Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
10/06/2020Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu'r Senedd drwy gynhadledd fideo am 10:59 gyda’r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met by video-conference at 10:59 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Croeso i bawb i'r Cyfarfod Llawn. Cyn inni ddechrau, dwi eisiau nodi ychydig o bwyntiau. Mae Cyfarfod Llawn a gynhelir drwy gynhadledd fideo yn unol â Rheolau Sefydlog Senedd Cymru yn gyfystyr â thrafodion y Senedd at ddibenion Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006. Bydd rhai o ddarpariaethau Rheol Sefydlog 34 yn gymwys ar gyfer y Cyfarfod Llawn heddiw ac mae'r rhain wedi eu nodi ar yr agenda. Dwi eisiau atgoffa'r Aelodau fod y Rheolau Sefydlog sy'n ymwneud â threfn yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yn gymwys i'r cyfarfod yma.
Cyn dechrau'r trafodion heddiw, byddwn yn cynnal munud o dawelwch i gofio George Floyd ac i gyd-sefyll gyda'n cyfoedion yn y mudiad Black Lives Matter ymhob cwr o'r byd. Dwi'n galw arnoch chi bawb, felly, i ymuno mewn ennyd o dawelwch i gofio.
A warm welcome to this Plenary session. Before we begin, I want to make a few points. A Plenary meeting held by video-conference in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Welsh Parliament constitutes Senedd proceedings for the purposes of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Some of the provisions of Standing Order 34 will apply for today's Plenary meeting and these are noted on the agenda. And I would remind Members that Standing Orders relating to order in Plenary meetings apply to this meeting.
Before beginning today's proceedings, we will observe a minute's silence in memory of George Floyd and in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement worldwide. I therefore call on you all to join in a moment's silence.
Cynhaliwyd munud o dawelwch.
A minute's silence was held.
Diolch i chi am hynny.
Thank you for that.
Yr eitem gyntaf, felly, ar yr agenda yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes a dwi'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud y datganiad hynny, Rebecca Evans.
The first item on our agenda is the business statement and announcement and I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement, Rebecca Evans.
Diolch, Llywydd. There is one change to today's agenda. Later this afternoon, the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language will make a statement on coronavirus. 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. It includes a statement next week by the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition on COVID-19 recovery.
Diolch, Lywydd. Mae un newid i'r agenda heddiw. Yn ddiweddarach y prynhawn yma, bydd Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol yn gwneud datganiad ar y coronafeirws. Mae busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi’i nodi ar y datganiad busnes a'r cyhoeddiad, a gellir dod o hyd iddo ymhlith papurau'r cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau yn electronig. Mae'n cynnwys datganiad yr wythnos nesaf gan y Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Pontio Ewropeaidd ar adfer wedi COVID-19.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
I thank the Trefnydd.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad gan y Prif Weinidog ar y coronafeirws. Dwi'n galw ar y Prif Weinidog i wneud ei ddatganiad. Mark Drakeford.
The next item is a statement by the First Minister on coronavirus and I call on the First Minister to make the statement. Mark Drakeford.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Bydd fy adroddiad i’r Senedd heddiw yn delio â’r datblygiadau mwyaf pwysig yn ein hymateb i'r coronafeirws. Fel arfer, byddaf yn crynhoi’r dystiolaeth ddiweddaraf am ledaeniad y feirws. Byddaf yn diweddaru ar y trefniadau profi ac olrhain sydd yn allweddol wrth i ni symud allan o’r cyfnod clo. Byddaf yn tynnu sylw’r Senedd at y rheoliadau sydd angen i ni eu gwneud er mwyn gweithredu rheolau ynysu i deithwyr wrth gyrraedd ffiniau’r Deyrnas Unedig. Byddaf yn trafod effaith y feirws ar blant a phobl ifanc yn Nghymru. Ac, yn olaf, byddaf yn cyfeirio at y digwyddiadau erchyll yn yr Unol Daleithiau yr wythnos diwethaf.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. Today's report to the Senedd will cover the most important developments in our response to coronavirus. As usual, I will summarise the latest evidence on the spread of the virus. I will provide an update on the test and trace arrangements that are crucial as we move out of lockdown. I will bring to the Senedd's attention the regulations that we will need to make in order to introduce quarantine arrangements that will apply to those entering the United Kingdom. I will also discuss the impact of the virus on children and young people in Wales. And, finally, I will refer to the horrific events in the United States last week.
Llywydd, as in previous weeks, I will focus my report on matters not to be covered in the statements that follow from the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales and the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language.
Llywydd, the number of new cases of the virus in Wales continues to fall, as does the number of admissions to hospital and to critical care. There were 42 new cases reported by Public Health Wales yesterday. There are now 40 patients in critical care beds in Wales suffering from coronavirus, down from a peak of 164 in April. The number of new admissions for coronavirus has fallen from over 1,000 a week, at the peak, to 710 last week. These trends are encouraging, and I once again thank people in Wales for the commitment and solidarity that they have shown over the past weeks and months.
Despite that, Llywydd, yesterday the Office for National Statistics reported that, in all settings, up to 29 May, there have been a total of 2,240 deaths involving coronavirus in Wales. The number of deaths reported yesterday by Public Health Wales was nine, continuing the downward trend. But each of those is an individual with a life that could have been led. Each one will have been greatly missed. And it remains imperative that we all continue to follow the rules to protect ourselves and others.
Llywydd, I reported last week on the decisions taken as part of the latest review of the regulations, to ease some of the restrictions currently in place. We will make further easements, as soon as it is safe to do so, but only when it is safe to do so.
We have taken these cautious steps supported by our test, trace and protect system, which came into effect last week. As I’ve said, the number of positive cases of coronavirus in Wales continues to fall. Last week the highest number on any one day was 82, the lowest, 35. These cases generated 651 people for follow-up by the contact tracing teams, and of those 651, 619 have already been successfully contacted and advised.
Lywydd, fel yn yr wythnosau diwethaf, bydd fy adroddiad yn canolbwyntio ar faterion nad ydynt wedi’u cynnwys yn y datganiadau i ddod gan Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru a Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol.
Lywydd, mae nifer yr achosion newydd o'r feirws yng Nghymru yn parhau i ostwng, ynghyd â nifer y derbyniadau i ysbytai ac i ofal critigol. Nodwyd 42 o achosion newydd gan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru ddoe. Erbyn hyn, mae 40 o gleifion mewn gwelyau gofal critigol yng Nghymru yn dioddef o coronafeirws, i lawr o’r nifer uchaf o 164 ym mis Ebrill. Mae nifer y derbyniadau newydd ar gyfer coronafeirws wedi gostwng o dros 1,000 yr wythnos, ar ei uchaf, i 710 yr wythnos diwethaf. Mae'r tueddiadau hyn yn galonogol, ac unwaith eto rwy'n diolch i bobl yng Nghymru am eu hymrwymiad a’u hundod dros yr wythnosau a'r misoedd diwethaf.
Er hynny, Lywydd, adroddodd y Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol ddoe y bu cyfanswm o 2,240 o farwolaethau'n ymwneud â coronafeirws yng Nghymru ym mhob lleoliad hyd at 29 Mai. Nifer y marwolaethau a adroddwyd ddoe gan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru oedd naw, wrth i’r duedd barhau tuag at i lawr. Ond mae pob un o'r rheini'n unigolion â bywydau y gallent fod wedi’u byw. Bydd colled fawr ar ôl pob un ohonynt. Ac mae'n hanfodol o hyd fod pob un ohonom yn parhau i ddilyn y rheolau i ddiogelu ein hunain ac eraill.
Lywydd, adroddais yr wythnos diwethaf ar y penderfyniadau a wnaed fel rhan o'r adolygiad diweddaraf o'r rheoliadau, i lacio rhai o'r cyfyngiadau sydd ar waith ar hyn o bryd. Byddwn yn eu llacio ymhellach, cyn gynted ag y bydd yn ddiogel i wneud hynny, ond dim ond pan fydd yn ddiogel i wneud hynny.
Rydym wedi cymryd y camau gofalus hyn a gefnogir gan ein system brofi, olrhain a diogelu, a roddwyd ar waith yr wythnos diwethaf. Fel rwyf wedi’i ddweud, mae nifer yr achosion o coronafeirws a gadarnhawyd yng Nghymru'n parhau i ostwng. Yr wythnos diwethaf, y nifer uchaf ar unrhyw ddiwrnod unigol oedd 82, a’r isaf oedd 35. Arweiniodd yr achosion hyn at 651 o bobl ar gyfer gwaith dilynol gan y timau olrhain cysylltiadau, ac o’r 651 hynny, maent eisoes wedi llwyddo i gysylltu â 619 ohonynt a’u cynghori.
Our system in Wales is a partnership between Public Health Wales, local health boards and local authorities. Over 600 staff, experienced in working with the public, have been recruited and trained by local authorities and other public services. Not all will be undertaking contact tracing work as yet due to the low number of new positive cases, but the capacity is there to step up if needed, and careful arrangements have been made in our system to protect personal data and to guard against fraud. And all of that is important because this is a trust-based system, enabled by technology and staffed by local people. It will provide the essential infrastructure to help us prevent transmission of the virus and gradually reduce the restrictions on day-to-day life in Wales.
Llywydd, we have to be prepared for a potential upturn in transmission, because as the lockdown eases, so the number of personal contacts increases. In that context, we have reviewed the evidence on the role of face coverings, and the Minister for Health and Social Services reported on new advice yesterday, endorsing the use of non-medical face coverings on public transport.
The Minister also provided a written statement yesterday that set out that we are on track to complete the first phase of testing all residents and staff in care homes in Wales by the end of this week, and we will now test all care home workers each week for a further four-week period.
Llywydd, the UK Government’s plans for quarantine requirements at the border came into effect this week. Border security is a reserved matter, but because the quarantine arrangements are implemented through public health legislation, it was necessary for the Welsh Ministers to make parallel regulations for Wales. Where people notify an intention to quarantine at an address in Wales, they will be contacted by Public Health Wales.
Llywydd, in previous statements I have considered the impact of the virus on the work of the Welsh Government, on its budget and other areas. The legislative programme is no exception, with a sharp reduction in the capacity of the Government to bring forward our proposals, and challenges indeed for the legislature in discharging the responsibility to scrutinise those plans in current circumstances.
The Minister for Education's statement yesterday informed Ministers that, very reluctantly, the Government has concluded that it will not be practicable to proceed as planned with the tertiary education reform Bill. It will now be published as a draft Bill for consultation. I will make a statement next month on the Government’s legislative plans for the remainder of this Senedd term.
Llywydd, yesterday we received important evidence on how coronavirus is impacting the lives of children in Wales. This has been an extraordinary period for us all, but for children the coronavirus crisis will make up a significant proportion of their whole lives. Attending to their needs and experience is an important strand in our response to the emergency.
Over 23,700 children and young people aged between three and 18 shared their views through the 'Coronavirus and Me' survey. This survey is a partnership between the Welsh Government, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Children in Wales and the Youth Parliament. The survey underlined how much young people have been missing their family and friends during this period, and for young people in particular, it has underlined their anxieties about their education and worries about falling behind.
As our chief medical officer has regularly made clear, there is more than one form of harm from coronavirus. Children’s needs must be a real concern as we try to balance the benefits of protection from the virus against the harms caused by loss of education and social contact, and there's no doubt that those harms will impact most on those who are already disadvantaged. From the start, we set out to mitigate those harms by keeping schools open for children receiving free school meals, and children of key workers. But for many children, there has been no contact with school, and their experience of remote learning may have been mixed.
That is why, in considering the options for the remainder of this term, the Minister for Education has given priority to ensuring that all pupils will meet their teacher in small groups to support them with their learning and planning for the next stage. The Minister's statement last week confirmed that this is a phased return to school. It will start on 29 June and continue until the end of July, ensuring a full month of schooling in its new format for all pupils before the summer break.
Finally, Llywydd, the leader of Plaid Cymru raised the question of Black Lives Matter protests with me and I was grateful to him for doing so. The anger felt at the death of George Floyd has quite rightly cast a spotlight on the wider experience of black people in our society. We have as great a need as any here in Wales to confront our own history, to recognise the part played in it by black communities, and to address the systematic discrimination and discrimination faced still by black people today. Nobody's record on this is perfect: no political party; no organisation, public or private; and no Government. All I want to say to black citizens here in Wales today is that imperfect as the record has been, the Welsh Government is here to stand by you, to work with you, to learn from you as we recommit to making a real difference in the future. Llywydd, diolch yn fawr.
Mae ein system yng Nghymru yn bartneriaeth rhwng Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, byrddau iechyd lleol ac awdurdodau lleol. Mae dros 600 o staff, sydd â phrofiad o weithio gyda'r cyhoedd, wedi'u recriwtio a'u hyfforddi gan awdurdodau lleol a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill. Ni fydd pob un yn ymgymryd â gwaith olrhain cysylltiadau eto oherwydd y nifer isel o achosion newydd sydd wedi’u cadarnhau, ond mae'r capasiti yno i gynyddu’r gwaith os oes angen, ac mae trefniadau gofalus wedi’u gwneud yn ein system i ddiogelu data personol ac i warchod rhag twyll. Ac mae hynny oll yn bwysig gan fod hon yn system sy'n seiliedig ar ymddiriedaeth, sydd wedi'i galluogi gan dechnoleg ac wedi'i staffio gan bobl leol. Bydd yn darparu’r seilwaith hanfodol i’n helpu i atal trosglwyddiad y feirws a lleihau’n raddol y cyfyngiadau ar fywyd o ddydd i ddydd yng Nghymru.
Lywydd, mae’n rhaid inni fod yn barod am gynnydd posibl mewn trosglwyddiad, oherwydd wrth i'r cyfyngiadau symud gael eu llacio, bydd nifer y cysylltiadau personol yn cynyddu hefyd. Yn y cyd-destun hwnnw, rydym wedi adolygu'r dystiolaeth ar rôl gorchuddion wyneb, ac adroddodd y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar gyngor newydd ddoe, yn hybu’r defnydd o orchuddion wyneb anfeddygol ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus.
Darparodd y Gweinidog ddatganiad ysgrifenedig ddoe hefyd a oedd yn nodi ein bod ar y trywydd iawn i gwblhau’r cam cyntaf mewn perthynas â phrofi’r holl breswylwyr a staff mewn cartrefi gofal yng Nghymru erbyn diwedd yr wythnos hon, a byddwn bellach yn profi pob gweithiwr mewn cartrefi gofal bob wythnos am gyfnod o bedair wythnos arall.
Lywydd, rhoddwyd cynlluniau Llywodraeth y DU ar gyfer gofynion cwarantin ar y ffin ar waith yr wythnos hon. Mae diogelwch ar y ffin yn fater a gedwir yn ôl, ond gan fod y trefniadau cwarantin yn cael eu gweithredu drwy ddeddfwriaeth iechyd y cyhoedd, roedd angen i Weinidogion Cymru bennu rheoliadau cyfatebol i Gymru. Pan fydd pobl yn nodi eu bod yn bwriadu gosod eu hunain dan gwarantin mewn cyfeiriad yng Nghymru, bydd Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru yn cysylltu â hwy.
Lywydd, mewn datganiadau blaenorol, rwyf wedi ystyried effaith y feirws ar waith Llywodraeth Cymru, ar ei chyllideb ac ar feysydd eraill. Nid yw'r rhaglen ddeddfwriaethol yn eithriad, gyda gostyngiad sydyn yng ngallu'r Llywodraeth i gyflwyno ein cynigion, a heriau, yn wir, i'r ddeddfwrfa wrth gyflawni'r cyfrifoldeb i graffu ar y cynlluniau hynny o dan yr amgylchiadau presennol.
Ddoe, rhoddodd datganiad y Gweinidog Addysg wybod i’r Gweinidogion fod y Llywodraeth, yn gyndyn iawn, wedi dod i’r casgliad na fydd yn ymarferol bwrw ymlaen fel y cynlluniwyd gyda’r Bil diwygio addysg drydyddol. Bellach, bydd yn cael ei gyhoeddi fel Bil drafft ar gyfer ymgynghoriad. Byddaf yn gwneud datganiad y mis nesaf ar gynlluniau deddfwriaethol y Llywodraeth ar gyfer gweddill tymor y Senedd hon.
Lywydd, cawsom dystiolaeth bwysig ddoe ar sut y mae coronafeirws yn effeithio ar fywydau plant yng Nghymru. Mae hwn wedi bod yn gyfnod anarferol i bob un ohonom, ond i blant, bydd argyfwng coronafeirws yn gyfran sylweddol o'u bywydau. Mae rhoi sylw i'w hanghenion a'u profiad yn rhan bwysig o’n hymateb i'r argyfwng.
Rhannodd dros 23,700 o blant a phobl ifanc rhwng tair a 18 oed eu barn drwy arolwg 'Coronafeirws a Fi'. Mae'r arolwg hwn yn bartneriaeth rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, Comisiynydd Plant Cymru, Plant yng Nghymru a'r Senedd Ieuenctid. Tanlinellodd yr arolwg i ba raddau y mae pobl ifanc wedi bod yn colli eu teulu a'u ffrindiau yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, ac i bobl ifanc yn arbennig, mae wedi tanlinellu eu gofid am eu haddysg a'u pryderon ynghylch bod ar ei hôl hi.
Fel y mae ein prif swyddog meddygol wedi egluro'n gyson, mae mwy nag un math o niwed o ganlyniad i coronafeirws. Mae’n rhaid i anghenion plant fod yn bryder gwirioneddol wrth inni geisio cydbwyso manteision diogelu rhag y feirws yn erbyn y niwed sy’n deillio o golli addysg a chyswllt cymdeithasol, ac nid oes amheuaeth y bydd y niwed hwnnw’n effeithio fwyaf ar y rhai sydd eisoes dan anfantais. O'r cychwyn cyntaf, rydym wedi mynd ati i liniaru'r niwed hwnnw drwy gadw ysgolion ar agor i blant sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim, a phlant gweithwyr allweddol. Ond i lawer o blant, nid ydynt wedi cael unrhyw gyswllt â'r ysgol, ac efallai bod eu profiad o ddysgu o bell wedi bod yn gymysg.
Dyna pam y mae'r Gweinidog Addysg, wrth ystyried yr opsiynau ar gyfer gweddill y tymor hwn, wedi rhoi blaenoriaeth i sicrhau y bydd pob disgybl yn cyfarfod â'u hathro mewn grwpiau bach i'w cefnogi gyda'u dysgu a'u cynlluniau ar gyfer y cam nesaf. Cadarnhaodd datganiad y Gweinidog yr wythnos diwethaf mai dychweliad graddol i’r ysgol fydd hwn. Bydd yn cychwyn ar 29 Mehefin ac yn parhau tan ddiwedd mis Gorffennaf, gan sicrhau mis llawn o addysg ar ei ffurf newydd ar gyfer yr holl ddisgyblion cyn gwyliau'r haf.
Yn olaf, Lywydd, gofynnodd arweinydd Plaid Cymru gwestiwn i mi ynglŷn â protestiadau Black Lives Matter, ac roeddwn yn ddiolchgar iddo am wneud hynny. Mae'r dicter a deimlir yn sgil marwolaeth George Floyd wedi tynnu sylw, yn gwbl briodol, at brofiad ehangach pobl dduon yn ein cymdeithas. Mae llawn cymaint o angen i ni yma yng Nghymru ag unrhyw un arall wynebu ein hanes ein hunain, cydnabod rhan cymunedau duon ynddo, a mynd i’r afael â'r gwahaniaethu systematig a’r gwahaniaethu y mae pobl dduon yn dal i'w wynebu heddiw. Nid yw hanes unrhyw un ar hyn yn berffaith: unrhyw blaid wleidyddol; unrhyw sefydliad, cyhoeddus na phreifat; nac unrhyw Lywodraeth. Yr unig beth yr hoffwn ei ddweud wrth ddinasyddion duon yma yng Nghymru heddiw yw hyn: er bod yr hanes wedi bod yn amherffaith, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yma i sefyll gyda chi, i weithio gyda chi, i ddysgu oddi wrthych wrth inni ailymrwymo i wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn yn y dyfodol. Lywydd, diolch yn fawr.
Adam Price, arweinydd Plaid Cymru.
Leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Brif Weinidog, rwy'n croesawu'n fawr eich sylwadau ar ddiwedd eich datganiad a hoffwn i ddychwelyd at y cwestiwn o'r goblygiadau i ni yng Nghymru o'r digwyddiadau erchyll diweddar yn yr Unol Daleithiau. Mae pwy rydym ni'n coffáu o'r gorffennol yn adlewyrchu'n gwerthoedd ni heddiw fel cymdeithas. Fyddai fe'n briodol, felly, yn eich tyb chi, Brif Weinidog, i gynnal adolygiad drwy Gymru gyfan, fel sydd yn digwydd nawr ar draws Llundain, i sicrhau nad ŷm ni mewn unrhyw fodd yn cael ein gweld yn dathlu caethwasiaeth, trefedigaethedd neu hiliaeth yn ein cofebau cenedlaethol neu leol?
First Minister, I warmly welcome the comments you made at the end of your statement and I would like to return to the issue of the implications for us in Wales of the appalling events in the United States. Now, who we commemorate from our past reflects our values as a society today. Would it be appropriate, therefore, in your view, First Minister, to conduct a Wales-wide review, as is happening now across London, in order to ensure that we are not seen to be in any way celebrating slavery, colonialism or racism in our national monuments or our local monuments?
Llywydd, diolch yn fawr i Adam Price unwaith eto am godi'r pwnc pwysig hwn. Dwi'n cytuno'n llwyr â beth ddywedodd ef. Mae'n bwysig i ni gofio ein gorffennol a'r rhan roedd Cymru wedi rhoi i mewn i'r pethau rŷm ni'n meddwl amdanynt heddiw, ond dydym ni ddim eisiau dathlu pethau. Rŷm ni eisiau cofio a dysgu, ond nid eu dathlu, a dyna pam rŷm ni yn gweithio gyda'r awdurdodau lleol a phobl eraill yng Nghymru i weld a oes pethau yn dal gyda ni ar hyn o bryd lle fyddai'r amgueddfa y lle gorau i roi y pethau hynny, i fod yn rhan o'n hanes ni ac i beidio anghofio'r hanes, ond nid i ddathlu pethau. Rŷm ni'n dal i weithio gyda phobl eraill ledled Cymru i feddwl am hwnna.
I thank Adam Price once again for raising this important point. I agree entirely with this comments. It's important that we remember our past and the part that Wales played in the events of the past that we are thinking about today, but we don't want to celebrate those things. We want to educate and remember, but not celebrate, and that's why we're working with local authorities and others in Wales in order to consider whether there are things that are still being displayed at the moment that would be better placed in a museum, so that they are a part of our history and so that we don't forget that history, but neither should we be celebrating it, and we are still working with others across Wales to consider that issue.
The way we teach our history has the capacity to either reproduce the past or change the future. So, First Minister, in addition to the general commitment you gave in your statement, which is very welcome, I was wondering if you would be prepared to give two further specific commitments today.
The Welsh Government currently funds a woollen, maritime, slate and coal museum, even one for the Roman legion, and there is also a proposal separately for a military medicine museum in what was Tiger Bay. There is an obvious gap. So, would you commit, First Minister, to exploring the establishment of a national museum telling the history of the BAME communities in Wales and will you also commit to embedding anti-racism and the teaching of black and people of colour history, including, as you yourself have referenced, Wales's own role in colonialism and slavery, as core elements within the educational curriculum in every school in Wales?
Mae gan y ffordd rydym yn addysgu ein hanes allu naill ai i atgynhyrchu’r gorffennol neu newid y dyfodol. Felly, Brif Weinidog, yn ychwanegol at yr ymrwymiad cyffredinol a roesoch yn eich datganiad, sydd i’w groesawu’n fawr, tybed a fyddech yn barod i roi dau ymrwymiad penodol pellach heddiw.
Ar hyn o bryd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ariannu amgueddfeydd gwlân, morwrol, llechi a glo, hyd yn oed un ar gyfer y lleng Rufeinig, ac mae cynnig wedi'i wneud ar wahân hefyd ar gyfer amgueddfa feddygaeth filwrol yn yr hen Tiger Bay. Mae yna fwlch amlwg. Felly, a wnewch chi ymrwymo, Brif Weinidog, i archwilio’r posibilrwydd o sefydlu amgueddfa genedlaethol i adrodd hanes cymunedau pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yng Nghymru, ac a wnewch chi ymrwymo hefyd i ymgorffori gwrth-hiliaeth ac addysgu hanes pobl dduon a phobl groendywyll, gan gynnwys, fel y nodwyd gennych, rôl Cymru mewn gwladychiaeth a chaethwasiaeth, fel elfennau craidd o’r cwricwlwm addysgol ym mhob ysgol yng Nghymru?
I thank Adam Price again. He's right to point to the wide range of museums that we have in Wales, including a new football museum as a result of an agreement between his party and the Government earlier in this Senedd term. I'm very happy to look at a museum of the sort he describes. I'd really want it to be a living museum. I've had the privilege on a number of occasions in recent times of helping award recognition to young people from the black community as part of Black History Month, and the message I try and convey to them in that event is that they are creating their history today. The history doesn't belong to the past; history is something we are all engaged in producing ourselves and that they have agency themselves as hugely talented and valued young black people here in Wales. So, I'm very happy to commit to looking at it, but I do very much want it to be a part of celebrating contemporary Wales, the contribution that black communities make, the way that they shape Wales into the future, as well as looking at their experience in shaping Wales in the past.
And as far as teaching in schools is concerned, Adam Price will be very aware of how recent events have shone a spotlight on this whole subject. I know that my colleague Kirsty Williams will be wanting to work again with those who have been advising us on the new curriculum, on the way that it is to be developed and delivered to make sure that we are capturing the lessons of the past few weeks. I think this is a matter for every school in Wales. Whatever the local make-up of a population might be, it is just as important for children, where black communities have been less present, to understand that history as it is for young people who are part of that community themselves.
Diolch i Adam Price unwaith eto. Mae'n iawn i dynnu sylw at yr ystod eang o amgueddfeydd sydd gennym yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys amgueddfa bêl-droed newydd o ganlyniad i gytundeb rhwng ei blaid a'r Llywodraeth yn gynharach yn nhymor y Senedd hon. Rwy'n fwy na pharod i edrych ar y math o amgueddfa y mae'n ei disgrifio. Byddwn yn awyddus iawn iddi fod yn amgueddfa fyw. Cefais y fraint, ar sawl achlysur yn ddiweddar, o helpu i roi cydnabyddiaeth i bobl ifanc o'r gymuned ddu fel rhan o Fis Hanes Pobl Dduon, a'r neges rwy’n ceisio'i chyfleu iddynt yn y digwyddiad hwnnw yw eu bod yn creu eu hanes heddiw. Nid yw'r hanes yn perthyn i'r gorffennol; mae hanes yn rhywbeth y mae pob un ohonom yn ei greu, ac mae ganddynt ddylanwad fel pobl dduon hynod dalentog a gwerthfawr yma yng Nghymru. Felly rwy’n fwy na pharod i ymrwymo i edrych ar hynny, ond rwy'n awyddus iawn i hynny fod yn rhan o ddathlu’r Gymru gyfoes, y cyfraniad y mae cymunedau duon yn ei wneud, y ffordd y maent yn llunio Cymru at y dyfodol, yn ogystal ag edrych ar eu profiad yn llunio Cymru yn y gorffennol.
Ac o ran addysgu mewn ysgolion, bydd Adam Price yn ymwybodol iawn o sut y mae digwyddiadau diweddar wedi tynnu sylw at y pwnc hwn. Gwn y bydd fy nghyd-Aelod Kirsty Williams yn awyddus i weithio eto gyda'r rheini sydd wedi bod yn ein cynghori ar y cwricwlwm newydd, ar y ffordd y dylid ei ddatblygu a'i gyflwyno i sicrhau ein bod yn dysgu gwersi'r wythnosau diwethaf. Credaf fod hwn yn fater i bob ysgol yng Nghymru. Ni waeth beth yw cyfansoddiad y boblogaeth leol, mae'r un mor bwysig i blant lle mae cymunedau duon wedi bod yn llai presennol ddeall yr hanes hwnnw ag ydyw i bobl ifanc sy'n rhan o'r gymuned honno eu hunain.
Paul Davies, arweinydd yr wrthblaid.
The leader of the opposition, Paul Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, earlier this week you indicated that you were looking at easing some of the lockdown restrictions in Wales in your next review. The people of Wales will be looking for hope in that statement—hope that they can reunite their families, hope in relation to their businesses and hope that, as the number of new cases is falling, some of the freedoms that have been taken away in recent weeks will now be restored. I appreciate that you're still working with officials, but you have previously indicated in the past that hairdressers and others should start preparing for reopening. However, there are other sectors that are yet to hear anything from the Welsh Government, such as the property industry, the retail motor industry—and the list goes on.
Therefore, in preparation for your next announcement, can you confirm on what fundamental basis the Welsh Government may ease restrictions for some sectors, and what steps are you taking to ensure that that criteria is fairly tested against all sectors, so that Wales's economy can start to reopen a bit more in the coming weeks?
Diolch, Lywydd. Brif Weinidog, yn gynharach yr wythnos hon, fe nodoch chi eich bod yn ystyried llacio rhai o'r cyfyngiadau symud yng Nghymru yn eich adolygiad nesaf. Bydd pobl Cymru yn chwilio am obaith yn y datganiad hwnnw—gobaith y gallant aduno eu teuluoedd, gobaith mewn perthynas â'u busnesau a gobaith, wrth i nifer yr achosion newydd ostwng, y bydd rhywfaint o'r rhyddid y maent wedi'i golli dros yr wythnosau diwethaf yn cael ei adfer. Rwy'n derbyn eich bod yn dal i weithio gyda swyddogion, ond rydych wedi nodi eisoes yn y gorffennol y dylai gweithwyr trin gwallt ac eraill ddechrau paratoi i ailagor. Fodd bynnag, ceir sectorau eraill sydd eto i glywed unrhyw beth gan Lywodraeth Cymru, megis y diwydiant eiddo, y diwydiant manwerthu moduron—ac mae'r rhestr yn parhau.
Felly, wrth baratoi ar gyfer eich cyhoeddiad nesaf, a allwch gadarnhau ar ba sail sylfaenol y gall Llywodraeth Cymru lacio'r cyfyngiadau ar gyfer rhai sectorau, a pha gamau rydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod y meini prawf hynny'n cael eu profi'n deg yn erbyn pob sector, fel y gall economi Cymru ddechrau ailagor ychydig mwy dros yr wythnosau nesaf?
Well, Llywydd, I share that hope that people in Wales have that we will be in a position at the end of next week to further lift some of the restrictions we've all had to abide by over what is now nearly three months. How will we know whether it is possible to do so? Well, it will depend upon the level of circulation of the virus here in Wales, and there are a range of indications that we will be able to use to tell us whether or not we have headroom to be able to offer further amelioration of those restrictions. The R number will be one indication, but some of the things that I covered in my statement, Llywydd, will also be relevant.
So, to give you a different sort of yardstick, in answer to the leader the of the opposition's question, when we went into lockdown at the end of March, there were 400 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales on any one day and that number was rising. Seven weeks ago, when we first began to lift some restrictions, that number had fallen to around a 100 a day, and was falling, and that helped to create the headroom to begin the process. As we go into this week, the figure is around 50 new confirmed cases every day, and that number continues to fall. So, your chances of meeting somebody, as you leave your own home, who is suffering from coronavirus is about an eighth of what it was when we went into lockdown. And that's just a way of trying to explain to people why it is possible to offer people additional freedoms.
But, the second thing that we will continue to have to emphasise to people is that, as they exercise those freedoms, they have to exercise them really carefully, because even if there are only 50 new confirmed cases a day, you have no way of knowing, as you leave your home, whether you are going to be in contact one of those 50 people. So, social distancing, hand hygiene, use of face coverings, and non-medical face coverings on public transport, all those are things that we must still use, even as we lift the lockdown, to go on making sure that we bear down of the virus, we create more headroom, so, at the end of another three week period, there are further things that we would be able to do to help resume life as we were more used to it before the virus began.
Wel, Lywydd, rwy'n rhannu'r gobaith hwnnw sydd gan bobl yng Nghymru y byddwn mewn sefyllfa erbyn diwedd yr wythnos nesaf i lacio mwy ar rai o'r cyfyngiadau y mae pob un ohonom wedi gorfod cadw atynt ers bron i dri mis bellach. Sut y byddwn yn gwybod a yw'n bosibl gwneud hynny? Wel, bydd yn dibynnu ar lefel cylchrediad y feirws yma yng Nghymru, a bydd ystod o arwyddion y gallwn eu defnyddio i ddweud wrthym a oes gennym le i allu llacio’r cyfyngiadau hynny ymhellach. Bydd y rhif R yn un arwydd, ond bydd rhai o'r pethau y cyfeiriais atynt yn fy natganiad yn berthnasol hefyd, Lywydd.
Felly, er mwyn rhoi math gwahanol o ffon fesur i chi, mewn ymateb i gwestiwn arweinydd yr wrthblaid, pan ddechreuodd y cyfyngiadau symud tua diwedd mis Mawrth, roedd 400 o achosion newydd o'r coronafeirws wedi'u cadarnhau yng Nghymru ar unrhyw ddiwrnod penodol, ac roedd y nifer honno'n codi. Saith wythnos yn ôl, pan ddechreuasom godi rhai o'r cyfyngiadau am y tro cyntaf, roedd y nifer wedi gostwng i oddeutu 100 y dydd, ac yn parhau i ostwng, a bu hynny'n gymorth i greu lle i ddechrau'r broses. Wrth inni ddechrau'r wythnos hon, mae'r ffigur oddeutu 50 o achosion newydd wedi'u cadarnhau bob dydd, ac mae'r nifer yn parhau i ostwng. Felly, mae’r tebygolrwydd y byddwch yn cyfarfod â rhywun sy'n dioddef o'r coronafeirws wrth i chi adael eich cartref eich hun oddeutu un rhan o wyth o’r hyn ydoedd pan gyflwynwyd y cyfyngiadau symud. Ac mae honno’n ffordd o geisio esbonio i bobl pam ei bod yn bosibl cynnig mwy o ryddid i bobl.
Ond yr ail beth y byddwn yn parhau i orfod ei bwysleisio i bobl yw bod yn rhaid iddynt arfer y rhyddid hwnnw’n ofalus iawn, oherwydd hyd yn oed os mai dim ond 50 o achosion newydd sy’n cael eu cadarnhau bob dydd, nid oes gennych unrhyw ffordd o wybod wrth i chi adael eich cartref a fyddwch yn dod i gysylltiad ag un o'r 50 o bobl hynny. Felly, cadw pellter cymdeithasol, hylendid dwylo, defnyddio gorchuddion wyneb, a gorchuddion wyneb anfeddygol ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, mae'r holl bethau hynny'n bethau y mae'n rhaid inni eu gwneud o hyd, hyd yn oed wrth i ni lacio’r cyfyngiadau symud, er mwyn parhau i sicrhau ein bod yn mynd i’r afael â'r feirws, ein bod yn creu mwy o le i weithio, fel y bydd pethau eraill y gallwn eu gwneud ar ddiwedd cyfnod arall o dair wythnos i helpu i barhau â’n bywydau mewn ffordd debycach i'r hyn a fodolai cyn y feirws.
Well, I hope, First Minister, that as the Welsh Government considers the next major changes to its COVID-19 policies, it will work constructively will opposition parties. And it might be helpful in the future if you could consult opposition politicians before making some of these decisions so that the people of Wales can be sure that we, as politicians, are working together where we can in the public interest.
Now, First Minister, last weekend you made it clear that Wales will remain largely shut over the summer, with visitors likely to be restricted to staying in cottages and self-catering flats. As I'm sure you can imagine, your comments were met with some anger and frustration by some tourism operators across the country, who, understandably, fear that this could lead to the collapse of the Welsh tourism sector. Now, I appreciate that opening up the sector has to be done in a safe and sustainable manner, but, as our tourism businesses watch their counterparts across the UK consider ways in which they can partially reopen tourist facilities, many operators feel as though they're being left behind with no hope for their businesses in the future. So, will you and your Government take the opportunity today to spell out exactly what the Welsh Government's current plans are for the tourism industry here in Wales? And can you also tell us what discussions you've had with representatives of the tourism industry to ascertain how your Government can better support them throughout this pandemic? And will you commit to providing further support to tourism operators across Wales until they can reopen, to ensure their viability for the future?
Wel, rwy’n gobeithio, Brif Weinidog, wrth i Lywodraeth Cymru ystyried y newidiadau mawr nesaf i’w pholisïau COVID-19, y bydd yn gweithio’n adeiladol gyda’r gwrthbleidiau. Ac efallai y byddai'n ddefnyddiol yn y dyfodol pe gallech ymgynghori â gwleidyddion y gwrthbleidiau cyn gwneud rhai o'r penderfyniadau hyn fel y gall pobl Cymru fod yn sicr ein bod ni, fel gwleidyddion, yn gweithio gyda'n gilydd lle gallwn er budd y cyhoedd.
Nawr, Brif Weinidog, y penwythnos diwethaf, fe ddywedoch chi'n glir y bydd Cymru’n parhau i fod ar gau i raddau helaeth dros yr haf, gydag ymwelwyr yn debygol o gael eu cyfyngu i aros mewn bythynnod a fflatiau hunanddarpar. Fel y gallwch ddychmygu, rwy'n siŵr, arweiniodd eich sylwadau at ymateb dig a rhwystredig gan rai gweithredwyr twristiaeth ledled y wlad, sydd, yn ddealladwy, yn ofni y gallai hyn arwain at gwymp sector twristiaeth Cymru. Nawr, rwy'n derbyn bod rhaid agor y sector mewn modd diogel a chynaliadwy, ond wrth i'n busnesau twristiaeth wylio eu cymheiriaid ledled y DU yn ystyried ffyrdd y gallant ailagor cyfleusterau twristiaeth yn rhannol, mae llawer o weithredwyr yn teimlo fel pe baent yn cael eu gadael ar ôl heb unrhyw obaith i'w busnesau yn y dyfodol. Felly, a wnewch chi a'ch Llywodraeth achub ar y cyfle heddiw i nodi beth yn union yw cynlluniau cyfredol Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer y diwydiant twristiaeth yma yng Nghymru? Ac a allwch ddweud wrthym hefyd pa drafodaethau rydych wedi'u cael gyda chynrychiolwyr y diwydiant twristiaeth i ddarganfod sut y gall eich Llywodraeth eu cefnogi'n well drwy gydol y pandemig hwn? Ac a wnewch chi ymrwymo i ddarparu cymorth pellach i weithredwyr twristiaeth ledled Cymru hyd nes y gallant ailagor, er mwyn sicrhau eu hyfywedd ar gyfer y dyfodol?
Well, Llywydd, let me say that the future of the tourism industry is very much in my thoughts and in the work that we do within the Welsh Government. I absolutely appreciate what an enormous impact the virus has had on that sector here in Wales. I wanted to give an indication that there is some hope for that sector, too, and that there are some ways in which we might yet be able to resume some tourism activity during the current season, but it will have to be, as Paul Davies has rightly said, with safety at the forefront of our thinking. We have very regular contact with tourism organisations and interests in Wales. I had a meeting only yesterday with the Minister responsible, with senior officials here, reporting on those conversations and thinking ahead to what we might be able to offer in terms of lifting the lockdown. If it is possible, then, beginning with self-contained accommodation, where people are not sharing kitchens and toilets and showers and so on, seems to be a sensible and safe way of thinking about how we can resume activity in the tourism industry.
The other key factor—and Mr Davies will be very well aware of this, I know, from his local representation—is that it has to be done with community consent. He will know the level of anxiety there has been in parts of south-west and north-west Wales during the pandemic, of people coming into those areas from places where the virus has been in more virulent circulation, and of the risk of the virus coming into places where it's been in low circulation and the impact that that could have on local services and local lives. So, there's a job of work for the industry to do, as well, in having those conversations with local populations—many of those people work in the tourism sector themselves—so that as we move, if we are able to, to allow tourism to resume in Wales, people who travel to those communities can be sure that they would be welcome, and that the industry will once again be demonstrating to people everything that Wales has to offer.
Wel, Lywydd, gadewch imi ddweud bod y diwydiant twristiaeth yn cael cryn dipyn o ystyriaeth gennyf ac yn y gwaith a wnawn o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru. Rwy'n llwyr sylweddoli'r effaith enfawr y mae'r feirws wedi'i chael ar y sector hwnnw yma yng Nghymru. Roeddwn am roi arwydd fod rhywfaint o obaith i’r sector hwnnw hefyd, a bod rhai ffyrdd y gallai rhywfaint o weithgarwch twristiaeth ailgychwyn yn ystod y tymor hwn, ond bydd yn rhaid gwneud hynny gan gadw diogelwch yn flaenllaw yn ein meddyliau, fel y dywedodd Paul Davies yn gwbl briodol. Rydym yn cael cyswllt rheolaidd iawn â sefydliadau a diddordebau twristiaeth yng Nghymru. Cefais gyfarfod ddoe ddiwethaf gyda’r Gweinidog sy’n gyfrifol, gydag uwch swyddogion yma, gan adrodd ar y sgyrsiau hynny a meddwl ymlaen at yr hyn y gallem ei gynnig o ran llacio’r cyfyngiadau symud. Os oes modd felly, ymddengys bod dechrau gyda llety hunangynhwysol, lle nad yw pobl yn rhannu ceginau a thoiledau a chawodydd ac ati, yn ffordd synhwyrol a diogel o feddwl sut y gallwn ailddechrau gweithgarwch yn y diwydiant twristiaeth.
Y ffactor allweddol arall—a gwn y bydd Mr Davies yn ymwybodol iawn o hyn o'i ardal leol—yw bod yn rhaid gwneud hynny gyda chaniatâd y gymuned. Fe fydd yn ymwybodol o lefel y pryderon a fu mewn rhannau o dde-orllewin a gogledd-orllewin Cymru yn ystod y pandemig, ynglŷn â phobl yn dod i'r ardaloedd hynny o fannau lle mae'r feirws wedi bod yn lledaenu'n fwy helaeth, ac o’r perygl y bydd y feirws yn dod i lefydd lle mae’r cylchrediad wedi bod yn isel a'r effaith y gallai hynny ei chael ar wasanaethau lleol a bywydau lleol. Felly, mae gwaith i'r diwydiant ei wneud hefyd, o ran cael y sgyrsiau hynny gyda phoblogaethau lleol—mae llawer o'r bobl hynny’n gweithio yn y sector twristiaeth eu hunain—er mwyn sicrhau, wrth inni ddechrau caniatáu i dwristiaeth ailddechrau yng Nghymru, os gallwn, y gall y bobl sy'n teithio i'r cymunedau hynny fod yn sicr y byddai croeso iddynt, ac y bydd y diwydiant unwaith eto'n dangos popeth sydd gan Gymru i'w gynnig i bobl.
First Minister, we no longer have First Minister's questions and, instead, I respond once again remotely to your statement. The Westminster Parliament has returned, but elected Members aren't allowed to attend the Senedd, yet on Saturday a mass of protesters were allowed to demonstrate at the Senedd, in sight of where your health Minister had his takeaway family picnic. I asked you then if you'd read Animal Farm, as it seemed some were more equal than others. This week, as others were fined for travelling a bit more than 5 miles to see family, at least one Labour Member joined the protest in Bute park. Why should others obey the lockdown if Labour Members who impose it break it? Mandy Jones from my group rightly observed, if the second protest goes ahead,
'This is a slap in the face to those who have sacrificed so much in order to defeat the virus.'
When asked your view on the protests, did you take the opportunity to condemn their illegality? Did you warn protestors they could be fined or say you would support the police in issuing such fines? No. You chose instead to condemn the elected Member who sought to uphold the law. Of course, the mass protest—organised, incidentally, Llywydd, by a group that wants to dismantle capitalism and defund the police—is a slap in the face to many who have sacrificed so much in order to defeat the virus.
First Minister, will you apologise to Mandy Jones for your disgraceful slur in attempting to link that turn of phrase to a police officer seemingly killing a man by kneeling on his neck for eight and a half minutes? Why won't you enforce your rules without fear or favour? Is it because you support the protests, or is it because you are afraid that you will be 'cancelled' by the protestors, as Jenny Rathbone and Ali Ahmed were on Saturday when they respectively spoke up for other minority groups and said, 'All lives matter'? First Minister as you won't enforce your laws fairly, isn't it time we repealed them?
Brif Weinidog, nid ydym yn cael cwestiynau i’r Prif Weinidog mwyach, ac yn lle hynny, rwy’n ymateb o bell i'ch datganiad unwaith eto. Mae Senedd San Steffan wedi dychwelyd, ond ni chaniateir i Aelodau etholedig fynychu’r Senedd, ac eto ddydd Sadwrn, caniatawyd i lu o brotestwyr ddod i brotestio yn y Senedd, o fewn golwg i'r man lle cafodd eich Gweinidog iechyd ei bicnic tecawê gyda’i deulu. Gofynnais i chi bryd hynny a oeddech chi wedi darllen Animal Farm, gan ei bod yn ymddangos bod rhai yn fwy cyfartal nag eraill. Yr wythnos hon, wrth i rai gael dirwyon am deithio ychydig dros 5 milltir i weld eu teuluoedd, ymunodd o leiaf un Aelod Llafur â'r brotest ym mharc Bute. Pam y dylai eraill gydymffurfio â'r cyfyngiadau symud os yw'r Aelodau Llafur sy'n eu gorfodi yn eu torri? Nododd Mandy Jones o fy ngrŵp, yn gwbl gywir, os aiff yr ail brotest yn ei blaen,
Mae hyn yn sarhad ar y rhai sydd wedi aberthu cymaint er mwyn trechu'r feirws.
Pan ofynnwyd i chi am eich barn ar y protestiadau, a wnaethoch chi achub ar y cyfle i gondemnio eu hanghyfreithlondeb? A wnaethoch chi rybuddio protestwyr y gallent gael dirwy, neu ddweud y byddech yn cefnogi'r heddlu i roi dirwyon o'r fath? Naddo. Yn lle hynny, fe ddewisoch gondemnio'r Aelod etholedig a geisiodd gynnal y gyfraith. Wrth gwrs, mae’r brotest dorfol—a drefnwyd, gyda llaw, Lywydd, gan grŵp sydd am chwalu cyfalafiaeth a dadariannu’r heddlu—yn sarhad ar lawer o bobl sydd wedi aberthu cymaint er mwyn trechu’r feirws.
Brif Weinidog, a wnewch chi ymddiheuro i Mandy Jones am eich sarhad gwarthus wrth geisio cysylltu’r ymadrodd 'slap in the face' â heddwas yn lladd dyn, yn ôl pob golwg, drwy benlinio ar ei wddf am wyth munud a hanner? Pam na wnewch chi orfodi eich rheolau yn ddiduedd? Ai oherwydd eich bod yn cefnogi'r protestiadau, neu ai oherwydd eich bod yn ofni y bydd y protestwyr yn eich 'canslo', fel a ddigwyddodd i Jenny Rathbone ac Ali Ahmed ddydd Sadwrn pan wnaethant siarad ar ran grwpiau lleiafrifol eraill gan ddweud, 'Mae pob bywyd yn bwysig'? Brif Weinidog, gan na wnewch chi orfodi eich deddfau'n deg, onid yw'n bryd inni eu diddymu?
Llywydd, how this Parliament chooses to sit is not a matter for me. If this Parliament decides that it wants to resume meeting partly or wholly in person, then I will appear in front of the Senedd to answer questions. It's entirely a matter for you, not a matter for me.
As to the point the Member made about lawmakers, let me be clear: my view has always been that you cannot make the law and break the law, and that goes for us all, every single Member, in my view. We have the enormous privilege of making decisions that we then ask other people to abide by. We cannot make those decisions, ask them to abide by them and not abide by them ourselves, and that goes for us all.
Llywydd, I very much support the police in the way that they have responded to demonstrations. It's not for me to instruct them who have to make those decisions on the front line as to how they should respond to the circumstances unfolding in front of them. I think police in Wales have responded in a constructive way to the difficult position they have faced, and I want to support them in the actions they have taken.
As for demonstrators, I simply say again that I understand and share the anger that they feel and their need to make their views known, but there are other and better ways to do that in the current circumstances. People should not gather when they are in close proximity with one another and in violation of the rules that we have set down. There are many other ways in which views can be known and need to be known and ought to be known, and I urge people in Wales who feel so strongly, as I do myself, to make those views known in ways that do not put themselves and others at risk.
Lywydd, nid mater i mi yw sut y mae'r Senedd hon yn dewis eistedd. Os bydd y Senedd hon yn penderfynu ei bod am ailddechrau cyfarfod yn y cnawd yn rhannol neu'n gyfan gwbl, yna byddaf yn ymddangos gerbron y Senedd i ateb cwestiynau. Mater i chi yw hynny'n llwyr, nid i mi.
O ran y pwynt a wnaeth yr Aelod am y rhai sy'n llunio deddfau, gadewch imi ddweud yn glir: fy marn i erioed yw na allwch wneud y gyfraith a thorri'r gyfraith, ac mae hynny'n wir i bob un ohonom, pob un Aelod, yn fy marn i. Mae gennym y fraint enfawr o wneud penderfyniadau ac yna gofyn i bobl eraill gadw atynt. Ni allwn wneud y penderfyniadau hynny, gofyn iddynt gadw atynt a pheidio â chadw atynt ein hunain, ac mae hynny'n wir am bob un ohonom.
Lywydd, rwy'n cefnogi'r heddlu'n fawr yn y ffordd y maent wedi ymateb i’r gwrthdystiadau. Nid fy lle i yw cyfarwyddo’r rheini sy'n gorfod gwneud y penderfyniadau hynny ar y rheng flaen ynglŷn â sut y dylent ymateb i'r amgylchiadau sy'n datblygu o'u blaenau. Credaf fod yr heddlu yng Nghymru wedi ymateb mewn ffordd adeiladol i'r sefyllfa anodd y maent wedi'i hwynebu, a hoffwn eu cefnogi ar y camau y maent wedi'u cymryd.
O ran y gwrthdystwyr, dywedaf eto fy mod yn deall ac yn rhannu'r dicter y maent yn ei deimlo a'u hangen i fynegi eu barn, ond mae ffyrdd eraill a ffyrdd gwell o wneud hynny o dan yr amgylchiadau presennol. Ni ddylai pobl ymgynnull pan fyddant yn dod yn agos at ei gilydd ac yn mynd yn groes i'r rheolau rydym wedi'u gosod. Ceir sawl ffordd arall o fynegi barn, ac mae angen, ac fe ddylid mynegi'r farn honno, ac rwy’n annog pobl yng Nghymru sy'n teimlo’n gryf, fel finnau, i fynegi’r safbwyntiau hynny mewn ffyrdd nad ydynt yn peryglu eu hunain ac eraill.
For the avoidance of any doubt, this Parliament is sitting. David Rees.
Er mwyn osgoi unrhyw amheuaeth, mae'r Senedd hon yn eistedd. David Rees.
Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, we've literally received a notification from Albert Heaney within minutes of the guidance that may be changing for care homes and visits to care homes. I've received constituents' concerns regarding the ability to visit relatives in care homes who may be suffering with dementia. There are some excellent examples, Sŵn-y-Môr in Aberavon actually uses video contacting, video on FaceTime. They'll go around every resident to ensure that every member of their family has a chance to see them. That's not possible in all care homes.
Now, the letter that's just come out gives an indication that they're seeking comments from the public, and guidance will be published in coming weeks, but your review is scheduled for next week. Can you give us an indication as to whether there will be opportunities for care homes that are COVID-free to actually allow visits from families, particularly to members who have dementia, who see a friendly family face as crucial to their mental well-being? Is that part of your thinking on that guidance?
Diolch, Lywydd. Brif Weinidog, rydym yn llythrennol newydd gael gwybod gan Albert Heaney yn y munudau diwethaf am y canllawiau a allai fod yn newid ar gyfer cartrefi gofal ac ymweliadau â chartrefi gofal. Rwyf wedi derbyn pryderon gan etholwyr ynghylch y gallu i ymweld â pherthnasau mewn cartrefi gofal a allai fod yn dioddef o ddementia. Mae rhai enghreifftiau rhagorol, mae Sŵn-y-Môr yn Aberafan yn defnyddio cyswllt fideo, fideo ar FaceTime. Byddant yn mynd o un preswylydd i’r llall i sicrhau bod pob aelod o'u teulu yn cael cyfle i'w gweld. Nid yw hynny'n bosibl ym mhob cartref gofal.
Nawr, mae'r llythyr sydd newydd ei ryddhau’n nodi eu bod yn awyddus i gael sylwadau gan y cyhoedd, a bydd canllawiau’n cael eu cyhoeddi yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf, ond mae eich adolygiad wedi'i drefnu ar gyfer yr wythnos nesaf. A allwch roi syniad inni a fydd cyfleoedd i gartrefi gofal heb achosion o COVID ganiatáu ymweliadau gan deuluoedd, yn enwedig ymweliadau â phreswylwyr â dementia, sy'n gweld wyneb cyfeillgar aelod o’r teulu fel rhywbeth hanfodol i'w lles meddyliol? A yw hynny'n rhan o'ch ystyriaethau ynglŷn â’r canllawiau hynny?
Llywydd, I thank David Rees for that. Just to say again, I hugely appreciate the human cost that there is for families and for residents in not being able to see one another at times in their lives where that human contact means so much to them.
But Mr Rees referred to care homes in Wales where there is no COVID in circulation, and three quarters of all the care homes in Wales have not reported a single confirmed case. But there are only two ways, really, in which coronavirus could get into a home where there is no coronavirus at the moment. One is it is brought in by a member of staff, and the second is that it is brought in by a visitor. So, the rules that we have had in place are absolutely there to protect care home residents from the devastating effect that coronavirus can have in a home that has elderly people with underlying health conditions living in close proximity to one another. Week after week, Llywydd, in these sessions, we have had to stare at those very, very sobering figures of the number of people who have died in care homes in Wales.
So, Mr Heaney's letter, which went out on 5 June, does advise care homes about how they can do more to allow visits from family and friends to care home residents in circumstances that minimise that risk. Care homes are able to do that under the current regulations; it doesn't require a change in regulations to be able to do the additional things that Albert Heaney is advising.
As David Rees said, there are many, many care homes in Wales that are already doing hugely imaginative things to try and bridge the gap between what was possible before and what has been possible during the pandemic. We have a group working on that further guidance. It meets again tomorrow. We want to be able to do more to allow families to have contact with people in care homes, but we can only judge it against the real risk, the risk we have seen from the number of deaths that have taken place, of what the virus does if it does get into a care home where, up until now, all those efforts have succeeded in keeping it at bay.
Lywydd, diolch i David Rees am hynny. Hoffwn ddweud unwaith eto, rwy’n llwyr sylweddoli’r gost bersonol i deuluoedd ac i breswylwyr o ganlyniad i fethu gweld ei gilydd ar adegau yn eu bywydau pan fo’r cyswllt personol hwnnw’n golygu cymaint iddynt.
Ond cyfeiriodd Mr Rees at gartrefi gofal yng Nghymru lle nad oes achosion o COVID, ac nid oes unrhyw achos wedi'i gadarnhau yn nhri chwarter yr holl gartrefi gofal yng Nghymru. Ond dim ond mewn dwy ffordd, mewn gwirionedd, y gall coronafeirws fynd i mewn i gartref lle nad oes coronafeirws ar hyn o bryd. Un yw ei fod yn cael ei gyflwyno gan aelod o staff, a'r ail yw bod ymwelydd yn ei gyflwyno. Felly, mae'r rheolau a roddwyd ar waith gennym yno'n bendant i ddiogelu preswylwyr cartrefi gofal rhag yr effaith ddinistriol y gall coronafeirws ei chael mewn cartref sydd â phobl oedrannus â chyflyrau iechyd sy'n bodoli eisoes yn byw yn agos at ei gilydd. Wythnos ar ôl wythnos, Lywydd, yn y sesiynau hyn, rydym wedi gorfod syllu ar y ffigurau difrifol iawn sy'n gysylltiedig â nifer y bobl sydd wedi marw mewn cartrefi gofal yng Nghymru.
Felly, mae llythyr Mr Heaney, a gyhoeddwyd ar 5 Mehefin, yn cynghori cartrefi gofal sut y gallant wneud mwy i ganiatáu ymweliadau gan deulu a ffrindiau â phreswylwyr cartrefi gofal mewn amgylchiadau sy'n lleihau'r risg honno. Gall cartrefi gofal wneud hynny o dan y rheoliadau cyfredol; nid oes angen newid rheoliadau i allu gwneud y pethau ychwanegol y mae Albert Heaney yn eu cynghori.
Fel y dywedodd David Rees, mae llawer iawn o gartrefi gofal yng Nghymru eisoes yn gwneud pethau hynod ddychmygus i geisio pontio'r bwlch rhwng yr hyn a oedd yn bosibl o'r blaen a'r hyn sydd wedi bod bosibl yn ystod y pandemig. Mae gennym grŵp yn gweithio ar y canllawiau pellach hynny. Mae'n cyfarfod eto yfory. Rydym yn awyddus i allu gwneud mwy i ganiatáu i deuluoedd gael cyswllt â phobl mewn cartrefi gofal, ond mae’n rhaid inni fesur hynny yn erbyn y risg wirioneddol, y risg rydym wedi’i gweld o'r nifer o farwolaethau a fu, o'r hyn y mae'r feirws yn ei wneud os yw'n mynd i mewn i gartref gofal lle mae'r holl ymdrechion hyd yma wedi llwyddo i'w gadw draw.
First Minister, the calls to protect people's right to breathe clean air have clearly intensified during recent months, and I'm sure you'll share my concern that the Hafod landfill site near Wrexham caught fire a fortnight ago. Thick black plumes of smoke passed over the large neighbouring communities, communities, by the way, of course, who'd fought a vigorous campaign some years ago to prevent waste being dumped there. Now, as with the recent fire at nearby Kronospan, mobile air-quality monitoring equipment had to be moved in from Swansea, and that took days to arrive. Arguably, the worst of the damage had already been done, but within two hours of its arrival, the equipment actually detected particulates above the acceptable levels, and residents were told to stay indoors with windows shut for three days. We know, of course, that burning plastics and other wastes creates dioxins and furans, chemicals that can accumulate in the food chain, and, of course, they can cause cancer as well.
Now, hundreds of people have signed the petition saying that enough is enough, and they want to see the Hafod tip close. So, will you, as First Minister, ensure that an independent inquiry is held into the cause of the fire, and that the Hafod landfill site is closed, or at least is closed until the inquiry is concluded? And will the Government also now ensure that we have mobile air quality monitoring equipment located here in north Wales so that we don't have to wait days on end for it to arrive for any future incidents, by which time, of course, most of the damage has already been done?
Brif Weinidog, yn amlwg mae'r galwadau i ddiogelu hawl pobl i anadlu aer glân wedi dwysáu dros y misoedd diwethaf, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn rhannu fy mhryder fod safle tirlenwi Hafod ger Wrecsam wedi mynd ar dân bythefnos yn ôl. Pasiodd mwg du trwchus dros y cymunedau mawr cyfagos; cymunedau, gyda llaw, a ymladdodd ymgyrch egnïol rai blynyddoedd yn ôl i atal gwastraff rhag cael ei ddympio yno. Nawr, fel gyda'r tân diweddar cyfagos yn Kronospan, bu’n rhaid cludo offer monitro ansawdd aer symudol yno o Abertawe, a chymerodd ddyddiau i’r offer hwnnw gyrraedd. Gellir dadlau bod y difrod gwaethaf eisoes wedi'i wneud, ond ymhen dwy awr ar ôl iddo gyrraedd, roedd yr offer yn canfod gronynnau uwchlaw'r lefelau derbyniol, a dywedwyd wrth y preswylwyr am aros yn eu tai gyda’r ffenestri ar gau am dri diwrnod. Gwyddom, wrth gwrs, fod llosgi plastigion a gwastraff arall yn creu deuocsinau a ffwranau, cemegion sy'n gallu cronni yn y gadwyn fwyd, ac wrth gwrs, gallant achosi canser hefyd.
Nawr, mae cannoedd o bobl wedi llofnodi'r ddeiseb i ddweud mai digon yw digon, ac maent am weld tomen wastraff Hafod yn cau. Felly, a wnewch chi, fel Prif Weinidog, sicrhau bod ymchwiliad annibynnol yn cael ei gynnal i achos y tân, a bod safle tirlenwi Hafod yn cau, neu o leiaf ar gau hyd nes y daw'r ymchwiliad i ben? Ac a wnaiff y Llywodraeth sicrhau hefyd fod gennym offer monitro ansawdd aer symudol yma yng ngogledd Cymru fel na fydd yn rhaid inni aros am ddyddiau bwy'i gilydd iddo gyrraedd ar gyfer unrhyw ddigwyddiadau yn y dyfodol, gan fod y rhan fwyaf o'r difrod eisoes wedi'i wneud erbyn hynny wrth gwrs?
Well, Llywydd, there are authorities that have responsibilities in this area—the local authority, the fire authority; they will be providing reports on the events to which Llyr Gruffydd has referred, and the Welsh Government will consider those reports and then decide what further action may be needed. I take the point he made in his final sentence, about the availability of mobile air quality equipment, and I will look to see whether there is anything that can be done to improve that position.
Wel, Lywydd, mae yna awdurdodau sydd â chyfrifoldebau yn y maes hwn—yr awdurdod lleol, yr awdurdod tân; byddant yn darparu adroddiadau ar y digwyddiadau y mae Llyr Gruffydd wedi cyfeirio atynt, a bydd Llywodraeth Cymru’n ystyried yr adroddiadau hynny ac yna'n penderfynu pa gamau pellach y gallai fod eu hangen. Rwy’n derbyn y pwynt a wnaeth yn ei frawddeg olaf, ynghylch argaeledd offer ansawdd aer symudol, a byddaf yn edrych i weld a oes unrhyw beth y gellir ei wneud i wella'r sefyllfa honno.
How do you respond to yesterday's statement by the British Association of Private Dentistry in Wales, which has grown from nought to 400 members in under a week, that many patients are suffering needlessly, and that urgent action to deliver routine dentistry under interim standard operating procedures and personal protective equipment is required to allow the Welsh population the same care as in England, but more importantly, around the world, and that many dental practices will not otherwise survive?
And how do you respond to the following, which Wrexham Glyndŵr University has asked me to raise here? With substantial numbers of staff and students from across the nearby border with England, they're concerned about the current divergence at this early stage of emerging from lockdown, and the confusion this may cause if it persists into later stages. How will they be able to communicate clearly to staff and students who may be anxious about being in breach?
Sut rydych yn ymateb i’r datganiad ddoe gan Gymdeithas Deintyddiaeth Breifat Prydain yng Nghymru, sydd wedi tyfu yn ei haelodaeth o ddim i 400 aelod mewn llai nag wythnos, fod llawer o gleifion yn dioddef yn ddiangen, a bod angen gweithredu ar frys i ddarparu deintyddiaeth arferol o dan weithdrefnau gweithredu safonol dros dro ynghyd â chyfarpar diogelu personol i roi’r un gofal i boblogaeth Cymru â’r hyn a geir yn Lloegr, ond yn bwysicach fyth, ledled y byd, ac y bydd llawer o bractisau deintyddol yn methu goroesi fel arall?
A sut rydych yn ymateb i'r mater canlynol, y gofynnodd Prifysgol Glyndŵr Wrecsam i mi ei godi yma? Gyda niferoedd sylweddol o staff a myfyrwyr yn dod o ochr arall y ffin gyfagos â Lloegr, maent yn poeni am y gwahaniaethau presennol ar y cam cynnar hwn o godi’r cyfyngiadau symud, a'r dryswch y gallai hyn ei beri os bydd yn parhau ar gamau diweddarach. Sut y byddant yn gallu cyfathrebu'n glir â staff a myfyrwyr a allai fod yn bryderus ynglŷn â thorri rheolau?
Llywydd, I respond to the first group by referring them to the advice of the Chief Dental Officer for Wales, who is the person best equipped—a good deal better equipped than the Member will be—to provide people with expert advice in the dental field, and the continuing discussions that she will have with the profession in Wales. That's how decisions should be made—by proper professional discussion and professional leadership, and I refer them to the leader of their profession here in Wales.
As to the points made by staff at Glyndŵr university, I would be very pleased to recruit and co-opt them into the efforts that we make as a Welsh Government to make clear what the rules are here in Wales, and to put right any confusion caused by his colleagues across our border.
Lywydd, rwy'n ymateb i'r grŵp cyntaf drwy eu cyfeirio at gyngor Prif Swyddog Deintyddol Cymru, sef yr unigolyn sydd yn y sefyllfa orau—sefyllfa well o lawer na'r Aelod—i roi cyngor arbenigol i bobl yn y maes deintyddol, a'r trafodaethau parhaus y bydd yn eu cael gyda'r proffesiwn yng Nghymru. Dyna sut y dylid gwneud penderfyniadau—drwy drafodaeth broffesiynol briodol ac arweinyddiaeth broffesiynol, ac fe’u cyfeiriaf at arweinydd eu proffesiwn yma yng Nghymru.
O ran y pwyntiau a wnaed gan staff ym mhrifysgol Glyndŵr, byddwn yn fwy na pharod i’w recriwtio a’u cyfethol i’r ymdrechion a wnawn fel Llywodraeth Cymru i egluro beth yw’r rheolau yma yng Nghymru, ac i egluro unrhyw ddryswch a achoswyd gan ei gyd-bleidwyr dros y ffin.
First Minister, can I welcome the fact that, at the last review of the COVID regulations, the Welsh Government were able to ensure that apprentices can return to college in order to complete their practical studies, and therefore complete their qualifications? That's great news for those young people, and we hope, of course, that it will benefit the economy, too. However, I do fear the scale of problems that could face young people in the months ahead. In my own constituency, the youth unemployment claimant count is currently running at about 11 per cent. So, do you agree that, in seeking to address this in the longer term, we should scale up on existing successes like the Aspire programme at Merthyr college, and perhaps look to see if this apprenticeship model could be applied in more sectors and beyond STEM students, benefitting young people and local employers in a wider variety of settings?
Brif Weinidog, yn yr adolygiad diwethaf o'r rheoliadau COVID, a gaf fi groesawu'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gallu sicrhau y gall prentisiaid ddychwelyd i’r coleg i gwblhau eu hastudiaethau ymarferol, ac felly i gwblhau eu cymwysterau? Mae hynny'n newyddion gwych i'r bobl ifanc hynny, a gobeithiwn, wrth gwrs, y bydd o fudd i'r economi hefyd. Fodd bynnag, mae graddau'r problemau y gallai pobl ifanc eu hwynebu dros y misoedd i ddod yn fy nychryn. Yn fy etholaeth i, mae nifer y bobl sy'n hawlio budd-daliadau diweithdra ieuenctid oddeutu 11 y cant ar hyn o bryd. Felly, a ydych yn cytuno, wrth geisio mynd i'r afael â hyn yn y tymor hwy, y dylem adeiladu ar lwyddiannau blaenorol fel rhaglen Anelu'n Uchel yng ngholeg Merthyr Tudful, ac efallai edrych i weld a ellid defnyddio'r model prentisiaeth hwn mewn mwy o sectorau a thu hwnt i fyfyrwyr STEM, er budd pobl ifanc a chyflogwyr lleol mewn amrywiaeth ehangach o leoliadau?
Llywydd, I thank Dawn Bowden for that, and we were very glad to be able to support the FE sector in their wish to enable young people with practical examinations to complete those so that they weren't disadvantaged compared to young people receiving more conventional academic qualifications who'd already been catered for here in Wales.
I thank Dawn Bowden for drawing attention to the success of the Aspire scheme. As she will know, it's an example of a shared apprenticeship scheme where young people get an opportunity to gain experience in a variety of different settings, and where small employers, in particular, who may not have the capacity to take on a whole apprentice full time, are still able to have the benefit of an apprentice working as part of their workforce. And, Llywydd, Dawn's suggestion was to build on success and to spread it further. She will know that the Aspire scheme began in Blaenau Gwent where we put 80 young people working as part of the Aspire scheme there, and was then moved to take place in Merthyr as well. And I think that's a very good practical example of exactly the point Dawn Bowden was making; it was a success, we're doing more of it, and we've extended the funding for it in Merthyr and Blaenau Gwent for another 12 months.
As we move into the difficult days ahead where unemployment is going to be increasing, and the impact we know that that has on young people's lives, then building on the things that we've done already and know can succeed will be a very, very important part of our armoury.
Lywydd, diolch i Dawn Bowden am hynny, ac roeddem yn falch iawn o allu cefnogi'r sector addysg bellach yn eu hawydd i alluogi pobl ifanc i gwblhau arholiadau ymarferol fel nad oeddent dan anfantais o gymharu â phobl ifanc sy'n cael cymwysterau academaidd mwy confensiynol y darparwyd ar eu cyfer eisoes yma yng Nghymru.
Diolch i Dawn Bowden am dynnu sylw at lwyddiant cynllun Anelu’n Uchel. Fel y gŵyr, mae'n enghraifft o gynllun rhannu prentisiaeth lle mae pobl ifanc yn cael cyfle i ennill profiad mewn amrywiaeth o wahanol leoliadau, a lle mae cyflogwyr bach, yn enwedig, nad oes ganddynt y capasiti, o bosibl, i gyflogi prentis cyfan amser llawn, yn dal i allu elwa o brentis yn gweithio fel rhan o'u gweithlu. A Lywydd, awgrym Dawn oedd adeiladu ar lwyddiant a'i ledaenu ymhellach. Fe fydd yn ymwybodol fod cynllun Anelu’n Uchel wedi cychwyn ym Mlaenau Gwent, lle bu gennym 80 o bobl ifanc yn gweithio yno fel rhan o gynllun Anelu’n Uchel, ac yna fe’i symudwyd i weithredu ym Merthyr Tudful hefyd. A chredaf fod honno'n enghraifft ymarferol dda iawn o'r union bwynt roedd Dawn Bowden yn ei wneud; roedd yn llwyddiant, rydym yn gwneud mwy ohono, ac rydym wedi ymestyn y cyllid ar ei gyfer ym Merthyr Tudful a Blaenau Gwent am 12 mis arall.
Wrth inni agosáu at y dyddiau anodd o'n blaenau lle bydd diweithdra’n cynyddu, a'r effaith y gwyddom y mae hynny’n ei chael ar fywydau pobl ifanc, bydd adeiladu ar y pethau rydym wedi'u gwneud eisoes ac yn gwybod y gallant lwyddo yn arf eithriadol o bwysig.
Wythnos yn ôl, mi oeddwn i'n galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i wneud argymhelliad i bobl wisgo gorchuddion wyneb mewn rhai sefyllfaoedd, ac mi fuaswn i'n licio dweud i ddechrau fy mod i yn falch bod y Llywodraeth rŵan wedi gweithredu ar hynny. Ond eisiau mynd ar ôl materion deintyddiaeth a COVID-19 ydw i. Dwi wedi cael nifer o ddeintyddion yn cysylltu efo fi yn dilyn cyhoeddiad ynglŷn â sut mae gwasanaethau deintyddol yn mynd i fod yn cael eu hadfer yng Nghymru. Mi oedd un yn gefnogol iawn i'r ffaith bod yr adferiad hwnnw yn mynd i fod yn raddol iawn, yn pwysleisio'r risg gwirioneddol sydd yna o heintiad mewn sefyllfa ddeintyddol. Roedd yn dweud bod Lloegr yn eu cyhoeddiad diweddar nhw ar wasanaethau deintyddol wedi dal i fyny efo Cymru o ran ailgyflwyno rhai gwasanaethau a oedd eisoes yn cael eu gwneud yma.
Ond mae'n rhaid dweud mai pryder oedd gan y rhan fwyaf ohonyn nhw—pryder bod Cymru i'w weld yn dilyn trywydd llawer arafach i ailgyflwyno gwasanaethau na'r rhan fwyaf o wledydd, yn sicr yn edrych drwy Ewrop; pryder y byddai peidio â gallu gwneud rhai triniaethau mor sylfaenol â fillings, ac ati, yn golygu bod gwaith ataliol allweddol yn methu â digwydd, a'r effaith andwyol y gall hynny ei gael ar iechyd deintyddol y boblogaeth. Roedd eraill yn pwyntio allan bod deintyddiaeth fel proffesiwn wedi hen arfer gweithio efo risgiau cross-infection cymhleth. Maen nhw hefyd yn poeni bod y prif swyddog deintyddol—
A week ago, I was calling on the Welsh Government to make a recommendation that people should wear a face mask in certain circumstances, and may I say that I am pleased that the Government has now taken action on that. But I wanted to pursue issues of dentistry in COVID-19. I've had a number of dentists contacting me following an announcement on how dental services are to be restored in Wales. One was very supportive of the fact that that was going to be very gradual, and emphasised the very real risk of infection in a dental situation, and said that England, in their recent announcement on dental services, had caught up with Wales in terms of the re-introduction of certain services already provided here.
But I have to say that most of those dentists were concerned—concerned that Wales was moving far more slowly in re-introducing services than most other nations, certainly looking throughout Europe; concern that failure to provide fundamental services like fillings meant that crucial preventative services couldn't happen, and the detrimental impact that that could have on the dental health of the population. Others emphasised that dental services are well used to dealing with cross-infection—
Cwestiwn plîs, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
A question please, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Mi ddof i at gwestiwn yn syth, rŵan.
[Yn Parhau.]—wedi defnyddio'r cyfle yma i wneud newidiadau i gontractau deintyddol, a dwi ddim yn meddwl mai dyma'r amser i wneud hynny. Felly, gaf i ofyn i'r Prif Weinidog, ydy o'n clywed y pryderon hynny ac ydy o'n barod i weithio efo'r proffesiwn i chwilio am ffordd wahanol ymlaen?
I will come to my question immediately.
[Continues.]—and they also said that there's been an opportunity taken to change dental contracts, and I don't think that this is the right time to do this. So, I ask the First Minister, does he hear those concerns and is he willing to work with the profession to find an alternative way forward?
I ddweud i ddechrau, Llywydd, wrth gwrs rŷm ni'n awyddus fel Llywodraeth i weld mwy o wasanaethau yn y maes sylfaenol yn tyfu, ac mae hwnna'n wir am y maes deintyddiaeth, wrth gwrs. Ond mae'n rhaid i ni wneud e mewn ffordd sy'n gallu gofalu am bobl sy'n gweithio yn y maes, ac am gleifion hefyd. Bydd Rhun ap Iorwerth dwi'n siŵr yn ymwybodol ar ôl clywed oddi wrth bobl ei bod yn heriol yn y maes yna.
If I could say at the outset, Llywydd, of course we as a Government are eager to see more services being provided in primary care, and that is true of dentistry, of course it is. But we must do it in a way in which we can care for those working in dentistry, and for their patients too. I know that Rhun ap Iorwerth will be aware, having heard from people in the sector, that there are challenges in that sector.
It's quite impossible to practice dentistry at a 2m distance, and the use of aerosols, which is an intrinsic part of dental practice, poses particular risks when it comes to this virus. So, we are keen, of course, to see dentistry resume, as with other primary care services, but it's got to be done in a way that protects the health of workers and of patients. That's what the advice of the chief dental officer was designed to deliver in a phased resumption of dental practice. She remains in close conversation with the profession. If it is safe to do more more quickly, that is exactly what we would want to see. But the word 'safe' has to mean something, and it has to mean something that we can all rely on, otherwise patients won't come. That's why it's in the interest of the profession to make sure that they can confidently communicate to patients that the services they will be offering have been approved by the leaders of their profession as being ones that are now safe to resume.
Mae'n amhosibl ymarfer deintyddiaeth o bellter o 2m, ac mae defnyddio aerosolau, sy'n rhan annatod o ymarfer deintyddol, yn peri risgiau penodol mewn perthynas â'r feirws hwn. Felly, rydym yn awyddus, wrth gwrs, i weld deintyddiaeth yn ailddechrau, yn yr un modd â gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol eraill, ond mae'n rhaid i hynny ddigwydd mewn ffordd sy'n diogelu iechyd gweithwyr a chleifion. Dyna y cynlluniwyd cyngor y prif swyddog deintyddol i'w gyflawni wrth i ymarfer deintyddol ailgychwyn yn raddol. Mae hi'n dal i gael trafodaethau agos gyda'r proffesiwn. Os yw'n ddiogel gwneud hyn yn gyflymach, dyna'n union y byddem am ei weld. Ond mae'n rhaid i'r gair 'diogel' olygu rhywbeth, ac mae'n rhaid iddo olygu rhywbeth y gall pob un ohonom ddibynnu arno, neu fel arall, ni fydd y cleifion yn mynychu. Dyna pam y byddai’n talu i’r proffesiwn sicrhau eu bod yn gallu dweud yn hyderus wrth y cleifion fod y gwasanaethau y byddant yn eu cynnig wedi cael eu cymeradwyo gan arweinwyr eu proffesiwn fel rhai sydd bellach yn ddiogel i'w hailddechrau.
The chair of Care Forum Wales has publicly criticised Public Health Wales for not engaging with care professionals before implementing the new 28-day COVID-free policy restrictions. This could potentially close half of the care homes in Wales due to the financial implications of this and the voids. Could you explain, First Minister, why those in our care sector were not consulted prior to the issuing of this letter? Also, not all COVID-19 test results are being received in the vital 48-hour window; some are taking up to three days. What effect will this have on the new policy of weekly care home testing? As of 1 June, only 22 of 68 homes had been mass tested locally. So, how can we be confident that all homes now will reach that milestone of mass testing, and more so, how are you going to carry out the retesting weekly in our care homes?
And, finally, will you urgently review the impact of 1,400 discharges to care homes in March and April, and the effect that that has on our infection rates, given that some of those were not tested before they left hospital? Diolch yn fawr.
Mae cadeirydd Fforwm Gofal Cymru wedi beirniadu Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru yn gyhoeddus am beidio ag ymgysylltu â gweithwyr gofal proffesiynol cyn gweithredu'r cyfyngiadau polisi rhydd rhag COVID 28 diwrnod newydd. Mae perygl y gallai hyn gau hanner y cartrefi gofal yng Nghymru oherwydd y goblygiadau ariannol a'r bylchau. A allwch egluro, Brif Weinidog, pam nad ymgynghorwyd â'r rheini yn ein sector gofal cyn cyhoeddi'r llythyr hwn? Hefyd, nid yw'r holl ganlyniadau profion COVID-19 yn cael eu dychwelyd o fewn y ffenestr 48 awr hanfodol; mae rhai ohonynt yn cymryd hyd at dri diwrnod. Pa effaith y bydd hyn yn ei chael ar y polisi newydd o gynnal profion wythnosol mewn cartrefi gofal? Ar 1 Mehefin, 22 yn unig o’r 68 cartref a oedd wedi cael profion torfol yn lleol. Felly, sut y gallwn fod yn hyderus y bydd pob cartref bellach yn cyrraedd y garreg filltir o gael profion torfol, ac yn bwysicach fyth, sut rydych yn mynd i ailbrofi’n wythnosol yn ein cartrefi gofal?
Ac yn olaf, a wnewch chi gynnal adolygiad brys o effaith rhyddhau 1,400 o bobl i gartrefi gofal ym mis Mawrth a mis Ebrill, ac effaith hynny ar ein cyfraddau heintio, o gofio na chafodd rhai o'r bobl hynny brawf cyn iddynt adael yr ysbyty? Diolch yn fawr.
Well, Llywydd, the answer to the Member's first question is to be found in her final question. The reason that we are proposing that someone who has tested positive should not be discharged to a care home for 28 days is precisely because of the concerns raised by the sector of people earlier in the progress of the pandemic being released from hospital to a care home and having a risk of bringing coronavirus with them. Our latest position is designed to make sure that that does not happen. Now, you can't have it both ways here. Either you don't want people with coronavirus to be in care homes or you don't. If you don't, then the 28-day rule is designed to deliver on that objective. And we remain in close conversation with the sector all the time.
Llywydd, we are confident that we will have completed our testing of care home residents and of care home staff by 12 June. It has been a most enormous effort. There have been instances in Wales where we've had to work very hard to persuade care homes of the advantage of this policy. And I understand that there will be care homes that are anxious about outsiders coming into the home because of the risk of the virus coming with them. But we've had quite a number of care homes where a lot of conversation has had to be had in order to allow the testing to take place, and that has delayed the testing in quite a number of instances. I see the Member shaking her head at me. I'm simply telling her the facts. I don't know what there is to disagree with them; that is simply a matter that is reported to us by health boards and testers, that not all care homes are equally receptive, and not all care home residents are willing to be tested. And that is a right that they have. It is not a compulsory system. It is an offer. And not all care home residents have wanted to take that offer up, and we have to respect that too.
We are confident that we can now test every care home worker weekly for four weeks, and we will see what we learn from that, and then we will make a decision about a proportionate approach to testing in this sector once that four-week period is over.
Wel, Lywydd, mae’r ateb i gwestiwn cyntaf yr Aelod i'w ganfod yn ei chwestiwn olaf. Y rheswm pam ein bod yn argymell na ddylid rhyddhau rhywun sydd wedi profi'n bositif i gartref gofal am 28 diwrnod yw oherwydd y pryderon a fynegwyd gan y sector ynghylch pobl yn gynharach yn y pandemig yn cael eu rhyddhau o'r ysbyty i gartref gofal gyda’r risg eu bod yn dod â'r coronafeirws gyda hwy. Nod ein safbwynt diweddaraf yw sicrhau nad yw hynny'n digwydd. Nawr, ni allwch ei chael hi’r ddwy ffordd yn hyn o beth. Naill ai nid ydych am i bobl â'r coronafeirws fod mewn cartrefi gofal neu fel arall. Os nad ydych eisiau hynny, mae’r rheol 28 diwrnod wedi’i llunio i gyflawni'r amcan hwnnw. Ac rydym yn parhau i sgwrsio'n agos â'r sector drwy'r amser.
Lywydd, rydym yn hyderus y byddwn wedi cwblhau ein gwaith o brofi preswylwyr cartrefi gofal a staff cartrefi gofal erbyn 12 Mehefin. Mae wedi bod yn ymdrech enfawr. Cafwyd achosion yng Nghymru lle bu'n rhaid i ni weithio'n galed iawn i ddarbwyllo cartrefi gofal ynghylch mantais y polisi hwn. Ac rwy'n deall y bydd rhai cartrefi gofal yn poeni am bobl o'r tu allan yn dod i'r cartref oherwydd y risg y bydd y feirws yn dod gyda hwy. Ond rydym wedi cael cryn dipyn o gartrefi gofal lle bu’n rhaid cael llawer o drafod er mwyn caniatáu i'r profion gael eu cynnal, ac mae hynny wedi gohirio’r profion mewn sawl achos. Rwy'n gweld yr Aelod yn ysgwyd ei phen. Dweud y ffeithiau, dyna rwy'n ei wneud. Nid wyf yn gwybod beth sydd ynddynt i anghytuno ag ef; dyna'n syml y mae byrddau iechyd a phrofwyr yn ei ddweud wrthym, nad yw pob cartref gofal yr un mor barod i dderbyn, ac nad yw pob preswylydd cartref gofal yn barod i gael eu profi. Ac mae hawl ganddynt i wrthod. Nid yw'n system orfodol. Mae'n gynnig. Ac nid yw pob preswylydd cartref gofal wedi bod yn awyddus i fanteisio ar y cynnig hwnnw, ac mae'n rhaid inni barchu hynny hefyd.
Rydym yn hyderus bellach y gallwn brofi pob gweithiwr cartref gofal yn wythnosol am bedair wythnos, a chawn weld beth a ddysgwn o hynny, ac yna byddwn yn gwneud penderfyniad ynglŷn â dull cymesur o brofi yn y sector hwn pan fydd y cyfnod hwnnw o bedair wythnos wedi dod i ben.
Good morning, First Minister. Last night, I was one of many people who took part in a UK-wide discussion on the Co-operative Party's new report 'Owning the Future', about how we can rebuild co-operatively after coronavirus. And the report found that only one in 10 people feel that the UK-wide economy before coronavirus prioritised sharing wealth fairly, and that seven out of 10 people think that the coronavirus recovery should give communities more of a say in how businesses and the economy are run. And, again, seven out of 10 want to keep that renewed sense of community that we found during the crisis.
Now, in Wales, we're fortunate, we've long had a Government that understands and supports co-operative principles, and has acted upon these, year after year after year. But all of us in the Welsh Labour and Co-operative group of Members of the Senedd would ask you, First Minister: will you continue to put those co-operative principles into action, as we rebuild from coronavirus, to grow our collective stake in owning our own future in Wales, as well as right across the UK?
Bore da, Brif Weinidog. Neithiwr, roeddwn yn un o'r nifer o bobl a gymerodd ran mewn trafodaeth ledled y DU ar adroddiad newydd y Blaid Gydweithredol, 'Owning the Future', ynglŷn â sut y gallwn ailadeiladu’n gydweithredol ar ôl y coronafeirws. A chanfu’r adroddiad mai dim ond un o bob 10 o bobl sy’n teimlo bod yr economi ledled y DU cyn y coronafeirws wedi blaenoriaethu rhannu cyfoeth yn deg, a bod saith o bob 10 o bobl yn credu y dylai’r broses o adfer wedi’r coronafeirws roi mwy o lais i gymunedau o ran sut y caiff busnesau a’r economi eu rhedeg. Ac unwaith eto, mae saith o bob 10 am gadw’r ymdeimlad newydd o gymuned a welsom yn ystod yr argyfwng.
Nawr, yng Nghymru, rydym yn ffodus, rydym wedi cael Llywodraeth ers peth amser sy'n deall ac yn cefnogi egwyddorion cydweithredol, ac sydd wedi gweithredu arnynt, flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn. Ond byddai pob un ohonom yn y grŵp Llafur Cymru a Chydweithredol o Aelodau o'r Senedd yn gofyn i chi, Brif Weinidog: a wnewch chi barhau i roi’r egwyddorion cydweithredol hynny ar waith, wrth i ni ailadeiladu wedi'r coronafeirws, er mwyn tyfu ein cyfran gyfunol yn ein perchnogaeth ar ein dyfodol ein hunain yng Nghymru, yn ogystal â ledled y DU?
Llywydd, can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for that question, drawing attention to the very important 'Owning the Future' report, which I've enjoyed reading? And it has that outstanding merit of the co-operative movement, which is that it has a whole series of practical proposals at the end—it is not just a report that analyses the problem; it's a report that then gives you seven, as it happens in this case, intensely practical ways in which you can help to shape the future, as the report suggests. And I'm not in the least surprised at that finding in the report, because people in Wales have done so much co-operatively together over the past three months that it's no wonder that they want a greater collective and co-operative approach to shaping that future. And the things we've done as a Government over the years have always seemed to me to be with the grain of the way that people in Wales think about these matters. So, I'm absolutely happy to recommit to continuing to do that over the rest of this Assembly term, as we begin to move out of, and hopefully beyond, the pandemic. I'm looking forward very much to being part myself of the Wales Co-op Party annual conference, held virtually over the coming weekend, and an opportunity to discuss there practical ways in which we can work together to shape a future in which we all have a stake and the contributions of all Welsh citizens are properly valued and celebrated.
Lywydd, a gaf fi ddiolch i Huw Irranca-Davies am ei gwestiwn a dynnai sylw at yr adroddiad pwysig, 'Owning the Future', y mwynheais ei ddarllen? Ac mae ganddo rinwedd ardderchog y mudiad cydweithredol, sef fod ganddo gyfres gyfan o gynigion ymarferol ar y diwedd—nid adroddiad sy'n dadansoddi'r broblem yn unig ydyw; mae'n adroddiad sydd wedyn yn nodi saith, fel mae'n digwydd yn yr achos hwn, o ffyrdd hynod ymarferol y gallwch helpu i lunio'r dyfodol, fel yr awgryma’r adroddiad. Ac nid yw'r canfyddiad hwnnw yn yr adroddiad yn peri unrhyw syndod i mi, gan fod pobl yng Nghymru wedi gwneud cymaint yn gydweithredol gyda'i gilydd dros y tri mis diwethaf fel nad oes unrhyw ryfedd eu bod yn dymuno cael ymagwedd fwy cyfunol a chydweithredol tuag at lunio’r dyfodol hwnnw. Ac mae'r pethau rydym wedi'u gwneud fel Llywodraeth dros y blynyddoedd bob amser wedi ymddangos i mi yn gydnaws â’r ffordd y mae pobl yng Nghymru yn meddwl am y materion hyn. Felly, rwy’n barod iawn i ailymrwymo i barhau i wneud hynny dros weddill tymor y Cynulliad hwn, wrth inni ddechrau symud allan o’r pandemig, a thu hwnt iddo, gobeithio. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at gymryd rhan yng nghynhadledd flynyddol Plaid Gydweithredol Cymru, a gynhelir yn rhithwir dros y penwythnos sydd i ddod, a chyfle i drafod y ffyrdd ymarferol y gallwn weithio gyda'n gilydd i lunio dyfodol y mae gan bob un ohonom gyfran ynddo, a lle caiff cyfraniadau holl ddinasyddion Cymru eu gwerthfawrogi a'u dathlu'n briodol.
Neil Hamilton. Neil Hamilton?
Neil Hamilton. Neil Hamilton?
I—
Rwyf—
Carry on. I'll come back to you. Lynne Neagle.
Parhewch. Dof yn ôl atoch. Lynne Neagle.
Thank you, Llywydd. First Minister, I entirely share your concerns, expressed in your statement, about the impact of COVID on children and young people. But as I only have a minute today, I wanted to use my time to ask about another group who are all too often voiceless. Figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics have shown a staggering 83 per cent increase in deaths from dementia, not COVID, in April. And the Alzheimer's Society has warned that the pandemic is taking a devastating toll on those living with dementia. Many of us in this Assembly are proud to be dementia friends, and we know from that how vital human contact is to those living with dementia, who have to live in the moment much of the time.
Now, you've talked many times about the need to balance mental health with physical health considerations—you've said it again now in response to David Rees. But can I ask how you've specifically taken into account the devastating impact of isolation and separation from loved ones on those living with dementia in the decisions you've taken? And I'd also like to ask you for your firm commitment today that you will urgently look at the numbers of deaths of those living with dementia, and the associated Alzheimer's research, and for your commitment that you will issue a further written statement, detailing what further actions the Welsh Government will take to mitigate the impact of COVID on those living with dementia. Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Brif Weinidog, rwy’n rhannu eich pryderon, a fynegwyd yn eich datganiad, am effaith COVID ar blant a phobl ifanc. Ond gan mai munud yn unig sydd gennyf heddiw, roeddwn yn awyddus i ddefnyddio fy amser i ofyn am grŵp arall sy'n rhy aml yn ddi-lais. Mae ffigurau a gyhoeddwyd yr wythnos diwethaf gan y Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol wedi dangos cynnydd syfrdanol o 83 y cant yn nifer y marwolaethau o ddementia, nid COVID, ym mis Ebrill. Ac mae Cymdeithas Alzheimer's wedi rhybuddio bod y pandemig yn cael effaith ddinistriol ar y rheini sy'n byw gyda dementia. Mae llawer ohonom yn y Cynulliad hwn yn falch o fod yn ffrindiau dementia, a gwyddom o hynny pa mor hanfodol yw cyswllt dynol i’r rheini sy’n byw gyda dementia, sy'n gorfod byw yn y foment lawer o'r amser.
Nawr, rydych wedi sôn sawl gwaith am yr angen i gydbwyso iechyd meddwl ag ystyriaethau iechyd corfforol—fe ddywedoch chi hynny eto mewn ymateb i David Rees. Ond a gaf fi ofyn sut yn benodol rydych chi wedi ystyried effaith ddinistriol unigedd a gwahanu oddi wrth anwyliaid ar y rheini sy'n byw gyda dementia yn y penderfyniadau rydych wedi eu gwneud? A hoffwn ofyn i chi hefyd am eich ymrwymiad cadarn heddiw i edrych ar frys ar nifer y marwolaethau ymhlith y rheini sy'n byw gyda dementia, a'r ymchwil gysylltiedig i glefyd Alzheimer, ac am eich ymrwymiad i gyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig pellach, gan fanylu ar ba gamau pellach y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i liniaru effaith COVID ar y rheini sy'n byw gyda dementia. Diolch.
Llywydd, can I thank Lynne Neagle for that important question, in a very complex and challenging area? The visits that we've been able to talk about in care homes, and set out in Mr Heaney's letter, require social distancing to be maintained. And as Lynne Neagle will know, that can be particularly difficult to explain to people, who, as she said, live in the moment and where physical contact is often very much part of the way in which they gain comfort from people who come to see them. And yet we know that that physical contact could pose such a significant risk to them and then to other people living in that same setting.
So, these are very complex matters. The ONS figures are very concerning and we will certainly be trying to make sense of them here in Wales. In doing so, we will rely, I'm sure, on the advice of our dementia oversight of implementation and impact group, which comprises of people looking after people with dementia—the lived experience of that—the Alzheimer's Society, and our own health and social care organisations. It's due to meet in the next couple of weeks. It will be looking at that report, at what the Alzheimer's Society itself has said, as well as the ONS, and will be giving us further advice. And as we are able to use that advice to advise others, then I will certainly make sure that that is properly communicated to Assembly Members.
Lywydd, a gaf fi ddiolch i Lynne Neagle am ei chwestiwn pwysig, mewn maes cymhleth a heriol iawn? Mae'r ymweliadau rydym wedi gallu sôn amdanynt mewn cartrefi gofal, ac a nodwyd yn llythyr Mr Heaney, yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i gynnal mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol. Ac fel y gŵyr Lynne Neagle, gall hynny fod yn arbennig o anodd ei egluro i bobl sy'n byw yn y foment, fel y dywedodd, a lle mae cyswllt corfforol yn aml yn rhan o'r ffordd y cânt gysur gan y bobl a ddaw i’w gweld. Fodd bynnag, gwyddom y gallai’r cyswllt corfforol hwnnw beri risg sylweddol iddynt ac yna i’r bobl eraill sy'n byw yn yr un lleoliad.
Felly, mae'r rhain yn faterion cymhleth iawn. Mae ffigurau’r ONS yn peri cryn bryder, a byddwn yn sicr yn ceisio gwneud synnwyr ohonynt yma yng Nghymru. Wrth wneud hynny, byddwn yn dibynnu, rwy'n siŵr, ar gyngor ein grŵp goruchwylio gweithrediad ac effaith ym maes dementia, sy'n cynnwys pobl sy'n gofalu am bobl â dementia—y profiad byw o wneud hynny—Cymdeithas Alzheimer's, a'n sefydliadau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ein hunain. Mae i fod i gyfarfod yn ystod yr ychydig wythnosau nesaf. Bydd yn edrych ar yr adroddiad hwnnw, ar yr hyn y mae Cymdeithas Alzheimer's eu hunain wedi'i ddweud, yn ogystal â'r ONS, a bydd yn rhoi cyngor pellach i ni. A chan ein bod yn gallu defnyddio’r cyngor hwnnw i gynghori pobl eraill, byddaf yn sicr yn gwneud yn siŵr ei fod yn cael ei gyfleu’n briodol i Aelodau'r Cynulliad.
Two issues, if I may, First Minister. Firstly, I wonder if the Welsh Government could look again at this 5-mile travel rule and provide guidance on this. I know you've said previously that it is guidance and discretionary for people on how far they do travel, but I've got many constituents who are still unclear and very concerned that they can't travel to see family and friends. So, could we have clarity on that?
Secondly, I asked the finance Minister recently if there'd been any discussions about the future raising of taxes in Wales to deal with COVID recovery. I know she said that that was not an attractive thing to do, but I wondered if there had been any discussions. And as we come out of lockdown, could the Welsh Government perhaps look overseas at examples of some other countries in terms of getting the economy moving and using the tax system to do that? In New Zealand, for instance, they've introduced a tax loss carry-back regime to help businesses offset current tax losses against previous years. Perhaps that's something that you and the UK Government could discuss. They're also introducing discretionary deductions for non-domestic buildings to try and support businesses and get the economy moving. So, I think the Welsh Government does have a number of tools in the toolbox, as you and your predecessor have said before. So, could you look at ways to use the tax system to really kick-start the economy and try to get Wales moving again?
Dau fater, os caf, Brif Weinidog. Yn gyntaf, tybed a all Llywodraeth Cymru edrych eto ar y rheol i beidio â theithio mwy na 5 milltir a rhoi canllawiau ar hyn. Gwn eich bod wedi dweud yn flaenorol mai canllawiau yw’r rhain a bod angen i bobl ddefnyddio’u crebwyll ynglŷn â pha mor bell y maent yn teithio, ond mae gennyf lawer o etholwyr sy'n dal i fod yn ddryslyd ac yn bryderus iawn na allant deithio i weld teulu a ffrindiau. Felly, a gawn ni eglurder ar hynny?
Yn ail, gofynnais i'r Gweinidog cyllid yn ddiweddar a fu unrhyw drafodaethau ynglŷn â chodi trethi yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol i ymdrin â gwaith adfer wedi COVID. Gwn iddi ddweud nad oedd hynny'n beth deniadol i'w wneud, ond tybed a gafwyd unrhyw drafodaethau? Ac wrth inni ddod allan o’r cyfyngiadau symud, a allai Llywodraeth Cymru edrych dramor, o bosibl, ar enghreifftiau o wledydd eraill o ran ysgogi’r economi a defnyddio'r system dreth i wneud hynny? Yn Seland Newydd, er enghraifft, maent wedi cyflwyno cyfundrefn i gario colledion treth yn ôl i helpu busnesau i wneud iawn am golledion treth cyfredol yn erbyn y blynyddoedd blaenorol. Efallai fod hynny’n rhywbeth y gallech chi a Llywodraeth y DU ei drafod. Maent hefyd yn cyflwyno didyniadau yn ôl disgresiwn ar gyfer adeiladau annomestig i geisio cynorthwyo busnesau ac ysgogi’r economi. Felly, credaf fod gan Lywodraeth Cymru nifer o adnoddau at ei defnydd, fel rydych chi a'ch rhagflaenydd wedi'i ddweud eisoes. Felly, a allech edrych ar ffyrdd o ddefnyddio'r system dreth i ysgogi’r economi a cheisio cael Cymru i symud eto?
Llywydd, I thank Nick Ramsay for both of those questions. Let me just say, once again, it is not helpful to refer to the 5-mile limit as a rule—it is not a rule. If it was a rule, it would be in regulations—it's not in regulations. It is guidance to give people a sense of what the regulation that requires people to stay local might mean in their circumstances. And the best advice is just to say to people that they're to use the 5-mile limit as a rule of thumb. They're to interpret it sensibly and soberly in their own circumstances, but there are many, many different geographies in Wales, and so long as they can demonstrate that they are acting in a way that can be defended, then they will have brought themselves within the 'stay local' rule.
There are no plans for tax erasing by the Welsh Government during the current financial year. I'm interested to hear the examples that Nick Ramsay referred to. We've tended to gather a lot of information from countries elsewhere about how they are lifting lockdown regulations and the impact that that's having in the health area. It's a useful point that the Member makes about learning from places elsewhere as they use different levers to assist the economy, as the economy recovers from the impacts of coronavirus as well.
I think most of the examples that Nick Ramsay referred to would be for the UK Government to take forward. And currently, of course, in the non-domestic-rates context, a great deal of help has already been provided in the current financial year so that businesses don't face those obligations at a time when their ability to raise revenue is at a low ebb. But I think the general point, and it's an important point, is: just as we learn from the experience of other countries in the health aspects of the coronavirus crisis, it's important we learn from them in the economy recovery as well, and we will certainly aim to do that as a Government in Wales.
Lywydd, diolch i Nick Ramsay am y ddau gwestiwn. Gadewch i mi ddweud, unwaith eto, nad yw'n ddefnyddiol cyfeirio at y terfyn 5 milltir fel rheol—nid yw'n rheol. Pe bai’n rheol, byddai yn y rheoliadau—nid yw yn y rheoliadau. Canllaw ydyw i roi syniad i bobl o'r hyn y gallai'r rheoliad sy'n ei gwneud yn ofynnol i bobl aros yn lleol ei olygu yn eu hamgylchiadau hwy. A'r cyngor gorau yw dweud wrth bobl y dylent ddefnyddio'r terfyn 5 milltir fel rheol gyffredinol. Dylent ddehongli hynny’n synhwyrol ac yn gall yn eu hamgylchiadau eu hunain, ond mae llawer iawn o wahanol fathau o ddaearyddiaeth yng Nghymru, ac ar yr amod y gallant ddangos eu bod yn gweithredu mewn ffordd y gellir ei hamddiffyn, byddant wedi sicrhau eu bod yn cadw at y rheol i 'aros yn lleol'.
Nid oes unrhyw gynlluniau gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ddileu trethi yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol gyfredol. Mae gennyf ddiddordeb mewn clywed yr enghreifftiau y cyfeiriodd Nick Ramsay atynt. Rydym wedi tueddu i gasglu llawer o wybodaeth o fannau eraill ynglŷn â sut y maent yn codi’r cyfyngiadau symud a'r effaith y mae hynny'n ei chael ym maes iechyd. Mae’r Aelod yn gwneud pwynt defnyddiol ynghylch dysgu o leoedd eraill wrth iddynt ddefnyddio gwahanol ddulliau i gynorthwyo’r economi, wrth i’r economi ymadfer wedi effeithiau coronafeirws hefyd.
Credaf fod y rhan fwyaf o'r enghreifftiau y cyfeiriodd Nick Ramsay atynt yn bethau i Lywodraeth y DU eu rhoi ar waith. Ac ar hyn o bryd wrth gwrs, yng nghyd-destun ardrethi annomestig, mae llawer iawn o gymorth eisoes wedi'i ddarparu yn y flwyddyn ariannol gyfredol fel nad yw busnesau'n wynebu'r rhwymedigaethau hynny ar adeg pan fo'u gallu i godi refeniw’n gyfyngedig. Ond credaf mai’r pwynt cyffredinol, ac mae'n bwynt pwysig, yw hwn: wrth inni ddysgu o brofiad gwledydd eraill mewn perthynas ag agweddau iechyd ar yr argyfwng coronafeirws, mae'n bwysig ein bod yn dysgu oddi wrthynt mewn perthynas â’r adferiad economaidd yn ogystal, a byddwn yn sicr anelu at wneud hynny fel Llywodraeth yng Nghymru.
Neil Hamilton. Wait one second for your microphone to come on. Can I have Neil Hamilton's microphone switched on? Okay, we're still struggling on that one. I will call you, Neil Hamilton, if we manage to get the microphone switched on. I'll go to Alun Davies.
Neil Hamilton. Arhoswch eiliad i'ch meicroffon agor. A wnewch chi agor meicroffon Neil Hamilton? Iawn, rydym yn dal i gael trafferth gyda hynny. Fe fyddaf yn galw arnoch, Neil Hamilton, os llwyddwn i agor y meicroffon. Fe af at Alun Davies.
Thank you very much, and I'm grateful, Presiding Officer, to the First Minister for the clarity of his statement this morning. I think the clarity with which he's spoken is something of a comparison with the continuing chaos that we're seeing across the border in England, where we see promises made, promises broken. We're seeing poor leadership and collapsing public support in the policies being pursued by the UK Government, and the horrific mortality rates that we're seeing across the border are, I think, the main reason for that, as well as the inability of the UK Government to speak clearly to the needs of their population.
I'm interested, First Minister, in the way that you are approaching future policy and the approach that you are taking over these coming months. You've spoken already about the decisions that you will be taking in the next week or so, at the next review, but, in the same way as Nick Ramsay spoke about international examples, I would like to understand the sorts of international examples you are looking at and considering in terms of how you approach a continuing lockdown.
Now, we've heard some siren voices and sometimes strident voices from Conservatives and elsewhere saying that you should just follow the disaster in England, but nobody wants that. People in Blaenau Gwent don't want that. What they want is for you to consider their needs, to put people before profit, and they want you to consider their families and their communities. So, I'd be grateful, First Minister, if you could outline to us the approach you're taking, how you're using international examples to inform that approach, and what you expect to be able to do, as we move forward through these summer months.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar, Lywydd, i'r Prif Weinidog am eglurder ei ddatganiad y bore yma. Credaf fod ei eglurder wrth siarad yn cymharu’n dda â'r anhrefn parhaus a welwn dros y ffin yn Lloegr, lle rydym yn gweld addewidion yn cael eu rhoi, addewidion yn cael eu torri. Rydym yn gweld arweinyddiaeth wael a dirywiad yng nghefnogaeth y cyhoedd i’r polisïau sy'n cael eu rhoi ar waith gan Lywodraeth y DU, a'r cyfraddau marwolaethau erchyll rydym yn eu gweld dros y ffin yw'r prif reswm am hynny yn fy marn i, yn ogystal ag anallu Llywodraeth y DU i siarad yn glir ar anghenion eu poblogaeth.
Mae diddordeb gennyf, Brif Weinidog, yn eich ymagwedd tuag at bolisi yn y dyfodol a'r ymagwedd rydych yn ei mabwysiadu dros y misoedd nesaf. Rydych eisoes wedi sôn am y penderfyniadau y byddwch yn eu gwneud yn yr wythnos neu ddwy nesaf, yn yr adolygiad nesaf, ond yn yr un modd ag y siaradodd Nick Ramsay am enghreifftiau rhyngwladol, hoffwn ddeall y mathau o enghreifftiau rhyngwladol rydych yn edrych arnynt ac yn eu hystyried o ran eich ymagwedd at barhau cyfyngiadau symud.
Nawr, rydym wedi clywed ambell lais perswadiol a lleisiau croch weithiau gan y Ceidwadwyr ac o fannau eraill yn dweud y dylech ddilyn y trychineb yn Lloegr, ond nid oes unrhyw un eisiau hynny. Nid yw pobl ym Mlaenau Gwent eisiau hynny. Yr hyn y maent ei eisiau yw i chi ystyried eu hanghenion, rhoi pobl o flaen elw, ac maent am i chi ystyried eu teuluoedd a'u cymunedau. Felly, byddwn yn ddiolchgar, Brif Weinidog, pe gallech amlinellu'r ymagwedd rydych yn ei mabwysiadu, sut rydych yn defnyddio enghreifftiau rhyngwladol i lywio'r ymagwedd honno, a'r hyn rydych yn disgwyl gallu ei wneud, wrth inni symud ymlaen drwy fisoedd yr haf.
Llywydd, I thank Alun Davies. I'll try very briefly to just offer a few strands in the way we are trying to do what he says. Our approach in Wales has been to try to work out how a policy could be implemented and then to announce the policy, not to announce the policy first and then worry about how you can make it happen afterwards. And we have seen, across our border, where that leads you to in their education travails of this week.
We are determined to try to make sure that we take into account the messages we learn from people in Wales as we make our decisions. That's why, at the end of the last three-week review, we used the headroom we had to deal with the human heartbreak of not being able to meet people from another household who are important to you. That came directly from the messages that we were hearing from Senedd Members, but also directly from people themselves, and making sure that people's views and their preferences are plugged in is part of the way we will make those decisions.
I think—[Inaudible.]—the decisions that we've got to make immediately and how we can plan over the period from now to the autumn, and then there is the work that Jeremy Miles is leading about longer term recovery. In both of those things, evidence from other places in the world is really important to us. We're learning a lot about the way lockdown is being lifted elsewhere and the risks that are then inevitably run of the R number rising and the virus being in circulation again. And I know that Alun Davies will have read of those examples in other parts of the world, just as we learn from places that have taken steps that don't result in that outcome. And then, in the way that Nick Ramsay said, we also need to learn the lessons of elsewhere about economic recovery, about ways in which we can create a fair economy of the future, in which we reward those people who do the work that we really depend upon, rather than those people who, in the way that we've seen over the last decade, have been able to use their advantages to create still more advantages, while leaving the rest of us behind.
Lywydd, diolch i Alun Davies. Ceisiaf gynnig ychydig o bethau, yn fyr iawn, ynglŷn â’r ffordd rydym yn ceisio gwneud yr hyn a ddywed. Ein hymagwedd yng Nghymru yw ceisio canfod sut y gellid gweithredu polisi ac yna cyhoeddi'r polisi, yn hytrach na chyhoeddi'r polisi yn gyntaf a phoeni wedyn sut y gallwch wneud iddo ddigwydd. Ac rydym wedi gweld, dros y ffin, lle mae hynny'n eich arwain gyda’u helyntion ym maes addysg yr wythnos hon.
Rydym yn benderfynol o geisio sicrhau ein bod yn ystyried y negeseuon rydym yn eu dysgu gan bobl yng Nghymru wrth inni wneud ein penderfyniadau. Dyna pam, ar ddiwedd yr adolygiad tair wythnos diwethaf, y gwnaethom ddefnyddio'r lle i droi a oedd gennym er mwyn mynd i'r afael â'r gofid o fethu cyfarfod â phobl o aelwyd arall sy'n bwysig i chi. Daeth hynny'n uniongyrchol o'r negeseuon roeddem yn eu clywed gan Aelodau o'r Senedd, ond hefyd yn uniongyrchol gan bobl eu hunain, ac mae sicrhau bod barn pobl a'u dymuniadau'n cael eu clywed yn rhan o'r ffordd y byddwn yn gwneud y penderfyniadau hynny.
Credaf—[Anghlywadwy.]—y penderfyniadau y mae'n rhaid inni eu gwneud ar unwaith a sut y gallwn gynllunio rhwng nawr a’r hydref, ac yna mae'r gwaith y mae Jeremy Miles yn ei arwain ar waith adfer mwy hirdymor. Yn y ddau beth, mae tystiolaeth o leoedd eraill yn y byd yn bwysig iawn i ni. Rydym yn dysgu llawer am y ffordd y mae cyfyngiadau symud yn cael eu codi mewn mannau eraill a'r risgiau anochel wedyn y bydd y rhif R yn codi a'r feirws yn lledaenu eto. A gwn y bydd Alun Davies wedi darllen am yr enghreifftiau hynny mewn rhannau eraill o'r byd, yn union fel y dysgwn o leoedd sydd wedi rhoi camau ar waith nad ydynt yn arwain at y canlyniad hwnnw. Ac yna, fel y dywedodd Nick Ramsay, mae angen inni hefyd ddysgu gwersi o fannau eraill ynglŷn ag adferiad economaidd, am ffyrdd y gallwn greu economi deg ar gyfer y dyfodol, lle rydym yn gwobrwyo'r bobl sy'n gwneud y gwaith rydym yn dibynnu arno'n wirioneddol, yn hytrach na'r bobl sydd, yn y ffordd a welsom dros y degawd diwethaf, wedi gallu defnyddio eu manteision i greu mwy fyth o fanteision, gan adael y gweddill ohonom ar ôl.
Members of the cross-party group on preventing child sexual abuse are concerned about children subject to sexual abuse during lockdown—two particular concerns about where a child is locked down and with the perpetrator, as well as an increase in online abuse as children spend more time online and abusers exploit this opportunity. All of this is compounded by the fact that children on child protection plans for child sexual abuse are under-represented, so were more likely to be invisible before the pandemic.
Can the Welsh Government ensure that the public and professionals know that the services there to support children and young people are still open for business? Helplines remain open, specialist services can, where safe and appropriate, support children and young people virtually, and the sexual assault referral centres are open and continuing to take self- and professional referrals. And what more can the Welsh Government do to shine a light on this now and as we move into different stages of lockdown in the future?
Mae aelodau’r grŵp trawsbleidiol ar rwystro plant rhag cael eu cam-drin yn rhywiol yn poeni am blant sy’n cael eu cam-drin yn rhywiol yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud—dau bryder penodol ynghylch lle mae plentyn dan gyfyngiadau symud a chyda’r cyflawnwr, yn ogystal â chynnydd mewn cam-drin ar-lein wrth i blant dreulio mwy o amser ar-lein ac mae cyflawnwyr yn manteisio ar y cyfle hwn. Mae hyn oll yn cael ei gymhlethu gan y ffaith nad yw nifer y plant sydd ar gynlluniau amddiffyn plant am eu bod yn cael eu cam-drin yn rhywiol yn adlewyrchu gwir nifer y plant sy'n dioddef camdriniaeth o'r fath, felly roeddent yn fwy tebygol o fod yn anweledig cyn y pandemig.
A all Llywodraeth Cymru sicrhau bod y cyhoedd a gweithwyr proffesiynol yn gwybod bod y gwasanaethau sydd yno i gefnogi plant a phobl ifanc yn dal i fod ar gael? Mae'r llinellau cymorth yn parhau i fod ar agor, gall gwasanaethau arbenigol gefnogi plant a phobl ifanc yn rhithwir lle mae hynny’n ddiogel ac yn briodol, ac mae'r canolfannau atgyfeirio ymosodiadau rhywiol ar agor ac yn parhau i dderbyn hunan-atgyfeiriadau ac atgyfeiriadau proffesiynol. A beth arall y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i daflu goleuni ar hyn yn awr ac wrth inni symud i wahanol gamau o’r cyfyngiadau symud yn y dyfodol?
Llywydd, can I endorse the central message that Jayne Bryant passed there, that the services that are there to protect children in these circumstances are there and are open and can be used? They may be operating in different ways to make sure that people are safe, but they are there and they are operating. And if you have concerns, and need those concerns to be raised, please don't think that, because of the pandemic, there aren't ways for you to do it.
The good news is that safeguarding referrals to those services, which were suppressed in the 'stay home' part of the lockdown experience, have recovered steadily in recent weeks, and they're now more or less back to the levels you would have expected in times when COVID-19 wasn't part of our experience. So, I think we can take a bit of heart from that that the public's willingness and ability to report concerns has returned to the levels we would have seen previously.
Reopening schools for all pupils to have a chance to speak to adults outside the home—trusted individuals in their teachers—is another very important part of all of this, and one of the reasons why we were keen to make the decision that we did. We know that, where schools have been open, then vulnerable young people have been more likely to go to that school if that school is their own school than if they're being asked to go to a school with which they are not familiar—a journey they don't know, teachers they haven't met. By reopening all schools, then those vulnerable children will be able to go to a place that they know already, are more likely to feel confident talking to people who are familiar to them, and, if there are concerns that need to be pursued, then the services are there now to make sure that that can happen.
Lywydd, a gaf fi gymeradwyo'r neges graidd a gafwyd gan Jayne Bryant, fod y gwasanaethau sydd yno i ddiogelu plant yn yr amgylchiadau hyn ar gael ac ar agor ac y gellir eu defnyddio? Efallai eu bod yn gweithredu mewn ffyrdd gwahanol i sicrhau bod pobl yn ddiogel, ond maent ar gael ac maent yn weithredol. Ac os oes gennych bryderon, ac os ydych angen mynegi'r pryderon hynny, peidiwch â meddwl nad oes ffyrdd i chi wneud hynny oherwydd y pandemig.
Y newyddion da yw bod atgyfeiriadau diogelu i'r gwasanaethau hynny, a gafodd eu hatal yng nghyfnod 'aros gartref' y cyfyngiadau symud, wedi gwella'n gyson dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, ac maent bellach fwy neu lai wedi dychwelyd i'r lefelau y byddech wedi'u disgwyl mewn cyfnodau pan nad oedd COVID-19 yn rhan o'n profiad. Felly, credaf ei bod yn galonogol fod parodrwydd a gallu'r cyhoedd i roi gwybod am bryderon wedi dychwelyd i'r lefelau y byddem wedi'u gweld o'r blaen.
Mae ailagor ysgolion i'r holl ddisgyblion gael cyfle i siarad ag oedolion y tu allan i'r cartref—unigolion y gellir ymddiried ynddynt, eu hathrawon—yn rhan bwysig arall o hyn oll, ac yn un o'r rhesymau pam roeddem yn awyddus i wneud y penderfyniad a wnaethom. Lle mae ysgolion wedi bod ar agor, gwyddom fod pobl ifanc agored i niwed wedi bod yn fwy tebygol o fynd i'r ysgol honno os mai’r ysgol honno yw eu hysgol hwy na phe bai gofyn iddynt fynd i ysgol nad ydynt yn gyfarwydd â hi—taith nad ydynt yn gyfarwydd â hi, athrawon nad ydynt wedi cyfarfod â hwy. Drwy ailagor pob ysgol, bydd y plant agored i niwed hynny’n gallu mynd i le y maent eisoes yn gyfarwydd ag ef, yn fwy tebygol o deimlo'n hyderus wrth siarad â phobl y maent yn gyfarwydd â hwy, ac os oes pryderon sydd angen sylw, mae'r gwasanaethau yno yn awr i sicrhau y gall hynny ddigwydd.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is forecasting today that Britain will suffer the worst economic damage of any country in the developed world as a result of our draconian lockdown. We're forecast to see an 11.5 per cent fall in our national income for this year. That compares with 6.5 per cent in Sweden, which has followed a completely different road. We're taking an economic sledgehammer to crack a health crisis nut, because the death rate in this country from coronavirus is 602 per million, whereas in Sweden it's only two thirds of that, at 467 per million. So, we see, in Britain, a wholly disproportionate response to the health crisis.
Meanwhile, does he understand—the First Minister understand—that hard-working and law-abiding citizens wonder why they're being kept locked down, even can't go to church, even for private prayer, because such events are banned, meanwhile left-wing hooligans are allowed to run riot in the streets, desecrating war memorials, defacing and destroying public monuments, and that the response of the Government in these two cases seems to be a massive contrast and undermines the message that the Government wants to convey?
Mae’r Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd yn rhagweld heddiw y bydd Prydain yn dioddef y difrod economaidd gwaethaf o unrhyw wlad yn y byd datblygedig o ganlyniad i’n cyfyngiadau symud llym iawn. Rhagwelir y bydd cwymp o 11.5 y cant yn ein hincwm cenedlaethol ar gyfer eleni. Mae hynny'n cymharu â 6.5 y cant yn Sweden, sydd wedi dilyn trywydd hollol wahanol. Rydym yn defnyddio gordd economaidd i dorri cneuen argyfwng iechyd, gan fod y gyfradd farwolaethau o'r coronafeirws yn y wlad hon yn 602 y filiwn, ond yn Sweden, mae’n ddwy ran o dair o hynny yn unig, sef 467 y filiwn. Felly, gwelwn ymateb cwbl anghymesur i'r argyfwng iechyd ym Mhrydain.
Yn y cyfamser, a yw'n deall—a yw’r Prif Weinidog yn deall—fod dinasyddion gweithgar sy'n ufuddhau i'r gyfraith yn pendroni pam eu bod yn cael eu cadw dan gyfyngiadau symud, yn methu mynd i'r eglwys hyd yn oed, i weddïo’n breifat hyd yn oed, am fod digwyddiadau o'r fath wedi’u gwahardd, ac yn y cyfamser, caniateir i hwliganiaid asgell chwith redeg yn wyllt ar y strydoedd, gan ddinistrio cofebion rhyfel, a difwyno a chwalu henebion cyhoeddus, ac ymddengys bod ymateb y Llywodraeth yn y ddau achos yn cyferbynnu'n aruthrol ac yn tanseilio'r neges y mae'r Llywodraeth am ei chyfleu?
Well, Llywydd, I disagree with the Member. As he knows, I had the very sad responsibility in my opening statement to refer to the 2,240 people who have so far lost their lives in Wales. I don't regard that as a 'nut'; I think that is demeaning to those people and to those families and to those who carry on having that experience every day and every week in Wales. So, I don't apologise for a single moment for the actions we have taken to prevent even further deaths from coronavirus. I don't dismiss for a single moment the economic damage that is being done and I'll need to attend to that properly, but I don't agree with him. I've heard him say it before—he wants to create some sort of division between what is right for people's health and what is right for the economy. What is right for the economy is to make sure that we come out of coronavirus in a cautious and careful way that does not plunge us back into a second wave with a further massive lockdown and everything that that would mean for the economy. Our way of responding to the health crisis is the best way to safeguard our economy from the enormous impact that coronavirus is having here in Wales, as it is right around the world.
Let me just respond to one further point, that of faith communities. We raised the matter on 29 April in the faith communities forum, with leaders of faith communities in Wales, about the reopening of venues for private prayer. At that point, the firm advice from leaders of those communities was that it wasn't practical for them to be able to reopen those venues in a way that is safe. I attended the last meeting of the faith communities forum last week. An enormous amount of work has gone on by those communities to put themselves in a position where they could now potentially reopen venues for private prayer. I was very impressed by all the practical things that they had thought about and were putting into place and we will consider that very seriously as we move to the end of the current three-week cycle.
Wel, Lywydd, rwy'n anghytuno â'r Aelod. Fel y gŵyr, roedd gennyf gyfrifoldeb digalon iawn yn fy natganiad agoriadol i gyfeirio at y 2,240 o bobl sydd wedi colli eu bywydau hyd yn hyn yng Nghymru. Nid wyf yn ystyried hynny'n 'gneuen'; credaf fod hynny'n ddilornus i'r bobl hynny ac i'r teuluoedd hynny ac i'r rheini sy'n dal i wynebu'r profiad hwnnw bob dydd a phob wythnos yng Nghymru. Felly, nid wyf yn ymddiheuro am un eiliad am y camau a gymerwyd gennym i atal mwy fyth o farwolaethau o'r coronafeirws. Nid wyf yn diystyru am un eiliad y difrod economaidd sy'n cael ei wneud, a bydd angen i mi roi sylw priodol i hynny, ond nid wyf yn cytuno ag ef. Rwyf wedi ei glywed yn dweud o'r blaen—mae am greu rhyw fath o raniad rhwng yr hyn sy'n iawn i iechyd pobl a'r hyn sy'n iawn i'r economi. Yr hyn sy'n iawn i'r economi yw sicrhau ein bod yn goroesi’r coronafeirws mewn ffordd ofalus a gochelgar nad yw'n ein plymio'n ôl i mewn i ail don, gyda rhagor o gyfyngiadau symud llym a phopeth y byddai hynny'n ei olygu i'r economi. Ein ffordd o ymateb i'r argyfwng iechyd yw'r ffordd orau o ddiogelu ein heconomi rhag yr effaith enfawr y mae coronafeirws yn ei chael yma yng Nghymru, fel y mae'n ei chael ym mhob rhan o'r byd.
Gadewch imi ymateb i un pwynt arall, sef cymunedau ffydd. Codwyd y mater hwnnw gennym ar 29 Ebrill yn y fforwm cymunedau ffydd, gydag arweinwyr cymunedau ffydd yng Nghymru, ynghylch ailagor lleoliadau ar gyfer gweddïo’n breifat. Bryd hynny, y cyngor cadarn gan arweinwyr y cymunedau hynny oedd nad oedd yn ymarferol iddynt allu ailagor y lleoliadau hynny mewn ffordd ddiogel. Mynychais gyfarfod diwethaf y fforwm cymunedau ffydd yr wythnos diwethaf. Mae llawer iawn o waith wedi mynd rhagddo gan y cymunedau hynny i sicrhau eu bod mewn sefyllfa lle gallent bellach ailagor lleoliadau ar gyfer gweddïo’n breifat. Gwnaeth yr holl bethau ymarferol roeddent wedi meddwl amdanynt ac roeddent yn eu rhoi ar waith gryn argraff arnaf, a byddwn yn ystyried hynny o ddifrif wrth inni gyrraedd diwedd y cylch tair wythnos presennol.
Finally, Jack Sargeant. Where did Jack Sargeant go? He was there when I called him, and he's disappeared off my screen and is not to be heard. Therefore, I'll call Mick Antoniw as the final speaker.
Yn olaf, Jack Sargeant. I ble’r aeth Jack Sargeant? Roedd yno pan y'i gelwais, ac mae wedi diflannu oddi ar fy sgrin ac nid yw i’w glywed. Felly, galwaf ar Mick Antoniw fel y siaradwr olaf.
First Minister, across all parties, we very much welcomed some weeks ago now the £500 additional payment to be made to our front-line care workers in recognition of the extra contribution and the really important contribution they're making during this coronavirus pandemic. This was very much at the expense of £32 million of Welsh Government money for 64,000 of those workers.
I wonder if you could perhaps update us now as to two things: firstly, when those workers can expect to receive those payments, but, secondly, in respect of the issue of the tax and national insurance that would be chargeable to it. I know that you reported previously that representations had been made to the UK Government to waive the tax and national insurance because of the exceptional circumstances. I think across all parties we would see it as offensive if the UK Government were to have a financial windfall on the backs of our front-line care workers. Could you update us as to what stage the representations are with the UK Government with regard to waiving these deductions from the money that is rightly due to our front-line care workers?
Brif Weinidog, ar draws yr holl bleidiau, gwnaethom groesawu’n fawr, rai wythnosau'n ôl bellach, y taliad ychwanegol o £500 i’w wneud i’n gweithwyr gofal ar y rheng flaen i gydnabod y cyfraniad ychwanegol a’r cyfraniad pwysig iawn y maent yn ei wneud yn ystod y pandemig coronafeirws. Rhoddwyd £32 miliwn o arian Llywodraeth Cymru i 64,000 o'r gweithwyr hynny.
Tybed, efallai, a allech roi diweddariad i ni yn awr ynglŷn â dau beth: yn gyntaf, pryd y gall y gweithwyr hynny ddisgwyl y taliadau hynny, ond yn ail, ar fater y dreth a'r yswiriant gwladol a fyddai'n daladwy arno. Gwn eich bod wedi dweud eisoes fod sylwadau wedi'u cyflwyno i Lywodraeth y DU yn gofyn iddynt hepgor y dreth ac yswiriant gwladol oherwydd yr amgylchiadau eithriadol. Ar draws yr holl bleidiau, credaf y byddai’n sarhaus pe bai Llywodraeth y DU yn cael tomen o arian annisgwyl ar draul ein gweithwyr gofal ar y rheng flaen. A allech roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni ble mae'r sylwadau a gyflwynwyd i Lywodraeth y DU arni o ran hepgor y didyniadau hyn o'r arian sy'n briodol ddyledus i’n gweithwyr gofal ar y rheng flaen?
I thank Mick Antoniw for that question. I was very pleased last week, Llywydd, to be able to provide further details of how the scheme is to work and to be able to extend it to further groups of workers. We expect first payments to be made in this month and to continue into next month.
As far as the tax and national insurance position is concerned, let me just echo what Mick Antoniw said, Llywydd: we're not asking the UK Government for a penny towards the £32 million that we have been able to find for this purpose. We're not asking them to pay for it. All we're asking them to do is not to take money away from those workers who we intend to benefit from the scheme. So, there should be no Treasury windfall. We were discouraged by the letter we received on 2 June from the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, but that letter did contain an offer for officials to continue to work together on the proposition, and on Friday of last week, following what was reported to me as a constructive meeting, our officials did submit a technical paper to HMRC, presenting the arguments we make as to why these payments should not and need not be taxable. So, we will await their response, which we hope will come as soon as possible. We're not at the end of this discussion yet and we will continue as vigorously as we can to make the case that the money that is being provided by Welsh people to those people that we have relied on for such an enormous effort during the coronavirus crisis should not result in a windfall to the Treasury.
Diolch i Mick Antoniw am ei gwestiwn. Roeddwn yn falch iawn yr wythnos diwethaf, Lywydd, o allu rhoi rhagor o fanylion ynglŷn â sut y bydd y cynllun yn gweithio ac i allu ei ymestyn i grwpiau pellach o weithwyr. Rydym yn disgwyl i'r taliadau cyntaf gael eu gwneud y mis hwn a pharhau i'r mis nesaf.
O ran y sefyllfa mewn perthynas â threth ac yswiriant gwladol, gadewch imi adleisio'r hyn a ddywedodd Mick Antoniw, Lywydd: nid ydym yn gofyn i Lywodraeth y DU am geiniog tuag at y £32 miliwn rydym wedi gallu dod o hyd iddo at y diben hwn. Nid ydym yn gofyn iddynt dalu amdano. Yr unig beth rydym yn gofyn iddynt ei wneud yw peidio â chymryd arian oddi wrth y gweithwyr y bwriadwn iddynt elwa o'r cynllun. Felly, ni ddylai fod unrhyw arian annisgwyl i’r Trysorlys. Cawsom ein siomi gan y llythyr a gawsom ar 2 Mehefin gan Ysgrifennydd Ariannol y Trysorlys, ond roedd y llythyr hwnnw’n cynnwys cynnig i swyddogion barhau i weithio gyda'i gilydd ar y cynnig, a ddydd Gwener diwethaf, yn dilyn yr hyn y dywedwyd wrthyf ei fod yn gyfarfod adeiladol, cyflwynodd ein swyddogion bapur technegol i Gyllid a Thollau EM yn nodi ein dadleuon pam na ddylai, a pham nad oes angen i'r taliadau hyn fod yn drethadwy. Felly, byddwn yn aros am eu hymateb, a gobeithiwn y daw hwnnw cyn gynted â phosibl. Nid ydym wedi cyrraedd diwedd y drafodaeth hon eto a byddwn yn parhau i ddadlau mor egnïol ag y gallwn na ddylai’r arian sy'n cael ei ddarparu gan bobl Cymru i’r bobl rydym wedi dibynnu arnynt am ymdrech mor enfawr yn ystod yr argyfwng coronafeirws arwain at arian annisgwyl i'r Trysorlys.
As he's now back and as he's our youngest Member, I finally call Jack Sargeant.
Gan ei fod yn ôl bellach, ac am mai ef yw ein Haelod ieuengaf, galwaf yn olaf ar Jack Sargeant.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd, and apologies for the earlier interruption. First Minister, I've been working with a number of businesses who have been refused insurance payments despite having paid for business interruption insurance. They are told that because coronavirus is not previously a specified disease, they cannot claim. Most reasonable people, like I'm sure all the Members of the Senedd are, would point out that COVID-19 has only existed since late last year, so it is very unlikely to be a specified disease. I don't feel this is good enough, First Minister. Large insurers who have been receiving payments from small businesses for a number of years are putting small businesses in all of our communities in real jeopardy. First Minister, will the Welsh Government investigate such cases as a matter of urgency?
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd, ac ymddiheuriadau am y tarfu yn gynharach. Brif Weinidog, rwyf wedi bod yn gweithio gyda nifer o fusnesau y gwrthodwyd taliadau yswiriant iddynt er eu bod wedi talu am yswiriant tarfu ar fusnes. Dywedir wrthynt na allant hawlio am nad oedd y coronafeirws yn glefyd penodedig eisoes. Byddai'r rhan fwyaf o bobl resymol, fel yr holl Aelodau o’r Senedd, rwy'n siŵr, yn nodi mai dim ond ers diwedd y llynedd y mae COVID-19 wedi bodoli, felly mae'n annhebygol iawn o fod yn glefyd penodedig. Nid wyf yn teimlo bod hyn yn ddigon da, Brif Weinidog. Mae cwmnïau yswiriant mawr sydd wedi bod yn derbyn taliadau gan fusnesau bach ers blynyddoedd lawer yn rhoi busnesau bach ym mhob un o'n cymunedau mewn perygl gwirioneddol. Brif Weinidog, a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ymchwilio i achosion o'r fath ar frys?
Llywydd, may I thank Jack Sargeant for that important point? He will not be surprised to learn that we've had a volume of correspondence on this matter from firms who believed that in good faith they had taken out insurance that would cover them in these circumstances, only to be told that now it doesn't, and we've been in correspondence as Ministers with the ABI—the Association of British Insurers—on this matter. Jack Sargeant will know that the regulator has decided to take a test case through the law courts to resolve this very specific point that he has raised. How could insurance policies have been designed to cover an eventuality that nobody had identified, and can that really be cited as an exemption that means the payments can't be made? It's a stand-off between the industry and those of us who believe that they should have acted otherwise, and it will now be for the law courts to resolve it.
Lywydd, a gaf fi ddiolch i Jack Sargeant am y pwynt pwysig hwnnw? Ni fydd yn synnu clywed ein bod wedi cael cryn dipyn o ohebiaeth ar y mater hwn gan gwmnïau a gredai eu bod, gyda phob ewyllys da, wedi talu am yswiriant a fyddai'n eu diogelu o dan yr amgylchiadau hyn, dim ond i gael gwybod bellach nad yw hynny'n wir, ac rydym wedi gohebu fel Gweinidogion gyda'r ABI—Cymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain—ynghylch y mater hwn. Bydd Jack Sargeant yn gwybod bod y rheoleiddiwr wedi penderfynu dwyn achos prawf drwy'r llysoedd barn i ddatrys y pwynt penodol iawn a gododd. Sut y gallai polisïau yswiriant fod wedi’u cynllunio i gwmpasu digwyddiad nad oedd unrhyw un wedi'i ragweld, ac a ellir nodi hynny fel eithriad sy'n golygu na ellir gwneud y taliadau? Mae'n ornest rhwng y diwydiant a'r rhai ohonom sy'n credu y dylent fod wedi gweithredu fel arall, a mater i'r llysoedd barn fydd datrys y broblem yn awr.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
I thank the First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf fyddai'r cwestiynau amserol, ond does dim cwestiynau amserol heddiw, ac felly rŷm ni'n torri nawr am gyfnod o awr, ac felly mi wnawn ni ailgychwyn am 13:20. Diolch i'r Aelodau.
The next item would have been the topical questions, but no topical questions have been accepted, and we will therefore now break for a period of 60 minutes and we will recommence at 13:20. I thank the Members.
Gohiriwyd y cyfarfod rhwng 12:18 ac 13:20.
The meeting adjourned between 12:18 and 13:20.
Ailymgynullodd y Senedd am 13:20, gyda'r Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd reconvened at 13:20, with the Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) in the Chair.
Well, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome back after that break. We move into our Plenary agenda with item 4, which is a statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales: response to coronavirus, COVID-19. I call on the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates.
Wel, prynhawn da, bawb. Croeso nôl ar ôl yr egwyl. Symudwn at agenda'r Cyfarfod Llawn gydag eitem 4, sef datganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru: ymateb i'r coronafeirws, COVID-19. Galwaf ar Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru, Ken Skates.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to begin by thanking Members across this Chamber, as well as my officials, social partners and our colleagues in local government, as well as, of course, our public services in Wales for the huge amount of work that they do each and every day supporting our national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And I'm proud of what we've done so far to help mitigate the economic impact of this awful disease, and I am hugely appreciative of the hard work that everybody has put in.
I should say, Dirprwy Lywydd, that in terms of our response to coronavirus, we have now had a huge amount of businesses generate financial support from the Welsh Government in ensuring that they can survive the short-term period that we face, and that we are looking at the longer term recovery from coronavirus in a way that builds back a fairer, greener, more resilient economy.
Since publishing our road map for the recovery on 15 May, the Welsh Government has been planning the next stages of its work to ease the lockdown. We have always been clear that that work must be grounded on the science that is available to us, and with worker safety at the forefront of every single decision that we take. I've been meeting with partners through the shadow social partnership council regularly and I'll continue to do so in order to discuss the shared measures that we can take to gradually reopen our economy in a safe, sustainable and fair way, whilst continuing to support public health and our NHS. To help us achieve this we've used the dialogue with social partners to develop and to publish detailed guidance, setting out what employers and employees need to do to operate safely and, of course, lawfully.
The guidance that we have set out on the Welsh Government website is for all workplaces and does not replace legislation or industry-specific guidance. Dirprwy Lywydd, nor should it be considered as a substitute for legal advice, which employers and employees should consider obtaining where necessary. Each workplace is unique, and every one needs to do what is right for their own specific workers and customers. The Welsh Government has published in-depth guidance to support a safe return of the manufacturing sector, and further guidance for other key sectors will be published over the coming weeks. And we're consulting with Welsh businesses and with trade unions to ensure that our approach is proportionate and also fair to businesses and to workers. We want workplaces and workers in Wales to be safe, so we'll be asking all employers and employees to show care by acting with compassion and understanding; to comply with laws designed to keep us all safe; to involve everyone because safety is a shared endeavour; to adapt workplaces and behaviours; and to communicate with clarity and consistency.
As we begin the work of the economic recovery, I've been clear that the UK Government should not withdraw the important suite of support that they've put in place over the last few months. That's why we strongly welcomed the announcement on 12 May, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to extend the job support scheme on the current basis until the end of July, and on an amended basis until the end of October. The job retention scheme has been essential to enable large parts of the economy to hibernate through the last few weeks of lockdown.
In moving forward, we will continue to make the following arguments to the UK Government: first, that there should be no reduction in support in respect of businesses that cannot legally open; that reducing the volume of an employer’s workforce that can be furloughed would be preferable to a general tapering of the intensity of support; that any action must not push employers to jeopardise safe working because of financial pressures; and that the UK Government should make available grant support for businesses to make physical adaptations to ensure safer working.
In Wales, we have put in place the most generous package of help for businesses anywhere in the UK—a total of £1.7 billion of support. Yesterday, I was delighted to launch the new eligibility checker for the next phase of the economic resilience fund. The fund aims to plug the gaps in the support schemes announced by the UK Government, including the job retention scheme and the self-employed income support scheme.
Phase one of the ERF covered any sustainable business operating in Wales, of any age or type, that is VAT registered, that employs people via pay-as-you-earn and that has suffered a significant turnover impact. Phase two of the fund will operate in broadly the same way as phase one, but with an update to the eligibility of the micro scheme to enable limited companies that are not VAT registered to access the fund. The full applications phase is expected to open on or before 29 June. The second phase of the ERF will enable access to the remaining £100 million of the £300 million already approved and allocated to support micro businesses, SMEs and large businesses. Work is under way with stakeholders to develop further support options for those not yet reached—for example, start-up businesses—and I will make further announcements on that in the coming weeks.
Dirprwy Lywydd, I have said before that, in planning for the recovery, I want us to build back better: to use coronavirus as a moment for fundamental change in our economy, so that what comes after is fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable than what went before. And that's why I was extremely pleased this week to attend the socioeconomic sub-group of the BAME expert advisory panel. The sub-group, chaired by Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, is helping the Welsh Government to identify the range of factors influencing adverse COVID-19 outcomes in BAME groups, and to look at wider inequalities in our economic life in Wales. I have been deeply impressed by the work of the sub-group and am under no illusion that, in Wales, we still have—despite a huge amount of good progress—structural and embedded inequalities in our economy that contribute to the unfairness and discrimination that still impacts black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. So, when we talk about building back better, it is to the work of the sub-group that I think we should turn for guidance and evidence in our quest for something fairer, and I want to put on record today the support of myself and my department to doing that work over the coming months and years. Dirprwy Lywydd, I'm happy to take questions.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch i'r Aelodau ar draws y Siambr, yn ogystal â fy swyddogion, ein partneriaid cymdeithasol a'n cymheiriaid llywodraeth leol, yn ogystal â'n gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, wrth gwrs, am y gwaith aruthrol y maent yn ei wneud bob dydd yn cefnogi ein hymateb cenedlaethol i'r pandemig COVID-19. Ac rwy'n falch o'r hyn rydym wedi'i wneud hyd yn hyn i helpu i liniaru effaith economaidd y clefyd ofnadwy hwn, ac rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'r gwaith caled y mae pawb wedi'i gyflawni yn fawr.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, ar ein hymateb i'r coronafeirws, dylwn ddweud ein bod bellach wedi cael llawer iawn o fusnesau'n cael cymorth ariannol gan Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau y gallant oroesi'r cyfnod sy'n ein hwynebu yn y tymor byr, a'n bod yn edrych ar yr adferiad mwy hirdymor o'r coronafeirws mewn ffordd sy'n ailadeiladu economi fwy teg, mwy gwyrdd a mwy gwydn.
Ers cyhoeddi ein cynllun ar gyfer yr adferiad ar 15 Mai, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn cynllunio camau nesaf ei gwaith ar lacio'r cyfyngiadau symud. Rydym wedi bod yn glir bob amser fod yn rhaid i'r gwaith hwnnw fod yn seiliedig ar y wyddoniaeth sydd ar gael inni, a bod diogelwch gweithwyr wrth wraidd pob un o'r penderfyniadau a wnawn. Rwyf wedi bod yn cyfarfod â phartneriaid drwy gyngor y bartneriaeth gymdeithasol yn rheolaidd a byddaf yn parhau i wneud hynny er mwyn trafod pa fesurau ar y cyd y gallwn eu rhoi ar waith i ailagor ein heconomi yn raddol mewn ffordd ddiogel, gynaliadwy a theg, gan barhau i gefnogi iechyd y cyhoedd a'n GIG. Er mwyn ein helpu i gyflawni hyn, rydym wedi defnyddio'r ddeialog gyda phartneriaid cymdeithasol i ddatblygu a chyhoeddi canllawiau manwl, sy'n nodi'r hyn y mae angen i gyflogwyr a gweithwyr ei wneud i weithredu'n ddiogel, ac yn gyfreithlon wrth gwrs.
Mae'r canllawiau rydym wedi'u gosod ar wefan Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer pob gweithle ac nid ydynt yn disodli deddfwriaeth neu ganllawiau ar gyfer diwydiannau penodol. Ddirprwy Lywydd, ni ddylid ei ystyried chwaith yn lle cyngor cyfreithiol, y dylai cyflogwyr a gweithwyr ystyried ei gael lle bo angen. Mae pob gweithle'n unigryw, ac mae angen i bob un wneud yr hyn sy'n iawn i'w gweithwyr a'u cwsmeriaid penodol eu hunain. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyhoeddi canllawiau manwl i gefnogi'r gwaith o ailagor y sector gweithgynhyrchu'n ddiogel, a chyhoeddir canllawiau pellach ar gyfer sectorau allweddol eraill yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf. Ac rydym yn ymgynghori â busnesau ac undebau llafur yng Nghymru i sicrhau bod ein dull o weithredu yn gymesur ac yn deg i fusnesau ac i weithwyr. Rydym eisiau i weithleoedd a gweithwyr yng Nghymru fod yn ddiogel, felly byddwn yn gofyn i bob cyflogwr a chyflogai ddangos eu gofal drwy weithredu gyda thosturi a dealltwriaeth; cydymffurfio â chyfreithiau a luniwyd i'n cadw ni i gyd yn ddiogel; cynnwys pawb gan fod diogelwch yn ymdrech a rennir; addasu gweithleoedd ac ymddygiad; a chyfathrebu gydag eglurder a chysondeb.
Wrth i ni ddechrau ar y gwaith o adfer yr economi, rwyf wedi bod yn glir na ddylai Llywodraeth y DU ddiddymu'r ystod o gymorth pwysig y maent wedi'i rhoi ar waith dros y misoedd diwethaf. Dyna pam y gwnaethom groesawu'r cyhoeddiad ar 12 Mai, gan Ganghellor y Trysorlys, i ymestyn y cynllun cynnal swyddi ar y sail bresennol tan ddiwedd mis Gorffennaf, ac ar sail ddiwygiedig tan ddiwedd mis Hydref. Mae'r cynllun cadw swyddi wedi bod yn hanfodol i alluogi rhannau helaeth o'r economi i gael seibiant drwy gyfyngiadau symud yr wythnosau diwethaf.
Wrth symud ymlaen, byddwn yn parhau i gyflwyno'r dadleuon canlynol i Lywodraeth y DU: yn gyntaf, na ddylid lleihau'r cymorth i fusnesau na allant agor yn gyfreithlon; y byddai lleihau nifer yr aelodau o weithlu cyflogwr y gellid eu rhoi ar ffyrlo yn well na lleihad graddedig ym maint y cymorth yn gyffredinol; na ddylai unrhyw weithredu wthio cyflogwyr i beryglu gweithio diogel oherwydd pwysau ariannol; ac y dylai Llywodraeth y DU sicrhau bod cymorth grant ar gael i fusnesau wneud addasiadau i adeiladu er mwyn sicrhau gweithio mwy diogel.
Yng Nghymru, mae gennym y pecyn cymorth mwyaf hael yn unrhyw ran o'r DU i fusnesau—cyfanswm o £1.7 biliwn o gymorth. Ddoe, roedd yn bleser gennyf lansio'r gwiriwr cymhwysedd newydd ar gyfer cam nesaf y gronfa cadernid economaidd. Nod y gronfa yw llenwi'r bylchau yn y cynlluniau cymorth a gyhoeddwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU, gan gynnwys y cynllun cadw swyddi a'r cynllun cymorth incwm i'r hunangyflogedig.
Roedd cam un y gronfa cadernid economaidd yn cwmpasu unrhyw fusnes cynaliadwy sy'n gweithredu yng Nghymru, o unrhyw oed neu fath, ac sydd wedi'i gofrestru ar gyfer TAW, sy'n cyflogi pobl drwy'r cynllun talu wrth ennill ac sydd wedi dioddef effaith sylweddol i'w drosiant. Bydd ail gam y gronfa yn gweithredu yn yr un modd yn fras â cham un, ond gyda diweddariad i gymhwysedd y cynllun micro i alluogi cwmnïau cyfyngedig nad ydynt wedi'u cofrestru ar gyfer TAW i allu gwneud cais i'r gronfa. Disgwylir y bydd y cyfnod ymgeisio llawn yn agor ar 29 Mehefin neu cyn hynny. Bydd ail gam y gronfa cadernid economaidd yn galluogi mynediad at y £100 miliwn sy'n weddill o'r £300 miliwn sydd eisoes wedi'i gymeradwyo a'i ddyrannu ar gyfer cefnogi microfusnesau, busnesau bach a chanolig a busnesau mawr. Mae gwaith ar y gweill gyda rhanddeiliaid ar ddatblygu opsiynau cymorth pellach ar gyfer y rhai nad ydym wedi'u cyrraedd eto—er enghraifft, busnesau newydd—a byddaf yn gwneud cyhoeddiadau pellach ar hynny yn yr wythnosau nesaf.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, rwyf wedi dweud o'r blaen, wrth gynllunio ar gyfer adfer, fy mod eisiau i ni adeiladu nôl yn well: defnyddio coronafeirws fel cyfle i sicrhau newid sylfaenol yn ein heconomi, fel bod yr hyn a ddaw ar ei ôl yn decach, yn fwy cynhwysol ac yn fwy cynaliadwy na'r hyn a oedd gennym cynt. A dyna pam roeddwn yn hynod falch yr wythnos hon o fod yn bresennol yn is-grŵp economaidd-gymdeithasol y panel cynghori arbenigol ar gyfer pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig. Mae'r is-grŵp, sy'n cael ei gadeirio gan yr Athro Emmanuel Ogbonna, yn helpu Llywodraeth Cymru i nodi'r amrywiaeth o ffactorau sy'n dylanwadu ar ganlyniadau COVID-19 andwyol ymysg pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig, ac i edrych ar anghydraddoldebau ehangach yn ein bywyd economaidd yng Nghymru. Mae gwaith yr is-grŵp wedi creu argraff fawr arnaf ac nid oes gennyf amheuaeth fod gennym, yng Nghymru, o hyd—er gwaethaf llawer iawn o gynnydd da—anghydraddoldebau strwythurol a sefydledig yn ein heconomi sy'n cyfrannu at yr annhegwch a'r gwahaniaethu sy'n dal i effeithio ar bobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig. Felly, pan fyddwn yn sôn am adeiladu nôl yn well, credaf y dylem droi at waith yr is-grŵp am arweiniad a thystiolaeth wrth inni geisio sicrhau rhywbeth tecach, ac rwyf eisiau cofnodi fy nghefnogaeth i a fy adran heddiw i wneud y gwaith hwnnw dros y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd nesaf. Ddirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n hapus i ateb cwestiynau.
Thank you. Helen Mary Jones.
Diolch. Helen Mary Jones.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to thank the Minister very much for his statement, and just to say how much I welcome his emphasis on safety when it comes to opening up the economy. I hope that, across the Chamber, we would all agree with that.
Of course, the reopening of the criteria for the economic resilience fund is welcome, and I'm particularly pleased to say that for businesses not registered for VAT it will now be available. But, as the Minister has said himself, there are a large number of businesses still that are not being able to be helped, particularly businesses operating from home, and I've had everything from hauliers to hairdressers to bed and breakfasts—companies that are viable businesses, but are not paying business rates. The Minister mentions in his statement some further support for them. I wonder if the Minister can tell us today when he thinks he will be likely to be able to make that additional support, for example, for start-up businesses—when he's likely to be able to announce what that will look like.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn ddiolch yn fawr iawn i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad, a dweud cymaint rwy'n croesawu ei bwyslais ar ddiogelwch mewn perthynas ag agor yr economi. Rwy'n gobeithio y byddai pawb ohonom, ar draws y Siambr, yn cytuno â hynny.
Wrth gwrs, croesewir ailagor y meini prawf ar gyfer y gronfa cadernid economaidd, ac rwy'n arbennig o falch o ddweud ei fod bellach ar gael ar gyfer busnesau nad ydynt wedi cofrestru ar gyfer TAW. Ond fel y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i ddweud ei hun, mae nifer fawr o fusnesau o hyd na ellir eu cynorthwyo, yn enwedig busnesau sy'n gweithredu gartref, ac rwyf wedi cael popeth o gludwyr nwyddau i siopau trin gwallt i letyau gwely a brecwast—cwmnïau sy'n fusnesau hyfyw, ond nad ydynt yn talu ardrethi busnes. Mae'r Gweinidog yn sôn yn ei ddatganiad am ragor o gymorth iddynt. Tybed a all y Gweinidog ddweud wrthym heddiw pryd y mae'n credu y bydd yn debygol o allu sicrhau'r cymorth ychwanegol hwnnw, er enghraifft, ar gyfer busnesau newydd—pa bryd y bydd yn debygol o allu cyhoeddi sut fath o gymorth fydd hwnnw.
Can I thank Helen Mary Jones for her questions? I agree entirely that safety is absolutely vital in the workplace, not least because it's only through operating safely that people have the confidence to leave their own homes and to either return to work or access places of employment, businesses and attractions.
In terms of the very specific question concerning the remaining businesses that may require additional support, and in particular those start-ups, it is my hope that we'll be able to operate all support schemes concurrently from 29 June in terms of applications and then that we'll able to get financial support out as soon as possible, in all probability within a matter of days to businesses that apply at the earliest opportunity.
A gaf fi ddiolch i Helen Mary Jones am ei chwestiynau? Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr fod diogelwch yn gwbl hanfodol yn y gweithle, yn enwedig am mai dim ond drwy weithredu'n ddiogel y mae pobl yn magu'r hyder i adael eu cartrefi eu hunain ac i naill ai ddychwelyd i'r gwaith neu fynd i fannau cyflogaeth, busnesau ac atyniadau.
O ran y cwestiwn penodol iawn ynghylch y busnesau sy'n weddill y gallai fod angen cymorth ychwanegol arnynt, ac yn enwedig busnesau newydd, fy ngobaith yw y byddwn yn gallu gweithredu pob cynllun cymorth ar yr un pryd o 29 Mehefin ymlaen o ran ceisiadau, ac yna, y byddwn yn gallu rhoi cymorth ariannol cyn gynted ag y bo modd, o fewn ychydig ddyddiau yn ôl pob tebyg, i fusnesau sy'n gwneud cais cyn gynted â phosibl.
I'm grateful to the Minister for his answer to my questions. Thinking of safe return to work and the Minister talking about need for such a return to be done with compassion and understanding from businesses, can the Minister confirm this afternoon that those who are shielding at home, not because they are vulnerable themselves but because their family members are vulnerable, can he confirm that he does not expect businesses in Wales to be pressurising those people to return to work until the shielding rules change?
I'd associate myself with what he said about the need for the UK Government to make continued investment in the Welsh economy. The Minister will be aware of the report that showed that, out of the 20 towns likely to be worst hit in England and Wales, 10 of those were in Wales, and, of course, that's greatly out of proportion with our population. Will the Minister consider making representations to the UK Government that any further business support should be on a base of the scale of need in Wales for that support, rather than on what has become the traditional Barnett formula?
And will he continue to make representations to the UK Government particularly around the furlough scheme for those who have been left behind? Many of the people who were changing jobs at the time when the furlough scheme begun have now been 10 weeks without any income, and, for some of them, they're not eligible for other kinds of support. So, can I ask the Minister today to make representations again to the UK Government on their behalf and to consider further whether there is anything more that could be done for them by the Welsh Government, fully understanding of course the limits on his budget?
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog am ei ateb i fy nghwestiynau. Mewn perthynas â dychwelyd i'r gwaith yn ddiogel, a'r Gweinidog yn sôn am yr angen i fusnesau wneud hynny gyda thosturi a dealltwriaeth, a all y Gweinidog gadarnhau y prynhawn yma, o ran y rhai sy'n gwarchod gartref, nid oherwydd eu bod yn agored i niwed eu hunain ond oherwydd bod aelodau o'u teuluoedd yn agored i niwed, a all gadarnhau nad yw'n disgwyl i fusnesau yng Nghymru fod yn pwyso ar y bobl hynny i ddychwelyd i'r gwaith nes y bydd y rheolau gwarchod yn newid?
Rwy'n cytuno â'r hyn a ddywedodd am yr angen i Lywodraeth y DU fuddsoddi'n barhaus yn economi Cymru. Bydd y Gweinidog yn gwybod am yr adroddiad a oedd yn dangos, o'r 20 tref a oedd yn debygol o gael eu taro waethaf yng Nghymru a Lloegr, fod 10 o'r rheini yng Nghymru, ac wrth gwrs, nid yw hynny'n gymesur o gwbl â'n poblogaeth. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ystyried dweud wrth Lywodraeth y DU y dylai unrhyw gymorth busnes pellach fod ar sail maint yr angen yng Nghymru am y cymorth hwnnw, yn hytrach na'r hyn a ddaw o dan fformiwla draddodiadol Barnett?
Ac a wnaiff barhau i gyflwyno sylwadau i Lywodraeth y DU yn enwedig mewn perthynas â'r cynllun ffyrlo ar gyfer y rhai a adawyd ar ôl? Mae llawer o'r bobl a oedd yn newid swyddi pan ddechreuodd y cynllun ffyrlo wedi treulio 10 wythnos heb unrhyw incwm, ac i rai ohonynt, nid ydynt yn gymwys i gael mathau eraill o gymorth. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn i'r Gweinidog heddiw gyflwyno sylwadau eto i Lywodraeth y DU ar eu rhan ac i ystyried ymhellach a oes unrhyw beth arall y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud drostynt, gan ddeall yn llwyr, wrth gwrs, y terfynau ar ei gyllideb?
Absolutely, I'll guarantee today that I'll make those representations, and in regard to what support we may be able to offer, if we were able to introduce a hardship bursary for any individuals that simply cannot benefit from existing support systems, then we will do so in partnership with our local government colleagues.
A significant number of businesses are still able to apply for support through the job retention scheme, the self-employment support scheme, without actually being aware that they are able to. So, I would urge all businesses to check with Business Wales whether they are eligible for Welsh Government or for UK Government support, because the vast majority right now are able to access financial support.
And Helen Mary Jones is absolutely right that employers need to act with compassion and understanding. Clearly, people who are shielded should not be expected to return to work if they are asked to do so, and they should have a letter available to them that would be able to be presented to an employer. For those individuals who are not shielded but are supporting shielded individuals, I would say that a responsible business must take account of that and must show complete understanding. And I would hope that businesses that are unionised would be particularly determined to ensure that all workers return in a safe way and in a way that doesn't put at risk anybody's lives or well-being.
And you're absolutely right, Helen Mary Jones, in saying that, based on the evidence that is emerging, Welsh communities stand to be adversely impacted above and beyond those across England because of the high reliance on sectors that are going to be particularly hard hit and for longer, and because of the age profile of the workforce in Wales, and because of historic reasons—reasons relating to de-industrialisation, for example.
As a consequence of this, we are absolutely clear that initiatives such as the UK industrial strategy must be shaped for Wales as well as for English regions, and the contact that I've had with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been very, very productive, and I do hope that the next iteration of the UK industrial strategy will significantly benefit the Welsh economy, because, as the Member has already stated, we can't have Barnettised support that doesn't recognise the scale of the need of the Welsh economy. Instead, we have to have support that reflects on the additional requirements of Welsh businesses and also of Welsh workers.
Yn sicr, rwy'n gwarantu heddiw y byddaf yn gwneud y sylwadau hynny, ac o ran pa gymorth y gallwn ei gynnig, pe baem yn gallu cyflwyno bwrsari caledi ar gyfer unrhyw unigolion na allant elwa ar systemau cymorth presennol, yna byddwn yn gwneud hynny mewn partneriaeth â'n cymheiriaid llywodraeth leol.
Mae nifer sylweddol o fusnesau yn dal i allu gwneud cais am gymorth drwy'r cynllun cadw swyddi, y cynllun cymorth incwm i'r hunangyflogedig, heb eu bod yn ymwybodol y gallant wneud hynny mewn gwirionedd. Felly, byddwn yn annog pob busnes i wirio gyda Busnes Cymru i weld a ydynt yn gymwys i gael cymorth gan Lywodraeth Cymru neu Lywodraeth y DU, oherwydd mae'r mwyafrif helaeth yn gallu cael cymorth ariannol yn awr.
Ac mae Helen Mary Jones yn llygad ei lle fod angen i gyflogwyr weithredu gyda thosturi a dealltwriaeth. Yn amlwg, ni ddylid disgwyl i bobl a warchodir ddychwelyd i'r gwaith os gofynnir iddynt wneud hynny, a dylai fod llythyr ar gael iddynt allu ei gyflwyno i gyflogwr. I rai nad ydynt yn unigolion a warchodir ond sy'n cynnal unigolion a warchodir, byddwn yn dweud bod yn rhaid i fusnes cyfrifol ystyried hynny a dangos dealltwriaeth lwyr. A byddwn yn gobeithio y byddai busnesau undebol yn arbennig o benderfynol o sicrhau bod yr holl weithwyr yn dychwelyd mewn ffordd ddiogel ac mewn ffordd nad yw'n peryglu bywydau na lles unrhyw un.
Ac rydych yn llygad eich lle, Helen Mary Jones, wrth ddweud, ar sail y dystiolaeth sy'n dod i'r amlwg, fod disgwyl i gymunedau Cymru gael eu heffeithio'n waeth na chymunedau yn Lloegr oherwydd y ddibyniaeth uchel ar sectorau a fydd yn cael eu taro'n arbennig o galed ac am gyfnod hwy, ac oherwydd proffil oedran y gweithlu yng Nghymru, ac am resymau hanesyddol—rhesymau sy'n ymwneud â dad-ddiwydiannu, er enghraifft.
O ganlyniad i hyn, rydym yn gwbl glir fod yn rhaid i fentrau megis strategaeth ddiwydiannol y DU gael eu llunio ar gyfer Cymru yn ogystal â rhanbarthau Lloegr, ac mae'r cyswllt a gefais â'r Adran Busnes, Ynni a Strategaeth Ddiwydiannol wedi bod yn gynhyrchiol iawn ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd iteriad nesaf strategaeth ddiwydiannol y DU o fudd sylweddol i economi Cymru, oherwydd, fel y mae'r Aelod eisoes wedi'i ddatgan, ni allwn gael cymorth o dan fformiwla Barnett nad yw'n cydnabod maint angen economi Cymru. Yn hytrach, mae'n rhaid inni gael cymorth sy'n adlewyrchu gofynion ychwanegol busnesau Cymru, a gweithwyr Cymru hefyd.
Can I thank the Minister for his statement? I think much of it I also heard at the Welsh Government's 12:30 briefing today, which you led.
Minister, retail businesses in England will be reopening on Monday, and Welsh businesses, specifically those on the border, such as in your constituency and mine, will be disadvantaged. I wonder what you can say to these businesses in terms of giving them some hope that they'll be able to open at the earliest opportunity possible, and how would you address their concerns about being disadvantaged with perhaps a competitor opening just a few miles away from them?
I'm not only concerned about businesses across the border, but there are some retail businesses in Wales that are opening against Welsh Government guidance, and as much as I would like them to open, and believe they should, it's the law that they should not. I gave you one example yesterday, when we met privately. I wonder what you would say in terms of enforcement action against these kinds of businesses, and ensuring that local authorities are given the correct advice to these kinds of businesses, because it's absolutely unfair for retail businesses that are abiding by the law.
With regard to the next phase of the economic resilience fund, I'm very pleased that you've brought forward the date for the criteria. I'm very pleased that you widened the criteria, as you have. But I wonder if you could commit, Minister, to bringing forward the date from which businesses will begin receiving payments under phase 2 of the fund. I think it would be extremely disappointing and frustrating if businesses could not apply for assistance until the end of the month. I think, in many cases, and sadly, in some cases, that will just be too late. And there's also some massive concern, of course, as Helen Mary pointed out as well, that there are still some businesses that will not be eligible for support at all—B&Bs are one example—and I wonder if you could tell us more about the bursary. What can we tell our constituents when a business contacts us and we've told them to wait for phase 2, they've put all their hopes on that, they've checked the criteria and they still are not eligible for support, and they've had no Government support at all for businesses?
A gaf fi ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad? Rwy'n credu fy mod wedi clywed llawer ohono yng nghyfarfod briffio Llywodraeth Cymru heddiw am 12:30, a arweiniwyd gennych.
Weinidog, bydd busnesau manwerthu yn Lloegr yn ailagor ddydd Llun, a bydd busnesau Cymru dan anfantais, yn enwedig y rhai ar y ffin, megis yn eich etholaeth chi a fy un i. Tybed beth y gallwch ei ddweud wrth y busnesau hyn o ran rhoi rhywfaint o obaith iddynt y byddant yn gallu agor cyn gynted ag sy'n bosibl, a sut y byddech yn ymdrin â'u pryderon ynglŷn â bod dan anfantais gyda chystadleuydd yn agor, o bosibl, ychydig filltiroedd oddi wrthynt?
Nid yn unig rwy'n pryderu am fusnesau ar draws y ffin, ond mae rhai busnesau manwerthu yng Nghymru sy'n agor yn erbyn canllawiau Llywodraeth Cymru, ac er y byddwn yn hoffi'n fawr iddynt agor, ac yn credu y dylent, mae'r gyfraith yn dweud na ddylent wneud hynny. Rhoddais un enghraifft i chi ddoe, pan gawsom gyfarfod preifat. Tybed beth y byddech yn ei ddweud o ran camau gorfodi yn erbyn busnesau o'r fath, a sicrhau bod awdurdodau lleol yn rhoi'r cyngor cywir i'r mathau hyn o fusnesau, oherwydd mae'n gwbl annheg i fusnesau manwerthu sy'n cydymffurfio â'r gyfraith.
O ran cam nesaf y gronfa cadernid economaidd, rwy'n falch iawn eich bod wedi pennu dyddiad cynt ar gyfer y meini prawf. Rwy'n falch iawn eich bod wedi ehangu'r meini prawf fel y gwnaethoch. Ond tybed a allech chi ymrwymo, Weinidog, i bennu dyddiad cynt i fusnesau allu dechrau derbyn taliadau o dan gam 2 y gronfa. Rwy'n credu y byddai'n hynod o siomedig a rhwystredig pe na bai busnesau'n gallu gwneud cais am gymorth tan ddiwedd y mis. Rwy'n credu, yn anffodus, y bydd hynny'n rhy hwyr mewn nifer o achosion. Ac mae pryder mawr hefyd, wrth gwrs, fel y nododd Helen Mary yn ogystal, fod rhai busnesau o hyd na fyddant yn gymwys i gael cymorth o gwbl—mae busnesau gwely a brecwast yn un enghraifft—a tybed a allwch ddweud mwy wrthym am y bwrsari. Beth allwn ni ei ddweud wrth ein hetholwyr pan fydd busnes yn cysylltu â ni a'n bod wedi dweud wrthynt am aros am gam 2, maent wedi rhoi eu holl obeithion ar hynny, maent wedi gwirio'r meini prawf a gweld nad ydynt yn gymwys i gael cymorth o hyd, ac nid ydynt wedi cael unrhyw gymorth o gwbl gan y Llywodraeth i fusnesau?
All right. Thank you. Minister.
Iawn. Diolch. Weinidog.
Thank you, Russell. First of all, I'd say with regard to businesses in borderland areas, we've got the benefit in Wales of having the regular review points, and so the dates are known to businesses. At the last review point, the First Minister said that, over the next three weeks, non-essential retail could begin a process of looking at how they may be able to reopen after the subsequent review point, if infection levels are sufficiently low. That next review point is coming on 18 June—just next week—so there's only a tiny time lag of a matter of days between what's happening in England and what's happening in Wales. But, obviously, it would've been desirable if we could've had those regular review points adhered to on both sides of the border, and ideally if the review points could have been at exactly the same time. That's not happened, but here in Wales we have stuck to what the First Minister has called that regular rhythm of three-week review points, giving some certainty and clarity to the business community of Wales.
Our confidence is absolutely key to the competitiveness of businesses. Still, around 60 per cent of people in Wales are too nervous to leave their own homes. So, quite frankly, if a business opens but two thirds of people are too scared to leave their own homes, they are going to struggle to make ends meet, they are going to struggle to be viable. So, as well as opening businesses, we have to ensure that people have confidence in order to access them. To do that, we've got to see the R number fall sufficiently for people to regain confidence, and we have to make sure that workplaces are safe for people to access. That's why the guidance that we're publishing on that is so very, very important.
If we can bring forward the application date, we clearly will do. We need to close off any existing applications for ERF round 1 funds to ensure that there is no duplication of applications and that we have completed all of the processing that needs to take place. There are a large number of businesses that we are now finding who are saying that they're ineligible for various support schemes, but we are subsequently finding actually are eligible, and this is why it's so important that businesses visit the Business Wales website, that they run through the eligibility checker and that they submit accurate details as well, because businesses such as—. The examples of B&Bs and market traders have been used. They should be eligible for the self-employment income support scheme, or, if they employ, they should be eligible for furlough. When they're not eligible for those, then, obviously, there could be the potential of the ERF being open to them. But if there are any businesses, once we have run through the process of establishing the start-up bursary, as well as ERF phase 2, then we would be able to look at supporting them through, potentially, a discretionary hardship bursary that could be administered by local authorities, and work is taking place with local authorities in that regard.
And then, to the final point regarding fair play across businesses, I would agree with Russell George that all businesses should adhere to the rules that have clearly been set out. Where they do not, then we will seek to take enforcement action against them. We are all in this endeavour together, and we must all abide by the rules and the guidance if we are to maintain social cohesion and if we are to maintain the best possible prospects for businesses to emerge from this virus intact.
Diolch, Russell. Yn gyntaf oll, byddwn yn dweud, o ran busnesau yn yr ardaloedd ar y ffin, fod gennym fantais yng Nghymru o gael y pwyntiau adolygu rheolaidd, ac felly mae'r dyddiadau'n hysbys i fusnesau. Ar y pwynt adolygu diwethaf, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog y gallai manwerthu nad yw'n hanfodol ddechrau proses dros y tair wythnos nesaf o edrych ar sut y gallent ailagor ar ôl y pwynt adolygu dilynol, os yw lefelau'r haint yn ddigon isel. Mae'r pwynt adolygu nesaf hwnnw ar 18 Mehefin—wythnos nesaf—felly, cyfnod bach iawn o rai dyddiau sydd rhwng yr hyn sy'n digwydd yn Lloegr a'r hyn sy'n digwydd yng Nghymru. Ond yn amlwg, byddai wedi bod yn ddymunol pe baem wedi gweld y ddwy ochr i'r ffin yn glynu at y pwyntiau adolygu rheolaidd hynny, ac yn ddelfrydol, pe bai'r pwyntiau adolygu wedi bod ar yr un adeg yn union. Nid yw hynny wedi digwydd, ond yma yng Nghymru rydym wedi glynu at yr hyn y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i alw'n rhythm rheolaidd o bwyntiau adolygu bob tair wythnos, gan roi rhywfaint o sicrwydd ac eglurder i gymuned fusnes Cymru.
Mae ein hyder yn gwbl allweddol i gystadleurwydd busnesau. Mae tua 60 y cant o bobl Cymru yn dal i fod yn rhy nerfus i adael eu cartrefi. Felly, a bod yn onest, os yw busnes yn agor ond bod dwy ran o dair o bobl yn rhy ofnus i adael eu cartrefi, byddant yn cael trafferth i ddal dau ben llinyn ynghyd, byddant yn ei chael hi'n anodd bod yn hyfyw. Felly, yn ogystal ag agor busnesau, mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod gan bobl hyder i fynd iddynt. Er mwyn gwneud hynny, mae'n rhaid i'r rhif R ostwng digon i adfer hyder pobl, ac mae angen inni wneud yn siŵr fod gweithleoedd yn ddiogel i bobl eu defnyddio. Dyna pam fod y canllawiau rydym yn eu cyhoeddi ar hynny mor eithriadol o bwysig.
Os gallwn gael dyddiad cynt ar gyfer gwneud cais, mae'n amlwg y byddwn yn gwneud hynny. Mae angen i ni gau unrhyw geisiadau sy'n bodoli eisoes am arian cylch 1 y gronfa cadernid economaidd er mwyn sicrhau nad yw ceisiadau'n cael eu dyblygu a'n bod wedi cwblhau'r holl waith prosesu sydd ei angen. Mae nifer fawr o fusnesau yn dweud nad ydynt yn gymwys ar gyfer gwahanol gynlluniau cymorth, ond gwelwn wedyn eu bod yn gymwys mewn gwirionedd, a dyma pam ei bod mor bwysig i fusnesau ymweld â gwefan Busnes Cymru, defnyddio'r gwiriwr cymhwysedd a chyflwyno manylion cywir hefyd, oherwydd mae busnesau fel—. Soniwyd am fusnesau gwely a brecwast a masnachwyr marchnad. Dylent fod yn gymwys ar gyfer y cynllun cymorth incwm i'r hunangyflogedig, neu os ydynt yn cyflogi, dylent fod yn gymwys i gael cymorth ffyrlo. Os nad ydynt yn gymwys ar gyfer y rheini, yna, yn amlwg, gallai'r gronfa cadernid economaidd fod ar agor iddynt. Ond wedi i ni weithio drwy'r broses o sefydlu'r bwrsari i fusnesau newydd, yn ogystal â cham 2 y gronfa cadernid economaidd, os oes unrhyw fusnesau ar ôl, byddem yn gallu ystyried eu cynorthwyo o bosibl drwy fwrsari caledi yn ôl disgresiwn y gallai awdurdodau lleol ei gweinyddu, ac mae gwaith yn mynd rhagddo gydag awdurdodau lleol ar hynny.
Ac mewn perthynas â'r pwynt olaf ynglŷn â chwarae teg ar draws busnesau, byddwn yn cytuno â Russell George y dylai pob busnes lynu wrth y rheolau sydd wedi'u gosod yn glir. Lle nad ydynt yn gwneud hynny, byddwn yn ystyried camau gorfodi yn eu herbyn. Rydym i gyd yn yr ymdrech hon gyda'n gilydd, ac mae'n rhaid i bob un ohonom lynu wrth y rheolau a'r canllawiau os ydym am gynnal cydlyniad cymdeithasol ac os ydym am gadw'r rhagolygon gorau posibl i fusnesau allu goroesi'r feirws hwn.
Turning, if I can, Minister, to transport, what work has been done to tackle the rolling stock shortage during the lockdown so that the practicalities of social distancing demand on public transport with severely reduced capacity can be met? Are there any plans for Transport for Wales to use this time of reduced services to make improvements to their rolling stock, and, if so, what are the targets?
How are you going to change the Welsh Government's economic approach as a result of how the pandemic has changed our economy? I appreciate what you've already said today, and I wonder if you could add timescales, perhaps, to what you've already stated. And second, what initial assessment have you made of how the pandemic has affected the economic performance of different regions of Wales?
The UK Government has expressed its intention to invest and bring forward spade-ready infrastructure projects to ensure that the UK economy can bounce back quickly, and, if you agree with that principle—and I hope you do—what infrastructure projects in Wales are spade ready?
Gan droi, os caf, Weinidog, at drafnidiaeth, pa waith sydd wedi'i wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r prinder trenau yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud fel y gellir sicrhau ymarferoldeb mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus sydd â chapasiti is o lawer? A oes unrhyw gynlluniau i Trafnidiaeth Cymru ddefnyddio'r amser hwn, pan fo llai o wasanaethau ar gael, i wneud gwelliannau i'w trenau, ac os felly, beth yw'r targedau?
Sut y bwriadwch newid ymagwedd Llywodraeth Cymru tuag at yr economi o ganlyniad i'r ffordd y mae'r pandemig wedi newid ein heconomi? Rwy'n derbyn yr hyn rydych eisoes wedi'i ddweud heddiw, ac rwy'n meddwl tybed a allech ychwanegu amserlenni, efallai, at yr hyn rydych eisoes wedi'i ddatgan. Ac yn ail, pa asesiad cychwynnol a wnaethoch ynglŷn â'r modd y mae'r pandemig wedi effeithio ar berfformiad economaidd gwahanol ranbarthau yng Nghymru?
Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi mynegi ei bwriad i fuddsoddi a chyflwyno prosiectau seilwaith sy'n barod i'w rhoi ar waith er mwyn sicrhau y gall economi'r DU ymadfer yn gyflym, ac os ydych yn cytuno â'r egwyddor honno—ac rwy'n gobeithio eich bod—pa brosiectau seilwaith yng Nghymru sy'n barod i'w rhoi ar waith?
Can I thank Russell George for his further questions and say that we are in dialogue with UK Government regarding schemes that could be supported as part of the recovery? One such scheme is the global centre for rail excellence in south Wales. We're in discussions with UK Treasury, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Wales Office regarding that scheme. There are other schemes, such as the proposed advanced technology research centre in Deeside, which would complement the advanced manufacturing research centre, and, of course, discussions are taking place, as you'll be, no doubt, aware, regarding the potential for enhancing renewable energy schemes in Wales, building on the expertise that we have in that particular field. So, in terms of the recovery, discussions are ongoing, submissions have been made to UK Government for financial support, and we're hopeful that those submissions will be met with approval.
I think, right across the globe at the moment, there is intense interest in acquiring, wherever possible, additional rolling stock. As you can imagine, every train operating company across Britain, across Europe and further afield is trying to find additional carriages that could be used in order to boost capacity at a time when capacity is reduced because of social distancing to 15 or so per cent. So, we are essentially, through Transport for Wales, in competition with train operating companies not just within the UK, but much further afield.
We are looking at how we can implement enhanced maintenance regimes, take the opportunity not just in terms of rolling stock, but also in terms of road infrastructure, to enhance what we have and what we're in control of. We're also looking at innovation, both on buses and on trains, to be able to increase capacity, if at all possible, whilst adhering to social distancing and also ensuring that public safety is not put at risk, recognising that the operation of the economy is inextricably linked to the safe operation of public transport systems.
A gaf fi ddiolch i Russell George am ei gwestiynau pellach a dweud ein bod yn cael trafodaethau gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â chynlluniau y gellid eu cefnogi fel rhan o'r gwaith adfer? Un cynllun o'r fath yw'r ganolfan fyd-eang ar gyfer rhagoriaeth rheilffyrdd yn ne Cymru. Rydym mewn trafodaethau gyda Thrysorlys y DU, yr Adran Busnes, Ynni a Strategaeth Ddiwydiannol a Swyddfa Cymru mewn perthynas â'r cynllun hwnnw. Ceir cynlluniau eraill, megis y ganolfan ymchwil technoleg uwch arfaethedig yng Nglannau Dyfrdwy, a fyddai'n ategu'r ganolfan ymchwil gweithgynhyrchu uwch, ac wrth gwrs, mae trafodaethau'n cael eu cynnal, fel y gwyddoch mae'n siŵr, ar y potensial i wella cynlluniau ynni adnewyddadwy yng Nghymru, gan adeiladu ar yr arbenigedd sydd gennym yn y maes hwnnw. Felly, o ran y gwaith adfer, mae trafodaethau'n mynd rhagddynt, cafwyd cyflwyniadau i Lywodraeth y DU am gymorth ariannol, ac rydym yn obeithiol y bydd y cyflwyniadau hynny'n cael eu cymeradwyo.
Ym mhob rhan o'r byd ar hyn o bryd, credaf fod yna ddiddordeb mawr mewn caffael trenau ychwanegol lle bynnag y bo modd. Fel y gallwch ddychmygu, mae pob cwmni trenau ledled Prydain, ar draws Ewrop a thu hwnt, yn ceisio dod o hyd i gerbydau trên ychwanegol y gellid eu defnyddio er mwyn hybu capasiti ar adeg pan fo'r capasiti yn sgil cadw pellter cymdeithasol wedi gostwng i tua 15 y cant. Felly, drwy Trafnidiaeth Cymru, rydym yn cystadlu i bob pwrpas â chwmnïau trenau, nid yn unig o fewn y DU, ond ymhellach i ffwrdd.
Rydym yn edrych ar sut y gallwn weithredu trefniadau cynnal a chadw gwell, ac achub ar y cyfle, nid yn unig o ran trenau, ond o ran seilwaith ffyrdd hefyd, i wella'r hyn sydd gennym a'r hyn y gallwn ei reoli. Rydym hefyd yn edrych ar arloesedd mewn perthynas â bysiau a threnau, er mwyn gallu cynyddu capasiti os oes modd gwneud hynny, gan lynu at y mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol a sicrhau hefyd nad yw diogelwch y cyhoedd yn cael ei beryglu, gan gydnabod bod cyswllt anorfod rhwng gweithredu'r economi a gweithredu systemau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn ddiogel.
Can I thank the Minister for his statement today? I think there is much in it that we would all in the Chamber agree with, and also, we acknowledge the many interventions that have been going on, put in place by the Welsh Government, and we thank you for those. Despite the considerable financial help that some businesses have been able to access, many of those in my constituency are now expressing deep concern about their ability to continue trading.
Obviously, those at the forefront of the current restrictions are pubs, restaurants and the service trades in general. I have evidence that some pub-based catering chains will not be reopening a number of their outlets post lockdown, with, of course, a subsequent loss of jobs—jobs that are often at the lower end of the skills market. So, notwithstanding your desire to keep people safe from infection, and we all agree with that, can the Minister urge the Government to ease restrictions on these trades as soon as possible? Because I believe irreparable damage is now being inflicted on the Welsh economy—damage that may never be reversed.
A gaf fi ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad heddiw? Rwy'n credu bod llawer ynddo y byddai pawb ohonom yn y Siambr yn cytuno ag ef, a hefyd, rydym yn cydnabod y llu o ymyriadau a gafodd eu rhoi ar waith gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ac rydym yn diolch i chi am y rheini. Er gwaethaf y cymorth ariannol sylweddol y mae rhai busnesau wedi gallu ei gael, mae llawer o'r rheini yn fy etholaeth yn mynegi pryder mawr yn awr ynglŷn â'u gallu i barhau i fasnachu.
Yn amlwg, y rhai sydd ar flaen y cyfyngiadau presennol yw tafarnau, bwytai a busnesau gwasanaeth yn gyffredinol. Mae gennyf dystiolaeth na fydd rhai cadwyni arlwyo mewn tafarnau'n ailagor nifer o'u safleoedd ar ôl codi'r cyfyngiadau symud, a bydd hynny'n arwain at golli swyddi, wrth gwrs—swyddi sy'n aml ar ben isaf y farchnad sgiliau. Felly, er gwaethaf eich awydd i gadw pobl yn ddiogel rhag haint, ac rydym ni i gyd yn cytuno â hynny, a all y Gweinidog bwyso ar y Llywodraeth i lacio'r cyfyngiadau ar y busnesau hyn cyn gynted ag y bo modd? Oherwydd rwy'n credu bod niwed anadferadwy'n cael ei wneud i economi Cymru ar hyn o bryd—niwed na ellir ei ddadwneud.
Can I thank David Rowlands for his question? I repeat the point that I have made to previous speakers—that, in order to ensure that your business is operational, you have to be able to generate an income, and if people are not confident to access services, then they simply won't do so. So, in order to make sure that pubs and cafes and restaurants, when they decide to reopen their doors, can survive and make a profit, we have to ensure that people have confidence to access them. We have to make sure that they are operating in a safe way. We gave non-essential retailers notice at our previous review point that they should prepare for a safe reopening over the next three weeks, and the First Minister will be making a statement at the next review point regarding that work that is taking place, and the progress that's being made in terms of controlling the virus. There will then subsequently be review points at 9 July and also at 30 July. At those review points, we may be able to say more about other parts of the economy that can reopen safely, but ultimately, we have to ensure that the public are with us, because if you have people refusing to leave their homes, we are simply not going to be able to support the reopening of those important businesses in the hospitality sector and many other sectors as well.
A gaf fi ddiolch i David Rowlands am ei gwestiwn? Rwy'n ailadrodd y pwynt a wneuthum i siaradwyr blaenorol—sef bod rhaid i chi allu cynhyrchu incwm er mwyn sicrhau bod eich busnes yn weithredol, ac os nad yw pobl yn ddigon hyderus i ddefnyddio gwasanaethau, ni fyddant yn gwneud hynny. Felly, er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr fod tafarnau a chaffis a bwytai, pan fyddant yn penderfynu ailagor eu drysau, yn gallu goroesi a gwneud elw, mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau bod gan bobl hyder i fynd iddynt. Mae'n rhaid inni wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn gweithredu mewn ffordd ddiogel. Rhoesom rybudd i siopau nad ydynt yn hanfodol ar ein pwynt adolygu blaenorol y dylent baratoi ar gyfer ailagor yn ddiogel dros y tair wythnos nesaf, a bydd y Prif Weinidog yn gwneud datganiad ar y pwynt adolygu nesaf ynglŷn â'r gwaith sy'n digwydd, a'r cynnydd sy'n cael ei wneud ar reoli'r feirws. Wedyn, bydd pwyntiau adolygu ar 9 Gorffennaf a hefyd ar 30 Gorffennaf. Ar y pwyntiau adolygu hynny, efallai y gallwn ddweud mwy am rannau eraill o'r economi a all ailagor yn ddiogel, ond yn y pen draw, rhaid inni sicrhau bod y cyhoedd gyda ni, oherwydd os oes gennych bobl yn gwrthod gadael eu cartrefi, ni fyddwn yn gallu cefnogi ailagor busnesau pwysig yn y sector lletygarwch, a nifer o sectorau eraill yn ogystal.
I'm very pleased to receive your statement, particularly the point you're making that the work we do in the future must be grounded on the science, and also, that people's safety must be at the forefront of every decision we take. You'll be aware of the initial findings and research flagging up the possible link between air pollution and increased levels of COVID-19 transmission, for example in the Bergamo area of northern Italy. I'm very pleased that you've been engaged with the socioeconomic sub-group of the BAME expert advisory panel, chaired by Professor Ogbonna, so we can really understand the causes of why BAME people have been so disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
In the context of the safety of my constituents, I know that Cardiff Council is planning measures to prevent commuters or shoppers overwhelming our city centre, so that we don't have the pre-COVID traffic congestion that delivered dangerous levels of air pollution.
Beyond these immediate measures, then, I'm keen to understand the extent of your ambition to build back a better, cleaner, carbon-neutral Wales. How can we use the unique selling points that Wales has—both our geography, which makes us a major generator of renewable energy, and as a pioneer of hydrogen from renewables, which could enable us to become a European leader in cleaner transport and becoming a more carbon-neutral Europe. So I wonder if you have given consideration to this.
Rwy'n falch iawn o dderbyn eich datganiad, yn enwedig y pwynt rydych yn ei wneud sy'n dweud bod yn rhaid i'r gwaith a wnawn yn y dyfodol fod yn seiliedig ar y wyddoniaeth, a hefyd, fod yn rhaid i ddiogelwch pobl fod yn flaenllaw ym mhob penderfyniad a wnawn. Fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol o'r canfyddiadau cychwynnol a'r ymchwil sy'n tynnu sylw at y cysylltiad posibl rhwng llygredd aer a lefelau uwch o drosglwyddiad COVID-19, er enghraifft yn ardal Bergamo yng ngogledd yr Eidal. Rwy'n falch iawn eich bod wedi ymgysylltu ag is-grŵp economaidd-gymdeithasol y panel cynghori arbenigol ar bobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig, a gadeirir gan yr Athro Ogbonna, fel y gallwn ddeall y rhesymau pam fod pobl dduon ac Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig wedi cael eu heffeithio i raddau mor anghymesur gan COVID-19.
Yng nghyd-destun diogelwch fy etholwyr, gwn fod Cyngor Caerdydd yn cynllunio mesurau i atal cymudwyr neu siopwyr rhag llethu canol ein dinas, fel na fydd gennym y tagfeydd traffig a welwyd cyn COVID-19 a oedd yn achosi lefelau peryglus o lygredd aer.
Y tu hwnt i'r mesurau uniongyrchol hyn felly, rwy'n awyddus i ddeall hyd a lled eich uchelgais i ailadeiladu Cymru sy'n well, yn lanach ac yn niwtral o ran carbon. Sut y gallwn ddefnyddio'r pwyntiau gwerthu unigryw sydd gan Gymru—ein daearyddiaeth, sy'n ein gwneud yn un o brif gynhyrchwyr ynni adnewyddadwy, ac fel arloeswyr ym maes cynhyrchu hydrogen o ffynonellau adnewyddadwy, a allai ein galluogi i ddod yn arweinydd yn Ewrop ar drafnidiaeth lanach a chreu Ewrop sy'n fwy niwtral o ran carbon. Felly, tybed a ydych wedi ystyried hyn.
Absolutely, and Jenny, I couldn't agree more. We've got the hydrogen arc in the north, with a huge degree of collaboration taking place between businesses and research institutions in north Wales and across the border in the Mersey Dee area. Then, of course, we've got some exemplary businesses in mid Wales regarding the potential use of hydrogen in road vehicles, with Riversimple perhaps leading the way in this regard. So, there is enormous opportunity in terms of exploiting research and development concerning hydrogen propulsion and hydrogen as a form of energy for other uses as well, particularly in business, for example.
In terms of the more general question about how we make sure that we build that better, well, it will require us to invest in more decarbonisation schemes, in fair work businesses—businesses that abide by and embrace fair work principles. It will require us to invest and focus our investment on businesses that prioritise skills enhancement of their workers and on the well-being and mental health of their workers. It will also require a stronger focus on supporting business growth, not just individual businesses' growth, but also growth within the supply chain that that business may be a part of or that that business supports.
So we're developing a range of principles that can be applied to our investment decisions in the coming months and years. But, crucially, we have to make sure that we take this opportunity to narrow inequalities in Wales, and that will require a concerted effort with regard to our employability interventions—interventions like Jobs Growth Wales, the apprenticeship programme, and schemes that will be able to be moulded and tailored to individual needs so that we give people from BAME communities and people who face disabling factors in society a far better chance of meeting their aspirations and goals than they had before coronavirus. That will be a key test for us.
Yn bendant, a Jenny, rwy’n cytuno’n llwyr. Mae gennym yr arc hydrogen yn y gogledd, gyda llawer iawn o gydweithredu'n digwydd rhwng busnesau a sefydliadau ymchwil yng ngogledd Cymru ac ar draws y ffin yn ardal Mersi a’r Ddyfrdwy. Wedyn, wrth gwrs, mae gennym fusnesau rhagorol yng nghanolbarth Cymru'n ymwneud â'r defnydd posibl o hydrogen mewn cerbydau ffordd, gyda Riversimple efallai'n arwain y ffordd yn hyn o beth. Felly mae cyfle enfawr yno o ran manteisio ar ymchwil a datblygu yn ymwneud â gyriant hydrogen a hydrogen fel math o ynni at ddefnydd arall hefyd, yn enwedig ym myd busnes, er enghraifft.
Ar y cwestiwn mwy cyffredinol ynglŷn â sut y gallwn sicrhau ein bod yn adeiladu hynny'n well, wel, fe fydd yn ei gwneud hi'n ofynnol inni fuddsoddi mewn mwy o gynlluniau datgarboneiddio, mewn busnesau gwaith teg—busnesau sy'n cadw at egwyddorion gwaith teg ac yn eu croesawu. Bydd yn ei gwneud hi'n ofynnol inni fuddsoddi a chanolbwyntio ein buddsoddiad ar fusnesau sy'n blaenoriaethu gwella sgiliau eu gweithwyr ac ar les ac iechyd meddwl eu gweithwyr. Bydd hefyd yn galw am ffocws cryfach ar gefnogi twf busnes, nid yn unig twf busnesau unigol, ond twf o fewn y gadwyn gyflenwi y gallai'r busnes fod yn rhan ohoni neu y mae'r busnes hwnnw'n ei chynnal.
Felly rydym yn datblygu ystod o egwyddorion y gellir eu cymhwyso i'n penderfyniadau buddsoddi yn ystod y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd nesaf. Ond yn hanfodol, mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau ein bod yn bachu ar y cyfle hwn i leihau anghydraddoldebau yng Nghymru, a bydd hynny'n galw am ymdrech gyfunol mewn perthynas â'n hymyriadau cyflogadwyedd—ymyriadau fel Twf Swyddi Cymru, y rhaglen brentisiaethau, a chynlluniau y gellir eu mowldio a'u haddasu i anghenion unigol fel ein bod yn rhoi cyfle gwell o lawer i gymunedau BAME a phobl sy'n wynebu ffactorau sy’n anablu mewn cymdeithas allu cyflawni eu huchelgais a'u dyheadau na’r hyn a oedd ganddynt cyn y coronafeirws. Bydd hynny'n brawf allweddol i ni.
Thank you. Suzy Davies.
Diolch. Suzy Davies.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for your statement, Minister. First of all, can I just clear something up here, and this is the extension of support to non-VAT-registered operators? Does that just apply to limited companies, or does it apply to firms and sole traders as well? We've been speaking about tourism quite a lot today, and a few people have mentioned B&Bs and, of course, those very small B&Bs aren't likely to be VAT registered and also they're outside the business rates system as well, because they're too small to be allowed to be registered. So perhaps you could clear that up.
Secondly, as I think David Rowlands mentioned, we have still got businesses that are outside the ERF at the moment. I've had representations made by people who have actually been very successful, but can't actually access anything without giving personal guarantees, which they're reluctant to do because they're not sure about the viability of their business if they are in a sector that is going to be the last to open. So, I wonder if you could give us a little bit more detail on what you're looking at in that respect.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Diolch am eich datganiad, Weinidog. Yn gyntaf oll, a gaf fi ymdrin â rhywbeth yn y fan hon, sef ymestyn y gefnogaeth i weithredwyr nad ydynt wedi'u cofrestru ar gyfer TAW. A yw hynny'n berthnasol i gwmnïau cyfyngedig yn unig, neu a yw'n berthnasol i fusnesau ac unig fasnachwyr hefyd? Rydym wedi bod yn siarad cryn dipyn am dwristiaeth heddiw, ac mae rhai wedi sôn am fusnesau gwely a brecwast ac wrth gwrs, nid yw busnesau gwely a brecwast bach iawn yn debygol o fod wedi'u cofrestru ar gyfer TAW, ac maent y tu allan i'r system ardrethi busnes hefyd am eu bod yn rhy fach i gael caniatâd i gofrestru. Felly efallai y gallech chi roi sylw i hynny.
Yn ail, fel y soniodd David Rowlands, rwy’n credu, mae gennym fusnesau o hyd sydd y tu allan i'r gronfa cadernid economaidd ar hyn o bryd. Rwyf wedi cael sylwadau gan bobl a fu’n llwyddiannus iawn mewn gwirionedd, ond ni allant gael unrhyw beth heb roi gwarantau personol, ac maent yn amharod i wneud hynny am nad ydynt yn siŵr ynglŷn â hyfywedd eu busnes os ydynt mewn a sector a fydd ymhlith yr olaf i agor. Felly tybed a allech chi roi ychydig bach mwy o fanylion inni ynglŷn â'r hyn rydych chi'n edrych arno o ran hynny.
Okay, thank you, Suzy, for your questions. First of all, yes, a business would have to be limited if they are not VAT registered in order to attract support from the second phase of the ERF. However, sole traders and partnerships are eligible and were eligible in the first round of the ERF, providing that they could meet the criteria of a drop in turnover, that they're VAT registered and that they employ via PAYE. I think there has been some confusion about some groups, particularly market traders, who have felt that they are not eligible for any support whereas, actually, market traders are eligible for support through the self-employment support scheme, unless they don't have accounts or unless they are paid above the threshold of £50,000. So, market traders generally, unless they are incredibly successful, affluent market traders, would be able to access support through the UK Government's self-employment support scheme.
We believe that the vast majority—the vast majority—of businesses will be captured through the second phase of the economic resilience fund. But, of course, as I've said to others, we are working with local authorities on the potential development of a hardship bursary, recognising that there may be unique circumstances that have prevented businesses and individuals from seeking and attracting and securing Government support, whether it be from UK Government, or from Wales.
In terms of ERF support, we're not asking for personal guarantees; of course, we wish to assure ourselves that businesses are viable, and that's absolutely right. In terms of the support that's been offered through the Development Bank of Wales, personal guarantees have been important to make sure that there is, if you like, for want of a better phrase, skin in the game; there is a full commitment to business development and business growth. I think, given that the Development Bank of Wales's first COVID loan scheme was so, so successful, I don't think that the criteria would need to be amended if the development bank returned with proposals for a similar second round of support.
Iawn, diolch am eich cwestiynau, Suzy. Yn gyntaf oll, byddai'n rhaid i fusnes fod yn gyfyngedig os nad yw wedi'i gofrestru ar gyfer TAW er mwyn denu cefnogaeth o ail gam y gronfa cadernid economaidd. Fodd bynnag, mae unig fasnachwyr a phartneriaethau yn gymwys ac roeddent yn gymwys yn rownd gyntaf y gronfa cadernid economaidd, cyn belled ag y gallent fodloni maen prawf yn ymwneud â gostyngiad yn y trosiant, a’u bod wedi cofrestru ar gyfer TAW, ac yn cyflogi trwy'r cynllun Talu Wrth Ennill. Rwy'n credu y bu rhywfaint o ddryswch ynghylch rhai grwpiau, yn enwedig masnachwyr marchnad, sydd wedi teimlo nad ydynt yn gymwys i gael unrhyw gymorth, er bod masnachwyr marchnad yn gymwys i gael cymorth trwy'r cynllun cymorth i’r hunangyflogedig cyn belled â bod ganddynt gyfrifon neu oni bai eu bod yn ennill mwy na'r trothwy o £50,000. Felly, byddai masnachwyr marchnad yn gyffredinol, oni bai eu bod yn fasnachwyr hynod o lwyddiannus a chefnog, yn gallu cael cymorth trwy gynllun cymorth i’r hunangyflogedig Llywodraeth y DU.
Credwn y bydd y mwyafrif llethol—y mwyafrif helaeth—o fusnesau’n cael eu cynnwys trwy ail gam y gronfa cadernid economaidd. Ond wrth gwrs, fel y dywedais wrth eraill, rydym yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol ar y posibilrwydd o ddatblygu bwrsari caledi, gan gydnabod y gallai amgylchiadau unigryw fod wedi atal busnesau ac unigolion rhag ceisio a denu a sicrhau cymorth Llywodraeth y DU, neu o Gymru.
O ran cymorth y gronfa cadernid economaidd, nid ydym yn gofyn am warantau personol; wrth gwrs, rydym am sicrhau ein hunain fod busnesau'n hyfyw, ac mae hynny'n hollol briodol. O ran y cymorth a gynigiwyd trwy Fanc Datblygu Cymru, mae gwarantau personol wedi bod yn bwysig i sicrhau bod yna ymrwymiad personol, os mynnwch; fod ymroddiad llawn i ddatblygu busnes a thwf busnes. O ystyried bod cynllun benthyciadau COVID cyntaf Banc Datblygu Cymru mor llwyddiannus, nid wyf yn credu y byddai angen addasu'r meini prawf pe bai’r banc datblygu’n dychwelyd gyda chynigion ar gyfer ail rownd debyg o gymorth.
Minister, there's a real worry that, out of necessity, many people, as we see the restrictions on coronavirus being eased to allow people to go back to work and to some elements of social movement as well, then it's going to be in private cars with individuals driving, no passengers, and that we risk, then, a rush back to a type of society and type of work that we really don't want to see. What we have seen more recently is that the curious externalities of this crisis have been clearer streets and roads, cleaner air, less air pollution and more liveable communities as well, with better quality of life for those people who are walking or cycling.
So, can I ask you, Minister, what work is being done by Welsh Government right now, but also as we transition out of coronavirus, to explore things with employers such as more flexible working, either working from home or staggered work times and staggered shifts, or hybrid models for employers, where employees can, to mix and match how they work from home and actually go into work? What are we looking at in terms of redoubling our efforts and our investment, not only in active travel as we've known with walking and cycling, but actually building more dedicated bus lanes so that as we emerge, we can use those more, and dedicated cycle routes as well?
Weinidog, wrth i ni weld y cyfyngiadau coronafeirws yn cael eu llacio i ganiatáu i bobl ddychwelyd i'r gwaith a rhai agweddau ar symud cymdeithasol hefyd, mae yna bryder gwirioneddol y bydd llawer o bobl o reidrwydd yn gwneud hynny mewn ceir preifat gydag unigolion yn gyrru, a dim teithwyr, a bod perygl wedyn y byddwn yn rhuthro’n ôl i’r math o gymdeithas a’r math o waith nad ydym am eu gweld. Yr hyn a welsom yn fwy diweddar yw bod allanolion rhyfedd yr argyfwng hwn wedi cynnwys strydoedd a ffyrdd cliriach, aer glanach, llai o lygredd aer a chymunedau gwell i fyw ynddynt hefyd, gyda gwell ansawdd bywyd i bobl sy'n cerdded neu'n beicio.
Felly, a gaf fi ofyn i chi, Weinidog, pa waith sy'n cael ei wneud gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar hyn o bryd, ond hefyd wrth i ni gefnu ar y coronafeirws, i archwilio pethau gyda chyflogwyr megis gweithio mwy hyblyg, naill ai gweithio gartref neu amseroedd gwaith a sifftiau gwahanol, neu fodelau hybrid i gyflogwyr, lle bydd modd i weithwyr amrywio rhwng gweithio gartref a mynd i mewn i’w gwaith? Rydym yn edrych ar gryfhau ein hymdrechion a'n buddsoddiad, nid yn unig mewn teithio llesol fel rydym yn gyfarwydd ag ef gyda cherdded a beicio, ond o ran adeiladu mwy o lonydd ar gyfer bysiau'n unig fel y gallwn ddefnyddio mwy ar y rheini wrth inni ddod allan o hyn, a llwybrau ar gyfer beiciau'n unig hefyd.
Okay, thank you. Ken Skates to answer, please.
Iawn, diolch. Ken Skates i ateb, os gwelwch yn dda.
Can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for his questions? He's absolutely right that we need to lock in some of the benefits that have been accrued through people choosing not to use their car, through people instead undertaking active travel. I can inform the Member that we'll be investing millions upon millions of pounds in road reprioritisation schemes, first and foremost for temporary schemes that can test the ability of local authorities to be able to deliver longer term improvements, but also to make sure that those short-term behavioural improvements that we've seen become the long-term norm.
We're also looking, and we've begun the work, at a smarter working programme that will, essentially, encourage the private sector, the third sector and the public sector to adapt working shift patterns to ensure that people can work remotely, and to ensure that people can work in a way that aligns their working day with the provision of public transport so that they don't have to use their own car. And we're also looking at how this particular smarter working programme can dovetail with the work that colleagues in local government and housing are doing on the town centre first approach.
So, what we're keen to do is to utilise redundant buildings within town centres and high streets as shared spaces, remote working places, not just for the public sector, but also for the private sector and the third sector. It drives innovation, it enhances creativity, it's good for the economy, it's good for the environment, it's good for communities.
A gaf fi ddiolch i Huw Irranca-Davies am ei gwestiynau? Mae'n llygad ei le fod angen inni gadw rhai o'r manteision a gafwyd drwy fod pobl yn dewis peidio â defnyddio eu car, drwy bobl yn mynd ati i deithio'n llesol yn lle hynny. Gallaf ddweud wrth yr Aelod y byddwn yn buddsoddi miliynau ar filiynau o bunnoedd mewn cynlluniau ail-flaenoriaethu ffyrdd, yn bennaf ar gyfer cynlluniau dros dro a all brofi gallu awdurdodau lleol i allu cyflawni gwelliannau mwy hirdymor, ond hefyd i wneud yn siŵr fod y gwelliannau byrdymor o ran ymddygiad a welsom yn dod yn norm yn y tymor hir.
Rydym yn edrych hefyd, ac rydym wedi dechrau'r gwaith, ar raglen gweithio'n gallach a fydd, yn y bôn, yn annog y sector preifat, y trydydd sector a'r sector cyhoeddus i addasu patrymau sifftiau gwaith er mwyn sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu gweithio o bell, ac i sicrhau y gall pobl weithio mewn ffordd sy'n cysylltu eu diwrnod gwaith â'r ddarpariaeth o drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus fel nad oes yn rhaid iddynt ddefnyddio eu car eu hunain. Ac rydym yn edrych ar sut y gall y rhaglen gweithio'n gallach arbennig hon gydblethu â'r gwaith y mae cydweithwyr ym maes llywodraeth leol a thai yn ei wneud ar y dull canol y dref yn gyntaf.
Felly, rydym yn awyddus i ddefnyddio adeiladau segur yng nghanol y dref ac ar y stryd fawr fel mannau a rennir, lleoedd gweithio o bell, nid yn unig ar gyfer y sector cyhoeddus, ond ar gyfer y sector preifat a'r trydydd sector hefyd. Mae'n sbarduno arloesedd, mae'n gwella creadigrwydd, mae'n dda i'r economi, mae'n dda i'r amgylchedd, mae'n dda i gymunedau.
Thank you. Mark Isherwood. You need to unmute. You need to move your mike, Mark.
Diolch. Mark Isherwood. Mae angen i chi agor eich meic. Mae angen i chi symud eich meic, Mark.
Right. Small bed and breakfasts, already referred to, are a mainstay of many local economies across north Wales—real small businesses providing essential income for their owners. They're eligible for a business grant in England. After I questioned you three weeks ago about Welsh Government support for them, they told me they found your comments condescending and insulting. I then wrote to you, stating that they and the local economies they help to support are looking to you for help before it's too late. In your reply, you stated that the eligibility checker for the second phase of economic resilience fund for new applications will open mid-June. They responded, 'I understand there may be a glimmer of hope with the new economic resilience fund. So, fingers crossed, we may all have a new option then.' What have you therefore got to say to them now that they've told me, quote, 'According to the checker, our business is still not eligible'?
O'r gorau. Mae busnesau gwely a brecwast bach, y cyfeiriwyd atynt eisoes, yn rhan annatod o lawer o economïau lleol ar draws gogledd Cymru—busnesau bach go iawn sy'n darparu incwm hanfodol i'w perchnogion. Maent yn gymwys i gael grant busnes yn Lloegr. Ar ôl i mi eich holi dair wythnos yn ôl am gymorth Llywodraeth Cymru iddynt, dywedasant wrthyf eu bod yn ystyried bod eich sylwadau yn nawddoglyd ac yn sarhaus. Ysgrifennais atoch wedyn, i ddweud eu bod hwy a'r economïau lleol y maent yn helpu i'w cefnogi yn gofyn am eich help cyn iddi fynd yn rhy hwyr. Yn eich ateb, fe ddywedoch chi y bydd y gwiriwr cymhwysedd ar gyfer ail gam y gronfa cadernid economaidd i geisiadau newydd yn agor ganol mis Mehefin. Eu hymateb oedd, 'Rwy'n deall efallai fod llygedyn o obaith gyda'r gronfa cadernid economaidd newydd. Felly, croeswn ein bysedd y bydd yna opsiwn newydd i bawb ohonom bryd hynny.' Beth sydd gennych i'w ddweud wrthynt a hwythau wedi dweud wrthyf yn awr, ac rwy'n dyfynnu, 'Yn ôl y gwiriwr, mae ein busnes yn dal i fod yn anghymwys'?
Can I thank Mark Isherwood for that question? I would, first of all, have to understand why they were not eligible for support through the ERF phase 2, but I will also say that we do have the most generous and comprehensive package of support for businesses anywhere in the United Kingdom. If they are not eligible for support through the ERF grant, I would be very keen to know whether they've been able to secure support to date through the job retention scheme, through the self-employment support scheme, or any other scheme. And if that is not the case, if they are truly are not able to attract support, and if they have seen a huge decrease in their turnover as a result of coronavirus, and if they do depend on those business operations for their livelihood, and if they meet all of that criteria, then, of course—of course—they are a business that we wish to support, and that is why we are carrying out work with our local authority colleagues on the potential introduction of a hardship bursary that will run alongside the ERF phase 2.
But, first and foremost, I would need to understand the circumstances that those businesses are in, because, as I've said, there is, in some parts, a misunderstanding about what is actually available at a UK-Government level, and some businesses—only some, but some businesses—have been waiting to check whether they are eligible for more support from the Welsh Government schemes before applying for support from those UK Government schemes. It's absolutely vital, given the finite pot of money that we have, that if a business is able to get support through the job retention scheme, or through the self-employment support scheme, they go to those schemes first, because our finite resource, the economic resilience fund, is designed to plug the gaps. Now, if the businesses that you're referring to, Mark, are truly falling through the gaps, we want to help them.
A gaf fi ddiolch i Mark Isherwood am y cwestiwn hwnnw? Yn gyntaf, byddai'n rhaid i mi ddeall pam nad oeddent yn gymwys i gael cymorth drwy gam 2 y gronfa, ond fe ddywedaf hefyd fod gennym y pecyn cymorth mwyaf hael a chynhwysfawr i fusnesau yn unrhyw le yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Os nad ydynt yn gymwys i gael cymorth drwy grant y gronfa cadernid economaidd, byddwn yn awyddus iawn i wybod a ydynt wedi llwyddo i sicrhau cymorth hyd yma drwy'r cynllun cadw swyddi, drwy'r cynllun cymorth i'r hunangyflogedig, neu unrhyw gynllun arall. Ac os nad ydynt, os nad ydynt yn gallu cael unrhyw gymorth o gwbl, ac os bu gostyngiad enfawr yn eu trosiant o ganlyniad i'r coronafeirws, ac os ydynt yn dibynnu ar y gweithrediadau busnes hynny am eu bywoliaeth, ac os ydynt yn bodloni'r holl feini prawf hynny, yna, wrth gwrs—wrth gwrs—maent yn fusnes rydym am ei gefnogi, a dyna pam rydym yn gwneud gwaith gyda'n cydweithwyr yn yr awdurdodau lleol ar y posibilrwydd o gyflwyno bwrsari caledi a fydd yn cydredeg â cham 2 y gronfa cadernid economaidd.
Ond yn gyntaf oll, byddai angen i mi ddeall amgylchiadau'r busnesau hynny, oherwydd fel y dywedais, mae camddealltwriaeth mewn rhai mannau ynglŷn â'r hyn sydd ar gael mewn gwirionedd ar lefel Llywodraeth y DU, ac mae rhai busnesau—dim ond rhai, ond rhai busnesau—wedi bod yn aros i weld a ydynt yn gymwys i gael mwy o gymorth gan gynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru cyn gwneud cais am gymorth gan gynlluniau Llywodraeth y DU. O ystyried y pot cyfyngedig o arian sydd gennym, os yw busnes yn gallu cael cymorth drwy'r cynllun cadw swyddi neu drwy'r cynllun cymorth i'r hunangyflogedig, mae'n gwbl hanfodol eu bod yn troi at y cynlluniau hynny yn gyntaf, oherwydd mae ein hadnodd cyfyngedig, y gronfa cadernid economaidd, wedi'i gynllunio i lenwi'r bylchau. Nawr, os yw'r busnesau rydych chi'n cyfeirio atynt, Mark, yn disgyn drwy'r bylchau mewn gwirionedd, rydym yn awyddus i'w helpu.
Will the Minister outline progress around aviation support from the UK Government? As he's aware, British Airways is proposing pan-Wales job losses, and amalgamating Blackwood jobs, potentially, in my constituency to the city of Cardiff, which would result in the closure of their site in Blackwood and the loss of high-skilled and high-value, well-paid jobs to the Valleys. What is his understanding of the use of job retention furlough payments of public money when BA indicates it is going to not retain these staff but make them redundant, while, obviously, a clear market leader, holding large reserves, which has just purchased a Spanish air subsidiary? Will he then outline how the Welsh Government can further assist and support this valued workforce when dealing with this employer who is totally unable to consult its workforce as is required during this period? And would he agree with me that British Airways must now pause and rescind their section 188 notice whilst aviation sectoral support is being determined?
A wnaiff y Gweinidog amlinellu'r cynnydd yn y cymorth i'r sector hedfan gan Lywodraeth y DU? Fel y gŵyr, mae British Airways yn argymell colli swyddi drwy Gymru gyfan, a'r posibilrwydd o uno swyddi yn y Coed-duon yn fy etholaeth i â rhai yn ninas Caerdydd, a fyddai'n arwain at gau eu safle yn y Coed-duon ac at golli swyddi sgiliau uchel ar gyflogau da o'r Cymoedd. Beth yw ei ddealltwriaeth o'r defnydd o arian a delir o bwrs y wlad ar gynlluniau ffyrlo er mwyn cadw swyddi pan fo BA yn nodi na fydd yn cadw'r staff hyn ond yn eu diswyddo, er ei fod yn amlwg yn arweinydd yn y farchnad sy'n meddu ar gronfeydd mawr wrth gefn a newydd brynu is-gwmni awyr Sbaenaidd? A wnaiff amlinellu wedyn sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru gynorthwyo a chefnogi'r gweithlu gwerthfawr hwn ymhellach wrth ymdrin â'r cyflogwr hwn nad yw'n gallu ymgynghori â'i weithlu o gwbl fel sy'n ofynnol yn ystod y cyfnod hwn? Ac a fyddai'n cytuno â mi fod yn rhaid i British Airways oedi yn awr a thynnu eu hysbysiad adran 188 yn ôl tra bod penderfyniad yn cael ei wneud ynghylch cymorth i'r sector hedfan?
Well, can I thank Rhianon Passmore, and say that I think, in general, Members across the Chamber and Members in the UK Parliament are speaking with one voice with regard to the announcement from BA? And I think Kelly Tolhurst's critique in the House of Commons was appropriate and correct, and I think it's absolutely right that British Airways are held to account for the decisions that are being made, that they don't seek to exploit the job retention scheme in the way that it appears they may have done so, and that the loss of jobs, if there is indeed to be a loss of jobs, is kept to an absolute minimum.
Now, if we look at what support is being offered to the UK aviation sector, compared to what's happening elsewhere around the globe, I'm afraid it should leave us with serious concerns about the future viability of the sector. Just yesterday we saw the announcement of a huge—huge—support package for aerospace in France. It amounts to £12 billion in grants. Cathay Pacific received a £4 billion bail-out from the Hong Kong Government, and by contrast, to date, we have not seen vitally important support thrown the way of UK aviation businesses. Time is running out for many regional airports, for many airlines, and for huge numbers of people who are employed in this vitally important sector. So, I would encourage the UK Government to come forward with an ambitious strategy for aviation, and one that is backed up with investment.
Wel, a gaf fi ddiolch i Rhianon Passmore, a dweud fy mod yn credu, yn gyffredinol, fod Aelodau ar draws y Siambr ac Aelodau o Senedd y DU yn siarad ag un llais mewn perthynas â chyhoeddiad BA? Ac rwy'n credu bod beirniadaeth Kelly Tolhurst yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin yn briodol ac yn gywir, ac rwy'n credu ei bod yn gwbl briodol i British Airways gael eu dwyn i gyfrif am y penderfyniadau sy'n cael eu gwneud, nad ydynt yn ceisio ymelwa ar y cynllun cadw swyddi yn y ffordd yr ymddengys eu bod wedi gwneud, a bod cyn lleied o swyddi â phosibl, os o gwbl, yn cael eu colli.
Nawr, os edrychwn ar ba gymorth sy'n cael ei gynnig i sector hedfan y DU, o'i gymharu â'r hyn sy'n digwydd mewn mannau eraill ledled y byd, rwy'n ofni y dylai ein gwneud yn bryderus iawn ynglŷn â hyfywedd y sector yn y dyfodol. Ddoe ddiwethaf, gwelsom gyhoeddi pecyn cymorth anferth—enfawr—ar gyfer y diwydiant awyrofod yn Ffrainc. Mae'n werth £12 biliwn mewn grantiau. Cafodd Cathay Pacific £4 biliwn o gymorth i'w achub gan Lywodraeth Hong Kong, ac mewn cyferbyniad, hyd yma, nid ydym wedi gweld cymorth hanfodol bwysig yn cael ei roi i fusnesau hedfan y DU. Mae amser yn brin iawn i lawer o feysydd awyr rhanbarthol, i lawer o gwmnïau hedfan, ac i nifer enfawr o bobl sy'n cael eu cyflogi yn y sector hynod bwysig hwn. Felly, rwy'n annog Llywodraeth y DU i gyflwyno strategaeth uchelgeisiol ar gyfer y sector hedfan, ac un wedi'i chefnogi gan fuddsoddiad.
Minister, I'd just like to pick up on your last comments, really, on the support for the aviation sector in Wales. As you rightly mentioned, the French Government have provided a huge support package for this industry, which has not been forthcoming from the UK Government. Would you join me in urging the UK Government to get round the table—because it is about time they get round the table—with your ministerial colleagues, with the trade unions, and with industry leaders, to create a package of support and implement those measures to our very important industry?
Weinidog, hoffwn gyfeirio at eich sylwadau diwethaf, mewn gwirionedd, am y gefnogaeth i'r sector hedfan yng Nghymru. Fel roeddech chi'n gywir i ddweud, mae Llywodraeth Ffrainc wedi darparu pecyn cymorth enfawr i'r diwydiant, rhywbeth nad yw Llywodraeth y DU wedi'i wneud. A wnewch chi ymuno â mi i annog Llywodraeth y DU i ddod o amgylch y bwrdd—oherwydd mae'n bryd iddynt ddod o amgylch y bwrdd—gyda'ch cyd-Weinidogion, gyda'r undebau llafur, a chydag arweinwyr y diwydiant, i greu pecyn cymorth a rhoi'r mesurau hynny ar waith ar gyfer y diwydiant pwysig hwn?
Well, I'd agree entirely with that statement, Jack Sargeant. And I'm sure that many other politicians across the United Kingdom, in other devolved administrations, would agree as well. I've spoken with counterparts in Northern Ireland, for example, who are very anxious about the state of the aviation sector there. And there are concerns in Scotland as well, in many parts, many regions, of England, and particularly in those areas of the UK that are really fragile right now, in terms of the economic status of their respective places. And it's vitally important, therefore, that the UK Government shows strong leadership, that it uses the fire-power that it and it alone has to support the sector, and that it does so without delay. And there are some specific schemes in Wales that could be supported that would enhance the prospects of the aviation sector. I could point again back to the advanced technology research centre that is proposed for Deeside, the work that the UK Government could do in supporting the advanced manufacturing research centre around Airbus's determination in Broughton to capture the wing of tomorrow. These projects are going to be hugely important if the aviation and aerospace sectors of the UK are going to survive this turbulent period.
Wel, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â'r datganiad hwnnw, Jack Sargeant. Ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai llawer o wleidyddion eraill ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig, mewn gweinyddiaethau datganoledig eraill, yn cytuno hefyd. Rwyf wedi siarad â chymheiriaid yng Ngogledd Iwerddon, er enghraifft, sy'n bryderus iawn am gyflwr y sector hedfan yno. Ac mae pryderon yn yr Alban hefyd, mewn sawl rhanbarth o Loegr, ac yn enwedig yn y rhannau hynny o'r DU sy'n fregus iawn ar hyn o bryd o ran statws economaidd eu hardaloedd. Ac mae'n hanfodol bwysig felly fod Llywodraeth y DU yn dangos arweiniad cryf, ei bod yn defnyddio'r pŵer sydd ganddi hi, a hi'n unig, i gefnogi'r sector, a'i bod yn gwneud hynny'n ddi-oed. Ac mae cynlluniau penodol yng Nghymru y gellid eu cefnogi a fyddai'n gwella rhagolygon y sector hedfan. Gallwn nodi eto y ganolfan ymchwil technoleg uwch arfaethedig ar gyfer Glannau Dyfrdwy, y gwaith y gallai Llywodraeth y DU ei wneud i gefnogi'r ganolfan ymchwil gweithgynhyrchu uwch mewn perthynas â phenderfyniad Airbus ym Mrychdyn i roi gwynt dan adain y dyfodol. Bydd y prosiectau hyn yn aruthrol o bwysig os yw sectorau hedfan ac awyrofod y DU yn mynd i oroesi'r cyfnod cythryblus hwn.
Minister, you'll be aware that tourism usually generates more than £3.2 billion in revenue every year, with 40,000 Welsh hospitality jobs across Wales. The economic benefits to Conwy is £900 million. The sector is in a perilous state. We have already lost a number of hotels in Aberconwy, and many others have warned that not opening in August would be nothing short of disastrous. What are your intentions for reopening our hospitality accommodation that is not self-contained? Will you provide a timeline so that they can prepare in advance? Will you work with stakeholders in the sector, such as the British Holiday and Home Parks Association, to agree a plan for how social distancing can be implemented in the reopening of our vital tourist accommodation? Will you allow the opening of restaurants, pubs and bars on 4 July, as is being considered in England? And finally, will you please open the Welsh Mountain Zoo? Social distancing can take place there, as it's outdoor activity? It's a must-do; please do it, Minister.
Weinidog, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod twristiaeth fel arfer yn cynhyrchu dros £3.2 biliwn o refeniw bob blwyddyn, gyda 40,000 o swyddi lletygarwch ledled Cymru. Mae'r budd economaidd i Gonwy yn £900 miliwn. Mae'r sector mewn cyflwr enbydus. Rydym eisoes wedi colli nifer o westai yn Aberconwy, ac mae llawer o rai eraill wedi rhybuddio y byddai methu agor ym mis Awst yn drychinebus. Beth yw eich bwriad o ran ailagor busnesau llety nad yw'n hunangynhwysol? A wnewch chi ddarparu llinell amser fel y gallant baratoi ymlaen llaw? A wnewch chi weithio gyda rhanddeiliaid yn y sector, megis Cymdeithas Parciau Gwyliau a Pharciau Cartrefi Prydain, i gytuno ar gynllun ar gyfer sut y gellir rhoi mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol ar waith wrth ailagor ein busnesau llety hanfodol ar gyfer twristiaid? A wnewch chi ganiatáu i fwytai, tafarndai a bariau ailagor ar 4 Gorffennaf, fel sy'n cael ei ystyried yn Lloegr? Ac yn olaf, a wnewch chi agor Sw Mynydd Cymru os gwelwch yn dda? Gall mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol ddigwydd yno, gan ei fod yn weithgaredd awyr agored? Mae'n rhaid ei wneud; gwnewch hynny, Weinidog.
Can I thank Janet Finch-Saunders for her questions, and first of all assure her that huge support has been offered to the Welsh Mountain Zoo? And the Welsh Mountain Zoo, unlike zoos in England, has not been required to stay closed; it's legislation that was introduced in England in the last week to keep zoos closed that's prevented zoos from reopening. Here in Wales, that legislation does not apply. The reason that zoos in Wales are not able to open at the moment is because they would simply not be able to generate the footfall and therefore be able to generate the income to make it financially viable to open right now. Why? Well, because, as I've already stated, more than 60 per cent of people in Wales—and that's a figure that's reflected in many, many parts of the UK—are too nervous to leave their own homes, never mind to access businesses, to go to visitor attractions. But the fact of the matter is that businesses that rely on visitors—those visitor attractions—will require people to have the confidence to access them. People won't have the confidence unless the R number is brought down sufficiently for them to feel confident, unless we really are making sure that the virus is fully under control.
Now, in the meantime, the sort of support that's being offered to zoos in Wales, I think, has been extraordinary, bearing in mind that we did not get a single penny of consequentials, based on the UK Government's zoos fund announcement. Now, we have opened up the economic resilience fund to zoos in Wales. There are 30 registered and licensed zoos in Wales. We've written to each and every one of them to ensure that we fully understand the implications of coronavirus and so that we understand where we might be able to assist. And as a result of the economic resilience fund, we've been able to make eight offers of support to zoos in Wales. The Welsh Mountain Zoo is one of those to have benefited from the economic resilience fund. It's also benefited from the Development Bank of Wales's COVID-related loan scheme—two schemes that are exclusive to Wales, and that support amounts to £335,000. Contrast that—had we got a Barnettised consequential of the UK Government's zoos fund, it would have amounted to just £700,000, which would have been nearly double what has been spent on just one single zoo in Wales. That demonstrates why we can say confidently that zoos in Wales have been better protected through this pandemic than elsewhere.
I am determined to make sure that we do all we can to support the safe reopening of zoos when they choose to reopen, but—I have to stress again—what is going to be crucially important is that the general public have the confidence to leave their homes and to go and visit such attractions. Because if people don't have confidence, they won't go to them—they won't hand over money for tickets, income won't be generated, and what will happen then? We only get one shot at reopening businesses and at reopening attractions.
It will be impossibly difficult for the Welsh Mountain Zoo, or any other zoo for that matter, to be able to put their workforce back into furlough without the UK Government giving any indication that that would be possible. It will be impossibly difficult as well, once a zoo is open and then chooses to close, to provide sufficient confidence in the term afterwards to guarantee that they will be able to reopen and then stay open. So, we've offered the certainty of the review points, and the next review point is on 9 July and then 30 July. And we've said to people, with the certainty of those review points, 'You'll be able to plan for reopening, where we believe that it can be carried out safely, and that those physical adaptations that are required for a business to reopen, or an attraction to reopen, can be implemented in a timely fashion.'
A gaf fi ddiolch i Janet Finch-Saunders am ei chwestiynau, ac i roi sicrwydd iddi yn gyntaf fod cymorth enfawr wedi'i gynnig i Sw Mynydd Cymru? Ac ni fu'n ofynnol i Sw Mynydd Cymru, yn wahanol i sŵau yn Lloegr, aros ar gau; deddfwriaeth a gyflwynwyd yn Lloegr yn ystod yr wythnos ddiwethaf i gadw sŵau ar gau sydd wedi rhwystro sŵau rhag ailagor. Yma yng Nghymru, nid yw'r ddeddfwriaeth honno'n berthnasol. Y rheswm pam nad yw sŵau yng Nghymru yn gallu agor ar hyn o bryd yw am na fyddent yn gallu cynhyrchu'r nifer o ymwelwyr a chynhyrchu'r incwm yn sgil hynny i'w gwneud yn hyfyw yn ariannol iddynt agor ar hyn o bryd. Pam? Wel, oherwydd, fel y dywedais eisoes, mae mwy na 60 y cant o bobl yng Nghymru—a dyna ffigur a adlewyrchir mewn llawer o rannau o'r DU—yn rhy nerfus i adael eu cartrefi eu hunain, heb sôn am ymweld â busnesau, ac atyniadau i ymwelwyr. Ond y gwir amdani yw y bydd busnesau sy'n dibynnu ar ymwelwyr—yr atyniadau i ymwelwyr—yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i bobl fod â hyder i fynd iddynt. Ni fydd gan bobl hyder oni chaiff y rhif R ei ostwng ddigon iddynt deimlo'n hyderus, oni bai ein bod yn gwneud yn siŵr fod y feirws dan reolaeth yn llwyr.
Nawr, yn y cyfamser, rwy'n credu bod y math o gymorth sy'n cael ei gynnig i sŵau yng Nghymru wedi bod yn rhyfeddol, o gofio na chawsom yr un geiniog o symiau canlyniadol yn seiliedig ar gyhoeddiad Llywodraeth y DU ar y gronfa sŵau. Nawr, rydym wedi agor y gronfa cadernid economaidd i sŵau yng Nghymru. Ceir 30 o sŵau cofrestredig a thrwyddedig yng Nghymru. Rydym wedi ysgrifennu at bob un ohonynt i sicrhau ein bod yn llwyr ddeall goblygiadau coronafeirws ac er mwyn inni ddeall lle gallem fod o gymorth. Ac o ganlyniad i'r gronfa cadernid economaidd, rydym wedi gallu gwneud wyth cynnig o gymorth i sŵau yng Nghymru. Mae Sw Mynydd Cymru yn un o'r rhai sydd wedi elwa o'r gronfa cadernid economaidd. Mae hefyd wedi cael budd o gynllun benthyciadau Banc Datblygu Cymru yn sgil y COVID—dau gynllun sy'n unigryw i Gymru, ac mae'r cymorth hwnnw'n £335,000. Cyferbynnwch hynny—pe baem wedi cael swm canlyniadol o dan fformiwla Barnett o gronfa sŵau Llywodraeth y DU, byddai'n ddim ond £700,000, sef bron ddwywaith yr hyn a wariwyd ar un sw yn unig yng Nghymru. Mae hynny'n dangos pam y gallwn ddweud yn hyderus fod sŵau yng Nghymru wedi cael eu gwarchod yn well drwy'r pandemig hwn nag mewn mannau eraill.
Rwy'n benderfynol o sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud popeth a allwn i gefnogi ailagor sŵau'n ddiogel pan fyddant yn dewis ailagor, ond—rhaid i mi bwysleisio eto—yr hyn sy'n mynd i fod yn hanfodol bwysig yw bod hyder gan y cyhoedd i adael eu cartrefi a mynd i ymweld ag atyniadau o'r fath. Oherwydd os nad oes hyder gan bobl, ni fyddant yn mynd iddynt—ni fyddant yn talu arian am docynnau, ni fydd incwm yn cael ei gynhyrchu, a beth fydd yn digwydd wedyn? Dim ond un cyfle a gawn i ailagor busnesau ac ailagor atyniadau.
Fe fydd hi'n anhraethol o anodd i Sw Mynydd Cymru, neu unrhyw sw arall o ran hynny, allu rhoi eu gweithlu'n ôl ar ffyrlo heb i Lywodraeth y DU roi unrhyw arwydd y byddai hynny'n bosibl. Bydd yn anhraethol o anodd hefyd, pan fydd sw ar agor ac yna'n dewis cau, i roi digon o hyder yn y tymor wedyn i warantu y byddant yn gallu ailagor ac aros ar agor. Felly, rydym wedi cynnig sicrwydd y pwyntiau adolygu, ac mae'r pwynt adolygu nesaf ar 9 Gorffennaf ac yna ar 30 Gorffennaf. Ac rydym wedi dweud wrth bobl, gyda sicrwydd y pwyntiau adolygu hynny, 'Byddwch yn gallu cynllunio ar gyfer ailagor, lle credwn y gellir ei wneud yn ddiogel, a bod modd gweithredu'r addasiadau ffisegol sydd eu hangen er mwyn i fusnes ailagor, neu i atyniad ailagor, mewn modd amserol.'
Minister, we've seen major investment in the electric car industry across the world, and as we look for economic opportunities coming out of COVID-19, I would suggest that the UK really should develop a first-class manufacturing capacity for electric cars and everything that needs to go around that. And in Newport, of course, we have the Orb works, which could manufacture the electrical steels required for such an industry. Would you continue to talk with UK Government, the trade unions and business, Minister, to emphasise this huge opportunity and make sure that the UK, Wales and the Orb works in Newport do not miss out?
Weinidog, rydym wedi gweld buddsoddiad mawr yn y diwydiant ceir trydan ar draws y byd, ac wrth inni chwilio am gyfleoedd economaidd wrth gefnu ar COVID-19, hoffwn awgrymu y dylai'r DU ddatblygu capasiti gweithgynhyrchu o'r radd flaenaf ar gyfer ceir trydan a phopeth sydd ei angen mewn perthynas â hynny. Ac yng Nghasnewydd, wrth gwrs, mae gennym waith Orb, a allai weithgynhyrchu'r duroedd trydanol sydd eu hangen ar gyfer diwydiant o'r fath. A wnewch chi barhau i siarad â Llywodraeth y DU, yr undebau llafur a'r byd busnes, Weinidog, i bwysleisio'r cyfle enfawr hwn a gwneud yn siŵr nad yw gweithfeydd y DU, Cymru ac Orb yng Nghasnewydd ar eu colled?
Well, thank you, John Griffiths, and I agree that the future will see the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles intensified and accelerated, but I would also hope, as we emerge from coronavirus, we see the use of public transport increase as well, and that we see active travel increase significantly. So, we're keen to ensure that investment is made in the infrastructure that can support active travel, in the infrastructure and the services that support public transportation, and that we and the UK Government, through the UK industrial strategy, are able to invest strategically to support the development of the very best ultra low emission vehicles and also that we use our emerging technologies, such as those that concern hydrogen. And, John, you've made a very powerful case on numerous occasions for the Orb works to be considered as part of this exciting programme of works, and I can guarantee that we will continue to press upon the UK Government the presence of that facility and the potential of that facility in this important agenda.
Wel, diolch, John Griffiths, ac rwy'n cytuno y bydd y defnydd o gerbydau allyriadau isel iawn yn dwysáu ac yn cyflymu yn y dyfodol, ond wrth inni gefnu ar y coronafeirws, rwy'n gobeithio hefyd y byddwn yn gweld y defnydd o drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn cynyddu hefyd, a'n bod yn gweld cynnydd sylweddol mewn teithio llesol. Felly, rydym yn awyddus i sicrhau bod buddsoddiad yn cael ei wneud yn y seilwaith a all gynnal teithio llesol, yn y seilwaith ac yn y gwasanaethau sy'n cynnal trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, a'n bod ni a Llywodraeth y DU, drwy strategaeth ddiwydiannol y DU, yn gallu buddsoddi'n strategol i gefnogi datblygiad cerbydau allyriadau isel iawn o'r radd flaenaf a hefyd ein bod yn defnyddio ein technolegau newydd, megis y rhai sy'n ymwneud â hydrogen. A John, rydych chi wedi cyflwyno achos grymus iawn ar sawl achlysur i waith Orb gael ei ystyried fel rhan o'r rhaglen waith gyffrous hon, a gallaf warantu y byddwn yn parhau i dynnu sylw Llywodraeth y DU at bresenoldeb y safle hwnnw a photensial y safle hwnnw yn yr agenda bwysig hon.
Thank you. Mandy Jones. Can somebody open Mandy's mike, please?
Diolch. Mandy Jones. A wnaiff rhywun agor meic Mandy, os gwelwch yn dda?
Is that okay?
A yw hynny'n iawn?
Fine, carry on.
Iawn, parhewch.
Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. Thanks for your update, Minister. As we all know, Wales relies on tourism, and nowhere more so than the region I represent and the one for which you have ministerial responsibility. Tourism's big business. We do it well in Wales. People love coming here for holidays. They spend their money improving our economy. But I'm being told by the caravan park sector in particular that business is draining away to England and a bad situation is being made worse as site fees are reliant on parks being accessible. So, people want refunds and, if standards are to remain high, maintenance costs will still be there. Businesses are losing faith.
My questions are: what representations have you made to your Cabinet colleagues with regard to the gradual reopening of caravan parks in particular, which are mostly distanced apart? If Wales continues with restrictions that differ to the rest of the UK, what further support will you offer these businesses to ensure that the Welsh tourism industry is open to all? Graham Evans, from Parkdean Resorts, has asked if you are prepared to have a Zoom meeting with him. Would you be okay with that? And, finally, if the point of lockdown was to flatten the curve, I congratulate your Government on your success. So, will you—? Do you know when Wales will be open for business? Thank you.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Diolch am eich diweddariad, Weinidog. Fel y gwyddom i gyd, mae Cymru'n dibynnu ar dwristiaeth, ac yn arbennig felly yn y rhanbarth rwy'n ei gynrychioli a'r un y mae gennych gyfrifoldeb gweinidogol drosto. Mae twristiaeth yn fusnes mawr. Rydym yn ei wneud yn dda yng Nghymru. Mae pobl wrth eu boddau'n dod yma ar wyliau. Maent yn gwario eu harian gan wella ein heconomi. Ond mae'r sector parciau carafannau yn arbennig yn dweud wrthyf fod busnes yn llifo i ffwrdd i Loegr a bod sefyllfa wael yn cael ei gwaethygu gan fod ffioedd safleoedd yn dibynnu ar hygyrchedd parciau. Felly, mae pobl am gael ad-daliadau ac os yw safonau'n mynd i barhau i fod yn uchel, bydd costau cynnal a chadw yno o hyd. Mae busnesau'n digalonni.
Dyma fy nghwestiynau: pa sylwadau a gyflwynwyd gennych i'ch cyd-Weinidogion yn y Cabinet ynghylch ailagor parciau carafannau yn arbennig, sydd â phellter rhyngddynt gan amlaf? Os bydd Cymru'n parhau â chyfyngiadau sy'n wahanol i weddill y DU, pa gymorth pellach y byddwch yn ei gynnig i'r busnesau hyn er mwyn sicrhau bod diwydiant twristiaeth Cymru yn agored i bawb? Mae Graham Evans, o Parkdean Resorts, wedi gofyn a ydych yn barod i gael cyfarfod Zoom gydag ef. A fyddech chi'n barod i wneud hynny? Ac yn olaf, os mai pwynt y cyfyngiadau symud oedd gwastatáu'r gromlin, rwy'n llongyfarch eich Llywodraeth ar eich llwyddiant. Felly, a wnewch chi—? A wyddoch chi pryd y bydd Cymru ar agor i fusnes? Diolch.
Well, can I thank Mandy Jones not just for her questions, but also for her helpful comments and a request for a Zoom meeting with a constituent? I'll clearly engage with my colleague the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism over who may be the most appropriate to have that meeting, but we are keen to engage with as many businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector as we possibly can, as we go about planning the recovery period and the safe reopening of businesses.
As I've said to others, there are regular review periods that we have and, at the last review period, the First Minister indicated that non-essential retail should take advantage of three weeks of planning for reopening. The next review period will be next Thursday, and then, following that, there will be a review period that will last until 9 July.
Elsewhere in the UK, we've yet to have a date for when tourism and hospitality may resume. Scotland and Northern Ireland—currently they're looking at 20 July, and in England it may be, at the earliest—and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy yesterday I felt was at pains to stress 'at the earliest'—4 July, and there was also the very strong caveat that it's dependent on infection rates being sufficiently low.
What I don't want to do—what none of my colleagues want to do—is to raise false hope, to say that, 'On this specific date you can prepare to reopen'. Instead, when we make announcements, we want to be able to deliver on them. We want businesses to have the surety of knowing that they're going to be able to reopen. I think the last thing that businesses in any sector want is to be told that they should plan for a certain date and then, just before that date, be told, 'Actually, we're going to u-turn on it and we're not going to allow you to reopen'. Because, once you've started the process of pulling your workers out of furlough, it's incredibly difficult to reverse that. You can't put your workforce back into furlough. Those fixed costs that come with reopening, they have to be paid for by that business, and so we have to have the certainty that we can carry through announcements. And that's why we have the three-week review periods, that's why we have review points every three weeks, and I can say, again, that the next review points are coming up on 18 June and 9 July.
We, across Government, are having extensive talks regarding caravan parks and other parts of the tourism and hospitality sector with regard to how they could reopen safely. And the latest of those discussions took place just two days ago. It involved the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, it involved Eluned Morgan, the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language, it involved myself, and it also involved the First Minister. I think that demonstrates how seriously we’re taking this matter, how keen we are to make sure that businesses can reopen as soon as possible, but we want to ensure that we can stick to any date that we announce, because we've seen too many examples elsewhere where dates have been announced, but they haven't actually been delivered.
Wel, a gaf fi ddiolch i Mandy Jones, nid yn unig am ei chwestiynau, ond hefyd am ei sylwadau defnyddiol a chais am gyfarfod Zoom ag etholwr? Byddaf yn sicr yn cysylltu â fy nghyd-Weinidog, y Dirprwy Weinidog Diwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth, ynglŷn â phwy yw'r mwyaf priodol i gael y cyfarfod hwnnw, ond rydym yn awyddus i ymgysylltu â chynifer o fusnesau yn y sector twristiaeth a lletygarwch ag sy'n bosibl wrth inni fynd ati i gynllunio'r cyfnod adfer ac ailagor busnesau'n ddiogel.
Fel y dywedais wrth eraill, mae gennym gyfnodau adolygu rheolaidd, ac yn ystod y cyfnod adolygu diwethaf, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog y dylai siopau manwerthu nad ydynt yn hanfodol fanteisio ar dair wythnos o gynllunio ar gyfer ailagor. Bydd y cyfnod adolygu nesaf ddydd Iau nesaf, ac yn dilyn hynny, ceir cyfnod adolygu a fydd yn para tan 9 Gorffennaf.
Mewn mannau eraill yn y DU, rydym eto i gael dyddiad ar gyfer pryd y gall twristiaeth a lletygarwch ailddechrau. Yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon—ar hyn o bryd maent yn edrych ar 20 Gorffennaf, ac yn Lloegr, efallai, 4 Gorffennaf ar y cynharaf—ac roeddwn yn teimlo bod yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Fusnes, Ynni a Strategaeth Ddiwydiannol yn awyddus i bwysleisio 'ar y cynharaf' ddoe—ac roedd cafeat cadarn iawn hefyd fod hynny'n dibynnu ar sicrhau bod y cyfraddau heintio yn ddigon isel.
Yr hyn nad wyf am ei wneud—yr hyn nad oes neb o fy nghyd-Aelodau am ei wneud—yw codi gobeithion ffug, a dweud, 'Ar y dyddiad penodol hwn gallwch baratoi i ailagor'. Yn lle hynny, pan fyddwn yn gwneud cyhoeddiadau, rydym am allu eu cyflawni. Rydym eisiau i fusnesau gael sicrwydd o wybod y byddant yn gallu ailagor. Rwy'n credu mai'r peth olaf y mae busnesau mewn unrhyw sector ei eisiau yw cael gwybod y dylent gynllunio ar gyfer dyddiad penodol ac yna, ychydig bach cyn y dyddiad hwnnw, ein bod yn dweud wrthynt, 'Mewn gwirionedd, rydym yn gwneud tro pedol ac nid ydym yn mynd i ganiatáu i chi ailagor'. Oherwydd, pan fyddwch wedi dechrau'r broses o dynnu eich gweithwyr allan o ffyrlo, mae'n anhygoel o anodd gwrthdroi hynny. Ni allwch roi eich gweithlu yn ôl ar ffyrlo. Rhaid i'r busnes dalu'r costau sefydlog sy'n dod yn sgil ailagor, ac felly rhaid inni gael sicrwydd y gallwn wireddu cyhoeddiadau. A dyna pam fod gennym gyfnodau adolygu tair wythnos o hyd, dyna pam fod gennym bwyntiau adolygu bob tair wythnos, a gallaf ddweud unwaith eto, fod y pwyntiau adolygu nesaf yn dod ar 18 Mehefin a 9 Gorffennaf.
Rydym ni, ar draws y Llywodraeth, yn cael trafodaethau helaeth am barciau carafannau a rhannau eraill o'r sector twristiaeth a lletygarwch o ran sut y gallent ailagor yn ddiogel. A chynhaliwyd y drafodaeth ddiweddaraf o'r rheini ddeuddydd yn ôl. Roedd yn cynnwys y Dirprwy Weinidog Diwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth, roedd yn cynnwys Eluned Morgan, Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol, roedd yn fy nghynnwys i, ac roedd hefyd yn cynnwys y Prif Weinidog. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n dangos ein bod o ddifrif ynghylch y mater hwn, a'n hawydd cryf i wneud yn siŵr y gall busnesau ailagor cyn gynted â phosibl, ond rydym am sicrhau y gallwn gadw at unrhyw ddyddiad a gyhoeddwn, oherwydd rydym wedi gweld gormod o enghreifftiau mewn mannau eraill lle mae dyddiadau wedi cael eu cyhoeddi, ond heb eu gwireddu mewn gwirionedd.
Minister, the Welsh Government has funded many businesses—I think, in your press release earlier today, you indicated that over 8,000 businesses have benefitted from the economic resilience fund. Now, that fund is about £400 million and for small and medium-sized enterprises, and I'm sure you and I appreciate that some of our anchor businesses, such as the air industries, mainly in the north, and the steel industries, mainly in the south, would eat that money up in one go, and therefore one business would get that. Therefore, the funding and the levers are not necessarily with the Welsh Government but with the UK Government. And we've heard an awful lot about Project Birch and how it's supposed to be helping these types of industries. To date, we've seen nothing happen and we know that the industries are going to be facing crucial times ahead of us as other European countries are helping their steel sectors, and China is also coming out of this. Are you knocking on the doors of Westminster and even 10 Downing Street to demand that the UK Government now enacts Project Birch and supports these large businesses, because they are the mainstays of much of our economies, both in the north and south of Wales?
Weinidog, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ariannu llawer o fusnesau—yn eich datganiad i'r wasg yn gynharach heddiw, rwy'n credu eich bod wedi dweud bod dros 8,000 o fusnesau wedi elwa o'r gronfa cadernid economaidd. Nawr, mae'r gronfa honno'n cynnwys oddeutu £400 miliwn ar gyfer busnesau bach a chanolig eu maint, ac rwy'n siŵr eich bod chi a minnau'n sylweddoli y byddai rhai o'n busnesau angori, megis y diwydiannau awyr, yn y gogledd yn bennaf, a'r diwydiannau dur, yn y de yn bennaf, yn llyncu'r arian hwnnw ar unwaith, ac felly byddai un busnes yn cael hwnnw. Felly, nid Llywodraeth Cymru o reidrwydd sydd â'r cyllid a'r adnoddau ond yn hytrach, Llywodraeth y DU. Ac rydym wedi clywed llawer iawn am Project Birch a sut y mae i fod i helpu'r mathau hyn o ddiwydiannau. Hyd yn hyn, nid ydym wedi gweld unrhyw beth yn digwydd a gwyddom fod y diwydiannau'n mynd i wynebu cyfnod tyngedfennol wrth i wledydd eraill yn Ewrop helpu eu sectorau dur, ac mae Tsieina hefyd yn dod allan o hyn. A ydych yn curo ar ddrysau San Steffan a hyd yn oed 10 Downing Street i fynnu bod Llywodraeth y DU bellach yn gweithredu Project Birch ac yn cefnogi'r busnesau mawr hyn, gan eu bod yn gonglfaen i lawer o'n heconomïau, yng gogledd a de Cymru?
Well, can I thank David Rees for his question? He's absolutely right that only the UK Government has the financial resource to be able to support the sectors with the sort of intervention that's required, particularly aerospace and steel. They are two sectors that are now standing items on the quadrilateral calls that take place between myself and the economy Ministers in the devolved administrations and with BEIS.
Project Birch, of course, should be utilised to support sectors and businesses across the UK, but in a way that recognises the needs rather than—as Helen Mary Jones touched on a little earlier—what might be considered a fair and equal split through Barnettising support. We have to ensure that support for steel and aerospace through Project Birch—and I am hopeful that UK Government are listening to our calls for support through that particular intervention—that the support that comes our way recognises that, in those two vitally important sectors, we have a disproportionately high number of people employed in Wales, and therefore we would expect, through Project Birch and, in the longer term, through the industrial strategy, the new iteration of the industrial strategy, to have a larger share of the financial resource from those particular interventions.
Finally, I should just say that the third sector that is always, always discussed on those quadrilateral calls is tourism, and I've been at pains to stress the role that UK Government has in developing a support scheme that recognises that, even if businesses within the tourism sector reopen in the coming month or so, they are still going to face challenges in terms of generating enough revenue. They are not going to see the sort of revenue generation that was apparent in 2019, because public confidence is not going to be returning to what it was before coronavirus, and therefore there will need to be a support scheme, regardless of whether or not businesses reopen within the tourism sector. And, again, only the UK Government has the financial firepower to be able to deliver such a scheme for the tourism sector.
Wel, a gaf fi ddiolch i David Rees am ei gwestiwn? Mae'n hollol gywir mai dim ond Llywodraeth y DU sydd â'r adnoddau ariannol i allu cefnogi'r sectorau gyda'r math o ymyrraeth sydd ei angen, yn enwedig awyrofod a dur. Maent yn ddau sector sydd bellach yn eitemau sefydlog yn y galwadau pedairochrog a gynhelir rhyngof fi a Gweinidogion yr economi yn y gweinyddiaethau datganoledig a BEIS.
Dylid defnyddio Project Birch, wrth gwrs, i gefnogi sectorau a busnesau ledled y DU, ond mewn ffordd sy'n cydnabod yr anghenion—fel y crybwyllodd Helen Mary Jones ychydig yn gynharach—yn hytrach na'r hyn y gellid ei ystyried yn rhaniad teg a chyfartal drwy gymorth o dan fformiwla Barnett. Rhaid inni sicrhau bod cymorth ar gyfer dur ac awyrofod drwy Project Birch—ac rwy'n gobeithio bod Llywodraeth y DU yn gwrando ar ein galwadau am gymorth drwy'r ymyrraeth benodol honno—fod y cymorth a ddaw i'n rhan yn cydnabod bod gennym, yn y ddau sector hollbwysig hynny, nifer anghymesur o uchel o bobl wedi'u cyflogi yng Nghymru, ac felly, drwy Project Birch, ac yn y tymor hwy drwy'r strategaeth ddiwydiannol, byddwn yn disgwyl i'r fersiwn newydd o'r strategaeth ddiwydiannol gael cyfran fwy o'r adnoddau ariannol o'r ymyriadau penodol hynny.
Yn olaf, dylwn ddweud mai'r trydydd sector sydd bob amser, bob amser yn cael ei drafod yn ystod y galwadau pedairochrog hynny yw twristiaeth, ac rwyf wedi bod yn awyddus iawn i bwysleisio rôl Llywodraeth y DU yn datblygu cynllun cymorth sy'n cydnabod, hyd yn oed os yw busnesau o fewn y sector twristiaeth yn ailagor yn ystod y mis neu fwy nesaf, y byddant yn dal i wynebu heriau o ran cynhyrchu digon o refeniw. Nid ydynt yn mynd i weld y math o refeniw a oedd i'w weld yn 2019, oherwydd nid yw hyder y cyhoedd yn mynd i ddychwelyd i'r hyn ydoedd cyn y coronafeirws, ac felly bydd angen cynllun cymorth, pa un a fydd busnesau'n ailagor o fewn y sector twristiaeth ai peidio. Ac unwaith eto, dim ond Llywodraeth y DU sydd â'r pŵer ariannol i allu darparu cynllun o'r fath ar gyfer y sector twristiaeth.
Thank you very much, Minister.
I've had notice of a point of order from Janet Finch-Saunders. Janet Finch-Saunders.
Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog.
Rwyf wedi cael rhybudd o bwynt o drefn gan Janet Finch-Saunders. Janet Finch-Saunders.
[Inaudible.]
[Anghlywadwy.]
Janet, we can't hear you.
Janet, ni allwn eich clywed.
I could.
Fe allwn i.
I'm just very disappointed—thank you—that, when I raised my question with you, and I mentioned the Welsh Mountain Zoo, you came back—
Rwy'n siomedig iawn—diolch—pan ofynnais fy nghwestiwn i chi, a soniais am Sw Mynydd Cymru, fe ateboch chi—
No, no—sorry. Sorry, your point of order is to me as to conduct in the Chamber. So, please refer your point of order to me, and I will make a decision on it. Thank you.
Na, na—mae'n ddrwg gennyf. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, mae eich pwynt o drefn i mi yn ymwneud ag ymddygiad yn y Siambr. Felly, cyfeiriwch eich pwynt o drefn ataf fi, ac fe wnaf benderfyniad yn ei gylch. Diolch.
Okay. Thank you. When I raised my question to the Minister about the Welsh Mountain Zoo, he came back in his response and maintained that there hadn't been a Barnett consequential to Wales for the zoos. I have it on good authority, in writing, that a Barnett consequential has come across. So, I would like the Minister to correct that statement, please.
O'r gorau. Diolch. Pan ofynnais fy nghwestiwn i'r Gweinidog am Sw Mynydd Cymru, yn ei ymateb fe ddywedodd na fu swm canlyniadol o dan fformiwla Barnett i Gymru ar gyfer y sŵau. Rwyf wedi cael deall o le sicr, yn ysgrifenedig, fod swm canlyniadol o dan fformiwla Barnett wedi'i drosglwyddo. Felly, hoffwn i'r Gweinidog gywiro'r datganiad hwnnw, os gwelwch yn dda.
Okay. I will review what exactly was said and we'll come back to deal with this at the end of the session.
O'r gorau. Fe adolygaf beth yn union a ddywedwyd ac fe ddown yn ôl i ymdrin â hyn ar ddiwedd y sesiwn.
There's been no consequential.
Ni fu unrhyw swm canlyniadol.
We'll come back to it at the end of the session. Thank you.
Fe ddown yn ôl ato ar ddiwedd y sesiwn. Diolch.
We now move to item 5, which is a statement by the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language on coronavirus, COVID-19, and I call on the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language, Eluned Morgan.
Symudwn yn awr at eitem 5, sef datganiad gan Weinidog y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol ar y coronafeirws, COVID-19, a galwaf ar Weinidog y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol, Eluned Morgan.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae COVID-19 yn dal i gael effaith mawr ar fy mhortffolio i ac ar yr adran, ac mae digwyddiadau tramor hefyd yn cael effaith mawr arnom ni yma yng Nghymru. Tra'n bod ni yma yng Nghymru'n gweld lleihad yn nifer yr achosion o COVID, mae'n werth nodi bod swyddogion o Fudiad Iechyd y Byd—y World Health Organization—wedi'i gwneud hi'n glir bod y sefyllfa fyd-eang yn gwaethygu. Mae dros 7 miliwn o achosion wedi cael eu cadarnhau ledled y byd; 400,000 o bobl wedi marw. So, mae ffordd bell gyda ni i fynd, ond, i nifer o wledydd, mae'n bosibl fod y gwaethaf eto i ddod, ac mae'n hymrwymiad ni i wledydd sy'n datblygu wedi parhau yn ystod y pandemig, ynghyd â'n ymrwymiad ni i fasnach deg, sydd wedi cael sylw arbennig y mis yma gan ein bod ni'n dathlu'n deuddegfed flwyddyn fel Gwlad Masnach Deg.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. COVID-19 is continuing to have a substantial impact on my portfolio and department, and events overseas are having an impact on us here in Wales. Whilst in Wales we're seeing reductions in the rates of infection, it's worth noting that WHO officials have said that the global situation is worsening. There have now been nearly 7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus reported across the globe, along with 400,000 deaths. We have a long way to go, and, for a number of countries, it is possible that the worst is yet to come. Our commitment to developing nations has continued throughout this pandemic, as well as our commitment to fair trade, which has been given particular prominence this month as we are celebrating our twelfth anniversary as a Fairtrade Nation.
I want to underline the shock and anger felt by Welsh Government and by so many across Wales and the globe at the killing of George Floyd by a police officer, and the subsequent draconian response by the President of the United States. US citizens are rightfully protesting against overt racism faced by black people, which seems to be entrenched in some institutions. It's clear that the Welsh Government may not have the devolved powers to directly challenge the actions of the Government of another country, but I think we do have the moral obligation to speak out. As our health Minister, Vaughan Gething, stated:
'We must challenge racism, inequality and injustice wherever we find it, including right here at home'.
Now, we know without question that institutionalised racism is not a problem reserved to the USA. We've got a long way to go in our own country to address this issue, but we've made clear our solidarity with all those protesting. But solidarity is not enough. We must be prepared to challenge other countries, particularly when those actions create a response here in Wales. In that vein, I've written to the Foreign Secretary of the United States setting out the position of the Welsh Government and requesting that the President of the United States is reminded of his obligations to respect human rights and to ask if he'll acknowledge, without condition, that black lives matter.
I've also asked our international relations team to monitor the worrying situation in Hong Kong and to underline our commitment in the Welsh Government to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
Now, we've used the invaluable information provided by our international offices on how other overseas Governments are easing the lockdown to help shape our planning and our response here in Wales.
The clock is ticking in relation to developing a new relationship with the EU, and, when the transition phase ends, our current trading relationship with many other countries in the world also comes to an end. We're aware of the recent media reports regarding US trade negotiations, and in particular the growing concern with regard to the lowering of UK food and animal welfare standards, and the potential import of chlorinated chicken is of great concern. The UK Government has provided assurances to us that they will not agree to lowering standards in any future trade deals, and that's something that they promised in their manifesto and that we will hold them to.
I'd like to turn now to tourism. There's been a great deal of interest in that this afternoon. From the First Minister down, we're all acutely aware of the scale of the challenge facing the tourism, hospitality and the events sector, and, since the crisis began, the Deputy Minister and I have been meeting regularly with industry leaders. We know that when the summer season is gone, it's gone. It's therefore critical that we continue to work with the industry and local communities to ensure a safe return to tourism as soon as the public health position allows. We know that the industry would like us to provide a date as to when the industry can resume, but we've said consistently that we'll be driven by the science, and not by dates, and will only ease restrictions when the medical advice says it's safe for us to do so.
We've promised that we'll give the industry three weeks' notice as a minimum in order to prepare for reopening and we're giving detailed consideration as to when we can signal it will be approaching the right time to reopen shared accommodation without facilities, which is set out in the amber zone of the First Minister's programme. We're conscious that the industry will be watching next week's 21-day statement very closely and will be looking for a signal from the First Minister in terms of the tourism sector.
We're acutely aware that as businesses approach August, they'll be required to contribute financially to the furlough scheme, and we understand the importance of these dates to businesses. So, we're preparing—and we're preparing in detail—and that's included developing detailed guidance and protocols to support the sector and protect the community and staff and visitors.
Our package of support to the industry is the most generous in the UK, particularly through our bespoke economic resilience fund, under which, as of 5 June, we've awarded over £10 million to tourism businesses, safeguarding over 4,500 employees. And as you've heard, phase 2 of the fund will pave the way for further tourism businesses to access these funds. We'll continue to press the UK Government on extending the furlough scheme or creating a bespoke package for the sector.
Unfortunately, the events industry is likely to be the last to recover, and we're looking to work even more closely with organisers across Wales to consider the way forward. The culture and arts sector is also under extreme pressure. These organisations are often the beating heart of our communities, and they'll be even more important in the future.
We've worked closely with all our key stakeholders to offer advice and guidance and we've prioritised our responses to those activities most critical in the short term, and on supporting organisations with cash-flow problems and general hardship. And we're also providing guidance on the safe return of sport and the reopening of facilities when the conditions are right.
Rwyf am danlinellu'r sioc a'r dicter y mae Llywodraeth Cymru a chynifer o bobl ledled Cymru a'r byd yn ei deimlo ynghylch lladd George Floyd gan swyddog heddlu, a'r ymateb llym a gafwyd wedyn gan Arlywydd yr Unol Daleithiau. Mae dinasyddion yr Unol Daleithiau yn protestio'n gyfiawn yn erbyn hiliaeth amlwg a wynebir gan bobl ddu, sydd fel pe bai wedi ymwreiddio mewn rhai sefydliadau. Mae'n amlwg efallai nad oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru bwerau datganoledig i herio gweithredoedd Llywodraeth gwlad arall yn uniongyrchol, ond rwy'n credu bod dyletswydd foesol arnom i godi llais. Fel y dywedodd ein Gweinidog iechyd, Vaughan Gething:
Rhaid inni herio hiliaeth, anghydraddoldeb ac anghyfiawnder ble bynnag y down o hyd iddo, gan gynnwys yma yn y wlad hon.
Nawr, rydym yn gwybod heb amheuaeth nad yw hiliaeth sefydliadol yn broblem sydd ond yn digwydd yn yr Unol Daleithiau. Mae gennym ffordd bell i fynd yn ein gwlad ein hunain i fynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn, ond rydym wedi datgan yn glir ein hundod â phawb sy'n protestio. Ond nid yw undod yn ddigon. Rhaid inni fod yn barod i herio gwledydd eraill, yn enwedig pan fydd y gweithredoedd hynny'n creu ymateb yma yng Nghymru. I'r perwyl hwnnw, rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at Ysgrifennydd Tramor yr Unol Daleithiau yn nodi safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ac yn gofyn iddynt atgoffa Arlywydd yr Unol Daleithiau am ei rwymedigaethau i barchu hawliau dynol ac i ofyn iddo gydnabod yn ddiamod fod bywydau pobl dduon yn bwysig.
Rwyf hefyd wedi gofyn i'n tîm cysylltiadau rhyngwladol fonitro'r sefyllfa bryderus yn Hong Kong a phwysleisio ein hymrwymiad yn Llywodraeth Cymru i egwyddorion democratiaeth, rheolaeth y gyfraith a hawliau dynol.
Nawr, rydym wedi defnyddio'r wybodaeth amhrisiadwy a ddarparwyd gan ein swyddfeydd rhyngwladol ynglŷn â sut y mae Llywodraethau tramor eraill yn llacio cyfyngiadau symud er mwyn helpu i roi siâp i'n cynlluniau a'n hymateb yma yng Nghymru.
Mae'r cloc yn tician mewn perthynas â datblygu perthynas newydd â'r UE, a phan ddaw'r cyfnod pontio i ben, bydd ein perthynas fasnachu bresennol â llawer o wledydd eraill y byd hefyd yn dod i ben. Rydym yn ymwybodol o'r adroddiadau diweddar yn y cyfryngau ynglŷn â thrafodaethau masnach yr Unol Daleithiau, ac yn enwedig y pryder cynyddol ynghylch gostwng safonau bwyd a lles anifeiliaid y DU, ac mae'r posibilrwydd y bydd cyw iâr wedi'i glorineiddio'n cael ei fewnforio yn destun pryder mawr. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi rhoi sicrwydd i ni na fyddant yn cytuno i ostwng safonau mewn unrhyw gytundebau masnach yn y dyfodol, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth a addawyd ganddynt yn eu maniffesto a byddwn yn eu dwyn i gyfrif yn ei gylch.
Hoffwn droi yn awr at dwristiaeth. Mae llawer o ddiddordeb wedi bod yn hynny y prynhawn yma. O'r Prif Weinidog i lawr, rydym i gyd yn ymwybodol iawn o faint yr her sy'n wynebu'r sector twristiaeth, lletygarwch a digwyddiadau, ac ers i'r argyfwng ddechrau, mae'r Dirprwy Weinidog a minnau wedi bod yn cyfarfod yn rheolaidd ag arweinwyr y diwydiant. Rydym yn gwybod na ddaw tymor yr haf yn ei ôl wedi iddo fynd heibio. Felly, mae'n hanfodol ein bod yn parhau i weithio gyda'r diwydiant a chymunedau lleol i sicrhau ei bod yn ddiogel i ddychwelyd at dwristiaeth cyn gynted ag y bydd y sefyllfa iechyd cyhoeddus yn caniatáu. Rydym yn gwybod y byddai'r diwydiant yn hoffi i ni ddarparu dyddiad ar gyfer pryd y gall y diwydiant ailddechrau, ond rydym wedi dweud yn gyson y cawn ein llywio gan y wyddoniaeth, ac nid gan ddyddiadau, ac ni fyddwn yn llacio'r cyfyngiadau hyd oni fydd y cyngor meddygol yn dweud ei bod yn ddiogel i ni wneud hynny.
Rydym wedi addo y byddwn yn rhoi o leiaf dair wythnos o rybudd i'r diwydiant er mwyn paratoi ar gyfer ailagor ac rydym yn rhoi ystyriaeth fanwl i ba bryd y gallwn ddangos ein bod yn agosáu at yr amser cywir i ailagor darpariaeth llety a rennir heb gyfleusterau, a nodir yn y parth oren yn rhaglen y Prif Weinidog. Rydym yn ymwybodol y bydd y diwydiant yn gwylio datganiad 21 diwrnod yr wythnos nesaf yn ofalus iawn, a byddwn yn edrych am arwydd gan y Prif Weinidog mewn perthynas â'r sector twristiaeth.
Rydym yn ymwybodol iawn, wrth i fusnesau nesáu at fis Awst, y bydd gofyn iddynt gyfrannu'n ariannol at gynllun ffyrlo, ac rydym yn deall pwysigrwydd y dyddiadau hyn i fusnesau. Felly, rydym yn paratoi—ac yn paratoi'n fanwl—ac mae hynny wedi cynnwys datblygu canllawiau a phrotocolau manwl i gefnogi'r sector a diogelu'r gymuned a staff ac ymwelwyr.
Ein pecyn cymorth ni i'r diwydiant yw'r mwyaf hael yn y DU, yn enwedig drwy ein cronfa cadernid economaidd bwrpasol, lle rydym wedi dyfarnu dros £10 miliwn i fusnesau twristiaeth, o 5 Mehefin ymlaen, gan ddiogelu dros 4,500 o weithwyr. Ac fel y clywsoch, bydd cam 2 y gronfa yn paratoi'r ffordd i ragor o fusnesau twristiaeth gael mynediad at y cronfeydd hyn. Byddwn yn parhau i bwyso ar Lywodraeth y DU i ymestyn y cynllun ffyrlo neu i greu pecyn pwrpasol ar gyfer y sector.
Yn anffodus, mae'n debyg mai'r diwydiant digwyddiadau fydd yr olaf i ymadfer, ac rydym yn gobeithio gweithio'n agosach byth gyda threfnwyr ledled Cymru i ystyried y ffordd ymlaen. Mae'r sector diwylliant a'r celfyddydau hefyd o dan bwysau aruthrol. Y sefydliadau hyn yn aml yw calon ein cymunedau, a byddant hyd yn oed yn bwysicach yn y dyfodol.
Rydym wedi gweithio'n agos gyda'n holl randdeiliaid allweddol i gynnig cyngor ac arweiniad ac rydym wedi blaenoriaethu ein hymatebion ar gyfer y gweithgareddau mwyaf hanfodol yn y tymor byr, a chefnogi sefydliadau sydd â phroblemau llif arian a chaledi cyffredinol. Ac rydym hefyd yn darparu canllawiau ar sicrhau bod chwaraeon yn dychwelyd yn ddiogel ac ar ailagor cyfleusterau pan fo'r amodau'n iawn.
Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.
The Llywydd took the Chair.
O ran y Gymraeg, dwi wrth fy modd bod dysgu Cymraeg wedi dod mor boblogaidd yn ystod y cyfnod cloi yma. Lai na phythefnos ar ôl cloi lawr yng Nghymru, lansiodd y Ganolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Genedlaethol ddosbarthiadau Cymraeg newydd gyda 8,300 o bobl newydd yn ymuno.
A gaf i estyn llongyfarchiadau hefyd i'r Urdd ar gynnal Eisteddfod T? Gwnaeth dros 6,000 gystadlu, gyda nifer o'r rhain yn gynulleidfaoedd newydd. Roedd hwn yn ddigwyddiad arloesol i S4C ac i'r Urdd, ac roedd hwn wedi cael ei ddarlledu'n fyw, a dyma'r peth digidol mwyaf i blant a phobl ifanc yn y Deyrnas Unedig yn ystod COVID-19.
Darlledwyd neges heddwch ac ewyllys da yr Urdd ar 18 Mai. Gofynnodd pobl ifanc Cymru i ni stopio'r cloc mewn ymateb i COVID-19 a meddwl sut ydyn ni am weld y byd yn y dyfodol. Fe wnaeth y neges yna gyrraedd 37 miliwn o bobl ledled y byd, a hynny mewn 57 iaith, gan gynnwys yr holl ieithoedd mae'r Cyngor Prydeinig-Gwyddelig yn eu cynrychioli.
Mae'r sialensau sydd ynghlwm â'r firws yn mynd i barhau am sbel i ddod, ond dwi'n hyderus y byddwn ni'n dod drwy hyn fel gwlad ymhen amser, a fan hyn mae'n werth dyfynnu Waldo Williams:
'Gobaith fo’n meistr: rhoed Amser i ni’n was'.
Diolch.
With regard to the Welsh language, I am delighted that learning Welsh has become so popular during this lockdown period. Less than two weeks after the start of lockdown in Wales, the National Centre for Learning Welsh launched new Welsh language classes, with 8,300 new people joining.
And may I extend my congratulations to the Urdd on the holding of the Eisteddfod T? Over 6,000 people competed, with many of these being new audiences for the eisteddfod. It was a pioneering event for S4C and the Urdd, it was broadcast live, and this was the largest digital live broadcast for children and young people in the UK during the COVID-19 period.
The Urdd's peace and goodwill message was broadcast on 18 May. The young people of Wales asked us to stop the clock in response to COVID-19, to think about how we want to live in the future. That message reached 37 million people around the world, in 57 languages, including all the languages represented by the British-Irish Council.
The challenges related to the virus will continue for some time to come, but I am confident that in time, we will come through this as a country. It's worth quoting Waldo Williams here:
Let Hope be our master: may Time be our servant.
Thank you.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei datganiad.
Thank you to the Minister for the statement.
If I can begin by wholeheartedly associating myself and my party with the Minister's comments about the situation in the United States of America, and express how very pleased I am that she has felt able to write on behalf of Wales as a nation and express our concerns. The Minister's right, of course, when she says that no nation, sadly, is exempt from this kind of prejudice and discrimination. Further to Adam Price's question to the First Minister earlier, will she have further discussions with her ministerial colleagues to discuss the opportunity to open a specific museum highlighting the history and the contribution of people from black and ethnic minority communities to us here in Wales? I'm sure that she would agree with me that one of the best ways to counter prejudice and discrimination is particularly for our young people to understand the history better.
With regard to tourism, I fully understand what she says about not wanting to try to give dates; it is impossible, clearly, to do so. But she mentions in her statement that there will be further sectoral guidance for businesses as to how they can open safely. This will be very much welcomed, but I'm sure the Minister will understand that that guidance needs to be available as soon as possible, so that if, for example, businesses need to make physical adjustments, whether that's adjustments to a bar or to a boat, that they have time to put that in place, and also that they are able to retrain their staff if that's necessary.
I wonder if she can tell us today when she expects to have the outcome of the discussions that I'm very much welcoming that she has with the UK Government. Because, again, businesses may—. It will help businesses enormously if they know what kind of support may be available when the current packages come to an end, and what that looks like.
With regard to the cultural and arts sector, the Minister, of course, is quite right to say how important these institutions are, and I'd like to commend, for example, the Arts Council of Wales, in the way that they've responded to and worked with the sector. Does the Minister agree with me that it may be possible for us to open some of our key institutions—I'm thinking of the folk museum at St Fagans, for example—sooner than others? And that if we do so, we may want to put in place some kind of priority system, so that particularly young people get access to this very important history. And can the Minister tell us any more about the support that's been provided through the arts council for freelancers in the creative sector? My understanding is that that scheme's been very successful, but that it may be oversubscribed.
Os caf ddechrau drwy gysylltu fy hun a fy mhlaid yn llwyr â sylwadau'r Gweinidog am y sefyllfa yn Unol Daleithiau America, a mynegi pa mor falch wyf fi ei bod wedi teimlo y gall ysgrifennu ar ran Cymru fel cenedl a mynegi ein pryderon. Mae'r Gweinidog yn gywir, wrth gwrs, pan ddywed nad oes yr un genedl, ysywaeth, yn rhydd o'r math hwn o ragfarn a gwahaniaethu. I ategu cwestiwn Adam Price i'r Prif Weinidog yn gynharach, a fydd hi'n cael trafodaethau pellach gyda'i chyd-Weinidogion i drafod y cyfle i agor amgueddfa benodol sy'n amlygu hanes a chyfraniad cymunedau pobl dduon a lleiafrifoedd ethnig i ni yma yng Nghymru? Rwy'n siŵr y byddai'n cytuno â mi mai un o'r ffyrdd gorau o atal rhagfarn a gwahaniaethu yw i'n pobl ifanc yn enwedig ddeall yr hanes yn well.
Ar dwristiaeth, rwy'n deall yn llwyr yr hyn y mae'n ei ddweud am beidio â bod eisiau ceisio rhoi dyddiadau; mae'n amlwg yn amhosibl gwneud hynny. Ond mae'n sôn yn ei datganiad y bydd canllawiau sectoraidd pellach i fusnesau ynglŷn â sut y gallant agor yn ddiogel. Croesewir hyn yn fawr, ond rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn deall bod angen i'r canllawiau hynny fod ar gael cyn gynted â phosibl er mwyn sicrhau, er enghraifft, os oes angen i fusnesau wneud addasiadau i adeilad, boed yn addasiadau i far neu i gwch, fod ganddynt amser i roi hynny ar waith, a hefyd eu bod yn gallu ailhyfforddi eu staff os bydd angen.
Tybed a all ddweud wrthym heddiw pryd y mae'n disgwyl cael canlyniad y trafodaethau y mae'n eu cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU, trafodaethau rwy'n eu croesawu'n fawr. Oherwydd, unwaith eto, gallai busnesau—. Bydd yn helpu busnesau'n fawr os ydynt yn gwybod pa fath o gymorth a allai fod ar gael pan ddaw'r pecynnau presennol i ben, a sut beth fydd y cymorth hwnnw.
Ar y sector diwylliannol a'r celfyddydau, mae'r Gweinidog, wrth gwrs, yn hollol iawn i ddweud pa mor bwysig yw'r sefydliadau hyn, a hoffwn gymeradwyo Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, er enghraifft, ar y ffordd y maent wedi ymateb i'r sector ac wedi gweithio gydag ef. A yw'r Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi y gallai fod yn bosibl inni agor rhai o'n sefydliadau allweddol—rwy'n meddwl am yr amgueddfa werin yn Sain Ffagan, er enghraifft—yn gynt nag eraill? Ac os gwnawn hynny, efallai y byddwn am sefydlu rhyw fath o system flaenoriaethu, fel bod pobl ifanc yn arbennig yn cael mynediad at yr hanes hynod bwysig hwn. Ac a all y Gweinidog ddweud rhagor wrthym am y cymorth a ddarparwyd drwy gyngor y celfyddydau ar gyfer gweithwyr llawrydd yn y sector creadigol? Yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, mae'r cynllun hwnnw wedi bod yn llwyddiannus iawn, ond bod mwy na'r disgwyl o bobl wedi ymgeisio amdano o bosibl.
You'll need to come to an end now, and I'll come back to you in a couple of minutes after the Minister's responded to the first set of questions.
Bydd angen i chi ddod i ben yn awr, ac fe ddychwelaf atoch ymhen munud neu ddau ar ôl i'r Gweinidog ymateb i'r gyfres gyntaf o gwestiynau.
I do apologise. I'll end it there and I'll come back.
Rwy'n ymddiheuro. Fe roddaf y gorau iddi yn y fan honno a dod yn ôl.
The Minister.
Y Gweinidog.
Diolch yn fawr. Diolch yn fawr, Helen Mary, a diolch am y gefnogaeth ynglŷn â'n safbwynt ni a'n hymateb ni i Black Lives Matter yma yng Nghymru, a hefyd am y neges rŷn ni'n glir eisiau ei rhoi i'r Unol Daleithiau.
Thank you very much, Helen Mary, and thank you for your support on our stance and our response to the Black Lives Matter issue here in Wales, and for the message that we clearly want to convey to the United States.
Can I just say, in terms of the museum, I was very interested to hear the response of the First Minister earlier in relation to the idea of developing some kind of museum? We'll certainly explore that as a department and have a look what the opportunities are there. I do think it is essential for us to recognise the influence and the impact and the way that black people have contributed to Wales over the years, and that that should be recognised. It's quite incredible to me that there have been people, for example, attending Sir Thomas Picton School in Haverfordwest who have no idea about who he was or what he did, and I think that is clearly something that needs to be addressed.
I also think, in relation to the sectoral guidance that you talked about, we're just putting the finishing touches to the sectoral guidance that will be available for hotels, for facilities, for sporting facilities, for tourism attractions. All of that work has been painstakingly done over a number of weeks in co-ordination and in consultation with representatives from the sector. So, that is all available, and will be available in the next week or so, and so of course that will then help people to put some measures in place.
When we're talking about the packages that may be available from the UK Government, obviously already I know that the finance Minister has written to the Treasury to ask for an extension to the furlough, and even to consider that particular sectors like the tourism sector will need some special attention. But, I think there is a recognition that this is beyond our ability to fund from here in Wales.
On the issue of the folk museum, we already indicated in the last 21-day review that open-air museums would be able to open in the near future, so we've given them time to prepare. I know that St Fagans has already been doing a huge amount of work to get prepared and to be ready for that, and to make sure that those guidelines that they've developed are being very strictly adhered to, which I hope will give confidence to the public when that opens that it will be safe for them to enter the museum.
And then, just finally on the arts council package, you'll be aware that a £17 million fund was reprogrammed from within existing budgets. Some of that fund—. For the arts there was a £7 million arts resilience fund, and there were opportunities for, as you say, freelancers to be able to access that. I know that a lot of that money has already been earmarked, but there is definitely an opportunity for freelancers to ask for support from that funding.
O ran yr amgueddfa, a gaf fi ddweud fy mod yn falch iawn o glywed ymateb y Prif Weinidog yn gynharach mewn perthynas â'r syniad o ddatblygu rhyw fath o amgueddfa? Byddwn yn sicr yn ymchwilio i hynny fel adran ac yn edrych ar y cyfleoedd sydd ar gael. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn hanfodol i ni gydnabod y dylanwad a'r effaith a'r ffordd y mae pobl dduon wedi cyfrannu at fywyd Cymru dros y blynyddoedd, ac y dylid cydnabod hynny. Mae'n hollol anghredadwy i mi fod pobl wedi bod yn mynychu ysgol Syr Thomas Picton yn Hwlffordd, er enghraifft, heb unrhyw syniad pwy ydoedd na beth a wnaeth, a chredaf fod hynny'n amlwg yn rhywbeth y mae angen mynd i'r afael ag ef.
Mewn perthynas â'r canllawiau sectoraidd y sonioch chi amdanynt, rwy'n meddwl ein bod yn ar fin eu cwblhau a byddant ar gael i westai, i gyfleusterau, i gyfleusterau chwaraeon, i atyniadau twristiaeth. Mae'r holl waith hwnnw wedi'i wneud yn drylwyr dros nifer o wythnosau drwy gydgysylltu ac ymgynghori â chynrychiolwyr o'r sector. Felly, mae'r cyfan ar gael, a bydd ar gael yn ystod yr wythnos nesaf, ac felly, wrth gwrs, bydd hynny'n helpu pobl i roi camau ar waith.
Pan fyddwn yn sôn am y pecynnau a all fod ar gael gan Lywodraeth y DU, yn amlwg rwy'n gwybod eisoes fod y Gweinidog cyllid wedi ysgrifennu at y Trysorlys i ofyn am estyniad i'r cynllun ffyrlo, a hyd yn oed i ystyried y bydd angen sylw arbennig ar sectorau penodol fel y sector twristiaeth. Ond rwy'n credu bod yna gydnabyddiaeth fod hyn y tu hwnt i'n gallu i ariannu o'r fan hon yng Nghymru.
Ar fater yr amgueddfa werin, roeddem eisoes wedi dweud yn yr adolygiad 21 diwrnod diwethaf y byddai amgueddfeydd awyr agored yn gallu agor yn y dyfodol agos, felly rydym wedi rhoi amser iddynt baratoi. Gwn fod Sain Ffagan eisoes wedi bod yn gwneud llawer iawn o waith i baratoi a bod yn barod ar gyfer hynny, ac i wneud yn siŵr fod y canllawiau y maent wedi'u datblygu yn cael eu dilyn yn fanwl, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd hynny'n rhoi hyder i'r cyhoedd pan fydd yn agor y bydd yn ddiogel iddynt fynd i mewn i'r amgueddfa.
Ac yn olaf, ar becyn cyngor y celfyddydau, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod cronfa o £17 miliwn wedi'i hailgyfeirio o gyllidebau presennol. Rhywfaint o'r gronfa honno—. Roedd cronfa gydnerthedd gwerth £7 miliwn ar gyfer y celfyddydau, ac roedd cyfle, fel y dywedwch, i weithwyr llawrydd allu wneud cais ar gyfer honno. Gwn fod llawer o'r arian hwnnw eisoes wedi'i glustnodi, ond yn sicr mae cyfle i weithwyr llawrydd ofyn am gymorth o'r cyllid hwnnw.
Helen Mary Jones.
Helen Mary Jones.
Thank you, Llywydd, and I'll be brief. I must admit to having forgotten that I'd got a second lot of questions. I do apologise.
Can I just ask the Minister—? I agree with everything that she said about the fact that they've adapted brilliantly. But, I'm told that we've had a big upswing in people wanting to learn Welsh online, which is obviously really encouraging. I know that she's had to reprofile her budget, but is the Minister confident that there is sufficient resource available for those coming forward wishing to learn Welsh at this difficult time to be able to do so?
With regard to the Black Lives Matter campaign, will she consider talking to the education Minister about how we might better reflect the history of black and ethnic minority people in Wales in our curriculum as we move forward? I very much take her point about young people studying in Thomas Picton school probably don't know who he is. Then, in that context also, whether she will consider in the medium term—this is not something immediate—looking at those historic monuments, those public buildings, and the people that they are named after, to see whether it's time for us to undertake a similar review to the one that is being done in London, to ensure that we are not memorialising people whose histories we would not wish to reflect.
Diolch, Lywydd, ac fe fyddaf yn gryno. Rhaid cyfaddef fy mod wedi anghofio bod gennyf ail swp o gwestiynau. Rwy'n ymddiheuro.
A gaf fi ofyn i'r Gweinidog—? Rwy'n cytuno â phopeth a ddywedodd am y ffaith eu bod wedi addasu'n wych. Ond dywedir wrthyf ein bod wedi cael cynnydd mawr yn nifer y bobl sydd eisiau dysgu Cymraeg ar-lein, rhywbeth sy'n amlwg yn galonogol iawn. Gwn ei bod wedi gorfod ailbroffilio ei chyllideb, ond a yw'r Gweinidog yn hyderus fod digon o adnoddau ar gael i'r rhai sy'n dymuno dysgu Cymraeg ar yr adeg anodd hon i allu gwneud hynny?
O ran ymgyrch Black Lives Matter, a wnaiff ystyried siarad â'r Gweinidog addysg ynglŷn â sut y gallem adlewyrchu hanes pobl dduon a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yn well yng Nghymru yn ein cwricwlwm wrth inni symud ymlaen? Rwy'n derbyn ei phwynt ynglŷn â'r modd nad yw hi'n debygol fod pobl ifanc sy'n astudio yn ysgol Thomas Picton yn gwybod pwy ydyw. Yn y cyd-destun hwnnw hefyd felly, a wnaiff hi ystyried edrych yn y tymor canolig—nid yw hyn yn rhywbeth a all ddigwydd ar unwaith—ar yr henebion hanesyddol hynny, yr adeiladau cyhoeddus hynny, a'r bobl y maent wedi eu henwi ar eu holau, i weld a yw'n bryd inni gynnal adolygiad tebyg i'r un sy'n cael ei wneud yn Llundain, i sicrhau nad ydym yn coffáu pobl nad ydym am adlewyrchu eu hanes.
Thank you. Just to say that, in terms of the support given to online learning of Welsh, I think that that has been hugely successful. Obviously, it's considerably cheaper than doing things face to face. So, all of that funding that was being done in terms of face-to-face contact is now being done online. What is interesting is, actually, more people turn up to the classes online than did in the physical classroom, so I think that there's a real opportunity for us to rethink the way that we deliver Welsh language teaching to adults in Wales. So, I'm very pleased with the way that things are moving. Obviously, some people have a bit of time on their hands at the moment to be able to develop their language skills, and we're thrilled to see that.
I know that the education Minister is intensely aware of the importance of telling Wales's histories, and it's very much an issue of talking about the plural histories of Wales. That has got to include black lives. I know that the First Minister is very keen and understands that it should be a matter for every school in Wales, and that is something that I know that the education Secretary is looking at in terms of the new curriculum and how that can be built in. Obviously, it would make sense for different schools around the country to respond to what happened to them locally. So, you do need to give flexibility, and I think that that's the whole purpose of the new curriculum—that people are able to respond to what's happening locally as well.
On the situation in relation to monuments in Wales, it is clear that we shouldn't be celebrating the deeds of people in the past where we have real concerns about, ethically, what that represents for us. I think that we've already seen in Cardiff city council that that debate has started, and I'm sure that we will see that debate now occur across Wales—in local authorities across Wales. I do hope that people will look at some of the other statues and monuments that exist in Wales that perhaps are of people we shouldn't be celebrating, and there's an opportunity, I hope, for us to focus on that.
But, I know that the equalities Minister is very keen to look at how we develop in this space. This is something that she was looking at way before the killing occurred in the United States. The race equality action plan is already being developed. So, I'm really confident of the fact that, actually, we are incredibly aware that there are still real disadvantages for black people within our communities, and that we do need to focus on that, particularly now during the coronavirus time.
Diolch. O ran y gefnogaeth a roddir i ddysgu Cymraeg ar-lein, credaf fod hynny wedi bod yn llwyddiannus iawn. Yn amlwg, mae'n llawer rhatach na gwneud pethau wyneb yn wyneb. Felly, mae'r holl gyllid a oedd yn cael ei roi tuag at gyswllt wyneb yn wyneb yn cael ei wneud ar-lein erbyn hyn. Yr hyn sy'n ddiddorol, mewn gwirionedd, yw bod mwy o bobl yn dod i'r dosbarthiadau ar-lein nag a ddeuai i'r ystafell ddosbarth go iawn, felly credaf fod cyfle gwirioneddol inni ailfeddwl ynglŷn â'r ffordd rydym yn darparu addysg Gymraeg i oedolion yng Nghymru. Felly, rwy'n falch iawn o'r ffordd y mae pethau'n symud. Yn amlwg, mae gan rai pobl ychydig o amser sbâr ar hyn o bryd i allu datblygu eu sgiliau iaith, ac rydym yn falch iawn o weld hynny'n digwydd.
Rwy'n gwybod bod y Gweinidog addysg yn hynod ymwybodol o bwysigrwydd adrodd hanesion Cymru, ac mae'n fater o sôn am hanesion lluosog Cymru. Mae'n rhaid i hynny gynnwys bywydau pobl dduon. Gwn fod y Prif Weinidog yn awyddus iawn ac yn deall y dylai fod yn fater ar gyfer pob ysgol yng Nghymru, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y gwn fod yr Ysgrifennydd addysg yn edrych arno o ran y cwricwlwm newydd a sut y gellir cynnwys hynny. Yn amlwg, byddai'n gwneud synnwyr i wahanol ysgolion o amgylch y wlad ymateb i'r hyn a ddigwyddodd iddynt yn lleol. Felly, mae angen i chi roi hyblygrwydd, a chredaf mai dyna yw holl bwrpas y cwricwlwm newydd—fod pobl yn gallu ymateb i'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn lleol hefyd.
Ar y sefyllfa mewn perthynas â henebion yng Nghymru, mae'n amlwg na ddylem ddathlu gweithredoedd pobl yn y gorffennol lle mae gennym bryderon gwirioneddol am yr hyn y mae hynny'n ei gynrychioli i ni, yn foesegol. Credaf ein bod eisoes wedi gweld yng nghyngor dinas Caerdydd fod y ddadl honno wedi dechrau, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwn yn gweld y ddadl honno'n digwydd ledled Cymru yn awr—mewn awdurdodau lleol ar draws Cymru. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd pobl yn edrych ar rai o'r cerfluniau a'r henebion eraill sy'n bodoli yng Nghymru o bobl na ddylem fod yn eu dathlu o bosibl, ac mae cyfle, gobeithio, i ni ganolbwyntio ar hynny.
Ond rwy'n gwybod bod y Gweinidog cydraddoldebau yn awyddus iawn i edrych ar sut rydym yn datblygu yn hyn o beth. Mae'n rhywbeth roedd hi'n edrych arno ymhell cyn i'r lladd ddigwydd yn yr Unol Daleithiau. Mae'r cynllun gweithredu ar gydraddoldeb hiliol eisoes yn cael ei ddatblygu. Felly, rwy'n hyderus iawn o'r ffaith ein bod yn hynod ymwybodol mewn gwirionedd fod yna anfanteision gwirioneddol o hyd i bobl dduon yn ein cymunedau, a bod angen inni ganolbwyntio ar hynny, yn enwedig yn awr yng nghyfnod y coronafeirws.
Can I start, Minister, by affirming on behalf of the Welsh Conservative Party that black lives matter? I do hope that the brutal death of George Floyd is seen in future as an axial moment, when something happened not just in the United States but all over the world, and especially in our case in Wales and in the UK, when we did examine our own history and particularly our attitudes and our striving for greater equality, but how that falls short particularly in terms of racial equality.
I'm reminded of work that Helen Mary and I helped do 20 years ago, when the then first equalities committee—it was thought to be very innovative then, incidentally, when we had devolution for the first time—looked at the Lawrence report and we did recommend that the curriculum examine the role of the Bristol channel in the slave trade, which, whilst it was based on Bristol, did involve the south Wales ports as well. It's sobering to think that, 20 years on, there's still a huge amount to do, although we have made progress as well.
Can I just say that I do think it's for each generation to decide how their most prominent public spaces are used and how they're used to commemorate or celebrate particular personalities or wider collective causes? I think it should be done with reflection and deep consideration, because it needs to be a learning experience for everyone, for wider society. Therefore, I do not like the thought that these matters are settled on impulse, however strong and sincere that is, and not with a proper process. I hope the culture committee meeting tomorrow will start to look at this heritage aspect of who is celebrated and where and how we have an appropriate way of dealing with these sometimes very contentious issues.
I just, in my first set of questions, want to ask one specific on tourism. I think there is a consensus now in the Chamber that self-catering accommodation can be opened up, and that now needs to proceed quickly. There is a question about many caravan and motorhome parks that have shared facilities but could close them and then allow caravans and motorhomes in, and they, having their own facilities, being able to use pitches would at least permit a level of business in those parks. I have raised this issue already in a written question, and I do hope that there's a fuller answer and a fuller policy so that we have the flexibility for those that can show they've closed the shared facilities that they have on site, so that they can open then just for the self-catering units that are there. But I do ask you to look at that specific question when the next lockdown review occurs in a week or so's time.
A gaf fi ddechrau, Weinidog, drwy gadarnhau ar ran Plaid Geidwadol Cymru fod bywydau pobl dduon yn bwysig? Rwy'n gobeithio y gwelir marwolaeth greulon George Floyd yn y dyfodol fel moment dyngedfennol, pan ddigwyddodd rhywbeth, nid yn unig yn yr Unol Daleithiau ond ym mhob cwr o'r byd, yn enwedig yn ein hachos ni yng Nghymru ac yn y DU, pan wnaethom archwilio ein hanes ein hunain ac yn arbennig ein hagweddau a'n hymrwymiad i sicrhau mwy o gydraddoldeb, ond y modd y mae hynny'n fyr o'r nod yn enwedig mewn perthynas â chydraddoldeb hiliol.
Caf fy atgoffa o waith y cynorthwyodd Helen Mary a minnau i'w wneud 20 mlynedd yn ôl, pan oedd y pwyllgor cydraddoldeb cyntaf ar y pryd—credid ei fod yn arloesol iawn ar y pryd gyda llaw, pan gawsom ddatganoli gyntaf—yn edrych ar adroddiad Lawrence ac fe wnaethom argymell bod y cwricwlwm yn archwilio rôl môr Hafren yn y fasnach gaethweision, a oedd, er yn seiliedig ym Mryste, yn cynnwys porthladdoedd de Cymru hefyd. Mae'n sobreiddiol meddwl, 20 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, fod llawer iawn i'w wneud eto, er ein bod wedi gwneud cynnydd hefyd.
A gaf fi ddweud fy mod yn credu mai mater i bob cenhedlaeth yw penderfynu sut y defnyddir eu mannau cyhoeddus mwyaf amlwg a sut y cânt eu defnyddio i goffáu neu ddathlu personoliaethau penodol neu achosion ehangach ar y cyd? Rwy'n credu y dylid ei wneud drwy fyfyrio dwfn ac yn ystyrlon, oherwydd mae angen iddo fod yn brofiad dysgu i bawb, i'r gymdeithas ehangach. Felly, nid wyf yn hoffi'r syniad fod y materion hyn yn cael eu setlo ar fympwy, ni waeth pa mor gryf a diffuant yw hynny, a heb broses briodol. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd cyfarfod y pwyllgor diwylliant yfory yn dechrau edrych ar yr agwedd dreftadaeth hon ar bwy sy'n cael eu dathlu a ble a sut y cawn ffordd briodol o ymdrin â'r materion hyn sy'n ddadleuol iawn weithiau.
Yn fy set gyntaf o gwestiynau, hoffwn ofyn un penodol am dwristiaeth. Rwy'n credu bod consensws yn awr yn y Siambr y gellir agor busnesau llety hunanarlwyo, ac mae angen i hynny fynd rhagddo'n gyflym. Ceir cwestiwn ynglŷn â llawer o barciau carafannau a chartrefi modur sydd â chyfleusterau a rennir, ond gallent eu cau a chaniatáu carafannau a chartrefi modur i mewn wedyn, a chan eu bod yn meddu ar eu cyfleusterau eu hunain, gallent ddefnyddio lleiniau, gan ganiatáu rhyw lefel o fusnes yn y parciau hynny. Rwyf wedi mynd ar drywydd y mater hwn eisoes mewn cwestiwn ysgrifenedig, ac rwy'n gobeithio y cawn ateb llawnach a pholisi llawnach er mwyn inni gael hyblygrwydd i'r rhai sy'n gallu dangos eu bod wedi cau'r cyfleusterau a rennir sydd ganddynt ar y safle, fel y gallant agor wedyn ar gyfer yr unedau hunanddarpar sydd yno. Ond rwy'n gofyn i chi edrych ar y cwestiwn penodol hwnnw pan fydd yr adolygiad nesaf o'r cyfyngiadau symud yn digwydd ymhen wythnos.