Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
01/04/2020Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad drwy gynhadledd fideo am 14:01 gyda’r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Assembly met by video-conference at 14:01 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Croeso, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn rhithwir cyntaf. Cyn dechrau, dwi eisiau ychwanegu ambell i bwynt. Mae'r Cyfarfod Llawn a gynhelir ar ffurf cynhadledd fideo yn unol â Rheolau Sefydlog y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol yn gyfystyr â thrafodion y Cynulliad at ddibenion Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006.
Ar ôl ymgynghori â'r Pwyllgor Busnes, bydd rhai o ddarpariaethau Rheol Sefydlog 34 yn gymwys ar gyfer y Cyfarfod Llawn heddiw. Er nad ydym yn disgwyl pleidlais heddiw, rwyf wedi penderfynu mai'r cworwm i unrhyw bleidlais fod yn ddilys fydd pedwar Aelod, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 34.10. Yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 34.11, pleidlais wedi ei phwysoli fydd yn cael ei defnyddio, a chaiff y gofynion ar gyfer cwestiynau llafar eu datgymhwyso, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 34.18. Rwyf wedi rhoi hysbysiad hefyd, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 34.17, nad yw'n ymarferol i'n cyfarfod gael ei ddarlledu'n fyw. Bydd recordiad ar gael ar Senedd.tv cyn gynted â phosib ar ôl i'r cyfarfod ddod i ben, a chyhoeddir Cofnod o'r trafodion yn y ffordd arferol.
Hoffwn atgoffa’r Aelodau fod Rheolau Sefydlog yn ymwneud â threfn a threfniadau busnes yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yn gymwys i’r cyfarfod yma.
Welcome, all, to our first virtual Plenary session. Before we begin, I want to set out a few points. A Plenary meeting held by video-conference in accordance with the Standing Orders of the National Assembly for Wales constitutes proceedings of the Assembly for the purposes of the Government of Wales Act 2006.
Having consulted with the Business Committee, some of the provisions of Standing Order 34 will apply for today's Plenary meeting. Although we do not expect a vote today, I have determined that the quorum for any vote to be valid will be four Members, in accordance with Standing Order 34.10. In accordance with Standing Order 34.11, weighted voting will apply, and the requirements for oral questions will be disapplied, in accordance with Standing Order 34.18. I've also given notice, in accordance with Standing Order 34.17, that it is not practical for the meeting to be broadcast live. A recording will be made available on Senedd.tv as soon as possible after the meeting is completed, and a Record of the proceedings will be published in the usual way.
I wish to remind Members that Standing Orders relating to order and the organisation of business in Plenary meetings apply to this meeting.
Felly, yr eitem gyntaf o fusnes y prynhawn yma yw'r datganiad busnes a dwi'n galw ar y Prif Weinidog i wneud y datganiad busnes.
Therefore, the first item of business this afternoon is the business statement, and I call on the First Minister to make the business statement.
Llywydd, two additional statements have been added to today's agenda: the first from the Minister for Health and Social Services and the second from the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales.
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.
Lywydd, mae dau ddatganiad ychwanegol wedi'u hychwanegu at yr agenda heddiw: y cyntaf gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a'r ail gan Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru.
Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith papurau'r cyfarfodydd sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau'n electronig.
The next item is the statement by the First Minister on coronavirus and I call on the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, to make his statement.
Yr eitem nesaf yw datganiad gan y Prif Weinidog ar goronafeirws a galwaf ar y Prif Weinidog, Mark Drakeford, i wneud ei ddatganiad.
Llywydd, yn y datganiad hwn byddaf yn rhoi gwybodaeth i Aelodau am y camau rydym ni wedi eu cymryd mewn ymateb i'r argyfwng coronafeirws ers cyfarfod diwethaf y Senedd.
Mewn un wythnos, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gweithredu i roi mesurau mewn lle i atal pobl rhag cwrdd â’i gilydd ac felly i arafu lledaeniad y feirws. Ar yr un pryd, rydym yn gweithio'n ddyfal, ar draws y Llywodraeth, i helpu pobl a busnesau wynebu newidiadau sylfaenol sy'n effeithio ar bob rhan o'n cymdeithas. Rydym yn gwneud popeth posibl i gefnogi'r gwasanaeth iechyd a'r holl wasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill sy'n cefnogi pobl. Mae'r newidiadau hyn yn anodd ond maent yn angenrheidiol. Maen nhw'n achub bywydau.
In this statement, I will provide information to Members about the steps that we have taken in response to the coronavirus crisis since the Senedd last met.
In one week, the Welsh Government has put in place a number of measures to prevent people from gathering together, thereby slowing the spread of the virus. Simultaneously, we have been working hard across Government to help people and businesses in facing fundamental changes that are affecting all parts of our society. We are doing everything possible to support our health service and all public services supporting people. These changes are difficult, but they are essential. They will save lives.
Llywydd, the spread of coronavirus in Wales continues to accelerate. The last week has seen a significant increase in the number of people requiring hospital treatment and a further increase in the number of deaths associated with the disease. Yet it is an inescapable fact that we still stand at the foothills of the mountain that faces us. The measures put in place over the past two weeks will slow the pace of the virus, but that effect will not be felt immediately. The number of people who will be affected and the number of deaths will grow further. The key thing remains that everything we do together to slow down and then reverse that trend will save lives. Today I will focus on those matters not covered in the statements to be made by my colleagues Vaughan Gething and Ken Skates.
Lywydd, mae lledaeniad coronafeirws yng Nghymru yn parhau i gyflymu. Dros yr wythnos ddiwethaf gwelwyd cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y bobl sydd angen triniaeth ysbyty, a chynnydd pellach yn nifer y marwolaethau sy'n gysylltiedig â'r clefyd. Ac eto, mae'n ffaith anochel ein bod yn dal i sefyll wrth odre'r mynydd sy'n ein hwynebu. Bydd y mesurau a roddwyd ar waith dros y pythefnos diwethaf yn arafu cyflymder y feirws, ond ni theimlir yr effaith honno ar unwaith. Bydd nifer y bobl yr effeithir arnynt a nifer y marwolaethau yn cynyddu ymhellach. Y peth allweddol o hyd yw y bydd popeth a wnawn gyda'n gilydd i arafu ac yna i wrthdroi'r duedd honno yn achub bywydau. Heddiw, rwyf am ganolbwyntio ar y materion sydd heb eu cynnwys yn y datganiadau sydd i'w gwneud gan fy nghyd-Aelodau, Vaughan Gething a Ken Skates.
Llywydd, in Wales, the Cabinet COVID group meets each Wednesday morning. It receives reports of the latest developments from the chief medical officer, the chief executive of NHS Wales, the emergency co-ordinating centre and the Welsh Local Government Association. In recognition of the uniquely serious position we face, I have invited the leaders of the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru to join that group. I'm very grateful to both Paul Davies and Adam Price for accepting that invitation.
Cross-administration working has, this week, also resulted in a formal agreement through the military assistance to civilian authorities mechanism for logistic planning support to be provided in Wales. As a result, armed forces assistance is now available to our emergency co-ordinating centre and to public services in their efforts to combat the disease. I'm very grateful for the speed and scale of assistance from the military that is now being afforded.
Llywydd, when we last met, the Senedd provided legislative consent to the emergency Coronavirus Bill. It has since completed its passage through the Houses of Parliament and received Royal Assent on 25 March. We drew attention in our legislative consent memorandum to amendments that we anticipated would be laid. I can confirm that these amendments were included in the final Bill.
On Sunday last, on the advice of the chief medical officer that coronavirus represents a serious and imminent threat to public health in Wales, I made a formal declaration to that effect in order to trigger powers under Schedule 22 of the Coronavirus Act. Those powers allow directions to be issued to restrict events, gatherings and the location of people and the use of powers to close premises or limit access by directions. The making of a direction does not require the use of its powers, but it ensures that, if the need arises to do so, we will already have taken the preliminary steps required to enable that to take place. I have made the declaration on that precautionary basis.
Llywydd, the powers of the Act allow normal decision-making systems to be adapted to meet the current circumstances. On Friday of last week, I approved the practice direction, since issued jointly by the president of Welsh Tribunals and the president of the Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales. A practice direction allows that tribunal to continue its work even when it is not possible to hold face-to-face hearings or where there is a shortage of available members. Over the past week, regulations have been passed in Wales to give legal force to decisions made to close holiday and camping sites, public rights of way and access to land. We have also given full effect to the full measures announced on Monday, 23 March.
Across the Welsh Government, my colleagues continue to take the decisions and to provide the advice necessary to assist our fellow citizens at this most difficult of times. On 26 March, Eluned Morgan wrote to all Members outlining the actions taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to assist UK nationals still abroad. We continue to highlight the cases of Welsh citizens in such challenging circumstances.
On Friday of last week, Julie Morgan issued new guidance to those providing Families First and Flying Start services during the pandemic. Even in the circumstances we face, our aim remains to support those at greatest risk and vulnerability through whatever safe means can be deployed. Also on Friday, Jane Hutt announced new funding to support volunteers and third sector groups. That includes £24 million for Wales's voluntary sector and £50 million for a direct delivery food scheme in Wales for Wales's most vulnerable people. COVID-19 volunteer numbers have passed 30,000 in Wales and I'm immensely grateful to the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and the county voluntary councils for everything they are doing in their partnership with our local authorities to match together the huge upswell of volunteers with the tasks that need to be carried out.
In relation to education, since the decision to close schools and cancel this summer's examinations, we have worked quickly to provide information students may need. Last week, Kirsty Williams announced that year 10 and 12 students, who were due to sit examinations this summer, will not be required to sit those examinations at a later date and that their full qualifications will be provided in 2021. Over 800 schools across Wales have remained open to support our most vulnerable learners and the children of critical workers. I thank school staff for the work they have done so far and for the fact that the majority of these schools will remain open over the Easter holidays.
Llywydd, the demands being made of our public services, businesses and Welsh citizens are enormous. The common task on which we are all engaged, however, is to save lives. We publish figures every day now of deaths from coronavirus in Wales, but each one of those figures is somebody's son or daughter, somebody's parent or grandparent. It is to reduce that loss and that suffering that we are all asked to do what we do, and the Welsh Government remains fully and single-mindedly focused on that task.
Lywydd, yng Nghymru, mae grŵp COVID y Cabinet yn cyfarfod bob bore Mercher. Mae'n cael adroddiadau am y datblygiadau diweddaraf gan y prif swyddog meddygol, prif weithredwr GIG Cymru, y ganolfan cydgysylltu argyfyngau a Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru. Er mwyn cydnabod y sefyllfa eithriadol o ddifrifol rydym yn ei hwynebu, rwyf wedi gwahodd arweinwyr y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig a Phlaid Cymru i ymuno â'r grŵp hwnnw. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i Paul Davies ac i Adam Price am dderbyn y gwahoddiad.
Mae gwaith trawsweinyddol yr wythnos hon wedi arwain hefyd at gytundeb ffurfiol drwy'r mecanwaith cymorth milwrol i awdurdodau sifil er mwyn i gymorth cynllunio logisteg gael ei ddarparu yng Nghymru. O ganlyniad, mae cymorth y lluoedd arfog bellach ar gael i'n canolfan cydgysylltu argyfyngau ac i wasanaethau cyhoeddus yn eu hymdrechion i ymladd y clefyd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am gyflymder a graddfa'r cymorth a roddir gan y lluoedd arfog yn awr.
Lywydd, pan gyfarfuom ddiwethaf, darparodd y Senedd gydsyniad deddfwriaethol i'r Bil Coronafeirws Brys. Ers hynny mae wedi cwblhau ei daith drwy ddau Dŷ'r Senedd ac wedi cael Cydsyniad Brenhinol ar 25 Mawrth. Gwnaethom dynnu sylw yn ein memorandwm cydsyniad deddfwriaethol at welliannau y rhagwelem y byddent yn cael eu gosod. Gallaf gadarnhau bod y gwelliannau hyn wedi'u cynnwys yn y Bil terfynol.
Ddydd Sul diwethaf, ar gyngor y prif swyddog meddygol fod coronafeirws yn fygythiad difrifol ac uniongyrchol i iechyd cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, gwneuthum ddatganiad ffurfiol i'r perwyl hwnnw er mwyn sbarduno pwerau dan Atodlen 22 o'r Ddeddf Coronafeirws. Mae'r pwerau hynny'n caniatáu cyhoeddi cyfarwyddiadau i gyfyngu ar ddigwyddiadau, y modd y mae pobl yn ymgynnull a'u lleoliad, a'r defnydd o bwerau i gau safleoedd neu gyfyngu ar fynediad trwy gyfarwyddiadau. Nid yw gwneud cyfarwyddyd yn galw am ddefnyddio ei bwerau, ond mae'n sicrhau, os bydd yr angen yn codi i wneud hynny, y byddwn eisoes wedi cymryd y camau rhagarweiniol sydd eu hangen i alluogi hynny i ddigwydd. Gwneuthum y datganiad ar y sail ragofalus honno.
Lywydd, mae pwerau'r Ddeddf yn caniatáu i systemau gwneud penderfyniadau arferol gael eu haddasu ar gyfer yr amgylchiadau presennol. Ddydd Gwener diwethaf, cymeradwyais y cyfarwyddyd ymarfer a gyhoeddwyd ar y cyd ers hynny gan lywydd Tribiwnlysoedd Cymru a llywydd Tribiwnlys Adolygu Iechyd Meddwl Cymru. Mae cyfarwyddyd ymarfer yn caniatáu i'r tribiwnlys hwnnw barhau â'i waith hyd yn oed pan nad yw'n bosibl cynnal gwrandawiadau wyneb yn wyneb neu lle mae'r aelodau sydd ar gael yn brin. Yn ystod yr wythnos ddiwethaf, mae rheoliadau wedi'u pasio yng Nghymru i roi grym cyfreithiol i benderfyniadau a wneir i gau safleoedd gwyliau a gwersylla, hawliau tramwy cyhoeddus a mynediad i dir. Rydym hefyd wedi rhoi grym llawn i'r mesurau llawn a gyhoeddwyd ddydd Llun, 23 Mawrth.
Ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru, mae fy nghyd-Aelodau'n parhau i wneud y penderfyniadau ac i ddarparu'r cyngor sydd ei angen i gynorthwyo ein cyd-ddinasyddion ar yr adeg hynod anodd hon. Ar 26 Mawrth, ysgrifennodd Eluned Morgan at bob Aelod yn amlinellu'r camau a gymerwyd gan y Swyddfa Dramor a Chymanwlad i gynorthwyo gwladolion y DU sy'n dal i fod dramor. Rydym yn parhau i dynnu sylw at achosion dinasyddion Cymru mewn amgylchiadau heriol o'r fath.
Ddydd Gwener diwethaf, cyhoeddodd Julie Morgan ganllawiau newydd ar gyfer y rheini sy'n darparu gwasanaethau Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf a Dechrau'n Deg yn ystod y pandemig. Hyd yn oed yn yr amgylchiadau a wynebwn, ein nod o hyd yw cefnogi'r rhai sy'n wynebu'r risg fwyaf ac sy'n fwyaf agored i niwed drwy ba bynnag ddulliau diogel y gellir eu defnyddio. Ddydd Gwener hefyd, cyhoeddodd Jane Hutt gyllid newydd i gefnogi gwirfoddolwyr a grwpiau trydydd sector. Mae hynny'n cynnwys £24 miliwn ar gyfer sector gwirfoddol Cymru a £50 miliwn ar gyfer cynllun danfon bwyd yn uniongyrchol yng Nghymru ar gyfer y bobl fwyaf agored i niwed yng Nghymru. Mae dros 30,000 o wirfoddolwyr COVID-19 yng Nghymru ac rwy'n hynod ddiolchgar i Gyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru a'r cynghorau gwirfoddol sirol am bopeth y maent yn ei wneud yn eu partneriaeth â'n hawdurdodau lleol i gysylltu'r ymchwydd o wirfoddolwyr â'r tasgau sydd angen eu cyflawni.
O ran addysg, ers y penderfyniad i gau ysgolion a chanslo arholiadau'r haf hwn, rydym wedi gweithio'n gyflym i ddarparu gwybodaeth y gall fod ei hangen ar fyfyrwyr. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cyhoeddodd Kirsty Williams na fydd gofyn i fyfyrwyr blwyddyn 10 a 12, a oedd i fod i sefyll arholiadau yr haf hwn, sefyll yr arholiadau hynny yn nes ymlaen ac y bydd eu cymwysterau llawn yn cael eu darparu yn 2021. Mae dros 800 o ysgolion ledled Cymru wedi aros ar agor i gefnogi ein dysgwyr mwyaf agored i niwed a phlant gweithwyr hanfodol. Diolch i staff ysgolion am y gwaith y maent wedi'i wneud hyd yn hyn ac am y ffaith y bydd y mwyafrif o'r ysgolion hyn yn aros ar agor dros wyliau'r Pasg.
Lywydd, mae'r galwadau ar ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, ein busnesau a'n dinasyddion yng Nghymru yn enfawr. Fodd bynnag, y dasg gyffredin rydym oll yn gweithio arni yw achub bywydau. Rydym yn cyhoeddi ffigurau bob dydd bellach o farwolaethau o coronafeirws yng Nghymru, ond mae pob un o'r ffigurau hynny yn fab neu'n ferch i rywun, yn rhiant, neu'n nain neu daid i rywun. Gofynnir i bob un ohonom wneud yr hyn rydym yn ei wneud er mwyn lleihau'r golled honno a'r dioddefaint hwnnw, ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i ganolbwyntio'n gyfan gwbl ac yn llwyr ar y dasg honno.
[Inaudible.]—join the COVID-19 core group this morning. As I said in accepting the invitation, I'm of course happy to take part in these discussions but, as I'm sure you'll understand, should they interfere with the scrutiny of the Government's work then I'll have to reconsider my role in attending them.
Now, last week, I asked you about the Welsh Government's efforts to reprioritise its finances and publish an emergency budget demonstrating what financial changes had been made in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. You did indicate that the Welsh Government would be publishing a supplementary budget and that Ministers are undertaking an analysis of their portfolios to ascertain where spending could be diverted to the coronavirus response.
Now, the Welsh Government's £1.1 billion announcement earlier this week only consists of 25 per cent of its own money, as the rest is from European funding and the UK Treasury, and so, in order to convince the people of Wales that the Welsh Government is genuinely reprioritising its finance in response to this outbreak, we need to see something more than just 'business as usual'.
As I've also said before, it's also crucial that, where it can, the Welsh Government redistributes its funding to third sector organisations so that those responding to the outbreak are actually at the front of the queue when it comes to receiving Government funding. Therefore, First Minister, can you tell us when the Welsh Government will be coming forward with the supplementary budget?
[Anghlywadwy.]—ymuno â grŵp craidd COVID-19 y bore yma. Fel y dywedais wrth dderbyn y gwahoddiad, rwy'n hapus i gymryd rhan yn y trafodaethau hyn wrth gwrs ond fel y byddwch yn deall, rwy'n siŵr, os byddant yn ymyrryd â'r gwaith o graffu ar waith y Llywodraeth, bydd rhaid i mi ailystyried fy rôl yn eu mynychu.
Nawr, yr wythnos diwethaf, fe ofynnais i chi am ymdrechion Llywodraeth Cymru i ail-flaenoriaethu ei chyllid a chyhoeddi cyllideb frys yn dangos pa newidiadau ariannol oedd wedi cael eu gwneud yng ngoleuni'r argyfwng COVID-19. Gwnaethoch nodi y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyhoeddi cyllideb atodol a bod Gweinidogion yn gwneud dadansoddiad o'u portffolios i ganfod ym mhle y gellid dargyfeirio gwariant i ymateb i coronafeirws.
Nawr, nid yw cyhoeddiad Llywodraeth Cymru am yr £1.1 biliwn yn gynharach yr wythnos hon ond yn cynnwys 25 y cant o'i harian ei hun, gan fod y gweddill yn dod o gyllid Ewropeaidd a Thrysorlys y DU, ac felly, er mwyn argyhoeddi pobl Cymru fod Llywodraeth Cymru o ddifrif yn ail-flaenoriaethu ei chyllid mewn ymateb i'r argyfwng, mae angen inni weld mwy na 'busnes fel arfer' yn unig.
Fel rwyf wedi'i ddweud o'r blaen, mae hefyd yn hanfodol i Lywodraeth Cymru ailddosbarthu ei chyllid i sefydliadau trydydd sector lle gall wneud hynny fel bod y rhai sy'n ymateb i'r argyfwng ar flaen y ciw mewn gwirionedd pan ddaw'n fater o dderbyn cyllid gan y Llywodraeth. Felly, Brif Weinidog, a allwch ddweud wrthym pryd y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyflwyno'r gyllideb atodol?
Can I just check that Paul Davies hasn't completed his questioning?
A gaf fi wneud yn siŵr nad yw Paul Davies wedi cwblhau ei gwestiynau?
Sorry. Can you hear me now?
Mae'n ddrwg gennyf. A allwch chi fy nghlywed i yn awr?
Yes, I can.
Gallaf.
Ah, right. Right. So, as I was saying, First Minister, can you therefore tell us when you'll be bringing forward this supplementary budget? Have Ministers undertaken those financial reviews of their portfolios to ascertain where funding could be better prioritised? And, in relation to third sector grant funding, can you confirm that the current allocations of funding, which you referred to in your statement this afternoon, are actually being prioritised to reflect the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, so that those schemes that are delivering vital support and services are actually receiving the appropriate resources to carry out their work?
O'r gorau. Iawn. Felly, fel roeddwn yn dweud, Brif Weinidog, a allwch ddweud wrthym felly pryd y byddwch yn cyflwyno'r gyllideb atodol hon? A yw Gweinidogion wedi cynnal yr adolygiadau ariannol hynny o'u portffolios i ganfod lle gellid blaenoriaethu cyllid yn well? Ac mewn perthynas ag arian grant y trydydd sector, a allwch gadarnhau bod y dyraniadau cyllid presennol, y cyfeirioch chi atynt yn eich datganiad y prynhawn yma, yn cael eu blaenoriaethu i adlewyrchu effaith yr argyfwng coronafeirws, fel bod y cynlluniau a'r gwasanaethau sy'n darparu cymorth hanfodol yn cael yr adnoddau priodol i gyflawni eu gwaith?
I thank Paul Davies for those questions and thank him for joining the coronavirus Cabinet group this morning. My hope is that by having the most recent information available that will assist in the scrutiny of the Government's actions, and I'm very happy to remain in dialogue with the leader of the opposition about how that forum can operate in the way both he and I would like it to continue.
He is right to say that the Welsh Government has embarked all last week on a series of reviews of existing budgets. I don't myself think it is fair to describe £1.1 billion freed up from other commitments as 'business as usual'. It has involved difficult decisions right across the Government, and that is an exercise that I have warned my Cabinet colleagues we will have to repeat a number of times during the coronavirus crisis.
Last week, we focused on revenue in order to release as much revenue as we could for coronavirus purposes. We will carry out a parallel exercise in relation to capital expenditure across the Welsh Government. Again, the aim being to release capital from programmes that can now not go ahead in the way originally planned, and to be able to reapply that resource to meet the challenges that we face.
The Minister for Finance and Trefnydd intends to complete these first rounds of discussions over the next couple of weeks, and then we will be able to advise the Business Committee on the timetable that we hope to follow in relation to returning to the Assembly to regularise these matters through a first supplementary budget.
Members will have seen, as I said, that £24 million has already been identified for the voluntary and third sector. That is absolutely in recognition of the part that they are playing, as Paul Davies said, in moving to the forefront of the response being made across Wales to the coronavirus outbreak, both the voluntary effort by releasing people for new duties and by strengthening the response they're able to make at community level, and we intend to go on supporting that sector in that work.
Diolch i Paul Davies am y cwestiynau hynny a diolch iddo am ymuno â grŵp coronafeirws y Cabinet y bore yma. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd cael y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf sydd ar gael yn ein cynorthwyo i graffu ar weithgarwch y Llywodraeth, ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i barhau i drafod gydag arweinydd yr wrthblaid ynglŷn â sut y gall y fforwm hwnnw weithredu yn y ffordd y byddai ef a minnau'n hoffi iddo barhau i wneud.
Mae'n iawn i ddweud bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dechrau ar gyfres o adolygiadau o'r cyllidebau presennol drwy gydol yr wythnos diwethaf. Nid wyf yn credu'n bersonol ei bod hi'n deg disgrifio £1.1 biliwn a ryddhawyd o ymrwymiadau eraill fel 'busnes fel arfer'. Mae wedi galw am benderfyniadau anodd ym mhob rhan o'r Llywodraeth, ac mae hwnnw'n ymarfer rwyf wedi rhybuddio fy nghyd-Aelodau o'r Cabinet y bydd yn rhaid inni ei ailadrodd sawl gwaith yn ystod yr argyfwng coronafeirws.
Yr wythnos diwethaf, canolbwyntiwyd ar refeniw er mwyn rhyddhau cymaint o refeniw ag y gallem at ddibenion coronafeirws. Byddwn yn cynnal ymarfer cyfochrog mewn perthynas â gwariant cyfalaf ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru. Unwaith eto, y nod yw rhyddhau cyfalaf o raglenni na allant fynd rhagddynt bellach yn y ffordd a fwriadwyd yn wreiddiol, a gallu ailgymhwyso'r adnodd hwnnw er mwyn ymateb i'r heriau rydym yn eu hwynebu.
Mae'r Gweinidog Cyllid a'r Trefnydd yn bwriadu cwblhau'r rowndiau cyntaf hyn o drafodaethau dros yr wythnos neu ddwy nesaf, wedyn gallwn gynghori'r Pwyllgor Busnes ar yr amserlen y gobeithiwn ei dilyn mewn perthynas â dychwelyd i'r Cynulliad i reoleiddio'r materion hyn drwy gyllideb atodol gyntaf.
Bydd yr Aelodau wedi gweld, fel y dywedais, fod £24 miliwn eisoes wedi'i glustnodi ar gyfer y sector gwirfoddol a'r trydydd sector. Gwneir hynny er mwyn cydnabod yn llawn y rhan y maent yn ei chwarae, fel y dywedodd Paul Davies, yn symud i flaen yr ymateb ledled Cymru i'r argyfwng coronafeirws, o ran yr ymdrech wirfoddol drwy ryddhau pobl ar gyfer dyletswyddau newydd a thrwy gryfhau'r ymateb y gallant ei wneud ar lefel gymunedol, a bwriadwn barhau i gefnogi'r sector yn y gwaith hwnnw.
First Minister, alongside reprioritising the Government's finances, it's absolutely critical that the Government urgently addresses how it best supports and protects the most vulnerable in Wales from the threat of coronavirus. I know your statement refers to support for vulnerable people, and I'm pleased that some progress is being made, but can you tell us what work the Welsh Government has done to allow people to register themselves for additional support in Wales, and how that scheme is being promoted, so that anyone who feels that they need additional support can notify the proper authorities?
Now, there are also concerns that the coronavirus outbreak may lead to a domestic abuse pandemic according to the founder of the Stand up to Domestic Abuse organisation. I understand that the Welsh Government is looking at this, but could you tell us a bit more about the messaging and public campaigning the Welsh Government is considering to highlight the support available to those living with domestic abuse during this period, and what lessons have been learnt by the way other countries across the world are tackling domestic abuse at this time?
Two weeks ago, I asked you about the steps the Welsh Government is taking to ensure that those people who are now self-isolating are able to get the essential items that they need on a regular basis, and you said that Government Ministers were working closely with local authority colleagues and colleagues in the third sector. It’s also vital that more is done to encourage volunteers to come forward and help support the NHS and other bodies to carry out their work, as well as playing an important role in terms of delivering vital supplies in the community. As I understand it, the number of volunteers per head of the population is lower than that in England, and whilst there has been some confusion, it's more important than ever that efforts are made to increase the numbers here in Wales.
Therefore, can you tell us what urgent discussion the Welsh Government has had with local authorities across Wales to ascertain the number of people who are at risk of not getting the essential supplies that they actually need? And what further measures is the Welsh Government taking to help increase the number of volunteers across Wales to ensure that they can help both to support the NHS and help the delivery of essential supplies to those who actually need them?
Brif Weinidog, yn ogystal ag ail-flaenoriaethu cyllid y Llywodraeth, mae'n gwbl hanfodol fod y Llywodraeth yn mynd i'r afael ar frys â'r ffordd orau o gefnogi ac amddiffyn y mwyaf agored i niwed yng Nghymru rhag bygythiad coronafeirws. Gwn fod eich datganiad yn cyfeirio at gymorth i bobl sy'n agored i niwed, ac rwy'n falch fod rhywfaint o gynnydd yn cael ei wneud, ond a allwch ddweud wrthym pa waith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud i ganiatáu i bobl gofrestru eu hunain ar gyfer cael cymorth ychwanegol yng Nghymru, a sut y mae'r cynllun hwnnw'n cael ei hyrwyddo, fel bod unrhyw un sy'n teimlo bod angen cymorth ychwanegol arnynt yn gallu hysbysu'r awdurdodau priodol?
Nawr, mae yna bryderon hefyd y gall yr argyfwng coronafeirws arwain at bandemig o gam-drin domestig yn ôl sylfaenydd y sefydliad Stand Up to Domestic Abuse. Deallaf fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn edrych ar hyn, ond a allech ddweud ychydig mwy wrthym am y negeseuon a'r ymgyrchu cyhoeddus y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu hystyried i dynnu sylw at y cymorth sydd ar gael i'r rheini sy'n byw gyda cham-drin domestig yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, a pha wersi a ddysgwyd o'r ffordd y mae gwledydd eraill ar draws y byd yn mynd i'r afael â cham-drin domestig ar hyn o bryd?
Bythefnos yn ôl, gofynnais i chi ynglŷn â'r camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod y bobl sy'n hunanynysu yn awr yn gallu cael yr eitemau hanfodol y maent eu hangen yn rheolaidd, ac fe ddywedoch chi fod Gweinidogion y Llywodraeth yn gweithio'n agos gyda chydweithwyr yn yr awdurdodau lleol a chydweithwyr yn y trydydd sector. Mae hefyd yn hanfodol fod mwy yn cael ei wneud i annog gwirfoddolwyr i gamu i'r adwy a helpu i gefnogi'r GIG a chyrff eraill i wneud eu gwaith, yn ogystal â chwarae rhan bwysig yn danfon cyflenwadau hanfodol yn y gymuned. Yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, mae nifer y gwirfoddolwyr fesul y pen o'r boblogaeth yn is nag yn Lloegr, ac er y bu rhywfaint o ddryswch, mae'n bwysicach nag erioed fod ymdrechion yn cael eu gwneud i gynyddu'r niferoedd yma yng Nghymru.
Felly, a allwch ddweud wrthym pa drafodaethau brys y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gydag awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru i ganfod faint o bobl sydd mewn perygl o beidio â chael y cyflenwadau hanfodol sydd eu hangen arnynt? A pha gamau pellach y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu rhoi ar waith i helpu i gynyddu nifer y gwirfoddolwyr ledled Cymru er mwyn sicrhau y gallant helpu i gynorthwyo'r GIG a helpu i ddanfon cyflenwadau hanfodol i'r rhai sydd eu hangen?
Again, I thank Paul Davies for those. On domestic violence, he is right, of course, that the sobering evidence from other places that have been in the coronavirus crisis earlier then us is that, when people are confined to their own homes, home is not a place of safety for everybody and, for some people, it is a place where real risks are posed to them. My colleague Jane Hutt has published new advice and guidance today to the sector demonstrating how we can improve the responsiveness of services that are already there, and to try to tailor them to the circumstances people now face.
I know that our colleagues in the police service are particularly alert to all of this. I was discussing this with a chief constable earlier this morning about the measures they are putting in place to try and make sure that, where crimes are committed—and an act of violence in the home is a crime—the police will treat it in exactly that way and respond in the way that we would expect.
It is a challenge, as Members will recognise, when people are confined to their homes, for good reasons of coronavirus, some of the ways in which they can alert others to things that are happening in their lives are longer available to them, and we are looking to see what has happened elsewhere to see if there any lessons we can learn in continuing to make the services we already have on the ground as effective as they can be in these difficult circumstances.
I wanted to take the question about the vulnerable and the self-isolating together, because it is really important to be clear that there are two different categories of people here. There are the 81,000 people who have been written to by the chief medical officer to say that their health condition is so significant that they should remain at home for 12 to 16 weeks, and that they should not go out at all and that they should be genuinely isolated from others who might otherwise bring harm to them.
Those are the people that we are offering a doorstep delivery of food to, where they don't have any other way in which food can be brought to them. The majority of those people will already have families and friends, and are likely to be users of existing services, and will be able to rely on those networks to assist them. But for those who can't, we've put in place a mechanism where we can take to people's doors—where that is the right thing to do—food that will be able to see them through the weeks ahead. That mechanism doesn't suit everybody. Some people are too vulnerable even to be able to pick up the box of food from their doorstep. In those circumstances, we are arranging through our local authority colleagues for food to be taken from their centres by volunteers out to people who need a service in a different sort of way.
There is of course a much larger group of people who are vulnerable: people aged over 70, women who are pregnant, people with pre-existing conditions, and so on. They are not required to remain at home in the same exclusive way. Many of those are people who will be able to make a visit themselves to the shop to get food supplies, but we are working with supermarkets to see how, in the services that they provide, the home delivery services, we may be able to identify people in that group as well, when we have finished dealing with the safeguarding group, to give them some priority for home delivery services. There are some data challenges in making people's personal information available to supermarkets in that way, but solutions to that are being devised.
As far as volunteers are concerned, of course, we started from a much higher base in Wales. Wales has always had a higher and healthier number of volunteers than other parts of the United Kingdom. We have 30,000 extra people who've come forward in the coronavirus crisis. They're coming through the WCVA, they're coming through the voluntary councils, and then there's a brokerage job to be done to make sure that their offers of help are matched with those who need it. Of course, we are keen for more people to come forward, because as the disease progresses, even people who have volunteered—numbers of those people will themselves find themselves not able to carry out those volunteering duties. So, the best advice to people who want to volunteer in Wales is to go to the WCVA site. It's a very simple process: you can register your willingness to help, and you will be matched in your locality with people who need that help.
Unwaith eto, diolch i Paul Davies am y rheini. O ran trais yn y cartref, mae'n iawn, wrth gwrs, fod y dystiolaeth sobreiddiol o fannau eraill a wynebodd yr argyfwng coronafeirws yn gynharach na ni yn dangos, pan fo pobl wedi'u cyfyngu i'w cartrefi eu hunain, nad yw gartref yn lle diogel i bawb ac i rai pobl, mae'n fan lle mae pobl yn wynebu risg wirioneddol. Heddiw, cyhoeddodd fy nghyd-Aelod Jane Hutt gyngor a chanllawiau newydd i'r sector sy'n dangos sut y gallwn wella gallu gwasanaethau sydd yno eisoes i ymateb, a cheisio eu teilwra i'r amgylchiadau y mae pobl yn eu hwynebu nawr.
Gwn fod ein cydweithwyr yn y gwasanaeth heddlu'n arbennig o effro i hyn i gyd. Roeddwn yn siarad gyda phrif gwnstabl yn gynharach y bore yma ynglŷn â'r mesurau y maent yn eu rhoi ar waith i geisio gwneud yn siŵr, lle mae troseddau'n cael eu cyflawni—ac mae gweithred o drais yn y cartref yn drosedd—y bydd yr heddlu'n ei thrin yn y ffordd honno'n union ac yn ymateb yn y ffordd y byddem yn ei ddisgwyl.
Fel y bydd yr Aelodau'n cydnabod, pan fydd pobl wedi'u cyfyngu i'w cartrefi am resymau da'n ymwneud â coronafeirws, yr her yw nad yw rhai o'r ffyrdd y gallant dynnu sylw eraill at bethau sy'n digwydd yn eu bywydau ar gael iddynt mwyach, ac rydym yn edrych i weld beth sydd wedi digwydd mewn mannau eraill i weld a oes unrhyw wersi y gallwn eu dysgu wrth barhau i wneud y gwasanaethau sydd gennym eisoes ar lawr gwlad mor effeithiol ag y gallant fod o dan yr amgylchiadau anodd hyn.
Roeddwn am gymryd y cwestiwn ynglŷn â'r rhai sy'n agored i niwed a'r rhai sy'n hunanynysu gyda'i gilydd, oherwydd mae'n wirioneddol bwysig inni fod yn glir fod yna ddau gategori gwahanol o bobl yma. Mae'r prif swyddog meddygol wedi ysgrifennu at 81,000 o bobl i ddweud bod eu cyflwr iechyd mor sylweddol fel y dylent aros yn eu cartrefi am 12 i 16 wythnos, ac na ddylent fynd allan o gwbl ac y dylent fod wedi'u hynysu'n wirioneddol oddi wrth eraill a allai beri niwed iddynt fel arall.
Dyna'r bobl rydym yn cynnig danfon bwyd at garreg eu drws, lle nad oes ganddynt unrhyw ffordd arall lle gellir dod â bwyd iddynt. Bydd gan y rhan fwyaf o'r bobl hyn deuluoedd a chyfeillion yn barod, ac maent yn debygol o fod yn defnyddio gwasanaethau presennol, a byddant yn gallu dibynnu ar y rhwydweithiau hynny i'w cynorthwyo. Ond i'r rhai na allant wneud hynny, rydym wedi rhoi system ar waith i fynd â bwyd i ddrysau pobl—lle mae'n iawn inni wneud hynny—i'w cynnal drwy'r wythnosau i ddod. Nid yw'r system honno'n addas i bawb. Mae rhai pobl yn rhy agored i niwed i allu codi'r bocs bwyd o garreg eu drws hyd yn oed. Yn yr amgylchiadau hynny, rydym yn trefnu, drwy ein cydweithwyr yn yr awdurdodau lleol, i fwyd gael ei gludo o'u canolfannau gan wirfoddolwyr i bobl sydd angen gwasanaeth mewn gwahanol fath o ffordd.
Wrth gwrs, ceir grŵp llawer mwy o bobl sy'n agored i niwed: pobl dros 70 oed, menywod beichiog, pobl sydd â chyflyrau sy'n bodoli eisoes, ac yn y blaen. Nid yw'n ofynnol iddynt aros gartref yn yr un ffordd yn union. Bydd llawer o'r rheini'n bobl a all ymweld â'r siop eu hunain i gael cyflenwadau bwyd, ond rydym yn gweithio gydag archfarchnadoedd, o ran y gwasanaethau a ddarparant, y gwasanaethau sy'n danfon nwyddau i gartrefi pobl, i weld sut y gallem nodi pobl yn y grŵp hwnnw hefyd, pan fyddwn wedi gorffen ymdrin â'r grŵp diogelu, er mwyn rhoi rhywfaint o flaenoriaeth iddynt hwy o ran gwasanaethau sy'n danfon nwyddau i'r cartref. Ceir rhai heriau data yn gysylltiedig â sicrhau bod gwybodaeth bersonol pobl ar gael i archfarchnadoedd yn y ffordd honno, ond mae atebion i hynny'n cael eu dyfeisio.
O ran gwirfoddolwyr, wrth gwrs, roeddem yn dechrau o sylfaen lawer uwch yng Nghymru. Mae Cymru bob amser wedi meddu ar nifer uwch a mwy cadarn o wirfoddolwyr na rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig. Mae gennym 30,000 o bobl ychwanegol sydd wedi camu i'r adwy yn yr argyfwng coronafeirws. Maent yn dod drwy Gyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru, maent yn dod drwy'r cynghorau gwirfoddol, ac mae gwaith broceriaeth i'w wneud er mwyn sicrhau bod eu cynigion o gymorth yn cael eu cysylltu â'r rhai sydd ei angen. Wrth gwrs, rydym yn awyddus i ragor o bobl gamu i'r adwy oherwydd, wrth i'r clefyd waethygu, bydd hyd yn oed pobl sydd wedi gwirfoddoli—bydd nifer o'r bobl hynny eu hunain yn methu cyflawni'r dyletswyddau gwirfoddoli hynny. Felly, y cyngor gorau i bobl sy'n dymuno gwirfoddoli yng Nghymru yw mynd i wefan CGGC. Mae'n broses syml iawn: gallwch gofrestru eich parodrwydd i helpu, ac fe gewch eich cysylltu yn eich ardal â'r bobl sydd angen yr help hwnnw.
A gaf i ddechrau trwy estyn cydymdeimladau dwys i'r rhai sydd wedi colli aelodau o'r teulu a chyfeillion yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, ac estyn dymuniadau gorau i'r rhai sy'n sâl ar hyn o bryd, a diolch i bawb sydd yn gofalu amdanon ni i gyd yn y cyfnod hynod anodd yma? A gaf i ddiolch hefyd i chi, Brif Weinidog, am estyn gwahoddiad i fi ymuno gyda'r grŵp COVID cenedlaethol rŷch chi wedi cyfeirio ato fe ynghynt?
May I start by extending my sincere sympathies to those who have lost family members and friends over the past few weeks, and extend my best wishes to those who are ill at the moment, and thank everybody who is caring for us all during this very difficult period? May I also thank you, First Minister, for extending the invitation to me to join the national COVID group that you made reference to in your statement?
If I could start by asking some questions around testing? Can the First Minister confirm that—the company involved in the deal that collapsed recently, Roche—contrary to what that company, at least, is claiming, there was a confirmed written agreement with the Welsh Government to deliver 5,000 tests a day? Is it your understanding that the catalyst for the deal collapsing may have been a similar deal with Public Health England? If that is the case, what confidence do you have in Public Health England—which has achieved, I believe, a lower level of testing so far than Wales, pro rata—in their procuring now on our behalf? Will we still be independently sourcing our own capacity in terms of testing, in addition to anything done on a co-ordinated, four-nation basis? Has the Government, for example, approached the Welsh universities, or have the Welsh universities approached the Government, to see whether their laboratory capacity could be used to increase testing levels in Wales?
On PPE, can you confirm that the emergency helpline that you've created for people with concerns about access to PPE will be made publicly available for individual care workers and nurses and other staff, as it is in England? Local authorities that have concerns about the supply of PPE, I am told, are being advised currently not to procure their own stocks of PPE. Can you confirm, nevertheless, that they are free to do so, should they wish? In the case of care workers going into people's homes, should they not be advised to wear PPE as a matter of course to protect themselves, but also to prevent transmission to the elderly and other vulnerable groups?
Finally, First Minister, on construction, the Scottish Government have issued instructions for all non-essential construction to cease at this time. You have the power to do the same here in Wales, why haven't you?
A gaf fi ddechrau drwy ofyn rhai cwestiynau ynglŷn â phrofion? A all y Prif Weinidog gadarnhau, yn groes i beth y mae'r cwmni sy'n gysylltiedig â'r cytundeb a chwalodd yn ddiweddar, sef Roche, yn ei honni o leiaf, fod cytundeb ysgrifenedig wedi'i gadarnhau gyda Llywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu 5,000 o brofion y dydd? Ai'r hyn a ddeallwch yw mai'r catalydd a barodd i'r cytundeb fethu oedd cytundeb tebyg gyda Public Health England? Os yw hynny'n wir, pa hyder sydd gennych yn Public Health England—sydd, rwy'n credu, wedi cyflawni lefel is o brofi hyd yma na Chymru, pro rata—i gaffael ar ein rhan yn awr? A fyddwn yn dal i gyrchu ein capasiti ein hunain yn annibynnol o ran profion, yn ychwanegol at unrhyw beth a wneir ar sail gydgysylltiedig yn y pedair gwlad? A yw'r Llywodraeth, er enghraifft, wedi cysylltu â phrifysgolion Cymru, neu a yw prifysgolion Cymru wedi cysylltu â'r Llywodraeth, i weld a ellid defnyddio eu capasiti labordy i gynyddu lefelau profion yng Nghymru?
O ran cyfarpar diogelu personol, a allwch gadarnhau y bydd y llinell gymorth frys rydych wedi'i chreu ar gyfer pobl sy'n pryderu ynglŷn â chael cyfarpar diogelu personol ar gael i'r cyhoedd ar gyfer gweithwyr gofal a nyrsys unigol ac aelodau eraill o staff, fel y mae yn Lloegr? Dywedir wrthyf fod awdurdodau lleol sydd â phryderon ynglŷn â chyflenwad cyfarpar diogelu personol yn cael cyngor ar hyn o bryd i beidio â chaffael eu stociau eu hunain o gyfarpar diogelu personol. A allwch gadarnhau, serch hynny, eu bod yn rhydd i wneud hynny os dymunant? Yn achos gweithwyr gofal sy'n mynd i mewn i gartrefi pobl, oni ddylid eu cynghori i wisgo cyfarpar diogelu personol fel mater o drefn i ddiogelu eu hunain, ond hefyd er mwyn osgoi trosglwyddo'r feirws i'r henoed a grwpiau eraill sy'n agored i niwed?
Yn olaf, Brif Weinidog, ar waith adeiladu, mae Llywodraeth yr Alban wedi cyhoeddi cyfarwyddiadau ar gyfer dod â'r holl waith adeiladu nad yw'n hanfodol i ben ar hyn o bryd. Mae gennych bŵer i wneud yr un peth yma yng Nghymru, pam nad ydych chi wedi gwneud hynny?
A gaf i ddweud, i ddechrau, fy mod i'n cytuno â beth ddywedodd Adam Price pan oedd e'n cydymdeimlo â phobl sydd wedi colli pobl oherwydd coronafeirws? Rŷm ni gyd, heddiw, yn meddwl am y cyn-Aelod Cynulliad Bill Powell a'i deulu ef hefyd.
May I say, first of all, that I agree with what Adam Price said when he was sympathising with those people who have lost loved ones as a result of coronavirus? We are all, today, thinking about the former Assembly Member Bill Powell and his family too.
Vaughan Gething will deal in more detail with matters to do with the health service, Llywydd, but as far as testing is concerned can I say I think a co-ordinated approach across the four nations of the United Kingdom is a sensible approach here? We don't want to be competing with one another for scarce resources. Adam Price is right to say that we've had a higher level of testing in Wales than across our border in recent times. But, working together with colleagues in Scotland, Northern Ireland and England gives us some resilience in the system. It doesn't preclude us from looking for supplies of our own, but this is very competitive, as Members will understand. Working together is, I think, in the interest of Wales and of our friends and colleagues in other parts of the United Kingdom as well.
As far as PPE is concerned, local authorities can certainly secure supplies of their own if that's what they think they want to do. But, again, they wouldn't want to find themselves competing against one another in a marketplace, because that will certainly drive the market in the direction of the suppliers rather than the people who need it.
I don't think we plan, at the moment, to make that number a public number. The course of action for somebody in the health or social care service who has concerns about PPE is for that to be reported through their organisation and for the organisation to use that number. If the number were to be made available for everybody, then I think the risk is that it would get in the way of getting PPE to the places where it is most needed, rather than the system we have, where people who can perceive blockages at the ground level report that through their organisation, and the organisation then solves the problem by being in contact through the line.
In relation to construction, my understanding is the Scottish Government has issued guidance. It's not an instruction; it is guidance. We were in discussions with the Scottish Government on this yesterday and we'll be in discussions with them again tomorrow. I think the thing that we are wrestling with is to find a way of bearing down on construction sites where practice is not safe, where people are not separated by 2m, while at the same time making sure that we don't get in the way of essential construction work that we need for public purposes: the Grange University Hospital development; the work going on in Carmarthenshire in relation to leisure centre preparation; the work going on in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Conwy to respond to people flooded out of their homes; and to make sure that work is done to prevent flooding later in the year. Finding a legal way of identifying the things we want to continue and the things we don't want to continue has been challenging—we're discussing it with the Scottish Government to find whether we can act together on that matter.
Bydd Vaughan Gething yn ymdrin yn fanylach â materion sy'n ymwneud â'r gwasanaeth iechyd, Lywydd, ond o ran y profion, a gaf fi ddweud fy mod yn credu bod ymagwedd gydgysylltiedig ar draws pedair gwlad y Deyrnas Unedig yn ymagwedd synhwyrol yma? Nid ydym am gystadlu â'n gilydd am adnoddau prin. Mae Adam Price yn iawn i ddweud ein bod wedi gweld lefel uwch o brofi yng Nghymru nag ar draws y ffin yn ddiweddar. Ond mae gweithio gyda chydweithwyr yn yr Alban, Gogledd Iwerddon a Lloegr, yn sicrhau rhywfaint o gadernid yn y system. Nid yw'n ein hatal rhag chwilio am gyflenwadau ein hunain, ond mae hyn yn gystadleuol iawn, fel y bydd yr Aelodau'n deall. Credaf fod gweithio gyda'n gilydd o fudd i Gymru a'n cyfeillion a'n cydweithwyr mewn rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig hefyd.
O ran cyfarpar diogelu personol, yn sicr gall awdurdodau lleol sicrhau cyflenwadau eu hunain os mai dyna y credant eu bod eisiau ei wneud. Ond unwaith eto, ni fyddent eisiau cystadlu yn erbyn ei gilydd mewn marchnad, oherwydd bydd hynny'n sicr yn gyrru'r farchnad i gyfeiriad y cyflenwyr yn hytrach na'r bobl sydd ei hangen.
Nid wyf yn meddwl ein bod yn cynllunio, ar hyn o bryd, i wneud y rhif hwnnw'n rhif cyhoeddus. Yr hyn y dylai rhywun yn y gwasanaeth iechyd neu ofal cymdeithasol sydd â phryderon am gyfarpar diogelu personol ei wneud yw rhoi gwybod am hynny drwy eu sefydliad ac i'r sefydliad ddefnyddio'r rhif hwnnw. Pe bai'r rhif ar gael i bawb, rwy'n credu mai'r risg yw y byddai'n ein rhwystro rhag sicrhau bod cyfarpar diogelu personol yn cyrraedd y mannau lle mae ei angen fwyaf, yn hytrach na'r system sydd gennym, lle mae pobl sy'n gallu gweld rhwystrau ar lawr gwlad yn rhoi gwybod i'w sefydliad, ac yna mae'r sefydliad yn datrys y broblem drwy fod mewn cysylltiad drwy'r llinell.
O ran gwaith adeiladu, rwy'n deall bod Llywodraeth yr Alban wedi cyhoeddi canllawiau. Nid cyfarwyddyd ydyw, ond arweiniad. Roeddem mewn trafodaethau gyda Llywodraeth yr Alban ar hyn ddoe a byddwn yn cynnal trafodaethau â hwy eto yfory. Credaf mai'r hyn rydym yn ymgodymu ag ef yw dod o hyd i ffordd o ymdrin â safleoedd adeiladu lle nad yw'r ymarfer yn ddiogel, lle nad yw pobl 2 fetr ar wahân, gan sicrhau ar yr un pryd nad ydym yn rhwystro gwaith adeiladu hanfodol sydd ei angen arnom at ddibenion cyhoeddus: datblygiad Ysbyty Athrofaol y Grange; y gwaith sy'n digwydd yn Sir Gaerfyrddin mewn perthynas â pharatoi canolfannau hamdden; y gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo yn Rhondda Cynon Taf a Chonwy i ymateb i bobl sydd wedi dioddef lifogydd yn eu cartrefi; a gwneud yn siŵr fod gwaith yn cael ei wneud i atal llifogydd yn ddiweddarach yn y flwyddyn. Mae dod o hyd i ffordd gyfreithiol o nodi'r pethau rydym eisiau eu parhau a'r pethau nad ydym eisiau eu parhau wedi bod yn heriol—rydym yn trafod hyn gyda Llywodraeth yr Alban i weld a allwn gydweithio ar y mater.
Whenever something is clouded in secrecy, obviously that makes scrutiny and accountability more difficult and it also erodes, I think, public trust if you don’t get full transparency. So, given that the Government chose to tell us about the deal collapsing with this supplier, can I just ask the First Minister, again, if you're prepared to confirm if the company is Roche, and if it isn't Roche who else it is? And, specifically, can you address this suggestion that I've heard from several sources inside Wales, several sources outside of Wales, that one of the reasons that the deal with the Welsh Government collapsed was because of a parallel deal with Public Health England? Now, either that is true or it isn't true, and it's causing a lot of anxiety and some anger in some places. If it isn't true, dispel that now, First Minister, by saying so, or at least tell us what you know as to why this deal collapsed.
Pan fo rhywbeth yn gyfrinachol, yn amlwg mae hynny'n gwneud craffu ac atebolrwydd yn anos ac rwy'n credu ei fod hefyd yn erydu ymddiriedaeth y cyhoedd os nad oes gennych dryloywder llwyr. Felly, o ystyried bod y Llywodraeth wedi dewis dweud wrthym am y cytundeb yn chwalu gyda'r cyflenwr hwn, a gaf fi ofyn i'r Prif Weinidog unwaith eto, a ydych yn barod i gadarnhau mai Roche yw'r cwmni, ac os nad Roche yw'r cwmni, pwy arall ydyw? Ac yn benodol, a allwch chi ateb yr awgrym a glywais gan sawl ffynhonnell yng Nghymru, a sawl ffynhonnell y tu allan i Gymru, mai un o'r rhesymau pam y chwalodd y cytundeb gyda Llywodraeth Cymru oedd oherwydd cytundeb cyfochrog gyda Public Health England? Nawr, naill ai mae hynny'n wir neu nid yw'n wir, ac mae'n achosi llawer o bryder a rhywfaint o ddicter mewn rhai mannau. Os nad yw'n wir, dylech roi diwedd ar y sïon hynny yn awr, Brif Weinidog, drwy ddweud hynny, neu o leiaf ddweud wrthym beth rydych yn ei wybod ynglŷn â pham y chwalodd y cytundeb.
Llywydd, we have a deal; we believed that the deal was one that we had—. I'm sorry, I'm being told that you didn't hear the beginning of that. So, we did have a deal; it was a deal that we had; it was with Roche. We believe that it was a deal that ought to have been honoured. We now have access to a supply of tests from a consortium of suppliers that will give us a considerable uplift in testing here in Wales. Truthfully, what I believe patients are interested in is that testing will be available, that staff can be tested and go back to work, and some of the detail of how that came about is not, I think, uppermost in the minds of people who need that testing. They want to know it’s there and is going to be available, and available in greater numbers, and we can be confident of that.
Lywydd, mae gennym gytundeb; roeddem yn credu mai'r cytundeb oedd un a oedd gennym—. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, rwyf newydd gael gwybod na wnaethoch glywed dechrau'r cyfraniad hwnnw. Felly, roedd gennym gytundeb; roedd yn gytundeb a oedd gennym; roedd y cytundeb gyda Roche. Rydym o'r farn ei fod yn gytundeb y dylid bod wedi'i anrhydeddu. Bellach, mae gennym fynediad at gyflenwad o brofion gan gonsortiwm o gyflenwyr a fydd yn rhoi cynnydd sylweddol inni yn nifer y profion a gynhelir yma yng Nghymru. A bod yn onest, rwy'n credu mai'r hyn y mae cleifion ei eisiau yw sicrwydd y bydd profion ar gael, y bydd staff yn gallu cael eu profi a mynd yn ôl i'r gwaith, ac nid wyf yn credu mai'r peth pwysicaf i'r rheini sydd angen cael eu profi yw'r manylion ynglŷn â sut y daeth hynny i fod. Maent eisiau gwybod ei fod yno a'i fod ar gael, ac ar gael mewn niferoedd mwy, a gallwn fod yn hyderus o hynny.
Thank you for your statement, First Minister, and my condolences also to all those who've lost loved ones to this terrible disease. The news also that a 13-year-old boy with no apparent underlying health issues has become the youngest victim of this disease drives home the very seriousness of this pandemic. We see, on a daily basis, how quickly the situation changes, and, indeed, since your last update to the Siambr the number of people infected globally has doubled. Here in Wales, despite stringent measures, the disease continues to spread widely. I am grateful for the work being done by your Government to keep us all safe, and for providing us and our constituents with regular updates.
So, First Minister, our NHS staff on the front line in the fight against COVID-19 quite rightly deserve our heartfelt thanks, and once we emerge from this crisis, we must explore options to reward them for their selflessness in protecting us and saving lives. However, NHS staff are not the only ones deserving our praise and support. Staff in care homes are also on the front line, and they too are experiencing shortages in PPE. It has also been broadcast this morning that the care homes are now not able to have deliveries for the people in those care homes, which, again, puts staff outside, shopping and exposing them to COVID-19. So, First Minister, what assurances can you give the social care sector that they will receive the PPE necessary to support staff? And, in terms of recognition, I welcome the fact NHS staff are to receive free travel on public transport. First Minister, does this also extend to social care staff?
In addition to health and social care staff, we have to recognise the efforts made by police officers, firefighters, prison staff, and also those volunteering their services to the entire public sector. But it's not just the public sector; across the private sector, all the stops are being pulled out to ensure we have access to life's essentials. So, unfortunately, despite their best efforts, not everyone can access these supermarket deliveries, as I've highlighted.
And I've been contacted by a number of constituents who have not been deemed extremely vulnerable by NHS Wales, and yet, due to various disabilities, are unable to physically go shopping. So, prior to this outbreak, these constituents have totally depended upon supermarket deliveries. So, now that delivery slots are being reserved by constituents, my constituents face a stark choice between starving or playing Russian roulette with an extremely infectious virus. First Minister, what discussion have you had with the UK Government? I note that you have had a discussion with the UK Government on military personnel, but I'm asking does that extend to deliveries to people such as these? The longer this outbreak continues, the greater impact it will have on our most vulnerable in society.
What assessment has been made of the efficacy of current control measures, and does the modelling the Welsh Government are relying upon make any assessment of whether shorter, more stringent controls may be better than longer term, more lax controls?
And finally, First Minister, we are entering the most critical phase of this outbreak, which is putting tremendous stresses upon all involved in protecting the public. However, we must ensure we are forward planning, not just reacting to events as they unfold. First Minister, can you outline the actions being taken by the Welsh Government to undertake contact tracing once we have sufficient testing capacity within the system? NHS England are believed to be working on an app to aid with contact tracing. The app would track locations and contacts and enable immediate alerting, should someone you have been in contact with develop COVID-19. First Minister, what role is the Welsh Government playing in the planning of this phase, and what actions are you taking to ensure such moves do not infringe upon our civil liberties?
Thank you once again, First Minister, and if we all heed the medical advice, we should defeat this disease sooner much rather than later. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch am eich datganiad, Brif Weinidog, a fy nghydymdeimlad hefyd â phawb sydd wedi colli anwyliaid i'r clefyd dychrynllyd hwn. Mae'r newyddion hefyd mai bachgen 13 oed heb unrhyw broblemau iechyd amlwg yw'r ieuengaf i farw o'r clefyd hwn yn ategu difrifoldeb y pandemig. Bob dydd gwelwn pa mor gyflym y mae'r sefyllfa'n newid, ac yn wir, ers eich diweddariad diwethaf i'r Siambr mae nifer y bobl sydd wedi'u heintio'n fyd-eang wedi dyblu. Yma yng Nghymru, er gwaethaf mesurau llym, mae'r clefyd yn parhau i ledaenu'n eang. Rwy'n ddiolchgar am y gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud gan eich Llywodraeth i gadw pob un ohonom yn ddiogel, ac i ddarparu diweddariadau rheolaidd i ni a'n hetholwyr.
Felly, Brif Weinidog, mae ein staff yn y GIG sydd ar y rheng flaen yn y frwydr yn erbyn COVID-19 yn haeddu ein diolch diffuant, a hynny'n gwbl briodol, ac ar ôl inni ddod allan o'r argyfwng hwn, mae'n rhaid inni edrych ar opsiynau i'w gwobrwyo am eu anhunanoldeb wrth ein gwarchod ni ac achub bywydau. Fodd bynnag, nid staff y GIG yw'r unig rai sy'n haeddu ein canmoliaeth a'n cefnogaeth. Mae staff mewn cartrefi gofal hefyd ar y rheng flaen, ac maent hwythau hefyd yn wynebu prinder o gyfarpar diogelu personol. Mae hefyd wedi'i ddarlledu y bore yma nad yw cartrefi gofal bellach yn gallu cael nwyddau wedi'u danfon ar gyfer y bobl yn y cartrefi gofal hynny, sydd unwaith eto yn golygu bod staff yn gorfod mynd allan i siopa gan eu rhoi mewn perygl o ddal COVID-19. Felly, Brif Weinidog, pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi i'r sector gofal cymdeithasol y byddant yn cael y cyfarpar diogelu personol sydd ei angen i gefnogi staff? Ac o ran cydnabyddiaeth, rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod staff y GIG yn cael teithio am ddim ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Brif Weinidog, a yw hyn hefyd yn cynnwys staff gofal cymdeithasol?
Yn ychwanegol at staff iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, mae'n rhaid i ni gydnabod yr ymdrechion a wneir gan swyddogion yr heddlu, diffoddwyr tân, staff carchardai, yn ogystal â'r rhai sy'n gwirfoddoli eu gwasanaethau i'r sector cyhoeddus cyfan. Ond nid y sector cyhoeddus yn unig; gwneir pob ymdrech ar draws y sector preifat i sicrhau bod gennym ffordd o gael hanfodion bywyd. Felly, yn anffodus, er gwaethaf eu hymdrechion gorau, nid yw pawb yn gallu cael nwyddau wedi'u danfon gan archfarchnadoedd, fel y nodais.
Ac mae nifer o etholwyr nad yw'r GIG yn ystyried eu bod yn eithriadol o agored i niwed wedi cysylltu â mi, ac eto, oherwydd anableddau amrywiol, nid ydynt yn gallu mynd i siopa drostynt eu hunain. Felly, cyn yr argyfwng, roedd yr etholwyr hyn yn dibynnu'n llwyr ar gael nwyddau wedi'u danfon gan archfarchnadoedd. Felly, gan fod y slotiau danfon nwyddau bellach yn cael eu cadw gan etholwyr, mae fy etholwyr yn wynebu dewis anodd rhwng llwgu neu chwarae rwlét Rwsiaidd gyda feirws hynod heintus. Brif Weinidog, pa drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda Llywodraeth y DU? Sylwaf eich bod wedi cael trafodaeth gyda Llywodraeth y DU am bersonél milwrol, ond rwy'n gofyn a yw hynny'n cynnwys danfon nwyddau i bobl fel y rhain? Po hwyaf y bydd yr argyfwng yn parhau, y mwyaf o effaith a gaiff ar y rhai mwyaf agored i niwed yn y gymdeithas.
Pa asesiad a wnaethpwyd o effeithiolrwydd y mesurau rheoli presennol, ac a yw'r model y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn dibynnu arno yn gwneud unrhyw asesiad i weld a fyddai mesurau rheoli byrrach a mwy caeth yn well na mesurau rheoli llacach a mwy hirdymor?
Ac yn olaf, Brif Weinidog, rydym yn mynd i mewn i gam mwyaf tyngedfennol y pandemig hwn, sy'n rhoi straen aruthrol ar bawb sy'n ymwneud â diogelu'r cyhoedd. Fodd bynnag, rhaid i ni sicrhau ein bod yn blaen-gynllunio, yn hytrach nag ymateb yn unig i ddigwyddiadau wrth iddynt ddatblygu. Brif Weinidog, a allwch chi amlinellu'r camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i olrhain cysylltiadau pan fydd gennym ddigon o gapasiti i gynnal profion yn y system? Credir bod GIG Lloegr yn gweithio ar ap i helpu gydag olrhain cysylltiadau. Byddai'r ap yn olrhain lleoliadau a chysylltiadau ac yn ei gwneud hi'n bosibl rhybuddio ar unwaith, pe bai rhywun rydych wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â hwy yn datblygu symptomau COVID-19. Brif Weinidog, pa rôl y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei chwarae yn cynllunio'r cam hwn, a pha gamau rydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau na fydd pethau o'r fath yn tarfu ar ein hawliau sifil?
Diolch unwaith eto, Brif Weinidog, ac os gwnaiff pawb ohonom wrando ar y cyngor meddygol, dylem drechu'r clefyd hwn yn gynt yn hytrach nag yn hwyrach. Diolch. Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch yn fawr. Thank you to Caroline Jones for those questions; I'll try and deal with them as rapidly as I can. As far as PPE for care staff is concerned, they are part of the supply arrangements for PPE, and a significant amount of PPE was released to care homes in Wales on Monday and on Tuesday of this week—a pack of PPE going directly to every residential care home in Wales. Where care homes are struggling in terms of access to food, then Menter a Busnes, an advice organisation we have in Wales, is contacting care homes to provide them with assistance in that area.
Free travel on public transport does not extend as far as social care staff, and that's for practical reasons only, in that the difficulties of identifying people as they get on a bus, and the responsibility that would put on the bus driver to be making those sorts of decisions, were felt, in discussions with the sector, to be over-onerous and we weren't able to do that.
As far as deliveries for people who are not being shielded but are nevertheless vulnerable is concerned, I certainly hope it's not the sort of choice that Caroline Jones suggested, and people who are in that position are advised to contact the hub of their local authority, because it's exactly the sort of thing that we hope the volunteers that we have identified might be able to assist with.
As far as the modelling is concerned, then, yes, the modelling certainly does have a capacity to contrast the impact of different lengths of period over which constraints on people's normal lives would need to be put in place. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies meets regularly—it will be meeting again this week—to look at those models and to give us advice.
On contact tracing, the dilemma's exactly the one that Caroline Jones pointed to at the end of her contribution, which is that we want contact tracing to be available, but we don't want to do it in the way that it's been done in some other countries, where it's obligatory, and your movements and your personal conduct are collected by the state and used in that way. It would have to be available to people who chose to contribute their data in that way, and then to make use of it for their own safety. But, the decision about it at this point, in the sort of society we are and want to be, would rest with the person who owns the data; that's to say you, me and each one of us individually, rather than being done on a compulsory basis, organised through Government.
Diolch yn fawr. Diolch i Caroline Jones am y cwestiynau hynny; fe geisiaf eu hateb mor gyflym ag y gallaf. O ran cyfarpar diogelu personol ar gyfer staff gofal, maent yn rhan o'r trefniadau cyflenwi ar gyfer cyfarpar diogelu personol, a chafodd cryn dipyn o gyfarpar diogelu personol ei ryddhau i gartrefi gofal yng Nghymru ddydd Llun a dydd Mawrth yr wythnos hon—pecyn o gyfarpar diogelu personol yn mynd yn uniongyrchol i bob cartref gofal preswyl yng Nghymru. Os oes cartrefi gofal yn ei chael hi'n anodd cael bwyd, mae Menter a Busnes, sefydliad cynghori sydd gennym yng Nghymru, yn cysylltu â chartrefi gofal i roi cymorth iddynt gyda hynny.
Nid yw teithio am ddim ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn cynnwys staff gofal cymdeithasol, a hynny am resymau ymarferol yn unig: mewn trafodaethau â'r sector, teimlwyd bod yr anhawster i adnabod pobl wrth iddynt fynd ar fws, a'r cyfrifoldeb y byddai hynny'n ei roi ar yrrwr y bws i wneud y mathau hynny o benderfyniadau, yn rhy drwm ac ni allem wneud hynny.
O ran darparu cyflenwadau o nwyddau ar gyfer pobl nad ydynt yn cael eu gwarchod ond sydd er hynny yn agored i niwed, rwy'n sicr yn gobeithio nad yw'r math o ddewis a awgrymodd Caroline Jones, ac rydym yn cynghori pobl sydd yn y sefyllfa honno i gysylltu â hyb eu hawdurdod lleol, oherwydd dyma'n union y math o beth rydym yn gobeithio y gallai'r gwirfoddolwyr rydym wedi'u nodi gynorthwyo ag ef.
Ar y gwaith modelu, yn sicr, mae gallu gan y gwaith modelu i gyferbynnu effaith gwahanol gyfnodau o amser ar ba gyfyngiadau ar fywydau normal pobl y byddai angen eu rhoi ar waith. Mae'r Grŵp Cynghori Gwyddonol ar Argyfyngau'n cyfarfod yn rheolaidd—bydd yn cyfarfod eto yr wythnos hon—i edrych ar y modelau hynny ac i roi cyngor i ni.
Ar olrhain cysylltiadau, mae'r cyfyng-gyngor yn union fel y cyfeiriodd Caroline Jones ati ar ddiwedd ei chyfraniad, sef ein bod eisiau gallu olrhain cysylltiadau, ond nid ydym eisiau gwneud hynny yn y ffordd y mae wedi cael ei wneud mewn rhai gwledydd eraill, lle mae'n orfodol, a lle mae eich symudiadau a'ch ymddygiad personol yn cael eu casglu gan y wladwriaeth a'u defnyddio yn y ffordd honno. Byddai'n rhaid iddo fod ar gael i bobl sy'n dewis cyfrannu eu data yn y ffordd honno, a'i ddefnyddio wedyn er eu diogelwch eu hunain. Ond yn y math o gymdeithas ydym ni a'r math o gymdeithas rydym ni'n dymuno bod, y person sy'n berchen ar y data a fyddai'n penderfynu yn ei gylch ar y pwynt hwn; hynny yw, chi, fi a phob un ohonom yn unigol, yn hytrach na bod hynny'n cael ei wneud ar sail orfodol, wedi'i drefnu drwy'r Llywodraeth.
Can I just start by placing on record my heartfelt thanks to the NHS staff in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area and the local authority staff? Members will have seen that we have been very much at the epicentre of the outbreak in Wales, and I am really grateful to everyone, and I include people like our shop workers, who are supporting everybody within the community.
I've got a few questions for the First Minister, the first was on the issue of access to online shopping. As the First Minister knows, this has been raised with me many times by constituents because of the decision to go ahead on an England-only basis with a registration scheme for vulnerable shoppers. I hear what you said in answer to Paul Davies about the steps that are being taken to resolve this. I think it is vital it's resolved, because, as helpful as food parcels are, many people will simply want to do their online shopping. So, are you able to provide some kind of timescale for when you expect there to be a similar system in place in Wales to that which is currently in place in England?
I'd like to just clarify—you've referred to the local authority hubs—if there are people who aren't in the extremely vulnerable group, but who cannot, for some reason, find somebody to help with shopping and maybe they're inside with symptoms or whatever, is it your expectation that local authorities will provide assistance to those people if they're not on the list for food parcels?
And then, I just wanted to ask a couple of questions about vulnerable children and young people. I'm talking about vulnerable children and young people in the wider sense, whether they are in school, whether they are vulnerable because of safeguarding issues or health problems. I'd like to ask what steps you are taking to ensure that the needs of vulnerable children are being closely monitored throughout this process. We know that for some children home is not a refuge, and we need to make sure that these children don't slip through the net.
And then my final question to the First Minister relates to the excellent work that's ongoing to support the families of key workers and some of our vulnerable children in a school setting. I do, again, thank all of the people who are helping with that. Can I just ask the First Minister for some assurances about how sustainable those arrangements are going to be, going forward, especially as we reach the peak of this epidemic? Thank you.
A gaf fi ddechrau drwy gofnodi fy niolch diffuant i staff y GIG yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Aneurin Bevan a staff yr awdurdod lleol? Bydd yr Aelodau wedi gweld ein bod wedi bod ynghanol yr argyfwng yng Nghymru, ac rwy'n wirioneddol ddiolchgar i bawb, ac rwy'n cynnwys pobl fel ein gweithwyr siopau, sy'n cefnogi pawb yn y gymuned.
Mae gennyf ychydig o gwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, roedd y cyntaf yn ymwneud â mynediad at siopa ar-lein. Fel y gŵyr y Prif Weinidog, mae etholwyr wedi codi hyn gyda mi droeon oherwydd y penderfyniad i fwrw ymlaen ar sail Lloegr yn unig â chynllun cofrestru ar gyfer siopwyr sy'n agored i niwed. Clywais yr hyn a ddywedoch chi mewn ymateb i Paul Davies am y camau sy'n cael eu cymryd i ddatrys hyn. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n hanfodol fod y mater yn cael ei ddatrys, oherwydd, er mor ddefnyddiol yw parseli bwyd, bydd llawer o bobl eisiau gwneud eu siopa eu hunain ar-lein. Felly, a allwch chi roi rhyw fath o amserlen ar gyfer pryd rydych yn disgwyl y bydd system debyg i'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn Lloegr ar hyn o bryd ar waith yng Nghymru?
Hoffwn egluro—rydych wedi cyfeirio at hybiau'r awdurdodau lleol—os oes pobl nad ydynt yn y grŵp sy'n agored iawn i niwed, ond na allant, am ryw reswm, ddod o hyd i rywun i'w helpu i siopa ac efallai eu bod yn aros adref gyda symptomau neu beth bynnag, a ydych yn disgwyl y bydd awdurdodau lleol yn rhoi cymorth i'r bobl hynny os nad ydynt ar y rhestr ar gyfer parseli bwyd?
Wedyn, roeddwn eisiau gofyn ychydig o gwestiynau am blant a phobl ifanc agored i niwed. Rwy'n sôn am blant a phobl ifanc agored i niwed yn yr ystyr ehangach, p'un a ydynt yn yr ysgol, p'un a ydynt yn agored i niwed oherwydd materion diogelu neu oherwydd problemau iechyd. Hoffwn ofyn pa gamau rydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod anghenion plant agored i niwed yn cael eu monitro'n ofalus drwy gydol y broses hon. Rydym yn gwybod nad yw gartref yn lloches i rai plant, ac mae angen i ni wneud yn siŵr nad yw'r plant hyn yn llithro drwy'r rhwyd.
Ac yna mae fy nghwestiwn olaf i'r Prif Weinidog yn ymwneud â'r gwaith rhagorol sy'n parhau i gefnogi teuluoedd gweithwyr allweddol a rhai o'n plant agored i niwed mewn safleoedd ysgol. Unwaith eto, diolch i'r holl bobl sy'n helpu gyda hynny. A gaf fi ofyn i'r Prif Weinidog am rywfaint o sicrwydd ynglŷn â pha mor gynaliadwy fydd y trefniadau hynny wrth symud ymlaen, yn enwedig wrth i'r epidemig gyrraedd ei anterth? Diolch.
[Inaudible.]—about our colleagues in Gwent in the health service and the wider public services there for everything they are doing, and they are at the forefront of the epidemic in Wales. We think very much of them.
In relation to online shopping, we are in discussions with supermarkets. Lesley Griffiths, my colleague, has had discussions with them this week and we go on doing that. The first port of call has to be to make sure that shielded individuals who cannot and should not leave their own homes for an extended period come first. Where there are people outside that group who are in a similar sort of position, they've got no family or friends or other networks they can rely on, then using the local authority hub as a clearing house to put volunteers in touch with them is the next step for them.
Can I echo what Lynne Neagle has said about vulnerable children? Vulnerability, as she said, is on a very wide spectrum, from some very sinister and very awful attempts by people who are just out to exploit children to use this emergency as a way of perpetrating their ways of behaving, through to children whose families just struggle to look after them in the way that they themselves would like to do. So, I said in my statement that Julie Morgan has been in discussion with and issued fresh guidance to Flying Start and Families First services to make sure that we use all the different safe means that we can to make sure that those families continue to get a service, even in these most difficult of times.
School does remain a place where vulnerable children are able to get help. As Lynne, I know, will recall, there was a fear over one weekend that large numbers of children would present themselves at school, and in fact it's about 1 per cent of the school population who are in school today. Now, the other side of Easter, we have to prepare for what might be a different set of circumstances, where more people are ill and more people need to rely on that service. That's why we're in discussions with the teacher unions and with local authorities—hugely appreciative of the efforts they're already making, but to be prepared for the way that service may need to be adapted the other side of Easter if we are facing even more challenging circumstances.
[Anghlywadwy.]—am ein cydweithwyr yng Ngwent yn y gwasanaeth iechyd a'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ehangach yno am bopeth y maent yn ei wneud, ac maent ar flaen y gad yn yr epidemig yng Nghymru. Rydym yn meddwl llawer amdanynt.
O ran siopa ar-lein, rydym yn trafod gydag archfarchnadoedd. Mae Lesley Griffiths, fy nghyd-Aelod, wedi cael trafodaethau gyda hwy yr wythnos hon ac rydym yn mynd i barhau i wneud hynny. Y peth cyntaf y dylid ei wneud yw sicrhau bod unigolion sy'n cael eu gwarchod, nad ydynt yn gallu ac na ddylent adael eu cartrefi eu hunain am gyfnod estynedig, yn dod yn gyntaf. Os oes pobl y tu allan i'r grŵp hwnnw mewn sefyllfa debyg, lle nad oes ganddynt deulu na ffrindiau na rhwydweithiau eraill y gallant ddibynnu arnynt, yna defnyddio hyb yr awdurdod lleol fel system glirio i roi gwirfoddolwyr mewn cysylltiad â hwy yw'r cam nesaf iddynt.
A gaf fi adleisio'r hyn a ddywedodd Lynne Neagle am blant agored i niwed? Ceir sbectrwm eang iawn o bobl sy'n agored i niwed, fel y dywedodd, o ymdrechion sinistr ac ofnadwy iawn gan bobl sy'n camfanteisio ar blant i ddefnyddio'r argyfwng hwn fel ffordd o gyflawni eu ffyrdd o ymddwyn, i blant y mae eu teuluoedd yn cael trafferth gofalu amdanynt yn y ffordd yr hoffent ei wneud. Felly, dywedais yn fy natganiad fod Julie Morgan wedi bod yn trafod gyda gwasanaethau Dechrau'n Deg a Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf ac wedi rhoi canllawiau newydd iddynt er mwyn sicrhau ein bod yn defnyddio'r holl ddulliau diogel y gallwn eu defnyddio i sicrhau bod y teuluoedd hynny'n parhau i gael gwasanaeth, hyd yn oed yn ystod y cyfnod hynod anodd hwn.
Mae'r ysgol yn parhau i fod yn fan lle gall plant agored i niwed gael cymorth. Fel y gwn y bydd Lynne yn ei gofio, roedd ofn dros un penwythnos y byddai niferoedd mawr o blant yn mynd i'r ysgol, ac mewn gwirionedd tua 1 y cant o'r boblogaeth ysgol sydd yn yr ysgol heddiw. Nawr, mae'n rhaid i ni baratoi ar gyfer amgylchiadau a allai fod yn wahanol ar ôl y Pasg, lle bydd mwy o bobl yn sâl a mwy o bobl yn dibynnu ar y gwasanaeth hwnnw. Dyna pam ein bod yn cael trafodaethau gydag undebau athrawon a chydag awdurdodau lleol—gan werthfawrogi'r ymdrechion y maent eisoes yn eu gwneud yn fawr, ond mae'n rhaid i ni fod yn barod ar gyfer y ffordd y gallai fod angen addasu'r gwasanaeth ar ôl y Pasg os ydym yn wynebu amgylchiadau mwy heriol byth.
I've already extended the time for this statement, but I will call another couple of speakers. If I can have succinct questions and answers, that would be useful. Just to give reassurance to everybody, everybody present in the Plenary will be called at one point during the afternoon, though not necessarily for all the statements that they've requested to speak in. Angela Burns.
Rwyf eisoes wedi ymestyn yr amser ar gyfer y datganiad hwn, ond rwyf am alw ar un neu ddau o siaradwyr eraill. Os gallaf gael cwestiynau ac atebion cryno, byddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol. Er mwyn tawelu meddyliau pawb, bydd pawb sy'n bresennol yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yn cael eu galw ar un pwynt yn ystod y prynhawn, ond nid o reidrwydd ar gyfer yr holl ddatganiadau y maent wedi gofyn am gael siarad amdanynt. Angela Burns.
Diolch, Llywydd. Good afternoon, First Minister. I've just got a couple of quick questions to ask you on your statement. You of course talk about the Coronavirus Act and various Schedules to it being enacted, namely 8, 15, 10, various parts. Could you just enlighten us as to how you're disseminating that through local authorities and through other appropriate bodies and ensuring that the new provisions of the Act are appropriately applied at the correct time and in the correct manner, neither too heavy handed, but doing what we need to be done, and how you're getting that out?
I was very grateful for your intervention for west Wales in particular, but I know north Wales had a problem with camping and caravanning sites and the issues that happened with the bank holiday weekend. Could you outline if you have any tools in your armoury to be able to tackle self-catering cottages, because there are still an enormous amount of holiday lets, particularly in west Wales, where we are seeing people still coming down for holidays or to self-isolate?
My third and final question is: now that you've seen the whole lot in the round and you look across all the portfolio holders, the work that they're doing, are you able to give us an indication of where you believe Wales may still be overexposed, either in terms of lack of facilities, lack of equipment, lack of staff—are there any particular areas where you have specific concerns?
And, First Minister, at the end of your statement you very rightly reminded us all that every loss of life is a family that's broken and hearts that are broken, and I wanted to share with you as well and join with you in offering my condolences. My thoughts are also with all those who are ill, and grateful, grateful thanks to everybody who has come together, from the people we immediately think of, who are our NHS and our social care staff, but all the way through to the unsung heroes, the communities that have pulled together, the emergency services, the delivery drivers, the shelf stackers, the people who just keep the lights on. May God bless them, and I salute each and every one of them.
Diolch, Lywydd. Prynhawn da, Brif Weinidog. Mae gennyf ychydig o gwestiynau cyflym i'w gofyn i chi am eich datganiad. Rydych yn sôn wrth gwrs am y Ddeddf Coronafeirws a gwahanol Atodlenni iddi sy'n cael eu rhoi mewn grym, sef 8, 15, 10, rhannau amrywiol. A allech chi egluro sut rydych yn lledaenu hynny drwy awdurdodau lleol a thrwy gyrff priodol eraill a sicrhau y caiff darpariaethau newydd y Ddeddf eu cymhwyso'n briodol ar yr adeg gywir ac yn y modd cywir, heb fod yn rhy drwm, ond eto'n gwneud yr hyn sydd angen ei wneud, a sut rydych yn cael hynny allan?
Roeddwn yn ddiolchgar iawn am eich ymyrraeth ar gyfer gorllewin Cymru yn enwedig, ond gwn fod gogledd Cymru wedi cael trafferthion gyda safleoedd gwersylla a charafanio a'r problemau a ddigwyddodd gyda phenwythnos gŵyl y banc. A allech chi amlinellu a oes gennych unrhyw offer yn eich arfogaeth i allu mynd i'r afael â bythynnod hunanddarpar, oherwydd mae nifer enfawr o dai gwyliau o hyd, yn enwedig yng ngorllewin Cymru, lle rydym yn dal i weld pobl yn dod am wyliau neu i hunanynysu?
Fy nhrydydd cwestiwn, a'r olaf, yw hwn: gan eich bod bellach wedi gweld y cyfan yn ei gyfanrwydd a'ch bod yn edrych ar draws holl ddeiliaid y portffolios a'r gwaith y maent yn ei wneud, a allwch chi roi syniad i ni lle credwch y gallai Cymru fod mewn perygl mawr o hyd, naill ai o ran diffyg cyfleusterau, diffyg offer, prinder staff—a oes unrhyw feysydd penodol y mae gennych bryderon penodol yn eu cylch?
Ac ar ddiwedd eich datganiad, Brif Weinidog, roeddech yn iawn i'n hatgoffa ni i gyd fod pob bywyd a gollir yn deulu sydd wedi torri a chalonnau sydd wedi torri, ac roeddwn eisiau rhannu gyda chi hefyd ac ategu eich cydymdeimlad â hwy. Mae fy meddyliau hefyd gyda phawb sy'n sâl, ac rwy'n hynod ddiolchgar i bawb sydd wedi dod ynghyd, o'r bobl rydym yn meddwl amdanynt ar unwaith, sef ein GIG a'n staff gofal cymdeithasol, ond hefyd yr arwyr di-glod, y cymunedau sydd wedi dod at ei gilydd, y gwasanaethau brys, y gyrwyr sy'n danfon nwyddau, y gweithwyr sy'n stacio silffoedd, y bobl sy'n cadw pethau i fynd. Bendith Duw arnynt, ac rwy'n talu teyrnged i bob un ohonynt.
Llywydd, I thank Angela Burns for that, and particularly what she said at the end. I was very conscious in my statement that we use a lot of figures, don't we? We're always asking about percentages of this and numbers of that, and we track the figures every day, but, when it comes to people who are at the very worst end of coronavirus, every one of those is somebody who mattered hugely to somebody else, and we really mustn't lose sight of that human cost as we continue to grapple with all the challenges that the disease poses to us.
On the Act, Angela Burns is right; it gives different sorts of powers to different types of authorities—the Welsh Government has powers, local authorities have powers, the police, of course, have enforcement powers, and I've had discussions this morning with the lead chief constable for Wales in this area, and I want absolutely to support the way in which police forces in Wales are using their powers. They use them to educate and to persuade, and it's only when those things don't work that they move to using their enforcement powers. But, where enforcement is necessary, then, equally, I fully support our police service in using those powers. The vast bulk of our fellow citizens respond fantastically to what is required of us. When there are a few who don't and put others in danger, then we rely on our police services to keep the rest of us safe, and I'm very keen indeed to make sure they know that they have the support of the Welsh Government in the very difficult job they do.
Part of that, of course, has been around self-catering accommodation, and I asked for specific reports over the weekend, both from North Wales Police and through Dyfed-Powys, as to whether or not the police service believed that there was a further influx of people into those areas. On the whole, their view is that the numbers are low, that they were turning some people back. And let's be very clear with people: a journey to a self-catering accommodation is not an essential journey and therefore people ought not to be making it. There is a different issue with people who are already there and what course of action they should take, but no new people should be thinking that this is a good weekend to go and visit north or west Wales; that's not the way that we will get a grip of the virus.
In relation to Angela Burns's final question, I think the things that worry us are the things that worry the rest of the United Kingdom: levels of illness and self-isolation amongst key staff and whether we can manage to get as many of those people back into the front line as possible; whether we have the supply of ventilators that we might need at the point when there is the most urgent need for them. As we use our stocks of PPE—it's a finite stock; how fast are we going to be able to replenish it so we've got more there for the future? I don't think those are Welsh vulnerabilities. We've said many times, haven't we, that the Assembly was created for Welsh solutions for Welsh problems, and coronavirus is not a Welsh problem; it's a global problem. In our context, it's a UK problem, and the things that we face are the things that are commonly faced across our wider country.
Lywydd, diolch i Angela Burns am ei chyfraniad, yn enwedig yr hyn a ddywedodd ar y diwedd. Roeddwn yn ymwybodol iawn yn fy natganiad ein bod yn defnyddio llawer o ffigurau, onid ydym? Rydym bob amser yn gofyn am ganrannau hyn a niferoedd y llall, ac rydym yn olrhain y ffigurau bob dydd, ond o ran y bobl sydd ar ben gwaethaf coronafeirws, mae pob un o'r bobl hynny'n rhywun a oedd yn bwysig iawn i rywun arall, ac ni ddylem golli golwg ar y gost ddynol honno wrth inni barhau i fynd i'r afael â'r holl heriau y mae'r clefyd hwn yn eu cyflwyno inni.
Ar y Ddeddf, mae Angela Burns yn iawn; mae'n rhoi mathau gwahanol o bwerau i wahanol fathau o awdurdodau—mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru bwerau, mae gan awdurdodau lleol bwerau, mae gan yr heddlu, wrth gwrs, bwerau gorfodi, ac rwyf wedi cael trafodaethau y bore yma gyda phrif gwnstabl arweiniol Cymru yn y maes hwn, ac rwy'n llwyr gefnogi'r ffordd y mae heddluoedd yng Nghymru yn defnyddio'u pwerau. Maent yn eu defnyddio i addysgu a pherswadio, ac ni fyddant ond yn defnyddio eu pwerau gorfodi pan na fydd y pethau hynny'n gweithio. Ond lle mae gorfodaeth yn angenrheidiol, yna, yn yr un modd, rwy'n llwyr gefnogi ein gwasanaeth heddlu yn eu defnydd o'r pwerau hynny. Mae'r rhan helaethaf o'n cyd-ddinasyddion yn ymateb yn wych i'r hyn a ddisgwylir gennym. Pan fo ambell un yn methu ac yn rhoi pobl eraill mewn perygl, rydym yn dibynnu ar ein gwasanaethau heddlu i gadw'r gweddill ohonom yn ddiogel, ac rwy'n awyddus iawn i wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn gwybod bod ganddynt gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn y gwaith anodd iawn y maent yn ei wneud.
Mae rhan o hynny, wrth gwrs, yn ymwneud â llety hunanddarpar, a gofynnais am adroddiadau penodol dros y penwythnos, gan Heddlu Gogledd Cymru a thrwy Heddlu Dyfed-Powys, ynglŷn ag a oedd y gwasanaeth heddlu yn credu bod yna fewnlif pellach o bobl i'r ardaloedd hynny. Ar y cyfan, eu barn hwy yw bod y niferoedd yn isel, a'u bod yn troi rhai pobl yn ôl. A gadewch i ni fod yn glir iawn gyda phobl: nid yw taith i lety hunanddarpar yn daith hanfodol ac felly ni ddylai pobl fod yn gwneud hynny. Mae problem wahanol gyda phobl sydd yno'n barod a pha gamau y dylent eu cymryd, ond ni ddylai unrhyw bobl newydd feddwl bod hwn yn benwythnos da i ymweld â gogledd neu orllewin Cymru; nid dyna'r ffordd y llwyddwn i drechu'r feirws.
O ran cwestiwn olaf Angela Burns, credaf mai'r pethau sy'n ein poeni yw'r pethau sy'n poeni gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig: lefelau salwch a hunanynysu ymysg staff allweddol ac a allwn lwyddo i gael cynifer â phosibl o'r bobl hynny yn ôl i'r rheng flaen; a oes gennym y cyflenwad o beiriannau anadlu y gallem fod eu hangen ar yr adeg y bydd fwyaf o'u hangen. Wrth i ni ddefnyddio ein stociau o gyfarpar diogelu personol—nid yw'n stoc ddiddiwedd; pa mor gyflym y gallwn ailstocio fel bod gennym fwy yno ar gyfer y dyfodol? Nid wyf yn credu mai mannau gwan yng Nghymru'n unig yw'r rheini. Rydym wedi dweud droeon, onid ydym, fod y Cynulliad wedi'i greu ar gyfer atebion Cymreig i broblemau Cymreig, ac nid yw coronafeirws yn broblem Gymreig; mae'n broblem fyd-eang. Yn ein cyd-destun ni, mae'n broblem i'r DU, ac mae'r pethau a wynebwn yn bethau a wynebir yn gyffredin ar draws ein gwlad yn ehangach.
Can I concur and agree with Angela Burns? I think Angela said it all for all of us: we all feel the same way, both thanks for the people who work and also condolences for those who are losing loved ones.
I'll be very succinct, because I hope to come in on other questions to other Ministers. First, free school meals, First Minister. I asked last week about free school meals, because there are a lot of individuals who are now finding themselves in difficult circumstances, and they were originally—or perhaps their children weren't on free school meals originally, but, because of the situation, they've now lost work, they've become unemployed, and therefore they'll now be in a situation where their children may be entitled to free school meals. But it's not yet clear as to who will authorise that situation. Can you confirm whether it will the headmasters who will have the authority to identify children for free school meals in set circumstances, so that no-one goes without? Those children are in families who find themselves in difficult situations now as a consequence of losing work, unemployment and lack of funding, because they may not be on 80 per cent of wages. I have a constituent who started work on 6 March, having given up his previous job on 3 March. Because he wasn't in his current employment on 28 February, he's not entitled to 80 per cent furlough. So, we have various situations as a consequence. We need to know who's going to have the authority to look at free school meals and authorising that.
In relation to the situation on furloughs, what discussions are you having with the Treasury to make sure that no-one falls through that gap? Because there are going to be individuals, through your package announced this week on the self-employed as well, but there are people who may have started self-employment in the last 12 months that will now fall through the gap and are looking for how do they get income—people, like electricians, who do jobs in houses that now can't go into those houses to do that work. So, how are we having discussions with the Treasury to cover the ones who fall through the gaps that are still there and, as such, will be finding themselves in difficult financial situations? I have very many constituents in that area.
And, finally, I'll ask a question of you on the steelworks—it's a major industry, among many other major industries in Wales—and the supply chain to the steelworks. We cannot afford to have the blast furnaces shut down because, once they shut down, the heavy end will probably not restart, and that's a huge blow to our industry. What's the Welsh Government doing to ensure that industries like the steelworks are able to sustain this difficult period to ensure that, when we come out of this, they and their supply chains will still be operational and viable so that the economies of those local areas can continue to grow?
A gaf fi gytuno ag Angela Burns? Rwy'n credu bod Angela wedi dweud y cyfan dros bob un ohonom: rydym i gyd yn teimlo'r un peth, yn ddiolchgar i'r bobl sy'n gweithio a hefyd yn cydymdeimlo â'r rhai sy'n colli anwyliaid.
Fe fyddaf yn gryno iawn, oherwydd rwy'n gobeithio dod i mewn ar gwestiynau eraill i Weinidogion eraill. Yn gyntaf, prydau ysgol am ddim, Brif Weinidog. Gofynnais yr wythnos diwethaf am brydau ysgol am ddim, oherwydd mae llawer o unigolion sydd mewn amgylchiadau anodd yn awr, ac roeddent yn wreiddiol—neu efallai nad oedd eu plant yn cael prydau ysgol am ddim yn wreiddiol, ond oherwydd y sefyllfa, maent bellach wedi colli gwaith, maent bellach yn ddi-waith, ac felly byddant mewn sefyllfa bellach lle gallai eu plant fod â hawl i gael prydau ysgol am ddim. Ond nid yw'n glir eto pwy fydd yn awdurdodi'r sefyllfa honno. A allwch chi gadarnhau p'un ai'r penaethiaid a fydd â'r awdurdod i nodi'r plant ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim mewn amgylchiadau penodol, fel nad oes neb ar eu colled? Mae'r plant hynny mewn teuluoedd sydd mewn sefyllfaoedd anodd yn awr o ganlyniad i golli gwaith, diweithdra a diffyg arian, oherwydd efallai nad ydynt yn cael 80 y cant o'u cyflogau arferol. Mae gennyf etholwr a ddechreuodd ei waith ar 6 Mawrth, ar ôl rhoi'r gorau i'w swydd flaenorol ar 3 Mawrth. Gan nad oedd yn ei swydd bresennol ar 28 Chwefror, nid oes ganddo hawl i seibiant 80 y cant. Felly, mae gennym sefyllfaoedd amrywiol o ganlyniad. Mae angen inni wybod pwy fydd â'r awdurdod i edrych ar brydau ysgol am ddim ac i awdurdodi hynny.
O ran y sefyllfa mewn perthynas â seibiannau, pa drafodaethau rydych yn eu cael gyda'r Trysorlys i sicrhau na fydd neb yn cwympo drwy'r bwlch hwnnw? Oherwydd bydd yna unigolion, drwy'r pecyn rydych wedi'i gyhoeddi yr wythnos hon ar gyfer gweithwyr hunangyflogedig hefyd, ond mae yna bobl a allai fod wedi mynd yn hunangyflogedig yn y 12 mis diwethaf a fydd yn awr yn cwympo drwy'r bwlch ac yn edrych am ffyrdd o gael incwm—pobl, fel trydanwyr, sy'n gwneud gwaith mewn tai ac sy'n methu mynd i'r tai hynny i wneud y gwaith hwnnw bellach. Felly, sut rydym yn cael trafodaethau gyda'r Trysorlys i roi sylw i'r rhai sy'n cwympo drwy'r bylchau sy'n dal i fod yno ac a fydd felly'n wynebu sefyllfaoedd ariannol anodd? Mae gennyf lawer iawn o etholwyr yn y sefyllfa honno.
Ac yn olaf, rwyf am ofyn cwestiwn i chi am y gwaith dur—mae'n ddiwydiant pwysig, ymysg llawer o ddiwydiannau pwysig eraill yng Nghymru—a'r gadwyn gyflenwi i'r gwaith dur. Ni allwn fforddio cau'r ffwrneisi chwyth oherwydd, wedi iddynt gau, mae'n debyg na fydd y pen trwm yn ailgychwyn, a buasai honno'n ergyd enfawr i'n diwydiant. Beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod diwydiannau fel y gwaith dur yn gallu cynnal eu hunain yn ystod y cyfnod anodd hwn er mwyn sicrhau, pan ddaw hyn i gyd i ben, y byddant hwy a'u cadwyni cyflenwi yn dal yn weithredol ac yn hyfyw fel y gall economïau'r ardaloedd lleol hynny barhau i dyfu?
Well, Llywydd, I thank David Rees for all of those questions. On free school meals, he is right, it is an entitlement, and my view is that local authorities should simply use the normal routes. Children become entitled to free school meals all the time in normal circumstances during the year, and each local authority will have a process for those children's circumstances being verified and then entitlement delivered, and they should just use the normal ways in which they would treat any other child in any other circumstances.
As far as keeping the Treasury informed of the way in which the help they've announced so far is being delivered on the ground, there are a series of opportunities to do that. There are sub-committees of COBRA that meet every day. I attended one yesterday, and part of that meeting was an opportunity for people to feed back on the way in which the schemes the Treasury has announced are working out on the ground and where there are gaps emerging. That is not to give a guarantee for a moment that the Treasury will respond to all of that, but David Rees's question was, 'What are we doing to make sure they know about them?', and we are using the different opportunities we have, and information from Assembly Members is particularly valuable to us in being able to make that part of the feedback exercise.
Of course, as the local Member for Aberavon, it's completely understandable that David would want to highlight the plight of the steel industry. Welsh Government officials are in constant dialogue with Tata around the blast furnace, around the challenges that the company is facing, and my colleague Ken Skates is due to speak with senior executives from Tata on Monday of next week. By keeping in as close touch as we can with the company, making sure that they know the different sources of help that are available to them, but also the challenges that they are facing, we will want to do what we always want to do as a Government, which is to support our steel industry in Wales.
Wel, Lywydd, diolch i David Rees am yr holl gwestiynau hynny. Ar brydau ysgol am ddim, mae'n iawn, mae'n hawl, ac yn fy marn i, dylai awdurdodau lleol ddefnyddio'r llwybrau arferol. Mae gan blant hawl i gael prydau ysgol am ddim bob amser mewn amgylchiadau arferol yn ystod y flwyddyn, a bydd gan bob awdurdod lleol broses ar gyfer gwirio amgylchiadau'r plant hynny a sicrhau eu bod cael yr hyn y mae ganddynt hawl iddo, a dylent ddefnyddio'r ffyrdd arferol y byddent yn trin unrhyw blentyn arall mewn unrhyw amgylchiadau eraill.
O ran rhoi gwybod i'r Trysorlys am y ffordd y mae'r cymorth y maent wedi'i gyhoeddi hyd yn hyn yn cael ei ddarparu ar lawr gwlad, mae yna gyfres o gyfleoedd i wneud hynny. Mae is-bwyllgorau COBRA yn cyfarfod bob dydd. Mynychais un ddoe, a rhan o'r cyfarfod hwnnw oedd cyfle i bobl adrodd yn ôl ar y ffordd y mae'r cynlluniau y mae'r Trysorlys wedi'u cyhoeddi yn gweithio ar lawr gwlad a lle mae bylchau'n ymddangos. Nid yw hynny, am un eiliad, yn gwarantu y bydd y Trysorlys yn ymateb i hynny i gyd, ond cwestiwn David Rees oedd, 'Beth rydym yn ei wneud i sicrhau eu bod yn gwybod amdanynt?', ac rydym yn defnyddio'r gwahanol gyfleoedd sydd gennym, ac mae gwybodaeth gan Aelodau'r Cynulliad yn arbennig o werthfawr i ni o ran gallu gwneud hynny'n rhan o'r ymarfer adborth.
Wrth gwrs, fel yr Aelod lleol dros Aberafan, mae'n gwbl ddealladwy y byddai David eisiau tynnu sylw at drafferthion y diwydiant dur. Mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru mewn trafodaethau parhaus gyda Tata ynghylch y ffwrnais chwyth, ynghylch yr heriau sy'n wynebu'r cwmni, a disgwylir y bydd fy nghyd-Aelod, Ken Skates, yn siarad ag uwch swyddogion gweithredol Tata ddydd Llun nesaf. Drwy gadw mewn cysylltiad mor agos ag y gallwn â'r cwmni, gan sicrhau eu bod yn ymwybodol o'r gwahanol ffynonellau cymorth sydd ar gael iddynt, ond hefyd yr heriau y maent yn eu hwynebu, byddwn eisiau gwneud yr hyn rydym bob amser eisiau ei wneud fel Llywodraeth, sef cefnogi ein diwydiant dur yng Nghymru.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ddatganiad a'r atebion y prynhawn yma.
I thank the First Minister for his statement and responses this afternoon.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, a dwi'n galw ar y Gweinidog i wneud ei ddatganiad—Vaughan Gething.
The next item is a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services, and I call on the Minister to make a statement—Vaughan Gething.
Thank you, Llywydd. We continue to see, as expected, an increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wales. Sadly, we have also seen more deaths. My deepest sympathies go out to those families who have lost loved ones and my thoughts are with those who are still critically ill.
These are truly extraordinary times. However, the response from across our public services has also been truly extraordinary—extraordinary to help protect our communities and to save lives. People are working tirelessly to respond to this public health emergency. That work matters for today, tomorrow and our preparation for the weeks ahead. I am grateful for and genuinely humbled by the contribution of each and every one of those people to this national effort.
The Welsh Government, the NHS and social services organisations already have existing plans in place for a potential flu pandemic. That plan provides us with a solid base to build upon, and those plans are now being put rapidly in place. NHS organisations are working to increase the capacity of local services, beds and workforce availability. To put this into context and demonstrate the scale of this work, our health boards will have, in effect, created the equivalent of up to 7,000 additional beds with the plans they have in place for field hospitals or Nightingale hospitals—essentially, step-up and step-down care. That is, effectively, double the number of existing NHS beds. That is exceptional in any circumstances and it's been created over a number of days.
Significant announcements have been made over the last week, as Members are aware. For example, I approved £8 million to enable Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to work with partners, including the Welsh Rugby Union, to convert the Principality Stadium into a field hospital with up to 2,000 beds—that's twice the size of the University Hospital of Wales here in Cardiff. That is in addition to the extra capacity that is being created on the health board's hospital sites that exist.
Diolch ichi, Lywydd. Yn ôl y disgwyl, rydym yn parhau i weld cynnydd yn nifer yr achosion o coronafeirws sydd wedi eu cadarnhau yng Nghymru. Yn anffodus, rydym hefyd wedi gweld mwy o farwolaethau. Rwy'n cydymdeimlo'n ddwys â'r teuluoedd sydd wedi colli anwyliaid ac â'r rhai sy'n ddifrifol wael o hyd.
Mae hwn yn gyfnod gwirioneddol eithriadol. Fodd bynnag, mae'r ymateb o bob rhan o'n gwasanaethau cyhoeddus wedi bod yn wirioneddol eithriadol hefyd—eithriadol wrth helpu i ddiogelu ein cymunedau ac achub bywydau. Mae pobl yn gweithio'n ddiflino i ymateb i'r argyfwng iechyd cyhoeddus hwn. Mae'r gwaith hwnnw'n bwysig ar gyfer heddiw, yfory a'n paratoadau ar gyfer yr wythnosau nesaf. Rwy'n ddiolchgar ac yn teimlo'n wirioneddol wylaidd wrth weld cyfraniad pob un o'r bobl hynny i'r ymdrech genedlaethol hon.
Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru, y GIG a sefydliadau'r gwasanaethau cymdeithasol gynlluniau ar waith eisoes ar gyfer pandemig ffliw posibl. Mae'r cynllun hwnnw'n rhoi sylfaen gadarn inni adeiladu arni, ac mae'r cynlluniau hynny'n cael eu rhoi ar waith yn gyflym yn awr. Mae sefydliadau'r GIG yn gweithio i gynyddu capasiti gwasanaethau lleol, gwelyau ac argaeledd gweithlu. I roi hyn yn ei gyd-destun ac i ddangos maint y gwaith hwn, bydd ein byrddau iechyd wedi creu'r hyn sy'n cyfateb i hyd at 7,000 o welyau ychwanegol gyda'r cynlluniau sydd ganddynt ar waith ar gyfer ysbytai maes neu ysbytai Nightingale—gofal cam-i-fyny a cham-i-lawr yn y bôn. Mae hynny, i bob pwrpas, yn ddwbl nifer gwelyau presennol y GIG. Mae hynny'n eithriadol o dan unrhyw amgylchiadau ac mae wedi digwydd dros nifer o ddyddiau.
Mae cyhoeddiadau pwysig wedi'u gwneud yn ystod yr wythnos ddiwethaf, fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau. Er enghraifft, cymeradwyais £8 miliwn i alluogi Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro i weithio gyda phartneriaid, gan gynnwys Undeb Rygbi Cymru, i droi Stadiwm Principality yn ysbyty maes gyda hyd at 2,000 o welyau—mae hynny'n ddwywaith maint Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru yma yng Nghaerdydd. Mae hynny'n ychwanegol at y capasiti ychwanegol sy'n cael ei greu ar safleoedd ysbytai presennol y bwrdd iechyd.
Hywel Dda University Health Board has well-progressed plans on a range of sites, including Parc y Scarlets—as we saw on ITV Wales news last night—a range of leisure centres across Carmarthenshire, and Bluestone in Pembrokeshire. Swansea Bay University Health Board has, with its two local authorities, identified leisure centres and the Bay Studios in Llandarcy. These are all in addition to the 350 beds that will be available at the new Grange University Hospital from April. And we know that north Wales has already identified Venue Cymru as one of its sites, with more to be confirmed in the days ahead. So, all health boards are developing equivalent capacity plans and specifications for a distributed model of additional bed capacity across Wales.
On critical care, we have already more than doubled the number of beds in Wales to 313. As of yesterday, occupancy of critical care units was about 40 per cent. Sixty-nine per cent of those people occupying beds either have suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. We will continue with the rapid expansion of critical care bed numbers, which will be supported by the purchase of over 965 additional ventilators, with further options to purchase or manufacture ventilators being urgently explored.
I know that there are, quite understandably, continued concerns about the availability of personal protective equipment. Over the weekend, more than 600,000 additional FFP3 respirator masks were delivered to health boards for onward transmission to primary, community and hospital sites, as well as commissioned services, such as independent mental health hospitals and hospices. Further deliveries of PPE were also made on Monday and Tuesday of this week to the local authority joint community equipment stores for directors of social services to distribute within the social care sector. We have now deployed, from the Welsh Government pandemic stocks, more than five million pieces of PPE for use within our health and social care system.
The delivery to the joint stores is sufficient to enable each of Wales's 600-plus care homes to be provided with enough PPE to cover 200 individual interventions. A telephone and e-mail contact has been set up for the NHS and social services to use in an emergency if PPE supplies have been disrupted or there's been an unforeseen or unplanned surge in use. This is the point the First Minister referred to in questions earlier.
Whilst we face an unprecedented time and increasing demand on our health and care services, the response from our workforce has been humbling. We have and will continue to be innovative in meeting the demands placed upon us in the fight against COVID-19. A week ago, we asked our newly retired nurses and doctors to come back to the NHS and they have responded in their numbers. Already, over 1,300 health and social care professionals have responded to that call to return and serve the country.
Our students are also keen to support us. We're exploring ways to harness the energy and commitment of up to 3,760 medical, nursing, midwifery, allied health professional, paramedic and health scientist students as well. Working closely with NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership and Health Education and Improvement Wales, we've been able to make progress at this unprecedented time. And each of those students who undertake an offer will be paid in accordance with their time—it won't be a voluntary service we're looking for from those people.
We have more than 1,200 GPs on our locum register in Wales, and we'll be asking all GPs to consider what further time and capacity they have to offer. That is why we're asking all locum GPs to consider a temporary contract with their health board. Their expertise can help in so many ways in community and primary care.
These are extraordinary times that have called for extraordinary measures, but our uniquely Welsh approach to working in partnership is helping us to make a difference. The COVID hub Wales will be released later this week to support our extended and evolving recruitment solutions across the health service.
To ensure that our primary care services remain as resilient as possible, through the increased demand upon them, we've made significant changes to the way that GPs and their multi-professional teams, pharmacy teams, dentists and optometrists provide care to patients across Wales. The changes that I have agreed are designed to respond to people with the most urgent needs, whether related to COVID-19 or not, and to of course minimise the spread of COVID-19.
We are asking providers to work collectively in their communities to deal with this situation and I am pleased that our stakeholders are supporting this approach. I encourage everyone to follow the advice that has been issued on how to access services during this time. I am grateful to our primary care and social care providers for their continued efforts during this situation.
There are approximately 81,000 people in Wales identified as being at very high risk of severe illness from COVID-19. This week, each person will have been sent a letter from Wales's chief medical officer. It may not have arrived yet; we're waiting until the end of the week for all of those letters to have arrived. The letter includes clear advice to stay at home for at least 12 weeks. The Welsh Government is providing a further £15 million to ensure that people in Wales who are not able to leave their homes will get direct deliveries of food and other essential items to their door, and that was a point covered in the First Minister's statement and follow-up questions.
My cabinet colleague, Lesley Griffiths, has led on our conversations with supermarkets and wholesale suppliers to agree both supply and delivery for this group of shielded people in a very short period of time. Julie James, as you would expect, is in daily contact with our local authorities. And I really am tremendously grateful to the local government family for the way that they have responded to both lead and co-ordinate community efforts to support people in their own homes.
So, considerable progress has already been made across our health and care system. It would be easy to forget that all of this has been achieved within just a matter of weeks, and in some cases just days. The work of our public servants and our volunteers is, I believe, truly inspiring. It is vitally important that we use the weeks ahead to put further preparations in place. But these will only be as effective as they could and should be if each of us adheres to the social distancing measures that we have introduced. Stay home, protect our NHS, and save lives.
Mae gan Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda gynlluniau datblygedig ar ystod o safleoedd, gan gynnwys Parc y Scarlets—fel y gwelsom ar newyddion ITV Cymru neithiwr—ystod o ganolfannau hamdden ledled Sir Gaerfyrddin, a Bluestone yn Sir Benfro. Mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Bae Abertawe, gyda'i ddau awdurdod lleol, wedi nodi canolfannau hamdden a Bay Studios yn Llandarcy. Mae'r rhain oll yn ychwanegol at y 350 o welyau a fydd ar gael yn Ysbyty Athrofaol y Grange o fis Ebrill ymlaen. A gwyddom fod gogledd Cymru eisoes wedi nodi Venue Cymru fel un o'i safleoedd, gyda mwy i'w cadarnhau yn y dyddiau nesaf. Felly, mae pob bwrdd iechyd yn datblygu manylebau a chynlluniau capasiti cyfatebol ar gyfer model gwasgaredig o gapasiti gwelyau ychwanegol ledled Cymru.
Ar ofal critigol, rydym eisoes wedi mwy na dyblu nifer y gwelyau yng Nghymru i 313. Ddoe, roedd y defnydd o unedau gofal critigol oddeutu 40 y cant. Mae 69 y cant o'r bobl mewn gwelyau naill ai'n achosion posibl neu'n achosion a gadarnhawyd o COVID-19. Byddwn yn parhau i gynyddu niferoedd gwelyau gofal critigol yn gyflym, a chefnogir hynny drwy brynu dros 965 o beiriannau anadlu ychwanegol, gydag opsiynau pellach i brynu neu weithgynhyrchu peiriannau anadlu'n cael eu harchwilio ar frys.
Gwn fod pryderon parhaus, yn hollol ddealladwy, ynghylch argaeledd cyfarpar diogelu personol. Dros y penwythnos, darparwyd mwy na 600,000 o fasgiau anadlu FFP3 ychwanegol i fyrddau iechyd i'w trosglwyddo ymlaen i safleoedd gofal sylfaenol, cymunedol ac ysbytai, yn ogystal â gwasanaethau a gomisiynwyd, megis ysbytai iechyd meddwl annibynnol a hosbisau. Darparwyd rhagor o gyfarpar diogelu personol ddydd Llun a dydd Mawrth yr wythnos hon i storfeydd cyfarpar cymunedol ar y cyd awdurdodau lleol i gyfarwyddwyr gwasanaethau cymdeithasol eu dosbarthu yn y sector gofal cymdeithasol. Rydym bellach wedi darparu, o stociau pandemig Llywodraeth Cymru, mwy na phum miliwn o eitemau cyfarpar diogelu personol i'w defnyddio yn ein system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol.
Mae'r hyn a ddarparwyd i'r storfeydd ar y cyd yn ddigonol i ddarparu digon o gyfarpar diogelu personol i alluogi pob un o’r 600 a mwy o gartrefi gofal yng Nghymru i gyflawni 200 o ymyriadau unigol. Mae cyswllt ffôn ac e-bost wedi'i sefydlu i'r GIG a'r gwasanaethau cymdeithasol ei ddefnyddio mewn argyfwng os terfir ar gyflenwadau cyfarpar diogelu personol, neu os bydd cynnydd nas rhagwelwyd neu nas cynlluniwyd yn eu defnydd. Dyma'r pwynt y cyfeiriodd y Prif Weinidog ato mewn cwestiynau yn gynharach.
Er ein bod yn wynebu amser digyffelyb a galw cynyddol ar ein gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal, mae'r ymateb gan ein gweithlu wedi bod yn aruthrol. Rydym wedi, a byddwn yn parhau i arloesi wrth fynd ati i ddiwallu’r galwadau arnom yn y frwydr yn erbyn COVID-19. Wythnos yn ôl, gofynasom i'n nyrsys a'n meddygon sydd newydd ymddeol ddychwelyd i'r GIG, ac maent wedi ymateb yn eu heidiau. Eisoes, mae dros 1,300 o weithwyr proffesiynol iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol wedi ymateb i'r alwad i ddychwelyd ac i wasanaethu'r wlad.
Mae ein myfyrwyr hefyd yn awyddus i'n cefnogi. Rydym yn archwilio ffyrdd o harneisio egni ac ymrwymiad hyd at 3,760 o fyfyrwyr meddygol, nyrsio, bydwreigiaeth, gweithwyr proffesiynol perthynol i iechyd, parafeddygol a gwyddonwyr iechyd hefyd. Gan weithio'n agos gyda Phartneriaeth Cydwasanaethau GIG Cymru ac Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru, rydym wedi gallu gwneud cynnydd yn yr amser digyffelyb hwn. A bydd pob un o'r myfyrwyr sy'n ymgymryd â chynnig yn cael eu talu yn unol â'u hamser—ni fyddwn yn chwilio am wasanaeth gwirfoddol gan y bobl hynny.
Mae gennym fwy na 1,200 o feddygon teulu ar ein cofrestr locwm yng Nghymru, a byddwn yn gofyn i bob meddyg teulu ystyried pa amser a chapasiti pellach sydd ganddynt i'w gynnig. Dyna pam rydym yn gofyn i bob meddyg teulu locwm ystyried contract dros dro gyda'u bwrdd iechyd. Gall eu harbenigedd helpu mewn cymaint o ffyrdd ym maes gofal cymunedol a sylfaenol.
Mae hwn yn amser anghyffredin sydd wedi galw am fesurau anghyffredin, ond mae ein dull unigryw yng Nghymru o weithio mewn partneriaeth yn ein helpu i wneud gwahaniaeth. Bydd hyb COVID Cymru yn cael ei ryddhau yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon i gefnogi ein hatebion recriwtio estynedig ac esblygol ar draws y gwasanaeth iechyd.
Er mwyn sicrhau bod ein gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol yn parhau i fod mor wydn â phosibl drwy'r galw cynyddol arnynt, rydym wedi gwneud newidiadau sylweddol i'r ffordd y mae meddygon teulu a'u timau aml-broffesiynol, timau fferylliaeth, deintyddion ac optometryddion yn darparu gofal i gleifion ledled Cymru. Mae'r newidiadau rwyf wedi cytuno arnynt wedi'u cynllunio i ymateb i bobl sydd â'r anghenion mwyaf taer, p'un a ydynt yn gysylltiedig â COVID-19 ai peidio, ac wrth gwrs, i leihau lledaeniad COVID-19.
Rydym yn gofyn i ddarparwyr weithio'n gyfunol yn eu cymunedau i ymdrin â'r sefyllfa hon, ac rwy'n falch fod ein rhanddeiliaid yn cefnogi'r dull hwn o weithredu. Rwy’n annog pawb i ddilyn y cyngor a gyhoeddwyd ar sut i gael mynediad at wasanaethau yn ystod y cyfnod hwn. Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'n darparwyr gofal sylfaenol a gofal cymdeithasol am eu hymdrechion parhaus yn ystod y sefyllfa hon.
Nodwyd bod oddeutu 81,000 o bobl yng Nghymru yn wynebu risg uchel iawn o salwch difrifol yn sgil COVID-19. Yr wythnos hon, bydd pob unigolyn wedi cael llythyr gan brif swyddog meddygol Cymru. Efallai na fydd wedi cyrraedd eto; rydym yn aros tan ddiwedd yr wythnos i'r holl lythyrau hynny gyrraedd. Mae'r llythyr yn cynnwys cyngor clir i aros gartref am o leiaf 12 wythnos. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn darparu £15 miliwn arall i sicrhau y bydd pobl yng Nghymru nad ydynt yn gallu gadael eu cartrefi yn cael bwyd ac eitemau hanfodol eraill wedi’u danfon yn uniongyrchol at eu drysau, ac roedd hwnnw'n bwynt a grybwyllwyd yn natganiad y Prif Weinidog a’r cwestiynau dilynol.
Mae fy nghyd-Aelod o’r Cabinet, Lesley Griffiths, wedi arwain ein sgyrsiau ag archfarchnadoedd a chyflenwyr cyfanwerthol i gytuno ar drefniadau cyflenwi a danfon ar gyfer y grŵp hwn o bobl sy’n cael eu gwarchod mewn cyfnod byr iawn o amser. Mae Julie James, fel y byddech yn ei ddisgwyl, mewn cysylltiad dyddiol â'n hawdurdodau lleol. Ac rwy'n wirioneddol ddiolchgar i'r teulu llywodraeth leol am y ffordd y maent wedi ymateb i arwain a chydgysylltu ymdrechion cymunedol er mwyn cefnogi pobl yn eu cartrefi eu hunain.
Felly, mae cynnydd sylweddol eisoes wedi’i wneud ar draws ein system iechyd a gofal. Byddai'n hawdd anghofio bod hyn oll wedi'i gyflawni o fewn ychydig wythnosau yn unig, a dyddiau'n unig mewn rhai achosion. Mae gwaith ein gweision cyhoeddus a'n gwirfoddolwyr yn wirioneddol ysbrydoledig yn fy marn i. Mae'n hanfodol bwysig ein bod yn defnyddio'r wythnosau i ddod i roi paratoadau pellach ar waith. Ond ni fydd y rhain ond mor effeithiol ag y gallent ac y dylent fod os bydd pob un ohonom yn cadw at y mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol rydym wedi'u cyflwyno. Arhoswch gartref, diogelwch ein GIG, ac achubwch fywydau.
Minister, thank you for your statement. In fact, I think that's a very good reminder right at the end. On 1 March, who had any idea that we would be in the situation we are today? Therefore, I really want to add my thanks and my congratulations for the 7,000 additional NHS beds that have been created. I think that's outstanding work on behalf of or by the NHS and by all those partner organisations, from the local authorities to the many organisations that have come behind and offered space. I think 7,000 is a really quick and easy number to say but, my goodness, when you think about the logistics behind that, I really do congratulate all of them for pulling that together.
In your statement, Minister, you go on to talk about PPE, and I am going to have to return to this issue, because it is probably the issue that I have the most contact—or one of the most contacts—from people over. I do think that, in the initial days, there's been a lack of clear communication to people about when and who should use PPE, and I think that this situation has now got even muddier. I understand the scientific advice, which is that if you're dealing with somebody with COVID-19 symptoms then you wear PPE, and depending on where you are in the chain of people who are dealing with somebody who is ill with COVID-19 depends on that type of PPE that you will wear.
But I think the issue, Minister, is really that this is a scary disease; that people are willingly putting themselves in harm's way to help the rest of us; that we know that 30 per cent of the people who have COVID-19 will not show any sign of having symptoms; and we know that about 80 per cent of the Welsh population will have COVID-19 at some point or other. So, I totally understand the concerns of the district nurses, of the midwives, of the morticians, as well as those of the people who are on the front line as we recognise the front line, in other words, on acute wards.
So, please can you perhaps come back and tell us how we're going to get this PPE? When is it going to be available? How clear a guidance are you going to be able to put out there so people understand who should use it? And do you actually foresee a situation where we accept that, if you are dealing with the public, you are going to need to have some form of PPE, whatever that is?
So, for example, a domiciliary care worker may be looking after 10 very vulnerable people and, on his or her travels through those 10 people, they could unwittingly be spreading the disease without knowing it, because we don't know how it manifests itself in everyone. So, I just think that, on the subject of PPE, this is an issue that we haven’t yet got to the heart of. Are you able to tell us how much PPE we need, how much PPE we've got, and whether or not you'll be able to source it at the appropriate times for this situation to move through?
I'd also like to raise two more questions, Llywydd. The first is: now we have a UK-wide approach to procurement, are you able to tell us what kind of data Welsh Government is needing to feed into the UK Government? Do you have a really good handle on the forecasted need for equipment such as ventilators, PPE and testing kits? And are you able to share the clear numbers of where we are now and where we need to be?
Finally, Minister, I understand that ethical guidelines are being drawn up to help doctors prioritise patients for hospital admission and treatment. I understand and have huge sympathy for those doctors, because these are tough decisions for doctors to make, working in stressful decisions, but they are decisions that need to be made fairly. Can you confirm, Minister, when those guidelines will be available? And can you confirm that the Welsh Government has heard the rights statement issued by the Older People's Commissioner for Wales, Age UK, Age Cymru, Age Northern Ireland, and the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, among other people?
Because I truly believe that the fact that someone is in need of care and support and is currently in a care home or in their own home should not be used as a proxy for their health status. Do you agree that to make such decisions without considering either older persons' needs or their capacity to benefit from hospital treatment would be discriminatory and unfair? And, Minister, will you ensure that vital end of life palliative care and do not resuscitate and do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation conversations are undertaken in a respectful, compassionate and informed manner?
Will you undertake to provide guidance on this issue? Because I have been approached by many older people and disabled groups who are feeling under enormous pressure to sign up for things that they haven't had a conversation about and don't want to sign up to. Everybody has rights, and everybody wants to try to beat this awful disease.
Weinidog, diolch am eich datganiad. Mewn gwirionedd, credaf fod hwnnw'n bwynt da iawn i’n hatgoffa amdano ar y diwedd. Ar 1 Mawrth, pwy oedd ag unrhyw syniad y byddem yn y sefyllfa rydym ynddi heddiw? Felly, rwy'n awyddus iawn i ychwanegu fy niolch a fy llongyfarchiadau am y 7,000 o welyau ychwanegol sydd wedi'u creu yn y GIG. Credaf fod hynny'n waith rhagorol ar ran neu gan y GIG a chan yr holl sefydliadau partner hynny, o'r awdurdodau lleol i'r nifer o sefydliadau sydd wedi cefnogi ac wedi cynnig lleoedd. Credaf fod 7,000 yn rhif cyflym a hawdd iawn i'w ddweud, ond brensiach, pan ystyriwch y logisteg y tu ôl i hynny, rwy'n llongyfarch pob un ohonynt yn fawr iawn am lwyddo i wneud hynny.
Yn eich datganiad, Weinidog, rydych yn sôn am gyfarpar diogelu personol, a bydd yn rhaid imi ddychwelyd at y mater hwn, oherwydd mae'n debyg mai hwn yw'r mater—neu un o'r materion—y mae pobl yn cysylltu â mi fwyaf yn ei gylch. Yn y dyddiau cynnar, nid wyf yn credu i ni weld cyfathrebu clir i bobl ynglŷn â phryd a phwy ddylai ddefnyddio cyfarpar diogelu personol, a chredaf fod y sefyllfa bellach yn fwy niwlog byth. Rwy'n deall y cyngor gwyddonol, sef os ydych yn trin rhywun sydd â symptomau COVID-19, rydych yn gwisgo cyfarpar diogelu personol, a bydd y math o gyfarpar diogelu personol y byddwch yn ei wisgo yn dibynnu ar eich lle yn y gadwyn o bobl sy'n trin rhywun sy'n sâl â COVID-19.
Ond credaf mai'r broblem, Weinidog, yw bod hwn yn glefyd brawychus; fod pobl yn barod i roi eu hunain mewn perygl i helpu'r gweddill ohonom; ein bod yn gwybod na fydd 30 y cant o'r bobl sydd â COVID-19 yn dangos unrhyw arwydd o fod â symptomau; a gwyddom y bydd oddeutu 80 y cant o boblogaeth Cymru yn cael COVID-19 ar ryw adeg neu'i gilydd. Felly, rwy’n deall pryderon nyrsys ardal, y bydwragedd, y trefnwyr angladdau, yn ogystal â phryderon y bobl sydd ar y rheng flaen fel rydym yn adnabod y rheng flaen, sef y wardiau acíwt mewn geiriau eraill.
Felly, a allwch ddweud wrthym, efallai, sut rydym am gael gafael ar y cyfarpar diogelu personol hwn? Pryd y bydd ar gael? Pa mor glir yw’r canllawiau y byddwch yn gallu eu darparu fel bod pobl yn deall pwy ddylai ei ddefnyddio? Ac a ydych yn rhagweld sefyllfa lle rydym yn derbyn, os ydych yn ymdrin â'r cyhoedd, y bydd angen i chi gael rhyw fath o gyfarpar diogelu personol, ni waeth ar ba ffurf?
Felly, er enghraifft, gall gweithiwr gofal cartref fod yn gofalu am 10 o bobl fregus iawn, ac wrth iddynt deithio i ofalu am y 10 o bobl hynny, gallent fod yn lledaenu'r afiechyd yn ddiarwybod, gan na wyddom sut y mae'n amlygu ei hun ym mhawb. Felly, ar fater cyfarpar diogelu personol, mae hwn yn fater nad ydym wedi cyrraedd ei wraidd eto. A allwch ddweud wrthym faint o gyfarpar diogelu personol sydd ei angen arnom, faint o gyfarpar diogelu personol sydd gennym, ac a fyddwch yn gallu ei gyrchu ar yr adegau priodol i allu ymdopi â’r sefyllfa hon?
Hoffwn ofyn dau gwestiwn arall hefyd, Lywydd. Y cyntaf yw: gan fod gennym ddull caffael ar gyfer y DU gyfan, a allwch ddweud wrthym pa fath o ddata y mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru ei fwydo i Lywodraeth y DU? A oes gennych syniad clir o’r angen a ragwelir am offer fel peiriannau anadlu, cyfarpar diogelu personol a chitiau profi? Ac a allwch rannu'r niferoedd clir o ran ein sefyllfa yn awr a’r sefyllfa y mae angen inni ei chyrraedd?
Yn olaf, Weinidog, deallaf fod canllawiau moesegol yn cael eu llunio i helpu meddygon i flaenoriaethu cleifion ar gyfer eu derbyn a'u trin yn yr ysbyty. Rwy'n deall ac yn cydymdeimlo'n fawr â'r meddygon hynny, gan fod y rhain yn benderfyniadau anodd i feddygon eu gwneud wrth weithio mewn amgylchiadau anodd, ond maent yn benderfyniadau sy'n rhaid eu gwneud yn deg. A allwch gadarnhau, Weinidog, pryd y bydd y canllawiau hynny ar gael? Ac a allwch gadarnhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi clywed y datganiad hawliau a gyhoeddwyd gan Gomisiynydd Pobl Hŷn Cymru, Age UK, Age Cymru, Age Northern Ireland, a Chomisiynydd Pobl Hŷn Gogledd Iwerddon, ymhlith pobl eraill?
Oherwydd rwy'n credu o ddifrif na ddylid defnyddio'r ffaith bod rhywun angen gofal a chymorth ac mewn cartref gofal neu yn eu cartref eu hunain ar hyn o bryd fel procsi ar gyfer eu statws iechyd. A ydych yn cytuno y byddai gwneud penderfyniadau o'r fath heb ystyried anghenion pobl hŷn na'u gallu i elwa o driniaeth mewn ysbyty yn wahaniaethol ac yn annheg? Ac a wnewch chi sicrhau bod sgyrsiau hanfodol ynghylch gofal lliniarol diwedd oes a gorchmynion peidiwch â dadebru ac na cheisier dadebru cardio-anadlol yn cael eu cynnal mewn modd parchus, tosturiol a gwybodus?
A wnewch chi ymrwymo i ddarparu arweiniad ar y mater hwn? Oherwydd mae llawer o bobl hŷn a grwpiau anabl wedi cysylltu â mi gan ddweud eu bod yn teimlo dan bwysau aruthrol i gytuno i bethau nad ydynt wedi cael sgyrsiau amdanynt ac nad ydynt am gytuno iddynt. Mae gan bawb hawliau, ac mae pawb am geisio trechu’r afiechyd ofnadwy hwn.
Thank you for the questions. On the 7,000 extra beds, I'm delighted that the health service has been able to undertake this work in the most difficult of circumstances, and also the response from partners. I think it's entirely appropriate that Angela Burns has welcomed and recognised that too—the local authorities family, wider partners and, of course, the support that we've now been provided with by the army in recent days as well. So, it is a real national effort and it does show what our committed public servants are capable of in times of crisis.
I'll deal with your points on PPE. In terms of our stocks, we're releasing our pandemic stocks that we have built up. The need for the amount of resupply rather depends on the outbreak, and because we can't accurately forecast when the outbreak will end, we can't accurately forecast how much we'll need. But we know we'll need to resupply at several other points, and I've had conversations with the other Cabinet Ministers for health in the other three national UK Governments. We spoke on Friday and again yesterday, and we'll be talking again tomorrow. But at each point in time, each of us have made points about the need to have a UK mechanism to procure and bring in a supply of personal protective equipment into the UK and then for a properly equitable distribution to each of the four nations, and there's agreement on doing that. That's another point that myself, Jeane Freeman and Robin Swann have made and I'm pleased to say that Matt Hancock has confirmed that he agrees that is exactly what should happen.
On the guidance that you've mentioned, there's a real challenge here and I recognise the point you made over the fact people are worried. People are concerned whether they work in health and social care or not. There's an issue about the trust in the guidance as well. Part of our difficulty is there's been widespread demand for PPE in any and every setting, and the revised guidance that is being undertaken, there's a rapid review of the guidance, so all of the chief medical officers across the UK are sighted on it, there's been a range of—. All of the medical royal colleges have contributed and front-line staff too, and that's been important, because there appeared to be a loss of confidence in the guidance and in the way that guidance was being implemented. I expect that rapid review to be available imminently and, when it is, the important point for Governments is to be able to not just confirm what that guidance is to staff, but both who does need PPE and what form of PPE, but also for those people that don't need it. And it's really important that that guidance will deal not just with the settings and the tasks that people have for appropriate PPE, and that's the place it should be provided, rather than whoever happens to employ them, and it will then be our task to make sure that the supply actually matches that guidance.
On ventilation and testing kits, I've given some updated numbers in this statement. Again, we're taking part in UK-wide procurement mechanisms as well as some of our own procurement as well. And the challenge, again, about what do we need, that will be partly about the progress of the pandemic, but I'm happy to continue to give updates not just in the conversations I have with health spokespeople, but in public as well, and to the mini Senedd as it meets, and the people of Wales.
And your final point on ethical guidance, I agree with you that there has got to be a proper decision-making framework to help our staff to make really difficult choices, and it can't be telling people that you need to get out of the way because you're no longer valuable; that is exactly what should not happen. I am happy to say that, today, the Royal College of Physicians have published some guidance for doctors to look at and consider, and that's been done together with 14 other royal colleges and other medical faculties as well. So, that's been published publicly and we'll be re-providing that, making sure people have it, and I'll happily undertake to make sure that's circulated to all Members to see as well.
Diolch am eich cwestiynau. O ran y 7,000 o welyau ychwanegol, rwy'n falch iawn fod y gwasanaeth iechyd wedi gallu ymgymryd â'r gwaith hwn o dan yr amgylchiadau anoddaf, a'r ymateb gan bartneriaid hefyd. Credaf ei bod yn gwbl briodol fod Angela Burns wedi croesawu a chydnabod hynny hefyd—teulu’r awdurdodau lleol, partneriaid ehangach, ac wrth gwrs, y gefnogaeth y mae’r fyddin wedi'i darparu inni bellach dros y dyddiau diwethaf hefyd. Felly, mae'n ymdrech wirioneddol genedlaethol, ac mae'n dangos yr hyn y gall ein gweision cyhoeddus ymroddedig ei wneud mewn argyfwng.
Fe wnaf ymdrin â'ch pwyntiau ar gyfarpar diogelu personol. O ran ein stociau, rydym yn rhyddhau’r stociau pandemig rydym wedi'u cronni. Mae'r angen am faint o gyfarpar y bydd angen ei ailgyflenwi yn dibynnu i raddau ar nifer yr achosion, a chan na allwn ragweld yn gywir pryd y daw'r argyfwng i ben, ni allwn ragweld yn gywir faint o gyfarpar y bydd ei angen arnom. Ond gwyddom y bydd angen inni ailgyflenwi ar sawl pwynt arall, ac rwyf wedi cael sgyrsiau gyda'r Gweinidogion Cabinet eraill dros iechyd yn nhair Llywodraeth genedlaethol arall y DU. Buom yn siarad ddydd Gwener ac eto ddoe, a byddwn yn siarad eto yfory. Ond ar bob pwynt, mae pob un ohonom wedi gwneud pwyntiau am yr angen i gael mecanwaith DU gyfan i gaffael a dod â chyflenwad o gyfarpar diogelu personol i'r DU, ac yna i’w ddosbarthu’n deg a phriodol i bob un o'r pedair gwlad, a cheir cytundeb ar wneud hynny. Mae hwnnw’n bwynt arall rwyf fi, Jeane Freeman a Robin Swann wedi'i wneud ac rwy'n falch o ddweud bod Matt Hancock wedi cadarnhau ei fod yn cytuno mai dyna'n union a ddylai ddigwydd.
O ran y canllawiau y sonioch chi amdanynt, mae her wirioneddol yma, ac rwy'n cydnabod y pwynt a wnaethoch ynglŷn â’r ffaith bod pobl yn poeni. Mae pobl yn poeni p'un a ydynt yn gweithio ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ai peidio. Mae mater yn codi hefyd ynglŷn â'r ymddiriedaeth yn y canllawiau. Rhan o'n hanhawster yw bod cryn alw wedi bod am gyfarpar diogelu personol mewn unrhyw leoliad, a’r canllawiau diwygiedig sy'n cael eu llunio, mae’r canllawiau’n cael eu hadolygu’n gyflym, felly mae pob un o'r prif swyddogion meddygol ledled y DU yn edrych arnynt, cafwyd ystod o—. Mae pob un o'r colegau brenhinol meddygol wedi cyfrannu, a staff y rheng flaen hefyd, ac mae hynny wedi bod yn bwysig, gan ei bod yn edrych fel pe bai pobl wedi colli hyder yn y canllawiau a'r ffordd roedd y canllawiau'n cael eu rhoi ar waith. Rwy'n disgwyl i'r adolygiad cyflym hwnnw fod ar gael cyn bo hir, a phan fydd ar gael, y pwynt pwysig i Lywodraethau yw gallu cadarnhau nid yn unig beth yw'r canllawiau hynny i staff, ond pwy sydd angen cyfarpar diogelu personol a pha fath o gyfarpar diogelu personol, ond hefyd ar gyfer y bobl nad oes arnynt ei angen. Ac mae'n bwysig iawn i'r canllawiau hynny ymdrin nid yn unig â'r lleoliadau a'r tasgau sydd gan bobl ar gyfer cyfarpar diogelu personol priodol, a dyna ble dylid ei ddarparu, yn hytrach na phwy bynnag sy'n digwydd eu cyflogi, a'n tasg ninnau wedyn fydd sicrhau bod y cyflenwad yn cyfateb i'r canllawiau hynny.
Ar beiriannau anadlu a chitiau phrofi, rwyf wedi rhoi diweddariad o'r niferoedd yn y datganiad hwn. Unwaith eto, rydym yn cymryd rhan mewn mecanweithiau caffael ar gyfer y DU gyfan yn ogystal â rhywfaint o'n caffael ein hunain hefyd. A’r her, unwaith eto, o ran yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom, bydd honno'n ymwneud yn rhannol â chynnydd y pandemig, ond rwy’n fwy na pharod i barhau i roi diweddariadau nid yn unig yn y sgyrsiau a gaf gyda llefarwyr iechyd, ond yn gyhoeddus hefyd, ac i'r Senedd fach wrth iddi gyfarfod, a phobl Cymru.
Ac o ran eich pwynt olaf ar ganllawiau moesegol, rwy’n cytuno â chi fod yn rhaid cael fframwaith addas ar gyfer gwneud penderfyniadau i helpu ein staff i wneud dewisiadau anodd iawn, ac ni all hynny olygu dweud wrth bobl fod angen i chi fynd o'r ffordd am nad ydych yn werthfawr mwyach; dyna'n union na ddylai ddigwydd. Rwy’n falch o ddweud, heddiw, fod Coleg Brenhinol y Meddygon wedi cyhoeddi canllawiau i feddygon edrych arnynt a’u hystyried, a gwnaed hynny gyda 14 coleg brenhinol arall a chyfadrannau meddygol eraill hefyd. Felly, mae’r canllawiau hynny wedi’u cyhoeddi a byddwn yn eu hailddarparu i sicrhau bod pobl yn eu cael, ac rwy’n fwy na pharod i sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu dosbarthu i'r holl Aelodau eu gweld hefyd.
I'm grateful to the First Minister for confirming the identity of the company involved in the collapsed deal. I was wondering, Minister, if you'd respond to the statement, therefore, that Roche put out last night that it does not have and has never had a contract or agreement directly with Wales to supply testing for COVID-19. Is it your view, therefore, that that statement isn't true, they would have known it wasn't true, and they're effectively lying?
Now we know the 'who' in relation to this collapsed deal, but we're still a little bit unclear about the 'why', so I was wondering if you could say a little bit more about that, your understanding as to why the deal collapsed, and particularly this widely held suggestion that, effectively, it was scuppered by a parallel deal with Public Health England, which the company chose in precedence over the deal with the Welsh Government.
In relation to the new four-nation arrangement for testing procurement, there has been a reference to Wales receiving a population share of tests, I understand. But shouldn't that be higher given the particular demographics of Wales that you, Minister, have referred to previously, and also the epidemiology, the fact that Wales has 4.7 per cent of the UK population, but 8 per cent, I believe, of the current confirmed cases, therefore shouldn't we be getting 8 per cent of the tests?
Will you be publishing a daily figure for the number of tests undertaken as Scotland does, so we can track progress as we move forward? And also, the question that I put to the First Minister, I was wondering if you could address: has the Welsh Government approached the Welsh universities or have the universities approached Welsh Government to see if we can use the scientific expertise within our laboratories there to actually improve our own testing capacity in Wales? And do we have a figure—? We have a figure, I believe, for the number of tests that have been conducted with NHS staff. Do we have any figures about the degree of confirmed cases as a result of those tests? How does that compare with the general population?
Moving on to PPE, you refer to some of the numbers of items that have been sourced and supplied. Do you have, Minister, an idea of the number of total people that currently you're advising require PPE? It would be interesting to see, if you have figures, just to have some sense of that. I noticed that, just today, the Basque co-operative Mondragon has just announced a new production line to manufacture 0.5 million masks a day. Will you be approaching Welsh manufacturers to see whether we could manage the same here in Wales in order to improve our own level of supply?
Just finally, on the issue of local authorities that I touched on as well, I understand the advice to local authorities is not to procure their own PPE independently, but are they free to do so if they feel that that is necessary?
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog am gadarnhau pa gwmni oedd yn rhan o'r cytundeb a fethodd. Tybed, Weinidog, a fyddech yn ymateb i’r datganiad, felly, a gyhoeddwyd gan Roche neithiwr nad oes ganddynt, ac nad ydynt erioed wedi cael contract na chytundeb yn uniongyrchol â Chymru i gyflenwi profion ar gyfer COVID-19? A ydych o’r farn, felly, nad yw'r datganiad hwnnw'n wir, y byddent wedi gwybod nad oedd yn wir, a’u bod yn dweud celwydd i bob pwrpas?
Gwyddom bellach yr ateb i’r cwestiwn 'pwy' mewn perthynas â'r cytundeb hwn a fethodd, ond rydym yn dal ychydig yn ddryslyd ynglŷn â 'pham', felly tybed a allech ddweud mwy am hynny, eich dealltwriaeth o'r rheswm pam y methodd y cytundeb, ac yn arbennig yr awgrym eang ei fod, i bob pwrpas, wedi ei drechu gan gytundeb cyffelyb â Public Health England y rhoddwyd blaenoriaeth iddo gan y cwmni ar draul y cytundeb â Llywodraeth Cymru.
Mewn perthynas â'r trefniant pedair gwlad newydd ar gyfer caffael profion, dywedwyd bod Cymru yn derbyn cyfran o’r profion ar sail ei phoblogaeth, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf. Ond oni ddylai hynny fod yn uwch o ystyried demograffeg benodol Cymru, sy’n rhywbeth rydych chi, Weinidog, wedi cyfeirio ato o'r blaen, a'r epidemioleg hefyd, y ffaith bod gan Gymru 4.7 y cant o boblogaeth y DU, ond 8 y cant, rwy'n credu, o’r achosion a gadarnhawyd hyd yn hyn, felly oni ddylem fod yn cael 8 y cant o'r profion?
A fyddwch yn cyhoeddi ffigur dyddiol ar gyfer nifer y profion a gynhelir fel y mae'r Alban yn ei wneud, fel y gallwn olrhain cynnydd wrth inni symud ymlaen? A hefyd, tybed a allech ateb y cwestiwn a ofynnais i'r Prif Weinidog: a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cysylltu â phrifysgolion Cymru neu a yw'r prifysgolion wedi cysylltu â Llywodraeth Cymru i weld a allwn ddefnyddio'r arbenigedd gwyddonol yn ein labordai yno i wella ein capasiti profi ein hunain yng Nghymru? Ac a oes gennym ffigur—? Credaf fod gennym ffigur ar gyfer nifer y profion a gynhaliwyd gyda staff y GIG. A oes gennym unrhyw ffigurau ynghylch nifer yr achosion a gadarnhawyd o ganlyniad i'r profion hynny? Sut y mae hynny'n cymharu â'r boblogaeth gyffredinol?
Gan symud ymlaen at gyfarpar diogelu personol, rydych yn cyfeirio at rai o'r niferoedd o eitemau sydd wedi'u cyrchu a'u cyflenwi. A oes gennych syniad o gyfanswm y bobl rydych yn eu cynghori ar hyn o bryd fod angen cyfarpar diogelu personol arnynt? Byddai'n ddiddorol gweld, os oes gennych ffigurau, i gael rhywfaint o syniad ynglŷn â hynny. Sylwais fod y cwmni cydweithredol o Wlad y Basg, Mondragon, newydd gyhoeddi llinell gynhyrchu newydd i gynhyrchu 0.5 miliwn o fasgiau y dydd. A fyddwch yn cysylltu â gwneuthurwyr yng Nghymru i weld a allem wneud yr un peth yma yng Nghymru er mwyn gwella lefel ein cyflenwad ein hunain?
Yn olaf, ar y mater a grybwyllais hefyd ynghylch awdurdodau lleol, deallaf mai’r cyngor i awdurdodau lleol yw peidio â chaffael eu cyfarpar diogelu personol eu hunain yn annibynnol, ond maent yn rhydd i wneud hynny os ydynt yn teimlo bod hynny'n angenrheidiol?
Okay, just to pick up on that final point first, there's no legal bar to a local authority going off and procuring an alternative source of PPE. We're trying, though, to have a co-ordinated approach to the acquisition of PPE and then its transfer across Wales.
In terms of manufacture and supply of not just PPE but other items that will be useful in the response, we've had a significant amount of inquiries, offers of help and interest, and that's now being channelled through a consistent team in the Welsh Government. There's co-operation between my officials and Ken Skates's officials to make sure that we're getting to the right people to support businesses in Wales, but also to understand the potential procurement issues. Now, part of that is actually about understanding the value of the offer that's been made, because you'll understand that whilst lots of people may make an offer of support that, on surface level, looks impressive, we need to make sure that people can deliver what they're saying they can deliver and that that's actually going to be effective.
In terms of your point about the requirements for PPE, well, that will really depend on the revised guidance as to the amount of PPE that we need. If the guidance changes, either about the type of PPE that is to be worn or the variety of settings and tasks for which it is to be worn, we'll need, obviously, to acquire more PPE. The acquisition of PPE will need to reflect what is in the guidance, as I said in response to Angela Burns.
In terms of the written agreement that we had, I just don't think it's at all helpful for me to get into a war of words with a company, when, actually, my job, I think, is to make sure that we are diversifying our supply and our capacity for testing, and making the maximum use of it to provide the maximum benefit. That's what I'm focused on, so I'm not going to get drawn into matters that I'm sure, in the months ahead, when we're past this, we'll want to look at in much more detail.
That's why I was able to announce on the weekend that we've diversified our capacity to increase it this week, and in the next two to three weeks, to get it up to about 5,000 tests here in Wales, not relying on any share from UK-wide arrangements. In that deliberate diversification of supply and capacity, we have, of course, been having conversations with universities for some time about where they may be able to help to provide that.
In terms of what is a fair share from the UK-wide picture, we signed up to arrangements, as indeed have the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, to try to acquire the maximum amount of capacity possible across the UK. Now, we may start from a population share, but, actually, I think when you look at what is a fair share and what is capacity, I'm confident we'll flex that as it's required across the UK. Wales and our share and our need today may be very different in three weeks' time, when other parts of the UK may have greater need, and that's the point—how we have our ability across the UK to provide increased capacity and to meet the needs of people right across the UK, and to make sure that we get our fair share of that.
In terms of your broader point about updated numbers for testing and staff, we'll be providing updated numbers throughout the weeks on the numbers of our front-line staff who have been tested and those who have been able to come back to work, and those who are confirmed. I don't have the numbers with me, so I won't try to make them up for you, but we will be providing more clarity on what our testing regime has produced.
We're obviously in a better position than some other parts of the UK because we started testing front-line staff at an earlier point in time. So, there are already some of our front-line members of staff who have returned to work promptly because they had the right diagnosis, and we'll continue to do that. We'll be transparent with the public about the numbers of people doing that and what that means for our public services.
Iawn, os caf droi at y pwynt olaf yn gyntaf, nid oes unrhyw waharddiad cyfreithiol ar awdurdod lleol rhag caffael ffynhonnell amgen o gyfarpar diogelu personol. Ond rydym yn ceisio sicrhau dull cydgysylltiedig o gaffael cyfarpar diogelu personol a’i drosglwyddo ledled Cymru wedyn.
O ran cynhyrchu a chyflenwi nid yn unig cyfarpar diogelu personol ond eitemau eraill a fydd yn ddefnyddiol yn yr ymateb, rydym wedi cael cryn dipyn o ymholiadau, cynigion o gymorth a diddordeb, ac mae hynny bellach yn cael ei sianelu drwy dîm cyson yn Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae swyddogion Ken Skates a fy swyddogion innau’n cydweithredu i sicrhau ein bod yn cyrraedd y bobl iawn i gefnogi busnesau yng Nghymru, ond hefyd i ddeall y problemau posibl mewn perthynas â chaffael. Nawr, mae rhan o hynny’n ymwneud â deall gwerth y cynnig a wnaed, gan y byddwch yn deall, er y gall llawer o bobl gynnig cefnogaeth sydd, ar yr wyneb, yn edrych yn dda, mae angen inni sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu cyflawni'r hyn y dywedant y gallant ei gyflawni a bod hynny'n mynd i fod yn effeithiol.
Ar eich pwynt am y galw am gyfarpar diogelu personol, wel, bydd hynny'n dibynnu mewn gwirionedd ar y canllawiau diwygiedig ynglŷn â faint o gyfarpar diogelu personol sydd ei angen arnom. Os bydd y canllawiau'n newid, naill ai o ran y math o gyfarpar diogelu personol y dylid ei wisgo neu'r amrywiaeth o leoliadau a thasgau y dylid ei wisgo ar eu cyfer, yn amlwg, bydd angen inni gaffael mwy o gyfarpar diogelu personol. Bydd angen i faint o gyfarpar diogelu personol rydym yn ei gaffael adlewyrchu'r hyn sydd yn y canllawiau, fel y dywedais mewn ymateb i Angela Burns.
O safbwynt y cytundeb ysgrifenedig a gawsom, ni chredaf ei bod yn ddefnyddiol o gwbl i mi fynd i gecru gyda chwmni, gan mai fy ngwaith, rwy'n credu, yw sicrhau ein bod yn arallgyfeirio ein cyflenwad a'n capasiti ar gyfer cynnal profion, a gwneud y defnydd gorau o hynny i ddarparu'r budd mwyaf. Dyna rwy'n canolbwyntio arno, felly nid wyf am gael fy nhynnu i mewn i faterion y byddwn, rwy'n siŵr, yn y misoedd i ddod, wedi i ni ddod drwy hyn, yn awyddus i edrych arnynt mewn mwy o lawer o fanylder.
Dyna pam y bu modd i mi gyhoeddi ar y penwythnos ein bod wedi arallgyfeirio ein capasiti i'w gynyddu yr wythnos hon, ac yn ystod y ddwy i dair wythnos nesaf, i'w gynyddu i oddeutu 5,000 o brofion yma yng Nghymru, heb ddibynnu ar unrhyw gyfran o'r trefniadau a fydd ar waith ledled y DU. Wrth arallgyfeirio cyflenwad a chapasiti yn fwriadol, rydym wedi bod yn cael sgyrsiau, wrth gwrs, gyda phrifysgolion ers peth amser ynglŷn â ble y gallent helpu i ddarparu hynny.
O ran yr hyn sy'n gyfran deg o'r darlun ledled y DU, gwnaethom ymrwymo i drefniadau, fel y gwnaeth Llywodraeth yr Alban a Gweithrediaeth Gogledd Iwerddon yn wir, i geisio caffael y capasiti mwyaf posibl ledled y DU. Nawr, efallai y byddwn yn dechrau o gyfran o'r boblogaeth, ond pan edrychwch ar beth sy'n gyfran deg a beth sy'n gapasiti, rwy'n hyderus y byddwn yn ymestyn hynny fel sy'n ofynnol ledled y DU. Efallai y bydd Cymru a'n cyfran a'n hangen heddiw yn wahanol iawn ymhen tair wythnos, pan fydd gan rannau eraill o'r DU fwy o angen o bosibl, a dyna'r pwynt—sut y mae gennym ein gallu ledled y DU i ddarparu mwy o gapasiti ac i ddiwallu anghenion pobl ledled y DU, a sicrhau ein bod yn cael ein cyfran deg o hynny.
O ran eich pwynt ehangach ynglŷn â niferoedd wedi'u diweddaru ar gyfer cynnal profion a staff, byddwn yn darparu niferoedd wedi'u diweddaru drwy gydol yr wythnosau ar niferoedd ein staff rheng flaen sydd wedi cael profion a'r rhai sydd wedi gallu dychwelyd i'r gwaith, a’r rhai a gadarnhawyd. Nid yw’r niferoedd gennyf, felly nid wyf am geisio eu dyfalu i chi, ond byddwn yn darparu mwy o eglurder ynglŷn â'r hyn y mae ein cyfundrefn brofi wedi'i gynhyrchu.
Rydym yn amlwg mewn gwell sefyllfa na rhannau eraill o'r DU gan ein bod wedi dechrau cynnal profion ar staff rheng flaen ar bwynt cynharach. Felly, mae rhai o'n haelodau staff rheng flaen eisoes wedi dychwelyd i'r gwaith yn brydlon gan eu bod wedi cael y diagnosis cywir, a byddwn yn parhau i wneud hynny. Byddwn yn agored gyda'r cyhoedd ynglŷn â nifer y bobl sy'n gwneud hynny a beth y mae hynny'n ei olygu i'n gwasanaethau cyhoeddus.
Thank you for your statement, Minister. There has been much criticism about the lack of testing in Wales, and comparisons are being made with other countries. I won't rehash the arguments about the failed deal to secure additional testing for Wales, but what assurances have you received from the UK Government, and the other home nations, that we are not competing for the same limited supply?
South Korea is cited by the media as an example we should be following. South Korea did not start, though, from a standing start because they already had significant testing facilities prior to this outbreak due to ongoing issues with SARS. Minister, have you discussed with nations outside the UK, such as South Korea, the best way of ramping up our testing regime? Other nations, such as Germany, are also so far ahead because they have the lab capacity, which is why the test for this new coronavirus, developed in German laboratories, is being used around the globe. Minister, I accept that increasing testing is not just about buying a stock of reagents: we need personnel to collect samples; a vast logistical network to move the samples; trained lab technicians to conduct the test; and IT infrastructure to collate the results. We are far behind where we need to be. Minister, can you outline the discussions you have had with the pharmaceutical sector in Wales regarding their role in supporting the fight against coronavirus, and can you also outline the steps the Welsh Government are taking to ensure we can meet not just the immediate testing needs, but also for future demand? This is a global pandemic, and we are facing a new, mostly unknown, virus so we do need a global response. Can you outline how public health officials and researchers in Wales are working with other nations to tackle this new viral threat?
Minister, we have all received a letter from the British Medical Association regarding issues surrounding the vulnerable patients lists. Yesterday, I was contacted by a constituent who is vulnerable but not on the extremely vulnerable list, to their knowledge. This constituent has, for many years, relied upon deliveries of food and medicine, but is now unable to do so because they are not on the Welsh Government list. According to the BMA, GPs cannot assist patients as they do not have access to the lists of patients. So, Minister, what steps are you taking to ensure our constituents are not faced with a choice between starvation or possibly contracting the disease, which has a strong chance of being fatal because of their health conditions?
Hospitals are being erected in days and people are lining up to help in any way they can, but there has been some confusion regarding ways to volunteer in Wales following the publicity surrounding the GoodSAM launch in England. So, what steps are you taking to ensure that everyone in Wales who wants to help in the effort to combat this disease can do so?
Also, Minister, in the last few weeks, universities, industry, and the maker community have been developing novel methods to produce everything from face shields to ventilators, and new CPAP machines have been developed and automated bag valve masks have been trialled to ensure ventilators can be reserved for the more serious cases. So, what discussions have you had with industry and the higher education sector in Wales about increasing Wales's supply of ventilators? Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch am eich datganiad, Weinidog. Mae llawer o feirniadaeth wedi bod am y diffyg profi yng Nghymru, ac mae cymariaethau'n cael eu gwneud â gwledydd eraill. Nid wyf am ailadrodd y dadleuon ynghylch methiant y cytundeb i sicrhau profion ychwanegol i Gymru, ond pa sicrwydd a gawsoch gan Lywodraeth y DU, a'r gwledydd cartref eraill, nad ydym yn cystadlu am yr un cyflenwad cyfyngedig?
Mae’r cyfryngau’n cyfeirio at Dde Korea fel enghraifft y dylem fod yn ei dilyn. Ond nid oedd De Korea yn dechrau o'u hunfan gan fod ganddynt eisoes gryn dipyn o gyfleusterau profi cyn yr argyfwng hwn oherwydd problemau parhaus gyda'r Syndrom Anadlol Acíwt Difrifol (SARS). Weinidog, a ydych wedi trafod gyda gwledydd y tu hwnt i'r DU, fel De Korea, y ffordd orau o ddwysáu ein cyfundrefn brofi? Hefyd mae gwledydd eraill, fel yr Almaen, mor bell ar y blaen gan fod ganddynt gapasiti labordai, a dyna pam fod y prawf ar gyfer y coronafeirws newydd hwn, a ddatblygwyd yn labordai'r Almaen, yn cael ei ddefnyddio ym mhob rhan o'r byd. Weinidog, rwy’n derbyn nad mater o brynu stoc o adweithyddion yn unig yw cynyddu nifer y profion a gynhelir: mae angen personél arnom i gasglu samplau; rhwydwaith logistaidd helaeth i symud y samplau; technegwyr labordai hyfforddedig i gynnal y prawf; a seilwaith TG i goladu'r canlyniadau. Rydym yn bell iawn o ble mae angen i ni fod. Weinidog, a allwch amlinellu'r trafodaethau rydych wedi'u cael gyda'r sector fferyllol yng Nghymru ynghylch eu rôl yn cefnogi'r frwydr yn erbyn y coronafeirws, ac a allwch hefyd amlinellu'r camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau y gallwn ddiwallu nid yn unig yr anghenion profi ar hyn o bryd, ond y galw yn y dyfodol hefyd? Mae hwn yn bandemig byd-eang, ac rydym yn wynebu feirws newydd, anghyfarwydd, felly mae angen ymateb byd-eang arnom. A allwch chi amlinellu sut y mae ymchwilwyr a swyddogion iechyd y cyhoedd yng Nghymru yn gweithio gyda gwledydd eraill i fynd i'r afael â'r bygythiad newydd hwn?
Weinidog, mae pob un ohonom wedi cael llythyr gan Gymdeithas Feddygol Prydain ynghylch materion sy’n ymwneud â'r rhestrau o gleifion sy'n agored i niwed. Ddoe, cysylltodd etholwr sy'n agored i niwed â mi, ond nid ydynt ar y rhestr o bobl eithriadol o agored i niwed, hyd y gwyddant. Mae'r etholwr hwn, ers blynyddoedd lawer, wedi dibynnu ar fwyd a meddyginiaeth yn cael eu danfon iddynt, ond ni all hynny ddigwydd bellach gan nad ydynt ar restr Llywodraeth Cymru. Yn ôl Cymdeithas Feddygol Prydain, ni all meddygon teulu gynorthwyo cleifion gan nad oes ganddynt fynediad at y rhestrau o gleifion. Felly, Weinidog, pa gamau rydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau nad yw ein hetholwyr yn wynebu dewis rhwng llwgu a dal y clefyd o bosibl, clefyd a allai'n hawdd fod yn angheuol oherwydd eu cyflyrau iechyd?
Mae ysbytai'n cael eu codi mewn dyddiau ac mae pobl yn paratoi i helpu mewn unrhyw ffordd y gallant, ond mae rhywfaint o ddryswch wedi bod ynghylch ffyrdd o wirfoddoli yng Nghymru yn dilyn y cyhoeddusrwydd ynghylch lansiad GoodSAM yn Lloegr. Felly, pa gamau rydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau y gall pawb yng Nghymru sy’n awyddus i helpu yn y frwydr yn erbyn y clefyd hwn wneud hynny?
Hefyd, yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, mae prifysgolion, y diwydiant, a chymuned y gwneuthurwyr wedi bod yn datblygu dulliau newydd o gynhyrchu popeth o sgriniau wyneb i beiriannau anadlu, ac mae peiriannau CPAP newydd wedi'u datblygu a masgiau falf awtomataidd wedi cael eu treialu i sicrhau y gellir cadw peiriannau anadlu ar gyfer yr achosion mwy difrifol. Felly, pa drafodaethau rydych wedi'u cael gyda’r diwydiant a'r sector addysg uwch yng Nghymru ynglŷn â chynyddu cyflenwad Cymru o beiriannau anadlu? Diolch yn fawr.
I think, to be fair, Llywydd, that I've dealt with the point about ventilators, both in terms of supply and manufacture, in response to the questions that Adam Price asked, and also Angela Burns in terms of the collaboration between officials in my department, Ken Skates's department, and people making those and manufacturing them here in Wales.
In terms of the point about volunteering, we've had a really significant response from people in Wales, so whilst there’s been some confusion over the headline messages that are being played out, actually, lots of people in Wales have found a way to go to be able to volunteer within their local communities in either smaller groups that have been set up, but also through the national Volunteering Wales portal. So, we've got over 30,000 people registered as volunteers, and within the last week we've had a rate of 1,000 people a day registering to be volunteers to support people in their local community. Part of the challenge was that there was, I think, a misunderstanding in the way that the England-only scheme was launched. Some of our colleague elected representatives in Wales didn't understand that there was, simply, an England-only scheme and not a scheme that was designed and delivered by the four Governments across the UK. So, we've got a good response already, and that's being put to use, with the third sector and local government working together to do so.
In terms of GP access to the list of vulnerable people, we've been really open in developing both the lists and criteria for people on the shielded group of 81,000 people. So, we've worked together with the British Medical Association and the royal college of GPs, and, by the latest, from 2 o'clock today that list will have been available in the GP portal for every GP practice to review the groups of their patients on that list so they can exercise their judgment and knowledge of their group of patients if they believe there are other people who should be on that group of shielded people. We'll continue to develop our response in supporting the wider group of vulnerable people over the coming days, as I say, working together, I'm sure, with local government and the third sector.
And, in terms of your broader points about testing and learning with other countries, well, it is fair to say that South Korea, for example, is in a different place because of its experience of having been much harder hit by SARS in the past. Now, there'll be lessons for us to learn in the here and now, and Public Health Wales are in regular contact with public health organisations in countries in Europe and the wider world, on help and advice in the here and now.
So, for example, we've definitely learned lessons from Italy; that's why we've put so much energy and effort into creating field hospital capacity at such pace, because that's about getting people out of hospital when they no longer need to be there. And it's even more crucial now, because people who are delayed getting into a hospital are people who really may well need life-saving care. So, that's one of the lessons we've already learned, and we're talking about lessons as it emerges that some of the social distancing measures will start to be relaxed. That's really important for us about our response to the pandemic here in Wales and the rest of the UK. But, equally, that conversation will continue.
Public Health Wales are actually in a very good position in the global public health community, and certainly within the World Health Organization European region, in terms of the respect we have, the ability we have to share learning on a variety of different topics, and that will be really important—to look back about what's happened to learn lessons where we think we may have been able to make different and better choices during the period of this pandemic, but also for the future. And that will be a whole society-wide conversation, because, if we want to have extra capacity in place for a future pandemic, we need to fund that and create that capacity and have that ready and available. And that's a different sort of choice for us to make about the way that we support public services.
A bod yn deg, Lywydd, credaf fy mod wedi ateb y pwynt ynglŷn â pheiriannau anadlu, o ran cyflenwi a gweithgynhyrchu, mewn ymateb i'r cwestiynau a ofynnodd Adam Price, a hefyd Angela Burns ar y cydweithrediad rhwng swyddogion yn fy adran i, adran Ken Skates, a phobl sy’n eu gwneud ac yn eu cynhyrchu yma yng Nghymru.
Ar y pwynt ynglŷn â gwirfoddoli, rydym wedi cael ymateb sylweddol iawn gan bobl yng Nghymru, felly er y bu rhywfaint o ddryswch ynglŷn â'r prif negeseuon sy'n cael eu cyfleu, mae llawer o bobl yng Nghymru wedi dod o hyd i ffyrdd o allu gwirfoddoli yn eu cymunedau lleol, naill ai mewn grwpiau llai sydd wedi'u sefydlu, ond hefyd drwy borth cenedlaethol Gwirfoddoli Cymru. Felly, mae gennym dros 30,000 o bobl wedi cofrestru fel gwirfoddolwyr, ac yn yr wythnos ddiwethaf, rydym wedi cael cyfradd o 1,000 o bobl y dydd yn cofrestru i fod yn wirfoddolwyr i gefnogi pobl yn eu cymuned leol. Roedd rhan o'r her, yn fy marn i, yn ymwneud â’r ffaith y bu camddealltwriaeth yn y ffordd y lansiwyd y cynllun ar gyfer Lloegr yn unig. Nid oedd rhai o'n cyd-gynrychiolwyr etholedig yng Nghymru yn deall bod y cynllun yn gynllun ar gyfer Lloegr yn unig, yn hytrach na chynllun a oedd wedi’i lunio a'i gyflenwi gan y pedair Llywodraeth ledled y DU. Felly, rydym wedi cael ymateb da yn barod, ac mae’r trydydd sector a llywodraeth leol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd i'w roi ar waith.
O safbwynt mynediad meddygon teulu at y rhestr o bobl agored i niwed, rydym wedi bod yn agored iawn wrth ddatblygu'r rhestrau a'r meini prawf ar gyfer y bobl yn y grŵp o 81,000 o bobl sy’n cael eu gwarchod. Felly, rydym wedi gweithio gyda Chymdeithas Feddygol Prydain a choleg brenhinol yr ymarferwyr cyffredinol, ac ers 2 o’r gloch heddiw fan bellaf, bydd y rhestr honno wedi bod ar gael yn y porth meddygon teulu i bob practis meddyg teulu adolygu’r grwpiau o’u cleifion ar y rhestr honno fel y gallant arfer eu barn a'u gwybodaeth am eu grŵp o gleifion os ydynt yn credu bod pobl eraill a ddylai fod yn y grŵp hwnnw o bobl sy’n cael eu gwarchod. Byddwn yn parhau i ddatblygu ein hymateb yn cefnogi'r grŵp ehangach o bobl agored i niwed dros y dyddiau nesaf, fel rwy'n dweud, gan weithio ar y cyd, rwy'n siŵr, â llywodraeth leol a'r trydydd sector.
Ac ar eich pwyntiau ehangach ynglŷn â phrofi a dysgu gyda gwledydd eraill, wel, mae'n deg dweud bod De Korea, er enghraifft, mewn lle gwahanol oherwydd eu profiad o gael eu heffeithio’n waeth o lawer gan SARS yn y gorffennol. Nawr, bydd gwersi inni eu dysgu yn awr, ac mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru mewn cysylltiad rheolaidd â sefydliadau iechyd y cyhoedd mewn gwledydd yn Ewrop a'r byd ehangach, gan drafod cymorth a chyngor ar yr adeg hon.
Felly, er enghraifft, rydym wedi dysgu gwersi o'r Eidal, yn sicr; dyna pam rydym wedi rhoi cymaint o egni ac ymdrech i greu capasiti ysbytai maes ar y fath gyflymder, gan fod hynny'n ymwneud â symud pobl allan o'r ysbyty pan nad oes angen iddynt fod yno mwyach. Ac mae hynny hyd yn oed yn fwy hanfodol yn awr, gan fod pobl sy'n methu mynd i ysbyty mewn pryd yn bobl a allai fod angen gofal i achub eu bywydau. Felly, dyna un o'r gwersi rydym wedi'u dysgu eisoes, ac rydym yn sôn am wersi wrth iddi ddod i'r amlwg y bydd rhai o'r mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol yn dechrau cael eu llacio. Mae hynny'n bwysig iawn i ni o ran ein hymateb i'r pandemig yma yng Nghymru a gweddill y DU. Ond yn yr un modd, bydd y sgwrs honno'n parhau.
Mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru mewn sefyllfa dda iawn yn y gymuned iechyd cyhoeddus yn fyd-eang, ac yn sicr yn rhanbarth Ewropeaidd Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd, o ran y parch a ddangosir i ni, y gallu sydd gennym i rannu dysgu ar amrywiaeth o bynciau gwahanol, a bydd hynny'n bwysig iawn—edrych yn ôl ar yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd i ddysgu gwersi lle credwn y gallem fod wedi gwneud dewisiadau gwahanol a gwell yn ystod y pandemig hwn, ond hefyd ar gyfer y dyfodol. A bydd honno’n sgwrs ar gyfer y gymdeithas gyfan, oherwydd os ydym am gael capasiti ychwanegol ar waith ar gyfer pandemig yn y dyfodol, mae angen inni ariannu hynny a chreu’r capasiti hwnnw a sicrhau ei fod yn barod ac ar gael. Ac mae hwnnw'n fath gwahanol o ddewis inni ei wneud am y ffordd rydym yn cefnogi gwasanaethau cyhoeddus.
Some of my questions have been answered, but I did want to return to the issue of the shielded letters, because I think that is incredibly important. Because, for many people, that will unlock the support that will enable them to stay at home for three months. I've been advising people to contact their GP if they haven't had a letter and think they should be shielded. I welcome what the Minister's just said about everybody having access to that list today, but GPs are now telling me locally that they don't have the capacity to deal with the numbers of queries they anticipate getting from people who think that they should be shielded. So, I'd like to get the Minister's comments on that—what assurances can you offer that people who should be shielded will be able to get on that list in time to get the support that is available?
Similarly, also picking up issues with pharmacy as well, people who've always had their prescriptions delivered who aren't well, because they're not on the shielded list are now worrying they're not going to be able to get their prescriptions delivered. So, your response on that as well, if possible, please.
I know that you've dealt with the ventilator issue in relation to Angela Burns and Caroline Jones, but I have sent through a number of companies who have made offers of help to the Government. I understand that there's a process to be gone through, but can you just say a little bit more about how Welsh Government is dealing as quickly as possible with those offers of help from manufacturing companies in relation to ventilators?
Mae rhai o fy nghwestiynau wedi'u hateb, ond hoffwn ddychwelyd at fater y llythyrau gwarchod, gan y credaf fod hynny'n anhygoel o bwysig. Oherwydd i lawer o bobl, bydd hynny'n datgloi'r gefnogaeth a fydd yn eu galluogi i aros gartref am dri mis. Rwyf wedi bod yn cynghori pobl i gysylltu â'u meddyg teulu os nad ydynt wedi cael llythyr ac yn credu y dylent gael eu gwarchod. Croesawaf yr hyn y mae’r Gweinidog newydd ei ddweud am bawb yn cael mynediad at y rhestr honno heddiw, ond mae meddygon teulu bellach yn dweud wrthyf yn lleol nad oes ganddynt gapasiti i ymdrin â nifer yr ymholiadau y maent yn rhagweld eu cael gan bobl sy’n credu y dylent gael eu gwarchod. Felly, hoffwn gael sylwadau'r Gweinidog ar hynny—pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi y bydd pobl y dylid eu gwarchod yn gallu dod ar y rhestr honno mewn pryd i gael y gefnogaeth sydd ar gael?
Yn yr un modd, gan nodi problemau gyda fferylliaeth hefyd, mae pobl sâl sydd bob amser wedi cael eu presgripsiynau wedi’u danfon iddynt yn poeni am nad ydynt ar y rhestr warchod bellach, ac na fydd modd iddynt gael eu presgripsiynau wedi'u danfon iddynt. Felly, eich ymateb ar hynny hefyd, os oes modd, os gwelwch yn dda.
Gwn eich bod wedi rhoi sylw i fater y peiriannau anadlu a godwyd gan Angela Burns a Caroline Jones, ond rwyf wedi cyfeirio nifer o gwmnïau sydd wedi cynnig cymorth at y Llywodraeth. Rwy'n deall bod proses i'w dilyn, ond a allwch ddweud mwy ynglŷn â sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd ati mor gyflym â phosibl i ymdrin â chynigion o gymorth gan gwmnïau gweithgynhyrchu mewn perthynas â pheiriannau anadlu?
[Inaudible.]—support. That may come up again in questions with Ken Skates, because his department, in terms of the business support for those people, is actually really important to make sure they're helped to manufacture. So, there's more than one potential opportunity to manufacture CPAP machines, which are a level down from invasive ventilation but can be helpful. The faculty of intensive care have actually produced some guidance about the increased use of those machines. So, we're supporting a range of companies and working alongside them to assist in the manufacture of those in the here and now. I know UK headlines are very excited about the Mercedes Formula 1 team being involved in doing something, but we have a range of examples here in Wales where we are manufacturing those machines as well.
So, it goes into a central team here in the Government to understand what's on offer, and then to understand the technical specifications of what's potentially on offer, and then, if there's business support need, that's where Ken's team comes in. We've got a centralised process, so it's not going to three or four different people, we understand which group of officials are supposed to be dealing with it, provide the support and also in a reasonable time frame.
On your point about shielded letters, to people who are to be shielded, the 81,000 people have been tightly drawn up on clinical criteria. Now, there is a wider group of people outside that who we've also advised should really be staying at home if at all possible—so, for example, women who are pregnant and people over the age of 70. Not every pregnant person, not every person over the age of 70 will have a shielded letter; they shouldn't expect to have one. I think there is some confusion within that, but it's important to be clear with our constituents that, if you're over the age of 70, that doesn't mean you will automatically get a shielded letter, and to have some patience and to ask people not to ring GPs, because otherwise they will be overwhelmed.
Now, the work we're continuing to do with the third sector and local authorities, and indeed the food supply sector, is initially about getting support to people in that most vulnerable group—the 81,000—who don't already have a mechanism to get supplies themselves, whether that's food or medicine or other goods, and it's then to work on support for that wider group of people. Now, some local authorities are already in a place to be able to do that. We're looking to be able to provide some clarity on a national basis about how that wider group of people are continuing to receive support to be able to stay at home. That's why the wider volunteer network is so important to us, to help the widest group of people possible.
On prescription delivery, I've tried to make it clear several times, and I'm happy to do so again, that if people can get their own scripts—if not them, if they're supposed to be staying at home, their friends, family or trusted people who can go and get the script for them—they should do so. If they rely on delivery and they have no other means of getting that, then their pharmacy should deliver. We had an incident last week where there were localised challenges with a well-known pharmaceutical company, and I had direct contact with that company in Wales on what's supposed to happen. That was unhelpful for people who were caught in a position where they didn't get the supplies delivered to their door as they should have expected, but it was helpful in the sense that it meant that that group went out and told all of their store managers the guidance they'd issued on making sure that, if people can't get their own scripts, then they should make sure that they're delivered, and there should not be delivery charges during all the time that we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic as well. I hope that's helpful.
[Anghlywadwy.]—cefnogaeth. Efallai y bydd hynny'n codi eto mewn cwestiynau gyda Ken Skates, gan fod ei adran ef, o ran y gefnogaeth fusnes i'r bobl hynny, yn wirioneddol bwysig i sicrhau eu bod yn cael cymorth i gynhyrchu. Felly, mae mwy nag un cyfle posibl i gynhyrchu peiriannau CPAP, sydd lefel yn is na chymorth anadlu mewnwthiol, ond a all fod yn ddefnyddiol. Mae'r gyfadran ofal dwys wedi cynhyrchu rhywfaint o ganllawiau ynghylch y defnydd cynyddol o'r peiriannau hynny. Felly, rydym yn cefnogi ystod o gwmnïau ac yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â hwy i gynorthwyo i’w gweithgynhyrchu ar yr adeg hon. Gwn fod penawdau'r DU yn gyffrous iawn fod tîm Fformiwla 1 Mercedes yn gwneud rhywbeth, ond mae gennym ystod o enghreifftiau yma yng Nghymru lle rydym yn gweithgynhyrchu'r peiriannau hynny hefyd.
Felly, mae'n gyfrifoldeb i dîm canolog yma yn y Llywodraeth ddeall yr hyn sydd ar gael, ac yna i ddeall manylebau technegol yr hyn a allai fod ar gael, ac yna, os oes angen cymorth busnes, dyna ble y daw tîm Ken i mewn. Mae gennym broses ganolog, felly nid yw'n mynd i dri neu bedwar o bobl wahanol, rydym yn deall pa grŵp o swyddogion sydd i fod i ymdrin â hynny, darparu'r gefnogaeth a hefyd o fewn amserlen resymol.
Ar eich pwynt ynglŷn â llythyrau gwarchod at bobl sydd i gael eu gwarchod, mae'r 81,000 o bobl wedi'u dethol ar sail meini prawf clinigol. Nawr, mae grŵp ehangach o bobl y tu hwnt i hynny rydym hefyd wedi cynghori y dylent fod yn aros gartref os yw hynny'n bosibl—felly, er enghraifft, menywod beichiog a phobl dros 70 oed. Ni fydd pob unigolyn beichiog, ni fydd pob unigolyn dros 70 oed yn cael llythyr gwarchod; ni ddylent ddisgwyl cael un. Credaf fod rhywfaint o ddryswch yn hynny o beth, ond mae'n bwysig inni ddweud yn glir wrth ein hetholwyr, os ydych dros 70 oed, nid yw hynny'n golygu y byddwch yn cael llythyr gwarchod yn awtomatig, ac i fod â rhywfaint o amynedd ac i ofyn i bobl beidio â ffonio meddygon teulu, gan y byddant yn cael eu gorlethu fel arall.
Nawr, mae'r gwaith rydym yn parhau i'w wneud gyda'r trydydd sector ac awdurdodau lleol, ac yn wir y sector cyflenwi bwyd, yn ymwneud yn y lle cyntaf â sicrhau cefnogaeth i bobl yn y grŵp mwyaf agored i niwed hwnnw—yr 81,000—nad oes ganddynt fecanwaith eisoes i gael cyflenwadau eu hunain, boed hynny'n fwyd neu'n feddyginiaeth neu nwyddau eraill, ac yna gweithio ar gefnogaeth i'r grŵp ehangach hwnnw o bobl. Nawr, mae rhai awdurdodau lleol eisoes mewn sefyllfa i allu gwneud hynny. Rydym yn gobeithio gallu darparu rhywfaint o eglurder yn genedlaethol ynglŷn â sut y mae'r grŵp ehangach hwnnw o bobl yn parhau i dderbyn cefnogaeth i allu aros gartref. Dyna pam fod y rhwydwaith ehangach o wirfoddolwyr mor bwysig i ni, i helpu'r grŵp ehangaf o bobl y gallwn.
O ran danfon presgripsiynau, rwyf wedi ceisio dweud yn glir sawl gwaith, ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i wneud hynny eto, os yw pobl yn gallu casglu eu presgripsiynau eu hunain—os na allant, os ydynt i fod i aros gartref, eu ffrindiau, teulu neu bobl ddibynadwy sy'n gallu mynd i gasglu’r presgripsiynau ar eu rhan—dylent wneud hynny. Os ydynt yn dibynnu ar gael presgripsiynau wedi’u danfon ac os nad oes ganddynt unrhyw ffordd arall o’u cael, dylai eu fferyllfa eu danfon. Cawsom ddigwyddiad yr wythnos diwethaf lle cafwyd heriau lleol gyda chwmni fferyllol adnabyddus, a chefais gysylltiad uniongyrchol â'r cwmni hwnnw yng Nghymru ar yr hyn sydd i fod i ddigwydd. Nid oedd hynny o fudd i bobl a oedd mewn sefyllfa lle nad oedd y cyflenwadau’n cael eu danfon at eu drysau fel y dylent allu ei ddisgwyl, ond roedd yn ddefnyddiol yn yr ystyr ei fod yn golygu bod y grŵp hwnnw wedi mynd allan a dweud wrth reolwyr eu holl siopau am y canllawiau roeddent wedi'u rhoi ar waith i sicrhau, os na all pobl gasglu eu presgripsiynau eu hunain, eu bod yn cael eu danfon iddynt, ac na ddylid codi tâl am ddanfon drwy gydol cyfnod y pandemig COVID-19. Rwy'n gobeithio bod hynny'n ddefnyddiol.
Two very brief issues I just want to raise with you, Minister—first of all, I'm sure you'd have seen the concerns raised last night in the media by the Tenovus cancer charity, who are extremely worried that hundreds of cancer patients in Wales could die because of delays in treatment and screening as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Of course, I fully understand the Government's need to tackle the spread of coronavirus head on. However, this will undoubtedly lead to a great deal of anxiety and frustration for many patients living with cancer and their families. Indeed, I've been contacted myself by constituents asking about cancer care during this crisis period. So, therefore, can you tell us, Minister, what the Welsh Government is specifically doing to support those living with cancer in Wales during the COVID-19 outbreak and will you be bringing forward a specific cancer strategy at this time?
Secondly, Minister, of course, we owe a great deal of gratitude to front-line staff, including Wales's community pharmacists, who you've referred to today. However, respecting social distancing is proving difficult in many pharmacies, due to their design up and down Wales. You basically can't keep 2m apart, for example, in many of our pharmacies. So, can you tell us what additional guidance and support the Welsh Government is giving to pharmacists to help them address some of the significant challenges that they're currently facing, and is the Government planning further guidance to pharmacists and their staff, given that they are feeling vulnerable in these circumstances?
Following on from Lynne Neagle's question, I understand that there has been some relaxation in the rules around dispensing repeat prescriptions, but this may have an impact on the supply of medicines. Therefore, what action are you and the Welsh Government taking to ensure that pharmacists are indeed able to access sufficient supplies at this time, and what discussions have you had with the pharmaceutical companies about the supply of medicines and treatments?
Dau fater byr iawn yr hoffwn eu codi gyda chi, Weinidog—yn gyntaf oll, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch wedi gweld y pryderon neithiwr yn y cyfryngau gan elusen canser Tenovus, sy'n hynod bryderus y gallai cannoedd o gleifion canser yng Nghymru farw yn sgil oedi triniaethau a sgrinio o ganlyniad i'r argyfwng coronafeirws. Wrth gwrs, rwy'n deall angen y Llywodraeth i fynd i'r afael â lledaeniad coronafeirws yn uniongyrchol. Fodd bynnag, bydd hyn heb os yn arwain at lawer o bryder a rhwystredigaeth i lawer o gleifion sy'n byw gyda chanser a'u teuluoedd. Yn wir, mae etholwyr wedi cysylltu â mi gyda chwestiynau ynglŷn â gofal canser yn ystod yr argyfwng hwn. Felly, a allwch ddweud wrthym, Weinidog, beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud yn benodol i gefnogi'r rheini sy'n byw gyda chanser yng Nghymru yn ystod yr argyfwng COVID-19, ac a fyddwch yn cyflwyno strategaeth ganser benodol ar hyn o bryd?
Yn ail, Weinidog, mae ein dyled yn fawr i staff rheng flaen wrth gwrs, gan gynnwys fferyllwyr cymunedol Cymru y cyfeirioch chi atynt heddiw. Fodd bynnag, mae parchu cadw pellter cymdeithasol yn anodd mewn llawer o fferyllfeydd ledled Cymru oherwydd eu cynllun. Yn y bôn, ni allwch gadw pellter o 2m, er enghraifft, mewn llawer o'n fferyllfeydd. Felly, a allwch ddweud wrthym pa ganllawiau a chefnogaeth ychwanegol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu rhoi i fferyllwyr i'w helpu i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r heriau sylweddol y maent yn eu hwynebu ar hyn o bryd, ac a yw'r Llywodraeth yn cynllunio arweiniad pellach i fferyllwyr a'u staff, o gofio eu bod yn teimlo'n agored i niwed yn yr amgylchiadau hyn?
Yn dilyn cwestiwn Lynne Neagle, deallaf fod y rheolau ynghylch dosbarthu presgripsiynau amlroddadwy wedi cael eu llacio, ond gallai hyn effeithio ar gyflenwadau o feddyginiaethau. Felly, pa gamau rydych chi a Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod fferyllwyr yn gallu cael mynediad at gyflenwadau digonol ar yr adeg hon, a pha drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda'r cwmnïau fferyllol ynghylch cyflenwi meddyginiaethau a thriniaethau?
Okay. Thank you for the questions. On cancer care, I did see what Tenovus had to say yesterday, and our expectation is that we're able as far as possible to maintain urgent care across the health service. But our challenge is—and this is why, in all of the choices that our clinicians are making and are being supported to make—there really aren't a range of easy choices, and this is a good example of them. So, on some areas where it can make a difference between whether someone survives or not, we'd expect that treatment to go ahead if at all possible, but if we know, as we do, that more and more people will come into our hospital system, and we're talking about large numbers of people living or not living because of the choices we make across the whole system, we're having to balance each of those choices. But, for example, we're certainly not saying that people who have an urgent need for care, whether it's an emergency, or whether it's indeed cancer care or other long-term or life-threatening conditions—we're not saying that all of that treatment has to stop; far from it.
But we are seeing a public response to the way they use the health service. You'll recall from the conversation this morning that there's been a significant reduction in people presenting to our emergency departments, because people would otherwise be having a much higher attendance rate—I think three or four times what we're currently seeing. So, that public response is helpful to allow our capacity to be protected, and, as I mentioned in my opening statement, of all the people who are currently in intensive care beds, 69 per cent of them are COVID or suspected COVID. That means that over 30 per cent of those people aren't suspected of having COVID or don't have it. So, we already have a number of people in intensive care, so it does show that our system is continuing to treat other people. I'll continue to listen to what our clinicians are saying about their capacity to do their job, and we may then have to make some system-wide choices. If we do, I'll be happy to be upfront with the public and Members on any of those choices.
On pharmacies, I recognise that, in the design of some of these, it's difficult, if not just not possible, for staff to maintain a 2m distance. Now, the advice we've given is as far as possible to maintain social distancing, but, given the critical role that pharmacies do play, we want community pharmacies to stay open to supply people and support people in managing the range of their healthcare conditions. It's important that the public behave in that way. We know that within the last few weeks we saw some unacceptable instances of behaviour directed towards our pharmacy staff, and that appears to have calmed down now. I've also made choices about the way that pharmacies operate to allow them to make sure they're in a position to continue providing a service to the wider public. My officials and I are of course happy to keep on listening to community pharmacy if there are more things we need to do to enable them to do their job at this hugely important time, but I've yet to hear a further bid from either the Royal Pharmaceutical Society or indeed Community Pharmacy Wales on further steps that we need to take to allow community pharmacists to undertake their role in supporting the public.
And, in terms of medicine supply, it's a matter I discussed yesterday with Cabinet health Minister colleagues from across the UK, and we don't see at this point in time a medicine supply issue, but it's a matter of fact that the national health service across all four nations from time to time has to deal with supply issues. That's a regular challenge, and most people don't notice that it's happened. At this point in time, I'm not aware that there is a specific medicines resupply issue, but obviously that's something that we'll not just discuss across the four nations—we have well-run decision-making methods across the four nations, which is, if you like, a positive result from our 'no deal' Brexit preparations; we had to think of ways to deal with potential medicine supply issues. Those arrangements are still in place to ensure equity in supply across each of the four nations.
Iawn. Diolch am eich cwestiynau. Ar ofal canser, gwelais yr hyn a ddywedodd Tenovus ddoe, a'n disgwyliad yw y gallwn gynnal gofal brys ar draws y gwasanaeth iechyd cyn belled ag y bo modd. Ond ein her yw—a dyma pam, ym mhob un o'r dewisiadau y mae ein clinigwyr yn eu gwneud ac y cânt eu cefnogi i'w gwneud—nid oes ystod o ddewisiadau hawdd, ac mae hon yn enghraifft dda ohonynt. Felly, mewn rhai meysydd lle gall wneud gwahaniaeth a yw rhywun yn goroesi ai peidio, byddem yn disgwyl i'r driniaeth honno fynd yn ei blaen os yw hynny'n bosibl o gwbl, ond os ydym yn gwybod, fel rydym yn gwybod, y bydd mwy a mwy o bobl yn dod i mewn i'n system ysbytai, ac rydym yn sôn am nifer fawr o bobl yn byw neu'n marw oherwydd y dewisiadau a wnawn ar draws y system gyfan, rhaid i ni gydbwyso pob un o'r dewisiadau hynny. Ond er enghraifft, yn sicr, nid ydym yn dweud bod pobl sydd angen gofal ar frys, p'un a yw'n argyfwng, neu'n wir yn ofal canser neu gyflyrau hirdymor neu gyflyrau eraill sy'n peryglu bywydau—nid ydym yn dweud bod yn rhaid i’r holl driniaethau hynny ddod i ben; ddim o gwbl.
Ond rydym yn gweld ymateb cyhoeddus i'r ffordd y maent yn defnyddio'r gwasanaeth iechyd. Fe gofiwch o'r sgwrs y bore yma y bu gostyngiad sylweddol yn nifer y bobl sy'n dod i'n hadrannau brys, gan y byddai cyfradd presenoldeb uwch o lawer fel arall—tair neu bedair gwaith yn uwch, rwy’n credu, na’r hyn a welwn ar hyn o bryd. Felly, mae'r ymateb cyhoeddus hwnnw'n helpu i ddiogelu ein capasiti, ac fel y soniais yn fy natganiad agoriadol, o'r holl bobl sydd mewn gwelyau gofal dwys ar hyn o bryd, mae 69 y cant ohonynt yn achosion o COVID neu'n achosion posibl o COVID. Mae hynny'n golygu nad yw, neu na chredir bod dros 30 y cant o'r bobl hynny yn achosion o COVID. Felly, mae gennym eisoes nifer o bobl mewn gofal dwys, ac mae'n dangos bod ein system yn parhau i drin pobl eraill. Byddaf yn parhau i wrando ar yr hyn y mae ein clinigwyr yn ei ddweud am eu capasiti i wneud eu gwaith, ac efallai y bydd yn rhaid inni wneud dewisiadau ar gyfer y system gyfan wedyn. Os gwnawn hynny, rwy’n fwy na pharod i fod yn agored gyda'r cyhoedd a'r Aelodau ynglŷn ag unrhyw ddewisiadau o'r fath.
Ar fferyllfeydd, rwy'n cydnabod ei bod hi'n anodd os nad yn amhosibl i staff gadw pellter o 2 fetr oherwydd cynllun rhai o'r rhain. Nawr, y cyngor rydym wedi'i roi yw cadw cymaint o bellter ag y bo modd, ond o ystyried y rôl allweddol y mae fferyllfeydd yn ei chwarae, rydym am i fferyllfeydd cymunedol aros ar agor i ddarparu meddyginiaethau i bobl a chynorthwyo pobl i reoli eu hystod o gyflyrau gofal iechyd. Mae'n bwysig fod y cyhoedd yn ymddwyn yn y ffordd honno. Gwyddom inni weld rhai achosion annerbyniol o ymddygiad tuag at staff ein fferyllfeydd dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, ac ymddengys bod hynny wedi gwella bellach. Rwyf hefyd wedi gwneud dewisiadau ynglŷn â'r ffordd y mae fferyllfeydd yn gweithredu i'w galluogi i sicrhau eu bod mewn sefyllfa i barhau i ddarparu gwasanaeth i'r cyhoedd ehangach. Mae fy swyddogion a minnau, wrth gwrs, yn fwy na pharod i ddal ati i wrando ar fferylliaeth gymunedol os oes angen inni wneud mwy i'w galluogi i wneud eu gwaith ar yr adeg hynod bwysig hon, ond nid wyf wedi clywed cais pellach eto gan naill ai’r Gymdeithas Fferyllol Frenhinol neu'n wir gan Fferylliaeth Gymunedol Cymru ar gamau pellach y mae'n rhaid inni eu cymryd i ganiatáu i fferyllwyr cymunedol gyflawni eu rôl yn cefnogi'r cyhoedd.
Ac o ran y cyflenwad o feddyginiaethau, mae'n fater a drafodais ddoe gyda chyd-Weinidogion Iechyd Cabinetau o bob rhan o'r DU, ac nid ydym yn gweld problem ar hyn o bryd gyda'r cyflenwad o feddyginiaethau, ond mae'n ffaith bod yn rhaid i’r gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol yn y pedair gwlad ymdrin â materion yn ymwneud â'r cyflenwad o bryd i'w gilydd. Mae honno'n her reolaidd, ac nid yw'r rhan fwyaf o bobl yn sylwi ei fod wedi digwydd. Ar hyn o bryd, nid wyf yn ymwybodol o broblem benodol gydag ailgyflenwi meddyginiaethau, ond yn amlwg, mae hynny'n rhywbeth y byddwn yn ei drafod ar draws y pedair gwlad—mae gennym ddulliau o wneud penderfyniadau sy'n cael eu harfer yn dda ar draws y pedair gwlad, sydd, os mynnwch, yn ganlyniad cadarnhaol i'n paratoadau ar gyfer Brexit heb gytundeb; roedd yn rhaid inni feddwl am ffyrdd o ymdopi â phroblemau posibl gyda'r cyflenwad o feddyginiaethau. Mae'r trefniadau hynny'n dal i fod ar waith i sicrhau tegwch yn y cyflenwad ar draws pob un o'r pedair gwlad.
Minister, I'm seeing a disconnect here between the reality on the ground and what I'm hearing from you. The reality is that front-line nurses do not have protective equipment. The reality is that care companies do not have protective equipment. So, this weekend I've dealt with constituents, disabled constituents, showing symptoms, unable to be looked after and just left. I interviewed Ashley Morgan. He's a young man in Caerau, and he's got a 3D printer, and he's made his own masks to a very, very good specification, and he's now supplying the Heath hospital and other areas. There are queues of medical staff outside his property, almost. So, we have an army, almost, of people—literally some of them working in their own front rooms, own back rooms—producing good quality protective gear. Ashley can make thousands per week if he gets support. So, first of all, the first part of this is there's a reservoir of people out there ready and willing. I think that the large supply chains have failed us. What can we do to enable those people? Who can they contact? When can they contact them? And how and when can they be supported?
The second thing I want to talk about is testing. You received an e-mail on 19 March—so did the First Minister—offering testing kits, I'm advised already validated, and nobody responded to that company. Equally, Public Health Wales was then contacted afterwards, and not until I intervened was there any contact with that supplier. The contact, basically, stated—I saw the e-mail, it said they'd be contacted, maybe, as need arises. Well, the need is here. We're not following the World Health Organization advice, I know that, but I think we all agree that we need more testing anyway.
There are still medical staff, whose families have symptoms and who cannot be tested, sat in isolation needlessly. So, my question to you is: how and when are we going to enable people to be tested? We should be testing every person who is suspected of having the coronavirus. I think it's really essential that we realise the absolute emergency on the ground, where people are simply not safe doing their everyday work because they don't have the equipment.
And to go back to the carer, if a carer has the virus and is not showing any symptoms and they're visiting vulnerable people on a daily basis, they're going to give them the virus if they're not wearing protective equipment—gloves, masks. I just don't understand why the front line is lacking so much at the moment. So, my question, really, is: when, how and who do these people contact?
Weinidog, rwy'n gweld datgysylltiad yma rhwng y realiti ar lawr gwlad a'r hyn a glywaf gennych. Y gwir amdani yw nad oes gan nyrsys rheng flaen gyfarpar diogelu. Y gwir amdani yw nad oes gan gwmnïau gofal gyfarpar diogelu. Felly, y penwythnos hwn, rwyf wedi ymdrin ag etholwyr, etholwyr anabl, a chanddynt symptomau, na ellid gofalu amdanynt, ac a adawyd ar eu pen eu hunain. Cynhaliais gyfweliad gydag Ashley Morgan, dyn ifanc yng Nghaerau, sy'n meddu ar argraffydd 3D, ac mae wedi creu ei fasgiau ei hun o ansawdd eithriadol o dda, ac mae bellach yn cyflenwi ysbyty'r Waun ac ardaloedd eraill. Mae ciwiau o staff meddygol y tu allan i'w gartref, bron â bod. Felly, mae gennym fyddin, bron, o bobl—yn llythrennol, mae rhai ohonynt yn gweithio yn eu hystafelloedd byw eu hunain, yn eu hystafelloedd cefn eu hunain—yn cynhyrchu cyfarpar diogelu o safon. Gallai Ashley greu miloedd yr wythnos pe bai'n cael cefnogaeth. Felly, yn gyntaf oll, rhan gyntaf hyn yw bod cronfa o bobl allan yno sy’n barod i helpu. Credaf fod y cadwyni cyflenwi mawr wedi gwneud tro gwael â ni. Beth y gallwn ei wneud i rymuso’r bobl hynny? Pwy allant gysylltu â hwy? Pryd y gallant gysylltu â hwy? A sut a phryd y gellir eu cefnogi?
Yr ail beth yr hoffwn sôn amdano yw profion. Cawsoch e-bost ar 19 Mawrth—fe'i hanfonwyd at y Prif Weinidog hefyd—yn cynnig citiau profi, a oedd eisoes wedi'u dilysu, yn ôl yr hyn a ddywedir wrthyf, ac ni ymatebodd neb i'r cwmni hwnnw. Yn yr un modd, cysylltwyd ag Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru wedyn, ac ni chafwyd unrhyw gyswllt â'r cyflenwr hwnnw hyd nes i mi ymyrryd. Nododd y cyswllt, yn y bôn—gwelais yr e-bost, dywedai y byddai rhywun yn cysylltu â hwy, efallai, yn ôl yr angen. Wel, mae'r angen yma. Nid ydym yn dilyn cyngor Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd, rwy'n gwybod hynny, ond credaf fod pob un ohonom yn cytuno ein bod angen mwy o brofion beth bynnag.
Mae yna'n dal i fod staff meddygol, sydd â theuluoedd yn dangos symptomau, na ellir eu profi ac sy’n ynysu’n ddiangen. Felly, fy nghwestiwn i chi yw hwn: sut a phryd y byddwn yn galluogi pobl i gael eu profi? Dylem fod yn profi pawb yr amheuir eu bod yn dioddef o’r coronafeirws. Credaf ei bod yn wirioneddol hanfodol inni sylweddoli ei bod yn argyfwng go iawn ar lawr gwlad, lle nad yw pobl yn ddiogel yn gwneud eu gwaith bob dydd gan nad yw'r cyfarpar ganddynt.
A chan ddychwelyd at y gofalwr, os oes gan ofalwr y feirws ac nad oes ganddynt unrhyw symptomau a'u bod yn ymweld â phobl agored i niwed yn ddyddiol, byddant yn rhoi'r feirws iddynt os nad ydynt yn gwisgo cyfarpar diogelu—menyg, masgiau. Nid wyf yn deall pam fod pethau mor brin ar y rheng flaen ar hyn o bryd. Felly, fy nghwestiwn, mewn gwirionedd, yw: gyda phwy y dylai'r bobl hyn gysylltu, a sut a phryd?
Thank you for the questions. If I deal with your point about manufacturing, because that is exactly the same point that I dealt with in an earlier question. Whether they're ventilators or whether they're PPE manufacturers, the opportunities are there to be supported in the delivery of that. We've also got the ability to validate the quality of supplies with the facility that we have here in Wales.
I've also seen the Royal Mint, for example, producing visors for front-line staff who now need them. That's advancing the old guidance of what we expected for a flu pandemic, potentially. I'm expecting the new revised guidance to say more about protective eyewear and, actually, that's why we distributed a range of protective eyewear earlier than we would otherwise have expected.
I'm happy for whoever thinks that they have the ability to help produce something to a right specification to contact the Government. They can contact my ministerial address and I'll make sure it gets to the right place to be reviewed, as I explained earlier on the ventilator manufacturing point as well.
For testing kits offers, actually, they are all being reviewed by Public Health Wales. Now, we've had a significant response with people coming in and making offers, and the point I made earlier in response to Adam Price was we need to understand the value of the offer that's being made, the efficacy of any of the potential testing routes that are being offered, and the value that they then provide. We've got to be able to do that, because otherwise we will potentially see ourselves burning up resources on kit that we don't find to be effective. Now, I don't want to get into individual cases because, as you'll know, I don't read every single e-mail that has my name on it, but I do make sure that those are dealt with and responded to.
On your point about personal protective equipment, I've responded to questions not just today but in a wide variety of fora—when speaking to trade unions, when speaking to local authority leaders, when speaking to health board chairs and chief executives, when speaking to staff—and they all recognise that there are challenges in some parts of our system in PPE getting to people on the front line. It is not the case that all of our staff are being left without PPE; it is the case that some of our staff are now. If we provide the PPE to 98 per cent of our staff, that doesn't mean to say we don't worry about the 2 per cent that don't have it.
I'm genuinely concerned about front-line staff who need PPE not having adequate supplies of the right PPE for them to use. It's taken a huge amount of my time and energy, and that's why we've sent out so much PPE—as I said in my statement, over five million items. This is not a small or marginal undertaking, and the Government is absolutely aware of the scale of the emergency that we're facing. It's an emergency the like of which none of us have ever seen in our lives in public service and none of us expected to.
So, we will continue to work in accordance with the guidance that I know is being reviewed, and you know is being reviewed from my earlier statement and in answers to all the questions, and we'll take on board our responsibilities to procure the right PPE in accordance with that revised guidance.
Diolch am eich cwestiynau. Os gwnaf ateb eich pwynt ynglŷn â gweithgynhyrchu, gan mai dyna'r union bwynt a drafodais mewn cwestiwn cynharach. P'un a ydynt yn wneuthurwyr peiriannau anadlu neu’n wneuthurwyr cyfarpar diogelu personol, mae'r cyfleoedd yno i gael eu cefnogi i gyflawni hynny. Mae gennym hefyd allu i ddilysu ansawdd y cyflenwadau gyda'r cyfleuster sydd gennym yma yng Nghymru.
Rwyf hefyd wedi gweld y Bathdy Brenhinol, er enghraifft, yn cynhyrchu fisorau ar gyfer staff rheng flaen sydd eu hangen. Datblygu'r hen ganllawiau ar yr hyn roeddem yn ei ddisgwyl ar gyfer pandemig ffliw yw hynny o bosibl. Rwy'n disgwyl i'r canllawiau diwygiedig newydd ddweud mwy am sbectolau diogelwch, a dyna pam y gwnaethom ddosbarthu ystod o sbectolau diogelwch yn gynharach nag y byddem wedi'i ddisgwyl fel arall.
Rwy'n fwy na pharod i bwy bynnag sy'n credu bod ganddynt allu i helpu i gynhyrchu rhywbeth yn ôl manyleb gywir gysylltu â'r Llywodraeth. Gallant gysylltu â fy nghyfeiriad gweinidogol ac fe wnaf yn siŵr ei fod yn cyrraedd y lle iawn i gael ei adolygu, fel yr eglurais yn gynharach ar y pwynt ynglŷn â gweithgynhyrchu peiriannau anadlu hefyd.
O ran y cynigion o gitiau profi, mae pob un ohonynt yn cael eu hadolygu gan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru. Nawr, rydym wedi cael ymateb sylweddol gyda phobl yn dod i mewn ac yn gwneud cynigion, a'r pwynt a wneuthum yn gynharach mewn ymateb i Adam Price oedd bod angen inni ddeall gwerth y cynnig a wneir, effeithiolrwydd unrhyw un o'r llwybrau profi posibl a gynigir, a'r gwerth y maent yn ei ddarparu wedyn. Mae'n rhaid inni allu gwneud hynny, oherwydd fel arall, byddwn o bosibl yn gwastraffu adnoddau ar gitiau nad ydynt yn effeithiol. Nawr, nid wyf am drafod achosion unigol, oherwydd fel y gwyddoch, nid wyf yn darllen pob e-bost â fy enw arno, ond rwy'n sicrhau eu bod yn cael sylw ac atebion.
Ar eich pwynt ynglŷn â chyfarpar diogelu personol, rwyf wedi ymateb i gwestiynau, nid yn unig heddiw ond mewn amrywiaeth eang o fforymau—wrth siarad ag undebau llafur, wrth siarad ag arweinwyr awdurdodau lleol, wrth siarad â phrif weithredwyr a chadeiryddion byrddau iechyd, wrth siarad â staff—ac mae pob un ohonynt yn cydnabod bod heriau mewn rhai rhannau o'n system o ran cyfarpar diogelu personol yn cyrraedd pobl ar y rheng flaen. Nid yw'n wir fod ein holl staff yn cael eu gadael heb gyfarpar diogelu personol; ond mae'n wir i rai o'n staff ar hyn o bryd. Os ydym yn darparu'r cyfarpar diogelu personol i 98 y cant o'n staff, nid yw hynny'n golygu nad ydym yn poeni am y 2 y cant nad ydynt yn ei gael.
Rwy'n wirioneddol bryderus nad oes gan staff rheng flaen sydd angen cyfarpar diogelu personol gyflenwadau digonol o'r cyfarpar diogelu personol cywir iddynt ei ddefnyddio. Mae hyn wedi cymryd cryn dipyn o fy amser a fy egni, a dyna pam ein bod wedi darparu cymaint o gyfarpar diogelu personol—fel y dywedais yn fy natganiad, dros bum miliwn o eitemau. Nid cyflawniad bach nac ymylol mo hwn, ac mae'r Llywodraeth yn gwbl ymwybodol o faint yr argyfwng sy'n ein hwynebu. Mae'n argyfwng na welodd neb ohonom erioed mo’i debyg yn ein bywydau mewn gwasanaeth cyhoeddus, ac nid oedd yr un ohonom yn disgwyl ei weld.
Felly, byddwn yn parhau i weithio yn unol â'r canllawiau y gwn eu bod yn cael eu hadolygu, ac y gwyddoch chithau eu bod yn cael eu hadolygu o fy natganiad cynharach ac mewn atebion i'r holl gwestiynau, a byddwn yn ystyried ein cyfrifoldebau i gaffael y cyfarpar diogelu personol cywir yn unol â'r canllawiau diwygiedig hynny.
And finally, David Rees.
Ac yn olaf, David Rees.
Diolch, Llywydd. Most of my questions have been answered by the Minister, and I'm very pleased to hear that the 965 extra capacity for ventilators is there and that the five-million-plus PPE items have been distributed. But I have to agree that there are still deep concerns over the number of PPE available, particularly for the front line in hospitals and also for those social care workers. I have many constituents who have expressed deep worries over carers coming into their homes, when they themselves are vulnerable or their partners are vulnerable, and maybe bringing the disease into their homes. So, I think there's an area we still have to get to grips with.
Now, I know you were talking about the new guidance, I remember you on the weekend saying that you expected that to be on Monday. Yesterday, at your press conference, you said that you hoped that it would be available yesterday. Today, you said it was rapidly evolving. I think it's important that we have a timescale as to when that new guidance will be in place, so we know what PPE is going to be appropriate for who and in what situation, so that we can ensure that the PPE gets to the right people in the right place at the right time. There’s huge concern, both in the professions themselves and from the constituents who are receiving the care, regarding the availability of PPE.
Can I also ask—? I support Paul Davies's question on cancer, because there are many constituents who are deeply worried about the delay. They've had appointments for surgery that have been cancelled because of the coronavirus situation. We all understand the demands upon the NHS, but when you're facing a situation where you have breast cancer and you have an appointment for surgery and then that is cancelled, there are clearly deep worries. So, we do need to look at health boards and how they are scheduling such surgery to ensure that people who have other life-threatening conditions are not going to be disadvantaged by not having the surgery as and when that surgery is required. So, can you look at that aspect and ensure that health boards are delivering those types of details to Welsh Government and to ourselves to know that?
On the field hospitals, it's come out today that NHS Nightingale may require 16,000 staff to deliver that. Now, if you have 7,000 extra beds, do you have the capacity to actually staff that type of extra number of beds? Because we already understand that there may be some reduction in capacity because staff themselves may get the virus. Where are we with making sure that, if we create these field hospitals, there will be sufficient staff and resources to deliver the care in those field hospitals?
And finally, you might be aware of a letter that was sent out by a GP practice, not in my constituency, but, actually, I've had constituents who've received that letter, asking them did they wish to be considered as 'do not resuscitate' if they got the virus. I will contact all health boards urgently to ensure that no such letter goes out again from another GP practice, because every patient's life is worth a huge amount. It is not something they should be asking: 'Do you want a do not resuscitate note put on your notes?' Can you imagine a patient getting that letter, saying, 'If you get the virus, stay at home. We'll look after you, but we won't put you down as needing resuscitation. We won't take you into hospital as an urgent patient'? It is not acceptable—I'm sure you agree with that. Will you ensure that all health boards tell their GP practices that that is not the way to move forward? Diolch.
Diolch, Lywydd. Mae'r mwyafrif o fy nghwestiynau wedi'u hateb gan y Gweinidog, ac rwy'n falch iawn o glywed am y capasiti ychwanegol o 965 ar gyfer peiriannau anadlu a bod y pum miliwn a mwy o eitemau cyfarpar diogelu personol wedi'u dosbarthu. Ond mae'n rhaid imi gytuno bod cryn bryder o hyd ynghylch faint o gyfarpar diogelu personol sydd ar gael, yn enwedig ar gyfer y rheng flaen mewn ysbytai a hefyd i'r gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol hynny. Mae gennyf lawer o etholwyr sydd wedi mynegi cryn bryder ynghylch gofalwyr yn dod i'w cartrefi, pan fyddant hwy eu hunain yn agored i niwed neu pan fydd eu partneriaid yn agored i niwed, ac efallai'n dod â'r afiechyd i'w cartrefi. Felly, credaf fod hwnnw’n faes rydym eto i fynd i'r afael ag ef.
Nawr, gwn i chi sôn am y canllawiau newydd, ac fe’ch cofiaf yn dweud ar y penwythnos eich bod yn disgwyl i hynny ddigwydd ddydd Llun. Ddoe, yn eich cynhadledd i’r wasg, fe ddywedoch chi eich bod yn gobeithio y byddent ar gael ddoe. Heddiw, fe ddywedoch ei fod yn esblygu'n gyflym. Credaf ei bod yn bwysig fod gennym amserlen o ran pryd y bydd y canllawiau newydd hynny ar waith, fel ein bod yn gwybod pa gyfarpar diogelu personol fydd yn briodol ar gyfer pwy ac ym mha sefyllfa, fel y gallwn sicrhau bod y cyfarpar diogelu personol yn cyrraedd y bobl iawn yn y lle iawn ar yr amser iawn. Mae yna gryn bryder, yn y proffesiynau eu hunain ac ymhlith yr etholwyr sy'n derbyn y gofal, ynghylch argaeledd cyfarpar diogelu personol.
A gaf fi ofyn hefyd—? Rwy’n cefnogi cwestiwn Paul Davies ar ganser, gan fod llawer o etholwyr yn poeni’n fawr am yr oedi. Mae eu hapwyntiadau ar gyfer llawdriniaethau wedi cael eu canslo oherwydd sefyllfa'r coronafeirws. Mae pob un ohonom yn deall y gofynion sy’n wynebu’r GIG, ond pan fyddwch yn wynebu sefyllfa lle mae gennych ganser y fron ac mae gennych apwyntiad i gael llawdriniaeth a'i bod yn cael ei chanslo wedyn, mae'n amlwg fod yna bryderon mawr. Felly, mae angen inni edrych ar fyrddau iechyd a sut y maent yn amserlennu llawdriniaethau o'r fath i sicrhau nad yw pobl â chyflyrau eraill sy'n peryglu eu bywydau yn mynd i fod dan anfantais drwy beidio â chael y llawdriniaethau pan fydd eu hangen. Felly, a wnewch chi edrych ar yr agwedd honno a sicrhau bod byrddau iechyd yn cyflwyno'r mathau hynny o fanylion i Lywodraeth Cymru ac i ninnau er mwyn gwybod hynny?
O ran yr ysbytai maes, dywedwyd heddiw y gallai NHS Nightingale alw am 16,000 o staff i gyflawni hynny. Nawr, os oes gennych 7,000 o welyau ychwanegol, a oes gennych gapasiti i staffio'r math hwnnw o nifer ychwanegol o welyau? Oherwydd rydym eisoes yn deall y gallai fod rhywfaint o leihad mewn capasiti gan y gall y staff eu hunain gael y feirws. Beth yw ein sefyllfa o ran sicrhau, os ydym yn creu'r ysbytai maes hyn, y bydd digon o staff ac adnoddau i ddarparu'r gofal yn yr ysbytai maes hynny?
Ac yn olaf, efallai eich bod yn ymwybodol o lythyr a anfonwyd gan feddyg teulu, nid yn fy etholaeth i, ond mae rhai o fy etholwyr wedi derbyn y llythyr hwnnw, yn gofyn iddynt a oeddent am gael eu hystyried yn gleifion 'peidiwch â dadebru' pe byddent yn cael y feirws. Byddaf yn cysylltu â phob bwrdd iechyd ar frys i sicrhau nad oes unrhyw lythyr o'r fath yn cael ei anfon eto gan bractis meddyg teulu arall, gan fod bywyd pob claf yn werthfawr iawn. Nid yw'n rhywbeth y dylent fod yn gofyn: 'A ydych am i nodyn 'peidiwch â dadebru' gael ei roi ar eich nodiadau?' A allwch ddychmygu claf yn cael y llythyr hwnnw, sy’n dweud, 'Os ydych yn cael y feirws, arhoswch gartref. Byddwn yn gofalu amdanoch, ond ni fyddwn yn eich nodi fel rhywun y mae angen eu dadebru. Ni fyddwn yn mynd â chi i'r ysbyty fel claf brys'? Nid yw'n dderbyniol—rwy’n siŵr eich bod yn cytuno â hynny. A wnewch chi sicrhau bod pob bwrdd iechyd yn dweud wrth eu meddygfeydd nad dyna'r ffordd ymlaen? Diolch.
Thank you. I now expect the PPE guidance to be provided tomorrow. I'm providing all of these time frames in good faith, but they're time frames that I'm not in control of, because the guidance is being provided by a range of different expert advisers—CMOs are working together and we're looking at what the scientific evidence is. I can honestly say, 'The sooner the better', though, because I know that I'll continue to face questions even after the guidance is produced. But once there's some more certainty and clarity about who needs PPE and who doesn't, that will help to improve the situation and then we'll be able to make sure that we procure that PPE in accordance with the guidance. So, I recognise the concern and frustration that you and other Members who are here and, no doubt, who will be watching the later recording of this will be stating, because that's a concern of front-line staff as well.
On cancer and other life-threatening conditions, as I indicated to Paul Davies, we'll of course be looking at how the health service continues to provide care for those people. But you can't avoid the honest truth that the national health service can't pretend that it can carry on as normal in every other sphere of life with the significant challenge that COVID-19 provides. The way that I've already closed down significant parts of NHS activity to allow people to prepare for it will have some consequences for the way in which we provide other forms of treatment.
The important point is that people have conversations with their treating clinicians about what's happening and, if surgery is postponed or moved on, that they have a way in which to understand why that's happened and what that means. Because a number of our patients, for example, don't want to have treatment if there's the possibility of them going into a clinical area where there may or may not be people with COVID-19. So, some people are looking to defer their treatment in any event. I know that there are calls that are taking place between treating clinicians, their teams, and the people that they are looking after.
And that point about not carrying on as normal goes into your point about the 7,000 extra beds and the ability to staff them. That's why we are looking for people to return to service; it's why we are looking to recruit people into the service; it's also why we're managing to persuade some of those over 3,700 undergraduates who are undertaking medical and other health professional degrees to undertake work within the service.
It will be a different way of working and, as I've said many times before, the way that we currently work, or the way that we would have worked, say on 1 March, will be very different to the way that we will be working within the health service and providing care for a period of time ahead. But I understand, it's a matter that I raised today in my call with chief executives and chairs of the national health service organisations in Wales about making sure that the extra bed capacity we create aren't just beds in a room that are abandoned, but we can adequately staff them. So, I'll happily not just take that up but make sure that I can provide more assurance for members of the public on the staffing issue.
And on the GP letter, I am aware of the issue. The constituency Member Huw Irranca-Davies notified me of the challenge and the conversations he was already having with the practice and the health board. And I've been assured, before this morning, that there'd been a conversation that had taken place about the letter itself; the GP practice is contacting people to try to recover that; and I know that they've issued an apology.
Having a conversation about a 'do not resuscitate' notice is difficult at any time, end of life care is difficult at all times in the public cycle, and it's a conversation that requires some sensitivity. I am confident that, after this incident, you won't find similar letters going out from general practices to their patients and there'll be a real sensitivity and dignity in the conversation between general practitioners and their patients. And, taking on board Angela Burns's point earlier about the way that people make really difficult choices, there will be an ethical framework for doing so to support our staff to take the best possible care of all people, regardless of what age they are, right across the country.
Diolch. Rwyf bellach yn disgwyl i'r canllawiau ar gyfarpar diogelu personol gael eu darparu yfory. Rwy'n darparu'r holl amserlenni hyn yn ddidwyll, ond maent yn amserlenni nad wyf yn eu rheoli, gan fod y canllawiau’n cael eu darparu gan ystod o wahanol gynghorwyr arbenigol—mae’r prif swyddogion meddygol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd ac rydym yn edrych ar y dystiolaeth wyddonol. Gallaf ddweud yn onest, 'Gorau po gyntaf,' fodd bynnag, gan y gwn y byddaf yn parhau i wynebu cwestiynau hyd yn oed ar ôl i'r canllawiau gael eu cynhyrchu. Ond pan fydd mwy o sicrwydd ac eglurder ynglŷn â phwy sydd angen cyfarpar diogelu personol a phwy na fydd ei angen, bydd hynny'n helpu i wella'r sefyllfa ac yna gallwn sicrhau ein bod yn caffael y cyfarpar diogelu personol hwnnw yn unol â'r canllawiau. Felly, rwy’n cydnabod y pryder a’r rhwystredigaeth y byddwch chi ac Aelodau eraill sydd yma, ac a fydd yn gwylio’r recordiad diweddarach, yn ei nodi, gan fod hynny’n bryder i staff rheng flaen hefyd.
O ran canser a chyflyrau eraill sy'n peryglu bywydau, fel y nodais wrth Paul Davies, byddwn yn edrych ar sut y mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn parhau i ddarparu gofal i'r bobl hynny wrth gwrs. Ond ni allwch osgoi'r gwirionedd na all y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol esgus y gall barhau fel arfer ym mhob agwedd arall gyda'r her sylweddol y mae COVID-19 yn ei chreu. Bydd y ffordd rwyf eisoes wedi cau rhannau sylweddol o weithgarwch y GIG i ganiatáu i bobl baratoi ar ei gyfer yn arwain at rai canlyniadau i'r ffordd rydym yn darparu mathau eraill o driniaethau.
Y pwynt pwysig yw bod pobl yn cael sgyrsiau â’r clinigwyr sy'n eu trin ynglŷn â’r hyn sy'n digwydd, ac os yw llawdriniaeth yn cael ei gohirio neu ei symud ymlaen, fod ganddynt ffordd o ddeall pam fod hynny wedi digwydd a beth y mae hynny'n ei olygu. Oherwydd mae nifer o'n cleifion, er enghraifft, yn awyddus i beidio â chael triniaeth os oes posibilrwydd y byddant yn mynd i ardal glinigol lle gallai fod pobl â COVID-19. Felly, mae rhai pobl yn awyddus i ohirio eu triniaeth beth bynnag. Gwn fod galwadau’n digwydd rhwng clinigwyr, eu timau, a'r bobl y maent yn gofalu amdanynt.
Ac mae'r pwynt hwnnw am beidio â pharhau fel arfer yn gysylltiedig â'ch pwynt ynglŷn â'r 7,000 o welyau ychwanegol a'r gallu i'w staffio. Dyna pam rydym yn chwilio am bobl i ddychwelyd i’r gwasanaeth; dyna pam ein bod yn ceisio recriwtio pobl i'r gwasanaeth; dyna pam hefyd ein bod yn llwyddo i berswadio rhai o'r dros 3,700 o israddedigion sy'n astudio ar gyfer graddau meddygol a graddau iechyd proffesiynol eraill i weithio yn y gwasanaeth.
Bydd yn ffordd wahanol o weithio, ac fel rwyf wedi’i ddweud sawl tro eisoes, bydd y ffordd rydym yn gweithio ar hyn o bryd, neu'r ffordd y byddem wedi gweithio, dyweder ar 1 Mawrth, yn wahanol iawn i'r ffordd y byddwn yn gweithio yn y gwasanaeth iechyd ac yn darparu gofal am gyfnod o amser i ddod. Ond rwy'n deall, mae'n fater a godais heddiw yn fy ngalwad â phrif weithredwyr a chadeiryddion sefydliadau’r gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol yng Nghymru i sicrhau nad gwelyau mewn ystafelloedd sy'n cael eu hanghofio yw'r capasiti gwelyau ychwanegol rydym yn ei greu, ond y gallwn eu staffio'n ddigonol. Felly, rwy’n fwy na pharod nid yn unig i fynd ar drywydd hynny ond i sicrhau fy mod yn gallu rhoi mwy o sicrwydd i'r cyhoedd ar y mater staffio.
Ac o ran y llythyr meddyg teulu, rwy'n ymwybodol o'r mater. Dywedodd yr Aelod etholaeth Huw Irranca-Davies wrthyf am yr her a'r sgyrsiau roedd eisoes yn eu cael gyda'r practis a'r bwrdd iechyd. Ac rwyf wedi cael sicrwydd, cyn y bore yma, fod sgwrs wedi digwydd am y llythyr ei hun; mae'r practis meddyg teulu yn cysylltu â phobl i geisio gwella'r sefyllfa; a gwn eu bod wedi cyhoeddi ymddiheuriad.
Mae'n anodd cael sgwrs am rybudd 'peidiwch â dadebru' ar unrhyw adeg, mae trafod gofal diwedd oes bob amser yn anodd yn y parth cyhoeddus, ac mae'n sgwrs sy'n galw am sensitifrwydd. Rwy'n hyderus, ar ôl y digwyddiad hwn, na welwn lythyrau tebyg gan feddygfeydd i'w cleifion, ac y bydd gwir sensitifrwydd ac urddas yn y sgwrs rhwng meddygon teulu a'u cleifion. A chan ystyried pwynt cynharach Angela Burns am y ffordd y mae pobl yn gwneud dewisiadau anodd iawn, bydd fframwaith moesegol ar gyfer gwneud hynny ar gael i gynorthwyo ein staff i roi'r gofal gorau posibl i bawb, ni waeth beth yw eu hoedran, ledled y wlad.
Thank you to the Minister for his statement and his answers. As Members will have realised, I've considerably extended the time allocated for both previous statements in order to aid with scrutiny, but I will understand if Members or Ministers need to leave the meeting at any point now due to diary commitments.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad a'i atebion. Fel y bydd yr Aelodau wedi sylweddoli, rwyf wedi ymestyn yr amser a neilltuwyd ar gyfer y ddau ddatganiad blaenorol yn sylweddol er mwyn cynorthwyo gyda chraffu, ond byddaf yn deall os bydd angen i Aelodau neu Weinidogion adael y cyfarfod ar unrhyw adeg yn awr oherwydd ymrwymiadau yn eu dyddiaduron.
We now move on to the final item, the statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales on the economic response to COVID-19, and I call on the Minister to make his statement—Ken Skates.
Symudwn ymlaen yn awr at yr eitem olaf, y datganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru ar yr ymateb economaidd i COVID-19, a galwaf ar y Gweinidog i wneud ei ddatganiad—Ken Skates.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. I'd like to start by thanking colleagues right across the Chamber for their support, their ideas and their advice over the last few weeks. It's been one of the most challenging periods any of us can remember and, in dealing with the economic fall-out of COVID-19, I've appreciated the many conversations that I've had with Members of all parties about how we can best support the Welsh economy and our public services through this incredibly difficult time.
That spirit of bipartisanship is something that has hallmarked our approach throughout this crisis. The Welsh Government has worked constructively with partners in the UK, Scottish and Northern Irish Governments to help all economies of the UK through the COVID-19 challenges that we face. Though there is a huge amount still to do, I hope that Members can begin to see a basic framework of support emerging that can help businesses, organisations and public services in Wales chart a way through the challenges that they face.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lywydd. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch i gyd-Aelodau ar draws y Siambr am eu cefnogaeth, eu syniadau a'u cyngor dros yr wythnosau diwethaf. Mae wedi bod yn un o'r cyfnodau mwyaf heriol y gall unrhyw un ohonom ei gofio, ac wrth fynd i’r afael â’r cwymp economaidd yn sgil COVID-19, rwyf wedi gwerthfawrogi'r nifer o sgyrsiau a gefais gydag Aelodau o bob plaid ynglŷn â'r ffordd orau inni gefnogi economi Cymru a'n gwasanaethau cyhoeddus drwy'r cyfnod aruthrol o anodd hwn.
Mae'r ysbryd dwybleidiol hwnnw yn rhywbeth sydd wedi bod yn nodwedd o’n hymagwedd drwy gydol yr argyfwng hwn. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gweithio’n adeiladol gyda phartneriaid yn Llywodraethau’r DU, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon i helpu holl economïau’r DU drwy’r heriau sy’n ein hwynebu yn sgil COVID-19. Er bod llawer iawn i'w wneud o hyd, rwy'n gobeithio y gall Aelodau ddechrau gweld fframwaith sylfaenol o gefnogaeth yn dod i'r amlwg a all helpu busnesau, sefydliadau a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru i ganfod ffordd drwy'r heriau sy'n eu hwynebu.
UK Government's coronavirus job retention scheme helps underpin support for businesses by relieving significant fixed-cost pressures, and the self-employed income support scheme enables many sole traders and freelancers to get through the crisis with the financial support that they desperately need. Only the UK Government, with its resources, could have played this role, and I welcome what they have done. Now, with those schemes having been announced, it's allowed us, as a Welsh Government, to target the more limited funding that we have into supporting those businesses in Wales that fall through the gaps.
The first element of our support was announced with a full package back in early March, on 18 March. That announcement included more than £350 million to help businesses with their non-domestic rates bills, and I'm pleased to tell Members that the new rate relief will be in place from today. It also included automatic small business grants of £10,000 for businesses across all sectors occupying properties with a rateable value of £12,000 and less, and £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses occupying premises with a rateable value between £12,001 and £51,000. I'm incredibly grateful to local authorities who'll be dispersing these grants on our behalf. We're hoping that businesses with start receiving these grants this week.
On Monday, we subsequently announced our new £500 million economic resilience fund, which aims to plug the gaps in the support schemes announced by the UK Government. This Wales-only fund will support firms of all sizes, including social enterprises, with a focus on those that have not already benefited from the coronavirus grants already announced by Welsh Government. Now, the fund is made up of two main elements. Firstly, a new £100 million Development Bank of Wales business loan scheme. And then, secondly, a £400 million emergency grant pot. In total, we've committed more than £1.7 billion into mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on our economy.
Now, the Development Bank of Wales has already received over 500 applications for loans. I'll be meeting with the high street banks again tomorrow, and I’ll be raising with them the need to be more flexible and more considerate in responding to clients, particularly for those self-employed or who need bridging support between now and June.
At this point I'd like to pay tribute to the staff at both the Development Bank of Wales and at Business Wales, and also my officials who've been working day and night to develop the schemes. The Business Wales helpline has now dealt with almost 4,000 queries since 9 March. I'd also like to salute the many Welsh companies and universities who are now directly engaged in addressing specific challenges. This includes considerable activity in the production of ventilators, face shields, PPE, beds, mattresses and sheeting. We're not merely relying on current supply routes, but building alternatives where the demand cannot be met.
I'd briefly like to touch on our response on rail, bus and air services. The ambition of Welsh Government remains to create a sustainable integrated public transport network, including community transport right across Wales, and I've made a series of decisions to help to safeguard public transport across Wales. These were announced in my written statement just yesterday. I've agreed a package of support worth up to £40 million for Transport for Wales over the next few months to allow us to give certainty to rail passengers in Wales. As well as recommending that local authorities continue to pay a minimum of 75 per cent of the contract value for school and other contracted local passenger services, I've now injected £29 million of grants to help bus operators through the inevitable uncertainty of the next three months. And finally, after discussions with Eastern Airways, I've temporarily suspended the Cardiff to Anglesey public service obligation air service for an initial period of three months.
So, to close, my key message to businesses and to employees is very clear: if you had a good business in 2019, we want to support you to have a good business in 2021; and if you had a good job in 2019, we want to support you to have a good job in 2021. We must work together with compassion, with urgency, and with care to get through the significant challenges that we face and to come out the other side to the fairer, more equal and kinder economy that I think we all wish to see.
Mae cynllun cadw swyddi drwy gyfnod coronafeirws Llywodraeth y DU yn helpu i gryfhau cymorth i fusnesau drwy liniaru pwysau sylweddol ar gostau sefydlog, ac mae'r cynllun cymhorthdal incwm i'r hunangyflogedig yn galluogi llawer o unig fasnachwyr a gweithwyr llawrydd i ymdopi â'r argyfwng gyda'r cymorth ariannol sydd ei angen arnynt yn ddirfawr. Dim ond Llywodraeth y DU, gyda'i hadnoddau, a allai fod wedi chwarae'r rôl hon, ac rwy'n croesawu'r hyn y maent wedi'i wneud. Nawr, gyda'r cynlluniau hynny wedi'u cyhoeddi, mae wedi caniatáu i ni, fel Llywodraeth Cymru, dargedu'r cyllid mwy cyfyngedig sydd gennym i gefnogi'r busnesau hynny yng Nghymru sy'n disgyn drwy'r bylchau.
Cyhoeddwyd elfen gyntaf ein cymorth gyda phecyn llawn yn ôl ar ddechrau mis Mawrth, ar 18 Mawrth. Roedd y cyhoeddiad hwnnw'n cynnwys mwy na £350 miliwn i helpu busnesau gyda'u biliau ardrethi annomestig, ac rwy'n falch o ddweud wrth yr Aelodau y bydd y rhyddhad ardrethi newydd ar gael o heddiw ymlaen. Roedd hefyd yn cynnwys grantiau busnesau bach awtomatig o £10,000 i fusnesau ar draws pob sector sy'n meddiannu eiddo â gwerth ardrethol o £12,000 a llai, a £25,000 ar gyfer busnesau manwerthu, lletygarwch a hamdden sy'n meddiannu safleoedd â gwerth ardrethol rhwng £12,001 a £51,000. Rwy'n hynod ddiolchgar i awdurdodau lleol a fydd yn dosbarthu'r grantiau hyn ar ein rhan. Rydym yn gobeithio y bydd busnesau'n dechrau derbyn y grantiau hyn yr wythnos hon.
Ddydd Llun, fe wnaethom gyhoeddi ein cronfa cydnerthedd economaidd £500 miliwn newydd, sy'n ceisio llenwi'r bylchau yn y cynlluniau cymorth a gyhoeddwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU. Bydd y gronfa hon sydd ar gyfer Cymru'n unig yn cefnogi cwmnïau o bob maint, gan gynnwys mentrau cymdeithasol, gyda ffocws ar y rheini nad ydynt wedi elwa ar y grantiau coronafeirws a gyhoeddwyd eisoes gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Nawr, mae'r gronfa'n cynnwys dwy brif elfen. Yn gyntaf, cynllun benthyciadau busnes newydd Banc Datblygu Cymru sy'n werth £100 miliwn. Ac yn ail, pot grantiau argyfwng sy'n werth £400 miliwn. Gyda'i gilydd, rydym wedi ymrwymo mwy na £1.7 biliwn tuag at liniaru effaith COVID-19 ar ein heconomi.
Nawr, mae Banc Datblygu Cymru eisoes wedi derbyn dros 500 o geisiadau am fenthyciadau. Byddaf yn cyfarfod â banciau'r stryd fawr eto yfory, a byddaf yn tynnu eu sylw at yr angen i fod yn fwy hyblyg ac yn fwy ystyriol wrth ymateb i gleientiaid, yn enwedig i'r rheini sy'n hunangyflogedig neu sydd angen cymorth pontio rhwng nawr a mis Mehefin.
Ar y pwynt hwn hoffwn dalu teyrnged i staff Banc Datblygu Cymru a Busnes Cymru, a hefyd fy swyddogion sydd wedi bod yn gweithio ddydd a nos i ddatblygu'r cynlluniau. Mae llinell gymorth Busnes Cymru bellach wedi ymdrin â bron 4,000 o ymholiadau ers 9 Mawrth. Hoffwn hefyd roi teyrnged i'r nifer fawr o gwmnïau a phrifysgolion yng Nghymru sydd bellach yn mynd ati'n uniongyrchol i ateb heriau penodol. Mae hyn yn cynnwys cryn weithgarwch yn cynhyrchu peiriannau anadlu, sgriniau wyneb, cyfarpar diogelu personol, gwelyau, matresi a gorchuddion. Nid dibynnu ar lwybrau cyflenwi presennol yn unig a wnawn, ond adeiladu atebion amgen lle na ellir diwallu'r galw.
Hoffwn gyfeirio'n fyr at ein hymateb ar wasanaethau trên, bws ac awyr. Uchelgais Llywodraeth Cymru o hyd yw creu rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus integredig gynaliadwy, gan gynnwys trafnidiaeth gymunedol ledled Cymru, ac rwyf wedi gwneud cyfres o benderfyniadau i helpu i ddiogelu trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ledled Cymru. Cyhoeddwyd y rhain yn fy natganiad ysgrifenedig ddoe ddiwethaf. Rwyf wedi cytuno i becyn cymorth gwerth hyd at £40 miliwn ar gyfer Trafnidiaeth Cymru dros y misoedd nesaf er mwyn inni allu rhoi sicrwydd i deithwyr rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru. Yn ogystal ag argymell bod awdurdodau lleol yn parhau i dalu o leiaf 75 y cant o werth y contract ar gyfer gwasanaethau ysgol a gwasanaethau contract i deithwyr lleol eraill, rwyf bellach wedi chwistrellu £29 miliwn o grantiau i helpu gweithredwyr bysiau drwy ansicrwydd anochel y tri mis nesaf. Ac yn olaf, ar ôl trafodaethau gydag Eastern Airways, rwyf wedi atal y gwasanaeth awyr rhwymedigaeth gwasanaeth cyhoeddus rhwng Caerdydd ac Ynys Môn am gyfnod cychwynnol o dri mis.
Felly, i gloi, mae fy neges allweddol i fusnesau ac i weithwyr yn glir iawn: os oedd gennych fusnes da yn 2019, rydym am eich cynorthwyo i gael busnes da yn 2021; ac os oedd gennych swydd dda yn 2019, rydym am eich cynorthwyo i gael swydd dda yn 2021. Rhaid inni weithio gyda'n gilydd gyda thosturi, brys a gofal i oresgyn yr heriau sylweddol sy'n ein hwynebu a dod allan ar y pen arall i'r economi decach, fwy cyfartal a mwy caredig y credaf fod pawb ohonom am ei gweld.
Can I thank the Minister for his statement this afternoon. I think those last words he used, of compassion, urgency and care, are well-founded. Minister, you've saluted those running our small businesses, and I think that in the same way that we salute those who've been working in the NHS and the care industry, I think that we should also be saluting those running our businesses at the moment and trying to carry on in very difficult times.
If I can just first of all pick up on an issue that was raised by the leader of the opposition in questions to the First Minister earlier, it's an issue really that's for the finance Minister, but it does touch on your brief as well, and that is this extra money. I think it's around £1 billion that was announced by the First Minister for jobs and supporting jobs. I understand that a good chunk of that money is coming from the EU, from EU funds that were originally designated for supporting existing jobs, but that's now going to be redirected to—. Sorry, that was originally supporting new jobs; that's going to be redirected now to support existing jobs. I'm just wondering about—. I think that's a good idea, by the way. I'm just wondering about, down the line, what this situation is going to be in terms of either paying that money back or arguing successfully for that being used in the right way, so that's probably a discussion that you'll have to have with the finance Minister. It does seem to me that, at this point in time, it is very wise to be redirecting funds as much as possible to support employment, so that when we come out of this, there are jobs there and SMEs capable of carrying out the job of rebuilding the economy.
You mentioned support, a framework for supporting businesses. Clearly, that is incredibly important. It's not just important that we have a framework for supporting businesses, it's also important that we have a framework that businesses are both aware of and they're able to access easily. I'm sure I'm not alone—with other Assembly Members, and I can see them, Minister, nodding—I'm not alone in thinking that. A number of businesses have contacted me and they've not been aware in the first instance where that support can be accessed. In this situation more than any other, it's a very fast-moving situation, so they need to know exactly where those avenues of support are as quickly as possible, so if you can tell us what you're doing to make sure that that framework is broadcast to businesses and they know exactly where those points of call are at the earliest opportunity, so that that can be accessed.
You've mentioned—well, supermarkets were mentioned to the health Minister, but I suppose it comes under your remit as well. I've had two e-mails from constituents today, asking about the situation when it comes to shielded individuals and the fact that there's not a similar register within Wales that there is on the UK level for registering with supermarkets to make sure that deliveries are available at home. People are concerned about that. I know the First Minister mentioned it earlier and the health Minister mentioned it, so I wonder whether you'd like to say something as well about any discussions you've had with supermarkets—they are a big chunk of our economy—about what can be done to make sure that those shielded individuals and shielded families are looked after as well as possible.
If I can just turn to the secondary part of your statement, the second part of which was relating to transport. I've got some questions for you on the bus industry. You've asked local authorities to continue to pay a minimum of 75 per cent of the contract value for school and other contracted local passenger services. Can you confirm that there's no legal obligation on local authorities to do so? And are you aware of any that aren't intending to follow your advice and guidance? I think what we need to avoid is ending up with a postcode lottery across Wales, and it is my understanding that at least some local authorities aren't playing ball in this regard and are saying that when times are difficult, if it's not a statutory obligation to provide that support in the first instance, then do they need to?
You're asking the bus industry, reasonably, to report weekly, showing how every bus has met its obligations with regard to limits on passengers, social distancing and the like. I completely understand that and think that's a good idea. However, again, I understand that some local authorities are asking for personal details upfront before funding is released. I don't think that's in the spirit of the written statement that you issued yesterday, so I wondered if you could give some clarification on exactly how you are intending that reporting process to happen.
Finally with buses, it looks as though the Department for Transport in England are going to provide extra support for the bus industry there—at least that's my understanding. Have you had any discussions or could you have any discussions with your counterparts in England, and indeed the finance Minister, to see if that money is forthcoming in England whether there are going to be any Barnett consequentials for Wales. That's an important aspect for us to understand here. Also, would you intend that to go to public transport within Wales?
Very finally, you mentioned at the end of your statement, Minister, that we are in unprecedented times, and you mentioned aviation and Cardiff Airport. So, if I can just put my Public Accounts Committee Chair hat on for a while, your written statement yesterday referred to the suspension of the Cardiff-Anglesey air link. What's your assessment of the impact on travellers and Cardiff Airport, given the suspension of the public service obligation for three months? I'm thinking particularly of travellers that we talk about needing to travel north-south for essential businesses. I wonder whether you've got any figures relating to those. I think this is something that we'll obviously be looking at in the longer term, and with the aviation industry in the situation it is, this might be lower down on your list of priorities at the moment. But, as I say, as this is something that we've looked at on public accounts, I'm interested to know what the situation is with Cardiff Airport and what assessment you've made.
Very, very finally, you mentioned the £40 million for the rail industry in Wales, and that is to be welcomed. Have you had any discussions with the rail franchise provider about where that money might go to support the industry in the short term? Social distancing clearly isn't compatible with public transport, so I think we all understand that there are difficulties at the moment with public transport. But I'm sure that we all agree with you that when we come out of this crisis, we want to make sure that our public transport sector, and, indeed, our wider economy, are on the best possible footing to deal with the challenges and to come out of this, so that the economy is on a much more solid footing than it does look as though it is on today because of all the understandable pressures upon it.
A gaf fi ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma. Credaf fod ei eiriau olaf, ynglŷn â thosturi, brys a gofal, yn rhai da. Weinidog, rydych wedi cydnabod y rhai sy'n rhedeg ein busnesau bach, a chredaf, yn yr un modd ag y canmolwn y rhai sydd wedi bod yn gweithio yn y GIG a'r diwydiant gofal, y dylem hefyd roi teyrnged i'r rheini sy'n rhedeg ein busnesau ar hyn o bryd ac sy'n ceisio parhau mewn cyfnod anodd iawn.
Os caf yn gyntaf grybwyll mater a godwyd gan arweinydd yr wrthblaid mewn cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog yn gynharach, mae'n fater i'r Gweinidog cyllid mewn gwirionedd, ond mae'n cyffwrdd â'ch briff chi hefyd, sef yr arian ychwanegol hwn. Rwy'n credu mai tua £1 biliwn a gyhoeddwyd gan y Prif Weinidog ar gyfer swyddi a chefnogi swyddi. Rwy'n deall bod cyfran dda o'r arian hwnnw'n dod o'r UE, o gronfeydd yr UE a glustnodwyd yn wreiddiol ar gyfer cefnogi swyddi presennol, ond mae hwnnw yn awr yn mynd i gael ei ailgyfeirio i—. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, roedd hwnnw'n cefnogi swyddi newydd yn wreiddiol; mae'n mynd i gael ei ailgyfeirio yn awr i gefnogi swyddi sy'n bodoli'n barod. Roeddwn yn meddwl tybed—. Rwy'n credu bod hwnnw'n syniad da, gyda llaw. Rwy'n meddwl tybed, yn nes ymlaen, beth fydd y sefyllfa o ran naill ai talu'r arian hwnnw yn ôl neu ddadlau'n llwyddiannus o blaid ei ddefnyddio yn y ffordd gywir, felly mae'n debyg fod honno'n drafodaeth y bydd yn rhaid i chi ei chael gyda'r Gweinidog cyllid. Mae'n ymddangos i mi ar hyn o bryd ei bod yn ddoeth ailgyfeirio cyllid gymaint â phosibl i gynnal cyflogaeth, fel y bydd swyddi yno pan ddown allan o hyn a busnesau bach a chanolig sy'n gallu cyflawni'r gwaith o ailadeiladu'r economi.
Fe sonioch chi am gefnogaeth, fframwaith ar gyfer cefnogi busnesau. Yn amlwg, mae hynny'n hynod o bwysig. Nid yn unig y mae'n bwysig fod gennym fframwaith ar gyfer cefnogi busnesau, mae hefyd yn bwysig fod gennym fframwaith y mae busnesau'n ymwybodol ohono ac yn gallu ei ddefnyddio'n hawdd. Rwy'n siŵr nad wyf ar fy mhen fy hun—gydag Aelodau Cynulliad eraill, a gallaf eu gweld yn ysgwyd eu pennau, Weinidog—nid wyf ar fy mhen fy hun yn meddwl hynny. Mae nifer o fusnesau wedi cysylltu â mi ac nid ydynt wedi bod yn ymwybodol yn y lle cyntaf o ble y gellir dod o hyd i'r cymorth hwnnw. Yn y sefyllfa hon yn fwy na'r un arall, mae'n sefyllfa sy'n newid yn gyflym iawn, felly mae angen iddynt wybod yn union ble mae'r llwybrau cymorth hynny mor gyflym â phosibl, felly os gallwch ddweud wrthym beth rydych chi'n ei wneud i sicrhau bod y fframwaith hwnnw'n cael ei gyfleu i fusnesau a'u bod yn gwybod yn union ble mae'r pwyntiau cyswllt hynny ar y cyfle cyntaf, fel bod modd cael gafael ar y cymorth.
Rydych chi wedi sôn—wel, soniwyd am archfarchnadoedd wrth y Gweinidog iechyd, ond rwy'n tybio ei fod yn rhan o'ch cylch gorchwyl chi hefyd. Cefais ddau e-bost gan etholwyr heddiw yn holi am sefyllfa unigolion sy'n cael eu gwarchod a'r ffaith nad oes cofrestr debyg yng Nghymru i'r un sydd ar gael ar lefel y DU ar gyfer cofrestru gydag archfarchnadoedd i wneud yn siŵr fod nwyddau'n cael eu darparu i'w cartrefi. Mae pobl yn poeni am hynny. Gwn fod y Prif Weinidog wedi sôn amdano'n gynharach a bod y Gweinidog iechyd wedi sôn amdano, felly tybed a hoffech chi ddweud rhywbeth hefyd am unrhyw drafodaethau a gawsoch gydag archfarchnadoedd—maent yn rhan fawr o'n heconomi—am yr hyn y gellir ei wneud i sicrhau bod unigolion sy'n cael eu gwarchod a theuluoedd sy'n cael eu gwarchod yn cael gofal yn y ffordd orau sy'n bosibl.
Os caf droi at ail ran eich datganiad, roedd yr ail ran yn ymwneud â thrafnidiaeth. Mae gennyf gwestiynau i chi am y diwydiant bysiau. Rydych wedi gofyn i awdurdodau lleol barhau i dalu o leiaf 75 y cant o werth y contract ar gyfer gwasanaethau ysgol a gwasanaethau contract eraill i deithwyr lleol. A allwch gadarnhau nad oes unrhyw rwymedigaeth gyfreithiol ar awdurdodau lleol i wneud hynny? Ac a ydych chi'n ymwybodol o unrhyw rai nad ydynt yn bwriadu dilyn eich cyngor a'ch arweiniad? Rwy'n credu mai'r hyn sydd angen i ni ei osgoi yw loteri cod post ledled Cymru, ac rwy'n deall nad yw rhai awdurdodau lleol o leiaf yn chwarae eu rhan yn hyn o beth a'u bod yn dweud, pan fo'n anodd, os nad yw'n ddyletswydd statudol i ddarparu'r cymorth hwnnw ar y cychwyn, a oes angen iddynt wneud hynny?
Rydych chi'n gofyn i'r diwydiant bysiau, yn rhesymol, i adrodd yn wythnosol, gan ddangos sut y mae pob bws wedi cyflawni ei rwymedigaethau o ran terfynau ar nifer teithwyr, cadw pellter cymdeithasol ac yn y blaen. Rwy'n deall hynny'n llwyr ac yn meddwl bod hwnnw'n syniad da. Fodd bynnag, unwaith eto, deallaf fod rhai awdurdodau lleol yn gofyn am fanylion personol ymlaen llaw cyn i'r cyllid gael ei ryddhau. Nid wyf yn credu bod hynny yn ysbryd y datganiad ysgrifenedig a gyhoeddwyd gennych ddoe, felly tybed a allech roi rhywfaint o eglurhad ynglŷn â sut yn union y bwriadwch i'r broses adrodd honno ddigwydd.
Yn olaf, gyda bysiau, mae'n ymddangos bod yr Adran Drafnidiaeth yn Lloegr yn mynd i ddarparu cymorth ychwanegol i'r diwydiant bysiau yno—o leiaf dyna fy nealltwriaeth i. A ydych wedi cael unrhyw drafodaethau neu a allech gael unrhyw drafodaethau gyda'ch cymheiriaid yn Lloegr, ac yn wir y Gweinidog cyllid, i weld a fydd unrhyw symiau canlyniadol dan fformiwla Barnett i Gymru os yw'r arian hwnnw ar gael yn Lloegr. Mae honno'n elfen bwysig inni ei deall yma. Hefyd, a fyddech yn bwriadu i hynny fynd tuag at drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yng Nghymru?
Yn olaf un, fe sonioch chi ar ddiwedd eich datganiad, Weinidog, ein bod mewn cyfnod digynsail, ac fe sonioch chi am hedfan a maes awyr Caerdydd. Felly, os caf wisgo fy het Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus am ychydig, roedd eich datganiad ysgrifenedig ddoe yn cyfeirio at atal y cyswllt awyr rhwng Caerdydd ac Ynys Môn. Beth yw eich asesiad o'r effaith ar deithwyr a Maes Awyr Caerdydd, o ystyried bod y rhwymedigaeth gwasanaeth cyhoeddus wedi'i hatal am dri mis? Rwy'n meddwl yn arbennig am deithwyr y soniwn amdanynt sydd angen teithio o'r gogledd i'r de i wneud gwaith hanfodol. Tybed a oes gennych unrhyw ffigurau mewn perthynas â'r rheini? Rwy'n credu bod hyn yn rhywbeth y byddwn yn amlwg yn edrych arno yn y tymor hwy, a chyda'r diwydiant awyrennau yn y sefyllfa y mae ynddi, efallai fod hyn yn is i lawr ar eich rhestr o flaenoriaethau ar hyn o bryd. Ond fel rwy'n dweud, gan fod hyn yn rhywbeth rydym wedi edrych arno yn y Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus, mae gennyf ddiddordeb mewn gwybod beth yw'r sefyllfa gyda Maes Awyr Caerdydd a pha asesiad a wnaethoch.
Yn olaf oll, fe sonioch chi am y £40 miliwn ar gyfer y diwydiant rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru, ac mae hynny i'w groesawu. A ydych wedi cael unrhyw drafodaethau gyda darparwr y fasnachfraint reilffyrdd ynglŷn â ble y gallai'r arian hwnnw fynd i gefnogi'r diwydiant yn y tymor byr? Yn amlwg, nid yw cadw pellter cymdeithasol yn rhywbeth y gellir ei wneud yn hawdd ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, felly rwy'n credu ein bod i gyd yn deall bod anawsterau ar hyn o bryd gyda thrafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Ond rwy'n siŵr ein bod i gyd yn cytuno â chi, pan ddown allan o'r argyfwng hwn, ein bod am sicrhau bod ein sector trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, a'n heconomi ehangach yn wir, ar y sail orau bosibl i oresgyn yr heriau a dod allan o hyn, fel bod yr economi ar sylfaen gadarnach o lawer nag y mae i'w gweld arni heddiw oherwydd yr holl bwysau dealladwy sydd arni.
Minister. Minister, I'm not hearing you at the moment.
Weinidog. Weinidog, nid wyf yn eich clywed ar hyn o bryd.
Llywydd, can you hear me now?
A allwch chi fy nghlywed yn awr, Lywydd?
Yes, carry on.
Gallaf, parhewch.
Excellent. Can I thank Nick Ramsay for the very kind comments that he made at the outset and for his questions? Can I also just put on record my gratitude for the remarkable efforts by social care workers, NHS workers and other key workers, for the way that they've responded to COVID-19, and say, Llywydd, that it is good to see you yourself recovering so well from this virus? Fear and anxiety are very deep right now, and widespread, so to see somebody in such a position as you hold recovering from it really will provide some hope and optimism to people.
Nick Ramsay raises a number of important points in his contribution, first and foremost, the repurposing of Welsh Government money and EU funds. He is right, this is a matter for the finance Minister, but the challenge of COVID-19 is a problem that the Welsh European Funding Office recognises. It's greater than anything that we've encountered in recent decades, probably since world war two, and so there is flexibility being allowed in terms of how we bring forward that money to use it to sustain employment.
In terms of the framework that we've developed, I think we now have pretty much plugged every gap and provided a safety net for virtually all businesses and self-employed people. I said earlier that if you had a good business in 2019, we will be there to support you to have a good business in 2021. The criteria of a good business are clearly set out in the economic contract that we have: you have growth potential, you look after your workforce through applying fair work principles, by improving the health and the mental health of workers, you also ensure that you're contributing to the decarbonisation effort that we're going through. So, I think we have created now that framework to support all good businesses.
The Business Wales website is the first point of contact that I would urge businesses to go to; the Business Wales website has now been repurposed itself to provide comprehensive information regarding support for businesses throughout this period. It contains links to UK Government-sponsored support, to the Bank of England, the Development Bank of Wales, the British Business Bank and local authorities, ensuring that that is the one-stop shop for all business inquiries.
In terms of supermarkets, my colleague Lesley Griffiths discussed the issues that Nick Ramsay raised. I believe that they were discussed again just yesterday with all of the supermarkets. I'm sure that the Minister will be writing to Members shortly or providing a written statement regarding discussions that have taken place. But I would just like to say one thing: I've personally witnessed shop workers face abuse. It's totally unacceptable at the best of times, it's utterly, utterly reprehensible right now, and I would urge all customers of all shops to be patient and to show respect to shop workers. They are doing vital jobs right now and they deserve our thanks.
In terms of the question Nick Ramsay asked concerning bus support and the 75 per cent contract value, I've got to say this: I would not respond happily whatsoever if local authorities were choosing not to support vital bus services and bus companies right now. The bus services support grant and other funding streams are designed to support bus services and should be used to maintain—even if it's a skeleton service right now—bus services until we can bring forward solutions for the medium and longer term. And we are discussing the possibility of further support from the Department for Transport. Clearly, I would be keen to ensure that any additional support could be used for improving and enhancing public transport for the medium and longer term, and I understand that an announcement from the Department for Transport could come very soon indeed.
With regard to Cardiff international airport, the airfield will absolutely stay open. It must stay open to meet regulatory requirements, so that it can ramp up activity immediately once we're through this difficult period. In terms of the north-south service, I think I've issued a statement that pointed to the fact that more than 90 per cent of passengers were simply not showing up. The service was not being used. It made no sense to continue a service that was draining revenue that could be used elsewhere. But, of course, once we are past this difficult period we’ll be reinstating that service as soon as we possibly can. I've also been in discussions with numerous UK Government Ministers and with Ministers from other devolved administrations regarding support for not just airports but for our other ports as well. Most recently, I spoke with my counterpart in Northern Ireland yesterday about the situation that ferry businesses and ports are facing.
And, finally, in regard to the £40 million that will be made available to support the rail franchise, this revenue support will keep trains operating in the short run whilst we discuss longer term solutions for the franchise and the rail network. I should also say that we've been in regular contact with rail unions regarding the difficult working conditions that some of their members face. And, again, we have heard reports of union members who work, particularly in stations, enduring conditions that would not be appropriate at any time, where customers are invading their personal space and not showing respect. So, I'd again, Llywydd, just take this opportunity to urge all users of public transport to respect those people who are maintaining vital services right now.
Gwych. A gaf fi ddiolch i Nick Ramsay am y sylwadau caredig iawn a wnaeth ar y dechrau ac am ei gwestiynau? A gaf fi hefyd gofnodi fy niolch am ymdrechion rhyfeddol gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol, gweithwyr y GIG a gweithwyr allweddol eraill, am y ffordd y maent wedi ymateb i COVID-19, a dweud, Lywydd, ei bod yn dda eich gweld chi'n gwella mor dda o'r feirws hwn? Mae yna ofn a phryder mawr iawn ym mhobman ar hyn o bryd, felly bydd gweld rhywun yn eich sefyllfa chi yn gwella ohono yn rhoi rhywfaint o obaith ac optimistiaeth i bobl.
Mae Nick Ramsay yn codi nifer o bwyntiau pwysig yn ei gyfraniad, yn gyntaf ac yn bennaf, addasu arian Llywodraeth Cymru a chronfeydd yr UE at ddibenion gwahanol. Mae'n iawn, mater i'r Gweinidog cyllid yw hwn, ond mae her COVID-19 yn broblem y mae Swyddfa Cyllid Ewropeaidd Cymru yn ei chydnabod. Mae'n fwy na dim a wynebwyd gennym yn y degawdau diwethaf, ers yr ail ryfel byd mae'n debyg, ac felly caniateir hyblygrwydd o ran sut rydym yn cyflwyno'r arian hwnnw i'w ddefnyddio er mwyn cynnal cyflogaeth.
O ran y fframwaith a ddatblygwyd gennym, rwy'n credu ein bod bellach wedi llenwi pob bwlch fwy neu lai ac wedi darparu rhwyd ddiogelwch ar gyfer bron bob busnes a'r hunangyflogedig. Dywedais yn gynharach os oedd gennych fusnes da yn 2019, y byddwn yno i'ch cynorthwyo i gael busnes da yn 2021. Mae'r meini prawf ar gyfer busnes da wedi'u nodi'n glir yn y contract economaidd sydd gennym: mae gennych botensial i dyfu, rydych yn gofalu am eich gweithlu drwy gymhwyso egwyddorion gwaith teg, drwy wella iechyd ac iechyd meddwl gweithwyr, rydych hefyd yn sicrhau eich bod yn cyfrannu at yr ymdrech ddatgarboneiddio sydd gennym. Felly, rwy'n credu ein bod ni bellach wedi creu'r fframwaith hwnnw i gefnogi pob busnes da.
Gwefan Busnes Cymru yw'r pwynt cyswllt cyntaf y byddwn yn annog busnesau i fynd iddo; mae gwefan Busnes Cymru bellach wedi'i haddasu i ddarparu gwybodaeth gynhwysfawr am gymorth i fusnesau drwy gydol y cyfnod hwn. Mae'n cynnwys dolenni i gymorth a noddir gan Lywodraeth y DU, i Fanc Lloegr, Banc Datblygu Cymru, Banc Busnes Prydain ac awdurdodau lleol, gan sicrhau mai dyna yw'r siop un stop ar gyfer pob ymholiad busnes.
O ran archfarchnadoedd, trafododd fy nghyd-Aelod, Lesley Griffiths, y materion a gododd Nick Ramsay. Credaf iddynt gael eu trafod ddoe gyda'r holl archfarchnadoedd. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelodau yn fuan neu'n darparu datganiad ysgrifenedig ynglŷn â'r trafodaethau sydd wedi'u cynnal. Ond hoffwn ddweud un peth: gwelais weithwyr siopau'n wynebu camdriniaeth â fy llygaid fy hun. Mae'n gwbl annerbyniol ar yr adegau gorau, ac mae'n gyfan gwbl waradwyddus ar yr adeg hon, ac rwyf am annog holl gwsmeriaid pob siop i fod yn amyneddgar ac i ddangos parch at weithwyr siopau. Maent yn gwneud swyddi hanfodol ar hyn o bryd ac maent yn haeddu ein diolch.
O ran y cwestiwn a ofynnodd Nick Ramsay ynglŷn â chymorth i fysiau a 75 y cant o werth y contract, mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud hyn: ni fyddwn yn ymateb yn hapus o gwbl pe bai awdurdodau lleol yn dewis peidio â chefnogi gwasanaethau bws hanfodol a chwmnïau bysiau ar yr adeg hon. Mae'r grant cymorth i wasanaethau bysiau a ffrydiau ariannu eraill wedi'u cynllunio i gefnogi gwasanaethau bysiau a dylid eu defnyddio i gynnal gwasanaethau bws—hyd yn oed os yw'n wasanaeth sgerbwd ar hyn o bryd—nes gallwn gyflwyno atebion ar gyfer y tymor canolig a'r tymor hir. Ac rydym yn trafod y posibilrwydd o gymorth pellach gan yr Adran Drafnidiaeth. Yn amlwg, byddwn yn awyddus i sicrhau y gellid defnyddio unrhyw gymorth ychwanegol i wella ac ymestyn trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn y tymor canolig ac yn fwy hirdymor, a deallaf y gallai cyhoeddiad ddod yn fuan iawn gan yr Adran Drafnidiaeth.
O ran maes awyr rhyngwladol Caerdydd, bydd y maes awyr yn aros ar agor. Rhaid iddo aros yn agored i fodloni gofynion rheoliadol, fel y gall gyflymu gweithgarwch yn syth ar ôl inni fynd drwy'r cyfnod anodd hwn. O ran y gwasanaeth rhwng y gogledd a'r de, rwy'n credu fy mod wedi cyhoeddi datganiad a oedd yn tynnu sylw at y gostyngiad o 90 y cant yn nifer y teithwyr. Nid oedd y gwasanaeth yn cael ei ddefnyddio. Nid oedd yn gwneud unrhyw synnwyr i barhau gwasanaeth a oedd yn llyncu refeniw y gellid ei ddefnyddio mewn mannau eraill. Ond wrth gwrs, ar ôl i ni fynd heibio i'r cyfnod anodd hwn, byddwn yn adfer y gwasanaeth cyn gynted ag y gallwn. Bûm mewn trafodaethau hefyd gyda nifer o Weinidogion Llywodraeth y DU a chyda Gweinidogion o weinyddiaethau datganoledig eraill ynglŷn â chefnogaeth nid yn unig i feysydd awyr, ond i'n porthladdoedd hefyd. Yn fwyaf diweddar, siaradais â fy swyddog cyfatebol yng Ngogledd Iwerddon ddoe am y sefyllfa y mae busnesau fferi a phorthladdoedd yn ei hwynebu.
Ac yn olaf, mewn perthynas â'r £40 miliwn a fydd ar gael i gefnogi'r fasnachfraint reilffyrdd, bydd y cymorth refeniw hwn yn cadw trenau i redeg yn y tymor byr tra byddwn yn trafod atebion mwy hirdymor ar gyfer y fasnachfraint a'r rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd. Dylwn ddweud hefyd ein bod wedi bod mewn cysylltiad rheolaidd ag undebau'r rheilffyrdd ynghylch yr amodau gwaith anodd y mae rhai o'u haelodau'n eu hwynebu. Ac unwaith eto, clywsom adroddiadau am aelodau o undebau sy'n gweithio, yn enwedig mewn gorsafoedd, yn dioddef amodau na fyddai'n briodol ar unrhyw adeg, lle mae cwsmeriaid yn camu i'w gofod personol ac yn methu dangos parch. Felly, unwaith eto, Lywydd, hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i annog pawb sy'n defnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus i barchu'r bobl sy'n cynnal gwasanaethau hanfodol ar yr adeg hon.
I thank the Minister very much for his statement today, and also for his offer of a weekly conversation with the main party spokespeople, where we'll have a further opportunity on an ongoing basis to raise concerns with him. He said in his statement how much he values that non-partisan approach and I know that we wish to work with him to ensure, in this very difficult time, that lives and livelihoods are preserved.
I have a number of specific questions. To begin with, further to the Minister's response to Nick Ramsay with regard to information about business support, I'm sure that the Minister will acknowledge that it is quite a complex picture still for businesses to understand what might be the appropriate support for them.
I wonder, as the set of packages come together, the UK packages and the Welsh Government packages, whether the Minister would consider contacting businesses directly—just as the Government has made a Herculean effort to contact the 81,000 people we believe are vulnerable to ensure they protect themselves, whether he would consider a direct contact to businesses. Because I'm certainly getting a lot of contact from businesses myself saying, 'I'm not quite sure if we fit into this; I'm not quite sure if we fit into that.' So, I think it would be very helpful if the Minister would consider, once we know exactly what's going on— and it may take a few more days for that to be the case—writing to businesses direct, because there may be many who will perhaps be making assumptions about them not being eligible for support when, in fact, they may very well be.
Diolch yn fawr iawn i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad heddiw, a hefyd am ei gynnig o sgwrs wythnosol gyda phrif lefarwyr y pleidiau, lle cawn gyfle pellach ar sail barhaus i dynnu ei sylw at ein pryderon. Dywedodd yn ei ddatganiad gymaint y mae'n gwerthfawrogi'r agwedd amhleidiol honno a gwn ein bod yn dymuno gweithio gydag ef i sicrhau, yn y cyfnod hynod anodd hwn, fod bywydau'n cael eu hachub a bywoliaethau'n cael eu cynnal.
Mae gennyf nifer o gwestiynau penodol. I ddechrau, yn sgil ymateb y Gweinidog i Nick Ramsay ynglŷn â gwybodaeth am gymorth i fusnesau, rwy'n sicr y bydd y Gweinidog yn cydnabod ei fod yn ddarlun eithaf cymhleth o hyd i fusnesau ddeall yr hyn a allai fod yn gymorth priodol ar eu cyfer.
Wrth i'r set o becynnau ddod at ei gilydd, pecynnau'r DU a phecynnau Llywodraeth Cymru, tybed a allai'r Gweinidog ystyried cysylltu â busnesau'n uniongyrchol—yn union fel y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi gwneud ymdrech eithriadol o galed i gysylltu â'r 81,000 o bobl y credwn eu bod yn agored i niwed er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn diogelu eu hunain, a fyddai'n ystyried cysylltu'n uniongyrchol â busnesau. Oherwydd mae busnesau'n sicr yn cysylltu â mi i ddweud, 'Nid wyf yn hollol siŵr os yw hyn neu'r llall yn berthnasol i ni.' Felly, pan fyddwn yn gwybod beth yn union sy'n digwydd—ac efallai y bydd yn cymryd ychydig ddyddiau eto i hynny ddigwydd—rwy'n credu y byddai'n ddefnyddiol iawn pe bai'r Gweinidog yn ystyried ysgrifennu at fusnesau'n uniongyrchol, oherwydd efallai y bydd nifer ohonynt yn rhagdybio nad ydynt yn gymwys i gael cymorth, er ei bod yn ddigon posibl eu bod.
Businesses are also saying to me that they would appreciate further guidance—and, in some cases, direction or instruction—as to what is or is not to be regarded as essential work. Adam Price raised with the First Minister the issue of non-essential construction, and I've raised this previously, that this is a very difficult area for people to maintain appropriate social distancing, for example. So, will the Minister give further consideration to looking at the powers that he has, now the emergency legislation is in place, to look at, where appropriate, issuing clear instructions to businesses about what is or is not essential? For example, it may enable non-essential construction to stop if they've got a direction to stop, whereas, if they choose to do so, that might put them in breach of contractual obligations and lead to financial difficulties for them. So, I wonder if the Minister will do that.
I wonder if he could also have further conversations with the Minister for health about the guidance that's available on the Public Health Wales website. I was contacted by a business saying that they were looking for advice and that they didn't feel that there was enough there to tell them how they should socially distance safely. Now, it's my understanding that there is much more detailed advice available on the Public Health England website, and it may just be that we're in the process of catching up with that. But, if we expect our businesses to act responsibly at this very difficult time, we need to ensure—I'm sure the Minister would agree with me—that they have the appropriate advice and support in place so that they know exactly what to do in what is, of course, as the Minister has said, an unprecedented time.
Now, we also know, Llywydd, that there are many businesses who are behaving in an absolutely exemplary way at this time, who are putting people before profit and who are providing, absolutely, an excellent service and supporting their staff. But, unfortunately, we also know that there are some businesses who are not doing that. I have numerous examples of businesses, for example, pressing staff to work when they should be socially isolating if, for example, they're not unwell themselves but a family member is unwell or vulnerable; businesses where people are being expected to work in circumstances where there is no proper social distancing, where they can't change in and out of uniforms effectively. Now, I should stress, Llywydd, that these are the minority of businesses, but what they are doing—I'm sure that the Minister would agree with me—is absolutely unacceptable.
As individual citizens, we've been asked to relinquish a lot of our personal freedom at this time, and we have done so gladly, in the greater cause. But where there are businesses who refuse to respond to advice and guidance, will the Minister consider looking at what powers he has to enforce compliance and will he consider using those powers? If he comes to the conclusion that he doesn't have those powers himself, will he have further discussions with the UK Government to make sure that there are sanctions for businesses who refuse to comply? I'm sure the Minister will agree with me that we, as a political community in Wales, and, more importantly, the public in Wales, are watching the performance of business and industry at the moment, and we will remember those exemplary companies who have behaved very well and we will also remember those who have not done so.
With regard to rural businesses, I'm sure the Minister will agree with me that they face particular challenges and difficulties. There are issues about what is and isn't essential travel, for example. Now, I'm aware that his colleague Lesley Griffiths has issued a statement of some kind—I don't know if it's a press statement or a written statement to the Assembly—about support for the farming industry, but I wonder if the Minister would give consideration with his colleague to potentially bringing forward at the right time a statement to this virtual Senedd so that we can scrutinise the support that the Government is making available both to rural businesses more broadly, but specifically to farming businesses? I know the Minister will agree with me that the businesses are the backbone of our smaller communities, and we need to make sure they're protected.
Finally, the Minister in his statement refers to the emergency grants that may be coming forward, and this is a matter that David Rees raised in his questions to the First Minister. We know that some of the support packages are not catching all of those who are affected. I think David Rees mentioned, and I would reiterate, those self employed people, for example, who haven't been self-employed for more than a year, so don't have the paperwork that's required for the UK Government scheme. Will the Minister consider what further support can be given to those citizens, and will he consider in the short term introducing an emergency basic income scheme for people in Wales who are falling between these cracks? In that spirit of non-partisanship, we have in Plaid Cymru done some research as to how such a scheme might operate in the short term, and I'd be very happy to share that preliminary work with the Minister and his officials, because I'm sure he would agree with me that in this very difficult time we want to ensure that no citizen is left behind.
Mae busnesau'n dweud wrthyf hefyd y byddent yn gwerthfawrogi rhagor o ganllawiau—a chyfarwyddyd mewn rhai achosion—ynghylch yr hyn y dylid ei ystyried yn waith hanfodol neu beidio. Soniodd Adam Price wrth y Prif Weinidog am waith adeiladu nad yw'n hanfodol, ac rwyf wedi crybwyll hyn o'r blaen, fod hwn yn faes anodd iawn i bobl gadw pellter cymdeithasol priodol, er enghraifft. Felly, a wnaiff y Gweinidog roi ystyriaeth bellach i edrych ar y pwerau sydd ganddo, gan fod y ddeddfwriaeth frys yn ei lle bellach, i ystyried rhoi cyfarwyddiadau clir, lle bo hynny'n briodol, i fusnesau ynghylch yr hyn sy'n hanfodol neu fel arall? Er enghraifft, gallai alluogi gwaith adeiladu nad yw'n hanfodol i ddod i ben os cânt gyfarwyddyd i roi'r gorau iddi, ond os mai dewis gwneud hynny y maent, gallai olygu eu bod yn torri rhwymedigaethau cytundebol ac arwain at anawsterau ariannol iddynt. Felly, tybed a wnaiff y Gweinidog hynny.
Tybed a allai hefyd gael sgyrsiau pellach gyda'r Gweinidog iechyd am y canllawiau sydd ar gael ar wefan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru. Daeth un busnes i gysylltiad â mi i ddweud eu bod yn chwilio am gyngor ac nad oeddent yn teimlo bod digon yno i ddweud wrthynt sut y dylent gadw pellter cymdeithasol yn ddiogel. Nawr, fy nealltwriaeth i yw bod cyngor llawer mwy manwl ar gael ar wefan Public Health England, ac mae'n bosibl ein bod ni yn y broses o ddal i fyny â hynny. Ond os ydym yn disgwyl i'n busnesau weithredu'n gyfrifol yn ystod y cyfnod anodd hwn, mae angen inni sicrhau—rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi—fod y cyngor a'r cymorth priodol ar gael iddynt fel eu bod yn gwybod yn union beth i'w wneud yn yr hyn sydd, wrth gwrs, fel y dywedodd y Gweinidog, yn gyfnod digyffelyb.
Nawr, rydym hefyd yn gwybod, Lywydd, fod yna lawer o fusnesau sy'n ymddwyn mewn ffordd gwbl ragorol ar yr adeg hon, busnesau sy'n rhoi pobl o flaen elw ac sy'n darparu gwasanaeth cwbl ragorol ac yn cefnogi eu staff. Ond yn anffodus, rydym hefyd yn gwybod bod yna rai busnesau nad ydynt yn gwneud hynny. Mae gennyf nifer o enghreifftiau o fusnesau, er enghraifft, sy'n pwyso ar staff i weithio pan ddylent fod yn ynysu'n gymdeithasol, er enghraifft, os nad ydynt yn anhwylus eu hunain ond bod aelod o'r teulu'n sâl neu'n agored i niwed; busnesau lle disgwylir i bobl weithio mewn amgylchiadau lle nad oes unrhyw gamau i gadw pellter cymdeithasol priodol, lle na allant wisgo a dadwisgo iwnifform yn effeithiol. Nawr, dylwn bwysleisio, Lywydd, mai lleiafrif o fusnesau yw'r rhain, ond mae'r hyn y maent yn ei wneud—rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi—yn gwbl annerbyniol.
Fel dinasyddion unigol, gofynnwyd inni ildio llawer o'n rhyddid personol ar yr adeg hon, ac rydym wedi gwneud hynny'n falch o chwarae ein rhan. Ond lle mae busnesau'n gwrthod ymateb i gyngor ac arweiniad, a wnaiff y Gweinidog ystyried pa bwerau sydd ganddo i orfodi cydymffurfiaeth ac a wnaiff ystyried defnyddio'r pwerau hynny? Os daw i'r casgliad nad oes ganddo'r pwerau hynny ei hun, a allai gael trafodaethau pellach gyda Llywodraeth y DU i sicrhau bod cosbau i fusnesau sy'n gwrthod cydymffurfio? Rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi ein bod ni, fel cymuned wleidyddol yng Nghymru, ac yn bwysicach, y cyhoedd yng Nghymru, yn gwylio perfformiad busnesau a diwydiant ar hyn o bryd, a byddwn yn cofio'r cwmnïau rhagorol sydd wedi ymddwyn yn dda iawn a byddwn hefyd yn cofio am y rhai sydd heb wneud hynny.
O ran busnesau gwledig, rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi eu bod yn wynebu heriau ac anawsterau penodol. Mae cwestiynau'n codi ynghylch yr hyn sy'n deithio hanfodol a'r hyn nad yw'n deithio hanfodol, er enghraifft. Nawr, rwy'n ymwybodol fod ei gyd-Aelod, Lesley Griffiths, wedi cyhoeddi datganiad o ryw fath—nid wyf yn gwybod a yw'n ddatganiad i'r wasg neu'n ddatganiad ysgrifenedig i'r Cynulliad—am gefnogaeth i'r diwydiant ffermio, ond tybed a wnaiff y Gweinidog ystyried gyda'i gyd-Aelod y posibilrwydd o gyflwyno datganiad ar yr adeg briodol i'r Senedd rithwir hon fel y gallwn graffu ar y cymorth y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei ddarparu i fusnesau gwledig yn fwy eang, ond yn benodol i fusnesau ffermio? Rwy'n gwybod y bydd y Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi mai'r busnesau yw asgwrn cefn ein cymunedau llai, ac mae angen i ni sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu diogelu.
Yn olaf, mae'r Gweinidog yn ei ddatganiad yn cyfeirio at y grantiau brys a allai fod ar y ffordd, ac mae hwn yn fater a godwyd gan David Rees yn ei gwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog. Gwyddom nad yw rhai o'r pecynnau cymorth yn cynnwys pob un o'r rheini yr effeithir arnynt. Rwy'n credu bod David Rees wedi sôn, ac rwyf am ailadrodd hyn, am y bobl hunangyflogedig hynny, er enghraifft, nad ydynt wedi bod yn hunangyflogedig ers dros flwyddyn, ac felly nid oes ganddynt y gwaith papur sydd ei angen ar gyfer cynllun Llywodraeth y DU. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ystyried pa gymorth pellach y gellir ei roi i'r dinasyddion hynny, ac yn y tymor byr a wnaiff ystyried cyflwyno cynllun incwm sylfaenol brys i bobl yng Nghymru sy'n syrthio drwy'r bylchau? Yn yr ysbryd amhleidiol hwnnw, rydym ni ym Mhlaid Cymru wedi gwneud rhywfaint o ymchwil ynglŷn â sut y gallai cynllun o'r fath weithredu yn y tymor byr, a byddwn yn hapus iawn i rannu'r gwaith rhagarweiniol hwnnw gyda'r Gweinidog a'i swyddogion, oherwydd rwy'n siŵr y byddai'n cytuno â mi yn yr amser anodd hwn ein bod am sicrhau nad oes unrhyw ddinesydd yn cael ei adael ar ôl.
Can I thank Helen Mary Jones for responding in such a constructive and collaborative way, as is always the case, actually, with Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on economy? The suggestions that Helen Mary Jones have made are very welcome indeed, and, if that piece of research could be passed on regarding the possibility of an emergency basic income scheme, I'd be really grateful. We've run some figures ourselves and found that it would be very considerable indeed and it would be something that would have to be implemented by the UK Government. Indeed, we've called for a universal basic income scheme to be introduced for this period. It would be, I think, an appropriate test of such a scheme as well, for the potential to have it introduced for the long term.
Indeed, for those individuals who have only been self-employed for a short time there is considerable concern, and all of the great minds in Treasury, Welsh Government, we have all considered how we might be able to support individuals who are caught in this particular bracket. We're looking at various options, including the possibility of using the discretionary assistance fund as a means of being able to support them through the next three months. We recognise that further work does need to take place, and we're engaged with UK Treasury, and indeed with the other devolved administrations, in trying to find a consistent approach for a key group of individuals within the labour force.
Helen Mary Jones made a number of important points about the provision of information and the accessibility of important information. We have already begun direct business communications with tens of thousands of businesses that are captured on the Business Wales database, and I'd encourage all businesses to register on that database. Larger companies—so-called anchor companies—are being contacted very regularly indeed by the business development managers within Welsh Government, and our regional response teams are also in contact with them very regularly indeed as well. I'd also urge any businesses that have any ideas—. We've talked earlier—Vaughan Gething in particular talked with Members earlier—about the national effort to produce ventilators and other important equipment. There is a dedicated e-mail address now for businesses to share ideas with us on how we can recover, how we can step up the national effort. That is business.covid-19@gov.wales.
And, in terms of clarification of what 'essential work' actually means in practice, this was discussed just today in our quadrilateral meeting with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and other economy Ministers across the UK. We were all at pains to say we need as consistent an approach as possible, given that the vast amount of information that flows to businesses in Wales actually comes from the UK media. Therefore, if we can have a consistent approach across the UK it would be very helpful indeed. Both myself and Minister Hepburn from Scotland also pressed the point for this to be done at pace, with urgency.
I certainly take the point that Helen Mary Jones made about the advice that is contained on our digital platforms. There's the Public Health Wales advice, and there's also the Gov.Wales coronavirus advice for businesses as well. I'll step away from today and take a look at the advice that was captured on both platforms to see whether it's consistent, and whether we can add information to either or, indeed, both.
In terms of bad business practices, there is no doubt whatsoever that the vast majority of Welsh businesses are showing great responsibility—supporting workers, communicating with workers, and many are stepping up to help the NHS and care homes as well—but there is no doubt that there are some businesses where good practice is not being shown, is not being demonstrated, and Helen Mary Jones is absolutely right that we will have long memories from this period.
In terms of enforcement, we're looking at the questions that Helen Mary Jones has raised with both UK Government and with local authorities as well, but I can tell Members today that the criteria for support from Welsh Government—the grants that we've announced that we will be administering and that Business Wales will be administering—will contain an additional line to the economic contract. The economic contract is really simple, it's just got four points to it: decarbonisation; fair work; a commitment to skills, health and mental health in the workplace; and growth potential. We will include now a coronavirus-specific strand to the contract, and any business that is found to have failed to adhere to social distancing will be exempt from getting our support, or that support will be clawed back. So, we'll be using that important tool to ensure that as many businesses as possible are behaving responsibly.
In terms of rural businesses and, in particular, the farming industry, I had a really good discussion with the president of the National Farmers Union, alongside Lesley Griffiths, just last week to talk about the pressure that the farming community is facing. I believe that a statement from Lesley Griffiths is intended possibly for next week's virtual Plenary session. So, I'm sure she'll cover all of the issues that you've raised when she gives that statement.
A gaf fi ddiolch i Helen Mary Jones am ymateb mewn ffordd mor adeiladol a chydweithredol, fel sydd bob amser yn wir mewn gwirionedd gyda llefarydd Plaid Cymru ar yr economi? Mae'r awgrymiadau y mae Helen Mary Jones wedi'u gwneud yn rhai i'w croesawu'n fawr, a byddwn yn ddiolchgar iawn pe bai modd trosglwyddo'r darn hwnnw o ymchwil ynglŷn â'r posibilrwydd o gael cynllun incwm sylfaenol brys. Rydym wedi rhedeg rhai ffigurau ein hunain ac wedi canfod y byddai'n sylweddol iawn yn wir a byddai'n rhywbeth y byddai'n rhaid i Lywodraeth y DU ei weithredu. Yn wir, rydym wedi galw am gyflwyno cynllun incwm sylfaenol cyffredinol ar gyfer y cyfnod hwn. Credaf y byddai'n brawf priodol ar gynllun o'r fath hefyd, er mwyn iddo allu cael ei gyflwyno ar gyfer y tymor hir.
Yn wir, yn achos unigolion nad ydynt ond wedi bod yn hunangyflogedig am gyfnod byr, mae yna gryn bryder, ac mae pob un o'r meddyliau mawr yn y Trysorlys, Llywodraeth Cymru, rydym oll wedi ystyried sut y gallem gefnogi unigolion sydd wedi'u cynnwys yn y garfan benodol hon. Rydym yn edrych ar opsiynau amrywiol, gan gynnwys y posibilrwydd o ddefnyddio'r gronfa cymorth dewisol fel ffordd o allu eu cefnogi dros y tri mis nesaf. Rydym yn cydnabod bod angen gwneud rhagor o waith, ac rydym yn gweithio gyda Thrysorlys y DU, ac yn wir gyda'r gweinyddiaethau datganoledig eraill, i geisio dod o hyd i ddull cyson o weithredu ar gyfer grŵp allweddol o unigolion o fewn y gweithlu.
Gwnaeth Helen Mary Jones nifer o bwyntiau pwysig am ddarparu gwybodaeth a hygyrchedd gwybodaeth bwysig. Rydym eisoes wedi dechrau cyfathrebu'n uniongyrchol â degau o filoedd o fusnesau sydd wedi'u cynnwys yng nghronfa ddata Busnes Cymru, a byddwn yn annog pob busnes i gofrestru ar y gronfa ddata honno. Mae rheolwyr datblygu busnes yn Llywodraeth Cymru yn cysylltu'n rheolaidd iawn â chwmnïau mwy o faint—cwmnïau angori fel y'u gelwir—ac mae ein timau ymateb rhanbarthol hefyd mewn cysylltiad â hwy'n rheolaidd iawn hefyd. Byddwn hefyd yn annog unrhyw fusnesau sydd ag unrhyw syniadau—. Fe wnaethom siarad yn gynharach—siaradodd Vaughan Gething yn arbennig ag Aelodau yn gynharach—am yr ymdrech genedlaethol i gynhyrchu peiriannau anadlu ac offer pwysig arall. Mae cyfeiriad e-bost penodol ar gael bellach i fusnesau allu rhannu syniadau gyda ni ar sut y gallwn ddod atom ein hunain, sut y gallwn wella'r ymdrech genedlaethol, sef business.covid-19@gov.wales.
Ac o ran egluro'r hyn y mae 'gwaith hanfodol' yn ei olygu mewn gwirionedd, cafodd hyn ei drafod heddiw yn ein cyfarfod pedairochrog â'r Adran Busnes, Ynni a Strategaeth Ddiwydiannol a Gweinidogion economi eraill ledled y DU. Roeddem i gyd yn awyddus iawn i ddweud bod angen gweithredu mewn ffordd mor gyson â phosibl, o gofio bod y swm helaeth o wybodaeth sy'n llifo i fusnesau yng Nghymru yn dod o gyfryngau'r DU mewn gwirionedd. Felly, byddai'n ddefnyddiol iawn yn wir os gallwn gael dull gweithredu cyson ledled y DU. Rwyf fi a'r Gweinidog Hepburn o'r Alban hefyd wedi pwysleisio'r angen i wneud hyn yn gyflym, ar frys.
Rwy'n sicr yn derbyn y pwynt a wnaeth Helen Mary Jones am y cyngor a geir ar ein llwyfannau digidol. Ceir cyngor Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, a cheir cyngor coronafeirws Llyw.Cymru i fusnesau hefyd. Fe af oddi yma heddiw ac edrych ar y cyngor a gafwyd ar y ddau blatfform i weld a yw'n gyson, ac i weld a allwn ychwanegu gwybodaeth at y naill neu'r llall, neu'r ddau, yn wir.
O ran arferion busnes gwael, nid oes amheuaeth o gwbl fod y mwyafrif helaeth o fusnesau Cymru'n ymddwyn yn gyfrifol iawn—yn cefnogi gweithwyr, yn cyfathrebu â gweithwyr, ac mae llawer yn camu i'r adwy i helpu'r GIG a chartrefi gofal hefyd—ond nid oes amheuaeth fod yna rai busnesau lle na welir arferion da'n cael eu harddangos, ac mae Helen Mary Jones yn llygad ei lle y bydd gennym gof hir am y cyfnod hwn.
Mewn perthynas â gorfodaeth, rydym yn edrych ar y cwestiynau y mae Helen Mary Jones wedi eu codi gyda Llywodraeth y DU a chydag awdurdodau lleol hefyd, ond gallaf ddweud wrth yr Aelodau heddiw y bydd y meini prawf ar gyfer cymorth gan Lywodraeth Cymru—y grantiau rydym wedi'u cyhoeddi y byddwn yn eu gweinyddu ac y bydd Busnes Cymru yn eu gweinyddu—yn cynnwys llinell ychwanegol i'r contract economaidd. Mae'r contract economaidd yn syml iawn, dim ond pedwar pwynt sydd iddo: datgarboneiddio; gwaith teg; ymrwymiad i sgiliau, iechyd ac iechyd meddwl yn y gweithle; a photensial i dyfu. Byddwn yn cynnwys elfen coronafeirws benodol yn y contract yn awr, a bydd unrhyw fusnes y canfyddir ei fod wedi methu cydymffurfio â chadw pellter cymdeithasol yn cael ei eithrio rhag cael ein cymorth, neu bydd cymorth yn cael ei hawlio'n ôl. Felly, byddwn yn defnyddio'r offeryn pwysig hwnnw i sicrhau bod cynifer o fusnesau ag sy'n bosibl yn ymddwyn yn gyfrifol.
O ran busnesau gwledig a'r diwydiant ffermio yn arbennig, cefais drafodaeth dda iawn gyda llywydd Undeb Cenedlaethol yr Amaethwyr, ynghyd â Lesley Griffiths, yr wythnos diwethaf i sôn am y pwysau y mae'r gymuned ffermio yn ei wynebu. Rwy'n credu bod datganiad gan Lesley Griffiths yn yr arfaeth o bosibl ar gyfer y Cyfarfod Llawn rhithwir yr wythnos nesaf. Felly, rwy'n siŵr y bydd hi'n ymdrin â'r holl faterion rydych wedi tynnu sylw atynt pan fydd hi'n rhoi'r datganiad hwnnw.
Mike Hedges.
Mike Hedges.
I've just been unmuted. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I also join my thanks to those people working in the essential part of our economy? We often talk about the foundation part of our economy; we're now discovering what the essential part of our economy is. I hope that we will use that term much more often.
I've had a number of issues raised with me by constituents that I'd like to raise with the Minister. The first one relates to small brewers. The large brewers can move from production of barrels to cans and bottles sent out to retail outlets. It is not possible for smaller producers to do exactly the same thing, who are used to sending to pubs, clubs and restaurants. They haven't got the capacity to turn everything into cans and bottles. This sector, as the Minister knows, is a growth sector of the Welsh economy, not least in Swansea. What advice or help can the Minister provide to them?
The second point is regarding small and medium-sized manufacturing units and call centres staying open where social isolation is not possible and where facilities are shared. Is there an intention to close down non-essential manufacturing and call centres? Because a number of them, because haven't been officially closed down, are staying open.
Two final points. What is a rugby club? Is it a pub, is it a leisure facility, or is it a social enterprise? According to the general laws that define it, it will be picked up differently. There are an awful lot of rugby clubs in Wales that wished to sell lots of beer at the last rugby international that didn't, and they're not quite sure where they fit into this situation.
Finally, something that has come to my attention this afternoon. Some shops are now telling people they can't take their children into the shops with them. Now, for single mothers, if they can't take their children in to do their food shopping, they can't do their food shopping. So, are you aware of that? As I say, it's only been brought to my attention this afternoon. If you are, are you doing something? If you're not, can you actually do something? Because these people are going to be unable to get access to food unless they can access the supermarkets and other shops that are now telling them, 'You can't come in with your children.' Well, if their children are four or five, there's nothing else you can do with them.
Rwyf newydd gael fy nad-dawelu. Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. A gaf fi hefyd ategu fy niolch i'r bobl sy'n gweithio yn y rhan hanfodol o'n heconomi? Soniwn yn aml am ran sylfaen ein heconomi; rydym yn awr yn darganfod beth yw'r rhan hanfodol o'n heconomi. Gobeithio y byddwn yn defnyddio'r term hwnnw'n amlach o lawer.
Mae etholwyr wedi dwyn llawer o faterion i fy sylw yr hoffwn eu codi gyda'r Gweinidog. Mae'r un cyntaf yn ymwneud â bragdai bach. Gall y bragwyr mawr symud o gynhyrchu casgenni i ganiau a photeli i'w hanfon i fannau manwerthu. Nid yw'n bosibl i gynhyrchwyr llai, sydd wedi arfer cyflenwi i dafarndai, clybiau a bwytai, wneud yr un peth yn union. Nid oes ganddynt y capasiti i newid popeth ar gyfer caniau a photeli. Mae'r sector hwn, fel y gŵyr y Gweinidog, yn sector twf yn economi Cymru, yn enwedig yn Abertawe. Pa gyngor neu gymorth y gall y Gweinidog ei roi iddynt?
Mae'r ail bwynt yn ymwneud ag unedau gweithgynhyrchu bach a chanolig eu maint a chanolfannau galwadau sy'n aros ar agor lle nad yw cadw pellter cymdeithasol yn bosibl a lle mae cyfleusterau'n cael eu rhannu. A oes bwriad i gau cyfleusterau gweithgynhyrchu a chanolfannau galwadau nad ydynt yn hanfodol? Oherwydd gan nad ydynt wedi gorfod cau'n swyddogol, mae nifer ohonynt yn aros ar agor.
Dau bwynt olaf. Beth yw clwb rygbi? A yw'n dafarn, a yw'n gyfleuster hamdden, ynteu a yw'n fenter gymdeithasol? Bydd yn cael ei ddehongli'n wahanol yn ôl y deddfau cyffredinol sy'n ei ddiffinio. Mae yna lawer iawn o glybiau rygbi yng Nghymru a oedd yn dymuno gwerthu llawer o gwrw yn ystod y gêm rygbi ryngwladol ddiwethaf na wnaeth hynny, ac nid ydynt yn siŵr iawn ble maent yn sefyll yn y sefyllfa hon.
Yn olaf, rhywbeth sydd wedi dod i fy sylw y prynhawn yma. Mae rhai siopau bellach yn dweud wrth bobl na allant fynd â'u plant i mewn i'r siopau gyda hwy. Nawr, i famau sengl, os na allant fynd â'u plant i mewn i siopa am fwyd, nid ydynt yn gallu siopa am fwyd. Felly, a ydych yn ymwybodol o hynny? Fel rwy'n dweud, dim ond y prynhawn yma y tynnwyd fy sylw at hyn. Os ydych, a ydych chi'n gwneud rhywbeth? Os nad ydych, a allwch chi wneud rhywbeth felly? Oherwydd ni fydd y bobl hyn yn gallu cael gafael ar fwyd os nad ydynt yn gallu mynd i'r archfarchnadoedd a siopau eraill sy'n dweud wrthynt bellach, 'ni chewch ddod i mewn gyda'ch plant.' Wel, os yw eu plant yn bedair neu'n bump oed, nid oes unrhyw ddewis arall ganddynt.
Can I thank Mike Hedges for his questions? With regard to small brewers, I've been in contact with a number of small brewers who face a number of challenges. You're right, one of them is that they can't compete with the bigger breweries that can swiftly turn to bottling or canning their products. A second challenge that they face is that there are many, many independent pubs that have independent breweries attached, breweries within factory facilities, and so in some parts they were excluded from the business support that we announced at the initial stages of our effort to combat COVID-19, but they have subsequently been captured by Monday's announcement.
I think there is a question to be asked as to whether we can assist smaller brewers to supply to supermarkets over the coming months, and how quickly some form of consortium could be arranged. We'll certainly be looking at this. It's not been an urgent priority, as you can imagine, in the first few weeks of our efforts, but it is certainly something that we recognise. What we would wish to see happen as we emerge from the coronavirus crisis is for the brewery sector to be enhanced, not to be damaged. We would wish to see more microbreweries spring up. We would wish to see more independent pubs develop. We do not wish to see whatsoever the loss of good independent pubs or breweries, so we will certainly be supporting them in any way that we can.
The point that Mike Hedges made about non-essential manufacturing facilities and call centres really goes back to the definition and the points that were raised by Helen Mary Jones. But I would say just one thing: it's important for a business to ask two questions. First of all, are they part of the essential effort to combat COVID-19? If they're not, can they undertake work in a way in which allows for social distancing to be practiced at all times? If the answer is 'yes', then work may continue, but if the answer is 'no', then clearly their workers should not be put at risk. And if that means hibernating for the coronavirus period, then so be it. We have put in place the support mechanisms, and UK Government likewise, to enable hibernation to happen where there is no other option.
With regard to rugby clubs, I do not believe that rugby clubs should be open at this present time. Other sports facilities are not open at this time and, regardless of the definition of what a rugby club is, if it's a venue where people can gather in close proximity, I don't think that should be the case. I can see Mike Hedges shaking his head. If there was any misinterpretation of the question, then I'll certainly take it up in writing, absolutely. Yes, I will, and I'll circulate my response to all Members as well so that any guidance can be distributed across all rugby clubs in Wales.
I'm not aware of any supermarkets telling customers that they're not allowed to enter premises if they have children. That certainly would not be acceptable whatsoever. However, it goes without saying that, if children are taken into any stores, it's important that parents are able to keep their children as close to them as possible, because pretty much all supermarkets, from what I can tell now, have brought in social distancing measures that should and must be adhered to.
A gaf fi ddiolch i Mike Hedges am ei gwestiynau? O ran bragwyr bach, rwyf wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â nifer o fragwyr bach sy'n wynebu nifer o heriau. Rydych chi'n iawn, un ohonynt yw na allant gystadlu â'r bragdai mwy sy'n gallu troi'n sydyn at botelu neu ganio eu cynnyrch. Yr ail her sy'n eu hwynebu yw bod llawer iawn o dafarndai annibynnol sydd â bragdai annibynnol ynghlwm wrthynt, bragdai gyda chyfleusterau ffatri, ac felly mewn rhai ardaloedd maent wedi cael eu heithrio o'r cymorth busnes a gyhoeddwyd gennym yn ystod camau cychwynnol ein hymdrech i frwydro yn erbyn COVID-19, ond maent wedi cael eu cynnwys ers hynny yng nghyhoeddiad dydd Llun.
Rwy'n credu bod cwestiwn i'w ofyn ynghylch a allwn ni helpu bragwyr llai i gyflenwi archfarchnadoedd dros y misoedd nesaf, a pha mor gyflym y gellid trefnu rhyw fath o gonsortiwm. Byddwn yn sicr yn edrych ar hyn. Nid yw wedi bod yn flaenoriaeth frys yn ystod wythnosau cyntaf ein hymdrechion, fel y gallwch ddychmygu, ond mae'n sicr yn rhywbeth rydym yn ei gydnabod. Yr hyn yr hoffem ei weld yn digwydd wrth i ni ddod trwy argyfwng coronafeirws yw i'r sector bragdai gael ei hybu, nid ei niweidio. Byddem yn dymuno gweld mwy o ficrofragdai'n cael eu sefydlu. Hoffem weld mwy o dafarndai annibynnol yn datblygu. Nid ydym yn dymuno gweld colli tafarnau neu fragdai annibynnol o safon o gwbl, felly byddwn yn sicr yn eu cefnogi mewn unrhyw ffordd y gallwn.
Mae'r pwynt a wnaeth Mike Hedges am gyfleusterau gweithgynhyrchu a chanolfannau galwadau nad ydynt yn hanfodol yn mynd yn ôl at y diffiniad a'r pwyntiau a godwyd gan Helen Mary Jones. Ond byddwn yn dweud un peth: mae'n bwysig i fusnes ofyn dau gwestiwn. Yn gyntaf oll, a ydynt yn rhan o'r ymdrech hanfodol i frwydro yn erbyn COVID-19? Os nad ydynt, a allant weithio mewn ffordd sy'n caniatáu ar gyfer cadw pellter cymdeithasol bob amser? Os mai 'gallant' yw'r ateb, yna gall y gwaith barhau, ond os mai 'na allant' yw'r ateb, yna mae'n amlwg na ddylid peryglu eu gweithwyr. Ac os yw hynny'n golygu gaeafgysgu dros gyfnod y coronafeirws, boed hynny fel y bo. Rydym wedi rhoi'r mecanweithiau cymorth ar waith, a Llywodraeth y DU yn yr un modd, i alluogi gaeafgysgu lle nad oes unrhyw ddewis arall.
O ran clybiau rygbi, nid wyf yn credu y dylai clybiau rygbi fod ar agor ar hyn o bryd. Nid yw cyfleusterau chwaraeon eraill ar agor ar hyn o bryd, a beth bynnag yw'r diffiniad o glwb rygbi, os yw'n lleoliad lle gall pobl ymgynnull yn agos, nid wyf yn credu y dylai hynny ddigwydd. Gallaf weld Mike Hedges yn ysgwyd ei ben. Os yw'r cwestiwn wedi ei gamddehongli mewn unrhyw ffordd, yna rwy'n sicr yn hapus i ymateb iddo yn ysgrifenedig. Fe wnaf hynny, a byddaf yn cylchlythyru fy ymateb i'r holl Aelodau hefyd fel y gellir dosbarthu unrhyw ganllawiau i bob clwb rygbi yng Nghymru.
Nid wyf yn ymwybodol o unrhyw archfarchnadoedd sy'n dweud wrth gwsmeriaid na chaniateir iddynt ddod i mewn i'r safle gyda phlant. Yn sicr, ni fyddai hynny'n dderbyniol o gwbl. Fodd bynnag, os yw plant yn cael eu hebrwng i unrhyw siop, afraid dweud ei bod yn bwysig i rieni allu cadw eu plant mor agos atynt ag y bo modd, oherwydd mae bron bob archfarchnad, o'r hyn a welaf bellach, wedi cyflwyno mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol y mae'n rhaid cadw atynt.
Before I call on the next speaker, can I just remind Members that this is a formal session of the National Assembly and taking phone calls during a formal session is not permitted? So, it's not to be repeated. Neil Hamilton.
Cyn i mi alw ar y siaradwr nesaf, a gaf fi atgoffa'r Aelodau mai sesiwn ffurfiol o'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol yw hon ac na chaniateir i chi dderbyn galwadau ffôn yn ystod sesiwn ffurfiol? Felly, nid yw i ddigwydd eto. Neil Hamilton.
The overriding objective of all restrictions on economic activity is of course the saving of lives, and we all agree with that objective, but does the Minister agree that we shouldn't throw out altogether questions of proportionality of response? Supermarkets are allowed to remain open because obviously distribution of food is an essential service, but there are other businesses of similar kinds that operate in the open air that are not open because of the Government's restrictions. I'm thinking in particular of the difficulties currently being faced by plant nurseries, garden centres, and so on, and I wonder whether one might keep an eye on this to lift the restrictions at as early a date as possible. Because, at this time of year, with the seedlings and so on that are regarded in effect as perishable goods, businesses stand to lose very substantial sums of money by not being able to trade. If social isolation is possible in these circumstances, then I see no reason why they shouldn't continue to trade. So, I wonder if the Minister would agree that—obviously, at this stage in the pandemic, maybe questions of proportionality do fall away—as we move through this crisis, these restrictions should be lifted as quickly as possible?
Amcan pennaf yr holl gyfyngiadau ar weithgarwch economaidd, wrth gwrs, yw achub bywydau, ac rydym i gyd yn cytuno â'r amcan hwnnw, ond a yw'r Gweinidog yn cytuno na ddylem gael gwared yn llwyr ar gwestiynau ynghylch cymesuredd yr ymateb? Caniateir i archfarchnadoedd aros ar agor oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae dosbarthu bwyd yn wasanaeth hanfodol, ond ceir busnesau eraill o fathau tebyg sy'n gweithredu yn yr awyr agored nad ydynt ar agor oherwydd cyfyngiadau'r Llywodraeth. Rwy'n meddwl yn benodol am yr anawsterau y mae meithrinfeydd planhigion, canolfannau garddio ac ati yn eu hwynebu ar hyn o bryd, ac rwy'n meddwl tybed a fyddai'n bosibl cadw llygad ar hyn er mwyn codi'r cyfyngiadau cyn gynted â phosibl. Oherwydd, ar yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn, gydag eginblanhigion ac ati, sy'n cael eu hystyried yn nwyddau darfodus, bydd busnesau'n colli symiau sylweddol iawn o arian drwy beidio â gallu masnachu. Os yw cadw pellter cymdeithasol yn bosibl o dan yr amgylchiadau hyn, ni allaf weld unrhyw reswm pam na ddylent barhau i fasnachu. Felly, tybed a fyddai'r Gweinidog yn cytuno—yn amlwg, ar y cyfnod hwn yn y pandemig, mae'n bosibl fod cwestiynau ynghylch cymesuredd yn llai pwysig—wrth i ni symud trwy'r argyfwng hwn, y dylid codi'r cyfyngiadau hyn cyn gynted ag y bo modd?
I would agree with Neil Hamilton that, as soon as we can lift restrictions, they should be lifted. What I would say is that we don’t want to close down the economy, we really do not want to do that; what we want to do is protect it for the longer term. The message that I was giving to the tourism sector when we saw a lot of people coming into Wales and coming from parts of Wales into the more remote parts Wales just two weeks ago was: 'If you're trying to salvage the tourism season in 2020, you're putting at risk the tourism season of 2021.' We cannot afford to see coronavirus return and, therefore, it's essential that, whilst we would wish to see restrictions lifted as soon as possible, we should only do it once it's safe to do so.
I would agree that garden centres are often places where social distancing can be adhered to. Of course, we'd be willing to consider whether they could be opened. But actually, a good number of garden centres are already innovating in this space and are selling more online. We would encourage them to do that first and foremost during this period. But I can assure garden centres that as soon as we can reopen them in a safe and practical way we will do so.
Byddwn yn cytuno â Neil Hamilton y dylid codi'r cyfyngiadau cyn gynted ag y gallwn eu codi. Yr hyn y byddwn yn ei ddweud yw nad ydym eisiau lladd yr economi, nid ydym am wneud hynny o gwbl; yr hyn rydym eisiau ei wneud yw ei diogelu ar gyfer y tymor hir. Y neges roeddwn yn ei rhoi i'r sector twristiaeth pan welwyd bod llawer o bobl yn dod i Gymru ac yn dod o rannau o Gymru i'r rhannau mwy anghysbell o'r wlad gwta bythefnos yn ôl oedd: 'Os ydych chi'n ceisio achub y tymor twristiaeth yn 2020, rydych chi'n peryglu tymor twristiaeth 2021.' Ni allwn fforddio gweld coronafeirws yn dychwelyd ac felly, er y byddem yn dymuno gweld y cyfyngiadau'n cael eu codi cyn gynted â phosibl, mae'n hanfodol mai dim ond pan fydd hi'n ddiogel i wneud hynny y dylai hynny ddigwydd.
Byddwn yn cytuno bod canolfannau garddio yn aml yn fannau lle gellir cadw pellter cymdeithasol. Wrth gwrs, byddem yn barod i ystyried a ellid eu hagor. Ond mewn gwirionedd, mae nifer dda o ganolfannau garddio eisoes yn arloesi yn y sefyllfa sydd ohoni ac yn gwerthu mwy ar-lein. Byddem yn eu hannog i wneud hynny'n gyntaf oll yn ystod y cyfnod hwn. Ond gallaf sicrhau canolfannau garddio y byddwn yn gwneud hynny cyn gynted ag y gallwn eu hailagor mewn ffordd ddiogel ac ymarferol.
Thank you, Minister, and thank you to all Members and Ministers. I'm going to draw to a close now this quite extraordinary meeting of our Senedd and thank all Members and Ministers for taking part. Unusually, I'd also like to take the opportunity today to thank the officials that have worked behind the scenes to make this meeting possible in the most extraordinary of circumstances, and to do that in a very short space of time. Democratic accountability is important, and continues to be important even in these most trying of times. Therefore, I want to thank everybody who's taken part today in making sure that democracy is alive and well in Wales, and we will look to repeat this for as long as we need to do so. Thank you all, and keep safe. This draws our proceedings to an end.
Diolch, Weinidog, a diolch i'r holl Aelodau a'r Gweinidogion. Rwy'n mynd i ddirwyn y cyfarfod pur eithriadol hwn o'n Senedd i ben yn awr a diolch i'r holl Aelodau a'r Gweinidogion am gymryd rhan. Yn anarferol, hoffwn hefyd fanteisio ar y cyfle heddiw i ddiolch i'r swyddogion sydd wedi gweithio y tu ôl i'r llenni i wneud y cyfarfod hwn yn bosibl dan yr amgylchiadau mwyaf anghyffredin, a hynny mewn cyfnod byr iawn. Mae atebolrwydd democrataidd yn bwysig, ac mae'n parhau'n bwysig hyd yn oed yn y cyfnod hynod anodd hwn. Felly, hoffwn ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi cymryd rhan heddiw i sicrhau bod democratiaeth yn fyw ac yn iach yng Nghymru, a byddwn yn ceisio ailadrodd hyn cyhyd ag y bydd angen i ni wneud hynny. Diolch i bawb ohonoch, a chadwch yn ddiogel. Daw hyn â'n trafodion i ben.
Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am 16:42.
The meeting ended at 16:42.