Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
16/10/2019Cynnwys
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 ni y prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Cyllid, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Jayne Bryant.
The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the Minister for Finance, and the first question is from Jayne Bryant.
1. Pa ddyraniadau cyllideb ychwanegol y bydd y Gweinidog yn eu rhoi i'r portffolio iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol i gefnogi pobl sydd â diagnosis o nam meddyliol difrifol fel rhan o gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer 2020-21? OAQ54552
1. What additional budget allocations will the Minister provide to the health and social care portfolio to support people diagnosed with severe mental impairment as part of the Welsh Government's budget for 2020-21? OAQ54552
Through schemes such as the council tax reduction scheme, we are committed to supporting people with severe mental impairment. I'll be publishing our budget proposals for 2020-21, including for health and social services, on 19 November.
Drwy gynlluniau fel cynllun gostyngiadau'r dreth gyngor, rydym wedi ymrwymo i gefnogi pobl â nam meddyliol difrifol. Byddaf yn cyhoeddi ein cynigion ar gyfer cyllideb 2020-21, gan gynnwys ar gyfer gwasanaethau iechyd a chymdeithasol, ar 19 Tachwedd.
Thank you, Minister. I'm really pleased that Welsh Government is leading the way to ensure that those living with a severe mental impairment diagnosis can access this vital council tax discount. It's very welcome that this is in partnership with the money-saving expert, Martin Lewis, and I think this is something that will really resonate with people. Prior to this approach, one of the major downfalls of this discount scheme was that nobody knew about it, and I hope that anyone applying for this discount will have it backdated to the point of their diagnosis. Can you outline what is being done at a Welsh Government level to ensure that people are aware of the support available, and, furthermore, what is the Welsh Government doing to work with and support local authorities in Wales to ensure this process is easy to use and consistent?
Diolch, Weinidog. Rwy'n falch iawn fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn arwain y gwaith o sicrhau y gall pobl sy'n byw â diagnosis o nam meddyliol difrifol gael mynediad at y gostyngiad hanfodol hwn yn y dreth gyngor. Mae'n galonogol iawn fod hyn yn digwydd mewn partneriaeth â'r arbenigwr arbed arian, Martin Lewis, a chredaf fod hyn yn rhywbeth y bydd pobl yn ei groesawu'n fawr. Cyn y dull hwn, un o brif ddiffygion y cynllun gostyngiad hwn oedd nad oedd unrhyw un yn ymwybodol ohono, a gobeithio y bydd unrhyw un sy'n gwneud cais amdano yn cael gostyngiad wedi'i ôl-ddyddio hyd at adeg eu diagnosis. A allwch amlinellu'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud ar lefel Llywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod pobl yn ymwybodol o'r gefnogaeth sydd ar gael, ac yn ychwanegol at hynny, beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i gefnogi ac i weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru i sicrhau bod y broses hon yn hawdd ei defnyddio ac yn gyson?
I thank Jayne Bryant for raising this particularly important issue in the Chamber this afternoon. The Welsh Government's been working really hard to ensure that everybody who is eligible for a council tax reduction as a result of being classified as seriously mentally impaired—. And I have to say I absolutely hate that phrase; I think it sounds like an awful way to refer to people, but it is a medical phrase that doctors will use. Once somebody has that diagnosis, then they will be eligible for between 25 per cent and 100 per cent of their council tax discount. And we've been working really hard with local authorities to ensure that everybody who is eligible is able to access that, and we've been working hard with the money-saving expert as well. There's been quite a big social media campaign involved, and, since that social media campaign began in April, and Martin Lewis's visit here to Senedd, the provisional figures suggest that exemptions have already increased by 416, from 4,615 in March, to 5,031 in September. By comparison, the whole year before that only saw an increase of 385. So, I think the social campaign is making a difference.
And just to put it in context, an SMI exemption is worth, on average, £1,590 to a household in an average band D property, so it's certainly something, if people think that they or a family member might be entitled to it, they should certainly ask the local authority about.
Diolch i Jayne Bryant am godi'r mater hynod bwysig hwn yn y Siambr y prynhawn yma. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio’n galed iawn i sicrhau bod pawb sy’n gymwys i gael gostyngiad yn y dreth gyngor am eu bod wedi'u categoreiddio'n bobl â nam meddyliol difrifol—. Ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud fy mod yn gwirioneddol gasáu'r ymadrodd hwnnw; credaf ei fod yn swnio fel ffordd ofnadwy o gyfeirio at bobl, ond mae'n ymadrodd meddygol y bydd meddygon yn ei ddefnyddio. Pan fydd rhywun yn cael y diagnosis hwnnw, byddant yn gymwys i gael rhwng 25 y cant a 100 y cant o ostyngiad i'w treth gyngor. Ac rydym wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn gydag awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau bod pawb sy'n gymwys yn gallu cael mynediad ato, ac rydym wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed gyda'r arbenigwr arbed arian hefyd. Gwelwyd ymgyrch fawr ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol, ac ers i'r ymgyrch honno ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol gychwyn ym mis Ebrill, ac ymweliad Martin Lewis â'r Senedd, mae'r ffigurau dros dro eisoes yn awgrymu cynnydd o 416 yn nifer yr esemptiadau, o 4,615 ym mis Mawrth i 5,031 ym mis Medi. O gymharu, cynnydd o 385 yn unig a gafwyd yn y flwyddyn gyfan cyn hynny. Felly, credaf fod yr ymgyrch gymdeithasol yn gwneud gwahaniaeth.
Ac er mwyn rhoi hynny yn ei gyd-destun, mae esemptiad nam meddyliol difrifol yn werth £1,590 ar gyfartaledd i aelwyd mewn eiddo band D cyffredin, felly os yw pobl o'r farn y gallai fod ganddynt hwy neu aelod o'r teulu hawl iddo, mae'n sicr yn rhywbeth y dylent yn ofyn i'r awdurdod lleol yn ei gylch.
Minister, of the 45,000 people suffering from dementia, 17,000 people live in a rural area. People with dementia living in rural areas face additional challenges, such as poor transport links making it harder to access help, carers feeling more isolated and unsupported, and, finally, support services being less likely to be available. That's a sad scenario for those people. Minister, what consideration has been given to the needs of people suffering from dementia who live in rural areas in Wales when allocating the budget to the health and social care portfolio?
Weinidog, o'r 45,000 o bobl sy'n dioddef o ddementia, mae 17,000 o bobl yn byw mewn ardal wledig. Mae pobl â dementia sy'n byw mewn ardaloedd gwledig yn wynebu heriau ychwanegol, megis cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth gwael sy'n ei gwneud hi'n anos cael mynediad at gymorth, gofalwyr yn teimlo'n fwy ynysig a heb gefnogaeth, ac yn olaf, y ffaith bod gwasanaethau cymorth yn llai tebygol o fod ar gael. Mae honno'n senario drist i'r bobl hynny. Weinidog, pa ystyriaeth a roddwyd i anghenion pobl sy'n dioddef o ddementia ac sy'n byw mewn ardaloedd gwledig yng Nghymru wrth ddyrannu'r gyllideb i'r portffolio iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol?
A key commitment of our programme for government, 'Taking Wales Forward', was to develop a specific dementia action plan, and that was published in February of 2018, and that covers up to the period 2022. And a key aim of that plan was to support people living with dementia wherever they live in Wales, and to do so as independently as possible, in their communities, which we aim to be dementia-friendly communities, and also to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital and ensure that people who do find themselves in hospital are able to be discharged from care as soon as possible. And to support the implementation of that plan, we have committed £10 million a year from Welsh Government from 2018-19, and £9 million of that was targeted through the regional partnership boards. And, of course, the regional partnership boards will be best placed to understand the local challenges of service delivery within their areas—so, for example, the specific rural challenges to which you've referred. And I think that having the extra funding diverted or allocated through those regional partnership boards is certainly the most positive way to address those specific local needs.
Un o ymrwymiadau allweddol ein rhaglen lywodraethu, 'Symud Cymru Ymlaen', oedd datblygu cynllun gweithredu penodol ar ddementia, ac fe'i cyhoeddwyd ym mis Chwefror 2018, ac mae hwnnw'n ymdrin â'r cyfnod hyd at 2022. Ac un o nodau allweddol y cynllun hwnnw oedd cefnogi pobl sy'n byw gyda dementia lle bynnag y maent yn byw yng Nghymru, ac i wneud hynny mor annibynnol â phosibl, yn eu cymunedau y gobeithiwn sicrhau eu bod yn gymunedau sy'n deall dementia, a hefyd i osgoi derbyniadau diangen i'r ysbyty a sicrhau bod pobl sy'n mynd i'r ysbyty yn gallu cael eu rhyddhau o ofal cyn gynted â phosibl. Ac i gefnogi'r broses o roi'r cynllun hwnnw ar waith, rydym wedi ymrwymo £10 miliwn y flwyddyn gan Lywodraeth Cymru o 2018-19, a thargedwyd £9 miliwn o hwnnw drwy'r byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol. Ac wrth gwrs, y byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol fydd yn y sefyllfa orau i ddeall yr heriau lleol wrth ddarparu gwasanaethau yn eu hardaloedd—felly, er enghraifft, yr heriau gwledig penodol y cyfeirioch chi atynt. A chredaf mai sicrhau bod y cyllid ychwanegol hwnnw'n cael ei ddargyfeirio neu ei ddyrannu drwy'r byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol hynny yw'r ffordd fwyaf cadarnhaol yn sicr o fynd i'r afael â'r anghenion lleol penodol hynny.
Rydym yn clywed bod staff rheng flaen ym maes gofal cymdeithasol yn poeni bod toriadau i gymorth cymdeithasol yn tanseilio annibyniaeth a lles pobl anabl yn gorfforol ac yn feddyliol. Nawr, mae llymder yn golygu bod pecynnau gofal yn cael eu lleihau i'r tasgau mwyaf sylfaenol, ac mae gweithwyr cymdeithasol yn gorfod brwydro am gyllid i gefnogi anghenion cymdeithasol a chymunedol pobl. A ydych chi yn derbyn, felly, fod y diffyg cyllid a ddarparwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i awdurdodau lleol yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf yma wedi cyfrannu at y sefyllfa yma, sy'n effeithio ar ein pobl fwyaf bregus ni? A pha drafodaethau ydych chi'n eu cael â'ch cyd-Weinidogion i gywiro'r sefyllfa?
We hear that front-line staff in social care are concerned that cuts to social care funding are undermining the independence and well-being of disabled people physically and mentally. Now, austerity means that care packages are reduced to the most fundamental and basic tasks, and social workers have to battle for funding to support social and community needs. Do you accept, therefore, that the shortage of funding provided by the Welsh Government to local authorities over the last few years has contributed to this situation, which impacts on our most vulnerable people? And what discussions are you having with your fellow Ministers to put this situation right?
Well, there's no argument from me that the settlements for local government over recent years have been extremely challenging. And even with the additional funding that we have this year, clearly things will continue to be particularly difficult in terms of meeting all of the social care needs that have been identified. And, of course, the demographic changes mean that that need is growing, and the complexity of people's needs are becoming more pronounced as well. So, if you look at the recently published data from local authorities, they show an increase of 6 per cent in spend on social services just in the last year. So, it does demonstrate the kind of challenge that they're facing, and it's one of the reasons why, alongside prioritising health within our budget discussions, we have said that we will aim to give local government the best possible settlement.
Wel, ni allaf ddadlau nad yw'r setliadau ar gyfer llywodraeth leol dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf wedi bod yn hynod o heriol. A hyd yn oed gyda’r cyllid ychwanegol sydd gennym eleni, mae'n amlwg y bydd pethau’n parhau i fod yn arbennig o anodd o ran diwallu’r holl anghenion gofal cymdeithasol a nodwyd. Ac wrth gwrs, golyga'r newidiadau demograffig fod yr angen hwnnw'n cynyddu, ac mae cymhlethdod anghenion pobl yn dod yn fwy amlwg hefyd. Felly, os edrychwch ar y data a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar gan awdurdodau lleol, mae'n dangos cynnydd o 6 y cant yn y gwariant ar wasanaethau cymdeithasol yn y flwyddyn ddiwethaf yn unig. Felly, mae'n dangos y math o her y maent yn ei hwynebu, ac mae'n un o'r rhesymau pam ein bod wedi dweud, ochr yn ochr â blaenoriaethu iechyd yn ein trafodaethau ar y gyllideb, y byddwn yn anelu at roi'r setliad gorau posibl i lywodraeth leol.
2. Pa ystyriaeth y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i rhoi i Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 wrth baratoi cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf? OAQ54525
2. What consideration has the Minister given to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 in preparing the Welsh Government's budget for next year? OAQ54525
I've met with the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales on a number of occasions to discuss how the Act can inform our draft budget preparations to maximise our available resources to have the greatest impact over the longer term.
Rwyf wedi cyfarfod â Chomisiynydd Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol Cymru ar sawl achlysur i drafod sut y gall y Ddeddf lywio paratoadau ein cyllideb ddrafft i sicrhau bod cymaint o adnoddau â phosibl ar gael fel y gallwn gael yr effaith fwyaf yn y tymor hwy.
Thank you, Minister. Obviously, since the Government declared a climate emergency, back in April, which has been fully endorsed by nearly all Members of the Assembly, how does the Welsh Government plan to assess the upcoming budget in the context of the climate emergency and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015? And what analysis is being done about the impact of budget decisions on our goal of achieving zero carbon?
Diolch, Weinidog. Yn amlwg, ers i’r Llywodraeth ddatgan argyfwng hinsawdd, yn ôl ym mis Ebrill, rhywbeth a gymeradwywyd yn llawn gan holl Aelodau’r Cynulliad bron iawn, sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu asesu’r gyllideb sydd ar y ffordd yng nghyd-destun yr argyfwng hinsawdd a Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015? A pha ddadansoddiad sy'n cael ei wneud o effaith penderfyniadau ynglŷn â'r gyllideb ar ein nod o gyflawni statws di-garbon?
The well-being of future generations Act has very much been at the heart of all of our budget discussions so far. So, when I've met with each of the Ministers in Welsh Government, I have been asking them specifically what they are doing within their portfolios to bring to life all of the ambitions within the well-being of future generations Act and how they're using that to help inform their decisions in terms of their own departmental budgets at an early stage. We've had excellent meetings with the future generations commissioner, and we're working with her to develop a journey checker—so it's part of our budget improvement plan—which will show what actions we're going to take in the short, medium and longer terms to fully embed the well-being of future generations Act within our budget process. And that responds, I think, very much to one of the Finance Committee's recommendations that they put forward.
Overall, across Government, we've looked at this particular budget through the lens of our eight priority areas, and one of those is decarbonisation. And I think one of the ways in which we can really make some good strides with decarbonisation is looking at how we spend our capital funding in particular. So, this is an area that I've been working very closely with colleagues on to ensure that we have positive news in terms of the capital element particularly of our budget.
Mae Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol wedi bod yn ganolog i'n holl drafodaethau ynglŷn â'r gyllideb hyd yn hyn. Felly, pan wyf wedi cyfarfod â phob un o'r Gweinidogion yn Llywodraeth Cymru, rwyf wedi gofyn yn benodol iddynt beth y maent yn ei wneud o fewn eu portffolios i wireddu holl uchelgeisiau Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol a sut y maent yn ei defnyddio i helpu i lywio eu penderfyniadau cynnar o ran eu cyllidebau adrannol eu hunain. Rydym wedi cael cyfarfodydd rhagorol gyda chomisiynydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol, ac rydym yn gweithio gyda hi i ddatblygu gwiriwr siwrnai—felly mae'n rhan o gynllun gwella ein cyllideb—a fydd yn dangos pa gamau y byddwn yn eu cymryd yn y tymor byr, canolig a hwy i ymgorffori Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol yn llawn ym mhroses ein cyllideb. A chredaf fod hynny'n ymateb da i un o argymhellion y Pwyllgor Cyllid a gyflwynwyd ganddynt.
Ar y cyfan, ar draws y Llywodraeth, rydym wedi edrych ar y gyllideb benodol hon drwy lens ein hwyth maes blaenoriaeth, ac un o'r rheini yw datgarboneiddio. A chredaf mai un o'r ffyrdd y gallwn wneud cynnydd gwirioneddol o ran datgarboneiddio yw edrych ar sut rydym yn gwario ein cyllid cyfalaf yn benodol. Felly, mae hwn yn faes y bûm yn gweithio'n agos iawn gyda chyd-Aelodau arno i sicrhau bod gennym newyddion cadarnhaol yn enwedig o ran yr elfen gyfalaf yn ein cyllideb.
I note that Lord Bird, the founder of The Big Issue, is introducing a future generations Act into the House of Lords, inspired very much by the work of Welsh Government. So, a big tick for that. I think this is a really good process, but I have to say, in the financial scrutiny I've been involved in in committees, when you ask the senior officials what training they have had in the use of the Act in budget formation, what decisions have been made that have been different to previous decision making, where the shift's occurring, we get sometimes an embarrassed silence. So, I do hope there'll be some rigour in your monitoring and evaluation of how this Act is used in the budget-making process.
Nodaf fod yr Arglwydd Bird, sylfaenydd The Big Issue, yn cyflwyno Deddf cenedlaethau'r dyfodol yn Nhŷ'r Arglwyddi, sydd wedi'i hysbrydoli'n fawr gan waith Llywodraeth Cymru. Felly, da iawn ar hynny. Credaf fod hon yn broses wirioneddol dda, ond mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, yn y gwaith craffu ariannol y bûm yn rhan ohono mewn pwyllgorau, pan ofynnwch i'r uwch swyddogion pa hyfforddiant y maent wedi'i gael ar ddefnyddio'r Ddeddf wrth bennu cyllidebau, pa benderfyniadau a wnaed sydd wedi bod yn wahanol i brosesau gwneud penderfyniadau blaenorol, lle mae'r newid yn digwydd, rydym weithiau'n cael distawrwydd lletchwith. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio gweld rhywfaint o drylwyredd yn eich gwaith o fonitro a gwerthuso'r modd y defnyddir y Ddeddf yn y broses o bennu'r gyllideb.
I hope that when committees ask officials this during this year's budget scrutiny they won't have that silence. Because we've been working hard to ensure that officials across Welsh Government, not just within the finance department, understand the importance of embedding the Act within their decision making. And one of the meetings with the future generations commissioner has been among senior finance officials across Welsh Government—so, not just within the finance department—and that's to ensure that officials working in finance in the various different Government departments have a consistent understanding of the need to embed the Act within decision making.
Pan fydd y pwyllgorau'n gofyn hyn i swyddogion yn ystod y gwaith o graffu ar gyllideb eleni, rwy'n gobeithio na fyddant yn wynebu'r distawrwydd hwnnw. Oherwydd rydym wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed i sicrhau bod swyddogion ym mhob rhan o Lywodraeth Cymru, nid yn yr adran gyllid yn unig, yn deall pwysigrwydd ymgorffori'r Ddeddf yn eu penderfyniadau. Ac roedd un o'r cyfarfodydd gyda chomisiynydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol yn cynnwys uwch swyddogion cyllid o bob rhan o Lywodraeth Cymru—felly, nid yr adran gyllid yn unig—er mwyn sicrhau bod gan swyddogion sy'n gweithio ym maes cyllid yng ngwahanol adrannau'r Llywodraeth ddealltwriaeth gyson o'r angen i ymgorffori'r Ddeddf yn y broses o wneud penderfyniadau.
Can I thank Jenny Rathbone for bringing this question forward today—a crucially important question at a crucial time for our planet and for our future generations? Minister, I welcome your comments, but can you tell me specifically what you are doing to assess and analyse the carbon impact of existing spend as well as any new spend, and how do you plan to publish this to allow Members and others to scrutinise?
A gaf fi ddiolch i Jenny Rathbone am gyflwyno'r cwestiwn hwn heddiw—cwestiwn hanfodol bwysig ar adeg dyngedfennol i'n planed ac i genedlaethau'r dyfodol? Weinidog, croesawaf eich sylwadau, ond a allwch ddweud wrthyf yn benodol beth rydych yn ei wneud i asesu a dadansoddi effaith gwariant presennol yn ogystal ag unrhyw wariant newydd o ran carbon, a sut rydych yn bwriadu cyhoeddi hyn i ganiatáu i'r Aelodau ac eraill graffu arno?
Well, you'll be familiar with our 'Prosperity for All' low-carbon plan for Wales, which sets out 100 of the different actions that we are taking across Government in terms of ensuring that decarbonisation is very much at the centre of the work that we are doing. But I think it's important to do this within the context of our Environment (Wales) Act 2016, and that puts in place a really robust governance system for Welsh Ministers
So, following advice from the advisory body—the UK Committee on Climate Change—we've increased, as you know, our long-term pathway to respond to a climate emergency: so, from 80 per cent to 95 per cent by the end of 2050, and the Welsh Government is committed to putting a higher emissions reduction target of at least 95 per cent into law. And that really does mean that our pathways have to change and that the decisions that we make have to be made in a different way.
But I think that our low-carbon delivery plans, going forward, will also continually need to show how each Minister's contributing to the actions within our carbon budget, and, as a result, all Ministers will need to reflect on the spending decisions that they have made and that they will make in setting their detailed main expenditure group spending plans.
Within my own portfolio, I think that we can look particularly to the work that's going on in procurement, and that plays a really important role in helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. And one of the things that we've done to assess those decisions that we've already made and then to inform better decision making in future is to introduce a decarbonisation dashboard that was developed by Value Wales, and that shows the carbon dioxide emissions for categories of various spends across Government. So, that allows us to look at the decisions that we've made and then seek opportunities to make better decisions in future.
Wel, fe fyddwch yn gyfarwydd â'n cynllun carbon isel i Gymru, 'Ffyniant i Bawb', sy'n nodi 100 o'r gwahanol gamau rydym yn eu cymryd ar draws y Llywodraeth o ran sicrhau bod datgarboneiddio'n ganolog i'r gwaith a wnawn. Ond credaf ei bod yn bwysig gwneud hyn yng nghyd-destun Deddf yr Amgylchedd (Cymru) 2016, ac mae honno'n rhoi system lywodraethu wirioneddol gadarn ar waith ar gyfer Gweinidogion Cymru.
Felly, yn dilyn cyngor gan y corff cynghori—Pwyllgor y DU ar y Newid yn yr Hinsawdd—rydym wedi ymestyn, fel y gwyddoch, ein llwybr hirdymor i ymateb i'r argyfwng hinsawdd: felly, o 80 y cant i 95 y cant erbyn diwedd 2050, ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i wneud targed uwch i leihau allyriadau 95 y cant fan lleiaf yn gyfraith. Ac mae hynny'n golygu bod yn rhaid i'n llwybrau newid go iawn, a bod yn rhaid i'r penderfyniadau a wnawn gael eu gwneud mewn ffordd wahanol.
Ond credaf y bydd angen i'n cynlluniau cyflawni ar garbon isel yn y dyfodol ddangos yn barhaus sut y mae pob Gweinidog yn cyfrannu at y camau o fewn ein cyllideb garbon, ac o ganlyniad, bydd angen i bob Gweinidog fyfyrio ar y penderfyniadau gwariant y maent wedi'u gwneud ac y byddant yn eu gwneud wrth bennu cynlluniau gwariant manwl eu prif grwpiau gwariant.
Yn fy mhortffolio i, credaf y gallwn edrych yn benodol ar y gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo ym maes caffael, ac mae hynny'n chwarae rhan bwysig iawn wrth helpu i leihau allyriadau carbon deuocsid. Ac un o'r pethau rydym wedi'u gwneud i asesu'r penderfyniadau a wnaethom eisoes ac yna i lywio gwell penderfyniadau yn y dyfodol yw cyflwyno dangosfwrdd datgarboneiddio a ddatblygwyd gan Gwerth Cymru, sy'n dangos yr allyriadau carbon deuocsid ar gyfer categorïau gwariant amrywiol ar draws y Llywodraeth. Felly, mae hynny'n caniatáu inni edrych ar y penderfyniadau rydym wedi'u gwneud ac yna i chwilio am gyfleoedd i wneud penderfyniadau gwell yn y dyfodol.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Nick Ramsay.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, Nick Ramsay.
Diolch, Llywydd. Prynhawn da, Gweinidog.
Thank you, Llywydd. Good afternoon, Minister.
How can we expect to see the extra funding for the Welsh Government, resulting from the recent UK Government spending review, deliver benefits for Wales in the coming Welsh Government budget?
Sut y gallwn ddisgwyl gweld yr arian ychwanegol ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru, sy'n deillio o'r adolygiad diweddar o wariant gan Lywodraeth y DU, yn sicrhau manteision i Gymru yng nghyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru sydd ar y ffordd?
Thank you. Well, we've already set out in the statement that I made on the spending review that Welsh Government's priority will continue to be the NHS in Wales to ensure that people have access to excellent healthcare wherever they live in Wales. But, alongside that, we're very keen to ensure that local government does get the best possible settlement for many of the reasons that we’ve already discussed this afternoon—so, the importance of social care, for example, and the importance of all of those services that keep our communities going.
So, those are our two priority areas, but I’ve been having discussions with all Ministers across Government to explore how we can assist them with the pressures that they’re facing. Because, as you know, one of the big areas of spend—around 50 per cent of Welsh Government’s budget—actually goes to pay. And it’s fantastic to see pay increases, but if the additional funding doesn’t come in full from the UK Government, which is hasn’t done, then that does put greater pressure on Welsh Government.
We’ve also been looking, though, across Government, through the lens of those eight priority areas, to explore where there are areas where we can potentially make new and additional funding commitments that will be able to make a difference in those particular eight areas that we have identified as being the ones that could have the greatest impact for people in Wales.
Diolch. Wel, rydym eisoes wedi nodi yn y datganiad a wneuthum ar yr adolygiad o wariant y bydd y GIG yng Nghymru yn parhau i fod yn flaenoriaeth i Lywodraeth Cymru er mwyn sicrhau bod gan bobl fynediad at ofal iechyd rhagorol lle bynnag y maent yn byw yng Nghymru. Ond ochr yn ochr â hynny, rydym yn awyddus iawn i sicrhau bod llywodraeth leol yn cael y setliad gorau posibl am lawer o'r rhesymau rydym eisoes wedi'u trafod y prynhawn yma—felly, pwysigrwydd gofal cymdeithasol, er enghraifft, a phwysigrwydd yr holl wasanaethau sy'n cynnal ein cymunedau.
Felly, dyna ein dau faes blaenoriaeth, ond cefais drafodaethau gyda'r holl Weinidogion ar draws y Llywodraeth i archwilio sut y gallwn eu cynorthwyo gyda'r pwysau sy'n eu hwynebu. Oherwydd, fel y gwyddoch, un o'r meysydd gwariant mwyaf—oddeutu 50 y cant o gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru—yw talu cyflogau. Ac mae'n wych gweld codiadau cyflog, ond os nad yw'r cyllid ychwanegol yn dod yn llawn gan Lywodraeth y DU, sydd heb ddigwydd, yna mae hynny'n rhoi mwy o bwysau ar Lywodraeth Cymru.
Ond rydym wedi bod yn edrych ar draws y Llywodraeth hefyd, drwy lens yr wyth maes blaenoriaeth, i archwilio meysydd lle y gallwn wneud ymrwymiadau cyllido newydd ac ychwanegol o bosibl a fydd yn gallu gwneud gwahaniaeth yn yr wyth maes penodol hynny a nodwyd gennym fel y rhai a allai gael yr effaith fwyaf ar bobl yng Nghymru.
Thank you, Minister, I appreciate it’s early days and I’m looking forward to scrutinising you on the Finance Committee, with my colleagues as well, on the subject of the budget. You just said that you’re lacking money or you haven’t received money from the UK Government, but, as I’m sure you would recognise, the Welsh Government’s resource budget will increase by over £485 million through 2019-20, and the capital budget will also increase by nearly £70 million through 2020-21. So, whilst you might not have received that money today, as we stand here, that has certainly been earmarked for this institution. So, I’d like to hear from you what you intend to do with that to put it to good use.
You mentioned local government. I appreciate that local authority budgets have been under stress, as you said yourself. The Welsh Local Government Association have recently reported that core grant funding has reduced by 20 per cent after adjusting for inflation in 2019-20. If you don’t include school funding, as is the case in English local government, core funding is even lower than that, so, clearly, local authority budgets are under stress. How are you planning, in your budget, to try and make up to local government some of the money that they haven’t been getting, so that they do have that all-important money for public services locally in Wales?
Diolch, Weinidog, rwy'n sylweddoli ei bod yn ddyddiau cynnar ac edrychaf ymlaen at graffu arnoch yn y Pwyllgor Cyllid, gyda fy nghyd-Aelodau hefyd, mewn perthynas â'r gyllideb. Rydych newydd ddweud eich bod yn brin o arian neu nad ydych wedi derbyn arian gan Lywodraeth y DU, ond fel y byddech yn cydnabod rwy'n siŵr, bydd cyllideb adnodd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynyddu mwy na £485 miliwn yn 2019-20, a bydd y gyllideb gyfalaf hefyd yn cynyddu bron i £70 miliwn yn 2020-21. Felly, er nad ydych wedi derbyn yr arian hwnnw heddiw efallai, fel y mae pethau, mae'n sicr wedi'i glustnodi ar gyfer y sefydliad hwn. Felly, hoffwn glywed gennych beth y bwriadwch ei wneud ag ef er mwyn gwneud defnydd da ohono.
Fe sonioch chi am lywodraeth leol. Rwy'n sylweddoli bod cyllidebau awdurdodau lleol wedi bod dan bwysau, fel y dywedoch chi eich hun. Yn ddiweddar, mae Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru wedi adrodd bod cyllid grant craidd wedi gostwng 20 y cant ar ôl addasu ar gyfer chwyddiant yn 2019-20. Os nad ydych yn cynnwys cyllid ysgolion, fel sy'n digwydd mewn llywodraeth leol yn Lloegr, mae cyllid craidd hyd yn oed yn is na hynny, felly yn amlwg, mae cyllidebau awdurdodau lleol dan bwysau. Sut rydych chi'n cynllunio, yn eich cyllideb, er mwyn ceisio rhoi peth o'r arian nad ydynt wedi bod yn ei gael i lywodraeth leol, fel bod ganddynt yr arian hollbwysig hwnnw ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn lleol yng Nghymru?
Well, I think it’s important to reflect on the reasons why local government have been struggling in recent years, and that’s very much because of the fact that their budgets have been decreasing as Welsh Government’s budget has been decreasing. Last year, there was funding that was well below the funding that they would have had even 10 years before that, so I think that it’s important to reflect on the difficulties there. It’s also important, I think, to remember that whilst the Barnett formula giveth it also taketh away, and this is one of the issues that we are trying to grapple with at the moment, in terms of the most recent spending rounds. So, there was a negative adjustment by the UK Government of around £180 million. Now, we can understand about half of it, but there does remain an outstanding amount, of £90 million, which we just can’t account for. So, we are in dialogue with the UK Government to explore whether we can find some answers to that. But if nothing’s forthcoming, obviously we’ll have to take that through the disputes to the Joint Ministerial Committee.
Wel, credaf ei bod yn bwysig myfyrio ar y rhesymau pam fod llywodraeth leol wedi bod yn ei chael hi'n anodd dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac mae hynny i raddau helaeth oherwydd y ffaith bod eu cyllidebau wedi bod yn gostwng wrth i gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru ostwng. Y llynedd, cafwyd cyllid a oedd yn llai o lawer na'r cyllid y byddent wedi’i gael hyd yn oed 10 mlynedd ynghynt, felly credaf ei bod yn bwysig myfyrio ar yr anawsterau yn hynny o beth. Credaf ei bod hefyd yn bwysig cofio, er bod fformiwla Barnett yn rhoi arian, ei bod hefyd yn cymryd arian oddi wrthym, a dyma un o'r materion rydym yn ceisio mynd i'r afael â hwy ar hyn o bryd, o ran y cylchoedd gwario diweddaraf. Felly, cafwyd addasiad negyddol o oddeutu £180 miliwn gan Lywodraeth y DU. Nawr, gallwn ddeall oddeutu hanner hynny, ond mae swm sy'n weddill, o £90 miliwn, na allwn ei egluro. Felly, rydym yn cael trafodaethau gyda Llywodraeth y DU i archwilio a allwn gael atebion i hynny. Ond os na chawn ateb, yn amlwg, bydd yn rhaid i ni gyflwyno dadl ar hynny yng Nghyd-bwyllgor y Gweinidogion.
Well, I see what you mean when you say that the Barnett giveth and taketh—that’s a good expression in many ways. I got the document yesterday—'Reforming our union', which featured in the First Minister’s statement—and there’s an interesting section on finance here where the First Minister or the Welsh Government recognises that the Holtham floor—the fiscal framework that came out of those discussions—has actually been delivering for Wales, and we’re receiving more for each pound in Wales now as a result of that. I think you’ll be able to confirm that that’s originally £1.05 for every pound, looking to rise to £1.15. So, that money is coming to us, Minister. So, I was a bit disappointed with your answer when you said that the local authority funding has been decreasing with the Welsh Government's, because that’s certainly not the case at the moment.
If I can broaden that out a little bit to the funding formula, which I mentioned before, and can I make another plea? Because if you look in detail at the funding of local authorities across Wales, it’s clear that rural authorities have come off particularly badly over recent years. So, when you tell us that you’re looking to put money into social services and money into local authorities in the future, can you guarantee that there will be an even spread of that cake and that local authority budgets across Wales, in rural areas, will also get a better deal than they have in the past, so that in future the Welsh budgets for local authorities are fairer than they have been in the past?
Wel, rwy'n gweld beth a olygwch pan ddywedwch fod y Barnett yn rhoi arian ac yn ei gymryd—mae hwnnw'n ymadrodd da mewn sawl ffordd. Ddoe cefais ddogfen —'Diwygio ein hundeb', a grybwyllwyd yn natganiad y Prif Weinidog—ac mae'n cynnwys adran ddiddorol ar gyllid yma lle mae'r Prif Weinidog neu Lywodraeth Cymru yn cydnabod bod cyllid gwaelodol Holtham—y fframwaith cyllidol a ddeilliodd o'r trafodaethau hynny—wedi bod yn cyflawni dros Gymru mewn gwirionedd, ac rydym yn derbyn mwy am bob punt yng Nghymru bellach o ganlyniad i hynny. Credaf y gallwch gadarnhau bod hynny'n £1.05 am bob punt yn wreiddiol, gan godi i £1.15. Felly, mae'r arian hwnnw'n dod inni, Weinidog. Felly, roeddwn ychydig yn siomedig â'ch ateb pan ddywedoch fod cyllid awdurdodau lleol wedi bod yn gostwng gyda chyllid Llywodraeth Cymru, oherwydd yn sicr, nid yw hynny'n wir ar hyn o bryd.
Os caf ehangu ychydig ar hynny i sôn am y fformiwla ariannu, a grybwyllais ynghynt, ac a gaf fi wneud apêl arall? Oherwydd os edrychwch yn fanwl ar gyllid awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru, mae'n amlwg fod awdurdodau gwledig wedi'i chael hi'n arbennig o wael dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Felly, pan ddywedwch wrthym eich bod yn awyddus i roi arian tuag at wasanaethau cymdeithasol ac arian tuag at awdurdodau lleol yn y dyfodol, a allwch warantu y bydd y gacen honno'n cael ei rhannu'n deg ac y bydd cyllidebau awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru, mewn ardaloedd gwledig, hefyd yn cael bargen well na'r hyn y maent wedi'i gael yn y gorffennol, fel bod cyllidebau yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol yn decach nag y buont yn y gorffennol?
Well, the local government Minister has been really clear with local authorities that she and I are very open to discussions if local authorities see a better way for distributing the funding that is given to local authorities. And, obviously, the funding formula, as it is, takes into account a wide range of things—rurality being one of them. But we’ve been very clear: if there are ways in which local government can come to a consensus as to what the changes should be, then we’d more than happy to look at those changes. But we’re keen, as I say, to ensure that local authorities do have the best possible settlement within all the challenges that we face.
Wel, mae'r Gweinidog llywodraeth leol wedi dweud yn glir iawn wrth awdurdodau lleol ei bod hithau a minnau yn agored iawn i drafodaethau os oes gan awdurdodau lleol ffordd well o ddosbarthu'r cyllid a roddir i awdurdodau lleol. Ac yn amlwg, mae'r fformiwla ariannu fel y mae yn ystyried ystod eang o bethau—ac mae gwledigrwydd yn un ohonynt. Ond rydym wedi dweud yn glir iawn: os oes ffyrdd i lywodraeth leol ddod i gonsensws ynglŷn â beth y dylai'r newidiadau fod, byddem yn fwy na pharod i edrych ar y newidiadau hynny. Ond rydym yn awyddus, fel y dywedaf, i sicrhau bod awdurdodau lleol yn cael y setliad gorau posibl ynghanol yr holl heriau sy'n ein hwynebu.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Diolch, Llywydd. A wnaiff y Gweinidog grynhoi'r prif ffactorau a gwerthoedd sy'n penderfynu beth ydy blaenoriaethau cyllidol Llywodraeth Cymru?
Thank you, Llywydd. Will the Minister summarise the main factors and values that determine the financial priorities of the Welsh Government?
Thank you very much. So, the main factors and priories that determine the priorities of the Welsh Government will be found in our programme for government, and where, as I say, we’re looking through this particular budget, through the lens of those eight priority areas that Welsh Government has identified as being the ones for which if we can work more closely and in a more co-ordinated way across Government, then we can have the greatest impact on people’s lives. So, those include things like housing, early years, social care, biodiversity, decarbonisation, employment and skills, and so on. So, those are the areas that we’ve identified as being the key ways in which we can make a difference. But as a Cabinet, we have come to the decision that health will remain our priority within this next budget and, again, as I’ve said, giving local authorities the best possible settlement.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Gellir gweld y prif ffactorau a'r blaenoriaethau sy'n pennu blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru yn ein rhaglen lywodraethu, ac fel rwy'n dweud, rydym yn edrych drwy'r gyllideb benodol hon, drwy lens yr wyth maes blaenoriaeth a nodwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru fel y rhai, os gallwn weithio'n agosach ac mewn ffordd fwy cydgysylltiedig ar draws y Llywodraeth, a all sicrhau y gallwn gael yr effaith fwyaf ar fywydau pobl. Felly, maent yn cynnwys pethau fel tai, y blynyddoedd cynnar, gofal cymdeithasol, bioamrywiaeth, datgarboneiddio, cyflogaeth a sgiliau ac ati. Felly, dyna'r meysydd a nodwyd gennym fel y ffyrdd allweddol y gallwn wneud gwahaniaeth. Ond fel Cabinet, rydym wedi penderfynu y bydd iechyd yn parhau i fod yn flaenoriaeth i ni yn y gyllideb nesaf hon, ac unwaith eto, fel y dywedais, rhoi’r setliad gorau posibl i awdurdodau lleol.
Diolch am y sylwadau yna, ac yn cyfeirio at y rhes o werthoedd y gwnaethoch chi eu crybwyll, dwi'n meddwl y gallem ni gytuno y byddai'r rheini'n cael eu rhoi o dan y label 'llesiant', o bosib, a dwi'n croesawu'r sylwadau yn hynny o beth.
A gaf i ddyfynnu i chi gan yr economegydd Joseph Stiglitz a ddywedodd y llynedd:
Thank you for those remarks, and with reference to that long list of values that you mentioned, I think we could agree that those could be labelled as 'well-being', and I welcome your comments in that regard.
Can I quote the economist Joseph Stiglitz who said last year:
'If we focus only on material wellbeing—on, say, the production of goods, rather than on health, education, and the environment—we become distorted in the same way that these measures are distorted; we become more materialistic…If we want to put people first, we have to know what matters to them, what improves their wellbeing and how we can supply more of whatever that is.'
Os ydym yn canolbwyntio ar les materol yn unig—ar gynhyrchu nwyddau, er enghraifft, yn hytrach nag ar iechyd, addysg a'r amgylchedd—cawn ein gwyrdroi yn yr un ffordd ag y mae'r mesurau hyn wedi'u gwyrdroi; rydym yn dod yn fwy materol... Os ydym am roi pobl yn gyntaf, mae'n rhaid i ni wybod beth sy'n bwysig iddynt, beth sy'n gwella eu lles a sut y gallwn ddarparu mwy o beth bynnag sy'n gwneud hynny.
Dwi'n meddwl eich bod chi'n cytuno efo'r math yna o sylw. Mae llesiant pobl yn bwysig i ni. Yn enwog erbyn hyn, mae Seland Newydd wedi cyflwyno dull newydd o gyllido yn canolbwyntio'n benodol ar geisio delifro ar gyfer yr hyn sy'n bwysig i lesiant pobl. Yn agosach at adre, mae Llywodraeth yr Alban hefyd yn mesur ei chyraeddiadau a'i pherfformiad drwy national outcomes, efo pwysau statudol yn cael ei roi i'r rheini drwy'r Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
Allwch chi, fel Gweinidog, gadarnhau i fi os oes cais wedi cael ei roi, neu wahoddiad wedi cael ei roi, i Lywodraeth Cymru i ymuno â chynghrair llesiant rhyngwladol, lle mae nifer o wledydd yn gweithio efo'i gilydd i ddatblygu'r union fath o gyllidebau llesiant yma dwi wedi crybwyll yn yr Alban a Seland Newydd?
I think you would agree with that kind of analysis. The well-being of people is important to us. Famously by now, New Zealand has introduced a new way of budgeting that focuses specifically on seeking to deliver on what’s important to the population’s well-being. Closer to home, the Scottish Government is also measuring its attainment and its performance through the national outcomes, with a statutory emphasis placed on those through the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
Can you, as Minister, confirmed to me whether any application has been made, or any invitation has been given, to the Welsh Government to join an international well-being alliance, where a number of countries work together to develop exactly the kind of well-being budgets that I have mentioned as existing in Scotland and in New Zealand?
Thank you very much. I'm familiar with the situation in New Zealand, and Welsh Government officials have been working closely with officials from New Zealand to better understand each other's approaches, because, actually, many of the things in the New Zealand budget setting approach are incorporated in our approach to the legislation of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. So, there are lots of mirrors there, I think.
And in terms of Scotland and their approach to measuring well-being, well we, of course, have our national indicators, which sit underneath the well-being of future generations Act. So, again, I think there's lots of synergy, and, of course, we're open to learning from other nations and sharing our best practice too.
In terms of the particular organisation and the network to which you referred, I'm not personally aware of an invitation, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't been extended. I will certainly look into that, because, as I say, we're keen to learn from others.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Rwy'n gyfarwydd â'r sefyllfa yn Seland Newydd, ac mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio'n agos gyda swyddogion o Seland Newydd i ddeall eu dulliau ei gilydd yn well, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, mae llawer o'r pethau yn null Seland Newydd o bennu cyllidebau wedi'u hymgorffori yn ein hymagwedd at ddeddfwriaeth Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015. Felly, credaf fod llawer o ddrychau yn hynny o beth.
Ac o ran yr Alban a’u dull o fesur llesiant, wel, mae gennym ni, wrth gwrs, ein dangosyddion cenedlaethol, sy’n deillio o Ddeddf llesiant cenedlaethau’r dyfodol. Felly, unwaith eto, credaf fod llawer o synergedd yma, ac wrth gwrs, rydym yn agored i ddysgu gan wledydd eraill a rhannu ein harferion gorau hefyd.
O ran y rhwydwaith a'r sefydliad penodol y cyfeirioch chi atynt, nid wyf yn ymwybodol o unrhyw wahoddiad, ond nid yw hynny'n golygu nad oes un wedi'i roi. Byddaf yn sicr yn edrych ar hynny, oherwydd, fel rwy'n dweud, rydym yn awyddus i ddysgu gan eraill.
Thank you. I understand that an invitation has been made and that the Welsh Government turned down the invitation to join this well-being alliance. I'll write to you as a Minister to share more information about that. And if that is indeed true, I think it's a matter of regret. We do have the well-being of future generations Act, but we cannot rely on that.
I think a few weeks ago, in the Finance Committee, you said that budget adjustments are always made in the context of the well-being of future generations Act. I think the response that came from one former Minister, Alun Daives, was that he was involved in conversations about some of those adjustments and he doesn't remember any conversations about either the future generations Act or 'Prosperity for All' in any of those conversations. So, there are real questions about what is actually happening on the ground. Would you agree with me that, as we have said in Plaid Cymru that we would, as a Government, very much want to join the kind of alliance of well-being budget Governments that I mentioned, Welsh Government would be missing an opportunity if it were not to take every chance to learn from others in implementing the kind of budgets that actually work towards improving the well-being of the people of Wales?
Diolch. Deallaf fod gwahoddiad wedi'i roi a bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwrthod y gwahoddiad i ymuno â'r gynghrair llesiant hon. Rwyf am ysgrifennu atoch fel Gweinidog i rannu mwy o wybodaeth am hynny. Ac os yw'n wir, credaf fod hynny'n siomedig. Mae gennym Ddeddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol, ond ni allwn ddibynnu ar honno.
Credaf i chi ddweud ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, yn y Pwyllgor Cyllid, fod addasiadau cyllidebol bob amser yn cael eu gwneud yng nghyd-destun Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol. Credaf mai'r ymateb a gafwyd gan un cyn-Weinidog, Alun Davies, oedd ei fod wedi cymryd rhan mewn sgyrsiau ynglŷn â rhai o'r addasiadau hynny ac nad yw'n cofio unrhyw sgyrsiau am Ddeddf cenedlaethau'r dyfodol na 'Ffyniant i Bawb' yn unrhyw un o'r sgyrsiau hynny. Felly, mae cwestiynau gwirioneddol i'w gofyn ynglŷn â'r hyn sy'n digwydd ar lawr gwlad mewn gwirionedd. Gan ein bod ni ym Mhlaid Cymru wedi dweud y byddem, fel Llywodraeth, yn awyddus i ymuno â'r math o gynghrair o Lywodraethau cyllideb llesiant y soniais amdani, a fyddech yn cytuno y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn colli cyfle pe na bai'n manteisio ar bob cyfle i ddysgu gan eraill wrth roi'r math o gyllidebau ar waith sydd mewn gwirionedd yn gweithio tuag at wella llesiant pobl Cymru?
Well, as I say, I'll look into that particular case of the network to which you refer.FootnoteLink As I say, it's not something that has come across my desk, but Welsh Government is particularly keen to engage in networks and learn from others, especially now in the context of Brexit, of course, because our international relationships are as important as they've ever been now in terms of being able to demonstrate what we are doing in Wales and the values that we have here in Wales, which I think are shared by many across the world, and in terms of also learning from others, because we certainly don't have the monopoly on good ideas.
Wel, fel y dywedaf, fe edrychaf ar yr achos penodol hwnnw ynglŷn â'r rhwydwaith y cyfeiriwch ato.FootnoteLink Fel y dywedaf, nid yw'n rhywbeth a gafodd ei ddwyn i fy sylw, ond mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn arbennig o awyddus i gymryd rhan mewn rhwydweithiau a dysgu gan eraill, yn enwedig ar hyn o bryd yng nghyd-destun Brexit, wrth gwrs, gan fod ein cysylltiadau rhyngwladol mor bwysig ag erioed o ran gallu dangos beth a wnawn yng Nghymru a'r gwerthoedd sydd gennym yma yng Nghymru, gwerthoedd a rennir gan lawer ledled y byd yn fy marn i, ac o ran dysgu gan eraill hefyd, oherwydd yn sicr, nid oes monopoli gennym ar syniadau da.
Llefarydd Plaid Brexit, Mark Reckless.
Brexit Party spokesperson, Mark Reckless.
Diolch, Llywydd. Finance Minister, you describe the increase in the Public Works Loan Board interest rates as a retrograde move. In doing that, were you reflecting the Treasury's press release, saying that, by increasing the margin that applies to new loans by 100 basis points, it was restoring interest rates to levels available in 2018? And would you agree with my assessment that the Treasury is looking to rein in quite a large number of local councils? Some I'm aware of on the English side of the border, who've been building very substantial commercial property portfolios, sometimes beyond their council areas, sometimes paying really very substantial sums for retail properties that have been out of favour in the commercial market. And one example: Spelthorne Borough Council borrowed £405 million from the Public Works Loan Board, which was to buy BP's global research centre. And may this reflect the greater degree of austerity that English local authorities have generally seen? For instance, in Spelthorne, its overall budget is only £22 million, yet this £405 million is a vast multiple of that, and they're expecting, I think, this year, to get £10 million of their £22 million budget from net profits on their property portfolio. Is that something that the Treasury have taken action against and have we in Wales been caught up in that?
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog Cyllid, rydych yn disgrifio'r cynnydd yng nghyfraddau llog y Bwrdd Benthyciadau Gwaith Cyhoeddus fel cam yn ôl. Wrth wneud hynny, a oeddech yn adlewyrchu'r datganiad i'r wasg gan y Trysorlys, a ddywedai, drwy gynyddu'r gorswm ar fenthyciadau newydd 100 pwynt sylfaen, ei fod yn adfer cyfraddau llog i'r lefelau a oedd ar gael yn 2018? Ac a fyddech yn cytuno â fy asesiad fod y Trysorlys yn awyddus i ffrwyno nifer go helaeth o gynghorau lleol? Rwy'n ymwybodol o rai ohonynt dros y ffin yn Lloegr sydd wedi bod yn adeiladu portffolios sylweddol iawn o eiddo masnachol, weithiau y tu hwnt i ffiniau eu hardaloedd cyngor, ac weithiau'n talu symiau sylweddol iawn am eiddo manwerthu sydd wedi bod yn amhoblogaidd ar y farchnad fasnachol. Ac un enghraifft: benthycodd Cyngor Bwrdeistref Spelthorne £405 miliwn gan y Bwrdd Benthyciadau Gwaith Cyhoeddus er mwyn prynu canolfan ymchwil fyd-eang BP. Ac a yw hyn yn adlewyrchu'r raddfa fwy o gyni y mae awdurdodau lleol Lloegr wedi'i gweld yn gyffredinol? Er enghraifft, yn Spelthorne, £22 miliwn yn unig yw eu cyllideb gyffredinol, ac eto mae'r £405 miliwn hwn sawl gwaith yn fwy na hynny, a chredaf eu bod yn disgwyl, eleni, cael £10 miliwn o'u cyllideb o £22 miliwn o'r elw net ar eu portffolio eiddo. A yw hynny'n rhywbeth y mae'r Trysorlys wedi cymryd camau gweithredu yn ei erbyn ac a ydym ni yng Nghymru wedi cael ein llyncu i mewn i hynny?
Well, as you say, the interest rate changed without notice from 1.8 to 2.8 per cent with immediate effect last week. And that does cause difficulty for local authorities in Wales, of course, because they will have to reassess all of their borrowing plans and the plans that they have for strategic investment in social housing particularly, but also in schools and other capital projects particularly in Wales.
I think it's important to note as well that Welsh Government, over a long period of time, campaigned for the removal of the cap on borrowing for local authorities and to allow local authorities to be borrowing to a limit that was sensible for them. You certainly didn't give any examples in Wales where we've seen borrowing to an extent that is irresponsible in any way. So, I think that it is a big problem for local authorities in Wales, because of course it does mean reassessing their plans.
Wel, fel y dywedwch, newidiodd y gyfradd llog yn ddirybudd o 1.8 i 2.8 y cant ar unwaith yr wythnos diwethaf. Ac mae hynny'n peri anhawster i awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru, wrth gwrs, gan y bydd yn rhaid iddynt ailasesu eu holl gynlluniau benthyca a'r cynlluniau sydd ganddynt ar gyfer buddsoddiad strategol mewn tai cymdeithasol yn arbennig, ond hefyd mewn ysgolion a phrosiectau cyfalaf eraill, yn enwedig yng Nghymru.
Credaf ei bod yn bwysig nodi hefyd fod Llywodraeth Cymru, dros gyfnod hir, wedi ymgyrchu i gael gwared ar y cap ar fenthyca ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol ac i ganiatáu i awdurdodau lleol fenthyca hyd at derfyn a oedd yn synhwyrol iddynt. Yn sicr, ni roesoch unrhyw enghreifftiau yng Nghymru o ble rydym wedi gweld benthyca i raddau sy'n anghyfrifol mewn unrhyw ffordd. Felly, credaf ei bod yn broblem fawr i awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru, oherwydd wrth gwrs, mae'n golygu ailasesu eu cynlluniau.
Minister, you referred to regeneration activities and social housing as positive examples where local government in Wales might be borrowing money, but there are also—there's some evidence, at least, of local government borrowing in Wales motivated by the commercial property portfolio investment. One example is Monmouthshire, and we've heard in this Chamber quite frequently how tough Monmouthshire has found the budget in terms of the far, far lesser amount it gets from Welsh Government than many other councils. And I just wonder whether this is their response to it in the way we've seen from these English councils.
It was quite a significant commercial property portfolio that Monmouthshire already had, but there have been two deals this year where they've added to it, funded from the Public Works Loan Board. There was a £7 million purchase of Castlegate Business Park in Caldicot, and then in March, a larger £21 million purchase of the Newport Leisure Park, which is outside the Monmouthshire council area—£21 million spent on that, and they're hoping that there'll be £1.4 million of rent coming in. So, if we have got councils borrowing at 1.8 per cent, now at 2.8 per cent, and potentially getting yields of 6 or 7 per cent, isn't this something that's potentially going to continue and get larger, and what is Welsh Government doing to ensure that such borrowing is appropriate and that the local councils involved have the necessary expertise and aren't taking excessive risks for which they might, at some future date, look for assistance from Welsh Government?
Weinidog, fe gyfeirioch chi at weithgareddau adfywio a thai cymdeithasol fel enghreifftiau cadarnhaol o ble y gallai llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru fod yn benthyca arian, ond ceir hefyd—ceir rhywfaint o dystiolaeth, o leiaf, o fenthyca llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru sydd wedi'i ysgogi gan fuddsoddiad y portffolio eiddo masnachol. Un enghraifft yw Sir Fynwy, ac rydym wedi clywed sawl tro yn y Siambr hon pa mor anodd yw'r gyllideb i Sir Fynwy o ran y swm llawer iawn llai y mae'n ei gael gan Lywodraeth Cymru na llawer o gynghorau eraill. A tybed ai dyma eu hymateb i hynny yn y ffordd a welsom gan y cynghorau hyn yn Lloegr.
Roedd gan Sir Fynwy bortffolio eithaf sylweddol o eiddo masnachol eisoes, ond cafwyd dau gytundeb eleni lle maent wedi ychwanegu ato, a hynny drwy gyllid y Bwrdd Benthyciadau Gwaith Cyhoeddus. Prynwyd Parc Busnes Castlegate yng Nghil-y-coed am £7 miliwn, ac yna ym mis Mawrth, am bris uwch o £21 miliwn prynwyd Parc Hamdden Casnewydd, sydd y tu allan i ardal cyngor Sir Fynwy—gwariwyd £21 miliwn ar hynny, ac maent yn gobeithio cael £1.4 miliwn mewn rhent. Felly, os oes gennym gynghorau yn benthyca ar 1.8 y cant, bellach ar 2.8 y cant, ac o bosibl yn cael arenillion o 6 neu 7 y cant, onid yw hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n mynd i barhau a thyfu o bosibl, a beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod benthyca o'r fath yn briodol a bod gan y cynghorau lleol dan sylw yr arbenigedd angenrheidiol ac nad ydynt yn cymryd risgiau gormodol a allai arwain at ofyn am gymorth gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn y dyfodol?
Local authorities, in terms of their own spending decisions, will have to justify those to their local electorate. So, for the examples you gave from Monmouthshire, it would be for the local electorate to explore, or to decide, really, if they're comfortable with the decisions that local authorities are making. But in terms of the overall impact of this decision on local authorities in Wales, of course, the Minister for Housing and Local Government and I will be meeting again with the finance sub-group, as we regularly do, so this will be an item that we can explore with them. And I'd be happy to send you some more information in terms of the guidance that we, through the local government Minister, give to local authorities in terms of borrowing.
Bydd yn rhaid i awdurdodau lleol gyfiawnhau eu penderfyniadau gwario eu hunain i'w hetholwyr lleol. Felly, ar gyfer yr enghreifftiau a roesoch yn Sir Fynwy, mater i'r etholwyr lleol fyddai archwilio, neu benderfynu mewn gwirionedd a ydynt yn gyfforddus â'r penderfyniadau y mae awdurdodau lleol yn eu gwneud. Ond o ran effaith gyffredinol y penderfyniad hwn ar awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru, wrth gwrs, bydd y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol a minnau’n cyfarfod eto gyda’r is-grŵp cyllid, fel y gwnawn yn rheolaidd, felly bydd hon yn eitem y gallwn ei harchwilio gyda hwy. Ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i anfon mwy o wybodaeth atoch am y canllawiau rydym ni, drwy'r Gweinidog llywodraeth leol, yn eu rhoi i awdurdodau lleol ar fenthyca.
Tynnwyd cwestiwn 3 [OAQ54543] yn ôl. Cwestiwn 4, felly, Siân Gwenllian.
Question 3 [OAQ54543] has been withdrawn. Question 4, Siân Gwenllian.
4. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi diweddariad ynglyn a sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau fod perchnogion ail gartrefi yn talu treth gyngor? OAQ54553
4. Will the Minister provide an update on how the Welsh Government ensures that second home owners pay council tax? OAQ54553
There are robust collection and enforcement arrangements in place to ensure all householders pay the council tax for which they are liable. We work closely with local government to improve these processes, wherever possible.
Mae trefniadau casglu a gorfodi cadarn ar waith i sicrhau bod pob deiliad tŷ yn talu'r dreth gyngor y maent yn atebol amdani. Rydym yn gweithio'n agos gyda llywodraeth leol i wella'r prosesau hyn, lle bynnag y bo modd.
Mae yna fater o annhegwch sylfaenol yn digwydd yn fan hyn. Mae nifer fawr o ail gartrefi yng Nghymru, sef tai domestig sy'n cael eu defnyddio fel ail gartrefi tra bo'r prif annedd yn rhywle arall, felly dwi ddim yn sôn am unedau busnes, arlwyo masnachol na busnesau gwyliau fan hyn. Ond mae yna fwlch yn y gyfraith, ac dwi'n credu bod eich Llywodraeth chi yn ymwybodol o hyn. Mae yna fwlch sy'n golygu bod nifer gynyddol o berchnogion ail gartrefi wedi canfod ffordd o beidio â thalu treth cyngor na threth busnes. Ydych chi'n cytuno bod angen canfod ateb buan i'r broblem yma? Ydych chi'n cytuno y byddai diwygio adran 66 o Ddeddf Cyllid Llywodraeth Leol 1988 yn un ffordd o gael gwared ar yr annhegwch hwn?
There is an issue of fundamental unfairness here. There are many second homes in Wales. These are domestic homes that are used as second homes while the main home is elsewhere, so I’m not talking about business units, commercial caterers or holiday businesses here. But there is a loophole in the law, and I think your Government is aware of this. There is a loophole that means that an increasing number of owners of second homes have found a means of not paying council tax or business rates. Do you agree that we need to find an urgent solution to this problem, and do you agree that reforming section 66 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 would be one way of doing away with this unfairness?
Well, I'm not sure that I would agree that there's a loophole in the law, because the law is very clear in terms of whether a property is a dwelling for the purposes of council tax or whether it is a business for the purposes of non-domestic rates. I appreciate that some of those will be classified as small businesses and then will be eligible for rates relief. But I did meet with the Valuation Office Agency recently to discuss these specific concerns, and they showed me the forms that businesses have to fill in to demonstrate that they are genuinely meeting the conditions of a business—so, the 70 nights' occupancy and then 140 nights' availability for that property. But I know as well that we've invited local authorities to give examples of where it's not happening. So, Gwynedd, I know, gave a number of examples to the Valuation Office Agency and they investigated each of those, and they found that in none of those cases were the owners of those properties operating outside of the law.
Wel, nid wyf yn siŵr y buaswn yn cytuno bod bwlch yn y gyfraith, gan fod y gyfraith yn glir iawn ynglŷn ag a yw eiddo yn annedd at ddibenion y dreth gyngor neu a yw'n fusnes at ddibenion ardrethi annomestig. Rwy'n sylweddoli y bydd rhai ohonynt wedi'u categoreiddio'n fusnesau bach ac yna'n gymwys i gael rhyddhad ardrethi. Ond cyfarfûm ag Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio yn ddiweddar i drafod y pryderon penodol hyn, a chefais weld y ffurflenni y mae'n rhaid i fusnesau eu llenwi i ddangos eu bod yn bodloni amodau busnes go iawn—felly, fod yr eiddo hwnnw wedi'i osod am 70 noson ac ar gael i'w osod am 140 noson. Ond gwn hefyd ein bod wedi gwahodd awdurdodau lleol i roi enghreifftiau o ble nad yw hynny'n digwydd. Felly, gwn fod Gwynedd wedi rhoi nifer o enghreifftiau i Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio ac fe wnaethant ymchwilio i bob un o'r achosion hynny, a chanfuwyd nad oedd perchnogion yr eiddo'n torri'r gyfraith mewn unrhyw un o'r achosion hynny.
It's legal. It's a legal loophole.
Mae'n gyfreithiol. Mae'n fwlch yn y gyfraith.
Because there's a loophole. They're able to do it. That's where the loophole is.
Am fod bwlch yn y gyfraith. Gallant ei wneud. Dyna ble mae'r bwlch yn y gyfraith.
That's the whole point.
Dyna'r holl bwynt.
There's not a loophole.
Nid oes bwlch yn y gyfraith.
As you know, the non-domestic rating Order specifies the terms you've just described—140 days' availability, 70 days' occupancy—in order to qualify as a self-catering business. And you referred to the gate-keeping role played by the Valuation Office Agency and the documentation they require, and that they'd investigated a few cases referred by Gwynedd. But what tripwire is in place within the system to ensure that the valuation office is routinely investigating and checking at least a sample of claimed self-catering properties to ensure that they are what they claim to be, whilst also recognising that the terms the Welsh Government implemented were a compromise with the industry to protect legitimate businesses?
Fel y gwyddoch, mae'r Gorchymyn ardrethu annomestig yn nodi'r telerau rydych newydd eu disgrifio—ar gael i'w osod am 140 diwrnod, wedi'i osod am 70 diwrnod—er mwyn bod yn fusnes hunanddarpar. Ac fe gyfeirioch chi at y rôl y mae Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio yn ei chwarae fel ceidwad y porth a'r ddogfennaeth sy'n ofynnol ganddynt, a'u bod wedi ymchwilio i ychydig o achosion a gyfeiriwyd atynt gan Gwynedd. Ond pa larymau sydd ar waith o fewn y system i sicrhau bod y swyddfa brisio yn ymchwilio ac yn gwirio sampl, o leiaf, o eiddo hunanddarpar honedig fel mater o drefn er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn rhai dilys, gan gydnabod hefyd fod y telerau a roddwyd ar waith gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn gyfaddawd gyda'r diwydiant i amddiffyn busnesau cyfreithlon?
If local authorities particularly have any concerns about any property at all, they should draw it to the attention of the Valuation Office Agency and they will assess it in detail. I think that we need to reflect as well that, actually, it's very serious if an owner of a property seeks to evade and avoid tax by claiming that their property is a holiday let as opposed to a domestic residence, because, of course, if they are found to have been doing that, then they can face a very large backdated bill for council tax. Actually, any attempt to mislead an authority or the VOA, or knowingly provide false or inaccurate information, could lead to prosecution for fraud. So, seeking to avoid or evade paying tax in that way is extremely serious.
Os oes gan awdurdodau lleol unrhyw bryderon penodol am unrhyw eiddo o gwbl, dylent dynnu sylw Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio atynt a byddant yn eu hasesu'n fanwl. Credaf fod angen i ni ystyried hefyd ei fod yn fater difrifol iawn mewn gwirionedd os yw perchennog eiddo yn ceisio efadu ac osgoi trethi drwy honni bod eu heiddo yn eiddo gwyliau i'w osod yn hytrach na phreswylfa ddomestig, oherwydd, wrth gwrs, os cânt eu dal yn gwneud hynny, gallant wynebu bil ôl-ddyddiedig mawr iawn am y dreth gyngor. Mewn gwirionedd, gallai unrhyw ymgais i gamarwain awdurdod neu Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio, neu i ddarparu gwybodaeth anwir neu anghywir yn fwriadol, arwain at erlyniad am dwyll. Felly, mae ceisio efadu neu osgoi talu trethi yn y ffordd honno'n hynod o ddifrifol.
5. Pa mor effeithiol y mae rhyddhad ardrethi busnes wedi bod o ran helpu busnesau yng Nghymru? OAQ54533
5. How effective has business rate relief been in helping businesses in Wales? OAQ54533
The Welsh Government’s package of rates relief is providing over £230 million of support to businesses and other ratepayers with their bills this year. Half of all businesses in Wales pay no rates at all.
Mae pecyn rhyddhad ardrethi Llywodraeth Cymru yn darparu dros £230 miliwn o gymorth i fusnesau a threthdalwyr eraill gyda’u biliau eleni. Nid yw hanner yr holl fusnesau yng Nghymru yn talu unrhyw ardrethi o gwbl.
Thank you for that answer, Minister. Rhyl High Street and town centre have declined over the years, like many town centres in Wales. Once, it had a thriving town centre, now it looks like many of the towns that have decayed under this Government's watch. Shop owners are losing out to out-of-town retail parks, which offer free and convenient parking, and outlets that have, more than likely, been offered a discount on rent or their business rates to tempt them away from the town and into the park.
Whenever this Government is asked about business rates and business rate relief, and how it can be used better to reinvigorate the high street, you always reply that local authorities are best placed to decide how to improve town centres in their patch. That may be so, but they're not doing it. Isn't it now time for the Welsh Government to show leadership on this issue and show local authorities how they can save the town centres and preserve them, particularly for those small and medium-sized retailers that are based in the town centres and are likely to lead to job creation and thriving high streets? The review of rate relief is taking way too long. Town centres are dying while you bat away any serious scrutiny by hiding behind what seems to be an internal review.
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Mae Stryd Fawr y Rhyl a chanol y dref wedi dirywio dros y blynyddoedd, fel canol sawl tref yng Nghymru. Ar un adeg, roedd canol y dref yn y Rhyl yn llewyrchus, a bellach mae'n edrych fel llawer o'r trefi sydd wedi dirywio dan ofal y Llywodraeth hon. Mae perchnogion siopau yn colli'r frwydr yn erbyn parciau manwerthu y tu allan i'r dref, sy'n cynnig parcio am ddim a chyfleus, a siopau sydd, yn ôl pob tebyg, wedi cael gostyngiadau ar eu rhenti neu ardrethi busnes i'w denu allan o'r dref ac i'r parc manwerthu.
Pryd bynnag y caiff y Llywodraeth hon ei holi am ardrethi busnes a rhyddhad ardrethi busnes, a sut y gellir eu defnyddio'n well i adfywio'r stryd fawr, rydych bob amser yn ateb mai'r awdurdodau lleol sydd yn y sefyllfa orau i benderfynu sut i wella canol trefi yn eu hardaloedd. Efallai fod hynny'n wir, ond nid ydynt yn gwneud hynny. Onid yw'n bryd bellach i Lywodraeth Cymru ddangos arweiniad ar y mater hwn a dangos i awdurdodau lleol sut y gallant achub canol trefi a'u gwarchod, yn enwedig ar gyfer y manwerthwyr bach a chanolig sydd wedi'u lleoli yng nghanol y dref ac sy'n debygol o arwain at greu swyddi a stryd fawr lewyrchus? Mae'r adolygiad o ryddhad ardrethi yn cymryd gormod lawer o amser. Mae canol trefi'n marw wrth i chi osgoi unrhyw graffu difrifol drwy guddio y tu ôl i'r hyn sy'n edrych fel adolygiad mewnol.
Well, I don't think it's fair to say that, whenever asked about this issue, I say it's for local authorities because, of course, we have Wales-wide schemes that are administered and there is no discretion to some of these schemes. So, for example, small business rates relief, that's a permanent small business rates relief scheme in Wales, providing over £120 million of relief this year. It's fully funded by Welsh Government, as opposed to across the border, where you'll find businesses subsidising other businesses. And more than 70,000 ratepayers across Wales receive assistance and, as I say, half of them pay nothing at all. That compares to a third of those in England. Alongside that, we also have our high streets and rate relief schemes. That's an additional £23.6 million available to support and enhance high streets, and we've expanded that so that it just doesn't involve shop and retail in that sense; it's expanded to pubs, to restaurants, to ensure that it supports the cafes and those other businesses that give our town centres a vibrant character.
Where there is discretion for local authorities is in the additional £2.4 million, and that's where they have the discretion to target that support to specific local businesses or sectors that they think are particularly important to the life of their town. And I think that it really is appropriate for them to have that discretion there. Of course, rate reliefs themselves aren't going to be the panacea for all of the problems facing high streets, and that's why we have things like our loans for high streets, which is an extremely popular scheme, and that's revitalising high streets. We've got our town-centre regeneration work that is going on across Wales as well. So, there are many things that we are doing to revitalise our high streets, but I don't think any of us underestimate the challenge of that.
Wel, ni chredaf ei bod yn deg dweud, pryd bynnag y caf fy holi ynglŷn â'r mater hwn, fy mod yn dweud ei fod yn fater i'r awdurdodau lleol, oherwydd wrth gwrs, mae gennym gynlluniau ar gyfer Cymru gyfan sy'n cael eu gweinyddu ac ni cheir disgresiwn i rai o'r cynlluniau hyn. Felly, er enghraifft, rhyddhad ardrethi busnesau bach, mae hwnnw'n gynllun rhyddhad ardrethi busnesau bach parhaol yng Nghymru, sy'n darparu dros £120 miliwn o ryddhad eleni. Caiff ei ariannu'n llawn gan Lywodraeth Cymru, yn wahanol i'r hyn sy'n digwydd dros y ffin, lle y gwelwch fusnesau'n sybsideiddio busnesau eraill. Ac mae dros 70,000 o drethdalwyr ledled Cymru yn cael cymorth, ac fel rwy'n dweud, nid yw eu hanner yn talu unrhyw beth o gwbl. Mae hynny'n cymharu â thraean o'r rheini yn Lloegr. Yn ogystal, mae gennym ein cynlluniau rhyddhad ardrethi'r stryd fawr. Mae hynny'n £23.6 miliwn ychwanegol sydd ar gael i gefnogi a gwella'r stryd fawr, ac rydym wedi ehangu hynny fel ei fod yn berthnasol i fwy na siopau ac eiddo manwerthu yn unig yn yr ystyr hwnnw; mae wedi'i ehangu i gynnwys tafarndai, bwytai, er mwyn sicrhau ei fod yn cefnogi'r caffis a'r busnesau eraill sy'n rhoi naws fywiog i ganol ein trefi.
Mae gan awdurdodau lleol ddisgresiwn o ran y £2.4 miliwn ychwanegol i dargedu'r cymorth hwnnw i fusnesau lleol penodol neu sectorau y credant eu bod yn arbennig o bwysig i fywyd eu tref. A chredaf ei bod yn briodol iawn fod ganddynt y disgresiwn hwnnw. Wrth gwrs, nid yw rhyddhad ardrethi ynddo'i hun yn mynd i ddatrys holl broblemau'r stryd fawr, a dyna pam fod gennym bethau fel ein benthyciadau ar gyfer y stryd fawr, sy'n gynllun hynod boblogaidd, ac mae hwnnw'n adfywio'r stryd fawr. Mae gennym ein gwaith adfywio canol trefi sy'n mynd rhagddo ledled Cymru hefyd. Felly, rydym yn gwneud llawer o bethau i adfywio ein stryd fawr, ond ni chredaf fod unrhyw un ohonom yn tanbrisio'r her sydd ynghlwm wrth hynny.
It's on that point, actually. In July, you may remember, actually, that you were kind enough to write, or correspond, anyway, with Bridgend County Borough Council about their high street retail rates relief. They finally told me in July—and it was after you'd contacted them—that 90 per cent of businesses that had applied to them for this kind of rate relief had actually been successful, so thank you for contacting them. However, if the measure of success of this policy is the number of high street businesses that have either opened or stayed open, I'm not sure that you can claim success in this particular borough. So, in this review that you're doing and the evaluation of the policy, what are going to be the main criteria for success? Is it going to be the number of businesses that have stayed open, rather than comparisons with England on how many people are paying rates and so forth? And will you be comparing the effects of your particular policy with alternative policies that are being offered here by other parties?
Mae'n ymwneud â'r pwynt hwnnw, mewn gwirionedd. Ym mis Gorffennaf, efallai y byddwch yn cofio i chi fod yn ddigon caredig i ysgrifennu, neu i ohebu beth bynnag, â Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr ynghylch eu rhyddhad ardrethi i siopau'r stryd fawr. Dywedasant wrthyf o'r diwedd ym mis Gorffennaf—ac ar ôl i chi gysylltu â hwy—fod 90 y cant o fusnesau a oedd wedi gwneud cais iddynt am y math hwn o ryddhad ardrethi wedi bod yn llwyddiannus, felly diolch am gysylltu â hwy. Fodd bynnag, os mai nifer y busnesau ar y stryd fawr sydd naill ai wedi agor neu wedi aros ar agor yw mesur llwyddiant y polisi hwn, nid wyf yn siŵr a a allwch hawlio llwyddiant yn y fwrdeistref benodol hon. Felly, yn yr adolygiad rydych yn ei gynnal a'r gwaith o werthuso'r polisi, beth fydd y prif feini prawf ar gyfer llwyddiant? Ai nifer y busnesau sydd wedi aros ar agor, yn hytrach na chymariaethau â Lloegr o ran faint o bobl sy'n talu ardrethi ac ati? Ac a fyddwch yn cymharu effeithiau eich polisi penodol â pholisïau amgen a gynigir yma gan bleidiau eraill?
So, next month I look forward to bringing forward a statement to the Assembly on local government financial reform, and that's looking at local taxes in the round, so it will be looking at both council tax and also non-domestic rates. And it will be describe the research that we've commissioned across both of those areas to help us better understand what the opportunities are for more long-term reform of both of those things.
In terms of some of the ways in which we can measure success, in answer to Rhun ap Iorwerth's question earlier, we talked about how you measure value for money. Measuring value for money in just purely monetary terms is one thing but, actually, if we measure it in a more creative way, ways that seek to promote the Welsh Government's wider agenda in terms of biodiversity, for example, or our economic action plan, then I think there are great opportunities there to target investment and support. But I do think that this is a longer piece of work. Suzy asked if we'd be looking at other ideas. I'd very much welcome this consversation to be something that we can continue, to explore areas where we have common ideas and where we can share ideas.
Y mis nesaf, edrychaf ymlaen at gyflwyno datganiad i'r Cynulliad ar ddiwygiadau ariannol llywodraeth leol, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys ystyried trethi lleol yn gyffredinol, felly fe fydd yn ystyried y dreth gyngor ac ardrethi annomestig hefyd. A bydd yn disgrifio'r ymchwil a gomisiynwyd gennym yn y ddau faes i'n helpu i ddeall yn well beth yw'r cyfleoedd ar gyfer diwygio'r ddau beth yn y tymor hwy.
O ran rhai o'r ffyrdd y gallwn fesur llwyddiant, wrth ateb cwestiwn Rhun ap Iorwerth yn gynharach, buom yn siarad ynglŷn â sut y mae mesur gwerth am arian. Mae mesur gwerth am arian mewn termau ariannol pur yn un peth, ond mewn gwirionedd, os ydym yn ei fesur mewn ffordd fwy creadigol, ffyrdd sy'n ceisio hyrwyddo agenda ehangach Llywodraeth Cymru o ran bioamrywiaeth, er enghraifft, neu ein cynllun gweithredu ar yr economi, credaf fod cyfleoedd gwych i'w cael i dargedu buddsoddiad a chymorth. Ond credaf fod hwn yn waith hwy. Gofynnodd Suzy a fyddem yn edrych ar syniadau eraill. Buaswn yn falch iawn pe gallem barhau â'r sgwrs hon er mwyn archwilio meysydd lle mae gennym syniadau cyffredin a lle y gallwn rannu syniadau.
6. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gasglu trethi datganoledig? OAQ54524
6. Will the Minister provide an update on the collection of devolved taxes? OAQ54524
The Welsh Revenue Authority regularly publishes outturn information about the revenue collected from land transaction tax and landfill disposals tax. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is due to publish the first full year of outturn data on the Welsh rates of income tax revenue for this financial year in summer 2021.
Mae Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru yn cyhoeddi gwybodaeth alldro yn rheolaidd am y refeniw a gesglir o'r dreth trafodiadau tir a'r dreth gwarediadau tirlenwi. Mae disgwyl i Gyllid a Thollau Ei Mawrhydi gyhoeddi'r flwyddyn lawn gyntaf o ddata alldro ar gyfraddau refeniw treth incwm Cymru ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol hon yn ystod haf 2021.
I look forward to the publication of that data, Minister. We are now six months into the devolution of the Welsh rate of income tax—the creation of that Welsh rate— and we are, as you said, significantly longer than that into the devolution of stamp duty, now land transaction tax, and land disposal tax. So, have you made any preliminary assessment of the collection rates of those taxes, particularly the ones that have been devolved longer, and are the amounts being raised from those taxes in line with Welsh Government expectations? I know that some of the early data from—I think it was from—land disposal tax shows that more was being collected, much more than originally anticipated, at least for the first quarter, for a variety of reasons. So, I wondered whether we were seeing any other similar strange but welcome anomalies or otherwise in some of the other data for the other taxes.
Edrychaf ymlaen at weld y data hwnnw'n cael ei gyhoeddi, Weinidog. Mae chwe mis wedi bod bellach ers datganoli cyfradd treth incwm Cymru—ers creu'r gyfradd Gymreig honno—ac fel y dywedasoch, mae llawer mwy na hynny wedi bod ers datganoli'r dreth stamp, sef y dreth trafodiadau tir bellach, a'r dreth gwarediadau tirlenwi. Felly, a ydych wedi gwneud unrhyw asesiad rhagarweiniol o gyfraddau casglu'r trethi hynny, yn enwedig y rhai sydd wedi'u datganoli ers mwy o amser, ac a yw'r symiau a gesglir o'r trethi hynny yn unol â disgwyliadau Llywodraeth Cymru? Gwn fod rhywfaint o'r data cynnar—o'r dreth gwarediadau tirlenwi, rwy'n credu—yn dangos bod mwy yn cael ei gasglu, llawer mwy na'r hyn a ragwelwyd yn wreiddiol, am y chwarter cyntaf o leiaf, a hynny am sawl rheswm. Felly, tybed a ydym yn gweld unrhyw anghysondebau rhyfedd ond calonogol eraill, neu fel arall, yn rhywfaint o'r data ar y trethi eraill.
In terms of land transaction tax and the outturn for 2018-19, well that is £12 million lower than Welsh Government's final budget forecast in December of last year. That was £239 million. And a more recent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility, published alongside the spring statement in March, had revenues for 2018-19 to be £234 million. The next revenue forecast will be published alongside the Office for Budget Responsibility's work alongside the draft budget in November.
The latest data published by the WRA show LTT revenue between 1 and 31 August 2019 to be £88.5 million. That's 4 per cent down on the same period last year. And I think that it's fair to say that land transaction tax is by its very nature quite a volatile tax, so it's perhaps more difficult to forecast. And, in terms of landfill disposals tax, the OBR forecast for 2019-20 is £41 million. So, that's £2 million lower than the Welsh Government forecast back in December 2018, but, again, as we move towards our goal of zero waste, the amount of money that is received through landfill disposals tax will naturally be declining over time.
O ran y dreth trafodiadau tir a’r data alldro ar gyfer 2018-19, wel mae hynny £12 miliwn yn is na rhagolwg cyllidebol olaf Llywodraeth Cymru ym mis Rhagfyr y llynedd. £239 miliwn oedd y ffigur hwnnw. Ac roedd rhagolwg mwy diweddar gan y Swyddfa Cyfrifoldeb Cyllidebol, a gyhoeddwyd ochr yn ochr â datganiad y gwanwyn ym mis Mawrth, yn rhagweld y byddai'r refeniw ar gyfer 2018-19 yn £234 miliwn. Bydd y rhagolwg refeniw nesaf yn cael ei gyhoeddi ochr yn ochr â gwaith y Swyddfa Cyfrifoldeb Cyllidebol gyda'r gyllideb ddrafft ym mis Tachwedd.
Mae'r data diweddaraf a gyhoeddwyd gan Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru yn nodi bod refeniw'r dreth trafodiadau tir rhwng 1 a 31 Awst 2019 yn £88.5 miliwn. Mae hynny 4 y cant yn is na'r un cyfnod y llynedd. A chredaf ei bod yn deg dweud bod y dreth trafodiadau tir yn dreth eithaf anwadal o ran ei natur, felly efallai ei bod yn anoddach ei rhagweld. Ac o ran y dreth gwarediadau tirlenwi, rhagolwg Swyddfa Cyfrifoldeb Cyllidebol ar gyfer 2019-20 yw £41 miliwn. Felly, mae hynny £2 filiwn yn is na rhagolwg Llywodraeth Cymru yn ôl ym mis Rhagfyr 2018, ond unwaith eto, wrth inni symud tuag at ein nod o ddyfodol diwastraff, bydd y swm o arian a geir drwy'r dreth gwarediadau tirlenwi yn gostwng yn naturiol dros amser.
7. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch y Gronfa Ffyniant Gyffredin? OAQ54547
7. What discussions has the Minister had with the UK Government regarding the Shared Prosperity Fund? OAQ54547
I continue to raise the importance of replacement EU funding in full and for the Welsh Government to retain the autonomy to deliver it. I pressed the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on this matter when I met with him at the most recent meeting of the finance Ministers.
Rwy’n parhau i godi pwysigrwydd cyllid llawn yn lle cyllid yr UE, ac i Lywodraeth Cymru gadw’r ymreolaeth i’w ddarparu. Holais Brif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys ynglŷn â'r mater hwn pan gyfarfûm ag ef yng nghyfarfod diweddaraf y Gweinidogion cyllid.
Well, thank you for that answer, Minister. Of course, I appreciate the difficulty you have in getting a response. Now, for those of us who watched live broadcasts of the Conservative Party conference, we would have had a very adequate answer, because the Minister was actually there in public giving public pronouncements at meetings, making it absolutely clear that the shared prosperity fund is something that is going to be controlled and regulated in order to strengthen the union, and that means very clearly, I think, that it's going to be used in a way that undermines the whole principles of our devolution settlement. Now, bearing in mind that the Minister seems to be capable of doing that live on television, I wonder if, perhaps, an urgent response is required from Welsh Government demanding that we also be given the same privilege or luxury of an answer so at least we can tackle those issues head on.
Wel, diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Wrth gwrs, rwy'n sylweddoli eich bod yn ei chael hi'n anodd cael ymateb. Nawr, i’r rhai ohonom a wyliodd ddarllediadau byw o gynhadledd y Blaid Geidwadol, byddem wedi cael ateb digonol iawn, gan fod y Gweinidog yno'n gyhoeddus yn gwneud datganiadau cyhoeddus mewn cyfarfodydd, gan ddweud yn hollol glir y bydd y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin yn cael ei rheoli a'i rheoleiddio er mwyn cryfhau'r undeb, a chredaf fod hynny'n golygu'n amlwg iawn y bydd yn cael ei defnyddio mewn ffordd sy'n tanseilio holl egwyddorion ein setliad datganoli. Nawr, gan gofio ei bod yn ymddangos y gall y Gweinidog wneud hynny'n fyw ar y teledu, tybed a oes angen ymateb brys gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn mynnu ein bod ninnau hefyd yn cael yr un fraint neu bleser o gael ateb fel y gallwn fynd i'r afael â'r materion hynny yn uniongyrchol, o leiaf.
Yes. I can confirm that the Counsel General and Brexit Minister reinforced our position as a Welsh Government—and one which I know is shared across parties in this Chamber—with Ministers at a meeting of the JMC last week on 10 October. And, of course, we've been very active raising these points consistently, reflecting the views of Welsh Government, but, as I say, the shared views that we had the opportunity to put on record through a debate in this Assembly, which said that the Welsh Government should retain the autonomy to allocate the funding for those schemes because we have the experience, the networks and so on in order to do that most effectively, and also that principle of 'not a penny less'. I was very concerned when I raised this with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and he almost batted that off, saying, 'Well, that was a leave campaign promise, not a Conservative Government promise', but, of course, the Prime Minister was the leader of the leave campaign, so I think that we can certainly be reasonably expected to hold him to account on that.
Iawn. Gallaf gadarnhau bod y Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Brexit wedi atgyfnerthu ein safbwynt fel Llywodraeth Cymru—ac un y gwn fod y gwahanol bleidiau yn y Siambr hon yn ei rhannu—gyda'r Gweinidogion yng nghyfarfod Cyd-bwyllgor y Gweinidogion yr wythnos diwethaf ar 10 Hydref. Ac wrth gwrs, rydym wedi bod yn weithgar iawn yn codi'r pwyntiau hyn yn gyson, gan adlewyrchu barn Llywodraeth Cymru, ond fel rwy'n dweud, y safbwyntiau a rennir y cawsom gyfle i'w cofnodi drwy ddadl yn y Cynulliad hwn, a ddywedai y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru gadw'r ymreolaeth i ddyrannu'r cyllid ar gyfer y cynlluniau hynny gan mai gennym ni y mae'r profiad, y rhwydweithiau ac ati i'w wneud yn y ffordd fwyaf effeithiol, yn ogystal â'r egwyddor o 'yr un geiniog yn llai'. Roeddwn yn bryderus iawn pan godais hyn gyda Phrif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys a bron na ddiystyrodd hynny, gan ddweud, 'Wel, addewid gan yr ymgyrch dros adael oedd honno, nid addewid gan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol', ond wrth gwrs, y Prif Weinidog oedd arweinydd yr ymgyrch dros adael, felly credaf y gellir disgwyl yn rhesymol ein bod yn ei ddwyn i gyfrif ar hynny.
8. Pa ystyriaeth y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i rhoi i gefnogi pobl 16-18 oed wrth bennu cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer 2020-21? OAQ54545
8. What consideration has the Minister given to supporting 16-18 year olds when setting the Welsh Government's budget for 2020-21? OAQ54545
We continually assess the impact of a range of factors on the Welsh Government’s spending plans, including the latest demographic projections. I met with the Children's Commissioner for Wales on 23 September as part of my engagement with relevant stakeholders ahead of the forthcoming budget.
Rydym yn asesu effaith ystod o ffactorau ar gynlluniau gwario Llywodraeth Cymru yn barhaus, gan gynnwys yr amcanestyniadau demograffig diweddaraf. Cyfarfûm â Chomisiynydd Plant Cymru ar 23 Medi fel rhan o fy ngwaith ymgysylltu â'r rhanddeiliaid perthnasol cyn y gyllideb sydd ar y ffordd.
I thank you for that. But, despite many years of Tory austerity, the Welsh Government have been committed to helping children from low-income families to remain in education if that's what they choose to do. And that's evident from the continuation of the education and maintenance allowance for 16 to 18-year-olds in the current budget plan and the mytravelpass, which gives a 30 per cent discount on bus travel in Wales to 16 to 21-year-olds, helping with affordability to their place of work or education. So, when you're setting the next budget, will you commit to helping young people in whatever way you are able to, in complete contrast to what's happening where the Tories are in control elsewhere?
Diolch am hynny. Ond er gwaethaf blynyddoedd lawer o gyni Torïaidd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i helpu plant o deuluoedd incwm isel i aros mewn addysg os mai dyna y dewisant ei wneud. Ac mae hynny'n amlwg o barhad y lwfans cynhaliaeth ac addysg ar gyfer pobl ifanc 16 i 18 oed yng nghynllun cyfredol y gyllideb a fyngherdynteithio, sy'n rhoi gostyngiad o 30 y cant ar deithiau bysiau yng Nghymru i bobl ifanc 16 i 21 oed, i'w helpu i allu fforddio cyrraedd eu gweithle neu leoliad addysg. Felly, pan fyddwch yn gosod y gyllideb nesaf, a wnewch chi ymrwymo i gynorthwyo pobl ifanc ym mha bynnag ffordd y gallwch, mewn cyferbyniad llwyr â'r hyn sy'n digwydd mewn mannau eraill lle mae'r Torïaid mewn grym?
Thank you very much for raising the importance of holding the best needs of young people very much at the front of our minds during all of our budget discussions, and that was certainly a message that the children's commissioner was keen to reinforce with me when we had that opportunity to meet very recently.
Education maintenance allowance is certainly one of those areas where we have been able to support young people, particularly those from more disadvantaged backgrounds in order to help them stay in school. Because obviously we know that having that support to stay in school is the most important thing in terms of helping them onto a positive path in life where they'll be able to reach their fullest potential. We've invested more than £360 million in the EMA scheme since 2004-05 when we first introduced it. I think that's really positive, so we've been able to help over 20,000 young people in that.
We've also allocated £6.3 million via the financial contingency fund scheme to further education institutions in Wales. I think that's really important as well, because it does allow those further education institutions to be able to target support at the young people whom they understand need it most.
Diolch yn fawr am nodi pwysigrwydd sicrhau ein bod yn ystyried anghenion gorau pobl ifanc yn ystod ein holl drafodaethau ar y gyllideb, ac yn sicr, roedd honno'n neges roedd y comisiynydd plant yn awyddus i'w hatgyfnerthu pan gawsom gyfle i gyfarfod yn ddiweddar iawn.
Mae'r lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg yn sicr yn un o'r meysydd lle rydym wedi gallu cefnogi pobl ifanc, yn enwedig y rheini o gefndiroedd mwy difreintiedig er mwyn eu cynorthwyo i aros yn yr ysgol. Oherwydd yn amlwg, gwyddom mai cael y gefnogaeth honno i aros yn yr ysgol yw'r peth pwysicaf o ran eu cynorthwyo i aros ar lwybr cadarnhaol mewn bywyd lle byddant yn gallu cyflawni eu potensial llawn. Rydym wedi buddsoddi mwy na £360 miliwn yng nghynllun y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg ers 2004-05 pan gafodd ei gyflwyno gennym gyntaf. Credaf fod hynny'n gadarnhaol iawn, felly rydym wedi gallu cynorthwyo dros 20,000 o bobl ifanc drwy hynny.
Rydym hefyd wedi dyrannu £6.3 miliwn drwy gynllun y cronfeydd ariannol wrth gefn i sefydliadau addysg bellach yng Nghymru. Credaf fod hynny'n bwysig iawn hefyd, gan ei fod yn caniatáu i'r sefydliadau addysg bellach hynny allu targedu cymorth at y bobl ifanc sydd ei angen fwyaf yn eu tyb hwy.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you to the Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i Weinidog y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Russell George.
The next item is questions to the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language, and the first question is from Russell George.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am gynnydd Llywodraeth Cymru o ran gweithredu argymhellion adroddiad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau ar Werthu Cymru i'r Byd? OAQ54517
1. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee’s report on Selling Wales to the World? OAQ54517
Thank you. We're making good progress implementing the recommendations. For example, I have focused on growing exports in the international strategy, and an export growth strategy is part of that work. You will have noticed, I'm sure, that the first recommendation, establishing a specific post both for international relations and trade and a post on Brexit, was one of the first acts of the First Minister on taking office.
Diolch. Rydym yn gwneud cynnydd da wrth roi'r argymhellion ar waith. Er enghraifft, rwyf wedi canolbwyntio ar dyfu allforion yn y strategaeth ryngwladol, ac mae strategaeth twf allforio yn rhan o'r gwaith hwnnw. Fe fyddwch wedi sylwi, rwy'n siŵr, mai'r argymhelliad cyntaf, creu swydd benodol ar gyfer cysylltiadau rhyngwladol a masnach a swydd ar Brexit, oedd un o gamau cyntaf y Prif Weinidog ar ôl cychwyn ei swydd.
Thank you, Minister, for your answer. I did also notice that during the external affairs committee on 23 September, you did seem to suggest then—and I think you're backing this up in your answer now—that the Welsh Government would be placing more emphasis on supporting exports rather than attracting inward investment. If that is correct, I wonder if you could explain the rationale for this approach and provide your view of the relationship that exists between export and investment in terms of delivering benefits to the Welsh economy for those different business sectors.
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Sylwais hefyd ei bod yn ymddangos eich bod wedi awgrymu bryd hynny yn y pwyllgor materion allanol ar 23 Medi—a chredaf eich bod yn ategu hyn yn eich ateb yn awr—y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi mwy o bwyslais ar gefnogi allforion yn hytrach na denu mewnfuddsoddiad. Os yw hynny'n gywir, tybed a allech esbonio'r rhesymeg dros yr ymagwedd hon a rhoi eich barn ar y berthynas sy'n bodoli rhwng allforio a buddsoddi o ran sicrhau buddion i economi Cymru ar gyfer y gwahanol sectorau busnes hynny.
Well, I think it's really important to underline that in no way are we moving away from encouraging investment into Wales, but it's pretty clear at a time of this kind of economic flux, where we don't know what our relationship will be with our nearest economic partner, that it makes sense for us to focus on exports, as indeed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has done and the Department for International Trade has done. And therefore, what we've done, we've been very pleased to have received additional funding from the funding that has come as a result of Brexit to help to encourage more exporters from within Wales, particularly targeting small and medium-sized enterprises, and we've been making considerable progress on that and we're delighted that there has been a very positive response.
Wel, credaf ei bod yn bwysig iawn tanlinellu nad ydym mewn unrhyw ffordd yn ymbellhau oddi wrth ddenu mewnfuddsoddiad i Gymru, ond mae'n eithaf amlwg ar adeg fel hon o fflwcs economaidd, lle nad ydym yn gwybod beth fydd ein perthynas â'n partner economaidd agosaf, ei bod yn gwneud synnwyr inni ganolbwyntio ar allforion, fel yn wir y mae'r Swyddfa Dramor a Chymanwlad a'r Adran Masnach Ryngwladol wedi'i wneud. Ac felly, yr hyn a wnaethom, rydym yn falch iawn ein bod wedi derbyn cyllid ychwanegol o'r cyllid sydd wedi dod o ganlyniad i Brexit i helpu i annog mwy o allforwyr o Gymru, gan dargedu busnesau bach a chanolig eu maint yn arbennig, ac rydym wedi bod yn gwneud cryn dipyn o gynnydd ar hynny ac rydym wrth ein boddau gyda'r ymateb cadarnhaol iawn a gafwyd.
I wanted to focus on recommendation 5 and the remit of overseas offices and how they should be communicated to businesses and how they can be maximised. I know, for example, that you have three offices in India, but I'm also aware of many businesses with Indian bases here in Wales who don't have any communication whatsoever from Welsh Government, and they do their own missions to India, and would welcome support, I think, from Welsh Government to know how they could be able to link up with those offices. So, what is the remit, and if they are doing work with businesses, what are those businesses, and how can we make sure that businesses that want the support of Welsh Government in these countries are getting what they deserve?
Roeddwn yn awyddus i ganolbwyntio ar argymhelliad 5 a chylch gwaith y swyddfeydd tramor a sut y dylid eu cyfleu i fusnesau a sut y gellir gwneud y gorau ohonynt. Gwn, er enghraifft, fod gennych dair swyddfa yn India, ond rwyf hefyd yn gwybod am lawer o fusnesau yma yng Nghymru sydd â chanolfannau yn India nad ydynt yn cael unrhyw ohebiaeth o gwbl gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ac maent yn cwblhau eu teithiau masnach eu hunain i India, a chredaf y byddent yn croesawu cefnogaeth gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wybod sut y gallent gysylltu â'r swyddfeydd hynny. Felly, beth yw'r cylch gwaith, ac os ydynt yn gweithio gyda busnesau, beth yw'r busnesau hynny, a sut y gallwn sicrhau bod busnesau sy'n awyddus i gael cefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn y gwledydd hyn yn cael yr hyn y maent yn ei haeddu?
Thank you. Last week, I sent a very clear notice of the remit of those offices to the responsible committee to set out exactly what our expectations are of those overseas offices. We've got a much more robust method of ensuring that we are looking at the performance of those offices. In fact, we have appointed a new performance manager who has to come up with bespoke plans for each of those 20 offices overseas. Of course, we're trying to increase the visibility of those offices, and that's something that I'm sure you'll have seen in the international strategy. We've made sure that there's visibility for them, that people know that they can approach them directly. So, we're very keen to make sure that those companies in particular in Wales, and we don't have to be there holding the hand of any company that wants to go and export abroad, they can do that directly, and we would encourage them to contact the Welsh offices overseas directly.
Diolch. Yr wythnos diwethaf, anfonais hysbysiad clir iawn ynglŷn â chylch gwaith y swyddfeydd hynny at y pwyllgor cyfrifol i nodi beth yn union yw ein disgwyliadau o'r swyddfeydd tramor hynny. Mae gennym ddull llawer mwy cadarn o sicrhau ein bod yn edrych ar berfformiad y swyddfeydd hynny. Mewn gwirionedd, rydym wedi penodi rheolwr perfformiad newydd sy'n gorfod llunio cynlluniau pwrpasol ar gyfer pob un o'r 20 swyddfa dramor. Wrth gwrs, rydym yn ceisio cynyddu amlygrwydd y swyddfeydd, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y byddwch wedi'i weld yn y strategaeth ryngwladol rwy'n siŵr. Rydym wedi sicrhau amlygrwydd iddynt, fod pobl yn gwybod y gallant fynd atynt yn uniongyrchol. Felly, rydym yn awyddus iawn i sicrhau bod y cwmnïau hynny yn arbennig yng Nghymru, ac nid oes angen inni fod yno'n dal llaw unrhyw gwmni sy'n awyddus i allforio dramor, gallant wneud hynny'n uniongyrchol, a byddem yn eu hannog i gysylltu'n uniongyrchol â swyddfeydd Cymru dramor.
Cwestiwn 2, Rhianon Passmore.
Question 2, Rhianon Passmore.
Diolch, Llywydd. Deputy Minister, in the first three months of 2019, figures show—
Diolch, Lywydd. Ddirprwy Weinidog, yn ystod tri mis cyntaf 2019, dengys ffigurau—
You need to ask the question on the order paper.
Mae angen i chi ofyn y cwestiwn ar y papur trefn.
Oh yes, of course, sorry. I'll get it in a minute. Sorry, Llywydd.
O ie, wrth gwrs, mae'n ddrwg gennyf. Fe'i caf mewn munud. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, Lywydd.
2. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn hyrwyddo Islwyn fel cyrchfan i dwristiaid? OAQ54549
2. How is the Welsh Government promoting Islwyn as a tourist destination? OAQ54549
Diolch, Rhianon. The tourism strategy of Welsh Government sets out priorities to support the tourism industry across Wales. This includes marketing campaigns in the UK and overseas, and significant capital development funding for new and existing tourism businesses, along with revenue funding for significant regional projects.
Diolch, Rhianon. Mae strategaeth dwristiaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn nodi blaenoriaethau i gefnogi'r diwydiant twristiaeth ledled Cymru. Mae hyn yn cynnwys ymgyrchoedd marchnata yn y DU a thramor, a chyllid datblygu cyfalaf sylweddol ar gyfer busnesau twristiaeth newydd a rhai sy'n bodoli'n barod, ynghyd â chyllid refeniw ar gyfer prosiectau rhanbarthol sylweddol.
Okay. In the first three months of 2019, figures show that there were 16.6 million day visits to destinations in Wales, with a related spend of £874 million. Over the 12 months ending March 2019, there were 10.1 million overnight trips to Wales, which is up by 11 per cent, with expenditure of £1.848 million, also up by 7.8 per cent in just one year. So, Deputy Minister, these figures show how vital to the economies of Welsh communities domestic tourism alone is within the United Kingdom.
The Welsh Government has already earmarked the stunning natural landscape of the Cwmcarn forest scenic drive in Islwyn as a discovery gateway that will benefit from Valleys taskforce funding, and Crumlin itself stands with its Navigation colliery as testimony to the toil and sweat of the people of Islwyn to Wales and the United Kingdom's historic legacy. So, Deputy Minister, what actions does the Welsh Government propose to take to continue to promote the wonderful communities of Islwyn and their world-class attractions as a place for tourists, local and international, to head towards?
O'r gorau. Yn ystod tri mis cyntaf 2019, dengys ffigurau fod 16.6 miliwn o ymweliadau dydd â chyrchfannau yng Nghymru, gyda gwariant cysylltiedig o £874 miliwn. Dros y 12 mis a ddaeth i ben ym mis Mawrth 2019, cafwyd 10.1 miliwn o deithiau dros nos i Gymru, cynnydd o 11 y cant, gyda gwariant o £1.848 miliwn, sydd hefyd yn gynnydd o 7.8 y cant mewn blwyddyn yn unig. Felly, Ddirprwy Weinidog, dengys y ffigurau hyn pa mor hanfodol i economïau cymunedau Cymru yw twristiaeth ddomestig yn unig o fewn y Deyrnas Unedig.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes wedi clustnodi tirwedd naturiol hyfryd ffordd goedwig Cwmcarn yn Islwyn fel porth darganfod a fydd yn elwa o gyllid tasglu'r Cymoedd, ac mae Crymlyn ei hun gyda phwll glo Navigation yn dystiolaeth o lafur a chyfraniad pobl Islwyn i waddol hanesyddol Cymru a'r Deyrnas Unedig. Felly, Ddirprwy Weinidog, pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu eu cymryd i barhau i hyrwyddo cymunedau bendigedig Islwyn a'u hatyniadau o'r radd flaenaf fel man i dwristiaid lleol a rhyngwladol ymweld ag ef?
What I'm particularly anxious to promote is the link between the amazing landscape and the very significant industrial heritage. Since you've mentioned Cwmcarn, you'll remember that I opened the lodge and adventure hub there, which was funded via the tourist attraction destination programme, in July this year. I think Cwmcarn does represent a significant attraction in itself, and I'm delighted to say that work that has had to take place on the 160,000 diseased larch trees at that site is almost complete. So, we will then be able to celebrate, yet again, the significance of that site.
Yr hyn rwy'n arbennig o awyddus i'w hyrwyddo yw'r cysylltiad rhwng y dirwedd anhygoel a'r dreftadaeth ddiwydiannol bwysig iawn. Gan i chi grybwyll Cwmcarn, fe gofiwch imi agor y bwthyn a'r ganolfan antur yno, a ariannwyd drwy raglen cyrchfannau denu twristiaeth, ym mis Gorffennaf eleni. Credaf fod Cwmcarn yn atyniad sylweddol ynddo'i hun, ac rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud bod y gwaith y bu'n rhaid ei wneud ar y 160,000 o goed llarwydd heintiedig ar y safle hwnnw bron â gorffen. Yna, gallwn ddathlu pwysigrwydd y safle hwnnw unwaith eto.
Deputy Minister, I heard you saying about Cwmcarn. I welcome the investment by Visit Wales in a new attraction at Cwmcarn forest drive, including an adventure play hub and new luxury lodges, which you opened in July. You will also be aware that Cwmcarn forest drive has been closed for the last five years, due to the need to remove diseased trees. Natural Resources Wales hope to reopen Cwmcarn forest drive as soon as possible early next year. When this happens, Minister, will you commit to working with Visit Wales to widely promote and publicise Cwmcarn forest drive so that as many people as possible come and enjoy the scenery and the beauty and the activities at this wonderful venue in south-east Wales?
Ddirprwy Weinidog, fe'ch clywais yn sôn am Gwmcarn. Croesawaf y buddsoddiad gan Croeso Cymru mewn atyniad newydd ar ffordd goedwig Cwmcarn, gan gynnwys canolfan chwarae antur a'r bythynnod moethus newydd, a agorwyd gennych ym mis Gorffennaf. Fe fyddwch yn gwybod hefyd fod ffordd goedwig Cwmcarn wedi bod ar gau dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf, oherwydd yr angen i gael gwared ar goed heintiedig. Mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn gobeithio ailagor ffordd goedwig Cwmcarn cyn gynted â phosibl yn gynnar y flwyddyn nesaf. Pan fydd hyn yn digwydd, Weinidog, a wnewch chi ymrwymo i weithio gyda Croeso Cymru i hyrwyddo a rhoi cyhoeddusrwydd i ffordd goedwig Cwmcarn fel bod cymaint o bobl â phosibl yn dod i fwynhau'r golygfeydd a'r harddwch a'r gweithgareddau yn y lleoliad gwych hwn yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru?
Thank you. Let's understand the position: I don't have to work with Visit Wales; they work for me as the Minister for tourism, and I'm pleased to say that I have a most excellent relationship with Visit Wales and its management, and that extends, of course, to Natural Resources Wales, because it's clearly important that all the agencies work together. I'm not going to give you a date as to when the forest drive will be re-opened because then you will stand up and ask another question asking why it hasn't been opened. [Interruption.] But we do recognise that Cwmcarn—. No, I am not going down that route, because clearly it was a serious case of disease in larch that is not unique to that part of Wales or indeed anywhere else in European forestry. So, what we have there is an example of a site that is managed jointly between Caerphilly County Borough Council and Natural Resources Wales. As you said, it's seven miles of scenic route and it offers all kinds of outdoor activities: mountain bike trails, walking trails, accommodation, as you've described. It is now part of the Valleys regional park discovery gateway, and we intend to continue to promote Cwmcarn, I can promise you that.
Diolch. Gadewch inni ddeall y sefyllfa: nid oes raid i mi weithio gyda Croeso Cymru; maent yn gweithio i mi fel Gweinidog twristiaeth, ac rwy'n falch o ddweud bod gennyf berthynas ragorol â Croeso Cymru a'u tîm rheoli, ac mae hynny'n ymestyn, wrth gwrs, i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, gan ei bod yn amlwg yn bwysig fod yr asiantaethau i gyd yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd. Nid wyf am roi dyddiad ichi pa bryd y bydd y ffordd goedwig yn cael ei hailagor gan y byddwch wedyn yn sefyll ar eich traed ac yn gofyn pam nad yw wedi'i hagor. [Torri ar draws.] Ond rydym yn cydnabod bod Cwmcarn—. Na, nid wyf am fynd ar hyd y trywydd hwnnw, gan ei bod yn amlwg fod hwnnw'n achos difrifol o glefyd y llarwydd nad yw'n unigryw i'r rhan honno o Gymru, nac yn wir i unrhyw le arall yng nghoedwigoedd Ewrop. Felly, yr hyn sydd gennym yno yw enghraifft o safle sy'n cael ei reoli ar y cyd rhwng Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru. Fel y dywedoch chi, mae'n ffordd goedwig brydferth saith milltir o hyd ac mae'n cynnig pob math o weithgareddau awyr agored: llwybrau beicio mynydd, llwybrau cerdded, llety, fel y dywedoch chi. Mae bellach yn rhan o borth darganfod parc rhanbarthol y Cymoedd, ac rydym yn bwriadu parhau i hyrwyddo Cwmcarn, gallaf addo hynny i chi.
Would the Minister join me in congratulating the pressure group the Friends of Cwmcarn Drive on proving the case for reinstating the facilities at Cwmcarn forest drive to Natural Resources Wales, and the time and effort the people who constitute the group put into securing the drive for the benefit of the Wales tourist industry in general, as well as the local economy?
A wnaiff y Gweinidog ymuno â mi i longyfarch grŵp pwyso Cyfeillion Ffordd Goedwig Cwmcarn ar brofi’r achos dros adfer y cyfleusterau ar ffordd goedwig Cwmcarn i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, a’r amser a’r ymdrech a roddodd aelodau'r grŵp i gynnal yr ymgyrch er budd diwydiant twristiaeth Cymru yn gyffredinol, yn ogystal â'r economi leol?
Of course I will warmly support any voluntary activity that takes place in support of the Welsh environment, and in particular of our distinctive forest environment. I wish to thank the voluntary organisation that has been involved, and other voluntary organisations throughout Wales that support our landscape policies and our landscape vision, for the work that they do on a voluntary basis.
Wrth gwrs, rwy'n llwyr gefnogi unrhyw weithgarwch gwirfoddol sy'n digwydd i gefnogi amgylchedd Cymru, yn enwedig amgylchedd nodedig ein coedwigoedd. Hoffwn ddiolch i'r sefydliad gwirfoddol a fu ynghlwm wrth hyn, a sefydliadau gwirfoddol eraill ledled Cymru sy'n cefnogi ein polisïau tirwedd a'n gweledigaeth ar gyfer y dirwedd, am y gwaith a wnânt yn wirfoddol.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau, a llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Suzy Davies.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. Conservatives spokesperson, Suzy Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd, a phrynhawn da, Weinidog. Yn ôl dogfen cychwyn rhaglen eich bwrdd rhaglen o 20 Mawrth 2019, rydym yn disgwyl nifer o gamau oddi wrthych y mis hwn. Un o'r rheini yw datblygu a gweithredu cynllun cyfathrebu strategaeth Cymraeg 2050 ar draws adrannau'r Llywodraeth. Tair blynedd ers i'r Cynulliad hwn ddechrau, pam nad yw hyn wedi digwydd eto?
Thank you, Llywydd, and good afternoon, Minister. According to the programme initiation document for your programme board on 20 March 2019, we are expecting a number of steps from you during this month. One of those is to develop and to implement a Welsh language strategy communications plan across departments of Government. It's three years since this Assembly started, so why hasn't this happened yet?
Diolch. Mae lot o waith wedi mynd mewn i'r cynllun cyfathrebu yma ar draws y Llywodraeth. Rydych chi'n ymwybodol mai yn ystod yr Eisteddfod y gwnaethom ni lansio prosiect 2050. Roedd hwn yn gynllun i sicrhau ein bod ni'n gallu prif-ffrydio'r Gymraeg ar draws y Llywodraeth, ond mi fydd yna, dwi'n gobeithio, yn ystod y mis nesaf, gynllun yn dod gerbron, ac wrth gwrs mae hwn yn waith i'r Ysgrifennydd Parhaol i ddod ymlaen â rhywbeth sylweddol ynglŷn â sut ŷn ni'n mynd i symud ymlaen tu fewn i Lywodraeth Cymru gyda'n cynllun ni o Gymreigio'r civil service yma yng Nghymru.
Thank you. A lot of work has been going into the communications plan across Government. You are aware that during the Eisteddfod we launched the 2050 project. This was a plan to ensure that we can mainstream the Welsh language across Government, but I hope there will be, during the next month, a plan coming forward, and this, of course, is work for the Permanent Secretary to bring forward something of substance as to how we are going to move forward within the Welsh Government with our plan of Welshifying the civil service here in Wales.
Wel, diolch am yr ymateb, ond dyw e ddim cweit wedi ateb y cwestiwn o ran pam y mae wedi cymryd cymaint o amser. Rydym hefyd yn disgwyl cyhoeddi polisi trosglwyddo iaith o fewn y teulu a datganiad llafar ar seilwaith ieithyddol. Rwy'n gobeithio ein bod ni'n mynd i gael rhywbeth oddi wrthych chi ynglŷn â'r rhain hefyd, achos maen nhw ar amserlen y bwrdd rhaglen.
Jest i symud ymlaen, mae cyngor partneriaeth y Gymraeg yn cynghori ac yn cyflwyno sylwadau i Weinidogion Cymru—dim ond i chi—mewn perthynas â'u strategaeth iaith Gymraeg. Ers dymchweliad eich cynlluniau ar gyfer Bil newydd a chyflwyno'r ddogfen cychwyn rhaglen, gallaf ddarganfod un set yn unig o gofnodion anghyflawn, o gyfarfod y cyngor ym mis Ebrill, lle ar ôl y camau archwilio risg arferol cafwyd cyflwyniad ar ail gartrefi a'r polisi yng Nghernyw. Sut mae'r cyngor partneriaeth wedi eich helpu i hyrwyddo cynnydd strategaeth 2050 ers rhoi'r gorau i'r Bil?
Well, thank you for that response, but you haven't quite answered the question as to why it’s taken so long. We are also expecting the publication of the policy on language transmission within the family and an oral statement on language infrastructure. I'm hoping that I'll get something from you on those also, because they too are on the programme board timetable.
Now, if I could just move on. The Welsh language partnership council advises and makes comment to Welsh Ministers—just to you—in relation to the Welsh language strategy. Since your plans for a new Bill were shelved and the programme initiation document was issued, I can find only one set of minutes, which were incomplete, of the partnership council’s meeting in April, where, after the usual audit of risks, there was a presentation on second homes and policy in Cornwall. How has the partnership council assisted you in promoting the 2050 strategy since the Bill was shelved?
Wel, mae'r cyngor partneriaeth yn rhoi help arbenigol i ni ynglŷn â'r iaith Gymraeg. Mae'r cofnodion yn cael eu cyhoeddi nawr, ac, yn sicr, mae'r gwaith maen nhw'n ei wneud drosom ni yn help aruthrol i sicrhau ein bod ni ar y trywydd cywir i gyflawni ein nod ni o gael miliwn o siaradwyr. Un o'r pethau, er enghraifft, yn y cyfarfod diwethaf, oedd ein bod ni'n sôn am yr economi a sut rŷn ni'n edrych ar yr economi yn yr ardaloedd mwy Cymreig, ac, yn sgil Brexit, sut rŷn ni'n mynd i barhau i sicrhau bod yr ardaloedd yna yn gallu symud ymlaen a chadw pobl ifanc, yn arbennig yn ein cadarnleoedd ni.
Well, the partnership council provides expert advice to us on the Welsh language. The minutes are published now and, certainly, the work that they do for us is a great assistance to ensure that we are on the right path to achieve our aim of a million Welsh speakers. One of the things, for example, in the last meeting, was that we were talking about the economy and how we look at the economy in the more Welsh areas and to ensure, as a result of Brexit, how we’re going to continue to ensure that those areas can move forward and keep young people, particularly in our strongholds.
Diolch am hynny, ond, unwaith eto, rŷn ni'n sôn am dair blynedd mewn i'r Cynulliad yma, ac rwy'n sôn am bron hanner blwyddyn ers colloch chi eich Bil. Dyw e ddim yn edrych yn debyg i fi bod lot wedi newid yn y cyfamser. A pheth arall, efallai gallwch ddweud wrthyf sawl aelod o'r cyngor partneriaeth sydd â phrofiad personol o fod yn ddysgwyr Cymraeg eu hunain? Un o dair thema gwaith y bwrdd rhaglen yw cynyddu nifer y siaradwyr Cymraeg. A fydd hynny yn cynnwys dysgwyr sydd eisoes yn y system addysg bresennol neu'r byd gwaith? Dim ond 12 o athrawon Cymraeg newydd sydd wedi ymgymhwyso eleni. Mae bron cymaint o aelodau y cyngor partneriaeth ag sydd o athrawon Cymraeg newydd. Pam nad yw'ch strategaeth yn gafael ar ddychymyg athrawon newydd?
Thank you for that, but, once again, I’m talking about three years into this Assembly, and I’m talking about almost six months since you shelved the Bill. It doesn’t appear to me that a great deal has changed in the meantime. Furthermore, perhaps you could tell me how many members of the partnership council have personal experience of being Welsh learners themselves? One of the three themes is to increase the number of Welsh speakers. Will that include learners already in the current education system or in the workplace? Only 12 Welsh teachers have qualified this year. There are almost as many Members of the partnership council as there are new Welsh teachers. Why isn’t your strategy grasping the attention of incoming teachers?
Mae'n sialens i gael athrawon ar draws y byd ar hyn o bryd, a dwi wedi bod yn gweithio yn agos gyda'r Gweinidog Addysg i sicrhau ein bod ni'n edrych ar sut rŷn ni'n gallu helpu i gael lot fwy o bobl i gael diddordeb mewn dilyn cwrs dysgu Cymraeg. A dwi yn meddwl bod yna lot fwy o arian wedi mynd mewn i hyn. Er enghraifft, rŷn ni wedi rhoi £150,000 ychwanegol i sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn ymgymryd â lefel-A Cymraeg, achos rŷn ni'n gwybod bod llawer o'r rheini yn mynd ymlaen i ddysgu trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. A dwi yn meddwl hefyd ei bod yn bwysig ein bod ni yn rhoi gwybod i bobl ein bod ni wedi rhoi £5,000 ychwanegol i geisio sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn deall bod yna symbyliad ychwanegol iddyn nhw os ydyn nhw'n hyfforddi trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Felly, rŷn ni yn cymryd camau penodol. Mae e'n anodd, yn arbennig o ran addysg uwchradd, ond o ran addysg gynradd, dwi'n meddwl ein bod ni yn bendant yn y lle cywir.
It is a challenge to recruit teachers across the world currently, and I have been working very closely with the education Minister to ensure that we look at how we can help to attract more people into following a Welsh teaching course, and a lot of money has been going into it. For example, we have provided an additional £150,000 to ensure that more people undertake Welsh A-level because we know that many of those go on to teach and learn through the medium of Welsh. And I do also think that it’s important that we let people know that we have provided an additional £5,000 to ensure that more people understand that there is an additional incentive for them if they train through the medium of Welsh. So, we are taking specific steps. It is difficult, especially in terms of secondary education, but in terms of primary education, I think we are certainly in the right place.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Delyth Jewell.
The Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Delyth Jewell.
Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, I know the Kurdish community in Wales would wish me to thank you for raising concerns with the UK Foreign Secretary about Turkey's decision to invade Kurdish territories in Syria. I know that you care about the plight of the Kurdish people, as do we in Plaid Cymru, and I'm glad to see the Welsh Government taking action on this. Donald Trump's decision to allow Turkey to unleash a brutal and murderous assault on the Kurds will go down in history as an act of senseless evil. The brave Kurds stopped ISIS in their tracks. They have been reliable allies to western countries over many years, but instead of being supported, they've been stabbed in the back once again. No wonder the Kurdish people say they have no friends but the mountains. But, Minister, the UK has finally suspended arms sales to Turkey, and, as a member of the Council of Europe, Turkey is bound by the European Convention on Human Rights, which places a duty on member states to refrain from unlawful killing. Now, since Turkey's actions clearly contravene these duties, do you agree with me that there's an argument for bringing a case against Turkey to the European Court of Human Rights?
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, gwn y byddai'r gymuned Gwrdaidd yng Nghymru yn dymuno imi ddiolch ichi am godi pryderon gydag Ysgrifennydd Tramor y DU ynghylch penderfyniad Twrci i ymosod ar diriogaethau Cwrdaidd yn Syria. Gwn eich bod yn poeni am sefyllfa'r Cwrdiaid, fel ninnau ym Mhlaid Cymru, ac rwy'n falch o weld Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithredu ar hyn. Bydd hanes yn cofio penderfyniad Donald Trump i ganiatáu i Dwrci ymosod yn greulon a milain ar y Cwrdiaid fel gweithred ddieflig a disynnwyr. Llwyddodd y Cwrdiaid dewr i atal ISIS. Maent wedi bod yn gynghreiriaid dibynadwy i wledydd y gorllewin ers blynyddoedd, ond yn lle cael eu cefnogi, cawsant eu bradychu unwaith eto. Nid oes ryfedd fod y Cwrdiaid yn dweud nad oes ffrindiau ganddynt oni bai am y mynyddoedd. Ond Weinidog, mae'r DU o'r diwedd wedi rhoi'r gorau i werthu arfau i Dwrci, ac fel aelod o Gyngor Ewrop, mae Twrci yn rhwym i'r Confensiwn Ewropeaidd ar Hawliau Dynol, sy'n gosod dyletswydd ar aelod-wladwriaethau i ymatal rhag lladd yn anghyfreithlon. Nawr, gan fod gweithredoedd Twrci yn amlwg yn mynd yn groes i'r dyletswyddau hyn, a ydych yn cytuno â mi fod dadl i'w chael dros ddwyn achos yn erbyn Twrci yn Llys Hawliau Dynol Ewrop?
Well, thank you very much, and I'm glad that you referred to the fact that we have written to Dominic Raab, but I think it is worth underlining the point that, actually, foreign affairs is an area where the UK Government takes the primary responsibility. But I think we are super sensitive to the fact that there is a large Kurdish community within Wales, who have real concerns about what's going on in that area, and I am also delighted that the UK Government have stopped issuing further arms export licences to Turkey. In terms of whether we should take further moves, I think that is going to be a decision for the UK Government. That has to be their responsibility, and they are in the driving seat in relation to foreign affairs.
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn, ac rwy'n falch eich bod wedi cyfeirio at y ffaith ein bod wedi ysgrifennu at Dominic Raab, ond credaf ei bod yn werth tanlinellu'r pwynt fod materion tramor, mewn gwirionedd, yn faes y mae Llywodraeth y DU yn bennaf gyfrifol amdano. Ond credaf ein bod yn hynod sensitif i'r ffaith bod cymuned Gwrdaidd fawr yng Nghymru sydd â phryderon gwirioneddol am yr hyn sy'n digwydd yn yr ardal honno, ac rwy'n falch iawn hefyd fod Llywodraeth y DU wedi rhoi'r gorau i roi trwyddedau allforio arfau i Dwrci. Mewn perthynas ag a ddylem roi camau pellach ar waith, credaf mai penderfyniad i Lywodraeth y DU yw hwnnw. Rhaid i hynny fod yn gyfrifoldeb iddynt hwy, a hwy sy'n rheoli'r sefyllfa mewn perthynas â materion tramor.
Okay. Thank you, Minister, for that. I would say that, again, it's very welcome that you have taken the action that you've taken, but I think this is, as you've acknowledged, a very large issue, and it would be good to hear your opinion on that.
Some companies involved in the arms trade, including sales of arms to Turkey, have bases of operation in Wales, and some have received Welsh Government funding. Now, some of these companies are very large manufacturers, and those arms activities are a small part of their work. However, I am concerned at the possibility that Welsh Government funds could, in theory, have been used to facilitate the selling of arms to Turkey, which again could now be being used against the Kurdish communities. Could you give me an assurance, Minister, that, when your Government gives funds to companies that have these arms-manufacturing components to their work in future, you will do everything you can to ensure that these funds will not be used to facilitate the arms trade in any way? I simply want to make sure that there's no blood in the supply chains, as I'm sure you would agree with.
Iawn. Diolch am hynny, Weinidog. Hoffwn ddweud unwaith eto ei bod yn galonogol iawn eich bod wedi gweithredu fel y gwnaethoch, ond credaf fod hwn, fel rydych wedi'i gydnabod, yn fater mawr iawn, a byddai'n dda clywed eich barn ar hynny.
Mae gan rai cwmnïau sy'n ymwneud â'r fasnach arfau, gan gynnwys gwerthu arfau i Dwrci, ganolfannau gweithredu yng Nghymru, ac mae rhai wedi derbyn cyllid gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Nawr, mae rhai o'r cwmnïau hyn yn weithgynhyrchwyr mawr iawn, a rhan fach o'u gwaith yw'r gweithgarwch sy'n ymwneud ag arfau yn rhan fach o'u gwaith. Fodd bynnag, rwy’n bryderus ynglŷn â'r posibilrwydd y gallai arian Llywodraeth Cymru, yn ddamcaniaethol, fod wedi'i ddefnyddio i hwyluso gwerthu arfau i Dwrci a allai fod yn cael eu defnyddio yn erbyn y cymunedau Cwrdaidd yn awr. Weinidog, pan fydd eich Llywodraeth yn rhoi arian i gwmnïau sydd â'r elfennau gweithgynhyrchu arfau hyn yn eu gwaith yn y dyfodol, a allwch roi sicrwydd i mi y byddwch yn gwneud popeth yn eich gallu i sicrhau na fydd yr arian hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio i hwyluso'r fasnach arfau mewn unrhyw ffordd? Rwyf am sicrhau nad oes gwaed yn y cadwyni cyflenwi, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddech yn cytuno â hynny.
Well, this is one of the reasons why I was particularly pleased to hear Dominic Rabb say yesterday that he was going to suspend issuing further arms exports, because, actually, it's very difficult for us to do anything unilaterally in Wales. We come under the UK Government, we have to comply with those rules and those laws, and that's why I was delighted to see that that action was taken on behalf of the whole of the United Kingdom. So, it is very difficult for us to do things separately. But I also think it's probably worth underlining that there are a lot of jobs involved here as well in Wales, and we have to be very sensitive, I think, in terms of treading this very, very difficult and delicate path, because, of course, I don't think we would want to see a situation where those arms were being used on innocent civilians, certainly, in that part of the world.
Wel, dyma un o'r rhesymau pam fy mod yn arbennig o falch o glywed Dominic Raab yn dweud ddoe ei fod yn mynd i atal allforion arfau pellach, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, mae'n anodd iawn i ni wneud unrhyw beth yn unochrog yng Nghymru. Rydym yn dod o dan Lywodraeth y DU, mae'n rhaid i ni gydymffurfio â'r rheolau a'r deddfau hynny, a dyna pam fy mod yn falch iawn o weld bod y camau hynny wedi'u cymryd ar ran y Deyrnas Unedig gyfan. Felly, mae'n anodd iawn i ni wneud pethau ar wahân. Ond credaf ei bod yn werth tanlinellu hefyd yn ôl pob tebyg fod llawer o swyddi ynghlwm wrth hynny yng Nghymru, a chredaf fod yn rhaid i ni fod yn sensitif iawn wrth droedio'r llwybr anodd a bregus hwn, oherwydd wrth gwrs, ni chredaf y byddem am weld sefyllfa lle byddai'r arfau hynny'n cael eu defnyddio ar sifiliaid diniwed, yn sicr, yn y rhan honno o'r byd.
Thank you, Minister. Obviously, the jobs that are involved are going to be important, but, again, in terms of these component parts of the work that's being put into the selling of arms, I think it would be good for the Welsh Government—well, it would be not just good, it would be thoroughly important for the Welsh Government—to do everything it can to make sure that that isn't an indirect way that we are funding that.
But finally, Minister, I'd like to turn to an issue that's closer to home, which is the Spanish state's jailing of the Catalan independence campaigners. It is unconscionable that political jailings are happening in Europe in 2019. Western countries have rightly criticised China for clamping down on protesters in Hong Kong, yet we have a European Union member state sending politicians to prison for delivering a legitimate, democratic mandate. Minister, will you join Plaid Cymru and, indeed, some of your own Labour backbenchers, in condemning Spain for their actions? And will you send a message of solidarity to the nine Catalan politicians and campaigners who are now in prison for taking actions that ought to be protected under the United Nations charter's enshrinement of the right to self-determination?
Diolch, Weinidog. Yn amlwg, bydd y swyddi sy'n gysylltiedig â hyn yn bwysig, ond unwaith eto, o ran yr elfennau o'r gwaith ar werthu arfau, credaf y byddai'n dda i Lywodraeth Cymru—wel, nid yn unig y byddai'n dda, byddai'n hynod bwysig i Lywodraeth Cymru—wneud popeth yn ei gallu i sicrhau nad yw honno'n ffordd rydym yn ariannu hynny yn anuniongyrchol.
Ond yn olaf, Weinidog, hoffwn droi at fater sy'n agosach at adref, sef ymgyrchwyr annibyniaeth Catalwnia sydd wedi'u carcharu gan wladwriaeth Sbaen. Mae'n afresymol fod carchariadau gwleidyddol yn digwydd yn Ewrop yn 2019. Mae gwledydd y gorllewin, yn briodol iawn, wedi beirniadu Tsieina am lethu protestwyr yn Hong Kong, ac eto mae gennym aelod-wladwriaeth o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd yn anfon gwleidyddion i'r carchar am gyflawni mandad dilys, democrataidd. Weinidog, a wnewch chi ymuno â Phlaid Cymru, a rhai o'ch Aelodau Llafur eich hun ar y meinciau cefn yn wir, i gondemnio Sbaen am eu gweithredoedd? Ac a wnewch chi anfon neges o undod at y naw gwleidydd ac ymgyrchydd Catalanaidd sydd bellach yn y carchar am weithredu mewn modd a ddylai fod wedi'i warchod o dan yr hawl i benderfynu drostynt eu hunain yn siarter y Cenhedloedd Unedig?
Thank you once again. It is the United Kingdom that takes the lead on foreign affairs, but I have already written to the Foreign Secretary to ask what representation they've made to the Spanish Government about the prison sentences handed down to the Catalan politicians. And my understanding is that we'll be having a further question on this during topical questions.
Diolch unwaith eto. Y Deyrnas Unedig sy'n arwain ar faterion tramor, ond rwyf eisoes wedi ysgrifennu at yr Ysgrifennydd Tramor i ofyn pa sylwadau a wnaed ganddynt i Lywodraeth Sbaen ynglŷn â'r dedfrydau o garchar a roddwyd i'r gwleidyddion Catalanaidd. Ac yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, byddwn yn cael cwestiwn pellach ar y mater yn ystod y cwestiynau amserol.
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am warchod treftadaeth ddiwydiannol yng Nghaerffili? OAQ54541
3. Will the Minister make a statement on the preservation of industrial heritage in Caerphilly? OAQ54541
Thank you very much. Caerphilly has a very significant industrial heritage—indeed, a very significant built heritage generally. And, for me, the industrial structures and sites—over 40 of them—in the authority that have been designated as listed buildings and scheduled monuments indicates that the industrial past represent for us a way to understand where we have come from as a people. And we must pay them, I would say, even more respect than the great castle of Caerphilly itself.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mae gan Gaerffili dreftadaeth ddiwydiannol bwysig iawn—yn wir, treftadaeth adeiledig bwysig iawn yn gyffredinol. Ac i mi, mae'r strwythurau a'r safleoedd diwydiannol—dros 40 ohonynt—yn yr awdurdod sydd wedi'u dynodi'n adeiladau rhestredig a henebion cofrestredig yn dangos bod y gorffennol diwydiannol yn cynnig ffordd o ddeall o ble y daethom fel pobl. Ac mae'n rhaid i ni ddangos mwy fyth o barch atynt, yn fy marn i, na chastell hynod Caerffili ei hun.
I absolutely agree with that. It's not just about the castle in Caerphilly; it's also about some other sites as well. And we welcome the £900,000 of funding for the Penallta park, which the Deputy Minister sitting next to you has signed off, and we're grateful for that. But opposite that is Penallta colliery, and the winding wheel and the pit baths there are a historic remembrance of that past, but also becoming something of an eyesore, around the pit baths and around the winding wheel. It's not included in support packages, and the reason for that is that they are privately owned. And what I would think would be a very helpful idea is if the Valleys taskforce could bring together Welsh Government, the local authority and the owners of the winding wheel and pit baths to discuss the future of those sites of historic interest. It's a difficult challenge, but I'd be more than happy to meet with the Deputy Minister, and his colleagues if necessary, to discuss what more we can do there. Would you commit to working across portfolio to achieve that, and possibly even having a meeting in Penallta to discuss?
Cytunaf yn llwyr â hynny. Nid yw hyn yn ymwneud â'r castell yng Nghaerffili yn unig; mae'n ymwneud â safleoedd eraill yn ogystal. Ac rydym yn croesawu’r £900,000 o gyllid ar gyfer parc Penallta, a gymeradwywyd gan y Dirprwy Weinidog sy’n eistedd wrth eich ymyl, ac rydym yn ddiolchgar am hynny. Ond gyferbyn â'r safle hwnnw mae pwll glo Penallta, ac mae’r olwyn weindio a baddonau'r pwll yno yn atgof hanesyddol o’r gorffennol hwnnw, ond maent hefyd yn dechrau mynd yn ddolur llygad, o amgylch baddonau’r pwll ac o amgylch yr olwyn weindio. Nid ydynt wedi'u cynnwys mewn pecynnau cymorth am eu bod yn eiddo preifat. A’r hyn a fyddai’n syniad defnyddiol iawn, yn fy marn i, yw pe gallai tasglu’r Cymoedd ddod â Llywodraeth Cymru, yr awdurdod lleol a pherchnogion yr olwyn weindio a baddonau'r pwll at ei gilydd i drafod dyfodol y safleoedd o ddiddordeb hanesyddol hyn. Mae'n her anodd, ond rwy'n fwy na pharod i gyfarfod â'r Dirprwy Weinidog, a'i gyd-Aelodau os oes angen, i drafod beth arall y gallwn ei wneud yno. A wnewch chi ymrwymo i weithio ar draws eich portffolios i gyflawni hynny, a chael cyfarfod ym Mhenallta i drafod hyn o bosibl hyd yn oed?
Well, you will know, Hefin, that there is already permission in place for residential use on that site. And also my understanding is that Caerphilly County Borough Council and the private developer are in continuing discussions about the future of the site. However, the relevant Minister, sitting next to me, has heard what’s just been said. The Valleys regional park includes Parc Penallta as a discovery gateway, and these designations, whether in areas of industrial heritage or of landscape heritage, must be regarded as more than a mere designation; they have to have clear policy driving them forward in terms of their own conservation. I’m confident that £900,000, which you gratefully welcomed for the new visitor centre and the programme of community-focused activities on that site, will lead to that happening.
Wel, fe fyddwch yn gwybod, Hefin, fod caniatâd eisoes wedi'i roi ar gyfer defnydd preswyl ar y safle hwnnw. Ac yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, mae Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili a'r datblygwr preifat yn cael trafodaethau parhaus am ddyfodol y safle. Fodd bynnag, mae’r Gweinidog perthnasol, sy'n eistedd wrth fy ymyl, wedi clywed yr hyn sydd newydd gael ei ddweud. Mae parc rhanbarthol y Cymoedd yn cynnwys Parc Penallta fel porth darganfod, ac mae'n rhaid ystyried y dynodiadau hyn, p'un a ydynt mewn ardaloedd treftadaeth ddiwydiannol neu dreftadaeth tirwedd, yn rhywbeth mwy na dynodiad yn unig; mae'n rhaid iddynt gael polisi clir i'w llywio o ran eu cadwraeth eu hunain. Rwy'n hyderus y bydd y £900,000, y gwnaethoch ei groesawu'n ddiolchgar ar gyfer y ganolfan ymwelwyr newydd a'r rhaglen o weithgareddau cymunedol ar y safle hwnnw, yn arwain at hynny.
Deputy Minister, areas like Caerphilly, as you say, are immensely rich in their industrial heritage, and I think, all over those industrial parts of Wales, industrial heritage is often in the hands of local groups, and obviously local councils. I noticed recently Aber Valley Heritage Group and what they’ve done in the past to raise awareness of the Senghenydd disaster and keep that memory alive through local displays and such. But displays, records, photographs, education materials, memorials, public art, walking trails are all vital in retaining our memory as a living thing of our past. And I do hope that you’re working with the councils to ensure that these groups of people coming together have that level of expertise, perhaps, in the maintenance of websites and the like, but also signage, public art—these things are open to local initiative, because, really, they do produce some outstanding examples of how to take care of our heritage.
Ddirprwy Weinidog, mae ardaloedd fel Caerffili, fel y dywedwch, yn gyfoethog iawn o ran eu treftadaeth ddiwydiannol, a chredaf, yn yr holl rannau diwydiannol hynny o Gymru, fod treftadaeth ddiwydiannol yn aml yn nwylo grwpiau lleol, a chynghorau lleol, yn amlwg. Sylwais yn ddiweddar ar Grŵp Treftadaeth Cwm Aber a'r hyn y maent wedi'i wneud yn y gorffennol i godi ymwybyddiaeth o drychineb Senghennydd a chadw'r atgof am hynny'n fyw drwy arddangosfeydd lleol ac ati. Ond mae arddangosfeydd, cofnodion, ffotograffau, deunydd addysg, cofebion, celf gyhoeddus a llwybrau cerdded i gyd yn hanfodol wrth gadw ein cof fel rhywbeth byw o'n gorffennol. A gobeithiaf eich bod yn gweithio gyda'r cynghorau i sicrhau bod gan y grwpiau hyn o bobl sy'n dod at ei gilydd y lefel honno o arbenigedd, efallai, i gynnal gwefannau ac ati, ond hefyd arwyddion, celf gyhoeddus—mae'r pethau hyn yn agored i fenter leol, oherwydd mewn gwirionedd, maent yn cynhyrchu enghreifftiau rhagorol o sut i ofalu am ein treftadaeth.
Thank you very much for that, David. I have spent some time visiting, in particular, the local museums, and what I'm encouraging societies and voluntary groups that are concerned about either the built heritage or any other aspect of the environment or of our industrial memory to do is to work closely with our local museums and also with the national museum itself, because clearly there’s an expertise there that can always be made available to assist local societies in their conservation activities. But if you have any particular examples in your region, which I know is full of this form of heritage, I'd be very grateful if you could draw it to our attention, if you feel that there is a failure to deliver here in support of local voluntary initiatives.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am hynny, David. Rwyf wedi treulio peth amser yn ymweld, yn benodol, â'r amgueddfeydd lleol, a'r hyn rwy'n annog cymdeithasau a grwpiau gwirfoddol sy'n poeni naill ai am y dreftadaeth adeiledig neu unrhyw agwedd arall ar yr amgylchedd neu ein cof diwydiannol i'w wneud yw gweithio'n agos gyda'n hamgueddfeydd lleol a hefyd gyda'r amgueddfa genedlaethol ei hun, oherwydd yn amlwg, ceir arbenigedd yno y gellir ei ddarparu bob amser i gynorthwyo cymdeithasau lleol gyda'u gweithgareddau cadwraeth. Ond os oes gennych unrhyw enghreifftiau penodol yn eich rhanbarth chi, rhanbarth y gwn ei fod yn llawn treftadaeth o'r math hwn, buaswn yn ddiolchgar iawn pe gallech dynnu ein sylw atynt, os ydych yn teimlo bod diffyg cefnogaeth yma i fentrau gwirfoddol lleol.
4. I ba raddau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi ymgysylltu â sefydliadau yn Ogwr ynghylch blaenoriaethau masnach ryngwladol Llywodraeth Cymru? OAQ54535
4. What engagement has the Minister had with organisations in Ogmore on the Welsh Government’s international trade priorities? OAQ54535
Promoting exports and international trade is a priority in the international strategy, and we've enhanced our support for Welsh exporters and we're working with a number of businesses across Ogmore to help them export.
Mae hyrwyddo allforion a masnach ryngwladol yn flaenoriaeth yn y strategaeth ryngwladol, ac rydym wedi gwella ein cefnogaeth i allforwyr o Gymru ac rydym yn gweithio gyda nifer o fusnesau ar draws Ogwr i'w helpu i allforio.
That’s really good to hear, and, with eight days to go to close on the draft international strategy for Wales, I just wanted to make sure that all businesses, big and small, and education and training providers, within the Bridgend and Ogmore area have been fully engaged in the process, so that companies like the multi-award-winning Wales Interactive digital games developer and publisher, Airborne Systems of Blackmill, which are a global leader in parachute design, manufacture and training, Sony Bridgend and others, and the double 'excellent' Bridgend College, have all been involved in terms of putting their two-penn'orth into this strategy.
Can I invite the Minister, with my help and support, to come and visit us as soon as she can to discuss the international stagey, when it is signed off, to draw on the experience and knowledge in the Ogmore and Bridgend area? And I’m sure that the Bridgend Business Forum would be very happy to help facilitate a visit and a discussion, because the experience and the knowledge we have in what is still one of the biggest manufacturing areas in the whole of Wales, if not the UK, I think would be helpful to the Welsh Government.
Mae'n braf iawn clywed hynny, a chydag wyth diwrnod i fynd i gwblhau'r strategaeth ryngwladol ddrafft ar gyfer Cymru, roeddwn yn awyddus i sicrhau bod pob busnes, mawr a bach, a darparwyr addysg a hyfforddiant, yn ardal Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr ac Ogwr wedi cymryd rhan lawn yn y broses, fel bod cwmnïau fel y datblygwr a chyhoeddwr gemau digidol arobryn, Wales Interactive, Airborne Systems o Felin Ifan Ddu, sy'n arweinwyr byd-eang ym maes dylunio, cynhyrchu a hyfforddiant parasiwtiau, Sony Bridgend ac eraill, a Choleg dwbl 'ragorol' Penybont oll wedi cyfrannu at y strategaeth hon.
A gaf fi wahodd y Gweinidog, gyda fy nghymorth a fy nghefnogaeth, i ddod i ymweld â ni cyn gynted ag y gall i drafod y strategaeth ryngwladol, pan fydd wedi’i chymeradwyo, i ddysgu o'r profiad a’r wybodaeth yn ardal Ogwr a Phen-y-bont ar Ogwr? Ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai Fforwm Busnes Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn fwy na pharod i helpu i hwyluso ymweliad a thrafodaeth, gan y credaf y byddai'r profiad a'r wybodaeth sydd gennym mewn ardal sy'n dal i fod yn un o'r ardaloedd gweithgynhyrchu mwyaf yng Nghymru gyfan, os nad y DU, o gymorth i Lywodraeth Cymru.
Well, thank you very much for that invitation; I’ll certainly take you up on that. I think that there’s a huge amount of activity already being undertaken in Bridgend. You’ll be aware that, earlier this week, the Cabinet met in Bridgend, in solidarity partly with the workers in Ford. But one of the key sectors that we're hoping to promote in the international strategy is quality tv and films, and you’ll be aware that the studio in Llanharan will be a major sales point for us. I know that there’s been great activity going on there with the filming of Brave New World. Also, on a recent visit to Germany, I met with a German company that has already invested in Bridgend and is interested in expanding that investment. So, there are real opportunities, I think, for Bridgend, and I’d be delighted to take up the Member on that invitation.
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn am y gwahoddiad; rwy'n sicr o dderbyn eich cynnig. Credaf fod llawer iawn o weithgarwch yn mynd rhagddo eisoes ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr. Fe wyddoch fod y Cabinet, yn gynharach yr wythnos hon, wedi cyfarfod ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, yn rhannol i ddangos cefnogaeth i weithwyr Ford. Ond un o'r sectorau allweddol rydym yn gobeithio eu hyrwyddo yn y strategaeth ryngwladol yw teledu a ffilmiau o safon, ac fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol y bydd y stiwdio yn Llanharan yn bwynt gwerthu pwysig i ni. Gwn fod llawer o weithgarwch wedi bod yn digwydd yno gyda'r gwaith o ffilmio Brave New World. Hefyd, ar ymweliad diweddar â'r Almaen, cyfarfûm â chwmni o'r Almaen sydd eisoes wedi buddsoddi ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr ac sy'n awyddus i ymestyn y buddsoddiad hwnnw. Felly, credaf fod cyfleoedd gwirioneddol i Ben-y-bont ar Ogwr, a buaswn yn falch iawn o dderbyn gwahoddiad yr Aelod.
5. Pa gamau pellach y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i ddatblygu'r Gymraeg mewn ardaloedd lle mae llai o siaradwyr Cymraeg? OAQ54551
5. What further steps will the Welsh Government take to develop the Welsh language in areas where there are fewer Welsh-speakers? OAQ54551
Diolch yn fawr, John. Dwi’n falch bod y de-ddwyrain wedi elwa ar gyllid cyfalaf i ehangu addysg a gofal plant cyfrwng Cymraeg sy’n cael eu darparu yn yr ardal. Bydd hyn, wrth gwrs, yn meithrin siaradwyr Cymraeg newydd. Hefyd, drwy gynlluniau prentisiaeth yr Urdd, mae 35 o bobl ifanc yn gweithio yn ardaloedd tasglu’r Cymoedd er mwyn manteisio ar gyfleoedd lle y gall plant a phobl ifanc ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg yn y gymuned.
Thank you very much, John. I'm pleased the south-east has benefited from capital funding to expand Welsh-medium education and childcare provision that are provided in the area. This, of course, will nurture new Welsh speakers. And also, through the Urdd apprenticeship schemes, 35 young people are working in the Valleys taskforce areas to support Welsh language opportunities for children and young people in the community.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. Mae'r Gymraeg yng Nghasnewydd heddiw yn llawer mwy adnabyddadwy na phan ddaeth y Cynulliad i mewn i fodolaeth. Mae addysg Gymraeg yn parhau i dyfu, ac mae disgyblion ymhob ysgol cyfrwng Saesneg yn dysgu Cymraeg. Mae arwyddion a chyhoeddiadau yn ddwyieithog ac mae cyfleoedd i oedolion ddysgu a defnyddio'r Gymraeg, ond mae'r iaith yn dal yn gymharol wan a dim ond ychydig o Gymraeg sy'n cael ei siarad ar y strydoedd.
Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru dargedau uchelgeisiol i gynyddu nifer y siaradwyr Cymraeg, a bydd angen inni weld cynnydd pellach o lawer mewn ardaloedd fel Casnewydd. Pa gamau fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i gyflawni'r cynnydd hwn?
Thank you very much, Minister. Welsh in Newport today is far more often heard now than when the Assembly came into existence. Welsh-medium education continues to grow, and pupils in all English-medium schools also learn Welsh. Signage and announcements are bilingual and there are opportunities for adults to learn and use the Welsh language, but the language is still relatively weak and only a little Welsh is spoken on the streets.
The Welsh Government has ambitious targets to increase the number of Welsh speakers, and we will need to see a great deal of progress in areas such as Newport. What steps will the Welsh Government take to deliver this progress?
Da iawn, John, a diolch yn fawr am hynny. Dwi'n meddwl eich bod chi'n enghraifft o sut mae'r Gymraeg yn dal dychymyg pobl mewn ardaloedd fel Casnewydd, ac rŷch chi'n enghraifft i bobl eraill yn yr ardal. Felly, diolch yn fawr ichi am yr ymdrech o ddysgu Cymraeg. Pe byddai lot mwy o bobl yn gwneud hynny, byddwn ni'n cyrraedd y nod at y filiwn yn hawdd.
Beth sydd yn ddiddorol yw bod y nod yna o gyrraedd yr uchelgais yn rhywbeth sydd wedi cael ei adnabod gan y cyngor yn lleol, ac mae'r ffaith y byddan nhw'n sefydlu pedwaredd ysgol Gymraeg yn yr ardal dwi'n meddwl yn gydnabyddiaeth bod angen camu ymlaen.
Felly, ar hyn o bryd, mae tua 6 y cant o blant blwyddyn 7 o'r ardal yn mynychu ysgolion Cymraeg. Mewn 10 mlynedd, rŷn ni'n gobeithio y bydd 11 i 15 y cant o blant yr oedran yna yn mynychu ysgolion Cymraeg. Ac mae'r ffaith ein bod wedi gallu rhoi arian cyfalaf i helpu i ddatblygu'r ysgol newydd yn gam pwysig, dwi'n meddwl, yn y cyfeiriad cywir. Ar ben hynny, rŷn ni'n helpu lot o fyfyrwyr i sicrhau eu bod nhw'n cario ymlaen i siarad Cymraeg unwaith maen nhw'n gadael ysgol. Felly, jest i roi enghraifft i chi, mae 140 o fyfyrwyr ar gyrsiau gofal blynyddoedd cynnar ac iechyd a gofal, ac maen nhw wedi cwblhau 10 awr o Gymraeg yn y gweithle. Felly, mae sicrhau eu bod nhw'n gallu defnyddio'r Gymraeg unwaith maen nhw wedi'i dysgu hefyd yn hanfodol.
Well done, John, and thank you very much for that. I think you’re an example of how the Welsh language captures the imagination of people in areas such as Newport, and you are an example to other people in the area. So, thank you very much for the effort of learning Welsh. If more people did the same, we would reach the target of 1 million quite easily.
What's interesting is that aim of reaching that target is something that has been recognised by the council on the local level, and the fact that they will be establishing a fourth Welsh-medium school in the area is an acknowledgement, I think, that there is a need to step forward.
So, currently, about 6 per cent of children in year 7 from the area attend Welsh-medium schools. In 10 years’ time, we hope there will be 11 to 15 per cent of children of that age attending Welsh-medium schools. And the fact that we’ve been able to provide capital funding to help develop the new school is an important step, I think, in the right direction. On top of that, we are supporting a number of students to ensure that they continue to speak Welsh once they have left school. So, just to give you an example, 140 students are on early years care and health and care courses, and they have completed 10 hours of Welsh in the workplace. So, ensuring that they can use the Welsh language once they have learnt is also essential.
Weinidog, mae adroddiad 'Hawlio cyfleoedd' Comisiynydd y Gymraeg yn dangos mai dim ond 37 y cant o bobl sy'n credu bod y cyfleoedd i ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg yn cynyddu, ac felly mae'n amlwg bod yn rhaid gwneud mwy i godi ymwybyddiaeth o wasanaethau Cymraeg, a bod angen gwneud mwy i nodi a gwella sgiliau Cymraeg, yn enwedig yn y gweithlu.
Mewn ymateb i'r adroddiad hwn, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i helpu sefydliadau cyhoeddus i wella eu prosesau mewnol i sicrhau cydymffurfiaeth, a pha gamau penodol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd mewn meysydd lle mae llai o siaradwyr Cymraeg, i sicrhau bod gan sefydliadau cyhoeddus ddigon o staff syn gallu cynnig gwasanaethau Cymraeg yn y lle cyntaf?
Minister, the commissioner’s report 'Hawlio cyfleoedd'—'Rights in use'—shows that only 37 per cent of people believe that opportunities to use the Welsh language are increasing. So, clearly, more needs to be done to raise awareness of Welsh language services and more needs to be done to identify and improve Welsh language skills, especially in the workforce.
In response to this report, can you tell us what the Welsh Government is doing to help public bodies to improve their internal processes to ensure compliance, and what specific steps the Welsh Government is taking in areas where there are fewer Welsh speakers, in order to ensure that public bodies do have sufficient staff to provide Welsh language services in the first instance?
Diolch yn fawr. Dwi yn meddwl bod y cyfleoedd i ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg yn y gweithlu yn cynyddu. Fe fyddwch chi'n ymwybodol bod y Ganolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol yn rhoi cyrsiau arbennig ymlaen ar gyfer pobl sydd am siarad Cymraeg yn y gweithle. Felly, mae sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn gallu dysgu yn help aruthrol, dwi'n meddwl, ond hefyd gwaith y comisiynydd yw sicrhau bod y safonau yn yr holl adrannau a'r holl ardaloedd lle mae angen iddyn nhw gydymffurfio gyda'r safonau newydd—mae'n bwysig eu bod nhw yn cael cyfle hefyd. Beth dŷn ni wedi bod yn trafod gyda'r comisiynydd, a beth mae e'n awyddus i'w wneud, yw sicrhau eu bod nhw ddim jest yn plismona safonau ond hefyd yn sicrhau bod yna gyfle i bobl hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg, i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg, a bod yr help yna yn ychwanegol yn cael ei roi mewn i'r system.
Thank you very much. I do think that the opportunities to use the Welsh language in the workforce are increasing. You will be aware that the National Centre for Learning Welsh provides special courses for people who want to speak Welsh in the workplace. Therefore, ensuring that more people can learn is a great help, I think. But also, the work of the commissioner is to ensure that the standards in all the departments and areas where there is a need for them to comply with the new standards—it's important that they have an opportunity as well. What we have been discussing with the commissioner, and what he’s keen to do, is to ensure that not only do they police the standards but also ensure that there is an opportunity for people to promote the Welsh language, to use the Welsh language, and that that support is additionally in the system.
6. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg yn Sir Fynwy? OAQ54522
6. Will the Minister make a statement on the promotion of the Welsh language in Monmouthshire? OAQ54522
Dwi'n gobeithio, gydag ystod o bartneriaid, i hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg yn sir Fynwy. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru weddi dyrannu buddsoddiad ychwanegol o dros £2.5 miliwn drwy gynlluniau cyfalaf addysg a gofal plant trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg i ehangu'r ddarpariaeth yn yr awdurdod lleol.
I hope, with a wide range of partners, to promote the Welsh language in Monmouthshire. The Welsh Government has provided additional investment of £2.5 million through the Welsh-medium education and childcare capital programmes to expand provision in the local authority.
Very much following a similar vein to John Griffiths's question, Minister, one of the challenges, I'm sure you'll agree, in delivering Welsh-medium education, particularly in the larger rural authorities, is the travel time from home to school. I'm pleased that Monmouthshire County Council is progressing with plans for a new second Welsh-medium education school in the north-east or north of the county, which should reduce travel times for many younger children and ensure that more parents have more choice when it comes to how their children are educated.
You mentioned capital that's available for schools—I know that Welsh Government is pledging a large amount of money for that new school in Monmouthshire, but I don't think the same applies for revenue. So, when an authority like Monmouthshire builds more schools using capital money, obviously the money they have is then spread across the area. So, could you tell us, in terms of managing and running those schools once they're up and running, what support is the Welsh Government giving to local authorities to try and keep the learning of Welsh going? Because, obviously, it's not just making an initial effort, it's then making sure that that's sustainable over months and years to come. I'm asking you, Minister, but I'm also looking at the education Minister, because the two areas are linked.
Gan ddilyn trywydd tebyg i gwestiwn John Griffiths i raddau helaeth, Weinidog, un o'r heriau, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn cytuno, wrth ddarparu addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg, yn enwedig yn yr awdurdodau gwledig mwy o faint, yw'r amser teithio o'r cartref i'r ysgol. Rwy'n falch fod Cyngor Sir Fynwy yn bwrw ymlaen â chynlluniau ar gyfer ail ysgol cyfrwng Cymraeg newydd yng ngogledd-ddwyrain neu ogledd y sir, a ddylai leihau amseroedd teithio i lawer o blant iau a sicrhau bod gan fwy o rieni fwy o ddewis mewn perthynas â sut y caiff eu plant eu haddysgu.
Fe sonioch am y cyfalaf sydd ar gael ar gyfer ysgolion—gwn fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi addo swm mawr o arian ar gyfer yr ysgol newydd honno yn Sir Fynwy, ond ni chredaf fod yr un peth yn wir am refeniw. Felly, pan fydd awdurdod fel Sir Fynwy yn adeiladu mwy o ysgolion gan ddefnyddio arian cyfalaf, yn amlwg, mae'r arian sydd ganddynt yn cael ei wasgaru wedyn ar draws yr ardal. Felly, a allwch ddweud wrthym, o ran rheoli a rhedeg yr ysgolion hynny pan fyddant wedi agor, pa gefnogaeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei rhoi i awdurdodau lleol i geisio cynnal lefelau dysgu Cymraeg? Oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae'n fwy nag ymdrech gychwynnol yn unig, mae'n ymwneud â sicrhau bod hynny'n gynaliadwy wedyn dros y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd i ddod. Rwy'n gofyn i chi, Weinidog, ond rwyf hefyd yn edrych ar y Gweinidog addysg, gan fod y ddau faes yn gysylltiedig.
Diolch yn fawr. Dwi'n meddwl ei fod e'n glir ein bod ni wedi gallu rhoi'r arian cyfalaf ychwanegol yna i mewn. Mae £2.5 miliwn wedi mynd mewn i gynyddu'r capasiti yn Ysgol Gymraeg y Ffin yn Caldicot. Beth sy'n glir yw, o ran refeniw, os na fydd y plant yma yn cael eu haddysg trwy gyfrwng y Saesneg, wedyn bydd yr arian yn cael ei wario ar y Gymraeg. Felly, o ran refeniw, dylai yna ddim bod gwahaniaeth o ran ble maen nhw a pha iaith maen nhw'n cael eu haddysg ynddi. Felly, mae fyny i'r llywodraeth leol gynllunio ar sail y ffaith eu bod nhw'n gwybod bod rhaid iddyn nhw symud ar hyd trywydd lle rŷn ni'n disgwyl bydd mwy o blant yn mynd i ysgolion Cymraeg, ac mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw gynllunio eu refeniw ar sail y cynllun yna.
Thank you very much. I think it’s clear that we have been able to provide that additional capital funding; £2.5 million has gone in to increase the capacity in Ysgol Gymraeg y Ffin in Caldicot. What’s clear, in terms of revenue, is that if these children don’t receive their education through the medium of English, then the money will be spent on Welsh-medium edcuation. So, in terms of revenue, there shouldn’t be any difference in terms of where they are and what language they’re being taught in. Therefore, it’s up to the local government to plan on the basis of the fact that they know that they have to move along the pathway where we expect more children to attend Welsh-medium schools, and they need to plan their revenue on the basis of that plan.
Dwi eisiau hefyd gymryd mantais ar y ffaith bod y Gweinidog Addysg yn ei lle y prynhawn yma. Mi fyddwch chi'n ymwybodol, Weinidog, fod cyngor Blaenau Gwent wedi gwneud cais ar gyfer ysgol gynradd newydd Gymraeg yn Nhredegar. Nawr, dwi ddim yn becso os yw hi yn Nhredegar neu yn unrhyw gymuned arall tu mewn i'r sir, ond dwi yn ymwybodol bod rhaid i Blaenau Gwent ddelifro ar ei gynnig ei hun i greu ysgol Gymraeg yn y fwrdeistref. A oes modd i chi, Weinidog, sicrhau bod y cyngor lleol yn cadw at ei fwriad i sicrhau bod yna ysgol gynradd Gymraeg newydd ym Mlaenau Gwent, a bod y Llywodraeth yn glir yn ei huchelgais i alluogi pobl a phlant yn fy etholaeth i i dderbyn yr un math o addysg ag sydd ar gael i bobl ar draws y wlad?
I also want to take advantage of the fact that the education Minister is in her seat this afternoon. You will be aware, Minister, that Blaenau Gwent council has made an application for a new Welsh-medium primary school in Tredegar. Now, I’m not worried whether it’s in Tredegar or in any other community within the county, but I am aware that Blaenau Gwent does have to deliver on its own proposals to establish a Welsh school within the area. So, can you, Minister, ensure that the local authority does adhere to its expressed intention to ensure that there is a new Welsh-medium primary school in Blaenau Gwent, and that the Government is clear in its ambition to enable people and children in my constituency to receive the same kind of education as is available to others across the country?
Diolch yn fawr. Roedd y cyngor ym Mlaenau Gwent wedi bod yn glir eu bod nhw am weld ehangiad—eu bod nhw wedi arwyddo cytundeb i ddweud eu bod nhw eisiau gweld ehangiad yn narpariaeth y Gymraeg. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi 100 y cant o'r arian cyfalaf ar gyfer agor ysgol newydd, ond mae'n edrych yn debyg eu bod nhw'n ceisio symud yn ôl o'r sefyllfa yna. Dwi'n gwybod ac yn ymwybodol bod y Gweinidog Addysg eisoes wedi siarad â'r person sy'n gyfrifol am addysg ym Mlaenau Gwent. Nhw oedd wedi cytuno'r strategaeth, eu strategaeth nhw yw hi nawr, a byddwn ni fel Llywodraeth yn disgwyl iddyn nhw sicrhau eu bod nhw'n rhoi blaenoriaeth i hynny ac yn cyflawni'r hyn y dywedon nhw roedden nhw'n mynd i'w wneud.
Thank you very much. The council in Blaenau Gwent had been very clear that they wanted to see an expansion—they’d signed an agreement to say that they wanted to see an expansion in Welsh-medium provision. The Welsh Government has provided 100 per cent of the capital funding to open a new school, but it looks likely that they are trying to pull back from that situation. I’m aware that the Minister for Education has already spoken with the person responsible for education in Blaenau Gwent. They had agreed the strategy, it’s their strategy now, and we, as a Government, will expect them to ensure that they do give priority to that and deliver what they said they were going to do.
7. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn hyrwyddo twristiaeth ym Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni? OAQ54540
7. Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government promotes tourism in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OAQ54540
The transformation of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney in recent years into an area offering a rich, world-class visitor experience has been a great inspiration to me in developing industrial heritage throughout Wales. In addition to that, the investment that Welsh Government has made in exciting projects, both Rock UK and BikePark Wales, emphasises the importance of recreation within a traditional industrial area.
Mae gweddnewidiad Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf i fod yn ardal sy'n cynnig profiad cyfoethog o'r radd flaenaf i ymwelwyr wedi bod yn ysbrydoliaeth fawr i mi wrth ddatblygu treftadaeth ddiwydiannol ledled Cymru. Yn ychwanegol at hynny, mae'r buddsoddiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud mewn prosiectau cyffrous, Rock UK a BikePark Wales, yn pwysleisio pwysigrwydd gweithgarwch hamdden mewn ardal ddiwydiannol draddodiadol.
Thank you for that reply, Deputy Minister. Of course, you've been no stranger to my constituency. You've visited many times, and you've already talked about the excellent attractions of BikePark Wales and Rock UK, and of course we've got the Brecon Mountain Railway, Cyfarthfa castle, and I could go on. It doesn't just put Merthyr Tydfil on the tourist map, it puts the Valleys on the tourist map, and that's something that I want to see continue.
Like me, I'm sure that you're keen to see the potential of both activity and cultural and heritage tourism develop. And the story of our towns and their people are part of that vision. In that context, clearly I'm very pleased that the Welsh Government is now investing in Cyfarthfa Park as part of the vision for the Valleys Regional Park, and, of course, there's an emerging vision for the role of the wider Cyfarthfa experience with the Crucible project and the part that that can play in attracting far more visitors to the constituency. But in particular, I'm aware that there are some significant proposals to develop and expand some existing attractions that I referred to earlier. So, can you assure me that the Welsh Government is taking an active interest in these and is going to be a willing partner, as the business cases for further tourist developments are prepared, so that we can actually see the strategy of the Valleys taskforce around tourism being played out and that these areas reach their full tourism potential?
Diolch am eich ateb, Ddirprwy Weinidog. Wrth gwrs, rydych yn gyfarwydd iawn â fy etholaeth. Rydych wedi ymweld lawer gwaith, ac rydych eisoes wedi sôn am atyniadau rhagorol BikePark Wales a Rock UK, ac wrth gwrs, mae gennym Reilffordd Mynydd Brycheiniog, castell Cyfarthfa, a gallwn barhau. Nid yn unig eu bod yn rhoi Merthyr Tudful ar y map twristiaeth, maent yn rhoi'r Cymoedd ar y map twristiaeth, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth rwy'n awyddus i'w weld yn parhau.
Fel finnau, rwy'n siŵr eich bod yn awyddus i weld potensial gweithgareddau a thwristiaeth diwylliant a threftadaeth yn datblygu. Ac mae stori ein trefi a'u pobl yn rhan o'r weledigaeth honno. Yn y cyd-destun hwnnw, rwy'n amlwg yn falch iawn fod Llywodraeth Cymru bellach yn buddsoddi ym Mharc Cyfarthfa fel rhan o'r weledigaeth ar gyfer Parc Rhanbarthol y Cymoedd, ac wrth gwrs, mae gweledigaeth yn datblygu ar gyfer rôl y profiad ehangach yng Nghyfarthfa gyda phrosiect Crucible a'r rhan y gall hynny ei chwarae yn denu llawer mwy o ymwelwyr i'r etholaeth. Ond yn arbennig, rwy'n ymwybodol fod yna argymhellion sylweddol i ddatblygu ac ehangu rhai o'r atyniadau sy'n bodoli eisoes y cyfeiriais atynt yn gynharach. Felly, a allwch roi sicrwydd i mi fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn dangos diddordeb gweithredol yn y rhain ac yn mynd i fod yn bartner parod, wrth i'r achosion busnes ar gyfer datblygiadau twristiaeth pellach gael eu paratoi, fel y gallwn weld strategaeth tasglu'r Cymoedd mewn perthynas â thwristiaeth yn cael ei rhoi ar waith, a'r ardaloedd hyn yn cyflawni eu potensial llawn mewn perthynas â thwristiaeth?
I'm very grateful for your appreciation of what we have been attempting to do. It's a very difficult situation here, Deputy Chair: do I look at the Member and reply to her, or do I look to you? I don't want to be declared out of order. [Laughter.]
As you mentioned, the investment that we've already made is an indication of our support for activities in Merthyr. I have visited Cyfarthfa on a number of occasions, and I think the whole Cyfarthfa Park development and, indeed, the development of the building on the site are key to our approach. The Crucible report was an essential catalyst and, of course, we have to look to the way in which we deliver at least part of the £50 million that has been earmarked—not earmarked, proposed, as necessary to transform Merthyr into a tourism destination.
But what is key to this, now, is the role of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, and I'm very grateful to them for commissioning the feasibility study into the project relating to Cyfarthfa, the link with the furnaces and the viaduct across the River Taf. And I must say again—and I don't want to get into an argument with colleagues in the other kinds of heritage—but I thought that the remains of the amazing furnaces were as redolent of our heritage as any castle I have seen anywhere, north or south. So, we need to make sure that the links between Merthyr and the Blaenavon World Heritage Site, and also the link through to the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, are developed as part of an experience of celebrating our industrial heritage that will rival the experience of our colonial heritage.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar eich bod yn gwerthfawrogi'r hyn y buom yn ceisio ei wneud. Mae'n sefyllfa anodd iawn yma, Ddirprwy Gadeirydd: a ddylwn edrych ar yr Aelod ac ymateb iddi hi, neu a ddylwn edrych arnoch chi? Nid wyf am fynd yn groes i'r drefn. [Chwerthin.]
Fel y dywedoch chi, mae'r buddsoddiad rydym eisoes wedi'i wneud yn arwydd o'n cefnogaeth i weithgareddau ym Merthyr Tudful. Rwyf wedi ymweld â Chyfarthfa ar sawl achlysur, a chredaf fod datblygiad Parc Cyfarthfa i gyd, ac yn wir, datblygiad yr adeilad ar y safle yn allweddol i'n hymagwedd. Roedd adroddiad Crucible yn gatalydd hanfodol, ac wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid i ni edrych ar y ffordd rydym yn darparu o leiaf ran o'r £50 miliwn sydd wedi'i glustnodi—nid ei glustnodi, ei gynnig, fel rhywbeth sy'n angenrheidiol er mwyn trawsnewid Merthyr Tudful yn gyrchfan twristiaeth.
Ond yr hyn sy'n allweddol i hyn yn awr yw rôl Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn iddynt am gomisiynu'r astudiaeth ddichonoldeb o'r prosiect sy'n ymwneud â Chyfarthfa, y cysylltiad â'r ffwrneisi a'r draphont dros Afon Taf. Ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud eto—ac nid wyf am fynd i ddadlau â chyd-Aelodau ynglŷn â'r mathau eraill o dreftadaeth—ond roeddwn o'r farn fod olion y ffwrneisi anhygoel yn atgof cystal o'n treftadaeth ddiwydiannol ag unrhyw gastell a welais yn unman, yn y gogledd neu'r de. Felly, mae angen inni sicrhau bod y cysylltiadau rhwng Merthyr Tudful a Safle Treftadaeth y Byd Blaenafon, yn ogystal â'r cysylltiad ag Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau yn Abertawe, yn cael eu datblygu fel rhan o brofiad o ddathlu ein treftadaeth ddiwydiannol a fydd yn cystadlu â'r profiad o'n treftadaeth drefedigaethol.
8. Pa ran y mae Chwaraeon Cymru yn ei chwarae o ran cyflawni amcanion y Gronfa Iach ac Egnïol? OAQ54526
8. What role does Sport Wales play in delivering the objectives of the Healthy and Active Fund? OAQ54526
The Healthy and Active Fund is delivered through a partnership between the Government, Sport Wales and Public Health Wales, with Sport Wales playing the lead role in the administration of the fund. The result of that is that all partners will be part of the monitoring of the project and the oversight of the fund.
Mae'r Gronfa Iach ac Egnïol yn cael ei darparu drwy bartneriaeth rhwng y Llywodraeth, Chwaraeon Cymru ac Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, gyda Chwaraeon Cymru yn chwarae'r rhan arweiniol yn y gwaith o weinyddu'r gronfa. Canlyniad hynny yw y bydd pob partner yn rhan o'r gwaith o fonitro'r prosiect a goruchwylio'r gronfa.
Excellent. Since the Government decided to revise the free swimming offer and make it more explicitly targeted on areas of deprivation, I've had lots of correspondence from some of the 6 per cent of over-60s who've enjoyed the untargeted free swimming offer, but no correspondence at all from young people or their parents who may have been affected by the revised scheme for under-16-year-olds.
I'm quite keen to understand how the new, targeted offer is going to benefit more of the sorts of people who really do need to take up that offer, because, unfortunately, it's been rather a well-kept secret. In the area that I represent, we've got Pentwyn Leisure Centre, which is at the heart of a super-output area of deprivation. So, I'm really keen to understand how this new offer is going to affect them.
How is the Welsh Government, in conjunction with Sport Wales, going to measure the success of the revised scheme to ensure that those who most need to benefit—i.e. young people who have yet to learn to swim—are going to take up that free swimming offer and not be further disadvantaged by the reduction in funding?
Gwych. Ers i'r Llywodraeth benderfynu diwygio'r cynnig nofio am ddim a'i dargedu'n fwy penodol at ardaloedd difreintiedig, rwyf wedi cael llawer o ohebiaeth gan rai o'r 6 y cant o bobl dros 60 oed sydd wedi mwynhau'r cynnig nofio am ddim nad yw wedi'i dargedu, ond nid wyf wedi cael unrhyw ohebiaeth o gwbl gan bobl ifanc na'u rhieni a allai fod wedi cael eu heffeithio gan y cynllun diwygiedig ar gyfer rhai o dan 16 oed.
Rwy'n eithaf awyddus i ddeall sut y bydd y cynnig newydd sydd wedi'i dargedu yn fwy buddiol i'r mathau o bobl y mae gwir angen iddynt fanteisio ar y cynnig hwnnw, oherwydd, yn anffodus, mae wedi bod yn gyfrinach sydd wedi'i chadw'n dda. Yn yr ardal rwy'n ei chynrychioli, mae gennym Ganolfan Hamdden Pentwyn, sydd ynghanol ardal cynnyrch ehangach haen is. Felly, rwy'n awyddus iawn i ddeall sut y bydd y cynnig newydd hwn yn effeithio arnynt.
Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru, ar y cyd â Chwaraeon Cymru, yn bwriadu mesur llwyddiant y cynllun diwygiedig i sicrhau bod y rhai sydd angen elwa fwyaf arno—h.y. pobl ifanc nad ydynt wedi dysgu nofio eto—yn manteisio ar y cynnig nofio am ddim ac nad yw'r gostyngiad yn y cyllid yn eu rhoi dan anfantais bellach?
The reduction in funding is a reduction specifically on a scheme that was clearly not reaching the populations for whom it was intended. But it certainly is our intention that the younger people should benefit from this initiative. The key, to us, is working with the leisure centres themselves and with the local authorities, and this is Sport Wales's intention.
Our Healthy and Active Fund remains a key to this, to stimulate more innovative approaches to all forms of physical activity. And, in that approach, we are also encouraging all of the authorities involved to be monitoring the response, and we will have an evaluation from Sport Wales of the impact of the changes that we have made on their recommendation.
Mae'r gostyngiad yn y cyllid yn ostyngiad penodol ar gynllun a oedd yn amlwg yn methu cyrraedd y poblogaethau y'i bwriadwyd ar eu cyfer. Ond yn sicr, ein bwriad yw sicrhau bod pobl iau yn elwa o'r fenter hon. Yr allwedd, i ni, yw gweithio gyda'r canolfannau hamdden eu hunain a chyda'r awdurdodau lleol, a dyna yw bwriad Chwaraeon Cymru.
Mae ein Cronfa Iach ac Egnïol yn parhau i fod yn allweddol i hyn, i ysgogi dulliau mwy arloesol o ymdrin â phob math o weithgarwch corfforol. Ac yn rhan o'r dull hwnnw, rydym hefyd yn annog yr holl awdurdodau dan sylw i fonitro'r ymateb, a bydd Chwaraeon Cymru yn darparu gwerthusiad i ni o effaith y newidiadau a wnaethom yn ôl eu hargymhelliad.
9. Sut y bydd barn y gymuned Gwrdaidd sy'n byw yng Nghymru yn llywio'r gwaith o ddatblygu strategaeth cysylltiadau rhyngwladol Llywodraeth Cymru? OAQ54528
9. How will the views of the Kurdish community living in Wales inform the development of the Welsh Government's international relations strategy? OAQ54528
The draft international strategy is currently out for public consultation. I'd encourage everyone with an interest to respond and would be more than happy to receive feedback from all communities represented in Wales. All responses will be considered and evaluated as a part of that consultation process.
Mae'r strategaeth ryngwladol ddrafft yn destun ymgynghori â'r cyhoedd ar hyn o bryd. Buaswn yn annog pawb sydd â diddordeb i ymateb a buaswn yn fwy na pharod i dderbyn adborth gan yr holl gymunedau a gynrychiolir yng Nghymru. Bydd yr holl ymatebion yn cael eu hystyried a'u gwerthuso fel rhan o'r broses ymgynghori honno.
This Government has a duty to represent everyone living in this country, no matter what their background. We have a significant and influential Kurdish community living in Wales, who are, naturally, worried about the Turkish forces in northern Syria following the withdrawal of US troops. Turkey's actions risk throwing a lifeline to the far-right ISIS. ISIS prisoners have already escaped as a result of the Turkish military operation.
More atrocities will be committed in northern Syria against the Kurds unless the international community does something, not just in condemning the actions of Turkey but in terms of its dealings with companies that sell arms to that country. In Wales, we have at least three companies that deliver military equipment to Turkey. Some of them will have received public money, which means that our taxpayers have invested in companies dealing with an authoritarian state with blood on its hands.
I heard your answer earlier to my colleague, Delyth Jewell, and you didn't answer her. So, for the sake of peace, for the sake of the Kurds and everyone else who supports them, will you answer this question now, please? Will you please make sure that all Welsh Government expenditure, particularly investments in companies that could be dealing in arms to Turkey, be reviewed and stopped as a matter of urgency?
Mae gan y Llywodraeth hon ddyletswydd i gynrychioli pawb sy'n byw yn y wlad hon, beth bynnag fo'u cefndir. Mae gennym gymuned Gwrdaidd sylweddol a dylanwadol yn byw yng Nghymru, sydd, yn naturiol, yn poeni am luoedd Twrcaidd yng ngogledd Syria wedi i'r Unol Daleithiau dynnu eu milwyr oddi yno. Mae perygl y bydd gweithredoedd Twrci yn rhoi cyfle i ISIS ar y dde eithafol. Mae carcharorion ISIS eisoes wedi dianc o ganlyniad i weithgarwch milwrol Twrci.
Bydd mwy o erchyllterau'n cael eu cyflawni yng ngogledd Syria yn erbyn y Cwrdiaid oni bai fod y gymuned ryngwladol yn gwneud rhywbeth, nid yn unig o ran condemnio gweithredoedd Twrci ond o ran eu hymwneud â chwmnïau sy'n gwerthu arfau i'r wlad honno. Yng Nghymru, mae gennym o leiaf dri chwmni sy'n darparu cyfarpar milwrol i Dwrci. Bydd rhai ohonynt wedi cael arian cyhoeddus, sy'n golygu bod ein trethdalwyr wedi buddsoddi mewn cwmnïau sy'n ymdrin â gwladwriaeth awdurdodaidd sydd â gwaed ar ei dwylo.
Clywais eich ateb i'm cyd-Aelod, Delyth Jewell, yn gynharach ac ni wnaethoch ateb ei chwestiwn. Felly, er mwyn heddwch, er mwyn y Cwrdiaid a phawb arall sy'n eu cefnogi, a wnewch chi ateb y cwestiwn hwn yn awr, os gwelwch yn dda? A wnewch chi sicrhau bod holl wariant Llywodraeth Cymru, yn enwedig buddsoddiadau mewn cwmnïau a allai fod yn ymwneud ag arfau i Dwrci, yn cael ei adolygu a'i atal fel mater o frys?
Thank you. Just to make it clear, I have written to Dominic Raab already to set out that, actually, we have concerns relating to the concerns that have been expressed by some of the Kurdish community in Wales about the situation that's ongoing in those areas. Whilst we acknowledge that the UK leads on foreign affairs, we are undertaking a review of our entire export strategy at the moment and, of course, there will be issues that we will need to look at in relation to that. But I think it is clear that the announcement made by the Secretary of State today has made it clear that there will be no further arms announcements being made for the future to be sold to those areas where Syria is being attacked.
Diolch. I'w gwneud yn glir, rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at Dominic Raab eisoes i nodi ein bod yn poeni ynglŷn â'r pryderon a fynegwyd gan rai o'r cymunedau Cwrdaidd yng Nghymru am y sefyllfa yn yr ardaloedd hynny. Er ein bod yn cydnabod mai'r DU sy'n arwain ar faterion tramor, rydym yn cynnal adolygiad o'n strategaeth allforio yn ei chyfanrwydd ar hyn o bryd ac wrth gwrs, bydd yna faterion y bydd angen inni edrych arnynt mewn perthynas â hynny. Ond rwy'n credu bod y cyhoeddiad a wnaed gan yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol heddiw wedi ei gwneud yn glir na fydd unrhyw gyhoeddiadau pellach yn cael eu gwneud yn y dyfodol ynghylch gwerthu arfau i'r ardaloedd hynny lle yr ymosodir ar Syria.
It's not just the Kurdish community, of course, who are living here in Wales; we also have a significant Polish community. I met with the Polish ambassador in London last week, and I know that the number of Poles here in Wales is significant. In fact, of the 3 million EU citizens—
Nid y gymuned Gwrdaidd yn unig, wrth gwrs, sy'n byw yma yng Nghymru; mae gennym gymuned Bwylaidd sylweddol hefyd. Cyfarfûm â llysgennad Gwlad Pwyl yn Llundain yr wythnos diwethaf, a gwn fod nifer y Pwyliaid yma yng Nghymru'n sylweddol. Yn wir, o'r 3 miliwn o ddinasyddion yr UE—
This is about the Kurdish community.
Mae hyn yn ymwneud â'r gymuned Gwrdaidd.
It's about the Kurds.
Mae'n ymwneud â'r Cwrdiaid.
It's a question about the international relations strategy, with respect.
Gyda phob parch, mae'r cwestiwn yn ymwneud â'r strategaeth cysylltiadau rhyngwladol.
It is. It is about the Kurdish community, and, if you can loosely tie it in, then I will listen, but—. The question is—[Interruption.] The question is about the Kurdish community living in Wales and the international development strategy.
Mae'n ymwneud â'r gymuned Gwrdaidd, ac rwy'n fodlon gwrando os gallwch wneud y cysylltiad hwnnw'n fras, ond—. Y cwestiwn yw—[Torri ar draws.] Mae'r cwestiwn yn ymwneud â'r gymuned Gwrdaidd sy'n byw yng Nghymru a'r strategaeth datblygu rhyngwladol.
Precisely, and that is why I'm referring to other communities that also live in Wales and want to have a contribution to the international relations strategy. So, of the—[Interruption.] Of the 3 million—[Interruption.] Of the 3 million EU citizens that live in the United Kingdom, a million of those are Poles, tens of thousands of which are here in Wales and want to help shape the international relations strategy that you have. What engagement has there been with the Polish community and diaspora here in Wales in informing your international relations strategy?
Yn union, a dyna pam rwy'n cyfeirio at gymunedau eraill sydd hefyd yn byw yng Nghymru ac sydd eisiau cyfrannu at y strategaeth cysylltiadau rhyngwladol. Felly, o'r— [Torri ar draws.] O'r 3 miliwn—[Torri ar draws.] O'r 3 miliwn o ddinasyddion yr UE sy'n byw yn y Deyrnas Unedig, mae miliwn o'r rheini'n Bwyliaid, ac mae degau o filoedd ohonynt yma yng Nghymru ac yn awyddus i helpu i lunio'r strategaeth cysylltiadau rhyngwladol sydd gennych. Pa ymgysylltiad a fu gyda'r gymuned Bwylaidd a Phwyliaid alltud yma yng Nghymru i lywio eich strategaeth cysylltiadau rhyngwladol?
Thank you. There has been consultation with the honorary counsels, including the people representing Poland, so they've all received a copy of the strategy. We've also sent it to embassies throughout the United Kingdom, but I think the key thing for us to underline—and what is underlined very clearly in the strategy—is we want to celebrate those diaspora communities from abroad who have made Wales their home. One of the things that we're suggesting is that every year we will really establish and celebrate a particular community that has made a major contribution to Welsh life. So, hopefully, at some point, the Polish community, which is one of the biggest in Wales, will be one of those celebrated.
Diolch. Ymgynghorwyd â'r cwnsleriaid anrhydeddus, gan gynnwys y bobl sy'n cynrychioli Gwlad Pwyl, felly maent i gyd wedi cael copi o'r strategaeth. Rydym wedi ei hanfon at lysgenadaethau ledled y Deyrnas Unedig hefyd, ond rwy'n credu mai'r peth allweddol i ni ei danlinellu—a'r hyn sy'n cael ei danlinellu'n glir iawn yn y strategaeth—yw ein bod eisiau dathlu'r cymunedau alltud o wledydd tramor sydd wedi gwneud Cymru yn gartref iddynt. Un o'r pethau rydym yn eu hawgrymu yw y byddwn bob blwyddyn yn sefydlu ac yn dathlu cymuned benodol sydd wedi gwneud cyfraniad mawr i fywyd Cymru. Felly, gobeithio, ar ryw adeg, y bydd y gymuned Bwylaidd, sef un o'r rhai mwyaf yng Nghymru, yn un o'r cymunedau a fydd yn cael eu dathlu.
And finally on this question, Mick Antoniw.
Ac yn olaf ar y cwestiwn hwn, Mick Antoniw.
I welcome the comments that have been made about the situation with regard to the Kurdish community, and what Welsh Government can do to represent their interests. It has been a bit of an issue where we've had argued in this Chamber in the past, 'Well, because foreign affairs isn't devolved, et cetera—'—whether we can or can't debate these issues. The fact of the matter is that it is almost impossible for us as a Parliament to properly represent the views of the various minorities that live within Wales, and the international implications and connections with them. So, firstly, I welcome the fact that we are now clearly having more debates on these issues, because they are important to our communities that we do represent, and they are also very integrated with broader international issues. So, the situation with the Kurdish issue is very much tied in with relations with America at this time. There's also the whole middle east situation; we had today the Palestinian ambassador visiting, et cetera. So, can I just say I do welcome that, but if you would perhaps just confirm that you are very much supportive of the view that, those minorities that exist within Wales, we should be able to represent them in terms of the international issues that impact on those communities and their interests?
Rwy'n croesawu'r sylwadau a wnaed mewn perthynas â'r gymuned Gwrdaidd, a'r hyn y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i gynrychioli eu buddiannau. Rydym wedi cael tipyn o broblem yn y gorffennol lle'r ydym wedi clywed dadlau yn y Siambr hon—'Wel, am nad yw materion tramor wedi'u datganoli, ac ati—'—ynglŷn ag a allwn drafod y materion hyn ai peidio. Y gwir amdani yw ei bod bron yn amhosibl inni fel Senedd gynrychioli'n briodol safbwynt y gwahanol leiafrifoedd sy'n byw yng Nghymru, a'r goblygiadau rhyngwladol a'r cysylltiadau â hwy. Felly, yn gyntaf, rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith ein bod yn amlwg yn cael mwy o ddadleuon ar y materion hyn bellach, oherwydd maent yn bwysig i'r cymunedau rydym yn eu cynrychioli, ac maent hefyd wedi'u hintegreiddio gyda materion rhyngwladol ehangach. Felly, mae mater y Cwrdiaid yn sicr yn gysylltiedig â'r cysylltiadau ag America ar hyn o bryd. Ceir holl sefyllfa'r dwyrain canol hefyd; cawsom ymweliad y llysgennad Palesteinaidd heddiw, ac ati. Felly, a gaf fi ddweud fy mod yn croesawu hynny, ond a allech chi gadarnhau eich bod yn cefnogi'r farn y dylem allu cynrychioli'r lleiafrifoedd sy'n bodoli yng Nghymru yn nhermau'r materion rhyngwladol sy'n effeithio ar y cymunedau hynny a'u buddiannau?
I think that's absolutely right. I think that the whole agenda here is changing. I think there's recognition that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office leads in this area, but you will have heard the First Minister talk yesterday about the new constitutional settlement that we're looking for in relation to the United Kingdom, and it's clear that we will need more of a say and more of an input into, in particular, trade negotiations and areas where we have devolved responsibility. And, of course, where we have significant representation from other communities around the world living here in Wales, then of course it is absolutely right that they should have a hearing, if possible, within this Chamber as well.
Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n hollol gywir. Credaf fod yr agenda gyfan yn newid yma. Rwy'n credu bod cydnabyddiaeth mai'r Swyddfa Dramor a Chymanwlad sy'n arwain yn y maes, ond fe fyddwch wedi clywed y Prif Weinidog yn siarad ddoe am y setliad cyfansoddiadol newydd rydym yn ei geisio mewn perthynas â'r Deyrnas Unedig, ac mae'n amlwg y byddwn angen mwy o lais a mwy o fewnbwn, yn enwedig mewn perthynas â thrafodaethau masnach a meysydd lle mae gennym gyfrifoldeb datganoledig. Ac wrth gwrs, lle mae gennym gynrychiolaeth sylweddol o gymunedau eraill o amgylch y byd yn byw yma yng Nghymru, mae'n hollol iawn y dylent gael eu clywed yn y Siambr hon hefyd os yn bosibl.
Thank you very much.
Diolch yn fawr iawn.
The next item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the Assembly Commission. Question 1 and question 2 this afternoon will be answered by the Llywydd. Question 1—Mick Antoniw.
Yr eitem nesaf ar ein hagenda y prynhawn yma yw cwestiynau i Gomisiwn y Cynulliad. Bydd cwestiwn 1 a chwestiwn 2 y prynhawn yma yn cael eu hateb gan y Llywydd. Cwestiwn 1—Mick Antoniw.
1. A wnaiff y Comisiwn ddatganiad am drefniadau pensiwn yng Nghynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru? OAQ54555
1. Will the Commission make a statement on pension arrangements at the National Assembly for Wales? OAQ54555
Mae tri chynllun pensiwn yn gysylltiedig â'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol: cynllun pensiwn Aelodau'r Cynulliad, cynllun pensiwn staff cymorth Aelodau'r Cynulliad a chynllun pensiwn y gwasanaeth sifil ar gyfer staff y Comisiwn.
There are three pension schemes associated with the National Assembly for Wales: the Assembly Members' pension scheme, the Assembly Members' support staff scheme and the civil service pension scheme for Commission staff.
Thank you for that answer. Of course, the Commission will be aware that, in addition to the pension schemes for Assembly Members and civil servants, there is a third scheme that provides for Assembly Member support staff, as you've just mentioned. Now, my understanding is that this scheme has not been reviewed since its introduction, and, at first sight, compares very unfavourably with the other schemes. Could I ask the Commissioner for guidance on how the process of reviewing the staff pension scheme might be instigated so that we can be sure that it is fair and reflects the contribution that all our support staff make?
Diolch i chi am yr ateb hwnnw. Wrth gwrs, bydd y Comisiwn yn ymwybodol, yn ogystal â'r cynlluniau pensiwn ar gyfer Aelodau'r Cynulliad a gweision sifil, fod yna drydydd cynllun sy'n darparu ar gyfer staff cymorth Aelodau'r Cynulliad, fel rydych newydd ei grybwyll. Nawr, deallaf nad yw'r cynllun hwn wedi cael ei adolygu ers ei gyflwyno, ac ar yr olwg gyntaf, mae'n cymharu'n anffafriol iawn â'r cynlluniau eraill. A gaf fi ofyn i'r Comisiynydd am arweiniad ar sut y gellid dechrau'r broses o adolygu'r cynllun pensiwn staff fel y gallwn fod yn sicr ei fod yn deg ac yn adlewyrchu'r cyfraniad y mae ein holl staff cymorth yn ei wneud?
Thank you for that question. For clarity, the pension arrangements that Assembly Members' support staff have and the employer contribution rates to that scheme is a matter for the remuneration board, not the Assembly Commission directly, and the remuneration board did recently publish its review of staffing support but didn't put forward any proposals to change the AMSS pension scheme during that review, as, I think, you've just outlined there.
You'll know, of course, as all Members will know, that the remuneration board is undertaking a review of the determination for the sixth Assembly and its consultation of that review, covering staffing support, closed on 11 October, but I understand that Members and support staff are free to raise with the remuneration board any matters relating to the review, which would include employer contribution for the support staff pensions, and I urge any interested parties to do that.
Diolch i chi am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Er eglurder, mater i'r bwrdd taliadau, nid Comisiwn y Cynulliad yn uniongyrchol, yw'r trefniadau pensiwn sydd gan staff cymorth Aelodau'r Cynulliad a chyfraddau cyfraniadau'r cyflogwr i'r cynllun hwnnw, ac yn ddiweddar, cyhoeddodd y bwrdd taliadau ei adolygiad o'r cymorth staff ond nid ydynt wedi cyflwyno unrhyw argymhellion i newid cynllun pensiwn staff cymorth Aelodau'r Cynulliad yn ystod yr adolygiad hwnnw, fel rydych newydd ei nodi, rwy'n credu.
Fe fyddwch yn gwybod, wrth gwrs, fel y bydd yr holl Aelodau'n gwybod, fod y bwrdd taliadau'n cynnal adolygiad o'r penderfyniad ar gyfer y chweched Cynulliad a daeth ei ymgynghoriad ar yr adolygiad hwnnw, sy'n ymdrin â chymorth staff, i ben ar 11 Hydref, ond deallaf fod Aelodau a staff cymorth yn rhydd i godi unrhyw faterion sy'n ymwneud â'r adolygiad gyda'r bwrdd taliadau, a byddai hynny'n cynnwys cyfraniad y cyflogwr i bensiynau staff cymorth, ac rwy'n annog unrhyw un sydd â diddordeb i wneud hynny.
2. A wnaiff y Comisiwn egluro sut y mae'r arian a ddyrennir i hyrwyddo ymwybyddiaeth a dealltwriaeth o waith Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru yng nghyllideb 2019-20 yn cael ei ddyrannu? OAQ54542
2. Will the Commission explain how the money allocated to promoting awareness and understanding of the work of the National Assembly for Wales in the 2019-20 budget is being allocated? OAQ54542
Mae ymgysylltu ac hyrwyddo'r Cynulliad yn un o flaenoriaethau strategol y Comisiwn ac mae codi ymwybyddiaeth a gwella dealltwriaeth o waith y Cynulliad yn rhan o hynny. Mae dwy ffordd gennym ni o neilltuo arian ar gyfer y blaenoriaethau hyn—drwy'r gyllideb arferol a thrwy gronfa prosiectau. Mae'r cyllid rheolaidd yn cynnwys cefnogi Senedd Ieuenctid Cymru, siop y Senedd, ymweliadau ysgolion, marchnata a chyhoeddusrwydd, ac mae hynny'n gyfanswm o £311,000. Mae tri phrosiect perthnasol yn y gronfa brosiectau ar gyfer 2019-20, gyda gwerth cyfanswm o £520,000.
Engaging with all the people of Wales and championing the Assembly is one of the Commission’s strategic priorities. Promoting awareness and understanding of the work of the National Assembly is part of that. There are a couple of ways we allocate money to these priorities—through the regular budget and through the project fund. Regular funding includes support for the Youth Parliament, the Senedd shop, school visits, marketing and publicity, and that all adds up to £311,000. There are three relevant projects in the project fund for 2019-20, with a total amount of £520,000.
Diolch, Llywydd. According to the 2019-20 budget, the priority projects for this financial year, of course, are based on the organisational priorities, including the provision of increasing engagement with the people of Wales and using our resources wisely. Having considered the budget, I note that £311,000 was allocated to promoting awareness and understanding of work. Similarly, around the same amount is budgeted for the next financial year and was also spent in 2018-19. So, that's around £1 million dedicated, technically, to promoting awareness and understanding. It is quite a significant amount, so, really, what I'm asking, Llywydd, is how is the Assembly Commission ensuring that this spend is subjected to fairly robust scrutiny and that there is a wise use of resources that is delivering on raising awareness of the work of the National Assembly for Wales and, indeed, its Members in constituencies and across the regions of Wales?
Diolch, Lywydd. Yn ôl cyllideb 2019-20, mae'r prosiectau blaenoriaeth ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol hon, wrth gwrs, yn seiliedig ar y blaenoriaethau sefydliadol, gan gynnwys sicrhau ymgysylltiad cynyddol â phobl Cymru a defnyddio ein hadnoddau'n ddoeth. Ar ôl ystyried y gyllideb, sylwaf fod £311,000 wedi'i ddyrannu i hyrwyddo ymwybyddiaeth a dealltwriaeth o waith. Yn yr un modd, mae tua'r un swm wedi'i gyllidebu ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf ac fe gafodd ei wario hefyd yn 2018-19. Felly, dyna oddeutu £1 filiwn a neilltuwyd, yn dechnegol, i hyrwyddo ymwybyddiaeth a dealltwriaeth. Mae'n swm eithaf sylweddol, felly yr hyn rwy'n ei ofyn mewn gwirionedd, Lywydd, yw sut y mae Comisiwn y Cynulliad yn sicrhau bod y gwariant hwn yn destun craffu eithaf trylwyr ac y gwneir defnydd doeth o adnoddau sy'n cyflawni o ran codi ymwybyddiaeth o waith Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, a'i Aelodau yn wir, mewn etholaethau ac ar draws rhanbarthau Cymru?
Well, the Assembly Commission's budget is voted on by this Assembly, by all Members here present, and is scrutinised as part of the annual budget scrutiny within the Finance Committee, and I think the commissioner, Suzy Davies, has recently been in front of the Finance Committee being scrutinised on our budget proposals for the next year. We look, at all times, to do our work as effectively as possible. We welcome comments that Members have on how we can improve that and to do that as part of the scrutiny processes and in questions here. And I'm forever looking at ways where we can improve how we do our information sharing and work with the people of Wales in all parts of Wales. I seek to do that in as radical and as effective a way as possible, always being aware, of course, that we need to spend wisely.
Wel, pleidleisir ar gyllideb Comisiwn y Cynulliad gan y Cynulliad hwn, gan yr holl Aelodau sy'n bresennol yma, a chreffir arni fel rhan o'r gwaith craffu blynyddol ar y gyllideb yn y Pwyllgor Cyllid, a chredaf fod y comisiynydd, Suzy Davies, wedi bod ger bron y Pwyllgor Cyllid yn ddiweddar yn cael ei chraffu mewn perthynas â'n cynigion cyllidebol ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf. Rydym bob amser yn ceisio gwneud ein gwaith mor effeithiol â phosibl. Rydym yn croesawu sylwadau gan Aelodau ynglŷn â sut y gallwn wella hynny a gwneud hynny fel rhan o'r prosesau craffu ac mewn cwestiynau yma. Ac rwyf bob amser yn edrych ar ffyrdd y gallwn wella'r modd y byddwn yn rhannu gwybodaeth ac yn gweithio gyda phobl Cymru ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Ceisiaf wneud hynny mewn ffordd mor radical ac effeithiol â phosibl, gan fod yn ymwybodol bob amser, wrth gwrs, fod angen inni wario'n ddoeth.
Thank you. Questions 3 and 4 are to be answered by the commissioner, David Rowlands. Question 3, Jenny Rathbone.
Diolch. Bydd cwestiynau 3 a 4 yn cael eu hateb gan y comisiynydd, David Rowlands. Cwestiwn 3, Jenny Rathbone.
3. Pa ddefnydd sydd wedi'i gofnodi o bwyntiau gwefru cerbydau trydan y Cynulliad? OAQ54527
3. What usage has been recorded of the Assembly's electric vehicle charging points? OAQ54527
The Commission installed four charging points in the Tŷ Hywel car park in spring 2018 for use by staff and visitors. Since then, they have been used 692 times to supply over 6,500 kWh of power to electric cars. This has saved more than 5.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted to the atmosphere. The Commission believes that the designated parking spaces provide an incentive to use an electric vehicle and charging costs are recovered from users by the Commission.
Gosododd y Comisiwn bedwar pwynt gwefru ym maes parcio Tŷ Hywel yng ngwanwyn 2018 i'w defnyddio gan staff ac ymwelwyr. Ers hynny, maent wedi cael eu defnyddio 692 o weithiau i gyflenwi dros 6,500 kWh o bŵer i geir trydan. Mae hyn wedi arbed mwy na 5.5 o dunelli o garbon deuocsid rhag cael eu hallyrru i'r atmosffer. Mae'r Comisiwn o'r farn fod y mannau parcio dynodedig yn gymhelliant i ddefnyddio cerbyd trydan a bod y Comisiwn yn adennill costau gwefru gan y defnyddwyr.
Thank you. I'm delighted that we've saved 5.5 tonnes in the 18 months or so since they've been used, but I'd be really keen to understand exactly what type of electric charging they are, given that there are two different types of electric vehicles, because I genuinely would like to move towards using a non-polluting vehicle, as I represent one of the most polluted areas—or probably the most polluted area—in Wales. But I've not seen them, I've not seen a notice saying, 'Electric charging this way'. Do you think they could be better promoted?
Diolch. Rwyf wrth fy modd ein bod wedi arbed 5.5 o dunelli yn y 18 mis ers iddynt gael eu defnyddio, ond buaswn yn awyddus iawn i ddeall yn union pa fath o bwyntiau gwefru cerbydau trydan ydynt, o ystyried bod dau fath gwahanol o gerbydau trydan, oherwydd buaswn o ddifrif yn hoffi newid i gerbyd dilygredd, gan fy mod yn cynrychioli un o'r ardaloedd mwyaf llygredig—neu'r ardal fwyaf llygredig, mae'n debyg—yng Nghymru. Ond nid wyf wedi'u gweld, nid wyf wedi gweld arwydd yn dweud, 'Pwyntiau gwefru cerbydau trydan y ffordd yma'. A ydych yn credu y gellid eu hyrwyddo'n well?
Well, it's absolutely right, there are two systems of charging. I can't exactly answer your question with regard to that, but can I tell you that the Commission staff are there to give information with regard to CV cars to anybody and everybody in the Assembly, as both Assembly Members and the staff themselves? They do have extensive information that you can glean from them, and if you are contemplating it, as indeed there are many now contemplating going to using these EVs—electric cars, not CVs—they are actively seeking the information, I can assure you.
Wel, mae hynny'n hollol gywir, ceir dwy system wefru. Ni allaf ateb eich cwestiwn ynglŷn â hynny'n union, ond gallaf ddweud wrthych fod staff y Comisiwn yno i roi gwybodaeth ynghylch cerbydau trydan i unrhyw un a phawb yn y Cynulliad, yn Aelodau Cynulliad a'r staff eu hunain. Mae ganddynt wybodaeth helaeth y gallwch ei chael ganddynt, ac os ydych yn ystyried y peth, fel yn wir y mae llawer erbyn hyn yn ystyried defnyddio cerbydau trydan, gallaf eich sicrhau eu bod yn mynd ati i chwilio am yr wybodaeth honno.
Dwi wedi defnyddio pwynt gwefru fy hun. Fe'i ddefnyddiais pan oeddwn i'n gwneud ffilm ar ddod ar siwrnai o'm hetholaeth i i'r Cynulliad, i ddangos yr heriau o ddefnyddio car trydan oherwydd gwendidau yn ein rhwydwaith gwefru ni ar draws Cymru. Dwi yn falch o glywed bod yna waith yn cael ei wneud i annog staff i ddefnyddio mwy o geir trydan. Tybed a allwch chi, un, ddweud a oes yna fwy o geir trydan—? Tybed a allwch chi ddweud wrthyf a oes yna gynlluniau i gael mwy o pool cars trydan? Yn ddiweddar, dwi'n meddwl mai un ar gytundeb les tair blynedd oedd yn gar trydanol gan y Comisiwn, ac mi fyddai'n syniad ehangu hynny. Hefyd, a allwch chi ddweud wrthyf pa drafodaethau sydd wedi bod efo'r Llywodraeth ynglŷn â chaniatáu lle ar yr ystâd i osod pwyntiau gwefru ar gyfer eu ceir disel presennol nhw?
I have used a charging point myself. I did so when I was doing a film on coming on a journey from my constituency to the Assembly, to demonstrate the challenges of using an electric vehicle because of weaknesses in the charging network across Wales. I am pleased to hear that there is work being done to encourage staff to use electric vehicles. First, can you tell us are more electric cars—? Can you tell us whether there are plans to have more electric pool cars? Recently, I think there is one on a three-year lease that was available from the Commission, and it would be a good idea to expand that fleet. Can you also tell us what discussions there have been with Government on allowing room on the estate to provide charging points for the current diesel fleet?
Well, can I say, again, that there's a lot of technical information that you require there? And can I say that the information is available from the staff of the Commission, who are very au fait with exactly what's going on with regard to the charging facilities and the ability to use CV cars in general?
Wel, a gaf fi ddweud, unwaith eto, eich bod angen llawer o wybodaeth dechnegol? Ac a gaf fi ddweud bod yr wybodaeth honno ar gael gan staff y Comisiwn, sy'n gyfarwydd iawn â beth yn union sy'n digwydd o ran y cyfleusterau gwefru a'r gallu i ddefnyddio cerbydau trydan yn gyffredinol?
4. Beth mae'r Comisiwn yn ei wneud i gyflawni ei rwymedigaethau i fynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng hinsawdd? OAQ54523
4. What is the Commission doing to fulfil its obligations to tackling the climate emergency? OAQ54523
Since its formation, the Commission has sought to reduce its environmental impact. Our environmental strategy has resulted in carbon emissions reducing by 42 per cent since 2012, building on our previous achievement of a 30 per cent reduction. We have minimised single-use plastic cups and cutlery, replacing them with biodegradable alternatives, and food containers where currently possible.
As part of our new set of performance indicators, we've introduced a stretch target to reduce business-related car travel. Having achieved our current targets for carbon emissions and waste to landfill, we are working in collaboration with other UK Parliaments to develop a new set of annual environmental targets, always being mindful of the Welsh Government's 2030 target date for carbon neutrality in the public sector.
Ers ei ffurfio, mae'r Comisiwn wedi ceisio lleihau ei effaith ar yr amgylchedd. Mae ein strategaeth amgylcheddol wedi arwain at ostyngiad o 42 y cant mewn allyriadau carbon ers 2012, gan adeiladu ar ein llwyddiant blaenorol, sef gostyngiad o 30 y cant. Rydym wedi sicrhau bod cyn lleied â phosibl o gyllyll a ffyrc a chwpanau plastig untro yn cael eu defnyddio, ac wedi cyflwyno dewisiadau amgen bioddiraddiadwy yn eu lle, a chynwysyddion bwyd lle y bo modd.
Fel rhan o'n set newydd o ddangosyddion perfformiad, rydym wedi cyflwyno targed ymestynnol i leihau'r niferoedd sy'n teithio mewn ceir at ddibenion gwaith. Ar ôl cyrraedd ein targedau presennol ar gyfer allyriadau carbon a gwastraff i safleoedd tirlenwi, rydym yn cydweithio â Seneddau eraill y DU i ddatblygu set newydd o dargedau amgylcheddol blynyddol, gan gadw mewn cof bob amser mai 2030 yw dyddiad targed Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer dod yn garbon niwtral yn y sector cyhoeddus.
If we are to lead the way in tackling the climate emergency, we must set an example for other public bodies and businesses to follow. Now, while this Senedd building has been named the greenest Government in the UK, the Tŷ Hywel building doesn't fare so well. It has an energy rating of E. While improvements to energy efficiency have been made on the estate in recent years, what more can be done, for example, to heating, to lighting, food, et cetera, to improve this rating to ensure that in a climate emergency our working environment provides a good example for other people to follow?
Os ydym am arwain y ffordd yn mynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng hinsawdd, mae'n rhaid inni osod esiampl i fusnesau a chyrff cyhoeddus eraill ei dilyn. Nawr, er bod adeilad y Senedd wedi cael ei enwi'n Llywodraeth fwyaf gwyrdd y DU, nid yw adeilad Tŷ Hywel yn gwneud cystal. Sgôr ynni E sydd ganddo. Er bod gwelliannau wedi bod i effeithlonrwydd ynni ar yr ystâd yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, beth arall y gellir ei wneud, er enghraifft, mewn perthynas â gwresogi, goleuo, bwyd, ac ati, i wella'r sgôr i sicrhau bod ein hamgylchedd gwaith yn esiampl dda i bobl eraill ei dilyn mewn argyfwng hinsawdd?
Well, can I say the Assembly Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding to join the proposed Cardiff district heating scheme to invest in our estate—? Sorry, this will remove a significant proportion of our carbon footprint from the otherwise hard-to-tackle activity of heating on the estate.
Wel, a gaf fi ddweud bod Comisiwn y Cynulliad wedi llofnodi memorandwm cyd-ddealltwriaeth i ymuno â'r cynllun arfaethedig ar gyfer gwresogi ardal Caerdydd i fuddsoddi yn ein hystâd—? Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, bydd hyn yn dileu cyfran sylweddol o'n hôl troed carbon sy'n deillio o weithgarwch gwresogi'r ystâd sydd, fel arall, yn anodd ei ddatrys.
Thank you.
Diolch.
Item 4 is topical questions, and the first this afternoon is to be answered by the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport. Llyr Gruffydd.
Eitem 4 yw'r cwestiynau amserol, a bydd Dirprwy Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth yn ateb y cyntaf y prynhawn yma. Llyr Gruffydd.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Wrth gwrs, mae cyd-destun y cwestiwn yma wedi newid ychydig ers ei osod e, ond mae e'n dal yn ddilys.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Of course, the context of this question has changed slightly since it was tabled, but it remains valid.
1. Yn dilyn yr ansicrwydd am brosesydd llaeth Tomlinsons Dairy, a’r ffaith fod yna 70 o ffermydd llaeth a channoedd o swyddi yn ddibynol ar yr hufenfa, pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i gynorthwyo’r cwmni a’r gweithlu? 351
1. In light of the uncertainty regarding the Tomlinsons Dairy milk processing plant, and the fact that 70 dairy farms and hundreds of jobs are dependent upon it, what steps is the Welsh Government taking to support the company and the workforce? 351
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Clearly, it's very disappointing news that the company has gone into administration, and this is distressing for the workforce and the wider supply chain, and our thoughts are with those affected. We understand some 331 people have been affected: 247 of them were laid off yesterday and the remainder retained for a short time. As I say, our thoughts are with them, as is our support. The Welsh Government is working with Wrexham County Borough Council to help all staff affected. We've set up an immediate taskforce to respond to the redundancy situation at the company, and the support and signposting event for staff will take place on Monday at Plas Pentwyn resource centre in Wrexham.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Yn amlwg, mae'n newyddion siomedig iawn fod y cwmni wedi mynd i ddwylo'r gweinyddwyr, ac mae hyn yn peri gofid i'r gweithlu ac i'r gadwyn gyflenwi ehangach, ac mae ein meddyliau gyda'r rhai yr effeithiwyd arnynt. Deallwn fod tua 331 o bobl wedi'u heffeithio: cafodd 247 ohonynt eu diswyddo ddoe ac mae'r gweddill wedi'u cadw am gyfnod byr. Fel y dywedaf, mae ein meddyliau gyda hwy, ac rydym yn eu cefnogi. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam i helpu'r holl staff yr effeithiwyd arnynt. Rydym wedi sefydlu tasglu uniongyrchol i ymateb i'r sefyllfa ddiswyddo yn y cwmni, a bydd y digwyddiad cefnogi a chyfeirio ar gyfer staff yn cael ei gynnal ddydd Llun yng nghanolfan adnoddau Plas Pentwyn yn Wrecsam.
Diolch ichi am eich ateb. Wrth gwrs, mae yna nifer fawr o gwestiynau yn deillio o'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd. Yn y lle cyntaf, dwi'n meddwl, mae pobl yn crafu eu pennau ac yn gofyn i'w hunain, 'Beth aeth o'i le?' Oherwydd dim ond yn 2017 y cafodd y cwmni £22 miliwn o fuddsoddiad—£5 miliwn o hwnnw gan Lywodraeth Cymru, £2 filiwn ymhellach gan Cyllid Cymru—a wedyn, fisoedd yn ddiweddarach, ar ddiwedd y flwyddyn ariannol hyd at Fawrth 2018, roedd y cwmni yn cofrestru colledion o £5 miliwn, a £2 filiwn eto yn y flwyddyn ariannol diwethaf. Felly, rŷn ni eisiau sicrwydd gan y Llywodraeth ac fe fyddwn i yn licio gweld bod y Llywodraeth yn dangos tystiolaeth eich bod chi wedi gwneud y gwaith o ymchwilio yn ddigon trwyadl i mewn i'r cynlluniau yma cyn gwneud y buddsoddiad.
Mae'r Llywodraeth hefyd, dwi wedi gweld mewn adroddiadau yn y wasg, yn dweud eich bod chi'n ymwybodol bod yna drafferthion wedi bod yn cwmni a'ch bod chi wedi bod yn gweithio gyda nhw ers 18 mis i drio gweithio drwy'r materion yma. Allwch chi, efallai, esbonio pa fath o adnoddau wnaethoch chi eu rhoi i'r perwyl hwnnw a pha reswm sydd yna na lwyddwyd i droi'r sefyllfa o gwmpas?
Rŷch chi wedi sôn am ddyfodol y gweithlu, ac rŷn ni yn gobeithio yn fawr iawn, fel ŷch chi'n awgrymu, y bydd y Llywodraeth yn troi pob carreg i sicrhau bod yna gyfleoedd cyflogaeth ar gael i'r rhai fydd yn colli eu swyddi. Wrth gwrs, y cwestiwn mwyaf yw: beth yw dyfodol y safle? Ar ôl buddsoddiad mor sylweddol, yn amlwg mae e'n safle sydd â chit newydd sbon. Hynny yw, fe fyddwn i'n tybio bod yna botensial i ddenu buddsoddwyr amgen i mewn i drio prosesu llaeth ar y safle. Byddwn i'n licio clywed pa gamau ŷch chi'n eu cymryd i wneud hynny.
Mae amseru mynd i ddwylo’r gweinyddwyr yn golygu hefyd—mi ddigwyddodd e jest ar yr adeg yr oedd y ffermwyr a'r cynhyrchwyr llaeth i fod i gael eu sieciau am ddarparu llaeth fis Medi. Mae hynny'n golygu bod y cwmni, i bob bwrpas, wedi cael gwerth chwe wythnos o laeth am ddim. Mae hynny'n golygu colledion difrifol posib i'r ffermwyr hynny. Pa waith mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i drio sicrhau y byddan nhw yn cael taliad, neu o leiaf rhywfaint o daliad, neu rhyw fath o ddigolledu am y llaeth hwnnw?
A beth mae'r datblygiad yma'n ei ddweud am gyflwr y sector prosesu llaeth yng Nghymru? Hynny yw, flwyddyn diwethaf, mi gollom ni Arla yn Llandyrnog, nawr mae Tomlinsons, yn yr un rhan o Gymru i bob pwrpas, wedi mynd. Mae'r Llywodraeth, ac yr ŷm ni i gyd, yn rhoi pwys mawr ar bwysicrwydd datblygu brand Cymreig, ond o ganlyniad i hyn fydd y llaeth nawr ddim yn cael ei frandio fel llaeth o Gymru, ond llaeth Prydeinig fydd e. Felly, mae'n tanseilio ymdrechion y Llywodraeth i adeiladu'r sector bwyd a diod yng Nghymru, ac dwi eisiau gwybod beth ŷch chi'n ei wneud i adeiladu sector llaeth mwy hyfyw yma yng Nghymru.
Thank you for that response. Of course, there are a number of questions emerging from what has happened. First of all, people are scratching their heads and asking themselves, 'What went wrong?' Because, just in 2017, the company was given £22 million in investment—£5 million of that from the Welsh Government, a further £2 million from Finance Wales—and then, months later, at the end of the financial year up to March 2018, the company was registering losses of £5 million and then £2 million again in the last financial year. So, we want an assurance from Government, and we would want to see the Government showing evidence that you have done the work of researching into these plans before making that investment.
The Government, as I've seen in press reports, have said that you were aware that there were difficulties within the company and that you had been working with them for 18 months to try and work through those issues. Can you explain, perhaps, what kind of resources you provided to that end and why you didn't succeed in turning the situation around?
You mentioned the future of the workforce, and we hope very much, as you suggest, that the Government will turn every stone to ensure that there are employment opportunities for those who will lose their jobs. But the greatest question is on the future of the site. After such a substantial investment, then clearly it is a site that has brand new kit. I would assume that there would be potential to attract alternative investors to try and process milk on that site. I would want to hear what steps you are taking to attract those investors.
And the timing of going into the hands of administrators also means—it happened, in fact, just at the time when the farmers and milk producers were supposed to be provided with their cheques for milk provision in September. That means that the company has had six weeks of milk free of charge, and that will cause great losses to those farmers. So, what work is the Government doing to try and ensure that they will be paid, or receive some sort of payment, or at least be compensated in some way for that milk?
And what does this development tell us about the state of the milk processing sector in Wales? Last year, we lost Arla in Llandyrnog, now Tomlinsons in the same part of Wales, to all intents and purposes, has gone. The Government, and all of us, put great emphasis on the importance of developing a Welsh brand. Well, as a result of this, the milk won't be branded as Welsh milk but as British milk. So, it does, of course, undermine the efforts of Government to build the food and drink sector in Wales, and I want to know what you are doing to build a more viable dairy sector here in Wales.
Thank you for those questions. I share the Member's concern and frustration, but one could be forgiven for thinking, from