Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
11/02/2020Cynnwys
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.
Rwyf wedi derbyn cwestiwn brys, o dan Rheol Sefydlog 12.67, a dwi'n galw ar Janet Finch-Saunders i ofyn y cwestiwn brys.
I have accepted an emergency question under Standing Order 12.67, and I call on Janet Finch-Saunders to ask the emergency question.
A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ymdrechion Llywodraeth Cymru i leddfu’r sefyllfa sy’n wynebu trigolion Dyffryn Conwy yn dilyn y llifogydd diweddar? (EAQ0007)
Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh Government efforts to alleviate the situation facing residents in the Conwy Valley following recent floods? (EAQ0007)
I have today issued a written statement regarding flooding from storm Ciara. The impacts have been felt across Wales, in particular, in Llanrwst and Llanfair Talhaiarn. My sympathies are with those flooded anywhere in Wales, and I thank the local authorities, emergency services and Natural Resources Wales teams, working tirelessly in some appalling conditions to keep us safe. Where there has been flooding, local authorities now need the opportunity to investigate and report their findings. Our investment will continue to support local authorities and NRW to develop further flood alleviation schemes, where they will be effective at preventing future flooding.
Rwyf i wedi cyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig heddiw ynglŷn â llifogydd o storm Ciara. Teimlwyd yr effeithiau ledled Cymru, yn enwedig yn Llanrwst a Llanfair Talhaearn. Rwy'n cydymdeimlo â'r rhai sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd mewn unrhyw le yng Nghymru, a diolchaf i'r awdurdodau lleol, y gwasanaethau brys a thimau Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, a fu'n gweithio'n ddiflino o dan amodau ofnadwy i'n cadw ni'n ddiogel. Lle y bu llifogydd, mae awdurdodau lleol angen y cyfle nawr i ymchwilio ac adrodd ar eu canfyddiadau. Bydd ein buddsoddiad yn parhau i gefnogi awdurdodau lleol a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i ddatblygu rhagor o gynlluniau lliniaru llifogydd, lle y byddan nhw'n effeithiol o ran atal llifogydd yn y dyfodol.
Thank you, Minister. Yet again, Aberconwy, from Capel Curig to Deganwy, has been hit hard by flooding as a result of a storm Ciara. However, for my constituency, the shock and devastation is at its worst in Llanrwst, Trefriw and outlying areas. I was there yesterday, and saw first-hand the overwhelming damage that has been caused to many shops, businesses and residential properties, seeing individuals at a loss and feeling totally helpless as they fought to clear sewage and mud from their homes is heartbreaking, and constituents telling me again how distraught and vulnerable they feel, and that this is the worst flooding they have ever experienced, many having lived decades there. But at this point, however, I too would like to put on record my thanks to the emergency services, the local authority, and all residents for the selflessness that they have shown in trying to help each other, and the community, to deal with such devastation. It was remarkable to witness the community spirit that has arisen from such a disaster.
Minister, this is not the first time that I have raised the frequent flooding of the Conwy Valley with you. Just two weeks ago I submitted a written Assembly question asking what steps you were taking to hold an independent review of flood mitigation measures for the Conwy Valley. My reason was the frequency of these flood incidents in these parts. Now, you replied, stating that
'Natural Resources Wales reviewed the Conwy Valley flood alleviation scheme in 2018. The review confirmed communities in the Conwy Valley are benefiting from reduced flood risk as a result of the scheme at this time. There are no plans to carry out any further reviews.'
Now, Minister, it's flooded since 2018. As you well know, it flooded last year about this time. So, I consider that response to be woefully inadequate, and that it now certainly needs a rethink on your part.
So, question 1: can the Minister tell me why the usual flood warnings by NRW were not in place in adequate time, bearing in mind the numerous news bulletins that storm Ciara was on its way? Two: as this has now been considered a significant incident, what funding will be available from the Welsh Government to the local authority to assist with the clean-up, and how will this filter through to the very residents and businesses so badly affected? Very sadly, some of whom have no insurance because of the level of repeat flood incidents. Three: given the shocking state of events in these parts over the weekend, will you now review the advice given to you by NRW, and support the many calls within the community, and from elected Members, for an independent review of the mitigation flood measures in the Conwy Valley?
And, finally, will you come to Aberconwy, and will you visit with me some of those most affected by recent events? Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch, Gweinidog. Unwaith eto, mae Aberconwy, o Gapel Curig i Ddeganwy, wedi cael ei tharo'n galed gan lifogydd o ganlyniad i storm Ciara. Fodd bynnag, yn fy etholaeth i, mae'r sioc a'r dinistr ar eu gwaethaf yn Llanrwst, Trefriw a'r ardaloedd pellennig. Roeddwn i yno ddoe, a gwelais drosof fy hun y difrod aruthrol sydd wedi cael ei achosi i lawer o siopau, busnesau ac eiddo preswyl, ac mae gweld unigolion ar goll yn llwyr a theimlo'n gwbl ddiymadferth wrth iddyn nhw frwydro i glirio carthion a mwd o'u cartrefi yn dorcalonnus, ac etholwyr yn dweud wrthyf i eto pa mor drallodus a bregus y maen nhw'n teimlo, ac mai dyma'r llifogydd gwaethaf y maen nhw wedi eu dioddef erioed, a llawer ohonyn nhw wedi byw yno ers degawdau. Ond ar y pwynt hwn, fodd bynnag, hoffwn innau hefyd roi ar goedd fy niolch i'r gwasanaethau brys, yr awdurdod lleol, a'r holl drigolion am yr anhunanoldeb y maen nhw wedi ei ddangos wrth geisio helpu ei gilydd, a'r gymuned, i ymdopi â'r fath ddinistr. Roedd yn rhyfeddol gweld yr ysbryd cymunedol sydd wedi codi o'r fath drychineb.
Gweinidog, nid dyma'r tro cyntaf i mi godi llifogydd mynych Dyffryn Conwy gyda chi. Gwta bythefnos yn ôl, cyflwynais gwestiwn ysgrifenedig yn y Cynulliad yn gofyn pa gamau yr oeddech chi'n eu cymryd i gynnal adolygiad annibynnol o fesurau lliniaru llifogydd ar gyfer Dyffryn Conwy. Fy rheswm oedd mynychder yr achosion hyn o lifogydd yn yr ardaloedd hyn. Nawr, fe wnaethoch chi ateb, gan ddweud
Adolygwyd cynllun lliniaru llifogydd Dyffryn Conwy gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn 2018. Cadarnhaodd yr adolygiad bod cymunedau yn Nyffryn Conwy yn elwa ar lai o berygl o lifogydd o ganlyniad i'r cynllun ar hyn o bryd. Nid oes unrhyw gynlluniau i gynnal unrhyw adolygiadau pellach.
Nawr, Gweinidog, mae wedi dioddef llifogydd ers 2018. Fel y gwyddoch yn iawn, bu llifogydd y llynedd tua'r adeg hon. Felly, rwy'n credu bod yr ymateb hwnnw'n druenus o annigonol, a bod yn sicr angen i chi ei ailystyried nawr.
Felly, cwestiwn 1: a all y Gweinidog ddweud wrthyf i pam nad oedd rhybuddion llifogydd arferol Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ar waith mewn digon o bryd, o gofio'r bwletinau newyddion niferus bod storm Ciara ar ei ffordd? Dau: gan yr ystyriwyd erbyn hyn bod hwn yn ddigwyddiad sylweddol, pa gyllid fydd ar gael gan Lywodraeth Cymru i'r awdurdod lleol i helpu gyda'r gwaith glanhau, a sut y bydd hwn yn treiddio drwodd i'r union drigolion a busnesau y cafwyd effaith mor wael arnyn nhw? Yn anffodus iawn, nid oes gan rai ohonyn nhw yswiriant oherwydd lefel y digwyddiadau llifogydd ailadroddus. Tri: o ystyried y digwyddiadau ofnadwy yn yr ardal hon dros y penwythnos, a wnewch chi adolygu nawr y cyngor a roddwyd i chi gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, a chefnogi'r galwadau niferus yn y gymuned, a chan aelodau etholedig, am adolygiad annibynnol o'r mesurau lliniaru llifogydd yn Nyffryn Conwy?
Ac, yn olaf, a wnewch chi ddod i Aberconwy, ac a wnewch chi ymweld gyda mi â rhai o'r bobl y mae'r digwyddiadau diweddar wedi cael yr effaith fwyaf arnyn nhw? Diolch yn fawr.
Well, I will be visiting later this week. Whether I can attend with you or not depends on diaries, obviously, but I certainly will be visiting later this week myself.
I think you raised several issues that need addressing. So, you're quite right, I did answer you a couple of weeks ago, and, as I said, we did have a modelling review of the Conwy Valley. That was concluded in 2018. Now, I will be expecting, obviously, the local authority and NRW to look into what needs to be done, and they will bring forward recommendations. I'm not going to speculate on the causes. It does appear that many of our river defence schemes did their job. Of course, the river levels were incredibly high, so we need to look at the recommendations that come from both the local authority and NRW.
I think there are a lot of questions to be asked. I too received copies of correspondence from some of your constituents, and I notice you've been copied in as well—concerns around the responses that were taken up, and I think you need to have a look at that and maybe take up those issues with the local authority directly. We have put significant funding, as you know, into flood defences—over £350 million across Wales in this Assembly term. But, of course, whatever recommendations come from the investigations that NRW and the local authority are doing, I will seek to see what we can do to continue to support those areas.
I again thank everyone for their response to this at the weekend. I think you make a very important point about volunteers as well, and the community. And, certainly, watching news reports last night, that was very clear to see. But as I say, I will not speculate. What we need to do is look at what caused this, and have a look at any recommendations that come from the investigation.
Wel, byddaf yn ymweld yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon. Mae pa un a allaf i ddod gyda chi ai peidio yn dibynnu ar ddyddiaduron, yn amlwg, ond byddaf yn sicr yn ymweld yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon fy hunan.
Rwy'n credu eich bod chi wedi codi nifer o faterion y mae angen rhoi sylw iddyn nhw. Felly, rydych chi yn llygad eich lle, fe wnes i eich ateb chi wythnos neu ddwy yn ôl, ac, fel y dywedais, cawsom adolygiad modelu o Ddyffryn Conwy. Daeth hwnnw i ben yn 2018. Nawr, byddaf yn disgwyl, yn amlwg, i'r awdurdod lleol a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ymchwilio i'r hyn y mae angen ei wneud, a byddan nhw'n cyflwyno argymhellion. Nid wyf i'n mynd i ddyfalu ynghylch yr achosion. Mae'n ymddangos bod llawer o'n cynlluniau amddiffyn afonydd wedi gwneud eu gwaith. Wrth gwrs, roedd lefelau'r afon yn anhygoel o uchel, felly mae angen i ni edrych ar yr argymhellion a ddaw gan yr awdurdod lleol a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru.
Rwy'n credu bod llawer o gwestiynau i'w gofyn. Rwyf innau hefyd wedi cael copïau o ohebiaeth gan rai o'ch etholwyr, ac rwy'n sylwi eich bod chithau wedi cael copi hefyd—pryderon ynghylch yr ymatebion a dderbyniwyd, ac rwy'n credu bod angen i chi edrych ar hynny ac efallai rhoi sylw i'r materion hynny gyda'r awdurdod lleol yn uniongyrchol . Fel y gwyddoch, rydym ni wedi dyrannu cyllid sylweddol ar gyfer amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd—dros £350 miliwn ledled Cymru yn nhymor y Cynulliad hwn. Ond, wrth gwrs, pa bynnag argymhellion a ddaw o'r ymchwiliadau y mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r awdurdod lleol yn eu cynnal, byddaf yn ceisio gweld beth y gallwn ni ei wneud i barhau i gynorthwyo'r ardaloedd hynny.
Diolchaf eto i bawb am eu hymateb i hyn dros y penwythnos. Rwy'n credu eich bod chi'n gwneud pwynt pwysig iawn am wirfoddolwyr hefyd, a'r gymuned. Ac, yn sicr, o wylio adroddiadau newyddion neithiwr, roedd hynny'n amlwg iawn i'w weld. Ond fel y dywedais, nid wyf i'n mynd i ddyfalu. Yr hyn y mae angen i ni ei wneud yw edrych ar yr hyn a achosodd hyn, a chymryd golwg ar unrhyw argymhellion a ddaw o'r ymchwiliad.
Fyddech chi'n cytuno â fi, Weinidog, fod yr erydu sydd wedi bod ar gyllidebau awdurdodau lleol a Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn rhannol gyfrifol am y sefyllfa rŷn ni'n ffeindio ein hunain ynddi? Oherwydd, wrth gwrs, pethau fel glanhau afonydd a culverts ac yn y blaen sydd yn cael eu torri pan nad yw'r adnoddau dynol a'r cyllidebau yn eu lle. Ac mae hyn, wrth gwrs, yn ein hatgoffa ni o bwynt dwi wedi ei godi yn fan hyn ddegau o weithiau yn y misoedd diwethaf, ynglŷn â'r trajectory anghynaladwy yma sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd, lle mae awdurdodau lleol a Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru â disgwyliad arnyn nhw i wneud mwy a mwy—trwy Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, trwy Ddeddf Cynllunio (Cymru) 2015 ac yn y blaen—tra ar yr un pryd, wrth gwrs, mae eu cyllidebau nhw yn mynd yn llai ac yn llai. Felly, mae'n rhaid eich bod chi'n cydnabod bod y trajectory yna yn anghynaladwy, ac mae rhai o'r canlyniadau efallai, fel rŷn ni wedi ei weld yn y dyddiau diwethaf yma, yn anochel os ŷn ni'n mynd i barhau ar y trajectory yna. Gaf fi ofyn, felly, pa adnoddau ychwanegol y byddwch chi yn eu gwneud ar gael i awdurdodau lleol, yn enwedig y rhai sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio yn uniongyrchol gan ddigwyddiadau'r dyddiau diwethaf yma, ynghyd â Chyfoeth Naturiol Cymru?
Fyddech chi'n cytuno â fi hefyd fod yn rhaid inni newid y naratif? Mae pobl yn aml iawn yn dweud, 'O, mae'n costio gormod i ni fuddsoddi mewn atal llifogydd.' Mae'n rhaid inni newid y naratif, oherwydd y gost ormodol yw canlyniad y dinistr. Felly, buddsoddiad yw buddsoddi mewn mesurau i atal llifogydd, er mwyn arbed pres o beidio â gorfod delio â'r canlyniadau yn y pen draw. Felly dwi eisiau gwybod beth mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i newid y naratif yna, er mwyn sicrhau bod y gefnogaeth allan yn fanna inni fynd i'r afael â newid hinsawdd, i'r raddfa y dylem ni fod yn ei wneud.
Ac yn olaf, un o'r afonydd yn Nyffryn Conwy a wnaeth orlifo oedd Afon Cae Person, a'r afon honno, wrth gwrs, a effeithiodd ar Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy. Roedd yr ysgol ar gau ddoe; mae'r bloc mathemateg a thechnoleg yn dal i fod ar gau heddiw, ar gyfer glanhau a dad-gontamineiddio. Ysgol menter cyllid preifat yw Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy; nawr, mae'r cyngor, felly, wedi gwrthod cymryd cyfrifoldeb dros y glanhau a'r clirio, ac, o beth rwy'n ei ddeall, doedd Sodexo—y cwmni a fyddai â chyfrifoldeb—ddim wedi troi lan ddoe, ac, o ganlyniad, gofalwyr yr ysgol sydd wedi gorfod delio â'r ymdrech gychwynnol i lanhau. Felly, a allwch chi fy sicrhau i fod cwmnïau fel Sodexo yn gwbl glir am eu cyfrifoldebau, ac yn mynd i fod yn ymateb fel y dylen nhw? A pha sicrwydd allwch chi ei roi i fi fod yna sefydliadau ac adeiladau PFI eraill yng Nghymru sydd ddim yn mynd i ffeindio eu hunain o dan yr un anfantais yn y dyfodol?
Would you agree with me, Minister, that the erosion that there’s been in local authority budgets and Natural Resources Wales is partly responsible for the situation we find ourselves in? Because, of course, it’s things like cleaning rivers and culverts that are cut when human resources and budgets aren’t in place. And this, of course, reminds us of a point that I’ve raised here dozens of times over the past few months, on the unsustainable trajectory that we have at the moment, where local authorities and NRW have an expectation upon them to do more and more—through the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, through the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 and so and so forth—whilst, simultaneously, their budgets are getting smaller and smaller. So, you must recognise that that trajectory is unsustainable, and some of the outcomes, as we’ve perhaps seen over the past few days, are inevitable if we are to continue on that trajectory. May I ask, therefore, what additional resources will you make available to local authorities, particularly those directly affected by the events of the past few days, as well as NRW?
Would you also agree with me that we have to change the narrative? People very often say that it costs too much to invest in flood prevention. We have to change the narrative, because the unnecessary cost is the result of the destruction, so it’s an investment to invest in flood prevention measures in order to save money in not having to deal with the outcomes, ultimately. I want to know what the Government are doing to change that narrative, in order to ensure that the support is out there, so that we can tackle climate change to the extent that we should.
And finally, one of the rivers in the Conwy Valley that flooded was Afon Cae Person, and that river, of course, did have an impact on Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy. The school was closed yesterday; the maths and technology block is still closed today for the clean-up and decontamination. This is a private finance initiative school. Now, the council therefore has refused to take responsibility for the clean-up, and, from my understanding, Sodexo, the company that would be responsible, didn’t turn up yesterday, and, as a result, it was the school caretakers who had to deal with the initial clean-up attempts. So, can you give me an assurance that companies such as Sodexo are entirely clear on their responsibilities, and are going to be responding appropriately? What assurance can you give me that there are other PFI buildings in Wales that aren’t going to find themselves under the same disadvantage in future?
Well it's certainly not the Welsh Government narrative. As I said in my earlier answer to Janet Finch-Saunders, we have put significant funding into flood alleviation schemes right across Wales, so it's certainly not our narrative. And in relation to NRW, which I fund, they have had significant funding to address flooding issues. One of the issues NRW do have at the moment is making sure they have their full quota of staff in relation to this, and my officials have been working very closely to ensure that that happens. I mentioned in my earlier answer too about what needs to be done, and what funding needs to be done. We will wait for flood and water experts to inform us of what may be required. And, certainly, I will look to see what funding we have available when those recommendations come through.
In relation to, I think you said Dyffryn Conwy school—I wasn't aware of that, but I will ask the Minister for Education to take that issue up.
Wel, nid dyna naratif Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicr. Fel y dywedais yn fy ateb cynharach i Janet Finch-Saunders, rydym ni wedi dyrannu cyllid sylweddol i gynlluniau lliniaru llifogydd ledled Cymru, felly nid dyna ein naratif ni yn sicr. Ac yng nghyswllt Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, yr wyf i'n ei ariannu, maen nhw wedi cael cyllid sylweddol i fynd i'r afael â materion llifogydd. Un o'r problemau sydd gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ar hyn o bryd yw sicrhau bod ganddyn nhw eu cwota llawn o staff o ran y mater hwn, ac mae fy swyddogion i wedi bod yn gweithio'n agos iawn i sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd. Soniais yn fy ateb yn gynharach am yr hyn y mae angen ei wneud, a pha gyllid y mae angen ei roi. Byddwn yn aros i arbenigwyr llifogydd a dŵr ein hysbysu am yr hyn y gallai fod ei angen. Ac, yn sicr, byddaf yn edrych i weld pa gyllid sydd ar gael i ni pan ddaw'r argymhellion hynny i law.
O ran, Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy rwy'n credu y dywedasoch chi—nid oeddwn i'n ymwybodol o hynny, ond byddaf yn gofyn i'r Gweinidog Addysg roi sylw i'r mater hwnnw.
Minister, flooding is obviously very devastating, and having lived through the Towyn floods—the anniversary of which will be the thirtieth anniversary, just later this month—I can testify to the huge impact that it has and the lasting legacy that it has on any families, homes and businesses that have been affected.
The people of Llanfair Talhaiarn, in my constituency, have been affected by flooding for the third time in eight years, and that's in spite of a programme of improvement, which is already under way in that particular village. And, of course, over the weekend, we saw properties, not just in Llanfair T. H., in my constituency, but also in Llangernyw, Llansannan and in Colwyn Bay affected by flooding. I think it is a concern when we are told that properties are protected to a one in 75-year standard, which is what people were told in respect of Llanfair T. H., to find themselves flooded three times in eight years.
And I know that phase 2 of an improvement project is supposed to be under way. It was supposed to be scheduled, I think, to start this spring, but hasn't actually started, and I would question whether there needs now to be a rapid review of that particular project to make sure that it is going to be fit for purpose. As I understand it, there was a problem with the maintenance of the clearing of the Nant Barrog, which overflowed and flooded those homes in Llanfair T. H., and I think people will be looking as to why that maintenance regime has been insufficient to protect them this time around.
Now, clearly, you've already alluded to the fact that there will be investigations undertaken by the local authority and indeed Natural Resources Wales, but having seen a flooding event last year in April take place in Pensarn, in my constituency, we're still yet to see a copy of the investigation report arising from that particular event. So, how long will people have to wait before they understand why the flooding has occurred and whether there was mitigation that could have been undertaken in advance of these flooding events?
You've already been questioned on the emergency financial assistance scheme. I note that, in England, the UK Government has made available the Bellwin funding for local authorities that have been affected there by storm Ciara. Can I ask that you trigger the emergency financial assistance scheme, particularly for Conwy, given that it's experienced over the weekend the worst flooding since the Towyn floods thirty years ago? And can I also ask, in the wake of this, what discussions the Welsh Government might have with the Association of British Insurers in order to make sure that there are affordable premiums in place? Now, I know that there's a UK-wide programme called Flood Re, which tries to make the insurance premium affordable in areas of flood risk, but clearly that's reliant on a partnership between Governments and the insurance industry and an understanding as to the investment that might take place. So, I would like to know what direct discussions you're having with them, because some people are telling me that they're having problems now accessing affordable insurance, and that is a great concern to them.
So, will you release investment to assist local authorities through the emergency financial assistance scheme? What work are you doing with NRW to make sure that their modelling is accurate and not inaccurate, because that's what we've seen recently? And will you have those discussions with the Association of British Insurers to make sure that these reviews and investigations that are now undertaken are rapid and don't take too long?
Gweinidog, mae llifogydd yn amlwg yn drychinebus iawn, ac wedi byw drwy'r llifogydd yn Nhywyn—a bydd deg mlynedd ar hugain wedi mynd heibio ers y rheini, ychydig yn ddiweddarach y mis hwn—gallaf dystio i'r effaith enfawr y maen nhw'n ei chael a'r etifeddiaeth barhaus y maen nhw'n eu cael ar unrhyw deuluoedd, cartrefi a busnesau sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio.
Effeithiwyd ar bobl Llanfair Talhaearn, yn fy etholaeth i, gan lifogydd am y trydydd tro mewn wyth mlynedd, ac mae hynny er gwaethaf rhaglen o welliannau, sydd eisoes ar y gweill yn y pentref arbennig hwnnw. Ac, wrth gwrs, dros y penwythnos, gwelsom eiddo, nid yn unig yn Llanfair T. H., yn fy etholaeth i, ond hefyd yn Llangernyw, Llansannan ac ym Mae Colwyn a gafodd eu heffeithio gan lifogydd. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn bryder pan y dywedir wrthym ni bod eiddo'n cael ei warchod i safon unwaith mewn 75 mlynedd, sef yr hyn a ddywedwyd wrth bobl o ran Llanfair T. H., i ganfod eu hunain o dan ddŵr deirgwaith mewn wyth mlynedd.
Ac rwy'n gwybod bod ail gam prosiect gwella i fod ar y gweill. Roedd i fod i gael ei drefnu, rwy'n credu, i ddechrau'r gwanwyn hwn, ond nid yw wedi dechrau mewn gwirionedd, a byddwn yn gofyn a oes bellach angen adolygiad cyflym o'r prosiect penodol hwnnw i wneud yn siŵr ei fod yn mynd i fod yn addas i'w ddiben. Yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, roedd problem gyda chynnal a chadw'r gwaith o glirio Nant Barrog, a orlifodd gan achosi llifogydd yn y cartrefi hynny yn Llanfair T. H., ac rwy'n credu y bydd pobl yn edrych i weld pam na fu'r drefn cynnal a chadw honno'n ddigonol i'w diogelu y tro hwn.
Nawr, yn amlwg, rydych chi eisoes wedi cyfeirio at y ffaith y bydd ymchwiliadau'n cael eu cynnal gan yr awdurdod lleol ac, yn wir, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, ond ar ôl gweld llifogydd y llynedd ym mis Ebrill ym Mhensarn, yn fy etholaeth i, rydym ni eto i weld copi o adroddiad yr ymchwiliad a ddeilliodd o'r digwyddiad penodol hwnnw. Felly, am ba hyd y bydd yn rhaid i bobl aros cyn iddyn nhw ddeall pam mae'r llifogydd wedi digwydd a pha un a oedd mesurau lliniaru y gellid bod wedi eu cymryd cyn y llifogydd hyn?
Rydych chi eisoes wedi cael eich holi am y cynllun cymorth ariannol brys. Rwy'n sylwi bod Llywodraeth y DU, yn Lloegr, wedi sicrhau bod cyllid Bellwin ar gael i awdurdodau lleol y mae storm Ciara wedi effeithio arnyn nhw yn y fan honno. A gaf i ofyn i chi sbarduno'r cynllun cymorth ariannol brys, yn enwedig i Gonwy, o gofio ei fod wedi dioddef dros y penwythnos y llifogydd gwaethaf ers llifogydd Tywyn ddeng mlynedd ar hugain yn ôl? Ac a gaf i hefyd ofyn, yn sgil hyn, pa drafodaethau y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru eu cael gyda Chymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr bod premiymau fforddiadwy ar waith? Nawr, rwy'n gwybod bod rhaglen ar gyfer y DU gyfan o'r enw Flood Re, sy'n ceisio gwneud y premiwm yswiriant yn fforddiadwy mewn ardaloedd lle ceir perygl o lifogydd, ond yn amlwg mae hwnnw'n dibynnu ar bartneriaeth rhwng Llywodraethau a'r diwydiant yswiriant a dealltwriaeth o'r buddsoddiad a allai gael ei wneud. Felly, hoffwn i wybod pa drafodaethau uniongyrchol yr ydych chi'n eu cael gyda nhw, oherwydd mae rhai pobl yn dweud wrthyf i eu bod nhw'n cael problemau o ran cael yswiriant fforddiadwy bellach, ac mae hynny'n bryder mawr iddyn nhw.
Felly, a wnewch chi ryddhau buddsoddiad i gynorthwyo awdurdodau lleol drwy'r cynllun cymorth ariannol brys? Pa waith ydych chi'n ei wneud gyda Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i sicrhau bod eu gwaith modelu yn gywir ac nad yw'n anghywir, oherwydd dyna'r hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei weld yn ddiweddar? Ac a wnewch chi gael y trafodaethau hynny gyda Chymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain i wneud yn siŵr bod yr adolygiadau a'r ymchwiliadau hyn sy'n cael eu cynnal nawr yn gyflym ac nad ydyn nhw'n cymryd gormod o amser?
So, I think we all have to accept that we will see these sorts of events more frequently. This is clearly due to climate change, and I absolutely recognise the point that you make in relation to that. I've already asked officials to do a rapid review of any schemes—and we have many—in the pipeline to see what will need to be brought forward and we will do that alongside the investigation reports and the recommendations we receive.
You make a very pertinent point about insurance, and I do welcome that Flood Re is now operating right across the UK, and over 90 per cent of insurance companies do offer it for homes at high flood risk. But, of course, small businesses are not protected in that scheme, and legislation on financial services does remain a reserved matter and any costs associated with the fair delivery of that scheme rests with the UK Government. So, I will be taking that issue up also with the UK Government.
Felly, rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid i ni i gyd dderbyn y byddwn ni'n gweld y mathau hyn o ddigwyddiadau yn amlach. Mae hyn yn amlwg oherwydd y newid yn yr hinsawdd, ac rwy'n llwyr gydnabod y pwynt yr ydych chi'n ei wneud ynglŷn â hynny. Rwyf i eisoes wedi gofyn i swyddogion gynnal adolygiad cyflym o unrhyw gynlluniau—ac mae gennym ni lawer—sydd ar y gweill i weld beth y bydd angen ei gyflwyno a byddwn yn gwneud hynny ochr yn ochr â'r adroddiadau ymchwilio a'r argymhellion y byddwn ni'n eu cael.
Rydych chi'n gwneud pwynt perthnasol iawn ynglŷn ag yswiriant, ac rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod Flood Re yn gweithredu ledled y DU erbyn hyn, ac mae dros 90 y cant o gwmnïau yswiriant yn ei gynnig i gartrefi sydd mewn perygl mawr o lifogydd. Ond, wrth gwrs, nid yw busnesau bach yn cael eu gwarchod yn y cynllun hwnnw, ac mae deddfwriaeth ar wasanaethau ariannol yn dal i fod yn fater a gadwyd yn ôl ac mae unrhyw gostau sy'n gysylltiedig â darparu'r cynllun hwnnw yn deg yn nwylo Llywodraeth y DU. Felly, byddaf yn codi'r mater hwnnw gyda Llywodraeth y DU hefyd.
Flood problems aren't limited to the Conwy Valley or Llanrwst. We have problems with flooding throughout north Wales. In some cases, the flood problems are exacerbated by the actions of local authorities. So, how will you be working with local authorities to make sure that the things they do with the environment, such as tree felling, for instance, in the vicinity of roads and in areas that are prone to flooding—? How are you working with local authorities to make sure that their actions in the local environment actually help prevent flooding rather than exacerbate it?
Nid yw problemau llifogydd wedi'u cyfyngu i Ddyffryn Conwy na Llanrwst. Mae gennym ni broblemau gyda llifogydd ledled y gogledd. Mewn rhai achosion, mae'r problemau o ran llifogydd yn cael eu gwaethygu gan weithredoedd awdurdodau lleol. Felly, sut byddwch chi'n gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i wneud yn siŵr bod y pethau y maen nhw'n eu gwneud gyda'r amgylchedd, fel cwympo coed, er enghraifft, yng nghyffiniau ffyrdd ac mewn ardaloedd sy'n dueddol o ddioddef llifogydd—? Sut ydych chi'n gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i wneud yn siŵr bod eu gweithredoedd yn yr amgylchedd lleol yn helpu i atal llifogydd yn hytrach na'u gwaethygu?
Local authorities are a very important partner in all that we do to alleviate flood risk, and those sorts of conversations will take place, for instance, when we're looking at putting forward a flood-alleviation scheme. I know those discussions have taken place already. I think it's also really important to recognise the work that local authorities do at a time such as we've seen at the weekend; to ensure that sand bags, for instance, are brought forward. I know that some of the correspondence I've received from Janet Finch-Saunders's constituents has raised that issue. So, that's an ongoing discussion with officials.
Mae awdurdodau lleol yn bartner pwysig iawn ym mhopeth yr ydym ni'n ei wneud i liniaru'r perygl o lifogydd, a bydd y mathau hynny o sgyrsiau'n cael eu cynnal, er enghraifft, pan fyddwn ni'n edrych ar gyflwyno cynllun lliniaru llifogydd. Gwn fod y trafodaethau hynny wedi digwydd yn barod. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi hefyd yn bwysig iawn cydnabod y gwaith y mae awdurdodau lleol yn ei wneud ar adeg fel yr ydym ni wedi ei gweld dros y penwythnos; i sicrhau bod bagiau tywod, er enghraifft, yn cael eu darparu. Gwn fod rhywfaint o'r ohebiaeth yr wyf i wedi ei chael gan etholwyr Janet Finch-Saunders wedi codi'r mater hwnnw. Felly, mae honno'n drafodaeth barhaus gyda swyddogion.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan David Rees.
The next item is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from David Rees.
1. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i leihau llygredd diwydiannol? OAQ55106
1. What action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce industrial pollution? OAQ55106
Llywydd, the Welsh Government has provided the regulators with an extensive range of enforcement tools to reduce industrial pollution. We expect those powers to be used to prevent incidents from taking place and to take remedial action when incidents do occur.
Llywydd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu amrywiaeth eang o ddulliau gorfodi i'r rheoleiddwyr i leihau llygredd diwydiannol. Rydym ni'n disgwyl i'r pwerau hynny gael eu defnyddio i atal digwyddiadau ac i gymryd camau unioni pan geir digwyddiadau o'r fath.
Can I thank the First Minister for his answer in relation to that point? Last week, we had a debate here in the Chamber on air quality and a clean air Act, possibly. It focused very much on PM10s, PM2.5s and vehicle emissions, but of course industrial pollution is also added to that, particularly nuisance dust, which people might consider a harm to health but actually it also drives people's mental well-being downwards, as they come in, day after day, to see the mess outside their homes and in their properties and everywhere else. I've raised this many times in this Chamber, First Minister.
Now, we all understand the importance of industries to our local economies, but there's also a need for them to be responsible neighbours. As we have left the European Union and we are now looking at an environment Bill to come from the Welsh Government, there's an opportunity for us to actually look at regulations and improving environmental regulations. Strengthening them to ensure that the number of days that are seeing a breach to the level of safety standards is reduced; that Natural Resources Wales has more teeth so that they can actually take action when those neighbours are not responsible; and we can ensure that industries, such as the steelworks in my own constituency and others, are ensuring that they do not emit beyond the reasonable levels; and they do not have the impact upon our communities that is driving those communities downwards regarding mental health conditions.
I have so many constituents raising concerns about the pollution that, day after day after day, they're seeing. Sometimes, it's noise pollution as well. So, these are very important issues. Will you use the environment Bill to actually give us that strength to ensure that we can take action when necessary?
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ateb yng nghyswllt y pwynt hwnnw? Yr wythnos diwethaf, cawsom ddadl yma yn y Siambr ar ansawdd aer a Deddf aer glân, o bosibl. Canolbwyntiodd yn fawr ar allyriadau PM10, PM2.5 a cherbydau, ond wrth gwrs ychwanegir llygredd diwydiannol at hynny hefyd, yn enwedig llwch niwsans, y gallai pobl ei ystyried yn niwed i iechyd ond sydd hefyd yn gwaethygu llesiant meddyliol pobl, wrth iddyn nhw ddod i mewn, ddydd ar ôl dydd, i weld y llanast y tu allan i'w cartrefi ac yn eu heiddo ac ym mhob man arall. Rwyf i wedi codi hyn droeon yn y Siambr hon, Prif Weinidog.
Nawr, rydym ni i gyd yn deall pwysigrwydd diwydiannau i'n heconomïau lleol, ond mae angen iddyn nhw fod yn gymdogion cyfrifol hefyd. Gan ein bod ni wedi gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd a'n bod ni'n edrych nawr ar i Fil yr amgylchedd ddod gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ceir cyfle i ni edrych ar reoliadau a gwella rheoliadau amgylcheddol. Eu cryfhau nhw i sicrhau bod nifer y diwrnodau pan fo diffyg cydymffurfiad â'r lefel o safonau diogelwch yn cael ei lleihau; bod gan Gyfoeth Naturiol Cymru fwy o ddannedd fel y gallan nhw gymryd camau pan nad yw'r cymdogion hynny'n gyfrifol; ac y gallwn sicrhau bod diwydiannau, fel y gwaith dur yn fy etholaeth i fy hun ac eraill, yn sicrhau nad ydyn nhw'n allyrru y tu hwnt i'r lefelau rhesymol; ac nad ydyn nhw'n cael yr effaith ar ein cymunedau sy'n gwaethygu'r cymunedau hynny o ran cyflyrau iechyd meddwl.
Mae gen i gynifer o etholwyr sy'n codi pryderon am y llygredd y maen nhw'n ei weld ddydd ar ôl dydd ar ôl dydd. Weithiau, mae'n llygredd sŵn hefyd. Felly, mae'r rhain yn faterion pwysig iawn. A wnewch chi ddefnyddio Bil yr amgylchedd i roi'r cryfder hwnnw i ni i sicrhau y gallwn ni gymryd camau pan fo angen hynny?
I thank David Rees for those questions and recognise the extent to which he always speaks up, here on the floor of the Assembly, for the importance of the steel industry in his own constituency. But as he says, for that industry to be a good neighbour to those who live alongside it.
Of course, the environment legislation that we will bring forward will be an opportunity to look at the standards we have in place and the enforcement powers we have in place. In the immediate future, we are putting significant pressure on the UK Government to make sure that, for the industrial emissions directive, which currently governs emissions and industrial pollution, they commit to that continuing beyond the EU exit transition period.
And while that is going on, there are two other developments this year that I know will be of direct interest for David Rees's constituents: there's the draft clean air plan consultation going on until 10 March, where the Minister has already said she will look to see if regulators need further powers; and specifically in the Port Talbot context, Llywydd, there's an ongoing review of the short-term action plan, independently advised by the University of the West of England, carried out in consultation with Tata, NRW and Neath Port Talbot Council. Again, I know that the Minister has very specifically committed that nuisance dust, which as David Rees says causes distress to people who live in that locality, will be encompassed in that review.
Diolchaf i David Rees am y cwestiynau yna ac rwy'n cydnabod faint y mae bob amser yn siarad, yma ar lawr y Cynulliad, am bwysigrwydd y diwydiant dur yn ei etholaeth ei hun. Ond fel y dywed, i'r diwydiant hwnnw fod yn gymydog da i'r rhai sy'n byw wrth ei ochr.
Wrth gwrs, bydd y ddeddfwriaeth amgylcheddol y byddwn ni'n ei chyflwyno yn gyfle i edrych ar y safonau sydd gennym ni ar waith a'r pwerau gorfodi sydd gennym ni ar waith. Yn y dyfodol uniongyrchol, rydym ni'n rhoi pwysau sylweddol ar Lywodraeth y DU i wneud yn siŵr, ar gyfer y gyfarwyddeb allyriadau diwydiannol, sy'n llywodraethu allyriadau a llygredd diwydiannol ar hyn o bryd, eu bod nhw'n ymrwymo i barhau hynny y tu hwnt i gyfnod pontio ymadael â'r UE.
A thra bod hynny'n digwydd, ceir dau ddatblygiad arall eleni y gwn y byddan nhw o ddiddordeb uniongyrchol i etholwyr David Rees: ceir yr ymgynghoriad ar y cynllun aer glân drafft sy'n cael ei gynnal tan 10 Mawrth, lle mae'r Gweinidog eisoes wedi dweud y bydd yn edrych i weld a oes angen mwy o bwerau ar reoleiddwyr; ac yn benodol yng nghyd-destun Port Talbot, Llywydd, ceir adolygiad parhaus o'r cynllun gweithredu byrdymor, wedi'i gynghori'n annibynnol gan Brifysgol Gorllewin Lloegr, a gynhaliwyd mewn ymgynghoriad â Tata, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a Chyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot. Unwaith eto, gwn fod y Gweinidog wedi ymrwymo'n benodol iawn y bydd llwch niwsans, sy'n peri gofid i bobl sy'n byw yn yr ardal honno fel y mae David Rees yn ei ddweud, yn cael ei gynnwys yn yr adolygiad hwnnw.
First Minister, in the absence of a clean air Act, as you've indicated, we are to have a clean air plan, once the consultation finishes and you respond to it and then put it into effect. Central to the new regime will be prevention and control regulations that apply best available techniques, or BAT, for pollution control. Perhaps you could elaborate on what this is likely to be, because I do think we need a mixture of ensuring that our major industries themselves improve their own practices, but obviously there's an enforcement regime that ensures, if they don't do it voluntarily, they will be brought to book.
Prif Weinidog, yn absenoldeb Deddf aer glân, fel yr ydych chi wedi ei nodi, rydym ni'n mynd i gael cynllun aer glân, ar ôl i'r ymgynghoriad ddod i ben ac i chi ymateb iddo ac yna ei roi ar waith. Bydd rheoliadau atal a rheoli sy'n defnyddio'r technegau gorau sydd ar gael ar gyfer rheoli llygredd yn ganolog i'r drefn newydd . Efallai y gallech chi ymhelaethu ar beth y mae hyn yn debygol o fod, oherwydd rwy'n credu ein bod ni angen cymysgedd o sicrhau bod ein prif ddiwydiannau eu hunain yn gwella eu harferion eu hunain, ond yn amlwg mae trefn orfodi sy'n sicrhau, os nad ydyn nhw'n ei wneud o'u gwirfodd, y byddan nhw'n cael eu cosbi.
I thank David Melding for that. He's absolutely right: the polluter-pays principle is centrally important here. Industries that cause industrial pollution must take responsibility themselves for reducing that pollution. They must pay for the cost of regulation as well.
The best available techniques come under the industrial emissions directive and are the practical ways in which that directive is given force, because it requires companies that emit industrial pollution to demonstrate that they are taking advantage of the most recent techniques available to reduce environmental impact from their industrial activities.
As I said to David Rees, there is a job of work to be done in persuading the UK Government that that regime, which has served us well and can continue to do so even more effectively in the future, is not set aside when we leave the European Union, finally, at the end of this calendar year.
Diolchaf i David Melding am hynna. Mae'n hollol iawn: mae'r egwyddor mai'r llygrwr sy'n talu yn ganolog bwysig yn y fan yma. Mae'n rhaid i ddiwydiannau sy'n achosi llygredd diwydiannol gymryd cyfrifoldeb eu hunain am leihau'r llygredd hwnnw. Mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw dalu am y gost o reoleiddio hefyd.
Daw'r technegau gorau sydd ar gael o dan y gyfarwyddeb allyriadau diwydiannol a dyma'r dulliau ymarferol o roi grym i'r gyfarwyddeb honno, gan ei bod yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i gwmnïau sy'n allyrru llygredd diwydiannol ddangos eu bod nhw'n manteisio ar y technegau diweddaraf sydd ar gael i leihau'r effaith amgylcheddol o'u gweithgareddau diwydiannol.
Fel y dywedais wrth David Rees, mae gwaith i'w wneud i berswadio Llywodraeth y DU nad yw'r drefn honno, sydd wedi ein gwasanaethu'n dda ac a all barhau i wneud hynny hyd yn oed yn fwy effeithiol yn y dyfodol, yn cael ei rhoi o'r neilltu pan fyddwn ni'n gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, yn derfynol, ar ddiwedd y flwyddyn galendr hon.
I'm sure, First Minister, that you'll be aware of the recent fire at Kronospan in Chirk, an area that I represent in this Assembly. I'm told it's the seventeenth fire in around 18 years, although anecdotally local people are telling me that they happen even more often than that. Be that as it may, they're absolutely fed up with these kinds of incidents. There are big questions to be answered around this particular event: questions around why there was such a slow response in informing local people about the fire; why it took 48 hours for air pollution monitoring equipment to get to Chirk; and why the fire raged for so long. So, will you, as First Minister, set up an independent inquiry to answer some of these questions and give local residents the peace of mind that they deserve?
Rwy'n siŵr, Prif Weinidog, y byddwch chi'n ymwybodol o'r tân diweddar yn Kronospan yn y Waun, ardal yr wyf i'n ei chynrychioli yn y Cynulliad hwn. Rwy'n clywed mai dyma'r ail dân ar bymtheg mewn tua 18 mlynedd, er bod pobl leol yn dweud wrthyf i'n anecdotaidd eu bod nhw'n digwydd yn amlach na hynny hyd yn oed. Pa un a yw hynny'n wir ai peidio, maen nhw wedi syrffedu'n llwyr â'r mathau hyn o ddigwyddiadau. Mae cwestiynau mawr i'w hateb ynghylch y digwyddiad penodol hwn: cwestiynau ynghylch pam y cafwyd ymateb mor araf o ran rhoi gwybod i bobl leol am y tân; pam y cymerodd 48 awr i offer monitro llygredd aer gyrraedd y Waun; a pham yr oedd y tân ynghynn cyhyd. Felly, a wnewch chi, fel Prif Weinidog, sefydlu ymchwiliad annibynnol i ateb rhai o'r cwestiynau hyn a rhoi'r tawelwch meddwl y maen nhw'n ei haeddu i drigolion lleol?
I thank Llyr Gruffydd for that. I was indeed aware of the fire at the Kronospan site, because I know that my colleague Ken Skates, as the local Member, had met with the company and with Unite the Union, representing the workforce at the site, to find out from them the actions that they were taking. Wrexham County Borough Council was also represented at that meeting, because it is the local authority's responsibility now to investigate whether or not the constraints that are meant to operate around that site were properly in place at the time that the fire occurred. The county borough council must report on its investigations by the end of April of this year, and I think it is only fair to allow them to carry out that responsibility and to see what that report uncovers before we decide whether any further action is required.
Diolchaf i Llyr Gruffydd am hynna. Roeddwn i'n ymwybodol o'r tân ar safle Kronospan, oherwydd gwn fod fy nghyd-Weinidog, Ken Skates, fel yr Aelod lleol, wedi cyfarfod â'r cwmni a chydag Unite yr Undeb, gan gynrychioli'r gweithlu ar y safle, i gael gwybod ganddyn nhw am y camau yr oedden nhw'n yn eu cymryd. Cynrychiolwyd Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam yn y cyfarfod hwnnw hefyd, gan mai cyfrifoldeb yr awdurdod lleol nawr yw ymchwilio pa un a oedd y cyfyngiadau sydd i fod i weithredu o amgylch y safle hwnnw ar waith yn briodol ar adeg y tân hwnnw. Mae'n rhaid i'r cyngor bwrdeistref sirol adrodd ar ei ymchwiliadau erbyn diwedd mis Ebrill eleni, a chredaf nad yw ond yn deg caniatáu iddyn nhw gyflawni'r cyfrifoldeb hwnnw a gweld yr hyn y mae'r adroddiad hwnnw'n ei ddatgelu cyn i ni benderfynu a oes angen cymryd unrhyw gamau pellach.
2. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o'r gwelliannau a wnaed i'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf? OAQ55089
2. What assessment has the First Minister made of improvements to the health service over the past year? OAQ55089
I thank the Member for that question. Over the last 12 months, the Welsh NHS has treated more patients, more successfully, than at any time in its 70-year history. Record numbers of staff and record levels of investment lie behind these improvements.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, mae GIG Cymru wedi trin mwy o gleifion, yn fwy llwyddiannus, nag ar unrhyw adeg yn ei hanes o 70 mlynedd. Y nifer uchaf erioed o staff a'r lefelau uchaf erioed o fuddsoddiad yw'r sail i'r gwelliannau hyn.
I thank the First Minister for that reply, but I think most fair-minded people would say that that's a very partial answer to the question. The reality is that, in many respects, performance in the health service has got dramatically worse in the last 12 months. As far as Betsi Cadwaladr is concerned, a third of patients are now waiting over four hours for accident and emergency, compared with only 20 per cent four years ago; 22,000 patients have been left in the referral-to-treatment system over 36 weeks on recent figures, compared to only 15,000 six years ago; and there are many other failures that have regularly been shown up in this Chamber.
What's happened here is that we've normalised failure in the health service in Wales. It isn't the fault of those who work within the system; it's a failure of management and political control. Given that health consumes over half of the Welsh Government's budget, it's not just a failure of his Government that is involved here, but actually—in a growing number of people's minds—the failure of devolution itself. Is it any wonder, therefore, that 25 per cent of the people of Wales in a recent poll said that they thought that this place should be abolished? So, that, perhaps, will be his epitaph.
Diolchaf i'r Prif Weinidog am yr ateb yna, ond rwy'n credu y byddai'r rhan fwyaf o bobl deg eu barn yn dweud bod hwnna'n ateb rhannol iawn i'r cwestiwn. Y gwir yw bod perfformiad yn y gwasanaeth iechyd, mewn sawl ystyr, wedi gwaethygu'n sylweddol iawn yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. O ran Betsi Cadwaladr, mae traean o gleifion yn aros dros bedair awr am ddamweiniau ac achosion brys erbyn hyn, o'i gymharu â dim ond 20 y cant bedair blynedd yn ôl; mae 22,000 o gleifion wedi cael eu gadael yn y system atgyfeirio-i-driniaeth dros 36 wythnos ar sail ffigurau diweddar, o'i gymharu â dim ond 15,000 chwe blynedd yn ôl; a cheir llawer o fethiannau eraill y tynnwyd sylw atyn nhw yn rheolaidd yn y Siambr hon.
Yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn y fan yma yw ein bod ni wedi normaleiddio methiant yn y gwasanaeth iechyd yng Nghymru. Nid bai'r rhai sy'n gweithio yn y system yw hyn; mae'n fethiant rheoli a rheolaeth wleidyddol. O gofio bod iechyd yn llyncu dros hanner cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru, nid dim ond methiant ei Lywodraeth ef sydd dan sylw yn y fan yma, ond mewn gwirionedd—ym meddyliau nifer gynyddol o bobl—methiant datganoli ei hun. A oes unrhyw ryfedd, felly, bod 25 y cant o bobl Cymru wedi dweud mewn arolwg diweddar eu bod nhw'n credu y dylid diddymu'r lle hwn? Felly, dyna, efallai, fydd ei feddargraff ef.
Well, Llywydd, the Member repeats this week what he said last week. I repeat my advice to him then: he lectures us whenever he has the opportunity on respecting the referendum of 2016, but two referendums have established this institution. On both occasions, people in Wales decided to set up a Senedd for Wales and, on the second occasion, to radically strengthen the powers that are discharged here. That is the verdict of the people of Wales on devolution, and that's why we meet here to discharge their instructions.
As far as what fair-minded people would say about the health service—I don't know whether he was hoping to persuade us that he himself would be covered by that definition—let me say to him that last year's satisfaction survey of the health service in Wales, not carried out by the Welsh Government but carried out entirely independently, found that 93 per cent of people in Wales were satisfied by the service they received in primary care and 93 per cent were satisfied by the service they received when they last visited a hospital. That's what fair-minded people in Wales report.
Wel, Llywydd, mae'r Aelod yn ailadrodd yr wythnos hon yr hyn a ddywedodd yr wythnos diwethaf. Ailadroddaf innau fy nghyngor iddo bryd hynny: mae'n pregethu wrthym pryd bynnag y caiff y cyfle ar barchu'r refferendwm o 2016, ond mae dau refferendwm wedi sefydlu'r sefydliad hwn. Ar y ddau achlysur, penderfynodd pobl Cymru sefydlu Senedd i Gymru ac, ar yr ail achlysur, i gryfhau'n sylweddol y pwerau a gaiff eu gweithredu yn y fan yma. Dyna farn pobl Cymru ar ddatganoli, a dyna pam yr ydym ni'n cyfarfod yn y fan yma i ddilyn eu cyfarwyddiadau.
O ran yr hyn y byddai pobl deg eu barn yn ei ddweud am y gwasanaeth iechyd—nid wyf i'n gwybod a oedd yn gobeithio ein perswadio ni y byddai ef ei hun yn cael ei gynnwys yn y diffiniad hwnnw—gadewch i mi ddweud wrtho fod arolwg boddhad y llynedd o'r gwasanaeth iechyd yng Nghymru, na chynhaliwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru ond a gynhaliwyd yn gwbl annibynnol, wedi canfod bod 93 y cant o bobl Cymru yn fodlon gyda'r gwasanaeth a gawsant mewn gofal sylfaenol a bod 93 y cant yn fodlon gyda'r gwasanaeth a gawsant pan wnaethon nhw ymweld ag ysbyty ddiwethaf. Dyna'r hyn y mae pobl deg eu barn yn ei feddwl yng Nghymru.
A shortage of A&E consultants has been cited as the primary reason for the Cwm Taf health board proposing to cut our A&E services, and the shortage is part of a UK trend, so we're told. The implications of centralisation, such as increased travel times, high levels of ill health, or the overcrowding at other hospitals, seem to be secondary considerations.
With that in mind, I want to ask you about publicly available figures showing A&E consultant numbers across the various health boards since 2013, the year before the decisions were taken as part of the south Wales programme. The figures show three health boards significantly increased A&E consultants between 2013 and 2018. Aneurin Bevan health board added a third more A&E consultants. Cardiff and the Vale increased their A&E consultant numbers by more than 50 per cent. Neither health board has a consultant-led A&E unit under threat.
Does this not show that the Labour Government-backed south Wales programme was a self-fulfilling prophecy? That programme has acted as a block on recruitment and explains why both yourselves and the health board have failed to fill consultant vacancies at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. Given those failures, will you now commit as First Minister and leader of this Labour Government that 24-hour consultant-led services will be maintained at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital? You can give that commitment and you can give our A&E a future. Will you do that now?
Nodwyd prinder meddygon ymgynghorol damweiniau ac achosion brys fel y prif reswm pam mae bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf yn cynnig torri ein gwasanaethau damweiniau ac achosion brys, ac mae'r prinder yn rhan o duedd yn y DU, o'r hyn a ddywedir wrthym ni. Mae'n ymddangos bod goblygiadau canoli, fel amseroedd teithio hwy, lefelau uchel o afiechyd, neu orlenwi mewn ysbytai eraill yn ystyriaethau eilaidd.
Gyda hynny mewn golwg, hoffwn ofyn i chi am ffigurau sydd ar gael yn gyhoeddus sy'n dangos nifer y meddygon ymgynghorol damweiniau ac achosion brys ar draws y gwahanol fyrddau iechyd ers 2013, y flwyddyn cyn i'r penderfyniadau gael eu gwneud yn rhan o raglen de Cymru. Mae'r ffigurau yn dangos bod tri bwrdd iechyd wedi cynyddu nifer y meddygon ymgynghorol damweiniau ac achosion brys yn sylweddol rhwng 2013 a 2018. Ychwanegodd bwrdd iechyd Aneurin Bevan draean yn fwy o feddygon ymgynghorol damweiniau ac achosion brys. Cynyddodd Caerdydd a'r Fro nifer eu meddygon ymgynghorol damweiniau ac achosion brys gan fwy na 50 y cant. Nid oes gan yr un o'r ddau fwrdd iechyd uned damweiniau ac achosion brys dan arweiniad meddygon ymgynghorol sydd o dan fygythiad.
Onid yw hyn yn dangos bod rhaglen de Cymru a gefnogwyd gan Lywodraeth Lafur yn broffwydoliaeth hunangyflawnol? Mae'r rhaglen honno wedi gweithredu fel rhwystr o ran recriwtio ac mae'n esbonio pam yr ydych chi a'r bwrdd iechyd wedi methu â llenwi swyddi meddygon ymgynghorol gwag yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg. O ystyried y methiannau hynny, a wnewch chi ymrwymo nawr fel Prif Weinidog ac arweinydd y Llywodraeth Lafur hon y bydd gwasanaethau 24 awr dan arweiniad meddygon ymgynghorol yn cael eu cadw yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg? Gallwch chi roi'r ymrwymiad hwnnw a gallwch chi roi dyfodol i'n hadran damweiniau ac achosion brys. A wnewch chi hynny nawr?
Well, Llywydd, what the figures quoted by Leanne Wood demonstrate is that this is a mobile workforce in a shortage profession where people who are able to be A&E consultants themselves make decisions about where they go to work. Nobody, neither she nor I, is in a position to direct people to take up jobs. People apply and they decide. As you have seen, people do that. That's just the nature of the way that people are recruited in a shortage profession. [Interruption.]
It would help a lot, I think, if Members were willing to listen to the answer rather than shouting across it all the time. That's three Members on the Plaid Cymru benches who have tried to interrupt me in this one answer.
So, there's a mobile workforce and people go to jobs that they decide to apply for. The south Wales programme to which Leanne Wood referred was a massive clinically led programme that had buy-in from health boards and clinicians right across south Wales. It was not a programme led by the Government; it was a programme led by doctors and clinicians in the health service. And the answer, in the position of the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, at the end is—when clinicians have had the advice they need, when they've answered the questions that they need to answer—that that is a decision that is best made by doctors and not a decision made by politicians.
Wel, Llywydd, yr hyn y mae'r ffigurau a ddyfynnwyd gan Leanne Wood yn ei ddangos yw bod hwn yn weithlu symudol mewn proffesiwn lle ceir prinder lle mae pobl sy'n gallu bod yn feddygon ymgynghorol damweiniau ac achosion brys eu hunain yn gwneud penderfyniadau ynghylch ble maen nhw'n mynd i weithio. Nid oes neb, nid hi na minnau, mewn sefyllfa i gyfarwyddo pobl i gymryd swyddi. Mae pobl yn gwneud cais a nhw sy'n penderfynu. Fel yr ydych chi wedi gweld, mae pobl yn gwneud hynny. Dyna natur y ffordd y caiff pobl eu recriwtio mewn proffesiwn lle ceir prinder. [Torri ar draws.]
Byddai'n helpu'n fawr, rwy'n credu, pe byddai Aelodau yn fodlon gwrando ar yr ateb yn hytrach na gweiddi ar ei draws drwy'r amser. Dyna dri aelod ar feinciau Plaid Cymru sydd wedi ceisio torri ar fy nhraws i yn ystod yr un ateb hwn.
Felly, ceir gweithlu symudol ac mae pobl yn mynd i swyddi y maen nhw'n penderfynu ymgeisio amdanyn nhw. Roedd rhaglen de Cymru, y cyfeiriodd Leanne Wood ati, yn rhaglen enfawr dan arweiniad clinigol a gefnogwyd gan fyrddau iechyd a chlinigwyr ledled de Cymru gyfan. Nid oedd yn rhaglen dan arweiniad y Llywodraeth; roedd yn rhaglen a arweiniwyd gan feddygon a chlinigwyr yn y gwasanaeth iechyd. A'r ateb, yn sefyllfa Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg, yn y pen draw—pan fydd clinigwyr wedi cael y cyngor sydd ei angen arnyn nhw, pan fyddan nhw wedi ateb y cwestiynau y mae angen iddyn nhw eu hateb—yw bod hwnnw yn benderfyniad y mae meddygon yn y sefyllfa orau i'w wneud, ac nad yw'n benderfyniad i'w wneud gan wleidyddion.
First Minister, work is now well underway on the new £4 million Mountain Ash primary healthcare centre, and this is great news for the local community, bringing a range of services together and replacing existing GP facilities that were outdated and, frankly, not fit for purpose. In what other ways is the Welsh Government supporting to help deliver improvements to primary healthcare in the Cynon Valley?
Prif Weinidog, mae'r gwaith wedi hen ddechrau erbyn hyn ar ganolfan gofal iechyd sylfaenol newydd gwerth £4 miliwn yn Aberpennar, ac mae hyn yn newyddion gwych i'r gymuned leol, gan ddod ag amrywiaeth o wasanaethau at ei gilydd a disodli'r cyfleusterau meddygon teulu presennol a oedd wedi dyddio ac, a dweud y gwir, ddim yn addas i'w diben. Ym mha ffyrdd eraill y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynorthwyo i helpu i sicrhau gwelliannau i ofal iechyd sylfaenol yng Nghwm Cynon?
I thank Vikki Howells for that, Llywydd. I was being told just a couple of days ago, by the leader of RCT council, about the excitement that the new £4 million health centre is creating in Mountain Ash, one of 19 new primary care centres that this Government is funding during this Assembly term. It will bring together current GP surgeries in a new facility that, as well as providing better facilities for existing staff, will allow that centre to attract that wider range of clinical professionals that we know are required to go on sustaining primary care all across Wales. It will be a multidisciplinary team in the new Mountain Ash primary care centre, and that will guarantee that services for people in that community will be safe, secure, and sustainable for years to come.
Diolchaf i Vikki Howells am hynna, Llywydd. Cefais wybod ychydig ddyddiau yn ôl, gan arweinydd cyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf, am y cyffro y mae'r ganolfan iechyd newydd gwerth £4 miliwn yn ei greu yn Aberpennar, un o 19 o ganolfannau gofal sylfaenol newydd y mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn eu hariannu yn ystod tymor y Cynulliad hwn. Bydd yn dod â meddygfeydd teulu presennol at ei gilydd mewn cyfleuster newydd a fydd, yn ogystal â darparu gwell cyfleusterau i staff presennol, yn caniatáu i'r ganolfan honno ddenu'r amrywiaeth ehangach honno o weithwyr proffesiynol clinigol yr ydym ni'n gwybod sydd ei hangen i barhau i gynnal gofal sylfaenol ar draws Cymru gyfan. Bydd yn dîm amlddisgyblaethol yng nghanolfan gofal sylfaenol newydd Aberpennar, a bydd hynny'n sicrhau y bydd gwasanaethau i bobl yn y gymuned honno yn ddiogel ac yn gynaliadwy am flynyddoedd i ddod.
Cwestiynau gan arweinwyr y pleidiau nawr. Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Questions from the party leaders. Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.
Gerry Adams.
Gerry Adams.
Will you sack the chief whip?
A wnewch chi ddiswyddo'r prif chwip?
Sorry, I didn't hear, either. And if the leader of the Brexit Party could be silent, then maybe we could have heard the question.
Mae'n ddrwg gennyf i, ni wnes innau glywed, ychwaith. A phe gallai arweinydd plaid Brexit fod yn ddistaw, yna efallai y gallem ni fod wedi clywed y cwestiwn.
Will you sack the chief whip?
A wnewch chi ddiswyddo'r prif chwip?
No.
Na wnaf.
Your predecessor had to face a similar predicament, of course, when Leighton Andrews campaigned against a school closure in his constituency. He did then resign. The similarities between the two cases are much more striking than any differences, though the protest there was outside the Senedd, not in the constituency.
The Labour source quoted by the BBC today says that this is a clear breach of the ministerial code. Now, I completely understand why Labour backbench Members want to campaign against health closures under your Government, but surely the position of Ministers is different. Accountability for the health service must lie with Ministers collectively in the Welsh Government, otherwise what is the point of the Welsh Government? And in seeking to have it both ways, in enforcing a self-denying ordinance when it comes to ministerial intervention in the case of A&E at the Royal Glamorgan, but giving carte blanche to Ministers when it is politically convenient to intervene in relation to constituency matters, you're eroding trust in politics and in this institution. So, I ask you again, First Minister: will you remove the chief whip from Government, or are you saying that what she has said on the ward closure now reflects Government policy?
Bu'n rhaid i'ch rhagflaenydd wynebu sefyllfa debyg, wrth gwrs, pan ymgyrchodd Leighton Andrews yn erbyn cau ysgol yn ei etholaeth ef. Fe wnaeth ef ymddiswyddo wedyn. Mae'r tebygrwydd rhwng y ddau achos yn llawer mwy trawiadol nag unrhyw wahaniaethau, er bod y brotest honno y tu allan i'r Senedd, nid yn yr etholaeth.
Mae'r ffynhonnell Lafur a ddyfynnwyd gan y BBC heddiw yn dweud bod hwn yn achos amlwg o dorri cod y gweinidogion. Nawr, rwy'n deall yn llwyr pam mae Aelodau meinciau cefn Llafur yn dymuno ymgyrchu yn erbyn cau cyfleusterau iechyd o dan eich Llywodraeth chi, ond does bosib nad yw sefyllfa Gweinidogion yn wahanol. Mae'n rhaid i atebolrwydd am y gwasanaeth iechyd fod gyda Gweinidogion yn gyfunol yn Llywodraeth Cymru, neu beth yw diben Llywodraeth Cymru fel arall? A thrwy geisio ei chael hi bob ffordd, trwy orfodi gorchymyn hunanwadu pan ddaw'n fater o ymyrraeth weinidogol yn achos adran damweiniau ac achosion brys Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg, ond rhoi rhwydd hynt i Weinidogion pan fo'n wleidyddol gyfleus i ymyrryd o ran materion etholaeth, rydych chi'n erydu ymddiriedaeth mewn gwleidyddiaeth ac yn y sefydliad hwn. Felly, gofynnaf i chi eto, Prif Weinidog: a wnewch chi ddiswyddo'r prif chwip o'r Llywodraeth, neu a ydych chi'n dweud bod yr hyn y mae hi wedi ei ddweud am gau'r ward yn adlewyrchu polisi'r Llywodraeth erbyn hyn?
Well, Llywydd, I've seldom heard more nonsense spoken in this Assembly. Now, I took the trouble to bring the ministerial code with me. I don't suppose the Member took the trouble to read it; he's not a man for detail, as we know. But let me acquaint him with the detail of the ministerial code. Here it is—he groans at the thought of being informed so that he can ask a better question next time because his question this afternoon is just—. The minute you look at the ministerial code, you will see that his question has absolutely no substance at all. Here is paragraph 4.7 in the ministerial code:
'Ministers are free to make their views about constituency matters known'.
They can do it by writing to the responsible Minister, by leading deputations or by personal interview. What the Member for the Vale of Glamorgan did is entirely consistent with the ministerial code. I know because I took the trouble to check it before this afternoon. And let me tell you this: you aren't a Government Minister for 20 years in devolution without understanding what you can and cannot do in your constituency and ministerial capacities, and the Member for the Vale of Glamorgan has a better understanding in her little finger of the probity and decency required of Ministers than his question this afternoon demonstrates for a moment.
Wel, Llywydd, nid wyf i'n aml wedi clywed mwy o lol yn cael ei siarad yn y Cynulliad hwn. Nawr, fe es i'r drafferth o ddod â chod y gweinidogion gyda mi. Nid wyf i'n tybio bod yr Aelod wedi mynd i'r drafferth i'w ddarllen; nid yw'n hoff o fanylion, fel y gwyddom. Ond gadewch i mi ei ymgyfarwyddo â manylion cod y gweinidogion. Dyma ni—mae'n gruddfan at y syniad o gael ei hysbysu fel y gall ofyn cwestiwn gwell y tro nesaf oherwydd mai ei gwestiwn y prynhawn yma yn—. Y funud yr edrychwch chi ar god y gweinidogion, byddwch yn gweld nad oes dim sylwedd i'w gwestiwn o gwbl. Dyma baragraff 4.7 yng nghod y gweinidogion:
'Mae rhwydd hynt i'r Gweinidogion fynegi barn am faterion etholaethol'.
Cânt wneud hynny drwy ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog cyfrifol, drwy arwain dirprwyaethau neu drwy gyfweliad personol. Mae'r hyn a wnaeth yr Aelod dros Fro Morgannwg yn gwbl gyson â chod y gweinidogion. Rwy'n gwybod hynny gan fy mod i wedi mynd i'r drafferth i'w wirio cyn y prynhawn yma. A gadewch i mi ddweud hyn wrthych chi: nid ydych chi'n Weinidog yn y Llywodraeth am 20 mlynedd o ddatganoli heb ddeall yr hyn y cewch ac na chewch ei wneud yn eich swyddogaethau etholaethol a gweinidogol, ac mae gan yr Aelod dros Fro Morgannwg well dealltwriaeth yn ei bys bach o'r gonestrwydd a'r gwedduster sy'n ofynnol gan Weinidogion nag y mae ei gwestiwn ef y prynhawn yma yn ei ddangos am ennyd.
Yes, I did take the opportunity to read the ministerial code, and it's quite clear in the ministerial code that Ministers cannot campaign against Government policy. This ward closure was a direct result of your own Government policy. That's the point. You're in danger, on the NHS, of turning double standards into an art form, of having your cake as a Government and eating it as an opposition. It's your policy that led to this proposed closure. The chief whip is campaigning against your own Government policy. In other Parliaments, in other contexts, as chief whip, she'd have to have a stern word with herself; maybe remove the whip from herself. You couldn't make it up, First Minister, except that you do, time after time, when it's politically expedient to do so. Whatever happened to collective responsibility?
Do, fe wnes i fanteisio ar y cyfle i ddarllen cod y gweinidogion, ac mae'n eithaf eglur yng nghod y gweinidogion na chaiff Gweinidogion ymgyrchu yn erbyn polisi'r Llywodraeth. Roedd cau'r ward hon yn ganlyniad uniongyrchol i bolisi eich Llywodraeth chi. Dyna'r pwynt. Rydych chi mewn perygl, o ran y GIG, o droi safonau dwbl yn gelfyddyd, o'i chael hi un ffordd fel Llywodraeth a'r ffordd arall fel gwrthblaid. Eich polisi chi arweiniodd at y cau arfaethedig hwn. Mae'r prif chwip yn ymgyrchu yn erbyn polisi eich Llywodraeth eich hun. Mewn Seneddau eraill, mewn cyd-destunau eraill, fel prif chwip, byddai'n rhaid iddi gael gair llym gyda'i hun; cymryd y chwip oddi wrthi ei hun efallai. Ni allech chi wneud y peth i fyny, Prif Weinidog, heblaw eich bod chi yn gwneud hynny, dro ar ôl tro, pan fydd hi'n wleidyddol gyfleus i wneud hynny. Beth yn y byd ddigwyddodd i gydgyfrifoldeb?
Well, the truth, Llywydd, is that I'm not making it up, but he certainly is. There is no conflict at all. The ministerial code—. Llywydd, let me just explain to the Member just one more time. What is at the heart of the ministerial code is this: nobody's constituents should be advantaged because their elected Member is a Minister; nobody's constituents should be disadvantaged because their elected Member is a Minister, and Ministers are completely free, in the terms of the code, to act as the Member for the Vale of Glamorgan did on this occasion.
Five different times during the period of this institution, constituents in that part of Wales have had an opportunity to choose their representative, and they've chosen the same person every time. I think they will go on doing that, because they know that she understands how she can best represent their interests and be a Minister, and a very effective Minister in the Welsh Government, and nothing at all that has been said this afternoon casts any doubt at all on her actions.
Wel, y gwir, Llywydd, yw nad wyf i'n ei wneud i fyny, ond mae e'n sicr yn gwneud hynny. Nid oes unrhyw wrthdaro o gwbl. Mae cod y gweinidogion—. Llywydd, gadewch i mi esbonio i'r Aelod dim ond un waith eto. Yr hyn sydd wrth wraidd cod y gweinidogion yw hyn: ni ddylai etholwyr unrhyw un fod o dan anfantais oherwydd bod eu Haelod etholedig yn Weinidog; ni ddylai etholwyr unrhyw un fod o dan anfantais oherwydd bod eu Haelod etholedig yn Weinidog, ac mae Gweinidogion yn gwbl rydd, o ran y cod, i ymddwyn fel y gwnaeth yr Aelod dros Fro Morgannwg y tro hwn.
Bum gwaith ar wahân yn ystod cyfnod y sefydliad hwn, mae etholwyr yn y rhan honno o Gymru wedi cael cyfle i ddewis eu cynrychiolydd, ac maen nhw wedi dewis yr un person bob tro. Rwy'n credu y byddan nhw'n parhau i wneud hynny, gan eu bod nhw'n gwybod ei bod hi'n deall y ffordd orau iddi gynrychioli eu buddiannau a bod yn Weinidog, ac yn Weinidog effeithiol iawn yn Llywodraeth Cymru, ac nid oes dim byd o gwbl a ddywedwyd y prynhawn yma yn bwrw unrhyw amheuaeth o gwbl ar ei gweithredoedd.
Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Paul Davies.
Leader of the opposition, Paul Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, what specific actions is your Government now taking to support the more than 12,000 survivors of domestic abuse in Wales?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, pa gamau penodol y mae eich Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd nawr i gynorthwyo'r mwy na 12,000 o oroeswyr cam-drin domestig yng Nghymru?
I thank the Member for that important question. The Welsh Government has taken a series of actions, following the passage of the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015 put on the statute book here. We have trained record numbers of staff in public services to make sure that they are able to ask and act, as we say, to make sure that people recognise the potential of domestic violence, to ask people whether that has been part of their experience and then to act on it. We have provided funding, both for the training of public sector workers, but also for services of people who find themselves victims of domestic violence. As the Member will know, the fourth phase of a very successful awareness campaign on coercive control was launched at the start of this year, and we look forward to that campaign having even further success beyond the success it demonstrated in 2019.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn pwysig yna. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cymryd cyfres o gamau, yn dilyn hynt Deddf Trais yn erbyn Menywod, Cam-drin Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol (Cymru) 2015 a roddwyd ar y llyfr statud yn y fan yma. Rydym ni wedi hyfforddi'r nifer fwyaf erioed o staff mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus i wneud yn siŵr eu bod nhw'n gallu gofyn a gweithredu, fel y dywedwn, i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn cydnabod potensial trais yn y cartref, i ofyn i bobl a yw hynny wedi bod yn rhan o'u profiad ac yna i weithredu arno. Rydym ni wedi darparu cyllid, ar gyfer hyfforddi gweithwyr sector cyhoeddus, ond hefyd ar gyfer gwasanaethau pobl sy'n eu canfod eu hunain yn ddioddefwyr trais domestig. Fel y bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, lansiwyd pedwerydd cam ymgyrch ymwybyddiaeth lwyddiannus iawn ar reolaeth gymhellol ddechrau'r flwyddyn eleni, ac edrychwn ymlaen at weld yr ymgyrch honno yn llwyddo ymhellach y tu hwnt i'r llwyddiant a ddangosodd yn 2019.
Of course, First Minister, it's been four years since the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015 came into force. I asked you earlier about what specific actions your Government is now taking to support survivors, because, at the end of last year, the Auditor General for Wales's report into domestic abuse made several recommendations on improving services for people going through domestic abuse. Now, crucial in providing the right support is mapping an accurate picture of service provision and ensuring a joint pathway of support, so that survivors don't have to navigate a complex and fragmented system.
The auditor general reported that there was a postcode lottery of provision, with some survivors stating that they were overwhelmed by the number of agencies, while some fell through the gaps, and some have reported inconsistencies in information from different agencies. Of major concern was the 431 survivors who were not able to access a refuge. Now, shortly after the report was published, your Government stated that it welcomed the report and its recommendations, but you needed time to reflect on those recommendations. Can you therefore tell us when you will be responding to this report, given that you've had nearly three months to respond to it? Can you also give us an indication of what you'll do differently as a Government in light of this particular report?
Wrth gwrs, Prif Weinidog, mae pedair blynedd wedi mynd heibio ers i Ddeddf Trais yn erbyn Menywod, Cam-drin Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol (Cymru) 2015 ddod i rym. Gofynnais i chi yn gynharach am ba gamau penodol y mae eich Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd nawr i gefnogi goroeswyr, oherwydd, ddiwedd y llynedd, gwnaeth adroddiad Archwilydd Cyffredinol Cymru ar gam-drin domestig sawl argymhelliad ar wella gwasanaethau i bobl sy'n dioddef cam-drin domestig. Nawr, yn hollbwysig wrth ddarparu'r cymorth cywir mae mapio darlun cywir o'r ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau a sicrhau llwybr cymorth ar y cyd, fel nad oes yn rhaid i oroeswyr lywio system gymhleth a thameidiog.
Dywedodd yr Archwilydd Cyffredinol bod loteri cod post o ran darpariaeth, gyda rhai goroeswyr yn dweud eu bod yn cael eu llethu gan nifer yr asiantaethau, tra bod rhai'n syrthio drwy'r bylchau, ac mae rhai wedi hysbysu am anghysondebau mewn gwybodaeth gan wahanol asiantaethau. O bryder mawr oedd y 431 o oroeswyr nad oedden nhw'n gallu cael gafael ar loches. Nawr, yn fuan ar ôl cyhoeddi'r adroddiad, dywedodd eich Llywodraeth chi ei bod yn croesawu'r adroddiad a'i argymhellion, ond bod angen amser arnoch chi i fyfyrio ar yr argymhellion hynny. A allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni, felly, pryd y byddwch chi'n ymateb i'r adroddiad hwn, o gofio eich bod chi wedi cael bron i dri mis i ymateb iddo? Ac a allwch chi roi syniad i ni hefyd o'r hyn y byddwch chi'n ei wneud yn wahanol fel Llywodraeth yng ngoleuni'r adroddiad arbennig hwn?
I thank the Member for those important follow-up questions. The Government's response to the report has already begun to be formulated. We will draw together all the different threads in a more formal way, but the national advisers' quarterly report, which was a request of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee— that our national advisers, the two of them, publish their reports on the Welsh Government now every quarter, not just annually—their quarterly report in December demonstrated a series of actions that they and the Welsh Government are taking to respond to some of those important points in the WAO report, particularly about complexity, particularly about the difficulty that individuals can have in navigating their way to where help might be available for them. That quarterly report demonstrates the additional activity that has been carried out on regional collaboration and on aligning devolved and non-devolved responsibilities. It shows three workshops that are being carried out in January to March of this year, each one of which will be chaired by one of the national advisers.
They are reviewing all the local strategies that have now been submitted under the Act. They are working with Public Health Wales and with police and crime commissioners in order to make sure that the real efforts that are being made by public services in Wales to respond to this agenda can be co-ordinated better, and simplified from the point of view of the user, to make sure that anybody who is in need of help in this very serious policy area can find their way to that help as fast and as easily as possible.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiynau dilynol pwysig hynna. Mae ymateb y Llywodraeth i'r adroddiad eisoes wedi dechrau cael ei lunio. Byddwn yn tynnu'r holl wahanol linynnau at ei gilydd mewn ffordd fwy ffurfiol, ond dangosodd adroddiad chwarterol y cynghorwyr cenedlaethol, a oedd yn gais gan y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb, Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau—bod ein cynghorwyr cenedlaethol, y ddau ohonyn nhw, yn cyhoeddi eu hadroddiadau ar Lywodraeth Cymru bob chwarter nawr, nid yn unig bob blwyddyn—dangosodd eu hadroddiad chwarterol ym mis Rhagfyr gyfres o gamau y maen nhw a Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i ymateb i rai o'r pwyntiau pwysig hynny yn adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, yn enwedig ynghylch cymhlethdod, yn enwedig am yr anhawster y gall unigolion ei gael wrth lywio eu ffordd i le y gallai cymorth fod ar gael iddyn nhw. Mae'r adroddiad chwarterol hwnnw yn dangos y gweithgarwch ychwanegol a gyflawnwyd ar gydweithredu rhanbarthol ac ar gysoni cyfrifoldebau sydd wedi eu datganoli ac nad ydyn nhw wedi eu datganoli. Mae'n dangos tri gweithdy sy'n cael eu cynnal ym mis Ionawr a mis Mawrth eleni, gyda phob un o'r rhain yn cael ei gadeirio gan un o'r cynghorwyr cenedlaethol.
Maen nhw'n adolygu'r holl strategaethau lleol a gyflwynwyd o dan y Ddeddf erbyn hyn. Maen nhw'n gweithio gydag Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru a chomisiynwyr yr heddlu a throseddu er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr y gall yr ymdrechion gwirioneddol sy'n cael eu gwneud gan wasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru i ymateb i'r agenda hon gael eu cydgysylltu'n well, a'u symleiddio o safbwynt y defnyddiwr, i wneud yn siŵr bod unrhyw un sydd angen cymorth yn y maes polisi hynod ddifrifol hwn yn gallu dod o hyd i'w ffordd i'r cymorth hwnnw mewn modd mor gyflym ac mor rhwydd â phosibl.
I appreciate that response, First Minister, but I am concerned about the continuing delays associated with the 2015 Act, because your Government has now taken more than four years to actually lay national indicators following that specific Act. And we on this side of the Chamber want to work with you to ensure that the national indicators and the objectives of the national advisers on domestic abuse are absolutely appropriate. However, I am concerned that the objectives don't appear to focus on a major area of helping to increase victim confidence and access to justice, especially as four out of five women do not report abuse to the police. Overall, the auditor general found that only 60 per cent of organisations believe that they have put in place appropriate performance measures for the Act, with fewer than 65 per cent using victims' and survivors' dissatisfaction to improve services. First Minister, can you therefore reassure us today, and indeed the people of Wales, that your Government will improve the speed of your actions around this horrific aspect of life for many people in Wales?
Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'r ateb yna, Prif Weinidog, ond rwy'n bryderus ynghylch yr oediadau parhaus sy'n gysylltiedig â Deddf 2015, oherwydd mae eich Llywodraeth wedi cymryd dros bedair blynedd erbyn hyn i osod dangosyddion cenedlaethol yn dilyn y Ddeddf benodol honno. Ac rydym ni ar yr ochr hon i'r Siambr eisiau gweithio gyda chi i sicrhau bod y dangosyddion cenedlaethol ac amcanion y cynghorwyr cenedlaethol ar gam-drin domestig yn gwbl briodol. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n pryderu nad yw'n ymddangos bod yr amcanion yn canolbwyntio ar y maes pwysig o helpu i gynyddu hyder dioddefwyr a mynediad at gyfiawnder, yn enwedig gan nad yw pedair menyw o bob pump yn hysbysu'r heddlu eu bod yn cael eu cam-drin. Yn gyffredinol, canfu'r archwilydd cyffredinol mai dim ond 60 y cant o sefydliadau sy'n credu eu bod nhw wedi rhoi mesurau perfformiad priodol ar waith ar gyfer y Ddeddf, a llai na 65 y cant sy'n defnyddio anfodlonrwydd dioddefwyr a goroeswyr i wella gwasanaethau. Prif Weinidog, a allwch chi, felly, roi sicrwydd i ni, a phobl Cymru yn wir, heddiw, y bydd eich Llywodraeth yn gwella cyflymder eich gweithredoedd yng nghyswllt yr agwedd erchyll hon ar fywyd i lawer o bobl yng Nghymru?
I thank the Member for his indication of cross-party support here for the actions that lie behind the Act, and everything the public services are trying to do. It's 18 months since the fieldwork that lay behind the WAO report was carried out, and I think that a series of things have been put in place since then. The annual report of the national advisers referred to real momentum over that period. None of the recommendations in the WAO report were for the Welsh Government; they were all actions for service providers to take. But I want to give him an assurance, and people in Wales who take an interest in this, that we continue, as a Government, to invest in this area extra revenue, extra capital in the draft budget in front of the National Assembly, and to respond to it with the urgency that this agenda really deserves.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am ei arwydd o gefnogaeth drawsbleidiol yn y fan yma i'r camau sy'n sail i'r Ddeddf, a phopeth y mae'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn ceisio ei wneud. Bu 18 mis ers cyflawni'r gwaith maes a oedd yn sail i adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, ac rwy'n credu bod cyfres o bethau wedi eu rhoi ar waith ers hynny. Cyfeiriodd adroddiad blynyddol y cynghorwyr cenedlaethol at fomentwm gwirioneddol dros y cyfnod hwnnw. Nid oedd yr un o'r argymhellion yn adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru; roedden nhw i gyd yn gamau i ddarparwyr gwasanaethau eu cymryd. Ond hoffwn i roi sicrwydd iddo, ac i bobl yng Nghymru sydd â diddordeb yn hyn, ein bod ni'n parhau, fel Llywodraeth, i fuddsoddi yn y maes hwn refeniw ychwanegol, cyfalaf ychwanegol yn y gyllideb ddrafft gerbron y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, ac ymateb iddo gyda'r brys y mae'r agenda hon wir yn ei haeddu.
Arweinydd Plaid Brexit, Mark Reckless.
Brexit Party leader, Mark Reckless.
First Minister, last night, a few miles south-east of here, councillors voted by 18 to 17 to block Bristol Airport from expanding any further as they say it would exacerbate the climate emergency. With Bristol Airport set to hit its 10 million passenger limit next year, does the First Minister welcome this opportunity for Cardiff Airport to expand its flights and serve passengers who would otherwise have gone to Bristol?
Prif Weinidog, neithiwr, ychydig filltiroedd i'r de-ddwyrain o'r fan hon, pleidleisiodd cynghorwyr o 18 i 17 i atal maes awyr Bryste rhag ehangu ymhellach gan eu bod nhw'n dweud y byddai'n gwaethygu'r argyfwng hinsawdd. Gyda maes awyr Bryste ar fin cyrraedd ei derfyn o 10 miliwn o deithwyr y flwyddyn nesaf, a yw'r Prif Weinidog yn croesawu'r cyfle hwn i faes awyr Caerdydd ehangu ei deithiau awyr a gwasanaethu teithwyr a fyddai wedi mynd i Fryste fel arall?
The opportunity that I have always seen for Cardiff Airport, Llywydd, is not to add to climate change by having more aeroplanes in the sky, but it is to divert to Cardiff passengers who currently have to travel beyond Wales, adding to the carbon footprint as they do so. There are real opportunities, if the UK Government will work with us on this agenda, to allow people who currently travel to Bristol, but also further afield for long-haul services out of Birmingham or Manchester or Heathrow, to have those services here in Wales, not to add to climate change, but to prevent the journeys that, at the moment, are adding to the carbon that we all produce.
Nid ychwanegu at y newid yn yr hinsawdd trwy gael mwy o awyrennau yn yr awyr yw'r cyfle yr wyf i wedi ei weld erioed i faes awyr Caerdydd, Llywydd, ond dargyfeirio teithwyr i Gaerdydd sy'n gorfod teithio y tu hwnt i Gymru ar hyn o bryd, gan ychwanegu at yr ôl-troed carbon wrth iddyn nhw wneud hynny. Ceir cyfleoedd gwirioneddol, os gwnaiff Llywodraeth y DU weithio gyda ni ar yr agenda hon, i alluogi pobl sy'n teithio i Fryste ar hyn o bryd, ond hefyd ymhellach i ffwrdd ar gyfer gwasanaethau teithiau hir o Birmingham neu Fanceinion neu Heathrow, gael y gwasanaethau hynny yma yng Nghymru, nid i ychwanegu at y newid yn yr hinsawdd, ond i atal y teithiau sydd, ar hyn o bryd, yn ychwanegu at y carbon yr ydym ni i gyd yn ei gynhyrchu.
I hear what the First Minister says in response, but on climate change, the future generations commissioner has observed that
'The steps the government are taking at the moment do not appear to match the declaration of a climate emergency.'
Some taxpayers may welcome that in view of the amount of money you've put into Cardiff Airport; if Cardiff Airport expands to take flights that Bristol bans, perhaps Welsh Government may, at some point, see a return on its money. And if those flights don't go from Bristol, surely it's a case of people who would otherwise have gone to Bristol, including from the west of England and beyond, who may instead travel to Cardiff, with the carbon dioxide emissions that implies, to use flights that we could accommodate at Cardiff.
You also pledged grants of £18.8 million to Aston Martin to build gas-guzzling SUVs near the airport at St Athan. You even celebrated the announcement of 4,000 petrol DBXs a year by pretending to be James Bond in a video. How does that square with your climate change priorities?
Meanwhile, you've announced £140 million of capital climate change funding, yet you've no plans to switch the suggested £1 billion annual revenue funding you would need to meet your climate change targets. Indeed, the draft budget provides for bus subsidy to be cut next year in real terms. First Minister, as effective action is so expensive, will you continue to prioritise words over action on climate change?
Clywaf yr hyn y mae'r Prif Weinidog yn ei ddweud mewn ymateb, ond o ran y newid yn yr hinsawdd, mae comisiynydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol wedi dweud
Nid yw'n ymddangos bod y camau y mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd ar hyn o bryd yn cyfateb i ddatganiad o argyfwng hinsawdd.
Efallai y bydd rhai trethdalwyr yn croesawu hynny o ystyried faint o arian yr ydych chi wedi ei roi i faes awyr Caerdydd; os bydd maes awyr Caerdydd yn ehangu i dderbyn teithiau awyr y mae Bryste yn eu gwahardd, efallai y gall Llywodraeth Cymru, ar ryw adeg, weld enillion o'i harian. Ac os nad yw'r teithiau awyr hynny'n mynd o Fryste, siawns nad yw'n fater o bobl a fyddai fel arall wedi mynd i Fryste, gan gynnwys o orllewin Lloegr a thu hwnt, a allai deithio i Gaerdydd yn lle hynny, gyda'r allyriadau carbon deuocsid y mae hynny'n ei awgrymu, i ddefnyddio teithiau awyr y gallem ni eu cynnig yng Nghaerdydd.
Rydych chi hefyd wedi addo grantiau o £18.8 miliwn i Aston Martin i adeiladu SUVs sy'n defnyddio llawer o betrol ger y maes awyr yn Sain Tathan. Fe wnaethoch hyd yn oed ddathlu'r cyhoeddiad o 4,000 o DBXs petrol y flwyddyn, drwy esgus bod yn James Bond mewn fideo. Sut mae hynny'n cyd-fynd â'ch blaenoriaethau o ran y newid yn yr hinsawdd?
Yn y cyfamser, rydych chi wedi cyhoeddi £140 miliwn o gyllid cyfalaf ar gyfer y newid yn yr hinsawdd, ac eto nid oes gennych chi unrhyw gynlluniau i newid yr £1 biliwn o gyllid refeniw blynyddol a awgrymir y byddai ei angen arnoch i fodloni eich targedau newid hinsawdd. Yn wir, mae'r gyllideb ddrafft yn darparu ar gyfer torri cymhorthdal bysiau y flwyddyn nesaf mewn termau real. Prif Weinidog, gan fod gweithredu effeithiol mor ddrud, a wnewch chi barhau i flaenoriaethu geiriau dros weithredu o ran y newid yn yr hinsawdd?
Well, Llywydd, if it wasn't for the fact that satire is so clearly dead, you might have thought that the Member had had a humour by-pass. There is no need for us on this side of the Chamber to be taking lessons on climate change from a party that is festooned with climate change deniers, whose grasp of the seriousness of the problem facing the globe is so out of kilter with the seriousness of that issue. This Government is absolutely committed to playing our part in making sure that we take the actions that we can take to hand on this planet to those who come after us in a condition that would not make us ashamed of the way that we have discharged our responsibilities in the brief moment that they lie in our hands. That's what we will do, and I don't think we will find many lessons from his party in doing so.
Wel, Llywydd, oni bai am y ffaith bod dychan mor amlwg wedi marw, efallai y byddech chi'n meddwl bod yr Aelod wedi cael dargyfeiriad hiwmor. Nid oes angen i ni ar yr ochr hon i'r Siambr gymryd gwersi ar y newid yn yr hinsawdd gan blaid sy'n llawn gwadwyr newid yn yr hinsawdd, y mae eu gafael ar ddifrifoldeb y broblem sy'n wynebu'r byd mor anghydnaws â difrifoldeb y mater hwnnw. Mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn gwbl ymrwymedig i chwarae ein rhan i sicrhau ein bod ni'n cymryd y camau y gallwn ni eu cymryd i roi'r blaned hon i'r rhai a ddaw ar ein holau mewn cyflwr na fyddai'n gwneud i ni deimlo cywilydd o'r ffordd yr ydym ni wedi cyflawni ein cyfrifoldebau yn y cyfnod byr y maen nhw'n gorwedd yn ein dwylo. Dyna fyddwn ni'n ei wneud, ac nid wyf i'n credu y byddwn ni'n dod o hyd i lawer o wersi gan ei blaid ef wrth wneud hynny.
Tynnwyd cwestiwn 3 [OAQ55097] yn ôl. Cwestiwn 4, Joyce Watson.
Question 3 [OAQ55097] is withdrawn. Question 4, Joyce Watson.
4. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o effeithiolrwydd strategaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i fynd i'r afael â thrais a cham-drin domestig? OAQ55083
4. What assessment has the First Minister made of the effectiveness of the Welsh Government’s strategy to tackle domestic violence and abuse? OAQ55083
I thank the Member for that question. The annual report of the national advisers on domestic violence and abuse concluded that there is still much more to do to improve the lives of those at risk, but that the Act placed on the statute book by this Senedd is one of the greatest achievements of devolution and leads the rest of the United Kingdom.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Daeth adroddiad blynyddol y cynghorwyr cenedlaethol ar drais a cham-drin domestig i'r casgliad bod llawer mwy i'w wneud o hyd i wella bywydau'r rhai sydd mewn perygl, ond bod y Ddeddf a roddwyd ar y llyfr statud gan y Senedd hon yn un o gyflawniadau mwyaf datganoli ac yn arwain gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig.
Yes, I agree with that, but last Thursday I attended the launch of the Welsh Government and New Pathways' This is Sexual Abuse campaign, where Jane Hutt, Minister with responsibility, actually launched that campaign. And it was great to be in a room where everyone was committed to working together to bring an end to the silence around sexual abuse for men, women and children, regardless of their age. I'd personally like to thank the survivors who bravely shared their stories with us at that event. The aim of that campaign is to help people recognise the signs of sexual abuse and to encourage them to seek the help that they need if they are experiencing any form of abuse. First Minister, what help is Welsh Government giving to those organisations that will be supporting survivors who may choose, as a consequence of that excellent session last Thursday, to now come forward and seek help?
Ydw, rwy'n cytuno â hynny, ond ddydd Iau diwethaf roeddwn i'n bresennol yn lansiad ymgyrch Cam-drin Rhywiol yw Hyn Llywodraeth Cymru a New Pathways, pryd y lansiodd Jane Hutt, y Gweinidog â chyfrifoldeb, yr ymgyrch honno mewn gwirionedd. Ac roedd yn wych bod mewn ystafell lle'r oedd pawb wedi ymrwymo i gydweithio er mwyn rhoi terfyn ar y tawelwch ynghylch cam-drin rhywiol o ddynion, menywod a phlant, waeth beth fo'u hoed. Hoffwn i ddiolch yn bersonol i'r goroeswyr a fu'n ddigon dewr i rannu eu straeon â ni yn y digwyddiad hwnnw. Nod yr ymgyrch honno yw helpu pobl i adnabod arwyddion cam-drin rhywiol a'u hannog i geisio'r cymorth sydd ei angen arnyn nhw os ydyn nhw'n dioddef unrhyw fath o gamdriniaeth. Prif Weinidog, pa gymorth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei roi i'r sefydliadau hynny a fydd yn cynorthwyo goroeswyr a allai ddewis, o ganlyniad i'r sesiwn ragorol honno ddydd Iau diwethaf, dod ymlaen nawr a cheisio cymorth?
Llywydd, can I thank Joyce Watson for that and for the consistent way, over so many years, that she herself has spoken up on these issues here in the Chamber? And she's right: it's genuinely humbling to be at an event when survivors of domestic violence and abuse and other forms of abuse in the home tell their stories, and do it because of their determination to encourage others to have the courage to do the same thing, and the 'ask and act' approach that I referred to in my answer to Paul Davies is very much part of that.
To just recap a couple of the things I said earlier, Llywydd: the Welsh Government has found the resources to train 167,500 workers in the techniques required by the Act. We fund the Live Fear Free helpline to the tune of £455,000 every year. In the quarter to December, there were over 8,000 incoming calls to that helpline, which, I think, is at least some reflection of the success that campaigns last year have had, and workers on the helpline themselves made nearly 2,000 calls to follow up on issues that people phoning into the helpline had raised with them, to get them the help that Paul Davies referred to earlier.
In this financial year, we will provide over £200,000 to the Welsh sexual violence service, including specialist training for staff and direct support to victims of sexual violence, to make sure that the people who came to the event that Joyce Watson referred to—and help us to make sure that the voice of survivors is always there, shaping the work that we do, to make sure that that goes on being supported here in Wales.
Llywydd, a gaf i ddiolch i Joyce Watson am hynna ac am y ffordd gyson, dros gynifer o flynyddoedd, y mae hi ei hun wedi siarad am y materion hyn yma yn y Siambr? Ac mae hi'n iawn: mae'n codi gwyleidd-dra gwirioneddol bod mewn digwyddiad pan fo goroeswyr trais a cham-drin domestig a mathau eraill o gam-drin yn y cartref yn adrodd eu hanesion, ac yn gwneud hynny oherwydd eu penderfyniad i annog pobl eraill i fod yn ddigon dewr i wneud hynny hefyd, ac mae'r dull 'gofyn a gweithredu' y cyfeiriais ato yn fy ateb i Paul Davies yn rhan bwysig iawn o hynny.
I ailadrodd ychydig o'r pethau a ddywedais yn gynharach, Llywydd: mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dod o hyd i'r adnoddau i hyfforddi 167,500 o weithwyr yn y technegau sy'n ofynnol o dan y Ddeddf. Rydym ni'n ariannu llinell gymorth Byw Heb Ofn gyda £455,000 bob blwyddyn. Yn y chwarter hyd at fis Rhagfyr, derbyniodd y llinell gymorth honno dros 8,000 o alwadau, sydd, rwy'n credu, yn rhyw adlewyrchiad o leiaf o'r llwyddiant a gafodd ymgyrchoedd y llynedd, a gwnaeth gweithwyr ar y llinell gymorth eu hunain bron i 2,000 o alwadau fel camau dilynol ar faterion yr oedd pobl a ffoniodd y llinell gymorth wedi eu codi gyda nhw, i gael y cymorth y cyfeiriodd Paul Davies ato yn gynharach iddyn nhw.
Yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon, byddwn yn darparu dros £200,000 i wasanaeth trais rhywiol Cymru, gan gynnwys hyfforddiant arbenigol i staff a chymorth uniongyrchol i ddioddefwyr trais rhywiol, i wneud yn siŵr bod y bobl a ddaeth i'r digwyddiad y cyfeiriodd Joyce Watson ato—ac sy'n ein helpu ni i wneud yn siŵr bod llais goroeswyr yno bob amser, gan lunio'r gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud, i wneud yn siŵr bod hynny'n parhau i gael ei gefnogi yma yng Nghymru.
We've heard reference to last November's Wales Audit Office report on progress in implementing the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015, which highlighted gaps in engagement with specialist services and survivors in the implementation of the Act. According to the crime survey of England and Wales to March of last year—and there will new figures next month—an estimated 1.6 million women and 786,000 men experienced emotional, financial and physical abuse, or a mixture of all three, in a domestic context. And, of course, the vast majority of the victims and survivors of partner or ex-partner abuse were women, and Welsh Women's Aid has also noted that their members who work with survivors of sexual violence have told them that survivors of sexual abuse are not receiving the equivalent priority by commissioners and public services as survivors of domestic abuse. How do you therefore respond to their calls, and the calls of other experts working in this field, for that deficit to be addressed so that, for example, the housing support grant commissioning covers all forms of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, rather than the default assumption focusing on domestic abuse?
Rydym ni wedi clywed cyfeiriad at adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru o fis Tachwedd diwethaf ar gynnydd o ran gweithredu Deddf Trais yn erbyn Menywod, Cam-drin Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol (Cymru) 2015, a dynnodd sylw at fylchau mewn ymgysylltiad â gwasanaethau arbenigol a goroeswyr yng ngweithrediad y Ddeddf. Yn ôl arolwg troseddu Cymru a Lloegr hyd at fis Mawrth y llynedd—a bydd ffigurau newydd fis nesaf—amcangyfrifir bod 1.6 miliwn o fenywod a 786,000 o ddynion wedi dioddef cael eu cam-drin yn emosiynol, yn ariannol ac yn gorfforol, neu'n gymysgedd o'r tri, mewn cyd-destun domestig. Ac, wrth gwrs, roedd mwyafrif llethol o ddioddefwyr a goroeswyr cam-drin gan bartner neu gyn-bartner yn fenywod, ac mae Cymorth i Fenywod Cymru hefyd wedi nodi bod eu haelodau sy'n gweithio gyda goroeswyr trais rhywiol wedi dweud wrthyn nhw nad yw goroeswyr cam-drin rhywiol yn cael y flaenoriaeth gyfatebol gan gomisiynwyr a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus fel goroeswyr cam-drin domestig. Felly, sut yr ydych chi'n ymateb i'w galwadau hwy, ac i alwadau arbenigwyr eraill yn y maes hwn, i'r diffyg hwnnw gael sylw fel bod y gwaith o gomisiynu'r grant cymorth tai, er enghraifft, yn cwmpasu pob math o drais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol, yn hytrach na'r rhagdybiaeth ddiofyn sy'n canolbwyntio ar gam-drin domestig?
Well, Llywydd, I've set out a series of ways in which the Welsh Government is responding to that report and supporting public services in Wales in the work that they do. I'll put it to the Member that another way in which he and his party could help in this agenda would be to have supported last week the Thomas commission report into justice in Wales. Because some of the gaps that appear in public services in responding to women who report sexual violence are in the way that the police and the criminal justice system respond to those complaints, and the Thomas commission report highlights that and suggests that we would be able to make a more coherent set of services available if those decisions were here in the hands of this elected Senedd. I agree with that, and it would have been helpful if his party had agreed with that last week as well.
Wel, Llywydd, rwyf i wedi amlinellu cyfres o ffyrdd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymateb i'r adroddiad hwnnw ac yn cynorthwyo gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru yn y gwaith y maen nhw'n ei wneud. Awgrymaf i'r Aelod mai ffordd arall y gallai ef a'i blaid helpu yn yr agenda hon fyddai cefnogi adroddiad comisiwn Thomas ar gyfiawnder yng Nghymru yr wythnos diwethaf. Oherwydd mae rhai o'r bylchau sy'n ymddangos mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus wrth ymateb i fenywod sy'n hysbysu am drais rhywiol yn y ffordd y mae'r heddlu a'r system cyfiawnder troseddol yn ymateb i'r cwynion hynny, ac mae adroddiad comisiwn Thomas yn amlygu hynny ac yn awgrymu y byddem ni'n gallu sicrhau bod cyfres fwy cydlynol o wasanaethau ar gael pe byddai'r penderfyniadau hynny yn y fan yma yn nwylo'r Senedd etholedig hon. Rwyf i'n cytuno â hynny, a byddai wedi bod o gymorth pe byddai ei blaid ef wedi cytuno â hynny yr wythnos diwethaf hefyd.
5. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am reolau dŵr newydd arfaethedig Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â llygredd? OAQ55104
5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's proposed new water rules to tackle pollution? OAQ55104
I thank the Member for that, Llywydd. Agricultural pollution affects the health and quality of our rivers, lakes and streams across Wales. Clean water is essential for all our lives. We must take proportionate, targeted action to address the problem. The Minister will make a statement on the way forward shortly, in the light of the evidence.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna, Llywydd. Mae llygredd amaethyddol yn effeithio ar iechyd ac ansawdd ein hafonydd, ein llynnoedd a'n nentydd ledled Cymru. Mae dŵr glân yn hanfodol i'n bywydau ni i gyd. Mae'n rhaid i ni gymryd camau cymesur, wedi'u targedu, i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem. Bydd y Gweinidog yn gwneud datganiad ar y ffordd ymlaen yn fuan, yng ngoleuni'r dystiolaeth.
Thank you, First Minister, for that response. In light of the evidence that became available to Members last week from a freedom of information request that the National Farmers Union secured out of Natural Resources Wales, the evidence that they'd submitted to the Minister's department in respect of the regulatory impact assessment highlighted that the Government's proposals could have a perverse outcome and actually exacerbate the issue around pollution and dirty water going into watercourses. Can you, after I asked the same question a month ago to you, First Minister, confirm that you have become conversant with all the proposals that Welsh Government are talking about, and that any statement that the Minister will make will be made on the floor of this Chamber, not in a recess period, because of the magnitude of what is being talked about here? As NRW have talked about, instead of just looking at the two options that the Welsh Government looked at, which was a 'do nothing' approach, or a cut-and-paste exercise around nitrate vulnerable zones, the Welsh Government should have considered other options. That statement needs to be tested by Members in this Chamber, and those concerns from the regulator itself be taken into account.
Diolch, Prif Weinidog, am yr ateb yna. Yng ngoleuni'r dystiolaeth a ddaeth ar gael i'r Aelodau yr wythnos diwethaf o gais rhyddid gwybodaeth a sicrhawyd gan Undeb Cenedlaethol yr Amaethwyr gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, tynnodd y dystiolaeth yr oedden nhw wedi ei chyflwyno i adran y Gweinidog o ran yr asesiad effaith rheoleiddiol sylw at y ffaith y gallai cynigion y Llywodraeth gael canlyniad gwrthnysig a gwaethygu'r broblem ynghylch llygredd a dŵr budr yn mynd i mewn i gyrsiau dŵr. A allwch chi, ar ôl i mi ofyn yr un cwestiwn i chi fis yn ôl, Prif Weinidog, gadarnhau eich bod chi wedi ymgyfarwyddo â'r holl gynigion y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn siarad amdan nhw, ac y bydd unrhyw ddatganiad y bydd y Gweinidog yn ei wneud yn cael ei wneud ar lawr y Siambr hon, nid mewn cyfnod o doriad, oherwydd difrifoldeb yr hyn sy'n cael ei drafod yn y fan yma? Fel y mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi sôn, yn hytrach na dim ond edrych ar y ddau ddewis yr edrychodd Llywodraeth Cymru arnyn nhw, sef dull 'gwneud dim', neu ymarfer torri a gludo o amgylch parthau perygl nitradau, dylai Llywodraeth Cymru fod wedi ystyried dewisiadau eraill. Mae angen i'r datganiad hwnnw gael ei brofi gan Aelodau yn y Siambr hon, a bod y pryderon hynny gan y rheoleiddiwr ei hun yn cael eu cymryd i ystyriaeth.
Well, Llywydd, I can give the Member an assurance that the concerns of the regulator were taken into account. That's why they were being asked to share in the effort of reviewing the draft regulatory impact assessment, alongside other stakeholders, and, when the regulations are published, there will be the final RIA published alongside it for Members here to see. The reason why regulations are necessary is because we go on, week in and week out, seeing incidents of agricultural pollution here in Wales. That is not acceptable; it harms biodiversity, it harms public health, it harms farm incomes, it harms drinking water, and we have to take action. The points that the regulator made will be reflected in the RIA, and there will be ample opportunity for Members here to question Ministers on it once it has been published and they've had a chance to consider it.
Wel, Llywydd, gallaf roi sicrwydd i'r Aelod y cymerwyd pryderon y rheoleiddiwr i ystyriaeth. Dyna pam y gofynnwyd iddyn nhw rannu yn yr ymdrech o adolygu'r asesiad effaith rheoleiddiol drafft, ynghyd â rhanddeiliaid eraill, a phan gaiff y rheoliadau eu cyhoeddi, bydd asesiad effaith rheoleiddiol terfynol yn cael ei gyhoeddi ochr yn ochr ag ef i Aelodau yn y fan yma ei weld. Y rheswm pam mae rheoliadau'n angenrheidiol yw ein bod ni'n parhau, wythnos ar ôl wythnos, i weld achosion o lygredd amaethyddol yma yng Nghymru. Nid yw hynny'n dderbyniol; mae'n niweidio bioamrywiaeth, mae'n niweidio iechyd y cyhoedd, mae'n niweidio incwm ffermydd, mae'n niweidio dŵr yfed, ac mae'n rhaid i ni weithredu. Bydd y pwyntiau a wnaed gan y rheoleiddiwr yn cael eu hadlewyrchu yn yr asesiad effaith rheoleiddiol, a bydd digon o gyfle i Aelodau yn y fan yma holi Gweinidogion amdano ar ôl iddo gael ei gyhoeddi ac iddynt hwythau gael cyfle i'w ystyried.
Nobody's questioned whether there's a need for regulation. The question here, of course, is the proportionality of those regulations. Not even Natural Resources Wales agree with your Minister's approach for a whole-Wales designation, and it's certainly been a matter of concern and correspondence for a huge number of my electors.
I raised with the Minister last week in questions serious questions about the evidence base that the proposals that we've seen thus far are based upon. We really need an opportunity, I think, when the final regulations are tabled, to really robustly test those here in this Chamber. You told us that a statement will be made shortly. I'd like to think that this Government isn't as cynical as to slip out a written statement over half term. At the very least, in the interests of transparency and accountability, we should have an oral statement here. Anything short of that would be a dereliction, really, and wouldn't be acceptable. This is the single biggest issue that I've had correspondence on from my electors for many, many months. If you just try and do it that way, I think that would be abhorrent.
Nid oes neb wedi cwestiynu pa un a oes angen rheoleiddio. Y cwestiwn yn y fan yma, wrth gwrs, yw cymesuredd y rheoliadau hynny. Nid yw Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, hyd yn oed, yn cytuno â dull eich Gweinidog ar gyfer dynodiad Cymru gyfan, ac mae'n sicr wedi bod yn fater o bryder a gohebiaeth i nifer enfawr o'm hetholwyr.
Fe godais gwestiynau difrifol gyda'r Gweinidog yr wythnos diwethaf, yn ystod cwestiynau, am y sail dystiolaeth y mae'r cynigion yr ydym ni wedi eu gweld hyd yn hyn yn seiliedig arnyn nhw. Rydym ni wir angen cyfle, rwy'n credu, pan gaiff y rheoliadau terfynol eu cyflwyno, i brofi'r rheini'n drwyadl iawn yma yn y Siambr hon. Dywedasoch wrthym y bydd datganiad yn cael ei wneud yn fuan. Hoffwn feddwl nad yw'r Llywodraeth hon mor sinigaidd ag i lithro datganiad ysgrifenedig allan yn ystod hanner tymor. Dylem ni, o leiaf, er mwyn sicrhau tryloywder ac atebolrwydd, gael datganiad llafar yn y fan yma. Byddai unrhyw beth yn llai na hynny yn fater o esgeulustod, a dweud y gwir, ac ni fyddai'n dderbyniol. Hwn yw'r mater unigol yr wyf i wedi cael y mwyaf o ohebiaeth yn ei gylch oddi wrth fy etholwyr ers misoedd lawer iawn. Os byddwch chi'n ceisio ei wneud yn y ffordd honno, rwy'n credu y byddai hynny'n wrthun.
Well, Llywydd, there will be ample opportunity for Members here to ask questions and to raise concerns, as Members are doing here this afternoon. There will be no absence of opportunity for Members to carry out their job of scrutinising and questioning Ministers.
On the issue of nitrate vulnerable zones, many times when I've answered questions here I've been lectured by Plaid Cymru Members on respecting the advice of the UK Committee on Climate Change. The Member will have seen the advice of the UKCCC on 23 January 2020, in its 'Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK'. The very first policy that it says we have to introduce is low-carbon farming practices. It says that before 2023 the extension of nitrate vulnerable zones must be extended to cover the whole of the United Kingdom.
Now, he shakes his head there, because he wants to be selective. You see, he wants to lecture me about making sure that this Government takes the advice and acts on it, and then accuses us of not acting quickly enough on it, but when he doesn't like their advice, he wants us to reject it. We won't be doing that, Llywydd. We rely on the advice of the UKCCC, and their advice on this issue is clear and explicit.
Wel, Llywydd, bydd digon o gyfle i Aelodau yn y fan yma ofyn cwestiynau a chodi pryderon, fel y mae Aelodau yn ei wneud yma y prynhawn yma. Ni fydd unrhyw ddiffyg cyfle i Aelodau wneud eu gwaith o graffu ar Weinidogion a'u holi.
Ar fater parthau perygl nitradau, sawl gwaith pan fy mod i wedi ateb cwestiynau yn y fan yma yr wyf i wedi cael pregeth gan Aelodau Plaid Cymru ar barchu cyngor Pwyllgor y DU ar y Newid yn yr Hinsawdd. Bydd yr Aelod wedi gweld cyngor y Pwyllgor ar 23 Ionawr 2020, yn ei ddogfen 'Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK'. Y polisi cyntaf un y mae'n dweud bod yn rhaid i ni ei gyflwyno yw arferion ffermio carbon isel. Mae'n dweud bod yn rhaid ymestyn parthau perygl nitradau cyn 2023 i gynnwys y Deyrnas Unedig gyfan.
Nawr, mae'n ysgwyd ei ben yn y fan yna, gan ei fod eisiau bod yn ddetholus. Rydych chi'n gweld, mae ef eisiau rhoi pregeth i mi ynglŷn â gwneud yn siŵr bod y Llywodraeth hon yn cymryd y cyngor ac yn gweithredu arno, ac yna'n ein cyhuddo ni o beidio â gweithredu'n ddigon cyflym arno, ond pan nad yw'n hoffi eu cyngor, mae eisiau i ni ei wrthod. Ni fyddwn yn gwneud hynny, Llywydd. Rydym ni'n dibynnu ar gyngor Pwyllgor y DU ar y Newid yn yr Hinsawdd, ac mae eu cyngor ar y mater hwn yn eglur ac yn bendant.
I've written to the Minister for environment asking for a meeting with farming members of NFU Cymru to discuss these regulations, and I'm awaiting a response. I think the questions today demonstrate a need for scrutiny of these regulations. I've held meetings with Caerphilly NFU members and with the Farmers Union of Wales to discuss their concerns. On smaller farms, such as those in Bedwas and Llanbradach, the regulations, as originally proposed, would have an intolerable financial burden.
However, we also need to address problems such as the industrial-scale slurry-spreading operation run by Bryn Group at Gelliargwellt Uchaf Farm that is causing problems for people in Gelligaer and Pen-y-Bryn. I've met with Natural Resources Wales and Caerphilly council, and they feel that there is a gap in the regulations there that prevents them from taking action in those cases.
Therefore, I think we need to find a balance—a sensible balance—between not disadvantaging and harming those farms like Bedwas and Llanbradach and dealing with industrial-scale farms like Gelliargwellt Uchaf Farm. Can the First Minister give us an indication of how a sensible balance can be met?
Rwyf i wedi ysgrifennu at Weinidog yr amgylchedd yn gofyn am gyfarfod gydag aelodau ffermio NFU Cymru i drafod y rheoliadau hyn, ac rwy'n aros am ymateb. Rwy'n credu bod y cwestiynau heddiw yn dangos bod angen craffu ar y rheoliadau hyn. Rwyf i wedi cynnal cyfarfodydd gydag aelodau NFU Caerffili a chydag Undeb Amaethwyr Cymru i drafod eu pryderon. Ar ffermydd llai, fel y rhai ym Medwas a Llanbradach, byddai'r rheoliadau, fel y'u cynigiwyd yn wreiddiol, yn achosi baich ariannol annioddefol.
Fodd bynnag, mae angen i ni hefyd fynd i'r afael â phroblemau fel y gwaith gwasgaru slyri ar raddfa ddiwydiannol sy'n cael ei redeg gan Grŵp Bryn ar Fferm Gelliargwellt Uchaf sy'n achosi problemau i bobl yng Ngelligaer a Phen-y-Bryn. Rwyf i wedi cyfarfod â Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a chyngor Caerffili, ac maen nhw'n teimlo bod bwlch yn y rheoliadau yno sy'n eu hatal rhag cymryd camau yn yr achosion hynny.
Felly, rwy'n credu bod angen i ni ddod o hyd i gydbwysedd—cydbwysedd synhwyrol—rhwng peidio â rhoi'r ffermydd hynny fel Bedwas a Llanbradach dan anfantais a'u niweidio ac ymdrin â ffermydd graddfa ddiwydiannol fel Fferm Gelliargwellt Uchaf. A all y Prif Weinidog roi syniad i ni o sut y gellir sicrhau cydbwysedd synhwyrol?
I thank Hefin David for that. He's right, of course: we want a balanced and proportional approach. But, the way you get balance and proportionality here is by having a single rulebook that you then apply differentially in the different circumstances of different types and natures of farms. That is what the Welsh Government has been working on, and when we're ready to publish the regulations, that is what the Member will see. But it is not one rule fits everybody. It is a single and common set of rules, but the way that you apply them will be proportionate and balanced, and will reflect the needs and circumstances of particular farms and the extent to which they make a contribution to the very real problem of agricultural pollution.
Diolchaf i Hefin David am hynna. Mae'n iawn, wrth gwrs: Rydym ni eisiau dull cytbwys a chymesur. Ond, y ffordd yr ydych chi'n cael cydbwysedd a chymesuredd yn y fan yma yw cael un llyfr rheolau yr ydych chi'n ei gymhwyso'n wahaniaethol wedyn o dan wahanol amgylchiadau gwahanol fathau a natur o ffermydd. Dyna y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio arno, a phan fyddwn ni'n barod i gyhoeddi'r rheoliadau, dyna fydd yr Aelod yn ei weld. Ond nid yw'n fater o un rheol sy'n addas i bawb. Mae'n gyfres sengl a chyffredin o reolau, ond bydd y ffordd y byddwch chi'n eu cymhwyso yn gymesur ac yn gytbwys, a bydd yn adlewyrchu anghenion ac amgylchiadau ffermydd penodol ac i ba raddau y maen nhw'n gwneud gyfraniad at y broblem real iawn o lygredd amaethyddol.
6. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o effeithiolrwydd ymyrraeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn y GIG? OAQ55075
6. What assessment has the First Minister made of the effectiveness of Welsh Government intervention in the NHS? OAQ55075
I thank the Member for that. Intervention arrangements are not assessed by the Welsh Government alone. They are the result of the tripartite structure, which includes the Welsh Government, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the Wales Audit Office. That forum meets twice a year to consider a wide range of information and intelligence, to inform the assessment of intervention on which the Welsh Government then acts.
Diolch i'r Aelod am hynna. Nid Llywodraeth Cymru yn unig sydd yn asesu trefniadau ymyrraeth. Canlyniad y strwythur tridarn ydyn nhw, sy'n cynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru, Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru a Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru. Mae'r fforwm hwnnw'n cyfarfod ddwywaith y flwyddyn i ystyried ystod eang o wybodaeth, i lywio'r asesiad o ymyrraeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithredu arno wedyn.
I'm very grateful for your response, First Minister. You'll be aware that we're into the fifth year of special measures in respect of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in north Wales. And, in many respects, people feel as though the recent departure of the chief executive is taking us back pretty much to square one in terms of the improvement that we need to see in our mental health services.
You refer to the tripartite arrangements in terms of reviewing the intervention levels for NHS organisations. What consideration is given at those particular meetings when there are reports that are clearly being held by the health board, which are critical reports—there was an independent report done into psychological therapies—that were not shared with either the Wales Audit Office or Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, in order to assist them in informing the Welsh Government, and giving advice to the Welsh Government on the level of intervention in north Wales? I'm very concerned about that. I've had written confirmation that that information was not shared. This is vital if we're to get this organisation in north Wales back into shape, so that it can give patients the level of service that they deserve.
So, what action will your Government take to make sure that, when reports of that nature are published in the future, they are always shared with those organisations that give you advice on the special measures arrangements?
Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am eich ymateb, Prif Weinidog. Mae'n siŵr eich bod yn ymwybodol ein bod ni yn y bumed flwyddyn o fesurau arbennig o ran Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr yn y gogledd. Ac, mewn nifer o ffyrdd, mae pobl yn teimlo bod ymadawiad diweddar y prif weithredwr yn mynd â ni'n ôl i'r cychwyn o ran y gwelliant y mae angen i ni ei weld yn ein gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl.
Rydych chi'n cyfeirio at y trefniadau tridarn o ran adolygu'r lefelau ymyrraeth ar gyfer sefydliadau'r GIG. Pa ystyriaeth a roddir yn y cyfarfodydd arbennig hynny pan geir adroddiadau sy'n amlwg yn cael eu cadw gan y bwrdd iechyd, sy'n adroddiadau beirniadol—roedd adroddiad annibynnol ar therapïau seicolegol—nad oedd yn cael eu rhannu â naill ai Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru na Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru, er mwyn eu cynorthwyo i roi gwybodaeth i Lywodraeth Cymru, a rhoi cyngor i Lywodraeth Cymru ar lefel yr ymyrraeth yn y gogledd? Rwy'n bryderus iawn am hynny. Rwyf wedi cael cadarnhad ysgrifenedig na chafodd y wybodaeth honno ei rhannu. Mae hyn yn hanfodol os ydym ni am sicrhau bod y sefydliad hwn yn y gogledd yn cael ei roi yn ôl mewn trefn, er mwyn iddo allu rhoi i gleifion y lefel o wasanaeth y maen nhw'n ei haeddu.
Felly, pa gamau fydd eich Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd i sicrhau, pan fydd adroddiadau o'r fath yn cael eu cyhoeddi yn y dyfodol, eu bod bob amser yn cael eu rhannu gyda'r sefydliadau hynny sy'n rhoi cyngor i chi ar y trefniadau mesurau arbennig?
I thank the Member for that. The psychological therapies review, as I said last week in the Chamber, was a review commissioned by the health board itself, carried out independently to make sure that the health board had the best information. And my understanding is that the health board has never intended anything other than that that report will be published once it has had a proper opportunity to scrutinise it and to be ready to respond to it.
And where I agree entirely with Darren Millar is that the report should be published, and then that report must be available to the tripartite meetings that make a judgment on whether an escalation status should be reduced, as it has been in two health boards in Wales over recent time, whether a health board needs further intervention and assistance, or whether to leave things as they are, as they do with seven of the 11 health boards in Wales who are at the lowest level of intervention. To make those judgments, they need the broadest possible range of information, and reports of this sort—once the health board is in a position to publish it, of course, that should be made available to them.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Fel y dywedais yr wythnos diwethaf yn y Siambr, yr oedd yr adolygiad o therapïau seicolegol yn adolygiad a gomisiynwyd gan y bwrdd iechyd ei hun, ac a gynhaliwyd yn annibynnol i sicrhau bod y bwrdd iechyd yn cael yr wybodaeth orau. A'm dealltwriaeth i yw mai bwriad y bwrdd iechyd oedd cyhoeddi'r adroddiad hwnnw ar ôl iddyn nhw gael cyfle priodol i graffu arno a bod yn barod i ymateb iddo.
A lle rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â Darren Millar yw y dylai'r adroddiad gael ei gyhoeddi, ac yna mae'n rhaid i'r adroddiad hwnnw fod ar gael i'r cyfarfodydd tridarn sy'n barnu ar ba un a ddylid lleihau statws uwchgyfeirio, fel y bu mewn dau fwrdd iechyd yng Nghymru yn ddiweddar, pa un a yw'r bwrdd iechyd angen ymyrraeth a chymorth pellach, neu pa un a ddylid gadael pethau fel y maen nhw, fel y maen nhw'n ei wneud gyda saith o'r 11 bwrdd iechyd yng Nghymru sydd ar y lefel isaf o ymyrraeth. I wneud y penderfyniadau hynny, maen nhw angen yr ystod ehangaf posibl o wybodaeth, a dylai adroddiadau o'r math hwn—pan fydd y bwrdd iechyd mewn sefyllfa i'w cyhoeddi, wrth gwrs, fod ar gael iddynt.
7. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wella gwasanaethau bysiau yng nghymoedd de Cymru? OAQ55092
7. What plans does the Welsh Government have to improve bus services in the south Wales valleys? OAQ55092
I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for that. The bus Bill, to be introduced by the Welsh Government later in this term will allow local authorities to plan services in the public interest and to stimulate demand for bus services in the south Wales Valleys and elsewhere in Wales.
Diolch i Huw Irranca-Davies am hynna. Bydd y Bil bysiau, bydd yn cael ei gyflwyno gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn ddiweddarach yn y tymor hwn, yn caniatáu i awdurdodau lleol gynllunio gwasanaethau er budd y cyhoedd ac i sbarduno'r galw am wasanaethau bysiau yng Nghymoedd y de a mannau eraill yng Nghymru.
The First Minister will know that for me, and many of my south Wales Valleys representatives here—we don't have the options for trains in many of these valleys; it is the bus that is the critical one if we want to encourage people to make that modal shift across onto public transport, with the climate change gains, but also a different way of travelling as well. But the reality is, I think, that unless we actually reverse the absolute disastrous deregulation of buses that happened decades ago, and we can put in place, alongside the south Wales metro, the type of planned, both strategic and local, network of buses that will get people to work on time, to their hospital appointment, and this surgery, and to socialise, and deal with isolation as well, then we cannot do it.
So, I would like to ask him what his thoughts are on that emerging scenario around a more planned regime, a reversal of the deregulation that we saw. And can I also ask him whether, now that we've had the announcement from the Prime Minister on the multi, hundreds of billions of pounds potentially here for the HS2, and what I understand may be additional money for buses in England, it has been communicated to Welsh Government that we have a Barnettised consequential that can be passed into public transport in Wales?
Bydd y Prif Weinidog yn ymwybodol nad oes gennyf i, na llawer o fy nghyd-aelodau yn y fan yma sydd o gymoedd y De—y dewisiadau ar gyfer trenau mewn llawer o'r cymoedd hyn; y bws yw'r un allweddol bwysig os ydym ni eisiau annog pobl i wneud y newid moddol hwnnw i gludiant cyhoeddus, gyda'r cynnydd mewn newid yn yr hinsawdd, ond ffordd wahanol o deithio hefyd. Ond y realiti, rwy'n credu, yw na allwn ni wneud hynny oni bai ein bod yn gwrthdroi'r dadreoleiddio trychinebus o fysiau a ddigwyddodd ddegawdau yn ôl, a'n bod ni'n gallu rhoi ar waith, ochr yn ochr â metro'r de, y math o rwydwaith o fysiau cynlluniedig, strategol a lleol, a fydd yn gallu mynd â phobl i'r gwaith ar amser, i'w hapwyntiad yn yr ysbyty, ac i'r feddygfa, ac i gymdeithasu, ac i ymdrin ag ynysigrwydd hefyd.
Felly, hoffwn ofyn iddo beth yw ei farn ef ynghylch y sefyllfa sy'n dod i'r amlwg o amgylch cyfundrefn sydd wedi'i chynllunio'n well, a gwrthdroi'r dadreoleiddio a welsom. Ac a gaf i ofyn iddo hefyd, nawr ein bod wedi cael cyhoeddiad gan Brif Weinidog y DU ar y cannoedd o filiynau o bunnoedd a allai fod yma ar gyfer HS2, ac o beth rwy'n deall, gallai fod arian ychwanegol ar gyfer bysiau yn Lloegr, a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cael gwybod pa un a fydd gennym ni swm canlyniadol yn unol â fformiwla Barnett y gellir ei drosglwyddo i drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yng Nghymru?
I thank the Member for that. I entirely agree with him—there has been a 30-year failed experiment in deregulation of bus services. We will introduce a Bill on the floor of this Assembly that will put the public interest back at the heart of the way in which public investment in bus services is carried out in Wales, allowing them—the local authorities, that is—to be able to control licences issued, to have more democratic input and control over strategic and local routes. The Bill that my colleague Julie James will be taking through the Assembly on local government will provide local authorities with new abilities to come together to plan transport for their area. And, of course, far more people use the bus in Wales than use the train, and that's why we will have legislation on the floor of this Assembly to put bus services back where they belong—under the control of public authorities, run in the interests of people and not of profit.
As far as the announcement today is concerned, we have no certainty at all from the UK Government as to whether any funding will flow to Wales, both in relation to the announcement made on buses, or in relation to the HS2 announcement. Of course money must come to Wales. Members here will be very familiar with the figures: we have 11 per cent of the track, 20 per cent of level crossings—as Members were discussing here last week—and we've had 2 per cent of the funding, over the last 10 years. The Tories' great train robbery of Wales needs to come to an end, Llywydd, and we look forward to hearing after today that that great train robbery is coming to an end.
Diolch i'r Aelod am hynna. Rwyf i'n cytuno'n llwyr gydag ef—methiant fu'r arbrawf dadreoleiddio gwasanaethau bysiau a gynhaliwyd dros y 30 mlynedd diwethaf. Byddwn yn cyflwyno Bil yn y Cynulliad hwn a fydd yn rhoi lles y cyhoedd yn ôl wrth wraidd y ffordd y mae buddsoddiad cyhoeddus mewn gwasanaethau bws yn cael ei wneud yng Nghymru, gan ganiatáu iddyn nhw—yr awdurdodau lleol, hynny yw—allu rheoli trwyddedau a gyflwynir, i gael mwy o ddylanwad democrataidd a rheolaeth ar lwybrau strategol a lleol. Bydd y Bil ar lywodraeth leol y bydd fy nghydweithiwr Julie James yn ei arwain drwy'r Cynulliad yn rhoi galluoedd newydd i awdurdodau lleol ddod at ei gilydd i gynllunio cludiant ar gyfer eu hardal. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae llawer mwy o bobl yn defnyddio'r bws yng Nghymru na sy'n defnyddio'r trên, a dyna pam y bydd gennym ddeddfwriaeth yn y Cynulliad hwn i roi gwasanaethau bws yn ôl lle y dylen nhw fod—o dan reolaeth awdurdodau cyhoeddus, yn cael eu rhedeg er budd pobl ac nid er elw.
Cyn belled ag y mae cyhoeddiad heddiw yn y cwestiwn, nid oes gennym unrhyw sicrwydd o gwbl gan Lywodraeth y DU o ran a fydd unrhyw gyllid yn llifo i Gymru, naill ai o ran y cyhoeddiad a wneir ar fysiau, nac o ran y cyhoeddiad HS2. Wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid i arian ddod i Gymru. Bydd Aelodau yn y fan yma yn gyfarwydd iawn â'r ffigurau: mae gennym ni 11 y cant o'r trac, 20 y cant o groesfannau rheilffordd—fel yr oedd aelodau'n trafod yn y fan yma yr wythnos diwethaf—ac rydym ni wedi cael 2 y cant o'r cyllid, dros y 10 mlynedd diwethaf. Mae angen i ladrad trenau y Torïaid yng Nghymru ddod i ben, Llywydd, ac edrychwn ymlaen at glywed ar ôl heddiw fod y lladrad trenau hwnnw'n dod i ben.
8. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am raglen Gwella Cartrefi Gofal Cymru? OAQ55076
8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Care Home Improvement Cymru programme? OAQ55076
I thank the Member for that. The programme focuses on practical measures to improve the experience of care home residents, for example by preventing falls, reducing pressure ulcers and improving dementia care. It invests in the skills and capabilities of staff in care homes, from experienced managers to newly recruited workers at the start of their careers.
Diolch i'r Aelod am hynna. Mae'r rhaglen yn canolbwyntio ar fesurau ymarferol i wella profiad preswylwyr cartrefi gofal, er enghraifft, drwy atal codymau, lleihau briwiau pwyso a gwella gofal dementia. Mae'n buddsoddi yn sgiliau a galluoedd staff mewn cartrefi gofal, o reolwyr profiadol i weithwyr sydd newydd eu recriwtio ar ddechrau eu gyrfaoedd.
Thank you. An integral part of the care home improvement Cymru programme is the Gwên am Byth oral health improvement scheme. The scheme sees staff trained in mouth care, oral risk assessments are carried out, which lead to an individual care plan, and residents are to have appropriate mouth care resources for their care plan, such as a toothbrush and high-fluoride toothpaste. I found that, for the year ending March 2019, there were 10,228 residents in 287 homes participating fully in the programme. However, only 55 per cent had a mouth care plan being delivered. What action will you take to ensure that the oral health of the 4,558 individuals without a mouth care health plan in place, who are supposedly participating in this programme—that they will actually receive this treatment?
Diolch. Mae'r cynllun gwella iechyd y geg Gwên am Byth yn rhan annatod o raglen gwella cartrefi gofal Cymru. Mae'r cynllun yn rhoi hyfforddiant i staff yng ngofal y geg, cynhelir asesiadau risg llafar, sy'n arwain at gynllun gofal unigol, a bydd y preswylwyr yn cael adnoddau gofal y geg priodol ar gyfer eu cynllun gofal, megis brwsh dannedd a phast dannedd â fflworid uchel. Canfûm, ar gyfer y flwyddyn a ddaeth i ben ym mis Mawrth 2019, fod 10,228 o breswylwyr mewn 287 o gartrefi yn cymryd rhan lawn yn y rhaglen. Fodd bynnag, dim ond 55 y cant oedd yn darparu cynllun gofal y geg. Pa gamau fyddwch chi yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod iechyd y geg y 4,558 o unigolion nad oes ganddynt gynllun iechyd gofal y geg ar waith, sydd yn ôl pob tebyg yn cymryd rhan yn y rhaglen hon—y byddan nhw'n cael y driniaeth hon mewn gwirionedd?
I thank the Member for drawing attention to the Gwên am Byth programme, a very important programme of the Welsh Government. It came out of work carried out by Sarah Rochira, the previous Older People's Commissioner for Wales, whose report, you will remember, focused on the very small things that make a real difference in the lives of care home residents. And she drew attention to those basic primary care services—ophthalmology, dental services—and the Gwên am Byth programme is the result of that. It was tested in care homes and with the community dental services, and now we have a national oral health toolkit. And my colleague Vaughan Gething announced additional funding for this programme just at the end of last year, because it's a proven success, it makes a real difference in the lives of those care home residents, and we want to see it happening in every care home in Wales.
Diolch i'r Aelod am dynnu sylw at y rhaglen Gwên am Byth, rhaglen bwysig iawn gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Deilliodd y rhaglen o waith gan Sarah Rochira, y Comisiynydd Pobl Hŷn Cymru blaenorol, ac roedd ei hadroddiad, fe gofiwch, yn canolbwyntio ar y pethau bach iawn sy'n gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol ym mywydau preswylwyr cartrefi gofal. A thynnodd hi sylw at y gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol elfennol hynny—offthalmoleg, gwasanaethau deintyddol—a'r rhaglen Gwên am Byth yw canlyniad hynny. Cafodd ei roi ar brawf mewn cartrefi gofal a gyda'r gwasanaethau deintyddol cymunedol, ac erbyn hyn mae gennym ni becyn cymorth cenedlaethol ar gyfer iechyd y geg. Cyhoeddodd fy nghyd-Aelod Vaughan Gething gyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer y rhaglen hon ddiwedd y llynedd, gan y profwyd ei bod yn llwyddiant, mae'n gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol ym mywydau'r preswylwyr cartrefi gofal hynny, ac rydym ni eisiau ei gweld yn digwydd ym mhob cartref gofal yng Nghymru.
9. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad ynglŷn ag ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi dyfodol llong ymchwil y Prince Madog? OAQ55105
9. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's support for the future of the Prince Madog research vessel? OAQ55105
Diolch i Rhun ap Iorwerth am y cwestiwn. Llywydd, mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru gontract gyda Phrifysgol Bangor i ddarparu gwasanaethau arolygon môr tan 2021. Fe wnaeth y contract hwn helpu i sicrhau dyfodol llong ymchwil y Prince Madog yng Nghymru.
May I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for the question? Llywydd, the Welsh Government has a contract with Bangor University to deliver sea survey services until 2021. This contract helped secure the future of the Prince Madog research vessel in Wales.
A dwi yn ddiolchgar iawn am ymateb y Llywodraeth pan wnes i dynnu sylw Gweinidogion at y peryg y gallai capasiti y Prince Madog i wneud gwaith ymchwil morol gael ei golli oherwydd y pryderon am ddyfodol y llong, sydd â'i chartref, wrth gwrs, ym Mhorthaethwy, yn fy etholaeth i. Mae'r cytundeb 100 niwrnod o waith yna yn sicr wedi bod yn allweddol o ran sicrhau dyfodol y llong yn y byrdymor, ond mi hoffwn i dynnu sylw'r Prif Weinidog at y ffaith bod 2021 ddim yn bell iawn i ffwrdd erbyn hyn, a bod angen rŵan i weithio i sicrhau dyfodol hirdymor.
Mi hoffwn i wneud apêl yn fan hyn am addewid gan y Llywodraeth i ymrwymo rŵan i drafodaethau ynglŷn ag ymestyn y cytundeb, a all wneud gwaith ymchwil ecolegol, ynni, bwyd allweddol am flynyddoedd i ddod, achos mae'r cloc yn tician ac mae yna rôl allweddol i'r Llywodraeth yn sicrhau'r dyfodol hirdymor yna.
I am very grateful for the Government’s response when I did draw Ministers’ attention to the risk that the capacity of the Prince Madog to do marine research work could be lost because of the concerns about the future of the vessel, which is moored, of course, in Menai Bridge in my constituency. That 100 days’ work certainly has been crucial in terms of ensuring the future of the vessel in the short term, but I would like to draw the First Minister’s attention to the fact that 2021 isn’t very far away now, and that we now need to work in order to secure the long-term future.
I’d like to make an appeal here for a pledge from Government to commit now to having negotiations on extending that contract, which can do ecological energy and food research that could be crucial for years to come, because the clock is ticking and there is a crucial role for the Government to play in securing the long-term future here.
Llywydd, diolch i Rhun ap Iorwerth am y cwestiwn yna a diolch am y wybodaeth roddodd e i ni yn ôl yn 2019 am ddyfodol y Prince Madog. Ges i gyfle i ymweld â'r llong nôl fis Awst diwethaf am y trydydd tro, dwi'n meddwl, ac i gwrdd â phobl sy'n gweithio yn y maes yna. Maen nhw mor frwdfrydig ac maen nhw mor awyddus i gario ymlaen i wneud y gwaith maen nhw'n ei wneud.
Mae'r contract sydd gyda ni ar hyn o bryd—ni jest yn chwarter cyntaf y contract. Dwi'n clywed beth mae Rhun ap Iorwerth yn ei ddweud: mae'r cloc yn mynd ymlaen, a dwi'n siŵr bydd pobl yn y brifysgol yn cydnabod y ffaith ein bod ni wedi gweithio yn agosach gyda nhw. Rydyn ni eisiau cario ymlaen i wneud hynny, ac rydyn ni eisiau cynllunio gyda nhw ar gyfer gwasanaeth sy'n mynd i'n helpu ni yng Nghymru tuag at 2021, a thu hwnt i hynny hefyd.
Llywydd, may I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for that question, and thank him for the information that he gave us back in 2019 about the future of the Prince Madog? I had an opportunity to visit the ship back in August of last year for the third time, I believe, and I met with the people who work in that field. They are so enthusiastic and they are so eager to carry on with the work that they’re undertaking.
The contract that we have at present—we are just in the first quarter of the contract. I hear what Rhun ap Iorwerth is saying about the ticking clock, and I am certain that people at the university will acknowledge the fact that we have worked closer with them. We wish to continue with that collaboration and we want to jointly plan with them a service that will help us all in Wales towards 2021 and beyond.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, a dwi'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud y datganiad hwnnw—Rebecca Evans.
The next item is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd to make the statement—Rebecca Evans.
There is one change to this week's business. Business Committee has agreed that tomorrow's Conservative debate will take place immediately after questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Mae un newid i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Mae'r Pwyllgor Busnes wedi cytuno y bydd dadl y Ceidwadwyr yfory'n cael ei chynnal yn syth ar ôl y cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith papurau'r cyfarfodydd sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau'n electronig.
Can I call for a statement from the Minister for the economy and transport on concessionary rail fare schemes here in Wales? The Minister will be aware that the UK Government announced the introduction of a veteran rail card in England, and I know that veterans are asking across Wales as to whether there'll be a similar card available to them here in Wales. I know that the Welsh Government has done a great deal of work on trying to support the veteran community, and I applaud you for that, and I just want to have some clarity on whether the same privilege will be afforded to veterans here, as is going to be the case in England, once this particular card is introduced?
A gaf i alw am ddatganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth ar gynlluniau tocynnau trên rhatach yma yng Nghymru? Bydd y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol bod Llywodraeth y DU wedi cyhoeddi cyflwyno cerdyn gostyngiad rheilffyrdd i gyn-filwyr yn Lloegr, ac rwy'n gwybod bod cyn-filwyr ledled Cymru yn gofyn a fydd cerdyn tebyg ar gael iddyn nhw yma yng Nghymru. Rwy'n gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwneud llawer iawn o waith i geisio cefnogi cymuned y cyn-filwyr, ac rwyf yn eich canmol am hynny, ac rwyf eisiau cael rhywfaint o eglurder ynghylch a fydd cyn-filwyr yma yn cael yr un fraint, fel y bydd yn digwydd yn Lloegr, ar ôl i'r cerdyn penodol hwn gael ei gyflwyno?
I'm grateful to Darren Millar for raising this issue, and I do know that the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales is in current discussion with the Department for Transport in England to better understand the proposed scheme and how it might work, and then obviously to give consideration to the matter here. And obviously the Member will be aware that we do have a more generous offer for veterans who use our bus services here in Wales.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Darren Millar am godi'r mater hwn, ac rwy'n gwybod bod Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru yn trafod ar hyn o bryd gyda'r Adran Drafnidiaeth yn Lloegr i ddeall y cynllun arfaethedig yn well a sut y gallai weithio, ac yna yn amlwg i roi ystyriaeth i'r mater yma. Ac yn amlwg bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol bod gennym ni gynnig mwy hael i gyn-filwyr sy'n defnyddio ein gwasanaethau bws yma yng Nghymru.
Since raising the lack of support for neurodivergent children, I've had many people get in touch who've been affected. People are growing increasingly frustrated with the system. The picture that is painted by people trying to access support for ADHD, autism and similar issues is, frankly, a grim one. The only conclusion we can draw is that people, and children in particular, are being failed on an industrial scale.
I want to raise points with you today that have been made to me by an additional learning needs co-ordinator. She says her job has now become, and I quote, 'unmanageable' due to the bureaucracy involved in trying to get support for children. One referral takes half a day on the new portal system, which was designed with the aim of making things easier. It has achieved the exact opposite. Children who meet criteria for placements are told that they have to wait two terms for those plans to be in place. This means that children are spending more time in an environment that traumatises them due to the over-sensory, overcrowded nature of mainstream classes. There is no support for children on the spectrum in Rhondda Cynon Taf until reception year, meaning that there's no alternative to mainstream education. Justifiably, this has been described to me as unacceptable and cruel.
I intend to take up many of these issues directly with the Labour-run council in Rhondda Cynon Taf, but I would like a clear statement from this Government to those people who are struggling to access support for their kids. People need to know what their rights are. They need to know what you as a Government consider to be acceptable or unacceptable from public bodies. Many parents and teachers are at the end of their tether and they are desperately asking for help. They are telling us the system is an unsustainable mess. Children are being badly let down. I hope you'll agree that they deserve swift action.
Ers codi'r diffyg cefnogaeth i blant niwroamrywiol, mae llawer o bobl yr effeithiwyd arnynt wedi cysylltu â mi. Mae pobl yn mynd yn fwyfwy rhwystredig gyda'r system. Mae'r darlun sy'n cael ei greu gan y bobl sy'n ceisio cael cymorth ar gyfer ADHD, awtistiaeth a materion tebyg yn un annymunol, a dweud y gwir. Yr unig gasgliad y gallwn ni ddod iddo yw bod pobl, a phlant yn arbennig, yn cael eu siomi ar raddfa enfawr.
Hoffwn i godi pwyntiau gyda chi heddiw y mae cydlynydd anghenion dysgu ychwanegol wedi'u gwneud gyda mi. Mae'n dweud bod ei swydd bellach wedi dod, ac rwy'n dyfynnu, yn 'amhosibl ei rheoli' oherwydd y fiwrocratiaeth sy'n gysylltiedig â cheisio cael cymorth i blant. Mae un atgyfeiriad yn cymryd hanner diwrnod ar y system borthol newydd, a gafodd ei chynllunio i wneud pethau'n haws. Mae wedi cyflawni'r gwrthwyneb yn llwyr. Mae plant sy'n bodloni'r meini prawf ar gyfer lleoliadau yn cael gwybod bod angen iddyn nhw aros dau dymor i'r cynlluniau hynny fod yn eu lle. Mae hyn yn golygu bod plant yn treulio mwy o amser mewn amgylchedd sy'n achosi trawma iddyn nhw oherwydd natur or-synhwyraidd a gorlawn dosbarthiadau prif ffrwd. Nid oes cymorth i blant ar y sbectrwm yn Rhondda Cynon Taf tan flwyddyn y dosbarth derbyn, sy'n golygu nad oes dewis arall heblaw addysg prif ffrwd. Cafodd hyn ei ddisgrifio i mi, yn haeddiannol, fel rhywbeth annerbyniol a chreulon.
Rwy'n bwriadu mynd i'r afael â llawer o'r materion hyn yn uniongyrchol gyda'r cyngor sy'n cael ei reoli gan Lafur yn Rhondda Cynon Taf, ond hoffwn i gael datganiad clir gan y Llywodraeth hon i'r bobl hynny sy'n ei chael yn anodd cael cymorth i'w plant. Mae angen i bobl wybod beth yw eu hawliau. Mae angen iddyn nhw wybod yr hyn yr ydych chi fel Llywodraeth yn ei ystyried yn dderbyniol neu'n annerbyniol gan gyrff cyhoeddus. Mae llawer o rieni ac athrawon wedi cyrraedd pen eu tennyn ac maen nhw’n gofyn yn daer am gymorth. Maen nhw'n dweud wrthym ni fod y system yn llanastr anghynaladwy. Mae plant yn cael eu siomi'n arw. Rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch chi'n cytuno eu bod nhw'n haeddu gweithredu cyflym.
Leanne Wood will be familiar with the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 and the importance that Welsh Government attaches to that in ensuring that children and young people do get the support that they need at the earliest possible point in their educational journey. And it is entirely appropriate to take up those individual cases with the local authority.
Welsh Government will be consulting on our statutory code for autism and ASD, and there will be some public engagement alongside that. I know that the health Minister and the Deputy Minister, with responsibility particularly for autism, would be keen to understand better the views of the individual who has contacted you to discuss the issues that she has faced in terms of finding the appropriate support for the children who she works with. So, if you could perhaps write to the Minister with some more detail on behalf of your constituent, that would be really useful. Thank you.
Bydd Leanne Wood yn gyfarwydd â Deddf Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol a'r Tribiwnlys Addysg (Cymru) 2018 a'r pwysigrwydd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei roi ar hynny wrth sicrhau bod plant a phobl ifanc yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnyn nhw cyn gynted â phosibl ar eu taith addysgol. Ac mae'n gwbl briodol codi'r achosion unigol hynny gyda'r awdurdod lleol.
Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymgynghori ar ein cod statudol ar gyfer awtistiaeth ac ASD, a bydd rhywfaint o ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd ynghyd â hynny. Rwy'n gwybod y byddai'r Gweinidog Iechyd a'r Dirprwy Weinidog, â chyfrifoldeb arbennig am awtistiaeth, yn awyddus i ddeall yn well farn yr unigolyn sydd wedi cysylltu â chi i drafod y materion y mae hi wedi'u hwynebu o ran dod o hyd i'r cymorth priodol i'r plant y mae'n gweithio gyda nhw. Felly, os gallech chi efallai ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog gyda mwy o fanylion ar ran eich etholwr, byddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol iawn. Diolch.
I would like to ask for two statements from the Welsh Government. Firstly, what action is being taken to reduce single-use plastic, both by the Welsh Government and by Welsh Government-funded bodies, such as health boards?
Secondly, I want to ask for an update on the provision of 4G and 5G sports pitches. Members will probably remember we used to talk about 4G and 5G sports pitches fairly regularly, but it seems to have dropped off the agenda in the last couple of years. We know that they have the ability to be used continually and to rarely be affected by weather, making them ideal for providing all-round sports provision. It means that children especially, who start taking up sport, don't play football and rugby between September and April and have a winter break of an exceedingly long time.
Hoffwn i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Yn gyntaf, pa gamau sy'n cael eu cymryd i leihau plastig untro, gan Lywodraeth Cymru a'r cyrff y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu hariannu, megis byrddau iechyd?
Yn ail, hoffwn i ofyn am yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynghylch y ddarpariaeth o gaeau chwarae 4G a 5G. Mae'n debyg y bydd yr Aelodau'n cofio ein bod yn arfer sôn am gaeau chwarae 4G a 5G yn weddol reolaidd, ond mae'n ymddangos ei bod wedi disgyn oddi ar yr agenda yn yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf. Gwyddom fod ganddyn nhw'r gallu i gael eu defnyddio'n barhaus ac yn anaml y mae'r tywydd yn effeithio arnynt, gan eu gwneud yn ddelfrydol ar gyfer darparu chwaraeon yn gyffredinol. Mae'n golygu nad yw plant yn enwedig, sy'n dechrau cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon, yn chwarae pêl-droed a rygbi rhwng mis Medi ac Ebrill ac yn cael toriad eithriadol o hir yn ystod y gaeaf.
On the first issue that Mike Hedges raised, which was the use of single-use plastic on the Welsh Government estate and the public sector estate more widely, I'm really pleased to report that there has been continued progress in reducing the environmental impact of our Welsh Government estate in key areas, including single-use plastics. Of course, I published the Welsh Government's 'State of the Estate' report just a short while ago, which did demonstrate how we are making progress in this area. That includes working with our catering service to remove single-use plastics in canteens, and that of course includes plastic cups, straws, stirrers, sauce sachets and cutlery—all things that we might be looking to include in a potential piece of legislation—to ensure that those items are not used across Wales. I know that the Deputy Minister with responsibility for waste and environmental issues has been looking particularly at this, certainly within the context of the circular economy and the work that has been done in the 'Beyond Recycling' strategy and approach at the moment. So, I'm really pleased with the progress that we are making, but that said, clearly, there's much more to do in this area. But I would certainly commend the 'State of the Estate' report to Mike Hedges.
Of course, the issue of 4G and 5G sports pitches in Wales is extremely important in ensuring that children and young people, and communities more widely, are able to access those sporting opportunities year round. So, our investment in community 3G, 4G and 5G pitches and artificial pitches is being led by Sport Wales, and they've invested over £3.1 million into the collaborative sports facilities group. That group, crucially, includes Sport Wales, but also the FAW Trust, the WRU and Hockey Wales, to ensure that those pitches do have the support of and the engagement of the various sporting communities who are able to use them. I'm sure that the work of the collaborative sports facilities group would be of interest to the Member, and I know that the Deputy Minister for culture and sport will provide an update on that work.
O ran y mater cyntaf a godwyd gan Mike Hedges, sef defnyddio plastig untro ar ystad Llywodraeth Cymru ac ystad y sector cyhoeddus yn ehangach, rwy'n falch iawn o adrodd y bu cynnydd parhaus o ran lleihau effaith amgylcheddol ystad Llywodraeth Cymru mewn ardaloedd allweddol, gan gynnwys plastigau untro. Wrth gwrs, cyhoeddais adroddiad Llywodraeth Cymru 'Cyflwr yr Ystad ' ychydig amser yn ôl, a oedd yn dangos sut yr ydym ni'n gwneud cynnydd yn y maes hwn. Mae hynny'n cynnwys gweithio gyda'n gwasanaeth arlwyo i gael gwared ar blastigau untro ym mhob ffreutur, ac mae hynny wrth gwrs yn cynnwys cwpanau plastig, gwellt, trowyr, pecynnau saws a chyllyll a ffyrc—pob peth y gallem ni fod yn ystyried ei gynnwys mewn darn posibl o ddeddfwriaeth—i sicrhau na chaiff yr eitemau hynny eu defnyddio ledled Cymru. Rwy'n gwybod bod y Dirprwy Weinidog sy'n gyfrifol am wastraff a materion amgylcheddol wedi bod yn edrych yn benodol ar hyn, yn sicr o fewn cyd-destun yr economi gylchol a'r gwaith sydd wedi'i wneud yn y strategaeth 'Y Tu Hwnt i Ailgylchu' ac yn y dull gweithredu ar hyn o bryd. Felly, rwy'n falch iawn o'r cynnydd yr ydym ni'n ei wneud, ond wedi dweud hynny, yn amlwg, mae llawer mwy i'w wneud yn y maes hwn. Ond byddwn i'n sicr yn cymeradwyo adroddiad 'Cyflwr yr Ystad' i Mike Hedges.
Wrth gwrs, mae'r mater ynghylch meysydd chwarae 4G a 5G yng Nghymru yn eithriadol o bwysig o ran sicrhau bod plant a phobl ifanc, a chymunedau yn ehangach, yn gallu manteisio ar y cyfleoedd chwaraeon hynny drwy gydol y flwyddyn. Felly, mae ein buddsoddiad mewn meysydd chwarae 3G, 4G a 5G a meysydd artiffisial yn cael eu harwain gan Chwaraeon Cymru, ac maen nhw wedi buddsoddi dros £3.1 miliwn yn y grŵp cyfleusterau chwaraeon cydweithredol. Mae'r grŵp hwnnw, yn holl bwysig, yn cynnwys Chwaraeon Cymru, ond hefyd Ymddiriedolaeth Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru, Undeb Rygbi Cymru a Hockey Wales, er mwyn sicrhau bod yr amrywiol gymunedau chwaraeon sy'n gallu eu defnyddio yn cefnogi'r lleiniau hynny ac yn ymgysylltu â nhw. Rwy'n siŵr y byddai gwaith y grŵp cyfleusterau chwaraeon cydweithredol o ddiddordeb i'r Aelod, a gwn y bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog Diwylliant a Chwaraeon yn darparu'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y gwaith hwnnw.
Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Housing and Local Government about the oversight and implementation of the planning Act in Wales? I have been contacted by a number of constituents with concerns about the increase in planning consents for housing developments being granted in my region. Although these developments are within the local government plan, my constituents are concerned that the local infrastructure is inadequate to cope with the population increase. In particular, roads are inadequate to cope with the increased volume of traffic and local facilities such as GP surgeries, dentists and schools find difficulty in coping with the increased demand for their services. Smaller villages have taken the brunt of the problem associated with the new developments, with seemingly little thought given to the local population. Can we have a statement on how the planning system ensures that the infrastructure is brought up to an acceptable standard to cope with localised population increases in the future in Wales, please?
Gweinidog, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol am oruchwylio a gweithredu'r Ddeddf Cynllunio yng Nghymru? Mae nifer o etholwyr wedi cysylltu â mi yn mynegi pryderon ynghylch y cynnydd mewn caniatâd cynllunio ar gyfer datblygiadau tai yn fy rhanbarth i. Er bod y datblygiadau hyn o fewn y cynllun Llywodraeth Leol, mae fy etholwyr yn pryderu bod y seilwaith lleol yn annigonol i ymdopi â'r cynnydd yn y boblogaeth. Yn benodol, mae'r ffyrdd yn annigonol i ymdopi â mwy o draffig ac mae'r cyfleusterau lleol fel meddygfeydd, deintyddion ac ysgolion yn ei chael yn anodd ymdopi â'r galw cynyddol am eu gwasanaethau. Pentrefi llai sydd wedi dioddef waethaf oherwydd y broblem sy'n gysylltiedig â'r datblygiadau newydd, sy'n rhoi ychydig iawn o ystyriaeth i'r boblogaeth leol, mae'n debyg. A gawn ni ddatganiad ynghylch sut y mae'r system gynllunio'n sicrhau bod y seilwaith yn cyrraedd safon dderbyniol er mwyn ymdopi â'r cynnydd yn y boblogaeth leol yn y dyfodol yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda?
The issues of infrastructure and service provision are clearly crucially important when local authorities are considering their local development plans and exploring the burden of additional homes locally. In the first instance, I think the concerns you describe would be best made to the local authority in terms of representations on behalf of your community in relation to the specific planning applications that you have concerns with, because of course we'd be unable to comment on those just in case it did arrive at the point at which they might be called in for determination by Welsh Government. So, in the first instance, I would certainly encourage you to have those discussions with the local authority.
Mae'r materion sy'n ymwneud â seilwaith a darparu gwasanaethau yn amlwg yn hanfodol bwysig pan fydd awdurdodau lleol yn ystyried eu cynlluniau datblygu lleol ac yn archwilio baich cartrefi ychwanegol yn lleol. Yn y lle cyntaf, rwy'n credu y byddai'n well cyflwyno'r pryderon a ddisgrifiwch i'r awdurdod lleol o ran y sylwadau ar ran eich cymuned ynghylch y ceisiadau cynllunio penodol yr ydych chi'n pryderu yn eu cylch. Wrth gwrs, ni fyddem ni'n gallu rhoi sylwadau ar y rheini rhag ofn y byddai'n cyrraedd y pwynt lle gallen nhw gael eu galw i mewn i benderfynu arnynt gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Felly, yn y lle cyntaf, byddwn i'n sicr yn eich annog chi i gael y trafodaethau hynny gyda'r awdurdod lleol.
I'd like to ask for a statement from the economy and transport Minister about what the Welsh Government plans to do in relation to the rolling stock on the Rhymney line. We all want more people to use the trains. While capacity on that line will increase substantially over the next couple of years, it's now been confirmed through a freedom of information request that capacity on those trains will be reduced again when new trains are introduced in 2023. That is: there'll be space for fewer people on the trains.
Now, the problem with this is that demand will increase in the intervening period, especially with the increased capacity with the 769 trains that are due to be introduced this year, and that's before taking into account a general increase in demand. I must say, I was extremely worried to hear the Transport for Wales CEO telling the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee recently that they have underestimated what will be the general levels of increase in demand.
So, when space for people on the trains is reduced in 2023, and goes back to the capacity we see now on the Bargoed to Caerphilly trains, the levels of demand will be much, much higher than they are today. That will lead to further cramped conditions, which will be exacerbated by the fact that Transport for Wales regulations actually allow for standing conditions that are amongst, I think, the most cramped in the UK. They allow only 0.25 metres squared standing space per passenger, compared with a UK standard of 0.45 metres squared. Those of us who get the trains every day will know how cramped those conditions can be. So, I'd like a statement, please, from the economy and transport Minister, about what steps the Welsh Government will take to ensure that increased capacity on the Rhymney line is maintained for 2023 and beyond that.
Hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth am yr hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu ei wneud o ran y cerbydau ar reilffordd Rhymni. Mae pawb ohonom eisiau gweld mwy o bobl yn defnyddio'r trenau. Er y bydd y capasiti ar y llinell honno'n cynyddu'n sylweddol yn ystod y cwpl o flynyddoedd nesaf, cadarnhawyd erbyn hyn, drwy gais rhyddid gwybodaeth, y bydd y capasiti ar y trenau hynny'n lleihau eto pan fydd y trenau newydd yn cael eu cyflwyno yn 2023. Hynny yw: bydd lle i lai o bobl ar y trenau.
Nawr, y broblem gyda hyn yw y bydd y galw'n cynyddu yn y cyfamser, yn enwedig gyda'r cynnydd mewn capasiti yn sgil y 769 o drenau sy'n mynd i gael eu cyflwyno eleni, ac mae hynny cyn ystyried y cynnydd cyffredinol yn y galw. Rhaid imi ddweud, roeddwn i'n bryderus iawn o glywed Prif Swyddog Gweithredol Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn dweud wrth Bwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau yn ddiweddar eu bod wedi diystyru lefelau cyffredinol y cynnydd yn y galw.
Felly, pan fydd llai o le ar gyfer pobl ar y trenau yn 2023, ac yn mynd yn ôl i'r capasiti yr ydym ni'n ei weld ar hyn o bryd ar drenau Bargoed i Gaerffili, bydd lefelau'r galw yn llawer, llawer uwch nag y maent heddiw. Bydd hynny'n arwain at ragor o amodau cyfyng, a fydd yn cael eu gwaethygu gan y ffaith bod rheoliadau Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn caniatáu ar gyfer amodau sefyll sydd ymhlith y mwyaf cyfyng yn y DU. Dim ond 0.25 metr sgwâr y maen nhw'n ei ganiatáu fesul teithiwr, o'i gymharu â safon y DU o 0.45 metr sgwâr. Bydd y rheini ohonom ni sy'n dal y trenau bob dydd yn gwybod pa mor gyfyng y gall yr amodau hynny fod. Felly, hoffwn i gael datganiad, os gwelwch yn dda, gan Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth ynglŷn â pha gamau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod y cynnydd yn y capasiti ar reilffordd Rhymni yn cael ei gynnal ar gyfer 2023 a thu hwnt.
The transport Minister's been indicating to me during your contribution that he is happy to provide an update to Members on the issues that you raise, but I do know that Transport for Wales are very aware of the capacity issues, particularly on the Rhymney line, and they've been exploring options to address the issue.
Since taking over the franchise, it's fair to say there's been increasing demand on that line, and I would expect probably above and beyond that which was predicted. So, Transport for Wales are currently exploring how to improve that customer experience, and they've done so already, to a degree, by introducing those extra class 37 transition peak services in May of 2019.
Transport for Wales are fully reviewing all of their passenger number forecasts, and they assure us that the service they provide in 2023 will meet those demands, as many options are currently being considered and planned. But, as the Minister said, he'd be happy to provide an update that addresses your concerns.
Yn ystod eich cyfraniad mae'r Gweinidog Trafnidiaeth wedi nodi wrthyf ei fod yn fodlon rhoi'r newyddion diweddaraf i'r Aelodau ar y materion yr ydych chi'n eu codi, ond rwy'n gwybod bod Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn ymwybodol iawn o'r problemau capasiti, yn enwedig ar reilffordd Rhymni, ac maen nhw wedi bod yn archwilio opsiynau i fynd i'r afael â'r mater.
Ers cymryd cyfrifoldeb am y fasnachfraint, mae'n deg dweud bod galw cynyddol wedi bod ar y llinell honno, a byddwn i'n disgwyl fod hynny, fwy na thebyg, uwchlaw a thu hwnt i'r hyn a gafodd ei ragweld. Felly, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wrthi'n archwilio sut i wella profiad y cwsmeriaid, ac maen nhw wedi gwneud hynny eisoes, i ryw raddau, drwy gyflwyno'r gwasanaethau pontio oriau brig dosbarth 37 ychwanegol hynny ym mis Mai 2019.
Mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn adolygu pob un o'u rhagolygon o ran nifer y teithwyr, ac maen nhw'n ein sicrhau ni y bydd y gwasanaeth a fydd yn cael ei ddarparu yn 2023 yn bodloni'r gofynion hynny, gan fod llawer o opsiynau'n cael eu hystyried a'u cynllunio ar hyn o bryd. Ond, fel y dywedodd y Gweinidog, byddai'n hapus i roi diweddariad sy'n ymdrin â'ch pryderon.
The storm we've had in the last couple of days is yet another reminder that we absolutely have to change our ways if the climate emergency is not going to become completely out of control.
We've had very large sums of money being promised in the UK Parliament today: £106 billion for HS2. Professor Mark Barry, however, advises that this won't benefit Wales at all, because we're the only nation in the UK that doesn't have devolution of our rail infrastructure and, therefore, we won't get any consequential from that, is my understanding. So, we're going to have to pony up for this £106 billion to run yet another line out of London to the north of England, but we're not going to be benefiting from it at all, is my understanding.
It would be useful if we could hear from the Government about that, and particularly in light of the fact that the UK Government reneged on the electrification of the line from Cardiff to Swansea and beyond, which of course affects very badly on my constituents who are having to put up with all the pollution belching out of these diesel trains coming in and out of Cardiff Central. So, this is a really significant matter for me, and I wondered what action is being taken on that to try and get the Government to address some of the problems across the UK, rather than focusing all the money on London.
In addition to that, the UK Government has today said they're going to spend £5 billion on bus services and cycling routes. That'll be for England, so is there going to be a consequential for similar sums of money for Wales? And also, the UK Government has established a £50 million fund that local authorities can bid into in England to clean up their bus fleets with electric buses. Could we have a statement to pull together all these issues to find out whether the Welsh Government is going to be able to move with pace on this really, really important issue?
On a completely separate matter, I want to just highlight to the Government that the English Football Association is publishing guidelines for restricting the heading of a football by under-18s in training, and the Scottish Football Association is also going to ban any under-12s from heading a ball during training. Can we have a statement to demonstrate what the Welsh Government's view on this matter is, which is really quite a significant public health issue?
Mae'r storm a gawsom yn ystod y diwrnodau diwethaf yn ein hatgoffa eto bod yn rhaid inni newid ein ffordd o weithredu'n gyfan gwbl os nad yw'r argyfwng hinsawdd yn mynd i fynd allan o reolaeth y llwyr.
Mae symiau mawr iawn o arian wedi cael eu haddo yn Senedd y DU heddiw: £106 biliwn ar gyfer HS2. Mae'r Athro Mark Barry, fodd bynnag, yn cynghori na fydd hyn o fudd i Gymru o gwbl, oherwydd ni yw'r unig wlad yn y DU nad yw ein seilwaith rheilffyrdd wedi'i ddatganoli ac, felly, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, ni fyddwn ni'n cael unrhyw swm canlyniadol o hynny. Felly, rydym ni'n mynd i orfod talu am y £106 biliwn i gynnal llinell arall eto o Lundain i ogledd Lloegr, ond nid ydym ni'n mynd i elwa ohoni o gwbl, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf.
Byddai'n ddefnyddiol pe gallem ni glywed gan y Llywodraeth am hynny, ac yn enwedig yng ngoleuni'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth y DU wedi torri'r addewid o drydaneiddio'r lein o Gaerdydd i Abertawe a thu hwnt, sydd wrth gwrs yn effeithio'n wael iawn ar fy etholwyr i sy'n gorfod goddef yr holl lygredd a ddaw o'r trenau diesel sy'n cyrraedd a gadael Caerdydd Canolog. Felly, mae hwn yn fater pwysig iawn i mi. Tybed pa gamau sy'n cael eu cymryd ar hynny i geisio cael y Llywodraeth i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r problemau ledled y DU, yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio'r arian i gyd ar Lundain.
Yn ogystal â hynny, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi dweud heddiw ei bod yn mynd i wario £5 biliwn ar wasanaethau bysiau a llwybrau beicio. Bydd hynny ar gyfer Lloegr, felly a fydd swm canlyniadol ar gyfer symiau tebyg o arian i Gymru? Hefyd, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi sefydlu cronfa gwerth £50 miliwn y gall awdurdodau lleol wneud cais am arian ohoni yn Lloegr i gael bysiau trydan ar gyfer glanhau eu fflydoedd bysiau. A gawn ni ddatganiad i ddwyn ynghyd yr holl faterion hyn i ganfod a fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gallu symud yn gyflym ar y mater gwirioneddol bwysig hwn?
Ar fater cwbl wahanol, hoffwn dynnu sylw'r Llywodraeth at y ffaith bod Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Lloegr yn cyhoeddi canllawiau ar gyfer cyfyngu bwrw'r bêl â'r pen i rai dan 18 oed yn ystod hyfforddiant, a bod Cymdeithas Bêl-droed yr Alban hefyd yn mynd i wahardd unrhyw un dan 12 oed rhag bwrw'r bêl â'i ben ystod hyfforddiant. A gawn ni ddatganiad i ddangos beth yw barn Llywodraeth Cymru ar y mater hwn, sydd yn fater iechyd cyhoeddus eithaf pwysig?
On the first issue, the short answer is that it's too soon to say yet what any consequentials might be coming from the UK Government in terms of the announcements that have been made. The UK Government has a habit of making re-announcements, so it's very difficult to say today what, if any, funding will be coming to Welsh Government.
It's important to recognise as well that the funding that comes to Welsh Government does so as a result of comparability factors that are set at either the previous comprehensive spending review or the spending round. So, we'll need to explore very closely where the UK Government is finding this additional funding and what the implications must be for us. But frankly, if the UK Government is intent on levelling up, then it needs to be stepping up as well, and ensuring that Welsh Government does receive the appropriate funding to make investments in our communities here in Wales.
But we'll certainly be applying all of the pressure necessary to ensure that the UK Government lives up to both the spirit and the letter of the statement of funding policy that should underline those spending decisions. I'll make sure that we get the appropriate funding here in Wales. As soon as there is more information, I'll be happy to provide that information. But as I say, at the moment, it is too early to say, because we don't have the level of detail we need.
On the second issue and a different issue of heading balls in sport, I know that the Football Association of Wales is currently reviewing the mini football offer that we have here in Wales, which involves children aged five to 11, and heading will be part of that review that is due to be concluded in spring of 2020. I know that the Minister is well aware of the concerns on this particular issue as well.
O ran y mater cyntaf, yr ateb byr yw ei bod yn rhy fuan i ddweud eto pa symiau canlyniadol a allai ddod gan Lywodraeth y DU o ran y cyhoeddiadau sydd wedi'u gwneud. Mae gan Lywodraeth y DU arferiad o wneud ailgyhoeddiadau, felly mae'n anodd iawn dweud heddiw pa gyllid, os o gwbl, fydd yn dod i Lywodraeth Cymru.
Mae'n bwysig cydnabod hefyd bod y cyllid sy'n dod i Lywodraeth Cymru yn ganlyniad ffactorau cymharedd sydd wedi'u pennu naill ai yn yr adolygiad cynhwysfawr o wariant blaenorol neu'r cylch gwario. Felly, bydd angen inni archwilio'n fanwl iawn lle mae Llywodraeth y DU yn dod o hyd i'r arian ychwanegol hwn a beth ddylai'r goblygiadau fod i ni. Ond, a dweud y gwir, os yw Llywodraeth y DU yn bwriadu lefelu tuag i fyny, yna mae angen iddi fod yn camu i fyny hefyd, a sicrhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael y cyllid priodol i wneud buddsoddiadau yn ein cymunedau yma yng Nghymru.
Ond, yn sicr, byddwn yn defnyddio'r holl bwysau sy'n angenrheidiol i sicrhau bod Llywodraeth y DU yn gweithredu'n unol ag ysbryd a llythyren y datganiad polisi cyllid a ddylai danlinellu'r penderfyniadau gwariant hynny. Byddaf i'n sicrhau ein bod yn cael y cyllid priodol yma yng Nghymru. Cyn gynted ag y bydd rhagor o wybodaeth ar gael, byddaf yn fwy na pharod i ddarparu'r wybodaeth honno. Ond fel yr wyf i'n ei ddweud, ar hyn o bryd, mae'n rhy gynnar i ddweud, oherwydd nid oes gennym y lefel o fanylder sydd ei hangen arnom ni.
O ran yr ail fater a'r mater gwahanol o fwrw pêl droed â'r pen mewn chwaraeon, rwy'n gwybod bod Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru yn adolygu'r cynnig pêl-droed mini sydd gennym yma yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd, sy'n cynnwys plant rhwng pump ac 11 oed, a bydd bwrw'r bêl â'r pen yn rhan o'r adolygiad hwnnw y mae disgwyl iddo gael ei gwblhau yng ngwanwyn 2020. Rwy'n gwybod bod y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol iawn o'r pryderon o ran y mater penodol hwn hefyd.
Trefnydd, you'll be aware that the Minister for health has issued a written statement on the coronavirus, a statement that is very helpful. It refers to the need to keep our legislation in Wales under review, I think in light of the fact that the UK Government is introducing legislation with the purpose of mitigating any effects of the coronavirus and looking at treatment options—enforcing supported isolation, for instance, in England.
I recognise that there are going to be regular updates, written statements, from the Minister for health, and also, I think, an update for AMs from the Chief Medical Officer later today. That's all good practice. Perhaps we could also factor into that oral statements on the situation, as this is a fast-moving situation and it does have the potential to be exceptionally serious. We know that there are already many demands on the NHS, particularly over the winter period. If the full extent of the coronavirus infection is realised, and, obviously, it may not be realised to its fullest extent, but if we do get anywhere near that, then there will be demands on the health service. I know that there are discussions going on and I think that the Minister's at the Cabinet Office briefing rooms meeting—COBRA—this week, so if we could have continual updates and oral reports to this Chamber as the situation develops, I think we would, all of us as Assembly Members, find that very helpful in corresponding with our constituents who will, understandably, be getting more concerned and worried as the news filters through over the weeks and months to come.
Secondly, changing tack, the south Wales metro: developing the metro must be a key part of the Government's strategy to deal with the climate emergency and to get people off the roads. We know that you, with your other hat on, have been bringing forward a green budget, and dealing with the climate emergency is key to that budget, so the metro and funding for the metro must be important over the years to come. But could we have an update from the Minister for transport on where we are with the metro? In my area, I know a number of concerns have been raised with me recently. The town of Monmouth, for instance, has been firstly off the metro map, then it was on the metro map, then it was back on—there were a number of maps going around, some official, some not. So, I wonder if we could have clarity from the Minister and from the Welsh Government as to what that map looks like at the moment.
I think the metro is a great idea; I think we're all united in thinking that, but, clearly, in an area like south-east Wales, if people living in the rural fringes, such as my constituency, feel that they're going to be left off that map further down the line, then that doesn't reassure them. It doesn't look as though the Welsh Government is doing everything it can to get people off the roads and onto public transport, as I'm sure would be your key objective in the future to deal with climate change.
Trefnydd, fe fyddwch chi'n ymwybodol bod y Gweinidog Iechyd wedi cyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig ar y coronafeirws, sy'n ddatganiad defnyddiol iawn. Mae'n cyfeirio at yr angen i barhau i adolygu ein deddfwriaeth yng Nghymru, rwy'n credu yng ngoleuni'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth y DU yn cyflwyno deddfwriaeth gyda'r diben o liniaru unrhyw effeithiau o'r coronafeirws ac edrych ar opsiynau triniaeth—gorfodi ynysu gyda chymorth, er enghraifft, yn Lloegr.
Rwy'n cydnabod y bydd yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf yn cael ei chyfleu yn rheolaidd, datganiadau ysgrifenedig, gan y Gweinidog Iechyd, a hefyd, rwy'n credu, yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ACau gan y Prif Swyddog Meddygol yn hwyrach heddiw. Mae hynny i gyd yn arfer da. Efallai y byddai modd inni hefyd ystyried datganiadau llafar ar y sefyllfa, gan fod hon yn sefyllfa sy'n symud yn gyflym a bod ganddi'r potensial i fod yn eithriadol o ddifrifol. Gwyddom fod llawer o alwadau ar y GIG eisoes, yn enwedig dros gyfnod y gaeaf. Os caiff maint llawn haint y coronafeirws ei wireddu, ac, yn amlwg, efallai na chaiff ei wireddu i'r graddau llawnaf, ond os byddwn ni'n mynd yn agos at hynny, yna bydd galwadau ar y gwasanaeth iechyd. Rwy'n gwybod bod trafodaethau ar y gweill a chredaf fod y Gweinidog yng nghyfarfod ystafelloedd briffio Swyddfa'r Cabinet— COBRA—yr wythnos hon. Felly, pe byddai modd inni gael diweddariadau parhaus ac adroddiadau llafar i'r Siambr hon wrth i'r sefyllfa ddatblygu, rwy'n credu y byddem ni, bob un ohonom ni Aelodau'r Cynulliad, yn cael hynny'n ddefnyddiol iawn o ran gohebu â'n hetholwyr a fydd, yn ddealladwy, yn mynd yn fwy pryderus ac yn poeni wrth i'r newyddion dreiddio yn ystod yr wythnosau a'r misoedd i ddod.
Yn ail, i newid trywydd, metro de Cymru: mae'n rhaid bod datblygu'r metro yn rhan allweddol o strategaeth y Llywodraeth i ymdrin â'r argyfwng hinsawdd a chael pobl oddi ar y ffyrdd. Rydym ni'n gwybod eich bod chi, yn eich swyddogaeth arall, wedi bod yn cyflwyno cyllideb werdd, ac mae ymdrin â'r argyfwng hinsawdd yn allweddol i'r gyllideb honno, felly mae'n rhaid i'r metro a chyllid ar gyfer y Metro fod yn bwysig dros y blynyddoedd i ddod. Ond a gawn ni'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog Trafnidiaeth ynghylch ble'r ydym ni arni o ran y metro? Yn fy ardal i, gwn fod nifer o bryderon wedi'u codi gyda mi'n ddiweddar. Er enghraifft, yn gyntaf, roedd tref Trefynwy oddi ar fap y metro, yna roedd ar y map metro, yna roedd yn ôl arni—roedd nifer o fapiau'n mynd o gwmpas, rhai'n swyddogol, rhai ddim. Felly, tybed a gawn ni eglurder gan y Gweinidog a Llywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â sut olwg sydd ar y map ar hyn o bryd?
Rwy'n credu bod y metro'n syniad gwych; rwy'n credu ein bod ni i gyd yn unedig yn credu hynny. Ond, yn amlwg, mewn ardal fel y De-ddwyrain, os bydd pobl sy'n byw ar gyrion yr ardaloedd gwledig, fel fy etholaeth i, yn teimlo eu bod yn mynd i gael eu hepgor o'r map hwnnw ymhellach i lawr y lein, yna nid yw hynny'n tawelu eu meddyliau. Nid yw'n ymddangos bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud popeth o fewn ei gallu i dynnu pobl oddi ar y ffyrdd a'u cael i ddefnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, fel rwy'n siŵr y byddai eich prif amcan yn y dyfodol i ymdrin â newid hinsawdd.
Thank you to Nick Ramsay for raising both the issue of the metro projects and also the separate issue of the Welsh Government's response to the coronavirus. As Nick Ramsay said, today, the chief medical officer will be providing an update for Assembly Members in person, so that they're able to ask any questions that they have, and the health Minister has committed to providing an update, at least a written update, every Tuesday and more frequently if necessary to Assembly Members as the situation develops.
He is currently considering whether our current legislation is sufficient to protect the wider public from coronavirus or other high-consequence infections that might take place, or whether we do need to make changes to our legislation in Wales. That's under active consideration at the moment.
On the issue of the metro projects, I'm very pleased to be able to respond positively to that request for a statement. Ken Skates intends to make an oral statement to the Assembly on the twenty-fifth of this month on the metro projects in Wales.
Diolch i Nick Ramsay am godi mater y prosiectau metro a hefyd am y mater ar wahân o ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i'r coronafeirws. Fel y dywedodd Nick Ramsay, heddiw, bydd y prif swyddog meddygol yn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i Aelodau'r Cynulliad yn bersonol, fel y gallan nhw ofyn unrhyw gwestiynau sydd ganddyn nhw, ac mae'r Gweinidog Iechyd wedi ymrwymo i ddarparu'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf, o leiaf diweddariad ysgrifenedig, bob dydd Mawrth i Aelodau'r Cynulliad, ac yn amlach os oes angen, wrth i'r sefyllfa ddatblygu.
Ar hyn o bryd mae'n ystyried a yw ein deddfwriaeth bresennol yn ddigonol i ddiogelu'r cyhoedd ehangach rhag coronafeirws neu heintiau eraill o bwys a allai ddigwydd, neu a oes angen inni wneud newidiadau i'n deddfwriaeth yng Nghymru. Mae hynny'n cael ei ystyried ar hyn o bryd.
Ar fater y prosiectau metro, rwy'n falch iawn o allu ymateb yn gadarnhaol i'r cais hwnnw am ddatganiad. Mae Ken Skates yn bwriadu gwneud datganiad llafar i'r Cynulliad ar y pumed ar hugain o'r mis hwn ar brosiectau'r metro yng Nghymru.
Neath Port Talbot Council have recently decided to consider a proposition by S4C for the Welsh language programme Bang. They want to put up street art in the area to celebrate and to promote the programme, but Neath Port Talbot Council, in their wisdom, are potentially going to be considering this as an advert, as we've heard with another slogan in nearby Bridgend, as opposed to a painting. Therefore, it's going to scupper any plans to be able to promote this particular programme because of the planning processes that will need to be followed. So, I'm requesting a statement from the planning Minister so that we can try and discuss how we can make it easier for these street art activities to come about, as opposed to being hamstrung by bureaucracy and, therefore, hamstringing the development of art at a grass-roots level in our towns and communities, because I simply don't see this as an advert, I see this as something that can aid and support local arts in our communities. So I would urge a statement on that.
And my second request is for the housing Minister, so I'm pleased that she's sitting here today. I've had some complaints from people in my region who have suffered coercive control in many relationships, who have sought to become of priority housing need in another local authority because of the abuse that they are suffering, ongoing by their partners, some of whom live on the same street, and they're being told by a neighbouring authority that they're not a priority, by the social landlord or by the council. Can you tell me what the Welsh Government's plans are to either change this policy or to clarify why they're not a priority? Because, of course, if they're trying to escape a coercively controlling partner, by not allowing them to do so and to become a priority in another area, is absolutely scuppering their chances of getting free from that relationship, and I'm encountering more and more people coming to me in my region desperate for help because they're being abused on a daily basis, either through their children or through relationships that they want to escape, and it's simply making their lives even more toxic than needs to happen at the moment. So, a statement in that regard would be very beneficial indeed.
Yn ddiweddar, mae Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot wedi penderfynu ystyried cynnig gan S4C ar gyfer y rhaglen Gymraeg Bang. Maen nhw eisiau codi celf ar y stryd yn yr ardal i ddathlu ac i hyrwyddo'r rhaglen, ond mae Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot, yn ei ddoethineb, yn mynd i ystyried hyn yn hysbyseb yn hytrach na darlun, fel y clywsom gyda slogan arall yn ardal Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr gerllaw. Felly, mae'n mynd i danseilio unrhyw gynlluniau i allu hyrwyddo'r rhaglen benodol hon oherwydd y prosesau cynllunio y bydd angen eu dilyn. Rwy'n gofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog cynllunio fel y gallwn geisio trafod sut y gallwn ni ei gwneud yn haws i'r gweithgareddau celf hyn ar y stryd gael eu cyflwyno, yn hytrach na chael ein llyffetheirio gan fiwrocratiaeth ac, felly, lesteirio datblygiad celf ar lawr gwlad yn ein trefi a'n cymunedau. Nid wyf yn gweld hyn fel hysbyseb, rwy'n gweld hyn fel rhywbeth sy'n gallu cynorthwyo a chefnogi'r celfyddydau lleol yn ein cymunedau. Felly, rwy'n annog datganiad ar hynny.
Ac mae fy ail gais yn un i'r Gweinidog tai, ac felly rwy'n falch ei bod hi'n eistedd yma heddiw. Rwyf wedi cael rhai cwynion gan bobl yn fy rhanbarth i sydd wedi dioddef o reolaeth drwy orfodaeth mewn sawl perthynas. Maen nhw wedi gwneud cais am fod ag angen blaenoriaethol am lety mewn awdurdod lleol arall oherwydd y gam-driniaeth barhaus y maen nhw yn ei dioddef gan eu partneriaid, rhai ohonynt yn byw ar yr un stryd, ac maen nhw wedi cael clywed nad ydynt yn flaenoriaeth gan yr awdurdod cyfagos, gan y landlord cymdeithasol neu gan y cyngor. Allwch chi ddweud wrthyf i beth yw cynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru naill ai i newid y polisi hwn neu i egluro pam nad ydyn nhw'n flaenoriaeth? Oherwydd, wrth gwrs, os ydyn nhw'n ceisio dianc rhag partner sy'n rheoli drwy orfodi, mae peidio â chaniatáu iddyn nhw wneud hynny, a bod yn flaenoriaeth mewn ardal arall, yn difetha eu cyfle i ddianc rhag y berthynas honno. Ac rwy'n dod ar draws mwy a mwy o bobl sy'n dod ataf i yn fy rhanbarth yn daer am gymorth oherwydd eu bod yn cael eu cam-drin yn feunyddiol, naill ai drwy eu plant neu drwy berthynas y maen nhw eisiau dianc wrthi, ac mae'n gwneud eu bywyd yn fwy gwenwynig hyd yn oed nag sydd angen iddo fod ar hyn o bryd. Felly, byddai datganiad ar hynny yn fuddiol iawn, yn wir.
The Minister for Housing and Local Government, who's responsible for both of the areas on which you've asked for a statement, has obviously been here to hear your concerns, and she's asked me to ask that you write to her, both on the issue of the street arts to celebrate and promote the Bang programme, and also the issue of coercive control. You'll be familiar with the work that's going on in terms of priority need, and I understand that commission is due to report to the Minister shortly, but if you provide a letter to the Minister, she'll be able to respond in some more detail.
Mae'r Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol, sy'n gyfrifol am y ddau faes yr ydych chi wedi gofyn am ddatganiad arnyn nhw, yn amlwg wedi bod yma i glywed eich pryderon chi, ac mae hi wedi gofyn i mi ofyn i chi ysgrifennu ati, ynglŷn â mater celfyddydau ar y stryd i ddathlu a hyrwyddo rhaglen Bang yn ogystal â mater rheoli drwy orfodaeth. Rydych chi'n gyfarwydd â'r gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud o ran angen blaenoriaethol, ac rwy'n deall y bydd y Comisiwn yn cyflwyno adroddiad i'r Gweinidog yn fuan, ond pe byddech chi'n anfon llythyr at y Gweinidog, fe fydd hi'n gallu ymateb yn fanylach.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
Thank you, Trefnydd.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad gan y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol ar y Bil Rhentu Cartrefi (Diwygio) (Cymru). Dwi'n galw ar y Gweinidog i wneud y datganiad. Julie James.
The next item is the statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government on the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill. I call on the Minister to make the statement. Julie James.
Diolch, Llywydd. Today, I am introducing the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill to the Senedd. This is an important Bill, and an unusual Bill in the sense that it will amend an Act of the Assembly, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, that has not yet been brought into force. I will have more to say on that presently, but first, I want to take a few moments to explain what it is that this Bill seeks to achieve, and how it will change the relationship between landlords and tenants, or 'contract holders' as they are described in the 2016 Act.
This Bill will amend the 2016 Act to provide greater security of tenure for contract holders who rent their homes in Wales, in particular those who live in the private rented sector and who will, when the provisions of the 2016 Act come into force, do so under standard occupation contracts with their landlord. These standard contracts will become the default contract type in the sector, replacing assured shorthold tenancies made under the Housing Act 1988.
The Bill will increase security of occupation under a periodic standard contract in the following ways: it will extend the minimum notice period for a landlord’s notice given under section 173 of the 2016 Act, which is similar to section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, from two months to six months; it will restrict the issuing of such a notice until at least six months after the occupation date of the contract—the 2016 Act currently sets this at four months. Together with the extended notice period, this will double, from six months to one year, the minimum occupation period for someone who does not breach their contract.
The Bill will also prevent a landlord from serving a new section 173 notice until at least six months after the expiry or withdrawal of the previous section 173 notice. This is to ensure that landlords are not tempted to issue repeated section 173 notices 'just in case', which would be damaging to a contract holder’s sense of security and certainty. However, in recognition of the fact that landlords do, on occasion, make technical mistakes when serving notices, the Bill also includes a provision that enables a landlord to withdraw and reissue a notice within 14 days.
The Bill will also make a number of changes to the way that fixed-term standard contracts operate so that landlords are not tempted to use fixed-term contracts as a way of circumventing the additional security that will be provided under periodic standard contracts. It will remove the ability a landlord would otherwise have had to issue a notice during a fixed-term standard contract requiring the contract holder to leave at the end of the fixed term. Instead, a landlord will be required to serve a section 173 notice to bring to an end the periodic standard contract that will automatically arise at the end of the fixed term. That section 173 notice would, of course, be subject to the extended six-month notice period, regardless of the length of the initial fixed-term period.
The Bill will also prevent the inclusion of a landlord’s break clause in fixed-term standard contracts of less than 24 months, and prevent the activation of any break clause before month 18 of a fixed-term contract. Again, this will be subject to a six-month notice period.
To ensure that there are no loopholes that unscrupulous landlords might seek to exploit, we will also be removing the arrangement under the 2016 Act that currently allows a landlord to seek possession if a contract holder does not confirm, within two months of being notified, that they are content with a variation that has been made to a term in their contract. In addition, a regulation-making power will be used to limit the use of a term, which allows the contract holder to be excluded from the property for specific periods, for example, to contracts for student accommodation let by higher education institutions.
And finally, the Bill also makes a number of miscellaneous amendments to the 2016 Act. These include removing the subjective element of the test that establishes whether a modification to a fundamental term in a contract improves the contract holder’s position. This is to preclude unscrupulous landlords from seeking to undermine security of occupation by pressurising contract holders to agree that a notice period of less than six months, for example, would be in their interests.
The Bill also provides exemptions for particular types of very specific contracts, such as prohibited-conduct standard contracts, service occupancies or supported accommodation, where it is accepted that shorter notice periods and greater certainty regarding contract-end dates is required. These are very tightly controlled in the Bill to prevent any potential misuse, while still enabling social landlords, as well as employers who undertake a landlord function in relation to some of their employees, to have the certainty required in particular circumstances.
My previous statement to Members on this Bill was back in September, when I provided a brief summary of our proposals as they stood at that time and initial feedback from the consultation exercise that had recently concluded. You will know from the statement I issued last month that the final consultation response has since been published, and that the changes we are seeking to make have not been met with universal support. That is to be expected, but this Government makes no apologies for bringing forward legislation that will, as part of our wider programme to support a professional and well-regulated sector offering high-quality homes to those who wish to rent, create conditions of improved security and certainty for the growing number of our citizens who rely on the private rented sector for their accommodation.
Earlier, I mentioned that this Bill was unusual as it amends the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 that has not yet come into force. The reasons for the delay in implementing the 2016 Act are complex, but I am confident that we now have the assurances we need from the UK Government that the necessary infrastructure will be in place to enable us to go live with the new arrangements before the end of this Assembly term. The 2016 Act, will, when implemented, bring a number of significant wider benefits for those who rent their home in Wales. I wrote to all Members in October last year to set out these benefits, and have re-circulated that letter as it provides more detail than time will allow for now.
This Bill, if passed, will add a further significant benefit by ensuring that a possession notice, where there is no breach of contract, cannot be served for the first six months of occupation, and where possession is sought, giving the contract holder six months’ notice. This will provide valuable time for individuals and families faced with possession under section 173 and the organisations and agencies that support them, to find a new home that is right for them and make all necessary arrangements for a smooth transition to their new home.
I look forward to working with you and all of our stakeholders constructively in the coming months, as this Bill makes its way through the scrutiny process. Diolch.
Diolch, Llywydd. Heddiw, rwy'n cyflwyno Bil Rhentu Cartrefi (Diwygio) (Cymru) i'r Senedd. Mae hwn yn Fil pwysig, ac yn Fil anarferol yn yr ystyr y bydd yn diwygio Deddf gan y Senedd, sef Deddf Rhentu Cartrefi (Cymru) 2016, na ddaeth eto i rym. Fe fydd gennyf i ragor i'w ddweud ynglŷn â hynny mewn ychydig, ond yn gyntaf, fe hoffwn i gymryd ychydig funudau i egluro'r hyn y mae'r Bil hwn yn ceisio ei gyflawni, a sut y bydd yn newid y berthynas rhwng landlordiaid a thenantiaid, neu 'ddeiliaid contract' fel y cânt eu disgrifio yn Neddf 2016.
Fe fydd y Bil hwn yn diwygio Deddf 2016 i roi mwy o sicrwydd deiliadaeth i ddeiliaid contract sy'n rhentu eu cartrefi yng Nghymru, yn enwedig y rhai sy'n byw yn y sector rhentu preifat ac a fydd, pan ddaw darpariaethau Ddeddf 2016 i rym, yn gwneud hynny trwy gontractau meddiannaeth safonol gyda'u landlord. Y contractau safonol hyn fydd y math o gontract rhagosodedig yn y sector, gan ddisodli tenantiaethau byrddaliol sicr a wnaed o dan Ddeddf Tai 1988.
Fe fydd y Bil yn golygu mwy o sicrwydd meddiannaeth o dan gontract safonol cyfnodol yn y ffyrdd canlynol: fe fydd yn ymestyn y cyfnod rhybudd gofynnol ar gyfer hysbysiad gan landlord a roddir o dan adran 173 o Ddeddf 2016, sy'n debyg i adran 21 y Ddeddf Tai 1988, o ddau fis i chwe mis; fe fydd yn cyfyngu ar roi hysbysiad o'r fath tan o leiaf chwe mis ar ôl dyddiad y feddiannaeth ar y contract—ar hyn o bryd mae Deddf 2016 yn nodi hyn yn bedwar mis. Ynghyd â'r cyfnod rhybudd estynedig, fe fydd hyn yn dyblu, o chwe mis i flwyddyn, yr isafswm cyfnod meddiannaeth ar gyfer rhywun nad yw'n torri ei gontract.
Yn ogystal â hynny, fe fydd y Bil yn atal landlord rhag cyflwyno hysbysiad newydd o dan adran 173 tan o leiaf chwe mis wedi i'r hysbysiad blaenorol yn ôl adran 173 ddod i ben neu gael ei dynnu'n ôl. Fe wneir hyn ar gyfer sicrhau nad yw landlordiaid yn cael eu temtio i gyhoeddi sawl hysbysiad adran 173 'rhag ofn', a fyddai'n niweidiol i ymdeimlad deiliad y contract o ddiogelwch a sicrwydd. Serch hynny, i gydnabod y ffaith bod landlordiaid, ar brydiau, yn gwneud camgymeriadau technegol wrth gyflwyno hysbysiadau, mae'r Bil hefyd yn cynnwys darpariaeth sy'n galluogi landlord i dynnu hysbysiad yn ôl a'i ailgyhoeddi cyn pen 14 diwrnod.
Fe fydd y Bil yn gwneud nifer o newidiadau hefyd i'r ffordd y mae contractau safonol cyfnod penodol yn gweithio fel na chaiff landlordiaid eu temtio i ddefnyddio contractau cyfnod penodol fel ffordd o osgoi'r diogelwch ychwanegol a gaiff ei ddarparu o dan gontractau safonol cyfnodol. Fe fydd yn dileu'r gallu a fyddai gan landlord fel arall i roi hysbysiad yn ystod contract safonol cyfnod penodol gan ei gwneud yn ofynnol i ddeiliad y contract adael ar ddiwedd y cyfnod penodol. Yn hytrach na hynny, fe fydd yn ofynnol i landlord gyflwyno hysbysiad adran 173 i derfynu'r contract safonol cyfnodol a fydd yn codi'n awtomatig ar ddiwedd y cyfnod penodol. Fe fyddai'r hysbysiad adran 173 hwnnw, wrth gwrs, yn ddarostyngedig i'r cyfnod rhybudd estynedig o chwe mis, heb unrhyw ystyriaeth i hyd y cyfnod gwreiddiol yn y tymor penodedig.
Yn ogystal â hynny, fe fydd y Bil yn atal cynnwys cymal terfynu gan landlord mewn contractau safonol cyfnod penodol o lai na 24 mis, ac yn atal gweithrediad unrhyw gymal terfynu cyn mis 18 o gontract cyfnod penodol. Unwaith eto, fe fydd hyn yn amodol ar gyfnod rhybudd o chwe mis.
I sicrhau nad oes yna unrhyw fylchau y gallai landlordiaid diegwyddor geisio manteisio arnyn nhw, fe fyddwn hefyd yn dileu'r trefniant o dan Ddeddf 2016, sydd ar hyn o bryd yn caniatáu i landlord geisio meddiant os na fydd deiliad contract yn cadarnhau, o fewn dau fis o'i hysbysu, ei fod yn fodlon ag amrywiad a wnaethpwyd i amod yn ei gontract. Yn ogystal â hynny, defnyddir pŵer i wneud rheoliadau i gyfyngu ar y defnydd o amod, sy'n caniatáu i ddeiliad y contract gael ei wahardd o'r eiddo am gyfnodau penodol, er enghraifft, i gontractau ar gyfer llety myfyrwyr a osodir gan sefydliadau addysg uwch.
Ac yn olaf, mae'r Bil yn gwneud nifer o ddiwygiadau amrywiol i Ddeddf 2016 hefyd. Mae'r rhain yn cynnwys dileu'r elfen oddrychol yn y prawf sy'n pennu a yw addasiad i amod sylfaenol mewn contract yn gwella sefyllfa deiliad y contract. Fe wneir hyn i atal landlordiaid diegwyddor rhag ceisio tanseilio sicrwydd meddiannaeth drwy roi pwysau ar ddeiliaid contractau i gytuno y byddai cyfnod rhybudd o lai na chwe mis, er enghraifft, er eu budd nhw.
Mae'r Bil yn cynnig rhyddhad hefyd o ran mathau arbennig o gontractau penodol iawn, fel contractau safonol ymddygiad gwaharddedig, deiliadaeth gwasanaeth neu lety â chymorth, lle derbynnir y ceir cyfnodau byrrach o rybudd ac mae angen mwy o sicrwydd ynghylch dyddiadau dod â chontractau i ben. Caiff y rhain eu rheoli'n gaeth iawn yn y Bil i atal unrhyw gamddefnydd posibl, gan alluogi landlordiaid cymdeithasol, yn ogystal â chyflogwyr sy'n cyflawni swyddogaeth landlord o ran rhai o'u gweithwyr nhw, i gael y sicrwydd sydd ei angen arnynt mewn amgylchiadau arbennig.
Gwnes fy natganiad blaenorol i'r Aelodau ynglŷn â'r Bil hwn yn ôl ym mis Medi, pan roddais grynodeb byr o'n cynigion ni fel yr oedden nhw'r adeg honno a'r adborth cychwynnol o'r ymarfer ymgynghori a ddaeth i ben yn ddiweddar. Fe wyddoch chi o'r datganiad a gyhoeddais i fis diwethaf fod yr ymateb terfynol i'r ymgynghoriad wedi cael ei gyhoeddi ers hynny, ac ni chafwyd cytundeb cyffredinol i'r holl newidiadau yr ydym yn ceisio eu gwneud. Mae hynny i'w ddisgwyl. Ond nid yw'r Llywodraeth hon yn ymddiheuro am gyflwyno deddfwriaeth a fydd, fel rhan o'n rhaglen ehangach o gefnogi sector proffesiynol a reoleiddir yn dda ac sy'n cynnig cartrefi o ansawdd uchel i'r rhai sy'n dymuno rhentu, yn creu amodau gwell o ran diogelwch a sicrwydd i'r nifer gynyddol o'n dinasyddion ni sy'n ddibynnol ar y sector rhentu preifat am eu cartrefi.
Yn gynharach, fe soniais fod y Bil hwn yn anarferol am ei fod yn diwygio Deddf Rhentu Cartrefi (Cymru) 2016 na ddaeth eto i rym. Mae'r rhesymau am yr oedi wrth weithredu Deddf 2016 yn gymhleth. Ond rwy'n hyderus erbyn hyn fod gennym y sicrwydd sydd ei angen arnom gan Lywodraeth y DU y bydd y seilwaith angenrheidiol ar waith i'n galluogi i roi'r trefniadau newydd ar waith cyn diwedd y tymor Seneddol hwn. Fe fydd Deddf 2016, pan gaiff ei rhoi ar waith, yn dod â nifer o fuddion ehangach sylweddol i'r rhai sy'n rhentu eu cartrefi yng Nghymru. Fe ysgrifennais at bob Aelod ym mis Hydref y llynedd i amlinellu'r manteision hyn, ac rwyf wedi ailanfon y llythyr hwnnw gan ei fod yn rhoi mwy o fanylion nag y mae amser yn ei ganiatáu nawr.
Fe fydd y Bil hwn, os caiff ei basio, yn ychwanegu budd sylweddol arall drwy sicrhau na ellir cyflwyno hysbysiad adennill meddiant, pan nad oes unrhyw achos o dorri contract, am y chwe mis cyntaf o feddiannaeth, a phan geisir meddiant, gan roi chwe mis o hysbysiad i ddeiliad y contract. Fe fydd hyn yn rhoi amser gwerthfawr i unigolion a theuluoedd sy'n wynebu meddiant o dan adran 173, a'r sefydliadau a'r asiantaethau sy'n eu cefnogi nhw, i ddod o hyd i gartref newydd sy'n addas iddyn nhw a gwneud yr holl drefniadau angenrheidiol ar gyfer trosglwyddo'n ddidrafferth i'w cartref newydd.
Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at weithio mewn modd adeiladol gyda chi a'n holl randdeiliaid ni yn ystod y misoedd nesaf, wrth i'r Bil hwn wneud ei ffordd drwy'r broses graffu. Diolch.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
I thank the Minister for her statement. I don't know if this is a first; it has probably happened in other legislatures, but to have a Bill that amends an Act that has not yet been commenced, despite being over three years old, is not a regular situation—let me put it no more strongly than that. Indeed, we now hear that the 2016 Act may not be commenced until the end of this Assembly term, so that will be getting on to four and a half years after it was passed.
I think the amending Bill, anyway, reflects a shift in England to end no-fault evictions. However, Deputy Presiding Officer, the Welsh Government does not go quite as far as the English proposals in that section 173 will remain in place with longer notice times and other restrictions. So, I think we need to explain why the difference. The UK Government intends to abolish section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, which is basically equivalent to our section 173, and has just restated in December that it will go ahead to do this. So, the change in Conservative administration has not deflected from that legislative purpose. That said—and I do hope the Minister will give a clear explanation why we are taking a slightly more roundabout approach to this question—we will support the general direction of travel. We do believe that the private rented sector needs strengthening to give a new generation of tenants security and confidence. That said, the legitimate rights of landlords also need to be protected. We want a fair, balanced system, so that we have an effective supply of private rented properties.
Restricting or abolishing section 173 requires section 8 to be robust and effective. Allowing eviction with cause is essential to a healthy private rented sector. Currently, costs—court costs in particular—are a problem, as well as the time it takes to serve a section 8 notice, and there are other legitimate questions that, for instance, the Residential Landlords Association have raised, including whether section 8 should be extended when there is a need to do so. For instance, persistent anti-social behaviour is not a cause to use section 8 at the moment.
And also—and this is my final comment—the Residential Landlords Association have particular concerns about how the student rental market will operate under the reforms that are proposed. I know that we will have an opportunity, obviously, at Committee Stage, to go through these, and I will certainly push these items in detail, so I do hope that we can have a bit more insight this afternoon, but, when the Bill does commence its legislative scrutiny, we'll be seeking to improve this Bill, because we do believe these reforms are due.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei datganiad. Ni wn ai hwn yw'r tro cyntaf; mae fwy na thebyg wedi digwydd mewn deddfwrfeydd eraill, ond nid sefyllfa arferol yw cael Bil sy'n diwygio Deddf nad yw wedi cychwyn eto, er ei bod dros dair blwydd oed—nid wyf am ei eirio'n gryfach na hynny. Yn wir, rydym yn clywed nawr na chaiff Deddf 2016 ei chychwyn tan ddiwedd y tymor Seneddol hwn, felly fe fydd hynny'r nesaf peth i bedair blynedd a hanner ar ôl ei phasio.
Rwy'n credu bod y Bil diwygio, beth bynnag, yn adlewyrchu newid yn Lloegr i roi terfyn ar droi allan heb fai. Serch hynny, Dirprwy Lywydd, nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd mor bell â'r cynigion yn Lloegr gan y bydd adran 173 yn parhau i fod yn weithredol gydag amseroedd rhybudd hwy a chyfyngiadau eraill. Felly, rwy'n credu bod angen inni esbonio'r rhesymau am y gwahaniaeth. Mae Llywodraeth y DU yn bwriadu diddymu adran 21 Deddf Tai 1988, sydd yn ei hanfod yn cyfateb i'n hadran 173 ni, ac mae newydd ailddatgan ym mis Rhagfyr y bydd yn mynd ati i wneud hyn. Felly, nid yw'r newid yn y weinyddiaeth Geidwadol wedi gwyro oddi wrth y diben deddfwriaethol hwnnw. Wedi dweud hynny—ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidog yn rhoi esboniad clir ynghylch pam rydym yn ystyried y cwestiwn hwn mewn ffordd ychydig yn fwy cwmpasog—fe fyddwn ni'n cefnogi'r cyfeiriad cyffredinol. Credwn fod angen cryfhau'r sector tai rhent preifat i roi sicrwydd a hyder i genhedlaeth newydd o denantiaid. Wedi dweud hynny, mae angen gwarchod hawliau cyfreithlon landlordiaid hefyd. Mae angen system deg a chytbwys arnom ni, fel bod gennym gyflenwad effeithiol o eiddo preifat ar rent.
Mae cyfyngu neu ddiddymu adran 173 yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i adran 8 fod yn gadarn ac yn effeithiol. Mae caniatáu dadfeddiannu am resymau arbennig yn hanfodol ar gyfer sector rhentu preifat iach. Ar hyn o bryd, mae costau—costau llys yn benodol—yn broblem, yn ogystal â'r amser y mae'n ei gymryd i gyflwyno hysbysiad adran 8, ac fe godwyd cwestiynau dilys eraill, er enghraifft, gan y Gymdeithas Landlordiaid Preswyl, gan gynnwys a ddylai adran 8 gael ei hymestyn pan fydd angen gwneud hynny. Er enghraifft, nid yw ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol parhaus yn rheswm dros ddefnyddio adran 8 ar hyn o bryd.
A hefyd—a'm sylw olaf i yw hwn—mae gan y Gymdeithas Landlordiaid Preswyl bryderon arbennig ynghylch sut y bydd y farchnad rhentu i fyfyrwyr yn gweithio o dan y diwygiadau a gynigir. Gwn, yn amlwg, y bydd cyfle i ni fynd trwy'r rhain yn ystod y Cam Pwyllgor, ac fe fyddaf i'n sicr o wthio'r eitemau hyn yn ddyfal. Felly rwy'n gobeithio y cawn ni ychydig mwy o oleuni'r prynhawn yma. Ond pan fydd y Bil yn dechrau ar ei waith craffu deddfwriaethol, fe fyddwn ni'n ceisio gwella'r Bil hwn, oherwydd credwn ei bod hi'n bryd cael y diwygiadau hyn.
Well, thank you for that. I think we're broadly in agreement; it's just about the best way to do it. So, we have tended to speak colloquially in terms of abolishing a no-fault eviction, but, actually, all the legislatures that have so-called abolished a no-fault eviction have simply substituted a whole series of arrangements in which a tenant can be evicted through no fault of their own. So, for example, there are 18 separate grounds under which this can be done in Scotland. We're not yet clear what the English equivalent of that will be, but, for example, if you have a landlord that requires possession of the property because otherwise they would themselves be homeless, then, in Scotland, you would be required to go through a process by which you'd prove that you were going to either sell the house or you required it for yourself and so on. Those have proven costly and quite difficult to enforce. I'm not quite clear yet where England is going with that, but we imagine something similar.
In Wales, we have a very large number of private sector landlords, who are perfectly good landlords, excellent to have a relationship with, where, actually, they own one house, because, for example, a couple have got together and they had two houses and now they live in one of them, and, if that relationship breaks down, that couple may well need that house back. What we're doing is trying to get a balance between the needs of a landlord in that circumstance and the needs of the tenants to be able to organise their lives and find themselves somewhere else to live in a reasonable set of circumstances.
So, these are all balances, and I'm very much looking forward to working with the committee to work through what the balances might be. We think we've come to the right balance in extending the notice period, so that, in an initial period you have a year, but in any other circumstance you have six months in order to find yourself and your family somewhere else to go, and, in the meantime, the landlord can probably make other arrangements for that period in order to retain the house.
In circumstances in other jurisdictions where, for example, the landlord is saying that they need to sell—rather than taking up time now, we can all think of circumstances in which a legitimate landlord might want to sell and then the sale falls through, or a whole number of other things that can happen. So, what we've done is try to provide some certainty on both sides of that line and get a good balance between the rights of the tenant and the rights of the landlord, and
I've set out today, Deputy Presiding Officer, what the 2016 Act is also doing in terms of security of tenure, because I think it's really—. Because the Act has not been brought into force, it's very possible to think of this extension of the notice period in terms of the Housing Act 1998 itself, rather than in terms of our Act, which would fundamentally change the landscape in Wales anyway.
Wel, diolch i chi am hynny. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n lled gytûn; ond mae'n ymwneud â'r ffordd orau o fynd ati. Felly, rydym wedi tueddu i sgwrsio am ddileu troi allan heb fai. Ond mewn gwirionedd, yr unig beth a wnaeth yr holl ddeddfwrfeydd sydd wedi dileu troi allan heb fai oedd disodli cyfres gyfan o drefniadau lle gellir troi tenant allan heb fod yna fai arno ef. Felly, er enghraifft, mae 18 o resymau ar wahân ar gyfer gwneud hyn yn yr Alban. Nid yw'n glir eto beth fydd yn cyfateb i hynny yn Lloegr. Ond, er enghraifft, os oes gennych chi landlord sy'n gofyn am feddiannu eiddo oherwydd fel arall fe fyddai ef ei hun yn ddigartref, yna, yn yr Alban, byddai'n ofynnol iddo fynd trwy broses o brofi ei fod naill ai'n mynd i werthu'r tŷ neu fod ei angen arno ef ei hun, ac yn y blaen. Bu hyn yn gostus ac yn eithaf anodd ei orfodi. Nid wyf yn hollol glir eto i ba gyfeiriad y mae Lloegr yn mynd gyda hynny, ond dychmygwn ei fod yn rhywbeth tebyg i hynny.
Yng Nghymru, mae gennym nifer fawr iawn o landlordiaid sector preifat, sy'n landlordiaid da a rhagorol i gael perthynas gyda nhw, ac maen nhw'n berchen ar un tŷ, oherwydd, er enghraifft, mae pâr wedi dod at ei gilydd ac roedd ganddyn nhw ddau dŷ ond bellach maent yn byw yn un ohonyn nhw, ac os yw'r berthynas honno'n chwalu, mae'n ddigon posibl y bydd angen y tŷ hwnnw'n ôl ar y pâr. Yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yw ceisio cael cydbwysedd rhwng anghenion landlord yn yr amgylchiadau hynny ac anghenion y tenantiaid i allu trefnu eu bywydau a chael rhywle arall iddyn nhw fyw mewn amgylchiadau rhesymol.
Felly, mae'n rhaid cadw cydbwysedd rhwng y rhain i gyd, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weithio gyda'r Pwyllgor i weithio drwy'r hyn y gallai'r cydbwysedd ei olygu. Credwn ein bod ni wedi cael y cydbwysedd iawn o ran ymestyn y cyfnod rhybudd, fel bod blwyddyn gennych chi, yn y cyfnod dechreuol, ond mewn unrhyw amgylchiad arall mae gennych chwe mis i gael rywle arall i chi eich hun a'ch teulu fynd iddo, ac, yn y cyfamser, mae'n debyg y gall y landlord wneud trefniadau eraill ar gyfer y cyfnod hwnnw er mwyn cadw'r tŷ.
Mewn amgylchiadau mewn awdurdodaethau eraill, lle mae'r landlord, er enghraifft, yn dweud bod angen iddo werthu—yn hytrach na threulio amser nawr, fe all pob un ohonom feddwl am amgylchiadau lle gallai landlord teg ddymuno gwerthu a'r gwerthiant yn syrthio trwyddo, neu fe allai nifer fawr o bethau eraill ddigwydd. Felly, yr hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud yw ceisio rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd ar y ddwy ochr a chael cydbwysedd da rhwng hawliau'r tenant a hawliau'r landlord.
Ac rwyf wedi nodi heddiw, Dirprwy Lywydd, yr hyn y mae Deddf 2016 yn ei wneud o ran sicrwydd deiliadaeth hefyd, oherwydd rwy'n credu ei bod yn wir—. Gan nad yw'r Ddeddf wedi dod i rym, mae'n bosibl ystyried yr estyniad hwn i'r cyfnod rhybudd o ran Deddf Tai 1998 ei hun, yn hytrach nag o ran ein Deddf ni, a fyddai'n newid y dirwedd yn sylfaenol yng Nghymru beth bynnag.
Diolch i'r Gweindog am y datganiad.
Thank you, Minister, for the statement.
We welcome this legislation as a step in the right direction. For most of the past 25 years, the private rented sector has placed so much power with landlords and made the sector easy for some people to benefit from using unscrupulous methods, as the Minister has said.
I think it's worth noting, and it's been alluded to already, that in a sector where the balance has for so long been so much in favour of one side you'll inevitably get people who want to keep it that way. In Wales, I think there are at least two professional organisations that have paid public affairs staff to represent landlords. Now, there's nothing wrong with that at all, but that is compared with, again, I think, just one person representing tenants in the private sector, and she seems to do that in her spare time.
There will be some who note the commitment made by the First Minister in his leadership campaign to end the use of no-fault evictions, which, as has been said, isn't what the proposal is that we have today. Some might wonder whether it's still the case that generation rent faces opposition in making the sector fairer.
I've listened to what the Minister's had to say, and I can anticipate some of the reasons why what we have here isn't an end to no-fault evictions, just a change in the notice period. For example, it's fair enough that landlords might have a mechanism for being able to gain possession of their properties so that they can exit the sector, and it's preferable that tenants can be allowed to move on without any suspicion being placed on them that they've done something wrong. But, I am concerned that six months isn't going to enable protection for some of the most vulnerable tenants—those who claim benefits, and those with very small children where frequently moving house would be no good for their development. So, I look forward to scrutinising the plans and that time limit, and seeing whether there's any room for manoeuvre on this.
I also wonder whether the Minister has given some thought as to some policy mechanisms that could be used to allow landlords to exit the market without placing these very vulnerable people at risk. Firstly, I'd ask, would you consider establishing a capital fund for housing associations and local authorities to acquire homes currently in the private rented sector—a fund, of course, that could become self-sustaining—and ensure that the existing tenants can simply move into the social sector? After all, many families will be on the waiting lists already.
Secondly, would you consider establishing what we could brand as a right to buy for tenants in the private sector? I emphasise 'in the private sector'. By this, I mean providing the right for tenants who have occupied their homes for a specified period to have first refusal when the landlord wishes to sell, and to establish Welsh Government support for that person to move onto the ladder as a way of helping first-time buyers, with the obvious caveats around criteria, of course.
Finally, would you explore ways in which a landlord could exit the market earlier through establishing ways in which a property could only be sold to a person guaranteeing the tenancy continued? If you could put these in place—these measures—then I'd suggest we would be able to offer more than just a six-month notice period, and we could even end no-fault evictions altogether.
Rydym yn croesawu'r ddeddfwriaeth hon fel cam i'r cyfeiriad cywir. Am y rhan fwyaf o'r 25 mlynedd diwethaf, mae'r sector rhentu preifat wedi rhoi cymaint o bŵer i landlordiaid ac wedi gwneud y sector yn rhwydd i rai pobl elwa ar ddefnyddio dulliau diegwyddor, fel y dywedodd y Gweinidog.
Rwy'n credu ei bod yn werth nodi, ac fe gafodd hyn ei grybwyll eisoes, mewn sector lle mae'r cydbwysedd wedi bod cymaint o blaid un ochr, yn anochel fe gewch chi bobl sy'n awyddus i gadw pethau fel ag y maent. Yng Nghymru, rwy'n credu bod o leiaf ddau sefydliad proffesiynol wedi talu staff materion cyhoeddus i gynrychioli landlordiaid. Nawr, nid oes dim o gwbl o'i le ar hynny, ond mae hynny i'w gymharu, unwaith eto, rwy'n credu, ag un unigolyn yn unig yn cynrychioli tenantiaid yn y sector preifat, ac mae'n ymddangos ei bod yn gwneud hynny yn ei hamser sbâr.
Fe fydd yna rai sy'n nodi'r ymrwymiad a wnaed gan y Prif Weinidog yn ei ymgyrch ef ar gyfer yr arweinyddiaeth i roi terfyn ar ddefnyddio troi allan heb fai, sydd, fel y dywedwyd, yn wahanol i'r cynnig sydd gennym ni heddiw. Efallai y bydd rhai yn tybio a yw'r genhedlaeth rhent yn dal i wynebu gwrthwynebiad wrth wneud y sector yn decach.
Rwyf wedi gwrando ar yr hyn oedd gan y Gweinidog i'w ddweud, a gallaf ragweld rhai o'r rhesymau pam nad yw'r hyn sydd gennym yma'n golygu diwedd ar droi allan heb fai, dim ond newid yn unig yn y cyfnod rhybudd. Er enghraifft, mae'n ddigon teg y gallai fod gan landlordiaid fecanwaith ar gyfer gallu adfeddiannu eu heiddo fel y gallant adael y sector, ac mae'n well bod tenantiaid yn gallu symud ymlaen heb fod unrhyw amheuaeth ohonynt yn gwneud rhywbeth o'i le. Ond rwy'n pryderu nad yw chwe mis yn mynd i fod yn ddigon i allu diogelu rhai o'r tenantiaid mwyaf agored i niwed—y rhai sy'n hawlio budd-daliadau, a'r rhai sydd â phlant ifanc iawn lle na fyddai symud tŷ'n aml yn gwneud lles i'w datblygiad nhw. Felly, rwy'n edrych ymlaen at graffu ar y cynlluniau a'r terfyn amser hwnnw, a gweld a oes unrhyw le i symud yn hyn o beth.
Tybed hefyd a yw'r Gweinidog wedi rhoi rhywfaint o ystyriaeth i rai mecanweithiau polisi y gellid eu defnyddio i ganiatáu i landlordiaid adael y farchnad heb roi'r bobl hyn sy'n agored i niwed mewn perygl. Yn gyntaf, fe fyddwn i'n gofyn, a fyddech chi'n ystyried sefydlu cronfa gyfalaf i gymdeithasau tai ac awdurdodau lleol i gaffael cartrefi sydd yn y sector rhentu preifat ar hyn o bryd—cronfa, wrth gwrs, a allai ddatblygu i fod yn hunangynhaliol—a sicrhau bod y tenantiaid presennol yn gallu symud yn syml i'r sector cymdeithasol? Wedi'r cyfan, bydd llawer o deuluoedd ar y rhestrau aros eisoes.
Yn ail, a fyddech chi'n ystyried sefydlu'r hyn y gallem ni ei alw'n hawl i brynu i denantiaid yn y sector preifat? Rwy'n pwysleisio 'yn y sector preifat'. O ran hyn, rwy'n golygu rhoi'r hawl i denantiaid sydd wedi bod yn eu cartrefi am gyfnod penodol gael y cynnig cyntaf pan fydd y landlord yn dymuno gwerthu, a sefydlu cefnogaeth gan Lywodraeth Cymru i'r unigolyn hwnnw i ddringo'r ysgol fel ffordd o helpu prynwr am y tro cyntaf, gyda'r rhybuddion amlwg ynglŷn â meini prawf, wrth gwrs.
Yn olaf, a fyddech chi'n ystyried archwilio ffyrdd y gallai landlord adael y farchnad yn gynharach drwy sefydlu dulliau o werthu'r eiddo'n unig i unigolyn sy'n gwarantu y bydd y denantiaeth yn parhau? Pe gallech chi roi'r rhain ar waith—y mesurau hyn—yna fe fyddwn i'n awgrymu y gallem gynnig mwy na dim ond cyfnod rhybudd o chwe mis, ac y gallem hyd yn oed roi diwedd ar droi allan heb fai yn gyfan gwbl.
There are some interesting issues around this. The whole issue of acquisition of a social home by registered social landlords or the local council is an interesting one, and, actually, we already encourage that. Councils and registered social landlords can use a variety of Welsh grant funding to do just that.
The difficulty is where the home in question doesn't meet any of the standards. So, obviously, they can't take on a private sector home that's substandard because the rooms are tiny, it's overcrowded and all of the rest of it. So, there are some limitations there and I would be reluctant to relax the level of social housing in order to accommodate that. We have had some conversations about interim housing and so on, but it's very difficult to square that circle without relaxing standards that we'd all be concerned to keep in place. But, just to be clear, that already could happen in circumstances where there aren't those barriers, if the house is up to social-house standard.
The whole issue about whether a landlord can sell a house with a tenant in it is, of course, an interesting one. That's a matter for the market. Of course, some landlords do exactly that, because if they're selling it on as a business to an investor who wants to keep it as an investment property and wants the income, then that happens now. Unfortunately, though, if they're wanting to expand the range of purchasers to people who might want to be owner-occupiers, then, obviously, having vacant possession is something that's essential for that, so that's, I'm afraid, an operation of the market and what you can and can't get. Unfortunately, we don't control—it is not all devolved to us, so we can't control some aspects of that, but it is something that we're very keen to work with.
If there's going to be an extension to Help to Buy, then this Government will certainly be looking to see whether we can extend that to circumstances in which somebody already occupies a home, which might help with some parts of that. But, again, the standard of the house is an issue, and many houses in the private rented sector, I fear, fall well below the standard for social housing.
The other issue is protecting the tenancy in those circumstances, and, again, that's an action for the market, I fear. So, I'm certainly well aware of, in my own constituency, tenants who have been passed from landlord to landlord because the houses have been sold with them in, and that works perfectly well, but, again, if there's competition for student housing and so on, then the house will be partitioned and there are various problems with the market.
We are working with the UK Government—which I should have said in response to David Melding as well, actually—in terms of regulation of what estate agents and managing agents are allowed to say in their packs when they sell on and what the circumstances are. That's not devolved to us, but we are working very well, actually, with the UK in terms of what that market might look like in terms of regulating that. So, we are looking at all those and I'm very much looking forward to exploring in committee some of the other ideas that you've taken forward.
In terms of the absolute abolition, nobody can do that because, obviously, a landlord has the right to possession of their home under the Human Rights Act 1998 A1P1, as the jargon would have it. It engages article 1 of protocol 1 of the human rights Act: you have the right to possession of your property. What we're doing is making sure that it's a fair playing field for everybody involved.
Mae yna rai materion diddorol yn bodoli yn hyn o beth. Mae'r holl fater o gaffael cartref cymdeithasol gan landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig neu'r cyngor lleol yn un diddorol ac, yn wir, rydym eisoes yn annog hynny. Fe all cynghorau a landlordiaid cymdeithasol cofrestredig ddefnyddio amrywiaeth o arian grant o Gymru i wneud yr union beth hwnnw.
Yr anhawster sy'n bodoli yw pan nad yw'r cartref dan sylw yn bodloni unrhyw un o'r safonau. Felly, yn amlwg, ni allan nhw dderbyn cartref sector preifat sy'n is na'r safon am fod yr ystafelloedd yn fach iawn, yn rhy llawn, a phob math o resymau eraill. Felly, mae yna rai cyfyngiadau yno, ac fe fyddwn i'n gyndyn iawn o lacio'r nifer o dai cymdeithasol er mwyn hwyluso hynny. Rydym wedi cael rhai sgyrsiau ynglŷn â thai dros dro ac ati, ond mae'n anodd iawn i baratoi'r ffordd honno heb lacio safonau y byddem ni i gyd yn awyddus i'w cadw. Ond, i fod yn glir, fe allai hynny ddigwydd eisoes mewn amgylchiadau lle nad oes yna rwystrau, os yw'r tŷ yn cyrraedd safon tai cymdeithasol.
Mae'r holl fater ynghylch a all landlord werthu tŷ gyda thenant ynddo, wrth gwrs, yn un diddorol. Mater i'r farchnad yw hwnnw. Wrth gwrs, mae rhai landlordiaid yn gwneud hynny, oherwydd os ydyn nhw'n gwerthu ymlaen fel busnes i fuddsoddwr sy'n dymuno ei gadw fel eiddo i fuddsoddi ynddo ac yn dymuno cael yr incwm, yna mae hynny'n digwydd nawr. Yn anffodus, serch hynny, os ydyn nhw'n dymuno ehangu'r ystod o brynwyr i gynnwys pobl a allai fod yn awyddus i fod yn berchen-feddianwyr, yna, yn amlwg, mae cael eiddo gwag yn hanfodol ar gyfer hynny. Ac mae hynny, rwy'n ofni, yn rhan o weithrediad y farchnad a'r hyn sy'n bosibl ei gael neu beidio. Yn anffodus, nid ydym yn rheoli—nid yw'r cyfan wedi ei ddatganoli i ni, felly nid ydym yn rheoli rhai agweddau ar hynny, ond mae'n rhywbeth yr ydym yn awyddus iawn i weithio arno.
Pe bai Cymorth i Brynu yn cael ei ymestyn, yna fe fyddai'r Llywodraeth hon yn siŵr o ystyried a allwn ni ymestyn hynny i gynnwys amgylchiadau lle mae rhywun yn byw mewn cartref eisoes, a allai helpu gyda rhai agweddau ar hynny. Ond, unwaith eto, mae safon y tŷ yn broblem, ac mae llawer o dai yn y sector rhentu preifat, rwy'n ofni, ymhell islaw'r safon ar gyfer tai cymdeithasol.
Y mater arall yw gwarchod y denantiaeth dan yr amgylchiadau hynny, ac, unwaith eto, mae hwnnw'n weithrediad i'r farchnad, rwy'n ofni. Felly, yn fy etholaeth i fy hun, rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o denantiaid sydd wedi cael eu trosglwyddo o landlord i landlord am fod y tai wedi cael eu gwerthu â'r tenantiaid ynddyn nhw, ac mae hynny'n gweithio'n berffaith iawn. Ond, eto i gyd, os oes yna gystadleuaeth am dai i fyfyrwyr ac yn y blaen, yna mae'r tŷ'n cael ei rannu ac fe geir amryw o broblemau gyda'r farchnad.
Rydym yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU—fe ddylwn i fod wedi mynegi hynny wrth ymateb i David Melding hefyd, mewn gwirionedd—o ran rheoleiddio'r hyn a ganiateir i arwerthwyr tai ac asiantau rheoli ei ddweud yn eu pecynnau nhw pan fyddan nhw'n gwerthu a beth yw'r amgylchiadau. Nid yw hynny wedi ei ddatganoli i ni, ond rydym yn gweithio'n effeithiol iawn, mewn gwirionedd, gyda'r DU o ran sut y gallai'r farchnad honno fod o ran rheoleiddio hyn. Felly, rydym yn edrych ar bob un o'r materion hyn ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr iawn at archwilio yn y Pwyllgor rai o'r syniadau eraill yr ydych chi wedi eu datblygu.
O ran ei ddileu'n gyfan gwbl, ni all neb wneud hynny oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae gan landlord yr hawl i adfeddiannu ei gartref o dan Ddeddf Hawliau Dynol 1998 A1P1, a defnyddio'r jargon. Mae hyn yn ymwneud ag Erthygl 1 o brotocol 1 y Ddeddf Hawliau Dynol: mae gennych yr hawl i feddiannu eich eiddo. Yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yw sicrhau ei fod yn faes chwarae sy'n deg i bawb sy'n gysylltiedig ag ef.
Can I thank the Minister for the statement? I believe that housing is one of the most important things that we have and I think that it really is important that the housing sector, both private, local authority, other social housing landlords and the private sector are all of a high standard.
Most tenants and landlords have a good relationship. I mean, most landlords look after their properties and treat their tenants well, and I think, sometimes, when we start bringing in legislation, discussing these things, we give the impression that we think all landlords are bad. Also, most tenants pay their rent on time, look after the house, cause no problems to those living around them, and in a lot of places, including large parts of my constituency, you wouldn't know which houses were owner-occupied and which were lived in by people who were privately renting, some of whom do it for several years. And some of the nicer parts—. If I can go into your constituency, Minister, and if you go down into the marina, large numbers of properties there are privately rented, they're all of good quality, and there are no problems being caused by them, as I'm sure that you're more aware than I am of that.
Unfortunately, there are some bad landlords and there are some bad tenants, and I've talked to people who have rented their houses out to get them back without any internal doors and semi-demolished. So, there are bad tenants. I've also seen people who are tenants living in properties where you could put your fist between the wall and the window frame. So, you've got bad people on both sides. I think we do need to acknowledge that.
I welcome the fact you're ending retaliatory eviction. I think that was always the case: 'Please will you repair my house?' 'Get out in three months' was acting as a dissuader.
I noticed you didn't make a mention of this in your statement, but, as you know, I'm very keen on smoke alarms, electrical and gas certificates and those checks. I mean, they're still in the Act, I understand. Are you going to say how often they have to be checked after they have been installed? Because that's something that a lot of people are very concerned about, in that they're checked once, but if somebody lives there nine or 10 years, are they going to be checked again? And that's a question, perhaps, that some of us who are owner-occupiers would ask ourselves: 'How often do we check our smoke alarms, make sure our gas is safe and check electrical safety?' So, I think some of us could certainly learn from that as well.
The last question I've got is—. I mean, obviously the greater security is welcomed. You mentioned six months a lot during it. I'm not going to read them all out to you because the Deputy Presiding Officer, amongst others, wouldn't allow me to, but you mentioned six months a lot. Why have you chosen six months as opposed to three months or 12 months? I hear what you said about no-fault evictions, that you have to have reasons why people can be evicted even if they have no fault, but I think the general principle of no-fault evictions is one that many of us like and it means that, when people leave, it does show that they haven't been evicted for that. They can be evicted if somebody has to live in the house or the person who owns it goes bankrupt or whatever reason due to financial problems, but actually having it on the statute books that we support no-fault evictions is something I'm not quite sure why you don't want.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am y datganiad? Rwyf i o'r farn mai tai yw un o'r pethau pwysicaf sydd gennym ac rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n wirioneddol bwysig bod y sector tai, boed yn breifat, yn dai'r awdurdodau lleol a landlordiaid tai cymdeithasol eraill a'r sector preifat o safon uchel i gyd.
Mae gan y rhan fwyaf o denantiaid a landlordiaid berthynas dda â'i gilydd. Hynny yw, mae'r rhan fwyaf o landlordiaid yn gofalu am eu heiddo ac yn trin eu tenantiaid yn dda, ac rwy'n credu, weithiau, pan fyddwn ni'n dechrau cyflwyno deddfwriaeth, ac yn trafod y pethau hyn, ein bod ni'n creu'r argraff ein bod ni o'r farn mai landlordiaid gwael yw'r cyfan ohonynt. Hefyd, mae'r rhan fwyaf o denantiaid yn talu eu rhent yn brydlon, yn edrych ar ôl y tŷ, heb achosi unrhyw broblemau i'r rhai sy'n byw o'u cwmpas nhw, ac mewn llawer man, gan gynnwys rhannau helaeth o'm hetholaeth i, ni fyddech chi'n gwybod pa dai sydd yn nwylo perchen-feddianwyr a pha rai y mae pobl yn eu rhentu'n breifat, ac mae rhai ohonyn nhw'n gwneud hynny am nifer o flynyddoedd. Ac mae rhai o'r ardaloedd mwyaf dymunol—. Os caf fynd i'ch etholaeth chi, Gweinidog, pe byddech yn mynd i'r marina, mae nifer fawr o'r eiddo sydd yno'n cael eu rhentu'n breifat, maen nhw o ansawdd da i gyd, ac nid ydyn nhw'n achosi unrhyw broblemau, ac rwy'n siŵr eich bod chi'n fwy ymwybodol o hynny na mi.
Yn anffodus, mae yna rai landlordiaid gwael ac mae yna rai tenantiaid gwael. Rwyf wedi siarad â phobl sydd wedi rhentu eu tai nhw allan ac wedi eu cael nhw'n ôl gyda'r drysau mewnol wedi diflannu a llawer o ddinistr. Felly, mae yna denantiaid gwael. Rwyf hefyd wedi gweld pobl sy'n denantiaid yn byw mewn eiddo lle mae modd rhoi eich dwrn yn y bwlch rhwng y wal a ffrâm y ffenestr. Felly, mae gennych chi ddihirod ar y ddwy ochr. Rwy'n credu bod angen cydnabod hynny.
Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith eich bod am roi terfyn ar droi allan am resymau dialgar. Rwy'n credu bod hynny wedi bod yn wir bob amser: 'A wnewch chi drwsio fy nhŷ i, os gwelwch chi'n dda?', roedd ofn yr ateb, 'Allan â chi mewn tri mis' yn atal pobl rhag gofyn yn y lle cyntaf.
Fe sylwais nad oeddech wedi sôn am hyn yn eich datganiad, ond, fel y gwyddoch chi, rwy'n gefnogwr brwd iawn o larymau mwg, tystysgrifau trydan a nwy a'r gwiriadau hynny. Hynny yw, maen nhw'n parhau i fod yn y Ddeddf, rwy'n deall. A ydych chi'n mynd i ddweud pa mor aml y bydd yn rhaid eu gwirio nhw ar ôl iddyn nhw gael eu gosod? Oherwydd mae hynny'n rhywbeth y mae llawer o bobl yn pryderu'n fawr yn ei gylch, gan eu bod nhw'n cael eu gwirio unwaith, ond os oes rhywun yn byw yno am naw neu 10 mlynedd, a fydden nhw'n cael eu gwirio eto? A dyna gwestiwn, efallai, y byddai rhai ohonom sy'n berchen-feddianwyr yn ei ofyn i ni ein hunain: 'Pa mor aml ydym ni'n gwirio ein larymau mwg, yn sicrhau bod ein nwy yn ddiogel ac yn gwirio diogelwch trydanol?' Felly, rwy'n credu y gallai rhai ohonom ni ddysgu o hynny hefyd, yn sicr.
Y cwestiwn olaf sydd gennyf i yw—. Hynny yw, mae'n amlwg fod yna groeso i fwy o ddiogelwch. Roeddech chi'n sôn am chwe mis lawer gwaith wrth ichi siarad. Nid wyf yn mynd i'w darllen nhw i gyd allan ichi oherwydd ni fyddai'r Dirprwy Lywydd, ymysg eraill, yn caniatáu imi wneud hynny, ond roeddech chi'n crybwyll chwe mis yn aml. Pam ydych chi wedi dewis chwe mis yn hytrach na thri mis neu 12 mis? Rwy'n clywed yr hyn a ddywedasoch am droi allan heb fai, sef bod yn rhaid cael rhesymau pam y gall pobl gael eu troi allan hyd yn oed os nad ydynt ar fai. Ond rwy'n credu bod yr egwyddor gyffredinol o droi allan heb fai yn un y mae llawer ohonom ni'n ei hoffi ac mae'n golygu, pan fydd pobl yn gadael, ei bod yn dangos nad ydyn nhw wedi cael eu troi allan oherwydd hynny. Fe ellir eu troi nhw allan os oes raid i rywun gael byw yn y tŷ neu fod y sawl sy'n berchen ar y tŷ'n mynd yn fethdalwr neu ba reswm bynnag oherwydd problemau ariannol, ond nid wyf yn hollol siŵr pam nad ydych chi'n dymuno cael ar y llyfrau statud ein bod ni'n cefnogi troi allan heb fai.
Thank you for that series of remarks and questions. I completely agree with you that the vast majority of landlords and tenants in Wales are perfectly reasonable people having a perfectly reasonable life in a perfectly good arrangement, one with the other. And you mentioned part of my own constituency, where you're absolutely right—we have very few problems that I'm aware of with the private rented sector, in good-quality housing, with decent people living in it.
This Bill is around sorting out the provisions for both rogue landlords and rogue tenants. And as I've emphasised, if your tenant is badly behaved, then this Bill does nothing to take away your right to evict a tenant who hasn't paid their rent, or is indulging in anti-social behaviour, or is damaging the property, or a large number of other things. Those routes to possession are still there.
In terms of how you characterise a no-fault eviction, the point is all of those things—if you want the house back because you want to sell it, or you want the house back because you want to live in it, that is a no-fault eviction, because the tenant won't have done anything wrong. The fact that you're proving a ground doesn't take away from the fact the tenant won't have done anything wrong and is being evicted through no fault of their own. So, it's just not possible to have no circumstance in which a tenant that's perfectly well behaved themselves cannot be evicted, because, actually, the landlord, in circumstances where they might be homeless, for example, would have the right to possession of their own property, and I don't think any of us would really see that as a problem.
And the problem is this business about getting the balance right between the two issues. The vast majority of landlords in Wales have one house. Of course, we have many landlords that have more than one house, but the vast majority of them only have one house. And so we need to make sure that the private rented sector is fit for purpose, both for those who want to rent that house out—we very much want them to rent their houses out and to get a reasonable rate of return, and to afford good-quality accommodation who want to rent—but also, should they find themselves in circumstances where they need that house, or their circumstances change and they need the money from a house, they can do that, and it doesn't put them off putting the house on the market, and we just have another empty home on our street, which does nobody any favours either. So, this is all about the balance about how we do that. And rather than have complex legal circumstances in which you have to prove a certain set of circumstances, which we know are causing real problems in other jurisdictions with what the level of proof is and what you have to do, we think this is a better compromise.
The six months is around the way that the 2016 Act works, so that it gives somebody a full 12 months from the start of their contract to the end. So, actually, you'll get a full 12 months. The six months then only kicks in once you're over that 12 months. So, if you're already there for two years, for example, you then have six additional months. So, it's all around how the new standard contracts in the 2016 Act actually function.
Diolch i chi am y gyfres yna o sylwadau a chwestiynau. Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â chi fod y mwyafrif helaeth o landlordiaid a thenantiaid yng Nghymru yn bobl berffaith resymol sy'n cael bywyd perffaith resymol mewn trefniant perffaith dda, y naill gyda'r llall. Ac roeddech chi'n sôn am ran o'm hetholaeth i fy hun, ac rydych chi yn llygad eich lle—ychydig iawn o broblemau sydd gennym yr wyf i'n ymwybodol ohonyn nhw gyda'r sector rhentu preifat, mewn tai o ansawdd da, gyda phobl ddymunol yn byw ynddo.
Mae'r Bil hwn yn ymwneud â threfnu'r darpariaethau ar gyfer landlordiaid diegwyddor a thenantiaid twyllodrus. Ac fel rwyf i wedi pwysleisio, os yw eich tenant chi'n camymddwyn, yna nid yw'r Bil hwn yn gwneud dim i ddileu eich hawl chi i droi allan tenant sydd heb dalu ei rent, neu sy'n ymhél ag ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol, neu sy'n difrodi'r eiddo, neu nifer fawr o bethau eraill. Mae'r llwybrau hynny at adfeddiannu yn bodoli o hyd.
O ran y ffordd yr ydych chi'n disgrifio troi allan heb fai, y pwynt yw'r holl bethau hynny—os ydych chi eisiau cael y tŷ yn ôl oherwydd eich bod chi am ei werthu, neu os ydych chi eisiau cael y tŷ yn ôl oherwydd eich bod chi am fyw ynddo, troi allan heb fai yw hynny, oherwydd ni fydd y tenant wedi gwneud unrhyw beth o'i le. Nid yw'r ffaith eich bod chi'n profi eich achos yn tynnu oddi wrth y ffaith na wnaeth y tenant ddim byd o'i le a'i fod yn cael ei droi allan heb fod yna unrhyw fai arno ef. Felly, nid yw'n bosibl i fod heb unrhyw amgylchiad lle nad yw tenant sydd ei hun yn ymddwyn yn berffaith gywir yn gallu cael ei droi allan, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, fe fyddai gan y landlord, mewn amgylchiadau lle gallai fod yn ddigartref, er enghraifft, yr hawl i feddiannu ei eiddo ei hun, ac nid wyf i'n credu y byddai unrhyw un ohonom ni'n wir yn gweld honno'n broblem.
A'r broblem yw'r busnes hwn ynglŷn â chadw'r cydbwysedd cywir rhwng y ddau fater. Un tŷ sydd gan y mwyafrif helaeth o landlordiaid yng Nghymru. Wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni lawer o landlordiaid sydd â mwy nag un tŷ, ond un tŷ'n unig sydd gan y mwyafrif helaeth ohonyn nhw. Ac felly mae angen inni wneud yn siŵr bod y sector rhentu preifat yn addas i'r diben, ar gyfer y rhai sy'n dymuno rhentu'r tŷ hwnnw—rydym ni'n awyddus iawn iddyn nhw allu rhoi eu tai ar rent a chael cyfradd resymol o enillion, a gallu fforddio llety o ansawdd da i'r rhai sydd am rentu—ond hefyd, os byddan nhw'n eu cael eu hunain mewn amgylchiadau lle mae angen y tŷ hwnnw arnyn nhw, neu os bydd eu hamgylchiadau nhw'n newid a bod angen arian am y tŷ arnyn nhw, fe allan nhw wneud hynny, ac nid yw'n eu rhwystro rhag rhoi'r tŷ ar y farchnad, a bod gennym ni gartref gwag arall ar un o'n strydoedd ni, nad oes neb yn ei ddymuno ychwaith. Felly, mae hyn i gyd yn ymwneud â'r cydbwysedd o ran sut y cawn ni hynny. Ac yn hytrach na chael amgylchiadau cyfreithiol cymhleth lle mae'n rhaid ichi brofi cyfres benodol o amgylchiadau, y gwyddom eu bod nhw'n achosi problemau gwirioneddol mewn awdurdodaethau eraill o ran lefel y prawf a'r hyn y mae'n rhaid ichi ei wneud, rydym ni o'r farn fod hwn yn gyfaddawd gwell.
Mae'r chwe mis yn ymwneud â'r ffordd y mae Deddf 2016 yn gweithio, fel ei bod yn rhoi 12 mis llawn i rywun o ddechrau ei gontract hyd ddiwedd y contract. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, fe gewch chi 12 mis ar eu hyd. Pan ewch chi dros y 12 mis, dyna pryd fydd y chwe mis yn dechrau. Felly, os ydych chi yno ers dwy flynedd yn barod, er enghraifft, fe fydd gennych chi chwe mis ychwanegol. Felly, mae'r cyfan yn ymwneud â sut mae'r contractau safonol newydd yn Neddf 2016 yn gweithredu mewn gwirionedd.
I must declare an interest at this point as I am a landlord of a couple of rented properties in the private sector.
So, thank you for your statement, Minister, and I agree with your statement that we have to give security of tenure. But that must go both ways. It must be balanced to ensure sustainability, to meet supply and demand. Protection must also be there for landlords, and there are very few landlords who would not want to encourage lengthy tenancies, because the first month's rent is taken up with all the costs incurred, which are paid now by the landlord. So, it doesn't bode well for someone to have a six-month tenancy. So, lengthy tenancies are encouraged by landlords.
But I have been an excellent landlord, taking people's personal circumstances into account. But I'd like to say that the measures that you've taken risk alienating the vast majority of private sector landlords who are conscientious and responsible and compliant with the law. And these measures will put off many people seeking to become landlords. They've spoken to me and said so—'I've decided not to rent anymore; I'm putting my property up for sale.' And this is quite common, forcing many to leave the sector. So, to be honest, if these measures were in place, I would not become a landlord.
The fact that the yet to be enacted renting homes Act, and these new additions to the legislation, will discourage new landlords should be of grave concern to the Welsh Government. So, without the private rented sector, our homelessness and housing crisis would be so much worse. And, Minister, your Government has catastrophically failed to address the housing shortfall.
You've built fewer than 8,000 new homes. You would have to build 12,000 new affordable homes over the next 12 months in order to meet your own target, which is already woefully inadequate. So, in order to do that, you would have to employ every house builder in the UK. So, without landlords, homelessness would be exponentially higher. But rather than encouraging private landlords, your Government is determined to make it impossible for private landlords with one or two properties to operate.
So, Minister, when you consulted upon these proposals, there was huge opposition to them, so why did you ignore the views of the sector? Your proposed changes risked also disrupting the student and young professional market. So, Minister, how do you propose to mitigate the disruption to the annual cycle necessary for these types of lettings? Your original Bill failed to take into account the impact of anti-social tenants, and you have yet again failed to address this in your new proposals. However, your statement talks about closing loopholes for unscrupulous landlords. So, Minister, do you agree with me that bad tenants vastly outweigh bad landlords, and that demonising landlords will do nothing to tackle our housing shortage? Aside from the negative impact this legislation will have upon landlords, what assessment have you made of the impact this will have on rental agreements of less than six months? And finally, Minister, you mention that you hope to enact the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 by the end of this Assembly term. So, can you tell us whether the Act will be commenced before this Bill is passed, or will you wait for these amendments to be made prior to commencement? Thank you.
Mae'n rhaid i mi ddatgan buddiant ar y pwynt hwn gan fy mod i'n landlord ar un neu ddau o dai ar rent yn y sector preifat.
Felly, diolch i chi am eich datganiad, Gweinidog, ac rwy'n cytuno â'ch datganiad fod yn rhaid inni roi sicrwydd i ddeiliadaeth. Ond mae'n rhaid i hynny weithio'r ddwy ffordd. Mae'n rhaid i hynny fod yn gytbwys ar gyfer sicrhau cynaliadwyedd, ar gyfer ateb y galw a'r cyflenwad. Mae'n rhaid cael diogelwch ar gyfer landlordiaid hefyd, ac ychydig iawn o landlordiaid sydd i'w cael na fydden nhw'n annog tenantiaethau hir, oherwydd mae rhent y mis cyntaf yn cael ei lyncu gan yr holl gostau, sy'n cael eu talu gan y landlord nawr. Felly, nid yw'n argoeli'n dda i rywun fod â thenantiaeth o chwe mis. Felly, mae tenantiaethau hir yn cael eu hannog gan landlordiaid.
Ond rwyf i wedi bod yn landlord rhagorol, gan ystyried amgylchiadau personol pobl. Ond hoffwn i ddweud bod y mesurau yr ydych chi wedi eu cymryd yn peryglu dieithrio'r mwyafrif helaeth o landlordiaid sector preifat sy'n gydwybodol a chyfrifol ac yn cydymffurfio â'r gyfraith. Ac fe fydd y mesurau hyn yn digalonni llawer o bobl sy'n ceisio bod yn landlordiaid yn y dyfodol. Maen nhw wedi siarad â mi ac wedi dweud hyn—'Rwyf i wedi penderfynu peidio â rhentu mwyach; rwyf am roi fy eiddo ar werth.' Ac mae hyn yn beth cyffredin iawn, sy'n gorfodi llawer i adael y sector. Felly, a bod yn onest, pe byddai'r mesurau hyn ar waith, ni fyddwn i eisiau bod yn landlord.
Fe ddylai'r ffaith y bydd y Ddeddf rhentu cartrefi, sydd eto i'w gweithredu, a'r ychwanegiadau newydd hyn i'r ddeddfwriaeth, yn digalonni landlordiaid newydd beri pryder difrifol i Lywodraeth Cymru. Felly, heb y sector rhentu preifat, fe fyddai ein hargyfwng ni o ran digartrefedd a thai yn llawer gwaeth. Ac mae eich Llywodraeth chi, Gweinidog, wedi methu'n drychinebus â mynd i'r afael â'r diffyg tai.
Rydych wedi adeiladu llai na 8,000 o gartrefi newydd. Fe fyddai'n rhaid ichi adeiladu 12,000 o dai fforddiadwy newydd dros y 12 mis nesaf i gyrraedd eich nod chi eich hun, sydd eisoes yn drychinebus o annigonol. Felly, i wneud hynny, fe fyddai'n rhaid i chi gyflogi pob adeiladwr tai yn y DU. Felly, heb landlordiaid, fe fyddai digartrefedd yn llawer uwch. Ond yn hytrach nag annog landlordiaid preifat, mae eich Llywodraeth chi'n benderfynol o'i gwneud hi'n amhosibl i landlordiaid preifat sydd ag un neu ddau eiddo allu gweithredu.
Felly, Gweinidog, pan wnaethoch chi ymgynghori ynglŷn â'r cynigion hyn, roedd yna wrthwynebiad enfawr iddyn nhw. Pam wnaethoch chi anwybyddu barn y sector? Roedd perygl hefyd i'ch newidiadau arfaethedig darfu ar y farchnad o ran myfyrwyr a phobl ifanc broffesiynol. Felly, Gweinidog, sut ydych chi'n bwriadu lliniaru'r amhariad ar y cylch blynyddol sy'n angenrheidiol ar gyfer y mathau hyn o osodiadau? Methodd eich Bil gwreiddiol chi ag ystyried effaith tenantiaid gwrthgymdeithasol, ac unwaith eto rydych chi wedi methu â rhoi sylw i hyn yn eich cynigion newydd. Er hynny, mae eich datganiad chi'n sôn am gau'r bylchau i landlordiaid diegwyddor. Felly, Gweinidog, a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi fod yna lawer mwy o denantiaid gwael na landlordiaid gwael, ac na fydd pardduo landlordiaid yn gwneud dim i fynd i'r afael â'n prinder tai? Ar wahân i'r effaith negyddol y bydd y ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ei chael ar landlordiaid, pa asesiad a wnaethoch chi o'r effaith a gaiff hyn ar gytundebau rhentu sy'n llai na chwe mis? Ac yn olaf, Gweinidog, rydych chi'n sôn eich bod chi'n gobeithio deddfu Deddf Rhentu Cartrefi (Cymru) 2016 erbyn diwedd y tymor Seneddol hwn. Felly, a wnewch chi ddweud wrthym a fydd y Ddeddf yn cael ei chychwyn cyn i'r Bil hwn gael ei basio, neu a fyddwch chi'n aros i'r diwygiadau hyn gael eu gwneud cyn ei chychwyn? Diolch.
I think Caroline Jones contradicted herself quite a few times during her speech. On the one hand, she tells us that landlords like long tenancies, on the other hand, she tells us that they can't exist if they don't have six-month shorthold assured tenancies. So, you can't have both of those things. The renting homes Act, which is already enacted—it doesn't require to be enacted, it is already enacted by this Assembly, it is already an Act—needs to be commenced. There's quite a big difference between those two things. It will be commenced by the end of this Assembly term. Clearly, we can't commence any amendments to the Act before we've commenced the Act, so they will be commenced at the same time. There have been serious administrative and ICT difficulties in commencing the Act, but it is certainly enacted.
The minimum period of security of tenure of 12 months in Wales is put in place by that Act, which this Assembly saw fit to pass. It is a groundbreaking Act, and it certainly does change the circumstances for the private rented sector in Wales. However, we have absolutely no evidence that good landlords will be put off by the Act—why would they be? Any good landlord at the moment would want security of tenure of 12 months for a decent tenant—why would that change? The only thing this will do is make sure that rogue landlords, who treat their tenants very badly, by putting them permanently under notice to quit and enacting retaliatory evictions, will no longer be able to operate inside the private rented sector in Wales.
Rwy'n credu bod Caroline Jones wedi gwrth-ddweud ei hun fwy nag unwaith yn ystod ei haraith. Ar y naill law, mae hi'n dweud wrthym fod landlordiaid yn hoffi tenantiaethau hir, ac ar y llaw arall, mae'n hi dweud wrthym na allan nhw fodoli os nad oes yna denantiaethau sicr o chwe mis. Felly, nid oes modd cael y ddau beth hwn. Y Ddeddf rhentu cartrefi, sydd wedi ei deddfu eisoes—nid oes angen iddi gael ei deddfu, fe gafodd ei deddfu eisoes gan y Senedd hon, mae hi eisoes yn Ddeddf—mae angen ei chychwyn hi. Mae gwahaniaeth mawr iawn rhwng y ddau beth. Bydd yn cael ei chychwyn erbyn diwedd y tymor Seneddol hwn. Yn amlwg, ni allwn gychwyn unrhyw ddiwygiadau i'r Ddeddf cyn inni gychwyn y Ddeddf, felly fe fyddan nhw'n cychwyn ar yr un pryd. Cafwyd anawsterau gweinyddol a TGCh difrifol wrth gychwyn y Ddeddf, ond mae'n sicr yn Ddeddf.
Mae'r cyfnod sicrwydd deiliadaeth byrraf o 12 mis yng Nghymru yn cael ei roi ar waith gan y Ddeddf honno, y gwelodd y Senedd hon yn dda i'w phasio. Mae hon yn Ddeddf arloesol, ac yn sicr mae'n newid yr amgylchiadau ar gyfer y sector rhentu preifat yng Nghymru. Eto i gyd, nid oes gennym unrhyw dystiolaeth o gwbl y bydd landlordiaid da yn cael eu drysu gan y Ddeddf—pam ddylai hynny ddigwydd? Fe fyddai unrhyw landlord da ar hyn o bryd yn awyddus i gael sicrwydd deiliadaeth o 12 mis ar gyfer tenant addas—pam fyddai hynny'n newid? Yr unig beth y bydd hyn yn ei wneud yw sicrhau na fydd landlordiaid twyllodrus, sy'n trin eu tenantiaid yn wael iawn, drwy eu rhoi nhw o dan rybudd i ymadael yn barhaus ac yn eu troi nhw allan yn ddialgar, yn gallu gweithredu mwyach o fewn y sector rhentu preifat yng Nghymru.
Thank you for your statement, Minister. I think your statement illustrates just how difficult it is for an ordinary tenant to fully understand the law that governs their landlord relationship. It is quite complicated. I think I just wanted to pick up something that Delyth Jewell commented on, which is the security of tenure for private rented tenants. Because, as you say, the majority of landlords only have one home, and therefore if they go away—for a job or whatever—they want to be able to rent their place out with the full knowledge that they would be able to move back in again when they wish to return. Nevertheless, the taxation system already identifies those who live in a home in place A, and then invest in a house for renting out. So, I want to explore with you whether it's not possible to give somebody who's living in a home that is an investment opportunity by the landlord to have more security of tenure than 12 months. Because in the old days, in the second world war, people did have security of tenure; if somebody wanted to sell that property, they had to sell to somebody with a guaranteed occupancy to be respected by the new owner. I think it's a very important issue when it comes to families with children who are potentially still having to move around every 12 months, if you've got a landlord who's completely taking this to the letter of the law, and that's obviously hugely disruptive to any child's education. So, I wondered if you could just clarify whether it will be possible to differentiate between somebody who's letting out their sole property or somebody who's letting out a property they hold as an investment.
Secondly, a niche point, which is that you're going to change the regulating powers to limit the use of a term so that people can be excluded from a property for specific periods. So, I think we probably are talking about student accommodation here. I know that some universities use the period between June and September to make some income by renting to people who want to attend a conference and things like that. So, I just wondered if that's not now going to be possible, because obviously it's likely to increase the rent that the student will have to pay, if that were to be the case.
Diolch i chi am eich datganiad, Gweinidog. Rwy'n credu bod eich datganiad chi'n dangos pa mor anodd y mae i denant cyffredin lawn ddeall y gyfraith sy'n llywodraethu ei berthynas â'i landlord. Mae'n eithaf cymhleth. Rwy'n awyddus i sôn am rywbeth y cyfeiriodd Delyth Jewell ato, sef sicrwydd deiliadaeth ar gyfer tenantiaid rhentu preifat. Oherwydd, fel yr ydych chi'n dweud, dim ond un cartref sydd gan y rhan fwyaf o landlordiaid, ac felly os byddan nhw'n mynd i ffwrdd—i gael gwaith neu beth bynnag—maen nhw'n dymuno rhoi eu lle nhw ar rent gan wybod yn iawn y bydden nhw'n cael symud yn ôl i mewn eto pan fyddan nhw'n dychwelyd. Er hynny, mae'r system drethu eisoes yn nodi'r rhai sy'n byw mewn cartref yn lleoliad A, ac yna'n buddsoddi mewn tŷ arall ar gyfer ei roi ar rent. Felly, fe hoffwn i ystyried gyda chi onid oes modd rhoi cyfnod hwy o sicrwydd deiliadaeth na 12 mis i rywun sy'n byw mewn cartref sy'n gyfle i fuddsoddi gan y landlord. Oherwydd yn yr hen ddyddiau, yn yr ail ryfel byd, roedd gan bobl sicrwydd deiliadaeth; pe byddai rhywun eisiau gwerthu'r eiddo hwnnw, roedd yn rhaid iddyn nhw werthu i rywun gyda sicrwydd deiliadaeth yr oedd y perchennog newydd i'w barchu. Rwy'n credu bod hwn yn fater pwysig iawn yn achos teuluoedd â phlant a fyddai o bosibl yn gorfod symud o gwmpas bob 12 mis, os oes gennych chi landlord sy'n mynd yn gyfan gwbl yn ôl llythyren y gyfraith yn hyn o beth, ac fe fyddai hynny'n amlwg yn amharu'n fawr ar addysg unrhyw blentyn. Felly, tybed a wnewch chi egluro a fydd modd gwahaniaethu rhwng rhywun sy'n rhoi ei unig eiddo ar osod neu rywun sy'n gosod eiddo sydd ganddo fel buddsoddiad.
Yn ail, pwynt arbenigol, sef eich bod chi'n mynd i newid y pwerau rheoleiddio i gyfyngu ar y defnydd o amod fel y gall pobl gael eu gwahardd o eiddo am gyfnodau penodol. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n sôn am lety myfyrwyr yn y fan hon, fwy na thebyg. Gwn fod rhai prifysgolion yn defnyddio'r cyfnod rhwng misoedd Mehefin a Medi i ennill rhywfaint o incwm drwy rentu i bobl sy'n mynychu cynadleddau a phethau o'r fath. Felly, tybed na fydd hynny'n bosibl bellach, oherwydd yn amlwg mae'n debygol o gynyddu'r rhent y bydd yn rhaid i'r myfyriwr ei dalu, pe byddai hynny'n digwydd.
On that point, that's exactly why we're changing the regulations. At the moment, the regulations are not clear and actually any landlord can do that for a variety of reasons. We've had quite a lot of consultation responses back saying that actually that's a loophole. So, if you were looking to implement a no-fault eviction outside the thing you could just exclude the tenant for a number of time periods and actually make it very difficult for them to live somewhere. So, what we're doing is we're saying that by regulation we would limit that to certain circumstances—students being a classic example. Actually, there are some tied church properties and other such properties that probably would fall within it, but we're looking to regulate which particular tenancies can have that happen for exactly that reason. It's commonplace for universities to have conferences and so on during the long recess. So, it's to facilitate that, but they're not the only ones. There are other properties that fall into that category. What we don't want is a sort of carte blanche for that to be able to happen. So, that's why we were looking to regulate for that.
In terms of the minimum period for security of tenure, it does give 12 months. It's six at the moment. So, it is a big improvement. It's very hard to legislate for the kind of investment property/not investment property thing that you're talking about, because people would just—[Inaudible.] If I said that if you've got two houses you're not subject to it and if you've got four you are, people would just make three companies. So, there's a whole series of anti-avoidance provisions that you have to look at. So, it's actually really difficult to do that without having a plethora of anti-avoidance provisions crop up.
So, what we've tried to do is to make it simple for people to understand and to make it sure and actually most landlords won't be doing this anymore, because it's not a way to easily get rid of somebody and get somebody in who pays more rent, which is the most fundamental reason that it happens. Deputy Presiding Officer, I personally have quite a big caseload of people who have been evicted through no fault of their own, just because a tenant who can pay better has been found, and this will certainly prevent that.
Ar y pwynt hwnnw, dyna'n union pam yr ydym yn newid y rheoliadau. Ar hyn o bryd, nid yw'r rheoliadau'n glir ac, mewn gwirionedd, gall unrhyw landlord wneud hynny am amryw o resymau. Rydym wedi cael cryn dipyn o ymatebion i'r ymgynghoriad yn dweud mai bwlch yw hwnnw mewn gwirionedd. Felly, os oeddech chi'n bwriadu gweithredu troi allan heb fai y tu allan i hynny, gallech chi wahardd y tenant am nifer o gyfnodau amser a'i gwneud hi'n anodd iawn iddo fyw yn unrhyw le. Felly, yr hyn yr ydym yn ei wneud yw dweud y byddem, drwy reoleiddio, yn cyfyngu hynny i rai amgylchiadau—mae myfyrwyr yn enghraifft amlwg. Mewn gwirionedd, mae eiddo eglwysig clwm ac eiddo arall o'r fath a fyddai, mae'n debyg, yn syrthio oddi mewn i hyn, ond rydym yn bwriadu rheoleiddio pa denantiaethau penodol all gael hynny'n digwydd am yr union reswm hwnnw. Mae'n beth cyffredin i brifysgolion gael cynadleddau ac ati yn ystod y toriad hir. Felly, mae'n golygu hwyluso hynny, ond nid y nhw yw'r unig rai. Mae eiddo arall yn perthyn i'r categori hwnnw. Yr hyn nad oes arnom ei eisiau yw rhyw fath o siec wag i alluogi hynny i ddigwydd. Felly, dyna pam yr oeddem yn ystyried rheoleiddio ar gyfer hynny.
O ran y cyfnod byrraf ar gyfer sicrwydd deiliadaeth, mae'n rhoi 12 mis. Mae'n chwech ar hyn o bryd. Felly, mae'n welliant mawr. Mae'n anodd iawn deddfu ar gyfer y math o fuddsoddiad eiddo/eiddo nad yw'n fuddsoddiad yr ydych yn sôn amdano, oherwydd byddai pobl yn—[Anghlywadwy.] Os dywedwn pe byddai gennych ddau dŷ ni fyddech yn ddarostyngedig iddo ond pe byddai gennych bedwar tŷ y byddech yn ddarostyngedig iddo, yna byddai pobl yn gwneud tri chwmni. Felly, mae cyfres gyfan o ddarpariaethau gwrth-osgoi y mae'n rhaid ichi edrych arnynt. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, mae'n anodd iawn gwneud hynny heb gael gormodedd o ddarpariaethau gwrth-osgoi yn digwydd.
Rydym wedi ceisio gwneud pethau'n syml fel y gall pobl ei ddeall a'i wneud yn sicr ac mewn gwirionedd ni fydd y rhan fwyaf o landlordiaid yn gwneud hyn mwyach, oherwydd nid yw'n ffordd o gael gwared ar rywun yn hawdd a chael rhywun i dalu mwy o rent, sef y rheswm mwyaf sylfaenol y mae'n digwydd. Dirprwy Lywydd, yn bersonol mae gennyf lwyth achosion eithaf mawr o bobl sydd wedi cael eu troi allan heb unrhyw fai arnynt eu hunain, ond oherwydd bod tenant a all dalu'n well wedi'i ganfod, a bydd y rheoliadau hyn yn sicr yn atal hynny.
Thank you very much, Minister.
Diolch yn fawr, Gweinidog.
Item 4 on the agenda is this afternoon is a statement by the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language—consultation on the national policy on Welsh language transmission in families. And I call on the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language, Eluned Morgan.
Eitem 4 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw datganiad gan Weinidog y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol—ymgynghoriad ar y polisi cenedlaethol ar drosglwyddo'r iaith Gymraeg mewn teuluoedd. A galwaf ar Weinidog y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol, Eluned Morgan.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Fel arfer, bydd y geiriau cyntaf y bydd y rhan fwyaf ohonon ni yn eu siarad yn ganlyniad gwrando ar ein teuluoedd ni a’u copïo nhw. Drwy siarad Cymraeg gyda’u plant, mae modd i rieni greu arferion iaith sydd yn para am oes. Defnydd iaith rhwng rhieni a’u plant, neu drosglwyddo iaith, fel mae’n cael ei alw, yw un o elfennau pwysicaf cynllunio ieithyddol. Mae yna waith wedi digwydd i gefnogi’r defnydd o’r Gymraeg mewn teuluoedd ers 20 mlynedd a mwy. A nawr mae’n bryd i ni gymryd y cam nesaf fel rhan o’n taith tuag at ddyblu’r defnydd o’r Gymraeg a chyrraedd miliwn o siaradwyr erbyn 2050.
Mae’r polisi drafft ar drosglwyddo’r Gymraeg a’i defnydd mewn teuluoedd yn cynnig yr hyn rydyn ni am ei wneud dros y degawd nesaf. Dwi’n gofyn i bawb sydd am weld cynnydd yn y defnydd o’r Gymraeg gyfrannu i’r ymgynghoriad pwysig yma. Fel sy’n cael ei nodi yn y strategaeth Cymraeg 2050, all Llywodraeth ddim rheoli pa ieithoedd mae teuluoedd yn eu siarad, a byddem ni ddim am wneud hynny chwaith. Ond fe allwn ni wneud mwy i helpu rhieni i siarad mwy o Gymraeg.
Dwi'n cydnabod bod y sefyllfa ieithyddol yn amrywio o deulu i deulu. Yn fy achos i, Cymraeg o'n i'n siarad gyda fy mam, ond Saesneg gyda fy nhad. Cymraeg dwi'n defnyddio gyda fy mhlant i, ac fe wnes i hyd yn oed ei gwneud hi'n amod priodas bod fy ngŵr i yn dysgu Cymraeg. Mae eisiau i chi ymlacio: dim dyna beth dwi'n awgrymu yn y polisi yma.
Yn ein teulu ni, roedd pa iaith y bydden ni'n ei siarad gyda'n plant yn benderfyniad ymwybodol iawn, fel sy'n wir i rai teuluoedd eraill, dwi'n siŵr. Ond dyw hynny ddim yn wir ym mhob achos, o bell ffordd. Mae'r sefyllfa hefyd yn amrywio ar draws Cymru, a rhaid i ni fod yn ymwybodol o hynny. Hyd yn oed yn yr ardaloedd â chanrannau uwch o siaradwyr Cymraeg, mae angen talu sylw gofalus i arferion iaith mewn teuluoedd. Ac mae gwneud hynny'n bwysig er mwyn cynnal cymunedau Cymraeg. Mae cyfrifiad 2011 yn dangos, hyd yn oed mewn cartrefi lle mae dau oedolyn mewn pâr yn siarad Cymraeg, bod tua 20 y cant o blant tair i bedair oed ddim yn siarad Cymraeg. Mewn cartrefi lle mae dau oedolyn ac un ohonyn nhw'n gallu siarad Cymraeg, mae llai na hanner y plant tair i bedair oed yn gallu siarad Cymraeg.
Mae'r polisi drafft hwn yn canolbwyntio ar bedwar amcan: ysbrydoli plant a phobl ifanc i siarad Cymraeg gyda'u plant nhw yn y dyfodol; ailgynnau sgiliau Cymraeg pobl sydd efallai heb ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg ers gadael yr ysgol, neu sydd wedi colli hyder yn eu sgiliau iaith, i siarad Cymraeg gyda'u plant eu hunain; cefnogi ac annog y defnydd o'r Gymraeg mewn teuluoedd lle nad yw pawb yn siarad Cymraeg; a chefnogi teuluoedd Cymraeg eu hiaith i siarad Cymraeg gyda'u plant.
Mae'r camau gweithredu rydyn ni'n eu cynnig yn cynnwys: datblygu cefnogaeth newydd i deuluoedd sy'n seiliedig ar y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ym maes newid ymddygiad; treialu rhaglen defnydd iaith sydd wedi'i haddasu o brosiect llwyddiannus yng Ngwlad y Basg; helpu'r gweithlu addysg i annog disgyblion i siarad mwy o Gymraeg er mwyn creu trosglwyddwyr y dyfodol; a chreu rhwydweithiau i rieni allu cefnogi ei gilydd. Mae'r gwaith hwn yn torri tir newydd, nid yn unig i ni yn Llywodraeth Cymru, ond hefyd yn rhyngwladol. Er fy mod i am i ni arwain y ffordd, mae rhaid i ni hefyd gydweithio. Mae angen i ni ddysgu o wledydd eraill a sectorau eraill, yn ogystal â rhannu ein canfyddiadau gyda nhw.
Byddwn ni'n ymgynghori ar y polisi hwn tan 5 Mai ac yn cyhoeddi polisi terfynol nes ymlaen eleni. Mae'n hollbwysig ein bod ni'n clywed amrywiaeth o leisiau ar y cynigion yn y polisi drafft hwn. Dwi'n arbennig o awyddus i glywed barn rhieni sy'n ddihyder yn eu sgiliau Cymraeg er mwyn deall yn well beth fyddai o help iddyn nhw. Dwi am glywed gan rieni a gafodd addysg Gymraeg ond sydd ddim erbyn hyn yn defnyddio'r iaith, neu oedd ddim efallai yn siarad Cymraeg yn gymdeithasol tra eu bod nhw yn yr ysgol. Mae yna rieni hefyd sy'n gallu siarad Cymraeg ond sydd ddim yn ystyried bod siarad Cymraeg gyda'u plant yn opsiwn iddyn nhw. Mae angen i ni gefnogi'r holl rieni hyn i siarad mwy o Gymraeg gyda'u plant nhw.
Mae'n mynd i gymryd amser i ni weld canlyniadau’r gwaith yma. Dwi'n siarad fan hyn am newid ymddygiad o un genhedlaeth i'r nesaf. Ond rhaid i ni hefyd weithredu nawr i helpu teuluoedd i siarad mwy o Gymraeg, a dyna yw nod y polisi yma. Diolch.
Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. The first words that most of us speak usually come as a result of listening to our families and copying them. By speaking Welsh with their children, parents can create language practices that last a lifetime. The use of language between parents and their children, or the transmission of language, as it’s called, is one of the most important elements of language planning. Work has been done to support the use of Welsh in families for 20 years and more. Now it is time for us to take the next step as part of our journey towards doubling the use of Welsh and reaching 1 million speakers by 2050.
Our draft policy on transmission and use of the Welsh language in families sets out what we propose to do over the next decade. Today I’m asking everyone who wants to see an increase in the use of the Welsh language to contribute to the consultation on this important policy. As is set out in our Cymraeg 2050 strategy, Government can’t control which languages families speak, nor would we wish to do so. But we can do more to help parents to speak more Welsh.
I recognise that the linguistic situation varies from one family to another. In my case, I spoke Welsh with my mother, but English with my father. Welsh is the language I use with my children, and I even made it a condition of marriage that my husband learn Welsh. You need to relax: I'm certainly not suggesting that in this policy.
In our family, the language that we spoke to our children was a very conscious decision, as is the case for some other families, too, I'm sure. But that's definitely not true in all instances. The situation also varies across Wales, and we must be aware of that. Even in areas with higher percentages of Welsh speakers, we need to pay close attention to the language practices within families. Doing so is important in order to sustain Welsh-speaking communities. The 2011 census shows that, even in households where both adults in a couple are Welsh speakers, about 20 per cent of children aged three to four do not speak Welsh. In homes where there are two adults and where one of them is a Welsh speaker, fewer than half of the children aged three to four can speak Welsh.
So, this draft policy focuses on four aims: to inspire children and young people to speak Welsh to their children in the future; reignite the Welsh language skills of those who may not have used Welsh since their school days, or who have lost confidence in their language skills, to speak Welsh with their own children; support and encourage the use of Welsh within families where not everybody speaks Welsh; and to support Welsh-speaking families to speak Welsh with their children.
The actions that we are proposing include: developing new support for families based on the latest thinking in behaviour change; trialling a language use programme based on a successful project from the Basque Country; helping the education workforce to encourage pupils to speak more Welsh in order to create the language transmitters of the future; and creating networks for parents to be able to support each other. This is innovative work, not only for us in the Welsh Government, but also internationally. While I want us to lead the way, we also need to work together. We need to learn from other countries and other sectors, as well as share our findings with them.
We'll be consulting on this policy until 5 May, and we'll publish a final policy later this year. It is vital that we hear a range of voices on the proposals in this draft policy. I am particularly keen to hear the views of parents who lack confidence in their Welsh language skills so we can better understand what would help them. I want to hear from parents who had Welsh-medium education but who no longer use Welsh, or who might not have spoken Welsh socially while they were in school. There are also those parents who can speak Welsh but do not consider that speaking Welsh with their children is an option for them. We need to support all these parents to speak more Welsh with their children.
It's going to take time for us to see the results of this work. I'm talking here about intergenerational behaviour change. But we must also act now to help families speak more Welsh, and that's the aim of this policy. Thank you.
Diolch i chi, Weinidog. Gobeithio y byddwch chi'n teimlo'n well cyn bo hir. Rwy'n croesawu hyn, achos rŷn ni i gyd, rwy'n credu, yn gweld pa mor allweddol yw hyn i unrhyw lwyddiant i'r cynllun 2050, ond rwy'n croesawu hefyd y gydnabyddiaeth taw mater personol iawn yw dewis iaith, yn arbennig o fewn y teulu. Roeddwn i yn yr un sefyllfa â chi, Weinidog, ond fi oedd yr un di-Gymraeg. Gwnaethon ni fel teulu benderfynu magu'r plant trwy'r Gymraeg, ond dim amod i siarad Cymraeg ges i cyn fy mhriodas i. Rydym wedi gwneud hynny er gwaetha'r ffaith ein bod ni, fi a fy ngŵr, wedi ei ffeindio bron yn amhosib siarad Cymraeg â’n gilydd, achos roedden ni wedi dechrau trwy'r Saesneg. Jest dim ond un enghraifft yw hynny o pa mor gymhleth yw'r nod yma i'w gyflawni.
Rŷch chi’n sôn am deuluoedd gyda sgiliau Cymraeg neu brawf Cymraeg ond heb hyder neu heb gymhelliad neu ddymuniad i siarad Cymraeg yn y tŷ. Felly, beth dŷch chi wedi darganfod yn barod am pam dyw teuluoedd tebyg ddim yn fodlon trosglwyddo'r iaith yn barod? Pam dim dymuniad? Pam dim cymhelliad? Achos rydw i wedi cael cipolwg ar ddogfen yr ymgynghoriad, ond dydy e ddim yn glir i fi—wel, dydw i ddim yn fodlon derbyn mai colli hyder yw'r unig reswm am y methiant trosglwyddiad ar hyn o bryd.
Beth ydych chi wedi ei ddysgu am lwyddiant neu fethiant, unwaith eto, y rhaglen Twf, er enghraifft? Achos mae e jest yn fy nharo i ei fod yn eithaf rhyfedd i baratoi'r rhaglen yna heb wybod yr atebion i fy nghwestiwn cyntaf i. Achos dwi yn gweld—. Y rheswm am hynny yw, dwi’n derbyn bod yna newidiadau cymdeithasol wedi digwydd, ond wrth gwrs, mae pobl wedi bod yn dysgu Cymraeg yn yr ysgol yn ystod yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf, a'r bobl yna nawr mewn sefyllfa i gael plant ac efallai gwneud y dewis am ba fath o iaith maen nhw'n mynd i siarad yn y tŷ. Felly, mae yna dipyn bach o disconnect rhwng beth rŷm ni wedi cael yn barod yn yr ysgolion a beth mae rhieni ifanc yn fodlon ei wneud nawr.
Gan ddweud hynny, rwy'n gweld yr egwyddorion y tu ôl i'r awgrymiadau yn y ddogfen yna, ac rwy'n nodi penderfyniadau plant eu hunain am yr iaith, yn arbennig plant hŷn sydd wedi cael eu magu trwy'r Gymraeg ond efallai yn dewis siarad mwy o Saesneg pan eu bod nhw'n dechrau bod yn teenagers ac yn y blaen. Hoffwn i wybod beth yw'r cynnig presennol iddyn nhw? Sut mae plant o'r oedran yna'n ffitio mewn i unrhyw brofiad yng Ngwlad y Basg, er enghraifft? Achos rŷch chi'n sôn am Wlad y Basg yn y ddogfen, ond dydw i ddim wedi clywed lot am y manylion perthnasol i bobl ifanc hŷn.
A jest i ddod i ben: yr arian. Faint o arian mae hyn yn mynd i gostio? Pwy ydych chi'n meddwl ar hyn o bryd sy'n mynd i fod yn gyfrifol am weithredu unrhyw raglen sy'n dod mas o'r ymgynghoriad? Ac am faint o amser mae hynny'n mynd i barhau? Diolch.
Thank you, Minister. I hope you'll feel better soon. I welcome this, because I think we all understand how crucial this is to the success of the 2050 policy, but I also welcome the recognition that language choice is a very personal issue, particularly within families. I was in the same situation as you, Minister, but I was the non-Welsh speaker. We as a family decided to bring up the children through the medium of Welsh, but there was no condition in terms of speaking Welsh before I got married. But we did that despite the fact that myself and my husband found it almost impossible to speak Welsh to each other, because we started conversing in English. And that's just one example of how complex this aim is in terms of its delivery.
You talk of families with Welsh language skills who don't perhaps have the confidence, motivation or aspiration to speak Welsh at home. So, what have you discovered already as to why families such as this don't wish to transmit the language? Why don't they wish to do that? Why is there no incentive for them to do that? Because I have had a quick look at the consultation document, but it's not clear to me—or rather, I don't accept that loss of confidence can be the only reason for the failure in transmission at the moment.
What have you learnt from the success or failure of the Twf programme, for example? Because it strikes me as being quite strange to prepare that programme without knowing the answers to my first question. And the reason for that is, I do accept that there have been social changes that have taken place, that people have been learning Welsh in schools over the past 20 years, and it's those people who are now in a position to have children and make this choice as to which language they speak at home. So, there is something of a disconnect between what's been provided already in schools and what young parents are willing to do now.
Having said that, I do understand the principles underpinning the recommendations in the document, and I do note the decisions of children themselves on the language, especially older children who have been brought up speaking Welsh, but then choose to speak more English when they become teenagers and so on. So, I would like to know what's the current offer to them? How do children at that age fit into the experiences of those in the Basque Country, for example? Because you do mention the Basque Country in the document, but I haven't heard many relevant details in terms of how that relates to older young people, if you like.
And, just to conclude: funding. How much is this going to cost? Who do you think is going to be responsible for implementing any programme that emerges from this consultation? And for how long will that continue? Thank you.
Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.
The Llywydd took the Chair.
Diolch yn fawr, ac rŷch chi'n eithaf reit, beth dŷn ni ddim yn trio gwneud fan hyn yw rheoli ymddygiad y tu fewn i'r teulu. Rŷm ni'n deall ein bod ni mewn maes eithaf sensitif fan hyn. Felly, beth rŷm ni'n trio gwneud yw argymell, helpu pobl i wneud eu penderfyniadau eu hunain, a gwneud yn siŵr bod yr adnoddau a'r gwerthusiad gyda nhw ynglŷn â beth sy'n gweithio, a'n bod ni'n helpu i wneud hynny. Ac mae lot o waith ymchwil wedi cael ei wneud yn y maes yma, ond beth sy'n bwysig nawr yw ein bod ni'n rhannu'r gwaith yna a'n bod ni'n gwneud tamaid bach mwy o'r nudge theory yma gyda'r bobl yma. Rŷm ni'n gwybod, i raddau, rhai pethau sy'n gweithio, ond a oes yna fwy gallwn ni ei wneud?
Dyna pam mae'n hollbwysig—. Roeddech chi'n sôn ei bod hi'n anodd newid iaith unwaith rŷch chi wedi arfer, a dwi'n meddwl bod hwnna'n wir. Dyna pam mae mor bwysig ein bod ni'n dechrau cyn bod plant yn cael eu geni. Dyna pam ni'n cydweithio eisoes gyda'r bydwragedd. Ac mae'r ffordd yna o weithredu, dwi'n meddwl, wedi mynd â ni i ffordd eithaf pell yn barod. Ond yn amlwg, mae yna cohort dŷn ni ddim wedi cyrraedd fan hyn, ac mae’n bwysig ein bod ni'n edrych ar hyn.
So, pam nad yw pobl yn trosglwyddo? Wel, dyna un o'r pethau rŷm ni'n trio'i ddarganfod yma. Wrth gwrs, roeddech chi'n sôn bod diffyg hyder yn rhan ohoni, ac efallai yn arbennig os nad ydyn nhw wedi cael eu magu trwy'r Gymraeg ond wedi'i dysgu hi yn yr ysgol. Mae'n ddiddorol, efallai bod yr eirfa ar gyfer plant bach, bach ddim gyda nhw. So, ydyn nhw'n gwybod sut i ganu i'r plant pan fo nhw'n ifanc iawn ac ati? Dyna'r math o beth mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau: ein bod ni'n rhoi darpariaeth iddyn nhw o'r pethau yna.
Y peth arall yw, o'r ymchwil rŷn ni wedi'i weld, bod yna ddim, yn aml, penderfyniad ymwybodol ynglŷn â pha iaith ŷch chi'n ei siarad. Un o'r pethau rydym ni trio gwneud yw cael pobl i feddwl amdano. Beth sy'n ddiddorol o'r ymchwil yw eu bod nhw yn siarad am ba ysgol mae eu plant nhw'n mynd i, so maen nhw'n mynd i'w anfon nhw i ysgol Gymraeg, ond dŷn nhw ddim yn cael y drafodaeth ynglŷn â pha iaith maen nhw'n ei siarad yn y cartref.
Ac rydych chi'n eithaf reit, mae gwaith wedi'i wneud yn y maes yma dros y blynyddoedd. Roedd Twf, ac wedyn mae hwnna wedi trawsnewid i mewn i Cymraeg i Blant. Un o'r pethau dŷn ni wedi gwneud drwy gynllunio'r polisi newydd yma yw gwneud gwerthusiad o Cymraeg i Blant i weld beth sydd wedi gweithio, ac mae hwnna wedi bwydo i mewn i'r rhaglen yma. Beth rydym ni'n gobeithio ei wneud fan hyn yw rhoi lot mwy o ffocws ar y ffaith mai beth rŷn ni eisiau ei weld yw trosglwyddo mewn teulu, a'i fod e wedi sefydlu yn lleoliad y teulu yn hytrach na rhywbeth i gael pobl i mewn i ysgolion. So, mae'r ffocws yn ymwybodol iawn ar deuluoedd.
O ran faint o amser mae hwn yn mynd i gymryd, wel, rŷn ni'n gweld mai efallai tua 10 mlynedd bydd y ffocws ar gyfer hyn. Wrth gwrs, o ran yr arian, mae Cymraeg i Blant eisoes yn derbyn tua £750,000 eleni. Beth fuaswn i'n ei ddisgwyl, fel canlyniad i'r ymgynghoriad yma, fyddai ceisiadau am fwy o arian yn y maes yma. Felly, bydd yn rhaid i ni weld beth sy'n dod nôl a pha brosiectau sydd ddim yn cael eu hariannu nawr efallai bydd angen i ni eu hariannu yn y dyfodol.
Thank you very much, and you are right, what we're not trying to do here is to control behaviour within the family. We do understand that we're in a sensitive area here. So, what we're trying to do is to motivate, to help people to make their own decisions, and ensure the resources and the evaluation in terms of what works is available to them, and that we help in that area. There is a lot of research that has been done in this area, but what's important now is that we share that work and we do more nudge theory with these people. We know, to a certain extent, certain things that do work, but is there more that we can do?
And that's why it's vital—. You mentioned that it's difficult to change a language once you've set up that habit, and that is true, I think. And that's why it's so important that we start before children are born. That's why we collaborate before that with midwives. And that way of working has taken us quite a long way already, but evidently there is a cohort that we haven't reached yet, and it's important that we look at that.
So, why are people not transmitters? Well, that's what we're trying to find out here. You've mentioned that a lack of confidence is a part of that, and maybe particularly if they haven't been brought up through the medium of Welsh, but they've learned the language at school. It's interesting, maybe they don't have the vocabulary for very young children. Do they know how to sing to the children when they're very small and so forth? That's the kind of thing we have to ensure that we provide.
Another thing, from the research we've seen, is that, often, there isn't a conscious decision about which language to speak. One of the things we're trying to do is to have people to think about this. What's interesting in the research is that they do talk about which school their child goes to, so if they're sending them to a Welsh school, but they don't have a discussion about which language they speak at home.
And you are right, work has been done in this area over the years. There was Twf, and then that has become Cymraeg for Kids. One of the things that we've done in planning this new policy is evaluate Cymraeg for Kids to see what works, and that has fed into this programme. What we're hoping to do here is place a greater focus on the fact that what we want to see is the transmission of the language within families, and that that is established within the family rather than something that's school based. So, the focus is very consciously on families.
In terms of the time this is going to take, we think maybe a decade would be the timeframe for this. In terms of the funding, Cymraeg for Kids received £750,000 this year. What we'd expect, as a result of this consultation, is bids for more funding in this area. So, we'll have to see what comes back and what projects that are not funded now will be funded in the future.
