni a pheli gwlân cotwm.

Mae gan Carpet Fit Wales, cwmni llwyddiannus iawn arall yn fy etholaeth, gadwyni cyflenwi llorweddol sydd wedi datblygu’n dda, ac maent yn tynnu sylw at y ffordd y gellir defnyddio rhwydweithiau caffael lleol i dyfu a hybu economi Cymru. Wrth baratoi ar gyfer y ddadl hon, siaradais â Carpet Fit Wales a gwnaeth y ffordd y maent wedi’u cysylltu â busnesau cyfagos argraff arnaf. Mae eu cyflenwyr wedi’u lleoli yn Abertawe, Caerdydd a Phen-y-bont ar Ogwr, maent yn defnyddio gwneuthurwr lloriau lleol yng Nghaerffili, ac mae eu hadnoddau dynol, eu technoleg gwybodaeth, eu gwasanaethau dylunio a garej oll yn cael eu darparu yng Nghwm Cynon.

Fel y mae’r enghraifft hon yn dangos, mae’r economi sylfaenol o fudd i Gymru gyfan, nid rhai mannau’n unig a allai adael rhannau eraill o Gymru yn teimlo’n ynysig ac wedi’u gadael ar ôl, gan ddarparu nwyddau a gwasanaethau lleol y gall cymunedau fod yn falch ohonynt. Un cryfder ychwanegol yw ei hirhoedledd a’i chadernid, gyda’r busnesau, y gwasanaethau a’r seilwaith yn y sector wedi profi’n hynod o gryf i wrthsefyll cwympiadau allanol dros amser—pwynt a bwysleisiwyd gan Lee Waters.

Mae Cresta Caterers yn Aberdâr wedi bod mewn busnes ers dros 50 mlynedd, a Welsh Hills Bakery ers dros 60 mlynedd—busnes teuluol yn Hirwaun sy’n allforio ar draws Ewrop, America, Awstralia a’r dwyrain canol. Mae’r ddau fusnes yn enghreifftiau o’r sector bwyd y cyfeiriodd fy nghyd-Aelod, Jenny Rathbone, ato’n effeithiol. Yn ogystal, tynnodd fy nghyd-Aelod Hefin David sylw at enghreifftiau o’i etholaeth a’i gefndir academaidd i atgyfnerthu’n rymus y neges ynglŷn â chyfalaf cymdeithasol yn cael ei ddefnyddio fel ased.

Yn ychwanegol at y dadleuon economaidd pwerus dros ganolbwyntio ar yr economi sylfaenol, ceir dadleuon moesol cryf o’i phlaid hefyd. Roedd y maniffesto ar gyfer yr economi sylfaenol yn dadlau’n argyhoeddiadol y bydd ailgydbwyso enillion economaidd a lles yn ein galluogi i anelu at greu Cymru gyda rhyddfraint gymdeithasol gadarnach sydd â ffocws cryfach ar gysylltiadau cymdeithasol ag eraill. Yn y model hwn, byddai anghenion economaidd ac ansawdd bywyd yn mynd law yn llaw, fel na all cyflogwyr orfodi arferion gwaith annerbyniol ac fel na all busnesau mwy o faint sathru ar gyflenwyr llai neu fusnesau lleol.

Mae hyn yn angenrheidiol iawn, oherwydd, fel y mae Sefydliad Bevan wedi nodi’n gywir ddigon, mae gan lawer o’r diwydiannau a’r galwedigaethau sy’n gysylltiedig â’r economi sylfaenol broblem go iawn gyda chyflog isel ac arferion gweithio gwael—pwynt a wnaed yn dda gan Rhianon Passmore. Rhaid i ni roi camau ar waith i wella problemau fel ansicrwydd gwaith, contractau dim oriau a thâl annigonol. Un maes i ganolbwyntio arno, fel y noda Karel Williams, yw’r cyfleoedd a’r heriau a geir yn y sector gofal oedolion sy’n tyfu. Rhaid inni ystyried yr elfennau hyn nid yn unig fel penderfynyddion economaidd ond fel darparwyr manteision cymdeithasol amhrisiadwy, a’u gwerthfawrogi’n unol â hynny.

Defnyddiodd Jeremy Miles ofal fel un enghraifft lle y bydd cryfhau’r economi sylfaenol yn dwyn elw hirdymor i’r sector cyhoeddus ac enillion economaidd a lles lleol enfawr i’r gymuned. Rwy’n croesawu’r gwaith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud ar hyn, a mentrau tebyg hefyd fel y cynllun peilot gofal plant. Pan gaiff y polisi hwn ei weithredu’n llawn, bydd potensial ar gyfer twf sylweddol yn y sector gofal plant, gan ddarparu swyddi ychwanegol yn yr economi sylfaenol, ac mae’n faes arall eto lle y gall Cymru arwain. Mae’n hollbwysig fod y cyfleoedd cyflogaeth a ddarperir gan y polisi hwn yn cael eu cynllunio’n dda ar sail leol a rhanbarthol, gyda Llywodraeth Cymru’n goruchwylio’r broses i sicrhau bod y swyddi a grëir yn ddiogel a’r cyflogau’n deg.

I gloi, mae heddiw’n nodi galwad i weithredu gyda ffocws o’r newydd ar yr economi sylfaenol. Fel y mae’r Aelodau wedi nodi, mae llawer o’r busnesau a’r gweithgareddau sy’n creu’r sector wedi bod gyda ni ers blynyddoedd, ond ni chawsant erioed mo’u hintegreiddio’n briodol yn ein gweledigaeth economaidd. Rwy’n gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn integreiddio cefnogaeth i’r economi sylfaenol yn llawn yn ei strategaeth economaidd sydd ar y ffordd. Fel y nododd Julie Morgan, byddai’n fuddiol i ni ystyried hyn yn ein cynlluniau economaidd presennol a chyfredol. Ac rwy’n falch iawn o’r ymrwymiad y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi’i wneud yma heddiw yn ei ymateb i’r ddadl, gan ganolbwyntio ar agweddau ar yr economi sylfaenol a materion fel caffael.

Wrth galon y strategaeth economaidd rhaid cael ffocws ar ddatblygu cwmnïau gwreiddiedig. Cyfeiriais at rai enghreifftiau rhagorol o fy etholaeth, ond maent yn tueddu i fod yn eithriadau mewn economi Gymreig a ddiffinir fel un y mae ei chanol ar goll—pwynt a wnaeth Adam Price yn dda—lle nad ydym yn meddu ar y mentrau canolig eu maint sy’n addasu ac yn ffynnu yn economi’r Almaen, er enghraifft, drwy adeiladu ar enw da o’r radd flaenaf a phresenoldeb brand rhagorol. Mae yna heriau clir yma o ran mynediad at gyllid a chynllunio olyniaeth, ac rwy’n gobeithio y gallwn oresgyn y rhain.

Yn ogystal, rhaid i ni edrych eto ar sut y mae caffael yn gweithio yng Nghymru. Rwy’n gwybod bod y sector cyhoeddus yng Nghymru yn gwario £5.5 biliwn ar nwyddau a gwasanaethau, ac er bod symudiadau wedi’u gwneud i gryfhau caffael lleol, nid ydynt wedi mynd yn ddigon pell bob amser. Mae yna gyfleoedd yn codi o ad-drefnu llywodraeth leol a gweithio rhanbarthol er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr fod hyn yn cael ei wneud yn iawn, ond mae angen inni gael y sector cyhoeddus a’n mentrau economi sylfaenol at ei gilydd i wneud yn siŵr fod modd cael trafodaethau. Gellir defnyddio hyn, yn ei dro, i gryfhau a diogelu amodau gwaith ac adeiladu Cymru lewyrchus go iawn sy’n gweithio i bob un o’i dinasyddion. Cymeradwyaf y cynnig hwn heddiw.

Thank you very much. The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? No. Therefore, the motion is agreed, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Y cynnig yw derbyn y cynnig. A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Nac oes. Felly, derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.

Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

6. 6. Dadl y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig: Iechyd Plant
6. 6. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Child Health

Detholwyd y gwelliannau canlynol: gwelliannau 1, 2 a 4 yn enw Rhun ap Iorwerth, a gwelliant 3 yn enw Jane Hutt.

The following amendments have been selected: amendments 1, 2 and 4 in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth, and amendment 4 in the name of Jane Hutt.

Item 6 on our agenda this afternoon is the Welsh Conservative debate on child health and I call on Angela Burns to move the motion.

Eitem 6 ar ein hagenda y prynhawn yma yw dadl y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ar iechyd plant a galwaf ar Angela Burns i gynnig y cynnig.

Cynnig NDM6251 Paul Davies

Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru:

1. Yn cydnabod bod sicrwydd o gartref, gofal iechyd, addysg a bod yn ddiogel gartref, yn ddiogel yn yr ysgol ac yn ddiogel yn y gymuned yn adeiladu seiliau cryf ar gyfer datblygiad iach pob plentyn;

2. Yn nodi pwysigrwydd gweledigaeth hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd plant, sy’n hyrwyddo iechyd a lles o’r crud.

3. Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i wella’r broses o gasglu data a’r ddealltwriaeth o iechyd plant yng Nghymru drwy:

a) ehangu arolygon profiadau canser i gasglu data ar gyfer plant o dan 16 oed;

b) cynnal gwaith ymchwil i fwlio gan gyfoedion; ac

c) ailwerthuso cymorth iechyd meddwl amenedigol er mwyn sicrhau cysondeb ledled Cymru ar gyfer teuluoedd sy’n agored i niwed.

Motion NDM6251 Paul Davies

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises that secure housing, healthcare, education, and being safe at home, safe at school and in the community builds the foundation for a child’s healthy development;

2. Notes the importance of a long term vision for Child Health, which promotes health and well-being from birth.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to improve data collection and the understanding of child health in Wales by:

a) extending cancer experience surveys to collect data for under 16s;

b) conducting research into peer bullying; and

c) re-evaluating perinatal mental health support to ensure consistency across Wales for vulnerable families.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am pleased to bring this debate to the Assembly today on behalf of the Welsh Conservative group. I have given much thought to the discussion I am hoping we can develop today. As a mother of two young children, the issue of child health and well-being is obviously extremely close to my heart and something I feel passionately about. I am so very aware that too many of our children really struggle to reach a good equilibrium in terms of their health and well-being. And because the factors that influence child and adolescent health and well-being cut across a number of portfolios, I appreciate that the Cabinet Secretary may feel that some of this debate strays away from his portfolio, but I make no apologies for cleaving to the premise that all children deserve the best start in life.

We would all wish for the best for the children and youngsters of Wales, however I’m keen that we recognise the importance of clarifying and setting a long-term vision for child health that promotes health and wellbeing from birth, because a healthy and emotionally resilient child is more likely to navigate better the turbulent waters of adolescence; will be more ready to learn and maximise their life chances; more likely to have developed healthy lifestyle habits; be better able to weather the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune; and cope with not just the joys of life but the turmoil of disappointment and sadness. I want to work with other parties and the Cabinet Secretary to achieve this. I trust that the tone we set today is not seen as confrontational but as a mature debate bringing ideas and suggestions forward to achieve an aim that every one of us in this Chamber would want to support.

So, let us start by looking at some facts. In Wales only 4 per cent of the NHS budget is targeted solely on women and children’s health needs. With International Women’s Day being celebrated around the world, surely this needs to change and we need to see a greater percentage of the NHS budget focused on women and children, because inequalities in health do not happen by chance—they are determined by where we live, the health of our parents, our income and education. And although children cannot effect these circumstances their development can be seriously affected by these circumstances.

According to the Chief Medical Officer for Wales’s report published in November 2016, the gap in health inequalities between the richest and poorest is widening. A perfect example of this is seen in young people’s tooth decay. While percentages of children with tooth decay in Wales has fallen from 48 per cent in 2008 to 35 per cent in 2015, which is very welcome news, Merthyr has seen figures rise to a startling 57 per cent. In other words, over half the children in that area are suffering from tooth decay. And according to the British Dental Association, in Wales as a whole, almost two thirds of teenagers suffer from decay, making them 60 per cent more likely to be affected by the disease than their English peers. I’m sure that the Cabinet Secretary will agree with me that these figures are concerning. So, why do I raise such an issue? Because we should bear in mind the importance that oral health has to general well-being. Poor oral health not only affects physical health, but also a child’s confidence, mental health and development.

We also need to gain a greater understanding of the causes of child ill health, and this is where I believe that effective monitoring and research is so important. We often view health inequalities through the prism of social economic deprivation, and sometimes ignore other aspects of a patient’s life that can have an impact, such as their gender, ethnicity, disability, or their mental health or parental responsibilities. I remain concerned that we do not have a good enough understanding of the individual to be able to address their needs effectively and adequately. To do that, we need more detailed research to be conducted across all age groups, and we need to expand that research in order to analyse the impacts on child health and well-being of relatively modern pressures, such as social media, and the impacts of pornography, of media objectification of young women in particular, and a rampant peer bullying. In fact, I’ve just had an e-mail that I’m going to read out—or a bit of—from a young woman who said,

The pressure to be perfect, to look perfect, to act perfect, have the perfect body, have the perfect group of friends, the perfect amount of likes on Instagram—and if you don’t meet those ridiculously high standards, then the self-loathing and the bullying begins.’

This is why it’s so important for us to really understand the impacts that these have on young people.

In Wales, as many as one in three of our children live below the poverty line, but, again, there’s a distinct lack of data on the depth of this poverty. We also need to consider, when undertaking studies to address this, to correlate research at levels that details gender, disability and ethnicity, because it will ultimately provide better and more accurate information for policy makers to base their decisions around. We must move away from the one-size-fits-all approach and ensure that a far better understanding is gained. This chimes with the calls that were made in the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s ‘State of Child Health Report 2017. It calls on the Welsh Government to fund a longitudinal study to track outcomes of infants, children and young people growing up in Wales to create data that will directly inform policies and services. Additionally, it states that the HealthWise population survey needs to take responses from under 16s as well. Now, both of these recommendations are important and also work alongside CLIC Sargent’s campaign for the Welsh Government to start collecting cancer patient experience data for the under 16s, which they don’t currently do. NHS England has committed to a methodology to do this, and I would like to ask you, Cabinet Secretary, to consider this for Wales.

All these recommendations will help us to better target resources, but at a minimal cost. As these studies are already taking part, all it would require is either a further expansion of those studies or minor improvements and changes to the research methodology.

The report also suggests that the Welsh Government should work with its counterparts in other parts of the UK to identify gaps in data collection and to ensure existing sources are comparable with other UK nations. Now, we’re not trying to play one part of the UK off against another here. But I do feel that by pooling knowledge, by pooling resources and pooling best practice, then we have a better chance of improving outcomes for all.

The CLIC Sargent report also highlighted another very worrying finding, which has a very serious impact for young cancer sufferers. They found that young people felt they were not listened to or taken seriously when first presenting symptoms to GPs. This is concerning, as we all know that in many cancers, it’s vital to catch them early. Additionally, GPs rank the lack of training opportunities as one of their top-three barriers to identifying cancer in young people. I would urge the Cabinet Secretary to look into this matter as a priority, to ensure that young people have the voice they deserve.

Finally, before I close, I’d like to focus on the well-being aspect of children’s health. Subjective measurements of child health and well-being can help us better understand the different types of mental health issues faced by children and young people. Research by the Children’s Society has attempted to explore the gender patterns in the well-being of children in the UK, and their recent ‘Good Childhood Report 2016’ found that objective indicators, such as family structure and household income, have a much weaker link to children’s well-being than indicators that are subjective or closer to them, such as the quality of their family relationships and other child-centred measures of deprivation. The report went on to find that the number of 10 to 15-year-old girls who defined themselves as unhappy has risen from 11 to 14 per cent over a five-year period, whereas figures for the number of boys in the same age group over the same period has remained stable at 11 per cent.

The Girl Guide movement also undertook work around this issue in their girls’ attitudes survey 2016. This found that 33 per cent of girls aged 11 to 21 would not seek help, because girls are just expected to cope, which is, in my view, a collective indictment of how we are bringing them up. And I make no apologies for emphasising the Girlguiding report and the other reports that focus on young women, today of all days—International Women’s Day—because that report also stated that girls aged between 11 and 21 say that mental health and well-being are the most important issues for them, to improve girls’ and women’s lives. And when asked what action they wanted to see, 34 per cent of respondents said they wanted to see greater support for younger people with their mental health. Worryingly, over a fifth claimed that they didn’t know who to ask for help, with these figures rising closer to a third in that very vulnerable, older, 17 to 21 age group. I accept that this survey was a UK-wide one, taking in opinions from Welsh Guides, but it did take in opinions from Welsh Guides and I would urge a similar study to be undertaken in Wales to help inform policy. However, I don’t imagine that the findings will be that much different. I think that the findings highlight that isolation and fear are not simply the purview of the elderly, but also surround many young people and affect their well-being. That is why some 7 per cent—or is it why some 7 per cent of 15-year-old boys and 9 per cent of 15-year-old girls are regular smokers? Numbers have dropped in recent years, but not to the level of other EU countries. This is a ticking time bomb, which if not adequately addressed, will have a serious long-term impact on the individual’s health. Is this why alcohol abuse in the young is increasing, as are self-harming and eating disorders?

As girls get older, they are more likely than boys to experience emotional problems such as anxiety and depression. These emotional problems sometimes emerge as conditions such as anorexia, which can be treated, but often have long-term health effects once the condition itself has been dealt with. Anorexics will often suffer from brittle bone disease later in life, or have problems reproducing due to a condition that may have been treatable if caught and identified earlier.

Young cancer survivors may also have longer term mental health needs. CLIC Sargent highlights that when cancer hits, it can affect every part of a young person’s life, including schooling, emotional health, relationships and confidence. Cabinet Secretary, what we need to ensure is that we are producing resilient and well-adjusted children who will grow into resilient and well-adjusted adults. We need to focus our efforts on ensuring that children have access to effective mental health support. We need to ensure that children are taught the value of adopting healthy lifestyle behaviours and making good relationships. We need to give them an opportunity to grow up in supported environments, in which parents and carers are able and enabled to support their kids. We need a clear and unambiguous vision for the health and well-being of our children, and the Welsh Conservatives would like to come along on that journey with you in order to give that vision for the children of Wales.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy’n falch o ddod â’r ddadl hon i’r Cynulliad heddiw ar ran grŵp y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig. Rwyf wedi rhoi llawer o ystyriaeth i’r drafodaeth y gobeithiaf y gallwn ei datblygu heddiw. Fel mam i ddau o blant ifanc, mae mater iechyd a lles plant yn amlwg yn hynod o agos at fy nghalon ac yn rhywbeth rwy’n teimlo’n angerddol yn ei gylch. Rwyf mor ymwybodol fod gormod o’n plant yn cael trafferth gwirioneddol i sicrhau cydbwysedd da o ran eu hiechyd a’u lles. Ac oherwydd bod y ffactorau sy’n dylanwadu ar iechyd plant a phobl ifanc a lles yn torri ar draws nifer o bortffolios, rwy’n sylweddoli efallai y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn teimlo bod peth o’r ddadl hon yn crwydro oddi wrth ei bortffolio, ond nid wyf yn ymddiheuro am lynu at y rhagosodiad fod pob plentyn yn haeddu’r dechrau gorau mewn bywyd.

Byddem i gyd yn dymuno am y gorau i blant a phobl ifanc Cymru, ond rwy’n awyddus i ni gydnabod pwysigrwydd egluro a gosod gweledigaeth hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd plant sy’n hyrwyddo iechyd a lles o enedigaeth, gan fod plentyn iach a gwydn yn emosiynol yn fwy tebygol o lywio dyfroedd cythryblus y glasoed; byddant yn fwy parod i ddysgu a gwneud y gorau o’u cyfleoedd mewn bywyd; yn fwy tebygol o fod wedi datblygu arferion ffordd o fyw iach; yn gallu goroesi’r cyfan y bydd bywyd yn ei luchio atynt yn well; ac yn gallu ymdopi nid yn unig â llawenydd bywyd, ond â chythrwfl siom a thristwch hefyd. Rwyf am weithio gyda’r pleidiau eraill ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i gyflawni hyn. Hyderaf na fydd ysbryd ein dadl heddiw yn cael ei ystyried yn wrthdrawiadol ond yn hytrach fel trafodaeth aeddfed sy’n cyflwyno syniadau ac awgrymiadau ar gyfer cyrraedd nod y byddai pob un ohonom yn y Siambr hon am ei gefnogi.

Felly, gadewch i ni ddechrau drwy edrych ar rai ffeithiau. Yng Nghymru, 4 y cant yn unig o gyllideb y GIG sy’n cael ei dargedu at anghenion iechyd menywod a phlant yn unig. Gyda Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod yn cael ei ddathlu ledled y byd, yn sicr mae angen i hyn newid ac mae angen i ni weld mwy o ganran o gyllideb y GIG yn canolbwyntio ar fenywod a phlant, oherwydd nid yw anghydraddoldebau iechyd yn digwydd drwy hap a damwain—cânt eu pennu gan ble rydym yn byw, iechyd ein rhieni, ein hincwm ac addysg. Ac er na all plant effeithio ar yr amgylchiadau hyn, gall yr amgylchiadau hyn effeithio’n ddifrifol ar eu datblygiad.

Yn ôl adroddiad Prif Swyddog Meddygol Cymru a gyhoeddwyd ym mis Tachwedd 2016, mae’r bwlch mewn anghydraddoldebau iechyd rhwng y cyfoethocaf a’r tlotaf yn lledu. Mae enghraifft berffaith o hyn i’w weld ym mhydredd dannedd pobl ifanc. Er bod canrannau plant â phydredd dannedd yng Nghymru wedi gostwng o 48 y cant yn 2008 i 35 y cant yn 2015, sy’n newyddion da iawn, mae’r ffigurau wedi codi’n syfrdanol ym Merthyr i 57 y cant. Mewn geiriau eraill, mae dros hanner y plant yn yr ardal honno yn dioddef o bydredd dannedd. Ac yn ôl Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain, yng Nghymru yn gyffredinol, mae bron i ddwy ran o dair o bobl ifanc yn eu harddegau yn dioddef o bydredd dannedd, gan eu gwneud 60 y cant yn fwy tebygol o gael eu heffeithio gan y clefyd na’u cyfoedion yn Lloegr. Rwy’n siŵr y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cytuno bod y ffigurau’n peri pryder. Felly, pam y cyfeiriaf at fater o’r fath? Oherwydd dylem gofio pwysigrwydd iechyd y geg i les cyffredinol. Mae iechyd y geg gwael nid yn unig yn effeithio ar iechyd corfforol, ond hefyd ar hyder plentyn, ei iechyd meddwl a’i ddatblygiad.

Mae angen cael gwell dealltwriaeth hefyd o achosion salwch plant, a dyma ble y credaf fod monitro ac ymchwil effeithiol mor bwysig. Yn aml gwelwn anghydraddoldebau iechyd drwy brism o amddifadedd economaidd-gymdeithasol, ac weithiau byddwn yn anwybyddu agweddau eraill ar fywyd claf sy’n gallu cael effaith arnynt, megis eu rhyw, eu hethnigrwydd, eu hanabledd, neu eu hiechyd meddwl neu gyfrifoldebau rhiant. Rwy’n dal i bryderu nad oes gennym ddealltwriaeth ddigon da o’r unigolyn i allu mynd i’r afael â’u hanghenion yn effeithiol ac yn ddigonol. Er mwyn gwneud hynny, mae angen cyflawni ymchwil mwy manwl ar draws pob grŵp oedran, ac mae angen inni ehangu’r ymchwil er mwyn dadansoddi effeithiau pwysau cymharol fodern, megis cyfryngau cymdeithasol, ac effeithiau pornograffi, gwrthrycholi menywod ifanc, yn arbennig, gan y cyfryngau, a bwlio di-baid gan gyfoedion ar iechyd a lles plant. Yn wir, rwyf newydd gael e-bost yr wyf am ei ddarllen—neu ran ohono—gan fenyw ifanc a ddywedodd,

Mae’r pwysau i fod yn berffaith, i edrych yn berffaith, i ymddwyn yn berffaith, i gael y corff perffaith, i gael y grŵp perffaith o ffrindiau, y swm perffaith yn ‘hoffi’ ar Instagram—ac os nad ydych yn cyrraedd y safonau chwerthinllyd o uchel hynny, yna bydd yr hunangasineb a’r bwlio’n dechrau.

Dyma pam y mae hi mor bwysig i ni wir ddeall yr effeithiau y mae’r rhain yn eu cael ar bobl ifanc.

Yng Nghymru, mae cynifer ag un o bob tri o’n plant yn byw o dan y llinell dlodi, ond unwaith eto, mae yna ddiffyg data amlwg ar ddyfnder y tlodi hwn. Wrth gynnal astudiaethau i ymdrin â hyn, mae angen i ni hefyd ystyried cymathu ymchwil ar lefelau sy’n manylu ar ryw, anabledd ac ethnigrwydd, oherwydd yn y pen draw bydd yn darparu gwybodaeth well a mwy cywir i lunwyr polisi allu seilio eu penderfyniadau arni. Mae’n rhaid i ni symud oddi wrth y dull un maint i bawb a sicrhau ein bod yn meithrin dealltwriaeth lawer gwell. Mae hyn yn cyd-fynd â’r galwadau a wnaed yn adroddiad y Coleg Brenhinol Pediatreg ac Iechyd Plant ar gyflwr iechyd plant ar gyfer 2017. Mae’n galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ariannu astudiaeth hydredol i dracio canlyniadau babanod, plant a phobl ifanc sy’n tyfu i fyny yng Nghymru i greu data a fydd yn llywio polisïau a gwasanaethau’n uniongyrchol. Yn ogystal, mae’n nodi bod angen i’r arolwg poblogaeth Healthwise gymryd ymatebion gan rai o dan 16 oed hefyd. Nawr, mae’r ddau argymhelliad hwn yn bwysig a hefyd yn gweithio ochr yn ochr ag ymgyrch CLIC Sargent i bwyso ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddechrau casglu data profiad cleifion canser rhai o dan 16 oed, rhywbeth nad ydynt yn ei wneud ar hyn o bryd. Mae’r GIG yn Lloegr wedi ymrwymo i fethodoleg i wneud hyn, a hoffwn ofyn i chi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ystyried hyn ar gyfer Cymru.

Bydd yr holl argymhellion hyn yn ein helpu i dargedu adnoddau’n well, ond ar gost fach iawn. Gan fod yr astudiaethau hyn eisoes yn digwydd, y cyfan y byddai ei angen yw naill ai ehangu rhagor ar yr astudiaethau hynny neu fân welliannau a newidiadau i’r fethodoleg ymchwil.

Mae’r adroddiad hefyd yn awgrymu y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru weithio gyda’i chymheiriaid mewn rhannau eraill o’r DU i nodi bylchau o ran casglu data ac i sicrhau bod modd cymharu’r ffynonellau presennol â gwledydd eraill y DU. Nawr, nid ydym yn ceisio gosod un rhan o’r DU yn erbyn y llall yma. Ond drwy gyfuno gwybodaeth, drwy gyfuno adnoddau ac arferion gorau, yna rwy’n teimlo bod gennym well gobaith o wella canlyniadau i bawb.

Roedd adroddiad CLIC Sargent yn tynnu sylw hefyd at ganfyddiad pryderus iawn arall, sy’n effeithio’n ddifrifol iawn ar ddioddefwyr canser ifanc. Gwelsant fod pobl ifanc yn teimlo nad oedd pobl yn gwrando arnynt neu’n eu cymryd o ddifrif wrth sôn wrth feddygon teulu am eu symptomau am y tro cyntaf. Mae hyn yn peri pryder, gan ein bod i gyd yn gwybod ei bod hi’n hanfodol yn achos llawer o ganserau i ni eu dal yn gynnar. Yn ogystal, mae meddygon teulu yn nodi diffyg cyfleoedd hyfforddi fel un o’u tri phrif rwystr i ganfod canser mewn pobl ifanc. Byddwn yn annog Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i ymchwilio i’r mater hwn fel blaenoriaeth, er mwyn sicrhau bod gan bobl ifanc y llais y maent yn ei haeddu.

Yn olaf, cyn i mi orffen, hoffwn ganolbwyntio ar agwedd lles iechyd plant. Gall mesuriadau goddrychol o iechyd a lles plant ein helpu i ddeall y gwahanol fathau o broblemau iechyd meddwl a wynebir gan blant a phobl ifanc yn well. Mae ymchwil gan Gymdeithas y Plant wedi ceisio archwilio’r patrymau rhywedd mewn perthynas â lles plant yn y DU, a gwelodd eu hadroddiad diweddar, ‘Good Childhood Report 2016’, fod gan ddangosyddion gwrthrychol, megis strwythur y teulu ac incwm y cartref, gysylltiad llawer gwannach â lles plant na dangosyddion sy’n oddrychol neu’n agosach atynt, megis ansawdd eu perthnasoedd teuluol a dulliau eraill o fesur amddifadedd sy’n canolbwyntio ar y plentyn. Aeth yr adroddiad rhagddo i ganfod bod nifer y merched rhwng 10 a 15 oed a oedd yn diffinio eu hunain yn anhapus wedi codi o 11 i 14 y cant dros gyfnod o bum mlynedd, a bod y ffigurau ar gyfer nifer y bechgyn yn yr un grŵp oedran dros yr un cyfnod wedi aros yn sefydlog ar 11 y cant.

Mae mudiad y Geidiaid hefyd wedi gwneud gwaith mewn perthynas â’r mater hwn yn eu harolwg o agweddau merched yn 2016. Canfu na fyddai 33 y cant o ferched rhwng 11 a 21 oed yn gofyn am gymorth, am fod disgwyl i ferched ymdopi, sydd, yn fy marn i, yn feirniadaeth gyfunol o’r modd yr ydym yn eu magu. Ac nid wyf yn ymddiheuro am bwysleisio’r adroddiad Girlguiding a’r adroddiadau eraill sy’n canolbwyntio ar fenywod ifanc, heddiw o bob diwrnod—Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod—gan fod yr adroddiad hwnnw’n nodi hefyd fod merched rhwng 11 a 21 oed yn dweud mai iechyd meddwl a lles yw’r materion pwysicaf iddynt hwy, er mwyn gwella bywydau merched a menywod. A phan ofynnwyd pa gamau gweithredu yr oeddent am eu gweld, dywedodd 34 y cant o’r ymatebwyr eu bod am weld mwy o gymorth i bobl iau gyda’u hiechyd meddwl. Mae’n destun gofid fod dros un rhan o bump wedi honni nad oeddent yn gwybod i bwy i ofyn am gymorth, gyda’r ffigurau hyn yn codi yn nes at un rhan o dair yn y grŵp oedran hŷn agored iawn i niwed rhwng 17 a 21 oed. Rwy’n derbyn mai arolwg ar gyfer y DU yn gyfan oedd hwn, gan nodi barn gan Geidiaid Cymru, ond roedd yn cynnwys barn gan Geidiaid Cymru a byddwn yn pwyso am astudiaeth debyg yng Nghymru i helpu i lywio polisi. Fodd bynnag, nid wyf yn dychmygu y bydd y canfyddiadau mor wahanol â hynny. Credaf fod y canfyddiadau’n amlygu nad yr henoed yn unig sy’n teimlo unigedd ac ofn, maent hefyd yn cael eu teimlo gan lawer o bobl ifanc ac yn effeithio ar eu lles. Dyna pam y mae tua 7 y cant—neu ai dyna pam y mae tua 7 y cant o fechgyn 15 oed a 9 y cant o ferched 15 oed yn ysmygu’n rheolaidd? Mae’r niferoedd wedi gostwng yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ond nid i lefel gwledydd eraill yr UE. Mae hwn yn fom sy’n tician, ac os nad awn i’r afael ag ef yn ddigonol, bydd yn cael effaith hirdymor ddifrifol ar iechyd yr unigolyn. Ai dyma pam y mae camddefnyddio alcohol ymhlith yr ifanc ar gynnydd, fel y mae hunan-niweidio ac anhwylderau bwyta?

Wrth i ferched dyfu’n hŷn, maent yn fwy tebygol na bechgyn o brofi problemau emosiynol megis gorbryder ac iselder. Mae’r problemau emosiynol weithiau’n ymddangos ar ffurf cyflyrau fel anorecsia, cyflyrau y gellir eu trin, ond yn aml maent yn effeithio’n hirdymor ar iechyd ar ôl i’r cyflwr ei hun gael ei drin. Bydd pobl ag anorecsia yn aml yn dioddef o glefyd yr esgyrn brau yn ddiweddarach mewn bywyd, neu gael problemau cenhedlu o ganlyniad i gyflwr y gellid bod wedi’i drin o’i ddal a’i ganfod yn gynharach.

Gall fod gan oroeswyr canser ifanc anghenion iechyd meddwl hirdymor hefyd. Mae CLIC Sargent yn nodi y gall canser effeithio ar bob rhan o fywyd person ifanc, gan gynnwys addysg, iechyd emosiynol, perthnasoedd a hyder. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yr hyn sydd angen i ni ei sicrhau yw ein bod yn cynhyrchu plant gwydn a chytbwys a fydd yn tyfu’n oedolion gwydn a chytbwys. Mae angen i ni ganolbwyntio ein hymdrechion ar sicrhau bod plant yn cael mynediad at gymorth iechyd meddwl effeithiol. Mae angen i ni sicrhau bod plant yn cael eu dysgu ynglŷn â gwerth mabwysiadu patrymau ymddygiad ffordd o fyw iach a ffurfio perthnasoedd da. Mae angen i ni roi cyfle iddynt dyfu mewn amgylcheddau â chymorth, lle y mae rhieni a gofalwyr yn gallu ac yn cael eu galluogi i gynorthwyo eu plant. Mae arnom angen gweledigaeth glir a diamwys ar gyfer iechyd a lles ein plant, a byddai’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn dymuno mynd ar y daith honno gyda chi er mwyn rhoi’r weledigaeth honno ar gyfer plant Cymru.

Thank you. I have selected the four amendments to the motion, and I call on Rhun ap Iorwerth to move amendments 1, 2 and 4, tabled in his name. Rhun.

Diolch. Rwyf wedi dethol pedwar gwelliant i’r cynnig, a galwaf ar Rhun ap Iorwerth i gynnig gwelliannau 1, 2 a 4, a gyflwynwyd yn ei enw ef. Rhun.

Gwelliant 1—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Ychwanegu ar ddiwedd pwynt 1:

ac yn gresynu at effaith toriadau i fudd-daliadau tai ar allu tai cymdeithasol i ddarparu sicrwydd o gartref i blant.’

Amendment 1—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add at end of point 1:

and regrets the effects of cuts to housing benefit on the ability of social housing to provide secure housing for children.’

Gwelliant 2—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Ychwanegu ar ddiwedd pwynt 2:

a pharhau â chymorth addas ar gyfer iechyd corfforol ac iechyd meddwl wrth i blentyn dyfu.’

Amendment 2—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add at end of point 2:

and continues with suitable support for physical and mental health as a child grows up.’

Gwelliant 4—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Ar ddiwedd pwynt 3, ychwanegu is-bwyntiau newydd:

ystyried sut y gall ysgolion helpu i greu amgylcheddau i fynd i’r afael â gordewdra;

sicrhau y gall pob ysgol gynnig cyfleusterau ardderchog ar gyfer chwaraeon.’

Amendment 4—Rhun ap Iorwerth

At the end of point 3, insert as new sub-points:

considering how schools can help to create environments to tackle obesity;

ensuring all schools are able to offer excellent facilities for sports.’

Cynigiwyd gwelliannau 1, 2 a 4.

Amendments 1, 2 and 4 moved.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ac a gaf i groesawu y cynnig yma gan y Ceidwadwyr? Ac mi wnaf i gynnig gwelliannau rydym ni’n credu sydd yn cryfhau y cynnig hwn ymhellach. Rydym yn ymwybodol, wrth gwrs, o’r effaith mae sicrhau tai o ansawdd da, gofal iechyd, addysg a bod yn ddiogel yn y cartref, ac ati, yn eu cael ar ddatblygiad plentyn. Rwy’n siŵr bod rhai ohonoch chi yn cofio rhai o ddadleuon blaenorol Plaid Cymru yn y Siambr yma ar atal troi teuluoedd efo plant allan o’u cartrefi, lle rydym ni wedi rhestru canlyniadau niferus a negyddol digartrefedd, tai gorlawn a thai gwael ar blant, ond mae wastad yn werth atgoffa ein hunain bod plant sy’n byw mewn tai sydd ddim wedi eu gwresogi’n ddigonol ac mewn amodau gwael yn fwy na dwywaith yn fwy tebygol o ddioddef o broblemau brest ac anadlu fel asthma a broncitis. Mae perthynas gref rhwng y lefel o dai gorlawn y mae plant yn ei brofi a’r haint helicobacter pylori, sy’n un o brif achosion canser y stumog ac afiechydon eraill yn y system dreulio. Maen nhw ddwywaith yn fwy tebygol o ddatblygu afiechydon o’r fath pan maen nhw’n cyrraedd rhyw 65 i 75 mlwydd oed. Mae gan blant digartref bedair gwaith gymaint o heintiau anadlol; maen nhw bum gwaith mwy tebygol o gael heintiau’r stumog neu ddolur rhydd; maen nhw ddwywaith mor debygol o orfod cael ymweliad brys â’r ysbyty; maen nhw chwe gwaith yn fwy tebygol o gael problemau lleferydd ac atal dweud; a phedair gwaith y gyfradd o asthma o’u cymharu â phlant sydd ddim yn ddigartref. Mae’r rhestr yma o sgil-effeithiau dechrau gwael mewn bywyd yn rhestr hir, ond mae hi’n werth mynd drwyddi dro ar ôl tro, ac hyd nes y bydd y diwylliant gwleidyddol ehangach yn San Steffan yn cydnabod, er enghraifft, nad ydy hi byth yn dderbyniol i gydbwyso cyllideb drwy wneud plant yn sâl drwy doriadau i fuddsoddiadau ac ati, mi fyddwn ni yn ailadrodd y pwyntiau yma dro ar ôl tro. Ac mae hynny ynglŷn â thai, rwy’n meddwl, yn cael ei adlewyrchu yn ein gwelliant cyntaf ni.

Mi wnaf i symud at ein gwelliant nesaf ni. Mae’n eithaf amlwg, rwy’n meddwl, fod y dystiolaeth yr ydym ni’n ei chael gan wyddonwyr niwrolegol yn dangos bod datblygiad yr ymennydd yn parhau yn gyflym drwy flynyddoedd yr arddegau ac i mewn i flynyddoedd cynnar rhywun fel oedolyn, felly mae’n hanfodol, rwy’n meddwl, yn fy marn i, fod iechyd a lles plant yn gorfforol ac yn feddyliol yn cael eu cefnogi wrth iddyn nhw dyfu i fyny drwy y blynyddoedd yma. Mae gan y Llywodraeth, wrth gwrs, strategaeth iechyd plant hyd at saith oed, ond rŷm ni o’r farn bod angen cael cymorth priodol y tu hwnt i’r oedran hwnnw a thrwy gydol blynyddoedd yr arddegau. Mae angen i’r strategaeth honno ymdrin ag iechyd corfforol, ond rwy’n meddwl ei bod hi’n deg dweud bod angen llawer mwy o gefnogaeth ar gyfer atal a thrin problemau iechyd meddwl hefyd, cyn iddyn nhw ddod yn gyflyrau gydol oes difrifol. Rŷm ni’n siarad yn aml am bwysigrwydd adnabod a thrin canser, er enghraifft, yn gynnar—mae’r un peth yn wir efo iechyd meddwl hefyd. Mae eisiau i ni gydnabod hynny a gweithredu yn strategol.

Mae ein gwelliant olaf ni yn adlewyrchu’r angen am ffocws parhaol ar fynd i’r afael â gordewdra. Mae gan ysgolion rôl hanfodol i’w chwarae yn fan hyn. Mi fuaswn i’n hoffi gweld chwaraeon a mathau eraill o weithgaredd corfforol, achos nid ydy pob plentyn yn mwynhau nac yn cael budd o chwaraeon cystadleuol, ond mae eisiau i’r cyfan chwarae rhan llawer mwy amlwg yn y cwricwlwm newydd. Yn amlwg, mi fydd hyn yn gofyn hefyd am well cyfleusterau chwaraeon. Ond, yn ogystal â hynny, rwy’n meddwl y dylai ysgolion ystyried sut y gallan nhw greu amgylchedd sy’n mynd i’r afael â gordewdra: ystyried beth sydd ar fwydlenni cinio ysgol yn fwy nag y maen nhw’n ei wneud yn barod—mae yna ddatblygu wedi bod, wrth gwrs; a rheoli mynediad at fwyd sothach drwy beiriannau gwerthu neu reoli a ydy disgyblion yn gallu cael têc-awes amser cinio ac yn y blaen. Hefyd, rwy’n meddwl bod gan athrawon gwyddoniaeth rôl wrth sicrhau bod disgyblion yn cael rhywfaint o lythrennedd iechyd fel eu bod nhw’n gallu gwahaniaethu rhwng cyngor bwyta iach yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth a straeon dychryn a ffadiau deietegol ac yn y blaen.

Felly, dyna’n gwelliannau ni. Mi fyddwn ni’n pleidleisio yn erbyn gwelliant y Llywodraeth. Nid ydym ni’n argyhoeddedig bod y cymorth presennol yn ddigonol. Mi fuasai’n well gennym ni fod wedi gweld y geiriad yn pwysleisio yr angen am ailwerthusiad o’r sefyllfa ar hyn o bryd. Ond mae hwn yn gynnig pwysig iawn, ac o’i wella yn y ffordd yr ydw i wedi ei chynnig, rwy’n meddwl bod hwn yn gallu bod yn ddatganiad clir o’n huchelgais ni i roi’r dechrau gorau mewn bywyd i blant yng Nghymru.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and may I welcome this motion, tabled by the Welsh Conservatives? I will move amendments that we believe strengthen this motion further. We are, of course, aware of the impact that securing quality housing, healthcare, education and being safe in the home, and so on, have on a child’s development. I’m sure that some of you will recall some previous Plaid Cymru debates in this Chamber on preventing the eviction of families with children from their homes, where we’ve listed the numerous and negative impacts of homelessness, overly full and poor housing on children, but it’s always worth reminding ourselves that children living in houses that aren’t adequately heated and in a poor condition are more than twice as likely to suffer chest and breathing problems and conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. There’s a strong relationship between overfilled housing and the helicobacter pylori, which is one of the main causes of stomach cancer and other diseases in the digestive system. They are twice as likely to develop such diseases when they reach 65 to 75 years old. Homeless children have four times as many respiratory diseases; they are five times as likely to suffer diarrhoea or stomach complaints; they are twice as likely to have to have an emergency admission to hospital; they are six times as likely to have speech defects and a stutter; and four times as likely to have asthma as children who are not homeless. This list of the impacts of a poor start in life is a lengthy one, but it’s worth rehearsing it time and time again, and until the wider political culture in Westminster recognises, for example, that it’s never acceptable to balance a budget by making children ill through cuts to welfare and so on, we will repeat these points time and time again. And I think that issue of housing is reflected in our first amendment.

I will move to our next amendment. I think it is quite clear that the evidence that we’ve received from neurological scientists shows that brain development does continue swiftly through the teenage years and into one’s early adulthood, and therefore it is crucial, I think, that the health and well-being of children, both physically and mentally, are supported as they grow up through those years. The Government, of course, does have a child health strategy for children up to seven years of age, but we are of the view that we need appropriate support beyond that age and throughout the adolescent years. The strategy needs to deal with physical health. I think it is fair to say that we need far more support for preventing and treating mental health problems too, before they become lifelong conditions, which can be very grave indeed. We often talk about the importance of identifying and treating cancer at an early stage, for example, but the same is true with mental health issues too. We need to recognise that and take strategic action.

Our final amendment reflects the need for a continuous focus on tackling obesity. Schools have a crucial role to play here. I would like to see sport and other physical activities, because not all children enjoy or benefit from competitive sport, but all of this needs to play a far more prominent part in the new curriculum. Clearly, this will require improved facilities for sport. But, in addition to that, I do think that schools should consider how they can create an environment that tackles obesity: to consider what’s on the school menu more than they currently do—there have been some developments, of course; and controlling access to junk food through vending machines, or managing whether pupils can get takeaways at lunchtime and so on. I also think that science teachers could have a role in ensuring that pupils do get some health literacy, so that they can differentiate between healthy eating advice based on evidence and the scare stories and dietary fads and so on.

So, those are our amendments. We will be voting against the Government amendment. We are not convinced that the current support is sufficient. We would have preferred to see the wording emphasising the need for a revaluation of the situation, as it currently stands. But this is a very important motion and, in being amended in the ways that I have proposed, I do think that this can be a clear statement of our ambition to give children the best starts possible in life.

Thank you. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport to move formally amendment 3, tabled in the name of Jane Hutt.

Diolch. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd, Llesiant a Chwaraeon i gynnig gwelliant 3, a gyflwynwyd yn enw Jane Hutt, yn ffurfiol.

Gwelliant 3—Jane Hutt

Dileu pwynt 3c) a rhoi yn ei le:

monitro cynnydd y cymorth iechyd meddwl amenedigol newydd er mwyn sicrhau cysondeb ledled Cymru ar gyfer teuluoedd sy’n agored i niwed.’

Amendment 3—Jane Hutt

Delete point 3(c) and replace with:

monitoring the progress of the new perinatal mental health support to ensure consistency across Wales for vulnerable families.’

Cynigiwyd gwelliant 3.

Amendment 3 moved.

Member
Vaughan Gething 16:24:00
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport

Formally.

Yn ffurfiol.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Well, Members, you can tell from the tone of the motion that we are looking today for an open and discursive debate, which will help inform three things, I think: firstly, how to improve the well-being of individual children, which is obviously the most important, but also how to help them grow up with a sense of resilience and confidence to be good citizens, and then, of course, how to help our Governments, regardless of their politics, to agree that without an effective long-term vision for child health, other aspirations for our young people are going to be a bit of a stretch.

Raising our children, regardless of their circumstances, their start in life, their challenges, which of course may be lifelong in some cases, to be able to cope and to really believe that tomorrow is another day is the most valuable of gifts, not just for an individual child, but for a strong social fabric. And yes, of course, as part of healthy maturing, young people in Wales, as anywhere else, need to come to terms with the usual youthful crises of confidence: things not going their way and a range of petty injustices. But something seems to be happening that is making this healthy maturing more difficult.

We heard earlier from Angela Burns about the growth in unhappiness for girls and their sense of being stranded with their anxieties. It’s younger boys who admit to being unhappy, often associated with schoolwork, conduct and inattention. Left alone, these unhappinesses that children experience can grow into something far more serious than youthful unhappiness. These findings, while they might be exacerbated by what we recognise as the effects of poverty, are found across the socioeconomic board, and we miss them if we rely too heavily on indicators, as Angela said, such as family income and structure. You can find the happiest, most resilient, most emotionally supported children in the poorest communities in Wales and the loneliest, most directionless, most emotionally abandoned children living in mansions. Who is the more deprived on those indicators?

Of course, I’m not gainsaying any of the evidence about the connection between poor child and maternal health and deprivation. Everything I’m sure we will hear today about overcoming social inequalities and building the data to approach it in a more granular way is something I’m sure that the Cabinet Secretary will see the sense in. It’s the kind of data we collect that will inform change. My point is that every child’s mental health is important and if one in four of us is likely to experience poor mental health, then it’s pretty clearly no respecter of objective socioeconomic boundaries. Building up this different granular data is essential not just to judge the scale and depth of poor mental health, but for designing effective mental health support for all children. We know that the child and adolescent mental health service is struggling. I’m sure poor old Lynne Neagle is fed up of saying it. And, yes, young people may be being wrongly directed towards CAMHS and, yes, in all fairness, Welsh Government is investing more in talking therapies, which is good news, but we are in difficulties in meeting the specific mental health needs of individuals before adulthood, and we are in difficulties preventing poor mental health in the first place.

So, in looking at a long-term vision for child health, let’s not ignore preventable poor mental health. Compulsory teaching about healthy relationships, different sexualities and gender equality is part of that, I would say— so I hope that your colleagues, Cabinet Secretary, will have their working party report on that sooner rather than later—but so is understanding that you are part of something bigger than yourself or even bigger than your own family. It’s easy enough to blame social media for this, so I will, but when you’re getting 500 likes for a picture of your new eyebrows well beyond your teens, and when that becomes more important than saying hello to your next-door neighbour, standing up for someone else on a bus, or carrying someone else’s bag for them when they’re trying to control a buggy and three kids, do you have to ask, ‘Why are people more unhappy?’

Of course, we can’t go back. I see tremendous examples of individuals coming together via social media to stand up as a community and fight for something or, even better, take responsibility for it themselves. Individuals who, in the analogue age, would never have gone to a public meeting or got involved in working as a group to solve a problem in their area, because they were too shy, had no self-belief or, worst of all, thought it was somebody else’s problem, someone else’s responsibility. If you just take the example of social care in years to come, we are not going to be able to deal with that if we are a disconnected society. We need our children to grow up healthy in body and mind, strong and confident enough to contribute to healthy communities. Thank you.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Wel, Aelodau, gallwch ddweud o ysbryd y cynnig ein bod yn chwilio heddiw am drafodaeth agored a chynhwysfawr, a fydd yn helpu i lywio tri pheth, rwy’n credu: yn gyntaf, sut i wella lles plant unigol, sef yr agwedd bwysicaf wrth gwrs, ond hefyd sut i’w helpu i dyfu i fyny gydag ymdeimlad o wytnwch a hyder i fod yn ddinasyddion da, ac yna, wrth gwrs, sut i helpu ein Llywodraethau, waeth beth yw eu gwleidyddiaeth, i gytuno ei bod yn mynd i fod yn anodd mynd ar drywydd dyheadau eraill ar gyfer ein pobl ifanc heb weledigaeth hirdymor effeithiol ar gyfer iechyd plant.

Magu ein plant, waeth beth fo’u hamgylchiadau, eu dechreuad mewn bywyd, eu heriau, a allai fod yn rhai gydol oes, wrth gwrs, mewn rhai achosion, i allu ymdopi ac i gredu’n wirioneddol fod yfory yn ddiwrnod arall yw’r rhodd fwyaf gwerthfawr sy’n bod, nid yn unig i’r plentyn unigol, ond er mwyn sicrhau gwead cymdeithasol cryf. Ac wrth gwrs, yn rhan o’r broses o aeddfedu’n iach, mae pobl ifanc yng Nghymru, ac unrhyw le arall, angen dod i delerau â’r argyfyngau arferol yn ystod ieuenctid sy’n ymwneud â hyder: pethau’n mynd o chwith ac amrywiaeth o fân anghyfiawnderau. Ond mae’n ymddangos bod rhywbeth yn digwydd sy’n gwneud aeddfedu iach o’r fath yn fwy anodd.

Clywsom yn gynharach gan Angela Burns am y cynnydd yn lefelau anhapusrwydd mewn merched a’u hymdeimlad o gael eu hynysu gyda’u pryderon. Bechgyn iau sy’n cyfaddef eu bod yn anhapus, yn aml yn gysylltiedig â gwaith ysgol, ymddygiad a diffyg sylw. O’i adael i fod, gall yr anhapusrwydd y mae plant yn ei brofi dyfu’n rhywbeth llawer mwy difrifol nag anhapusrwydd ieuenctid. Mae’r canfyddiadau hyn, er y gallent gael eu gwaethygu gan yr hyn yr ydym yn eu hadnabod fel effeithiau tlodi, i’w gweld ar draws yr holl ystod economaidd-gymdeithasol, ac rydym yn eu colli os dibynnwn yn ormodol ar ddangosyddion, fel y dywedodd Angela, megis incwm a strwythur teuluol. Fe ddowch o hyd i’r plant hapusaf, mwyaf gwydn, sy’n cael fwyaf o gefnogaeth emosiynol yn y cymunedau tlotaf yng Nghymru a’r plant mwyaf unig, mwyaf digyfeiriad, sydd wedi’u hesgeuluso fwyaf yn emosiynol yn byw mewn plastai. Pwy yw’r mwyaf difreintiedig yn ôl y dangosyddion hynny?

Wrth gwrs, nid wyf yn gwadu dim o’r dystiolaeth am y cysylltiad rhwng iechyd gwael mewn plant a’u mamau ac amddifadedd. Rwy’n siŵr y bydd popeth a glywn heddiw am oresgyn anghydraddoldebau cymdeithasol a datblygu’r data i fynd i’r afael â’r mater mewn ffordd fwy gronynnog yn rhywbeth rwy’n siŵr y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn gweld synnwyr ynddo. Y math o ddata a gasglwn fydd yn llywio newid. Fy mhwynt yw bod iechyd meddwl pob plentyn yn bwysig ac os yw un o bob pedwar ohonom yn debyg o brofi iechyd meddwl gwael, yna mae’n eithaf amlwg nad yw’n parchu ffiniau economaidd-gymdeithasol gwrthrychol. Mae’n hanfodol ein bod yn datblygu’r data gronynnog gwahanol hwn nid yn unig i farnu maint a dyfnder iechyd meddwl gwael, ond er mwyn llunio cymorth iechyd meddwl effeithiol ar gyfer pob plentyn. Gwyddom fod gwasanaeth iechyd meddwl plant a’r glasoed yn wynebu trafferthion. Rwy’n siŵr fod Lynne Neagle druan wedi cael llond bol ar ei ddweud. Ac mae’n wir, mae’n bosibl fod pobl ifanc yn cael eu hatgyfeirio’n amhriodol at CAMHS ac mae’n wir, a bod yn deg, fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn buddsoddi mwy mewn therapïau siarad, sy’n newyddion da, ond rydym yn cael trafferth bodloni anghenion iechyd meddwl penodol unigolion cyn eu bod yn oedolion, ac rydym yn cael trafferth atal iechyd meddwl gwael yn y lle cyntaf.

Felly, wrth edrych ar weledigaeth hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd plant, gadewch i ni beidio ag anwybyddu iechyd meddwl gwael y gellir ei atal. Mae addysg orfodol am berthnasoedd iach, rhywioldeb gwahanol a chydraddoldeb rhwng y rhywiau yn rhan o hynny, fe ddywedwn i—felly rwy’n gobeithio y bydd gan eich cyd-Aelodau, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, adroddiad eu gweithgor ar hynny’n gynt yn hytrach nag yn hwyrach—ond mae deall eich bod yn rhan o rywbeth mwy na chi eich hun neu hyd yn oed yn fwy na’ch teulu eich hun yn rhan o hynny hefyd. Mae’n ddigon hawdd rhoi’r bai ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol am hyn, felly fe wnaf, ond pan fyddwch yn cael 500 ‘hoffi’ am lun o’ch aeliau newydd ymhell y tu hwnt i’ch arddegau, a phan ddaw hynny’n bwysicach na dweud helo wrth eich cymydog, codi i rywun arall ar fws, neu gario bag rhywun arall drostynt pan fyddant yn ceisio rheoli bygi a thri o blant, a oes rhaid i chi ofyn, ‘Pam y mae pobl yn fwy anhapus?’

Wrth gwrs, ni allwn fynd yn ôl. Rwy’n gweld enghreifftiau aruthrol o unigolion yn dod at ei gilydd drwy’r cyfryngau cymdeithasol i sefyll fel cymuned ac ymladd dros rywbeth neu’n well fyth, i ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb dros ei wneud eu hunain. Unigolion na fyddai byth, yn yr oes analog, wedi mynd i gyfarfod cyhoeddus neu gymryd rhan mewn gwaith fel grŵp i ddatrys problem yn eu hardal am eu bod yn rhy swil, heb hunanhyder, neu’n waeth na dim, yn meddwl mai problem rhywun arall yw hi, cyfrifoldeb rhywun arall. Os meddyliwch yn unig am ofal cymdeithasol fel enghraifft yn y blynyddoedd i ddod, nid ydym yn mynd i allu ymdopi â hynny os ydym yn gymdeithas ddatgysylltiedig. Mae angen i’n plant dyfu i fyny yn iach yn gorfforol ac yn feddyliol, yn gryf ac yn ddigon hyderus i gyfrannu at gymunedau iach. Diolch.

I’d like to thank the Welsh Conservatives for proposing this debate today. Securing better health outcomes for children and young people is one of the most important tasks facing us in this Assembly. Previous Assemblies and the Welsh Government have taken steps to improve child health, but it isn’t enough according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in their annual ‘State of Child Health Report’. They highlight the fact that child health outcomes lag well behind our counterparts in western Europe, particularly in mental health outcomes and child deaths. This debate is particularly opportune as we had the news yesterday that air pollution is an urgent public health crisis. The British Lung Foundation, in a recent study, found that nearly half of Welsh councils did not have any air quality monitors outside schools. The British Lung Foundation also found that, in the five areas identified as having unsafe levels of particle pollution—Cardiff, Chepstow, Newport, Swansea and Port Talbot—only six schools had nearby monitors.

Air pollutants have been documented to be associated with a wide variety of adverse health impacts in children. Because of the rapid changes a child’s body undergoes, children are especially vulnerable to the effect of air pollutants. A recent Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health report showed that air pollution can produce detrimental effects on growth, intelligence, and neurological development. Babies and toddlers can often struggle with wheezing and frequent coughs as a result of air pollution, and there is emerging evidence that it can also affect mental and physical development.

Research from Sweden has found that relatively small increases in air pollution were associated with a significant increase in treated psychiatric problems in children. But perhaps the most significant finding of the RCPCH report was the overwhelming evidence that air pollution is associated with reduced lung growth during childhood and increased risk of developing asthma. Every 20 minutes a child is admitted to hospital because of an asthma attack, and one in three children in every classroom suffers from the disease.

Yesterday’s warning by Public Health Wales that air pollution is more of a concern than obesity and alcohol should shock us all—not just because of the 2,000 people who needlessly lose their lives each year, but because of the impact air pollution has on child health. The Welsh Government must ensure that air pollution monitors are installed outside every school in Wales, and work with local authorities and the UK Government to reduce the levels of air pollutants around schools and places where children play.

As well as taking action to reduce air pollution, the Welsh Government must also ensure that children and young people affected by air pollutants have early access to pulmonary rehabilitation. Governments at all levels have a responsibility to protect our nation’s children from the scourge of air pollution, and, now that Public Health Wales have identified this as public health crisis, I hope that urgent action will be taken. Thank you.

Hoffwn ddiolch i’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig am gynnig y ddadl hon heddiw. Mae sicrhau canlyniadau iechyd gwell i blant a phobl ifanc yn un o’r tasgau pwysicaf sy’n ein hwynebu yn y Cynulliad hwn. Mae Cynulliadau blaenorol a Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi camau ar waith i wella iechyd plant, ond nid yw’n ddigon yn ôl y Coleg Brenhinol Pediatreg ac Iechyd Plant yn eu hadroddiad blynyddol ar gyflwr iechyd plant. Maent yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith fod canlyniadau iechyd plant yn llusgo ymhell y tu ôl i’n cymheiriaid yng ngorllewin Ewrop, yn enwedig o ran canlyniadau iechyd meddwl a marwolaethau plant. Mae’r ddadl hon yn arbennig o amserol gan i ni gael y newyddion ddoe fod llygredd aer yn argyfwng iechyd cyhoeddus difrifol. Gwelodd Sefydliad Prydeinig yr Ysgyfaint, mewn astudiaeth ddiweddar nad oedd gan bron i hanner cynghorau Cymru unrhyw offer monitro ansawdd aer y tu allan i ysgolion. Canfu Sefydliad Prydeinig yr Ysgyfaint hefyd, yn y pum ardal a nodwyd fel rhai â lefelau anniogel o lygredd gronynnol—Caerdydd, Cas-gwent, Casnewydd, Abertawe a Phort Talbot—chwe ysgol yn unig a oedd ag offer monitro gerllaw.

Cofnodwyd bod llygryddion aer yn gysylltiedig ag amrywiaeth eang o effeithiau andwyol ar iechyd plant. Oherwydd y newidiadau cyflym y mae corff plentyn yn mynd drwyddynt, mae plant yn arbennig o agored i effaith llygryddion aer. Dangosodd adroddiad diweddar gan y Coleg Brenhinol Pediatreg ac Iechyd Plant y gall llygredd aer gynhyrchu effeithiau andwyol ar dwf, deallusrwydd, a datblygiad niwrolegol. Yn aml, bydd babanod a phlant bach yn cael trafferth gyda brest dynn a pheswch mynych o ganlyniad i lygredd aer, ac mae tystiolaeth yn dod i’r amlwg y gall hefyd effeithio ar ddatblygiad meddyliol a chorfforol.

Mae ymchwil o Sweden wedi canfod bod cysylltiad rhwng cynnydd cymharol fach mewn llygredd aer a chynnydd sylweddol yn y problemau seiciatrig sy’n cael eu trin mewn plant. Ond efallai mai canfyddiad mwyaf arwyddocaol adroddiad y Coleg Brenhinol Pediatreg ac Iechyd Plant oedd y dystiolaeth lethol fod llygredd aer yn gysylltiedig â llai o dwf ysgyfaint yn ystod plentyndod a mwy o berygl o ddatblygu asthma. Bob 20 munud caiff plentyn ei dderbyn i’r ysbyty oherwydd pwl o asthma, ac mae un o bob tri phlentyn ym mhob ystafell ddosbarth yn dioddef o’r clefyd.

Dylai’r rhybudd ddoe gan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru fod llygredd aer yn fwy o bryder na gordewdra ac alcohol fod yn sioc i bawb ohonom—nid yn unig oherwydd y 2,000 o bobl sy’n colli eu bywydau’n ddiangen bob blwyddyn, ond oherwydd yr effaith a gaiff llygredd aer ar iechyd plant. Rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru sicrhau bod offer monitro llygredd aer yn cael ei osod y tu allan i bob ysgol yng Nghymru, a gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol a Llywodraeth y DU i leihau lefelau llygryddion aer o amgylch ysgolion a mannau lle y bydd plant yn chwarae.

Yn ogystal â rhoi camau ar waith i leihau llygredd aer, rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru sicrhau hefyd fod plant a phobl ifanc yr effeithir arnynt gan lygryddion aer yn cael mynediad cynnar at wasanaeth adsefydlu cleifion yr ysgyfaint. Mae cyfrifoldeb ar Lywodraethau ar bob lefel i amddiffyn plant ein cenedl rhag melltith llygredd aer, a chan fod Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru bellach wedi ei nodi fel argyfwng iechyd y cyhoedd, rwy’n gobeithio y bydd camau’n cael eu rhoi ar waith ar fyrder. Diolch.

It’s a pleasure to take part in this important debate on child health, and I just want to take a few moments, if I can, just to highlight how important it is to get health messages home to children and to parents, and indeed to teaching professionals in our schools. One of the tools that, traditionally, has been used to deliver those important messages has been our school nursing workforce, and I had the pleasure of visiting an excellent school nursing service in Bryntirion Comprehensive in Bridgend recently with Suzy Davies, my colleague, where we heard first hand from the school nurse there, who’s actually employed by the school rather than the health board, about the sorts of services that she is delivering, and the way in which she is able to engage with the school population as a result of the way that she is employed by that particular school.

Now, we know that the school nursing framework in Wales is currently under review, and I know that the Government are hoping to refresh that within the next few months, and I very much welcome that, but I wonder whether the arrangements within that new school nursing framework will be sufficient to take advantage of the opportunities that school nursing really affords. We’ve got around 220 or so school nurses in Wales—every secondary school has a named school nurse available to it—but those individual school nurses are not full-time dedicated to an individual secondary school. As a result of that, the sort of trust and confidence that young people very often need in order to establish a relationship with the school nurse allocated to their school simply isn’t there.

That’s in stark contrast to the model that I saw at Ysgol Bryntirion, where the nurse there, Judith, was available every single day of the week for the pupils and the staff, and she was there, engaging, giving sort of occupational health advice, giving safeguarding advice to members of the professional staff team and, in addition to that, giving very important public health messages to those children in that school, and supporting them through what have often been very difficult times in their lives. I think the one big thing that struck me was that she’s been able to establish a relationship not just with the school, but with the wider community that that school actually serves—the wider school family. As a result of those relationships, they’ve seen staff absence rates massively fall, they’ve seen school attendance rates amongst the learners rapidly increase, they’ve seen pupils not going home when they’re unwell, but actually being able to manage their conditions within the school day in a way that would not have been possible had she not been available there.

I appreciate that the wider school nursing service that is available across Wales in each individual health board area has a number of other important functions to undertake: things like immunisations, and oral and dental healthcare programmes, which are a core part of their work. But the one thing that our current school nursing service doesn’t have very often is sufficient time to be able to invest in individual school sites so that they can develop the sorts of relationships that I saw, which had been cultivated over the years by Judith with Ysgol Bryntirion.

Of course, it’s not just our secondary schools that need access to school nurses. We also need to ensure that our primary schools have access to trusted school nurses as well, and, indeed, I’d like to see them be more widely available in our FE colleges and our universities, because, of course, we all know that they are also places where young people and staff need support from health professionals who can be available and on hand when they need them.

In terms of public health, why not get the school nurses involved in delivering lessons on nutrition, on physical activity, on substance misuse? We’re facing an epidemic, at the moment, of mental health and well-being-related problems, as Suzy Davies quite rightly said a few moments ago. Nipping these things in the bud could be something that our school nurses might be able to do, if they were properly equipped and properly trained to be able to do so. So, I want to extol the virtues of school nursing and encourage the Government, in its response today, to perhaps lift the lid a little bit more on what is being done to refresh that school nursing framework and perhaps tell us a little bit more about where things are currently at in terms of the time frame for delivering on the promise to refresh it. Thank you.

Mae’n bleser cael cymryd rhan yn y ddadl bwysig hon ar iechyd plant, ac roeddwn eisiau rhoi ychydig o amser, os caf, i dynnu sylw at ba mor bwysig yw hi i gyfleu negeseuon iechyd i blant ac i rieni, ac yn wir i addysgwyr proffesiynol yn ein hysgolion. Un o’r arfau a ddefnyddiwyd yn draddodiadol i gyflwyno’r negeseuon pwysig hyn oedd ein gweithlu nyrsio ysgolion, a chefais y pleser o ymweld â gwasanaeth nyrsio ysgolion rhagorol yn Ysgol Gyfun Bryntirion ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn ddiweddar gyda Suzy Davies, fy nghyd-Aelod, lle y clywsom o lygad y ffynnon gan nyrs yr ysgol yno, sy’n cael ei chyflogi gan yr ysgol mewn gwirionedd yn hytrach na’r bwrdd iechyd, am y mathau o wasanaethau y mae’n eu darparu, a’r ffordd y mae hi’n gallu ymgysylltu â’r boblogaeth ysgol o ganlyniad i’r ffordd y caiff ei chyflogi gan yr ysgol honno.

Nawr, gwyddom fod y fframwaith nyrsio ysgolion yng Nghymru yn cael ei adolygu ar hyn o bryd, ac rwy’n gwybod bod y Llywodraeth yn gobeithio ei adnewyddu yn ystod yr ychydig fisoedd nesaf, ac rwy’n croesawu hynny’n fawr iawn, ond tybed a fydd y trefniadau yn y fframwaith nyrsio ysgolion newydd honno’n ddigon i fanteisio ar y cyfleoedd y mae nyrsio ysgolion yn eu cynnig mewn gwirionedd. Mae gennym oddeutu 220 o nyrsys ysgol yng Nghymru—mae gan bob ysgol uwchradd nyrs ysgol a enwir ar gael iddynt—ond nid yw’r nyrsys ysgol unigol hynny’n gweithio’n llawnamser mewn ysgol uwchradd unigol. O ganlyniad i hynny, mae’r math o ymddiriedaeth a hyder y mae pobl ifanc yn aml iawn eu hangen er mwyn sefydlu perthynas gyda’r nyrs benodol yn eu hysgol ar goll.

Mae hynny’n gwrthgyferbynnu’n llwyr â’r model a welais yn Ysgol Bryntirion, lle y mae’r nyrs yno, Judith, ar gael bob dydd o’r wythnos ar gyfer y disgyblion a’r staff, ac roedd hi yno, yn ymgysylltu, yn rhoi rhyw fath o gyngor iechyd galwedigaethol, yn rhoi cyngor ar ddiogelu i aelodau o’r tîm staff proffesiynol ac yn ychwanegol at hynny, yn rhoi negeseuon iechyd cyhoeddus pwysig iawn i’r plant yn yr ysgol, ac yn eu cefnogi drwy’r hyn sy’n aml wedi bod yn gyfnod anodd iawn yn eu bywydau. Rwy’n meddwl mai’r un peth mawr a’m trawodd oedd ei bod hi wedi gallu sefydlu perthynas nid yn unig gyda’r ysgol, ond gyda’r gymuned ehangach y mae’r ysgol yn ei gwasanaethu mewn gwirionedd—teulu ehangach yr ysgol. O ganlyniad i’r cysylltiadau hynny, maent wedi gweld cyfraddau absenoldeb staff yn disgyn yn aruthrol, maent wedi gweld cyfraddau presenoldeb ysgol ymhlith y dysgwyr yn cynyddu’n gyflym, maent wedi gweld disgyblion yn gallu rheoli eu cyflwr o fewn y diwrnod ysgol heb fynd adref pan fyddant yn sâl, mewn ffordd na fyddai wedi bod yn bosibl oni bai ei bod hi ar gael yno.

Rwy’n sylweddoli bod gan y gwasanaeth nyrsio ysgolion ehangach sydd ar gael ar draws Cymru ym mhob ardal bwrdd iechyd unigol nifer o swyddogaethau pwysig eraill i’w cyflawni: pethau fel brechiadau, a rhaglenni gofal iechyd y geg a deintyddol, sy’n rhan greiddiol o’u gwaith. Ond yr un peth nad oes gan ein gwasanaeth nyrsio ysgolion presennol yn aml iawn yw digon o amser i allu ei fuddsoddi ar safleoedd ysgolion unigol fel y gallant ddatblygu’r mathau o berthnasoedd a welais, a oedd wedi’u meithrin dros y blynyddoedd gan Judith gydag Ysgol Bryntirion.

Wrth gwrs, nid ein hysgolion uwchradd yn unig sydd angen mynediad at nyrsys ysgol. Mae angen i ni hefyd sicrhau bod ein hysgolion cynradd yn cael mynediad at nyrsys ysgol dibynadwy hefyd, ac yn wir, hoffwn eu gweld ar gael yn fwy eang yn ein colegau addysg bellach a’n prifysgolion, oherwydd, wrth gwrs, gŵyr pawb ohonom eu bod hwy hefyd yn fannau lle y mae pobl ifanc a staff angen cymorth gan weithwyr iechyd proffesiynol a all fod ar gael ac wrth law pan fyddant eu hangen.

O ran iechyd y cyhoedd, beth am gael y nyrsys ysgol yn rhan o’r gwaith o gyflwyno gwersi ar faeth, ar weithgarwch corfforol, ar gamddefnyddio sylweddau? Rydym yn wynebu epidemig ar hyn o bryd o broblemau iechyd meddwl a phroblemau sy’n gysylltiedig â lles, fel y dywedodd Suzy Davies yn ddigon cywir ychydig funudau’n ôl. Gallai ymdrin â’r rhain cyn iddynt dyfu’n broblemau mwy fod yn rhywbeth y gallai ein nyrsys ysgol ei wneud, os ydynt wedi cael eu paratoi a’u hyfforddi’n briodol i allu gwneud hynny. Felly, rwyf am ganmol rhinweddau nyrsys ysgol ac annog y Llywodraeth, wrth ymateb heddiw, i godi ychydig mwy ar y caead efallai ar yr hyn sy’n cael ei wneud i adnewyddu’r fframwaith nyrsio ysgolion a dweud ychydig bach mwy wrthym o bosibl ynglŷn â’r sefyllfa ar hyn o bryd o ran yr amserlen ar gyfer cyflawni’r addewid i’w adnewyddu. Diolch.

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this afternoon’s debate and to take on board some of the very many points that have been brought forward. I very much hope that the Cabinet Secretary, in addressing the debate, will talk about the streams that the Government are pulling together, because, as Angela Burns, in her opening remarks, made quite clear, most of this actually transcends the health portfolio and goes into many portfolios across the whole of Government. Very often, there can be examples of excellent practice going on, but, very often, they’re done in isolation, and, actually, if we are going to see an overall improvement in the health of young people and children here in Wales, it does need a co-ordinated approach and some clear targets about where we want to be in five and 10 years’ time.

I can appreciate that targets, very often, can be very prescriptive and limit some of the more imaginative thinking that might need to be developed, especially in some of our rural areas, where delivery of service can be more challenging, but, ultimately, if the Government has a strategy and a goal, at least the whole muscle of Government, and the supporting bodies underneath that, can work in that direction and that common goal that we all want to see, which is an overall lifting of the chances of young people here in Wales.

I recently undertook a visit to ACT, the training provider just down in Cardiff South and Penarth, which I’m sure the Cabinet Secretary is aware of; it’s in his constituency. Darren Millar, my education spokesman, came along with me there, and they were highlighting that the safe space initiative that they’ve created there for young people who found problems in their school life and haven’t settled into the normal school day—through that safe space culture, through that safe space initiative, they have offered those young people the opportunity to really regain their confidence, regain the appetite for education, and, ultimately, gain a purpose. I’d commend that initiative to the Cabinet Secretary. I appreciate it sits in the education field, but surely, also, if you have children who feel fulfilled and feel content, that has a direct impact on their health as well, then, it does. I see the Cabinet Secretary acknowledging that he’s familiar with it. It’s not just here in Cardiff we need to see that ability, it’s across Wales, and I do commend ACT for developing a satellite hub in Caerphilly to offer the same sort of initiatives and opportunities.

I’d also like to develop the theme about air pollution that has been brought forward by Caroline Jones, and I raised it in First Minister’s questions yesterday. Again, this is an area that the Government can make significant progress on. They do have the levers, via the planning system, via the transport system, via the public health system that is here in Wales, to make significant improvements and gains in this area. It cannot be right that we tolerate 2,000 people dying prematurely here in Wales—five people a day—and actually we are not making the progress that we should be in these areas when we have the solutions at our disposal. I accept you will never get to zero, but we can make some real, deep-seated changes to the way people work, the way people go about their everyday lives, that would have a huge impact. I would suggest that any other field that would be seeing 2,000 people a year dying prematurely would be commanding greater attention from the Government in using some of the levers they have. Again, I do hope that the Minister, maybe, will be able to engage in what measures he has set specifically to Public Health Wales to make improvements in this particular area.

Another area I’d also like to touch on in particular is the event that Angela hosted at lunchtime, where many women who have suffered the tragedy of abuse—physical and mental abuse—in their lives have managed to rebuild, and get the confidence back to actually bring up their families and actually put themselves on the road to being valuable members of our community after being so demoralised—and humiliated, I think, was the examples that were given to us, and their self-confidence so destroyed by the abuse that they’d gone through. There were many good examples there, again, of where good practice could be brought forward, and my colleague Angela Burns did bring forward that in earlier questioning about some of the experiences in Germany. Why should the victim be the person who is hounded out of the community that they have lived and been brought up in, when the perpetrator very often stays within that community? Again, we can look around and find good examples of good practice that the Government can use, with the resources they have, to develop the process of supporting people in the community to rebuild their lives, rebuild their confidence, and become valuable members of our society again and not feel alienated and pushed to the margins. To see the work that that group has done is admirable to say the least.

In closing, I would just like to touch on the additional learning needs Bill that is currently going through the Assembly. I’ve taken some representations, in particular from Diabetes Cymru, that have touched on health needs that, at the moment, in the way the Bill is drafted, don’t sit within the Bill—they sit within the regulations, I understand. I can see the Deputy Minister indicating that—the Minister indicating that. I’ll give him sudden promotion again. But, again, I’d like to see if the health Minister does support the calls for health needs, and the underlying health needs of young people, to be included in the Bill, because, obviously, that is an important category that that legislation does need to capture, and, again, it would have a massive impact on improving life chances for young people here in Wales.

So, with those couple of comments, I look forward to hearing the Cabinet Secretary’s responses, because, working joined up and collectively, we can make a big difference to the outlook of young people here in Wales.

Rwy’n croesawu’r cyfle i siarad yn y ddadl y prynhawn yma ac i ystyried rhai o’r nifer fawr o bwyntiau a gyflwynwyd. Gobeithiaf yn fawr y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, wrth gyfrannu i’r ddadl, yn siarad am y ffrydiau gwaith y mae’r Llywodraeth yn eu dwyn at ei gilydd, oherwydd, fel y dywedodd Angela Burns yn hollol glir yn ei sylwadau agoriadol, mae’r rhan fwyaf o hyn mewn gwirionedd y tu hwnt i’r portffolio iechyd ac yn treiddio i nifer o bortffolios ar draws y Llywodraeth. Yn aml iawn, gall fod enghreifftiau o ymarfer rhagorol yn digwydd, ond yn aml iawn, cânt eu gwneud ar wahân, ac mewn gwirionedd, os ydym yn mynd i weld gwelliant cyffredinol yn iechyd pobl ifanc a phlant yma yng Nghymru, mae angen ymagwedd gydlynol a thargedau clir o ran ble rydym am fod ymhen pum mlynedd a 10 mlynedd.

Gallaf ddeall fod targedau, yn aml iawn, yn gallu bod yn rhagnodol iawn a chyfyngu ar rai o’r syniadau mwy dychmygus y gallai fod angen eu datblygu, yn enwedig yn rhai o’n hardaloedd gwledig, lle y gall darparu gwasanaethau fod yn fwy heriol, ond yn y pen draw, os oes gan y Llywodraeth strategaeth a nod, gall holl bwysau’r Llywodraeth o leiaf, a’r cyrff ategol o dan hynny, weithio i’r cyfeiriad hwnnw a’r nod cyffredin yr ydym i gyd am ei weld, sef gwella gobeithion pobl ifanc yn gyffredinol yma yng Nghymru.

Yn ddiweddar, ar ymweliad ag ACT, darparwr hyfforddiant i lawr yn Ne Caerdydd a Phenarth y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn siŵr o fod yn gwybod amdano gan ei fod yn ei etholaeth. Aeth Darren Millar, fy llefarydd addysg, yno gyda mi, ac roeddent yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith fod y fenter gofod diogel y maent wedi’i chreu yno ar gyfer pobl ifanc a gafodd broblemau yn eu bywyd ysgol ac sydd wedi methu setlo i’r diwrnod ysgol arferol—drwy’r diwylliant gofod diogel hwnnw, drwy’r fenter gofod diogel honno, maent wedi cynnig cyfle i’r bobl ifanc hyn adennill eu hyder go iawn, i adennill blas am addysg, ac yn y pen draw, i feithrin pwrpas. Hoffwn gymeradwyo’r fenter i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rwy’n sylweddoli ei bod yn perthyn i’r maes addysg, ond yn sicr, hefyd, os oes gennych blant sy’n teimlo’u bod yn cyflawni ac yn teimlo’n fodlon, mae hynny’n effeithio’n uniongyrchol ar eu hiechyd hefyd, felly, mae’n berthnasol. Rwy’n gweld Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cydnabod ei fod yn gyfarwydd â’r fenter. Nid yma yng Nghaerdydd yn unig y mae angen i ni weld y gallu hwnnw, ond ar draws Cymru, ac rwy’n canmol ACT am ddatblygu is-ganolfan yng Nghaerffili i gynnig yr un math o fentrau a chyfleoedd.

Hefyd hoffwn ddatblygu’r thema am lygredd aer a gyflwynwyd gan Caroline Jones, a soniais am hyn mewn cwestiynau i’r Prif Weinidog ddoe. Unwaith eto, dyma faes y gall y Llywodraeth wneud cynnydd sylweddol ynddo. Mae ganddi’r dulliau, drwy’r system gynllunio, drwy’r system drafnidiaeth, drwy’r system iechyd y cyhoedd sydd yma yng Nghymru, i wneud gwelliannau ac enillion sylweddol yn y maes. Ni all fod yn iawn ein bod yn goddef i 2,000 o bobl farw’n gynamserol yma yng Nghymru—pump o bobl y dydd—ac mewn gwirionedd nid ydym yn gwneud y cynnydd y dylem fod yn ei wneud yn y meysydd hyn pan fo gennym atebion ar gael i ni. Rwy’n derbyn na fyddwch byth yn cyrraedd sero, ond gallwn wneud rhai newidiadau mawr go iawn i’r ffordd y mae pobl yn gweithio, y ffordd y mae pobl yn byw eu bywydau bob dydd, a fyddai’n cael effaith enfawr. Byddwn yn awgrymu y byddai unrhyw faes arall a fyddai’n golygu bod 2,000 o bobl yn marw’n gynamserol bob blwyddyn yn mynnu mwy o sylw gan y Llywodraeth o ran defnyddio rhai o’r dulliau sydd ganddi. Unwaith eto, rwy’n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidog yn gallu defnyddio’r mesurau y mae wedi’u gosod yn benodol i Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru i wneud gwelliannau yn y maes penodol hwn.

Maes arall yr hoffwn ei grybwyll yn benodol hefyd yw’r digwyddiad a gynhaliwyd gan Angela yn ystod amser cinio, lle roedd llawer o fenywod a oedd wedi dioddef trasiedi camdriniaeth—cam-drin corfforol a meddyliol—yn eu bywydau wedi llwyddo i ailadeiladu, ac adfer eu hyder i fagu eu teuluoedd a rhoi eu hunain ar y ffordd i fod yn aelodau gwerthfawr o’n cymuned ar ôl bod wedi’u digalonni—a’u gwaradwyddo, yn ôl yr enghreifftiau a roddwyd i ni, rwy’n meddwl, a’u hunanhyder wedi’i chwalu i’r fath raddau gan y cam-drin a ddioddefasant. Roedd llawer o enghreifftiau da yno, unwaith eto, o ble y gellid cyflwyno arferion da, ac fe gyflwynodd fy nghyd-Aelod, Angela Burns, hynny mewn cwestiynau cynharach am rai o’r profiadau yn yr Almaen. Pam y dylai’r dioddefwyr gael eu herlid o’r gymuned y maent wedi byw ynddi, yr ardal y cawsant eu magu ynddi, tra bo’r cyflawnwyr yn aml iawn yn aros yn y gymuned honno? Unwaith eto, gallwn edrych o gwmpas a dod o hyd i enghreifftiau da o arferion da y gall y Llywodraeth eu defnyddio, gyda’r adnoddau sydd ganddynt, i ddatblygu’r broses o gynorthwyo pobl yn y gymuned i ailadeiladu eu bywydau, ailfagu eu hyder, a dod yn aelodau gwerthfawr o’n cymdeithas eto heb deimlo’n ddieithr ac wedi’u gwthio i’r cyrion. Mae’r gwaith a wnaeth y grŵp hwnnw’n glodwiw a dweud y lleiaf.

Wrth gloi, hoffwn gyffwrdd ar y Bil anghenion dysgu ychwanegol sy’n mynd drwy’r Cynulliad ar hyn o bryd. Rwyf wedi cymryd rhai sylwadau, yn enwedig gan Diabetes Cymru, sydd wedi cyffwrdd ar anghenion iechyd nad ydynt, ar hyn o bryd, oherwydd y ffordd y drafftiwyd y Bil, wedi’u cynnwys yn y Bil—maent wedi’u cynnwys yn y rheoliadau yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf. Gallaf weld y Dirprwy Weinidog yn dynodi—y Gweinidog yn dynodi hynny. Fe roddaf ddyrchafiad sydyn iddo eto. Ond unwaith eto, hoffwn weld a yw’r Gweinidog iechyd yn cefnogi’r galwadau i gynnwys anghenion iechyd, ac anghenion iechyd sylfaenol pobl ifanc, yn y Bil, oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae hwnnw’n gategori pwysig y mae angen i’r ddeddfwriaeth ei gynnwys, ac unwaith eto, byddai’n cael effaith enfawr ar wella cyfleoedd bywyd i bobl ifanc yma yng Nghymru.

Felly, gyda’r ychydig sylwadau hynny, edrychaf ymlaen at glywed ymatebion Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, oherwydd, drwy weithio’n gydgysylltiedig a chyda’n gilydd, gallwn wneud gwahaniaeth mawr i ragolygon pobl ifanc yma yng Nghymru.

As human beings, we have basic needs: food, water, warmth and rest, security and comfort. These very basic needs have to be met before we can even start to aim to fulfil our potential. My children are lucky enough to come home every night to a familiar place—a place that they know, a place that they call home. It’s a place where they feel safe, where they feel that they belong. It’s where they have their favourite belongings: a cuddly toy, their books, their toys, their beds. It’s a place that is their own.

I’m astounded to find that, last Christmas, over 1,100 children were homeless here in Wales. No home means no roots. It means children have anxiety, stress and worries that no child should expect in twenty-first century Britain. This figure includes children who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation. It does not include 16 to 17-year-old independent children who have left home or care through choice or not.

One thousand one hundred children—that cannot be right. This represents twice the headcount of St Joseph’s in Wrexham. What chance have those children got to get back onto any sort of level playing field, considering the experiences that they must have had while spiralling into homelessness and the experiences they may have while striving to get out of it?

We really need to focus on the root causes of the ills that plague our society. It’s tragic that the very basic and fundamental needs of Welsh children are not being met. They deserve better.

Fel bodau dynol, mae gennym anghenion sylfaenol: bwyd, dŵr, cynhesrwydd a gorffwys, diogelwch a chysur. Rhaid bodloni’r anghenion sylfaenol hyn cyn y gallwn hyd yn oed ddechrau anelu at gyflawni ein potensial. Mae fy mhlant yn ddigon ffodus i ddod adref bob nos i le cyfarwydd—lle y maent yn ei adnabod, lle y maent yn ei alw’n gartref. Mae’n fan lle y maent yn teimlo’n ddiogel, lle y maent yn teimlo’u bod yn perthyn. Mae’n fan lle y mae ganddynt eu hoff eiddo: tegan meddal, eu llyfrau, eu teganau, eu gwelyau. Mae’n fan sy’n eiddo iddynt hwy.

Roeddwn yn syndod darganfod, y Nadolig diwethaf, fod dros 1,100 o blant yn ddigartref yma yng Nghymru. Mae bod heb gartref yn golygu bod heb wreiddiau. Mae’n golygu bod gan blant bryderon, straen ac ofnau na ddylai unrhyw blentyn eu disgwyl ym Mhrydain yn yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Mae’r ffigur hwn yn cynnwys plant sy’n ddigartref ac sy’n byw mewn llety dros dro. Nid yw’n cynnwys plant annibynnol 16 ac 17 oed sydd wedi gadael cartref neu ofal drwy ddewis neu beidio.

1,100 o blant—ni all hynny fod yn iawn. Mae’n ddwywaith nifer y plant yn ysgol St Joseph yn Wrecsam. Pa obaith sydd gan y plant hynny i fynd yn ôl ar unrhyw fath o gae chwarae gwastad, o ystyried y profiadau y mae’n rhaid eu bod wedi’u cael wrth nesu fwyfwy at ddigartrefedd a’r profiadau y gallent fod yn eu hwynebu wrth ymdrechu i ddod allan ohono?

Mae gwir angen inni ganolbwyntio ar achosion sylfaenol y problemau sy’n bla yn ein cymdeithas. Mae’n drasiedi nad yw anghenion sylfaenol a phwysicaf plant Cymru yn cael eu diwallu. Maent yn haeddu gwell.

Thank you very much. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport. Vaughan Gething.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd, Llesiant a Chwaraeon. Vaughan Gething.

Member
Vaughan Gething 16:46:00
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to thank Members for tabling a debate on this important and wide-ranging topic. I’m happy to confirm the Government supports all of the amendments.

We launched the Healthy Child Wales programme in October last year, for all children and their families, to improve health, social and educational development and long-term physical, mental and social outcomes. The programme will safeguard the health of children through screening and surveillance services from birth to seven years of age. The programme promotes resilience and is aimed to empower families to make informed choices to provide safe and nurturing environments.

I just want to deal gently with one of the points that Angela Burns made at the start, and that was the percentage spend within health services on women and children. I don’t think that’s actually a helpful approach, simply because I think we’re trying to have a whole-service approach to see that whole person in their context. There are actually many other areas of spend and activities that won’t be captured in the figures you represent that are of course hugely important to what health and care services can do as their contribution in partnership with others too. Much of the rest of your contribution recognised and reflected on the fact that we need to see children in that whole context and where they have those interactions and what those could and should do to improve.

I welcome the tone of contributions in the debate, including the way that Angela Burns set off. I’m happy to continue to discuss what we could and should do from a Welsh Government perspective to improve outcomes for children and their families. But, we should not try to get away from the unavoidable reality of what else is happening outside this place too.

For example, support for families renting houses is not devolved. Since 2011, in this area and others, there have been continual cuts from the UK Government to that support. That is a deliberate choice and it means less support for families in need, the majority of whom are actually in work. It’s only one example of the choices the UK Government have made that have had a very real impact upon outcomes and prospects for children. Sadly, it is going to get worse.

Poverty is the biggest limiting factor for the health, well-being and future prospects of our children. The Institute for Fiscal Studies forecasts that the number of children across the UK who will grow up in poverty will expand by more than 1 million so that over 5 million children in the UK will live in poverty. They will be driven into poverty by the direct and deliberate choices of the UK Government. That will affect all that we can do and what we are able to achieve with and for children and their families.

Here in Wales, I’m pleased to say we take a different approach. We invest over £124 million annually in the Supporting People programme to support vulnerable families and help prevent problems early. Local authority homelessness services have a statutory duty to refer households with children to social services where they’re at risk of becoming intentionally homeless.

And of course, in education, we recognise that development sets the basis for a child’s health development. That’s why the Donaldson review of the curriculum in Wales, ‘Successful Futures’, recognises that children and young people need to experience social, emotional and physical well-being to engage successfully with their education—seeing that child in their whole context. As Members will know, Welsh Ministers have accepted all of the recommendations set out in that report for education across the six areas of learning and experience. One of those areas is, of course, health and well-being, to draw in themes including mental, physical and emotional well-being. We’ll continue to work with pioneer schools to develop the health and well-being guidance to support the curriculum framework.

The Welsh Government is also transforming the additional learning needs system. It is vital that all children and young people in Wales are able to access education that meets their needs and enables them to participate in the learning experience. The Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill will drive us towards this and provide a fair and equitable system for all learners with additional learning needs. I’m happy to confirm again that the health needs that are not learning needs will be subject to statutory guidance that the Minister will publish before the end of this month.

I recognise the importance of providing a long-term vision for child health. One of the points that Angela Burns made was certainly in the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s recent report, and that’s why I’m happy to confirm today that this Government will develop a new children’s health plan to directly respond to that central recommendation.

I’ve listened to stakeholders, and I recognise the need to describe the national priority areas that health services should be addressing to improve outcomes for children and young people. I also recognise the role of improved data collection in the understanding of child health in Wales—in general terms, but also to support this plan.

In respect of the direct points made about the cancer delivery plan, we have a further renewed focus on delivering person-centred care. The most recent cancer patient experience survey showed how well services are delivered to the adult population. We recognise the need to develop patient-reported experience measures for children affected by cancer to ensure that we are meeting their needs. We will consider extending the age range for those taking part in this survey in future commissioning.

For the first time, in 2016, the Welsh Government published data on local authority counselling services that operate in secondary schools and year six of primary schools. Over 5 per cent of children who went to the school counselling service in 2014-15 did so for reasons that relate to bullying. Evidence shows that a counselling service within an overall schools strategy can be highly effective in preventing the escalation of mental health problems. We expect schools to make it clear that peer bullying will not be tolerated and that the anti-bullying message is put into practice.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education is currently reviewing anti-bullying policy to ensure that it remains fit for purpose. We’re determined to have clear and consistent support for people being bullied, and we want to reinforce our aim to create space for people to report and be supported through bullying.

In 2015-16, I announced over £1.5 million for new recurrent funding to develop community-based perinatal mental health services to improve outcomes for women with perinatal illness. The NHS reports that more than 1,500 women have been referred to community perinatal services since April 2016. I, of course, recently announced an increase in spending on mental health generally by a further £20 million within the Welsh Government’s budget that this place has passed. We continue to spend more on mental health services than on any other part of NHS Wales. We will, of course, monitor the effectiveness and impact of this new perinatal mental health support to ensure consistency across Wales for vulnerable families.

Through our network of Welsh healthy schools schemes, we’re supporting schools to create an environment to help tackle obesity. Over 99 per cent of maintained schools in Wales are actively involved in these schemes.

Of course, I recognise the points made in the motion and the amendments about sport. We don’t want to forget the importance of physical education within the curriculum, but of course PE is much more than simply sport. We do, of course, want schools to offer excellent sporting facilities. That’s why our twenty-first century schools and education programme will see an additional £1.4 billion of investment in schools and colleges to provide learners with the state-of-the-art facilities that will inspire them to fulfil their potential. I’m happy to briefly confirm, in response to Darren Millar, that the school nursing framework is being developed with and by the workforce itself, and it will be launched in the near future.

In finishing, Deputy Presiding Officer, I’m happy to confirm that I look forward to working with people across different parties in this Chamber and outside this place. I look forward to doing that to help to deliver the very best possible outcomes for children and their families here in Wales.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn ddiolch i’r Aelodau am gyflwyno dadl ar y pwnc pwysig ac eang hwn. Rwy’n hapus i gadarnhau bod y Llywodraeth yn cefnogi pob un o’r gwelliannau.

Lansiwyd y rhaglen Plant Iach Cymru ym mis Hydref y llynedd ar gyfer yr holl blant a’u teuluoedd, er mwyn gwella iechyd, datblygiad cymdeithasol ac addysgol a chanlyniadau corfforol, meddyliol a chymdeithasol hirdymor. Bydd y rhaglen yn diogelu iechyd plant drwy wasanaethau sgrinio a goruchwylio o enedigaeth i saith oed. Mae’r rhaglen yn hyrwyddo gwydnwch ac wedi ei hanelu at rymuso teuluoedd i wneud dewisiadau gwybodus i ddarparu amgylcheddau diogel a meithringar.

Hoffwn ymdrin yn fras ag un o’r pwyntiau a wnaeth Angela Burns ar y dechrau, sef y gwariant canrannol yn y gwasanaethau iechyd ar fenywod a phlant. Nid wyf yn credu bod hynny mewn gwirionedd yn ffordd ddefnyddiol o fynd ati, yn syml oherwydd fy mod yn credu ein bod yn ceisio cael ymagwedd gwasanaeth cyfan i weld y person cyfan yn eu cyd-destun. Mewn gwirionedd ceir llawer o feysydd gwariant a gweithgareddau eraill na fydd wedi’u cynnwys yn y ffigurau a rowch sydd wrth gwrs yn bwysig iawn i’r hyn y gall gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal ei wneud wrth gyfrannu mewn partneriaeth ag eraill hefyd. Roedd llawer o weddill eich cyfraniad yn cydnabod ac yn ystyried y ffaith fod angen i ni weld plant yn y cyd-destun cyfan hwnnw a lle y cânt y rhyngweithiadau hynny a beth y gallai ac y dylai’r rheini ei wneud i wella.

Rwy’n croesawu ysbryd y cyfraniadau yn y ddadl, gan gynnwys y ffordd y dechreuodd Angela Burns. Rwy’n hapus i barhau i drafod yr hyn y gallem ac y dylem ei wneud o safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru i wella canlyniadau i blant a’u teuluoedd. Ond ni ddylem geisio troi cefn ar realiti anochel beth arall sy’n digwydd y tu allan i’r lle hwn hefyd.

Er enghraifft, nid yw cymorth i deuluoedd sy’n rhentu tai wedi’i ddatganoli. Ers 2011, yn y maes hwn ac eraill, cafwyd toriadau parhaus gan Lywodraeth y DU i’r cymorth hwnnw. Mae hwnnw’n ddewis bwriadol ac mae’n golygu llai o gefnogaeth i deuluoedd mewn angen, y mwyafrif ohonynt yn gweithio mewn gwirionedd. Dyna un enghraifft o’r dewisiadau y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi’u gwneud sydd wedi effeithio’n wirioneddol ar ganlyniadau a rhagolygon ar gyfer plant. Yn anffodus, mae’n mynd i waethygu.

Tlodi yw’r ffactor sy’n cyfyngu fwyaf ar iechyd, lles a rhagolygon ein plant yn y dyfodol. Mae’r Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllid yn rhagweld y bydd nifer y plant ar draws y DU a fydd yn tyfu i fyny mewn tlodi yn cynyddu mwy nag 1 filiwn fel y bydd dros 5 miliwn o blant yn y DU yn byw mewn tlodi. Byddant yn cael eu gorfodi i fyw mewn tlodi gan ddewisiadau uniongyrchol a bwriadol Llywodraeth y DU. Bydd hynny’n effeithio ar bopeth y gallwn ei wneud a’r hyn y gallwn ei gyflawni gyda, ac ar gyfer plant a’u teuluoedd.

Yma yng Nghymru, rwy’n falch o ddweud bod gennym agwedd wahanol. Rydym yn buddsoddi dros £124 miliwn yn flynyddol yn y rhaglen Cefnogi Pobl i gefnogi teuluoedd sy’n agored i niwed a helpu i atal problemau’n gynnar. Mae gan wasanaethau digartrefedd yr awdurdodau lleol ddyletswydd statudol i gyfeirio aelwydydd â phlant at y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol lle y maent mewn perygl o fod yn ddigartref yn fwriadol.

Ac wrth gwrs, mewn addysg, rydym yn cydnabod bod datblygiad yn gosod y sail ar gyfer datblygiad iechyd plentyn. Dyna pam y mae adolygiad Donaldson o’r cwricwlwm yng Nghymru, ‘Dyfodol Llwyddiannus’, yn cydnabod bod angen i blant a phobl ifanc brofi lles cymdeithasol, emosiynol a chorfforol er mwyn ymgysylltu’n llwyddiannus ag addysg—a gweld y plentyn yn eu cyd-destun cyfan. Fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau, mae Gweinidogion Cymru wedi derbyn pob un o’r argymhellion a nodwyd yn yr adroddiad hwnnw ar gyfer addysg ar draws y chwe maes dysgu a phrofiad. Un o’r meysydd hynny, wrth gwrs, yw iechyd a lles, i gyflwyno themâu sy’n cynnwys lles meddyliol, corfforol ac emosiynol. Byddwn yn parhau i weithio gydag ysgolion arloesi ar ddatblygu’r canllawiau iechyd a lles i gefnogi fframwaith y cwricwlwm.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd yn trawsnewid y system anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Mae’n hanfodol fod pob plentyn a pherson ifanc yng Nghymru yn gallu cael mynediad at addysg sy’n diwallu eu hanghenion ac yn eu galluogi i gymryd rhan yn y profiad dysgu. Bydd y Bil Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol a’r Tribiwnlys Addysg (Cymru) yn mynd â ni tuag at hyn ac yn darparu system deg a chyfiawn i bob dysgwr ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Rwy’n hapus i gadarnhau eto y bydd yr anghenion iechyd nad ydynt yn anghenion dysgu yn destun canllawiau statudol y bydd y Gweinidog yn eu cyhoeddi cyn diwedd y mis hwn.

Rwy’n cydnabod pwysigrwydd darparu gweledigaeth hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd plant. Roedd un o’r pwyntiau a wnaeth Angela Burns yn sicr yn adroddiad diweddar y Coleg Brenhinol Pediatreg ac Iechyd Plant, a dyna pam rwy’n hapus i gadarnhau heddiw y bydd y Llywodraeth hon yn datblygu cynllun iechyd plant newydd i ymateb yn uniongyrchol i’r argymhelliad canolog hwnnw.

Rwyf wedi gwrando ar randdeiliaid, ac rwy’n cydnabod yr angen i ddisgrifio’r meysydd blaenoriaeth cenedlaethol y dylai gwasanaethau iechyd fynd i’r afael â hwy i wella canlyniadau i blant a phobl ifanc. Rwyf hefyd yn cydnabod rôl dulliau gwell o gasglu data ar gyfer deall iechyd plant yng Nghymru—mewn termau cyffredinol, ond hefyd i gefnogi’r cynllun hwn.

O ran y pwyntiau uniongyrchol a wnaed am y cynllun cyflawni ar gyfer canser, mae gennym ffocws newydd pellach ar ddarparu gofal sy’n canolbwyntio ar yr unigolyn. Dangosodd yr arolwg diweddaraf o brofiad cleifion canser pa mor dda y caiff gwasanaethau eu darparu i’r boblogaeth oedolion. Rydym yn cydnabod yr angen i ddatblygu dulliau o fesur profiadau a gofnodir gan gleifion ar gyfer plant yr effeithir arnynt gan ganser i sicrhau ein bod yn diwallu eu hanghenion. Byddwn yn ystyried ymestyn yr ystod oedran ar gyfer y rhai sy’n cymryd rhan yn yr arolwg hwn wrth gomisiynu yn y dyfodol.

Am y tro cyntaf, yn 2016, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru ddata ar wasanaethau cwnsela awdurdodau lleol sy’n gweithredu mewn ysgolion uwchradd a blwyddyn chwech yr ysgolion cynradd. Roedd dros 5 y cant o’r plant a oedd yn cael gwasanaeth cwnsela ysgolion yn 2014-15 yn gwneud hynny am resymau’n ymwneud â bwlio. Dengys tystiolaeth y gall gwasanaeth cwnsela o fewn strategaeth gyffredinol ar gyfer ysgolion fod yn hynod o effeithiol yn atal y cynnydd mewn problemau iechyd meddwl. Rydym yn disgwyl i ysgolion ei gwneud yn glir na fydd bwlio gan gyfoedion yn cael ei oddef a bod y neges wrthfwlio yn cael ei rhoi ar waith.

Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg ar hyn o bryd yn adolygu’r polisi gwrthfwlio er mwyn sicrhau ei fod yn parhau i fod yn addas at y diben. Rydym yn benderfynol o gael cymorth clir a chyson i bobl sy’n cael eu bwlio, ac rydym yn awyddus i atgyfnerthu ein nod o greu lle i bobl roi gwybod am fwlio a chael cymorth.

Yn 2015-16, cyhoeddais dros £1.5 miliwn o gyllid rheolaidd newydd i ddatblygu gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl amenedigol yn y gymuned i wella canlyniadau i fenywod sydd â salwch amenedigol. Dywed y GIG fod mwy na 1,500 o fenywod wedi cael eu cyfeirio at wasanaethau amenedigol cymunedol ers mis Ebrill 2016. Yn ddiweddar, wrth gwrs, cyhoeddais gynnydd o £20 miliwn pellach yn y gwariant ar iechyd meddwl yn gyffredinol yng nghyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru a basiwyd gan y lle hwn. Rydym yn parhau i wario mwy ar wasanaethau iechyd meddwl nag ar unrhyw ran arall o’r GIG yng Nghymru. Fe fyddwn, wrth gwrs, yn monitro effeithiolrwydd ac effaith y cymorth iechyd meddwl amenedigol newydd i sicrhau cysondeb ar draws Cymru i deuluoedd sy’n agored i niwed.

Drwy ein rhwydwaith o gynlluniau ysgolion iach Cymru, rydym yn cynorthwyo ysgolion i greu amgylchedd i helpu i fynd i’r afael â gordewdra. Mae dros 99 y cant o ysgolion a gynhelir yng Nghymru yn cymryd rhan weithredol yn y cynlluniau hyn.

Wrth gwrs, rwy’n cydnabod y pwyntiau a wnaed yn y cynnig a’r gwelliannau ynglŷn â chwaraeon. Nid ydym am anghofio pwysigrwydd addysg gorfforol yn y cwricwlwm, ond wrth gwrs mae Addysg Gorfforol yn llawer mwy na chwaraeon yn unig. Rydym eisiau i ysgolion gynnig cyfleusterau chwaraeon rhagorol wrth gwrs. Dyna pam y bydd £1.4 biliwn ychwanegol o fuddsoddiad yn ein rhaglen addysg ac ysgolion ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain i ysgolion a cholegau allu darparu cyfleusterau o’r radd flaenaf a fydd yn eu hysbrydoli i gyflawni eu potensial. Rwy’n hapus i gadarnhau’n gryno, mewn ymateb i Darren Millar, fod y fframwaith nyrsio ysgolion yn cael ei ddatblygu gyda, a chan y gweithlu ei hun, a bydd yn cael ei lansio yn y dyfodol agos.

Wrth orffen, Ddirprwy Lywydd, rwy’n hapus i gadarnhau fy mod yn edrych ymlaen at weithio gyda phobl ar draws y gwahanol bleidiau yn y Siambr hon a’r tu allan i’r lle hwn. Edrychaf ymlaen at wneud hynny er mwyn helpu i gyflawni’r canlyniadau gorau posibl ar gyfer plant a’u teuluoedd yma yng Nghymru.

Thank you very much. I call on Angela Burns to reply to the debate.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Galwaf ar Angela Burns i ymateb i’r ddadl.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, the Welsh Conservatives are delighted to hear about the children’s health plan that you are proposing, because this is at the heart of this debate. The reason we brought this is because, whilst you highlighted a great number of initiatives within health, within education—all of which are welcome—it’s about driving a theme, it’s about weaving a golden thread through the various fabrics of the Government. We want to see—and I hate this word ‘overarching’, but it does actually encompass it—an overarching vision, because these children are our future of tomorrow and if we can make them healthy, resilient, content and robust internally today, then they will be able to cope so much better with what happens in their futures.

We talk about the great strains on the Welsh NHS in terms of financial constraints. We talk about the obesity crisis, the smoking epidemic and the air pollution problems. All of it has to be pulled together in a way that we can start today with the youngest of our young and move them forward and look at it in a holistic way. I’d like to work with you. We would like to work with you to ensure that this child health plan actually looks at it in that collaborative way. It’s rather like the National Assembly for Wales, which has sustainability and equality as driving principles that underpin this place. I would like to see child health and the well-being of children as the driving principle that underpins all Government policies. It’s something that over the years various committees—. I think the Deputy Presiding Officer and I were both members of the Children and Young People committee when we looked at budgeting and how budgets can impact on child health and child educational outcomes.

I thought that Rhun ap Iorwerth made some very, very valid points on the amendments. Tackling obesity: there’s an example of where, if we had a vision where we understand that obesity is a problem in terms of health, then we would actually be driving that change at school level. You’re right, Cabinet Secretary; it’s not just about elite sport or sport. Actually, it’s about fun. It’s about going outside and bopping around in a gym or in a playground, getting active and getting moving. If we have that overarching vision, that golden thread, then we’d be looking, right from cradle to grave, at how we make ourselves healthy. To be frank, for someone of my age it’s probably a done deal, but my goodness me, the two-year-olds, the three-year-olds, the four-year-olds, the seven-year-olds, my girls—12 and 14—all our children—

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn falch iawn o glywed am y cynllun iechyd plant yr ydych yn ei argymell, gan fod hyn yn ganolog i’r ddadl hon. Y rheswm pam y cyflwynwyd y ddadl hon gennym oedd, er eich bod wedi tynnu sylw at nifer fawr o fentrau yn y maes iechyd, yn y maes addysg—ac mae croeso iddynt oll—mae’n ymwneud â hybu thema, mae’n ymwneud â gweithio edafedd aur drwy wahanol weadau’r Llywodraeth. Rydym am weld—ac rwy’n casáu’r gair ‘trosfwaol’, ond mae’n ei gwmpasu mewn gwirionedd—gweledigaeth drosfwaol, gan mai’r plant hyn yw ein dyfodol yfory ac os gallwn eu gwneud yn iach, yn wydn, yn fodlon ac yn gadarn yn fewnol heddiw, yna byddant yn gallu ymdopi cymaint yn well â’r hyn sy’n digwydd yn eu dyfodol.

Rydym yn siarad am y straen mawr ar y GIG yng Nghymru o ran y cyfyngiadau ariannol. Rydym yn siarad am yr argyfwng gordewdra, yr epidemig ysmygu a’r problemau llygredd aer. Mae’n rhaid dod â’r cyfan hyn at ei gilydd mewn ffordd y gallwn ddechrau heddiw gyda’r ieuengaf o’n plant a’u symud ymlaen ac edrych arno mewn ffordd gyfannol. Hoffwn weithio gyda chi. Byddem yn hoffi gweithio gyda chi i sicrhau bod y cynllun iechyd plant mewn gwirionedd yn edrych arno yn y ffordd gydweithredol honno. Mae’n debyg braidd i Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, sydd â chynaladwyedd a chydraddoldeb yn egwyddorion ysgogol yn sail i’r lle hwn. Hoffwn weld iechyd a lles plant yn egwyddor ysgogol sy’n sail i holl bolisïau’r Llywodraeth. Mae’n rhywbeth y mae gwahanol bwyllgorau dros y blynyddoedd—. Rwy’n meddwl bod y Dirprwy Lywydd a minnau yn aelodau o’r Pwyllgor Plant a Phobl Ifanc pan edrychasom ar gyllidebu a sut y gall cyllidebau effeithio ar iechyd plant a chanlyniadau addysgol plant.

Roeddwn yn meddwl bod Rhun ap Iorwerth wedi gwneud rhai pwyntiau dilys iawn ar y gwelliannau. Mynd i’r afael â gordewdra: dyna enghraifft, pe bai gennym weledigaeth lle rydym yn deall bod gordewdra yn broblem o ran iechyd, yna byddem yn ysgogi’r newid hwnnw ar lefel yr ysgolion mewn gwirionedd. Rydych yn iawn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet; nid yw’n ymwneud yn unig â chwaraeon elitaidd neu chwaraeon. A dweud y gwir, mae’n ymwneud â hwyl. Mae’n ymwneud â mynd allan a neidio o gwmpas mewn campfa neu ar faes chwarae, bod yn egnïol a symud. Os oes gennym y weledigaeth gyffredinol, yr edafedd aur, yna byddem yn edrych, o’r crud i’r bedd, ar sut y gwnawn ein hunain yn iach. I fod yn onest, i rywun fy oedran i mae’n debyg ei bod hi’n rhy hwyr, ond ar fy ngwir, y rhai dwy oed, tair oed, pedair oed, saith oed, fy merched—12 a 14 oed—ein plant i gyd—

I’m not sure trampolining would sustain me, actually, David Melding. [Laughter.] I don’t want to break any other bones. But it’s about catching the young and changing their lifestyles and changing their expectations. The other thing we haven’t touched upon is this: a healthy, emotionally resilient individual who at 18, 19 or 20 goes into a job or goes into higher education will actually be somebody who will succeed much better in their life. They will actually have better outcomes and, in turn, will bring up happier, healthier and more resilient children. I’m very pleased to hear that you’re going to take this forward and try to build a vision. We will work with you. I’d like to thank everyone—I haven’t had a chance to say thank you to everyone—for taking part in the debate.

Nid wyf yn sicr y byddai trampolinio’n fy nghynnal, mewn gwirionedd, David Melding. [Chwerthin.] Nid wyf am dorri rhagor o esgyrn. Ond mae’n ymwneud â dal yr ifanc a newid eu ffyrdd o fyw a newid eu disgwyliadau. Y peth arall nad ydym wedi’i grybwyll yw hyn: bydd unigolyn iach sy’n wydn yn emosiynol, a fydd, yn 18, 19 neu’n 20 oed, yn dechrau mewn swydd neu’n cychwyn mewn addysg uwch yn rhywun a fydd yn llwyddo’n llawer gwell yn eu bywydau mewn gwirionedd. Byddant yn cael gwell canlyniadau ac yn eu tro, byddant yn magu plant hapusach, iachach a mwy gwydn. Rwy’n falch iawn o glywed eich bod yn mynd i fwrw ymlaen â hyn a cheisio ffurfio gweledigaeth. Byddwn yn gweithio gyda chi. Hoffwn ddiolch i bawb—nid wyf wedi cael cyfle i ddiolch i bawb—am gymryd rhan yn y ddadl.

The proposal is to agree the motion without amendment. Does any Member object? [Object.] Therefore, we’ll defer voting under this item until voting time.

Y cynnig yw derbyn y cynnig heb ei ddiwygio. A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Felly, gohiriwn y pleidleisio o dan yr eitem hon tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

Gohiriwyd y pleidleisio tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

Voting deferred until voting time.

7. 7. Dadl Plaid Cymru: Cronfa’r Teulu
7. 7. Plaid Cymru Debate: The Family Fund

Detholwyd y gwelliannau canlynol: gwelliant 1 yn enw Jane Hutt, a gwelliant 2 yn enw Paul Davies.

The following amendments have been selected: amendment 1 in the name of Jane Hutt, and amendment 2 in the name of Paul Davies.

We move on to item 7 on our agenda this afternoon, which is the Plaid Cymru debate on the Family Fund. I call on Rhun ap Iorwerth to move the motion. Rhun.

Symudwn ymlaen at eitem 7 ar ein hagenda y prynhawn yma, sef dadl Plaid Cymru ar Gronfa’r Teulu. Galwaf ar Rhun ap Iorwerth i gynnig y cynnig. Rhun.

Cynnig NDM6252 Rhun ap Iorwerth

Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i adolygu effaith ei phenderfyniad i dorri cyllid Cronfa’r Teulu, a naill ai gwyrdroi’r toriadau i Gronfa’r Teulu, neu sefydlu dull o ddarparu cymorth ariannol uniongyrchol i deuluoedd incwm isel sydd â phlant anabl i o leiaf y lefelau isaf a ddarperid yn flaenorol.

Motion NDM6252 Rhun ap Iorwerth

Calls on the Welsh Government to review the impact of its decision to cut the funding of the family fund, and to either reverse the cuts to the family fund, or establish mechanisms to provide direct financial support to low income families with disabled children at a minimum of at least the same levels previously provided.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy’n falch iawn o gael agor y ddadl yma. Mae hi’n ddadl digon syml mewn difri, ag iddi ffocws clir iawn. Dadl ydy hi am sut rydym ni’n amddiffyn rhai o’r teuluoedd mwyaf tlawd a mwyaf bregus yn ein cymdeithas. Mae hi’n tynnu sylw at sefyllfa pan, mewn difri, gall polisi a allai fod yn un da ar y cyfan fod yn esgeuluso’r grŵp pwysig a bregus iawn yma o bobl drwy’r print mân. Nid oeddwn i ddim yn ymwybodol o Gronfa’r Teulu, mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud, tan i mi gyfarfod ag un o’i hymddiriedolwyr, sy’n etholwraig i mi. Mi eglurwyd wrthyf beth oedd gwerth y gronfa ac mi eglurwyd wrthyf beth oedd yn cael ei golli drwy dorri ar y gronfa honno. Prif bwrpas Cronfa’r Teulu ydy dosbarthu arian cyhoeddus ar ffurf grantiau i deuluoedd efo plant sâl ac anabl. Mae teuluoedd yn gallu gwneud cais am grantiau tuag at eitemau i’r cartref, dillad gwely neu offer arall—eitemau bob dydd sy’n gallu lleddfu’r baich o ofalu am blentyn efo anabledd difrifol—ac mae’n darparu efallai rhyw £500 y flwyddyn i deuluoedd incwm isel sydd fwyaf angen cymorth. Gwae ni os ydym ni yn anghofio bod £500 yn lawer o arian; mae o yn swm mawr iawn o arian i deuluoedd incwm isel, yn sicr. Mi fydd fy nghyd-Aelodau i, rwy’n gwybod, yn ymhelaethu ar rai o’r ffyrdd y mae’r arian yna yn gallu cael ei ddefnyddio, a rhai o’r ffyrdd y mae’r arian yna yn hanfodol i deuluoedd.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’m very pleased to open this debate. It is quite a simple debate, if truth be told, with a very clear focus. It is a debate on how we protect and defend some of our poorest families, and some of our most vulnerable families. It highlights a situation when, in reality, a policy that could be a good one could be actually depriving this very vulnerable group of people through the small print, if you like. Now, I wasn’t aware of the Family Fund, I have to admit, until I met one of its trustees, who is a constituent of mine. She explained to me the value of the fund, and also explained what would be lost through making cuts to that fund. The main purpose of the Family Fund is to distribute public funds in the form of grants to families of ill and disabled children. Families can bid for grants towards items for the home, bedding or other equipment—everyday items that can alleviate the pressures of caring for a severely disabled child. They may provide some £500 per annum to low-income families who most need the help. Now, woe betide us if we forget that £500 is a huge amount of money. It is a huge amount of money to low-income families, certainly. My fellow Members I know will expand on some of the ways in which that funding can be used and how that funding is crucial to these families.

Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.

The Llywydd took the Chair.

Rwy’n mynd i ganolbwyntio, os caf, ar pam rwy’n meddwl bod gwelliant y Llywodraeth i’n cynnig ni yn fethiant i sylweddoli a chydnabod beth sydd yn y fantol yma. Mae dogfen a gafodd ei hanfon at Aelodau Cynulliad ddoe—rwy’n siŵr bod llawer ohonoch chi wedi cael cyfle i’w gweld hi—yn nodi bod Gofalwyr Cymru, Contact a Family Cymru ac Anabledd Dysgu Cymru yn siomedig iawn fod gwelliant y Llywodraeth i’r ddadl ddydd Mercher yma yn methu â chydnabod neu fynd i’r afael â’r effaith ariannol uniongyrchol ar deuluoedd incwm isel gyda phlant anabl o dorri’r cyllid i Gronfa’r Teulu o dros £5.5 miliwn dros y tair blynedd 2016-17 i 2018-19. Mae o’n mynd ymlaen i ddweud hyn: nid yw hwn yn fater cyffredinol yn ymwneud â chyllid prosiect i’r trydydd sector, ond yn hytrach yn un sy’n effeithio ar deuluoedd incwm isel gyda phlant anabl yn uniongyrchol, gyda dros 4,000 o deuluoedd bob blwyddyn yng Nghymru rŵan ddim yn gallu cael mynediad at grant blynyddol o £500 ar gyfartaledd—£500 a all gael effaith anferth ar gyllideb flynyddol teuluoedd incwm isel. Ac maen nhw’n ein hatgoffa ni bod y tair gweinyddiaeth arall yn y Deyrnas Gyfunol wedi cynnal eu cymorth ariannol i Gronfa’r Teulu ar raddfa 2015-16. Mi gyhoeddodd Adran Addysg Lloegr ddoe, trwy gyd-ddigwyddiad, eu bod nhw yn parhau i gyllido’r rhaglen—swm o £81 miliwn dros dair blynedd.

Mi fyddwn i yn ychwanegu bod gwelliant y Llywodraeth yn awgrymu nad yw Gweinidogion wedi bod yn ymwybodol, neu ddim wedi ystyried bod y shifft mewn cyllid i’r cynllun grantiau gwasanaethau cymdeithasol cynaliadwy’r trydydd sector wedi cael yr effaith yma ar gyllido uniongyrchol i deuluoedd. Nid oes dewis amgen. Nid yw nodi cynlluniau eraill sydd ar gael ac argaeledd gwasanaethau hawliau lles, er enghraifft, yn gwneud i fyny am y ffaith bod hwn yn golled uniongyrchol i’r teuluoedd, yn enwedig mewn hinsawdd lle mae mathau eraill o gefnogaeth yn diflannu. Mae straeon defnyddwyr y gwasanaeth rydym wedi eu clywed yn dangos hyn. Rwy’n dyfynnu eto o ddogfen Gofalwyr Cymru, Contact a Family Cymru ac Anabledd Dysgu Cymru, sy’n dyfynnu rhiant sydd ddim bellach yn gallu cael mynediad at gymorth Cronfa’r Teulu: ‘Fel rhiant plentyn gydag anabledd difrifol, rydw i’n gwybod pa mor anodd a digalon ydy hi i drio cario ymlaen yn ystod amser o doriadau mewn cyllidebau, yn ogystal â gelyniaeth ar ran Llywodraeth San Steffan tuag at fudd-daliadau anabledd. Rydym ni’n cario ymlaen orau y gallwn ni, ond rydym yn byw ar ddibyn methu ymdopi yn ariannol, yn ogystal ag mewn ffyrdd eraill.’ Mae grantiau Cronfa’r Teulu yn ‘lifeline’ i gymaint o bobl, meddai’r rhiant yna.

Rydym wedi cyflwyno’r cynnig yma ar ôl clywed gan fudiadau sydd yn rhwystredig efo’r sefyllfa—efo colled yr arian ond hefyd y diffyg cydnabyddiaeth bod toriad wedi bod, achos mae yna. Dyna pam rydym ni wedi ei eirio fo mewn ffordd sy’n cynnig ffordd amgen ymlaen i’r Llywodraeth. Os oes yna fodd gwahanol i symud ymlaen yn defnyddio model gwahanol i Gronfa’r Teulu—iawn, gadewch inni ystyried hynny. Beth sy’n bwysig i ni, a beth sy’n bwysig yng ngeiriad y cynnig yma ydy bod y cymorth uniongyrchol yna mewn rhyw fodd yn cael ei adfer.

I’m going to focus, if I may, on why I believe the Government’s amendment to our motion is a failure to understand and recognise what is at stake here. A document sent to Assembly Members yesterday—I’m sure many of you will have had an opportunity to see that document—notes that Carers Wales, Contact a Family Wales and Learning Disability Wales are very disappointed that the Government’s amendment to this debate fails to recognise or tackle the financial impact that this directly has on low-income families with disabled children in terms of cutting funds to the Family Fund by over £5.5 million over three years. That’s 2016-17 and 2018-19. It goes on to say that this is not a general issue of project funding for the third sector but one that directly affects low-income families with disabled children, with over 4,000 families per year in Wales now unable to access an annual grant of £500, on average—£500 that can make a huge impact on the annual budget of low-income families. And they remind us that the three other administrations in the UK have maintained their financial support for the Family Fund at the 2015-16 level. The Department for Education in England announced yesterday, by coincidence, that it will continue to fund this programme—a sum of £81 million over three years.

I would add that the Government amendment does suggest that Ministers haven’t been aware, or haven’t taken account of the fact that the shift in funding to the sustainable social services’ third sector grant scheme has had this impact on direct funding to families. There is no alternative. Noting other programmes available and the availability of welfare rights, for example, doesn’t make up for the fact that this is a direct loss to these families, particularly in a climate where other sources of support are disappearing. The stories of service users that we’ve heard have demonstrated this, and, again, I quote from the document from Carers Wales, Contact a Family Wales and Learning Disability Wales, which quotes a parent who can no longer access Family Fund support: ‘As the parent of a profoundly disabled child, I know how difficult and discouraging it is to try to carry on during a time of reduced budgets as well as hostility, on the part of the Westminster government, towards disability benefits. We carry on as best we can, but we live on the edge of not coping, financially as well as in other ways.’ The Family Fund grants are a lifeline to so many—that’s what that parent had to say.

We have presented this motion, having heard from organisations that are frustrated with the current situation—with the loss of the funds but also the absence of any recognition that there has been a cut, because there has been a cut. That is why we have worded this in a way that provides an alternative way forward for the Government. If there is an alternative approach using a different model to the Family Fund, well, fine, let’s consider that. But what’s important for us, and what’s important in the wording of this motion is that that direct support should be available in some way, and that it should be restored.

Will you take an intervention?

A wnewch chi dderbyn ymyriad?

Thank you. Of course, if this is passed today, not one penny will go through. The only way to get additional money for this is through the first supplementary budget, isn’t it?

Diolch. Wrth gwrs, os yw hwn yn cael ei basio heddiw, ni fydd un geiniog yn mynd drwodd. Yr unig ffordd i gael arian ychwanegol ar gyfer hyn yw drwy’r gyllideb atodol gyntaf, onid e?

I think you’re being mischievous. We are talking here about a fund that is not substituted by any other direct funding model by Government. That is why, I believe, it has been maintained by Governments in other parts of the UK. We need a realisation from Government that, despite the strengths, perhaps, of other measures that have been taken by the Government to support these families indirectly, that direct support needs to be reintroduced.

Rwy’n credu eich bod yn ddireidus. Rydym yn sôn yma am gronfa na chymerir ei lle gan unrhyw fodel cyllid uniongyrchol arall gan y Llywodraeth. Dyna pam, yn fy marn i, ei bod wedi cael ei chadw gan Lywodraethau mewn rhannau eraill o’r DU. Mae angen i’r Llywodraeth sylweddoli, er gwaethaf cryfderau mesurau eraill a roddodd y Llywodraeth ar waith, o bosibl, i gefnogi’r teuluoedd hyn yn anuniongyrchol, fod angen ailgyflwyno’r gefnogaeth uniongyrchol honno.

Will you take an intervention?

A wnewch chi dderbyn ymyriad?

I’m just trying to clarify why it is you focus so closely on the Family Fund, because there are 32 organisations that have benefitted from this social services grant scheme and the Family Fund isn’t the only game in town in terms of support for disabled families, and it’s important that we maximise the support that’s available for them through various organisations.

Rwy’n ceisio deall pam eich bod yn canolbwyntio cymaint ar Gronfa’r Teulu, oherwydd ceir 32 o sefydliadau sydd wedi elwa o’r cynllun grant gwasanaethau cymdeithasol hwn ac nid Cronfa’r Teulu yw’r unig gynllun sydd ar gael o ran cefnogaeth i deuluoedd anabl, ac mae’n bwysig ein bod yn gwneud y gorau o’r gefnogaeth sydd ar gael iddynt drwy wahanol sefydliadau.

I would reiterate the point: there is no other direct payment scheme available. That is the value of the Family Fund in particular. Yes, there are other elements of Government support, which is indirect and of course can support families, but there is no substitute for the direct funding that goes to the poorest families. [Interruption.] Well, it is true, and we are talking about the most vulnerable and the poorest of families through means-testing. And that is why it is so cruel that this funding source has been taken away, when Governments in other parts of the United Kingdom have, in my view, taken the correct decision, as the department of education did in England—coincidentally, I add, yesterday—to maintain the £81 million of funding in England over a period of three years.

Mi oeddwn i, fel yr oeddwn i’n ei ddweud, yn cynnig ffordd ymlaen yn y geiriad yma i’r Llywodraeth drwy ddweud ein bod ni ddim yn dweud bod yn rhaid i hyn ddigwydd drwy’r Family Fund. Os oes yna ffordd amgen i gynnig cyllid uniongyrchol i bobl, mi fyddem ni’n hapus iawn i hynny ddigwydd, ac a dweud y gwir, rwy’n credu ein bod ni wedi disgwyl y byddai’r Llywodraeth yn cytuno i edrych ar hyn ac yna chwilio am ffordd ymlaen. Felly, mi oedd gwelliant y Llywodraeth yn siom fawr a dweud y lleiaf, ac yn atgyfnerthu’r sefyllfa yr ydym ni ynddi hi, lle y mae’n ymddangos nad ydy’r Llywodraeth yn cydnabod bod y cyllid uniongyrchol yma yn cael ei dorri a bod dim byd arall i ddod yn ei le o.

Rŷm ni’n cefnogi gwelliant y Ceidwadwyr. Fel y mae hwnnw’n ei nodi, Cymru ydy’r unig genedl sydd ddim wedi parhau i gyllido’n llawn y gronfa hanfodol. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at y ddadl y prynhawn yma. Rwy’n gobeithio y gallwn ni i gyd gytuno bod y teuluoedd mwyaf bregus yma a’r plant mwyaf bregus yn haeddu ein cymorth uniongyrchol ni. Gadewch inni felly ystyried hynny wrth inni fwrw pleidlais yn nes ymlaen y prynhawn yma.

Rwy’n ailadrodd y pwynt: nid oes cynllun taliadau uniongyrchol arall ar gael. Dyma yw gwerth Cronfa’r Teulu yn benodol. Oes, mae yna elfennau eraill o gymorth y Llywodraeth, sy’n anuniongyrchol ac wrth gwrs y gall gefnogi teuluoedd, ond nid oes dim i gymryd lle’r cyllid uniongyrchol sy’n mynd i’r teuluoedd tlotaf. [Torri ar draws.] Wel, mae’n wir, ac rydym yn sôn am y teuluoedd mwyaf agored i niwed a’r teuluoedd tlotaf drwy brofion modd. A dyna pam y mae mor greulon fod y ffynhonnell gyllid hon wedi cael ei thorri, pan fo Llywodraethau mewn rhannau eraill o’r Deyrnas Unedig wedi gwneud y penderfyniad cywir, yn fy marn i, fel y gwnaeth yr adran addysg yn Lloegr—ddoe, drwy gyd-ddigwyddiad, fe ychwanegaf—i gadw’r £81 miliwn o gyllid yn Lloegr dros gyfnod o dair blynedd.

As I said, we were proposing a way forward in the wording of our motion by saying that we’re not saying that this has to happen through the Family Fund. If there’s an alternative approach to providing direct funding to families, then we would be happy for that to happen, and truth be told, I think that we had expected that the Government would have agreed to look at this and to seek a way forward. So, the Government’s amendment was a huge disappointment, to say the least, and reinforces our position, where it appears that the Government won’t recognise that this direct funding is being cut and that there is nothing available to replace it.

We support the Conservative amendment that notes that Wales is the only nation that hasn’t maintained, in full, this crucial fund. I look forward to the debate this afternoon. I do hope that we can all agree that the most vulnerable families and the most vulnerable children do deserve our direct support. Let us therefore take that into account as we vote later this afternoon.

Rwyf wedi dethol y ddau welliant i’r cynnig ac rwy’n galw ar Weinidog Iechyd y Cyhoedd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol i gynnig yn ffurfiol welliant 1 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Jane Hutt.

I have selected the two amendments to the motion, and I call on the Minister for Social Services and Public Health to move formally amendment 1 tabled in the name of Jane Hutt.

Gwelliant 1—Jane Hutt

Dileu popeth a rhoi yn ei le:

1. Yn nodi’r cyllid canlynol gan Lywodraeth Cymru:

a) cynllun grant Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cynaliadwy, sy’n werth £22m, i helpu cyrff y trydydd sector i gyflawni agenda uchelgeisiol Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, sy’n cynnwys cynorthwyo teuluoedd sy’n magu plant anabl neu ddifrifol wael.

b) rhaglen Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf sy’n werth £42.5m, gan gynnwys £3m o gyllid wedi’i glustnodi ar gyfer teuluoedd anabl.

c) £2.2m o gyllid bob blwyddyn i Gyngor ar Bopeth Cymru i gynorthwyo grwpiau a dargedir, gan gynnwys teuluoedd â phlant anabl, a’u helpu i gael gafael ar y budd-daliadau y mae ganddynt hawl iddynt. Mae hyn wedi arwain at gyfanswm o £3.3m o fudd-daliadau ychwanegol rhwng mis Ebrill a mis Rhagfyr 2016.

2. Yn cydnabod bod Cronfa’r Teulu wedi cael uchafswm y grant sydd ar gael, sef £1.5m, ynghyd â chyllid ychwanegol o £400,000 eleni, i barhau i gynorthwyo teuluoedd ac i addasu ei model ariannu at y dyfodol.

3. Yn croesawu’r effaith gadarnhaol y mae’r Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) wedi’i chael o ran cryfhau hawliau gofalwyr a’r cymorth a roddir iddynt, gan gynnwys y rhai sy’n gofalu am blant anabl neu ddifrifol wael.

Amendment 1—Jane Hutt

Delete all and replace with:

1. Notes the Welsh Government’s

a) £22m Sustainable Social Services grant scheme to support third sector organisations deliver the Welsh Government’s ambitious social services agenda which includes supporting families raising disabled or seriously ill children;

b) £42.5m Families First programme, including £3m ring-fenced funding for disabled families;

c) £2.2m annual funding for Citizens Advice Cymru to support targeted groups including families with disabled children and help them access the benefits they are entitled to, which has generated £3.3m in additional benefits between April and December 2016.

2. Recognises that the Family Fund has been allocated the maximum available grant of £1.5m and an additional £400,000 this year to continue supporting families and adapt its funding model for the future.

3. Welcomes the positive impact the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act has had on strengthening the rights of and support of carers, including those looking after disabled or seriously ill children.

Cynigiwyd gwelliant 1.

Amendment 1 moved.

Galwaf nawr ar Mark Isherwood i gynnig gwelliant 2 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Paul Davies. Mark Isherwood.

I call on Mark Isherwood to move amendment 2 tabled in the name of Paul Davies. Mark Isherwood.

Gwelliant 2—Paul Davies

Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:

Yn nodi bod Gweithrediaeth Gogledd Iwerddon, Llywodraeth yr Alban a Llywodraeth y DU, mewn perthynas â Lloegr, i gyd wedi cynnal eu cyllid i Gronfa’r Teulu.

Amendment 2—Paul Davies

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the Northern Ireland Executive, Scottish Government and UK Government, in relation to England, have all maintained their funding for the family fund.

Cynigiwyd gwelliant 2.

Amendment 2 moved.

Diolch, Lywydd. Families with disabled children have higher costs but lower incomes than other families. Contact a Family research shows that the extra cost relating to a child’s condition could be £300 or more every month, with 84 per cent of families with disabled children having gone without leisure and days out. For over 40 years, the Family Fund’s main function has been to help redress the balance by distributing public money across the UK in the form of grants to low-income families with sick and disabled children, with families able to apply for an average £500 grant annually. Welsh Government funding to 2015-16 was £2.64 million, almost all distributed directly to 5,429 low-income families with disabled children across Wales.

The administrations in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland have all maintained their financial support for the Family Fund at 2015-16 rates. However, since 2016, the Welsh Government has chosen to cut their contribution by £5.5 million, as we heard, over three years, meaning that, over 4,000 families each year across Wales will be unable to receive this support. In contrast, the UK Department for Education confirmed this week that it will maintain its £27.3 million annual Family Fund funding for three years up to 2020—£81.9 million in total—ensuring that tens of thousands of families in England will be able to rely on this extra support.

As the UK Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families, Edward Timpson MP, said,

No child, regardless of the obstacles they face, should miss out on vital life experiences’.

I therefore move amendment 2, which notes that the Governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and England have all maintained their funding for the Family Fund.

Although policy in Wales has diverged since devolution, this funding continued, because it was a highly valued and cost-effective way of supporting families with disabled children. This position only changed in April 2016 when the Welsh Government decided to require the Family Fund to apply for its funding from the sustainable social services third sector grant scheme. It wasn’t sustainable. They do not appear to have published any analysis of the impacts such a substantial withdrawal of funding would have on the families affected. Welsh Government funding in 2016-17 fell to £900,000, including a one-off £400,000, and next year falls to just £499,000, reducing support to just an estimated 875 families.

Further, families in Wales are now only able to apply for a grant once every four years, whilst families in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland can apply every year, and they face restrictions on the type of support a grant can be used for in Wales. Insanely, these cuts will increase the financial burden on local authority and NHS budgets and run counter to the principles set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

The Welsh Government has made a decision that will have detrimental effects on the very families they claim their policies are designed to support. By continuing to deflect the issue on to general funding for the voluntary sector, they are failing to acknowledge the direct negative impact their £5.5 million cut in funding is having. The charities Carers Wales, Contact a Family Cymru and Learning Disability Wales have expressed disappointment that the Welsh Government amendment fails to acknowledge or address the direct financial impact on low-income families with disabled and seriously ill children across Wales—the over 4,000 families in Wales now unable to access an annual grant. I think ‘disappointment’ is an understatement of the despair felt. As they state, this massive cut to low-income families with disabled children,

was an entirely predictable consequence of the decision to merge the Family Fund allocation into the Sustainable Social Services grant back in December 2015…a fact which the Equality Impact Assessment undertaken at the time completely failed to notice.’

They also point out that both the Families First programme and the annual funding for Citizens Advice Cymru, referred to in the Welsh Government amendment, pre-existed the decision to cut the Family Fund and that the Welsh Government has not reallocated an equivalent sum to support families with disabled children.

As one constituent told me:

My six-year-old is disabled and without the family fund, we wouldn’t have been able to make him safe in our garden nor offer him a tablet to help him with his disability’.

Well, a mature Welsh Government would stop doing things just to be different and start doing them better—stop doing things to people and start doing things with them.

Diolch, Lywydd. Mae teuluoedd â phlant anabl yn wynebu costau uwch ac incwm is na theuluoedd eraill. Mae ymchwil Cyswllt Teulu yn dangos y gallai’r gost ychwanegol sy’n gysylltiedig â chyflwr y plentyn fod yn £300 neu fwy bob mis, gydag 84 y cant o deuluoedd sydd â phlant anabl wedi mynd heb hamdden a diwrnodau allan. Am dros 40 mlynedd, prif swyddogaeth Cronfa’r Teulu oedd helpu i unioni’r cydbwysedd drwy ddosbarthu arian cyhoeddus ar draws y DU ar ffurf grantiau i deuluoedd ar incwm isel sydd â phlant sâl ac anabl, gyda theuluoedd yn gallu gwneud cais am grant cyfartalog o £500 yn flynyddol. Roedd cyllid Llywodraeth Cymru hyd at 2015-16 yn £2.64 miliwn, gyda’r cyfan bron wedi’i ddosbarthu’n uniongyrchol i 5,429 o deuluoedd incwm isel sydd â phlant anabl ledled Cymru.

Mae’r gweinyddiaethau yn yr Alban, Lloegr a Gogledd Iwerddon i gyd wedi cadw eu cefnogaeth ariannol i Gronfa’r Teulu ar gyfraddau 2015-16. Fodd bynnag, ers 2016, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dewis torri £5.5 miliwn oddi ar ei chyfraniad, fel y clywsom, dros dair blynedd, sy’n golygu na all dros 4,000 o deuluoedd bob blwyddyn drwy Gymru gael y cymorth hwn. Mewn cyferbyniad, cadarnhaodd Adran Addysg y DU yr wythnos hon y bydd yn cadw ei chyllid Cronfa’r Teulu blynyddol o £27.3 miliwn am dair blynedd hyd at 2020—cyfanswm o £81.9 miliwn—gan sicrhau y bydd degau o filoedd o deuluoedd yn Lloegr yn gallu dibynnu ar y cymorth ychwanegol hwn.

Fel y dywedodd Gweinidog Gwladol y DU dros Blant a Theuluoedd sy’n Agored i Niwed, Edward Timpson AS,

Ni ddylai unrhyw blentyn, waeth beth fo’r rhwystrau y mae’n eu hwynebu, fethu cael profiadau bywyd hanfodol.

Felly rwy’n cynnig gwelliant 2, sy’n nodi bod y Llywodraethau Gogledd Iwerddon, yr Alban a Lloegr i gyd wedi cadw eu cyllid ar gyfer Cronfa’r Teulu.

Er bod y polisi yng Nghymru wedi ymwahanu ers datganoli, parhaodd y cyllid hwn, gan ei fod yn ffordd werthfawr a chosteffeithiol iawn o gefnogi teuluoedd sydd â phlant anabl. Newidiodd y sefyllfa hon yn Ebrill 2016 pan benderfynodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei gwneud yn ofynnol i Gronfa’r Teulu wneud cais am ei chyllid o’r cynllun grantiau i’r trydydd sector ar gyfer gwasanaethau cymdeithasol cynaliadwy. Nid oedd yn gynaliadwy. Nid yw’n ymddangos eu bod wedi cyhoeddi unrhyw ddadansoddiad o’r effeithiau y byddai tynnu cyllid mor sylweddol yn ôl yn eu cael ar y teuluoedd yr effeithir arnynt. Gostyngodd cyllid Llywodraeth Cymru yn 2016-17 i £900,000, gan gynnwys taliad untro o £400,000, a’r flwyddyn nesaf bydd yn disgyn i £499,000 yn unig, gan gyfyngu’r cymorth i 875 amcangyfrifedig o deuluoedd yn unig.

Ymhellach, nid yw teuluoedd yng Nghymru ond yn gallu gwneud cais am grant unwaith bob pedair blynedd erbyn hyn, tra bo teuluoedd yn Lloegr, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon yn gallu ymgeisio bob blwyddyn, ac maent yn wynebu cyfyngiadau ar y math o gymorth y gellir defnyddio grant ar ei gyfer yng Nghymru. Mae’n wallgof y bydd y toriadau hyn yn cynyddu’r baich ariannol ar gyllidebau awdurdodau lleol a’r GIG ac yn mynd yn groes i’r egwyddorion a nodir yn Neddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 a Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwneud penderfyniad a fydd yn effeithio’n andwyol ar yr union deuluoedd y maent yn honni bod eu polisïau wedi’u cynllunio i’w cynorthwyo. Drwy barhau i ddargyfeirio’r mater ymlaen at gyllid cyffredinol ar gyfer y sector gwirfoddol, maent yn methu cydnabod yr effaith negyddol uniongyrchol y mae eu toriad o £5.5 miliwn i’r cyllid yn ei chael. Mae’r elusennau Gofalwyr Cymru, Cyswllt Teulu Cymru ac Anabledd Dysgu Cymru wedi mynegi siom fod gwelliant Llywodraeth Cymru yn methu cydnabod neu ymdrin â’r effaith ariannol uniongyrchol ar deuluoedd incwm isel sydd â phlant anabl a difrifol wael ar draws Cymru—y dros 4,000 o deuluoedd yng Nghymru nad oes grant blynyddol ar gael iddynt bellach. Nid wyf yn meddwl bod ‘siom’ yn gwneud cyfiawnder â’r anobaith a deimlir. Fel y maent yn nodi, roedd y toriad anferth hwn i deuluoedd incwm isel sydd â phlant anabl,

yn ganlyniad hollol ragweladwy i’r penderfyniad i uno dyraniad Cronfa’r Teulu â’r grant Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cynaliadwy yn ôl ym mis Rhagfyr 2015... ffaith a fethwyd yn llwyr yn yr Asesiad o’r Effaith ar Gydraddoldeb a wnaed ar y pryd.

Maent hefyd yn nodi bod y rhaglen Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf a’r cyllid blynyddol ar gyfer Cyngor ar Bopeth Cymru, y cyfeirir ato yng ngwelliant Llywodraeth Cymru, yn bodoli cyn y penderfyniad i dorri Cronfa’r Teulu ac nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ailddyrannu swm cyfatebol i gynorthwyo teuluoedd sydd â phlant anabl.

Fel y dywedodd un etholwr wrthyf:

Mae fy mhlentyn chwech oed yn anabl a heb Gronfa’r Teulu, ni fyddem wedi gallu sicrhau ei fod yn ddiogel yn ein gardd na chynnig llechen iddo i’w helpu gyda’i anabledd.

Wel, byddai Llywodraeth Cymru aeddfed yn rhoi’r gorau i wneud pethau i fod yn wahanol yn unig a dechrau eu gwneud yn well—a rhoi’r gorau i wneud pethau i bobl a dechrau gwneud pethau gyda hwy.

Mae’n bleser cymryd rhan yn y ddadl bwysig ar Gronfa’r Teulu. Wrth gwrs, fel rydym wedi clywed, nid hon yw’r gronfa fwyaf erioed, ond mae’n bwysig achos mae’n darparu arian uniongyrchol i deuluoedd tlawd efo plant efo salwch difrifol ac anableddau difrifol. Mae’r arian yn mynd yn uniongyrchol. Nid yw’n cael ei arallgyfeirio drwy ffynonellau amgen sydd yn tueddu i sugno rhan o’r pres drwy eu gweithgareddau gweinyddu, pa bynnag gyllid prosiect ydy o. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae’n werth nodi bod yna gostau ychwanegol o gael anabledd, yn enwedig os ydym yn derbyn y model cymdeithasol o anabledd. Mae hynny’n golygu bod yna gyfrifoldeb ar bawb, felly, i gydnabod y ‘social model’ o anabledd, a chyfrifoldeb ar bawb i drio cael gwared â’r rhwystrau yna sydd yn ffordd pobl efo anableddau i allu byw bywyd yn llawn. Felly, o ddilyn ac o gydnabod pwysigrwydd y model cymdeithasol yna o anabledd, mae’n rhaid derbyn bod yna gostau ychwanegol, felly, i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl efo anableddau yn gallu byw bywyd yn llawn.

Wrth gwrs, mae yna gostau ychwanegol. Mae yna gyfarpar ychwanegol, fel rydym ni wedi clywed amdano. Mae yna ofal cymhleth iawn, ac nid yw’r cyfan ohono yn gallu cael ei ddarparu gan y gwasanaeth iechyd neu’r gwasanaethau cymdeithasol. Mae’n rhaid i rieni orfod gweithio’n hyblyg, weithiau ddim o gwbl, ac wrth gwrs mae hyn i gyd yn achosi straen anferthol ar deuluoedd. Rydw i yn credu ei bod hi yn ddyletswydd foesol arnom ni fel cymdeithas yn gyffredinol i helpu i edrych ar ôl ein plant mwyaf bregus, achos, wrth gwrs, fe allem ni gyd fod wedi bod yn rhiant i blentyn efo anabledd. Yn ffodus iawn, nid yw’r rhan fwyaf ohonom ni yn y sefyllfa yna, ond rwy’n credu bod yna ddyletswydd foesol arnom ni i helpu i edrych ar ôl y rhieni yna sydd yn y sefyllfa yna. Achos, fel meddyg teulu, rŵan—nid wyf yn siŵr os ydw i wedi sôn am hyn o’r blaen—ers dros 30 mlynedd yn Abertawe rydw i wedi adnabod ac yn dal i adnabod nifer o deuluoedd sydd efo’r broblem yma yn hirdymor. Rydw i wedi gweld babanod yn cael eu geni, a nawr maen nhw’n oedolion gydag anableddau difrifol, ac mae’r straen wedi bod yn anferthol, ac fel gwasanaeth iechyd a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol rydym ni’n gallu darparu gymaint ag y medrwn ni, ond mae yna wastad gostau ychwanegol sy’n rhaid i deuluoedd wynebu.

Wrth gwrs, mae’r pwysau ariannol yna yn waeth mewn teulu ar incwm isel—mae yna fath o ‘double jeopardy’, onid oes? Rydym ni’n gwybod eisoes bod tlodi yn esgor ar safon o iechyd gwael, wel, meddyliwch chi fod gennych chi safon o iechyd gwael i ddechrau achos bod anabledd gyda chi, ac mae tlodi yn gwneud pethau hyd yn oed yn waeth. Mae’r ddau beth yn amharu ar safon eich bodolaeth, achos mae hi yn anodd iawn pan nad oes yna ddigon o arian. Ar ben hynny, mae teuluoedd yn teimlo o dan ormes. Nid yw pobl fel arfer yn licio gorfod gofyn am bob peth ychwanegol o hyd, a hefyd maen nhw’n teimlo gelyniaeth, yn enwedig oddi wrth Lywodraeth San Steffan ynghyd â’r holl fusnes budd-daliadau a phopeth arall. Ar ben hynny, rŵan maen nhw’n colli’r arian uniongyrchol yma. Fel sydd wedi cael ei nodi eisoes, nid yw colli’r Gronfa Teulu yma yn digwydd mewn unrhyw wlad arall. Cymru ydy’r unrhyw wlad sy’n colli’r taliad uniongyrchol yma, a Chymru ydy’r wlad dlotaf. Nid yw’r peth yn gwneud synnwyr. Mae Lloegr, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon yn cadw eu Cronfa Teulu nhw.

Yn y bôn mae yna golli pres yn fan hyn. Rydw i’n gwybod sut mae’r pethau yma’n digwydd: mae yna ailstrwythuro ac mae yna ‘unintended consequences’ fel y byddai’r Sais yn dweud. Ond yn y bôn, mae teuluoedd yn colli arian uniongyrchol. Mae ein cynnig ni yn nodi cyfle i roi’r arian yma yn ôl mewn unrhyw ffordd, ond mae’n bwysig bod yr arian yn mynd yn uniongyrchol i’r teuluoedd, nid yn cael ei sugno i mewn i strwythurau ‘project funding’ y trydydd sector ac yn cael ei golli wedyn o fod yn uniongyrchol i’n teuluoedd mwyaf bregus ni. Diolch yn fawr.

It’s a pleasure to take part in this very important debate on the Family Fund. Of course, as we’ve heard, this is not the biggest fund ever, but it’s important because it provides direct funding to poor families who have children with serious illness and serious disabilities. The funding goes directly. It isn’t redirected through alternative sources that tend to suck some of the money out through administrative acts, whichever project they’re dealing with. Of course, it’s worth noting that there are additional costs in having a disability, particularly if we accept the social model of disability. That means that there is a responsibility on everyone, therefore, to recognise that social model of disability, and a responsibility on everyone to get rid of those barriers that are in the way of people who have a disability living a full life. So, in recognising the importance of that social model of disability, we have to accept that there are additional costs, therefore, to ensuring that people with disabilities can live a full life.

Of course, there are additional costs. There’s additional equipment as we’ve heard already. There is very complex care, and not all of it can be provided by the health service or social services. Parents have to work flexibly, sometimes not at all, and, of course, this causes great stress for families. I do believe that it is a moral duty on us as a society generally to help to look after our most vulnerable children, because we could all have been a parent of a child with a disability. Very fortunately the majority of us aren’t in that position, but I do think that there is a moral duty on us to help to look after those parents who are in that situation. Because, as a GP—I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this previously—having spent 30 years as a GP in Swansea I have known and still know a lot of families who have this problem on a long-term basis. I’ve seen babies born, and now they’re adults with extreme disabilities, and the stress has been huge, and, yes, as a health service and social services we can provide as much as we can, but there are always additional costs that families have to bear.

The financial pressure, of course, is worse in a family on a low income. It’s double jeopardy.We know already that poverty leads to poor health, but think, if you have poor health to start with because you have a disability, then poverty makes things worse. Those two things affect the quality of your life because it’s very difficult when there is insufficient funding. On top of that, families do feel under great oppression. People don’t want to have to ask for additional funding all the time, and they do feel alienation, particularly from the Government at Westminster in terms of the benefits and so forth. On top of that now, they are losing this direct funding. As has been already noted, the loss of the Family Fund is not happening in any other country. Wales is the only country losing this direct payment, and Wales is the poorest country. It doesn’t make sense. England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are maintaining their Family Funds.

Basically, we are losing funding here. I know how these things happen: there’s restructuring, and there are unintended consequences, as they would say over the border. But, basically, families are losing direct funding. Our motion notes an opportunity to give this money back in any way, but it’s important that the money does go directly to those families and isn’t sucked into any kind of project funding structures in the third sector and then lost in terms of being direct funding for our most vulnerable families. Thank you very much.

UKIP fully support the motion before us today.The Family Fund provides an invaluable service to families with disabled children and it is highly regrettable that the Welsh Government took the decision to cut the fund. The loss of £5.5 million from the Family Fund in Wales means that thousands of families are being denied the kind of support that families in the rest of the UK enjoy.

I understand the Welsh Government’s assertion that they have to manage limited resources; however, when you announce that you are making £10 million available to develop flights between Cardiff and London Heathrow, I have to question the Welsh Government’s priorities. We are denying emergency help and respite to thousands of disabled children at the same time as we are trying to buy additional business for Cardiff Airport. I cannot agree with the Welsh Government’s decision on this. UKIP fully support what the Government are trying to do with Cardiff Airport, but in times when money is tight, we should not be trying to entice airlines to fly between Cardiff and Heathrow, especially not at the expense of disabled children. The £10 million the Welsh Government have set aside for the airport would pay for the Family Fund for the next six years. I’m not saying to cancel the route development, just postpone it until such time as we can afford it, and not press ahead at the expense of disabled children.

I urge the Welsh Government to reconsider. I will stand by the over 4,000 low-income families with disabled children affected by this decision. Carers Wales, Contact a Family Cymru and Learning Disability Wales are calling for the Welsh Government to reverse its decision and restore the Family Fund to, at the very least, its previous levels. UKIP will be rejecting the Welsh Government’s amendment and will be supporting the Welsh Conservatives’ amendment. I urge colleagues to do likewise. Let’s send out a clear message: austerity does not mean penalising the most vulnerable in our society. Thank you.

Mae UKIP yn llwyr gefnogi’r cynnig sydd ger ein bron heddiw. Mae Cronfa’r Teulu yn darparu gwasanaeth gwerthfawr iawn i deuluoedd sydd â phlant anabl ac mae’n anffodus iawn fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi penderfynu torri cyllid y gronfa. Mae colli £5.5 miliwn o Gronfa’r Teulu yng Nghymru yn golygu nad yw miloedd o deuluoedd yn cael y math o gefnogaeth y mae teuluoedd yng ngweddill y DU yn ei mwynhau.

Deallaf honiad Llywodraeth Cymru fod yn rhaid iddynt reoli adnoddau cyfyngedig; fodd bynnag, pan fyddwch yn cyhoeddi eich bod yn rhyddhau £10 miliwn i ddatblygu teithiau hedfan rhwng Caerdydd a Heathrow, rhaid i mi gwestiynu blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru. Rydym yn gwadu cymorth brys a gofal seibiant i filoedd o blant anabl ar yr un pryd ag yr ydym yn ceisio prynu busnes ychwanegol ar gyfer Maes Awyr Caerdydd. Ni allaf gytuno â phenderfyniad Llywodraeth Cymru ar hyn. Mae UKIP yn llwyr gefnogi’r hyn y mae’r Llywodraeth yn ceisio’i wneud gyda Maes Awyr Caerdydd, ond ar adeg pan fo arian yn dynn, ni ddylem fod yn ceisio denu cwmnïau hedfan i hedfan rhwng Caerdydd a Heathrow, ac nid ar draul plant anabl yn enwedig. Byddai’r £10 miliwn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi’i neilltuo ar gyfer y maes awyr yn talu am Gronfa’r Teulu am y chwe blynedd nesaf. Nid wyf yn dweud y dylid canslo’r gwaith ar ddatblygu llwybrau, dim ond ei ohirio hyd nes y gallwn ei fforddio, a pheidio â bwrw ymlaen ar draul plant anabl.

Rwy’n annog Llywodraeth Cymru i ailystyried. Byddaf yn sefyll gyda’r dros 4,000 o deuluoedd incwm isel sydd â phlant anabl yr effeithir arnynt gan y penderfyniad hwn. Mae Gofalwyr Cymru, Cyswllt Teulu Cymru ac Anabledd Dysgu Cymru yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i newid ei phenderfyniad ac adfer Cronfa’r Teulu i’w lefelau blaenorol fan lleiaf. Bydd UKIP yn gwrthod gwelliant Llywodraeth Cymru a byddwn yn cefnogi gwelliant y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig. Rwy’n annog cyd-Aelodau i wneud yr un peth. Gadewch i ni anfon neges glir: nid yw caledi yn golygu cosbi’r rhai mwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymdeithas. Diolch.

Fel y gwyddom ni, mae’r Gronfa Deulu yn cynnig tua £500 y flwyddyn i deuluoedd ar incwm isel sydd angen yr help mwyaf. Mae’r ffaith bod modd defnyddio’r arian mewn modd hollol hyblyg yn allweddol. Dywed un rheolwr elusen wrthyf i mai dyma’r unig ffynhonnell y gall hi droi ati bellach ar gyfer nifer o faterion, yn cynnwys, er enghraifft, arian i gefnogi teuluoedd i gael gwyliau byr, gwyliau maen nhw’n llawn haeddu—penwythnosau i ffwrdd sydd yn llesol iawn, ond gwyliau na fydden nhw byth yn gallu fforddio heb y gronfa yma. Gan fod y gronfa yn dibynnu ar lefel incwm y teulu, mae’n golygu mai dim ond y teuluoedd sydd wir angen yr help i gael gwyliau sydd yn derbyn cymorth. Felly, mae torri’r grantiau uniongyrchol yn golygu y bydd rhai o deuluoedd mwyaf bregus Cymru yn dioddef.

Rydw i am sôn am dri theulu yr ydw i’n gwybod amdanyn nhw a sut maen nhw wedi cael budd uniongyrchol o’r gronfa. Teulu o bedwar—mam a thad a dau blentyn, dwy a thair oed—ac mae gan y plentyn hynaf anableddau difrifol sydd yn golygu tripiau cyson—wythnosol, weithiau dyddiol—i’r ysbyty. Mae’n golygu aros yn yr ysbyty, ymhell o adref, ar adegau cyson. Mae gofal y rhieni o’r plentyn yn arbennig iawn. Mae’r fam yn ei 20au a’r ddau riant wedi rhoi’r gorau i weithio er mwyn gofalu am y plentyn. Mi fyddai hi’n anodd iawn iddyn nhw weithio, yn enwedig gan fod yr ifancaf hefyd angen gofal. Gyda llaw, mae gofal y gymuned o’r teulu hwn yn ysbrydoli rhywun. Mae’r gymuned wedi codi arian i brynu offer chwarae pwrpasol ar gyfer cae chwarae’r pentref. Mae’r plentyn yn cael ymuno efo’i gyfoedion yn y pentref er gwaethaf yr anabledd.

Maen nhw’n defnyddio’r arian maen nhw’n ei gael o’r gronfa i’w helpu nhw efo costau teithio i’r ysbyty. Mae angen ymweld yn aml ag Ysbyty Gwynedd, 15 milltir i ffwrdd. Maen nhw hefyd angen mynd i ysbyty Alder Hey Lerpwl yn gyson—taith o bron i ddwy awr yna a dwy awr yn ôl ar hyd yr A55, sy’n golygu yn aml fod y daith yn cymryd tair neu bedair awr. Rhaid mynd yn y car oherwydd mae hwnnw wedi cael ei addasu’n arbennig ar gyfer y plentyn. Ni fydden nhw byth yn cyrraedd yno mewn pryd o ddefnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Mae angen talu toll o £1.70 bob siwrnai ar ben y costau teithio a heb sôn am gostau aros, bwyd, ac ati. Mae modd gwneud cais am rywfaint o’r arian costau teithio gan y bwrdd iechyd neu’r ysbyty, ond ar ôl talu mae hynny’n gorfod digwydd. Mae angen cadw pob derbynneb yn ofalus—y peth olaf sydd ar feddwl rhywun o dan amgylchiadau sydd yn hynod anodd yn barod.

Mae gan yr ail deulu blentyn awtistig. Maen nhw wedi cael budd o’r gronfa mewn ffordd arall: maen nhw wedi cael arian i brynu rhewgell fawr sy’n golygu eu bod nhw’n gallu prynu lot o fwyd ar unwaith a’i rewi. Nid ydy mynd i siopa efo plentyn awtistig ddim yn orchwyl hawdd bob tro. Maen nhw’n byw mewn ardal wledig ac felly maen nhw’n arbed ar gostau petrol drwy orfod gwneud llai o dripiau. Mae’r siop agosaf chwe milltir i ffwrdd. O’r Gronfa Deulu y cawson nhw’r arian i brynu’r rhewgell. Byddai wedi cymryd blynyddoedd i’r teulu yma gynilo er mwyn medru prynu rhewgell.

Mae’r trydydd teulu yn cynnwys plentyn byddar. Mae’r teulu yma hefyd yn byw mewn ardal wledig. Mae gan y plentyn declyn clyw ac mae angen iddo fo gael ei fonitro yn gyson yn Ysbyty Gwynedd, sydd yn golygu taith o awr o’r cartref yn ôl ac ymlaen. Mae’r costau petrol yn golygu bod y teulu weithiau yn penderfynu peidio mynd at yr apwyntiadau— yn eu sgipio nhw—ac wrth gwrs os ydy hynny’n digwydd dair gwaith yn olynol, mi all y plentyn ddisgyn oddi ar radar y gwasanaethau yn yr ysbyty, ac mi all hynny greu problemau mawr nes ymlaen.

Yn unol ag ysbryd Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, mae’n rhaid cydnabod gwerth ataliol y gronfa. Efo’r teulu yma, o flaenoriaethu pethau eraill o flaen costau petrol i fynd i apwyntiadau ysbyty, mae problemau yn gallu codi efo’r offer clyw; mae problemau cyfathrebu ac addysg yn codi; mae’r plentyn yn mynd ar ei hôl hi yn yr ysgol, ac angen cymorth ychwanegol, a dyna ni yn dechrau cynyddu’r costau yn sylweddol. Mae problem y mae datrysiad hawdd iddi hi, sef cynnig pot bychan o arian ar gyfer y teithio, ond mae’n gallu datblygu yn broblem fawr gostus, ac wrth gwrs y plentyn sy’n dioddef yng nghanol hyn oll.

Fel rydym ni wedi clywed, mae plant a theuluoedd Lloegr yn cael manteisio ar gronfa debyg am dair blynedd arall. Yng Nghymru, mi oedd y gronfa yn gallu cefnogi 5,429 o deuluoedd—teuluoedd tebyg iawn i’r rhai rydw i newydd ddisgrifio. Eleni, 1,500 fydd yn cael cefnogaeth. Y flwyddyn nesaf, yr amcangyfrif ydy mai 875 o deuluoedd yn unig a fydd yn cael cymorth. Mae 4,000 o deuluoedd fel y rhai rydw i wedi sôn amdanyn nhw heddiw—rhai o’n teuluoedd mwyaf bregus—yn waeth eu byd.

As we know, the Family Fund offers about £500 a year to low-income families who most need help. The fact that this money can be used so flexibly is key. One charity manager told me that this is the only source she can turn to now for a number of issues, including, for example, money to support families to have short holidays, which they deserve—weekend breaks that are so beneficial, but that they would never be able to afford without this fund. Because the fund depends on the income level of the family, that means that only the families who most need help to have a holiday receive support. Therefore, cutting the direct grants means that some of the most vulnerable families in Wales will suffer.

I want to talk about three families I know of, and how they have benefited directly from the fund. A family of four—mum, dad and two children, two and three years old—and the oldest child has severe disabilities that mean regular trips—weekly, sometimes daily—to the hospital. It means staying at the hospital, far away from home, on a regular basis. The parents’ care for that child is exceptional. The mother is in her 20s, and both have given up work in order to care for the child. It would be very difficult for them to work, particularly as the youngest also needs care. By the way, the community’s care for this family is inspiring. The community has raised money to buy bespoke play equipment for the village playground. The child joins in with his peers in the village despite the disability.

They use the money they obtain from the fund to help them pay travel costs to the hospital. They need to visit Ysbyty Gwynedd often, 15 miles away. They also need to visit Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool regularly—a journey of nearly two hours there and two hours back along the A55, which often means that the journey takes three to four hours. They have to use the car, because that’s been adapted especially for the child. They would never get there in time by using public transport. They need to pay a toll of £1.70 for every journey on top of the travel costs, and that’s aside from food, accommodation costs and so forth. It is possible to apply for some travel funding from the health board or the hospital, but only after payment. Every receipt must be kept carefully, and that’s the last thing on the mind of anyone in such difficult circumstances.

The second family has an autistic child. They have benefited from the fund in a different way: they have had funding to buy a large freezer, which means that they can buy large quantities of food at the same time and freeze it. Shopping with an autistic child is not always an easy task. They live in a rural area and they therefore save on petrol costs by making fewer trips. The nearest store is six miles away. It is from the Family Fund that they got the money to pay for the freezer. It would have taken years for this family to save up to buy it.

The third family includes a deaf child. This family also lives in a rural area. The child has a hearing aid and needs to be monitored regularly at Ysbyty Gwynedd, which entails an hour-long journey from home both ways. Petrol costs mean that the family sometimes decide not to attend the appointments—they skip them—and of course, if that happens three times in succession, the child can drop off the radar of the hospital services, and that can lead to significant problems down the line.

In accordance with the spirit of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, we must acknowledge the preventative value of the fund. With this family, from prioritising other things above the petrol costs to attend hospital appointments, problems can arise with the hearing aid; problems with communication and education can arise; the child falls behind at school, and needs extra support, and then significant costs start to develop. A problem that could be resolved simply by offering a small pot of money for travel then develops into a major expensive problem, and of course the child suffers in all of this.

As we’ve heard, children and families in England can access a similar fund for three more years. In Wales, the fund could support 5,429 families—similar families to those that I’ve described. This year, 1,500 will receive support, and next year, the estimate is that 875 families alone will receive support. There are 4,000 families like the ones I’ve talked about today—some of our most vulnerable families—that will be worse off.

The annual reduction of the Family Fund is £1.83 million. So, just to give this a little bit of context: this debate is scheduled for 60 minutes, 20 minutes after this debate finishes, the UK Government will have given that amount out in foreign aid. We are a wealthy nation. We do have money.

I’ve done some basic sums based on correspondence that I’ve received, so the figures may differ, but you’ll get the picture from what I’m about to say. There are roughly 5,429 families eligible for the Family Fund. That amounts to about £337 per family. What does this sum add up to? Well, it’s just over the cost of two tv licences, or a month’s grocery shopping, or even a little more than a day’s allowance for an elected lord. This is a small amount of money, but it provides those who receive it with very welcome respite.

Raising and caring for a child with a disability can be both mentally and physically challenging, putting additional strain on budgets, health, emotions and relationships. Wales now finds itself out of kilter with the rest of the UK. We’re lagging behind once again. These sums of money, while relatively small, and with no obvious and immediate social or economic benefit, have a disproportionate effect on a set of our society for whom life is challenging enough already.

A beneficiary of the Family Fund—she’s called Kate—has told me that her daughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 10 months old. Neither parent could drive. Hospital appointments, shopping, and trips out were all dependent on others. The Family Fund paid for driving lessons and a test for Kate. She had to pass the test, and pass she did, first time. That gave the family some freedom. She was no longer reliant on others, and her child could get to her many and varied appointments in the adapted car that she needed—a relatively small sum of money, making a massive difference. Fifteen years later, Kate still drives that adapted car, she still ferries her child around to the many and varied appointments she continues to need, and always will need, along with the social requirements that a 16-year-old girl has.

The thing is that this ability to drive also opened up the job market to Kate. She now works full time, contributing to society, and is a great role model for her daughters. The Family Fund is not using a company credit card to purchase luxury lingerie, nor is it funding five-star trips to Barbados; it is funding a new washing machine or a long weekend away in an adapted and accessible caravan in the UK, giving much needed respite—things that many of us here take for granted.

I’ve no doubt that all of our inboxes have been inundated with e-mails from our constituents about this vote today—you know, those real people we are here to represent and for whom we are supposed to speak. Welsh Labour would do well to remember that when they are voting on this motion later. Anyone voting against this motion is out of touch with real people and they need to get out into the real world.

Every other administration in the UK has maintained funding. Yet again, Welsh Labour lets down those who need the help the most. One final word to you, Minister: you cannot dress this up, as you will no doubt seek to do. This is a reduction, a taking away, a deterioration in provision. Any suggestion to the contrary is outrageous. Mark Drakeford called on the Chancellor today to reverse the cuts in the budget. Well, get your own house in order, follow your own advice, and reverse this devastating cut.

Mae toriad blynyddol Cronfa’r Teulu yn £1.83 miliwn. Felly, i roi ychydig o gyd-destun i hyn: trefnwyd i’r ddadl hon bara am 60 munud, 20 munud wedi i’r ddadl hon ddod i ben, bydd Llywodraeth y DU wedi rhoi’r swm hwnnw allan mewn cymorth tramor. Rydym yn genedl gyfoethog. Mae gennym arian.

Rwyf wedi gwneud rhai symiau sylfaenol yn seiliedig ar ohebiaeth a gefais, felly mae’n bosibl y bydd y ffigurau’n wahanol, ond fe ddowch i ddeall o’r hyn rwyf ar fin ei ddweud. Mae tua 5,429 o deuluoedd yn fras sy’n gymwys ar gyfer Cronfa’r Teulu. Mae hynny oddeutu £337 y teulu. Beth y mae’r swm yn ei olygu? Wel, mae ychydig yn fwy na chost dwy drwydded deledu, neu fil bwyd am fis, neu ychydig yn fwy hyd yn oed na lwfans diwrnod i arglwydd etholedig. Swm bach o arian yw hwn, ond mae’n darparu seibiant i’w groesawu’n fawr i’r rhai sy’n ei dderbyn.

Mae magu a gofalu am blentyn ag anabledd yn gallu bod yn heriol yn feddyliol ac yn gorfforol, gan roi straen ychwanegol ar gyllidebau, iechyd, emosiynau a pherthnasoedd. Mae Cymru bellach yn wahanol i weddill y DU. Rydym yn llusgo ar ôl unwaith eto. Er bod y rhain yn symiau cymharol fach o arian, heb unrhyw fudd cymdeithasol neu economaidd uniongyrchol amlwg, maent yn effeithio’n anghymesur ar ran o’n cymdeithas y mae bywyd yn ddigon heriol iddynt yn barod.

Mae un o’r rhai a gafodd fudd o Gronfa’r Teulu—Kate yw ei henw—wedi dweud wrthyf fod ei merch wedi cael diagnosis o barlys yr ymennydd yn 10 mis oed. Nid oedd yr un o’r rhieni’n gallu gyrru. Roedd apwyntiadau ysbyty, siopa, a theithiau allan i gyd yn ddibynnol ar eraill. Talodd Cronfa’r Teulu am wersi gyrru a phrawf i Kate. Roedd yn rhaid iddi basio’r prawf, ac fe wnaeth hi, y tro cyntaf. Rhoddodd hynny rywfaint o ryddid i’r teulu. Bellach, nid oedd yn ddibynnol ar eraill, a gallai ei phlentyn fynd i’w hapwyntiadau niferus ac amrywiol yn y car wedi’i addasu yr oedd ei angen arni—swm cymharol fach o arian yn gwneud gwahaniaeth enfawr. Bymtheg mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, mae Kate yn dal i yrru’r car wedi’i addasu, mae hi’n dal i gludo ei phlentyn o gwmpas i’r apwyntiadau niferus ac amrywiol y mae’n parhau i fod eu hangen, ac y bydd eu hangen bob amser, ynghyd â’r gofynion cymdeithasol sydd gan ferch 16 oed.

Y peth yw bod y gallu hwn i yrru hefyd wedi agor y farchnad swyddi i Kate. Mae hi bellach yn gweithio’n llawnamser, gan gyfrannu at gymdeithas, ac yn fodel rôl gwych ar gyfer ei merched. Nid yw Cronfa’r Teulu’n defnyddio cerdyn credyd cwmni i brynu dillad isaf moethus, ac nid yw’n ariannu teithiau pum seren i Barbados; mae’n talu am beiriant golchi dillad newydd neu benwythnos hir mewn carafán hygyrch wedi’i addasu yn y DU, gan roi seibiant mawr ei angen—pethau y mae llawer ohonom yma yn eu cymryd yn ganiataol.

Nid oes gennyf amheuaeth fod ein holl fewnflychau yma wedi cael llif o negeseuon e-bost gan ein hetholwyr am y bleidlais hon heddiw—wyddoch chi, y bobl go iawn hynny yr ydym yma i’w cynrychioli, y rhai yr ydym i fod i siarad drostynt. Byddai’n werth i Lafur Cymru gofio hynny pan fyddant yn pleidleisio ar y cynnig hwn yn nes ymlaen. Mae unrhyw un sy’n pleidleisio yn erbyn y cynnig hwn allan o gysylltiad â phobl go iawn ac mae angen iddynt fynd allan i’r byd go iawn.

Mae pob gweinyddiaeth arall yn y DU wedi cadw’r cyllid. Unwaith eto, mae Llafur Cymru yn gwneud cam â’r rhai sydd fwyaf o angen cymorth. Un gair olaf, Weinidog: ni allwch wneud i hyn swnio’n well nag y mae, fel y byddwch yn ddiau yn ceisio ei wneud. Toriad ydyw, tynnu’n ôl, dirywiad yn y ddarpariaeth. Mae unrhyw awgrym i’r gwrthwyneb yn warthus. Galwodd Mark Drakeford ar y Canghellor heddiw i wrthdroi’r toriadau yn y gyllideb. Wel, rhowch drefn ar eich tŷ eich hun, dilynwch eich cyngor eich hun, a gwrthdrowch y toriad dinistriol hwn.

I think many people have made the point quite clearly about the importance of the Family Fund, so I want to put the debate in the wider context of disability and the fact that cuts to other benefits have, of course, frequently affected disabled people in a disproportionate manner. We’ve heard about some of the higher profile Government cuts in this area, but there have been over 100 changes to social security in recent years, and some of them have flown under the radar for many. We must consider the cumulative impact of all of these changes on this particular decision here today, because losing £5 a week may not sound much to the wealthy backers of some of the other parties here today, but, when this happens hundreds of times, we must consider the overall impact of these often punitive changes on people.

When I read the briefing from Carers Wales and Contact a Family—. As Sian Gwenllian has already said, this was £500 of a grant. In the wider perspective of things, this is not a very big grant for people to access. It’s actually quite staggering to see, from the e-mails that I’ve had, what can be done with that money and why they see that as so valuable.

So, to try and be constructive, what I’d like to understand is, if there’s going to be debate around what’s coming after Communities First—and I know that there’s going to be extension of some funds—whether there can be a discussion as to whether this is part of that particular process. Because, of course, when we’re discussing new poverty programmes, we have to discuss that in the context of what’s being cut now or changed now so that we can prepare for that in the future, and we wouldn’t want to see, and I’m sure nobody in this Chamber would want to see, certain families being disproportionately affected.

I think that’s why I was concerned to see, again, the briefing that there would be no adverse effect on people from the decision to move funding to the sustainable social services third sector grant scheme. So, I need to understand what that scheme will say. Will there be ring-fencing within that scheme so that families can understand how they can track that scheme and how they can see where the money’s going? Because I think that’s a key concern. Because, at the moment, they can see the budget for what it is and they can analyse it for what it is, and I think that’s a concern for many, ongoing.

Yes, as many have said already today, we have had e-mails regarding this issue—I think that is reflective of the importance of the issue. We wouldn’t just receive e-mails if they weren’t important. I think this shouldn’t be downplayed, therefore—4,000 families with disabled children are losing out again. We expect it from the UK Government, don’t we? We expect it from them, with regard to the changes that they’re making through welfare reform and the way that they are targeting those most vulnerable. I would be very sorry to see it, if the Welsh Government followed in this way, because, of course, that shouldn’t be something for a party of the left to be doing.

I have to make sure that we support them and raise their concerns, because it might invite a debate over the fact that there may be additional barriers to people voting and taking part in politics from minorities in general. We are here to reflect everybody’s voice, and if disabled people face additional barriers to taking part in that debate, feel that their voice isn’t being heard properly about changes to budgets, then I think that’s something that’s very worrying indeed. So, I hope from today’s debate that we can see a positive outcome and that they can be assured that the money that they need and deserve will find its way to them.

Rwy’n meddwl bod llawer o bobl wedi gwneud y pwynt yn ddigon clir am bwysigrwydd Cronfa’r Teulu, felly rwyf am roi’r ddadl yng nghyd-destun ehangach anabledd a’r ffaith fod toriadau i fudd-daliadau eraill, wrth gwrs, wedi effeithio ar bobl anabl mewn modd anghymesur yn aml. Rydym wedi clywed am rai o doriadau proffil uchel y Llywodraeth yn y maes hwn, ond cafwyd dros 100 o newidiadau i nawdd cymdeithasol yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac mae rhai ohonynt wedi hedfan o dan y radar i lawer. Mae’n rhaid i ni ystyried effaith gronnol yr holl newidiadau hyn ar y penderfyniad penodol yma heddiw, oherwydd efallai na fydd colli £5 yr wythnos yn swnio’n llawer i gefnogwyr cyfoethog rhai o’r pleidiau eraill yma heddiw, ond pan fydd hyn yn digwydd gannoedd o weithiau, mae’n rhaid i ni ystyried effaith gyffredinol y newidiadau hyn, sy’n aml yn gosbol, ar bobl.

Pan ddarllenais y briff gan Gofalwyr Cymru a Cyswllt Teulu—. Fel y mae Sian Gwenllian eisoes wedi dweud, roedd yn £500 o grant. Ym mhersbectif ehangach pethau, nid yw’n grant mawr iawn i bobl gael mynediad ato. Mae’n eithaf syfrdanol mewn gwirionedd i weld, o’r negeseuon e-bost a gefais, beth y gellir ei wneud â’r arian hwnnw a pham eu bod yn ei ystyried mor werthfawr.

Felly, os oes trafodaeth yn mynd i fod ynglŷn â beth sy’n dod ar ôl Cymunedau yn Gyntaf—a gwn fod rhai cronfeydd yn mynd i gael eu hymestyn—er mwyn ceisio bod yn adeiladol, yr hyn yr hoffwn ei ddeall yw pa un a ellid trafod hyn fel rhan o’r broses honno. Oherwydd, wrth gwrs, pan fyddwn yn trafod rhaglenni tlodi newydd, mae’n rhaid i ni drafod hynny yng nghyd-destun yr hyn sy’n cael ei dorri neu ei newid yn awr er mwyn i ni allu paratoi ar gyfer hynny yn y dyfodol, ac ni fyddem eisiau gweld, ac rwy’n siwr na fyddai neb yn y Siambr hon eisiau gweld, effaith anghymesur ar rai teuluoedd.

Rwy’n meddwl mai dyna pam yr oeddwn yn pryderu wrth weld, unwaith eto, y cyfarwyddyd na fyddai unrhyw effaith andwyol ar bobl yn deillio o’r penderfyniad i symud cyllid i’r cynllun grantiau i’r trydydd sector ar gyfer gwasanaethau cymdeithasol cynaliadwy. Felly, mae angen i mi ddeall beth fydd y cynllun hwnnw’n ei ddweud. A fydd arian wedi’i glustnodi yn y cynllun hwnnw fel y gall teuluoedd ddeall sut y gallant dracio’r cynllun hwnnw a sut y gallant weld i ble mae’r arian yn mynd? Oherwydd rwy’n credu bod hwnnw’n destun pryder allweddol. Oherwydd, ar hyn o bryd, gallant weld y gyllideb am yr hyn ydyw a gallant ei dadansoddi am yr hyn ydyw, ac rwy’n credu bod hynny’n peri pryder i lawer ar gyfer y dyfodol.

Fel y mae llawer wedi dweud eisoes heddiw, rydym wedi cael negeseuon e-bost ynglŷn â’r mater hwn—credaf fod hynny’n adlewyrchu pwysigrwydd y mater. Ni fyddem yn derbyn negeseuon e-bost pe na bai’n bwysig. Rwy’n credu na ddylid bychanu hyn, felly—mae 4,000 o deuluoedd sydd â phlant anabl ar eu colled eto. Rydym yn ei ddisgwyl gan Lywodraeth y DU, onid ydym? Rydym yn ei ddisgwyl ganddynt hwy, o ran y newidiadau y maent yn eu gwneud drwy ddiwygio lles a’r ffordd y maent yn targedu’r rhai mwyaf agored i niwed. Byddwn yn flin iawn pe bai Llywodraeth Cymru yn dilyn yn y modd hwn, oherwydd, wrth gwrs, ni ddylai hynny fod yn rhywbeth y mae plaid ar y chwith yn ei wneud.

Mae’n rhaid i mi wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn eu cefnogi ac yn lleisio eu pryderon, oherwydd gallai wahodd dadl ynglŷn â’r ffaith y gallai fod rhwystrau ychwanegol i bobl rhag pleidleisio a chymryd rhan mewn gwleidyddiaeth ymhlith lleiafrifoedd yn gyffredinol. Rydym yma i adlewyrchu llais pawb, ac os yw pobl anabl yn wynebu rhwystrau ychwanegol i gymryd rhan yn y ddadl honno, yn teimlo nad yw eu llais yn cael ei glywed yn iawn mewn perthynas â’r newidiadau i gyllidebau, yna rwy’n credu bod hynny’n rhywbeth sy’n peri pryder mawr yn wir. Felly, rwy’n gobeithio o ddadl heddiw y gallwn weld canlyniad cadarnhaol ac y gallant fod yn sicr fod yr arian y maent ei angen ac yn ei haeddu yn dod o hyd i’w ffordd atynt.

Galwaf ar Weinidog Iechyd y Cyhoedd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, Rebecca Evans.

I call on the Minister for Public Health and Social Services, Rebecca Evans.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Today’s debate provides me with an opportunity to confirm the Welsh Government’s commitment to supporting disabled children and their families, and to talk about the significant investment we’re making to ensure that they receive the services and support they need.

The Family Fund is one element of the support that we have put in place, and it must be seen in the wider context. I wrote to all Assembly Members last November setting out the background and the context to the robust and rigorous approach that was taken in relation to the funding decisions for the sustainable social services third sector grants scheme, which were taken in 2014. This scheme brought together four separate grant schemes, including the Family Fund grant, bringing together some £22 million into a single grant in order to support the delivery and implementation of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and to take forward our priorities of enabling all citizens in Wales to achieve their well-being outcomes and to live fulfilling lives.

We want to make sure that people have the control and are involved in the decisions that are made about the services that they receive. We are evaluating the impact of the Act to ensure that it’s delivering what we set out to achieve. This includes monitoring policies to ensure that they’re being implemented and are supporting improvement. This new grant scheme firmly enables third sector organisations as important partners to support our transformational approach to the delivery of sustainable social services in Wales. It’s an approach that is based on ensuring equity and fairness for all of those who are in need of care and support.

It’s neither accurate nor fair to suggest that there has been a cut in support for disabled families through our grants for the third sector. I want to emphasise that the Welsh Government has maintained the overall grant funding levels for the third sector in this area. We’ve created a fairer approach by supporting the widest range of third sector organisations possible, making sure that every part of the community can benefit from funding available—for example, our approach has allowed us to fund Carers Wales with £670,000 to provide support to disabled children and their families. The project raises awareness of caring, and supports families to manage their caring roles and to be involved in service improvement and delivery.

It’s also allowed us to fund Learning Disability Wales with £930,000 for a project that supports families to understand their rights and entitlements, to have their voices heard, to control decisions about their care, and to co-design the support that they receive.

Similarly, the All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers of People with Learning Disabilities receives over £400,000 to support families of people with learning disabilities to understand their entitlements and to control decisions about their care. It aims to improve early intervention and prevention and to support the co-design and delivery of services.

There were 84 applications to the new grants scheme, amounting to funding requests of £69 million. We’re funding 32 organisations, and the Family Fund was successful in being awarded the maximum grant available, £1.5 million. The Family Fund was also in the unique position of being awarded an additional £400,000 as a transition grant this year, including £30,000 to help them refocus their funding model to become sustainable in the future.

Disabled families tell us that the thing they value most is respite care. So, we’ve asked the Family Fund to focus on the provision of respite, and we expect them to use at least 70 per cent of their grant providing this. They do, however, maintain the flexibility to fund other things where there’s an exceptional need. Where a child has a statement of special educational needs and the provision of ICT equipment is identified as a need then the local authority must ensure that this is provided to support the child’s education.

It’s clear from today’s debate that there is agreement that we need to ensure that families can maximise their household income, with money going direct to the family. The most high impact and sustainable way of doing this is not through small, individual grants, but by supporting families to ensure that they’re receiving all of the benefits to which they are entitled. Since 2012, we have been providing over £2 million a year to Citizens Advice for their Better Advice, Better Lives scheme, which is unique to Wales. It’s not happening in England, it’s not happening in Scotland, and it’s not happening in Northern Ireland. But in Wales it operates in every local authority, offering face-to-face advice. And this is the most important thing. In 2015-16 alone, the project supported over 1,800 families with disabled children, overall generating over £3.5 million in additional benefits for these families. In the first nine months of the current financial year, the service has supported 1,400 families, generating a further £3,300,000 in benefits: money that these families are entitled to and now are receiving week after week, and not as a one-off payment. So, our Wales-only approach is high impact and it’s sustainable.

Families in the greatest need can access the Families First programme, and we’re providing over £42 million this year and the same amount next year. This includes £3 million ring-fenced for services for families affected by disability. Through the intermediate care fund this year we’ve provided regions in Wales with an additional £4 million to develop integrated services for people with learning disabilities and children with complex needs. We will continue to support this fund in future years. Also, through our new autism strategic action plan, we have committed £6 million to put in place a national all-age integrated autism service, which will create local teams in all areas, providing support across the age range, including for families. This is in addition to the £2 million we’re making available each year through the Together for Children and Young People programme to improve neuro-developmental assessment services.

We know that there’s more to do and that we need to be innovative in the way that we use financial resources. We’re currently refreshing the carers strategy, and, in a written statement I made last year, I made a commitment to examine a national approach to respite care, which we know is so valuable to families. We will review current provision with a view to strengthening the range and availability of respite services.

In terms of the Conservatives’ amendment, let me be clear, again, that the Welsh Government has not reduced the overall funding available. We have sought to distribute the funding that we have to promote fairness, equity, and to achieve long-lasting, sustainable improvements. I have demonstrated the significant support we are providing for disabled children and their families through the wider delivery of our programme for government.

So, to conclude, the funding of one organisation must be seen within the context of the wider strategic approach to delivering improvements to services and support for disabled children and their families. We must also recognise that it’s vital that we maximise the impact of all the funding that we provide to support long-term, sustainable benefits for families.

Diolch i chi, Lywydd. Mae’r ddadl heddiw yn rhoi cyfle i mi gadarnhau ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi plant anabl a’u teuluoedd, ac i siarad am y buddsoddiad sylweddol yr ydym yn ei wneud i sicrhau eu bod yn cael y gwasanaethau a’r cymorth sydd eu hangen arnynt.

Mae Cronfa’r Teulu yn un elfen o’r cymorth yr ydym wedi ei roi ar waith, ac mae’n rhaid iddo gael ei weld yn y cyd-destun ehangach. Ysgrifennais at bob Aelod Cynulliad fis Tachwedd diwethaf yn nodi cefndir a chyd-destun y dull cadarn a thrwyadl o fynd ati mewn perthynas â phenderfyniadau cyllido y cynllun grantiau i’r trydydd sector ar gyfer gwasanaethau cymdeithasol cynaliadwy, a wnaed yn 2014. Roedd y cynllun hwn yn dwyn pedwar cynllun grant gwahanol at ei gilydd, gan gynnwys grant Cronfa’r Teulu, gan ddod ag oddeutu £22 miliwn at ei gilydd mewn un grant er mwyn cefnogi’r gwaith o ddarparu a gweithredu Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014 ac i fwrw ymlaen â’n blaenoriaethau i alluogi pob dinesydd yng Nghymru i gyflawni eu canlyniadau lles ac i fyw bywydau llawn.

Rydym eisiau gwneud yn siŵr fod pobl yn cael rheolaeth ac yn cymryd rhan yn y penderfyniadau a wneir am y gwasanaethau y maent yn eu derbyn. Rydym yn gwerthuso effaith y Ddeddf er mwyn sicrhau ei bod yn cyflawni’r hyn y bwriadwyd iddi ei gyflawni. Mae hyn yn cynnwys monitro polisïau i sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu gweithredu ac yn cefnogi gwelliant. Mae’r cynllun grant newydd hwn yn galluogi sefydliadau’r trydydd sector fel partneriaid pwysig i gefnogi ein dull trawsnewidiol o ddarparu gwasanaethau cymdeithasol cynaliadwy yng Nghymru. Mae’n ddull sy’n seiliedig ar sicrhau cydraddoldeb a thegwch i bawb o’r rhai sydd angen gofal a chymorth.

Nid yw’n gywir nac yn deg awgrymu y bu toriad yn y gefnogaeth i deuluoedd anabl drwy ein grantiau ar gyfer y trydydd sector. Rwyf am bwysleisio bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cynnal lefelau cyffredinol cyllid grantiau i’r trydydd sector yn y maes hwn. Rydym wedi creu ymagwedd decach drwy gefnogi’r ystod ehangaf bosibl o fudiadau trydydd sector, gan sicrhau y gall pob rhan o’r gymuned elwa o’r cyllid sydd ar gael—er enghraifft, mae ein hymagwedd wedi ein galluogi i roi £670,000 i Gofalwyr Cymru ar gyfer darparu cymorth i blant anabl a’u teuluoedd. Mae’r prosiect yn codi ymwybyddiaeth o ofalu, ac yn cynorthwyo teuluoedd i reoli eu rolau gofalu a bod yn rhan o’r broses o wella a darparu gwasanaethau.

Mae hefyd yn caniatáu i ni ariannu Anabledd Dysgu Cymru gyda £930,000 ar gyfer prosiect sy’n cynorthwyo teuluoedd i ddeall eu hawliau a’r hyn y mae ganddynt hawl iddo, i’w lleisiau gael eu clywed, i reoli penderfyniadau am eu gofal, ac i gydgynllunio’r cymorth y maent yn ei dderbyn.

Yn yr un modd, mae Fforwm Rhieni a Gofalwyr Pobl ag Anableddau Dysgu Cymru Gyfan yn derbyn dros £400,000 i gynorthwyo teuluoedd pobl sydd ag anableddau dysgu i ddeall eu hawliau ac i reoli penderfyniadau am eu gofal. Ei nod yw gwella ymyrraeth gynnar ac atal a chefnogi’r broses o gydgynllunio a darparu gwasanaethau.

Cafwyd 84 o geisiadau i’r cynllun grantiau newydd, ceisiadau am gyllid gwerth cyfanswm o £69 miliwn. Rydym yn ariannu 32 o sefydliadau, a llwyddodd Cronfa’r Teulu i ennill y grant mwyaf sydd ar gael, £1.5 miliwn. Roedd Cronfa’r Teulu hefyd yn y sefyllfa unigryw o gael £400,000 ychwanegol wedi’i ddyfarnu iddi fel grant pontio eleni, gan gynnwys £30,000 i’w helpu i ailffocysu eu model ariannu i fod yn gynaliadwy yn y dyfodol.

Mae teuluoedd anabl yn dweud wrthym mai’r hyn y maent yn ei werthfawrogi fwyaf yw gofal seibiant. Felly, rydym wedi gofyn i Gronfa’r Teulu ganolbwyntio ar ddarparu gofal seibiant, ac rydym yn disgwyl iddynt ddefnyddio o leiaf 70 y cant o’u grant i ddarparu hyn. Fodd bynnag, maent yn cadw’r hyblygrwydd i ariannu pethau eraill lle y ceir angen eithriadol. Pan fo gan blentyn ddatganiad o anghenion addysgol arbennig a bod darparu offer TGCh yn cael ei nodi fel angen, yna rhaid i’r awdurdod lleol sicrhau ei fod yn cael ei ddarparu i gefnogi addysg y plentyn.

Mae’n amlwg o’r ddadl heddiw ein bod yn gytûn fod angen i ni sicrhau y gall teuluoedd sicrhau cymaint o incwm aelwyd â phosibl, gydag arian yn mynd yn uniongyrchol i’r teulu. Y ffordd fwyaf effeithiol a chynaliadwy o wneud hyn yw drwy gynorthwyo teuluoedd i sicrhau eu bod yn cael yr holl fudd-daliadau y mae ganddynt hawl iddynt, yn hytrach na thrwy roi grantiau bach, unigol. Ers 2012, rydym wedi bod yn darparu dros £2 filiwn y flwyddyn i Cyngor ar Bopeth ar gyfer eu cynllun Cyngor Da, Byw’n Well, sy’n unigryw i Gymru. Nid yw’n digwydd yn Lloegr, nid yw’n digwydd yn yr Alban, ac nid yw’n digwydd yng Ngogledd Iwerddon. Ond yng Nghymru mae’n gweithredu ym mhob awdurdod lleol, gan gynnig cyngor wyneb yn wyneb. A dyma’r peth pwysicaf. Yn 2015-16 yn unig, mae’r prosiect wedi cynorthwyo dros 1,800 o deuluoedd gyda phlant anabl, gan gynhyrchu dros £3.5 miliwn i gyd mewn budd-daliadau ychwanegol ar gyfer y teuluoedd hyn. Yn ystod naw mis cyntaf y flwyddyn ariannol gyfredol, mae’r gwasanaeth wedi cynorthwyo 1,400 o deuluoedd, gan gynhyrchu £3.3 miliwn pellach mewn budd-daliadau: arian y mae gan y teuluoedd hyn hawl i’w gael ac y maent yn ei gael bellach wythnos ar ôl wythnos, ac nid fel taliad untro. Felly, mae ein dull ‘Cymru yn unig’ yn cael effaith fawr ac mae’n gynaliadwy.

Gall y teuluoedd mwyaf anghennus gael mynediad at raglen Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf, ac rydym yn darparu dros £42 miliwn eleni a’r un swm y flwyddyn nesaf. Mae hyn yn cynnwys £3 miliwn wedi’i glustnodi ar gyfer gwasanaethau i deuluoedd yr effeithir arnynt gan anabledd. Drwy’r gronfa gofal canolraddol eleni, rydym wedi darparu £4 miliwn ychwanegol i ranbarthau yng Nghymru ar gyfer datblygu gwasanaethau integredig i bobl ag anableddau dysgu a phlant ag anghenion cymhleth. Byddwn yn parhau i gefnogi’r gronfa hon yn y dyfodol. Hefyd, drwy ein cynllun gweithredu strategol newydd ar awtistiaeth, rydym wedi ymrwymo £6 miliwn i sefydlu gwasanaeth awtistiaeth integredig cenedlaethol i bob oedran, a fydd yn creu timau lleol ym mhob ardal, gan ddarparu cefnogaeth ar draws pob ystod oedran, gan gynnwys ar gyfer teuluoedd. Mae hyn yn ychwanegol at y £2 filiwn a fydd ar gael bob blwyddyn drwy ein rhaglen Law yn Llaw at Blant a Phobl Ifanc i wella gwasanaethau asesu niwroddatblygiadol.

Gwyddom fod mwy i’w wneud a bod angen i ni fod yn arloesol yn y ffordd y defnyddiwn adnoddau ariannol. Ar hyn o bryd rydym yn adnewyddu’r strategaeth ar gyfer gofalwyr, ac mewn datganiad ysgrifenedig a wneuthum y llynedd, ymrwymais i archwilio ymagwedd genedlaethol tuag at ofal seibiant y gwyddom ei fod mor werthfawr i deuluoedd. Byddwn yn adolygu’r ddarpariaeth bresennol gyda golwg ar gryfhau ystod ac argaeledd gwasanaethau seibiant.

O ran gwelliant y Ceidwadwyr, gadewch i mi fod yn glir, unwaith eto, nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi lleihau’r cyllid cyffredinol sydd ar gael. Rydym wedi ceisio dosbarthu’r arian sydd gennym i hyrwyddo tegwch, cyfiawnder, a chyflawni gwelliannau parhaol a chynaliadwy. Rwyf wedi dangos y gefnogaeth sylweddol yr ydym yn ei darparu ar gyfer plant anabl a’u teuluoedd drwy gyflawniad ehangach ein rhaglen lywodraethu.

Felly, i gloi, rhaid i ariannu un sefydliad gael ei weld yng nghyd-destun y dull strategol ehangach o gyflwyno gwelliannau i wasanaethau a chymorth i blant anabl a’u teuluoedd. Rhaid inni gydnabod hefyd ei bod yn hanfodol ein bod yn gwneud y gorau o effaith yr holl arian a ddarparwn i gefnogi manteision hirdymor, cynaliadwy i deuluoedd.

Galwaf ar Rhun ap Iorwerth i ymateb i’r ddadl.

I call on Rhun ap Iorwerth to reply to the debate.

Thank you very much to everybody who’s taken part in both debates this afternoon: the debate that we heard the Minister talking about there, about overall funding, and the debate that we actually presented to the Assembly earlier, about direct funding through the Family Fund to some of the most vulnerable families in Wales.

I think said in my opening remarks that I think there’s a good overall policy here, but that there’s small print that is letting down some of our most vulnerable families. And that small print is the omission now or the decimation of that direct funding stream, and that is what we’re talking about; £500 is a substantial amount as a one-off payment for a low-income family. It’s the safe garden that we heard about. It’s the respite. It is the tablet. It is the freezer. It is the washing machine because a child’s disability means that they need to have their clothes and bed linen washed more frequently than most. It’s a small sum for Government, though. We’re talking here about £5.5 million over three years.

If I can comment on what Nathan Gill said, I can name a lot of things that I’d rather Government didn’t spend money on. We’re talking here about what we want Welsh Government to spend money on. We can talk, if you like, about the £360 million that’s going to be spent on Buckingham Palace or the doubling of the funding of the royal family that’s just been passed, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking specifically about what Welsh Government can do, and I think it says everything about your politics that you want to use this debate about vulnerable families in Wales to attack spend on UK foreign aid, much of which is spent on vulnerable families abroad—and I’m more than happy to continue to support them. We’re talking about a modest sum of money—[Interruption.] Yes, of course.

Diolch yn fawr iawn i bawb sydd wedi cymryd rhan yn y ddwy ddadl y prynhawn yma: y ddadl y clywsom y Gweinidog yn siarad amdani yno, am arian cyffredinol, a’r ddadl a gyflwynwyd gennym i’r Cynulliad yn gynharach mewn gwirionedd, am gyllid uniongyrchol drwy Gronfa’r Teulu i rai o’r teuluoedd mwyaf agored i niwed yng Nghymru.

Rwy’n meddwl fy mod wedi dweud yn fy sylwadau agoriadol fy mod o’r farn fod yna bolisi cyffredinol da yma, ond bod y print mân yn gwneud cam â’n teuluoedd mwyaf agored i niwed. A’r print mân hwnnw yn awr yw hepgor, neu gyfyngu’n helaeth ar y ffrwd cyllid uniongyrchol, ac am hynny yr ydym yn sôn; mae £500 yn swm sylweddol fel taliad untro i deulu incwm isel. Dyna’r ardd ddiogel y clywsom amdani. Dyna’r seibiant. Dyna’r llechen. Dyna’r rhewgell. Dyna’r peiriant golchi dillad oherwydd bod anabledd y plentyn yn golygu bod angen iddynt gael eu dillad a’u dillad gwely wedi’u golchi’n amlach na’r rhan fwyaf. Swm bach ydyw i Lywodraeth, er hynny. Rydym yn sôn yma am £5.5 miliwn dros dair blynedd.

Os caf sôn am yr hyn a ddywedodd Nathan Gill, gallaf enwi llawer o bethau y byddai’n well gennyf pe na bai’r Llywodraeth yn gwario arian arnynt. Rydym yn sôn yma am yr hyn yr ydym am i Lywodraeth Cymru wario arian arno. Gallwn siarad, os mynnwch, am y £360 miliwn sy’n mynd i gael ei wario ar Balas Buckingham neu ddyblu cyllid y teulu brenhinol sydd newydd gael ei basio, ond nid am hynny yr ydym yn sôn yma. Rydym yn sôn yn benodol am yr hyn y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud, ac rwy’n meddwl ei fod yn dweud popeth am eich gwleidyddiaeth eich bod am ddefnyddio’r ddadl hon am deuluoedd agored i niwed yng Nghymru i ymosod ar wario ar gymorth tramor y DU, gyda llawer ohono’n cael ei wario ar deuluoedd sy’n agored i niwed dramor—ac rwy’n fwy na hapus i barhau i’w cefnogi. Rydym yn sôn am swm bychan o arian—[Torri ar draws.] Iawn, wrth gwrs.

Read the Record in the morning. We are talking—[Interruption.]

Darllenwch y Cofnod yn y bore. Rydym yn siarad—[Torri ar draws.]

Two people cannot talk at the same time. Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Ni all dau o bobl siarad ar yr un pryd. Rhun ap Iorwerth.

The Government Minister stated that support exists in other ways. I agree that support exists in other ways. I agree that it’s a very good idea to work with Citizens Advice in order to ensure that people have the support that they need to access benefits as much as possible. I agree with strategies on increasing respite, though not enough is being done. I agree that the third sector as a whole needs the resources in order to support vulnerable families and children. But I again stress that we are talking about a specific fund that is not substituted in any other part of third sector provision in Wales.

I think the case has been made here from all the opposition parties. There is no substitute for this funding. It is being maintained in other parts of the UK because it is such a specifically useful fund. I would ask again Government to withdraw the amendment, and to agree to consider the reinstatement of this direct funding to its previous level, either through the Family Fund, which seems to me to work well, or through other means, if you like, because it’s not how it’s done—it is having that access to these one-off pots of money that we want looked at. You may not think that £500 as a one-off is something that can make a real difference to people’s lives. We think it is.

Dywedodd Gweinidog y Llywodraeth fod cymorth yn bodoli mewn ffyrdd eraill. Rwy’n cytuno bod cefnogaeth yn bodoli mewn ffyrdd eraill. Rwy’n cytuno ei bod yn syniad da iawn i weithio gyda Cyngor ar Bopeth er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt i gael cymaint â phosibl o fudd-daliadau. Rwy’n cytuno â strategaethau ar gynyddu seibiant, er nad oes digon yn cael ei wneud. Rwy’n cytuno bod y trydydd sector yn ei gyfanrwydd angen yr adnoddau i gynorthwyo teuluoedd a phlant sy’n agored i niwed. Ond unwaith eto, rwy’n pwysleisio ein bod yn sôn am gronfa benodol nad oes dim i gymryd ei lle yn unrhyw ran arall o ddarpariaeth y trydydd sector yng Nghymru.

Rwy’n meddwl bod yr achos wedi’i wneud yma gan bob un o’r gwrthbleidiau. Nid oes dim yn dod yn lle’r cyllid hwn. Mae’n cael ei gadw mewn rhannau eraill o’r DU am ei bod yn gronfa mor benodol o ddefnyddiol. Gofynnaf eto i’r Llywodraeth dynnu’r gwelliant yn ôl, ac i gytuno i ystyried adfer y cyllid uniongyrchol hwn i’w lefel flaenorol, naill ai drwy Gronfa’r Teulu, sydd i’w gweld i mi yn gweithio’n dda, neu drwy ddulliau eraill, os hoffwch, oherwydd nid yw’n fater o sut y caiff ei wneud—mae’n ymwneud â sicrhau mynediad at y potiau untro hyn o arian. Efallai nad ydych yn meddwl bod taliad untro o £500 yn rhywbeth a all wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i fywydau pobl. Credwn ei fod yn gwneud gwahaniaeth.

Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig heb ei ddiwygio? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Gohiriaf y bleidlais, felly, o dan yr eitem yma tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

The proposal is to agree the motion without amendment. Does any Member object? [Object.] I will defer voting under this item until voting time.

Gohiriwyd y pleidleisio tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

Voting deferred until voting time.

8. 8. Cyfnod Pleidleisio
8. 8. Voting Time

Dyma ni’n cyrraedd y cyfnod pleidleisio, ac oni bai fod tri Aelod yn dymuno imi ganu’r gloch, rwy’n symud yn syth i’r bleidlais. Ac mae’r bleidlais gyntaf ar ddadl y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ar iechyd plant. Rwy’n galw am bleidlais ar y cynnig a gyflwynwyd yn enw Paul Davies. Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 19, neb yn ymatal, 36 yn erbyn. Ac felly, mae’r cynnig wedi ei wrthod.

That brings us to voting time, and unless three Members wish for the bell to be rung, I will proceed directly to the vote. And the first vote is on the Welsh Conservative debate on child health. I call for a vote on the motion tabled in the name of Paul Davies. Open the vote. Close the vote. For 19, no abstentions, 36 against. And therefore, the motion is not agreed.

Gwrthodwyd y cynnig: O blaid 19, Yn erbyn 36, Ymatal 0.

Motion not agreed: For 19, Against 36, Abstain 0.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar gynnig NDM6251.

Result of the vote on motion NDM6251.

Galwaf nawr am bleidlais ar welliant 1 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Rhun ap Iorwerth. Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 44, neb yn ymatal, 11 yn erbyn. Ac felly, mae gwelliant 1 wedi ei dderbyn.

I now call for a vote on amendment 1 tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 44, no abstentions, 11 against. And therefore, amendment 1 is agreed.

Derbyniwyd y gwelliant: O blaid 44, Yn erbyn 11, Ymatal 0.

Amendment agreed: For 44, Against 11, Abstain 0.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar welliant 1 i gynnig NDM6251.

Result of the vote on amendment 1 to motion NDM6251.

Galwaf am bleidlais ar welliant 2 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Rhun ap Iorwerth. Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 55, neb yn ymatal, neb yn erbyn, ac felly mae’r gwelliant—gwelliant 2—wedi ei dderbyn.

I now call for a vote on amendment 2 tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 55, no abstentions and none against. Therefore, the amendment—amendment 2—is agreed.

Derbyniwyd y gwelliant: O blaid 55, Yn erbyn 0, Ymatal 0.

Amendment agreed: For 55, Against 0, Abstain 0.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar welliant 2 i gynnig NDM6251.

Result of the vote on amendment 2 to motion NDM6251.

Galwaf felly am bleidlais ar welliant 3 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Jane Hutt. Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 29, chwech yn ymatal, 20 yn erbyn, ac felly mae gwelliant 3 wedi ei dderbyn.

I therefore call for a vote on amendment 3, tabled in the name of Jane Hutt. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 29, six abstentions and 20 against. Therefore, amendment 3 is agreed.

Derbyniwyd y gwelliant: O blaid 29, Yn erbyn 20, Ymatal 6.

Amendment agreed: For 29, Against 20, Abstain 6.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar welliant 3 i gynnig NDM6251.

Result of the vote on amendment 3 to motion NDM6251.

Galwaf am bleidlais ar welliant 4 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Rhun ap Iorwerth. Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 55, neb yn ymatal, neb yn erbyn, ac felly mae gwelliant 4 wedi ei dderbyn.

I call for a vote on amendment 4, tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 55, no abstentions and none against. Therefore, amendment 4 is agreed.

Derbyniwyd y gwelliant: O blaid 55, Yn erbyn 0, Ymatal 0.

Amendment agreed: For 55, Against 0, Abstain 0.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar welliant 4 i gynnig NDM6251.

Result of the vote on amendment 4 to motion NDM6251.

Rwy’n galw nawr am bleidlais ar y cynnig fel y’i diwygiwyd.

I now call for a vote on the motion as amended.

Cynnig NDM6251 fel y’i diwygiwyd:

Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru:

1. Yn cydnabod bod sicrwydd o gartref, gofal iechyd, addysg a bod yn ddiogel gartref, yn ddiogel yn yr ysgol ac yn ddiogel yn y gymuned yn adeiladu seiliau cryf ar gyfer datblygiad iach pob plentyn ac yn gresynu at effaith toriadau i fudd-daliadau tai ar allu tai cymdeithasol i ddarparu sicrwydd o gartref i blant.

2. Yn nodi pwysigrwydd gweledigaeth hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd plant, sy’n hyrwyddo iechyd a lles o’r crud a pharhau â chymorth addas ar gyfer iechyd corfforol ac iechyd meddwl wrth i blentyn dyfu.

3. Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i wella’r broses o gasglu data a’r ddealltwriaeth o iechyd plant yng Nghymru drwy:

a) ehangu arolygon profiadau canser i gasglu data ar gyfer plant o dan 16 oed;

b) cynnal gwaith ymchwil i fwlio gan gyfoedion; ac

c) monitro cynnydd y cymorth iechyd meddwl amenedigol newydd er mwyn sicrhau cysondeb ledled Cymru ar gyfer teuluoedd sy’n agored i niwed;

d) ystyried sut y gall ysgolion helpu i greu amgylcheddau i fynd i’r afael â gordewdra;

e) sicrhau y gall pob ysgol gynnig cyfleusterau ardderchog ar gyfer chwaraeon.

Motion NDM6251 as amended:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises that secure housing, healthcare, education, and being safe at home, safe at school and in the community builds the foundation for a child’s healthy development and regrets the effects of cuts to housing benefit on the ability of social housing to provide secure housing for children.

2. Notes the importance of a long term vision for Child Health, which promotes health and well-being from birth and continues with suitable support for physical and mental health as a child grows up.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to improve data collection and the understanding of child health in Wales by:

a) extending cancer experience surveys to collect data for under 16s;

b) conducting research into peer bullying; and

c) monitoring the progress of the new perinatal mental health support to ensure consistency across Wales for vulnerable families;

d) considering how schools can help to create environments to tackle obesity;

e) ensuring all schools are able to offer excellent facilities for sports.

Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 44, neb yn ymatal, 11 yn erbyn, ac felly mae’r cynnig wedi ei ddiwygio wedi ei dderbyn.

Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 44, no abstentions and 11 against. Therefore, the motion as amended is agreed.

Derbyniwyd cynnig NDM6251 fel y’i diwygiwyd: O blaid 44, Yn erbyn 11, Ymatal 0.

Motion NDM6251 as amended agreed: For 44, Against 11, Abstain 0.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar gynnig NDM6251 fel y’i diwygiwyd.

Result of the vote on motion NDM6251 as amended.

Pleidlais nawr ar ddadl Plaid Cymru ar Gronfa’r Teulu. Rwy’n galw am bleidlais ar y cynnig a gyflwynwyd yn enw Rhun ap Iorwerth. Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 27, neb yn ymatal, 28 yn erbyn, ac felly mae’r cynnig wedi ei wrthod.

I now call for a vote on the Plaid Cymru debate on the Family Fund. I call for a vote on the motion, tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 27, no abstentions and 28 against. Therefore, the motion is not agreed.

Gwrthodwyd y cynnig: O blaid 27, Yn erbyn 28, Ymatal 0.

Motion not agreed: For 27, Against 28, Abstain 0.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar gynnig NDM6252.

Result of the vote on motion NDM6252.

Galwaf nawr am bleidlais ar welliant 1 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Jane Hutt. Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 28, neb yn ymatal, 27 yn erbyn, ac felly mae gwelliant 1 wedi ei dderbyn.

I now call for a vote on amendment 1, tabled in the name of Jane Hutt. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 28, no abstentions and 27 against. Therefore, amendment 1 is agreed.

Derbyniwyd y gwelliant: O blaid 28, Yn erbyn 27, Ymatal 0.

Amendment agreed: For 28, Against 27, Abstain 0.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar welliant 1 i gynnig NDM6252.

Result of the vote on amendment 1 to motion NDM6252.

Galwaf nawr am bleidlais ar welliant 2 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Paul Davies. Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 27, 27 yn ymatal, un yn erbyn, ac felly mae’r gwelliant wedi ei dderbyn.

I now call for a vote on amendment 2, tabled in the name of Paul Davies. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 27, 27 abstentions and one against. Therefore, the amendment is agreed.

Derbyniwyd y gwelliant: O blaid 27, Yn erbyn 1, Ymatal 27.

Amendment agreed: For 27, Against 1, Abstain 27.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar welliant 2 i gynnig NDM6252.

Result of the vote on amendment 2 to motion NDM6252.

Galwaf nawr am bleidlais ar y cynnig fel y’i diwygiwyd.

I now call for a vote on the motion as amended.

Cynnig NDM6252 fel y’i diwygiwyd:

1. Yn nodi’r cyllid canlynol gan Lywodraeth Cymru:

a) cynllun grant Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol Cynaliadwy, sy’n werth £22m, i helpu cyrff y trydydd sector i gyflawni agenda uchelgeisiol Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, sy’n cynnwys cynorthwyo teuluoedd sy’n magu plant anabl neu ddifrifol wael.

b) rhaglen Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf sy’n werth £42.5m, gan gynnwys £3m o gyllid wedi’i glustnodi ar gyfer teuluoedd anabl.

c) £2.2m o gyllid bob blwyddyn i Gyngor ar Bopeth Cymru i gynorthwyo grwpiau a dargedir, gan gynnwys teuluoedd â phlant anabl, a’u helpu i gael gafael ar y budd-daliadau y mae ganddynt hawl iddynt. Mae hyn wedi arwain at gyfanswm o £3.3m o fudd-daliadau ychwanegol rhwng mis Ebrill a mis Rhagfyr 2016.

2. Yn cydnabod bod Cronfa’r Teulu wedi cael uchafswm y grant sydd ar gael, sef £1.5m, ynghyd â chyllid ychwanegol o £400,000 eleni, i barhau i gynorthwyo teuluoedd ac i addasu ei model ariannu at y dyfodol.

3. Yn croesawu’r effaith gadarnhaol y mae’r Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) wedi’i chael o ran cryfhau hawliau gofalwyr a’r cymorth a roddir iddynt, gan gynnwys y rhai sy’n gofalu am blant anabl neu ddifrifol wael.

4. Yn nodi bod Gweithrediaeth Gogledd Iwerddon, Llywodraeth yr Alban a Llywodraeth y DU, mewn perthynas â Lloegr, i gyd wedi cynnal eu cyllid i Gronfa’r Teulu.

Motion NDM6252 as amended:

1. Notes the Welsh Government’s

a) £22m Sustainable Social Services grant scheme to support third sector organisations deliver the Welsh Government’s ambitious social services agenda which includes supporting families raising disabled or seriously ill children;

b) £42.5m Families First programme, including £3m ring-fenced funding for disabled families;

c) £2.2m annual funding for Citizens Advice Cymru to support targeted groups including families with disabled children and help them access the benefits they are entitled to, which has generated £3.3m in additional benefits between April and December 2016.

2. Recognises that the Family Fund has been allocated the maximum available grant of £1.5m and an additional £400,000 this year to continue supporting families and adapt its funding model for the future.

3. Welcomes the positive impact the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act has had on strengthening the rights of and support of carers, including those looking after disabled or seriously ill children.

4. Notes that the Northern Ireland Executive, Scottish Government and UK Government, in relation to England, have all maintained their funding for the family fund.

Agor y bleidlais. Cau’r bleidlais. O blaid 28, 17 yn ymatal, 10 yn erbyn. Mae’r cynnig wedi’i ddiwygio wedi ei dderbyn.

Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 28, 17 abstentions and 10 against. The motion as amended is agreed.

Derbyniwyd cynnig NDM6252 fel y’i diwygiwyd: O blaid 28, Yn erbyn 10, Ymatal 17.

Motion NDM6252 as amended agreed: For 28, Against 10, Abstain 17.

Canlyniad y bleidlais ar gynnig NDM6252 fel y’i diwygiwyd.

Result of the vote on motion NDM6252 as amended.

9. 9. Dadl Fer: Sefydlu Cyfnewidfa Stoc i Gymru
9. 9. Short Debate: Establishing a Welsh Stock Exchange

Os gwnaiff pawb adael y Siambr yn dawel, mae’r trafodion yn parhau. Yr eitem nesaf ar ein hagenda ni yw’r ddadl fer. Rwy’n galw ar Neil McEvoy i siarad ar y pwnc a ddewiswyd ganddo. Neil McEvoy.

If those Members leaving the Chamber would do so quietly, proceedings will continue. The next item on our agenda is the short debate. I call on Neil McEvoy to speak on the topic that he has chosen. Neil McEvoy.

Diolch, Lywydd. I’ll just wait for colleagues to clear the Chamber.

Diolch, Lywydd. Fe arhosaf i gyd-Aelodau adael y Siambr.

You do need to leave the Chamber. Proceedings are ongoing. This is not a time for chit-chat. Carry on.

Mae angen i chi adael y Siambr. Mae’r trafodion yn parhau. Nid amser i sgwrsio yw hwn. Parhewch.

Thanks. Okay. Please feel free to interject and contribute if you wish. The idea is to float this as something that we want to do in the not-too-distant future in this city. So, I’ve called a debate to see whether or not, here in the National Assembly for Wales, we can start to advance the idea of a Welsh stock exchange. I’m really pleased to see that Plaid Cymru’s policy of establishing a Welsh development bank, a policy we’ve had for a number of years, is about to happen, which is good. With tax powers being devolved and the Welsh Revenue Authority being set up, Wales is finally taking steps towards financial sovereignty, but one thing we don’t have is a stock exchange.

Stock exchanges play a different role to a development bank. Whereas a development bank is bound by strict due diligence and means businesses take on new debts, a stock exchange allows investors to take shares in a company, so they can complement each other very well.

Before I get into that, maybe I should clarify: rather than saying ‘still not having’ a stock exchange, it’s more accurate to say that we no longer have a stock exchange. The Coal Exchange, just minutes away from the Assembly, which, thankfully, is being renovated now, or saved from collapse, and is being redeveloped as a hotel, was a market floor for trading coal in Wales. As many of us know, the coal exchange was where the world’s first £1 million cheque was signed. So, Wales does have some pedigree here.

Stock exchanges are not like other businesses. The performance of national stock exchanges is often taken as a proxy for the health of a nation’s economy, or at least investor enthusiasm for the country’s prospects. National exchanges also play an underappreciated policy role in deciding and listing compliance standards for companies that wish to go public. On top of all that, there’s a nebulous but real sense that national pride is somehow tied into stock exchanges. I do think that it would contribute to pride in Wales if we could get one up and running.

Shares are often seen as complicated things, but the principle behind them is simple and straightforward. Shares, also known as equities, provide you with part ownership of a company, so when you invest in shares, you’re buying a share of that business. Companies issue shares to raise money and investors buy shares in a business because they believe the company will do well and they want a share in its success.

I want to see more Welsh people share in the success of Welsh companies and a stock exchange would give them the opportunity to do that. Owning shares in a company means that you’re entitled to have a say in its affairs. All public limited companies have annual meetings where shareholders vote on matters such as the company’s accounts, director appointments, pay packages and so on, and this is something that I want to see more of in Wales. I think it could help us to become a more prosperous and equal country. There are many examples around the world of smaller countries having their own exchanges: Gibraltar, Armenia, Cyprus and Iceland. The Sarajevo stock exchange was set up in 2001 and by 2005, market capitalisation had risen by around 20 times to €3.3 billion. The average daily trading volumes hit €1.5 million by 2005. This could be Wales. There are 25 Welsh companies currently listed on the London stock exchange, so that shows the potential that we have here.

It’s widely acknowledged that an exchange can help increase economic activity and drive economic growth. It can be a boost to business, and simply put, stock exchanges give companies the ability to raise capital and develop their businesses. The ability to list shares on a stock exchange and thereby raise money from investors, old and new, is an important boost to economic activity.

Access to capital makes it easier for companies to expand their operations and listing might one day draw the attention of mutual funds—institutional traders and so on—to the potential of a Welsh business. They’re also a shop window; anyone in the world could invest in a Welsh exchange. Establishing one has the potential of opening up the Welsh economy to greater international investment, allowing Welsh businesses and companies to benefit from global investors. This would take time, but it could also serve to enhance a company’s credibility and public profile. Listing on the stock market can be a form of indirect advertising for a company.

Diolch. Iawn. Mae croeso i chi dorri ar draws a chyfrannu os ydych yn dymuno. Y syniad yw awgrymu hyn fel rhywbeth yr ydym am ei wneud yn y dyfodol heb fod mor bell yn y ddinas hon. Felly, rwyf wedi galw dadl i weld a allwn, yma yng Nghynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, ddechrau hyrwyddo’r syniad o gyfnewidfa stoc i Gymru. Rwy’n hynod o falch o weld bod polisi Plaid Cymru o sefydlu banc datblygu Cymru, polisi a fu gennym ers nifer o flynyddoedd, ar fin digwydd, sy’n beth da. Gyda phwerau treth yn cael eu datganoli ac Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru yn cael ei sefydlu, mae Cymru o’r diwedd yn camu tuag at sofraniaeth ariannol, ond un peth nad oes gennym yw cyfnewidfa stoc.

Mae cyfnewidfeydd stoc yn chwarae rôl wahanol i fanc datblygu. Tra bo banc datblygu wedi’i rwymo gan ddiwydrwydd dyladwy llym ac yn golygu bod busnesau yn ysgwyddo dyledion newydd, mae cyfnewidfa stoc yn caniatáu i fuddsoddwyr gymryd cyfrannau mewn cwmni, fel y gallant ategu ei gilydd yn dda iawn.

Cyn i mi fanylu ar hynny, efallai y dylwn egluro: yn hytrach na dweud ‘yn dal i fod heb’ gyfnewidfa stoc, mae’n fwy cywir dweud nad oes gennym gyfnewidfa stoc mwyach. Roedd y Gyfnewidfa Lo, sydd rai munudau o bellter yn unig oddi wrth y Cynulliad, ac sydd, diolch byth, yn cael ei hadnewyddu yn awr, neu ei hachub rhag cwympo ac yn cael ei hailddatblygu fel gwesty, yn arfer bod yn llawr masnachu ar gyfer masnachu glo yng Nghymru. Fel y bydd llawer ohonom yn gwybod, yn y gyfnewidfa lo y llofnodwyd siec £1 filiwn gyntaf y byd. Felly, mae gan Gymru rywfaint o hanes yn hyn o beth.

Nid yw cyfnewidfeydd stoc yr un fath â busnesau eraill. Mae perfformiad cyfnewidfeydd stoc cenedlaethol yn aml yn cael ei gymryd fel mesur arall o iechyd economi’r genedl, neu o leiaf, o frwdfrydedd buddsoddwyr ynglŷn â rhagolygon y wlad. Mae cyfnewidfeydd cenedlaethol hefyd yn chwarae rôl bolisi nad yw’n cael ei gwerthfawrogi’n ddigonol wrth bennu a rhestru safonau cydymffurfio ar gyfer cwmnïau sy’n dymuno mynd yn gyhoeddus. Ar ben hyn oll, mae yna ymdeimlad niwlog ond real fod balchder cenedlaethol rywsut ynghlwm wrth gyfnewidfeydd stoc. Rwy’n credu y byddai’n cyfrannu at falchder yng Nghymru pe gallem gael un ar waith.

Ystyrir cyfranddaliadau yn bethau cymhleth yn aml, ond mae’r egwyddor sy’n sail iddynt yn syml. Mae cyfranddaliadau, a elwir hefyd yn ecwitïau, yn rhoi rhan i chi ym mherchnogaeth cwmni, felly pan fyddwch yn buddsoddi mewn cyfranddaliadau, rydych yn prynu cyfran o’r busnes hwnnw. Mae cwmnïau’n cyhoeddi cyfranddaliadau i godi arian a bydd buddsoddwyr yn prynu cyfranddaliadau mewn busnes am eu bod yn credu y bydd y cwmni’n gwneud yn dda ac maent eisiau cyfran yn ei lwyddiant.

Rwyf am weld mwy o bobl yng Nghymru yn rhannu yn llwyddiant cwmnïau Cymru a chyfnewidfa stoc a fyddai’n rhoi cyfle iddynt wneud hynny. Mae bod yn berchen ar gyfranddaliadau mewn cwmni yn golygu bod gennych hawl i gael llais yn ei fusnes. Mae pob cwmni cyfyngedig cyhoeddus yn cynnal cyfarfodydd blynyddol lle y bydd cyfranddalwyr yn pleidleisio ar faterion megis cyfrifon y cwmni, penodi cyfarwyddwr, pecynnau cyflog ac yn y blaen, ac mae hyn yn rhywbeth yr hoffwn weld mwy ohono yng Nghymru. Rwy’n credu y gallai ein helpu i ddod yn wlad fwy ffyniannus a chyfartal. Ceir llawer o enghreifftiau o gwmpas y byd o wledydd llai â’u cyfnewidfeydd eu hunain: Gibraltar, Armenia, Cyprus a Gwlad yr Iâ. Sefydlwyd cyfnewidfa stoc Sarajevo yn 2001 ac erbyn 2005, roedd cyfalafiad y farchnad 20 gwaith yn fwy ar €3.3 biliwn. Roedd y cyfeintiau masnachu dyddiol cyfartalog yn €1.5 miliwn erbyn 2005. Gallai Cymru wneud hyn. Mae 25 o gwmnïau o Gymru wedi’u rhestru ar y gyfnewidfa stoc yn Llundain ar hyn o bryd, fellly mae hynny’n dangos y potensial sydd gennym yma.

Cydnabyddir yn eang y gall cyfnewidfa helpu i gynyddu gweithgarwch economaidd a hybu twf economaidd. Gall fod yn hwb i fusnesau, ac o’i roi’n syml, mae cyfnewidfeydd stoc yn rhoi’r gallu i gwmnïau godi cyfalaf a datblygu eu busnesau. Mae’r gallu i restru cyfranddaliadau ar gyfnewidfa stoc a thrwy hynny godi arian gan fuddsoddwyr, hen a newydd, yn hwb pwysig i weithgarwch economaidd.

Mae mynediad at gyfalaf yn ei gwneud yn haws i gwmnïau ehangu eu gweithgarwch a gallai rhestru dynnu sylw cronfeydd cydfuddiannol ryw ddiwrnod—masnachwyr sefydliadol ac ati—at botensial busnes o Gymru. Maent hefyd yn ffenestr siop; gallai unrhyw un yn y byd fuddsoddi mewn cyfnewidfa Gymreig. Drwy sefydlu un, ceir potensial i agor economi Cymru i fwy o fuddsoddiad rhyngwladol, gan ganiatáu i fusnesau a chwmnïau o Gymru elwa o fuddsoddwyr byd-eang. Byddai hyn yn cymryd amser, ond gallai hefyd wella hygrededd cwmni a’i broffil cyhoeddus. Gall rhestru ar y farchnad stoc fod yn fath o hysbyseb anuniongyrchol i gwmni.

Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd i’r Gadair.

The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.

I suppose, really, the elephant in the room is that stock exchanges are typically private companies. There are some examples of publicly owned stock exchanges—the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges are really quasi-state institutions, as far as they were created by Government bodies in China and have leading personnel directly appointed by the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

Another example is the Tashkent republican stock exchange in Uzbekistan, which was established in 1994, three years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and is mainly state owned, but has a form of a public corporation. But these aren’t models that I’d propose for Wales. It’s possible that the Welsh Government could play a role in a Welsh stock exchange, but the financial markets are a reserved matter, and so the regulation of listing and public offerings, securities and investments are beyond the competence of the Welsh Government. So, what we really need to think about is how we can give incentives and encourage a private company to set up a stock exchange in Wales. This could be through grants, through conferences, offices available in Cardiff or elsewhere.

I’m not going to speak any longer at this point. I would hope that others have bought into these ideas, and if anybody does want to contribute, I’d be very interested to hear what you’ve got to say. Thank you. Diolch.

Mae’n debyg, mewn gwirionedd, mai’r eliffant yn yr ystafell yw bod cyfnewidfeydd stoc fel arfer yn gwmnïau preifat. Ceir rhai enghreifftiau o gyfnewidfeydd stoc sy’n eiddo cyhoeddus—mae cyfnewidfeydd stoc Shenzhen a Shanghai yn sefydliadau lled-wladwriaethol mewn gwirionedd, i’r graddau eu bod wedi’u creu gan gyrff Llywodraeth yn Tsieina a bod ganddynt bersonél blaenllaw a benodwyd yn uniongyrchol gan Gomisiwn Rheoleiddio Gwarantau Tsieina.

Enghraifft arall yw cyfnewidfa stoc weriniaethol Tashkent yn Uzbekistan, a sefydlwyd yn 1994, dair blynedd ar ôl cwymp yr Undeb Sofietaidd, ac sy’n eiddo i’r wladwriaeth yn bennaf, ond gyda rhyw ffurf ar gorfforaeth gyhoeddus. Ond nid yw’r rhain yn fodelau y byddwn yn eu hargymell ar gyfer Cymru. Mae’n bosibl y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru chwarae rhan mewn cyfnewidfa stoc i Gymru, ond mae’r marchnadoedd ariannol yn fater a gadwyd yn ôl, ac felly mae rheoleiddio rhestrau a chynigion cyhoeddus, gwarantau a buddsoddiadau y tu hwnt i gymhwysedd Llywodraeth Cymru. Felly, yr hyn y mae gwir angen i ni feddwl amdano yw sut y gallwn roi cymhellion ac annog cwmni preifat i sefydlu cyfnewidfa stoc yng Nghymru. Gallai hyn ddigwydd drwy grantiau, drwy gynadleddau, swyddfeydd ar gael yng Nghaerdydd neu rywle arall.

Nid wyf yn mynd i siarad yn hwy ar hyn o bryd. Byddwn yn gobeithio bod eraill wedi cefnogi’r syniadau hyn, ac os oes unrhyw un yn dymuno cyfrannu, byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mawr mewn clywed yr hyn sydd gennych i’w ddweud. Diolch. Diolch.

Thank you very much. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure to reply to the debate. Ken Skates.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a’r Seilwaith i ymateb i’r ddadl. Ken Skates.

Member
Ken Skates 18:00:00
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I start by welcoming this debate today on the establishment of a stock exchange for Wales? I’ve been very interested to learn from Neil McEvoy his views and his proposals for a Welsh stock exchange. This is a valuable debate, even though it’s not a new proposition. It is a suggestion that has been considered by previous Welsh Government administrations, as I’m sure the Member is aware.

In January 2010, a report on a Welsh stock exchange by Robert Huggins and Daniel Prokop was published, and that report, which was based on a sample of 1,500 companies, of which there were 169 responses, suggested that 36 per cent expressed some interest in listing on a Wales stock exchange. Delving a little more into the data, it was found that 8 per cent had considered flotation in the previous five years, 19 per cent would consider floating in the next five years, and a further 13 per cent in the 10 years after that. Clearly, it demonstrated some appetite and interest for a stock exchange in Wales, but it was concluded by that Government that the costs of establishing a stock exchange could not be justified. This is because the cost of establishing a stock exchange can run into many millions of pounds due to the significant set-up costs, including, of course, recruitment, staff training, IT systems and so forth.

In 2008, the Welsh Government investigated a number of opportunities to set up a stock market in Wales but, again, neither project progressed due to the lack of demand to support the costs. So, it’s not clear, still, whether there is a strong enough case to set up a regional stock market in Wales. One of the main rationales for setting up a stock exchange would be, as the Member has identified, to fill a gap in funding for businesses and provide an opportunity for companies to raise capital. Now, whilst we do, of course, recognise that access to finance continues to be a concern for businesses in Wales, there’s already a range of financial support available in Wales and it’s not clear what gap or what gaps would be filled by a regional stock exchange.

Supporting businesses in Wales is vital in creating jobs, driving economic growth, increasing productivity and so forth, and the success of business is critical in the growth of the economy right across communities in Wales. Improving access to finance has been a priority, therefore, for Government for many years, over which time we’ve introduced a range of funds and products. As Members are aware, we are continuing to progress the manifesto commitment to the establishment of a development bank of Wales, and it’s clear that growing businesses need access to growth capital. The development bank will help businesses find the right finance partner to leverage in private finance with its own gap finance when necessary. It’ll have the objective of providing greater levels of funding to SMEs, whilst at the same time improving the integration of the provision and advice and support to businesses by working more closely with Business Wales.

There are a couple more examples of the steps we’ve taken to support businesses financially immediately after the EU referendum vote. Of course, we launched the Business Wales confidence plan, which contained a series of actions that we are now delivering, and all are aimed at promoting business confidence and activity across the country. The interventions included the announcement of a new growth and prosperity fund, and our repayable fund for SMEs, so that Wales remains an attractive place for businesses to invest. Our Business Wales service was, of course, aligned, again, in January of last year, to make it easier for Welsh businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs to access the information, advice and support that they need to start up and grow their businesses.

In order to make a case for a Welsh stock exchange, we therefore need to understand clearly why Welsh firms are unable or, possibly, unwilling to access existing funding sources and stock exchanges. As I said at the beginning, this issue has been visited before, and, in the past, it was concluded that the research did not provide a strong enough argument for setting up a regional stock market. There’s no clear evidence that smaller, regional stock markets are particularly successful when in competition with larger markets and alternative funding sources, but, of course, I remain open to the idea of a stock exchange if demand for such a service were to increase. Currently, if there are barriers to accessing existing stock markets for Welsh firms, then, perhaps, an alternative solution could be to work on reducing such barriers, rather than attempting to set up a competitor.

But if there is a case for a stock market in Wales, I believe that the private sector should lead. It’s not clear what role the public sector could or even should play in private equity markets, but I can assure Members that, as a pro-business Government, our priority remains to deliver on a range of actions to help new and existing companies to develop, grow and prosper.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ac a gaf fi ddechrau drwy groesawu’r ddadl hon heddiw ar sefydlu cyfnewidfa stoc i Gymru? Rwyf wedi bod yn awyddus iawn i glywed gan Neil McEvoy beth yw ei farn a’i gynigion ar gyfer cyfnewidfa stoc Gymreig. Mae hon yn ddadl werthfawr, er nad yw’n gynnig newydd. Mae’n awgrym a ystyriwyd gan weinyddiaethau blaenorol Llywodraeth Cymru, fel y gŵyr yr Aelod, rwy’n siŵr.

Ym mis Ionawr 2010, cyhoeddwyd adroddiad ar gyfnewidfa stoc i Gymru gan Robert Huggins a Daniel Prokop, ac awgrymai’r adroddiad, a oedd yn seiliedig ar sampl o 1,500 o gwmnïau a gynhyrchodd 169 o ymatebion, fod 36 y cant wedi mynegi peth diddordeb mewn rhestru ar gyfnewidfa stoc i Gymru. Wrth dyrchu ychydig yn rhagor i’r data, gwelwyd bod 8 y cant wedi ystyried cyhoeddi eu cyfrannau yn ystod y pum mlynedd flaenorol, byddai 19 y cant yn ystyried cyhoeddi eu cyfrannau yn ystod y pum mlynedd nesaf, ac 13 y cant arall yn y 10 mlynedd ar ôl hynny. Yn amlwg, dangosai fod peth archwaeth a diddordeb mewn cael cyfnewidfa stoc yng Nghymru, ond daeth y Llywodraeth i’r casgliad na ellid cyfiawnhau costau sefydlu cyfnewidfa stoc. Y rheswm am hyn oedd oherwydd y gall y gost o sefydlu cyfnewidfa stoc gyrraedd llawer o filiynau o bunnoedd oherwydd y costau sefydlu sylweddol, gan gynnwys, wrth gwrs, recriwtio, hyfforddi staff, systemau TG ac yn y blaen.

Yn 2008, ymchwiliodd Llywodraeth Cymru nifer o gyfleoedd i sefydlu marchnad stoc yng Nghymru ond unwaith eto, ni fwriwyd ymlaen â’r prosiect oherwydd y diffyg galw i gefnogi’r costau. Felly, nid yw’n glir o hyd a oes achos digon cryf dros sefydlu marchnad stoc ranbarthol yng Nghymru. Un o’r prif seiliau rhesymegol dros sefydlu cyfnewidfa stoc, fel y mae’r Aelod wedi nodi, fyddai llenwi bwlch yn y cyllid ar gyfer busnesau a rhoi cyfle i gwmnïau godi cyfalaf. Nawr, er ein bod yn cydnabod, wrth gwrs, fod mynediad at gyllid yn parhau i fod yn bryder i fusnesau yng Nghymru, mae yna eisoes ystod o gymorth ariannol ar gael yng Nghymru, ac nid yw’n glir pa fwlch neu pa fylchau a fyddai’n cael eu llenwi gan gyfnewidfa stoc ranbarthol.

Mae cefnogi busnesau yng Nghymru yn hanfodol o ran creu swyddi, hybu twf economaidd, cynyddu cynhyrchiant ac yn y blaen, ac mae llwyddiant busnes yn hanfodol yn nhwf yr economi ar draws y cymunedau yng Nghymru. Mae gwella mynediad at gyllid wedi bod yn flaenoriaeth, felly, i’r Llywodraeth ers blynyddoedd lawer, a thros yr amser hwnnw rydym wedi cyflwyno amrywiaeth o gronfeydd a chynhyrchion. Fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau, rydym yn parhau i fwrw ymlaen â’r ymrwymiad maniffesto i sefydlu banc datblygu i Gymru, ac mae’n amlwg fod angen mynediad at gyfalaf twf ar fusnesau sy’n tyfu. Bydd y banc datblygu’n helpu busnesau i ddod o hyd i’r partner cyllid cywir i ddenu cyllid preifat gyda’i gyllid dros dro ei hun pan fo angen. Ei nod fydd darparu lefelau uwch o gyllid i fusnesau bach a chanolig, a gwella integreiddiad y ddarpariaeth a chyngor a chymorth i fusnesau ar yr un pryd drwy weithio’n agosach gyda Busnes Cymru.

Ceir un neu ddwy enghraifft arall o’r camau yr ydym wedi’u cymryd i gefnogi busnesau’n ariannol yn syth ar ôl pleidlais refferendwm yr UE. Wrth gwrs, fe wnaethom lansio cynllun hyder Busnes Cymru, a oedd yn cynnwys cyfres o gamau gweithredu yr ydym bellach yn eu cyflawni, ac maent i gyd yn anelu at hyrwyddo hyder busnesau a gweithgarwch ar draws y wlad. Roedd yr ymyriadau’n cynnwys cyhoeddi cronfa twf a ffyniant newydd, a’n cronfa ad-daladwy ar gyfer busnesau bach a chanolig, fel bod Cymru’n parhau i fod yn lle deniadol i fusnesau fuddsoddi. Unwaith eto, cafodd ein gwasanaeth Busnes Cymru ei gyfunioni, wrth gwrs, ym mis Ionawr y llynedd, i’w gwneud yn haws i fusnesau Cymru a darpar entrepreneuriaid gael gafael ar y wybodaeth, y cyngor a’r gefnogaeth sydd eu hangen arnynt i sefydlu a thyfu eu busnesau.

Er mwyn gwneud achos dros gyfnewidfa stoc i Gymru, mae angen i ni ddeall yn glir pam nad yw cwmnïau Cymru’n gallu neu, o bosibl, yn barod i gael mynediad at ffynonellau cyllid a chyfnewidfeydd stoc presennol. Fel y dywedais ar y dechrau, ystyriwyd y mater o’r blaen, ac yn y gorffennol, daethpwyd i’r casgliad nad oedd y gwaith ymchwil yn darparu dadl ddigon cryf dros sefydlu marchnad stoc ranbarthol. Nid oes tystiolaeth glir fod marchnadoedd stoc rhanbarthol llai o faint yn arbennig o lwyddiannus wrth gystadlu â marchnadoedd mwy a ffynonellau ariannu amgen, ond wrth gwrs, rwy’n parhau’n agored i’r syniad o gyfnewidfa stoc pe bai’r galw am wasanaeth o’r fath yn cynyddu. Ar hyn o bryd, os oes rhwystrau i fynediad cwmnïau o Gymru at farchnadoedd stoc presennol, yna efallai mai ateb arall fyddai gweithio ar leihau rhwystrau o’r fath, yn hytrach na cheisio sefydlu cystadleuydd.

Ond os oes achos dros gael marchnad stoc yng Nghymru, credaf y dylai’r sector preifat arwain. Nid yw’n glir pa rôl y gallai, neu hyd yn oed y dylai’r sector cyhoeddus ei chwarae mewn marchnadoedd ecwiti preifat, ond gallaf sicrhau’r Aelodau mai ein blaenoriaeth o hyd fel Llywodraeth sydd o blaid busnes yw cyflawni amryw o gamau gweithredu i helpu cwmnïau newydd a phresennol i ddatblygu, i dyfu ac i ffynnu.

Thank you very much. That brings today’s proceedings to a close. Thank you.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Dyna ddiwedd y trafodion am heddiw. Diolch.

Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am 18:06.

The meeting ended at 18:06.