Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
16/10/2018Cynnwys
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.
Galw'r Aelodau i drefn.
I call Members to order.
Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda'r prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Leanne Wood.
The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Leanne Wood.
1. Beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â thlodi plant? OAQ52801
1. What is the Welsh Government doing to tackle child poverty? OAQ52801
Well, the Institute for Fiscal Studies predicts that poverty in Wales will grow significantly as a result of the UK Government's savage benefit cuts. We are investing to grow our economy, to create jobs and support children, through Flying Start, through Families First, through our childcare offer and the pupil development grant.
Wel, mae'r Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllid yn rhagweld y bydd tlodi yng Nghymru yn cynyddu'n sylweddol o ganlyniad i doriadau creulon Llywodraeth y DU i fudd-daliadau. Rydym ni'n buddsoddi i dyfu ein heconomi, i greu swyddi ac i gynorthwyo plant, trwy Dechrau'n Deg, trwy Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf, trwy ein cynnig gofal plant a'r grant datblygu disgyblion.
I'd like to return to the matter of free school dinners, First Minister. Last month, you may remember crowing about the generous offer that you were making, but it is a fact that Wales lags behind the north of Ireland when it comes to school meal provision. There, they've put in place a far more generous earnings limit of £14,000 for families, which is almost double the limit proposed by the Welsh Government. Now, this isn't just a concern for me; the Children's Society are actively campaigning against the harsh limit that you plan to introduce. So, can you tell us how the earnings limit is determined in Wales? Have you examined other earnings limits and, if so, what were they? And, as we move closer to 2020—a year in which Labour in Wales had once promised to eliminate child poverty—why is your Government introducing a policy that is going to make it worse?
Hoffwn ddychwelyd at y mater o ginio ysgol am ddim, Prif Weinidog. Y mis diwethaf, efallai y byddwch yn cofio brolio am y cynnig hael yr oeddech chi'n ei wneud, ond mae'n ffaith bod Cymru ymhell y tu ôl i Ogledd Iwerddon pan ddaw i ddarparu prydau ysgol. Yno, maen nhw wedi cyflwyno terfyn enillion llawer mwy hael o £14,000 i deuluoedd, sydd bron i ddwbl y terfyn a gynigir gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Nawr, nid i mi yn unig y mae hyn yn peri pryder; mae Cymdeithas y Plant yn ymgyrchu yn ymarferol yn erbyn y cyfyngiad llym yr ydych yn bwriadu ei gyflwyno. Felly, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni sut y pennir y terfyn enillion yng Nghymru? A ydych chi wedi archwilio terfynau enillion eraill ac, os felly, beth oedden nhw? Ac, wrth inni nesáu at 2020—blwyddyn erbyn pryd y gwnaeth y Blaid Lafur yng Nghymru addo dileu tlodi plant ar un adeg—pam mae eich Llywodraeth yn cyflwyno polisi sy'n mynd i'w wneud yn waeth?
Well, there's no evidence at all that it will make it worse. It is a more generous offer than is the case in England. We're providing additional funding of £4 million to local authorities for free school meals via a grant scheme. We're also making an additional £7 million available to local authorities for free school meals in 2019-20. Our most up-to-date analysis suggests that more children will be eligible for free school meals throughout the universal credit roll-out period because of this policy than otherwise would have been the case under the old legacy system. And our transitional protection proposals mean that no child would lose their entitlement to free school meals during the universal credit roll-out period, and beyond, as any existing claimants will continue to be protected until the end of their school phase. And, bear in mind, we have done this despite having no additional funding to manage the impact of the UK Government's welfare reform agenda on free school meals.
Wel, nid oes unrhyw dystiolaeth o gwbl y bydd yn ei wneud yn waeth. Mae'n gynnig mwy hael na'r hyn a geir yn Lloegr. Rydym ni'n darparu cyllid ychwanegol o £4 miliwn i awdurdodau lleol ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim trwy gynllun grant. Rydym ni hefyd yn rhoi £7 miliwn ychwanegol ar gael i awdurdodau lleol ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim yn 2019-20. Mae ein dadansoddiad diweddaraf yn awgrymu y bydd mwy o blant yn gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim drwy gydol y cyfnod cyflwyno credyd cynhwysol oherwydd y polisi hwn nag y byddai wedi bod yn wir fel arall o dan yr hen system a etifeddwyd. Ac mae ein cynigion diogelwch trosiannol yn golygu na fyddai unrhyw blentyn yn colli ei hawl i brydau ysgol am ddim yn ystod y cyfnod cyflwyno credyd cynhwysol, a thu hwnt, gan y bydd unrhyw hawlwyr presennol yn parhau i gael eu diogelu tan ddiwedd eu cyfnod ysgol. A chofiwch, rydym ni wedi gwneud hyn er nad ydym wedi cael unrhyw gyllid ychwanegol i reoli effaith agenda diwygio lles Llywodraeth y DU ar brydau ysgol am ddim.
First Minister, back in February I raised, under the business statement, the pioneering work of North Lanarkshire Council in Scotland, which looks to provide free school meals for those eligible 365 days a year. Now, there are proven benefits there to pupils not just in terms of health and well-being, but also in academic attainment too. The leader of the house said the Welsh Government would be following this initiative with keen interest. What lessons have you drawn from it to date?
Prif Weinidog, ym ôl ym mis Chwefror, o dan y datganiad busnes, codais waith arloesol Cyngor Gogledd Swydd Lanark yn yr Alban, sy'n ceisio darparu prydau ysgol am ddim i'r rhai sy'n gymwys 365 diwrnod y flwyddyn. Nawr, ceir manteision a brofwyd i ddisgyblion yno nid yn unig o ran iechyd a llesiant, ond hefyd o ran cyrhaeddiad academaidd hefyd. Dywedodd arweinydd y tŷ y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn dilyn y fenter hon gyda diddordeb brwd. Pa wersi ydych chi wedi eu dysgu oddi wrthi hyd yn hyn?
Well, these are issues that are still being examined. Of course, whatever we do is tempered by the funds that are available. And we know that the situation is not going to get better, although I do notice that, having come into this job as austerity started, as I'm about to leave it the Prime Minister's announced that it's over. I won't take it personally. But if it is genuinely the case that austerity is over, then that will mean that more resources will be available in order to provide the kind of services that we would like to provide and that we have, by and large, succeeded in providing despite the iron grip of austerity.
Wel, mae'r rhain yn faterion sy'n dal i gael eu harchwilio. Wrth gwrs, mae beth bynnag a wnawn yn cael ei effeithio gan y cyllid sydd ar gael. Ac rydym ni'n gwybod nad yw'r sefyllfa yn mynd i wella, er fy mod i'n sylwi, ar ôl dod i'r swydd hon wrth i gyni cyllidol ddechrau, fel yr wyf i ar fin gadael bod Prif Weinidog y DU wedi cyhoeddi ei fod ar ben. Ni wnaf i ei gymryd yn bersonol. Ond os yw'n wirioneddol wir bod cyni cyllidol ar ben, yna bydd hynny'n golygu y bydd mwy o adnoddau ar gael i ddarparu'r math o wasanaethau y byddem yn hoffi eu darparu ac yr ydym ni wedi llwyddo i'w darparu, ar y cyfan, er gwaethaf gafaeliad tynn cyni cyllidol.
First Minister, the economic action plan states that,
'Good quality jobs and regions that are attractive places in which to live, work and invest, will provide people with a reason to remain or return to work and live in communities where the Welsh language thrives'.
Good education, of course, underpins this ambition, and, while these statements seem aimed at young people who are already in Welsh-speaking communities, being bilingual is an advantage in the workplace and a tool of social mobility as well. So, what success is your Government having in raising the level of Welsh skills in young people who live in communities where Welsh is not a community language?
Prif Weinidog, mae'r cynllun gweithredu economaidd yn datgan,
Bydd swyddi o ansawdd da a rhanbarthau sy’n fannau deniadol i weithio, i fyw ac i fuddsoddi ynddynt, yn rhoi rheswm i bobl aros neu ddychwelyd i weithio ac i fyw mewn cymunedau lle mae’r Gymraeg yn ffynnu.
Mae addysg dda, wrth gwrs, yn sail i'r uchelgais hwn, ac, er ei bod yn ymddangos bod y datganiadau hyn wedi eu targedu at bobl ifanc sydd eisoes mewn cymunedau Cymraeg eu hiaith, mae bod yn ddwyieithog yn fantais yn y gweithle ac yn offeryn o symudedd cymdeithasol hefyd. Felly, pa lwyddiant y mae eich Llywodraeth yn ei gael yn codi lefel sgiliau Cymraeg ymhlith pobl ifanc sy'n byw mewn cymunedau lle nad yw'r Gymraeg yn iaith gymunedol?
Well, one of the lessons we've learned is that, despite the fact that Welsh has been compulsory up to the age of 16 in schools since the early 1990s, we cannot say that we have created confident Welsh speakers in English-medium schools as a result, which is why, of course, the curriculum is being reformed, showing that Welsh is a skill—which it is for most people—rather than an academic qualification, and ensuring that people are better able to measure their fluency in the language. For too long we've had an artificial divide between first and second languages, rather than actually measuring the level of someone's fluency. And that is something that will be very much part of the curriculum, to ensure that Welsh teaching is effective and also that Welsh is seen as a subject that is there to be studied as a skill, which I think will enthuse many more young people.
Wel, un o'r gwersi yr ydym ni wedi eu dysgu yw na allwn ddweud, er gwaethaf y ffaith bod y Gymraeg wedi bod yn orfodol hyd at 16 oed mewn ysgolion ers dechrau'r 1990au, ein bod ni wedi creu siaradwyr Cymraeg hyderus mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg o ganlyniad, a dyna pam, wrth gwrs, mae'r cwricwlwm yn cael ei ddiwygio, sy'n dangos bod Cymraeg yn sgìl—y mae i'r rhan fwyaf o bobl—yn hytrach na chymhwyster academaidd, a sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu mesur eu rhuglder yn yr iaith yn well. Bu gennym ni raniad artiffisial rhwng iaith gyntaf ac ail iaith ers amser rhy faith, yn hytrach na mesur lefel rhuglder rhywun. Ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth a fydd yn sicr yn rhan o'r cwricwlwm, i sicrhau bod addysgu Cymraeg yn effeithiol a hefyd bod y Gymraeg yn bwnc sydd yno i gael ei astudio fel sgìl, ac wyf i'n credu y bydd hynny yn ennyn brwdfrydedd llawer mwy o bobl ifanc.
2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog amlinellu strategaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i wella diogelwch ar y ffyrdd? OAQ52793
2. Will the First Minister set out the Welsh Government's strategy to improve road safety? OAQ52793
The road safety framework for Wales sets out the actions we and our partners are currently taking to improve road safety in Wales. We are making good progress to achieve the targets set out in the framework and to ensure that all our roads and streets are safe and accessible for all.
Mae fframwaith diogelwch ar y ffyrdd Cymru yn nodi’r camau rydym ni a’n partneriaid yn eu cymryd ar hyn o bryd i wella diogelwch ar y ffyrdd. Rydym ni’n symud ymlaen yn dda i gyrraedd y targedau sydd wedi’u gosod yn y fframwaith ac i sicrhau bod ein ffyrdd a’n strydoedd yn ddiogel ac ar gael i bawb.
Nonetheless, First Minister, there are still far too many deaths and injuries on our roads, and one important response, which is developing at pace internationally and within the UK, is to increase the amount of 20 mph maximum speed limits in inner urban areas. This makes it easier to avoid accidents, reduces the injury if an accident occurs and allows the streets to be reclaimed from the motor car, which very often is king in our communities at the moment. If we want more children playing, more elderly people feeling at ease in walking around their communities, more walking and cycling with the health and environmental benefits that they bring, then I believe we need to roll out these 20 mph maximum speed limit areas in Wales. One way of doing that would be to have a Wales-wide default 20 mph limit in our inner urban areas, which would allow local authorities then to take forward traffic orders for 30 mph when it was appropriate, in effect reversing the current position, making it easier and less costly for local authorities to have these areas in place, which are so important to community life. First Minister, would you support such a policy to allow communities to reclaim their streets?
Serch hynny, Prif Weinidog, ceir llawer gormod o farwolaethau ac anafiadau ar ein ffyrdd o hyd, ac un ymateb pwysig, sy'n datblygu'n gyflym yn rhyngwladol ac yn y DU, yw cynyddu nifer y terfynau cyflymder uchaf 20 mya mewn ardaloedd yng nghanol trefi. Mae hyn yn ei gwneud yn haws i osgoi damweiniau, yn lleihau'r anaf os bydd damwain yn digwydd ac yn galluogi'r strydoedd i gael eu hawlio yn ôl gan y car modur, sy'n aml iawn yn flaenllaw yn ein cymunedau ar hyn o bryd. Os ydym ni eisiau mwy o blant yn chwarae, mwy o bobl oedrannus yn teimlo'n gartrefol yn cerdded o amgylch eu cymunedau, mwy o gerdded a beicio'r manteision iechyd ac amgylcheddol y maen nhw'n eu cynnig, yna rwy'n credu bod angen i ni gyflwyno'r ardaloedd terfyn cyflymder uchaf o 20 mya hyn yng Nghymru. Un ffordd o wneud hynny fyddai cael terfyn 20 mya diofyn ledled Cymru yn mewn ardaloedd yng nghanol ein trefi, a fyddai'n caniatáu i awdurdodau lleol fwrw ymlaen wedyn â gorchmynion traffig ar gyfer 30 mya pan fo'n briodol, gan wrthdroi'r sefyllfa bresennol i bob pwrpas, gan ei gwneud hi'n haws ac yn llai costus i awdurdodau lleol sefydlu'r ardaloedd hyn, sydd mor bwysig i fywyd cymunedol. Prif Weinidog, a fyddech chi'n cefnogi polisi o'r fath i alluogi cymunedau i adennill eu strydoedd?
Could I give the Member for Newport East an indication of where we are with 20 mph speed limits? We are working closely with Public Health Wales to review the evidence available as to the benefits of introducing 20 mph speed limits. That will then inform whether we require a refreshment to the current road safety framework. A comprehensive review of speed limits near schools on or near trunk roads has been carried out. There is a multi-year programme to introduce part-time 20 mph limits in those locations. Funding has been provided for local authorities to implement 20 mph zones and limits through the road safety and Safe Routes in Communities grants, and I can also inform him that Dr Adrian Davies has been commissioned to carry out an evidence review on 20 mph limits, which will then be used to inform any future policy development alongside our work with Public Health Wales. So, a great deal of work is being done. We await now, of course, the results of that work.
A gaf i roi awgrym i'r Aelod dros Ddwyrain Casnewydd o'n sefyllfa o ran y terfynau cyflymder 20 mya? Rydym ni'n gweithio'n agos gydag Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru i adolygu'r dystiolaeth sydd ar gael ynghylch manteision cyflwyno terfynau cyflymder 20 mya. Bydd hynny wedyn yn hysbysu pa un a oes angen adnewyddu'r fframwaith diogelwch ffyrdd presennol. Cynhaliwyd adolygiad cynhwysfawr o derfynau cyflymder ger ysgolion sydd ar gefnffyrdd neu gerllaw iddynt. Ceir rhaglen aml-flwyddyn i gyflwyno terfynau cyflymder 20 mya rhan-amser yn y lleoliadau hynny. Darparwyd cyllid i awdurdodau lleol gyflwyno ardaloedd a therfynau 20 mya drwy'r grantiau diogelwch ar y ffyrdd a Llwybrau Diogel mewn Cymunedau, a gallaf hefyd ei hysbysu bod Dr Adrian Davies wedi cael ei gomisiynu i gynnal adolygiad o dystiolaeth ar derfynau 20 mya, a fydd yn cael eu defnyddio wedyn i hysbysu unrhyw ddatblygiad polisi yn y dyfodol ochr yn ochr â'n gwaith gydag Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru. Felly, mae llawer iawn o waith yn cael ei wneud. Rydym ni'n aros nawr, wrth gwrs, am ganlyniadau'r gwaith hwnnw.
First Minister, a few weeks ago, during the business statement, I raised the case of a driver in Newport who defied his optician's advice to stay off the road due to his poor eyesight. He was subsequently the cause of a fatal road accident on the M4. At the moment, it is the responsibility of the driver to advise the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency that they are no longer able to drive. Can I ask the First Minister to look into this issue, with a view to making it mandatory for opticians in Wales to advise the DVLA when a driver's eyesight has deteriorated to such an extent that they are a danger to themselves and other motorists on the road in Wales, please?
Prif Weinidog, ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, yn ystod y datganiad busnes, codais achos gyrrwr yng Nghasnewydd a aeth yn groes i gyngor ei optegydd i gadw oddi ar y ffordd oherwydd ei olwg gwael. Yn dilyn hynny, achosodd ddamwain ffordd angheuol ar yr M4. Ar hyn o bryd, cyfrifoldeb y gyrrwr yw hysbysu'r Asiantaeth Trwyddedu Gyrwyr a Cherbydau nad ydyn nhw'n cael gyrru mwyach. A gaf i ofyn i'r Prif Weinidog ymchwilio i'r mater hwn, gyda'r nod o'i gwneud yn orfodol i optegwyr yng Nghymru hysbysu'r DVLA pan fydd golwg gyrrwr wedi dirywio i'r fath raddau ei fod yn berygl i'w hun ac i fodurwyr eraill ar y ffordd yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda?
Firstly, the issue isn't devolved. Secondly, I suspect there are some quite serious data protection issues that would need to be overcome if optometrists were told they had to report somebody if their eyesight was not sufficient to enable them to drive. It is the responsibility of an individual to make sure that they are fit to drive. It's the same with their eyesight. It's the same, of course, if somebody has an illness that affects their driving—they are obliged to inform the DVLA. Their insurance might be voided as a result and, of course, they will face charges if they cause an accident in certain circumstances. So, while I understand the need to ensure that people have sufficient eyesight to be able to drive, I think it is a matter of personal responsibility, and not a matter anyway, of course, that's devolved to this Assembly.
Yn gyntaf, nid yw'r mater wedi'i ddatganoli. Yn ail, rwy'n amau bod rhai materion diogelu data eithaf difrifol y byddai'n rhaid eu goresgyn pe byddai optometryddion yn cael eu hysbysu bod yn rhaid iddyn nhw hysbysu am rhywun nad oedd ei olwg yn ddigon da i'w alluogi i yrru. Cyfrifoldeb unigolyn yw gwneud yn siŵr ei fod yn addas i yrru. Mae'r un fath gyda'u golwg. Mae'r un fath, wrth gwrs, os oes gan rywun salwch sy'n effeithio ar ei yrru—mae'n ymrwymiad iddyn nhw hysbysu'r DVLA. Gallai eu hyswiriant gael ei ddiddymu o ganlyniad ac, wrth gwrs, byddan nhw'n wynebu cyhuddiadau troseddol os byddant yn achosi damwain o dan amgylchiadau penodol. Felly, er fy mod i'n deall yr angen i sicrhau bod gan bobl olwg digon da i allu gyrru, rwy'n credu ei fod yn fater o gyfrifoldeb personol, ac nid yn fater beth bynnag, wrth gwrs, sydd wedi'i ddatganoli i'r Cynulliad hwn.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Questions now from the party leaders. The Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Yn gyntaf oll, ar ran Plaid Cymru, hoffwn i estyn cydymdeimlad dwys i deuluoedd a chyfeillion y rhai sydd wedi colli'u bywydau o ganlyniad i'r llifogydd dros y penwythnos, gan gynnwys un o fy etholwyr i, Corey Sharpling, o Gastellnewydd Emlyn. Byddwn i'n croesawu ymrwymiad personol gan y Prif Weinidog y bydd y Llywodraeth yn edrych yn ddifrifol ar unrhyw wersi sydd yn dod i'r amlwg yn sgil y digwyddiadau trasig hyn.
Thank you, Llywydd. First of all, on behalf of Plaid Cymru, I’d like to extend my sincerest sympathies to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives as a result of the flooding over the weekend, including a constituent of mine, Corey Sharpling from Newcastle Emlyn, and I would welcome a personal commitment from the First Minister that the Government will look in earnest at any lessons that can be learned as a result of these tragic events.
First Minister, can you explain why, when the Labour group voted here a week ago against Plaid Cymru's motion calling for a people's vote on Brexit, two of your Ministers have been pressing the case for such a vote in recent days? Your health Secretary says the 'leave' campaign could have committed fraud. Your skills Minister says Brexit would be a tragedy and seriously damage Wales. Both say they would vote 'remain' in a referendum that should be held on the Brexit deal. Now, I agree with them. The question is: do you, or do you agree with your finance Secretary who declared that a people's vote isn't a policy but a slogan?
Prif Weinidog, a allwch chi esbonio pam, pan bleidleisiodd y grŵp Llafur yma wythnos yn ôl yn erbyn cynnig Plaid Cymru yn galw am bleidlais y bobl ar Brexit, bod dau o'ch Gweinidogion wedi bod yn dadlau'r achos dros bleidlais o'r fath yn y diwrnodau diwethaf? Mae eich Ysgrifennydd iechyd yn dweud y gallai'r ymgyrch 'gadael' fod wedi cyflawni twyll. Mae eich Gweinidog sgiliau yn dweud y byddai Brexit yn drasiedi ac yn niweidio Cymru yn ddifrifol. Mae'r ddau yn dweud y bydden nhw'n pleidleisio dros 'aros' mewn refferendwm a ddylai gael ei gynnal ar y cytundeb Brexit. Nawr, rwy'n cytuno â nhw. Y cwestiwn yw: a ydych chi, neu a ydych chi'n cytuno â'ch Ysgrifennydd cyllid a ddywedodd nad polisi yw pleidlais y bobl, ond slogan?
A gaf i ddechrau drwy ategu ac ymuno ag ef ynglŷn â'r newyddion drwg dros ben a glywsom ni dros y penwythnos a hefyd i estyn ein cydymdeimlad ni ar y meinciau hyn i deulu Corey Sharpling? Fe ddigwyddodd y ddamwain yn ei etholaeth ef, ac wrth gwrs mae'n rhywbeth sy'n arswydus i'r teulu a hefyd i'r gymuned oll. Felly, a gaf i hefyd ymuno ag ef ynglŷn â hynny?
May I start by echoing his comments on the tragic news that we heard over the weekend and also extend our deepest condolences on these benches to the family of Corey Sharpling? It happened in his constituency, of course, and it is something that is dreadful for the family and the whole community too. I join with him in those comments.
First of all, our policy is very clear with regard to a second referendum. We have said that a second referendum could only come about in certain circumstances. The first is whether or not there is an agreement at the Westminster Parliament and here and the Scottish Parliament. If there is no such agreement, to my mind there should then be a general election. If the results of that general election are inconclusive, how then do you resolve the issue, other than of course by having another referendum?
Yn gyntaf oll, mae ein polisi yn eglur iawn o ran cynnal ail refferendwm. Rydym ni wedi dweud y gallai ail refferendwm gael ei gynnal o dan amgylchiadau penodol yn unig. Y cyntaf yw pa un a oes cytundeb yn Senedd San Steffan ac yma ac yn Senedd yr Alban. Os nad oes cytundeb o'r fath, yna dylid cael etholiad cyffredinol yn fy marn i. Os yw canlyniadau'r etholiad cyffredinol hwnnw yn amhendant, yna sut mae datrys y mater, heblaw wrth gwrs drwy gael refferendwm arall?
I think the Labour Party could be accused of creative ambiguity in relation to its Brexit policy, but I don't think it could be accused of clarity. No more is that ambiguity on show than in the Labour leadership hustings. Reports from the first hustings held last week in the battle to replace you certainly made for interesting reading. Your skills Minister complained about the cuts to adult education. The finance Secretary described your attempts at reorganising local government as having been, as he put it, flawed and a distraction. And your health Secretary admitted that healthcare could have been better reorganised over the nine years that you've been at the helm. It's difficult to disagree with him when he says more of the same is not enough, but, when Vaughan Gething says that what Wales needs is a leader not a manager, is it the finance Minister or you that he has in mind?
Rwy'n credu y gellid cyhuddo'r Blaid Lafur o amwysedd creadigol o ran ei pholisi Brexit, ond nid wyf yn credu y gellid ei chyhuddo o eglurder. Nid yw'r amwysedd hwnnw'n ddim mwy amlwg nag ar lwyfannau etholiad arweinyddiaeth Llafur. Roedd yn ddiddorol iawn darllen adroddiadau o'r llwyfannau etholiadol cyntaf a gynhaliwyd yr wythnos diwethaf yn y frwydr i'ch disodli chi. Achwynodd eich Gweinidog sgiliau am y toriadau i addysg oedolion. Disgrifiodd yr Ysgrifennydd dros gyllid eich ymgais i ad-drefnu llywodraeth leol fel un a oedd, yn ei eiriau ef, yn ddiffygiol ac yn tynnu sylw. A chyfaddefodd eich Ysgrifennydd dros iechyd y gellid bod wedi ad-drefnu gofal iechyd yn well dros y naw mlynedd yr ydych chi wedi bod wrth y llyw. Mae'n anodd anghytuno ag ef pan ddywed nad yw mwy o'r un fath yn ddigon, ond pan fo Vaughan Gething yn dweud mai'r hyn sydd ei angen ar Gymru yw arweinydd nid rheolwr, ai'r Gweinidog cyllid neu chi sydd ganddo mewn golwg?
Having been here for more than nine years, the people of Wales have shown their confidence in me and my party, and I leave in the knowledge of that confidence. I have no difficulty with candidates bringing ideas forward. That's what they're meant to do. As long as, of course, they don't conflict with established Government policy, then it's absolutely right in a leadership contest that candidates should be free to come forward with ideas of their own. They're not going to say, 'Let's do things exactly as they have been'. They are of course in a position where they need to bring forward fresh ideas, and that's something that I very much welcome. I do welcome the fact that he is following the hustings and the leadership contest within my party with very great interest. I'm sure he will be able to ask questions of my successor when my successor takes over as First Minister.
Ar ôl bod yma ers dros naw mlynedd, mae pobl Cymru wedi dangos eu ffydd ynof i a'm plaid, a gadawaf yn gwbl ymwybodol o'r ffydd hwnnw. Nid oes gen i unrhyw anhawster o ran ymgeiswyr yn cynnig syniadau. Dyna maen nhw i fod i'w wneud. Cyn belled, wrth gwrs, nad ydyn nhw'n mynd yn groes i bolisi sefydledig y Llywodraeth, yna mae'n gwbl briodol mewn cystadleuaeth arweinyddiaeth y dylai ymgeiswyr fod yn rhydd i gynnig eu syniadau eu hunain. Dydyn nhw ddim yn mynd i ddweud, 'Gadewch i ni wneud pethau'n union fel y buon nhw'. Maen nhw wrth gwrs mewn sefyllfa lle mae angen iddyn nhw gynnig syniadau newydd, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth yr wyf i'n ei groesawu'n fawr iawn. Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith ei fod yn dilyn y llwyfannau etholiadol a'r ornest arweinyddiaeth yn fy mhlaid gyda diddordeb mawr iawn. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd yn gallu holi fy olynydd pan fydd fy olynydd yn cymryd drosodd fel Prif Weinidog.
Perhaps the biggest criticism made of your Government is that you don't like criticism. It's not just me saying that, but your Cabinet Secretary for local government, Alun Davies—I knew your time would come, Alun—who said this in a lecture to Public Affairs Cymru a few weeks ago:
'All too often I have seen people pull punches and bite lips whilst giving evidence to committees because criticism of Welsh Government or ministers is too difficult for organisations whose funding depends upon the largesse of that same government and those ministers.'
This culture of silence, the Welsh omertà, seems also to extend to the senior civil service. We saw only yesterday the Permanent Secretary refusing to answer questions about public accounts at the Public Accounts Committee. Was this because she was afraid of embarrassing you and your Ministers?
Efallai mai'r feirniadaeth fwyaf a wnaed o'ch Llywodraeth yw nad ydych chi'n hoffi beirniadaeth. Nid fi yn unig sy'n dweud hynny, ond eich Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol, Alun Davies—roeddwn i'n gwybod y byddai eich amser yn dod, Alun—a ddywedodd hyn mewn darlith i Public Affairs Cymru ychydig wythnosau yn ôl:
Yn rhy aml o lawer rwyf i wedi gweld rhai pobl yn dal yn ôl ac yn brathu eu tafodau wrth roi tystiolaeth i bwyllgorau gan fod beirniadaeth o Lywodraeth neu weinidogion Cymru yn rhy anodd i sefydliadau y mae eu cyllid yn dibynnu ar haelioni yr un Llywodraeth honno a'r gweinidogion hynny.
Mae'n ymddangos bod y diwylliant hwn o dawelwch, omertà Cymru, hefyd yn ymestyn i'r uwch wasanaeth sifil. Gwelsom ddoe ddiwethaf yr Ysgrifennydd Parhaol yn gwrthod ateb cwestiynau am gyfrifon cyhoeddus yn y Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus. A oedd hyn oherwydd ei bod hi'n ofni achosi i chi a'ch Gweinidogion deimlo'n annifyr?
Far from it. I don't know what he's referring to there. I know there was an issue with the accounts not being available in Welsh, which is unfortunate and will need to be rectified and I think has been rectified by now. We are very confident in what we have done in order to provide the support needed to bring jobs into Wales, and today we celebrate the fact that unemployment is 3.3 per cent. It is below the UK average. We celebrate the fact that we have record employment, higher than Scotland—record employment—and economic inactivity is down. These are figures we would have dreamt of not so long ago, and that shows how important it is to have a Welsh Labour-led Government that provides the support to business and ensures that unemployment comes down below the UK average. That's the devolution dividend.
Dim o gwbl. Nid wyf i'n gwybod at beth y mae'n cyfeirio ato yn y fan yna. Gwn y bu problem gyda'r ffaith nad oedd y cyfrifon ar gael yn y Gymraeg, sy'n anffodus a bydd angen ei gywiro ac rwy'n credu ei fod wedi cael ei gywiro erbyn hyn. Rydym ni'n hyderus iawn yn yr hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud i ddarparu'r cymorth sydd ei angen i ddod â swyddi i Gymru, a heddiw rydym ni'n dathlu'r ffaith bod gyflogaeth fwyaf erioed, uwch na'r Alban—y gyflogaeth fwyaf erioed—ac mae anweithgarwch economaidd wedi gostwng. Mae'r rhain yn ffigurau y byddem ni wedi breuddwydio amdanyn nhw heb fod mor bell â hynny yn ôl, ac mae hynny’n dangos pa mor bwysig yw cael Llywodraeth dan arweiniad Llafur Cymru sy'n darparu'r cymorth i fusnesau ac yn sicrhau bod diweithdra yn gostwng yn is na chyfartaledd y DU. Dyna yw'r difidend datganoli.
Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Paul Davies.
The leader of the opposition, Paul Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd. Can I also associate myself with the remarks made by the leader of Plaid Cymru and send my sympathies and my party's condolences to Corey Sharpling's family?
First Minister, in light of this weekend's devastating floods, do you consider your decision to cut capital spending on flood defences by almost 50 per cent in 2016-17 wise?
Diolch, Llywydd. A gaf innau hefyd gysylltu fy hun â'r sylwadau a wnaed gan arweinydd Plaid Cymru ac anfon fy nghydymdeimlad a chydymdeimlad fy mhlaid at deulu Corey Sharpling?
Prif Weinidog, yng ngoleuni llifogydd ofnadwy y penwythnos yma, a ydych chi'n credu bod eich penderfyniad i dorri gwariant cyfalaf ar amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd gan bron i 50 y cant yn 2016-17 yn ddoeth?
We have invested a great deal of money—£350 million—over this Government term to reduce the risk of flooding and coastal erosion. That's a substantial investment, far in excess of what's been done by his party in England, I have to say, where flood defence money has been cut very, very sharply indeed.
Now, what we will do, of course, is wait for NRW to conduct an analysis of whether there is more that can be done, or a reprioritising of some schemes, in the light of the evidence that we have seen from the flooding over the course of the past weekend. That is the sensible thing to do, that is the responsible thing to do, but I can say that there is already evidence that the schemes that have been put in place have helped to mitigate and prevent flooding across Wales where flooding would have occurred in the past.
Rydym ni wedi buddsoddi llawer iawn o arian—£350 miliwn—yn ystod y tymor Llywodraeth hwn i leihau'r perygl o lifogydd ac erydu arfordirol. Mae hwnnw'n fuddsoddiad sylweddol, llawer mwy na'r hyn a wnaed gan ei blaid ef yn Lloegr, mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, lle gwnaed toriadau mawr iawn i arian amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd.
Nawr, yr hyn y byddwn ni'n ei wneud, wrth gwrs, yw aros i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru gyflawni dadansoddiad o ba un a oes mwy y gallwn ni ei wneud, neu ail-flaenoriaethu rhai cynlluniau, yng ngoleuni'r dystiolaeth yr ydym ni wedi ei gweld o'r llifogydd dros y penwythnos diwethaf. Dyna'r peth synhwyrol i'w wneud, dyna'r peth cyfrifol i'w wneud, ond gallaf ddweud bod tystiolaeth eisoes i ddangos bod y cynlluniau yr ydym ni wedi eu rhoi ar waith wedi helpu i liniaru ac atal llifogydd ledled Cymru lle byddai llifogydd wedi digwydd yn y gorffennol.
Well, First Minister, it's about time that you take responsibility for what you are actually responsible for here in Wales, instead of talking about England. Let me give you some of the figures. [Interruption.] Let me give you—[Interruption.] Let me give you some of the figures. Between 2015-16 and 2016-17, capital spending on flood defences was cut from £18 million to £9.5 million, and it's therefore true to say that spending on flood-risk management and flood defences is not your Government's priority. Once again, your Government has failed to understand and address the needs of communities across Wales. Will you now apologise to those homes and businesses for the devastation and havoc that have been caused because of the cuts we've seen to NRW's budget over the years?
Wel, Prif Weinidog, mae'n hen bryd i chi gymryd cyfrifoldeb am yr hyn yr ydych chi'n gyfrifol amdano yma yng Nghymru, yn hytrach na sôn am Loegr. Gadewch i mi roi rhai o'r ffigurau i chi. [Torri ar draws.] Gadewch i mi roi—[Torri ar draws.] Gadewch i mi roi rhai o'r ffigurau i chi. Rhwng 2015-16 a 2016-17, torrwyd gwariant cyfalaf ar amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd o £18 miliwn i £9.5 miliwn, ac felly mae'n wir i ddweud nad gwariant ar reoli perygl llifogydd ac amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd yw blaenoriaeth eich Llywodraeth. Unwaith eto, mae eich Llywodraeth wedi methu â deall a rhoi sylw i anghenion cymunedau ledled Cymru. A wnewch chi ymddiheuro nawr i'r cartrefi a'r busnesau hynny am y difrod a'r llanastr a achoswyd oherwydd y toriadau yr ydym ni wedi eu gweld i gyllideb Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru dros y blynyddoedd?
Does he know how many flooding events there have been in England over the years? There are some things that are very difficult to prevent. We are not in a position where we can prevent every single flood, despite the weather, and what we saw over the weekend was an extreme weather event. Despite that, we will work with NRW to understand what more may need to be done in order to mitigate the impacts of flooding in the future.
But he simply cannot say, 'Well, you know, this is Wales—forget about what's happening in Whitehall.' The money, in the main—all of it, almost—comes from his Government in London, and yet he sits there and says, 'Well, it's all your fault that spending has been cut', when, in fact, as the finance Secretary has already said, if spending had kept pace—if public spending had kept pace and our block grant had kept pace—with growth in the economy since 2010, we would have £4 billion more. Why doesn't he make the case for Wales? We know Northern Ireland had £1 billion-worth of bung money. Why doesn't he make the case for Wales?
Yes, of course, we take responsibility in devolved areas, but perhaps he might want to take some responsibility and say to his colleagues in London, 'Enough is enough—let's end austerity; give Wales the money that it deserves.'
A yw ef yn gwybod faint o ddigwyddiadau llifogydd a welwyd yn Lloegr dros y blynyddoedd? Ceir rhai pethau y mae'n anodd iawn eu hatal. Nid ydym ni mewn sefyllfa lle y gallwn atal bob un achos o lifogydd, er gwaethaf y tywydd, ac roedd yr hyn a welsom dros y penwythnos yn ddigwyddiad tywydd eithafol. Er hynny, byddwn yn gweithio gyda Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i ddeall beth arall y gallai fod angen ei wneud er mwyn lliniaru effeithiau llifogydd yn y dyfodol.
Ond ni all ddweud yn syml, 'Wel, wyddoch chi, Cymru ydym ni— anghofiwch am yr hyn sy'n digwydd yn Whitehall.' Mae'r arian, ar y cyfan—i gyd, bron—yn dod oddi wrth ei Lywodraeth ef yn Llundain, ac eto mae'n eistedd yn y fan yna ac yn dweud, 'Wel, eich bai chi yw bod gwariant wedi cael ei dorri', pan, mewn gwirionedd, fel y mae'r Ysgrifennydd cyllid eisoes wedi ei ddweud, pe byddai gwariant wedi cadw i fyny—pe byddai gwariant cyhoeddus wedi cadw i fyny a'n grant bloc wedi cadw i fyny—gyda thwf yn yr economi ers 2010, byddai gennym ni £4 biliwn yn fwy. Pam nad yw'n dadlau achos Cymru? Rydym ni'n gwybod bod Gogledd Iwerddon wedi cael gwerth £1 biliwn o arian cildwrn. Pam nad yw'n dadlau achos Cymru?
Ydym, wrth gwrs, rydym ni'n cymryd cyfrifoldeb mewn meysydd datganoledig, ond efallai yr hoffai ef gymryd rhywfaint o gyfrifoldeb a dweud wrth ei gydweithwyr yn Llundain, 'Digon yw digon—gadewch i ni roi terfyn ar gyni cyllidol; rhowch yr arian i Gymru y mae hi'n ei haeddu.'
The reason we've had to cut spending, as a UK Government, over the last few years is because of the shambles—the shambles—that you left, as a party, in 2010. And we're still paying—[Interruption.] We're still paying the price for that. Now, First Minister—[Interruption.] First Minister, clearly—[Interruption.] Clearly—
Y rheswm y bu'n rhaid i ni dorri gwariant, fel Llywodraeth y DU, dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf yw oherwydd y traed moch—y traed moch—a adawyd gennych chi, fel plaid, yn 2010. Ac rydym ni'n dal i dalu—[Torri ar draws.] Rydym ni'n dal i dalu'r pris am hynny. Nawr, Prif Weinidog—[Torri ar draws.] Prif Weinidog, yn amlwg—[Torri ar draws.] Mae'n amlwg—
Okay. Okay, allow the leader of the opposition to be heard.
Iawn. Iawn, gadewch i arweinydd yr wrthblaid gael ei glywed.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, clearly, flooding is not a priority for your Government, because the remit letter from the environment Minister, which sets the priorities for Natural Resources Wales each year, does not prioritise flooding, flood-risk management or water management at all. This is the latest in a long line of failures at Natural Resources Wales, and a weakness of your Government to properly manage this organisation. First Minister, how will you and your Minister now get a grip of this issue and ensure that flooding and flood-risk management will be a priority for you and your Government in the future?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, yn amlwg, nid yw llifogydd yn flaenoriaeth i'ch Llywodraeth, oherwydd nid yw'r llythyr cylch gwaith gan Weinidog yr amgylchedd, sy'n pennu'r blaenoriaethau ar gyfer Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru bob blwyddyn, yn blaenoriaethu llifogydd, rheoli perygl llifogydd na rheoli dŵr o gwbl. Dyma'r diweddaraf mewn rhestr faith o fethiannau yn Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, a gwendid eich Llywodraeth chi i reoli'r sefydliad hwn yn briodol. Prif Weinidog, sut byddwch chi a'ch Gweinidog yn cael rheolaeth dros y mater hwn nawr a sicrhau y bydd llifogydd a rheoli perygl llifogydd yn flaenoriaeth i chi a'ch Llywodraeth yn y dyfodol?
Well, from a representative of the party that created the omnishambles—I don't think we can take any lessons from them. As I said to him earlier on, we will have provided over £350 million of investment across Wales to local authorities and NRW to reduce the risk of flooding and coastal erosion.
But he cannot escape the fact that we have seen year after year after year of cuts to our budget here in Wales, even as the Democratic Unionist Party's votes were bought by his party—£1 billion; silence from the Conservative benches. Did they stand up for Wales? Of course they didn't. Did they complain to their colleagues in London? Of course they didn't. Far easier to try and pin the blame on us, when our budget is being cut year after year after year, than actually try and influence their colleagues in London, over whom they say they have a great deal of influence, and provide Wales with the fair play that Wales deserves—that extra £4 billion—and, of course, ensuring that Northern Ireland doesn't get £1 billion, with nothing for Scotland and Wales in the future. That's responsibility—perhaps he'd like to apologise to the people of Wales for his failure in that regard.
Wel, gan gynrychiolydd y blaid a greodd y traed moch llwyr—nid wyf i'n credu y gallwn ni dderbyn unrhyw wersi ganddyn nhw. Fel y dywedais wrtho yn gynharach, rydym ni wedi darparu dros £350 miliwn o fuddsoddiad ledled Cymru mewn awdurdodau lleol a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i leihau'r perygl o lifogydd ac erydu arfordirol.
Ond ni all ddianc rhag y ffaith ein bod ni wedi gweld blwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn o doriadau i'n cyllideb yma yng Nghymru, hyd yn oed wrth i'w blaid ef brynu pleidleisiau Plaid yr Unoliaethwyr Democrataidd—£1 biliwn; tawelwch o feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr. A wnaethon nhw sefyll dros Gymru? Naddo siŵr. A wnaethon nhw gwyno i'w cyd-Aelodau yn Llundain? Naddo siŵr. Haws o lawer ceisio rhoi'r bai arnom ni, pan fo'n cyllideb yn cael ei thorri flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn, na cheisio â dylanwadu ar eu cydweithwyr yn Llundain, y maen nhw'n dweud bod ganddyn nhw lawer iawn o ddylanwad drostynt, a rhoi'r chwarae teg i Gymru y mae Cymru yn ei haeddu—y £4 biliwn ychwanegol hynny—ac, wrth gwrs, sicrhau nad yw Gogledd Iwerddon yn cael £1 biliwn, gyda dim byd i'r Alban a Chymru yn y dyfodol. Cyfrifoldeb yw hynna—efallai yr hoffai ymddiheuro i bobl Cymru am ei fethiant yn hynny o beth.
Arweinydd grŵp UKIP, Gareth Bennett.
Leader of the UKIP group, Gareth Bennett.
Diolch, Llywydd. I add my condolences to the families of people who were affected by the tragic events at the weekend. Now, First Minister, you will be well aware of the environmental effects of wood burning. Wood burning is seen by some environmentalists as a source of air pollution. Burning wood from trees also releases concentrated toxins back into the air, increasing our carbon footprint. So, I would like to ask you, First Minister, what is the Welsh Government's policy regarding the burning of wood?
Diolch, Llywydd. Ychwanegaf fy nghydymdeimlad â theuluoedd y bobl a gafodd eu heffeithio gan y digwyddiadau trasig dros y penwythnos. Nawr, Prif Weinidog, byddwch yn gwbl ymwybodol o effeithiau amgylcheddol llosgi coed. Mae rhai amgylcheddwyr o'r farn bod llosgi coed yn ffynhonnell o lygredd aer. Mae llosgi pren o goed hefyd yn rhyddhau gwenwynau crynodedig yn ôl i'r aer, gan gynyddu ein hôl troed carbon. Felly, hoffwn ofyn i chi, Prif Weinidog, beth yw polisi Llywodraeth Cymru o ran llosgi coed?
We are supportive of biomass but, of course, we want to make sure that the energy mix is as broad as possible, whilst taking into account our commitments in terms of reducing our carbon footprint. That's why, of course, we've seen biomass plants around Wales. Of course, biomass is renewable in the sense that you can replant trees in a way, for example, that isn't possible with coal.
Rydym ni'n cefnogi biomas ond, wrth gwrs, rydym ni eisiau gwneud yn siŵr bod y gymysgedd ynni mor eang â phosibl, gan gymryd i ystyriaeth ein hymrwymiadau o ran lleihau ein hôl troed carbon. Dyna pam, wrth gwrs, yr ydym ni wedi gweld gweithfeydd biomas ledled Cymru. Wrth gwrs, mae biomas yn adnewyddadwy yn yr ystyr y gallwch chi ail-blannu coed mewn ffordd, er enghraifft, nad yw'n bosibl gyda glo.
Thank you for that answer. There are some contentious arguments going on about wood burning and biomass, as to whether that really is renewable, so I will ask you on that, if I may. Now, a few weeks ago at First Minister's questions, you were telling us how EU regulations and guidance were helping Wales and the UK to protect the environment. And yet I now see that the EU has recently promoted the burning of wood as an environmentally-friendly and renewable fuel, as you just referred to the practice yourself. However, in adopting this position, the EU has drawn quite pointed criticism from many respected environmental scientists. For example, Eric Lambin of Stanford University said:
'Treating wood as a carbon-neutral fuel is a simple policy decision with complex cascading effects on forest use, energy systems, wood trade and biodiversity worldwide.'
End of quote. The worry is that by treating wood burning as a virtuous renewable fuel, we can end up desecrating forests, increasing the harvesting of global woodland, and, ultimately, producing increased emissions of greenhouse gas. Bearing all that in mind, First Minister, is your Government still confident that the EU is delivering the environmental protections that you have been telling us about?
Diolch am yr ateb yna. Ceir rhai achosion o anghytuno dadleuol am losgi coed a biomas, o ran a yw hynny wir yn adnewyddadwy, felly gwnaf eich holi am hynny, os caf i. Nawr, ychydig wythnosau'n ôl yn ystod cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, roeddech chi'n dweud wrthym ni sut yr oedd rheoliadau a chanllawiau'r UE yn helpu Cymru a'r DU i ddiogelu'r amgylchedd. Ac eto gwelaf nawr bod yr UE wedi hyrwyddo yn ddiweddar llosgi coed fel tanwydd adnewyddadwy ac eco-gyfeillgar, fel yr ydych chi newydd gyfeirio at yr arfer eich hun. Fodd bynnag, trwy fabwysiadu'r safbwynt hwn, mae'r UE wedi denu beirniadaeth eithaf clir gan lawer o wyddonwyr amgylcheddol uchel eu parch. Er enghraifft, dywedodd Eric Lambin o Brifysgol Stanford:
Penderfyniad polisi syml ag effeithiau rhaeadru cymhleth ar ddefnydd o goedwigoedd, systemau ynni, masnach coed a bioamrywiaeth ledled y byd yw trin coed fel tanwydd carbon-niwtral.
Diwedd y dyfyniad. Y gofid yw y byddwn yn halogi coedwigoedd yn y pen draw trwy drin llosgi coed fel tanwydd adnewyddadwy rhinweddol, gan gynyddu cynaeafu coetir byd-eang, ac, yn y pen draw, cynhyrchu mwy o allyriadau nwyon tŷ gwydr. O gofio hynny i gyd, Prif Weinidog, a yw eich Llywodraeth yn dal yn ffyddiog bod yr UE yn darparu'r mesurau diogelu'r amgylchedd yr ydych chi wedi bod yn dweud wrthym ni amdanynt?
Yes, because—. Well, let me see if I can explain it. Wood comes from trees, and trees grow. [Laughter.] And trees—. You can plant trees, they will grow, and they are replaceable in the way that coal, for example, as a fossil fuel, isn't. And I come back to the point I made earlier on—well, a few weeks ago in this Chamber: it's because of the EU that the UK cleaned up its act. The UK was one of the worst polluters in Europe. There was a river—I believe it was the River Irwell in Salford—that would catch alight if a lit match was thrown into it. Air quality was bad. We contributed hugely to acid rain. Our beaches were filthy. All those things have changed because European regulations have cleaned up Britain, and the last thing I'd want to see is us going back to those dark days in the 1980s where, for example, the River Ogmore in Bridgend used to run different colours according to what had been put into it upriver. I saw it run green, red, black—take your pick, really. The level of pollution was horrendous. Those days can never return.
Ydym, oherwydd—. Wel, gadewch i mi weld os gallaf ei esbonio. Mae pren yn dod o goed, ac mae coed yn tyfu. [Chwerthin.] Ac mae coed—. Gallwch blannu coed, byddan nhw'n tyfu, a gellir eu hadnewyddu mewn ffordd na ellir adnewyddu glo, er enghraifft, fel tanwydd ffosil. A dychwelaf at y pwynt a wneuthum yn gynharach—wel, ychydig wythnosau yn ôl yn y Siambr hon: oherwydd yr UE y gwnaeth y DU lanhau ei hamgylchedd. Roedd y DU yn un o'r llygrwyr gwaethaf yn Ewrop. Roedd afon—Afon Irwell yn Salford oedd hi, rwy'n credu—a fyddai'n cynnau pe byddai matsien wedi'i goleuo yn cael ei thaflu iddi. Roedd ansawdd yr aer yn wael. Roeddem ni'n cyfrannu'n sylweddol at law asid. Roedd ein traethau yn fochaidd. Mae'r holl bethau hynny wedi newid gan fod rheoliadau Ewropeaidd wedi glanhau Prydain, a'r peth olaf y byddwn i eisiau ei weld yw i ni ddychwelyd i'r dyddiau tywyll hynny yn y 1980au pan, er enghraifft, roedd Afon Ogwr ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn llifo mewn gwahanol liwiau yn dibynnu ar yr hyn a roddwyd ynddi i fyny'r afon. Fe'i gwelais yn llifo'n wyrdd, yn goch, yn ddu—dewiswch chi, mewn gwirionedd. Roedd lefel y llygredd yn erchyll. Ni all y dyddiau hynny fyth ddychwelyd.
Yes, you're using your well-worn anecdote about the River Irwell in Salford again. Well, we don't have to go as far away as the River Irwell—you also cite the River Ogmore. We had two rivers in Cardiff that would also change colour, so I'm not disagreeing with you on that—the Taff would turn black with coal dust; the Ely would change into various bright colours as it passed Ely papermill, depending on which colour dye had just been flushed into the river. But, going back to the River Irwell, I'd quote from a recent Cardiff University paper that referenced the recent addition of the journal Nature Geoscience. I quote, 'But a recent analysis of the Irwell system in the north-west of England found the highest concentration of plastic recorded in any river in the world.' End quote. So, even with all of these wonderful EU regulations, the river is still apparently suffering from some fairly major pollution.
Now, I think there are a couple of points to be made here. One is that you talk about my party, UKIP, wanting the UK to leave the EU as though we don't want any environmental regulations. And you speak as if, the moment the UK does leave the EU, all of the environmental regulations will disappear overnight. Clearly, this is nonsense and you're merely scaremongering. There is a continuity Bill that will ensure that all of the environmental regulations—every single one of them— will be preserved in UK law until such time as the UK Parliament has had time to assess that regulation and determine whether or not to keep it, to amend it, or to dispose of it. That process will take some time, obviously, because the legislators will have thousands of EU regulations to examine.
But another point I would like to make is this—[Interruption.]
Ie, rydych chi'n defnyddio eich hen stori am Afon Irwell yn Salford unwaith eto. Wel, nid oes rhaid i ni fynd mor bell i ffwrdd ag Afon Irwell—rydych chi hefyd yn cyfeirio at Afon Ogwr. Roedd gennym ni ddwy afon yng Nghaerdydd a fyddai'n newid lliw hefyd, felly nid wyf i'n anghytuno â chi am hynny—byddai afon Taf yn troi'n ddu gyda llwch glo; byddai afon Elái yn newid i wahanol liwiau wrth iddi lifo heibio melin bapur Trelái, yn dibynnu ar ba liw oedd y llifyn a olchwyd i mewn i'r afon. Ond, i ddychwelyd at Afon Irwell, byddwn yn dyfynnu o bapur diweddar Prifysgol Caerdydd a gyfeiriodd at rifyn diweddar y cyfnodolyn Nature Geoscience. Dyfynnaf, 'Ond canfu dadansoddiad diweddar o system Irwell yng ngogledd-orllewin Lloegr y crynodiad uchaf o blastig a gofnodwyd mewn unrhyw afon yn y byd.' Diwedd y dyfyniad. Felly, hyd yn oed gyda'r holl reoliadau UE ardderchog hyn, mae'n debyg bod yr afon yn dal i ddioddef cryn dipyn o lygredd.
Nawr, rwy'n credu bod un neu ddau o bwyntiau i'w gwneud yn y fan yma. Un yw eich bod chi'n sôn am fy mhlaid i, UKIP, sydd eisiau i'r DU adael yr UE fel pe na byddem ni eisiau unrhyw reoliadau amgylcheddol. Ac rydych chi'n siarad fel pe byddai'r holl reoliadau amgylcheddol yn diflannu dros nos yr eiliad y bydd y DU yn gadael yr UE. Mae hyn yn amlwg yn lol ac rydych chi'n codi bwganod. Ceir Bil parhad a fydd yn sicrhau bod pob un o'r rheoliadau amgylcheddol—pob un ohonynt—yn cael eu cadw yng nghyfraith y DU tan yr adeg y bydd Senedd y DU wedi cael amser i asesu'r rheoliad hwnnw a phenderfynu ar ba un a ddylid ei gadw, ei ddiwygio neu gael gwared arno. Bydd y broses honno'n cymryd cryn amser, yn amlwg, oherwydd bydd gan y deddfwyr filoedd o reoliadau UE i'w harchwilio.
Ond pwynt arall yr hoffwn ei wneud yw hwn—[Torri ar draws.]
You do need to get to a question.
Mae angen i chi ddod i gwestiwn.
I will. You seem to have a blind faith in EU directives and regulations, and yet—[Interruption.]
Mi wnaf. Mae'n ymddangos bod gennych chi ffydd ddall yng nghyfarwyddebau a rheoliadau'r UE, ac eto—[Torri ar draws.]
And now I can't hear whether he is getting to a question.
A nawr ni allaf glywed pa un a yw'n dod i gwestiwn.
I am, Llywydd.
Mi wyf i, Llywydd.
Yes. Thank you, Gareth.
Iawn. Diolch, Gareth.
And yet the EU supports wood burning, and we have people in Wales facing potential health risks as a result of that wood burning. There were at least three fires in south Wales at a wood recycling plant last year alone. Natural Resources Wales, which you oversee, gave a licence to a biomass incinerator neighbouring residential properties near Barry Dock. There's black, acrid smoke—[Interruption.]
Ac eto mae'r UE yn cefnogi llosgi coed, ac mae gennym ni bobl yng Nghymru sy'n wynebu peryglon posibl i iechyd o ganlyniad i'r llosgi coed hwnnw. Roedd o leiaf tri thân yn y de mewn gwaith ailgylchu pren y llynedd yn unig. Rhoddodd Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, yr ydych chi'n ei oruchwylio, drwydded i losgydd biomas drws nesaf i eiddo preswyl ger Doc y Barri. Ceir mwg du, llosgol—[Torri ar draws.]
Okay. I do need a question now.
Iawn. Mae angen cwestiwn arnaf i nawr.
How do you respond to the acrid, black smoke being suffered by residents near that wood-burning incinerator?
Sut ydych chi'n ymateb i'r mwg du, llosgol a ddioddefir gan drigolion ger y cyfleuster llosgi pren hwnnw?
Well, his party, as far as I'm aware, is in favour of more coal, which means more opencast, actually, because that's the only way to really get at coal in Wales now. It would be very difficult to sink any deep mines, even if we wanted to, to access that coal, and hugely expensive because of the geological faults, particularly in south Wales. I'm not sure whether he's saying that somehow the EU is polluting Britain with biomass. And he cites the River Irwell—there's work to be done there, clearly, with plastic. But the point is this: I don't make the point that somehow all environmental regulations will fall away as soon as we leave the EU; I make the point that it was the EU that forced Britain to clean up its act. The UK had an awful record when it came to pollution. It was forced to clean up beaches, clean up rivers, clean up the sea, because of European regulation. I would not want to see a situation in the future where we went backwards because of some crazed free-market ideology that said that environmental regulation is something that should be light touch. Absolutely not; we pride ourselves on our environment in Wales, we pride ourselves on the fact that it's been cleaned up so much over the past 30 years, and it will not go backwards.
Wel, mae ei blaid ef, cyn belled ag yr wyf i'n ymwybodol, o blaid mwy o lo, sy'n golygu mwy o gloddio brig, a dweud y gwir, oherwydd dyna'r unig ffordd o gael gafael ar lo yng Nghymru erbyn hyn. Byddai'n anodd iawn suddo unrhyw byllau glo dwfn, hyd yn oed pe byddem ni eisiau, i gael gafael ar y glo hwnnw, ac yn ddrud iawn oherwydd y ffawtiau daearegol, yn enwedig yn y de. Nid wyf i'n siŵr a yw'n dweud rywsut bod yr UE yn llygru Prydain gyda biomas. Ac mae'n cyfeirio at Afon Irwell—mae gwaith i'w wneud yn y fan honno, yn amlwg, gyda phlastig. Ond y pwynt yw hwn: nid wyf i'n gwneud y pwynt y bydd yr holl reoliadau amgylcheddol yn diflannu rywsut cyn gynted ag y byddwn ni'n gadael yr UE; rwy'n gwneud y pwynt mai'r UE wnaeth orfodi Prydain i lanhau ei hamgylchedd. Roedd gan y DU hanes gwael iawn o ran llygredd. Fe'i gorfodwyd i lanhau traethau, i lanhau afonydd, i lanhau'r môr, oherwydd rheoliadau Ewropeaidd. Ni fyddwn eisiau gweld sefyllfa yn y dyfodol lle byddem yn symud tuag at yn ôl oherwydd rhyw fath o ideoleg marchnad rydd wallgof sy'n dweud bod rheoleiddio amgylcheddol yn rhywbeth a ddylai fod yn ysgafn. Dim o gwbl; rydym ni'n ymfalchïo yn ein hamgylchedd yng Nghymru, rydym ni'n ymfalchïo yn y ffaith ei fod wedi cael ei lanhau gymaint dros y 30 mlynedd diwethaf, ac ni fydd yn symud tuag at yn ôl.
3. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog amlinellu sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n monitro effeithiolrwydd gwariant gan awdurdodau lleol? OAQ52796
3. Will the First Minister outline how the Welsh Government monitors the effectiveness of spending by local authorities? OAQ52796
The effectiveness of its spending is, in the first instance, a matter for each authority and its elected members, including through scrutiny.
Mater i bob awdurdod lleol a'i aelodau etholedig yw effeithiolrwydd ei wario, yn y lle cyntaf, gan gynnwys drwy waith craffu.
'An easy and lazy option when it comes to local government is to blame austerity and the Tories.' Gosh, First Minister, it sounds a bit like you and your Government. Let me read it again: 'an easy and lazy option when it comes to local government is to blame austerity and the Tories. It too often ignores other factors, such as poor decision making, when it comes to both budgets and service delivery.'
First Minister, these are the words of the former Labour leader of your local council, Jeff Jones. [Interruption.] The latest figures available for useable reserves over the last financial year show that four Welsh councils hold over £100 million each in reserves, and three of these are Labour-led. First Minister, is it poor decision making to cut so many services when sitting on millions and millions of pounds?
Dewis hawdd a diog pan ddaw i lywodraeth leol yw rhoi'r bai ar gyni cyllidol a'r Torïaid. Jiw, Prif Weinidog, mae'n swnio braidd fel chi a'ch Llywodraeth. Gadewch i mi ei ddarllen eto: dewis hawdd a diog pan ddaw i lywodraeth leol yw rhoi'r bai ar gyni cyllidol a'r Torïaid. Yn rhy aml mae'n anwybyddu ffactorau eraill, fel gwneud penderfyniadau gwael, pan ddaw i gyllidebau a darparu gwasanaethau.
Prif Weinidog, dyma eiriau cyn-arweinydd Llafur eich cyngor lleol, Jeff Jones. [Torri ar draws.] Mae'r ffigurau diweddaraf sydd ar gael ar gyfer cronfeydd wrth gefn defnyddiadwy dros y flwyddyn ariannol ddiwethaf yn dangos bod gan bedwar o gynghorau yng Nghymru dros £100 miliwn yr un mewn cronfeydd wrth gefn, ac arweinir tri o'r rhain gan y blaid Lafur. Prif Weinidog, a yw'n achos o benderfyniad gwael torri cynifer o wasanaethau tra eu bod yn eistedd ar filiynau a miliynau o bunnoedd?
Well, there's very little upon which I'd agree with Jeff Jones, and that has not changed. The point is this: is she saying that all local authorities, regardless of which party runs them, are in some way operating badly? Because that's what she's suggesting, that somehow it's all poor decision making in all parts of Wales and that local government, in effect, is crying wolf, that, somehow, local government has lots of money and, if only for the fact that they delivered services in a different way, they would be able to access far more money. Well, no. We know how difficult it is on local authorities. We know that it is tight. We look forward to the ending of austerity and look forward to the Chancellor providing us with more resources before Christmas, which we can then help local government with. I just don't accept that the problem in local government in Wales is the fact that every local council is taking bad decisions. That clearly can't be right and we want to make sure that, if the Prime Minister is true to her word and the brakes are coming off austerity, we see further resources coming to Wales and further resources that we can then provide for our local authorities.
Wel, prin iawn yw'r hyn y byddwn i'n cytuno â Jeff Jones yn ei gylch, ac nid yw hynny wedi newid. Y pwynt yw hwn: a yw hi'n dweud bod pob awdurdod lleol, ni waeth pa blaid sy'n ei redeg, yn gweithredu'n wael mewn rhyw ffordd? Oherwydd dyna'r hyn y mae'n ei awgrymu, ei fod rywsut yn achos o wneud penderfyniadau gwael ym mhob rhan o Gymru a bod llywodraeth leol, i bob pwrpas, yn gweiddi blaidd, bod gan lywodraeth leol lawer o arian, rywsut a, phe bydden nhw ond yn gallu darparu gwasanaethau mewn ffordd wahanol, y bydden nhw'n gallu cael gafael ar lawer mwy o arian. Wel, na. Rydym ni'n gwybod pa mor anodd yw hi ar awdurdodau lleol. Rydym ni'n gwybod ei bod hi'n dynn. Edrychwn ymlaen at ddiwedd cyni cyllidol ac edrychwn ymlaen at y Canghellor yn rhoi mwy o adnoddau i ni cyn y Nadolig, y gallwn eu defnyddio wedyn i helpu llywodraeth leol. Nid wyf i'n derbyn mai'r broblem mewn llywodraeth leol yw'r ffaith bod pob cyngor lleol yn gwneud penderfyniadau gwael. Mae'n amlwg na all hynny fod yn iawn, ac rydym ni eisiau gwneud yn siŵr, os yw Prif Weinidog y DU yn cadw at ei gair, ac yn rhoi terfyn ar gyni cyllidol, ein bod ni'n gweld mwy o adnoddau yn dod i Gymru a mwy o adnoddau y gallwn ni eu darparu wedyn i'n hawdurdodau lleol.
Mae Cyngor Gwynedd ymhlith y cynghorau sydd yn mynd i ddioddef waethaf yn sgil toriadau yn dilyn y setliad llywodraeth leol: toriad o hyd at £11 miliwn, a hynny ar ben blynyddoedd o doriadau enbyd. Ar y llaw arall, mae bwrdd iechyd y gogledd yn gweithredu ar ddiffyg ariannol blynyddol oddeutu £26 miliwn y llynedd, er gwaethaf y ffaith bod y bwrdd iechyd mewn mesurau arbennig ac o dan eich rheolaeth uniongyrchol chi fel Llywodraeth. A ydy hi'n deg cosbi Cyngor Gwynedd, awdurdod sydd wedi'i ganmol am fod yn gadarn ei drefniadau ariannol, ond gwobrwyo bwrdd iechyd sydd yn perfformio yn gyson wael ac yn methu'n glir â chynllunio'n ariannol a gweithredu'n effeithiol er budd trigolion y gogledd?
Gwynedd Council is among the councils that will suffer most as a result of cuts following the local government settlement: a cut of up to £11 million, and that’s on top of years of dreadful cuts. On the other hand, the north Wales health board is operating on an annual financial deficit of around £26 million last year, despite the fact that the health board is in special measures and under your direct management as a Government. Is it fair to punish Gwynedd Council, an authority that has been praised for being robust in its financial arrangements, while rewarding a health board that is performing consistently poorly and is clearly failing at financial planning and to operate effectively for the benefit of the people of north Wales?
Wel, un o'r dadleuon y mae rhai cynghorau wedi'i ddweud wrthyf i yw y dylai arian gael ei drosglwyddo o iechyd i lywodraeth leol achos y ffaith eu bod nhw'n dweud bod mwy a mwy o arian yn mynd mewn i iechyd. Mae'n gydbwysedd anodd—gallaf i ddweud hynny nawr—achos mae iechyd yn rhywbeth sy'n denu mwy a mwy o alw bob blwyddyn. Ond, fel y dywedais i yn gynharach, rŷm ni eisiau gweld y Canghellor yn creu mwy o adnoddau i Gymru, ac wrth wneud hynny, wrth gwrs, rydym ni’n gobeithio bydd yna fwy o arian ar gael i lywodraeth leol, achos rwy'n gwybod bod yna wasg arnyn nhw, ac nid wyf i’n mynd i ddweud unrhyw beth gwahanol, ond mae hwn, wrth gwrs, â’i wreiddiau yn y ffaith bod yr arian wedi cael ei wasgu o Lundain. So, felly, os bydd yr arian yna, byddwn ni'n gallu helpu awdurdodau lleol yn yr un ffordd ag y gwnaethom ni llynedd.
Well, one of the arguments that some councils put forward is that money should be transferred from health to local government because of the fact that they say more and more money is going into health. The balance is very difficult, because health does attract more and more of a demand each year. But, as I said earlier, we wish to see the Chancellor giving Wales more resources and, by doing that, we hope that there'll be more funding available for local government, because I know that they're under pressure, and I'm not saying anything different, but, of course, the root of this lies in the fact that the money that we get from London has been squeezed. And so we could help local authorities in the same way as we did last year.
First Minister, as a result of this year's local government settlement, local authorities across my region are warning that cuts to essential services are inevitable. Bridgend County Borough Council are proposing to close public toilets in Porthcawl, Swansea are closing care homes, and Neath Port Talbot are at breaking point because of the cuts. First Minister, how is your Government ensuring that local authorities eliminate wasteful spending before cutting essential services?
Prif Weinidog, o ganlyniad i setliad llywodraeth leol eleni, mae awdurdodau lleol ar draws fy rhanbarth i yn rhybuddio bod toriadau i wasanaethau hanfodol yn anochel. Mae Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn cynnig cau toiledau cyhoeddus ym Mhorthcawl, mae Abertawe yn cau cartrefi gofal, ac mae Castell-nedd Port Talbot ar ben eu tennyn oherwydd y toriadau. Prif Weinidog, sut mae eich Llywodraeth yn sicrhau bod awdurdodau lleol yn dileu gwariant gwastraffus cyn torri gwasanaethau hanfodol?
Well, I think local authorities take very seriously their obligations, and I know that, through contact with my own local authority, there are some very, very painful decisions that they're having to consider at the moment, which is not what people go into politics for, I understand that, which is why I have said to them and to others that any extra resources that come from the Chancellor as a result of the autumn statement—that local government will be first in the queue, given, of course, the pressures that we know will be placed on local government both this year and in the future.
Wel, rwy'n credu bod awdurdodau lleol yn cymryd eu rhwymedigaethau o ddifrif, a gwn, trwy gyswllt â'm awdurdod lleol fy hun, bod rhai penderfyniadau poenus dros ben y maen nhw'n gorfod eu hystyried ar hyn o bryd, ac nid dyna pam mae pobl yn mynd i fyd gwleidyddiaeth, rwy'n deall hynny, a dyna pam yr wyf i wedi dweud wrthyn nhw ac wrth eraill y bydd unrhyw adnoddau ychwanegol sy'n dod oddi wrth y Canghellor o ganlyniad i ddatganiad yr hydref—y bydd llywodraeth leol ar flaen y ciw, o gofio, wrth gwrs, y pwysau yr ydym ni'n gwybod fydd yn cael ei roi ar lywodraeth leol eleni ac yn y dyfodol.
4. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu gwell trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ledled Cymru? OAQ52799
4. What plans does the Welsh Government have to provide better public transport around Wales? OAQ52799
Well, delivering our ambitious vision for public transport is at an exciting stage, as we proceed to reshape rail services via the new Wales and borders franchise, the south Wales metro, of course, the north Wales metro as well, and our plans for active travel, local bus services and investments in the strategic road network.
Wel, mae'r gwaith o wireddu ein gweledigaeth uchelgeisiol ar gyfer trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ar gam cyffrous, wrth i ni fwrw ymlaen i ail-lunio gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd trwy fasnachfraint newydd Cymru a'r gororau, metro de Cymru, wrth gwrs, metro gogledd Cymru hefyd, ac yn ein cynlluniau ar gyfer teithio llesol, gwasanaethau bws lleol a buddsoddiadau yn y rhwydwaith ffyrdd strategol.
I thank the First Minister for that response. Yesterday, it was reported that the number of local bus journeys made in Britain had reached a 12-year low, and during the same period Wales bus passenger journeys have dropped by 5 million a year. The bus is such a hugely important form of transport for so many people, so what more can the Welsh Government do to encourage people to take the bus and improve the environment and improve things generally?
Diolchaf i'r Prif Weinidog am yr ymateb yna. Ddoe, adroddwyd bod nifer y teithiau bws lleol a wneir ym Mhrydain wedi cyrraedd eu hisaf mewn 12 mlynedd, ac mae siwrneiau teithwyr bws yng Nghymru wedi gostwng gan 5 miliwn y flwyddyn yn ystod yr un cyfnod. Mae'r bws yn fodd trafnidiaeth mor aruthrol o bwysig i gymaint o bobl, felly beth arall all Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i annog pobl i fynd ar y bws a gwella'r amgylchedd a gwella pethau yn gyffredinol?
Well, I believe this will take legislation, because we know—and many of us will have had constituents come to us complaining about a bus service being cut, but of course there's nothing we can do about it because it's a privately run service, it's not subsidised, there is no leverage. So, in the next few years, the Government will be looking at introducing legislation to ensure greater consistency of supply in services, to ensure we don't see a situation where services suddenly stop because an operator has gone bankrupt or decided not to run the service any more. And I think creating that certainty for passengers will create better numbers for the buses, because people won't be thinking, 'Well, I might take the bus, but will it turn up? Will the service still be there next year?' It's absolutely crucial, because in most parts of Wales we have what's, in effect, a private monopoly. There is no real competition along most routes. This is not what bus privatisation, even if you agreed with it in the 1980s, was meant to do, so we must now look at a new model that looks upon bus services as just that, services rather than something delivered entirely through competition that doesn't really exist.
Wel, rwy'n credu y bydd angen deddfwriaeth ar gyfer hyn, oherwydd rydym ni'n gwybod—a bydd llawer ohonom ni wedi cael etholwyr yn dod atom ni yn cwyno am wasanaeth bws yn cael ei dorri, ond wrth gwrs nid oes dim y gallwn ni ei wneud am y peth gan ei fod yn wasanaeth sy'n cael ei redeg yn breifat, nid yw'n cael cymhorthdal, nid oes unrhyw ddylanwad. Felly, yn yr ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf, bydd y Llywodraeth yn ceisio cyflwyno deddfwriaeth i sicrhau gwell cysondeb o ran cyflenwad gwasanaethau, i sicrhau nad ydym ni'n gweld sefyllfa lle mae gwasanaethau yn dod i ben yn sydyn oherwydd bod gweithredwr wedi mynd yn fethdalwr neu wedi penderfynu peidio â rhedeg y gwasanaeth mwyach. Ac rwy'n credu y bydd creu'r sicrwydd hwnnw i deithwyr yn arwain at niferoedd gwell ar gyfer y bysiau, oherwydd ni fydd pobl yn meddwl, 'Wel, efallai yr af i ar y bws, ond a fydd e'n dod? A fydd y gwasanaeth yn dal i fod yno y flwyddyn nesaf?' Mae'n gwbl hanfodol, oherwydd yn y rhan fwyaf o rannau o Gymru mae gennym ni'r hyn sydd, i bob pwrpas, yn fonopoli preifat. Nid oes unrhyw gystadleuaeth gwirioneddol ar hyd y rhan fwyaf o lwybrau. Nid dyma yr oedd preifateiddio bysiau, hyd yn oed os oeddech chi'n cytuno ag ef yn y 1980au, i fod i'w wneud, felly mae'n rhaid i ni ystyried model newydd nawr sy'n edrych ar wasanaethau bysiau fel yn union hynny, gwasanaethau yn hytrach na rhywbeth a ddarperir yn gyfan gwbl trwy gystadleuaeth nad yw'n bodoli mewn gwirionedd.
First Minister, I'd like to focus on disabled access to public transport, and specifically the ongoing lack of access at Abergavenny station. You mentioned the rail network and the importance of that and the new franchise. We didn't get very far under the old Arriva south Wales border franchise in dealing with problems of the lack of disabled access, much to the frustration of local people in my constituency, including prominent disabled access campaigner Dan Biddle. I wonder if you can give us an assurance that, under the new Transport for Wales structure and under the new franchise, as we move forward, the necessary improvements will now be made so that rail passengers across Wales will be able to benefit from unfettered access, whether or not they're able-bodied or disabled.
Prif Weinidog, hoffwn ganolbwyntio ar fynediad i bobl anabl at drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, ac yn benodol y diffyg mynediad parhaus yng ngorsaf y Fenni. Soniasoch am y rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd a phwysigrwydd hwnnw a'r fasnachfraint newydd. Nid aethom ni ymhell iawn o dan hen fasnachfraint de Cymru a'r gororau Arriva o ran ymdrin â phroblemau diffyg mynediad i bobl anabl, er mawr rwystredigaeth i bobl leol yn fy etholaeth i, gan gynnwys yr ymgyrchydd blaenllaw dros fynediad i bobl anabl, Dan Biddle. Tybed a allwch chi roi sicrwydd i ni, o dan strwythur newydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru ac o dan y fasnachfraint newydd, wrth i ni symud ymlaen, y bydd y gwelliannau angenrheidiol yn cael eu gwneud nawr fel y bydd teithwyr ar y rheilffyrdd ledled Cymru yn gallu elwa ar fynediad dilyffethair, pa un a ydyn nhw yn abl neu'n anabl.
Yes, £15 million has been allocated for that purpose. Abergavenny station is one of the stations that will be upgraded to ensure—well, 'upgraded' is the wrong word, really. It will ensure that what should be normal, i.e. disabled access, will be there. There are other stations as well. I was at Cathays station yesterday. It's not possible for people to cross to the other side of the tracks in Cathays—there's a bridge, but there's no other way of doing it; that will need to be resolved as well. But I can assure him that Abergavenny, as an important station, will see that work done.
Gallaf, dyrannwyd £15 miliwn at y diben hwnnw. Mae gorsaf y Fenni yn un o'r gorsafoedd a fydd yn cael ei huwchraddio i sicrhau—wel, nid 'uwchraddio' yw'r gair cywir, mewn gwirionedd. Bydd yn sicrhau bod yr hyn a ddylai fod yn arferol, h.y. mynediad i bobl anabl, yno. Ceir gorsafoedd eraill hefyd. Roeddwn i yng ngorsaf Cathays ddoe. Nid yw'n bosibl i bobl groesi i ochr arall y cledrau yn Cathays—mae pont, ond nid oes unrhyw ffordd arall o wneud hynny; bydd angen datrys hynny hefyd. Ond gallaf ei sicrhau y bydd y gwaith hwnnw yn cael ei wneud yn y Fenni, sydd yn orsaf bwysig.
The Welsh transport appraisal guidance report that proposes the closure of junction 41 westbound states there is a goal to try to ease congestion in that particular area, and they're trying to say that people need to get out of their cars, something that I would agree with. But in that particular area, we've seen downgrading of bus times through the Afan valley, and a new Transport for Wales franchise does not benefit the south-west of Wales as we would like it to. We are seeing huge proposals in finances to be put into a stretch of the M4 that we disagree with. So, how are you going to realise the intentions of that report when community transport is far from perfect here in Wales, and that's the record of your Government?
Mae adroddiad canllawiau gwerthuso trafnidiaeth Cymru sy'n cynnig cau cyffordd 41 tua'r gorllewin yn dweud bod nod o geisio lleddfu tagfeydd yn yr ardal benodol honno, ac maen nhw'n ceisio dweud bod angen i bobl gael allan o'u ceir, rhywbeth y byddwn i'n cytuno ag ef. Ond yn yr ardal benodol honno, rydym ni wedi gweld amseroedd bysiau yn cael eu hisraddio ar hyd dyffryn Afan, ac nid yw masnachfraint Trafnidiaeth Cymru newydd mor fuddiol i'r de-orllewin ag yr hoffem iddi fod. Rydym ni'n gweld cynigion enfawr o ran cyllid sydd i'w gyfrannu at ddarn o'r M4 yr ydym yn anghytuno ag ef. Felly, sut ydych chi'n mynd i wireddu bwriadau'r adroddiad hwnnw pan fo trafnidiaeth gymunedol ymhell o fod yn berffaith yma yng Nghymru, a dyna hanes eich Llywodraeth?
First of all, what she's talking about is a capital project, the M4, and what will be revenue funding with regard to bus services; they're two different pots to begin with. But it's not right to say that south-west Wales will not benefit, because the metro is not just about trains, it's not just about light rail, it's also about bus services. Now, of course, bus services have recently been devolved to this institution; there's an opportunity now for us to make sure that bus services are properly integrated into the train services. But, of necessity, because we have control of the train services now, that will be taken forward over the next five years and beyond, and then, of course, subject to the legislation, bus services, including those in the Afan valley, will be brought into a proper metro network.
Yn gyntaf oll, mae'r hyn y mae'n sôn amdano yn brosiect cyfalaf, yr M4, a'r hyn a fydd yn gyllid refeniw o ran gwasanaethau bysiau; maen nhw'n ddau wahanol bot i ddechrau. Ond nid yw'n iawn i ddweud na fydd y de-orllewin yn elwa, oherwydd nid yw'r metro yn ymwneud â threnau yn unig, nid yw'n ymwneud â rheilffyrdd ysgafn yn unig, mae hefyd yn ymwneud â gwasanaethau bws. Nawr, wrth gwrs, mae gwasanaethau bws wedi eu datganoli i'r sefydliad hwn yn ddiweddar; mae cyfle nawr i ni wneud yn siŵr bod gwasanaethau bws yn cael eu hintegreiddio'n iawn i'r gwasanaethau trên. Ond, o reidrwydd, gan fod gennym ni reolaeth dros y gwasanaethau trên erbyn hyn, bydd hynny'n cael ei ddatblygu dros y pum mlynedd nesaf a thu hwnt, ac yna, wrth gwrs, yn amodol ar y ddeddfwriaeth, bydd gwasanaethau bws, gan gynnwys y rhai yn nyffryn Afan, yn cael eu cynnwys mewn rhwydwaith metro gwirioneddol.
5. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am bolisi Llywodraeth Cymru tuag at drethi ail gartrefi? OAQ52794
5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's policy on the taxation of second homes? OAQ52794
Rydym ni’n datblygu ein polisïau trethu i ateb anghenion penodol Cymru, yn unol â’r egwyddorion yn ein fframwaith polisi trethu. Mae hyn yn cynnwys ein polisi ar drethu ail gartrefi.
We are developing our tax policies to meet the specific needs of Wales, in line with the principles set out in our tax policy framework. This includes our approach to the taxation of second homes.
Rydw i’n siŵr eich bod chi’n cytuno bod y ffaith bod £5 miliwn o bobl Prydain bellach yn berchen ar ddau neu fwy o gartrefi tra bod bron i 700,000 o bobl yn ddibynnol ar becynnau bwyd gan yr elusen Trussell Trust yn un o’r arwyddion cliriaf fod ein cymdeithas yn un gynyddol annheg ac anghydradd.
Bellach, mae yna 5,000 o ail gartrefi yng Ngwynedd, tra bod bron i 2,000 ar y gofrestr aros am dŷ cymdeithasol yn y sir. Rydw i'n falch o weld eich bod chi, o’r diwedd, yn dilyn pwysau gan Blaid Cymru, yn dechrau mynd i’r afael â’r anomali sy’n golygu nad ydy rhai perchnogion ail gartrefi yn talu trethi cyngor na threthi busnes, sy’n golled anferth i’r pwrs cyhoeddus. Ond mae yna lawer iawn mwy angen ei wneud i helpu teuluoedd sy’n cael eu prisio allan o’r farchnad gan bresenoldeb nifer cynyddol o ail gartrefi yn eu cymunedau. Un peth syml y gellid ei wneud yng Nghymru ydy newid bychan i’r system cynllunio: ei gwneud hi’n ofynnol i unrhyw annedd gael caniatâd cynllunio cyn y gellid ei droi’n ail gartref a fyddai wedyn yn galluogi cynghorau i gael gwell rheolaeth ar y sefyllfa. A ydych chi’n cytuno bod angen y newid yma ar fyrder?
I'm sure you'd agree that the fact that 5 million people in Britain now own two or more homes, whilst almost 700,000 people are reliant on food packs from the Trussell Trust charity is one of the clearest signals that our society is increasingly inequitable and unfair.
There are 5,000 second homes in Gwynedd, whilst almost 2,000 are on the waiting list for social housing in the county. I am pleased to see that you, at last, following pressure from Plaid Cymru, are now starting to tackle the anomaly that means that some second home owners don't pay council tax or business rates, which is a huge loss to the public purse. But far more needs to be done to help families who are priced out of the market by the existence of an increasing number of second homes in their communities. One simple thing that could be done in Wales is to make a minor change to the planning system and make it a requirement for any property to have planning permission before it can become a second home, which would then allow councils to get better control of the situation. Do you agree that this change is required as a matter of urgency?
Rydym ni wedi edrych ar hwn. Nid yw e mor rhwydd â hynny achos: beth sy’n digwydd wedyn, er enghraifft, yng Nghaerdydd, lle mae yna lot fawr o fflatiau yn cael eu hadeiladu, rhai ohonyn nhw’n ail gartrefi? A ydy hynny’n meddwl bod rhaid cael, er enghraifft, caniatâd cynllunio i bob un o'r rheini? Ac yn enwedig gydag ail gartref—beth yw ail gartref? Os oes rhywun, efallai, yn byw mewn un am hanner yr amser ac un am yr hanner arall, pa un yw’r ail gartref? Os yw e yn Lloegr, wrth gwrs, gallan nhw ddweud, ‘Wel, hwn yw fy nghartref i, ac mae fy ail gartref yn Lloegr.’ So, rwy’n deall y pwynt mae’r Aelod yn ei wneud, ond nid yw e cweit mor rhwydd â hynny.
Beth, felly, yw’r ateb? Wel, rydym ni wedi, wrth gwrs, sicrhau bod cynghorau’n gallu codi mwy o dreth cyngor ar ail gartrefi, rydym ni wedi sicrhau bod y rheini sydd yn prynu ail gartrefi yn talu mwy dan y dreth prynu tir, mae hynny’n wir hefyd. Ond hefyd, wrth gwrs, mae’n rhaid cael system cynllunio sydd yn sensitif i’r iaith, yn enwedig, ond, ar ddiwedd y dydd, mwy o dai sydd eu heisiau er mwyn sicrhau nad yw pobl leol yn gorfod cystadlu â phobl dŵad, a hefyd eu bod nhw’n gallu cael cymysgedd o dai i ddewis ohonynt er mwyn bod tai ar gael yn yr ardal. So, mae’n rhaid cael mwy o dai a mwy o dai fforddiadwy er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu byw yn eu cymunedau. Rwy'n deall, mewn rhai cymunedau o Gymru, mae hynny’n anodd.
We've looked at this, and it isn't as easy as that because what happens then, for example, in Cardiff. where many flats are erected and some are second homes? Does that mean that you have to have, for example, planning permission for each one of those, and, in particular, with second homes, what constitutes a second home? If a person lives in it for half the time, but in another for half the time, which is the second home? If it is in England, you could say, 'Well, this is my main home, and my second home is in England.' I understand the point that the Member makes, but it's not quite that simple.
What is the solution? We have ensured that councils can charge more council tax on second homes, and we've ensured that people who purchase second homes have to pay the land purchase tax; that is also true. But, also, we must have a planning system that is sensitive to the linguistic background of the area, particularly, but, ultimately, we need more housing to ensure that local people don't have to compete with incomers and also that there can be a mix of housing so that people can ensure that they have a choice in the area. So, we need more housing and more affordable housing in order to ensure that people can live within their communities. I understand that it's very difficult to do so in some parts of Wales.
First Minister, I do agree that housing is an asset like no other, really, and has to be treated with its social dimension very much in mind. For this reason, I do agree that Government can look at policies like a premium on the council tax. Where you do that, however, shouldn't it also be, at the very least, the guidance that any extra revenue so generated is then reinvested in affordable and social housing?
Prif Weinidog, rwy'n cytuno bod tai yn ased gwahanol i unrhyw un arall, mewn gwirionedd, a bod yn rhaid ei drin gan gadw'r dimensiwn cymdeithasol yn flaenllaw yn ein meddyliau. Am y rheswm hwn, rwy'n cytuno y gall y Llywodraeth edrych ar bolisïau fel premiwm ar y dreth gyngor. Pan fyddwch chi'n gwneud hynny, fodd bynnag, oni ddylai fod yn ganllaw hefyd, o leiaf, bod unrhyw refeniw ychwanegol a gynhyrchir drwy hynny yn cael ei ail-fuddsoddi wedyn mewn tai fforddiadwy a chymdeithasol?
Well, I would hope that local councils do that anyway. We know that there are many local authorities in Wales who are building council houses. We know that in rural Wales particularly—I think Powys is the example I always use, it has probably sold half of its social housing stock from the end of the 1970s onwards. So many houses were sold and they never found their way back into the hands of people who could afford to buy them because the prices had gone up so far. So, yes, it is hugely important that there is more affordable housing—some will be rented, some not. I was with a building company last week, for example, who said to me that 70 per cent of the houses they sell are sold through Help to Buy, without which, they probably would find it difficult to sustain their current level of activity.
But it is hugely important that we're able to provide more houses across Wales, but particularly in rural Wales, where there is not as much choice in terms of house size and in terms of price. How will we do that? Well, of course, we are on target to deliver 20,000 affordable homes by the end of this Assembly term, which will make a significant contribution.
Wel, byddwn yn gobeithio bod cynghorau lleol yn gwneud hynny beth bynnag. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod llawer o awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru sy'n adeiladu tai cyngor. Rydym ni'n gwybod yng Nghymru wledig yn arbennig—rwy'n credu mai Powys yw'r enghraifft yr wyf i'n ei defnyddio bob amser, mae'n debyg ei bod wedi gwerthu hanner ei stoc tai cymdeithasol o ddiwedd y 1970au ymlaen. Gwerthwyd cynifer o dai ac nid aethon nhw fyth yn ôl i ddwylo'r bobl a allai fforddio eu prynu gan fod y prisiau wedi codi gymaint. Felly, ydy, mae'n hynod bwysig bod mwy o dai fforddiadwy—bydd rhai yn cael eu rhentu, rhai ddim. Roeddwn i gyda chwmni adeiladu yr wythnos diwethaf, er enghraifft, a ddywedodd wrthyf fod 70 y cant o'r tai y maen nhw'n eu gwerthu yn cael eu gwerthu trwy Cymorth i Brynu, a heb hynny mae'n debyg y bydden nhw'n ei chael hi'n anodd cynnal eu lefel presennol o weithgarwch.
Ond mae'n bwysig dros ben ein bod ni'n gallu darparu mwy o dai ledled Cymru, ond yn enwedig yng Nghymru wledig, lle nad oes cymaint o ddewis o ran maint tŷ ac o ran pris. Sut byddwn ni'n gwneud hynny? Wel, wrth gwrs, rydym ni ar y trywydd iawn i ddarparu 20,000 o gartrefi fforddiadwy erbyn diwedd y tymor Cynulliad hwn, a fydd yn gwneud cyfraniad sylweddol.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am waith caffael Llywodraeth Cymru? OAQ52798
6. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government procurement? OAQ52798
We're committed to maximising the social, economic and environmental value of our procurement.
Rydym ni wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau'r gwerth cymdeithasol, economaidd ac amgylcheddol gorau posibl o'n gwaith caffael.
Thank you. I have recently acquired a list of transactions on Welsh Government procurement cards for the 2017-18 financial year. I was, however, very shocked to see that nearly £1.6 million was spent on these credit cards over the 12 months, with many of the transactions remaining worryingly vague. One example is the £13,255 spent through PayPal—no information about what was bought and from what companies. Another is £460 spent at yachtshop.co.uk, or the £8,300 spent in one transaction on a British Airways flight. There are also countless instances of these cards paying for Amazon Prime or iTunes subscriptions with no details. What steps are you taking, as First Minister, to improve transparency and financial probity whilst monitoring the spend of hard-earned taxpayers' money on these Welsh Government procurement credit cards?
Diolch. Rwyf i wedi cael gafael ar restr o drafodiadau ar gardiau caffael Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer blwyddyn ariannol 2017-18 yn ddiweddar. Fodd bynnag, cefais sioc fawr o weld y gwariwyd bron i £1.6 miliwn ar y cardiau credyd hyn dros y 12 mis, a bod llawer o'r trafodiadau yn parhau i fod yn bryderus o amwys. Un enghraifft yw'r £13,255 a wariwyd trwy PayPal—dim gwybodaeth am yr hyn a brynwyd ac oddi wrth pa gwmnïau. Un arall yw £460 a wariwyd yn yachtshop.co.uk, neu'r £8,300 a wariwyd mewn un trafodiad ar awyren British Airways. Ceir enghreifftiau dirifedi hefyd o'r cardiau hyn yn talu am danysgrifiadau Amazon Prime neu iTunes heb unrhyw fanylion. Pa gamau ydych chi'n eu cymryd, fel Prif Weinidog, i wella tryloywder a gonestrwydd ariannol gan fonitro sut y mae arian y mae trethdalwyr yn gweithio'n galed i'w ennill yn cael ei wario ar y cardiau credyd caffael Llywodraeth Cymru hyn?
We regularly publish our spend over £25,000 to improve the transparency of how public funds are used. I will call on the examples that the Member has used and look to provide her with a detailed answer to her questions.
Rydym ni'n cyhoeddi ein gwariant dros £25,000 yn rheolaidd i wella tryloywder o sut y mae cyllid cyhoeddus yn cael ei ddefnyddio. Byddaf yn galw ar yr enghreifftiau y mae'r Aelod wedi eu defnyddio ac yn ceisio rhoi ateb manwl i'w chwestiynau iddi hi.
Obviously, we have the Wales Audit Office to monitor the detail of these things. I just wanted to ask you about the wider picture in terms of the procurement power that we have. We have a public sector that spends over £4 billion each year on procurement, and I'm very interested in how we might be able to procure more of our spend in Wales so that we're generating local jobs rather than in multinationals that then export the profits.
I'm particularly interested in work that's been done by the National Procurement Service around procuring food. I'm concerned to see from the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee's report last May that there is no public source of accurate and up-to-date figures on public sector procurement of Welsh food, so I'd be keen to learn how we can improve the procurement of local food in Wales, because, obviously, that would be good for our businesses and also good for our health.
Yn amlwg, mae gennym ni Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru i fonitro'r pethau hyn yn fanwl. Roeddwn i eisiau eich holi chi am y darlun ehangach o ran y grym caffael sydd gennym ni. Mae gennym ni sector cyhoeddus sy'n gwario dros £4 biliwn bob blwyddyn ar gaffael, ac mae gen i ddiddordeb mawr mewn sut y gallem ni gaffael mwy o'n gwariant yng Nghymru fel ein bod ni'n creu swyddi lleol yn hytrach na mewn cwmnïau amlwladol sy'n allforio'r elw wedyn.
Mae gen i ddiddordeb arbennig yn y gwaith a wnaed gan y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn ymwneud â chaffael bwyd. Rwy'n pryderu gweld o adroddiad y Pwyllgor Newid Hinsawdd, Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig fis Mai diwethaf nad oes ffynhonnell gyhoeddus o ffigurau cywir a chyfredol ar gaffaeliad bwyd sector cyhoeddus Cymru, felly byddwn yn awyddus i ddarganfod sut y gallwn ni wella caffaeliad bwyd lleol yng Nghymru, oherwydd, yn amlwg, byddai hynny'n dda i'n busnesau a hefyd yn dda i'n hiechyd.
Well, what I can say is that we, of course, encourage Welsh public bodies to increase the visibility of contracts via Sell2Wales. Of the 22,000 contracts awarded so far through Sell2Wales, approximately two thirds have been to Welsh suppliers and 75 per cent of these have been to Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises. I know the Member asked about the National Procurement Service, I can say that the proportion of public procurement expenditure won by Welsh-based firms now stands at 50 per cent. From 1 April 2017 to 30 June of this year, the spend through NPS agreements was £7,000,700, and of that, 57 per cent was Welsh-based suppliers. When our community benefits policy is applied, the figures are even higher. For example, 82 per cent of the money has been retained in Wales when that is applied. She asked, of course, how we increase this. We want to do that through the importance of regional and local priorities within local authorities, and we are exploring the adoption of different approaches where regional collaborative procurement is undertaken, which strengthens the economy and communities within those regions.
Wel, yr hyn y gallaf ei ddweud yw ein bod ni, wrth gwrs, yn annog cyrff cyhoeddus yng Nghymru i gynyddu amlygrwydd contractau trwy GwerthwchiGymru. O'r 22,000 o gontractau a ddyfarnwyd hyd yn hyn trwy GwerthwchiGymru, mae tua dwy ran o dair wedi bod i gyflenwyr o Gymru ac mae 75 y cant o'r rhain wedi bod i fentrau bach a chanolig eu maint yng Nghymru. Gwn fod yr Aelod wedi gofyn am y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol, gallaf ddweud fod cyfran y gwariant caffael cyhoeddus a enillir gan gwmnïau yng Nghymru yn 50 y cant erbyn hyn. O 1 Ebrill 2017 tan 30 Mehefin eleni, £7,000,700 oedd y gwariant trwy gytundebau Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol, ac o hynny roedd 57 y cant yn gyflenwyr wedi eu lleoli yng Nghymru. Pan fydd polisi manteision cymunedol yn cael ei gymhwyso, mae'r ffigurau yn uwch fyth. Er enghraifft, cadwyd 82 y cant o'r arian yng Nghymru pan fydd hwnnw'n cael ei gymhwyso. Gofynnodd, wrth gwrs, sut yr ydym yn cynyddu hyn. Rydym ni eisiau gwneud hynny trwy bwysigrwydd blaenoriaethau rhanbarthol a lleol mewn awdurdodau lleol, ac rydym ni'n ystyried mabwysiadu gwahanol ddulliau lle bydd caffael cydweithredol rhanbarthol yn cael ei wneud, sy'n cryfhau economi a chymunedau yn y rhanbarthau hynny.
7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gynnydd tuag at sicrhau bod Cymru'n dod yn genedl cyflog byw go iawn? OAQ52774
7. Will the First Minister make a statement on progress towards Wales becoming a real living wage nation? OAQ52774
Welsh Government is a living wage employer, and I'm proud that this Government has taken action to support and encourage take-up of the real living wage by employers in both the public and private sectors.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gyflogwr cyflog byw, ac rwy'n falch bod y Llywodraeth hon wedi cymryd camau i gefnogi a hybu'r nifer sy'n derbyn y cyflog byw gwirioneddol gan gyflogwyr yn y sector cyhoeddus a'r sector preifat.
Of course, First Minister, the real living wage makes a real difference to people's lives, benefiting wage earners, their households, communities and local economies. And I know, ahead of Living Wage Week, you've always actively supported events during early November. What further action can be taken to promote the real living wage across, particularly, the public sector, the health service and local government, but also in further and higher education?
Wrth gwrs, Prif Weinidog, mae'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol yn gwneud gwir wahaniaeth i fywydau pobl, gan fod o fudd i enillwyr cyflog, eu haelwydydd, cymunedau ac economïau lleol. A gwn, cyn Wythnos Cyflog Byw, eich bod chi wedi cefnogi digwyddiadau yn ystod dechrau mis Tachwedd yn frwd erioed. Pa gamau eraill y gellir eu cymryd i hyrwyddo'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol ar draws, yn benodol, y sector cyhoeddus, y gwasanaeth iechyd a llywodraeth leol, ond hefyd mewn addysg bellach ac uwch?
Well, we've got a strong push on this across the public sector: in Government, of course; our sponsored bodies; the NHS; national parks; HEIs; some local authorities, for example, they all pay the real living wage to their own staff. Of course, we need to make sure that applies across local authorities. It needs to be seen as something that is normal, not exceptional, within the public sector, and we want now to move on to use the buying power that we have in the public sector to ensure the wider adoption of the real living wage as part of fair work across the economy.
Wel, mae gennym ni ymgyrch gref ar hyn ar draws y sector cyhoeddus: yn y Llywodraeth, wrth gwrs; ein cyrff a noddir; y GIG; parciau cenedlaethol; sefydliadau addysg uwch; rhai awdurdodau lleol, er enghraifft, maen nhw i gyd yn talu'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol i'w staff eu hunain. Wrth gwrs, mae angen i ni wneud yn siŵr bod hynny'n digwydd ar draws awdurdodau lleol. Mae angen iddo gael ei ystyried fel rhywbeth sy'n arferol, nid eithriadol, yn y sector cyhoeddus, ac rydym ni eisiau symud ymlaen nawr i ddefnyddio'r grym prynu sydd gennym ni yn y sector cyhoeddus i sicrhau bod y cyflog byw gwirioneddol yn cael ei fabwysiadu'n ehangach yn rhan o waith teg ar draws yr economi.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8. Bethan Sayed.
And finally, question 8. Bethan Sayed.
8. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o ddiwygio'r cynllun cymhorthdal cyfrif refeniw tai? OAQ52800
8. What assessment has the First Minister made of the reform of the housing revenue account subsidy scheme? OAQ52800
Well, I am pleased that, following the exit from the housing revenue account subsidy system, all affected authorities have a council house building strategy in place. They're all at different stages and we are working with them to increase the pace and scale of their plans.
Wel, rwy'n falch, yn dilyn yr ymadawiad â'r system cymhorthdal cyfrif refeniw tai, bod gan yr holl awdurdodau yr effeithiwyd arnynt strategaeth adeiladu tai cyngor ar waith. Maen nhw i gyd ar wahanol gamau ac rydym ni'n gweithio gyda nhw i gynyddu cyflymder a maint eu cynlluniau.
As you've mentioned, as part of the exit from this scheme in 2015, a borrowing cap of £1.85 billion was placed on councils that retained housing stock. Given that Theresa May has announced that English councils will no longer have a cap on their ability to borrow to build new homes, will the Welsh Government look into renegotiating the current deal with the Treasury? After all, it makes more sense to borrow to build homes when there is no right to buy, as is the case in Wales, than in England, where homes can be built and then sold for less than the market value. In Wales, that investment will continue to be returned over the long term.
Fel yr ydych chi wedi sôn, yn rhan o'r ymadawiad â'r cynllun hwn yn 2015, rhoddwyd cyfyngiad benthyg o £1.85 biliwn ar gynghorau a gadwodd stoc tai. O gofio bod Theresa May wedi cyhoeddi na fydd gan gynghorau yn Lloegr gyfyngiad ar eu gallu i fenthyg er mwyn adeiladu cartrefi newydd, a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ymchwilio i aildrafod y cytundeb presennol gyda'r Trysorlys? Wedi'r cyfan, mae'n gwneud mwy o synnwyr i fenthyg i adeiladu cartrefi lle nad oes hawl i brynu, fel sy'n wir yng Nghymru, nag yn Lloegr, lle y gellir adeiladu cartrefi ac yna eu gwerthu am lai na gwerth y farchnad. Yng Nghymru, bydd y buddsoddiad hwnnw yn parhau i gael ei ddychwelyd dros y tymor hir.
That's correct. At the moment the borrowing cap is £1,927 million. I saw the Prime Minister's announcement. Officials have been in touch with representatives in the UK Government to see how that will work, and I think it's fair to say that no-one seems to know at the moment. The announcement was made. There doesn't seem to be any detail. But I can assure the Member that what applies in England in terms of flexibility, we would expect to apply in Wales.
Mae hynny'n wir. £1,927 miliwn yw'r cyfyngiad benthyg ar hyn o bryd. Gwelais gyhoeddiad Prif Weinidog y DU. Mae swyddogion wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â chynrychiolwyr yn Llywodraeth y DU i weld sut y bydd hynny'n gweithio, ac rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n deg i ddweud ei bod yn ymddangos nad oes neb yn gwybod ar hyn o bryd. Gwnaed y cyhoeddiad. Nid yw'n ymddangos bod unrhyw fanylion. Ond gallaf sicrhau'r Aelod y byddem yn disgwyl i'r hyn sy'n berthnasol yn Lloegr o ran hyblygrwydd fod yn berthnasol yng Nghymru.
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 i wneud y datganiad. Julie James.
The next item, therefore, is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the leader of the house to make the statement. Julie James.
Diolch, Llywydd. There are several changes to this week's business. Later today, the Minister for environment will make a statement on the flood impact of storm Callum; I will make a statement on 'Action on Disability: The Right to Independent Living'; and the Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care will make a statement on National Adoption Week. These replace statements on a broadband update—which I will deliver next week—and the findings of the independent accelerated programme for amber review, which has been postponed until 6 November. Additionally, the statement on the update on year 2 of the innovative housing programme has been reduced to 30 minutes. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting paper available to Members electronically.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae sawl newid i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Yn ddiweddarach heddiw, bydd y Gweinidog dros yr Amgylchedd yn rhoi datganiad ar effaith llifogydd storm Callum; Byddaf i'n gwneud datganiad ar 'Gweithredu ar Anabledd: Yr Hawl i Fyw'n Annibynnol'; a bydd y Gweinidog Plant, Pobl Hŷn a Gofal Cymdeithasol yn rhoi datganiad i drafod Wythnos Genedlaethol Mabwysiadu. Mae'r rhain yn disodli datganiadau am ddiweddariad band eang—y byddaf i yn eu traddodi yr wythnos nesaf—a chanfyddiadau'r rhaglen garlam annibynnol i adolygu galwadau oren, sydd wedi'i ohirio tan 6 Tachwedd. Hefyd, mae'r datganiad ar ddiweddariad blwyddyn 2 y rhaglen tai arloesol wedi ei gwtogi i 30 munud. Mae busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, y gellir ei weld ymhlith y papur cyfarfod sydd ar gael i Aelodau yn electronig.
Leader of the house, can I call for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education on the process by which she determines school closure proposals that have been referred to her by various organisations that are able to do that? She will be aware that there is an outstanding school closure proposal that has been on the Cabinet Secretary's desk—or, certainly, a desk in the Welsh Government—for the past 31 months. It's now five years that there has been uncertainty around this particular school closure proposal for Ysgol Llanbedr in my own constituency in Denbighshire. The first application was forwarded to Ministers and the application was rejected. A second application was then made by Denbighshire to close the school, and it was referred by the Church in Wales back in 2015, and the uncertainty is hanging around this school. Yet in spite of that, the numbers at the school are buoyant, it's entered into a federation arrangement with another local school, and appears to be going from strength to strength and having a great deal of success. But I'm sure that you would agree with me that such uncertainty for such a long time is completely unacceptable, and that this now needs to be determined as a matter of urgency. So, I would appreciate a statement just clarifying the process, and the appropriate timescales, from the Cabinet Secretary for Education.
Can I also call for a statement on access to modern medicines? I met this morning with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust regarding access to some of the more modern medicines, including Orkambi, which has been proven to be significantly effective in alleviating the symptoms and slowing down the progress of cystic fibrosis in as many as 47 per cent of cases. This could benefit around 200 people who are suffering from cystic fibrosis here in Wales, and yet at the moment this drug isn't available, in spite of it being available in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Greece, the United States and Sweden. Clearly this is a modern drug, it's expensive, and I know that we have to safeguard the public purse, but it is making a difference for those people who have access to it, and I think it would be helpful if we could have an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services on this particular situation, and in particular to give us some light on whether there have been any discussions with Vertex, the manufacturer of this particular drug, the Welsh Government and NHS Wales in terms of making some sort of access available for patients. So, I'd be grateful if I could have those two statements, please.
Arweinydd y Tŷ, a gaf i alw am ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg ynglŷn â'r broses y mae hi'n ei defnyddio i benderfynu ar y cynigion i gau ysgolion a atgyfeiriwyd iddi gan y sefydliadau amrywiol hynny sydd â'r gallu i wneud hynny? Bydd hi'n ymwybodol bod un cynnig cau ysgol wedi bod ar ddesg yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet—neu, yn sicr, ar ddesg yn Llywodraeth Cymru—am 31 mis heb ei drafod. Ers pum mlynedd bellach, mae ansicrwydd ynghylch y cynnig penodol hwn i gau Ysgol Llanbedr yn fy etholaeth i yn Sir Ddinbych. Anfonwyd y cais cyntaf i'r Gweinidogion, a chafodd ei wrthod. Gwnaed ail gais wedyn gan Sir Ddinbych i gau'r ysgol, a gyfeiriwyd gan yr Eglwys yng Nghymru yn ôl yn 2015, ac mae'r ansicrwydd yn parhau ynglŷn â'r ysgol. Ond er gwaethaf hynny, mae'r niferoedd yn yr ysgol yn galonnog, maen nhw wedi ymrwymo i gytundeb ffedereiddio gydag ysgol leol arall, ac ymddengys ei bod yn mynd o nerth i nerth ac yn cael llwyddiant mawr. Rwy'n siŵr y byddech chi'n cytuno â mi fod ansicrwydd o'r fath am gyfnod mor hir yn gwbl annerbyniol, ac y dylid gwneud penderfyniad ar y mater ar fyrder. Felly, byddwn yn gwerthfawrogi datganiad i egluro'r broses a'r amserlenni priodol gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg.
A gaf i alw hefyd am ddatganiad ynglŷn â chael gafael ar feddyginiaethau modern? Ces gyfarfod y bore yma gyda'r Ymddiriedolaeth Ffeibrosis Systig ynglŷn â chael gafael ar rai meddyginiaethau mwy modern, gan gynnwys Orkambi, sydd wedi'i brofi i gael effaith sylweddol wrth leddfu symptomau ac arafu cynnydd ffeibrosis systig mewn hyd at 47 y cant o achosion. Gallai oddeutu 200 o bobl sy'n dioddef o ffeibrosis systig yma yng Nghymru elwa ar hyn, ond hyd yma nid yw'r cyffur ar gael, er gwaethaf y ffaith ei fod ar gael yn Awstria, Denmarc, yr Almaen, Lwcsembwrg, yr Iseldiroedd, yr Eidal, Iwerddon, Groeg, yr Unol Daleithiau, a Sweden. Yn amlwg, mae'n gyffur modern, mae'n ddrud, ac rwy'n ymwybodol fod angen i ni warchod y pwrs cyhoeddus, ond mae'n gwneud gwahaniaeth i'r rhai sy'n gallu cael gafael arno, ac rwy'n credu y byddai diweddariad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus i drafod y sefyllfa arbennig hon yn ddefnyddiol, ac yn enwedig i egluro pa un a fu unrhyw drafodaethau â Vertex, gwneuthurwr y cyffur penodol hwn, Llywodraeth Cymru, a GIG Cymru o ran galluogi cleifion i ddefnyddio'r cyffur. Byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe gallwn gael y ddau ddatganiad hynny felly, os gwelwch yn dda.
The second one is already the subject of a question for one of your Conservative colleagues at questions tomorrow, so I'm sure there'll be an opportunity to discuss it with the Cabinet Secretary there. On the school closure issue that you mentioned, the Cabinet Secretary is indicating that she's happy to write to you about it.
Mae'r ail un eisoes yn destun i gwestiwn gan un o'ch cyd-aelodau Ceidwadol yn ystod y cwestiynau yfory, rwy'n yn siŵr bydd cyfle i drafod y mater gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ar yr adeg honno. O ran y mater o gau ysgolion a grybwyllwyd gennych, mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn rhoi arwydd i mi ei bod yn fodlon ysgrifennu atoch i drafod y mater.
Leader of the house, back in May I raised under the business statement the fact that I had received representations from trainee doctors in Wales in the field of histopathology who, for some time now, have faced a pay gap of some £40,000 over the course of their training when compared to their English counterparts. The Welsh Government is aware of the pay gap due to correspondence between myself and the Cabinet Secretary for health on this matter. Indeed, I first raised the matter in a written question back in November 2016, yet two years on the gap persists.
As I've stated previously, pay, among other factors, is clearly important to trainee doctors when deciding on where to train and study. Doctors who decide to train in Wales deserve parity with their counterparts across the border. Trainees have told me that they feel that, by deciding to work in Wales, they are being financially punished for the decision. The situation is not fair, it does nothing for morale and in the long run it undermines the Welsh Government's own attempts to attract doctors to train and work in NHS Wales.
In answering our written question from myself in July of this year, the Cabinet Secretary referred to discussions with BMA Cymru and the Wales Deanery, and that he expected a report on this issue to be ready in September. Could I therefore ask the Cabinet Secretary to bring forward a statement, be it oral or written, setting out clearly the Welsh Government's position on closing this pay gap in histopathology training between Wales and England with a view to bringing this inequity to an end as soon as possible?
Arweinydd y Tŷ, yn ôl ym mis Mai yn rhan o'r datganiad busnes, crybwyllais y ffaith fy mod wedi cael sylwadau gan feddygon yng Nghymru sy'n hyfforddi ym maes histopatholeg a oedd yn dweud eu bod, ers peth amser bellach, wedi wynebu bwlch cyflog yn ystod eu hyfforddiant o ryw £40,000 o'i gymharu â meddygon cyfatebol yn Lloegr. O ganlyniad i'r ohebiaeth rhyngof i ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd am y mater hwn, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymwybodol o'r bwlch cyflog. Mewn gwirionedd, fe wnes grybwyll y mater gyntaf mewn cwestiwn ysgrifenedig yn ôl ym mis Tachwedd 2016, ac eto, ddwy flynedd yn ddiweddarach mae'r bwlch yn parhau i fodoli.
Fel yr wyf wedi'i ddweud o'r blaen, mae'n amlwg fod cyflogau, ymhlith ffactorau eraill, yn bwysig i feddygon dan hyfforddiant wrth iddyn nhw benderfynu ble y dylent hyfforddi ac astudio. Mae'r meddygon sy'n dewis hyfforddi yng Nghymru yn haeddu cydraddoldeb â meddygon cyfatebol ar draws y ffin. Mae'r meddygon dan hyfforddiant wedi dweud wrthyf eu bod yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu cosbi'n ariannol am ddewis gweithio yng Nghymru. Nid yw'r sefyllfa'n deg, nid yw'n gneud dim lles i ysbryd, ac yn y tymor hir mae'n tanseilio ymdrechion Llywodraeth Cymru i ddenu meddygon i hyfforddi a gweithio yn y GIG.
Wrth ateb y cwestiwn ysgrifenedig a ddanfonais ym mis Gorffennaf eleni, cyfeiriodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet at drafodaethau gyda BMA Cymru a Deoniaeth Cymru, a dywedodd ei fod yn disgwyl y byddai adroddiad ar y mater yn barod erbyn mis Medi. Oes modd felly i mi ofyn i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i gyflwyno datganiad, boed yn llafar neu'n ysgrifenedig, sy'n egluro safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ar gau'r bwlch cyflog hwn rhwng Cymru a Lloegr ym maes hyfforddiant histopatholeg, gyda golwg o ddod â'r annhegwch hwn i ben cyn gynted â phosibl?
The Cabinet Secretary's indicating to me that he's very happy to bring forward a statement on that matter.
Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn dangos i mi ei fod yn fodlon iawn i gyflwyno datganiad ar y mater hwnnw.
Thank you. I wanted to raise the continuing issue of the Windrush scandal. As the leader of the house is probably aware, since the Windrush scandal became public earlier this year, two taskforces have been launched by the Home Office to engage with people affected by the scandal and to help them resolve their status. However, I understand that, despite visiting 52 places in the UK, the taskforce is now finally coming to Wales and, I understand, only after Hilary Brown, the lawyer who has fought many of these immigration cases, protested, and it will only come to two places, Cardiff and Newport. A second compensation taskforce is only coming for one day, so I think there is a great deal of anger, really, that Welsh victims of Windrush are being discarded and treated as a second afterthought. Of course, it does affect us here in the Assembly because it links to some of the services that we provide in this Assembly.
So, I don't know whether the leader of the house has been able to raise this with Home Office officials, or whether she will raise it with Home Office officials. Perhaps we could have a statement from the Government about what is happening with the victims of Windrush here in Wales.
Diolch. Roeddwn yn awyddus i drafod mater parhaus sgandal Windrush. Mae'n fwy na thebyg fod arweinydd y tŷ yn ymwybodol fod y Swyddfa Gartref wedi lansio dau dasglu ers i sgandal Windrush ddod at sylw'r cyhoedd yn gynharach eleni, gyda'r bwriad o gysylltu â'r rhai sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan y sgandal ac i helpu i ddatrys eu statws. Fodd bynnag, yr wyf yn deall, er gwaethaf ymweld â 52 o leoedd yn y DU, fod y tasglu o'r diwedd yn dod i Gymru ac, yr wyf yn deall, hynny ddim ond ar ôl i Hilary Brown, y cyfreithiwr sydd wedi ymladd llawer o'r achosion mewnfudo hyn, brotestio, a byddant ond yn ymweld â dau le, Caerdydd a Chasnewydd. Bydd ail dasglu digolledu yn dod am un diwrnod yn unig, ac rwy'n credu bod llawer o ddicter, mewn gwirionedd, am fod y rhai yng Nghymru sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan Windrush yn cael eu hepgor a'u trin yn eilradd. Wrth gwrs, mae'n effeithio arnom ni yma yn y Cynulliad gan ei fod yn gysylltiedig â rhai o'r gwasanaethau yr ydym yn eu cynnig yn y Cynulliad hwn.
Felly, nid wyf yn gwybod pa un a yw arweinydd y tŷ wedi gallu codi'r mater hwn gyda swyddogion y Swyddfa Gartref, neu os yw hi'n bwriadu codi'r mater gyda swyddogion y Swyddfa Gartref. Efallai y gallem gael datganiad gan y Llywodraeth o ran yr hyn sy'n digwydd gyda'r rhai sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan Windrush yma yng Nghymru.
Yes, as it happens, I had the opportunity to meet with the UK Government Minister for Immigration, Caroline Nokes, only yesterday, and this was on the agenda for discussion. She confirmed that the taskforce is coming to Wales, and we had some discussion about what the situation was here in Wales. Only 62 people from Wales, she has confirmed back to me, have accessed the helpline, and whilst we don't know the true scale of the affected community, I personally think, from conversations in the community—and I know Julie Morgan has had similar conversations—that that's only a small fraction of those who are actually affected.
I had quite a robust discussion with the Minister and with my counterpart from Scotland about the situation, and about what information people are expected to produce and how reasonable that is, and what they were testing that against in terms of transparency and reasonableness and all those sorts of things. She assured me that the taskforce was very interested in supporting individuals throughout the whole process, and we had an exchange of views around the fact that the community needed to be thoroughly reassured that the process was there, both to protect their interests and to compensate them for any difficulties that they might have encountered. So, the Minister did assure me of those things, and I look forward to seeing how the taskforce progresses.
Ie, digwydd bod, ces gyfle ddoe i gwrdd â Gweinidog Llywodraeth y DU dros Fewnfudo, Caroline Nokes, ac roedd hyn ar yr agenda i'w drafod. Cadarnhaodd fod y tasglu yn dod i Gymru, a chafwyd ychydig o drafodaeth am y sefyllfa yma yng Nghymru. Dim ond 62 o bobl o Gymru, rhoddodd hi gadarnhad o hynny i mi, sydd wedi defnyddio'r llinell gymorth, ac er nad ydym yn gwybod gwir faint y gymuned sydd wedi'i heffeithio, yn bersonol rwy'n credu, o sgyrsiau gyda'r gymuned—a gwn fod Julie Morgan wedi cael sgyrsiau tebyg—mai dim ond cyfradd fach iawn o'r rhai sydd wedi'u heffeithio yw hynny mewn gwirionedd.
Cefais drafodaeth gadarn am y sefyllfa gyda'r Gweinidog a chyda fy nghyfatebydd yn yr Alban, a thrafodwyd pa wybodaeth y mae disgwyl i bobl ei chyflwyno a pha mor rhesymol yw hynny, a pha bethau y maen nhw'n eu defnyddio i brofi hynny o ran tryloywder a rhesymoldeb, a'r mathau hynny o bethau. Fe wnaeth hi fy sicrhau bod gan y tasglu ddiddordeb mawr mewn cefnogi unigolion drwy gydol y broses, a chafwyd cyfle i ni gyfnewid barn ynghylch y ffaith fod y gymuned angen sicrwydd trwyadl fod y broses ar gael, er mwyn amddiffyn eu diddordebau ac i'w digolledu os ydynt wedi cael unrhyw anawsterau. Felly, rhoddodd y Gweinidog sicrwydd o ran y pethau hynny, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at weld sut y bydd y tasglu'n symud ymlaen.
Leader of the house, may I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health on the availability of microprocessor knees on the NHS in Wales? Microprocessor knees, or MPKs, are designed for people who have an amputation above the knee and thus lack the knee joint and lower leg. I was contacted recently by a constituent who had his right leg amputated up to the hip after the lorry he was driving overturned in high winds on the Severn bridge. MPKs have been available on the NHS in England since 2016 and are also provided to eligible amputees in Northern Ireland and Scotland. However, my constituent has been told by his amputation clinic that they are not available in Wales. Leader of the house, can I ask the Cabinet Secretary for his statement on why the life-changing benefits of MPKs are not available to amputees in Wales, please?
Arweinydd y Tŷ, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd ynglŷn â phengliniau â microbrosesyddion sydd ar gael yn y GIG yng Nghymru? Mae'r pengliniau hyn, a elwir yn MPKs, ar gyfer pobl sydd wedi colli coes uwch ben y pen-glin ac felly heb ben-glin nac ychwaith gweddill y goes. Cysylltodd etholwr â mi yn ddiweddar, roedd wedi colli ei goes dde hyd at y glun ar ôl i'r lori yr oedd yn ei gyrru droi drosodd mewn gwyntoedd uchel ar bont Hafren. Mae MPKs wedi bod ar gael ar y GIG yn Lloegr ers 2016, a chânt eu cynnig i bobl sy'n gymwys ac wedi colli coes yng Ngogledd Iwerddon ac yn yr Alban hefyd. Fodd bynnag, dywedodd clinig fy etholwr wrtho nad ydyn nhw ar gael yng Nghymru. Arweinydd y Tŷ, a gaf i ofyn i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ddatganiad i egluro pam nad yw manteision MPKs, a allai newid bywydau, ar gael i bobl yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda?
I understand that you are already in correspondence with the health Secretary on this matter, and that he's already answered your query.
Rwyf ar ddeall eich bod eisoes mewn gohebiaeth â'r Ysgrifennydd dros iechyd ar y mater hwn, a'i fod eisoes wedi ateb i'ch ymholiad.
It has been announced that the public front desk at Caerphilly police station will once again close, meaning that, effectively, Caerphilly town will be left without a police station. That's just a little over a year after it was reopened. The cost of purchasing and refurbishing the station has amounted to £315,000 of public money. And whilst, of course, I accept that policing isn't a devolved matter to the Welsh Government, the Welsh Government does fund police community support officers—nearly 150 in the Gwent force area alone. So, can we have a statement from Welsh Government expressing a view, and even a concern, on the effective loss of a station in a major town, but, crucially, the fact that it will be more difficult for people in Caerphilly to access services that are partly funded by the Welsh Government itself?
Cyhoeddwyd y bydd y ddesg flaen gyhoeddus yng ngorsaf heddlu Caerffili yn cau unwaith eto, gan olygu, i bob pwrpas, y bydd tref Caerffili yn cael ei gadael heb orsaf heddlu, a hynny dim ond ychydig dros flwyddyn ar ôl iddi gael ei hailagor. Mae prynu ac adnewyddu'r orsaf wedi costio £315,000 i'r pwrs cyhoeddus. Ac er, wrth gwrs, fy mod yn derbyn nad yw plismona yn fater sydd wedi'i ddatganoli i Lywodraeth Cymru, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ariannu swyddogion cymorth cymunedol yr heddlu—bron i 150 yn ardal Gwent yn unig. Felly, a gawn ni ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn mynegi barn, a phryder efallai, fod tref fawr, yn colli ei gorsaf i bob pwrpas, ac, yn hollbwysig, y bydd hi'n anoddach i bobl Caerffili ddefnyddio gwasanaethau sy'n cael eu hariannu'n rhannol gan Lywodraeth Cymru ei hun?
I wasn't aware of that. I don't know if he's written to my Cabinet Secretary colleague for local government and public services. If he hasn't, I'd suggest he does so, and I can assist with getting a response to that.
Nid oeddwn i'n ymwybodol o hynny. Nid wyf yn gwybod os yw ef wedi ysgrifennu at fy nghyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros lywodraeth leol a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Os nad ydyw, rwy'n awgrymu ei fod yn gwneud hynny, a gallaf fod o gymorth iddo gael ymateb.
With regard to the Barry incinerator, has the Minister reached a decision as to whether an EIA—an environmental impact assessment—will be required to accompany the most recent planning application for a water tower and car park? And is the Minister aware that the Barry Docks Incinerator Action Group is of the opinion that the entire project required an EIA to accompany the planning application in 2015?
O ran llosgydd y Barri, a yw'r Gweinidog wedi penderfynu ar ba un a oes angen asesiad o'r effaith amgylcheddol i gyd-fynd â'r cais cynllunio diweddaraf ar gyfer tŵr dŵr a maes parcio? Ac a yw'r Gweinidog yn ymwybodol bod y Barry Docks Incinerator Action Group o'r farn bod y prosiect cyfan angen asesiad o'r effaith amgylcheddol i gyd-fynd â'r cais cynllunio yn 2015?
The Minister for Environment has not yet made the decision about the need for an environmental impact assessment to accompany the planning application currently before the Vale of Glamorgan Council, relating to the water tank and to car parking. I do expect, though, that when the Minister issues a decision letter, that it will address the issue of an EIA in respect of the application for outline planning permission in 2015.
Nid yw'r Gweinidog dros yr Amgylchedd wedi gwneud penderfyniad hyd yma o ran yr angen am asesiad o'r effaith amgylcheddol i gyd-fynd â'r cais cynllunio sydd bellach gerbron Cyngor Bro Morgannwg, yn ymwneud â thanc dŵr a maes parcio. Rwy'n disgwyl, fodd bynnag, pan fydd y Gweinidog yn cyhoeddi llythyr penderfyniad, y bydd yn ymdrin â'r mater o asesiad o effaith amgylcheddol ar gyfer y cais am ganiatâd cynllunio amlinellol yn 2015.
Could I call for two statements? The first one is on post-polio syndrome ahead of Post-polio Syndrome Day next Monday, 22 October. It was launched in 2013 to raise awareness of post-polio syndrome amongst the general public, and the date chosen, 22 October, to be close to the official World Polio Day, marked on 24 October, by Rotary's End Polio Now campaign.
People in remote regions with the syndrome can be particularly hard to reach. There have been outreach initiates in Scotland and south-west England and, clearly, there will be people with the syndrome in remote parts of Wales, who are also living isolated lives, who need to be reached. This is recognised as a neurological condition. Up to 80 per cent of those who've had polio will go on to develop the syndrome after several years, with increasing weakness, fatigue, pain, swallowing problems, cold intolerance and much else. There's no specific cure, but properly managed, it can be stabilised, progress slowed, cost on the NHS reduced and the quality of life of the individuals affected improved. In a survey by YouGov a couple of years ago, 86 per cent of people recognised Parkinson's, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy, but only 7 per cent recognised the syndrome. The British Polio Fellowship is calling on parliamentarians across the UK to help develop that awareness across the population, but also in Wales, particularly in the context of the needs of the population affected. I call for a statement on that.
My final call is for a statement on modern slavery. Last Saturday, I attended the north Wales modern slavery forum, ahead of modern slavery week this week, and Anti-slavery Day across the UK on 18 October. It was organised by a third sector organisation, Haven of Light, but we had representatives from public, private, business sectors, we had the Wales anti-slavery co-ordinator, Jeff Cuthbert as the anti-slavery lead for the police and crime commissioners, and many more. We heard that, now, the biggest affected population are actually Britons who are trafficking victims. We heard that modern slavery was alive in business, agriculture, hospitality, crime and sexual exploitation across north Wales, and Wales's rural communities, towns and every single county, and much more besides. Clearly, this is topical because of the week, but clearly it's also an ongoing issue, where the number of people reported last year of being trafficked increased by 56 per cent, and the first six months of this year showed a multiple again of figures being reported, just in Wales.
A gaf i alw am ddau ddatganiad? Mae'r cyntaf yn ymwneud â syndrom ôl-polio yn arwain at Ddiwrnod Syndrom Ôl-Polio a gynhelir ddydd Llun nesaf, 22 Hydref. Fe'i lansiwyd yn 2013 i wella ymwybyddiaeth y cyhoedd yn gyffredinol, a dewiswyd y dyddiad, 22 Hydref, er mwyn bod yn agos at Ddiwrnod Polio'r Byd, a gynhelir ar y 24 Hydref, gan ymgyrch End Polio Now a gynhelir gan y Rotary.
Gall pobl mewn rhanbarthau anghysbell sydd â'r syndrom fod yn anodd iawn eu cyrraedd. Mae mentrau allgymorth wedi'u cynnal yn yr Alban ac yn ne-orllewin Lloegr ac, yn amlwg, bydd pobl mewn rhannau anghysbell o Gymru sydd â'r syndrom, sy'n byw bywydau ynysig, ac mae angen eu cyrraedd. Mae hyn wedi'i ei gydnabod fel cyflwr niwrolegol. Bydd hyd at 80 y cant o'r rhai sydd wedi cael polio yn datblygu'r syndrom ar ôl nifer o flynyddoedd, ac yn gweld cynnydd mewn gwendid, blinder, poen, problemau gyda'r llwnc, sensitifrwydd i oerfel, a llawer o bethau eraill. Does dim triniaeth benodol i gynnig gwellhad, ond o reoli'r cyflwr yn gywir, mae modd ei sefydlogi ac arafu ei ddatblygiad, gan leddfu'r gost ar y GIG a gwella ansawdd bywyd yr unigolion sydd wedi'u heffeithio. Mewn arolwg gan YouGov ddwy flynedd yn ôl, gwelwyd bod 86 y cant o bobl yn gyfarwydd â chlefyd Parkinson, clefyd Alzheimer, ac epilepsi, ond mai dim ond 7 y cant oedd yn gyfarwydd â'r syndrom hwn. Mae'r British Polio Fellowship yn galw ar seneddwyr ledled y DU i helpu i wella ymwybyddiaeth ar draws y boblogaeth gyfan, gan gynnwys Cymru, yn arbennig o ystyried anghenion y boblogaeth sydd wedi'u heffeithio. Rwy'n galw am ddatganiad ar hynny.
Mae fy ngalwad olaf yn gofyn am ddatganiad ar gaethwasiaeth fodern. Ddydd Sadwrn diwethaf, es i i fforwm caethwasiaeth fodern gogledd Cymru, cyn yr wythnos caethwasiaeth fodern yr wythnos hon, a Diwrnod Atal-caethwasiaeth a gynhelir ledled y DU ar 18 Hydref. Cafodd ei drefnu gan sefydliad trydydd sector, Haven of Light, ond roedd gennym gynrychiolwyr o'r sector busnes, y sector cyhoeddus, a'r sector preifat, yn ogystal â'r Cydgysylltydd Atal-caethwasiaeth, Jeff Cuthbert, fel yr arweinydd atal-caethwasiaeth ar gyfer yr heddlu a chomisiynwyr troseddu, a llawer mwy. Clywsom mai'r boblogaeth sy'n cael ei heffeithio fwyaf erbyn hyn, mewn gwirionedd, yw'r Prydeinwyr sy'n masnachu pobl. Clywsom fod caethwasiaeth fodern yn bodoli mewn busnes, amaethyddiaeth, lletygarwch, mewn troseddau a cham-fanteisio rhywiol ledled y gogledd, yng nghymunedau gwledig Cymru, yn y trefi, ym mhob un sir, a llawer mwy hefyd. Yn amlwg, mae hyn yn amserol o ystyried yr wythnos, ond mae'n amlwg ei fod yn fater parhaus hefyd, gyda chynnydd o 56 y cant yn yr adroddiadau am bobl a gafodd eu masnachu y llynedd, a chwe mis cyntaf y flwyddyn hon hefyd yn dangos ffigurau lluosog, a hynny ddim ond yng Nghymru.
On modern slavery, I am very pleased to say that we're the first nation, of course, to have appointed the modern slavery champion and co-ordinator, and he's been working very hard across Wales to raise awareness and to ensure that people recognise it when they see it. We're very pleased indeed with the number of reports coming forward, which we see as recognition rather than an indication of increasing numbers, and it's obvious that the reporting is getting better with that awareness. And he's been working very hard indeed on that.
I'm very happy to bring forward a statement about how we're getting on, but I don't think it will be in the next few weeks, because there are a number of things that he's doing that I would like to report on. But, Llywydd, I'm very happy to schedule in a statement in due course, when we've got to the end of that particular programme of events. I think the Member makes a very good point about the awareness raising around that, and how important it is. And I was very pleased to be able to raise the issue with Caroline Nokes MP, when I met with her yesterday, in the context of very vulnerable people who have come to the end of the asylum and refugee system, who then disappear into the black market. We had a very constructive conversation about what we can do, in combination with the two Governments, to make sure that very vulnerable people don't become the victims of modern slavery, in an unintended consequence of two particular policies coming together. So, I was very pleased with that discussion.
In terms of the post-polio syndrome, the Member does always a very good job of highlighting the efforts that he makes to sponsor such events around Wales. I think you did an excellent job today of doing that. I for one will look forward to attending his event.
O ran caethwasiaeth fodern, rwy'n falch iawn o gael dweud mai ni yw'r wlad gyntaf, wrth gwrs, i benodi'r cydgysylltydd a'r hyrwyddwr caethwasiaeth fodern, ac mae wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn ledled Cymru gyfan yn gwella ymwybyddiaeth a sicrhau bod pobl yn adnabod caethwasiaeth pan eu bod yn ei weld. Rydym yn hynod falch gyda niferoedd yr adroddiadau sydd wedi ein cyrraedd, ac rydym yn gweld hyn fel cydnabyddiaeth yn hytrach nag arwydd o gynnydd mewn niferoedd, ac mae'n amlwg bod gwella ymwybyddiaeth wedi arwain at wella'r gyfradd adrodd. Ac mae ef wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn ar hynny.
Rwy'n fodlon iawn i gyflwyno datganiad ynglŷn â'n cynnydd, ond nid wy'n credu y bydd yn barod o fewn yr wythnosau nesaf, gan fy mod i eisiau trafod sawl un o'i weithgareddau. Ond, Llywydd, yr wyf yn hapus iawn i drefnu datganiad maes o law, pan fyddwn wedi cyrraedd diwedd y rhaglen benodol hon o ddigwyddiadau. Rwy'n credu bod yr Aelod yn gwneud pwynt da iawn am godi ymwybyddiaeth, a pha mor bwysig yw hynny. Ac roeddwn i'n falch iawn o allu codi'r mater gyda Caroline Nokes AS, pan wnes i gwrdd â hi ddoe, yng nghyd-destun pobl sy'n agored iawn i niwed ac sydd wedi cyrraedd pen y system lloches a ffoaduriaid, ac sydd yna'n diflannu i'r farchnad ddu. Cawsom sgwrs adeiladol iawn am yr hyn y gallwn ei wneud, y ddwy Lywodraeth ar y cyd, er mwyn sicrhau bod y rhai sy'n agored iawn i niwed ddim yn cael eu dal gan gaethwasiaeth fodern, a hynny'n ganlyniad anfwriadol o ddau bolisi penodol yn dod at ei gilydd. Felly, roeddwn yn falch iawn â'r drafodaeth honno.
O ran y syndrom ôl-polio, mae'r Aelod yn ddiwyd iawn wrth dynnu sylw at ei ymdrechion i noddi digwyddiadau o'r fath ledled Cymru. Credaf eich bod wedi gwneud gwaith rhagorol heddiw wrth wneud hynny. Rwyf yn edrych ymlaen at fod yn ei ddigwyddiad.
I was wondering if we could please have a debate regarding general traffic and pollution control measures on major roads here in Wales? This is in the context of the fact that, last night, I arranged a packed public meeting about the proposed closure of junction 41 westbound. Now, this will affect the people of Port Talbot detrimentally. But there are other roads in Wales where I think that we need to be talking about pollution levels, and how we can better engage the public in these types of consultations. For example, we've got the report out at the moment on the changes proposed for the M4 near Port Talbot, but it's quite a long and hefty report, and it's quite detailed, and it's quite hard to read on occasion. And I think that—. When the consultation ends on 2 November, how are we going to get people engaged and enthused on trying to alleviate some of these problems, if we don't have enough time, or enough respect, potentially, from Welsh Government, to come out and talk to the community about that? Now, we fought this campaign already in 2013-14. We stopped the closure from happening; now, it's reared its head yet again, so the public are rightly annoyed at this proposal. So, I'm keen to try and engage them in a positive way, to look at alternatives to the closure, to look at environmentally friendly alternatives to the closure, so that we can be informed in the debate, as opposed to being bystanders to a decision that has already been made.
Roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed a allwn ni gael dadl am draffig cyffredinol a mesurau rheoli llygredd ar brif ffyrdd Cymru, os gwelwch yn dda? Mae hyn yng nghyd-destun y ffaith fy mod i, neithiwr, wedi trefnu cyfarfod cyhoeddus gorlawn i drafod y bwriad o gau cyffordd 41 tua'r gorllewin. Nawr, bydd hyn yn cael effaith niweidiol ar bobl Port Talbot. Ac mae yna ffyrdd eraill yng Nghymru lle rwy'n credu bod angen inni drafod lefelau llygredd, a sut y gallwn gynnwys y cyhoedd yn y mathau hyn o ymgynghoriadau. Er enghraifft, mae gennym adroddiad ar hyn o bryd ar y newidiadau arfaethedig ar gyfer yr M4 ger Port Talbot, ond mae'n adroddiad eithaf hir a swmpus, ac mae'n eithaf manwl, ac yn anodd ei ddarllen ar brydiau. Ac rwy'n credu bod—. Pan ddaw'r ymgynghoriad i ben ar 2 Tachwedd, sut ydym ni'n mynd i ennyn brwdfrydedd y bobl hyn i ymgysylltu ac i geisio lleddfu rhai o'r problemau hyn, os nad yw'r Llywodraeth yn rhoi digon o amser, neu ddigon o barch, o bosibl, i siarad â'r gymuned am hynny? Nawr, rydym ni wedi ymladd yr ymgyrch hon eisoes yn 2013-14, a llwyddwyd i'w atal rhag digwydd; nawr, mae'r mater wedi codi dod i'r wyneb unwaith eto, ac wrth reswm mae'r cyhoedd yn flin am y cynnig hwn. Felly, rwy'n awyddus i geisio ymgysylltu â nhw mewn ffordd gadarnhaol, i edrych ar ddewisiadau arall yn hytrach na chau, i edrych ar ddewisiadau sy'n well i'r amgylchedd na'r cau, fel ein bod ni'n wybodus yn y ddadl, yn hytrach na dim mwy na thystion i benderfyniad sydd eisoes wedi'i wneud.
Actually, that's not quite the case. Of course, the consultation is out at the moment, and we certainly do recognise the support felt locally to keep open junction 41 of the M4. We do have a legal duty to present options as part of the consultation process, which is under way as we speak. The consultation is the next stage in the process, and in seeking views on proposed measures, we're considering how to lower harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide along five locations in Wales, one of which, as the Member rightly points out, is the Port Talbot flyover section and junction 41. We've got to consider the measures against the set criteria and objectives, and take into consideration that exposure to heightened air pollution does pose a threat to life. And our primary concern cannot be the road user alone, but also the people who live and work near the roads under scrutiny. And although it certainly isn't one of the preferred measures, it can't be ruled out at this stage. It is part of the consultation, and we do recommend that views are provided as part of the consultation on the proposed measures. The consultation, Llywydd, for the information of all Members who are interested and for members of the public, is open until 2 November 2018.
Mewn gwirionedd, nid yw hynny'n hollol wir. Wrth gwrs, mae'r ymgynghoriad yn dal i fod ar waith ar hyn o bryd, ac yn sicr rydym yn cydnabod y gefnogaeth leol i gadw Cyffordd 41 yr M4 yn agored. Mae gennym ni ddyletswydd gyfreithiol i gyflwyno dewisiadau yn rhan o'r broses ymgynghori, proses sy'n cael ei chwblhau ar y funud. Yr ymgynghoriad yw cam nesaf y broses, ac wrth geisio barn ar y mesurau arfaethedig, rydym yn ystyried sut i leihau'r lefelau niweidiol o nitrogen deuocsid mewn pum lleoliad yng Nghymru. Un ohonyn nhw, fel y mae'r Aelod yn gywir i ddweud, yw'r drosffordd ym Mhort Talbot a chyffordd 41. Mae'n rhaid inni ystyried y mesurau yn erbyn y meini prawf sydd wedi'u gosod, ac yn erbyn ein hamcanion, a chofio fod bod yn agored i lefelau uwch o lygredd aer yn fygythiad i fywyd. Nid defnyddwyr y ffordd yw ein prif bryder bob amser, mae'n rhaid ystyried y bobl sy'n byw ac yn gweithio yn agos at y ffyrdd dan sylw hefyd. Ac er nad yw'n sicr yn un o'r mesurau â ffefrir, ni ellir ei ddiystyru ar hyn o bryd. Mae'n rhan o'r ymgynghoriad, ac rydym yn argymell fod barnau pobl yn cael eu cynnig yn rhan o'r ymgynghoriad ar y mesurau arfaethedig. Er gwybodaeth i'r holl Aelodau sydd â diddordeb ac i'r cyhoedd, Llywydd, mae'r ymgynghoriad yn agored tan 2 Tachwedd 2018.
Leader of the house, last week it was World Homeless Day, an international day to raise awareness and encourage local communities to help those who are homeless, rough-sleeping or vulnerably housed. I was very pleased, last week, to join colleague and friend Bethan Sayed AM in selling The Big Issue in Cardiff city centre, something that my dad and Bethan did last year. I was able to sell five magazines, which I think was quite good going—[Interruption.]—and even Bethan beat her record as well. So, well done to her.
Arweinydd y Tŷ, roedd hi'n Ddiwrnod Digartref y Byd yr wythnos diwethaf, diwrnod rhyngwladol i godi ymwybyddiaeth ac i annog cymunedau lleol i helpu'r rhai sy'n ddigartref, y rhai sy'n cysgu ar y stryd neu sydd â llety ansefydlog. Roeddwn yn falch iawn, yr wythnos diwethaf, o gael ymuno â'm cyfaill a'm cyd-Aelod Bethan Sayed i werthu The Big Issue yng nghanol Dinas Caerdydd, rhywbeth y bu fy nhad a Bethan yn ei wneud y llynedd. Llwyddais i werthu pum cylchgrawn, eithaf da yn fy marn i—[torri ar draws.]—a llwyddodd Bethan i dorri ei record hefyd. Felly, da iawn hi.
He beat me. [Laughter.]
Mi wnaeth e'n well na fi. [Chwerthin.]
The experience showed me the importance of stopping and having a conversation, because that really can help someone, not just buying the magazine itself. I've said many times before that even a smile on the street can save a life. So, this week I'm also looking forward to joining a constituent of mine, Adam Dandy, of SHARE shop, on the streets for an evening on Thursday in order to raise awareness and sleeping out.
I think it's always important to look at the best practice when it comes to ending the epidemic of homelessness, because 300,000 people are homeless across the UK—that's one in every 200 homeless—and there has been an increase of 169 per cent since 2009. Now, to our shame, an average of three people in the UK die on the streets of the UK every single week. If we contrast that to Finland, leader of the house, where they adopted a housing first model in 2008—since then, they've seen a decrease of 18 per cent in homelessness, thanks to this initiative. I perhaps wonder if the Government would be able to bring forward a statement on this type of model, the housing first approach, and whether that might work here in Wales, and if so, when we will see it. Thank you.
O'r profiad, dysgais bwysigrwydd oedi a chael sgwrs, gan y gall hynny fod o gymorth mawr i rywun, ac nid prynu'r cylchgrawn yn unig. Rwyf wedi dweud sawl gwaith o'r blaen y gall gwên ar y stryd achub bywyd rhywun. Felly, yr wythnos hon, rwyf yn edrych ymlaen hefyd at gael ymuno ag un o'm hetholwyr, Adam Dandy, o siop SHARE, am noson ar y strydoedd ddydd Iau er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth a chysgu ar y stryd.
Rwy'n credu ei bod bob amser yn bwysig i ni edrych ar yr arfer gorau os ydym ni am roi terfyn ar yr epidemig o ddigartrefedd, gan fod 300,000 o bobl yn ddigartref ledled y DU—sy'n golygu bod un o bob 200 yn ddigartref—ac y bu cynnydd o 169 y cant ers 2009. Bellach, a mawr ein cywilydd, ar gyfartaledd mae tri o bobl yn y DU yn marw ar ein strydoedd bob wythnos. Os ydym yn cymharu hynny â'r Ffindir, Arweinydd y Tŷ, lle maen nhw wedi mabwysiadu model tai yn gyntaf yn 2008—ers hynny, maen nhw wedi gweld gostyngiad o 18 y cant mewn digartrefedd, o ganlyniad i'r fenter hon. Tybed a allai'r Llywodraeth gyflwyno datganiad ar y math hwn o fodel, yr agwedd tai yn gyntaf, ac a allai hynny weithio yma yng Nghymru, ac os felly, pryd y byddwn ni'n ei weld? Diolch.
Yes, well, Jack Sargeant, did very well by selling that many. I have to say, that beats my own record as well. But it does give you a really good insight, doesn't it, into actually what it's like to stand there as a street seller and to have people just ignore you as if you're not there? I think I can't emphasise enough, in conjunction with himself and with Bethan, who I know has long taken part in these as well, how much difference it can make to actually talk to somebody and say, if you can't buy one, why you can't buy one and all the rest of it. I buy my Big Issue always off the same person, so I always have to explain to others that I feel that I want to give my custom to the woman I've been supporting for some little while.
But I would also like to draw Members' attention to the fact that there are apps available in most council areas in Wales now—StreetLink or street sleep apps; you can Google them—and they give you information about what you can do if you see somebody who's very vulnerable, who you think needs to be assisted by homeless options or housing options, or whatever it is your local council—. And I do recommend that people get hold of these, because they can be very helpful and also tell you the best thing to be able to do if you don't want to give money—to buy food or clothing or whatever, or something that the person might be able to use immediately just to tide them over, and then also to signpost them right. So, I do commend all of those things.
Also, Llywydd, I'm going to indulge myself, if you'll permit me, by saying I'm delighted that the homelessness football is coming to Wales as well—street football—and I'm really delighted about that. I very much support that initiative in my own constituency and I know that Wales will be very proud to host it here.
Ie, wel, fe wnaeth Jack Sargeant yn dda iawn i werthu cymaint. Mae'n rhaid cyfaddef, mae hynny'n curo fy record innau hefyd. Ond mae'n rhoi syniad da i chi o sut beth ydyw mewn gwirionedd i sefyll yno fel gwerthwr stryd, a chael pobl yn eich anwybyddu fel pe na byddech chi yno. Ni allaf bwysleisio digon, ar y cyd gydag ef a Bethan, a gwn ei bod hithau wedi gwneud hyn ers cryn amser hefyd, cymaint o wahaniaeth y gallai siarad â rhywun ei wneud, a dweud, os na allwch chi brynu un, pam na allwch chi wneud hynny ac yn y blaen? Rwy'n prynu fy nghopi i o'r Big Issue gan yr un person bob tro, gan egluro i eraill bob amser pam yr wyf i'n credu y dylwn roi fy arian i rywun yr wyf wedi bod yn ei chefnogi ers tro byd bellach.
Ond hoffwn hefyd dynnu sylw'r Aelodau at y ffaith bod apiau ar gael yn y rhan fwyaf o ardaloedd y cynghorau yng Nghymru bellach—StreetLink neu apiau cysgu ar y stryd; Gallwch chwilio Google amdanynt—maen nhw'n rhoi gwybodaeth am yr hyn y gallwch chi ei wneud os ydych chi'n gweld rhywun sy'n agored iawn i niwed, rhywun yr ydych chi'n meddwl sydd angen cymorth dewisiadau digartref neu'r dewisiadau tai neu beth bynnag a gynigir gan eich cyngor lleol—. Ac rwy'n argymell bod pobl yn cael gafael ar y rhain, oherwydd gallen nhw fod yn ddefnyddiol iawn, ac maen nhw yn dweud beth yw'r peth gorau i'w wneud os nad ydych yn dymuno rhoi arian—i brynu bwyd neu ddillad neu beth bynnag, neu rywbeth y gallai'r person ei ddefnyddio ar unwaith i'w gynnal am ychydig, ac i'w cyfeirio at y mannau cywir. Felly, cymeradwyaf y pethau hynny i gyd.
Hefyd, Llywydd, rwyf am ymhyfrydu ychydig, os gwnewch chi ganiatáu i mi wneud hynny, trwy ddweud fy mod i'n falch iawn bod pêl-droed digartrefedd yn dod i Gymru hefyd—pêl-droed ar y stryd—ac fy mod i'n wirioneddol falch o hynny. Rwy'n gefnogwr brwd o'r fenter honno yn fy etholaeth fy hun, a gwn y bydd Cymru yn falch iawn i'w gynnal yma.
Leader of the house, winter is approaching and as sure as night follows day, the A4042—I'll watch my turn of phrase in future—a key north-south strategic route through my constituency, has once again been closed at Llanellen, due to flooding—a common problem. Could I ask for an update from the Welsh Government as to where we are with improving this stretch of road? I know there have been discussions in the past between Welsh Government and local landowners in terms of providing a solution to this road. It has once again caused massive problems for commuters and local people alike, and with the fast-developing critical care centre at Llanfrechfa Grange in Cwmbran, it's going to become even more important that this road is fully open all the time, so that ambulances, which previously had been taking people to Nevill Hall Hospital, can now get to the specialist critical care centre at Llanfrechfa. So, it's becoming a more important route, not less, and local people are looking to the Welsh Government to provide a solution, both in the short term and the longer term, so that local people don't have the sort of disruption they've had over the last few years.
Arweinydd y Tŷ, mae'r gaeaf ar y gorwel, ac unwaith eto, mor anochel â'r nos ar ddiwedd dydd—byddaf yn fwy gofalus gyda'm hymadroddion yn y dyfodol—mae'r A4042, sy'n llwybr strategol allweddol yn fy etholaeth i rhwng y gogledd a'r de, wedi cau unwaith eto yn Llanelen, o ganlyniad i lifogydd—problem gyffredin. A gaf i ofyn am y newyddion diweddaraf gan Lywodraeth Cymru o ran ein sefyllfa wrth wella'r rhan hon o'r ffordd? Gwn y bu trafodaethau yn y gorffennol rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a thirfeddianwyr lleol o ran canfod ateb ar gyfer y ffordd. Unwaith eto, y mae wedi achosi problemau enfawr i gymudwyr yn ogystal â phobl leol, a chyda'r ganolfan gofal critigol yn prysur ddatblygu yn Llanfrechfa Grange yng Nghwmbrân, bydd yn bwysicach nag erioed fod y ffordd hon yn agored bob amser, fel bod ambiwlansys, a fu'n arfer cludo pobl i Ysbyty Nevill Hall, bellach yn gallu cyrraedd y ganolfan gofal critigol arbenigol yn Llanfrechfa. Felly, mae pwysigrwydd y llwybr yn cynyddu yn hytrach na lleihau, ac mae'r bobl leol yn gofyn am atebion gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ar gyfer y tymor byr a'r tymor hwy, fel nad yw pobl leol yn dioddef y tarfu y maen wedi'i ddioddef yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf.
Flooding, of course, has been a serious issue across Wales for roads and for other areas. The Minister is actually about to make a statement on the outcome of the flooding, including the review about the efficacy of the measures in place and what can be done about it. So, I'm sure the Member will have most of the questions he raised there answered.
Mae llifogydd, wrth gwrs, wedi bod yn fater difrifol o ran ffyrdd ac mewn meysydd eraill ar hyd a lled Cymru. A dweud y gwir, mae'r Gweinidog yn bwriadu gwneud datganiad yn fuan ar ganlyniad y llifogydd, gan gynnwys yr adolygiad ynglŷn ag effeithiolrwydd y mesurau sydd ar waith a beth y gellir ei wneud am y peth. Felly, yr wyf yn siŵr y bydd yr Aelod yn derbyn atebion i'r rhan fwyaf o'r cwestiynau a godwyd ganddo yn y fan yna.
A gaf i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ynni, Cynllunio a Materion Gwledig, os gwelwch yn dda? Y cyntaf yn ymwneud â chyhoeddiad Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig heddiw eu bod nhw am gynnal adolygiad annibynnol ar sut fydd arian amaeth yn cael ei ddosbarthu ymhlith y gwledydd o fewn y Deyrnas Unedig yn y cyfnod ar ôl Brexit. Oherwydd mae'n gwbl allweddol bod hwn yn cael ei wneud yn gywir o safbwynt buddiannau'r sector amaeth yng Nghymru, lle, wrth gwrs, rŷm ni'n cynrychioli 4.7 y cant o'r boblogaeth ond yn derbyn 9.4 y cant o'r ariannu CAP sy'n dod i'r Deyrnas Unedig. Mae hynny, wrth gwrs, yn adlewyrchu natur wledig a phwysigrwydd cymharol amaeth i'r economi Gymreig.
Mae yna drafod wedi bod ynglŷn â phwysigrwydd Barnett a pheidio â defnyddio Barnett fel cynsail i hyn, ac rŷm ni wedi clywed synau cadarnhaol i'r cyfeiriad yna, ond mi oedd yna frawddeg arwyddocaol yn rhai o'r adroddiadau yn dweud:
May I ask for two statements from the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, please? The first relating to the UK Government’s announcement today that they are to hold an independent review on how agricultural funding will be distributed among the nations within the UK post Brexit, because it is crucial that this is done properly in terms of the interests of the agricultural sector in Wales, where, of course, we represent 4.7 per cent of the population but receive 9.4 per cent of the CAP funding coming to the UK. That, of course, reflects the rural nature of Wales and the importance of agriculture to the Welsh economy.
There’s been some discussion on the importance of Barnett and not using Barnett as the foundation for this, and we’ve heard some positive noises in that regard, but there was a significant sentence in some of the reports, stating:
'the Barnett formula alone will not be used as a basis for distributing funds to farmers after 2022.'
ni chaiff fformiwla Barnett ei defnyddio ar ei phen ei hun fel sail i ddosbarthu arian i ffermwyr ar ôl 2022.
A ydy hynny'n awgrymu, efallai, y bydd Barnett yn rhannol ran o'r hafaliad? Ac os bydd e, yn amlwg fe allai hynny achosi problemau mawr i ni yng Nghymru. Felly, fe fyddwn i'n licio gwybod, er enghraifft, beth oedd mewnbwn Llywodraeth Cymru i gylch gorchwyl yr adolygiad sydd wedi cael ei sefydlu, pa ymwneud fydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn newis y cynrychiolydd Cymreig a fydd yn eistedd ar y panel, ac, wrth gwrs, beth fydd y model y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn awyddus i'w hyrwyddo fel rhan o'r adolygiad yna?
A gaf i hefyd ofyn am ddatganiad llafar? Rydym ni wedi cael cyhoeddiad heddiw gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet enw cadeirydd interim Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru. O'r datganiad ysgrifenedig cymharol fyr, mae yna un frawddeg yn sôn am gefndir yr unigolyn yma, yn bennaf yn y sector iechyd. Mae'n ymddangos nad oes unrhyw brofiad o safbwynt y sector amaeth na'r sector amgylchedd, sef, wrth gwrs, brif ffocws Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, na chwaith brofiad o weithio yng Nghymru ac adnabyddiaeth o'r strwythurau ac yn y blaen. Mae hynny'n un peth, ond yn fwy difrifol, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, wrth edrych ar ychydig o gefndir yr unigolyn yma, mae'n ymddangos yn 2006 y gadawodd e gyngor dinas Lerpwl o dan gwmwl gyda chyhuddiadau ei fod e wedi pasio dogfennau sensitif ymlaen i'r Llywodraeth. Yn yr un flwyddyn, mi ysgrifennodd 22 Aelod Seneddol lythyr agored yn dweud na fedren nhw weithio gydag ef wedi iddo fe gael ei apwyntio yn brif weithredwr y bwrdd iechyd rhanbarthol. Yn 2010, fe apwyntiwyd ef yn brif weithredwr ysbyty Alder Hey, gan ysgogi'r dyn a oedd am ailadeiladu'r ysbyty i ymddiswyddo mewn protest. Ac mae'r person sydd bellach yn gomisiynydd heddlu Glannau Merswy yn ei ddisgrifio fe fel, ac rwy'n dyfynnu,
Does that suggest that, perhaps, Barnett will be part of the equation? And if it is, then, clearly, that could cause major problems for us here in Wales. So, I would like to know, for example, what the Welsh Government’s input was to the remit of the review that’s been put in place, what involvement will the Welsh Government have in choosing the Welsh representative on the panel, and, of course, what will the model that the was Government would wish to promote be as part of that review?
May I also ask for an oral statement? We’ve heard in an announcement today from the Cabinet Secretary the name of the interim chair of Natural Resources Wales. From that written statement, which was relatively brief, there is one sentence mentioning the background of this individual, mainly in the health sector. It appears that the individual has no experience of the environmental and agricultural sectors, which, of course, are the main focus of NRW, or any experience of working in Wales or any knowledge of the structures. That’s one thing, but more seriously, I have to say that in looking at the individual’s background it appears that in 2006 he left Liverpool council under a cloud with accusations that he had passed sensitive documents on to Government. In the same year, 22 MPs wrote an open letter saying that they couldn’t work with him following his appointment as chief executive of the regional health board. In 2010, he was appointed chief executive of Alder Hey hospital, encouraging the gentleman who was going to rebuild the hospital to resign in protest. And the person who is now commissioner for Merseyside police describes him as, and I quote,
'A man in whom I have no confidence and for whom I have no respect'.
Dyn nad oes gen i unrhyw ffydd ynddo, nac unrhyw barch tuag ato.
Nawr, rydw i'n meddwl y dylem ni gael o leiaf ddatganiad llafar llawn ar lawr y Senedd yma, yn hytrach nag un frawddeg fer mewn datganiad ysgrifenedig, er mwyn deall pam fod yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet a Llywodraeth Cymru â hyder yn yr unigolyn yma, pan ei bod hi'n amlwg bod cymaint o bobl heb rannu'r hyder hynny.
Now, I think we should at least have a full oral statement in this Parliament rather than one brief sentence in a written statement, so that we can understand why the Cabinet Secretary and the Welsh Government have confidence in this individual, when it’s clear that so many other people don’t share that confidence.
On the land consultation, the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, in an open letter in September, provided clarity on the proposals for reform that, which are set out in the 'Brexit and our land' consultation. The proposals are exactly those proposals. The consultation closes on 30 October. We are receiving responses at quite a rate. It's too early to offer an analysis of the responses we've seen so far. I don't believe we've had any input into the UK Government consultation announced to that question. Obviously, once the consultation closes, there will be an analysis of the results from the consultation on the proposals.
On the NRW interim chair, there has been a written statement. The Member has a number of ways that he can ask questions on a written statement; I suggest that those are utilised.
O ran yr ymgynghoriad tir, eglurwyd y cynigion ar gyfer diwygio hynny, sydd wedi'u nodi yn ymgynghoriad 'Brexit a'n tir', gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ynni, Cynllunio a Materion Gwledig mewn llythyr agored ym mis Medi. Yr un cynigion yn union yw'r cynigion hynny. Mae'r ymgynghoriad yn cau ar 30 Hydref. Rydym yn derbyn ymatebion yn gyflym iawn. Mae'n rhy gynnar i gynnig dadansoddiad o'r ymatebion a welsom hyd yma. Nid wyf yn credu ein bod wedi cael unrhyw fewnbwn i ymgynghoriad Llywodraeth y DU wedi'i gyhoeddi i'r cwestiwn hwnnw. Yn amlwg, ar ôl i'r ymgynghoriad gau, bydd dadansoddiad o ganlyniadau'r ymgynghoriad ar y cynigion.
O ran cadeirydd dros dro Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, cafwyd datganiad ysgrifenedig. Mae sawl ffordd y gall yr Aelod ofyn cwestiwn sy'n ymwneud â datganiad ysgrifenedig; rwy'n awgrymu iddo eu defnyddio.
Leader of the house, could I join in the calls that have come from the Plaid Cymru benches in relation to a Cabinet statement from the Cabinet Secretary for rural affairs in relation to the nominee she's likely to put forward, if indeed she will put a nominee forward, to the review group that Michael Gove has set up to look into funding options around the whole of the UK? It was welcome news last week that any future funding will not be Barnettised and there will be a greater redistribution of the money should the need require. But the review group obviously will give the recommendations into the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set-up and also Treasury, so it would be good to understand how Welsh Government will engage with that review, and, indeed, they have been asked to put a nominee forward for that. So, the understanding of who that nominee might be is critically important in influencing, obviously, the outcome of the review.
Secondly, in your role as leader of the house, could I enquire of you how the M4 relief road announcement proposal might be taken forward? The First Minister has indicated that he will take that decision—the current First Minister, I might add. As the clock is now ticking and there are only seven weeks left before the current First Minister does stand down, I did put this question to the Cabinet Secretary in the short debate last week, and I was unable to elicit much of a response. But this is Government business. You are the leader of the house, who tables Government business, so I'd be grateful to understand whether you have an understanding of when that announcement might come from the First Minister, and, indeed, how it might be tabled, because I think that it is critical that that announcement is delivered on the floor of the Senedd rather than through the press. Can you give us that assurance that that'll be the case and that that's the timeline that the Government is working to? As I said, we know what the timeline has to be—it has to be within seven weeks—so, hopefully, you can give us some clarity on that.
Could I also seek a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport in relation to the procurement of the new trains that were announced in July 2017—five new class 769 trains were announced as being acquired for the Welsh rail network. We welcome the announcements around the positive investment in the train service here in Wales, but this announcement made in July 2017 for these trains to arrive on the Welsh network by May 2018 has not happened to date. Those trains have not arrived on the Welsh network, yet we are now some six months past the delivery date. It is important that people have confidence that the new announcements that are coming forward will be delivered upon. If you look at this announcement, which was made, as I said, in July 2017, to date those trains have not arrived on the rail network here in Wales, despite them being made available, or supposed to be made available, by May 2018. Can we have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary as to when this rolling stock will be available for the Welsh rail network, in particular as we go into the peak winter months now, when we know there are challenges from the elements on the network. More rolling stock would alleviate some of the pressures that the travelling public have.
Arweinydd y Tŷ, a gaf i ymuno â'r galwadau sydd wedi dod gan feinciau Plaid Cymru am ddatganiad Cabinet gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros faterion gwledig o ran y person y mae hi'n debygol o'i enwebu, os yn wir y bydd hi'n cynnig enwebiad, ar gyfer y grŵp arolygu a sefydlwyd gan Michael Gove i ymchwilio i ddewisiadau ariannu ar gyfer y DU gyfan? Roeddynt yn newyddion da yr wythnos diwethaf i ddeall y na fydd unrhyw gyllid yn y dyfodol yn cymhwyso fformiwla Barnett, ac y byddai rhagor o ailddosbarthu arian os bydd galw am hynny. Ond yn amlwg bydd y grŵp arolygu yn cynnig yr argymhellion i sefydliad Adran yr Amgylchedd, Bwyd a Materion Gwledig yn ogystal â'r Trysorlys, felly byddai'n dda i ddeall ym mha ffyrdd y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyfrannu at yr adolygiad, ac, yn wir, gofynnwyd iddyn nhw enwebu rhywun ar gyfer hynny. Felly, bydd deall pwy allai'r enwebai fod yn hanfodol bwysig o ran dylanwadu ar ganlyniad yr adolygiad.
Yn ail, yn eich swyddogaeth fel arweinydd y tŷ, a gaf i eich holi sut y gellid bwrw ymlaen gyda chyhoeddiad y cynnig am ffordd liniaru ar gyfer yr M4? Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi nodi y bydd e'n gwneud y penderfyniad hwnnw—y Prif Weinidog presennol, ychwanegaf. O ystyried bod y cloc yn tician bellach, gyda dim ond saith wythnos ar ôl cyn bydd y Prif Weinidog presennol yn gadael y swydd, gofynnais yr un cwestiwn i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn y ddadl fer yr wythnos diwethaf, heb ennyn llawer o ymateb. Ond mae hyn yn fusnes y Llywodraeth. Chi yw arweinydd y tŷ, chi sy'n cyflwyno busnes y Llywodraeth, felly byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe cawn wybod a oes gennych chi ddealltwriaeth o bryd y bydd y Prif Weinidog yn gwneud y cyhoeddiad hwnnw, ac, yn wir, sut y gallai gael ei gyflwyno, oherwydd credaf ei bod yn hollbwysig i'r cyhoeddiad hwnnw gael ei draddodi ar lawr y Senedd yn hytrach na thrwy'r wasg. Oes modd i chi roi'r sicrwydd hwnnw i ni y bydd hynny'n digwydd, ac mai dyna'r amserlen y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei defnyddio? Fel y dywedais, rydym yn gwybod beth y mae'n rhaid i'r amserlen fod—mae'n rhaid iddo fod o fewn saith wythnos—felly gobeithio y gallwch roi rhywfaint o eglurder ar y mater hwnnw.
Hefyd, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth o ran caffaeliad y trenau newydd a gyhoeddwyd ym mis Gorffennaf 2017—cyhoeddwyd y byddai pum trên dosbarth newydd 769 yn cael eu prynu ar gyfer rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd Cymru. Rydym yn croesawu'r cyhoeddiadau ynghylch y buddsoddiad cadarnhaol yng ngwasanaeth trenau Cymru, ond hyd yma nid yw'r cyhoeddiad a wnaed ym mis Gorffennaf 2017 a ddywedodd y byddai'r trenau hyn yn cyrraedd rhwydwaith Cymru erbyn mis Mai 2018 wedi digwydd. Nid yw'r trenau hynny wedi cyrraedd rhwydwaith Cymru, ac mae chwe mis wedi mynd heibio ers y dyddiad hwnnw erbyn hyn. Mae'n bwysig i bobl fod yn ffyddiog y caiff cyhoeddiadau newydd a gyflwynir eu gwireddu. Os edrychwch chi ar y cyhoeddiad hwn, a wnaed, fel y dywedais, ym mis Gorffennaf 2017, hyd yma nid yw'r trenau hynny wedi cyrraedd y rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru, er gwaethaf eu bod ar gael, neu i fod ar gael, ers mis Mai 2018. A gawn ni ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i egluro pryd y bydd y cerbydau hyn ar gael ar gyfer rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd Cymru, yn enwedig a ninnau ar drothwy'r gaeaf, a ninnau'n gwybod y bydd yr elfennau yn heriol i'r rhwydwaith. Byddai mwy o gerbydau yn lleddfu rhywfaint o'r pwysau sydd ar y cyhoedd sy'n teithio.
Thanks. On that last one, I'll get the Cabinet Secretary to write to the Member, setting out where we are with that timescale.FootnoteLink
On the M4 timescale, the current schedule for Government business shows that there's a debate scheduled for the week commencing 4 December, I think it is—the penultimate week of the winter term, anyway, is the week that's currently scheduled for the M4 debate, with the timetable going backwards from there.
I think the two other things the Member asked I'd largely answered in response to Llyr.
Diolch. O ran yr un diwethaf yna, fe ofynnaf i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ysgrifennu at yr Aelod, gan nodi ble'r ydym ni arni o ran yr amserlen.FootnoteLink
O ran amserlen yr M4, mae'r amserlen bresennol ar gyfer materion y Llywodraeth yn dangos bod dadl wedi'i threfnu ar gyfer yr wythnos sy'n dechrau ar 4 Rhagfyr, rwy'n credu—wythnos olaf ond un tymor y gaeaf, beth bynnag, yw'r wythnos sydd wedi'i phenodi ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer dadl yr M4, gyda'r amserlen yn mynd ar yn ôl o'r fan honno.
Rwy'n credu fy mod i wedi ateb y ddau beth arall y gofynnodd yr Aelod wrth ymateb i Llyr.
Diolch i arweinydd y tŷ.
Thank you, leader of the house.
Dyma ni'n cyrraedd y datganiad gan Weinidog yr Amgychedd, a'r diweddariad am effeithiau llifogydd storom Callum. Rwy'n galw ar y Gweinidog i wneud ei datganiad—Hannah Blythyn.
That brings us to the statement by the Minister for Environment, which is an update on the flood impacts of storm Callum. I call on the Minister to make the statement—Hannah Blythyn.
Diolch, Llywydd. I’m grateful for the opportunity to provide an update on the flooding experienced across Wales over the past weekend as a result of storm Callum. I would like to start by sending my sympathies to all those who have been flooded over this weekend and in particular to the family of Corey Sharpling, who lost his life as a result of a landslide.
I’d like to place on record this Government’s gratitude to the emergency services, local authorities, Natural Resources Wales and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, who worked tirelessly around the clock this weekend to support those who have been flooded, close roads and evacuate properties, and who are now working with communities to support their recovery.
I recognise how devastating and distressing flooding can be to those communities affected. This morning, I saw at first hand some of the impacts when I visited Llandysul, where I met with residents and the teams who responded over the weekend and who continue to work on the recovery.
Storm Callum brought large amounts of rainfall in Wales, with up to 160mm being recorded in a 24-hour period—more than the monthly average for this time of the year. During the peak period of this event, NRW had issued 40 flood warnings. This had a massive impact on our rivers, with some recording their highest levels on record, and, in many places, drainage systems were overwhelmed. Unfortunately, this has led to flooding of properties, roads, railways and agricultural land around the country.
Local authorities and NRW are continuing to work to assess the full extent of the damage and impacts. However, we are aware of flooding to properties in the local authorities of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Powys, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and the Isle of Anglesey. Our current estimates are that 218 properties across Wales suffered internal flooding, of which 195 were homes, the majority of these being across the southern half of the country. Local authorities and NRW are continuing to pull together information about flooded properties and, over the coming few days, this figure is likely to change. In addition, Dŵr Cymru have also reported at least 29 properties flooded internally.
Storm Callum had a significant impact on the rail services across the entire Wales and borders network, with flooding and high winds resulting in the cancellation of a number of services, as well as impacting on general performance. Flood damage was particularly severe on the Heart of Wales line, where the wash-out of a significant section of track near Llandeilo means that the line will remain partially closed for a number of days yet. In addition to the impact on rail infrastructure, a significant number of trains were also damaged during storm Callum through hitting trees and branches, as well as having to run through flood waters.
A number of roads and bridges around the country were impacted over the weekend, with some remaining closed. The road closures as a result of flooding were not due to failing infrastructure, but the sheer volume of run-off onto the network or from rivers breaking out of their banks. Most trunk roads reopened on Sunday and all are now fully open.
Power utilities reported that over 38,000 customers were affected by the severe weather. However, all customers were restored within 24 hours.
There were a number of reported cases of animals being caught up in the flash floods over the weekend. Various agencies in Wales, including emergency, third sector and enforcement, responded to reports of animals in danger. Whilst they were able to help in many cases, unfortunately the conditions and risk to human life meant it was not always possible to intervene.
Whilst we have seen flooding to many areas across the country, we have also received reports of assets working effectively to reduce the risk in many places. Two examples are reports from Ystradgynlais and Usk, where defences did their job and prevented flooding to the towns. This helps to show how our sustained investment in flood risk management, awareness raising and warning systems has had a positive impact.
We now need to understand the full extent of impacts associated with storm Callum to inform discussions with local authorities and to see what we can do to support those communities affected. Following a major flood event, local authorities have a statutory requirement to investigate its cause and impacts, and provide recommendations going forward. This may include input from NRW, and Welsh Water where required, as well as what lessons can be learnt for the future. I know that some local authorities are considering a hardship scheme and are already discussing with finance officials whether Welsh Government can assist with emergency financial assistance. This Government would like to give that our full consideration.
I recognise the importance of adapting to our changing and challenging climate, which is why flood risk management remains one of my priorities. We are committed to continuing investment in flood and coastal risk management and over the lifetime of this Government will invest over £350 million across Wales. Our investment is not focused solely on building and maintaining defences, but also about community resilience and prevention, through better information, raising awareness of flooding and preparing flood plans to reduce the impacts on lives and property.
We cannot prevent all flooding occurring, so rebuilding resilience and learning from these events is vital. As I started by saying, we cannot do this alone, and I would like to conclude by reiterating my thanks to all those involved in the response to these flooding events and who continue to work hard to assist in the recovery.
Diolch, Llywydd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar am y cyfle i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y llifogydd a welwyd ledled Cymru dros y penwythnos o ganlyniad i storm Callum. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy gydymdeimlo â phawb sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd dros y penwythnos ac yn arbennig i deulu Corey Sharpling, a gollodd ei fywyd o ganlyniad i dirlithriad.
Hoffwn ddweud ar goedd bod y Llywodraeth hon yn diolch i'r gwasanaethau brys, yr awdurdodau lleol, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a Dŵr Cymru, a fu'n gweithio'n ddiflino ddydd a nos dros y penwythnos i helpu'r rhai sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd, yn cau ffyrdd a gwagio eiddo, ac maen nhw bellach yn gweithio gyda chymunedau i’w cynorthwyo i adfer y sefyllfa.
Rwy'n cydnabod pa mor ddinistriol a gofidus y gall llifogydd fod i'r cymunedau hynny yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw. Bore yma, gwelais drosof fy hunan rai o'r effeithiau pan ymwelais â Llandysul, lle cyfarfûm â thrigolion a thimau a ymatebodd dros y penwythnos ac sy'n parhau i weithio i adfer y sefyllfa.
Daeth storm Callum â llawer iawn o law i Gymru, gyda hyd at 160mm yn cael ei gofnodi mewn cyfnod o 24 awr—mwy na'r cyfartaledd misol ar gyfer yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn. Yn ystod cyfnod brig y digwyddiad hwn, cyhoeddodd Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru 40 o rybuddion llifogydd. Cafodd hyn effaith enfawr ar ein hafonydd, gyda rhai ohonyn nhw'n cofnodi'r lefelau uchaf sydd wedi'u cofnodi erioed, ac, mewn llawer o leoedd, roedd systemau draenio wedi eu gorlwytho. Yn anffodus, mae hyn wedi arwain at lifogydd mewn eiddo, ar ffyrdd, rheilffyrdd a thir amaethyddol ledled y wlad.
Mae'r awdurdodau lleol a Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn parhau i weithio i asesu graddfa lawn y difrod a'r effeithiau. Fodd bynnag, rydym yn ymwybodol o lifogydd mewn eiddo yn awdurdodau lleol Sir Gâr, Ceredigion, Castell-nedd Port Talbot, Powys, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, Caerffili, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Abertawe ac Ynys Môn. Mae ein hamcangyfrifon presennol yn nodi bod 218 eiddo ledled Cymru wedi dioddef llifogydd mewnol, 195 yn gartrefi, y rhan fwyaf o'r rhain yn hanner deheuol y wlad. Mae awdurdodau lleol a Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn parhau i gasglu gwybodaeth am lifogydd mewn eiddo a, dros y dyddiau nesaf, mae'r ffigur hwn yn debygol o newid. Yn ogystal â hyn, mae Dŵr Cymru hefyd wedi dweud bod o leiaf 29 eiddo wedi dioddef llifogydd mewnol.
Cafodd storm Callum effaith sylweddol ar wasanaethau rheilffyrdd ar holl rwydwaith Cymru a'r gororau, gyda llifogydd a gwyntoedd cryfion yn arwain at ganslo nifer o wasanaethau, ac yn effeithio hefyd ar berfformiad cyffredinol. Roedd difrod yn sgil llifogydd yn arbennig o ddifrifol ar reilffordd Calon Cymru, lle mae llifogydd ar ran sylweddol o'r trac ger Llandeilo yn golygu y bydd y llinell yn parhau i fod ynghau yn rhannol am sawl diwrnod eto. Yn ychwanegol at yr effaith ar y seilwaith rheilffyrdd, difrodwyd nifer sylweddol o drenau hefyd yn ystod storm Callum drwy iddyn nhw daro coed a changhennau, yn ogystal â gorfod mynd trwy ddyfroedd llifogydd.
Effeithiwyd ar nifer o ffyrdd a phontydd drwy'r wlad dros y penwythnos, ac mae rhai yn dal i fod ynghau. Ni chaewyd y ffyrdd a oedd ynghau yn sgil y llifogydd oherwydd i'r seilwaith fethu, ond oherwydd bod cymaint o ddŵr yn llifo drostynt neu o afonydd yn torri eu glannau. Ailagorwyd y rhan fwyaf o'r cefnffyrdd ddydd Sul ac mae pob un ar agor yn llwyr erbyn hyn.
Adroddodd y cwmnïau pŵer bod dros 38,000 o gwsmeriaid wedi'u heffeithio gan y tywydd garw. Fodd bynnag, roedd pŵer pob cwsmer wedi'i adfer o fewn 24 awr.
Cafwyd nifer o achosion o anifeiliaid yn cael eu dal yn y llifogydd dros y penwythnos. Ymatebodd amryw o asiantaethau yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys y gwasanaethau brys, y trydydd sector a swyddogion gorfodi i adroddiadau o anifeiliaid mewn perygl. Er eu bod wedi gallu helpu mewn llawer o achosion, yn anffodus roedd yr amodau a'r risg i fywyd pobl yn golygu nad oedd bob amser yn bosibl ymyrryd.
Er ein bod ni wedi gweld llifogydd mewn llawer o ardaloedd ledled y wlad, rydym ni hefyd wedi cael adroddiadau o asedau yn gweithio'n effeithiol i leihau'r perygl mewn sawl lle. Dwy enghraifft yw'r adroddiadau o Ystradgynlais a Brynbuga, lle gwnaeth yr amddiffynfeydd eu gwaith ac atal llifogydd yn y trefi hynny. Mae hyn yn helpu i ddangos sut mae ein buddsoddiad parhaus mewn rheoli perygl llifogydd, codi ymwybyddiaeth a systemau rhybuddio wedi cael effaith gadarnhaol.
Mae angen inni yn awr ddeall graddau llawn yr effeithiau sy'n gysylltiedig â storm Callum i lywio trafodaethau ag awdurdodau lleol ac i weld beth y gallwn ni ei wneud i gefnogi'r cymunedau hynny yr effeithiwyd arnynt. Yn dilyn achos o lifogydd mawr, mae gofyniad statudol ar awdurdodau lleol i ymchwilio i'w achos a'i effeithiau, a chynnig argymhellion ar gyfer y dyfodol. Gallai hyn gynnwys sylwadau gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, a Dŵr Cymru pan fo angen, yn ogystal â pha wersi y gellir eu dysgu ar gyfer y dyfodol. Gwn fod rhai awdurdodau lleol yn ystyried cynllun caledi a'u bod eisoes yn trafod gyda swyddogion cyllid a all Llywodraeth Cymru gynorthwyo â chymorth ariannol brys. Hoffai'r Llywodraeth hon roi ystyriaeth lawn i hynny.
Rwy'n cydnabod pwysigrwydd addasu i'n hinsawdd newidiol a heriol, a dyna pam mae rheoli perygl llifogydd yn parhau i fod yn un o'm blaenoriaethau. Rydym ni wedi ymrwymo i barhau i fuddsoddi mewn camau i reoli risg sy'n deillio o lifogydd ac erydu arfordirol a dros oes y Llywodraeth hon byddwn yn buddsoddi dros £350 miliwn ledled Cymru. Nid yw ein buddsoddiad yn canolbwyntio ar adeiladu a chynnal amddiffynfeydd yn unig, ond hefyd ar gydnerthedd cymunedol a gwaith atal, drwy well gwybodaeth, codi ymwybyddiaeth o lifogydd a pharatoi cynlluniau llifogydd i leihau'r effeithiau ar fywydau ac eiddo.
Ni allwn ni atal pob achos o lifogydd, felly mae ailadeiladu cydnerthedd a dysgu o'r digwyddiadau hyn yn hollbwysig. Fel y dywedais ar y dechrau, ni allwn ni wneud hyn ar ein pennau ein hunain, a hoffwn gloi drwy ddiolch eto i bawb a fu'n rhan o'r ymateb i'r achosion hyn o lifogydd ac sy'n dal i weithio'n galed i helpu â'r gwaith adfer.
Storm Callum did, indeed, wreck homes, businesses and stole lives, and my deepest sympathies go to the family and friends of the young man, Corey Sharpling, who lost his life. But I also have to say that the landslide that took this young man's life also saw some truly heroic efforts, and I would like to publicly pay tribute to two Carmarthenshire County Council workers, because, on that road when the landslide came down with gallons and gallons of water, it swept the lorry off the road, over the bank and into the river, because it's a river road that goes through Cwmduad. The lorry went in head first, the driver was under water and those two Carmarthenshire County Council workers leapt into that boiling inferno, smashed the windows and grabbed him out. I'm sure that throughout Wales there are other tales of people who've done some truly heroic actions, and I'd like to pay tribute to them.
I'd like to thank Carmarthenshire County Council, Dyfed Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Natural Resources Wales, but I also particularly want to pay tribute to Carmarthenshire County Council—to Mark James, Ruth Mullen and the staff, who've all been amazing. Already, the housing teams have been out, the regeneration teams have been out, next week a mobile hub will be set up to help people with benefits, with signposting, with rate rebates, and their positive action and decision to put £100,000 today on the table today for individuals, and £200,000 for businesses, makes, I'm afraid, Minister, the Welsh Government's statement today look as wet as the storm. Minister, will you be able to offer any hard money to councils throughout Wales to assist in a hardship fund? Are you able to commit to matching people like Carmarthenshire County Council, who've already put £300,000? You do say in your statement that you'd like to give it your full consideration—but it's today; they need the money today. There are lives destroyed; they need to start rebuilding today. I worry that the Government will spend ages considering everything before it takes action. Will you please clarify that for me?
Councils might be able to support the smaller businesses, but, of course, funds will be needed for the big, mid and large businesses, especially those that were unable to get flood risk insurance—a number of businesses, again in Carmarthen. There's the big company who have all the pick-up trucks and the rescue trucks—every single one has gone—they can't get insurance because they're by the river. This is an issue, Llywydd, that the environment and sustainability committee have looked at in various iterations of this Assembly and we're still no further forward in helping businesses and homes that are inadvertently affected by what are now major flood risks to get that insurance. So, these people—their livelihoods have been wiped out. So, I'd like to know what you might be able to do to help them.
Minister, will you also waive the trigger point that councils need to reach before they can access any of the Welsh Government hardship fund moneys? That trigger point is set quite high and I think, in a case like this flood, it would be useful if that could be set aside. Minister, it's also the small things—so, for example, the councils are out cleaning houses, dealing with ruined goods—which in turn will affect their municipal waste recycling targets. Are you able to consider setting aside the detritus that comes from the storm so that it's not part of those recycling targets, because that will harm the councils in the long run in meeting Welsh Government targets?
Above all, Minister, this was awful, and in my constituency of Carmarthen West and, in fact, in the whole of Carmarthen, there's been a massive impact, from the cafe that employed 12 people that is going to struggle to ever open again to the large companies that have lost so much. So, I wonder, Minister, if you will agree to update us all in a month's time via an oral statement because we need to let everyone know that Wales is still open despite storm Callum, and on my behalf and as a direct response for the businesses of Carmarthen, can we please let everyone know that Carmarthen is still open despite storm Callum?
Fe wnaeth storm Callum, yn wir, ddinistrio cartrefi, busnesau a hawlio bywydau, ac aiff fy nghydymdeimlad dwysaf i deulu a ffrindiau y dyn ifanc, Corey Sharpling, a gollodd ei fywyd. Ond mae'n rhaid imi ddweud hefyd y gwelwyd ymdrechion gwirioneddol arwrol yn y tirlithriad a hawliodd fywyd y dyn ifanc hwn, a hoffwn dalu teyrnged yn gyhoeddus i ddau weithiwr Cyngor Sir Gâr, oherwydd, ar y ffordd honno pan ddaeth y tirlithriad i lawr gyda galwyni a galwyni o ddŵr, fe wnaeth ysgubo'r lori oddi ar y ffordd, dros y lan ac i mewn i'r afon, oherwydd mae'n ffordd afon sy'n mynd drwy Gwmduad. Aeth y lori i mewn â'i phen yn gyntaf, roedd y gyrrwr dan ddŵr a neidiodd y ddau weithiwr hynny o Gyngor Sir Caerfyrddin i ganol y cenllif tymhestlog, torri'r ffenestri a'i dynnu allan. Rwy'n siŵr bod storïau eraill ledled Cymru am bobl sydd wedi gwneud pethau gwirioneddol arwrol, a hoffwn dalu teyrnged iddyn nhw.
Hoffwn ddiolch i Gyngor Sir Gâr, Heddlu Dyfed Powys, Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru, ond rwyf hefyd yn arbennig o awyddus i dalu teyrnged i Gyngor Sir Gâr—i Mark James, Ruth Mullen a'r staff, sydd i gyd wedi bod yn anhygoel. Eisoes, mae'r timau tai wedi bod allan, mae'r timau adfywio wedi bod allan, yr wythnos nesaf bydd canolfan symudol yn cael ei sefydlu i helpu pobl gyda budd-daliadau, gyda chyfeirio, gydag ad-daliadau ardrethi, ac mae eu gweithredu cadarnhaol a'u penderfyniad i gynnig £100,000 heddiw ar gyfer unigolion, a £200,000 ar gyfer busnesau, yn gwneud, mae arnaf ofn, Gweinidog, i'r datganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru heddiw edrych yn simsan. Gweinidog, a fyddwch chi'n gallu cynnig unrhyw arian go iawn i gynghorau ledled Cymru i gynorthwyo â chronfa galedi? A ydych chi'n gallu ymrwymo i roi cymaint o arian â phobl fel Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin, sydd eisoes wedi rhoi £300,000? Rydych chi'n dweud yn eich datganiad y byddech yn hoffi rhoi ystyriaeth lawn i hynny—ond heddiw; maen nhw angen yr arian heddiw. Mae bywydau wedi'u dinistrio; mae angen iddyn nhw ddechrau ailadeiladu heddiw. Rwy'n poeni y bydd y Llywodraeth yn treulio hydoedd yn ystyried popeth cyn y bydd yn gweithredu. A wnewch chi egluro hynny i mi os gwelwch yn dda?
Mae'n bosibl y bydd y cynghorau yn gallu cefnogi'r busnesau llai o faint, ond, wrth gwrs, bydd angen arian ar gyfer y busnesau canolig a mawr, yn enwedig y rhai hynny nad oedden nhw'n gallu cael yswiriant risg llifogydd—nifer o fusnesau, eto yng Nghaerfyrddin. Mae yna gwmni mawr sydd â'r holl lorïau agored a'r lorïau achub—mae pob un wedi mynd—ni allan nhw gael yswiriant oherwydd eu bod nhw'n wrth yr afon. Mae hwn yn fater, Llywydd, y mae'r Pwyllgor amgylchedd a chynaliadwyedd wedi ei ystyried mewn gwahanol gyfnodau o'r Cynulliad hwn a dydym ni ddim pellach ymlaen yn helpu busnesau a chartrefi sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan yr hyn sydd bellach yn risgiau llifogydd mawr, i gael yr yswiriant hwnnw. Felly, mae'r bobl hyn—mae eu bywoliaeth wedi mynd. Felly, hoffwn wybod beth y gallech chi ei wneud i'w helpu.
Gweinidog, a wnewch chi hefyd ddiystyru'r trothwy y mae angen i gynghorau ei gyrraedd cyn iddynt allu cael unrhyw arian o gronfa galedi Llywodraeth Cymru? Mae'r trothwy wedi'i bennu'n eithaf uchel ac rwy'n credu, mewn achos fel y llifogydd hyn, y byddai'n ddefnyddiol pe gellid diystyru hynny. Gweinidog, bydd y pethau bach hefyd—felly, er enghraifft, mae'r cynghorau allan yn glanhau tai, yn ymdrin â nwyddau sydd wedi eu dinistrio—yn eu tro, yn effeithio ar eu targedau ailgylchu gwastraff trefol. A allwch chi ystyried peidio â chynnwys y llanast hwnnw sydd wedi deillio o'r storm fel nad yw'n rhan o'r targedau ailgylchu hynny, oherwydd bydd hynny'n niweidio'r cynghorau yn y tymor hir o ran cyrraedd targedau Llywodraeth Cymru?
Yn anad dim, Gweinidog, roedd hyn yn ofnadwy, ac yn fy etholaeth i, Gorllewin Caerfyrddin ac, yn wir, yng Nghaerfyrddin gyfan, bu'r effaith yn enfawr, o'r caffi a oedd yn cyflogi 12 o bobl sy'n mynd i'w chael hi'n anodd agor byth eto, i'r cwmnïau mawr sydd wedi colli cymaint. Felly, tybed, Gweinidog, a wnewch chi gytuno i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni i gyd ymhen y mis, ar ffurf datganiad llafar, gan fod angen inni roi gwybod i bawb bod Cymru yn dal ar agor er gwaethaf storm Callum, ac ar fy rhan i ac fel ymateb uniongyrchol i fusnesau Caerfyrddin, a allwn ni roi gwybod i bawb bod Caerfyrddin yn dal ar agor er gwaethaf storm Callum os gwelwch yn dda?
Can I thank the Member for her contribution? You made it quite clear yourself that Carmarthen is still open for business despite storm Callum. You're absolutely right, as you opened your remarks today, to talk about those amazing examples of bravery and people just going above and beyond to help their fellow citizens in a time of crisis. One thing that struck me when I visited this morning is that, despite looking at how devastated and distressed people were by what has happened, was that absolute sense of community spirit, and the stories I heard about people helping one another—the paddling centre, where people come from all over the country—. They were still smiling. For me, it was very important, as the Minister, to go there and speak to people but also to hear from them, so it gives you that extra passion you need to really know that we really need to make a difference to support these people.
I think Carmarthenshire council's action is to be commended. I met with representatives of the council this morning. They were talking about their emergency fund and what they're giving per household as well. I'm acutely aware of time pressures and the need to respond and the need to support people at their time of need now. So, we're just getting that information in. As soon as we have that—talking with local authorities, and they already are in touch with my officials today to look at what has been and what the impacts are and what needs to be done—I'm sure we'll be able to respond as promptly as possible.
In terms of the detritus you mentioned from the storm and the clean-up operation, I'm sure that's something we'd be willing to consider to set aside as well.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei chyfraniad? Fe wnaethoch chi hi'n hollol glir eich hun bod Caerfyrddin yn dal i fod ar agor er gwaethaf storm Callum. Rydych chi yn llygad eich lle, wrth ichi agor eich sylwadau heddiw, i sôn am yr enghreifftiau anhygoel hynny o ddewrder a phobl yn gwneud popeth yn eu gallu i helpu eu cyd-ddinasyddion ar adeg o argyfwng. Un peth a'm trawodd i pan ymwelais i y bore yma, er gwaethaf edrych ar gymaint yr oedd yr hyn a ddigwyddodd wedi achosi trallod a gofid i bobl, oedd yr ymdeimlad llwyr o ysbryd cymunedol, a'r straeon yr wyf i wedi'u clywed am bobl yn helpu ei gilydd—y ganolfan padlo, lle bydd pobl yn dod o bob cwr o'r wlad—. Roedden nhw'n dal i wenu. I mi, roedd yn bwysig iawn, fel y Gweinidog, i fynd yno ac i siarad â phobl, ond hefyd i glywed ganddynt, felly mae'n rhoi'r angerdd ychwanegol hwnnw y mae ei angen arnoch i wybod mewn gwirionedd bod angen inni wneud gwahaniaeth i gefnogi'r bobl hyn.
Rwy'n credu bod camau gweithredu Cyngor Sir Gâr i'w canmol. Cyfarfûm â chynrychiolwyr y cyngor y bore yma. Roeddent yn sôn am eu cronfa frys a'r hyn y maen nhw'n ei roi fesul cartref hefyd. Rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o'r pwysau o ran amser a'r angen i ymateb a'r angen i gefnogi pobl pan maent ei angen yn awr. Felly, rydym ni'n casglu'r wybodaeth honno ar hyn o bryd. Cyn gynted ag y bydd yr wybodaeth honno gennym ni—gan siarad ag awdurdodau lleol, ac maen nhw eisoes yn cysylltu â'm swyddogion heddiw i edrych ar beth fu'r effeithiau a beth fydd yr effeithiau a beth sydd angen ei wneud—rwy'n siŵr y byddwn ni'n gallu ymateb mor brydlon â phosibl.
O ran y llanast y gwnaethoch chi sôn amdano o'r storm a'r gwaith glanhau, rwy'n siŵr bod hynny'n rhywbeth y byddem yn barod i ystyried ei hepgor hefyd.
I would like to begin by thanking the Minister for her timely statement. I'd like to associate myself with the comments that she and Angela Burns have made, extending my sympathies to—and those of Plaid Cymru—to all those affected, as already expressed earlier by Adam Price, and particularly to the family and friends of Adam's constituent, Corey Sharpling, who tragically lost his life. I was very touched by the comments that Angela made about how many brave people have really stuck their necks out to protect themselves, their friends and their neighbours across the Mid and West Wales region at this difficult time. I'd like to concur with the comments that the Minister has made and that Angela Burns has made—the gratitude they've expressed to the emergency services, to all public services, and to local authority staff across Mid and West Wales who worked so hard over the weekend to assist those affected. I had, for example, particularly positive feedback from constituents with regard to how useful the emergency helplines run by Ceredigion and Carmarthen councils have proved to be at this very difficult time. It's very pleasant to be able to report back on an emergency situation and a response to that that really does seem to be working for people. I'm very glad that the Minister has been able to visit one of the communities affected, and I know that my colleagues Ben Lake MP, Jonathan Edwards MP and Adam Price AM will be visiting more of the areas affected on Friday. My colleague Elin Jones AM, ein Llywydd ni, for Ceredigion has particularly asked me to mention the efforts that communities themselves have made and that volunteers from the third sector have made to help with the clear-up after this devastating storm.
This was, of course, the worst flooding faced by many of the communities in my region for 30 years, but I'm sure that the Minister will agree with me that the effects of climate change mean that these extreme events are going to become more common. Does the Minister agree with me that it is now time—? And she has mentioned co-ordination, but I think we need to take this further. Does she agree with me that it's now time for the Welsh Government to develop a climate change adaptation plan to ensure that we are fully prepared and that our communities are adequately protected? And will she undertake today to discuss the development of such a plan with colleagues across Government and to report back to the Chamber on progress? I don't mean to suggest, Llywydd, that the Welsh Government is not taking any action in this area, but I think that it is now time for us to really consider co-ordinating that action even more effectively across portfolios.
In her statement, the Minister mentions that there were communities that were successfully protected by existing flood defences, and I think we'd all join her in being very pleased about that, but she will be aware that there were situations where existing defences were breached, and not all of them long-standing defences. Will the Minister undertake today to review the Welsh Government's priorities with regard to investment in flood protection, and indeed the nature of the flood defences that we're using, in the light of these breaches?
In her statement, the Minister states that road closures were not due to failing infrastructure. I hope that she would agree with me that we need to be adapting our infrastructure to meet the needs of very changing times. I'm sure she will be aware, for example, that most of the bridges across the Teifi were closed for long periods, creating significant problems for emergency services, for example, accessing Glangwili hospital from Ceredigion. Will she commit today to reviewing with the appropriate local authorities and public bodies the resilience of infrastructure in the affected areas, particularly addressing the strength of bridges across the Tawe and the Teifi? Some of them, as she will be aware, are of a considerable age and will have been potentially adversely affected by the strength of this event.
With regard to resources, can the Minister tell us whether the Welsh Government has approached the Westminster Government, or whether you will do so, with a view to taking advantage potentially of the financial support available from the EU solidarity fund? I think this could prove to be a valuable source of additional resources at this difficult time. Can she—? And she has mentioned this, but I'd like to press her further on this—. She mentioned this in response to Angela Burns, but can she provide assurances that the Welsh Government will be assisting affected local authorities by the emergency financial assistance scheme? Llywydd, nobody would expect the Minister to put a price on that today, but I do feel that we need to seek her assurance that there will be support available, even if she can't tell us exactly how much at present.
And, finally, can the Minister tell us what support the Welsh Government will be able to offer the farming community, many of whom will face devastating losses of equipment and livestock? Diolch yn fawr.
Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei datganiad amserol. Hoffwn ddweud fy mod yn cytuno â'r sylwadau a wnaed ganddi hi ac Angela Burns, ac estyn fy nghydymdeimlad i—a Phlaid Cymru—at bawb sydd wedi'u heffeithio, fel sydd eisoes wedi'i fynegi yn gynharach gan Adam Price, ac yn enwedig i deulu a ffrindiau etholwr Adam, Corey Sharpling, a gollodd ei fywyd yn drasig. Roeddwn yn llawn tosturi o glywed y sylwadau a wnaeth Angela am sut y mae llawer o bobl ddewr wedi mynd yr ail filltir yn wir i ddiogelu eu hunain, eu ffrindiau a'u cymdogion ledled rhanbarth y canolbarth a'r gorllewin yn y cyfnod anodd hwn. Fe hoffwn i gytuno â sylwadau'r Gweinidog a sylwadau Angela Burns—y diolch y maen nhw wedi ei fynegi i'r gwasanaethau brys, i'r holl wasanaethau cyhoeddus, ac i staff yr awdurdod lleol ar draws y canolbarth a'r gorllewin a fu'n gweithio mor galed dros y penwythnos i gynorthwyo'r rhai hynny yr effeithiwyd arnynt. Cefais adborth cadarnhaol iawn, er enghraifft, gan etholwyr o ran pa mor ddefnyddiol fu'r llinellau cymorth brys yr oedd cynghorau Ceredigion a Chaerfyrddin yn eu cynnal yr adeg anodd iawn hon. Mae'n braf iawn gallu adrodd yn ôl ar sefyllfa frys ac ar ymateb i sefyllfa o'r fath yr ymddengys ei bod, mewn gwirionedd, yn gweithio i bobl. Rwy'n falch iawn bod y Gweinidog wedi gallu ymweld ag un o'r cymunedau yr effeithiwyd arnynt, a gwn y bydd fy nghyd-Aelodau, Ben Lake AS, Jonathan Edwards AS ac Adam Price AC yn ymweld â mwy o ardaloedd yr effeithiwyd arnynt ddydd Gwener. Mae fy nghyd-Aelod Elin Jones AC, ein Llywydd ni, dros Geredigion wedi gofyn imi sôn yn benodol am ymdrechion y cymunedau eu hunain ac ymdrechion gwirfoddolwyr o'r trydydd sector i helpu gyda'r gwaith clirio ar ôl y storm ddinistriol hon.
Rhain oedd, wrth gwrs, y llifogydd gwaethaf a wynebodd llawer o'r cymunedau yn fy rhanbarth i ers 30 mlynedd, ond rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi bod effeithiau newid yn yr hinsawdd yn golygu bod y digwyddiadau eithafol hyn yn mynd i ddod yn fwy cyffredin. A yw'r Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi ei bod bellach yn bryd—? Ac mae hi wedi crybwyll cydgysylltu, ond credaf fod angen inni fynd â hyn ymhellach. A yw hi'n cytuno â mi ei bod hi bellach yn bryd i Lywodraeth Cymru ddatblygu cynllun addasu i newid yn yr hinsawdd i sicrhau ein bod yn gwbl barod a bod ein cymunedau wedi'u hamddiffyn yn ddigonol? Ac a wnaiff hi ymrwymo heddiw i drafod datblygu cynllun o'r fath gyda chydweithwyr ar draws y Llywodraeth ac i adrodd yn ôl i'r Siambr ar y cynnydd? Dydw i ddim yn awgrymu, Llywydd, nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn cymryd unrhyw gamau yn y maes hwn, ond credaf ei bod bellach yn bryd i ni, mewn gwirionedd, ystyried cydgysylltu'r gweithredu hwnnw hyd yn oed yn fwy effeithiol ar draws portffolios.
Yn ei datganiad, mae'r Gweinidog yn sôn bod yna gymunedau a gafodd eu diogelu'n llwyddiannus gan amddiffynfeydd llifogydd sy'n bodoli eisoes, ac rwy'n credu ein bod ni i gyd yr yn mor falch â hi yn hynny o beth, ond bydd hi'n ymwybodol y bu yna sefyllfaoedd lle cafodd amddiffynfeydd sydd eisoes yn bodoli eu torri, ac nid yw pob un ohonyn nhw'n amddiffynfeydd hirsefydlog. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ymrwymo heddiw i adolygu blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru o ran buddsoddi mewn amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd, ac yn wir y math o amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd yr ydym ni yn eu defnyddio, yng ngoleuni'r toriadau hyn?
Yn ei datganiad, mae'r Gweinidog yn datgan na chaewyd ffyrdd oherwydd i'r seilwaith fethu. Gobeithio y byddai hi'n cytuno â mi bod angen inni fod yn addasu ein seilwaith i ddiwallu anghenion amseroedd newidiol iawn. Rwy'n siŵr ei bod hi'n ymwybodol, er enghraifft, fod y rhan fwyaf o'r pontydd ar draws afon Teifi wedi'u cau am gyfnodau hir, gan greu problemau sylweddol ar gyfer gwasanaethau brys, er enghraifft, o ran cyrraedd ysbyty Glangwili o Geredigion. A wnaiff hi ymrwymo heddiw i adolygu, gyda'r awdurdodau lleol a'r cyrff cyhoeddus, pa mor briodol yw'r seilwaith yn yr ardaloedd yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw, gan roi sylw penodol i gryfder y pontydd dros afon Teifi ac afon Tawe? Mae rhai ohonyn nhw, fel y bydd hi'n ymwybodol, o gryn oedran ac mae'n bosibl y bydd grymuster y digwyddiad hwn wedi effeithio'n andwyol arnyn nhw.
O ran adnoddau, a wnaiff y Gweinidog ddweud wrthym ni a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cysylltu â Llywodraeth San Steffan, neu a fyddwch chi'n gwneud hynny, gyda'r bwriad o fanteisio efallai ar y cymorth ariannol sydd ar gael o Gronfa Gydsefyll yr UE? Credaf y gallai hyn fod yn ffynhonnell werthfawr o adnoddau ychwanegol yn y cyfnod anodd hwn. A wnaiff hi—? Ac mae hi wedi crybwyll hyn, ond hoffwn bwyso arni ymhellach ar hyn—. Soniodd am hyn mewn ymateb i Angela Burns, ond a wnaiff hi roi sicrwydd y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynorthwyo awdurdodau lleol yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw drwy'r cynllun cymorth ariannol brys? Llywydd, ni fyddai neb yn disgwyl i'r Gweinidog roi pris ar hynny heddiw, ond rwy'n teimlo bod angen inni geisio sicrwydd ganddi y bydd cymorth ar gael, hyd yn oed os na all hi ddweud wrthym ni faint yn union ar hyn o bryd.
Ac, yn olaf, a wnaiff y Gweinidog ddweud wrthym ni pa gymorth a all Llywodraeth Cymru ei gynnig i'r gymuned ffermio, y bydd llawer ohonyn nhw yn wynebu colledion dinistriol o ran offer a da byw? Diolch yn fawr.
I thank the Member for her comprehensive contribution, and I'll do my best to address the questions that you've raised. I think you're also right again to pay tribute to and recognise the efforts put in by volunteers, by the local community, as well as the emergency services, to whom not only the local communities but I think all of us owe a debt of gratitude. And it is good to hear the positive stories too of emergency helplines working well, that prevention that's been put in place. One of the things I heard back this morning too was how some of the Natural Resources Wales alerts helped to notify people so that when they were in a flood-risk area they were able to take action to move their cars or to take certain steps to actually prevent the impact on their home and their area as well.
In terms of looking at a review of our priorities, after any event like this, when our capability and our resilience have been tested, it is only right and proper that we look at what's worked and also look at what hasn't worked and see the things that do need to be changed in future. So, we do expect that we will work now with local authorities, Natural Resources Wales, and all other stakeholders to look at what has happened and where we may need to change things for the future, because it's always right that we learn lessons and we build on the work we are doing while maintaining that commitment to flood prevention across the whole of Wales as well.
In terms of a climate change adaptation plan and flood prevention, of course, climate change is one of the factors that is considered in terms of how we map flood risk and address those priorities in our prevention within Wales as it stands, but, certainly, as the threats of climate change grow ever greater—the challenges that brings—it's only right that we consider that as a whole. I'm sure I and the Cabinet Secretary for energy will be working together closely, with other colleagues across Cabinet, on our approach to climate change adaptation going forward, which will obviously consider all things holistically, including flood prevention and mitigation as well.
In terms of emergency funding available to help, I'm sure this is something that—like I said to my colleague Angela Burns, there are already conversations taking place on that with officials and it's something that, as a Welsh Government, we are open to and sympathetic to. And whilst you're right that I can't put a figure on a number right now, right here in this Chamber, certainly we're aware of the need to press ahead with this and also to look at, actually, do we need to consider the trigger as well as part of that.
Finally, just on the point of the EU solidarity funding, my understanding at present is that this is only available when the cost of flood damage exceeds £1 billion. Obviously, all things on the table, all things need to be considered, and, obviously, you're right that any funding allocation would need to be handled through discussion by both Welsh Government and UK Government officers and Ministers. To my awareness, no discussions have yet taken place, but, obviously, that would depend on the outcome of the reviews that are taking place in Wales at the moment in all the communities affected.
Diolch i'r Aelod am ei chyfraniad cynhwysfawr, ac fe wnaf fy ngorau i ateb y cwestiynau yr ydych chi wedi'u codi. Credaf eich bod hefyd yn iawn eto i dalu teyrnged i, a chydnabod ymdrechion gwirfoddolwyr, y gymuned leol, yn ogystal â'r gwasanaethau brys, y mae pob un ohonom ni, rwy'n credu, nid yn unig y cymunedau lleol, yn ddyledus iddynt. Ac mae'n dda clywed y straeon cadarnhaol hefyd am linellau cymorth brys yn gweithio dda, bod camau atal wedi'u rhoi ar waith. Un o'r pethau a glywais y bore yma hefyd oedd sut y gwnaeth rhai o rybuddion Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru helpu i roi gwybod i bobl felly os oedden nhw mewn ardal â risg o lifogydd, roedden nhw'n gallu symud eu ceir neu gymryd camau penodol i atal yr effaith ar eu cartref a'u hardal hefyd, mewn gwirionedd.
O ran ystyried adolygiad o'n blaenoriaethau ni, ar ôl unrhyw ddigwyddiad fel hwn, pan fydd ein gallu a'n cydnerthedd wedi'u profi, mae'n iawn a phriodol inni edrych ar yr hyn sydd wedi gweithio a hefyd edrych ar yr hyn nad yw wedi gweithio a gweld y pethau y mae angen eu newid yn y dyfodol. Felly, rydym ni yn disgwyl y byddwn nawr yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, a'r holl randdeiliaid eraill i edrych ar yr hyn a ddigwyddodd a'r hyn y bydd angen i ni ei newid o bosib ar gyfer y dyfodol, oherwydd mae bob amser yn briodol ein bod yn dysgu gwersi a'n bod yn ategu'r gwaith yr ydym yn ei wneud wrth gynnal yr ymrwymiad hwnnw i atal llifogydd ledled Cymru gyfan hefyd.
O ran y cynllun addasu i newid yn yr hinsawdd ac atal llifogydd, wrth gwrs, mae newid yn yr hinsawdd yn un o'r ffactorau sy'n cael ei ystyried o ran sut yr ydym ni'n mapio perygl llifogydd ac yn mynd i'r afael â'r blaenoriaethau hynny yn ein gwaith atal yng Nghymru fel y mae, ond, yn sicr, wrth i'r bygythiadau newid yn yr hinsawdd gynyddu fwy fyth—yr heriau a ddaw yn sgil hynny—nid yw ond yn briodol ein bod yn ystyried hynny yn ei gyfanrwydd. Rwy'n siŵr y byddaf i ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros ynni yn cydweithio'n agos, gyda chyd-Aelodau eraill yn y Cabinet, o ran sut yr ydym ni'n addasu i newid yn yr hinsawdd yn y dyfodol, a fydd yn amlwg yn ystyried y popeth mewn modd cynhwysfawr, gan gynnwys atal llifogydd a chamau lliniaru hefyd.
O ran cyllid brys sydd ar gael i helpu, rwy'n siŵr bod hyn yn rhywbeth—fel a ddywedais wrth fy nghyd-Aelod, Angela Burns, y mae hynny eisoes yn cael ei drafod gyda swyddogion ac mae'n rhywbeth, fel Llywodraeth Cymru, yr ydym yn agored iddo ac yn ei ddeall. Ac er eich bod chi'n gywir yn dweud na allaf roi ffigur neu nodi rhif ar hyn o bryd, yma yn y Siambr hon, yn sicr rydym yn ymwybodol o'r angen i fwrw ymlaen â hyn a hefyd i ystyried, mewn gwirionedd, a oes angen inni ystyried y trothwy hefyd yn rhan o hynny.
Yn olaf, dim ond ar y pwynt am Gronfa Gydsefyll yr UE, fy nealltwriaeth i ar hyn o bryd yw ei bod ond ar gael pan fo cost difrod llifogydd yn fwy na £1 biliwn. Yn amlwg, mae angen ystyried popeth a gynigir, popeth, ac yn amlwg rydych chi'n iawn y byddai angen mynd i'r afael ag unrhyw ddyrannu arian drwy drafod gyda swyddogion a Gweinidogion Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU. Hyd y gwn i, nid fu unrhyw drafodaethau hyd yn hyn, ond, yn amlwg, byddai hynny'n dibynnu ar ganlyniad yr adolygiadau sy'n cael eu cynnal yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd yn yr holl gymunedau yr effeithiwyd arnynt.
Thank you for your statement, Minister. Along with Angela Burns, my heartfelt sympathies go to the family and friends of Corey Sharpling, who sadly died in a landslip. And also my sympathies go to other people in the UK who died or who have suffered injury in the recent storm. I'm sure that all Members in this place will do our utmost to assist them and those people whose homes and businesses have been damaged by the high winds and flooding caused by storm Callum. I'd also like to echo the thanks and appreciation to the emergency services and others and members of the public who worked to help their friends, neighbours and other people through the difficulties caused by the storm.
I appreciate that some communities will have benefited greatly from flood defences that have already been put in place, but, in some places, those defences have clearly been overwhelmed, and, understandably, residents will be concerned. So, can you confirm what steps you will take to review flood defences, both in communities that already have them and where residents and businesses may feel they're missing out?
You've acknowledged in your statement that animals were caught up in the flooding, and there have been occasions of sheep having been washed away and other animals being stranded. I'd like to ask you what support the Welsh Government can offer those farmers who've lost livestock and now have injured livestock because of the flooding. There are also reports of horses having to be rescued from the flooding itself. So, are you satisfied that the correct level of resources and adequate information are there to help horse owners and owners of similar animals and farmers as well to plan for, and deal with, the consequences of flooding? What conversations are you having with farmers regarding their role in preventing and mitigating the risk of flooding, and what support will you offer them so that they can actually fulfil that role?
Llandysul Paddlers Canoe Club is a community-based enterprise and has already started fundraising to address the damage caused, which they estimate at some £200,000. Can the Welsh Government consider offering some level of support for community initiatives affected by severe weather? And the effective provision of utilities is a life-and-death measure for some people—in particular, hospitals. So, what discussions have you had with utility companies about their response to the storm and any challenges they faced that Welsh Government can address for the future? Thank you.
Diolch ichi am eich datganiad, Gweinidog. Fel Angela Burns, rwy'n anfon fy nghydymdeimlad dwysaf at deulu a ffrindiau Corey Sharpling, a fu farw yn anffodus mewn tirlithriad. Ac rwyf hefyd yn cydymdeimlo â phobl eraill yn y DU a fu farw neu sydd wedi dioddef anaf yn y storm ddiweddar. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd pob Aelod yn y lle hwn yn gwneud eu gorau glas i'w helpu nhw a'r bobl hynny y mae eu cartrefi a'u busnesau wedi'u difrodi gan y gwyntoedd cryf a'r llifogydd a achoswyd gan storm Callum. Hoffwn hefyd ategu'r diolch a'r gwerthfawrogiad i'r gwasanaethau brys ac eraill ac aelodau o'r cyhoedd a weithiodd i helpu eu ffrindiau, cymdogion a phobl eraill drwy'r anawsterau a achoswyd gan y storm.
Rwy'n sylweddoli y bydd rhai cymunedau wedi elwa'n fawr o amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd sydd eisoes yn bodoli, ond, mewn rhai mannau, ni fu'r amddiffynfeydd hynny, yn amlwg, yn ddigonol, ac, wrth reswm, bydd preswylwyr yn bryderus. Felly, a wnewch chi gadarnhau beth fyddwch chi'n ei wneud i adolygu'r amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd, mewn cymunedau sydd â nhw eisoes a mannau lle mae trigolion a busnesau yn teimlo o bosib eu bod ar eu colled?
Rydych chi wedi cydnabod yn eich datganiad bod anifeiliaid wedi eu dal yn y llifogydd, a bu achosion o ddefaid yn cael eu golchi ymaith ac anifeiliaid eraill yn sownd. Hoffwn ofyn i chi pa gymorth all Llywodraeth Cymru ei gynnig i'r ffermwyr hynny sydd wedi colli da byw ac sydd bellach â da byw sydd wedi'u hanafu oherwydd y llifogydd. Ceir adroddiadau hefyd o geffylau yn gorfod cael eu hachub o ddŵr y llifogydd. Felly, a ydych chi'n fodlon bod adnoddau priodol a digon o wybodaeth ar gael i helpu perchnogion ceffylau a pherchnogion anifeiliaid tebyg a ffermwyr hefyd i gynllunio ar gyfer, ac ymdopi â chanlyniadau llifogydd? Pa sgyrsiau yr ydych chi'n eu cael gyda ffermwyr ynghylch eu rhan nhw yn y gwaith o atal a lliniaru'r risg o lifogydd, a pha gymorth yr ydych chi'n ei gynnig iddyn nhw er mwyn iddyn nhw allu cyflawni hynny, mewn gwirionedd?
Mae Clwb Canŵio Padlwyr Llandysul yn fenter gymunedol ac mae eisoes wedi dechrau codi arian i fynd i'r afael â'r difrod a achoswyd, y maen nhw'n amcangyfrif sydd oddeutu £200,000. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried cynnig rhyw faint o gefnogaeth i fentrau cymunedol sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan y tywydd garw? Ac mae darparu cyfleustodau yn effeithiol yn fater tyngedfennol i rai pobl—mewn ysbytai yn enwedig. Felly, pa drafodaethau yr ydych chi wedi'u cael gyda chwmnïau cyfleustodau am eu hymateb i'r storm ac unrhyw heriau y gwnaethon nhw eu hwynebu y gall Llywodraeth Cymru fynd i'r afael â nhw ar gyfer y dyfodol? Diolch.
I thank the Member for her contribution and her questions.
In terms of looking at—. You referred to how flood defences have been in place and have worked and to assess whether things have worked as well as we would have liked them to do. As I said previously, it's our duty, when anything like this happens, that we should review and assess what has happened when we get all the information in from local authorities and Natural Resources Wales and all the stakeholders and communities involved, and make sure that we're able to learn from that and revise accordingly, and that is something that I will take very seriously, as the Minister for environment, working alongside my relevant Government and Cabinet colleagues. So, that is something we will look at and will feed into our future plans in terms of when we look at where our priorities are for prevention.
You're right to point out, and I mentioned in my statement, the impact on landowners and the incidents of some sheep, and farmers. In terms of how our—. I think it's important for us to work with farmers and landowners, who understand flood risk and understand land management in their areas, which is why, when we're looking at updating our natural strategy for flood prevention, which is ongoing at the moment, landowners and farmers will be part of that as well, to make sure that we can take into account and learn from all the points that you've raised in terms of land management, and animal and horse owners as well.
You mentioned the paddlers club and I actually met them today in Llandysul and saw what they were doing in terms of the clean-up operation and how people have come from all over the country and their crowdfunding. In terms of this—you know, we need to work with all the stakeholders in the community and work, as a Welsh Government, to see how we're best placed to give support going forward.
Diolch i'r Aelod am ei chyfraniad a'i chwestiynau.
O ran edrych ar—. Fe wnaethoch chi gyfeirio at sut mae amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd wedi bod ar waith ac wedi gweithio ac i asesu a yw pethau wedi gweithio gystal ag y byddem ni wedi hoffi iddyn nhw weithio. Fel y dywedais o'r blaen, mae'n ddyletswydd arnom ni, pan fydd unrhyw beth fel hyn yn digwydd, y dylem ni adolygu ac asesu yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd pan fyddwn yn cael yr holl wybodaeth gan awdurdodau lleol a Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r holl randdeiliaid a'r cymunedau dan sylw, a gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn gallu dysgu o hynny a diwygio yn unol â hynny, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y byddaf yn ei ystyried yn ddifrifol iawn, fel y Gweinidog dros yr Amgylchedd, gan weithio ochr yn ochr â'm cyd-Aelodau perthnasol sydd yn y Llywodraeth ac yn y Cabinet. Felly, mae hynny'n rhywbeth y byddwn yn ei ystyried a bydd yn cyfrannu at ein cynlluniau yn y dyfodol wrth inni edrych ar beth yw ein blaenoriaethau ar gyfer atal.
Rydych chi'n iawn i grybwyll, a soniais yn fy natganiad, am yr effaith ar berchnogion tir a'r achosion o ran rhai defaid, a ffermwyr. O ran sut mae ein—. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig inni weithio gyda ffermwyr a pherchnogion tir, sy'n deall risg llifogydd ac sy'n deall rheoli tir yn eu hardaloedd, a dyna pam, pan fyddwn ni'n ystyried diweddaru ein strategaeth naturiol ar gyfer atal llifogydd, sy'n mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd, bydd perchnogion tir a ffermwyr yn rhan o hynny hefyd, i wneud yn siŵr y gallwn ni ystyried a dysgu o'r holl bwyntiau yr ydych chi wedi'u codi o ran rheoli tir, a pherchenogion ceffylau ac anifeiliaid hefyd.
Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am y clwb padlwyr ac fe wnes i gwrdd â nhw heddiw yn Llandysul, mewn gwirionedd, a gweld yr hyn yr oedden nhw'n ei wneud o ran y gwaith glanhau a sut y mae pobl wedi dod o bob cwr o'r wlad a'u hariannu torfol. O ran hyn—wyddoch chi, mae'n rhaid inni weithio gyda'r holl randdeiliaid yn y gymuned a gweithio, fel Llywodraeth Cymru, i weld beth yw'r ffordd orau o gynnig cymorth yn y dyfodol.
Thank you, Minister, for your statement. As I'm sure you will know, my constituency was especially affected by storm Callum, with Aberdare being widely described as the town hardest hit by flooding. In Rhondda Cynon Taf, around 40 homes and 29 businesses have been flooded, many of which are in my constituency. And, in Penrhiwceiber, over 30 people who were trapped on a train in rising flood water had to be rescued by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service using an inflatable walkway.
I want to repeat the comments of other Members earlier in offering their thanks to the emergency services, to council workers, volunteers and others for their prompt actions, and also to pass on my sympathies to all those who have been affected. I welcome your comments regarding giving full consideration to granting emergency financial assistance to local authorities, but I want to make the point that it's not just about the short-term immediate expenditure. In RCT, for example, £100,000 has already been spent on that and there's another £100,000 earmarked for investigative and clearance work. So, will you ensure that you give consideration to long-term measures such as that which can help to mitigate the effects of flooding and save money in the long term?
Secondly, we know, Minister, that afforestation of upland areas is one of the most effective and environmentally sustainable ways to mitigate flooding in our Valleys communities. Indeed, if you look to the Lake District, following storm Desmond in 2015, the National Trust planted 1,400 trees there, which are already helping to prevent run-off and reduce flooding. So, with NRW having cleared much land in the past few years, such as at Glenboi in my constituency, due to ash dieback and larch disease, and replanting in some key areas not having yet taken place, what more can be done to accelerate the crucial process of afforestation?
Diolch ichi, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad. Fel yr wyf yn siŵr y byddwch chi'n gwybod, cafodd fy etholaeth i yn arbennig ei heffeithio gan storm Callum, a disgrifiwyd Aberdâr gan lawer fel y dref a gafodd ei tharo waethaf gan lifogydd. Yn Rhondda Cynon Taf, mae tua 40 o gartrefi a 29 o fusnesau wedi dioddef llifogydd, llawer ohonyn nhw yn fy etholaeth i. Ac yn Penrhiwceiber, roedd dros 30 o bobl yn gaeth ar drên mewn dŵr llifogydd a oedd yn codi a bu'n rhaid i Wasanaeth Tân ac Achub De Cymru eu hachub gan ddefnyddio llwybr cerdded wedi'i lenwi ag aer.
Rwy'n dymuno ailadrodd sylwadau'r Aelodau eraill yn gynharach yn cynnig eu diolch i'r gwasanaethau brys, gweithwyr cyngor, gwirfoddolwyr ac eraill am eu camau gweithredu prydlon, a hefyd i gydymdeimlo â phawb sydd wedi'u heffeithio. Croesawaf eich sylwadau ynghylch rhoi ystyriaeth lawn i roi cymorth ariannol brys i awdurdodau lleol, ond rwyf eisiau gwneud y pwynt nad yw hyn ynghylch gwariant tymor byr ar unwaith yn unig. Yn Rhondda Cynon Taf, er enghraifft, mae £100,000 eisoes wedi'i wario ar hynny ac mae £100,000 arall wedi'i glustnodi ar gyfer gwaith ymchwilio a chlirio. Felly, a wnewch chi sicrhau eich bod yn rhoi ystyriaeth i fesurau hirdymor fel y rhai a allai helpu i liniaru effeithiau llifogydd ac arbed arian yn y tymor hir?
Yn ail, rydym ni'n gwybod, Gweinidog, bod coedwigo ardaloedd yr ucheldir yn un o'r ffyrdd mwyaf effeithiol ac amgylcheddol gynaliadwy o liniaru llifogydd yn ein cymunedau yn y Cymoedd. Yn wir, os edrychwch chi ar Ardal y Llynnoedd, ar ôl storm Desmond yn 2015, plannodd yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol 1,400 o goed yno, sydd eisoes yn helpu i atal dŵr ffo a lleihau llifogydd. Felly, gan fod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi clirio cymaint o dir yn yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf, fel yn Glenboi yn fy etholaeth, oherwydd clefyd coed ynn a chlefyd y llarwydd, ac nid yw'r gwaith o ailblannu coed mewn rhai ardaloedd allweddol wedi digwydd eto, beth arall y gellir ei wneud i gyflymu'r broses hanfodol o goedwigo?
I thank the Member for her questions and contribution, especially on behalf of your constituents who've also been impacted by the flood at the weekend. My every sympathy for anybody who has been impacted by it, because we see how distressing it is to see your home or your business and your community impacted in that way, and then the aftermath of the clear-up as well.
You make a very good point in terms of afforestation. Natural flood-risk management is definitely something to be considered when it comes to reducing flood risk, and that will form part of our natural strategy, which we're compiling and updating at the moment. That will include things such as flood storage areas, tree planting, use of woody debris and leaky dams and reintroducing meanders, so it's of course something that—. I fully agree with the Member that this is an important way in terms of how we tackle flood management in the future.
Because of the support now with the clear-up operation and the immediate costs that need to be covered—. There's obviously work that needs to be done immediately, but you're absolutely right to talk about long-term measures, because that's the whole point of having—that's why we look at flood prevention and flood-risk management, because we want to be in the best position we can be in the future, not just to prevent flooding to protect properties and businesses and homes, but for people's peace of mind, too. Because, when you've been impacted once by a flood, it's always going to be there on your mind every time there's heavy rainfall. Every time there's something like that, that is always going to be playing on your mind, and that's something that really hit home to me from the people I visited today. So, it's something that we really need to do. That's why it's so important that we don't think just short term; it is a long-term strategy in terms of how we protect people in Wales.
Diolch i'r Aelod am ei chwestiynau a'i chyfraniad, yn enwedig ar ran eich etholwyr sydd hefyd wedi'u heffeithio gan y llifogydd dros y penwythnos. Rwy'n cydymdeimlo ag unrhyw un sydd wedi cael ei effeithio ganddyn nhw, oherwydd rydym yn gweld cymaint o ofid y mae gweld eich cartref neu eich busnes a'ch cymuned yn cael eu heffeithio yn y modd hwnnw yn ei achosi, ac wedyn y gwaith clirio hefyd.
Rydych chi'n gwneud pwynt da iawn am goedwigo. Mae rheoli risg llifogydd yn naturiol yn bendant yn rhywbeth i'w ystyried wrth leihau'r risg o lifogydd, a bydd hynny yn ffurfio rhan o'n strategaeth naturiol, yr ydym ni yn ei llunio a'i diweddaru ar hyn o bryd. Bydd hynny'n cynnwys pethau fel mannau storio llifogydd, plannu coed, defnyddio malurion pren ac argaeau sy'n gollwng, ac hefyd, ailgyflwyno dolenni, felly wrth gwrs mae'n rhywbeth sy'n—. Cytunaf yn llwyr â'r Aelod bod hyn yn ffordd bwysig o ran sut yr awn ati i reoli llifogydd yn y dyfodol.
Oherwydd y gefnogaeth nawr gyda'r gwaith glanhau a'r costau uniongyrchol y mae angen eu talu—. Mae gwaith y mae angen ei wneud ar unwaith yn amlwg, ond rydych yn hollol gywir i sôn am fesurau tymor hir, oherwydd dyna'r holl bwynt o fod â—dyna pam yr ydym ni'n edrych ar atal llifogydd a rheoli risg o lifogydd, oherwydd rydym ni eisiau bod yn y sefyllfa orau bosibl yn y dyfodol, nid yn unig i atal llifogydd, amddiffyn eiddo a busnesau a chartrefi, ond er mwyn rhoi tawelwch meddwl i bobl, hefyd. Oherwydd, pan rydych chi wedi eich effeithio unwaith gan lifogydd, mae bob amser yn mynd i fod yno ar eich meddwl bob tro y bydd glaw trwm. Bob tro y bydd rhywbeth fel hynny, mae hynny'n mynd i chwarae ar eich meddwl bob amser, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y sylweddolais yn llawn gan y bobl y bûm yn ymweld â nhw heddiw. Felly, mae'n rhywbeth y mae gwir angen inni ei wneud. Dyna pam ei bod hi mor bwysig nad ydym yn meddwl yn y tymor byr yn unig; mae'n strategaeth hirdymor o ran sut yr ydym ni'n amddiffyn pobl yng Nghymru.
Minister, thank you for your statement today, and I also join in other Members' comments and condolences to the families and those affected by the—I think that 'horrific events' isn't too strong, really, when you see some of the images that have come out from across Wales. When death is obviously one of the effects of those events, then they are horrific, to say the least.
I'd like to just press you on two issues, if I may, Minister. In your statement you talk about how flood risk management remains one of your priorities, and I fully endorse that. But yet, in your remit letter, which the leader of the opposition did touch on during First Minister's questions, of the five points for you as a Minister—not the Cabinet Secretary, but for you specifically as a Minister—flood prevention is not one of those five points that is in your remit letter for this year. Recycling is, woodlands are, and tackling poor air quality, improving the understanding of the value of nature, and reversing the decline in biodiversity. So, it's not unreasonable to ask: why was it missing from your remit letter to NRW, given that they're the body who obviously oversee the planning and implementation of flood defences around Wales?
Yesterday, the First Minister did indicate that money would be available. Again, I appreciate that you're not in a position to put a figure to that, and it would be wrong, in fact, such a short time after, for you to actually say, 'This is x amount available.' It would be worth reflecting on how much will be available. But can you confirm that the money that the First Minister was talking of will be new money to your department, or will it have to be money that will have to be found from within your current resources? Because, as I said, the First Minister clearly did identify money would be made available, so that's the most senior person in Government saying that, giving that commitment, but I think it's important to understand—and the finance Secretary is in his chair—whether he is making new money available to you, and, in which case, that would be a very welcome addition to your budget.
Gweinidog, diolch ichi am eich datganiad heddiw, ac rwyf innau hefyd yn ymuno â'r Aelodau eraill i gydymdeimlo â'r teuluoedd a'r rhai hynny yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw—nid wyf yn credu bod 'digwyddiadau erchyll' yn eiriau rhy gryf, mewn gwirionedd, pan fyddwch chi'n gweld rhai o'r delweddau sydd wedi dod o bob cwr o Gymru. Yn amlwg, pan fydd marwolaeth yn un o ganlyniadau'r digwyddiadau hynny, yna maen nhw'n erchyll, a dweud y lleiaf.
Hoffwn bwyso arnoch chi ar ddau fater, os caf i, Gweinidog. Yn eich datganiad, rydych chi'n sôn am sut mae rheoli'r risg o lifogydd yn dal i fod yn un o'ch blaenoriaethau, ac rwy'n cefnogi hynny'n llawn. Ond eto, yn eich llythyr cylch gwaith, y soniodd arweinydd yr wrthblaid yn gryno amdano yn ystod y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, o'r pum pwynt i chi fel Gweinidog—nid Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ond i chi fel Gweinidog yn benodol—nid yw atal llifogydd yn un o'r pum pwynt hynny sydd yn eich llythyr cylch gwaith ar gyfer eleni. Mae ailgylchu yn un, coetiroedd yn un, a mynd i'r afael ag ansawdd aer gwael, gwella'r ddealltwriaeth o werth natur, a gwrthdroi'r dirywiad mewn bioamrywiaeth. Felly, nid yw'n afresymol gofyn: pam yr oedd ar goll o'ch llythyr cylch gwaith i Gyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, o gofio mai hwnnw yw'r corff, yn amlwg, sy'n goruchwylio'r gwaith o gynllunio a chodi amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd ledled Cymru?
Ddoe, nododd y Prif Weinidog y byddai arian ar gael. Unwaith eto, rwy'n sylweddoli nad ydych chi mewn sefyllfa i roi ffigur ar hynny, a byddai'n anghywir, yn wir, cyn lleied o amser ar ôl y digwyddiad, ichi ddweud mewn gwirionedd, 'Dyma swm o faint bynnag sydd ar gael.' Byddai'n werth ystyried faint fydd ar gael. Ond a allwch chi gadarnhau y bydd yr arian yr oedd y Prif Weinidog yn sôn amdano yn arian newydd i'ch adran chi, neu a fydd yn rhaid iddo fod yn arian y bydd yn rhaid dod o hyd iddo o fewn eich adnoddau presennol? Oherwydd, fel y dywedais, fe wnaeth y Prif Weinidog nodi'n glir y byddai arian ar gael, felly dyna'r person uchaf yn y Llywodraeth yn dweud, yn rhoi'r ymrwymiad hwnnw, ond rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig deall—ac mae'r Ysgrifennydd cyllid yn ei gadair—a yw'n sicrhau bod arian newydd ar gael i chi, ac, os felly, byddai hynny'n ychwanegiad dymunol iawn i'ch cyllideb.
Can I thank the Member for his contribution and his words of sympathy and support for all those impacted? You raise, in terms of questioning, whether this is a priority for this Government, I can categorically make clear and say this is a priority, not just for myself, but for this Government. And you raised the remit letter. When I came into post and announced the statement, I outlined a number of priorities, five of which you listed there. I also made clear in that statement that flood prevention was a key priority that interlinked and interwove a lot of that. So, it is absolutely 100 per cent a priority for this Government, which is why we're investing £350 million in this Assembly term, and £54 million in this financial year alone, and that will not change.
In terms of how we go forward, the First Minister said yesterday that funding would be made available in these circumstances of flooding. Well, it goes back to what I've said already. We need to look at what's happened, review as quickly as we possibly can, working with all stakeholders and local authorities, with NRW, to look at what works and what we need to prioritise and change. Potentially, it's perhaps—. I'm of the view that this is absolutely a priority, and we need to make sure that, despite the backdrop of austerity, money is coming in to flooding as well. Theresa May says austerity is over, so if you want to pick up the phone and tell her to give us a call and give us some more money so that we can get some money towards flooding—
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei gyfraniad a'i eiriau o gydymdeimlad a chymorth i bawb sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio? Rydych chi'n codi, yn holi, a yw hyn yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth hon. Gallaf ei gwneud hi'n gwbl glir a dweud bod hwn yn flaenoriaeth, nid yn unig ar gyfer fy hun, ond ar gyfer y Llywodraeth hon. Ac fe wnaethoch chi sôn am y llythyr cylch gwaith. Pan ddeuthum i'r swydd a chyhoeddi'r datganiad, amlinellais nifer o flaenoriaethau, pump ohonyn nhw a restrwyd gennych chi yn y fan honno. Eglurais hefyd yn y datganiad hwnnw bod atal llifogydd yn flaenoriaeth allweddol a oedd yn rhyng-gysylltu ac yn cyd-blethu â llawer o hynny. Felly, mae'n sicr yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth hon, a dyna pam yr ydym ni'n buddsoddi £350 miliwn yn ystod y tymor Cynulliad hwn, a £54 miliwn yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon yn unig, ac ni fydd hynny'n newid.
O ran sut y dylem ni symud ymlaen, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog ddoe y byddai arian ar gael o dan yr amgylchiadau hyn o lifogydd. Wel, mae'n mynd yn ôl at yr hyn yr wyf i wedi ei ddweud eisoes. Mae angen inni edrych ar yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd, adolygu cyn gynted ag y gallwn ni, gweithio gyda'r holl randdeiliaid a'r awdurdodau lleol, gyda Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, i edrych ar beth sy'n gweithio a beth y mae angen inni ei flaenoriaethu a'i newid. O bosibl, efallai—. Rwyf o'r farn bod hyn yn sicr yn flaenoriaeth, ac mae angen inni wneud yn siŵr, er gwaethaf y cefndir o gyni, bod arian ar gael ar gyfer llifogydd hefyd. Dywed Theresa May bod cyni ar ben, felly os ydych chi eisiau codi'r ffôn a dweud wrthi am ein ffonio ni i roi rhagor o arian i ni fel y gallwn ni gael rhywfaint o arian tuag at lifogydd—
Is it new money? Is it new money?
Ai arian newydd yw hwn? Ai arian newydd yw hwn?
But—.
Ond—.
Carry on, Minister, you don't need to listen to anybody if you choose not to.
Ewch yn eich blaen, Gweinidog, nid oes angen ichi wrando ar neb os ydych chi'n dewis peidio.
Diolch, Llywydd. It certainly is a priority for this Government to ensure that we have the funding and the priority needed available to make sure that we address flood prevention and mitigation in Wales, and that we can reassure and provide peace of mind to all communities that have been impacted by flooding.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae'n sicr yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth hon i sicrhau bod gennym ni'r arian a'r flaenoriaeth sydd eu hangen ar gael i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn ymdrin ag atal a lliniaru llifogydd yng Nghymru, ac y gallwn ni sicrhau a rhoi tawelwch meddwl i bob cymuned sydd wedi ei heffeithio gan lifogydd.
We've seen storm Callum and the dreadful destruction, floods everywhere, and tragedy, as mentioned earlier. The bay was flooded. Yet, the disputed area around Roath brook remains perfectly well and not flooded at all, so my question to you would be: do you think that you can spend the £0.5 million earmarked for the Roath brook area better elsewhere, and will you reconsider?
Rydym ni wedi gweld storm Callum a'r dinistr ofnadwy, llifogydd ym mhobman, a thrasiedi, fel y soniwyd yn gynharach. Cafwyd llifogydd yn y bae. Eto, mae'r ardal sy'n destun anghydfod o amgylch Nant y Rhath yn hollol iawn ac ni fu llifogydd yno o gwbl, felly fy nghwestiwn i chi fyddai: a ydych chi'n credu y gallwch chi wario'r £0.5 miliwn a glustnodwyd ar gyfer ardal Nant y Rhath yn well mewn mannau eraill, ac a wnewch chi ailystyried?
I was banking on the Member bringing up this within this statement. Look, the Member will be well aware of the situation now in terms of Roath brook, where NRW are working with the residents group there, and the work has been paused following the residents doing some modelling work of their own. That remains the case. I, in fact, visited the site just a few weeks ago to see the work that's been done to date, and Roath Mill Gardens, where there hasn't been work done. That is something that's a separate matter. That's where it is. It's paused. That's being considered, and I expect NRW to come back with some proposals on that.
But whilst I recognise the emotion and the concerns around the proposals for Roath park, and particularly the impact in terms of the tree removal, I think, for me, and for many communities across Wales—and we've seen the impact of flooding over the past weekend—it's absolutely right that we should consider and we should invest, and I think people need flood protection and prevention. We shouldn't shy away from—. There are people who have seen their homes wrecked and their businesses wrecked this weekend.
Roeddwn i'n gwybod y byddai'r Aelod yn codi hyn yn y datganiad hwn. Edrychwch, mae'r Aelod yn ymwybodol iawn o'r sefyllfa nawr o ran Nant y Rhath, lle mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn gweithio gyda'r grŵp o drigolion yn y fan honno, ac mae'r gwaith wedi'i oedi ar ôl i'r trigolion wneud rhywfaint o waith modelu eu hunain. Mae hynny'n dal i fod yn wir. Yn wir, ymwelais â'r safle ychydig o wythnosau yn ôl i weld y gwaith sydd wedi'i wneud hyd yma, a Gerddi Melin y Rhath, lle nad oes gwaith wedi'i wneud. Mae hynny'n fater ar wahân. Dyna'r sefyllfa. Mae wedi ei ohirio. Mae hynny'n cael ei ystyried, ac rwy'n disgwyl i Gyfoeth Naturiol Cymru gysylltu'n ôl gyda rhai cynigion ynghylch hynny.
Ond er fy mod yn cydnabod yr emosiwn a'r pryderon ynghylch y cynigion ar gyfer Parc y Rhath, ac yn enwedig yr effaith o ran cael gwared ar goed, rwy'n credu, i mi, ac i lawer o gymunedau ledled Cymru—ac rydym ni wedi gweld effaith llifogydd dros y penwythnos diwethaf—mae'n hollol briodol y dylem ni ystyried ac y dylem ni fuddsoddi, a chredaf fod angen diogelwch rhag llifogydd a chamau atal ar bobl. Ni ddylem ni ymgilio rhag—. Mae yna bobl sydd wedi gweld eu cartrefi wedi eu difetha a'u busnesau wedi eu difetha dros y penwythnos hwn.
Not where Roath brook is. It's not flooded in decades.
Nid lle mae nant y Rhath. Nid yw wedi gorlifo ers degawdau.
I'm speaking now. Tell that to the people who—. Flood prevention is so important, and it's an investment in these communities. Roath brook is a separate matter. Today, we are talking about those communities that have been affected by storm Callum and how this Government will stand up and invest in those communities to prevent further floods and to give peace of mind.
Fi sy'n siarad nawr. Dywedwch hynny wrth y bobl—. Mae atal llifogydd mor bwysig, ac mae'n fuddsoddiad yn y cymunedau hyn. Mae nant y Rhath yn fater gwahanol. Heddiw, rydym ni'n sôn am y cymunedau hynny a gafodd eu heffeithio gan storm Callum a sut fydd y Llywodraeth hon yn gweithredu ac yn buddsoddi yn y cymunedau hynny i atal llifogydd pellach ac i roi tawelwch meddwl.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf yw eitem 4, ac mae e wedi'i ohirio tan 6 Tachwedd.
The next item is item 4, which has been postponed until 6 November.
Sy'n dod â ni at eitem 5, sef y datganiad gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros Gyllid ar y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am fuddsoddi rhanbarthol ar ôl Brexit. Rwy'n galw ar yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet i wneud ei ddatganiad, Mark Drakeford.
Which brings us to item 5, a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance: an update on regional investment after Brexit. I call on the Cabinet Secretary to make the statement, Mark Drakeford.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Ers y refferendwm yn 2016, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn cymryd rhan mewn trafodaeth gyhoeddus am yr hyn a fydd yn dod yn lle buddsoddiad rhanbarthol yr Undeb Ewropeaidd ar ôl i'r Deyrnas Unedig ymadael. Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Gadeiryddion y Pwyllgor Materion Allanol a Deddfwriaeth Ychwanegol a'r Pwyllgor Cyllid am eu gwaith ar y drafodaeth hon.
Y mis diwethaf, fe gyhoeddodd y Pwyllgor Cyllid ganlyniadau ei ymchwiliad i baratoadau ar gyfer disodli ffrydiau cyllido'r Undeb Ewropeaidd yng Nghymru, ac fe fyddwn yn ymateb yn ffurfiol i hynny cyn hir. Rwy'n croesawu cefnogaeth y pwyllgor i'r egwyddor 'gwnaed yng Nghymru'. Mae hynny'n ategu ein neges glir nad oes gan Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig unrhyw fandad i ymestyn y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin annelwig sy'n cael ei chynnal i Gymru.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. Since the 2016 referendum, the Welsh Government has been engaged in a public debate about replacing European Union regional investment once the UK exists the EU. I’m grateful to the Chairs of the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee and the Finance Committee for their work in informing this debate.
Last month, the Finance Committee published its inquiry report into preparations for replacing EU funding for Wales, and we will respond formally to that shortly. I welcome the committee’s support for a made-in-Wales approach. It reinforces our clearly expressed message that the UK Government has no mandate to extend the proposed and ill-defined shared prosperity fund to Wales.
Llywydd, in July of this year, the Welsh Government published an independent report analysing the responses to our policy paper 'Regional Investment in Wales after Brexit'. That paper set out principles and a direction of travel to guide the replacement of European structural and investment funds in Wales, and received widespread support. I believe there is an emerging consensus here in Wales on how we want to see replacement funding work, and an appetite to get on with it. Amongst the key characteristics of that future is that it requires a made-in-Wales policy framework focused on outcomes, one that addresses regional inequalities and is guided by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the regionalisation set out in our economic action plan.
We need a system that focuses on functional Welsh regions, providing them and local areas with the authority to make more decisions; a system that is less bureaucratic, but still rooted in the partnership model that has served us well; a system that is based on an open rulebook, but with less rigidity in geography and in purpose; a system that provides a full return on public investment but that is proportionate in arrangements for access, monitoring and audit.
I've held detailed discussions with my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport to develop our thinking, so that we can be confident, for example, that opportunities in rural Wales are not missed, and can ensure that this vital investment in Wales is central to the approach contained in the economic action plan, where public investment is predicated on delivering public goods.
So, Llywydd, we continue to press the UK Government for the £370 million annually we'd receive for our European structural and investment funds to be replaced in full so Wales will not be a penny worse off, as promised so often during the referendum campaign. We also expect decisions on how and where replacement funding in Wales is deployed to remain here in Wales—as has been the case for the last 18 years and which is clearly set out in the devolution settlement. There is simply no support in Wales for a centralised or UK-administered replacement fund. It is wrong in principle, it is undeliverable in practice and it is time that UK Ministers understood just that.
Llywydd, ym mis Gorffennaf eleni, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru adroddiad annibynnol yn dadansoddi'r ymatebion i'n papur polisi 'Buddsoddi Rhanbarthol yng Nghymru ar ôl Brexit'. Roedd y papur hwnnw yn nodi egwyddorion ac amcanion, ac yn rhoi canllaw o ran sut i gyfnewid y cronfeydd strwythurol a buddsoddi Ewropeaidd sydd ar waith yng Nghymru, ac fe gafodd gefnogaeth frwd. Rwy'n credu bod pobl yn dechrau cydsynio yma yng Nghymru ynglŷn â sut yr ydym ni eisiau gweld arian cyfnewid yn gweithio, ac awydd i fwrw ymlaen â hynny. Ymhlith nodweddion allweddol y dyfodol hwnnw yw bod angen fframwaith polisi Cymreig sy'n canolbwyntio ar ganlyniadau, un sy'n ymdrin ag anghydraddoldebau rhanbarthol ac sydd wedi ei seilio ar Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 a'r rhanbartholi a nodir yn ein cynllun gweithredu economaidd.
Mae angen system arnom ni sy'n canolbwyntio ar ranbarthau synhwyrol i Gymru, gan roi awdurdod i'r rhanbarthau hynny, ac i ardaloedd lleol, wneud mwy o benderfyniadau; system sy'n llai biwrocrataidd, ond sy'n dal yn seiliedig ar y model partneriaeth sydd wedi gweithio'n dda i ni; system sy'n seiliedig ar reolau clir, ond gyda llai o anhyblygrwydd o ran daearyddiaeth a diben; system sy'n gweld buddsoddi cyhoeddus yn dwyn ffrwyth llawn, ond ei fod yn gymesur o ran trefniadau ar gyfer mynediad, monitro ac archwilio.
Rwyf wedi cael trafodaethau manwl gyda fy nghyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth, i ddatblygu ein syniadau, fel y gallwn ni fod yn hyderus, er enghraifft, na chollir cyfleoedd yng nghefn gwlad Cymru, ac y gellir sicrhau bod y buddsoddiad hanfodol hwn yng Nghymru yn ganolog i'r dull a geir yn y cynllun gweithredu economaidd, lle mae buddsoddiad cyhoeddus yn seiliedig ar ddarparu nwyddau cyhoeddus.
Felly, Llywydd, rydym ni'n parhau i bwyso ar Lywodraeth y DU y caiff y £370 miliwn y flwyddyn a gaem ni ar gyfer ein cronfeydd strwythurol a buddsoddi Ewropeaidd ei roi inni yn llawn fel na fydd Cymru geiniog yn waeth ei byd, fel yr addawyd yn aml yn ystod ymgyrch y refferendwm. Rydym ni hefyd yn disgwyl penderfyniadau ynglŷn â sut a lle y caiff cyllid cyfnewidiol yng Nghymru ei drosglwyddo i aros yma yng Nghymru—fel sydd wedi digwydd dros y 18 mlynedd diwethaf ac sydd yn amlwg wedi'i nodi yn y setliad datganoli. Nid oes unrhyw gefnogaeth yng Nghymru ar gyfer cronfa gyfnewidiol ganolog neu un wedi ei gweinyddu gan y DU. Mae'n anghywir mewn egwyddor, nid oes modd i hynny weithio yn ymarferol ac mae'n hen bryd i Weinidogion y DU ddeall hynny yn union.
Llywydd, it's not my main purpose to focus primarily on what has been achieved in those areas that have benefited from EU funds, but nor is it in Wales’s interests to undermine or under-represent what has been put in place with the aid of that investment: a sharp fall in economic inactivity and rise in employment rates; a dramatic improvement in the skills of our people, with a major decline in the proportion of the working-age population with no qualifications; and a narrowing of the gap between different parts of Wales, and a narrowing of the gap between the Welsh economy and the rest of the United Kingdom.
The £370 million we receive annually from the European Union matters to Wales because the livelihoods of our people, communities and businesses are at stake. During this programme period alone, EU projects have already helped to create 8,400 jobs, helped 11,000 people into work, and supported people to achieve over 68,000 qualifications. People’s lives are being altered for the better, families are growing up in homes with work, and people are being supported to take up education and training.
And this is happening, in part, through the 970 new enterprises created and the 5,400 businesses supported by EU-funded projects. Those will generate tax revenue and jobs well into the future, helping us to deliver a more prosperous Wales.
Now, Llywydd, as we look to that future, Welsh partners have highlighted two key concerns around future arrangements: that replacement funding could be directed away from regional development, and that the loss of a multi-annual approach will prevent effective long-term planning. To address those concerns, I would like to reaffirm commitments I have made in evidence to the Finance Committee and in this Chamber.
Firstly, any replacement funding will be invested to support regional development and to reduce inequality. It will not be subsumed into other core Welsh Government budgets. The economic action plan sets the focus for this approach, and I continue to work together with the economy Secretary on this.
Secondly, I can give an assurance that we will continue to adopt a multi-annual approach towards investing replacement funding to maintain a long-term focus on the structural challenges in our economy and labour market.
In all of this, we will draw on the significant expertise of our partners across Wales in designing and delivering a new made-in-Wales approach. Our approach to date has been collaborative and outward looking, and today I can announce two developments to strengthen this further.
Firstly, we will establish a regional investment steering group, which will draw on the wealth of knowledge and experience in our businesses, local authorities, our academic institutions, the third sector and the wider public services across Wales. The group will work closely with existing regional partnerships, including drawing on the leadership of the chief regional officers established under the economic action plan. This will ensure that our new approach aligns with wider economic development planning.
Secondly, Llywydd, I can announce this afternoon £350,000-worth of funding from the European transition fund to establish a new partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to inform both our future regional investment approach and the implementation of the economic action plan. We may be leaving the European Union, but that makes the obligation to remain an open and connected nation all the more vital. Working with the OECD will reinforce our ability to sustain vital relationships with other European countries and regions and will ensure that international best practice is built into our future arrangements. The economy Secretary and I will announce further details of this new investment shortly.
In the meantime, Llywydd, we cannot wait for meaningful discussions on successor funding arrangements to commence with the UK Government. These may not take place, we now learn, until the 2019 spending review. We must act now to develop, in genuine partnership, a new approach that ensures investment aligns with the wider economic development interventions of this Government. The Welsh Government is strategically best positioned to administer these funds, and to achieve this outcome.
Llywydd, nid fy mhrif ddiben yw canolbwyntio'n bennaf ar yr hyn a gyflawnwyd yn yr ardaloedd hynny sydd wedi elwa o gronfeydd yr UE, ond nid yw hi chwaith er lles Cymru i danseilio neu dan-gynrychioli yr hyn a gyflawnwyd gyda chymorth y buddsoddiad hwnnw chwaith: y cwymp mawr mewn anweithgarwch economaidd a'r cynnydd mewn cyfraddau cyflogaeth; gwelliant dramatig yn sgiliau ein pobl, gyda gostyngiad mawr yng nghyfran y boblogaeth o oedran gweithio heb gymwysterau; a chau'r bwlch rhwng gwahanol rannau o Gymru, a lleihau'r bwlch rhwng economi Cymru a gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig.
Mae'r £370 miliwn a gawn ni bob blwyddyn gan yr Undeb Ewropeaidd yn bwysig i Gymru oherwydd mae bywoliaethau ein pobl, ein cymunedau a'n busnesau yn y fantol. Yn ystod cyfnod y rhaglen hon yn unig, mae prosiectau'r UE eisoes wedi helpu i greu 8,400 o swyddi, helpu 11,000 o bobl i gael gwaith, a chefnogi pobl i ennill dros 68,000 o gymwysterau. Mae bywydau pobl yn cael eu newid er gwell, mae teuluoedd yn cael eu magu mewn cartrefi gyda gwaith, ac mae pobl yn cael cefnogaeth i fanteisio ar addysg a hyfforddiant.
Ac mae hyn yn digwydd, yn rhannol, drwy'r 970 o fentrau newydd a grëwyd a'r 5,400 o fusnesau a gefnogir gan brosiectau a ariennir gan yr UE. Bydd y rhai hynny yn cynhyrchu refeniw treth a swyddi ar gyfer y dyfodol, gan ein helpu ni i sicrhau Cymru fwy llewyrchus.
Nawr, Llywydd, wrth inni edrych at y dyfodol, mae ein partneriaid yng Nghymru wedi tynnu sylw at ddau bryder allweddol ynghylch trefniadau yn y dyfodol: y gellid defnyddio'r cyllid newydd mewn meysydd heblaw am ddatblygu rhanbarthol, ac y bydd peidio â chynllunio ar sail sawl blwyddyn yn atal cynllunio tymor hir effeithiol. I ymateb i'r pryderon hynny, hoffwn ailddatgan ymrwymiadau yr wyf i wedi eu gwneud yn y dystiolaeth i'r Pwyllgor Cyllid ac yn y Siambr hon.
Yn gyntaf, caiff unrhyw gyllid cyfnewidiol ei fuddsoddi i gefnogi datblygu rhanbarthol ac i leihau anghydraddoldeb. Ni chaiff ei sugno i mewn i gyllidebau creiddiol eraill Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae'r cynllun gweithredu economaidd yn rhoi pwyslais ar y dull hwn, ac rwy'n dal i weithio gydag Ysgrifennydd yr economi ar hyn.
Yn ail, gallaf roi sicrwydd y byddwn yn parhau i gynllunio ar sail sawl blwyddyn wrth fuddsoddi cyllid cyfnewidiol fel bod pwyslais hirdymor yn dal i fod ar yr heriau strwythurol yn ein heconomi a'r farchnad lafur.
Yn hyn i gyd, byddwn yn defnyddio arbenigedd sylweddol ein partneriaid ledled Cymru i lunio a darparu ffordd newydd o weithio yma yng Nghymru. Hyd yma buom yn gydweithredgar ac yn flaengar, a heddiw gallaf gyhoeddi dau ddatblygiad i gryfhau hyn ymhellach.
Yn gyntaf, byddwn yn sefydlu grŵp llywio buddsoddi rhanbarthol, a fydd yn manteisio ar y cyfoeth o wybodaeth a phrofiad sydd gan ein busnesau, awdurdodau lleol, ein sefydliadau academaidd, y trydydd sector a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ehangach ledled Cymru. Bydd y grŵp yn gweithio'n agos gyda phartneriaethau rhanbarthol sydd eisoes yn bodoli, gan gynnwys elwa ar arweiniad y prif swyddogion rhanbarthol a sefydlwyd o dan y cynllun gweithredu economaidd. Bydd hyn yn sicrhau bod ein dull newydd o weithio yn gyson â chynllunio datblygu economaidd ehangach.
Yn ail, Llywydd, gallaf gyhoeddi gwerth £350,000 o gyllid y prynhawn yma o'r Gronfa Bontio Ewropeaidd i sefydlu partneriaeth newydd gyda'r Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd i fod yn sail i sut yr ydym ni'n buddsoddi'n rhanbarthol yn y dyfodol ac i sut yr ydym ni'n rhoi'r cynllun gweithredu economaidd ar waith. Efallai ein bod yn gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, ond mae hynny'n gwneud y rhwymedigaeth i barhau i fod yn wlad agored a chysylltiedig yn fwy hanfodol fyth. Bydd gweithio gyda'r Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd yn atgyfnerthu ein gallu i gynnal cysylltiadau hanfodol â rhanbarthau a gwledydd Ewropeaidd eraill ac yn sicrhau y caiff yr arferion gorau rhyngwladol eu hymgorffori yn ein trefniadau ar gyfer y dyfodol. Bydd Ysgrifennydd yr Economi a minnau yn cyhoeddi manylion pellach am y buddsoddiad newydd hwn cyn bo hir.
Yn y cyfamser, Llywydd, ni allwn ni aros i drafodaethau ystyrlon gychwyn gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â threfniadau cyllido olynol. Hwyrach na fydd trafodaethau o'r fath, dysgwn bellach, tan adolygiad gwariant 2019. Rhaid inni weithredu'n awr i ddatblygu, mewn gwir bartneriaeth, ffordd newydd o fynd ati sy'n sicrhau bod buddsoddi yn cyd-fynd â'r hyn y mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn ei wneud yn ehangach i ddatblygu'r economi. Llywodraeth Cymru sydd yn y sefyllfa strategol orau i weinyddu'r cronfeydd hyn, ac i gyflawni'r canlyniad hwn.
Llywydd, bydd y flwyddyn nesaf yn diffinio ein perthynas yn y dyfodol â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd. Bydd hefyd yn gyfle i ni osod trefniadau i sicrhau twf economaidd, a herio anghydraddoldebau rhanbarthol. Rwy'n ddiolchgar am y cyfle i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i Aelodau, ac yn edrych ymlaen at gael rhannu rhagor o wybodaeth am ddatblygiadau yn y dyfodol.
Llywydd, the coming year will define our future relationship with the European Union. It will also see us develop arrangements to deliver economic growth, and challenge regional inequalities. I am grateful for the opportunity to have updated Members this afternoon, and I look forward to sharing further information on progress in future.
Can I thank the Minister for his statement this afternoon? Although, I have to say, I find it bizarre that he's making this statement when the UK Government has already committed to consulting on the shape of the new UK shared prosperity fund in the future, and has also given a commitment to making sure that it respects the devolution settlement in terms of the way that that fund is going to be administered. I find it very strange that we have the Cabinet Secretary for Finance coming here today, telling us that he's going to spend yet more precious taxpayers' money setting up a parallel universe, as far as the distribution of regional funds is concerned, through the establishment of the regional investment steering group—yet another quango, frankly, with more jobs for the boys and girls that the crony Government that we've got wants to be able to distribute.
Let me put on record right now that I have absolutely no faith whatsoever in the ability of the Welsh Labour-led Government to distribute any funds across Wales in a fair and just manner to those parts of the country that need them. Just look at the local government settlement—just look at the local government settlement that we had last week: it's very clear that you like to distribute cash to certain places in Wales, to the detriment of others, including north Wales, mid Wales, and west Wales. In fact, what you like to do as a Government is to distribute the cash to your friends in the Labour Party, in other parts, in terms of local authorities that are run. So, I would be grateful if you could give us more clarity on what the precise costs of this body—this regional investment steering group—are going to be, and why you are jumping the gun in terms of making these statements now, when you are yet to receive any kind of consultation document from the UK Government.
We all know that the Welsh Government wants to try to crow about the success of European structural funds to date. But the reality is that they've been far from a success. In fact, we've gone backwards in terms of our relative gross value added in the UK, as a proportion of UK GVA. That's an embarrassment. The only reason that the jobless totals have been coming down in these areas is because we've got a Tory Government over the border, in London, that has been bringing the jobless total down, creating thousands of jobs each and every week since we got into power back in 2010. So, I'm very disappointed that you're jumping the gun, that you're making this statement today, that you're going to be spending yet more hard-earned cash that belongs to taxpayers in a wasteful way, setting up this parallel system, when it's absolutely likely to be completely unnecessary.
Will you accept that there has been a failure over the past two decades in terms of the way that you've invested—as a Government, taken the lead in investing these European structural funds? We know that there's been this failure to lift Wales out of poverty. We're still the poorest part of the UK as far as the figures demonstrate, in terms of the European regions within the United Kingdom. That is diabolical. It's an embarrassment. It's a shame that Wales is in this situation, but that's where we're at as a result of your Government's decisions in terms of the management of EU structural funds so far.
Can I also ask how you will ensure that the different regions within Wales have as local decision making as possible in the future? You've already heard from the UK Government that they're going to respect the devolution settlement in terms of these arrangements. But how are you going to ensure that any cash that becomes yours to distribute, under any future UK prosperity fund, is actually going to reach all parts of Wales and will deal with the poverty that there is across the country? We do know, of course, that we have a new opportunity with the UK shared prosperity fund to reach out into poorer communities that are not in west Wales and the Valleys. At the moment, we have this geographical straitjacket, which we are in as a result of EU decision making, which forces us to spend the money in certain places to the detriment of those places in east Wales.
So, I wonder whether you can tell us: is the removal of that straitjacket something that you feel that Wales can benefit from? How do you intend to make sure that those poorer communities in other parts of Wales are going to get the cash that they need in order to raise prosperity levels? And do you accept that simply having more of the same, which I think is sort of what you're proposing, is not going to work and is going to fail again in the future?
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma? Er, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, mae'n rhyfedd ei fod yn gwneud y datganiad hwn pan fo Llywodraeth y DU eisoes wedi ymrwymo i ymgynghori ar ffurf cronfa ffyniant gyffredin newydd y DU yn y dyfodol, ac wedi ymrwymo hefyd i wneud yn siŵr ei fod yn parchu'r setliad datganoli o ran y ffordd y caiff y gronfa honno ei gweinyddu. Fe'i caf yn rhyfedd iawn fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid yn dod yma heddiw, yn dweud wrthym ni y bydd yn gwario mwy eto o arian gwerthfawr y trethdalwyr ar sefydlu bydysawd cyfochrog, o ran dosbarthu cronfeydd rhanbarthol, drwy sefydlu'r grŵp llywio buddsoddi rhanbarthol—cwango arall unwaith eto, a dweud y gwir, gyda mwy o swyddi ar gyfer gwŷr a gwragedd dethol y mae'r Llywodraeth hon sydd gennym ni, sy'n rhoi ffafrau i'w chyfeillion, eisiau gallu eu dosbarthu.
Gadewch imi ddweud ar goedd yn awr nad oes gennyf i ddim ffydd o gwbl yng ngallu'r Llywodraeth dan arweiniad Llafur Cymru i ddosbarthu unrhyw arian ledled Cymru mewn ffordd deg a chyfiawn i'r rhannau hynny o'r wlad sydd eu hangen. Does ond angen edrych ar y setliad llywodraeth leol—does ond angen edrych ar y setliad llywodraeth leol a gawsom ni'r wythnos diwethaf: mae'n glir iawn eich bod yn hoffi dosbarthu arian i leoedd penodol yng Nghymru, er anfantais i eraill, gan gynnwys y gogledd, y canolbarth, a'r gorllewin. Yn wir, yr hyn yr hoffwch chi ei wneud fel Llywodraeth yw dosbarthu arian i'ch cyfeillion yn y Blaid Lafur, mewn rhannau eraill o'r wlad, o ran awdurdodau lleol sy'n cael eu rhedeg felly. Felly, byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe gallech chi roi mwy o eglurder inni ynglŷn â beth fydd union gostau y corff hwn—y grŵp llywio buddsoddi rhanbarthol hwn—a pham ydych chi'n gweithredu'n gynamserol drwy wneud y datganiadau hyn yn awr, pan rydych chi eto i gael unrhyw fath o ddogfen ymgynghori gan Lywodraeth y DU.
Rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod bod ar Lywodraeth Cymru eisiau ceisio clochdar am lwyddiant y cronfeydd strwythurol Ewropeaidd hyd yn hyn. Ond y gwir amdani yw y buon nhw ymhell o fod yn llwyddiant. Yn wir, rydym ni wedi mynd tuag yn ôl o ran ein gwerth ychwanegol crynswth cymharol yn y DU, fel cyfran o werth ychwanegol crynswth y DU. Mae hynny'n destun cywilydd. Yr unig reswm bod y cyfansymiau di-waith wedi gostwng yn y meysydd hyn yw oherwydd bod gennym ni Lywodraeth Dorïaidd dros y ffin, yn Llundain, sydd wedi peri i'r cyfanswm di-waith ostwng, gan greu miloedd o swyddi bob wythnos ers inni ddod i rym yn ôl yn 2010. Felly, rwy'n siomedig iawn eich bod chi'n gweithredu'n gynamserol, eich bod yn gwneud y datganiad hwn heddiw, y byddwch chi'n gwario mwy eto o arian a lafuriwyd i'w ennill ac sy'n perthyn i drethdalwyr, a hynny mewn ffordd wastraffus, gan sefydlu'r system gyfochrog hon, pan fo hi'n hollol debygol o fod yn gwbl ddiangen.
A wnewch chi dderbyn y bu methiant dros y ddau ddegawd diwethaf o ran y ffordd yr ydych chi wedi buddsoddi—fel Llywodraeth, wedi cymryd yr awenau wrth fuddsoddi'r cronfeydd strwythurol Ewropeaidd hyn? Rydym ni'n gwybod y bu methiant i roi terfyn ar dlodi yng Nghymru. Ni yw rhan dlotaf y Deyrnas Unedig o hyd, cyn belled ag y bo'r ffigurau yn dangos, o ran y rhanbarthau Ewropeaidd o fewn y Deyrnas Unedig. Mae hynny'n warthus. Mae'n destun cywilydd. Mae'n drueni bod Cymru yn y sefyllfa hon, ond dyna lle'r ydym ni o ganlyniad i benderfyniadau eich Llywodraeth o ran rheoli cronfeydd strwythurol yr Undeb Ewropeaidd hyd yma.
A gaf i ofyn hefyd sut y gwnewch chi sicrhau y caiff gwahanol ranbarthau Cymru wneud penderfyniadau mor lleol ag sy'n bosib yn y dyfodol? Rydych chi eisoes wedi clywed gan Lywodraeth y DU y byddant yn parchu'r setliad datganoli o ran y trefniadau hyn. Ond sut ydych chi'n mynd i sicrhau bod unrhyw arian a roddir ichi i'w ddosbarthu, o dan unrhyw gronfa ffyniant y DU yn y dyfodol, mewn gwirionedd yn mynd i gyrraedd pob rhan o Gymru gan fynd i'r afael â'r tlodi sy'n bodoli ar draws y wlad? Rydym ni yn gwybod, wrth gwrs, bod gennym ni gyfle newydd gyda chronfa ffyniant gyffredin y DU i estyn allan i gymunedau tlotach nad ydyn nhw yn y gorllewin na'r Cymoedd. Ar hyn o bryd, mae gennym ni'r hualau daearyddol hyn, sydd amdanom ni yn sgil penderfyniadau'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, sy'n ein gorfodi i wario arian mewn lleoedd penodol ar draul y lleoedd hynny yn y dwyrain.
Felly, tybed a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni: a yw diosg yr hualau hynny yn rhywbeth y teimlwch chi y gall Cymru elwa ohono? Sut ydych chi'n bwriadu gwneud yn siŵr bod y cymunedau tlotach hynny mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru yn mynd i gael yr arian sydd ei angen arnyn nhw er mwyn cynyddu ffyniant? Ac a ydych chi'n derbyn na fydd cael mwy o'r un peth, sef yr hyn a gredaf eich bod yn ei gynnig, yn gweithio ac y bydd yn methu unwaith eto yn y dyfodol?
Well, Llywydd, I'll do my best to answer some of those questions. I'm afraid it wasn't the Member's finest hour—that contribution. He's completely wrong in relation to the shared prosperity fund. We couldn't possibly wait for it: we have no timetable for it, we have no details about it. I do not for a moment believe that we have received sufficient assurances that it will respect the devolution settlement. My fear remains that his Government's idea of a shared prosperity fund is to take money that comes to Wales today and to share it out to other parts of the United Kingdom. I await to see what happens, and I look forward to discussing this with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury tomorrow.
He is quite wrong, of course, in relation to the impact of European funds here in Wales: they have allowed us to do so many things that have been to the benefit of Welsh communities. And his Governme