Y Cyfarfod Llawn
Plenary
02/03/2022Cynnwys
Contents
Yn y fersiwn ddwyieithog, mae’r golofn chwith yn cynnwys yr iaith a lefarwyd yn y cyfarfod. Mae’r golofn dde yn cynnwys cyfieithiad o’r areithiau hynny.
In the bilingual version, the left-hand column includes the language used during the meeting. The right-hand column includes a translation of those speeches.
Cyfarfu'r Senedd yn y Siambr a thrwy gynhadledd fideo am 13:29, gyda'r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met in the Chamber and by video-conference at 13:29, with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Croeso, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn. Cyn inni ddechrau, dwi angen nodi ychydig o bwyntiau. Cynhelir y cyfarfod hwn ar ffurf hybrid, gyda rhai Aelodau yn y Siambr ac eraill yn ymuno drwy gyswllt fideo. Bydd yr holl Aelodau sy'n cymryd rhan yn nhrafodion y Senedd, ble bynnag y bônt, yn cael eu trin yn gyfartal. 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 Cyfarfod Llawn heddiw, ac mae'r rheini wedi eu nodi ar eich agenda.
Welcome to this Plenary session. Before we begin, I want to set out a few points. This meeting will be held in a hybrid format, with some Members in the Senedd Chamber and others joining by video-conference. All Members participating in proceedings of the Senedd, wherever they may be, will be treated equally. A Plenary meeting held using video-conference, in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Welsh Parliament, constitutes Senedd proceedings for the purposes of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Some of the provisions of Standing Order 34 will apply for today's Plenary meeting, and these are noted on your agenda.
Eitem 1 yw'r cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd, ac mae cwestiwn 1 gan Peter Fox ac i'w ateb gan y Dirprwy Weinidog. Peter Fox.
Item 1 is questions to the Minister for Climate Change, and the first question is from Peter Fox and to be answered by the Deputy Minister. Peter Fox.
1. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i leihau'r perygl o lifogydd ar yr A4042 ger pont Llanelen? OQ57710
1. What action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce the risk of flooding on the A4042 at Llanellen bridge? OQ57710
Thank you. In recent years, we've improved the existing drainage at Llanellen to help with quickening recovery and the reopening time frame for the A4042 in the event of flooding. This year, we will also be conducting a Welsh transport appraisal guidance stage 1 to identify longer term options to help address the flooding issues.
Diolch. Yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, rydym wedi gwella'r systemau draenio presennol yn Llanelen i helpu i gyflymu adferiad a'r amserlen ar gyfer ailagor yr A4042 pan fydd llifogydd yn digwydd. Eleni, byddwn hefyd yn cyflawni cam 1 arweiniad ar arfarnu trafnidiaeth Cymru i nodi opsiynau mwy hirdymor i helpu i fynd i'r afael â'r problemau llifogydd.
Thank you, Minister, for the response and, yes, the A4042, of which Llanellen bridge is a part, is a trunk road vital to the movement of vehicles across Monmouthshire. It's even more important to enable patients now to access the Grange University Hospital from north Gwent and south Powys.
Now, as I know, Minister, you're aware, flooding at Llanellen bridge has been a perennial problem. Indeed, the bridge was closed yet again, due to flooding as a result of recent storms that hit the UK just recently. Not only does this result in disruption for residents, but it also creates longer journey times, as I mentioned, for ambulances to the Grange and, for medical emergencies such as that, a delay can have serious consequences.
I welcome the WelTAG process, which I think is going to be happening tomorrow, and I'll be joining that as a stakeholder and I do welcome that. Therefore, can I ask if the Welsh Government is committed to finding a permanent solution to the problem and that the issue will be swiftly tackled once potential mitigation measures have been identified? I say that because WelTAG processes can take many years, and the importance of that needs to be addressed pretty quickly.
Diolch am eich ymateb, Weinidog, ac ydy, mae’r A4042, y mae pont Llanelen yn rhan ohoni, yn gefnffordd hanfodol i gerbydau symud ar draws sir Fynwy. Mae'n bwysicach byth erbyn hyn gan ei bod yn galluogi cleifion i gyrraedd i Ysbyty Athrofaol y Faenor o ogledd Gwent a de Powys.
Nawr, fel y gwn eich bod chi'n gwybod, Weinidog, mae llifogydd ger pont Llanelen wedi bod yn broblem barhaus. Yn wir, caewyd y bont unwaith eto yn sgil llifogydd o ganlyniad i'r stormydd a welodd y DU yn ddiweddar iawn. Nid yn unig fod hyn yn tarfu ar drigolion, ond mae hefyd yn cynyddu amseroedd teithio ambiwlansys i ysbyty'r Faenor, fel y nodais, ac mewn argyfyngau meddygol o'r fath, gall oedi arwain at ganlyniadau difrifol.
Rwy'n croesawu proses yr arweiniad ar arfarnu trafnidiaeth Cymru, a fydd yn digwydd yfory, rwy'n credu, a byddaf yn ymuno fel rhanddeiliad ac rwy’n croesawu hynny. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i ddod o hyd i ateb parhaol i'r broblem, ac a fyddwch yn mynd i'r afael â'r broblem ar unwaith ar ôl i'r mesurau lliniaru posibl gael eu nodi? Dywedaf hynny gan y gall prosesau'r arweiniad ar arfarnu trafnidiaeth Cymru gymryd blynyddoedd lawer, ac mae'n bwysig mynd i’r afael â hynny'n gyflym.
Well, yes, as the Member notes, the bridge at Llanellen is a recognised flood-sensitivity site and does sometimes close during storm events or heavy rainfall. The situation has improved there after drainage work was carried out and the road has now opened quicker than previously because of that work.
The WelTAG process, as you know, is meant to be an open-minded process—it's not meant to start with an outcome in mind. And that's one of the problems we've seen consistently with the way it works, and that's one of the changes we want to bring about—to identify transport problems and work through solutions. But, as you say, the workshop is beginning tomorrow, so let's see where that process takes us.
We do recognise, of course, that, with increasing flooding and wild weather as a result of climate change, we're going to see more storm events and more infrastructure vulnerable to the effects of the weather. And I'm sure Members will have noted the report on Monday from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was a sobering and alarming read, and it told us the situation with climate change was worse than we thought and that there is a rapidly narrowing window of opportunity to build a more climate-resilient society. And one of the questions we have to ask is how we protect our infrastructure in such a context. We have a resilient roads fund this year of £18.5 million. We've asked the National Infrastructure Commission, as part of the partnership agreement with Plaid Cymru, to assess how to minimise flood impact on infrastructure, and the roads review is also looking at the role of maintenance and of infrastructure to deal with the changing climate.
Wel, ydy, fel y mae’r Aelod yn nodi, mae’r bont yn Llanelen yn safle y cydnabyddir ei bod yn agored i lifogydd, ac mae'n cau weithiau pan fo stormydd neu law trwm. Mae’r sefyllfa yno wedi gwella ar ôl gwaith draenio, ac mae’r ffordd bellach wedi ailagor yn gynt nag yn y gorffennol o ganlyniad i'r gwaith hwnnw.
Mae proses yr arweiniad ar arfarnu trafnidiaeth Cymru, fel y gwyddoch, i fod yn broses feddwl agored—ni ddylai ddechrau gyda chanlyniad mewn golwg. A dyna un o'r problemau a welsom yn gyson o ran y ffordd y mae'n gweithio, a dyna un o'r newidiadau yr ydym am eu sicrhau—nodi problemau trafnidiaeth a gweithio drwy atebion. Ond fel y dywedwch, mae’r gweithdy'n dechrau yfory, felly gadewch inni weld i ble mae’r broses honno yn ein harwain.
Gyda llifogydd a thywydd garw cynyddol o ganlyniad i newid hinsawdd, rydym yn cydnabod, wrth gwrs, y byddwn yn gweld mwy o stormydd a mwy o seilwaith yn agored i effeithiau'r tywydd. Ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Aelodau wedi nodi'r adroddiad ddydd Llun gan Banel Rhynglywodraethol y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar y Newid yn yr Hinsawdd, a oedd yn adroddiad sobreiddiol a brawychus, ac a ddywedai wrthym fod y sefyllfa gyda newid hinsawdd yn waeth nag a feddyliom, a bod y cyfle i adeiladu cymdeithas â mwy o allu i wrthsefyll y newid yn yr hinsawdd yn prysur ddiflannu. Ac un o’r cwestiynau y mae’n rhaid inni eu gofyn yw sut y mae diogelu ein seilwaith mewn cyd-destun o’r fath. Mae gennym gronfa ffyrdd cydnerth o £18.5 miliwn eleni. Rydym wedi gofyn i’r Comisiwn Seilwaith Cenedlaethol, fel rhan o’r cytundeb cydweithio â Phlaid Cymru, asesu sut i leihau effaith llifogydd ar seilwaith, ac mae’r adolygiad ffyrdd hefyd yn edrych ar rôl cynnal a chadw a rôl seilwaith wrth fynd i’r afael â’r newid yn yr hinsawdd.
2. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwella seilwaith trafnidiaeth yn Alun a Glannau Dyfrdwy? OQ57715
2. How is the Welsh Government improving transport infrastructure in Alyn and Deeside? OQ57715
Thank you. Our multimillion-pound north Wales metro programme will transform rail, bus and active travel services across the area. I have also announced a north Wales transport commission that will develop a pipeline of transport schemes for north Wales, including Alyn and Deeside.
Diolch. Bydd ein rhaglen gwerth miliynau o bunnoedd ar gyfer metro gogledd Cymru yn trawsnewid gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd, bysiau a theithio llesol ar draws yr ardal. Rwyf hefyd wedi cyhoeddi comisiwn trafnidiaeth gogledd Cymru a fydd yn datblygu llif o gynlluniau trafnidiaeth ar gyfer gogledd Cymru, gan gynnwys Alun a Glannau Dyfrdwy.
I'm grateful to the Minister for that response, and, of course, we await the outcome of the roads review you mentioned in the previous question and the decision on the red route in Deeside. Now, of course, the red route was conceived to reduce air pollution in recognition that residents need solutions to this very dangerous problem. If, for example, the red route were not to proceed, the expectation from me and the residents of Alyn and Deeside is that the money allocated to it should be spent tackling air pollution in Deeside, as I believe the case was when the M4 relief road was decided against in Newport. So, can I ask you, therefore, Deputy Minister, what consideration have you given to ring-fencing this money for the area where it originally was allocated to, to be spent on new projects that will help address this very Deeside-specific issue?
Diolch i’r Gweinidog am ei ymateb, ac wrth gwrs, rydym yn aros am ganlyniad yr adolygiad ffyrdd y sonioch chi amdano yn y cwestiwn blaenorol a’r penderfyniad ar y llwybr coch yng Nglannau Dyfrdwy. Nawr, wrth gwrs, bwriad y llwybr coch oedd lleihau llygredd aer gan gydnabod bod angen atebion ar drigolion i'r broblem beryglus hon. Pe na bai’r llwybr coch yn mynd rhagddo, er enghraifft, byddwn i a thrigolion Alun a Glannau Dyfrdwy yn disgwyl y dylid gwario’r arian a ddyrannwyd iddo ar fynd i’r afael â llygredd aer yng Nglannau Dyfrdwy, fel a ddigwyddodd, rwy'n credu, pan wnaed y penderfyniad yn erbyn ffordd liniaru’r M4 yng Nghasnewydd. A gaf fi ofyn i chi, felly, Ddirprwy Weinidog, pa ystyriaeth a roddwyd gennych i glustnodi’r arian hwn ar gyfer yr ardal lle cafodd ei ddyrannu’n wreiddiol, i’w wario ar brosiectau newydd a fydd yn helpu i fynd i’r afael â’r broblem hon sy’n benodol iawn i Lannau Dyfrdwy?
Thank you. As you say, the roads review is looking at the red route, along with 54 other schemes, and it's doing that methodically, and it will report in the summer. So, we shouldn't second-guess what the outcome of that process will be, because I'm assuming there will be road schemes going ahead, but I'm also assuming that a large number of them will not be. So, it's entirely reasonable to anticipate what would happen in that scenario. I think I'd just point to him, on the funding point of view, that this is estimated to be a £300 million scheme; we don't have £300 million sitting in our budget, waiting to be spent on this scheme. Indeed, the whole point of the Burns review into the M4 was to find the solution that cost half the price of the proposed M4 and which still addressed the congestion issue. So, what I'm hoping, through the roads review and the Burns commission for north Wales, is that we'll identify transport solutions to problems that are compatible with our climate change commitments, as well as addressing local transport problems, but we need to do it in a way that makes best use of the funding we have available, bearing in mind that I was just telling the Chamber about the grave situation we have with climate change.
Now, there is significant investment going into north Wales, into public transport improvements. From this May, we'll have an increasing number of services on the borderlands line, between Wrexham and Bidston, to two per hour. We'll have a new hourly service between Liverpool and Llandudno from December 2023, and, from December 2024, a new service every two hours between Liverpool and Cardiff, and an hourly service between Shrewsbury and Liverpool. So, I think, after a long and patient wait for the people of north Wales, the infrastructure investment we're putting in is now bearing fruit. The key task for the Burns commission is to stitch that together, because we want people to feel that the easiest way to get around is public transport for the majority of journeys. That's not the reality for most people at the moment, and our exam question is: how do we get that to change?
Diolch. Fel y dywedwch, mae’r adolygiad ffyrdd yn ystyried y llwybr coch, ynghyd â 54 o gynlluniau eraill, ac mae’n gwneud hynny mewn dull trefnus, a bydd yn adrodd yn yr haf. Felly, ni ddylem geisio dyfalu beth fydd canlyniad y broses honno, gan fy mod yn cymryd y bydd rhai cynlluniau ffyrdd yn mynd rhagddynt, ond rwyf hefyd yn cymryd na fydd nifer fawr ohonynt yn gwneud hynny. Felly, mae'n gwbl resymol meddwl am beth fyddai'n digwydd yn y sefyllfa honno. Credaf fy mod am ei atgoffa, o ran ariannu, yr amcangyfrifir y bydd hwn yn gynllun £300 miliwn; nid oes gennym £300 miliwn yn ein cyllideb yn aros i gael ei wario ar y cynllun hwn. Yn wir, holl ddiben adolygiad Burns i’r M4 oedd dod o hyd i ateb a oedd yn costio hanner cymaint â'r M4 arfaethedig ac a oedd yn dal i fynd i’r afael â'r broblem tagfeydd. Felly, yr hyn rwy'n ei obeithio, drwy'r adolygiad ffyrdd a chomisiwn Burns ar gyfer gogledd Cymru, yw y byddwn yn nodi atebion trafnidiaeth i broblemau sy'n gydnaws â'n hymrwymiadau newid hinsawdd, yn ogystal â mynd i'r afael â phroblemau trafnidiaeth lleol, ond mae angen inni wneud hynny mewn ffordd sy’n gwneud y defnydd gorau o’r cyllid sydd ar gael i ni, gan gofio fy mod newydd fod yn sôn wrth y Siambr am y sefyllfa ddifrifol rydym ynddi gyda newid hinsawdd.
Nawr, mae buddsoddiad sylweddol yn mynd i ogledd Cymru, i wella trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. O fis Mai, bydd nifer y gwasanaethau ar lein y gororau, rhwng Wrecsam a Bidston, yn cynyddu i ddau bob awr. Bydd gennym wasanaeth bob awr newydd rhwng Lerpwl a Llandudno o fis Rhagfyr 2023, ac o fis Rhagfyr 2024, gwasanaeth newydd bob dwy awr rhwng Lerpwl a Chaerdydd, a gwasanaeth bob awr rhwng Amwythig a Lerpwl. Felly, ar ôl i bobl y gogledd fod aros yn hir ac amyneddgar, credaf fod y buddsoddiad rydym yn ei wneud yn y seilwaith bellach yn dwyn ffrwyth. Y dasg allweddol i gomisiwn Burns yw gosod hynny at ei gilydd, gan ein bod am i bobl deimlo mai’r ffordd hawsaf o fynd o le i le yw drwy drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ar gyfer y rhan fwyaf o deithiau. Nid dyna’r realiti i’r rhan fwyaf o bobl ar hyn o bryd, a’r cwestiwn i ni yw: sut y mae newid hynny?
The prospectus issued in 2016 by the Growth Track 360 partnership—a cross-border alliance of business, political and public sector leaders, including the North Wales Economic Ambition Board and the Mersey Dee Alliance—stated that being able to link into HS2 would reduce congestion, improve business logistics and attract investment and jobs. And in January, the Growth Track 360 partnership welcomed the introduction of the UK High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill, which will facilitate the construction of HS2, where confirmed plans include the new junction north of Crewe station that they had called for. In fact, their vice-chair, leader of Flintshire County Council, said,
'Our industrial, commercial and tourism destinations would receive a tremendous boost through enhanced direct rail connectivity with London, Manchester and Manchester Airport provided by HS2 if our local lines are upgraded at the same time.'
But when the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Mersey Dee north Wales raised a similar issue in the House of Commons—the Vale of Clwyd MP, Dr James Davies—he got quite an encouraging response from the relevant UK Minister, who said that they would engage positively with the union connectivity review, which included connections between Wales and Northern Ireland, published last November. So, what engagement are you having with all these various agencies, to capitalise on the opportunities that they're all seeking, and the general welcome they've all given to January's announcement?
Roedd y prosbectws a gyhoeddwyd yn 2016 gan bartneriaeth Growth Track 360—cynghrair drawsffiniol o arweinwyr busnes, gwleidyddol a'r sector cyhoeddus, gan gynnwys Bwrdd Uchelgais Economaidd Gogledd Cymru a Chynghrair Mersi a’r Ddyfrdwy—yn nodi y byddai gallu cysylltu â HS2 yn lleihau tagfeydd, yn gwella logisteg busnes ac yn denu buddsoddiad a swyddi. Ac ym mis Ionawr, croesawodd partneriaeth Growth Track 360 Fil Rheilffyrdd Cyflym (Crewe-Manceinion) y DU, a fydd yn hwyluso’r gwaith o adeiladu HS2, lle mae cynlluniau a gadarnhawyd yn cynnwys y gyffordd newydd yr oeddent wedi galw amdani i’r gogledd o orsaf Crewe. Mewn gwirionedd, dywedodd eu his-gadeirydd, arweinydd Cyngor Sir y Fflint,
'Byddai ein cyrchfannau diwydiannol, masnachol a thwristiaeth yn cael hwb aruthrol yn sgil gwella cysylltedd rheilffordd uniongyrchol â Llundain, Manceinion a Maes Awyr Manceinion fel y byddai HS2 yn ei gynnig pe bai ein rheilffyrdd lleol yn cael eu huwchraddio ar yr un pryd.'
Ond pan gododd cadeirydd y grŵp seneddol hollbleidiol ar gyfer Glannau Mersi Dyfrdwy gogledd Cymru fater tebyg yn Nhŷ’r Cyffredin—Aelod Seneddol Dyffryn Clwyd, Dr James Davies—cafodd ymateb eithaf calonogol gan Weinidog perthnasol y DU, a ddywedodd y byddent yn ymgysylltu’n gadarnhaol â’r adolygiad o gysylltedd yr undeb, a oedd yn cynnwys cysylltiadau rhwng Cymru a Gogledd Iwerddon, a gyhoeddwyd fis Tachwedd diwethaf. Felly, pa ymgysylltiad sydd rhyngoch a'r holl asiantaethau amrywiol hyn, i fanteisio ar y cyfleoedd y mae pob un ohonynt yn ceisio'u sicrhau, a'r croeso cyffredinol y mae pob un ohonynt wedi'i roi i gyhoeddiad mis Ionawr?
Well, I was pleased that Growth Track 360 warmly welcomed the announcement of the north Wales transport commission, and that responds both to the recommendation of the roads review and to the union connectivity review by Sir Peter Hendy, which called for a multimodal study across north Wales. Obviously, part of that work will be looking at how rail services in the north can connect through to HS2, if and when it arrives, though I think we should be all concerned about the lack of investment in Wales by the UK Government on rail and the lack of a Barnett consequential from the money from HS2. I note he's optimistic in pointing to the benefits to the north of having some connectivity into a line in England, but there is no benefit directly for passengers in Wales, or for infrastructure in Wales, and that should concern us all, across all parties.
Wel, roeddwn yn falch fod Growth Track 360 wedi rhoi croeso cynnes i gyhoeddiad comisiwn trafnidiaeth gogledd Cymru, ac mae hwnnw'n ymateb i argymhelliad yr adolygiad ffyrdd ac i'r adolygiad o gysylltedd yr undeb gan Syr Peter Hendy, a oedd yn galw am astudiaeth aml-ddull ar draws gogledd Cymru. Yn amlwg, bydd rhan o'r gwaith hwnnw'n ymwneud ag edrych ar sut y gall gwasanaethau rheilffordd yn y gogledd gysylltu â HS2, os a phan fydd yn cyrraedd, er y credaf y dylai pob un ohonom fod yn bryderus ynglŷn â'r diffyg buddsoddiad yng Nghymru gan Lywodraeth y DU mewn perthynas â rheilffyrdd, a'r diffyg cyllid canlyniadol Barnett yn sgil arian HS2. Sylwaf ei fod yn optimistaidd wrth dynnu sylw at fanteision i’r gogledd o ganlyniad i rywfaint o gysylltedd â rheilffordd yn Lloegr, ond nid oes unrhyw fudd uniongyrchol i deithwyr yng Nghymru, nac i'r seilwaith yng Nghymru, a dylai hynny beri pryder i bob un ohonom, o bob plaid.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau, ac yn gyntaf y prynhawn yma, llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Natasha Asghar.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. First of all this afternoon, the Conservative spokesperson, Natasha Asghar.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Deputy Minister, last week, the economy Minister unveiled the Welsh Government's national space strategy, outlining its ambition to achieve a 5 per cent share of the UK space sector, which would equate to £2 billion a year for the Welsh economy. The strategy is focused on growing the potential of current and future developments in the space sector here in Wales, including space launch training and experience capability, together with the testing and evaluation of new, greener propulsion technologies at Llanbedr. It's clear this announcement calls into question the decision of your roads review panel to cancel the proposed Llanbedr bypass, wasting £1.7 million of taxpayers' money in the process. As the criteria influencing the decision have now surely changed, will you now agree to reconsider this matter and ask the panel to review its decision in view of the potential economic benefits for the area and the whole of Wales?
Diolch, Lywydd. Ddirprwy Weinidog, yr wythnos diwethaf, cyhoeddodd Gweinidog yr economi strategaeth ofod genedlaethol Llywodraeth Cymru, gan amlinellu ei huchelgais i sicrhau cyfran o 5 y cant o sector gofod y DU, a fyddai’n cyfateb i £2 biliwn y flwyddyn i economi Cymru. Mae’r strategaeth yn canolbwyntio ar dyfu potensial datblygiadau ar hyn o bryd ac yn y dyfodol yn y sector gofod yma yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys gallu hyfforddi a phrofi lansio i'r gofod, ynghyd â phrofi a gwerthuso technolegau gyriant gwyrddach newydd yn Llanbedr. Mae’n amlwg fod y cyhoeddiad hwn yn bwrw amheuaeth ar benderfyniad eich panel adolygu ffyrdd i ganslo ffordd osgoi arfaethedig Llanbedr, gan wastraffu £1.7 miliwn o arian trethdalwyr yn y broses. Gan fod y meini prawf sy’n dylanwadu ar y penderfyniad yn sicr o fod wedi newid bellach, a wnewch chi gytuno nawr i ailystyried y mater hwn a gofyn i’r panel adolygu ei benderfyniad o ystyried y manteision economaidd posibl i’r ardal ac i Gymru gyfan?
Well, again, I will just tell Natasha Asghar what I said to the Chamber at the beginning: the panel report on climate change that was published on Monday said the situation facing all of us is worse than they thought—it is at the upper end of the projections of the impact of global warming and the catastrophic impact that will have on our economy and our society. It said we have already been impacted, changes locked in, and there is now a rapidly narrowing window of opportunity to build a climate-resilient society. I think we should all take that seriously. We can't de-link these things because we want to score political points about a different issue. The roads review panel, as part of its criteria, looked at the impact of climate change on transport and the pipeline of projects we had, and concluded the Llanbedr scheme was not consistent with the Wales transport strategy and was not consistent with achieving net zero. Now, I don't think that can be lightly set aside.
If you read the panel report on the airfield, it did show, in terms of access to that site, there were other options, and we have committed to work with Gwynedd council to explore those options to see what can be done. But we still come back to the fundamental point: climate change has profound and far-reaching consequences for us all, and we need to start reflecting that in the decisions we make. It's no good the Conservatives signing up to targets when every single time a decision is made as a consequence of those targets, they call for a different approach. It's not consistent.
Wel, unwaith eto, dywedaf wrth Natasha Asghar yr hyn a ddywedais wrth y Siambr ar y dechrau: dywedai adroddiad y panel ar newid hinsawdd a gyhoeddwyd ddydd Llun fod y sefyllfa sy'n wynebu pob un ohonom yn waeth nag a feddylient—mae ar ben uchaf yr amcanestyniadau o effaith cynhesu byd-eang a’r effaith drychinebus a gaiff hynny ar ein heconomi a’n cymdeithas. Dywedai ein bod eisoes wedi cael ein heffeithio, fod y newidiadau'n ddiwrthdro, a bod y cyfle i adeiladu cymdeithas â mwy o allu i wrthsefyll newid hinsawdd yn prysur ddiflannu. Credaf y dylai pob un ohonom fod o ddifrif ynglŷn â hynny. Ni allwn ddatgysylltu’r pethau hyn am ein bod am sgorio pwyntiau gwleidyddol am fater gwahanol. Edrychodd y panel adolygu ffyrdd, fel rhan o’u meini prawf, ar effaith newid hinsawdd ar drafnidiaeth a’r llif o brosiectau sydd gennym, a daethant i’r casgliad nad oedd cynllun Llanbedr yn gydnaws â strategaeth drafnidiaeth Cymru, ac nad oedd yn gydnaws â chyflawni sero net. Nawr, ni chredaf y gellir anwybyddu hynny ar chwarae bach.
Os darllenwch adroddiad y panel ar y maes awyr, o ran mynediad i’r safle hwnnw, dangosai fod opsiynau eraill i'w cael, ac rydym wedi ymrwymo i weithio gyda chyngor Gwynedd i archwilio’r opsiynau hynny i weld beth y gellir ei wneud. Ond rydym yn dal i ddod yn ôl at y pwynt sylfaenol: mae canlyniadau dwys ac arwyddocaol i bawb ohonom yn sgil newid hinsawdd, ac mae angen inni ddechrau adlewyrchu hynny yn y penderfyniadau a wnawn. Nid yw o unrhyw werth i'r Ceidwadwyr ymrwymo i dargedau pan fyddant yn galw am ddull gwahanol o fynd ati bob tro y gwneir penderfyniad o ganlyniad i'r targedau hynny. Nid yw'n gyson.
Okay. Thank you, Deputy Minister. I can assure you we are all concerned about climate change. There's no denying that, and I think my colleagues across this bench, and even in Westminster, will agree with me on that. However, having seen the information that was released by the Minister for Economy, it was clear that some of the areas that were in question are protected, so that causes a concern for us as to how this is actually going to be made a reality.
Coming to my second question, I've already mentioned the cancellation of the Llanbedr bypass wasting £1.7 million of taxpayers' money on a few occasions now in this Chamber. Since then, the roads review panel has cancelled plans to remove the roundabouts at junctions 15 and 16 on the A55, wasting nearly £9 million. So, Deputy Minister, so far your policy has poured £10.5 million of taxpayers' money down the drain, and there are still more than 50 projects to improve Wales's road infrastructure under review at present. I've asked the question before and make no apology for asking it again, as I do not believe that the information is readily available to me or others. So, in the interests of transparency and accountability, if the roads review panel were to cancel each and every single one of the projects currently under review, what would be the total amount of money already spent that would be lost? Thanks.
Iawn. Diolch, Ddirprwy Weinidog. Gallaf eich sicrhau bod pob un ohonom yn pryderu am newid hinsawdd. Nid oes modd ei wadu, a chredaf y bydd fy nghyd-Aelodau ar y fainc hon, a hyd yn oed yn San Steffan, yn cytuno â mi ar hynny. Fodd bynnag, ar ôl gweld y wybodaeth a gyhoeddwyd gan Weinidog yr Economi, roedd yn amlwg fod rhai o’r meysydd dan sylw wedi’u diogelu, felly mae hynny’n peri pryder i ni ynglŷn â sut y bydd hyn yn cael ei wireddu.
Gan ddod at fy ail gwestiwn, rwyf eisoes wedi sôn am ganslo ffordd osgoi Llanbedr gan wastraffu £1.7 miliwn o arian trethdalwyr ar sawl achlysur bellach yn y Siambr hon. Ers hynny, mae’r panel adolygu ffyrdd wedi canslo cynlluniau i gael gwared ar y cylchfannau ar gyffyrdd 15 ac 16 ar yr A55, gan wastraffu bron i £9 miliwn. Felly, Ddirprwy Weinidog, hyd yn hyn, mae eich polisi wedi arllwys £10.5 miliwn o arian trethdalwyr i lawr y draen, ac mae mwy na 50 o brosiectau i wella seilwaith ffyrdd Cymru yn cael eu hadolygu ar hyn o bryd. Rwyf wedi gofyn y cwestiwn o'r blaen ac nid wyf yn ymddiheuro am ei ofyn eto, gan nad wyf yn credu bod y wybodaeth ar gael yn hawdd i mi nac i eraill. Felly, er mwyn sicrhau tryloywder ac atebolrwydd, pe bai’r panel adolygu ffyrdd yn canslo pob un o’r prosiectau sy’n cael eu hadolygu ar hyn o bryd, beth fyddai cyfanswm yr arian sydd wedi'i wario eisoes a fyddai’n cael ei golli? Diolch.
Well, the roads review panel hasn't reached a conclusion yet, other than on two schemes it was asked to fast track. On both of those schemes, it's published the rationale for why, on balance, those were the best decisions to go forward. Clearly, schemes have had money invested in them. Many of the investments in the A55 junctions, for example, as we've already discussed in the Chamber but I'm happy to repeat it, were on studies that would be still be useful to the Burns commission in the north for its future work. So, it's not wasted; it has been redirected.
But, at some point, we need to pull a handbrake on schemes, because the logic of her position is we keep investing in schemes because some investment's been put in regardless of their impact on carbon emissions, regardless of their impact on air quality, regardless of their impact on congestion and climate change. And I don't think that is consistent with what the science is telling us, for needing to look afresh and to take different action. At the heart of this is that all of us have to confront the fact the science is telling us we need to change direction, and changing direction has consequences.
Wel, nid yw'r panel adolygu ffyrdd wedi dod i gasgliad eto, ac eithrio ar ddau gynllun y gofynnwyd iddynt eu rhoi ar lwybr carlam. Ac ar gyfer y ddau gynllun, maent wedi cyhoeddi'r rheswm pam, at ei gilydd, mai dyna'r penderfyniad gorau wrth symud ymlaen. Yn amlwg, mae arian wedi’i fuddsoddi mewn cynlluniau. Fel rydym wedi'i drafod eisoes yn y Siambr, ond rwy’n fwy na pharod i’w ailadrodd, roedd llawer o’r buddsoddiadau yng nghyffyrdd yr A55, er enghraifft, ar gyfer astudiaethau a fyddai’n dal i fod yn ddefnyddiol i gomisiwn Burns yn y gogledd ar gyfer ei waith yn y dyfodol. Felly, nid yw wedi'i wastraffu; mae wedi'i ailgyfeirio.
Ond ar ryw bwynt, mae angen inni ddod â chynlluniau i ben, oherwydd rhesymeg ei safbwynt yw ein bod yn parhau i fuddsoddi mewn cynlluniau am fod rhywfaint o fuddsoddiad wedi'i wneud, ni waeth beth fo'u heffaith ar allyriadau carbon, ni waeth beth fo'u heffaith ar ansawdd aer, ni waeth beth fo'u heffaith ar dagfeydd a newid hinsawdd. Ac ni chredaf fod hynny'n gydnaws â'r hyn y mae'r wyddoniaeth yn ei ddweud wrthym am yr angen i edrych o'r newydd a rhoi camau gwahanol ar waith. Wrth wraidd hyn, mae'n rhaid i bob un ohonom wynebu'r ffaith bod gwyddoniaeth yn dweud wrthym fod angen inni newid cyfeiriad, ac mae canlyniadau i newid cyfeiriad.
Okay. Deputy Minister, you were recently reported as saying that electric buses—this will be something that I know you'll enjoy [Laughter.]—should be made in Wales instead of being imported from China, expressing the wish to see an electric bus factory opened here to create greener jobs. In response, Andy Palmer, the chief executive of Switch Mobility, one of the handful of UK-based companies already making electric buses, said he had approached the Welsh Government to build a factory but had received no traction. Recently, electric buses have been bought from China by bus companies in Newport and Cardiff, which is great news. Bus operators have claimed the plan to move the whole of Wales's bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2035 needs a nationwide funding plan, but Wales does not have a Government-run fund to help them with the cost of green vehicles infrastructure, unlike England and Scotland. John Dowie, the director of partnerships of First UK, which owns First Cymru, said it's time for Wales to set up its own scheme that's suited to Welsh circumstances and drive its own agenda, not just wait to pick up the crumbs from England. Deputy Minister, when will you bring forward a funding scheme to support the transition to electric buses in Wales, as they have done in England and Scotland? Thank you.
Iawn. Ddirprwy Weinidog, dywedir eich bod wedi dweud yn ddiweddar y dylai bysiau trydan—bydd hyn yn rhywbeth y gwn y byddwch yn ei fwynhau [Chwerthin.]—y dylai bysiau trydan gael eu gwneud yng Nghymru yn hytrach na chael eu mewnforio o Tsieina, gan fynegi dymuniad i agor ffatri fysiau trydan yma i greu swyddi gwyrddach. Mewn ymateb, dywedodd Andy Palmer, prif weithredwr Switch Mobility, un o’r llond llaw o gwmnïau yn y DU sydd eisoes yn gwneud bysiau trydan, ei fod wedi cysylltu â Llywodraeth Cymru ynghylch adeiladu ffatri ond nad yw wedi gwneud fawr o gynnydd. Yn ddiweddar, mae cwmnïau bysiau yng Nghasnewydd a Chaerdydd wedi prynu bysiau trydan o Tsieina, sy’n newyddion gwych. Mae gweithredwyr bysiau wedi honni bod angen cynllun ariannu cenedlaethol ar gyfer y cynllun i newid fflyd fysiau Cymru gyfan yn gerbydau allyriadau sero erbyn 2035, ond nid oes gan Gymru gronfa a reolir gan y Llywodraeth i’w helpu gyda chost seilwaith cerbydau gwyrdd, yn wahanol i Loegr a'r Alban. Dywedodd John Dowie, cyfarwyddwr partneriaethau First UK, sy’n berchen ar First Cymru, ei bod yn bryd i Gymru sefydlu ei chynllun ei hun sy’n addas ar gyfer amgylchiadau Cymru a llywio ei hagenda ei hun, yn hytrach nag aros i godi briwsion Lloegr. Ddirprwy Weinidog, pa bryd y byddwch yn cyflwyno cynllun ariannu i gefnogi’r newid i fysiau trydan yng Nghymru, fel y maent wedi’i wneud yn Lloegr a’r Alban? Diolch.
Well, as Natasha Asghar has already very generously noted, we are investing in the transition to electric buses, particularly in Cardiff and Newport, where they have municipally owned bus companies. I want to do two things to make systemic change, rather than simply making announcements that please the industry. The first is to design a bus system that is coherent and where investment from Wales doesn't leak out. Now, at the moment, we have a fragmented commercial privatised system, where private bus companies are expecting the taxpayer to fund their capital, and then they'd pocket the profit and then don't give us services that are coherent and give people a chance to shift transport modes. That needs fixing, and that's what's going to be addressed in the forthcoming bus White Paper.
Secondly, I want a domestic industry to produce electric buses, and I think there is an economic opportunity for Wales. Rather than investing significant sums—hundreds of millions of pounds—to buy Chinese buses there's a chance to develop a Welsh and British bus industry. You mentioned an investor there. What we don't want is simply to fall back into the inward investment model. There's a chance to build local companies here; build the missing middle that we've often talked about. I set up a taskforce, led by James Davies, the chair and chief exec of Industry Wales, to look at how we can aggregate demand. At the moment, there are a lot of order books coming through the public sector. If we bring them together, pool our orders, there's a chance for a Welsh industry to emerge, and that's the work that we're doing.
Wel, fel y mae Natasha Asghar eisoes wedi nodi’n garedig iawn, rydym yn buddsoddi yn y newid i fysiau trydan, yn enwedig yng Nghaerdydd a Chasnewydd, lle mae ganddynt gwmnïau bysiau sy'n eiddo dinesig. Hoffwn wneud dau beth i sicrhau newid systemig, yn hytrach na gwneud cyhoeddiadau sy’n plesio’r diwydiant yn unig. Y cyntaf yw dylunio system fysiau sy'n gydlynol, lle nad yw buddsoddiad o Gymru yn diferu allan o'r wlad. Nawr, ar hyn o bryd, mae gennym system breifat fasnachol dameidiog, lle mae cwmnïau bysiau preifat yn disgwyl i'r trethdalwr ariannu eu cyfalaf, ac yna maent yn pocedu'r elw heb roi gwasanaethau cydlynol i ni na rhoi cyfle i bobl newid dulliau trafnidiaeth. Mae angen unioni hynny, a dyna fydd dan sylw yn y Papur Gwyn ar fysiau sydd ar y ffordd.
Yn ail, hoffwn weld diwydiant domestig yn cynhyrchu bysiau trydan, a chredaf fod yma gyfle economaidd i Gymru. Yn hytrach na buddsoddi symiau sylweddol—cannoedd o filiynau o bunnoedd—i brynu bysiau o Tsieina, mae cyfle yma i ddatblygu diwydiant bysiau Cymreig a Phrydeinig. Fe sonioch chi am fuddsoddwr. Yr hyn nad ydym am ei wneud yw dychwelyd at y model mewnfuddsoddi. Mae cyfle yma i adeiladu cwmnïau lleol; adeiladu'r canol coll yr ydym wedi sôn amdano'n fynych. Sefydlais dasglu, dan arweiniad James Davies, cadeirydd a phrif weithredwr Diwydiant Cymru, i archwilio sut y gallwn gydgrynhoi'r galw. Ar hyn o bryd, mae llawer o lyfrau archebion yn dod drwy’r sector cyhoeddus. Os down â hwy ynghyd, a chronni ein harchebion, mae cyfle i ddiwydiant Cymreig ddatblygu, a dyna'r gwaith yr ydym yn ei wneud.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru nawr, Mabon ap Gwynfor.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Mabon ap Gwynfor.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Mae Canolfan Cydweithredol Cymru newydd ryddhau adroddiad sydd yn galw ar i'r Llywodraeth gyflwyno Deddf grymuso a pherchnogaeth gymunedol er mwyn cynorthwyo grwpiau cymunedol i ddatblygu tai fforddiadwy parhaol yn eu cymunedau. Mae'r adroddiad yn dangos sut mae'r system dai presennol, o dan reolaeth y farchnad agored, yn methu pobl a chymunedau Cymru. Wrth fod prisiau tai yn codi'n sylweddol ar draws Cymru a diffyg tai fforddiadwy go iawn i bobl leol, gall polisïau’r ganolfan gydweithredol chwarae rhan bwysig wrth i ni edrych i sicrhau tai cymunedol o dan berchnogaeth leol. Mae'r adroddiad yn galw ar y Llywodraeth i sefydlu comisiwn i annog meddwl arloesol ar berchnogaeth leol o dir ac asedau yng Nghymru, i gyflwyno Deddf grymuso a pherchnogaeth leol, i ddatblygu bas data neu gofrestr o berchnogaeth tir, i sefydlu cronfa cymorth ariannol ar gyfer prosiectau tai sy'n cael eu harwain yn gymunedol, ac i ddatblygu proses ffurfiol ar gyfer trosglwyddo asedau cymunedol.
Ydy'r Gweinidog yn cytuno y byddai cynlluniau o'r fath o fudd i bobl Cymru? Ac a wnaiff hi ystyried cynnwys argymhellion y ganolfan gydweithredol fel rhan o raglen ddeddfwriaethol y Llywodraeth? A gobeithio hefyd y byddwch chi yn cytuno â mi fod y gallu i gymunedau lwyddo i ddelifro ymrwymiadau tai yn ddibynnol ar argaeledd tir fyddai'n galluogi grwpiau i adeiladu tai cymunedol. Pa gamau mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd i gofrestru perchnogaeth tir ac adnabod tir sydd yn addas at ddatblygu anghenion cymunedol?
Thank you very much, Llywydd. The Wales Co-operative Centre has just released a report that calls on the Government to introduce a community ownership and empowerment Act to assist local community groups to develop permanent affordable housing in their communities. The report demonstrates how the current housing system, controlled by the open market, is failing people and communities in Wales. As house prices rise significantly across Wales and there's a lack of real affordable housing for local people, then the policies of the co-operative centre can play an important role as we look to ensure locally owned community housing. The report calls on the Government to establish a commission to encourage innovative thinking on local ownership of land and assets in Wales, to introduce a local ownership and empowerment Act, to develop a database or register of land ownership, to establish a financial support fund for housing projects that are led on a community level, and to develop a formal process for transferring community assets.
Does the Minister agree that such proposals would benefit the people of Wales? And will she consider including the recommendations of the co-operative centre as part of the Government's legislative programme? And I hope you would also agree with me that the ability of communities to to deliver housing commitments is dependent on the availability of land that will enable groups to build community housing. So, what steps is the Government taking to register land ownership and to identify land that is appropriate for developing community needs?
Apologies, I lost a little bit of the translation there, but I got the gist of it, I think, so, forgive me if I haven't got a nuance, especially right at the end there. I don't know why it suddenly cut out for some reason. So, we absolutely welcome the work done by the co-operative centre. We absolutely agree that community-led housing is very much part of the housing solution in Wales and absolutely will contribute towards the delivery of our 20,000 social homes target. We've already reaffirmed that through the programme for government: our commitment to support co-operative housing, community-led initiatives and community land trusts. And I'm very pleased to be able to say that, just last week, we've been able to increase the grant to the co-op centre in order to facilitate a lot of this work. So, really pleased to have been able to do that.
The absolute core principle, as Mabon says, is to enable people to take more control of how their housing is delivered and managed. So, our support through the Communities Creating Homes programme, which is delivered by the Wales Co-operative Centre, has engaged and supported 64 groups since the start of the programme, in 2019, so far. There are also a number of opportunities available at the moment, particularly in rural communities, and I am pleased the current programme for support has influenced policies, including our Nest scheme, and it links to wider Welsh Government policies and programmes to provide real opportunities to overcome some of the barriers facing community-led groups.
But I agree that more needs to be done to facilitate this and to embed it, if you like, in the culture that we want to have. We're doing a piece of ongoing work to explore what additional support is needed through a future community-led housing programme. We've also been in discussions with the Wales Co-operative Centre regarding funding for community groups for several months now, and I'm looking forward to hearing the outcomes of those discussions as well. We meet very regularly—I meet with them, and my officials meet very regularly—with the Wales Co-operative Centre.
I welcome the report, but some of it—. Unfortunately, we haven't had an interaction over it yet, so I'll be looking forward to having that interaction. So, for example, it's clearly an expensive duplication of effort for Welsh Government to mimic the work of the UK Land Registry, but there's a real validity in making the available information much more readily accessible to community groups, and we're doing a big piece of work with DataMapWales that will help realise the ambitions laid out in the report for that, for example. There are a number of things where I'll be wanting to go through the report and just point out where we are, where we're happy to accept the recommendation, and where we've already actually taken some steps towards doing what's recommended there.
I'm really happy as well to have been able to facilitate community land trusts and co-operative housing with a registered social landlord partner to access the social housing grant, and I'm sure the Member is aware of the Solva community land trust, which we're looking at as a sort of pilot to see how well that works. We have a number of other groups doing it as well. So, in principle, I completely agree. We need to work through some of the detail to make sure that we've got the best bang for our buck—sorry, a terrible cliche, but you see where I'm going. We're also, as it happens, doing some of it, but not quite in the way the report sets out. So, in principle, we're absolutely on board with that, and I'm really keen to see as large a number of people come together in co-operative housing as we can manage in Wales.
Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, collais ychydig o'r cyfieithiad, ond fe gefais yr hanfodion, rwy'n credu, felly maddeuwch i mi os nad wyf wedi deall ychydig o'r manylion, yn enwedig ar y diwedd. Nid wyf yn gwybod pam y methodd yn sydyn am ryw reswm. Felly, rydym yn sicr yn croesawu’r gwaith a wnaed gan y ganolfan gydweithredol. Rydym yn cytuno’n llwyr fod tai a arweinir gan y gymuned yn rhan fawr iawn o’r ateb tai yng Nghymru, ac y byddant yn sicr yn cyfrannu at gyflawni ein targed o 20,000 o gartrefi cymdeithasol. Rydym eisoes wedi ailddatgan hynny drwy’r rhaglen lywodraethu: ein hymrwymiad i gefnogi tai cydweithredol, mentrau a arweinir gan y gymuned ac ymddiriedolaethau tir cymunedol. Ac rwy'n falch iawn o allu dweud ein bod wedi gallu cynyddu'r grant i'r ganolfan gydweithredol yr wythnos diwethaf er mwyn hwyluso llawer o'r gwaith hwn. Felly, rwy'n falch iawn o fod wedi gallu gwneud hynny.
Yr egwyddor graidd hollbwysig, fel y dywed Mabon, yw galluogi pobl i gymryd mwy o reolaeth ar sut y caiff eu tai eu darparu a’u rheoli. Felly, mae ein cymorth drwy raglen Cymunedau’n Creu Cartrefi, a ddarperir gan Ganolfan Cydweithredol Cymru, wedi cynnwys a chefnogi 64 o grwpiau hyd yma ers dechrau’r rhaglen yn 2019. Ceir nifer o gyfleoedd ar hyn o bryd hefyd, yn enwedig mewn cymunedau gwledig, ac rwy’n falch fod y rhaglen gymorth gyfredol wedi dylanwadu ar bolisïau, gan gynnwys ein cynllun Nyth, ac mae’n cysylltu â pholisïau a rhaglenni ehangach Llywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu cyfleoedd go iawn i oresgyn rhai o’r rhwystrau sy’n wynebu grwpiau a arweinir gan y gymuned.
Ond cytunaf fod angen gwneud mwy i hwyluso hyn a’i ymgorffori, os mynnwch, yn y diwylliant yr hoffem ei weld. Rydym yn gwneud gwaith parhaus i archwilio pa gymorth ychwanegol sydd ei angen drwy raglen tai a arweinir gan y gymuned yn y dyfodol. Rydym hefyd wedi bod yn cynnal trafodaethau gyda Chanolfan Cydweithredol Cymru ynghylch cyllid ar gyfer grwpiau cymunedol ers sawl mis bellach, ac edrychaf ymlaen at glywed canlyniadau’r trafodaethau hynny hefyd. Rydym yn cyfarfod yn rheolaidd iawn—rwy’n cyfarfod, ac mae fy swyddogion yn cyfarfod yn rheolaidd iawn—â Chanolfan Cydweithredol Cymru.
Rwy'n croesawu'r adroddiad, ond mae rhywfaint ohono—. Yn anffodus, nid ydym wedi rhyngweithio yn ei gylch eto, felly edrychaf ymlaen at y rhyngweithio hwnnw. Felly, er enghraifft, mae i Lywodraeth Cymru efelychu gwaith Cofrestrfa Tir y DU yn amlwg yn dyblygu ymdrech drud, ond mae sicrhau bod yr wybodaeth ar gael yn llawer haws i grwpiau cymunedol yn werthfawr iawn, ac rydym yn gwneud gwaith gyda MapDataCymru a fydd yn helpu i wireddu’r uchelgeisiau a nodir yn yr adroddiad ar gyfer hynny, er enghraifft. Mae nifer o bethau lle byddaf am fynd drwy'r adroddiad i nodi lle'r ydym arni gyda hwy, lle'r ydym yn hapus i dderbyn yr argymhelliad, a lle'r ydym eisoes wedi rhoi camau ar waith tuag at wneud yr hyn a argymhellir.
Rwy’n falch iawn hefyd o fod wedi gallu hwyluso'r ffordd i ymddiriedolaethau tir cymunedol a thai cydweithredol gyda phartner sy'n landlord cymdeithasol cofrestredig gael mynediad at y grant tai cymdeithasol, ac rwy’n siŵr fod yr Aelod yn ymwybodol o ymddiriedolaeth tir cymunedol Solfach, gan ein bod yn edrych ar hwnnw fel rhyw fath o gynllun peilot i weld pa mor dda y mae'n gweithio. Mae gennym nifer o grwpiau eraill yn gwneud hyn hefyd. Felly, mewn egwyddor, rwy’n cytuno’n llwyr. Mae angen inni weithio drwy rai o'r manylion i sicrhau ein bod yn cael gwerth am arian—mae'n ddrwg gennyf, ystrydeb ofnadwy, ond rydych yn deall yr hyn rwy'n ceisio'i ddweud. Rydym hefyd, fel y mae'n digwydd, yn gwneud rhywfaint o hyn, ond nid yn union fel y mae'r adroddiad yn ei nodi. Felly, mewn egwyddor, rydym yn gwbl gefnogol i hynny, ac rwy'n awyddus iawn i weld cymaint o bobl ag y gallwn ymdopi â hwy yn dod at ei gilydd yn y maes tai cydweithredol yng Nghymru.
Diolch yn fawr iawn i'r Gweinidog am yr ateb yna ac, i'r record, hoffwn ddiolch i Vikki Howells am gyflwyno'r adroddiad yn y grŵp trawsbleidiol y bore yma. Mae yna gefnogaeth drawsbleidiol i ddatblygu cynllun o'r fath, ac felly dwi'n edrych ymlaen i weld y camau fydd yn cael eu cymryd i'r perwyl yma.
Os caf i fynd ymlaen i retroffitio, os gwelwch yn dda. Mae tlodi tanwydd yn broblem anferthol, fel rydych chi'n gwybod, ar draws Cymru, ac rydw innau'n gwybod fel Aelod dros Ddwyfor Meirionnydd am effaith andwyol tlodi tanwydd ar y cymunedau yno. Mae gennym ni'r stoc dai hynaf yng ngorllewin Ewrop ac maen nhw ymhlith y tai lleiaf effeithiol o ran ynni. Mae hyn yn arwain at lawer o bobl yn gorfod dewis rhwng gwresogi eu tai neu gael bwyd—dewis na ddylai neb orfod ei wynebu. Mae prisiau tanwydd ar eu huchaf ac mae'r cap ar bris ynni am gynyddu 54 y cant o 1 Ebrill, fel rydych chi'n gwybod. Mae'r rhai hynny ar dariff rhagosodedig sy'n talu trwy ddebyd uniongyrchol am weld cynnydd o rhwng £693 a £1,971 y flwyddyn ar gyfartaledd. Bydd hyn yn gwthio dros 0.25 miliwn o bobl yng Nghymru i fewn i dlodi tanwydd.
Mae angen inni fynd i'r afael â thlodi tanwydd rŵan, yn fwy nag erioed, drwy ymateb i'r argyfwng a gwella effeithlonrwydd ynni tai. Hefyd, mae'n werth nodi bod 10 y cant o allyriadau carbon Cymru yn dod o anheddau preswyl, a bydd datrys tlodi tanwydd yn ein cynorthwyo i fynd i frwydo yn erbyn newid hinsawdd. Mae'r sector tai cymdeithasol am fod yn allweddol wrth inni ddadgarboneiddio ein tai a sicrhau bod y budd economaidd o wneud hynny yn aros yng Nghymru. Mae'n her sydd angen ei gweithredu o fewn y 10 mlynedd nesaf. Bydd y Gweinidog yn gwerthfawrogi, wrth gwrs, na fydd dadgarboneiddio tai yn medru cael ei weithredu heb y cyfuniad cywir o grantiau, cyllid preifat, safonau rheoleiddio a llwybr clir—road map—wedi cael ei osod.
Mae'r gyllideb derfynol—
I thank the Minister for that response and, for the record, I'd like to thank Vikki Howells for presenting the report in the cross-party group this morning. There is cross-party support for developing such proposals, and therefore I look forward to seeing the steps that will be taken to that end.
If I could move on to retrofitting, please. Fuel poverty is a huge problem across Wales, as you know, and as a Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd I am aware of the detrimental impact of fuel poverty on communities there. We have the oldest housing stock in western Europe and they are among the least efficient homes in terms of energy. This leads to many people having to choose between heating their homes or eating—a choice that no-one should face. The price of fuel is at its highest and the cap on energy prices is to increase by 54 per cent from 1 April, as you know. Those on a default tariff who pay by direct debit will see an increase of between £693 and £1,971 on average per annum. This will push over 0.25 million people in Wales into fuel poverty.
We need to tackle fuel poverty now, more than ever, by responding to the crisis and improving energy efficiency in homes. It's worth noting too that 10 per cent of carbon emissions in Wales come from residential property, and solving fuel poverty will help us to fight climate change too. The social housing sector will be crucial as we decarbonise our homes and ensure that the economic benefits of doing that remain in Wales. It's a challenge that we need to face over the next 10 years. The Minister will appreciate, of course, that decarbonisation of homes can't be implemented without the right combination of grants, private funding, regulatory standards and a clear road map set out.
The final budget—
Cwestiwn, plis, Mabon ap Gwynfor.
A question, please, Mabon ap Gwynfor.
Rwy'n dod ato rŵan, diolch yn fawr iawn am eich amynedd.
Mae'r gyllideb derfynol—
I'm coming to it now, thank you for your patience.
The final budget—
Dyw e ddim yn ddi-ben-draw. [Chwerthin.]
It's not endless. [Laughter.]
—yn neilltuo £35 miliwn yn ychwanegol o'r cyfalaf trafodiadau ariannol—y financial transactions capital—i arbrofi a datblygu modelau ariannu newydd er mwyn helpu cyflymu maint a pha mor sydyn y gellir dadgarboneiddio tai yng Nghymru. A all y Gweinidog gadarnhau os bydd y sector tai cymdeithasol yn medru cael mynediad neu fudd o'r ariannu yma—[Torri ar draws.]
—sets aside an additional £35 million from financial transactions capital to experiment and develop new funding models in order to assist with accelerating the scale and how quickly we can decarbonise housing in Wales. Can the Minister confirm whether the social housing sector will be able to access or benefit from that funding—[Interruption.]
Later on, maybe. Later on.
Yn nes ymlaen, efallai. Yn nes ymlaen.
A sut bydd y gronfa yn cael ei defnyddio er mwyn medru cyflymu'r polisi a'r ariannu dadgarboneiddio tai?
And how will the fund be used in order to accelerate the policy and the funding for the decarbonisation of housing?
Good question. [Laughter.]
Cwestiwn da. [Chwerthin.]
Yes. I'm very tempted to just say 'yes' and sit down. [Laughter.]
Absolutely, we've already done something in Wales that has not been done in the rest of the UK, and that is, through the Welsh housing quality standard, we've brought all our social housing up to energy performance certificate D, which is a long way up from where it was before. We were repeatedly told that that wouldn't be possible when we started on that journey, so I'm delighted to say that, with one exception, which we've accepted for COVID reasons, everyone else has done it, and that one exception will have finished that process by the end of this year now.
So, we're in discussion with our councils and social landlords already about what the Welsh housing quality standard 2 will look like, and what will be expected, whether we'll be asking them to bring housing up to EPC B or A, what we will do with the housing that can't be brought up to that standard and what other measures can be brought to bear. We're also learning the lessons from the Welsh housing quality standard 1, because for the vast majority of homes it was very successful, but for some homes it was not successful and it led to some problems with condensation and damp, which I know Members will be familiar with, and I certainly am in my own constituency. So, we've learned that lesson. We've put the optimised retrofit programme in place to figure out what each house in Wales actually needs, so what combination of insulation type, tech, roof type and so on is required to get properties up to the highest EPC rating that they can achieve.
We also haven't yet announced the successor to the Arbed scheme. The Arbed scheme was very good for many people in fuel poverty in Wales, because it replaced very inefficient boilers with much more efficient ones, but they were still gas and they were still contributing to carbon, so we don't want to do that, but it's not sufficient to just say, 'We'll give you an air source heat pump,' because, as I've said many times in this Chamber, you may as well be heating the field behind your house for some houses. So, we need that combination.
As we did with the Welsh housing quality standard, we will overskill the workforce through the social housing projects, so that we can then offer grants to people in the private sector, knowing what will suit their type of house and knowing that we will get good value for money. I think I'm about to be asked a question on the order paper by another Member of the Plaid group about some of the issues we've had, and what we are trying to do is learn the lessons there, so that we aren't fitting the wrong type of tech solution to the wrong kind of property. So, these things are always very successful for the vast majority of people who have them, but then we have had problems with some housing, so we're trying to learn those lessons and to make sure that we get the right solution in the right place. So, we'll be shortly announcing the new Welsh housing quality standard to bring that up.
There's a piece of work to do in the private rented sector to make sure that we have the right incentives, so people don't just come out of the sector but bring their houses up to quality, which I've mentioned many times, and there are a range of other things that we can do for owner-occupiers, including using carrots and sticks in the local tax system, which we'll want to bring to the floor of the Senedd.
Iawn. Rwy'n cael fy nhemtio'n fawr i ddweud 'ie' ac eistedd. [Chwerthin.]
Yn bendant, rydym eisoes wedi gwneud rhywbeth yng Nghymru nad ydynt wedi’i wneud yng ngweddill y DU, sef sicrhau, drwy safon ansawdd tai Cymru, fod ein holl dai cymdeithasol yn cyrraedd lefel D y dystysgrif perfformiad ynni, EPC, sy’n uwch o lawer na'r hyn yr arferai fod. Dywedwyd wrthym dro ar ôl tro na fyddai hynny’n bosibl wrth inni ddechrau ar y daith honno, felly rwy’n falch iawn o ddweud, gydag un eithriad, ac rydym wedi’i dderbyn am resymau COVID, fod pawb arall wedi cyflawni hyn, a bydd yr un eithriad hwnnw wedi gorffen y broses honno erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn hon.
Felly, rydym eisoes yn cael trafodaethau â'n cynghorau a'n landlordiaid cymdeithasol ynghylch sut beth fydd safon ansawdd tai Cymru 2, a beth fydd yn ddisgwyliedig, a fyddwn yn gofyn iddynt gynyddu lefelau EPC tai i B neu A, beth fyddwn yn ei wneud gyda'r tai na ellir eu codi i'r safon honno a pha fesurau eraill y gellir eu rhoi ar waith. Rydym hefyd yn dysgu’r gwersi o safon ansawdd tai Cymru 1, oherwydd ar gyfer y rhan helaethaf o gartrefi, roedd yn llwyddiannus iawn, ond i rai cartrefi, nid oedd yn llwyddiannus ac arweiniodd at broblemau gydag anwedd dŵr a lleithder, y gwn y bydd yr Aelodau'n gyfarwydd â hwy, ac rwy'n sicr yn gyfarwydd â hwy yn fy etholaeth fy hun. Felly, rydym wedi dysgu’r wers honno. Rydym wedi rhoi’r rhaglen ôl-osod er mwyn optimeiddio ar waith i ganfod beth sydd ei angen ar bob tŷ yng Nghymru, felly pa gyfuniad o’r math o insiwleiddio, technoleg, y math o do ac ati sy’n ofynnol fel bod eiddo'n cyrraedd y sgôr EPC uchaf y gallant ei chyflawni.
Nid ydym ychwaith wedi cyhoeddi cynllun i olynu cynllun Arbed eto. Roedd cynllun Arbed yn dda iawn i lawer o bobl mewn tlodi tanwydd yng Nghymru, am ei fod yn darparu boeleri llawer mwy effeithlon yn lle rhai aneffeithlon iawn, ond roeddent yn dal i fod yn foeleri nwy ac roeddent yn dal i gyfrannu allyriadau carbon, felly nid ydym am wneud hynny, ond nid yw’n ddigon dweud, 'Fe rown ni bwmp gwres ffynhonnell aer i chi,’ oherwydd, fel rwyf wedi’i ddweud droeon yn y Siambr hon, mae hynny cystal â gwresogi’r cae y tu ôl i’ch tŷ ar gyfer rhai tai. Felly, mae angen y cyfuniad hwnnw arnom.
Fel y gwnaethom gyda safon ansawdd tai Cymru, byddwn yn gorsgilio’r gweithlu drwy’r prosiectau tai cymdeithasol, fel y gallwn gynnig grantiau i bobl yn y sector preifat wedyn, gan wybod beth fydd yn gweddu i’w math o dŷ a gwybod y byddwn yn cael gwerth da am arian. Credaf fod Aelod arall o grŵp Plaid Cymru ar fin gofyn cwestiwn ar y papur trefn i mi ynglŷn â rhai o'r problemau a gawsom, a'r hyn y ceisiwn ei wneud yw dysgu'r gwersi hynny, fel nad ydym yn gosod y math anghywir o ateb technolegol yn y math anghywir o eiddo. Felly, mae’r pethau hyn bob amser yn llwyddiannus iawn i’r rhan fwyaf o bobl sy'n eu cael, ond wedyn rydym wedi cael problemau gyda rhai tai, felly rydym yn ceisio dysgu’r gwersi hynny a sicrhau ein bod yn darparu'r ateb iawn yn y lle iawn. Felly, cyn bo hir, byddwn yn cyhoeddi safon ansawdd tai newydd Cymru er mwyn gwella hynny.
Mae gwaith i'w wneud yn y sector rhentu preifat i sicrhau bod gennym y cymelliadau cywir, fel nad yw pobl yn dod allan o'r sector ond yn sicrhau bod eu tai yn cyrraedd y safon, fel rwyf wedi'i nodi droeon, ac mae amrywiaeth o bethau eraill y gallwn eu gwneud ar gyfer perchen-feddianwyr, gan gynnwys defnyddio dull abwyd a ffon yn y system dreth leol, y byddwn am eu cyflwyno ar lawr y Senedd.
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi diweddariad am gynllun Arbed 2 yn Arfon? OQ57712
3. Will the Minister provide an update on the Arbed 2 scheme in Arfon? OQ57712
Diolch, Siân. Seven hundred and forty-two households in Arfon benefited from home energy efficiency improvements under the Arbed 2 scheme, estimated to have saved them on average around £300 on their domestic energy bills annually.
Diolch, Siân. Mae 742 o gartrefi yn Arfon wedi elwa o welliannau effeithlonrwydd ynni cartref o dan gynllun Arbed 2, ac amcangyfrifir bod hynny wedi arbed oddeutu £300 ar gyfartaledd iddynt ar eu biliau ynni domestig blynyddol.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, ond rydych chi yn gwybod am y problemau sydd wedi codi efo'r cynllun hefyd, a dwi yn diolch ichi am eich cefnogaeth efo hyn cyn belled. Dwi ar hyn o bryd yn helpu—
Thank you very much, but you will be aware of the problems that have arisen with the scheme, and I do thank you for your support on this to date. I am currently helping—
Bydd yn rhaid i fi dorri ar eich traws, Siân Gwenllian. Rŷn ni'n cael problem gyda'r cyfieithu ar hyn o bryd—
I will have to interrupt you there, Siân Gwenllian. We're having some difficulty with the interpretation at the moment—
It's intermittent. I can hear it sometimes, and not—
Mae'n mynd a dod. Gallaf ei glywed weithiau, ac nid—
Okay, we'll take a technical break in order to sort the—. No, that's absolutely fine. So, we're going to take a short technical break now.
Iawn, fe gymerwn seibiant technegol er mwyn datrys y—. Na, mae hynny'n hollol iawn. Felly, fe gymerwn seibiant technegol byr yn awr.
Ataliwyd y Cyfarfod Llawn am 13:58.
Ailymgynullodd y Senedd am 13:59, gyda'r Llywydd yn y Gadair.
Plenary was suspended at 13:58.
The Senedd reconvened at 13:59, with the Llywydd in the Chair.
Reit, fe fedrwn ni ailgychwyn nawr, a gwnaf i ofyn i Siân Gwenllian i ofyn ei chwestiwn atodol i'r Gweinidog. Siân Gwenllian.
Okay, we can restart, and I'll ask Siân Gwenllian to ask her supplementary question to the Minister. Siân Gwenllian.
Diolch ichi am eich cefnogaeth efo'r mater yma, achos rydych chi yn gwybod bod yna nifer o broblemau wedi bod yn codi yn fy etholaeth i. Dwi yn dal i helpu nifer o etholwyr efo ceisiadau am iawndal gan y contractwyr neu'r cwmnïau gwarant, ond does yna'r un o'r achosion yma wedi cyrraedd pen ei daith yn llwyddiannus hyd yma, ac mae yna o leiaf pum achos dwi'n gwybod amdanyn nhw yn wynebu sefyllfa lle mae'r cwmni adeiladu a'r cwmni gwarant wedi mynd i'r wal, felly does yna ddim iawndal ar eu cyfer nhw. Er mai cynllun gwahanol sydd wedi achosi problemau yn ardal Maesteg, dwi yn credu bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd i roi cymorth i etholwyr sydd mewn sefyllfa debyg iawn i fy etholwyr i yn Arfon yn yr ardal honno. Cynllun gwahanol ydy hwnna, ie, ond yr un ydy'r egwyddor, sef y dylid rhoi cymorth i bobl lle mae'r cwmnïau adeiladu a'r cwmnïau gwarant wedi mynd i'r wal. Cynlluniau Llywodraeth oedd y rhain; cynllun Llywodraeth Cymru oedd Arbed 2, ac fe gymerodd bobl ran yn y cynlluniau ar argymhelliad y Llywodraeth. Felly, os ydy pobl ardal Maesteg i gael ad-daliad, onid ydy hi'n deg disgwyl i bobl yn fy etholaeth i gael eu trin yn gydradd a'u bod hwythau hefyd yn cael arian er mwyn adfer eu cartrefi?
Thank you very much for your support with this issue, because you will be aware that there have been a number of problems arising in my constituency. I am continuing to assist a number of constituents with requests for compensation from the contractors or the guarantee firms, but none of these cases has successfully reached conclusion as of yet, and there are at least five cases that I'm aware of that face a situation where the construction company and the guarantee firm has gone bust, and therefore there is no compensation for them. Although it's a different scheme that has caused problems in the Maesteg area, I do think that the Welsh Government is going to be assisting constituents in a very similar situation to those in my constituency in Arfon in that particular area. That's a different programme, yes, but the principle is the same, namely that support should be provided where the construction companies and the guarantee firms have gone bust. These were Government programmes; Arbed 2 was a Welsh Government programme, and people participated in the schemes at the recommendation of the Government. So, if people in the Maesteg area are to be given compensation, isn't it fair to expect people in my constituency to be treated equally and that they too should be provided with funding in order to restore their homes?
Diolch, Siân. I have some sympathy with what you're saying, obviously. What we've been doing, as you know, is working with Fortem Energy Services, the scheme manager for Arbed 2, to review the position of all residents who benefited from the external wall insulation and ensure that they're aware of the process for redress where issues have arisen. Because what we're trying to do is make sure that people do take the routes for redress where they're still available to them. So, we make sure that where the company is still there, if they're at fault in the installation, they pick up the price for that, and similarly with the guarantor.
But, you're quite right; in recognition of the plight of householders elsewhere, for other UK schemes where both the construction company and the guarantor are no longer available because they've gone out of business or for a variety of other complicated reasons, we have agreed to work with the councils there to fund remedial works and some compensations—mostly remedial works, though—for those, as well as in Caerphilly for works at Bryn Carno. I'm more than happy to explore with you whether that would be something we could ask the local council with you to see whether they would be happy to do that. But I can emphasise that we do want people to pursue all of the remedies available to them through the normal routes first, and I know you've been working on that. So, if you want to send me details of that, I'm more than happy to have a conversation with the council and yourself about whether there's anything further we can do.
Diolch, Siân. Mae gennyf rywfaint o gydymdeimlad â'r hyn yr ydych yn ei ddweud, yn amlwg. Fel y gwyddoch, buom yn gweithio gyda Fortem Energy Services, rheolwr cynllun Arbed 2, i adolygu sefyllfa'r holl breswylwyr a elwodd o'r inswleiddio waliau allanol a sicrhau eu bod yn ymwybodol o brosesau unioni lle mae problemau wedi codi. Oherwydd yr hyn y ceisiwn ei wneud yw sicrhau bod pobl yn dilyn camau unioni lle mae'r llwybrau hynny'n dal i fod ar gael iddynt. Felly, rydym yn sicrhau, lle mae'r cwmni'n dal i fod yno, os ydynt ar fai yn y modd y cyflawnwyd y gwaith gosod, mai hwy sy'n talu'r pris am hynny, ac yn yr un modd gyda'r gwarantwr.
Ond rydych chi'n llygad eich lle; i gydnabod sefyllfa deiliaid tai mewn mannau eraill, ar gyfer cynlluniau eraill yn y DU lle nad yw'r cwmni adeiladu a'r gwarantwr ar gael mwyach am eu bod wedi rhoi'r gorau i'r busnes neu am amrywiaeth o resymau cymhleth eraill, rydym wedi cytuno i weithio gyda'r cynghorau yno i ariannu gwaith adferol a pheth iawndal—gwaith adferol yn bennaf, serch hynny—i'r rheini, yn ogystal ag yng Nghaerffili ar gyfer gwaith ym Mryn Carno. Rwy'n fwy na pharod i archwilio gyda chi i weld a fyddai hynny'n rhywbeth y gallem ei ofyn i'r cyngor lleol i weld a fyddent yn hapus i wneud hynny. Ond gallaf bwysleisio ein bod am i bobl fynd ar drywydd yr holl rwymedïau sydd ar gael iddynt drwy'r llwybrau arferol yn gyntaf, a gwn eich bod wedi bod yn gweithio ar hynny. Felly, os ydych am anfon manylion am hynny ataf, rwy'n fwy na pharod i gael sgwrs gyda chi a'r cyngor i weld a oes unrhyw beth pellach y gallwn ei wneud.
Thank you to the Member for Arfon for raising this really important question, because like her, residents have been in touch sharing their disaster stories, really, of the scheme in some of their properties. Minister, you highlighted some of the money that has been made available to Bridgend council, for example, and I'd hope that Gwynedd Council would want to work with you and others to support those residents. The question I have is about future schemes. You talked right at the start, I think, about lessons learnt for future schemes. I wonder if you think there's a greater role for councils to play in identifying these properties and supporting home owners for similar schemes in the future.
Diolch i'r Aelod dros Arfon am godi'r cwestiwn pwysig hwn, oherwydd fel hithau, mae trigolion wedi bod mewn cysylltiad yn rhannu eu straeon trychinebus am y cynllun yn eu heiddo. Weinidog, fe wnaethoch dynnu sylw at rywfaint o'r arian sydd ar gael i gyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, er enghraifft, a byddwn yn gobeithio y byddai Cyngor Gwynedd am weithio gyda chi ac eraill i gefnogi'r trigolion hynny. Mae'r cwestiwn sydd gennyf yn ymwneud â chynlluniau yn y dyfodol. Fe sonioch chi'n briodol ar y dechrau, rwy'n credu, am y gwersi a ddysgwyd ar gyfer cynlluniau yn y dyfodol. Tybed a ydych chi'n credu bod mwy o rôl i gynghorau ei chwarae yn nodi'r eiddo hyn ac yn cefnogi perchnogion cartrefi ar gyfer cynlluniau tebyg yn y dyfodol.
I absolutely do think that. One of the issues we've had is where we have had small construction companies that have gone out of business as a result or the guarantor scheme has gone down. So, we'll certainly be looking to explore guarantor schemes where the council acts as the ultimate guarantor, but we want to be very careful that we're not transferring a liability and a risk that properly sits with the private sector into the public sector for no reason, and letting people off the hook. I can't emphasise enough that we want people to pursue the private routes that they have all the way to the end, and we have a number of advice services in place to help people do that. I do think that where people have exhausted that avenue there must be some further avenue for them to get remedial works. I can't emphasise enough, though, that what we're talking about are remedial works, and not compensation, because those are two very different things. So, this is to put your house into the position it ought to have been in if the works were correctly done in the first place, and no doubt there will be some element there about bills and all the rest of it. We're very keen that people are put into that position, because the whole point of the scheme was to put people in a position where their house was well insulated and their fuel bills were reduced, and what we don't want is a house continuing to emit carbon and have high energy costs despite having benefited from one of these schemes. We are absolutely looking exactly at that in designing both the Arbed 2 scheme and a number of other schemes we're looking at.
Rwy'n bendant yn credu hynny. Un o'r problemau a gawsom yw lle'r ydym wedi cael cwmnïau adeiladu bach yn rhoi'r gorau i'r busnes o ganlyniad neu lle mae'r cynllun gwarantu wedi methu. Felly, byddwn yn sicr yn ceisio archwilio cynlluniau gwarantu lle mae'r cyngor yn gweithredu fel y gwarantwr terfynol, ond rydym am fod yn ofalus iawn nad ydym yn trosglwyddo atebolrwydd a risg a ddylai fod ar ysgwyddau'r sector preifat i'r sector cyhoeddus am ddim rheswm, a gadael i bobl beidio â gorfod wynebu canlyniadau. Ni allaf bwysleisio digon ein bod am i bobl ddilyn y llwybrau preifat sydd ganddynt yr holl ffordd i'r pen draw, ac mae gennym nifer o wasanaethau cynghori ar waith i helpu pobl i wneud hynny. Lle mae pobl wedi disbyddu'r llwybr hwnnw, credaf fod yn rhaid cael rhyw lwybr pellach iddynt ei ddilyn er mwyn cael gwaith adferol wedi'i wneud. Fodd bynnag, ni allaf bwysleisio digon mai'r hyn yr ydym yn sôn amdano yw gwaith adferol, ac nid iawndal, oherwydd mae'r rheini'n ddau beth gwahanol iawn. Felly, mae hyn yn golygu rhoi eich tŷ yn y sefyllfa y dylai fod wedi bod ynddi pe bai'r gwaith wedi cael ei wneud yn gywir yn y lle cyntaf, ac mae'n siŵr y bydd rhyw elfen yno'n ymwneud â biliau ac yn y blaen. Rydym yn awyddus iawn i bobl gael eu rhoi yn y sefyllfa honno, oherwydd holl bwynt y cynllun oedd rhoi pobl mewn sefyllfa lle'r oedd eu tŷ wedi'i inswleiddio'n dda a'u biliau tanwydd wedi'u lleihau, a'r hyn nad ydym am ei weld yw tŷ sy'n parhau i allyrru carbon a chreu costau ynni uchel er ei fod wedi elwa o un o'r cynlluniau hyn. Rydym yn edrych yn fanwl ar hynny wrth lunio cynllun Arbed 2 a nifer o gynlluniau eraill yr ydym yn edrych arnynt.
Cwestiwn 4, Natasha Asghar.
Question 4, Natasha Asghar.
Thank you very much. I do apologise, Presiding Officer. Thank you very much. Deputy Minister, if you're serious about combating climate change and tackling the frequent delays on our railways—
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, Lywydd. Diolch yn fawr iawn. Ddirprwy Weinidog, os ydych o ddifrif ynghylch mynd i'r afael â newid hinsawdd a dileu'r oedi mynych ar ein rheilffyrdd—
You need to read the question on the order paper first.
Mae angen i chi ddarllen y cwestiwn ar y papur trefn yn gyntaf.
Sorry. My apologies.
Mae'n ddrwg gennyf.
That's okay.
Mae'n iawn.
4. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i gefnogi datgarboneiddio trafnidiaeth? OQ57685
4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support the decarbonisation of transport? OQ57685
Thank you, and it's nice to hear from you again. 'Llwybr Newydd', the Wales transport strategy, sets out how we will reduce carbon emissions by encouraging more active travel, greater use of public transport as well as supporting the uptake of low-emissions vehicles.
Diolch, ac mae'n braf clywed gennych eto. Mae 'Llwybr Newydd', strategaeth drafnidiaeth Cymru, yn nodi sut y byddwn yn lleihau allyriadau carbon drwy annog teithio mwy llesol, mwy o ddefnydd o drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn ogystal â chefnogi'r defnydd o gerbydau allyriadau isel.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Deputy Minister, if you're serious about combating climate change and tacking the frequent delays on our railways, you must ensure Wales has a modern rail service. However, your own Government's figures show that 69 per cent of Transport for Wales trains are over 30 years old, and 44 per cent are 35 years or older. This presents an opportunity to replace our ageing trains with hydrogen trains, which are currently being trialled in Germany. This zero-emission train emits low levels of noise, with exhausts being only steam and condensed water, enabling us to meet climate change targets. So, can I ask, Deputy Minister, what consideration have you given and what discussions have you had with regard to decarbonising transport in Wales by replacing our ageing trains with hydrogen trains to improve rail services and improve the environment? Thank you.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Weinidog. Ddirprwy Weinidog, os ydych chi o ddifrif ynglŷn â mynd i'r afael â newid hinsawdd a dileu'r oedi mynych ar ein rheilffyrdd, rhaid ichi sicrhau bod gan Gymru wasanaeth rheilffordd modern. Fodd bynnag, mae ffigurau eich Llywodraeth eich hun yn dangos bod 69 y cant o drenau Trafnidiaeth Cymru dros 30 oed, a bod 44 y cant yn 35 oed neu'n hŷn. Dyma gyfle i gael trenau hydrogen yn lle ein trenau sy'n heneiddio, trenau hydrogen fel sy'n cael eu treialu yn yr Almaen ar hyn o bryd. Mae'r trên di-allyriad hwn yn creu lefelau isel o sŵn, gyda dim ond ager ac anwedd dŵr yn unig yn cael ei allyrru, rhywbeth a fyddai'n ein galluogi i gyrraedd targedau newid hinsawdd. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn, Ddirprwy Weinidog, pa ystyriaeth a roddwyd gennych a pha drafodaethau a gawsoch ynghylch datgarboneiddio trafnidiaeth yng Nghymru drwy gael trenau hydrogen yn lle ein trenau sy'n heneiddio er mwyn gwella gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd a gwella'r amgylchedd? Diolch.
Thank you. I've seen the latest disingenuous social media campaign on this by the Welsh Conservatives about the record over 20 years. Let me just say—[Interruption.] Andrew R.T. Davies says he's telling the people what's right. Well, first of all, you need to explain what the devolution settlement is. I'm happy for my officials to arrange a briefing session for Members of the Conservative Party to explain what is devolved and what is not devolved and how the Barnett formula works. That might be an instructive exercise for them. [Interruption.] Llywydd, it's hard to hear—even through his mask, the Member is still quite loud. [Interruption.] What I don't like is glib social media campaigns that hide the truth, which is that the UK Government is underfunding the Welsh passengers. That's the truth, Andrew R.T. Davies. Over the last—[Interruption.] Llywydd, please, this is not a conversation. I've been asked a question, I'm trying to give an answer with a running commentary from the man in the mask. For the last 20 years—
Diolch. Rwyf wedi gweld yr ymgyrch anonest ddiweddaraf ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol ar hyn gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ynglŷn â'r record dros 20 mlynedd. Gadewch imi ddweud—[Torri ar draws.] Mae Andrew R.T. Davies yn dweud ei fod yn dweud wrth y bobl beth sy'n gywir. Wel, yn gyntaf oll, mae angen ichi egluro beth yw'r setliad datganoli. Rwy'n hapus i fy swyddogion drefnu sesiwn friffio i Aelodau'r Blaid Geidwadol i egluro'r hyn sydd wedi'i ddatganoli a'r hyn nad yw wedi'i ddatganoli a sut y mae fformiwla Barnett yn gweithio. Gallai hynny fod yn ymarfer addysgiadol iddynt. [Torri ar draws.] Lywydd, mae'n anodd clywed—hyd yn oed drwy ei fasg, mae'r Aelod yn dal i fod yn eithaf uchel ei gloch. [Torri ar draws.] Yr hyn nad wyf yn ei hoffi yw ymgyrchoedd slic ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol sy'n cuddio'r gwirionedd, sef bod Llywodraeth y DU yn tanariannu teithwyr Cymru. Dyna'r gwir, Andrew R.T. Davies. Dros y—[Torri ar draws.] Lywydd, os gwelwch yn dda, nid sgwrs yw hon. Gofynnwyd cwestiwn i mi, rwy'n ceisio rhoi ateb gyda sylwebaeth fyw gan y dyn yn y masg. Am yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf—
All men are in masks. Let's stop the references to masks, please, and let's allow the Deputy Minister to answer the question that was asked of him.
Mae pob dyn mewn masg. Gadewch inni roi'r gorau i'r cyfeiriadau at fasgiau, os gwelwch yn dda, a gadewch inni ganiatáu i'r Dirprwy Weinidog ateb y cwestiwn a ofynnwyd iddo.
Over the last 20 years, Llywydd, for 12 of which the Conservatives have been in power in the UK, where rail infrastructure is not devolved, Wales has received less than 2 per cent of the £102 billion that the UK Government has spent on rail enhancement. We have 20 per cent of the level crossings across England and Wales, we have 11 per cent of the stations, we have 11 per cent of the rail track, we have 5 per cent of the population, and yet we only get 2 per cent of the funding. Forty-one per cent of the rail track in England is electrified, 2 per cent of the rail track in Wales is electrified. What's made it worse is that the Department for Transport comparability factor used for Barnett formula calculations for Wales has dropped from 89 per cent to 36 per cent. This means there's less money for Wales, despite significant increases in rail spending for England. That is fundamentally wrong, something that the Conservatives on the Welsh affairs select committee have recognised, and in a cross-party effort have said the UK Government needs to make sure that HS2 spending is Barnettised properly across the UK, and Wales gets its 5 per cent share. I've heard nothing from the Conservative benches, despite me asking several times for a cross-party effort on that, and I would still welcome it, instead of making cheap shots and not directing blame where blame is. [Interruption.] Llywydd, it is an unacceptable intervention from the Conservative benches, and it's a shame I have to draw attention to it. Despite that, we are investing £800 million on a new fleet of trains that will serve 95 per cent of passenger journeys across Wales from 2024. The first of those are already being tested, and will begin serving passengers in north Wales this year.
Dros yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf, Lywydd, gyda'r Ceidwadwyr wedi bod mewn grym yn y DU am 12 ohonynt, lle nad yw seilwaith rheilffyrdd wedi'i ddatganoli, mae Cymru wedi cael llai na 2 y cant o'r £102 biliwn y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi'i wario ar wella'r rheilffyrdd. Mae gennym 20 y cant o'r croesfannau rheilffordd ar draws Cymru a Lloegr, mae gennym 11 y cant o'r gorsafoedd, mae gennym 11 y cant o'r trac rheilffordd, mae gennym 5 y cant o'r boblogaeth, ac eto dim ond 2 y cant o'r cyllid a gawn. Mae 41 y cant o'r trac rheilffordd yn Lloegr wedi'i drydaneiddio, mae 2 y cant o'r trac rheilffordd yng Nghymru wedi'i drydaneiddio. Yr hyn sydd wedi'i wneud yn waeth yw bod ffactor cymharedd yr Adran Drafnidiaeth a ddefnyddir ar gyfer cyfrifiadau fformiwla Barnett ar gyfer Cymru wedi gostwng o 89 y cant i 36 y cant. Golyga hyn fod llai o arian i Gymru, er gwaethaf cynnydd sylweddol mewn gwariant ar y rheilffyrdd ar gyfer Lloegr. Mae hynny'n gwbl anghywir, ac yn rhywbeth y mae'r Ceidwadwyr ar y pwyllgor dethol ar faterion Cymreig wedi'i gydnabod, ac mewn ymdrech drawsbleidiol wedi dweud bod angen i Lywodraeth y DU sicrhau bod gwariant HS2 yn cael ei Farnetteiddio'n briodol ledled y DU, a bod Cymru'n cael ei chyfran o 5 y cant. Nid wyf wedi clywed dim oddi ar feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr, er imi ofyn sawl gwaith am ymdrech drawsbleidiol ar hynny, a byddwn yn dal i'w chroesawu, yn hytrach na gwneud sylwadau hawdd a pheidio â beio'r rhai y dylid eu beio. [Torri ar draws.] Lywydd, mae'n ymyriad annerbyniol gan feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr, ac mae'n drueni fod yn rhaid imi dynnu sylw ato. Er gwaethaf hynny, rydym yn buddsoddi £800 miliwn ar fflyd newydd o drenau a fydd yn gwasanaethu 95 y cant o deithiau teithwyr ledled Cymru o 2024 ymlaen. Mae'r cyntaf o'r rheini eisoes yn cael eu treialu, a byddant yn dechrau gwasanaethu teithwyr yng ngogledd Cymru eleni.
Deputy Minister, as you know, a key element of the south Wales metro, funded by a Welsh Labour Government, will be the introduction of cleaner, greener, environmentally friendly electric tram-trains on the core Valley lines, including between Aberdare, in my own constituency, and the capital. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact that these trains will have on reducing our carbon emissions?
Ddirprwy Weinidog, fel y gwyddoch, un o elfennau allweddol metro de Cymru, a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru, fydd cyflwyno trenau tram trydan glanach, gwyrddach, ecogyfeillgar ar reilffyrdd craidd y Cymoedd, gan gynnwys rhwng Aberdâr, yn fy etholaeth i, a'r brifddinas. Pa asesiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o'r effaith y bydd y trenau hyn yn ei chael ar leihau ein hallyriadau carbon?
A modern metro system is an integral part of a joined-up public transport system. It's a part, it's only a part, and there needs to be other parts as well. We need to integrate the bus services, which are the workhorse of the public transport system and carry the majority of people, along with active travel for that final bit of the journey. We know that over half of all car journeys are under five miles. These are currently being driven, clearly, and they could be done by foot and by bike. A system that links all these up into a modern metro system has significant potential, along with behaviour change interventions, to achieve modal shift, which is part of our transport strategy and part of our net-zero plan. The vision of the metro is to provide a turn-up-and-go service. People will do the easiest thing to do. Currently, we have designed a system where the easiest thing to do is to drive, and we need to change that so the easiest thing to do is to use public transport and active travel. The investment we're seeing in the south Wales metro, which is the largest civil engineering project of its kind in Wales at the moment—over the next few years we'll begin to see the manifestation of that in a major way—will be a significant step forward alongside the other measures that we're working on.
Mae system metro fodern yn rhan annatod o system drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus gydgysylltiedig. Rhan ydyw, dim ond rhan, ac mae angen rhannau eraill hefyd. Mae angen inni integreiddio'r gwasanaethau bysiau, sy'n cario baich trymaf y system trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ac sy'n cludo'r rhan fwyaf o bobl, ynghyd â theithio llesol ar gyfer y rhan olaf o'r daith. Gwyddom fod dros hanner yr holl deithiau car o dan bum milltir o hyd. Caiff y milltiroedd hyn eu gwneud yn y car ar hyn o bryd, yn amlwg, a gellid eu gwneud ar droed ac ar feic. Mae gan system sy'n cysylltu'r rhain i gyd â system metro fodern botensial sylweddol, gydag ymyriadau newid ymddygiad, i sicrhau newid i ddulliau teithio, sy'n rhan o'n strategaeth drafnidiaeth ac yn rhan o'n cynllun sero net. Gweledigaeth y metro yw darparu gwasanaeth cyrraedd a mynd. Bydd pobl yn gwneud y peth hawsaf i'w wneud. Ar hyn o bryd, rydym wedi cynllunio system sy'n golygu mai'r peth hawsaf i'w wneud yw gyrru, ac mae angen inni newid hynny fel mai'r peth hawsaf i'w wneud yw defnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus a theithio llesol. Bydd y buddsoddiad a welwn ym metro de Cymru, sef y prosiect peirianneg sifil mwyaf o'i fath yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd—dros y blynyddoedd nesaf byddwn yn dechrau gweld hynny'n cael ei amlygu'n helaeth—yn gam sylweddol ymlaen ochr yn ochr â'r mesurau eraill yr ydym yn gweithio arnynt.
5. Pa gymorth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu ei roi i gwmnïau yn sir Benfro i’w helpu i leihau eu hallyriadau carbon? OQ57722
5. What support does the Welsh Government plan to give to companies in Pembrokeshire to help them reduce their carbon emissions? OQ57722
Diolch, Cefin. The Welsh Government offers a wide range of support to help businesses reduce their environmental impact. This includes our Business Wales resource efficiency advisers, who, since 2016, have supported 170 Pembrokeshire businesses in improving their environmental sustainability strategies.
Diolch, Cefin. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynnig ystod eang o gymorth i helpu busnesau i leihau eu heffaith amgylcheddol. Mae hyn yn cynnwys ein cynghorwyr effeithlonrwydd adnoddau Busnes Cymru, sydd, ers 2016, wedi cynorthwyo 170 o fusnesau sir Benfro i wella eu strategaethau cynaliadwyedd amgylcheddol.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Weinidog. Ychydig o wythnosau yn ôl, ces i'r pleser o gwrdd ag awdurdod porthladd Aberdaugleddau a chael cyfarfod buddiol iawn ynglŷn â'u cynlluniau nhw ar gyfer y dyfodol. Daeth hi i'r amlwg yn y cyfarfod hwnnw, wrth i Gymru geisio cynyddu ei hymdrechion i gyrraedd ei thargedau net zero wrth fanteisio i'r eithaf, wrth gwrs, ar gyfleoedd twf gwyrdd, bod angen i'r prif gyflogwyr olew a nwy yn sir Benfro drawsnewid o'u sectorau traddodiadol er mwyn lleihau allyriadau carbon a datblygu diwydiannau gwyrdd newydd o gwmpas porthladd Aberdaugleddau, er enghraifft, sy'n cynnal dros 4,000 o swyddi da yn lleol. Felly, yn ogystal â phroject morol Doc Penfro, sy'n rhan o fargen ddinesig bae Abertawe, fel y gwyddoch chi, a wnewch chi amlinellu a yw Llywodraeth Cymru'n barod i fuddsoddi ymhellach ac yn uniongyrchol mewn rhai o'r technolegau megis hydrogen a gwynt o'r môr, a hefyd cynlluniau i ddal carbon, carbon capture, er mwyn darparu swyddi gwyrdd yn ardal sir Benfro gan ddatgloi cyfle posibl gwerth £5 biliwn i'r rhanbarth ac i Gymru?
Thank you very much, Minister. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the port authority in Milford Haven, and had a very beneficial meeting about their plans for the future. It emerged during that meeting that as Wales seeks to increase its efforts to meet its net-zero targets while taking great advantage of the green growth opportunities, it's evident that the main oil and gas employers in Pembrokeshire need to transform from their traditional sectors in order to reduce their carbon emissions and develop new green industries around the port, for example, which sustains 4,000 good jobs locally. So, as well as the Pembroke Dock marine project, which is part of the Swansea bay city deal, as you know, will you outline whether the Welsh Government is ready to invest further, and directly, in some of the technologies, such as hydrogen and offshore wind and carbon capture schemes, in order to provide green jobs in the Pembrokeshire area and unlock possible opportunities worth £5 billion for the region and for Wales?
Yes, absolutely. I'm very happy to do just that, because we're very keen to unlock those green jobs. You will know that our Net Zero Wales plan highlights how we're looking to reduce emissions whilst delivering those wider benefits that you've just outlined. At this point in time we've provided £6 million of environmental protection scheme grant support to Valero, to assist its decarbonisation efforts. That's locked £120 million of investment in the installation of a cogen plant to reduce emissions and take them off grid. We've provided a raft of innovation support, including £100,000 to pump prime the Milford Haven Energy Kingdom project development, which has leveraged in £4.5 million of UKRI funding. As you said, Cefin Campbell, Pembrokeshire businesses play an important role in the south Wales industrial cluster. One of those businesses, RWE, has launched a net-zero centre to maximise the potential of hydrogen, floating offshore wind and carbon capture, and I was very pleased to speak at the ports conference highlighting their efforts. The Welsh Government is funding a £100,000 phase 2 feasibility study for the supply of green hydrogen into Pembrokeshire and Milford Haven, using the ERM Dolphyn offshore wind floating hydrogen production technology.
These companies are all key to the Celtic sea cluster and our emphasis on the offshore renewable industry. We've also got the decarbonisation and COVID challenge fund open to food and drink businesses, so outside of the energy business itself, to seek to aid recovery within the Welsh food and drink sector, which has been adversely affected by the pandemic. We also offer a range of general business advice, information and signposting, as well as specialist strands of advice such as resource efficiency and signposting on green policies to reduce carbon emissions across Wales through Business Wales, and a number of Pembrokeshire businesses have got in touch with us over that. And the last one to just highlight is the Milford Haven Energy Kingdom project in Pembrokeshire, which is that £4.5 million project, which shows the vital role hydrogen can play in a decarbonised energy future. I just wanted to highlight that one point, because that's the key—the transfer over from fossil fuels to a different kind of technology that protects the very highly skilled jobs that are part of that Pembrokeshire cluster.
Yn sicr. Rwy'n hapus iawn i wneud hynny, oherwydd rydym yn awyddus iawn i sicrhau'r swyddi gwyrdd hynny. Fe fyddwch yn gwybod bod ein cynllun Cymru Sero Net yn tynnu sylw at sut yr ydym yn awyddus i leihau allyriadau gan gyflawni'r manteision ehangach yr ydych newydd eu hamlinellu. Ar hyn o bryd rydym wedi darparu £6 miliwn o gymorth grant cynllun diogelu'r amgylchedd i Valero, i gynorthwyo eu hymdrechion datgarboneiddio. Mae hynny wedi sicrhau £120 miliwn o fuddsoddiad i osod safle cydgynhyrchu i leihau allyriadau a'u tynnu oddi ar y grid. Rydym wedi darparu ystod o gymorth arloesi, gan gynnwys £100,000 o arian sefydlu ar gyfer datblygiad prosiect Milford Haven: Energy Kingdom, sydd wedi ysgogi £4.5 miliwn o gyllid DU a Gweriniaeth Iwerddon. Fel y dywedoch chi, Cefin Campbell, mae busnesau sir Benfro yn chwarae rhan bwysig yng nghlwstwr diwydiannol de Cymru. Mae un o'r busnesau hynny, RWE, wedi lansio canolfan sero net i wneud y mwyaf o botensial hydrogen, gwynt arnofiol ar y môr a dal carbon, ac roeddwn yn falch iawn o siarad yng nghynhadledd y porthladdoedd i dynnu sylw at eu hymdrechion. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ariannu astudiaeth ddichonoldeb cam 2 gwerth £100,000 ar gyfer cyflenwi hydrogen gwyrdd i sir Benfro ac Aberdaugleddau, gan ddefnyddio technoleg cynhyrchu hydrogen gwynt arnofiol ar y môr ERM Dolphyn.
Mae'r cwmnïau hyn i gyd yn allweddol i glwstwr y môr Celtaidd a'n pwyslais ar y diwydiant ynni adnewyddadwy ar y môr. Mae gennym hefyd y gronfa her datgarboneiddio a COVID sy'n agored i fusnesau bwyd a diod, felly y tu hwnt i'r busnes ynni ei hun, i geisio helpu adferiad yn sector bwyd a diod Cymru, yr effeithiodd y pandemig yn andwyol arno. Rydym hefyd yn cynnig amrywiaeth o gyngor busnes, gwybodaeth a chyfeirio cyffredinol, yn ogystal â meysydd cyngor arbenigol megis effeithlonrwydd adnoddau a chyfeirio at bolisïau gwyrdd i leihau allyriadau carbon ledled Cymru drwy Busnes Cymru, ac mae nifer o fusnesau sir Benfro wedi cysylltu â ni ynglŷn â hynny. A'r un olaf i dynnu sylw ato yw prosiect Milford Haven: Energy Kingdom yn sir Benfro, sef y prosiect £4.5 miliwn hwnnw, sy'n dangos y rôl hanfodol y gall hydrogen ei chwarae mewn dyfodol ynni wedi'i ddatgarboneiddio. Roeddwn am dynnu sylw at yr un pwynt hwnnw, oherwydd dyna'r allwedd—trosglwyddo o danwydd ffosil i fath gwahanol o dechnoleg sy'n diogelu'r swyddi medrus iawn sy'n rhan o'r clwstwr hwnnw yn sir Benfro.
Minister, earlier this year I had the pleasure of visiting the National House Building Council award-winning Pludds Meadow development in Laugharne, in my constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, a site operated by Salem Construction, who are producing high-quality, energy-efficient homes on the outskirts of one of Carmarthenshire's most famous towns. The builders had a real desire to minimise their carbon footprint, using local staff and items such as air source heat pumps to heat their homes. Will you outline what support the Welsh Government is providing to businesses such as Salem Construction to help reduce their carbon emissions even further, both through the way in which their businesses are run and by continuing to produce homes that emit a small carbon footprint? Diolch.
Weinidog, yn gynharach eleni cefais y pleser o ymweld â datblygiad arobryn Pludds Meadow y Cyngor Cenedlaethol Adeiladu Tai yn Nhalacharn yn fy etholaeth i, Gorllewin Caerfyrddin a De Sir Benfro, safle a weithredir gan Salem Construction, sy'n cynhyrchu cartrefi ansawdd uchel sy'n defnyddio ynni'n effeithlon ar gyrion un o drefi enwocaf sir Gaerfyrddin. Roedd yr adeiladwyr yn awyddus iawn i leihau eu hôl troed carbon, gan ddefnyddio staff lleol ac eitemau fel pympiau gwres ffynhonnell aer i wresogi eu cartrefi. A wnewch chi amlinellu pa gymorth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei roi i fusnesau fel Salem Construction i helpu i leihau eu hallyriadau carbon hyd yn oed ymhellach, drwy'r ffordd y caiff eu busnesau eu rhedeg a thrwy barhau i gynhyrchu cartrefi sy'n creu ôl troed carbon bach? Diolch.
Yes, we absolutely welcome the move by a large number of small and medium-sized producers right across Wales to low-carbon housing. We will also be bringing forward changes to our building regulations—my colleague Lee Waters will be bringing forward changes to the building regulations to make sure that the building regulations for everyone are at that sort of standard, and I'm very happy to have the way led for us by a number of SME companies, such as the one you mentioned there.
We provide a wide range of general business advice through Business Wales, as I've just said in answer to Cefin Campbell, which includes resource efficiency, support on green policies to reduce emissions and so on. We also are very happy to work with any green housing supplier to help us use them to build our social housing and to build out mixed-tenure estates so that we have similar housing right across the piece, so that we don't have people going into fuel poverty in the future. And we also are very keen—. Again, the Deputy Minister and I have a construction forum, which is a housing sub-group, and we are very keen to have SMEs such as the one you mentioned come along to that construction forum to share good practice and to hear about a range of other loans and other opportunities we have—stalled sites funds and so on—to bring forward land for development that will allow the SMEs that build such lovely housing to access funding to bring further developments into use in Wales as fast as possible.
Rydym yn croesawu'n llwyr y symudiad gan nifer fawr o gynhyrchwyr bach a chanolig eu maint ledled Cymru tuag at dai carbon isel. Byddwn hefyd yn cyflwyno newidiadau i'n rheoliadau adeiladu—bydd fy nghyd-Aelod, Lee Waters, yn cyflwyno newidiadau i'r rheoliadau adeiladu i sicrhau eu bod yn cyrraedd y safon honno ar gyfer pawb, ac rwy'n hapus iawn i weld nifer o gwmnïau BBaChau, fel yr un y sonioch chi amdano, yn arwain y ffordd.
Fel rwyf newydd ei ddweud wrth ateb Cefin Campbell, rydym yn darparu ystod eang o gyngor busnes cyffredinol drwy Busnes Cymru, sy'n cynnwys effeithlonrwydd adnoddau, cymorth ar bolisïau gwyrdd i leihau allyriadau ac yn y blaen. Rydym hefyd yn hapus iawn i weithio gydag unrhyw gyflenwr tai gwyrdd i'n helpu i'w defnyddio i adeiladu ein tai cymdeithasol ac i adeiladu ystadau deiliadaeth gymysg fel bod gennym dai tebyg ym mhob man, fel nad oes gennym bobl yn wynebu tlodi tanwydd yn y dyfodol. Ac rydym hefyd yn awyddus iawn—. Unwaith eto, mae gan y Dirprwy Weinidog a minnau fforwm adeiladu, sy'n is-grŵp tai, ac rydym yn awyddus iawn i gael busnesau bach a chanolig fel yr un y sonioch chi amdano yn dod i'r fforwm adeiladu i rannu arferion da ac i glywed am amrywiaeth o fenthyciadau a chyfleoedd eraill sydd gennym—cronfeydd safleoedd segur ac yn y blaen—i gyflwyno tir i'w ddatblygu a fydd yn caniatáu i'r BBaChau sy'n adeiladu tai mor hyfryd gael gafael ar gyllid i sicrhau bod datblygiadau pellach yn cael eu defnyddio yng Nghymru cyn gynted â phosibl.
6. Sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda chynghorau lleol i fynd i'r afael â llygredd aer? OQ57721
6. How will the Welsh Government work with local councils to tackle air pollution? OQ57721
Thank you. We've recently launched a local air-quality management support fund to help authorities tackle air pollution, and have awarded over £350,000 for this financial year. The grant supports action on the ground and we'll continue to work collaboratively with local authorities to deliver cleaner air for Wales.
Diolch. Yn ddiweddar, rydym wedi lansio cronfa cymorth rheoli ansawdd aer lleol i helpu awdurdodau i fynd i'r afael â llygredd aer, ac rydym wedi dyrannu dros £350,000 ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol hon. Mae'r grant yn cefnogi gwaith ar lawr gwlad a byddwn yn parhau i gydweithio ag awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau aer glanach i Gymru.
Thank you for that, Minister. It is crucially important that we get our policies to tackle air pollution right, given the effect on public health, respiratory conditions and other health conditions and, of course, the effect on our environment. And I think these problems are particularly acute in our more disadvantaged communities. So, the sooner we get practical policies in place that are going to make a real difference the better. And I think one example of that is the conversion of our taxi fleets to electric vehicles or certainly more environmentally friendly fuels. And I just wonder, within the money that's been made available, Minister, that you describe and the joint working between Welsh Government and local authorities, to what extent there's an assessment of the state of readiness of our local authorities to make these practical improvements and to work with them to make those positive differences as quickly as possible. Because it really is an urgent problem for our communities, and the sooner we get these practical improvements in place, the sooner public health and our environment will benefit.
Diolch ichi am hynny, Weinidog. Mae'n hollbwysig ein bod yn cael ein polisïau i fynd i'r afael â llygredd aer yn iawn, o ystyried yr effaith ar iechyd y cyhoedd, cyflyrau anadlol a chyflyrau iechyd eraill ac wrth gwrs, yr effaith ar ein hamgylchedd. A chredaf fod y problemau hyn yn arbennig o ddifrifol yn ein cymunedau mwy difreintiedig. Felly, gorau po gyntaf y cawn bolisïau ymarferol ar waith sy'n mynd i wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn. A chredaf mai un enghraifft o hynny yw newid ein fflydoedd tacsis yn gerbydau trydan, neu ddefnyddio tanwydd mwy ecogyfeillgar yn sicr. Ac o fewn yr arian sydd ar gael, Weinidog, ac a ddisgrifiwyd gennych a'r cydweithio rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol, tybed i ba raddau y ceir asesiad o ba mor barod yw ein hawdurdodau lleol ar gyfer gwneud y gwelliannau ymarferol hyn a gweithio gyda hwy i wneud gwahaniaethau cadarnhaol cyn gynted â phosibl. Oherwydd mae'n broblem sy'n rhaid cael ateb iddi ar frys i'n cymunedau, a pho gyntaf y cawn y gwelliannau ymarferol hyn ar waith, cyntaf oll y bydd iechyd y cyhoedd a'n hamgylchedd yn elwa.
We already are working on practical improvements. The example in Newport of free bus travel for the month of March is a perfect example of a practical scheme to trial something to see what impact it has, to see whether or not the cost of it is justified by the benefits of it, to see what the uptake is, to understand what the barriers are, to further inform our work as we look to achieve modal shift. There are further practical examples in Newport on active travel, with the Burns delivery unit and the independent board chaired by Simon Gibson to deliver the Burns plan—and we saw the interim report of the Burns board recently, and I met John Griffiths and his colleague from Newport West in Newport to discuss it—where we are seeing significant work on a pipeline of schemes for Newport now, which will result in very large investment for the city for active travel. So, I think there are two examples there of practical schemes already under way.
John Griffiths also mentions what we can do to encourage taxis to convert to electric vehicles and, as he knows, we currently have a pilot of a 'try before you buy' scheme in the Cardiff capital region, in Pembrokeshire and in Denbighshire, to incentivise taxi drivers to try electric vehicles with a view to them then buying them. We're going to be evaluating that to decide whether or not that is the best use of our scarce resource, given the way the market is already moving; it is already competitive to buy an electric car versus a new petrol car. And we'll be evaluating those projects and taking a further view of what other practical schemes we can do, as we develop our clean air plan and bring forward legislation.
Rydym eisoes yn gweithio ar welliannau ymarferol. Mae'r enghraifft yng Nghasnewydd o deithio am ddim ar fysiau ar gyfer mis Mawrth yn enghraifft berffaith o gynllun ymarferol i dreialu rhywbeth i weld pa effaith y mae'n ei chael, i weld a yw'r manteision yn cyfiawnhau'r gost ai peidio, i weld beth yw'r nifer sy'n manteisio arno, i ddeall beth yw'r rhwystrau, i lywio ein gwaith ymhellach wrth i ni geisio sicrhau newid i ddulliau teithio. Mae enghreifftiau ymarferol pellach yng Nghasnewydd o deithio llesol, gydag uned gyflawni Burns a'r bwrdd annibynnol dan gadeiryddiaeth Simon Gibson i gyflawni cynllun Burns—a gwelsom adroddiad interim bwrdd Burns yn ddiweddar, a chyfarfûm â John Griffiths a'i gydweithiwr o Orllewin Casnewydd yng Nghasnewydd i'w drafod—lle'r ydym yn gweld gwaith sylweddol ar lif o gynlluniau ar gyfer Casnewydd yn awr, a fydd yn arwain at fuddsoddiad mawr iawn i'r ddinas ar gyfer teithio llesol. Felly, credaf fod dwy enghraifft yno o gynlluniau ymarferol sydd eisoes ar y gweill.
Mae John Griffiths hefyd yn sôn am yr hyn y gallwn ei wneud i annog tacsis i newid i gerbydau trydan ac fel y gŵyr, mae gennym gynllun peilot ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer 'rhoi cynnig arni cyn prynu' ym mhrifddinas-ranbarth Caerdydd, yn sir Benfro ac yn sir Ddinbych, i gymell gyrwyr tacsis i roi cynnig ar gerbydau trydan gyda'r bwriad o'u gweld yn eu prynu wedyn. Byddwn yn gwerthuso hynny er mwyn penderfynu ai dyna'r defnydd gorau o'n hadnoddau prin ai peidio, o ystyried y ffordd y mae'r farchnad eisoes yn symud; mae eisoes yn gystadleuol i brynu car trydan yn hytrach na char petrol newydd. A byddwn yn gwerthuso'r prosiectau hynny ac yn edrych ymhellach ar ba gynlluniau ymarferol eraill y gallwn eu gwneud, wrth inni ddatblygu ein cynllun aer glân a chyflwyno deddfwriaeth.
7. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'u cael gyda Gweinidog yr Economi am hyrwyddo manteision economaidd cynhyrchu ynni adnewyddadwy yng ngogledd Cymru? OQ57690
7. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Economy on promoting the economic benefits from renewable energy production in north Wales? OQ57690
I certainly recognise the substantial economic opportunity north Wales can realise from renewable energy. I'm working with the Minister for Economy and other Cabinet colleagues to capture the benefits from our energy transition, including through the regional energy strategy and the north Wales economic framework.
Rwy'n sicr yn cydnabod y cyfle economaidd sylweddol y gall gogledd Cymru ei sicrhau o ynni adnewyddadwy. Rwy'n gweithio gyda Gweinidog yr Economi a chyd-aelodau eraill o'r Cabinet i grynhoi'r manteision o newid ein hynni, gan gynnwys drwy'r strategaeth ynni ranbarthol a fframwaith economaidd gogledd Cymru.
Thank you very much, Minister, for your response, and I'm really pleased to hear that you too see the opportunities that renewable energy has for us in north Wales and Wales as a whole. If we're ambitious enough, we could see a transformation in our economy through the green economy that's right in front of us. As I'm sure you're aware, there are a number of significant renewable energy projects popping up all over north Wales at the moment, whether it's wind, solar or marine energy projects. One of my concerns, though, is us not realising the full opportunity and potential we could take from those. So, from making sure that our docks are properly utilised and that jobs can be created there, whether it's at Holyhead, Mostyn or elsewhere on the north Wales coast, and not losing those jobs to perhaps the docks at Liverpool or elsewhere—. So, I just want to hear a bit more about how you plan to ensure that some specific sites are being well utilised, that apprenticeships are being driven in north Wales and that young people, especially, have opportunities for great jobs in the region off the back of these projects.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am eich ymateb, Weinidog, ac rwy'n falch iawn o glywed eich bod chi hefyd yn gweld y cyfleoedd sydd gan ynni adnewyddadwy i'w cynnig i ni yng ngogledd Cymru a Chymru gyfan. Os ydym yn ddigon uchelgeisiol, gallem weld trawsnewid ein heconomi drwy'r economi werdd sydd yno o'n blaenau. Fel y gwyddoch, rwy'n siŵr, mae nifer o brosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy sylweddol yn ymddangos ledled gogledd Cymru ar hyn o bryd, boed yn brosiectau ynni gwynt, solar neu forol. Un o'r pethau sy'n peri pryder i mi, serch hynny, yw nad ydym yn gwireddu'r cyfle a'r potensial llawn y gallem ei gael o'r rheini. Felly, o sicrhau bod ein dociau'n cael eu defnyddio'n briodol ac y gellir creu swyddi yno, boed hynny yng Nghaergybi, Mostyn neu rywle arall ar arfordir gogledd Cymru, a pheidio â cholli'r swyddi hynny i'r dociau yn Lerpwl, efallai, neu rywle arall—. Felly, rwyf am glywed ychydig mwy ynglŷn â sut y bwriadwch sicrhau bod rhai safleoedd penodol yn cael eu defnyddio'n dda, bod prentisiaethau'n cael eu hyrwyddo yng ngogledd Cymru a bod pobl ifanc yn enwedig yn cael cyfleoedd i gael swyddi gwych yn y rhanbarth yn sgil y prosiectau hyn.
I absolutely agree entirely with you there, Sam Rowlands. There are significant opportunities from optimising the social value of our natural resources, including through the generation of local clean energy. And as you rightly identify, it's not the quantity of renewables being developed that generates the wealth but the development of all the local ownership structures, supply chains and employment opportunities that come with it. So, we've initiated, funded and supported four regional energy strategies that will start to identify the scale of change needed to achieve the low-carbon energy system. The strategies are all co-developed by the regional partnerships and are accompanied by an economic assessment of how to lever in the most social value out of the undoubted renewable largesse that we have right across Wales.
The vision presented within the north Wales energy strategy is estimated to result in an additional 24,400 net jobs and associated increase in gross value added of around £2.4 billion in the period to 2035, compared to business as usual. And that is absolutely associated with the delivery of accelerated deployment of renewable electricity-generation technologies and enhanced levels of energy efficiency to go with it. It estimates that there'll be over 1,200 more growth jobs associated with the provision of low-carbon heating technologies in that scenario, associated with a further £192 million of GVA.
So, I absolutely agree with you it's absolutely incumbent on all of us to work towards making sure that we emphasise community ownership, or some proportion of community ownership where possible, and by community ownership that can also include local authority ownership and Government ownership where appropriate to assist communities to get a foothold in the ownership structure. But it also includes making sure that we have the right skills base to attract the right jobs here, so that we have not just the maintenance and renewal jobs, but the engineering, design and construction jobs that come with them—the top-end jobs and the management jobs that come with that as well. So, absolutely on the same page as you, and we're working very hard with our regional partnerships to ensure just that.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â chi, Sam Rowlands. Ceir cyfleoedd sylweddol i sicrhau'r gwerth cymdeithasol gorau posibl o'n hadnoddau naturiol, gan gynnwys drwy gynhyrchu ynni glân lleol. Ac fel y nodwch yn gywir, nid faint o ynni adnewyddadwy sy'n cael ei ddatblygu sy'n creu'r cyfoeth ond datblygu'r holl strwythurau perchnogaeth leol, cadwyni cyflenwi a chyfleoedd cyflogaeth sy'n dod gyda hynny. Felly, rydym wedi cychwyn, wedi ariannu ac wedi cefnogi pedair strategaeth ynni ranbarthol a fydd yn dechrau nodi graddfa'r newid sydd ei angen i gyflawni'r system ynni carbon isel. Mae'r strategaethau i gyd wedi'u cyd-ddatblygu gan y partneriaethau rhanbarthol ac maent yn cynnwys asesiad economaidd o sut i ysgogi'r gwerth cymdeithasol mwyaf o'r buddion adnewyddadwy diamheuol sydd gennym ledled Cymru.
Amcangyfrifir bod y weledigaeth a gyflwynir yn strategaeth ynni gogledd Cymru yn mynd i arwain at 24,400 o swyddi net ychwanegol a chynnydd cysylltiedig yn y gwerth ychwanegol gros o tua £2.4 biliwn yn y cyfnod hyd at 2035, o'i gymharu â busnes fel arfer. Ac mae hynny'n gwbl gysylltiedig â darparu technolegau cynhyrchu trydan adnewyddadwy yn gyflymach a lefelau uwch o effeithlonrwydd ynni i fynd gyda hynny. Mae'n amcangyfrif y bydd dros 1,200 yn fwy o swyddi twf yn gysylltiedig â darparu technolegau gwresogi carbon isel mewn senario o'r fath, yn gysylltiedig â £192 miliwn arall o werth ychwanegol gros.
Felly, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â chi ei bod yn ddyletswydd ddiamheuol ar bob un ohonom i weithio tuag at sicrhau ein bod yn pwysleisio perchnogaeth gymunedol, neu ryw gyfran o berchnogaeth gymunedol lle y bo'n bosibl, a pherchnogaeth gymunedol a all hefyd gynnwys perchnogaeth awdurdodau lleol a pherchnogaeth y Llywodraeth lle y bo'n briodol i gynorthwyo cymunedau i gael troedle yn y strwythur perchnogaeth. Ond mae hefyd yn cynnwys sicrhau bod gennym y sylfaen sgiliau gywir i ddenu'r swyddi cywir yma, fel nad y swyddi cynnal a chadw ac adnewyddu yn unig sydd gennym, ond y swyddi peirianneg, cynllunio ac adeiladu sy'n dod gyda hwy—y swyddi pen uchaf a'r swyddi rheoli sy'n dod gyda hynny hefyd. Felly, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â chi, ac rydym yn gweithio'n galed iawn gyda'n partneriaethau rhanbarthol i sicrhau hynny.
Yn olaf, cwestiwn 8, Tom Giffard.
Finally, question 8, Tom Giffard.
8. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda Dŵr Cymru i liniaru perygl llifogydd yng Ngorllewin De Cymru? OQ57683
8. How is the Welsh Government working with Welsh Water to mitigate flood risks in South Wales West? OQ57683
Thank you, Tom. The Welsh Government funds risk-management authorities, such as local authorities and Natural Resources Wales, to reduce flood risk. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water are responsible for managing their own sewerage assets. We encourage all parties to work collaboratively to address the risk of flooding to all our communities.
Diolch, Tom. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ariannu awdurdodau rheoli risg, megis awdurdodau lleol a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, i leihau perygl llifogydd. Dŵr Cymru sy'n gyfrifol am reoli eu hasedau carthffosiaeth eu hunain. Rydym yn annog pob parti i gydweithio i fynd i'r afael â pherygl llifogydd i'n holl gymunedau.
Thank you, Minister, for that answer. You may be aware of the decision made by Welsh Water to close the Vardre bridge that spans the River Tawe at Clydach in my region. A structural survey undertaken by Welsh Water three years ago found that the bridge was unsafe and instead of repairing it, they simply closed the bridge. Local residents have contacted me to say they're concerned that now debris is building up and forming a dam that could lead to serious flood issues in the area, particularly as the river is known to rise to meet the bridge during heavy rainfall. The closure of the bridge is also causing significant disruption in the community. For example, Vardre Rugby Football Club use this bridge to access their pitches for their players and supporters, and they're now forced to take a detour of over a mile from their changing rooms to their pitch. The rugby club also were active in the community and cleared the debris around when it was in use, but now it's closed they're unable to do that, and therefore that causes that flooding concern in the community I mentioned earlier.
So, can I ask the Minister what value you expect Welsh Water to place on the importance of an asset to a community when considering what action it takes on it? Also, what maintenance and flood-prevention work do you expect Welsh Water to undertake on an asset like that, which is closed to the public? Finally, will you seek clarification from Welsh Water on behalf of the people of Clydach on their future plans for the Vardre bridge and whether they'll consider either maintaining or reopening the bridge, on which so many of the residents of that community rely?
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Efallai eich bod yn ymwybodol o'r penderfyniad a wnaed gan Dŵr Cymru i gau pont Faerdre sy'n croesi Afon Tawe yng Nghlydach yn fy rhanbarth i. Canfu arolwg strwythurol a gynhaliwyd gan Dŵr Cymru dair blynedd yn ôl nad oedd y bont yn ddiogel ac yn hytrach na'i hatgyweirio, fe wnaethant gau'r bont. Mae trigolion lleol wedi cysylltu â mi i ddweud eu bod yn pryderu bod malurion bellach yn cronni ac yn ffurfio argae a allai arwain at broblemau llifogydd difrifol yn yr ardal, yn enwedig gan y gwyddys bod yr afon yn codi i gwrdd â'r bont yn ystod glaw trwm. Mae cau'r bont hefyd yn achosi aflonyddwch sylweddol yn y gymuned. Er enghraifft, mae Clwb Rygbi Faerdre yn defnyddio'r bont i'w chwaraewyr a'u cefnogwyr allu cyrraedd eu caeau, ac maent bellach yn gorfod teithio dros filltir o'u hystafelloedd newid i'r cae. Roedd y clwb rygbi hefyd yn weithgar yn y gymuned ac yn clirio'r malurion pan gâi'r bont ei defnyddio, ond gan ei bod bellach wedi'i chau, ni allant wneud hynny, a dyna, felly, sy'n achosi'r pryder llifogydd yn y gymuned y soniais amdano'n gynharach.
Felly, a gaf fi ofyn i'r Gweinidog pa werth y disgwyliwch i Dŵr Cymru ei roi ar bwysigrwydd ased i gymuned wrth ystyried pa gamau y mae'n mynd i'w cymryd? Hefyd, pa waith cynnal a chadw ac atal llifogydd y disgwyliwch i Dŵr Cymru ei wneud ar ased o'r fath sydd ar gau i'r cyhoedd? Yn olaf, a wnewch chi ofyn am eglurhad gan Dŵr Cymru ar ran pobl Clydach ynglŷn â'u cynlluniau ar gyfer pont Faerdre yn y dyfodol ac a wnânt ystyried cadw neu ailagor y bont y mae cynifer o drigolion y gymuned honno'n dibynnu arni?
I'd expect Welsh Water to take into account a hierarchy of issues. The first is to prevent flooding. That's absolutely the first—loss of limb or life and to prevent flooding; that's the first thing they have to do. So, if they're looking at a building up of debris around the bridge and so on, they are expected to clean that out. They are expected to work in conjunction with Natural Resources Wales and the local authorities, and other agencies with responsibility for that, including—I don't know the example you give, but including the riparian owners and so on, to make sure that that is in an optimal condition to cope with any additional storm and so on. So, that's the first thing they need to do. Then the second thing they need to do is to make sure that all local amenities are recovered as fast as possible and to make sure that they do that in as timely a way as possible.
I'm not familiar with the incident you're talking about, so I'd encourage you to write in to me with details of the incident, and then I can look at the specifics for you. But, in general, obviously, the first thing is to prevent the flooding and loss of life and limb, then to make sure that infrastructure assets are as safe as they can be, and then to ensure that amenities are recovered as soon as possible.
Byddwn yn disgwyl i Dŵr Cymru ystyried hierarchaeth o bethau. Y cyntaf yw atal llifogydd. Dyna'r cyntaf yn bendant iawn—atal anaf neu golli bywyd ac atal llifogydd; dyna'r peth cyntaf y mae'n rhaid iddynt ei wneud. Felly, os ydynt yn edrych ar falurion yn cronni o amgylch y bont ac yn y blaen, mae disgwyl iddynt ei glirio. Mae disgwyl iddynt weithio ar y cyd â Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r awdurdodau lleol, ac asiantaethau eraill sy'n gyfrifol am hynny, gan gynnwys—nid wyf yn gwybod am yr enghraifft a roddwch, ond gan gynnwys perchnogion y glannau ac yn y blaen, i sicrhau bod y rheini yn y cyflwr gorau posibl i ymdopi ag unrhyw stormydd ychwanegol ac yn y blaen. Felly, dyna'r peth cyntaf y mae angen iddynt ei wneud. Wedyn, yr ail beth y mae angen iddynt ei wneud yw sicrhau bod yr holl amwynderau lleol yn cael eu hadfer mor gyflym â phosibl a sicrhau eu bod yn gwneud hynny mewn ffordd mor amserol â phosibl.
Nid wyf yn gyfarwydd â'r digwyddiad a nodwch, felly byddwn yn eich annog i ysgrifennu ataf gyda manylion y digwyddiad, a gallaf edrych wedyn ar y manylion ar eich cyfer. Ond yn gyffredinol, y peth cyntaf, yn amlwg, yw atal llifogydd ac anaf a cholli bywyd, wedyn sicrhau bod asedau seilwaith mor ddiogel ag y gallant fod, ac yna sicrhau bod amwynderau'n cael eu hadfer cyn gynted â phosibl.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
I thank the Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i Weinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Delyth Jewell.
The next item is questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, and the first question is from Delyth Jewell.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad ar gynnydd tuag at gyflawni'r targedau a nodir yn 'Cymraeg 2050'? OQ57717
1. Will the Minister make a statement on progress with achieving targets set out in 'Cymraeg 2050', please? OQ57717
Ddoe cyhoeddais adroddiad blynyddol 'Cymraeg 2050' ar gyfer blwyddyn ariannol 2020-21. Mae'n nodi cynnydd yn erbyn ein targedau. Pan fydd canlyniadau cyfrifiad 2021 wedi'u cyhoeddi, byddwn yn ailedrych ar y taflwybr ystadegol tua'r filiwn, fel yr addewais fis Gorffennaf y llynedd wrth gyhoeddi ein rhaglen waith ar gyfer 2021-26.
Yesterday I published the 'Cymraeg 2050' annual report for the 2020-21 financial year, which shows progress against our targets. Once the results of the 2021 census have been published, we'll revisit the statistical trajectory towards a million Welsh speakers, as I promised last July when I launched our work programme for 2021-26.
Diolch, Weinidog. Mae'r Gymraeg yn perthyn i bawb, dim ots os ydyn ni'n siarad yr iaith ai peidio.
Thank you, Minister. The Welsh language belongs to us all, whether we speak it or not.
But unpleasant commentary recently has sought to reawaken divides over Welsh. Jeremy Bowen, Jonathan Meades and others have rightly been criticised, but this could, ironically, be an opportunity, because the Government's plans with 'Cymraeg 2050' could centre not only on increasing the numbers of people who speak Welsh, as vital as that is, but centre also on creating favourable conditions. Surely, part of this has to entail increasing the sense of ownership that non-Welsh speakers feel for this language that enriches all of us in society. Some of the fiercest campaigners I know for Welsh-medium education are the very people who were denied the chance to learn Welsh when they were little. So, Minister, how do you think that Government plans and targets can work in concert with the need to increase this level of support for Welsh among those who can't speak it? How can we ensure that everyone living in Wales and everyone who feels this sense of belonging to Wales—that they feel that the language, too, belongs to them and that they have a part to play in its story?
Ond mae sylwadau annymunol yn ddiweddar wedi ceisio ail-greu rhaniadau ynghylch y Gymraeg. Mae Jeremy Bowen, Jonathan Meades ac eraill wedi cael eu beirniadu'n briodol, ond gallai hyn, yn eironig, fod yn gyfle, oherwydd gallai cynlluniau'r Llywodraeth gyda 'Cymraeg 2050' ganolbwyntio nid yn unig ar gynyddu nifer y bobl sy'n siarad Cymraeg, er mor hanfodol yw hynny, ond gallent ganolbwyntio hefyd ar greu amodau ffafriol. Rhaid mai rhan o hyn yw cynyddu'r ymdeimlad o berchnogaeth y mae'r di-Gymraeg yn ei deimlo ar yr iaith sy'n cyfoethogi pob un ohonom mewn cymdeithas. Mae rhai o'r ymgyrchwyr mwyaf brwd y gwn amdanynt dros addysg Gymraeg yn bobl a gafodd eu hamddifadu o'r cyfle i ddysgu Cymraeg pan oeddent yn ifanc. Felly, Weinidog, sut y credwch chi y gall cynlluniau a thargedau'r Llywodraeth weithio ar y cyd â'r angen i gynyddu'r lefel hon o gefnogaeth i'r Gymraeg ymhlith y rhai na allant ei siarad? Sut y gallwn sicrhau bod pawb sy'n byw yng Nghymru a phawb sy'n teimlo'r ymdeimlad hwn o berthyn i Gymru—eu bod yn teimlo bod yr iaith, hefyd, yn perthyn iddynt hwy a bod ganddynt ran i'w chwarae yn ei stori?
I would, if I may, just associate myself entirely with the sentiment in the question; I couldn't agree more with the world view that you've described in your question. It is fantastic that 86 per cent of adults in Wales have pride in the Welsh language, whether they speak it or not. Just let that statistic sink in; it's fantastic as a sort of starting point for the analysis.
I think one of the things we must do is make sure, as I was saying in the statement yesterday, that we encourage everybody, even if they have a word or two of Welsh, and most people in Wales have a word or two of the language, just to use them, because, actually, it's by creating the use of Welsh, even in that small way, in the public space that we'll help each other along that journey.
There are lots of people who feel put off by, maybe, feeling their Welsh isn't what they would like it to be, and I think we should, actually, change the expectation and say, 'Use the Welsh that you have got; learn a few more words and use a bit more every day.' In that way, we'll make real progress towards the million Welsh speakers and doubling the use of Welsh every day.
Os caf, hoffwn ategu'r teimlad yn y cwestiwn yn llwyr; rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â'r hyn a ddisgrifiwyd gennych yn eich cwestiwn. Mae'n wych fod gan 86 y cant o oedolion Cymru ymdeimlad o falchder ynghylch y Gymraeg, boed yn ei siarad ai peidio. Ystyriwch yr ystadegyn hwnnw; mae'n wych fel rhyw fath o fan cychwyn ar gyfer y dadansoddiad.
Fel y dywedais yn y datganiad ddoe, credaf mai un o'r pethau y mae'n rhaid inni ei wneud yw sicrhau ein bod yn annog pawb, hyd yn oed os mai gair neu ddau o Gymraeg sydd ganddynt, ac mae gan y rhan fwyaf o bobl yng Nghymru air neu ddau o'r iaith, i ddefnyddio'r geiriau hynny, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, drwy greu'r defnydd o'r Gymraeg yn gyhoeddus, hyd yn oed yn y ffordd fach hon, y byddwn yn helpu ein gilydd ar hyd y daith honno.
Mae llawer o bobl yn teimlo, efallai, nad yw eu Cymraeg cystal ag yr hoffent iddi fod, a chredaf y dylem newid y disgwyliad a dweud, 'Defnyddiwch y Gymraeg sydd gennych; dysgwch ychydig bach mwy o eiriau a defnyddiwch ychydig bach mwy bob dydd.' Drwy wneud hynny, byddwn yn gwneud cynnydd gwirioneddol tuag at y miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg ac yn dyblu'r defnydd o'r Gymraeg bob dydd.
'Cymraeg 2050' acknowledges the importance of Welsh-speaking communities as places that facilitate the use of the language in every aspect of everyday life. However, with the Welsh Government only delivering 4,616 of the 12,000 new homes required annually in Wales, there is a huge shortage of houses for our youngest generations to remain in their home towns or villages. In fact, a cumulative total of 14,240 young people in the 20 to 29 age group left four Welsh counties between 2012 and 2016. [Interruption.] The consultation on the Welsh language communities housing plan highlighted that you are considering options to help local people to access affordable housing. Minister, many Welsh-language young people are from farms and, as such, their families do own land. Technical advice note 6 allows for new isolated residential development in the open countryside for rural enterprise workers, but have you ever considered undertaking some discussions with the Minister for Climate Change to maybe expand—[Interruption.] Yes, you could do it now.
Mae 'Cymraeg 2050' yn cydnabod pwysigrwydd cymunedau Cymraeg eu hiaith fel lleoedd sy'n hwyluso'r defnydd o'r iaith ym mhob agwedd ar fywyd bob dydd. Fodd bynnag, gyda Llywodraeth Cymru ond yn darparu 4,616 o'r 12,000 o gartrefi newydd sydd eu hangen bob blwyddyn yng Nghymru, mae prinder enfawr o dai i'n cenedlaethau ieuengaf allu aros yn eu trefi neu eu pentrefi eu hunain. Yn wir, gadawodd cyfanswm cronnol o 14,240 o bobl ifanc yn y grŵp oedran 20 i 29 bedair sir yng Nghymru rhwng 2012 a 2016. [Torri ar draws.] Amlygodd yr ymgynghoriad ar gynllun tai cymunedau Cymraeg eich bod yn ystyried opsiynau i helpu pobl leol i gael gafael ar dai fforddiadwy. Weinidog, mae llawer o bobl ifanc Cymraeg eu hiaith yn dod o ffermydd ac fel y cyfryw, mae eu teuluoedd yn berchen ar dir. Mae nodyn cyngor technegol 6 yn caniatáu datblygiad preswyl newydd ar ei ben ei hun mewn ardal wledig agored i weithwyr mentrau gwledig, ond a ydych erioed wedi ystyried cynnal trafodaethau gyda'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd i ehangu efallai—[Torri ar draws.] Ie, gallech ei wneud yn awr.
Allow the Member to carry on with her question. I'm sure she's coming to it very soon.
Gadewch i'r Aelod barhau â'i chwestiwn. Rwy'n siŵr ei bod yn dod ato'n fuan.
I am. To expand on TAN 6 that maybe children of farmers can more easily gain planning permission to build homes on their own family land. Diolch.
Ydw. Ymhelaethu ar TAN 6 fel y gall plant ffermwyr ei chael yn haws sicrhau caniatâd cynllunio i adeiladu cartrefi ar dir eu teuluoedd eu hunain. Diolch.
Well, I think the question was a model of cross-Government scrutiny, in terms—[Interruption.]—in terms of its breadth and its scope, which is commendable. I think somewhat at odds with the comments I heard the Member made this morning about the proposals that the Government are bringing forward in relation to council tax to the benefit of some of those communities that she identifies rightly in her question—[Interruption.] That she identifies rightly in her question—
Wel, credaf fod y cwestiwn yn fodel o graffu trawslywodraethol, o ran—[Torri ar draws.]—o ran ei ehangder a'i gwmpas, sy'n ganmoladwy. Rwy'n credu, braidd yn groes i'r sylwadau y clywais yr Aelod yn eu gwneud y bore yma am y cynigion y mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu cyflwyno mewn perthynas â'r dreth gyngor er budd rhai o'r cymunedau y mae'n eu nodi'n briodol yn ei chwestiwn—[Torri ar draws.] Y mae'n eu nodi'n briodol yn ei chwestiwn—
Carry on, Minister, yes.
Parhewch, Weinidog, ie.
—as being a particular concern for many of us in this Chamber. I know from the discussions that we've had in a private setting that she shares many of those concerns as well. I would dispute the figures that you've given in relation to housing provision, and I know my colleague here, the Minister for Climate Change, is passionately disputing them as well to my side here. But I welcome her commitment to making sure that our Welsh-speaking communities, where Welsh is a main language, retain their vibrancy and their prosperity into the future. I hope she's taken the opportunity of responding to the consultation that closed during last week and I'll look forward to reading her comments if she has.
—fel pryder penodol i lawer ohonom yn y Siambr hon. Gwn o'r trafodaethau a gawsom mewn lleoliad preifat ei bod yn rhannu llawer o'r pryderon hynny hefyd. Byddwn yn anghytuno â'r ffigurau a roddwyd gennych mewn perthynas â darpariaeth tai, a gwn fod fy nghyd-Aelod yma, y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd, yn anghytuno'n angerddol â hwy wrth fy ochr i yma hefyd. Ond rwy'n croesawu ei hymrwymiad i sicrhau bod ein cymunedau Cymraeg, lle mae'r Gymraeg yn brif iaith, yn cadw eu bywiogrwydd a'u ffyniant yn y dyfodol. Rwy'n gobeithio ei bod wedi manteisio ar y cyfle i ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad a ddaeth i ben yn ystod yr wythnos ddiwethaf a byddaf yn edrych ymlaen at ddarllen ei sylwadau os yw hi wedi gwneud hynny.
2. Pa drafodaethau y mae’r Gweinidog wedi'u cael i ddatrys yr anghydfod pensiwn mewn sefydliadau addysg uwch yng Nghymru? OQ57697
2. What discussions has the Minister had to resolve the pension dispute in higher education institutions in Wales? OQ57697
Mae prifysgolion wrth gwrs yn gyrff annibynnol ar y Llywodraeth, ac yn gyfrifol felly am eu materion gweinyddol eu hunain. Does gan Weinidogion Llywodraeth Cymru ddim awdurdod i ymyrryd yn y trafodaethau hynny ond, wrth gwrs, rŷn ni'n gobeithio y byddan nhw'n cyrraedd diweddglo hapus.
Universities of course are autonomous bodies, independent of Government, and they are responsible for their own administrative affairs. The Welsh Government Ministers have no authority to intervene in those discussions, but we hope they will reach a happy conclusion.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Weinidog. Braint oedd cyfarfod â rhai o’r streicwyr heddiw ar risiau’r Senedd ac roedden nhw'n canmol fy nghyfeillion i Sioned Williams a Mike Hedges am y gefnogaeth y maent wedi’i rhoi iddyn nhw.
Dylai pensiwn teg fod yn hawl sylfaenol i bob gweithiwr yng Nghymru, ac mae’r ffaith eu bod nhw'n torri pensiynau diwedd cyflogaeth gan 35 y cant yn hollol warthus, a hynny wedi'i seilio ar dystiolaeth sydd wedi'i dyddio bellach. Mae’r wybodaeth newydd yn dangos bod y deficit yn y pensiwn wedi torri yn ddifrifol yn ystod y pandemig, ac mae ffigurau cyllideb prifysgolion wedi bod yn iachus iawn, gyda nifer y myfyrwyr sy’n mynd i brifysgolion wedi aros yn gyson a chynyddu. Mae hynny’n dangos safon y gweithwyr sydd gyda ni yn y system addysg uwch.
Dwi'n derbyn yr hyn rŷch chi'n ei ddweud, bod prifysgolion a sefydliadau addysg uwch eraill yn annibynnol, ond mae yna ddylanwad gyda chi, Weinidog, a dwi'n gobeithio y byddech yn gwneud mwy na jest dymuno’n dda, ac yn defnyddio eich dylanwad i ysgrifennu at yr is-gangellorion, dangos eich cefnogaeth chi i weithwyr y system addysg uwch a dweud wrth yr is-gangellorion fod yn rhaid iddyn nhw ddod yn ôl at y bwrdd i negodi. Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you very much, Minister. It was a privilege to meet some of the strikers on the steps of the Senedd today and they praised my colleagues Sioned Williams and Mike Hedges for the support that they've shown them.
A fair pension should be a fundamental right for every worker in Wales, and the fact that they are cutting end-of-employment pensions by 35 per cent is disgraceful, and that is based on dated evidence. The more up-to-date information shows that the pension deficit has fallen significantly during the pandemic, and the universities' budgets have been healthy, with the number of students attending universities remaining consistent and increasing, indeed, which shows the quality of the workforce we have in higher education.
Now I accept what you say, namely that universities and higher education institutions are independent, but you do have influence, Minister, and I hope that you would do more than wish them well, and that you would use that influence to write to the vice-chancellors, showing your support to the workforce in HE and inform the vice-chancellors that they do have to come back to the table to negotiate. Thank you.
Wel, roeddwn i eisoes wedi gwneud fy nisgwyliadau’n glir i’r sector. Mae'n bwysig bod y negodiadau sy'n digwydd yn cyrraedd setliad sy'n adlewyrchu cyfraniad a buddiannau'r staff. Mae hynny'n bwysig o ran y gallu i sicrhau darpariaeth addysg uwch, ond hefyd o ran sicrhau ein bod yn gallu denu pobl i mewn—myfyrwyr ac i ddysgu hefyd. Rwyf hefyd wedi esbonio bod angen bod yn dryloyw ac yn atebol o ran y penderfyniadau sy'n cael eu gwneud a'r incwm sy'n dod i mewn i'n prifysgolion ni. Felly, rwyf wir yn gobeithio y bydd hyn yn gallu cyrraedd diweddglo sydd yn adlewyrchu buddiannau’r staff hefyd.
Well, I've already made my expectations clear to the sector. It's important that the negotiations do reach a settlement that reflects the contribution and the interests of the staff. That's very important in terms of ensuring HE provision, but also in ensuring that we can attract people—students and teaching staff as well. But I've also explained that we need to be transparent and accountable in terms of the decisions made and the income coming to universities. So, I do hope that this will be able to reach an outcome that can reflect the interests of the staff as well.
We all want to see a resolution to this dispute, Minister, and I do understand, obviously, that higher education is an autonomous body and they are responsible for the negotiations in this particular aspect. Students have had a lot of disruption to their education over the last couple of years with COVID and now industrial action. We're in a critical window for most students, who have to have dissertations in by April, to get their marks ready for their degrees, hopefully. Would you support, where facilities have been withdrawn and services have been withdrawn to students, that they should be reimbursed? Because, obviously, students have paid in to those universities in expectation of tutorial time and face-to-face educational time, and if there's industrial action happening in the HE sector that isn't being provided and, in any other sector, you'd expect some recompense. So, would you support reimbursing students who haven't had that service provided to them?
Rydym i gyd eisiau gweld datrys yr anghydfod hwn, Weinidog, a deallaf, yn amlwg, fod addysg uwch yn gorff annibynnol a'u bod yn gyfrifol am y trafodaethau ar yr agwedd benodol hon. Mae llawer o darfu wedi bod ar addysg myfyrwyr dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf gyda COVID a gweithredu diwydiannol yn awr. Rydym mewn cyfnod tyngedfennol i'r rhan fwyaf o fyfyrwyr, sy'n gorfod cwblhau eu traethodau hir erbyn mis Ebrill, i gael eu marciau'n barod ar gyfer eu graddau, gobeithio. Lle cafodd cyfleusterau eu cau a lle cafodd gwasanaethau eu tynnu'n ôl i fyfyrwyr, a fyddech yn cefnogi y dylid eu had-dalu? Oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae myfyrwyr wedi talu'r prifysgolion hynny gan ddisgwyl amser tiwtorial ac amser addysgol wyneb yn wyneb, ac os oes gweithredu diwydiannol yn digwydd yn y sector addysg uwch nad yw'n cael ei ddarparu, ac mewn unrhyw sector arall, byddech yn disgwyl rhywfaint o ad-daliad. Felly, a fyddech yn cefnogi ad-dalu myfyrwyr nad ydynt wedi cael y gwasanaeth hwnnw wedi'i ddarparu iddynt?
Well, universities have provided a range of different means by which students can continue their education, even in the very, very challenging circumstances of the last two years, in fact. And that has involved offering a blended approach, which I'm sure none of us would want to see as the norm, but it has been a way in which students' experience has been able to be maintained, with, I think, some innovation in some campuses in particular. Where students feel that they have a particular concern about a particular course, then they have recourse through their student unions—I'd encourage them to take that up—and through the universities themselves.
Wel, mae prifysgolion wedi darparu ystod o wahanol ffyrdd y gall myfyrwyr barhau â'u haddysg, hyd yn oed yn amgylchiadau heriol iawn y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf mewn gwirionedd. Ac mae hynny wedi golygu cynnig dull cyfunol, ac rwy'n siŵr na fyddai'r un ohonom eisiau ei weld fel y norm, ond mae wedi bod yn ffordd o gynnal profiad myfyrwyr, a hynny gyda rhywfaint o arloesedd ar rai campysau yn arbennig, rwy'n credu. Lle mae myfyrwyr yn teimlo bod ganddynt bryder penodol am gwrs penodol, mae ganddynt hawl i'w drafod â'u hundebau myfyrwyr—byddwn yn eu hannog i wneud hynny—a thrwy'r prifysgolion eu hunain.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Laura Jones.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, Laura Jones.
Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, I think we both share a desire for education to be futureproof in Wales, especially at a time post-Brexit, which is presenting and will present so many international opportunities going forward. We need to ensure that pupils from Wales have the very best chances and are truly able to compete on a global stage. I spoke recently in the Chamber about the benefits of providing both modern and international languages across our educational settings, so I won't repeat. And it seems clear, from the money that the Welsh Government have put into this aspect of learning, that you acknowledge those benefits also, Minister. So, I'm wondering how, even though you've ploughed a total of £5.7 million into your Welsh Government's Global Futures programme, with the funding increased 71.8 per cent since 2015, GCSE entries in French and German have declined by 41.2 per cent and 45 per cent respectively. By contrast, in England, there were noticeable increases in French and English from 2019-20. And for the first time since records began, in England, Spanish attracted over 100,000 entries—almost double the 2005 total. It is clear that, in comparison, Minister, something in the Global Futures programme is failing. Could you please explain to the Senedd how any new moneys for this failing programme are going to reverse this downward trend? Thank you.
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, credaf fod y ddau ohonom yn rhannu awydd i ddiogelu addysg ar gyfer y dyfodol yng Nghymru, yn enwedig ar ôl Brexit, sy'n cyflwyno ac a fydd yn cyflwyno cynifer o gyfleoedd rhyngwladol wrth symud ymlaen. Mae angen inni sicrhau bod disgyblion o Gymru yn cael y cyfleoedd gorau a'u bod yn gallu cystadlu ar lwyfan byd-eang. Siaradais yn ddiweddar yn y Siambr am fanteision darparu ieithoedd modern a rhyngwladol ar draws ein lleoliadau addysgol, felly ni wnaf ailadrodd hynny. Ac mae'n ymddangos yn glir, o'r arian y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i neilltuo ar gyfer yr agwedd hon ar ddysgu, eich bod yn cydnabod y manteision hynny hefyd, Weinidog. Felly, er eich bod wedi darparu cyfanswm o £5.7 miliwn i raglen Dyfodol Byd-eang Llywodraeth Cymru, a chynyddu'r cyllid 71.8 y cant ers 2015, tybed sut y mae nifer y cofrestriadau TGAU mewn Ffrangeg ac Almaeneg wedi gostwng 41.2 y cant a 45 y cant yn y drefn honno. Mewn cyferbyniad, yn Lloegr, cafwyd cynnydd amlwg yn Ffrangeg a Saesneg o 2019-20. Ac am y tro cyntaf ers dechrau cadw cofnodion, yn Lloegr, denodd Sbaeneg dros 100,000 o gofrestriadau—bron i ddwbl cyfanswm 2005. Mae'n amlwg, mewn cymhariaeth, Weinidog, fod rhywbeth yn y rhaglen Dyfodol Byd-eang yn methu. A allech chi egluro i'r Senedd sut y bydd unrhyw arian newydd ar gyfer y rhaglen aflwyddiannus hon yn gwrthdroi'r gostyngiad hwn? Diolch.
Well, I would dispute the impression that the question gives, I'm afraid, which is that this is a Wales-specific challenge. That doesn't make it any less of a challenge in Wales, but it does tell us something about the nature of the challenge, which is that there's a picture of a general decline, actually, in modern foreign languages right across the UK. So, I think it's an unhappy situation that all four parts of the UK have to wrestle with. I do think that the work that partners through the Global Futures programme have been doing has—. The focus of that has been to promote and to raise the profile of modern foreign languages in schools in Wales generally. We are working with Estyn, with the regional consortia, with universities, with Qualifications Wales, and, in that mix, there's a wealth of experience and resources in addition to support our schools in Wales. But I think one of the key opportunities for us, as we bring forward the new curriculum, and the reform to our qualifications, is to widen the choice available to our learners, and I think that extra flexibility we anticipate will help us in this challenge as well.
Wel, byddwn yn anghytuno â'r argraff y mae'r cwestiwn yn ei roi, mae arnaf ofn, sef bod hon yn her sy'n benodol i Gymru. Nid yw hynny'n ei wneud yn llai o her yng Nghymru, ond mae'n dweud rhywbeth wrthym am natur yr her, sef bod dirywiad cyffredinol, mewn gwirionedd, mewn ieithoedd tramor modern ledled y DU. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn sefyllfa drist y mae'n rhaid i bob un o bedair gwlad y DU ymgodymu â hi. Credaf fod y gwaith y mae partneriaid wedi bod yn ei wneud drwy'r rhaglen Dyfodol Byd-eang—. Ffocws y rhaglen honno oedd hyrwyddo a chodi proffil ieithoedd tramor modern mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru yn gyffredinol. Rydym yn gweithio gydag Estyn, gyda'r consortia rhanbarthol, gyda phrifysgolion, gyda Cymwysterau Cymru, ac yn y cymysgedd hwnnw, mae cyfoeth o brofiad ac adnoddau i gefnogi ein hysgolion yng Nghymru. Ond rwy'n credu mai un o'r cyfleoedd allweddol, wrth inni gyflwyno'r cwricwlwm newydd, a diwygio ein cymwysterau, yw ehangu'r dewis sydd ar gael i'n dysgwyr, a chredaf y bydd yr hyblygrwydd ychwanegol a ragwelwn yn ein helpu gyda'r her hon hefyd.
Thank you, Minister. I'll just repeat: by contrast, in England, there were noticeable increases in French and Spanish from 2019-20, and that, since records began, Spanish has increased to 100,000 plus. It's completely different to our numbers, which are declining. Also, we have seen the modern foreign language teachers numbers in German and French decline by 14 per cent and 15 per cent respectively over the last five, six years. Is one of the causes of the Global Futures programme failing the lack of teachers coming forward, and, if so, what steps are you doing to rectify that, please, particularly, as you said, because the new curriculum presents us with so many opportunities, as does, potentially, changing the school day? So, we need to have these teachers in place so people are able to have those modern language opportunities if they desire, going forward. Thank you.
Diolch, Weinidog. Rwyf am ailadrodd: mewn cyferbyniad, yn Lloegr, cafwyd cynnydd amlwg mewn Ffrangeg a Sbaeneg o 2019-20, ac ers dechrau cadw cofnodion, mae Sbaeneg wedi cynyddu i 100,000 a mwy. Mae'n hollol wahanol i'n niferoedd ni, sy'n gostwng. Hefyd, rydym wedi gweld niferoedd athrawon ieithoedd tramor modern mewn Almaeneg a Ffrangeg yn gostwng 14 y cant a 15 y cant yn y drefn honno dros y pum, chwe blynedd diwethaf. Ai un o'r rhesymau pam fod y rhaglen Dyfodol Byd-eang yn methu yw prinder athrawon, ac, os felly, pa gamau yr ydych yn eu cymryd i unioni hynny, os gwelwch yn dda, yn benodol, fel y dywedoch chi, am fod y cwricwlwm newydd yn rhoi cynifer o gyfleoedd i ni, fel y mae newid y diwrnod ysgol o bosibl? Felly, mae angen inni gael yr athrawon hyn ar waith fel y gall pobl fanteisio ar y cyfleoedd hynny ym maes ieithoedd modern os dymunant, wrth symud ymlaen. Diolch.
I agree with the challenge that the Member describes in terms of recruitment. We have, of course, got an incentive scheme to encourage teachers into subjects such as some of the ones that she's referred to, which have been challenging in terms of recruitment in the past. And actually, those schemes do in fact lead to beneficial outcomes. I do think that it's a mix of challenges, really. One of the aspects of our education reform that I think may have a bearing on how this could look different in the future is the internationalisation of the education system generally in Wales through the Taith programme, which, although probably the focus has been on higher education, also benefits further education, schools as well, and youth services. So, I think there's a very exciting opportunity as part of that to raise the profile in our schools, alongside the new curriculum, of the importance of modern foreign languages, as well as the teaching of Welsh, of course.
Rwy'n cytuno â'r her y mae'r Aelod yn ei disgrifio o ran recriwtio. Wrth gwrs, mae gennym gynllun cymhelliant i annog athrawon i bynciau fel y rhai y cyfeirir atynt, sydd wedi bod yn heriol o ran recriwtio yn y gorffennol. Ac mewn gwirionedd, mae'r cynlluniau hynny'n arwain at ganlyniadau buddiol. Rwy'n credu bod cymysgedd o heriau, mewn gwirionedd. Un o'r agweddau ar ddiwygio addysg a allai effeithio ar sut y gallai hyn edrych yn wahanol yn y dyfodol yw rhyngwladoli'r system addysg yn gyffredinol yng Nghymru drwy'r rhaglen Taith, sydd, er bod y ffocws wedi bod ar addysg uwch, hefyd o fudd i addysg bellach, ysgolion hefyd, a gwasanaethau ieuenctid. Felly, rwy'n credu bod cyfle cyffrous iawn yn rhan o hynny i godi proffil pwysigrwydd ieithoedd tramor modern yn ein hysgolion, ochr yn ochr â'r cwricwlwm newydd, yn ogystal ag addysgu'r Gymraeg, wrth gwrs.
Thank you, Minister. Now moving to a more sobering subject, but an important one to address today, Minister, the situation in Ukraine is heartbreaking, and certainly not something I'm sure any of us thought we'd ever see again in Europe. It was made clear yesterday that we all want to see Wales as a refuge for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict. In order to accommodate the children and give them the education they need and deserve when they are here, we need to be prepared.
Minister, with a general lack of teachers across Wales, and a large number of schools oversubscribed, what steps are you taking to ensure that we are able to welcome these children into our Welsh education system with open arms?
Diolch, Weinidog. Nawr, gan symud i bwnc mwy sobreiddiol, ond un pwysig i fynd i'r afael ag ef heddiw, Weinidog, mae'r sefyllfa yn Wcráin yn dorcalonnus, ac yn sicr nid yw'n rhywbeth yr oedd unrhyw un ohonom yn meddwl y byddem byth yn ei weld eto yn Ewrop, rwy'n siŵr. Fe'i gwnaed yn glir ddoe ein bod ni i gyd eisiau gweld Cymru fel lloches i ffoaduriaid Wcráin sy'n dianc rhag y gwrthdaro. Er mwyn darparu ar gyfer y plant a darparu'r addysg y maent ei hangen ac yn ei haeddu pan fyddant yma, mae angen inni fod yn barod.
Weinidog, gyda phrinder athrawon cyffredinol ledled Cymru, a nifer fawr o ysgolion yn llawn, pa gamau yr ydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau ein bod yn gallu croesawu'r plant hyn i'n system addysg yng Nghymru gyda breichiau agored?
Well, I dispute the point that the Member makes in terms of the general lack of teachers in our system. I don't think that's a remotely fair reflection of the situation that we are in, but I would associate myself with the sentiment in her question about how important it is for us in Wales to be able to extend our welcome to those leaving and fleeing Ukraine. And the Member will have heard the points that the First Minister made yesterday in the Chamber in relation to our ambitions as a nation in relation to that, and you may also have heard the comments that there are discussions with local government partners in relation to how we can work together to make sure that we are best placed to welcome those who may move here—and we hope that they do—and that will be part of those discussions.
Wel, rwy'n anghytuno â'r pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud ynghylch prinder cyffredinol o athrawon yn ein system. Nid wyf yn credu bod hwnnw'n adlewyrchiad teg o'r sefyllfa yr ydym ynddi o bell ffordd, ond byddwn yn cytuno â'r teimlad yn ei chwestiwn ynghylch pa mor bwysig yw hi ein bod ni yng Nghymru yn gallu estyn ein croeso i'r rhai sy'n gadael ac yn ffoi o Wcráin. A bydd yr Aelod wedi clywed y pwyntiau a wnaeth y Prif Weinidog ddoe yn y Siambr mewn perthynas â'n huchelgeisiau fel cenedl yn y cyd-destun hwnnw, ac efallai eich bod hefyd wedi clywed bod trafodaethau gyda phartneriaid llywodraeth leol ynglŷn â sut y gallwn gydweithio i sicrhau ein bod yn y sefyllfa orau i groesawu'r rhai a allai symud yma—ac rydym yn gobeithio y byddant yn gwneud hynny—a bydd hynny'n rhan o'r trafodaethau hynny.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Sioned Williams.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Sioned Williams.
Diolch, Llywydd, a hoffwn ddatgan diddordeb bod fy ngŵr yn gweithio i Brifysgol Abertawe.
Thank you, Llywydd, and I'd like to declare an interest that my husband works for Swansea University.
Today, students from Wales are taking part in a strike organised by the National Union of Students, and the aim of the strike is to imagine a new vision for education, and is also a show of support for the industrial action taken by members of University and College Union, which has seen staff at Swansea University and the Open University in Wales strike over insecure contracts, unfair workloads and cuts to their pensions. This new vision of accessible and fully-funded higher and further education, with proper pay, pensions and conditions for staff is something we desperately need.
On 28 January, the UK Government's universities Minister announced that the repayment threshold and interest rate thresholds applying to plan 2 and plan 3 student loans would be frozen in 2022-23. The thresholds have previously risen with average earnings. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said this effectively constitutes a tax rise by stealth on graduates.
Minister, you have confirmed that the freeze would apply to Welsh graduates, despite education policy and significant parts of the student finance system being devolved. The Welsh Government seem powerless to oppose this freeze, which will add hundreds of pounds on to the tax bills of Welsh graduates already facing the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, and this isn't the only area where students are facing increasing costs. The average student rent in Wales has risen by 29 per cent in the last three years, which now, in fact, means it now takes 60 per cent of the maximum student support package in Wales, and all the while we know students are facing a rise in energy bills as a result of the incoming price cap increase.
So, can I ask the Minister what the Welsh Government is doing to support students and graduates during the cost-of-living crisis? Diolch.
Heddiw, mae myfyrwyr o Gymru yn cymryd rhan mewn streic a drefnwyd gan Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr, a nod y streic yw dychmygu gweledigaeth newydd ar gyfer addysg, ac mae hefyd yn dangos cefnogaeth i'r camau diwydiannol a gymerwyd gan aelodau'r Undeb Prifysgolion a Cholegau, lle mae staff ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe a'r Brifysgol Agored yng Nghymru yn mynd ar streic ynghylch contractau ansicr, llwyth gwaith annheg a thoriadau i'w pensiynau. Mae'r weledigaeth newydd hon o addysg uwch ac addysg bellach hygyrch wedi'i hariannu'n llawn, gyda chyflogau, pensiynau ac amodau priodol i staff yn rhywbeth y mae arnom ei angen yn ddirfawr.
Ar 28 Ionawr, cyhoeddodd Gweinidog prifysgolion Llywodraeth y DU y byddai'r trothwy ad-dalu a throthwyon cyfradd llog sy'n gymwys i fenthyciadau myfyrwyr cynllun 2 a chynllun 3 yn cael eu rhewi yn 2022-23. Mae'r trothwyon wedi codi gydag enillion cyfartalog yn y gorffennol. Mae'r Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllid wedi dweud bod hwn, i bob pwrpas, yn gynnydd treth llechwraidd ar raddedigion.
Weinidog, rydych wedi cadarnhau y byddai'r rhewi'n berthnasol i raddedigion o Gymru, er bod polisi addysg a rhannau sylweddol o'r system cyllid myfyrwyr wedi'u datganoli. Mae'n ymddangos bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ddi-rym i wrthwynebu'r rhewi hwn, a fydd yn ychwanegu cannoedd o bunnoedd at filiau treth graddedigion Cymru sydd eisoes yn wynebu effeithiau'r argyfwng costau byw, ac nid dyma'r unig faes lle mae myfyrwyr yn wynebu costau cynyddol. Mae rhent cyfartalog myfyrwyr yng Nghymru wedi codi 29 y cant yn ystod y tair blynedd diwethaf, sy'n golygu ei fod bellach yn mynd â 60 y cant o uchafswm y pecyn cymorth i fyfyrwyr yng Nghymru, a hyn oll er ein bod yn gwybod bod myfyrwyr yn wynebu cynnydd mewn biliau ynni o ganlyniad i'r cynnydd arfaethedig yn y cap ar brisiau.
Felly, a gaf fi ofyn i'r Gweinidog beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i gefnogi myfyrwyr a graddedigion yn ystod yr argyfwng costau byw? Diolch.
Can I just comment on the first point that the Member makes in relation to our ambitions for the education system in Wales? And I agree with her that the principle that underpins the higher education system in Wales is much more progressive than the ones that she was describing as happening over the border in terms of student finance. She will obviously know that every Welsh full-time undergraduate student receives a minimum of £1,000-worth of grant and additional support, regardless of where they choose to study in the UK, and we have a more progressive policy in relation to part-time study as well.
I think a less remarked, or a less often spoken about, difference that we have in Wales as well is that the Welsh Government makes provision to cancel up to £1,500 of maintenance loan debt for each student that starts repayment. That's the only part of the UK that does that, and we're very proud of having a more progressive system of finance here in Wales.
In relation to the point that she made about the loan threshold, which I made a written statement about in the last week or so, part of the challenge that we face here in Wales is that, whereas a lot of the powers sit in our hands in relation to student finance, the implementation of a different policy on the ground is not in our hands. That's a question for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in many respects and other non-devolved bodies. And, when a policy decision is made, as it was in this case, at very short notice, it provides really no room to be able to respond to it in a different way here in Wales. She will have seen, though, in the last few days a range of other proposals that have come out from the UK Government in relation to student finance reform, and I have asked officials to work with Treasury officials and UK Government officials to see what better room for manoeuvre we can have in Wales so that we can make different choices here than those that are made in very different circumstances across the border.
A gaf fi wneud sylwadau ar y pwynt cyntaf y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud mewn perthynas â'n huchelgeisiau ar gyfer y system addysg yng Nghymru? Ac rwy'n cytuno â hi fod yr egwyddor sy'n sail i'r system addysg uwch yng Nghymru yn llawer mwy blaengar na'r hyn a ddywedai sy'n digwydd dros y ffin mewn perthynas â chyllid myfyrwyr. Mae'n amlwg y bydd yn gwybod bod pob myfyriwr israddedig amser llawn yng Nghymru yn cael gwerth o leiaf £1,000 o grant a chymorth ychwanegol, lle bynnag y dewisant astudio yn y DU, ac mae gennym bolisi mwy blaengar mewn perthynas ag astudio rhan-amser hefyd.
Un gwahaniaeth llai amlwg, neu un sy'n cael ei drafod yn llai aml, sydd gennym yng Nghymru hefyd yw bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud darpariaeth i ganslo hyd at £1,500 o ddyled benthyciadau cynhaliaeth ar gyfer pob myfyriwr sy'n dechrau ad-dalu. Cymru yw'r unig ran o'r DU sy'n gwneud hynny, ac rydym yn falch iawn o gael system gyllido fwy blaengar yma yng Nghymru.
Ar y pwynt a wnaeth am y trothwy benthyciadau, y gwneuthum ddatganiad ysgrifenedig amdano yn ystod yr wythnos neu ddwy ddiwethaf, rhan o'r her a wynebwn yma yng Nghymru, er bod llawer o'r pwerau yn ein dwylo ni mewn perthynas â chyllid myfyrwyr, yw nad yw'r gallu i weithredu polisi gwahanol ar lawr gwlad yn ein dwylo ni. Mae hwnnw'n gwestiwn i Gyllid a Thollau Ei Mawrhydi mewn sawl ffordd a chyrff eraill nad ydynt wedi'u datganoli. A phan wneir penderfyniad polisi ar fyr rybudd fel yn yr achos hwn, nid yw'n bosibl ymateb iddo mewn ffordd wahanol yma yng Nghymru mewn gwirionedd. Fodd bynnag, yn ystod y dyddiau diwethaf, bydd wedi gweld ystod o gynigion eraill a gyflwynwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU mewn perthynas â diwygio cyllid myfyrwyr, ac rwyf wedi gofyn i swyddogion weithio gyda swyddogion y Trysorlys a swyddogion Llywodraeth y DU i weld faint o le sydd gennym i symud yng Nghymru fel y gallwn wneud dewisiadau gwahanol i'r rhai a wneir mewn amgylchiadau gwahanol iawn dros y ffin.
Diolch, Weinidog. Qualifications Wales was established in August 2015, and is an independent regulatory body set up to ensure that qualifications are effective for meeting the reasonable needs of learners in Wales and to promote public confidence in qualifications and the Welsh qualifications system. Qualifications Wales must produce an annual report detailing how it has exercised its functions. However, there is no legal requirement for Qualifications Wales to be reviewed independently after a set time frame. The current arrangements do not allow for regular independent review to ensure that the body is working in the best interests of the education sector and has the appropriate powers to fulfil its purpose, especially when we think now of the substantial changes currently being made to qualifications and GCSEs that we've seen recently.
In England, Ofqual employs a standards advisory board, made up of independent assessment specialists, to review research and make recommendations on maintaining standards. Similarly, the Scottish Qualifications Authority Act 2002 ensured that an advisory council was established as a part of the SQA. This council provides consistent advice to SQA and Scottish Ministers and allows for incidental or supplementary provision as Scottish Ministers think fit. So, I'd be interested to hear whether the Minister agrees it would be beneficial for Qualifications Wales to follow these examples of statutory governance structures and to be regularly and independently reviewed to help meet the core aims of the body. Diolch.
Diolch, Weinidog. Sefydlwyd Cymwysterau Cymru ym mis Awst 2015, ac mae'n gorff rheoleiddio annibynnol a sefydlwyd i sicrhau bod cymwysterau'n effeithiol ar gyfer diwallu anghenion rhesymol dysgwyr yng Nghymru ac i hyrwyddo hyder y cyhoedd mewn cymwysterau a system gymwysterau Cymru. Rhaid i Cymwysterau Cymru lunio adroddiad blynyddol sy'n nodi sut y mae wedi arfer ei swyddogaethau. Fodd bynnag, nid oes gofyniad cyfreithiol i Cymwysterau Cymru gael ei adolygu'n annibynnol ar ôl cyfnod penodol o amser. Nid yw'r trefniadau presennol yn caniatáu adolygiad annibynnol rheolaidd i sicrhau bod y corff yn gweithio er lles gorau'r sector addysg a bod ganddo'r pwerau priodol i gyflawni ei ddiben, yn enwedig pan fyddwn yn meddwl yn awr am y newidiadau sylweddol sy'n cael eu gwneud ar hyn o bryd i gymwysterau a TGAU fel y gwelsom yn ddiweddar.
Yn Lloegr, mae Ofqual yn defnyddio bwrdd cynghori ar safonau, sy'n cynnwys arbenigwyr asesu annibynnol, i adolygu ymchwil a gwneud argymhellion ar gynnal safonau. Yn yr un modd, sicrhaodd Deddf Awdurdod Cymwysterau'r Alban 2002 fod cyngor ymgynghorol yn cael ei sefydlu fel rhan o Awdurdod Cymwysterau'r Alban. Mae'r cyngor hwn yn rhoi cyngor cyson i Awdurdod Cymwysterau'r Alban a Gweinidogion yr Alban ac yn caniatáu darpariaeth gysylltiedig neu atodol fel y gwêl Gweinidogion yr Alban yn dda. Felly, byddai'n dda gennyf glywed a yw'r Gweinidog yn cytuno y byddai'n fuddiol i Cymwysterau Cymru ddilyn yr enghreifftiau hyn o strwythurau llywodraethu statudol a chael eu hadolygu'n rheolaidd ac yn annibynnol i helpu i gyflawni nodau craidd y corff. Diolch.
Well, I will need to remind myself in a different context of the statutory underpinning of some of the points that the Member raises in her question and some of the particular questions of detail around governance that she refers to, and I'm very happy to do that. But what I would say at the moment is that there is a very significant programme of reform under way in relation to qualifications in Wales, where I know, in the discussions that we've had in the co-operation agreement, we have a common ambition that there is an ambitious and radical set of reforms to our qualifications in Wales to reflect the new curriculum, but also to reflect the changing landscape in the vocational qualification world, for example. And there are a number of opportunities that we all have at this point in time to engage with Qualifications Wales to help shape some of that, so that the work that they undertake on our behalf commonly best reflects the needs of learners in Wales. So, I would encourage anybody with an interest in how those qualifications work in the real world and the benefit they bring to our learners to engage. There's a real opportunity for us all to do that now.
Wel, bydd angen imi atgoffa fy hun mewn cyd-destun gwahanol o sylfaen statudol rhai o'r pwyntiau y mae'r Aelod yn eu codi yn ei chwestiwn a rhai o'r cwestiynau penodol ynghylch y manylion llywodraethu y mae'n cyfeirio atynt, ac rwy'n hapus iawn i wneud hynny. Ond yr hyn y byddwn yn ei ddweud ar hyn o bryd yw bod rhaglen ddiwygio sylweddol iawn ar y gweill mewn perthynas â chymwysterau yng Nghymru, lle rwy'n gwybod, yn y trafodaethau a gawsom yn y cytundeb cydweithio, fod gennym uchelgais gyffredin i gael cyfres uchelgeisiol a radical o ddiwygiadau i'n cymwysterau yng Nghymru i adlewyrchu'r cwricwlwm newydd, ond hefyd i adlewyrchu'r dirwedd newidiol yn y byd cymwysterau galwedigaethol, er enghraifft. Ac mae gan bob un ohonom nifer o gyfleoedd ar hyn o bryd i ymgysylltu â Cymwysterau Cymru i helpu i lunio rhywfaint o hynny, fel bod y gwaith y maent yn ei wneud ar ein rhan yn adlewyrchu anghenion dysgwyr yng Nghymru yn y ffordd orau sy'n bosibl. Felly, byddwn yn annog unrhyw un sydd â diddordeb yn y ffordd y mae'r cymwysterau hynny'n gweithio yn y byd go iawn a'r budd y maent yn ei ddarparu i'n dysgwyr i ymgysylltu. Mae cyfle gwirioneddol i ni i gyd wneud hynny yn awr.
3. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i wneud o gasglu a defnyddio data biometrig disgyblion mewn ysgolion? OQ57698
3. What assessment has the Minister made of the collection and use of pupils' biometric data in schools? OQ57698
From our meeting in December, you will, I know, be aware that we can't legally prevent schools from collecting and using biometric data. However, as a consequence of the discussions and the issues that the Member helped us understand better, officials are currently revising the guidance for schools and local authorities to ensure that where data is collected and used, it is done in the appropriate way.
O'n cyfarfod ym mis Rhagfyr, rwy'n gwybod y byddwch yn ymwybodol na allwn atal ysgolion yn gyfreithiol rhag casglu a defnyddio data biometrig. Fodd bynnag, o ganlyniad i'r trafodaethau a'r materion y mae'r Aelod wedi ein helpu i'w deall yn well, mae swyddogion wrthi'n adolygu'r canllawiau i ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol er mwyn sicrhau, pan gaiff data ei gasglu a'i ddefnyddio, ei fod yn cael ei wneud yn y ffordd briodol.
Thank you. In March 2020, the European Data Protection Board imposed a fine on a Polish school for using biometric data, or fingerprints, for 680 children in the school canteen in exchange for their school meals. Whilst it was noted that the school had received written consent from parents, the board stressed that biometric data was not essential for lunchtime practices. They could not carry out means that do interfere with children's privacy. Minister, you can imagine my horror when it was brought to my attention that these same practices are taking place in schools across Bridgend and Porthcawl and all over Wales. Even more worryingly, the use of biometric data is being sold to schools and parents by unscrupulous companies as a safer option. Minister, I cannot emphasise this enough: it is not safe or proportionate. Passwords and PIN codes can be reset. Once your biometric data is compromised, it is compromised for life. It stops the children, for the rest of their lives, being able to use their fingerprint for security reasons. We're also teaching our children and normalising them using their bodies in exchange for meals as part of a transaction in our schools everywhere. I believe this topic needs a debate of its own, but, in the meantime, will the Minister ensure that data protection is a priority for this Government and ensure that, at the very least, children do not fall victim to data breaches as emerging technologies enter our schools?
Diolch. Ym mis Mawrth 2020, gosododd Bwrdd Diogelu Data Ewrop ddirwy ar ysgol Bwylaidd am ddefnyddio data biometrig, neu olion bysedd, ar gyfer 680 o blant yn ffreutur yr ysgol yn gyfnewid am eu prydau ysgol. Er y nodwyd bod yr ysgol wedi cael caniatâd ysgrifenedig gan rieni, pwysleisiodd y bwrdd nad oedd data biometrig yn hanfodol ar gyfer arferion amser cinio. Ni chaent ddefnyddio dulliau sy'n ymyrryd â phreifatrwydd plant. Weinidog, gallwch ddychmygu fy arswyd pan gefais wybod bod yr un arferion hyn yn digwydd mewn ysgolion ledled Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr a Phorthcawl a ledled Cymru. Yn fwy pryderus fyth, mae'r defnydd o ddata biometrig yn cael ei werthu i ysgolion a rhieni gan gwmnïau diegwyddor fel opsiwn mwy diogel. Weinidog, ni allaf bwysleisio hyn ddigon: nid yw'n ddiogel nac yn gymesur. Gellir ailosod cyfrineiriau a chodau PIN. Pan fydd eich data biometrig wedi ei beryglu, mae wedi ei beryglu am oes. Mae'n atal y plant, am weddill eu hoes, rhag gallu defnyddio eu holion bysedd am resymau diogelwch. Rydym hefyd yn addysgu ein plant ac yn normaleiddio'r arfer o ddefnyddio eu cyrff yn gyfnewid am brydau bwyd fel rhan o drafodiad yn ein hysgolion ym mhobman. Credaf fod angen dadl ei hun ar y pwnc hwn, ond yn y cyfamser, a wnaiff y Gweinidog sicrhau bod diogelu data yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth hon a sicrhau, fan lleiaf, nad yw plant yn dioddef yn sgil tramgwyddau data wrth i dechnolegau sy'n dod i'r amlwg gyrraedd ein hysgolion?
This is a very, very important matter, and I absolutely applaud the Member for her consistent and, if I may say so, expert advocacy of this issue, both in the Chamber and beyond. Schools have the option, as she says in her question, to use biometric systems as one of the authentication methods that they use to provide, for example, cashless catering in the context of free school meals and so on. That has helped remove some of the stigma.
However, as I say, as a consequence of the discussions that we've had, officials have been engaging with the Information Commissioner's Office, the Children's Commissioner for Wales, as well as the Biometrics Commissioner for England and Wales, in order to revise that guidance. The guidance will include detailed information regarding schools' obligations in relation to data protection, impact assessments and, importantly, children's rights impact assessments prior to making a decision to introduce a biometric system. It'll be published on our website and it'll be available to parents, to carers, and to young people themselves. The privacy of young learners is absolutely fundamental, and the guidance will reinforce the message that participation in a biometric system is not mandatory and that parents and carers must provide written consent before any biometric data can be collected. And I hope she would welcome the fact as well that a child-friendly version of the guidance will also be published so that children and young people in Wales understand their own rights to privacy in how they engage with these kinds of questions in schools. We'll be seeking direct feedback from young learners later this month regarding the content of that guidance.
Mae hwn yn fater pwysig iawn, ac rwy'n cymeradwyo'r Aelod yn llwyr am hyrwyddo'r mater yn gyson, ac os caf ddweud, mewn modd mor arbenigol, yn y Siambr a thu hwnt. Mae gan ysgolion opsiwn, fel y dywed yn ei chwestiwn, i ddefnyddio systemau biometrig fel un o'r dulliau dilysu a ddefnyddiant i ddarparu, er enghraifft, arlwyo heb arian yng nghyd-destun prydau ysgol am ddim ac yn y blaen. Mae hynny wedi helpu i ddileu rhywfaint o'r stigma.
Fodd bynnag, fel y dywedais, o ganlyniad i'r trafodaethau a gawsom, mae swyddogion wedi bod yn ymgysylltu â Swyddfa'r Comisiynydd Gwybodaeth, Comisiynydd Plant Cymru, yn ogystal â Chomisiynydd Biometreg Cymru a Lloegr, er mwyn diwygio'r canllawiau hynny. Bydd y canllawiau'n cynnwys gwybodaeth fanwl am rwymedigaethau ysgolion mewn perthynas â diogelu data, asesiadau effaith ac, yn hollbwysig, asesiadau o'r effaith ar hawliau plant cyn gwneud penderfyniad i gyflwyno system fiometrig. Bydd yn cael ei gyhoeddi ar ein gwefan a bydd ar gael i rieni, i ofalwyr, ac i bobl ifanc eu hunain. Mae preifatrwydd dysgwyr ifanc yn gwbl hanfodol, a bydd y canllawiau'n atgyfnerthu'r neges nad yw cymryd rhan mewn system fiometrig yn orfodol a bod yn rhaid i rieni a gofalwyr roi caniatâd ysgrifenedig cyn y gellir casglu unrhyw ddata biometrig. Ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddai'n croesawu'r ffaith hefyd y bydd fersiwn addas i blant o'r canllawiau yn cael ei chyhoeddi hefyd fel bod plant a phobl ifanc yng Nghymru yn deall eu hawliau eu hunain i breifatrwydd yn y ffordd y maent yn ymdrin â'r mathau hyn o gwestiynau mewn ysgolion. Byddwn yn gofyn am adborth uniongyrchol gan ddysgwyr ifanc yn ddiweddarach y mis hwn ynghylch cynnwys y canllawiau hynny.
Minister, I've seen the benefit of biometric data in schools, as a local authority councillor. It was introduced to help reduce the stigma around free school meals. When everyone is using the same queue and the same payment system, it does reduce the potential for bullying and harassment. However, some parents and children and rightly worried and concerned about the use of the biometric data and where their details are being stored and whether they are very secure. So, Minister, will you take this opportunity to reassure parents and concerned individuals about the risks of data breaches following the installation of biometric devices, and can you confirm whether there have been any data breaches in schools or colleges across Wales? Diolch, Llywydd.
Weinidog, rwyf wedi gweld budd data biometrig mewn ysgolion, fel cynghorydd awdurdod lleol. Fe'i cyflwynwyd i helpu i leihau'r stigma ynghylch prydau ysgol am ddim. Pan fo pawb yn defnyddio'r un ciw a'r un system dalu, mae'n lleihau'r perygl o fwlio ac aflonyddu. Fodd bynnag, mae rhai rhieni a phlant yn poeni, ac yn poeni'n briodol, ynglŷn â'r defnydd o'r data biometrig a lle mae eu manylion yn cael eu storio ac a ydynt yn ddiogel. Felly, Weinidog, a wnewch chi achub ar y cyfle hwn i dawelu meddwl rhieni ac unigolion pryderus ynghylch risg tramgwyddau data yn dilyn gosod dyfeisiau biometrig, ac a allwch chi gadarnhau a fu unrhyw achosion o dramgwyddau data mewn ysgolion neu golegau ledled Cymru? Diolch, Lywydd.
I thank James Evans for that question. I refer him to the answer I gave to Sarah Murphy a moment ago in relation to that. I'm not aware of any schools or colleges in Wales using the newer biometric technology such as facial recognition systems, for example, but I will reassure him, as I did with Sarah Murphy, that the guidance will set out for schools and parents and carers, but also for learners, the framework of rights and their entitlements in relation to this. Also, in an area where the technology is often changing very rapidly, we will undertake to keep that proactively under review as new technologies emerge.
Diolch i James Evans am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Fe'i cyfeiriaf at yr ateb a roddais i Sarah Murphy eiliad yn ôl mewn perthynas â hynny. Nid wyf yn ymwybodol o unrhyw ysgolion neu golegau yng Nghymru sy'n defnyddio'r dechnoleg fiometrig fwy newydd megis systemau adnabod wynebau, er enghraifft, ond rwy'n ei sicrhau, fel y gwneuthum gyda Sarah Murphy, y bydd y canllawiau'n nodi ar gyfer ysgolion a rhieni a gofalwyr, ond hefyd ar gyfer dysgwyr, y fframwaith hawliau a'u hawliau mewn perthynas â hyn. Hefyd, mewn maes lle mae'r dechnoleg yn aml yn newid yn gyflym iawn, byddwn yn ymrwymo i adolygu hynny'n rhagweithiol wrth i dechnolegau newydd ddod i'r amlwg.
4. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi myfyrwyr addysg uwch sy'n dymuno astudio iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru? OQ57716
4. How is the Welsh Government supporting higher education students wishing to study health and social care in Wales? OQ57716
Our generous student support package and the NHS Wales bursary scheme enables students in these fields, along with our institutional investment in high-cost subjects, including medicine and dentistry. We are committed to establishing the north Wales medical school, which will complement existing high-quality medical education in Wales.
Mae ein pecyn cymorth hael i fyfyrwyr a chynllun bwrsariaeth GIG Cymru yn galluogi myfyrwyr yn y meysydd hyn, ynghyd â'n buddsoddiad sefydliadol mewn pynciau cost uchel, gan gynnwys meddygaeth a deintyddiaeth. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i sefydlu ysgol feddygol gogledd Cymru, a fydd yn ategu'r addysg feddygol o ansawdd uchel sy'n bodoli eisoes yng Nghymru.
I'm grateful to the Minister for that answer. The coronavirus pandemic has shown us all just how important and key social workers are, and if we are to encourage people into the social work profession I think we need a parity of bursary with the NHS bursary you mentioned. People who look to go through this training are often older and they're often from a very diverse background. I had the pleasure of meeting a few of those this afternoon, and they really do need this bursary. Minister, you'll be aware of a petition currently going through the Senedd committee's process, and that calls for removing all barriers to entering the profession and it calls for a parity of the bursary and a parity of esteem in that offer. Can you commit to that parity of bursary and, if so, when?
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog am yr ateb hwnnw. Mae'r pandemig coronafeirws wedi dangos i bawb ohonom pa mor bwysig ac allweddol yw gweithwyr cymdeithasol, ac os ydym am annog pobl i ymuno â'r proffesiwn gwaith cymdeithasol, rwy'n credu bod angen bwrsariaeth sy'n gydradd â bwrsariaeth y GIG y sonioch chi amdani. Mae pobl sydd am ymgymryd â'r hyfforddiant hwn yn aml yn hŷn ac maent yn aml o gefndir amrywiol iawn. Cefais y pleser o gwrdd ag ychydig o'r rheini y prynhawn yma, ac mae gwir angen y fwrsariaeth hon arnynt. Weinidog, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol o ddeiseb sy'n mynd drwy broses pwyllgor y Senedd ar hyn o bryd, ac mae honno'n galw am ddileu'r holl rwystrau sy'n atal unigolion rhag cael mynediad at y proffesiwn ac mae'n galw am gydraddoldeb i'r fwrsariaeth a pharch cyfartal yn y cynnig hwnnw. A wnewch chi ymrwymo i sicrhau cydraddoldeb i'r fwrsariaeth ac os felly, pryd?
Well, as the Member says, social work students are unable to access the NHS bursary, but they can access the social work bursary through Social Care Wales, and that provides them with funding towards the cost of their living and tuition fees. Obviously, I'm aware of the representations, including those to which the Member refers, that the bursary funding doesn't provide the same level of funding as its NHS counterpart, and we are currently reviewing and assessing our options with respect to the funding of social work training. From 2022-23, all postgraduate social work students in receipt of the bursary will now be able to access the reduced student finance loan, which closes a loophole that has prevented them from receiving that kind of loan prior to now.
Wel, fel y dywed yr Aelod, nid yw myfyrwyr gwaith cymdeithasol yn gallu cael mynediad at fwrsariaeth y GIG, ond gallant gael mynediad at y fwrsariaeth gwaith cymdeithasol drwy Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru, ac mae hwnnw'n rhoi cyllid iddynt tuag at gost eu ffioedd byw a dysgu. Yn amlwg, rwy'n ymwybodol o'r sylwadau, gan gynnwys y rhai y mae'r Aelod yn cyfeirio atynt, nad yw'r cyllid bwrsariaeth yn darparu'r un lefel o gyllid â bwrsariaeth gyfatebol y GIG, ac rydym wrthi'n adolygu ac yn asesu ein hopsiynau mewn perthynas ag ariannu hyfforddiant gwaith cymdeithasol. O 2022-23, bydd pob myfyriwr gwaith cymdeithasol ôl-raddedig sy'n derbyn y fwrsariaeth yn gallu cael benthyciad cyllid myfyrwyr ar gyfradd is, sy'n cau bwlch sydd wedi eu hatal rhag cael y math hwnnw o fenthyciad cyn hyn.
Minister, we need to do all we can to encourage more young people to consider studying for a career in health and social care in Wales, particularly in north Wales, as you mentioned before, to prevent this brain drain that we often talk about. No amount of money will solve the crisis facing health and social care. It's not a shortage of funds causing our growing waiting lists; it's a shortage of people. So, what steps are you taking to encourage more people into STEM subjects? And what discussions have you had with Welsh universities regarding steps they can take to make it easier for Welsh students to study in this field?
Weinidog, mae angen inni wneud popeth yn ein gallu i annog mwy o bobl ifanc i ystyried astudio ar gyfer gyrfa ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, yn enwedig yn y gogledd, fel y sonioch chi o'r blaen, i atal y draen dawn y soniwn amdano'n aml. Ni fydd unrhyw swm o arian yn datrys yr argyfwng sy'n wynebu iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Nid prinder arian sy'n achosi ein rhestrau aros cynyddol ond prinder pobl. Felly, pa gamau a gymerwch i annog mwy o bobl i astudio pynciau STEM? A pha drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda phrifysgolion Cymru ynghylch y camau y gallant eu cymryd i'w gwneud yn haws i fyfyrwyr o Gymru astudio yn y maes hwn?
There is a range of interventions, on which I worked together with my colleague the Minister for Economy, in schools in relation to this, and there is a need to make sure that the STEM subjects are accessible and attractive to all students, actually. There is sometimes gender bias within those subjects. So, I certainly think there is more that we can all do in that regard.
Some of the reforms I was just talking about—reforms to qualifications in the future—are designed specifically to open up greater opportunities for a wider range of GCSEs, many of which are STEM-adjacent subjects, for example in the fields of engineering and manufacturing. I think that will create a different culture and different set of expectations within our schools, and open up greater opportunities for people to study STEM or STEM-relevant subjects.
Ceir amrywiaeth o ymyriadau, y gweithiais arnynt gyda fy nghyd-Aelod, Gweinidog yr Economi, mewn ysgolion mewn perthynas â hyn, ac mae angen sicrhau bod y pynciau STEM yn hygyrch ac yn ddeniadol i bob myfyriwr. Weithiau mae gogwydd rhywedd o fewn y pynciau hynny. Felly, credaf yn sicr fod mwy y gallwn i gyd ei wneud yn hynny o beth.
Mae rhai o'r diwygiadau y soniais amdanynt yn awr—diwygiadau i gymwysterau yn y dyfodol—wedi'u cynllunio'n benodol i agor mwy o gyfleoedd ar gyfer ystod ehangach o gymwysterau TGAU, gyda llawer ohonynt yn bynciau agos i STEM, er enghraifft ym meysydd peirianneg a gweithgynhyrchu. Credaf y bydd hynny'n creu diwylliant gwahanol a chyfres wahanol o ddisgwyliadau yn ein hysgolion, ac yn creu mwy o gyfleoedd i bobl astudio pynciau STEM neu bynciau sy'n berthnasol i STEM.
5. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i wella mynediad at ddarpariaeth blynyddoedd cynnar cyfrwng Cymraeg? OQ57713
5. What action is Welsh Government taking to improve access to Welsh-medium early years provision? OQ57713
Working with partners, including local authorities and Mudiad Meithrin, we are making significant investment in Welsh-medium early years provision via our capital grants, the Sefydlu a Symud programme, and our investment in the workforce. We also fund Welsh-medium places through Flying Start, the childcare offer, and our early education provision.
Gan weithio gyda phartneriaid, yn cynnwys awdurdodau lleol a Mudiad Meithrin, rydym yn buddsoddi'n sylweddol mewn darpariaeth blynyddoedd cynnar cyfrwng Cymraeg drwy ein grantiau cyfalaf, y rhaglen Sefydlu a Symud, a'n buddsoddiad yn y gweithlu. Rydym hefyd yn ariannu lleoedd cyfrwng Cymraeg drwy Dechrau'n Deg, y cynnig gofal plant, a'n darpariaeth addysg gynnar.
Thank you, Minister, for that answer. Now, Cynon valley has a number of flourishing meithrins, in Penderyn, Aberdare, Mountain Ash and Abercynon, and it is important that they are sustainable and can access suitably qualified staff. The extra financial support from Welsh Government for meithrins that you announced a little while ago is of course very welcome, and I know you referred to Cam wrth Gam in your statement on St David's Day yesterday, setting out the ambition of the Government to nurture the Welsh language. But can you provide a little more information on how Welsh Government is working to encourage, promote and support people into careers in Welsh-medium childcare?
Diolch am yr ateb hwnnw, Weinidog. Nawr, mae gan Gwm Cynon nifer o gylchoedd meithrin llewyrchus, ym Mhenderyn, Aberdâr, Aberpennar ac Abercynon, ac mae'n bwysig eu bod yn gynaliadwy ac yn gallu cael gafael ar staff sydd â chymwysterau addas. Mae'r cymorth ariannol ychwanegol gan Lywodraeth Cymru i gylchoedd meithrin a gyhoeddwyd gennych ychydig yn ôl i'w groesawu'n fawr wrth gwrs, a gwn ichi gyfeirio at Cam wrth Gam yn eich datganiad ar Ddydd Gŵyl Dewi ddoe, yn nodi uchelgais y Llywodraeth i feithrin y Gymraeg. Ond a allwch chi ddarparu ychydig mwy o wybodaeth ynglŷn â sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio i annog, hyrwyddo a chefnogi pobl i ddilyn gyrfaoedd ym maes gofal plant cyfrwng Cymraeg?
I thank the Member for that really important supplementary question. The last meeting I had before coming into the Chamber today was in fact with the Deputy Minister for Social Services, who was reviewing the 10-year workforce plan for the sector, and identifying with her what more we can do to encourage young people into Welsh language provision in early years settings more broadly. But there is a broad and varied programme of support in place for the childcare, play-work and early years workforce in relation to learning and improving Welsh, which includes programmes like Camau, which is an online, entry level self-study course, and accessing workplace learning. There are also a number of options open to people considering joining the childcare sector, with apprenticeships and full and part-time courses available both in Welsh and in English. We're aware, obviously, as her question implies, that the number undertaking those courses through the medium of Welsh is lower than we want them to be, and we'll be working to improve this over the course of the Senedd term.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn atodol pwysig hwnnw. Y cyfarfod diwethaf a gefais cyn dod i'r Siambr heddiw mewn gwirionedd oedd cyfarfod gyda'r Dirprwy Weinidog Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, a oedd yn adolygu'r cynllun gweithlu 10 mlynedd ar gyfer y sector, a bûm yn nodi gyda hi beth arall y gallwn ei wneud i annog pobl ifanc i leoliadau blynyddoedd cynnar cyfrwng Cymraeg yn ehangach. Ond mae rhaglen eang ac amrywiol o gymorth ar waith ar gyfer y gweithlu gofal plant, gwaith chwarae a blynyddoedd cynnar mewn perthynas â dysgu a gwella'r Gymraeg, sy'n cynnwys rhaglenni fel Camau, sef cwrs hunan-astudio lefel mynediad ar-lein, a chael mynediad at ddysgu yn y gweithle. Mae nifer o opsiynau ar gael hefyd i bobl sy'n ystyried ymuno â'r sector gofal plant, gyda phrentisiaethau a chyrsiau amser llawn a rhan-amser ar gael yn Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg. Rydym yn ymwybodol, yn amlwg, fel y mae ei chwestiwn yn awgrymu, fod y nifer sy'n dilyn y cyrsiau hynny drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn is nag yr hoffem iddynt fod, a byddwn yn gweithio i wella hyn yn ystod tymor y Senedd.
Gweinidog, ddoe cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru gyllid ar gyfer 11 o brojectau cyfalaf i ehangu addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg, a dwi'n falch o weld £2.5 miliwn yn cael ei ddyrannu i Ysgol Caer Elen yn fy etholaeth i, i ariannu 60 o leoedd cyfrwng Cymraeg ychwanegol i blant yn y tymor hir. Mae'r cyllid hwn i'w groesawu ac yn sicr o helpu gwella mynediad i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn sir Benfro, er mae hi yn hynod o bwysig bod plant yn gallu cael mynediad i ddarpariaeth blynyddoedd cynnar cyfrwng Cymraeg ym mhob rhan o'r sir. Felly, a allwch chi ein diweddaru ni ar y trafodaethau rŷch chi wedi eu cael gyda Chyngor Sir Penfro ynglŷn â gwella mynediad i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg? Ac a allwch chi hefyd ddweud wrthym ni pa drafodaethau sydd wedi’u cynnal gyda Mudiad Meithrin, sydd hefyd yn chwarae rhan bwysig iawn wrth gyflwyno teuluoedd i’r Gymraeg drwy gynlluniau Cylch Ti a Fi a Chlwb Cwtsh, er enghraifft?
Minister, yesterday the Welsh Government announced funding for 11 capital projects to expand Welsh-medium education, and I am pleased to see £2.5 million being allocated to Ysgol Caer Elen in my constituency to fund an additional 60 Welsh-medium placements for children in the longer term. This funding is to be welcomed and certainly will help to improve access to Welsh-medium education in Pembrokeshire, although it is very important that children can access early years provision through the medium of Welsh in all parts of the county. So, can you provide us with an update on the discussions that you've had with Pembrokeshire County Council on improving access to Welsh-medium education? And can you also tell us what discussions have taken place with Mudiad Meithrin, who also played an important part in introducing families to the Welsh language through the Cylch Ti a Fi and Clwb Cwtsh schemes, for example?
Wrth gwrs, mae’r awdurdod wedi cyflwyno’r cynllun strategol addysg Gymraeg yn ddiweddar i fi er mwyn cymeradwyo. Rwy'n edrych ar hynny ar hyn o bryd. Mae pob awdurdod yng Nghymru wedi cael gofyniad i fod yn uchelgeisiol ynglŷn â'r hyn maen nhw'n darparu o ran addysg Gymraeg dros y ddegawd nesaf. Dyma'r tro cyntaf i ni allu symud i gynllun dros ddegawd, a dwi'n credu bydd hynny'n hwyluso'r cynllunio ieithyddol, yn cynnwys ein hysgolion ni, wrth gwrs, ond hefyd y blynyddoedd cynnar.
Mae gennym ni gynllun o fuddsoddiad gyda Mudiad Meithrin dros dymor y Senedd hon. Rŷn ni wedi cyrraedd y nod diweddaraf o ryw 43. Mae 12 yn cael eu hagor yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon fel rhan o 60 dros dymor y Senedd hon hefyd. Rŷn ni'n gwybod bod y siawns y bydd rhywun yn mynd ymlaen i addysg Gymraeg lawer yn uwch os ydyn nhw wedi bod mewn addysg blynyddoedd cynnar Cymraeg hefyd, felly rwy’n rhannu gyda'r Aelod y flaenoriaeth i hynny.
Of course, the authority has introduced the Welsh in education strategic plan for me to approve, and I'm looking at that at the moment. Every authority in Wales has been asked to be ambitious in terms of what they provide in terms of Welsh-medium education through the next decade. For the first time, we can go to a 10-year plan and I think that that will facilitate linguistic planning, including our schools, of course, but also the early years.
We have an investment scheme with Mudiad Meithrin over this Senedd term. We've reached the latest aim of 43. Twelve are being opened in this financial year as part of 60 over this Senedd term. We know that the chance that someone will go forward to Welsh-medium education is much higher if they've been in Welsh-medium early years education, so I do share with the Member that priority.
6. Pa gyngor a chymorth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu darparu i ysgolion i sicrhau bod cyfranogiad mewn chwaraeon ar gael i bob myfyriwr? OQ57711
6. What advice and support does the Welsh Government provide to schools to ensure that participation in sport is available to all students? OQ57711
We are committed to supporting the physical health and well-being of all learners in Wales. That is why the promotion of the lifelong benefits of physical health, including sport, is a mandatory part of every curriculum in every school and setting in Wales for three to 16-year-olds.
Rydym wedi ymrwymo i gefnogi iechyd corfforol a lles holl ddysgwyr Cymru. Dyna pam fod hyrwyddo manteision gydol oes iechyd corfforol, gan gynnwys chwaraeon, yn rhan orfodol o bob cwricwlwm ym mhob ysgol a lleoliad yng Nghymru ar gyfer dysgwyr tair i 16 oed.
Thank you, Minister. Thanks for that response. Minister, you will already be aware that the UK's chief medical officers have recently published the first ever guidelines on physical activity for disabled children and young people. It is now recommended that disabled young people take part in around 20 minutes of exercise a day and strength and balance activities three times a week. These guidelines will go some way in helping to support disabled children and young people to improve their physical and mental health, as well as closing the wider health gap between disabled and non-disabled people. However, it's important that schools and other educational facilities help to facilitate participation in sport and physical activity for all students, and that can be quite difficult when there's a lack of appropriate equipment and facilities, and a very crowded curriculum.
Minister, what discussions have you and your officials had about the impact of the new guidance on the teaching of sports in schools, and what more support can the Welsh Government provide to schools to ensure that they have the equipment needed so that all children and young people have equal access to sport and physical activity?
Diolch, Weinidog. Diolch am eich ymateb. Weinidog, fe fyddwch eisoes yn ymwybodol fod prif swyddogion meddygol y DU wedi cyhoeddi’r canllawiau cyntaf erioed yn ddiweddar ar weithgarwch corfforol i blant a phobl ifanc anabl. Argymhellir bellach fod pobl ifanc anabl yn cymryd rhan mewn oddeutu 20 munud o ymarfer corff y dydd, a gweithgareddau cryfder a chydbwysedd deirgwaith yr wythnos. Bydd y canllawiau hyn yn cyfrannu rhywfaint at y gwaith o gefnogi plant a phobl ifanc anabl i wella eu hiechyd corfforol a meddyliol, yn ogystal â chau’r bwlch iechyd ehangach rhwng pobl anabl a phobl nad ydynt yn anabl. Fodd bynnag, mae'n bwysig fod ysgolion a chyfleusterau addysgol eraill yn helpu i hwyluso cyfranogiad mewn chwaraeon a gweithgarwch corfforol i bob dysgwr, a gall hynny fod yn eithaf anodd pan fo diffyg offer a chyfleusterau priodol, a'r cwricwlwm yn orlawn.
Weinidog, pa drafodaethau rydych chi a’ch swyddogion wedi’u cael ynglŷn ag effaith y canllawiau newydd ar addysgu chwaraeon mewn ysgolion, a pha gymorth arall y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei ddarparu i ysgolion i sicrhau bod ganddynt y cyfarpar sydd ei angen fel bod pob plentyn a pherson ifanc yn cael mynediad cyfartal at chwaraeon a gweithgarwch corfforol?
Officials are considering that in the way that you imply in your question at the moment. I completely agree with the point that you're making, that it's vital that access to sporting activities and physical activities in schools are available and accessible to all our learners. I think that's a principle that underpins the importance of health and well-being in our new curriculum, and I made a speech a couple of weeks ago where I was keen to emphasise that the curriculum is a curriculum for all our learners, and so it needs to be regarded in that way, and we will look at what more we can do in terms of professional learning and resources to make sure that that part of the curriculum is as inclusive as it possibly can be.
Mae swyddogion yn ystyried hynny yn y ffordd rydych yn ei hawgrymu yn eich cwestiwn ar hyn o bryd. Cytunaf yn llwyr â'r pwynt a wnewch, sef ei bod yn hanfodol fod mynediad at weithgareddau chwaraeon a gweithgareddau corfforol mewn ysgolion ar gael ac yn hygyrch i'n holl ddysgwyr. Credaf fod honno’n egwyddor sy’n ategu pwysigrwydd iechyd a lles yn ein cwricwlwm newydd, a gwneuthum araith ychydig wythnosau yn ôl lle roeddwn yn awyddus i bwysleisio bod y cwricwlwm yn gwricwlwm i’n holl ddysgwyr, ac felly mae angen meddwl amdano yn y ffordd honno, a byddwn yn edrych ar beth arall y gallwn ei wneud o ran dysgu proffesiynol ac adnoddau i sicrhau bod y rhan honno o’r cwricwlwm mor gynhwysol ag y gall fod.
Thank you.
Diolch.
COVID-19 has disrupted almost every part of our lives, but for many young people, they've missed out on those crucial first opportunities to take part in sports that interest and excite them, and these are some of the most important formative years. We all know the benefits that sports can bring to both the physical and mental well-being of our young people, and we must ensure that children do not miss out on those benefits for years to come because of the pandemic.
What role does the Minister see our schools having in making sure that our youngest generation still get these opportunities, and what more can we do to encourage more participation in school sports?
Mae COVID-19 wedi amharu ar bron bob rhan o’n bywydau, ond i lawer o bobl ifanc, maent wedi colli'r cyfleoedd cyntaf hollbwysig hynny i gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon sy’n eu diddori a’u cyffroi, a dyma rai o’r blynyddoedd ffurfiannol pwysicaf. Mae pob un ohonom yn ymwybodol o'r manteision y gall chwaraeon eu creu i les corfforol a meddyliol ein pobl ifanc, ac mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau nad yw plant yn colli’r manteision hynny am flynyddoedd i ddod oherwydd y pandemig.
Pa rôl y mae’r Gweinidog yn gweld ein hysgolion yn ei chwarae wrth sicrhau bod ein cenhedlaeth ieuengaf yn dal i gael y cyfleoedd hyn, a beth arall y gallwn ei wneud i annog mwy o gyfranogiad mewn chwaraeon mewn ysgolion?
I think schools have a very, very important role in making those opportunities available, and the mandatory expectation for physical health in the new curriculum from September onwards I think reflects the important role that schools have to play in that. We work hard in the Government to continue to ensure that all schools can offer that range of high-quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
You will have heard the Deputy Minister yesterday talking about the new 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' strategy, but also that daily active offer as part of that strategic approach for all our learners, and part of that is around making sure that all our children and young people have access to settings where physical and mental health remains a priority. And so, making sure that the curriculum provides an outcomes-focused programme through the Welsh network of healthy school schemes will be an important contribution to that; the daily active offer, which I've mentioned as well, together with work that we do with Sport Wales and other third sector organisations to ensure that every child has access to sport and physical activity opportunities. She will also know about the winter of well-being package that has been rolled out over the last few weeks, and, obviously, an important part of that is providing additional sessions around the school day to promote physical, mental and emotional well-being, both in English and in Welsh.
Credaf fod gan ysgolion rôl bwysig iawn yn sicrhau bod y cyfleoedd hynny ar gael, a chredaf fod y disgwyliad gorfodol ar gyfer iechyd corfforol yn y cwricwlwm newydd o fis Medi ymlaen yn adlewyrchu'r rôl bwysig sydd gan ysgolion i'w chwarae yn hynny. Rydym yn gweithio’n galed yn y Llywodraeth i barhau i sicrhau y gall pob ysgol gynnig yr ystod honno o gyfleoedd chwaraeon a gweithgarwch corfforol o ansawdd uchel.
Byddwch wedi clywed y Dirprwy Weinidog yn sôn ddoe am y strategaeth newydd 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach’, ond hefyd y cynnig gweithredol dyddiol hwnnw fel rhan o’r dull strategol ar gyfer ein holl ddysgwyr, ac mae rhan o hynny’n ymwneud â sicrhau bod ein holl blant a phobl ifanc yn cael mynediad i leoliadau lle mae iechyd corfforol a meddyliol yn parhau i fod yn flaenoriaeth. Ac felly, bydd sicrhau bod y cwricwlwm yn darparu rhaglen sy’n canolbwyntio ar ganlyniadau drwy rwydwaith Cymru o gynlluniau ysgolion iach yn gyfraniad pwysig at hynny; y cynnig gweithredol dyddiol rwyf wedi sôn amdano hefyd, ynghyd â gwaith a wnawn gyda Chwaraeon Cymru a sefydliadau eraill yn y trydydd sector i sicrhau bod pob plentyn yn cael mynediad at gyfleoedd chwaraeon a gweithgarwch corfforol. Bydd hefyd yn ymwybodol o'r pecyn gaeaf llawn lles sydd wedi’i gyflwyno’n raddol dros yr ychydig wythnosau diwethaf, ac yn amlwg, rhan bwysig o hwnnw yw darparu sesiynau ychwanegol o amgylch y diwrnod ysgol i hybu llesiant corfforol, meddyliol ac emosiynol, yn Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg.
7. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am raglen ysgolion a cholegau'r unfed ganrif ar hugain yn Abertawe? OQ57682
7. Will the Minister provide an update on the twenty-first century schools and colleges programme in Swansea? OQ57682
I'm pleased that Swansea's proposed £150 million school estate investment continues to move at pace, with four projects already completed. This means more than £38 million has been invested in schools in Swansea during second-wave investment through the sustainable communities for learning programme.
Rwy'n falch fod buddsoddiad arfaethedig gwerth £150 miliwn Abertawe yn yr ystad ysgolion yn parhau i wneud cynnydd cyflym, gyda phedwar prosiect eisoes wedi'u cwblhau. Golyga hyn fod mwy na £38 miliwn wedi'i fuddsoddi mewn ysgolion yn Abertawe yn ystod ail don y buddsoddiad drwy raglen cymunedau cynaliadwy ar gyfer dysgu.
Can I thank the Minister for that response? Last month, I attended the official opening of the new Tan-y-lan school, where my grandchildren attend, and this month, I will be attending the opening of the new Tirdeunaw school. Of the six comprehensive schools in Swansea, three have been rebuilt on the same site, one completely refurbished and one is a relatively new school. The only school that's only had emergency work done on it is Bishop Vaughan, the local Catholic school. Will the Minister meet with the Catholic Education Service, Swansea Council and the school to discuss a way of rebuilding the school on the current site?
A gaf fi ddiolch i’r Gweinidog am ei ymateb? Fis diwethaf, bûm yn agoriad swyddogol ysgol newydd Tan-y-lan, ysgol fy wyrion, a’r mis hwn, byddaf yn mynd i agoriad ysgol newydd Tirdeunaw. O'r chwe ysgol gyfun yn Abertawe, mae tair wedi'u hailadeiladu ar yr un safle, un wedi'i hadnewyddu'n llwyr ac un yn ysgol gymharol newydd. Yr unig ysgol sydd wedi cael gwaith brys arni yn unig yw Ysgol yr Esgob Vaughan, yr ysgol Gatholig leol. A wnaiff y Gweinidog gyfarfod â Gwasanaeth Addysg yr Eglwys Gatholig, Cyngor Abertawe a’r ysgol i drafod ffordd o ailadeiladu’r ysgol ar y safle presennol?
I'm hoping to join you at the opening of the Tirdeunaw school, in fact, so I look forward to that opportunity. Obviously, we're aware that a number of voluntary-aided schools are in need of replacement and refurbishment, and my officials continue to work with local authorities and diocesan authorities to look at the funding options available. I will, in fact, be meeting with representatives from the Catholic Education Service and the diocesan directors of education next week to discuss the challenges that the sector faces, and I'd be very happy to meet with Swansea Council and schools' representatives to specifically discuss the issue that the Member has raised.
Rwy’n gobeithio ymuno â chi yn agoriad ysgol Tirdeunaw a dweud y gwir, felly edrychaf ymlaen at y cyfle hwnnw. Yn amlwg, rydym yn ymwybodol fod angen adnewyddu ac ailadeiladu nifer o ysgolion gwirfoddol a gynorthwyir, ac mae fy swyddogion yn parhau i weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol ac awdurdodau esgobaethol i archwilio'r opsiynau ariannu sydd ar gael. Byddaf yn cyfarfod, mewn gwirionedd, â chynrychiolwyr o Wasanaeth Addysg yr Eglwys Gatholig a'r cyfarwyddwyr addysg esgobaethol yr wythnos nesaf i drafod yr heriau y mae’r sector yn eu hwynebu, ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i gyfarfod â Chyngor Abertawe a chynrychiolwyr ysgolion yn benodol er mwyn trafod y mater y mae’r Aelod wedi’i godi.
8. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad ynglŷn ag argaeledd deunydd adolygu ar gyfer y prawf gyrru theori yn Gymraeg? OQ57689
8. Will the Minister make a statement on the availability of revision material for the driving theory test in Welsh? OQ57689
Mae swyddfa Comisiynydd y Gymraeg wedi bod yn ymchwilio i'r mater hwn. Dim ond cyhoeddiadau y mae'r Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency yn eu cynhyrchu sy'n berthnasol i'w cynllun iaith. Felly, ar hyn o bryd, nid yw'r deunydd ymarfer ar gael yn y Gymraeg, ond byddaf i'n parhau i weithio gyda swyddfa'r comisiynydd i geisio datrysiad i hyn.
The Welsh Language Commissioner's office has investigated this matter. Only publications produced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency are covered by their Welsh language scheme. So, as it stands, the revision material is not available in Welsh, but I will continue to work with the commissioner's office to seek a resolution to this.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Dwi wedi bod yn trio cael datrysiad i hyn drwy'r DVSA a drwy ofyn am gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ers rhyw wyth mlynedd, dwi'n meddwl, erbyn hyn. Mae o mor rhwystredig. Yn syml iawn, mae croeso ichi wneud prawf theori'n Gymraeg, ond does yna ddim deunydd ymarfer ar-lein, ffug brofion ac ati, ar gael o gwbl. Dwi'n gwybod am lawer oedd eisiau gwneud prawf theori yn Gymraeg, ond wnaeth ddewis gwneud yn Saesneg oherwydd hyn, a dwi'n gallu deall pam. Dwi'n gwybod hefyd am rai sy'n teimlo eu bod nhw wedi bod dan anfantais wedyn oherwydd nad oedd y prawf yn eu hiaith gyntaf.
Rŵan, mi gafodd Cai Phillips, cyn-Aelod o'r Senedd Ieuenctid, afael ar ffigurau drwy gais rhyddid gwybodaeth yn dangos bod 382 o bobl wedi gwneud prawf gyrru ymarferol yn Gymraeg yn 2018-19, ond dim ond 53 wnaeth y prawf theori yn Gymraeg. Mae'r patrwm yr un fath mewn blynyddoedd eraill hefyd. Ac fel rydyn ni wedi'i glywed, mae'r DVSA yn dweud, 'Dim ni sydd angen gwneud hyn; mater i'r sector breifat ydy o a does yna ddim cystadleuaeth am y Gymraeg.' Ond allwn ni ddim gadael hyn i lawr i rymoedd y farchnad, mae angen ymyrraeth.
Rŵan, mae cyn-Weinidogion, ac fel rydyn ni wedi'i glywed, Comisiynydd y Gymraeg, wedi dweud eu bod nhw'n rhannu fy anfodlonrwydd i, ond plis gawn ni fwy o ymrwymiad na'r ychydig eiriau yna, er mor bositif ydyn nhw, i bwyso ar y DVSA ac yn wir i weithio ar y DVSA—i weithio efo nhw—a pheidio ag ildio rŵan tan mae hyn yn newid, nid yn unig oherwydd ei fod o'n bwysig o ran egwyddor, ond oherwydd yr angen ymarferol am y profion yma?
Thank you very much. I've been trying to find a resolution to this through the DVSA and by asking for Welsh Government support for around eight years now. It is so frustrating. Quite simply, you are welcome to take your theory test through the medium of Welsh, but there is no revision material online or mock tests and so on. There's nothing available. I know of many who wanted to take their theory test in Welsh, but chose to take the English test because of this, and I can fully understand why. And I also know of some who feel that they had been disadvantaged because the test wasn't in their first language.
Now, Cai Phillips, a former Member of the Youth Parliament, got figures through a freedom of information request that show that 382 people had done the practical driving test in Welsh in 2018-19, but only 53 did the theory test in Welsh. The pattern is similar in other years. And as we have heard, the DVSA say, 'Well, it's not our responsibility; it's a matter for the private sector and there is no competition for Welsh.' But we can't leave this to market forces, we need intervention.
Now, former Ministers and the Welsh Language Commissioner, as we've heard, have said that they share my dissatisfaction with this situation, but please can we have a greater commitment than those few words, Minister, despite how positive they are, to put pressure on the DVSA and, indeed, to work on the DVSA—work with them—and not to give in until this changes, not only because it's important as a matter of principle, but also because of the practical need for these tests?
Wel, mae'r Aelod yn dweud bod hyn yn rhwystredig, mae e'n rhwystredig. Mae'n sefyllfa bryderus iawn, byddwn i'n dweud. Mae pobl yn amlwg yn mynd i edrych ar argaeledd deunydd adolygu Cymraeg pan fyddan nhw'n penderfynu pa ffordd i ddewis gwneud eu prawf. Felly, mae hynny'n risg amlwg, fyddwn i'n dweud, ac mae'n hen bryd i'r DVSA gydnabod eu cyfrifoldebau yn y maes hwn a darparu deunydd yn y Gymraeg hefyd. Felly, does dim diffyg eglurder ynglŷn â beth yw'r gofyniad a beth yw cyfrifoldeb y DVSA yn hyn o beth.
Fel y gwnaeth yr Aelod grybwyll, mae'r mater wedi cael ei drafod sawl gwaith ar hyd y blynyddoedd, fan hyn ac mewn mannau eraill. Dyw agwedd y DVSA ar y mater ddim wedi newid, ac yn sgil hynny mae swyddogion y comisiynydd am drafod hyn gyda Chyngor Llyfrau Cymru i weld a oes opsiynau amgen y gallan nhw ein cynorthwyo ni gyda nhw yn hyn o beth. Bydd swyddfa'r comisiynydd hefyd yn trafod y mater gyda swyddfa Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru. Rwy'n awyddus i gefnogi gwaith y comisiynydd yn hyn o beth gan fod ymchwiliad yn digwydd. Felly, byddaf i eisiau gweithio ar y cyd â nhw i weld beth mwy y gallwn ni ei wneud i annog y corff i wella ei wasanaethau Cymraeg. Byddaf i'n codi'r mater gyda'r dirprwy gomisiynydd pan fyddaf yn ei gweld hi nesaf. Ond, mae'n ddigon clir beth yw cyfrifoldeb y DVSA yn hyn o beth.
The Member says that this is frustrating, well, it is frustrating. It is a situation that causes great concern, I would say. People are going to look at the availability of Welsh revision materials when they decide how to take their tests. So, that's an obvious risk, I would say, and it's about time that the DVSA fulfilled their responsibilities and provided Welsh language materials as well. So, there is no lack of clarity in terms of what the requirement is and what the responsibility of the DVSA is in this sense.
As the Member mentioned, the issue has been discussed several times over the years, here and in other places. The attitude of the DVSA on this issue hasn't changed and, because of that, the Welsh Language Commissioner's officials want to discuss this with the Books Council of Wales to see whether there are alternative options that we can explore in this sense. The commissioner's office will discuss this with the office of the Secretary of State for Wales as well. I am eager to back the commissioner's work in this area because an investigation is under way. So, I want to collaborate with them to see what more we can do to encourage the body to improve its Welsh language services. I will be raising the issue with the deputy commissioner when I next meet her. But, it's quite clear what the responsibility of the DVSA is in this context.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Y cwestiwn amserol sydd nesaf, ac mae'r cwestiwn i'w ateb gan y Gweinidog materion gwledig ac i'w ofyn gan Mabon ap Gwynfor.
The topical question is next, to be answered by the Minister for rural affairs and to be asked by Mabon ap Gwynfor.
1. Pa asesiad mae'r Llywodraeth wedi ei wneud o effaith cytundeb masnach y Deyrnas Gyfunol ac Aotearoa (Seland Newydd) ar amaethyddiaeth yng Nghymru? TQ602
1. What assessment has the Government made of the impact of the United Kingdom and Aotearoa (New Zealand) trade agreement on agriculture in Wales? TQ602
We've worked with our industry stakeholders to identify the impacts on Welsh agriculture. This work underpinned our representations to the UK Government that any trade deal must not disadvantage Welsh farmers or compromise our high animal and environmental standards.
Rydym wedi gweithio gyda'n rhanddeiliaid yn y diwydiant i nodi'r effeithiau ar amaethyddiaeth yng Nghymru. Roedd y gwaith hwn yn sail i’n sylwadau i Lywodraeth y DU na ddylai unrhyw gytundeb masnach roi ffermwyr Cymru o dan anfantais na pheryglu ein safonau anifeiliaid ac amgylcheddol uchel.
Diolch yn fawr iawn i'r Gweinidog am yr ateb yna. Rŵan, beth bynnag ydy sbin Llywodraeth Geidwadol San Steffan, y gwir ydy y bydd y cytundeb yma yn gadael ffermwyr Cymru ar fympwy marchnad nad sydd ganddyn nhw unrhyw reolaeth drosto. Os bydd rhywbeth yn newid yn y farchnad gig oen, yn arbennig o safbwynt Tsieina neu'r Unol Daleithiau, yna bydd llawer iawn mwy o gig o Seland Newydd yn cyrraedd y glannau yma neu'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, gan danseilio ein ffermwyr ni. Heb dariff, does gan ffermwyr Cymru ddim dweud a dim byd i'w hamddiffyn. Mae Plaid Cymru wedi rhybuddio ers talwm y bydd y cytundebau masnach yma yn cael effaith andwyol ar ffermwyr Cymru. Mae Undeb Amaethwyr Cymru wedi rhagamcan y bydd effaith y cytundeb gydag Awstralia, er enghraifft, yn arwain at gwymp o £29 miliwn yn GVA diwydiant cig coch Cymru. Tra nad ydy o'n bosib inni wneud yr un rhagamcangyfrifon ar gyfer cytundeb efo Seland Newydd, mae'r data sydd ar gael yn awgrymu y bydd effaith y ddau gytundeb yma yn arwain at gwymp o rywle oddeutu £50 miliwn yn GVA marchnad cig coch Cymru.
Hoffwn i ofyn i chi fel Gweinidog, felly: ydych chi'n credu bod hyn yn bris sydd yn werth ei dalu? Mae ffermwyr Cymru'n fwy agored i niwed a ddaw o gytundeb gwael na ffermwyr eraill y wladwriaeth hon. Hefyd, ydy'r Gweinidog yn cytuno â fi fod angen i Lywodraeth San Steffan gynnal asesiad llawn o'r cytundebau masnach yma ar ffermwyr Cymru?
I thank the Minister for that response. Now, whatever the spin of the Conservative Government in Westminster, the truth is that this trade agreement will leave Welsh farmers at the whim of a market that they have no control over. If something changes in the lamb market, particularly in terms of China or the United States, then there will be far more New Zealand lamb reaching these shores or going into the European Union, undermining our farmers. Without a tariff, Welsh farmers have no say and no protection. Plaid Cymru has warned for some time that these trade agreements will have a detrimental impact on Welsh farmers. The Farmers Union of Wales has suggested that the impact of the agreement with Australia, for example, will lead to a reduction of £29 million in the red meat GVA in Wales. Whilst it's not possible for us to make the same forecasts for the agreement with New Zealand, the data available suggests that the impact of both these agreements will lead to a decline of somewhere in the region of £50 million in the GVA of the red meat market in Wales.
So, I would like to ask you as Minister whether you believe that this is a price worth paying. Welsh farmers are more vulnerable to a bad agreement than other farmers in this state. Also, does the Minister agree with me that the Westminster Government needs to hold a full assessment of these trade agreements and their impact on Welsh farmers?
Yes, I do. I think it is that cumulative impact, because it's very clear to us and probably to your party, and certainly to the stakeholders we spoke to, that one of the things we were very concerned about with the Australia deal is that it would set a precedent and you can see now with the New Zealand deal that that is absolutely the case. So, I do think that an assessment is needed. Now the deal has been signed, obviously our officials and I need to scrutinise that next chapter. But we warned them; this is what we told them would happen. We're very concerned about the animal health and welfare standards and the environmental standards. I think New Zealand have very similar standards to us, if not higher, perhaps, in some cases, where Australia certainly doesn't. But it is that cumulative impact—you know, what's the next trade deal going to do? So, I think it is important that we monitor it very carefully. We repeatedly raised concerns with the UK Government about this, but I'm afraid they haven't listened to us.
Ydw. Credaf mai'r effaith gronnol honno ydyw, gan ei bod yn amlwg iawn i ni, ac i’ch plaid chithau yn ôl pob tebyg, ac yn sicr i’r rhanddeiliaid y buom yn siarad â hwy, mai un o’r pethau yr oeddem yn bryderus iawn yn eu cylch gyda chytundeb Awstralia yw y byddai’n gosod cynsail a gallwch weld bellach gyda chytundeb Seland Newydd fod hynny'n gwbl wir. Felly, credaf fod angen asesiad. Gyda'r cytundeb wedi'i lofnodi bellach, yn amlwg, mae angen i'n swyddogion a minnau graffu ar y bennod nesaf honno. Ond fe wnaethom eu rhybuddio; dyma y gwnaethom ddweud wrthynt fyddai'n digwydd. Rydym yn bryderus iawn am y safonau iechyd a lles anifeiliaid a'r safonau amgylcheddol. Credaf fod gan Seland Newydd safonau tebyg iawn i ni, os nad yn uwch mewn rhai achosion efallai, lle nad oes gan Awstralia, yn sicr. Ond yr effaith gronnol honno ydyw—wyddoch chi, beth y mae'r cytundeb masnach nesaf yn mynd i'w wneud? Felly, credaf ei bod yn bwysig inni ei fonitro'n ofalus iawn. Rydym wedi mynegi pryderon am hyn dro ar ôl tro gyda Llywodraeth y DU, ond mae arnaf ofn nad ydynt wedi gwrando arnom.
Minister, I'm grateful to the Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd for bringing this question forward today, but it is important to note and remember that this trade deal is worth much more and is much broader than agriculture alone. This isn't spin—[Interruption.] This isn't spin, as the Member said. This deal is the most advanced agreement that New Zealand has signed with any nation bar Australia. Despite the chuntering of the Member from Blaenau Gwent on the back benches, it is one of the most environmentally green deals ever, confirming commitments to the Paris agreement and net zero. It will liberalise tariffs on the largest list of environmental goods in any free trade agreement to date and encourage trade and see investment in low-carbon services and technology. It will also ensure that produce not able to be grown or produced here in Wales, such as Marlborough sauvignon blanc, manuka honey and kiwifruit, become more affordable to Welsh consumers. At the current time, 210 Welsh businesses export goods to the value of £23 million—[Interruption.] They may wish to shut me down, however these are the facts, Llywydd.
Weinidog, rwy’n ddiolchgar i’r Aelod dros Ddwyfor Meirionnydd am gyflwyno’r cwestiwn hwn heddiw, ond mae’n bwysig nodi a chofio bod y fargen fasnach hon yn werth llawer mwy ac yn llawer ehangach nag amaethyddiaeth yn unig. Nid sbin yw hyn—[Torri ar draws.] Nid sbin yw hyn, fel y dywedodd yr Aelod. Y cytundeb hwn yw'r cytundeb mwyaf datblygedig y mae Seland Newydd wedi'i lofnodi gydag unrhyw genedl ac eithrio Awstralia. Er gwaethaf grwgnach yr Aelod o Flaenau Gwent ar y meinciau cefn, mae’n un o’r cytundebau mwyaf amgylcheddol wyrdd erioed, sy'n cadarnhau ymrwymiadau i gytundeb Paris a sero net. Bydd yn rhyddfrydoli tariffau ar y rhestr fwyaf o nwyddau amgylcheddol mewn unrhyw gytundeb masnach rydd hyd yma ac yn annog masnach ac yn arwain at fuddsoddiad mewn technoleg a gwasanaethau carbon isel. Bydd hefyd yn sicrhau bod cynnyrch na ellir ei dyfu na’i gynhyrchu yma yng Nghymru, fel sauvignon blanc Marlborough, mêl manuka a ffrwythau ciwi, yn dod yn fwy fforddiadwy i brynwyr Cymru. Ar hyn o bryd, mae 210 o fusnesau Cymru yn allforio gwerth £23 miliwn o nwyddau—[Torri ar draws.] Efallai eu bod am imi dawelu, ond dyma’r ffeithiau, Lywydd.
No, you won't be shut down unless I say so, and you can carry on, in my opinion.
Na, ni fydd raid ichi dawelu oni bai fy mod i'n dweud hynny, a gallwch barhau, yn fy marn i.
Diolch i ti, Llywydd. At this time, 210 Welsh businesses export goods to the value of £23 million to the New Zealand market, and the indication is that, across the whole of the UK, the value of this relationship is likely to increase by almost 60 per cent. While I understand the agricultural industry's concerns that Wales will be flooded with an influx of New Zealand lamb, we already know that New Zealand do not even use half of the quota that they are allowed to export under existing rules. In fact, New Zealand sheep meat exports to the UK have fallen by nearly a half over the last decade. With Wales currently exporting agri-produce to the value of £1.8 million to New Zealand, and £23 million of export in total, could I ask the Minister what plans she has to help the Welsh agricultural sector further grow this market, and what discussions is she having with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that we make full advantage of this trade deal with New Zealand?
Diolch, Lywydd. Ar hyn o bryd, mae 210 o fusnesau Cymru yn allforio gwerth £23 miliwn o nwyddau i farchnad Seland Newydd, ac mae’r arwyddion yn nodi, ar draws y DU gyfan, fod gwerth y berthynas hon yn debygol o gynyddu bron 60 y cant. Er fy mod yn deall pryderon y diwydiant amaethyddol y bydd Cymru yn cael ei gorlethu gan gig oen o Seland Newydd, rydym eisoes yn gwybod nad yw Seland Newydd hyd yn oed yn defnyddio hanner y cwota y caniateir iddynt ei allforio o dan y rheolau presennol. Mewn gwirionedd, mae allforion cig defaid Seland Newydd i’r DU wedi gostwng bron i hanner dros y degawd diwethaf. Gyda Chymru ar hyn o bryd yn allforio gwerth £1.8 miliwn o gynnyrch amaethyddol i Seland Newydd, a £23 miliwn o allforion at ei gilydd, a gaf fi ofyn i’r Gweinidog pa gynlluniau sydd ganddi i helpu sector amaethyddol Cymru i dyfu’r farchnad hon ymhellach, a pha drafodaethau y mae'n eu cael gyda chyd-Aelodau o'r Cabinet i sicrhau ein bod yn manteisio’n llawn ar y cytundeb masnach hwn â Seland Newydd?
The Member does a sterling job in putting a very positive spin on this trade deal. The question I was asked—[Interruption.]
Mae’r Aelod yn gwneud gwaith rhagorol yn rhoi sbin cadarnhaol iawn ar y cytundeb masnach hwn. Y cwestiwn a ofynnwyd i mi—[Torri ar draws.]
Let the Minister respond, please.
Gadewch i’r Gweinidog ymateb, os gwelwch yn dda.
The question I was asked was about the impact on agriculture, and you will appreciate that's where I've had my focus. It is important that we do look at how we can expand our exports. You will be aware that the Minister for Economy is currently in Dubai at Expo 2020, where, yesterday, for St David's Day, Welsh food and drink was promoted on the UK pavilion for the whole day. We've just had Gulfood, where Welsh Government supported eight food and drink companies, and we're continuing to work with Hybu Cig Cymru to make sure that we do expand new markets for our very high-quality Welsh lamb and beef. But that does not take away the concerns that we have about the New Zealand trade deal. You are quite right; New Zealand doesn't currently meet its tariff-free quotas for lamb, and that's primarily due to the costs and the distance of exporting to the UK, as compared to the far nearer and obviously larger Chinese market. But there is a risk that New Zealand will pivot away from China, in particular due to current trade friction. Of course, New Zealand does, as I say, send the majority of its beef, for instance, to China and the United States. These are large markets that will still demand the majority of exports, but it's the cumulative impact that we are particularly concerned about.
Roedd y cwestiwn a ofynnwyd i mi'n ymwneud â’r effaith ar amaethyddiaeth, ac fe fyddwch yn deall mai ar hynny y bûm yn canolbwyntio. Mae'n bwysig ein bod yn edrych ar sut y gallwn ehangu ein hallforion. Fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod Gweinidog yr Economi yn Dubai yn Expo 2020 ar hyn o bryd, lle cafodd bwyd a diod o Gymru ei hyrwyddo, ddoe, am y diwrnod cyfan, ar gyfer Dydd Gŵyl Dewi, ym mhafiliwn y DU. Rydym newydd gael Gulfood, lle'r oedd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi wyth cwmni bwyd a diod, ac rydym yn parhau i weithio gyda Hybu Cig Cymru i sicrhau ein bod yn ehangu marchnadoedd newydd ar gyfer ein cig oen a’n cig eidion o Gymru, sydd o safon uchel iawn. Ond nid yw hynny’n lleddfu'r pryderon sydd gennym am gytundeb masnach Seland Newydd. Rydych yn llygad eich lle; nid yw Seland Newydd yn cyrraedd eu cwotâu di-dariff ar gyfer cig oen ar hyn o bryd, a hynny’n bennaf oherwydd y costau a phellter allforio i’r DU, o gymharu â marchnad Tsieina, sy’n llawer agosach, ac yn amlwg, yn fwy. Ond mae perygl y bydd Seland Newydd yn troi oddi wrth Tsieina, yn enwedig oherwydd y gwrthdaro masnachu presennol. Wrth gwrs, mae Seland Newydd, fel y dywedaf, yn anfon y rhan fwyaf o'u cig eidion, er enghraifft, i Tsieina a'r Unol Daleithiau. Mae'r rhain yn farchnadoedd mawr a fydd yn dal i fynnu'r rhan fwyaf o allforion, ond rydym yn pryderu'n fwyaf arbennig am yr effaith gronnol.
I'm grateful to take part in this question, and I thank Mabon for laying it. Unlike Samuel Kurtz, who will try to defend the indefensible, and has swallowed, obviously, the little black book or whatever it is he's been given to do that, I don't feel quite so assured, and I'm sure the farmers in my area and his area won't feel quite so assured either. It is a fact—let's keep to the facts here—that Australian animal welfare is lower. [Interruption.] This now is, you're quite right, a New Zealand trade deal. We all know that there is a high dependency in our area on exporting Welsh lamb, and it is, in my view, the best lamb in the world; there is no question about that. But we can't ignore the fact that there is going to be a cumulative effect of all these trade deals. It doesn't matter how you try to talk it up. And that in itself will have a negative impact on the farmers here in the UK, particularly here in Wales. Brexit was supposed to deliver freedom. Well, it isn't going to deliver much freedom for these farmers when they haven't got any money in their pockets. So, my question to you, Minister, is: above and beyond what the Welsh Government is already doing to support Welsh farmers, which is much more than the UK Government, by the way, what more is the Welsh Government able to do, considering that the budget for farmers has already been decreased by excessive amounts of money, so that Welsh Labour ensures the future of Welsh farming here in Wales, unlike the Tory Government who are determined to destroy it?
Rwy’n ddiolchgar am gael cymryd rhan yn y cwestiwn hwn, a diolch i Mabon am ei ofyn. Yn wahanol i Samuel Kurtz, a fydd yn ceisio amddiffyn yr anghyfiawnadwy, ac sydd wedi llyncu, yn amlwg, y llyfr bach du neu beth bynnag a roddwyd iddo i wneud hynny, nid wyf yn teimlo mor sicr, ac rwy'n siŵr na fydd y ffermwyr yn fy ardal a'i ardal yntau'n teimlo mor sicr ychwaith. Mae'n ffaith—gadewch inni gadw at y ffeithiau yma—fod lles anifeiliaid Awstralia yn is. [Torri ar draws.] Rydych yn llygad eich lle, cytundeb masnach Seland Newydd yw hwn bellach. Gŵyr pob un ohonom fod cryn ddibyniaeth yn ein hardal ar allforio cig oen o Gymru, ac yn fy marn i, dyna yw'r cig oen gorau yn y byd; nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth ynglŷn â hynny. Ond ni allwn anwybyddu'r ffaith y bydd yr holl gytundebau masnach hyn yn cael effaith gronnol. Nid oes ots faint y ceisiwch ei gyfiawnhau. A bydd hynny ynddo’i hun yn cael effaith negyddol ar y ffermwyr yma yn y DU, yn enwedig yma yng Nghymru. Roedd Brexit i fod i sicrhau rhyddid. Wel, nid yw'n mynd i sicrhau llawer o ryddid i'r ffermwyr hyn pan nad oes ganddynt unrhyw arian yn eu pocedi. Felly, fy nghwestiwn i chi, Weinidog, yw: y tu hwnt i’r hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes yn ei wneud i gefnogi ffermwyr Cymru, sy’n llawer mwy na Llywodraeth y DU gyda llaw, beth arall y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud, o gofio bod y gyllideb i ffermwyr eisoes wedi’i lleihau lawer gormod, fel bod Llafur Cymru yn sicrhau dyfodol ffermio yma yng Nghymru, yn wahanol i’r Llywodraeth Dorïaidd sy’n benderfynol o’i ddinistrio?
Joyce Watson makes some very important points. The UK Government, however the Tories over there defend them, cannot pretend that they've ever supported farmers in the deals that they have brought forward since we've left the European Union, and you only have to look at my budget to see how much money farmers have lost from the UK Government in their funding to the Welsh Government. The Member will be aware that work is well under way to bring forward an agriculture Bill this year. That will ensure our future plans take into account the potential impacts of trade deals. That's something I've been very keen for officials to work through. What we want to do is make agriculture much more resilient and competitive. And, of course, we've always said, haven't we, that our rural communities are so important for our culture, for our heritage of Wales and, of course, for the Welsh language, and farmers are right at the heart of that.
Mae Joyce Watson yn gwneud pwyntiau pwysig iawn. Ni all Llywodraeth y DU, ni waeth faint y mae’r Torïaid yn eu hamddiffyn, gymryd arnynt eu bod erioed wedi cefnogi ffermwyr yn y cytundebau y maent wedi’u cyflwyno ers inni adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, ac nid oes ond rhaid ichi edrych ar fy nghyllideb i weld faint o arian y mae ffermwyr wedi’i golli gan Lywodraeth y DU yn eu cyllid i Lywodraeth Cymru. Bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol fod gwaith yn mynd rhagddo ar gyflwyno Bil amaethyddiaeth eleni. Bydd hynny’n sicrhau bod ein cynlluniau yn y dyfodol yn ystyried effeithiau posibl cytundebau masnach. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth rwyf wedi bod yn awyddus iawn i swyddogion weithio drwyddo. Yr hyn yr ydym am ei wneud yw gwneud amaethyddiaeth yn llawer mwy gwydn a chystadleuol, ac wrth gwrs, rydym wedi dweud bob amser, onid ydym, fod ein cymunedau gwledig mor bwysig i'n diwylliant, i'n treftadaeth yng Nghymru, ac wrth gwrs, i'r iaith Gymraeg, ac mae ffermwyr yn ganolog i hynny.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf yw'r datganiadau 90 eiliad. Un sydd heddiw, a hwnnw gan Rhun ap Iorwerth.
The next item is 90-second statements. There's one today, and that's by Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Heddiw, dwi eisiau talu teyrnged i griw bad achub Trearddur.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. Today, I want to pay tribute to the lifeboat crew of Trearddur Bay.
Today, the Trearddur Bay RNLI lifeboat station and crew make history by becoming the first station ever to receive a silver gallantry medal for a rescue onboard a B-class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat. Cast your minds back to the storms of May last year. As most of us took shelter, the crew of the Atlantic 85 were called into action, launching at the very limits of the boat’s capabilities, in gale force 9 winds, to rescue a surfer in trouble. They found her at the mouth of the bay, within a few metres of the jagged rock face, struggling to keep her head above water. The prestigious silver accolade goes to helm Lee Duncan in recognition of his leadership, seamanship and exemplary boat handling. He manoeuvred the boat with amazing precision and timing to reach the casualty, allowing the crew to quickly recover her from the water. As well as Lee Duncan’s silver award, bronze medals are being given to the volunteer crew, Dafydd Griffiths, Leigh McCann and Michael Doran, recognising their courage. I met Dafydd at the station a few days after the rescue, and he described it as one of the worst incidents he’d seen in over 20 years of RNLI volunteering. The entire Trearddur Bay team involved in the rescue are recognised with a chief executive’s commendation. The crew don’t do what they do for recognition, but this is a very public reminder of the bravery and the selflessness of RNLI volunteers everywhere.
Heddiw, mae gorsaf bad achub a chriw Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol y Badau Achub Bae Trearddur yn creu hanes, gan mai hwy yw'r orsaf gyntaf erioed i dderbyn medal dewrder arian am achubiad ar fwrdd bad achub y glannau dosbarth B Atlantic 85. Meddyliwch yn ôl at stormydd mis Mai y llynedd. Wrth i'r rhan fwyaf ohonom gysgodi, galwyd criw'r Atlantic 85 allan, gan lansio ar derfyn eithaf gallu'r cwch, mewn gwyntoedd cryfion grym 9, i achub syrffiwr mewn trafferth. Daethant o hyd iddi yng ngheg y bae, o fewn ychydig fetrau i wyneb garw'r graig, yn ceisio cadw'i phen uwchben y dŵr. Mae'r wobr arian fawreddog yn mynd i'r llywiwr, Lee Duncan, i gydnabod ei arweinyddiaeth, ei forwriaeth a'i waith llywio cwch rhagorol. Llywiodd y cwch yn gywir eithriadol a chydag amseru rhyfeddol i gyrraedd yr unigolyn mewn trafferth, gan ganiatáu i'r criw ei hachub o'r dŵr yn gyflym. Yn ogystal â gwobr arian Lee Duncan, rhoddir medalau efydd i’r criw gwirfoddol, Dafydd Griffiths, Leigh McCann a Michael Doran, i gydnabod eu dewrder. Cyfarfûm â Dafydd yn yr orsaf ychydig ddyddiau ar ôl yr achubiad, ac fe'i disgrifiodd fel un o’r digwyddiadau gwaethaf a welodd mewn dros 20 mlynedd o wirfoddoli gyda Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol y Badau Achub. Mae tîm cyfan Bae Trearddur a fu'n rhan o'r achubiad yn cael eu cydnabod gyda chymeradwyaeth y prif weithredwr. Nid yw’r criw yn gwneud yr hyn a wnânt er mwyn cael cydnabyddiaeth, ond mae hyn yn fodd o atgoffa'r cyhoedd am ddewrder ac anhunanoldeb gwirfoddolwyr Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol y Badau Achub ym mhobman.
Mae Ynys Môn yn falch ac yn ddiolchgar iawn, iawn i chi.
Ynys Môn is proud and very grateful to you.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (David Rees) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.
Eitem 5 sydd nesaf, dadl ar gynnig deddfwriaethol gan Aelod, effaith gorlifoedd stormydd. Galwaf ar Alun Davies i wneud y cynnig.
Item 5 is next, a debate on a Member's legislative proposal, the impact of storm overflows. I call on Alun Davies to move the motion.
Cynnig NDM7833 Alun Davies
Cynnig bod y Senedd:
1. Yn nodi cynnig ar gyfer Bil i leihau effaith andwyol gorlifoedd stormydd.
2. Yn nodi mai diben y Bil fyddai:
a) gosod dyletswydd ar ymgymerwr carthffosiaeth y mae ei ardal yn gyfan gwbl neu'n bennaf yng Nghymru i sicrhau gostyngiad cynyddol yn effaith andwyol gollyngiadau o orlifoedd stormydd yr ymgymerwr;
b) lleihau effeithiau andwyol gollyngiadau carthion ar yr amgylchedd ac ar iechyd y cyhoedd;
c) ei gwneud yn bosibl i'r ddyletswydd ar ymgymerwr carthffosiaeth gael ei gorfodi gan Weinidogion Cymru neu gan yr Awdurdod gyda chydsyniad awdurdodiad cyffredinol a roddir gan Weinidogion Cymru, neu'n unol â hynny.
Motion NDM7833 Alun Davies
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Notes a proposal for a Bill to reduce the adverse impact of storm overflows.
2. Notes that the purpose of the Bill would be to:
a) place a duty on a sewerage undertaker whose area is wholly or mainly in Wales to secure a progressive reduction in the adverse impact of discharges from the undertaker's storm overflows;
b) to reduce adverse impacts of sewerage discharges on both the environment and on public health;
c) make the duty on a sewerage undertaker enforceable by the Welsh Ministers or by the authority with the consent of, or in accordance with a general authorisation given by, the Welsh Ministers.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
I'm grateful to you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to bring forward this legislative proposal. Members who have had the opportunity to note the legislation I propose—well, those eagle-eyed Members, certainly—will note a certain familiarity with the wording. It is, of course, the wording that was accepted as an amendment in the House of Lords last October. When I brought forward this piece of legislation last October, it was with the intention of seeking to understand where does Wales stand, what is the legislative and statutory framework for the management of releases into watercourses in Wales, because I think we do need to fully understand. I'm glad the Minister herself is answering this debate, because I think it would be very useful for us to understand the statutory framework that exists in Wales. I should say that since I brought this forward, I understand that the climate change committee as well has taken an opportunity to look at this subject, and I think we're all looking forward to reading the report of that committee.
My concern is that the framework that currently exists in order to regulate this part of the statute book is somewhat complex. I question whether it is fit for purpose, and I look forward to the Minister providing us with the reassurance that it is. To my understanding, the current legislative framework is largely established by, first of all, the Water Industry Act 1991, but then the Water Act 2003 and the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017, which provide for the primary mechanism for assessing and managing the water environment. These regulations then place a statutory duty on Welsh Ministers to prevent deterioration and to improve all water bodies to 'good' status by 2027. I'd be grateful for the Minister's confirmation that she is committed to meeting that objective.
Rwy’n ddiolchgar i chi, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ac rwy’n ddiolchgar am y cyfle i gyflwyno’r cynnig deddfwriaethol hwn. Bydd Aelodau sydd wedi cael cyfle i nodi’r ddeddfwriaeth rwy'n ei chynnig—wel, yr Aelodau c