Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
08/07/2020Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu'r Senedd yn y Siambr a thrwy gynhadledd fideo am 11:01 gyda’r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met in the Chamber and by video-conference at 11:01 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Croeso, bawb, felly, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn. Cyn i ni 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 yma heddiw, ac mae'r rhain wedi'u nodi ar eich agenda chi. Dwi hefyd eisiau atgoffa'r Aelodau bod y Rheolau Sefydlog sy'n ymwneud â threfn yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yn gymwys i'r cyfarfod yma, ac maen nhw yr un mor berthnasol i Aelodau yn y Siambr â beth ydyn nhw i'r Aelodau sy'n ymuno yn y cyfarfod rhithwir.
Welcome, all, to this Plenary session. Before we begin, I want to set out a few points. A Plenary meeting held by video-conference in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Welsh Parliament constitutes Senedd proceedings for the purposes of the Government of Wales Act 2006, and the provisions of Standing Order 34 will apply for today's Plenary meeting, and those are noted on your agenda. I would also remind Members that Standing Orders relating to order in Plenary meetings will apply to this meeting, and they as are relevant to Members in the Chamber as they are to those Members joining us virtually.
Yn gyntaf y prynhawn yma—.
First of all this afternoon—.
This week marks the poignant twenty-fifth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. The victims, the survivors and all those affected by this most shameful act of hatred are in our hearts at this time. I'd like now to invite the First Minister to make a statement.
Yr wythnos hon mae’n bum mlynedd ar hugain ers hil-laddiad erchyll Srebrenica. Rydym yn cofio am y dioddefwyr, y goroeswyr a phawb yr effeithiwyd arnynt gan y fath weithred gywilyddus o gasineb ar yr adeg hon. Hoffwn wahodd y Prif Weinidog i wneud datganiad yn awr.

Llywydd, diolch yn fawr. As you said, this year, we mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. In July 1995, General Ratko Mladić and his Serbian paramilitary units overran and captured the town of Srebrenica, ignoring the fact that the area had been designated as a place free from any armed attack or other hostile act. In the days that followed the town's fall, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were massacred. Thousands of women, children and elderly people were forcibly deported. This was the greatest atrocity on European soil since the end of the second world war.
Today, we remember those who lost their lives in Srebrenica. Our thoughts are with those who have survived them, and who have done so much to make sure that their memory is never far away from the international community. Srebrenica is another name on the list of towns and countries tainted by hate and genocide, but it is also a reminder of what happens when hate and prejudice go unchallenged. It's a reminder to us all to stand together against that hatred and division in our own communities in all its forms, wherever we are in the world. At the Holocaust memorial service earlier this year that a number of us here attended, we heard from Srebrenica, and we heard that slogan that is so often said, 'Never again', and the gap that we all must work so hard to close between that ambition and the actions that we still see around us in the world. We must learn from these dark moments of history.
Mae Cymru'n cofio Srebrenica—Wales remembers Srebrenica.
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Fel y dywedoch chi, eleni, rydym yn nodi pum mlynedd ar hugain ers hil-laddiad Srebrenica. Ym mis Gorffennaf 1995, fe wnaeth y Cadfridog Ratko Mladić a'i unedau parafilwrol Serbaidd drechu a chipio tref Srebrenica, gan anwybyddu'r ffaith bod yr ardal wedi'i dynodi'n lle rhydd rhag unrhyw ymosodiad arfog neu weithred elyniaethus arall. Yn y dyddiau a ddilynodd cwymp y dref, lladdwyd dros 8,000 o ddynion a bechgyn Mwslimaidd Bosniaidd. Cafodd miloedd o fenywod, plant a phobl oedrannus eu halltudio drwy orfodaeth. Dyma oedd yr erchyllter mwyaf ar bridd Ewrop ers diwedd yr ail ryfel byd.
Heddiw, cofiwn y rhai a gollodd eu bywydau yn Srebrenica. Mae ein meddyliau gyda'r rhai sydd wedi goroesi, ac sydd wedi gwneud cymaint i sicrhau na fydd y gymuned ryngwladol yn eu hanghofio. Mae Srebrenica yn enw arall ar y rhestr o drefi a gwledydd sydd wedi eu llygru gan gasineb a hil-laddiad, ond mae hefyd yn ein hatgoffa o'r hyn sy'n digwydd pan fydd neb yn herio casineb a rhagfarn. Mae'n ein hatgoffa ni i gyd i sefyll gyda'n gilydd yn erbyn y casineb a'r rhaniadau yn ein cymunedau ein hunain yn ei holl ffurfiau, ble bynnag rydym ni yn y byd. Yng ngwasanaeth coffa'r Holocost yn gynharach eleni a fynychwyd gan nifer ohonom yma, clywsom gan Srebrenica, a chlywsom y slogan a ddywedir mor aml, 'Byth eto', a'r bwlch y mae'n rhaid i ni i gyd weithio mor galed i’w gau rhwng yr uchelgais hwnnw a'r gweithredoedd rydym yn dal i’w gweld o'n cwmpas yn y byd. Rhaid inni ddysgu o'r eiliadau tywyll hyn o hanes.
Mae Cymru’n Cofio Srebrenica.
I'm proud of the relationship that our Senedd has built with Remembering Srebrenica and with the people of Bosnia. And the person who has led on that work for this Senedd—I ask David Melding now to speak on behalf of the charity Cofio Srebrenica. David Melding.
Rwy'n falch o'r berthynas y mae ein Senedd wedi'i meithrin â Cofio Srebrenica a chyda phobl Bosnia. A'r person sydd wedi arwain ar y gwaith hwnnw i'r Senedd hon—gofynnaf i David Melding siarad yn awr ar ran yr elusen Cofio Srebrenica. David Melding.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I thank you personally, and the Commission also, for allowing us to have this statement today, which I think is very appropriate on the twenty-fifth anniversary? As you said, it was my honour to lead a Commission delegation in 2015. That year also saw a major celebration—the Welsh national celebration that year—in the Senedd, and it was held with great dignity and purpose.
Now, here we are, 25 years on from this terrible event—the darkest episode, in terms of European conflict, since the second world war. Like the First Minister, I'm wearing the flower of Srebrenica. This flower was crocheted by the Mothers of Srebrenica, mothers of the victims. I think we should remember all the relatives who live with this terrible anguish of having seen their loved ones murdered in that terrible massacre.
I would also like to pay tribute to the Welsh board of Remembering Srebrenica, particularly Saleem Kidwai and Abi Carter, who are the joint chairs and do much—so much—to raise awareness of this terrible event in our history, but also what we should be doing in our own communities to ensure such hatred is never allowed to flourish anywhere in Europe.
I also want to mention how interrelated we are through the work of a Welsh policeman, Howard Tucker, who was the head of the United Nations investigation force in the early 2000s, which led to so much of the evidence gathering and enabled the trials that were held in The Hague of the war criminals. It is a reminder that Wales has its part to play through many of its citizens.
We're a small country, as is Bosnia, and I do hope the links will continue, as they've been led by the Senedd. Also, I commend the work of the Welsh Government in taking opportunities to promote awareness of Srebrenica through the education curriculum, for instance.
We all have our part to play in defending a strong democracy, which can only flourish based on cultural tolerance and the celebration of diverse cultures and traditions. When we do that in Wales, we also help the people of Bosnia, as we do with our direct relations with them, which I hope will long continue. Thank you very much—diolch yn fawr.
Diolch, Lywydd. A gaf fi ddiolch i chi, yn bersonol, a'r Comisiwn hefyd am ganiatáu inni gael y datganiad hwn heddiw, sy'n briodol iawn yn fy marn i nodi pum mlynedd ar hugain ers y digwyddiad? Fel y dywedoch chi, roedd yn anrhydedd i mi arwain dirprwyaeth o’r Comisiwn yn 2015. Gwelwyd digwyddiad mawr yn y flwyddyn honno hefyd—digwyddiad cenedlaethol Cymru y flwyddyn honno—yn y Senedd, ac fe'i cynhaliwyd yn urddasol ac yn bwrpasol iawn.
Nawr, dyma ni, 25 mlynedd wedi'r gyflafan ofnadwy—y bennod dywyllaf, o ran gwrthdaro Ewropeaidd, ers yr ail ryfel byd. Fel y Prif Weinidog, rwy'n gwisgo blodyn Srebrenica. Cafodd y blodyn hwn ei grosio gan Famau Srebrenica—mamau'r dioddefwyr. Rwy'n credu y dylem gofio am yr holl berthnasau a fu’n byw gyda'r ing ofnadwy o fod wedi gweld eu hanwyliaid yn cael eu llofruddio yn y gyflafan ofnadwy honno.
Hoffwn dalu teyrnged hefyd i fwrdd Cofio Srebrenica Cymru, yn enwedig Saleem Kidwai ac Abi Carter, sef y cyd-gadeiryddion, sy'n gwneud llawer—cymaint—i godi ymwybyddiaeth o'r digwyddiad ofnadwy hwn yn ein hanes, ond hefyd beth y dylem fod yn ei wneud yn ein cymunedau ein hunain i sicrhau na chaniateir i gasineb o'r fath ffynnu yn unrhyw le yn Ewrop.
Rwyf eisiau sôn hefyd am ba mor gydgysylltiedig ydym ni trwy waith heddwas o Gymru, Howard Tucker, a oedd yn bennaeth llu ymchwilio’r Cenhedloedd Unedig yn gynnar yn y 2000au, a arweiniodd at gymaint o’r casglu tystiolaeth ac a’i gwnaeth hi’n bosibl cynnal achosion yn yr Hag yn erbyn y troseddwyr rhyfel. Mae'n atgoffa bod gan Gymru ei rhan i'w chwarae trwy lawer o'i dinasyddion.
Gwlad fach ydym ni, fel Bosnia, a gobeithio y bydd y cysylltiadau'n parhau, fel y cawsant eu harwain gan y Senedd. Hefyd, rwy’n cymeradwyo gwaith Llywodraeth Cymru yn achub ar gyfleoedd i hyrwyddo ymwybyddiaeth o Srebrenica drwy’r cwricwlwm addysgol, er enghraifft.
Mae gan bob un ohonom ein rhan i'w chwarae yn amddiffyn democratiaeth gref, sydd ond yn gallu ffynnu ar sail goddefgarwch diwylliannol a dathliad o ddiwylliannau a thraddodiadau amrywiol. Pan wnawn hynny yng Nghymru, rydym hefyd yn helpu pobl Bosnia, fel y gwnawn gyda'n cysylltiadau uniongyrchol â hwy y gobeithiaf y byddant yn parhau am amser maith. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thank you, David Melding and First Minister. Cymru'n cofio—Wales remembers Srebrenica, and our Senedd does so today.
Diolch, David Melding a'r Prif Weinidog. Mae Cymru'n cofio Srebrenica, ac mae ein Senedd yn gwneud hynny heddiw.
We return today, of course, to this Chamber, some of us, and we remember Mohammad Asghar, who we lost during the past few weeks. On behalf of all Members, we will remember today, fondly, our colleague, Mohammad Asghar.
But today also is the day we welcome a new Member, Laura Anne Jones—on behalf of the Senedd, croeso—newly returned for South Wales East. We look forward to your contributions here in the Chamber. So, I now call on Laura Anne Jones to make a few statements.
Dychwelwn heddiw, wrth gwrs, i'r Siambr hon, rai ohonom, a chofiwn am Mohammad Asghar, a gollasom yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf. Ar ran yr holl Aelodau, byddwn yn cofio’n annwyl heddiw am ein cyd-Aelod, Mohammad Asghar.
Ond heddiw hefyd, yw'r diwrnod rydym yn croesawu Aelod newydd, Laura Anne Jones—ar ran y Senedd, croeso—Aelod newydd i’r lle hwn dros Ddwyrain De Cymru. Edrychwn ymlaen at eich cyfraniadau yma yn y Siambr. Felly, galwaf yn awr ar Laura Anne Jones i wneud ychydig o ddatganiadau.
Thank you, Llywydd. Today, for me, is a day of mixed emotions. I am, of course, immensely proud and honoured to be standing here again representing the people of south-east Wales in this Chamber. But these feelings are tinged with great sadness. I only wish I had this opportunity to serve, and that I could accomplish it, without the sad loss of our dear friend, Mohammad Asghar.
These are tragic circumstances under which to become a Member of this Senedd. I am grateful for this opportunity, therefore, Llywydd, to say a few words about our friend and colleague, who we knew within our party and in this Chamber, affectionately, as Oscar.
Oscar was a kind, caring and generous man, and I know everyone in this Chamber and far beyond will miss him desperately—that wicked glint in his eye and that infectious laugh. Oscar loved his family more than anything in the world, and he treated his staff and wider community as family too. My thoughts and prayers are with Natasha and Firdaus, his family and friends, at this desperately sad time.
Oscar took his role, both here and in his work defending the communities of south-east Wales, very seriously, and was very committed to both. This became very apparent when I attended his funeral, and there were people lining the streets to honour him. I will do all I can, obviously, to honour Oscar myself, and do my utmost to continue his work and give a voice to those who I now have the responsibility to represent. I will try to champion the causes close to Oscar's heart: fairness, social justice, education, and even cricket—a shared love of ours.
Throughout his time as an Assembly Member and a Member of the Senedd, he was guided by one belief: that everyone of any background should be able to get on in life, and he was very determined to help them. Oscar was a people person with a heart as big as the city of Newport, which he loved so much. He strongly believed in free enterprise, bringing, of course, the enterprise Bill here to this Assembly containing proposals to grow the economy.
He was never short of ideas, and I remember one speech to the Welsh Conservatives party conference when, without any consultation, he outlined his proposals for a Welsh airline and his plans to reform the social security system to remove the need for food banks.
Economic growth was important to Oscar, not as an end in itself but as a means to achieve what he wanted to achieve. Oscar wanted to create a successful and dynamic economy in Wales to tackle poverty, enable social mobility, and to deliver the high-quality services that people need and deserve.
His fervent desire to help people was based in his deeply held Muslim faith. However, he respected people of all religious faiths and helped them to understand his own.
There have been many wonderful tributes to Oscar from within this Parliament and far and wide; the leaders in the middle east, where Oscar dedicated himself to promoting peace, and from our own UK Prime Minister, thanking him for his public service and recognising that the work Oscar did will have a lasting, positive impact, which I'm sure his family are very proud of.
It was a pleasure and privilege to know Mohammad Asghar. He was a proud Welshman, a proud Briton, and proud of his Pakistani heritage. Presiding Officer, Oscar's light may have gone out, but the positive impact he had on his community and country will always remain. I will endeavour to continue his good work to the very best of my ability. Thank you. Thank you, Llywydd.
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Mae heddiw, i mi, yn ddiwrnod o emosiynau cymysg. Rwy’n hynod o falch wrth gwrs, ac yn teimlo anrhydedd o gael sefyll yma eto i gynrychioli pobl de-ddwyrain Cymru yn y Siambr hon. Ond mae'r teimladau hyn yn gymysg â thristwch mawr. Hoffwn yn fawr pe bawn wedi cael y cyfle hwn i wasanaethu, ac y gallwn ei gyflawni, heb fod wedi colli ein hannwyl gyfaill, Mohammad Asghar.
Mae'r rhain yn amgylchiadau trasig i ddod yn Aelod o'r Senedd hon. Rwy’n ddiolchgar am y cyfle, felly, Lywydd, i ddweud ychydig eiriau am ein ffrind a’n cyd-Aelod, a adwaenem yn hoffus yn ein plaid ac yn y Siambr hon, fel Oscar.
Roedd Oscar yn ddyn caredig, gofalgar a hael, a gwn y bydd pawb yn y Siambr hon a thu hwnt yn gweld ei eisiau'n enbyd—y disgleirdeb drygionus hwnnw yn ei lygad a'r chwerthin heintus hwnnw. Roedd Oscar yn caru ei deulu yn fwy na dim yn y byd, ac roedd yn trin ei staff a'r gymuned ehangach fel teulu hefyd. Mae fy meddyliau a fy ngweddïau gyda Natasha a Firdaus, ei deulu a'i ffrindiau, ar yr adeg enbyd o drist hon.
Roedd Oscar o ddifrif ynglŷn â’i rôl, yma ac yn ei waith yn amddiffyn cymunedau de-ddwyrain Cymru, ac roedd yn ymrwymedig iawn i'r ddwy rôl. Daeth hyn yn amlwg iawn pan fynychais ei angladd, ac roedd pobl wedi dod allan i’r strydoedd i'w anrhydeddu. Yn amlwg, fe wnaf bopeth a allaf, i anrhydeddu Oscar fy hun, a gwneud fy ngorau glas i barhau â'i waith a rhoi llais i'r rhai y mae gennyf gyfrifoldeb yn awr i'w cynrychioli. Byddaf yn ceisio hyrwyddo'r achosion a oedd yn agos at galon Oscar: tegwch, cyfiawnder cymdeithasol, addysg, a hyd yn oed criced—camp rwy’n rhannu ei gariad tuag ati.
Trwy gydol ei amser fel Aelod Cynulliad ac fel Aelod o’r Senedd, câi ei arwain gan un gred: y dylai pawb o unrhyw gefndir allu camu ymlaen mewn bywyd, ac roedd yn benderfynol iawn o’u helpu. Roedd Oscar yn berson a garai bobl a chanddo galon mor fawr â dinas Casnewydd a garai cymaint. Credai'n gryf mewn menter rydd, a daeth â'r Bil menter yma i'r Cynulliad hwn wrth gwrs, Bil a oedd yn cynnwys cynigion i dyfu'r economi.
Nid oedd byth yn brin o syniadau, a chofiaf un araith yng nghynhadledd plaid y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig pan amlinellodd ei gynigion ar gyfer cwmni hedfan yng Nghymru, a hynny heb unrhyw ymgynghori, ynghyd â’i gynlluniau i ddiwygio'r system nawdd cymdeithasol i gael gwared ar yr angen am fanciau bwyd.
Roedd twf economaidd yn bwysig i Oscar, nid fel nod ynddo'i hun ond fel modd o gyflawni'r hyn a ddymunai ei gyflawni. Roedd Oscar eisiau creu economi lwyddiannus a deinamig yng Nghymru i drechu tlodi, galluogi symudedd cymdeithasol, ac i ddarparu’r gwasanaethau o ansawdd uchel y mae pobl eu hangen ac yn eu haeddu.
Roedd ei awydd angerddol i helpu pobl yn seiliedig ar ei ffydd Fwslimaidd ddofn. Fodd bynnag, roedd yn parchu pobl o bob ffydd grefyddol ac yn eu helpu i ddeall ei ffydd ei hun.
Bu llawer o deyrngedau gwych i Oscar o'r Senedd hon ac ymhell tu hwnt iddi; yr arweinwyr yn y dwyrain canol lle roedd Oscar wedi ymrwymo i hyrwyddo heddwch, a chan Brif Weinidog y DU a ddiolchodd iddo am ei wasanaeth cyhoeddus gan gydnabod y bydd y gwaith a wnaeth Oscar yn cael effaith gadarnhaol barhaol, ac rwy’n siŵr fod ei deulu’n falch iawn o hynny.
Pleser a braint oedd adnabod Mohammad Asghar. Roedd yn Gymro balch, yn Brydeiniwr balch, ac yn falch o'i etifeddiaeth Bacistanaidd. Lywydd, efallai fod golau Oscar wedi diffodd, ond bydd yr effaith gadarnhaol a gafodd ar ei gymuned a'i wlad bob amser yn aros. Fe ymdrechaf i barhau â'i waith da hyd eithaf fy ngallu. Diolch. Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd.
Diolch, Laura Anne Jones, am eich geiriau caredig iawn i gofio am Mohammad Asghar, fel rydym ni i gyd yn cofio amdano heddiw, a phob dymuniad da i chi yn eich gwaith yma yn y Senedd.
Thank you, Laura Anne Jones, for your very kind words in commemorating Mohammad Asghar, as we all commemorate him today, and I wish you well in your work here in the Senedd.
Cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog nawr yw'r eitem nesaf, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Delyth Jewell.
Questions to the First Minister is our next item, and the first question is from Delyth Jewell.
1. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am leihau'r risg o heintiadau COVID-19 mewn ffatrïoedd a lleoliadau caeedig eraill? OQ55438
1. Will the First Minister make a statement on reducing the risk of COVID-19 infections in factories and other closed settings? OQ55438

Diolch, Llywydd. Jest cyn ateb y cwestiwn, gaf i jest ddweud gair o ddiolch i chi a phob un sydd wedi gweithio mor galed i baratoi y Siambr i'n helpu ni i gyd i ddod nôl fan hyn heddiw?
Thank you, Llywydd. Just before I answer the question, may I just say thank you to you and to everyone who's worked so hard to prepare the Chamber so that we can all return here today?
On Monday, Llywydd, I chaired the first meeting of a group to establish a national health and safety forum for Wales, as proposed jointly by the Wales Trades Union Congress and Confederation of British Industry Wales. It will advise on measures to reduce risk in closed settings, over and above the extensive guidance already issued to the sector.
Ddydd Llun, Lywydd, cadeiriais gyfarfod cyntaf grŵp i sefydlu fforwm iechyd a diogelwch cenedlaethol ar gyfer Cymru, fel y cynigiwyd ar y cyd gan Gyngres yr Undebau Llafur a Chydffederasiwn Diwydiant Prydain yng Nghymru. Bydd yn cynghori ar fesurau i leihau risg mewn lleoliadau caeedig, yn ychwanegol at y canllawiau helaeth a gyhoeddwyd eisoes ar gyfer y sector.
I thank the First Minister for his response. I wrote to Kepak and Merthyr council on 1 April this year expressing my concerns about a lack of social distancing and hygiene procedures in their factory in Merthyr after a constituent had raised alarms with me. The constituent was concerned that, unless proper regulations were put in place, an outbreak of COVID-19 could happen there, a concern that was, sadly, justified. Now, whilst my letter to the company went unanswered, the council did take action: they told me that they arranged for the Health and Safety Executive to ensure the relevant regulations were being followed, and that they arranged to have a full-time Food Standards Agency employee at the premises. But we know that this still wasn't enough to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 at the plant, with 135 people now believed to have been infected.
First Minister, I'm interested to know whether you were aware that concerns had been raised about this plant and whether you were satisfied with the action taken by Merthyr council. Given that the outbreak still occurred despite their best efforts, do you now agree that you need to look again at tightening regulations for high-risk workplaces such as meat processing plants, and that our excess testing capacity should be used routinely to test workers who work under these conditions so that future outbreaks can be better contained?
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ymateb. Ysgrifennais at Kepak a chyngor Merthyr Tudful ar 1 Ebrill eleni i fynegi fy mhryderon ynghylch diffyg gweithdrefnau cadw pellter cymdeithasol a hylendid yn eu ffatri ym Merthyr Tudful ar ôl i etholwr dynnu fy sylw at y mater. Roedd yr etholwr yn pryderu y gallai achosion o COVID-19 ddigwydd yno oni bai bod rheoliadau priodol yn cael eu rhoi ar waith, ac roedd hwnnw’n bryder y gellid ei gyfiawnhau yn anffodus. Nawr, er bod fy llythyr at y cwmni heb gael ei ateb, rhoddodd y cyngor gamau ar waith: dywedasant wrthyf eu bod wedi trefnu i'r Awdurdod Gweithredol Iechyd a Diogelwch sicrhau bod y rheoliadau perthnasol yn cael eu dilyn, a'u bod wedi trefnu i gael gweithiwr amser llawn o’r Asiantaeth Safonau Bwyd ar y safle. Ond gwyddom nad oedd hyn yn ddigon i atal clwstwr o achosion o COVID-19 yn y ffatri, a chredir bod 135 o bobl bellach wedi'u heintio.
Brif Weinidog, carwn wybod a oeddech chi'n ymwybodol fod pryderon wedi'u lleisio ynglŷn â’r ffatri ac a oeddech chi'n fodlon â'r camau a gymerwyd gan gyngor Merthyr Tudful. O ystyried bod yr achosion wedi digwydd er gwaethaf eu hymdrechion gorau, a ydych chi’n cytuno yn awr fod angen i chi edrych eto ar dynhau rheoliadau ar gyfer gweithleoedd risg uchel fel ffatrïoedd prosesu cig, ac y dylid defnyddio ein capasiti i gynnal profion ychwanegol yn rheolaidd i brofi gweithwyr sy'n gweithio o dan yr amodau hyn fel y gellir cyfyngu’n well ar nifer yr achosion yn y dyfodol?

Llywydd, can I thank the Member for that question? Of course, concerns about the factory were raised by my colleague Dawn Bowden, and those concerns were taken up not simply with the local authority, but with other authorities that have a responsibility for ensuring safety at the plant. That is now overseen by an outbreak control team, which is drawn from the local authority, the local health board, Public Health Wales, the environmental health department, the Food Standards Agency and the Health and Safety Executive. That team is investigating the causes of the number of cases we have seen at Kepak Merthyr.
It is still unclear in the advice that I have seen as to whether or not the rise in cases was caused at the factory, or was imported into the factory from the community. That work continues to go on, and the Welsh Government is regularly updated on the meetings of that team—there's one today—and we will be guided by their investigations and the recommendations that I expect to hear from them.
Lywydd, a gaf fi ddiolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn hwnnw? Wrth gwrs, codwyd pryderon am y ffatri gan fy nghyd-Aelod Dawn Bowden, a daethpwyd â’r pryderon hynny i sylw awdurdodau eraill sy'n gyfrifol am sicrhau diogelwch yn y ffatri yn ogystal â’r awdurdod lleol. Goruchwylir hynny bellach gan dîm rheoli achosion, sy'n cynnwys aelodau o'r awdurdod lleol, y bwrdd iechyd lleol, Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, adran iechyd yr amgylchedd, yr Asiantaeth Safonau Bwyd a'r Awdurdod Gweithredol Iechyd a Diogelwch. Mae'r tîm hwnnw'n ymchwilio i'r hyn sydd wedi achosi'r nifer o achosion a welsom yn Kepak Merthyr Tudful.
Nid yw'n glir o hyd yn y wybodaeth a welais mai yn y ffatri yr achoswyd y cynnydd yn nifer yr achosion, yn hytrach na bod yr haint wedi'i drosglwyddo i'r ffatri o'r gymuned. Mae'r gwaith hwnnw'n dal i fynd rhagddo, ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf yn rheolaidd am gyfarfodydd y tîm hwnnw—cynhelir un ohonynt heddiw—a byddwn yn cael ein llywio gan eu hymchwiliadau a'r argymhellion y disgwyliaf eu clywed ganddynt.
First Minister, I note that the World Health Organization is likely to modify its advice on the cloud effect that is generated through breathing and that the particles, very fine, that are so generated can hang in the air for hours, and they are particularly prone to do so in small spaces like toilets where there are hand dryers, for instance. Can you assure us that, as we gain more scientific knowledge of this disease, you will be modifying your guidance as to the proper thing to do, ensuring that it gets to those who need to know about it—[Inaudible.]—?
Brif Weinidog, sylwaf fod Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd yn debygol o addasu ei gyngor ar yr effaith cwmwl a gynhyrchir drwy anadlu ac y gall y gronynnau bach iawn sy'n cael eu cynhyrchu felly hongian yn yr awyr am oriau, ac maent yn arbennig o dueddol o wneud hynny mewn mannau bach fel toiledau lle ceir sychwyr dwylo, er enghraifft. A allwch chi ein sicrhau, wrth inni gael mwy o wybodaeth wyddonol am y clefyd hwn, y byddwch yn addasu eich canllawiau ar beth sy'n briodol i'w wneud, gan sicrhau eu bod yn cyrraedd y rhai y mae angen iddynt wybod—[Anghlywadwy.]—?

I thank David Melding for that. Some of us had an opportunity to discuss this issue briefly with the chief medical officer earlier today. His interpretation of the evidence that has emerged at the World Health Organization is that the bulk of transmission is still more likely to be communicated through droplets rather than through fine particles, and that was the view of Welsh virologists yesterday. But, of course, I can give the Member an assurance that we continue to follow the science, and if the science changes and if our actions need to change, then we will take those actions in line with the emerging evidence.
Coronavirus has turned out, all the way through, to be a virus that causes surprises, and we know an awful lot more now than we did only weeks ago. The evidence that emerged yesterday and overnight will form part of the body of evidence that the Welsh Government will continue to draw upon.
Diolch i David Melding am hynny. Cafodd rhai ohonom gyfle i drafod y mater hwn yn fyr gyda'r prif swyddog meddygol yn gynharach heddiw. Ei ddehongliad ef o'r dystiolaeth sydd wedi dod i'r amlwg yn Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd yw bod y rhan fwyaf o'r trosglwyddiad yn dal yn fwy tebygol o gael ei basio drwy ddiferion yn hytrach na thrwy ronynnau mân, a dyna oedd barn feirolegwyr Cymru ddoe. Ond wrth gwrs, gallaf roi sicrwydd i'r Aelod ein bod yn parhau i ddilyn y wyddoniaeth, ac os yw'r wyddoniaeth yn newid ac os oes angen newid ein gweithredoedd, byddwn yn cymryd y camau hynny yn unol â'r dystiolaeth sy'n dod i'r amlwg.
O'r cychwyn, gwelwyd bod coronafeirws yn feirws sy'n ymddwyn mewn ffyrdd annisgwyl, a gwyddom lawer iawn mwy yn awr nag a wyddem ychydig wythnosau yn ôl. Bydd y dystiolaeth a ddaeth i'r amlwg ddoe a thros nos yn rhan o'r corff o dystiolaeth y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i bwyso arno.
Thank you for the answers to Delyth Jewell's question, First Minister, and thank you, also, for your acknowledgement of the work that's been going on there with the company, with the council and with other partners for some considerable weeks before this.
Can I thank the incident management team in Merthyr Tydfil and the Welsh Government for the updates on the incident? That's been invaluable in keeping us informed. So far, it is encouraging to hear that this incident remains contained and that there is no evidence, at this stage, of community transmission, and I thank everyone involved in co-operating to ensure that that remains the case. However, in light of this incident, can you advise me as to whether any other large workplaces in the area, particularly those with similar environmental characteristics that may not always be able to manage social distancing, are also to be inspected and their workforces tested?
And can I ask what measures the IMT are putting in place to ensure that issues of community cohesion are also addressed, given that there's a very large eastern European migrant workforce at these plants?
Diolch am yr atebion i gwestiwn Delyth Jewell, Brif Weinidog, a diolch i chi hefyd am gydnabod y gwaith a wnaed yno gyda'r cwmni, gyda'r cyngor a chyda phartneriaid eraill ers cryn dipyn o wythnosau cyn hyn.
A gaf fi ddiolch i'r tîm rheoli digwyddiadau ym Merthyr Tudful a Llywodraeth Cymru am y diweddariadau am y digwyddiad? Mae hynny wedi bod yn amhrisiadwy o ran rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni. Hyd yma, mae'n galonogol clywed bod y digwyddiad hwn dan reolaeth o hyd ac nad oes tystiolaeth, ar hyn o bryd, o drosglwyddiad cymunedol, a diolch i bawb sy'n cydweithredu i sicrhau bod hynny'n dal yn wir. Fodd bynnag, yng ngoleuni'r digwyddiad hwn, a allwch ddweud wrthyf p'un a oes unrhyw weithleoedd mawr eraill yn yr ardal, yn enwedig rhai sydd â nodweddion amgylcheddol tebyg nad ydynt bob amser yn gallu rheoli mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol, yn mynd i gael eu harolygu hefyd ac y bydd profion yn cael eu cynnal ar eu gweithluoedd?
Ac a gaf fi ofyn pa fesurau y mae'r tîm rheoli digwyddiadau yn eu rhoi ar waith i sicrhau yr eir i'r afael â materion cydlyniant cymunedol hefyd, o gofio bod gweithlu mudol mawr iawn o ddwyrain Ewrop yn y ffatrïoedd hyn?

I thank Dawn Bowden for that and for her acknowledgement of the work that the incident management team have carried out. They were unanimously agreed recently that an outbreak should not be declared at the factory and that it should continue to be managed as an incident.
Dawn Bowden, Llywydd, makes two important points, firstly, in relation to inspections of other factories; I certainly would expect there to be a heightened awareness amongst the Health and Safety Executive and others of the need to do that. And can I pay tribute, for a moment, to the role of the trade unions in all of these sites? Much of the from-the-front-line intelligence that we get comes through the trade union movement and alerts us to the need to inspect, and were the evidence to point in that direction, to extend testing to other settings.
The second point that Dawn Bowden makes is also very important, Llywydd—issues of community cohesion—and that has been very much in our minds at all the sites that have been involved in outbreaks or incidents. And we have learnt a number of things about the need for messaging in languages other than English and Welsh, to find different ways of communicating with workforces drawn from other parts of the world, and then to communicate clearly to other people in those areas about when there is evidence or, in these cases, no evidence of extensive wider community transmission, to allay fears that inevitably arise that this may be an outbreak or an incident not confined to the plant itself.
Diolch i Dawn Bowden am hynny ac am ei chydnabyddiaeth o'r gwaith y mae'r tîm rheoli digwyddiadau wedi'i wneud. Cytunwyd yn unfrydol yn ddiweddar na ddylid datgan bod clwstwr o achosion yn y ffatri ac y dylid parhau i'w reoli fel digwyddiad.
Lywydd, mae Dawn Bowden yn gwneud dau bwynt pwysig, yn gyntaf, mewn perthynas ag arolygu ffatrïoedd eraill; yn sicr, byddwn yn disgwyl mwy o ymwybyddiaeth ymysg yr Awdurdod Gweithredol Iechyd a Diogelwch ac eraill o'r angen i wneud hynny. Ac a gaf fi dalu teyrnged, am funud, i rôl yr undebau llafur yn yr holl safleoedd hyn? Mae llawer o'r wybodaeth o'r rheng flaen a gawn yn dod trwy'r mudiad undebau llafur ac mae'n ein rhybuddio am yr angen i archwilio, a lle mae’r dystiolaeth yn awgrymu y dylid gwneud hynny, i ymestyn profion i gynnwys lleoliadau eraill.
Mae'r ail bwynt y mae Dawn Bowden yn ei wneud hefyd yn bwysig iawn, Lywydd—materion yn ymwneud â chydlyniant cymunedol—ac mae hynny wedi bod ar flaen ein meddyliau yn yr holl safleoedd a fu’n gysylltiedig ag achosion niferus neu ddigwyddiadau. Ac rydym wedi dysgu nifer o bethau am yr angen am negeseuon mewn ieithoedd heblaw Saesneg a Chymraeg, i ddod o hyd i wahanol ffyrdd o gyfathrebu â gweithluoedd o rannau eraill o'r byd, ac yna i gyfathrebu'n glir â phobl eraill yn yr ardaloedd hynny ynglŷn â phan fydd tystiolaeth, neu yn yr achosion hyn, pan na fydd tystiolaeth, o drosglwyddiad cymunedol ehangach helaeth er mwyn tawelu ofnau sy'n codi'n anochel y gallai hyn fod yn glwstwr o achosion neu'n ddigwyddiad nad yw wedi'i gyfyngu i'r ffatri ei hun.
2. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i adolygu ei chanllawiau ar y defnydd o orchuddion wyneb gan aelodau o'r cyhoedd? OQ55432
2. What plans does the Welsh Government have to review its guidance on the use of face coverings by members of the public? OQ55432

Llywydd, the Welsh Government guidance encourages but does not mandate the use of three-layer face coverings in public settings where social distancing is not possible. That guidance is kept continually under review.
Lywydd, mae canllawiau Llywodraeth Cymru yn annog ond nid yw'n mandadu'r defnydd o orchuddion wyneb tair haen mewn lleoliadau cyhoeddus lle nad yw'n bosibl cadw pellter cymdeithasol. Mae'r canllawiau hynny'n cael eu hadolygu'n barhaus.
Thank you, First Minister. We now know that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be spread not just by coughs and sneezes, but be carried in microdroplets and that it can be spread by asymptomatic carriers. Microdroplets are generated by breathing and talking. We also know that face coverings can help to catch microdroplets and prevent the spread of coronavirus. So, why, then, is Wales one of the only countries in the world that does not mandate the use of face coverings in some settings? I would like to see face coverings mandatory in all public settings.
First Minister, will you now commit to the mandatory requirements of face coverings on public transport and an urgent review into whether that guidance should extend to all public places? Diolch.
Diolch, Brif Weinidog. Gwyddom bellach y gellir lledaenu’r feirws SARS-CoV-2, nid yn unig gan beswch a thisian, ond y gellir ei gario mewn microddiferion ac y gall cludwyr asymptomatig ei ledaenu. Caiff microddiferion eu cynhyrchu trwy anadlu a siarad. Rydym hefyd yn gwybod y gall gorchuddion wyneb helpu i ddal microddiferion ac atal lledaeniad coronafeirws. Felly, pam y mae Cymru yn un o'r ychydig wledydd yn y byd nad yw'n gorchymyn defnyddio gorchuddion wyneb mewn rhai lleoliadau? Hoffwn weld gorchuddion wyneb yn orfodol ym mhob lleoliad cyhoeddus.
Brif Weinidog, a wnewch chi ymrwymo yn awr i’w gwneud yn orfodol i wisgo gorchuddion wyneb ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ac i adolygiad brys i weld a ddylai'r canllawiau hynny ymestyn i gynnwys pob man cyhoeddus? Diolch.

Well, Llywydd, what I commit to is to keeping the issue continuously under review and to take the advice of those who are best placed to provide that advice to us. And the context changes and the advice may change, and if the advice changes, then our position in Wales will change as well.
But I should say to the Member, wearing a face covering is not by itself a magic bullet that prevents people from contracting or spreading coronavirus. Our own chief medical officer has always had an anxiety, and it's an anxiety I see being shared in other parts of the world, that when people wear a face covering, they act in ways that they wouldn't if they weren't wearing it; and they act in riskier ways as well. The belief that by wearing a face covering it is somehow all right not to observe social distancing, for example, not to take care in how you put it on and how you take it off, not to avoid touching your face, because we know that that is one of the ways in which the virus is most likely to be spread.
So, while the Member makes a persuasive case, and I listened to it very carefully, for what she advocates, I think it is important that we attend to the fact that there are potential downsides as well as upsides to this; that's why we keep it continuously under review. And if the position changes, then the Welsh Government's position will change as well.
Wel, Lywydd, rwy’n ymrwymo i ddal ati i adolygu’r mater ac i gymryd cyngor gan y rhai sydd yn y sefyllfa orau i roi cyngor hwnnw i ni. Ac mae'r cyd-destun yn newid ac efallai y bydd y cyngor yn newid, ac os bydd y cyngor yn newid, bydd ein safbwynt yng Nghymru yn newid hefyd.
Ond rwyf am ddweud wrth yr Aelod nad yw gwisgo gorchudd wyneb ynddo'i hun yn fwled hud sy'n atal pobl rhag dal neu ledaenu coronafeirws. Mae ein prif swyddog meddygol ein hunain bob amser wedi bod yn bryderus, ac mae'n bryder y gwelaf fod rhannau eraill o'r byd yn ei rannu, pan fydd pobl yn gwisgo gorchudd wyneb, eu bod yn gweithredu mewn ffyrdd na fyddent yn ei wneud pe na baent yn ei wisgo; ac maent yn gweithredu mewn ffyrdd mwy peryglus hefyd. Y gred ei bod hi’n iawn rywsut i chi beidio â chydymffurfio â mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol, er enghraifft, a pheidio â chymryd gofal wrth ei wisgo a’i dynnu, ac osgoi cyffwrdd â’ch wyneb, oherwydd gwyddom mai dyna un o’r ffyrdd y mae’r feirws yn fwyaf tebygol o gael ei ledaenu.
Felly, er bod yr Aelod yn cyflwyno achos perswadiol, ac rwyf wedi gwrando arno'n ofalus iawn, o ran yr hyn y mae'n ei hyrwyddo, rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig i ni roi sylw i'r ffaith bod anfanteision posibl yn ogystal â manteision i hyn; dyna pam ein bod yn ei adolygu'n barhaus. Ac os bydd y sefyllfa'n newid, bydd safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru yn newid hefyd.
Does the First Minister agree with me that it's both farcical and confusing to have a different approach from one side of the border to the other, especially when you consider the amount of people travelling on a daily basis from one side to another? Can the First Minister assure me that he'll put aside his difference and his need to be different from England for the sake of being different, and do what the union Unite suggests and urgently review the guidance to adopt a more commonsense approach?
A yw'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno ei bod yn chwerthinllyd ac yn ddryslyd cael ymagwedd wahanol y naill ochr a’r llall i'r ffin, yn enwedig pan ystyriwch gymaint o bobl sy'n teithio’n ddyddiol o un ochr i'r llall? A all y Prif Weinidog fy sicrhau y bydd yn rhoi’r gorau i fod yn wahanol a’i angen i fod yn wahanol i Loegr heb unrhyw reswm mwy nag i fod yn wahanol, a gwneud yr hyn y mae'r undeb Unite yn ei awgrymu ac adolygu'r canllawiau ar frys i fabwysiadu ymagwedd sy’n dangos mwy o synnwyr cyffredin?

Llywydd, I welcome the Member back to the Chamber, and I think she has just said what I said, which is that we do keep it continuously under review. And I'm very alert to the impact of the border here. There are actions on either side of the border. It is not a matter of England makes a change and Wales must follow. It would be perfectly possible to have had a conversation with the UK Government where we could have reached a joint position; unfortunately, that conversation was never offered to us.
But the Member makes an important point about consistency along the border, and that is very much in my mind as we continuously review our position in relation, both to face coverings, but other changes that have been made elsewhere as well.
Lywydd, rwy'n croesawu'r Aelod yn ôl i'r Siambr, a chredaf ei bod newydd ddweud yr hyn a ddywedais, sef ein bod yn ei adolygu'n barhaus. Ac rwy'n effro iawn i effaith y ffin yma. Mae yna gamau gweithredu ar y naill ochr a’r llall i'r ffin. Nid yw'n fater o Loegr yn gwneud newid a bod rhaid i Gymru ddilyn. Byddai'n gwbl bosibl bod wedi cael sgwrs gyda Llywodraeth y DU lle gallem fod wedi cyrraedd safbwynt ar y cyd; yn anffodus, ni chynigiwyd y sgwrs honno i ni ar unrhyw adeg.
Ond mae'r Aelod yn gwneud pwynt pwysig ynglŷn â chysondeb ar hyd y ffin, ac mae hynny yn fy meddwl wrth inni adolygu ein safbwynt yn barhaus mewn perthynas â gorchuddion wyneb, a newidiadau eraill a wnaed mewn mannau eraill hefyd.
Rhianon Passmore. Rhianon Passmore, we can't hear you at the moment. Can you say something? No, we still can't hear you. Can it be immediately rectified, or I'm going to have to move on? No, I'm sorry, we're going to have to move on, Rhianon Passmore.
Rhianon Passmore. Rhianon Passmore, ni allwn eich clywed ar hyn o bryd. A wnewch chi ddweud rhywbeth? Na, ni allwn eich clywed o hyd. A ellir ei gywiro ar unwaith, neu a fydd rhaid i mi symud ymlaen? Na, mae'n ddrwg gennyf, bydd yn rhaid inni symud ymlaen, Rhianon Passmore.
So, I now go to the questions by the leaders of the parties.
Felly, symudaf yn awr at y cwestiynau gan arweinwyr y pleidiau.
Arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr, Paul Davies.
Leader of the Conservatives, Paul Davies.

Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, key to tackling the spread and indeed the eradication of this awful virus is Wales's testing programme and its ability to reach as many people as possible in order to better inform people before they make decisions about socially interacting. We know that lab capacity in Wales is just over 15,000, which, as you know, is still a long way off the potential 20,000 tests per day that the Welsh Government proposed in the 'Test Trace Protect' document. Indeed, we know that the total number of tests in the last 24 hours was 3,054, which means that just a fifth of capacity has been used. And more worrying, according to official figures, no extra tests were carried out between 28 June and 5 July for healthcare workers across Wales. Clearly, this shows that more testing could and should be done. First Minister, can you tell us why the levels of testing in Wales are so low and can you also tell us what the Welsh Government is doing to increase the level of testing across the country?
Diolch, Lywydd. Brif Weinidog, yr allwedd i fynd i’r afael â lledaeniad y feirws ofnadwy hwn, a’i ddileu yn wir, yw rhaglen brofi Cymru a’i gallu i gyrraedd cymaint o bobl â phosibl er mwyn hysbysu pobl yn well cyn iddynt wneud penderfyniadau am ryngweithio’n gymdeithasol. Rydym yn gwybod bod capasiti labordai yng Nghymru ychydig dros 15,000, sydd, fel y gwyddoch, yn dal i fod ymhell o'r 20,000 prawf posibl y dydd a argymhellwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn y ddogfen 'Profi Olrhain Diogelu'. Yn wir, gwyddom mai cyfanswm nifer y profion yn ystod y 24 awr ddiwethaf oedd 3,054, sy'n golygu mai dim ond un rhan o bump o'r capasiti sydd wedi'i ddefnyddio. Ac yn fwy pryderus, yn ôl ffigurau swyddogol, ni chynhaliwyd unrhyw brofion ychwanegol rhwng 28 Mehefin a 5 Gorffennaf ar gyfer gweithwyr gofal iechyd ledled Cymru. Yn amlwg, mae hyn yn dangos y gellid ac y dylid gwneud mwy o brofion. Brif Weinidog, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym pam y mae lefelau profi yng Nghymru mor isel ac a allwch chi ddweud wrthym hefyd beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i godi lefelau profi ledled y wlad?

Well, Llywydd, I think the Member might have acknowledged the fact that at 15,000 tests, that figure is the most we've ever had and has risen very steadily over recent weeks, and more capacity will be added to that as well.
I think the issue on testing, however—the number of tests that are used—is a good deal more complicated than he suggests, because underlying his question is the assumption that more is automatically better. The truth of the matter is that as prevalence of the disease falls in Wales, so there are fewer people with symptoms and fewer people who come forward for testing, and that is not a bad thing in itself, because it demonstrates to us that there is a great deal less of coronavirus around in Wales today than there was a week ago, or a month ago, or three months ago. So, it's not just a matter of saying, 'If you're doing more tests, you must be doing better.'
You need to use your tests for the right reason. You need to use them in the right place. All healthcare settings have direct access to testing, so where clinicians believe that tests need to be carried out, they are carried out, and we are carrying out more tests on patients in hospital than ever before, as more people return to other aspects of the health service. While the prevalence of the disease is falling, there will be fewer people with symptoms and fewer people will therefore come forward themselves, as everybody can, asking for a test. So, it's a bit more complicated, Llywydd, that's what I'm saying, than a simple assertion that if the number of tests are going down, it's a bad thing, and if the number of tests are going up, it's a good thing.
Wel, Lywydd, rwy'n credu y gallai'r Aelod fod wedi cydnabod y ffaith mai 15,000 o brofion yw'r nifer fwyaf a gawsom erioed ac mae wedi codi'n gyson iawn dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, a bydd mwy o gapasiti’n cael ei ychwanegu at hynny hefyd.
Rwy'n credu bod mater profi, fodd bynnag—nifer y profion a ddefnyddir—yn llawer mwy cymhleth nag y mae'n ei awgrymu, oherwydd yn sail i'w gwestiwn mae'r rhagdybiaeth fod mwy yn well yn awtomatig. Wrth i nifer yr achosion ostwng yng Nghymru, y gwir amdani yw y ceir llai o bobl â symptomau a daw llai o bobl i gael prawf, ac nid yw hynny'n beth drwg ynddo'i hun, oherwydd mae'n dangos i ni fod llawer iawn llai o’r coronafeirws yng Nghymru heddiw nag a oedd wythnos yn ôl, neu fis yn ôl, neu dri mis yn ôl. Felly, nid yw'n fater syml o ddweud, 'Os ydych yn cynnal mwy o brofion, rhaid eich bod yn gwneud yn well.'
Mae angen i chi ddefnyddio eich profion am y rheswm iawn. Mae angen i chi eu defnyddio yn y lle iawn. Mae gan bob lleoliad gofal iechyd fynediad uniongyrchol at brofion, felly lle mae clinigwyr yn credu bod angen cynnal profion, cânt eu cynnal, ac rydym yn cynnal mwy o brofion ar gleifion yn yr ysbyty nag erioed o'r blaen wrth i fwy o bobl ddychwelyd at agweddau eraill ar y gwasanaeth iechyd. Tra bod nifer yr achosion o’r clefyd yn gostwng, bydd llai o bobl â symptomau ac felly bydd llai o bobl yn gofyn am brawf, fel y gall pawb ei wneud. Felly, yr hyn rwy’n ei ddweud, Lywydd, yw ei fod ychydig yn fwy cymhleth na honiad syml sy’n nodi ei fod yn beth gwael os yw nifer y profion yn gostwng, a’i fod yn beth da os yw nifer y profion yn codi.
First Minister, last week, you made it clear that Welsh Ministers have the powers through regulations to take local action to reduce some of the freedoms in order to deal with local outbreaks. It's absolutely crucial that freedoms are not curtailed any further, so, if at any point the Welsh Government decides to take the decision to introduce localised lockdowns in the future, then it must be made absolutely clear to the people of Wales exactly why that decision has been made, along with providing the latest scientific and medical evidence to justify the Welsh Government's decision.
Therefore, First Minister, can you tell us what discussions you have already had with public health officials about the ability to create localised lockdowns, if the evidence was strong enough to suggest that the virus was prevalent in certain communities across Wales? Has the Welsh Government started undertaking any modelling in relation to introducing localised lockdowns in the future? And what assessment have you made of the impact that having different lockdown restrictions in different parts of Wales could have?
Brif Weinidog, yr wythnos diwethaf, fe ddywedoch chi’n glir fod gan Weinidogion Cymru bwerau trwy reoliadau i weithredu’n lleol i ailgyflwyno rhai cyfyngiadau er mwyn ymdrin â chlystyrau lleol. Mae'n gwbl hanfodol na chyfyngir ymhellach ar ryddid pobl, felly, os bydd Llywodraeth Cymru ar unrhyw adeg yn penderfynu cyflwyno cyfyngiadau symud lleol yn y dyfodol, mae'n rhaid dweud yn hollol glir wrth bobl Cymru yn union pam y gwnaed y penderfyniad hwnnw, ynghyd â darparu'r dystiolaeth wyddonol a meddygol ddiweddaraf i gyfiawnhau penderfyniad Llywodraeth Cymru.
Felly, Brif Weinidog, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym pa drafodaethau rydych chi eisoes wedi'u cael gyda swyddogion iechyd cyhoeddus ynghylch y gallu i greu cyfyngiadau symud lleol pe bai'r dystiolaeth yn ddigon cryf i awgrymu bod y feirws yn lledaenu mewn cymunedau penodol ledled Cymru? A yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dechrau gwneud unrhyw waith modelu mewn perthynas â chyflwyno cyfyngiadau symud lleol yn y dyfodol a pha asesiad rydych chi wedi'i wneud o'r effaith y gallai gwahanol gyfyngiadau symud ei chael mewn gwahanol rannau o Gymru?

Well, Llywydd, let me begin by agreeing with the first point that the Member made. I don't think we should ever restrict people's freedoms unless the case for doing so is very clear and that we have the evidence to justify it. I'm quite sure that, when his political colleagues in London made that decision in relation to Leicester, those matters were very much in their minds at the time, and we would expect to follow exactly that approach.
In relation to evidence, I am very keen to see us reach a point where we are formally able to agree Welsh membership of a joint biosecurity centre. So, I discussed this matter with Michael Gove yesterday morning. This is the body that will draw together intelligence from all sorts, from all parts of the United Kingdom, and give us the very best evidence of local developments in relation to the disease, and that will be available in all parts of the United Kingdom, and they will be common standards and common approaches, too—the evidence that is used, the triggers that will be identified and, indeed, some of the approaches that will be taken as a result of that. I've always thought that a joint biosecurity centre would be something that would be helpful to us in Wales. I believe, from the advice that I have had from my officials, that we are close to a position where we can sign up to it formally, and I pressed Mr Gove yesterday to accelerate those discussions so that we can reach that position. When we have a joint centre—and the word 'joint' is very important; it cannot be a UK body to which devolved administrations are an appendage—it must be a genuinely joint centre and then I think the information that it provides will go a long way to answering many of the questions that Mr Davies has raised with me this morning.
Wel, Lywydd, gadewch i mi ddechrau trwy gytuno â'r pwynt cyntaf a wnaeth yr Aelod. Nid wyf yn credu y dylem fyth gyfyngu ar ryddid pobl oni bai bod yr achos dros wneud hynny’n glir iawn a bod gennym dystiolaeth i gyfiawnhau hynny. Rwy'n hollol siŵr, pan wnaeth ei gymheiriaid gwleidyddol yn Llundain y penderfyniad hwnnw mewn perthynas â Chaerlŷr, fod y materion hynny ar flaen eu meddyliau ar y pryd, a byddem yn disgwyl dilyn yr un dull o weithredu.
Mewn perthynas â thystiolaeth, rwy'n awyddus iawn i'n gweld yn cyrraedd pwynt lle rydym yn gallu cytuno'n ffurfiol ar aelodaeth Cymru o gyd-ganolfan bioddiogelwch. Felly, trafodais y mater hwn gyda Michael Gove fore ddoe. Dyma'r corff a fydd yn dwyn gwybodaeth o bob math ynghyd, o bob rhan o'r Deyrnas Unedig, ac yn rhoi'r dystiolaeth orau inni o ddatblygiadau lleol mewn perthynas â'r clefyd, a bydd honno ar gael ym mhob rhan o'r Deyrnas Unedig, a byddant yn safonau cyffredin ac yn ddulliau cyffredin o weithredu, hefyd—y dystiolaeth a ddefnyddir, y sbardunau a nodir ac yn wir, rhai o'r dulliau a fydd yn cael eu gweithredu o ganlyniad i hynny. Rwyf bob amser wedi meddwl y byddai cyd-ganolfan bioddiogelwch yn rhywbeth a fyddai'n ddefnyddiol i ni yng Nghymru. O'r cyngor a gefais gan fy swyddogion, credaf ein bod yn agos at sefyllfa lle gallwn ymrwymo iddi'n ffurfiol, a phwysais ar Mr Gove ddoe i gyflymu'r trafodaethau hynny er mwyn inni allu cyrraedd y sefyllfa honno. Pan fydd gennym gyd-ganolfan—ac mae'r gair 'cyd' yn bwysig iawn; ni all fod yn gorff i'r DU y mae gweinyddiaethau datganoledig yn ddim ond atodiad iddo—rhaid iddi fod yn gyd-ganolfan wirioneddol a chredaf felly y bydd y wybodaeth y mae'n ei darparu yn mynd gryn dipyn o ffordd tuag at ateb llawer o'r cwestiynau y mae Mr Davies wedi'u gofyn i mi y bore yma.
First Minister, as new cases continue to fall across Wales, the Welsh Government and local health boards must start looking at other NHS treatment and services, and, as you know, nearly 500,000 were waiting for treatment before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now, the Royal College of Surgeons have warned that delays to surgery will already have resulted in an increased need for complex surgery, and the British Heart Foundation have also said that, as services remain unavailable, the urgency of these procedures is increasing, creating a significant cohort of patients who need urgent treatment. First Minister, this in turn will continue to stretch the capacity of the NHS. Now, in light of the very valid concerns raised by organisations like the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Heart Foundation, what strategic discussions is the Welsh Government having with local health boards to ensure that urgent and planned surgeries can take place and that the workforce can cope with the backlog of elective operations? What assurances can you offer to people across Wales who are waiting for treatment that they will be able to access NHS treatments and services, and how are you best supporting local health boards to accelerate the resumption of planned surgeries across Wales?
Brif Weinidog, wrth i nifer yr achosion newydd barhau i ostwng ledled Cymru, bydd angen i Lywodraeth Cymru a'r byrddau iechyd lleol ddechrau edrych ar driniaethau a gwasanaethau eraill y GIG, ac fel y gwyddoch, roedd bron i 500,000 yn aros am driniaeth cyn y pandemig COVID-19. Nawr, mae Coleg Brenhinol y Llawfeddygon wedi rhybuddio y bydd oedi o ran llawdriniaethau eisoes wedi arwain at fwy o angen am lawdriniaethau cymhleth, ac mae’r British Heart Foundation hefyd wedi dweud, gan nad yw’r gwasanaethau ar gael o hyd, fod brys cynyddol am y triniaethau hyn, a bod hynny wedi creu carfan sylweddol o gleifion sydd angen triniaeth frys. Brif Weinidog, bydd hyn yn ei dro yn parhau i drethu capasiti’r GIG. Nawr, yng ngoleuni'r pryderon dilys iawn a godwyd gan sefydliadau fel Coleg Brenhinol y Llawfeddygon a’r British Heart Foundation, pa drafodaethau strategol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cael gyda byrddau iechyd lleol i sicrhau y gellir cynnal llawdriniaethau brys a llawdriniaethau wedi’u cynllunio, ac y gall y gweithlu ymdopi â'r ôl-groniad o lawdriniaethau dewisol? Pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi i bobl ledled Cymru sy'n aros am driniaethau y byddant yn gallu cael mynediad at driniaethau a gwasanaethau'r GIG, a sut rydych yn cefnogi'r byrddau iechyd lleol i gyflymu'r broses o ailgychwyn llawdriniaethau wedi’u cynllunio ledled Cymru?

I thank the Member for that important question. On Friday, when I will be able to make public the results of the current three-week review period, I hope to be able to explain to people in Wales the extent to which we are using the headroom we hope we have to go on lifting the lockdown regime in Wales, and the extent to which we are using that headroom to go on reopening the NHS here in Wales, because that is an important part of the way in which lockdown restrictions are being eased, opening up more of our primary and secondary care services. I don't want to say to the Member or to anybody else that this is a straightforward process. An enormous amount of work is going on to create green zones, as they are called, inside our hospitals—coronavirus-free zones—so that operations can resume and people can be confident in returning to those settings that they won't run the risk of being infected by people who are already suffering from the disease. By itself, that will limit the number of operations, for example, that a theatre can carry out in any one day, because the levels of biosecurity that are necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus are very real and will have a limiting effect in the best of circumstances on the extent to which activity can resume. At the same time, Llywydd, the NHS is having to prepare for the winter that lies ahead, the flu season that lies ahead, and the warnings we all hear of a resurgence of coronavirus in winter conditions. So, while our colleagues in the NHS are making enormous efforts, demonstrated in the second-quarter plans that they have submitted to the Welsh Government to reopen the health service, this will be a balancing act of many competing demands, and nobody should believe that there is an easy or straightforward path back to the levels of activity that the NHS in Wales and elsewhere in the United Kingdom were able to conduct in a pre-COVID world.
Diolch i'r Aelod am ei gwestiwn pwysig. Ddydd Gwener, pan fyddaf yn gallu cyhoeddi canlyniadau'r cyfnod adolygu tair wythnos cyfredol, gobeithiaf allu egluro i bobl yng Nghymru i ba raddau rydym yn defnyddio'r lle rydym yn gobeithio sydd gennym i symud i barhau i lacio’r cyfyngiadau symud yng Nghymru, ac i ba raddau rydym yn defnyddio'r lle hwnnw i barhau i ailagor y GIG yma yng Nghymru, gan fod honno'n rhan bwysig o'r ffordd y mae’r cyfyngiadau symud yn cael eu llacio, agor mwy o'n gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol a gofal eilaidd. Nid wyf am ddweud wrth yr Aelod nac wrth unrhyw un arall fod hon yn broses syml. Mae cryn dipyn o waith yn mynd rhagddo i greu parthau gwyrdd, fel y'u gelwir, yn ein hysbytai—parthau heb goronafeirws—fel y gall llawdriniaethau ailddechrau, ac fel y gall pobl fod yn hyderus wrth ddychwelyd i'r lleoliadau hynny na fyddant mewn perygl o gael eu heintio gan bobl sy'n dioddef o'r afiechyd eisoes. Bydd hynny ynddo’i hun yn cyfyngu ar nifer y llawdriniaethau, er enghraifft, y gall theatr eu cyflawni mewn diwrnod, gan fod y lefelau bioddiogelwch sy'n angenrheidiol i atal coronafeirws rhag lledaenu yn real iawn, a byddant yn cael effaith gyfyngol, ar y gorau, ar y graddau y gall gweithgarwch ailddechrau. Ar yr un pryd, Lywydd, mae'r GIG yn gorfod paratoi at y gaeaf sydd o'n blaenau, tymor y ffliw sydd o'n blaenau, a'r rhybuddion y mae pob un ohonom yn eu clywed am don arall o'r coronafeirws dan amodau gaeaf. Felly, er bod ein cymheiriaid yn y GIG yn gwneud ymdrechion enfawr, fel y gwelir yn y cynlluniau ail chwarter y maent wedi'u cyflwyno i Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer ailagor y gwasanaeth iechyd, bydd angen cydbwyso llawer o alwadau sy'n cystadlu, ac ni ddylai unrhyw un gredu bod llwybr hawdd neu syml i'w gael yn ôl at y lefelau o weithgarwch y gallai’r GIG yng Nghymru ac mewn mannau eraill yn y Deyrnas Unedig eu cynnal cyn COVID.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.

Diolch, Llywydd. Gaf i ar y dechrau ategu ar ran Plaid Cymru y sylwadau ynglŷn â'r hil-laddiad erchyll yn Srebrenica? Yn angof, ni chânt fod.
Thank you, Llywydd. May I at the outset endorse the comments on the appalling genocide in Srebrenica? They will not be forgotten.
First Minister, I've been contacted by the owner of a care home in my constituency. His employees, as he puts it, are hard working and undervalued, and he urgently wants the Welsh Government to honour the promise made in May that every worker in a care setting would receive £500. Waiting for Westminster has never served us well in Wales and, yes, the UK Treasury needs to find its moral compass by making the payment tax free. But there is something that the Welsh Government could do to ensure workers receive in full the amount of money they were promised, whatever Westminster decides. In December last year, doctors were promised that their tax bills would be covered by the NHS while working overtime. Will you, if necessary, offer the same tax cover to carers so they are not left out of pocket?
Brif Weinidog, mae perchennog cartref gofal yn fy etholaeth wedi cysylltu â mi. Dywed fod ei weithwyr yn gweithio'n galed ac nad ydynt yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi, ac mae am i Lywodraeth Cymru gadw at yr addewid a wnaed ym mis Mai y byddai pob gweithiwr mewn lleoliad gofal yn derbyn £500. Nawr, nid yw aros am San Steffan erioed wedi gwneud llawer o les i ni yng Nghymru, ac oes, mae angen i Drysorlys y DU ddod o hyd i'w gwmpawd moesol drwy sicrhau bod y taliad yn ddi-dreth. Ond mae rhywbeth y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i sicrhau bod gweithwyr yn derbyn y swm llawn o arian a addawyd iddynt, ni waeth beth y bydd San Steffan yn ei benderfynu. Ym mis Rhagfyr y llynedd, gwnaed addewid i feddygon y byddai'r GIG yn talu eu biliau treth am weithio goramser. A fyddwch chi, os bydd angen, yn cynnig yr un sicrwydd treth i ofalwyr fel nad ydynt ar eu colled?

Llywydd, it's an important point that Adam Price makes, and we continue to discuss exactly that with the trade unions, in particular. But to make that decision today would be simply to allow the UK Government off the hook, because any suggestion that we will pay it will guarantee that they will not do the right thing and, as you say, rediscover their moral compass on this issue. So, we have continued to be in what we regard as constructive discussions from our point of view with the UK Treasury, outlining ways in which this payment could be made free of tax and national insurance.
I am not at the point where I think those discussions can be drawn to an end and simply to allow the UK Government to be absolved of its responsibilities, and to spend more Welsh Government money on responsibilities that they themselves ought to discharge. We're not asking them for money, as I know Adam Price understands; we're simply asking them not to take away money that belongs to Welsh workers.
Lywydd, mae Adam Price yn codi pwynt pwysig, ac rydym yn parhau i drafod hynny gyda'r undebau llafur, yn arbennig. Ond byddai gwneud y penderfyniad hwnnw heddiw’n caniatáu i Lywodraeth y DU beidio â gwneud y peth iawn, gan y bydd unrhyw awgrym y byddwn ni yn ei dalu yn gwarantu na fyddant yn gwneud y peth iawn, ac fel y dywedwch, yn ailddarganfod eu cwmpawd moesol ar y mater hwn. Felly, rydym wedi parhau â'r hyn yr ystyriwn eu bod yn drafodaethau adeiladol yn ein barn ni gyda Thrysorlys y DU, i amlinellu ffyrdd y gellid gwneud y taliad hwn heb iddo fod yn agored i dreth ac yswiriant gwladol.
Ni chredaf y gellir dod â'r trafodaethau hynny i ben eto, a chaniatáu i Lywodraeth y DU gael ei hesgusodi rhag cyflawni’i chyfrifoldebau, a gwario mwy o arian Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfrifoldebau y dylent hwy eu hunain fod yn eu cyflawni. Nid ydym yn gofyn iddynt am arian, fel y gwn fod Adam Price yn ei ddeall; rydym yn gofyn iddynt beidio â mynd ag arian sy'n eiddo i weithwyr Cymru.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the care sector and, I have to say, after reading the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report today, also its neglect. The care sector has been characterised by zero-hours contracts and low pay for decades. PayScale research estimates the hourly rate on average, for example, to be £8.19. Valuing our care workers must surely start with a decent pay structure comparable with other professions. In February, your Government promised that the lowest paid NHS staff would receive the real living wage of £9.30 an hour. Should not that principle, as a first step to parity with the NHS, be applied now to workers in the care sector? First Minister, in truth, can we afford not to?
Mae'r pandemig COVID-19 wedi tynnu sylw at bwysigrwydd y sector gofal, ac mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud, ar ôl darllen adroddiad y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon, at y ffaith ei fod hefyd yn cael ei esgeuluso. Mae contractau dim oriau a chyflog isel wedi bod yn rhai o nodweddion y sector gofal ers degawdau. Mae ymchwil PayScale yn amcangyfrif mai'r gyfradd fesul awr ar gyfartaledd, er enghraifft, yw £8.19. Does bosibl na ddylai gwerthfawrogi ein gweithwyr gofal ddechrau gyda strwythur tâl addas sy'n debyg i'r un a geir mewn proffesiynau eraill. Ym mis Chwefror, addawodd eich Llywodraeth y byddai staff y GIG ar y cyflogau isaf yn derbyn y cyflog byw gwirioneddol, sef £9.30 yr awr. Oni ddylid defnyddio'r egwyddor honno nawr ar gyfer gweithwyr yn y sector gofal fel cam cyntaf i sicrhau cydraddoldeb â'r GIG? Yn wir, Brif Weinidog, a allwn fforddio peidio â gwneud hynny?

Well, I agree with Adam Price, Llywydd, that the coronavirus crisis has shone a spotlight onto the sector and the way in which it has been undervalued over so many years. In the end, the challenge is not for Government; it is a challenge for the whole of our society as to the extent to which we are prepared to pay for decent levels of wages and proper working conditions for people in that sector. And Governments successively at the UK level have failed to come forward with proposals for paying for social care. We were very close to it at one point in 2015 as a result of the Dilnot review, and then necessary legislation fell because of a general election, and we've never been able to get back to that.
The Welsh Government directly pays through health boards for NHS staff, and I was very pleased when I was the health Minister to be able to strike a deal that has guaranteed that the lowest paid people in the health service have always been paid, ever since, the real living wage. We are not the employer in relation to this sector. But I want to be positive in my reply to Adam Price's question because I agree with him that the result of coronavirus ought to be that, as a society, we have to be prepared to find the money to make this a sector that recognises the significance of the work that it does every single day.
Wel, rwy'n cytuno ag Adam Price, Lywydd, fod yr argyfwng coronafeirws wedi tynnu sylw at y sector a'r ffordd nad yw wedi cael ei werthfawrogi’n iawn ers blynyddoedd lawer. Yn y pen draw, nid her i'r Llywodraeth yw hon; mae'n her i'n cymdeithas gyfan o ran i ba raddau rydym yn barod i dalu am lefelau addas o gyflog, ac amodau gwaith priodol i bobl yn y sector hwnnw. Ac mae un Llywodraeth ar ol y llall ar lefel y DU wedi methu cyflwyno cynigion ar gyfer talu am ofal cymdeithasol. Daethom yn agos iawn at hynny ar un adeg yn 2015 o ganlyniad i adolygiad Dilnot, ac yna ni chafwyd y ddeddfwriaeth angenrheidiol oherwydd etholiad cyffredinol, ac nid ydym wedi gallu dychwelyd at y pwynt hwnnw.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru’n talu'n uniongyrchol am staff y GIG drwy’r byrddau iechyd, ac roeddwn yn falch iawn pan oeddwn yn Weinidog iechyd o allu taro bargen sydd wedi gwarantu bod y bobl ar y cyflogau isaf yn y gwasanaeth iechyd bob amser wedi cael y cyflog byw gwirioneddol ers hynny. Nid ni yw'r cyflogwr mewn perthynas â'r sector hwn. Ond rwyf am fod yn gadarnhaol yn fy ateb i gwestiwn Adam Price, gan fy mod yn cytuno ag ef y dylai’r coronafeirws olygu bod yn rhaid i ni, fel cymdeithas, fod yn barod i ddod o hyd i'r arian i sicrhau bod hwn yn sector sy'n cydnabod pwysigrwydd y gwaith y mae'n ei wneud bob dydd o'r flwyddyn.
The Royal College of Nursing and 13 health unions have written to the English Prime Minister, as he's come to be known, asking for discussions on an early NHS pay rise. Will you show the way and also reward our NHS staff? If the current health crisis has taught us anything, it is that valuing those who look after us at the dawn of our lives, the twilight of our lives, and every point in between, should be the priority of any caring nation. During your leadership bid, First Minister, you said that you would not change tax rates unless compelled to do so. Do you now believe that the hard work of health and care workers is a compelling enough reason for you to change your mind?
Mae'r Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol a 13 undeb iechyd wedi ysgrifennu at Brif Weinidog Lloegr, fel y’i gelwir bellach, i ofyn am drafodaethau ynglŷn â chodiad cyflog cynnar ar gyfer y GIG. A wnewch chi arwain y ffordd a gwobrwyo staff ein GIG ni hefyd? Os yw'r argyfwng iechyd presennol wedi dysgu unrhyw beth inni, dylai gwerthfawrogi'r rheini sy'n gofalu amdanom ar bob adeg o ddechrau ein bywyd hyd ddiwedd ein hoes fod yn flaenoriaeth i unrhyw genedl ofalgar. Yn ystod eich cais am yr arweinyddiaeth, Brif Weinidog, fe ddywedoch chi na fyddech yn newid cyfraddau treth oni chaech eich gorfodi i wneud hynny. A ydych chi'n credu bellach fod gwaith caled gweithwyr iechyd a gofal yn ddigon o reswm i chi newid eich meddwl?

Llywydd, we will continue in the way that we do, through the spirit of social partnership, to negotiate with the health unions and the local health boards in relation to pay and conditions in the health service. That's the way we do it, and that's the way we intend to carry on doing so. Those discussions are not always easy, nor should they be. Social partnership is not a cosy regime, but it is a place where we get together to try and find common solutions to common problems, and that's how we will approach the pay issue with our NHS staff. My party made a commitment, Llywydd, not to raise income tax rates during this Senedd term. That remains our policy position.
Lywydd, byddwn yn parhau yn y ffordd y gwnawn, drwy ysbryd partneriaeth gymdeithasol, i drafod gyda'r undebau iechyd a'r byrddau iechyd lleol mewn perthynas â chyflog ac amodau yn y gwasanaeth iechyd. Dyna'r ffordd rydym yn gwneud hynny, a dyna'r ffordd rydym yn bwriadu parhau i wneud hynny. Nid yw'r trafodaethau hynny bob amser yn hawdd, ac ni ddylent fod yn hawdd. Nid yw partneriaeth gymdeithasol yn drefn gysurus, ond mae'n lle i ddod at ein gilydd i geisio dod o hyd i atebion cyffredin i broblemau cyffredin, a dyna sut y byddwn yn mynd i'r afael â mater cyflogau gyda staff ein GIG. Ymrwymodd fy mhlaid, Lywydd, i beidio â chodi cyfraddau treth incwm yn ystod tymor y Senedd hon. Dyna yw ein safbwynt polisi o hyd.
Arweinydd Plaid Brexit, Mark Reckless.
The leader of the Brexit Party, Mark Reckless.

First Minister, do you consider it satisfactory that this Senedd, operating under Welsh Government guidance, should just have two opportunities to question you in person over a period of six months? Do you prefer to have scrutiny through daily press conferences, broadcast live, with no opportunity for opposition reply? With many of those media outlets financially dependent on the Welsh Government, do you consider it to be in the public interest for the state broadcaster to subject us to a disquisition on what your favourite cheese is? And how is it consistent with the BBC charter, in all fairness, that, last night, just for example, on Ineos, we were treated by BBC Wales to the Labour Minister, the Labour council leader, the Labour MS and the Labour-funding union, with no opposition reply whatever? You say your urgent priority is to review every street name and every statue in Wales, to see whether it accords with the demands of an organisation that wants to de-fund the police. Isn't it time instead to de-fund the BBC?
Brif Weinidog, a ydych yn fodlon mai dau gyfle yn unig y mae'r Senedd hon, sy'n gweithredu o dan arweiniad Llywodraeth Cymru, wedi eu cael i holi cwestiynu i chi wyneb yn wyneb dros gyfnod o chwe mis? A yw'n well gennych wynebu craffu drwy gynadleddau dyddiol i'r wasg, wedi eu darlledu'n fyw, heb unrhyw gyfle i’r gwrthbleidiau ateb? O gofio bod rhan helaeth o'r cyfryngau’n ddibynnol yn ariannol ar Lywodraeth Cymru, a ydych o’r farn ei bod er budd y cyhoedd i'r darlledwr gwladol ein gorfodi i wrando arnoch yn traethu ar eich hoff gaws? A sut y gall fod yn gydnaws â siarter y BBC, gyda phob tegwch, neithiwr, er enghraifft, ar Ineos, fod BBC Wales wedi dangos y Gweinidog Llafur, arweinydd y cyngor Llafur, yr AS Llafur, a'r undeb sy'n cyllido Llafur, heb unrhyw ymateb o fath yn y byd gan y gwrthbleidiau? Rydych yn dweud mai eich blaenoriaeth yw adolygu pob enw stryd a phob cerflun yng Nghymru, i weld a ydynt yn gydnaws â gofynion sefydliad sydd am ddad-ariannu'r heddlu. Onid yw'n bryd dad-ariannu'r BBC?

Well, Llywydd, there's never a dog but the Member is prepared to whistle at it, and he's here doing it again today. I answer questions on the floor of the Senedd whenever the Senedd asks me to do so, and it's not my decision as to when that should be, nor should it be. I've answered questions throughout the coronavirus crisis every time the Senedd has asked me to, in committee or in Plenary, and that's my position.
I am not responsible for the BBC and neither should I be. It is not a state broadcaster in any sense, and the Member should know better than to imply that it is, or to imply that it is not right to have a broadcaster to interview those people who are elected to represent people in a particular area, whatever party that may be, in whichever part of Wales that might be.
Wel, Lywydd, nid oes ci yma, ond mae'r Aelod yn barod i chwibanu arno, ac mae’n gwneud hynny eto heddiw. Rwy'n ateb cwestiynau ar lawr y Senedd pryd bynnag y bydd y Senedd yn gofyn i mi wneud hynny, ac nid fy mhenderfyniad i yw pryd y dylai hynny ddigwydd, ac ni ddylai fod yn benderfyniad i mi. Rwyf wedi ateb cwestiynau drwy gydol argyfwng y coronafeirws bob tro y mae'r Senedd wedi gofyn i mi wneud hynny, mewn pwyllgorau neu yn y Cyfarfod Llawn, a dyna fy safbwynt.
Nid wyf yn gyfrifol am y BBC ac ni ddylwn fod chwaith. Nid yw'n ddarlledwr gwladol ar unrhyw ystyr, a dylai'r Aelod wybod yn well nag awgrymu ei fod, neu awgrymu nad yw'n iawn i ddarlledwr gyfweld y bobl sydd wedi eu hethol i gynrychioli pobl mewn ardal benodol, o ba blaid bynnag, ym mha bynnag ran o Gymru.
So, the First Minister is content with that scrutiny—four Labour voices, no opposition voices? And it is far from the only example. If one depends on one's news on BBC Wales, and many of the organisations funded by Welsh Government to provide news, one would have the impression that, under our great helmsman, Mark Drakeford, there has been a great success in management of the COVID crisis in Wales. Is the reality not that infection rates in Wales have been higher than in England, and substantially higher than in Scotland and Northern Ireland, despite far less testing? Isn't it the case that 1,097 people were moved from hospitals into care homes without testing? And, talk about Westminster and waiting for them, it was two to three weeks after England and Scotland before we saw testing in care homes. Isn't the reality that the management both of the COVID crisis and of the economy has been worse in Wales, and the people of Wales will be paying for it for a very long time?
Felly, mae'r Prif Weinidog yn fodlon â'r craffu hwnnw—pedwar llais Llafur, dim un o leisiau'r gwrthbleidiau? Ac mae hynny ymhell o fod yr unig enghraifft. Os ydych yn dibynnu ar BBC Wales am eich newyddion, a llawer o’r sefydliadau sy’n cael eu hariannu gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu newyddion, byddai rhywun yn cael yr argraff, o dan ein harweinydd gwych, Mark Drakeford, y bu llwyddiant mawr yng Nghymru o ran rheoli’r argyfwng COVID. Onid y gwir amdani yw bod cyfraddau heintiau yng Nghymru wedi bod yn uwch nag yn Lloegr, ac yn sylweddol uwch nag yn yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon, er gwaethaf llawer llai o brofi? Onid yw'n wir fod 1,097 o bobl wedi'u symud o ysbytai i gartrefi gofal heb eu profi? A chan ein bod yn sôn am San Steffan ac aros amdanynt hwy, ni welsom brofion yn cael eu cynnal mewn cartrefi gofal tan bythefnos neu dair wythnos ar ôl Lloegr a'r Alban. Onid y realiti yw bod y gwaith o reoli’r argyfwng COVID ac argyfwng yr economi wedi bod yn waeth yng Nghymru, ac y bydd pobl Cymru yn talu am hynny am gryn dipyn o amser?

Llywydd, as I said to the Member, I will answer questions on the floor of this Senedd whenever the Senedd asks me to do so. So, it's a matter for him, not for me, how often that takes place. I entirely reject what he said. There are always people who happen to live in Wales that wish they didn't. The answer to that is in their own hands rather than mine.
Lywydd, fel y dywedais wrth yr Aelod, byddaf yn ateb cwestiynau ar lawr y Senedd hon pryd bynnag y bydd y Senedd yn gofyn i mi wneud hynny. Felly mater iddo ef, nid i mi, yw pa mor aml y mae hynny'n digwydd. Gwrthodaf yr hyn a ddywedodd yn llwyr. Mae yna bob amser bobl sy'n digwydd byw yng Nghymru y byddai’n well ganddynt pe na baent yn byw yma. Mae'r ateb i hynny yn eu dwylo hwy ac nid fy rhai i.
3. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o effaith COVID-19 ar yr economi yng Nghanol De Cymru? OQ55436
3. What assessment has the First Minister made of the impact of COVID-19 on the economy in South Wales Central? OQ55436

Llywydd, Wales remains in the grip of the coronavirus crisis, but, as circulation of the virus diminishes, economic activity in South Wales Central continues to recover with the support of both Welsh and UK Governments.
Lywydd, mae Cymru’n parhau i fod yng nghanol argyfwng y coronafeirws, ond wrth i gylchrediad y feirws leihau, mae gweithgarwch economaidd yng Nghanol De Cymru yn parhau i wella gyda chefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU.
I thank the First Minister for his response. Getting a co-ordinated response from different Governments within the UK has been one of the problems of the crisis we are living through, and it is clear that the economy in Wales will suffer more because of the First Minister's insistence on doing things differently here. I feel the problem may be aggravated by the First Minister possessing an inflated idea of his own importance. One issue may be that the salary of the First Minister of Wales is almost equal to that of the UK Prime Minister. Given that an important trade association in Wales has just declared no confidence in the First Minister, I wonder if he really believes he is worth such a salary.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ymateb. Mae cael ymateb cydgysylltiedig gan wahanol Lywodraethau yn y DU wedi bod yn un o broblemau'r argyfwng rydym yn byw drwyddo, ac mae'n amlwg y bydd yr economi yng Nghymru yn dioddef i raddau mwy gan fod y Prif Weinidog yn mynnu gwneud pethau'n wahanol yma. Rwy'n teimlo y gallai'r broblem fod yn cael ei gwaethygu gan fod gan y Prif Weinidog syniad chwyddedig o'i bwysigrwydd ei hun. Efallai mai un broblem yw bod cyflog Prif Weinidog Cymru bron yr un faint â chyflog Prif Weinidog y DU. O ystyried bod cymdeithas fasnach bwysig yng Nghymru newydd ddatgan nad oes hyder ganddynt yn y Prif Weinidog, a yw'n credu'n wirioneddol ei fod yn haeddu cyflog o'r fath?

Llywydd, I work as hard as I can every day to attend to the needs of the people in Wales. I understand that the Member has a great deal of difficulty in understanding the difference between what is possible for Wales and what is possible elsewhere. I see, in his last contribution—. My attention was drawn to his contribution on 24 June, when he said,
'we know that Mark Drakeford didn't even attend COBRA meetings for several weeks, when he was able to do so.'
Llywydd, maybe I'll put on record, because I'm sure the Member wouldn't intentionally wish to mislead people, that there is not a single COBRA meeting—to which I had been invited—that I did not attend.
Lywydd, rwy'n gweithio mor galed ag y gallaf bob dydd i roi sylw i anghenion pobl Cymru. Deallaf fod yr Aelod yn ei chael hi’n anodd iawn deall y gwahaniaeth rhwng yr hyn sy'n bosibl i Gymru a'r hyn sy'n bosibl mewn mannau eraill. Gwelaf, yn ei gyfraniad diwethaf—. Tynnwyd fy sylw at ei gyfraniad ar 24 Mehefin, pan ddywedodd,
'rydym yn gwybod na wnaeth Mark Drakeford fynychu cyfarfodydd COBRA am sawl wythnos, pan oedd yn gallu gwneud hynny.'
Lywydd, efallai y dylwn gofnodi, gan fy mod yn siŵr na fyddai'r Aelod yn dymuno camarwain pobl yn fwriadol, nad oes unrhyw gyfarfod COBRA wedi bod—cyfarfod y cefais wahoddiad iddo—nad wyf wedi’i fynychu.
Could I put on record my thanks as well to the Commission staff and to yourself as Presiding Officer for making these facilities available today for the first hybrid Assembly?
First Minister, the economies of south Wales are very intertwined, and the news yesterday about the the Ineos reconsideration—shall we call it—of their proposals in Bridgend affects South Wales Central and, in particular, the Vale of Glamorgan, where there's a lot of transit back and forth for jobs. Can you clarify exactly what is going on with the proposal? As I understand it, Ineos have put a halt on consideration of advancing the project at the moment, but they haven't actually stopped the project. And comments about not trusting the company are deeply unhelpful from the constituency MS, who was on telly last night saying such things. Surely, we should be working night and day to convince Ineos that Bridgend and the wider south Wales economy are an ideal home for their ambitious proposals for this new facility.
A gaf finnau ddiolch ar goedd hefyd i staff y Comisiwn ac i chi fel Llywydd am sicrhau bod y cyfleusterau hyn ar gael heddiw ar gyfer y Cynulliad hybrid cyntaf?
Brif Weinidog, mae economïau de Cymru wedi’u cydblethu’n agos iawn, ac mae’r newyddion ddoe am ailystyriaeth Ineos—os cawn ei alw’n hynny—ynghylch eu cynigion ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn effeithio ar Ganol De Cymru, ac yn benodol, ar Fro Morgannwg, lle mae llawer o deithio yn ôl ac ymlaen i gyrraedd swyddi. A allwch egluro beth yn union sy'n digwydd gyda'r cynnig? Yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, mae Ineos wedi rhoi’r gorau i ystyried bwrw ymlaen â chamau nesaf y prosiect ar hyn o bryd, ond nid ydynt wedi dod â'r prosiect ei hun i ben. Ac nid oedd sylwadau gan AS yr etholaeth ar y teledu neithiwr ynglŷn â methu ymddiried yn y cwmni yn ddefnyddiol o gwbl. Does bosibl na ddylem fod yn gweithio ddydd a nos i argyhoeddi Ineos fod Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr ac economi ehangach de Cymru yn gartref delfrydol ar gyfer eu cynigion uchelgeisiol ar gyfer y cyfleuster newydd hwn.

I thank the Member for that. I want to say to him that the Welsh Government and the contractors we have employed have worked tirelessly to ensure that the site was made ready in line with Ineos's tight timescales and that that work continued despite flooding earlier in the year and the coronavirus crisis. So, we have worked really hard to try to meet the requirements that the company had laid out. So, we were inevitably disappointed, on 2 July, when officials were told—not Ministers; officials were told—that the company intended to suspend its plans for investment in Wales and in Portugal, pending a review. The company was due to sign an important agreement with the Welsh Government on Monday of this week. It was very disappointing to us, after all the efforts that have been made, that that wasn't possible.
But, let me agree with what Andrew R.T. Davies has said: while there is a possibility that this company would yet come to Wales, we must work positively with them to make every argument to bring that about. My colleague Ken Skates spoke directly with the company on Monday evening, and I know that he made that point to them: that, despite our sense of disappointment, so very late in the day, to find that the company may be having second thoughts, anything we can still do to persuade them of the merits of coming to Bridgend and the outstanding workforce that is available to them there—we will never give up on making that case up until the point where that company makes a final determination.
Diolch i'r Aelod am hynny. Hoffwn ddweud wrtho fod Llywodraeth Cymru a'r contractwyr rydym wedi'u cyflogi wedi gweithio'n ddiflino i sicrhau bod y safle wedi cael ei baratoi yn unol ag amserlenni tynn Ineos a bod y gwaith hwnnw wedi parhau er gwaethaf y llifogydd yn gynharach yn y flwyddyn a'r argyfwng coronafeirws. Felly, rydym wedi gweithio'n galed iawn i geisio bodloni’r gofynion a nodwyd gan y cwmni. Felly, roedd yn anochel ein bod wedi cael ein siomi ar 2 Gorffennaf, pan ddywedwyd wrth swyddogion—nid Gweinidogion; dywedwyd wrth swyddogion—fod y cwmni'n bwriadu atal ei gynlluniau ar gyfer buddsoddi yng Nghymru ac ym Mhortiwgal, hyd nes y cynhelir adolygiad. Roedd y cwmni i fod i arwyddo cytundeb pwysig gyda Llywodraeth Cymru ddydd Llun. Roedd yn siomedig iawn i ni, ar ôl yr holl ymdrechion a wnaed, nad oedd hynny'n bosibl.
Ond gadewch i mi gytuno â'r hyn y mae Andrew R.T. Davies wedi’i ddweud: er bod posibilrwydd o hyd y gallai’r cwmni hwn ddod i Gymru, rhaid inni weithio'n gadarnhaol gyda hwy i ddadlau pob achos dros sicrhau hynny. Siaradodd fy nghyd-Aelod Ken Skates yn uniongyrchol gyda’r cwmni nos Lun, a gwn iddo wneud y pwynt hwnnw: er gwaethaf ein siom, mor hwyr yn y dydd, i ddarganfod y gallai’r cwmni fod yn ailfeddwl, bydd unrhyw beth y gallwn ei wneud o hyd i'w perswadio ynglŷn â manteision dod i Ben-y-bont ar Ogwr a'r gweithlu rhagorol sydd ar gael iddynt yno—ni fyddwn byth yn rhoi'r gorau i ddadlau’r achos hwnnw, hyd at y pwynt pan fydd y cwmni hwnnw'n gwneud penderfyniad terfynol.
First Minister, I've been in discussion with very many businesses in Cynon Valley who are extremely grateful for the financial support that they've received from the Welsh Government under the economic resilience fund. I note that, in order to access that fund, they need to sign up to the Welsh Government's economic contract. Would you be able to give us an assessment of how you think signing up to that economic contract will be of benefit, both to the economy and society of the South Wales Central region, moving forward?
Brif Weinidog, rwyf wedi bod yn trafod gyda llawer iawn o fusnesau yng Nghwm Cynon sy'n hynod ddiolchgar am y gefnogaeth ariannol a gawsant gan Lywodraeth Cymru o dan y gronfa cadernid economaidd. Er mwyn cael mynediad at y gronfa honno, nodaf fod angen iddynt ymrwymo i gontract economaidd Llywodraeth Cymru. A allwch roi asesiad inni o sut rydych yn meddwl y bydd ymrwymo i’r contract economaidd hwnnw o fudd i economi a chymdeithas rhanbarth Canol De Cymru yn y dyfodol?

I thank Vikki Howells for that, Llywydd. I know that she will recognise that the incredible speed at which everything has had to happen during the coronavirus crisis means that the sort of detailed discussion of an economic contract that we would normally have with businesses hasn’t been possible.
Before the crisis hit, we had agreed economic contracts with 385 companies in Wales. Today, that's over 4,000 companies who have committed to the principles of the economic contract. And the principle is very important. It says to companies that when the Welsh public is finding money to support them in the work they do and to help them to sustain and create new jobs, the Welsh public is entitled to a return on that investment that goes beyond the interest of the company itself, and that there are important things that we want to create across Wales: a low-carbon future, increasing levels of investment in skills, and a fair-work approach to Wales. All of those things are important, and when we strike an economic contract with a company, it is those additional returns on the investment that the Welsh public is making that we seek to negotiate.
And the good news is, Llywydd, that companies in Wales very readily see the benefits of that. They too want a future in Wales that allows them to go on trading successfully in a country where we don't have low pay, where we don't have low skills, and where we are focused, as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 requires us to be, on making decisions today that give those who come after us a proper chance of a successful future.
Diolch i Vikki Howells am hynny, Lywydd. Gwn y bydd yn cydnabod bod y cyflymder anhygoel y bu’n rhaid gwneud popeth yn ystod yr argyfwng coronafeirws yn golygu na fu modd cael y math o drafodaeth fanwl y byddem fel arfer yn ei chael gyda busnesau ynghylch contract economaidd.
Cyn yr argyfwng, roeddem wedi cytuno ar gontractau economaidd gyda 385 o gwmnïau yng Nghymru. Heddiw, mae dros 4,000 o gwmnïau wedi ymrwymo i egwyddorion y contract economaidd. Ac mae'r egwyddor yn bwysig iawn. Mae'n dweud wrth gwmnïau, pan fydd y cyhoedd yng Nghymru yn dod o hyd i arian i'w cefnogi yn y gwaith a wnânt ac i'w helpu i gynnal a chreu swyddi newydd, fod gan y cyhoedd yng Nghymru hawl i elw ar y buddsoddiad hwnnw sy'n mynd y tu hwnt i fuddiant y cwmni ei hun, a bod yna bethau pwysig rydym am eu creu ledled Cymru: dyfodol carbon isel, lefelau cynyddol o fuddsoddiad mewn sgiliau, ac ymagwedd gwaith teg tuag at Gymru. Mae'r holl bethau hynny'n bwysig, a phan fyddwn yn llunio contract economaidd gyda chwmni, rydym yn ceisio negodi’r enillion ychwanegol hynny ar y buddsoddiad a wneir gan y cyhoedd yng Nghymru.
A'r newyddion da, Lywydd, yw bod cwmnïau yng Nghymru yn barod iawn i weld manteision hynny. Maent hwythau hefyd yn awyddus i gael dyfodol yng Nghymru sy'n caniatáu iddynt barhau i fasnachu'n llwyddiannus mewn gwlad lle nad oes gennym gyflogau isel, lle nad oes gennym sgiliau isel, a lle rydym yn canolbwyntio, fel y mae Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 yn ei fynnu gennym, ar wneud penderfyniadau heddiw sy'n rhoi cyfle iawn i'r rheini a ddaw ar ein holau i gael dyfodol llwyddiannus.
Tynnwyd cwestiwn 4 [OQ55414] yn ôl. Cwestiwn 5—Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Question 4 [OQ55414] is withdrawn. Question 5—Rhun ap Iorwerth.
5. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am ailagor y sector dwristiaeth yng ngogledd Cymru? OQ55437
5. Will the First Minister make a statement on reopening the tourism sector in north Wales? OQ55437

Diolch am y cwestiwn. Llywydd, mae codi’r gofyniad i aros yn lleol yn caniatáu i bobl deithio o amgylch Cymru. Mae atyniadau i ymwelwyr yn yr awyr agored yn gallu agor, ar yr amod eu bod nhw’n gwneud hynny'n ddiogel. Rydw i wedi nodi y dylai llety hunangynhaliol a darpariaeth lletygarwch awyr agored baratoi i ailagor yn yr wythnos sydd i ddod.
Thank you for that question. Llywydd, lifting the stay local requirement allows people to travel around Wales. Outdoor visitor attractions can open, subject to strict social distancing and hygiene guidelines remaining in place. I have noted that self-contained accommodation and outdoor hospitality should prepare to reopen in the next week.
Diolch am yr ymateb yna. Dau beth hoffwn i eu codi. Yn gyntaf, apêl unwaith eto am ymestyn y gefnogaeth i fusnesau twristiaeth a lletygarwch. Mae colli cymaint o'u tymor yn golygu eu bod nhw yn barod wedi colli cyfran sylweddol o'u trosiant blynyddol, ac efo amser yn brin iawn i wneud i fyny am hynny, wrth gwrs.
Ond mae'r ail bwynt ynglŷn â natur twristiaeth. Mi fydd y Prif Weinidog yn gwybod, fel minnau, am y pryder gwirioneddol sydd yna am ddychweliad twristiaeth, achos dydy bygythiad y feirws ddim wedi diflannu. Felly, dwi'n cefnogi ymgyrch yn Ynys Môn, er enghraifft, i atgoffa twristiaid i gadw at fesurau i ddiogelu cymunedau ac i ymddwyn efo parch at bobl o'u cwmpas ac ati. Ond dwi hefyd yn meddwl bod rŵan yn gyfle i ailystyried natur y berthynas rhwng twristiaeth a'n cymunedau ni mewn ffordd mwy sylfaenol. Felly, a ydy'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno efo fi, a chynrychiolwyr twristiaeth dwi wedi bod yn siarad efo nhw yn fy etholaeth i, bod angen defnyddio'r cyfnod yma i osod sylfeini am fath newydd o dwristiaeth, sy'n rhoi mwy o berchnogaeth a rheolaeth leol dros dwristiaeth, sy'n gwneud y sector yn fwy cynaliadwy, yn ymateb i bryderon lleol am effaith gordwristiaeth, ac yn uchafu budd economaidd lleol?
Thank you for that response. There are two things I'd like to raise. First of all, an appeal once again for extending support to tourism and hospitality businesses. Losing so much of their season will mean that they will have already lost a great deal of their annual turnover, and time is short to make up for that, of course.
But the second point is on the nature of tourism. The First Minister will know, as do I, about the very real concern that exists about the return of tourism, because the threat of the virus has not disappeared. Therefore, I support a campaign on Anglesey, for example, to remind tourists to stick to those steps to safeguard communities and to respect the people around them. But I also think that now is an opportunity to reconsider the nature of the relationship between tourism and our communities in a more fundamental way. So, would the First Minister agree with me, and tourism representatives who I've been speaking to in my constituency, that we need to use this period to lay the foundations for a new kind of tourism, that gives greater ownership and control to the local level, which makes the sector more sustainable, which responds to local concerns about the impact of too much tourism, and ensures local benefits from tourism?

Wel, Llywydd, diolch i Rhun ap Iorwerth am y cwestiwn diddorol yna. A jest i ddweud yn gyntaf: dwi'n cydnabod y ffaith bod twristiaeth yn bwysig iawn i bobl yn Ynys Môn. Y rheswm pam ein bod ni wedi symud yn ofalus, cam wrth gam, yw i sicrhau bod y sector yn barod i groesawu ymwelwyr nôl yn ddiogel, ac i wneud hynny drwy dynnu cymunedau gyda ni ar y daith yna. Ac mae'n bwysig i'r diwydiant weithio'n galed gyda'r bobl leol i baratoi ac i'w wneud e mewn ffordd ble mae llais pobl leol yn cael effaith ar natur y diwydiant. Mae beth mae Rhun ap Iorwerth yn ei ddweud am y cyfle sydd gyda ni i ailfeddwl am hynny yn rhywbeth pwysig. A phan dwi wedi siarad gyda'r grŵp dŷn ni wedi'i dynnu gyda'i gilydd—a ches i gyfle i wneud hynny yn ddiweddar ar 18 Mehefin—un peth a oedd yn fy nharo i oedd y pwynt roedd pobl yn y grŵp yn ei godi, sef eu bod nhw'n awyddus i ddefnyddio'r cyfle sydd gyda nhw i ailgreu'r berthynas rhwng pobl sy'n gweithio yn y maes a phobl sy'n byw yn lleol. Dwi'n cytuno gyda beth roedd Rhun ap Iorwerth yn ei ddweud am ddefnyddio'r cyfle sydd gyda ni ac i wneud pethau gyda'n gilydd ac yn ofalus dros yr wythnosau i ddod. Achos os ydyn ni'n ei wneud e'n llwyddiannus, bydd mwy dŷn ni'n gallu ei wneud i helpu'r sector yn y tymor sydd dal gyda ni ac i wneud mwy i helpu'r sector drwy ei wneud e fel yna.
Well, Llywydd, may I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for that interesting question? And just to say in the first place that I acknowledge the fact that tourism is extremely important to the people of Ynys Môn. The reason why we have proceeded carefully, step by step, is to ensure that the sector will be ready to welcome visitors back safely, and doing that by taking the communities with us on that journey. And it's important that the industry works closely with the local people to prepare and to do it in a way where the voice of the local people impacts the nature of the industry. That's exactly what Rhun has said about the opportunity that presents itself for us to rethink all of this. It's important. And when I have had discussions with the group that we've convened—and I had the opportunity to do that recently on 18 June—one thing that struck me was the point that the people in the group raised that they are eager to use the opportunity that they have to recreate the relationship between people working in the field and people living locally. I agree with what Rhun ap Iorwerth was saying about optimising the opportunity that we have to do things together and cautiously over the ensuing weeks. Because if we do it successfully, there will be more that we can do to help the sector in the remaining season and to do more to support the sector by doing so.
First Minister, 24,000 people work in the manufacturing industry in food and drink, with around 230,000 employed in the wider supply chain. There are around 3,700 different Welsh food and drink producers on retail, and a vital stage is the hospitality sector. Will you consider reopening the hospitality sector indoors from 13 July, but more importantly, advise them of this now? If not, what do you say to the Welsh Independent Restaurant Collective, whose survey found that at least 30,000 job losses are expected in the sector and that nearly half of these have happened already? Could you explain to me how it is seen to be safe for children to be in classrooms eating their lunch but yet unsafe for adults to sit inside a restaurant? Diolch.
Brif Weinidog, mae 24,000 o bobl yn gweithio ym maes bwyd a diod yn y diwydiant gweithgynhyrchu, gydag oddeutu 230,000 yn cael eu cyflogi yn y gadwyn gyflenwi ehangach. Mae oddeutu 3,700 o wahanol gynhyrchwyr bwyd a diod o Gymru yn manwerthu, ac mae'r sector lletygarwch yn gam hanfodol. A wnewch chi ystyried ailagor y sector lletygarwch dan do o 13 Gorffennaf, ond yn bwysicach fyth, eu hysbysu ynghylch hynny yn awr? Os nad ydych am wneud hynny, beth a ddywedwch wrth Gydweithfa Bwytai Annibynnol Cymru, y canfu ei harolwg fod disgwyl y bydd o leiaf 30,000 o swyddi'n cael eu colli yn y sector, a bod bron i hanner y ffigur hwn eisoes wedi eu colli? A allwch chi egluro i mi sut yr ystyrir ei bod yn ddiogel i blant fod mewn ystafelloedd dosbarth yn bwyta eu cinio, ond eto'n anniogel i oedolion eistedd mewn bwyty? Diolch.

Well, Llywydd, I think it's very easy to explain the difference: as far as I know, alcohol isn't being served in schools in Wales, whereas it would be in the context that the Member refers to. The idea that these things are somehow comparable is clearly nonsensical as soon as you begin to consider it. No, I won't be reopening indoor hospitality from 13 July, but I'm very glad indeed that we've been able to work with the sector and that outdoor hospitality will be reopening in Wales from that date. What we will then do is work with the sector to see that they make a success of that reopening, that they deliver on the many compensating measures that they have, I think, in a very committed and imaginative way, come forward with—measures to mitigate the impact of coronavirus—and provided we can see that that is being done successfully, then we will be able to move to reopening indoor hospitality.
What I think the Member never seems to grasp is that unless you're prepared to do this in a careful way, then people won't come back to use those facilities; people won't have the confidence to come back to restaurants and cafes and public houses in Wales unless they know that we have worked together to make those places safe. The weeks ahead in which the sector will deliver, I feel confident, on the promises it has made will be an investment in making sure that when we are able to move to indoor hospitality, people in Wales will have the confidence to return to it and that will have stood that sector and those businesses in very good stead.
Wel, Lywydd, credaf ei bod yn hawdd iawn esbonio'r gwahaniaeth: hyd y gwn i, nid yw alcohol yn cael ei weini mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru, tra byddai’n cael ei weini yn y cyd-destun y cyfeiria’r Aelod ato. Mae'r syniad fod modd cymharu'r pethau hyn rywsut yn amlwg yn chwerthinllyd pan ddechreuwch chi ei ystyried. Na, ni fyddaf yn ailagor lletygarwch dan do ar 13 Gorffennaf, ond rwy'n falch iawn ein bod wedi gallu gweithio gyda'r sector ac y bydd lletygarwch awyr agored yn ailagor yng Nghymru ar y dyddiad hwnnw. Yr hyn y byddwn yn ei wneud wedyn yw gweithio gyda'r sector i sicrhau eu bod yn cael llwyddiant wrth ailagor, eu bod yn cyflawni'r nifer o fesurau cymhwysol sydd ganddynt mewn ffordd ymroddedig a dychmygus iawn, yn cyflwyno—mesurau i liniaru effaith coronafeirws—ac ar yr amod ein bod yn gweld bod hynny'n digwydd yn llwyddiannus, byddwn yn gallu ystyried ailagor lletygarwch dan do.
Credaf mai’r hyn nad yw'r Aelod byth i'w gweld yn ei ddirnad yw na fydd pobl yn dychwelyd i ddefnyddio'r cyfleusterau hynny oni bai eich bod yn barod i wneud hyn mewn ffordd ofalus; ni fydd gan bobl hyder i ddod yn ôl i fwytai a chaffis a thafarndai yng Nghymru oni bai eu bod yn gwybod ein bod wedi gweithio gyda'n gilydd i sicrhau bod y lleoedd hynny’n ddiogel. Bydd yr wythnosau i ddod, pan wyf yn hyderus y bydd y sector yn cadw at yr addewidion y mae wedi'u gwneud, yn fuddsoddiad i sicrhau, pan fyddwn yn gallu ailagor lletygarwch dan do, y bydd gan bobl Cymru hyder i ddychwelyd ato, a bydd hynny o fudd i’r sector hwnnw a'r busnesau hynny.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ein diweddaru am drafodaethau’r Llywodraeth ynglyn a’r 94 swydd sydd dan fygythiad yn ffactri Northwood Hygiene Products ym Mhenygroes yn etholaeth Arfon? OQ55424
6. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's discussions regarding the 94 jobs that are under threat at the Northwood Hygiene Products factory in Penygroes in the Arfon constituency? OQ55424

Diolch yn fawr i Siân Gwenllian am y cwestiwn. Daeth yr ymgynghoriad ffurfiol ar y cynigion ar gyfer cau ffatri Northwood Hygiene Products i ben ar 4 Gorffennaf. Er gwaethaf ymdrechion y gweithwyr lleol a’r rheolwyr, cyngor sir Gwynedd a Llywodraeth Cymru, mae’r cwmni wedi penderfynu bwrw ymlaen â’i gynlluniau i gau. Mae’r ymdrechion nawr yn mynd i ganolbwyntio ar gefnogi staff a chwilio am fuddsoddiad arall ar gyfer y safle.
May I thank Siân Gwenllian for that question? Formal consultation on closure proposals for the Northwood factory ended on 4 July. Despite efforts by the local workers and management, Gwynedd Council and the Welsh Government, the company has decided to go ahead with closure plans. Efforts now turn to supporting staff and seeking alternative investment for the site.
Buaswn i'n licio diolch i'ch Llywodraeth chi am fod mor barod i roi help ac i gefnogi'r cynnig amgen gan y gweithlu ym Mhenygroes, ond yn anffodus, fel rydych chi'n dweud, mae'r cwmni wedi gwrthod y cynnig hwnnw am resymau masnachol ac maen nhw'n bwrw ymlaen i ddiswyddo'r 94 gweithiwr, sydd yn ergyd anferth. Ond mae'n rhaid i ni ddal ati i ganfod defnydd arall ar gyfer y safle, felly diolch am roi sicrwydd y bydd swyddogion eich Llywodraeth chi'n parhau i weithio efo Cyngor Gwynedd ac eraill i edrych mewn i'r opsiynau, gan gynnwys denu prynwr newydd. Mae 94 swydd yn Nyffryn Nantlle yn gyfwerth â miloedd o swyddi mewn rhannau mwy poblog o Gymru ac yn haeddu'r un ymdrech a'r un sylw gan eich Llywodraeth chi wrth inni geisio ffordd ymlaen.
I thank your Government for being so willing to provide assistance and to support the alternative proposal by the workforce in Penygroes, but unfortunately, as you have said, the company has rejected that opportunity for commercial reasons and they are making the 94 staff redundant, which is a huge blow. But we must continue to seek to find alternative use for the site. So, thank you for giving the assurance that your Government officials will continue to work with Gwynedd Council and others to look at the options available, including attracting a new buyer for the site. Ninety-four jobs in Dyffryn Nantlle would equate to thousands of jobs in more highly populated areas of Wales and deserve the same effort and the same attention from your Government as we seek a way forward.

Diolch yn fawr i Siân Gwenllian. Dwi'n cydnabod y pwynt yr oedd hi'n ei wneud am effaith colli 94 o swyddi mewn lle fel Nantlle, ac mae cau'r ffatri yn ergyd fawr i'r gweithlu ac i'r gymuned. Ac fel roedd Siân Gwenllian yn cydnabod, roedd swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru a Chyngor Gwynedd wedi gweithio'n galed i geisio gwarchod y swyddi, lan at roi arian ar y bwrdd i drio perswadio'r cwmni i aros gyda'r gweithwyr, sydd wedi bod yn ffyddlon i'r cwmni dros gyfnod hir. Nawr, fel roedd Siân Gwenllian yn dweud, mae'n rhaid inni feddwl gyda'n gilydd am sut rŷn ni'n gallu tynnu buddsoddiadau eraill ar gyfer y safle. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn arwain partneriaeth adfer rhanbarthol sy'n cynnwys y cynghorau lleol, busnes a phartneriaid eraill i gynllunio ar gyfer dyfodol gogledd Cymru ar ôl COVID i gyd, ond hefyd yng nghyd-destun beth mae etholwyr Siân Gwenllian yn ei wynebu ar ôl y penderfyniad i gau y ffatri.
Thank you, Siân Gwenllian. I acknowledge the point that she makes about the impact of the loss of 94 jobs in a place such as Nantlle Vale, and the closure of the plant is a very big blow for the workforce and the community. And as Siân Gwenllian acknowledged, Welsh Government officials and the officers of Gwynedd Council have been working hard to try and defend those jobs, putting money on the table to try and support those workers that have been loyal to the company over a long period of time. But as Siân Gwenllian says, we must think together about how we can attract alternative investment into the site. Welsh Government is leading a regional remedial partnership, and we will be looking at the future of north Wales post COVID—the whole of north Wales—but also in the context that Siân Gwenllian's constituents will be facing after the decision to close the factory.
7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y grant bloc diweddaraf gan Lywodraeth y DU? OQ55435
7. Will the First Minister provide an update on the latest block grant drawn down from the UK Government? OQ55435

I thank the Member for that question. Alongside many Whitehall departments, the Welsh Government has drawn down repayable cash from the UK contingencies fund. In our case, £857 million has been used to front-load our actions to support businesses and public services in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Ynghyd â llawer o adrannau Whitehall, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi tynnu arian ad-daladwy o gronfa hapddigwyddiadau'r DU. Yn ein hachos ni, defnyddiwyd £857 miliwn i flaenoriaethu ein camau gweithredu i gefnogi busnesau a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn wyneb pandemig byd-eang y coronafeirws.
Thank you, First Minister. Apologies for the rather dry phrasing of the question, but you got my drift. First Minister, as you say, the UK Government has just signed off the draw-down of the £857 million and the Welsh Government budget has been significantly uplifted since the start of the pandemic, and rightly so. As the focus now turns to leaving lockdown and getting the economy moving again, will you look at providing support for the housing market and particularly first-time buyers? It's likely in the statement today that the Chancellor will be announcing a possible stamp duty holiday—certainly stamp duty relief for buyers. Is that something you will be considering here? My colleague Laura Anne Jones in her question earlier spoke about possible distortions along the border with regard to COVID-19 processes. There would be no greater distortion than that to the housing market if there's greater relief provided for stamp duty in England than there is for land transaction tax here in Wales, so will you pledge to look at this?
Diolch, Brif Weinidog. Rwy'n ymddiheuro bod y cwestiwn wedi'i eirio'n gymharol sych, ond roeddech yn deall yr ystyr. Brif Weinidog, fel y dywedwch, mae Llywodraeth y DU newydd gytuno i ddefnydd y £857 miliwn ac mae cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i chynyddu'n sylweddol ers dechrau'r pandemig, a hynny'n gwbl briodol. Gan fod y ffocws yn troi yn awr at godi'r cyfyngiadau symud a chael yr economi i symud eto, a wnewch chi ystyried darparu cymorth i'r farchnad dai a'r rhai sy'n prynu am y tro cyntaf yn arbennig? Mae'n debygol, yn y datganiad heddiw, y bydd y Canghellor yn cyhoeddi gwyliau posibl ar gyfer y dreth stamp—yn sicr, rhyddhad treth stamp i brynwyr. A yw hynny'n rhywbeth y byddwch yn ei ystyried yma? Siaradodd fy nghyd-Aelod Laura Anne Jones yn ei chwestiwn yn gynharach am afluniad posibl ar hyd y ffin yng nghyswllt prosesau COVID-19. Ni fyddai afluniad gwaeth na'r afluniad a fyddai'n digwydd i'r farchnad dai pe darperir mwy o ryddhad ar gyfer y dreth stamp yn Lloegr nag ar gyfer y dreth trafodiadau tir yma yng Nghymru, felly a wnewch chi addo edrych ar hyn?

Well, Llywydd, it's just important to say that the £857 million is repayable cash; it's not money that we can use to invest in Wales. And while I want to recognise the help we had through the Secretary of State and through the Treasury in securing that, let's put it in context: the Department of Health and Social Care in Whitehall has drawn down £25 billion of repayable cash from the contingencies fund, so we are rather at the small-change end of that market.
Llywydd, we will wait to see what the Chancellor of the Exchequer has to say today. Our stamp duty, our land transaction tax regime in Wales, already absolves far, far more people from paying that tax in Wales than would be the case across our border, so if the Member would want to regard that as a distortion, then it is a distortion very much in favour of his constituents in living this side of the border. But what we've learnt, Llywydd, over many years, is never to rely on the headlines that the Treasury trail in advance of any statement. We will wait to hear what the Chancellor of the Exchequer has to say. We will look at ways in which Wales will lose money as well as ways in which we may gain, and then the Cabinet here will come to a set of conclusions based in the round on the impact of any changes that may be announced today on the budget and on policies here in Wales.
Wel, Lywydd, mae'n bwysig dweud bod yr £857 miliwn yn arian ad-daladwy; nid yw'n arian y gallwn ei ddefnyddio i fuddsoddi yng Nghymru. Ac er fy mod eisiau cydnabod yr help a gawsom drwy'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol a thrwy'r Trysorlys i sicrhau hwnnw, gadewch i ni ei roi yn ei gyd-destun: mae'r Adran Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol yn Whitehall wedi tynnu £25 biliwn o arian ad-daladwy o'r gronfa hapddigwyddiadau, felly rydym yn sôn am newid mân o gymharu â hynny.
Lywydd, arhoswn i weld beth fydd gan Ganghellor y Trysorlys i'w ddweud heddiw. Mae ein treth stamp, ein cyfundrefn treth trafodiadau tir yng Nghymru, eisoes yn rhyddhau llawer mwy o bobl rhag talu'r dreth honno yng Nghymru nag a fyddai'n digwydd ar draws y ffin, felly os yw'r Aelod eisiau ystyried hynny'n afluniad, mae'n afluniad o blaid ei etholwyr a hwythau'n byw ar yr ochr hon i'r ffin. Ond yr hyn rydym wedi'i ddysgu, Lywydd, dros flynyddoedd lawer, yw na ddylem ddibynnu ar y penawdau y mae'r Trysorlys yn eu gwneud cyn unrhyw ddatganiad. Arhoswn i glywed beth fydd gan Ganghellor y Trysorlys i'w ddweud. Fe edrychwn ar y ffyrdd y bydd Cymru'n colli arian yn ogystal â'r ffyrdd y gallem elwa, ac yna bydd y Cabinet yma'n dod i gasgliadau cyffredinol ar effaith unrhyw newidiadau a allai gael eu cyhoeddi heddiw ar y gyllideb ac ar bolisïau yma yng Nghymru.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8—Jenny Rathbone.
And, finally, question 8—Jenny Rathbone.
8. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â'r anghydraddoldebau iechyd gwaelodol sydd wedi gwneud rhai dinasyddion yn fwy agored nag eraill i COVID-19? OQ55434
8. What action is the Welsh Government planning to take to tackle the underlying health inequalities that have made some citizens more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others? OQ55434

Llywydd, can I thank the Member for that very important question? The Welsh Government continues to do everything we can to address the unacceptable inequalities in health outcomes between Wales's most and least deprived communities, and as we have seen in the COVID context for the black, Asian, minority ethnic community in particular. Reducing inequality is a central ambition of 'Prosperity for All' and lies at the heart of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
Lywydd, a gaf fi ddiolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn pwysig hwn? Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i wneud popeth yn ein gallu i fynd i'r afael â'r anghydraddoldeb annerbyniol yng nghanlyniadau iechyd cymunedau mwyaf a lleiaf difreintiedig Cymru, ac fel y gwelsom yng nghyd-destun COVID, yn y gymuned ddu, Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yn arbennig. Mae lleihau anghydraddoldeb yn uchelgais canolog yn 'Ffyniant i Bawb' ac mae'n ganolog yn Neddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015.
Thank you, First Minister. At the root of this problem is poor diet. We know that the food manufacturers spend billions of pounds encouraging people to eat processed food high in fat, sugar and salt, and that this obviously is not nourishing and it leads to obesity, which then leads to diabetes, heart disease and, indeed, cancer, and now COVID-19. So, I wonder what measures the Government is considering to transform the food system that is blighting our lives, not just to improve breastfeeding and weaning, but also compliance with healthy food regulations in schools and tackle the multimillion pound advertising by the food industry, which encourages people to eat the wrong things? When did you last see an advert for vegetables?
Diolch, Brif Weinidog. Deiet gwael sydd wrth wraidd y broblem hon. Gwyddom fod y gweithgynhyrchwyr bwyd yn gwario biliynau o bunnoedd ar annog pobl i fwyta bwyd wedi'i brosesu sy'n llawn o fraster, siwgr a halen, ac rydym yn gwybod nad yw hyn yn faethlon wrth gwrs, a'i fod yn arwain at ordewdra, sydd wedyn yn arwain at ddiabetes, clefyd y galon ac at ganser yn wir, ac yn awr COVID-19. Felly, tybed pa fesurau y mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu hystyried i drawsnewid y system fwyd sy'n difetha ein bywydau, nid yn unig er mwyn gwella bwydo ar y fron a diddyfnu, ond cydymffurfiaeth hefyd â rheoliadau bwyd iach mewn ysgolion a mynd i'r afael ag ymgyrchoedd hysbysebu gwerth miliynau o bunnoedd y diwydiant bwyd sy'n annog pobl i fwyta'r pethau anghywir? Pa bryd oedd y tro diwethaf i chi weld hysbyseb am lysiau?

Well, Llywydd, let me agree with Jenny Rathbone that poor diet is the product of poverty, and it is families who cannot afford to buy a diet that is balanced and has the variety in it that others of us are able to take for granted that leads to obesity in those families. We are engaging a whole series of different measures to try and address that. Not all the levers are in our own hands. The UK Government carried out a consultation on advertising earlier last year, and in our contribution to that consultation, we urged the UK Government to be more mandatory in its approach, not simply to advise companies on best practice, but to require advertising not to be aimed, for example, at children or around schools. We are considering the report issued by the House of Lords Select Committee on Food, Poverty, Health and the Environment released on 6 July, called 'Hungry for change: fixing the failures in food', and that does indeed highlight a series of issues that the Member herself has just drawn to our attention. There are a number of recommendations in that report that we will want to draw on in the work that we will do here in Wales as part of our own consultation over the autumn period on the Wales food environment, which is planned by my colleague Vaughan Gething.
Wel, Lywydd, gadewch i mi gytuno â Jenny Rathbone fod deiet gwael yn gynnyrch tlodi, a'r hyn sy'n arwain at ordewdra mewn teuluoedd tlawd yw'r ffaith na allant fforddio prynu deiet sy'n gytbwys ac sy'n cynnwys yr amrywiaeth y gall eraill ohonom ei gymryd yn ganiataol. Rydym yn mabwysiadu cyfres o wahanol fesurau i geisio mynd i'r afael â hynny. Nid yw'r holl ddulliau yn ein dwylo ni. Cynhaliodd Llywodraeth y DU ymgynghoriad ar hysbysebu yn gynharach y llynedd, ac yn ein cyfraniad i'r ymgynghoriad hwnnw, fe wnaethom annog Llywodraeth y DU i fod yn fwy gorfodol yn ei dull o weithredu, nid cynghori cwmnïau ar arferion gorau yn unig, ond ei gwneud yn ofynnol i beidio ag anelu hysbysebion, er enghraifft, at blant neu o amgylch ysgolion. Rydym yn ystyried yr adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd gan Bwyllgor Dethol Tŷ'r Arglwyddi ar Fwyd, Tlodi, Iechyd a'r Amgylchedd a ryddhawyd ar 6 Gorffennaf, o'r enw 'Hungry for change: fixing the failures in food', ac mae hwnnw'n bendant yn tynnu sylw at gyfres o faterion y mae'r Aelod ei hun newydd eu dwyn i'n sylw. Mae nifer o argymhellion yn yr adroddiad hwnnw y byddwn eisiau pwyso arnynt yn y gwaith y byddwn yn ei wneud yma yng Nghymru yn rhan o'n hymgynghoriad ein hunain dros gyfnod yr hydref ar amgylchedd bwyd Cymru, sy'n cael ei gynllunio gan fy nghyd-Aelod Vaughan Gething.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
I thank the First Minister.
Y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes sydd nesaf, a dwi'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud y datganiad hwnnw—Rebecca Evans.
The business statement and announcement is next, and I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement—Rebecca Evans.

Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to today's agenda. 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.
Diolch, Lywydd. Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i agenda heddiw. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi yn y cyhoeddiad a'r datganiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith papurau'r cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau'n electronig.
Darren Millar. Darren's unusually quiet. [Laughter.] Darren? Darren Millar, can you—?
Darren Millar. Mae Darren yn anarferol o dawel. [Chwerthin.] Darren? Darren Millar, a wnewch chi—?
Pardon me. Diolch, Llywydd. Can I call for two statements today, please, Trefnydd? Can I have a statement from the Minister responsible for the armed forces on the future of the armed forces liaison officers that we have in Wales? The Minister will be aware of the good work that these officers have done since they were appointed in terms of trying to ensure that the armed forces covenant is implemented at all levels across Wales, but the funding for these posts comes to an end in March of next year, and I'm very keen to make sure that they are retained for the future. So, I would be grateful if you could arrange for a statement on that matter as soon as possible.
In addition, can I call for a statement as soon as possible on land transaction tax? It's widely anticipated that there's going to be a holiday for stamp duty payments in Wales—in England rather, up to the value of £500,000. We need to get the property market moving again here in Wales as soon as possible. It's a good indicator of economic health. And I would be grateful to know whether the Welsh Government plans to also introduce a holiday for land transaction tax in order to support the property market here, if such a measure is announced in England. Thank you.
Maddeuwch i mi. Diolch, Lywydd. A gaf fi alw am ddau ddatganiad heddiw, os gwelwch yn dda, Drefnydd? A gaf fi ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am y lluoedd arfog ar ddyfodol swyddogion cyswllt y lluoedd arfog sydd gennym yng Nghymru? Bydd y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o'r gwaith da y mae'r swyddogion hyn wedi'i wneud ers iddynt gael eu penodi o ran ceisio sicrhau bod cyfamod y lluoedd arfog yn cael ei weithredu ar bob lefel ledled Cymru, ond mae'r cyllid ar gyfer y swyddi hyn yn dod i ben ym mis Mawrth y flwyddyn nesaf, ac rwy'n awyddus iawn i sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu cadw ar gyfer y dyfodol. Felly, byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe gallech drefnu datganiad ar y mater hwnnw cyn gynted â phosibl.
Yn ogystal, a gaf fi alw am ddatganiad cyn gynted â phosibl ar y dreth trafodiadau tir? Rhagwelir yn eang y bydd gwyliau ar gyfer taliadau'r dreth stamp yng Nghymru—yn Lloegr yn hytrach, hyd at £500,000. Mae angen inni gael y farchnad eiddo i symud eto yma yng Nghymru cyn gynted ag sy'n bosibl. Mae'n ddangosydd da o iechyd economaidd. A byddwn yn falch o gael gwybod a yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu cyflwyno gwyliau ar gyfer y dreth trafodiadau tir hefyd er mwyn cefnogi'r farchnad eiddo yma, os cyhoeddir mesur o'r fath yn Lloegr. Diolch.
I thank Darren Millar for raising both of those issues, and, yes, I do recognise the good work of the armed forces liaison officers. As Darren says, the funding is there for them until the end of this Assembly term, or certainly until the end of this financial year, and that particular service, alongside all others, will be part of the discussions that we have leading up to our setting of the budget for the next financial year. And, of course, we have the opportunity to debate this in some depth in the debate that the Finance Committee has brought forward for next week's Plenary session.
On the matter of land transaction tax, I'm very keen to hear what the Chancellor has to say in his summer economic update just shortly this afternoon. Obviously, there are things that I'm very keen to hear him talk about, in terms of support for the economy, for young people and so forth. I will release a statement by the end of the day setting out my overall response to his statement. Then, in terms of any detailed decisions that I am then to take on the wide range of issues, I will do so in due course, but, clearly, I would want to make early statements on all things of importance.
Diolch i Darren Millar am godi'r ddau fater hwnnw, ac ydw, rwy'n cydnabod gwaith da swyddogion cyswllt y lluoedd arfog. Fel y dywed Darren, mae'r cyllid ar gael iddynt tan ddiwedd tymor y Cynulliad hwn, neu'n sicr tan ddiwedd y flwyddyn ariannol hon, a bydd y gwasanaeth penodol hwnnw, ynghyd â phob un arall, yn rhan o'r trafodaethau rydym yn eu cynnal cyn pennu'r gyllideb ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf. Ac wrth gwrs, mae gennym gyfle i drafod hyn yn eithaf manwl yn y ddadl y mae'r Pwyllgor Cyllid wedi'i chyflwyno ar gyfer Cyfarfod Llawn yr wythnos nesaf.
Ar y dreth trafodiadau tir, rwy'n awyddus iawn i glywed yr hyn sydd gan y Canghellor i'w ddweud yn niweddariad economaidd yr haf y prynhawn yma. Yn amlwg, mae yna bethau rwy'n awyddus iawn i'w glywed yn siarad amdanynt, o ran cefnogaeth i'r economi, i bobl ifanc ac yn y blaen. Byddaf yn rhyddhau datganiad erbyn diwedd y dydd yn nodi fy ymateb cyffredinol i'w ddatganiad. Yna, mewn perthynas ag unrhyw benderfyniadau manwl y bydd angen i mi eu gwneud wedyn ar yr ystod eang o faterion, byddaf yn gwneud hynny maes o law, ond yn amlwg, byddaf eisiau gwneud datganiadau cynnar ar bob peth o bwys.
I'd like to request two statements from the Trefnydd today. I'd be grateful if time could be found for a statement from the health Minister on the question of political accountability and answerability. I'd like to hear his views on his own role in determining which vital services are available in which parts of Wales, particularly in relation to the recent news that the 24-hour consultant-led accident and emergency service at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital is to be retained. Did he play a part in that decision? What role does he now have in the recruitment of consultants, which is a key issue for the plan to work? What is the status of the south Wales programme, which was a key driver in the decision to, previously, close the A&E department? And also, what was his role in the decision to pay a six-figure sum to the former chief executive of Cwm Taf health board after she resigned in the aftermath of the maternity services scandal? I'm sure Members will agree that these issues of accountability deserve our scrutiny, and that the people who've been affected by these decisions deserve political accountability too.
I'd also like to raise the matter of flooding. In England—
Hoffwn ofyn am ddau ddatganiad gan y Trefnydd heddiw. Byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe gellid dod o hyd i amser i gael datganiad gan y Gweinidog iechyd ar fater atebolrwydd gwleidyddol. Hoffwn glywed ei farn am ei rôl ei hun yn penderfynu pa wasanaethau hanfodol sydd ar gael ym mha rannau o Gymru, yn enwedig mewn perthynas â'r newyddion diweddar y bydd y gwasanaeth damweiniau ac achosion brys 24 awr a arweinir gan feddyg ymgynghorol yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg yn cael ei gadw. A oedd ganddo ef ran yn y penderfyniad hwnnw? Pa rôl sydd ganddo yn awr o ran recriwtio meddygon ymgynghorol, sy'n elfen allweddol i'r cynllun weithio? Beth yw statws rhaglen de Cymru, a oedd yn sbardun allweddol yn y penderfyniad blaenorol i gau'r adran ddamweiniau ac achosion brys? A hefyd, beth oedd ei rôl yn y penderfyniad i dalu swm chwe ffigur i gyn brif weithredwr bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf ar ôl iddi ymddiswyddo yn sgil y sgandal gwasanaethau mamolaeth? Rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Aelodau'n cytuno bod y materion atebolrwydd hyn yn haeddu cael eu craffu gennym, a bod y bobl yr effeithiwyd arnynt gan y penderfyniadau hyn yn haeddu atebolrwydd gwleidyddol hefyd.
Hefyd, hoffwn godi mater llifogydd. Yn Lloegr—
You're out of time, Leanne Wood. I'm going to ask the Trefnydd to respond.
Mae eich amser ar ben, Leanne Wood. Rwy'n mynd i ofyn i'r Trefnydd ymateb.
Those are detailed questions, which I know the Member will want to raise directly with the health Minister. Of course, the health Minister does have oral questions this afternoon, which might be an opportunity to begin to discuss some of those questions.
Mae'r rheini'n gwestiynau manwl, y gwn y bydd yr Aelod eisiau eu codi'n uniongyrchol gyda'r Gweinidog iechyd. Wrth gwrs, mae gan y Gweinidog iechyd gwestiynau llafar y prynhawn yma, a gallai hwnnw fod yn gyfle i ddechrau trafod rhai o'r cwestiynau hynny.
Would the Minister make a statement on the decision of Ineos to locate the manufacturing of the new model in France, rather than its initial announcement of Bridgend, given that this announcement is a devastating blow both to Bridgend and Wales? I understand that Ineos has entered talks with Mercedes-Benz for the acquisition of a site in Moselle in France. As the Ineos project was secured with a significant financial package from both the Welsh Government and the UK Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, could the Minister outline the possible options now open to the Welsh Government, either to reinstate the earlier situation or to recover the funds invested thus far?
A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad ar benderfyniad Ineos i weithgynhyrchu'r model newydd yn Ffrainc, yn hytrach nag ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, fel y cyhoeddwyd yn wreiddiol, o gofio bod y cyhoeddiad hwn yn ergyd drom i Ben-y-bont ar Ogwr ac i Gymru? Rwy'n deall bod Ineos wedi dechrau trafodaethau gyda Mercedes-Benz ar gyfer caffael safle ym Moselle yn Ffrainc. Gan fod prosiect Ineos wedi'i sicrhau gyda phecyn ariannol sylweddol gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac Adran Busnes, Ynni a Strategaeth Ddiwydiannol Llywodraeth y DU, a allai'r Gweinidog amlinellu'r opsiynau posibl sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru bellach, naill ai i ddychwelyd at y sefyllfa gynharach neu i adfer y cyllid a fuddsoddwyd hyd yn hyn?
We were shocked and very disappointed by the way in which the news was relayed to officials following all of the hard work and the relationship, I think, that has been built up over a number of years. Welsh Government and our contractors have worked tirelessly to ensure that the site was ready, in line with Ineos's tight timescales, despite both the flood and COVID-19. There'll be an opportunity to pursue these issues in more depth in the topical question, which has been accepted by the Llywydd, from Carwyn Jones. He will be asking that this afternoon to the Minister for economy.
Cawsom ein syfrdanu a'n siomi'n fawr gan y ffordd y cafodd y newyddion ei drosglwyddo i swyddogion yn dilyn yr holl waith caled a'r berthynas, rwy'n credu, a ddatblygwyd dros nifer o flynyddoedd. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru a'n contractwyr wedi gweithio'n ddiflino i sicrhau bod y safle'n barod, yn unol ag amserlenni tynn Ineos, er gwaethaf llifogydd a COVID-19. Bydd cyfle i fynd ar drywydd y materion hyn yn fanylach yn y cwestiwn amserol, sydd wedi'i dderbyn gan y Llywydd, cwestiwn gan Carwyn Jones. Bydd yn gofyn y cwestiwn hwnnw i Weinidog yr economi y prynhawn yma.
Minister, you will have seen press reports today that free NHS parking introduced in England at the start of the coronavirus emergency by the UK Government is going to be withdrawn. Can the Minister confirm today, in order to avoid the need for a statement, that the Welsh Government has no intention of changing its long-standing commitment to providing free parking for staff, patients and visitors in Welsh NHS locations?
Weinidog, byddwch wedi gweld adroddiadau yn y wasg heddiw fod Llywodraeth y DU yn bwriadu diddymu cynllun parcio am ddim y GIG a gyflwynwyd ganddynt yn Lloegr ar ddechrau argyfwng y coronafeirws. A all y Gweinidog gadarnhau heddiw, er mwyn osgoi'r angen am ddatganiad, nad oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru unrhyw fwriad i newid ei hymrwymiad hirsefydlog i ddarparu parcio am ddim i staff, cleifion ac ymwelwyr yn lleoliadau GIG yng Nghymru?
I'm very happy to provide that reassurance that we have no plans whatsoever to change our approach to free parking for staff, visitors and patients at hospitals here in Wales, which was, of course, a policy that we introduced back in 2008. We're very keen to see that policy continue.
Rwy'n hapus iawn i ddarparu'r sicrwydd hwnnw nad oes gennym unrhyw gynlluniau o gwbl i newid ein hymrwymiad i ddarparu parcio am ddim i staff, ymwelwyr a chleifion mewn ysbytai yma yng Nghymru, a oedd, wrth gwrs, yn bolisi a gyflwynasom yn ôl yn 2008. Rydym yn awyddus iawn i weld y polisi hwnnw'n parhau.
Leader of the house, could I seek two statements, please? Yesterday, the health Minister wrote off the deficits of the health boards. I am amazed, unless it has come in the last hour, that we, as Members, haven't had a statement on this—it was announced in the press conference yesterday. That surely cannot be right. I make no judgment call on the write-down, but £0.5 billion-worth of debt was written off yesterday. It is our role to probe that and test it, and also wonder whether the Government is going to write deficits off in local authorities—[Inaudible.]—or other public bodies. But, in the absence of any form of statement other than the press statement yesterday, we are unable to do that. So, could I implore you to seek that statement? I shouldn't have to implore you, but could I ask you to make that statement available to Members so we can understand exactly the implications for it?
And secondly, could I also, via your role as finance Minister, seek a statement from your good self as to the use of the furlough scheme by public bodies in Wales? Obviously, public bodies have had cost pressures. The furlough scheme has protected many jobs across all sectors, but many of the public bodies would have already received money in the budget settlements for this year to cover those jobs, instead of having two draw-downs of public money and using the furlough scheme as well. I'm led to believe some local authorities have put as many as 500 workers on the furlough scheme whilst receiving that money in their settlement from you as finance Minister, part of the Welsh Government. So, could I have a statement to elaborate on your understanding of the use of the furlough scheme in the public sector?
Arweinydd y tŷ, a gaf fi ofyn am ddau ddatganiad, os gwelwch yn dda? Ddoe, cafodd diffygion y byrddau iechyd eu dileu gan y Gweinidog iechyd. Rwy'n rhyfeddu, oni bai ei fod wedi cyrraedd yn ystod yr awr ddiwethaf, nad ydym ni, fel Aelodau, wedi cael datganiad ar hyn—fe'i cyhoeddwyd yn y gynhadledd i'r wasg ddoe. Ni all hynny fod yn iawn. Nid wyf yn beirniadu unrhyw benderfyniad i leihau'r ddyled, ond cafodd dyled o £0.5 biliwn ei dileu ddoe. Ein rôl ni yw ymchwilio i hynny a'i brofi, a meddwl hefyd a yw'r Llywodraeth yn bwriadu dileu diffygion mewn awdurdodau lleol—[Anghlywadwy.]—neu gyrff cyhoeddus eraill. Ond yn absenoldeb unrhyw fath o ddatganiad heblaw'r datganiad i'r wasg ddoe, ni allwn wneud hynny. Felly, a gaf fi erfyn arnoch i ddod o hyd i'r datganiad hwnnw? Ni ddylwn orfod erfyn arnoch, ond a gaf fi ofyn i chi ryddhau'r datganiad hwnnw i'r Aelodau er mwyn inni allu deall beth yn union yw'r goblygiadau?
Ac yn ail, a gaf fi hefyd ofyn am ddatganiad gennych, drwy eich rôl fel Gweinidog cyllid, ar y modd y mae cyrff cyhoeddus yng Nghymru yn defnyddio'r cynllun ffyrlo? Yn amlwg, mae cyrff cyhoeddus wedi bod o dan bwysau mewn perthynas â chostau. Mae'r cynllun ffyrlo wedi diogelu llawer o swyddi ar draws pob sector, ond byddai llawer o'r cyrff cyhoeddus eisoes wedi cael arian yn y setliadau cyllideb ar gyfer eleni i dalu am y swyddi hynny, yn lle cael arian cyhoeddus ddwy waith a defnyddio'r cynllun ffyrlo hefyd. Rwy'n cael fy arwain i gredu bod rhai awdurdodau lleol wedi rhoi cynifer â 500 o weithwyr ar y cynllun ffyrlo tra'n derbyn yr arian hwnnw yn eu setliad gennych chi fel Gweinidog cyllid, sy'n rhan o Lywodraeth Cymru. Felly, a gawn ni ddatganiad i ymhelaethu ar eich dealltwriaeth o'r defnydd a wneir o'r cynllun ffyrlo yn y sector cyhoeddus?
I thank Andrew R.T. Davies for raising both of those issues. Again, as I mentioned previously, the health Minister does have questions today, so there'll be opportunities to discuss your particular question regarding the write-off of the deficits of the health boards. But, again, I'll have the opportunity to speak to the health Minister myself and relay that request for the statement on that particular matter.FootnoteLink
And then, on the furlough scheme, there is guidance from the UK Government in terms of in what circumstances furlough should be used by public sector bodies. It should only be used in relatively few circumstances in Wales, and I think that has been genuinely the case. So, for example, local authorities who haven't been able to redeploy staff into other roles have been able to use it, but it has been used on a relatively small number of occasions. But I'm happy to write to you with some further detail on that.
Diolch i Andrew R.T. Davies am godi'r ddau fater hwnnw. Eto, fel y soniais o'r blaen, mae gan y Gweinidog iechyd gwestiynau heddiw, felly bydd cyfleoedd i drafod eich cwestiwn penodol ynglŷn â dileu diffygion y byrddau iechyd. Ond unwaith eto, bydd cyfle i mi siarad â'r Gweinidog iechyd fy hun a throsglwyddo'r cais am ddatganiad ar y mater penodol hwnnw.FootnoteLink
Ac yna, ar y cynllun ffyrlo, ceir canllawiau gan Lywodraeth y DU sy'n dweud ym mha amgylchiadau y dylai cyrff y sector cyhoeddus ddefnyddio ffyrlo. Ni ddylid ei ddefnyddio ac eithrio mewn nifer gymharol fach o amgylchiadau yng Nghymru, a chredaf fod hynny wedi digwydd mewn gwirionedd. Felly, er enghraifft, mae awdurdodau lleol nad ydynt wedi gallu adleoli staff i rolau eraill wedi gallu ei ddefnyddio, ond ar nifer gymharol fach o achlysuron yn unig y cafodd ei ddefnyddio. Ond rwy'n hapus i ysgrifennu atoch gyda rhagor o fanylion am hynny.
Gaf i ofyn, os gwelwch yn dda, am ddatganiad gan y Dirprwy Weinidog plant a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol ynglŷn â chynlluniau chwarae plant oedran ysgol dros wyliau'r haf? Tra'n croesawu'r ffaith y bydd yna ddarpariaeth ar gyfer plant bregus, mae'n siomedig iawn na fydd yna lefydd ar gael i blant gweithwyr allweddol. Mae gwaith rhieni y plant yma yn parhau i fod yn gwbl greiddiol i'r ymdrechion i gael y gwasanaeth iechyd yn ôl ar ei thraed, ac mae'n anffodus iawn nad ydy'r plant yma'n cael eu cynnwys yn y cohort o blant fydd yn cael y ddarpariaeth dros yr haf. Felly, byddwn i'n hoffi datganiad i'r perwyl y bydd y cohort o blant yma'n cael eu cynnwys hefyd. Dydyn ni ddim yn siarad am arian mawr yn fan hyn.
May I ask for a statement from the Deputy Minister for children and social services on child play schemes for children over the summer months? Whilst welcoming the fact that there will be provision for vulnerable children, it's very disappointing that there won't be spaces available for the children of key workers. The work of these children's parents is still central to the efforts to put the health service back on its feet, and it's unfortunate, to say the least, that these children aren't included in the cohort of children that will have that summertime provision. So, I would like a statement to the end that this cohort will be included. We're not talking about huge sums of money here.
I know that there was a statement issued earlier on this week that set out some of the parameters for the childcare and play provision that will be provided over the summer, but I will make sure that today I do have the opportunity to speak to the Deputy Minister and ensure that she is aware of that request for a statement specifically regarding the children of key workers over the summer.
Gwn fod datganiad wedi'i gyhoeddi'n gynharach yr wythnos hon a oedd yn nodi rhai o'r paramedrau ar gyfer y ddarpariaeth gofal plant a chwarae a ddarperir dros yr haf, ond byddaf yn gwneud yn siŵr heddiw fy mod yn cael cyfle i siarad â'r Dirprwy Weinidog a sicrhau ei bod yn ymwybodol o'r cais hwnnw am ddatganiad penodol ynghylch plant gweithwyr allweddol dros yr haf.
Business Minister, by September, our children will have had no more than three days in school in six months. Not only is their education suffering but their mental and physical health too. Vulnerable children are falling behind in key skills, and, if our children don't go back fully in September, then potentially parents might lose some of their jobs too, because they won't be able to go back to work. Schools now just have days before the end of the summer term to plan for the autumn term. We've been in the dark too long here in Wales. So, therefore, can the education Minister please bring forward a clear statement as soon as possible setting out what schooling will look like in September?
Drefnydd, erbyn mis Medi, tri diwrnod yn unig fydd ein plant wedi'u cael yn yr ysgol mewn chwe mis. Mae eu haddysg yn dioddef, ac mae eu hiechyd meddwl a'u hiechyd corfforol yn dioddef hefyd. Mae plant agored i niwed ar ei hôl hi mewn sgiliau allweddol, ac os nad yw ein plant yn mynd yn ôl yn llawn ym mis Medi, gallai rhieni golli swyddi hefyd, am na fyddant yn gallu dychwelyd i'r gwaith. Dyddiau yn unig sydd gan ysgolion i fynd cyn diwedd tymor yr haf i gynllunio ar gyfer tymor yr hydref. Rydym wedi bod yn y tywyllwch yn rhy hir yma yng Nghymru. Felly, a all y Gweinidog addysg ddarparu datganiad clir cyn gynted â phosibl os gwelwch yn dda i nodi sut olwg fydd ar addysg ym mis Medi?
I take this opportunity to welcome Laura Anne to the Senedd—or, back to the Senedd, I should say—and look forward to your contributions in the business statement.
I know that the Minister has been working really hard with the education sector, local authorities, trade unions and so forth to plot out the way forward in terms of returning to schools. Of course, Wales is the only part of the UK that has ensured that every child will have the opportunity to return to the classroom for at least some time before the summer holidays, which I think is important in terms of reconnecting and re-establishing those relationships. The Minister has questions next this afternoon, and I know that she is keen to keep colleagues as informed as possible about plans for September.
Rwy'n cymryd y cyfle hwn i groesawu Laura Anne i'r Senedd—neu yn ôl i'r Senedd, dylwn ddweud—ac edrychaf ymlaen at eich cyfraniadau yn y datganiad busnes.
Gwn fod y Gweinidog wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn gyda'r sector addysg, yr awdurdodau lleol, yr undebau llafur ac yn y blaen i bennu'r ffordd ymlaen o ran dychwelyd i ysgolion. Wrth gwrs, Cymru yw'r unig ran o'r DU sydd wedi sicrhau y caiff pob plentyn gyfle i ddychwelyd i'r dosbarth am beth amser o leiaf cyn gwyliau'r haf, sy'n bwysig yn fy marn i o ran ailgysylltu ac ailsefydlu'r cysylltiadau hynny. Y Gweinidog sy'n ateb cwestiynau nesaf y prynhawn yma, a gwn ei bod yn awyddus i sicrhau bod cyd-Aelodau yn gwybod cymaint â phosibl am y cynlluniau ar gyfer mis Medi.
I'd like a statement from the Minister for children. I had a meeting recently, the other day, on Zoom with a number of mothers, with a grandmother and one father, and all the children were in care. The common issue is that the reports that are put before courts to enable children to be taken into care are inaccurate, time after time after time. I've seen the inaccuracies; they're not picked up in the system, children are taken into care, which explains, to my mind, the big difference between the amount of children in care in Wales and those in England. So, my question and the purpose of the statement is: what can be done in terms of policy by the Minister to ensure that these reports, which have a huge effect on people's lives—? I was talking to mothers absolutely destroyed the other day online. What can be done to ensure that inaccuracies are corrected before the children are taken into care?
Hoffwn gael datganiad gan y Gweinidog plant. Cefais gyfarfod yn ddiweddar, y diwrnod o'r blaen, ar Zoom gyda nifer o famau, gyda nain ac un tad, ac roedd y plant i gyd mewn gofal. Y broblem gyffredin yw bod yr adroddiadau sy'n cael eu cyflwyno gerbron llysoedd i alluogi plant i gael eu gosod mewn gofal yn anghywir, dro ar ôl tro. Rwyf wedi gweld y gwallau; nid yw'r system yn eu nodi, caiff plant eu rhoi mewn gofal, sy'n esbonio, yn fy marn i, y gwahaniaeth mawr rhwng nifer y plant sydd mewn gofal yng Nghymru a nifer y plant sydd mewn gofal yn Lloegr. Felly, fy nghwestiwn a phwrpas y datganiad yw: beth y gall y Gweinidog ei wneud, o ran polisi, i sicrhau bod yr adroddiadau hyn, sy'n cael effaith enfawr ar fywydau pobl—? Roeddwn yn siarad ar-lein y diwrnod o'r blaen â mamau a oedd wedi cael eu llethu'n llwyr. Beth y gellir ei wneud i sicrhau bod gwallau'n cael eu cywiro cyn i'r plant gael eu rhoi mewn gofal?
Well, the matter that Neil McEvoy raises is clearly very serious in terms of ensuring that accurate information is presented in these extremely important cases. So, can I invite him to write to the Minister with some more detail about his experiences and the discussions that he had in his call with mothers and with grandparents in order to better understand the issues that he describes?
Wel, mae'r mater y mae Neil McEvoy yn ei godi yn amlwg yn ddifrifol iawn o ran sicrhau bod gwybodaeth gywir yn cael ei chyflwyno yn yr achosion hynod bwysig hyn. Felly, a gaf fi ei wahodd i ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog gyda mwy o fanylion am ei brofiadau a'r trafodaethau a gafodd yn ei alwad gyda mamau a neiniau a theidiau er mwyn inni ddeall y problemau y mae'n eu disgrifio yn well?
David Melding.
David Melding.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'm very grateful that you've been able to call me. Business Minister, can I call for a debate in Government time on the Cumberlege review, which is published today under the title 'First Do No Harm'? I just remind Members that it's about the use of various medical treatments and implants, such as mesh implants. And, although commissioned by the UK Government, it did have the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government as stakeholders and there was a patient event held in Cardiff. It has revealed many things that require, I think, full debate, especially the whole issue of the equal access that women have to health services that are fit for purpose, and one of the report's main conclusions is that we need a patient safety commissioner. These are hugely important issues. I'm sure that I'm not the only Member who has already received correspondence from constituents asking for this report's recommendations to be thoroughly examined by Welsh Government and by us here in the Senedd. So, could we have a debate, please, in Government time, as soon as possible?
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn eich bod wedi gallu fy ngalw. Drefnydd, a gaf fi alw am ddadl yn amser y Llywodraeth ar adolygiad Cumberlege, a gyhoeddir heddiw o dan y teitl 'First Do No Harm'? Rwy'n atgoffa'r Aelodau ei fod yn ymwneud â defnyddio triniaethau meddygol a mewnblaniadau amrywiol, fel mewnblaniadau rhwyll. Ac er ei fod wedi'i gomisiynu gan Lywodraeth y DU, roedd Llywodraeth yr Alban a Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhanddeiliaid a chynhaliwyd digwyddiad i gleifion yng Nghaerdydd. Mae wedi datgelu llawer o bethau sy'n gofyn am ddadl lawn, rwy'n credu, yn enwedig holl fater mynediad cyfartal menywod at wasanaethau iechyd addas at y diben, ac un o brif gasgliadau'r adroddiad yw ein bod angen comisiynydd diogelwch cleifion. Mae'r rhain yn faterion pwysig iawn. Rwy'n siŵr nad fi yw'r unig Aelod sydd eisoes wedi cael gohebiaeth gan etholwyr yn gofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru a ninnau yma yn y Senedd archwilio argymhellion yr adroddiad hwn yn drylwyr. Felly, a allem gael dadl, os gwelwch yn dda, yn amser y Llywodraeth, cyn gynted ag y bo modd?
This is indeed a really serious report, with some important conclusions. I know that the health Minister has welcomed the review team's report, which, as David Melding says, is primarily relating to England, but it will certainly have implications for clinical practice here in Wales. I know that the Minister intends to carefully assess the recommendations and the conclusions in relation to current practice here in Wales, and then he will consider whether they should be adopted by the NHS in Wales before he will issue his response. But he is very familiar with the report and he welcomes the work behind it.
Mae hwn yn adroddiad difrifol iawn yn wir, gyda chasgliadau pwysig. Gwn fod y Gweinidog iechyd wedi croesawu adroddiad y tîm adolygu, sydd, fel y dywed David Melding, yn ymwneud yn bennaf â Lloegr, ond yn sicr bydd ganddo oblygiadau ar gyfer ymarfer clinigol yma yng Nghymru. Gwn fod y Gweinidog yn bwriadu mynd ati'n ofalus i asesu'r argymhellion a'r casgliadau mewn perthynas ag ymarfer cyfredol yma yng Nghymru, ac yna bydd yn ystyried a ddylent gael eu mabwysiadu gan y GIG yng Nghymru cyn y bydd yn cyhoeddi ei ymateb. Ond mae'n gyfarwydd iawn â'r adroddiad ac mae'n croesawu'r gwaith sy'n sail iddo.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
I thank the Trefnydd.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Addysg, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Joyce Watson.
The next item is questions to the Minister for Education, and the first question is from Joyce Watson.
1. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i wneud o'r cynnydd a fu yng ngweithgareddau ysgolion yr wythnos diwethaf? OQ55427
1. What assessment has the Minister made of last week's increase in school activities? OQ55427

Thank you, Joyce. The immediate feedback received from key stakeholders, parents and learners is overwhelmingly positive. The opportunity for school staff to catch up with their learners has been very much welcomed. Good practice and evidence from this current period of operations is helping inform schools' operations for the future.
Diolch i chi, Joyce. Mae'r adborth uniongyrchol gan randdeiliaid allweddol, rhieni a dysgwyr yn hynod gadarnhaol. Mae'r cyfle i staff ysgol ddal i fyny gyda'u dysgwyr wedi cael ei groesawu'n fawr. Mae tystiolaeth ac arferion da o'r cyfnod presennol hwn o weithredu yn helpu i lywio gwaith ysgolion ar gyfer y dyfodol.
I'm really proud that I'm able to stand here today and say that children in Wales have had an opportunity to go to school before people had the same opportunity to go to a pub. I think it actually does say something about the priorities here in Wales. I, like you, share my appreciation of all those people who've come together in the joint efforts to make that happen, and I want to thank all those, here today, on behalf of all those parents.
As you say, this is an opportunity to check in and catch up, and these few weeks before the summer break are important for identifying logistical challenges. One of those logistical challenges in my region will be transport to school. So, can we look forward to a statement in the near future about what has been learned, what's worked well and perhaps where we need to be next?
Rwy'n falch iawn fy mod yn gallu sefyll yma heddiw a dweud bod plant yng Nghymru wedi cael cyfle i fynd i'r ysgol cyn i bobl gael yr un cyfle i fynd i dafarn. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn dweud rhywbeth am y blaenoriaethau yma yng Nghymru. Rwy'n rhannu eich gwerthfawrogiad o'r holl bobl sydd wedi dod at ei gilydd mewn ymdrechion ar y cyd i sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd, a hoffwn ddiolch i bawb ohonynt yma heddiw ar ran yr holl rieni hynny.
Fel y dywedwch, mae hwn yn gyfle i ailgydio a dal i fyny, ac mae'r ychydig wythnosau hyn cyn toriad yr haf yn bwysig ar gyfer nodi heriau logistaidd. Un o'r heriau logistaidd hynny yn fy rhanbarth i fydd cludiant i'r ysgol. Felly, a gawn ni edrych ymlaen at ddatganiad yn y dyfodol agos ar yr hyn a ddysgwyd, beth sydd wedi gweithio'n dda a ble mae angen inni fod nesaf efallai?
Thank you, Joyce, especially for the recognition of the hard work that has gone into making these opportunities available for children in Wales. It has been a huge collective effort on behalf of all those involved. One of the reasons why we did want to provide these opportunities, above and beyond education, is precisely for the reasons that you have described—so we can get to grips with some of the really wicked logistical issues around a safe return to schools for pupils and members of staff—and, clearly, transport is one of those. I must say that the vast majority of local authorities across Wales during this period have been able to ensure that those children who need transport have been able to access transport, but there have been logistical issues, undoubtedly. Only last night I met with a significant number of council leaders and trade unions to discuss issues around education. Transport, of course, was raised, and we will be working with both directors of education and transport leads in all 22 local authorities to address these issues prior to the new academic year.
Diolch, Joyce, yn enwedig am gydnabod y gwaith caled sydd wedi'i wneud i sicrhau bod y cyfleoedd hyn ar gael i blant yng Nghymru. Mae wedi bod yn ymdrech gyfunol enfawr gan bawb sydd ynghlwm wrth hyn. Un o'r rhesymau pam roeddem eisiau darparu'r cyfleoedd hyn, y tu hwnt i addysg, yw'r union resymau rydych wedi'u disgrifio—fel y gallwn fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r materion logistaidd gwirioneddol ddyrys sy'n gysylltiedig â dychwelyd yn ddiogel i ysgolion ar gyfer disgyblion ac aelodau o staff—ac yn amlwg, mae cludiant yn un o'r rheini. Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud bod y mwyafrif helaeth o awdurdodau lleol ar draws Cymru yn ystod y cyfnod hwn wedi gallu sicrhau bod y plant sydd angen cludiant wedi gallu cael cludiant, ond heb amheuaeth, fe gafwyd problemau logistaidd. Neithiwr ddiwethaf cyfarfûm â nifer sylweddol o arweinwyr cynghorau ac undebau llafur i drafod materion yn ymwneud ag addysg. Wrth gwrs, codwyd cludiant, a byddwn yn gweithio gyda chyfarwyddwr addysg ac arweinwyr trafnidiaeth ym mhob un o'r 22 awdurdod lleol i fynd i'r afael â'r materion hyn cyn y flwyddyn academaidd newydd.
Education Minister, I recognise these are difficult decisions for the Government, but the Government must balance the harms and benefits of any policy. And although I see you're trying to keep our children safe, and respect that, obviously, it is, ironically, having an adverse effect on our children and they are suffering, which I've seen first hand, having a 10-year-old son of primary age myself.
As I said earlier in the Chamber, it's not just our children's education that is suffering, it's their mental, physical health and development. I ask you to look at how low the risk is with COVID-19 now and balance that with the harmful effect that not going back to school full time is having on our children. And although we welcome the opportunity in these three weeks for our children to go back for three days, unless all children go back to school in September, I'll be interested in hearing how you expect parents to look after their children, educate their children, and hold down jobs if this part-time learning carries on.
Even though there is very little time now for our schools to prepare to reopen, the Scottish Government has made it fully clear that they want to reopen in August fully. In Wales, teachers, pupils and parents, as I said before, have been in the dark too long. We need to know. Please can you tell us, Minister, when we can expect all children to return to school full time?
Weinidog Addysg, rwy'n cydnabod bod y rhain yn benderfyniadau anodd i'r Llywodraeth, ond mae'n rhaid i'r Llywodraeth gydbwyso anfanteision a manteision unrhyw bolisi. Ac er fy mod yn gweld eich bod yn ceisio cadw ein plant yn ddiogel, ac yn parchu hynny, mae'n amlwg ei fod, yn eironig, yn cael effaith andwyol ar ein plant a'u bod yn dioddef, ac rwyf wedi gweld hynny drosof fy hun, gan fod gennyf fab 10 mlwydd oed yn yr ysgol gynradd.
Fel y dywedais yn gynharach yn y Siambr, nid addysg ein plant yn unig sy'n dioddef, mae eu hiechyd meddyliol a chorfforol a'u datblygiad yn dioddef hefyd. Gofynnaf i chi edrych ar ba mor isel yw risg COVID-19 yn awr a chydbwyso hynny â'r effaith niweidiol y mae peidio â mynd yn ôl i'r ysgol yn llawnamser yn ei chael ar ein plant. Ac er ein bod yn croesawu'r cyfle yn y tair wythnos yma i'n plant fynd yn ôl am dridiau, oni bai bod pob plentyn yn mynd yn ôl i'r ysgol ym mis Medi, bydd gennyf ddiddordeb mewn clywed sut rydych yn disgwyl i rieni ofalu am eu plant, addysgu eu plant, a chadw swyddi os yw'r dysgu rhan amser hwn yn parhau.
Er nad oes llawer o amser bellach i'n hysgolion baratoi i ailagor, mae Llywodraeth yr Alban wedi dweud yn gwbl glir eu bod am ailagor yn llawn ym mis Awst. Yng Nghymru, mae athrawon, disgyblion a rhieni, fel y dywedais o'r blaen, wedi bod yn y tywyllwch yn rhy hir. Mae angen inni wybod. A fyddech cystal â dweud wrthym, Weinidog, pa bryd y gallwn ddisgwyl i bob plentyn ddychwelyd i'r ysgol yn llawnamser?
I will be making a statement on the next stages of education for the children in Wales before the end of the week.
Oh, I should say—sorry, it's very rude of me—welcome back, Laura.
Byddaf yn gwneud datganiad ar y camau nesaf ym maes addysg i blant yng Nghymru cyn diwedd yr wythnos.
O, dylwn ddweud—mae'n ddrwg gennyf, rwy'n anghwrtais—croeso'n ôl, Laura.
2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ddarpariaeth addysg i blant gweithwyr allweddol? OQ55407
2. Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of education to the children of key workers? OQ55407
Thank you, Russell. On 3 June, I announced that all pupils in Wales, including the children of critical workers, would have the opportunity to check in, catch up and prepare for the summer and September from 29 June.
Diolch, Russell. Ar 3 Mehefin, cyhoeddais y byddai pob disgybl yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys plant gweithwyr hanfodol, yn cael cyfle i ailgydio, dal i fyny a pharatoi ar gyfer yr haf a mis Medi o 29 Mehefin ymlaen.
Thank you, Minister, for that answer. That answer is clear in itself, but a constituent has relayed to me a concern that children of key workers who are attending the childcare hubs have also been restricted from attending the catch-up and check-in days, and this particular parent is concerned that children will not have the access to their usual teachers and peers, and that will impact also on their preparation for the following academic year. Can you, Minister, confirm whether schools should be ensuring that all children, including those of key workers, are able to catch up and check in with their teachers, and that should be the case before the summer holidays?
Diolch am yr ateb hwnnw, Weinidog. Mae'r ateb yn glir ynddo'i hun, ond mae un o fy etholwyr wedi dweud wrthyf ei fod yn poeni bod plant gweithwyr allweddol sy'n mynychu'r hybiau gofal plant hefyd wedi'u hatal rhag mynychu'r diwrnodau ailgydio a dal i fyny, ac mae'r rhiant yn pryderu na fydd plant yn cael cyswllt â'u hathrawon a'u cyfoedion arferol, ac y bydd hynny'n effeithio hefyd ar eu gallu i baratoi ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd nesaf. A allwch chi gadarnhau, Weinidog, p'un a ddylai ysgolion fod yn sicrhau bod pob plentyn, gan gynnwys rhai gweithwyr allweddol, yn gallu ailgydio a dal i fyny gyda'u hathrawon, ac y dylai hynny ddigwydd cyn gwyliau'r haf?
Thank you very much for that, Russell. The requirement to try and limit the number of contacts that individual children have is one of the very wicked logistical issues that the current operations of schools have identified. This is particularly acute in the county of Powys, because a vast number of people living in Powys actually qualify as a critical worker, and the demand for critical worker care has increased hugely in recent weeks in the county of Powys. I'm very grateful, under the leadership of Lynette Lovell, the director of education of Powys, that Powys have been able to put on five additional childcare hubs during this period and are working very hard to ensure that those children who are attending those hubs are not disadvantaged in terms of their education and their ability to check in and to catch up.
Lynette is just one of those people that we need to say thank you to, Presiding Officer, as Joyce Watson did. As a former headteacher herself, and now a director, she has actually been manning some of those childcare hubs over the holidays and the bank holidays. It is that kind of commitment that we have seen the length and breadth of Wales that has ensured that our children of critical workers have been well looked after, allowing their parents to get on with their important work, and I commend the work of Powys County Council in that regard.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am hynny, Russell. Mae'r gofyniad i geisio cyfyngu ar nifer y cysylltiadau sydd gan blant unigol yn un o'r problemau logistaidd hynod o anodd y mae gweithrediadau presennol yr ysgolion wedi'u dwyn i'n sylw. Mae hyn yn arbennig o wir yn sir Powys, gan fod nifer helaeth o bobl sy'n byw ym Mhowys yn cymhwyso fel gweithiwr hanfodol mewn gwirionedd, ac mae'r galw am ofal i blant gweithwyr hanfodol wedi cynyddu'n enfawr ym Mhowys dros yr wythnosau diwethaf. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn fod Powys o dan arweiniad Lynette Lovell, cyfarwyddwr addysg Powys, wedi gallu sefydlu pum hyb gofal plant ychwanegol yn ystod y cyfnod hwn a'u bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn i sicrhau nad yw'r plant sy'n mynychu'r hybiau hynny o dan anfantais o ran eu haddysg a'u gallu i ailgydio a dal i fyny.
Mae Lynette yn un o'r bobl y mae angen inni ddweud diolch wrthynt, Lywydd, fel y gwnaeth Joyce Watson. Fel cyn brifathrawes ei hun, ac fel rhywun sydd bellach yn gyfarwyddwr, mae wedi bod yn staffio rhai o'r hybiau gofal plant hynny dros y gwyliau a gwyliau banc. Dyna'r math o ymrwymiad a welsom ar hyd a lled Cymru sydd wedi sicrhau bod plant ein gweithwyr hanfodol wedi cael gofal da, gan ganiatáu i'w rhieni fwrw ymlaen â'u gwaith pwysig, ac rwy'n cymeradwyo gwaith Cyngor Sir Powys yn hynny o beth.
Alun Davies.
Alun Davies.
Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Like others, I'd like to put on record my gratitude to you and others who have made this session possible today.
Minister, people in Blaenau Gwent tell me that they have great confidence in your leadership in education, and they compare that with the shambles we've seen across the border. People tell me that they're very anxious now that they're able to continue to see this sort of leadership.
In terms of where we are at the moment, my concern is to ensure that we do have the educational facilities and provision in place for all children, and that includes children with additional learning needs. I've been very concerned that we don't have in all places the coverage that we require to ensure that some of our most vulnerable children, and children who do require additional support in learning, have that, both within the hub models that we've seen recently, but also as we move back to the blended learning that you have described in recent statements. I understand that you're making a statement today and later in the week about the sort of framework and structures we will have in September, and I'd like to ask you, Minister, to ensure that children with additional learning needs are at the centre of your thoughts.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lywydd. Fel eraill, hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i chi ac eraill am sicrhau bod y sesiwn hon yn bosibl heddiw.
Weinidog, mae pobl ym Mlaenau Gwent yn dweud wrthyf fod ganddynt gryn dipyn o hyder yn eich arweinyddiaeth ym maes addysg, a’u bod yn cymharu hynny â'r traed moch rydym wedi'i weld dros y ffin. Mae pobl yn dweud wrthyf eu bod yn awyddus iawn i allu parhau i weld y math hwn o arweinyddiaeth.
O ran ein sefyllfa ar hyn o bryd, rwy'n awyddus i sicrhau bod gennym y cyfleusterau a'r ddarpariaeth addysgol ar waith ar gyfer pob plentyn, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys plant ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Rwyf wedi bod yn bryderus iawn nad oes gennym, ym mhob man, y ddarpariaeth sydd ei hangen arnom i sicrhau bod ein plant mwyaf agored i niwed, a phlant sydd angen cymorth dysgu ychwanegol, yn cael hynny o fewn y modelau hyb rydym wedi’u gweld yn ddiweddar, ond hefyd wrth inni ddychwelyd at y dysgu cyfunol rydych wedi'i ddisgrifio mewn datganiadau diweddar. Rwy'n deall y byddwch yn gwneud datganiad heddiw ac yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon am y math o fframwaith a strwythurau a fydd gennym ym mis Medi, Weinidog, a hoffwn ofyn i chi sicrhau eich bod yn rhoi sylw llawn i blant ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol.
Thank you, Alun, for that. This period of disruption to children's education as a result of the pandemic has been a particular challenge for those children with additional learning needs. Many of our local authorities have actually been able to keep their special schools open throughout this entire period to support those families, especially if those children have very advanced and very specific needs, but I am aware, in other local authority areas, that service has not been universally available.
As we move towards next steps in education in Wales, we will be paying particular attention to the support needs of children with additional learning needs. I hope to be able also to make a statement shortly on what we can do to address the impact that this period of disruption has had, and clearly, children with an additional learning need will be a priority part of the cohort that we will be looking to support as we move forward.
Diolch, Alun. Mae'r cyfnod hwn o darfu ar addysg plant o ganlyniad i'r pandemig wedi bod yn her arbennig i'r plant sydd ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Mae llawer o'n hawdurdodau lleol wedi gallu cadw eu hysgolion arbennig ar agor drwy gydol y cyfnod hwn i gefnogi'r teuluoedd hynny, yn enwedig os oes gan y plant hynny anghenion dwys a phenodol iawn, ond rwy'n ymwybodol, mewn awdurdodau lleol eraill, nad yw’r gwasanaeth hwnnw wedi bod ar gael ym mhob man.
Wrth inni nesáu at y camau nesaf ym maes addysg yng Nghymru, byddwn yn rhoi sylw arbennig i anghenion cymorth plant ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Rwy'n gobeithio gallu gwneud datganiad yn fuan hefyd ar yr hyn y gallwn ei wneud i fynd i’r afael â’r effaith y mae’r cyfnod hwn o darfu wedi’i chael, ac yn amlwg, bydd plant ag angen dysgu ychwanegol yn rhan flaenoriaethol o’r cohort y byddwn yn ceisio’i gefnogi wrth inni symud ymlaen.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Suzy Davies.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. Conservative spokesperson, Suzy Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd, a diolch, Weinidog, hefyd.
Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you, Minister.
Can I just add my voice to those who have congratulated schools and the teachers, the staff, as well as parents and families, and indeed some council officials as well, who contributed to being able to open schools in these last couple of weeks, and particularly those who are determined to go for that fourth week?
I'd like to begin today, though, with the questions that have been raised by the Children's Commissioner for Wales regarding a child's right to education, generally, and perhaps you can tell us whether your policies and regulations have been subject to child rights impact assessments. But I particularly wanted to focus on her urging you to be clear about your plans for September. I've heard what you've said to others in the Chamber today, but Welsh schools and councils have seen that the other three nations of the UK have already published their guidance for next term. Yesterday, in the Children, Young People and Education Committee, you told us that you were waiting for the latest science on transmission of COVID-19 before you published your guidance, although I do believe that a draft was being considered by stakeholders before that. Did you request the report on that science or was it due anyway, and did you anticipate it making a material difference to the guidance you'd already prepared and circulated in draft? If yes, why was the middle tier still looking over a draft on Monday, and if no, why not publish that guidance earlier, duly caveated for some minor changes, so that schools and councils could get on with at least some preparation, knowing that their time to act is now so short?
A gaf fi ychwanegu fy llais at y rheini sydd wedi llongyfarch ysgolion a'r athrawon, y staff, yn ogystal â rhieni a theuluoedd, ac yn wir, rhai o swyddogion y cynghorau hefyd, sydd wedi cyfrannu at allu agor ysgolion yn ystod yr ychydig wythnosau diwethaf, ac yn enwedig y rheini sy'n benderfynol o fynd am y bedwaredd wythnos honno?
Hoffwn ddechrau heddiw, fodd bynnag, gyda'r cwestiynau a godwyd gan Gomisiynydd Plant Cymru ynghylch hawl plentyn i addysg, yn gyffredinol, ac efallai y gallwch ddweud wrthym a yw eich polisïau a'ch rheoliadau wedi bod yn destun asesiad o’r effaith ar hawliau plant. Ond roeddwn yn arbennig o awyddus i ganolbwyntio ar ei hanogaeth i chi fod yn glir ynghylch eich cynlluniau ar gyfer mis Medi. Clywais yr hyn a ddywedoch chi wrth eraill yn y Siambr heddiw, ond mae ysgolion a chynghorau Cymru wedi gweld bod tair gwlad arall y DU eisoes wedi cyhoeddi eu canllawiau ar gyfer y tymor nesaf. Ddoe, yn y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg, fe ddywedoch chi wrthym eich bod yn aros am y wyddoniaeth ddiweddaraf ar drosglwyddiad COVID-19 cyn i chi gyhoeddi eich canllawiau, er fy mod yn credu bod rhanddeiliaid yn ystyried drafft cyn hynny. A wnaethoch chi ofyn am yr adroddiad ar y wyddoniaeth honno, neu a oedd ar ei ffordd beth bynnag, ac a oeddech yn rhagweld y byddai'n gwneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol i'r canllawiau roeddech eisoes wedi'u paratoi a'u darparu ar ffurf ddrafft? Os gwnaethoch, pam fod yr haen ganol yn dal i edrych dros ddrafft ddydd Llun, ac os na wnaethoch, pam na wnaethoch gyhoeddi’r canllawiau hynny yn gynharach, gyda chafeat priodol ar gyfer rhai mân newidiadau, fel y gallai ysgolion a chynghorau fwrw ymlaen â rhywfaint o waith paratoi fan lleiaf, gan gofio bod eu hamser i weithredu bellach mor fyr?
Firstly, my understanding is that despite the fact that there has been an announcement in Scotland of all children returning to school with no social distancing in August, no guidance has actually been produced by the Scottish Government to support that decision. That reflects the very complex issues that myself and Ministers across the United Kingdom are grappling with, especially as the science and the understanding of how the disease behaves continue to evolve.
We had some notice that new scientific papers were being made available to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies at the end of this week. We requested that those papers be sent to Welsh Government as early as possible, so that they could be figured into our planning. I did not want to make a statement and then to have that overtaken by events should then further science become available. I think it's really important that we build confidence amongst staff and, crucially, parents that we are acting on the very latest scientific advice.
Throughout this process we have said that our aim would be to maximise face-to-face contact for our children and to minimise disruption, and I know that schools have prepared operational guidance for a range of scenarios, and those plans will have to be kept under review regardless of what statement I am able to make by the end of this week, because how the disease behaves in our community is key to unlocking educational opportunities for children. I can assure the Member that decisions taken within the department are subject to an integrated rights assessment.
Yn gyntaf, yn ôl fy nealltwriaeth i, er y bu cyhoeddiad yn yr Alban y bydd yr holl blant yn dychwelyd i'r ysgol heb unrhyw fesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol ym mis Awst, ni chafwyd unrhyw ganllawiau gan Lywodraeth yr Alban i gefnogi'r penderfyniad hwnnw. Mae hynny'n adlewyrchu'r materion cymhleth iawn y mae Gweinidogion ledled y Deyrnas Unedig a minnau'n mynd i'r afael â hwy, yn enwedig wrth i'r wyddoniaeth a'r ddealltwriaeth ynglŷn â sut y mae'r afiechyd yn ymddwyn barhau i esblygu.
Cawsom rywfaint o rybudd y byddai papurau gwyddonol newydd ar gael i'r Grŵp Cynghori Gwyddonol ar Argyfyngau ddiwedd yr wythnos hon. Gwnaethom ofyn i'r papurau hynny gael eu hanfon at Lywodraeth Cymru cyn gynted â phosibl, fel y gallem eu hystyried yn ein cynlluniau. Nid oeddwn am wneud datganiad, a bod digwyddiadau'n achub y blaen arno pe bai gwyddoniaeth bellach yn dod ar gael. Credaf ei bod yn bwysig iawn ein bod yn meithrin hyder ymysg staff, ac yn hollbwysig, ymysg rhieni ein bod yn gweithredu yn unol â’r cyngor gwyddonol diweddaraf.
Drwy gydol y broses hon, rydym wedi dweud mai ein nod fyddai sicrhau cymaint â phosibl o gyswllt wyneb yn wyneb ar gyfer ein plant, a lleihau tarfu, a gwn fod ysgolion wedi paratoi canllawiau gweithredol ar gyfer ystod o senarios, a bydd yn rhaid parhau i adolygu’r cynlluniau hynny, ni waeth pa ddatganiad y gallaf ei wneud erbyn diwedd yr wythnos hon, gan fod y ffordd y mae'r afiechyd yn ymddwyn yn ein cymuned yn allweddol er mwyn datgloi cyfleoedd addysgol i blant. Gallaf roi sicrwydd i’r Aelod fod penderfyniadau a wneir o fewn yr adran yn destun asesiad hawliau integredig.
Okay, that's an interesting comment, that last one, because certainly my understanding is that various regulations that have come through a different committee haven't necessarily had those rights assessments.
I wonder if you can help us on a similar issue, which is to do with blended learning, because there's some confusion about whether September will be a blended learning environment or not. My understanding is that you have brought some clarity to this by saying that face-to-face teaching, when children return in September, is what you're aiming for, and I'm hoping that that will reassure some worried parents. You're looking at it perhaps more as an additional tool, with it maybe in some individual cases meeting a child's needs better than school attendance alone.
Your officials told us yesterday that teachers are unfamiliar with this way of teaching, but have benefited very recently from advice based on information gathered by the consortia, which is some encouragement here I think, but my understanding is that that data gathering on what schools were doing since March was only really begun at the tail end of May, when consortia were prompted to do that work with their reports then being sent to you by 19 June, over two weeks ago. This has been quite a long period of time now, so I think you should be in a position to tell us today what those reports have told you not just about the quantity, but the quality of the offer being made by individual schools, the feedback from schools to pupils in terms of their learning as well as their well-being, and the speed at which schools have been able to identify and then address gaps in what they were doing as best they possibly could in their current circumstances.
Iawn, mae hwnnw’n sylw diddorol, yr un olaf hwnnw, oherwydd yn sicr, fy nealltwriaeth i yw nad yw amryw reoliadau sydd wedi dod drwy bwyllgor gwahanol wedi cael yr asesiadau hynny o hawliau o reidrwydd.
Tybed a allwch fod o gymorth inni ar fater tebyg, sy'n ymwneud â dysgu cyfunol, gan fod rhywfaint o ddryswch ynglŷn ag a fydd mis Medi yn amgylchedd dysgu cyfunol ai peidio. Fy nealltwriaeth i yw eich bod wedi rhoi rhywfaint o eglurder ynghylch hyn drwy ddweud mai addysgu wyneb yn wyneb, pan fydd plant yn dychwelyd ym mis Medi, yw'r hyn rydych yn anelu ato, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd hynny'n tawelu meddwl rhai rhieni pryderus. Rydych yn edrych arno'n fwy fel offeryn ychwanegol, a fydd mewn rhai achosion unigol yn diwallu anghenion plentyn yn well na phresenoldeb yn yr ysgol yn unig o bosibl.
Dywedodd eich swyddogion wrthym ddoe nad yw athrawon yn gyfarwydd â’r ffordd hon o addysgu, ond eu bod wedi elwa’n ddiweddar iawn o gyngor a oedd yn seiliedig ar wybodaeth a gasglwyd gan y consortia, sy’n galonogol yma yn fy marn i, ond yn ôl yr hyn rwy'n ei ddeall, nid oedd y gwaith casglu data hwnnw ar yr hyn roedd ysgolion yn ei wneud ers mis Mawrth wedi dechrau'n iawn tan ddiwedd mis Mai, pan anogwyd y consortia i wneud y gwaith hwnnw, gyda’u hadroddiadau'n cael eu hanfon atoch wedyn erbyn 19 Mehefin, dros bythefnos yn ôl. Mae hwn wedi bod yn gyfnod eithaf hir bellach, felly credaf y dylech fod mewn sefyllfa i ddweud wrthym heddiw beth y mae'r adroddiadau hynny wedi'i ddweud wrthych, nid yn unig am faint, ond am ansawdd y cynnig sy'n cael ei wneud gan ysgolion unigol, yr adborth gan ysgolion i ddisgyblion o ran eu dysgu yn ogystal â'u llesiant, a pha mor gyflym y mae ysgolion wedi gallu nodi a mynd i'r afael â bylchau yn yr hyn roeddent yn ei wneud hyd eithaf eu gallu yn eu hamgylchiadau presennol.
Thank you for that, Suzy. I believe that blended learning will continue to play a part in Welsh education in a number of ways, but clearly, as you have quite rightly stated, my aim is to maximise face-to-face contact with children in their schools with their teachers, but we must capture the positives of the crisis that we have found ourselves in, and for some staff, and indeed for some children, the blended learning approach or distance learning approach actually has been beneficial to them. It builds, of course, on the important work that we have in the e-school project, something that the Presiding Officer will be very familiar with. That blended learning approach helps us overcome some of the logistical disadvantages children, especially in rural areas, may face because they find themselves in small classes. So, we need to capture the good that has come out of this crisis and which will help us inform policy as we go forward, and for some children, especially for those children perhaps who find school difficult or challenging, actually supporting their learning in a variety of ways is really important as we go forward.
I am very keen to understand what has been happening in individual schools. I have been very blunt about this: there has been a mixed performance. Some schools have been able to grasp this challenge better than others, and indeed some families have been able to interact with their schools better than others. As we discussed in the committee yesterday, we have tried to take very positive steps, successful steps, with regard to digital disadvantage, and good practice on behalf of teaching has been supported by guidance around continuity of learning from the Government, and that good practice that has been gleaned by both Estyn and the regional consortia is now being used to inform best practice across schools. We have also been able to provide, via the regional consortia, training for staff to get to grips with and to be able to use our digital learning platform Hwb to its greatest degree. Because of the situation that Anglesey found itself in, for instance, I was able to meet recently with the headteacher representatives of Ynys Môn, and they said that they had benefited hugely from the webinars and professional training that Welsh Government and the GwE consortium had made available to their staff to be able to support blended learning and distance learning to best effect.
Diolch, Suzy. Credaf y bydd dysgu cyfunol yn parhau i chwarae rhan mewn addysg yng Nghymru mewn sawl ffordd, ond yn amlwg, fel y nodoch chi, yn gwbl gywir, fy nod yw cynyddu cyswllt wyneb yn wyneb rhwng plant ac athrawon yn eu hysgolion, ond mae'n rhaid i ni nodi’r pethau cadarnhaol yn yr argyfwng rydym ynddo, ac i rai o'r staff, ac yn wir i rai o'r plant, mae'r dull dysgu cyfunol neu'r dull dysgu o bell wedi bod o fudd iddynt. Mae'n adeiladu, wrth gwrs, ar y gwaith pwysig sydd gennym yn y prosiect e-ysgolion, rhywbeth y bydd y Llywydd yn gyfarwydd iawn ag ef. Mae'r dull dysgu cyfunol hwnnw'n ein helpu i oresgyn rhai o'r anfanteision logistaidd y gall plant eu hwynebu am eu bod mewn dosbarthiadau bach, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd gwledig. Felly, mae angen i ni nodi’r daioni sydd wedi deillio o'r argyfwng hwn, ac a fydd yn ein helpu i lywio polisi wrth inni symud ymlaen, ac i rai plant, yn enwedig plant sydd efallai’n ei chael hi'n anodd neu'n heriol yn yr ysgol, bydd cefnogi eu dysgu mewn amrywiaeth o ffyrdd yn bwysig iawn wrth inni symud ymlaen.
Rwy'n awyddus iawn i ddeall yr hyn sydd wedi bod yn digwydd mewn ysgolion unigol. Rwyf wedi bod yn ddi-flewyn-ar-dafod ynglŷn â hyn: mae’r perfformiad wedi bod yn gymysg. Mae rhai ysgolion wedi gallu mynd i’r afael â’r her hon yn well nag eraill, ac yn wir, mae rhai teuluoedd wedi gallu rhyngweithio â'u hysgolion yn well nag eraill. Fel y gwnaethom drafod yn y pwyllgor ddoe, rydym wedi ceisio cymryd camau cadarnhaol iawn, camau llwyddiannus, mewn perthynas ag anfantais ddigidol, ac mae arferion da ar ran addysgu wedi cael eu hategu gan ganllawiau ynghylch parhad dysgu gan y Llywodraeth, ac mae'r arferion da hynny a gasglwyd gan Estyn a’r consortia rhanbarthol bellach yn cael eu defnyddio i lywio arferion gorau ar draws ysgolion. Rydym hefyd wedi gallu darparu hyfforddiant, drwy'r consortia rhanbarthol, i staff allu deall a defnyddio ein platfform dysgu digidol, Hwb, i'r graddau mwyaf posibl. Oherwydd y sefyllfa ar Ynys Môn, er enghraifft, bu modd i mi gyfarfod yn ddiweddar â chynrychiolwyr penaethiaid Ynys Môn, a dywedasant eu bod wedi elwa'n fawr o'r gweminarau a'r hyfforddiant proffesiynol a ddarparwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru a chonsortiwm GwE i'w staff i allu cefnogi dysgu cyfunol a dysgu o bell yn y ffordd orau.
Thank you for that answer. I think there'll probably be some supply teachers in Ynys Môn who would like to speak to you as well. I think there's no doubt, is there, that teachers and school staff, and parents and pupils, have really risen to this challenge over the last few months, but everybody's now pretty much at the limits of their patience, as we've already heard. What I would say is that I don't think that teachers, schools and school staff in particular should have been alone in this. The consortia's role to support school improvement hasn't gone away during this period, and however off-curriculum we've been and however different the experience of having parents play this much greater role in providing education has been, there's no reason to abandon completely all attention to standards. I've been just a little bit concerned about the lateness to the game of consortia and local authority officers who have a role in school improvement here. Can you tell me exactly what they've been doing proactively during this period, not just in the last couple of weeks, to support schools to be the best they can during the turbulence of this period?
Diolch am eich ateb. Credaf y bydd rhai athrawon llanw ar Ynys Môn yn awyddus i siarad â chi hefyd. Ni chredaf fod amheuaeth fod athrawon a staff ysgolion, a rhieni a disgyblion, wedi ymateb i'r her hon dros yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf, ond mae pawb bellach yn dechrau colli amynedd, fel rydym eisoes wedi clywed. Yr hyn y buaswn yn ei ddweud yw nad wyf yn credu y dylai athrawon, ysgolion a staff ysgolion yn arbennig fod wedi bod ar eu pennau eu hunain yn hyn o beth. Nid yw rôl y consortia i gefnogi’r gwaith o wella ysgolion wedi diflannu yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, a ni waeth pa mor bell rydym wedi mynd oddi wrth y cwricwlwm, a pha mor wahanol bynnag yw'r profiad o gael rhieni i chwarae'r rôl fwy o lawer hon yn y gwaith o ddarparu addysg, nid oes unrhyw rheswm dros roi’r gorau’n gyfan gwbl i roi sylw i safonau. Rwyf wedi bod braidd yn bryderus ynghylch arafwch y consortia a swyddogion awdurdodau lleol sydd â rôl mewn gwella ysgolion. A allwch ddweud wrthyf beth yn union y maent wedi bod yn ei wneud yn rhagweithiol yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, nid dros yr ychydig wythnosau diwethaf yn unig, i gefnogi ysgolion i wneud eu gorau yn ystod anhrefn y cyfnod hwn?
Well, I've just given you an example in the GwE constituency, where they have been providing online professional learning opportunities to staff across the north Wales area so that they can use Hwb, our digital learning platform, to best effect. In my own local area, if we turn to the role of a local authority, Powys County Council took the Welsh Government's continuity of learning plan, adapted that for the context of Powys, and have been supporting schools in the delivery of that plan. Other regional consortia, again, have been proactive in supporting schools, gathering information and providing professional learning opportunities. And should I also say that I am aware of consortia staff, with the appropriate clearance and experience, who have actually been working in our childcare hubs, too. So they have been playing their part in supporting education at this time.
Wel, rwyf newydd roi enghraifft i chi yn ardal GwE, lle maent wedi bod yn darparu cyfleoedd dysgu proffesiynol ar-lein i staff ledled gogledd Cymru fel y gallant ddefnyddio Hwb, ein platfform dysgu digidol, yn y ffordd orau. Yn fy ardal leol i, os trown at rôl awdurdod lleol, cymerodd Cyngor Sir Powys gynllun parhad dysgu Llywodraeth Cymru a’i addasu ar gyfer cyd-destun Powys, ac rydym wedi bod yn cynorthwyo ysgolion i roi’r cynllun hwnnw ar waith. Mae consortia rhanbarthol eraill, unwaith eto, wedi mynd ati'n rhagweithiol i gefnogi ysgolion, casglu gwybodaeth a darparu cyfleoedd dysgu proffesiynol. A dylwn ddweud hefyd fy mod yn ymwybodol fod staff y consortia, sydd wedi cael y caniatâd a'r profiad priodol, wedi bod yn gweithio yn ein hybiau gofal plant hefyd. Felly maent wedi bod yn chwarae eu rhan yn cefnogi addysg yn y cyfnod hwn.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Siân Gwenllian.
The Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Siân Gwenllian.
Diolch, Llywydd, a diolch i'r Gweinidog Addysg am fod yn fodlon cyfarfod yn rhithiol bob wythnos yn ystod cyfnod yr argyfwng. Mae wedi bod yn fendithiol iawn, dwi'n credu, ein bod ni wedi gallu cynnal y cyfarfodydd yna a'r drafodaeth yna.
Maddeuwch i fi, ond dwi yn mynd i fynd yn ôl at fater yr ysgolion a mis Medi, oherwydd mae hwn yn dal yn rhywbeth sy'n fyw iawn ym meddwl penaethiaid, rhieni a phlant a phobl ifanc hefyd: beth yn union fydd yn digwydd ym mis Medi. Os bydd hi'n ddiogel, wrth gwrs, dwi'n meddwl ein bod ni i gyd yn cytuno mai'r peth gorau i'n plant a'n pobl ifanc ni ydy bod yr ysgolion yn ailagor yn llawn. Dwi'n meddwl os ydyn ni wedi dysgu rhywbeth yn ystod y cyfnod yma, rydym ni wedi dysgu bod y berthynas rhwng y disgybl a'r athro yn y dosbarth yn rhywbeth mor werthfawr ac nad ydy'r holl ymdrechion i greu addysg ar-lein ddim yn gallu cymryd drosodd y rôl greiddiol yna, er, wrth gwrs, mae ganddo fo le canolog.
Yn y pwyllgor ddoe, fe wnaethoch chi ddweud y bydd yna gyhoeddiad yr wythnos yma ynglŷn â pha drefniadau rydych chi'n disgwyl eu gweld ar waith ym mis Medi, ond mi wnaethoch chi ddweud hefyd eich bod chi wedi dal yn ôl rhag gwneud unrhyw gyhoeddiad oherwydd bod y wyddoniaeth yn esblygu. Ydy, mae o'n esblygu, ond mae o'n esblygu yn yr Alban ac yng Ngogledd Iwerddon hefyd, ac maen nhw wedi gallu cyhoeddi. Ac yn groes i beth roeddech chi'n ei ddweud mewn ymateb i Suzy Davies, mae'r Alban wedi cyhoeddi canllawiau. Ar 21 Mai, gwnaethon nhw ddweud bod eu hysgolion nhw'n ailagor ar 11 Awst, ac wedyn fe wnaethon nhw gyhoeddi canllawiau ar 28 Mai, ac mi wnaeth Gogledd Iwerddon, ar 18 Mehefin, ddweud bod eu hysgolion nhw'n mynd i ailagor yn raddol o 24 Awst ymlaen, a chafodd canllawiau eu cyhoeddi ar 19 Mehefin. Rŵan, dwi'n derbyn ein bod ni ddim eisiau dilyn gwledydd eraill a'n bod ni'n gallu gwneud ein penderfyniadau ein hunain fan hyn, ond beth sydd yn wahanol o ran y wyddoniaeth yn esblygu yn fan hyn a natur lledaeniad y feirws yn fan hyn o gymharu efo'r gwledydd eraill yma?
Thank you, Llywydd, and I thank the education Minister for being willing to meet virtually on a weekly basis during this time of crisis. It's been most beneficial that we've been able to have those meetings and to have that discussion.
Forgive me, but I am going to return to the issue of schools in September, because this is something that is very much alive in the minds of headteachers, parents and children and young people, too, in terms of what exactly will be happening in September. If it's safe, of course, I'm sure we're all agreed that the best thing for our children and young people is that the schools should reopen fully. I think if we have learned anything during this period, we have learned that the relationship between pupil and child in the classroom is so, so very valuable, and that all the efforts to create online education cannot replace that crucial relationship, although it does have a central role, of course.
In committee yesterday, you said that there will be an announcement this week as to what arrangements you expect to be in place in September, but you also said that you'd held back from making any announcement because the science is evolving. And yes, it is evolving, of course, but it is evolving in Scotland and Northern Ireland too, and they have been able to make announcements. Contrary to what you said in response to Suzy Davies, Scotland has published guidance. On 21 May, they stated that their schools would reopen on 11 August, and then they published guidance on 28 May. And Northern Ireland, on 18 June, stated that their schools would reopen gradually from 24 August onwards, and guidance was published on 19 June. Now, I accept that we don't want to follow other countries' leads and that we can make our own decisions here, but what's different in terms of the evolving science here and the nature of the spread of the virus here as compared with those other nations?
Well, first of all, Siân, can I say I'm grateful to you and Suzy Davies for the opportunity, as you said, usually on a weekly basis, to be able to touch base and for your continuing to hold my feet to the fire?
I'm not aware of the scientific papers that have been perused by my colleagues in Northern Ireland, Scotland or England that led them to make those statements. Throughout this period, we have been guided by the science. It's really important that we do that to build confidence amongst staff and parents. It's that science that has led us in Wales to be able to do something completely different to what's happened in Northern Ireland or Scotland, recognising that their term dates are different and therefore it's been more challenging for them, and different from what they've done in England. Alongside the science, we've also been able to reflect on the practice over the now week and a half of operations of schools to help us inform decision making going forward.
As I said, I'm not sure what other individual Ministers have read before they've made the announcement that they have, but I was absolutely determined that we would make a decision based on the very latest scientific advice and on the experience of this period of education where we have more children in our schools. Clearly, as you say, I will make a statement later this week. That statement will have to be kept under review and we will have to have regular check-in points, because, as we have seen here in Wales, the disease can pop up and interrupt plans that have been carefully laid and prepared for, as in the case, for instance, in Ynys Môn. But the statement will be made later this week.
Wel, yn gyntaf oll, Siân, a gaf fi ddweud fy mod yn ddiolchgar i chi a Suzy Davies am y cyfle, fel y dywedoch chi, yn wythnosol fel arfer, i allu cadw mewn cysylltiad ac am barhau i fy nwyn i gyfrif?
Nid wyf yn ymwybodol o'r papurau gwyddonol a ystyriwyd gan fy Ngweinidogion cyfatebol yng Ngogledd Iwerddon, yr Alban neu Loegr ac a arweiniodd at y datganiadau hynny ganddynt. Drwy gydol y cyfnod hwn, rydym wedi cael ein llywio gan y wyddoniaeth. Mae'n bwysig iawn ein bod yn gwneud hynny er mwyn meithrin hyder ymhlith staff a rhieni. Y wyddoniaeth honno sydd wedi ein harwain yng Nghymru i allu gwneud rhywbeth hollol wahanol i'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd yng Ngogledd Iwerddon neu'r Alban, gan gydnabod bod dyddiadau eu tymhorau’n wahanol ac felly ei bod wedi bod yn fwy heriol iddynt, ac yn wahanol i'r hyn y maent wedi'i wneud yn Lloegr. Ochr yn ochr â'r wyddoniaeth, rydym hefyd wedi gallu ystyried yr ymarfer dros yr wythnos a hanner erbyn hyn o waith ysgolion i'n helpu i lywio'r broses o wneud penderfyniadau ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Fel y dywedais, nid wyf yn siŵr beth y mae Gweinidogion unigol eraill wedi'i ddarllen cyn gwneud y cyhoeddiad a wnaethant, ond roeddwn yn hollol benderfynol y byddem yn gwneud penderfyniad ar sail y cyngor gwyddonol diweddaraf ac ar brofiad y cyfnod hwn o addysg lle mae gennym fwy o blant yn ein hysgolion. Yn amlwg, fel y dywedwch, byddaf yn gwneud datganiad yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon. Bydd yn rhaid parhau i adolygu'r datganiad hwnnw a bydd yn rhaid inni gael pwyntiau adolygu rheolaidd, oherwydd, fel rydym wedi’i weld yma yng Nghymru, gall y clefyd godi ei ben ac ymyrryd â chynlluniau sydd wedi'u rhoi ar waith a'u paratoi'n ofalus, fel y digwyddodd, er enghraifft, ar Ynys Môn. Ond bydd y datganiad yn cael ei wneud yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon.
Mi fydd penaethiaid yn falch iawn o glywed bod yna wybodaeth yn dod, ond mae hi'n hwyr iawn yn y dydd; dim ond wythnos sydd gan yr ysgolion ar ôl i baratoi. Yn edrych ymlaen i fis Medi, beth fydd eich cynlluniau chi i wneud yn siŵr na fydd y bwlch cyrhaeddiad yn lledaenu yn sgîl yr argyfwng? Fydd yr arian sydd wedi cael ei gyhoeddi gan Brif Weinidog Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig yn cael ei wario ar gynllun lliniaru? Mi wnaeth Plaid Cymru gyhoeddi cynllun rai wythnosau nôl a fyddai'n cynnwys cyflogi mwy o athrawon, cael athrawon sydd newydd ymddeol, efallai eu gwahodd nhw i ddod yn ôl i'r ysgolion. Beth fydd eich nod chi ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc sydd ddim wedi cael cefnogaeth yn ystod cyfnod y pandemig yma, sef y rhai o dan yr anfantais fwyaf, sef yr her fwyaf? Beth yn union ydy'ch cynlluniau chi ar gyfer y cohort yna?
Headteachers will be pleased to hear that there is information on its way, but it's very late in the day; the schools only have a week left to prepare. Looking forward to September, what will your plans be in order to ensure that the attainment gap doesn't widen as a result of this crisis? Will the funding announced by the UK Government Prime Minister be spent on a mitigation programme? Plaid Cymru published a plan some weeks ago that would include employing more teachers and attracting recently retired teachers back into schools. So, what will your aim be for children and young people who haven't been supported during the pandemic, namely those who are most disadvantaged and therefore face the greatest challenge? What exactly are your plans for that cohort of children?
You're correct to say that the Westminster Government have announced a £1 billion catch-up programme. I need to make sure that Members are aware that not all of that is new money, and we have been advised as a Welsh Government that, in this financial year, we could expect a consequential up to and no more, at best, than £30 million. The rest of the money that was announced is for the new financial year and is not available to the Welsh Government at this time. So, I just want to be clear about the parameters in which we are working.
As I think I said earlier, I hope to be in a position—again, by the end of this week—to outline a distinctly Welsh approach to mitigating the impact that the disease has had on our children's education. There are specific parts of the cohort that we know that this period of disruption has been particularly challenging for. We talked about children with additional learning need earlier. Obviously, those children from a disadvantaged economic background, we're always worried about the attainment gap for those particular children. So, we're looking to make it a school-based programme, which is very different from the approach taken in England where there is an emphasis on employing private tutors. I think any particular programme to support children's learning needs to be on the basis of those professionals that work with them day in, day out, know them best and can deal with the circumstances that those children find themselves in.
What's crucial about the time that children are spending in school at the moment is that that work is already beginning to be done to identify what the impact of this period of disruption has been on children, and for teachers to begin to plan for what they need to do next to move children along. For some children, it will be content that will be the main priority; for other children, it will be addressing their emotional health and well-being. This has been a deeply troubling time for all of us. Some of us will have lost friends or relatives, and will have known people who've been really, really unwell, and if that's true of us, then, of course, it will be true of our children. And making sure that our children are in a position to learn and to re-engage with their education is really, really important. That's why it's important that we took the step to give every child—not specific year groups, but every child—the chance to go back to school before September.
Rydych yn iawn i ddweud bod Llywodraeth San Steffan wedi cyhoeddi rhaglen dal i fyny gwerth £1 biliwn. Mae angen i mi sicrhau bod yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol nad arian newydd yw’r holl arian hwnnw, a chawsom ein cynghori fel Llywodraeth Cymru y gallem ddisgwyl cyllid canlyniadol o hyd at £30 miliwn ar y gorau, a dim mwy, yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon. Mae gweddill yr arian a gyhoeddwyd ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol newydd, ac nid yw ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru ar hyn o bryd. Felly, hoffwn fod yn glir ynghylch y paramedrau rydym yn gweithio o'u mewn.
Fel y dywedais yn gynharach rwy’n credu, rwy'n gobeithio bod mewn sefyllfa—unwaith eto, erbyn diwedd yr wythnos hon—i amlinellu dull unigryw i Gymru o liniaru'r effaith y mae'r afiechyd wedi'i chael ar addysg ein plant. Gwyddom fod y cyfnod hwn o darfu wedi bod yn arbennig o heriol i rannau penodol o'r cohort. Buom yn siarad am blant ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yn gynharach. Yn amlwg, o ran y plant o gefndir economaidd difreintiedig, rydym bob amser yn poeni am y bwlch cyrhaeddiad ar gyfer y plant penodol hynny. Felly, rydym yn bwriadu sicrhau ei bod yn rhaglen sydd wedi'i lleoli yn yr ysgol, sy'n wahanol iawn i'r dull a ddefnyddir yn Lloegr lle ceir pwyslais ar gyflogi tiwtoriaid preifat. Credaf fod angen i unrhyw raglen benodol i gefnogi dysgu plant fod yn seiliedig ar y gweithwyr proffesiynol sy'n gweithio gyda hwy bob dydd, sy’n eu hadnabod orau ac sy’n gallu ymdrin ag amgylchiadau'r plant hynny.
Yr hyn sy'n hanfodol am yr amser y mae plant yn ei dreulio yn yr ysgol ar hyn o bryd yw bod y gwaith hwnnw eisoes yn dechrau mynd rhagddo i nodi beth fu effaith y cyfnod hwn o darfu ar blant, ac i athrawon ddechrau cynllunio ar gyfer yr hyn y mae angen iddynt ei wneud nesaf i symud plant yn eu blaenau. I rai plant, cynnwys fydd y brif flaenoriaeth; i blant eraill, bydd yn golygu mynd i'r afael â'u hiechyd a'u lles emosiynol. Mae hwn wedi bod yn gyfnod cythryblus iawn i bob un ohonom. Bydd rhai ohonom wedi colli ffrindiau neu berthnasau, ac wedi adnabod pobl sydd wedi bod yn wirioneddol sâl, ac os yw hynny'n wir amdanom ni, yna wrth gwrs, bydd yn wir am ein plant hefyd. Ac mae sicrhau bod ein plant mewn sefyllfa i ddysgu ac i ailymgysylltu â'u haddysg yn wirioneddol bwysig. Dyna pam ei bod yn bwysig ein bod wedi cymryd y cam i roi cyfle i bob plentyn—nid grwpiau blynyddoedd penodol, ond pob plentyn—fynd yn ôl i'r ysgol cyn mis Medi.
Diolch. Tri deg miliwn—dydy hynny ddim yn mynd i fynd yn bell iawn, er gwaethaf rhyw gyhoeddiadau mawr a oedd yn cael eu gwneud gan y Torïaid yn Lloegr yn ddiweddar. Y bwlch digidol: dyma fater arall sydd wedi dod yn amlwg yn ystod y pandemig—yr anfantais ddigidol y mae rhai myfyrwyr, disgyblion yn dioddef o ran dyfeisiadau a chysylltedd. Mae un arolwg dwi wedi ei weld yn ddiweddar gan Grŵp Llandrillo Menai yn dangos bod 30 y cant o'r myfyrwyr yn teimlo eu bod nhw dan anfantais—hynny yw, eu bod nhw'n methu cael mynediad digonol i ddysgu o bell er mwyn cwblhau eu hastudiaethau nhw, gan nad yw'r cyfarpar neu'r band eang, neu'r ddau, ddim ganddyn nhw. Mae 30 y cant o bobl ifanc yn ffigur mawr, fyddwn i'n tybio, pan fyddwch chi'n meddwl ar draws Cymru. A thybed a fyddai arolwg tebyg ymhlith myfyrwyr addysg uwch yn dangos yr un thema, neu a ydy hyn yn tanlinellu, a dweud y gwir, statws sinderela addysg bellach yng Nghymru? Felly, hoffwn i wybod beth ydy'ch cynlluniau chi i gau'r bwlch digidol yn y sector addysg bellach yn arbennig.
Thank you. Thirty million isn't going to go particularly far, despite some major announcements made by the Tories in England recently. Now, the digital divide is another issue that has emerged during the pandemic—the digital disadvantage that certain students and pupils have faced in terms of devices and connectivity. One survey that I’ve seen recently from the Llandrillo Menai Group demonstrates that 30 per cent of students felt that they were disadvantaged—that they weren’t able to have adequate access to distance learning in order to complete their studies, as the equipment or the broadband, or both, wasn’t available to them. Now, 30 per cent of young people means a high number of young people if you were to apply that across Wales. And I wonder whether a similar survey among higher education students would show the same types of theme, or does this highlight the cinderella status of further education in Wales? So, I would like to know what your plans are to bridge that digital divide in the FE sector particularly.
Well, you're right—it is one of the barriers to learning during this period that has been for those children who are digitally excluded, who don't either have a device, a suitable device, or, indeed, connectivity at home. That's why we've spent £3 million on trying to address that situation. I'm very grateful to colleagues in local government who have worked in partnership with us to give out over 10,000 pieces of equipment, and over 10,000 MiFi devices. Again, this is a record I think we can be proud of in Wales, compared to the ability to get kit out of the door in other nations, where they have struggled to do so. We have lent kit that's already in schools rather than going to the market to buy new, because we knew everybody else was going to the market to buy new, and that would lead to significant delays in getting the children what they needed. We will now replace that kit that has been lent to children—given to children—with new kit for their schools.
We are currently discussing plans with the FE sector to see whether a similar situation and a similar level of support can be put in place for FE. But, again, I would commend the work of ColegauCymru's members, who have done exceptional work in making sure that those students in FE in danger of being digitally excluded have been able to receive support. And whilst, quite understandably, we talk a lot about schools going back, FE colleges are also back working, and they have a particular emphasis on connecting with our most vulnerable students—those are exactly the students that you've talked about, Siân, for whom perhaps distance learning has been a particular challenge—and that is going, I understand, very well.
Wel, rydych chi'n iawn—un o'r rhwystrau a fu i ddysgu yn ystod y cyfnod hwn i blant sydd wedi'u hallgáu'n ddigidol yw nad oes ganddynt ddyfais, neu ddyfais addas, neu'n wir, gysylltedd gartref. Dyna pam rydym wedi gwario £3 miliwn ar geisio mynd i'r afael â'r sefyllfa honno. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i gymheiriaid mewn llywodraeth leol sydd wedi gweithio mewn partneriaeth â ni i ddarparu dros 10,000 darn o offer, a dros 10,000 o ddyfeisiau MiFi. Unwaith eto, mae hyn yn gyflawniad y credaf y gallwn fod yn falch ohono yng Nghymru, o gymharu â'r gallu i ddarparu offer mewn gwledydd eraill, lle maent wedi’i chael hi’n anodd gwneud hynny. Rydym wedi benthyca offer sydd eisoes mewn ysgolion yn hytrach na mynd i'r farchnad i’w brynu’n newydd, gan ein bod yn gwybod bod pawb arall yn mynd i'r farchnad i brynu’n newydd, ac y byddai hynny'n arwain at oedi sylweddol cyn rhoi’r hyn roedd arnynt ei angen i’r plant. Byddwn yn rhoi offer newydd i ysgolion yn lle’r offer a fenthycwyd i’r plant—a gafodd ei roi i’r plant.
Rydym wrthi’n trafod cynlluniau gyda'r sector addysg bellach i weld a ellir rhoi sefyllfa debyg a lefel debyg o gefnogaeth ar waith ar gyfer addysg bellach. Ond unwaith eto, byddwn yn cymeradwyo gwaith aelodau ColegauCymru, sydd wedi gwneud gwaith gwych yn sicrhau bod myfyrwyr addysg bellach sydd mewn perygl o gael eu hallgáu'n ddigidol wedi gallu cael cymorth. Ac er ein bod yn siarad, yn hollol ddealladwy, am ysgolion yn dychwelyd, mae colegau addysg bellach hefyd yn ôl yn gweithio, ac mae ganddynt bwyslais arbennig ar gysylltu â'n myfyrwyr mwyaf bregus—yr union fyfyrwyr y sonioch chi amdanynt, Siân, myfyrwyr y mae dysgu o bell wedi bod yn her arbennig iddynt o bosibl—ac mae hynny'n mynd yn dda iawn, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf.
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad ynghylch cynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru i ehangu’r ddarpariaeth addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn ardal Merthyr Tudful? OQ55422
3. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's plans to expand Welsh-medium education provision in the Merthyr Tydfil area? OQ55422
Diolch, Delyth, am y cwestiwn.
Thank you, Delyth, for the question.
Capital investment of £1.83 million has been earmarked to expand Welsh-medium education provision in Merthyr Tydfil. We are meeting the full costs of these projects to make best use of the funding available. The authority has also received £661,000 from the reducing infant class size grant, also to support Welsh-medium education.
Clustnodwyd buddsoddiad cyfalaf o £1.83 miliwn i ehangu darpariaeth addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ym Merthyr Tudful. Rydym yn talu costau llawn y prosiectau hyn i wneud y defnydd gorau o'r cyllid sydd ar gael. Mae'r awdurdod hefyd wedi derbyn £661,000 o'r grant lleihau maint dosbarthiadau babanod, hefyd i gefnogi addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg.
Diolch am yr ateb yna, Weinidog. Mae Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg wedi cysylltu â mi ynghylch eu hymgyrch nhw i fynd i'r afael â'r diffyg darpariaeth o addysg Gymraeg yn yr ardal. Ar hyn o bryd, dim ond dwy ysgol gynradd sydd yno, a does dim ysgol uwchradd o gwbl—sefyllfa gwbl annheg ar blant yr ardal. Mae Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg eisiau gweld ysgol uwchradd cyfrwng Cymraeg newydd yn cael ei hagor, yn ogystal ag ysgol gynradd ychwanegol. Ers iddyn nhw ddechrau eu hymgyrch lai na blwyddyn yn ôl, maen nhw wedi gwneud camau breision. Mae trafodaethau gyda'r cyngor am agor ysgol gynradd newydd yn gadarnhaol, mae'r fforwm addysg Gymraeg wedi cwrdd yn rhithiol yn ystod y cyfnod clo, ac mae cynlluniau ar y gweill i gynhyrchu deunydd i hyrwyddo addysg Gymraeg ymysg rhieni, yn ogystal â threfnu digwyddiadau. Felly, Weinidog, a wnewch chi ymuno â fi i longyfarch RhAG am eu gwaith campus hyd yma, yn ogystal â Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful am ddangos brwdfrydedd dros eu helpu nhw? Ac a allwch chi fy sicrhau i y byddwch chi fel y Gweinidog Addysg yn cynnig pob cefnogaeth bosib er mwyn galluogi Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg a'r cyngor i agor ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg newydd ym Merthyr?
Thank you for that response, Minister. Rhieni Dros Addysg Gymraeg have been in touch with me on their campaign to tackle the lack of Welsh-medium provision in the area. At the moment, there are only two primary schools and no secondary school at all, which is utterly unfair on the children in the area. RhAG want to see a Welsh-medium secondary school established, as well as an additional primary school. Since they started their campaign less than a year ago, they have made large steps forward. Discussions with the council on opening a new primary school have been positive. The Welsh-medium education forum has met virtually during the lockdown, and plans are in place to produce material to promote Welsh-medium education among parents, as well as to organise events. So, Minister, will you join with me in congratulating RhAG on their excellent work to date, as well as Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council for showing enthusiasm in assisting the campaign? Can you give me an assurance that you, as Minister for Education, will provide all possible support in order to enable RhAG and the council to open Welsh-medium schools in Merthyr?
Thank you, Delyth. As I said in my answer to your first question, the Welsh Government is funding fully the projects that the Member will be familiar with. The grant of £1.83 million will support the reconfiguration of Ysgol Rhyd-y-grug to accommodate two additional classrooms and to increase nursery and pre-nursery provision. And the grant will also fund a new Welsh-medium primary school with a capacity for 210 pupils, also providing an early years and early childcare location through the medium of Welsh. Also, the reducing infant class sizes grant has been allocated to Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Santes Tudful to provide a stand-alone extension to two additional classrooms, including new lobby and toilet facilities also, and the old demountable accommodation will be removed to create an external play area to support the foundation phase.
So, clearly, the capital grants that Welsh Government are able to give Merthyr Tydfil are really going to make a difference, and I'm grateful to all of those campaigning within Merthyr and the council for engaging so positively with our capital programme to make these projects available, and I'm sure, as we have seen from other areas in Wales, once they are available, parents will make a very positive choice to choose Welsh-medium education for their children.
Diolch, Delyth. Fel y dywedais yn fy ateb i'ch cwestiwn cyntaf, mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n ariannu'r prosiectau y bydd yr Aelod yn gyfarwydd â hwy yn llawn. Bydd y grant o £1.83 miliwn yn cefnogi’r gwaith o ad-drefnu Ysgol Rhyd-y-grug i ddarparu ar gyfer dwy ystafell ddosbarth ychwanegol ac i gynyddu darpariaeth feithrin a chyn-feithrin. A bydd y grant hefyd yn ariannu ysgol gynradd cyfrwng Cymraeg newydd gyda lle i 210 o ddisgyblion, gan ddarparu lleoliad blynyddoedd cynnar a gofal plant cynnar drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn ogystal. Mae'r grant lleihau maint dosbarthiadau babanod wedi'i ddyrannu i Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Santes Tudful hefyd i ddarparu estyniad annibynnol i ddwy ystafell ddosbarth ychwanegol, gan gynnwys lobi a thoiledau newydd, a bydd yr hen adeilad dros dro yn cael ei symud i greu man chwarae awyr agored i gefnogi'r cyfnod sylfaen.
Felly, yn amlwg, mae'r grantiau cyfalaf y gall Llywodraeth Cymru eu rhoi i Ferthyr Tudful yn mynd i wneud gwahaniaeth mawr, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar i bawb sy'n ymgyrchu ym Merthyr Tudful a'r cyngor am ymgysylltu mor gadarnhaol â'n rhaglen gyfalaf i sicrhau bod y prosiectau hyn ar gael, ac fel rydym wedi'i weld mewn ardaloedd eraill yng Nghymru, pan fyddant ar gael, rwy'n siŵr y bydd rhieni'n gwneud penderfyniad cadarnhaol iawn i ddewis addysg Gymraeg ar gyfer eu plant.
Weinidog, rhaid inni sicrhau bod ein targedau addysg iaith Gymraeg uchelgeisiol ym Merthyr Tudful, ac ar draws Cymru, yn cael eu cyflawni, ac mae'n bwysig bod buddion addysg yn Gymraeg yn cael eu rhoi i'n holl blant ym mhob cymuned. A allaf ofyn, felly, a fydd y Gweinidog yn rhoi cefnogaeth bellach i gyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, gan fod datblygiad tir pwysig wedi cwympo drwodd gan effeithio'n sylweddol ar eu cynlluniau? Efallai y bydd angen tipyn bach mwy o help i gyflawni ein targedau uchelgeisiol ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, gan weithio hefyd gyda grwpiau fel Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg Pen-y-bont.
Minister, we must ensure that our ambitious Welsh language targets in Merthyr Tydfil and across Wales are accomplished, and it's important that the benefit of Welsh-medium education is given to all children in all communities. May I, therefore, ask whether the Minister will give Bridgend council further support, as important land developments have fallen through and impacted their plans? It's possible that they might need a bit more support to attain the ambitious targets in Bridgend, while working also with groups such as Bridgend RhAG.
Thank you, Huw, for that. Can I assure Members that we have developed a dashboard to give an overview of the situation across all local authorities following COVID-19, and the dashboard highlights that local authorities are on track to meet their Welsh in education strategic plan targets. Clearly, if there are concerns about the ability of an individual local authority to meet their targets contained within their WESP, then our officials will want to have a conversation with them to understand what the barriers are to achieving the goals that have been set out in those plans.
Diolch am hynny, Huw. A gaf fi roi sicrwydd i’r Aelodau ein bod wedi datblygu dangosfwrdd i roi trosolwg o'r sefyllfa ar draws yr holl awdurdodau lleol yn dilyn COVID-19, ac mae'r dangosfwrdd yn nodi bod awdurdodau lleol ar y trywydd iawn i gyflawni targedau eu cynlluniau strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg. Yn amlwg, os oes pryderon ynghylch gallu awdurdod lleol unigol i gyflawni'r targedau sydd wedi'u cynnwys yn eu cynllun strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg, bydd ein swyddogion yn awyddus i gael sgwrs gyda hwy i ddeall beth yw'r rhwystrau i gyflawni'r nodau yn y cynlluniau hynny.
4. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am gynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer ailddechrau addysg amser llawn ym mis Medi? OQ55397
4. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's plans for the resumption of full-time education in September? OQ55397
Since 29 June, our learners have been taking the opportunity to check in, catch up and prepare for the autumn term. Working with stakeholders, we are developing robust plans for children’s return to school in September, and, as I have said on numerous occasions this afternoon, Presiding Officer, I intend to make a statement later on this week outlining my plans.
Ers 29 Mehefin, mae ein dysgwyr wedi bod yn achub ar y cyfle i ailgydio, dal i fyny a pharatoi ar gyfer tymor yr hydref. Gan weithio gyda rhanddeiliaid, rydym yn datblygu cynlluniau cadarn er mwyn i blant ddychwelyd i'r ysgol ym mis Medi, ac fel rwyf wedi’i ddweud droeon y prynhawn yma, Lywydd, rwy'n bwriadu gwneud datganiad yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon i amlinellu fy nghynlluniau.
Thank you, Minister, for that answer, and I appreciate you've answered other questions on this particular area, but I think it shows the sign of correspondence we're all getting from worried parents, teachers and also children who want to understand what the position will be in September. I know you are engaged in that process, Minister, but given the confusion around the previous announcements of the partial opening of schools, the chief medical officer's comments, for example, and the unions' comments, can you convince us that this will be a joined-up announcement that you will be making later in the week to give complete clarity so that people can have confidence that there will be full-time education in September? Because, with the ending of the furlough scheme and the economic pressures that families are facing, it might well boil down to the fact that people will have to think of food over fractions if they don't have full-time education in September. And I hope that you will give us confidence today that that is the direction of travel that you are undertaking for the September opening of schools.
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog, ac rwy'n derbyn eich bod wedi ateb cwestiynau eraill ar y maes penodol hwn, ond credaf fod hyn yn dangos faint o ohebiaeth y mae pob un ohonom yn ei chael gan rieni ac athrawon pryderus, yn ogystal â phlant sydd am ddeall beth fydd y sefyllfa ym mis Medi. Gwn eich bod wrthi'n gweithio ar y broses honno, Weinidog, ond o ystyried y dryswch ynghylch y cyhoeddiadau blaenorol ynglŷn ag agor ysgolion yn rhannol, sylwadau'r prif swyddog meddygol, er enghraifft, a sylwadau'r undebau, a allwch chi ein hargyhoeddi y bydd y cyhoeddiad y byddwch yn ei wneud yn ddiweddarach yn yr wythnos yn gyhoeddiad cydlynol i roi eglurder llwyr fel y gall pobl fod â hyder y gwelir addysg amser llawn ym mis Medi? Oherwydd, gyda diwedd y cynllun ffyrlo a'r pwysau economaidd y mae teuluoedd yn ei wynebu, mae'n ddigon posibl y bydd yn rhaid i bobl feddwl am fwyd yn hytrach na ffracsiynau os na cheir addysg amser llawn ym mis Medi. Ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallwch roi'r hyder inni heddiw mai dyna yw eich cyfeiriad teithio mewn perthynas ag agor ysgolion ym mis Medi.
Well, Presiding Officer, I understand that children, parents and professionals want to know more about what we can expect in September. We are undertaking those discussions, as the Member alluded to. Sometimes these discussions are complicated by the way in which our education system is structured in Wales, which means there are many, many stakeholders that need to be engaged before we can make an announcement, but I'm absolutely clear, and I have been throughout this process, that I am determined to maximise the opportunities for our children's education and to minimise the impact that this disease has had on it. We need to balance the risks—the risks to children and the staff that work with them—from COVID-19. But, luckily, because of the hard work and the efforts of the Welsh public, in beginning to drive that community transmission rate down, we now also need to figure in the non-COVID risks to our children from a prolonged period away from education. And because of the hard work of the Welsh public, we're in a position to be able to do that.
Wel, Lywydd, rwy'n deall bod plant, rhieni a gweithwyr proffesiynol yn awyddus i wybod mwy am yr hyn y gallwn ei ddisgwyl ym mis Medi. Rydym yn cynnal y trafodaethau hynny, fel y dywedodd yr Aelod. Weithiau, mae'r trafodaethau hyn yn cael eu cymhlethu gan y ffordd y mae ein system addysg wedi'i strwythuro yng Nghymru, sy'n golygu bod angen ymgysylltu â llawer iawn o randdeiliaid cyn y gallwn wneud cyhoeddiad, ond rwy'n gwbl sicr, ac rwyf wedi bod yn gwbl sicr drwy gydol y broses hon, fy mod yn benderfynol o wneud y mwyaf o'r cyfleoedd ar gyfer addysg ein plant a lleihau'r effaith y mae'r afiechyd hwn wedi'i chael arni. Mae angen inni gydbwyso'r risgiau—y risgiau i blant a'r staff sy'n gweithio gyda hwy—y mae COVID-19 yn eu hachosi. Ond wrth lwc, oherwydd gwaith caled ac ymdrechion y cyhoedd yng Nghymru i ddechrau gostwng cyfradd y trosglwyddiad cymunedol, mae angen inni bellach gyfrifo'r risgiau nad ydynt yn ymwneud â COVID i'n plant, yn sgil cyfnod hir heb addysg. Ac oherwydd gwaith caled y cyhoedd yng Nghymru, rydym mewn sefyllfa i allu gwneud hynny.
Minister, I'm hearing from distressed parents who have distressed children who want and need to know that they will be going back to school full time in September. Parents living on the Welsh-English border are even considering sending their children to English schools in September. What do you say to those parents? Thank you.
Weinidog, rwy'n clywed gan rieni gofidus, sydd â phlant yn gofidio’n fawr, sydd eisiau ac angen gwybod y byddant yn mynd yn ôl i'r ysgol yn llawnamser ym mis Medi. Mae rhieni sy'n byw ar y ffin rhwng Cymru a Lloegr hyd yn oed yn ystyried anfon eu plant i ysgolion yn Lloegr ym mis Medi. Beth sydd gennych i'w ddweud wrth y rhieni hynny? Diolch.
Mandy, I am a parent that lives in a constituency on the Welsh-English border. Yesterday, my year 9 daughter was able to return to school for the second time. If I lived across that border, in Herefordshire, she would not set foot in a classroom until September. Let's be absolutely clear what the education system and the teachers and the headteachers and the support staff and our local authorities have been able to achieve in Wales: children living in your constituency that would not go to a classroom until September have been able to check in and catch up and begin to prepare. And I will continue to work with those hard-working educational professionals within our nation to maximise the opportunity for our children in September. Let's be very clear about the differences across the border. And I'm glad I'm this side.
Mandy, rwy'n rhiant sy'n byw mewn etholaeth ar y ffin rhwng Cymru a Lloegr. Ddoe, llwyddodd fy merch sydd ym mlwyddyn 9 i ddychwelyd i'r ysgol am yr eildro. Pe bawn i'n byw dros y ffin, yn swydd Henffordd, ni fyddai wedi gosod troed mewn ystafell ddosbarth tan fis Medi. Gadewch i ni fod yn hollol glir beth y mae'r system addysg a'r athrawon a'r penaethiaid a'r staff cymorth a'n hawdurdodau lleol wedi gallu ei gyflawni yng Nghymru: mae plant sy'n byw yn eich etholaeth na fyddai'n mynd i ystafell ddosbarth tan fis Medi wedi gallu ailgydio a dal i fyny a dechrau paratoi. A byddaf yn parhau i weithio gyda'r addysgwyr proffesiynol gweithgar yn ein gwlad i wneud y mwyaf o'r cyfle i'n plant ym mis Medi. Gadewch i ni fod yn glir iawn am y gwahaniaethau ar y ddwy ochr i’r ffin. Ac rwy'n falch fy mod ar yr ochr hon.
Minister, thank you for your answers to these questions. We now understand clearly that you are going to be making a statement on this issue. But, rightly so, parents are really anxious about this, there's no doubt about it, and they need clarity as soon as possible. Childcare needs to be arranged and there are many other aspects as well. So, following the statement later this week, will you confirm and commit today that any further announcements or information to parents will be given to them as a matter of urgency? Because constituents right across Alyn and Deeside and right across Wales need to know this as soon as possible, just to get their plans in place.
Weinidog, diolch am eich atebion i'r cwestiynau hyn. Rydym yn deall yn glir yn awr y byddwch yn gwneud datganiad ar y mater hwn. Ond yn briodol felly, mae rhieni'n wirioneddol bryderus am hyn, nid oes amheuaeth am hynny, ac maent angen eglurder cyn gynted â phosibl. Mae angen trefnu gofal plant ac mae yna lawer o ffactorau eraill hefyd. Felly, yn dilyn y datganiad, yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon, a wnewch chi gadarnhau ac ymrwymo heddiw y bydd unrhyw gyhoeddiadau neu wybodaeth bellach i rieni yn cael eu rhoi iddynt ar fyrder? Oherwydd mae angen i etholwyr ar draws Alun a Glannau Dyfrdwy ac ar draws Cymru wybod hyn cyn gynted â phosibl er mwyn iddynt allu cynllunio.
Of course, Jack. I have endeavoured, throughout this entire period, to be as clear as I can be with educational professionals in Wales and with the parents of Wales. Sometimes that has not been easy, because of, sometimes, the lack of understanding, from especially aspects of the press, about discussions and announcements that have been made regarding other jurisdictions and the impact it has on Wales. We have used a variety of platforms and every opportunity to communicate with parents and, I can assure you, we will continue to do that.
The decisions I make are one important aspect, clearly, but unless we have the confidence of parents, so that they know that they can send their children into a safe and secure environment, they will not make that choice. I'm really pleased that, because we've been able to offer an opportunity to all children this side of summer, parents can see how safe and secure that their teachers and headteachers have been able to make their schools and, therefore, I hope that that will build confidence for whatever we're able to do in September.
Wrth gwrs, Jack. Rwyf wedi ymdrechu, trwy gydol yr holl gyfnod hwn, i fod mor eglur ag y gallaf fod gydag addysgwyr proffesiynol yng Nghymru a chyda rhieni Cymru. Ac nid yw hynny wedi bod yn hawdd bob amser, oherwydd diffyg dealltwriaeth weithiau, ar ran elfennau o’r wasg yn arbennig, ynglŷn â thrafodaethau a chyhoeddiadau a wnaed ynghylch awdurdodaethau eraill, a'r effaith y mae'n ei chael ar Gymru. Rydym wedi defnyddio amrywiaeth o lwyfannau a phob cyfle i gyfathrebu â rhieni a gallaf eich sicrhau y byddwn yn parhau i wneud hynny.
Mae'r penderfyniadau a wnaf yn un agwedd bwysig, yn amlwg, ond oni bai bod gan y rhieni hyder ynom, fel eu bod yn gwybod y gallant anfon eu plant i amgylchedd diogel, ni fyddant yn gwneud y dewis hwnnw. Gan ein bod wedi gallu cynnig cyfle i bob plentyn yr ochr hon i'r haf, rwy’n hynod o falch y gall rhieni weld pa mor ddiogel y mae eu hathrawon a'u penaethiaid wedi gallu gwneud eu hysgolion ac felly, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd hynny'n meithrin hyder ar gyfer beth bynnag y gallwn ei wneud ym mis Medi.
5. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am faint dosbarthiadau mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru? OQ55411
5. Will the Minister make a statement on class sizes in schools in Wales? OQ55411
Reducing class sizes, targeted at those who will benefit the most, is a key action in 'Our national mission'. I have made available an additional £36 million over this Assembly term to reduce infant class sizes.
Mae lleihau maint dosbarthiadau, wedi'i dargedu at y rhai a fydd yn elwa fwyaf, yn gam gweithredu allweddol yn ‘Cenhadaeth ein Cenedl'. Rwyf wedi sicrhau bod £36 miliwn ychwanegol ar gael dros dymor y Cynulliad hwn ar gyfer lleihau maint dosbarthiadau babanod.
Thanks, Minister. Crises bring opportunities and the most unfortunate circumstances can bring really positive change. The blended learning approach really is not going to work come the autumn, children are falling behind, not everybody is online and there is the issue of parents working. As a former teacher, I'm really aware of the enormous benefits of smaller class sizes: there's a different relationship in the classroom, there's more of a community, there's more time for children, one-on-one tuition becomes eminently possible. There's a reason why private schools offer small class sizes; we know that.
So, you're in a position now—you could usher in change with an aim to radically cut class sizes. A big-bang approach in this emergency, if you like: bringing in teachers who've left the profession, bringing people back in with the sole aim to enable a radical cut in class sizes to enable social distancing in schools and get schools back to work full time with pupils in school full time. Why not?
Diolch, Weinidog. Mae argyfyngau'n creu cyfleoedd yn eu sgil a gall yr amgylchiadau mwyaf anffodus greu newid cadarnhaol iawn. Nid yw'r dull dysgu cyfunol yn mynd i weithio pan ddaw’r hydref, mae plant ar ei hôl hi, nid yw pawb ar-lein ac mae problem gyda rhieni'n gweithio. Fel cyn-athro, rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o fanteision enfawr dosbarthiadau llai: mae perthynas wahanol yn yr ystafell ddosbarth, mae'n fwy o gymuned, mae mwy o amser i blant, daw hyfforddiant un i un yn bosibl. Mae yna reswm pam fod ysgolion preifat yn cynnig dosbarthiadau llai o faint; fe wyddom hynny.
Felly, rydych chi mewn sefyllfa yn awr—fe allech chi greu newid gyda'r nod o dorri maint dosbarthiadau yn radical. Creu newid anferth yn yr argyfwng hwn, os mynnwch chi: dod ag athrawon sydd wedi gadael y proffesiwn i mewn, dod â phobl yn ôl i mewn yn unswydd er mwyn gwneud toriad radical ym maint dosbarthiadau yn bosibl i allu cydymffurfio â mesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol mewn ysgolion a chael ysgolion yn ôl yn weithredol yn llawnamser gyda disgyblion yn yr ysgol yn llawnamser. Pam ddim?
Well, as I made clear, I think, in my first answer, Presiding Officer, reducing class sizes has been a priority for me and this Government. We have invested in that, and that investment has led to an additional 110 extra teachers working in our schools, and an additional 45 teaching assistants. And in some places, it's not the staff that have been the constraint, it's the actual building, and therefore we have created an additional 52 classrooms. Clearly, as I said in answer to other questions, we will be looking to do what we can to support children at the next stage of their education, to overcome some of the deficits that will undoubtedly—undoubtedly—have occurred because of this disruption, and additional staff, I'm sure, will be an important part of that.
Wel, fel y dywedais yn glir yn fy ateb cyntaf rwy’n meddwl, Lywydd, mae lleihau maint dosbarthiadau wedi bod yn flaenoriaeth i mi a’r Llywodraeth hon. Rydym wedi buddsoddi yn hynny, ac mae'r buddsoddiad hwnnw wedi arwain at 110 o athrawon ychwanegol yn gweithio yn ein hysgolion, a 45 o gynorthwywyr addysgu ychwanegol. Ac mewn rhai mannau, nid y staff sydd wedi bod yn rhwystr rhag cael dosbarthiadau llai ond yr adeilad ei hun, ac felly, rydym wedi creu 52 o ystafelloedd dosbarth ychwanegol. Yn amlwg, fel y dywedais wrth ateb cwestiynau eraill, byddwn yn ceisio gwneud yr hyn a allwn i gefnogi plant ar y cam nesaf yn eu haddysg, i oresgyn rhai o'r diffygion a fydd yn ddiamheuaeth—yn ddiamheuaeth—wedi digwydd oherwydd yr aflonyddwch hwn, a bydd staff ychwanegol yn rhan bwysig o hynny rwy'n siŵr.
6. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ddefnyddio cyfarpar diogelu personol mewn ysgolion? OQ55430
6. Will the Minister make a statement on the use of personal protective equipment in schools? OQ55430
It is essential that those who need personal protective equipment have access to it. Our guidance on increasing operations in schools sets out the use of PPE by practitioners and support staff within the education sector.
Mae'n hanfodol fod y rhai sydd angen cyfarpar diogelu personol yn gallu cael gafael arno. Mae ein canllawiau ar gynyddu gweithgarwch mewn ysgolion yn nodi'r defnydd o gyfarpar diogelu personol gan addysgwyr a staff cymorth yn y sector addysg.
With regard to face masks, I note the answer that the First Minister gave earlier was that face covering is not of itself a magic bullet, and I suspect there are a number of concerns the Government has behind that. But I've been contacted by a Caerphilly resident who is concerned to not send her child back to school until she sees face masks more widely available, and particularly in a school setting. What reassurance can you give her today, and when will we have further information about PPE and face masks in school settings from September?
Mewn perthynas â masgiau wyneb, nodaf mai’r ateb a roddodd y Prif Weinidog yn gynharach oedd nad yw gorchudd wyneb yn fwled hud ynddo'i hun, ac rwy'n tybio bod gan y Llywodraeth nifer o bryderon yn codi o hynny. Ond cysylltodd un o drigolion Caerffili â mi yn pryderu ynglŷn ag anfon ei phlentyn yn ôl i'r ysgol hyd nes y bydd yn gweld bod masgiau wyneb ar gael yn ehangach, ac yn enwedig mewn ysgolion. Pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi iddi heddiw, a pha bryd y cawn wybodaeth bellach am gyfarpar diogelu personol a masgiau wyneb mewn ysgolion o fis Medi ymlaen?
There are only very, very specific circumstances where the Welsh Government advises that staff working in our schools should use a face mask. With regard to face coverings—because there is a significant difference between the two—we do not advise that face coverings are necessary within a school setting.
Dim ond mewn amgylchiadau penodol iawn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynghori y dylai staff sy'n gweithio yn ein hysgolion ddefnyddio masgiau wyneb. O ran gorchuddion wyneb—oherwydd mae cryn dipyn o wahaniaeth rhwng y ddau beth—nid ydym yn cynghori bod gorchuddion wyneb yn angenrheidiol mewn ysgolion.
7. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am gymorth addysgol i blant nad ydynt wedi dychwelyd i'r ysgol? OQ55418
7. Will the Minister make a statement on educational support for children who have not returned to school? OQ55418
I think, Janet, as learners return to the physical school environment, practitioners will be providing a combination of approaches, especially for those children for whom, perhaps, a return to school is not recommended at this time.
Rwy'n credu, Janet, wrth i ddysgwyr ddychwelyd i amgylchedd ffisegol yr ysgol, y bydd addysgwyr yn darparu cyfuniad o ddulliau, yn enwedig ar gyfer y plant nad argymhellir o bosibl eu bod yn dychwelyd i'r ysgol ar hyn o bryd.
Diolch. In April, an extra £3 million was announced to support digitally excluded learners, yet I am aware of many parents who have waited all these months for a laptop. I've even had issues around the provision of a dongle. So, can you confirm whether all digitally excluded learners in Wales have now been provided with the technology they need, and how will you address the shortfall? Last month a survey report found that only 1.9 per cent of students received four lessons per day that only 1.9 per cent of students received four lessons per day. What steps have you taken to improve this? Then, on Monday, you did announce that £1 million has been allocated to support those children to re-engage with education over the summer holiday, especially those who have not been in school. But I do ask: how realistic is it to expect this of children over the summer break, especially when many have simply been unable to access online learning during the actual summer term? Thank you.
Diolch. Ym mis Ebrill, cyhoeddwyd £300 miliwn ychwanegol i gefnogi dysgwyr sydd wedi'u hallgáu'n ddigidol, ac eto rwy'n ymwybodol fod llawer o rieni wedi aros yr holl fisoedd hyn am liniadur. Rwyf hyd yn oed wedi cael problemau’n ymwneud â darparu dongl. Felly, a allwch chi gadarnhau p'un a yw'r holl ddysgwyr sydd wedi'u hallgáu'n ddigidol yng Nghymru wedi cael y dechnoleg sydd ei hangen arnynt erbyn hyn, a sut yr ewch chi i'r afael â'r diffyg? Fis diwethaf canfu adroddiad arolwg mai dim ond 1.9 y cant o fyfyrwyr a oedd yn cael pedair gwers y dydd. Pa gamau rydych chi wedi'u cymryd i wella hyn? Wedyn, ddydd Llun, fe wnaethoch gyhoeddi bod £1 filiwn wedi'i ddyrannu i gefnogi'r plant hynny i ailgysylltu ag addysg dros wyliau'r haf, yn enwedig y rhai nad ydynt wedi bod yn yr ysgol. Ond rwy'n gofyn: pa mor realistig yw disgwyl hyn gan blant dros wyliau'r haf, yn enwedig pan nad yw nifer ohonynt wedi gallu manteisio ar ddysgu ar-lein yn ystod tymor yr haf ei hun? Diolch.
Janet, as I said in answer to Siân Gwenllian, schools have distributed over 10,000 individual devices, and over—. Actually, Welsh Government has provided over 10,000 software licences that allows the equipment to be converted into what a child needs. Actually, the number goes above that, because individual schools had already proactively sent out a number of devices.
If you are in touch with parents who say that they have not been able to get a laptop or a Mi-Fi device, then I respectfully suggest to you, Janet, that they either need to speak to their headteacher, or to their local authority who have been charged with co-ordinating this scheme. It is simply impossible, from Cardiff Bay, or indeed a poorly connected home in Brecon, to oversee the individual distribution of these laptops. So, Janet, you really need to ask your local authority why there are children in your area that have not got the support that they need.
Janet, fel y dywedais wrth ateb Siân Gwenllian, mae ysgolion wedi dosbarthu dros 10,000 o ddyfeisiau unigol, a thros—. Mewn gwirionedd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu dros 10,000 o drwyddedau meddalwedd sy'n caniatáu i'r offer gael ei droi'n beth sydd ei angen ar blentyn. Mewn gwirionedd, mae'r nifer yn uwch na hynny, oherwydd bod ysgolion unigol eisoes wedi mynd ati i ddarparu nifer o ddyfeisiau.
Os ydych chi mewn cysylltiad â rhieni sy'n dweud nad ydynt wedi gallu cael gliniadur neu ddyfais Mi-Fi, awgrymaf yn barchus i chi, Janet, fod angen iddynt siarad â'u pennaeth, neu â'u hawdurdod lleol sydd â chyfrifoldeb am gydlynu'r cynllun hwn. Mae'n amhosibl goruchwylio dosbarthiad gliniaduron unigol o Fae Caerdydd neu, yn wir, o gartref yn Aberhonddu â chysylltiad gwael. Felly, Janet, mae gwir angen i chi ofyn i'ch awdurdod lleol pam nad yw plant yn eich ardal yn cael y cymorth sydd ei hangen arnynt.
And finally, Jenny Rathbone—question 8.
Ac yn olaf, Jenny Rathbone—cwestiwn 8.
8. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i drawsnewid y broses o ddarparu addysg mewn meysydd chwarae ysgolion a lleoliadau awyr agored eraill yng ngoleuni'r pandemig COVID-19? OQ55420
8. What action is the Welsh Government taking to transform the delivery of education in school playgrounds and other outdoor settings in light of the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ55420
We have published operational and learning guidance for schools and settings that sets out the physical, mental and educational benefits of outdoor learning and emphasises that they should maximise the time learners spend outdoors. The benefits of outdoor learning are particularly relevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rydym wedi cyhoeddi canllawiau gweithredol a chanllawiau dysgu ar gyfer ysgolion a lleoliadau sy'n nodi manteision corfforol, meddyliol ac addysgol dysgu awyr agored ac sy'n pwysleisio y dylent wneud y mwyaf o'r amser y mae dysgwyr yn ei dreulio yn yr awyr agored. Mae manteision dysgu awyr agored yn arbennig o berthnasol yng nghyd-destun y pandemig COVID-19.