Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
16/01/2018Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad am 13:30 gyda’r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Assembly met at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Galwaf y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol i drefn.
I call the National Assembly to order.
Ar y cychwyn, hoffwn groesawu Mariam Jack-Denton, Llefarydd Cynulliad Cenedlaethol y Gambia, sy'n arwain cynrychiolwyr ar ymweliad â'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol heddiw. Felly, croeso, Llefarydd, a'ch dirprwyaeth.
At the outset, I'd like to welcome Mariam Jack-Denton, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Gambia, leading a delegation visiting the National Assembly today. So, a warm welcome, Speaker, and to your delegation.
Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni yw'r cwestiwn brys rwyf wedi ei dderbyn o dan Reol Sefydlog 12.67, a galwaf ar Adam Price i ofyn y cwestiwn brys.
The first item on our agenda is an emergency question. I have accepted the question under Standing Order 12.67, and I call on Adam Price to ask the emergency question.
Pa gynlluniau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi’u gwneud i ymateb i effeithiau diddymu Carillion? (EAQ0002)
What plans has the Welsh Government made to respond to the consequences of Carillion entering liquidation? (EAQ0002)
Er nad ydym yn disgwyl mai ond ychydig o effaith uniongyrchol y bydd diddymiad Carillion yn ei godi yng Nghymru, bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud popeth o fewn ei gallu i helpu gweithwyr Carillion yr effeithir arnynt yma. Mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i asesu unrhyw ganlyniadau pellach, mewn sefyllfa sy'n parhau i ddatblygu'n gyflym.
Although we expect that the liquidation of Carillion will have little direct impact in Wales, the Welsh Government will do everything within its ability to assist Carillion staff who are affected here. Welsh Government officials continue to assess any further impacts in a situation that continues to develop swiftly.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet am ei ymateb. Rwy'n gobeithio y gallwn ni gael ychydig bach mwy o fanylion ynglŷn â rhai o'r projectau penodol.
I'm grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for that response. I hope we can get a little more detail on some of the specific projects.
Can he say whether any of the Welsh Government contracts awarded to Carillion were awarded after July, the time of the first profits warning issued by the company? After the second and third profits warning, in September and November last year, did the Government discuss contingency arrangements with Abellio, in relation to Carillion's role as the nominated contractor as part of their rail franchise bid? And can the Cabinet Secretary further advise us whether there's now a material risk that Abellio's bid is effectively null and void, as it is in effect naming a nominated contactor that no longer exists, and therefore rendering it liable to legal challenge? Finally, is the whole Carillion experience, which has left so many smaller sub-contractors and their employees carrying the can, effectively, for a large company's mismanagement and, indeed, reckless profiteering, does it give us pause for thought in our over-reliance, still, on externally owned contracting conglomerates for civil engineering work? There must surely be a better way going forward.
A yw'n bosibl iddo ddweud pa un a oedd unrhyw un o gontractau Llywodraeth Cymru a ddyfarnwyd i Carillion wedi'u dyfarnu ar ôl mis Gorffennaf, sef yr adeg pan roddwyd y rhybudd cyntaf am elw gan y cwmni? Ar ôl yr ail a'r trydydd rhybudd am elw, ym mis Medi a mis Tachwedd y llynedd, a wnaeth y Llywodraeth drafod trefniadau wrth gefn ag Abellio, ynghylch swyddogaeth Carillion fel y contractwr penodedig yn rhan o'i gynnig am y fasnachfraint rheilffyrdd? Ac a all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddweud wrthym ni hefyd a oes perygl gwirioneddol erbyn hyn bod cynnig Abellio i bob pwrpas yn ddi-rym, gan ei fod mewn gwirionedd yn enwi contractwr penodedig nad yw'n bodoli mwyach, ac felly mae'n ei wneud yn agored i her gyfreithiol? Yn olaf, a yw'r holl brofiad â Carillion, sydd wedi gadael cymaint o isgontractwyr llai a'u cyflogeion i ysgwyddo, i bob pwrpas, canlyniadau camreoli cwmni mawr ac, yn wir, gorelwa diofal, yn rheswm i ni ystyried ein gorddibyniaeth, o hyd, ar gontractau gyda chwmnïau amryfath, a berchnogir yn allanol, ar gyfer gwaith peirianneg sifil? Mae'n rhaid bod ffordd well o wneud hyn yn y dyfodol.
I thank the Member for what I take to be three main questions. In relation to contracts that the Welsh Government has, there is one contract—the contract in relation to the design phase of junctions 15 and 16 on the A55, which was awarded after the original warning about Carillion in July of next year. At the point that that warning was issued, the procurement process was paused, further assurances were sought from the company. Those assurances were received, and risks that might have been involved were mitigated. No other contract has been awarded since July of last year.
As far as Abellio is concerned and the franchise arrangements there, I think there are a number of points that I should make. First of all, directly in answer to Adam Price's question, Transport for Wales, having seen the developments in July and during the autumn, have been involved in making sure that the necessary financial underpinning of bids is reliable, and they have been in discussions with Abellio on that basis. In the immediate aftermath of events earlier this week, the Cabinet Secretary has taken legal advice so that we are clear as to whether there are any impacts from these developments for the franchise process. The company itself is taking action to make sure that it is in a position to go forward with a bid, if it chooses that course of action. And the Welsh Government remains committed to a final outcome in the tender process that leads to the improvement in services that people in Wales wish to see secured.
The third question that the Member raises is the broadest one, of course. He will have seen, I'm sure, a piece in the Financial Times today called 'The Problem of Bigness', in which the author teases out the difficulties that occur for public contracting organisations in a market where there has been radical consolidation and the number of players in the field doesn't necessarily give rise to genuine competition. So, that inevitably does come to the fore in the Carillion experience, and he is right to point to the fact that all public authorities that are involved in securing necessary services through going out to contract will want to review this experience, learn the lessons from it and make sure that public funds are not exposed unnecessarily in the future.
Diolch i'r Aelod am yr hyn yr wyf i'n ei ystyried yn dri phrif gwestiwn. O ran contractau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru, mae un contract—y contract sy'n gysylltiedig â cham dylunio cyffyrdd 15 ac 16 ar yr A55, a ddyfarnwyd ar ôl y rhybudd gwreiddiol am Carillion ym mis Gorffennaf y llynedd. Ar yr adeg pan gyhoeddwyd y rhybudd hwnnw, cafodd y broses gaffael ei hoedi dros dro, a cheisiwyd rhagor o sicrwydd gan y cwmni. Cafwyd y sicrwydd hwnnw, a lliniarwyd risgiau a allai fod wedi chwarae rhan yn hynny o beth. Nid oes unrhyw gontract arall wedi'i ddyfarnu ers mis Gorffennaf y llynedd.
O ran Abellio a'r trefniadau masnachfraint, credaf fod nifer o sylwadau y dylwn i eu gwneud. Yn gyntaf oll, mewn ymateb uniongyrchol i gwestiwn Adam Price, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru, ar ôl gweld y datblygiadau ym mis Gorffennaf ac yn ystod yr hydref, wedi bod yn rhan o broses i sicrhau bod sylfaen ariannol angenrheidiol y cynigion yn ddibynadwy, ac maen nhw wedi bod yn trafod ag Abellio ar y sail honno. Yn union ar ôl y digwyddiadau yn gynharach yr wythnos hon, mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi cael cyngor cyfreithiol fel ein bod yn glir ynghylch a oes unrhyw effeithiau o'r datblygiadau hyn ar y broses fasnachfraint. Mae'r cwmni ei hun yn cymryd camau i wneud yn siŵr ei fod mewn sefyllfa i fwrw ymlaen â chynnig, os yw'n dewis gwneud hynny. Ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i sicrhau canlyniad terfynol yn y broses dendro a fydd yn arwain at wella gwasanaethau y mae pobl yng Nghymru yn dymuno eu gweld yn cael eu sicrhau.
Y trydydd cwestiwn y mae'r Aelod yn ei godi yw'r un ehangaf, wrth gwrs. Bydd ef wedi gweld, rwy'n siŵr, darn yn y Financial Times heddiw o'r enw 'The Problem of Bigness', lle mae'r awdur yn trafod yr anawsterau sy'n digwydd i sefydliadau contractio cyhoeddus mewn marchnad lle y bu cryn gyfuno ac nad yw nifer y cwmnïau yn y maes yn arwain o reidrwydd at gystadleuaeth wirioneddol. Felly, mae hynny yn dod i'r amlwg yn anochel yn y profiad gyda Carillion, ac mae e'n iawn i dynnu sylw at y ffaith y bydd pob awdurdod cyhoeddus sy'n ymwneud â sicrhau gwasanaethau angenrheidiol drwy gontractio allan eisiau adolygu'r profiad hwn, dysgu'r gwersi oddi wrtho a gwneud yn siŵr na chaiff arian cyhoeddus ei beryglu yn ddiangen yn y dyfodol.
Cabinet Secretary, can I ask you about any work you've done or you're going to be commissioning on the consequences of this company going into liquidation in terms of the wider economic conditions that this is going to bring to the Welsh economy, and especially small businesses? Adam Price has raised questions about the rail franchise, but can I press you a little bit more about the projects that may well be affected in Wales? You said there'd be little effect on projects in Wales, but could I just press you a little bit more on that for some further clarification on which projects may well be affected? Can I also ask about projects in Wales that are perhaps about to be started or are in the middle of construction that are being perhaps operated or project managed not by Carillion but by another company? I think of Newtown bypass in my own constituency as an example. It is managed by Alun Griffiths contractors but may well depend on suppliers for steel for bridges or have other project management consequences as well. And what conversations may you have had with them in terms of how projects in Wales may be affected or potentially delayed?
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a gaf i ofyn ichi am unrhyw waith yr ydych chi wedi'i wneud neu yr ydych chi'n bwriadu ei gomisiynu ar ganlyniadau y cwmni hwn yn mynd i'r wal o ran amodau economaidd ehangach y bydd hyn yn eu hachosi i economi Cymru, ac yn enwedig i fusnesau bach? Mae Adam Price wedi codi cwestiynau am y fasnachfraint rheilffyrdd, ond a gaf i bwyso arnoch chi ychydig mwy am y prosiectau y gallai hyn effeithio arnyn nhw yng Nghymru? Fe wnaethoch chi ddweud na fyddai fawr ddim effaith ar brosiectau yng Nghymru, ond a gaf i bwyso arnoch chi ychydig bach mwy ar hynny am rywfaint o eglurhad pellach ar ba brosiectau y gallai hyn effeithio arnyn nhw? A gaf i ofyn hefyd am brosiectau yng Nghymru sydd efallai ar fin dechrau neu sydd wrthi'n cael eu hadeiladu sydd efallai yn cael eu gweithredu neu eu rheoli nid gan Carillion ond gan gwmni arall? Rwy'n cyfeirio at ffordd osgoi'r Drenewydd yn fy etholaeth i, er enghraifft. Mae'n cael ei rheoli gan gontractwyr Alun Griffiths ond mae'n debygol eu bod yn dibynnu ar gyflenwyr am ddur ar gyfer pontydd neu fod yna ganlyniadau eraill o ran rheoli prosiect hefyd. A pha sgyrsiau ydych chi efallai wedi eu cael â nhw o ran sut y gallai hyn effeithio ar brosiectau yng Nghymru neu eu gohirio o bosibl?
Well, the Member is right that, while the direct exposure of the Welsh public service to Carillion is modest, that does not mean to say that there aren't businesses and subcontractors in Wales who, in the other aspects of Carillion's work, may well now find themselves exposed as a result of Carillion's demise. So, officials of the Welsh Government are carrying out the necessary work to try to identify where those difficulties may lie. We are in discussions both with the Federation of Small Businesses and the Confederation of Business Industry about that and using the networks that the Welsh Government has across Wales, so that if there are difficulties that emerge of the sort that the Member has identified, we are alert to them and are able to offer such help as we are able to in those circumstances.
Wel, mae'r Aelod yn iawn, er nad oes risg uniongyrchol o bwys i wasanaeth cyhoeddus Cymru oherwydd Carillion, nid yw hynny'n golygu nad oes busnesau ac isgontractwyr yng Nghymru a allai, ar agweddau eraill o waith Carillion, fod yn ddiamddiffyn o ganlyniad i gwymp Carillion. Felly, mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud y gwaith angenrheidiol i geisio nodi lle gallai'r anawsterau hyn fod. Rydym ni'n trafod hynny â'r Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach a Chydffederasiwn Diwydiant Busnes ac yn defnyddio'r rhwydweithiau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru ledled Cymru, er mwyn bod yn ymwybodol, os oes anawsterau o'r math y mae'r aelod wedi eu nod yn dod i'r amlwg, ein bod yn gallu cynnig cymaint o gymorth ag y gallwn o dan yr amgylchiadau hynny.
Cabinet Secretary, there are obviously ethical and very practical issues, both of which I'd like to address. We know the history of Carillion. We've debated it in this Chamber in terms of its anti-trade unionism, its blacklisting and its attacks on terms and conditions of worker, and that's a model that's obviously contributed to its current downfall. I'm sure you will agree with me that it's a welcome sign that the UK Government is now investigating the Carillion directors. I'm sure you'd agree with me also that that investigation probably needs to go further, to the bankers who speculatively backed the company and, indeed, the Government Ministers who appear to have been so keen to line the pockets of the shareholders and the directors with goals and with contracts when there were clear warnings out. Would you agree with me that the most important bit is this: we have a number of Welsh companies, many of whom actually trade in England as well, who will now potentially not be paid and will now potentially be at risk of going under, and there are workers who have had their pension funds also robbed, and that we need to examine the impact on the Welsh economy of those particular companies and in particular what support we can give?
But in terms of the ethical question, isn't it a fact that we have an economic model that is basically about squeezing profits for the few, robbing the workers' pension funds and expecting the public, at the end of the day, to bail them out, and that we can be so grateful that the Welsh Government has not gone down this particular road?
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae'n amlwg bod materion moesegol ac ymarferol iawn yn y fan yma, a hoffwn i fynd i'r afael â nhw. Rydym ni'n gwybod am hanes Carillion. Rydym ni wedi ei drafod yn y Siambr hon o ran ei wrthwynebiad i undebau llafur, ei gosbrestru a'i ymosodiadau ar delerau ac amodau gweithwyr, ac mae hwnnw'n fodel sydd yn amlwg wedi cyfrannu at ei gwymp presennol. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n cytuno â mi ei fod yn arwydd i'w groesawu fod Llywodraeth y DU bellach yn ymchwilio i gyfarwyddwyr Carillion. Rwy'n siŵr eich bod chi hefyd yn cytuno â mi bod angen i'r ymchwiliad hwnnw fynd ymhellach, i'r bancwyr sydd wedi mentro cefnogi'r cwmni ac, yn wir, Gweinidogion y Llywodraeth sydd wedi bod mor awyddus i lenwi pocedi'r cyfranddalwyr a'r cyfarwyddwyr ag amcanion a chontractau pan oedd rhybuddion clir wedi dod i'r amlwg. A fyddech chi'n cytuno â mi mai'r peth pwysicaf yw hyn: mae gennym ni nifer o gwmnïau yng Nghymru, llawer ohonyn nhw mewn gwirionedd yn masnachu yn Lloegr hefyd, y mae'n bosibl nawr na fyddan nhw'n cael eu talu ac efallai y byddan nhw mewn perygl o fynd i'r wal, a bod gweithwyr y mae eu cronfeydd pensiwn wedi eu dwyn oddi arnynt, a bod angen inni archwilio effaith y cwmnïau penodol hynny ar economi Cymru ac yn enwedig pa gymorth y gallwn ni ei roi?
Ond o ran y cwestiwn moesegol, onid yw'n ffaith bod gennym ni fodel economaidd sydd yn y bôn yn cyfyngu'r elw i'r ychydig, drwy ddwyn cronfeydd pensiwn y gweithwyr a bod disgwyl i'r cyhoedd, yn y pen draw, eu hachub, a'n bod ni'n gallu bod mor ddiolchgar nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dilyn y trywydd arbennig hwnnw?
Wel, Llywydd, successive Welsh Governments have not been prepared to follow the model that Mick Antoniw has just outlined. We have always been alert to the dangers of a way of conducting business in which profit is privatised and risk is socialised, and that's exactly what you've seen in this example. Here is a company that, from public money, has been giving dividends to its shareholders, and is prepared to go on paying its senior executives well beyond the point where that was a sensible course of action to take. And when it all goes wrong, when their friends over there go wrong, what happens? What happens then? You expect the public purse to step in. You expect the public to pay for your mistakes, and in Wales—[Interruption.] In Wales, that's a course of action we've never been prepared to follow. That's why we don't have and won't have in Wales the sort of handing over to the private sector of public services that ought to be publicly provided and publicly paid for. That's why we don't have fire service personnel delivering meals in schools in Wales today. Yes, there are lessons to be taken from Carillion. Luckily, in Wales, we'd learnt them well before the party opposite.
Wel, Llywydd, nid oedd Llywodraethau Cymru olynol yn fodlon dilyn y model a amlinellwyd gan Mick Antoniw. Rydym ni bob amser wedi bod yn ymwybodol o beryglon y ffordd o wneud busnes lle mae elw yn cael ei breifateiddio a risg yn gymdeithasol, a dyna'n union beth yr ydych chi wedi ei weld yn yr enghraifft hon. Dyma gwmni sydd, gan ddefnyddio arian cyhoeddus, wedi rhoi difidendau i'w gyfranddalwyr, ac sy'n fodlon parhau i dalu ei uwch weithredwyr ymhell y tu hwnt i'r pwynt lle'r oedd hynny yn cynrychioli camau synhwyrol i'w cymryd. A phan fydd pethau'n mynd o chwith, pan fydd eu ffrindiau draw acw wedi mynd ar gyfeiliorn, beth sy'n digwydd? Beth sy'n digwydd wedyn? Rydych chi'n disgwyl i'r pwrs cyhoeddus gamu i mewn. Rydych chi'n disgwyl i'r cyhoedd dalu am eich camgymeriadau, ac yng Nghymru—[Torri ar draws.] Yng Nghymru, mae honno'n ffordd o weithredu nad ydym ni erioed wedi bod yn fodlon ei dilyn. Dyna pam nad oes gennym ni, ac na fydd gennym ni yng Nghymru y math o drosglwyddo gwasanaethau cyhoeddus i'r sector preifat y dylid eu darparu yn gyhoeddus ac y dylid talu amdanyn nhw yn gyhoeddus. Dyna pam nad oes gennym ni staff y gwasanaeth tân yn darparu prydau bwyd i ysgolion yng Nghymru heddiw. Oes, mae yna wersi yn codi o achos Carillion. Yn ffodus, yng Nghymru, roeddem ni wedi eu dysgu ymhell ar y blaen i'r blaid gyferbyn.
Back to my lovely constituency of Aberconwy, and thank you for making reference to junctions 15 and 16 on the A55 and the removal of the roundabouts. Those works have been long promised by this Welsh Government, so it's understandable that now, with Carillion having gone into liquidation, many of my constituents are asking me what's going to happen where those works are concerned. Cabinet Secretary, is there a chance that I can go back to my constituency and tell my residents, our motorists and our visitors that you will actually look at getting on with these works, and, maybe, why don't we look towards more local procurement? I cannot see why these works could not have been carried out. We have local companies in our area that could have carried out these works, but will you, please, look at getting on with these works, because the hold-ups on the A55 and the terrible problems we have—. Carillion has gone now into liquidation, but we still have that situation on the A55 that is really affecting our motorists and our residents, so anything you could do would really be appreciated. Thank you.
Yn ôl i'm hetholaeth hyfryd Aberconwy, a diolch ichi am gyfeirio at gyffyrdd 15 ac 16 ar yr A55 ac am gael gwared ar y cylchfannau. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi addo gwneud y gwaith hwnnw ers cryn amser, felly mae'n ddealladwy bellach, gan fod Carillion wedi mynd yn fethdalwr, bod llawer o'm hetholwyr yn gofyn i mi beth fydd yn digwydd i'r gwaith hwnnw. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a oes gobaith y gallaf i fynd yn ôl i'm hetholaeth a dweud wrth fy nhrigolion, ein modurwyr a'n hymwelwyr y byddwch chi mewn gwirionedd yn ceisio parhau â'r gwaith hwn, ac, efallai, pam na wnawn ni ystyried caffael yn fwy lleol? Ni allaf weld pam na ellid bod wedi gwneud y gwaith hwnnw. Mae gennym ni gwmnïau lleol yn ein hardal ni a allai fod wedi gwneud y gwaith hwn, ond, os gwelwch yn dda, a wnewch chi fwrw ymlaen â'r gwaith hwn, oherwydd mae'r oedi ar yr A55 a'r problemau ofnadwy sydd gennym ni—. Mae Carillion wedi mynd i'r wal bellach, ond mae'r sefyllfa honno ar yr A55, sy'n effeithio'n fawr ar ein modurwyr a'n trigolion, yn dal i fod gennym ni, felly byddem yn gwerthfawrogi yn fawr iawn unrhyw beth y gallech chi ei wneud. Diolch.
Well, I fully appreciate the points that Janet Finch-Saunders has made. Carillion was contracted in the design phase only, so far, of junctions 15 and 16 of the A55, and there would have been about 12 months of that design work still to go. The Welsh Government will look to see whether there are ways in which we can respond to these difficulties in a way that does not lead to that timetable being elongated. These are very early days, but, just to give her an example of the sort of actions we will look to explore, there are subcontractors in that contract actually carrying out the work. Maybe it will be possible for one of those subcontractors to become the main contractor, to carry on that work and to complete the important developments at that junction, which I know matter to her constituents and to others who use that part of the A55, without further delay.
Llywydd, I ought to apologise to Russell George for failing to have answered the first part of his question. If I could very briefly say to him, there are two other contracts that we have. There is the contract at the Llanddewi Brefi section of the A40, where the design phase is more or less complete and where we will now have to think about how we take forward the second phase of a three-phase contract. Then there was section 3 of the A465, which has been completed, which is already open, where there is a small-scale landscape contract that would have lasted for five years with Carillion beyond the opening of that section 3 of the Heads of the Valleys road. We're halfway through that five-year period. We will now have to find another way of fulfilling the remaining two and a half years. But that is the full extent of the exposure of the Welsh Government to Carillion in the contracts that the Member mentioned.
Wel, rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'n llwyr y sylwadau y mae Janet Finch-Saunders wedi eu gwneud. Roedd Carillion wedi ei gontractio ar gyfer y cam dylunio yn unig, hyd yma, o gyffyrdd 15 ac 16 o'r A55, a byddai tua 12 mis o'r gwaith dylunio hwnnw ar ôl i'w wneud. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ceisio gweld a oes ffyrdd y gallwn ni ymateb i'r anawsterau hyn mewn modd na fydd yn arwain at ymestyn yr amserlen honno. Dyddiau cynnar iawn yw'r rhain, ond dim ond i roi enghraifft iddi o'r math o gamau y bwriadwn ni eu hystyried, mae isgontractwyr yn y contract hwnnw sydd mewn gwirionedd yn gwneud y gwaith. Efallai y bydd hi'n bosibl i un o'r is-gontractwyr hynny i fod y prif gontractwr, i barhau â'r gwaith hwnnw a chwblhau'r datblygiadau pwysig ar y gyffordd honno, sydd, rwy'n gwybod, yn bwysig i'w hetholwyr ac i eraill sy'n defnyddio'r rhan honno o'r A55, heb oedi pellach.
Llywydd, dylwn i ymddiheuro i Russell George am fethu ag ateb rhan gyntaf ei gwestiwn. Os gallaf i ddweud wrtho'n fyr iawn, mae gennym ni ddau gontract arall. Mae'r contract yn rhan Llanddewi Brefi o'r A40, lle mae'r cyfnod dylunio fwy neu lai wedi'i gwblhau a lle bydd yn rhaid i ni nawr ystyried sut i fwrw ymlaen ag ail gam y contract tri cham. Yna, roedd rhan 3 o'r A465, sydd wedi ei gwblhau, ac sydd eisoes ar agor, lle ceir contract tirlunio ar raddfa fach a fyddai wedi para am bum mlynedd gyda Carillion ar ôl agor rhan 3 ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd. Rydym ni hanner ffordd drwy'r cyfnod hwnnw o bum mlynedd. Bydd yn rhaid inni nawr ddod o hyd i fodd arall o gyflawni'r ddwy flynedd a hanner sy'n weddill. Ond dyna hyd a lled effaith Carillion ar Lywodraeth Cymru o ran y contractau y soniodd yr Aelod amdanyn nhw.
Diolch am y datganiad a'r ateb i'r cwestiynnau heddiw, ond mae'n rhaid dweud fy mod i'n synnu clywed bod yna gontract wedi ei osod yn y gogledd ar yr A55 ar ôl ichi sylweddoli a chlywed am y newyddion ym mis Gorffennaf am statws y cwmni yma, achos dyna, wrth gwrs, yn union beth oedd Jon Trickett yn beirniadu'r Blaid Geidwadol amdano yn hallt iawn ddoe yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin—gosod contractau ar ôl canfod y problemau neu glywed am y problemau ar dudalennau busnes y Financial Times a llefydd eraill. Felly, mae'n rhaid i'r Llywodraeth, rydw i'n meddwl, ailystyried y ffordd y maen nhw'n ymwneud nawr â gweddillion Carillion, ac yn enwedig beth sydd ymhlyg yn hwn o ran y fasnachfraint a chais Abellio i fynd i'r afael â'r fasnachfraint reilffordd.
Ond i droi yn benodol at y cwestiwn rydych chi newid cyfeirio ato, sef gwella'r A40 yn—. Wel, fe wnawn ni beidio â chymysgu'r gwahanol Llanddewi—. Penblewin, fe wnawn ni ddweud. Mae Carillion i fod i ddechrau ar y gwaith yna yr haf yma, fel roeddwn i'n deall pethau. A fydd yna oedi nawr yn y cynllun yma, a beth yw'r camau penodol mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu gwneud nawr, i sicrhau na fydd gwaith pwysig, sydd yn ei dro, wrth gwrs, yn arwain at ddigwyddiadau economaidd yn yr ardaloedd hynny, yn cael ei oedi gormod, er lles y teithwyr ond hefyd er lles datblygu economaidd Cymru?
Thank you for your response to questions today, but I have to say that I was surprised to hear that a contract had been awarded in north Wales on the A55 once you had heard about the news about the status of this company, because that of course is exactly what Jon Trickett was criticising the Conservatives on very harshly in the Commons yesterday—giving contracts once the problems had been uncovered in the business pages of the Financial Times and elsewhere. So, I do think the Government need to reconsider how they deal with the remains of Carillion now, and particularly what's implicit here in terms of the franchise and Abellio's bid for that rail franchise.
But to refer to the question that you just referred to on the improvements to the A40—. Well, we won't mix up the different Llanddewi—. Penblewin, let's say. Carillion is supposed to commence that work this summer, as I understood things. Now, will there be any delays in this project, and what specific steps are the Welsh Government taking now to ensure that important works that, in turn, lead to economic consequences in those areas will not be delayed for too long, for the benefit of those travelling on our roads and for economic development in Wales?
Diolch i Simon Thomas am y cwestiynau eraill yna.
I thank Simon Thomas for those additional questions.
Just to be clear in relation to junctions 15 and 16 of the A55, the whole business of awarding a contract had been completed before the profits warning on 10 July, but contract letters had not been sent out to the company. So, at that point, the sending out of award letters was withheld, and a further set of investigations were carried out with Carillion plc to determine if they were risks that needed to be identified. So, there was a further period of due diligence, in which formal assurances were sought and obtained from the company. Officials who were responsible for carrying out that assessment believed that the necessary assurances had been obtained. There was an equal or different risk that, had the award not been made, the company itself may have sought to have had that decision reviewed, because the ordinary processes had been properly completed and they had won the contract. So, there was a risk that they themselves would have sought to take action, giving rise to a further set of delays of the sort that Janet Finch-Saunders mentioned earlier and that, understandably, local citizens would have been keen to avoid. So, there was a balance of risk to be drawn up. It was very purposefully and thoroughly investigated.
Turning to his point about the Llanddewi Velfrey to Penblewin section of the A40, that is a three-phase contract. The first phase is more or less completed. There will be choices to be made, which the Minister responsible will now want to weigh up. In this case as well, there are substantial subcontractors involved in the scheme, and it is possible that one of them may be in a position to become the main contractor, and the advantage of that would certainly be that it would reduce delay. But the opportunity is there, if the Cabinet Secretary prefers, to go out to tender for the next phase of that contract, to see what the market has to offer and to secure the best value for Welsh public expenditure. The downside of that is that it inevitably involves a delay. In the very short period of time since the Carillion collapse occurred, officials have been identifying options, and no doubt they will put advice to Ministers, and Ministers will then decide between them.
Dim ond i fod yn eglur o ran cyffyrdd 15 ac 16 yr A55, roedd yr holl fusnes o ddyfarnu contract wedi ei gwblhau cyn y rhybudd elw ar 10 Gorffennaf, ond nid oedd llythyrau contract wedi eu hanfon i'r cwmni. Felly, ar yr adeg honno, gohiriwyd y cam o anfon llythyrau dyfarnu allan, a chynhaliwyd cyfres arall o ymchwiliadau gyda Carillion ccc i benderfynu a oeddent yn risgiau yr oedd angen eu nodi. Felly, cafwyd cyfnod arall o ddiwydrwydd dyledus, pan ofynnwyd am sicrwydd ffurfiol gan y cwmni a derbyniwyd hynny. Roedd swyddogion a oedd yn gyfrifol am gynnal yr asesiad hwnnw yn credu bod y sicrwydd angenrheidiol wedi ei dderbyn. Roedd risg gyfartal neu wahanol, pe na byddai'r dyfarniad wedi ei wneud, y byddai'r cwmni ei hun wedi ceisio cael adolygu'r penderfyniad hwnnw, gan fod y prosesau arferol wedi eu cwblhau'n briodol a'i fod wedi ennill y contract. Felly, roedd risg y bydden nhw eu hunain wedi ceisio cymryd camau, gan arwain at gyfres arall o oediadau o'r math a grybwyllwyd gan Janet Finch-Saunders yn gynharach ac, wrth reswm, y byddai dinasyddion lleol wedi bod yn awyddus i'w hosgoi. Felly, roedd cydbwysedd o risg i'w lunio. Ymchwiliwyd iddo mewn modd pwrpasol a thrwyadl iawn.
Gan droi at ei bwynt am y rhan o'r A40 rhwng Llanddewi Felffre â Phenblewin, mae hwnnw'n gontract tri cham. Mae'r cam cyntaf wedi'i gwblhau mwy neu lai. Bydd dewisiadau i'w gwneud, y bydd y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol yn dymuno eu pwyso a'u mesur nawr. Yn yr achos hwn hefyd, mae is-gontractwyr sylweddol sy'n rhan o'r cynllun, ac mae'n bosibl y gallai un ohonyn nhw fod mewn sefyllfa i fod y prif gontractwr, a mantais hynny yn sicr yw y byddai'n lleihau oedi. Ond mae'r cyfle yno, os yw'n well gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, i fynd allan i dendr ar gyfer cam nesaf y contract hwnnw, i weld yr hyn sydd gan y farchnad i'w gynnig ac i sicrhau'r gwerth gorau am wariant cyhoeddus Cymru. Anfantais hynny yw ei fod yn golygu oedi anochel. Yn y cyfnod byr iawn o amser ers cwymp Carillion, mae swyddogion wedi bod yn nodi dewisiadau, ac yn sicr yn cynnig cyngor i Weinidogion, a bydd y Gweinidogion yn penderfynu rhyngddynt wedyn.
Diolch i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, ac a gaf i ymddiheuro i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet os roeddwn i'n orawyddus, ar un pwynt, i alw'r cwestiwn nesaf? Roedd hynny'n gwbl anfwriadol ar fy rhan i, ac mae'n ddrwg gen i am dorri ar eich traws chi yn eich atebion y prynhawn yma.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, and may I apologise to the Cabinet Secretary if I was too eager to call the next supplementary question? It was entirely unintentional on my behalf, and I apologise for interrupting your response this afternoon.
Felly, yr eitem nesaf ar yr agenda yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, a'r cwestiwn cyntaf, Joyce Watson.
So, the next item on our agenda is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Joyce Watson.
1. A yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu gwahardd anifeiliaid gwyllt mewn syrcasau yng Nghymru? OAQ51560
1. Does the Welsh Government intend to ban wild animals in circuses in Wales? OAQ51560
During business questions last week, the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs agreed to issue a written statement on mobile animal exhibits, including circuses, before the spring half term recess.
Yn ystod cwestiynau busnes yr wythnos diwethaf, cytunodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ynni, Cynllunio a Materion Gwledig i gyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig ar arddangosion anifeiliaid symudol, gan gynnwys syrcasau, cyn toriad hanner tymor y gwanwyn.
I thank you for that answer, First Minister. I think the whole tenor of my question leads you to believe that I think that we ought to ban wild animals from use in circuses, and I look forward to us bringing that forward. It is the case, of course, that England have announced that they're moving in this direction. They've only announced—let's not get carried away—a move in this direction, but at the same time, Scotland have actually moved in this direction. So, I do urge the Government to send a crystal clear message to travelling circuses—because we don't have any resident circuses in Wales—that if they have wild animals on board, they are not welcome in Wales and it's an outdated practice that needs to be stopped. So, whilst we're going through the process—and I welcome the fact that we are making a move in this direction—at the same time I hope we'll send that message in the interim.
Diolchaf i chi am yr ateb yna, Prif Weinidog. Rwy'n credu bod holl sylwedd fy nghwestiwn yn arwain i chi gredu fy mod i'n meddwl y dylem ni wahardd y defnydd o anifeiliaid gwyllt mewn syrcasau, ac edrychaf ymlaen i ni gyflwyno hynny. Mae'n wir, wrth gwrs, bod Lloegr wedi cyhoeddi eu bod nhw'n symud i'r cyfeiriad hwn. Newydd gyhoeddi symudiad i'r cyfeiriad hwn maen nhw—ni ddylem ni orgynhyrfu—ond ar yr un pryd, mae'r Alban wedi symud i'r cyfeiriad hwn mewn gwirionedd. Felly, rwy'n annog y Llywodraeth i anfon neges gwbl eglur i syrcasau teithio—oherwydd nid oes gennym ni unrhyw syrcasau preswyl yng Nghymru—os ydynt yn cludo anifeiliaid gwyllt, nad oes croeso iddyn nhw yng Nghymru a'i fod yn arfer hen-ffasiwn y mae angen rhoi terfyn arno. Felly, tra ein bod ni'n mynd drwy'r broses—ac rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith ein bod ni'n symud i'r cyfeiriad hwn—ar yr un pryd, rwy'n gobeithio y byddwn ni'n anfon y neges honno yn y cyfamser.
Well, it's clear, following the recent consultation on licensing of mobile animal exhibits, that there's widespread support for a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, and officials are considering how to address this issue. It goes without saying that the way that we treat our animals is an important reflection of the values of our society. The consultation closed on 9 October, and I know that the Minister is actively considering now the best way forward.
Wel, mae'n eglur, yn dilyn yr ymgynghoriad diweddar ar drwyddedu arddangosion anifeiliaid symudol, bod cefnogaeth eang i waharddiad ar y defnydd o anifeiliaid gwyllt mewn syrcasau, ac mae swyddogion yn ystyried sut i fynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn. Afraid dweud bod y ffordd yr ydym ni'n trin ein hanifeiliaid yn adlewyrchiad pwysig o werthoedd ein cymdeithas. Daeth yr ymgynghoriad i ben ar 9 Hydref, a gwn fod y Gweinidog yn mynd ati nawr i ystyried y ffordd orau o symud ymlaen.
Brif Weinidog, mae yna bryderon gwirioneddol bod y diffiniad arfaethedig o arddangosfeydd teithiol o anifeiliaid yn ymgynghoriad diweddar y Llywodraeth yn rhy eang ac yn peri risg i unrhyw system drwyddedu neu gofrestru fod yn anymarferol neu'n anghymesur. Felly, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd i'r afael â'r pryderon hyn, fel bod unrhyw gynnydd ar y mater hwn yn gymesur ac yn wirioneddol arwain at waharddiad ar ddefnyddio anifeiliaid gwyllt mewn syrcasau yng Nghymru? Oherwydd dyna, rydw i'n credu, beth y mae pobl yng Nghymru eisiau ei weld.
First Minister, there are some very real concerns that the proposed definition of mobile animal exhibits in the recent Government consultation is too broad and would put at risk any system in terms of licensing being disproportionate or impractical. So, can you tell us how the Welsh Government will tackle these concerns so that any progress in this area is proportionate and truly leads to a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses in Wales? Because that's what I think the people of Wales want to see.
Wel, bydd hynny'n rhan o'r ystyriaeth sydd yn cael ei rhoi i'r mater hwn gan y Gweinidog dros yr wythnosau nesaf. Rydym ni'n moyn, wrth gwrs, sicrhau cynllun sydd yn cael impact parhaol ar safonau lles anifeiliaid er mwyn, wrth gwrs, sicrhau ein bod ni'n gwella safonau iechyd a lles anifeiliaid yma yng Nghymru.
Well, that will be part of the consideration that is given to this matter by the Minister over the ensuing weeks. We want, of course, to ensure that we have a scheme that has a permanent impact on animal welfare standards in order to, of course, ensure that we improve the standards of animal welfare in Wales.
Yr hyn sy'n fy mhoeni i efo hwn ydy y gallai Cymru droi yn hafan ar gyfer syrcasau sy'n defnyddio anifeiliaid gwyllt. Mae'r Alban wedi gwahardd, mae San Steffan efallai yn mynd i wahardd, ond mae Cymru ar ei hôl hi yn y fan hyn, er gwaethaf y ffaith bod arweinydd Prydeinig eich plaid chi o blaid gwaharddiad. Felly, beth yn union sydd yn eich dal chi nôl, ac onid camgymeriad oedd cymysgu dau beth yn yr ymgynghoriad? Onid yw hi'n fater syml o ddod â gwaharddiad ar anifeiliaid gwyllt mewn syrcasau i mewn, ac wedyn edrych ar beth sydd angen ei wneud o ran yr arddangosfeydd mewn ardaloedd gwledig ac yn y blaen?
What concerns me on this issue is that Wales could become a haven for circuses using wild animals. Scotland has banned their use, Westminster is considering a ban, but Wales is falling behind in this area despite the fact that the UK leader of your party is in favour of a ban. So, what exactly is holding you back, and wasn't it a mistake to confuse two things in this consultation? Isn't it a simple matter of introducing a ban on wild animals in circuses, and then looking at what needs to be done in terms of mobile exhibits in rural areas and so on?
Na. Rwy'n credu bod beth sydd wedi cael ei wneud yn yr ymgynghoriad yn iawn, ac wrth gwrs, rydym ni'n moyn symud ymlaen. Nid ydym ni ddim yn moyn bod yn hafan. A gaf i jest ddweud hynny wrth yr Aelod? Nid ydym ni'n moyn bod yn hafan lle mae anifeiliaid gwyllt yn gallu dod i Gymru er bod yna waharddiad yng ngwledydd eraill y Deyrnas Unedig, a hyd yn oed Gweriniaeth Iwerddon. Felly, nid hynny yw'r bwriad. Beth rydym ni'n ei ystyried nawr yw beth yw'r ffordd orau ymlaen er mwyn sicrhau lles yr anifeiliaid hyn.
No. I believe that what has been done in the consultation is correct, and we don't wish to be a haven. Can I just say that to the Member? We don't want to be a haven where wild animals can come to Wales while there is a ban in the other nations of the United Kingdom, and even in the Republic of Ireland. So, that is not the intention. What we're considering now is the best way forward in order to ensure the welfare of these animals.
2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog amlinellu blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer y GIG yn Sir Fynwy? OAQ51581
2. Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Government's priorities for the NHS in Monmouthshire? OAQ51581
Yes. Our priorities for the NHS in Monmouthshire are the same as they are for the whole of Wales. We'll continue to protect investment in the health service and deliver the range of commitments set out in 'Taking Wales Forward'.
Gwnaf. Mae ein blaenoriaethau ar gyfer y GIG yn Sir Fynwy yr un fath ag y maen nhw ar gyfer Cymru gyfan. Byddwn yn parhau i ddiogelu buddsoddiad yn y gwasanaeth iechyd a chyflawni'r ystod o ymrwymiadau a nodir yn 'Symud Cymru Ymlaen'.
First Minister, if I can I ask you about dementia care, there's deep concern in and around Chepstow at the planned closure of the purpose-built dementia ward at Chepstow Community Hospital and the relocation of services to St Woolos Hospital in Newport. Aneurin Bevan local health board have cited staff shortages as one of the reasons for this. This is at consultation phase at the moment. If this goes ahead, it will represent the loss of Monmouthshire's entire in-patient dementia provision, and a combined reduction in provision in Newport and Monmouthshire from 29 to 14 beds. Will you urge the health board to reconsider these flawed plans to protect Chepstow hospital's valuable resources and to find a more sustainable solution to the problem the health board is currently facing?
Prif Weinidog, os gallaf eich holi am ofal dementia, ceir pryder mawr yng Nghas-gwent a'r cyffiniau ynghylch y bwriad i gau'r ward dementia bwrpasol yn Ysbyty Cymuned Cas-gwent ac adleoli gwasanaethau i Ysbyty Gwynllyw yng Nghasnewydd. Mae bwrdd iechyd lleol Aneurin Bevan wedi nodi prinder staff fel un o'r rhesymau am hyn. Mae hyn ar y cam ymgynghori ar hyn o bryd. Os bydd hyn yn digwydd, bydd yn golygu colli ddarpariaeth gyfan dementia cleifion mewnol Sir Fynwy, a gostyngiad cyfunol i'r ddarpariaeth yng Nghasnewydd a Sir Fynwy o 29 i 14 o welyau. A wnewch chi annog y bwrdd iechyd i ailystyried y cynlluniau diffygiol hyn i ddiogelu adnoddau gwerthfawr ysbyty Cas-gwent ac i ddod o hyd i ateb mwy cynaliadwy i'r broblem y mae'r bwrdd iechyd yn ei hwynebu ar hyn o bryd?
I am aware of the changes that have been made. I am also aware that the health board has undertaken a 12-week public consultation. That's still open, and I'd encourage all views to be fed into that consultation. I'm also aware that the health board has discussed options for the future development of Chepstow Community Hospital and has established a working group to develop proposals for the future of the excellent local facilities, and I further understand that the health board is expecting an initial report to be presented in the spring.
Rwy'n ymwybodol o'r newidiadau sydd wedi eu gwneud. Rwyf hefyd yn ymwybodol bod y bwrdd iechyd wedi cynnal ymgynghoriad cyhoeddus dros gyfnod o 12 wythnos. Mae hwnnw'n dal yn agored, a byddwn yn annog i bob safbwynt gael ei gyfrannu i'r ymgynghoriad hwnnw. Rwyf hefyd yn ymwybodol bod y Bwrdd Iechyd wedi trafod dewisiadau ar gyfer datblygu Ysbyty Cymuned Cas-gwent yn y dyfodol ac wedi sefydlu gweithgor i ddatblygu cynigion ar gyfer dyfodol y cyfleusterau lleol ardderchog, ac rwyf hefyd yn deall bod y bwrdd iechyd yn disgwyl i adroddiad cychwynnol gael ei gyflwyno yn y gwanwyn.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd grŵp UKIP—Neil Hamilton.
Questions now from the party leaders. Leader of the UKIP group—Niel Hamilton.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. The First Minister will agree with me that in order to secure value for money in public contracts, it is desirable that there should be a reasonable spread of credible bidders. It wasn't entirely clear to me from the answer that the finance Secretary gave to Adam Price earlier what the legal impact is going to be of the collapse of Carillion in relation to Abellio's bid. There are only three bidders in the contest at the moment. If Abellio is removed from it, that means, of course, that there are only two bids. What are the implications of this for that general principle of securing value for money by having credible competition for these big contracts? This is a contract that affects not just the Wales and borders rail franchise, but also the electrification of the Valleys lines as part of the metro project, and this contract will be let for 15 years. So, it has long-term consequences. I wonder if the First Minister could give us a little more clarification on this point.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Bydd y Prif Weinidog yn cytuno â mi ei bod yn ddymunol, er mwyn sicrhau gwerth am arian mewn contractau cyhoeddus, y dylai fod amrywiaeth resymol o ymgeiswyr credadwy. Nid oedd yn gwbl eglur i mi o'r ateb a roddodd yr Ysgrifennydd dros gyllid i Adam Price yn gynharach beth fydd effaith cyfreithiol methiant Carillion o ran cynnig Abellio. Dim ond tri o gynigwyr sydd yn yr ornest ar hyn o bryd. Os caiff Abellio ei dynnu ohoni, mae hynny'n golygu, wrth gwrs, mai dim ond dau gais sydd gennym. Beth yw goblygiadau hyn i'r egwyddor gyffredinol honno o sicrhau gwerth am arian trwy gael cystadleuaeth gredadwy am y contractau mawr hyn? Mae hwn yn gontract sy'n effeithio nid yn unig ar fasnachfraint rheilffyrdd Cymru a'r gororau, ond hefyd ar drydaneiddio rheilffyrdd y Cymoedd yn rhan o'r prosiect metro, a bydd y contract hwn yn cael ei osod am 15 mlynedd. Felly, mae iddo ganlyniadau hirdymor. Tybed a allai'r Prif Weinidog roi ychydig mwy o eglurhad i ni ar y pwynt hwn.
It's no secret that our preferred scenario would have been to be able to run Welsh railways via a not-for-profit, arm's-length, Welsh Government-owned business, but we were prevented from doing that by the Conservative Government in London. They're happy to let Scotland do it, but as far as Wales is concerned, they're not happy to let—[Interruption.] He's groaning away, the leader of the opposition, again, not supporting this, of course—but the reality is that we were prevented from doing that. But that, nevertheless, was our preferred option. We were stopped from doing it.
He asked the question about Abellio. Transport for Wales has the appropriate expertise in place to deal with this. We are in discussions with Abellio Rail Cymru about the complex situation—and it is complex—that arises from the announcement. Whilst the difficulties encountered by part of one of the consortium bidders is disappointing, it is important we remain focused on the evaluation to keep procurement on track. I can say that Transport for Wales continue to evaluate the competitive bids received whilst ensuring equality of treatment of the bidders in line with procurement law.
Nid yw'n gyfrinach mai'r sefyllfa ddelfrydol o'n safbwynt ni fyddai wedi bod gallu rhedeg rheilffyrdd Cymru trwy fusnes dielw, hyd braich a fyddai'n eiddo i Lywodraeth Cymru, ond fe'n rhwystrwyd rhag gwneud hynny gan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol yn Llundain. Maen nhw'n hapus i ganiatáu i'r Alban wneud hynny, ond cyn belled ag y mae Cymru yn y cwestiwn, dydyn nhw ddim yn hapus i ganiatáu—[Torri ar draws.] Mae'n ochneidio yn ddi-baid, arweinydd yr wrthblaid, unwaith eto, ddim yn cefnogi hyn, wrth gwrs—ond y gwir yw ein bod ni wedi ein rhwystro rhag gwneud hynny. Ond, serch hynny, dyna oedd y dewis a ffafriwyd. Fe'n rhwystrwyd rhag gwneud hynny.
Gofynnodd y cwestiwn am Abellio. Mae gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru yr arbenigedd priodol ar gael i ymdrin â hyn. Rydym ni mewn trafodaethau gydag Abellio Rail Cymru am y sefyllfa gymhleth—ac mae'n gymhleth—sy'n deillio o'r cyhoeddiad. Er bod yr anawsterau a gafwyd gan ran o un o'r cynigwyr consortiwm yn siomedig, mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n parhau i ganolbwyntio ar y gwerthusiad i gadw caffael ar y trywydd iawn. Gallaf ddweud bod Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn parhau i werthuso'r cynigion cystadleuol a dderbyniwyd a sicrhau triniaeth gyfartal i'r cynigwyr yn unol â chyfraith caffael.
Well, with what's happened this week, whilst it couldn't have been predicted with confidence, there was clearly a high possibility that Carillion was going to get into difficulties from which it couldn't extricate itself. After all, we had the first profit warning in July. In September, the shares in Carillion fell by 60 per cent in two days. Three weeks after that, there was another profits warning. On 17 November, Carillion warned that it was on course to breach its banking covenants, which must have gone to the heart of the credibility of that part of Abellio's bid, and considering they were the preferred construction partner, this obviously had immense implications for the credibility of that bid.
Was there any action taken by Transport for Wales, or any involvement by Welsh Government in the period after July to try to protect the bidding process against the possibility of the collapse of Abellio's bid? Because, if Abellio had been able to obtain some other construction partner, or to keep one in the wings in the meantime, that might have been able to save this element of the bidding process.
Wel, gyda'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd yr wythnos hon, er na ellid bod wedi ei ragweld yn hyderus, roedd yn amlwg bod posibilrwydd uchel bod Carillion yn mynd i fynd i drafferthion na allai gael ei hun allan ohonynt. Wedi'r cyfan, cawsom ni'r rhybudd elw cyntaf ym mis Gorffennaf. Ym mis Medi, gostyngodd y cyfranddaliadau yn Carillion 60 y cant mewn dau ddiwrnod. Dair wythnos wedi hynny, roedd rhybudd elw arall. Ar 17 Tachwedd, rhybuddiodd Carillion ei fod yn mynd i fynd yn groes i'w gyfamodau bancio, ac mae'n rhaid bod hynny wedi mynd i galon hygrededd y rhan honno o gynnig Abellio, ac o ystyried mai nhw oedd y partner adeiladu a ffafriwyd, roedd hyn yn amlwg yn arwain at oblygiadau aruthrol i hygrededd y cynnig hwnnw.
A gymerwyd unrhyw gamau gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru, neu unrhyw gyfranogiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn y cyfnod ar ôl mis Gorffennaf i geisio diogelu'r broses ymgeisio rhag y posibilrwydd o fethiant cynnig Abellio? Oherwydd, pe byddai Abellio wedi gallu cael gafael ar ryw bartner adeiladu eraill, neu gadw un wrth gefn yn y cyfamser, efallai y byddai hynny wedi gallu achub yr elfen hon o'r broses ymgeisio.
I think there are dangers in Transport for Wales engaging in that way with a bidder. There has to be distance between Transport for Wales and the bidders themselves. It is a matter for Abellio Rail Cymru to put themselves in a situation where they are confident that their bid can move forward, and discussions will continue along those lines in terms of how that can be done. We know there was a profit warning in July. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I don't think anybody, let alone the UK Government, could have known the scale of the problems within Carillion. Clearly, they were unprepared, and I think that many would have found themselves in that situation. I think the feeling might have been that Carillion was too big to fail, but, unfortunately, we know that isn't the case. Nevertheless, we are talking about a part of one of the consortium bidders. It's a question now to see whether that part can be replaced.
Rwy'n credu bod peryglon o ran Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn ymgysylltu yn y modd hwnnw gyda chynigiwr. Mae'n rhaid cael pellter rhwng Trafnidiaeth Cymru a'r cynigwyr eu hunain. Mater i Abellio Rail Cymru yw rhoi eu hunain mewn sefyllfa lle maen nhw'n hyderus y gall eu cynnig symud ymlaen, a bydd y trafodaethau yn parhau ar y sail honno o ran sut y gellir gwneud hynny. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod rhybudd elw ym mis Gorffennaf. Mae'r gallu i edrych yn ôl yn beth gwych, ond nid wyf i'n credu y gallai neb, heb sôn am Lywodraeth y DU, fod wedi bod yn ymwybodol o faint y problemau o fewn Carillion. Yn amlwg, nid oeddent yn barod, ac rwy'n credu y byddai llawer wedi canfod eu hunain yn y sefyllfa honno. Rwy'n credu efallai mai'r teimlad oedd bod Carillion yn rhy fawr i fethu, ond, yn anffodus, rydym ni'n gwybod nad yw hynny'n wir. Serch hynny, rydym ni'n sôn am ran o un o'r cynigwyr consortiwm. Mae'n fater nawr o weld a ellir llenwi'r rhan honno.
Well, it's clear that the answer to my question is that both the Government and Transport for Wales sat on their hands during that period, but I'll leave that there.
Does the First Minister share my amusement that Philip Green, the chairman of Carillion since 2014, was an adviser on corporate responsibility to David Cameron and Theresa May as Prime Minister, and that the previous chief executive of Carillion, Richard Howson, was allowed to leave the company a few months ago with a 12-month payoff of £660,000 in salary and £28,000 in benefits whilst the company has been making small firms wait for up to 120 days for payment on their contracts? The Welsh Government has a policy on social responsibility with the companies that are contracting with it. Surely prompt payment is one of the essential elements in that. The Welsh Government has a policy of paying all invoices on time, and when the Welsh Government receives bids from firms for large contracts that it's going to award, or agencies like Transport for Wales, what protection is going to be given to small firms who are now left, as in this instance, probably, high and dry, and lots of them will not be paid? That could be pivotal in the question of whether small businesses themselves, as a ricochet effect from the collapse of Carillion, also go out of business.
Wel, mae'n amlwg mai'r ateb i fy nghwestiwn yw bod y Llywodraeth a Thrafnidiaeth Cymru wedi eistedd ar eu dwylo yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw, ond byddaf yn ei gadael hi yn y fan yna.
A yw'r Prif Weinidog yn rhannu fy nifyrrwch bod Philip Green, Cadeirydd Carillion ers 2014, yn gynghorydd ar gyfrifoldeb corfforaethol i David Cameron a Theresa May fel Prif Weinidog, ac y caniatawyd i Brif Weithredwr blaenorol Carillion, Richard Howson, adael y cwmni ychydig fisoedd yn ôl gyda chytundeb 12 mis o £660,000 mewn cyflog a £28,000 mewn budd-daliadau tra bod y cwmni wedi bod yn gwneud i gwmnïau bach aros hyd at 120 diwrnod am daliad ar eu contractau? Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru bolisi ar gyfrifoldeb cymdeithasol gyda'r cwmnïau sy'n contractio â hi. Does bosib bod talu'n brydlon yn un o'r elfennau hanfodol yn hynny. Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru bolisi o dalu pob anfoneb yn brydlon, a phan fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn derbyn ceisiadau gan fusnesau ar gyfer contractau mawr y mae'n mynd i'w dyfarnu, neu asiantaethau fel Trafnidiaeth Cymru, pa ddiogelwch sy'n mynd i gael ei roi i gwmnïau bach sydd wedi eu gadael nawr, fel yn yr achos hwn, mae'n debyg, ar y clwt, a bydd llawer ohonyn nhw na fyddant yn cael eu talu? Gallai hynny fod yn hollbwysig o ran y cwestiwn o ba un a allai busnesau bach eu hunain, fel sgil-effaith o fethiant Carillion, fynd allan o fusnes hefyd.
Cash flow is all to a small business. It's not clear yet what the extent of Carillion's collapse will be on small businesses in Wales. I know that the Cabinet Secretary is looking to obtain information on that, but of course what we can't do is govern the way in which large businesses fund themselves. There are many issues there that the leader of UKIP has rightly highlighted—moral issues. It seems to me that quite often, in some businesses—not all, of course, and not even most—bonus payments are made regardless of performance, and also that people are paid off with substantial sums of money in order to go away even where performance is well below the standard expected. There are issues there.
There are issues in terms of how empowered shareholders are. They hold the board to account, of course, but in terms of knowledge and expertise, it's not quite as easy as that. I think there are, as a result of what we've seen from Carillion, lessons to be learned in terms of looking again at company law and the way in which companies govern themselves. Is there sufficient governance in larger companies to ensure that this kind of situation doesn't happen? We've seen from Carillion that the answer to that is 'no'.
Llif arian yw popeth i fusnes bach. Nid yw'n eglur eto beth fydd effaith methiant Carillion ar fusnesau bach yng Nghymru. Gwn fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ceisio cael gafael ar wybodaeth am hynny, ond yr hyn na allwn ei wneud, wrth gwrs, yw rheoli'r ffordd y mae busnesau mawr yn ariannu eu hunain. Ceir llawer o faterion yn y fan yna y mae arweinydd UKIP wedi eu hamlygu'n a hynny'n briodol—materion moesol. Mae'n ymddangos i mi yn aml iawn, mewn rhai busnesau—nid pob un, wrth gwrs, ac nid y mwyafrif hyd yn oed—bod taliadau bonws yn cael eu gwneud beth bynnag fo'r perfformiad, a hefyd bod pobl yn derbyn taliadau ymadael sy'n symiau sylweddol o arian er mwyn mynd i ffwrdd hyd yn oed pan fo perfformiad yn llawer is na'r safon a ddisgwylir. Mae problemau yn hynny o beth.
Ceir problemau o ran faint rym sydd gan cyfranddalwyr. Maen nhw'n dwyn y bwrdd i gyfrif, wrth gwrs, ond o ran gwybodaeth ac arbenigedd, nid yw mor hawdd â hynny. Rwy'n credu, o ganlyniad i'r hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei weld gan Carillion, bod gwersi i'w dysgu o ran edrych unwaith eto ar gyfraith cwmnïau a'r ffordd y mae cwmnïau yn llywodraethu eu hunain. A oes llywodraethu digonol mewn cwmnïau mawr i sicrhau nad yw'r math yma o sefyllfa yn digwydd? Rydym ni wedi gweld drwy Carillion mai'r ateb i hynny yw 'nac oes'.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood.
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, today's independent report on health and social care highlights the importance of staff well-being and says that there should be a sharp focus on staff engagement and well-being. Now, all political parties regularly praise NHS staff, and that's quite right. It's well deserved, because without them the NHS would be nothing. Do you think enough is being done to support the well-being of NHS staff?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, mae adroddiad annibynnol heddiw ar iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn amlygu pwysigrwydd llesiant staff ac yn dweud y dylai fod pwyslais pendant ar ymgysylltiad a llesiant staff. Nawr, mae pob plaid wleidyddol yn canmol staff y GIG yn rheolaidd, ac mae hynny'n gwbl briodol. Mae'n haeddiannol, oherwydd hebddyn nhw ni fyddai'r GIG yn ddim. A ydych chi'n meddwl bod digon yn cael ei wneud i gynorthwyo llesiant staff y GIG?
These are matters primarily for the local health boards, but, again, I join with the leader of Plaid Cymru in offering a tribute to that incredibly hard work that's been done by members of staff. I know that the director of health and social services has been around the different accident and emergency departments around Wales, listening to their experiences. We know the situation is easing compared to what it was a few weeks ago, but, yes, we'd encourage local health boards, of course, to make sure that there are the right mechanisms in place to ensure that staff feel supported beyond the words that we as politicians express.
Materion i'r byrddau iechyd lleol yw'r rhain yn bennaf, ond, unwaith eto, ymunaf ag arweinydd Plaid Cymru i gynnig teyrnged i'r gwaith anhygoel o galed hwnnw a wneir gan aelodau staff. Gwn fod y cyfarwyddwr iechyd a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol wedi bod o gwmpas y gwahanol adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys ledled Cymru, yn gwrando ar eu profiadau. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod y sefyllfa'n gwella o'i chymharu â sut yr oedd ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, ond, byddem, byddem ni'n annog byrddau iechyd lleol, wrth gwrs, i wneud yn siŵr bod y dulliau cywir ar waith i sicrhau bod staff yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu cynorthwyo y tu hwnt i'r geiriau yr ydym ni'n eu mynegi fel gwleidyddion.
First Minister, in recent weeks disclosures have been made to me by workers in our NHS about serious problems with staff morale and well-being. People serving on the front line claim to be at breaking point as a result of some of the pressures that are being put upon them. Now, I've only had permission to refer to one of these disclosures so far, but the person's asked me specifically to raise it with you in Government.
First Minister, a serious allegation is being made that, at times of high demand, ambulance service prioritisation is putting people at risk. In the past few weeks, it's alleged that patients categorised as suitable for a 20-minute response have had to wait up to six hours for an ambulance. I'm told that these include patients who have had a stroke, heart attacks and breathing problems. The person revealing this information to me is currently off sick with stress and cannot speak about their job without breaking down into tears. First Minister, how can this situation be defended, and what are you going to do about it?
Prif Weinidog, gwnaed datgeliadau i mi yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf gan weithwyr yn ein GIG am broblemau difrifol o ran ysbryd a llesiant staff. Mae pobl sy'n gwasanaethu yn y rheng flaen yn honni eu bod ar ben eu tennyn o ganlyniad i rai o'r pwysau sy'n cael eu rhoi arnyn nhw. Nawr, dim ond at un o'r datgeliadau hyn yr wyf i wedi cael caniatâd i gyfeirio ato hyd yma, ond mae'r person wedi gofyn i mi yn benodol i'w godi gyda chi yn y Llywodraeth.
Prif Weinidog, mae honiad difrifol yn cael ei wneud bod blaenoriaethu'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans yn rhoi pobl mewn perygl ar adegau o alw uchel. Yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, honnir y bu'n rhaid i gleifion sydd wedi eu categoreiddio fel rhai sy'n addas ar gyfer ymateb 20 munud aros am hyd at chwe awr am ambiwlans. Dywedir wrthyf fod y rhain yn cynnwys cleifion sydd wedi cael strôc, trawiad ar y galon a phroblemau anadlu. Mae'r sawl a ddatgelodd y wybodaeth hon i mi yn absennol o'r gwaith oherwydd straen ar hyn o bryd ac ni all siarad am ei swydd heb fynd yn ddagreuol. Prif Weinidog, sut gellir amddiffyn y sefyllfa hon, a beth ydych chi'n mynd i'w wneud am hyn?
Without knowing the full facts it's difficult to give an answer today, but there is sufficient there for me to investigate, in my mind, and I will write to the leader of Plaid Cymru, putting to the ambulance trust what she has said today, and when I get a response from them I will of course share it with her.
Mae'n anodd rhoi ateb heddiw heb wybod y ffeithiau llawn, ond mae digon yno i mi ymchwilio, yn fy marn i, a byddaf yn ysgrifennu at arweinydd Plaid Cymru, gan gyfleu'r hyn y mae hi wedi ei ddweud heddiw i'r ymddiriedolaeth ambiwlans, a phan fyddaf yn cael ymateb ganddyn nhw, byddaf wrth gwrs yn ei rannu â hi.
Thank you for that, First Minister. I would urge you as well to ask your health Secretary to assess the well-being of staff in the NHS, as the letter that I received mentions that counsellors from a charity have had to be brought in to speak with ambulance control staff, such is the level of that stress. If that is true, that is a really shocking situation and it's an emergency within our public services. Can you confirm that counselling has been offered to NHS staff? And when it comes to ambulance resources, can you assure us that prioritisation will be under review and that responding to red calls is not putting anyone classed as an amber call at risk of death or further injury?
Diolch i chi am hynna, Prif Weinidog. Byddwn yn eich annog chi hefyd i ofyn i'ch Ysgrifennydd dros iechyd asesu llesiant staff yn y GIG, gan fod y llythyr a dderbyniais i yn sôn y bu'n rhaid dod â chwnselwyr o elusen i mewn i siarad gyda staff rheoli ambiwlansys, cymaint yw lefel y straen hwnnw. Os yw hynny'n wir, mae hon yn sefyllfa wirioneddol syfrdanol ac mae'n argyfwng yn ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. A allwch chi gadarnhau bod cwnsela wedi cael ei gynnig i staff y GIG? Ac o ran adnoddau ambiwlans, a allwch chi ein sicrhau ni y bydd blaenoriaethu yn destun adolygiad ac nad yw ymateb i alwadau coch yn rhoi unrhyw un sydd wedi ei gategoreiddio fel galwad ambr mewn perygl o farwolaeth neu anaf pellach?
That, again, needs further investigation. If the leader of Plaid Cymru will allow me, I will investigate those further matters as well, and when a response is received, I will of course share that with her.
Unwaith eto, mae angen ymchwilio ymhellach i hynny. Gyda chaniatâd arweinydd Plaid Cymru, byddaf yn ymchwilio i'r materion ychwanegol hynny hefyd, a phan geir ymateb, byddaf wrth gwrs yn ei rannu â hi.
Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Leader of the opposition, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, the Government, before Christmas, brought out their new economic action plan, 'Prosperity for All'. This is the fourth action plan that the Labour Party have brought forward since devolution started. The first one was 'A Winning Wales' in 1999, 'Wales: A Vibrant Economy' in 2005, and 'A new direction' in 2009. If you actually look at the document, it doesn't offer much hope as to how the Government are actually going to increase wages here in Wales, which are significantly below other parts of the United Kingdom. In the 20 years that you've been in Government here in Wales, or the nearly 20 years you've been in Government in Wales, gross value added has only increased by half of 1 per cent. It doesn't offer much hope as to exactly how you're going to get a real momentum behind GVA here in Wales. How can we have confidence that this document will be any different to the three predecessors that it had?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, cyhoeddodd y Llywodraeth, cyn y Nadolig, ei chynllun gweithredu economaidd newydd, 'Ffyniant i Bawb'. Dyma'r pedwerydd cynllun gweithredu y mae'r Blaid Lafur wedi ei gyhoeddi ers dechrau datganoli. 'Cymru'n Ennill' oedd y cyntaf ym 1999, 'Cymru: Economi yn Ffynnu' yn 2005, a 'Cyfeiriad newydd' yn 2009. Os edrychwch chi ar y ddogfen mewn gwirionedd, nid yw'n cynnig llawer o obaith o ran sut y mae'r Llywodraeth yn mynd i gynyddu cyflogau yma yng Nghymru, sy'n sylweddol is na rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig. Yn yr 20 mlynedd yr ydych chi wedi bod mewn Llywodraeth yma yng Nghymru, neu'r bron i 20 mlynedd yr ydych chi wedi bod mewn Llywodraeth yng Nghymru, mae gwerth ychwanegol gros wedi cynyddu gan hanner o 1 y cant yn unig. Nid yw'n cynnig llawer o obaith o ran sut yn union yr ydych chi'n mynd i gael momentwm gwirioneddol y tu ôl i werth ychwanegol crynswth yma yng Nghymru. Sut gallwn ni fod yn ffyddiog y bydd y ddogfen hon yn wahanol mewn unrhyw ffordd i'r tri rhagflaenydd oedd ganddi?
First of all, if we look at unemployment, unemployment is low in Wales, and is often lower than the UK average. In 1999 it would have been fanciful to claim that. We were perpetually above the UK average and that is something that shows the success of what we've done to encourage business and investment.
Secondly, there is a challenge in terms of increasing GVA per head. How is that done? To me, there are two ways. First of all, you ensure that, when you look to secure investment, it's investment that pays highly. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the policy pursued by his party was to replace well-paid jobs in coal and steel with badly paid, unskilled jobs. So, although the unemployment rate did not necessarily increase, GVA went down because the jobs weren't so highly paid. We saw, at the end of the 1990s and the early part of the last decade, many of those businesses leave Wales because they were going somewhere where wage rates were even lower.
We are not prepared as a Government to sell ourselves to the rest of the world on the basis that we are a cheap wage economy—which is what the Conservative Government did in the early 1990s, on the basis of, 'Come to Wales because it's cheap'—no more. We see the fruits of that. We see, of course, the investment from companies like Aston Martin, we see the further investment in Airbus up in the north, we've seen investments recovered in Pembrokeshire around the port of Milford Haven, all of which are much better paid than jobs that used to come here. That's one part of it.
The second part is training. The question we get asked more than any other when we speak to businesses that want to invest in Wales is: 'Have you got the people with the skills that we need?' They're not interested in cost, they're interested in skills. Increasingly, we can answer that question positively. So, it means working with further education colleges, in terms of apprenticeships, and we have our commitment to 100,000 all-age apprenticeships in the course of this Assembly. It's by raising people's skill levels that we can make sure they can put more money in their pockets, and thus increase GVA.
Yn gyntaf oll, os edrychwn ni ar ddiweithdra, mae diweithdra yn isel yng Nghymru, ac mae'n aml yn is na chyfartaledd y DU. Byddai wedi bod yn wamal honni hynny ym 1999. Roeddem ni'n uwch na chyfartaledd y DU yn barhaus, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth sy'n dangos llwyddiant yr hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud i annog busnes a buddsoddiad.
Yn ail, ceir her o ran cynyddu gwerth ychwanegol gros y pen. Sut mae gwneud hynny? I mi, mae dwy ffordd. Yn gyntaf oll, rydych chi'n sicrhau, pan eich bod chi'n ceisio sicrhau buddsoddiad, ei fod yn fuddsoddiad sy'n talu'n uchel. Ddiwedd y 1980au a dechrau'r 1990au, y polisi a ddilynwyd gan ei blaid ef oedd disodli swyddi â chyflogau da ym meysydd glo a dur gyda swyddi heb sgiliau a oedd yn talu'n wael. Felly, er na wnaeth y gyfradd ddiweithdra gynyddu o reidrwydd, gostyngodd gwerth ychwanegol gros gan nad oedd y swyddi'n talu cymaint. Gwelsom, ar ddiwedd y 1990au a rhan gyntaf y degawd diwethaf, lawer o'r busnesau hynny yn gadael Cymru gan eu bod yn mynd i rywle lle'r oedd cyfraddau cyflog hyd yn oed yn is.
Nid ydym ni fel Llywodraeth yn fodlon gwerthu ein hunain i weddill y byd ar y sail ein bod ni'n economi cyflog rhad—sef yr hyn a wnaeth y Llywodraeth Geidwadol ddechrau'r 1990au, ar sail 'Dewch i Gymru gan ei bod yn rhad'—dim mwy. Rydym ni'n gweld ffrwyth hynny. Rydym ni'n gweld, wrth gwrs, y buddsoddiad gan gwmnïau fel Aston Martin, rydym ni'n gweld y buddsoddiad ychwanegol yn Airbus yn y gogledd, rydym ni wedi gweld buddsoddiadau'n cael eu hadennill yn Sir Benfro o gwmpas porthladd Aberdaugleddau, sydd i gyd yn talu'n well o lawer na swyddi a oedd yn dod yma ers talwm. Mae hynny'n un rhan o'r peth.
Hyfforddiant yw'r ail ran. Y cwestiwn a ofynnir i ni yn amlach nag unrhyw un arall pan fyddwn ni'n siarad â busnesau sydd eisiau buddsoddi yng Nghymru yw: 'A oes gennych chi'r bobl sydd â'r sgiliau y mae eu hangen arnom?' Nid oes diddordeb ganddyn nhw yn y gost, mae ganddyn nhw ddiddordeb mewn sgiliau. Yn gynyddol, gallwn ateb y cwestiwn hwnnw'n gadarnhaol. Felly, mae'n golygu gweithio gyda cholegau addysg bellach, o ran prentisiaethau, ac mae gennym ni ein hymrwymiad i 100,000 o brentisiaethau pob oedran yn ystod y Cynulliad hwn. Trwy godi lefelau sgiliau pobl y gallwn ni wneud yn siŵr y gallant roi mwy o arian yn eu pocedi, a chynyddu gwerth ychwanegol gros trwy hynny.
First Minister, you raise the issue about wages. If you take Scotland as an example, back in 1999, a Welsh worker and a Scottish worker took home the same take-home pay. Today, a Scottish worker takes home £49 more in their pay packet each week than a Welsh worker does. That's a fact. In this document, wages are only mentioned twice. Taxes, business taxes, are only mentioned once out of 17,000 words. Automation, which is the huge challenge we face, where potentially 35 per cent of the workforce could lose their jobs or have their jobs remodelled over the next 29 years, has a bare mention in this document. There doesn't seem to be any answers around the real challenges that we do face in the next decade or two.
This document, I presume, is the driver for economic policy coming out of the Government for at least the next four to five years, depending on the mandate, and yet again I go back to this point—it is the fourth document that has come out of the Welsh Labour Party in Government here in Wales, and I highlighted the poverty in wages here in Wales as opposed to other parts of the United Kingdom, and this document doesn't have that solution. Give us some inspiration as to what we can look at in 2021 on wages, on wealth here in Wales, and above all on companies re-establishing themselves here in Wales.
Prif Weinidog, rydych chi'n codi'r mater am gyflogau. Os cymerwch chi'r Alban fel enghraifft, yn ôl ym 1999, roedd gweithiwr yng Nghymru a gweithiwr yn yr Alban yn mynd â'r un cyflog adref. Heddiw, mae gweithiwr yn yr Alban yn mynd â £49 yn fwy adref yn ei becyn cyflog bob wythnos nag y mae gweithiwr yng Nghymru. Mae hynny'n ffaith. Yn y ddogfen hon, dim ond dwywaith y cyfeirir at gyflogau. Cyfeirir at drethi, trethi busnes, unwaith yn unig mewn 17,000 o eiriau. Prin y sonnir am awtomeiddio, sef yr her enfawr yr ydym ni'n ei hwynebu, lle mae'n bosibl y gallai 35 y cant o'r gweithlu golli eu swyddi neu gael ailfodelu eu swyddi dros y 29 mlynedd nesaf, yn y ddogfen hon. Nid yw'n ymddangos bod unrhyw atebion o ran yr heriau gwirioneddol yr ydym ni'n eu hwynebu yn y degawd neu ddau nesaf.
Y ddogfen hon, rwy'n tybio, yw'r sbardun ar gyfer polisi economaidd sy'n dod allan o'r Llywodraeth ar gyfer y pedair i bum mlynedd nesaf o leiaf, yn dibynnu ar y mandad, ac unwaith eto rwy'n dychwelyd at y pwynt yma—dyma'r bedwaredd ddogfen sydd wedi dod allan o Blaid Lafur Cymru mewn Llywodraeth yma yng Nghymru, ac amlygais y tlodi o ran cyflogau yma yng Nghymru o'i gymharu â rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig, ac nid yw'r ddogfen hon yn cynnig yr ateb hwnnw. Rhowch rywfaint o ysbrydoliaeth i ni o ran yr hyn y gallwn ni edrych arno yn 2021 o ran cyflogau, o ran cyfoeth yma yng Nghymru, ac yn anad dim, o ran cwmnïau yn ailsefydlu eu hunain yma yng Nghymru.
Well, it's already the case that we know there are challenges with automation. Indeed, my colleague Lee Waters, I think, has got a short debate on this tomorrow, on automation. He is somebody who has been very keen to make sure that we look at the fourth industrial revolution, as it's described, and I know it's something that the Cabinet Secretary is very much aware of.
Hope—the hope is this: Wales is a place, a destination where companies from all around the world want to come; that Wales is a place where people are seen as being innovative, as being entrepreneurial; a place where people have the skills that are needed to survive, not just in the next five or 10 years but beyond, to meet the challenges of automation; a place where there's not a fragmented education system, but one that works together in order to make sure that people have those skills that are required; a country where there's a Government that works closely with businesses, goes out to different countries and encourages businesses to come to Wales and to invest in Wales—that's why we have the highest figure for foreign direct investment for 30 years—but also a Government that understands that it's not a question of securing overseas investment, it's a question of ensuring that our small and medium-sized enterprises continue to be established and grow.
One of the issues we face in the Welsh economy is that too many of our SMEs grow to a particular level and then sell—the owners sell to a bigger company. There's always been that issue of how we encourage those people to actually grow bigger, to have more companies listed on the London stock exchange, listed on the alternative investment market, because we're under-represented on them and want them to grow rather than say, 'Well, I've done my bit now. I'm going to sell the business.' We have the entrepreneurs, there's no question about it. I see it with younger people: they have a drive and a confidence that we didn't have, because we were put off it actively when I was in school. Harnessing those people, making sure they have access to business support and advice, making sure they have access to support through Finance Wales, making sure that they have the skills that are needed to prosper in the future—that's the key to the Welsh economic future that I want to see and I believe the people of Wales want to see.
Wel, mae eisoes yn wir ein bod ni'n gwybod bod heriau o ran awtomeiddio. Yn wir, mae gan fy nghyd-Aelod, Lee Waters, rwy'n credu, ddadl gryno ar hyn yfory, ar awtomeiddio. Mae e'n rhywun sydd wedi bod yn awyddus iawn i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n edrych ar y pedwerydd chwyldro diwydiannol, fel y'i disgrifir, a gwn ei fod yn rhywbeth y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ymwybodol iawn ohono.
Gobaith—y gobaith yw hyn: bod Cymru yn lle, yn gyrchfan lle y mae cwmnïau o bedwar ban byd eisiau dod; bod Cymru yn lle y gwelir bod pobl yn arloesol, yn entrepreneuraidd; lle y mae gan bobl y sgiliau sydd eu hangen i oroesi, nid yn unig yn ystod y pump neu 10 mlynedd nesaf, ond y tu hwnt, i ymateb i heriau awtomeiddio; man lle nad oes system addysg dameidiog, ond un sy'n gweithio gyda'i gilydd er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn meddu ar y sgiliau hynny sydd eu hangen; gwlad lle ceir Llywodraeth sy'n gweithio'n agos â busnesau, sy'n mynd allan i wahanol wledydd ac yn annog busnesau i ddod i Gymru ac i fuddsoddi yng Nghymru—dyna pam mae gennym ni'r ffigur uchaf ar gyfer buddsoddiad uniongyrchol o dramor ers 30 mlynedd—ond hefyd Llywodraeth sy'n deall nad yw'n gwestiwn o sicrhau buddsoddiad tramor, ond yn gwestiwn o sicrhau bod ein busnesau bach a chanolig yn parhau i gael eu sefydlu a thyfu.
Un o'r materion yr ydym ni'n eu hwynebu yn economi Cymru yw bod gormod o'n BBaChau yn tyfu i lefel benodol ac yna'n gwerthu—mae'r perchnogion yn gwerthu i gwmni mwy. Bu'r broblem honno yno erioed o sut yr ydym ni'n annog y bobl hynny i dyfu'n fwy, i gael mwy o gwmnïau wedi eu rhestru ar gyfnewidfa stoc Llundain, wedi eu rhestru ar y farchnad fuddsoddi amgen, oherwydd rydym ni wedi ein tangynrychioli arnyn nhw ac rydym ni eisiau iddyn nhw dyfu yn hytrach na dweud, 'Wel, rwyf i wedi gwneud fy rhan i nawr. Rwy'n mynd i werthu'r busnes.' Mae'r entrepreneuriaid gennym ni, nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth am hynny. Rwy'n ei weld gyda phobl iau: mae ganddyn nhw frwdfrydedd a hyder nad oedd gennym ni, oherwydd roeddem ni'n cael ein darbwyllo yn ei erbyn yn ymarferol pan roeddwn i yn yr ysgol. Harneisio'r bobl hynny, gwneud yn siŵr bod ganddyn nhw fynediad at gymorth a chyngor busnes, gwneud yn siwr bod ganddyn nhw fynediad at gymorth drwy Cyllid Cymru, a gwneud yn siŵr bod ganddyn nhw'r sgiliau sydd eu hangen i ffynnu yn y dyfodol—dyna sy'n allweddol o ran y dyfodol economaidd i Gymru yr wyf i eisiau ei weld ac rwy'n credu y mae pobl Cymru eisiau ei weld.
I've had it put to me that that's the 'ladybook' analogy of what you want for the economic future, First Minister, because, in fairness, there are 17,000 words in this document. I had hoped that you would have given us something firm, a road map, which would lift Welsh wages. As I've highlighted, over the 20 years, a Scottish worker is taking home £49 more in their pay packet than a Welsh worker is taking home, and GVA has increased by half of 1 per cent over the 20 years. That is hardly a record to be proud of. I want to see Wales thrive economically just like the picture you've painted, but I had hoped that you would have drawn something out of this document that was brought forward by the Cabinet Secretary, because this is the blueprint that you're basing your economic model on, and it doesn't offer much hope when taxes are mentioned once, when wages are mentioned twice, and automation is only mentioned six times.
And if I could ask you on taxes in particular: do you believe that the tax environment the Government is putting forward will make Wales a more competitive tax environment to attract businesses into Wales? I've had representations brought to me by businesses on the land transaction tax, the LTT, that show that Wales will ultimately be at a disadvantage. I know the Cabinet Secretary for Finance has met with industry leaders on this particular issue—who are really concerned that the write-downs that businesses are going to have to put into their balance sheets because of the higher tax environment that your Government is putting forward. So, do you believe that the tax environment that you will be creating here in Wales will put Wales at an advantage in attracting some of these new jobs and new enterprises that will help us tackle the automation generation that is coming our way?
Awgrymwyd i mi mai dyna'r gyfatebiaeth 'ladybook' o'r hyn yr ydych chi ei eisiau ar gyfer y dyfodol economaidd, Prif Weinidog, oherwydd, er tegwch, mae 17,000 o eiriau yn y ddogfen hon. Roeddwn i wedi gobeithio y byddech chi wedi rhoi rhywbeth cadarn i ni, map ffordd, a fyddai'n codi cyflogau Cymru. Fel yr wyf i wedi ei amlygu, dros yr 20 mlynedd, mae gweithiwr yn yr Alban yn mynd â £49 yn fwy adref yn ei becyn cyflog nag y mae gweithiwr yng Nghymru yn ei gael i fynd adref, ac mae gwerth ychwanegol gros wedi cynyddu hanner o 1 y cant dros yr 20 mlynedd. Prin bod hwnnw'n hanes i fod yn falch ohono. Rwyf i eisiau gweld Cymru yn ffynnu'n economaidd yn union fel y darlun yr ydych chi newydd ei gyflwyno, ond roeddwn i wedi gobeithio y byddech chi wedi tynnu rhywbeth allan o'r ddogfen hon a gyflwynwyd gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, oherwydd dyma'r glasbrint yr ydych chi'n seilio eich model economaidd arno, ac nid yw'n cynnig llawer o obaith pan sonnir am drethi unwaith, pan sonnir am gyflogau ddwywaith, ac y sonnir am awtomeiddio ddim ond chwe gwaith.
Ac os caf ofyn i chi am drethi yn benodol: a ydych chi'n credu y bydd yr amgylchedd trethi y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei gynnig yn gwneud Cymru yn amgylchedd trethi mwy cystadleuol i ddenu busnesau i Gymru? Gwnaed sylwadau i mi gan fusnesau ar y dreth trafodiadau tir sy'n dangos y bydd Cymru o dan anfantais yn y pen draw. Gwn fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid wedi cyfarfod ag arweinyddion diwydiant ar y mater hwn—sy'n bryderus iawn am y dibrisiant y mae busnesau yn mynd i orfod ei roi yn eu mantolenni oherwydd yr amgylchedd trethi uwch y mae eich Llywodraeth yn ei gynnig. Felly, a ydych chi'n credu y bydd yr amgylchedd trethi y byddwch chi'n ei greu yma yng Nghymru yn rhoi Cymru o dan fantais o ran denu rhai o'r swyddi newydd a'r mentrau newydd hyn a fydd yn ein helpu i fynd i'r afael â'r genhedlaeth awtomeiddio sydd ar ei ffordd?
Well, I think he means 'Ladybird' book, rather than 'ladybook'. I trust that is the case.
But he asks the question: 'Am I confident in the land transaction tax and the tax environment it creates?' The answer to that is 'yes'. Am I confident that what we're doing as a Government adapts—. You mentioned the fact that there were four different plans—well, of course there are. If we'd still got the same plan from 1999 we'd be ossified in the past. In 1999 I remember Dr Phil Williams standing up in the previous Chamber and telling us all about broadband, and none of us knew what he was talking about, and he acknowledged that, in fairness to him, but he was ahead of the game. He was ahead of the game. In 1999 nobody talked about broadband. Now, of course, it's a fact of life.
So, we have to adapt, and the fact we've had different approaches over the last 20 years is a sign that we have adapted to make sure that we deal with the difference circumstances that the world throws at us, and I have to say, I am more than happy to defend our record as a Government on the economy, to defend our ideas, to defend the fact that we are a proactive Government. We take stakes in businesses where we believe businesses are going to be successful. We put our money where our mouth is. Where are his ideas? Where are the Welsh Conservative ideas? I have absolutely no idea what their economic policy is, and judging by the blank looks on the faces over there—their heads are all down—I don't think they do either. By all means, let's have a debate on economic ideas, but let's hear what yours are first.
Wel, rwy'n credu ei fod yn e'n golygu llyfr 'Ladybird', yn hytrach na 'ladybook'. Hyderaf mai dyna mae'n ei feddwl.
Ond mae'n gofyn y cwestiwn: 'A ydw i'n hyderus yn y dreth trafodiadau tir a'r amgylchedd trethi y mae'n ei greu?' Yr ateb i hynny yw 'ydw'. A ydw i'n hyderus bod yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud fel Llywodraeth yn addasu—. Soniasoch am y ffaith fod pedwar gwahanol gynllun—wel, wrth gwrs bod yna. Pe byddai gennym ni'r un cynllun o 1999 yna byddem wedi ymgaregu yn y gorffennol. Ym 1999, rwy'n cofio Dr Phil Williams yn sefyll ar ei draed yn y Siambr flaenorol ac yn dweud popeth am fand eang wrthym, ac nid oedd yr un ohonom ni'n gwybod am beth yr oedd e'n sôn, a cydnabuwyd hynny ganddo, er tegwch iddo, ond roedd ar y blaen i ni. Roedd ar y blaen i ni. Nid oedd neb yn siarad am fand eang ym 1999. Nawr, wrth gwrs, mae'n un o ffeithiau bywyd.
Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni addasu, ac mae'r ffaith y bu gennym ni wahanol ddulliau gweithredu dros yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf yn arwydd ein bod ni wedi addasu i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n ymdrin â'r gwahanol amgylchiadau y mae'r byd yn eu taflu atom ni, ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, rwy'n fwy na pharod i amddiffyn ein hanes fel Llywodraeth o ran yr economi, i amddiffyn ein syniadau, i amddiffyn y ffaith ein bod ni'n Llywodraeth ragweithiol. Rydym ni'n cymryd cyfranddaliadau mewn busnesau pan fyddwn ni'n credu bod busnesau yn mynd i fod yn llwyddiannus. Rydym ni'n rhoi ein harian ar ein gair. Ble mae ei syniadau ef? Ble mae syniadau'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig? Nid oes gen i unrhyw syniad o gwbl beth yw eu polisi economaidd, ac o farnu ar sail y wynebau sydd draw yn y fan yna—mae eu pennau nhw i gyd i lawr—nid wyf i'n credu eu bod hwythau'n gwybod ychwaith. Ar bob cyfrif, gadewch i ni gael dadl ar syniadau economaidd, ond gadewch i ni glywed beth yw eich rhai chi yn gyntaf.
3. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am sut y gall byrddau iechyd ac awdurdodau lleol gydweithio i sicrhau eu bod yn gweithio mewn ffordd effeithiol a chydgysylltiedig? OAQ51576
3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the ways in which health boards and local authorities can collaborate to ensure effective and joined-up working? OAQ51576
Standards can best be raised when partners work together. This year, £60 million has been provided via the integrated care fund to support health and social services to deliver a wide range of integrated services in response to their population assessments.
Y ffordd orau o godi safonau yw pan fydd partneriaid yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd. Eleni, darparwyd £60 miliwn drwy'r gronfa gofal integredig i gefnogi gwasanaethau iechyd a chymdeithasol i ddarparu amrywiaeth eang o wasanaethau integredig mewn ymateb i'w hasesiadau poblogaeth.
With the parliamentary review of health and social care in mind, I've been approached by constituents who've raised concerns about continuity of care for children moving into adulthood. Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board tell me they're working with their five local authority partners in their area to try and move towards a pooled integrated service provision, but this has proven a challenge, partly because of the range of bodies, but also because of the often difficult transition into adulthood for children requiring continuity of care.
Would the First Minister therefore agree to a review of the 2012 children and young people continuing care guidance, issued by the Welsh Government? I think it needs updating in the light of social care delivered by local authorities and other partners, and therefore we can then make sure that those transitioning into adulthood have a good chance of continuity of care.
Gyda'r adolygiad seneddol o iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol mewn golwg, mae etholwyr wedi cysylltu â mi i godi pryderon ynghylch parhad gofal ar gyfer plant sydd ar fin bod yn oedolion. Mae Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Aneurin Bevan yn dweud wrthyf eu bod nhw'n gweithio gyda'u pum partner awdurdod lleol yn eu hardal i geisio symud tuag at ddarparu gwasanaeth integredig cyfun, ond mae hyn wedi bod yn her, yn rhannol oherwydd yr amrywiaeth o gyrff, ond hefyd oherwydd y cyfnod pontio i fod yn oedolyn sy'n aml yn anodd i blant sydd angen parhad gofal.
A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog gytuno felly i gynnal adolygiad o ganllawiau parhad gofal plant a phobl ifanc 2012, a gyhoeddwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru? Rwy'n credu bod angen eu diweddaru yng ngoleuni gofal cymdeithasol a ddarperir gan awdurdodau lleol a phartneriaid eraill, ac felly, gallwn wneud yn siŵr wedyn bod gan y rheini sy'n symud i fod yn oedolion siawns dda o barhad gofal.
Can I thank my colleague for that question? First of all, if he wishes to write to me with further details, I will look at the individual case more closely. Secondly, he asked particularly about the guidance. I can say that that process has begun. We are setting up a group to consider the provision of continuing care for children and young people, and to look to produce new guidance to replace the existing guidance, taking into account, of course, developments since then.
A gaf i ddiolch i fy nghyd-Aelod am y cwestiwn? Yn gyntaf oll, os hoffai ysgrifennu ataf gyda rhagor o fanylion, byddaf yn edrych ar yr achos unigol yn agosach. Yn ail, gofynnodd yn benodol am y canllawiau. Gallaf ddweud bod y broses wedi cychwyn. Rydym ni'n sefydlu grŵp i ystyried y ddarpariaeth o ofal parhaus i blant a phobl ifanc, ac i geisio llunio canllawiau newydd i ddisodli'r canllawiau presennol, gan gymryd i ystyriaeth, wrth gwrs, datblygiadau ers hynny.
First Minister, a key finding of the parliamentary review into health and social care found that there was a plethora of national boards overseeing work programmes outside of organisational structures, and a clear recommendation was that these boards should be streamlined in order to ensure more effective delivery of public services. Notwithstanding the changes that might be coming along to health and social services, this is a concern that has arisen in other areas of public services: there's lots of reporting, not so much doing.
Will you consider looking at a review to streamline the boards that we have throughout the whole of the public sector, to ensure that the collaboration boards that we do have in place, and the programme boards that we have in place, are effective and do work together really well, and to get rid of those that do not, so that we can really focus on delivering the transformation we all desperately need to see?
Prif Weinidog, un o ganfyddiadau allweddol yr adolygiad seneddol o iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol oedd bod llu o fyrddau cenedlaethol yn goruchwylio rhaglenni gwaith y tu allan i strwythurau sefydliadol, ac un argymhelliad eglur oedd y dylid symleiddio'r byrddau hyn er mwyn sicrhau darpariaeth fwy effeithiol o wasanaethau cyhoeddus. Er gwaethaf y newidiadau a allai fod yn dod i wasanaethau iechyd a chymdeithasol, mae hwn yn bryder sydd wedi codi mewn rhannau eraill o'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus: ceir llawer iawn o adrodd, dim cymaint o wneud.
A wnewch chi ystyried edrych ar adolygiad i symleiddio'r byrddau sydd gennym ni ar draws y sector cyhoeddus cyfan, i sicrhau bod y byrddau cydweithredu sydd gennym ni ar waith, a'r byrddau rhaglen sydd gennym ni ar waith, yn effeithiol ac yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd yn dda iawn, ac i gael gwared ar y rheini nad ydynt, fel y gallwn ni wir ganolbwyntio ar gyflawni'r gweddnewidiad y mae taer angen i ni ei weld?
Can I say that I'm aware, of course, that the review itself is a cross-party review? And I think the review deserves full consideration by all parties, with a full response. What I can say to her, though: she makes the point, obviously sensibly, that we want to see borders removed. I know that the review laid out a vision of seamless health and care without artificial boundaries between primary and secondary care, health and social care, and that is entirely consistent with what we want to see as well. So, getting that done is the next step in terms of considering what the review has found.
A gaf i ddweud fy mod i'n ymwybodol, wrth gwrs, fod yr adolygiad ei hun yn adolygiad trawsbleidiol? Ac rwy'n credu bod yr adolygiad yn haeddu ystyriaeth lawn gan yr holl bleidiau, gydag ymateb llawn. Yr hyn y gallaf i ei ddweud wrthi, fodd bynnag yw hyn: mae hi'n gwneud y pwynt, yn amlwg yn synhwyrol, ein bod ni eisiau gweld ffiniau yn cael eu dileu. Gwn fod yr adolygiad yn cyflwyno gweledigaeth o iechyd a gofal di-dor heb ffiniau artiffisial rhwng gofal sylfaenol ac eilaidd, iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, ac mae hynny'n gwbl gyson â'r hyn yr ydym ni oll eisiau ei weld hefyd. Felly, cyflawni hynny yw'r cam nesaf o ran ystyried yr hyn y mae'r adolygiad wedi ei ganfod.
Mi dynnais i sylw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yn ddiweddar at y broblem o dacsis ambiwlans yn cael eu canslo, yn aml ar y funud olaf—wrth gwrs, rhywbeth sy'n achosi loes i gleifion sydd wedi bod yn aros tro i fynd i'r ysbyty. Mewn ateb a dderbyniais i ar 8 Ionawr, mi ddywedodd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ei fod o'n siomedig i glywed am y pryderon yma, a bod rhaglen drawsnewid yn cael ei gweithredu i wella'r maes yma, a bod cydweithio efo llywodraeth leol yn rhan o'r ateb. Ond, pryd allaf i ddweud wrth fy etholwyr i y gallant ddisgwyl gweld y rhan bwysig yma o'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn cael ei sefydlogi achos, hyd yma, er gwaethaf y rhaglen weithredol, mae'n amlwg nad ydy o'n gweithio?
I drew to the attention of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services the problem of ambulance taxis being cancelled at the very last moment—something that causes distress to patients who have been waiting a while to go to hospital. In a response I received on 8 January, the Cabinet Secretary said that he was disappointed to hear of these concerns, that a transformation programme is being implemented to make improvements in this area, and that collaboration with local government is part of the solution. But, when can I tell my constituents that they can expect to see this important part of the health service being stabilised, because to date, despite the programme, it's clear that it's not working?
Wel, mi wnaf ofyn i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ysgrifennu ato fe er mwyn sicrhau bod ymateb llawn yn cael ei roi.FootnoteLink
Well, I will ask the Cabinet Secretary to write to the Member in order to ensure that a full response is given to his question.FootnoteLink
First Minister, sadly we see the results when our health boards and local authorities fail to work together effectively: patients forced to stay in hospital far longer than necessary, or patients discharged without a care package in place. First Minister, I have been contacted by numerous elderly patients that have been left to fend for themselves after being discharged from hospital. What is your Government going to do to ensure that everyone who is discharged from hospital has adequate care in place during their recuperation?
Prif Weinidog, yn anffodus rydym ni'n gweld y canlyniadau pan fydd ein byrddau iechyd a'n hawdurdodau lleol yn methu â gweithio gyda'i gilydd yn effeithiol: cleifion yn cael eu gorfodi i aros yn yr ysbyty yn hirach na'r angen, neu gleifion yn cael eu rhyddhau heb fod pecyn gofal ar waith. Prif Weinidog, mae nifer o gleifion hŷn wedi cysylltu â mi, a adawyd i ofalu amdanynt eu hunain ar ôl cael eu rhyddhau o'r ysbyty. Beth mae eich Llywodraeth chi yn mynd i'w wneud i sicrhau bod gan bawb sy'n cael eu rhyddhau o'r ysbyty ofal priodol ar waith yn ystod y cyfnod pan fyddant yn adfer?
That shouldn't happen, of course. It's a matter for all local authorities to ensure that doesn't happen. The integrated care fund is designed to ensure that the barriers that stop people leaving hospital in order to return home are reduced, and indeed removed.
I can say that the latest published figures on delayed transfers of care do record a reduction of 0.7 per cent in the number of delays across Wales, compared to the October 2017 period—and that total was 6 per cent down on the same period last year—and lower than the totals reported in the equivalent period in the preceding two years. To me, that's a sign that the integrated care fund and the money we have invested in that are having a positive effect on so many people's lives.
Ni ddylai hynny ddigwydd, wrth gwrs. Mater i bob awdurdod lleol yw sicrhau nad yw hynny'n digwydd. Nod y gronfa gofal integredig yw sicrhau bod y rhwystrau sy'n atal pobl sy'n gadael yr ysbyty er mwyn dychwelyd adref yn lleihau, ac yn cael eu dileu, yn wir.
Gallaf ddweud bod y ffigurau diweddaraf a gyhoeddwyd ar oedi wrth drosglwyddo gofal yn cofnodi gostyngiad o 0.7 y cant i nifer yr achosion o oedi ledled Cymru, o'i gymharu â chyfnod mis Hydref 2017—ac roedd y cyfanswm hwnnw 6 y cant yn is na'r un cyfnod y llynedd—ac yn is na'r cyfansymiau a adroddwyd yn y cyfnod cyfatebol yn y ddwy flynedd flaenorol. I mi, mae hynny'n arwydd bod y gronfa gofal integredig a'r arian yr ydym ni wedi ei fuddsoddi yn honno yn cael effaith gadarnhaol ar fywydau cymaint o bobl.
4. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gyfathrebu â phobl sy’n aros am wasanaeth band eang cyflym iawn? OAQ51582
4. Will the First Minister make a statement on communicating with people who are waiting for superfast broadband services? OAQ51582
Mae gwybodaeth ar gyflwyno band eang cyflym iawn o dan project Cyflymu Cymru ar gael ar wefan Llywodraeth Cymru, a bydd darparu gwybodaeth effeithiol ar gyflwyno hyn hefyd yn ofyniad allweddol o unrhyw broject olynol.
Information on the introduction of Superfast Cymru is available on the Welsh Government website, and providing effective information will be on a key requirement of any future project.
Mi gysylltodd etholwr o Dalwrn efo fi yn ddiweddar, nid ei fod o'n flin oherwydd nad oedd ganddo fand eang cyflym iawn, ond ei fod o rŵan wedi ffeindio allan ei fod o ar gael iddo fe ers rhai misoedd, ond nad oedd e’n gwybod am y peth. A digwydd bod, rydw i yn yr un sefyllfa, lle dywedodd cymydog wrthyf ein bod ni'n gallu cael cysylltiad band eang cyflym ers cwpl o fisoedd.
Mae hyn yn rhwystredig iawn i bobl sydd wedi aros yn hir, ac mae o’n rhan, rydw i’n meddwl, o’r diffyg cyfathrebu affwysol sydd wedi bod rhwng Openreach a’r cyhoedd ynglŷn â roll-out band eang llydan. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi ymrwymiad i bwyso eto ar Openreach i roi gwybod i bobl pan fo cysylltiad ar gael? Achos mae disgwyl am y cysylltiad yn ddigon hir, a phan rydych yn ffeindio ei fod o wedi bod ar gael a chithau ddim yn gwybod, mae e’n hynod rwystredig.
A constituent from Talwrn contacted me recently, not that he was angry because he didn't have any superfast broadband, but that he's now found out that it has been available for some months and he wasn't aware of it. As it happens, I'm in the same situation, where a neighbour told me that we could access superfast broadband and have been able to do so for a few months.
This is very frustrating for people who have been waiting a long time, and I think it's part of the terrible lack of communication that's existed between Openreach and the public in terms of the roll-out of superfast broadband. So, will the First Minister give a commitment to put pressure again on Openreach to inform people when connections are available? Waiting for the connection can take long enough, and when you find that it has been available but you weren't aware, that's very frustrating indeed.
Nid ydyw wedi bod yn ddigonol. Mi oedd yna ymgyrch dros y tair blynedd lan at y flwyddyn nesaf er mwyn hybu defnydd o fand eang cyflym iawn, ond rydym yn ailystyried ym mha ffordd y gallwn ni wella’r cyfathrebu er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl sydd â’r gwasanaeth yn gallu ei dderbyn ac yn gwybod ei fod e yna. Wrth gwrs, mae’n un peth i sicrhau bod y strwythur yna, mae’n beth arall i sicrhau bod pobl yn gwybod eu bod nhw’n gallu ei ddefnyddio. So, mae hwn yn rhywbeth sydd wedi cael ei ddweud wrthym hefyd, ac rydym yn moyn ailystyried y ffordd rydym yn cyfathrebu er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl yn gwybod.
It has not been adequate. There was a campaign over the past three years, going on until next year, in order to promote the use of superfast broadband, and we are reconsidering how we can improve the communication on this, so that the people who have this service can receive it and understand that it's there. It's one thing that the infrastructure is available, but it's another to ensure that people know that they can use it. So, this is something that has been said to us too, and we want to consider the way in which we communicate in order to ensure that they are informed.
First Minister, can I say I think the Superfast Cymru programme has been a public communications disaster? Certainly my constituents have been repeatedly promised fibre broadband only to be told that the upgrade has been delayed, on several occasions. And now they find that they've been left in the lurch because Openreach has run out of time. In a letter to me on 11 January, the leader of the house said, and I quote in the letter: 'The provision of superfast broadband connection, under the Superfast Cymru project, was never promised to any area or community, only scheduled.'
That, to me, is a complete cop-out. Households have been promised repeatedly that they would receive an upgrade by the end of 2017. So, can I ask what is your message to these households? What lessons have you learned, and can you give any assurance that premises that were previously in scope will now be included in any successor scheme?
Prif Weinidog, a gaf i ddweud fy mod i'n credu bod rhaglen Cyflymu Cymru wedi bod yn drychineb cyfathrebu cyhoeddus? Yn sicr addawyd band eang ffibr i'm hetholwyr dro ar ôl tro dim ond i gael eu hysbysu bod yr uwchraddio wedi ei oedi, ar sawl achlysur. Ac maen nhw'n canfod nawr eu bod nhw wedi cael eu gadael mewn twll gan fod Openreach wedi rhedeg allan o amser. Mewn llythyr i mi ar 11 Ionawr, dywedodd arweinydd y tŷ, a dyfynnaf yn y llythyr: Ni chafodd y ddarpariaeth o gysylltiad band eang cyflym iawn, o dan brosiect Cyflymu Cymru, ei addo i unrhyw ardal na chymuned erioed, dim ond ei drefnu.
Mae hynny, i mi, yn osgoi cyfrifoldeb yn llwyr. Addawyd i aelwydydd dro ar ôl tro y bydden nhw'n cael uwchraddiad erbyn diwedd 2017. Felly, a gaf i ofyn beth yw eich neges chi i'r aelwydydd hyn? Pa wersi ydych chi wedi eu dysgu, ac a allwch chi roi unrhyw sicrwydd bod safleoedd a oedd yn rhan o'r cwmpas gynt yn cael eu cynnwys mewn unrhyw gynllun olynol nawr?
First of all, we're in the hands of BT in terms of the physical works that are taken forward. What I can say is, I do understand that there are people who now feel, because the contract has come to an end, therefore nothing else will happen. Can I say to the Member that we are considering what further steps we can now take? I understand. I've heard stories around Wales that, literally, structure has been left half finished as a result of the contract finishing. I'm well aware of that. It would seem a great shame if that were to happen. So, I can say to him and his constituents that we are actively considering how best to ensure that more people are connected, and we're looking again at how we can help to connect many more communities and households beyond the end of the contract at the end of last year.
Yn gyntaf oll, rydym ni yn nwylo BT o ran y gwaith ffisegol sy'n cael ei wneud. Yr hyn y gallaf ei ddweud yw fy mod i'n deall bod pobl sy'n teimlo nawr, gan fod y contract wedi dod i ben, na fydd unrhyw beth arall yn digwydd. A gaf i ddweud wrth yr Aelod ein bod ni'n ystyried pa gamau pellach y gallwn ni eu cymryd nawr? Rwy'n deall. Rwyf i wedi clywed straeon ledled Cymru bod adeiledd, yn llythrennol, wedi ei adael wedi hanner ei orffen oherwydd i'r contract ddod i ben. Rwy'n gwbl ymwybodol o hynny. Byddai'n drueni mawr pe byddai hynny'n digwydd. Felly, a gaf i ddweud wrtho fe a'i etholwyr ein bod ni'n mynd ati i ystyried sut orau i sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn cael eu cysylltu, ac rydym ni'n edrych eto ar sut y gallwn ni helpu i gysylltu llawer mwy o gymunedau ac aelwydydd y tu hwnt i ddiwedd y contract ddiwedd y llynedd.
First Minister, because of Welsh Government investment, there's no doubt that thousands of households across the Llanelli constituency now have access to superfast broadband. But in the community of Bynea, just outside of Llanelli, they've been treated appallingly by BT Openreach. They were told they'd have access by the end of the year, they've appalling speeds, and just before Christmas were told that because they've reached their target, they'd have to wait until any future successor scheme. This clearly isn't good enough.
My colleague Nia Griffith held a meeting with residents and with BT on Saturday morning, and they were told that they'd now have to cobble together a community bid. They are very frustrated by this, so can the Welsh Government make sure that, as it communicates the next phase, these left-behind groups are now reached and reached quickly?
Prif Weinidog, oherwydd buddsoddiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru, nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth bod gan filoedd o gartrefi ar draws etholaeth Llanelli fynediad at fand eang cyflym iawn erbyn hyn. Ond yng nghymuned y Bynie, ar gyrion Llanelli, maen nhw wedi cael eu trin yn hynod wael gan BT Openreach. Dywedwyd wrthynt y byddai ganddyn nhw fynediad erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn, maen ganddyn nhw gyflymderau gwarthus, ac fe'u hysbyswyd ychydig cyn y Nadolig y byddai'n rhaid iddyn nhw aros tan unrhyw gynllun olynol yn y dyfodol oherwydd eu bod wedi cyrraedd eu targed. Yn amlwg, nid yw hyn yn ddigon da.
Cynhaliodd fy nghyd-Aelod, Nia Griffith, gyfarfod â thrigolion a chyda BT fore Sadwrn, a dywedwyd wrthynt y byddai'n rhaid iddyn nhw baratoi cais cymunedol nawr. Mae hyn wedi peri rhwystredigaeth mawr iddyn nhw, felly a all Llywodraeth Cymru wneud yn siŵr, wrth iddi gyfathrebu'r cyfnod nesaf, bod y grwpiau hyn a adawyd ar ôl yn cael eu cyrraedd nawr, ac yn cael eu cyrraedd yn gyflym?
Well, I can well imagine the concern, if not anger, that people in Bynea feel. I think, from the Member's tone, this was part of the Superfast Cymru contract rather than a commercial contract, over which, of course, we have no control, but it is something that we'll continue to address with BT with a view to looking again at communities that were promised, or appear to have been promised, to have services but have not had those services delivered, with a view to delivering those services in the future. So, we are very much aware that there will be communities and premises around Wales who feel that they should have had access to superfast broadband who've not yet received it, and we are now looking at ways to try to ensure that they do receive it in future.
Wel, gallaf ddychmygu'n iawn y pryder, os nad y dicter, y mae pobl yn y Bynie yn ei deimlo. Rwy'n credu, o dôn yr Aelod, bod hyn yn rhan o'r contract Cyflymu Cymru yn hytrach na chontract masnachol, nad oes gennym ni unrhyw reolaeth drosto, wrth gwrs, ond mae'n rhywbeth y byddwn yn parhau i fynd i'r afael ag ef gyda BT gyda'r nod o edrych eto ar gymunedau yr addawyd, neu y mae'n ymddangos yr addawyd, gwasanaethau iddynt, ond na ddarparwyd y gwasanaethau hynny iddynt, gyda'r nod o ddarparu'r gwasanaethau hynny yn y dyfodol. Felly, rydym ni'n ymwybodol iawn y bydd cymunedau a safleoedd ledled Cymru sy'n teimlo y dylen nhw fod wedi gallu cael mynediad at fand eang cyflym iawn nad ydynt wedi ei dderbyn eto, ac rydym ni'n edrych nawr ar ffyrdd o geisio sicrhau eu bod nhw'n ei dderbyn yn y dyfodol.
5. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog amlinellu sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru wella sicrwydd ariannol ar gyfer pobl yng Nghymru? OAQ51579
5. Will the First Minister outline how the Welsh Government can improve financial security for people in Wales? OAQ51579
Mae ein cynllun cyflenwi ar gyfer cynhwysiant ariannol yn amlinellu ein gwaith gyda sefydliadau partner. Mae hwn yn gwella mynediad at gredyd fforddiadwy, gwasanaethau a gwybodaeth ariannol, ac yn gwella galluedd ariannol yng Nghymru.
Our financial inclusion delivery plan sets out our work with partner organisations. This is improving access to affordable credit, financial services and financial information, and improving financial capability in Wales.
Diolch. Mae marchnad fwy eang ar gyfer undebau credyd mewn gwledydd datblygedig eraill. Rŷm ni'n edrych ar Iwerddon: 77 y cant y flwyddyn diwethaf; a 50 y cant yn yr Unol Daleithiau. Mae'r ffigurau i Gymru o ran aelodaeth undebau credyd: 69,000 o aelodau yma, ond 561,000 yng Ngogledd Iwerddon ynddo'i hun. Tybed a fedrai Llywodraeth Cymru wneud mwy i hwyluso datblygiad undebau credyd yng Nghymru, o feddwl bod banciau mawr yn tynnu eu hunain allan o gymunedau lleol? A oes modd creu rhwydwaith cenedlaethol o undebau credyd llwyddiannus a fyddai'n gallu cymryd lle y ffaith bod y banciau yn tynnu yn ôl o'n cymunedau, er mwyn sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau yno o hyd iddyn nhw?
Thank you. There's a broader market for credit unions in other developed nations. We look at Ireland, where there's been 77 per cent in the last year and 50 per cent in the United States, and the figures for Wales in terms of credit union membership: 69,000 members here, but 561,000 in Northern Ireland alone. So, I wonder whether the Welsh Government could do more to facilitate the development of credit unions in Wales, given that the larger banks are withdrawing from local communities. Is it possible to create a national network of credit unions that could be successful and could replace the high-street banks that are withdrawing from our communities, in order to ensure that those services remain in place for people in Wales?
Rwy'n cydymdeimlo'n fawr iawn gyda beth sydd gan yr Aelod i'w ddweud. A gaf i dalu teyrnged iddi hi am y gwaith y mae hi wedi'i wneud er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl yn cael yr help sydd ei eisiau arnynt—
I sympathise greatly with what the Member is saying. May I pay tribute to her for the work that she has done in order to ensure that people get the help that they need—
There's a first for everything.
Mae tro cyntaf i bopeth.
—a ddim, wrth gwrs, mewn sefyllfa lle maen nhw'n gorfod benthyg arian oddi wrth bobl sy'n mynd i tsiarjo lot fawr o arian iddyn nhw i fenthyg yr arian hwnnw?
Mae yna mwy o botensial, rwy'n credu, ynglŷn ag undebau credyd. Mae'n wir i ddweud, yn Iwerddon—er eu bod wedi bod yn Iwerddon llawer yn hirach nag yng Nghymru—fod undebau credyd yn gallu benthyg arian mawr, o gymharu ag undebau credyd Cymru. Mae pobl yn cael morgeisi, er enghraifft, gan undebau credyd yn Iwerddon. Ynglŷn â chael rhwydwaith o undebau credyd, mae hynny'n rhywbeth rwy'n credu sy'n werth ei ystyried. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod y Gweinidog yn cyfathrebu gyda hi er mwyn sicrhau ym mha ffordd y gallwn ni gryfhau presenoldeb undebau credyd yng nghymunedau Cymru, o gofio'r ffaith bod banciau yn gadael siẁd gymaint o gymunedau, er mwyn rhoi cyfle i bobl reoli eu bywydau ariannol mewn ffordd sy'n dda iddyn nhw.FootnoteLink
—and aren't, of course, in a situation where they have to borrow money from people who would charge them a great deal for borrowing that money?
It is true to say that there is more potential in credit unions. It's true to say that in Ireland, where they've been for much longer than in Wales, the credit unions there can lend a great deal of money when compared with the credit unions in Wales. People can get mortgages from credit unions there, for example. As regards the network of credit unions, I think that is something that is well worth considering, and I will ensure that the Minister will communicate with her in order to see how we can strengthen the presence of credit unions in the communities of Wales, bearing in mind that the banks are withdrawing from so many communities, in order to give people the opportunity to control their financial lives in a way that benefits them.FootnoteLink
Although children who gain experience of budgeting, spending and saving from an early age are more likely to be able to manage their finances as they take on financial responsibilities as they grow older, research from the Money Advice Service on the financial capability of children, young people and parents in Wales, launched during last November's Financial Capability Week, found that many young people about to turn 18 in Wales are ill-prepared for dealing with adult financial responsibilities. Just 35 per cent of children between seven and 17 had learned about money management in school and only 7 per cent had talked with their teachers about money.
Will you therefore encourage your Government to revisit the recommendations of the 2010 Communities and Culture Committee report on financial inclusion and the impact of financial education, which made clear recommendations in these areas? And can you also confirm what role, if any, the Welsh Government will be taking in UK Government proposals for a breathing space scheme, to provide individuals in debt with up to 6 weeks free from interest charges and enforcement to give them time to seek financial advice, hopefully—and I declare an interest—from independent third sector bodies, such as those two of my daughters work for, providing this impartial advice to people?
Er bod plant sy'n ennill profiad o gyllidebu, gwario a chynilo o oedran cynnar yn fwy tebygol o allu rheoli eu harian wrth iddyn nhw ysgwyddo cyfrifoldebau ariannol pan fyddan nhw'n tyfu'n hŷn, canfu gwaith ymchwil gan y Gwasanaeth Cynghori Ariannol ar allu ariannol plant, pobl ifanc a rhieni yng Nghymru, a lansiwyd yn ystod Wythnos Gallu Ariannol fis Tachwedd diwethaf, nad yw llawer o bobl ifanc sydd ar fin troi'n 18 oed yng Nghymru wedi eu paratoi'n ddigonol ar gyfer ymdrin â chyfrifoldebau ariannol oedolion. Dim ond 35 y cant o blant rhwng saith a 17 oed oedd wedi dysgu am reoli arian yn yr ysgol a dim ond 7 y cant oedd wedi trafod arian gyda'u hathrawon.
A wnewch chi annog eich Llywodraeth felly i ailystyried argymhellion adroddiad 2010 y Pwyllgor Cymunedau a Diwylliant ar gynhwysiant ariannol ac effaith addysg ariannol, a wnaeth argymhellion eglur yn y meysydd hyn? A allwch chi hefyd gadarnhau pa swyddogaeth, os o gwbl, y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei chyflawni yng nghynigion Llywodraeth y DU ar gyfer cynllun cyfle i anadlu, i gynnig hyd at 6 wythnos i unigolion mewn dyled yn rhydd o ffioedd llog a gorfodaeth i roi amser iddyn nhw gael cyngor ariannol, gobeithio—ac rwy'n datgan buddiant—gan gyrff trydydd sector annibynnol, fel y rhai y mae dwy o'm merched yn gweithio iddynt, yn darparu'r cyngor diduedd hwn i bobl?
Firstly, I agree entirely with him about the need for young people to be financially educated. I think part of the problem is that money, despite what happened in 2008, still appears to be freely available in a way that it wasn't when I was younger, when loans were not as freely available as they are now. In the days when—well, my first car loan carried an interest rate of 29 per cent; I remember that very vividly, and painfully. For many people, they found it very difficult to manage—they'd not been shown how to manage; sometimes people learn through their families, sometimes people don't have that ability to learn, and don't have an example that they can follow. It is part, I understand, of the curriculum, of the new curriculum, so it will be there, to enable young people to be able to manage their—to help them them to manage their—finances in the future. Because the point is well made: how do you as a youngster cope with all the—? Quite often, money is being thrown at you—or debts thrown at you, for many, many people—without any kind of help available to you. That point is well made, and it's included in the curriculum.
In terms of the issue of breathing space, I know this is something that has been raised. It is something that we need to consider, as to how we—if we look to take it forward, how we take it forward, whether it's on a Wales basis or working with other countries in the UK. But, to my mind, anything that enables people to have a respite from debt, and particularly continuing debt, which people often find on their shoulders, must be a welcome thing.
Yn gyntaf, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr ag ef am yr angen i bobl ifanc gael addysg ariannol. Rwy'n credu mai rhan o'r broblem yw ei bod hi'n ymddangos bod arian, er gwaethaf yr hyn a ddigwyddodd yn 2008, yn dal i fod ar gael yn rhwydd mewn ffordd nad oedd pan oeddwn i'n iau, pan nad oedd benthyciadau ar gael mor rhwydd ag y maen nhw nawr. Yn y dyddiau pan—wel, roedd gan fy menthyciad car cyntaf gyfradd llog o 29 y cant; rwy'n cofio hynny'n eglur iawn, ac yn boenus. I lawer o bobl, roedden nhw'n ei chael hi'n anodd iawn ymdopi—nid oedd neb wedi dangos iddyn nhw sut i ymdopi; weithiau mae pobl yn dysgu trwy eu teuluoedd, weithiau nid yw'r gallu hwnnw i ddysgu gan bobl, ac nid oes ganddyn nhw esiampl y gallan nhw ei dilyn. Mae'n rhan, rwy'n deall, o'r cwricwlwm, y cwricwlwm newydd, felly bydd yno, i alluogi pobl ifanc i reoli eu—i'w helpu nhw i reoli eu—cyllid yn y dyfodol. Oherwydd mae'r pwynt yn cael ei wneud yn dda: sut ydych chi fel person ifanc yn ymdopi â'r holl—? Yn aml iawn, mae arian yn cael ei daflu atoch chi—neu ddyledion yn cael eu taflu atoch chi, i lawer iawn o bobl—heb unrhyw fath o gymorth ar gael i chi. Mae'r pwynt hwnnw wedi ei wneud yn dda, ac mae wedi ei gynnwys yn y cwricwlwm.
O ran cyfle i anadlu, gwn fod hyn yn rhywbeth sydd wedi cael ei godi. Mae'n rhywbeth y mae angen i ni ei ystyried, o ran sut yr ydym ni'n—os edrychwn ni ar fwrw ymlaen ag ef, sut i fwrw ymlaen ag ef, boed ar sail Cymru neu'n gweithio gyda gwledydd eraill yn y DU. Ond, yn fy marn i, mae'n rhaid i unrhyw beth sy'n galluogi pobl i gael seibiant o ddyled, a dyled barhaus yn arbennig, y mae pobl yn aml yn canfod eu bod yn ei hysgwyddo, fod yn rhywbeth i'w groesawu.
Cwestiwn 6—o na, mae'n ddrwg gen i. Rhianon Passmore.
Question 6—oh no, sorry. Rhianon Passmore.
Diolch. First Minister, following the Tory UK Government's hollowed budget at the end of last year, the Welsh Government's budget will be once again lower, in real terms, in 2019-20 than it was in 2010-11. The Welsh Labour Government has repeatedly asserted that, for the Welsh economy to grow, which will consequently improve the financial security for the Welsh people, it is critically important that the UK Government commit to important infrastructure projects in Wales. First Minister, what representations and actions have the Welsh Government made to ensure projects like the Swansea bay tidal lagoon, electrification of the London Paddington to Swansea railway line, and the much-needed further investment in our railway infrastructure, become a reality?
Diolch. Prif Weinidog, yn dilyn cyllideb wag Llywodraeth Dorïaidd y DU ddiwedd y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, bydd cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru yn is unwaith eto, mewn termau real, yn 2019-20 nag yr oedd yn 2010-11. Mae Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru wedi mynegi dro ar ôl tro, er mwyn i economi Cymru dyfu, a fydd o ganlyniad yn gwella diogelwch ariannol i bobl Cymru, ei bod hi'n hanfodol bwysig bod Llywodraeth y DU yn ymrwymo i brosiectau seilwaith pwysig yng Nghymru. Prif Weinidog, pa sylwadau mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu gwneud a pha gamau y mae wedi eu cymryd i sicrhau bod prosiectau fel morlyn llanw bae Abertawe, trydaneiddio'r rheilffordd o Lundain Paddington i Abertawe, a'r buddsoddiad pellach y mae wir ei angen yn ein seilwaith rheilffyrdd, yn dod yn realiti?
Well, we've made representations very strongly. We get 1.5 per cent of railway infrastructure investment—1.5 per cent. On a balanced share, it would be over 6 per cent, but that's not what we get. And still the UK Government refused to devolve railway infrastructure plus a Barnett share of that spending to us. We still have no decision on the tidal lagoon. We made the point last week. We have put our cards on the table as a Welsh Government. We have said that we are prepared to make a financial contribution, take a stake in the lagoon. We make no apologies for that. Silence as far as the UK Government is concerned, silence from the Conservative benches—silence from the Conservative benches. This is a major project—[Interruption.] This is a major project, which needs a decision. Twelve months have gone by since the review was put in place to assess whether this project should go ahead. It has said the project should go ahead; still we have no response at all. [Interruption.] Oh, I'm being told by Darren Millar my attitude doesn't help, as if I was a schoolboy. I'm the First Minister of Wales; I've got every opportunity and right to represent the people of Wales in regard to the UK Government, and the UK Government isn't actually making progress. [Interruption.] I'm sorry, we have had 12 months of reasonableness, and nothing has been delivered. It is about time that we saw the commitment from the UK Government that the Welsh Government has made, and a commitment that is made to creating up to 1,000 jobs in Wales and a sustainable green energy sector. We stand ready to work with the UK Government, but we need the UK Government, and the Welsh Conservative Party, to be vocal in support of the lagoon.
Wel, rydym ni wedi gwneud sylwadau cryf iawn. Rydym ni'n cael 1.5 y cant o fuddsoddiad seilwaith rheilffordd—1.5 y cant. Byddai dros 6 y cant ar sail cyfran gytbwys, ond nid dyna yr ydym ni'n ei gael. Ac fe wnaeth Llywodraeth y DU barhau i wrthod datganoli seilwaith rheilffyrdd yn ogystal â chyfran Barnett o'r gwariant hwnnw i ni. Nid ydym ni wedi cael unrhyw benderfyniad am y morlyn llanw o hyd. Gwnaed y pwynt gennym yr wythnos diwethaf. Rydym ni wedi rhoi ein cardiau ar y bwrdd fel Llywodraeth Cymru. Rydym ni wedi dweud ein bod ni'n barod i wneud cyfraniad ariannol, i gymryd cyfran yn y morlyn. Nid ydym yn ymddiheuro am hynny. Distawrwydd cyn belled ag y mae Llywodraeth y DU yn y cwestiwn, distawrwydd o feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr—distawrwydd o feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr. Mae hwn yn brosiect mawr—[Torri ar draws.] Mae hwn yn brosiect mawr, sydd angen penderfyniad. Mae blwyddyn wedi mynd heibio ers cychwyn yr adolygiad i asesu pa un a ddylai'r prosiect hwn fynd yn ei flaen. Mae wedi dweud y dylai'r prosiect fynd yn ei flaen; ac eto rydym ni'n dal i fod heb gael unrhyw ymateb o gwbl. [Torri ar draws.] O, mae Darren Millar yn dweud wrthyf nad yw fy agwedd i'n helpu, fel pe byddwn i'n fachgen ysgol. Fi yw Prif Weinidog Cymru; mae gen i bob cyfle a hawl i gynrychioli pobl Cymru o ran Llywodraeth y DU, ac nid yw Llywodraeth y DU yn gwneud unrhyw gynnydd mewn gwirionedd. [Torri ar draws.] Mae'n ddrwg gen i, rydym ni wedi cael 12 mis o resymoldeb, ac ni ddarparwyd dim. Mae'n hen bryd i ni weld yr ymrwymiad gan Lywodraeth y DU y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei wneud, ac ymrwymiad a wneir i greu hyd at 1,000 o swyddi yng Nghymru a sector ynni gwyrdd cynaliadwy. Rydym ni'n sefyll yn barod i weithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU, ond rydym ni angen i Lywodraeth y DU, a Phlaid Geidwadol Cymru, i fod yn uchel eu cloch o ran cefnogi'r morlyn.
Nawr cwestiwn 6—Leanne Wood.
Now question 6—Leanne Wood.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am ddefnyddio gorchmynion gwarchod mannau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru? OAQ51571
6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the use of public space protection orders in Wales? OAQ51571
Well, public spaces protection orders are a matter for local authorities.
Wel, mater i awdurdodau lleol yw gorchmynion gwarchod mannau cyhoeddus.
Labour-controlled Newport City Council are seeking to amend their public space protection order to include a blanket 'no begging' restriction, as part of a crackdown on aggressive or intimidating begging. It's the view of homelessness charity Wallich that aggressive begging is already prohibited under the existing PSPO and that shifting begging off the streets will only make it harder to provide support for those people who need help with homelessness services. Although the hands of the Welsh Government are tied in terms of preventing local authorities from imposing these restrictions, can you please give us your view on such blanket bans on begging, and can you issue guidance to local authorities, urging them to seek a much more compassionate response?
Mae Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd o dan reolaeth Lafur yn ceisio diwygio ei orchymyn gwarchod mannau cyhoeddus i gynnwys cyfyngiad 'dim cardota' cynhwysfawr, yn rhan o ymgyrch yn erbyn cardota ymosodol neu fygythiol. Mae'r elusen digartrefedd Wallich o'r farn bod cardota ymosodol eisoes wedi ei wahardd gan y GGMC presennol ac y bydd symud cardota oddi ar y strydoedd ddim ond yn ei gwneud yn fwy anodd i ddarparu cymorth i'r bobl hynny sydd angen cymorth gyda gwasanaethau digartrefedd. Er bod dwylo Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu rhwymo o ran atal awdurdodau lleol rhag gorfodi'r cyfyngiadau hyn, a allwch chi roi eich barn chi ar waharddiadau cynhwysfawr o'r fath ar gardota, ac a allwch chi gyflwyno canllawiau i awdurdodau lleol, yn eu hannog i geisio ymateb llawer mwy trugarog?
One of the things I noticed in the late 1980s, when I first went to London, was that there were people begging on the streets—numbers of them. And I remember thinking, 'Oh, I wouldn't like to see this in Wales.' But it happened, in the 1990s, and it's still there now, as we know. At the end of the second world war, begging largely disappeared from the streets of the UK. It re-emerged under a Tory Government in the 1980s and 1990s.
From my perspective, I think there are two issues here: first of all, there is no doubt that many people find aggressive begging intimidating, but the answer is not simply to say, 'Well, just get rid of them and that's the end of it', because there has to be a twin-track approach. Yes, people don't want to—. Many people do feel that they don't want to see people begging on the street, but there has to be an alternative where people can go, where people don't feel they have to beg, where people get the support that they need, where they're given a roof over their heads and get that support. We're not in the days of the Vagrancy Act 1824, where people were effectively criminalised because they were homeless. It does need a compassionate approach, she is right, and that means ensuring that where there are plans to deal with the issue of begging on the streets there are places people can go in order that they feel they don't have to do that in the first place.
Un o'r pethau y sylwais arnynt ddiwedd y 1980au, pan euthum i Lundain gyntaf, oedd bod pobl yn cardota ar y strydoedd—llawer ohonynt. Ac rwy'n cofio meddwl, 'O, hoffwn i ddim gweld hyn yng Nghymru.' Ond digwyddodd, yn y 1990au, ac mae'n dal i fod yno nawr, fel y gwyddom. Ar ddiwedd yr ail ryfel byd, diflannodd cardota o strydoedd y DU i raddau helaeth. Daeth yn ôl i'r amlwg o dan Lywodraeth Dorïaidd yn y 1980au a'r 1990au.
O'm safbwynt i, rwy'n credu bod dau fater yn y fan yma: yn gyntaf oll, nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth bod llawer o bobl o'r farn bod cardota ymosodol yn fygythiol, ond nid yr ateb yw dweud yn syml, 'Wel, dim ond cael gwared arnyn nhw sydd angen a dyna ddiwedd arni', oherwydd mae'n rhaid cael dull dau lwybr. Nac ydy, dydy pobl ddim eisiau—. Mae llawer o bobl yn teimlo nad ydyn nhw eisiau gweld pobl yn cardota ar y stryd, ond mae'n rhaid bod dewis amgen lle gall pobl fynd, lle nad yw pobl yn teimlo bod rhaid iddyn nhw gardota, lle mae pobl yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt, lle maen nhw'n cael to uwch eu pennau ac maen nhw'n cael y cymorth hwnnw. Nid ydym ni yn nyddiau Deddf Cardota 1824, pan oedd pobl yn cael eu gwneud yn droseddwyr i bob pwrpas oherwydd eu bod yn ddigartref. Mae angen dull trugarog, mae hi'n iawn, ac mae hynny'n golygu sicrhau bod lleoedd y gall pobl fynd iddyn nhw fel eu bod yn teimlo nad oes rhaid iddyn nhw wneud hynny yn y lle cyntaf, pan geir cynlluniau i ymdrin â'r mater o gardota ar y strydoedd.
First Minister, for the reasons that you have mentioned and others, we do have a worrying level of rough-sleeping and begging on our streets and I think that's been very visible and noticeable to all of us and the public in general. We do need constructive responses. So, I wonder if you would agree with me that Newport business investment district, representing city centre traders and businesses in Newport, together with partners such as Newport City Council, are providing that sort of thinking in looking at a diverted giving scheme, which is proposed at the moment, which would involve people donating to participating shops rather than giving to those begging on the streets, with that money then going to provide additional services and support. I wonder if you would join me in welcoming that proposed initiative in Newport as a way of dealing with the very practical issues and making sure that vulnerable people are better supported.
Prif Weinidog, am y rhesymau yr ydych chi wedi sôn amdanynt ac eraill, mae gennym ni lefel sy'n peri gofid o gysgu ar y stryd a chardota ar ein strydoedd ac rwy'n credu bod hynny wedi bod yn amlwg ac yn hawdd sylwi arno i bob un ohonom ni ac i'r cyhoedd yn gyffredinol. Mae angen ymatebion adeiladol arnom. Felly, tybed a fyddech chi'n cytuno â mi bod ardal buddsoddiad busnes Casnewydd, sy'n cynrychioli masnachwyr a busnesau canol y ddinas yng Nghasnewydd, ynghyd â phartneriaid fel Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd, yn darparu'r mathau hynny o syniadau i ystyried cynllun rhoi wedi ei arallgyfeirio, sy'n cael ei gynnig ar hyn o bryd, a fyddai'n golygu pobl yn rhoi i siopau sy'n cymryd rhan yn hytrach na rhoi i'r rhai sy'n cardota ar y strydoedd, gyda'r arian hwnnw yn mynd at ddarparu gwasanaethau a chymorth ychwanegol i bobl wedyn. Tybed a wnewch chi ymuno â mi i groesawu'r fenter arfaethedig honno yng Nghasnewydd fel ffordd o ymdrin â'r materion ymarferol iawn a gwneud yn siŵr bod pobl sy'n agored i niwed yn cael eu cefnogi'n well.
Well, it is an example of what I was saying. I thank my friend for the question. It's an example of what I was saying earlier on. This is not a question of Newport saying, 'We're going to get rid of beggars', it's a question of saying, 'Look, is there a better way, a more humane way, of helping people?' That's exactly what you said: people donating money to organisations, I think such as the Wallich as well, to help people who are homeless to create a fund of money for organisations that can help individuals. That to me represents a very effective way of dealing with what can be public concerns—I've had them expressed to me—but also dealing with individuals who are at risk in a humane way.
Wel, mae'n enghraifft o'r hyn yr oeddwn i'n ei ddweud. Diolch i fy nghyfaill am y cwestiwn. Mae'n enghraifft o'r hyn a ddywedais yn gynharach. Nid yw hwn yn fater o Gasnewydd yn dweud, 'Rydym ni'n mynd i gael gwared ar gardotwyr', mae'n fater o ddweud, 'Edrychwch, a oes ffordd well, ffordd fwy trugarog, o helpu pobl?' Dyna'n union yr hyn a ddywedasoch: pobl yn rhoi arian i sefydliadau, fel y Wallich hefyd rwy'n credu, i helpu pobl ddigartref i greu cronfa o arian ar gyfer sefydliadau sy'n gallu helpu unigolion. Mae hynny i mi yn cynrychioli ffordd effeithiol iawn o ymdrin â'r hyn a all fod yn bryderon cyhoeddus—fe'u mynegwyd i mi—ond hefyd o ymdrin ag unigolion sydd mewn perygl mewn ffordd ddyngarol.
7. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau bod digon o dir ar gael i awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru i ateb y galw ar gyfer datblygiadau tai newydd? OAQ51558
7. How does the Welsh Government ensure that local authorities in Wales have sufficient land available to meet the demand for new housing developments? OAQ51558
The planning system plays a vital role in the delivery of new homes by identifying the land necessary to meet the housing requirements of communities, which are determined by local planning authorities in their local development plans.
Mae'r system gynllunio yn chwarae rhan hanfodol yn y ddarpariaeth o gartrefi newydd trwy nodi'r tir sydd ei angen i fodloni gofynion tai cymunedau, a benderfynir gan awdurdodau cynllunio lleol yn eu cynlluniau datblygu lleol.
Thank you for the answer, First Minister. The Welsh Government requires local planning authorities to maintain a five-year housing land supply to meet local demand for housing and to monitor this on an annual basis. However, Caerphilly County Borough Council's local development plan has failed to ensure sufficient deliverable land has been made available to meet the needs they have identified for their local communities. Caerphilly's housing land supply position is being hampered by the failure to make progress in replacing their LDP following a review, which began in 2013. What action will the First Minister take to ensure that Caerphilly council meet the requirements regarding housing land supply set by his own Government?
Diolch am yr ateb, Prif Weinidog. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i awdurdodau cynllunio lleol gynnal cyflenwad tir dros bum mlynedd ar gyfer tai i fodloni'r galw lleol am dai ac i fonitro hyn yn flynyddol. Fodd bynnag, mae cynllun datblygu lleol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili wedi methu â sicrhau bod digon o dir ar gael i ddiwallu'r anghenion y mae wedi eu nodi ar gyfer ei gymunedau lleol. Mae sefyllfa cyflenwad tir tai Caerffili yn cael ei amharu gan y methiant i wneud cynnydd o ran disodli ei CDLl yn dilyn adolygiad, a ddechreuodd yn 2013. Pa gamau wnaiff y Prif Weinidog eu cymryd i sicrhau bod cyngor Caerffili yn bodloni'r gofynion o ran cyflenwad tir ar gyfer tai a bennwyd gan ei Lywodraeth ei hun?
Well, first of all, it's important that local authorities do have a five-year supply of land. Secondly, it's important to have an up-to-date LDP, because the alternative is a free-for-all and that's something that all local authorities will want to avoid. That said, I have to say it is hugely important that Caerphilly and other authorities are able to work together to bring forth strategic development plans, because it is an artificial divide to say, 'Well, you know, anybody who wants to live in Caerphilly has to work in Caerphilly' or that somehow people don't work in Cardiff from Rhondda Cynon Taf or vice versa. The reality is that housing demand is not determined by local authority boundaries. So, I do want to see—and I know it's something that is felt strongly by Members who represent constituencies where there's pressure on housing—local authorities working together and saying, 'Look, the reality is Cardiff, Caerphilly, Newport, RCT', just to give some examples, 'they're part of a similar urban area'. Housing demand will be the same in all local authorities, so it does make sense then to work together to deliver a strategic solution to housing demand rather than, as has historically been the case, simply looking at demand in one local authority area. That doesn't represent economic reality and it's hugely important that local authorities, as they have been given in the planning Act, are given the flexibility to work together to deliver housing solutions outside of their own boundaries.
Wel, yn gyntaf oll, mae'n bwysig bod gan awdurdodau lleol gyflenwad pum mlynedd o dir. Yn ail, mae'n bwysig cael CDLl cyfredol, oherwydd y dewis arall yw trefniant cwbl benagored ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y bydd pob awdurdod lleol yn dymuno ei osgoi. Wedi dweud hynny, mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud ei bod hi'n bwysig dros ben bod Caerffili ac awdurdodau eraill yn gallu gweithio gyda'i gilydd i gyflwyno cynlluniau datblygu strategol, oherwydd mae'n rhaniad artiffisial i ddweud, 'Wel, wyddoch chi, mae'n rhaid i unrhyw un sydd eisiau byw yng Nghaerffili weithio yng Nghaerffili' neu rywsut nad yw pobl yn gweithio yng Nghaerdydd o Rondda Cynon Taf neu i'r gwrthwyneb. Y gwir amdani yw nad yw'r galw hwnnw am dai yn cael ei bennu gan ffiniau awdurdodau lleol. Felly, rwyf i eisiau gweld—a gwn ei fod yn rhywbeth a deimlir yn gryf gan Aelodau sy'n cynrychioli etholaethau lle ceir pwysau ar dai—awdurdodau lleol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd ac yn dweud, 'Edrychwch, y gwir yw bod Caerdydd, Caerffili, Casnewydd, Rhondda Cynon Taf', dim ond i roi rhai enghreifftiau, 'maen nhw'n rhan o ardal drefol debyg'. Bydd galw am dai yr un fath ym mhob awdurdod lleol, felly mae'n gwneud synnwyr wedyn i gydweithio i gynnig ateb strategol i'r galw am dai yn hytrach nag edrych yn syml, fel y bu'n wir yn hanesyddol, ar alw mewn un ardal awdurdod lleol. Nid yw hynny'n cynrychioli realiti economaidd ac mae'n eithriadol o bwysig y rhoddir yr hyblygrwydd i awdurdodau lleol, fel y rhoddwyd iddynt yn y Ddeddf cynllunio, i weithio gyda'i gilydd i ddarparu atebion tai y tu allan i'w ffiniau eu hunain.
Ac, yn olaf, cwestiwn 8—Dawn Bowden.
And, finally, question 8—Dawn Bowden.
8. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am raglen fuddsoddi Ysgolion yr 21ain Ganrif ym Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni? OAQ51549
8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the 21st Century Schools investment programme in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OAQ51549
Merthyr Tydfil local authority has £19 million earmarked for band A of the twenty-first century schools and education programme in the five years to 2019. The Caerphilly authority, which, of course, she represents part of, has £56.5 million, of which over £8 million is earmarked for Rhymney. Further investment is planned from 2019 when band B begins.
Mae awdurdod lleol Merthyr Tudful wedi clustnodi £19 miliwn ar gyfer band A y Rhaglen i Sicrhau Addysg ac Ysgolion ar gyfer yr 21ain Ganrif yn ystod y pum mlynedd hyd at 2019. Mae gan awdurdod Caerffili, yr awdurdod y mae hi, wrth gwrs, yn cynrychioli rhan ohono, £56.5 miliwn, ac mae dros £8 miliwn ohono wedi'i glustnodi ar gyfer Rhymni. Bwriedir buddsoddi mwy ar ôl 2019 pan fydd band B yn dechrau.
Thank you for that answer, First Minister. I recently had the great pleasure of officially opening the new refurbished buildings at Ysgol Afon Taf in my constituency and I saw, at first hand, the benefits of the investment by Welsh Government in the future of young learners there. I'm sure you'll agree that such a development shows the clear benefits of our capital investment in education. Would you therefore agree with me that the new administration in Merthyr Tydfil council needs to build on this record of success and that a decisive and objective decision now needs to be made about the new school investment proposed for Ysgol y Graig in Cefn Coed so that future funding of this project is not put at risk?
Diolch ichi am yr ateb yna, Prif Weinidog. Cefais y pleser o agor yn swyddogol adeiladau newydd Ysgol Afon Taf, sydd wedi'u hadnewyddu, yn fy etholaeth i yn ddiweddar a gwelais yn uniongyrchol, fanteision buddsoddiad Llywodraeth Cymru yn nyfodol y dysgwyr ifanc yno. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n cytuno bod datblygiad o'r fath yn dangos manteision amlwg ein buddsoddiad cyfalaf mewn addysg. Felly a fyddech chi'n cytuno â mi, bod y weinyddiaeth newydd yng nghyngor Merthyr Tudful angen adeiladu ar y llwyddiant hwn a bod angen gwneud penderfyniad pendant a gwrthrychol ynghylch y buddsoddiad newydd arfaethedig mewn ysgolion ar gyfer Ysgol y Graig yng Nghefn Coed fel nad yw'r cyllid ar gyfer y project hwn yn y dyfodol yn cael ei beryglu?
Very good work has been done in Merthyr in terms of—she mentions, of course, Ysgol Afon Taf. I was there, of course, to open the new college in Merthyr as well—a substantial improvement on the original building. It is hugely important that local authorities continue the momentum that has been established in order to see schools replaced and refurbished across Wales, and, again, hugely important that decisions are taken in good time so as not to jeopardise funding. It's in nobody's interests for that to happen.
Mae gwaith da iawn wedi ei gyflawni ym Merthyr Tudful o ran—mae'n sôn am, wrth gwrs, Ysgol Afon Taf. Roeddwn innau yno hefyd, wrth gwrs, i agor y coleg newydd ym Merthyr Tudful—sy'n welliant sylweddol o'i gymharu â'r adeilad gwreiddiol. Mae'n bwysig iawn bod awdurdodau lleol yn parhau â'r momentwm a sefydlwyd i weld ysgolion yn cael eu disodli a'u hadnewyddu ledled Cymru, ac, unwaith eto, mae'n hynod o bwysig bod penderfyniadau'n cael eu gwneud yn brydlon fel nad yw'r cyllid yn cael ei beryglu. Ni fyddai o fudd i neb pe byddai hynny'n digwydd
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes ac rydw i'n galw ar arweinydd y tŷ, Julie James, i wneud y datganiad—Julie James.
The next item is the business statement and announcement and I call on the leader of the house, Julie James, to make the statement—Julie James.
Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. Business for the next three weeks is shown on the business statement and announcement found amongst the meeting papers that are available to Members electronically.
Diolch, Lywydd. Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Mae busnes y tair wythnos nesaf i'w weld ar y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd ymhlith y papurau cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau yn electronig.
Thank you, leader of the house. Could I ask for two things today, please? Last week, I raised with you the issue around residents who were facing traffic blight in their area around the northern access road in St Athan, and you kindly indicated that the Cabinet Secretary would be in touch with my office and also engage with the residents locally. I'd be grateful if you could get me a timeline for when that engagement might start, because this is a pressing issue for the residents in particular, who have grave concerns about the access to their site. Regrettably, following on from business statement last week, I haven't had any communication yet from the Cabinet Secretary. I appreciate that there is the goodwill there to do that—I make that as an observation—and it would be beneficial if I could have some idea of the timeline.
Secondly, I received a written answer back from Rebecca Evans, the Minister, in relation to the regeneration investment fund for Wales and the ongoing investigations around the RIFW sale. She indicates that she'll be making a statement shortly on the progress around the legal action that the Welsh Government has taken. I'd be grateful—as leader of the house, are you aware when that statement might be coming forward, as there is considerable public interest around this particular issue? It has been some considerable time, now, since various committees of this Assembly looked into this particular matter, and certainly an update position, as the Minister has indicated she's prepared to give, would be most welcome, but a timeline as to when that might come forward would better inform our ability to scrutinise progress on retrieving money to the Welsh taxpayer from this sale, if that money can be retrieved, and also the legal actions that the Welsh Government is undertaking in this particular case.
Diolch, arweinydd y tŷ. A gaf i ofyn am ddau beth heddiw, os gwelwch yn dda? Yr wythnos diwethaf, fe wnes i sôn wrthych am y mater ynghylch trigolion a oedd yn wynebu problemau traffig yn eu hardal o amgylch y ffordd fynediad ogleddol yn Sain Tathan, ac fe wnaethoch chi nodi'n garedig y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cysylltu â'm swyddfa i, a hefyd yn ymgysylltu â'r trigolion lleol. Byddwn i'n ddiolchgar pe gallech chi roi amserlen i mi ar gyfer pryd y bydd yr ymgysylltu hwnnw yn dechrau, oherwydd mae hwn yn fater pwysig i'r trigolion yn arbennig, sydd â phryderon difrifol am y mynediad i'w safle. Yn anffodus, yn dilyn datganiad busnes yr wythnos diwethaf, nid wyf wedi cael unrhyw ohebiaeth eto gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rwy'n sylweddoli bod gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yr ewyllys da i wneud hynny—sylwad yw hynny—a byddai'n fuddiol pe byddwn i'n gallu cael rhyw syniad o'r llinell amser.
Yn ail, cefais ateb ysgrifenedig yn ôl gan Rebecca Evans, y Gweinidog, o ran y Gronfa Buddsoddi mewn Adfywio ar gyfer Cymru a'r ymchwiliadau parhaus ar gyfer gwerthu Cronfa Buddsoddi Cymru mewn Adfywio. Mae'n dweud y bydd hi'n gwneud datganiad cyn bo hir ar y cynnydd ynghylch y camau cyfreithiol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cymryd. Byddwn i'n ddiolchgar—fel arweinydd y tŷ, a ydych chi'n ymwybodol pryd y bydd y datganiad hwnnw yn cael ei wneud efallai, oherwydd y mae gan y cyhoedd diddordeb sylweddol yn y mater penodol hwn? Bu cryn amser, bellach, ers i amryw o bwyllgorau'r Cynulliad hwn archwilio'r mater penodol hwn, ac yn sicr bydd y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf, fel y mae'r Gweinidog wedi nodi y mae hi'n fodlon ei rhoi, yn cael ei groesawu yn sicr, ond byddai llinell amser ynghylch pryd y bydd hynny'n digwydd yn rhoi gwell gwybodaeth i ni allu archwilio'r cynnydd ar adfer arian trethdalwyr Cymru o'r gwerthiant hwn, os gellir adennill yr arian hwnnw, a hefyd y camau cyfreithiol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru eu cymryd yn yr achos penodol hwn.
Thank you for both of those. On the first one, absolutely, I will speak with the Cabinet Secretary and make sure that he contacts you and gives you a timeline for that. The Minister is here to hear your remarks and I'm sure she'll be able to let you know as soon as possible when she is going to bring that statement forward. It's not in the business timetable for the next three weeks.
Diolch i chi am y ddau cwestiwn yna. O ran yr un cyntaf, yn sicr, byddaf yn siarad ag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ac yn sicrhau y bydd ef yn cysylltu â chi ac yn rhoi llinell amser i chi ar gyfer hynny. Mae'r Gweinidog yma i glywed eich sylwadau ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd hi'n gallu dweud wrthych chi cyn gynted â phosibl pryd y bydd hi'n cyflwyno'r datganiad hwnnw. Nid yw hynny yn yr amserlen busnes ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf.
I wondered whether we could have a statement with regard to the childcare offer. I've had communication—from not constituents; in my capacity as portfolio holder—that the Welsh Government funding guidelines relating to the childcare offer have now changed to mirror those in England, meaning that registered child minders will no longer be able to offer funded childcare places to a relative. Previous regulations stated that, as long as care for those under 12 was carried out mainly or wholly outside the home, a relative, as a child minder, could provide that childcare. It's meant that families with long-term private childcare arrangements with child carers are having to make different arrangements, potentially at a significant cost and disruption to continuity of care. The ban on related children in Wales is unique to child minders. Individuals working in or owning a nursery are still allowed to claim the entitlement for related children, as are those in receipt of child benefit. So, if I could have a statement from the Minister on that, that would be great.
The second request that I have is in relation to a response that the First Minister gave to David Rees with regard to the letter from the MOJ in relation to Baglan prison. The First Minister said he'd written to the MOJ and, because of not having a satisfactory response, the Welsh Government was not currently minded to sell the land at this time. I was wondering whether the Welsh Government could release that letter to all AMs so that we could all see it and understand the rationale for the First Minister saying that.
Tybed a allem ni gael datganiad o ran y cynnig gofal plant. Rwyf wedi clywed—nid gan etholwyr; yn fy swydd fel deiliad y portffolio—bod canllawiau ariannu Llywodraeth Cymru ynghylch y cynnig gofal plant bellach wedi newid i adlewyrchu'r rhai yn Lloegr, sy'n golygu na fydd gwarchodwyr plant cofrestredig mwyach yn gallu cynnig lleoedd gofal plant a ariennir, i berthynas. Roedd y rheoliadau blaenorol yn nodi, cyhyd â bod y gofal ar gyfer y rhai o dan 12 oed yn bennaf neu'n gyfan gwbl yn cael ei gyflawni y tu allan i'r cartref, gallai perthynas, fel gwarchodwr plant, ddarparu'r gofal hwnnw. Mae'n golygu bod teuluoedd sydd â threfniadau gofal plant preifat hirdymor gyda gofalwyr plant yn gorfod gwneud trefniadau gwahanol, a allai fod yn gost sylweddol ac a allai amharu ar ddilyniant gofal. Mae'r gwaharddiad ar blant sy'n perthyn yng Nghymru yn unigryw i warchodwyr plant. Mae unigolion sy'n gweithio neu sy'n berchen ar feithrinfa yn dal i allu hawlio ar gyfer plant sy'n perthyn, fel af y mae'r rhai sy'n derbyn budd-dal plant. Felly, pe gallem ni gael datganiad gan y Gweinidog am hynny, byddai hynny'n wych.
Mae'r ail gais sydd gennyf, yn ymwneud â'r ymateb a roddodd y Prif Weinidog i David Rees ynghylch y llythyr oddi wrth y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder ynghylch carchar Baglan. Dywedodd y Prif Weinidog ei fod wedi ysgrifennu at y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder ac, oherwydd nad yw wedi cael ymateb boddhaol, nid oedd Llywodraeth Cymru o blaid gwerthu'r tir ar hyn o bryd. Roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed a allai Llywodraeth Cymru rannu'r llythyr hwnnw â phob Aelod Cynulliad fel y gallem ni i gyd ei weld a deall rhesymeg y Prif Weinidog wrth ddweud hynny.
Thank you for both of those important points. On the first one, the Minister was here listening to your remarks. I think if you wrote to the Minister and asked him those specific points, I'm sure he'd be able to answer those queries, and perhaps you could indicate in that letter whether there's a wider interest across, other than in the instances you're speaking about.
In terms of the FMQ response, again, I'd be asking you to write to the First Minister asking him to release that letter. I don't think that's a matter for a statement, but I'm sure if he is minded to do so, he'd let you know.
Diolch i chi am y ddau bwynt pwysig yna. O ran yr un cyntaf, roedd y Gweinidog yma yn gwrando ar eich sylwadau. Rwy'n credu os byddech chi'n ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog ac yn ei holi am y pwyntiau penodol hynny, rwy'n siŵr y byddai'n gallu ateb y cwestiynau hynny, ac efallai y byddech chi'n gallu dweud yn y llythyr hwnnw pa un a oes unrhyw ddiddordeb ehangach yn gyffredinol, heblaw am yr achosion yr ydych chi'n sôn amdanynt.
O ran yr ymateb i'r Cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, unwaith eto, rwyf yn gofyn ichi ysgrifennu at y Prif Weinidog gan ofyn iddo rannu'r llythyr hwnnw. Nid wyf i'n credu bod hwnnw'n fater ar gyfer datganiad, ond rwyf yn siŵr os oes ganddo fwriad o wneud hynny, y byddai'n rhoi gwybod i chi.
I call for two statements. Firstly, would it be possible to have a statement from the relevant Cabinet Secretary about how the Hunting Act 2004 is being enforced in Wales? I think it's almost 13 years since this Act came into force, and I'm really glad that the Prime Minister has now, finally, dropped plans to repeal it. However, foxes do continue to be killed on a regular basis on so-called trail hunts, and hunt hounds are often out of control in public, sometimes on major roads and railways. Does the Cabinet Secretary support calls from the League Against Cruel Sports and others for a more rigorous enforcement of the ban? That was the first statement.
On the second statement, I refer back again to the victims of the contaminated blood scandal. Would it be possible to ask the health Minister to make a statement on whether he's had any more information at all from the department of health in Westminster, because victims of the scandal were promised an inquiry in July by Theresa May and were promised that a chair would be appointed by Christmas? We still haven't heard who this chair will be and, in the meantime, those affected continue to wait and, of course, some of them are dying.
Rwyf yn galw am ddau ddatganiad. Yn gyntaf, a fyddai'n bosibl cael datganiad gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet perthnasol ynghylch sut y mae Deddf Hela 2004 yn cael ei gorfodi yng Nghymru? Rwy'n credu bod bron i 13 mlynedd ers i'r Ddeddf hon ddod i rym, ac rwy'n falch iawn bod Prif Weinidog y DU yn awr, o'r diwedd, wedi rhoi gorau i'r cynlluniau i'w diddymu. Fodd bynnag, mae llwynogod yn parhau i gael eu lladd yn rheolaidd ar lwybrau hela honedig, ac mae cŵn hela yn aml heb fod o dan reolaeth yn gyhoeddus, weithiau ar brif ffyrdd a rheilffyrdd. A yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cefnogi galwadau gan y League Against Cruel Sports ac eraill, i'r gwaharddiad gael ei orfodi'n fwy llym? Dyna oedd y datganiad cyntaf.
O ran yr ail ddatganiad, rwy'n cyfeirio yn ôl eto at ddioddefwyr y sgandal gwaed halogedig. A fyddai'n bosibl gofyn i'r Gweinidog Iechyd i wneud datganiad ar ba un a yw wedi cael unrhyw wybodaeth ychwanegol o gwbl gan yr adran iechyd yn San Steffan, oherwydd cafodd dioddefwyr y sgandal addewid y byddai archwiliad yn cael ei gynnal ym mis Gorffennaf gan Theresa May ac addawyd y byddai Cadeirydd yn cael ei benodi erbyn y Nadolig? Rydym ni'n dal heb glywed pwy fydd y Cadeirydd ac, yn y cyfamser, mae'r rhai yr effeithir arnynt yn dal i aros ac, wrth gwrs, mae rhai ohonyn nhw'n marw.
Well, thank you very much for raising both of those very important points. The Member will be very aware that the Hunting Act is not a devolved matter, and the enforcement of it is a matter for the police. However, I completely concur with her that the vast majority of people find foxhunting both abhorrent and extremely cruel. We do hope the UK Government will take account of that in its enforcement. But I think the correct course of action is to ensure that the local police commissioner makes sure that it's a top priority for the police force in enforcing the current Act, and I'd be more than happy to facilitate the Member speaking to the Cabinet Secretary about engagement with the police commissioners on that important point.
In terms of the contaminated blood matter, my understanding is that the chair is not yet appointed. The Cabinet Secretary will reaffirm his expectations for the inquiry to the chair as soon as that chair is appointed. I'm sure that the Cabinet Secretary, if the chair isn't appointed in the very near future, will be making his displeasure about the tardiness of that appointment very plain indeed.
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn am godi'r ddau bwynt pwysig iawn yna. Bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol iawn nad yw'r Ddeddf hela yn fater datganoledig, ac mai mater i'r heddlu yw gorfodi'r ddeddf. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â hi fod y rhan fwyaf o bobl yn credu bod hela llwynogod yn ffiaidd ac yn eithriadol o greulon. Rydym ni'n gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn ystyried hynny wrth orfodi'r ddeddf. Ond rwy'n credu mai'r ffordd gywir o weithredu yw sicrhau bod comisiynydd yr heddlu lleol yn gwneud yn siŵr bod gorfodi'r Ddeddf bresennol yn brif flaenoriaeth ar gyfer yr heddlu, a byddwn i'n barod iawn i gynorthwyo'r Aelod i gael siarad ag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ymgysylltu â chomisiynwyr yr heddlu ar y pwynt pwysig hwnnw.
O ran mater y gwaed halogedig, fy nealltwriaeth i yw nad yw'r Cadeirydd wedi ei benodi eto. Bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cadarnhau ei ddisgwyliadau ar gyfer yr ymchwiliad, i'r Cadeirydd cyn gynted ag y caiff y Cadeirydd ei benodi. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, os na fydd y Cadeirydd wedi ei benodi yn y dyfodol agos iawn, yn dangos ei anfodlonrwydd yn amlwg iawn ynghylch pa mor hwyr yw'r penodiad hwnnw.
Can I call for two statements? The first is an update on Welsh Government proposals for Gypsy/Travellers in the light of two outstanding consultations, the first being the consultation on the draft circular for the planning of Gypsy/Traveller and show-people sites, which closed, I believe, on 23 May, almost eight months ago; and secondly, the draft circular on enabling Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, which closed on 22 December, just before Christmas. The Gypsies and their supporters and friends I met in Conwy last Friday had been told by Welsh Government that the first of those consultations would see the final report being published before Christmas 2017. They told me that unless a local authority has planning approval for a specific site, it can't apply for grant funding, but that no north Wales local authority is presently in a place of preparedness and planning approval to submit grant funding applications. They further told me that when they met Welsh Government representatives in Llandudno Junction, they were grappling with what action the Cabinet Secretary could take against a local authority that failed to submit planning approvals and grant applications for sites and that they judged currently that the purchase on local authorities for Welsh Government was fairly modest. Therefore, I would be grateful if you could, or Welsh Government could, make a statement reflecting those two consultations and the concerns being expressed, certainly to me last Friday, by members of the community in north Wales.
Secondly and finally, can I call for a statement on local bus services? This follows the announcement on 16 December, Saturday, that Acrefair-based bus company D. Jones and Son were ceasing trading, two months after being the subject of scrutiny by the Traffic Commissioner for Wales public inquiry. No doubt like others, I received concerns from affected residents who had lost local bus services, asking for help in replacement of bus links. I submitted a written question to the Cabinet Secretary two days later, on the following Monday. I'm still waiting for a reply to that. I also contacted Wrexham council's lead member for environment and transport, who told me that officers were continuing to look at options; that this is difficult, as a number of operators have ceased across the region; that despite the Cabinet Secretary's bus summit, they'd seen no tangible actions coming forward; and having attended two of the three bus workshops, this was most certainly a wider issue across Wales. The Cabinet Secretary held his bus summit a year ago, in January 2017, stating that this was to halt the demise of the industry, following the collapse of Ruabon-based GHA coaches the previous summer. So, given the concerns being raised not only by affected residents, who often are on commercial rather than on commissioned routes, and given concerns being expressed that, still, no tangible actions are coming forward from the bus summit and subsequent workshops, I would welcome a statement to reflect their concerns and hopefully give them some assurance that they're being listened to.
A gaf i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad? Mae'r cyntaf yn ymwneud â chael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynigion Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer Sipsiwn a Theithwyr yng ngoleuni'r ddau ymgynghoriad nad ydynt wedi cael sylw, y cyntaf oedd yr ymgynghoriad ar y cylchlythyr drafft ar gyfer cynllunio safleoedd Sipsiwn/Teithwyr a phobl sioe, a ddaeth i ben, rwy'n credu, ar 23 Mai, bron i wyth mis yn ôl; a'r ail, y cylchlythyr drafft ar alluogi Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr, a ddaeth i ben ar 22 Rhagfyr, ychydig cyn y Nadolig. Roedd y Sipsiwn a'u cefnogwyr a'u ffrindiau y cyfarfum â nhw yng Nghonwy ddydd Gwener diwethaf, wedi cael gwybod gan Lywodraeth Cymru y byddai adroddiad terfynol ymgynghoriad cyntaf yr ymgynghoriadau hynny yn cael ei gyhoeddi cyn Nadolig 2017. Dywedasant wrthyf, oni bai bod gan awdurdod lleol ganiatâd cynllunio ar gyfer safle penodol, ni chaiff wneud cais am gyllid grant, ond nad oes unrhyw awdurdod lleol yn y gogledd ar hyn o bryd mewn sefyllfa o barodrwydd a chaniatâd cynllunio ar gyfer cyflwyno ceisiadau am gyllid grant. Dywedasant wrthyf hefyd, pan gyfarfuon nhw â chynrychiolwyr Llywodraeth Cymru yng Nghyffordd Llandudno, roedden nhw'n ansicr ynghylch pa gamau y gallai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet eu cymryd yn erbyn awdurdod lleol sy'n methu â chyflwyno cymeradwyaethau cynllunio a cheisiadau grant ar gyfer safleoedd, a'u barn nhw ar hyn o bryd yw mai prin yw dylanwad Llywodraeth Cymru ar awdurdodau lleol. Felly, byddem yn ddiolchgar pe byddech chi'n gallu, neu os gallai Llywodraeth Cymru, wneud datganiad sy'n adlewyrchu'r ddau ymgynghoriad hyn a'r pryderon a fynegir, un sicr i mi ddydd Gwener diwethaf, gan aelodau o'r gymuned yn y gogledd.
Yn ail ac yn olaf, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad ar wasanaethau bws lleol? Mae hyn yn dilyn y cyhoeddiad ar 16 Rhagfyr, dydd Sadwrn, bod y cwmni bysiau, D. Jones a'i Fab, a leolir yn Acrefair, yn rhoi'r gorau i fasnachu, ddeufis ar ôl bod yn destun craffu gan ymchwiliad cyhoeddus Comisiynydd Traffig Cymru. Fel Aelodau eraill yn sicr, cefais bryderon gan y trigolion yr effeithiwyd arnynt a oedd wedi colli gwasanaethau bws lleol, yn gofyn am gymorth ynghylch cael cysylltiadau bysiau newydd. Cyflwynais gwestiwn ysgrifenedig i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddeuddydd yn ddiweddarach, ar y dydd Llun canlynol. Rwy'n dal i aros am ateb i'r cwestiwn hwnnw. Cysylltais hefyd ag aelod arweiniol Cyngor Wrecsam dros yr Amgylchedd a Thrafnidiaeth, a ddywedodd wrthyf fod swyddogion yn parhau i edrych ar wahanol ddewisiadau; a bod hyn yn anodd, oherwydd bod nifer o weithredwyr bysiau wedi rhoi'r gorau i weithredu ledled y rhanbarth; ac er gwaethaf uwchgynhadledd bysiau Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, nid oedden nhw wedi gweld unrhyw ddatblygiad sylweddol yn digwydd; ac ar ôl bod mewn dau o'r tri gweithdy bysiau, roedd hwn yn sicr yn fater ehangach ledled Cymru. Cynhaliodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ei uwchgynhadledd bysiau flwyddyn yn ôl, ym mis Ionawr 2017, gan ddweud mai ei bwrpas oedd atal tranc y diwydiant, yn dilyn cwymp cwmni bysiau GHA o Riwabon, yn ystod yr haf blaenorol. Felly, gan ystyried y pryderon sy'n cael eu codi nid yn unig gan drigolion yr effeithir arnynt, sydd yn aml ar lwybrau masnachol yn hytrach nag ar lwybrau a gomisiynir, a gan ystyried y pryderon sy'n cael eu mynegi ynghylch y ffaith nad oes unrhyw gamau sylweddol yn dod o'r uwchgynhadledd bysiau a gweithdai dilynol, byddwn i'n croesawu datganiad sy'n adlewyrchu eu pryderon gan obeithio rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd iddyn nhw bod rhywun yn gwrando arnynt.
Thank you for both of those. On the first one, I'm the Cabinet Secretary responsible for the Gypsy/Traveller sites, and I am planning to bring a statement before the Easter recess to the Senedd in order to update people on where I am since I took over the portfolio on a number of issues. However, the Member did mention some very specific issues around particular sites that he has an interest in and I'd be more than happy to meet with the Member to go through some of those very specific issues. I have made arrangements to visit some of the sites in question as well, so it would be good if the Member made an arrangement to speak to me about the very specific issues. But, on the more general points, I will be bringing forward a statement in the near future.
In terms of the local bus services point, he raises a very important point. He did say he was awaiting an answer to his written questions, and I would suggest that the Member waits to see what the answer to the written question is, and if there is a more general point that he then wishes to raise with the Cabinet Secretary that would be of interest to the entire Senedd, I'm sure that the Cabinet Secretary will be prepared to look at that, since it is a year since the bus summit took place.
Diolch am y ddau gwestiwn yna. O ran yr un cyntaf, y fi yw'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet sy'n gyfrifol am safleoedd Sipsiwn a Theithwyr, ac rwy'n bwriadu cyflwyno datganiad i'r Senedd cyn gwyliau'r Pasg er mwyn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i bobl am fy sefyllfa ers imi gymryd rheolaeth dros y portffolio ar nifer o faterion. Fodd bynnag, soniodd yr Aelod am rai materion penodol iawn ynghylch safleoedd penodol y mae ganddo ddiddordeb ynddynt, a byddwn i'n fwy na pharod i gwrdd â'r aelod i drafod rhai o'r materion penodol iawn hynny. Rwyf wedi gwneud trefniadau i ymweld â rhai o safleoedd dan sylw hefyd, felly byddai'n ddelfrydol pe byddai'r aelod yn trefnu i drafod y materion penodol iawn â mi. Ond, o ran y pwyntiau mwy cyffredinol, byddaf yn cyflwyno datganiad yn y dyfodol agos.
O ran y gwasanaethau bws lleol, mae'n codi pwynt pwysig iawn. Dywedodd ei fod yn aros am ateb i'w gwestiynau ysgrifenedig, a byddwn i'n awgrymu bod yr Aelod yn aros i weld beth yw'r ateb i'r cwestiwn ysgrifenedig, ac os oes pwynt mwy cyffredinol y mae ef yn dymuno ei godi wedyn gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet a fydd o fudd i'r Senedd gyfan, rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn barod i ystyried hynny, gan fod blwyddyn ers y cynhaliwyd yr uwchgynhadledd bysiau.
Can we have a debate in Government time on Government policy on opposition motion debates? I probably need not remind the leader of the house that, last week, the Government lost a vote for the first time in this Assembly. Now, in response to that, a Welsh Government spokesperson said, and I quote,
'Opposition day votes are... meaningless. They aren't binding and don't have any bearing on government policy or delivery.'
Now, when the Westminster Government made similarly arrogant remarks recently, the shadow Labour leader of the house at Westminster said that those comments made a mockery of Parliament. Now, doesn't she agree that the comments made by the Welsh Government last week make a mockery of this Parliament? They're demeaning to this institution. They're disrespectful to all those who have fought so hard to create a Welsh democracy where, in contrast to the days of the Welsh Office, the Government has to submit itself to the accountability of an elected parliament, no matter how undoubtedly inconvenient that sometimes may feel.
A allwn ni gael dadl yn amser y Llywodraeth ar bolisi'r Llywodraeth ar ddadleuon cynnig y gwrthbleidiau? Mae'n debyg nad oes yn rhaid i mi atgoffa arweinydd y tŷ fod y Llywodraeth, yr wythnos diwethaf, wedi colli pleidlais am y tro cyntaf yn y Cynulliad. Nawr, mewn ymateb i hynny, dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru, a dyfynnaf,
Mae'r Diwrnod pleidleisio i'r gwrthbleidiau yn... ddiystyr. Nid ydyn nhw'n orfodol ac nid ydynt nhw'n cael unrhyw effaith ar bolisi na chyflawniad y Llywodraeth.
Nawr, pan wnaeth Llywodraeth San Steffan sylwadau yr un mor drahaus yn ddiweddar, dywedodd arweinydd y tŷ yr wrthblaid Lafur yn San Steffan, bod y sylwadau hynny yn gwneud y Senedd yn destun sbort. Nawr, onid yw hi'n cytuno bod y sylwadau a wnaed gan Lywodraeth Cymru yr wythnos diwethaf yn gwneud y Senedd yn gyff gwawd? Maen nhw'n ddiraddiol i'r sefydliad hwn. Maen nhw'n amharchus i'r holl bobl sydd wedi brwydro yn galed iawn i greu democratiaeth yng Nghymru lle, yn wahanol i gyfnod y Swyddfa Gymreig, mae'r Llywodraeth yn gorfod ildio ei hun i atebolrwydd Senedd etholedig, ni waeth pa mor gwbl anghyfleus y gall hynny deimlo weithiau.
Well, thank you for raising that very important point. I don't think it's a suitable thing to bring forward a Government debate in Government time on at all. I do think that it's a real shame that the consensual way in which this place has always operated, including allowing Government pairing, for example, to have important Government business conducted, has broken down, and I do think that there are obvious consequences for the way that we conduct the Government as a result. It's an important matter that needs careful consideration, and the Government is currently giving it careful consideration.
Wel, diolch am godi'r pwynt pwysig iawn yna. Nid wyf yn credu o gwbl bod hynny'n rhywbeth addas i'w gyflwyno ar gyfer dadl y Llywodraeth yn amser y Llywodraeth. Rwyf yn credu ei bod yn drueni mawr bod y ffordd gydsyniol y mae'r Cynulliad hwn bob amser wedi gweithredu, gan gynnwys caniatáu y Llywodraeth i baru, er enghraifft, i gynnal busnes pwysig y Llywodraeth, wedi dirywio, ac rwy'n credu y ceir canlyniadau amlwg ar gyfer y ffordd yr ydym ni'n cynnal y Llywodraeth o ganlyniad. Mae'n fater pwysig y mae angen ei ystyried yn ofalus, ac ar hyn o bryd mae'r Llywodraeth yn rhoi ystyriaeth ofalus iddo.
Could I ask for a statement on the impact of Tory police cuts on crime in our communities? Since last year, we've seen an 18 per cent increase in violent crime, a 14 per cent increase in knife crime in south Wales, but a 25 per cent increase in knife crime across the whole of Wales, an increase to 84,000 crimes unsolved, which was an increase on the previous two years, and, since 2010, Wales has lost 682 police officers. Now, policing may not be devolved yet, but certainly the consequence of those police cuts on our communities is significant, and it seems to me that it would be appropriate for the Government, in its own time, to have a debate on the impact of these Tory police cuts.
A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad ar effaith toriadau heddlu y Torïaidd ar droseddu yn ein cymunedau? Rydym wedi gweld cynnydd o 18 y cant ers y llynedd mewn troseddu treisgar, cynnydd o 14 y cant mewn troseddu â chyllyll yn y de, ond cynnydd o 25 y cant mewn troseddu â chyllyll ledled Cymru gyfan, cynnydd i 84,000 o droseddau heb eu datrys, sy'n fwy na'r ddwy flynedd flaenorol, ac, ers 2010, mae Cymru wedi colli 682 o swyddogion. Nawr, efallai nad yw plismona wedi'i ddatganoli eto, ond yn sicr mae'r toriadau heddlu hynny wedi cael effaith sylweddol ar ein cymunedau, ac mae'n ymddangos i mi y byddai'n briodol i'r Llywodraeth, yn ei hamser ei hun, gael dadl ar effaith toriadau heddlu y Torïaid.
Well, thank you for raising that very important point. Community safety is, of course, a top priority for the Government. The Member is obviously aware that policing itself isn't devolved, despite the various representations that have been made to Westminster on that point.
The Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services announced the provisional police settlement on 19 December 2017, and, as in recent years, the Home Office has again decided to overlay its needs-based formula with a floor mechanism. This ensures that all police forces in England and Wales can expect to receive a cash-flat settlement for 2018-19 when compared on a like-for-like basis with 2017-18. The total support for police forces in Wales will be £349.9 million. Within this, the Welsh Government's contribution to police funding for 2018-19 is £140.9 million.
We've also agreed to protect the budget for the 500 additional community support officers for 2018-19. That's £16.8 million earmarked in the budget for next year for the continued delivery of that important commitment.
The Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services is very committed to working with the police and crime commissioners and the chief constables to ensure that the reductions are managed in ways that minimise the impact on community safety in Wales. He, along with his officials, will be very happy to meet with all of the policing bodies to discuss finance and other matters to ensure that the important issues around community safety are properly covered off.
It's been very difficult to have some of these decisions, with pressures on budgets. I've seen some very good things, in my brief time in this portfolio, around some of the multi-agency work that the police have done in order to maximise the resource they have on the ground, But the Member is right that it is a most important matter, and I'm sure we can have a debate in the very near future about the importance of that matter to Wales.
Wel, diolch am godi'r pwynt pwysig iawn yna. Mae diogelwch cymunedol, wrth gwrs, yn brif flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth. Mae'r Aelod yn amlwg yn ymwybodol nad yw plismona yn fater sydd wedi'i ddatganoli, er gwaethaf y sylwadau amrywiol sydd wedi'u gwneud i San Steffan ar y pwynt hwnnw.
Cyhoeddodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus setliad dros dro yr heddlu ar 19 Rhagfyr 2017, ac, yn debyg i flynyddoedd diweddar, mae'r Swyddfa Gartref wedi penderfynu eto i droshaenu ei fformiwla sy'n seiliedig ar anghenion â mecanwaith gwaelodol. Mae hyn yn sicrhau y gall yr holl heddlu yng Nghymru a Lloegr ddisgwyl cael setliad arian gwastad ar gyfer 2018-19 o’i gymharu ar sail gyfatebol â 2017-18. Bydd cyfanswm y cymorth ar gyfer yr heddlu yng Nghymru yn £349.9 miliwn. O fewn y swm hwn, cyfraniad Llywodraeth Cymru i gyllid yr heddlu ar gyfer 2018-19 yw £140.9 miliwn.
Rydym wedi cytuno hefyd i amddiffyn y gyllideb ar gyfer y 500 o swyddogion cymorth cymunedol ychwanegol ar gyfer 2018-19. Mae hynny'n £16.8 miliwn sydd wedi’i glustnodi yn y gyllideb ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf i barhau i ddarparu'r ymrwymiad pwysig hwnnw.
Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus yn ymrwymedig iawn i weithio gyda'r heddlu a chomisiynwyr troseddu a'r prif gwnstabliaid i sicrhau bod y toriadau yn cael eu rheoli mewn ffyrdd sy'n lleihau'r effaith ar ddiogelwch cymunedol yng Nghymru. Bydd ef, ynghyd â'i swyddogion, yn fodlon iawn i gyfarfod â'r holl gyrff plismona i drafod cyllid a materion eraill i sicrhau bod y materion pwysig sy'n ymwneud â diogelwch cymunedol yn cael eu cynnwys yn briodol.
Mae wedi bod yn anodd iawn gwneud rhai o'r penderfyniadau hyn, gan gofio'r pwysau ar gyllidebau. Rwyf wedi gweld rhai pethau da iawn, yn ystod fy nghyfnod byr yn y portffolio hwn, o ran peth o'r gwaith aml-asiantaeth y mae'r heddlu wedi'i gyflawni er mwyn manteisio i'r eithaf ar yr adnoddau sydd ganddynt ar lawr gwlad, ond mae'r Aelod yn iawn, mae'n fater pwysig, ac rwy'n siŵr y gallwn ni gael dadl yn y dyfodol agos iawn ynglŷn â phwysigrwydd y mater hwnnw i Gymru.
Leader of the house, may I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health on payments by Welsh NHS trusts in damages and legal fees for medical negligence? According to research, in the last five years, four of the seven local health boards paid out over £200 million. It's a striking figure here, Minister, and, basically, this could be used to eradicate child poverty, homelessness and food banks in Wales. Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board paid out the highest amount, of £67 million, over the period, although £2 million was for the historical mistakes relating to incidents before 1997. Can I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary on what action he intends to take to address these huge sums for medical negligence in Wales, please?
Arweinydd y tŷ, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd ar daliadau gan ymddiriedolaethau GIG Cymru am iawndal a ffioedd cyfreithiol oherwydd esgeulustod meddygol? Yn ôl gwaith ymchwil, yn ystod y pum mlynedd diwethaf, mae pedwar o'r saith bwrdd iechyd lleol wedi talu dros £200 miliwn. Mae'n ffigur trawiadol, Gweinidog, ac, yn y bôn, gellid defnyddio hyn i drechu tlodi plant, digartrefedd a banciau bwyd yng Nghymru. Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Aneurin Bevan dalodd y swm uchaf, sef £67 miliwn, yn ystod y cyfnod, er bod £2 filiwn ar gyfer camgymeriadau hanesyddol sy'n gysylltiedig â digwyddiadau cyn 1997. A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ar ba gamau y mae ef yn bwriadu eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â'r symiau enfawr hyn oherwydd esgeulustod meddygol yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda?
Well, that's a very important issue indeed, and because it's so important, the Cabinet Secretary does report annually on those figures. I'm sure he's heard your remarks today and will take those into account in his next report on the subject.
Wel, mae hwnnw'n fater pwysig iawn mewn gwirionedd, a gan ei fod yn fater mor bwysig, mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cyflwyno adroddiad yn flynyddol ar y ffigurau hynny. Rwy'n siŵr ei fod ef wedi clywed eich sylwadau heddiw ac y bydd yn rhoi ystyriaeth iddynt yn ei adroddiad nesaf ar y pwnc.
Roedd arweinydd y tŷ yn hael iawn yr wythnos diwethaf wrth ateb ceisiadau gennyf i. Gobeithio y bydd hi yr un mor hael yr wythnos yma. A gaf i ddechrau gan groesawu'r ffaith bod datganiad ysgrifenedig gan y Prif Weinidog y bore yma ynglŷn â Bil yr Undeb Ewropeaidd (Ymadael) yn dweud, oni bai bod rhywbeth yn digwydd erbyn diwedd y mis, ei bod hi'n fwriad gan y Llywodraeth gyflwyno ei Bil parhad ei hun? Rwy'n croesawu hynny, ond rwy'n gofyn i arweinydd y tŷ jest i fynd dau gam ymhellach heddiw, os oes modd. Fe fydd fy nghydweithiwr, Steffan Lewis, yma yfory i gynnig ei Fil parhad ei hun, yn y slot y mae ef wedi'i gael fel Aelod mainc gefn. A wnaiff ysgrifennydd y tŷ, fel prif chwip, ddatgan y bydd y Llywodraeth yn cefnogi, mewn egwyddor, gais Steffan Lewis yfory? Mae’n siŵr y byddai’n licio clywed hynny heddiw, os caiff e. Yn ail, a fyddai nawr, felly, yn gam positif i gyhoeddi’r Bil ar ffurf ddrafft, fel bod modd inni i gyd weld beth sydd gan y Llywodraeth mewn golwg? Nid ei gyflwyno yn ffurfiol, ond ar ffurf ddrafft, inni weld hynny a’i ddefnyddio fel ffordd o grisialu’r angen i gael y gwelliannau y mae’r Llywodraeth yn dymuno eu gweld yn Nhŷ’r Arglwyddi erbyn hyn.
Yr ail beth y byddwn i’n hoffi, yn benodol, ei glywed yw: a oes modd cael datganiad gan Weinidog yr Amgylchedd yn egluro’r sefyllfa yng Nghaerdydd ac yn enwedig Nant Lleucu a Pharc y Rhath? Nid yw hi yn fy rhanbarth i, ond mae sawl un wedi cysylltu â fi dros yr wythnosau diwethaf yn poeni yn arw am y ffordd y mae’r ymgynghoriad wedi digwydd yn ardal Parc y Rhath a’r gwaith sydd nawr yn bwrw ymlaen yn y fan honno. Rwy’n poeni bod rhai o’r ffigurau a ddefnyddiwyd yn yr ymgynghoriad yn ddiffygiol, ac rwyf hefyd eisiau gofyn a oes yna wersi i’w dysgu fan hyn ar lefel genedlaethol. Rwy’n meddwl y byddai’n braf iawn cael datganiad yn egluro beth sydd wedi digwydd, beth yw gwaith Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a’r cyngor a dderbyniodd y Llywodraeth, a pham y mae’r gwaith wedi gorfod bwrw ymlaen yn y ffordd y mae. Mae'n sicr wedi bod yn loes calon i nifer o bobl yn yr ardal honno.
The leader of the house was very generous last week in responding to requests from me, and I'm hoping she will be as generous this week too. May I start by welcoming the fact that there's been a written statement this morning from the First Minister on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, stating that unless something happens by the end of the month, it's the Government's intention to introduce their own continuity Bill? I welcome that, but I would ask the leader of the house just to go two steps further today if possible. My colleague, Steffan Lewis, will be here tomorrow to propose his own continuity Bill in the slot that he has as a backbench Member. Will the leader of the house, as Chief Whip, state that the Government will support, in principle, Steffan Lewis's proposal tomorrow? I'm sure he'd like to hear that today. Secondly, will there now be a positive step in publishing the Bill in draft form, so that it's possible for us all to see what the Government has in mind? Not to be tabled formally, but in draft form, so that we can see that and use that as a means of encapsulating the need for the amendments that the Government wishes to see in the House of Lords.
The second thing I'd specifically like to hear is whether it would be possible to have a statement from the Minister for Environment explaining the situation in Cardiff, and in particular Roath brook and Roath park. It's not in my region, but many people have been in touch with me over the past few weeks, very concerned about the way in which the consultation took place in the Roath park area and the work that is now progressing in that area. I'm concerned that some of the figures used in the consultation were inaccurate, and I'd also like to ask whether there are any lessons to be learned here at a national level. I think it would be good to have a statement explaining what happened there, what the work done by NRW was and the advice received by Government, and why the work proceeded in the way that it did. It has certainly caused distress to many people in that area.
The final thing, if I may—and I don't even know if this is really for the business manager, perhaps possibly for the Presiding Officer, perhaps possibly for us all as an Assembly, but I think it's important to raise it. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I have for the second year in a row tried to get the Secretary of State for Wales to come to the Finance Committee to give, in open, public session, his account of how the devolution of tax powers is happening in Wales. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance was there last week, we've had the Welsh Treasury there, we'll have the revenue authority there this week, and I think that, as the joint holders of tax devolution set out in the Wales Act—it's clearly defined that it's for the Wales Office and the Welsh Government to produce annual reports on how tax devolution is undertaken, and therefore, they are joint stakeholders and holders of this devolution process—I would like to see the Secretary of State give his time to a committee of this Assembly to explain how this is happening. He has pleaded, on two occasions now, diary commitments. Last week—because social media is a wonderful thing—as we were meeting, I saw that the Secretary of State had to pass us in order to go to Swansea to do his engagements. We would have made every arrangement, as I'm sure you are aware, business manager, to accommodate him on his way to Swansea. So, I think there is a message here that we would like to see, when appropriate and when constitutionally responsible for these actions, the Secretary of State making himself available to a committee of this Assembly.
Y peth olaf, os caf i—a dydw i ddim hyd yn oed yn gwybod os yw hwn yn rhywbeth ar gyfer y rheolwr busnes mewn gwirionedd, efallai ar gyfer y Llywydd o bosibl, efallai i ni i gyd fel Cynulliad o bosibl, ond rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig ei fod yn cael ei godi. Fel Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cyllid, rwyf wedi ceisio am yr ail flwyddyn yn olynol i gael Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru i ddod i'r Pwyllgor Cyllid i roi, mewn sesiwn agored, gyhoeddus, ei farn ef ar sut y mae pwerau treth yn cael eu datganoli yng Nghymru. Roedd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid yno yr wythnos diwethaf, mae Trysorlys Cymru wedi bod yno, bydd yr awdurdod cyllid yno yr wythnos hon, ac rwy'n credu, fel cyd-ddeiliaid datganoli treth fel a nodir yn Neddf Cymru—mae wedi'i ddiffinio'n glir mai cyfrifoldeb Swyddfa Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru fydd llunio adroddiadau blynyddol ar sut y gweithredir datganoli treth, ac felly, y nhw yw cyd-randdeiliaid a deiliaid y broses ddatganoli hon—hoffwn weld yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yn rhoi o'i amser i bwyllgor o'r Cynulliad hwn i esbonio sut y mae hyn yn digwydd. Mae wedi beio, ar ddau achlysur nawr, ymrwymiadau eraill yn ei ddyddiadur. Yr wythnos diwethaf—oherwydd bod y cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn beth gwych—wrth i ni gyfarfod, gwelais y byddai'n rhaid bod yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol wedi mynd heibio i ni er mwyn cyrraedd ei apwyntiadau yn Abertawe. Byddem wedi gwneud pob trefniant, fel yr wyf yn siŵr eich bod yn ymwybodol, rheolwr busnes, i'w groesawu ar ei ffordd i Abertawe. Felly, credaf fod yna neges yma y byddem yn hoffi gweld, pan fo hynny'n briodol a gan ei fod yn gyfrifol yn gyfansoddiadol am y camau hyn, yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yn sicrhau ei fod ar gael i bwyllgor y Cynulliad hwn.
Well, thank you for those three very important points. On the continuity Bill, we are very much looking forward to Steffan Lewis's debate tomorrow. The Government is supporting it and there's a free vote for the backbenchers. We are very much of the view that it would be better if the UK Government put the right position in its own Bill and made the right amendments and carried out the right set of actions, but, in the absence of that, we are making it very plain—and I'm sure this will come out of the debate tomorrow—that we are prepared to do it in their stead and to co-ordinate with other devolved administrations in so doing. So, I'm very happy to say that we are exactly in the same space and we're very much looking forward to that debate tomorrow.
On the Roath park matter, this is a matter that's been raised with a large number of people over the course of the flood prevention scheme. The Minister will be answering questions as part of the Cabinet Secretary's question time tomorrow, and I'm sure the Member will take every advantage of that. And if he has very specific detailed things he'd like to put to her, perhaps he'd be so good as to write with some of those very specific things. She's here, listening to some of his concerns at the moment.
In terms of the Secretary of State, I completely concur with the Member's analysis of it. I don't think it is a matter for me, actually, but it's clearly the case that the Finance Committee needs to get the very best possible evidence and completely understand both sides of the devolution settlement. So, for what it's worth, I agree that it would be very good indeed if the Secretary of State would be kind enough to give us the benefit of his presence here. And I can't resist—I'm sure, Llywydd, you will forgive me for doing this—but the next time he's in Swansea, perhaps he'd be so good as to announce the underpinning of the tidal lagoon at the same time.
Wel, diolch i chi am y tri phwynt pwysig iawn hynny. Ar y Bil Parhau, rydym ni'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at ddadl Steffan Lewis yfory. Mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei gefnogi ac mae pleidlais rydd i Aelodau'r meinciau cefn. Rydym ni yn bendant o'r farn y byddai'n well pe byddai Llywodraeth y DU yn rhoi'r safbwynt cywir yn ei Bil ei hun ac yn gwneud y gwelliannau cywir ac yn cymryd y gyfres gywir o gamau gweithredu, ond, yn absenoldeb hynny, rydym ni'n ei gwneud yn glir iawn—ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd hyn yn codi yn y ddadl yfory—ein bod yn barod i wneud hynny yn eu lle ac i gydlynu â gweinyddiaethau datganoledig eraill wrth wneud hynny. Felly, rwy'n hapus iawn i ddweud ein bod o'r un farn yn union ac rydym ni'n edrych ymlaen at y ddadl honno yfory.
Ar fater Parc y Rhath, mae hwn yn fater a godwyd gan nifer fawr o bobl dros gyfnod y cynllun atal llifogydd. Bydd y Gweinidog yn ateb cwestiynau yn rhan o amser holi Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yfory, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Aelod yn manteisio ar hynny. Ac os oes ganddo bethau manwl penodol iawn yr hoffai ofyn iddi, efallai y byddai cystal ag ysgrifennu ati i nodi rhai o'r pethau penodol iawn hynny. Mae hi yma, yn gwrando ar rai o'i bryderon ar hyn o bryd.
O ran yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â dadansoddiad yr Aelod ohono. Dydw i ddim yn meddwl ei fod yn fater i mi, mewn gwirionedd, ond mae'n amlwg yn wir bod angen i'r Pwyllgor Cyllid gael y dystiolaeth orau bosibl a deall yn llwyr y naill ochr a'r llall o'r setliad datganoli. Felly, os yw o ryw werth, rwy'n cytuno y byddai'n dda iawn pe byddai'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yn ddigon caredig i ganiatáu i ni fanteisio ar ei bresenoldeb yma. Ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud—rwy'n siŵr, Llywydd, y gwnewch chi faddau imi am wneud hyn—ond y tro nesaf y bydd ef yn Abertawe, efallai y bydd gystal â chyhoeddi ymrwymiad ariannol y morlyn llanw ar yr un pryd.
Can I call for two statements from the Cabinet Secretary for Education, please? It was reported widely in the media yesterday that, last year, teachers from 16 of the 22 local authorities had reported incidents of racism. I'm sure you would be very concerned about that, leader of the house. Also, there's been quite a spike, of course, in religious hate crime that has been recorded in Wales. I think lots of schools are trying to do a good job in educating young people about different ethnic groups and religions, but of course, clearly we're not tackling the problem as effectively as we could be. I know there are some trial lessons that are being conducted in Cardiff, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot schools, which I think is a very positive thing, and I just wonder what assessment the Cabinet Secretary for Education has made of the shape of the new curriculum to come, and whether that is being properly informed about these latest trends so that we can make the changes that might be necessary to that. So, I would appreciate a statement from the Cabinet Secretary on that particular issue.
Can I also request a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education on online resilience and the support that's being given to young people in schools? There was quite an alarming report from the children's commissioner in England that was published in the new year, which showed that young people are using social media that is designed for older children and adults, and as a result of that, many, particularly when they get to high school, are jumping from a transition where they're primarily playing games on their devices to suddenly being immersed in quite an intense social atmosphere on social media, where they're looking for social validation through likes and responses to some of their posts in an unhealthy way, and they can often have an unhealthy image of the world, particularly if they're following lots of celebrities trying to keep up appearances. It's quite clear to me that this trend is growing, it's becoming an ever-increasing problem in our schools, and we heard in the Children, Young People and Education Committee that self-harm, anxiety and mental health problems—lots of them have their roots in some of the social media that young people are engaging with. So, I think it would be helpful to have an update on some of the work that the Cabinet Secretary for Education has been doing across Wales in encouraging schools to get this online resilience situation sorted so that our children and young people can be protected from these potential harms.
A gaf i alw am ddau ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, os gwelwch yn dda? Adroddwyd yn helaeth yn y cyfryngau ddoe bod athrawon o 16 o'r 22 o awdurdodau lleol, y llynedd, wedi adrodd achosion o hiliaeth. Rwy'n siŵr eich bod yn bryderus iawn am hynny, arweinydd y tŷ. Hefyd, bu cynnydd eithaf sydyn, wrth gwrs, mewn troseddau casineb crefyddol a gofnodwyd yng Nghymru. Credaf fod llawer o ysgolion yn ceisio gwneud gwaith da o ran addysgu pobl ifanc am wahanol grwpiau ethnig a chrefyddau, ond wrth gwrs, yn amlwg dydyn ni ddim yn ymdrin â'r broblem mor effeithiol ag y gallem ni. Rwy'n gwybod bod rhai gwersi treialu yn cael eu cynnal mewn ysgolion yng Nghaerdydd, Abertawe a Chastell-nedd Port Talbot, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n beth cadarnhaol iawn, a meddwl oeddwn i tybed pa asesiad y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg wedi'i wneud o ffurf y cwricwlwm newydd sydd ar y gorwel, a pha un a yw hwnnw wedi'u lywio gan yr wybodaeth gywir am y tueddiadau diweddaraf hyn, er mwyn i ni allu gwneud unrhyw newidiadau a allai fod yn angenrheidiol. Felly, byddwn i'n gwerthfawrogi datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ar y mater penodol hwnnw.
A gaf i hefyd wneud cais am ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg ar gydnerthedd ar-lein a'r cymorth a roddir i bobl ifanc mewn ysgolion? Cyhoeddwyd adroddiad eithaf brawychus gan y comisiynydd plant yn Lloegr yn y flwyddyn newydd a oedd yn dangos bod pobl ifanc yn defnyddio cyfryngau cymdeithasol sydd wedi'u cynllunio ar gyfer plant hŷn ac oedolion, ac o ganlyniad i hynny, mae llawer, yn arbennig pan fyddan nhw'n mynd i'r ysgol uwchradd, yn neidio o gyfnod pontio lle maen nhw'n bennaf yn chwarae gemau ar eu dyfeisiau i fod wedi'u trochi yn sydyn mewn awyrgylch cymdeithasol dwys iawn ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol, lle maen nhw'n chwilio am ddilysiad cymdeithasol drwy nifer y bobl sy'n hoffi ac yn ymateb i rai o'r pethau y maen nhw'n eu postio mewn ffordd nad yw'n iach, ac yn aml mae ganddyn nhw ddelwedd nad yw'n iach o'r byd, yn arbennig os ydyn nhw'n dilyn llawer o enwogion ac yn ceisio cadw wyneb. Mae'n eithaf amlwg i mi fod y duedd hon yn tyfu, mae'n dod yn broblem gynyddol yn ein hysgolion, a chlywsom yn y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg am hunan-niwed, gorbryder a phroblemau iechyd meddwl—a bod llawer ohonyn nhw â'u gwreiddiau yn rhai o'r cyfryngau cymdeithasol y mae pobl ifanc yn eu defnyddio. Felly, credaf y byddai'n ddefnyddiol cael diweddariad ar rywfaint o'r gwaith y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg wedi bod yn ei wneud ledled Cymru i annog ysgolion i roi trefn ar y sefyllfa cydnerthedd ar-lein er mwyn gallu amddiffyn ein plant a'n pobl ifanc rhag y niweidiau posibl hyn.
The Member raises two extremely important points, both of which, as it happens, overlap with my own portfolio, and on which I'm working very closely with the Cabinet Secretary for Education. So, on the first one, in terms of reporting racist hate crimes, faith hate crimes and so on, I think actually it's me who'll be bringing forward a statement in due course on that. I don't have a timetable for that at the moment, but we are in the process of talking, the Cabinet Secretary and I, about some of the major issues around that, and when we've got something to report back on this very important topic—. I think it will be me, I'm not absolutely certain, but one of us will be bringing forward a statement to say where we've got with that. That will include a number of things, not just the curriculum and teachers' issues, but the wider issue in Wales, which is very important. And, of course, the educational sector sits within that wider sector and is very influential in it. So we'll be looking at both of those.
In terms of online resilience, the Member also raises a very important point there. The Welsh Government has done an enormous amount of work in primary schools, actually, with the internet rangers, I think they're called, in some schools. There are internet guardians—there was one primary school I visited where they were called the internet guardians. Basically, they're primary school-aged children supporting each other to understand what the effect will be, particularly in year 6 and in the transition into secondary school. Because the Member's absolutely right; he identifies the change in tone and so on there, and I know that's very much part of the new curriculum roll-out, and very much part of the Hwb resources that we've put in place as well. Again, the Cabinet Secretary and I are working very closely together in terms of how we do that as we go forward into the digital age as part of my portfolio: how we make sure that, again, not only schoolchildren—although it's very important for schoolchildren—but actually also things like small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs, people who are running small rural businesses and so on, absolutely themselves stay safe online, make the best of the internet opportunities, but actually do things like protect their intellectual property properly, have the right resilience, cyber security resilience, and so on. It's all part of the same picture as we move forward. So, the Member I hope will be reassured that we are in discussions about that, and again, in due course, when we've got something to report back about where we are, we will be doing so.
Mae'r Aelod yn codi dau bwynt eithriadol o bwysig, ac mae'r ddau ohonyn nhw, fel mae'n digwydd, yn gorgyffwrdd â'm portffolio fy hun, ac rwy'n gweithio'n agos iawn gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros addysg arnyn nhw. Felly, yr un cyntaf, o ran adrodd am droseddau casineb ar sail hil, troseddau casineb ar sail crefydd ac ati, rwy'n credu mewn gwirionedd mai fi fydd yn cyflwyno datganiad ar hynny maes o law. Does gen i ddim amserlen ar gyfer hynny ar hyn o bryd, ond rydym ni wrthi'n trafod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet a minnau, rai o'r materion pwysig sy'n ymwneud â hynny, a phan fydd gennym rywbeth i'w adrodd yn ôl ar y pwnc pwysig hwn—. Rwy'n credu mai fi fydd yn gwneud hynny, dydw i ddim yn hollol siŵr, ond fe fydd un ohonom ni yn cyflwyno datganiad i ddweud ble'r ydym ni ar hynny. Bydd hynny'n cynnwys nifer o bethau, nid y cwricwlwm a materion athrawon yn unig, ond y mater ehangach yng Nghymru, sy'n bwysig iawn. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae'r sector addysg yn rhan o'r sector ehangach hwnnw ac mae'n ddylanwadol iawn ynddo. Felly byddwn yn edrych ar y ddau ohonyn nhw.
O ran cydnerthedd ar-lein, mae'r Aelod yn codi pwynt pwysig iawn yn y fan hyn. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwneud llawer iawn o waith mewn ysgolion cynradd, mewn gwirionedd, gyda'r ceidwaid rhyngrwyd, rwy'n credu mai dyna beth yr ydym ni'n eu galw nhw, mewn rhai ysgolion. Ceir gwarcheidwaid rhyngrwyd—dyna yr oedden nhw yn eu galw nhw mewn un ysgol gynradd yr ymwelais â hi. Yn y bôn, maen nhw'n blant oed ysgol gynradd sy'n cynorthwyo ei gilydd i ddeall beth fydd yr effaith, yn arbennig ym mlwyddyn 6 ac yn y cyfnod pontio i'r ysgol uwchradd. Oherwydd, mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei le; mae'n nodi'r newid mewn tôn ac ati yn y fan honno, a gwn fod hynny'n rhan bwysig iawn o gyflwyno'r cwricwlwm newydd, ac mae'n rhan fawr o'r adnoddau Hwb yr ydym wedi eu rhoi ar waith hefyd. Unwaith eto, mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet a minnau yn gweithio'n agos iawn gyda'n gilydd ar sut yr ydym yn gwneud hynny wrth inni fwrw ymlaen i'r oes ddigidol yn rhan o'm portffolio: sut yr ydym yn gwneud yn siŵr, unwaith eto, nid yn unig o ran plant ysgol—er ei bod yn bwysig iawn i blant ysgol—ond mewn gwirionedd hefyd pethau fel mentrau bach a chanolig ac entrepreneuriaid, pobl sy'n rhedeg busnesau bach gwledig ac ati, eu bod nhw yn aros yn ddiogel ar-lein, yn manteisio i'r eithaf ar gyfleoedd y rhyngrwyd, ond hefyd yn gwneud pethau fel amddiffyn eu heiddo deallusol, trefnu bod ganddyn nhw y gydnerthedd gywir, cydnerthedd seiberddiogelwch, ac ati. Mae'n rhan o'r un darlun wrth inni fwrw ymlaen. Felly gobeithio y bydd yr Aelod yn dawel ei feddwl o wybod ein bod yn trafod hyn, ac eto, maes o law, pan fydd gennym rywbeth i'w adrodd yn ôl ynghylch ble'r ydym ni ar hyn, fe fyddwn ni'n gwneud hynny.
A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan yr Ysgrifennydd iechyd ynglŷn â'r effaith y bydd torri cyllideb y rhaglen graidd cyswllt ysgolion Cymru gyfan, neu SchoolBeat, yn ei gael ar y gwaith pwysig y mae'r rhaglen honno yn ei ddelifro? Rydw i'n gwybod, yng ngogledd Cymru, ei fod yn cyflogi 16 o swyddogion sydd yn ymweld â phob ysgol ac sydd yn cyfleu negeseuon pwysig i'r plant, o'r ieuengaf yn bedair oed lan i 16 oed, ar faterion megis dysgu am beryglon cyffuriau, camddefnyddio sylweddau, diogewlch ar y we—rydym ni newydd gyfeirio at hynny, wrth gwrs—secstio, trais yn y cartref ac yn y blaen. Mi fyddai torri'r gyllideb honno, wrth gwrs, o beth rydw i'n ei ddeall, yn golygu y gallai'r gwasanaeth fod yn cael ei adael â dim ond wyth o swyddogion yn y gogledd, ac yn golygu y byddai dim ond yn ymweld ag ysgolion uwchradd. Nawr, o gofio pwyslais y Llywodraeth, a nifer ohonom ni, wrth gwrs, ar yr angen i daclo profiadau plentyndod niweidiol—adverse childhood experiences—oni fyddai hyn, a thorri'r gwasanaeth yma, yn gam yn ôl o safbwynt mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r problemau yna? Ac, wrth gwrs, byddai'n tanseilio cyfrwng pwysig i gyfleu negeseuon pwysig iawn yn uniongyrchol i'r bobl ifanc a allai gael eu heffeithio ganddyn nhw. Felly, byddwn i'n gwerthfawrogi datganiad ar hynny.
Rydw i hefyd am ofyn am ddatganiad arall. A gaf i fod efallai yn un o'r cyntaf i groesawu'r datganiad ysgrifenedig sydd wedi'i ryddhau o fewn yr awr ac ychydig ddiwethaf ynglŷn ag arian cyfalaf ychwanegol gan y Llywodraeth, yn arbennig, wrth gwrs, yr elfen ychwanegol o safbwynt ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain? Rydym ni fel plaid wedi bod yn awyddus i weld elfen benodol ar gyfer annog addysg Gymraeg, ac rydw i'n cydnabod y ffaith bod y Llywodraeth wedi clustnodi £30 miliwn eleni, ac, yn wir, £30 miliwn bob blwyddyn am y blynyddoedd nesaf, ac yn datgan yn y datganiad hefyd bod hynny nawr yn flaenoriaeth rydych chi'n ei rannu gyda ni ym Mhlaid Cymru. A gawn ni felly, yn sgil hynny, ddatganiad buan gan Weinidog y Gymraeg er mwyn amlinellu'r criteria y bydd hi'n awyddus i'w ddefnyddio ar gyfer dosbarthu a dosrannu yr arian ychwanegol yna? Ac hefyd i ategu y ffaith, wrth gwrs, na ddylem ni weld y £30 miliwn ychwanegol yma fel y ddarpariaeth ar gyfer addysg Gymraeg, ond bod yna bwyslais clir ynglŷn ag ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain yn ei chyfanrwydd yn dal i orfod bod yn gweithredu'n gwbl rhagweithiol i hyrwyddo addysg Gymraeg, a bod y £30 miliwn yma yn ychwanegol ac yn cynnig ychwanegolrwydd—additionality—i hynny hefyd. Rydw i'n meddwl ei bod hi'n bwysig nad yw'r neges yna ddim yn cael ei golli.
May I ask for a statement from the health Secretary on the impact that cuts to the all-Wales school liaison core programme, or SchoolBeat, will have on the important work that that programme delivers? I know that in north Wales, it employs 16 officials who visit all schools and convey important messages to the children, from the youngest at age four up to those at age 16, on issues such as learning about the dangers of the misuse of drugs and substances, safety online, sexting, domestic abuse and so on and so forth. Cutting that budget, as far as I understand it, would mean that that service could be left with only eight officials in north Wales, which would mean that they would only visit secondary schools. Now, given the emphasis of the Government and many of us here on the need to tackle adverse childhood experiences, wouldn't cutting this service be a retrograde step in terms of tackling some of those problems? Of course, it would undermine an important means of conveying very important messages directly to the young people who could be impacted by them. So, I would appreciate a statement on that.
I would also ask for antoher statement. May I be one of the first to welcome the written statement released within the last hour and a bit on additional capital funding from the Government, particularly, of course, the additional element in terms of twenty-first century schools? We as a party have been eager to see a specific element for encouraging Welsh-medium education, and I recognise the fact that the Government has allocated £30 million this year and £30 million for ensuing years, and has stated in that statement that that is a priority that you share with us in Plaid Cymru. So, given that, can we have an early statement from the Minister for Welsh language to outline the criteria that she will use for distributing that additional funding? And also to endorse the fact that we shouldn't see that additional £30 million as the provision for Welsh-medium education, but that there is a clear emphasis in terms of twenty-first century schools in its entirety, still having to operate proactively to promote Welsh-medium education, and that that £30 million is additional and offers additionality to that too. I think it's important that that message isn't lost.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
Well, thank you very much for that. That's very important. In terms of the first one, we have a large number of very difficult decisions to make in terms of resourcing and so on, but one of the things that's really good about where we are in schools' resilience is the fact that we have now got Hwb out to every single school and pupil across Wales. And although it's not quite the same as hearing somebody in person, we can now get a lot of those resources onto Hwb and make sure that, actually, all schools have access to some of that material. I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary's looking very carefully at that, and if Llyr would like to write to the Cabinet Secretary and outline some of the very specific concerns, I'm sure she can address that in the light of some of the developments that we've had. I've been having some discussions with her where it overlaps my own portfolio about how we can use those resources in just that way to make sure that all schools benefit from some of the things where it's not possible to get individually around all of them.
In terms of the Welsh language additional funding, I'm told that it frees up the additional £13 million for future years, so the Member should be reassured about that. And, again, in terms of the very specific issues, I think the Minister is taking those into account, and she is due to come forward with a statement. I'm not quite sure what the timescale for that is, but I know she is due to come forward with a statement on where she is with some of the revisions for the Welsh language policy, and I'm sure she'll take that into account when that statement does come forward in due course.
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn am hynny. Mae hynny'n bwysig iawn. O ran yr un cyntaf, mae gennym ni nifer fawr o benderfyniadau anodd iawn i'w gwneud o ran darparu adnoddau ac ati, ond un o'r pethau sy'n wirioneddol dda ynghylch lle yr ydym ym maes cydnerthedd ysgolion yw'r ffaith ein bod bellach wedi cyflwyno Hwb i bob un ysgol a disgybl ledled Cymru. Ac er nad yw yr un fath â chlywed rhywun wyneb yn wyneb, erbyn hyn gallwn ni gael llawer o'r adnoddau hynny ar Hwb a gwneud yn siŵr bod gan bob ysgol, mewn gwirionedd, fynediad at rywfaint o'r deunydd hwnnw. Rwy'n siŵr bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn edrych ar hynny'n ofalus iawn, ac os hoffai Llyr ysgrifennu at Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ac amlinellu rhai o'r pryderon penodol iawn hynny, rwy'n siŵr y bydd hi'n gallu mynd i'r afael â hynny gan ystyried rhai o'r datblygiadau yr ydym wedi'u gweld. Rwyf wedi bod yn trafod gyda hi, pan fo hynny'n gorgyffwrdd â fy mhortffolio fy hun, sut y gallwn ddefnyddio'r adnoddau hynny yn y modd hwnnw i wneud yn siŵr bod pob ysgol yn elwa ar rai o'r pethau pan nad yw'n bosibl mynd i bob un ohonyn nhw'n unigol.
O ran y cyllid ychwanegol i'r Gymraeg, dywedir wrthyf ei bod yn rhyddhau'r £13 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer blynyddoedd y dyfodol, felly dylai'r Aelod fod yn dawel ei feddwl ynghylch hynny. Ac, unwaith eto, o ran y materion penodol iawn, rwy'n credu bod y Gweinidog yn ystyried y rhai hynny, ac mae disgwyl iddi gyflwyno datganiad. Dydw i ddim yn hollol siŵr beth yw'r amserlen ar gyfer hynny, ond rwy'n gwybod y bydd yn cyflwyno datganiad ar y sefyllfa o ran rhai o'r diwygiadau i'r polisi iaith Gymraeg, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd hi'n ystyried hynny pan fydd yn cyflwyno'r datganiad hwnnw maes o law.
Leader of the house, I was very pleased to host the exhibition in the Pierhead this afternoon to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of the Abortion Act 1967, but I think Assembly Members present were all somewhat shocked to hear just how little progress has been made in this last half-century in dealing with the inequalities of abortion access in Wales. Because we seem to be in a much worse position than in other parts of Britain, and, as a result, women are having their access to abortion artificially delayed by being forced to see their GP before they can access the gynae services that they require, and many of those who are being referred to the voluntary sector are having to pay £600 themselves because of these delays, and also having to have surgical abortions because it's too late for them to have a medical abortion, which obviously is much less invasive. So, I wondered if we could have the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on how he would be able to address this. I think there is an outlier, Gwent, which is very good at referring people who they can't accommodate themselves to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, but other health boards do not have a good record. I think, across the Chamber, there should be alarm about this and we need to know how we're going to deal with this in the future.
Arweinydd y tŷ, roeddwn yn falch iawn o gynnal arddangosfa yn y Pierhead y prynhawn yma i goffáu hanner can mlynedd ers pasio Deddf Erthylu 1967, ond rwy'n credu bod yr Aelodau Cynulliad a oedd yn bresennol i gyd yn syfrdanu braidd o glywed cyn lleied o gynnydd sydd wedi bod yn yr hanner canrif diwethaf hwn wrth ymdrin ag anghydraddoldebau yn y mynediad at erthyliad yng Nghymru. Oherwydd, mae'n ymddangos ein bod mewn sefyllfa lawer gwaeth nag mewn rhannau eraill o Brydain, ac, o ganlyniad, mae oedi artiffisial i allu menywod i gael erthyliad gan fod yn rhaid iddyn nhw weld eu meddyg teulu cyn y gallan nhw gael y gwasanaethau gynaecoleg sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw, ac mae llawer o'r rhai hynny sy'n cael eu hatgyfeirio at y sector gwirfoddol yn gorfod talu £600 eu hunain oherwydd yr oedi hyn, a hefyd maen nhw'n gorfod cael erthyliad llawfeddygol oherwydd ei bod yn rhy hwyr iddyn nhw gael erthyliad meddygol, sy'n amlwg yn llawer llai ymyrrol. Felly, tybed a allem ni gael datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ar sut y gallai ef fynd i'r afael â hyn. Rwy'n credu bod un eithriad, Gwent, sy'n dda iawn am atgyfeirio pobl na allan nhw ddarparu ar eu cyfer eu hunain i'r British Pregnancy Advisory Service, ond nid oes gan fyrddau iechyd eraill hanes da o wneud hynny. Rwy'n credu, ar draws y Siambr, y dylai fod braw ynghylch hyn ac mae angen inni wybod sut yr ydym ni'n mynd i fynd i'r afael a hyn yn y dyfodol.
Well, thank you for raising that extremely important matter. The Cabinet Secretary for health is here listening to your concerns and I think he's indicating that he'd very much welcome a meeting with you to discuss those concerns further and see what we can do to take them forward.
Wel, diolch ichi am godi'r mater pwysig iawn hwnnw. Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd yma i wrando ar eich pryderon ac rwy’n credu ei fod yn nodi y byddai'n croesawu cyfarfod â chi i drafod y pryderon hynny ymhellach ac i weld beth y gallwn ei wneud ynglŷn â nhw.
Leader of the house, I'm delighted to announce to the Chamber that the Freshwater Habitats Trust have appointed me as the Assembly's new species champion for the freshwater pearl mussel as part of their #ShowTheLove campaign, a role that I am going to relish, I'm sure. I'll be raising many questions on protecting that species with the Cabinet Secretary when I bed into the role—on the sea bed. [Laughter.]
In the meantime, on the broader issue of the marine environment, in the news at the moment is, of course, the problem of plastic pollution. We know that the UK Government and the Scottish Government as well—. Supermarkets such as Iceland, in particular, have said that they plan to eliminate plastic packaging from all of their brands by 2023, I think it is. I wonder if we could have a statement from the Welsh Government, or a debate even, on how you intend to support moves such as this.
I think that supermarkets such as Iceland, in making these bold moves, do deserve support. I think it would be good if we could encourage behaviour like this across the board so that our marine environment can be cleaned up from this awful plastic pollution as soon as possible, so that wider species than the freshwater pearl mussel can appreciate the clean oceans and clean seas and aquatic environment they deserve.
Arweinydd y tŷ, rwy’n falch iawn o gyhoeddi i'r Siambr bod yr Ymddiriedolaeth Cynefinoedd Dŵr Croyw wedi fy mhenodi’n hyrwyddwr rhywogaeth newydd y Cynulliad dros y fisglen berlog dŵr croyw yn rhan o'u hymgyrch #ShowTheLove, ac rwy’n siŵr y gwnaf fwynhau’r swyddogaeth honno. Byddaf yn gofyn llawer o gwestiynau am warchod y rhywogaeth honno i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ar ôl setlo yn y swyddogaeth—ar wely'r môr. [Chwerthin.]
Yn y cyfamser, ar fater ehangach yr amgylchedd morol, rhywbeth sydd yn y newyddion ar hyn o bryd yw, wrth gwrs, problem llygredd plastig. Gwyddom fod Llywodraeth y DU a Llywodraeth yr Alban hefyd—. Mae archfarchnadoedd fel Iceland, yn benodol, wedi dweud eu bod yn bwriadu dileu deunydd pacio plastig o'u holl frandiau erbyn 2023, rwy’n meddwl. Tybed a allem ni gael datganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru, neu ddadl hyd yn oed, ynglŷn â sut yr ydych yn bwriadu cefnogi camau fel hyn.
Rwy’n credu bod archfarchnadoedd fel Iceland, wrth gymryd y camau beiddgar hyn, yn haeddu cefnogaeth. Rwy’n credu y byddai'n beth da pe gallem ni annog ymddygiad fel hyn gan bawb er mwyn gallu glanhau’r llygredd plastig ofnadwy hwn o’n hamgylchedd morol cyn gynted â phosibl, fel y gall rhywogaethau eraill heblaw am y fisglen berlog dŵr croyw werthfawrogi cefnforoedd glân, moroedd glân a’r amgylchedd dyfrol y maen nhw'n ei haeddu.
The Member raises an extremely important point, and I cannot resist taking the opportunity to say that I'm the species champion for the native oyster, as it happens. I see he and I have a very similar view about delicious species in order to be their champion. Swansea bay has recently been reseeded with the native oyster, so the issue about plastic pollution in our marine environment is extremely important.
Of course, Wales has done extremely well in its recycling. We're second only to Germany. I'm sure that the Cabinet Secretary has the ambition to be top as well. We have done extremely well—that's not to say that more can't be done. It's a very important point that the Cabinet Secretary takes extremely seriously. I think the Member has done very well to raise it. But we can be proud here in Wales of the recycling that we've already done and of how encouraged we are by the individual action both by Welsh companies like Iceland and also by Welsh individuals who take very seriously their personal responsibility for trying to limit the number of single-use plastics and so on.
Dirprwy Lywydd, I'm sorry to ask for this indulgence, but if I could just recommend to Members that they all look into using bamboo toothbrushes and not having plastic straws in their drinks, then I for one would think that this business statement had a very good outcome.
Mae'r Aelod yn codi pwynt hynod bwysig, ac ni allaf beidio ag achub ar y cyfle i ddweud mai fi yw hyrwyddwr rhywogaeth y wystrysen frodorol, fel mae'n digwydd. Rwy’n gweld bod ganddo ef a mi farn debyg iawn ynghylch rhywogaethau blasus i’w hyrwyddo. Yn ddiweddar, cafodd bae Abertawe ei ailhadu â’r wystrysen frodorol, felly mae llygredd plastig yn ein hamgylchedd morol yn fater hynod o bwysig.
Wrth gwrs, mae Cymru wedi gwneud yn dda iawn o ran ailgylchu. Dim ond yr Almaen sydd wedi gwneud yn well. Rwy’n siŵr mai uchelgais Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yw bod y gorau hefyd. Rydym ni wedi gwneud yn dda iawn—nid yw hynny'n golygu na ellir gwneud mwy. Mae'n bwynt pwysig iawn ac mae’n fater difrifol iawn i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rwy’n meddwl bod yr Aelod wedi gwneud yn dda iawn i'w godi. Ond gallwn ni fod yn falch yma yng Nghymru o’r ailgylchu yr ydym eisoes wedi ei wneud ac o ba mor galonogol yw’r camau unigol a gymerwyd gan gwmnïau o Gymru fel Iceland a hefyd gan unigolion o Gymru sy'n cymryd o ddifrif eu cyfrifoldeb personol am geisio cyfyngu ar ddefnyddio plastigion untro ac ati.
Dirprwy Lywydd, maddeuwch i mi am achub ar y cyfle hwn, ond os gallaf argymell i’r Aelodau eu bod i gyd yn ystyried defnyddio brwshys dannedd bambŵ a pheidio â defnyddio gwelltyn plastig yn eu diod, yna byddwn i'n meddwl bod y datganiad busnes hwn wedi cael canlyniad da iawn.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Diolch.
The next item on our agenda this afternoon is the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services on the parliamentary review of health and social care in Wales, and I call on Vaughan Gething.
Yr eitem nesaf ar ein hagenda y prynhawn yma yw’r datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar yr adolygiad seneddol o iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, a galwaf ar Vaughan Gething.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The establishment of the parliamentary review into the long-term future of health and social care in Wales was a key commitment in our programme for government, 'Taking Wales Forward', but this of course came from an early agreement with Plaid Cymru to establish the review. That commitment was further emphasised in our national strategy, 'Prosperity for All'.
I announced the setting up of an independent panel of experts in November 2016. That came on the back of cross-party agreement, both on the terms of reference and membership of that independent panel. Their interim report was published on 11 July last year. The panel has had 12 months to consider evidence and use their expertise to come to their recommendations. The final report, with those recommendations from the panel, was published earlier today.
The independent review panel has been chaired by Dr Ruth Hussey, a former Chief Medical Officer for Wales, and has consisted of a range of national and international experts, indeed, in the field of health and social care. I'd like to thank Ruth and her fellow panel members, and moreover everyone who has engaged with and given evidence to the panel for their time and commitment in producing this important report.
The terms of reference and scope for the review and its time frame were challenging. But, as we know, the challenges facing us need to be addressed urgently. The panel was asked to provide a report and recommendations on: how the health and care system might deliver improved health and well-being outcomes for people across Wales; how to reduce existing inequalities between certain population groups; and how best to enable the whole health and social care system to be sustainable over the next five to 10 years.
This review has been supported by all parties throughout the period. I know that the chair and panel members have continued to engage with opposition spokespeople, and the Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee throughout the review. I welcome the cross-party support for the review and the maturity of the constructive engagement between all parties and the panel.
The case for change was set out very clearly in the interim report. I haven’t heard anyone disagree with the need for change in order to meet the challenges facing us now and in the future. In fact, I've heard enthusiasm for making progress to tackle the combination of issues that face us. What is clear to me is that we need change and need to get started on that change sooner rather than later. We need a system that meets the needs of our population going forward, and one that is financially sustainable.
The panel has engaged with that wide range of stakeholders, including health and social care workers, clinicians, members of the public, and the third sector. There have been face-to-face meetings, citizen panels, focus groups, written evidence, meetings with specific groups of people—for example, older people’s groups—and direct questions and answers on social media with the panel.
The report recognises that front-line staff and decision makers want to move forward and make changes that improve both the quality of experience and outcomes for people. It also recognises there are lots of examples of good work in health and social care, including joint working together to deliver a seamless service to people. Perhaps most importantly, the report also says that in Wales we have the very real potential to overcome the challenges that we face. And the challenges we face continue to be ones that I and others have mentioned before: on funding, on the pace of service change and service performance, including my own desire to develop new clinically based outcome measures.
The expert panel has set out the vision for a seamless service for citizens, with new models of care underpinned by a new quadruple aim. Those aims are: to improve the population's health and well-being, with a focus on prevention; to improve the experience and quality of care for individuals and families; to enrich the well-being, capability and engagement of the health and social care workforce, and to increase the value achieved from funding health and care through improvement, innovation, use of best practice, and, of course, eliminating waste.
The goals of that quadruple aim are compatible with, and work alongside, the goals of both the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the principles of prudent healthcare. The panel recommends that each of those four goals should be pursued simultaneously. The new models proposed by the report are based on characteristics set nationally, but delivered locally, taking account of the views of citizens in their care, and using technology to improve access to services.
National standards are, of course, important, as is joined-up local decision making to meet the specific needs of local populations, taking account of, for example, the Welsh language or rurality as examples of factors. The report itself makes 10 key high-level recommendations across health and social care. Those recommendations cover people working in services and people using services, systems, innovation and technology; leadership, learning, culture and behaviour; and, of course, progress and pace at the heart of a future system.
The Welsh Government, NHS Wales, local government, housing and the third sector need to respond with pace and action. There will, of course, be hard choices as well as real opportunities over the coming months to transform the system that we currently have. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that this is an opportunity to shape the health and care system for the years and decades ahead. I hope that we can continue to work across services, across sectors, and, of course, across parties to secure the future of health and care in Wales.
I welcome the report from the review panel, and I will of course be considering the recommendations in more detail over the next few weeks. And in the spring I will publish a new long-term plan for health and social care that will take account of the recommendations in this report.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Roedd sefydlu'r adolygiad seneddol o ddyfodol hirdymor iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru yn ymrwymiad allweddol yn ein rhaglen lywodraethu, 'Symud Cymru Ymlaen', ond wrth gwrs daeth hyn o gytundeb cynnar gyda Phlaid Cymru i sefydlu’r adolygiad. Cafodd yr ymrwymiad hwnnw ei bwysleisio ymhellach yn ein strategaeth genedlaethol, 'Ffyniant i Bawb'.
Cyhoeddais sefydlu panel annibynnol o arbenigwyr ym mis Tachwedd 2016. Daeth hynny ar ôl cytundeb trawsbleidiol, ynglŷn â’r cylch gorchwyl ac aelodaeth y panel annibynnol. Cyhoeddwyd eu hadroddiad interim ar 11 Gorffennaf y llynedd. Mae’r panel wedi cael 12 mis i ystyried tystiolaeth a defnyddio eu harbenigedd i lunio eu hargymhellion. Cyhoeddwyd yr adroddiad terfynol, gyda'r argymhellion hynny gan y panel, yn gynharach heddiw.
Cadeirydd y panel adolygu annibynnol oedd Dr Ruth Hussey, cyn Brif Swyddog Meddygol Cymru, ac mae wedi cynnwys amrywiaeth o arbenigwyr cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol, yn wir, ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Hoffwn ddiolch i Ruth a’i chyd aelodau o’r panel, ac ar ben hynny bawb sydd wedi gweithio gyda’r panel a rhoi tystiolaeth iddynt am eu hamser a'u hymroddiad i lunio'r adroddiad pwysig hwn.
Roedd cylch gorchwyl a chwmpas yr adolygiad a’i amserlen yn heriol. Ond, fel y gwyddom, mae angen rhoi sylw brys i'r heriau sy'n ein hwynebu. Gofynnwyd i'r panel ddarparu adroddiad ac argymhellion ynglŷn â: sut y gallai’r system iechyd a gofal ddarparu gwell canlyniadau iechyd a lles i bobl ledled Cymru; sut i leihau'r anghydraddoldebau sy'n bodoli rhwng grwpiau penodol o'r boblogaeth; a'r ffordd orau o alluogi’r holl system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol i fod yn gynaliadwy dros y pum i 10 mlynedd nesaf.
Cefnogwyd yr adolygiad hwn gan bob plaid drwy gydol y cyfnod. Rwy’n gwybod bod y cadeirydd ac aelodau'r panel wedi parhau i ymgysylltu â llefarwyr y gwrthbleidiau, ac â Chadeirydd y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon drwy gydol yr adolygiad. Rwy’n croesawu’r gefnogaeth drawsbleidiol i’r adolygiad ac aeddfedrwydd yr ymgysylltiad adeiladol rhwng pob plaid a’r panel.
Nodwyd yr achos o blaid newid yn glir iawn yn yr adroddiad interim. Nid wyf wedi clywed neb yn anghytuno â’r angen am newid er mwyn ateb yr heriau sy'n ein hwynebu nawr ac yn y dyfodol. Yn wir, rwyf wedi clywed brwdfrydedd ynglŷn â gwneud cynnydd i ymdrin â’r cyfuniad o faterion sy'n ein hwynebu. Yr hyn sy'n amlwg i mi yw bod angen newid arnom a bod angen inni ddechrau gwneud y newid hwnnw cyn gynted â phosibl. Mae angen system arnom ni sy'n diwallu anghenion ein poblogaeth yn y dyfodol, ac un sy’n ariannol gynaliadwy.
Mae'r panel wedi ymgysylltu â’r ystod eang honno o randdeiliaid, gan gynnwys gweithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, clinigwyr, y cyhoedd a'r trydydd sector. Bu cyfarfodydd wyneb yn wyneb, paneli dinasyddion, grwpiau ffocws, tystiolaeth ysgrifenedig, cyfarfodydd â grwpiau penodol o bobl—er enghraifft, grwpiau pobl hŷn—a chwestiynau ac atebion uniongyrchol ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol gyda'r panel.
Mae'r adroddiad yn cydnabod bod staff rheng flaen a'r rhai sy'n gwneud penderfyniadau eisiau symud ymlaen a gwneud newidiadau sy'n gwella ansawdd profiadau a chanlyniadau pobl. Mae hefyd yn cydnabod bod llawer o enghreifftiau o waith da mewn iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, gan gynnwys cydweithio gyda’i gilydd i ddarparu gwasanaeth di-dor i bobl. Efallai mai’r peth pwysicaf yw bod yr adroddiad hefyd yn dweud bod gennym botensial go iawn yng Nghymru i oresgyn yr heriau sy’n ein hwynebu. A'r heriau sy'n ein hwynebu yw’r rhai yr wyf i ac eraill wedi sôn amdanyn nhw eisoes: ariannu, cyflymder newid gwasanaethau a pherfformiad gwasanaethau, gan gynnwys fy nymuniad i i ddatblygu mesurau canlyniadau newydd â sail glinigol.
Mae'r panel arbenigol wedi amlinellu’r weledigaeth ar gyfer gwasanaeth di-dor i ddinasyddion, gan gynnwys modelau gofal newydd sy’n seiliedig ar nod pedwarplyg newydd. Y nodau hynny yw: gwella iechyd a lles y boblogaeth, gan ganolbwyntio ar atal; gwella profiad gofal ac ansawdd gofal i unigolion a theuluoedd; cyfoethogi lles, gallu ac ymgysylltiad y gweithlu iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, a chynyddu’r gwerth a geir o ariannu iechyd a gofal drwy wella, arloesi, defnyddio arfer gorau, ac, wrth gwrs, dileu gwastraff.
Mae nodau’r nod pedwarplyg hwnnw’n gydnaws â, ac yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â, nodau Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014 ac egwyddorion gofal iechyd darbodus. Mae'r panel yn argymell y dylai pob un o'r pedwar nod hynny gael ei ddilyn ar yr un pryd. Mae’r modelau newydd a gynigir yn yr adroddiad yn seiliedig ar nodweddion a bennir yn genedlaethol, a ddarperir yn lleol, gan ystyried barn y dinasyddion yn eu gofal, a gan ddefnyddio technoleg i wella mynediad at wasanaethau.
Mae safonau cenedlaethol, wrth gwrs, yn bwysig, yn ogystal â gwneud penderfyniadau lleol cydgysylltiedig i ddiwallu anghenion penodol poblogaethau lleol, gan ystyried, er enghraifft, y Gymraeg neu wledigrwydd fel enghreifftiau o ffactorau. Mae'r adroddiad ei hun yn gwneud 10 o argymhellion lefel uchel allweddol ar draws iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Mae'r argymhellion hynny’n ymwneud â phobl sy'n gweithio mewn gwasanaethau a phobl sy'n defnyddio gwasanaethau, systemau, arloesedd a thechnoleg; arweinyddiaeth, dysgu, diwylliant ac ymddygiad; ac, wrth gwrs, cynnydd a chyflymder wrth wraidd system y dyfodol.
Mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru, GIG Cymru, llywodraeth leol, y sector tai a'r trydydd sector ymateb yn gyflym a gweithredu. Wrth gwrs, bydd dewisiadau anodd yn ogystal â chyfleoedd go iawn dros y misoedd nesaf i drawsnewid y system sydd gennym ar hyn o bryd. Fodd bynnag, ni ddylem golli golwg ar y ffaith bod hwn yn gyfle i lunio’r system iechyd a gofal am flynyddoedd a degawdau i ddod. Rwy’n gobeithio y gallwn barhau i weithio ar draws gwasanaethau, ar draws sectorau, ac, wrth gwrs, ar draws pleidiau i sicrhau dyfodol iechyd a gofal yng Nghymru.
Rwy’n croesawu’r adroddiad gan y panel adolygu, ac wrth gwrs byddaf yn ystyried yr argymhellion yn fanylach dros yr wythnosau nesaf. Ac yn y gwanwyn byddaf yn cyhoeddi cynllun hirdymor newydd ar gyfer iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol a fydd yn ystyried yr argymhellion yn yr adroddiad hwn.
I, too, would like to welcome this report today. I found it to be an energising and enlightening read, and I'd like to thank Dr Ruth Hussey and the members of her team for all the hard work they've done, but also for the engagement that they have offered to me and to my Welsh Conservative colleagues in bringing forward ideas and thoughts, and recommending people to go and talk to to get to the truth of the matter.
There's no doubt that health and social care faces some enormous challenges over these coming years—increasing demand, new drugs and technology and to have a better and more holistic understanding of what well-being is, and we have to combat all of that in the face of rising expectations from the general public. The case for change is compelling, and this is a very welcome analysis of the challenges we face. It pulls no punches and agitates for reform at pace, and I think one of the reasons we need to do this reform, Cabinet Secretary, is that I think it's very clear that we do not have a current vision for the NHS, and that there hasn't been sufficient attention on how to achieve that vision, how to achieve change and how to make best practice common practice.
I note you intend to publish a long-term plan in the spring, and I would absolutely urge you not to be sidetracked by what I call the 'low-level stuff' and the lobbying that I'm sure you're going to start getting, because this is about the strategic direction of the health service going forward. Would you be able to tell us how long after the plan is published you intend to commence a programme of transformation? Anyone who's been involved in change throughout business will know that change cannot last for too long. Transformation programmes do need to be pushed at pace. Will you commit in the plan to reviewing the periods of maybe every year, every couple of years, every five years, to make sure that we are on track and are doing what we need to do?
I think the report tackles the area of competence, and I think there's a real concern emerging by the panel and other stakeholders that we do not have enough people with the relevant experience and skills to run such an ambitious change programme. How do you intend to address this, Cabinet Secretary? Will you start recruiting for those people soon, otherwise any change programme that you may put forward in the spring is going to take even longer to get off the ground?
In health, we have an independent sector, namely GPs. In social care, we have an independent sector, namely our valuable care home providers. We see the tensions today between the public sector and those independent sectors. Cabinet Secretary, how do you intend to address that in putting together your strategic plan and bringing those people on board to ensure that this is a whole NHS and a whole healthcare sector engagement?
How will you be intending to bring on board the general public? Much was made of the general public in this review by Dr Ruth Hussey, and I'd like to understand the weight that you put down on that.
Proceeding at pace is going to be a difficult thing. We need to bring on the health and care staff. We need to ensure we have training and a clear path forward for those people to understand how they are going to be engaged in building their and our NHS. Do you intend to put in place a strategic—I'm sorry, this is my last question, Deputy Presiding Officer—do you intend to put in place a strategic transformation team of experienced individuals with cross-cutting and collaborative skills, who will have the authority to drive the transformation across all of our health boards, and will they also eventually be able to look at the critical question—the elephant in the room that no-one can talk about or has talked about—which is how we are going to fund all of this, because the money is incredibly important? I do understand it wasn't part of the review, but without understanding how much money we have going forward to spend on health and social care, it might be very difficult to achieve some of these excellent objectives.
Good review, Cabinet Secretary; please don't let it just sit on a shelf somewhere in Welsh Government and go nowhere, because this is good, good stuff. I'm very pleased to see it.
Hoffwn innau groesawu'r adroddiad hwn heddiw. Roedd yn adroddiad grymusol ac addysgiadol i’w ddarllen, a hoffwn ddiolch i Dr Ruth Hussey ac aelodau ei thîm am yr holl waith caled y maent wedi’i wneud, ond hefyd am gynnig ymgysylltu â mi a'm cyd-Aelodau Ceidwadol Cymru wrth gyflwyno syniadau a meddyliau, ac argymell pobl i fynd i siarad â nhw i gael y gwir am y mater.
Does dim amheuaeth bod iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn wynebu heriau enfawr dros y blynyddoedd nesaf hyn—mwy o alw, cyffuriau a thechnoleg newydd a datblygu dealltwriaeth well a mwy cyfannol o beth yw lles, ac mae’n rhaid inni ymdrin â hynny i gyd yn wyneb disgwyliadau cynyddol gan y cyhoedd. Mae’r achos dros newid yn gymhellol, ac mae croeso mawr i’r dadansoddiad hwn o'r heriau sy’n ein hwynebu. Mae'n gwbl onest ac mae’n galw am ddiwygio cyflym, ac rwy’n meddwl mai un o'r rhesymau pam mae angen inni wneud y diwygiad hwn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yw fy mod yn meddwl ei bod yn glir iawn nad oes gennym weledigaeth ar gyfer y GIG ar hyn o bryd, ac na fu digon o sylw i sut i gyflawni’r weledigaeth honno, sut i newid pethau a sut i wneud arferion gorau yn arferion cyffredin.
Rwy’n nodi eich bod yn bwriadu cyhoeddi cynllun hirdymor yn y gwanwyn, a byddwn yn eich annog yn gryf i beidio â chael eich arwain ar gyfeiliorn gan yr hyn yr wyf i’n ei alw’n 'stwff lefel isel' a’r lobïo yr wyf yn siŵr y byddwch yn dechrau ei weld, oherwydd mae hyn yn ymwneud â chyfeiriad strategol y gwasanaeth iechyd yn y dyfodol. A fyddech chi'n gallu dweud wrthym pa mor hir ar ôl cyhoeddi'r cynllun yr ydych yn bwriadu cychwyn rhaglen o drawsnewid? Bydd unrhyw un sydd wedi ymwneud ag unrhyw fath o newid busnes yn gwybod na all newid bara am rhy hir. Mae angen gwthio rhaglenni trawsnewid ar gyflymder. A wnewch chi ymrwymo yn y cynllun i adolygu’r cyfnodau efallai bob blwyddyn, bob dwy flynedd, bob pum mlynedd, i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ar y trywydd iawn ac yn gwneud yr hyn y mae angen inni ei wneud?
Rwy'n meddwl bod yr adroddiad yn rhoi sylw i gymhwysedd, ac rwy’n meddwl bod pryder gwirioneddol yn dod i'r amlwg ar y panel ac ymysg rhanddeiliaid eraill nad oes gennym ddigon o bobl â’r profiad a’r sgiliau perthnasol i gynnal rhaglen newid mor uchelgeisiol. Sut ydych chi'n bwriadu unioni hyn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet? A fyddwch chi'n dechrau recriwtio’r bobl hynny cyn bo hir? Fel arall, bydd unrhyw rhaglen newid y gallech ei chyflwyno yn y gwanwyn yn cymryd mwy fyth o amser i’w chychwyn.
Ym maes iechyd, mae gennym sector annibynnol, sef meddygon teulu. Ym maes gofal cymdeithasol, mae gennym sector annibynnol, sef ein darparwyr cartrefi gofal gwerthfawr. Rydym yn gweld y tensiwn heddiw rhwng y sector cyhoeddus a'r sectorau annibynnol hynny. Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, sut ydych chi'n bwriadu ymdrin â hynny wrth lunio eich cynllun strategol a sicrhau cefnogaeth y bobl hynny i sicrhau bod hwn yn ymgysylltu â’r GIG cyfan a’r sector gofal iechyd cyfan?
Sut ydych chi'n bwriadu sicrhau cefnogaeth y cyhoedd? Roedd Dr Ruth Hussey yn sôn llawer am y cyhoedd yn yr adolygiad hwn, a hoffwn ddeall pa mor bwysig yw hynny i chi.
Mae bwrw ymlaen yn gyflym yn mynd i fod yn anodd. Mae angen inni sicrhau cefnogaeth y staff iechyd a gofal. Mae angen inni sicrhau bod gennym hyfforddiant a llwybr clir ymlaen i’r bobl hynny i ddeall sut y byddan nhw'n cymryd rhan yn y broses o adeiladu eu GIG nhw a’n GIG ni. A ydych chi'n bwriadu sefydlu—mae'n ddrwg gennyf, dyma fy nghwestiwn olaf, Dirprwy Lywydd—a ydych chi'n bwriadu sefydlu tîm trawsnewid strategol o unigolion profiadol â sgiliau trawsbynciol a chydweithredol, a rhoi iddyn nhw'r awdurdod i arwain y gwaith trawsnewid ar draws pob un o'n byrddau iechyd, ac a fyddan nhw hefyd yn y pen draw yn gallu edrych ar y cwestiwn hollbwysig—yr eliffant yn yr ystafell na all neb sôn amdano neu nad oes neb wedi sôn amdano—sef sut y byddwn ni'n ariannu hyn i gyd, gan fod yr arian yn eithriadol o bwysig? Rwy’n deall nad oedd yn rhan o'r adolygiad, ond heb ddeall faint o arian sydd gennym i'w wario yn y dyfodol ar iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, gallai fod yn anodd iawn cyflawni rhai o'r amcanion rhagorol hyn.
Adolygiad da, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet; peidiwch â gadael iddo eistedd ar silff yn rhywle yn Llywodraeth Cymru heb fynd i unman, oherwydd mae hwn yn stwff da iawn. Rwy’n falch iawn o’i weld.
Thank you for the response, and I'll try and respond briefly to each of the eight areas of questions that you've raised. And, of course, at the outset we agreed not to publish a new vision to replace 'Together for Health' because we're going to have a review. It would have been odd if I had said, 'Here is our view for the future of the health service, and then let's have the parliamentary review.' There's a trade-off in doing that. And at the outset I indicated there would be some things that we'd have to get on with and do before the review, and other things we'd need to wait for the review. I think it's that first point about when a programme for transformation will commence. Some things are already happening, but the review itself has recognised that it wants to see more of—. So, some of that transformation is in train. The challenge is perhaps the pace and the scale of that transformation. And as you'll know from having had a chance to read the report, they recommend having a transformation team in place for at least a year, to try and drive that change.
In terms of when we'll review that, well I do expect to review the report, both during the construction of the long-term plan for health and care that I've said we expect to be able to publish at the end of spring. That's a pretty tight timescale, but I think we need to maintain the momentum, so it doesn't sit on a shelf within the Government, or other people's libraries. And we'll need to think, as we publish the plan, about what timescales we'll then look at to measure our progress. An obvious one will be in a year's time, and we'll think about other waypoints to check on our progress. That goes into your point about both recruiting people to deal with transformation, and having a strategic transformation team.
We'll need to look at the current skills we have, both centrally, here within the civil service, and centrally, a leadership team in both the health service, but also the social care system as well. When you think of the people who we currently have, and how to drive that transformation, if we accept the recommendation about having a team, who are those people, where do we get them from, and where do the costs come from to actually pay those people to do the job, and their authority to properly engage with the service to drive improvement? Those are real issues for us to consider, as we deliver a plan, and then look to take that forward.
I take seriously your point about the engagement of health and care staff, and their training. That's obviously something that we need to look at. Innovation and improvement—well, certainly, the improvement activity often comes from training, from recognising that best practice needs to be standard and common practice, and how we look to have a learning environment, and a rich learning environment. And that comes into one of the key recommendations in the report as well.
On public engagement, I had a number of conversations with Lee Waters, and others, about whether the public would be genuinely engaged in the review. And they took that seriously: they had citizens panels and they took the opportunity to listen to and talk with the public. Part of our challenge is how we engage the public in a more regular conversation about health and care in any event, and in some of this, the social care sector is further ahead than the health service, and people are being more engaged in their choices. There's something about how the health service catches up with that, and equally how we have a more general debate about health and care, which doesn't rely on either a point of crisis or a point of real anxiety and controversy locally. Lots have been getting engaged in either their local service or a hospital service about something they disagree with or are concerned about. We need a broader and deeper engagement. To be fair, some of our health boards in Wales are better at doing that on a regular basis than others. So, again, that's a key point of learning and driving through, otherwise having the citizen be a more equal partner in making health and care choices is unlikely to happen, let alone the design of services.
And I think I've tried to deal with your point about staff training and engagement. I want to come back to your final point about money. We agreed across parties, in the terms, not to address money in this review. Because, if we'd done that, we could have easily spent a whole year just looking at how to fund and what to fund. These are controversial choices, and we all have different views on how we shall fund within a reducing resource base, which is objectively the case. The Government has a reducing resource base in real terms. The percentage of health and care spend continues to rise, as in our vote on the budget later today that puts more money into the health service. Our challenge must be: what is the long-term funding settlement going to be, and the requirement to do that? There's a different debate to be had there, about what individuals do to contribute to social care, for example, the funding of social care, the work that Gerry Holtham was doing with Mark Drakeford, my department, Huw Irranca, in looking at the long-term funding for social care. So, those questions can't be parked.
What we have to do is, to come up with a final point in the review and the quadruple aim: how do we nevertheless derive greater value from the Welsh public pound that we invest in these services? But, we'll continue to have to debate funding, what we expect to deliver from that, and what we're prepared to do in not spending that money in other parts of public services, if we choose to invest more of our funds in the health and social care system.
Diolch ichi am yr ymateb; gwnaf geisio ymateb yn gryno i bob un o'r wyth maes cwestiynau yr ydych wedi’u codi. Ac, wrth gwrs, ar y dechrau gwnaethom gytuno i beidio â chyhoeddi gweledigaeth newydd i gymryd lle 'Law yn Llaw at Iechyd', oherwydd ein bod yn mynd i gael adolygiad. Byddai wedi bod yn rhyfedd pe bawn wedi dweud, 'Dyma ein barn am ddyfodol y gwasanaeth iechyd, ac yna dewch inni gael yr adolygiad seneddol.' Mae hynny’n golygu cyfaddawd. Ac ar y cychwyn, nodais y byddai'n rhaid inni fwrw ymlaen â rhai pethau cyn yr adolygiad, ac y byddai angen i bethau eraill aros am yr adolygiad. Rwy’n meddwl mai dyna’r pwynt cyntaf hwnnw ynghylch pryd fydd rhaglen trawsnewid yn dechrau. Mae rhai pethau eisoes yn digwydd, ond mae'r adolygiad ei hun wedi cydnabod yr hoffai weld mwy o—. Felly, mae rhywfaint o’r trawsnewid hwnnw wedi dechrau. Yr her yw efallai cyflymder a maint y trawsnewid hwnnw. Ac fel y byddwch yn ei wybod ar ôl cael cyfle i ddarllen yr adroddiad, maen nhw'n argymell sefydlu tîm trawsnewid am o leiaf flwyddyn, i geisio sbarduno'r newid hwnnw.
O ran pryd y byddwn yn adolygu hynny, wel rwy’n disgwyl adolygu’r adroddiad, wrth adeiladu’r cynllun hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd a gofal yr wyf wedi dweud ein bod yn disgwyl gallu ei gyhoeddi ar ddiwedd y gwanwyn. Mae hynny'n amserlen eithaf tyn, ond rwy’n meddwl bod angen inni gadw’r momentwm, fel na fydd yn eistedd ar silff o fewn y Llywodraeth, neu yn llyfrgelloedd pobl eraill. A bydd angen inni feddwl, wrth inni gyhoeddi'r cynllun, ynghylch pa amserlenni y byddwn yn eu defnyddio wedyn i fesur ein cynnydd. Un amlwg fydd ymhen blwyddyn, a gwnawn feddwl am adegau eraill i archwilio ein cynnydd. Mae hynny'n mynd at eich pwynt am recriwtio pobl i ymdrin â thrawsnewid, ac am sefydlu tîm trawsnewid strategol.
Bydd angen inni edrych ar y sgiliau sydd gennym ar hyn o bryd, yn ganolog, yma o fewn y gwasanaeth sifil, ac yn ganolog, tîm arweinyddiaeth yn y gwasanaeth iechyd, ond yn y system gofal cymdeithasol hefyd. Wrth feddwl am y bobl sydd gennym ar hyn o bryd, a sut i ysgogi'r trawsnewid hwnnw, os ydym yn derbyn yr argymhelliad ynghylch sefydlu tîm, pwy yw'r bobl hynny, o ble y byddan nhw'n dod, ac o ble y mae’r costau’n dod i dalu’r bobl hynny i wneud y gwaith, a'u hawdurdod i ymgysylltu'n briodol â’r gwasanaeth i ysgogi gwelliant? Mae'r rheini’n faterion go iawn inni eu hystyried, wrth inni gyflwyno cynllun, ac yna geisio bwrw ymlaen ag ef.
Rwy’n cymryd o ddifrif eich pwynt am ymgysylltiad staff iechyd a gofal, ac am eu hyfforddiant. Mae hynny'n amlwg yn rhywbeth y mae angen inni edrych arno. Arloesi a gwella—wel, yn sicr, mae’r gweithgaredd gwella yn aml yn dod o hyfforddiant, o gydnabod bod angen i arfer gorau fod yn arfer safonol a chyffredin, a sut yr ydym yn ceisio creu amgylchedd dysgu, ac amgylchedd dysgu cyfoethog. Ac mae hynny’n dod i mewn i un o argymhellion allweddol yr adroddiad hefyd.
O ran ymgysylltiad cyhoeddus, rwyf wedi cael nifer o sgyrsiau gyda Lee Waters, ac eraill, ynghylch p'un a fyddai'r cyhoedd wir yn cymryd rhan yn yr adolygiad. A gwnaethant gymryd hynny o ddifrif: roedd ganddynt baneli dinasyddion a gwnaethant achub ar y cyfle i wrando ar y cyhoedd a siarad â nhw. Rhan o'n her ni yw sut yr ydym yn ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd mewn sgwrs fwy rheolaidd am iechyd a gofal yn gyffredinol, ac o ran rhai o’r pethau hyn, mae’r sector gofal cymdeithasol ar y blaen i’r gwasanaeth iechyd, ac mae pobl yn ymwneud mwy â’u dewisiadau. Mae rhywbeth ynglŷn â sut y mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn dal i fyny â hynny, a hefyd ynglŷn â sut y cawn drafodaeth fwy cyffredinol ynghylch iechyd a gofal, heb ddibynnu ar argyfwng nac ar bwynt o bryder a dadlau gwirioneddol yn lleol. Mae llawer wedi bod yn ymgysylltu naill ai â’u gwasanaeth lleol neu â gwasanaeth ysbyty ynghylch rhywbeth y maent yn anghytuno ag ef neu’n bryderus amdano. Mae angen inni ymgysylltu’n ehangach ac yn ddyfnach. I fod yn deg, mae rhai o’n byrddau iechyd yng Nghymru’n well am wneud hynny’n rheolaidd nag eraill. Felly, unwaith eto, mae hwnnw'n bwynt allweddol o ran dysgu ac ysgogi, neu mae’n annhebygol y bydd y dinesydd yn bartner mwy cyfartal o ran gwneud dewisiadau iechyd a gofal, heb sôn am gynllunio gwasanaethau.
Ac rwy’n meddwl fy mod wedi ceisio rhoi sylw i'ch pwynt am hyfforddi staff ac ymgysylltu. Hoffwn ddod yn ôl at eich pwynt olaf am arian. Cytunwyd ar draws y pleidiau, yn y telerau, i beidio â chynnwys arian yn yr adolygiad hwn. Oherwydd, pe byddem wedi gwneud hynny, byddai wedi bod yn hawdd inni dreulio blwyddyn gyfan dim ond yn edrych ar sut i ariannu a beth i'w ariannu. Mae’r rhain yn ddewisiadau dadleuol, ac mae gennym i gyd safbwyntiau gwahanol ynghylch sut i ariannu pethau o fewn sylfaen adnoddau sy’n lleihau, sy’n wrthrychol wir. Mae sylfaen adnoddau’r Llywodraeth yn lleihau mewn termau real. Mae canran y gwariant ar iechyd a gofal yn parhau i godi, fel yn ein pleidlais ar y gyllideb yn ddiweddarach heddiw, sy'n rhoi mwy o arian i’r gwasanaeth iechyd. Dyma’r her y mae’n rhaid inni ei hateb: beth fydd y setliad ariannu hirdymor, a beth yw'r gofyniad i wneud hynny? Mae dadl wahanol i’w chael yno, ynghylch yr hyn y mae unigolion yn ei wneud i gyfrannu at ofal cymdeithasol, er enghraifft, ariannu gofal cymdeithasol, y gwaith yr oedd Gerry Holtham yn ei wneud gyda Mark Drakeford, fy adran i, Huw Irranca, wrth edrych ar y cyllid hirdymor ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol. Felly, ni allaf ohirio'r cwestiynau hynny.
Yr hyn y mae’n rhaid inni ei wneud yw dod o hyd i bwynt olaf yn yr adolygiad a’r nod pedwarplyg: sut y gallwn ni, serch hynny, gael mwy o werth am bunt gyhoeddus Cymru i’w fuddsoddi yn y gwasanaethau hyn? Ond, bydd yn rhaid inni ddal i ddadlau am ariannu, yr hyn yr ydym yn disgwyl ei gyflawni o hynny, a’r hyn yr ydym yn barod i’w wneud wrth beidio â gwario'r arian hwnnw mewn rhannau eraill o'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, os ydym ni'n dewis buddsoddi mwy o'n cronfeydd yn y system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol.
I'd also like to place on record my thanks to Ruth Hussey and her team for the way they conducted this review. And I think it has been a very timely look at the state of health and social care in Wales. I would say that, in that Plaid Cymru pushed the agenda on having this parliamentary review, and we've been only too pleased to play our part in being part of a discussion panel, every now and then, as the work progressed, to get to the point where we have now this report, which is food for thought. And I'll keep my questions fairly brief. I won't ask a long list of questions today, because I think the publication of this parliamentary review report is the start of a process. Now that we have the fruits of the labour of Ruth Hussey and her team, we have things and yardsticks that we can hold to Government to see how Government responds.
I think the central strength of what we have here is that statement in this report that we do not have a vision for the future of health and social care in Wales. And it's not overly egging a political point in saying that it is implicit, in that that there's an indictment of a governing party that has controlled the NHS in Wales for the best part of 19 years and still we don't have a vision. The urgency is shown in the timescale that Ruth Hussey wants to see the Government responding in. She wants to see now a consultation and a vision being published within a matter of three months.
So, the first question is: could you give us an idea of the level of consultation that Government will engage in in order to bring forth that vision? There are some specific elements where Ruth Hussey says she would like to see the patient voice being heard much clearer in decisions on the future of healthcare. The second question: how does that and the idea that the patient experience must be measured very, very well and carefully tally with proposals that Government has made on the abolition of community health councils, which is the body that measures patient experience specifically? Will you, therefore, put those plans on the shelf, because we have in this report a clear, clear suggestion that patient experience must still be measured in future?
On workforce, I will make the comment that whilst here we have a call for a new vision, that new vision will involve implementing things that many of us have long called for, for example, making sure that we train adequately enough doctors. Therefore, I'd be interested in your comments on whether you now will be accelerating moves, for example, towards the establishment of a medical training centre in Bangor, because we have in this report emphasis on the need to make sure we have adequate and well-trained workers.
On money, yes, the financing of the NHS was not part of the remit, but I do remember Plaid Cymru being ridiculed before the last election for suggesting that £300 million-worth of savings, if you like, could be made through better use of technology and innovation within the NHS in order to re-invest in spending that money better within the health service. So, I'd be interested in your comments on that.
So, this is a starting point, and I look forward to being told also by Government how we can measure whether Government is succeeding in responding to this important report. What will be the measure of success?
Hoffwn i hefyd gofnodi fy niolch i Ruth Hussey a'i thîm am y ffordd y cynhaliwyd yr adolygiad hwn. Ac rwy’n meddwl ei fod wedi rhoi golwg amserol iawn ar gyflwr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Byddwn yn dweud hynny, gan fod Plaid Cymru wedi gwthio’r agenda o ran cynnal yr adolygiad seneddol hwn, ac rydym wedi bod yn falch iawn o chwarae ein rhan a bod yn rhan o banel trafod, bob hyn a hyn, wrth i'r gwaith fynd rhagddo, i gyrraedd y pwynt lle mae gennym nawr yr adroddiad hwn, sy’n achos meddwl. Ac rwy’n mynd i gadw fy nghwestiynau’n eithaf byr. Ni wnaf ofyn rhestr hir o gwestiynau heddiw, oherwydd rwy’n meddwl bod cyhoeddi'r adroddiad adolygiad seneddol hwn yn ddechrau proses. Nawr bod gennym ffrwyth llafur Ruth Hussey a'i thîm, mae gennym bethau a ffyn mesur y gallwn eu defnyddio i farnu sut y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ymateb.
Rwy’n meddwl mai cryfder ganolog yr hyn sydd gennym yma yw’r datganiad hwnnw yn yr adroddiad hwn nad oes gennym weledigaeth ar gyfer dyfodol iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Ac nid gorwneud pwynt gwleidyddol yw dweud ei fod yn ymhlyg, bod hynny’n gondemniad o'r blaid sy’n llywodraethu ac sydd wedi rheoli’r GIG yng Nghymru ers bron i 19 mlynedd ac sy’n dal i fod heb weledigaeth. Mae’r amserlen y mae Ruth Hussey wedi’i nodi ar gyfer ymateb gan y Llywodraeth yn dangos y brys. Mae hi eisiau gweld ymgynghoriad nawr a chyhoeddi gweledigaeth o fewn mater o dri mis.
Felly, y cwestiwn cyntaf yw: a wnewch chi roi syniad inni o lefel yr ymgynghori y bydd y Llywodraeth yn ei ddefnyddio er mwyn llunio’r weledigaeth honno? Ceir rhai elfennau penodol lle mae Ruth Hussey yn dweud yr hoffai weld llais y claf yn cael ei glywed yn llawer cliriach mewn penderfyniadau am ddyfodol gofal iechyd. Yr ail gwestiwn: sut y mae hynny a'r syniad bod yn rhaid mesur profiad y claf yn dda iawn, iawn ac yn ofalus yn cyd-fynd â chynigion y Llywodraeth i ddiddymu cynghorau iechyd cymuned, sef y corff sy'n mesur profiad y claf yn benodol? A wnewch chi, felly, roi’r cynlluniau hynny ar y silff, oherwydd bod yr adroddiad hwn yn rhoi awgrym clir, clir bod yn rhaid dal i fesur profiad y claf yn y dyfodol?
O ran gweithlu, gwnaf y sylw, er ein bod ni yma wedi galw am weledigaeth newydd, y bydd y weledigaeth newydd honno’n cynnwys gwneud pethau y mae llawer ohonom wedi galw amdanyn nhw ers amser, er enghraifft, gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn hyfforddi digon o feddygon yn ddigonol. Felly, byddai gennyf ddiddordeb yn eich sylwadau ynghylch a fyddwch chi nawr yn cyflymu symudiadau, er enghraifft, tuag at sefydlu canolfan hyfforddiant meddygol ym Mangor, oherwydd mae’r adroddiad hwn yn pwysleisio’r angen i wneud yn siŵr bod gennym ddigon o weithwyr a’u bod wedi'u hyfforddi'n dda.
O ran arian, iawn, doedd ariannu’r GIG ddim yn rhan o’r cylch gwaith, ond rwy’n cofio Plaid Cymru yn cael eu gwawdio cyn yr etholiad diwethaf am awgrymu y gellid arbed gwerth £300 miliwn, os mynnwch chi, drwy ddefnyddio technoleg ac arloesedd yn well o fewn y GIG er mwyn ail-fuddsoddi mewn gwario'r arian hwnnw’n well o fewn y gwasanaeth iechyd. Felly, byddai gennyf ddiddordeb yn eich sylwadau ar hynny.
Felly, mae hwn yn fan cychwyn, ac rwy’n edrych ymlaen at gael gwybod hefyd gan y Llywodraeth sut y gallwn ni fesur a yw'r Llywodraeth yn llwyddo i ymateb i'r adroddiad pwysig hwn. Sut y caiff llwyddiant ei fesur?
Thank you for those questions. A couple of comments, and then I'll try and address, I think, your five specific areas of questions. I want to start by recognising, of course, the role of Plaid Cymru in this review coming into being. We tried before the last election to have cross-party agreement on a health and care review and there's something about timing in all of this and recognising timing, because actually within the last year of the last Government, it was difficult to get parties to agree to do it. And it's understandable why. There's no criticism of individual parties, but a year before the election it's difficult to get people to say, 'Let's be cross-party and work together.' We've taken that opportunity at the start of this term to start this process of having an independent review, agreeing on the terms and agreeing on the membership. We now need to make choices together as well.
The challenge for all of us, in Government, of course, as well—. I quite enjoy having the responsibility of being in Government and I've got a responsibility to make choices now and in the future as well. But there is a central challenge to all of us as political representatives in what we choose to do and how we have the debate and how we make choices together about the future, because if we stop choices being made that is a choice in itself, and the report tells us that, in many ways, that is the biggest danger for the future of health and care. We've got to have the space, the vision, the ability and the willingness to make some difficult choices about the future, and that was a choice we made at the start, but not, as I said to Angela Burns—. We did not replace 'Together for Health' at the start of this term, because we were going to have this review instead, and that was the right choice to make and that's the comment the panel are making about having a vision. We need to have that vision—that is the long term plan that I've talked about for health and care—by the end of spring. That is what we want to provide, that vision for the future, to take forward the review and not, as Angela has suggested, leave it on a shelf in the Government.
And I guess on that point about engagement ahead of the long-term plan—your first question—we do expect to engage openly with stakeholders, within the health service, with different staff groups and different royal college representation as well. It's interesting how royal colleges themselves are actually welcoming and agitating for more change as well. That can be difficult for them and some of their members, as well as our broader trade union colleagues representing workers in the health service, but much more than that of course, our partners in local government and beyond. This has been deliberately a health and social care review. This isn't simply about the health service; it is about how health and social care are part of a broader system, with colleagues in housing as well. I expect them all to be interested in that future plan and, of course, the public as well. We want to have an open public engagement and voice within that long-term plan for the future.
In terms of your point about measuring patient experience, again, it is, of course, important as part of the quadruple aim about understanding how we measure patient experience and enhancing and valuing it. We need to find some measures that are useful to add real value to what we're measuring. Otherwise, the danger is that we simply measure numbers, and that always gets you back to activity, the volume of activity, the time in which something is done rather than the quality of what's done and someone's experience, and that's a bit more difficult. But I think it's more valuable in doing that as well.
I would politely disagree with you about not abolishing community health councils. If we wish to have a citizen voice, advocacy across our health and social care system, we actually need to have a new legislative footing for that group. You can't simply do it the way that CHCs are currently constituted, so you have to find a new way to constitute a new body. The discussion is about what powers and what responsibilities they have with the new system. You can paint it as abolition, but they're going to be replaced with a new body to work across the whole health and social care system, and I think that is the right thing to do. Indeed, the national Board of Community Health Councils in Wales agree that that's the right thing to do as well.
On workforce, we've been clear previously in our response on your specific points about medical training in north Wales, and I will of course bring forward a statement on the work that the three universities are already doing on how we equip more people more generally across the country to have a career in medicine and in particular how we deliver more medical training within north Wales.
On technology-led innovation and the figures, again, there is a range of people, both within this Chamber and outside, who recognise the real potential and, indeed, the real need to gain more from technology in delivering innovation and improvement that will deliver real value. It's not just about shaving a few pound signs off, but actually recognising the way that people live their lives and make choices. Actually, the health service needs to catch up with that. Again, there are some parts of social care where, working together, we've got to design systems that actually work together and can talk to each other to again make it easier for the citizen. We should not expect an individual who has health and care needs to navigate their way through a complex system. We have to make it easier for them to do so.
Finally, on your point about measures, I've indicated that we need to take seriously the review and respond to it properly, but there will be a need, and I recognise that now to come back, at the very least within a year, to look at the progress that we've then made, as well as being open to scrutiny, not just in the normal way in the Chamber and through the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, but from a Government point of view to think seriously about the recommendation in the review that, each year, we provide an annual update from the Government and the health service and the social care system on where we think we are, the challenges we still have and what else we need to do. I think that's a worthwhile suggestion that we do need to give serious consideration to, because I think that would provide some of the clarity that you yourself have suggested we should look to provide.
Diolch ichi am y cwestiynau hynny. Cwpl o sylwadau, ac yna gwnaf geisio ymdrin, rwy’n meddwl, â’ch pum maes penodol o gwestiynau. Rwyf am ddechrau drwy gydnabod, wrth gwrs, cyfraniad Plaid Cymru at fodolaeth yr adolygiad hwn. Gwnaethom geisio, cyn yr etholiad diwethaf, gael cytundeb trawsbleidiol ar adolygiad iechyd a gofal ac mae rhywbeth ynghylch amseru yn hyn oll a chydnabod amseru, oherwydd a dweud y gwir o fewn blwyddyn olaf y Llywodraeth ddiwethaf, roedd yn anodd perswadio pleidiau i gytuno i’w wneud. Ac mae'n ddealladwy pam. Does dim beirniadaeth i bleidiau unigol, ond flwyddyn cyn yr etholiad mae'n anodd argyhoeddi pobl i ddweud, 'Dewch inni fod yn drawsbleidiol a gweithio gyda'n gilydd.' Rydym ni wedi achub ar y cyfle hwnnw ar ddechrau'r tymor hwn i ddechrau’r broses hon o gynnal adolygiad annibynnol, cytuno ar y telerau a chytuno ar yr aelodaeth. Nawr mae angen inni wneud dewisiadau gyda'n gilydd hefyd.
Yr her i bob un ohonom, yn y Llywodraeth, wrth gwrs, hefyd—. Rwy'n eithaf mwynhau’r cyfrifoldeb o fod mewn Llywodraeth ac mae gennyf gyfrifoldeb i wneud dewisiadau nawr ac yn y dyfodol hefyd. Ond un her ganolog i bob un ohonom fel cynrychiolwyr gwleidyddol yw’r hyn yr ydym yn dewis ei wneud a sut i gynnal y ddadl a sut i wneud dewisiadau gyda'n gilydd ynglŷn â’r dyfodol, oherwydd os ydym ni'n rhwystro dewisiadau rhag cael eu gwneud mae hynny’n ddewis ynddo'i hun, ac mae’r adroddiad yn dweud wrthym, mewn sawl ffordd, mai dyna’r perygl mwyaf i ddyfodol iechyd a gofal. Rhaid inni gael y lle, y weledigaeth, y gallu a'r parodrwydd i wneud dewisiadau anodd am y dyfodol, ac roedd hynny’n ddewis a wnaethom ar y dechrau, ond nid, fel y dywedais wrth Angela Burns—. Ni wnaethom ddisodli 'Law yn Llaw at Iechyd' ar ddechrau'r tymor hwn, oherwydd roeddem yn mynd i gynnal yr adolygiad hwn yn lle hynny, a dyna oedd y dewis cywir i’w wneud a dyna’r sylw y mae’r panel yn ei wneud am fod â gweledigaeth. Mae angen y weledigaeth honno arnom—dyna’r cynllun hirdymor yr wyf wedi sôn amdano ar gyfer iechyd a gofal—erbyn diwedd y gwanwyn. Dyna'r hyn yr hoffem ei ddarparu, y weledigaeth honno ar gyfer y dyfodol, i fwrw ymlaen â’r adolygiad ac nid, fel y mae Angela wedi’i awgrymu, ei adael ar silff yn y Llywodraeth.
Ac am wn i, ar y pwynt hwnnw am ymgysylltu cyn y cynllun hirdymor—eich cwestiwn cyntaf—rydym yn disgwyl ymgysylltu’n agored â rhanddeiliaid, o fewn y gwasanaeth iechyd, â gwahanol grwpiau o staff a gwahanol gynrychiolwyr o’r Coleg Brenhinol hefyd. Mae'n ddiddorol sut y mae’r colegau brenhinol eu hunain yn groesawgar ac yn galw am fwy o newid hefyd. Gall hynny fod yn anodd iddyn nhw ac i rai o’u haelodau, ac i’n cydweithwyr ehangach mewn undebau llafur sy'n cynrychioli gweithwyr yn y gwasanaeth iechyd, ond yn llawer mwy na hynny wrth gwrs, ein partneriaid mewn llywodraeth leol a thu hwnt. Roedd hwn, yn fwriadol, yn adolygiad o iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Nid dim ond y gwasanaeth iechyd sydd dan sylw yma; mae'n ymwneud â sut y mae iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn rhan o system ehangach, gan gynnwys cydweithwyr o’r sector tai hefyd. Rwy’n disgwyl iddyn nhw i gyd ddangos diddordeb yn y cynllun hwnnw i’r dyfodol ac, wrth gwrs, y cyhoedd hefyd. Hoffem i’r cyhoedd gael ymgysylltiad cyhoeddus a llais yn y cynllun hirdymor hwnnw ar gyfer y dyfodol.
O ran eich pwynt am fesur profiad cleifion, unwaith eto, mae'n bwysig, wrth gwrs, yn rhan o'r nod pedwarplyg i ddeall sut yr ydym yn mesur profiad cleifion ac yn ei wella a’i werthfawrogi. Mae angen inni ganfod mesurau sy'n ddefnyddiol i ychwanegu gwir werth at yr hyn yr ydym yn ei fesur. Fel arall, y perygl yw mai dim ond mesur rhifau yr ydym, ac mae hynny bob amser yn eich arwain yn ôl at weithgarwch, swm y gweithgarwch, yr amser mae’n ei gymryd i wneud rhywbeth yn hytrach nag ansawdd yr hyn sy’n cael ei wneud a phrofiad rhywun, ac mae hynny ychydig yn anoddach. Ond rwy’n meddwl ei bod yn fwy gwerthfawr gwneud hynny hefyd.
Byddwn yn anghytuno'n gwrtais â chi am beidio â diddymu cynghorau iechyd cymuned. Os ydym ni eisiau i ddinasyddion gael llais, ac eiriolaeth ar draws ein system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, mae arnom angen sylfaen ddeddfwriaethol newydd i’r grŵp hwnnw. Ni allwch ei wneud â chyfansoddiad presennol cynghorau iechyd cymuned, felly mae'n rhaid ichi ddod o hyd i ffordd newydd o gyfansoddi corff newydd. Mae’r drafodaeth yn sôn am pa bwerau a pha gyfrifoldebau sydd ganddyn nhw yn y system newydd. Gallwch chi ei gyfleu fel diddymu, ond bydd corff newydd yn cymryd eu lle i weithio ar draws y system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol gyfan, ac rwy’n meddwl mai dyna'r peth iawn i’w wneud. Yn wir, mae Bwrdd cenedlaethol y Cynghorau Iechyd Cymuned yng Nghymru yn cytuno mai dyna'r peth iawn i'w wneud hefyd.
O ran gweithlu, rydym wedi bod yn glir o'r blaen yn ein hymateb ynglŷn â’ch pwyntiau penodol am hyfforddiant meddygol yn y gogledd, a byddaf wrth gwrs yn cyflwyno datganiad am y gwaith y mae’r tair prifysgol eisoes yn ei wneud o ran sut yr ydym yn arfogi mwy o bobl yn fwy cyffredinol ledled y wlad i gael gyrfa mewn meddygaeth ac yn benodol sut yr ydym ni'n darparu mwy o hyfforddiant meddygol yn y gogledd.
O ran arloesi a arweinir gan dechnoleg a’r ffigurau, unwaith eto, mae amrywiaeth o bobl, o fewn y Siambr hon a'r tu allan, sydd yn cydnabod potensial go iawn ac, yn wir, y gwir angen i fanteisio mwy ar dechnoleg i ddarparu arloesedd a gwelliant a fydd yn darparu gwerth go iawn. Nid dim ond mater o arbed ychydig o bunnoedd yw hyn, ond cydnabod yn wir sut y mae pobl yn byw eu bywydau ac yn gwneud dewisiadau. A dweud y gwir, mae angen i’r gwasanaeth iechyd ddal i fyny â hynny. Unwaith eto, mewn rhai rhannau o ofal cymdeithasol, mae angen inni weithio gyda'n gilydd i lunio systemau sydd wir yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd ac yn gallu siarad â'i gilydd, eto i’w gwneud yn haws i ddinasyddion. Ni ddylem ddisgwyl i bobl ag anghenion iechyd a gofal lywio eu ffordd drwy system gymhleth. Mae’n rhaid inni ei gwneud yn haws iddyn nhw wneud hynny.
Yn olaf, ynglŷn â’ch pwynt am fesurau, rwyf wedi nodi bod angen inni gymryd yr adolygiad o ddifrif ac ymateb iddo’n briodol, ond bydd angen, ac rwy’n cydnabod hynny nawr, dod yn ôl, o leiaf o fewn blwyddyn, i edrych ar y cynnydd y byddwn wedi’i wneud, yn ogystal â bod yn agored i graffu, nid dim ond yn y ffordd arferol yn y Siambr a drwy’r Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon, ond o safbwynt Llywodraeth i feddwl o ddifrif am yr argymhelliad yn yr adolygiad ein bod, bob blwyddyn, yn rhoi diweddariad blynyddol gan y Llywodraeth a’r gwasanaeth iechyd a'r system gofal cymdeithasol am ble rydym yn meddwl yr ydym, pa heriau sydd gennym o hyd a beth arall y mae angen inni ei wneud. Rwy’n meddwl bod hynny'n awgrym buddiol y mae angen inni ei ystyried o ddifrif, oherwydd rwy’n meddwl y byddai hynny'n rhoi rhywfaint o’r eglurder yr ydych chi eich hun wedi awgrymu y dylem geisio ei roi.
Can I first of all thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement on this very important report, the recommendations of which are welcome to those of us who have worked in and with our health and social care system over a number of years? I'd also like to add my thanks to Ruth Hussey and her team for the work they've put in to delivering it. I'm going to try not to repeat a number of the points that others have made. There are just two short points that I want to make.
Firstly, the recommendations of this review have, without a doubt, placed a huge responsibility on this whole Assembly to rise to the challenge that's been set. The report makes it clear the scale of the challenges that we need to face. In truth, it's a daunting responsibility, because every Member of this Assembly understands, or should understand, that changes in the service are needed, but attempting to make those changes can be difficult when local opposition arises to changes and when political opportunism overtakes the objective consideration. We've already heard in this debate a couple of cheap political shots. I have to say, Rhun, I don't think that was necessary in terms of the consensual way in which we were trying to have a discussion and debate about this particular report.
But changes are needed and they're needed against the backdrop of ongoing financial pressures, so it's incumbent on all of us to ensure that the services are delivered more effectively and possibly in a very different way.
Angela raised the point about the funding for all of this, but I think we need to be very clear that there's no more money coming out of this. There's no more money coming down from Westminster for us to fund the services that we have or the services that we want, going into the future, but we can't continue—we can't afford to continue, sorry—investing in models of health and social care that don't respond to the future needs that are and have been well known and understood for a very long time.
My second point—
Yn gyntaf oll a gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei ddatganiad am yr adroddiad pwysig iawn hwn? Mae’r rheini ohonom sydd wedi gweithio yn ein system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol am nifer o flynyddoedd, a gyda’r system, yn croesawu’r argymhellion. Hoffwn i hefyd ychwanegu fy niolch i Ruth Hussey a'i thîm am y gwaith y maen nhw wedi’i wneud i lunio’r adroddiad. Rwy’n mynd i geisio peidio ag ailadrodd nifer o'r pwyntiau a wnaed gan eraill. Hoffwn i wneud dau bwynt cryno.
Yn gyntaf, mae argymhellion yr adolygiad hwn, heb amheuaeth, wedi rhoi cyfrifoldeb enfawr ar y Cynulliad hwn i gyd i ymateb i'r her a osodwyd. Mae'r adroddiad yn nodi'n glir beth yw maint yr heriau y mae angen inni eu hwynebu. A dweud y gwir, mae'n gyfrifoldeb brawychus, oherwydd mae pob aelod o'r Cynulliad hwn yn deall, neu dylent ddeall, bod angen newidiadau i’r gwasanaeth, ond gall fod yn anodd ceisio gwneud y newidiadau hynny pan fo gwrthwynebiad lleol i'r newidiadau a phan fo oportiwnistiaeth wleidyddol yn drech nag ystyriaeth wrthrychol. Rydym ni eisoes wedi clywed rhai ergydion gwleidyddol annheg yn y ddadl hon. Rhaid imi ddweud, Rhun, nad oeddwn yn meddwl bod angen hynny o ran y ffordd gydsyniol yr oeddem yn ceisio cael trafodaeth a dadl am yr adroddiad penodol hwn.
Ond mae angen newidiadau ac mae eu hangen yn erbyn cefndir o bwysau ariannol parhaus, felly mae'n ddyletswydd ar bob un ohonom i sicrhau y darperir y gwasanaethau’n fwy effeithiol ac o bosibl mewn ffordd wahanol iawn.
Cododd Angela y pwynt ynghylch y cyllid ar gyfer hyn i gyd, ond rwy’n meddwl bod angen inni fod yn glir iawn nad oes dim mwy o arian yn dod o hyn. Does dim mwy o arian yn dod o San Steffan inni dalu am y gwasanaethau sydd gennym na’r gwasanaethau yr hoffem eu cael, ar gyfer y dyfodol, ond ni allwn barhau—ni allwn fforddio parhau, mae'n ddrwg gennyf—i fuddsoddi mewn modelau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol nad ydynt yn ymateb i anghenion y dyfodol sydd wedi bod yn hysbys ac yn ddealladwy ers amser hir iawn.
Fy ail bwynt —
Are you coming to a question?
Ydych chi’n dod at gwestiwn?
Yes, I am. I am, yes.
Ydw. Ydw.
[Inaudible.]—questions. It is a statement and therefore it should be questions.
[Anghlywadwy.]—cwestiynau. Datganiad ydyw ac felly dylai fod cwestiynau.
I've got a series of questions that—
Mae gen i gyfres o gwestiynau sydd—
Well, no. You've got questions now, or, you know—
Wel, na. Mae gennych gwestiynau nawr, neu wyddoch chi—
Okay. Well, my second point is about the process of negotiating necessary change and the need to involve the staff in that. I know from my own experience that that change does require patience and persuasion and communication, but, most of all, it involves taking people with you, because to resist change does lead to stagnation, both for the people the service has to deliver to and the people who work within it.
What I would ask, Cabinet Secretary, because we've heard a lot about the vision in this report, and I would say that the report, actually, is the vision, it sets out the vision, so would you agree that we all need to be clear that this is our vision and direction of travel and that we must be unwavering in our commitment to that? And would you further agree that if we are to achieve the quadruple aim for all, as set out in the report's recommendations, then staff who work in the service must be involved in the change and their voices must be listened to if we are to achieve the objectives of the review?
Iawn. Wel, mae fy ail bwynt yn ymwneud â’r broses o negodi newid angenrheidiol a'r angen i gynnwys y staff yn hynny. Rwy’n gwybod o'm profiad fy hun bod y newid hwnnw’n golygu bod angen amynedd a pherswâd a chyfathrebu, ond, yn bennaf oll, mae'n golygu mynd â phobl gyda chi, oherwydd mae gwrthsefyll newid yn arwain at ddiffyg cynnydd, i’r bobl y mae’n rhaid i’r gwasanaeth ddarparu ar eu cyfer ac i’r bobl sy'n gweithio ynddo.
Yr hyn y byddwn yn ei ofyn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, oherwydd rydym ni wedi clywed llawer am y weledigaeth yn yr adroddiad hwn, a byddwn yn dweud mai’r adroddiad, a dweud y gwir, yw’r weledigaeth, mae'n amlinellu’r weledigaeth, felly a fyddech chi'n cytuno bod angen inni i gyd fod yn glir mai dyma ein gweledigaeth a’n cyfeiriad teithio a bod yn rhaid inni ymrwymo’n ddiysgog i hynny? Ac a fyddech chi'n cytuno hefyd, os ydym i gyrraedd y nod pedwarplyg i bawb, fel y'i nodir yn argymhellion yr adroddiad, bod yn rhaid i staff sy'n gweithio yn y gwasanaeth fod yn rhan o’r newid a bod yn rhaid gwrando ar eu lleisiau os ydym ni am gyflawni amcanion yr adolygiad?
Thank you for those points. I recognise someone who was previously on the other side of the table as the former Unison head of health—other health service trade unions are, of course, available. But you were right that this is a challenge for all of us, for all of us in this place. Because, as I said, choosing not to do something is still a choice, and I think it's a really important point that the report really highlights and follows through from the case for change, and you said it yourself, that this is about delivering services differently and sometimes delivering different services. And, to do that, you can't invest in everything that we do now, as you said. That does mean that we need to do things differently, and that's difficult, because most people want to be able to add to things as opposed to saying, 'You've got to decide, within the financial envelope, what are we not going to do, as well as what are we going to choose to do and to enhance what we do in the future.' That will be difficult and we need to understand that that's difficult for people in the services, difficult for some local communities that are attached to services—people do get very attached to bricks and mortar. Even though they say they're not, the reality is that people do. You can understand some of that emotional attachment to long-running services and to people they trust, but if we can't get through having a programme for change and transformation as the report sets out then we will manage a declining service, and that can't be acceptable for any of us in any party.
On your specific points about the direction of travel and the quadruple aim and staff, I think the report does set a direction of travel for us and it's about how we deliver that and how we choose priorities within Government, with the service, with local government partners and others as well, to deliver against the very real challenges and the direction that the report sets out. It is crucial, in doing so, that we do take seriously the part of the quadruple aim that is about the engagement and enriching the way staff do their jobs. People who enjoy their jobs tend to provide better care in health, social care and other services and sectors too. And that's not easy, given the pressure on workers in health and social care, especially—we rarely talk about it, but social care workers, who are not paid a significant amount of money to do jobs that are difficult, demanding and very physical, often, and the credence we give to those people, and the way we hardly ever talk about them—. And when we do, actually, there's still quite a lot of stigma around the social care sector as well, so the work that Rebecca Evans started off leading on, which Huw Irranca-Davies is now taking forward, on raising the esteem of people within that sector, is crucial to delivering the aims within this report and, in particular, that point you make about the quadruple aim and engaging staff in the future of the whole service.
Diolch ichi am y pwyntiau hynny. Rwy’n adnabod rhywun a oedd yn arfer bod ar yr ochr arall i’r bwrdd fel cyn-bennaeth iechyd Unsain—wrth gwrs, mae undebau llafur eraill ar gael yn y gwasanaeth iechyd. Ond roeddech chi'n iawn bod hyn yn her i bob un ohonom, i bob un ohonom yn y lle hwn. Oherwydd, fel y dywedais, mae dewis peidio â gwneud rhywbeth yn dal i fod yn ddewis, ac rwy’n meddwl ei fod yn bwynt pwysig iawn y mae’r adroddiad wir yn tynnu sylw ato ac yn ei ddilyn o'r achos dros newid, a dywedasoch eich hun fod hyn yn ymwneud â darparu gwasanaethau’n wahanol ac weithiau darparu gwasanaethau gwahanol. Ac i wneud hynny, ni allwch chi fuddsoddi ym mhopeth a wnawn yn awr, fel y dywedasoch chi. Mae hynny’n golygu bod angen inni wneud pethau'n wahanol, ac mae hynny'n anodd, oherwydd mae'r rhan fwyaf o bobl eisiau gallu ychwanegu at bethau yn hytrach na dweud, 'Rhaid i chi benderfynu, o fewn yr amlen ariannol, beth nad ydym yn mynd i’w wneud, yn ogystal â beth yr ydym yn mynd i ddewis ei wneud ac i wella'r hyn a wnawn yn y dyfodol.' Bydd hynny'n anodd ac mae angen inni ddeall bod hynny’n anodd i bobl yn y gwasanaethau, yn anodd i rai cymunedau lleol sydd ynghlwm wrth wasanaethau—mae pobl yn mynd yn hoff iawn o frics a morter. Er eu bod yn dweud nad ydyn nhw, y realiti yw bod pobl yn gwneud hynny. Gallwch chi ddeall rhywfaint o’r ymlyniad emosiynol hwnnw â gwasanaethau sy’n bodoli ers amser ac â phobl y maent yn ymddiried ynddyn nhw, ond os na allwn ni sicrhau rhaglen ar gyfer newid a thrawsnewid fel y mae'r adroddiad yn ei nodi, byddwn yn rheoli gwasanaeth sy’n dirywio, ac ni all hynny fod yn dderbyniol i neb ohonom mewn unrhyw blaid.
Ar eich pwyntiau penodol am y cyfeiriad teithio a’r nod pedwarplyg a staff, rwy’n meddwl bod yr adroddiad yn gosod cyfeiriad teithio inni ac mae’n fater o sut y byddwn yn cyflawni hynny a sut y byddwn yn dewis blaenoriaethau o fewn y Llywodraeth, gyda'r gwasanaeth, gyda phartneriaid llywodraeth leol ac eraill yn ogystal, i gyflawni yn erbyn yr heriau go iawn a’r cyfeiriad y mae'r adroddiad yn ei nodi. Mae'n hanfodol, wrth wneud hynny, ein bod yn cymryd o ddifrif y rhan o'r nod pedwarplyg sy’n ymwneud ag ymgysylltu a chyfoethogi’r ffordd y mae staff yn gwneud eu swyddi. Mae pobl sy'n mwynhau eu swyddi’n tueddu i ddarparu gwell gofal iechyd, gofal cymdeithasol ac mewn gwasanaethau a sectorau eraill hefyd. Ac nid yw hynny'n hawdd, o ystyried y pwysau ar weithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, yn enwedig—anaml y byddwn yn sôn am hyn, ond mae gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol, sydd ddim yn cael eu talu’n dda iawn am wneud swyddi sy’n anodd, yn heriol ac yn gorfforol iawn, yn aml, a’r gred yr ydym yn ei rhoi i’r bobl hynny, a'r ffordd nad ydym bron byth yn siarad amdanynt—. A phan fyddwn yn gwneud hynny, a dweud y gwir, mae llawer o stigma o gwmpas y sector gofal cymdeithasol o hyd hefyd, felly mae’r gwaith y dechreuodd Rebecca Evans ei arwain, ac sydd nawr o dan arweiniad Huw Irranca-Davies, i godi hunan-barch pobl o fewn y sector hwnnw, yn hanfodol i gyflawni'r nodau yn yr adroddiad hwn ac, yn benodol, y pwynt a wnewch am y nod pedwarplyg ac ymgysylltu â staff yn nyfodol y gwasanaeth cyfan.
Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. I would also like to place on record my thanks to Dr Ruth Hussey and the panel for the excellent work they've undertaken for their report and their recommendations. The report starkly lays out in black and white the actions we need to take if we are to deliver sustainable health and care now and in the future. Dr Hussey and her team have done their job admirably. It's now up to us to do ours. We know the challenges, and the parliamentary review has outlined the direction of travel, so, therefore, we have to deliver the necessary changes. It won't be easy, as change is never easy, but we can't continue to deliver NHS services in the same way as we did 70 years ago. We all acknowledge the need for change. It is the task of each and every one of us here in this Chamber to have an adult conversation with our constituents on the need for change, to push forward the principles of prudent healthcare, and to support clinically led changes to services. Cabinet Secretary, it is your job to ensure that the necessary changes are actually delivered on the ground. The need for change is clear, and the NHS cannot afford to wait five, 10, 15 years for these changes to come on stream. The NHS and social care need to adapt now if we are to have any chance of meeting future demand for the services.
Cabinet Secretary, investment in staff is one of the biggest challenges facing us, particularly if we are to focus on local care delivery. Do you have any plans to increase the primary care workforce, particularly the number of GP training places in the immediate future?
Digital technology will have a key role to play in future delivery plans. How do you plan to transform the way IT is delivered to the NHS? We have to ensure that the money we invest in our NHS is actually used to deliver these services. We, therefore, have to eliminate waste, and this week we have learned about the extraordinary level of fraud taking place with the European health insurance cards, with other EU citizens claiming free healthcare using fake EHIC cards. Today, we learned of the level of damages and legal fees paid out by NHS trusts for negligence over the last five years. Cabinet Secretary, what is your Government doing to eliminate fraud in our NHS and to reduce the level of medical negligence?
I look forward to your new, long-term plan for health and social care and working with you to deliver an NHS that is fit for the future. Thank you.
Diolch ichi am eich datganiad, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Hoffwn hefyd gofnodi fy niolch i Dr Ruth Hussey a'r panel am y gwaith rhagorol y maen nhw wedi’i wneud ar gyfer eu hadroddiad a’u hargymhellion. Mae'r adroddiad yn nodi mewn du a gwyn y camau y mae angen inni eu cymryd os ydym ni am ddarparu iechyd a gofal cynaliadwy nawr ac yn y dyfodol. Mae Dr Hussey a'i thîm wedi gwneud eu gwaith yn gampus. Mae'n bryd bellach i ni wneud ein gwaith ni. Rydym ni'n gwybod yr heriau, ac amlinellodd yr arolwg seneddol y cyfeiriad teithio, felly, mae'n rhaid inni wneud y newidiadau angenrheidiol. Ni fydd yn hawdd—dydy newid byth yn hawdd—ond ni allwn barhau i ddarparu gwasanaethau'r GIG yn yr un modd ag y gwnaethom 70 mlynedd yn ôl. Rydym ni i gyd yn cydnabod bod angen newid. Tasg pob un ohonom yma yn y Siambr hon yw cael sgwrs aeddfed â'n hetholwyr am yr angen i newid, bwrw ymlaen ag egwyddorion gofal iechyd darbodus, a chefnogi newidiadau i wasanaethau a arweinir yn glinigol. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, eich gwaith chi yw sicrhau bod y newidiadau angenrheidiol yn cael eu gwneud mewn gwirionedd ar lawr gwlad. Mae’r angen i newid yn glir, ac ni all y GIG fforddio aros pum, 10, 15 mlynedd i’r newidiadau hyn ddigwydd. Mae angen i’r GIG a gofal cymdeithasol addasu nawr os bydd gennym unrhyw obaith o fodloni’r galw am wasanaethau yn y dyfodol.
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, buddsoddi mewn staff yw un o'r heriau mwyaf sy'n ein hwynebu, yn enwedig os ydym am ganolbwyntio ar ddarparu gofal lleol. A oes gennych chi unrhyw gynlluniau i gynyddu'r gweithlu gofal sylfaenol, yn enwedig nifer y mannau hyfforddi meddygon teulu yn y dyfodol agos?
Bydd gan dechnoleg ddigidol ran allweddol i'w chwarae yng nghynlluniau cyflawni’r dyfodol. Sut ydych chi'n bwriadu trawsnewid y ffordd y caiff TG ei ddarparu i'r GIG? Mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod yr arian yr ydym yn ei fuddsoddi yn ein GIG wir yn cael ei ddefnyddio i ddarparu'r gwasanaethau hyn. Felly, mae’n rhaid inni gael gwared ar wastraff, ac yr wythnos hon rydym ni wedi dysgu am y lefel anhygoel o dwyll sy'n digwydd gyda'r cardiau yswiriant iechyd Ewropeaidd, lle mae dinasyddion eraill yr UE wedi hawlio gofal iechyd am ddim gan ddefnyddio cardiau EHIC ffug. Heddiw, clywsom am lefel yr iawndal a’r ffioedd cyfreithiol a dalwyd gan ymddiriedolaethau'r GIG am esgeulustod dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, beth mae eich Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i ddileu twyll yn ein GIG a lleihau lefel yr esgeulustod meddygol?
Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at eich cynllun newydd hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ac at weithio gyda chi i ddarparu GIG sy'n addas ar gyfer y dyfodol. Diolch.
I thank the Member for most of what she said. There were some points where we'd have to part company on agreement. I don't actually think that fraud related to the European Union and EHIC cards is a big issue that will undermine the future of the service. The challenge that we face in both need and demand, in having a rising and ageing population, in the challenges over money, I do not think are ones where we can say that European citizens, whether legitimately or otherwise, are going to undermine the future of the service. It's not covered in the report, it's not been a significant area of interest, but, of course, I would not want the service to be taken advantage of. There's a difference between saying, 'I don't mind; people can do what they like,' and saying that that's the biggest challenge we face. So, I expect them to play by the rules. Where people don't, I expect the appropriate action to be taken.
On your point about medical negligence, well, this is a constant challenge for any and every health service. Actually, the response is how we improve the quality of care that is delivered, how that improvement action is a real part of what the service does and not just a fig leaf. That's why we need to look again at our own improvement programmes—1000 Lives has done significant work in improving the quality of care and decision making across the health service. We need to look again at that as an improvement programme, the challenge the report sets us, and the quadruple aim, and look at delivering greater value. So, those are things that we absolutely do need to do.
In terms of your point about transforming IT delivery, I think that's been covered in other comments and questions. It's a key challenge for the health and care system, how we take greater advantage of what technology allows us to do and actually catch up with the way citizens currently live their lives.
And your final point about increasing the primary care workforce—we are in a better place than other parts of the UK, in some ways, because we've actually met our numbers and we've overfilled the places we had on the GP training numbers, which you mentioned specifically. The challenge now is to understand what more do we need, and that isn't just a question for the Government. It's also part of the reason we set up Health Education and Improvement Wales—to try and get that broader based understanding of planning for a future workforce, making sure we have the places available, and then the difficult choices about money. Because, if I had the opportunity and ability to, I would invest more money in the future of the health and care workforce. But I have to live within the means that this Assembly votes for me to be able to do that, in the budget that this place will, I hope, choose to pass later on today. So, funding is always a challenge, but we cannot avoid the reality: we need to deliver greater value than the resource we put into our whole system.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y rhan fwyaf o'r hyn a ddywedodd. Roedd rhai pwyntiau lle y byddai'n rhaid inni anghytuno. A dweud y gwir, nid wyf yn meddwl bod twyll yn gysylltiedig â’r Undeb Ewropeaidd a chardiau EHIC yn fater mawr a fydd yn tanseilio dyfodol y gwasanaeth. Nid wyf yn meddwl bod yr her sy'n ein hwynebu o ran angen a galw, o ran y boblogaeth sy’n cynyddu ac yn heneiddio, o ran heriau dros arian, yn rhai lle gallwn ddweud bod dinasyddion Ewropeaidd, yn gyfreithlon neu fel arall, yn mynd i danseilio dyfodol y gwasanaeth. Nid yw’n cael sylw yn yr adroddiad, nid yw wedi bod yn destun rhyw lawer o ddiddordeb, ond, wrth gwrs, ni fyddwn am i neb gymryd mantais ar y gwasanaeth. Mae gwahaniaeth rhwng dweud, 'Does dim ots gen i; caiff pobl wneud fel a fynnant,' a dweud mai dyna yw'r her fwyaf sy'n ein hwynebu. Felly, rwy’n disgwyl iddyn nhw chwarae yn ôl y rheolau. Os nad yw pobl yn gwneud hynny, rwy’n disgwyl i’r camau priodol gael eu cymryd.
O ran eich pwynt am esgeulustod meddygol, wel, mae hyn yn her gyson i unrhyw wasanaeth iechyd—pob un ohonynt. A dweud y gwir, yr ymateb yw sut yr ydym yn gwella ansawdd y gofal a ddarperir, sut y mae’r camau gwella hynny’n rhan go iawn o beth mae’r gwasanaeth yn ei wneud ac nid dim ond deilen ffigys. Dyna pam mae angen inni edrych eto ar ein rhaglenni gwella ein hunain—mae 1000 o Fywydau wedi gwneud gwaith sylweddol i wella ansawdd gofal a phenderfyniadau ar draws y gwasanaeth iechyd. Mae angen inni edrych eto ar hynny fel rhaglen wella, yr her y mae’r adroddiad yn ei gosod inni, a’r nod pedwarplyg, ac edrych ar ddarparu mwy o werth. Felly, yn sicr mae angen inni wneud y pethau hynny.
O ran eich pwynt am drawsnewid darpariaeth TG, rwy’n meddwl bod hwnnw wedi cael sylw mewn sylwadau a chwestiynau eraill. Mae'n her allweddol i’r system iechyd a gofal, sut y gallwn fanteisio mwy ar yr hyn y mae technoleg yn caniatáu inni ei wneud a dal i fyny go iawn â’r ffordd y mae dinasyddion yn byw eu bywydau ar hyn o bryd.
Ac o ran eich pwynt olaf ynglŷn â chynyddu gweithlu gofal sylfaenol—rydym mewn sefyllfa well na rhannau eraill o’r DU, mewn rhai ffyrdd, oherwydd rydym wedi cyrraedd ein niferoedd ac wedi gorlenwi’r lleoedd a oedd gennym o ran niferoedd hyfforddiant meddygon teulu, rhywbeth y gwnaethoch chi sôn amdano’n benodol. Yr her nawr yw deall beth arall sydd ei angen arnom, ac nid dim ond mater i’r Llywodraeth yw hynny. Mae hefyd yn rhan o'r rheswm pam y gwnaethom sefydlu Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru—i geisio cael dealltwriaeth ar sail ehangach o gynllunio ar gyfer gweithlu yn y dyfodol, gwneud yn siŵr bod gennym y lleoedd ar gael, ac yna’r dewisiadau anodd am arian. Oherwydd, pe byddai gennyf y cyfle a'r gallu, byddwn yn buddsoddi mwy o arian yn nyfodol y gweithlu iechyd a gofal. Ond mae’n rhaid imi fyw o fewn y modd y mae’r Cynulliad hwn yn pleidleisio er mwyn imi allu gwneud hynny, yn y gyllideb y bydd y lle hwn, gobeithio, yn dewis ei phasio yn nes ymlaen heddiw. Felly, mae arian bob amser yn her, ond ni allwn osgoi’r realiti: mae angen inni ddarparu mwy o werth na'r adnoddau a rown i mewn i’n system gyfan.
Cabinet Secretary, there is some very useful, high-level analysis some very useful, high-level analysis in the report, but I think what's most helpful are the detailed recommendations in the annex section, in particular recommendation 7, on innovation, technology and infrastructure. I was very pleased to see the role of digital woven right throughout the report, and its potential to release resource and improve the patient experience. My question is, having read last week's report by the Wales Audit Office in conjunction with today's report, there are a series of direct and indirect criticisms of the National Health Service Wales Informatics Service, NWIS, and I have real doubts about their ability, both in terms of capacity and capability, to deliver this radical agenda—not least the finding from the Wales Audit Office that they've been partial and overly positive in reporting progress to the Welsh Government. So, I just ask for your reflections on the nature of the criticisms in both reports, and whether or not you can now have confidence in NWIS, as currently constituted, to deliver this agenda, and what you can put in place to make sure we achieve the potential of digital.
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae rhywfaint o ddadansoddi lefel uchel defnyddiol iawn yn yr adroddiad, ond rwy’n meddwl mai’r peth mwyaf defnyddiol yw'r argymhellion manwl yn adran yr atodiad, yn enwedig argymhelliad 7, ar arloesedd, technoleg a seilwaith. Roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld digidol yn cael sylw drwy gydol yr adroddiad, a'i botensial i ryddhau adnoddau a gwella profiad cleifion. Fy nghwestiwn yw, ar ôl darllen adroddiad yr wythnos diwethaf gan Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ar y cyd ag adroddiad heddiw, ceir cyfres o feirniadaethau uniongyrchol ac anuniongyrchol i Wasanaeth Gwybodeg Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol Cymru, NWIS, ac mae gennyf amheuon go iawn ynghylch eu gallu, o ran capasiti a gallu, i gyflawni’r agenda radical hon—yn enwedig y canfyddiad gan Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru eu bod wedi bod yn bleidiol ac yn rhy gadarnhaol wrth adrodd am gynnydd i Lywodraeth Cymru. Felly, hoffwn i ofyn am eich sylwadau am natur y beirniadaethau yn y ddau adroddiad, ac a allwch fod yn hyderus nawr yng Ngwasanaeth Gwybodeg GIG Cymru ai peidio, fel y mae wedi’i gyfansoddi ar hyn o bryd, i gyflawni'r agenda hon, a beth y gallwch ei roi ar waith i sicrhau ein bod yn cyflawni potensial digidol.
Thank you for the comments. You've been consistent in taking an interest in this area, both formally and informally in conversations that we've had. I think the first point that I'd make is that, for all the criticism that's made of NWIS, they have actually delivered a number of things that we're really proud of. If you think about the response in terms of security, the differential where we invested in a system that they've delivered, if you think about Choose Pharmacy, their creating of that and then delivering in partnership with the service, that will make a real difference, and, actually, be directly in this space of making better use of information between healthcare professionals, changing the point of focus where people can go and get that advice and support as well.
So, even with the positive things they've done, it's fair to reflect on where we think they could do better. I recognise the comments that are made in the report and in the Wales Audit Office report and in other suggestions as well, about does it have the capability and the capacity, as it's currently constituted, to do all that we need it to do. Well, I don't think it would be fair to say that it does, because we would place unfair, I think, expectations on NWIS, as it currently is, to do all that we want to do in terms of investing in and releasing the capacity of IT to transform the way that we deliver services and the way that citizens themselves engage in health and care services.
And I also recognise the points about governance and thinking again about whether it's in the right place, whether we could do more, and thinking about how that governance is released. I've indicated previously that I intend to do this, and the report has helpfully not said we need to do something different, in that we do need to carry on looking at that capability, that capacity, and where we find it: how much should be in-house within NWIS, how much should be working with other partners, and how much should be a formal partnership. Because we can't pretend that we can do all of that in the one place. If we try to do that, I think we'll fail. It has to be a different partnership, and we're going to have to set those ambitions and set ourselves a priority, and that may mean we need to look again at the resourcing we put into this area, as well, of course, as the governance and oversight, both for Members, people in the health service, in the care system, and of course here in Government as well.
Diolch ichi am y sylwadau. Rydych chi wedi dangos diddordeb cyson yn y maes hwn, yn ffurfiol ac yn anffurfiol mewn sgyrsiau a gawsom. Rwy’n meddwl mai’r pwynt cyntaf y byddwn yn ei wneud yw, er yr holl feirniadaeth i Wasanaeth Gwybodeg GIG Cymru, eu bod wedi cyflawni nifer o bethau yr ydym yn falch iawn ohonynt. Os ydych chi'n meddwl am yr ymateb o ran diogelwch, y gwahaniaeth lle rydym wedi buddsoddi mewn system a ddarparwyd ganddyn nhw, os ydych yn meddwl am Dewis Fferyllfa, eu bod wedi creu hynny ac yna ei ddarparu mewn partneriaeth â’r gwasanaeth, bydd yn gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol, ac, a dweud y gwir, bydd yn yr union le hwn o ddefnyddio gwybodaeth yn well rhwng gweithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol, a newid y pwynt ffocws lle gall pobl fynd a chael y cyngor hwnnw a chefnogaeth hefyd.
Felly, hyd yn oed gyda’r pethau cadarnhaol y maen nhw wedi’u gwneud, mae'n deg adlewyrchu ar fannau lle rydym yn credu y gallen nhw wneud yn well. Rwy’n cydnabod y sylwadau sydd yn yr adroddiad ac yn adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ac mewn awgrymiadau eraill hefyd, ynghylch a oes ganddyn nhw'r gallu a'r capasiti, fel y'u cyfansoddir ar hyn o bryd, i wneud popeth y mae arnom angen iddyn nhw ei wneud. Wel, nid wyf yn meddwl y byddai'n deg dweud bod ganddyn nhw, oherwydd byddai hynny’n rhoi disgwyliadau annheg, rwy’n meddwl, ar Gwasanaeth Gwybodeg GIG Cymru, fel y mae ar hyn o bryd, i wneud popeth yr hoffem iddyn nhw ei wneud o ran buddsoddi mewn TG a rhyddhau ei allu i drawsnewid y ffordd yr ydym yn darparu gwasanaethau a’r ffordd y mae dinasyddion eu hunain yn ymgysylltu â gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal.
Ac rwyf hefyd yn cydnabod y pwyntiau ynghylch llywodraethu a meddwl eto ynghylch a yw yn y lle iawn, a allem wneud mwy, a meddwl am sut i ryddhau’r llywodraethu hwnnw. Rwyf wedi dweud o'r blaen fy mod yn bwriadu gwneud hyn, ac yn ddefnyddiol nid yw'r adroddiad wedi dweud bod angen inni wneud rhywbeth gwahanol; mae angen inni barhau i edrych ar y gallu, y capasiti hwnnw, a ble y mae: faint ddylai fod yn fewnol o fewn NWIS, faint ddylai fod yn gweithio gyda phartneriaid eraill, a faint ddylai fod yn bartneriaeth ffurfiol. Oherwydd ni allwn esgus y gallwn wneud hynny i gyd mewn un lle. Os ceisiwn wneud hynny, rwy’n meddwl y byddwn yn methu. Mae'n rhaid iddi fod yn bartneriaeth wahanol, ac rydym yn mynd i orfod gosod yr uchelgeisiau hynny a gosod blaenoriaeth i ni ein hunain, a gallai hynny olygu bod angen inni edrych eto ar ddarparu adnoddau i’r maes hwn, yn ogystal, wrth gwrs, â’r llywodraethu a’r goruchwylio, ar gyfer Aelodau, pobl yn y gwasanaeth iechyd, yn y system gofal, ac wrth gwrs yma yn y Llywodraeth hefyd.
Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary. Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Diolch.
The next item on the agenda this afternoon is the debate on the final budget for 2018-19, and I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to move the motion—Mark Drakeford.
Yr eitem nesaf ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw’r ddadl ar y gyllideb derfynol ar gyfer 2018-19, a galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid i gynnig y cynnig—Mark Drakeford.
Cynnig NDM6614 Julie James
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 20.25, yn cymeradwyo'r Gyllideb Flynyddol ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol 2018-19 a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid ar 19 Rhagfyr 2017.
Motion NDM6614 Julie James
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 20.25, approves the Annual Budget for the financial year 2018-19 laid in the Table Office by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on 19 December 2017.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n cynnig cynigion cyllideb derfynol Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer 2018-19 ymlaen, fel y gosodwyd gerbron Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ar 19 Rhagfyr. Hoffwn ddiolch yn arbennig i aelodau'r Pwyllgor Cyllid, a'r Cadeirydd, Simon Thomas, am eu gwaith gofalus wrth graffu ar y gyllideb hon. Dyma'r tro cyntaf ers sawl canrif i ni yng Nghymru ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb dros godi cyfran o'r arian rydym ni'n ei wario ar wasanaethau cyhoeddus. Roeddwn i'n falch iawn o allu ymateb ddoe i adroddiad y pwyllgor ar y gyllideb ddrafft, a gallu derbyn bron pob un o'u hargymhellion yn llwyr.
Er gwaethaf yr heriau a gododd yn sgil y gwrthdaro rhwng amserlen ein cyllideb ni a chyllideb Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig, rwy'n credu bod y prosesau newydd a gafodd eu cytuno a'u dilyn eleni wedi bod yn llwyddiannus ac wedi bod yn addas ar gyfer craffu ar ein defnydd o'n cyfrifoldebau ariannol newydd. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gael gweithio gyda'r pwyllgor i weld sut y gellid gwella'r prosesau hyn ymhellach yn y dyfodol.
A allaf ddiolch hefyd i'r pwyllgorau eraill hynny sydd wedi cyhoeddi adroddiadau craffu ar y gyllideb yn eu meysydd eu hunain? Hoffwn i ddiolch yn swyddogol i Steffan Lewis am roi ei amser i gyfarfod ac ystyried y gyllideb derfynol, ac i Adam Price am barhau â'r trafodaethau hynny yn fwy diweddar.
Dirprwy Lywydd, mae'r cyd-destun ehangach ar gyfer y gyllideb yn gwbl hysbys. Wrth i economïau ardal yr ewro a'r Unol Daleithiau symud yn ôl tuag at lefelau twf hanesyddol, mae economi'r Deyrnas Unedig yn parhau i gael ei niweidio gan bolisïau cyni ffôl—polisïau sydd wedi methu. Wrth i eraill dyfu, mae rhagolygon diweddaraf y Swyddfa Cyfrifoldeb Cyllidebol yma yn dangos economi sy'n arafu, nid yn unig y flwyddyn nesaf a'r flwyddyn wedyn, ond y tu hwnt i hynny i'r dyfodol: llai o dwf mewn cynhyrchiant, llai o fuddsoddiad mewn busnesau, llai o dwf mewn cynnyrch domestig gros, llai o dwf mewn cyflogau, a llai o dderbyniadau treth. Y Canghellor, Philip Hammond ei hun, a ddywedodd hynny yn ei araith ar y gyllideb ar 22 Tachwedd.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I propose the Welsh Government's final budget proposals for 2018-19 onwards, as tabled before the National Assembly for Wales on 19 December. I would like to pay particular thanks to members of the Finance Committee and the Chair, Simon Thomas, for their careful work in scrutinising this budget. This is the first time for many centuries that we in Wales have taken responsibility for raising a proportion of the funds that we spend on public services. I was very pleased to be able to respond yesterday to the committee's report on the draft budget and to be able to accept virtually all of their recommendations in full.
Despite the challenges that arose as a result of the conflict between the timetable for our budget and the budget of the UK Government, I do believe that the new processes agreed and followed this year have been successful and have been appropriate for scrutinising our use of our financial responsibilities. I look forward to working with the committee to see how these processes can be further improved in the future.
I should also thank the other committees who have published scrutiny reports on the budget in their own areas of responsibility. I would like to officially thank Steffan Lewis for giving his time to meet and to consider the final budget, and Adam Price for continuing with those negotiations more recently.
Deputy Presiding Officer, the wider context for the budget is well known. As the economies of the eurozone and the United States move back towards historic growth levels, the economy of the UK continues to be damaged by foolish austerity policies—policies that have failed. As others grow, the most recent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility here demonstrates an economy that is slowing down, not only next year and the following year, but also beyond then, into the future: less growth in production, less development in business, less growth in gross domestic product, less growth in employment and less in tax receipts. The Chancellor, Philip Hammond himself, stated that in his budget speech on 22 November.
Dirprwy Lywydd, that budget quite certainly did not produce a windfall for Wales or go far to put right eight years of resource starvation. Our budget, when financial transaction capital funding is excluded, remains 7 per cent lower in real terms than a decade ago. This Government's job is to use every lever available to us to protect our citizens and services from the damage that austerity brings, and to invest, wherever we can, in creating the conditions of a successful future. That is why, in this final budget, you see for the first time the 105 per cent Barnett multiplier negotiated in the fiscal framework between ourselves and the UK Government. It adds nearly £70 million otherwise unavailable to us.
The progressive but proportionate use we have made of our two new taxes—landfill disposals tax and land transaction tax—is forecast to add another £30 million to our revenue resources over the period of this budget. That is £100 million to help us with the vital priorities of investing in our schools and colleges, creating the health service of the future, building an economy with a real social purpose of providing prosperity for all.
Dirprwy Lywydd, yn sicr ni ddaeth y gyllideb honno ag arian annisgwyl i Gymru yn ei sgil, ac ni lwyddodd i unioni wyth mlynedd o brinder adnoddau. Mae ein cyllideb ni, heb gynnwys cyllid cyfalaf trafodion ariannol, yn parhau i fod 7 y cant yn is mewn termau gwirioneddol nag yr oedd ddegawd yn ôl. Gwaith y Llywodraeth hon yw defnyddio pob ysgogiad sydd ar gael inni er mwyn amddiffyn ein dinasyddion a'n gwasanaethau rhag y difrod hwnnw a ddaw gyda chaledi, a buddsoddi, lle bynnag y gallwn ni, drwy greu'r amodau ar gyfer dyfodol llwyddiannus. Dyna pam, yn y gyllideb derfynol hon, y gwelwch am y tro cyntaf luosydd 105 y cant Barnett wedi ei negodi yn y fframwaith cyllidol rhyngom ni a Llywodraeth y DU. Mae'n ychwanegu bron £70 miliwn na fyddai ar gael inni fel arall.
Rhagwelir y bydd y defnydd blaengar ond cymesur a wnaethom ni o'r ddwy dreth newydd—y dreth gwarediadau tirlenwi a'r dreth trafodiadau tir—yn ychwanegu £30 miliwn arall at ein adnoddau refeniw dros gyfnod y gyllideb hon. Dyna £100 miliwn i'n helpu ni gyda blaenoriaethau hollbwysig buddsoddi yn ein hysgolion a'n colegau, creu gwasanaeth iechyd y dyfodol, ac adeiladu economi gyda'r diben cymdeithasol gwirioneddol o gyflenwi ffyniant i bawb.
Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.
The Llywydd took the Chair.
Would the Cabinet Secretary give way? I'm grateful for what he's just said and, of course, this is the first time we're looking at a budget that has income generation as well as expenditure within it—and that's a positive change for the development of this place. But has he made any estimate of what would have happened on the expenditure side had we not had those seven years of austerity since the election of the coalition Government back in 2010, and what would be the rough shape of the Welsh budget if that hadn't happened?
A fyddai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn fodlon ildio? Rwy'n ddiolchgar am yr hyn y mae newydd ei ddweud ac, wrth gwrs, dyma'r tro cyntaf yr ydym wedi edrych ar gyllideb sydd â chynhyrchiad incwm yn ogystal â gwariant yn rhan ohoni—a newid cadarnhaol yw hynny i ddatblygiad y lle hwn. Ond a yw ef wedi gwneud unrhyw amcangyfrif o beth fyddai wedi digwydd o du'r gwariant pe na fyddem wedi cael y saith mlynedd hynny o galedi ers etholiad y Llywodraeth glymblaid yn ôl yn 2010, a pha fath o ffurf fyddai ar gyllideb Cymru pe na fyddai hynny wedi digwydd?
Well, I can offer the Member two estimates. Had our budget simply remained the same, in real terms, today as it was nearly a decade ago, with no growth at all in the resources to us, we would have £1.1 billion more to invest in this budget than we see today. Had our budget simply grown in line with growth in the economy—something that every Government from 1945 to 2010 achieved, through all those years of Mrs Thatcher, where growth in public services never fell below growth in the economy as a whole, and growth in the economy has been sclerotic since 2010—I believe we would have somewhere between £3 billion and £4 billion more to invest in public services in Wales today than this budget is able to provide.
Llywydd, I want to briefly outline for Members those changes that the final budget has in it, compared to the draft budget I was able to lay in October of last year. The final budget of 19 December shows that, over and above the extra £230 million in 2018-19 and the £220 million beyond that in 2019-20, the NHS in Wales will have a further £100 million, £50 million in each year, to support the work of my colleague Vaughan Gething as he implements the recommendations of the parliamentary review, which have just been discussed here. The final budget also shows additional allocations of £20 million in 2018-19 and a further £40 million in 2019-20 to support local authorities in delivering the services on which we all rely. We are building on the £20 million for homelessness announced in the draft budget by providing an extra £10 million focused particularly on youth homelessness in 2019-20. A further £36 million has been allocated to portfolios in support of ‘Prosperity for All’ commitments, and Ministers are currently working through where this funding will make the most difference.
Throughout the scrutiny of the draft budget, Dirprwy Lywydd, Members have expressed concern about the impact of Brexit. The First Minister recently announced a £50 million European Union transition fund that builds further on the additional £5 million announced in the draft budget for Brexit preparedness as part of the budget agreement with Plaid Cymru. The final budget includes £10 million revenue funding over two years as an initial additional investment in this fund. The fund will run from April 2018 and we will work with partners to develop detailed programmes of support covering a range of interventions.
Llywydd, I will now turn to capital. I’ve been discussing the capital consequentials, including financial transactions, further with Ministers. I’ve also continued to discuss matters of mutual interest with Plaid Cymru. Today, I would like to set out some early decisions on immediate capital priorities that will be formalised in supplementary budgets. Thirty million pounds will be allocated this year in the second supplementary budget to the twenty-first century schools and education programme. That money will be used to support our shared ambition across different parts of this Chamber to create a million Welsh speakers by 2015. It means that an equivalent £30 million can be released from the programme in future years to support capital projects dedicated to supporting and growing the use of the Welsh language in education. Beyond that, and to accelerate the highly successful band B of the twenty-first century schools and education programme, I will allocate £75 million over the next three years in additional capital to the MEG of my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Education for her to be able to take that programme even further and faster than otherwise would have been the case.
Seventy million pounds in additional capital goes to the NHS across 2018-19 and 2019-20 to allow the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services to press ahead with his consideration of a range of clinical priorities, including the continued support for the new Velindre cancer centre and investment in neonatal services in both Glangwili and Singleton hospitals. Llywydd, in the autumn budget, we received £14.6 million for 2018-19 to 2020-21 for air quality. I’ve already allocated the additional revenue for air quality in the final budget. Today, I can say that we will use that £14.6 million as capital expenditure to assist the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for this very important area here in Wales. I’m also discussing proposals for a road refurbishment scheme of up to £30 million with the Welsh Local Government Association, which will provide vital new investment in our local roads.
Llywydd, I will make further announcements alongside the publication of the new iteration of the Wales infrastructure investment plan later this spring. This will include funding, supporting 'Prosperity for All’, for the Valleys economic hub as a key part of the Valleys taskforce plan, something that has featured in discussions with Plaid Cymru. Llywydd, this final budget has the services that people in Wales rely upon at its heart. It provides extra investment in our health service and in local government. It takes head-on the challenges we face today in homelessness and in improving air quality. It creates new opportunities for the future by investing in education and in our economy. It does so through the careful and detailed management of our resources, by working with others to identify common ground, and always to pursue the progressive priorities that animate this Welsh Government. I commend it to the National Assembly this afternoon.
Wel, gallaf gynnig dau amcangyfrif i'r Aelod. Pe byddai ein cyllideb ni wedi aros yr un fath mewn termau gwirioneddol, heddiw fel ag yr oedd bron ddegawd yn ôl, heb unrhyw gynnydd o gwbl yn yr adnoddau i ni, byddai gennym £1.1 biliwn yn ychwanegol i'w fuddsoddi yn y gyllideb hon na'r hyn a welwn heddiw. Roedd ein cyllideb wedi tyfu yn unol â thwf yn yr economi—rhywbeth y llwyddodd pob Llywodraeth i'w gyflawni o 1945 hyd 2010, drwy'r holl flynyddoedd hynny o Mrs Thatcher, pryd na welwyd cwymp yn nhwf y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn is na'r twf yn yr economi gyfan. Mae twf yr economi wedi rhewi'n gorn ers 2010—rwy'n credu y byddai gennym ni rywbeth rhwng £3 biliwn a £4 biliwn yn fwy i'w fuddsoddi mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru heddiw na'r hyn y gall y gyllideb hon ei ddarparu.
Llywydd, rwy'n awyddus i amlinellu'n fras ar gyfer yr Aelodau y newidiadau hynny sydd o fewn y gyllideb derfynol, o'u cymharu â'r gyllideb ddrafft yr oeddwn yn gallu ei gosod ym mis Hydref y llynedd. Mae cyllideb derfynol 19 Rhagfyr yn dangos, dros ben y £230 miliwn ychwanegol yn 2018-19 a'r £220 miliwn dros ben hynny yn 2019-20, y bydd gan y GIG yng Nghymru £100 miliwn arall, £50 miliwn ym mhob blwyddyn, i gefnogi gwaith fy nghydweithiwr Vaughan Gething wrth iddo roi argymhellion yr arolwg seneddol ar waith, sydd newydd eu trafod yma. Mae'r gyllideb derfynol yn dangos hefyd ddyraniadau ychwanegol o £20 miliwn yn 2018-19 a £40 miliwn yn ychwaneg yn 2019-20 i gefnogi awdurdodau lleol wrth ddarparu gwasanaethau yr ydym i gyd yn dibynnu arnyn nhw. Rydym yn adeiladu ar yr £20 miliwn a gyhoeddwyd ar gyfer digartrefedd yn y gyllideb ddrafft drwy roi £10 miliwn ychwanegol sy'n canolbwyntio'n benodol ar ddigartrefedd yr ifanc yn 2019-20. Mae £36 miliwn ymhellach wedi ei ddyranu i weinyddiaethau i gefnogi ymrwymiadau 'Ffyniant i bawb', ac mae Gweinidogion yn gweithio ar hyn o bryd ar gyfeirio'r cyllid hwn i'r mannau y bydd yn gwneud y gwahaniaeth mwyaf.
Drwy gydol y craffu ar y gyllideb ddrafft, Dirprwy Lywydd, mae'r Aelodau wedi mynegi pryder am effaith Brexit. Cyhoeddodd y Prif Weinidog yn ddiweddar gronfa bontio Undeb Ewropeaidd gwerth £50 miliwn sy'n adeiladu ymhellach ar y £5 miliwn ychwanegol a gyhoeddwyd yn y gyllideb ddrafft i fod yn barod am Brexit fel rhan o'r cytundeb cyllideb â Phlaid Cymru. Mae'r gyllideb derfynol yn cynnwys £10 miliwn o gyllid refeniw dros ddwy flynedd fel buddsoddiad cychwynnol ychwanegol yn y gronfa hon. Bydd y gronfa yn rhedeg o fis Ebrill 2018 a byddwn yn gweithio gyda phartneriaid i ddatblygu rhaglenni cymorth manwl sy'n cynnwys ystod o ymyriadau.
Llywydd, rwyf eisiau troi i drafod cyfalaf nawr. Rwyf wedi bod yn trafod arian canlyniadol cyfalaf, gan gynnwys trafodion ariannol, ymhellach gyda Gweinidogion. Rwyf hefyd wedi parhau i drafod materion o ddiddordeb cyffredin gyda Phlaid Cymru. Heddiw, byddwn yn hoffi nodi rhai penderfyniadau cynnar ar flaenoriaethau cyfalaf disyfyd a gaiff eu ffurfioli mewn cyllidebau atodol. Dyrennir tri deg miliwn o bunnoedd eleni yn yr ail gyllideb atodol i raglen addysg ac ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Defnyddir yr arian hwn i gefnogi ein huchelgais gyffredin ledled gwahanol rannau'r Siambr hon i gael miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2015. Mae'n golygu y gellir rhyddhau £30 miliwn o arian cyfatebol o'r rhaglen yn y dyfodol i gefnogi prosiectau cyfalaf a neilltuwyd i gefnogi a datblygu'r defnydd o'r iaith Gymraeg mewn addysg. Ar ben hynny, ac er mwyn cyflymu gwaith hynod lwyddiannus band B rhaglen addysg ac ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, byddaf yn dyrannu £75 miliwn dros y tair blynedd nesaf mewn cyfalaf ychwanegol i Brif Grŵp Gwariant fy nghydweithwraig, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros addysg, fel y gall lywio'r rhaglen honno ymhellach ac yn gyflymach nag y byddai wedi gallu gwneud fel arall.
Mae saith deg miliwn o bunnoedd mewn cyfalaf ychwanegol yn mynd at y GIG drwy gydol 2018-19 a 2019-20 i ganiatáu i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol fwrw ymlaen â'i ystyriaeth o'i amrywiaeth o flaenoriaethau clinigol, gan gynnwys y cymorth parhaus i'r Ganolfan Ganser newydd yn Felindre a buddsoddi yn y gwasanaethau i'r newyddanedig yn ysbytai Glangwili a Singleton. Llywydd, yng nghyllideb yr Hydref, fe wnaethom ni dderbyn £14.6 miliwn ar gyfer 2018-19 a 2020-21 ar gyfer ansawdd aer. Rwyf i wedi dyrannu refeniw ychwanegol eisoes ar gyfer ansawdd aer yn y gyllideb derfynol. Heddiw, gallaf ddweud y byddwn yn defnyddio'r £14.6 miliwn hwnnw fel gwariant cyfalaf i gynorthwyo Ysgrifennydd i Cabinet gyda chyfrifoldeb am y maes hynod bwysig hwn yng Nghymru. Rwyf hefyd yn trafod cynigion ar gyfer cynllun adnewyddu ffyrdd o hyd at £30 miliwn gyda Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, a fydd yn rhoi buddsoddiad newydd hanfodol yn ein ffyrdd lleol.
Llywydd, byddaf yn gwneud cyhoeddiadau pellach ochr yn ochr â chyhoeddi fersiwn newydd o'r cynllun buddsoddi yn seilwaith Cymru yn ddiweddarach y gwanwyn hwn. Bydd hyn yn cynnwys cyllid, sy'n cefnogi 'Ffyniant i Bawb', ar gyfer canolfan economaidd y Cymoedd fel rhan allweddol o gynllun tasglu'r Cymoedd, rhywbeth sydd wedi bod yn rhan o'r trafodaethau â Plaid Cymru. Llywydd, wrth wraidd y gyllideb derfynol hon y mae'r gwasanaethau y mae pobl yng Nghymru yn dibynnu arnyn nhw. Mae'n rhoi buddsoddiad ychwanegol yn ein gwasanaeth iechyd ac mewn Llywodraeth Leol. Mae'n ymwneud yn uniongyrchol â'r heriau yr ydym yn eu wynebu heddiw o ran digartrefedd a gwella ansawdd aer. Mae'n creu cyfleoedd newydd ar gyfer y dyfodol drwy fuddsoddi mewn addysg ac yn ein heconomi. Mae'n gwneud hynny drwy reoli ein hadnoddau yn fanwl ac yn ofalus, drwy weithio gydag eraill i nodi tir cyffredin, a mynd ar drywydd y blaenoriaethau blaengar hynny sy'n ysgogi'r Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru. Fe'i cymeradwyaf i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol y prynhawn yma.
Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for Finance for his statement, and also for the co-operation he has given, both to me during the budget-forming process and with the Chair of the Finance Committee and the members of that committee?
I have to say that I did find your speech a rather strange mixture, Cabinet Secretary, and I would say that it was a little bit like the budget, good in parts and not so good in other parts, in that you did speak about the negative effect you think that the UK Government and its programme has had on the Welsh budget. And whilst I accept that there have been cuts over the last number of years—and we won't go into the whys and wherefores of those cuts—I do have in front of me the written statement by yourself, issued today, I believe, where you speak about the consequentials that have come to the Welsh Government from the UK Government as a result of that budget, which are increasing extra spending within Wales, and which you have allocated in a way that you would expect Welsh Government to do. So, I do think that the overtly negative tone of your contribution was probably more political than it was realistic, but I suppose we are in a political Chamber, so you would expect that.
Now, I don't want to go over too much ground that I set out in the draft budget debate before Christmas. However, back in December, I did pose the primary question, 'What is the Welsh Government budget seeking to achieve?' Is it simply trying to allocate funding to different budgets or is it trying to do more than that to address longer-term challenges and to seek a fundamental economic change to the economy? Now, given the new fiscal powers that Simon Thomas mentioned that are coming to the Welsh Government—borrowing, and, indeed, tax power devolution—I would have thought that the latter should be our goal, as I believe the Chair of the Finance Committee believes. Sadly, I think that this budget falls short of this. Now, I appreciate that it is still early days and those powers are still in the process of transferring, but I would expect the Welsh Government to be looking at ways that those powers can be utilised, and given that by the time of the next budget the Assembly and Welsh Government will have significant extra financial powers, I think that this budget has fallen short in making use of those.
If I can just refer to some of the points that were made by the Finance Committee report on the draft budget, there have been ongoing concerns around transparency, and these are key to some of our concerns. The links between the budget allocations and the programme for government simply aren't strong enough. From 2019 to 2020, we know that there will be a single grant for a number of projects, including Flying Start and Supporting People, and the Finance Committee took evidence from a number of organisations. I think Cymorth Cymru were strongest in their concerns in saying that it becomes increasingly difficult to track the funding that is currently coming through Supporting People under the new regime, and that is a source of concern. Things seem to be going backwards in some areas in terms of transparency, rather than forwards.
If I can turn to the big part of the Welsh Government budget, the health service, which you mentioned additional funding for—as a result of UK Government consequentials—in your written statement today. Of course, we all welcome any additional funding for our NHS. Welsh Conservatives have, of course, been calling for this for a long time—back, in fact, when there were some real-terms cuts being made to the Welsh health service budget during the last Welsh Assembly. However, I do agree with points that have been made by Mike Hedges and others that you do have to strategically plan where that money is going and the sort of benefits that you're going to get out of it. And there's no doubt at all that there is certainly a perception, at the very least, that money that has been funnelled into the NHS over the last months and year or so—is that going to actually develop proper transformational change within the NHS or is it going to be absorbed by some of the budget holes that our health boards have been suffering from? I think that the general consensus out there is that currently the latter is probably more likely to be the case. So, that won't lead to the sort of transformational change that we want to see.
Prevention hasn't been mentioned, and yet it is mentioned in many debates that we have in this place about the health service. If, at the same time, you're saying that prevention is a very important part of keeping future health costs down, it doesn't seem to make sense that local government is facing severe cuts, which will then impact on leisure centres and will impact on sport, the other part of the health brief, which, ultimately, is going to lead to a problem with promoting prevention—it's not going to improve it. So, as I said at the start of my contribution—
A gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid am ei ddatganiad, a hefyd am ei gydweithrediad yn ystod y broses o lunio cyllideb â Chadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cyllid ac aelodau'r pwyllgor hwnnw a chyda minnau hefyd?
Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud fy mod wedi cael eich araith yn gymysgedd ryfedd braidd, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a byddwn yn dweud ei bod ychydig fel y gyllideb, yn dda mewn ambell i fan ond heb fod cystal mewn mannau eraill. Rydych wedi sôn am yr effaith negyddol y mae Llywodraeth y DU a'i rhaglen, yn eich barn chi, wedi ei chael ar gyllideb Cymru. Ac er fy mod yn derbyn bod toriadau wedi digwydd dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf—wnawn ni ddim mynd ar ôl pam a sut y daeth y toriadau hynny—mae gennyf i yma ddatganiad ysgrifenedig o'r eiddoch chi, wedi ei gyhoeddi heddiw, rwy'n credu, yn trafod y canlyniadau hynny sydd wedi dod gerbron Llywodraeth Cymru gan Lywodraeth y DU o ganlyniad i'r gyllideb honno. Mae'r rhain yn cynyddu gwariant ychwanegol yng Nghymru, ac mae'r gyllideb wedi ei dyrannu gennych mewn ffordd y byddech yn disgwyl i Lywodraeth Cymru ei gwneud. Felly, rwyf i o'r farn mai gwleidyddol yn ôl pob tebyg oedd naws negyddol eich cyfraniad yn hytrach na realistig. Ond gan ein bod mewn Siambr wleidyddol mae'n siŵr y byddech yn disgwyl hynny.
Nawr, nid wyf yn awyddus i fynd dros ormod o dir a nodais i yn y ddadl ar y gyllideb ddrafft cyn y Nadolig. Er hynny, yn ôl ym mis Rhagfyr, gofynnais i'r cwestiwn sylfaenol, 'Beth mae cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru yn ceisio ei gyflawni?' A yw'n ceisio dyrannu arian i wahanol gyllidebau neu a yw'n ceisio gwneud mwy na hynny i fynd i'r afael â heriau hirdymor a cheisio newid economaidd sylfaenol i'r economi? Nawr, o ystyried y pwerau cyllidol newydd y soniodd Simon Thomas eu bod ar fin dod i Lywodraeth Cymru—benthyca, ac, yn wir, ddatganoli grym i drethu—byddwn i o'r farn mai'r olaf ddylai fod yn nod i ni, ac rwy'n credu mai dyna farn Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cyllid. Yn anffodus, rwy'n credu bod y gyllideb hon yn ddiffygiol yn hyn o beth. Nawr, rwy'n sylweddoli eu bod yn dyddiau cynnar o hyd ac mae'r pwerau hynny yn aros yn y broses drosglwyddo. Ond byddwn i'n disgwyl i Lywodraeth Cymru fod yn edrych ar ffyrdd y gellir defnyddio'r pwerau hynny, ac o ystyried y bydd gan y Cynulliad a Llywodraeth Cymru bwerau ariannol ychwanegol sylweddol erbyn amser y gyllideb nesaf, credaf fod y gyllideb hon yn brin o wneud defnydd o'r rheini.
Os caf i gyfeirio'n unig at rai o'r pwyntiau a wnaed gan adroddiad y Pwyllgor Cyllid ar y gyllideb ddrafft, cafwyd pryderon parhaus am dryloywder, ac mae'r rhain yn allweddol i rai o'n pryderon ni. Nid yw'r cysylltiadau rhwng dyraniadau'r gyllideb a'r rhaglen lywodraethu yn ddigon cryf. O 2019 i 2020, rydym yn gwybod y bydd un grant ar gyfer nifer o brosiectau, gan gynnwys Dechrau'n Deg a Chefnogi Pobl, ac fe gymerodd y Pwyllgor Cyllid dystiolaeth gan nifer o sefydliadau. Rwy'n credu mai Cymorth Cymru oedd gryfaf yn eu pryderon wrth ddweud ei bod yn fwyfwy anodd olrhain y cyllid sy'n dod ar hyn o bryd drwy Gefnogi Pobl dan y drefn newydd, ac mae hynny'n peri pryder. Ymddengys bod pethau yn mynd tuag yn ôl mewn rhai ardaloedd o ran tryloywder, yn hytrach nag ymlaen.
Os caf i droi at ran fawr cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru, y gwasanaeth iechyd, yr oeddech chi'n sôn am arian ychwanegol ar ei gyfer—o ganlyniad i symiau canlyniadol Llywodraeth y DU—yn eich datganiad ysgrifenedig heddiw. Wrth gwrs, rydym i gyd yn croesawu unrhyw arian ychwanegol i'r GIG. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, wrth gwrs, wedi galw am hynny ers amser maith—mewn gwirionedd yn ôl yn yr adeg pan oedd rhai toriadau gwirioneddol yn cael eu gwneud i gyllideb y gwasanaeth iechyd yng Nghymru yn ystod y Cynulliad diwethaf. Serch hynny, nid wyf i'n cytuno â'r pwyntiau a wnaeth Mike Hedges ac eraill fod yn rhaid cynllunio'n strategol i ble'r aiff yr arian hwnnw a'r math o fanteision yr ydych yn mynd i gael yn ei sgil. Ac nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth o gwbl fod ymdeimlad, o leiaf, yn sicr fod arian wedi ei sianelu i'r GIG dros y misoedd diwethaf a'r flwyddyn yn fras—a yw hwnnw'n mynd i ddatblygu newid trawsnewidiol priodol o fewn y GIG mewn gwirionedd, neu a yw'n mynd i gael ei lyncu gan rai o'r toraidau mewn cyllideb y mae ein byrddau iechyd wedi dioddef ohonynt. Rwyf i o'r farn mai'r consensws cyffredinol ar hyn o bryd yw mai'r olaf sydd fwyaf tebygol o fod yn wir. Felly, ni fydd hynny'n arwain at y math o newid trawsnewidiol yr ydym yn eiddgar i'w weld.
Nid oes sôn wedi bod am atal, ac eto caiff hyn ei grybwyll mewn llawer dadl a gawn yn y lle hwn am y gwasanaeth iechyd. Os ydych chi'n dweud, ar yr un pryd, fod atal yn rhan bwysig iawn o gadw costau iechyd i lawr yn y dyfodol, nid yw'n ymddangos ei bod yn gwneud synnwyr fod Llywodraeth Leol yn wynebu toriadau difrifol, a fydd wedyn yn effeithio ar ganolfannau hamdden ac yn effeithio ar chwaraeon, rhan arall o'r briff iechyd, a fydd, yn y pen draw, yn arwain at broblem gydag hyrwyddo atal—ni fydd yn ei wella. Felly, fel y dywedais ar ddechrau fy nghyfraniad—
Would you also agree that removing the ring fence for things like Supporting People and the Welsh independent living grant will also further risk damaging prevention and intervention?
A fyddech hefyd yn cytuno y bydd dileu'r clustnodi ar gyfer pethau fel Cefnogi Pobl a Grant Byw Annibynnol Cymru hefyd yn risg pellach i beryglu atal ac ymyrryd?
I do, yes. I think that a lot of things that the Welsh budget aspires to do, and says that it wants to do, are good, but when you look into the greater detail, that simply isn't there.
I realise I'm running out of time, Presiding Officer, but at the start of my contribution I did say that I thought that this budget should be one that looks at creating a transformational change. I think we want something that is positive, that creates a vibrant economic situation moving forward, and makes those proper links between the new Welsh Government fiscal powers and the ability to develop the economy in a way that we need to, particularly with the challenges we face over the months and years ahead. I don't think that this budget meets those criteria, and the Welsh Conservatives don't either. That is why it will be no surprise to the Cabinet Secretary that we will not be supporting this budget.
Byddwn, ydw. Rwyf i o'r farn fod llawer o'r pethau y mae cyllideb Cymru yn anelu at eu gwneud nhw, ac yn mynegi ei bod yn awyddus i'w gwneud, yn rhagorol, ond pan edrychwch ar y manylion ehangach, nid ydynt yno mewn gwirionedd.
Rwy'n sylweddoli fy mod yn rhedeg allan o amser, Llywydd, ond ar ddechrau fy nghyfraniad dywedais fy mod yn credu y dylai'r gyllideb hon fod yn un sy'n edrych ar greu newid trawsnewidiol. Credaf fod eisiau rhywbeth cadarnhaol arnom, sydd yn creu sefyllfa economaidd fywiog wrth symud ymlaen, ac sydd yn gwneud y cysylltiadau priodol hynny rhwng pwerau cyllidol newydd Llywodraeth Cymru a'r gallu i ddatblygu'r economi mewn ffordd sydd yn angenrheidiol i ni, yn benodol gyda'r heriau a fydd yn ein hwynebu dros y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd i ddod. Nid wyf i o'r farn fod y gyllideb hon yn bodloni'r meini prawf hynny, ac nid yw'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn credu hynny chwaith. Dyna pam na fydd o unrhyw syndod i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet nad ydym ni am gefnogi'r gyllideb hon.
Mae'n ofyniad, wrth gwrs, mewn Senedd lle nad oes gan y Llywodraeth fwyafrif—mae hynny'n wir, wrth gwrs, am ran fwyaf y cyfnod yr oeddem ni'n ei drafod—i ddod i gytundeb. Mae hynny yn gofyn am elfen o wyleidd-dra ar ran y Llywodraeth. Mae hefyd yn gofyn am agwedd adeiladol, a dweud y gwir, o ran y gwrthbleidiau. Mae hynny yn rhan o broses ddemocrataidd gref mewn Senedd aeddfed. Rydw i wedi bod yn falch iawn i wneud fy nghyfraniad i at y broses yna, ond hefyd a gaf i roi diolch i Steffan Lewis, fel mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet wedi gwneud yn barod, ar gyfer ei gyfraniad e?
A gaf i ddyfynnu cwpl o enghreifftiau o'r amrediad o bolisïau positif, arloesol yr oedd y blaid wedi llwyddo i'w cael nawr fel rhan o raglen y Llywodraeth trwy'r math yna o gyd-drafod? Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet eisoes wedi sôn am y gronfa baratoi ar gyfer Brexit, ac roedd Steffan wedi bod yn pwsio hynny ers meitin ar ôl gweld yr effaith yr oedd yr un math o gynllun yn cael yng Ngweriniaeth Iwerddon. Mae'r Llywodraeth erbyn hyn, wrth gwrs, wedi penderfynu adeiladu ar y seiliau a oedd wedi'u gosod yn y cytundeb drafft gyda chynllun llawer mwy uchelgeisiol.
Mi oedd Steffan hefyd wedi bod yn pledio'r achos ers tipyn dros greu clinig arbenigol ar gyfer iechyd meddwl amenedigol, perinatal, ac wedi llwyddo, trwy gyfrwng y cytundeb a thrafodaethau cyllideb, mewn gwirionedd, i newid polisi, i newid meddwl. Onid yw hynny hefyd yn enghraifft o wleidyddiaeth bositif, adeiladol?
Ar ddiwedd y dydd, pam ydym ni i gyd yn dod mewn i'r lle yma? I wneud Cymru tipyn bach yn well na'r cyflwr yr oedd hi ynddo cyn inni ddod yma. Dyna'r gwir, yntefe? Wrth gwrs, mae yna rôl ar gyfer gwrthwynebu. Gwnes i fy nghyfran o hynny am naw mlynedd lawr yn San Steffan, ac roedd yna lawer o bethau pwysig i'w gwrthwynebu. Y rheswm y des i i'r lle yma yn hytrach oedd i adeiladu, yntefe? Nid dim ond i wrthwynebu, ond i adeiladu, ac mae hynny'n golygu bod gwrthbleidiau, wedyn, yn ymddwyn yn gyfrifol, a'u bod, lle mae yna dir cyffredin, yn ceisio adeiladu ar y tir cyffredin hynny. Nid yw hynny'n golygu nad ydych chi'n dweud yn glir ac yn groyw lle mae'r Llywodraeth yn anghywir. Mae yna bethau yn y gyllideb nad ydym ni'n cytuno â nhw, a dyna pam rŷm ni'n ymatal. Ond trwy'r trafodaethau, rydym ni wedi medru, er enghraifft, cael y buddsoddiad mwyaf erioed ar gyfer yr iaith Gymraeg. Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet wedi cyhoeddi heddiw yr arian—dau tranche of £30 miliwn—ar gyfer ysgolion, £20 miliwn o arian refeniw hefyd yn y gyllideb ddrafft: y buddsoddiad mwyaf erioed er mwyn cyrraedd y nod, wrth gwrs, gyda'r uchelgais hynny erbyn canol y ganrif hon.
Pethau lleol, pethau rhanbarthol—cael gwared â'r tollau ar bont Cleddau, sy'n bwysig iawn i'r ardal yna. Trafnidiaeth—cael y commitment cyntaf o ran metro ar gyfer bae Abertawe a Chymoedd y gorllewin; ymestyn y metro yn ne Cymru i ardaloedd fel y Rhondda Fach, sydd heb drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus a modern ar hyn o bryd; ac, wrth gwrs, buddsoddi yn ein heolydd ni hefyd, sydd yn bwysig: er enghraifft yr A487 a’r A470. Rydym yn gweld buddsoddiad ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Hynny yw, pan oeddwn i'n gweld y cyhoeddiad ddoe ynglŷn â hub trafnidiaeth £180 miliwn i Gaerdydd—byddai sawl ardal yng Nghymru yn lico gweld y math yna o fuddsoddiad. Mae’n rhaid inni gael buddsoddiad trwy Gymru gyfan, buddsoddiad mewn sefydliadau cenedlaethol—hynny yw, yr amgueddfa bêl-droed ar gyfer Wrecsam, sef rhan o Gymru sydd heb sefydliad diwylliannol cenedlaethol. Nid oes un wedi bod, a dweud y gwir, ers pan oedd Edward Owen, ar ôl y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf am rai blynyddoedd, yn rhedeg y comisiwn henebion o’i gartref yn Wrecsam. Ers hynny, nid oes sefydliad diwylliannol cenedlaethol wedi bod yn y gogledd-ddwyrain, ac nid yw hynny’n iach i’n cenedl ni. Rwy’n falch o weld y commitment o ran cyfalaf i’r amgueddfa bêl-droed fel ein bod ni'n gallu rhoi neges glir i bob rhan o Gymru: Cymry un genedl ydym ni, ac mae angen, wrth gwrs, adlewyrchu hynny yn ein blaenoriaethau.
It's a requirement, of course, in a Parliament where the Government doesn't have a majority—that was true for the majority of the period that we were discussing—to come to an agreement. That asks for an element of humility and it also asks for a constructive attitude in terms of the opposition parties. That's part of a robust democratic process in a mature Parliament. I have been very pleased to make my contribution to that process, but may I also thank Steffan Lewis, as the Cabinet Secretary has done, for his contribution?
May I quote a few examples of the range of positive, innovative policies that the party has succeeded in getting as part of the Government's programme through that kind of collaboration? The Cabinet Secretary has already talked about the preparatory fund for Brexit, and Steffan had been pushing that for a long time after seeing the impact that the same kind of scheme was having in the Republic of Ireland. The Government has now, of course, decided to build on the foundation that was established with the draft agreement with a much more ambitious programme.
Steffan had also been making the case for a long time for creating a specialist clinic for perinatal mental health, and he succeeded, through the medium of the agreement and budget negotiations, to change policy and to change minds. Isn't that also an example of positive, constructive politics?
Ultimately, why do we all come into this place? It is to make Wales a little bit better than the condition it was in before we came here. That's the truth. Of course, there is a role for opposition. I did my fair share of that for nine years in Westminster, and there were many important things to oppose. But the reason that I came to this place, rather, was to build and be constructive—not just to oppose, but to be constructive, and that means that opposition parties have to act responsibly—where there is common ground, that we try to build on that common ground. That doesn't mean that you don't state clearly where the Government is wrong. There are things in the budget that we don't agree with, and that's why we are abstaining. But through the negotiations, we have been able, for example, to have the largest ever investment for the Welsh language. The Cabinet Secretary announced today two tranches of £30 million for schools, and £20 million of revenue funding as well in the draft budget: the largest ever investment in order to meet the aim for the middle of this century.
There are local, regional things—getting rid of the tolls on the Cleddau bridge, which is very important for that area. Transport—having the first commitment with regard to the metro for Swansea bay and the western Valleys; extending the metro in south Wales to areas such as the Rhondda Fach, which doesn't have modern public transport at the moment; and, of course, investing in our roads as well, which is very important: for example the A487, and the A470. We are seeing investment in all parts of Wales. When I saw the announcement yesterday about a transport hub worth £180 million for Cardiff—several parts of Wales would like to see that kind of investment. We have to have investment throughout Wales, investment in national institutions—the football museum for Wrexham, which is a part of Wales that doesn't have a national cultural institution. There hasn't been one since Edward Owen, who, after the First World War for some years, ran the heritage commission from his home in Wrexham. Since then, there hasn't been a major cultural institution in the north-east, and that's not healthy for our nation. I'm pleased to see the commitment in terms of capital for the football museum, so that we can give a clear message to all parts of Wales that we are a one-nation Wales. We need to reflect that in our priorities.
I don't begrudge Plaid Cymru the opportunity to laud their influence on the decisions made by the finance Secretary at all. I totally agree with Adam Price's statement that, where one can agree with other parties, it's very desirable that you should do. And, of course, I've spent a fair share of my years in politics opposing very vigorously the policies of Plaid Cymru and the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, but I'm very happy to work together on various things too, and that's a good thing.
This budget is the first one that begins to join the dots and connect, therefore, revenue raising with expenditure, and that will lead, I hope, to more responsible Government and to an enhanced reputation for this Assembly. I strongly support my Plaid Cymru friends' work over the years to bring about more devolution of taxes in Wales. I'm very much in favour of that because that does give us, then, the opportunity to have real budget debates in this place where priorities will differ between the different parties.
The debates in the past have all been about how we spend the money that we're given. We can't influence the size of the pot in the first place. The tax policy in future will increasingly inform these debates, which is an excellent thing. I said in the last debate that, actually, what we're talking about here today is quite a small portion of the total budget, because most of the budget is not discretionary, it has to be spent on health, education and big budget items. Plaid Cymru have managed to secure their priorities for about £500 million of it, and I very strongly support the things that they want to spend the money on, particularly on the Welsh language. I think that's a vital necessity to help to achieve the Government's objective of 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050.
But there is a certain air of unreality about these budget debates that the finance Secretary again perpetuated today by starting off talking about austerity. Anybody would think that the Government at Westminster has actually been cutting the amount of Government spending in the last seven years, whereas the truth of the matter is that Government spending has doubled in total in the last seven years. The national debt is now approaching £2 trillion. I hope the Chancellor of the Exchequer is going to provide the money for a very large party for us all when we do actually hit that £2 trillion figure. It would mean that we could all celebrate it with him. The idea that this Conservative Government has pursued a policy of austerity is absolute nonsense. The Chancellor has recently relaxed the date yet again when he aims to balance the budget. Between now and 2021-2, Government spending is planned to rise by £30 billion over the plans that were laid out just a few years ago.
Of course, we could all follow the policies of the Governments of Zimbabwe and Venezuela, by taking the brakes off spending altogether and spend as though tomorrow never comes. But the trouble with socialism is, eventually, you run out of other people's money to spend, which has been the excuse of the Wilson Governments in the 1960s and the 1970s and the Callaghan Government—[Interruption.] I give way, of course, to Mike Hedges.
Nid wyf yn gwarafun o gwbl y cyfle sydd gan Blaid Cymru i fawrygu eu dylanwad nhw ar y penderfyniadau a wnaed gan yr Ysgrifennydd dros gyllid. Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â datganiad Adam Price, pan all rhywun gytuno â phleidiau eraill, ei bod yn ddymunol iawn gwneud hynny. Ac, wrth gwrs, rwyf wedi treulio cyfran deg o'm blynyddoedd mewn gwleidyddiaeth yn gwrthwynebu'n daer bolisïau Plaid Cymru a'r Blaid Lafur a'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, ond rwy'n hapus iawn i gydweithio ar bethau amrywiol hefyd, a pheth da yw hynny.
Hon yw'r gyllideb gyntaf i ddechrau llunio'r cyswllt, gan hynny, rhwng codi refeniw a gwariant, a bydd hynny'n arwain, rwy'n gobeithio, at Lywodraeth fwy cyfrifol ac yn gloywi enw da'r Cynulliad hwn. Rwy'n cefnogi'n gryf waith fy nghyfeillion ym Mhlaid Cymru dros y blynyddoedd i sicrhau mwy o ddatganoli trethi yng Nghymru. Rwyf o blaid hynny'n fawr iawn gan ei fod yn rhoi inni, felly, y cyfle i gael dadleuon cyllideb gwirioneddol yn y lle hwn pan fydd blaenoriaethau'r gwahanol bleidiau yn gwahaniaethu â'i gilydd.
Bu holl ddadleuon y gorffennol yn ymdrin â sut yr ydym yn gwario'r arian yr ydym yn ei gael. Ni allwn ddylanwadu ar faint y gyfran ariannol i ddechrau. Yn y dyfodol bydd polisi trethiant yn llywio'r dadleuon hyn yn gynyddol, sydd yn beth ardderchog. Dywedais yn y ddadl ddiwethaf, mewn gwirionedd, mai'r hyn yr ydym ni'n sôn amdano yma heddiw yw cyfran fechan o gyfanswm y gyllideb, gan nad yw'r rhan fwyaf o'r gyllideb yn ddewisol, y mae'n rhaid iddi gael ei gwario ar iechyd, addysg ac eitemau mawr o gyllideb. Mae Plaid Cymru wedi llwyddo i sicrhau eu blaenoriaethau nhw ar gyfer tua £500 miliwn ohoni, ac rwy'n cefnogi'n fawr iawn y pethau y maen nhw'n awyddus i wario'r arian arnyn nhw, yn enwedig yr iaith Gymraeg. Credaf fod hynny'n rheidrwydd hanfodol i helpu i gyflawni amcan y Llywodraeth o gael 1 miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050.
Ond mae rhyw naws afreal ynghylch y dadleuon cyllideb hyn ac maer Ysgrifennydd dros Gyllid yn parhau â hyn heddiw eto gan ddechrau trwy sôn am galedi. Buasai rhywun yn credu bod y Llywodraeth yn San Steffan mewn gwirionedd wedi torri ar swm gwariant y Llywodraeth yn ystod y saith mlynedd diwethaf, ond y gwir amdani yw fod gwariant y Llywodraeth wedi dyblu yn ei gyfanswm yn y saith mlynedd diwethaf. Mae'r ddyled genedlaethol bellach yn nesáu at £2 triliwn. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd gan Ganghellor y Trysorlys yr arian i'w roi inni ar gyfer cynnal parti mawr iawn i ni gyd pan fyddwn mewn gwirionedd yn cyrraedd y ffigur hwnnw o £2 triliwn. Byddai hynny'n golygu y gallai pob un ohonom ni ddathlu gydag ef. Mae'r syniad fod y Llywodraeth Geidwadol hon wedi dilyn polisi o galedi yn nonsens llwyr. Mae'r Canghellor yn ddiweddar wedi gohirio'r dyddiad eto pryd y bydd yn anelu at gael cyllideb sy'n cydbwyso. Rhwng nawr a 2021-2, bydd gwariant y Llywodraeth yn codi i £30 biliwn dros ben y cynlluniau a gafodd eu cyflwyno ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl.
Wrth gwrs, gallem ni oll ddilyn polisïau Llywodraethau Zimbabwe a Venezuela, drwy gymryd y ffrwynau oddi ar wariant yn gyfan gwbl a gwario fel pe nad yw yfory'n bodoli. Ond y drafferth gyda sosialaeth yw eich bod chi, yn y pen draw, yn rhedeg allan o arian pobl eraill i'w wario, a dyna fu esgus Llywodraeth Wilson yn y 1960au a'r 1970au a Llywodraeth Callaghan—[Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n ildio, wrth gwrs, i Mike Hedges.
All I would say, of course, is that Franklin Delano Roosevelt did exactly that: the New Deal that got America out of the recession.
Y cyfan fyddwn i'n ei ddweud, wrth gwrs, yw fod Franklin Delano Roosevelt wedi gwneud yn union felly: y Fargen Newydd ddaeth ag America allan o'r dirwasgiad.
Yes, well, what brought America really out of the recession, of course, was the war. There are various ways in which you can raise economic activity, but I don't think that war is necessarily the most attractive of the options.
But tomorrow does eventually come. We're spending £50 billion to £60 billion a year on debt interest in the UK. If we take Wales's proportion of that, that may be £2 billion a year. Would we rather spend £2 billion a year extra on the health service or on the holders of national debt? Actually, what the Government has done is to nationalise a great part of the national debt in the last few years, because the Bank of England has actually been buying the bonds from the private sector. Monetisation of the national debt of that kind cannot continue indefinitely without the same kind of inflation implications that have consumed countries like Venezuela or Zimbabwe.
Although I think the Government is wrong nationally in Westminster in many of its priorities, its overall policy on public expenditure, in my view, has been lax not austere and they've been stoking up problems for the future. We make a great song and dance in this place about the future generations Act. I think it's a very good thing, in principle, to think of the impact of our decisions today upon the generations to come. What we're doing, of course, is to shuffle off the cost of repayment of the debts that we are incurring today on future generations, and I don't think that future generations will thank us for that. But, of course, they don't have votes today, so we don't need to worry about it, and we won't be here when they do vote—at least, I won't be; it's unlikely.
I think an air of responsibility is one that we should have in any budget debate. Sadly, I fear for the future if the kind of speech that the finance Secretary has made today, when the Welsh Government really does have the ability to raise taxes and to make spending decisions and to make borrowing decisions over a much greater area, as it now has the power to do, falls to be made, because that way, I think, lies the kind of economic ruin that has consumed so many Labour Governments in my lifetime.
Ie, wel, yr hyn ddaeth ag America allan o'r dirwasgiad mewn gwirionedd oedd, wrth gwrs, y rhyfel. Ceir ffyrdd amrywiol o godi gweithgarwch economaidd, ond nid wyf i o'r farn mai rhyfel o reidrwydd yw'r dewis mwyaf deniadol.
Ond fe ddaw yfory yn anochel. Rydym yn gwario £50 i £60 biliwn y flwyddyn ar log ar ddyledion yn y DU. Os cymerwn ni gyfran Cymru o hynny, efallai fod hynny'n £2 biliwn y flwyddyn. A fyddai'n well gennym ni wario £2 biliwn y flwyddyn yn ychwanegol ar y gwasanaeth iechyd neu ar ddeiliaid y ddyled genedlaethol? Mewn gwirionedd, yr hyn y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi ei wneud yw gwladoli rhan fawr o'r ddyled genedlaethol yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, oherwydd mae Banc Lloegr mewn gwirionedd wedi bod yn prynu bondiau oddi wrth y sector preifat. Ni all pennu gwerth ariannol y ddyled genedlaethol barhau am gyfnod amhenodol heb yr un fath o oblygiadau i chwyddiant sydd wedi llethu gwledydd fel Zimbabwe neu Venezuela.
Er fy mod o'r farn fod y Llywodraeth yn mynd ar gyfeiliorn yn genedlaethol yn San Steffan o ran llawer o'i blaenoriaethau, bu ei pholisi cyffredinol ar wariant cyhoeddus, yn fy marn i, yn llac ac nid yn llym, ac mae wedi creu problemau i'r dyfodol. Rydym yn gwneud môr a mynydd yn y lle hwn o Ddeddf Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol. Ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn beth da iawn, mewn egwyddor, inni feddwl am effaith ein penderfyniadau heddiw ar y cenedlaethau sydd i ddod. Yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud, wrth gwrs, yw gwthio cost ad-dalu'r dyledion yr ydym yn eu cronni heddiw ar genedlaethau'r dyfodol, ac nid wyf i o'r farn y bydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol yn diolch inni am hynny. Ond, wrth gwrs, nid oes pleidleisiau ganddyn nhw heddiw, felly nid oes angen inni ofidio am y peth, ac ni fyddwn ni yma pan fyddan nhw'n pleidleisio—o leiaf, ni fyddaf i yma; mae hynny'n annhebygol
Rwyf i o'r farn mai naws o gyfrifoldeb ddylai fod gennym ni ar unrhyw ddadl o ran cyllideb. Yn drist, rwy'n ofidus am y dyfodol os mai dyma'r math ar araith a wnaeth yr Ysgrifennydd dros Gyllid heddiw. Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru y gallu i godi trethi a gwneud penderfyniadau ar wariant a gwneud penderfyniadau ar fenthyca mewn maes ehangach o lawer, ac mae'r pŵer ganddi i wneud hynny bellach, oherwydd fel hynny, yn fy marn i, y daw'r math ar ddistryw economaidd sydd wedi llesteirio cymaint o Lywodraethau Llafur yn ystod fy oes i.
I'm speaking today in support of the final budget as laid down by the finance Secretary last month. This budget shows the commitment of the Welsh Government to invest in the vital public services communities across Wales rely on. This achievement is rendered even more remarkable when we remember the damaging impact of the current UK Government's policies. The Tory obsession with their failed austerity agenda, supplemented by their economic mismanagement and their bewildering approach to Brexit has inflicted lasting damage on our economy. The consequence of this has been a decade of decline in the money available to Welsh Government for investment in Welsh public services. Tory decisions in Westminster mean that this has shrunk in real terms by 7 per cent between 2010-11 and 2019-20. That's over £1 billion less for Welsh schools, hospitals and communities. If we explore some of the detail of this Welsh Government budget, the contrast is further strengthened.
As a former teacher, education spending is important to me. I welcome the maintenance of the pupil development grant, which I know first-hand strengthens interventions to support both looked-after children and those eligible for free school meals. Similarly, the Welsh Government is putting its money where its mouth is, not just talking about school standards but earmarking £50 million to drive this up. The extra £40 million for twenty-first century schools is also an important badge of the Welsh Government's commitment to our young people. I'm proud that Cynon Valley is the constituency that has benefited most to date from this policy, with wide-ranging improvements to primary and secondary schools, including many new builds and also a brand new further education college campus. Some may say that schools are just bricks and mortar, but learning environment really does impact upon achievement, and will allow our young people every opportunity to aspire to achieve to their best. I'm sure I do not need to remind Members of the vandalism caused in England by Michael Gove when he scrapped Building Schools for the Future. Two different paths in Government, two different stories of investment in education.
Similarly, the Welsh Government has allocated additional funding to deliver infrastructure improvements and policies that will strengthen our economy and ensure Wales can compete in the years ahead. The £173 million from reserves for the south Wales metro offers us the potential to transform our public transport network. The creation of the Welsh Development Bank and extra capital investment for Superfast Cymru is also crucial to our economic performance. In contrast, the Tories in Westminster are again failing Wales, as shown, for example, by their inactivity on the Swansea bay tidal lagoon and their reneging on railway electrification.
I also want to take a moment to talk about the interventions included in the Welsh budget for Supporting People. I know there's been much discussion around this grant, so I welcome the Welsh Government's commitment to continuing this funding. I met with a service user group, organised by Supporting People national advisory board just yesterday, and I've visited several projects in my constituency, so I know just how crucial this line of funding is.
Rwy'n siarad heddiw o blaid y gyllideb derfynol a bennwyd gan yr Ysgrifennydd dros Gyllid fis diwethaf. Mae'r gyllideb hon yn dangos ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i fuddsoddi yn y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hanfodol y mae cymunedau ledled Cymru yn dibynnu arnyn nhw. Gwelir y cyflawniad hwn ar wedd sydd hyd yn oed yn fwy rhyfeddol wrth inni ystyried effaith niweidiol polisïau Llywodraeth bresennol y DU. Mae obsesiwn y Torïaid gyda'u hagenda llymder, a oedd yn fethiant, wedi cael ei ategu gan eu camreoli economaidd a'u dull dryslyd o gael Brexit wedi achosi niwed sy'n parhau i'n heconomi. Canlyniad hyn fu degawd o ostyngiadau yn yr arian sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer buddsoddi yng ngwasanaethau cyhoeddus Cymru. Mae penderfyniadau torïaidd yn San Steffan yn golygu bod hyn wedi gostwng mewn termau real o 7 y cant rhwng 2010-11 a 2019-20. Mae hynny dros £1 biliwn yn llai ar gyfer ysgolion, ysbytai a chymunedau. Os ydym yn archwilio manylion y gyllideb hon gan Lywodraeth Cymru, mae'r cyferbyniad yn cael ei atgyfnerthu ymhellach.
Fel cyn athrawes, mae gwariant ar addysg yn bwysig yn fy ngolwg i. Rwy'n croesawu cynhaliaeth y grant datblygu disgyblion, a gwn o brofiad ei fod yn cryfhau ymyriadau i gefnogi plant sy'n derbyn gofal a'r rhai sy'n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim. Yn yr un modd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwireddu ei haddewidion, nid dim ond yn trafod safonau ysgolion ond yn clustnodi £50 miliwn i wthio hynny yn ei flaen. Mae'r £40 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer ysgolion yr unfed ganrif hefyd yn arwydd pwysig o ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i bobl ifanc. Rwy'n falch mai Cwm Cynon yw'r etholaeth sydd wedi elwa fwyaf hyd yn hyn o'r polisi hwn, gyda gwelliannau pellgyrhaeddol i ysgolion cynradd ac uwchradd, gan gynnwys llawer o adeiladau newydd a champws coleg addysg bellach newydd sbon hefyd. Efallai fod rhai yn dweud mai dim ond adeiladau o frics a morter yw ysgolion, ond mae amgylchedd dysgu mewn gwirionedd yn effeithio ar gyflawniad, a bydd yn cynnig cyfle i'n pobl ifanc anelu at wneud eu gorau. Rwy'n siŵr nad oes raid imi atgoffa'r Aelodau o'r difrod a achoswyd yn Lloegr gan Michael Gove pan ddiddymodd Adeiladu Ysgolion i'r Dyfodol. Dau lwybr gwahanol gan Lywodraeth, dwy stori wahanol am fuddsoddi mewn addysg.
Yn yr un modd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dyrannu arian ychwanegol i wneud gwelliannau i seilwaith a chael polisïau a fydd yn cryfhau ein heconomi ac yn sicrhau y gall Cymru gystadlu yn y blynyddoedd i ddod. Mae £173 miliwn o'r cronfeydd wrth gefn ar gyfer metro de Cymru yn cynnig y posibilrwydd o drawsnewid ein rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Mae creu Banc Datblygu Cymru a buddsoddiad cyfalaf ychwanegol ar gyfer Cyflymu Cymru hefyd yn hollbwysig i'n perfformiad economaidd. Mewn gwrthgyferbyniad, mae Torïaid San Steffan unwaith eto yn siomi Cymru, fel y dangosir, er enghraifft, yn eu hanweithgarwch gyda morlyn llanw Bae Abertawe a thorri eu haddewid gyda thrydaneiddio'r rheilffordd.
Rwyf hefyd yn awyddus i dreulio munud yn siarad am yr ymyriadau sydd wedi'u cynnwys yng nghyllideb Cymru ar gyfer Cefnogi Pobl. Rwy'n gwybod fod llawer o drafod wedi bod am y grant hwn, felly rwy'n croesawu ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i barhau â'r cyllid hwn. Cwrddais i â grŵp o ddefnyddwyr y gwasanaeth ddoe ddiwethaf, mewn cyfarfod a gafodd ei drefnu gan fwrdd cynghori cenedlaethol Cefnogi Pobl ac rwyf wedi ymweld â nifer o brosiectau yn fy etholaeth i, felly rwy'n gwybod pa mor hanfodol yw'r llinell hon o gyllid.
Would the Member give way on that point? I'm very grateful, and I agree with her; I've met also with Supporting People projects, and I think we share a similar value in ensuring that the money is available. She'll know there's been some confusion or discussion, at least, around how the money gets spent. Does she at least agree that we need to monitor now how the money is spent to make sure that it is being used for the purpose of tackling these real issues in our communities?
A fyddai'r Aelod yn ildio ar y pwynt hwn? Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn, ac yn cytuno â hi; rwyf innau hefyd wedi cyfarfod â phrosiectau Cefnogi Pobl, ac rwy'n credu ein bod yn rhannu gwerth cyffelyb wrth sicrhau bod yr arian ar gael. Bydd hi'n ymwybodol o'r dryswch neu'r drafodaeth, o leiaf, sydd wedi bod o ran sut y caiff yr arian ei wario. A fyddai hi o leiaf yn cytuno bod angen inni fonitro ar hyn o bryd sut y caiff yr arian ei wario i wneud yn siŵr y bydd yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â'r materion gwirioneddol hyn yn ein cymunedau?
Well, what I would say in reply to that is that we're currently doing an investigation in the Public Accounts Committee, and we've taken evidence from members of the Welsh Local Government Association who say that removing this ring fence will actually allow more flexible levels of support. So, I do think it's something that we need to really keep an eye on, but I don't think there's undue cause for concern at this stage.
Elsewhere, interventions around homelessness, domestic violence and childcare are important social policies. The impact of the UK Government's economic incompetence and calculated callousness, caused by policies like universal credit and the public sector pay cap, have led to social problems such as the spike in food bank usage. Again, the Welsh Government and Welsh Labour are choosing to do things differently.
I want to close by commenting on what I feel are some of the most exciting elements of the budget. These are the new land transaction and landfill disposals taxes. With both, it is good to see the Welsh Government seizing the chance to use its newly devolved powers. In particular, proposals that will mean 65 per cent of all homebuyers in Wales will pay no land transaction duty are a real boon to working class communities across the country. I look forward to the future detailed work from the finance Secretary on additional taxation proposals over the coming period.
The Welsh Government, in developing these budget proposals, have demonstrated their commitment to getting the best deal for Wales, to supporting Welsh citizens, Welsh services and the Welsh economy. I'm proud to support this budget today.
Wel, yr hyn y byddwn i'n ei ddweud wrth ateb hynny fyddai ein bod ar hyn o bryd yn cynnal ymchwiliad yn y Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus, ac rydym wedi cael tystiolaeth gan aelodau o Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru sy'n dweud y bydd cael gwared ar y clustnodi hwn mewn gwirionedd yn caniatáu ar gyfer lefelau mwy hyblyg o gymorth. Felly, rwyf i o'r farn fod hynny'n rhywbeth y mae angen inni gadw golwg arno mewn gwirionedd, ond nid wyf i'n credu bod achos i bryderu'n fawr ar y cam hwn.
Fan arall, mae ymyriadau o ran digartrefedd, trais domestig a gofal plant yn bolisïau cymdeithasol pwysig. Mae effaith anallu economaidd Llywodraeth y DU a dideimladrwydd bwriadol, a achoswyd gan bolisïau fel y credyd cynhwysol a'r cap ar gyflogau'r sector cyhoeddus, wedi arwain at broblemau cymdeithasol fel y cynnydd sydyn yn y defnydd o fanciau bwyd. Unwaith yn rhagor, mae Llywodraeth Cymru a Llafur Cymru yn dewis gwneud pethau'n wahanol.
I gloi, hoffwn wneud sylwadau am yr hyn yr wyf yn teimlo sy'n rhai o elfennau mwyaf cyffrous y gyllideb. Y trethi newydd ar drafodion tir a gwarediadau tirlenwi yw'r rhain. Gyda'r ddeubeth, mae'n dda gweld Llywodraeth Cymru yn manteisio ar y cyfle i ddefnyddio ei galluoedd datganoledig newydd. Yn benodol, mae cynigion sy'n golygu na fydd 65 y cant o'r holl brynwyr tai yng Nghymru yn talu unrhyw dreth trafodiad tir yn fendith wirioneddol i gymunedau dosbarth gweithiol ledled y wlad. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at y gwaith manwl yn y dyfodol gan yr Ysgrifennydd dros Gyllid ar gynigion trethiant ychwanegol dros y cyfnod sydd i ddod.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru, wrth ddatblygu'r cynigion hyn, wedi amlygu ei hymrwymiad i gael y fargen orau i Gymru, i gefnogi dinasyddion Cymru, a gwasanaethau Cymru ac economi Cymru. Rwy'n llawn balchder wrth gefnogi'r gyllideb hon heddiw.
Whilst supporting the Welsh Government budget, I acknowledge that the budget is inadequate for the needs of Wales. As the Cabinet Secretary said during his speech, there is between £1.1 billion and £4 billion less in expenditure than we actually should have if we'd even just stayed level, in one case in cash terms, and the other one in terms of real-terms increases in line with the movement in the economy. So, we can either move with the economy or we can be just moving with the way things are going. We haven't and we're short of this money. It would be an entirely different budget today if the Cabinet Secretary had somewhere between £1.1 billion and £4 billion to distribute.
We'd have a better debate because we'd be saying, 'Should we increase health by more or should we increase education by more, or should we increase social services by more?', which I think is a debate we'd all enjoy having, instead of saying, 'Well, we're going to give more money to health so we're going to have to take money off local government.'
Er fy mod yn cefnogi cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru, rwy'n cydnabod mai annigonol yw'r gyllideb ar gyfer anghenion Cymru. Fel y dywedodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ystod ei araith, mae rhwng £1.1 biliwn a £4 biliwn yn llai o wariant gennym nag a ddylai fod gennym pe byddem hyd yn oed wedi aros ar y gwastad yn unig, ar y naill law o ran arian parod, ac ar y llaw arall o ran cynnydd termau real yn unol a symudiad yr economi. Felly, gallwn naill ai symud gyda'r economi, neu gallwn symud yn y ffordd y mae pethau'n mynd rhagddynt. Ni wnaethom hynny ac rydym yn brin o'r arian hwnnw. Byddai'n gyllideb hollol wahanol heddiw pe byddai gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet rywbeth rhwng £1.1 biliwn a £4 biliwn i'w ddyrannu.
Byddai gennym ddadl well oherwydd byddem yn dweud fel hyn, 'A ddylem ni roi mwy i iechyd neu a ddylem roi mwy i addysg, neu a ddylem roi mwy i'r gwasanaethau cymdeithasol?'. Byddem i gyd yn mwynhau cael y ddadl honno yn hytrach na dweud fel hyn 'Wel, rydym yn mynd i roi mwy o arian i iechyd felly bydd yn rhaid inni gymryd arian oddi ar lywodraeth leol.'
Of course, I understand why opposition Members are making this point—you may have a right to make it, and they certainly have every right to—. [Interruption.] Sorry—wishful thinking. And certainly, Plaid have every right to make it. But, you know, Labour fought the 2010 manifesto on pretty much the same financial projections that are accepted by the Conservative Party. You did fight the 2015 election on a slightly different basis, but not radically different in terms of the amount that's spent. Now, in 2017, obviously, you did fight very differently. But, you know, we wouldn't be in a radically different position if there'd been a Labour UK Government re-elected in 2010, so this point is a little odd, in my view.
Wrth gwrs, rwy'n deall pam mae Aelodau'r gwrthbleidiau yn gwneud y pwynt hwn—efallai eich bod yn iawn i wneud hynny, ac yn sicr mae pob hawl ganddyn nhw i —. [Torri ar draws.] Mae'n ddrwg gen i —breuddwyd gwrach. Ac yn sicr, mae gan Blaid Cymru bob hawl i'w wneud. Ond, wyddoch chi, ymladdodd Llafur dros faniffesto 2010 ar yr un rhagamcanion ariannol fwy neu lai â'r rhai a gaiff eu derbyn gan y Blaid Geidwadol. Fe wnaethoch chi ymladd etholiad 2015 ar sail ychydig yn wahanol, ond nid yn gwbl wahanol o ran y swm sydd wedi ei wario. Nawr, yn 2017, mae'n amlwg, eich bod wedi ymladd mewn dull gwahanol iawn. Ond, wyddoch chi, ni fyddem mewn sefyllfa wahanol iawn pe byddai Llywodraeth Lafur wedi cael ei hailethol yn y DU yn 2010. Felly, yn fy marn i, mae hwn yn bwynt rhyfedd braidd.
Well, I think if we'd had Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell elected in 2017, I don't think there's anybody in this room who doesn't think we'd have a radically different budget.
The block grant from the Tories in Westminster is inadequate. As the year progresses, I expect the Conservatives to call for more money for health, more money for education and to oppose any cutbacks that are being forced upon local authorities by the reduction in their block grants, whilst facing increasing need for social care and children's services. Austerity has failed as an economic policy. It's always failed as an economic policy. It's been tried many times; it's failed every time.
We talk about history—Neil Hamilton was. Let's talk about what happened in Chile when we had the extreme right-wing Government there. What did they do? They followed the Chicago school. They did exactly what they said in terms of cutting back and they took their economy to the brink of extinction. It's an ideology to shrink the state sector, reduce public expenditure, reduce public services and make people who can financially afford it use the private sector.
Again, we don't distinguish between capital and revenue. Capital expenditure is good. It's good for the economy, and it's what people do in their own lives. That's one of the issues that we used to have Margaret Thatcher telling us about: you have to run the economy like a housewife. Well, people do: they borrow for cars, they borrow for their mortgages on money they can afford to pay back. Why we have not got, as a Welsh Government, the same powers that exist with every local authority in Britain, including Rutland, to borrow prudentially—. Our limit is set by the Chancellor. The rules we work under are more severe than those of any local authority in England, Wales or Scotland.
I think that we need additional money. The health service needs additional money. But it keeps on having additional money and because we don't have additional money into the system—. Michael Trickey of the Public Policy Institute for Wales recently identified when it will get to 60 per cent of the total expenditure in Wales. I asked him if he'd tell us when it would be 100 per cent. He didn't, but it's sometime around about 2050.
More people in hospital is treated as a sign of success. We need to reduce demand. We need to promote positive lifestyle choices: no smoking, increased exercise, reduced obesity levels and drug taking. We also need to improve housing quality, improve diet and increase social care. That will help. I'll just take one thing like type 2 diabetes, where one of the major causes is being overweight or obese. We need a campaign driven by primary care professionals to actually try and get people, if they've got type 2 diabetes, to go on a diet in order that they can get their weight down and stop having it.
Finally I'd like to highlight just one thing: Natural Resources Wales—is it adequately funded? Is it funded enough to be able to carry out all the functions it's being asked to? If it isn't, then we have two choices: give it more money or ask it to do less.
Wel, pe byddem wedi gweld ethol Jeremy Corbyn a John McDonnell yn 2017, nid wyf yn credu bod yna unrhyw un yn yr ystafell hon nad yw o'r farn y byddai gennym gyllideb hollol wahanol.
Mae'r grant bloc gan y Torïaid yn San Steffan yn annigonol. Wrth i'r flwyddyn fynd rhagddi, rwy'n disgwyl gweld y Ceidwadwyr yn galw am fwy o arian ar gyfer iechyd, mwy o arian ar gyfer addysg, ac yn gwrthwynebu unrhyw doriadau yn cael eu gorfodi ar awdurdodau lleol oherwydd y gostyngiad yn eu grantiau bloc, gan wynebu'r angen cynyddol am ofal cymdeithasol a gwasanaethau plant. Mae cyni wedi methu fel polisi economaidd. Mae wedi yn methu yn wastadol fel polisi economaidd. Rhoddwyd cynnig arno lawer gwaith; fe fethodd bob tro.
Rydym yn trafod hanes—dyna wnaeth Neil Hamilton. Gadewch inni drafod yr hyn a ddigwyddodd yn Chile pan welsom ni'r Llywodraeth adain dde eithafol yno. Beth wnaethon nhw? Fe ddilynon nhw ysgol Chicago. Fe wnaethon nhw'r union beth a ddywedason nhw o ran cwtogi, ac fe wnaeth eu heconomi bron â diflannu'n llwyr. Ideoleg o grebachu sector y wladwriaeth yw hon, lleihau gwariant cyhoeddus, lleihau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a gorfodi pobl sydd â'r modd ariannol i ddefnyddio'r sector preifat.
Unwaith eto, nid ydym yn gwahaniaethu rhwng cyfalaf a refeniw. Mae gwariant cyfalaf yn beth rhagorol. Mae'n rhagorol i'r economi, ac mae'n rhywbeth y mae pobl yn ei wneud yn eu bywydau eu hunain. Dyna un o'r materion yr arferai Margaret Thatcher sôn amdano: mae'n rhaid gofalu am yr economi fel y gwna gwraig y tŷ. Wel, mae pobl yn gwneud hynny: maen nhw'n cael benthyg arian i brynu ceir, maen nhw'n cael benthyg arian i dalu eu morgeisi ar sail yr arian y gallan nhw fforddio ei dalu yn ôl. Pam nad oes gennym ni, yn Llywodraeth Cymru, yr un galluoedd â'r rheini sy'n bodoli ym mhob awdurdod lleol ym Mhrydain, gan gynnwys Rutland, i fenthyca'n ofalus—. Caiff ein terfyn ariannol ni ei osod gan y Canghellor. Mae'r rheolau sydd gennym ni'n fwy llym na'r rhai sydd gan unrhyw awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru, Lloegr neu'r Alban.
Rwyf i o'r farn fod angen arian ychwanegol arnom ni. Mae angen arian ychwanegol ar y gwasanaeth iechyd. Ond mae'n parhau i gael arian ychwanegol ac oherwydd nad oes gennym ragor o arian yn y system—. Nododd Michael Trickey o Sefydliad Polisi Cyhoeddus i Gymru yn ddiweddar pryd y bydd yn cyrraedd 60 y cant o gyfanswm y gwariant yng Nghymru. Holais i ef a fyddai'n dweud wrthym pryd fyddai'n cyrraedd 100 y cant. Ni chafwyd ateb, ond oddeutu 2050 fydd hynny'n digwydd.
Ystyrir bod mwy o bobl yn cael eu trin mewn ysbytai yn arwydd o lwyddiant. Lleihau'r galw sydd ei angen. Mae angen inni hyrwyddo dewisiadau cadarnhaol o ran ffordd o fyw: dim ysmygu, mwy o ymarfer corff, cyfraddau llai o ordewdra a chymryd cyffuriau. Mae angen inni hefyd wella ansawdd tai, gwella deiet a chael mwy o ofal cymdeithasol. Byddai hynny o gymorth. Rhoddaf sylw i un peth fel diabetes math 2. Un o'i brif achosion yw bod yn rhy drwm neu'n ordew. Mae angen ymgyrch arnom ni dan arweiniad gweithwyr gofal sylfaenol proffesiynol i geisio cael pobl i fynd ar ddeiet os oes ganddyn nhw ddiabetes math 2 fel bod modd gostwng eu pwysau a gwella ohono.
Yn olaf, fe hoffwn i dynnu sylw at un peth: Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru—a yw'n cael ei gyllido'n iawn? A gaiff ei ariannu'n ddigonol i allu cyflawni'r holl swyddogaethau y gofynnir iddo'u cyflawni? Os na yw'r ateb, yna mae gennym ddau ddewis: rhoi mwy o arian iddo neu ofyn iddo wneud llai o waith.
Llywydd, in the draft budget debate, I commended the Welsh Labour Government's support for social care over the past eight years of austerity and reducing budgets, and I'm glad to start by focusing on that priority again today. I think it's worth recording again today, and reminding Members, that health and social services spend in Wales is 8 per cent higher than in England. I think in the context of this final budget debate today, it has been useful to have the report and statement on the parliamentary review of health and social care, showing opportunities for transforming our health and social care provision in Wales. It was good to hear the positive comments from the review team. Wales has got good things happening: prudent healthcare and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 as examples.
I have spoken of my support for the integrated care fund, which actually was crafted by parties across—certainly three parties across this Chamber. The ICF stands at £50 million. It's sustained in this budget with an increase in capital. This fund actually, I think, does help to provide the seamlessness that is needed at the point of using services, which, of course, the review is talking about.
I just want to mention the involvement of the third sector in the delivery of the integrated care fund, clearly contributing to the preventative agenda, as shown in Glamorgan Voluntary Services.
Llywydd, yn y ddadl ar y gyllideb ddrafft, cymeradwyais gymorth Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol dros yr wyth mlynedd diwethaf o gyni a lleihau cyllidebau, ac rwy'n falch o ddechrau drwy ganolbwyntio ar y flaenoriaeth honno eto heddiw. Credaf ei bod hi'n werth cofnodi eto heddiw, ac atgoffa'r Aelodau, fod gwariant iechyd a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol yng Nghymru 8 y cant yn uwch nag yn Lloegr. Credaf yng nghyd-destun y ddadl gyllideb derfynol hon heddiw, y bu hi'n ddefnyddiol cael yr adroddiad a'r datganiad ar yr arolwg seneddol o iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, sy'n dangos cyfleoedd ar gyfer trawsnewid ein darpariaeth iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Braf oedd clywed y sylwadau cadarnhaol gan y tîm adolygu. Mae pethau da yn digwydd yng Nghymru: er enghraifft, gofal iechyd darbodus a Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014.
Rwyf wedi siarad am fy nghefnogaeth i'r gronfa gofal integredig, a luniwyd mewn gwirionedd gan bleidiau o bob rhan—yn sicr tair plaid yn y Siambr hon. Mae £50 yn y Gronfa Gofal Integredig. Caiff ei chynnal yn y gyllideb hon gyda chynnydd mewn cyfalaf. Credaf, mewn gwirionedd, fod y gronfa hon yn helpu i gynnig y ddarpariaeth ddi-dor y mae ei hangen wrth ddefnyddio gwasanaethau, y mae'r adolygiad, wrth gwrs, yn sôn amdani.
Rwyf eisiau sôn am ymrwymiad y trydydd sector wrth ddarparu'r gronfa gofal integredig, sy'n amlwg yn cyfrannu at yr agenda ataliol, fel y dangosir yng Ngwasanaethau Gwirfoddol Morgannwg.
Thanks, Jane, for giving way. I agree with what you say about the future generations legislation. I think, in principle, it's a great piece of legislation, but the Finance Committee did have major problems in proving how, actually, the budget was really being affected by the future generations legislation and vice versa. I know that, if Steffan Lewis was here, he'd probably be making that point, so I make it for him, but would you agree with me that that needs improvement?
Diolch, Jane, am ildio. Cytunaf gyda'r hyn a ddywedwch chi am ddeddfwriaeth cenedlaethau'r dyfodol. Credaf, mewn egwyddor, ei bod hi'n ddarn gwych o ddeddfwriaeth, ond cafodd y Pwyllgor Cyllid broblemau mawr yn profi sut, mewn gwirionedd, yr oedd y gyllideb mewn difrif yn cael ei heffeithio gan ddeddfwriaeth cenedlaethau'r dyfodol ac fel arall. Rwy'n gwybod, pe byddai Steffan Lewis yma, y byddai fwy na thebyg yn gwneud y pwynt hwnnw, felly fe wnaf i'r pwynt ar ei ran, ond a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi bod angen gwella hynny?
Well, it was very helpful, when we met with the future generations commissioner, that she looked at very practical examples of, for example, the preventative agenda, and pointed to the integrated care fund, as part of that, fitting very well into the aims of the future generations Act.
But I just continue to say that, as a result of third sector engagement, we've got co-location of a third sector service, with the Vale Community Resource Service at Barry Hospital, and that results in the streamlining of referrals and social prescribing. Of course, those are the examples that we need to give, which also will help respond to the review.
It is very important that we address the question of who pays for social care, and I was pleased that the Cabinet Secretary included Professor Gerry Holtham's proposal to explore a levy to support social care as part of the four new tax ideas. I hope that this will be pursued, even if it isn't a new tax option that will be tested with the UK Government. Gerry, of course, commented recently on this in the context of increased spending on the NHS and the pressures.
The Cabinet Secretary made housing a priority in his draft budget plans, approved by the Assembly, of course, and in the draft budget, there was of course additional capital and revenue investment, including £20 million to tackle homelessness, and I do welcome the additional £10 million to target youth homelessness. Again, a clear priority of this Welsh Labour Government. This budget is about priorities and principles and I'd like to commend the finance Secretary on his approach to our new fiscal powers. It's good to learn that the impact of these new fiscal powers provides an additional £17 million revenue as a result of the permanent funding floor, and £30 million as a result of decisions taken with regard to income from devolved taxes. Capital spending will also receive a boost as a result of our extended borrowing powers and also, of course, we have that welcome capital injection announcement today.
When we received evidence from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility director, Robert Chote, in the Finance Committee in December, he commented positively on the approach taken by the Welsh Government in setting the rates and bands of the new land transaction tax. Of course, following the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary that more homebuyers will benefit from his changes to land transaction tax, with people buying homes in Wales for less than £180,000 paying no tax under the changes to LTT and the taxes devolved in April, Robert Chote reflected on Wales nudging the system more in a progressive direction. This is consistent with the Cabinet Secretary's aim to make tax fairer and contribute to a more equal Wales, and I welcome this evidence of putting principles into practice with our important new tax fiscal powers in Wales.
So, I want to finish by adding to the statements made by the Cabinet Secretary and colleagues today on the fiscal impacts of austerity. It's disabled people, single parents and women who've been amongst the biggest losers under seven years of austerity. And since the coalition Government imposed austerity in 2010, of course, we resisted those very early cuts, but those cuts have risen to over £1 billion over the past eight years. This Welsh Government has provided a shield in Wales to mitigate against austerity and the cuts. So, the Cabinet Secretary has unveiled a new budget for Wales, reflecting the Welsh Government's new tax and borrowing powers. He's using these new powers to deliver the priorities that will benefit health, social care, education and housing, and underpin the economy in a fair and robust way, and I commend this budget.
Wel, roedd hi'n ddefnyddiol iawn, pan gawsom ni gyfarfod gyda chomisiynydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol, ei bod hi wedi edrych ar enghreifftiau ymarferol iawn o, er enghraifft, yr agenda ataliol, a thynnu sylw at y ffaith bod y gronfa gofal integredig, yn rhan o hynny, yn gweddu'n dda iawn i nodau Deddf cenedlaethau'r dyfodol.
Ond rwy'n parhau i ddweud, o ganlyniad i ymgysylltiad y trydydd sector, mae gennym ni wasanaeth trydydd sector sy'n rhannu lleoliad gyda Gwasanaeth Adnoddau Cymunedol y Fro yn Ysbyty'r Barri, ac mae hynny'n arwain at symleiddio atgyfeiriadau a rhagnodi cymdeithasol. Wrth gwrs, dyma'r enghreifftiau y mae angen inni eu rhoi, a fydd hefyd yn helpu i ymateb i'r adolygiad.
Mae'n bwysig iawn inni roi sylw i'r cwestiwn o bwy sy'n talu am ofal cymdeithasol, ac roeddwn yn falch fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cynnwys cynnig yr Athro Gerry Holtham i archwilio'r posibilrwydd o gael ardoll i gefnogi gofal cymdeithasol yn rhan o'r pedwar syniad treth newydd. Gobeithiaf yr eir ar drywydd hyn, hyd yn oed os nad yw'n opsiwn treth newydd fydd yn cael ei brofi gyda Llywodraeth y DU. Soniodd Gerry, wrth gwrs, yn ddiweddar am hyn yng nghyd-destun gwariant cynyddol ar y GIG a'r pwysau.
Roedd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi gwneud tai yn flaenoriaeth yn ei gynlluniau cyllideb drafft, a gymeradwywyd gan y Cynulliad, wrth gwrs. Ac yn y gyllideb ddrafft, roedd cyfalaf ychwanegol a buddsoddiad refeniw wrth gwrs, gan gynnwys £20 miliwn i fynd i'r afael â digartrefedd, ac rwy'n croesawu'r £10 miliwn ychwanegol i dargedu digartrefedd ymysg pobl ifanc. Unwaith eto, blaenoriaeth glir Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru. Mae'r gyllideb hon yn ymwneud â blaenoriaethau ac egwyddorion ac fi hoffwn i ganmol yr Ysgrifennydd Cyllid ynglŷn â sut yr aeth ati i ymdrin â'n pwerau cyllidol newydd. Mae'n braf dysgu y bydd effaith y pwerau cyllidol newydd hyn yn darparu refeniw ychwanegol o £17 miliwn o ganlyniad i arian gwaelodol parhaol, a £30 miliwn o ganlyniad i benderfyniadau a wneir o ran incwm o drethi datganoledig. Bydd gwariant cyfalaf hefyd yn cael hwb o ganlyniad i'n pwerau benthyca estynedig a hefyd, wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni'r cyhoeddiad derbyniol hwnnw heddiw ynglŷn â'r chwistrelliad cyfalaf.
Pan gawsom ni dystiolaeth gan gyfarwyddwr y Swyddfa Cyfrifoldeb Cyllidebol, Robert Chote, yn y Pwyllgor Cyllid ym mis Rhagfyr, gwnaeth ef sylwadau cadarnhaol ynglŷn â sut yr aeth Llywodraeth Cymru ati i osod cyfraddau a bandiau'r dreth trafodiadau tir newydd. Wrth gwrs, yn dilyn y cyhoeddiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet y bydd mwy o brynwyr tai yn elwa o'i newidiadau i'r dreth trafodiadau tir gyda phobl sy'n prynu cartrefi yng Nghymru am lai na £180,000 yn talu dim treth o dan y newidiadau i'r dreth trafodiadau tir a'r trethi a ddatganolir ym mis Ebrill, soniodd Robert Chote am Gymru yn gwthio'r system i gyfeiriad mwy blaengar. Mae hyn yn gyson â nod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i wneud treth yn decach a chyfrannu at Gymru sy'n fwy cyfartal, a chroesawaf y dystiolaeth hon o roi egwyddorion ar waith gyda'n pwerau cyllidol treth newydd pwysig yng Nghymru.
Felly, fe hoffwn i orffen drwy ychwanegu at y datganiadau a wnaed gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet a chyd-Aelodau heddiw ar effeithiau cyllidol cyni. Pobl anabl, rhieni sengl a menywod sydd wedi bod ymhlith y rhai sydd fwyaf ar eu colled o dan saith mlynedd o gyni. Ac ers i'r Llywodraeth glymblaid orfodi cyni yn 2010, wrth gwrs, fe wnaethom ni wrthwynebu'r toriadau cynnar iawn hynny, ond mae'r toriadau hynny wedi cynyddu i dros £1 biliwn dros yr wyth mlynedd diwethaf. Mae Llywodraeth bresenol Cymru wedi codi tarian yng Nghymru i liniaru yn erbyn y cyni a'r toriadau. Felly, mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi cyhoeddi cyllideb newydd ar gyfer Cymru, sy'n adlewyrchu pwerau treth a benthyca newydd Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae'n defnyddio'r pwerau newydd hyn i gyflawni blaenoriaethau a fydd o fantais i iechyd, gofal cymdeithasol, addysg a thai, ac yn ategu'r economi mewn ffordd deg a chadarn, ac rwy'n cymeradwyo'r gyllideb hon.
I've already made it clear that I'm voting against Labour's broken budget. This is a budget from a party that is out of touch and needs to be out of Government.
We've all seen, over the past few months, the kind of party that you are. Our proud nation is being dragged through your mess and it has to stop. You like to try to convince people that you're a party of kinder, gentler politics, but what am I being asked to vote for here? More green fields around Cardiff to be trashed; more trees to be chainsawed in Roath Brook in unnecessary flood prevention; more environmental sites around Newport to be tarmacked over; and more millions being lost on very questionable—questionable—land and business deals.
With this budget, can we go to the people in Blaenau Gwent, in Gwynedd, Merthyr and the Rhondda and say that this is a real and serious plan to improve living standards? It seems everyone else has forgotten those areas since the Conservatives pulled the rug from under their feet. Are we finally going to do something about it with this budget? Can we take this budget to Welsh-speaking communities and say that this is going to celebrate and protect our language properly? Can we take this budget to entrepreneurs and say, 'Be creative, make your good idea happen, grow into successful companies'? The answer is 'no'.
This is a broken budget from a broken Government. It doesn't fix the genuine problems people have. It won't lead to an end to the housing crisis. It won't put food on people's tables. It won't end talented people having to leave Wales to make their fortune. If we had a sovereign Parliament, we could have a Government making laws in all areas for Wales and in the interests of everyone in Wales. That's the real solution—a sovereign Welsh Parliament legislating in the Welsh national interest. When that day comes, we'll really see change. Diolch yn fawr.
Rwyf eisoes wedi egluro fy mod yn pleidleisio yn erbyn cyllideb ddiffygiol y Blaid Lafur. Mae hon yn gyllideb gan blaid sydd wedi colli cysylltiad ac y mae angen rhoi terfyn ar ei Llywodraeth.
Rydym ni i gyd wedi gweld, dros yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf, y math o blaid yr ydych chi. Mae ein gwlad falch yn cael ei llusgo drwy eich llanast chi ac mae'n rhaid i hynny ddod i ben. Rydych chi'n ceisio argyhoeddi pobl eich bod chi'n blaid fwy caredig, mwy hynaws ei gwleidyddiaeth, ond beth y gofynnir i mi bleidleisio drosto yma? Mwy o gaeau gwyrdd o amgylch Caerdydd i gael eu llurgunio; mwy o goed i gael eu llifio yn Nant y Rhath mewn camau atal llifogydd diangen; mwy o safleoedd amgylcheddol o amgylch Casnewydd i gael eu tarmacio; a mwy o filiynau yn cael eu colli ar gytundebau tir a busnes amheus—amheus iawn.
Gyda'r gyllideb hon, a allwn ni fynd at bobl ym Mlaenau Gwent, Gwynedd, Merthyr a'r Rhondda a dweud bod hwn yn gynllun dilys ac o ddifrif i wella safonau byw? Ymddengys fod pawb arall wedi anghofio'r ardaloedd hynny ers i'r Ceidwadwyr dynnu'r carped o dan eu traed. Ydym ni o'r diwedd yn mynd i wneud rhywbeth yn ei gylch gyda'r gyllideb hon? Allwn ni fynd â'r gyllideb hon i gymunedau Cymraeg eu hiaith a dweud bod hon yn mynd i ddathlu a diogelu ein hiaith yn briodol? Allwn ni fynd â'r gyllideb hon at entrepreneuriaid a dweud, 'Byddwch yn greadigol, gwnewch i'ch syniad da ddigwydd, tyfwch i fod yn gwmni llwyddiannus'? Yr ateb yw 'na'.
Mae hon yn gyllideb ddiffygiol gan Lywodraeth ddiffygiol. Nid yw'n unioni'r problemau gwirioneddol sydd gan bobl. Ni fydd yn arwain at roi terfyn ar yr argyfwng tai. Ni fydd yn rhoi bwyd ar fyrddau pobl. Ni fydd yn rhoi terfyn ar bobl ddawnus yn gorfod gadael Cymru i wneud eu ffortiwn. Pe bai gennym ni senedd sofran, gallem gael Llywodraeth yn deddfu ym mhob maes ar gyfer Cymru ac er budd pawb yng Nghymru. Dyna'r ateb go iawn— Senedd Sofran i Gymru yn deddfu er budd Cenedlaethol Cymru. Pan ddaw'r diwrnod hwnnw, byddwn mewn gwirionedd yn gweld newid. Diolch yn fawr.
Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid i ymateb i'r ddadl—Mark Drakeford.
I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to reply to the debate—Mark Drakeford.
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Well, budget debates are always interesting for the way that they expose ideological differences across the floor of the Chamber. I think we'll remember Neil Hamilton's contribution, a man for whom austerity has not nearly gone far enough, who regards the UK Government as lily livered and living in an era of gross overexpenditure, and in which every investment the Government can make becomes a drain on future generations. I wish he could have met the pensioner who came to my surgery in Ely just before Christmas to explain to me that the house she lived in had been built 100 years ago by a Government after the first world war determined to build homes for heroes to live in, that the road that she used to get back and fore to it was a road created by public expenditure, that the electricity, the gas and the water that she relied on were only there because earlier generations had decided to invest in the infrastructure that allowed her to go about her daily life, that, when she'd been ill before Christmas, she'd been treated in a hospital that earlier generations had laid down, that, when she'd left hospital and had been told that she needed to take exercise, she was able to go to a leisure centre built by a Labour council here in Cardiff 30 years ago, and that, when her grandson will go to a secondary school in Ely, it will be to a new secondary school produced by this Government. For all of those things, the future of her children will matter. For Mr Hamilton, every one of those things was a waste and something that is a drain.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Wel, mae dadleuon cyllideb bob amser yn ddiddorol oherwydd y ffordd y maen nhw'n datgelu gwahaniaethau ideolegol ar draws llawr y Siambr. Credaf y byddwn ni'n cofio cyfraniad Neil Hamilton, dyn sy'n credu nad yw cyni wedi mynd yn agos at fod yn ddigon pell, sydd yn ystyried bod Llywodraeth y DU yn llwfr ac yn byw mewn oes o orwario enbyd, a lle mae pob buddsoddiad y gall y Llywodraeth ei wneud yn dreth ar genedlaethau'r dyfodol. Hoffwn pe gallai fod wedi cyfarfod y bensiynwraig a ddaeth i'm cymhorthfa yn Nhrelái ychydig cyn y Nadolig i egluro i mi fod y tŷ yr oedd hi'n byw ynddo wedi'i adeiladu 100 mlynedd yn ôl gan Lywodraeth ar ôl y rhyfel byd cyntaf oedd yn benderfynol o adeiladu cartrefi i arwyr fyw ynddynt, fod y ffordd a ddefnyddiai i fynd yn ôl a 'mlaen arni yn ffordd a grëwyd drwy wariant cyhoeddus, bod y trydan, y nwy a'r dŵr y dibynnai arnynt ddim ond yno oherwydd bod cenedlaethau cynharach wedi penderfynu buddsoddi yn y seilwaith sy'n caniatáu iddi fynd o gwmpas ei bywyd bob dydd, ei bod, pan gafodd ei tharo'n wael cyn y Nadolig, wedi cael ei thrin mewn ysbyty yr oedd cenedlaethau cynharach wedi ei hadeiladu, ei bod, pan adawodd yr ysbyty ac wedi deall y byddai'n rhaid iddi wneud ymarfer corff, roedd hi'n gallu mynd i ganolfan hamdden a adeiladwyd gan gyngor Llafur yma yng Nghaerdydd 30 mlynedd yn ôl, a, phan aiff ei hŵyr i ysgol uwchradd yn Nhrelái, bydd hynny i ysgol uwchradd newydd a grewyd gan y Llywodraeth hon. Am y pethau hynny i gyd, bydd dyfodol ei phlant yn bwysig. I Mr Hamilton, roedd pob un o'r pethau hynny yn wastraff ac yn rhywbeth sy'n dreth.
If the finance Secretary is giving way, that is a complete perversion of the argument that I made in my speech. It's not that any of those things are undesirable, it's just that we have to live within our means in the real world, and you can't forever and a day borrow to pay for things that you can't afford.
Os yw'r Ysgrifennydd Cyllid yn ildio, mae hynny'n wyrdroad llwyr o'r ddadl a wneuthum yn fy araith. Nid nad oes angen unrhyw un o'r pethau hynny, mae'n golygu bod yn rhaid inni fyw o fewn ein modd yn y byd go iawn, ac na allwch chi fenthyca am byth i dalu am bethau na allwch chi eu fforddio.
But, Llywydd, everything that I have mentioned was created by borrowing. All of those things relied upon the willingness of previous generations to borrow to invest in the future that we enjoy today, and we have a similar obligation to do that for the people who will come after us.
Now, I don't suppose that Nick Ramsay, for a minute, goes along with the arguments that Mr Hamilton put out, but he doesn't know how to respond to the investment that this Government makes in the health service. He can't make up his mind whether he wants to welcome it, or whether he wants to say that the money isn't being used wisely. He wants to complain about severe cuts to local government in Wales, when in fact budgets in local government are going up under the budget that's in front of this Assembly this afternoon. He asks us to celebrate the investments made by the Chancellor on 22 November, and, of course, we're determined to use every penny that we get from the Chancellor as wisely as we can. But the capital money that came to us on 22 November leaves us only 20 per cent lower than we were a decade ago, rather than the third lower than we were before he stood up.
Ond, Llywydd, crëwyd popeth a grybwyllais drwy fenthyca. Roedd pob un o'r pethau hynny yn dibynnu ar barodrwydd cenedlaethau blaenorol i fenthyca er mwyn buddsoddi yn y dyfodol sydd gennym ni heddiw, ac mae gennym ni ymrwymiad tebyg i wneud hynny ar gyfer y bobl sy'n dod ar ein holau.
Nawr, nid wyf yn credu fod Nick Ramsay, am funud, yn cytuno â'r dadleuon a gyflwynwyd gan Mr Hamilton, ond nid yw'n gwybod sut i ymateb i'r buddsoddiad mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn ei wneud yn y gwasanaeth iechyd. Ni all benderfynu a hoffai ei groesawu, neu a hoffai ddweud nad yw'r arian yn cael ei ddefnyddio'n ddoeth. Mae arno eisiau cwyno am y toriadau difrifol i lywodraeth leol yng Nghymru, pan fo cyllidebau mewn llywodraeth leol mewn gwirionedd yn cynyddu o dan y gyllideb sydd gerbron y Cynulliad hwn y prynhawn yma. Mae'n gofyn inni ddathlu'r buddsoddiadau a wnaed gan y Canghellor ar 22 Tachwedd, ac, wrth gwrs, rydym ni'n benderfynol o ddefnyddio pob ceiniog a gawn ni gan y Canghellor mor ddoeth ag y gallwn ni. Ond nid yw'r arian cyfalaf a gawsom ni ar 22 Tachwedd ond yn ein gadael 20 y cant yn is nag yr oeddem ni ddeng mlynedd yn ôl, yn hytrach na thraean yn is nag yr oeddem ni cyn iddo sefyll.
Thank you for giving way. I welcome the money that has come in to the Welsh Government from the UK Government, as you did yourself in your written statement. So, I was just pointing out that your speech was overtly negative. I'm all for a sense of balance, and I know you agree with that, Cabinet Secretary, but also I would appreciate that you recognise the difference between real-terms increases and cash-terms increases; they're quite different.
Diolch i chi am ildio. Croesawaf yr arian sydd wedi dod i Lywodraeth Cymru gan Lywodraeth y DU, fel y gwnaethoch chi eich hun yn eich datganiad ysgrifenedig. Felly, dim ond nodi yr oeddwn i fod eich araith yn rhy negyddol. Rwyf yn hollol o blaid ymdeimlad o gydbwysedd, a gwn y byddwch yn cytuno â hynny, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ond hefyd rwy'n gwerthfawrogi eich bod yn cydnabod y gwahaniaeth rhwng cynnydd mewn termau real a chynnydd mewn termau arian parod; maen nhw'n eithaf gwahanol.
Of course, Llywydd, I welcome the fact that we are only 20 per cent worse off rather than 30 per cent worse off, and that's why we're determined to make the best use we can of every penny that we have.
Wrth gwrs, Llywydd, rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith nad ydym ni ond 20 y cant yn waeth ein byd yn hytrach na 30 y cant yn waeth ein byd, a dyna pam ein bod ni'n benderfynol o wneud y defnydd gorau y gallwn ni o bob ceiniog sydd gennym.
Ar ochr arall y Siambr, wrth gwrs, rydw i'n croesawu beth a ddywedodd Adam Price. Wrth gwrs rŷm ni yma i weithio gyda'n gilydd mewn ysbryd adeiladol pan rydym ni eisiau gwneud gwahaniaeth i bobl yma yng Nghymru. Dyna'r ffordd y mae pobl gyda syniadau am y dyfodol yn gallu dod at ei gilydd, pan rydym ni'n gallu gweithio ar bethau lle rydym ni'n gallu gweld yr effaith maen nhw'n mynd i gael yn y dyfodol. Rydw i'n edrych ymlaen at drafod, yn y dyfodol, gyda Steffan Lewis, y manylion am y gronfa i baratoi am Brexit, a gweithio gyda'n gilydd i weld sut rydym ni'n gallu defnyddio'r arian yna mewn ffordd fwy effeithiol.
On the other side of the Chamber, of course, I welcome the comments made by Adam Price. Of course, we are here to work together in a constructive manner when we want to make a difference for the people of Wales. That's the way that people with ideas for the future can come together and work on those areas where we can see the impact that they will have in the future. I look forward to having future discussions with Steffan Lewis on the details of the Brexit preparedness fund, and to working collaboratively to see how we can use that funding in a more effective manner.
Can I also welcome, of course, what Vikki Howells, Mike Hedges and Jane Hutt said, each one of them illustrating the fact that what this budget sets out to achieve makes a difference in the daily lives of people in all parts of Wales? It's a budget, as Jane Hutt said, for priorities and principles: the progressive principles of this Government, the priorities of the people here in Wales. It's a budget that I hope this Assembly will endorse this afternoon.
A gaf i hefyd groesawu, wrth gwrs, yr hyn a ddywedodd Vikki Howells, Mike Hedges a Jane Hutt, pob un ohonyn nhw'n dangos y ffaith bod yr hyn y mae'r gyllideb hon yn ceisio ei chyflawni yn gwneud gwahaniaeth ym mywydau bob dydd pobl ym mhob rhan o Gymru? Mae'n gyllideb, fel y dywedodd Jane Hutt, ar gyfer blaenoriaethau ac egwyddorion: egwyddorion blaengar y Llywodraeth hon, blaenoriaethau pobl yma yng Nghymru. Mae'n gyllideb y gobeithiaf y bydd y Cynulliad hwn yn ei chymeradwyo'r prynhawn yma.
Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Felly gohiriaf y bleidlais ar yr eitem yma tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.
The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? [Objection.] I will defer voting under this item until voting time.
Gohiriwyd y pleidleisio tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.
Voting deferred until voting time.
Yr eitem nesaf yw'r Gorchymyn Ardrethu Annomestig (Lluosydd) (Cymru) 2018, ac rydw i'n galw ar yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros Gyllid i wneud y cynnig—Mark Drakeford.
The next item is the Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2018, and I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to move the motion—Mark Drakeford.
Cynnig NDM6622 Julie James
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru; yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 27.5:
Yn cymeradwyo bod y fersiwn ddrafft o’r Gorchymyn Ardrethu Annomestig (Lluosydd) (Cymru) 2018 yn cael ei llunio yn unol â’r fersiwn ddrafft a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 04/01/2018.
Motion NDM6622 Julie James
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
Approves that the draft the Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2018 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 04/01/2018.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Cynigiaf i gymeradwyo Gorchymyn Ardrethu Annomestig (Lluosydd) (Cymru) 2018. Mae'r Gorchymyn yn gosod y lluosydd ardrethu annomestig at ddibenion 2018-19. Rwyf yn cydnabod y bu amser cyfyngedig i Aelodau ystyried y Gorchymyn. Roedd hyn yn angenrheidiol oherwydd amseriad cyhoeddiad y Canghellor yng nghyllideb yr hydref i gyflymu ei gynlluniau i gynyddu'r lluosydd yn Lloegr gan ddefnyddio mynegai prisiau defnyddwyr, CPI, yn hytrach na mynegai prisiau manwerthu, RPI.
Thank you very much. I move that we approve the Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2018. The Order sets the non-domestic rating multiplier for the purposes of 2018-19. I recognise that there has been limited time for Members to consider the Order. This was necessary because of the timing of the announcement of the Chancellor in the autumn budget to proceed with processes to increase the multiplier in England using the CPI, the consumer price index, rather than the retail price index, the RPI.
Llywydd, the UK Government had previously set out its intention to change the measure of inflation used to calculate the multiplier in England from RPI to CPI from 1 April 2020. These plans were brought forward to 1 April 2018 in the autumn budget. The Welsh Government was not informed of this change of plan ahead of the announcement, and we've had to consider fully the costs and implications of adopting a similar approach for Wales before making a decision to change the basis for calculating the multiplier in Wales, preparing the necessary instrument and bringing it before the National Assembly this afternoon.
The Order needs to be approved before there can be a vote on the local government finance report, and the debate on the local government finance report had already been scheduled for today. I'm very grateful to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for its early consideration of the multiplier Order, which has enabled us to debate it today. The committee noted the short time frame for the consideration of the order, but also noted that it was quite short and straightforward. If I could have avoided the tight timescales, Llywydd, I would certainly have wished to do so.
The committee also raised a merits point relating to a figure cited in the explanatory note to the Order and the Order that is not referred to in the explanatory memorandum. I apologise, of course, for this omission, and accept the view of the committee that a fuller explanation would have been helpful in describing the overall effects of the Order. A delay, however, in approving the Order, would mean postponing consideration of the lcoal government finance report, with obvious consequences for the budget planning of local authorities. It would also result in avoidable uncertainty for non-domestic rate payers in Wales, giving them less time to prepare for their plans for next year.
The Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2018 will set the multiplier for 2018-19, using the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index as the basis for calculating the multiplier. This will have the effect of limiting increases in all non-domestic rates bills for the next financial year. Businesses in Wales will benefit by £9 million in the coming financial year, and £22 million in 2019-20, as we intend to adopt the same approach for future years, bringing forward an Order for the Assembly's consideration in 2019-20.
Llywydd, yn flaenorol roedd Llywodraeth y DU wedi nodi ei bwriad i newid y mesur chwyddiant a ddefnyddir i gyfrifo'r lluosydd yn Lloegr o'r RPI i'r CPI o 1 Ebrill 2020. Cafodd y cynlluniau hyn eu dwyn ymlaen i 1 Ebrill 2018 yng nghyllideb yr Hydref. Ni chafodd Llywodraeth Cymru wybod am y newid hwn yn y cynllun cyn y cyhoeddiad, ac rydym ni wedi gorfod ystyried yn llawn y costau a'r goblygiadau o fabwysiadu dull tebyg ar gyfer Cymru cyn gwneud penderfyniad i newid y sail ar gyfer cyfrifo'r lluosydd yng Nghymru, gan baratoi offeryn angenrheidiol a dod ag ef gerbron y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol y prynhawn yma.
Mae angen cymeradwyo'r Gorchymyn cyn y gellir cael pleidlais ar yr adroddiad cyllid llywodraeth leol, ac roedd y ddadl ar yr adroddiad cyllid llywodraeth leol eisoes wedi'i threfnu ar gyfer heddiw. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i'r Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol am roi ystyriaeth gynnar i'r Gorchymyn lluosydd, sydd wedi ein galluogi i'w drafod heddiw. Nododd y Pwyllgor yr amserlen fer i ystyried y gorchymyn, ond nododd hefyd ei fod yn eithaf byr a syml. Pe bawn i wedi gallu osgoi'r amserlenni tynn, Llywydd, byddwn yn sicr wedi dymuno gwneud hynny.
Cododd y Pwyllgor hefyd bwynt o ragoriaeth sy'n ymwneud â ffigur a nodwyd yn y nodyn esboniadol i'r Gorchymyn a'r Gorchymyn na chyfeirir ato yn y Memorandwm Esboniadol. Rwy'n ymddiheuro, wrth gwrs, am hepgor hyn, ac yn derbyn barn y Pwyllgor y byddai esboniad llawnach wedi bod yn ddefnyddiol wrth ddisgrifio effeithiau cyffredinol y Gorchymyn. Byddai oedi, fodd bynnag, wrth gymeradwyo'r Gorchymyn, yn golygu gohirio'r ystyriaeth o adroddiad cyllid llywodraeth leol, gyda chanlyniadau amlwg ar gyfer cynllunio cyllidebau awdurdodau lleol. Byddai hefyd yn arwain at ansicrwydd diangen ar gyfer talwyr ardrethi annomestig yng Nghymru, gan roi llai o amser i baratoi ar gyfer eu cynlluniau ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf.
Bydd Gorchymyn Ardrethu Annomestig (Lluosydd) (Cymru) 2018 yn gosod y lluosydd ar gyfer 2018-19, gan ddefnyddio'r mynegai prisiau defnyddwyr yn hytrach na'r mynegai prisiau manwerthu yn sail ar gyfer cyfrifo'r lluosydd. Effaith hyn fydd cyfyngu cynnydd yn yr holl filiau ardrethi annomestig ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf. Bydd busnesau yng Nghymru yn elwa o £9 miliwn yn y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf, a £22 miliwn yn 2019-20, gan y bwriadwn fabwysiadu'r un dull gweithredu ar gyfer y dyfodol, gan gyflwyno Gorchymyn i'r Cynulliad ei ystyried yn 2019-20.
Llywydd, mae ardrethi annomestig wedi'u datganoli i raddau helaeth. Daw hyn â chyfleoedd a chyfrifoldebau. Fel arall, byddai defnyddio CPI yn hytrach nag RPI i gyfrifo'r lluosydd yn cyfyngu ar y cynnydd mewn biliau y byddai trethdalwyr yn eu hwynebu fel arall. Bydd y newid yn helpu busnesau a threthdalwyr eraill yng Nghymru tra'n cynnal llif sefydlog o refeniw treth ar gyfer gwasanaethau lleol. Caiff y newid ei ariannu'n llawn gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Ni fydd unrhyw effaith ar y cyllid sydd ar gael i lywodraeth leol o ganlyniad i'r biliau is ar gyfer eiddo annomestig. Rwyf felly'n gofyn i'r Aelodau gytuno i gymeradwyo'r Gorchymyn heddiw.
Presiding Officer, non-domestic rates have been devolved to a large extent. This brings responsibilities and opportunities. Otherwise, using the CPI rather than the RPI to calculate the multiplier would add to the bills that taxpayers would face. The change will give a boost to businesses and other taxpayers in Wales whilst maintaining a stable flow of tax revenue for local services. The change will be funded in full by the Welsh Government. There will be no impact on the funding available to local government as a result of the lower bills for non-domestic properties. So, I would ask Members, therefore, to approve this Order this afternoon.
Galwaf ar Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol, Mick Antoniw.
I call on the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, Mick Antoniw.
Diolch, Lywydd. The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, as has been mentioned by the Cabinet Secretary, considered this instrument at our meeting on 8 January. We reported two merit points identified under Standing Order 21.3.
The first point considered by the committee is that the Order was laid before the Assembly on 4 January 2018. The committee usually has 20 days from the date of laying the report on the statutory instruments. The committee was asked, in correspondence by the Cabinet Secretary, to report on the Order before today to allow for the Order to be approved by resolution of the National Assembly ahead of the Assembly's consideration of the local government finance report for the financial year beginning on 1 April, as the Cabinet Secretary has reported.
In effect, due to the committee's meeting schedule, this meant that we only had four days after the Order was laid to consider this instrument. We do, importantly, acknowledge the time pressures on the Welsh Government as a result of the delayed autumn statement and the action needed to get to this point before the Assembly is able to agree the local government finance report by the required deadline. We are also aware of the serious consequences should this not happen. However, this has meant a greatly reduced timescale for the committee to consider and report on this instrument. As the Order was relatively short and straightforward, we were able to meet the Welsh Government's request. Nevertheless, I would encourage the Government to give the committee as much notice as possible where it would like us to scrutinise statutory instruments within a shorter deadline than is provided for in Standing Orders.
Secondly, the Order specifies the new multiplier figure, and is explained in the explanatory note. However, this number is not referred to at all in the explanatory memorandum, which is a separate document intended to explain the intentions of the instrument. Given this figure is so crucial, it is our view that the explanatory memorandum accompanying this Order could have been more helpful in explaining the effect of the Order.
Diolch, Llywydd. Bu'r Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol, fel y soniodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yn ystyried yr offeryn hwn yn ein cyfarfod ar 8 Ionawr. Adroddwyd am ddau bwynt rhagoriaeth a nodwyd o dan Reol Sefydlog 21.3.
Y pwynt cyntaf a ystyriwyd gan y Pwyllgor yw bod y Gorchymyn wedi'i gyflwyno gerbron y Cynulliad ar 4 Ionawr 2018. Fel arfer, mae gan y Pwyllgor 20 diwrnod o ddyddiad cyflwyno'r adroddiad ar yr offerynnau statudol. Gofynnwyd i'r Pwyllgor, mewn gohebiaeth gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, i adrodd ar y Gorchymyn cyn heddiw i ganiatáu i'r Gorchymyn gael ei gymeradwyo drwy benderfyniad gan y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol cyn i'r Cynulliad ystyried yr adroddiad cyllid llywodraeth leol ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol sy'n dechrau ar 1 Ebrill, fel y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi adrodd amdano.
Mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd amserlen cyfarfodydd y Pwyllgor, roedd hyn yn golygu mai dim ond pedwar diwrnod oedd gennym ni ar ôl cyflwyno'r Gorchymyn i ystyried yr offeryn hwn. Rydym ni, yn bwysig, yn cydnabod y pwysau amser ar Lywodraeth Cymru o ganlyniad i'r oedi a fu gyda datganiad yr Hydref a'r camau sydd eu hangen i gyrraedd y pwynt hwn cyn i'r Cynulliad allu cytuno ar yr adroddiad cyllid llywodraeth leol erbyn y dyddiad cau gofynnol. Rydym ni hefyd yn ymwybodol o'r canlyniadau difrifol os nad yw hyn yn digwydd. Fodd bynnag, mae hyn wedi golygu amserlen lawer tynnach i'r pwyllgor ystyried a chyflwyno adroddiad ar yr offeryn hwn. Gan fod y Gorchymyn yn gymharol fyr a syml, roeddem yn gallu bodloni cais Llywodraeth Cymru. Serch hynny, rwy'n annog y Llywodraeth i roi cymaint o rybudd â phosibl i'r Pwyllgor os yw hi'n dymuno inni graffu ar offerynnau statudol o fewn terfyn amser byrrach na'r hyn y darperir ar eu cyfer yn y Rheolau Sefydlog.
Yn ail, mae'r Gorchymyn yn pennu'r ffigur lluosydd newydd, ac fe'i hesbonnir yn y nodyn esboniadol. Fodd bynnag, ni chyfeirir at y rhif hwn o gwbl yn y memorandwm esboniadol, sydd yn ddogfen ar wahân a fwriadwyd i egluro bwriadau'r offeryn. O ystyried bod y ffigur hwn mor hanfodol, rydym ni o'r farn y gallai'r memorandwm esboniadol sy'n mynd gyda'r Gorchymyn hwn fod wedi bod yn fwy defnyddiol wrth egluro effaith y Gorchymyn.
Mae Plaid Cymru yn cydymdeimlo gyda chynnwys technegol y Gorchymyn hwn i raddau helaeth, sef y bwriad i newid y mesur chwyddiannol sy'n cael ei ddefnyddio er mwyn cyfrifo lluosydd ardrethi busnes—hynny yw, newid i CPI yn hytrach nag RPI. Rydym ni wedi bod yn galw am hynny ers peth amser. Ond, o edrych ar y darlun ehangach, pan rŷm ni'n edrych ar y memorandwm esboniadol—sydd, am wn i, yn uniaith Saesneg, gyda llaw—rŷch chi'n esbonio mai pwrpas y Gorchymyn hwn yw cefnogi twf economaidd a lleihau'r baich trethiannol ar fusnesau a threthdalwyr annomestig eraill yng Nghymru. Rŷch chi hefyd yn dweud eich bod chi'n anelu i sicrhau nad ydy busnesau yng Nghymru o dan anfantais o gymharu â rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig.
Wel, y sefyllfa yw bod busnesau bach yng Nghymru o dan anfantais o’u cymharu â rhannau eraill o’r Deyrnas Unedig oherwydd pa bynnag gyfrannau mesur chwyddiant sydd yn cael eu defnyddio yng Nghymru, mae bodolaeth un lluosydd ar gyfer pob busnes, mawr neu fach, yn golygu bod busnesau bach o dan anfantais. Yn yr Alban a Lloegr, mae lluosydd gwahanol ar gael ar gyfer ardrethi busnesau mawr a bach, ac mae hwnnw’n golygu wedyn bod yna fodd sicrhau elfen fwy o degwch yn y system ardrethu. Felly, oherwydd hynny, mi fyddwn ni, yn symbolaidd, felly, yn pleidleisio yn erbyn y Gorchymyn hwn.
Rŷm ni’n teimlo rhwystredigaeth gynyddol gyda chyflymdra’r newid polisi yn y maes yma. Rydym ni byth a beunydd fel Aelodau Cynulliad yn ymwybodol o’r rhwystredigaeth sydd yn y gymuned fusnes gyda’r dreth sydd yn dyddio yn ôl canrifoedd ac sydd ddim, a dweud y gwir, yn gymwys ar gyfer yr oes sydd ohoni. Rwyf yn edrych ymlaen at barhau â thrafodaethau adeiladol â’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet mewn fforymau eraill i edrych ar ddiwygio ar lefel radical, gan gynnwys hyd yn oed ddiddymu’r dreth yma ac edrych ar opsiynau amgen. Ond, tra ein bod ni yn dal yn trafod y fframwaith fel y mae, sydd yn annigonol, mae arnaf i ofn, yn yr achos yma, y bydd yn rhaid i Blaid Cymru wrthwynebu’r Gorchymyn yma fel pleidlais symbolaidd.
Plaid Cymru has some sympathy with the technical content of this Order, to a great extent, which is the intention to change the inflationary measure that's used to calculate the non-domestic rating multiplier—changing to CPI rather than RPI. We have been calling for that for some time. But, looking at the bigger picture, when we look at the explanatory memorandum—which is monolingually in English, by the way—you explain that the purpose of the Order is to support economic growth and to reduce the taxation burden on businesses and other non-domestic ratepayers in Wales. You also say that you intend to ensure that businesses in Wales aren't under a disadvantage as compared to other parts of the United Kingdom.
Well, the situation is, of course, that small businesses in Wales are at a disadvantage as compared to other parts of the United Kingdom because whatever inflationary measures are used, the existence of a single multiplier for all businesses, large or small, means that small businesses are under a disadvantage. In Scotland and England, there's a different multiplier available with regard to business rates for large and small businesses, and that means then that there is a way to ensure a greater element of fairness in the system for taxation. So, because of that, we will be symbolically voting against this Order.
We feel an increasing frustration with the speed of policy change in this area where, forever and a day, Assembly Members are aware of the frustration in the business community with a tax that dates back centuries and that isn't fit for purpose in the current era. I look forward to continuing those constructive discussions with the Cabinet Secretary in other fora in looking at amending in a radical way with regard to abolishing this. We do need to look at alternative models, but while we are still discussing the current framework, which is insufficient, then I'm afraid that, in this particular instance, Plaid Cymru will have to oppose this Order as a symbolic vote.
I wasn’t going to speak in this debate, because, as the Cabinet Secretary knows, the Welsh Conservatives will be supporting this instrument. However, I’ve been inspired to do so by the comments made by Adam Price. Whilst I do have a measure of sympathy for the comments that you’ve just made, Adam, in terms of your long-standing commitment to change the whole business rates system in Wales and a desire to do something different here, I do feel that we are where we are in terms of the current system, and if, as I understand it correctly, we are talking about following the model across the border and moving from retail price index to CPI in the same way as is happening there, then I cannot see how—. If you avoid doing that, you’re going to inevitably cause a disadvantage for businesses here. Just because you feel they may be at a disadvantage at the moment, Adam Price, it doesn’t therefore mean that they wouldn’t be at a greater disadvantage until the system was changed. So, on that basis, Cabinet Secretary, you have the support of the Welsh Conservatives in this. But I would at the same time urge you to look further at greater measures—
Doeddwn i ddim yn mynd i siarad yn y ddadl hon, oherwydd, fel y gŵyr Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, bydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn cefnogi'r offeryn hwn. Fodd bynnag, rwyf wedi cael fy ysbrydoli i wneud hynny gan y sylwadau a wnaed gan Adam Price. Er bod gennyf beth cydymdeimlad â'r sylwadau yr ydych chi newydd eu gwneud, Adam, o ran eich ymrwymiad hirhoedlog i newid y system ardrethi busnes yng Nghymru a'r awydd i wneud rhywbeth gwahanol yma, rwyf yn teimlo ein bod ni lle'r ydym ni o ran y system gyfredol, ac os, fel y deallaf yn iawn, ein bod yn sôn am ddilyn y model ar draws y ffin a symud o'r mynegai prisiau manwerthu i'r CPI yn yr un modd ag sy'n digwydd yno, ni allaf weld sut—. Os ydych chi'n osgoi gwneud hynny, rydych chi'n anochel yn mynd i achosi anfantais i fusnesau yma. Dim ond oherwydd y teimlwch chi y gallan nhw fod o dan anfantais ar hyn o bryd, Adam Price, nid yw hynny felly'n golygu na fyddent yn wynebu mwy o anfantais tan fyddai'r system yn cael ei newid. Felly, ar y sail honno, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae gennych chi gefnogaeth y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn hyn o beth. Ond rwyf ar yr un pryd yn eich annog chi i edrych ymhellach ar fesurau mwy—
Would the Member give away?
A wnaiff yr Aelod ildio?
I have two more words to say, but go for it.
Mae gennyf ddau air yn fwy i'w dweud, ond ewch amdani.
This is a strange case of role reversal, given the positions in the earlier debate. But, surely, what would happen, if the Government were to lose this vote, is that they would have to take it away, listen to the comments that were made and bring it back, and address the particular issue of the split multiplier that I referred to.
Mae hwn yn achos rhyfedd o wrthdroi swyddogaethau, o ystyried y safbwyntiau yn y ddadl gynharach. Ond, siawns, beth fyddai'n digwydd, pe bai'r Llywodraeth yn colli'r bleidlais hon, yw y byddai'n rhaid iddynt fynd â hi i ffwrdd, gwrando ar y sylwadau a dod â hi yn ôl, a mynd i'r afael â mater penodol y lluosydd hollt y cyfeiriais ato.
No, I think that we're talking at cross purposes here. I think that in terms of the wider issue of business rates and an unfairness that currently exists in Wales, I agree with that. However, we do have the situation of a change across the border. There is, I believe, a Barnett consequential that is going to come here—well, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can say what that consequential will be that will come here—which is then going to be used in Wales to support businesses. I think that's the situation, and that is certainly one that the Welsh Conservatives will support. However, I was going to finish, before your intervention, Adam, by saying that I do hope this doesn't stop you looking at the broader issue of business rates and greater ways you can support businesses in Wales, and also taking into account the views of Plaid Cymru that perhaps, over the next few years, you could look at coming up with a radically different system. But, in the interim, I want to see that financial support through a Barnett consequential coming to support Welsh businesses in Wales, and I think that businesses would want that as well.
Na, credaf ein bod ni'n camddeall ein gilydd yma. Credaf o ran y mater ehangach o ardrethi busnes a'r annhegwch sy'n bodoli ar hyn o bryd yng Nghymru, rwy'n cytuno â hynny. Fodd bynnag, mae gennym ni sefyllfa o newid ar draws y ffin. Bydd, rwy'n credu, swm canlyniadol Barnett sy'n mynd i ddod yma— Wel, efallai y gall Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddweud beth fydd y swm canlyniadol hwnnw a fydd yn dod yma—a fydd wedyn yn cael ei ddefnyddio yng Nghymru i gefnogi busnesau. Rwy'n meddwl mai dyna'r sefyllfa, ac mae hynny'n sicr yn un y bydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn ei chefnogi. Fodd bynnag, roeddwn i'n mynd i orffen, cyn eich ymyriad, Adam, drwy ddweud fy mod i'n gobeithio nad yw hyn yn eich atal rhag edrych ar y mater ehangach o ardrethi busnes a mwy o ffyrdd y gallwch chi gefnogi busnesau yng Nghymru, a hefyd, wrth ystyried safbwyntiau Plaid Cymru y gallwch chi efallai, dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf, ystyried meddwl am system wahanol iawn. Ond, yn y cyfamser, rwyf eisiau gweld y cymorth ariannol hwnnw drwy swm canlyniadol Barnett yn dod i gefnogi busnesau Cymru yng Nghymru, ac rwy'n credu y byddai busnesau yn dymuno hynny hefyd.
Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid i ymateb i'r ddadl.
I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to reply to the debate.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Can I repeat my thanks to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for its work? We've accepted the merits points made in its report, and I'm grateful to the committee for recognising the time pressures, which are not of our own making and are a direct result of the awkwardness we discussed during the debate on the final budget of having a major UK fiscal event halfway through our own budget-making processes.
Of course, I agree with Adam Price that it is important to take a more fundamental look at the way in which money is raised in this part of our budget, and he will know, because we've discussed it, that there is work in hand inside the Welsh Government to test in a practical way whether there are alternative ways of raising revenue of this sort in the Welsh context. Does that mean that it is right to vote against the proposal in front of the Assembly this afternoon? Well, I don't think so, of course. My belief is that, if the vote is lost, the effect is that businesses in Wales next year will see their bills rise in line with RPI not CPI, because we have to get on and make the local government budget. We wouldn't be able to come back with alternative proposals in time for next year. Would I be tempted to come back with alternative proposals that included a split multiplier? I don't think I would, Llywydd. It's one of the advantages of our system, businesses tell us, that they don't have the complexity of split multipliers, particularly when the split multiplier would apply to a very small number of large businesses and would not, I think, raise revenue of a sort that would make a material difference to others.
What we do plan to do, and what we have proposed to the National Assembly, is that we do not place Welsh businesses in a different position than the businesses across our border who will see their bills in this area grow more slowly than they would in Wales if the vote today were not to be supported. I confirm for Nick Ramsay that there was a consequential in the autumn budget that comes to Wales. We will apply that consequential to pay for the change that we are proposing to you today. Welsh businesses using that consequential will be £9 million better off next year than they otherwise would be, and £22 million better off the following year than they otherwise would be. You can vote symbolically if you like, but for Welsh businesses, the price of your symbol is to be £30 million worse off than they otherwise would be.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. A gaf i ailadrodd fy niolch i'r Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol am ei waith? Rydym ni wedi derbyn y pwyntiau rhagoriaeth a wnaed yn ei adroddiad, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Pwyllgor am gydnabod y pwysau amser, nad ydym ni'n gyfrifol amdano, ac sy'n ganlyniad uniongyrchol yr anhwylustod a drafodwyd yn ystod y ddadl ar y gyllideb derfynol o gael digwyddiad cyllidol mawr yn y DU hanner ffordd drwy brosesau llunio ein cyllideb ein hunain.
Wrth gwrs, cytunaf ag Adam Price ei bod hi'n bwysig edrych yn fwy sylfaenol ar y ffordd y caiff arian ei godi yn y rhan hon o'n cyllideb, a bydd yn gwybod, oherwydd rydym ni wedi trafod y mater, bod gwaith ar y gweill o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru i brofi mewn ffordd ymarferol a oes ffyrdd eraill o godi refeniw o'r math hwn yng nghyd-destun Cymru. A yw hynny'n golygu ei bod hi'n iawn pleidleisio i wrthwynebu'r cynnig ger bron y Cynulliad y prynhawn yma? Wel, nid wyf yn credu hynny, wrth gwrs. Fy nghred i yw, os collir y bleidlais, yr effaith yw y bydd busnesau yng Nghymru'r flwyddyn nesaf yn gweld eu biliau'n codi'n unol â mynegai RPI, nid CPI, oherwydd mae'n rhaid inni fwrw ati a llunio'r gyllideb lywodraeth leol. Fyddwn ni ddim yn gallu dod yn ôl â chynigion amgen mewn pryd ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf. A fyddwn i'n cael fy nhemtio i ddod yn ôl â chynigion amgen yn cynnwys lluosydd hollt? Ni chredaf y byddwn, Llywydd. Dyna un o fanteision ein system, mae busnesau yn dweud wrthym ni, nad oes ganddyn nhw gymhlethdod lluosyddion hollt, yn arbennig pan fyddai lluosydd hollt yn berthnasol i nifer fach iawn o fusnesau mawr ac na fyddai, rwy'n credu, yn codi'r math o refeniw a fyddai'n gwneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol i eraill.
Yr hyn y bwriadwn ni ei wneud, a'r hyn yr ydym ni wedi'i gynnig i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, yw nad ydym ni'n rhoi busnesau Cymru mewn sefyllfa wahanol i fusnesau ar draws ein ffin a fydd yn gweld eu biliau yn y maes hwn yn tyfu'n arafach nag y byddent yng Nghymru os nad yw'r bleidlais heddiw yn cael ei chefnogi. Cadarnhaf i Nick Ramsay fod symiau canlyniadol yng nghyllideb yr Hydref a ddaw i Gymru. Byddwn yn defnyddio'r swm canlyniadol hwnnw i dalu am y newid yr ydym ni'n ei gynnig i chi heddiw. Bydd busnesau yng Nghymru sy'n defnyddio'r swm canlyniadol hwnnw £9 miliwn yn well eu byd y flwyddyn nesaf nag a fydden nhw fel arall, a £22 miliwn yn well eu byd y flwyddyn ganlynol nag a fydden nhw fel arall. Gallwch bleidleisio'n symbolaidd os hoffech chi, ond i fusnesau Cymru, pris eich symbol yw bod £30 miliwn yn waeth eu byd nag a fydden nhw fel arall.
Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Gohiriaf y bleidlais ar yr eitem yma, felly, tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.
The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? [Objection.] I will defer voting under this item until voting time.
Gohiriwyd y pleidleisio tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.
Voting deferred until voting time.
Sy'n dod â ni at eitem 6, sef y ddadl ar setliad llywodraeth leol 2018-19, ac rydw i'n galw ar yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros lywodraeth leol i wneud y cynnig—Alun Davies.
Which brings us to item 6, the debate on the local government settlement for 2018-19, and I call on the Cabinet Secretary for local government to move the motion—Alun Davies.
Cynnig NDM6623 Julie James
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn unol ag Adran 84H o Ddeddf Cyllid Llywodraeth Leol 1988, yn cymeradwyo Adroddiad Cyllid Llywodraeth Leol (Rhif 1) 2018-2019 (Setliad Terfynol – Cynghorau). Gosodwyd copi o'r adroddiad yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 20 Rhagfyr 2017.
Motion NDM6623 Julie James
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Section 84H of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, approves the Local Government Finance Report (No. 1) 2018-2019 (Final Settlement - Councils), which was laid in the Table Office on 20 December 2017.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'd like to continue in the same tone and approach that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance has adopted over the debates this afternoon in rooting our budget for local government in our values, our principles, where we stand and the approach that we wish to take. Presiding Officer, this is a budget that is rooted in a belief in local government. It is rooted in the belief that local government is valued by both this Government and by people across Wales. We want to work alongside local authorities to protect and enhance public services, to value public service workers, and to ensure that the place of local government in our budgets reflects these values and these principles. The finance Secretary, in introducing the Government's budget earlier this afternoon, outlined how austerity has undermined our ability to protect these services, but within this context we will continue to invest in local government and in local services.
Next year, local authorities in Wales will receive over £4.2 billion in general revenue funding. This is an increase of 0.2 per cent compared with the current financial year, and the second increase in the settlement for local government in as many years. Presiding Officer, we believe that this is a realistic settlement that will continue to protect local services from significant cuts against a background of reduced funding. The Welsh Government has protected funding for local government in recent years, and this settlement is no different. As a result, current spending on local services in Wales has increased by over 4 per cent between 2010-11 and 2017-18 in cash terms. In England, it has decreased by 12 per cent, and that is the real example of how this Government seeks to value public service, value public servants and value local government.
The distribution reflects the most up-to-date assessment of relative need, based on a wealth of information about the demographic, physical, economic and social characteristics of every authority in Wales. In preparing the final settlement, I've given careful consideration to the responses I received to the consultation on the provisional settlement, which closed on 21 November. This settlement provides councils with a robust basis for their financial planning for the coming financial year. Compared with the provisional settlement announcement, the final settlement includes an additional £20 million as a result of the Welsh Government's final budget allocations. Also, the final settlement includes a further £7 million to support the increase to the capital limit in charging for residential care to £40,000 commencing in April 2018. In addition, the final settlement provides an additional £1.3 million of funding to local authorities for them to use their discretionary powers to provide targeted relief to support local businesses that would benefit most from additional assistance.
Within the settlement, we are prioritising funding for essential public services such as education and social care. Whilst there is no ring fencing on any specific element of the settlement, I am prioritising funding for schools, through £62 million in 2018-19 and a further £46 million in 2019-20 within the settlement to provide and to maintain the Welsh Government's contribution and enable authorities to maintain core spending on schools at current levels in both those years. Similarly for social care, I am prioritising funding, through £42 million in the next financial year and a further £31 million in 2019-20 within the settlement, to maintain the Welsh Government's contribution and to enable local authorities to maintain core spending on social care at current levels in both those years. This reflects our recognition of the need to invest and to continue to invest in social care.
As well as the funding I have already highlighted, this settlement provides an additional £6 million to support the delivery of local services to meet homelessness prevention duties, on top of the £6 million built into the settlement in the current financial year. Alongside the settlement, we are providing £600,000 to support local government to stop charging for child burials. This recognises and builds upon the positive steps already taken by many councils in Wales and puts in place a fair and consistent approach across Wales. Finally, over £800,000 of additional funding outside the settlement has been included to ensure that no authority sees a reduction greater than 0.5 per cent compared to the current general revenue funding allocation. Local government has continually asked for dehypothecation of specific grants and, in line with the direction of travel of previous Ministers, I have sought to continue this trend and will be looking to transfer further funding into the settlement in the future.
The settlement reflects over £92 million worth of transfers into the baseline previously paid to local authorities through specific grants. This includes £35 million from the waste element of the single revenue grant, £27 million of funding previously provided via the Welsh independent living grant, £19 million to support the social care workforce grant, £8 million to deliver the looked-after children programme, £3 million for carers' respite care grant, and £391,000 additional funding for social care for prisoners in the secure estate.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Fe hoffwn i barhau yn yr un cywair ac yn yr un modd ag yr oedd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid yn ymdrin â'r dadleuon y prynhawn yma wrth wreiddio ein cyllideb ar gyfer llywodraeth leol yn ein gwerthoedd, ein hegwyddorion, y sefyllfa yr ydym ni ynddi a'r ffordd yr ydym ni'n bwriadu mynd ati. Llywydd, mae hon yn gyllideb sy'n seiliedig ar ffydd mewn llywodraeth leol. Mae'n seiliedig ar y gred bod llywodraeth leol yn cael ei gwerthfawrogi gan y Llywodraeth hon a phobl ledled Cymru. Rydym ni eisiau gweithio ochr yn ochr ag awdurdodau lleol er mwyn diogelu a gwella gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, er mwyn gwerthfawrogi gweithwyr gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, ac i sicrhau bod lle llywodraeth leol yn ein cyllidebau yn adlewyrchu'r gwerthoedd a'r egwyddorion hyn. Amlinellodd yr Ysgrifennydd Cyllid, wrth gyflwyno cyllideb y Llywodraeth yn gynharach y prynhawn yma, sut mae cyni wedi tanseilio ein gallu i amddiffyn y gwasanaethau hyn, ond yn y cyd-destun hwn byddwn yn parhau i fuddsoddi mewn llywodraeth leol ac mewn gwasanaethau lleol.
Y flwyddyn nesaf, bydd awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru yn cael dros £4.2 biliwn mewn cyllid refeniw cyffredinol. Mae hyn yn gynnydd o 0.2 y cant o'i gymharu â'r flwyddyn ariannol bresennol, a dyma'r ail gynnydd yn y setliad i Lywodraeth Leol mewn tair blynedd. Llywydd, rydym ni'n credu bod hwn yn setliad realistig a fydd yn parhau i ddiogelu gwasanaethau lleol rhag toriadau sylweddol mewn sefyllfa pan geir llai o arian. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi diogelu cyllid ar gyfer llywodraeth leol yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac nid yw'r setliad hwn yn wahanol. O ganlyniad, mae'r gwariant cyfredol ar wasanaethau lleol yng Nghymru wedi cynyddu dros 4 y cant rhwng 2010-11 a 2017-18, o ran arian parod. Yn Lloegr, mae wedi gostwng 12 y cant, ac mae hynny'n enghraifft wirioneddol o sut mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn ceisio gwerthfawrogi gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, gwerthfawrogi gweision cyhoeddus a gwerthfawrogi llywodraeth leol.
Mae'r dosbarthiad yn adlewyrchu'r asesiad mwyaf diweddar o angen cymharol, ar sail toreth o wybodaeth ynglŷn â nodweddion demograffig, ffisegol, economaidd a chymdeithasol pob awdurdod yng Nghymru. Wrth baratoi'r setliad terfynol, rwyf wedi rhoi ystyriaeth ofalus i'r ymatebion a ddaeth i law ynglŷn â'r ymgynghoriad ynghylch y setliad dros dro, a ddaeth i ben ar 21 Tachwedd. Mae'r setliad hwn yn rhoi sail gadarn i gynghorau ar gyfer cynllunio ariannol y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf. O'i gymharu â'r cyhoeddiad ynglŷn â'r setliad dros dro, mae'r setliad terfynol yn cynnwys £20 miliwn ychwanegol o ganlyniad i ddyraniadau cyllideb terfynol Llywodraeth Cymru. Hefyd, mae'r setliad terfynol yn cynnwys £7 miliwn ychwanegol i gefnogi'r cynnydd yn y terfyn cyfalaf o ran codi tâl am ofal preswyl, a fydd yn codi i £40,000 ym mis Ebrill 2018. Yn ogystal â hyn, mae'r setliad terfynol yn darparu £1.3 miliwn ychwanegol i awdurdodau lleol ei ddefnyddio yn ôl eu doethineb er mwyn rhoi cymorth penodol i gefnogi busnesau lleol a fyddai'n elwa fwyaf o gymorth ychwanegol.
Yn y setliad, rydym yn rhoi blaenoriaeth i gyllid ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hanfodol megis addysg a gofal cymdeithasol. Er nad yw unrhyw elfen benodol o'r setliad wedi ei glustnodi, rwyf yn blaenoriaethu cyllid ar gyfer ysgolion, drwy roi £62 miliwn yn 2018-19 a £46 miliwn pellach yn 2019-20 yn y setliad er mwyn darparu a chynnal cyfraniad Llywodraeth Cymru a galluogi awdurdodau i gynnal gwariant craidd ar ysgolion ar y lefelau presennol yn y ddwy flynedd hynny. Felly hefyd ofal cymdeithasol, lle'r wyf yn blaenoriaethu cyllid, drwy roi £42 miliwn yn y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf a £31 miliwn pellach yn 2019-20 yn y setliad, i gynnal cyfraniad Llywodraeth Cymru ac er mwyn galluogi awdurdodau lleol i gadw gwariant craidd ar ofal cymdeithasol ar y lefelau presennol yn y ddwy flynedd hynny. Mae hyn yn adlewyrchu ein cydnabyddiaeth o'r angen i fuddsoddi ac i barhau i fuddsoddi mewn gofal cymdeithasol.
Yn ogystal â'r cyllid y cyfeiriais ato eisoes, mae'r setliad hwn yn rhoi £6 miliwn ychwanegol i gefnogi'r gwaith o ddarparu gwasanaethau lleol er mwyn bodloni dyletswyddau atal digartrefedd, yn ychwanegol at y £6 miliwn a ymgorfforwyd yn y setliad yn y flwyddyn ariannol sydd ohoni. Ochr yn ochr â'r setliad, rydym ni'n darparu £600,000 i gefnogi llywodraeth leol i roi'r gorau i godi tâl am gladdu plant. Mae hyn yn cydnabod ac yn adeiladu ar y camau cadarnhaol y mae llawer o gynghorau yng Nghymru eisoes wedi eu cymryd ac yn sefydlu trefn deg a chyson ledled Cymru. Yn olaf, mae mwy nag £800,000 o arian yn ychwanegol at y setliad wedi'i gynnwys er mwyn sicrhau nad yw unrhyw awdurdod yn gweld gostyngiad o fwy na 0.5 y cant o'i gymharu â'r dyraniad cyllid refeniw cyffredinol presennol. Mae llywodraeth leol wedi bod yn gofyn yn barhaus am glustnodi grantiau penodol ac, yn unol â meddylfryd Gweinidogion blaenorol, rwyf wedi ceisio parhau â'r duedd hon a byddaf yn ystyried trosglwyddo mwy o arian i'r setliad yn y dyfodol.
Mae'r setliad yn adlewyrchu gwerth dros £92 miliwn o drosglwyddiadau i'r llinell sylfaen a dalwyd yn flaenorol i awdurdodau lleol drwy grantiau penodol. Mae hyn yn cynnwys £35 miliwn o elfen wastraff y grant refeniw sengl, £27 miliwn o gyllid a ddarperid gynt drwy Grant Byw'n Annibynnol Cymru, £19 miliwn i gefnogi'r grant gweithlu gofal cymdeithasol, £8 miliwn i gyflawni'r rhaglen plant sy'n derbyn gofal, £3 miliwn ar gyfer grant gofal seibiant i ofalwyr, a £391,000 o gyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol i garcharorion mewn sefydliadau diogel.
Would the Cabinet Secretary give way?
A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ildio?
Of course.
Wrth gwrs.
I'm grateful. You mentioned the waste transfer grant. Of course, that was taken from the portfolio of his fellow Cabinet Secretary and given directly to local authorities. It could be said that that's been one of the most successful direct grants of Welsh Government in driving very high recycling targets and has been quite rightly praised by the Government itself as being one of the great successes in this field. What is he going to do to ensure that, although the principle of hypothecation is going, these successes continue? Because there does seem to be some work to be done with some councils.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar. Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am y grant trosglwyddo gwastraff. Wrth gwrs, fe'i tynnwyd o bortffolio ei gyd-Ysgrifennydd Cabinet a'i roi yn uniongyrchol i awdurdodau lleol. Gellid dweud y bu hynny yn un o grantiau uniongyrchol mwyaf llwyddiannus Llywodraeth Cymru o ran gosod targedau ailgylchu uchel iawn, ac fe'i canmolwyd yn gwbl briodol gan y Llywodraeth ei hun fel un o'r llwyddiannau mawr yn y maes hwn. Beth y mae'n bwriadu ei wneud i sicrhau, er y cefnir ar yr egwyddor o glustnodi cyllid, bod y llwyddiannau hyn yn parhau? Oherwydd ymddengys fod rhywfaint o waith i'w wneud gyda rhai cynghorau.
I am familiar with that point. Let me say this: it's been a success because local government and Welsh Government have worked together. I think, in many ways, this has demonstrated the power of a partnership that is a real partnership working together, both in terms of funding but also in working together to look for different solutions to ensure that we do continue to meet the recycling targets that we have set ourselves. I see no reason for that partnership not to continue. The fact that we are providing the funding in a different way shouldn't affect the results of that partnership and should enable us to continue working but to do so in a way that also provides local government with the flexibility they require. The Member will know of my personal commitment and the commitment of the Cabinet Secretary on these matters, and we will continue to work with local government to ensure that those targets are met in the future. I can give you that undertaking today. But we will also ensure that the total annual funding of over £285 million has been transferred into the settlement since 2011-12.
Alongside the settlement, Presiding Officer, I have published the latest information on Welsh Government grant schemes planned for 2018-19. This will assist local authorities in preparing their budgets for the next year. The most up-to-date information on local authority capital funding has also been released. Overall for next year, there's once again been no reduction to the general capital funding, which remains at £143 million. While the unhypothecated settlement is the largest single source of funding available to authorities, it is not the only one. In setting their budgets and council tax levels for next year, I expect every authority to take account of all of the available funding streams, and to consider how to secure the best value for Welsh taxpayers through effective and efficient service provision.
We offer considerable flexibility to authorities to exercise autonomy and responsibility in managing their finances. This is a fair settlement for local government within a very challenging circumstance, and within a sometimes difficult context. The finance Secretary this afternoon has expressed, I think, his own frustration with the situation that we find ourselves in, and the Welsh Government does not share the views expressed by the leader of UKIP this afternoon that austerity hasn't gone far enough, or achieved all of his ambitions. For us, there is a value in the public estate, public services and public service workers. We want to ensure that we provide excellence in public services for people across the whole of Wales, wherever they happen to be. We will continue to work with public service workers, with local government and other partners to ensure that we're able to do that. We will do it on the basis of mutual respect, and do it in a way that is rooted in our values today and in the future. Thank you very much.
Rwy'n gyfarwydd â'r pwynt hwnnw. Gadewch imi ddweud hyn: bu'n llwyddiant oherwydd mae llywodraeth leol a Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gweithio gyda'i gilydd. Credaf, mewn sawl ffordd, bod hyn wedi dangos grym partneriaeth sy'n bartneriaeth gydweithredol yng ngwir ystyr y gair - o ran cyllid, ond hefyd o ran gweithio gyda'n gilydd i edrych am atebion gwahanol i sicrhau ein bod ni'n parhau i gyrraedd y targedau ailgylchu yr ydym ni wedi eu gosod i'n hunain. Ni welaf unrhyw reswm dros beidio â pharhau â'r bartneriaeth honno. Ni ddylai'r ffaith ein bod ni'n darparu cyllid mewn ffordd wahanol effeithio ar ganlyniadau'r bartneriaeth honno, a dylai alluogi inni barhau i weithio, ond i wneud hynny mewn ffordd sydd hefyd yn rhoi'r hyblygrwydd sydd ei angen ar lywodraeth leol. Bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod am fy ymrwymiad personol i ac ymrwymiad Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i'r materion hyn, a byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda llywodraeth leol i sicrhau y cyrhaeddir y targedau hynny yn y dyfodol. Gallaf roi'r sicrwydd hwnnw ichi heddiw. Ond byddwn hefyd yn sicrhau bod y cyfanswm cyllid blynyddol o dros £285 miliwn wedi'i drosglwyddo i'r setliad ers 2011-12.
Ochr yn ochr â'r setliad, Llywydd, rwyf wedi cyhoeddi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynlluniau grant Llywodraeth Cymru sydd wedi eu cynllunio ar gyfer 2018-19. Bydd hyn yn helpu awdurdodau lleol i baratoi eu cyllidebau ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf. Rhyddhawyd yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gyllid cyfalaf awdurdodau lleol hefyd. Yn gyffredinol ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf, bu gostyngiad unwaith eto i'r cyllid cyfalaf cyffredinol, sy'n parhau i fod yn £143 miliwn. Er mai'r setliad heb ei glustnodi yw'r ffynhonnell unigol fwyaf o gyllid sydd ar gael i awdurdodau, nid dyma'r unig un. Wrth bennu eu cyllidebau a lefelau'r dreth gyngor ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf, rwy'n disgwyl i bob awdurdod ystyried yr holl ffrydiau cyllido sydd ar gael, ac ystyried sut i sicrhau'r gwerth gorau i drethdalwyr Cymru drwy ddarparu gwasanaethau effeithiol ac effeithlon.
Rydym yn cynnig hyblygrwydd sylweddol i awdurdodau arfer annibyniaeth a chyfrifoldeb wrth reoli eu materion ariannol. Mae hwn yn setliad teg i Lywodraeth Leol mewn amgylchiadau heriol iawn, ac mewn cyd-destun sydd weithiau'n anodd. Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cyllid y prynhawn yma, rwy'n credu, wedi mynegi ei rwystredigaeth ei hun gyda'r sefyllfa y cawn ein hunain ynddi, ac nid yw'r Llywodraeth yn rhannu'r safbwyntiau a fynegwyd gan arweinydd UKIP y prynhawn yma nad yw cyni wedi mynd yn ddigon pell na chyflawni ei holl uchelgeisiau. I ni, mae gwerth yn yr ystad gyhoeddus, gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a gweithwyr cyhoeddus. Rydym eisiau sicrhau ein bod yn darparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus rhagorol i bobl ledled Cymru, lle bynnag y maen nhw'n byw. Byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda gweithwyr gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, gyda llywodraeth leol a phartneriaid eraill i sicrhau ein bod yn gallu gwneud hynny. Byddwn yn gwneud hynny drwy barchu ein gilydd, ac mewn ffordd sy'n seiliedig ar ein gwerthoedd heddiw ac yn y dyfodol. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
The Welsh Conservatives, of course, were delighted recently to welcome the announcement that Welsh local government revenue funding will receive an extra £31.5 million in 2018-19, and £61.7 million in 2019-20 as part of the Conservative UK Government's announcement of an additional £1.2 billion to Wales over the next four years. Wales is also benefiting, of course, from changes to the fiscal framework, meaning that for every £1 spent in England, at least £1.20 will now be spent in Wales, something that 13 years of Labour rule in Westminster never achieved.
However, we have seen no let-up for our hard-pressed council tax payers or squeezed local government budgets, which now face real concerns over the lack of clarity over a number of funding streams. The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee report on the draft budget called for greater transparency in funding presentation. Welsh Government claims of an increase to social care budgets to £42 million in 2018-19, rising to £73 million in 2019-20, and, allegedly, an extra £62 million, increasing to £108 million, in funding support for school services have been challenged by the Welsh Local Government Association, claiming it is already existing within the settlement, whilst the standard spending assessments has only gone up by just £35 million—pure rhetoric and spin by this Welsh Labour Government.
Further, the Children, Young People and Education Committee revealed that the so-called additional £62 million in reality amounts to just £1.5 million when taking into account the initial calculation for 2018-19, and the final allocated figure.
Our committee, the ELGC, further calls for the Welsh Government to outline how it intends to monitor spend and outcomes in areas previously in receipt of grant funding, now incorporated into the revenue support grant. Reductions of around £70 million in the cost of administering hypothetic grants are welcome and, to be fair, on these benches we've called for a less complicated and less bureaucratic way of funding local government. However, Cymorth Cymru have voiced concerns that without a distinct budget line, the Welsh Government simply cannot be held to account over how much actually is going to be spent on the Supporting People programme. Likewise, Bangor and District Women's Aid have stated that without ring fencing, they will not know how much is being spent on violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. Clearly, there is a balance to be struck here between reducing hypothecation and retaining a transparent audit trail. So, therefore, I will be interested in the Cabinet Secretary's ideas for how this can be achieved. The Welsh Government have stated that information will be collected through a suite of expenditure returns in the interests of transparency, scrutiny and accountability. So, therefore, Cabinet Secretary, if you could advise as to when and where this data will be published and how you will report to the Assembly on this—.
Since 2013-14, local authorities have seen cuts of nearly £0.5 billion in real terms. Cabinet Secretary, you've said before that you've never seen an alternative to the funding formula, yet we've been calling for years for a fundamental review and improved consideration of a number of particular areas. Demographics: particularly the needs of older people, given concerns raised by the Health Foundation in terms of future social services pressures, and the need for adult social care funding to rise by 4 per cent in real terms each year to cover this. Rurality: again, our rural authorities have been badly let down. Why is the Labour Government not prepared to help our rural authorities? They have borne, yet again, the biggest brunt of your cuts, with real term losses of 14.5 per cent to Powys even before today's proposed settlement. Rural isolation and access to services are only partially addressed by the current sparsity factor. Therefore, again, we call for increased attention to be given to this element of the formula also.
Finally, we do need to look at how local authorities are actually managing their finances. We can't dictate how they budget, but we can enable better public and democratic scrutiny of local authority spending and use of reserves. The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee has called for a review of the implementation of the guidance on local government reserves, a call disappointingly rejected by this Welsh Government. Whilst our residents continue to face hefty year-on-year council tax rises, potentially 12.5 per cent in Pembrokeshire, and high increases across Wales, whilst usable reserves have risen 7 per cent since 2012 and represent 86 per cent of total reserves totalling over 1.4 billion, there is a clear mismatch, Cabinet Secretary, and I actually think that you have some sympathy with my thoughts on that.
Clearly, Cabinet Secretary, we do look to you now to bring some sense to this ludicrous situation. Rhondda Cynon Taf alone has usable reserves of almost £150 million. A council tax increase for our residents of 187 per cent since Labour came into power in Wales shows that Welsh Labour are more than happy to burden our householders, many on fixed incomes, rather than balance their own books here in Cardiff Bay.
Roedd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, wrth gwrs, wrth eu boddau yn ddiweddar yn croesawu'r cyhoeddiad y bydd £31.5 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer cyllid refeniw llywodraeth leol Cymru yn 2018-19, a £61.7 miliwn yn 2019-20 yn rhan o gyhoeddiad Llywodraeth Geidwadol y DU o £1.2 biliwn yn ychwanegol i Gymru dros y pedair blynedd nesaf. Mae Cymru hefyd yn elwa, wrth gwrs, o newidiadau i'r fframwaith cyllidol, sy'n golygu am bob £1 a werir yn Lloegr, y caiff o leiaf £1.20 bellach ei wario yng Nghymru, rhywbeth nad yw 13 blynedd o Lywodraeth Lafur yn San Steffan erioed wedi ei gyflawni.
Fodd bynnag, rydym wedi gweld yr un pwysau ar dalwyr y dreth gyngor ac ar gyllidebau cyfyngedig llywodraeth leol, sydd bellach yn wynebu pryderon gwirioneddol am y diffyg eglurder ynglŷn â nifer o ffrydiau ariannu. Mae adroddiad y Pwyllgor Cymunedau, Cydraddoldeb a Llywodraeth Leol ar y gyllideb ddrafft wedi galw am fwy o dryloywder wrth gyflwyno cyllid. Mae honiadau Llywodraeth Cymru o gynyddu'r gyllideb gofal cymdeithasol i £42 miliwn yn 2018-19, gan godi i £73 miliwn yn 2019-20, ac, yn ôl y sôn, £62 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer gwasanaethau ysgolion, yn cynyddu i £108 miliwn, wedi cael eu herio gan Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, sy'n dweud bod hyn yn bodoli eisoes yn y setliad, er bod yr asesiadau o wariant safonol wedi codi £35 miliwn yn unig—rhethreg a gorliwio pur gan Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru.
Ymhellach, datgelodd y Pwyllgor Addysg, Plant a Phobl Ifanc fod y £62 miliwn honedig ychwanegol mewn gwirionedd yn cyfateb i ddim ond £1.5 miliwn wrth ystyried y cyfrifiad cychwynnol ar gyfer 2018-19, a'r ffigur terfynol a neilltuwyd.
Mae ein Pwyllgor ni, y Pwyllgor Cymunedau, Cydraddoldeb a Llywodraeth Leol, yn galw ymhellach ar Lywodraeth Cymru i amlinellu sut y mae'n bwriadu monitro'r gwariant a'r canlyniadau mewn meysydd oedd yn arfer cael cyllid grant, ond sydd bellach wedi'i ymgorffori yn y grant cymorth refeniw. Mae gostyngiadau o tua £70 miliwn yn y gost o weinyddu grantiau damcaniaethol i'w groesawu ac, i fod yn deg, ar y meinciau hyn, buom yn galw am ddull llai cymhleth a llai biwrocrataidd o ariannu llywodraeth leol. Fodd bynnag, mae Cymorth Cymru wedi lleisio pryderon nad oes modd, heb linell gyllideb benodol, dwyn Llywodraeth Cymru i gyfrif dros faint mewn gwirionedd a gaiff ei wario ar y rhaglen Cefnogi Pobl. Yn yr un modd, mae Cymorth i Ferched Bangor a'r Cylch wedi dweud, heb gyllid wedi ei glustnodi, na fyddant yn gwybod faint a werir ar drais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol. Yn amlwg, mae angen cael cydbwysedd rhwng faint o gyllid a glustnodir a chael trywydd archwilio tryloyw. Felly, o ganlyniad, mae gennyf ddiddordeb i glywed syniadau Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ynglŷn â sut y gellir cyflawni hyn. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dweud y caiff gwybodaeth ei chasglu drwy gyfrwng cyfres o ffurflenni gwariant at ddibenion tryloywder, craffu ac atebolrwydd. Felly, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, pe gallech chi ddweud pryd a ble y cyhoeddir y data hyn a sut y byddwch yn adrodd yn ôl i'r Cynulliad ar hyn—.
Ers 2013-14, mae awdurdodau lleol wedi gweld toriadau o bron £0.5 biliwn mewn termau real. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, rydych wedi dweud o'r blaen na welsoch chi erioed fformiwla ariannu amgen, ac eto i gyd buom yn galw ers blynyddoedd am adolygiad sylfaenol ac am roi gwell ystyriaeth i nifer o feysydd penodol. Demograffeg: yn enwedig anghenion pobl hŷn, o ystyried y pryderon a godwyd gan y Sefydliad Iechyd o ran pwysau ar y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol yn y dyfodol, a'r angen am gynnydd o 4 y cant mewn termau real bob blwyddyn yn y cyllid ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol i oedolion i ymdrin â hyn. Awdurdodau gwledig: eto, siomwyd ein hawdurdodau gwledig. Pam nad yw'r Llywodraeth Lafur yn barod i helpu ein hawdurdodau gwledig? Y nhw, unwaith eto, sydd wedi profi'r gwaethaf o'ch toriadau, gyda cholledion mewn termau real o 14.5 y cant i Gyngor Powys hyd yn oed cyn setliad arfaethedig heddiw. Dim ond yn rhannol y mae'r ffactor presennol o deneurwydd poblogaeth yn mynd i'r afael ag arwahanrwydd gwledig a hwylustra gwasanaethau. Felly, rydym ni, unwaith eto, yn galw am roi mwy o sylw i'r elfen hon yn y fformiwla hefyd.
Yn olaf, mae angen inni edrych ar sut mae awdurdodau lleol mewn gwirionedd yn rheoli eu cyllid. Ni allwn ddweud wrthyn nhw sut i gyllidebu, ond mae modd inni alluogi gwell craffu cyhoeddus a democrataidd ar wariant awdurdodau lleol ac ar y defnydd o gronfeydd wrth gefn. Mae'r Pwyllgor Cymunedau, Cydraddoldeb a Llywodraeth Leol wedi galw am adolygiad ynghylch sut y gweithredir y canllawiau ar y cronfeydd sydd gan awdurdodau lleol wrth gefn. Yn siomedig iawn, gwrthodwyd hyn gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Mae ein trigolion yn parhau i weld cynnydd sylweddol yn y dreth gyngor flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn, gyda hynny o bosib yn 12.5 y cant yn Sir Benfro, a chynnydd mawr ledled Cymru, ac mae'r cronfeydd wrth gefn wedi codi 7 y cant ers 2012 ac yn cynrychioli 86 y cant o gyfanswm y cronfeydd wrth gefn sydd gyda'i gilydd yn fwy nag 1.4 biliwn. Ond mae anghysondeb amlwg, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ac mewn gwirionedd rwy'n credu bod gennych chi rywfaint o gydymdeimlad â'm barn i ynglŷn â hynny.
Yn amlwg, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, rydym yn gobeithio y byddwch chi nawr yn dod â rhywfaint o synnwyr i'r sefyllfa hurt hon. Mae gan Rondda Cynon Taf ar ei phen ei hun gronfeydd wrth gefn o bron £150 miliwn y gellid eu defnyddio. Mae cynnydd yn y dreth gyngor ar gyfer ein trigolion o 187 y cant ers i Lafur ddod i rym yng Nghymru yn dangos bod Llafur Cymru yn fwy na pharod i roi beichiau ar ysgwyddau ein deiliaid tai, lawer ohonynt ar incwm sefydlog, yn hytrach na chydbwyso eu cyllidebau eu hunain yma ym Mae Caerdydd.
Ers 2010 mae awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio mewn hinsawdd ariannol hynod o anodd o ganlyniad i bolisi dinistriol llymder y Torïaid. Mae hyn yn golygu bod gwasanaethau lleol wedi cael eu colli, a'r bobl fwyaf bregus o fewn ein cymunedau sy'n cael eu heffeithio fwyaf. Yn dilyn blynyddoedd o doriadau i gyllidebau awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru—toriad o 1.4 y cant yn 2016-17 a 3.4 y cant yn 2015-16—fel rhan o'r cytundeb ar gyfer y gyllideb flwyddyn ddiwethaf, mi wnaeth Plaid Cymru sicrhau £25 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer ariannu awdurdodau lleol. O ganlyniad i'r cytundeb yma, yn 2017-18, mi wnaeth nifer o awdurdodau lleol Cymru weld cynnydd ariannol yn eu cyllidebau am y tro cyntaf ers rhai blynyddoedd. Ond er gwaethaf y buddsoddiad ychwanegol hynny, yn dilyn ffactorau eraill fel chwyddiant a phwysau sylweddol am fwy o wasanaethau ym maes gofal cymdeithasol, er gwaethaf y buddsoddiad ychwanegol, mi oedd y setliad hwnnw yn doriad mewn termau real i rai awdurdodau lleol.
A dyna'r gwirionedd ar gyfer y flwyddyn yma hefyd. Mae'r setliad terfynol yn cynnwys cynnydd a gostyngiadau yn y cyllid ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol gwahanol, gyda naw awdurdod yn wynebu toriad, ac 13 o awdurdodau yn gweld cynnydd o ryw fath mewn termau ariannol. Mae awdurdodau lleol wedi arbed dros £700 miliwn ers dechrau llymder yn 2010. Ond, mewn gwirionedd, nid ydy'r setliad yma dal ddim yn rhoi arian digonol i gynghorau ar gyfer nifer o flaenoriaethau'r Llywodraeth, gan gynnwys codiad cyflog i weithwyr cyhoeddus o fewn awdurdodau lleol, ac mae hyn yn golygu y bydd hi'n anoddach i gyflogi yn y sector gofal ac mewn gwasanaethau ar draws y bwrdd.
Felly, er bod y setliad yma yn llai niweidiol i awdurdodau na rhai blynyddoedd yn ôl, mae'n rhaid i'r Llywodraeth edrych i'r dyfodol a meddwl am adeiladu dycnwch, gwydnwch a system fwy cynaliadwy yn y ffordd y maen nhw’n ariannu llywodraeth leol. Er enghraifft, fe gyhoeddodd y Llywodraeth yr wythnos diwethaf reoliadau cynlluniau gostyngiadau treth gyngor, sydd yn werth £244 miliwn bob blwyddyn. Mae cynlluniau gostyngiadau y dreth gyngor yn hanfodol bwysig i bobl fregus Cymru, wrth gwrs, ond drwy gyflwyno system decach o drethiant yn y lle cyntaf, hynny yw, gallwn fod mewn sefyllfa lle na fyddai angen cynllun gostyngiadau y dreth gyngor mor eang a phellgyrhaeddol ag sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd. Petasem ni'n gallu cyflwyno system decach o drethiant, byddem ni’n gallu bod yn arbed arian yn y maes yma. Gall hyn ryddhau mwy o arian a all gael ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer gwasanaethau rheng flaen o fewn ein cynghorau lleol ni.
Wrth gwrs, rydym ni i gyd yn cydnabod ac yn gwerthfawrogi yn fan hyn bod y rhain yn wasanaethau hollbwysig ac rydym ni hefyd yn cydnabod y gwaith diflino sydd yn digwydd gan staff y cynghorau lleol. Rydym ni yn aml yn fan hyn yn brolio staff yr NHS, ac yn amlwg mae eisiau gwneud hynny, ond mae'n rhaid cydnabod hefyd fod gweithwyr yn y sector gofal ac mewn sectorau eraill hefyd o fewn ein cynghorau lleol ni hefyd yn gweithio dan gyfyngiadau parhaus, ac mae’r gwaith diflino maen nhw’n ei wneud i’w ganmol. Mae eu hymrwymiad nhw i’r gwasanaethau maen nhw’n ceisio eu cyflenwi i bobl Cymru yn cael ei werthfawrogi gennym ni i gyd. Mae gweld y pwysau cynyddol yma sydd ar y staff yn dorcalonnus, ond mae hefyd yn dorcalonnus o ystyried mai’r bobl fwyaf bregus o fewn ein cymdeithas ni sy’n ddibynnol ar y gwasanaethau yma, a nhw, yn y pen draw, sy’n cael eu heffeithio waethaf gan hyn i gyd.
Oes, mae eisiau rhoi terfyn ar lymder—wrth gwrs bod eisiau cael terfyn ar lymder erbyn hyn. Mae’n hollol amlwg nad ydy o’n gweithio, yn un peth, heblaw am yr holl effaith mae o’n ei gael ar ein cymunedau ni. Ond hefyd, mae angen i’r Llywodraeth yma gymryd cyfrifoldeb a derbyn cyfrifoldeb ar weithio ar ffyrdd newydd o greu systemau sydd yn gytbwys ac yn gynaliadwy i’r dyfodol. Diolch.
Since 2010 local authorities across Wales have been working in a very difficult financial climate as a result of the destructive austerity policies of the Conservative Government. This means that local services have been lost and the most vulnerable in our communities are being affected most. Following years of cuts to local government budgets in Wales—a cut of 1.4 per cent in 2016-17 and 3.4 per cent in 2015-16—as part of the agreement for the budget last year, Plaid Cymru did ensure an additional £25 million to fund local authorities. As a result of that agreement, in 2017-18, a number of local authorities in Wales saw an increase in their budgets for the first time for some years. But despite this additional investment, following other factors such as inflation and increasing pressure on greater services with regard to social care, despite that additional investment, that settlement was a real-terms cut to some local authorities.
And that's the truth for this year as well. The final settlement includes increases and reductions in funding for different local authorities, with nine authorities facing a cut, and 13 authorities seeing an increase of some kind in financial terms. Local authorities have saved more than £700 million since the beginning of austerity in 2010. But, truth be told, this settlement still doesn't give sufficient funding for councils for a number of the Government's priorities, including a pay rise for public services and local authorities. And this means that it will be more difficult to employ in the care sector and services across the board.
So, even though this settlement is less damaging to authorities than previous ones, the Government has to look to the future and think about building resilience into the system, and a more sustainable system in the way that they fund local government. For example, the Government announced last week decreases for council tax relief, which is worth £244 million a year. Council tax relief schemes are vitally important for the vulnerable people of Wales. But, by introducing a fairer taxation system in the first place, we could be in a situation where such a relief scheme wouldn't be needed, or such a wide-ranging one as we currently have. If we could introduce a fairer taxation system, we could save money in that particular area, and this could release greater funds that could be used for front-line services within our local councils.
Of course, we all recognise and appreciate that these are vital services. We also acknowledge the tireless work being done by staff in local councils. We often in this place laud the staff of the NHS, and clearly we have to do that and we need to do that. But we also have to recognise that workers in the care sector and other sectors within our local authorities also work under continuing pressures, and the tireless work that they do is to be praised. Their commitment to the services that they try to provide for the people of Wales must be appreciated by all of us. But seeing the increasing pressure that is on the staff is heartbreaking, and it's also heartbreaking considering that it is the most vulnerable people in our society who are dependent on these services, and that it's them, ultimately, who will be hardest hit by all of this.
Yes, we have to put an end to austerity—of course we have to put an end to austerity. It's clear that it isn't working, despite all of the impact that it has on our communities. But also, this Government needs to take responsibility and to accept responsibility for working on new ways of creating systems that are balanced and sustainable for the future. Thank you.
I agree with Siân Gwenllian that we need to look at new ways of dealing with the austerity budget that the UK Government hands down to us, but I want to just focus on the particular problems that Cardiff faces as a result of the way in which the education improvement grant has been absorbed into the overall rate support grant.
Not only is our local authority having to cope with a reduction of 11 per cent in the education improvement grant, it is of great concern to me that the money that this local authority and other local authorities, like, for example, Swansea and Newport, used to get for Travellers and minority ethnic pupils has disappeared in a puff of smoke. That is of huge concern, because Cardiff is a dispersal centre for refugees, so we obviously are very pleased to accept a significant number of children who have absolutely no English when they arrive, but we obviously need to put in place the services to integrate them into our mainstream schools.
So, what was a modest 0.9 per cent increase in the education improvement grant, bearing in mind that we have an increasing population of young people in Cardiff, has turned into a small reduction in the overall education improvement grant, with the increasing numbers in the population of schoolchildren we have. That translates into a massive £4 million gap in Cardiff's education budget, and in one particular school, in Fitzalan in Mark Drakeford's constituency, £400,000 will be lost. In other schools, it's going to be 6 per cent or 7 per cent of their total school grants. So, I do hope that the Cabinet Secretary for local government will give us some assurances that this money is going to be for those local authorities that actually are educating ethnic minority children, not for local authorities where there are almost no minority ethnic and Traveller children. So, I'd be grateful for some clarification on that.
Rwy'n cytuno â Siân Gwenllian bod angen inni edrych ar ffyrdd newydd o ymdrin â'r gyllideb gyni y mae Llywodraeth y DU yn ei chyflwyno i ni, ond hoffwn i ganolbwyntio ar y problemau penodol y mae Caerdydd yn eu hwynebu o ganlyniad i'r ffordd y mae'r grant gwella addysg wedi'i lyncu i'r grant cynnal ardrethi cyffredinol.
Mae ein hawdurdodau lleol yn gorfod ymdopi â gostyngiad o 11 y cant yn y grant gwella addysg, ond yn fwy na hynny, mae'n destun pryder mawr i mi fod yr arian yr arferai'r awdurdod lleol hwn ac awdurdodau lleol eraill ei gael, er enghraifft, Abertawe a Chasnewydd, ar gyfer disgyblion teithwyr a lleiafrifoedd ethnig, wedi diflannu ar amrantiad. Mae hynny'n peri pryder mawr, oherwydd mae Caerdydd yn ganolfan wasgaru i ffoaduriaid. Felly yn amlwg, rydym yn falch iawn o dderbyn nifer sylweddol o blant sydd â dim Saesneg o gwbl pan maen nhw'n cyrraedd, ond yn amlwg mae angen inni sefydlu gwasanaethau i'w hintegreiddio i'n hysgolion prif ffrwd.
Felly, mae'r hyn oedd yn gynnydd bychan o 0.9 y cant yn y grant gwella addysg, o gofio bod gennym boblogaeth gynyddol o bobl ifanc yng Nghaerdydd, wedi troi yn ostyngiad bach yn y grant gwella addysg yn ei gyfanrwydd, o ystyried y cynnydd sydd gennym yn niferoedd y plant ysgol. Mae hynny'n gyfystyr â bwlch enfawr o £4 miliwn yng nghyllideb addysg Caerdydd, ac mewn un ysgol arbennig, yn Fitzalan yn etholaeth Mark Drakeford, collir £400,000. Mewn ysgolion eraill, bydd yn 6 y cant neu'n 7 y cant o gyfanswm eu grantiau ysgol. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y gall Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol roi rhywfaint o sicrwydd inni y bydd yr arian hwn ar gyfer yr awdurdodau lleol hynny sydd mewn gwirionedd yn addysgu plant o leiafrifoedd ethnig, nid ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol lle ceir bron dim plant o leiafrifoedd ethnig a phlant teithwyr. Felly, byddwn yn falch o gael eglurhad am hynny.
Mike Hedges.
Mike Hedges.
Oh, diolch, Llywydd. [Laughter.] That came as a shock then.
Two major areas of Welsh Government expenditure are health and local government. The downside of extra money for health has obviously been less money for local government. Local government finances are under pressure. Local councils have been forward thinking and innovative in dealing with real-term cuts to their budgets, and that's councils led by every different party: they've had to work hard to deal with incredibly difficult financial positions.
Whilst real-term reductions in Wales have been substantially less than in England and less than in Scotland, they have created difficult decisions for councils to make. As I've stated regularly, social care is under greater pressure than health in terms of finance. Without adequate social care, we end up with patients unable to be discharged from hospitals. We see that in England, where it has been stated that, at one time, one hospital had more delayed discharging than the whole of Wales. Also, in England, we have seen the wholesale closure of libraries. The English education system has become fragmented and chaotic.
We in Wales have avoided this. In the provisional settlement, the Welsh Government guaranteed that no local authority will have to manage a reduction of more than 1 per cent. The final settlement is better and ensures that no local authority in Wales will have to manage a cut of more than 0.5 per cent in cash terms, although, of course, if it's 0.5 per cent in cash terms, it's going to be a far larger cut in real terms.
The final settlement represents an additional £28.3 million in funding for local authorities in Wales compared with the provisional local government settlement. We've got to be happy with that. We're moving in the right direction: £20 million is for general use and £7 million is a manifesto commitment to increase the capital limit when charging for residential care and raising that to £40,000, commencing from April 2018. I wonder how many people will be voting against increasing the limit for charging to £40,000. When you vote against this, that's what you'll actually be doing. Then, an additional £1.3 million funding for local authorities to use their discretionary powers to provide targeted relief to support local businesses that would benefit from additional assistance.
An issue my local MP Carolyn Harris has campaigned on for most of the last two years has been free child burials, and there's £600,000 for that, which has allowed councils to do that. It is not a huge sum of money, but it'll make a difference to people's lives and for those people who have the huge misfortune to lose their child, they won't face the huge financial cost that will come alongside the tears and the upset of the death of a child. The death of a child is severe enough for a family, one that most of us hope, or perhaps even all of us hope, will never happen to anybody we know or any of our family. When that has happened to somebody, giving them a financial pressure as well, I think, is something that—. Ending that is something the Welsh Government deserves a pat on the back for.
The local government formula can be easily changed. You just change the percentage numbers. But with no extra money, every local authority that gets more money will mean some other local authorities getting less. And while the formula may need—
O, diolch, Llywydd. [Chwerthin.] Roedd hynny'n dipyn o syndod.
Dau o brif feysydd gwariant Llywodraeth Cymru yw iechyd a llywodraeth leol. Yr anfantais o roi arian ychwanegol ar gyfer iechyd, mae'n amlwg, yw llai o arian ar gyfer llywodraeth leol. Mae cyllid llywodraeth leol o dan bwysau. Mae cynghorau lleol wedi bod yn flaengar ac yn arloesol wrth ymdrin â thoriadau mewn termau real i'w cyllidebau, a chynghorau o dan arweiniad pob plaid wahanol yn hynny o beth: maen nhw wedi gorfod gweithio'n galed i ymdrin â sefyllfaoedd ariannol enbyd.
Er bod gostyngiadau mewn termau real yng Nghymru wedi bod yn sylweddol llai nag yn yr Alban a Lloegr, maen nhw wedi creu penderfyniadau anodd ar gyfer y cynghorau. Fel y dywedais dro ar ôl tro, mae gofal cymdeithasol dan fwy o bwysau nag iechyd o ran cyllid. Heb ofal cymdeithasol digonol, bydd gennym gleifion na ellir eu rhyddhau o ysbytai. Gwelwn hynny yn Lloegr, lle nodwyd, ar un adeg, fod gan un ysbyty fwy o gleifion yn aros i gael eu rhyddhau na Chymru gyfan. Hefyd, yn Lloegr, rydym wedi gweld cau llyfrgelloedd rif y gwlith. Mae'r system addysg yn Lloegr bellach yn dameidiog ac anhrefnus.
Rydym ni yng Nghymru wedi osgoi hyn. Yn y setliad dros dro, roedd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwarantu na fyddai unrhyw awdurdod lleol yn gorfod ymdopi â gostyngiad o fwy nag 1 y cant. Mae'r setliad terfynol yn well ac yn sicrhau na fydd unrhyw awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru yn gweld toriad o fwy na 0.5 y cant mewn termau arian parod, er, wrth gwrs, os yw hynny'n 0.5 y cant yn nhermau arian parod, bydd yn doriad mwy o lawer mewn termau real.
Mae'r setliad terfynol yn cynrychioli £28.3 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru o'i gymharu â'r setliad llywodraeth leol dros dro. Mae'n rhaid inni fod yn fodlon â hynny. Rydym yn symud i'r cyfeiriad cywir: mae £20 miliwn ohono ar gyfer defnydd cyffredinol a £7 miliwn yn ymrwymiad maniffesto i gynyddu'r terfyn cyfalaf wrth godi tâl am ofal preswyl a chynyddu hynny i £40,000, gan ddechrau ym mis Ebrill 2018. Tybed faint o bobl fydd yn pleidleisio yn erbyn cynyddu'r terfyn ar gyfer codi tâl i £40,000. Trwy bleidleisio yn erbyn hyn, dyna fyddwch chi'n ei wneud mewn gwirionedd. Yna, byd £1.3 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol i awdurdodau lleol ei ddefnyddio yn ôl eu doethineb i roi cymorth penodol i gefnogi busnesau lleol a fyddai'n elwa o gael cefnogaeth ychwanegol.
Mater y bu fy AS lleol Carolyn Harris yn ymgyrchu yn ei gylch dros y rhan fwyaf o'r ddwy flynedd diwethaf yw claddu plant am ddim, ac mae £600,000 ar gael ar gyfer hynny, sydd wedi galluogi cynghorau i wneud hynny. Nid yw'n swm enfawr o arian, ond bydd yn gwneud gwahaniaeth i fywydau pobl, ac ni fydd y bobl hynny sydd wedi cael y trallod ofnadwy o golli plentyn yn wynebu'r gost ariannol enfawr a ddaw law yn llaw â'r dagrau a'r loes o golli plentyn. Mae marwolaeth plentyn yn ddigon difrifol i deulu, ac yn rhywbeth y mae'r rhan fwyaf ohonom yn gobeithio, neu efallai hyd yn oed bob un ohonom yn gobeithio, na fydd byth yn digwydd i unrhyw un yr ydym ni'n eu hadnabod nac i unrhyw aelod o'n teulu. Pan fydd hynny wedi digwydd i rywun, mae'n rhoi pwysau ariannol arnyn nhw hefyd, rwy'n credu, yn—. Mae rhoi terfyn ar hynny yn rhywbeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn haeddu canmoliaeth yn ei gylch.
Gellir newid y fformiwla llywodraeth leol yn hawdd. Y cwbl sydd angen ichi ei wneud yw newid y ffigyrau canran. Ond heb arian ychwanegol, bydd pob awdurdod lleol sy'n cael mwy o arian yn golygu y bydd rhai awdurdodau lleol eraill yn cael llai o arian. Ac er bod angen o bosib i'r fformiwla—
Will you give way?
A wnewch chi ildio?
Yes, certainly.
Gwnaf, yn sicr.
How can you justify a situation where, for example, Flintshire in nineteenth position gets £368 less per head in revenue for local government than the best funded authority? Wrexham is eighteenth. Conwy is fifteenth, despite it having the largest oldest people population in Wales. Even Anglesey, the poorest or least populous part of Wales, is the eleventh lowest funded. That is an unsustainable formula, surely.
Sut allwch chi gyfiawnhau sefyllfa, er enghraifft, lle mae Sir y Fflint, yn y bedwaredd safle ar bymtheg, yn cael £368 yn llai y pen mewn refeniw llywodraeth leol na'r awdurdod sy'n cael ei gyllido orau? Mae Wrecsam yn y ddeunawfed safle. Mae Conwy yn bymthegfed, er mai ganddi hi y mae'r boblogaeth fwyaf o bobl hŷn yng Nghymru. Mae hyd yn oed Ynys Môn, y rhan dlotaf neu leiaf poblog o Gymru, yn unfed ar ddeg ar y rhestr. Mae hynny'n fformiwla anghynaladwy, onid yw?
If Mark Isherwood is asking, 'Can we fund every local authority by exactly the same amount per head?', on behalf of Swansea, I say, 'Yes, please.' And I think there'd be people in Cardiff who'd be ecstatic about it, and there'd be problems in other parts of Wales where they'd be less happy.
The formula means that it's driven by population, and population demographics, with additional money for sparsity and deprivation. One of the problems with some of the local authorities who have been losing money is that their population, relative to the rest of Wales, has been decreasing. Cardiff has done well this year because its population relative to the rest of Wales has been increasing. And all those people who say, 'We don't want any building in our area; we don't want any development', well, you're going to then have the corollary of that, which is that you're not going to get as much money in local government settlements.390
Can I just say that, no, Cardiff and Swansea do not get a penny for the regional services they provide? The settlement will leave local authorities with difficult decisions. Can I—? I'll leave with two requests. One is for the Welsh Government, and that is: can they free local authorities to set their own charges for planning applications? This is something that is set centrally. Some local authorities would want to charge more, some would want to charge less, and some would want to make planning a situation where it washes its face in terms of income and expenditure. The other one is: will people in this Chamber stop complaining when local authorities make the cuts that we are forcing upon them by our real-terms cuts in their expenditure, when they've got the huge pressure they've got on their budgets, especially social care? People are going to vote against the budget today, but how many will be voting against the budget because they think more money should be going to local government and less to health?
Os yw Mark Isherwood yn gofyn, 'Allwn ni roi'r un faint yn union o gyllid y pen i bob awdurdod lleol?', ar ran Abertawe, rwy'n dweud, 'Gallwch, os gwelwch yn dda.' Ac rwy'n credu y byddai pobl yng Nghaerdydd yn gorfoleddu yn ei gylch, ond byddai problemau mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru lle byddai pobl yn llai hapus.
Mae'r fformiwla yn golygu ei fod yn seiliedig ar boblogaeth a demograffeg poblogaeth, gydag arian ychwanegol i ardaloedd gwasgaredig eu poblogaeth ac ardaloedd o amddifadedd. Un o'r problemau gyda rhai o'r awdurdodau lleol sydd wedi bod yn colli arian yw bod gostyngiad wedi bod yn eu poblogaeth, o'u cymharu â gweddill Cymru. Mae Caerdydd yn gwneud yn dda eleni gan fod ei phoblogaeth yn cynyddu o'i chymharu â gweddill Cymru. A'r holl bobl hynny sy'n dweud, 'Dydyn ni ddim eisiau gweld unrhyw adeiladu yn ein hardal ni; dydyn ni ddim eisiau gweld unrhyw ddatblygu', wel, rydych chi yn mynd i weld canlyniad hynny, sef na chewch chi gymaint o arian mewn dyraniadau llywodraeth leol.
A gaf i ddweud nad yw Caerdydd ac Abertawe yn cael ceiniog am y gwasanaethau rhanbarthol y maen nhw'n eu darparu? Bydd y setliad yn gadael awdurdodau lleol gyda phenderfyniadau anodd. A gaf i—? Terfynaf gyda dau gais. Mae un cais i Lywodraeth Cymru, sef: a all roi rhyddid i awdurdodau lleol bennu ffioedd eu hunain ar gyfer ceisiadau cynllunio? Mae hyn yn rhywbeth y penderfynir arno yn ganolog. Byddai rhai awdurdodau lleol yn awyddus i godi mwy, byddai rhai eisiau codi llai a rhai eisiau gwneud cynllunio yn faes lle mae cydbwysedd rhwng incwm a gwariant. Y cais arall yw hyn: a wnaiff pobl yn y Siambr roi'r gorau i gwyno pan fydd awdurdodau lleol yn gwneud y toriadau yr ydym ni'n eu gorfodi arnyn nhw wrth inni dorri ar eu gwariant mewn termau real, pan mae ganddyn nhw'r pwysau enfawr sydd ganddyn nhw ar eu cyllidebau, yn enwedig gofal cymdeithasol? Mae pobl yn mynd i bleidleisio yn erbyn y gyllideb heddiw, ond faint fydd yn pleidleisio yn erbyn y gyllideb oherwydd eu bod yn credu y dylai llywodraeth leol gael mwy o arian ac y dylai iechyd gael llai?
Not so long ago, Cardiff's Labour council closed my local youth centre. So, now, if you walk around my area, you'll see—[Interruption.] Some people to my right in the Labour group are actually laughing at that statement, which is shameful. If you come—. I'll declare an interest; I'm a Cardiff councillor. If you walk around my community, you will now see youngsters out on the streets when at other times, previously, they would have found themselves in the youth centre, which the Labour Party closed.
If you walk around the city centre, you will see more and more homeless people—more and more. The administration of which I was a deputy leader introduced taxi marshals because of the number of flashpoints and violent confrontations that arise out of disputes over taxi ranks. We hear, this week, that in this city now, taxi marshals will be abolished. The city centre will therefore be a less safe place, and it's going to be particularly difficult for differently abled people to catch taxis, and they already have a very, very difficult time.
Services are more and more squeezed, and what's on offer? More of the same. More of the same—year in, year out. Local government is not respected enough, and it's certainly not funded enough. I look at these debates in this Chamber. I look at how the Government's spending its money. The black routes, making consultants wealthy, almost, with the number employed. The waste from this Government is, and has been, enormous. And yet, councils will suffer.
We won't let councils completely off the hook, because if you look at many of the councils in Wales, they pay huge salaries in excess of £100,000 to officials. Look at commissioners in Wales. The well-being of future generations, for example. That whole department spends millions. On what? I don't think anybody really knows. And there's a whole drive of outsourcing from the Labour Party—especially to private charities—who will not fund local government, with democratically accountable councillors. Every single year. Every single year, this Government condemns councils up and down Wales, and it simply isn't right.
Yn lled ddiweddar, cafodd fy nghanolfan ieuenctid leol ei chau gan Gyngor Llafur Caerdydd. Felly, yn awr, os cerddwch o gwmpas fy ardal i, byddwch yn gweld —[Torri ar draws.] Mae rhai pobl ar fy llaw dde yn y grŵp Llafur mewn gwirionedd yn chwerthin ar y datganiad hwnnw, ac mae hynny'n gywilyddus. Os ydych yn dod —. Gwnaf ddatgan buddiant; rwy'n gynghorydd yng Nghyngor Caerdydd. Os cerddwch o amgylch fy nghymuned i, erbyn hyn byddwch yn gweld pobl ifanc ar y strydoedd. Ar adegau eraill, yn y gorffennol, byddent yn y ganolfan ieuenctid, a gafodd ei chau gan y Blaid Lafur.
Os cerddwch o amgylch canol y ddinas, byddwch yn gweld mwy a mwy o bobl ddigartref—mwy a mwy. Cyflwynodd y weinyddiaeth yr oeddwn yn ddirprwy arweinydd arni farsialiaid tacsis oherwydd y nifer o sefyllfaoedd ymfflamychol ac o wrthdaro treisgar sy'n deillio o anghydfodau dros safleoedd tacsis. Rydym yn clywed, yr wythnos hon, yn y ddinas hon yn awr, fod marsialiaid tacsi yn cael eu diddymu. Felly bydd canol y ddinas yn lle llai diogel, a bydd yn arbennig o anodd i bobl o wahanol alluoedd corfforol gael tacsi, ac maen nhw eisoes yn cael amser anodd iawn, iawn.
Caiff gwasanaethau eu gwasgu fwy a mwy, a beth sydd ar gael? Mwy o'r un peth. Mwy o'r un peth— flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn. Nid yw llywodraeth leol yn cael digon o barch, ac yn sicr nid yw'n cael digon o gyllid. Rwy'n gwrando ar y dadleuon hyn yn y Siambr hon. Rwy'n edrych ar sut y mae'r Llywodraeth yn gwario ei harian. Y llwybrau du, gwneud ymgynghorwyr yn gyfoethog, bron, gyda'r nifer a gyflogir. Mae, a bu, gwastraff y Llywodraeth hon yn enfawr. Ac eto, bydd y cynghorau'n dioddef.
Nid ydym yn dweud bod cynghorau yn gwbl ddi-fai chwaith. Os edrychwch ar nifer o'r cynghorau yng Nghymru, maen nhw'n talu cyflogau enfawr o dros £100,000 i swyddogion. Edrychwch ar gomisiynwyr yng Nghymru. Llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol, er enghraifft. Mae'r adran gyfan honno yn gwario miliynau. Ar beth? Nid wyf yn credu bod unrhyw un yn gwybod mewn gwirionedd. Ac mae gan y Blaid Lafur ymgyrch fawr i drefnu contractau allanol—yn enwedig i elusennau preifat—a hithau'n gwrthod ariannu llywodraeth leol, gyda chynghorwyr sy'n atebol yn ddemocrataidd. Bob blwyddyn. Bob blwyddyn, mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn condemnio'r cynghorau ar hyd a lled Cymru, ac nid yw hynny'n iawn.
Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus i ymateb i'r ddadl.
I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services to reply to the debate.
I'm grateful to you, Presiding Officer. I am grateful to all Members who have taken time to contribute to the debate this afternoon. It's always important to consider how we structure the funding and financing of local government, and also the relative priority given to local government within the overall Welsh budget.
Can I just say this? There is not simply respect and mutual respect for local government in this Welsh Government—and, I believe, across the Chamber, in fact—there is also a wish and a want to work together, to collaborate together, to work in a real, not a pretended, partnership together. The question from Simon Thomas during my opening remarks spoke to an area where we've been successful in achieving our ambitions. We've been successful, not because local government succeeded or the Welsh Government succeeded, because we succeeded together and we worked together. That is what I want to see today and in the future.
Can I say, Presiding Officer, I do listen to, particularly, Conservative spokespeople talking about the formula, and talking about its relative weaknesses? But let me say this: Mike Hedges is absolutely right in his analysis; the formula can be changed. It can be changed. I've heard many Conservative Members here arguing for a change in the formula. What I haven't heard is Conservative councillors arguing for that change in the formula. You know, I will say to the Conservative spokesperson, we had a meeting of the finance sub-group on 14 December, where we met with local government to discuss this settlement and that formula, and they weren't proposing changes to it. I'll give the Member an opportunity now. We have a meeting next week. If she wishes the Conservative Party to propose changes to the formula, you have a meeting next week—I believe it's next Wednesday or Thursday: propose those changes. Let's see what the changes are. Let's see what you want to see. Let's see how you believe the funding should be distributed. And then let's see if you can find a Conservative councillor who'll propose it. Because when I talk to Conservative councillors, what they aren't talking to me about is changing the formula. They're just saying they're very grateful that their councillors in Wales are not councillors in England, where they've seen their own Government contemptuously not just dismissing local government, but systematically dismantling local government. [Interruption.] I'll give way to the leader of the opposition if he wants me to. I give way to the leader of the opposition.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar ichi, Llywydd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r holl Aelodau sydd wedi rhoi o'u hamser i gyfrannu at y ddadl y prynhawn yma. Mae bob amser yn bwysig ystyried sut yr ydym yn strwythuro cyllid ac yn ariannu llywodraeth leol, a hefyd y flaenoriaeth gymharol a roddir i lywodraeth leol yng nghyllideb Cymru yn ei chyfanrwydd.
A gaf i ddweud hyn yn unig? Mae mwy na dim ond parch a chyd-barch at lywodraeth leol yn Llywodraeth Cymru—ac, rwy'n credu, ar draws y Siambr, mewn gwirionedd—mae dymuniad ac awydd hefyd i gydweithio, i gyd-dynnu, i weithio gyda'n gilydd mewn partneriaeth wirioneddol, nid un ffuantus. Roedd a wnelo cwestiwn Simon Thomas yn ystod fy sylwadau agoriadol i â maes y cawsom lwyddiant wrth gyflawni ein dyheadau. Buom yn llwyddiannus, nid oherwydd bod llywodraeth leol wedi llwyddo neu oherwydd bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi llwyddo, ond gan ein bod ni wedi llwyddo gyda'n gilydd ac wedi cydweithio. Dyna'r hyn yr hoffwn i ei weld heddiw ac yn y dyfodol.
A gaf i ddweud, Llywydd, rwyf yn gwrando, yn enwedig, ar lefarwyr Ceidwadol yn sôn am y fformiwla, ac yn sôn am ei gwendidau cymharol. Ond gadewch imi ddweud hyn: mae Mike Hedges yn hollol gywir yn ei ddadansoddiad; gellir newid y fformiwla. Mae modd ei newid. Rwyf wedi clywed llawer o Aelodau Ceidwadol yma yn dadlau dros newid y fformiwla. Yr hyn na chlywais yw cynghorwyr Ceidwadol yn dadlau dros newid y fformiwla yn y fath fodd. Wyddoch chi, dywedaf wrth lefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, cawsom gyfarfod o'r is-grŵp cyllid ar 14 Rhagfyr, lle cawsom gyfarfod â llywodraeth leol i drafod y setliad hwn a'r fformiwla honno, ac nid oedden nhw'n cynnig newidiadau iddo. Rhof gyfle i'r Aelod nawr. Mae gennym gyfarfod yr wythnos nesaf. Os yw hi'n dymuno i'r Blaid Geidwadol gynnig newidiadau i'r fformiwla, mae gennych chi gyfarfod yr wythnos nesaf —dydd Mercher neu ddydd Iau rwy'n credu: cynigiwch chi'r newidiadau hynny. Gadewch inni weld beth fydd y newidiadau. Gadewch i ni weld beth ydych chi eisiau ei weld. Gadewch i ni weld sut y credwch chi y dylid dosbarthu'r cyllid. Ac yna gadewch i ni weld a allwch chi ganfod cynghorydd Ceidwadol i'w gynnig. Oherwydd pan rwy'n siarad â chynghorwyr Ceidwadol, yr hyn nad ydyn nhw'n sôn amdano yw newid y fformiwla. Maen nhw'n dweud eu bod nhw'n ddiolchgar iawn nad yw eu cynghorwyr yng Nghymru yn gynghorwyr yn Lloegr, lle maen nhw wedi gweld eu Llywodraeth eu hunain nid yn unig yn diystyru llywodraeth leol yn ddirmygus, ond yn mynd ati i ddatgymalu llywodraeth leol yn llwyr. [Torri ar draws.] Ildiaf i arweinydd yr wrthblaid os yw'n dymuno imi wneud hynny. Ildiaf i arweinydd yr wrthblaid.
Do you stand there and feel ashamed of the record increases in the council tax that have happened since the start of devolution here in Wales, and the little respite you've given, in particular, to rural authorities to meet the demands of extra services you've placed on them?
A ydych chi'n sefyll yn y fan yna ac yn teimlo cywilydd am y cynnydd mwyaf erioed yn y dreth gyngor a fu ers dechrau datganoli yma yng Nghymru, a'r cymorth pitw yr ydych chi wedi ei roi, i awdurdodau gwledig yn enwedig, i fodloni'r gofynion yr ydych chi wedi eu rhoi arnyn nhw o ran gwasanaethau ychwanegol?
I look forward to the leader of the opposition's letter coming to me this week or next week with the changes he proposes to the formula. [Interruption.] I'll put it in the Library, with his permission. But I gave him the opportunity there to defend local government and to say how important local government was. What he did was to attack the decisions of local government and to attack the decisions of locally elected councillors.
One of the points that was made by Mike Hedges in his contribution was about the difficulties facing local authorities in balancing the books and delivering excellence and services. Let me say this: I absolutely agree with the points that he made in that contribution. Being a local councillor and a local authority leader today is one of the hardest and most difficult jobs in Welsh Government, and we should be thanking local government leaders for the work they do and not condemning them, as the leader of the opposition has done, for the decisions that they take.
We have an excellent track record in supporting local government in Wales and, Presiding Officer, I hope, and I'm confident, that that will continue. We know that, since 2010-11, in England, in real terms, local government has been cut by 22 per cent. In cash terms, a 12 per cent cut in local government in England. In cash terms, over the same period, we've seen an increase of 4.4 per cent in Wales. We know that spending per head in Wales is £527 per person higher than in England. We know that we are investing in local government, and we know that we're seeking to protect local government.
But the points made by Siân Gwenllian are also absolutely right. There is a crisis of public finances in this country. It's caused by a failed austerity project that was established in order to pay off the deficit, but has doubled the deficit. It was established in order to pay off the debt. It hasn't succeeded in doing that. What it is doing is leading to a dismantling of local government in England and a decline in the ability to deliver public services. That is not something that I would ever be proud of.
Let me say this to other Members who took part in the debate: the points made by Jenny Rathbone, I think, are absolutely right for her to raise. I will say to Jenny: Huw Thomas, the leader of Cardiff council, raised these matters with me last week, and I'm also aware that the leader of Swansea has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Education. I know that the Cabinet Secretary will be replying to the leader of Swansea, and we have asked our officials to work with both the leaders of the councils you've named, but also with the WLGA, to try to resolve the issues that you raised. It's absolutely fair and right and proper that we raise those issues.
But let me say this in closing, Presiding Officer: it is the easiest thing in the world to come to this Chamber and to make a speech. You can condemn either the decisions of this Government or condemn the decisions of local government, and different people have taken the opportunity to do that this afternoon. But let me say this: this is a Government that respects local government. It's a Government that wants to work with local government. It is a Government that will seek to protect local government, public services, and public service workers. It's what we're doing this afternoon, and I would ask Members in all parts of this Chamber to support the Government in doing that today. Thank you.
Edrychaf ymlaen at dderbyn llythyr arweinydd yr wrthblaid yr wythnos hon neu'r wythnos nesaf gyda'r newidiadau y mae'n eu cynnig i'r fformiwla. [Torri ar draws.] Fe'i rhoddaf yn y llyfrgell, gyda'i ganiatâd. Ond rhoddais gyfle iddo i amddiffyn llywodraeth leol ac i ddweud pa mor bwysig yw llywodraeth leol. Yr hyn a wnaeth oedd ymosod ar benderfyniadau llywodraeth leol ac ymosod ar benderfyniadau cynghorwyr etholedig lleol.
Roedd un o'r pwyntiau a wnaeth Mike Hedges yn ei gyfraniad ynglŷn â'r anawsterau sy'n wynebu awdurdodau lleol wrth geisio cydbwyso'r gyllideb a darparu gwasanaethau a rhagoriaeth. Gadewch imi ddweud hyn: Cytunaf yn llwyr â'r pwyntiau a wnaeth yn y cyfraniad hwnnw. Mae bod yn gynghorydd lleol ac yn arweinydd awdurdod lleol heddiw yw un o'r swyddi caletaf ac anoddaf o ran llywodraethu yng Nghymru, a dylem fod yn ddiolchgar i arweinwyr llywodraeth leol am y gwaith y maen nhw'n ei wneud ac nid yn eu collfarnu, fel y gwnaeth arweinydd yr wrthblaid, am y penderfyniadau a wnânt.
Mae gennym ni hanes rhagorol o gefnogi llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru a, Llywydd, rwy'n gobeithio, ac yn ffyddiog, y bydd hynny'n parhau. Rydym yn gwybod, ers 2010-11, yn Lloegr, mewn termau real, torrwyd ar lywodraeth leol 22 y cant. Yn nhermau arian parod, mae llywodraeth leol yn Lloegr wedi gweld toriadau o 12 y cant. Yn nhermau arian parod, dros yr un cyfnod, rydym ni wedi gweld cynnydd o 4.4 y cant yng Nghymru. Gwyddom fod gwariant y pen yng Nghymru £527 y pen yn fwy nag yn Lloegr. Gwyddom ein bod yn buddsoddi mewn llywodraeth leol, a gwyddom ein bod yn ceisio amddiffyn llywodraeth leol.
Ond mae'r pwyntiau a wnaeth Siân Gwenllian yn hollol gywir. Mae'n argyfwng o ran cyllid cyhoeddus yn y wlad hon. Caiff ei achosi gan brosiect cyni methedig a sefydlwyd er mwyn talu'r diffyg, ond mae wedi dyblu'r diffyg. Fe'i sefydlwyd er mwyn talu'r ddyled. Ni lwyddodd i wneud hynny. Yr hyn y mae'n ei wneud yw arwain at chwalu llywodraeth leol yn Lloegr ac at leihau'r gallu i ddarparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Nid yw hynny'n rhywbeth y byddwn i byth yn falch ohono.
Gadewch imi ddweud hyn wrth yr Aelodau eraill a gymerodd ran yn y ddadl: roedd yn briodol iawn i Jenny Rathbone, rwy'n credu, wneud y sylwadau a wnaeth. Rwy'n dweud wrth Jenny: soniodd Huw Thomas, arweinydd Cyngor Caerdydd, am y materion hyn wrthyf i yr wythnos diwethaf, ac rwyf hefyd yn ymwybodol bod arweinydd Abertawe wedi ysgrifennu at Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg. Gwn y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ymateb i arweinydd Abertawe, ac rydym ni wedi gofyn i'n swyddogion weithio gydag arweinwyr y cynghorau yr ydych chi wedi eu henwi, ond hefyd gyda Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, i geisio datrys y materion y soniasoch chi amdanynt. Mae'n hollol deg ac yn gywir ac yn briodol ein bod ni'n crybwyll y materion hynny.
Ond a gaf i ddweud hyn wrth gloi, Llywydd: y peth hawsaf yn y byd yw dod i'r Siambr hon a thraddodi araith. Gallwch gollfarnu penderfyniadau'r Llywodraeth hon neu gollfarnu penderfyniadau llywodraeth leol, ac mae amryw o bobl wedi achub ar y cyfle i wneud hynny y prynhawn yma. Ond gadewch imi ddweud hyn: mae hon yn Llywodraeth sy'n parchu llywodraeth leol. Mae'n Llywodraeth sy'n awyddus i weithio gyda llywodraeth leol. Mae'n Llywodraeth a fydd yn ceisio amddiffyn llywodraeth leol, gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a gweithwyr gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Dyna beth yr ydym ni'n ei wneud y prynhawn yma, a gofynnaf i'r Aelodau ym mhob rhan o'r Siambr hon gefnogi'r Llywodraeth i wneud hynny heddiw. Diolch.
Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Gohiriaf y bleidlais, felly, ar yr eitem tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.
The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? [Objection.] I will defer voting on this item until voting time.
Gohiriwyd y pleidleisio tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.
Voting deferred until voting time.
Dyma ni nawr yn cyrraedd y cyfnod pleidleisio. Oni bai bod tri Aelod yn dymuno imi ganu'r gloch, ryw'n symud yn syth i'r bleidlais, a'r bleidlais gyntaf ar y gyllideb derfynnol. [Torri ar draws.] O, ocê. Galw—.
That brings us to voting time. Unless three Members wish for the bell to be rung, I will proceed directly to the vote. The first vote is on the final budget. [Interruption.] Oh, okay. I call—.
Three Members? Yes, okay. Oh, definitely three.
Tri aelod? Iawn, o'r gorau. O, tri yn bendant.
Canwyd y gloch i alw’r Aelodau i’r Siambr.
The bell was rung to call Members to the Chamber.
Rydym ni'n cyrraedd y bleidlais, felly, a'r bleidlais gyntaf ar y gyllideb derfynol 2018-19. Rydw i'n galw am bleidlais ar y cynnig a gyflwynwyd yn enw Julie James. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 28, wyth yn ymatal, 18 yn erbyn ac felly derbyniwyd y cynnig.
That brings us to the vote, and the first vote is on the final budget for 2018-19. I call for a vote on the motion tabled in the name of Julie James. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 28, eight abstentions, 18 against, and therefore the motion is agreed.
NDM6614 - Cyllideb Derfynol 2018-19: O blaid: 28, Yn erbyn: 18, Ymatal: 8
Derbyniwyd y cynnig
NDM6614 - The Final Budget 2018-19: For: 28, Against: 18, Abstain: 8
Motion has been agreed
Y bleidlais nesaf ar y Gorchymyn Ardrethi Annomestig (Lluosydd) (Cymru) 2018: galwaf am bleidlais ar y cynnig a gyflwynwyd yn enw Julie James. Agor y bleidlais. [Torri ar draws.] A yw'n dangos nawr? [Torri ar draws.] Ydych. Rŷch chi wedi pleidleisio, Dafydd. Ni wnawn ni ddweud ym mha ffordd y pleidleisioch chi. [Chwerthin.] Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 45, un yn ymatal, wyth yn erbyn, ac felly mae'r cynnig wedi'i dderbyn.
The next vote is on the Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2018. I call for a vote on the motion tabled in the name of Julie James. Open the vote. [Interruption.] Is it showing up now? [Interruption.] Yes, you have voted, Dafydd. We won't tell you how you voted. [Laughter.] Close the vote. In favour 45, one abstention, eight against and therefore the motion is agreed.
NDM6622 - Gorchymyn Ardrethu Annomestig (Lluosydd) (Cymru) 2018: O blaid: 45, Yn erbyn: 8, Ymatal: 1
Derbyniwyd y cynnig
NDM6622 - The Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2018: For: 45, Against: 8, Abstain: 1
Motion has been agreed
A'r bleidlais nesaf, felly, ar y setliad llywodraeth leol 2018-19, ac rydw i'n galw am bleidlais ar y cynnig a gyflwynwyd yn enw Julie James. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 33, wyth yn ymatal, 13 yn erbyn, ac felly derbyniwyd y cynnig.
And the next vote, therefore, is on the local government settlement 2018-19, and I call for a vote on the motion tabled in the name of Julie James. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 33, eight abstentions, 13 against, and therefore the motion is agreed.
NDM6623 - Setliad Llywodraeth Leol 2018-19: O blaid: 33, Yn erbyn: 13, Ymatal: 8
Derbyniwyd y cynnig
NDM6623 - The Local Government Settlement 2018-19: For: 33, Against: 13, Abstain: 8
Motion has been agreed
Dyna ddiwedd ein trafodion am y dydd.
That brings today's proceedings to a close.
Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am 17:53.
The meeting ended at 17:53.