Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
10/03/2020Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad am 13:00 gyda'r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Assembly met at 13:00 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Galw'r Aelodau i drefn.
I call Members to order.
Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni y prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog. Mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Michelle Brown, ond nid yw Michelle Brown yma, felly cwestiwn 2 fydd y cwestiwn cyntaf—Alun Davies.
The first item on this afternoon's agenda is questions to the First Minister. The first question is from Michelle Brown, but Michelle Brown is not in Plenary, therefore question 2 will be the first question—Alun Davies.
Ni ofynnwyd cwestiwn 1 [OAQ55239].
Question 1 [OAQ55239] not asked.
2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am ddatblygiad gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn y dyfodol? OAQ55193
2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future development of public services? OAQ55193
Austerity remains the force that shapes our public services, driving demand and reducing our ability to respond. This Welsh Government remains committed to public services that are publicly funded and publicly delivered by staff motivated by a powerful sense of public service.
Cyni cyllidol yw'r grym sy'n dal i siapio ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, yn sbarduno galw ac yn lleihau ein gallu i ymateb. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i fod wedi ymrwymo i wasanaethau cyhoeddus sy'n cael eu hariannu'n gyhoeddus ac yn cael eu darparu'n gyhoeddus gan staff sy'n cael eu cymell gan synnwyr grymus o wasanaeth cyhoeddus.
I'm grateful to the First Minister for that. I think many Members, like me, were very pleased to hear the finance Minister making a statement last month on how digital Wales will be moving forward. I was particularly interested, of course, in her view that a digital skills academy will be based in Ebbw Vale, in my constituency, and that we will be investing in chief digital officers across all parts of the Welsh public services, creating a very real cluster of excellence where we can drive digital change. The First Minister will be aware that the economy Minister and the education Minister both visited Thales in Ebbw Vale over the past few weeks to launch the cyber security presence there, which is a part of the Tech Valleys initiative. Will the First Minister, therefore, outline how he sees the cluster in Ebbw Vale, but the wider drive to create digital public services in Wales, moving forward over the next few months, and how we can ensure that this cluster of excellence that we're seeing developed in Ebbw Vale can be the basis and the foundation of further economic growth and excellence in public services?
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Prif Weinidog am hynna. Rwy'n credu bod llawer o Aelodau, fel finnau, yn falch iawn o glywed y Gweinidog cyllid yn gwneud datganiad y mis diwethaf ar sut y bydd Cymru ddigidol yn symud ymlaen. Roedd gen i ddiddordeb arbennig, wrth gwrs, yn ei barn y bydd academi sgiliau digidol yn cael ei lleoli yng Nglynebwy, yn fy etholaeth i, ac y byddwn yn buddsoddi mewn prif swyddogion digidol ar draws pob rhan o wasanaethau cyhoeddus Cymru, gan greu clwstwr o ragoriaeth gwirioneddol iawn lle y gallwn ysgogi newid digidol. Bydd y Prif Weinidog yn ymwybodol bod Gweinidog yr economi a'r Gweinidog addysg ill dau wedi ymweld â Thales yng Nglynebwy yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf i lansio'r presenoldeb seiber-ddiogelwch yno, sy'n rhan o fenter y Cymoedd Technoleg. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog amlinellu, felly, sut y mae'n gweld y clwstwr yng Nglynebwy, ond yr ymgyrch ehangach i greu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus digidol yng Nghymru, yn symud ymlaen yn ystod y misoedd nesaf, a sut y gallwn ni sicrhau bod y clwstwr hwn o ragoriaeth yr ydym ni'n ei weld yn cael ei ddatblygu yng Nglynebwy yn sail ac yn sylfaen i dwf economaidd pellach a rhagoriaeth mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus?
Can I thank Alun Davies for that and for drawing attention to the fact that we are about to recruit a new chief digital officer for the Welsh Government? The current chief digital officer, Llywydd, I'd like to pay tribute to her time in office and wish her well in her retirement. We will bolster that Government-wide post with chief digital officers in local government and in health, and all of that will be put to work alongside the cross-Government ministerial digital board that is chaired by the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd.
Digitisation of public services is one of the key ways in which we know we can go on making a reality of our determination that public services are properly available to citizens right across Wales in a way that matches their contemporary experience. That sense of being in the forefront of the development of digitisation is absolutely what is happening in Ebbw Vale and through the Tech Valleys region, with the work of Thales, with the skills academy, with the centre for digital public services, which will be operational in Ebbw Vale from April 2020, and bringing together there, Llywydd, the infrastructure that we need to support these developments but, very importantly, creating the skills that mean that the workforce in that part of Wales will be well equipped to be at the forefront of these developments.
A gaf i ddiolch i Alun Davies am hynna ac am dynnu sylw at y ffaith ein bod ni ar fin recriwtio prif swyddog digidol newydd ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru? Y prif swyddog digidol presennol, Llywydd, hoffwn dalu teyrnged i'w chyfnod yn y swydd a dymuno'n dda iddi yn ei hymddeoliad. Byddwn yn cryfhau'r swydd honno sy'n ymwneud â'r Llywodraeth gyfan gyda phrif swyddogion digidol mewn llywodraeth leol ac ym maes iechyd, a bydd hynny i gyd yn cael ei roi ar waith ochr yn ochr â bwrdd digidol trawslywodraethol y gweinidogion sy'n cael ei gadeirio gan y Gweinidog Cyllid a'r Trefnydd.
Mae digideiddio gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn un o'r ffyrdd allweddol yr ydym ni'n gwybod y gallwn ni barhau i wireddu ein penderfyniad bod gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ar gael yn briodol i ddinasyddion ledled Cymru gyfan mewn ffordd sy'n cyfateb i'w profiad cyfoes. Y synnwyr hwnnw o fod ar flaen y gad o ran datblygu digideiddio yw'r union beth sy'n digwydd yng Nglynebwy a thrwy ranbarth y Cymoedd Technoleg, gyda gwaith Thales, gyda'r academi sgiliau, gyda'r ganolfan gwasanaethau cyhoeddus digidol, a fydd yn weithredol yng Nglynebwy o fis Ebrill 2020 ymlaen, a chan ddwyn ynghyd yno, Llywydd, y seilwaith sydd ei angen arnom ni i gefnogi'r datblygiadau hynny ond, yn bwysig iawn, creu'r sgiliau sy'n golygu y bydd y gweithlu yn y rhan honno o Gymru mewn sefyllfa dda i fod ar flaen y gad o ran y datblygiadau hyn.
I'd like to ask the First Minister what plans the Welsh Government has to spread prosperity across the country through the development of public services. I think we need to listen to those who feel that we're at risk of imitating England's mistake in overconcentrating power and economic development in one part of the country. Now, one of the ideas that Plaid Cymru has put forward, which I'm sure the First Minister is aware of, is that of a regional renewal Act to decentralise power, ensuring that every part of the country receives its fair share of investment and that public bodies are established in parts of the country that really could do with new jobs. There are parts of my region in the south-east that have experienced depopulation and economic decline that could really do with Welsh Government support—areas like Tredegar, like Merthyr and like Ebbw Vale. Transport links in those areas are so poor and the foundational economy is crying out for investment. So, First Minister, I'd ask how you think the Government can help to improve public services in areas like this so that they can be built back up and be made attractive for businesses to be established there in the future, as well as attracting new local amenities that could boost those communities.
Hoffwn ofyn i'r Prif Weinidog pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wasgaru ffyniant ar draws y wlad trwy ddatblygu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Rwy'n credu bod angen i ni wrando ar y rhai sy'n teimlo ein bod ni mewn perygl o efelychu camgymeriad Lloegr o or-ganoli grym a datblygiad economaidd mewn un rhan o'r wlad. Nawr, un o'r syniadau y mae Plaid Cymru wedi ei gyflwyno, ac rwyf i'n siŵr bod y Prif Weinidog yn ymwybodol ohono, yw Deddf adnewyddu rhanbarthol i ddatganoli grym, gan sicrhau bod pob rhan o'r wlad yn cael ei chyfran deg o fuddsoddiad a bod cyrff cyhoeddus yn cael eu sefydlu mewn rhannau o'r wlad sydd wir angen swyddi newydd. Ceir rhannau o'm rhanbarth i yn y de-ddwyrain sydd wedi dioddef diboblogi a dirywiad economaidd ac maen nhw wir angen cymorth Llywodraeth Cymru—ardaloedd fel Tredegar, fel Merthyr ac fel Glynebwy. Mae cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth yn yr ardaloedd hynny mor wael ac mae'r economi sylfaenol yn crefu am fuddsoddiad. Felly, Prif Weinidog, hoffwn ofyn sut yr ydych chi'n meddwl y gall y Llywodraeth helpu i wella gwasanaethau cyhoeddus mewn ardaloedd fel hyn fel y gellir eu codi i fyny unwaith eto a'u gwneud yn ddeniadol i fusnesau gael eu sefydlu yno yn y dyfodol, yn ogystal â denu amwynderau lleol newydd a allai roi hwb i'r cymunedau hynny.
I thank the Member for that question. The regional impact of the economy is something absolutely at the forefront of the way in which the Minister for the economy is shaping his policy and his department to deliver in that regionally fair way, although, as the Member's question illustrated, Llywydd, inequalities within regions are more pronounced than inequalities between regions in Wales.
So, making sure that, within a region such as south-east Wales, which has some very prosperous parts of it and some engine-room parts of the Welsh economy—how do we make sure that the fruits of that advance are felt everywhere? That's at the heart of the fair work agenda, it's at the heart of the social partnership Bill that we will bring forward in front of this Assembly and, to revert to Alun Davies's point, digital services have to be viewed through that inequality lens as well.
In that way, I think the way that the Welsh Government approaches these things can be distinguished from the way that these matters have been approached elsewhere in the United Kingdom. We want to create, as the well-being of future generations Act says, a more equal Wales, and that more equal Wales is rooted in equality of opportunity in the economy.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Mae effaith ranbarthol yr economi yn rhywbeth sy'n gwbl flaenllaw yn y modd y mae Gweinidog yr economi yn llunio ei bolisi a'i adran i ddarparu yn y modd rhanbarthol deg hwnnw, er, fel y dangosodd cwestiwn yr Aelod, Llywydd, mae anghydraddoldebau o fewn rhanbarthau yn fwy amlwg nag anghydraddoldebau rhwng rhanbarthau yng Nghymru.
Felly, gan wneud yn siŵr, mewn rhanbarth fel y de-ddwyrain, sydd â rhai rhannau llewyrchus iawn ohono a rhai rhannau sy'n sylfaenol i economi Cymru—sut ydym ni'n gwneud yn siŵr bod ffrwyth y datblygiad hwnnw'n cael ei deimlo ym mhob man? Dyna sydd wrth wraidd yr agenda gwaith teg, mae wrth wraidd y Bil partneriaethau cymdeithasol y byddwn ni'n ei gyflwyno gerbron y Cynulliad hwn ac, i ddychwelyd at bwynt Alun Davies, mae'n rhaid edrych ar wasanaethau digidol drwy'r lens anghydraddoldeb honno hefyd.
Yn y modd hwnnw, rwy'n credu y gellir gwahaniaethu rhwng y ffordd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd i'r afael â'r pethau hyn a'r ffordd yr aethpwyd i'r afael â'r materion hyn mewn mannau eraill yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Fel y dywed Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol, rydym ni eisiau creu Cymru sy'n fwy cyfartal, a bod y Gymru fwy cyfartal honno wedi ei gwreiddio mewn cyfle cyfartal yn yr economi.
First Minister, your 2016 manifesto pledge, and I quote, 'We will seek to create stronger, larger local authorities', as Welsh Labour apparently recognised the then vital role that local authorities play in everyone's lives—. Can you provide an update, please, on your reform of local government, or is this promise going to go in the same bin as the M4 relief road?
Prif Weinidog, roedd eich addewid ym maniffesto 2016, a dyfynnaf, 'Ein nod fydd creu awdurdodau lleol mwy a chryfach', gan fod Llafur Cymru yn cydnabod yn ôl pob golwg y swyddogaeth hanfodol y mae awdurdodau lleol yn ei chwarae ym mywydau pawb—. A allwch chi roi diweddariad, os gwelwch yn dda, ar eich diwygiad o lywodraeth leol, neu a yw'r addewid hwn yn mynd i fynd i'r un bin â ffordd liniaru'r M4?
Well, Llywydd, there is a Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill being presented at this Assembly. It will demonstrate the way in which we will create local authorities that are resilient for the future, retaining the 22 local presences, with a front door that people have become familiar with now over nearly 30 years, and yet to require collaboration on a regional basis for core local government services and activities. In that way, I believe we will marry together the advantages of having local authorities that are close enough to populations for people to feel ownership of them, and a sense of accountability to those populations, with the advantages that regional working for key purposes brings. That Bill will be in front of this National Assembly, and the Member will have every opportunity to contribute to its debate and development.
Wel, Llywydd, mae Bil Llywodraeth Leol ac Etholiadau (Cymru) yn cael ei gyflwyno yn y Cynulliad hwn. Bydd yn dangos y ffordd y byddwn ni'n creu awdurdodau lleol sy'n gadarn ar gyfer y dyfodol, gan gadw'r 22 o bresenoldebau lleol, gyda drws ffrynt y mae pobl wedi dod yn gyfarwydd ag ef erbyn hyn dros bron i 30 mlynedd, ac eto gwneud cydweithredu ar sail ranbarthol yn ofynnol ar gyfer gwasanaethau a gweithgareddau llywodraeth leol craidd. Yn y ffordd honno, rwy'n credu y byddwn ni'n cyfuno'r manteision o gael awdurdodau lleol sy'n ddigon agos i boblogaethau i bobl deimlo eu bod nhw'n berchen arnyn nhw, a synnwyr o atebolrwydd i'r poblogaethau hynny, gyda'r manteision y bydd gweithio rhanbarthol at ddibenion allweddol yn eu cynnig. Bydd y Bil hwnnw gerbron y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn, a bydd yr Aelod yn cael pob cyfle i gyfrannu at ei ddadlau a'i ddatblygu.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Paul Davies.
Questions from the party leaders now. Leader of the opposition, Paul Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales has now risen to six and is expected to rise further. Therefore, it's absolutely crucial that any public information campaign now reaches all parts of Wales so that the public is fully aware of the steps they can take to protect themselves and their families and limit the spread of this virus. What further steps can the Welsh Government take to ensure it maximises the coverage of any public information campaigns in Wales? What additional steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that the people of Wales quickly recognise the symptoms of the virus and are properly signposted to the appropriate advice and treatment?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, mae nifer yr achosion o coronafeirws yng Nghymru a gadarnhawyd wedi codi i chwech erbyn hyn a disgwylir i hynny godi eto. Felly, mae'n gwbl hanfodol bod unrhyw ymgyrch gwybodaeth gyhoeddus yn cyrraedd pob rhan o Gymru nawr fel bod y cyhoedd yn gwbl ymwybodol o'r camau y gallan nhw eu cymryd i amddiffyn eu hunain a'u teuluoedd ac i gyfyngu lledaeniad y feirws hwn. Pa gamau eraill all Llywodraeth Cymru eu cymryd i sicrhau bod unrhyw ymgyrchoedd gwybodaeth gyhoeddus yng Nghymru yn cael cymaint o sylw â phosibl? Pa gamau ychwanegol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod pobl Cymru yn adnabod symptomau'r feirws yn gyflym a'u bod nhw'n cael eu cyfeirio'n gywir at y cyngor a'r driniaeth briodol?
I thank Paul Davies for that important question. He's right to say that there are six confirmed cases in Wales at present, but all the evidence and expert advice that we have says that that number will rise. This does give us an opportunity to make sure that the public messaging that we offer is clear, concise and understandable to people.
At yesterday's meeting of the COBRA committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, we agreed that it was important that those messages should be UK-wide. So, many people in Wales, as the leader of the opposition will know, receive the bulk of their news from outlets outside Wales. So, consistency of messaging across the United Kingdom becomes, I think, particularly important in this case, and we will work closely with other UK Governments to make sure that there is no confusion in messaging between different parts of the United Kingdom. Here in Wales, there is already, I think, a very effective symptom checker available through the Public Health Wales website, where, if anybody feels that they need to check what they are experiencing against coronavirus symptoms, it takes them through a series of very simple steps and gives them advice at the end of it. The 111 system now provides advice right across Wales free for people in the coronavirus field, and we will continue to use trusted sources of advice through the NHS and through Public Health Wales to make sure that, where public messaging is being made available, it reaches as many people and as quickly as possible.
Diolchaf i Paul Davies am y cwestiwn pwysig yna. Mae'n iawn i ddweud bod chwe achos wedi eu cadarnhau yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd, ond mae'r holl dystiolaeth a'r cyngor arbenigol sydd gennym ni'n dweud y bydd y nifer honno'n codi. Mae hyn yn rhoi cyfle i ni wneud yn siŵr bod y negeseuon cyhoeddus yr ydym ni'n eu cynnig yn eglur, yn gryno ac yn ddealladwy i bobl.
Yng nghyfarfod pwyllgor COBRA ddoe, dan gadeiryddiaeth Prif Weinidog y DU, cytunasom ei bod hi'n bwysig y dylai'r negeseuon hynny gael eu cyfleu ledled y DU. Felly, mae llawer o bobl yng Nghymru, fel y mae arweinydd yr wrthblaid yn gwybod, yn cael y rhan fwyaf o'u newyddion o fannau y tu allan i Gymru. Felly, mae cysondeb negeseuon ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig yn dod yn arbennig o bwysig yn yr achos hwn, rwy'n credu, a byddwn yn gweithio'n agos gyda Llywodraethau eraill y DU i wneud yn siŵr nad oes unrhyw ddryswch o ran negeseuon rhwng gwahanol rannau o'r Deyrnas Unedig. Yma yng Nghymru, mae gwiriwr symptomau effeithiol iawn, yn fy marn i, ar gael drwy wefan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru eisoes, lle, os bydd unrhyw un yn teimlo ei fod angen gwirio'r hyn y mae'n ei ddioddef yn erbyn symptomau coronafeirws, mae'n ei dywys trwy gyfres o gamau syml iawn ac yn rhoi cyngor iddo ar ddiwedd y broses. Mae'r system 111 bellach yn rhoi cyngor am ddim ar draws Cymru gyfan i bobl ym maes coronafeirws, a byddwn yn parhau i ddefnyddio ffynonellau cyngor dibynadwy drwy'r GIG a thrwy Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru i sicrhau, pan fydd negeseuon cyhoeddus yn cael eu darparu, eu bod yn cyrraedd cymaint o bobl a phosibl mor gyflym â phosibl.
First Minister, I understand now that the UK Government has established coronavirus ministerial leads across Government departments, and perhaps you could tell us if the Welsh Government is doing the same to explore all issues and impacts that the virus may have. For example, there's very little guidance or information around the public transport network, particularly given that research published in BMC Infectious Diseases found that those using public transport during flu outbreaks were up to six times more likely to pick up an acute respiratory infection. Of course, there are some very valid concerns around public transport as there are often high numbers of people travelling in overcrowded train carriages, there can be poor ventilation and a lack of hygiene facilities on board as well. And yet travelling on the public transport network is still essential for many people around Wales. Can you therefore tell us what research has the Welsh Government done on the level of threat posed by using the public transport network in its current state? Can you also tell us what discussions the Welsh Government has had with public transport operators across Wales about how they can ensure that passengers are as safe as possible when travelling? And what additional resources are being offered to public transport operators to ensure that they have what they need to ensure that their vehicles and stations are as clean and safe as possible?
Prif Weinidog, rwy'n deall erbyn hyn bod Llywodraeth y DU wedi sefydlu arweinwyr gweinidogol ar coronafeirws ar draws adrannau'r Llywodraeth, ac efallai y gallech chi ddweud wrthym ni a yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud hynny hefyd i ymchwilio i'r holl broblemau ac effeithiau y gallai'r feirws eu creu. Er enghraifft, prin iawn yw'r cyfarwyddyd neu wybodaeth am y rhwydwaith cludiant cyhoeddus, yn enwedig o ystyried bod gwaith ymchwil a gyhoeddwyd yn BMC Infectious Diseases wedi canfod bod y rhai sy'n defnyddio cludiant cyhoeddus yn ystod achosion o'r ffliw hyd at chwe gwaith yn fwy tebygol o ddal haint anadlol acíwt. Wrth gwrs, ceir rhai pryderon dilys iawn ynghylch cludiant cyhoeddus gan fod nifer fawr o bobl yn aml yn teithio mewn cerbydau trên gorlawn, gall fod awyru gwael a diffyg cyfleusterau hylendid ar y trên hefyd. Ac eto mae teithio ar y rhwydwaith cludiant cyhoeddus yn dal yn hanfodol i lawer o bobl ledled Cymru. Felly, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni pa ymchwil y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei wneud i lefel y bygythiad sy'n cael ei beri drwy ddefnyddio'r rhwydwaith cludiant cyhoeddus yn ei gyflwr presennol? A allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni hefyd pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu cael gyda chwmnïau cludiant cyhoeddus ledled Cymru ynghylch sut y gallan nhw sicrhau bod teithwyr mor ddiogel â phosibl wrth deithio? A pha adnoddau ychwanegol sy'n cael eu cynnig i gwmnïau cludiant cyhoeddus i sicrhau bod ganddyn nhw'r hyn sydd ei angen arnyn nhw i sicrhau bod eu cerbydau a'u gorsafoedd mor lân a diogel â phosibl?
I thank the leader of the opposition for those questions.
In the Welsh Government, the Cabinet now discusses coronavirus issues at all our meetings, and we have established a core ministerial group that will meet in between regular Cabinet meetings to make sure that we are in a position to respond urgently and immediately where such a response is necessary. The COBRA committee ministerially meets twice a week as well, and Welsh Ministers are always represented at those meetings.
The current best advice that we have from chief scientists and from chief medical officers is that people should continue to use public transport as they would at any other time, and that there are no current difficulties in people doing that. But this is a disease that the evidence tells us is going to develop further, may develop rapidly as we've seen elsewhere in the world, and to return to the first point that Paul Davies made, Llywydd, it is therefore very important that members of the public have access to changing advice, because, as the course of the disease develops, so the position in relation to advice on public transport will develop alongside it.
We operate, as I think we only can, on the best advice that we can get, and we do that on a shared UK basis using the scientific advisory group, the chief scientist and the four chief medical officers. Individual Cabinet colleagues are taking action to contact the sectors for which they are responsible to make sure that those sectors are making preparations for what may need to be faced as the disease develops, whether that is being able to provide a service with fewer staff, because more people will be unwell and fewer people will be in work, or whether it is in responding to physical infrastructure matters of the sort that Paul Davies referred to in relation to public transport.
Diolchaf i arweinydd yr wrthblaid am y cwestiynau yna.
Yn Llywodraeth Cymru, mae'r Cabinet yn trafod materion coronafeirws yn ein holl gyfarfodydd erbyn hyn, ac rydym ni wedi sefydlu grŵp gweinidogol craidd a fydd yn cyfarfod rhwng cyfarfodydd rheolaidd y Cabinet i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni mewn sefyllfa i ymateb ar frys ac ar unwaith pan fo angen ymateb o'r fath. Mae'r pwyllgor COBRA gweinidogol yn cyfarfod ddwywaith yr wythnos hefyd, ac mae Gweinidogion Cymru wedi eu cynrychioli yn y cyfarfodydd hynny bob amser.
Y cyngor gorau sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd gan brif wyddonwyr a chan brif swyddogion meddygol yw y dylai pobl barhau i ddefnyddio cludiant cyhoeddus fel y bydden nhw ar unrhyw adeg arall, ac nad oes unrhyw anawsterau ar hyn o bryd i bobl wneud hynny. Ond mae hwn yn glefyd y mae'r dystiolaeth yn dweud wrthym ni ei fod yn mynd i ddatblygu ymhellach, y gallai ddatblygu'n gyflym fel yr ydym ni wedi ei weld mewn mannau eraill yn y byd, ac i ddychwelyd at y pwynt cyntaf a wnaeth Paul Davies, Llywydd, mae'n bwysig iawn felly bod cyngor sy'n newid ar gael i aelodau'r cyhoedd, oherwydd wrth i'r clefyd ddatblygu, bydd y sefyllfa o ran cyngor ar gludiant cyhoeddus yn datblygu ochr yn ochr â hynny.
Rydym ni'n gweithredu, yn yr unig ffordd y gallwn ni rwy'n credu, ar sail y cyngor gorau y gallwn ni ei gael, ac rydym ni'n gwneud hynny ar sail DU gyfan a rennir gan ddefnyddio'r grŵp cynghori gwyddonol, y prif wyddonydd a'r pedwar prif swyddog meddygol. Mae cyd-aelodau unigol yn y Cabinet yn cymryd camau i gysylltu â'r sectorau y maen nhw'n gyfrifol amdanyn nhw i wneud yn siŵr bod y sectorau hynny'n gwneud paratoadau ar gyfer yr hyn y gallai fod angen ei wynebu wrth i'r clefyd ddatblygu, boed hynny'n golygu gallu darparu gwasanaeth â llai o staff, oherwydd bydd mwy o bobl yn sâl a bydd llai o bobl yn y gwaith, neu'n golygu ymateb i faterion seilwaith ffisegol o'r math y cyfeiriodd Paul Davies atyn nhw yng nghyswllt cludiant cyhoeddus.
First Minister, of course, I'm pleased that the UK Government and the Welsh Government have worked together on legislation to strengthen the Welsh Government's powers on matters like quarantining and mass gatherings, and, as you're already aware, some schools in Wales and across the UK have closed their doors to students at risk of coronavirus. Of course, schools are a particular problem in terms of stopping the spread of the virus, and so it's important that there are mechanisms in place for the Welsh Government to close schools, if it needs to.
As the threat of the virus spreading is still high, what preparations have the Welsh Government made for the impact that this could have on schools, colleges and universities across Wales at this stage? What discussions have taken place with Ministers across the UK about developing contingency plans for the education sector and, indeed, the health service, should there be a significant increase in the number of children and young people affected? And what discussions has the Welsh Government had with the nursery and early sector, given that children under five, and especially those under two, are at higher risk due to their lower resilience?
Prif Weinidog, wrth gwrs, rwy'n falch bod Llywodraeth y DU a Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cydweithio ar ddeddfwriaeth i gryfhau pwerau Llywodraeth Cymru ar faterion fel cwarantinio a chrynoadau torfol, ac fel yr ydych chi eisoes yn gwybod, mae rhai ysgolion yng Nghymru a ledled y DU wedi cau eu drysau i fyfyrwyr sydd mewn perygl o coronafeirws. Wrth gwrs, mae ysgolion yn broblem benodol o ran atal lledaeniad y feirws, ac felly mae'n bwysig bod dulliau ar waith i Lywodraeth Cymru gau ysgolion, os bydd angen iddi wneud hynny.
Gan fod y bygythiad o ledaenu'r feirws yn dal yn uchel, pa baratoadau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu gwneud ar gyfer yr effaith y gallai hyn ei chael ar ysgolion, colegau a phrifysgolion ledled Cymru ar hyn o bryd? Pa drafodaethau sydd wedi eu cynnal gyda Gweinidogion ledled y DU am ddatblygu cynlluniau wrth gefn ar gyfer y sector addysg ac, yn wir, y gwasanaeth iechyd, pe byddai cynnydd sylweddol i nifer y plant a phobl ifanc sy'n cael eu heffeithio? A pha drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu cael gyda'r sector meithrin a blynyddoedd cynnar, o gofio bod plant o dan bump oed, ac yn enwedig y rhai o dan ddwyflwydd oed, mewn mwy o berygl oherwydd eu bod yn llai gwydn?
Again, I thank the Member for those important questions. We have, indeed, been working with the UK Government on an emergency Bill that is likely to be presented in the House of Commons, and are reaching agreements with other administrations across the United Kingdom on powers that need to come to Wales to deal with devolved services, including the education sector.
We're very aware, Llywydd, that—in what will be an emergency procedure—we will need to work with the Commission to make sure that there are opportunities for the Senedd to scrutinise those proposals as they affect Wales, alongside any LCM that the Government will bring to the floor of the Chamber. The Bill will provide powers for Welsh Ministers in relation to education, and those powers will need to be used at the time when they are most effective.
And if I could just make this one point, Llywydd: in yesterday's COBRA meeting, the point that chief scientists and chief medical officers were most keen to make was that the powers that the emergency Bill will provide need to be deployed at the point when they will make the biggest difference, and shouldn't be used prematurely. Because if you use them prematurely and then need to use them again, the level of public compliance with those measures is likely to decrease. So, if you're going to use powers that are significant, you have to time them properly, and we will act on the best advice that we get from those authorities on timing.
In the meantime, contingency plans, of course, are being developed, and Paul Davies is right to point to the early years sector. Just to give one example of the thinking that is going on: there are regulations, as the Member will know, that in the childcare setting there is a ratio of adults to children, and that ratio is set in regulations. Now, if there are fewer people to work because of the onset of coronavirus, we may need to be more flexible in that regulatory ratio, and that's our thinking and that sort of work is going on already.
And he'll also, finally, Llywydd, be aware that this is a sector that is particularly vulnerable economically because it relies on the fees that it gets from paying parents. What we don't want to see—we've been in dialogue today with the UK Government in advance of tomorrow's budget on this point—is viable and important Welsh businesses going out of business because of a short-term impact, albeit a severe short-term impact, from this condition. We'll be looking to the UK Government to assist in making sure that those businesses can be helped through a difficult period, because we will need them once coronavirus is over.
Unwaith eto, diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiynau pwysig yna. Mewn gwirionedd, rydym ni wedi bod yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU ar Fil brys sy'n debygol o gael ei gyflwyno yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin, ac rydym ni'n dod i gytundebau gyda gweinyddiaethau eraill ledled y Deyrnas Unedig ar bwerau y mae angen iddyn nhw ddod i Gymru i ymdrin â gwasanaethau datganoledig, gan gynnwys y sector addysg.
Rydym ni'n ymwybodol iawn, Llywydd, y bydd—yn yr hyn a fydd yn weithdrefn frys—angen i ni weithio gyda'r Comisiwn i wneud yn siŵr bod cyfleoedd i'r Senedd graffu ar y cynigion hynny o ran sut maen nhw'n effeithio ar Gymru, ynghyd ag unrhyw femorandwm o gydsyniad deddfwriaethol y bydd y Llywodraeth yn ei gyflwyno ar lawr y Siambr. Bydd y Bil yn rhoi pwerau i Weinidogion Cymru o ran addysg, a bydd angen i'r pwerau hynny gael eu defnyddio ar yr adeg y maen nhw fwyaf effeithiol.
Ac os caf wneud yr un pwynt hwn, Llywydd: yng nghyfarfod COBRA ddoe, y pwynt yr oedd y prif wyddonwyr a'r prif swyddogion meddygol yn fwyaf awyddus i'w wneud oedd bod angen defnyddio'r pwerau y bydd y Bil brys yn eu darparu ar yr adeg pan fyddan nhw'n gwneud y gwahaniaeth mwyaf, ac na ddylid eu defnyddio'n rhy gynnar. Oherwydd os byddwch chi'n eu defnyddio'n rhy gynnar ac yna angen eu defnyddio nhw eto, mae lefel cydymffurfiad y cyhoedd â'r mesurau hynny yn debygol o ostwng. Felly, os ydych chi'n mynd i ddefnyddio pwerau sy'n arwyddocaol, mae'n rhaid i chi eu hamseru nhw'n iawn, a byddwn yn gweithredu ar y cyngor gorau a gawn ni gan yr awdurdodau hynny ynglŷn ag amseru.
Yn y cyfamser, mae cynlluniau wrth gefn yn cael eu datblygu, wrth gwrs, ac mae Paul Davies yn iawn i dynnu sylw at sector y blynyddoedd cynnar. Dim ond i roi un enghraifft o'r meddylfryd sy'n mynd ymlaen: ceir rheoliadau, fel y bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, bod cymhareb oedolion i blant yn y lleoliad gofal plant, ac mae'r gymhareb honno wedi'i phennu mewn rheoliadau. Nawr, os oes llai o bobl i weithio oherwydd dyfodiad coronafeirws, efallai y bydd angen i ni fod yn fwy hyblyg yn y gymhareb reoleiddiol honno, a dyna yw ein meddylfryd ac mae'r math hwnnw o waith yn cael ei wneud eisoes.
A bydd hefyd, yn olaf, Llywydd, yn ymwybodol bod hwn yn sector sy'n arbennig o agored i niwed yn economaidd oherwydd ei fod yn dibynnu ar y ffioedd y mae'n eu cael gan rieni sy'n talu. Yr hyn nad ydym ni eisiau ei weld—rydym ni wedi bod mewn trafodaethau gyda Llywodraeth y DU heddiw cyn y gyllideb yfory ar y pwynt hwn—yw busnesau hyfyw a phwysig yng Nghymru yn mynd i'r wal oherwydd effaith fyrdymor, er ei bod yn effaith fyrdymor ddifrifol, o'r cyflwr hwn. Byddwn yn disgwyl i Lywodraeth y DU gynorthwyo i wneud yn siŵr y gellir helpu'r busnesau hynny trwy gyfnod anodd, oherwydd byddwn ni eu hangen pan fydd coronafeirws wedi dod i ben.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, I believe it's been confirmed that all cases of coronavirus confirmed in Wales had recently returned from Italy. What measures have you taken as a Government to identify Welsh residents who have returned from Italy since the outbreak of the virus, and what extra precautions are in place to ensure that the disease is contained as best as possible?
And also, I was wondering if you could respond to some of the comments made by the shadow Chancellor yesterday when he criticised the speed of action in the response by the UK Government and tardiness on the part of the Chancellor and called for the UK Government to get a grip. To some extent, these comments were echoed by the former Minister Rory Stewart. Do you think that these comments are in any way legitimate concerns at this stage?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, rwy'n credu y cadarnhawyd bod pob achos o coronafeirws a gadarnhawyd yng Nghymru wedi dychwelyd yn ddiweddar o'r Eidal. Pa fesurau ydych chi wedi eu cymryd fel Llywodraeth i nodi trigolion Cymru sydd wedi dychwelyd o'r Eidal ers dyfodiad y feirws, a pha ragofalon ychwanegol sydd ar waith i sicrhau bod y clefyd yn cael ei gyfyngu cymaint â phosibl?
A hefyd, roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed a allech chi ymateb i rai o'r sylwadau a wnaed gan Ganghellor yr wrthblaid ddoe pan feirniadodd gyflymder y gweithredu yn yr ymateb gan Lywodraeth y DU a'r arafwch ar ran y Canghellor gan alw ar Lywodraeth y DU i gael gafael ar bethau. I ryw raddau, adleisiwyd y sylwadau hyn gan y cyn-Weinidog Rory Stewart. A ydych chi'n credu bod y sylwadau hyn yn bryderon dilys mewn unrhyw ffordd ar hyn o bryd?
Llywydd, on the first point, I don't think there is a useable mechanism by which any Government can track people returning to this country from many parts of the world, not just north Italy, other than through the actions that the UK Government has put in place through the ports and airports. We continue to work at a Welsh level where we have some shared responsibility in that regard.
The advice to people who have returned from other parts of the world where coronavirus is in circulation is very clear: they should not simply turn up at a GP surgery or at an accident and emergency service, they should phone first, they should get advice. The Member, I know, is aware that, in Wales, we have had a particular emphasis on home testing for people. We take the test to the person, so that they don't run the risk of coming into contact with people who could then be infected by them.
The six cases that we have identified in Wales so far are, we believe, people who have been in contact with others from another part of the world. We don't think we have, at this point, community spread in Wales, but the advice is that that is a matter of time. So, while we remain in the containment phase, that will develop into a delay set of actions at the right time.
And that takes me to the second point that Adam Price has raised, and it's the point I made in answer to Paul Davies about speed. The advice we were getting yesterday, Llywydd, was that timing of actions is really important. If we move, for example, today, to a regime in which anybody who had the first signs of a cold were asked to self-isolate, it's almost certain that what they would be self-isolating with would be a cold, because colds are in circulation, and coronavirus is not. So, they would stay home for seven days, with all the inconvenience that that causes, for no very good purpose. If, in 10 days' time, coronavirus were to be circulating and we asked them to do it again, the behavioural modelling tells us that people would be more reluctant to do it a second time, having gone through it all once and found that it wasn't serving a useful purpose.
So, while I think there's every right for parliamentarians to challenge the Government, to ask those questions, to be critical where they think criticism is justified, we will work on the basis of the best evidence that we have and, at the moment, we think that the sequencing of the actions that we are likely to have to ask of Welsh citizens is at the right point at this moment, and that we will time any further things we ask of them so that those asks happen at the point where those actions would have the biggest effect in slowing down the spread of the virus.
Llywydd, ar y pwynt cyntaf, nid wyf i’n credu bod dull defnyddiadwy y gall unrhyw Lywodraeth ei ddilyn i olrhain pobl sy'n dychwelyd i'r wlad hon o lawer o rannau o'r byd, nid dim ond gogledd yr Eidal, ac eithrio drwy'r camau y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi eu rhoi ar waith drwy'r porthladdoedd a'r meysydd awyr. Rydym ni'n parhau i weithio ar lefel Cymru lle mae gennym ni rywfaint o gyfrifoldeb cyffredin yn hynny o beth.
Mae'r cyngor i bobl sydd wedi dychwelyd o rannau eraill o'r byd lle mae coronafeirws yn mynd o gwmpas yn eglur iawn: ni ddylen nhw fynd i feddygfa meddyg teulu nac i wasanaeth damweiniau ac achosion brys, dylen nhw ffonio yn gyntaf, dylen nhw gael cyngor. Mae'r Aelod, rwy'n gwybod, yn ymwybodol ein bod ni yng Nghymru wedi rhoi pwyslais arbennig ar brofi pobl yn eu cartrefi. Rydym ni'n mynd â'r prawf i'r person, fel nad oes perygl iddo ddod i gysylltiad â phobl a allai gael eu heintio ganddo wedyn.
Rydym ni'n credu bod y chwe achos a nodwyd gennym ni yng Nghymru hyd yma yn bobl sydd wedi bod mewn cysylltiad ag eraill o ran arall o'r byd. Nid ydym ni'n credu bod gennym ni, ar hyn o bryd, ledaeniad cymunedol yng Nghymru, ond y cyngor yw mai mater o amser yw hynny. Felly, tra byddwn ni'n dal i fod yn y cyfnod cyfyngu, bydd hynny'n datblygu'n gyfres o gamau oedi ar yr adeg briodol.
Ac mae hynny'n dod â mi at yr ail bwynt a godwyd gan Adam Price, sef y pwynt a wneuthum wrth ateb Paul Davies am gyflymder. Y cyngor yr oeddem ni'n ei gael ddoe, Llywydd, oedd bod amseru camau gweithredu yn bwysig iawn. Os symudwn ni, er enghraifft, heddiw, at drefn lle gofynnwyd i unrhyw un a oedd â'r arwyddion cyntaf o annwyd ymneilltuo, mae bron yn sicr mai annwyd yw'r hyn y bydden nhw'n ymneilltuo ag ef, oherwydd mae annwyd yn mynd o gwmpas, ac nid yw coronafeirws. Felly, bydden nhw'n aros gartref am saith diwrnod, gyda'r holl anghyfleustra y mae hynny'n ei achosi, heb fod unrhyw ddiben mewn gwneud hynny. Pe byddai coronafeirws yn mynd o gwmpas ymhen 10 diwrnod, a ninnau'n gofyn iddyn nhw wneud hynny eto, mae'r modelu ymddygiadol yn dweud wrthym ni y byddai pobl yn fwy cyndyn o wneud hynny eilwaith, ar ôl bod drwy'r cwbl unwaith a chanfod nad oedd yn cyflawni unrhyw ddiben defnyddiol.
Felly, er fy mod i'n credu bod pob hawl i seneddwyr herio'r Llywodraeth, i ofyn y cwestiynau hynny, i fod yn feirniadol pan eu bod nhw'n credu y gellir cyfiawnhau beirniadaeth, byddwn ni'n gweithio ar sail y dystiolaeth orau sydd gennym ni ac, ar hyn o bryd, rydym ni'n credu bod trefn y camau y mae'n debygol y bydd yn rhaid i ni eu gofyn i ddinasyddion Cymru eu dilyn ar y pwynt cywir ar hyn o bryd, ac y byddwn ni'n amseru unrhyw bethau eraill y byddwn ni'n eu gofyn ganddyn nhw fel y bydd y gofynion hynny'n digwydd ar yr adeg y byddai'r camau hynny'n cael yr effaith fwyaf i arafu lledaeniad y feirws.
Coronavirus is obviously putting pressure on the NHS in all four nations. Labour's shadow health spokesperson, Jon Ashworth, yesterday asked the health Secretary in England for extra resources because critical care beds in England were at 81 per cent capacity during the week that the latest coronavirus figures were available. The Welsh Government's own task and finish group said:
'NHS Wales has a lower number of critical care beds for the size of the population than the rest of the UK.'
The availability of NHS beds obviously needs to increase drastically, given that hospitals have been operating above the safe level of 85 per cent occupancy for almost 10 years. In the circumstances that we're facing now, have you already identified how you would secure additional critical care beds? And if so, how many?
Yn amlwg, mae coronafeirws yn rhoi pwysau ar y GIG ym mhob un o'r pedair gwlad. Gofynnodd llefarydd iechyd y blaid Lafur, Jon Ashworth, ddoe i'r Ysgrifennydd iechyd yn Lloegr am adnoddau ychwanegol gan fod gwelyau gofal critigol yn Lloegr wedi cyrraedd 81 y cant o'r capasiti yn ystod yr wythnos yr oedd y ffigurau coronafeirws diweddaraf ar gael. Dywedodd grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen Llywodraeth Cymru ei hun:
Mae gan GIG Cymru lai o welyau gofal critigol ar gyfer maint y boblogaeth na gweddill y DU.
Yn amlwg, mae angen i nifer y gwelyau sydd ar gael yn y GIG gynyddu'n sylweddol, o gofio bod ysbytai wedi bod yn gweithredu uwchlaw'r lefel ddiogel o 85 y cant o welyau llawn ers bron i 10 mlynedd. O dan yr amgylchiadau sy'n ein hwynebu ni nawr, a ydych chi eisoes wedi nodi sut y byddech chi'n sicrhau gwelyau gofal critigol ychwanegol? Ac os felly, faint ohonyn nhw?
Llywydd, we are looking to the UK Government for extra resource to support the NHS and to support the economy. We'll be looking to the budget tomorrow to see that the assurances that have been given by the Chancellor are turned into more specific figures for us tomorrow. There are more intensive care beds in Wales as a result of the actions of this Government. Many of us here will remember the debate around the organ donation Bill and the need to increase critical care capacity to make a success of that Act.
But I want to try and say to Members in the most sober way that I can, Llywydd, if a realistic worst-case scenario were to emerge in which 80 per cent of the population contracts coronavirus and 25 per cent of the population contracts it in a way that requires significant medical intervention, that is going to place an enormous strain on all our public services, including the health service, because people who work in the health service will be equally affected by the virus. So, we will face a position in which there will be significantly increased demand and real strain on the people who are left to supply it.
So, of course we are working with the health service to identify the plans that can be put in place, the resources that can be mobilised; but these resources won't simply be beds, they will be people to provide the services that are needed. And in a situation where 25 per cent of the population are significantly ill, that will have an impact on those people too. We know that this will be an impact that will be felt over many weeks, and the resilience of the people who we are relying on to come in and respond in an emergency will be difficult to sustain week in and week out over that prolonged period.
Llywydd, rydym ni'n disgwyl i Lywodraeth y DU ddarparu adnoddau ychwanegol i gynorthwyo'r GIG ac i gynorthwyo'r economi. Byddwn yn edrych ar y gyllideb yfory i weld bod y sicrwydd a roddwyd gan y Canghellor yn cael ei droi'n ffigurau mwy penodol i ni yfory. Mae mwy o welyau gofal dwys yng Nghymru o ganlyniad i gamau'r Llywodraeth hon. Bydd llawer ohonom ni yn y fan yma yn cofio'r ddadl ynghylch y Bil rhoi organau a'r angen i gynyddu capasiti gofal critigol i sicrhau bod y Ddeddf honno'n llwyddo.
Ond hoffwn geisio dweud wrth yr Aelodau yn y modd mwyaf cymedrol y gallaf, Llywydd, pe byddai sefyllfa waethaf bosibl realistig yn cael ei gwireddu pryd y byddai 80 y cant o'r boblogaeth yn dal coronafeirws a 25 y cant o'r boblogaeth yn ei ddal mewn ffordd sy'n gofyn am ymyrraeth feddygol sylweddol, mae hynny'n mynd i roi straen enfawr ar ein holl wasanaethau cyhoeddus, gan gynnwys y gwasanaeth iechyd, oherwydd bydd y feirws yn cael yr un effaith ar bobl sy'n gweithio yn y gwasanaeth iechyd. Felly, byddwn yn wynebu sefyllfa lle bydd llawer mwy o alw a straen gwirioneddol ar y bobl sydd ar ôl i'w fodloni.
Felly, rydym ni'n gweithio gyda'r gwasanaeth iechyd, wrth gwrs, i nodi'r cynlluniau y gellir eu rhoi ar waith, yr adnoddau y gellir eu darparu; ond nid dim ond gwelyau fydd yr adnoddau hyn, byddan nhw'n bobl i ddarparu'r gwasanaethau sydd eu hangen. Ac mewn sefyllfa pan fo 25 y cant o'r boblogaeth yn ddifrifol wael, bydd hynny'n effeithio ar y bobl hynny hefyd. Rydym ni'n gwybod y bydd hon yn effaith a fydd yn cael ei theimlo dros lawer o wythnosau, a bydd gwydnwch y bobl yr ydym ni'n dibynnu arnyn nhw i ddod i mewn ac ymateb mewn argyfwng yn anodd ei gynnal wythnos ar ôl wythnos dros y cyfnod estynedig hwnnw.
The cusp of what may turn out to be a global pandemic is obviously not a time when anyone would want to be contemplating closing facilities within the NHS. Five weeks ago, when asked if you would intervene to keep accident and emergency services at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, you said we're not remotely at that point yet. In the next two weeks, the health board will make a final decision. Have we reached that point? And if so, will you intervene today?
Yn amlwg, nid yw sefyllfa sydd ar fin troi'n bandemig byd-eang o bosibl yn amser pan fyddai unrhyw un eisiau ystyried cau cyfleusterau yn y GIG. Bum wythnos yn ôl, pan ofynnwyd a fyddech chi'n ymyrryd i gadw gwasanaethau damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg, dywedasoch nad ydym ni'n agos o gwbl at y pwynt hwnnw eto. Yn ystod y pythefnos nesaf, bydd y bwrdd iechyd yn gwneud penderfyniad terfynol. A ydym ni wedi cyrraedd y pwynt hwnnw? Ac os felly, a wnewch chi ymyrryd heddiw?
Llywydd, there is a very well set out and legally necessary process by which a decision arrives on the desk of a Welsh Minister. That is a process in which those organisations that have a legal right to refer a matter to the Minister's desk are the people who have to do that, if they choose to do it. We're not at that point. The health board will have to make its determination, and then an organisation, such as a community health council, who can refer that matter to a Minister for determination, would have to decide to do that. That's how the process works. That's how the process has to work to be legally watertight. And, we're not at that point. We may not get to that point, because the decision has to be referred for a Minister to take a decision. But, if it does happen, Ministers have legal responsibilities. And that's why it has been so important, in all of that, that Ministers don't pre-judge a situation in which any decision they then made would be vulnerable to challenge.
Llywydd, ceir proses sydd wedi'i chyflwyno'n eglur iawn ac sy'n angenrheidiol yn gyfreithiol a ddilynir fel bod penderfyniad yn cyrraedd ar ddesg un o Weinidogion Cymru. Mae honno'n broses lle mai'r sefydliadau hynny sydd â hawl gyfreithiol i gyfeirio mater at ddesg y Gweinidog yw'r bobl sy'n gorfod gwneud hynny, os ydyn nhw'n dewis gwneud hynny. Dydyn ni ddim ar y pwynt hwnnw. Bydd yn rhaid i'r bwrdd iechyd wneud ei benderfyniad, ac yna byddai'n rhaid i sefydliad, fel cyngor iechyd cymuned, a all gyfeirio'r mater hwnnw at Weinidog i'w benderfynu, benderfynu gwneud hynny. Dyna sut mae'r broses yn gweithio. Dyna sut y mae'n rhaid i'r broses weithio i fod yn gyfreithiol anatebadwy. A dydyn ni ddim wedi cyrraedd y pwynt hwnnw. Efallai na fyddwn ni'n cyrraedd y pwynt hwnnw, oherwydd mae'n rhaid i'r penderfyniad gael ei atgyfeirio er mwyn i Weinidog wneud penderfyniad. Ond, os bydd yn digwydd, mae gan Weinidogion gyfrifoldebau cyfreithiol. A dyna pam mae wedi bod mor bwysig, yn hynny i gyd, nad yw Gweinidogion yn rhagfarnu sefyllfa lle byddai unrhyw benderfyniad y maen nhw'n ei wneud wedyn yn agored i her.
Arweinydd Plaid Brexit, Mark Reckless.
Leader of the Brexit Party, Mark Reckless.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, if I may turn to flooding, the industry association for forestry businesses, Confor, says that Welsh Government's and NRW's interpretation of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 resists changes to any landscape where the habitat or designation is not for woodland. Given the flood mitigation benefits of tree planting on uplands, and the opportunities for decarbonisation are there as well, do you agree that guidance for interpreting the Act is now outdated?
In 2017, the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee looked at barriers to tree planting. Confor and Tilhill Forestry were among those who gave evidence, and said that the environmental impact assessments were a huge barrier to tree planting. Since that report, the environmental impact assessment regulations have not changed. Would you agree that it's time we did more to enable tree planting, given the declared climate emergency and the devastating flooding we've recently seen, and should this include updated environment Act regulations and guidance to remove barriers to tree planting?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, os caf i droi at lifogydd, mae'r gymdeithas diwydiant ar gyfer busnesau coedwigaeth, Confor, yn dweud bod dehongliad Llywodraeth Cymru a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru o Ddeddf yr Amgylchedd (Cymru) 2016 yn atal newidiadau i unrhyw dirwedd lle nad yw'r cynefin neu'r dynodiad ar gyfer coetir. O gofio manteision plannu coed ar ucheldir i liniaru rhag llifogydd, a'r cyfleoedd i ddatgarboneiddio sydd yno hefyd, a ydych chi'n cytuno bod y canllawiau ar gyfer dehongli'r Ddeddf yn rhy hen erbyn hyn?
Yn 2017, edrychodd y Pwyllgor Newid Hinsawdd, Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig ar rwystrau i blannu coed. Roedd Confor a Tilhill Forestry ymhlith y rhai a roddodd dystiolaeth, a dywedasant fod yr asesiadau o'r effaith amgylcheddol yn rhwystr enfawr i blannu coed. Ers yr adroddiad hwnnw, nid yw'r rheoliadau asesu effaith amgylcheddol wedi newid. A fyddech chi'n cytuno ei bod hi'n bryd i ni wneud mwy i alluogi plannu coed, o ystyried yr argyfwng hinsawdd a ddatganwyd, a'r llifogydd dinistriol yr ydym ni wedi eu gweld yn ddiweddar, ac a ddylai hyn gynnwys diweddaru rheoliadau a chanllawiau Deddf yr amgylchedd i gael gwared ar rwystrau i blannu coed?
Llywydd, let me begin by agreeing with what the Member has said about the beneficial impact that tree planting can have in relation to flood prevention. Increasing forest cover within river catchments increases canopy evaporation, enhances ground water storage, improves soil structure and resilience, and, very importantly, slows the flow of water. So, there is a strong case that the Member has referred to that additional tree planting has a part to play in flood defences.
There is a balance to be struck between the planting of additional woodland and the impact on biodiversity. Now, because that balance has to be struck, we have a regime in Wales in which, if planting of woodland above five hectares is proposed, then an environmental impact assessment has to be carried out to make sure that the extra tree planting, with its benefits, doesn't crowd out other important objectives in the environmental field. The Minister, I know, is considering at the moment whether that five-hectare threshold is too low, and might be raised. That would have a beneficial impact in making it easier to plant trees, but we would have to be confident that it would not lead to significant biodiversity loss, which might, by itself, outweigh the advantages that the tree planting would bring.
Llywydd, gadewch i mi ddechrau drwy gytuno â'r hyn y mae'r Aelod wedi ei ddweud am yr effaith lesol y gall plannu coed ei chael o ran atal llifogydd. Mae cynyddu gorchudd coedwigoedd mewn dalgylchoedd afonydd yn cynyddu anweddiad canopi, yn gwella storfeydd dŵr daear, yn gwella strwythur a gwydnwch y pridd, ac, yn bwysig iawn, yn arafu llif dŵr. Felly, ceir achos cryf y mae'r Aelod wedi cyfeirio ato fod gan blannu coed ychwanegol ran i'w chwarae mewn amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd.
Mae angen taro cydbwysedd rhwng plannu coetiroedd ychwanegol a'r effaith ar fioamrywiaeth. Nawr, gan fod yn rhaid cael y cydbwysedd hwnnw, mae gennym ni drefn yng Nghymru lle, os cynigir plannu coetiroedd dros bum hectar, yna mae'n rhaid cynnal asesiad o'r effaith amgylcheddol i wneud yn siŵr nad yw'r plannu coed ychwanegol, gyda'i fanteision, yn atal amcanion pwysig eraill yn y maes amgylcheddol. Gwn fod y Gweinidog yn ystyried ar hyn o bryd a yw'r trothwy pum hectar hwnnw'n rhy isel, ac a ellid ei godi. Byddai hynny'n fuddiol o ran ei gwneud yn haws plannu coed, ond byddai'n rhaid i ni fod yn ffyddiog na fyddai'n arwain at golled sylweddol o ran bioamrywiaeth, a allai, ar ei ben ei hun, wrthbwyso'r manteision a fyddai'n dod yn sgil plannu coed.
I welcome the Minister giving that reconsideration. However, Confor also mentioned the issue of where a landscape is designated in some other way, say an upland sort of moorland, that they find there is a presumption against tree planting in those areas. And they can be much cheaper areas, say £1,000 a hectare, rather than several thousand, making the planting much more economic and likely to go ahead. Should we not also look at those designations, and allow greater flexibility for tree planting?
Now, decisions around dredging are affected by the EU water framework directive, and we know that the use of dredging reduced significantly around the time that directive was passed and then implemented. Now, we know that greater dredging would not mitigate all flooding, but it might have made a difference in some cases, for instance, the river Conwy, where we heard from Janet Finch-Saunders. Vikki Howells, from your own benches, made a similar point last week from a south Wales Valleys perspective. Meanwhile, the resumption of dredging the Somerset Levels does seem to have helped in that area. If coupled with regulations that encourage upland tree planting, couldn't increased dredging mitigate future flood risk? Now that we've left the EU, shouldn't we develop our home-made practices and frameworks for dredging and flood protection? And do you agree that these should encourage upland tree planting and make it easier to undertake appropriate dredging?
Croesawaf y ffaith fod y Gweinidog yn ailystyried yn y modd hwnnw. Fodd bynnag, cyfeiriodd Confor hefyd at y mater o ble mae tirwedd wedi'i dynodi mewn rhyw ffordd arall, math o rostir ucheldirol dywedwch, eu bod nhw'n canfod bod rhagdybiaeth yn erbyn plannu coed yn yr ardaloedd hynny. A gallan nhw fod yn ardaloedd llawer rhatach, £1,000 yr hectar dywedwch, yn hytrach na sawl mil, gan wneud y plannu'n llawer mwy economaidd ac yn debygol o fynd rhagddo. Oni ddylem ni edrych hefyd ar y dynodiadau hynny, a chaniatáu mwy o hyblygrwydd ar gyfer plannu coed?
Nawr, mae cyfarwyddeb fframwaith dŵr yr UE yn effeithio ar benderfyniadau ynghylch carthu, ac rydym ni'n gwybod bod y defnydd o garthu wedi lleihau'n sylweddol tua'r adeg y cafodd y gyfarwyddeb honno ei phasio a'i gweithredu. Nawr, rydym ni'n gwybod na fyddai mwy o garthu yn lliniaru'r holl lifogydd, ond efallai y byddai wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth mewn rhai achosion, er enghraifft, afon Conwy, lle y clywsom ni gan Janet Finch-Saunders. Gwnaeth Vikki Howells, o'ch meinciau chi eich hun, bwynt tebyg yr wythnos diwethaf o safbwynt Cymoedd y De. Yn y cyfamser, mae'n ymddangos bod ailddechrau carthu Gwastadeddau Gwlad yr Haf wedi bod o gymorth yn yr ardal honno. O'i gyplysu â rheoliadau sy'n annog plannu coed ar yr ucheldir, oni allai mwy o garthu liniaru perygl llifogydd yn y dyfodol? Gan ein bod ni wedi gadael yr UE erbyn hyn, oni ddylem ni ddatblygu ein harferion a'n fframweithiau cartref ar gyfer carthu ac amddiffyn rhag llifogydd? Ac a ydych chi'n cytuno y dylai'r rhain annog plannu coed ar yr ucheldir a'i gwneud yn haws ymgymryd â gwaith carthu priodol?
Well, on the first issue of designation, Llywydd, designation is there for a reason; it's for other sorts of protections. But, in a post-Brexit world, the plan that my colleague, Lesley Griffiths has been taking forward that began as 'Brexit and our land' and is now 'Sustainable Farming and our Land', does point to the fact that, in the future, the public will be prepared to pay farmers to do things that have a direct public benefit, and additional tree planting may well be part of one element in the repertoire of things that the public will be prepared to pay for, for the reasons that the Member outlines, and that may have implications for designation.
As for dredging, in our collection of evidence from local authorities, as we begin to move, we hope, into the recovery phase from recent flooding, one of the things we will be discussing with those local authorities is whether dredging, additional dredging, would have had an impact on the flooding that was experienced. So, it's actively under consideration in that evidence-based way, but we will want to hear from each local authority about their particular circumstances. In some places—I am probably wrongly anticipating—but from what I've seen so far, my anticipation is that there will be some instances where additional dredging would make a difference, but that it may not be a solution that has a beneficial impact everywhere.
Wel, o ran y mater cyntaf o ddynodiad, Llywydd, mae dynodiad yno am reswm; mae ar gyfer mathau eraill o amddiffyniadau. Ond, mewn byd ôl-Brexit, mae'r cynllun y mae fy nghyd-Weinidog, Lesley Griffiths wedi bod yn bwrw ymlaen ag ef fel 'Brexit a'n tir' ac sydd bellach yn 'Ffermio Cynaliadwy a'n Tir', yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith y bydd y cyhoedd, yn y dyfodol, yn fodlon talu ffermwyr i wneud pethau sydd â budd cyhoeddus uniongyrchol, ac mae'n bosibl iawn y gallai plannu coed ychwanegol fod yn rhan o un elfen yn y repertoire o bethau y bydd y cyhoedd yn fodlon talu amdanyn nhw, am y rhesymau y mae'r Aelod yn eu hamlinellu, a gallai hynny arwain at oblygiadau o ran dynodi.
O ran carthu, yn ein gwaith casglu tystiolaeth gan awdurdodau lleol, wrth i ni ddechrau symud, gobeithio, i'r cyfnod adfer ar ôl y llifogydd diweddar, un o'r pethau y byddwn ni'n eu trafod gyda'r awdurdodau lleol hynny yw pa un a fyddai carthu, carthu ychwanegol, wedi cael effaith ar y llifogydd a gafwyd. Felly, mae'n cael ei ystyried yn weithredol yn y ffordd seiliedig ar dystiolaeth honno, ond byddwn eisiau clywed gan bob awdurdod lleol am eu hamgylchiadau penodol. Mewn rhai mannau—mae'n debyg bod fy nisgwyliad yn anghywir—ond o'r hyn yr wyf i wedi ei weld hyd yma, fy nisgwyliad yw y bydd rhai achosion lle y byddai carthu ychwanegol yn gwneud gwahaniaeth, ond efallai na fydd yn ateb a fydd yn cael effaith lesol ym mhobman.
3. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i brosiectau cynhyrchu ynni lleol a chymunedol o amgylch Cymru? OAQ55191
3. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for local and community energy generation projects around Wales? OAQ55191
I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. The Welsh Government has successfully supported local and community renewable energy projects since 2010, and continues to do so through the Welsh Government energy service. We have set challenging local ownership targets to ensure that we are retaining wealth and providing benefit to communities across Wales.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cefnogi prosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy lleol a chymunedol yn llwyddiannus ers 2010, ac yn parhau i wneud hynny trwy wasanaeth ynni Llywodraeth Cymru. Rydym ni wedi gosod targedau perchenogaeth leol heriol i sicrhau ein bod ni'n cadw cyfoeth ac yn cynnig budd i gymunedau ledled Cymru.
I thank the First Minister for his answer. I think that one of the things we don't want is our natural resources being turned into wealth in another place rather than Wales.
Energy transmission has changed from power station to end user, now with lots of local generation going to the grid. I remember the diagram that showed a power station in one place, lines going all the way, and ending up in factories and houses. That's not the case now because local generation can go into the grid. But there are two problems that exist. One is: what progress is being made on access to the grid? Because I understand that, in some areas, especially in mid Wales, there's great difficulty in getting access to the grid, and that some areas have got access to the grid because former power stations have closed, and therefore the grid has got greater capacity. And also, local storage and usage. People have heard me talk often about batteries, and the need to make huge developments in batteries. Because, rather than using the grid, if people could generate electricity locally and use it locally, then that would be of benefit to everybody.
Diolchaf i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ateb. Rwy'n credu mai un o'r pethau nad ydym ni ei eisiau yw bod ein hadnoddau naturiol yn cael eu troi'n gyfoeth mewn lle arall yn hytrach na Chymru.
Mae trosglwyddo ynni wedi newid o orsaf bŵer i ddefnyddiwr terfynol, gyda llawer o gynhyrchu lleol yn mynd i'r grid erbyn hyn. Rwy'n cofio'r diagram a oedd yn dangos gorsaf bŵer mewn un lle, llinellau'n mynd yr holl ffordd, ac yn dod i ben mewn ffatrïoedd a thai. Nid dyna sy'n digwydd erbyn hyn, gan y gall cynhyrchu lleol fynd i mewn i'r grid. Ond ceir dwy broblem sy'n bodoli. Un yw: pa gynnydd sy'n cael ei wneud o ran mynediad at y grid? Oherwydd rwy'n deall, mewn rhai ardaloedd, yn enwedig yn y canolbarth, bod anhawster mawr o ran cael mynediad at y grid, a bod gan rai ardaloedd fynediad at y grid gan fod hen orsafoedd pŵer wedi cau, ac felly mae mwy o gapasiti yn y grid. A hefyd, storio a defnyddio'n lleol. Mae pobl wedi fy nghlywed i'n sôn yn aml am fatris, a'r angen i wneud datblygiadau enfawr o ran batris. Oherwydd, yn hytrach na defnyddio'r grid, pe gallai pobl gynhyrchu trydan yn lleol a'i ddefnyddio'n lleol, yna byddai hynny o fudd i bawb.
I thank the Member for both of those important questions. Llywydd, I share something of the frustration that I hear from local generators, of the difficulty in getting National Grid connections. And I spoke about this with the incoming chief executive of Ofgem, in a conversation with him on Friday, and I look forward to him coming to Wales to continue that conversation. And Welsh Government officials are meeting with the National Grid and distribution network operators today. Because we need investment at the UK level, in innovation and cost reduction for storage, and for grid connection. And in some parts of Wales, our opportunities to take advantage of the many natural assets that Wales has for renewable energy generation—whether that's onshore wind or marine—both of those are being held back by the lack of investment in National Grid infrastructure here in Wales. So the Member makes a very important point about that, and about the need for National Grid to attend properly to the needs of Wales.
In relation to battery storage, and innovations of that kind, the Welsh Government wants to play our part in supporting industries that are developing new technologies in that field. My colleague, Ken Skates, has supported an important development in the Neath Port Talbot area that is all about battery storage and the technologies that will allow that sort of local storage on which the ambitions that we have for renewable energy generation here in Wales will depend.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y ddau gwestiwn pwysig yna. Llywydd, rwy'n rhannu rhywfaint o'r rhwystredigaeth yr wyf i'n ei glywed gan gynhyrchwyr lleol, am yr anhawster mewn cael cysylltiadau â'r Grid Cenedlaethol. A siaradais am hyn gyda phrif weithredwr newydd Ofgem, mewn sgwrs gydag ef ddydd Gwener, ac edrychaf ymlaen at ei weld yn dod i Gymru i barhau'r sgwrs honno. Ac mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyfarfod â'r Grid Cenedlaethol a gweithredwyr y rhwydwaith dosbarthu heddiw. Oherwydd mae angen buddsoddiad arnom ni ar lefel y DU, mewn arloesi a lleihau costau ar gyfer storio, ac ar gyfer cysylltu â'r grid. Ac mewn rhai rhannau o Gymru, mae ein cyfleoedd i fanteisio ar y nifer fawr o asedau naturiol sydd gan Gymru ar gyfer cynhyrchu ynni adnewyddadwy—boed hynny'n wynt ar y tir neu'n forol—mae'r ddau yn cael eu dal yn ôl gan y diffyg buddsoddiad yn seilwaith y Grid Cenedlaethol yma yng Nghymru. Felly, mae'r Aelod yn gwneud pwynt pwysig iawn am hynny, ac am yr angen i'r Grid Cenedlaethol roi sylw priodol i anghenion Cymru.
O ran storio mewn batris, ac arloesi o'r math hwnnw, mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisiau chwarae ein rhan i gynorthwyo diwydiannau sy'n datblygu technolegau newydd yn y maes hwnnw. Mae fy nghyd-Weinidog, Ken Skates, wedi cefnogi datblygiad pwysig yn ardal Castell-nedd Port Talbot sy'n ymwneud â storio mewn batris a'r technolegau a fydd yn caniatáu'r math hwnnw o storio lleol y bydd yr uchelgeisiau sydd gennym ni ar gyfer cynhyrchu ynni adnewyddadwy yma yng Nghymru yn dibynnu arno.
I go back to the days when John Griffiths had this portfolio, and tried to raise this very point about connection to the grid, and the way it's holding back deployment of renewables here in Wales. And indeed, when it comes to battery deployment, there is a moratorium in south Wales until 2026, on any commercial deployment of batteries. So the point about Ofgem's role is well made by the First Minister. It is a fact that we do not have a board member from Wales on the Ofgem board, and, very often, when you interact with Ofgem, they refer to the Government as the Government at Westminster rather than the devolved Governments. Many of the energy responsibilities do reside here, especially planning permissions, et cetera. It is vital that the control period that Ofgem work to when they subsidise infrastructure development has a Welsh angle to it. Do you support Ofgem making a space for a Welsh board member to be appointed, so that Wales's voice can be heard when these decisions are being made?
Rwyf i'n mynd yn ôl i'r dyddiau pan oedd y portffolio hwn gan John Griffiths, a geisiodd codi'r union bwynt hwn am gysylltiad â'r grid, a'r ffordd y mae'n dal yn ôl y defnydd o ynni adnewyddadwy yma yng Nghymru. Ac yn wir, pan ddaw i ddefnyddio batris, ceir moratoriwm yn ne Cymru tan 2026, ar unrhyw ddefnydd masnachol o fatris. Felly, mae'r Prif Weinidog yn gwneud pwynt da am swyddogaeth Ofgem. Mae'n ffaith nad oes gennym ni aelod o Gymru ar fwrdd Ofgem, ac, yn aml iawn, pan fyddwch chi'n rhyngweithio ag Ofgem, maen nhw'n cyfeirio at y Llywodraeth fel y Llywodraeth yn San Steffan yn hytrach na'r Llywodraethau datganoledig. Mae llawer o'r cyfrifoldebau ynni yn cael eu cyflawni yma, yn enwedig caniatâd cynllunio, ac ati. Mae'n hanfodol bod gan y cyfnod rheoli y mae Ofgem yn gweithio yn unol ag ef pan fydd yn sybsideiddio datblygiad seilwaith agwedd Gymreig iddo. A ydych chi'n cefnogi Ofgem yn gwneud lle i benodi aelod o'r bwrdd o Gymru, fel y gellir clywed llais Cymru pan fydd y penderfyniadau hyn yn cael eu gwneud?
I thank Andrew R.T. Davies for that. Of course we want to improve the answerability of Ofgem to Welsh interests, and the capacity of Ofgem itself to understand and to recognise particular Welsh circumstances. So shall I say that I was heartened by the fact that the incoming chief executive sought a phone call very early on in his tenure, to talk about what they intend to do to improve the service that they provide to Wales? I'm heartened by the fact that he has committed to an early visit to Wales so that he can meet a wider range of Welsh interests. And if a board member from Wales would assist in making sure that we have a better service from the system in the future then, of course, I'll be very happy to take that up with him.
Diolchaf i Andrew R.T. Davies am hynna. Wrth gwrs, rydym ni eisiau gwella atebolrwydd Ofgem i fuddiannau Cymru, a gallu Ofgem ei hun i ddeall a chydnabod amgylchiadau sy'n benodol i Gymru. Felly a ddylwn i ddweud i mi gael fy nghalonogi gan y ffaith bod y prif weithredwr newydd wedi gofyn am alwad ffôn yn gynnar iawn yn ei gyfnod yn y swydd, i siarad am yr hyn y maen nhw'n bwriadu ei wneud i wella'r gwasanaeth y maen nhw'n ei ddarparu i Gymru? Rwyf wedi fy nghalonogi gan y ffaith ei fod wedi ymrwymo i dalu ymweliad cynnar â Chymru fel y gall gyfarfod ag amrywiaeth ehangach o fuddiannau yng Nghymru. A phe byddai aelod o'r bwrdd o Gymru o gymorth i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n cael gwell gwasanaeth o'r system yn y dyfodol yna, wrth gwrs, byddaf yn hapus iawn i drafod hynny gydag ef.
4. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi diweddariad ar ddarpariaeth gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl yng Ngogledd Cymru? OAQ55222
4. Will the First Minister provide an update on the provision of mental health services in North Wales? OAQ55222
Diolch i Llyr Gruffydd am y cwestiwn. Mae cynnydd yn parhau mewn sawl maes gofal iechyd meddwl yn y gogledd. Hoffwn longyfarch staff yn Ysbyty Gwynedd ac mewn ysbytai cymunedol ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr am gael eu cydnabod fel rhai sy'n deall dementia. Mae'r bwrdd yn rhoi blaenoriaeth i atal ac ymyrryd yn gynnar wrth roi gofal i gleifion ar draws gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl.
May I thank Llyr Gruffydd for the question? Progress continues to be made in many dimensions of mental health care in north Wales. I congratulate staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd and in community hospitals in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board on achieving dementia friendly accreditation. Across mental health services, the board acts to prioritise prevention and early intervention in patient care.
Tra bod yna, wrth gwrs, straeon da, fel rŷch chi wedi cyfeirio atyn nhw, o safbwynt peth o'r gofal, rŷm ni yn ymwybodol, wrth gwrs, mai un o'r rhesymau y rhoddwyd y bwrdd iechyd mewn i fesurau arbennig oedd oherwydd methiannau pan mae'n dod i wasanaethau iechyd meddwl. Nawr, mi roedd hi'n siom darllen adroddiad llynedd, oedd yn adolygiad o therapïau seicolegol yng ngogledd Cymru, oedd yn rhestru llith o fethiannau. Roedd e'n sôn am gleifion yn gorfod aros am gyfnodau annerbyniol o hir; diffyg datblygu gweithlu strategol ac integredig; a diffyg data sylweddol yn arwain at agendor mawr wrth wneud penderfyniadau yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth. A dim ond yn nadl Plaid Cymru wythnos diwethaf ar y pwnc yma, roeddem ni'n clywed sut mae yna gleifion o Gymru, wrth gwrs, wedi cael eu lleoli mewn sefydliadau yn Lloegr sydd wedi cael eu dangos gan yr awdurdodau fanna i beidio â bod yn cwrdd â'r safonau y byddem ni'n gobeithio y maen nhw.
Nawr, wrth gwrs, mae yna bum mlynedd, bron iawn, ers i'r bwrdd fynd i mewn i fesurau arbennig, ond mae llawer o'r methiannau hynny'n parhau. Felly, y cwestiwn yw, wrth gwrs: pryd ŷch chi, fel Llywodraeth, yn mynd i gymryd cyfrifoldeb am y rhestr yma o faterion sy'n dal yn ddiffygiol? Yn wir, pryd welwn ni Lywodraeth Cymru yn cael ei rhoi i mewn i fesurau arbennig ar y mater yma?
Whilst, of course, there are good news stories such as the ones you’ve mentioned in terms of some of the care, we are aware that one of the reasons that the health board was placed in special measures was because of failings when it comes to mental health services. Now, it was disappointing to read a report last year that was a review of psychiatric therapies in north Wales, which listed a whole host of failings. It mentioned patients having to wait for unacceptably long times; a lack of strategic workforce development; and a lack of data leading to a huge gap in making decisions based on evidence. And in Plaid Cymru’s debate just last week on this issue, we heard how patients from Wales have been placed in units in England that have been shown by the authorities not to be meeting the standards that we would expect them to meet.
Now, it’s almost five years since the board was placed into special measures, but many of those failings remain. So, the question, of course, is when will you as a Government take responsibility for this list of issues that still haven’t been resolved? Indeed, when will we see the Welsh Government placed into special measures on this issue?
Wel, Llywydd, wrth gwrs, dwi'n cydnabod roedd y ffaith bod problemau yn y gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl yn rhan o'r penderfyniad i roi bwrdd iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr i mewn i fesurau arbennig yn y lle cyntaf, ond mae lot o bethau wedi gwella yn y maes iechyd meddwl dros y blynyddoedd ers cael ei roi i mewn i fesurau arbennig.
Well, Llywydd, of course I acknowledge the fact that problems in the mental health services were part of the reason why the decision was taken to put Betsi Cadwaladr health board into special measures in the first place, but many things have improved in the mental health field over the intervening years since being placed in special measures.
On psychological therapies, as the Member will know, this was a report commissioned by the board itself. It will go to the board's quality and safety committee on 17 March. The Welsh Government is providing over £1 million in additional investment directly to the board to act on the recommendations of the report, which it itself commissioned. And, while there are many matters that that report highlights that the board needs to attend to, that report also pointed to many examples where there are innovative, imaginative and committed actions being taken by teams providing psychological therapies in north Wales.
And, as far as patients placed outside Wales are concerned, there is a continuing fall in the number of patients placed in that way. In 2018, 130 patients from across Wales were placed in services in England, and last year, in 2019, that had fallen to 96, and that's as a result of concerted efforts that boards across Wales are making to repatriate services and to bring patients closer to home, and I think that is exactly the right thing for them to do.
Where patients have to be placed across the border—and there will always be examples of very particular need—then we have our own assurance team that visits people in those places, that ensure that even if the service, as a whole, is under scrutiny, that the service provided to that Welsh patient is of a standard that we would be prepared to recognise. And if that is not the case—and let's not forget that in the recent example of St Andrews hospital, it was because of a visit from a Welsh inspector that concerns were raised—then we no longer place patients there and we make alternative arrangements where that is necessary.
O ran therapïau seicolegol, fel y bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, adroddiad a gomisiynwyd gan y bwrdd ei hun oedd hwn. Bydd yn mynd i bwyllgor ansawdd a diogelwch y bwrdd ar 17 Mawrth. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn darparu dros £1 filiwn o fuddsoddiad ychwanegol yn uniongyrchol i'r bwrdd i weithredu ar argymhellion yr adroddiad, a gomisiynwyd ganddo ef ei hun. Ac, er bod llawer o faterion y mae'r adroddiad hwnnw'n eu hamlygu y mae angen i'r bwrdd roi sylw iddyn nhw, cyfeiriodd yr adroddiad hwnnw hefyd at lawer o enghreifftiau lle mae camau arloesol, llawn dychymyg ac ymroddgar yn cael eu cymryd gan dimau sy'n darparu therapïau seicolegol yn y gogledd.
A chyn belled ag y mae cleifion sy'n cael eu lleoli y tu allan i Gymru yn y cwestiwn, ceir gostyngiad parhaus i nifer y cleifion sy'n cael eu lleoli yn y modd hwnnw. Yn 2018, lleolwyd 130 o gleifion o bob cwr o Gymru mewn gwasanaethau yn Lloegr, a'r llynedd, yn 2019, roedd hynny wedi gostwng i 96, ac mae hynny o ganlyniad i ymdrechion cyfunol y mae byrddau ledled Cymru yn eu gwneud i ailwladoli gwasanaethau a dod â chleifion yn nes adref, ac rwy'n credu mai dyna'r peth cwbl gywir iddyn nhw ei wneud.
Pan fo'n rhaid lleoli cleifion dros y ffin—a bydd enghreifftiau o angen penodol iawn bob amser—yna mae gennym ni ein tîm sicrwydd ein hunain sy'n ymweld â phobl yn y lleoedd hynny, sy'n sicrhau hyd yn oed os yw'r gwasanaeth, yn ei gyfanrwydd, yn destun craffu, bod y gwasanaeth a ddarperir i'r claf hwnnw o Gymru o safon y byddem ni'n barod i'w chydnabod. Ac os nad yw hynny'n wir—ac ni ddylem ni anghofio, yn yr enghraifft ddiweddar o ysbyty St Andrews, mai oherwydd ymweliad gan arolygydd o Gymru y codwyd pryderon—yna nid ydym yn lleoli cleifion yno mwyach ac rydym ni'n gwneud trefniadau eraill pan fo hynny'n angenrheidiol.
On 22 January, north Wales community health council wrote to your health Minister, drawing his attention to the report referred to—the independent review of psychological therapies in north Wales, undertaken independently by the TogetherBetter collaborative consultancy—and drawing his attention to its findings of a lack of shared vision, of strategic clarity and oversight at health board and divisional level, a lack of strategic and integrated workforce development, and much more, and said, after nearly five years in special measures, much of it related to mental health services—these findings are deeply disappointing. They also told me that they found the Minister's fairly bland response disappointing too. How do you respond to the contents of the letter I've received from a professor of psychiatry who left Betsi Cadwaladr on 31 January, and who stated that the problems related to the changes proposed by the management of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, after taking on the services in north-west Wales—none of the medical or nursing staff there support it?
Ar 22 Ionawr, ysgrifennodd cyngor iechyd cymuned gogledd Cymru at eich Gweinidog iechyd, gan dynnu ei sylw at yr adroddiad y cyfeiriwyd ato—yr adolygiad annibynnol o therapïau seicolegol yn y gogledd, a gynhaliwyd yn annibynnol gan yr ymgynghoriaeth gydweithredol TogetherBetter—a thynnu ei sylw at ei ganfyddiadau o ddiffyg gweledigaeth gyffredin, eglurder a goruchwyliaeth strategol ar lefel bwrdd iechyd a lefel is-adrannol, diffyg datblygiad gweithlu strategol ac integredig, a llawer mwy, a dywedodd, ar ôl bron i bum mlynedd yn destun mesurau arbennig, bod llawer ohono'n ymwneud â gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl—bod y canfyddiadau hyn yn hynod siomedig. Dywedasant wrthyf hefyd bod ymateb eithaf di-ddim y Gweinidog yn siomedig hefyd. Sut ydych chi'n ymateb i gynnwys y llythyr yr wyf i wedi ei gael gan athro seiciatreg a adawodd Betsi Cadwaladr ar 31 Ionawr, ac a ddywedodd fod y problemau'n ymwneud â'r newidiadau a gynigiwyd gan reolwyr Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, ar ôl cymryd cyfrifoldeb am y gwasanaethau yn y gogledd-orllewin—nad oes yr un o'r staff meddygol na'r staff nyrsio yno yn ei gefnogi?
I've not seen that letter, Llywydd, so I'm not in a position to respond to it. I was aware of the letter from the CHC on 22 January. The Minister's response at the time pointed to the fact that that was a report that was due to be considered by the board, and that it was for the board, as the commissioner of that report, to give it first consideration. As I said in my answer to Llyr Gruffydd, the report is going to the board's quality and safety committee on 17 March and I know that the Minister will want to hear from the board the plan that it will put in place to respond to the recommendations of the report that it itself had commissioned.
Nid wyf i wedi gweld y llythyr hwnnw, Llywydd, felly nid wyf i mewn sefyllfa i ymateb iddo. Roeddwn i'n ymwybodol o'r llythyr gan y cyngor iechyd cymuned ar 22 Ionawr. Cyfeiriodd ymateb y Gweinidog ar y pryd at y ffaith bod hwnnw'n adroddiad y disgwyliwyd iddo gael ei ystyried gan y bwrdd, ac mai cyfrifoldeb y bwrdd, fel comisiynydd yr adroddiad hwnnw, oedd rhoi'r ystyriaeth gyntaf iddo. Fel y dywedais yn fy ateb i Llyr Gruffydd, mae'r adroddiad yn mynd i bwyllgor ansawdd a diogelwch y bwrdd ar 17 Mawrth a gwn y bydd y Gweinidog eisiau clywed gan y bwrdd y cynllun y bydd yn ei roi ar waith i ymateb i argymhellion yr adroddiad yr oedd ef ei hun wedi ei gomisiynu.
5. Pa gamau pellach y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i weithio gyda Chyngor Dinas Casnewydd a phartneriaid eraill i adfywio canol Dinas Casnewydd? OAQ55231
5. What further steps will the Welsh Government take to work with Newport City Council and other partners to regenerate Newport city centre? OAQ55231
I thank John Griffiths for that question, Llywydd. Almost £23 million of regeneration grant and loan funding has been approved for projects in the Newport City Council area since 2014. The Welsh Government continues to work collaboratively with the city council to ensure the successful delivery of their current and future regeneration project.
Diolchaf i John Griffiths am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Mae bron i £23 miliwn o gyllid grant adfywio a benthyciadau wedi ei gymeradwyo ar gyfer prosiectau yn ardal Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd ers 2014. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i gydweithio â chyngor y ddinas i sicrhau bod ei brosiectau adfywio yn y presennol a'r dyfodol yn cael eu cyflawni'n llwyddiannus.
Thank you for that, First Minister. I do think that that strong partnership between Welsh Government, Newport City Council, business, social landlords and others has borne considerable fruit and helped to meet the challenges of finding alternative uses for our city centre. And soon there will be a further example of that when a substantial four-star hotel opens up in Newport city centre, close to the Friars Walk shopping centre, which itself, of course, was a result of that partnership just a few years ago. But nonetheless, First Minister, there are ongoing challenges, because retail is changing at such a pace, with so much online shopping and so on, so there will be a need to continue and I think strengthen that partnership, and I wonder if you would take the opportunity today to commit to building on the progress made to date by strengthening further that joint working between Welsh Government, Newport City Council, business and social landlords in the city.
Diolch am hynna, Prif Weinidog. Rwy'n credu bod y bartneriaeth gref honno rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd, busnesau, landlordiaid cymdeithasol ac eraill wedi dwyn ffrwyth sylweddol ac wedi helpu i ymateb i'r heriau o ddod o hyd i ffyrdd eraill o ddefnyddio canol ein dinas. Ac yn fuan bydd enghraifft arall o hynny pan fydd gwesty pedair seren sylweddol yn agor yng nghanol dinas Casnewydd, yn agos at ganolfan siopa Friars Walk, a oedd ei hun, wrth gwrs, yn ganlyniad o'r bartneriaeth honno dim ond ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl. Ond serch hynny, Prif Weinidog, ceir heriau parhaus, gan fod maes manwerthu yn newid mor gyflym, gyda chymaint o siopa ar-lein ac yn y blaen, felly bydd angen parhau a chryfhau'r bartneriaeth honno, rwy'n credu, ac rwy'n meddwl tybed a wnewch chi fanteisio ar y cyfle heddiw i ymrwymo i adeiladu ar y cynnydd a wnaed hyd yma drwy gryfhau ymhellach y cydweithio hwnnw rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd, busnesau a landlordiaid cymdeithasol yn y ddinas.
Llywydd, I'm very pleased to make that commitment, because Newport City Council I think is a real example of a local authority with ambition for the regeneration of its city centre, and a willingness to work in partnership with the Welsh Government, where we are able to provide assistance to them in doing so. There are many examples of this that John Griffiths has referred to, from the Ringland community hub in his own constituency—visited recently by my colleague Hannah Blythyn—to the £17 million Connecting Commercial Street programme. And as I said in my original answer, Llywydd, there are a series of potential further investments in Newport, whether it's the Tirion Homes investment on the former Whiteheads steelworks site—and I'm very pleased to see an application from the city council to the Welsh Government's £5 million fund for green infrastructure and biodiversity in urban areas, and particularly looking forward to working with the city council on the initiative that was announced some weeks ago by the Welsh Government, where we had to provide new powers to local authorities and a £13.6 million fighting fund to tackle blight caused by abandoned buildings in towns and cities across Wales. And I know that Newport council has put forward a number of buildings where they think using the powers and the funding will allow them to regenerate those buildings, to prevent the blight that they currently cause to surrounding areas, and to bring them back into genuinely beneficial use.
Llywydd, rwy'n falch iawn o wneud yr ymrwymiad hwnnw, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd yn enghraifft wirioneddol o awdurdod lleol sydd ag uchelgais ar gyfer adfywio canol ei ddinas, a pharodrwydd i weithio mewn partneriaeth â Llywodraeth Cymru, lle'r ydym ni'n gallu rhoi cymorth iddyn nhw i wneud hynny. Ceir llawer o enghreifftiau o'r hyn y mae John Griffiths wedi cyfeirio atyn nhw, o ganolfan gymunedol Ringland yn ei etholaeth ef ei hun—yr ymwelodd fy nghyd-Weinidog Hannah Blythyn â hi'n ddiweddar—i raglen gwerth £17 miliwn Connecting Commercial Street. Ac fel y dywedais yn fy ateb gwreiddiol, Llywydd, ceir cyfres o fuddsoddiadau pellach posibl yng Nghasnewydd, boed hynny'n fuddsoddiad Cartrefi Tirion ar hen safle gwaith dur Whiteheads—ac rwy'n falch iawn o weld cais gan gyngor y ddinas i gronfa Llywodraeth Cymru o £5 miliwn ar gyfer seilwaith gwyrdd a bioamrywiaeth mewn ardaloedd trefol, ac yn edrych ymlaen yn arbennig at weithio gyda chyngor y ddinas ar y fenter a gyhoeddwyd rai wythnosau yn ôl gan Lywodraeth Cymru, pan oedd rhaid i ni ddarparu pwerau newydd i awdurdodau lleol a chronfa ymladd o £13.6 miliwn i fynd i'r afael â malltod sy'n cael ei achosi gan adeiladau segur mewn trefi a dinasoedd ledled Cymru. A gwn fod cyngor Casnewydd wedi cyflwyno nifer o adeiladau lle maen nhw'n meddwl y bydd defnyddio'r pwerau a'r cyllid yn caniatáu iddyn nhw ailwampio'r adeiladau hynny, i atal y malltod y maen nhw'n ei achosi ar hyn o bryd i'r ardaloedd o'u cwmpas, ac i ddod â nhw yn ôl i ddefnydd gwirioneddol fuddiol.
First Minister, research by the Local Data Company shows that Wales has the highest shop-closure rates in the United Kingdom. In the first half of the last year, the number of shops in Newport fell by 3.5 per cent. The Welsh Retail Consortium points out that retail accounts for over a quarter of the business rate take in Wales. Although small business rate relief and transitional rate relief are a welcome recognition of the need to keep down costs for firms, three quarters of the retail employment is with firms who do not qualify for this. First Minister, do you agree that the existence of such relief schemes demonstrates the urgent need to reform business rates in Wales to help regenerate city centres such as Newport?
Prif Weinidog, mae gwaith ymchwil gan y Local Data Company yn dangos bod gan Gymru y cyfraddau cau siopau uchaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Yn hanner cyntaf y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, gostyngodd nifer y siopau yng Nghasnewydd gan 3.5 y cant. Mae Consortiwm Manwerthu Cymru yn nodi bod manwerthu yn gyfrifol am dros chwarter yr ardrethi busnes sy'n cael eu talu yng Nghymru. Er bod rhyddhad ardrethi i fusnesau bach a rhyddhad ardrethi trosiannol yn gydnabyddiaeth i'w chroesawu o'r angen i gadw costau i lawr i gwmnïau, mae tri chwarter y gyflogaeth fanwerthu gyda chwmnïau nad ydyn nhw'n gymwys ar gyfer hyn. Prif Weinidog, a ydych chi'n cytuno bod bodolaeth cynlluniau rhyddhad o'r fath yn dangos yr angen dybryd i ddiwygio ardrethi busnes yng Nghymru er mwyn helpu i adfywio canol dinasoedd fel Casnewydd?
Llywydd, I agree that there is a case for the reform of the business rate system. It's why we will bring forward proposals to reform the appeals system. It's why we've agreed to bring forward by a year the re-rating exercise for business properties. But if I understood the Member's suggestion rightly, I would not agree that what we need to do is to reform the help that we offer small businesses in Wales in order to siphon help away from them and to provide it to large multinational retail outlets.
The nature of the retail high street is changing, and it's certainly changing in Newport, and old ways of just trying to make the previous model work faster will not sustain retail into the future. We want to work with the sector to be part of the necessary reform. We want to use the millions and millions of pounds that we invest in rate relief schemes to create sustainable retail businesses for the future.
Llywydd, rwy'n cytuno bod dadl dros ddiwygio'r system ardrethi busnes. Dyna pam y byddwn ni'n cyflwyno cynigion i ddiwygio'r system apeliadau. Dyna pam yr ydym ni wedi cytuno i gyflwyno'r ymarfer ailsgorio ar gyfer eiddo busnes flwyddyn yn gynharach. Ond os deallais awgrym yr Aelod yn iawn, ni fyddwn yn cytuno mai'r hyn y mae angen i ni ei wneud yw diwygio'r cymorth yr ydym ni'n ei gynnig i fusnesau bach yng Nghymru er mwyn seiffno cymorth oddi wrthyn nhw a'i roi i siopau manwerthu amlwladol mawr.
Mae natur y stryd fawr manwerthu yn newid, ac mae'n sicr yn newid yng Nghasnewydd, ac ni fydd hen ffyrdd o geisio gwneud i'r model blaenorol weithio'n gyflymach yn cynnal manwerthu i'r dyfodol. Rydym ni eisiau gweithio gyda'r sector i fod yn rhan o'r diwygio angenrheidiol. Rydym ni eisiau defnyddio'r miliynau ar filiynau o bunnoedd yr ydym ni'n eu buddsoddi mewn cynlluniau rhyddhad ardrethi i greu busnesau manwerthu cynaliadwy ar gyfer y dyfodol.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi cymunedau o ran ymdrin â chostau'r llifogydd diweddar? OAQ55190
6. Will the First Minister provide an update on how the Welsh Government is supporting communities in dealing with the cost of recent flooding? OAQ55190
Llywydd, the Welsh Government has put in place a package of support for individuals, businesses and local authorities in the immediate response phase to the flooding. We will consider what further support we can give as more information becomes available, and as things move into the recovery phase.
Llywydd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi pecyn cymorth ar waith i unigolion, busnesau ac awdurdodau lleol yn ystod y cyfnod ymateb uniongyrchol i'r llifogydd. Byddwn yn ystyried pa gymorth pellach y gallwn ni ei roi wrth i fwy o wybodaeth ddod ar gael, ac wrth i bethau symud i'r cyfnod adfer.
Thank you for your response, First Minister, and thank you, more importantly, for the proactive work that you and your Government has carried out. The scale of the damage caused to infrastructure by the recent flooding is becoming all too clear, with, for example, in Rhondda Cynon Taf alone, nine bridges having to be replaced, in addition to damage to roads, culverts and river walls, with an estimated cost to my local authority of £44 million and rising. Now, the UK Government has recognised its responsibility, so isn't it time the Prime Minister puts his money where his mouth is? Will you raise with the UK Government the need for them to provide sufficient financial support to make sure that we can properly repair the damage to infrastructure?
Diolch am eich ymateb, Prif Weinidog, a diolch, yn bwysicach, am y gwaith rhagweithiol yr ydych chi a'ch Llywodraeth wedi ei wneud. Mae maint y difrod a achoswyd i'r seilwaith gan y llifogydd diweddar yn dod yn llawer rhy amlwg, ac, er enghraifft, yn Rhondda Cynon Taf yn unig, mae'n rhaid disodli naw o bontydd, yn ogystal â difrod i ffyrdd, cwlfertau a waliau afonydd, gydag amcangyfrif o gost i'm hawdurdod lleol i o £44 miliwn ac yn cynyddu. Nawr, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi cydnabod ei chyfrifoldeb, felly onid yw'n bryd i'r Prif Weinidog roi ei arian ar ei air? A wnewch chi godi gyda Llywodraeth y DU yr angen iddyn nhw roi cymorth ariannol digonol i sicrhau y gallwn ni drwsio'r difrod i seilwaith yn iawn?
Llywydd, of course we're heartened to hear the Prime Minister say in the House of Commons that cash certainly will be passported through to Wales to assist in the recovery phase. My colleague Rebecca Evans raised this directly with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in London earlier today, and we do look forward—in the budget tomorrow, if possible, but if not then, as urgently as can be thereafter—to receiving more than an assurance, but some hard cash. Because, as Vikki Howells has said, Llywydd, while the Welsh Government has been able to find and to fund, from our resources, help for individuals, businesses and for local authorities in dealing with the immediate impact of the flooding, when it comes to bridges that have been washed away or need to be demolished, roads that will need to be reconstructed, and flood defences that will have to be revisited and re-strengthened, capital investment on that scale is what the United Kingdom is there to help to provide. We look forward to the Prime Minister's assurance turning into the help that local authorities in Wales need.
Llywydd, wrth gwrs, mae'n galonogol clywed Prif Weinidog y DU yn dweud yn Nhŷ'r cyffredin y bydd arian yn sicr yn cael ei basportio i Gymru i helpu yn y cyfnod adfer. Cododd fy nghyd-Weinidog Rebecca Evans hyn yn uniongyrchol gyda Phrif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys yn Llundain yn gynharach heddiw, ac rydym ni'n edrych ymlaen—yn y gyllideb yfory, os yw'n bosibl, ond os nad bryd hynny, cyn gynted ag y gellir ar ôl hynny—i gael mwy na sicrwydd, ond rhywfaint o arian pendant. Oherwydd, fel y dywedodd Vikki Howells, Llywydd, er bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gallu dod o hyd i gymorth i unigolion, busnesau a'r awdurdodau lleol, a'i ariannu o'n hadnoddau, i ymdrin ag effaith uniongyrchol y llifogydd, pan ddaw i bontydd sydd wedi cael eu golchi i ffwrdd neu y mae angen eu dymchwel, ffyrdd y bydd angen eu hailadeiladu, ac amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd y bydd yn rhaid ailedrych arnyn nhw a'u hail-gryfhau, buddsoddiad cyfalaf ar y raddfa honno yw'r hyn y mae'r Deyrnas Unedig yno i helpu i'w ddarparu. Edrychwn ymlaen at sicrwydd Prif Weinidog y DU yn troi'n gymorth y mae ei angen ar awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru.
First Minister, of course you will be aware that a number of businesses in Llanrwst were flooded out on 9 February as a result of storm Ciara, yet it was only 4 March 2020 when the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales directly announced financial support for businesses. That was nearly a month after the event. Some have ceased trading, some are awaiting insurance payouts, and some have had to turn to savings to continue operating elsewhere. Whilst we all welcomed the £2.5 million support on the day the funding was announced, your Welsh Government explained that
'Further details on how to apply for the fund will be made available in the coming days through...Business Wales.'
This is unacceptable, as is the fact that, as of yesterday, Business Wales was still advising that the application forms for the funding are not available. Will—[Interruption.] Do you mind?
Prif Weinidog, byddwch yn ymwybodol, wrth gwrs, bod nifer o fusnesau yn Llanrwst wedi dioddef llifogydd ar 9 Chwefror o ganlyniad i storm Ciara, ac eto dim ond ar 4 Mawrth 2020 y cyhoeddodd Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru gymorth ariannol ar gyfer busnesau yn uniongyrchol. Roedd hynny bron i fis ar ôl y digwyddiad. Mae rhai wedi rhoi'r gorau i fasnachu, mae rhai yn aros am daliadau yswiriant, a bu'n rhaid i rai droi at gynilion i barhau i weithredu mewn mannau eraill. Er ein bod i gyd wedi croesawu'r cymorth o £2.5 miliwn ar y diwrnod y cyhoeddwyd y cyllid, esboniodd eich Llywodraeth Cymru y
'Bydd rhagor o fanylion ynghylch sut i wneud cais am y gronfa ar gael [gan] Busnes Cymru yn y dyddiau nesaf.'
Mae hyn yn annerbyniol, ac felly hefyd y mae'r ffaith bod Busnes Cymru, ddoe ddiwethaf, yn dal i gynghori nad yw'r ffurflenni cais ar gyfer y cyllid ar gael. A wnewch—[Torri ar draws.] A fyddai wahaniaeth gennych chi?
Just ask the—. You need to ask a question, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Gofynnwch y—. Mae angen i chi ofyn cwestiwn, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Will you explain, First Minister, why you have betrayed the businesses in Llanrwst, why they've had to wait a month and they've still not seen a penny, and what measures will be taken to improve this access to much-needed funding? It is a disgrace.
A wnewch chi esbonio, Prif Weinidog, pam yr ydych chi wedi bradychu'r busnesau yn Llanrwst, pam y bu'n rhaid iddyn nhw aros am fis ac nad ydyn nhw byth wedi gweld ceiniog, a pha fesurau fydd yn cael eu cymryd i wella'r mynediad hwn at gyllid y mae angen mawr amdano? Mae'n warth.
Well, Llywydd, the Member lets herself down, as she does for the second time in a week. She lets herself down when she uses language of the sort that she did to me in posing that question. There will be help for businesses in her constituency from the Welsh Government. Not a penny from her Government. She talks about a month on. Where was her Government? Where was the money coming from her—? Not a single penny. Let me tell you that. Reflect on that, maybe, when you make these accusations in future.
There is £2.5 million that I am very glad indeed—very glad indeed, Llywydd—that will be made available to businesses in the Member's constituency. They know what they have to do; they have to contact Business Wales. And this is public money, Llywydd. It is absolutely right that Business Wales have to carry out a minimum number of proper checks to make sure that the money goes to the right people in a way that would stand up to scrutiny. Of course that is right. To give you an example, Llywydd, of how quickly help can be made through the discretionary assistance fund: we've now had hundreds and hundreds of payments already made, and hundreds of thousands of pounds in the hands of householders who needed that help. We will do the same with the help that we are providing to businesses and they will know that that help has come to them as a result of the decisions made by this Welsh Government, where her Government has done absolutely nothing.
Wel, Llywydd, mae'r Aelod yn gadael ei hun i lawr, fel y mae hi yn ei wneud am yr eildro mewn wythnos. Mae hi'n gadael ei hun i lawr pan fydd hi'n defnyddio iaith o'r fath a ddefnyddiodd wrthyf i wrth ofyn y cwestiwn yna. Bydd cymorth i fusnesau yn ei hetholaeth hi gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Dim un geiniog gan ei Llywodraeth hi. Mae hi'n sôn am fis yn ddiweddarach. Ble'r oedd ei Llywodraeth hi? O ble'r oedd yr arian yn dod ganddi hi—? Dim un geiniog. Gadewch i mi ddweud hynny wrthych chi. Myfyriwch ar hynny, efallai, pan fyddwch chi'n gwneud y cyhuddiadau hyn yn y dyfodol.
Mae £2.5 miliwn yr wyf i'n falch iawn yn wir—yn falch iawn yn wir, Llywydd—a fydd ar gael i fusnesau yn etholaeth yr Aelod. Maen nhw'n gwybod beth y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw ei wneud; mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw gysylltu â Busnes Cymru. Ac arian cyhoeddus yw hwn, Llywydd. Mae'n hollol iawn bod yn rhaid i Busnes Cymru gynnal nifer ofynnol o wiriadau priodol i wneud yn siŵr bod yr arian yn mynd i'r bobl iawn mewn ffordd a fyddai'n gwrthsefyll craffu. Wrth gwrs bod hynny'n iawn. I roi enghraifft i chi, Llywydd, o ba mor gyflym y gellir rhoi cymorth ar gael drwy'r gronfa cymorth dewisol: rydym ni wedi cael cannoedd ar gannoedd o daliadau eisoes erbyn hyn, a channoedd o filoedd o bunnoedd yn nwylo deiliaid tai yr oedd angen y cymorth hwnnw arnyn nhw. Byddwn yn gwneud yr un fath gyda'r cymorth yr ydym ni'n ei roi i fusnesau, a byddan nhw'n gwybod bod y cymorth hwnnw wedi dod iddyn nhw o ganlyniad i'r penderfyniadau a wnaed gan y Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru, tra nad yw ei Llywodraeth hi wedi gwneud dim byd o gwbl.
I'm sure the people who've been affected by floods, the last thing they want to see is a shouting match in this Chamber.
I welcome the extra £500 that the Government has announced for people without home insurance for flood damage. I'm also grateful for the additional money that has been generously donated by people to the various appeal funds. Money raised throughout the Rhondda by individuals and groups will go directly to those affected, and it's fantastic that I can tell you this afternoon that Trade Centre Wales has donated £50,000 to the fund Rhondda Plaid Cymru established, which will clearly go a long away.
However, there is a disparity between what people in Wales are entitled to compared to what people who've been flooded in England can expect to receive. There they have a property flood resilience scheme that allows flood-hit homes and businesses to apply for up to £5,000 to help them become more resilient to future flooding. This would be so useful in many instances that I've come across, not least for some residents in the Britannia area of Porth, some of whom have had their back walls washed away. Where they used to have a protection against the river, now they're exposed, their gardens and their basements, to the surging River Rhondda. As things stand, those home owners are responsible and residents are not entitled, as far as I'm aware, to any support to remedy this and to protect themselves. As we both agree on the need to futureproof communities from flooding of this kind in the future, will you consider making a similar scheme available in Wales?
Rwy'n siŵr mai'r peth olaf y mae pobl sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio gan lifogydd eisiau ei weld yw gornest weiddi yn y Siambr hon.
Rwy'n croesawu'r £500 ychwanegol y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi ei gyhoeddi i bobl nad oes ganddyn nhw yswiriant cartref ar gyfer difrod llifogydd. Rwyf i hefyd yn ddiolchgar am yr arian ychwanegol a roddwyd yn hael gan bobl i'r gwahanol gronfeydd apêl. Bydd arian a godwyd ym mhob rhan o'r Rhondda gan unigolion a grwpiau yn mynd yn uniongyrchol i'r rhai a gafodd eu heffeithio, ac mae'n wych fy mod i'n gallu dweud wrthych chi y prynhawn yma bod Trade Centre Wales wedi rhoi £50,000 i'r gronfa a sefydlwyd gan Blaid Cymru yn y Rhondda, a fydd yn amlwg yn gallu cyflawni llawer.
Fodd bynnag, mae gwahaniaeth rhwng yr hyn y mae gan bobl yng Nghymru hawl iddo o'i gymharu â'r hyn y gall pobl sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd yn Lloegr ddisgwyl ei gael. Yno, mae ganddyn nhw gynllun cydnerthedd llifogydd eiddo sy'n caniatáu i gartrefi a busnesau sy'n dioddef llifogydd wneud cais am hyd at £5,000 i'w helpu i wrthsefyll llifogydd yn y dyfodol. Byddai hyn mor ddefnyddiol mewn llawer o achosion yr wyf i wedi dod ar eu traws, yn enwedig i rai trigolion yn ardal Britannia y Porth, y mae waliau cefn rhai ohonyn nhw wedi cael eu golchi ymaith. Lle'r oedd ganddyn nhw amddiffyniad rhag yr afon o'r blaen, nawr maen nhw'n agored erbyn hyn, eu gerddi a'u hisloriau, i ruthr Afon Rhondda. Fel y mae pethau ar hyn o bryd, y perchenogion cartrefi hynny sy'n gyfrifol ac nid oes gan breswylwyr hawl, hyd y gwn i, i unrhyw gymorth i gywiro hyn ac i ddiogelu eu hunain. Gan fod y ddau ohonom ni'n cytuno ar yr angen i ddiogelu cymunedau rhag llifogydd o'r math hwn yn y dyfodol, a wnewch chi ystyried rhoi cynllun tebyg ar gael yng Nghymru?
I thank the Member for that question and, indeed, for the tone in which it was asked, for her recognition of the help that has been provided. I want to absolutely associate myself with what she said about the enormously generous community response that there has been to people in distress.
The funds that we have made available at this point, Llywydd, have been to deal with the immediate impact of the flooding—people whose goods have been destroyed and needed just an immediate cash injection to be able to deal with that impact. As we move into the recovery phase then of course we will look to see what other forms of help might be available. I'm very happy to study the example that the Member has highlighted this afternoon to see if something of that sort can be put in place here in Wales.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna ac, yn wir, am y dôn a ddefnyddiwyd i'w ofyn, am ei chydnabyddiaeth o'r cymorth sydd wedi ei ddarparu. Hoffwn gysylltu fy hun yn llwyr â'r hyn a ddywedodd am yr ymateb cymunedol hael dros ben a fu i bobl mewn trallod.
Bu'r cyllid yr ydym ni wedi ei ddarparu ar hyn o bryd, Llywydd, i ymdrin ag effaith uniongyrchol y llifogydd—pobl y mae eu nwyddau wedi eu dinistrio ac a oedd angen chwistrelliad ariannol ar unwaith i allu ymdrin â'r effaith honno. Wrth i ni symud i'r cyfnod adfer yna wrth gwrs byddwn ni'n edrych i weld pa fathau eraill o gymorth a allai fod ar gael. Rwy'n hapus iawn i astudio'r enghraifft y mae'r Aelod wedi tynnu sylw ati y prynhawn yma i weld a oes modd sefydlu rhywbeth o'r fath yma yng Nghymru.
First Minister, can I first of all thank you for how speedily you came into Treforest in the aftermath of the floods? Now, the Treforest industrial park is an area that has been massively hit: many, many businesses, tens of millions of pounds of damage, and there are many hundreds of jobs that are at stake on that. The first thing I'd say is that the three-month business rate credit that businesses are going to be getting if they've been affected is very much valued. I know that is being funded by Welsh Government, but I would like to make the point of course that there will be some businesses that will take a lot longer to actually be able to get up and running again and I wonder whether there is scope for flexibility where those who have particular difficulties in getting up and running would be able to get, perhaps, further extensions to that. I wonder if that's something you'll give some support to.
The other point I would make is this: there are literally hundreds of jobs at stake in the Treforest industrial area and in this particularly difficult climate we're going through. Had they all been concentrated in one factory there would be immediate packages of support. Of course, with a lot of small businesses, it is a much more complex situation. I wonder if you would actually find time to pay a visit to the industrial estate there to meet with some of the businesses to discuss their particular needs, the support that has been given, but also what may need to be done in order to get that estate up and running and to protect those hundreds of jobs?
Prif Weinidog, a gaf i ddiolch i chi yn gyntaf am ba mor gyflym y daethoch chi i Drefforest yn sgil y llifogydd? Nawr, mae Parc Diwydiannol Trefforest yn ardal sydd wedi dioddef yn aruthrol: llawer iawn o fusnesau, degau o filiynau o bunnoedd o ddifrod, ac mae cannoedd lawer o swyddi yn y fantol yn hynny o beth. Y peth cyntaf y byddwn i'n ei ddweud yw bod y credyd ardrethi busnes tri mis y mae busnesau'n mynd i'w gael os ydyn nhw wedi eu heffeithio yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr iawn. Gwn mai Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n ariannu hynny, ond hoffwn wneud y pwynt wrth gwrs y bydd rhai busnesau yn cymryd llawer mwy o amser i allu dod yn weithredol eto a tybed a oes lle i hyblygrwydd lle mae'r rhai sy'n cael anawsterau arbennig o ran dod yn weithredol yn gallu ei gael, estyniadau pellach i hynny, efallai. Tybed a yw hynny'n rhywbeth y gwnewch chi roi rhywfaint o gefnogaeth iddo.
Y pwynt arall y byddwn i'n ei wneud yw hyn: mae cannoedd o swyddi yn y fantol yn llythrennol yn ardal ddiwydiannol Trefforest ac yn enwedig yn yr hinsawdd arbennig o anodd hwn yr ydym ni'n byw ynddo. Pe bydden nhw i gyd wedi'u crynhoi mewn un ffatri, byddai pecynnau cymorth ar gael ar unwaith. Wrth gwrs, gyda llawer o fusnesau bach, mae'n sefyllfa fwy cymhleth o lawer. Tybed a allwch chi neilltuo amser i ymweld â'r ystâd ddiwydiannol yn y fan honno i gyfarfod â rhai o'r busnesau i drafod eu hanghenion penodol, y cymorth a roddwyd, ond hefyd yr hyn y gallai fod angen ei wneud er mwyn sicrhau bod yr ystâd honno'n weithredol ac i ddiogelu'r cannoedd o swyddi hynny?
Llywydd, can I recognise the very particular impact that flooding has had on the Treforest industrial estate? The three-month business rate holiday that the Welsh Government will fund was, again, part of that immediate response package. I will be meeting the leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council on Thursday of this week to discuss the recovery phase with him, including the recovery that is necessary at Treforest, and will of course take up with him whatever ideas he has and others have to be able to respond to the ongoing difficulty that businesses in that part of Wales face.
Llywydd, a gaf i gydnabod yr effaith benodol iawn y mae llifogydd wedi ei chael ar ystâd ddiwydiannol Trefforest? Unwaith eto, roedd y gwyliau tri mis o ardrethi busnes y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu hariannu yn rhan o'r pecyn ymateb uniongyrchol hwnnw. Byddaf yn cyfarfod ag arweinydd cyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf ddydd Iau yr wythnos hon i drafod y cyfnod adfer gydag ef, gan gynnwys y gwaith adfer sy'n angenrheidiol yn Nhrefforest, a byddaf wrth gwrs yn trafod ag ef pa bynnag syniadau sydd ganddo ac sydd gan bobl eraill i allu ymateb i'r anhawster parhaus y mae busnesau yn y rhan honno o Gymru yn ei wynebu.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 7. Jenny Rathbone.
Finally, question 7. Jenny Rathbone.
7. Beth yw strategaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer gwrthdroi colledion bioamrywiaeth yng Nghymru? OAQ55214
7. What is the Welsh Government's strategy for reversing biodiversity loss in Wales? OAQ55214
Can I thank the Member for that, Llywydd? Our strategy for reversing the decline in biodiversity encompasses large landscape scale projects such as the national forest, as well as support for the smaller things that all communities and organisations can deliver locally, such as the actions supported by our new Local Places for Nature scheme, launched last month.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Aelod am hynna, Llywydd? Mae ein strategaeth ar gyfer gwrthdroi'r dirywiad mewn bioamrywiaeth yn cwmpasu prosiectau mawr ar raddfa'r dirwedd fel y goedwig genedlaethol, yn ogystal â chymorth i'r pethau llai y gall pob cymuned a sefydliad eu darparu'n lleol, fel y camau a gefnogir gan ein cynllun Lleoedd Lleol ar gyfer Natur, a lansiwyd fis diwethaf.
Thank you for that, First Minister. I absolutely celebrate the Local Places for Nature scheme, but I first of all just want to highlight the work of WWF, planting seagrass on the Pembrokeshire coastline, which is going to be equivalent to two football pitches and is fantastically good news for about 100,000 fish and 1.5 million invertebrates, because of the way in which it has restorative capacity for our oceans. But I'm afraid I don't have any coastline in my constituency, so looking to—[Interruption.] Yet. [Laughter.] So, looking to the Local Places for Nature initiative, which I think is really fantastic and, obviously, I will be wanting to work with my community, both to try to green the concrete jungle areas of my very inner city areas as well as to get more fruit trees and fruit and vegetables planted across the constituency, I wondered if you can say a little bit more about how the Local Places for Nature scheme, managed by Keep Wales Tidy, is going to operate, because I was a little surprised to see that the deadline for the first round of bids was last Friday, which certainly took me by surprise and really doesn't give ordinary people long enough in order to put together a bid, given that it was only announced at the end of last month.
Diolch am hynna, Prif Weinidog. Rwy'n llwyr glodfori'r cynllun Lleoedd Lleol ar gyfer Natur, ond yn gyntaf oll hoffwn dynnu sylw at waith WWF, yn plannu morwellt ar arfordir sir Benfro, sy'n mynd i gyfateb i ddau faes pêl-droed ac sy'n newyddion hynod o dda i tua 100,000 o bysgod a 1.5 miliwn o infertebratau, oherwydd y modd y mae ganddo gapasiti adferol ar gyfer ein cefnforoedd. Ond rwy'n ofni nad oes gen i unrhyw arfordir yn fy etholaeth i, felly gan edrych ar—[Torri ar draws.] Eto. [Chwerthin.] Felly, gan edrych ar fenter Lleoedd Lleol ar gyfer Natur, sy'n wirioneddol wych yn fy marn i ac, yn amlwg, byddaf yn awyddus i weithio gyda'm cymuned, er mwyn ceisio troi ardaloedd jyngl concrid ardaloedd mewnol iawn fy ninasoedd yn wyrdd, yn ogystal â chael mwy o goed ffrwythau a ffrwythau a llysiau wedi'u plannu ar draws yr etholaeth, tybed a allwch chi ddweud ychydig mwy am y modd y mae'r cynllun Lleoedd Lleol ar gyfer Natur, a reolir gan Cadwch Gymru'n Daclus, yn mynd i weithredu, oherwydd roeddwn i'n synnu braidd o weld bod y dyddiad terfyn ar gyfer y rownd gyntaf o geisiadau ddydd Gwener diwethaf, a oedd yn sicr yn fy synnu i ac nad yw wir yn rhoi digon o amser i bobl gyffredin lunio cynnig, o gofio mai dim ond ddiwedd y mis diwethaf y cafodd ei gyhoeddi.
I thank Jenny Rathbone for that, Llywydd. We spent an earlier part of questions today talking about forests and woodland, and the contribution that that can make to the impact of climate change, and the seagrass development today is another very good example of natural responses to what we see going on around us. I will be very interested to see how that develops around Pembrokeshire.
As far as the Local Places for Nature scheme is concerned, I want to pay tribute to Keep Wales Tidy for the work they are doing with us on this. There will be 800 starter packs available through Keep Wales Tidy, Llywydd. They will provide everything that a local community group or a community council might need—tools, bulbs, advice and so on—to allow a community to create their own butterfly, fruit or wildlife garden. There will be an equal number of packages available for all those three things.
And I know—I saw recently that the Member had been out in Plasnewydd in her own constituency carrying out a street audit of green infrastructure in that very densely populated inner city part of Cardiff. This local places scheme is exactly intended to assist those groups who want to do those small things that make a real difference to biodiversity.
The reason why Keep Wales Tidy went for an early first call is because they and we are very anxious to get this money out there doing good things. It will not be the only call that they will make, but we wanted those organisations that were ready to go and had plans in place to get the money as fast as we were able and then to inspire others to do even more.
Diolch i Jenny Rathbone am hynna, Llywydd. Fe wnaethom ni dreulio rhan gynharach o gwestiynau heddiw yn sôn am goedwigoedd a choetiroedd, a'r cyfraniad y gall hynny ei wneud i effeithiau newid yn yr hinsawdd, ac mae'r datblygiad morwellt heddiw yn enghraifft dda iawn arall o ymatebion naturiol i'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei weld yn digwydd o'n cwmpas. Bydd gennyf ddiddordeb mawr mewn gweld sut y bydd hynny'n datblygu o gwmpas sir Benfro.
O ran y cynllun Lleoedd Lleol ar gyfer Natur, hoffwn i dalu teyrnged i Cadwch Gymru'n Daclus am y gwaith y maen nhw'n ei wneud gyda ni ar hyn. Bydd 800 o becynnau cychwynnol ar gael drwy Cadwch Gymru'n Daclus, Llywydd. Byddan nhw'n darparu popeth y gallai fod ei angen ar grŵp cymunedol lleol neu gyngor cymuned—offer, bylbiau, cyngor ac ati—er mwyn caniatáu i gymuned greu eu gerddi gloÿnnod byw, ffrwythau neu fywyd gwyllt ei hunan. Bydd nifer gyfartal o becynnau ar gael ar gyfer y tri pheth hynny.
Ac rwy'n gwybod—gwelais yn ddiweddar fod yr Aelod wedi bod allan ym Mhlasnewydd yn ei hetholaeth hi ei hun yn cynnal archwiliad stryd o'r seilwaith gwyrdd yn y rhan boblog iawn honno yng nghanol dinas Caerdydd. Union fwriad y cynllun lleoedd lleol hwn yw cynorthwyo'r grwpiau hynny sydd eisiau gwneud y pethau bychain hynny sy'n gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i fioamrywiaeth.
Y rheswm yr aeth Cadwch Gymru'n Daclus am alwad gyntaf gynnar yw oherwydd eu bod nhw a'n bod ninnau yn awyddus iawn i gael yr arian hwn allan yna yn gwneud pethau da. Nid hon fydd yr unig alwad y byddan nhw'n ei gwneud ond roeddem ni eisiau i'r sefydliadau hynny a oedd yn barod i fynd a chanddynt gynlluniau ar waith i gael yr arian mor gyflym ag yr oeddem ni'n gallu ac yna ysbrydoli eraill i wneud mwy fyth.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf oedd i fod y cwestiynau i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol. Mae'r rheini wedi cael eu gohirio tan yfory.
The next item was to be questions to the Counsel General. Those are postponed until tomorrow.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes.
The next item, therefore, is the business statement and announcement.
Before I ask the Minister, the Trefnydd, to provide her statement, just to say that I have very many Assembly Members wanting to ask a question. I urge you all, if you want to improve your colleagues' chances of being called this afternoon, to be succinct in your questions. I was particularly lengthy in the First Minister's questions this afternoon, so I want to keep this to a 30-minute statement, if at all possible, in light of what we have ahead of ourselves for today.
Cyn i mi ofyn i'r Gweinidog, y Trefnydd, ddarparu ei datganiad, dim ond i ddweud bod gennyf i lawer o Aelodau Cynulliad sydd eisiau gofyn cwestiwn. Rwy'n annog pob un ohonoch chi, os ydych chi eisiau gwella cyfle eich cyd-Aelodau i gael eu galw y prynhawn yma, i fod yn gryno yn eich cwestiynau. Roeddwn i'n arbennig o hir yn y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog y prynhawn yma, felly rwyf i eisiau cadw hyn at ddatganiad 30 munud, os yw hynny'n bosibl, yng ngoleuni'r hyn sydd gennym ni o'n blaenau ni ar gyfer heddiw.
Felly, ar hynny, Mohammad Asghar.
With that, Mohammad Asghar.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. May I ask for a statement from the Minister for health about measures to tackle diabetes in Wales? Diabetes in Wales is now a health crisis, with the number of people suffering from the disease having doubled in the last 20 years. Wales has the highest prevalence of diabetes in the United Kingdom, and NHS Wales estimates that 11 per cent of our adult population will have this condition by 2030. Diabetes UK Cymru has welcomed the measures introduced in the Welsh Government's obesity strategy, 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales', but says that we need sustained action if we want to support people to lead healthier lives, create a healthier environment and shape a healthier nation. Minister, since Wales is the only country in the United Kingdom without a diabetes prevention programme, please could I ask for a statement from the Minister on what action he will take to address this health crisis in Wales? Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog iechyd ynghylch mesurau i fynd i'r afael â diabetes yng Nghymru? Mae diabetes yng Nghymru yn argyfwng iechyd erbyn hyn, gyda nifer y bobl sy'n dioddef o'r clefyd wedi dyblu yn ystod yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf. Yng Nghymru y mae'r nifer fwyaf o achosion o ddiabetes yn y Deyrnas Unedig, ac mae GIG Cymru yn amcangyfrif y bydd gan 11 y cant o'n poblogaeth sy'n oedolion y cyflwr hwn erbyn 2030. Mae Diabetes UK Cymru wedi croesawu'r mesurau a gafodd eu cyflwyno yn strategaeth gordewdra Llywodraeth Cymru, 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach', ond mae'n dweud bod angen gweithredu parhaus arnom ni os ydym ni eisiau cynorthwyo pobl i fyw bywydau iachach, creu amgylchedd iachach a llunio cenedl iachach. Gweinidog, gan mai Cymru yw'r unig wlad yn y Deyrnas Unedig nad oes ganddi raglen atal diabetes, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog os gwelwch yn dda ynghylch pa gamau y bydd ef yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng iechyd hwn yng Nghymru? Diolch.
Before I respond to Mohammad Asghar, I probably should set out that there are several changes to this week's business. This week's oral questions—
Cyn i mi ymateb i Mohammad Asghar, mae'n debyg y dylwn i nodi bod nifer o newidiadau i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Mae cwestiynau llafar yr wythnos hon—
I'm sorry, I forgot to call you, Trefnydd. [Laughter.]
Mae'n ddrwg gen i, anghofiais eich galw chi, Trefnydd. [Chwerthin.]
That's all right. This week's oral questions to the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition in respect of his law officer responsibilities will take place tomorrow. The Minister for Health and Social Services will make a statement shortly on coronavirus, COVID-19 update. As a result, the statement on International Women's Day will issue as a written statement. Finally, as a result of the number of amendments tabled and groupings, I have extended the time allocated to Stage 3 proceedings of the Health and Social Care Quality Engagement (Wales) Bill. 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.
In respect of the request for a statement made by Mohammad Asghar, I know that the Minister for Health and Social Services has only recently made a statement to the Assembly on the 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' programme, which did encapsulate some of the concerns that Mohammad Asghar has raised this afternoon. But I would encourage him to also write to the health Minister with his specific concerns about diabetes in order for them to be addressed through correspondence.
Mae hynny'n iawn. Bydd cwestiynau llafar yr wythnos hon i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Pontio Ewropeaidd o ran ei gyfrifoldebau swyddog y gyfraith yn cael eu cynnal yfory. Bydd y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yn gwneud datganiad yn fuan ar yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynghylch coronafeirws, COVID-19. O ganlyniad, bydd y datganiad ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod yn cael ei gyhoeddi fel datganiad ysgrifenedig. Yn olaf, o ganlyniad i nifer y gwelliannau a gyflwynwyd a'u grwpiau, rwyf i wedi ymestyn yr amser sydd wedi ei neilltuo i drafodion Cyfnod 3 y Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Ansawdd ac Ymgysylltu) (Cymru). Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi ei nodi yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith y papurau cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau'n electronig.
O ran y cais am ddatganiad a wnaeth Mohammad Asghar, mi wn fod y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol newydd wneud datganiad i'r Cynulliad yn ddiweddar ar y rhaglen 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach', a oedd yn crynhoi rhai o'r pryderon y mae Mohammad Asghar wedi eu codi y prynhawn yma. Ond byddwn i'n ei annog i ysgrifennu hefyd at y Gweinidog iechyd gyda'i bryderon penodol am ddiabetes er mwyn iddyn nhw gael sylw drwy ohebiaeth.
I know that a fair bit of time has been given in the Senedd to debating and scrutinising the Government on its planning and action in terms of the floods, but I've got a number of matters outstanding from my constituency that have so far stalled. I've got a case of a resident flooded in Treorchy who's seen his kitchen flood six, seven, maybe eight times now since the heavy rain began a few weeks ago. Water is gushing into his garden and through his kitchen walls. He believes that a drain has collapsed underneath the main road outside his home, yet the council say it's his responsibility, on his land. I'm wondering if the Government has got any scope to intervene in cases like this.
I've got another case where a resident doesn't have insurance. Their roof was blown off in storm Ciara and then further damaged during storm Dennis. The Government previously said it wants to help people who've been affected by both storms, yet the council have decided that this family isn't eligible for the council funding, which then excludes them from Welsh Government funding and the support that they should be able to access for not being insured. Will the Welsh Government agree to look at cases like this that have been turned down to ensure maximum flexibility within the system to catch cases like this?
I've got many other issues that I'd like to raise but I'm mindful of time, Presiding Officer. If I could just raise one final point, and that's about blocked culverts in general. This is now a huge problem right across the Rhondda. The council don't seem to have the capacity to clear and repair all of the culverts and waterways and, in some cases, these drainage systems need rebuilding. Pentre and Blaenllechau are two good examples of where drainage damage has caused floods into people's homes, but we've also had a house in Llwynypia that was flooded from an overflowing culvert, a street in Ystrad was flooded just last night, and people in homes in Ynyshir are fearful because the culvert drainage system overflowed there again last night. Now, if the council doesn't have the capacity to deal with all of this, can consideration be given to drafting in labour and support from elsewhere? For example, could volunteer groups or even the army be requested to help in situations like this? We need a plan for our waterways and our mountain run-off water; we don't seem to have one now that inspires confidence on the part of the residents that I speak to, who simply can't relax every time it rains.
Rwy'n gwybod bod cryn dipyn o amser wedi ei roi yn y Senedd i ddadlau a chraffu ar waith cynllunio a chraffu y Llywodraeth o ran y llifogydd, ond mae gennyf i nifer o faterion nad ydyn nhw wedi cael sylw o fy etholaeth i sydd wedi'u dal yn ôl hyd yn hyn. Mae gennyf i achos o breswylydd yn Nhreorci sydd wedi gweld y llifogydd yn ei gegin chwech, saith, efallai wyth gwaith bellach ers i'r glaw trwm ddechrau ychydig wythnosau yn ôl. Mae dŵr yn rhuthro i'w ardd a thrwy waliau ei gegin. Mae e'n credu bod draen wedi dymchwel o dan y brif ffordd y tu allan i'w gartref, ac eto mae'r cyngor yn dweud, mai ef sy'n gyfrifol am hynny, ar ei dir ei hun. Rwy'n meddwl tybed a oes gan y Llywodraeth unrhyw gyfle i ymyrryd mewn achosion fel hyn.
Mae gennyf i achos arall lle nad oes gan breswylydd yswiriant. Cafodd ei do ei chwythu ymaith yn storm Ciara ac yna cafodd ei ddifrodi ymhellach yn ystod storm Dennis. Dywedodd y Llywodraeth o'r blaen ei bod eisiau helpu pobl sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio gan y ddwy storm, ac eto mae'r cyngor wedi penderfynu nad yw'r teulu hwn yn gymwys i gael cyllid gan y cyngor, sydd wedyn yn eu hatal rhag cael arian gan Lywodraeth Cymru a'r gefnogaeth y dylen nhw fod yn gallu eu cael am nad oes ganddyn nhw yswiriant. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru gytuno i ystyried achosion fel hyn sydd wedi eu gwrthod er mwyn sicrhau'r hyblygrwydd mwyaf posibl o fewn y system i ddal achosion fel hyn?
Mae gennyf i lawer o faterion eraill yr hoffwn i eu codi, ond rwy'n ymwybodol o amser, Llywydd. Os caf i godi dim ond un pwynt terfynol, ac mae hynny'n ymwneud â chwlfertau sydd wedi blocio yn gyffredinol. Mae hyn yn broblem enfawr ledled y Rhondda erbyn hyn. Nid yw'n ymddangos bod gan y cyngor y gallu i glirio a thrwsio'r holl gwlfertau a dyfrffyrdd ac, mewn rhai achosion, mae angen ailadeiladu'r systemau draenio hyn. Mae Pentre a Blaenllechau yn ddwy enghraifft dda o'r mannau lle mae difrod yn y draeniau wedi achosi llifogydd yng nghartrefi pobl, ond hefyd mae tŷ yn Llwynypia sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd o gwlfert yn gorlifo, roedd stryd yn Ystrad dan ddŵr neithiwr, ac mae pobl mewn cartrefi yn Ynyshir yn ofnus oherwydd bod y system ddraenio cwlfertau wedi gorlifo yno eto neithiwr. Nawr, os nad oes gan y cyngor y gallu i fynd i'r afael â hyn i gyd, a fyddai modd ystyried dod â llafur a chymorth o rywle arall? Er enghraifft, a fyddai modd gofyn i grwpiau gwirfoddol neu hyd yn oed y fyddin helpu mewn sefyllfaoedd fel hyn? Mae angen cynllun arnom ni ar gyfer ein dyfrffyrdd a'n dŵr sy'n rhedeg oddi ar y mynyddoedd; nid yw'n ymddangos bod gennym ni un ar hyn o bryd sy'n ennyn hyder y trigolion yr wyf i'n siarad â nhw sy'n ei chael hi'n amhosibl ymlacio, bob tro y mae hi'n bwrw glaw.
Thank you to Leanne Wood for raising those specific issues of casework that she's received from people affected directly by the flooding, and then that overarching concern about blocked culverts. I will ask Welsh Government officials to speak to Rhondda Cynon Taf council on those issues that you've raised, because, in the first instance, they are matters for the council, but it'd be very important for Welsh Government to understand in more depth the concerns that you've raised. So, I'll make sure that those conversations take place.
Diolch i Leanne Wood am godi'r materion penodol yna o waith achos y mae hi wedi ei gael gan bobl yr effeithiwyd arnynt yn uniongyrchol gan y llifogydd, ac yna'r pryder cyffredinol hwnnw ynglŷn â chwlfertau wedi blocio. Fe wnaf i ofyn i swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru siarad â Chyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf ynghylch y materion hynny yr ydych chi wedi eu codi, oherwydd, yn y lle cyntaf, materion i'r cyngor ydyn nhw, ond byddai'n bwysig iawn i Lywodraeth Cymru ddeall yn fwy manwl y pryderon yr ydych chi wedi'u codi. Felly, byddaf i'n sicrhau bod y sgyrsiau hynny'n digwydd.
Trefnydd, could we have a statement on planning procedures in Wales? You may have seen some of the dramatic pictures of my constituent Mr Lee Evans's house perching precariously on the side of the river this week. This happened after the river bank eroded some 30 ft during Storm Dennis. His is one of two properties in this situation, both a part of the Redrow housing development at Carnegie Court in Bassaleg. Planning permission had been turned down by both Newport City Council and the planning inspector. However, this decision was eventually overturned in 2007. Although procedures have since changed, following recent events, questions were obviously being asked about the validity of this process, and I'd welcome a statement detailing why this decision was taken at the time, and, in light of what we now know, will there be a review into how decisions regarding new builds are made in relation to potential flood risks?
Secondly, I'd like to ask for another statement. I was pleased to see the Minister for environment providing a written statement on dog breeding last week. I and many of my constituents are eager to see the end of this distressing and appalling way that some dogs are treated on puppy farms, and this needs to be done urgently. Could we have a statement and a timetable on when that action might be taking place?
Trefnydd, a allwn ni gael datganiad am weithdrefnau cynllunio yng Nghymru? Efallai eich bod chi wedi gweld rhai o luniau dramatig o dŷ fy etholwr Mr Lee Evans yn eistedd yn ansefydlog ar lan yr afon yr wythnos hon. Digwyddodd hynny ar ôl i lan yr afon erydu rhyw 30 troedfedd yn ystod storm Dennis. Mae ei eiddo ef yn un o ddau yn y sefyllfa hon, y ddau ohonyn nhw yn rhan o ddatblygiad tai Redrow yn Carnegie Court ym Masaleg. Cafodd caniatâd cynllunio ei wrthod gan Gyngor Dinas Casnewydd a chan yr arolygydd cynllunio. Fodd bynnag, cafodd y penderfyniad hwn ei wrthdroi yn y pen draw yn 2007. Er bod gweithdrefnau wedi newid ers hynny, yn dilyn digwyddiadau diweddar, roedd cwestiynau'n amlwg yn cael eu gofyn am ddilysrwydd y broses hon, a byddwn i'n croesawu datganiad yn nodi pam y cafodd y penderfyniad hwn ei wneud ar y pryd, ac, yng ngoleuni'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wybod erbyn hyn, a fydd adolygiad i sut y mae penderfyniadau ynghylch adeiladau newydd yn cael eu gwneud o ran peryglon llifogydd posibl?
Yn ail, hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad arall. Roeddwn i'n falch o weld Gweinidog yr amgylchedd yn darparu datganiad ysgrifenedig am fridio cŵn yr wythnos diwethaf. Rwyf i a llawer o fy etholwyr yn awyddus i weld diwedd ar y modd gofidus ac echrydus y mae rhai cŵn yn cael eu trin ar ffermydd cŵn bach, ac mae angen gwneud hyn ar frys. A gawn ni ddatganiad ac amserlen ynghylch pryd y gallai'r camau gweithredu hynny fod yn digwydd?
Thank you to Jayne Bryant for raising her constituent's particular concerns regarding the case of planning permission that you've described, and the issues particularly affecting new build. The Minister with responsibility for planning was here to hear those concerns, and it would be helpful if you could write to the Minister with some further details on the specific case to which you refer in order to give some more consideration to the concerns that you've been able to talk about this afternoon in the Chamber.
In terms of the ways forward for dog breeding, I know that it is the intention of the Minister to bring forward the necessary changes as soon as possible. She's also indicated that she would be looking to legislate within this Assembly term on the issue of puppy sales as well. So, I think that there are important steps ahead of us in terms of improving animal welfare, and particularly dog welfare in Wales, but I will ask for some further clarity on those timescales.
Diolch i Jayne Bryant am godi pryderon penodol ei hetholwr ynglŷn â'r achos o ganiatâd cynllunio yr ydych chi wedi ei ddisgrifio, a'r materion sy'n effeithio'n benodol ar adeiladau newydd. Roedd y Gweinidog â chyfrifoldeb am gynllunio yma i glywed y pryderon hynny, a byddai'n ddefnyddiol pe gallech chi ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog gyda rhagor o fanylion am yr achos penodol yr ydych chi'n cyfeirio ato er mwyn rhoi mwy o ystyriaeth i'r pryderon yr ydych wedi gallu siarad yn eu cylch y prynhawn yma yn y Siambr.
O ran y ffyrdd ymlaen ar gyfer bridio cŵn, rwy'n gwybod mai bwriad y Gweinidog yw cyflwyno'r newidiadau angenrheidiol cyn gynted â phosibl. Mae hi hefyd wedi nodi y byddai'n ystyried deddfu yn ystod tymor y Cynulliad hwn ar werthu cŵn bach hefyd. Felly, rwy'n credu bod camau pwysig o'n blaenau o ran gwella lles anifeiliaid, ac yn enwedig lles cŵn yng Nghymru, ond byddaf yn gofyn am fwy o eglurder ynghylch yr amserlen honno.
Through you, Trefnydd, could I ask the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales for a statement on arrangements being put in place in relation to coronavirus on public transport? Public-funded transport such as the flights between Cardiff and Anglesey, TrawsCymru buses and Transport for Wales trains are, of course, places where a significant proportion of people are in an enclosed space for long periods of time. For example, I came down on the train with another Assembly Member yesterday. What I experienced concerned to me greatly. During the four hours, numerous people came and went—I tend to use a table so I can do work on my way down—not once were the tables wiped, and the train, actually, was not very clean. Later on, my Assembly colleague went to the bathroom and I was advised that no hot water or soap was available on the train. Now, you're aware, as am I, that the strong messages coming from Public Health Wales and, indeed, Governments at all levels is the necessity to be able to wash our hands and to maintain strict personal hygiene levels. Will you ask the Minister for that statement? Because I do believe he does have a part to play in terms of giving good advice to our transport operators, so that both they and their staff and, indeed, those travelling on public transport in Wales can feel confident that this matter is being taken very seriously indeed.
Oh, and I have another statement—[Interruption.] Sorry.
Drwyddoch chi, Trefnydd, a gaf i ofyn i Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru am ddatganiad ynghylch y trefniadau sy'n cael eu rhoi ar waith o ran coronafeirws ar gludiant cyhoeddus? Mae cludiant sy'n cael ei ariannu gan y cyhoedd fel y teithiau rhwng Caerdydd ac Ynys Môn, bysiau TrawsCymru a threnau Trafnidiaeth Cymru, wrth gwrs, yn lleoedd lle mae cyfran sylweddol o bobl mewn ardal gaeedig am gyfnodau hir. Er enghraifft, des i i lawr ar y trên gydag Aelod Cynulliad arall ddoe. Fe wnaeth fy mhrofiad o hynny achosi cryn bryder i mi. Yn ystod y pedair awr, fe wnaeth nifer o bobl fynd a dod— rwy'n tueddu i ddefnyddio bwrdd er mwyn i mi allu gweithio ar fy ffordd i lawr—ni chafodd y byrddau eu sychu unwaith, ac nid oedd y trên, mewn gwirionedd, yn lân iawn. Yn nes ymlaen, aeth fy nghyd-Aelod yn y Cynulliad i'r ystafell ymolchi a dywedwyd wrthyf nad oedd dŵr poeth na sebon ar gael ar y trên. Nawr, rydych chi'n ymwybodol, fel yr wyf innau, mai'r negeseuon cryf sy'n dod gan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru ac, yn wir, Llywodraethau ar bob lefel yw'r angen i allu golchi ein dwylo a chynnal lefelau hylendid personol llym. A wnewch chi ofyn i'r Gweinidog am y datganiad hwnnw? Oherwydd, rwyf i'n credu bod ganddo ran i'w chwarae o ran rhoi cyngor da i'n gweithredwyr trafnidiaeth, fel y gallan nhw a'u staff ac, yn wir, y rhai sy'n teithio ar gludiant cyhoeddus yng Nghymru deimlo'n ffyddiog bod y mater hwn wir yn cael ei gymryd o ddifrif.
O, ac mae gennyf i ddatganiad arall—[Torri ar draws.] Mae'n ddrwg gen i.
Carry on, Trefnydd. No—you've given way to the Trefnydd. The Trefnydd will answer.
Ewch ymlaen, Trefnydd. Na—rydych chi wedi ildio i'r Trefnydd. Bydd y Trefnydd yn ateb.
Okay. So, this is an important issue that the leader of the opposition also had the opportunity to question the First Minister about during First Minister's questions this afternoon, but I will be sure to have this discussion with my colleague the Minister for economy and transport, because the response to coronavirus is very much a cross-Government response and, equally, it's something that every individual in Wales has their part to play in as well.
Iawn. Felly, mae hwn yn fater pwysig y cafodd arweinydd yr wrthblaid gyfle hefyd i holi'r Prif Weinidog amdano yn ystod cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog y prynhawn yma, ond byddaf i'n siŵr o gael y drafodaeth hon gyda fy nghyd-Weinidog, Gweinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth, oherwydd mae'r ymateb i coronafeirws yn sicr yn ymateb trawslywodraethol, ac yn yr un modd, mae'n rhywbeth y mae gan bob unigolyn yng Nghymru ei ran i chwarae ynddo hefyd.
Fel cysgod Weinidog ar faterion rhyngwladol y Blaid, dwi wedi derbyn hanes pêl-droediwr ifanc yma yng Nghymru. A gaf i ofyn a wnaiff y Llywodraeth ddatganiad ar sefyllfa Rolando Bertrand, dyn 21 mlwydd oed a phêl-droediwr i glwb pêl-droed Bellevue yn Wrecsam, a symudodd i Gymru flwyddyn yn ôl gyda'i deulu, ond sydd nawr mewn peryg o gael ei alltudio i Nicaragua? Chwaraeodd e a'i deulu ran mewn protestiadau gwrthlywodraethol, ac o ganlyniad maent o'r farn eu bod wedi cael eu 'blacklist-io' gan Lywodraeth Nicaragua. Felly, drwy fynd yn ôl yno, mae'n debyg y byddai'n rhoi ei fywyd mewn peryg. Felly, a allaf i ddiolch ymlaen llaw i'r Llywodraeth am edrych i mewn i'r sefyllfa ddyrys yma? Diolch yn fawr.
As shadow Minister for international affairs for Plaid Cymru, I've been told the story of a young footballer here in Wales. Can I ask whether the Government will make a statement on the situation of Rolando Bertrand, the 21-year-old and footballer with Bellevue Football Club in Wrexham, who moved to Wales a year ago with his family, but is now at risk of being deported to Nicaragua? He and his family played a part in anti-Government protests, and as a result they believe they've been blacklisted by the Nicaraguan Government. By going back there, it would put his life in danger. So, can I thank the Government for looking into this situation? Thank you.
Again, thank you to Dai Lloyd for raising this particular issue. I will certainly explore it myself to better understand the issue. I know that you'll also be making those important representations to the Home Office in respect of their deportation processes and so on, but I'll certainly gather some further information.
Unwaith eto, diolch i Dai Lloyd am godi'r mater penodol hwn. Byddaf i'n sicr yn ei archwilio fy hun i ddeall y mater yn well. Rwy'n gwybod y byddwch chi hefyd yn cyflwyno'r sylwadau pwysig hynny i'r Swyddfa Gartref o ran eu prosesau allgludo ac yn y blaen, ond byddaf i yn sicr yn casglu rhywfaint o wybodaeth ychwanegol.
Trefnydd, I wonder if you could arrange for there to be a Government statement on the action that's being taken by Welsh Government in respect to insurance of properties and businesses in flooded areas. There are houses that were insured, some not insured, some will not be able to get insurance or be able to afford insurance. The same equally applies to businesses. Some of them may now have difficulty gaining insurance or being able to afford insurance, which will obviously affect the viability of businesses and the retention of jobs. I appreciate much of the area around insurance is not a devolved matter, but it seems, working across the UK and with the Association of British Insurers and other interests, there is a real need to review the insurance arrangements and the insurance schemes that exist to protect businesses and residential properties for the future.
Trefnydd, tybed a allwch chi drefnu i gael datganiad gan y Llywodraeth ynghylch y camau sy'n cael eu cymryd gan Lywodraeth Cymru o ran yswirio eiddo a busnesau mewn ardaloedd sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd. Mae tai a oedd wedi eu hyswirio, rhai nad oedden nhw wedi eu hyswirio, ni fydd rhai yn gallu cael yswiriant nac yn gallu fforddio yswiriant. Mae'r un peth yn wir am fusnesau. Ar hyn o bryd, mae'n bosibl bod rhai ohonyn nhw yn cael anhawster i gael yswiriant neu i allu fforddio yswiriant, a fydd yn amlwg yn effeithio ar hyfywedd busnesau a chadw swyddi. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi bod llawer o'r maes sy'n ymwneud ag yswiriant yn fater nad yw wedi ei ddatganoli, ond mae'n ymddangos, wrth weithio ledled y DU a gyda Cymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain a rhai eraill â budd, bod gwir angen adolygu'r trefniadau yswiriant a'r cynlluniau yswiriant sy'n bodoli i ddiogelu busnesau ac eiddo preswyl ar gyfer y dyfodol.
As the First Minister set out in First Minister's questions earlier on, our first actions have been about giving that initial and immediate response to the impacted households, businesses and communities. But, as we look forward and have the opportunity to reflect on the flooding, there will be these larger questions that we need to explore. With regard to insurance, there is a scheme called Flood Re, which is a joint UK Government and industry partnership, which is there to give households that have been flooded in the past or are at risk of flooding access to affordable insurance. I think that that is a good scheme that perhaps could be well promoted to those households that have been affected by the recent flooding, and those businesses, in order to try and give them some comfort that there is opportunity for insurance in future.
Fel y nododd y Prif Weinidog yn ystod cwestiynau'r Prif Weinidog yn gynharach, mae ein camau cyntaf ni wedi ymwneud ag ymateb yn gychwynnol ac yn uniongyrchol i'r aelwydydd, busnesau a chymunedau yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw. Ond, wrth i ni edrych ymlaen a chael y cyfle i fyfyrio ar y llifogydd, bydd y cwestiynau ehangach hyn y bydd angen i ni eu harchwilio. O ran yswiriant, mae cynllun o'r enw Flood Re, sy'n bartneriaeth rhwng Llywodraeth y DU a diwydiant, ar gael i roi y cyfle i aelwydydd sydd wedi dioddef llifogydd yn y gorffennol neu sydd mewn perygl o lifogydd i drefnu yswiriant fforddiadwy. Rwy'n credu bod hwnnw'n gynllun da a allai o bosibl gael ei hyrwyddo'n dda i'r aelwydydd hynny y mae'r llifogydd diweddar wedi effeithio arnyn nhw, a'r busnesau hynny, er mwyn ceisio rhoi rhywfaint o gysur iddyn nhw y bydd cyfle i gael yswiriant yn y dyfodol.
Can I call for two statements? First, on the extent of prostate magnetic resonance imaging before biopsy across Wales. Prostate Cancer UK has shared its latest freedom of information request data showing the extent of prostate MRI before biopsy across Wales. This found that three out of seven health boards across Wales are not yet providing the scans to the standards set by the PROMIS trial and recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. A further two are offering biparametric MRI, a simplified version of the scans, although they say plans are in place to complete the process of ensuring that all areas are providing access to full multiparametic MRI by 1 April, only a matter of weeks ahead. They also found that there were restrictive eligibility criteria in Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board and Cwm Taf University Health Board, and that the increase in prostate MRI capacity over the last 12 months was unknown in both Betsi Cadwaladr and Cwm Taf University health boards.
Prostate Cancer UK is therefore calling for radiology units to receive the resources they need to ensure every man who could benefit gets access now, and has developed a planning tool to help health providers calculate the increase in resources they will need to plan for in their areas. I call for a statement accordingly, not to criticise, but to seek a way of closing the bridge, which is a smaller bridge, but action is nonetheless still required.
Secondly and finally, could I call for a statement on forestry and biodiversity? We heard some comments from the First Minister earlier, but, as you'll be aware, the Welsh Government wants woodland cover in Wales to increase by at least 2,000 hectares per annum. When I attended the curlew summit in 10 Downing Street as the Wales species champion for the curlew last July, we heard that widespread planting of conifers in uplands had led to massive habitat loss, and it was not just the planted land that destroyed the birds, but the land in a large area around the forest ceased to be sustainable habitat for ground-nesting birds as the forest provides ideal cover for predators, mostly foxes, carrion crows and badgers. We need to know, therefore, in the context of the commendable goal to increase forestry and woodland in Wales, how we're going to ensure we have the right trees in the right places to genuinely protect biodiversity.
A gaf i alw am ddau ddatganiad? Yn gyntaf, ar raddau delweddu cyseinedd magnetig y prostad cyn biopsi ledled Cymru. Mae Prostate Cancer UK wedi rhannu ei ddata cais rhyddid gwybodaeth diweddaraf sy'n dangos faint o MRI Prostate a gynhelir cyn biopsi ar draws Cymru. Canfu hyn nad yw tri o'r saith Bwrdd Iechyd ledled Cymru hyd yma'n darparu'r sganiau i'r safonau a gafodd eu gosod gan y treial PROMIS ac a argymhellwyd gan y Sefydliad Cenedlaethol dros Ragoriaeth mewn Iechyd a Gofal. Mae dau arall yn cynnig MRI deubarametrig, fersiwn symlach o'r sganiau, er eu bod yn dweud bod cynlluniau ar y gweill i gwblhau'r broses o sicrhau bod pob ardal yn darparu mynediad i MRI amlbarametig llawn erbyn 1 Ebrill, dim ond ychydig wythnosau i ffwrdd. Fe wnaethon nhw hefyd ddarganfod bod meini prawf cymhwysedd cyfyngol ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Abertawe Bro Morgannwg a Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf, ac nid oedd y cynnydd yng ngallu MRI y prostad yn ystod y 12 mis diwethaf yn hysbys ym myrddau iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr a Phrifysgol Cwm Taf.
Felly, mae Prostate Cancer UK yn galw am i unedau radioleg gael yr adnoddau sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw i sicrhau bod pob dyn a allai elwa yn cael mynediad nawr, ac maen nhw wedi datblygu offeryn cynllunio i helpu darparwyr iechyd i gyfrifo'r cynnydd mewn adnoddau y bydd angen iddyn nhw ei gynllunio ar eu cyfer yn eu hardaloedd. Rwy'n galw am ddatganiad yn unol â hynny, nid i feirniadu, ond i geisio ffordd o gau'r gofod, sy'n ofod llai, ond mae angen gweithredu o hyd er hynny.
Yn ail ac yn olaf, a gaf i alw am ddatganiad ar goedwigaeth a bioamrywiaeth? Clywsom sylwadau gan y Prif Weinidog yn gynharach, ond, fel y gwyddoch chi, mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisiau i orchudd coetiroedd yng Nghymru gynyddu gan o leiaf 2,000 hectar y flwyddyn. Pan oedwn i'n bresennol yn uwchgynhadledd y gylfinir yn 10 Stryd Downing fel hyrwyddwr rhywogaethau Cymru ar gyfer y gylfinir fis Gorffennaf diwethaf, clywsom fod plannu coed conwydd ar raddfa eang mewn ucheldiroedd wedi arwain at golli cynefinoedd enfawr, ac nid y tir a gafodd ei blannu yn unig a ddinistriodd yr adar, ond mewn ardal fawr o amgylch y goedwig, peidiodd y tir â bod yn gynefin cynaliadwy i adar sy'n nythu ar y ddaear gan fod y goedwig yn darparu gorchudd delfrydol i ysglyfaethwyr, llwynogod, brain tyddyn a moch daear yn bennaf. Mae angen i ni wybod, felly, yng nghyd-destun y nod clodwiw o gynyddu coedwigaeth a choetiroedd yng Nghymru, sut yr ydym ni'n mynd i sicrhau bod gennym ni'r coed cywir yn y mannau cywir i wir ddiogelu bioamrywiaeth.
I'm grateful to Mark Isherwood for raising those issues. The first was the issue of prostate cancer and those MRI tests. I know that there is an intention by the health Minister to bring forward a statement in due course on the cancer strategy, and there'll also be an opportunity to raise issues tomorrow with the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services during the cancer debate. So, there will be several opportunities in the near future to explore those issues.
On woodland cover, I know that there are particular pieces of work going on across Government, but the particularly interesting and exciting one, I think, is the work going on in terms of the national forest for Wales. I know the Minister will be making a statement very, very shortly—I think the intention is to launch this week.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Mark Isherwood am godi'r materion yna. Y cyntaf oedd mater canser y prostad a'r profion MRI hynny. Rwy'n gwybod bod y Gweinidog Iechyd yn bwriadu cyflwyno datganiad maes o law ar y strategaeth canser, a bydd cyfle hefyd i godi materion yfory gyda'r Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yn ystod y ddadl ar ganser. Felly, bydd sawl cyfle yn y dyfodol agos i archwilio'r materion hynny.
O ran gorchudd coetiroedd, rwy'n gwybod bod darnau penodol o waith yn mynd ymlaen ledled y Llywodraeth, ond yr un arbennig o ddiddorol a chyffrous, rwy'n credu, yw'r gwaith sy'n mynd ymlaen o ran coedwig cenedlaethol Cymru. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd y Gweinidog yn gwneud datganiad yn fuan iawn—rwy'n credu mai'r bwriad yw lansio yr wythnos hon.
Dwi'n falch bod y Gweinidog amaeth yn ei sedd hefyd, jest i nodi'r hyn dwi eisiau ei godi. Mae'r Gweinidog wedi datgan y bydd y rheoliadau newydd ar ansawdd dŵr yn cael eu gosod o fewn yr ychydig wythnosau nesaf. Dwi ddim yn gweld yn y datganiad busnes unrhyw gyfeiriad at ddatganiad llafar i gyd-fynd â gosod y rheoliadau hynny yn ystod y tair wythnos nesaf o fusnes. Byddwch chi'n gwybod, wrth gwrs, bod y rheoliadau yma wedi bod yn hynod ddadleuol. Maen nhw wedi bod yn destun codi pwyntiau fan hyn yn y Siambr, ac yn sicr wedi bod yn cynhyrchu llawer iawn o ohebiaeth i fi a nifer o Aelodau eraill yn y Siambr yma. Maen nhw'n cyflwyno newidiadau pellgyrhaeddol, a byddwn i'n teimlo y dylem ni ddisgwyl dim byd llai ond datganiad llafar i gyd-fynd â gosod y rheoliadau newydd yma, er mwyn sicrhau'r tryloywder, y cyfle i graffu, a'r atebolrwydd a ddylai fod yn cyd-fynd â datganiad o'r fath. Felly, gaf i ofyn i chi gadarnhau, os wnewch chi, Trefnydd, y bydd yna ddatganiad llafar yn cyd-fynd ag unrhyw osod rheoliadau newydd ar ansawdd dŵr, pryd bynnag y daw'r rheini ymlaen?
I'm pleased that the Minister for agriculture is in her seat, just to note what I intend to raise. The Minister has stated that the new regulations on water quality will be laid within the next few weeks. I don't see in the business statement any reference to an oral statement to run along with the laying of those regulations over the next three weeks' business. You will know, of course, that these regulations have been very contentious, they have been the subject of points raised in this Chamber, and certainly they've produced a huge amount of correspondence for me and many other Members in this Chamber. They make far-reaching changes, and I would expect nothing less than an oral statement to go along with the laying of these new regulations, in order to ensure transparency, an opportunity for scrutiny, and the accountability that should go along with such a statement. So, can I ask you to confirm, Trefnydd, that there will be an oral statement alongside any new regulations laid on water quality, whenever they're brought forward?
Llywydd, the Minister is obviously here to hear your request this afternoon. I only have the information in terms of what's been laid on the business statement and announcement today, but we will certainly be listening to the request that you've made this afternoon.
Llywydd, yn amlwg mae'r Gweinidog yma i glywed eich cais y prynhawn yma. Dim ond yr wybodaeth o ran yr hyn sydd wedi'i osod ar y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes heddiw sydd gennyf i, ond byddwn ni yn sicr yn gwrando ar y cais yr ydych chi wedi ei wneud y prynhawn yma.
I appreciate time is short, so I'll be brief. First of all, an issue raised by a number of Members in this Chamber today: that of flooding. Can I concur with those previous comments in terms of support that's available to businesses and homes, indeed, across Wales? Particularly those homes that may not have access to conventional flood insurance. I visited one home in Monmouthshire, in the town of Monmouth itself, where there's an issue with the electrical sockets, for instance, and there's some cost involved in repositioning those. Perhaps there could be some sort of grant available for those affected by flooding without insurance.
Secondly, an issue I've raised on many occasions: that of roads, and the Chepstow bypass. I wonder if we could have an update at some point in the run-up to Easter from the Minister for transport regarding progressing a Chepstow bypass, and any discussions that might have been held between either himself and his counterpart in Westminster, or indeed the relevant officials, to try and progress that important project.
Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi bod amser yn brin, felly byddaf yn gryno. Yn gyntaf oll, mater a gafodd ei godi gan nifer o Aelodau yn y Siambr hon heddiw: sef llifogydd. A gaf i gytuno â'r sylwadau blaenorol hynny o ran cefnogaeth sydd ar gael i fusnesau a chartrefi, yn wir, ledled Cymru? Yn enwedig y cartrefi hynny nad ydyn nhw'n gallu cael yswiriant llifogydd confensiynol. Fe wnes i ymweld ag un cartref yn sir Fynwy, yn nhref Trefynwy ei hun, lle mae problem gyda'r socedi trydan, er enghraifft, ac mae peth cost ynghlwm wrth adleoli'r rheini. Efallai y gallai fod rhyw fath o grant ar gael i'r rhai nad oes ganddyn nhw yswiriant y mae llifogydd yn effeithio arnyn nhw.
Yn ail, mater yr wyf i wedi ei godi droeon: ffyrdd, a ffordd osgoi Cas-gwent. Tybed a allem ni gael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf rywbryd yn ystod y cyfnod cyn y Pasg gan y Gweinidog trafnidiaeth ynghylch symud ymlaen â'r ffordd osgoi yng Nghas-gwent, ac unrhyw drafodaethau a allai fod wedi eu cynnal rhwng naill ai ef a'i swyddog cyfatebol yn San Steffan, neu yn wir y swyddogion perthnasol, i geisio datblygu'r prosiect pwysig hwnnw.
Again, I would highlight the important potential of Flood Re as a potential way forward for people who have found it difficult to get flooding insurance because either they've been flooded in the past and the insurers won't take them on, or because they're on a property that is deemed to be at risk of flooding. It is a Government and industry partnership in order to deliver that, to ensure that people do have access to affordable insurance in those circumstances. So, I'd recommend that to Members, to explore it further as to whether it's something that they can explore with their constituents.
And of course, I will speak to my colleague the Minister for transport with regard to the request for an update on the Chepstow bypass.
Unwaith eto, rwy'n tynnu sylw at botensial pwysig Flood Re fel ffordd bosibl ymlaen i bobl sydd wedi ei chael hi'n anodd cael yswiriant llifogydd oherwydd eu bod naill ai wedi dioddef llifogydd yn y gorffennol ac na fydd yr yswirwyr yn eu derbyn, neu oherwydd eu bod mewn eiddo sy'n cael ei ystyried i fod mewn perygl o lifogydd. Mae'n bartneriaeth rhwng y Llywodraeth a'r diwydiant er mwyn cyflawni hynny, er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu cael yswiriant fforddiadwy o dan yr amgylchiadau hynny. Felly, byddwn i'n argymell hynny i'r Aelodau, i'w archwilio ymhellach o ran pa un a yw'n rhywbeth y gallan nhw ei archwilio gyda'u hetholwyr.
Ac wrth gwrs, byddaf i'n siarad â'm cydweithiwr, y Gweinidog trafnidiaeth, ynghylch y cais am yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf o ran ffordd osgoi Cas-gwent.
Two months ago, I asked for a Government statement about health workforce planning, because I was concerned that a number of GP surgeries in my region were at risk of closure. Local councillors who also raised the issue were accused of scaremongering, but last week we received confirmation that three surgeries are to close in Gilfach, Lansbury Park and Penyrheol, all managed by Aneurin Bevan health board and all in the Caerphilly County Borough Council area.
I'm really concerned that the surgeries that will now have to take on thousands of new patients in light of these closures will struggle to deal with the extra demand, and that some people will have to travel to very far away places if they don't have their own transport. They might have trouble re-registering and accessing the new surgeries. I was out talking to residents in Lansbury Park last week, and one constituent told a colleague of mine that he was only just able to walk to a surgery round the corner, but he didn't know how he was going to be able to reach somewhere that was much further away.
I've previously mentioned that the BMA GP heat-map analysis showed that 32 surgeries are at risk of closure in the Aneurin Bevan health board area. Three of these have now closed, or are about to close, which means a further 29 could still be at risk.
My previous request for a statement went unheeded, I'm afraid. So, I'd like to ask again for a statement from the Welsh Government setting out what support will be made available to patients, pharmacies and surgeries that will have to cope with these new closures? Secondly, what immediate steps will the Welsh Government take to prevent the closure of further surgeries in their region through timely recruitment? And finally, how does the Welsh Government intend to turn around this disastrous failure to plan its future GP workforce in the face of growing demand? Diolch, Trefnydd.
Ddeufis yn ôl, gofynnais am ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth ynghylch cynllunio'r gweithlu ym maes iechyd, oherwydd fy mod i'n pryderu bod nifer o feddygfeydd teulu yn fy rhanbarth i mewn perygl o gau. Cafodd cynghorwyr lleol a gododd y mater hefyd eu cyhuddo o godi bwganod, ond yr wythnos diwethaf cawsom ni gadarnhad y bydd tair meddygfa yn cau yn y Gilfach, Parc Lansbury a Phenyrheol, a reolir gan Fwrdd Iechyd Aneurin Bevan a phob un ohonyn nhw yn ardal Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili.
Rwy'n bryderus iawn y bydd y meddygfeydd a fydd yn gorfod cymryd miloedd o gleifion newydd erbyn hyn yn sgil y ffaith bod rhai eraill yn cau yn cael trafferth i ymdopi â'r galw ychwanegol, ac y bydd yn rhaid i rai pobl deithio i leoedd pell iawn os nad oes ganddyn nhw eu cludiant eu hunain. Efallai y byddan nhw'n cael trafferth ailgofrestru a defnyddio'r meddygfeydd newydd. Roeddwn i allan yn siarad â thrigolion Parc Lansbury yr wythnos diwethaf, a dywedodd un etholwraig wrth fy nghyd-Aelod nad oedd ddim ond prin yn gallu cerdded i'r feddygfa rownd y gornel, ond nid oedd yn gwybod sut yr oedd hi'n mynd i allu cyrraedd rhywle a oedd lawer ymhellach i ffwrdd.
Rwyf i wedi sôn o'r blaen fod dadansoddiad map gwres meddygon teulu Cymdeithas Feddygon Prydain yn dangos bod 32 o feddygfeydd mewn perygl o gau yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Aneurin Bevan. Mae tair o'r rhain bellach wedi cau, neu ar fin cau, sy'n golygu y gallai 29 arall fod mewn perygl o hyd.
Ni wrandawyd ar fy nghais blaenorol am ddatganiad, mae arna i ofn. Felly, hoffwn i ofyn eto am ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn nodi pa gymorth fydd ar gael i gleifion, fferyllfeydd a meddygfeydd a fydd yn gorfod ymdopi â sefyllfa newydd y meddygfeydd hyn yn cau? Yn ail, pa gamau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd ar unwaith i atal rhagor o feddygfeydd rhag cau yn eu rhanbarth drwy recriwtio'n brydlon? Ac yn olaf, sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu gwyrdroi'r methiant trychinebus hwn i gynllunio ei weithlu meddygon teulu yn y dyfodol yn wyneb y galw cynyddol? Diolch, Trefnydd.
Health boards are working with partners throughout the clusters to adopt and adapt the primary care model for Wales, with its focus on support for self-care and delivering a seamless 24/7 service that prioritises the sickest people, making effective use of the multiprofessional workforce. And of course, this year, the Welsh Government has provided an additional £10 million for clusters to decide how to invest in the support of the primary care model for Wales.
With regard to the specific GP practices to which you refer, I do know that the Minister has had some discussions with the local Members, and that the health board is now offering a package of support to each of those practices that are likely to see an increased number of patients. Of course, there's huge work going on, isn't there, to try and encourage people to work in Wales, and actually, successful work in terms of recruiting new GPs into the training programmes as well. But the Minister has heard your request for a statement. It's very difficult to accommodate all statements; we get about 20 or so requests every week, with only a small number of slots in which to respond to them, but we do our best to try and accommodate things as much as we can.
Mae'r byrddau iechyd yn gweithio gyda phartneriaid drwy'r clystyrau i fabwysiadu ac addasu'r model gofal sylfaenol i Gymru, gan ganolbwyntio ar gymorth ar gyfer hunanofal a darparu gwasanaeth di-dor 24/7 sy'n rhoi blaenoriaeth i'r bobl waelaf eu hiechyd, gan wneud defnydd effeithiol o'r gweithlu amlbroffesiwn. Ac wrth gwrs, eleni, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu £10 miliwn ychwanegol er mwyn i glystyrau benderfynu sut i fuddsoddi i gefnogi'r model gofal sylfaenol i Gymru.
O ran y practisau meddygon teulu penodol yr ydych chi'n cyfeirio atyn nhw, gwn fod y Gweinidog wedi cael rhai trafodaethau gyda'r Aelodau lleol, a bod y bwrdd iechyd yn cynnig pecyn o gymorth erbyn hyn i bob un o'r practisau hynny sy'n debygol o weld cynnydd yn nifer y cleifion. Wrth gwrs, mae gwaith aruthrol yn digwydd, onid oes, i geisio annog pobl i weithio yng Nghymru, ac mewn gwirionedd, mae hwnnw'n llwyddiannus o ran recriwtio meddygon teulu newydd i'r rhaglenni hyfforddiant hefyd. Ond mae'r Gweinidog wedi clywed eich cais chi am ddatganiad. Mae'n anodd iawn cynnwys pob datganiad; rydym yn cael tua 20 o geisiadau bob wythnos, a dim ond nifer fechan o slotiau i ymateb iddyn nhw. Ond gwnawn ein gorau glas i geisio darparu ar gyfer pethau gymaint ag y gallwn ni.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
Thank you, Trefnydd.
Mae'r eitem nesaf, sef y datganiad ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod, wedi'i gyflwyno fel eitem ysgrifenedig.
The next item, a statement on International Women's Day, has been tabled as a written statement.
Ac, felly'r eitem nesaf yw'r datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am coronafeirws. Galwaf ar y Gweinidog i wneud ei ddatganiad—Vaughan Gething.
Therefore, the next item is a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services, a coronavirus update. I call on the Minister to make the statement—Vaughan Gething.
Thank you, Llywydd. The situation in Wales continues to evolve and we now have six confirmed cases. More cases will be diagnosed both here and elsewhere the UK in the coming days. In response to the changing situation, we have jointly developed an action plan with the UK Government and the other national devolved Governments. This builds on our experience of treating infectious diseases and our planning for an influenza pandemic.
The action plan deals with what we know currently about the virus and the diseases it causes; how we have planned for an infectious disease outbreak such as coronavirus; the actions we have taken so far in response to the current outbreak; what we're planning to do next, depending on the course that the current outbreak takes; and, of course, the role that the public can play in supporting this response, now and in the future.
I have asked the chief executive of NHS Wales to establish an NHS Wales and social services planning and response team to draw on appropriate expertise and to be in the best position to address response issues as we move through the phases of this outbreak. This team will provide ongoing support, co-ordination and integration of the health and social services response. They will co-ordinate their work with the wider remit of the Welsh Government emergency co-ordination centre. As an immediate action, assurance has been sought and confirmed from all health boards with acute hospitals that they are ready to accept patients into their isolation facilities.
This weekend, I authorised the supply of personal protective equipment to all GP practices across Wales. Supplies of personal protective equipment to community pharmacies will be sent out later this week. We are mobilising our pandemic stockpiles for health and social care, so that this stock is in a state of readiness to be pushed out as and when necessary.
We are still taking action to detect early cases, to follow up close contacts, and to prevent the disease taking hold in this country for as long as is practically possible. If the disease becomes more established in the UK and in Wales, we will need to consider further measures to reduce the rate and extent of its spread.
We will therefore look to take new powers for Wales through the UK-wide coronavirus Bill to be introduced in the House of Commons, to be able to help systems and services work more effectively in tackling the outbreak. The Bill will strengthen quarantine and mass gathering powers, and will allow for the closure of schools and colleges, if necessary, to contain the spread of coronavirus. All four UK Governments across the UK have agreed on a single piece of UK-wide legislation as the right approach. However, I do want to reiterate the point that, in that single piece of UK-wide legislation, it is a clear expectation that all those powers that are currently devolved responsibilities will remain the responsibilities of Ministers in devolved national Governments.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae'r sefyllfa yng Nghymru yn parhau i esblygu ac erbyn hyn mae gennym chwe achos pendant. Fe fydd mwy o achosion yn cael eu cadarnhau yma ac mewn mannau eraill yn y DU yn ystod y dyddiau nesaf. Mewn ymateb i'r sefyllfa gyfnewidiol, rydym wedi datblygu cynllun gweithredu ar y cyd â Llywodraeth y DU a'r llywodraethau datganoledig cenedlaethol eraill. Mae hyn yn adeiladu ar ein profiad o drin clefydau heintus ac ar ein cynlluniau ni ar gyfer ffliw pandemig.
Mae'r cynllun gweithredu yn ymdrin â'r hyn a wyddom ni am y feirws ar hyn o bryd ac am y clefydau a achosir ganddo; sut rydym ni wedi cynllunio ar gyfer achosion o glefydau heintus fel coronafeirws; y camau a gymerwyd gennym hyd yn hyn wrth ymateb i'r achosion presennol; yr hyn y bwriadwn ei wneud nesaf, gan ddibynnu ar gyfeiriad yr achosion presennol; ac, wrth gwrs, yr hyn y gall y cyhoedd ei wneud i gefnogi'r ymateb hwn, yn awr ac yn y dyfodol.
Rwyf wedi gofyn i brif weithredwr GIG Cymru sefydlu tîm cynllunio ac ymateb o blith GIG Cymru a'r gwasanaethau cymdeithasol i ddefnyddio'r arbenigedd priodol a bod yn y sefyllfa orau i fynd i'r afael â phroblemau ymateb wrth inni symud drwy gamau'r achosion hyn. Fe fydd y tîm hwn yn rhoi cymorth parhaus, yn cydgysylltu ac yn integreiddio'r ymateb o ran y gwasanaethau iechyd a chymdeithasol. Fe fyddan nhw'n cydgysylltu eu gwaith nhw â chylch gwaith ehangach Canolfan Cydgysylltu Argyfyngau Llywodraeth Cymru. Fe geisiwyd sicrwydd ar unwaith ac fe gafwyd cadarnhad gan bob bwrdd iechyd sydd ag ysbytai acíwt eu bod nhw'n barod i dderbyn cleifion i'w cyfleusterau ynysu.
Y penwythnos hwn, fe roddais i ganiatâd i gyflenwi cyfarpar diogelu personol i bob practis meddyg teulu ledled Cymru. Fe gaiff cyflenwadau o offer amddiffynnol personol i fferyllfeydd cymunedol eu hanfon yn nes ymlaen yr wythnos hon. Rydym yn rhoi ein cyflenwadau pandemig ni ar gyfer iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ar waith, fel bod y stôr hon yn barod i gael ei dosbarthu yn ôl yr angen.
Rydym yn parhau i gymryd camau i ganfod achosion cynnar, a mynd ar drywydd cysylltiadau agos, ac atal y clefyd rhag ymsefydlu yn y wlad hon am gyhyd ag sy'n bosibl yn ymarferol. Pe byddai'r clefyd yn ymsefydlu yn y DU ac yng Nghymru, fe fyddai angen inni ystyried mesurau pellach i leihau cyfradd a maint ei ledaeniad.
Fe fyddwn ni felly'n ceisio ennill pwerau newydd i Gymru drwy Fil Coronafeirws y DU gyfan sydd i'w gyflwyno yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin, i helpu systemau a gwasanaethau i weithio'n fwy effeithiol wrth fynd i'r afael â'r achosion. Fe fydd y Bil yn cryfhau pwerau o ran cwarantin a thorfeydd o bobl, ac fe fydd yn caniatáu i ysgolion a cholegau gau, pe byddai angen, i gyfyngu ar ledaeniad coronafeirws. Mae pob un o'r pedair Llywodraeth ledled y DU wedi cytuno mai un darn o ddeddfwriaeth ar gyfer y DU gyfan yw'r dull cywir. Serch hynny, rwy'n awyddus i ailadrodd y pwynt, yn yr un darn hwnnw o ddeddfwriaeth i'r DU gyfan, y bydd disgwyliad clir bod yr holl bwerau hynny sydd wedi eu datganoli ar hyn o bryd yn parhau i fod yn gyfrifoldebau i Weinidogion mewn Llywodraethau cenedlaethol datganoledig.
Our NHS will have to make some changes to how it operates. That includes care and advice by phone and information technology. I have decided on a new software system to be made available across Wales to enable video consultations for people with their GPs. We have already introduced an online symptom checker, hosted by our NHS Direct Wales website. There is, of course, the daily update on the Public Health Wales website too. This should help to reduce pressure on front-line staff, and better support people with information and advice.
We want to strike a balance between keeping people safe and minimising the social and economic impact. Our decisions will reflect the scientific evidence, and take into account the trade-offs involved. The actions we will consider include encouraging greater home working, not using public transport and other behavioural measures that people can voluntarily take to slow the spread of the disease. We will consider if those with more minor symptoms should self-isolate, but this will be informed by expert advice on the epidemiology of the outbreak, and we are not at that point today.
It is worth reminding ourselves and the public, though, that people with significant flu-like symptoms should not attend work, their GP, or an A&E department. That is not new advice—that is the current advice at all times of the year.
Some major public events, as we've seen, have been cancelled or postponed outside Wales, to limit the risk of transmitting coronavirus. A number of schools have closed in other countries for similar reasons. These are possible future options for us too. We are, however, not at that stage. Schools should remain open, and there is no rationale to cancel major sporting fixtures at this point.
But some of the most effective measures involve all of us—not just the Government or the NHS. For instance, simple personal hygiene procedures can significantly limit the spread of the virus, as can prudent self-isolation for those at particular risk. Employers can and should support their staff to take such action, without creating undue alarm. To mitigate the impact on businesses, the Welsh Government has registered COVID-19 as a notifiable disease. This will help companies seek compensation through their insurance policies in the event of any cancellations that they may have to make as a result of the spread of the virus.
We are moving towards enhanced monitoring arrangements at Cardiff international airport. This will mean that every aircraft that lands here from a region identified by the case definition will need to declare any symptomatic passengers to Public Health Wales's port health teams before disembarking.
Outside the UK, the risk changes daily. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also updates its advice to travellers regularly. And people who intend to travel abroad should check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for the most up-to-date travel advice before they travel. The latest advice for returning travellers from the highest-risk parts of the world is to stay indoors, avoid contact with other people, and call 111. That is true even if they do not have symptoms. Those areas are: Iran, the Hubei province in China and Italy. For returning travellers from areas that are deemed lower risk, the advice is to stay indoors and avoid contact with other people only if you develop symptoms. This now includes all of Italy outside of the locked down areas I've already mentioned.
There is further advice available from Public Health Wales and the Welsh Government for people who have not travelled but are nonetheless concerned. That too will change as the pattern of the outbreak changes and as our understanding grows. But following such advice is always better than listening to often ill-informed rumour and speculation. In particular, I would urge people to check the advice that is available before presenting themselves for diagnosis, which, of course, risks wasting finite NHS resources. We are continuing to offer community testing to people in their own homes. In addition, 111 is now available across all areas of Wales for coronavirus advice.
The First Minister and I continue to attend COBRA meetings. We will continue to work with UK Ministers, the Scottish and Northern Irish Governments, our chief medical officers, and public health agencies, across all four nations.
No-one should be under any illusion about the threat that the coronavirus presents. There are plain and serious risks to people's health, including in particular people who are already vulnerable. And a large-scale outbreak also carries wider risks of social and economic disruption.
This outbreak will not go away quickly and it will get worse before it gets better. But, at the same time, we have long been prepared for an outbreak like this, and we are learning more about this particular virus each day. That knowledge, combined with the dedication of our health professionals and others right across public services and the independent sector, allows us to reduce the risks as far as we possibly can. I will, of course, keep Members and the people of Wales fully informed of any steps that we take here in the Government.
Fe fydd yn rhaid i'n GIG ni yma wneud rhai newidiadau i'r ffordd y mae'n gweithredu. Mae hynny'n cynnwys gofal a chyngor dros y ffôn a thechnoleg gwybodaeth. Rwyf wedi penderfynu y bydd system feddalwedd newydd ar gael ledled Cymru i alluogi pobl i ymgynghori â'u meddygon teulu drwy gyfrwng fideo. Rydym eisoes wedi cyflwyno gwiriwr symptomau ar-lein, y gellir ei ddefnyddio ar ein gwefan ni, Galw Iechyd Cymru. Wrth gwrs, mae'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf bob dydd ar wefan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru hefyd. Fe ddylai hyn helpu i leihau'r pwysau ar y staff rheng flaen, a chefnogi pobl drwy roi mwy o wybodaeth a chyngor iddynt.
Rydym eisiau gweld cydbwysedd rhwng cadw pobl yn ddiogel a lleihau'r effeithiau cymdeithasol ac economaidd. Fe fydd ein penderfyniadau ni'n adlewyrchu'r dystiolaeth wyddonol, ac yn ystyried y cyfaddawdu sy'n gysylltiedig â hynny. Mae'r camau y byddwn ni'n eu hystyried yn cynnwys annog mwy o bobl i weithio gartref, ymatal rhag defnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus a mesurau ymddygiadol eraill y gall pobl eu cymryd yn wirfoddol i arafu ymlediad y clefyd. Fe fyddwn ni'n ystyried a ddylai'r rhai sydd â symptomau llai amlwg eu hynysu eu hunain, ond fe gaiff hyn ei lywio gan gyngor arbenigol ar epidemioleg yr achos, ac nid ydym wedi cyrraedd y sefyllfa honno heddiw.
Mae'n werth inni atgoffa ein hunain a'r cyhoedd, er hynny, na ddylai pobl sydd â symptomau tebyg i'r ffliw fynd i'r gwaith, na mynd i weld eu meddyg teulu, na mynd i adrannau damweiniau ac argyfwng. Nid cyngor newydd yw hwnnw—dyna'r cyngor cyfredol ar hyd y flwyddyn.
Mae rhai digwyddiadau cyhoeddus mawr y tu allan i Gymru, fel y gwelsom ni, wedi cael eu canslo neu eu gohirio er mwyn cyfyngu ar y perygl o drosglwyddo coronafeirws. Mae nifer o ysgolion wedi cau mewn gwledydd eraill am resymau tebyg. Mae'r rhain yn ddewisiadau a fydd yn bosibl i ninnau hefyd yn y dyfodol. Eto i gyd, nid ydym yn y sefyllfa honno ar hyn o bryd. Fe ddylai'r ysgolion aros ar agor, ac nid oes sail resymegol i ganslo digwyddiadau chwaraeon mawr ar hyn o bryd.
Ond mae rhai o'r mesurau mwyaf effeithiol yn cynnwys pob un ohonom ni—nid y Llywodraeth neu'r GIG yn unig. Er enghraifft, fe all gweithdrefnau hylendid personol syml gyfyngu'n sylweddol ar ledaeniad y feirws, fel y gall hunan ynysu darbodus i'r rhai sy'n wynebu risg arbennig. Fe all cyflogwyr gefnogi eu staff i gymryd camau o'r fath, ac fe ddylen nhw wneud hynny, heb godi braw yn ormodol. I liniaru'r effaith ar fusnesau, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cofrestru COVID-19 yn glefyd hysbysadwy. Fe fydd hyn yn helpu cwmnïau i geisio iawndal drwy eu polisïau yswiriant os bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw ganslo unrhyw beth o ganlyniad i ymlediad y feirws.
Rydym yn symud tuag at drefniadau monitro gwell ym maes awyr rhyngwladol Caerdydd. Fe fydd hyn yn golygu y bydd angen i bob awyren sy'n glanio yma o ranbarth a nodir gan ddiffiniad yr achos, ddatgan unrhyw deithwyr sy'n arddangos symptomau gerbron timau iechyd porthladdoedd Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru cyn iddyn nhw ddod oddi ar yr awyren.
Y tu allan i'r DU, mae'r risg yn newid yn feunyddiol. Mae'r Swyddfa Dramor a Chymanwlad yn diweddaru ei chyngor i deithwyr yn rheolaidd hefyd. Ac fe ddylai pobl sy'n bwriadu teithio dramor edrych ar wefan y Swyddfa Dramor a Chymanwlad am y cyngor diweddaraf o ran teithio cyn iddyn nhw fynd dramor. Y cyngor diweddaraf i deithwyr sy'n dychwelyd o'r rhannau o'r byd sydd â'r risg uchaf yw aros yn y tŷ, ac osgoi dod i gysylltiad â phobl eraill, a ffonio 111. Mae hynny'n wir hyd yn oed os nad oes symptomau ganddyn nhw. A'r ardaloedd hynny yw: Iran, talaith Hubei yn Tsieina a'r Eidal. I deithwyr sy'n dychwelyd o ardaloedd a ystyrir yn llai o risg, y cyngor yw aros yn y tŷ ac osgoi cysylltiad â phobl eraill os ydych chi'n datblygu symptomau. Bellach, mae hyn yn cynnwys yr Eidal gyfan y tu allan i'r ardaloedd dan glo yr wyf i wedi eu crybwyll nhw eisoes.
Mae rhagor o gyngor ar gael gan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer pobl nad ydyn nhw wedi teithio ond sydd, serch hynny, yn bryderus. Fe fydd hwnnw'n newid hefyd wrth i batrwm yr achosion newid ac wrth i'n dealltwriaeth ninnau dyfu. Ond mae dilyn cyngor o'r fath yn well bob amser na gwrando ar sibrydion a dyfalu sy'n aml yn anwybodus. Yn arbennig, fe fyddwn i'n annog pobl i edrych ar y cyngor sydd ar gael cyn mynd i geisio diagnosis, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn achosi'r risg o wastraffu adnoddau cyfyngedig y GIG. Rydym yn parhau i gynnig profion cymunedol i bobl yn eu cartrefi nhw eu hunain. Yn ogystal â hynny, mae 111 ar gael ledled Cymru erbyn hyn i gael cyngor ar y coronafeirws.
Mae'r Prif Weinidog a minnau'n parhau i fynd i gyfarfodydd COBRA. Fe fyddwn ni'n parhau i weithio gyda Gweinidogion y DU, llywodraethau'r Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon, ein prif swyddogion meddygol ni, ac asiantaethau iechyd cyhoeddus, ledled y pedair gwlad.
Ni ddylai unrhyw un fod dan unrhyw gamargraff am y bygythiad y mae'r coronafeirws yn ei ymgorffori. Mae risgiau amlwg a difrifol i iechyd pobl, gan gynnwys, yn enwedig, bobl sydd eisoes yn agored i niwed. Ac mae achosion ehangach hefyd yn achosi'r risg o amharu ar gymdeithas a'r economi ar raddfa fawr.
Ni fydd yr achosion hyn yn diflannu yn gyflym ac fe fydd y sefyllfa'n gwaethygu cyn iddo wella. Ond, ar yr un pryd, rydym wedi hen baratoi ar gyfer achosion fel hyn, ac rydym yn dysgu mwy am y feirws penodol hwn bob dydd. Mae'r wybodaeth honno, ynghyd ag ymroddiad ein gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol ni ac eraill ar draws y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a'r sector annibynnol, yn ein galluogi i leihau'r risgiau gymaint ag y gallwn ni. Fe fyddaf i, wrth gwrs, yn parhau i roi'r wybodaeth lawn i'r Aelodau a phobl Cymru am unrhyw gamau y byddwn ni'n eu cymryd yma yn y Llywodraeth.
Thank you very much for your statement, Minister, and for keeping me, on behalf of the Welsh Conservatives, so well briefed during this situation. Just going through your statement, I have a number of questions. Are you able to confirm to us the level of seniority that the members of the NHS Wales and social services planning and response teams will be—in other words, that they've got the stripes to make things happen out there in the NHS? Are you able to confirm to us how many isolation beds we currently have available throughout our whole NHS? Because I'm assuming that isolation is literally quite different from intensive care, because they're the ones within the walled glass environments, so I just wanted clarification on that.
I was very pleased to see the personal protective equipment going out to GP practices and pharmacies, and I wondered at what point you might consider issuing them to domiciliary care workers and to care workers in residential homes, and what advice you might be giving to owners of private homes as to what precautions that they should be taking.
You were talking about the technology to underpin this, and I must say that the symptom checker is very good, because I tried it out, and I think it's very clear and I commend you for that. Of course, an awful lot of older people will not necessarily have access to IT or be able to use IT, and I wondered what you might be putting in place, or what instructions you will be giving to older persons who can't actually use a symptom checker and what they should do. I'm assuming you might say back to me '111', and, again, I just wanted to have some clarification on that, because I was up in Wrexham Maelor Hospital meeting staff last week, and I also met with a couple of GP practices, and they were quite confusing on their message back to me as to the efficiency of 111 in north Wales. There was talk about the 0845 number being on a divert and that they weren't convinced that actually 111 was universal. So, perhaps, you could just confirm that, so that we can move forward on that one.
And, again, while we're on the subject of older people, I appreciate that this isn't for now, but in the weeks coming up, will you be talking to and have you had any discussions with organisations such as supermarket leaders, to perhaps put in place some kind of way for older people who have to stay at home because they've got severe health risks like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or because they're a higher risk population, to be able to phone in supermarket orders and get them delivered? Because, again, particularly I know that in my constituencies, there is a significant number of older people who simply do not have access to that IT equipment to be able to put an order out to one of our favourite supermarkets.
I've got a specific question that I'd like to ask about the workforce. In a previous statement, you said that you planned to employ volunteers and staff who've recently left the NHS. So, they're going to be current. Could you confirm that locum doctors will be offered contracts that will cover them and their families in the event of serious ill-health or even death if they die in service because of this? Will you be looking at that going forward? Because it's one thing to ask a retired GP or a retired consultant perhaps or nurse to come back in and cover a shift and they've recently retired, we can get them a quick fitness to practice certificate—I understand all of that and that will, no doubt, be taking place—but we also need to cover them if the worst happens. So, can you just confirm that perhaps this will be an area that you would look at?
You've also talked about the opportunity of video consultations, which actually I think is a very important step forward, but, again, are you giving some thought to what plans might be in place for the areas where video connectivity, because of our IT infrastructure, simply isn't available, and I could give you quite a few notspots in my constituency where that really wouldn't happen?
There are lots of questions to ask on coronavirus, and I simply am not going to take up lots more of your time. My last question would be that, of course, South Korea believe that they've passed the peak, and that they're now coming down the other side; they're quietly confident. They've been very effective in how they've dealt with it. They have a different social structure, and a different culture, but one of the things that they did use was they used social media to help to track a coronavirus-identified patient. Obviously, I don't know—I assume that they had permission—but to track where they'd been, so that they could then try to use that kind of technology to find out who else might be at risk. Could you just tell us whether or not you've got any thoughts in the weeks ahead? As I say, not now—I appreciate it's not in place at this moment—but we all recognise that this virus is going to expand. The situation will get worse and the things I've mentioned are just things that we could do to help perhaps to chase down or to mitigate, and I just wondered if you'd been looking at somewhere like South Korea, who think they're through the worst of it, to learn what best practice we can to help us contain the situation, or at least manage the situation, in our country.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am eich datganiad, Gweinidog, ac am fod mor barod i roi diweddariadau i mi, ar ran y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, yn ystod y sefyllfa sydd ohoni. Gan fynd trwy eich datganiad chi, mae gennyf i nifer o gwestiynau. A wnewch chi gadarnhau ar ba lefel y bydd aelodau'r GIG yng Nghymru a thimau cynllunio ac ymateb y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol—mewn geiriau eraill, a oes ganddyn nhw'r awdurdod i sicrhau y bydd pethau'n digwydd yn y GIG? A wnewch chi gadarnhau nifer y gwelyau ynysu a fydd ar gael inni ar hyn o bryd drwy'r GIG yn ei gyfanrwydd? Oherwydd rwy'n tybio bod ynysu yn bur wahanol i ofal dwys, gan mai nhw yw'r rhai sydd o fewn y muriau gwydr, felly roeddwn i eisiau eglurhad ar hynny.
Roeddwn i'n falch iawn o weld y cyfarpar diogelu personol yn cael ei ddosbarthu i feddygfeydd a fferyllfeydd. Tybed pa bryd y gallech chi ystyried eu rhoi nhw i weithwyr gofal cartref a gweithwyr gofal mewn cartrefi preswyl, a pha gyngor a fyddech chi'n ei roi i berchnogion cartrefi preifat o ran pa ragofalon y dylen nhw fod yn eu cymryd.
Roeddech chi'n sôn am y dechnoleg i ategu hyn, ac mae'n rhaid imi ddweud bod y gwiriwr symptomau yn un da iawn, oherwydd fe roddais i gynnig ar ei ddefnyddio, ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn glir iawn ac rwy'n eich cymeradwyo chi ar hynny. Wrth gwrs, ni fydd gan lawer iawn o bobl hŷn o reidrwydd y modd i ddefnyddio technoleg gwybodaeth na'r gallu i'w ddefnyddio, felly tybed beth y gallech chi ei roi ar waith, neu pa gyfarwyddiadau y byddech chi'n eu rhoi i bobl hŷn nad ydyn nhw'n gallu defnyddio'r gwiriwr symptomau a'r hyn y dylen nhw ei wneud. Rwy'n tybio y byddwch chi'n dweud '111' wrthyf i, ac, unwaith eto, hoffwn i gael rhywfaint o eglurhad yn hynny o beth. Fe fues i mewn cyfarfod o staff Ysbyty Wrecsam Maelor yr wythnos diwethaf, a chyfarfod ag un neu ddau o bractisau meddygon teulu hefyd, ac roedden eu neges nhw i mi am effeithlonrwydd 111 yn y Gogledd yn un eithaf amwys. Fe ddywedodd rhai fod y rhif 0845 yn cael ei ddargyfeirio ac nad oedden nhw'n argyhoeddedig bod 111 ar gael yn gyffredinol. Felly, efallai y gallech chi gadarnhau hynny, er mwyn inni allu symud ymlaen gyda'r mater hwnnw.
Ac, unwaith eto, wrth inni sôn am bobl hŷn, rwy'n sylweddoli nad rhywbeth ar gyfer nawr yw hyn, ond yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf, a wnewch chi siarad gyda sefydliadau fel arweinyddion archfarchnadoedd neu a ydych chi wedi cynnal unrhyw drafodaethau â nhw o bosibl i sefydlu rhyw fath o ffordd i bobl hŷn, sy'n gorfod aros gartref oherwydd bod ganddyn nhw risgiau iechyd difrifol fel clefyd rhwystrol cronig yr ysgyfaint, neu oherwydd eu bod nhw'n boblogaeth risg uwch, i allu archebu nwyddau o'r archfarchnad dros y ffôn a'u cael wedi'u hanfon atyn nhw? Oherwydd, unwaith eto, gwn fod nifer sylweddol o bobl hŷn yn fy etholaethau i nad ydyn nhw'n gallu defnyddio offer technoleg gwybodaeth i archebu o un o'n hoff archfarchnadoedd ni.
Mae gen i gwestiwn penodol yr hoffwn ei ofyn ynglŷn â'r gweithlu. Mewn datganiad blaenorol, fe wnaethoch chi ddweud eich bod yn bwriadu defnyddio gwirfoddolwyr a staff sydd wedi gadael y GIG yn ddiweddar. Felly, fe fydd ganddyn nhw wybodaeth sy'n gyfredol. A wnewch chi gadarnhau y bydd meddygon locwm yn cael cynnig contractau a fydd yn eu hamddiffyn nhw a'u teuluoedd pe bai yna salwch difrifol neu hyd yn oed farwolaeth pe byddent yn digwydd marw wrth roi gwasanaeth fel hyn? A fyddwch chi'n rhoi ystyriaeth i hynny wrth symud ymlaen? Un peth yw gofyn i feddyg teulu sydd wedi ymddeol neu ymgynghorydd sydd wedi ymddeol neu nyrs sydd newydd ymddeol ddod yn ôl i mewn i weithio shifft, ac fe fyddem yn gallu cael tystysgrif addasrwydd i ymarfer iddyn nhw'n gyflym—rwy'n deall hynny i gyd ac fe fydd hynny yn digwydd, mae'n siŵr—ond hefyd mae angen inni eu hamddiffyn pe bai'r gwaethaf yn digwydd. Felly, a wnewch chi gadarnhau y byddwch chi efallai'n ystyried y maes hwn?
Rydych chi hefyd wedi siarad am y cyfle i bobl ymgynghori drwy fideo, sy'n gam pwysig iawn ymlaen yn fy marn i. Ond, unwaith eto, a ydych chi'n rhoi rhywfaint o ystyriaeth i ba gynlluniau a allai fod ar waith ar gyfer yr ardaloedd hynny lle nad oes cysylltedd fideo, oherwydd nad yw'r seilwaith ar gael, ac a gaf i roi rhestr i chi o sawl man gwan yn fy etholaeth i lle na fyddai hynny'n bosibl mewn gwirionedd?
Mae llawer o gwestiynau i'w holi ynglŷn â'r coronafeirws, ac nid wyf yn mynd i gymryd llawer mwy o'ch amser chi. Fy nghwestiwn olaf i yw, wrth gwrs, fod De Korea o'r farn fod y gwaethaf drosodd iddyn nhw, a'u bod nhw am weld gostyngiad nawr; maen nhw'n dawel hyderus. Maen nhw wedi bod yn effeithiol iawn yn y ffordd y maen nhw wedi ymdrin â'r sefyllfa. Mae ganddyn nhw strwythur cymdeithasol sy'n wahanol, a diwylliant sy'n wahanol, ond un o'r pethau a wnaethant oedd defnyddio'r cyfryngau cymdeithasol i helpu i olrhain cleifion y nodwyd bod ganddynt y coronafeirws. Yn amlwg, nid wyf yn gwybod—rwy'n cymryd eu bod wedi cael caniatâd—ond roeddent yn olrhain eu hynt nhw, ac yna gallent geisio defnyddio'r math hwnnw o dechnoleg i ganfod pwy arall a allai fod mewn perygl. A wnewch chi ddweud wrthym a oes gennych unrhyw syniadau neu beidio yn yr wythnosau nesaf? Fel y dywedaf i, nid nawr—rwy'n sylweddoli nad yw hyn ar waith ar hyn o bryd—ond rydym i gyd yn cydnabod y bydd y feirws hwn yn ymledu. Fe fydd y sefyllfa'n gwaethygu ac mae'r pethau a grybwyllais i'n bethau y gallem ni eu gwneud efallai i helpu i olrhain neu liniaru, ac roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed a oeddech chi wedi bod yn edrych ar rywle fel De Korea, sy'n credu bod y gwaethaf drosodd iddyn nhw, er mwyn dysgu'r arfer gorau ar gyfer ein helpu ni i reoli'r sefyllfa, neu o leiaf i sefydlogi'r sefyllfa, yn ein gwlad ni.
Thank you for the series of comments and questions. Your first point about the new team that I've referred to within the Government: the fact that I've instructed the chief exec of NHS Wales to set this up, there should be more than enough stripes, to use your terminology, within the NHS to make sure that people respond with an appropriate level of seniority. It's about co-ordinating the work within the Government as well as the interface together with the health service. And on your point about isolation measures, going back to some of the points the First Minister made in questions as well, this is actually about how we ought to flex up our capacity to meet people, but also we're going to need to treat people in different ways. People who would normally come in to a hospital setting for their care—we may need to treat teach more and more of those people in their own home in a different way. So, actually, I don't think we should get fixated on the number of beds we currently have but actually about our capacity across our whole system to be able to treat more people, and what that means, and the different treatment choices we'll need to make, and what we'll actually then need to do, for example, together with both regulators and royal colleges as well.
When it comes to the personal protective equipment for general practice and pharmacy, and what that might mean for other people who have direct contact with, in particular, at-risk groups of people—that goes into part of the conversation we're having, not just with the staff in domiciliary and residential care, but also one of your later points about the work with supermarkets. I've already instructed officials to have those conversations about providing goods to people who may be in their own homes for a longer period of time, but it's also about the work the local government in particular will need to do, both in planning for a change in the nature of the way in which services will be delivered, about the way they deliver services in people's homes already, either because they're directly providing that care, or they're commissioning care, and the way in which they'll need to plan for a different way to deliver services—again, potentially with fewer staff at some point, but also potentially with an increase in demand coming through their doors too.
On your point about IT access, the steps that we've taken to provide a consistent piece of software across the system is a real step forward, but that doesn't mean that it has universal coverage, because you're right to point out that there are some people who either don't have IT equipment or don't have access effectively to it for a number of reasons. So, there are also things—[Inaudible.]—other people as well. And again, that's a challenge that not just the health service faces, but a range of other public services too.
And on your point about access to the symptom checker, Public Health Wales have already provided a range of advice posters that talk about symptoms in there, so it's not just an online forum. I've seen in my recent trip to north Wales what that means, and at Cardiff Airport—where they're visible; I think they're very clear—but also a range of businesses have used exactly the same information posters. And that goes back to the points being made before about clear and consistent advice in using advice from a trusted source of information so I'm really encouraged by the way in which that very simple and clear advice is being used in a wide range of areas.
And I'm happy to reiterate the point about 111. It is an all-Wales service—an all-Wales service for coronavirus. So, if people are concerned, they can ring that number from any part of Wales to be provided with advice and guidance.
On the report about indemnity for people who are locums, I'm happy to explore that area further to see about whether we do need to change any of our current arrangements to make sure we have the right numbers of staff in the right place to provide care and treatment and also give people the assurance they may be looking for.
And on your final point about international learning, not just from South Korea, but from more broadly across the world—that was part of your discussion at COBRA this week. It's part of the discussions I've had on a regular basis with the chief medical officer, because what appears to be slightly different advice is being given in different parts of the world, but it's also learning from people in different stages of an outbreak as well. Actually, the work of the World Health Organization will be really important in this. But we certainly want to be linked in to the best possible advice, not just across the UK, but internationally too, about lessons we can learn—and we're slightly behind where other parts of the world are with this outbreak—to try and make sure we make better choices here, or we better understand the choices we are inevitably going to be faced with. So, yes, it's important in the here an now. It will also be important afterwards. So, once we're after the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK and across the globe, it's how we learn from what's happened and understand what we'll better need to do in the future.
Diolch am y gyfres o sylwadau a chwestiynau. Eich pwynt cyntaf chi ynglŷn â'r tîm newydd yr wyf i wedi cyfeirio ato o fewn y Llywodraeth: y ffaith fy mod i wedi cyfarwyddo prif weithredwr GIG Cymru i sefydlu hwn, fe ddylai fod yno ddigon o statws uchel o fewn staff y GIG i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn ymateb gyda lefel briodol o awdurdod. Mae'n ymwneud â chydlynu'r gwaith o fewn y Llywodraeth yn ogystal â'r rhyngwyneb â'r gwasanaeth iechyd. Ac ynglŷn â'ch pwynt chi am fesurau ynysu, gan fynd yn ôl at rai o'r pwyntiau a wnaeth y Prif Weinidog mewn cwestiynau hefyd, mae hyn mewn gwirionedd yn ymwneud â sut y dylem ni gynyddu ein capasiti i gwrdd â phobl, ond mae angen inni drin pobl mewn modd gwahanol hefyd. Y bobl a fyddai fel arfer yn dod i mewn i ysbyty i gael eu gofal—efallai y bydd angen inni drin mwy o'r bobl hynny yn eu cartrefi eu hunain mewn modd gwahanol. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, nid wyf i'n credu y dylem fod ag obsesiwn o ran nifer y gwelyau sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd ond o ran ein gallu ni ar draws y system gyfan, mewn gwirionedd, i allu trin mwy o bobl, a beth y mae hynny yn ei olygu, a'r dewisiadau amrywiol o ran triniaethau y bydd angen inni eu darparu, a'r hyn y bydd angen inni ei wneud wedyn mewn gwirionedd, er enghraifft, ynghyd â rheoleiddwyr a cholegau brenhinol hefyd.
O ran y cyfarpar diogelwch personol ar gyfer meddygfeydd teulu a fferyllfeydd, a'r hyn y gallai hynny ei olygu i bobl eraill sydd mewn cysylltiad uniongyrchol â grwpiau risg—mae hynny'n rhan o'r sgyrsiau yr ydym yn eu cael, nid yn unig gyda'r staff sy'n gweithio mewn gofal cartref a gofal preswyl, ond hefyd yn un o'ch pwyntiau diweddarach chi am y gwaith gydag archfarchnadoedd. Rwyf wedi cyfarwyddo swyddogion eisoes i gael y sgyrsiau hynny ynglŷn â chael nwyddau i bobl a allai fod yn eu cartrefi eu hunain am gyfnod maith, ond mae'n ymwneud hefyd â'r gwaith y bydd angen i lywodraeth leol yn benodol ei wneud, o ran cynllunio ar gyfer newid yn y ffordd y caiff gwasanaethau eu darparu, ynglŷn â'r ffordd y maen nhw'n darparu gwasanaethau yng nghartrefi pobl eisoes, naill ai oherwydd eu bod nhw'n darparu'r gofal hwnnw'n uniongyrchol, neu'n comisiynu gofal, a sut y bydd angen iddyn nhw gynllunio ar gyfer dull arall o ddarparu gwasanaethau—unwaith eto, gyda llai o staff o bosib rywdro, ond o bosibl hefyd gyda chynnydd yn y galw a ddaw drwy eu drysau nhw hefyd.
O ran eich pwynt chi ynglŷn â defnyddio TG, mae'r camau a gymerwyd gennym i ddarparu darn o feddalwedd sy'n gyson ledled y system yn gam mawr ymlaen, ond nid yw hynny'n golygu bod pawb yn gallu ei ddefnyddio. Rydych chi'n iawn i nodi bod yna rai pobl sydd naill ai heb offer TG neu nad ydynt yn gallu ei ddefnyddio'n effeithiol am nifer o resymau. Felly, mae pethau hefyd—[Anghlywadwy.]—pobl eraill hefyd. Ac eto, her yw honno sydd nid yn unig yn wynebu'r gwasanaeth iechyd, ond yn wynebu amrywiaeth o wasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill hefyd.
Ac o ran eich pwynt chi ynglŷn â gallu defnyddio'r gwiriwr symptomau, mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru wedi darparu amrywiaeth o bosteri eisoes sy'n rhoi cyngor ac yn sôn am y symptomau, felly nid fforwm ar-lein yn unig yw hyn. Rwyf wedi gweld ar fy nhaith ddiweddar i'r gogledd yr hyn y mae hynny'n ei olygu, ac ym Maes Awyr Caerdydd—lle maen nhw'n weladwy; credaf eu bod nhw'n glir iawn—ond mae amrywiaeth o fusnesau wedi defnyddio'r un posteri gwybodaeth hefyd. Ac mae hynny'n mynd yn ôl at y pwyntiau a wnaed yn flaenorol ynglŷn â chyngor clir a chyson wrth ddefnyddio cyngor o ffynhonnell wybodaeth y gellir ymddiried ynddi. Felly rwyf i wedi fy nghalonogi'n fawr gan y ffordd y mae'r cyngor syml a chlir iawn hwnnw'n cael ei ddefnyddio mewn ystod eang o feysydd.
Ac rwy'n hapus i ailadrodd y pwynt ynglŷn ag 111. Gwasanaeth i Gymru gyfan yw hwn—gwasanaeth i Gymru gyfan ar gyfer coronafeirws. Felly, os yw pobl yn gofidio, fe allan nhw ffonio'r rhif hwnnw o unrhyw ran o Gymru i gael cyngor ac arweiniad.
O ran yr adroddiad am indemniad ar gyfer pobl sy'n staff locwm, rwy'n hapus i archwilio'r maes hwnnw ymhellach i weld a oes angen newid unrhyw un o'n trefniadau presennol ni ar gyfer sicrhau bod y niferoedd iawn o staff gennym yn y mannau iawn i ddarparu gofal a thriniaeth a hefyd i roi sicrwydd i bobl.
Ac o ran eich pwynt olaf chi ynglŷn â dysgu oddi wrth wledydd eraill, nid oddi wrth Dde Korea yn unig, ond drwy'r holl fyd—roedd hynny'n rhan o'r drafodaeth yn COBRA yr wythnos hon. Mae'n rhan o'r trafodaethau yr wyf i wedi eu cael yn rheolaidd gyda'r prif swyddog meddygol, gan fod cyngor, a ymddengys yn amrywio ychydig, yn cael ei roi mewn gwahanol rannau o'r byd, ond mae'n golygu dysgu oddi wrth bobl hefyd am wahanol gamau'r achosion. Yn wir, fe fydd gwaith Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd yn bwysig iawn yn hyn o beth. Ond yn sicr rydym am gael ein cysylltu â'r cyngor gorau posib, nid yn unig ledled y DU, ond yn rhyngwladol hefyd, ynglŷn â gwersi y gallwn ni eu dysgu—ac rydym ychydig ar ei hôl hi o'i gymharu â rhannau eraill o'r byd gyda'r achosion hyn—i geisio gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn gwneud dewisiadau gwell yma, neu y gallwn ni ddeall yn well y dewisiadau y byddwn ni'n anochel yn eu hwynebu. Felly, ydy, mae hyn yn bwysig yn y sefyllfa sydd ohoni nawr. Fe fydd yn bwysig wedi hynny hefyd. Felly, pan fydd yr achosion o'r coronafeirws wedi cyrraedd ei anterth yn y DU ac ar draws y byd, mae angen inni ddysgu o'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd a deall beth fydd angen ei wneud yn well yn y dyfodol.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
Gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am y datganiad a diolch am y briffio sy'n cael ei roi i fi a llefaryddion eraill yn ystod y mater yma?
Gaf i ddweud hanesyn wrthoch chi am feddyg wnaeth gysylltu efo fy swyddfa i i gwyno ynglŷn â llinell 111, oherwydd ei bod hi wedi delio efo claf a oedd wedi gorfod talu £10 i ffonio'r rhif 0845 achos bod 111 ddim yn gweithio, a doedd y claf ddim yn gallu defnyddio ffôn landline ar y pryd? Mi oedd y claf arbennig yma a'i gŵr wedi dod yn ôl o'r Eidal yn ddiweddar, lle'r oedden nhw wedi bod ar wyliau efo cyfeillion. Ar ôl dod adref, mi wnaeth y cyfeillion hynny, a oedd yn byw yn Lloegr, gael eu profi a'u profi'n negyddol am COVID-19. Mi gafodd y cleifion yng Nghymru wedyn annwyd a chur pen a ffonio'r rhif 0845, ond mi ddywedwyd wrthyn nhw nad oedden nhw yn debygol o fod mewn risg ac nad oedd angen iddyn nhw gael eu profi. Ond oherwydd bod y cyfeillion yn Essex wedi cael eu profi, mi deimlon nhw y dylen nhw gymryd camau pellach eu hunain. Mi benderfynon nhw yrru i Ysbyty Gwynedd, siarad efo nyrs yn y fan honno a wnaeth roi triage iddyn nhw ar y ffôn. Mi wnaeth y meddyg wedyn wisgo ffedog a menig a mynd allan i'r car i sicrhau bod profion neu ddiagnosis yn gallu cael ei roi iddyn nhw. A beth rydyn ni wedi'i glywed oedd bod yna ddiffyg dealltwriaeth hyd yn oed ymhlith staff mewn ysbyty, mewn gofal meddygol y tu allan i oriau, er enghraifft, ynglŷn â beth yn union i'w wneud mewn achosion fel hyn. Mae hynny'n fater o bryder, wrth gwrs, os ydy'r staff eu hunain ar y llinell flaen yn teimlo nad ydy'r cyngor ganddyn nhw i'w roi i bobl, na chwaith y dillad addas i'w hamddiffyn eu hunain, er dwi'n nodi, ac yn ddiolchgar, o'r datganiad fod meddygfeydd teulu yn cael dillad addas erbyn rŵan.
Mae yna nifer o gwestiynau yn codi o'r mater yma i fi. Yn gyntaf, os ydy pobl yn methu â ffonio 111 am ryw reswm, ac yn methu â fforddio talu wedyn i ffonio'r rhif 0845, oes yna beryg ein bod ni'n methu rhai achosion? Beth ydy'r camau fydd yn cael eu gwneud er mwyn cryfhau'r ddarpariaeth 111 yna ymhellach?
Os ydy staff mewn ysbytai yn teimlo nad oes ganddyn nhw'r offer angenrheidiol i'w gwarchod eu hunain, oes yna ddisgwyliad y byddan nhw'n cael y dillad yna? Hefyd, pa gamau sydd yn cael eu gwneud i gryfhau'r ddarpariaeth mewn ysbytai ar gyfer y bobl hynny sydd yn mynd yn groes i'r cyngor sy'n cael ei roi iddyn nhw ac yn mynd i'r ysbyty beth bynnag? Oherwydd mae pobl yn mynd i wneud hynny, yn anffodus. Gobeithio mai ychydig iawn fydd yn gwneud, ond mae o'n mynd i ddigwydd. Beth fydd yn cael ei wneud i sicrhau bod ysbytai yn barod am hynny?
Os caf i hefyd wneud apêl am y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynglŷn â chapasiti gofal mwy dwys. Mae'n allweddol, dwi'n meddwl, ein bod ni ar y pwynt yma mewn amser yn sicrhau bod y capasiti yna ar gyfer gwelyau gofal mwy dwys yn cael eu darparu mewn ysbytai. Dwi'n meddwl ei bod hi'n deg i ddweud bod ein profiad ni o wledydd eraill, o edrych ar yr hyn sy'n digwydd mewn gwledydd eraill, yn dweud wrthym ni fod y math o ofal sy'n cael ei roi i bobl ar y pwynt lle mae eu hafiechyd nhw'n troi'n ddifrifol, p'un ai ydy'r gofal yn briodol iddyn nhw ac yn ddigon da iddyn nhw ar y pryd, yn gallu gwneud y gwahaniaeth pan mae'n dod at ydyn nhw'n mynd i oroesi yr afiechyd yma. Felly, beth sydd yn cael ei wneud rŵan i sicrhau bod y capasiti yna yn cael ei adeiladu ar gyfer yr anghenion allai godi yn yr wythnosau a'r misoedd nesaf ar gyfer gofal dwys yn yr ysbyty?
May I thank the Minister for the statement and thank him for the briefings provided both to me and to other party spokespeople at this time?
May I just tell you a story about a doctor who contacted my office to complain about the 111 line, because she dealt with a patient who'd had to pay £10 to call the 0845 number because 111 didn't work and the patient wasn't able to use a landline at that particular time? This particular patient and her husband had travelled back from Italy recently, where they'd been on holiday with friends. Having returned, those friends who lived in England were tested and tested negative for COVID-19. The patients in Wales then got a headache and a cold and phoned the 0845 number, but they were told that they were unlikely to be at risk and that they didn't need to be tested. But because their friends in Essex had been tested, they felt that they should take further steps themselves and they decided to drive to Ysbyty Gwynedd. They spoke to a nurse there who triaged them over the phone. The doctor then put an apron and gloves on and went out of the car to ensure that tests and diagnosis could be provided, and what I've heard is that there was a lack of understanding even among hospital staff in terms of out-of-hours medical care in terms of what exactly to do in cases such as this. This is a cause of concern, of course, if the front-line staff themselves don't feel that they have the appropriate advice to provide to people, or appropriate clothing to protect themselves, although I do note, and am thankful, from the statement that GP surgeries are to be provided with appropriate clothing now.
There are a number of questions arising from this for me. First of all, if people can't contact 111 for some reason, or perhaps can't afford to phone the 0845 number, is there a risk that we are missing some cases? What steps will be taken in order to strengthen that 111 provision further?
If staff in hospitals feel that they don't have the necessary equipment to safeguard themselves, is there an expectation that they should be provided with that clothing and equipment? Also, what steps are being taken to strengthen the provision in hospitals for those people who act contrary to the advice provided and go to hospital in any case? Because people are going to do that, unfortunately. I hope there'll be few cases, but it will happen. So, what will be done to ensure that hospitals are ready for that?
If I could also make an appeal for an update on the more intensive care capacity. It is crucial, I think, that we at this point in time do ensure that that capacity is in place for more intensive care beds to be provided in hospitals. I do think that it's fair to say that our experience from other nations in looking at what happens elsewhere tells us that the kind of care provided to people at that point where their illness becomes serious, whether the care is appropriate for them and good enough for them at that point, can make the difference as to whether those individuals survive this virus or not. So, what's being done now to ensure that that capacity is built for the needs that could arise over the next few weeks and months in terms of intensive care in hospitals?
I want to thank you for the comments and questions. I think your story of real experience in the recent past is important for all of us. On 0845, the old 0845 number, that is a cost that phone providers themselves charge and we're not in control of that. That's really frustrating, but we've taken the step to have an all-Wales 111 service so that it's a consistent number, so that we're not asking people in different parts of Wales to check which number they should use. I think it's really important, those points about clarity and consistency in the message that we have.
I'm really clear that if they need more resources, then we'll find more resources to give them more capacity to deal with people. There is something then about our whole NHS system understanding what to do, both about whether they need to use protective clothing or equipment, but also to make sure that people do themselves understand, in a simple and a clear way, how they should behave with members of the public. I think your point about the fact that they drove to a hospital site when that's exactly what we're asking people not to do, and our challenge about reinforcing for people to please follow the advice to keep them and other people safe—it's about keeping them safe, their family, their loved ones, but also people they may never have met. This is a really serious position.
The choices that we may well be faced with making will be choices that are imperfect, in the sense that we may be making choices about putting off activity within the health service to prioritise the most serious activity; we may be asking people to deliver treatment in a way that isn't what you'd expect to deliver in the here and now today, because of the capacity and because of the demand that we may see coming through our doors. The situation in Italy should tell us something about the choices we may face.
Italy is not a developing world country, they have a good developed world health system, and yet their healthcare system is over-topped at present. They've over-topped all of their intensive care capacity, including having scaled that up by redeploying their staff, and they're having to make some of the choices that the First Minister described as well. They're talking about treating people in hospitals not in the sort of position that they might otherwise have wanted those people to be in, in an intensive care bed, but they may not have those beds because they're full; they're talking about people who may need ventilation, they don't have that, they're thinking about alternatives. As I've said several times, we may be treating people in their own homes when today we would definitely be saying, 'That person should be in a hospital, in a bed with a certain level of escalation.' These are not trivial choices we are actively contemplating having to make.
Even if we flex all of our capacity, if we switch off other areas of activity, if we redeploy all of our staff, it is still possible that if we don't take steps, if we don't take effective measures, we could be over-topped. It is also possible that, doing everything humanly possible, a new condition that we don't have a vaccine for, we don't have effective anti-viral treatment for—it is possible when you look at the reasonable worst-case scenario that a range of our services could be over-topped. That's the challenge we're facing, so the seriousness of all the choices we make are real. As I say, the scale of what is happening in Italy now should reinforce that, not just the rise in the death toll numbers, but also the numbers of people that are seriously unwell at present today in Italy and they're having to care for.
So, I'll be happy to deal with all of those points as we come through and have to make choices, both about choices that we are making, about change in the way the health service works, but also about choices that we are saying we don't need to make. Again, we're asking the public to follow the advice that we're giving from trusted sources, the Government the national health service, and to make sure that we do follow that advice and not some of the alternative advice that exists from alternative commentators that are being giving a platform on social media and the broadcast news. I saw an interview Rory Stewart did—a former Cabinet Minister—and he was suggesting that the Government should ignore the scientific advice and take action early, in advance of what the science tells us. That is entirely the wrong thing to do. I was very disappointed because it's highly irresponsible, so this Government will make choices even if they seem counterintuitive. I re-provide the reassurance that we are definitely definitely listening to the four chief medical officers across the UK and we are definitely looking to the very best scientific advice we have to base our decisions upon.
Fe hoffwn i ddiolch i chi am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau. Rwy'n credu bod eich stori chi am brofiad gwirioneddol yn y gorffennol diweddar yn ystyrlon i bob un ohonom. Ynglŷn â 0845, yr hen rif 0845, mae honno'n gost y mae'r darparwyr ffôn eu hunain yn ei chodi ac nid ydym ni'n rheoli hynny. Mae'n rhwystredig iawn, ond rydym wedi cymryd y cam i gael gwasanaeth 111 ledled Cymru er mwyn iddo fod yn rhif sy'n gyson, fel nad ydym yn gofyn i bobl mewn gwahanol rannau o Gymru orfod gwirio pa rif y dylen nhw fod yn ei ddefnyddio. Rwy'n credu bod y pwyntiau hynny am eglurder a chysondeb yn bwysig iawn yn y neges sydd gennym ni.
Rwy'n hollol glir, os oes angen mwy o adnoddau arnyn nhw, fe fyddwn ni'n dod o hyd i fwy o adnoddau fel bod ganddynt fwy o gapasiti i ymdrin â phobl. Mae yna rywbeth wedyn am ein system GIG gyfan ni yn deall beth i'w wneud, o ran a oes angen iddyn nhw ddefnyddio dillad neu gyfarpar amddiffynnol, ond i sicrhau bod pobl hefyd yn deall eu hunain, yn syml a chlir, sut y dylent ymddwyn gyda'r cyhoedd. Rwy'n credu bod eich pwynt chi ynglŷn â'r ffaith eu bod nhw wedi gorfod gyrru i'r ysbyty pan rydym yn gofyn i bobl beidio â gwneud hynny, a'n her ni wrth bwysleisio y dylai pobl ddilyn y cyngor i'w cadw nhw ac eraill yn ddiogel—mae'n ymwneud â'u cadw nhw'n ddiogel, eu teuluoedd nhw, eu hanwyliaid nhw, ond pobl nad ydyn nhw wedi cyfarfod â nhw erioed hefyd. Mae hon yn sefyllfa ddifrifol iawn.
Mae'n bosib iawn mai'r dewisiadau y byddwn ni'n eu hwynebu fydd dewisiadau sy'n amherffaith, yn yr ystyr ein bod ni efallai'n gwneud dewisiadau ynghylch gohirio gweithgarwch yn y gwasanaeth iechyd er mwyn blaenoriaethu'r gweithgarwch mwyaf difrifol; efallai y byddwn yn gofyn i bobl ddarparu triniaeth mewn ffordd na fyddech yn ei disgwyl nawr oherwydd y capasiti ac oherwydd y galw y byddwn o bosib yn ei weld yn dod drwy ein drysau ni. Fe ddylai'r sefyllfa yn yr Eidal ddweud rhywbeth wrthym am y dewisiadau y gallen ni fod yn eu hwynebu.
Nid gwlad sy'n datblygu yw'r Eidal. Mae ganddi system iechyd dda yn y byd datblygedig, ac eto mae ei system gofal iechyd yn cael ei gorlethu ar hyn o bryd. Mae'r holl gapasiti gofal dwys wedi ei orlethu, gan gynnwys yr uwchraddio a wnaed drwy adleoli staff, ac mae'n gorfod gwneud rhai o'r dewisiadau a ddisgrifiodd y Prif Weinidog hefyd. Maen nhw'n siarad am drin pobl mewn ysbytai, nid yn y math o sefyllfa y bydden nhw wedi dymuno i'r bobl hynny fod ynddi fel arall, mewn gwely gofal dwys, ond efallai nad yw'r gwelyau hynny ar gael oherwydd eu bod nhw'n llawn; maen nhw'n sôn am bobl y gallai fod angen cymorth anadlu arnyn nhw, ac nid ydyn nhw'n cael hynny, maen nhw'n meddwl am ddewisiadau eraill. Fel y dywedais i sawl gwaith, efallai y byddwn ni'n trin pobl yn eu cartrefi eu hunain pan fyddem ni'n dweud heddiw, yn bendant, 'Fe ddylai'r unigolyn hwn fod mewn ysbyty, mewn gwely gyda lefel benodol o gynnydd yn ei driniaeth feddygol.' Nid dewisiadau dibwys yw'r rhain yr ydym yn ystyried gorfod eu gwneud.
Hyd yn oed os byddwn ni'n defnyddio ein holl gapasiti ni, os byddwn ni'n atal meysydd eraill o weithgarwch, os byddwn ni'n adleoli ein holl staff ni, mae'n bosib o hyd, os na fyddwn ni'n cymryd camau, os na fyddwn ni'n cymryd mesurau effeithiol, y gallem gael ein gorlethu. Mae'n bosib hefyd, o wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu dynol, gyda chyflwr newydd nad oes gennym ni frechlyn ar ei gyfer, nad oes gennym ni driniaeth gwrthfeirws effeithiol ar ei gyfer—mae'n bosib pan edrychwch ar y sefyllfa waethaf posib, y gallai amrywiaeth o'n gwasanaethau ni gael eu gorlethu. Dyna'r her sy'n ein hwynebu ni, felly mae difrifoldeb yr holl ddewisiadau a wnawn yn rhai gwirioneddol. Fel y dywedaf, mai graddfa'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn yr Eidal nawr yn atgyfnerthu hynny, nid dim ond y cynnydd yn nifer y marwolaethau, ond yn nifer y bobl sy'n ddifrifol wael hefyd ar hyn o bryd yn yr Eidal heddiw ac maen nhw'n gorfod gofalu amdanynt.
Felly, fe fyddaf yn fodlon ymdrin â'r holl bwyntiau hynny wrth inni ddod atyn nhw a gorfod gwneud dewisiadau, ynghylch y dewisiadau yr ydym ni'n eu gwneud, ynghylch newid yn y ffordd y mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn gweithio, ond hefyd ynghylch y dewisiadau yr ydym yn dweud nad oes angen inni eu gwneud. Unwaith eto, rydym yn gofyn i'r cyhoedd ddilyn y cyngor yr ydym yn ei roi a ddaw o ffynonellau y gellir ymddiried ynddyn nhw, sef y Llywodraeth a'r Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol, a gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n dilyn y cyngor hwnnw ac nid y cyngor arall sy'n dod gan sylwebwyr eraill sy'n dweud eu dweud ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol a'r newyddion a gaiff eu darlledu. Fe welais i gyfweliad â Rory Stewart—cyn-Weinidog yn y Cabinet—ac roedd ef yn awgrymu y dylai'r Llywodraeth anwybyddu'r cyngor gwyddonol a gweithredu'n gynnar, a hynny cyn yr hyn y mae'r wyddoniaeth yn ei ddweud wrthym ni. Nid dyna'r peth iawn i'w wneud. Roeddwn i'n siomedig iawn oherwydd roedd yn anghyfrifol iawn dweud hyn, ac felly fe fydd y Llywodraeth hon yn gwneud dewisiadau hyd yn oed os ydynt yn ymddangos yn groes i'r graen. Rwy'n mynegi'r sicrwydd eto ein bod ni'n bendant, yn bendant yn gwrando ar y pedwar prif swyddog meddygol ledled y DU ac rydym yn bendant yn edrych ar y cyngor gwyddonol gorau sydd gennym i seilio ein penderfyniadau arno.
I think the thoughts of all of us in this Chamber and elsewhere are with all those people who are currently suffering from this virus and those who believe that they might be but are maybe awaiting diagnosis, as well the families of those who have already died. I think this is one of the most terrifying threats to us as people and to our society that I've certainly seen in my lifetime. I can remember on no other occasion how a disease like this has spread across the globe and has infected so many people and caused so much suffering in societies across the whole of this world.
I'm glad that the Welsh Government is listening to experts, and I'm glad that the Welsh Government is following the advice that our scientists and doctors are providing to us. It is absolutely essential that, in responding to this crisis, we follow the best advice and scientific analysis that we have available to us. I'm also very pleased to see that the Welsh Government is working closely with the other Governments across the United Kingdom to ensure that we do have the sort of holistic response that we require. I would say that I believe that the Welsh Government is the only administration, if you like, in this country capable of co-ordinating all of the responses required across all of our public services and across all of the different services that we will require as a country to come through this virus. I hope that the Minister—he hasn't mentioned this in his initial response, but I trust the Minister is working closely with his colleague sitting next to him, the Minister, I think, who is responsible for civil contingencies, and perhaps he would explain the structures that the Welsh Government are putting in place to ensure that we have the full, civil contingency response that we will require.
But I think the thoughts of many of us are with those people working in the national health service who will bear the brunt of this virus and the human consequences of this. Many of us have been seeing and hearing and reading of the impact that this is having on the medical service and the health service in Italy and the impact it is having on the people working within the health service in Italy who have to take life and death decisions, who are working long hours under extraordinary pressures to deal with the human impact of the virus. In my experience, one of the most difficult civil contingencies that we've dealt with across the United Kingdom was that in Salisbury, and the poisoning that took place there some years ago. One of the lessons learned there was the burnout and the impact that responding to these emergencies has on people over an extended period of time. Clearly, the incident in Salisbury was an isolated, single incident; this is something that is going to be happening in every community across the whole of this country over an extended period of time.
I hope that—. And perhaps the Minister will explain to us the sort of measures that the Government is putting in place to protect national health service workers and to ensure that we're able to support people working in the national health service to ensure that they have the support that they need, but to also look outside of the national health service to ensure that we have the care available for vulnerable people, people who may be living alone, people who might be living with life-limiting conditions at present, to ensure that they are kept safely in their homes and in their communities, but also support for small businesses as well. This is extending beyond, perhaps, this Minister's responsibilities, but it is easier for a multinational to withstand this than a corner shop, and we need to ensure that the small businesses of this country are protected as well. That takes us to ensuring that our public services have the support that they require as well. Local government, amongst others, amongst education and elsewhere, will be on the front line in dealing with much of the impact of this virus, and we need to ensure that our public services have the support and the co-ordination that they also require.
Finally, Minister, in your statement, you outlined four-country legislation that is going to be passed by Westminster to provide Ministers here with the powers that you require in order to deal with this, and I very much welcome that, but can you assure us that the powers that you will be taking will be subject to sunset clauses so that these powers do not remain on the statute book at the end of this emergency, so that we don't, almost by accident, grant the Government enduring powers over our lives outside of this emergency?
Rwy'n credu bod ein meddyliau ni i gyd yn y Siambr hon ac mewn mannau eraill gyda phawb sy'n dioddef ar hyn o bryd oherwydd y feirws hwn a'r rhai sy'n credu y gallen nhw fod ond sy'n aros am ddiagnosis efallai, yn ogystal â theuluoedd y rhai a fu farw eisoes. Rwyf i o'r farn mai hwn yw un o'r bygythiadau mwyaf dychrynllyd inni ei weld i bobl ac i'r gymdeithas, yn sicr yn fy oes i. Ni allaf gofio unrhyw achlysur y bu clefyd fel hwn yn ymledu ar draws y byd ac yn heintio cynifer o bobl ac yn achosi cymaint o ddioddefaint mewn cymdeithasau ledled y byd hwn yn ei gyfanrwydd.
Rwy'n falch bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwrando ar arbenigwyr, ac rwy'n falch bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn dilyn y cyngor y mae ein gwyddonwyr a'n meddygon yn ei roi i ni. Mae'n gwbl hanfodol ein bod ni, wrth ymateb i'r argyfwng hwn, yn dilyn y cyngor a'r dadansoddiad gwyddonol gorau sydd ar gael ar ein cyfer ni. Rwy'n falch iawn hefyd o weld bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio'n agos gyda'r llywodraethau eraill ledled y Deyrnas Unedig i sicrhau ein bod ni'n cael y math o ymateb holistaidd sydd ei angen arnom ni. Fe fyddwn i'n dweud fy mod i o'r farn mai Llywodraeth Cymru yw'r unig weinyddiaeth, os hoffech chi, yn y wlad hon a all gydlynu'r holl ymatebion sy'n ofynnol ar draws ein holl wasanaethau cyhoeddus ni ac ar draws yr holl wahanol wasanaethau y bydd eu hangen nhw arnom ni fel gwlad i ddod drwy'r feirws hwn. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidog—ni wnaeth sôn am hyn yn ei ymateb cychwynnol, ond rwy'n hyderu bod y Gweinidog yn gweithio'n agos gyda'i gydweithiwr sy'n eistedd wrth ei ymyl, y Gweinidog, rwy'n credu, sy'n gyfrifol am argyfyngau sifil, ac efallai y byddai ef yn egluro'r strwythurau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu rhoi ar waith i sicrhau'r ymateb wrth gefn llawn, sifil y bydd ei angen arnom ni.
Ond rwy'n credu y bydd llawer ohonom yn meddwl am y bobl hynny sy'n gweithio yn y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol a fydd yn dwyn baich y feirws hwn a chanlyniadau hyn i bobl. Mae llawer ohonom wedi bod yn gweld ac yn clywed ac yn darllen am yr effaith y mae hyn yn ei chael ar y gwasanaeth meddygol a'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn yr Eidal a'r effaith y mae'n ei chael ar y bobl sy'n gweithio yn y gwasanaeth iechyd yn yr Eidal sy'n gorfod gwneud penderfyniadau ar fywyd a marwolaeth, sy'n gweithio oriau hir dan bwysau anghyffredin i ymdrin ag effaith y feirws ar bobl. Yn fy mhrofiad i, un o'r argyfyngau sifil anoddaf yr ydym ni wedi ymdrin ag ef ledled y Deyrnas Unedig oedd hwnnw yn Salisbury, a'r gwenwyno a ddigwyddodd yno rai blynyddoedd yn ôl. Un o'r gwersi a ddysgwyd yno oedd yr effaith ddofn a'r dylanwad a gaiff ymateb i'r argyfyngau hyn ar bobl dros gyfnod estynedig o amser. Yn amlwg, roedd y digwyddiad yng Salisbury yn ddigwyddiad unigol, ynysig; mae hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n mynd i ddigwydd ym mhob cymuned yn y wlad hon am gyfnod estynedig o amser.
Rwy'n gobeithio—. Ac efallai y bydd y Gweinidog yn egluro wrthym y math o fesurau y mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu rhoi ar waith i amddiffyn gweithwyr y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol a sicrhau y gallwn ni gefnogi pobl sy'n gweithio yn y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol i wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnyn nhw, ond i edrych hefyd y tu allan i'r Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol i wneud yn siŵr bod y gofal ar gael i bobl sy'n agored i niwed, i bobl a allai fod yn byw ar eu pennau eu hunain, i bobl a allai fod yn byw gyda chyflyrau sy'n cyfyngu ar fywyd ar hyn o bryd, ar gyfer sicrhau eu bod nhw'n cael eu cadw'n ddiogel yn eu cartrefi ac yn eu cymunedau, ond cymorth i fusnesau bach hefyd. Mae hyn yn ymestyn y tu hwnt, efallai, i gyfrifoldebau'r Gweinidog hwn, ond mae'n haws i gwmni rhyngwladol wrthsefyll hyn na'r siop gornel, ac mae angen i ni sicrhau bod busnesau bach y wlad hon yn cael eu gwarchod hefyd. Mae hynny'n ein harwain ni at sicrhau bod ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnyn nhw hefyd. Fe fydd Llywodraeth Leol, ymysg eraill, gydag addysg ac mewn mannau eraill, ar y rheng flaen o ran ymdrin â llawer o effaith y feirws hwn, ac mae angen sicrhau bod ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ni'n cael y cymorth a'r cydgysylltu sydd ei angen arnyn nhw hefyd.
Yn olaf, Gweinidog, yn eich datganiad chi, roeddech chi'n amlinellu deddfwriaeth pedair gwlad sy'n mynd i gael ei phasio gan San Steffan i ddarparu'r pwerau i Weinidogion yn y fan hon sydd eu hangen arnoch chi i ymdrin â hyn, ac rwy'n croesawu hynny'n fawr. Ond a wnewch chi ein sicrhau ni y bydd y pwerau y byddwch yn eu cael yn ddarostyngedig i gymalau machlud fel na fydd y pwerau hyn yn aros ar y llyfr statud ar ddiwedd yr argyfwng hwn, fel na fyddwn ni, bron ar hap, yn rhoi pwerau parhaol i'r Llywodraeth i reoli ein bywydau ni wedi i'r argyfwng hwn redeg ei gwrs?
Thank you for the series of questions. I think I'll start with some of your early points—I'll try to take them in order. I don't always agree with Matt Hancock, and I certainly don't always agree with Boris Johnson, but, during our COBRA calls, there has been a genuinely serious and grown-up attempt to go through issues and to reach agreement on finding the best way through. In fact, the Prime Minister has said, and I agree with him on this, that the greatest risk of panic and the wrong response is often politically driven demands in contradiction of the science and the evidence. So, our response is based on the science and on the evidence.
In terms of the work we're doing across Government, I have already met with Julie James at the start of the now very regular COBRA meetings. We've had a conversation, and I've met with her lead official who co-ordinates much of the civil contingencies work. We've also formed, as the First Minister said, a core ministerial group—if you like, a COBRA Cymru group of Ministers—and we're meeting each week. I chaired the first meeting of that group last week. We're meeting again tomorrow, so there'll be regular conversations between Ministers so that Ministers are informed of different choices that are being made, but, equally, so Ministers can co-ordinate choices within their own portfolio areas, because every group of stakeholders working to every group of Ministers will be affected by this somewhere along the line, as you say.
And it's not only the choices that we make there, because your specific choices around small businesses, I think, are really important. Because there is a range of measures that Welsh Government could take, but, actually, on many more of those, there's action that the UK Government will need to take on a whole-UK basis. I hope that the budget tomorrow sets some of those out. That's why the finance Minister was in London at the start of the day to have that conversation. That, again, came from a previous COBRA meeting, where there was agreement that that meeting should take place with finance Ministers in all of the devolved national Governments.
We'll then need to see what measures are taken tomorrow, but as the outbreak develops to make sure there's a fleet-of-foot response from the Government across the UK as well. Obviously, the economy Minister has already asked his officials to look at the measures that we could take here to support small businesses in particular. That, potentially, could be as a consequence of the public health advice that we give. If we ask people to stay at home—if we ask more people to stay at home—that could have an impact on either the custom that goes out, but also people going to work themselves. A small business say with five employees—well, if two of those people are asked to stay at home, that can make a really big difference to the running of that business.
Your point about the human impact of this, I think, is also really important as well, because we're really talking with the Royal Colleges and regulators about the potential impacts of making different choices and holding people to standards at the time. But there is a human impact in, if people are seeing large numbers of very sick people, not making choices that they would otherwise make, and not feeling they're able to be in control as they would normally expect to be in delivering health and care, and that's something that we discovered both at the partnership forum, the NHS partnership forum, between the Government, the employers and trade unions on Thursday in north Wales, when I attended.
Again, we're trying to work through some consistent advice, so we don't see a wildly varying approach being taken between different NHS organisations here in Wales. There is a broader point there about public services too, because it won't just be NHS workers who will find themselves in a very difficult position, as you point out. That's a matter that I went through with social care cabinet colleagues from local government yesterday. So, across all parties, they recognise that they need to go and look at the way in which they run their services, and, obviously, the leaders of every local government organisation will need to think about that too.
I'm pleased you made the point about social isolation—if we're asking people to stay at home, what that means, regardless of the age profile. Given that we understand that social isolation and loneliness are a real challenge for lots of people, if we're then asking more of those people to not have that social interaction, again there's a choice for the Government, for the health service, but also for local government, about what form of social interaction can those people have to make sure that they're still being checked up on and not ignored, if we're asking them to avoid what would otherwise be normal social contact that helps people to stay well and healthy. So, it isn't a simple measure of, 'Take one step and that will keep everyone safe.'
The final point I'd make is just to give you some reassurance about the emergency powers Bill. All Ministers are cognisant of the fact that, in asking the legislatures across the UK to trust Ministers with powers, there should be some safeguards, and that definitely includes sunset clauses. So, any legislation, you'd expect to see sunset clauses in that about not just how powers are enacted but how powers get switched off again as well, because I recognise completely the point that the Member makes.
Diolch i chi am y gyfres o gwestiynau. Rwy'n credu y byddaf i'n dechrau gyda rhai o'ch pwyntiau cynnar chi—fe fyddaf yn ceisio eu cymryd nhw yn eu trefn. Nid wyf i'n cytuno â Matt Hancock bob amser, ac yn sicr nid wyf i'n cytuno â Boris Johnson bob amser, ond yn ystod ein galwadau COBRA, fe gafwyd ymgais wirioneddol ddifrifol ac aeddfed i ymdrin â'r materion ac i ddod i gytundeb ynghylch canfod y ffordd orau ymlaen. Yn wir, mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi dweud, ac rwy'n cytuno ag ef yn hyn o beth, mai'r perygl mwyaf yw panig ac ymateb amhriodol ac fe gaiff hynny ei ysgogi'n aml gan alwadau gwleidyddol sy'n groes i wyddoniaeth a thystiolaeth. Felly, mae ein hymateb ni'n seiliedig ar yr wyddoniaeth ac ar y dystiolaeth.
O ran y gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud ar draws y Llywodraeth, rwyf wedi cyfarfod eisoes â Julie James ar ddechrau'r cyfarfodydd COBRA sy'n rheolaidd iawn erbyn hyn. Rydym wedi cael sgwrs, ac rwyf wedi cwrdd â'i swyddog arweiniol hi sy'n cydlynu llawer o'r gwaith argyfyngau sifil. Rydym ni, fel y dywedodd y Prif Weinidog, wedi ffurfio grŵp gweinidogol craidd hefyd—os mynnwch chi, grŵp o Weinidogion COBRA Cymru—ac rydym yn cyfarfod bob wythnos. Fi oedd cadeirydd cyfarfod cyntaf y grŵp hwnnw'r wythnos diwethaf. Rydym yn cyfarfod eto yfory, felly fe fydd sgyrsiau rheolaidd yn digwydd rhwng Gweinidogion fel y caiff Gweinidogion eu hysbysu am wahanol ddewisiadau sy'n cael eu gwneud, ond, yn yr un modd, fel y gall Gweinidogion gydgysylltu dewisiadau o fewn meysydd eu portffolios eu hunain, gan fod pob grŵp o'r rhanddeiliaid sy'n gweithio i bob grŵp o Weinidogion yn cael eu heffeithio gan hyn mewn rhyw ffordd, fel yr ydych chi wedi dweud.
Ac nid y dewisiadau hyn yw'r unig beth yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yno, oherwydd mae eich dewisiadau penodol chi ynghylch busnesau bach, rwy'n credu, yn bwysig iawn. Gan fod yna amrywiaeth o fesurau y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru eu cymryd, ond, mewn gwirionedd, gyda llawer mwy o'r rhain, mae camau y bydd angen i Lywodraeth y DU eu cymryd ar sail y DU gyfan. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y gyllideb yfory'n nodi rhai o'r rhain. Dyna pam roedd y Gweinidog cyllid yn Llundain ar ddechrau'r dydd i gael y sgwrs honno. Daeth hynny, unwaith eto, yn sgil cyfarfod blaenorol COBRA, lle cafwyd cytundeb y dylid cynnal y cyfarfod hwnnw gyda Gweinidogion cyllid ym mhob un o'r Llywodraethau cenedlaethol datganoledig.
Yna, fe fydd angen inni weld pa fesurau gaiff eu cymryd yfory, ond wrth i'r achosion o'r feirws ddatblygu bydd angen sicrhau bod y Llywodraeth yn ymateb yn y fan a'r lle ledled y DU hefyd. Yn amlwg, mae Gweinidog yr economi wedi gofyn eisoes i'w swyddogion edrych ar y mesurau y gallem ni eu cymryd yma i gefnogi busnesau bach yn benodol. Fe allai hynny, o bosib, fod o ganlyniad i'r cyngor a roddwn ni ar iechyd y cyhoedd. Os gofynnwn i bobl aros gartref—os gofynnwn ni i fwy o bobl aros gartref—fe allai hynny effeithio naill ai ar weithgarwch cyffredinol y busnesau, ond ar y bobl sy'n mynd allan i weithio eu hunain hefyd. Gyda busnes bach sydd â phump o weithwyr, dyweder—wel, os gofynnir i ddau o'r bobl hynny aros gartref, fe all hynny wneud gwahaniaeth mawr iawn i'r ffordd y caiff y busnes hwnnw ei redeg.
Mae eich pwynt chi ynglŷn ag effaith hyn ar bobl, rwy'n credu, yn bwysig iawn hefyd, oherwydd rydym yn trafod gyda'r Colegau Brenhinol a'r rheoleiddwyr am effeithiau posibl gwneud gwahanol ddewisiadau a gwneud pobl yn atebol i safonau ar y pryd. Ond mae yna effaith ar bobl, os yw pobl yn gweld niferoedd mawr o bobl sâl iawn, yn peidio â gwneud dewisiadau y bydden nhw'n eu gwneud fel arall, ac yn teimlo na allan nhw fod mewn rheolaeth, fel y bydden nhw fel arfer yn disgwyl bod yn y gwaith o ddarparu iechyd a gofal. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth y gwnaethom ni ei ganfod yn y fforwm partneriaeth, yn fforwm partneriaeth y GIG, rhwng y Llywodraeth, y cyflogwyr a'r undebau llafur ddydd Iau yn y gogledd, pan oeddwn i yno.
Unwaith eto, rydym yn ceisio gweithio drwy gyngor cyson, felly ni fyddwn ni'n gweld dull sy'n amrywio'n fawr iawn yn cael ei fabwysiadu gan wahanol sefydliadau'r GIG yma yng Nghymru. Mae yna bwynt ehangach ynglŷn â gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hefyd, oherwydd nid dim ond gweithwyr y GIG fydd yn cael eu hunain mewn sefyllfa anodd iawn, fel yr ydych chi'n ei nodi. Mae hwnnw'n fater a drafodais i gyda chydweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol o lywodraeth leol yn y Cabinet ddoe. Felly, ar draws pob plaid, maen nhw'n cydnabod bod angen iddyn nhw ystyried sut maen nhw'n rhedeg eu gwasanaethau nhw, ac, yn amlwg, fe fydd angen i arweinyddion pob sefydliad llywodraeth leol roi ystyriaeth i hynny hefyd.
Rwy'n falch eich bod chi wedi gwneud y pwynt am ynysu cymdeithasol—os ydym yn gofyn i bobl aros gartref, a'r hyn y mae hynny'n ei olygu, beth bynnag fyddo'r proffil oedran. Rydym yn deall bod ynysu cymdeithasol ac unigrwydd yn her wirioneddol i lawer o bobl. Ond os ydym wedyn yn gofyn i'r bobl hynny beidio â chael y rhyngweithio cymdeithasol hwnnw, yna mae dewis eto gan y Llywodraeth, y gwasanaeth iechyd, ond hefyd llywodraeth leol, ynghylch pa fath o ryngweithio cymdeithasol y gall y bobl hynny ei gael i sicrhau eu bod nhw'n dal i gael cysylltiad â phobl ac nid yn cael eu hanwybyddu. Rydym y gofyn i bobl osgoi'r hyn a fyddai fel arall yn gyswllt cymdeithasol arferol sy'n helpu pobl i gadw'n ddedwydd ac yn iach. Felly, nid yw'n fater syml o ddweud, 'Cymerwch un cam ac fe fydd hynny'n cadw pawb yn ddiogel.'
Y pwynt olaf yr wyf yn ei wneud yw rhoi tawelwch meddwl i chi am y Bil pwerau brys. Mae pob Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o'r ffaith, wrth ofyn i'r deddfwrfeydd ledled y DU ymddiried mewn Gweinidogion sydd â phwerau, y dylid cael rhai camau diogelwch, ac mae hynny'n bendant yn cynnwys cymalau machlud i'r pwerau. Felly, gydag unrhyw ddeddfwriaeth, fe fyddech chi'n disgwyl gweld cymalau machlud ynghylch nid yn unig sut y caiff pwerau eu deddfu ond sut y caiff pwerau eu terfynu wedyn hefyd, oherwydd rwy'n cydnabod y pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud yn llwyr.
Thank you for your latest update, Minister, and I welcome the measures the Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and our excellent NHS staff are taking to protect us from the spread of the SARS COV-2 virus. Some of the measures, such as the new software to enable video consultations, will enhance our health service beyond this outbreak, and we must capitalise on this service, which, in this instance, replaces face-to-face contact and is absolutely necessary at this point.
At this point, it is important to reiterate to the public that we must all try to be as not panicked as possible, and while it is right that we prepare for all eventualities, there is no need for the public to change the way they go about their day-to-day activities, apart from taking precautions against respiratory illnesses, such as regular hand washing and never touching your face with unwashed hands. But this guidance should be normal practice, and we must note that influenza kills more than 0.5 billion people a year, so it's important to keep that in perspective.
It is also important to check the information that is readily available to the public and ensure that it is updated, and also to ensure that our most vulnerable in society have access to all of this information and our hard-to-reach communities are also made easier, so that they can interact regarding information on this virus.
So far, we have six people infected with SARS COV-2, and that's 0.0001 per cent of the population of Wales: six people out of 3.2 million. So, it is reassuring to note that, across the UK, there have been around 320 cases out of a total population of 70 million. It is important also to note that we keep our perspective, prepare but do not overreact, and the biggest threat in any viral outbreak is public panic. Rumour is currently our biggest enemy and social media is rife with fake cases and fake cures, and everything from drinking bleach to snorting cocaine. It has led to panic buying, resulting in short-term shortages as the supermarkets restock, further adding to the rumour mill.
So, Minister, what discussions have you had with the UK Government and have had with the social media platforms about the best way of tackling the spread of misinformation, and how to promote information from trusted sources such as Public Health Wales? I would once again like to thank you for the measured approach the Welsh Government is taking in preparing for the impacts of a COVID-19 outbreak.
I have just one or two questions relating to preparations here in Wales. Minister, last year the Welsh Government made preparations for a 'no deal' Brexit by securing warehouse space and stockpiling certain medicines. Minister, what role, if any, will those measures play in preparing for a wider scale outbreak?
And, finally, Minister, there have been reports that the SARS COV-2 virus will impact the availability of pharmaceutical ingredients coming out of India. This supply chain is vital to the generic medicines trade, so what discussions have you had with the pharmaceutical industry about the best ways to mitigate any threats this virus will have upon the supply of pharmaceutical products? Thank you.
Diolch i chi am eich diweddariad diweddaraf, Gweinidog, ac rwy'n croesawu'r camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru, Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru a'n staff GIG rhagorol ni'n eu cymryd i'n hamddiffyn ni rhag lledaeniad firws COV-2 SARS. Fe fydd rhai o'r mesurau, fel y feddalwedd newydd i alluogi pobl i ymgynghori drwy fideo, yn gwella ein gwasanaeth iechyd ni y tu hwnt i'r argyfwng hwn, ac mae'n rhaid inni fanteisio ar y gwasanaeth hwn sydd, yn yr achos hwn, yn disodli'r angen am gyfarfod wyneb yn wyneb ac yn gwbl angenrheidiol ar yr adeg hon.
Ar hyn o bryd, mae'n bwysig pwysleisio i'r cyhoedd fod yn rhaid i bob un ohonom ni geisio bod mor ddigynnwrf ag y bo modd, ac er ei bod yn briodol inni baratoi ar gyfer pob posibilrwydd, nid oes angen i'r cyhoedd newid y ffordd y maen nhw'n mynd o gwmpas eu gweithgareddau o ddydd i ddydd, ar wahân i ochel rhag afiechydon anadlol, gan olchi dwylo'n rheolaidd a pheidio â chyffwrdd eich wyneb â dwylo heb eu golchi. Ond fe ddylai'r canllawiau hyn fod yn arfer cyffredin, ac mae'n rhaid nodi bod y ffliw yn lladd dros 0.5 biliwn o bobl y flwyddyn, felly mae'n bwysig cadw hynny mewn golwg.
Mae'n bwysig hefyd gwirio'r wybodaeth sydd ar gael yn hawdd i'r cyhoedd a sicrhau y caiff ei diweddaru, a sicrhau hefyd y bydd y rhai sydd fwyaf agored i niwed yn y gymdeithas yn gallu cael yr holl wybodaeth hon ac y bydd ein cymunedau anghysbell yn ei chael hi'n haws hefyd, fel y gallan nhw ryngweithio a chael gwybodaeth am y feirws hwn.
Mae chwe unigolyn hyd yn hyn wedi cael eu heintio â SARS COV-2, ac mae hynny'n golygu 0.0001 y cant o boblogaeth Cymru: chwech o bobl allan o 3.2 miliwn. Felly, mae'n galonogol nodi, ledled y DU, mai tua 320 o achosion sydd wedi bod o gyfanswm poblogaeth o 70 miliwn. Mae'n bwysig nodi hefyd ein bod ni'n cadw ein pennau, yn paratoi ond nid yn gorymateb, a'r bygythiad mwyaf gydag unrhyw achos o feirws yw'r panig ymhlith y cyhoedd. Sibrydion yw ein gelyn pennaf ni ar hyn o bryd ac mae'r cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn rhemp gydag achosion ffug a meddyginiaethau ffug, a phopeth o yfed dŵr cannu hyd at sniffian cocên. Mae hyn wedi arwain at brynu ar banig, ac wedi arwain at brinder yn y byrdymor wrth i'r archfarchnadoedd ailstocio, gan ychwanegu ymhellach at y sibrydion.
Felly, Gweinidog, pa drafodaethau a gawsoch chi gyda Llywodraeth y DU a'r cyfryngau cymdeithasol ynghylch y ffordd orau o fynd i'r afael â lledaenu camwybodaeth, a sut i hyrwyddo gwybodaeth o ffynonellau y gellir ymddiried ynddyn nhw megis Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru? Hoffwn i ddiolch ichi unwaith eto am y dull gweithredu doeth gan Lywodraeth Cymru wrth baratoi ar gyfer effeithiau achosion o COVID-19.
Mae gen i un neu ddau gwestiwn yn unig am y paratoadau yma yng Nghymru. Gweinidog, y llynedd, fe wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru baratoadau ar gyfer Brexit 'heb gytundeb' drwy sicrhau lle mewn ystordai a chadw stôr o rai meddyginiaethau. Gweinidog, pa ran, os o gwbl, fydd gan y mesurau hynny wrth baratoi ar gyfer achosion ar raddfa ehangach?
Ac, yn olaf, Gweinidog, fe gafwyd adroddiadau y bydd feirws COV-2 SARS yn effeithio ar y cynhwysion fferyllol a fydd ar gael o India. Mae'r gadwyn gyflenwi hon yn hanfodol i'r fasnach meddyginiaethau generig. Felly pa drafodaethau yr ydych chi wedi'u cael â'r diwydiant fferyllol ynghylch y ffyrdd gorau o liniaru unrhyw fygythiadau a gaiff y feirws hwn ar gyflenwad cynhyrchion fferyllol? Diolch.
Thank you for the comments and questions. On your questions, there is already an NHS team that is taking—. There was an announcement—you might have seen publicity on it yesterday—in terms of some of the points about search engines and which terms are going to come to the top of those outcomes and results to make sure they're from trusted sources, but also in terms of trying to rebut on social media some of the more lively conspiracy theories but the range of information and misinformation that is in the public realm, and that is a real problem for us.
Our 'no deal' preparations will actually stand us in relatively good stead, both in terms of stakeholders who have a range of measures to deal with interruptions in their supply, but also the warehouse you mentioned. We actually purchased that, and so we do have some additional resilience. But the challenge comes, like you said in your question, about generic medication. We need to be upfront about what we can do, but also, if there are steps that we can't take, to be clear that we can't take those steps as well. So, we're looking for intelligence from the pharmaceutical industry itself, which manufactures and imports those medications, to understand if there are risks to supply and if there are alternatives or not.
And I think the final point I'd make is that, with the low-level flu that is relatively circulating here, with the low level of people who have coronavirus in Wales today, we expect that over the coming days more people will be diagnosed with coronavirus. So, the relatively low number of cases today should not be taken as a sign that this is nothing to worry about and there's no need to do anything about it. This is a real concern. There is already community transmission in some parts of England; that will take hold in other parts of the country.
So, we have to absolutely understand we will have more coronavirus cases in Wales; there will be people who will become unwell. What we can't anticipate exactly is how many people that will be and the impact that will have upon our services. This is not like another mild flu season taking place out of winter. We don't have a vaccine for coronavirus, COVID-19; we don't have effective antiviral treatment. So, if this circulates widely, it will have a real impact on the health of very many people who are already vulnerable. That is why we're taking it so seriously; that is why we're taking extraordinary steps; that is why there is so much co-operation between four Governments who would otherwise have plenty to disagree about at the top of their agenda.
Diolch am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau. Ynglŷn â'ch cwestiynau chi, mae tîm o'r GIG eisoes yn cymryd—. Fe gafwyd cyhoeddiad—efallai eich bod chi wedi gweld cyhoeddusrwydd ynglŷn â hyn ddoe—o ran rhai o'r pwyntiau am chwilotwyr a pha dermau a ddaw ar frig y canlyniadau a'r chwiliadau hynny i sicrhau eu bod nhw'n tarddu o ffynonellau y gellir ymddiried ynddyn nhw, ond hefyd o ran ceisio gwrthbrofi ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol rai o'r theorïau cynllwyn mwy cynhyrfus ond yr amrywiaeth o wybodaeth a chamwybodaeth sydd ar gael i'r cyhoedd, ac mae honno'n broblem wirioneddol i ni.
Fe fydd ein paratoadau 'heb gytundeb' ni'n ein rhoi ni mewn sefyllfa gymharol dda, o ran rhanddeiliaid sydd ag ystod o fesurau ganddyn nhw i ymdrin ag ymyriadau yn eu cyflenwad nhw, ond hefyd y stôr yr oeddech chi'n sôn amdani. Fe wnaethom ni brynu hynny mewn gwirionedd, ac felly mae gennym ni rywfaint o gydnerthedd ychwanegol. Ond mae'r her yn dod, fel yr oeddech chi'n dweud yn eich cwestiwn chi, o ran meddyginiaeth generig. Mae angen inni fod yn agored am yr hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud, ond hefyd, os oes camau na allwn ni eu cymryd, mae angen inni fod yn glir hefyd na allwn ni gymryd y camau hynny. Felly, rydym ni'n ceisio gwybodaeth gan y diwydiant fferyllol ei hun, sy'n cynhyrchu ac yn mewnforio'r meddyginiaethau hynny, er mwyn deall a oes unrhyw risgiau i'w cyflenwad ac a oes unrhyw ddewisiadau eraill neu beidio.
Ac rwy'n credu mai'r pwynt olaf y byddwn i'n ei wneud yw, gyda'r ffliw lefel isel sy'n mynd o amgylch yma, gyda'r lefel isel o bobl sydd â'r coronafeirws yng Nghymru heddiw, rydym ni'n disgwyl y bydd mwy o bobl yn cael diagnosis o'r coronafeirws yn ystod y dyddiau nesaf. Felly, ni ddylid cymryd y nifer cymharol isel o achosion heddiw fel arwydd bod dim gennym i boeni amdano ac nad oes angen gwneud unrhyw beth yn ei gylch. Mae hwn yn bryder gwirioneddol. Mae trosglwyddo cymunedol eisoes yn digwydd mewn rhai rhannau o Loegr; fe fydd hynny'n digwydd mewn rhannau eraill o'r wlad.
Felly, mae'n rhaid inni ddeall yn glir y bydd gennym fwy o achosion o'r coronafeirws yng Nghymru; fe fydd pobl yn mynd yn sâl. Yr hyn na allwn ei ragweld yn union yw nifer y bobl hynny a'r effaith ar ein gwasanaethau ni. Nid yw hwn yn dymor ffliw ysgafn arall sy'n digwydd y tu allan i'r gaeaf. Nid oes gennym frechlyn ar gyfer y coronafeirws, COVID-19; nid oes gennym driniaeth wrthfeirysol effeithiol iddo. Felly, os aiff hwn ar gerdded yn eang, fe fydd yn cael effaith wirioneddol ar iechyd llawer iawn o bobl sydd eisoes yn agored i niwed. Dyna pam yr ydym ni'n rhoi ystyriaeth mor ddifrifol i hyn; dyna pam rydym ni'n cymryd camau eithriadol; dyna pam y mae cymaint o gydweithredu rhwng pedair Llywodraeth a fyddai, fel arall, â digon o bethau i anghytuno arnynt ar frig eu hagendâu.
Thank you very much, Minister.
Item 6: the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and Regulated Services (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020, and item 7: the Social Care (Wales) (Specification and Social Care Workers) (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2020. I propose, unless any Member objects, in accordance with Standing Order 12.24, that the following two motions are grouped for debate.
Diolch yn fawr, Gweinidog.
Eitem 6: Rheoliadau Deddf Rheoleiddio ac Arolygu Gofal Cymdeithasol (Cymru) 2016 a Gwasanaethau Rheoleiddiedig (Diwygiadau Amrywiol) 2020, ac eitem 7: Rheoliadau Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru (Pennu Gweithwyr Gofal Cymdeithasol) (Cofrestru) (Diwygio) 2020. Cynigiaf, oni bai bod unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.24, fod y ddau gynnig a ganlyn wedi'u grwpio ar gyfer dadl.
Therefore, I call on the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services to move the motions—Julie Morgan.
Felly, galwaf ar y Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol i gynnig y cynigion—Julie Morgan.
Cynnig NDM7292 Rebecca Evans
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru; yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 27.5:
1. Yn cymeradwyo bod y fersiwn ddrafft o Reoliadau Deddf Rheoleiddio ac Arolygu Gofal Cymdeithasol (Cymru) 2016 a Gwasanaethau Rheoleiddiedig (Diwygiadau Amrywiol) 2020 yn cael ei llunio yn unol â’r fersiwn ddrafft a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 11 Chwefror 2020.
Motion NDM7292 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales; in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
1. Approves that the draft The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and Regulated Services (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 11 February 2020.
Cynnig NDM7293 Rebecca Evans
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru; yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 27.5:
1. Yn cymeradwyo bod y fersiwn ddrafft o Reoliadau Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru (Pennu Gweithwyr Gofal Cymdeithasol) (Cofrestru) (Diwygio) 2020 yn cael ei llunio yn unol â’r fersiwn ddrafft a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 11 Chwefror 2020.
Motion NDM7293 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales; in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
1. Approves that the draft The Social Care Wales (Specification of Social Care Workers) (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 11 February 2020.
Cynigiwyd y cynigion.
Motions moved.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I move the motions. The two statutory instruments before you today amend the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, and there a number of regulations that flow from that Act. It's the intention that these amended regulations come into force on 1 April. Both sets of regulations are an important step towards realising our goal to professionalise the social care workforce, to continue to raise the quality of care, and to ensure that workers get the support and recognition that they do deserve.
The miscellaneous amendments regulations deliver several key changes. First, they amend the regulations about service registration that enable the service regulator, Care Inspectorate Wales, to request additional information from individuals who make up the governing body of an organisation registering to become a service provider. This includes, for example, the individuals on the board of directors or trustees. The service regulator is then able to take this information into account when assessing the fitness of the service provider.
Secondly, the regulations also provide additional clarity about the notifications that providers must make to the service regulator. They require that providers make a notification when there is any change to the key decision makers of the organisation, regardless of its legal entity.
Thirdly, they also require providers of domiciliary support services, care homes for children, and secure accommodation services to employ only those individuals who are registered with the workforce regulator, Social Care Wales, within six months of commencing employment. This will also apply to anyone engaged under a contract with these service providers, including agency workers.
The social care workers registration regulations enable Social Care Wales to open the register to individuals working in care homes wholly or mainly for adults, and in residential family centre services, who can join the register voluntarily from April 2020. This provides these workers with a two-year lead-in period, during which the workforce regulator, care workers and their employers can work together to prepare for mandatory registration, which we plan to introduce in 2022.
Registration recognises the professional responsibility of care workers who provide absolutely vital care and support to people with increasingly complex needs. It'll help to ensure workers are suitably qualified and trained for the work they do. It will provide those workers with access to additional support and resources from Social Care Wales. Registration also provides additional safeguards to the public so that, should an incident occur, workers can be held to account by the workforce regulator. Thank you.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, a rhoddaf y cynigion gerbron. Mae'r ddau offeryn statudol sydd ger eich bron heddiw yn diwygio Deddf Rheoleiddio ac Arolygu Gofal Cymdeithasol (Cymru) 2016, ac mae nifer o reoliadau yn deillio o'r Ddeddf honno. Y bwriad yw bod y rheoliadau diwygiedig hyn yn dod i rym ar 1 Ebrill. Mae'r ddwy set o reoliadau'n gam pwysig tuag at wireddu ein nod o broffesiynoli'r gweithlu gofal cymdeithasol, parhau i wella ansawdd gofal, a sicrhau bod gweithwyr yn cael y cymorth a'r gydnabyddiaeth y maen nhw yn eu haeddu.
Mae'r rheoliadau gwelliannau amrywiol yn cyflawni sawl newid allweddol. Yn gyntaf, maen nhw'n diwygio'r rheoliadau ynghylch cofrestru gwasanaethau sy'n galluogi'r rheoleiddiwr gwasanaeth, Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru, i ofyn am wybodaeth ychwanegol gan unigolion sy'n ffurfio corff llywodraethu sefydliad sy'n cofrestru i fod yn ddarparwr gwasanaeth. Mae hyn yn cynnwys, er enghraifft, yr unigolion ar fwrdd y cyfarwyddwyr neu'r ymddiriedolwyr. Yna gall y rheoleiddiwr gwasanaeth ystyried yr wybodaeth hon wrth asesu addasrwydd y darparwr gwasanaeth.
Yn ail, mae'r rheoliadau hefyd yn darparu eglurder ychwanegol ynglŷn â'r hysbysiadau y mae'n rhaid i ddarparwyr eu gwneud i reoleiddiwr y gwasanaeth. Maen nhw'n ei gwneud yn ofynnol i ddarparwyr roi hysbysiad pan fydd unrhyw newid yn cael ei wneud i benderfynwyr allweddol y sefydliad, waeth beth fo'i endid cyfreithiol.
Yn drydydd, maen nhw hefyd yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i ddarparwyr gwasanaethau cymorth cartref, cartrefi gofal i blant, a gwasanaethau llety diogel gyflogi yr unigolion hynny yn unig sydd wedi'u cofrestru gyda'r rheoleiddiwr gweithlu, Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru, o fewn chwe mis i ddechrau cyflogaeth. Bydd hyn yn berthnasol hefyd i unrhyw un sydd dan gontract â'r darparwyr gwasanaeth hyn, gan gynnwys gweithwyr asiantaeth.
Mae'r rheoliadau cofrestru gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol yn galluogi Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru i agor y gofrestr i unigolion sy'n gweithio mewn cartrefi gofal sy'n gyfan gwbl neu'n bennaf ar gyfer oedolion, ac mewn gwasanaethau canolfannau preswyl i deuluoedd, a all ymuno â'r gofrestr yn wirfoddol o Ebrill 2020. Mae hyn yn rhoi cyfnod arweiniol o ddwy flynedd i'r gweithwyr hyn, lle gall y rheoleiddiwr gweithlu, gweithwyr gofal a'u cyflogwyr weithio gyda'i gilydd i baratoi ar gyfer cofrestru gorfodol, yr ydym yn bwriadu ei gyflwyno yn 2022.
Mae cofrestru'n cydnabod cyfrifoldeb proffesiynol gweithwyr gofal sy'n darparu gofal a chymorth cwbl hanfodol i bobl ag anghenion cynyddol gymhleth. Bydd yn helpu i sicrhau bod gweithwyr yn meddu ar y cymwysterau a'r hyfforddiant priodol ar gyfer y gwaith a wnânt. Bydd yn rhoi mynediad i'r gweithwyr hynny at gymorth ac adnoddau ychwanegol gan Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru. Mae cofrestru hefyd yn darparu mesurau diogelu ychwanegol i'r cyhoedd, felly os bydd damwain yn digwydd, gall y rheoleiddiwr gweithlu ddal gweithwyr i gyfrif. Diolch.
Thank you. I have no speakers. We have to take the votes separately. Therefore, the proposal is to agree the motion under item 6. Does any Member object? No, thank you. Therefore, in accordance with Standing Order 12.36, the motion is agreed.
Diolch. Nid oes gennyf unrhyw siaradwyr. Rhaid inni gymryd y pleidleisiau ar wahân. Felly, y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig o dan eitem 6? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Nac oes. Diolch. Felly, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36, derbynnir y cynnig.
Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
And, again, the same, the proposal is to agree the motion under item 7. Does any Member object? No. Therefore, again, the motion under item 7 is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Ac, unwaith eto, yn yr un modd, y cynnig yw cytuno ar y cynnig o dan eitem 7. A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Nac oes. Felly, unwaith eto, mae'r cynnig o dan eitem 7 wedi'i dderbyn yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
We now move on to item 8, which is a debate on the police settlement of 2020-21, and I call on the Minister for Housing and Local Government to move the motion—Julie James.
Symudwn ymlaen yn awr at eitem 8, sef dadl ar setliad yr heddlu ar gyfer 2020-21, a galwaf ar y Gweinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol i gynnig y cynnig—Julie James.
Cynnig NDM7291 Rebecca Evans
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn unol ag Adran 84H o Ddeddf Cyllid Llywodraeth Leol 1988, yn cymeradwyo Adroddiad Cyllid Llywodraeth Leol (Rhif 2) 2020-21 (Setliad Terfynol—Comisiynwyr yr Heddlu a Throseddu). Gosodwyd copi o'r adroddiad yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 23 Ionawr 2020.
Motion NDM7291 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, under Section 84H of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, approves the Local Government Finance Report (No. 2) 2020-21 (Final Settlement—Police and Crime Commissioners), which was laid in the Table Office on 23 January 2020.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am today presenting to the Senedd for its approval details of the Welsh Government's contribution to the core revenue funding for the four police and crime commissioners, or PCCs, in Wales for 2020-21.
Before I do so, Presiding Officer, particularly given the recent events, I'd like to record my gratitude to all of the Welsh emergency services for their resilience and fortitude, and I'm sure these comments will be echoed in this Chamber and across the residents of Wales. Those who serve in our police forces across Wales not only keep our communities safe, they maintain the highest standards of duty, dedication and, at times, bravery. This was demonstrated most recently when they worked with others to protect and save some of our communities from the recent storms. I recognise the importance of the Welsh police forces and their vital role in protecting and serving our communities here. The police service in Wales is a positive example of how devolved and non-devolved services can work effectively together.
Members will be aware that the core funding for the police in Wales is delivered through a three-way arrangement involving the Home Office, the Welsh Government and council tax. As policing policy and operational matters and non-devolved, the overall funding picture is determined and driven by the Home Office. The established approach to setting and distributing the Welsh Government component has, therefore, been based on a principle of ensuring consistency and fairness across England and Wales.
I would also like to thank PCCs for their patience this year. Due to the now, sadly, normalised chaos and uncertainty from Westminster, the PCCs did not have a provisional police settlement this year. With delay after delay to the UK budget, due to the general election, exiting the European Union, and now a new Chancellor to add to the ongoing uncertainty, this year's PCCs have had to notify their police and crime panels of the proposed change in precept fewer than two weeks after being informed of their funding allocations. Still the UK Government has not published its 2020-21 budget, leading to continuing uncertainty for our public services, businesses and individuals.
As outlined in the final police settlement announcement on 22 January, the total unhypothecated revenue support for the police service in Wales for 2020-21 amounts to £384 million. The Welsh Government's contribution to this amount, through revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates, is £143.4 million—and it is this funding you are being asked to approve today.
As in previous years, the Home Office has decided to overlay its needs-based formula with a floor mechanism. This means that, for 2020-21, police and crime commissioners across England and Wales will all receive an increase of funding of 7.5 per cent when compared with 2019-20. The Home Office will provide a top-up grant totalling £14.4 million to ensure both Dyfed-Powys Police and North Wales Police meet the floor level.
The Home Office advises that this settlement includes the funding to recruit an additional 6,000 police officers shared amongst the 43 forces in England and Wales. The Welsh Government is determined to strengthen the economy and create employment opportunities across the country. I welcome the opportunity for people across Wales to consider a career in the police forces. The Prime Minister has committed to a target of 20,000 new officers over the next three years. However, for this to happen, I urge the UK Government to pledge to provide the associated funding to our police and crime commissioners for future years.
As in 2019-20, the Home Office will continue to provide a specific grant to PCCs in 2020-21 to fund the additional pressure as a result of the UK Government's changes to the pension contribution rates. The Home Office has kept the grant value at £143 million in 2020-21, with £7.3 million of this allocated to PCCs in Wales. PCCs also have the ability to raise additional funding through their council tax precept. The UK Government has set the upper precept limit for PCCs in England to £10 in 2020-21, estimating this will raise an additional £250 million. Unlike the limits that apply in England, Welsh police and crime commissioners have the freedom to make their own decisions about council tax increases. Setting the precept is a key part of the police and crime commissioner's role, which demonstrates accountability to the local electorate.
We appreciate that difficult decisions are necessary in developing plans for the coming years with only a one-year budget. The Welsh Government is committed to working with PCCs and chief constables to ensure funding challenges are managed in ways that minimise the impact on community safety in Wales. As part of this, the Welsh Government in its 2020-21 budget has continued to fund the 500 community support officers recruited under the previous programme for government commitment. The Welsh Government has maintained the same level of funding for the delivery of this commitment as in 2019-20, with £16.8 million agreed in the budget for next year. One of the main drivers behind this project was to add visible police presence on our streets at a time when the UK Government is cutting back on police funding. The full complement of officers has been deployed since October 2013, and they are making a positive contribution to public safety across Wales. They will continue to work with local communities and partners to improve outcomes for those affected by crime and anti-social behaviour.
Returning to the purpose of today's debate, the motion is to agree the local government finance report for police and crime commissioners that has been laid before the Assembly. If approved, this will allow the commissioners to confirm their budgets for the next financial year. I therefore ask Assembly Members to support this motion today. Diolch.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Heddiw, rwy'n cyflwyno i'r Senedd ar gyfer ei chymeradwyaeth fanylion cyfraniad Llywodraeth Cymru at y cyllid refeniw craidd ar gyfer y pedwar comisiynydd heddlu a throseddu yng Nghymru ar gyfer 2020-21.
Cyn i mi wneud hynny, Llywydd, yn enwedig o ystyried y digwyddiadau diweddar, hoffwn ddiolch ar goedd i holl wasanaethau brys Cymru am eu dycnwch a'u dewrder, ac rwy'n siŵr bod y Siambr hon a holl drigolion Cymru yn ategu'r sylwadau hyn. Mae'r rhai sy'n gwasanaethu yn ein heddluoedd ledled Cymru nid yn unig yn cadw ein cymunedau'n ddiogel, maen nhw'n cynnal y safonau uchaf o ran dyletswydd, ymroddiad ac, ar brydiau, dewrder. Dangoswyd hyn yn fwyaf diweddar pan oeddent yn gweithio gydag eraill i ddiogelu ac achub rhai o'n cymunedau o'r stormydd diweddar. Rwy'n cydnabod pwysigrwydd heddluoedd Cymru a'u swyddogaeth hanfodol yn gwarchod a gwasanaethu ein cymunedau yma. Mae gwasanaeth yr heddlu yng Nghymru yn enghraifft gadarnhaol o'r modd y gall gwasanaethau sydd wedi'u datganoli a heb eu datganoli gydweithio'n effeithiol â'i gilydd.
Bydd yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol y caiff yr arian craidd ar gyfer yr heddlu yng Nghymru ei ddarparu drwy drefniant tair ffordd sy'n cynnwys y Swyddfa Gartref, Llywodraeth Cymru a'r dreth gyngor. Gan nad yw polisïau plismona a materion gweithredol wedi eu datganoli, y Swyddfa Gartref sy'n pennu ac yn llywio'r darlun ariannu cyffredinol. Bu'r dull sefydledig o bennu a dosbarthu cydran Llywodraeth Cymru, felly, yn seiliedig ar egwyddor o sicrhau cysondeb a thegwch ledled Cymru a Lloegr.
Hoffwn ddiolch hefyd i'r comisiynwyr am eu hamynedd eleni. Oherwydd yr anhrefn a'r ansicrwydd o du San Steffan sydd, yn anffodus, yn beth rheolaidd erbyn hyn, ni chafodd y comisiynwyr setliad dros dro ar gyfer yr heddlu eleni. Gydag oedi ar ôl oedi o ran cyllideb y DU, oherwydd yr etholiad cyffredinol, ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, a Changhellor newydd nawr i ychwanegu at yr ansicrwydd parhaus, bu'n rhaid i'r comisiynwyr roi gwybod i'w panelau heddlu a throseddu am y newid arfaethedig mewn praesept llai na phythefnos ar ôl cael gwybod am eu dyraniadau cyllid. Hyd yn hyn, nid yw Llywodraeth y DU wedi cyhoeddi ei chyllideb ar gyfer 2020-21, gan arwain at ansicrwydd parhaus i'n gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, ein busnesau ac unigolion.
Fel yr amlinellwyd yng nghyhoeddiad terfynol setliad yr heddlu ar 22 Ionawr, mae cyfanswm y cymorth refeniw heb ei neilltuo ar gyfer y gwasanaeth heddlu yng Nghymru ar gyfer 2020-21 yn cyfateb i £384 miliwn. Mae cyfraniad Llywodraeth Cymru i'r swm hwn, drwy grant cynnal refeniw ac ardrethi annomestig wedi'u hailddosbarthu, yn £143.4 miliwn—a'r arian hwn y gofynnir i chi ei gymeradwyo heddiw.
Fel mewn blynyddoedd blaenorol, mae'r Swyddfa Gartref wedi penderfynu cael system waelodol ar gyfer y fformiwla sy'n seiliedig ar anghenion. Mae hyn yn golygu, ar gyfer 2020-21, y caiff comisiynwyr heddlu a throseddu ledled Cymru a Lloegr i gyd gynnydd o 7.5 y cant mewn cyllid o'i gymharu â 2019-20. Bydd y Swyddfa Gartref yn darparu grant ychwanegol gwerth £14.4 miliwn i sicrhau bod Heddlu Dyfed-Powys a Heddlu Gogledd Cymru yn cyrraedd y lefel gwaelodol.
Mae'r Swyddfa Gartref yn dweud bod y setliad hwn yn cynnwys yr arian i recriwtio 6,000 o heddweision ychwanegol i'w rannu ymysg y 43 o heddluoedd yng Nghymru a Lloegr. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn benderfynol o gryfhau'r economi a chreu cyfleoedd cyflogaeth ledled y wlad. Rwy'n croesawu'r cyfle i bobl ledled Cymru ystyried gyrfa yn yr heddluoedd. Mae Prif Weinidog y DU wedi ymrwymo i darged o 20,000 o swyddogion newydd dros y tair blynedd nesaf. Fodd bynnag, er mwyn i hyn ddigwydd, pwysaf ar Lywodraeth y DU i addo darparu'r cyllid cysylltiedig i'n comisiynwyr heddlu a throseddu ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Fel yn 2019-20, bydd y Swyddfa Gartref yn parhau i ddarparu grant penodol i gomisiynwyr yr heddlu a throseddu yn 2020-21 i ariannu'r pwysau ychwanegol o ganlyniad i newidiadau gan Lywodraeth y DU i'r cyfraddau cyfraniadau pensiwn. Mae'r Swyddfa Gartref wedi cadw gwerth y grant ar £143 miliwn yn 2020-21, gyda £7.3 miliwn o'r arian hwn yn cael ei ddyrannu i gomisiynwyr yng Nghymru. Mae gan gomisiynwyr yr heddlu a throseddu y gallu hefyd i godi arian ychwanegol drwy eu praesept treth gyngor. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi gosod y terfyn praesept uchaf ar gyfer comisiynwyr yn Lloegr i £10 yn 2020-21, gan amcangyfrif y bydd hyn yn codi £250 miliwn yn ychwanegol. Yn wahanol i'r terfynau sy'n berthnasol yn Lloegr, mae gan gomisiynwyr heddlu a throseddu Cymru y rhyddid i wneud eu penderfyniadau eu hunain ynghylch cynnydd yn y dreth gyngor. Mae pennu'r praesept yn rhan allweddol o swyddogaeth y comisiynydd heddlu a throseddu, sy'n dangos atebolrwydd i'r etholwyr lleol.
Rydym yn sylweddoli bod angen gwneud penderfyniadau anodd wrth ddatblygu cynlluniau ar gyfer y blynyddoedd i ddod gyda chyllideb un flwyddyn yn unig. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i weithio gyda'r comisiynwyr a'r prif gwnstabliaid i sicrhau y caiff heriau ariannu eu rheoli mewn ffyrdd sy'n lleihau'r effaith ar ddiogelwch cymunedol yng Nghymru. Yn rhan o hyn, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei chyllideb ar gyfer 2020-21 wedi parhau i ariannu'r 500 o swyddogion cymorth cymunedol a recriwtiwyd o dan raglen flaenorol ymrwymiad y llywodraeth. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi neilltuo'r un maint o gyllid ar gyfer cyflawni'r ymrwymiad hwn ag a wnaeth yn 2019-20, gydag £16.8 miliwn wedi ei gytuno yn y gyllideb ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf. Un o'r prif gymhellion sy'n sail i'r prosiect hwn oedd gwneud yr heddlu'n fwy gweladwy ar ein strydoedd ar adeg pan fo Llywodraeth y DU yn cwtogi ar gyllid yr heddlu. Bu'r cyflenwad llawn o swyddogion ar waith ers mis Hydref 2013, ac maen nhw'n gwneud cyfraniad cadarnhaol i ddiogelwch y cyhoedd ledled Cymru. Byddant yn parhau i weithio gyda chymunedau lleol a phartneriaid i wella canlyniadau i'r rheini y mae troseddu ac ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol yn effeithio arnynt.
I ddychwelyd at ddiben dadl heddiw, y cynnig yw cytuno ar yr adroddiad cyllid llywodraeth leol ar gyfer comisiynwyr yr heddlu a throseddu sydd wedi'i gyflwyno gerbron y Cynulliad. Os caiff ei gymeradwyo, bydd hyn yn caniatáu i'r comisiynwyr gadarnhau eu cyllidebau ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf. Gofynnaf felly i Aelodau'r Cynulliad gefnogi'r cynnig hwn heddiw. Diolch.