Y Cyfarfod Llawn
Plenary
07/06/2022Cynnwys
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 13:30 gyda'r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met in the Chamber and by video-conference at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Prynhawn da. Croeso, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn. Cyn i ni ddechrau, dwi angen nodi ychydig o bwyntiau. Cynhelir y cyfarfod hwn ar ffurf hybrid, gyda rhai Aelodau yn Siambr y Senedd ac eraill yn ymuno trwy 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 y Cyfarfod Llawn heddiw, ac mae'r rheini wedi'u nodi ar eich agenda chi.
Good afternoon, and welcome to this Plenary session. Before we begin, I want to set out a few points. This meeting will be held in 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 meeting, and these are set out on your agenda.
Before we start the meeting, and before any of you try and get in on being the first to congratulate the Welsh football team, let me the person to do that on our behalf, and to say to the football team, and the Football Association of Wales, how proud we all are as a Senedd of their tremendous success. [Applause.] And I can tell Members that I'm already looking into whether there's a conflict of timing between games and Plenary sessions in order to see how we can sort that out later on in the year.
Cyn i ni ddechrau'r cyfarfod, a chyn i unrhyw un ohonoch chi geisio neidio i mewn fel y cyntaf i longyfarch tîm pêl-droed Cymru, gadewch i mi fod y person i wneud hynny ar ein rhan, a dweud wrth y tîm pêl-droed, a Chymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru, pa mor falch yr ydym ni i gyd fel Senedd o'u llwyddiant aruthrol. [Cymeradwyaeth.] A gallaf ddweud wrth yr Aelodau fy mod i eisoes yn ystyried a oes gwrthdaro o ran amseru rhwng gemau a Chyfarfodydd Llawn er mwyn gweld sut y gallwn ni ddatrys hynny yn ddiweddarach yn y flwyddyn.
Felly, awn ni ymlaen i'r eitem gyntaf y prynhawn yma, sef y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Darren Millar.
We'll move on to our first item this afternoon, which is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Darren Millar.
1. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ar ddiwygio'r Senedd? OQ58152
1. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s position on Senedd reform? OQ58152
Llywydd, the Welsh Government will seek to implement the conclusions of the Senedd on this matter.
Llywydd, bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ceisio gweithredu casgliadau'r Senedd ar y mater hwn.
Thank you for that response. Of course, the conclusions of the Senedd committee tie in very well with the conclusions of the discussions between you and the leader of Plaid Cymru. And, of course, if those conclusions and recommendations are implemented, it will be the most significant shake-up to elections to the Senedd since it was founded back in 1999, scrapping the current system whereby 40 Members are elected on a first-past-the-post basis. Now, when such significant changes to voting systems have been presented in the past, they have been put to the public vote, for the public to have a say via a referendum. Back in 2011, when there was a proposal to scrap the first-past-the-post system for Westminster elections, quite rightly, the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, put that decision into the hands of the public via a referendum. Given that there was no specific mention of an increase in Members of the Senedd in your party's manifesto for the last Senedd election, do you accept that there is a need for the public to have a direct say on the package of proposals that is being put forward before this Senedd and will be debated tomorrow?
Diolch am yr ymateb yna. Wrth gwrs, mae casgliadau pwyllgor y Senedd yn cyd-fynd yn dda iawn â chasgliadau'r trafodaethau rhyngoch chi ac arweinydd Plaid Cymru. Ac, wrth gwrs, os caiff y casgliadau a'r argymhellion hynny eu gweithredu, hwn fydd yr ad-drefnu mwyaf sylweddol o etholiadau i'r Senedd ers ei sefydlu yn ôl ym 1999, gan ddileu'r system bresennol lle caiff 40 o Aelodau eu hethol ar sail y cyntaf i'r felin. Nawr, pan gyflwynwyd newidiadau mor sylweddol i systemau pleidleisio yn y gorffennol, fe'u gwnaed yn destun pleidlais gyhoeddus, er mwyn i'r cyhoedd gael lleisio eu barn drwy refferendwm. Yn ôl yn 2011, pan oedd cynnig i gael gwared ar y system y cyntaf i'r felin ar gyfer etholiadau San Steffan, rhoddodd Prif Weinidog y DU, David Cameron, y penderfyniad hwnnw, a hynny'n gwbl briodol, yn nwylo'r cyhoedd drwy refferendwm. O gofio nad oedd unrhyw gyfeiriad penodol at gynnydd i nifer yr Aelodau o'r Senedd ym maniffesto eich plaid ar gyfer etholiad diwethaf y Senedd, a ydych chi'n derbyn bod angen i'r cyhoedd gael leisio barn uniongyrchol ar y pecyn o gynigion sy'n cael ei gyflwyno gerbron y Senedd hon ac a fydd yn cael ei drafod yfory?
Llywydd, the public have already had their say. They elected Members to this Senedd in a sufficient number to bring about, as Darren Millar said, the greatest reform of the Senedd since its inception. Those of us who stood on manifestos in favour of reform look forward to taking this to a conclusion.
Llywydd, mae'r cyhoedd eisoes wedi lleisio eu barn. Fe wnaethon nhw ethol Aelodau i'r Senedd hon mewn niferoedd digonol i sicrhau, fel y dywedodd Darren Millar, y diwygiad mwyaf i'r Senedd ers ei sefydlu. Mae'r rheini ohonom ni a safodd ar faniffestos o blaid diwygio yn edrych ymlaen at gyflawni'r broses hon.
I don't know what you were doing, First Minister, in 1973; I was in Dukestown Junior School in Tredegar. I'm not sure what Darren Millar was doing in 1973, but I'm sure he wasn't reading the report of Lord Kilbrandon, who reported at that time that Wales needed a Parliament of 100 members. Since then, we've had reports from Ivor Richard, from Laura McAllister, from everybody who's looked at these matters, and they've all come to the same conclusion. And yet, for most of, in fact all of Darren Millar's lifetime, the time has never been right. The reality is they stuff the House of Lords, as they have already today, with unelected peers. They put them straight in the UK Government without any democratic accountability, and they come here seeking a referendum, not because they believe it—and I don't believe any of them believe the nonsense they talk on these matters—but because they simply don't like Welsh democracy. Do you agree with me, First Minister?
Wn i ddim beth roeddech chi'n ei wneud, Prif Weinidog, ym 1973; roeddwn i yn Ysgol Iau Dukestown yn Nhredegar. Dydw i ddim yn siŵr beth yr oedd Darren Millar yn ei wneud ym 1973, ond rwy'n siŵr nad oedd yn darllen adroddiad yr Arglwydd Kilbrandon, a ddywedodd bryd hynny bod Cymru angen Senedd o 100 o aelodau. Ers hynny, rydym ni wedi cael adroddiadau gan Ivor Richard, gan Laura McAllister, gan bawb sydd wedi edrych ar y materion hyn, ac maen nhw i gyd wedi dod i'r un casgliad. Ac eto, yn ystod y rhan fwyaf o oes Darren Millar, y cwbl mewn gwirionedd, nid yw'r amser erioed wedi bod yn iawn. Y gwir amdani yw eu bod nhw'n stwffio Tŷ'r Arglwyddi, fel y maen nhw eisoes wedi ei wneud heddiw, gydag Arglwyddi anetholedig. Maen nhw'n eu rhoi nhw yn syth yn Llywodraeth y DU heb unrhyw atebolrwydd democrataidd, ac maen nhw'n dod yma i ofyn am refferendwm, nid am eu bod nhw'n ei gredu—a dydw i ddim yn credu bod yr un ohonyn nhw'n credu'r nonsens y maen nhw'n ei siarad am y materion hyn—ond gan nad ydyn nhw'n hoffi democratiaeth Cymru. A ydych chi'n cytuno â mi, Prif Weinidog?
Well, Llywydd, every nine months, the Prime Minister appoints more people to the House of Lords than we propose adding to the membership of the Senedd—every nine months. Where's the referendum on that, I wonder?
Now, I agree entirely with what my colleague Alun Davies has said. You cannot find an independent report into the representation the people in Wales need in order to take the important decisions that are made here on their behalf that believes that 60 Members is a sufficient quantum to discharge those responsibilities. And that goes back to Kilbrandon and it goes back further than Kilbrandon, even to the 1950s and reports on what was then called the council for Wales. We have this opportunity; it doesn't come often. It's taken 20 years since the Richard review in order to find a moment where reform is possible. We must grasp it now, and those parties in this place who have an investment in making sure that Welsh democracy is able to deliver for people in Wales will, I think, gather round these proposals and want to see them succeed.
Wel, Llywydd, bob naw mis, mae Prif Weinidog y DU yn penodi mwy o bobl i Dŷ'r Arglwyddi nag yr ydym ni'n cynnig eu hychwanegu at aelodaeth y Senedd—bob naw mis. Ble mae'r refferendwm ar hynny, tybed?
Nawr, rwy'n cytuno yn llwyr â'r hyn y mae fy nghyd-Aelod Alun Davies wedi ei ddweud. Allwch chi ddim dod o hyd i adroddiad annibynnol ar y gynrychiolaeth sydd ei hangen ar bobl yng Nghymru er mwyn gwneud y penderfyniadau pwysig sy'n cael eu gwneud yma ar eu rhan sy'n credu bod 60 Aelod yn gwantwm digonol i gyflawni'r cyfrifoldebau hynny. Ac mae hynny yn mynd yn ôl i Kilbrandon ac mae'n mynd yn ôl ymhellach na Kilbrandon, hyd yn oed i'r 1950au ac adroddiadau ar yr hyn a elwid bryd hynny yn gyngor Cymru. Mae'r cyfle hwn gennym ni; nid yw'n dod yn aml. Mae wedi cymryd 20 mlynedd ers adolygiad Richard i ddod o hyd i adeg pan fo diwygio yn bosibl. Mae'n rhaid i ni fanteisio arno nawr, a bydd y pleidiau hynny yn y lle hwn sy'n benderfynol o wneud yn siŵr bod democratiaeth Cymru yn gallu cyflawni dros bobl yng Nghymru, rwy'n credu, yn dod at ei gilydd i gefnogi'r cynigion hyn ac eisiau eu gweld nhw'n llwyddo.
2. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i annog mannau gwyrdd newydd yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru? OQ58154
2. What is the Welsh Government doing to encourage new green spaces in south-east Wales? OQ58154
Llywydd, I thank the Member for that question. Our Local Places for Nature programme has created over 300 green spaces across Wales in the last year alone. Twenty-two of them have been developed in Newport, including the work, which I know the Member will be familiar with, undertaken at the Pill community allotments.
Llywydd, diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Mae ein rhaglen Lleoedd Lleol ar gyfer Natur wedi creu dros 300 o fannau gwyrdd ledled Cymru yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf yn unig. Mae 22 ohonyn nhw wedi cael eu datblygu yng Nghasnewydd, gan gynnwys y gwaith, y gwn y bydd yr Aelod yn gyfarwydd ag ef, a wnaed yn rhandiroedd cymunedol Pilgwenlli.
Diolch, Brif Weinidog. Just over two years ago, I raised in this Chamber the terrible state of the infamous road to nowhere in my constituency—a piece of land that's been blighted by fly-tipping on an industrial scale, with 100 tonnes of rubbish stretching as far as they eye could see. I'm so glad to say that we've moved on since then, following some great work by Newport City Council and local volunteers. The land is now clear of the rubbish and is in fact being reclaimed by the community. Through the dedication and commitment of those local volunteers, particularly formidable campaigners Sue Colwill, Caroline Antoniou and Helena Antoniou, they are now transforming the road to nowhere into a road to nature. They're striving tirelessly to improve access ways and footpaths, working alongside the council and conservation groups, such as Buglife Cymru and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, to turn this area into a nature reserve that everyone can enjoy. This transformation embodies so much of what Welsh Government is striving to do in terms of biodiversity, the climate emergency and green spaces, but it has in no way been an easy process for those involved. So, how does the Welsh Government plan to ease the process in which local communities can reclaim land for green use, and will the First Minister join me on a visit to the road to nature, so he can see for himself the fantastic work being done, and to meet those dedicated volunteers?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Ychydig dros ddwy flynedd yn ôl, codais yn y Siambr hon gyflwr ofnadwy'r ffordd gywilyddus i unman yn fy etholaeth i—darn o dir sydd wedi cael ei ddifetha gan dipio anghyfreithlon ar raddfa ddiwydiannol, gyda 100 tunnell o sbwriel yn ymestyn cyn belled ag y gellir gweld. Rwyf i mor falch o ddweud ein bod ni wedi symud ymlaen ers hynny, yn dilyn gwaith gwych gan Gyngor Dinas Casnewydd a gwirfoddolwyr lleol. Mae'r tir bellach yn glir o'r sbwriel ac mewn gwirionedd yn cael ei adennill gan y gymuned. Drwy ymroddiad ac ymrwymiad y gwirfoddolwyr lleol hynny, yn enwedig yr ymgyrchwyr arbennig Sue Colwill, Caroline Antoniou a Helena Antoniou, maen nhw bellach yn gweddnewid y ffordd i unman i fod yn ffordd i natur. Maen nhw'n ymdrechu yn ddiflino i wella ffyrdd mynediad a llwybrau troed, gan weithio ochr yn ochr â'r cyngor a grwpiau cadwraeth, fel Buglife Cymru ac Ymddiriedolaeth Cadwraeth Cacwn, i droi'r ardal hon yn warchodfa natur y gall pawb ei mwynhau. Mae'r gweddnewid hwn yn ymgorffori cymaint o'r hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymdrechu i'w wneud o ran bioamrywiaeth, yr argyfwng hinsawdd a mannau gwyrdd, ond nid yw wedi bod yn broses hawdd o gwbl i'r rhai dan sylw. Felly, sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu hwyluso'r broses pryd y gall cymunedau lleol adennill tir at ddefnydd gwyrdd, ac a wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ymuno â mi ar ymweliad â'r ffordd i natur, fel y gall weld drosto'i hun y gwaith ardderchog sy'n cael ei wneud, ac i gyfarfod â'r gwirfoddolwyr ymroddedig hynny?
Llywydd, I thank Jayne Bryant for that. I remember her contribution of that time ago, because, as I recall it, it was in the context of the new powers that were being provided to local authorities to tackle fly-tipping—proposals brought forward by my colleague Lesley Griffiths. And I know that, in turning the road to nowhere into a road to nature, those powers have been used by Newport council and by those local community activists who have done so much to transform what was a particular blight on the landscape of that part of Newport. I've seen pictures recently myself put up by the group of the transformation, showing what it was like before they started work, showing the fantastic green spaces that are being provided now, highlighting the work that the council is doing to provide greater access to the road, so people can now enjoy it. I'd be very pleased indeed to join Jayne Bryant on a visit to the site. And in thinking of her question about how we can make it easier for people to take part in these sorts of activities in the future, it seems to me that a very good place to start would be by learning from the people who've been involved in this scheme, hearing from them about any barriers that they may have faced, and ideas they will have for how that could be improved in the future. And I look forward to meeting them when that visit can be arranged.
Llywydd, diolch i Jayne Bryant am hynna. Rwy'n cofio ei chyfraniad yr adeg honno, oherwydd, fel yr wyf i'n ei gofio, roedd yng nghyd-destun y pwerau newydd a oedd yn cael eu darparu i awdurdodau lleol i fynd i'r afael â thipio anghyfreithlon—cynigion a gyflwynwyd gan fy nghyd-Weinidog Lesley Griffiths. A gwn, wrth droi'r ffordd i unman yn ffordd i natur, fod y pwerau hynny wedi cael eu defnyddio gan gyngor Casnewydd a chan y gweithredwyr cymunedol lleol hynny sydd wedi gwneud cymaint i weddnewid yr hyn a oedd yn falltod arbennig ar dirwedd y rhan honno o Gasnewydd. Rwyf i wedi gweld lluniau yn ddiweddar fy hun a gyhoeddwyd gan grŵp y gwaith gweddnewid, yn dangos sut olwg oedd ar y lle cyn iddyn nhw ddechrau gweithio, gan ddangos y mannau gwyrdd gwych sy'n cael eu darparu nawr, tynnu sylw at y gwaith y mae'r cyngor yn ei wneud i ddarparu mwy o fynediad at y ffordd, fel y gall pobl ei mwynhau nawr. Byddwn yn falch iawn o ymuno â Jayne Bryant ar ymweliad â'r safle. Ac wrth feddwl am ei chwestiwn am sut y gallwn ni ei gwneud yn haws i bobl gymryd rhan yn y mathau hyn o weithgareddau yn y dyfodol, mae'n ymddangos i mi mai lle da iawn i ddechrau fyddai drwy ddysgu gan y bobl sydd wedi bod yn rhan o'r cynllun hwn, gan glywed ganddyn nhw am unrhyw rwystrau y gallen nhw fod wedi eu hwynebu, a syniadau a fydd ganddyn nhw ar gyfer sut y gellid gwella hynny yn y dyfodol. Ac edrychaf ymlaen at eu cyfarfod pan ellir trefnu'r ymweliad hwnnw.
I thank Jayne Bryant for raising this issue. Llywydd, whilst it's important that we create new green spaces for people to enjoy, it's also important that we protect and enhance existing green spaces too. Now, back in March of this year, revised plans were submitted for a large solar farm on the Gwent levels. This came after the original plans were rejected by the Welsh Government, due to their potential impact on the area, which is of course a site of special scientific interest. Llywydd, we all know that we need more sources of reliable renewable energy, but this mustn't come at any cost, and such developments should, as much as possible, work with nature and the environment rather than potentially being detrimental to them. First Minister, what action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that new developments and infrastructure projects don't unnecessarily reduce the amount and accessibility of green space available to communities? And what consideration have Ministers given to strengthening planning rules to ensure developments are net contributors to the natural environment?
Diolch i Jayne Bryant am godi'r mater hwn. Llywydd, er ei bod hi'n bwysig ein bod ni'n creu mannau gwyrdd newydd i bobl eu mwynhau, mae hefyd yn bwysig ein bod ni'n diogelu ac yn gwella'r mannau gwyrdd presennol hefyd. Nawr, yn ôl ym mis Mawrth eleni, cyflwynwyd cynlluniau diwygiedig ar gyfer fferm solar fawr ar wastadeddau Gwent. Daeth hyn ar ôl i'r cynlluniau gwreiddiol gael eu gwrthod gan Lywodraeth Cymru, oherwydd eu heffaith bosibl ar yr ardal, sydd wrth gwrs yn safle o ddiddordeb gwyddonol arbennig. Llywydd, rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod ein bod ni angen mwy o ffynonellau ynni adnewyddadwy dibynadwy, ond mae'n rhaid i hyn beidio â dod ar unrhyw gost, a dylai datblygiadau o'r fath, gymaint â phosibl, weithio gyda natur a'r amgylchedd yn hytrach na bod yn niweidiol iddyn nhw o bosibl. Prif Weinidog, pa gamau mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau nad yw datblygiadau a phrosiectau seilwaith newydd yn lleihau yn ddiangen faint o fannau gwyrdd sydd ar gael i gymunedau a pha mor hygyrch ydyn nhw? A pha ystyriaeth y mae Gweinidogion wedi ei rhoi i gryfhau rheolau cynllunio i sicrhau bod datblygiadau yn gyfranwyr net at yr amgylchedd naturiol?
I thank Peter Fox for that additional question, Llywydd. I know that he's got expertise of his own; he was the leader of Monmouthshire County Council when the council created a solar farm, a scheme that the Welsh Government was very pleased to support. So, I know that he will have seen for himself the balance that has to be struck between renewable energy developments, which are absolutely necessary, and their impact on the local environment.
It is very good, Llywydd, to hear a voice on the Conservative benches here looking to preserve the environment of the Gwent levels. It's not always been the policy of that party, as we know. But, as you have seen, and Peter Fox pointed to that example, where there was a proposed development that the Minister felt did not weigh up properly the benefits and the disbenefits of it, she was prepared to take action and to prevent those developments from taking place. So, I give the Member an assurance that the Welsh Government continues always to weigh up those many factors, both the positive reasons why renewable energy developments could be given the go-ahead and also the impact that they have on the local environment and the need to strike that balance in each case.
Diolch i Peter Fox am y cwestiwn ychwanegol yna, Llywydd. Gwn fod ganddo arbenigedd ei hun; ef oedd arweinydd Cyngor Sir Fynwy pan greodd y cyngor fferm solar, cynllun yr oedd Llywodraeth Cymru yn falch iawn o'i gefnogi. Felly, gwn y bydd wedi gweld drosto'i hun y cydbwysedd y mae'n rhaid ei sicrhau rhwng datblygiadau ynni adnewyddadwy, sy'n gwbl angenrheidiol, a'u heffaith ar yr amgylchedd lleol.
Mae'n dda iawn, Llywydd, clywed llais ar feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr yma sy'n ceisio gwarchod amgylchedd gwastadeddau Gwent. Nid yw bob amser wedi bod yn bolisi gan y blaid honno, fel y gwyddom. Ond, fel yr ydych chi wedi gweld, a chyfeiriodd Peter Fox at yr enghraifft honno, pryd roedd datblygiad arfaethedig nad oedd y Gweinidog yn teimlo ei fod yn pwyso a mesur ei fanteision a'i anfanteision yn briodol, roedd yn barod i weithredu ac i atal y datblygiadau hynny rhag digwydd. Felly, rhoddaf sicrwydd i'r Aelod bod Llywodraeth Cymru bob amser yn parhau i bwyso a mesur y ffactorau niferus hynny, y rhesymau cadarnhaol pam y gellid rhoi sêl bendith i ddatblygiadau ynni adnewyddadwy a hefyd yr effaith y maen nhw'n ei chael ar yr amgylchedd lleol a'r angen i sicrhau'r cydbwysedd hwnnw ym mhob achos.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Questions now from the party leaders. The leader of the Conservatives, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Thank you, Presiding Officer, and could I join you in congratulating the Welsh football team and the great prominence that will give Wales as a country on the international football stage, and wish the team well when the championships arrive? Obviously, hopefully, with planning, you can make sure there are no clashes with Plenary business, especially at the end of November in particular.
First Minister, two weekends ago, we saw traffic chaos and travel chaos here in south Wales with the Ed Sheeran event, and My Chemical Romance, which is a group, I'm told, rather than a night out in Cardiff on my part. Whilst we welcome all this activity here in south Wales, because Cardiff has truly become a destination city, the traffic and travel chaos that we saw over that weekend really cannot be allowed to continue when major events happen in this part of Wales. Because it does happen at sporting events, and now we've seen it graphically amplified over the three days of the Ed Sheeran concerts. What analysis has the Welsh Government taken about what actions need to be taken to address these traffic bottlenecks so that we do not see this occur again?
Diolch, Llywydd, ac a gaf i ymuno â chi i longyfarch tîm pêl-droed Cymru a'r amlygrwydd mawr y bydd yn ei roi i Gymru fel gwlad ar y llwyfan pêl-droed rhyngwladol, a dymuno'n dda i'r tîm pan fydd y pencampwriaethau yn cyrraedd? Yn amlwg, gobeithio, gyda chynllunio, gallwch wneud yn siŵr nad oes unrhyw wrthdaro â busnes y Cyfarfod Llawn, yn enwedig ddiwedd mis Tachwedd.
Prif Weinidog, ddau benwythnos yn ôl, gwelsom anhrefn traffig ac anhrefn teithio yma yn y de gyda digwyddiad Ed Sheeran, a My Chemical Romance, sy'n grŵp, rwy'n deall, yn hytrach na noson allan yng Nghaerdydd ar fy rhan i. Er ein bod ni'n croesawu'r holl weithgarwch hwn yma yn y de, oherwydd bod Caerdydd wedi dod yn ddinas gyrchfan wirioneddol, ni ellir caniatáu i'r anhrefn traffig a theithio a welsom ni dros y penwythnos hwnnw barhau pan fydd digwyddiadau mawr yn cael eu cynnal yn y rhan hon o Gymru. Oherwydd mae'n digwydd mewn digwyddiadau chwaraeon, a nawr rydym ni wedi ei weld yn cael ei chwyddo yn amlwg iawn dros dri diwrnod cyngherddau Ed Sheeran. Pa ddadansoddiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei wneud ynghylch pa gamau y mae angen eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â'r tagfeydd traffig hyn fel na fyddwn ni'n gweld hyn yn digwydd eto?
I thank the Member for that question, and it's undoubtedly the case that the confluence of two major events in Cardiff and the start of the half-term holiday resulted in very high volumes of traffic all trying to arrive in Cardiff in a limited period of time. Whenever there is a major event in the city, there is a team of people who meet afterwards to review the experience and to see what more could be done to either mitigate the impact of those high volumes of traffic, or to provide additional services. Transport for Wales are currently in the process of loaning two trains from Northern Trains, in addition to the new CAF trains that are planned to enter service this summer, in order to allow them to provide that additional capacity when we have busy events and a confluence of different factors that lead to the sort of delays that we saw over that weekend.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, ac mae'n sicr yn wir fod torfeydd dau ddigwyddiad mawr yng Nghaerdydd a dechrau'r gwyliau hanner tymor wedi arwain at lawer iawn o draffig i gyd yn ceisio cyrraedd Caerdydd mewn cyfnod cyfyngedig. Pryd bynnag y bydd digwyddiad mawr yn y ddinas, mae tîm o bobl yn cyfarfod wedyn i adolygu'r profiad ac i weld beth arall y gellid ei wneud i naill ai liniaru effaith y traffig mawr hwnnw, neu i ddarparu gwasanaethau ychwanegol. Mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wrthi'n benthyg dau drên gan Northern Trains ar hyn o bryd, yn ogystal â'r trenau CAF newydd y bwriedir iddyn nhw fod mewn gwasanaeth yr haf hwn, er mwyn caniatáu iddyn nhw ddarparu'r capasiti ychwanegol hwnnw pan fydd gennym ni ddigwyddiadau prysur a chyfuniad o wahanol ffactorau sy'n arwain at y math o oedi a welsom dros y penwythnos hwnnw.
First Minister, I'm glad you introduced Transport for Wales, because one of the main criticisms was the ability to get onto trains and the supplying of information for people queuing at Cardiff Central station. That is a pretty basic function of any transport operation and doesn't cost a huge sum of money. The flow of information is critical for passengers understanding why they're stuck in those bottlenecks. Do you accept that, on this occasion, Transport for Wales did fall short? We knew it was, obviously, the start of the spring bank holiday, we knew that two major events were taking place, and yet greater emphasis should have been provided on capacity, but also the supply of information for people attending the city, who had a very bad experience to say the least, and these experiences were amplified on the broadcast media right over the bank holiday weekend.
Prif Weinidog, rwy'n falch eich bod chi wedi cyflwyno Trafnidiaeth Cymru, oherwydd un o'r prif feirniadaethau oedd y gallu i fynd ar drenau a rhoi gwybodaeth i bobl a oedd yn ciwio yng ngorsaf Caerdydd Canolog. Mae honno yn un o swyddogaethau eithaf sylfaenol unrhyw weithrediad trafnidiaeth ac nid yw'n costio swm enfawr o arian. Mae'r llif gwybodaeth yn hanfodol i deithwyr ddeall pam maen nhw'n sownd yn y tagfeydd hynny. A ydych chi'n derbyn bod Trafnidiaeth Cymru, y tro hwn, wedi methu? Roeddem ni'n gwybod, yn amlwg, ei bod hi'n ddechrau gŵyl banc y gwanwyn, roeddem ni'n gwybod bod dau ddigwyddiad mawr yn cael eu cynnal, ac eto dylid bod wedi rhoi mwy o bwyslais ar gapasiti, ond hefyd ar roi gwybodaeth i bobl a oedd yn dod i'r ddinas, a gafodd brofiad gwael iawn a dweud y lleiaf, a chafodd y profiadau hyn eu chwyddo ar y cyfryngau darlledu dros benwythnos gŵyl y banc.
Llywydd, I make a distinction between the two points that the leader of the opposition has made. I think, on capacity, it is genuinely difficult to expect a train company, with fixed assets and a fixed pool of staff able to provide those services, to turn the tap on in a major way around any sort of event, and that's particularly true of train services. You simply can't magic trains out of the air for a couple of days; you've got to be able to afford them all year round, and you have to have staff that are competent and capable of providing a safe service. So, I think that is a genuine challenge and I don't think Transport for Wales can be criticised for the efforts they made to mobilise the resources at their disposal.
Where I do agree with the leader of the opposition is in relation to information. Anybody who has been stuck in any form of traffic event, whether that's at an airport or at a train station, knows that the one thing you need is good information about what is happening. And, even when that information is difficult and is going to tell you that you are going to be delayed or stuck or whatever, you would rather know what you are facing, rather than feel that there's nobody able to tell you what it is that is going on around you. So, that is an important point for Transport for Wales to take away from that event. While I don't expect them to be able to find capacity out of thin air, I do expect, when there are events of the sort that we saw, that every effort is made to make sure that people who are attempting to travel are kept as well informed as they can be.
Llywydd, rwy'n gwahaniaethu rhwng y ddau bwynt y mae arweinydd yr wrthblaid wedi eu gwneud. Rwy'n credu, o ran capasiti, ei bod hi'n wirioneddol anodd disgwyl i gwmni trenau, ag asedau sefydlog a chronfa sefydlog o staff sy'n gallu darparu'r gwasanaethau hynny, droi'r tap ymlaen mewn ffordd fawr o amgylch unrhyw fath o ddigwyddiad, ac mae hynny yn arbennig o wir am wasanaethau trên. Yn syml, allwch chi ddim consurio trenau allan o'r awyr am ddiwrnod neu ddau; mae'n rhaid i chi allu eu fforddio nhw drwy gydol y flwyddyn, ac mae'n rhaid i chi fod â staff sy'n gymwys ac yn gallu darparu gwasanaeth diogel. Felly, rwy'n credu bod hynny yn her wirioneddol a dydw i ddim yn meddwl y gellir beirniadu Trafnidiaeth Cymru am eu hymdrechion i roi'r adnoddau a oedd ar gael iddyn nhw ar waith.
Mae'r hyn yr wyf i'n cytuno ag arweinydd yr wrthblaid yn ei gylch yn ymwneud â gwybodaeth. Mae unrhyw un sydd wedi bod yn sownd mewn unrhyw fath o ddigwyddiad traffig, boed hynny mewn maes awyr neu mewn gorsaf drenau, yn gwybod mai'r un peth sydd ei angen arnoch chi yw gwybodaeth dda am yr hyn sy'n digwydd. A hyd yn oed pan fydd yr wybodaeth honno yn anodd ac yn mynd i ddweud wrthych chi y bydd oedi neu y byddwch yn sownd neu beth bynnag, byddai'n well gennych chi wybod beth rydych chi'n ei wynebu, yn hytrach na theimlo nad oes neb yn gallu dweud wrthych chi beth sy'n digwydd o'ch cwmpas. Felly, mae hwnnw yn bwynt pwysig i Trafnidiaeth Cymru ei gymryd o'r digwyddiad hwnnw. Er nad wyf i'n disgwyl iddyn nhw allu dod o hyd i gapasiti o unman, rwyf i yn disgwyl, pan fydd digwyddiadau o'r math a welsom ni, bod pob ymdrech yn cael ei gwneud i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl sy'n ceisio teithio yn cael eu hysbysu yn y modd gorau posibl.
I accept the point on capacity, First Minister, but it was a case that the trains that were planned to run, in many instances, didn't turn up at Cardiff Central station. So, I accept that you can't magic trains out of thin air, but the trains that were supposed to run didn't even turn up on the nights of the Ed Sheeran concerts, which exacerbated the problem when the other concert was held in the capital city.
But we also saw, over three nights, the gateway into south-east Wales and south-west Wales, the Brynglas tunnels, do their usual trick of putting 'closed for business', because the traffic was piled up beyond the Severn bridge. Now, we have a policy difference here, First Minister. I believe that there should be a relief road built; you do not. I accept that you're the Government and that's your decision, and that's an argument that has passed us by now, but what cannot be allowed to continue, as we all want to see Cardiff capital city being a city that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the major cities and destinations of Europe, is that traffic cannot be brought to a standstill when major events are on. Do you believe that there needs to be a revision of your transport strategy, so that we can cater for these peak demand moments that obviously affect the freight industry, affect people going on holiday and people going about their everyday lives, because we cannot have the 'closed for business' sign over the gateway to south Wales?
Rwy'n derbyn y pwynt ynglŷn â chapasiti, Prif Weinidog, ond roedd yn achos pryd na wnaeth y trenau y bwriadwyd iddyn nhw redeg gyrraedd gorsaf Caerdydd Canolog mewn llawer o achosion. Felly, rwy'n derbyn na allwch chi gonsurio trenau allan o unman, ond ni wnaeth y trenau a oedd fod i redeg ymddangos hyd yn oed ar nosweithiau cyngherddau Ed Sheeran, a waethygodd y broblem pan gynhaliwyd y cyngerdd arall yn y brifddinas.
Ond fe welsom ni hefyd, dros dair noson, y porth i'r de-ddwyrain a'r de-orllewin, twneli Bryn-glas, yn gwneud eu tric arferol o roi 'ar gau ar gyfer busnes', oherwydd bod y traffig wedi pentyrru y tu hwnt i bont Hafren. Nawr, mae gennym ni wahaniaeth polisi yma, Prif Weinidog. Rwy'n credu y dylid adeiladu ffordd liniaru; dydych chi ddim. Rwy'n derbyn mai chi yw'r Llywodraeth a dyna eich penderfyniad, ac mae honno yn ddadl sydd wedi mynd heibio i ni erbyn hyn, ond yr hyn na ellir caniatáu iddo barhau, gan ein bod ni i gyd eisiau gweld prifddinas Caerdydd yn ddinas sy'n gallu sefyll ysgwydd wrth ysgwydd gyda phrif ddinasoedd a chyrchfannau Ewrop, yw na ellir dod â thraffig i stop pan fydd digwyddiadau mawr yn digwydd. A ydych chi'n credu bod angen diwygio eich strategaeth drafnidiaeth, fel y gallwn ni ddarparu ar gyfer yr adegau galw brig hyn sy'n amlwg yn effeithio ar y diwydiant cludo nwyddau, yn effeithio ar bobl sy'n mynd ar wyliau a phobl sy'n byw eu bywydau bob dydd, oherwydd ni allwn ni gael yr arwydd 'ar gau ar gyfer busnes' dros y porth i dde Cymru?
Llywydd, the leader of the opposition will, I know, understand that even if a decision had been made to go ahead with an M4 relief road, it would have made absolutely no difference at all over the last weekend, because it would, even from today, be another five years before such a road could be opened. So, it's not a solution to the problem that he has identified. Where the real solution comes is through the UK Government's union connectivity review. So, what I am looking forward to is the next stage of that review. The UK Government has provided money for the next stage, the development stage, of the review. He will know that Sir Peter Hendy said that this was one of the schemes that fitted, more than almost any other scheme that he had seen, within the criteria set down by the UK Government for investment in transport infrastructure that would assist travel through the different component countries of the United Kingdom. And, if we can get the union connectivity review to put that investment into the second line—the line that is there alongside the current mainline—that will allow for far more services to be run on the railways between south Wales and on past Bristol into the rest of England. Had that been available over last weekend, then I think it would have made a genuinely material difference, and I look forward to the UK Government finding the money to go alongside the report that it itself has commissioned.
Llywydd, bydd arweinydd yr wrthblaid, mi wn, yn deall, hyd yn oed pe bai penderfyniad wedi cael ei wneud i fwrw ymlaen â ffordd liniaru'r M4, na fyddai wedi gwneud unrhyw wahaniaeth o gwbl dros y penwythnos diwethaf, oherwydd byddai, hyd yn oed o heddiw ymlaen, bum mlynedd arall cyn y gellid agor ffordd o'r fath. Felly, nid yw'n ateb i'r broblem y mae wedi ei nodi. Daw'r ateb gwirioneddol drwy adolygiad cysylltedd yr undeb Llywodraeth y DU. Felly, yr hyn yr wyf i'n edrych ymlaen ato yw cam nesaf yr adolygiad hwnnw. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi darparu arian ar gyfer cam nesaf yr adolygiad, sef cam datblygu'r adolygiad. Bydd yn gwybod bod Syr Peter Hendy wedi dweud mai hwn oedd un o'r cynlluniau a oedd yn gweddu, yn fwy na bron unrhyw gynllun arall yr oedd wedi ei weld, o fewn y meini prawf a bennwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU ar gyfer buddsoddi mewn seilwaith trafnidiaeth a fyddai'n cynorthwyo teithio drwy wahanol wledydd cydrannol y Deyrnas Unedig. Ac, os gallwn gael yr adolygiad o gysylltedd yr undeb i roi'r buddsoddiad hwnnw yn yr ail reilffordd—y rheilffordd sydd yno ochr yn ochr â'r brif reilffordd bresennol—bydd hynny yn caniatáu i lawer mwy o wasanaethau gael eu rhedeg ar y rheilffyrdd rhwng y de ac ymlaen heibio Bryste i weddill Lloegr. Pe bai honno wedi bod ar gael dros y penwythnos diwethaf, yna rwy'n credu y byddai wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol sylweddol, ac edrychaf ymlaen at weld Llywodraeth y DU yn dod o hyd i'r arian i gyd-fynd â'r adroddiad y mae hi ei hun wedi ei gomisiynu.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Nos Sul yma, roedd rhai ohonom ni, fel y Llywydd, oedd â'r anrhydedd anhygoel i fod yno, ond hefyd y miliynau oedd yn gwylio ar y teledu, wedi gweld hanes yn cael ei ysgrifennu mewn gwirionedd, nid yn unig i bêl droed Cymru, ond, rwy'n credu, ar lefel ehangach i Gymru gyfan. Beth ŷch chi'n meddwl, Prif Weinidog, fydd gwaddol cyrraedd Cwpan y Byd, dim ond am yr eildro erioed, yn ei wneud o ran ein hyder ni fel cenedl? Ac onid yw hi'n profi, gyda'r math hwnnw o ymroddiad ac undod—undod y tîm, y staff, y cefnogwyr, gyda'i gilydd—ein bod ni'n gallu cyflawni unrhyw beth fel cenedl pan ŷn ni'n ffocysu ein meddyliau, ein traed ac efallai, yn achos Wayne Hennessey, ein dwylo arno hefyd? Onid yw Cymru nid yn unig yma o hyd, ond, o ran y genhedlaeth yma, yn barod ac yn hyderus y gallan nhw lwyddo ar unrhyw lwyfan, yn genedlaethol neu'n rhyngwladol?
Thank you very much. This Sunday evening, some of us, such as the Llywydd, who had the incredible privilege of being there, but also the millions who were viewing on television, will have seen history being written, not only for Welsh football, but also on a broader level for the whole of Wales. So, First Minister, what to you think the legacy of reaching the World Cup for only the second time in our history will have in terms of our confidence as a nation? And doesn't it prove that with that sort of commitment and unity—the unity of the team, the staff, the supporters, all together—we can achieve anything as a nation when we focus our minds, our feet and perhaps, in the case of Wayne Hennessey, our hands too? But isn't Wales not only 'yma o hyd', still here, but, in terms of this generation, ready and confident that they can succeed on any stage, nationally or internationally?
Wel, diolch yn fawr i Adam Price am y cwestiwn, Llywydd. Braint oedd bod yn y stadiwm ar nos Sul ac roedd y teimlad yn y stadiwm mor gryf y tu ôl i dîm Cymru. Ond nid jest i dîm Cymru, y parch roedd pobl yn ei ddangos at bobl oedd yno i gefnogi Wcráin hefyd, roedd hwnna'n rhywbeth a oedd yn fy nharo i yn eistedd yno yn y stadiwm. Ble roeddwn ni'n eistedd ac o fy nghwmpas i, beth oedd pobl yn siarad amdano, Llywydd, oedd nid jest pêl-droed—wrth gwrs, roedd pêl-droed yn bwysig dros ben—ond beth oedd y tîm a llwyddiant y tîm yn ei ddweud am Gymru heddiw a'r hyder a oedd ganddyn nhw. Ac rŷn ni'n gwybod, dros y blynyddoedd, fel cenedl, rŷn ni wedi, ambell waith, cael diffyg hyder yn ein dyfodol ni, yn ein capasiti ni i wneud penderfyniadau ar bethau sy'n bwysig i bobl yng Nghymru. Ac rŷn ni wedi gweld dro ar ôl tro timau yn dod jest ar y ffin o fod ar y llwyfan ar lefel y byd, ac ar y foment olaf, roedd hwnna'n cwympo yn ôl. Dyna'r peth pwysig roedd pobl yn siarad amdano yn y stadiwm: y pêl-droed, wrth gwrs, ond y neges roedd y tîm a phopeth oedd yn digwydd yno yn ei rhoi i bobl, yn enwedig pobl ifanc, pobl sy'n tyfu lan yng Nghymru heddiw. Roedd pobl yn cyfeirio at y bobl ifanc yn y tîm, pobl sydd wedi dod drwyddo nawr ac yn chwarae i Gymru, a hwnna yw'r llwyfan sy'n bwysig i ni: llwyfan Cwpan y Byd wrth gwrs, ond llwyfan ehangach na hynny i adeiladu hyder pobl yma yng Nghymru am y dyfodol a beth allwn ni ei wneud pan ŷn ni'n gweithio gyda'n gilydd.
I thank Adam Price for that question. It was a privilege to be present in the stadium on Sunday evening, and the feeling in the stadium was so strong behind the Welsh team. But not just for the Welsh team, the respect that people showed towards the people who were there to support Ukraine as well, that was something that struck me while I was sitting in the stands in the stadium. Where I was sitting and around me, what people were talking about was not just football—of course, football was very important—but what the team and the success of the team said about Wales today and the confidence they had. And we know that, over the years, as a nation, we have suffered from lack of confidence sometimes in our future, and our capacity to make decisions on things that are important to the people of Wales. And we've seen time and time again teams just on the boundary of reaching the world stage and then, at the final hurdle, just falling short. That's the important thing that people were talking about in the stadium: the football, of course, but the message that the team and everything that was happening there were giving to people, particularly young people, people who are growing up in Wales today. People were referring to the young people in the team, people who have come through and who are playing for Wales, and that's the stage that's important to us: the World Cup stage of course, but a broader stage than that to build that confidence in the people of Wales for the future and in terms of what we can do when we work together.
I think the fact that, even on this momentous occasion, the first thing the Welsh players did was to comfort the Ukrainian players and to applaud the Ukrainian supporters, I think was an encapsulation of the best of our Welsh values of compassion and internationalism.
The chief executive, Noel Mooney, if we could only bottle that Celtic energy, would be more popular than Guinness. He said that they're not just the football association, they're a movement, and in so many ways, they embody the values of the Wales we want to see: modern, bilingual, creative, inclusive. So, how can we use the World Cup, with its unparalleled global audience, to project that image of that Wales? The FAW have a lot on their plate, don't they, not least a few games they want to win this week? So, will the Welsh Government be setting up a team with people from across different sectors to exploit this fantastic opportunity for Wales? The FAW had their first meeting to plan for Qatar at 9.00 p.m on Sunday evening, and another one at breakfast the next morning. Can we show the same sense of urgency and commitment as them at the national level to maximise this opportunity?
Rwy'n credu bod y ffaith, hyd yn oed ar yr achlysur tyngedfennol hwn, mai'r peth cyntaf a wnaeth chwaraewyr Cymru oedd cysuro chwaraewyr Wcráin a chymeradwyo cefnogwyr Wcráin, rwy'n credu ei fod yn crynhoi'r gorau o'n gwerthoedd Cymreig o dosturi a rhyngwladoldeb.
Byddai'r prif weithredwr, Noel Mooney, pe gallem ni ond botelu'r ynni Celtaidd hwnnw, yn fwy poblogaidd na Guinness. Dywedodd nad y gymdeithas bêl-droed yn unig ydyn nhw, maen nhw'n fudiad, ac mewn cymaint o ffyrdd, maen nhw'n ymgorffori gwerthoedd y Gymru yr ydym ni eisiau ei gweld: modern, dwyieithog, creadigol, cynhwysol. Felly, sut gallwn ni ddefnyddio Cwpan y Byd, gyda'i chynulleidfa fyd-eang ddigyffelyb, i gyfleu'r ddelwedd honno o Gymru? Mae gan Gymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru lawer ar eu plât, onid oes, yn enwedig ychydig o gemau y maen nhw eisiau eu hennill yr wythnos hon? Felly, a fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn sefydlu tîm gyda phobl o wahanol sectorau i fanteisio ar y cyfle gwych hwn i Gymru? Cynhaliodd Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru eu cyfarfod cyntaf i gynllunio ar gyfer Qatar am 9.00 p.m. nos Sul, ac un arall amser brecwast y bore wedyn. A allwn ni ddangos yr un synnwyr o frys ac ymrwymiad â nhw ar y lefel genedlaethol i fanteisio i'r eithaf ar y cyfle hwn?
Well, Llywydd, I'd like to just use the opening Adam Price has offered to pay tribute again to the team from Ukraine and their supporters in the ground. When you think of the background to that game, they were fantastically committed. The team never gave up, right to the very end to the game, and you could see just how much it mattered to them as well. I thought they were an absolute credit to their country.
And we should pay some tribute to the FAW too, under the leadership of Noel Mooney. It is an organisation transformed. The things that Adam Price just said about the FAW, you would not always have been able to say those things of it during its history, could you? But, under its new chief executive, the Football Association of Wales does see itself as playing a different part in the public life of Wales than simply running football teams. And the things that you will have heard him say—and you and I had an opportunity to discuss some of those things with him on Sunday night—I think absolutely does demonstrate an organisation that has captured the zeitgeist, that understands that this is a moment for them in which they can help embody a series of important values about the sort of Wales that we would all wish to see. And, of course, we will, as a Government, be working alongside them and with them to make sure that we maximise the opportunity that Wales's exposure on that national stage—. A first game against the USA—you know, I seem to remember President Trump saying that if Joe Biden were to win the presidential election, the USA would end up looking like Wales. I thought it played a significant part in Joe Biden's triumph in that election myself. [Laughter.] But now, we'll have an opportunity to show people across the USA just what Wales has to offer.
Wel, Llywydd, hoffwn ddefnyddio'r agoriad y mae Adam Price wedi ei gynnig i dalu teyrnged eto i'r tîm o Wcráin a'u cefnogwyr yn y maes. Pan feddyliwch chi am gefndir y gêm honno, roedden nhw'n anhygoel o ymroddedig. Ni roddodd y tîm y gorau iddi ar unrhyw adeg, hyd at ddiwedd i'r gêm, ac fe allech chi weld faint yr oedd yn ei olygu iddyn nhw hefyd. Roeddwn i'n credu eu bod nhw'n glod llwyr i'w gwlad.
A dylem ni dalu rhywfaint o deyrnged i Gymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru hefyd, o dan arweinyddiaeth Noel Mooney. Mae'n sefydliad sydd wedi'i weddnewid. Y pethau y mae Adam Price newydd eu dweud am Gymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru, ni fyddech chi bob amser wedi gallu dweud y pethau hynny amdani yn ystod ei hanes, allech chi? Ond, o dan ei phrif weithredwr newydd, mae Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru yn gweld ei hun yn chwarae mwy o ran ym mywyd cyhoeddus Cymru na dim ond rhedeg timau pêl-droed. A'r pethau y byddwch chi wedi ei glywed yn eu dweud—a chawsoch chi a minnau gyfle i drafod rhai o'r pethau hynny gydag ef nos Sul—rwy'n credu yn llwyr fod hynny yn dangos sefydliad sydd wedi uniaethu ag ysbryd yr oes, sy'n deall bod hon yn adeg iddyn nhw pryd gallan nhw helpu i ymgorffori cyfres o werthoedd pwysig am y math o Gymru y byddem ni i gyd yn dymuno ei gweld. Ac, wrth gwrs, byddwn ni, fel Llywodraeth, yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â nhw a chyda nhw i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n manteisio i'r eithaf ar y cyfle y mae amlygiad Cymru ar y llwyfan cenedlaethol hwnnw—. Gêm gyntaf yn erbyn UDA—wyddoch chi, rwy'n siŵr fy mod i'n cofio'r Arlywydd Trump yn dweud pe bai Joe Biden yn ennill yr etholiad arlywyddol, y byddai UDA yn edrych fel Cymru yn y pen draw. Roeddwn i'n meddwl ei fod wedi chwarae rhan sylweddol ym muddugoliaeth Joe Biden yn yr etholiad hwnnw fy hun. [Chwerthin.] Ond nawr, cawn gyfle i ddangos i bobl ar draws UDA yn union yr hyn sydd gan Gymru i'w gynnig.
Football has given Wales this incredible opportunity. There is huge potential here to inspire, connect people, change lives, transform communities, build the nation, but we have to invest, don't we, to make the most of that. There will be a massive rise of interest in football among boys and girls—and we need to support the women's team to reach the FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year also—and we need to make the most of this sporting dividend, which is, of course, a health and well-being dividend, both physical and mental. In my own home town of Ammanford, it's the football club that is at the heart of mental well-being outreach following the tragic loss of one of its team members. So, how are we going to invest, as a nation, in the physical infrastructure, in the social infrastructure of clubs, so that we can make sure that this World Cup leaves a legacy not just in Qatar, we hope, in workers and human rights there, but also in every community in Wales and for generations to come?
Mae pêl-droed wedi rhoi'r cyfle anhygoel hwn i Gymru. Mae potensial enfawr yma i ysbrydoli, i gysylltu pobl, i newid bywydau, i weddnewid cymunedau, i adeiladu'r genedl, ond mae'n rhaid i ni fuddsoddi, onid oes, i wneud y gorau o hynny. Bydd diddordeb enfawr mewn pêl-droed ymhlith bechgyn a merched—ac mae angen i ni gefnogi'r tîm menywod i gyrraedd Cwpan y Byd FIFA yn Awstralia a Seland Newydd y flwyddyn nesaf hefyd—ac mae angen i ni wneud y mwyaf o'r difidend chwaraeon hwn, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn ddifidend iechyd a llesiant, corfforol a meddyliol. Yn fy nhref enedigol fy hun, Rhydaman, y clwb pêl-droed sy'n ganolog i allgymorth llesiant meddyliol yn dilyn colled drasig un o aelodau ei dîm. Felly, sut ydym ni'n mynd i fuddsoddi, fel cenedl, yn y seilwaith ffisegol, yn seilwaith cymdeithasol clybiau, fel y gallwn ni wneud yn siŵr bod y Cwpan y Byd hwn yn gadael etifeddiaeth nid yn unig yn Qatar, gobeithio, o ran hawliau gweithwyr a dynol yno, ond hefyd ym mhob cymuned yng Nghymru ac am genedlaethau i ddod?
Well, Llywydd, Adam Price touched on an issue there that we should not duck, should we? You know, we are absolutely delighted that Wales will be represented at Qatar, but we should not look the other way from the reservations that we would have as a nation from some of those human rights issues that we see there. And when my colleague Vaughan Gething was in Qatar in May, he took the opportunity, as he set out in his written statement to the Senedd, to raise those human rights issues directly with Qatari authorities in the context of the World Cup, and we must, ourselves, make sure that those opportunities are not missed while the eyes of the world are on that country.
Here, one of the things that—. As I sat next to the chief executive during the game, there was a man who had a £3 million cheque riding on the result of the game. He knew that if Wales proceeded to the next stage, then part of the way that the World Cup is organised is that £3 million would arrive with the FAW, and he said to me that he was determined that £2 million of that £3 million would be invested in grass-roots football and grass-roots facilities here in Wales. He was absolutely explicit in saying to me that while, of course, that shop window of football in Wales is what we were all watching, what really matters to him and to the FAW is the health of the game at that grass-roots level. It's why the Welsh Government, through Sport Wales, has invested £24 million in recent times in facilities for grass-roots sport in Wales. I very much agree with Adam Price that what we hope to get out of the sort of coverage and exposure that there will be of the World Cup is inspiration to young people to be out there playing football themselves, or taking part in whatever sport they find suits their aptitudes and abilities, and the Welsh Government will be there trying to make sure that we play our part in maximising those opportunities.
Wel, Llywydd, cyfeiriodd Adam Price at fater yn y fan yna na ddylem ni ei osgoi, a ddylem ni? Wyddoch chi, rydym ni wrth ein bodd y bydd Cymru yn cael ei chynrychioli yn Qatar, ond ni ddylem ni edrych y ffordd arall oddi wrth yr amheuon a fyddai gennym ni fel cenedl ynghylch rhai o'r materion hawliau dynol hynny yr ydym ni'n eu gweld yno. A phan oedd fy nghyd-Weinidog Vaughan Gething yn Qatar ym mis Mai, manteisiodd ar y cyfle, fel y nododd yn ei ddatganiad ysgrifenedig i'r Senedd, i godi'r materion hawliau dynol hynny yn uniongyrchol gydag awdurdodau Qatar yng nghyd-destun Cwpan y Byd, ac mae'n rhaid i ni, ein hunain, wneud yn siŵr nad yw'r cyfleoedd hynny yn cael eu methu tra bo llygaid y byd ar y wlad honno.
Yma, un o'r pethau sydd—. Wrth i mi eistedd wrth ymyl y prif weithredwr yn ystod y gêm, dyna ichi ŵr a oedd â siec o £3 miliwn yn y fantol ar sail canlyniad y gêm. Roedd yn gwybod pe bai Cymru yn mynd ymlaen i'r cam nesaf, yna rhan o'r ffordd y caiff Cwpan y Byd ei drefnu yw y byddai £3 miliwn yn cyrraedd Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru, a dywedodd wrthyf ei fod yn benderfynol y byddai £2 filiwn o'r £3 miliwn hwnnw yn cael ei fuddsoddi mewn pêl-droed llawr gwlad a chyfleusterau llawr gwlad yma yng Nghymru. Roedd yn gwbl bendant wrth ddweud wrthyf i, er mai'r hyn yr oeddem ni i gyd yn ei wylio, wrth gwrs, oedd y ffenestr siop pêl-droed honno yng Nghymru, yr hyn sy'n wirioneddol bwysig iddo ef ac i Gymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru yw iechyd y gêm ar y lefel lawr gwlad honno. Dyna pam mae Llywodraeth Cymru, drwy Chwaraeon Cymru, wedi buddsoddi £24 miliwn yn ddiweddar mewn cyfleusterau ar gyfer chwaraeon ar lawr gwlad yng Nghymru. Rwy'n cytuno yn llwyr ag Adam Price mai'r hyn yr ydym ni'n gobeithio ei gael o'r math o sylw ac amlygiad a fydd yng Nghwpan y Byd yw ysbrydoliaeth i bobl ifanc fod allan yno yn chwarae pêl-droed eu hunain, neu'n cymryd rhan ym mha bynnag gamp y maen nhw'n canfod sy'n cyd-fynd â'u doniau a'u galluoedd, a bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yno yn ceisio gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n chwarae ein rhan i sicrhau'r cyfleoedd hynny.
3. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gyda chynghorau chwaraeon y DU ynghylch cynnwys pobl drawsryweddol mewn chwaraeon? OQ58150
3. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with UK sports councils regarding the inclusion of transgender people in sport? OQ58150
Llywydd, Sport Wales was established by royal charter on 4 February 1972. Since 1999, it, rather than UK bodies, has been responsible for inclusion policy in sport in Wales. The council nevertheless works with other sports organisations and, together, published joint advice on transgender inclusion in domestic sport in September of last year.
Llywydd, sefydlwyd Chwaraeon Cymru drwy siarter frenhinol ar 4 Chwefror 1972. Ers 1999, y sefydliad hwnnw, yn hytrach na chyrff y DU, sydd wedi bod yn gyfrifol am bolisi cynhwysiant mewn chwaraeon yng Nghymru. Serch hynny, mae'r cyngor yn gweithio gyda sefydliadau chwaraeon eraill a, gyda'i gilydd, fe wnaethon nhw gyhoeddi cyngor ar y cyd ar gynhwysiant trawsryweddol mewn chwaraeon domestig ym mis Medi y llynedd.
First Minister, I feel the need to be clear, and I think it's important that I make it clear, that protecting women's rights does not for one moment mean that you're anti trans rights. Female competitors deserve the same rights as male competitors. We all know the huge benefits that sports can offer, and we all, I'm sure, want to ensure trans athletes can participate in sport. But what we don't want is a situation where we're trying to be so inclusive that it is to the detriment of a particular group. We have a situation where women athletes are so disheartened that they are pulling out of their own female categories because they say that trans women taking part in a female category have a male puberty advantage. Welsh Conservatives are looking at ways that we can help ensure that every athlete can compete, looking at ways that we can work with sporting bodies across the board, and looking at creating an open category to ensure fairness, inclusivity and safety across the board. I'm sure that we'll agree above all that it is of paramount importance that we ensure fairness in sport. It is fundamental to sport. First Minister, do you believe that trans athletes should compete in female sports? However you feel on this issue, to resolve it, it is fundamental that one can define a woman. So, First Minister, can you do something that many other Labour politicians have failed to do so far, which is define a woman?
Prif Weinidog, rwy'n teimlo bod angen bod yn eglur, ac rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig i mi ei gwneud yn eglur, nad yw diogelu hawliau menywod am eiliad yn golygu eich bod chi'n gwrthwynebu hawliau traws. Mae cystadleuwyr benywaidd yn haeddu'r un hawliau â chystadleuwyr gwrywaidd. Rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod am y manteision enfawr y gall chwaraeon eu cynnig, ac rydym ni i gyd, rwy'n siŵr, eisiau sicrhau y gall athletwyr traws gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon. Ond yr hyn nad ydym ni ei eisiau yw sefyllfa pryd yr ydym ni'n ceisio bod mor gynhwysol ei fod yn niweidiol i grŵp penodol. Mae gennym ni sefyllfa pryd y mae athletwyr benywaidd mor ddigalon eu bod nhw'n tynnu allan o'u categorïau benywaidd eu hunain oherwydd eu bod nhw'n dweud bod gan fenywod traws sy'n cymryd rhan mewn categori benywaidd fantais y glasoed gwrywaidd. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn edrych ar ffyrdd y gallwn ni helpu i sicrhau bod pob athletwr yn gallu cystadlu, gan edrych ar ffyrdd y gallwn ni weithio gyda chyrff chwaraeon yn gyffredinol, ac yn edrych ar greu categori agored i sicrhau tegwch, cynwysoldeb a diogelwch yn gyffredinol. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwn ni'n cytuno'n anad dim ei bod hi'n hollbwysig ein bod ni'n sicrhau tegwch mewn chwaraeon. Mae'n hanfodol i chwaraeon. Prif Weinidog, a ydych chi'n credu y dylai athletwyr traws gystadlu mewn chwaraeon menywod? Sut bynnag yr ydych chi'n teimlo ynghylch y mater hwn, er mwyn ei ddatrys, mae'n hanfodol i ni allu diffinio menyw. Felly, Prif Weinidog, a allwch chi wneud rhywbeth y mae llawer o wleidyddion Llafur eraill wedi methu â'i wneud hyd yn hyn, sef diffinio menyw?
My starting point is the same as Penny Mordaunt's—the UK Minister responsible at the time—who said that the UK Government's starting point was that transgender women are women. That's my starting point in this debate. It is a difficult area where people feel very strongly on different sides of an argument, and an argument that divides people who agree on most other things. What I say to the Member is that in such a potentially divisive issue, the responsibility of elected representatives is not to stand on the certainties of their own convictions, but instead to work hard to look for opportunities for dialogue, to find ways of promoting understanding rather than conflict, and to demonstrate respect rather than to look for exclusion. I do not understand the point that the Member makes—that you can be too inclusive. To me, inclusivity is absolutely what we should be aiming for here. The way to resolve those challenging issues that she's identified—and I've got no objection at all to her identifying them—is not to assume that because we ourselves may have strong views, that allows us to cast doubt on the sincerity of views held strongly by others. It's only by dialogue and by understanding that you can reach a conclusion to the sorts of questions the Member has raised.
Mae fy man cychwyn i yr un fath ag un Penny Mordaunt—Gweinidog y DU a oedd yn gyfrifol ar y pryd—a ddywedodd mai man cychwyn Llywodraeth y DU oedd bod menywod trawsryweddol yn fenywod. Dyna fy man cychwyn i yn y ddadl hon. Mae'n faes anodd lle mae pobl yn teimlo'n gryf iawn ar wahanol ochrau i ddadl, a dadl sy'n gwahanu pobl sy'n cytuno ar y rhan fwyaf o bethau eraill. Yr hyn a ddywedaf wrth yr Aelod, gyda mater a allai fod yn ymrannol o bosibl, yw mai cyfrifoldeb cynrychiolwyr etholedig yw peidio â sefyll ar sicrwydd eu hargyhoeddiadau eu hunain, ond yn hytrach gweithio'n galed i chwilio am gyfleoedd ar gyfer deialog, i ddod o hyd i ffyrdd o hyrwyddo dealltwriaeth yn hytrach na gwrthdaro, ac i ddangos parch yn hytrach na chwilio am reswm dros allgau. Nid wyf i'n deall y pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud—y gallwch chi fod yn rhy gynhwysol. I mi, mae'n sicr mai cynwysoldeb yw'r hyn y dylem ni fod yn anelu ato yma. Y ffordd i ddatrys y materion heriol hynny y mae wedi eu nodi—ac nid oes gennyf i unrhyw wrthwynebiad o gwbl iddi eu nodi—yw peidio â thybio, oherwydd efallai fod gennym ni ein hunain farn gref, bod hynny yn caniatáu i ni fwrw amheuaeth ar ddiffuantrwydd y safbwyntiau a ddelir yn gryf gan bobl eraill. Dim ond trwy ddeialog a thrwy ddeall y gallwch chi ddod i gasgliad i'r mathau o gwestiynau y mae'r Aelod wedi eu codi.
Prynhawn da, Brif Weinidog.
Good afternoon, First Minister.
4. Pa gamau y mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd i gefnogi awdurdodau lleol gyda'r nifer cynyddol o blant sy'n destun cynllun amddiffyn plant? OQ58156
4. What steps is the Government taking to support local authorities with the growing number of children who are subject to a child protection plan? OQ58156
We're providing additional funding to local authorities to safely divert cases from the child protection register using procedures that were developed in partnership with safeguarding boards. The Welsh Government works closely with those regional partnership boards, and with local authorities themselves, to strengthen and improve safeguarding practices across Wales.
Rydym ni'n darparu arian ychwanegol i awdurdodau lleol i ddargyfeirio achosion yn ddiogel o'r gofrestr amddiffyn plant gan ddefnyddio gweithdrefnau a ddatblygwyd mewn partneriaeth â byrddau diogelu. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio'n agos gyda'r byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol hynny, a chydag awdurdodau lleol eu hunain, i gryfhau a gwella arferion diogelu ledled Cymru.
Diolch, Brif Weinidog. I want to state firstly my thanks to all of those working in social services and social care who have worked, and continue to work, tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable in our society, especially throughout the pandemic. But I do want to raise again the need, in my view, for an independent inquiry following the terrible, tragic death of Logan Mwangi, looking at our children's social services across Wales. This is happening in England, following the terrible deaths of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and one-year-old Star Hobson. The author of the independent inquiry in England has said that failure to tackle major problems in children's services would lead to record numbers of youngsters entering care. As you will know, there are more children in care in Wales than in England or Scotland, and children in Wales are more likely to enter care than their counterparts in England or Scotland. Could I ask you, First Minister, to consider that children and families in Wales, and the workforce, deserve the detailed consideration that has been afforded in Scotland and in England through an independent inquiry? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Hoffwn fynegi yn gyntaf fy niolch i bawb sy'n gweithio ym maes gwasanaethau cymdeithasol a gofal cymdeithasol sydd wedi gweithio, ac sy'n parhau i weithio, yn ddiflino i amddiffyn y rhai mwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymdeithas, yn enwedig drwy gydol y pandemig. Ond hoffwn godi eto yr angen, yn fy marn i, am ymchwiliad annibynnol yn dilyn marwolaeth ofnadwy, drasig Logan Mwangi, gan edrych ar ein gwasanaethau cymdeithasol i blant ledled Cymru. Mae hyn yn digwydd yn Lloegr, yn dilyn marwolaethau ofnadwy Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, a oedd yn chwech oed, a Star Hobson, a oedd yn flwydd oed. Mae awdur yr ymchwiliad annibynnol yn Lloegr wedi dweud y byddai methu â mynd i'r afael â phroblemau mawr mewn gwasanaethau i blant yn arwain at y nifer uchaf erioed o bobl ifanc mewn gofal. Fel y byddwch chi'n gwybod, mae mwy o blant mewn gofal yng Nghymru nag yn Lloegr neu'r Alban, ac mae plant yng Nghymru yn fwy tebygol o fynd i ofal na'u cymheiriaid yn Lloegr neu'r Alban. A gaf i ofyn i chi, Prif Weinidog, ystyried bod plant a theuluoedd yng Nghymru, a'r gweithlu, yn haeddu'r ystyriaeth fanwl a roddwyd yn yr Alban ac yn Lloegr drwy ymchwiliad annibynnol? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
I thank the Member for that important question. She makes a series of points that absolutely deserve to be thought through carefully. I've said many, many times on the floor of the Senedd that the rate at which children are taken away from their families in Wales is unsustainable and that the gap between the rate at which children in Wales are taken into public care continues to accelerate away from the rate in other parts of the United Kingdom. The result is, and this is the reason why it is unsustainable, that local authorities find all the money they have for children's services taken up in looking after children who they have now direct responsibility for and nothing left to help families through difficult times where a bit of investment in preventative work could have helped those families to stay together.
On the specific issue of another inquiry, I certainly don't think this is the moment to commission such an inquiry. In the case that the Member highlighted from Bridgend, the serious case review is still to report. There are other cases in Wales before the courts still where court hearings are yet to be concluded. So, I don't think this is the moment to make a decision about an inquiry of the sort that Jane Dodds has advocated, and I think there would be other important questions that we would need to think through as well.
Are we short of advice, Llywydd? In 2018, we had the care crisis review here in Wales. In 2019, we had the Nuffield Foundation's 'Born into care Wales' report. In 2020, we had the public law working group's report into the way that public law proceedings can be improved in Wales. Last year, we had the legacy report of the improving outcomes for children ministerial advisory group chaired by David Melding, and this year we've continued to receive the thematic reports of the Wales Centre for Public Policy into looked-after children. This is not an area where anybody could argue that we are short of independent advice that has looked across the whole practice landscape here in Wales.
Are we confident, Llywydd, about what we might learn from the huge effort that would have to go into an inquiry of the sort that would do justice to the points that Jane Dodds has raised? We know we have to tackle issues of recruitment and retention in this workforce. We know that we have to invest in prevention and de-escalation in the system. We know that regional working is an important component in the answer to the challenges that children's services face today. So, I think it is incumbent on people who argue for a public inquiry to articulate where they think the gaps in our knowledge are to be found and where they think we would learn something that we don't already know about the challenge facing those services and the answers that have already been devised to meet those challenges.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn pwysig yna. Mae'n gwneud cyfres o bwyntiau sy'n sicr yn haeddu cael eu hystyried yn ofalus. Rwyf i wedi dweud droeon ar lawr y Senedd bod y gyfradd y mae plant yn cael eu cymryd oddi wrth eu teuluoedd yng Nghymru yn anghynaladwy a bod y bwlch rhwng y gyfradd y mae plant yng Nghymru yn cael eu cymryd i ofal cyhoeddus yn parhau i gyflymu oddi wrth y gyfradd mewn rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig. Y canlyniad yw, a dyma'r rheswm pam mae'n anghynaliadwy, bod awdurdodau lleol yn canfod bod yr holl arian sydd ganddyn nhw ar gyfer gwasanaethau plant yn cael ei ddefnyddio i ofalu am blant y mae ganddyn nhw gyfrifoldeb uniongyrchol amdanyn nhw bellach a does dim byd ar ôl i helpu teuluoedd trwy gyfnodau anodd pan allai ychydig o fuddsoddiad mewn gwaith ataliol fod wedi helpu'r teuluoedd hynny i aros gyda'i gilydd.
O ran mater penodol ymchwiliad arall, yn sicr nid wyf i'n credu mai dyma'r adeg i gomisiynu ymchwiliad o'r fath. Yn yr achos y tynnodd yr Aelod sylw ato o Ben-y-bont ar Ogwr, nid yw'r adolygiad achos difrifol wedi adrodd o hyd. Ceir achosion eraill yng Nghymru gerbron y llysoedd o hyd lle nad yw gwrandawiadau llys wedi'u dirwyn i ben eto. Felly, nid wyf i'n credu mai dyma'r adeg i wneud penderfyniad am ymchwiliad o'r math y mae Jane Dodds wedi ei argymell, ac rwy'n credu y byddai cwestiynau pwysig eraill y byddai angen i ni eu hystyried hefyd.
A ydym ni'n brin o gyngor, Llywydd? Yn 2018, cawsom yr adolygiad o'r argyfwng gofal yma yng Nghymru. Yn 2019, cawsom adroddiad 'Born into care Wales' Sefydliad Nuffield. Yn 2020, cawsom adroddiad y gweithgor cyfraith gyhoeddus ar y ffordd y gellir gwella achosion cyfraith gyhoeddus yng Nghymru. Y llynedd, cawsom adroddiad etifeddiaeth grŵp cynghori'r gweinidog ar wella canlyniadau i blant a gadeiriwyd gan David Melding, ac eleni rydym ni wedi parhau i dderbyn adroddiadau thematig Canolfan Polisi Cyhoeddus Cymru ar blant sy'n derbyn gofal. Nid yw hwn yn faes lle gallai unrhyw un ddadlau ein bod ni'n brin o gyngor annibynnol sydd wedi edrych ar draws yr holl dirwedd ymarfer yma yng Nghymru.
A ydym ni'n hyderus, Llywydd, ynghylch yr hyn y gallem ni ei ddysgu o'r ymdrech enfawr y byddai'n rhaid ei gwneud ar gyfer ymchwiliad o'r math a fyddai'n gwneud cyfiawnder â'r pwyntiau y mae Jane Dodds wedi eu codi? Rydym ni'n gwybod bod yn rhaid i ni fynd i'r afael â materion recriwtio a chadw staff yn y gweithlu hwn. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod yn rhaid i ni fuddsoddi mewn atal ac isgyfeirio yn y system. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod gweithio rhanbarthol yn elfen bwysig yn yr ateb i'r heriau y mae gwasanaethau plant yn eu hwynebu heddiw. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n ddyletswydd ar bobl sy'n dadlau dros ymchwiliad cyhoeddus i fynegi lle maen nhw'n credu y gellir canfod y bylchau yn ein gwybodaeth a lle maen nhw'n credu y byddem ni'n dysgu rhywbeth nad ydym ni eisoes yn ei wybod am yr her sy'n wynebu'r gwasanaethau hynny a'r atebion sydd eisoes wedi cael eu llunio i ymateb i'r heriau hynny.
First Minister, we saw a massive rise in the number of children on a protection register even before the pandemic, so Lord only knows what the situation is truly like now. Because we know that social services are under tremendous strain, short staffed and overworked, we simply don't know what's being missed or who's being missed. We do know that children's social care in Wales is in crisis. Those are not my words, but the words of Professor Donald Forrester, director of CASCADE and an expert in the field. He and many other colleagues, alongside us in the Chamber, are calling for an urgent review of children's social services. So, First Minister, will you now listen to the advice and heed the calls for a full independent review of children's social care in Wales, just like every other nation is doing? England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all doing it. Because we can't keep burying our heads in the sand and doing nothing until another child dies of abuse or neglect. Thank you.
Prif Weinidog, gwelsom gynnydd enfawr yn nifer y plant ar gofrestr amddiffyn hyd yn oed cyn y pandemig, felly Duw a ŵyr sut mae'r sefyllfa nawr mewn gwirionedd. Oherwydd rydym ni'n gwybod bod y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol o dan straen aruthrol, yn brin o staff ac yn gorweithio, dydyn ni wir ddim yn gwybod beth sy'n cael ei fethu neu pwy sy'n cael ei fethu. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod gofal cymdeithasol plant yng Nghymru mewn argyfwng. Nid fy ngeiriau i yw'r rheini, ond geiriau'r Athro Donald Forrester, cyfarwyddwr CASCADE ac arbenigwr yn y maes. Mae ef a llawer o gyd-Aelodau eraill, ochr yn ochr â ni yn y Siambr, yn galw am adolygiad brys o wasanaethau cymdeithasol plant. Felly, Prif Weinidog, a wnewch chi wrando nawr ar y cyngor a gwrando ar y galwadau am adolygiad annibynnol llawn o ofal cymdeithasol plant yng Nghymru, yn union fel y mae pob gwlad arall yn ei wneud? Mae Lloegr, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon i gyd yn ei wneud. Oherwydd allwn ni ddim parhau i gladdu ein pennau yn y tywod a gwneud dim tan fod plentyn arall yn marw o gamdriniaeth neu esgeulustod. Diolch.
Had the Member been listening to my previous answer, he would have heard the answer to his question. If we are to have an inquiry, then it would be helpful, wouldn't it, to establish some basic accuracy in the facts that people put forward. It is simply not the case, Llywydd, as the Member suggested, that the number of children on child protection registers was growing in Wales in the period prior to the pandemic. In fact, the opposite is actually the truth. It would help a little, wouldn't it, if people took the trouble to establish a few basic facts before they offered us their opinions, because the numbers were reducing, not growing. That is the fact of the matter. Numbers have recovered post pandemic to where they were before the pandemic began. So, when Jane Dodds referred to the growing number of children who are subject to a child protection plan, she was referring to a recovery in those numbers. The number is not above today where it was prior to the pandemic. So, if we're going to have an inquiry, then I think a bit more light and a little bit less heat would probably assist in making it a worthwhile exercise.
Pe bai'r Aelod wedi bod yn gwrando ar fy ateb blaenorol, byddai wedi clywed yr ateb i'w gwestiwn. Os ydym ni'n mynd i gael ymchwiliad, yna byddai'n ddefnyddiol, oni fyddai, i sefydlu rhywfaint o gywirdeb sylfaenol yn y ffeithiau y mae pobl yn eu cyflwyno. Nid yw'n wir o gwbl, Llywydd, fel yr awgrymodd yr Aelod, bod nifer y plant ar gofrestrau amddiffyn plant yn cynyddu yng Nghymru yn y cyfnod cyn y pandemig. A dweud y gwir, y gwrthwyneb yw'r gwir mewn gwirionedd. Byddai'n helpu ychydig, oni fyddai, pe bai pobl yn mynd i'r drafferth i ganfod ychydig o ffeithiau sylfaenol cyn iddyn nhw gynnig eu barn i ni, oherwydd roedd y niferoedd yn lleihau, nid yn cynyddu. Dyna'r gwir amdani. Mae'r niferoedd wedi gwella ar ôl y pandemig i le'r oedden nhw cyn i'r pandemig ddechrau. Felly, pan gyfeiriodd Jane Dodds at y nifer gynyddol o blant sy'n destun cynllun amddiffyn plant, roedd yn cyfeirio at adferiad yn y niferoedd hynny. Nid yw'r nifer yn uwch heddiw na lle yr oedd cyn y pandemig. Felly, os ydym ni'n mynd i gael ymchwiliad, yna rwy'n meddwl y byddai ychydig mwy o olau ac ychydig yn llai o wres fwy na thebyg yn helpu i'w wneud yn ymarfer gwerth chweil.
5. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda'r cyfryngau i hyrwyddo newyddiaduraeth yng Nghymru? OQ58153
5. How is the Welsh Government working with media outlets to promote Welsh-based journalism? OQ58153
I thank John Griffiths for that question, Llywydd. Amongst the actions taken to promote Welsh-based journalism is a commitment to provide financial support to public interest journalism. That support will continue over three financial years, as confirmed in the co-operation agreement.
Diolch i John Griffiths am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Ymhlith y camau a gymerwyd i hyrwyddo newyddiaduraeth yng Nghymru mae ymrwymiad i ddarparu cymorth ariannol i newyddiaduraeth sydd o ddiddordeb i'r cyhoedd. Bydd y cymorth hwnnw yn parhau dros dair blwyddyn ariannol, fel y cadarnhawyd yn y cytundeb cydweithredu.
First Minister, last week was the 130-year anniversary of the South Wales Argus, a paper that's long been rooted in our local communities. As with many local people, the South Wales Argus was always in my house when I was growing up, and in fact, in my early teens I delivered the South Wales Argus on my bike as a paperboy. And now, of course, as a Member of the Senedd, it's still a vital organisation for me to engage with. First Minister, it's obviously very, very important for Wales, for life in Wales, for our communities here and indeed for our developing democracy that we have a thriving national, regional and local media in Wales, helping to inform people what's going on, including informing them of Welsh Government policies and action and engaging them with our democracy. I think the pandemic highlighted the value of our media in Wales when it was so important for people to understand the particular policies and measures of Welsh Government in combating the pandemic in our country. First Minister, given this importance, and given that we all want to see a thriving media in Wales, will you pledge to continue working with the media in our country, including local newspapers, so that they can continue to play this vital role long into the future?
Prif Weinidog, roedd hi'n ben-blwydd y South Wales Argus yn 130 oed yr wythnos diwethaf, papur sydd wedi'i wreiddio ers tro byd yn ein cymunedau lleol. Fel yn achos llawer o bobl leol, roedd y South Wales Argus bob amser yn fy nhŷ pan oeddwn i'n tyfu i fyny, ac mewn gwirionedd, yn fy arddegau cynnar, roeddwn i'n danfon y South Wales Argus ar fy meic fel bachgen papur. A nawr, wrth gwrs, fel Aelod o'r Senedd, mae'n dal yn sefydliad hanfodol i mi ymgysylltu ag ef. Prif Weinidog, mae'n amlwg yn bwysig dros ben i Gymru, i fywyd yng Nghymru, i'n cymunedau yma ac yn wir i'n democratiaeth sy'n datblygu bod gennym ni gyfryngau cenedlaethol, rhanbarthol a lleol sy'n ffynnu yng Nghymru, gan helpu i roi gwybod i bobl beth sy'n digwydd, gan gynnwys eu hysbysu am bolisïau a gweithredoedd Llywodraeth Cymru a'u cynnwys yn ein democratiaeth. Rwy'n credu bod y pandemig wedi tynnu sylw at werth ein cyfryngau yng Nghymru pan oedd hi mor bwysig i bobl ddeall polisïau a mesurau penodol Llywodraeth Cymru wrth fynd i'r afael â'r pandemig yn ein gwlad. Prif Weinidog, o gofio'r pwysigrwydd hwn, ac o gofio ein bod ni i gyd eisiau gweld cyfryngau sy'n ffynnu yng Nghymru, a wnewch chi addo i barhau i weithio gyda'r cyfryngau yn ein gwlad, gan gynnwys papurau newydd lleol, fel y gallan nhw barhau i gyflawni'r swyddogaeth hollbwysig hon ymhell i'r dyfodol?
I thank John Griffiths for that, Llywydd. I was very pleased to be able to send a message of congratulations to the South Wales Argus a week or so ago on its hundred-and-thirtieth birthday. John Griffiths is right, Llywydd, that the appetite for news about Wales and decisions being made in Wales was undoubtedly lifted by the experience of the pandemic. The Welsh Government has carried out over 250 press conferences during that period, 200 of them carried live by the BBC, and over 50 organisations have taken part to ask questions of Ministers during that period. John Griffiths is right—the span of interest in Wales went from questions from CNN for a global audience at the one end of the spectrum to questions from the Caerphilly Observer and Llanelli Live at the other end of the spectrum. Investment in grass-roots public interest journalism is very important to create a pipeline of journalists for the future.
It's always a slightly tricky thing, isn't it, for Government to invest in journalism. I'm always reminded of what the famous American journalist H.L. Mencken said—that the relationship between a journalist and a politician is the same as the relationship between a dog and a lamppost. And there's a good reason for that, isn't there? We want journalists to be separate from the political world. There is a way, and we are finding the right way, to make the sorts of investments that John Griffiths mentioned to be able to put investment into those grass roots without in any way compromising the capacity of journalists and news agencies here in Wales to carry out the job of scrutiny and, where necessary, criticism that they quite rightly fulfil.
Diolch i John Griffiths am hynna, Llywydd. Roeddwn i'n falch iawn o allu anfon neges o longyfarchiadau i'r South Wales Argus wythnos yn ôl ar ei ben-blwydd yn gant tri deg oed. Mae John Griffiths yn iawn, Llywydd, mae'r awydd am newyddion am Gymru a phenderfyniadau sy'n cael eu gwneud yng Nghymru heb amheuaeth wedi cael ei gynyddu gan brofiad y pandemig. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cynnal dros 250 o gynadleddau i'r wasg yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw, 200 ohonyn nhw wedi'u darlledu yn fyw gan y BBC, ac mae dros 50 o sefydliadau wedi cymryd rhan i ofyn cwestiynau i Weinidogion yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw. Mae John Griffiths yn iawn—aeth y rhychwant o ddiddordeb yng Nghymru o gwestiynau gan CNN ar gyfer cynulleidfa fyd-eang ar un pen i'r sbectrwm i gwestiynau gan y Caerphilly Observer a Llanelli Live ar ben arall y sbectrwm. Mae buddsoddi mewn newyddiaduraeth er budd y cyhoedd ar lawr gwlad yn bwysig iawn i greu llif o newyddiadurwyr ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Mae bob amser yn beth sydd braidd yn anodd, onid yw, i'r Llywodraeth fuddsoddi mewn newyddiaduraeth. Rwyf i bob amser yn cael fy atgoffa o'r hyn a ddywedodd y newyddiadurwr enwog o America H.L. Mencken—bod y berthynas rhwng newyddiadurwr a gwleidydd yr un fath â'r berthynas rhwng ci a pholyn lamp. Ac mae rheswm da dros hynny, onid oes? Rydym ni eisiau i newyddiadurwyr fod ar wahân i'r byd gwleidyddol. Mae ffordd, ac rydym ni'n dod o hyd i'r ffordd gywir, o wneud y mathau o fuddsoddiadau y soniodd John Griffiths amdanyn nhw er mwyn gallu buddsoddi yn y rheini ar lawr gwlad heb beryglu gallu newyddiadurwyr ac asiantaethau newyddion yma yng Nghymru mewn unrhyw ffordd i wneud y gwaith craffu a, phan fo angen, beirniadaeth y maen nhw'n ei gyflawni'n gwbl briodol.
I want to very much echo the comments of the Member for Newport East—Welsh-based journalism and Welsh language journalism can play a critical role in delivering our fantastic language to a really important audience, especially in our rural communities. Having started my professional career as a journalist working for local newspapers—and I'm not sure if I'm now the dog or the lamppost—I've seen first-hand the importance of BBC's local democracy reporting service, a public service news agency funded by the BBC and provided by the local news sector. Its reporting delves into our communities and ensures that local stories are given the attention they deserve.
However, the LDR service does not explicitly fund any full-time Welsh-medium journalism positions, although stories that are written by democracy reporters are shared with media outlets that have signed up to be part of the local news partnership scheme. Records show that there are 21 organisations that currently publish in excess of 70 individual titles for Wales-based audiences. Of those 70, only one is a Welsh-medium service. Given this, how are you, First Minister, encouraging Welsh language news outlets to sign up to the BBC's local news partnership scheme? Diolch, Llywydd.
Hoffwn yn fawr ategu sylwadau'r Aelod dros Ddwyrain Casnewydd—gall newyddiaduraeth Gymreig a newyddiaduraeth Gymraeg chwarae rhan hollbwysig wrth gyflwyno ein hiaith wych i gynulleidfa wirioneddol bwysig, yn enwedig yn ein cymunedau gwledig. Ar ôl dechrau fy ngyrfa broffesiynol fel newyddiadurwr yn gweithio i bapurau newydd lleol—ac nid wyf yn siŵr ai fi yw'r ci neu'r polyn lamp erbyn hyn—rwyf i wedi gweld yn uniongyrchol bwysigrwydd gwasanaeth adrodd ar ddemocratiaeth leol y BBC, asiantaeth newyddion gwasanaeth cyhoeddus wedi'i hariannu gan y BBC ac wedi'i darparu gan y sector newyddion lleol. Mae ei hadroddiadau'n ymchwilio i'n cymunedau ac yn sicrhau bod straeon lleol yn cael y sylw y maen nhw'n ei haeddu.
Fodd bynnag, nid yw'r gwasanaeth adrodd ar ddemocratiaeth leol yn ariannu unrhyw swyddi newyddiaduraeth cyfrwng Cymraeg llawn amser yn benodol, er bod straeon y mae gohebwyr adrodd ar ddemocratiaeth yn eu hysgrifennu yn cael eu rhannu â chyfryngau sydd wedi ymrwymo i fod yn rhan o'r cynllun partneriaeth newyddion lleol. Mae cofnodion yn dangos bod 21 o sefydliadau yn cyhoeddi mwy na 70 o deitlau unigol ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer cynulleidfaoedd yng Nghymru. O'r 70 hynny, dim ond un sy'n wasanaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg. O ystyried hyn, sut yr ydych chi, Prif Weinidog, yn annog sefydliadau newyddion Cymraeg i ymuno â chynllun partneriaeth newyddion lleol y BBC? Diolch, Llywydd.
Well, can I thank Sam Kurtz for that, because he makes very important points about the significance of Welsh language journalism? And the Welsh Government does, again, invest directly in this area in a way that is justified by the language component of it. So, the Welsh books council has a ring-fenced budget that funds Golwg360, Corgi Cymru and other news outlets.
The changing nature of Welsh-medium education in Wales actually, I think, will support a revival of Welsh-medium reporting here in Wales as well, as young people emerge from Welsh education with a capacity to read the language and to receive information through the language that maybe wasn't true even 20 years ago, and therefore that there will be a commercial as well as a cultural imperative to do that. And certainly it is part of our motivation in wanting to invest in these areas to make sure that we have a future of young, digitally skilled, inquisitive young journalists with an accurate grasp of devolution and who are able to operate fully in a genuinely bilingual environment.
Wel, a gaf i ddiolch i Sam Kurtz am hynna, oherwydd mae'n gwneud pwyntiau pwysig iawn ynghylch arwyddocâd newyddiaduraeth Gymraeg? Ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru, unwaith eto, yn buddsoddi'n uniongyrchol yn y maes hwn mewn ffordd sy'n cael ei chyfiawnhau gan yr elfen iaith ohoni. Felly, mae gan gyngor llyfrau Cymru gyllideb wedi'i neilltuo sy'n ariannu Golwg360, Corgi Cymru a sefydliadau newyddion eraill.
Rwy'n credu y bydd natur newidiol addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yng Nghymru mewn gwirionedd yn cefnogi adfywiad mewn gohebu cyfrwng Cymraeg yma yng Nghymru hefyd, wrth i bobl ifanc ddod allan o addysg Gymraeg gyda'r gallu i ddarllen yr iaith a chael gwybodaeth drwy'r iaith nad oedd efallai'n wir hyd yn oed 20 mlynedd yn ôl, ac felly y bydd rheidrwydd masnachol yn ogystal â diwylliannol i wneud hynny. Ac yn sicr mae'n rhan o'n cymhelliant i fod eisiau buddsoddi yn y meysydd hyn i sicrhau bod gennym ni ddyfodol o newyddiadurwyr ifanc, chwilfrydig, sy'n fedrus yn ddigidol ac sydd â dealltwriaeth gywir o ddatganoli ac sy'n gallu gweithredu'n llawn mewn amgylchedd gwirioneddol ddwyieithog.
6. Pa gymorth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei roi i ddarparu trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus a chymunedol integredig yn etholaeth Ogwr sy'n diwallu anghenion etholwyr sy'n dlawd o ran trafnidiaeth? OQ58117
6. What support does the Welsh Government provide to deliver integrated public and community transport in the Ogmore constituency which meets the needs of transport-poor constituents? OQ58117
Can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies, Llywydd? Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked closely with the bus industry to keep services running, providing £130 million of additional funding to prevent communities from becoming isolated.
A gaf i ddiolch i Huw Irranca-Davies, Llywydd? Ers dechrau pandemig COVID-19, rydym ni wedi gweithio'n agos gyda'r diwydiant bysiau i barhau i gynnal gwasanaethau, gan ddarparu £130 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol i atal cymunedau rhag cael eu hynysu.
And that funding has indeed helped but, even before the pandemic, we'd had a decade of austerity that had impacted on local authorities and had impacted on cuts in services, including subsidised bus services. We're looking forward to the reforms that will give control back to people, I have to say—local communities and regions—to take control of co-ordinated bus services and wider public transport within their areas. But my question is about the here and now. We look to excellent initiatives like the Fflecsi bus schemes—community transport are involved in some of those. But what we fail to see is that joined-up-ness right at this moment. So, I have a direct question and ask of the First Minister—and I notice his colleague here, the Minister, is sitting right next to me—and it's whether he and his Minister would be willing to sit down with me and officials from Bridgend as well to look at how we can pull the very best of what's currently available so we can join this up, so we don't have hilltops like Maesteg park, remote Valleys communities, such as Pont-y-rhyl and others, who are isolated because of the cuts we've seen over the last decade and more, where we can really make sure that everybody who wants to get to see their friends, wants to get to the shops, to the surgery and so on can do so. What can we do right now? Could you help us with that?
Ac mae'r cyllid hwnnw wedi helpu ond, hyd yn oed cyn y pandemig, cawsom ni ddegawd o gyni a oedd wedi effeithio ar awdurdodau lleol ac a oedd wedi effeithio ar doriadau mewn gwasanaethau, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau bwysiau â chymhorthdal. Rydym ni'n edrych ymlaen at y diwygiadau a fydd yn rhoi rheolaeth yn ôl i bobl, rhaid i mi ddweud—cymunedau a rhanbarthau lleol—i gymryd rheolaeth dros wasanaethau bysiau cydgysylltiedig a thrafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ehangach yn eu hardaloedd. Ond mae fy nghwestiwn i yn ymwneud â'r presennol. Rydym ni'n troi at fentrau rhagorol fel cynlluniau bysiau Fflecsi—mae trafnidiaeth gymunedol yn gysylltiedig â rhai o'r rheini. Ond yr hyn nad ydym ni'n ei weld yw'r elfen gydgysylltiedig honno ar hyn o bryd. Felly, mae gennyf i gwestiwn uniongyrchol a gofynnaf i'r Prif Weinidog—ac rwy'n sylwi fod ei gyd-Aelod yma, y Gweinidog, yn eistedd wrth fy ymyl i—ac mae'n ymwneud ag a fyddai ef a'i Weinidog yn fodlon eistedd gyda mi a swyddogion o Ben-y-bont ar Ogwr hefyd i edrych ar sut y gallwn ni dynnu'r gorau o'r hyn sydd ar gael ar hyn o bryd fel y gallwn ni gysylltu hyn, fel nad oes gennym ni ardaloedd pen bryn fel parc Maesteg, cymunedau anghysbell yn y Cymoedd, megis Pont-y-rhyl ac eraill, sydd wedi'u hynysu oherwydd y toriadau yr ydym ni wedi'u gweld yn ystod y degawd diwethaf a mwy, lle gallwn ni wneud yn siŵr bod pawb sydd eisiau gweld eu ffrindiau, sydd eisiau cyrraedd y siopau, y feddygfa ac yn y blaen yn gallu gwneud hynny. Beth allwn ni ei wneud y funud hon? A allwch chi ein helpu ni gyda hynny?
Well, I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for that, Llywydd. He's right that the long-term answer—and by 'long term' I mean during this Senedd term—is the radical reform of bus services that we will bring forward through the bus Bill, to reverse those 30 and more years of marketisation in the bus industry, which has left communities of the sort that Huw Irranca-Davies has referred to without a service because there isn't a commercial case for doing so. And yet millions of pounds of public money is put into the bus service every year here in Wales. I hope I'm not anticipating an announcement that my colleague was about to make, but on top of the £130 million that we have provided to sustain bus services during the pandemic, I know that my colleague has agreed a further £43 million to go on sustaining those bus services over the rest of this calendar year, and that does give an opportunity to do what the Member for Ogmore has suggested. I know that Bridgend County Borough Council has been one of those councils where reductions in funding from the UK Government has constrained their ability to sustain those community services, but now, with a new Labour-controlled authority in Bridgend, it will be a very good moment to meet and to discuss with the local authority how that investment that we will provide can go on making a difference to the places that the Member has highlighted this afternoon.
Wel, diolch i Huw Irranca-Davies am hynna, Llywydd. Mae'n iawn wrth ddweud mai'r ateb hirdymor—ac wrth ddweud 'hirdymor' rwy'n golygu yn ystod tymor y Senedd hon—yw'r diwygiad radical o wasanaethau bysiau y byddwn yn eu cyflwyno drwy'r Bil bysiau, i wrthdroi'r 30 mlynedd a mwy hynny o farchnadeiddio yn y diwydiant bysiau, sydd wedi gadael cymunedau o'r math y mae Huw Irranca-Davies wedi cyfeirio atyn nhw heb wasanaeth gan nad oes achos masnachol dros wneud hynny. Ac eto, caiff miloedd o bunnoedd o arian cyhoeddus ei roi i'r gwasanaeth bysiau bob blwyddyn yma yng Nghymru. Gobeithio nad wyf yn achub y blaen ar gyhoeddiad yr oedd fy nghyd-Aelod ar fin ei wneud, ond ar ben y £130 miliwn yr ydym ni wedi'i ddarparu i gynnal gwasanaethau bysiau yn ystod y pandemig, gwn i fod fy nghyd-Aelod wedi cytuno ar £43 miliwn arall i fynd ati i gynnal y gwasanaethau bysiau hynny dros weddill y flwyddyn galendr hon, ac mae hynny'n rhoi cyfle i wneud yr hyn y mae'r Aelod dros Ogwr wedi'i awgrymu. Gwn i fod Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr wedi bod yn un o'r cynghorau hynny lle mae gostyngiadau mewn cyllid gan Lywodraeth y DU wedi cyfyngu ar eu gallu i gynnal y gwasanaethau cymunedol hynny, ond nawr, gydag awdurdod newydd wedi'i reoli gan Lafur ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, bydd yn adeg dda iawn i gyfarfod a thrafod gyda'r awdurdod lleol sut y gall y buddsoddiad hwnnw y byddwn ni'n ei ddarparu barhau i wneud gwahaniaeth i'r lleoedd y mae'r Aelod wedi tynnu sylw atyn nhw y prynhawn yma.
7. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg i wella gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl? OQ58134
7. How is the Welsh Government working with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board to improve mental health services? OQ58134
Diolch i Heledd Fychan. Llywydd, rydym yn parhau i ddarparu cyllid sylweddol a pharhaus i gefnogi gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl ledled Cymru. Yn ogystal â'i gyllid craidd ar gyfer iechyd meddwl, bydd Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn cael £3.3 miliwn o gyllid rheolaidd ychwanegol ar gyfer gwasanaethau eleni, er mwyn buddsoddi mewn gwell darpariaeth iechyd meddwl.
I thank Heledd Fychan. Llywydd, we continue to provide significant and sustained funding to support mental health services across Wales. Over and above its core mental health funding, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board will receive an additional £3.3 million of recurrent service funding this year to invest in improved mental health provision.
Lots of chatting going on behind the First Minister. If we can have a bit of silence for the First Minister, especially from his own Members. Heledd Fychan.
Mae llawer o sgwrsio'n digwydd y tu ôl i'r Prif Weinidog. Gawn ni ychydig o dawelwch i'r Prif Weinidog, yn enwedig gan ei Aelodau ei hun. Heledd Fychan.
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Byddwch yn ymwybodol, rwy'n siŵr, fod Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru yn cynnal adolygiad ar y funud sy'n canolbwyntio ar ac yn asesu ansawdd a diogelwch y trefniadau rhyddhau ar gyfer cleifion sy'n oedolion yn ôl i'r gymuned o unedau iechyd meddwl—cleifion mewnol o fewn Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg. Daw hyn yn sgil nifer o achosion trist sydd wedi cael sylw yn y wasg, megis achos Lowri Miller, a wnaeth farw y diwrnod yn dilyn cael ei rhyddhau o ofal iechyd meddwl yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg. A hefyd, wrth gwrs, achos Zara Anne Radcliffe, a laddodd John Rees mewn siop ym Mhenygraig ym Mai 2020 tra'n dioddef o sgitsoffrenia, yr un diwrnod ag y ceisiodd ei thad erfyn ar y bwrdd iechyd a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol i roddi cymorth iddi a mynd â hi i'r ysbyty.
Mae nifer o achosion cyffelyb o ran pobl yn marw ar ôl cael eu rhyddhau wedi dod mewn i fy swyddfa fel gwaith achos. A'r hyn sydd yn fy mhryderu ydy, yn dilyn yr adolygiad a fu yn 2019 gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru ac Archwilio Cymru, fod 14 argymhelliad a wnaethpwyd adeg hynny yn parhau ar agor. Gwn hefyd am bobl sydd angen triniaethau brys yn cael gwybod nad oes capasiti o gwbl i wneud hyn, gydag arbenigwyr yn annog pobl i fynd yn breifat oherwydd, a dyma ddyfyniad y ces i fore yma gan glaf a ddywedwyd wrthi gan ddoctor—
Thank you, First Minister. I'm sure you'll be aware that Healthcare Inspectorate Wales is currently conducting a review focusing and assessing the quality and safety of discharge arrangements for adult patients back into the community from inpatient mental health units within Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. This follows a number of sad cases that have been reported in the media, such as the case of Lowri Miller, who died the day after her release from mental health care at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. And also, of course, the case of Zara Anne Radcliffe, who killed John Rees in a shop in Penygraig in May 2020 while suffering from schizophrenia, the same day that her father begged the health and social services board to support her and to take her to hospital.
Many other similar cases of people dying following discharge have come through my office as casework, and what's most concerning is, following the review in 2019 from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and Audit Wales, that 14 recommendations made at that time remain open. I also know of people who need emergency treatment being told that there is no capacity for this, with specialists urging people to go private because, and this is a quote I received this morning from a patient who was told by a doctor—
'The NHS isn't fit for purpose and people are dying waiting for treatment.'
'Nid yw'r GIG yn addas i'r diben ac mae pobl yn marw wrth aros am driniaeth.'
Doctor yn dweud wrth glaf i fynd yn breifat, ac yn dweud y geiriau hyn. Oes unrhyw ystyriaeth yn cael ei rhoi i'r angen i roi Bwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg mewn mesurau arbennig, ac os nad oes ystyriaeth, a wnewch chi ymrwymo i edrych ar hyn ymhellach fel Llywodraeth?
That's a doctor telling a patient to go private, and speaking those words. Is any consideration being given to placing Cwm Taf Morgannwg into special measures? And if no such consideration is being given, will you commit to look at this further as a Government?
Wel, mae system gyda ni yn barod, Llywydd. Pan ydym ni'n edrych i mewn i beth sy'n mynd ymlaen mewn unrhyw fwrdd ledled Cymru, mae tri o gyrff yn dod at ei gilydd i roi cyngor i'r Gweinidog. Maen nhw'n gallu rhoi cyngor ar y byrddau i gyd, neu maen nhw'n gallu dweud y bydd yn rhaid i ni roi mwy o gymorth i unrhyw fwrdd sy'n gweithio mewn unrhyw faes yn y maes iechyd. Dwi ddim wedi gweld dim byd gan y bobl sy'n dod at ei gilydd i'n cynghori ni i wneud beth oedd Heledd Fychan yn awgrymu.
Fel dywedais i, Llywydd, yn yr ateb gwreiddiol, rŷn ni fel Llywodraeth yn rhoi mwy o arian, ar ben popeth arall y mae'r bwrdd yn ei gael, a'r arian y mae'n ei gael i redeg system iechyd meddwl—£3.3 miliwn yn y flwyddyn hon, ac yn y flwyddyn nesaf, ac yn y flwyddyn ar ôl hyn hefyd—i fuddsoddi mewn gwell ddarpariaeth iechyd meddwl. A thrwy wneud hynny, rŷn ni wrth gwrs yn edrych i'r bwrdd wneud mwy, ac i roi a datblygu gwasanaethau yn y gymuned sy'n helpu pobl gyda phroblemau iechyd meddwl ac i jest eu helpu nhw i wneud popeth mae angen iddyn nhw ei wneud yn eu bywydau nhw bob dydd without the need—heb yr angen i gael mwy o wasanaethau y tu mewn i'r ysbytai.
Well, we already have a system, Llywydd. When we look into what's going on in any health board, three bodies come together to provide advice to the Minister, and they can provide advice on all of the boards or they can say that we need to provide support for any board working in any area or any part of the health service. I haven't seen anything from the people coming together to advise us to do what Heledd Fychan is suggesting.
As I said, Llywydd, in the original answer, we as a Government provide more funding, as well as everything else the board gets, and the funding they get for their mental health service—£3.3 million in this year, and in the next year, and in the year after that as well—to invest in better mental health provision. By doing that, of course we will be looking to the board to do more and to develop services in the community that help people with mental health problems and to help them to do everything they need to do in their everyday lives without the need to have more services within hospitals.
Ac yn olaf cwestiwn 8, Siân Gwenllian.
And finally question 8, Siân Gwenllian.
8. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi diweddariad am ddyfodol canolfan awyr agored Plas Menai yn Arfon? OQ58141
8. Will the First Minister provide an update on the future of Plas Menai outdoor centre in Arfon? OQ58141
Wel, diolch yn fawr i Siân Gwenllian. Llywydd, cyfrifoldeb Chwaraeon Cymru yw rheoli Plas Menai, y Ganolfan Awyr Agored Genedlaethol. Yn y dyfodol dylid adeiladu ar enw da'r ganolfan, gan ddarparu gweithgareddau antur awyr agored ffyniannus drwy gydol y flwyddyn. Dylid sicrhau mwy o swyddi lleol a mwy o effaith ar yr economi leol drwy'r broses honno.
Thank you very much, Siân Gwenllian. Llywydd, it is the responsibility of Sport Wales to manage Plas Menai, the National Outdoor Centre. Its future should be built on the strong reputation of the centre, providing thriving outdoor adventure all year round. It should also secure more local jobs and a greater impact on the local economy through that process.
Dwi wedi codi pryderon am y newidiadau sydd ar y gweill ar gyfer Plas Menai efo Dirprwy Weinidog y Celfyddydau a Chwaraeon. Fe all y broses sy'n mynd rhagddi ar hyn o bryd arwain at breifateiddio'r ganolfan, ac mae pryder y byddai hynny'n cael effaith negyddol ar amodau gwaith y gweithwyr, y cyfleusterau sydd ar gael i bobl leol ac ar yr iaith Gymraeg. A wnewch chi ymuno efo fi yn gyrru neges glir i Chwaraeon Cymru yn dweud y dylid oedi'r holl broses sy'n mynd rhagddi ar y funud er mwyn cytuno ar ffordd ymlaen a fyddai'n gwella'r ganolfan ond a fyddai hefyd yn diogelu cyfraniad hollbwysig Plas Menai i'r gymuned a'r economi leol?
I have raised concerns about proposed changes for Plas Menai with the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport. The process currently ongoing could lead to the privatisation of the centre, and there is concern that that would have a negative impact on the working conditions of the staff, the facilities available to local people and an impact on the Welsh language too. Will you join with me in sending a clear message to Sport Wales, stating that the whole process currently ongoing should be paused in order to agree on a way forward that would improve the centre but would also safeguard the crucial contribution of Plas Menai to the local community and the local economy?
Wel, Llywydd, gadewch imi fod yn glir: nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi preifateiddio'r ased pwysig hwn. Rydym am weld y ganolfan yn datblygu yn y ffordd dwi wedi ei ddisgrifio, gan symud y tu hwnt i'r defnydd tymhorol sydd yn canolbwyntio yn bennaf ar weithgarwch dŵr. Wrth wneud hynny, rydw i a'r Gweinidog yn disgwyl i ddatblygiad gael ei drafod yn ofalus gyda'r gweithlu lleol a pherchnogaeth y ganolfan i'w chadw ar gyfer y cyhoedd yng Nghymru.
Well, Llywydd, let me be clear: the Welsh Government does not support the privatisation of this important asset. We want to see the centre developing in the way that I've described, moving beyond the seasonal use that focuses mainly on water activity. And, in doing that, I and the Minister expect the development to be discussed carefully with the local workforce and the ownership of the centre to be kept for the public in Wales.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
I thank the First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, a dwi'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud y datganiad hynny. Lesley Griffiths.
The next item is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement. Lesley Griffiths.
Diolch, Llywydd. I've one change to today's agenda. Instead of a statement on COVID-19, the Minister for Health and Social Services will make a statement to update Members on Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae gen i un newid i'r agenda heddiw. Yn hytrach na datganiad ar COVID-19, bydd y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yn gwneud datganiad i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau am Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi ar y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith y papurau cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau yn electronig.
Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Welsh Government about the Future Valleys consortium and its contract regarding works to complete improvements to the A465 Heads of the Valleys road? In November 2020 your Government confirmed that the Future Valleys consortium had been awarded the contract to take forward improvements to sections 5 and 6 of the A465 Heads of the Valleys road, following its appointment as the preferred bidder five months earlier. It is now reported that one of the directors of the Future Valleys consortium was formerly finance director of Dawnus Construction, a firm that collapsed in 2019, with debts of nearly £50 million.
As well as the hundreds of private contractors from Wales and throughout the UK who were affected by the collapse, some public sector bodies have now lost out, including Powys County Council, which lost £1.3 million, and your own Government, which lost £0.5 million. Legitimate concerns have been raised regarding this appointment, which has resulted in someone involved in one of the biggest corporate failures in Wales now monitoring the expenditure of millions of pounds of public money on a major infrastructure project. Therefore, can we have a statement from the Minister about the appointment process that brought about this situation in the interest of transparency and accountability right here in Wales? Thank you, Minister.
Gweinidog, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru am gonsortiwm Cymoedd y Dyfodol a'i gontract ynghylch gwaith i gwblhau gwelliannau i ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd, yr A465? Ym mis Tachwedd 2020, cadarnhaodd eich Llywodraeth fod consortiwm Cymoedd y Dyfodol wedi cael y contract i fwrw ymlaen â gwelliannau i adrannau 5 a 6 o ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd, yr A465, ar ôl iddo gael ei benodi'n gynigydd a ffefrir bum mis ynghynt. Mae'n cael ei adrodd nawr bod un o gyfarwyddwyr consortiwm Cymoedd y Dyfodol eisoes yn gyfarwyddwr cyllid Dawnus Construction, cwmni a chwalodd yn 2019, gyda dyledion o bron i £50 miliwn.
Yn ogystal â'r cannoedd o gontractwyr preifat o Gymru a ledled y DU yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw pan chwalodd y cwmni, mae rhai cyrff sector cyhoeddus nawr ar eu colled, gan gynnwys Cyngor Sir Powys, a gollodd £1.3 miliwn, a'ch Llywodraeth eich hun, a gollodd £0.5 miliwn. Mae pryderon dilys wedi'u codi ynglŷn â'r penodiad hwn, sydd wedi arwain at rywun yn ymwneud ag un o'r methiannau corfforaethol mwyaf yng Nghymru nawr yn monitro gwariant miliynau o bunnoedd o arian cyhoeddus ar brosiect seilwaith mawr. Felly, a gawn ni ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog am y broses benodi a arweiniodd at y sefyllfa hon er budd tryloywder ac atebolrwydd yma yng Nghymru? Diolch yn fawr, Gweinidog.
Well, I don't think this is anything to do with a lack of transparency. I'm aware that information was gleaned via the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and I don't think that should be viewed as non-transparent at all. Obviously, Welsh Ministers have worked very closely and have invested equity via the Development Bank of Wales into the A465, and the investment is a key pillar, really, of our efforts to ensure schemes promote the public interest, particularly mutual investment model schemes.
Wel, nid wyf i'n credu bod hyn yn ymwneud â diffyg tryloywder. Rwy'n ymwybodol bod gwybodaeth wedi'i chasglu drwy Ddeddf Rhyddid Gwybodaeth 2000, ac nid wyf i'n credu y dylai hynny gael ei ystyried yn anhryloyw o gwbl. Yn amlwg, mae Gweinidogion Cymru wedi gweithio'n agos iawn ac wedi buddsoddi ecwiti drwy Fanc Datblygu Cymru yn yr A465, ac mae'r buddsoddiad yn brif gonglfaen, mewn gwirionedd, ein hymdrechion i sicrhau bod cynlluniau'n hyrwyddo budd y cyhoedd, yn enwedig cynlluniau model buddsoddi cydfuddiannol.
We are, Minister, this month, marking the fortieth anniversary of the war in the Falklands. And it's important, I think, that, as a Parliament, we recognise the contribution of Welsh servicemen and women in that campaign. I met recently with the Government of the Falkland islands, along with our Conservative colleague Darren Millar, and we spoke there about the contribution and the links between the Falkland islands and Wales. The British Legion in Ebbw Vale will be laying a wreath to remember those who were lost recovering the Falklands, and I'm sure, in communities up and down Wales and elsewhere, other wreaths will be laid to ensure that we do not forget the sacrifice and the loss of people who helped recover the Falklands.
Would it be possible, Minister, for the Government to ensure that we have time here in this place to remember the Falklands campaign, and to mark the fortieth anniversary of it? I think many of us will want to join Ministers and others at the service in Llandaff cathedral, but, at the same time, as a Parliament, it is important that we mark this anniversary and we remember the sacrifice of people who were lost.
Rydym ni, Gweinidog, y mis hwn, yn nodi deugain mlynedd ers y rhyfel yn y Falklands. Ac mae'n bwysig, rwy'n credu, ein bod ni, fel Senedd, yn cydnabod cyfraniad milwyr o Gymru, yn ddynion ac yn fenywod, yn yr ymgyrch honno. Gwnes i gyfarfod yn ddiweddar â Llywodraeth ynysoedd y Falkland, ynghyd â'n cyd-Aelod Ceidwadol Darren Millar, a buom yn siarad yno am y cyfraniad a'r cysylltiadau rhwng ynysoedd y Falkland a Chymru. Bydd y Lleng Brydeinig yng Nglynebwy yn gosod torch i gofio'r rhai a gollwyd yn adennill y Falklands, ac rwy'n siŵr, mewn cymunedau ar hyd a lled Cymru ac mewn mannau eraill, y bydd torchau eraill yn cael eu gosod i sicrhau nad ydym ni'n anghofio'r aberth a'r bobl a gollwyd yn helpu i adennill y Falklands.
A fyddai'n bosibl, Gweinidog, i'r Llywodraeth sicrhau bod gennym ni amser yma yn y lle hwn i gofio ymgyrch y Falklands, ac i nodi deugain mlynedd ers hynny? Rwy'n credu y bydd llawer ohonom ni eisiau ymuno â Gweinidogion ac eraill yn y gwasanaeth yn eglwys gadeiriol Llandaf, ond, ar yr un pryd, fel Senedd, mae'n bwysig i ni nodi'r pen-blwydd hwn a chofio aberth pobl a gollwyd.
I think Alun Davies raises a very important point, and the Welsh Government has been working with partners right across the armed forces sector to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Falklands conflict, and, of course, recognise the sacrifices that were made by many Welsh service personnel. I know—I think it was last Sunday—that the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership took part in a Falklands 40 anniversary bike ride. That started at the Falklands memorial at Alexandra Gardens in Cardiff, and a group of veterans are making their way by bike, over eight days, to Aldershot, in tribute to all those who served in the conflict.
Alun Davies mentioned the service that will be held at Llandaff cathedral. The First Minister will lead the Wales Falklands 40 service there, and I know, again, the Deputy Minister is attending the Royal British Legion Falklands 40 service at the National Memorial Arboretum.
In my own constituency of Wrexham, we're having a Welsh Guards memorial service and reunion to mark Falklands 40, and I know that wreaths will also be laid in the Falkland islands on behalf of the First Minister during upcoming services of remembrance.
Rwy'n credu fod Alun Davies yn codi pwynt pwysig iawn, ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio gyda phartneriaid ledled sector y lluoedd arfog i nodi deugain mlynedd ers gwrthdaro'r Falklands, ac, wrth gwrs, yn cydnabod yr aberth a gafodd ei wneud gan lawer o bersonél y lluoedd arfog yng Nghymru. Gwn i—rwy'n credu mai dydd Sul diwethaf ydoedd—fod y Dirprwy Weinidog Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol wedi cymryd rhan mewn taith feicio 40 mlynedd ers y Falklands. Dechreuodd hynny wrth gofeb y Falklands yng Ngerddi Alexandra yng Nghaerdydd, ac mae grŵp o gyn-filwyr yn gwneud eu ffordd ar feic, dros wyth diwrnod, i Aldershot, i dalu teyrnged i bawb a wasanaethodd yn y gwrthdaro.
Soniodd Alun Davies am y gwasanaeth a fydd yn cael ei gynnal yn eglwys gadeiriol Llandaf. Bydd y Prif Weinidog yn arwain gwasanaeth Falklands 40 Cymru yno, a gwn i, unwaith eto, y bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog yn bresennol yng ngwasanaeth Falklands 40 y Lleng Brydeinig Frenhinol yn y Goedardd Goffa Genedlaethol.
Yn fy etholaeth i, sef Wrecsam, mae gennym ni wasanaeth coffa ac aduniad y Gwarchodlu Cymreig i nodi Falklands 40, a gwn i y bydd torchau hefyd yn cael eu gosod ar ynysoedd y Falkland ar ran y Prif Weinidog yn ystod y gwasanaethau coffa sydd ar y gweill.
Could I call for a single statement, on rail services in north-east Wales? I don't know whether you read in our local press last Saturday reporting of the Wrexham-Bidston Rail Users' Association saying that Transport for Wales appears incapable of providing passengers with a reliable service, that they were operating a reduced service last Saturday on the Borderlands line running from Wrexham, Shotton and Bidston on to the Wirral, with the usual hourly service reduced, with direct trains running at two-hour intervals, and Transport for Wales's own journey planner website making no mention of that day's reduced service, and regular commuters going to catch their usual trains finding that they're not operating.
In fact, the users' association contacted me afterwards and said that the reduced service is also now being shown on the line on Sunday, and there's an intimation on social media that 150s from the Wrexham-Bidston and Conwy Valley lines have been redeployed to south Wales because of the football match in Cardiff. Quote: 'The Wrexham-Bidston line service continues to be perceived in the communities it serves as unreliable, and most of the long-promised service improvements have yet to be realised. This is not the sort of service your constituents should expect from Transport for Wales. Any assistance you could give to seek immediate and sustained improvement to passenger information and service reliability, through the Senedd, would be greatly appreciated.'
So, I call for a statement from the Minister for Climate Change, or her deputy, to explain what happened and to answer the concerns raised by the rail users' association regarding the service last weekend again being faced with such circumstances.
A gaf i alw am un datganiad, ar wasanaethau rheilffyrdd yn y gogledd-ddwyrain? Nid wyf i'n ymwybodol a ydych chi wedi darllen yn ein gwasg leol ddydd Sadwrn diwethaf, adroddiad am Gymdeithas Defnyddwyr Rheilffyrdd Wrecsam-Bidston yn dweud ei bod yn ymddangos nad yw Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn gallu darparu gwasanaeth dibynadwy i deithwyr, eu bod wedi gweithredu gwasanaeth wedi'i gwtogi ddydd Sadwrn diwethaf ar reilffordd y Gororau sy'n rhedeg o Wrecsam, Shotton a Bidston ymlaen i Gilgwri, gyda'r gwasanaeth arferol bob awr wedi'i leihau, gyda threnau uniongyrchol yn rhedeg bob dwy awr, a gwefan cynllunio teithiau Trafnidiaeth Cymru ei hun yn sôn dim am lai o wasanaethau y diwrnod hwnnw, a chymudwyr rheolaidd yn mynd i ddal eu trenau arferol yn darganfod nad ydyn nhw'n gweithredu.
Yn wir, cysylltodd cymdeithas y defnyddwyr â mi wedyn a dweud bod y gwasanaeth wedi'i gwtogi ar y lein ddydd Sul erbyn hyn, ac mae awgrym ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol bod trenau dosbarth 150 o reilffyrdd Wrecsam-Bidston a Dyffryn Conwy wedi cael eu hadleoli i dde Cymru oherwydd y gêm bêl-droed yng Nghaerdydd. Dyfyniad: 'Mae gwasanaeth rheilffordd Wrecsam-Bidston yn parhau i gael ei ystyried yn y cymunedau y mae'n eu gwasanaethu yn annibynadwy, ac nid yw'r rhan fwyaf o'r gwelliannau i wasanaethau sydd wedi'u haddo ers amser maith wedi'u gwireddu eto. Nid dyma'r math o wasanaeth y dylai eich etholwyr ei ddisgwyl gan Drafnidiaeth Cymru. Byddai unrhyw gymorth y gallech chi ei roi i geisio gwella gwybodaeth i deithwyr a dibynadwyedd gwasanaethau ar unwaith ac yn barhaus, drwy'r Senedd, yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.'
Felly, rwy'n galw am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd, neu ei dirprwy, i egluro'r hyn a ddigwyddodd ac i ateb y pryderon sydd wedi'u codi gan gymdeithas defnyddwyr y rheilffyrdd ynglŷn â'r gwasanaeth y penwythnos diwethaf yn wynebu amgylchiadau o'r fath unwaith eto.
Thank you. Well, you will have heard the First Minister saying in answer to Andrew R.T. Davies that there had been some disruption in relation to Transport for Wales. And I agree with what the First Minister said around a lack of information. It doesn't cost much to make sure that information is out, and I think Transport for Wales will be able to learn from the lack of information that they gave to passengers over the weekend. I should just say that Transport for Wales, they're the first operator—they're the only operator, actually, in the whole of the UK—to restore their full pre-COVID level of services, and I think they deserve recognition for doing that. But, unfortunately, we have seen some disruption, not just in north-east Wales, but across all parts of Wales over the past few days.
Diolch. Wel, byddwch chi wedi clywed y Prif Weinidog yn dweud wrth ateb Andrew R.T. Davies fod rhywfaint o darfu wedi bod o ran Trafnidiaeth Cymru. A chytunaf i â'r hyn a ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog ynghylch diffyg gwybodaeth. Nid yw'n costio llawer i sicrhau bod gwybodaeth ar gael, ac rwy'n credu y bydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn dysgu o'r diffyg gwybodaeth a welodd teithwyr dros y penwythnos. Dylwn i ddweud mai Trafnidiaeth Cymru, nhw yw'r gweithredwr cyntaf—nhw yw'r unig weithredwr, mewn gwirionedd, yn y DU gyfan—i adfer eu lefel lawn o wasanaethau cyn COVID, ac rwy'n credu eu bod yn haeddu cydnabyddiaeth am wneud hynny. Ond, yn anffodus, rydym ni wedi gweld rhywfaint o darfu, nid yn unig yn y gogledd-ddwyrain, ond ar draws pob rhan o Gymru yn ystod y dyddiau diwethaf.
Good afternoon, Trefnydd. To continue the transport theme, could I please request a statement from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change on discussions in relation to the renewal of the north-south air link? I understand that the value of the contract with Eastern Airways totalled almost £3 million between 2018 and 2021; subsidy ended up being about £142 per passenger in 2019. I'm aware that the contract for the north-south air link is due for renewal in 2023. And obviously, the public subsidy comes on top of our commitment to climate change and the need for a reduction in air travel, particularly short-haul flights. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Prynhawn da, Trefnydd. I barhau â thrafnidiaeth fel thema, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd ynglŷn â thrafodaethau ynghylch adnewyddu'r cyswllt awyr rhwng y gogledd a'r de? Rwy'n deall bod gwerth y cytundeb gydag Eastern Airways wedi dod i gyfanswm o bron i £3 miliwn rhwng 2018 a 2021; ac yn y diwedd, roedd y cymhorthdal tua £142 ar gyfer pob teithiwr yn 2019. Rwy'n ymwybodol y bydd y cytundeb am gyswllt awyr rhwng y gogledd a'r de yn cael ei adnewyddu yn 2023. Ac yn amlwg, mae'r cymhorthdal cyhoeddus yn dod ar ben ein hymrwymiad ni o ran newid hinsawdd a'r angen am ostyngiad mewn teithio awyr, yn enwedig teithiau awyr byr. Diolch. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thank you. There will be a Welsh Government statement before the summer recess.
Diolch. Fe fydd yna ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru cyn toriad yr haf.
Trefnydd, can I ask for two statements from the Welsh Government this afternoon? Firstly, I'd be grateful if the Minister for Health and Social Services could bring forward a statement on ophthalmology services, following an increase in representations that I've received from people waiting urgently for treatment. Some of those patients have wet macular degeneration and, while there is no cure, it can be treated of course with eye injections to try to protect their remaining sight. However, these injections must be given, of course, in a timely manner, and, sadly, that's not the case at the moment. So, I would be grateful if you could encourage the Minister for Health and Social Services to bring forward a statement on the matter as soon as possible, telling us what measures the Welsh Government are now taking to address this issue.
Secondly, can I also request a statement from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change on speed reduction schemes across Wales? The Welsh Government initially committed to reducing the speed limit on the A40 in Scleddau in my constituency at some point in this financial year. However, I've now received a worrying response to a written question, confirming that current capital budget allocations for trunk road network operations in 2022-23 require all projects to be re-evaluated. Now, I did raise this with the finance Minister, who didn't comment specifically on this matter. And so, in light of that lack of clarity on this, could you implore the Deputy Minister for Climate Change to bring forward a statement on speed reduction schemes across Wales, so Members can understand exactly when many of these schemes will now take place?
Trefnydd, a gaf i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru'r prynhawn yma? Yn gyntaf, fe fyddwn i'n ddiolchgar pe byddai'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yn cyflwyno datganiad ar wasanaethau offthalmoleg, yn dilyn cynnydd yn y sylwadau a gefais i oddi wrth bobl sy'n aros â thaer angen am driniaeth. Mae rhai o'r rhain yn dioddef o ddirywiad macwlaidd gwlyb ac, er nad oes gwella ohono, mae modd ei drin wrth gwrs gyda phigiadau i'r llygaid er mwyn ceisio diogelu hynny o olwg sy'n weddill. Eto i gyd, mae'n rhaid rhoi'r pigiadau hyn, wrth gwrs, yn ddigon cynnar, ac, yn anffodus, nid yw hynny'n wir ar hyn o bryd. Felly, fe fyddwn i'n ddiolchgar pe byddech chi'n cymell y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol i gyflwyno datganiad ar y mater cyn gynted â phosibl, gan ddweud wrthym ni pa fesurau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd nawr i fynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn.
Yn ail, a gaf i ofyn hefyd am ddatganiad gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd ynglŷn â'r cynlluniau i gyfyngu ar gyflymder cerbydau ledled Cymru? I ddechrau, fe ymrwymodd Llywodraeth Cymru i leihau'r terfyn cyflymder ar yr A40 yn Scleddau yn fy etholaeth i rywbryd yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol hon. Serch hynny, rwyf i wedi derbyn ymateb i gwestiwn ysgrifenedig sy'n achos gofid am ei fod y cadarnhau y bydd dyraniadau cyfredol y gyllideb gyfalaf ar gyfer gweithrediadau'r rhwydwaith cefnffyrdd yn 2022-23 yn ei wneud yn ofynnol bod pob prosiect yn cael ei ailwerthuso. Nawr, fe godais i hynny gyda'r Gweinidog cyllid, ond ni wnaeth ef unrhyw sylwadau penodol ar y mater hwn. Ac felly, yn sgil y diffyg eglurder yn hyn o beth, a wnewch chi bwyso ar y Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd i gyflwyno datganiad ar gynlluniau i leihau cyflymder ledled Cymru, fel y gall Aelodau gael gwybod pryd yn union y bydd llawer o'r cynlluniau hyn yn digwydd nawr?
Thank you. In response to your first question around ophthalmology services—and, particularly, you mentioned wet macular degeneration—obviously, it's a matter for the health board to ensure that treatments are given in a timely manner. I absolutely recognise the importance of that.
I will certainly ask the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, if he has any further information he is able to give you on top of the answer to your written question, to write to you.FootnoteLink
Diolch. Mewn ymateb i'ch cwestiwn cyntaf chi ynghylch gwasanaethau offthalmoleg—ac, yn arbennig, roeddech chi'n sôn am ddirywiad macwlaidd gwlyb—yn amlwg, mater i'r bwrdd iechyd yw sicrhau bod y triniaethau yn cael eu rhoi mewn da bryd. Rwy'n llwyr gydnabod pwysigrwydd hynny.
Fe wnaf yn sicr ofyn i'r Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd ysgrifennu atoch chi os oes ganddo unrhyw wybodaeth arall y gallai ef ei rhoi i chi yn ychwanegol i'r hyn sydd yn yr ateb i'ch cwestiwn ysgrifenedig.FootnoteLink
Minister, I wanted to raise the issue of the length of time it takes for replies from Ministers in terms of receiving correspondence back from Members of the Senedd when they write to them. Some Ministers reply in a very timely manner, other Ministers do not, and I give the example of the Minister for Climate Change. I sent a correspondence via e-mail in January, and I've yet to receive a reply, despite sending chase e-mails in February, March, April and again last week. Can I ask, Minister, what do you believe is a reasonable timeframe in which correspondence should be received back from Ministers to correspondence from Members? And can I also ask, Minister, if you would discuss this matter with your colleagues to ensure that Ministers do indeed send timely responses to Members of this Chamber?
Gweinidog, fe hoffwn i godi mater yr amser y mae hi'n ei gymryd i dderbyn atebion oddi wrth Weinidogion o ran cael gohebiaeth yn ôl oddi wrth Aelodau'r Senedd pan fydd rhai wedi ysgrifennu atyn nhw. Mae rhai Gweinidogion yn ymateb yn gyflym iawn, ond nid yw Gweinidogion eraill yn gwneud felly, ac rwy'n rhoi esiampl y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd. Fe anfonais i ohebiaeth drwy e-bost ym mis Ionawr, ac nid wyf i eto wedi cael ateb, er gwaethaf anfon negeseuon e-bost ym misoedd Chwefror, Mawrth, Ebrill ac eto'r wythnos diwethaf. A gaf i ofyn, Gweinidog, beth, yn eich barn chi, yw amserlen resymol ar gyfer derbyn atebion gan Weinidogion i ohebiaeth gan Aelodau? Ac a gaf i ofyn hefyd, Gweinidog, a wnewch chi drafod y mater hwn gyda'ch cyd-Aelodau i sicrhau bod Gweinidogion wir yn anfon ymatebion mewn da bryd at Aelodau'r Siambr hon?
I think you raise a very important point, and, clearly, not having a response from January is unacceptable. It's the biggest portfolio, obviously, in Government; however, I do absolutely accept your point, particularly if you have chased it up. I personally—. I think it's 17 working days at the moment, and I think that is about the correct time. However, I also appreciate it depends how detailed and how complex some of the responses have to be, and they can take a little longer. But I go back to what I was saying before, just a holding note is helpful, I think, so I will certainly raise this, both with my ministerial colleagues but also with the Permanent Secretary.
Rwy'n credu eich bod chi'n codi pwynt pwysig iawn, ac, yn amlwg, mae peidio â chael ateb o fis Ionawr yn annerbyniol. Hwn yw'r portffolio mwyaf, mae'n amlwg, yn y Llywodraeth; serch hynny, rwy'n derbyn eich pwynt chi'n llwyr, yn arbennig felly os ydych chi wedi mynd ar drywydd hynny. Yn bersonol—. Rwy'n credu mai 17 diwrnod gwaith yw'r ffigwr ar hyn o bryd, ac rwyf i o'r farn fod hynny'n weddol agos ati. Er hynny, rwy'n deall hefyd fod hyn yn ddibynnol ar ba mor fanwl a pha mor gymhleth y mae'n rhaid i rai o'r ymatebion fod, ac fe allai'r rhain gymryd ychydig mwy o amser. Ond rwy'n mynd yn ôl at yr hyn yr oeddwn i'n ei ddweud o'r blaen, sef y gallai nodyn byr i gadarnhau bod ateb ar y ffordd fod yn ddefnyddiol, yn fy marn i, ac felly fe wnaf yn sicr godi hyn, gyda fy nghyd-Weinidogion ond hefyd gyda'r Ysgrifennydd Parhaol.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
I thank the Trefnydd.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw eitem 3, a hwnnw yw'r datganiad gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol ar y Bil Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol a Chaffael Cyhoeddus (Cymru). Galw ar y Dirprwy Weinidog i wneud y datganiad—Hannah Blythyn.
The next item, therefore, is item 3, a statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership on the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill. And I call on the Deputy Minister to make that statement—Hannah Blythyn.
Diolch, Llywydd. Ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru, mae’n bleser gen i gyflwyno Bil Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol a Chaffael Cyhoeddus (Cymru) i’r Senedd heddiw. Wrth wneud hynny, hoffwn i ddiolch i’n holl bartneriaid cymdeithasol—cyflogwyr yn y sector cyhoeddus a’r sector preifat, a’r undebau llafur yng Nghymru—am eu holl gyfraniadau at y gwaith o ddatblygu’r ddeddfwriaeth bwysig hon.
Thank you, Llywydd. On behalf of the Welsh Government, it's a pleasure to present the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill today. In doing so, I'd like to thank all our social partners—employers in the public and private sectors, and the trade unions in Wales—for all of their contributions to the work of developing this important legislation.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (David Rees) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.
The Bill fulfills a key programme for government commitment to place social partnership on a statutory footing in Wales. It provides for a framework to enhance the well-being of the people of Wales, including by improving public services and through social partnership working, promoting fair work and carrying out socially responsible public procurement.
The Bill establishes a social partnership council for Wales, bringing together Government, employers and worker representatives nominated by the Wales Trades Union Congress. The function of the council will be to provide information and advice to the Welsh Ministers in relation to the social partnership duties, the pursuit of the 'a prosperous Wales' well-being goal by public bodies and the socially responsible public procurement duties. The legislation also provides for a public procurement sub-group of the social partnership council to be established.
The Bill places a new social partnership duty on certain public bodies and on Welsh Ministers. Certain public bodies will be required to seek consensus or compromise with their recognised trade unions, or, where there is no recognised trade union, other representatives of their staff, when setting their well-being objectives and delivering on those objectives under section 3(2) of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. This duty goes beyond a simple requirement to consult. Through it, we expect public bodies to be actively engaged with their recognised trade unions or other staff representatives as genuine partners in the setting and pursuit of their well-being objectives. Welsh Ministers will be placed under a separate duty to consult social partners, employers and worker representatives through the social partnership council when delivering on their well-being objectives under section 3(2)(b) of the 2015 Act.
The Bill amends section 4 of the well-being of future generations Act by replacing 'decent work' with 'fair work' within the existing 'a prosperous Wales' goal. Back in 2018, the Welsh Government established the Fair Work Commission to make recommendations to promote and encourage fair work. The commission’s report, 'Fair Work Wales', published in 2019, recommended that the actions by public bodies under the 2015 Act should incorporate fair work.
The Bill also creates a duty for socially responsible public procurement. Almost £7 billion of public money is spent each year through procurement in Wales. Under the new duty, specified public bodies will be required to consider socially responsible public procurement when carrying out procurement, to set objectives in relation to well-being goals, and to publish a procurement strategy. Public bodies will also be required to carry out contract management duties to ensure that socially responsible outcomes are pursued through supply chains. Finally, the Bill imposes reporting duties on the relevant public bodies and Welsh Ministers in relation to the social partnership duty and socially responsible procurement duty.
As I said in my statement to the Senedd on 14 September last year, this Bill has been the subject of extensive consultation. Crucially, it has also been prepared in collaboration with our social partners. Through their help, wise counsel and occasional challenge, I am confident the Bill presented to the Senedd today is an ambitious yet practical step forward for social partnership in Wales, which will contribute significantly to the achievement of our well-being goals.
Social partnership is not new and is certainly not unique to Wales. However, social partnership has evolved to become a Welsh way of working and, over the course of the last two years, this way of working has demonstrated very clear benefits for workers, employers and Government alike, as together we sought to manage the impact of the COVID pandemic and to keep the people of Wales safe.
Welsh Government has a long-standing commitment to this way of working, and we want to futureproof social partnership to ensure future generations can benefit not only from better well-being, but also from strong, sustainable public services underpinned by a social partnership approach. The framework established by the Bill will help social partners work better together in pursuit of the well-being goals contained within the well-being of future generations Act.
The Bill aims to make Wales a better, fairer, more prosperous place to live and work. The mechanisms in the Bill are intended to help unite Government, workers and public services in Wales towards a common vision—that of a prosperous, resilient, healthier, more equal Wales with cohesive communities, vibrant culture, thriving Welsh language, and a globally responsible Wales.
The Bill builds on the already extensive history and success of social partnership working in Wales. I'm committed to continuing to work in social partnership as this legislation progresses, and I look forward to further discussions with Plaid Cymru, as part of the co-operation agreement, on how we can maximise the impact of this new legislation.
In closing, Dirprwy Lywydd, I very much look forward to the contributions of Senedd Members both today and in taking forward the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill.
Mae'r Bil yn cyflawni ymrwymiad allweddol yn y rhaglen lywodraethu i roi sail statudol yng Nghymru i bartneriaeth gymdeithasol. Mae'n darparu ar gyfer fframwaith i wella llesiant pobl Cymru, yn cynnwys drwy wella gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a gweithio mewn partneriaeth gymdeithasol, hyrwyddo gwaith teg, a chynnal caffael cyhoeddus sy'n arddangos cyfrifoldeb cymdeithasol.
Mae'r Bil yn sefydlu cyngor partneriaeth gymdeithasol i Gymru, sy'n dwyn ynghyd gynrychiolwyr y Llywodraeth, cyflogwyr a gweithwyr a enwebwyd gan Gyngres Undebau Llafur Cymru. Swyddogaeth y cyngor fydd cynnig gwybodaeth a chyngor i Weinidogion Cymru o ran dyletswyddau'r bartneriaeth gymdeithasol, yr ymgais i gyrraedd nod llesiant 'Cymru lewyrchus' gan gyrff cyhoeddus a'r dyletswyddau o ran caffael cyhoeddus sy'n arddangos cyfrifoldeb cymdeithasol. Mae'r ddeddfwriaeth yn darparu hefyd ar gyfer sefydlu is-grŵp caffael cyhoeddus o'r cyngor partneriaeth gymdeithasol.
Mae'r Bil yn rhoi dyletswydd newydd o ran partneriaeth gymdeithasol ar gyrff cyhoeddus penodol ac ar Weinidogion Cymru. Fe fydd hi'n ofynnol i rai cyrff cyhoeddus geisio consensws neu gyfaddawd gyda'u hundebau llafur cydnabyddedig, neu, os nad oes undeb llafur cydnabyddedig, gyda chynrychiolwyr eraill o'u staff, wrth bennu eu hamcanion o ran llesiant a chyflawni'r amcanion hynny o dan adran 3(2) o Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015. Mae'r ddyletswydd hon yn mynd y tu hwnt i ofyniad syml i ymgynghori. Yn ei sgil, rydym ni'n disgwyl i gyrff cyhoeddus ymgysylltu yn weithredol â'u hundebau llafur cydnabyddedig neu gynrychiolwyr staff eraill fel partneriaid gwirioneddol wrth bennu a chyflawni eu hamcanion o ran llesiant. Fe fydd yna ddyletswydd ar wahân ar Weinidogion Cymru i ymgynghori â phartneriaid cymdeithasol, cyflogwyr a chynrychiolwyr gweithwyr drwy'r cyngor partneriaeth gymdeithasol wrth gyflawni eu hamcanion o ran llesiant yn unol ag adran 3(2)(b) o Ddeddf 2015.
Mae'r Bil yn diwygio adran 4 Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol drwy ddisodli 'waith addas' gyda 'waith teg' o fewn nod cyfredol 'Cymru lewyrchus'. Nôl yn 2018, sefydlodd Llywodraeth Cymru y Comisiwn Gwaith Teg i wneud argymhellion o ran hyrwyddo ac annog gwaith teg. Roedd adroddiad y comisiwn, 'Gwaith Teg Cymru', a gyhoeddwyd yn 2019, yn argymell y dylai'r camau gweithredu gan gyrff cyhoeddus yn unol â Deddf 2015 gynnwys gwaith teg.
Mae'r Bil yn pennu dyletswydd hefyd o ran caffael cyhoeddus sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol. Caiff bron i £7 biliwn o arian cyhoeddus ei wario drwy gaffael yng Nghymru bob blwyddyn. Yn unol â'r ddyletswydd newydd, fe fydd hi'n ofynnol i gyrff cyhoeddus penodedig ystyried caffael cyhoeddus sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol wrth gaffael, a phennu amcanion o ran nodau llesiant, a chyhoeddi strategaeth gaffael hefyd. Fe fydd hi'n ofynnol i gyrff cyhoeddus gyflawni dyletswyddau wrth reoli contractau i sicrhau bod canlyniadau sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol yn cael eu ceisio drwy gadwyni cyflenwi. Yn olaf, mae'r Bil yn rhoi dyletswyddau ar y cyrff cyhoeddus perthnasol a Gweinidogion Cymru i adrodd o ran y ddyletswydd partneriaeth gymdeithasol a'r ddyletswydd gaffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol.
Fel y dywedais i yn fy natganiad i'r Senedd ar 14 o fis Medi'r llynedd, mae'r Bil hwn wedi bod yn destun ymgynghoriad eang. Yn hollbwysig, fe gafodd hwn ei baratoi mewn cydweithrediad â'n partneriaid cymdeithasol ni hefyd. Drwy eu cymorth nhw, eu cyngor doeth nhw a'u her nhw o bryd i'w gilydd, rwy'n hyderus bod y Bil a gyflwynir i'r Senedd heddiw yn gam ymlaen sy'n uchelgeisiol ond yn ymarferol hefyd tuag at bartneriaeth gymdeithasol yng Nghymru, a fydd yn cyfrannu yn sylweddol at gyflawni ein nodau llesiant ni.
Nid yw partneriaeth gymdeithasol yn newydd ac yn sicr nid yw hynny'n unigryw i Gymru. Er hynny, mae partneriaeth gymdeithasol wedi esblygu i fod yn ffordd Gymreig o weithio ac, yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, mae'r ffordd hon o weithio wedi arddangos manteision eglur iawn i weithwyr, cyflogwyr a'r Llywodraeth fel ei gilydd, gan ein bod ni, gyda'n gilydd, wedi ceisio rheoli effaith pandemig COVID a chadw pobl Cymru yn ddiogel.
Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru ymrwymiad hirsefydlog i'r ffordd hon o weithio, ac rydym ni'n awyddus i ddiogelu partneriaeth gymdeithasol yn y dyfodol i sicrhau y gall cenedlaethau'r dyfodol elwa nid yn unig ar well llesiant, ond fod â gwasanaethau cyhoeddus cydnerth a chynaliadwy hefyd sy'n seiliedig ar ddull partneriaeth gymdeithasol. Bydd y fframwaith a sefydlir gan y Bil yn helpu partneriaid cymdeithasol i weithio gyda'i gilydd yn well i gyflawni'r nodau llesiant a gynhwysir yn Neddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol.
Nod y Bil yw gwneud Cymru yn lle gwell, tecach a mwy llewyrchus i fyw a gweithio ynddo. Bwriad y mecanweithiau yn y Bil yw helpu i uno Llywodraeth, gweithwyr a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru mewn gweledigaeth gyffredin—sef Cymru lewyrchus, gydnerth, iachach a mwy cyfartal gyda chymunedau cydlynus, diwylliant bywiog, iaith Gymraeg ffyniannus, a Chymru sy'n gyfrifol yn fyd-eang.
Mae'r Bil yn adeiladu ar hanes a llwyddiant helaeth gweithio mewn partneriaeth gymdeithasol yng Nghymru eisoes. Rwyf i wedi ymrwymo i barhau i weithio mewn partneriaeth gymdeithasol wrth i'r ddeddfwriaeth hon fynd rhagddi, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at drafodaethau pellach gyda Phlaid Cymru, yn rhan o'r cytundeb cydweithredu, ynglŷn â'r ffordd i ni wneud yn fawr o effaith y ddeddfwriaeth newydd hon.
Wrth gloi, Dirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at gyfraniadau Aelodau'r Senedd heddiw ac wrth fwrw ymlaen â'r Bil Partneriaethau Cymdeithasol a Chaffael Cyhoeddus (Cymru).
Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement and for the introduction of this Bill. However, despite your efforts, I do believe that there are overwhelming points of issue with it. Firstly, the social partnership council that is being proposed is likely to just consolidate existing social partnership mechanisms on a statutory basis, thus endorsing the status quo and removing the impetus to improve fair work through supply chains.
Secondly, there is existing legal duty on public bodies to protect people from discrimination in the workplace and in the wider society, as laid out in the Equality Act 2010, and so what this Bill will simply do is increase the regulatory burden on public bodies. This will be problematic, because public bodies in Wales are, in all likelihood, going to struggle with implementing additional regulation. We have heard in this Chamber that 5 per cent of public bodies still claim to have never heard of this Government's flagship policy of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and many more have struggled to fulfil its requirements. So, I ask the Deputy Minister why this Government believes that this Bill will improve public body procurement, when public bodies, with the help of this Government and the commissioner, cannot fully implement regulation that has been in place for nearly 10 years.
Thirdly, I believe that there is insufficient quantifiable evidence that this Bill will bring any significant benefits to fair work in supply chains, because it is grounded entirely in the faith that there will be a positive impact. As you know, Deputy Minister, previous efforts to increase the social impact of procurement, such as the European social fund project, revealed no tangible evidence of positive results to either local economies or fair work practices. Dirprwy Lywydd, the best-case scenario that this Bill can hope for is that public procurement contracts ensure fair work practices in those areas where goods and services are at present being procured, which is a rather limited exercise since public bodies already have the means to do this, and, for the most part, they already do it. Furthermore, this Bill will not be able to address unfair working practices in areas outside of public supply chains, which is where most of the support is needed.
So, I wonder, Dirprwy Lywydd, what is the real purpose of introducing such a Bill. I believe that this Government's purpose for the Bill is to increase the power of trade unions by giving them an equal say over public procurement contracts, which is a dangerous scenario to be in, because it will mean that trade unions will now be able to withhold or slow down public procurement at their discretion and effectively hold public bodies to ransom by stopping consultation on procurement contracts until their demands are met. This will be challenging for public bodies during disputes, as trade unions will now have even more leverage to stop public bodies from functioning.
On another point, we must be mindful that trade unions are not infallible to corruption. As we know, Unite, the Labour Party's biggest supporter, has employees being investigated for bribery, fraud and money laundering, and current investigations have recently seen Unite properties, including the headquarters, raided by several police forces. Dirprwy Lywydd, it is not a hyperbole to say that this Government's Bill could see corrupt trade union officials receiving funds from prospective suppliers to manipulate favourable places ahead of the queue for public procurement contracts, as well as being able to bully and coerce suppliers into meeting their own specific demands, putting suppliers' backs up against the wall with threats of losing contracts if they do not comply. It could even create the scenario that trade unions may receive generous campaign contributions from prospective companies looking to secure lucrative public procurement contracts.
Thirdly, because trade unions are now going to have to scrutinise public procurement chains, it will mean more than just facility time payments will be needed. Trade unions will need personnel who are properly trained, and their time will need to be appropriately paid for, because, Deputy Minister, you cannot expect trade unions to scrutinise fair work and fair pay practices without themselves receiving fair pay in return. So, undoubtedly, trade unions have to receive, at some point, public money to carry out these regulatory duties. And, for those Members of Plaid Cymru looking to support this Bill, you need to be very much aware that this Bill will ultimately be ploughing public money into trade union coffers, who will then be donating more money to the Labour Party, which is certainly a conflict of interest.
Surely, Deputy Minister, it is glaringly obvious that an independent body that can hire the best people without political affiliation, and that does not pay contributions to the Labour Party, would be much better placed to scrutinise contracts to ensure fair pay and fair work conditions. They can then report back to Government and public bodies and the appropriate decisions can then be made. I argue that, given all the points I have made, there is very little ground for trade unions to take on this role within the public procurement contracts. In conclusion, I'd like to say that ensuring fair work throughout supply chains is an immensely positive step. However, the current system already allows for that. Legislation from this Government already places a duty on public bodies to review proper working conditions and fair pay through the supply chains. So, ultimately, this Bill comes about from the mistrust of this Government towards public bodies and their ability to effectively review their own supply chains, and a desire by the Labour Party to give trade unions a suffocating grip on public procurement in Wales. [Interruption.]
Diolch, Dirprwy Weinidog, am eich datganiad ac am gyflwyno'r Bil hwn. Er hynny, er gwaethaf eich ymdrechion, rwyf i o'r farn fod yna bwyntiau sylweddol sy'n codi problemau ynddo. Yn gyntaf, mae'r cyngor partneriaeth gymdeithasol a gynigir yn debygol o gydgrynhoi'r mecanweithiau partneriaeth gymdeithasol presennol ar sail statudol yn unig, gan gymeradwyo'r sefyllfa bresennol a diddymu'r ysgogiad i wella gwaith teg drwy gadwyni cyflenwi.
Yn ail, mae dyletswydd gyfreithiol ar gyrff cyhoeddus ar hyn o bryd i amddiffyn pobl rhag gwahaniaethu yn y gweithle ac yn y gymdeithas ehangach, fel y nodir yn Neddf Cydraddoldeb 2010, ac felly'r hyn y bydd y Bil hwn yn ei wneud yw cynyddu'r baich sydd ar gyrff cyhoeddus o ran rheoleiddio. Ac fe fydd honno'n broblem, gan y bydd cyrff cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, yn ôl pob tebyg, yn mynd i drafferthion wrth weithredu'r rheoliadau ychwanegol. Rydym ni wedi clywed yn y Siambr hon fod 5 y cant o gyrff cyhoeddus yn parhau i fynegi nad ydyn nhw erioed wedi clywed am bolisi blaenllaw'r Llywodraeth hon sef Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, ac mae llawer mwy wedi cael trafferth wrth gyflawni ei gofynion hi. Felly, rwy'n gofyn i'r Dirprwy Weinidog pam mae'r Llywodraeth hon o'r farn y bydd y Bil hwn yn achosi gwelliant yng ngwaith caffael cyrff cyhoeddus, pan na all cyrff cyhoeddus, gyda chymorth y Llywodraeth hon a'r comisiynydd, weithredu'r holl reoliadau sydd wedi bod ar waith ers bron i 10 mlynedd.
Yn drydydd, rwyf i o'r farn nad oes yna ddigon o dystiolaeth fesuradwy y bydd y Bil hwn yn dod ag unrhyw fanteision sylweddol i waith teg mewn cadwyni cyflenwi, oherwydd fe gaiff ei seilio yn llwyr ar ffydd y bydd yna effaith gadarnhaol. Fel gwyddoch chi, Dirprwy Weinidog, ni ddaeth ymdrechion blaenorol i gynyddu effaith gymdeithasol caffael, fel prosiect cronfa gymdeithasol Ewrop, ag unrhyw dystiolaeth bendant o ganlyniadau cadarnhaol i economïau lleol nac o ran arferion gwaith teg. Dirprwy Lywydd, y sefyllfa orau y gall y Bil hwn obeithio amdani yw bod contractau caffael cyhoeddus yn sicrhau arferion gwaith teg yn y meysydd hynny lle caiff nwyddau a gwasanaethau eu caffael ar hyn o bryd, sy'n ymdrech weddol gyfyngedig o ystyried bod gan y cyrff cyhoeddus fodd i wneud felly eisoes, ac, ar y cyfan, maen nhw yn gwneud felly eisoes. At hynny, ni fydd y Bil hwn yn gallu mynd i'r afael ag arferion gwaith annheg mewn ardaloedd y tu allan i gadwyni cyflenwi cyhoeddus, sef lle mae angen y cymorth fwyaf.
Felly, tybed, Dirprwy Lywydd, beth yw diben gwirioneddol cyflwyno Bil fel hyn. Rwyf i o'r farn mai diben y Llywodraeth hon ar gyfer y Bil yw ar gyfer cynyddu grym yr undebau llafur drwy roi llais cyfartal iddyn nhw o ran contractau caffael cyhoeddus, sy'n sefyllfa beryglus i fod ynddi hi, oherwydd fe fydd hynny'n golygu y bydd undebau llafur yn gallu atal neu arafu caffael cyhoeddus nawr yn ôl eu mympwy a rhwystro cyrff cyhoeddus ac, i bob pwrpas, yn gallu dal cyrff cyhoeddus am bridwerth drwy atal ymgynghoriad ar gytundebau caffael hyd nes i'w gofynion gael eu bodloni. Fe fydd hyn yn heriol i gyrff cyhoeddus pan fo unrhyw anghydfod, gan y bydd gan undebau llafur fwy fyth o ddylanwad nawr i atal cyrff cyhoeddus rhag gwneud eu gwaith.
Ar bwynt arall, mae'n rhaid i ni gofio nad yw undebau llafur yn gwbl anllygredig. Fel gwyddom ni, mae Unite, cefnogwr mwyaf y Blaid Lafur, yn ymchwilio i weithwyr am lwgrwobrwyo, twyll a gwyngalchu arian, ac mae rhai o safleoedd Unite, gan gynnwys y pencadlys, wedi gweld nifer o heddluoedd yn mynd i mewn ac yn cipio tystiolaeth oherwydd ymchwiliadau cyfredol. Dirprwy Lywydd, nid gorddweud yw mynegi y gallai Bil y Llywodraeth hon weld swyddogion undebau llafur llwgr yn cael arian gan ddarpar gyflenwyr i ennill lleoedd ffafriol ar flaen y ciw ar gyfer contractau caffael cyhoeddus, yn ogystal â gallu bwlio a gorfodi cyflenwyr i fodloni eu gofynion penodol nhw eu hunain, gan roi cefnau cyflenwyr yn erbyn y wal gyda bygythiadau o golli contractau os nad ydyn nhw'n cydymffurfio. Fe allai hyn greu'r sefyllfa hyd yn oed o undebau llafur yn cael cyfraniadau hael at eu hymgyrchoedd nhw gan gwmnïau a fyddai'n awyddus i ennill cytundebau caffael cyhoeddus gwerthfawr.
Yn drydydd, gan y bydd yn rhaid i undebau llafur graffu ar gadwyni caffael cyhoeddus nawr, fe fydd hynny'n golygu y bydd angen mwy na dim ond taliadau am amser cyfleusterau. Bydd angen personél gyda'r hyfforddiant priodol ar yr undebau llafur, ac fe fydd angen talu yn iawn am eu hamser nhw, oherwydd, Dirprwy Weinidog, ni allwch chi ddim disgwyl i undebau llafur graffu ar waith teg ac arferion cyflog teg heb iddyn nhw gael cyflog teg yn gyfnewid am hynny. Felly, yn ddi-os, mae'n rhaid i undebau llafur gael arian cyhoeddus, ar ryw adeg, i gyflawni'r dyletswyddau hyn o ran rheoleiddio hyn. Ac, i'r Aelodau hynny o Blaid Cymru sydd am gefnogi'r Bil hwn, mae angen i chi fod yn ymwybodol iawn y bydd y Bil hwn yn y pen draw yn dodi arian cyhoeddus yng nghoffrau'r undebau llafur, a fydd yn rhoi mwy o arian i'r Blaid Lafur wedyn, sy'n sicr yn achos gwrthdaro buddiannau.
Yn sicr, Dirprwy Weinidog, mae hi'n amlwg iawn y byddai corff annibynnol sy'n gallu cyflogi'r bobl orau heb unrhyw ymlyniad gwleidyddol, a heb dalu cyfraniadau i'r Blaid Lafur, mewn sefyllfa well o lawer i graffu ar gytundebau i sicrhau cyflog teg ac amodau gwaith teg. Ac fe allai adrodd yn ôl i'r Llywodraeth a chyrff cyhoeddus ac fe ellid gwneud y penderfyniadau priodol wedyn. Rwyf i'n dadlau, o ystyried yr holl bwyntiau a wnes i, mai ychydig iawn o sail sydd yna i undebau llafur fod yn ymgymryd â'r swyddogaeth hon o ran y contractau caffael cyhoeddus. I gloi, fe hoffwn i ddweud bod sicrhau gwaith teg drwy'r cadwyni cyflenwi yn gam cadarnhaol tu hwnt. Serch hynny, mae'r gyfundrefn bresennol yn caniatáu hynny eisoes. Mae deddfwriaeth gan y Llywodraeth hon yn rhoi dyletswydd ar gyrff cyhoeddus eisoes i adolygu amodau gwaith priodol a chyflog teg drwy'r cadwyni cyflenwi. Felly, yn y pen draw, mae'r Bil hwn yn deillio o ddrwgdybiaeth y Llywodraeth hon o gyrff cyhoeddus a'u gallu nhw i adolygu eu cadwyni cyflenwi eu hunain yn effeithiol, yn ogystal ag awydd y Blaid Lafur i roi caffael cyhoeddus yng nghrafangau'r undebau llafur yng Nghymru. [Torri ar draws.]
Before I ask the Minister to answer any questions that may have been in that, please remember that this is a statement and not a debate at this point in time. I have a request for a point of order from Jack Sargeant.
Cyn i mi ofyn i'r Gweinidog ateb unrhyw gwestiynau a allai godi o hynny, cofiwch, os gwelwch chi'n dda, mai datganiad yw hwn ac nid dadl ar hyn o bryd. Mae cais gennyf i am bwynt o drefn gan Jack Sargeant.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to raise this point of order, and I would ask the Welsh Conservative spokesperson to reflect on the language he has used during his contribution this afternoon with regard to trade unions and Welsh trade unions, based on no evidence—very disrespectful and distasteful comments around corruption in Welsh trade unions. And as a proud member of a Welsh trade union—two of them, in fact—and I'm speaking on behalf of the residents of Wales, not just Members of the Senedd, I'd ask the Member to withdraw those comments.
Diolch i chi, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cyfle i godi'r pwynt hwn o drefn, ac rwyf i am ofyn i lefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ystyried yr iaith a ddefnyddiodd yn ystod ei gyfraniad y prynhawn yma o ran yr undebau llafur ac undebau llafur Cymru, heb unrhyw dystiolaeth—sylwadau amharchus ac annymunol iawn ynghylch llygredd yn undebau llafur Cymru. A minnau'n aelod balch o undeb llafur yng Nghymru—dau ohonyn nhw, mewn gwirionedd—ac rwy'n siarad ar ran pobl Cymru, nid Aelodau'r Senedd yn unig, fe fyddwn i'n gofyn i'r Aelod dynnu'r hyn a ddywedodd yn ôl.
I'm not clear whether that's a point of order, but you've made your statement quite clear at this point. Hannah Blythyn.
Nid wyf i'n siŵr ai pwynt o drefn yw hwnnw, ond rydych chi wedi dweud eich meddwl yn gwbl eglur nawr. Hannah Blythyn.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I will try my best to address some of the more substantive contributions from the Member there, given this is a significant and landmark piece of legislation, and it should be treated with respect as such. However, I would say, once again, the Member does, at best, misunderstand the intent of the legislation, not least the content, but seeks to deliberately misrepresent it as well for his own political ends. And I extend the invitation, as we do to all Members, to a further technical briefing as part of this legislation. And I would be more than happy to sit down with the Member myself to go through the legislation in detail to address some of the points that he has made today, to give him reassurance and to make clear that, actually, what we are doing is about giving equal voice and equal weight—actually making sure that we strengthen fair work in Wales.
On the point that the Member made towards the end, I've taken that as, 'Fair work is great, as long as workers who are impacted by that aren't given an opportunity to shape that or have a voice'. So, what this legislation seeks to do is to underpin that social partnership work that we already have, to put it on a formal footing, and, actually, to give us that greater connectivity and consistency of approach so that we can be as effective as we possibly can, and to strengthen that with the legislative underpinning, but also through the social partnership duty on public bodies. And many good employers, not just public bodies, already work in social partnership, and what this does is just strengthen that and gives them the support and opportunity to do that as well.
In terms of procurement, successive reviews of procurement in Wales have actually shown that we need to legislate in order to make good practice and make progress, and deliver well-being outcomes through procurement and make it more consistent. This legislation is responding to those reviews in terms of how we need to build on that and improve in the future.
Just one final point to pick up what the Member said, to address the points he made around supply chains, actually, the contract management duties in this legislation seek to strengthen that around supply chains, particularly within, for instance, the construction sector, where we know there are significant challenges in terms of the way in which the sector works and the length and complexity of the supply chains, and also in terms of how we ensure we strengthen the statutory code of practice when it comes to the outsourcing of any public services.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwyf i am wneud fy ngorau glas i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r cyfraniadau mwy sylweddol a wnaeth yr Aelod yn y fan yna, o gofio bod hwn yn ddarn sylweddol a nodedig o ddeddfwriaeth, ac fe ddylid ei drin â dyledus barch. Eto i gyd, fe ddywedwn i, unwaith eto, fod yr Aelod, ar y gorau, yn camddeall bwriad y ddeddfwriaeth, yn enwedig y cynnwys felly, ac yn ceisio ei llurgunio hi'n fwriadol at ei ddibenion gwleidyddol ei hunan hefyd. Ac rwy'n estyn gwahoddiad, fel gwnawn ni i bob Aelod, i sesiwn friffio technegol pellach yn rhan o'r ddeddfwriaeth hon. Ac fe fyddwn i'n fwy na pharod i eistedd gyda'r Aelod fy hunan i fynd drwy'r ddeddfwriaeth yn fanwl i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r pwyntiau a wnaeth ef heddiw, i roi sicrwydd iddo ac i'w gwneud hi'n glir mai'r hyn a wnawn ni, mewn gwirionedd, yw rhoi'r un llais a'r un pwys—sicrhau mewn gwirionedd ein bod ni'n atgyfnerthu gwaith teg yng Nghymru.
O ran y pwynt a wnaeth yr Aelod tua'r diwedd, rwyf i wedi cymryd hynny i olygu, 'Peth rhagorol yw gwaith teg, ar yr amod nad yw'r gweithwyr yr effeithir arnyn nhw yn cael cyfle i'w lunio na bod ganddyn lais'. Felly, yr hyn y mae'r ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ceisio ei wneud yw ategu'r gwaith partneriaeth gymdeithasol hwnnw sydd gennym ni eisoes, i'w roi ar sail ffurfiol, ac, mewn gwirionedd, i roi'r dull gweithredu mwy cyson hwnnw o weithredu er mwyn gallu bod mor effeithiol ag y gallwn ni fod, a chryfhau hynny gyda sail ddeddfwriaethol, ond drwy'r ddyletswydd partneriaeth gymdeithasol sydd ar gyrff cyhoeddus hefyd. Ac mae yna lawer o gyflogwyr da, nid cyrff cyhoeddus yn unig, yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth gymdeithasol eisoes, ac ystyr hyn yw cryfhau hynny a rhoi'r gefnogaeth a'r cyfle iddyn nhw wneud hynny hefyd.
O ran caffael, mae adolygiadau dilynol o gaffael yng Nghymru wedi dangos mewn gwirionedd fod angen i ni ddeddfu ar gyfer gwneud arfer da a gwneud cynnydd, a sicrhau canlyniadau llesiant drwy gaffael a bod â mwy o gysondeb wrth wneud felly. Mae'r ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ymateb i'r adolygiadau hynny o ran sut mae angen i ni adeiladu ar hynny a gwella i'r dyfodol.
Un pwynt olaf yn unig i fynd ar drywydd yr hyn a ddywedodd yr Aelod, i fynd i'r afael â'r pwyntiau a wnaeth ef ynghylch cadwyni cyflenwi, mewn gwirionedd, mae'r dyletswyddau o ran rheoli contractau yn y ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ceisio atgyfnerthu hynny o ran y cadwyni cyflenwi, yn enwedig yn y sector adeiladu, er enghraifft, lle gwyddom ni fod heriau sylweddol i'w cael o ran y ffordd y mae'r sector yn gweithio yn ogystal â hyd a chymhlethdod y cadwyni cyflenwi, ac o ran sut rydym ni'n sicrhau ein bod ni'n cryfhau'r cod ymarfer statudol hefyd o ran rhoi unrhyw wasanaethau cyhoeddus ar gontract allanol.
Thank you very much for the update today, Minister. There are elements within the draft that we welcome, and we look forward to the opportunity to influence its impact, as referenced by the Minister's statement.
Since 2012, Plaid Cymru has continually called for increased public procurement. We want to increase Welsh firms' share of contracts from 52 per cent to 75 per cent of the public procurement budget. It's estimated that this would create 46,000 additional jobs, and safeguard many existing jobs in the Welsh economy. That's a potential benefit that would be transformational for our local economy, our local businesses and our local communities. So, my first question is: how may the Bill be used to drive up public procurement from Welsh companies and businesses as part of supporting the Welsh economy, for example through exploring the use of targets?
I note from the consultation responses released earlier this year that several issues of concern were raised by key partners. The Bevan Foundation raised a number of important points during their consultation response, including the need to address the wider labour market context in which the social partnership Bill will operate. On fair work, they stated that the proposed processes seem very cumbersome and that there was a risk that processes consume too many resources—resources that could be better directed to achieving change on the ground.
Consultation responders such as the Trades Union Congress also raised concerns over the clarity of the definition and principle of social partnership, and suggested that the definition could be strengthened to acknowledge that while it is important that social partners recognise and respect each other's interests, it's also important that each other's mandates and respective areas of expertise are recognised and respected. How have these points been addressed since the publication of the consultation responses, and, in particular, how have they been incorporated into the Bill?
An emphasis on fair work, or, as you have newly defined it, decent work, has become even more salient amid a climate of poor working conditions in recent years. In 2019 and 2020, we saw Cardiff University staff take strike action over pay and working conditions. In September 2021, after heroism throughout the pandemic, workers in the NHS pushed unions to get behind their demand for a 15 per cent pay rise. And last November, bus drivers in Blackwood, Brynmawr and Cwmbran underwent strike action against low pay and cuts to basic terms and conditions. Could you please set out how the Bill would have helped workers in those situations and what it means for groups considering taking strike action?
Finally, Deputy Minister, this Government has suggested on multiple occasions that it intends to tackle the climate emergency in a holistic manner. The TUC made a suggestion that a commitment on green recovery could be made through this Bill by addressing the skills pipeline issues. This could be done by working with unions and others to identify how workers in impacted sectors could adapt their existing skills, whilst also creating new jobs for those who have lost their job in the pandemic. This could transform the retrofitting industry, for example. Is this Bill meeting this potential? Seeing as it seeks to align closely with the well-being of future generations Act, how is it meeting the environmental well-being of Wales? Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch yn fawr i chi am y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf heddiw, Gweinidog. Rydym ni'n croesawu rhai o'r elfennau sydd yn y drafft, ac yn edrych ymlaen at y cyfle i ddylanwadu ar ei effaith, fel y cyfeiriodd y Gweinidog yn ei datganiad.
Ers 2012, mae Plaid Cymru wedi galw yn gyson am fwy o gaffael cyhoeddus. Rydym ni'n awyddus i gynyddu cyfran y cytundebau â chwmnïau Cymru o 52 y cant hyd 75 y cant o'r gyllideb caffael cyhoeddus. Amcangyfrifir y byddai hyn yn creu 46,000 o swyddi ychwanegol, ac yn diogelu llawer o swyddi sydd yn economi Cymru ar hyn o bryd. Mae honno'n fantais bosibl a fyddai'n drawsnewidiol i'n heconomi leol ni, ein busnesau lleol ni a'n cymunedau lleol ni. Felly, fy nghwestiwn cyntaf i yw: sut y gellir defnyddio'r Bil i hybu caffael cyhoeddus oddi wrth gwmnïau a busnesau yng Nghymru yn rhan o'r gefnogaeth i economi Cymru, er enghraifft drwy archwilio'r defnydd o dargedau?
Rwy'n nodi o'r ymatebion i'r ymgynghoriad a gyhoeddwyd yn gynharach eleni y codwyd nifer o faterion gan bartneriaid allweddol sy'n peri pryder. Cododd Sefydliad Bevan nifer o bwyntiau pwysig yn ystod ei ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad, gan gynnwys yr angen i fynd i'r afael â chyd-destun ehangach y farchnad lafur y bydd y Bil partneriaeth gymdeithasol yn gweithredu ynddo. O ran gwaith teg, roedd yn mynegi bod y prosesau arfaethedig yn ymddangos yn feichus iawn a bod perygl y byddai'r prosesau yn defnyddio gormod o adnoddau—adnoddau y gellid eu cyfeirio'n well tuag at sicrhau newid ar lawr gwlad.
Fe gododd ymatebwyr ymgynghori fel Cyngres yr Undebau Llafur bryderon ynghylch eglurder diffiniad ac egwyddor partneriaeth gymdeithasol hefyd, ac fe awgrymodd y gellid cryfhau'r diffiniad i gydnabod, er ei bod hi'n bwysig i bartneriaid cymdeithasol gydnabod a pharchu buddiannau ei gilydd, ei bod hi'n bwysig hefyd fod mandadau ei gilydd a meysydd arbenigedd priodol yn cael eu cydnabod a'u parchu. Sut cafodd y pwyntiau hyn eu hymdrin â nhw ers cyhoeddiad yr ymatebion i'r ymgynghoriad, ac, yn benodol, sut cafodd hynny ei ymgorffori yn y Bil?
Mae pwyslais ar waith teg, neu, fel yr ydych newydd ei ddiffinio, gwaith addas, wedi mynd yn fwy amlwg fyth yn yr hinsawdd o amodau gwaith difrifol yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Yn 2019 a 2020, fe welsom ni staff Prifysgol Caerdydd yn streicio oherwydd tâl ac amodau gwaith. Ym mis Medi 2021, ar ôl ymddygiad arwrol drwy gydol y pandemig, fe wthiodd gweithwyr yn y GIG yr undebau i gefnogi eu galwad nhw am godiad cyflog o 15 y cant. Fis Tachwedd diwethaf, fe streiciodd gyrwyr bysiau yn y Coed-duon, Bryn-mawr a Chwmbrân yn erbyn cyflogau isel a thoriadau i delerau ac amodau sylfaenol. A wnewch chi nodi sut y byddai'r Bil hwn wedi helpu gweithwyr yn y sefyllfaoedd hynny a'r hyn y mae'n ei olygu i grwpiau sy'n ystyried streicio?
Yn olaf, Dirprwy Weinidog, mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi awgrymu sawl tro ei bod hi'n bwriadu mynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng hinsawdd mewn ffordd gyfannol. Fe awgrymodd Cyngres yr Undebau Llafur y gellid ymrwymo i adferiad gwyrdd drwy'r Bil hwn drwy fynd i'r afael â materion yn ymwneud â llwybrau sgiliau. Fe ellid gwneud hynny drwy weithio gydag undebau ac eraill i nodi sut y gallai gweithwyr mewn sectorau yr effeithir arnyn nhw addasu eu sgiliau presennol, gan greu swyddi newydd hefyd i'r rhai sydd wedi colli eu swyddi yn ystod y pandemig. Fe allai hynny drawsnewid y diwydiant ôl-osod, er enghraifft. A yw'r Bil hwn yn gwneud rhywbeth i ymdrin â'r posibiliadau hyn? O ystyried ei fod yn ceisio cyd-fynd yn agos â Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol, sut mae'r Bil yn bodloni llesiant amgylcheddol Cymru? Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch. Can I thank the Member for his contribution and the commitment from Plaid Cymru to actually work with us? This Bill proposes to harness the power of public procurement and the broader benefits it can bring, because the measures outlined in the Bill seek to leverage the power of the public purse to pursue, and deliver more importantly, outcomes that are beneficial, more broadly, to our communities, to our economy and to our environment. The way we carry out our procurement and commissioning, and the rigour with which we actually manage that—those commercial arrangements in particular, and the supply chains—have a direct impact on fair work, but also other well-being outcomes in Wales and further afield. This legislation provides the opportunity to go further in delivering those well-being goals for procurement, and that's why we've chosen to include those broader well-being goals as part of the legislation as well as simply fair work.
Those procurement duties about contributing to environmental, social, economic and cultural well-being—. Apart from the contract management duties, the Bill contains no further details about expectations in these categories, and I think that's why there is a real opportunity here to work together in developing statutory guidance that sets out how public bodies should set out those socially responsible procurement objectives and what should be included in that procurement, such as in annual reports and, importantly, to get that data to include the data that we need to be collecting and reporting in order to actually better meet those objectives that the Member and colleagues on the Plaid Cymru benches have, as you said, been raising since 2012. We've been developing this Bill for almost as long as that, it feels, some of the time.
I never thought that I would be stood somewhere saying that procurement is very exciting, but, actually, it does—. You smile knowingly there. This is a framework piece of legislation, but it does bring with it huge opportunities in terms of actually demonstrating what we can do here in Wales, in terms of where we place that social value when it comes to procurement and what we can deliver not just for fair work but, like you say, those broader benefits, whether that's for environmental benefits or, actually, in terms of our communities and actually making sure that we are investing in the Welsh economy and our communities right across the country.
On the broader points around social partnership generally, we've tried to define, alongside the legislation, what we actually mean by social partnership, and that is working together with a common agenda to provide mutual gains for the benefit of all parties, but alongside the legislation—. The legislation is significant, but it is one part of that process, and alongside this legislation we are conducting a review of social partnership working right across Government and beyond, to give us greater clarity and consistency, and also to recognise the capacity of partners to be part of this process, to make sure that we better engage and better link across it. We've obviously been working very closely with partners such as the Wales TUC and also partners from the employer representatives as well, to make sure that that is done in a way that brings those broader benefits we want to see, and I'd very much welcome conversations with colleagues in the Chamber about actually how we can do that and to be part of that as we move things forward alongside this significant legislation.
Diolch. A gaf i ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei gyfraniad yn ogystal â'r ymrwymiad gan Blaid Cymru i weithio mewn ffordd ystyrlon gyda ni? Mae'r Bil hwn yn cynnig ffrwyno pŵer caffael cyhoeddus a'r manteision ehangach y gall hynny ei gynnig, oherwydd mae'r mesurau a amlinellir yn y Bil yn ceisio ysgogi pŵer pwrs y wlad i fynd ar drywydd, ac yn bwysicach na hynny, sicrhau canlyniadau sy'n fuddiol, yn ehangach, i'n cymunedau ni, i'n heconomi ni, a'n hamgylchedd ni. Mae'r ffordd yr ydym ni'n cyflawni ein gwaith caffael a chomisiynu, a pha mor drylwyr yr ydym ni'n gwneud hynny mewn gwirionedd—y trefniadau masnachol yn benodol, a'r cadwyni cyflenwi—yn cael effaith uniongyrchol ar waith teg, ond ar ganlyniadau eraill o ran llesiant hefyd, yng Nghymru a thu hwnt. Mae'r ddeddfwriaeth hon yn cynnig cyfle i fynd ymhellach i gyflawni'r nodau llesiant hyn o ran caffael, a dyna pam rydym ni wedi dewis cynnwys y nodau llesiant ehangach hynny yn rhan o'r ddeddfwriaeth yn ogystal â gwaith teg yn syml.
Y dyletswyddau caffael hynny ynghylch cyfrannu at les amgylcheddol, cymdeithasol, economaidd a diwylliannol—. Ar wahân i'r dyletswyddau o ran rheoli contractau, nid yw'r Bil yn cynnwys unrhyw fanylion pellach am ddisgwyliadau yn y categorïau hyn, ac rwyf i o'r farn mai dyna pam mae cyfle gwirioneddol i'w gael yma i gydweithio i ddatblygu canllawiau statudol sy'n nodi sut y dylai cyrff cyhoeddus nodi'r amcanion caffael hynny sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol a'r hyn y dylid ei gynnwys yn y broses gaffael honno, megis mewn adroddiadau blynyddol ac, yn bwysig iawn, i wneud i'r data hynny i gynnwys y data y mae angen i ni fod yn eu casglu a'u hadrodd i gyflawni'r amcanion hynny yn fwy effeithiol fel y bu'r Aelod a'i gydweithwyr ar feinciau Plaid Cymru, fel roeddech chi'n sôn, yn eu codi ers 2012. Rydym ni wedi bod yn datblygu'r Bil hwn ers cymaint â hynny o amser, bron â bod, mae hi'n teimlo felly weithiau.
Ni feddyliais i erioed y byddwn i'n sefyll yn rhywle yn dweud bod caffael yn bwnc i ennyn cyffro, ond, mewn gwirionedd, mae'n gwneud hynny—. Rydych chi'n gwenu i gydnabod hynny nawr. Mae hwn yn ddarn fframwaith o ddeddfwriaeth, ond mae'n cynnig cyfleoedd enfawr o ran dangos yr hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud yma yng Nghymru, o ran ein pwyslais ni ar werth cymdeithasol posibl caffael a'r hyn y gallwn ni ei gyflawni nid yn unig ar gyfer sicrhau gwaith teg ond, fel rydych chi'n ei ddweud, y manteision ehangach hynny, er lles yr amgylchedd efallai neu, mewn gwirionedd, o ran ein cymunedau ni a sicrhau ein bod ni'n yn buddsoddi yn wirioneddol yn economi Cymru a'n cymunedau ni ledled y wlad.
Ynglŷn â'r pwyntiau ehangach yn ymwneud â phartneriaeth gymdeithasol yn gyffredinol, rydym ni wedi ceisio diffinio, ochr yn ochr â'r ddeddfwriaeth, yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei olygu mewn gwirionedd pan soniwn ni am bartneriaeth gymdeithasol, ac mae hynny'n cydweithio ag agenda gyffredin i ddarparu manteision i'r ddwy ochr er budd pob un, ond ochr yn ochr â'r ddeddfwriaeth—. Mae'r ddeddfwriaeth yn arwyddocaol, ond un rhan o'r broses yw honno, ac ochr yn ochr â'r ddeddfwriaeth hon rydym ni'n cynnal adolygiad o weithio mewn partneriaeth gymdeithasol ar draws y Llywodraeth a thu hwnt, i roi mwy o eglurder a chysondeb i ni, a chydnabod gallu'r partneriaid hefyd i fod yn rhan o'r broses hon, i sicrhau ein bod ni'n ymgysylltu yn well ac yn cysylltu yn well drwy'r cwbl. Rydym ni'n amlwg wedi bod yn gweithio yn agos iawn gyda phartneriaid fel TUC Cymru i dywys pethau ymlaen ochr yn ochr â'r ddeddfwriaeth arwyddocaol hon a phartneriaid eraill ymysg cynrychiolwyr y cyflogwyr hefyd, i wneud yn siŵr y caiff hynny ei wneud mewn ffordd sy'n annog y buddion yr ydym ni'n dymuno eu gweld yn fwy eang, ac fe fyddwn i'n croesawu sgyrsiau gyda chydweithwyr yn y Siambr ynglŷn â'r ffordd i ni wneud hynny a bod â rhan yn hynny wrth i ni gyflwyno pethau law yn llaw â'r ddeddfwriaeth bwysig hon.
I very much welcome the statement from the Minister. Procurement is one of the most powerful tools the Welsh Government has got in order to decide the type of Wales we're going to have. There is a very large procurement programme, not just by the Welsh Government, but by the whole of the Welsh Government-funded public sector, including health and local government. I, like many Members here, am massively opposed to the use of fire and rehire, exploitative contracts, and paying less than the real living wage. Will the Welsh Government use procurement to rule out companies that use fire and rehire, pay less than the real living wage, and use exploitative contracts from all Welsh Government and Welsh Government-funded bodies' contracts, and also, more importantly, the subcontracts? No-one who is getting a penny of money from the Welsh taxpayer should be running companies that are exploiting the workers who are doing the work for them.
Rwyf i'n croesawu'r datganiad gan y Gweinidog yn fawr iawn. Mae caffael yn un o'r dulliau mwyaf pwerus sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru wrth benderfynu ar y math o Gymru y byddwn ni'n ei gael. Mae rhaglen gaffael fawr iawn, nid yn unig gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ond gan y sector cyhoeddus cyfan a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru, gan gynnwys iechyd a llywodraeth leol. Rwyf i, fel llawer o Aelodau yn y fan hon, yn taer wrthwynebu'r defnydd o ddiswyddo ac ailgyflogi, cytundebau sy'n cymryd mantais ar bobl, a thalu llai na'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ddefnyddio caffael i allgau cwmnïau sy'n diswyddo ac ailgyflogi wedyn, yn talu llai na'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol, ac yn defnyddio cytundebau sy'n cymryd mantais ar bobl o holl gontractau Llywodraeth Cymru a'r cyrff a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ac yn ogystal â hynny hefyd, ac yn bwysicach, yr is-gontractau? Ni ddylai neb sy'n cael dimai o arian gan drethdalwyr Cymru fod yn rhedeg cwmnïau sy'n cymryd mantais ar y gweithwyr sy'n gwneud y gwaith er eu mwyn nhw.
I thank Mike Hedges for his contribution. I know this is something—. You demonstrated it then, but I know it's something you've raised time and time again, and, like myself and many others in this Chamber and beyond, feel very passionately about actually how we use all the levers we do have at our devolved disposal in Wales to make a difference when it comes to fair work. Of course, fair work spans both devolved and non-devolved areas, which impacts what we can do and how we can do it. I'm clear that this Bill respects and recognises what we can do in this space.
This is the first piece of legislation on procurement that we have actually developed in Wales, so it will enable us to put existing good practice and socially responsible procurement on a statutory footing but it will also put us in a position to strengthen that as well. As I go back to what I said to previous contributions, the statutory guidance that works on that looks at not just fair work, but the broader well-being objectives too, to get that balance right in terms of things like the foundational economy and fair work, to make sure we are supporting those public bodies too, to actually simplify the process for them in the first instance, but to make sure we get it right in terms of the social value that we want to achieve from it. This Government is absolutely committed to using every lever we do have at our disposal to achieve that.
Just on the point Mike Hedges makes on subcontracting and supply chains, one of the reasons why, in this first instance, the legislation seeks to legislate on the face of the Bill around the construction sector in particular is because, as I said, we know that there will be Members in this Chamber who have been part of those codes of practice we've put in place previously or campaigned for from the outside, around ethical employment in supply chains or umbrella employment opportunities, which we know is something that has been unfortunately all too common within the construction sector. So, this legislation on procurement and contract management seeks to go some way to address that, and also to address actually how that filters down throughout the supply chain as well.
Diolch i Mike Hedges am ei gyfraniad ef. Fe wn i fod hynny'n rhywbeth—. Roeddech chi'n arddangos hynny nawr, ond fe wn i fod hwnnw'n rhywbeth y gwnaethoch chi ei godi dro ar ôl tro, ac, fel minnau a llawer o rai eraill yn y Siambr hon a thu hwnt, rydych chi'n angerddol iawn ynghylch sut yr ydym ni'n defnyddio'r holl ysgogiadau sydd ar gael i ni yng Nghymru i wneud gwahaniaeth o ran gwaith teg. Wrth gwrs, mae gwaith teg yn cwmpasu meysydd datganoledig a meysydd nad ydyn nhw felly, sy'n effeithio ar yr hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud a'n dulliau ni o wneud hynny. Rwy'n egluro bod y Bil hwn yn un sy'n parchu ac yn cydnabod yr hyn y gallwn ei wneud yn y lle hwn.
Hwn, mewn gwirionedd, yw'r darn cyntaf o ddeddfwriaeth yn ymwneud â chaffael y gwnaethom ni ei ddatblygu yng Nghymru, felly fe fydd yn ein galluogi ni i roi'r arfer da presennol a chaffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol ar sail statudol ond fe fydd yn ein rhoi mewn sefyllfa hefyd i atgyfnerthu hynny. Wrth i mi fynd yn ôl at yr hyn a ddywedais i ar ôl cyfraniadau blaenorol, mae'r canllawiau statudol sy'n gweithio ar hynny'n ystyried nid yn unig gwaith teg, ond yr amcanion llesiant ehangach hefyd, i daro'r cydbwysedd cywir o ran pethau fel yr economi sylfaenol a gwaith teg, i sicrhau ein bod ni'n cefnogi'r cyrff cyhoeddus hynny hefyd, ac yn symleiddio'r broses ar eu cyfer nhw yn y lle cyntaf, ond gan sicrhau ein bod ni'n gwneud pethau yn briodol o ran y gwerth cymdeithasol yr ydym ni'n awyddus i'w feithrin. Mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi ymrwymo yn llwyr i ddefnyddio pob cyfrwng sydd ar gael i ni wrth gyflawni hynny.
Dim ond ar y pwynt y mae Mike Hedges yn ei wneud ynghylch is-gontractio a chadwyni cyflenwi, un o'r rhesymau pam, yn y lle cyntaf fel hyn, mae'r ddeddfwriaeth yn ceisio deddfu ar wyneb y Bil ynghylch y sector adeiladu yn benodol yw oherwydd, fel y dywedais i, fe wyddom ni y bydd Aelodau yn y Siambr hon sydd wedi bod â rhan yn y codau ymarfer hynny y gwnaethom ni eu rhoi ar waith yn flaenorol neu i ni ymgyrchu drostyn nhw o'r tu allan, o ran cyflogaeth foesol mewn cadwyni cyflenwi neu gyfleoedd cyflogaeth ambarél, y gwyddom ni eu bod yn rhywbeth sydd, yn anffodus, wedi bod yn rhy gyffredin o lawer yn y sector adeiladu. Felly, mae'r ddeddfwriaeth hon ynglŷn â chaffael a rheoli contractau yn ceisio gwneud rhywfaint i fynd i'r afael â hynny, a mynd i'r afael hefyd â sut y mae hynny'n treiddio ar hyd y gadwyn gyflenwi, yn ogystal â hynny.
Minister, I very much look forward to scrutinising this Bill at Stage 1 in the Equality and Social Justice Committee. I think it's a very exciting Bill.
I wanted to look at the public procurement aspects, and particularly the reporting duties on public bodies and Welsh Ministers in relation to socially responsible procurement. I just want to query why only socially responsible procurement, because the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 obviously isn't just about social responsibility. And as public bodies prepare to invest many millions of pounds, quite rightly, in the healthy eating habits of children as we roll out the universal free school meals programme, what role do you expect this Bill to play in ensuring that this particular additional procurement strengthens a prosperous, cohesive and resilient Wales, fundamental to the foundational economy objectives, as well as, of course, making an important contribution to a healthier Wales?
Gweinidog, rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at graffu ar y Bil hwn yng Nghyfnod 1 yn y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol. Rwyf i o'r farn ei fod yn Fil cyffrous iawn.
Roeddwn i'n awyddus i ystyried yr agweddau ar gaffael cyhoeddus, a'r dyletswyddau sydd gan gyrff cyhoeddus a Gweinidogion Cymru i adrodd o ran caffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol yn arbennig. Fe hoffwn i holi pam mai dim ond caffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol yn unig, oherwydd mae'n amlwg nad yw Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 yn ymwneud â chyfrifoldeb cymdeithasol yn unig. Ac wrth i gyrff cyhoeddus baratoi i fuddsoddi miliynau lawer o bunnoedd, a hynny'n gwbl briodol, yn yr ymarfer o roi bwyd iach i blant wrth i ni gyflwyno'r rhaglen prydau ysgol am ddim i bawb, pa swyddogaeth sydd gan y Bil hwn o ran sicrhau bod y caffael ychwanegol penodol hwn yn cryfhau Cymru lewyrchus, gydlynus a chydnerth, sy'n hanfodol i amcanion sylfaenol yr economi, yn ogystal â gwneud cyfraniad pwysig i Gymru iachach, wrth gwrs?
Can I thank Jenny Rathbone for her contribution? I very much look forward to the work that you will do. I welcome what you will do as a committee to quite rightly scrutinise this legislation, but also to work with us as we develop it and move things forward, and I really very much welcome your contributions in terms of recognising the value that this legislation potentially brings, and another person who is excited about procurement as well in the Chamber today.
Just to just try and clarify the point you make around why socially responsible procurement: actually, the Bill sets out duties on the public bodies as specified, which are referred to as 'contracting authorities', so it's called 'socially responsible procurement', but it ensures that when procurement is undertaken, there is consideration of social, economic, cultural and environmental well-being, and there are further duties set out concerning contract management and transparency. So, as I said previously, that's why it's socially responsible procurement and we're talking about well-being and fair work, but it goes broader than that, to capture the points that the Member made there. So, the work will be around the statutory guidance about actually how we can work with Members, work with colleagues across the floor and with our social partners to ensure that we are getting that balance right in terms of actually where that social value is placed and how we can support those public bodies to make sure that we are achieving what we need to achieve. But socially responsible procurement is—. I'm sure it's something we can discuss further when we come to committee, but also in terms of the Member, if it would be helpful, I'm more than happy to write to provide further clarification in terms of what that would encompass, and what the intention is behind that.
A gaf i ddiolch i Jenny Rathbone am ei chyfraniad hi? Rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at y gwaith y byddwch chi'n ei wneud. Rwy'n croesawu'r hyn a wnewch ni ar y pwyllgor i graffu ar y ddeddfwriaeth hon, a hynny'n gwbl briodol, ond i weithio gyda ni hefyd wrth i ni ei datblygu hi a symud pethau yn eu blaenau, ac rwy'n croesawu eich cyfraniadau chi'n fawr o ran cydnabod y gwerth y gallai'r ddeddfwriaeth hon ei gynnig, ac mae yna unigolyn arall yn y Siambr heddiw sydd â brwdfrydedd ynglŷn â chaffael hefyd.
Dim ond i geisio egluro'r pwynt yr ydych chi'n ei wneud ynghylch pwysigrwydd caffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol: mewn gwirionedd, mae'r Bil yn nodi dyletswyddau ar y cyrff cyhoeddus fel y nodir nhw, y cyfeirir atyn nhw'n 'awdurdodau contractio', felly'r enw yw 'caffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol', ond mae'n sicrhau, pan wneir y caffael, y rhoddir ystyriaeth i les cymdeithasol, economaidd, diwylliannol ac amgylcheddol, ac fe nodwyd dyletswyddau pellach o ran rheoli contractau a thryloywder. Felly, fel dywedais i o'r blaen, dyna pam mae hwnnw'n gaffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol ac am lesiant a gwaith teg yr ydym ni'n sôn, ond mae'n mynd ymhellach na hynny, gan nodi'r pwyntiau a wnaeth yr Aelod yn hynny o beth. Felly, bydd y gwaith yn ymwneud â'r canllawiau statudol ynghylch sut y gallwn ni weithio gydag Aelodau, gweithio gyda chydweithwyr o bob rhan o'r Siambr a gyda'n partneriaid cymdeithasol i sicrhau ein bod ni'n taro'r cydbwysedd cywir o ran priod le'r gwerth cymdeithasol hwnnw a sut y gallwn ni gefnogi'r cyrff cyhoeddus hynny i sicrhau ein bod ni'n cyflawni'r hyn y mae angen i ni ei gyflawni. Ond caffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol yw—. Rwy'n siŵr ei fod yn bwnc y gallwn ni ei drafod ymhellach pan fyddwn ni yn y pwyllgor, ond o ran yr Aelod ei hun hefyd, pe byddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol, rwy'n fwy na pharod i ysgrifennu i roi eglurhad pellach o ran yr hyn y byddai hynny'n ei gwmpasu, a bwriad hynny hefyd.
Ac yn olaf, Joyce Watson.
And finally, Joyce Watson.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I thank you for the statement today, Deputy Minister, and I want to completely dissociate myself from the comments of Joel James and his anti-trade-union stand, and accusing them of all sorts of unsubstantiated statements. I'm a proud member of a trade union myself.
So, I do welcome this Bill. It is a key component of a wider push to make work in Wales much fairer, and it's a timely intervention too, when Tory taxes, benefit cuts and economic mismanagement are increasingly eroding pay and pensions across the board. And as always, the constructive model of social partnership here in Wales is in direct contrast with the Tories' failed confrontational approach. They're currently picking fights with rail workers as they have with teachers and junior doctors in the past.
So, my question to you, Deputy Minister, is: when we're talking about procurement and social partnerships, which you are here, that we will fully engage with everybody and also, I want to reinforce the question that Mike Hedges asked previously, that anybody that benefits from public funds in Wales both looks after the staff, but more importantly, that we keep the majority of that money here in Wales as well. Thank you.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Diolch i chi am y datganiad heddiw, Dirprwy Weinidog, ac rwy'n dymuno datgysylltu fy hunan yn llwyr oddi wrth sylwadau Joel James a'i safbwynt gwrthwynebus ef o ran yr undebau llafur, gan eu cyhuddo nhw â phob math o ddatganiadau heb unrhyw sail. Rwyf i'n aelod balch o undeb llafur fy hunan.
Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r Bil hwn. Dyma elfen allweddol o ymgyrch ehangach i wneud gwaith yng Nghymru yn llawer tecach, ac mae hwn yn ymyriad amserol hefyd, wrth i drethi'r Torïaid, toriadau mewn budd-daliadau a chamreoli economaidd erydu cyflogau a phensiynau yn gynyddol ym mhobman. Ac fel pob amser, mae'r model adeiladol o bartneriaeth gymdeithasol yma yng Nghymru yn gwbl groes i ddull gwrthdrawiadol aflwyddiannus y Torïaid. Ar hyn o bryd maen nhw'n ymladd gyda gweithwyr rheilffordd fel maen nhw wedi gwneud gydag athrawon a meddygon iau yn y gorffennol.
Felly, fy nghwestiwn i chi, Dirprwy Weinidog, yw hwn: pan fyddwn ni'n sôn am gaffael a phartneriaethau cymdeithasol, fel gwnewch chi yma, ein bod ni'n ymgysylltu yn llawn â phawb a hefyd, fe hoffwn i atgyfnerthu'r cwestiwn a ofynnodd Mike Hedges yn gynharach, sef bod unrhyw un sy'n elwa ar arian cyhoeddus yng Nghymru i ofalu am ei staff, ond yn bwysicach na hynny, ein bod ni'n cadw'r rhan fwyaf o'r arian hwnnw yma yng Nghymru hefyd. Diolch i chi.
Can I thank Joyce Watson for the contribution? I know it's something you've particularly been involved with in the past, particularly within the construction sector too, in terms of tackling unjust and unfair work practices, and I know you've worked with both colleagues and me in terms of actually how to take forward codes of practice around this. This legislation seeks to strengthen the work that's gone before by, for the first time, legislating around procurement and how we strengthen not just socially responsible procurement, but going back to what we said previously around using all the levers we do have at our disposal, whilst recognising the constraints of the current devolution settlement, and using the power of the public purse to leverage, particularly in those sectors like construction and also more broadly around socially responsible procurement, which encapsulates fair work as part of that.
A gaf i ddiolch i Joyce Watson am y cyfraniad? Rwy'n gwybod mai rhywbeth yw hwn yr ydych chi wedi bod yn ymwneud yn benodol ag ef yn y gorffennol, yn arbennig felly yn y sector adeiladu hefyd, o ran mynd i'r afael ag arferion gwaith anghyfiawn ac annheg, ac fe wn i eich bod chi wedi gweithio gyda'ch cydweithwyr a minnau o ran sut i fwrw ymlaen â chodau ymarfer yn hyn o beth. Mae'r ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ceisio cryfhau'r gwaith sydd wedi cael ei wneud o'r blaen gan, am y tro cyntaf, ddeddfu ynghylch caffael a sut yr ydym ni nid yn cryfhau caffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol yn unig, ond yn mynd yn ôl at yr hyn y gwnaethom ni ei ddweud yn flaenorol ynglŷn â defnyddio'r holl ddulliau sydd ar gael i ni, gan gydnabod cyfyngiadau'r setliad datganoli presennol, a defnyddio pŵer pwrs y wlad i ysgogi, yn arbennig yn y sectorau hynny fel adeiladu ac yn fwy cyffredinol hefyd o ran caffael sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol, sy'n crynhoi gwaith teg yn rhan o hynny.
Diolch i'r Dirprwy Weinidog.
I thank the Deputy Minister.
Mae eitem 4 ar yr agenda wedi ei thynnu yn ôl.
Item 4 on the agenda is withdrawn.
Felly, symudwn ymlaen i eitem 5, datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol: diweddariad ar Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr. Galwaf ar y Gweinidog, Eluned Morgan.
We therefore move on to item 5, a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: update on Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. I call on the Minister, Eluned Morgan.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Further to ongoing concerns at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, many of which have been raised in this Siambr, I asked the chief executive of NHS Wales to hold an extraordinary tripartite meeting on 26 May as part of the NHS Wales escalation framework. The situation in Betsi is unacceptable and it needs serious work and effort to correct. Services are not as good as they should be, and we are determined to improve the situation for the thousands of people in north Wales who rely on these services.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Yn dilyn pryderon parhaus ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, y codwyd llawer ohonyn nhw yn y Siambr hon, fe ofynnais i i brif weithredwr GIG Cymru gynnal cyfarfod teirochrog neilltuol ar 26 o fis Mai yn rhan o fframwaith dwysáu GIG Cymru. Mae'r sefyllfa yn Betsi yn annerbyniol ac mae angen gwaith ac ymdrech ddifrifol arni i'w hadfer. Nid yw'r gwasanaethau cystal ag y dylen nhw fod, ac rydym ni'n benderfynol o wella'r sefyllfa i'r miloedd o bobl yn y gogledd sy'n ddibynnol ar y gwasanaethau hyn.
Following the tripartite meeting between the Welsh Government, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and Audit Wales, the NHS chief executive has recommended that the targeted intervention status at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board should be extended beyond mental health and governance issues to incorporate Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, focusing in particular on the vascular service and emergency department in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, and I have accepted that advice. They did not suggest that we put Betsi back into special measures.
We will therefore ensure that significant new additional external clinical and practical expertise will be put in place to ensure that we embed sustainable change and improvements in the quality of the service. In this way, we'll be making improvements with the health board rather than doing things to the health board. The decision has been made in line with the escalation framework and reflects serious concerns about the leadership, governance and progress that have been a feature of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. My decision has been communicated to the chair of the health board.
Firstly, let me address the issue of governance, leadership and oversight of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. It's clear the current challenges facing Ysbyty Glan Clwyd require a focused intervention to support cultural change and promote leadership at all levels. I have therefore instructed Improvement Cymru, the improvement service for NHS Wales, to work with the health board to bring in external clinical and organisational development expertise into the hospital. The aim of Improvement Cymru is to support the creation of the best quality health and care system for Wales, so that everyone has access to safe, effective and efficient care in the right place and at the right time. I want to emphasise that this in no way reflects on the hard work of the staff in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, but this is a source of external help and support to embed the change that is needed urgently, and we need to do this at pace.
Secondly, vascular services have been challenged since the service was centralised. This does not mean that the decision to centralise was wrong. Following a series of concerns raised by the Royal College of Surgeons and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, the health board has responded rapidly and progress has been made in a number of areas, but the service remains fragile. There have been some serious incidents over the last few months and the benefits of the recent changes have not yet been realised. A new clinical leader has been appointed but has yet to take up post. My officials will continue to monitor the implementation of the action plan at least twice a month.
Thirdly, the emergency department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd has been designated a service requiring significant improvement by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. We have made £3 million available to the health board for the local six goals for urgent and emergency care programme. I have instructed clinical leads from the national programme to work closely with the health board to address the concerns identified by HIW.
Fourthly, mental health. This service is, without doubt, in a much better state than the one that went into special measures. But, while progress has been made, there is still much more to be done, particularly around culture change, and this will take time. Following discussions with the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being, I'm asking the health board to move with pace to ensure that there is a permanent leadership team in place, and to develop a robust recruitment plan to minimise vacancies and the use of interim staff. We must make this a sustainable service. I have asked Welsh Government officials to commission an independent assessment of the sustainability of the progress that has been made against the various mental health reviews over recent years, and ministerial oversight of these arrangements will be led by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being.
Yn dilyn y cyfarfod teirochrog rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru ac Archwilio Cymru, mae prif weithredwr y GIG wedi argymell y dylid ymestyn statws ymyriad wedi'i dargedu ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr y tu hwnt i faterion iechyd meddwl a llywodraethu hyd at gynnwys Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, gan ganolbwyntio yn benodol ar y gwasanaeth fasgwlaidd a'r adran achosion brys yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, ac rwyf innau wedi derbyn y cyngor hwnnw. Nid oedden nhw'n awgrymu ein bod yn rhoi Betsi yn ôl mewn mesurau arbennig.
Felly, fe fyddwn ni'n sicrhau y bydd yr arbenigedd newydd clinigol ac ymarferol allanol ychwanegol sylweddol yn cael ei roi ar waith i sicrhau ein bod ni'n gweld newid cynaliadwy a gwelliannau yn ansawdd y gwasanaeth yn ymsefydlu. Fel hyn, fe fyddwn ni'n gwneud gwelliannau gyda'r bwrdd iechyd yn hytrach nag amharu ar y bwrdd iechyd. Fe wnaethpwyd y penderfyniad yn unol â'r fframwaith uwchgyfeirio ac mae'n adlewyrchu pryderon difrifol am yr arweinyddiaeth, y llywodraethu a'r cynnydd sydd wedi nodweddu Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Mae fy mhenderfyniad i wedi cael ei fynegi i gadeirydd y bwrdd iechyd.
Yn gyntaf, gadewch i mi ymdrin â mater llywodraethu, arwain a goruchwylio Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Mae hi'n amlwg fod yr heriau sy'n wynebu Ysbyty Glan Clwyd ar hyn o bryd yn gofyn am ymyriad penodol i gefnogi newid diwylliannol a hyrwyddo arweinyddiaeth ar bob lefel. Rwyf i yn cyfarwyddo Gwelliant Cymru felly, y gwasanaeth gwella i GIG Cymru, i weithio gyda'r bwrdd iechyd i ddod ag arbenigedd datblygu clinigol a sefydliadol allanol i'r ysbyty. Nod Gwelliant Cymru yw cefnogi'r gwaith o greu cyfundrefn iechyd a gofal o'r ansawdd gorau i Gymru, fel y bydd pawb yn gallu cael gofal sy'n ddiogel, effeithiol ac effeithlon yn y lle a'r amser priodol. Fe hoffwn i bwysleisio nad yw hyn yn adlewyrchu o gwbl ar waith caled y staff yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, ond mae gwir angen y ffynhonnell hon o gymorth a chefnogaeth allanol i ymgorffori'r newid sydd ei angen ar fyrder, ac mae angen i ni wneud hyn yn gyflym.
Yn ail, mae gwasanaethau fasgwlaidd wedi cael cyfnod heriol ers i'r gwasanaeth gael ei ganoli. Nid yw hynny'n golygu mai camgymeriad oedd y penderfyniad i ganoli. Yn dilyn cyfres o bryderon a godwyd gan Goleg Brenhinol y Llawfeddygon ac Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru, mae'r bwrdd iechyd wedi ymateb yn gyflym ac mae cynnydd wedi bod mewn nifer o feysydd, ond mae'r gwasanaeth yn parhau i fod yn fregus. Bu rhai digwyddiadau difrifol dros y misoedd diwethaf ac nid yw manteision newidiadau diweddar wedi dod i'r amlwg eto. Penodwyd arweinydd clinigol newydd ond nid yw wedi dechrau yn ei swydd eto. Fe fydd fy swyddogion i'n parhau i fonitro gweithrediad y cynllun gweithredu o leiaf ddwywaith y mis.
Yn drydydd, fe gafodd adran achosion brys Ysbyty Glan Clwyd ei ddynodi yn wasanaeth y mae angen ei ddiwygio yn sylweddol gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru. Rydym ni wedi sicrhau bod £3 miliwn ar gael i'r bwrdd iechyd ar gyfer y chwe nod lleol ar gyfer y rhaglen gofal brys a gofal argyfwng. Rwyf i wedi cyfarwyddo arweinwyr clinigol o'r rhaglen genedlaethol i weithio yn agos gyda'r bwrdd iechyd i fynd i'r afael â'r pryderon a nodwyd gan AGIC.
Yn bedwerydd, iechyd meddwl. Mae'r gwasanaeth hwn, yn ddi-os, mewn sefyllfa lawer gwell na'r un a aeth i fesurau arbennig. Ond, er y cynnydd sydd wedi bod, mae yna lawer mwy i'w wneud eto, yn enwedig o ran newid diwylliant, ac fe fydd hynny'n cymryd amser. Yn dilyn trafodaethau gyda'r Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd Meddwl a Llesiant, rwyf i'n gofyn i'r bwrdd iechyd symud yn gyflym i sicrhau bod tîm arweinyddiaeth parhaol ar waith, a datblygu cynllun recriwtio cadarn i leihau nifer y swyddi gwag a'r defnydd o staff dros dro. Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud hwn yn wasanaeth sy'n gynaliadwy. Rwyf i wedi gofyn i swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru gomisiynu asesiad annibynnol o gynaliadwyedd y cynnydd sydd wedi bod yn unol â'r adolygiadau iechyd meddwl amrywiol dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac fe arweinir goruchwyliaeth weinidogol o'r trefniadau hyn gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd Meddwl a Llesiant.
Yn olaf, mae wedi dod yn amlwg mai systemau adweithiol, ar y cyfan, sydd gan y bwrdd iechyd ar hyn o bryd. Mae adolygiadau allanol wedi tynnu sylw at fylchau sylweddol mewn elfennau sylfaenol o'r safonau gwasanaethau clinigol. Mae hyn yn cynnwys cadw cofnodion, rheoli digwyddiadau, gweithio fel tîm, adrodd ar bryderon, arweinyddiaeth a morâl. Mae llawer o brosesau yn eu lle, ond does dim digon o gapasiti ynddynt a dŷn nhw ddim yn ddigon eang i gynnig sicrwydd yn y meysydd hyn ar draws y system gyfan. Mae'n rhaid i'r bwrdd iechyd ddod yn sefydliad sy'n gallu gwella ei hun, gyda staff clinigol sydd â'r sgiliau i gynnal gwelliant parhaus wrth eu gwaith o ddydd i ddydd. Rhaid i'r pwyslais hwn fod yn amlwg drwy'r sefydliad cyfan, o'r ward i'r bwrdd.
Dwi'n gofyn i'r bwrdd iechyd wneud y pethau canlynol: adolygu eu trefniadau presennol o ran llywodraethiant, archwilio ac effeithiolrwydd a gweithio gyda Gwelliant Cymru i fuddsoddi mewn rhaglen addysg a chymorth a fydd yn cael ei rhoi ar waith yn gyflym er mwyn gwella sgiliau. Dwi hefyd wedi gofyn i'r bwrdd iechyd sicrhau bod penodiad ar lefel uwch yn cael ei wneud i swydd cyfarwyddwr diogelwch a gwella. Bydd yr unigolyn hwn yn cefnogi'r cyfarwyddwr gweithredol nyrsio newydd i sicrhau bod gwelliannau a threfniadau llywodraethiant ar y cyd yn cael eu rhoi ar waith ar draws y bwrdd iechyd. Ar ben hyn, mae'n rhaid i'r bwrdd wneud yn well wrth feithrin a chynnal cysylltiad â'i staff a'r cyhoedd. Mae nifer o bryderon wedi cael eu codi am les y gweithlu, achosion o aflonyddu, bwlio a staff yn teimlo na allant godi eu llais. Mae'n rhaid i'r bwrdd adeiladu ar y gwaith sydd ar y gweill yn barod o ran datblygu sefydliadol, a rhaid iddo wneud hynny'n gyflym. Gan gadw mewn cof pa mor ddifrifol ac eithriadol yw'r trefniadau uwchgyfeirio hyn, fe fyddant yn cael eu monitro'n agos a'u hadolygu'n fuan er mwyn sicrhau bod cynnydd yn cael ei wneud. Bydd cyfarfod tair-ochr arall yn cael ei gynnal cyn diwedd mis Hydref eleni.
Dirprwy Lywydd, mae hon yn gyfres helaeth a phellgyrhaeddol o ymrwymiadau wedi'u targedu ar gyfer Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr. Byddwn yn cadw golwg cyson a chadarn ar y rhain dros y misoedd nesaf. Rhaid imi bwysleisio bod gwaith gwych yn cael ei wneud mewn ambell i fan ym Mwrdd Iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr. Yr hyn sydd ei angen nawr yw bod yr ansawdd hwnnw'n cael ei ailadrodd ar draws y system gyfan, a hynny'n fwyaf penodol yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Ond yn bwysicach fyth, mae hon yn gyfres o drefniadau a fydd yn cefnogi'r bwrdd iechyd ar ei daith i barhau i wella, fel y gall pobl y gogledd fod yn falch o'u gwasanaeth iechyd lleol. Diolch.
Finally, it has become clear that the health board's current systems are largely reactive. External reviews have pointed to significant gaps in fundamental aspects of clinical service standards. That includes record keeping, incident management, team working, reporting concerns, leadership and morale. Many processes are in place, but there is not sufficient capacity in place and they're not broad enough to provide systematic assurance in these areas. The health board must become a self-improving organisation, sustained by clinical staff with the skills to practice continuous improvement in their daily work. This focus needs to be evident right through the organisation, from ward to board.
I am asking the health board to do the following things: review current governance, audit and effectiveness capacity and work arrangements with Improvement Cymru to invest in a rapid education and support programme that will be put in place quickly in order to improve skills. I have also asked the health board to ensure that a senior appointment is made to a director of safety and improvement post. This individual will support the new executive director of nursing to ensure that joint governance improvements and arrangements are put in place across the health board. On top of this, the board must do better to connect with and engage with its staff and the public. There have been a series of concerns raised about workforce well-being, cases of harassment, bullying and staff feeling unable to speak out. The board must build on the work it has started in terms of its organisational development, and it must do this quickly. Given the seriousness and exceptional nature of this escalation, these arrangements will be monitored closely and reviewed early to ensure that progress is made. A further tripartite meeting will take place no later than the end of October this year.
Dirprwy Lywydd, this is an extensive and far-reaching set of targeted intervention arrangements for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, and we will review these regularly and robustly over the coming months. Let me be clear that there are pockets of brilliant work being done in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. What we need to see now is that that quality is replicated across the whole system, most specifically in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. But more importantly, this is a set of arrangements that will support the health board on its continuing improvement journey so that the people of north Wales can be proud of their local health service. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister, for your statement, although I have to say that I'm disappointed by the lack of courtesy that you've extended to Members of the Senedd who have a direct interest in the hospital to which your statement has referred. As you will know, I've taken a great interest in the services at Glan Clwyd Hospital for many years, and yet, you didn't even give me the courtesy of a briefing before your statement this afternoon, nor did you give other Members who represent that hospital the courtesy of a direct briefing either.
You say that this is targeted intervention, but nothing could be further from the truth. It's a scattergun approach that you are now taking in north Wales. We have targeted intervention already for mental health services, for strategy, planning and performance, for leadership, including governance, transformation and culture, and for engagement because of the poor engagement with patients, public, staff and stakeholders. Yet, today, you've announced even more targeted intervention, this time at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in respect of its leadership, which is already in targeted intervention, we are told, its mental health services, which are already in targeted intervention, or so we're told, and, of course, its vascular services now and emergency department. I have to say it's long overdue in terms of intervention required for those.
Some aspects of these services, which you say you are now putting into targeted intervention, have been in special measures or targeted intervention for seven years—seven long years. In fact, the seven-year anniversary is this week that mental health services have been in special measures. This week. It's the same with the leadership issues. And yet, time and time again, we have Ministers here, including your predecessors, who come and say, 'We're determined to get things changed. We're determined to kick things into shape. We need to move things on, with pace.' That word, 'pace', seems to make all the difference in your ministerial statements, doesn't it? Well, the reality is it doesn't. When does targeted intervention on such a wide number of things actually become special measures? Because I don't know, and I don't think it's very clear to the public either. You said that if there was not improvement in vascular services within three months, the health board would face consequences. Well, if this is the only consequence they are facing, another targeted intervention label, I don't think they've got much to be concerned about, frankly, because we know that targeted intervention doesn't work. It hasn't worked for seven years, as I've already said.
If you've got a leadership of a health board that is absolutely incapable of making improvements, why aren't you moving that leadership on? Why are you saying that we now need to appoint another executive director, at huge cost to the taxpayer, this time for safety and improvement? Why can't the extremely highly paid executive team already in place at the health board deliver the improvements that they are employed to do? That is their job. And if they're not up to it, they can ship out and go somewhere else, because we don't want them in north Wales. We want a team that works, that delivers the improvements that we've been promised. Because people are being let down, patients are being let down, the staff are being let down with the appalling working environment that many of them are having to endure, as a result of this dysfunctional health board that you as a Welsh Government have also been incapable of turning around over all this time.
You talk about the emergency services at Glan Clwyd needing intervention—and they do—but what about elsewhere in north Wales? What about down the road in Wrexham Maelor Hospital? That hospital has actually had worse emergency department performance over the past 12 months. In eight out of the past 12 months it's had worse performance figures than Glan Clwyd Hospital, so why have you left that out of this targeted intervention approach? You talk about a bullying culture, you talk about staff not being listened to, you talk about a culture of fear. We heard reports about the situation in Ysbyty Gwynedd, with staff there complaining about those things just a couple of weeks ago. Why isn't that hospital being put in targeted intervention for these things? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever.
You now tell us you're going to work with the health board, rather than work for the health board, in order to sort these problems out, and you've appointed Improvement Cymru as though it's some white knight on a horse that's going to ride in and turn this situation around. Why on earth haven't you deployed Improvement Cymru before? This organisation has been in place for years, and yet you haven't deployed them up until today. Why don't you use the experts that are out there to turn the situation around? Why not call the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in to turn around the emergency departments in north Wales? Why not call in the royal college that did the reports on the vascular services to actually come in and turn that situation around? Because they know best, I would suggest, in my view. I'll come to my concluding remarks now, Deputy Presiding Officer.
You say that you want to improve things with pace, and you say that this situation will be carefully monitored and reviewed, and yet you've said the next tripartite meeting won't take place until the end of October. That doesn't sound like an organisation that's going to make significant improvements at pace, if you're prepared to wait until the end of October for a further tripartite meeting. Minister, I have absolutely zero confidence that Welsh Government targeted intervention in these extra areas, on top of the other targeted intervention, is going to make any difference at all in this health board. We need to kick the current leadership out that has been failing people for so long. That's the only way to drive the significant culture change—
Diolch i chi, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad, er bod yn rhaid i mi ddweud fy mod i wedi cael fy siomi gan eich diffyg cwrteisi i Aelodau'r Senedd sydd â diddordeb uniongyrchol yn yr ysbyty yr oedd eich datganiad chi'n cyfeirio ato. Fel gwyddoch chi, rwyf i wedi dangos diddordeb mawr yn y gwasanaethau yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd am flynyddoedd maith ac eto, nid ydych chi wedi dangos cymaint o gwrteisi hyd yn oed â fy mriffio i cyn eich datganiad chi'r prynhawn yma, nac estyn cyfle o unrhyw fath i Aelodau eraill sy'n cynrychioli'r ysbyty hwnnw gael eu briffio yn uniongyrchol ychwaith.
Rydych chi'n dweud mai ymyriad wedi'i dargedu yw hwn, ond ni allai dim fod ymhellach o'r gwir na hynny. Dull gwasgarog yw'r un sydd gennych chi ar hyn o bryd yn y gogledd. Rydym ni eisoes wedi anelu ymyrraeth ar gyfer gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl, ar gyfer strategaeth, cynllunio a pherfformiad, ar gyfer arweinyddiaeth, gan gynnwys llywodraethu, trawsnewid a diwylliant, ac ar gyfer ymgysylltu oherwydd yr ymgysylltiad gwan â chleifion, y cyhoedd, staff a rhanddeiliaid. Ac eto, heddiw, fe wnaethoch chi gyhoeddi rhagor o ymyriadau wedi'u targedu, yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd y tro hwn o ran ei arweinyddiaeth, sydd eisoes mewn ymyriadau wedi'u targedu, fe ddywedir wrthym ni, ei wasanaethau iechyd meddwl, sydd eisoes mewn ymyriadau wedi'u targedu, neu felly dywedir wrthym ni, ac, wrth gwrs, ei wasanaethau fasgwlaidd erbyn hyn ac yn yr adran achosion brys. Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud ei bod hi'n hen bryd i ni fod â'r ymyriadau sydd eu hangen ar y rhain.
Mae rhai agweddau ar y gwasanaethau hyn, rydych chi'n dweud eich bod chi'n eu rhoi nhw mewn ymyriadau wedi'u targedu nawr, wedi bod mewn mesurau arbennig neu ymyriadau wedi'u targedu ers saith mlynedd—saith mlynedd hirfaith. Yn wir, mae hi'n saith mlynedd yr wythnos hon ers i wasanaethau iechyd meddwl fod mewn mesurau arbennig. Yr wythnos hon. Mae'r un peth yn wir am y materion o ran arweinyddiaeth. Ac eto, dro ar ôl tro, mae gennym ni Weinidogion yma, gan gynnwys eich rhagflaenwyr chi, sy'n dod i ddweud, 'Rydym ni'n benderfynol o newid pethau. Rydym ni'n benderfynol o gael llawer mwy o siâp ar bethau. Mae angen i ni symud pethau ymlaen, ar gyflymder. Mae'n ymddangos bod y gair hwnnw, 'cyflymder', yn gwneud gwahaniaeth yn eich datganiadau gweinidogol chi, onid ydyw? Wel, y gwir amdani yw nad yw'n gwneud dim o'r fath. Pryd mae ymyriad wedi'i dargedu ar nifer mor eang o bethau yn mynd yn fesurau arbennig mewn gwirionedd? Oherwydd, nid ydw i'n gwybod, ac nid wyf i o'r farn fod hynny'n eglur iawn i'r cyhoedd chwaith. Roeddech chi'n dweud pe na byddai gwelliant i'w weld o ran y gwasanaethau fasgwlaidd ymhen tri mis, y byddai'r bwrdd iechyd yn wynebu canlyniadau. Wel, os mai dyma'r unig ganlyniad y maen nhw'n ei wynebu, sef label o ymyriad wedi'i dargedu unwaith eto, nid wyf i'n credu bod ganddyn nhw lawer i bryderu yn ei gylch, a dweud y gwir, oherwydd fe wyddom ni nad yw ymyriad wedi'i dargedu yn gweithio. Nid yw hynny wedi gweithio am saith mlynedd, fel y dywedais i eisoes.
Os yw arweinyddiaeth y bwrdd iechyd yn gwbl analluog i wneud gwelliannau, pam na wnewch chi symud yr arweinyddiaeth honno ymlaen? Pam rydych chi' dweud bod angen inni benodi cyfarwyddwr gweithredol arall nawr, ar gost enfawr i'r trethdalwr, ar gyfer diogelwch a gwelliant y tro hwn? Pam na all y tîm gweithredol â chyflogau uchel sydd eisoes ar waith yn y bwrdd iechyd gyflawni'r gwelliannau y maen nhw'n cael eu cyflogi i'w cyflawni? Eu gwaith nhw ydyw hwnnw. Ac os nad ydyn nhw'n barod, beth am fynd i rywle arall, oherwydd nid oes eu heisiau nhw arnom ni yn y gogledd. Rydym ni'n dymuno cael tîm sy'n gweithio, sy'n cyflawni'r gwelliannau a addawyd i ni. Gan fod pobl yn cael eu siomi, mae cleifion yn cael eu siomi, mae'r staff yn cael eu siomi gan yr amgylchedd gwaith ofnadwy y mae llawer ohonyn nhw'n gorfod gweithio ynddo, o ganlyniad i'r bwrdd iechyd camweithredol hwn yr ydych chi yn Llywodraeth Cymru wedi methu â'i newid drwy gydol y cyfnod maith hwn.
Rydych chi'n sôn am y gwasanaethau brys yng Nglan Clwyd y mae angen ymyriad arnyn nhw—ac mae angen hynny—ond beth am fannau eraill yn y gogledd? Beth am lawr y ffordd yn Ysbyty Maelor Wrecsam? Mae perfformiad yr ysbyty hwnnw wedi bod yn waeth mewn gwirionedd dros y 12 mis diwethaf. Mewn wyth o'r 12 mis diwethaf maen nhw wedi dangos ffigurau gwaeth nag Ysbyty Glan Clwyd o ran perfformiad, felly pam rydych chi wedi gadael hynny allan o'r dull hwn o ymyriad wedi'i dargedu? Rydych chi'n sôn am ddiwylliant o fwlio, rydych chi'n sôn am staff nad oes neb yn gwrando arnyn nhw, rydych chi'n sôn am ddiwylliant o ofn. Fe glywsom ni adroddiadau am y sefyllfa yn Ysbyty Gwynedd, gyda staff yn y fan honno'n cwyno am y pethau hynny ychydig wythnosau yn ôl. Pam nad yw'r ysbyty hwnnw'n cael ei roi mewn ymyriad wedi'i dargedu ar gyfer y materion hynny? Nid yw hynny'n gwneud unrhyw synnwyr o gwbl.
Rydych chi'n dweud wrthym ni nawr eich bod chi am weithio gyda'r bwrdd iechyd, yn hytrach na gweithio i'r bwrdd iechyd, ar gyfer datrys y problemau hyn, ac rydych chi wedi penodi Gwelliant Cymru yn rhyw farchog gwyn sydd am ddod i mewn ar gefn ei geffyl a throi'r sefyllfa hon o gwmpas. Pam ar y ddaear nad ydych chi wedi defnyddio Gwelliant Cymru o'r blaen? Mae'r sefydliad hwn wedi bod ar waith ers blynyddoedd, ac eto nid ydych chi wedi ei ddefnyddio tan heddiw. Pam nad ydych chi'n defnyddio'r arbenigwyr sydd ar gael yn allanol i newid y sefyllfa? Beth am alw'r Coleg Meddygaeth Frys Brenhinol i mewn i drawsnewid yr adrannau achosion brys yn y gogledd? Beth am alw ar y coleg brenhinol a luniodd yr adroddiadau ar y gwasanaethau fasgwlaidd i ddod i mewn a throi'r sefyllfa honno o gwmpas? Gan mai y nhw sy'n deall orau, debyg iawn, yn fy marn i. Rwy'n dod at fy sylwadau olaf nawr, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Rydych chi'n dweud eich bod chi'n awyddus i gael gwelliant cyflym, ac yn dweud y bydd y sefyllfa hon yn cael ei monitro a'i hadolygu yn ofalus, ac eto rydych chi wedi dweud na fydd y cyfarfod teirochrog nesaf yn cael ei gynnal tan ddiwedd mis Hydref. Nid yw hynny'n swnio fel sefydliad sydd am wneud gwelliannau sylweddol ar gyflymder, os ydych chi'n barod i aros tan ddiwedd mis Hydref am gyfarfod teirochrog arall. Gweinidog, nid oes gennyf i unrhyw hyder o gwbl y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru wrth dargedu ymyriadau yn y meysydd ychwanegol hyn, ar ben yr ymyriad arall a dargedir, yn gwneud unrhyw wahaniaeth o gwbl yn y bwrdd iechyd hwn. Mae angen i ni roi hwb i'r arweinyddiaeth bresennol sydd wedi siomi pobl cyhyd. Dyna'r unig ffordd o ysgogi'r newid diwylliannol sylweddol—
I have been generous to the Member.
Rwyf i wedi bod yn hael wrth yr Aelod.
—that we need. We need that action now, sooner rather than later.
—sydd ei angen arnom. Mae angen y gweithredu hwnnw arnom ni nawr, cyn gynted â phosibl.
Diolch yn fawr. I did, of course, offer a briefing to your political representative on the health committee, and I'm sure he communicated to you what that information contained.
There is nothing scattergun about this approach. We formally had measures in relation to mental health and governance, and now we are targeting this additional intervention at the area where we have greatest concern, and that is Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, vascular and the emergency department. You can't have it all ways; you can't tell me in one breath that it's scattergun and now you want me to spread that approach to Wrexham Maelor and everywhere else. You can't have it both ways. I think this is the right way to go. This has been identified by the tripartite group to assess where we can make the biggest difference in a short space of time.
There's a difference now in terms of Improvement Cymru. You're quite right, it was a question that I asked: why didn't we bring them in before? It was because they didn't exist until 2019. We had this little intervening issue of COVID that actually knocked a lot of things out of action during that time. The approach, in terms of Improvement Cymru, was based on 1000 Lives. What we have now is a very different focus for the organisation, and that's why things will be different this time.
On top of that, of course, we've put significant additional resources in place, £297 million until 2024. We have had, of course, detailed discussions with the chair and the chief executive in terms of how we can improve the situation in a practical way and to do it at pace. When you say we won't be doing anything until October, if you'd listened carefully to the statement, it was very clear that we would be taking the temperature on a fortnightly basis from the Welsh Government point of view to make sure that we see improvements on a regular basis. It will then be an opportunity to bring in Healthcare Inspectorate Wales again to see if that intervention has made any difference by the end of October.
Diolch yn fawr. Fe wnes i, wrth gwrs, gynnig sesiwn friffio i'ch cynrychiolydd gwleidyddol ar y pwyllgor iechyd, ac yr wyf i'n siŵr ei fod wedi dweud wrthych chi beth yr oedd yr wybodaeth honno'n ei gynnwys.
Nid oes dim byd gwasgarog ynghylch y dull gweithredu hwn. Roedd gennym ni fesurau ffurfiol o ran iechyd meddwl a llywodraethu, a nawr rydym ni'n anelu'r ymyriad ychwanegol hwn at yr ardal lle mae'r pryder mwyaf gennym ni, sef adrannau fasgwlaidd ac achosion brys Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Ni allwch chi ei chael hi bob ffordd; ni allwch chi ddweud wrthyf i mewn un anadl ei fod yn wasgarog a nawr yr ydych chi eisiau i mi ledaenu'r dull gweithredu hwnnw i Wrecsam Maelor a phobman arall. Ni allwch chi ei chael hi ddwy ffordd. Rwy'n credu mai dyma'r ffordd gywir i fynd. Mae hyn wedi cael ei nodi gan y grŵp teirochrog i asesu lle y gallwn ni wneud y gwahaniaeth mwyaf mewn cyfnod byr o amser.
Mae gwahaniaeth nawr o ran Gwelliant Cymru. Rydych chi'n hollol gywir, roedd yn gwestiwn y gofynnais i: pam na wnaethom ni ddod â nhw i mewn o'r blaen? Y rheswm am hynny oedd nad oedden nhw'n bodoli tan 2019. Cawsom ni'r mater bach hwn o COVID yn y canol a ddaeth â llawer o bethau i ben yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw. Roedd y dull gweithredu, o ran Gwelliant Cymru, yn seiliedig ar 1000 o Fywydau. Mae'r hyn sydd gennym ni nawr yn ganolbwynt gwahanol iawn i'r sefydliad, a dyna pam y bydd pethau'n wahanol y tro hwn.
Ar ben hynny, wrth gwrs, rydym ni wedi rhoi adnoddau ychwanegol sylweddol ar waith, £297 miliwn tan 2024. Rydym ni, wrth gwrs, wedi cael trafodaethau manwl gyda'r cadeirydd a'r prif weithredwr o ran sut y gallwn ni wella'r sefyllfa mewn ffordd ymarferol a gwneud hynny'n gyflym. Pan ddywedwch chi na fyddwn ni'n gwneud unrhyw beth tan fis Hydref, pe baech wedi gwrando'n ofalus ar y datganiad, roedd yn amlwg iawn y byddem ni'n asesu pethau bob pythefnos o safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau ein bod ni'n gweld gwelliannau'n rheolaidd. Bydd wedyn gyfle i ddod ag Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru i mewn eto i weld a yw'r ymyrraeth honno wedi gwneud unrhyw wahaniaeth erbyn diwedd mis Hydref.
Diolch am y datganiad. Dwi'n ofni, dim ots sut ydych chi'n edrych ar hyn, nad ydy amseru hyn heddiw ddim yn adlewyrchu'n dda ar Lywodraeth Cymru. A dweud y gwir, mae o'n dangos unwaith eto gymaint o ddiffyg dealltwriaeth a diffyg gwerthfawrogiad sydd yna yn Llywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â difrifoldeb y sefyllfa ym mwrdd iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr.
Thank you for the statement. I fear that, however you look at this, the timing of this today doesn't reflect well on the Welsh Government. Indeed, it demonstrates once again how little understanding and how little appreciation there is within the Welsh Government of the gravity of the situation at Betsi Cadwaladr health board.
This is a very weak response to an extremely serious situation, I fear—an extension of targeted intervention, rather than a real rolling up of sleeves to deal with a problem that is causing so much anguish to staff and patients across the north. An extension of targeted intervention—why end here when there are so many problems right across Betsi Cadwaladr? The problems I've brought to your attention among nurses at Ysbyty Gwynedd and the fears of bullying and intimidation and working conditions that are not up to it in terms of retaining the staff, their knowledge and experience—why not include Ysbyty Gwynedd?
And in terms of the timing, which one is it? Is this yet another example of Welsh Government acting at the eleventh hour to try to take the sting out of a Senedd debate and a potentially difficult vote, acting because they have to to try to avoid embarrassment? Welsh Government does this all the time. It's a Government dragging its heels. Or is it that the Minister really failed to register the seriousness of report after report—that damning report on vascular in particular—and she decided to see how things went for another three months before deciding on the next step and if action was required, when it was pretty obvious that we needed further intervention? Government failed to act in a way that reflected the urgency of the situation.
Mae hwn yn ymateb gwan iawn i sefyllfa eithriadol o ddifrifol, mae arnaf i ofn—ymestyn ymyrraeth wedi'i thargedu, yn hytrach na mynd i'r afael o ddifri â phroblem sy'n achosi cymaint o ofid i staff a chleifion ar draws y gogledd. Ymestyn ymyrraeth wedi'i thargedu—pam gorffen yn y fan yna pan fod cynifer o broblemau ar draws Betsi Cadwaladr? Y problemau yr wyf i wedi'u dwyn i'ch sylw ymhlith nyrsys yn Ysbyty Gwynedd a'r ofnau ynghylch bwlio a bygythiadau ac amodau gwaith nad ydyn nhw'n ddigon da o ran cadw'r staff, eu gwybodaeth a'u profiad—pam na wnewch chi gynnwys Ysbyty Gwynedd?
Ac o ran yr amseru, p'un ydyw? A yw hyn yn enghraifft arall eto o Lywodraeth Cymru yn gweithredu ar yr unfed awr ar ddeg i geisio lliniaru dadl yn y Senedd a phleidlais a allai fod yn anodd, gan weithredu oherwydd bod yn rhaid iddyn nhw geisio osgoi embaras? Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud hyn drwy'r amser. Mae'n Llywodraeth sy'n llusgo'i thraed. Ynteu ai'r Gweinidog a fethodd mewn gwirionedd â deall difrifoldeb adroddiad ar ôl adroddiad—yr adroddiad damniol hwnnw ar y gwasanaeth fasgwlaidd yn benodol—a phenderfynodd hi weld sut y byddai pethau'n mynd am dri mis arall cyn penderfynu ar y cam nesaf ac a oedd angen gweithredu, pan oedd yn eithaf amlwg bod angen ymyrraeth arall arnom ni? Methodd y Llywodraeth â gweithredu mewn ffordd a oedd yn adlewyrchu brys y sefyllfa.
Mae'r Gweinidog yn dweud bod yna bocedi o ragoriaeth o fewn Betsi Cadwaladr. Oes, mae yna. Mi ysgrifennais i at y prif weithredwr a'r cadeirydd yn ddiweddar yn dilyn cyhoeddi ffigurau ar ganser yn dangos bod yna waith da yn digwydd yn y gogledd. Rydyn ni yn deall hynny. Mae'r Gweinidog, dwi'n gwybod, yn eiddgar inni gadw mewn golwg yr angen i gefnogi staff drwy hyn oll. Allaf i ddim cytuno mwy. Heb staff, does yna ddim NHS. Yn yr adrannau yna sy'n wynebu yr heriau mawr, mae yna staff dŷn ni angen eu cadw, a dŷn ni yn cofio amdanyn nhw heddiw, ac yn diolch am eu gwaith nhw. Ond staff ydy llawer o'r rheini sy'n codi pryderon efo ni am wasanaethau iechyd yn y gogledd. Staff oedd yn codi pryderon am golli gwasanaethau fasgiwlar o Fangor. Heddiw, er gwaethaf yr adroddiad damniol hwnnw, mae'r Gweinidog yn dal i fynnu bod y penderfyniad i ganoli gwasanaethau wedi bod yr un cywir. Wel, os oedd o, pam ddim canoli yn Ysbyty Gwynedd lle'r oedd yna ganolfan o ragoriaeth? Ar wasanaethau iechyd meddwl, staff sydd wedi bod yn disgrifio wrthyf i ac Aelodau eraill, dro ar ôl tro, pam fod gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl ddim yn barod i ddod allan o fesurau arbennig go iawn pan benderfynodd y Llywodraeth wneud hynny yn gynamserol cyn yr etholiad diwethaf.
Felly, dŷn ni yn gwrando ar staff, dŷn ni yn parchu staff, dŷn ni yn ystyried y gefnogaeth sydd ei angen i staff. Ond ydy'r Gweinidog yn derbyn y bydd llawer o'r staff hynny yn gweld bod yna lawer gormod o oedi wedi bod cyn cymryd y camau yma heddiw, a bod y camau yn annigonol? Ac yn absenoldeb, mewn difri, unrhyw awgrym yn y datganiad yma o sut fydd mesur a ydy pethau'n gwella ai peidio, ydy hi'n derbyn ein bod ni'n dal heb weledigaeth o sut fyddai Betsi Cadwaladr llwyddiannus, gynaliadwy yn gweithio? A dyna pam y byddwn ni ar y meinciau yma, yn y ddadl yfory, yn dadlau bod eisiau edrych yn onest ar y posibilrwydd o aildrefnu gofal iechyd yn y gogledd. Mae'r cynlluniau yma yn wan, dwi'n ofni. Dwi'n gobeithio, er mwyn staff a chleifion, y gwnan nhw wahaniaeth, y gall y cynlluniau yma wneud gwahaniaeth. Ond mae hi'n sefyllfa ddifrifol sydd angen plan B yn barod i fynd.
The Minister says that there are pockets of excellence within Betsi Cadwaladr. Well, yes, there are. I wrote to the chief executive and chair recently following the publication of cancer figures showing that there was good work happening in north Wales. We do understand that. The Minister, I know, is eager for us to bear in mind the need to support staff through all of this. I couldn't agree with her more. Without staff, there is no NHS. In those departments facing the greatest challenges, there are staff that we need to retain, and we do remember them today and thank them for their work. But staff are many of those people raising concerns with us about health services in north Wales. Staff raised concerns about the loss of vascular services from Bangor. Today, despite the damning report, the Minister still insists that that decision to centralise services had been the right one. Well, if it was, why not centralise at Ysbyty Gwynedd where there was a centre of excellence already? In terms of mental health services, it is staff who have been describing to me, and to other Members, time and time again, why mental health services weren't ready to come out of special measures when the Government decided to do that prematurely just before the last election.
So, we do listen to staff, we do respect the staff, and we are mindful of the support that staff need. But does the Minister accept that many of those staff members will see that there has been far too much delay in taking these steps today, and that the steps taken are inadequate? And in the absence of any suggestion in this statement of how we will be able to gauge success or otherwise, does she accept that we still don't have a vision as to how a successful, sustainable Betsi Cadwaladr would work for the future? And that's why we on these benches, in tomorrow's debate, will be arguing that we need to take an honest look at the possibility of reorganising healthcare in north Wales. These plans are weak, I fear. I hope, for the sake of staff and patients, that they will make a difference, and that these plans can make a difference. But it's a very serious situation that needs a plan B ready to go.
I am extremely aware of the seriousness of the situation, and it is clear that the situation in Betsi, in particular in those areas we've highlighted, is unacceptable. This is something that I made very clear to the chief executive and the chair when I met them last week. Can I be absolutely clear that this statement was earmarked before any suggestion of an opposition debate on this matter? It was very important for me—[Interruption.] It was important for me to—[Interruption.] It was important for me to speak to the chair and the chief executive face to face, and that's why I needed the opportunity to go and do that in front of them last week. So, I'm glad that I was able to do that, to go through the detail of what we were proposing.
The three months that we used to give us time to assess exactly what interventions were necessary not only allowed us to recognise the seriousness of the situation, but also made sure that we had a clear programme of action that we could put in place. I am not in the business of putting a label on something and not having a follow through for that label. And that's why it's absolutely clear to me that making an announcement that there will be an extension to the targeted intervention, with a clear programme of action to run alongside that, is the right way to go.
In terms of the staff, I have been speaking to representatives of health unions in recent days. Certainly, they have been uncomfortable in certain situations of being moved around from place to place, but some of the unions are telling me that, actually, they don't recognise some of the issues that have been highlighted. So, I would suggest that, if there are issues, they also talk to the unions about those issues because they are not hearing some of the things that are being heard by Members here.
It is important also for us to make sure that we focus on the staff within the organisation. The staff are the backbone of any improvements that we are likely to see here. It is why we have said that we are going to be standing with the staff and doing any interventions with the staff rather than doing things to them. That is the only way we're going to get sustainable change.
Rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o ddifrifoldeb y sefyllfa, ac mae'n amlwg bod y sefyllfa yn Betsi, yn enwedig yn yr ardaloedd hynny yr ydym ni wedi tynnu sylw atyn nhw, yn annerbyniol. Mae hyn yn rhywbeth y gwnes i'n glir iawn i'r prif weithredwr a'r cadeirydd pan wnes i gyfarfod â nhw yr wythnos diwethaf. A gaf i fod yn gwbl glir bod y datganiad hwn wedi'i glustnodi cyn unrhyw awgrym o ddadl gan yr wrthblaid ar y mater hwn? Roedd yn bwysig iawn i mi—[Torri ar draws.] Roedd yn bwysig i mi—[Torri ar draws.] Roedd yn bwysig i mi siarad â'r cadeirydd a'r prif weithredwr wyneb yn wyneb, a dyna pam yr oedd angen y cyfle arnaf i fynd i wneud hynny o'u blaenau yr wythnos diwethaf. Felly, rwy'n falch fy mod wedi gallu gwneud hynny, i fynd drwy fanylion yr hyn yr oeddem ni'n ei gynnig.
Roedd y tri mis y gwnaethom ni eu defnyddio i roi amser i ni asesu pa ymyraethau yn union oedd yn angenrheidiol nid yn unig yn caniatáu i ni gydnabod difrifoldeb y sefyllfa, ond hefyd i sicrhau bod gennym ni raglen weithredu glir y gallem ni ei rhoi ar waith. Nid wyf i yn y busnes o roi label ar rywbeth a pheidio â chael dilyniant ar gyfer y label honno. A dyna pam y mae'n gwbl glir i mi mai gwneud cyhoeddiad y bydd estyniad i'r ymyrraeth wedi'i dargedu, gyda rhaglen weithredu glir i weithredu ochr yn ochr â hynny, yw'r ffordd gywir i fynd.
O ran y staff, rwyf i wedi bod yn siarad â chynrychiolwyr undebau iechyd yn y dyddiau diwethaf. Yn sicr, maen nhw wedi bod yn anghyfforddus mewn rhai sefyllfaoedd pryd cawsant eu symud o le i le, ond mae rhai o'r undebau'n dweud wrthyf i nad ydyn nhw, mewn gwirionedd, yn cydnabod rhai o'r materion sydd wedi'u hamlygu. Felly, byddwn i'n awgrymu, os oes problemau, eu bod hefyd yn siarad â'r undebau am y materion hynny gan nad ydyn nhw'n clywed rhai o'r pethau sy'n cael eu clywed gan Aelodau yma.
Mae hefyd yn bwysig i ni sicrhau ein bod ni'n canolbwyntio ar y staff yn y sefydliad. Y staff yw asgwrn cefn unrhyw welliannau yr ydym ni'n debygol o'u gweld yma. Dyna pam yr ydym ni wedi dweud y byddwn ni'n sefyll gyda'r staff ac yn gwneud unrhyw ymyraethau gyda'r staff yn hytrach na gwneud pethau iddyn nhw. Dyna'r unig ffordd y byddwn ni'n cael newid cynaliadwy.
I've had a request for a point of order. Darren Millar.
Rwyf i wedi cael cais am bwynt o drefn. Darren Millar.
Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. Can I just express my concern about a remark that the Minister made suggesting that this statement has been planned for a number of weeks? I'm a member of the Business Committee. The Business Committee look at the forward work programme each time we meet. We were not notified of any changes until today in respect of this statement; it was not agreed until today. Papers were circulated yesterday to the Business Committee, confirming this change. That suggests to me that the Minister may have inadvertently misled the Senedd.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. A gaf i fynegi fy mhryder ynghylch sylw a wnaeth y Gweinidog yn awgrymu bod y datganiad hwn wedi'i gynllunio ers nifer o wythnosau? Rwy'n aelod o'r Pwyllgor Busnes. Mae'r Pwyllgor Busnes yn edrych ar y flaenraglen waith bob tro y byddwn ni'n cyfarfod. Ni chawsom ni wybod am unrhyw newidiadau tan heddiw o ran y datganiad hwn; ni chafodd ei gytuno arno tan heddiw. Cafodd papurau eu dosbarthu i'r Pwyllgor Busnes ddoe, gan gadarnhau'r newid hwn. Mae hynny'n awgrymu i mi y gallai'r Gweinidog fod wedi camarwain y Senedd yn anfwriadol.
Thank you for that point of order. I'm sure the Minister will reflect upon when the Government had decided it would introduce such a statement. Perhaps that may be an issue rather than simply the business statement.
Before we move on to the—
Diolch i chi am y pwynt o drefn yna. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn ystyried pryd yr oedd y Llywodraeth wedi penderfynu y byddai'n cyflwyno datganiad o'r fath. Efallai fod hynny'n fater yn hytrach na'r datganiad busnes yn unig.
Cyn i ni symud ymlaen at—
If you don't mind, I would like to respond to that.
Os nad oes ots gennych chi, hoffwn i ymateb i hynna.
Minister, I will in a second. But before we move on, can I remind all other contributors of the timescales, please? We have already used up a large proportion of our time, so can everyone keep to their timescales, please? Minister.
Gweinidog, fe wnaf i mewn eiliad. Ond cyn i ni symud ymlaen, a gaf i atgoffa'r holl gyfranwyr eraill o'r amserlen, os gwelwch yn dda? Rydym ni eisoes wedi defnyddio cyfran fawr o'n hamser, felly a wnaiff pawb gadw at eu hamserlenni, os gwelwch yn dda? Gweinidog.
If you don't mind, I would like to respond to that. This is a statement that we've been preparing. Clearly, I did not want to put that on any agenda until I had the opportunity to speak to the chair and the chief executive of the health board, and that happened last week. And since then, we've been working very hard since that meeting last Tuesday to put in place these measures. So, we've been working this up. You might have noticed, Darren, that, actually, there's been a four-day bank holiday, so maybe that is part of the reason why you haven't heard anything about it. [Interruption.]
Os nad oes ots gennych, hoffwn ymateb i hynna. Mae hwn yn ddatganiad yr ydym ni wedi bod yn ei baratoi. Yn amlwg, nid oeddwn i eisiau rhoi hynny ar unrhyw agenda nes i mi gael cyfle i siarad â chadeirydd a phrif weithredwr y bwrdd iechyd, a digwyddodd hynny yr wythnos diwethaf. Ac ers hynny, rydym ni wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn ers y cyfarfod hwnnw ddydd Mawrth diwethaf i roi'r mesurau hyn ar waith. Felly, rydym ni wedi bod yn gweithio ar hyn. Efallai eich bod chi wedi sylwi, Darren, fod gŵyl banc pedwar diwrnod wedi bod, mewn gwirionedd, felly efallai fod hynny'n rhan o'r rheswm pam nad ydych chi wedi clywed dim amdano. [Torri ar draws.]
The Minister has given her response—[Interruption.] The Minister has given her response, and we will now move on to the next person. Janet Finch-Saunders.
Mae'r Gweinidog wedi rhoi ei hymateb—[Torri ar draws.] Mae'r Gweinidog wedi rhoi ei hymateb, a symudwn ni ymlaen nawr at y person nesaf. Janet Finch-Saunders.
Thank you. Whilst I thank you for the statement, Minister, I would like to thank my colleagues Darren Millar and Rhun ap Iorwerth more for actually calling you out on this statement, because it's far too inadequate. I've been here 11 years, and, prior to that, I had dealings, going back over the years, with the Betsi health board, under the late Mary Burrows, when she was the chief executive. And we've had countless numbers of chief executives since, we've had countless numbers of chairs, and we've had several health Ministers, and yet, the fundamental problem we have here is that this health board is going backwards. There are no improvements that I believe that will be forthcoming.
I, like other Members, have undertaken numerous meetings with the chief exec, deputy chief exec, and listened to several statements here since first being elected in 2011. The responses to serious casework issues are abysmal—
Diolch. Er fy mod i'n diolch i chi am y datganiad, Gweinidog, hoffwn i ddiolch yn fwy i fy nghyd-Aelodau Darren Millar a Rhun ap Iorwerth am eich herio chi ar y datganiad hwn, oherwydd mae'n rhy annigonol o lawer. Rwyf i wedi bod yma 11 mlynedd, a chyn hynny, roedd gennyf i gysylltiadau, yn mynd yn ôl dros y blynyddoedd, â bwrdd iechyd Betsi, o dan y diweddar Mary Burrows, pan oedd hi'n brif weithredwr. Ac rydym ni wedi cael prif weithredwyr di-rif ers hynny, rydym ni wedi cael cadeiryddion di-rif, ac rydym wedi cael sawl Gweinidog iechyd, ac eto, y broblem sylfaenol sydd gennym ni yma yw bod y bwrdd iechyd hwn yn mynd tuag yn ôl. Nid wyf yn credu bod unrhyw welliannau ar ddod.
Rwyf i, fel Aelodau eraill, wedi cynnal nifer o gyfarfodydd gyda'r prif weithredwr, y dirprwy brif weithredwr, ac wedi gwrando ar sawl datganiad yma ers cael fy ethol gyntaf yn 2011. Mae'r ymatebion i faterion gwaith achos difrifol yn druenus—
You do need to ask the question. I did ask Members to be succinct.
Mae angen i chi ofyn y cwestiwn. Gofynnais i'r Aelodau fod yn gryno.
Yes, I know. I've got to be honest, things are so bad, Deputy Llywydd—
Oes, rwy'n gwybod. Mae'n rhaid i mi fod yn onest, mae pethau mor wael, Dirprwy Lywydd—
Janet, there are a lot of people who want to speak.
Janet, mae llawer o bobl eisiau siarad.
I will get to it. But it's a fact, and it's been raised by Plaid Cymru, the current model simply doesn't work. I asked you two weeks ago, Minister, whether we could have a meeting of north Wales Members, yourself, the chairman and the chief executive, and then we could have some full and frank discussions. Will you now agree to that meeting, please? That's all I have to ask.
Fe wnaf i ddod ato. Ond mae'n ffaith, ac mae Plaid Cymru wedi'i godi, nid yw'r model presennol yn gweithio. Gofynnais i chi bythefnos yn ôl, Gweinidog, a allem ni gael cyfarfod o Aelodau'r gogledd, chi, y cadeirydd a'r prif weithredwr, ac yna gallem ni gael trafodaethau llawn a diffuant. A wnewch chi gytuno'n awr i'r cyfarfod hwnnw, os gwelwch yn dda? Dyna'r cyfan sydd gennyf i'w ofyn.
Yes, I'm happy to have that meeting.
Ydw, rwy'n hapus i gael y cyfarfod hwnnw.
Wel, os oes angen prawf, mae'r datganiad yma, yn fy marn i, yn dangos bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd rownd a rownd mewn cylchoedd ar Betsi Cadwaladr. Rŷch chi'n tincro gyda'r symptomau yn lle mynd i'r afael yn fwy sylfaenol â'r salwch sy'n llethu gwasanaethau ar draws y gogledd.
Well, if we need any proof, this statement, in my view, shows that the Welsh Government is going round and round in circles on Betsi Cadwaladr. You're tinkering with the symptoms rather than fundamentally tackling the illness that is stifling services in north Wales.
How many times have we been here before on Betsi Cadwaladr, Minister? How many times do we have to come here, and, quite frankly, listen to your cut-and-paste statements about more targeted interventions, more new directors, more tripartite meetings? You're like a broken record. It's a statement that you and your predecessors have made in various forms time after time, month after month, for the best part of the last decade. Front-line workers in north Wales are doing heroic work, but their Government is fiddling whilst Rome burns. Will you accept that the time has now come for a more fundamental consideration of how services are configured across north Wales? And, look, if the conclusion is that this current model is the best that we can be, then so be it—I'll accept that. But until you as a Government instigate that discussion, then you will have to be dragged back to this Chamber month after month, to give us more of the same excuses and more of the same guff.
Sawl gwaith ydym ni wedi bod yma o'r blaen o ran Betsi Cadwaladr, Gweinidog? Sawl gwaith y mae'n rhaid i ni ddod yma, ac, a dweud y gwir, gwrando ar eich datganiadau torri a gludo am ymyraethau mwy penodol, mwy o gyfarwyddwyr newydd, mwy o gyfarfodydd teirochrog? Rydych chi fel record wedi torri. Mae'n ddatganiad yr ydych chi a'ch rhagflaenwyr wedi'i wneud ar wahanol ffurfiau dro ar ôl tro, fis ar ôl mis, am y rhan fwyaf o'r degawd diwethaf. Mae gweithwyr rheng flaen yn y gogledd yn gwneud gwaith arwrol, ond mae eu Llywodraeth yn poeni am fanion wrth i ni wynebu argyfwng. A wnewch chi dderbyn bod yr amser wedi dod nawr i ystyried yn fwy sylfaenol sut y caiff gwasanaethau eu cyflunio ledled y gogledd? Ac, edrychwch, os y casgliad yw mai'r model presennol hwn yw'r gorau y gallwn ni fod, yna boed felly—fe wnaf i dderbyn hynny. Ond tan i chi fel Llywodraeth gychwyn y drafodaeth honno, yna bydd yn rhaid i chi gael eich llusgo'n ôl i'r Siambr hon fis ar ôl mis, i roi mwy o'r un esgusodion a mwy o'r un rwtsh i ni.
I believe that reorganisation at this point would be costly, it would be a distraction from the significant issues in relation to planned care, it would divert resources, and my focus at the moment is on patient care. There is nothing 'cut and paste' about this statement; I can assure you I've spent a lot of time working on it. I think that I will retain my focus, as I'm sure the board will, on ensuring that we are doing the very best for the people of north Wales, and a costly reorganisation is not the answer.
Rwy'n credu y byddai ad-drefnu ar hyn o bryd yn gostus, byddai'n tynnu sylw oddi wrth y materion pwysig sy'n ymwneud â gofal wedi'i gynllunio, byddai'n dargyfeirio adnoddau, ac mae fy ffocws ar hyn o bryd ar ofal cleifion. Nid oes dim byd wedi'i 'dorri a'i gludo' ynghylch y datganiad hwn; gallaf i eich sicrhau chi fy mod i wedi treulio llawer o amser yn gweithio arno. Rwy'n credu y byddaf i'n parhau i ganolbwyntio, fel y gwnaiff y bwrdd, rwy'n siŵr, ar sicrhau ein bod ni'n gwneud y gorau dros bobl y gogledd, ac nid ad-drefnu costus yw'r ateb.
Thank you for your statement this afternoon, Minister. The sad reality is that, back in the 1980s and the 1990s, Glan Clwyd Hospital was one of the best-performing hospitals not only in Wales but the UK, so it's sad to see how times have changed, to say the least.
I have just a couple of questions this afternoon. Do you honestly believe that these measures you've outlined can deliver improvements quickly and in a timely manner? And what additional support will be on offer to my constituents working in YGC? After all, this is not a failure of the staff working on the front line, it's a leadership failure—too many middle managers and bureaucrats. Do you have confidence that the leadership can deliver safer, improved services? And as you state in your statement, there are concerns surrounding morale and workforce well-being, so what steps are you taking to monitor the well-being of the staff working in YGC and what instruments are you going to use to measure that over a sustained period of time? And will staff at YGC be offered external reporting measures until the culture within the health board improves? And, finally, Minister, you have asked the health board to create a new director of safety and improvement. Given the recruitment issues facing the board, when do you anticipate the post being filled and how will the new director be able to drive these improvements that are well needed? Thank you.
Diolch am eich datganiad y prynhawn yma, Gweinidog. Y gwirionedd trist yw, yr oedd Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, yn ôl yn yr 1980au a'r 1990au, yn un o'r ysbytai a oedd yn perfformio orau nid yn unig yng Nghymru ond yn y DU, felly mae'n drist gweld sut y daeth tro ar fyd, a dweud y lleiaf.
Dim ond ychydig o gwestiynau sydd gennyf i y prynhawn yma. A ydych chi'n credu'n ddiffuant y gall y mesurau hyn yr ydych chi wedi'u hamlinellu sicrhau gwelliannau'n gyflym ac mewn modd amserol? A pha gymorth ychwanegol fydd ar gael i fy etholwyr sy'n gweithio yn YGC? Wedi'r cyfan, nid methiant y staff sy'n gweithio ar y rheng flaen yw hyn, mae'n fethiant o ran arweinyddiaeth—gormod o reolwyr canol a biwrocratiaid. A ydych chi'n ffyddiog y gall yr arweinyddiaeth ddarparu gwasanaethau mwy diogel a gwell? Ac fel y dywedwch chi yn eich datganiad, mae pryderon ynghylch morâl a llesiant y gweithlu, felly pa gamau ydych chi'n eu cymryd i fonitro llesiant y staff sy'n gweithio yn YGC a pha offerynnau ydych chi'n mynd i'w defnyddio i fesur hynny dros gyfnod parhaus o amser? Ac a fydd staff YGC yn cael cynnig mesurau adrodd allanol nes bydd y diwylliant o fewn y bwrdd iechyd yn gwella? Ac, yn olaf, Gweinidog, rydych chi wedi gofyn i'r bwrdd iechyd greu cyfarwyddwr diogelwch a gwella newydd. O ystyried y materion recriwtio sy'n wynebu'r bwrdd, pryd ydych chi'n rhagweld y bydd y swydd yn cael ei llenwi a sut y bydd y cyfarwyddwr newydd yn gallu sbarduno'r gwelliannau hyn y mae wir eu hangen? Diolch.
Thanks very much. There are some things, Gareth, that I expect to improve very quickly. I think there have already been some improvements in relation to vascular. There will be others that will take more time. The cultural shift that is necessary within the organisation—the acceptance that it needs to be a self-improving organisation—is something that will not be able to be switched on overnight, but it's something where I expect to see improvements. The issue that you referred to in terms of the appointment of a new director for improvement is something that we discussed with the chief executive and the chair last Tuesday, and they have now gone away to think about how exactly that would work within the executive organisation that they already have in place.
Diolch yn fawr. Mae rhai pethau, Gareth, yr wyf i'n disgwyl iddyn nhw wella'n gyflym iawn. Rwy'n credu bod rhai gwelliannau eisoes wedi digwydd o ran y gwasanaeth fasgwlaidd. Bydd eraill a fydd yn cymryd mwy o amser. Mae'r newid diwylliannol sy'n angenrheidiol o fewn y sefydliad—y ffaith ei fod yn derbyn bod angen iddo fod yn sefydliad sy'n gwella ei hun—yn rhywbeth na fydd yn bosibl ei newid dros nos, ond mae'n rhywbeth yr wyf i'n disgwyl gweld gwelliannau ynddo. Mae'r mater y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio ato o ran penodi cyfarwyddwr newydd ar gyfer gwella yn rhywbeth y gwnaethom ni ei drafod gyda'r prif weithredwr a'r cadeirydd ddydd Mawrth diwethaf, ac maen nhw nawr wedi mynd i ffwrdd i ystyried sut yn union y byddai hynny'n gweithio o fewn y sefydliad gweithredol sydd ganddyn nhw eisoes.
Ac yn olaf, Sam Rowlands.
And finally, Sam Rowlands.
Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, Minister, for bringing forward today's statement. Before I get into the thrust of my comments, I would like some clarity from the Minister around the statement that bringing in Improvement Cymru was only possible because it's only been around since 2019. I understood that the 1000 Lives campaign, which was the predecessor name, has been around for quite a long time, so perhaps you could respond to that in just a moment.
As you state in your statement, Minister, the situation in Betsi Cadwaladr is unacceptable and needs serious work and effort. That's kind of written down like it's new news, but we've been saying this for years, as Members have already stated. Your rightfully point out that many of the issues have been raised in this Chamber by Members of all parties, and this is because we are representing residents, sometimes our own family, our own friends, our loved ones, who continue to be let down by this lack of access to quality health services in north Wales, which ultimately is your responsibility and the responsibility of Welsh Government. My concern is that many of my residents will think that this is only talk coming from Welsh Government to see improvements. So, I want to know, Minister, how will you personally be assured that these improvements will take place and that the people of north Wales will see the radical improvements that we need to see?
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, a diolch, Gweinidog, am gyflwyno'r datganiad heddiw. Cyn i mi fynd i hanfodion fy sylwadau, hoffwn i gael rhywfaint o eglurder gan y Gweinidog ynghylch y datganiad bod defnyddio Gwelliant Cymru dim ond wedi bod yn bosibl oherwydd iddo gael ei gyflwyno yn 2019. Deallais i fod yr ymgyrch 1000 o Fywydau, sef yr enw blaenorol, wedi bod o gwmpas ers cryn amser, felly efallai y gallech chi ymateb i hynny mewn eiliad.
Fel y dywedwch chi yn eich datganiad, Gweinidog, mae'r sefyllfa ym Mwrdd Iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr yn annerbyniol ac mae angen gwaith ac ymdrech sylweddol arno. Mae hynny wedi'i ysgrifennu, mewn ffordd, fel ei fod yn newyddion newydd, ond rydym ni wedi bod yn dweud hyn ers blynyddoedd, fel y mae Aelodau eisoes wedi'i ddweud. Rydych chi'n hollol gywir yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod llawer o'r materion wedi'u codi yn y Siambr hon gan Aelodau o bob plaid, a'r rheswm dros hyn yw ein bod ni'n cynrychioli trigolion, weithiau ein teulu ein hunain, ein ffrindiau ein hunain, ein hanwyliaid, sy'n dal i gael eu siomi gan y diffyg mynediad hwn at wasanaethau iechyd o safon yn y gogledd, sef eich cyfrifoldeb chi a chyfrifoldeb Llywodraeth Cymru yn y pen draw. Fy mhryder i yw y bydd llawer o fy nhrigolion yn meddwl mai dim ond siarad yn unig o gyfeiriad Llywodraeth Cymru sydd o ran gweld gwelliannau. Felly, rwyf i eisiau gwybod, Gweinidog, sut y byddwch chi'n bersonol yn cael sicrwydd y bydd y gwelliannau hyn yn digwydd ac y bydd pobl y gogledd yn gweld y gwelliannau radical y mae angen i ni eu gweld?
Thanks very much. First of all, on Improvement Cymru, you're quite right that it was an organisation that focused before on the 1000 Lives programme, which was a safety programme to support health boards and trusts in their efforts to reduce harm, waste and variation in Welsh healthcare. That included work on eliminating hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, assessing patients for risk of deep vein thrombosis, and ensuring the World Health Organization's safer surgery checklist is implemented in every surgical theatre. Now, what it didn't do is this broader approach that we are talking about now, and that's what changed in 2019 when Improvement Cymru was developed in its current form.
You are quite right, Sam, to focus on the need to improve the services that are struggling. That is precisely what we are trying to do with this approach. I will personally be overseeing this, having my regular meetings, as I did again this morning, yesterday. Last week, I had a meeting with the chair. I had another meeting with the chair of Betsi this morning. So, there's a continuous dialogue happening between me and the chair of the health board. Obviously, my officials will be doing the same thing at an executive level, and I can give you my assurance that I will be intervening personally to make sure that they are keeping on track.
I'd just like to say one other thing, and that is: let's just make sure that people are aware that there are literally tens of thousands of people being seen on a monthly basis in Betsi Cadwaladr who are actually getting good care—
Diolch yn fawr. Yn gyntaf oll, o ran Gwelliant Cymru, rydych chi'n hollol gywir mai sefydliad a ganolbwyntiodd o'r blaen ar y rhaglen 1000 o Fywydau ydoedd, sef rhaglen ddiogelwch i gefnogi byrddau iechyd ac ymddiriedolaethau yn eu hymdrechion i leihau niwed, gwastraff ac amrywiadau mewn gofal iechyd yng Nghymru. Roedd hynny'n cynnwys gwaith ar ddileu briwiau pwyso a gafwyd yn yr ysbyty, asesu cleifion ar gyfer risg o thrombosis gwythiennau dwfn, a sicrhau bod rhestr wirio llawfeddygaeth fwy diogel Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd yn cael ei gweithredu ym mhob theatr lawfeddygol. Nawr, yr hyn nad oedd yn ei wneud yw'r dull gweithredu ehangach hwn yr ydym ni'n sôn amdano nawr, a dyna a newidiodd yn 2019 pan gafodd Gwelliant Cymru ei ddatblygu ar ei ffurf bresennol.
Rydych chi'n hollol gywir, Sam, i ganolbwyntio ar yr angen i wella'r gwasanaethau sy'n cael trafferthion. Dyna'n union yr ydym ni'n ceisio'i wneud â'r dull hwn. Byddaf i'n goruchwylio hyn yn bersonol, gan gael fy nghyfarfodydd rheolaidd, fel y gwnes i eto y bore yma, ddoe. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cefais i gyfarfod gyda'r cadeirydd. Cefais i gyfarfod arall gyda chadeirydd Betsi y bore yma. Felly, mae deialog barhaus yn digwydd rhyngof fi a chadeirydd y bwrdd iechyd. Yn amlwg, bydd fy swyddogion i'n gwneud yr un peth ar lefel weithredol, a gallaf i eich sicrhau y byddaf i'n ymyrryd yn bersonol i sicrhau eu bod yn cadw ar y trywydd iawn.
Hoffwn i ddweud un peth arall, a hynny yw: gadewch i ni wneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn ymwybodol bod degau o filoedd o bobl yn llythrennol yn cael eu gweld yn fisol ym Mwrdd Iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr sydd mewn gwirionedd yn cael gofal da—
Well, I wish they'd come and see me in my office.
Wel, byddai'n dda gennyf i pe bydden nhw'n dod i fy ngweld i yn fy swyddfa.
Well they don't, and that's the point. And that's the point. I think it's really important that we don't lose sight of the fact that, actually, there are people who are satisfied with the support and the service that they are having in Betsi.
Wel dydyn nhw ddim, a dyna'r pwynt. A dyna'r pwynt. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig iawn nad ydym yn colli golwg ar y ffaith bod yna bobl, mewn gwirionedd, sy'n fodlon ar y gefnogaeth a'r gwasanaeth y maen nhw yn eu cael yn Betsi.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Eitem 6 prynhawn yma yw'r datganiad gan y Gweinidog Cyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, mynd i'r afael â hiliaeth sefydliadol a systemig, 'Cynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol', a galwaf ar y Gweinidog, Jane Hutt.
item 6 this afternoon is a statement by the Minister for Social Justice on tackling institutionalised and systemic racism, 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan', and I call on the Minister, Jane Hutt.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Last October, the whole Senedd endorsed a motion to support wholeheartedly the global fight to root out racism and racist ideology and strive towards a more equal Wales, tackling systemic and structural race inequality. Following our consultation last year, we've continued to co-design with black, Asian and minority ethnic people across Wales the actions we must take to tackle institutionalised and systemic racism. I'm therefore proud to be publishing today the 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan'. At its heart is a shared vision to create an anti-racist nation by 2030, where everyone is treated as an equal citizen and is enabled to thrive and prosper.
The plan sets out the goals and actions we will take over the next 24 months, covering all aspects of public life that shape and influence the experience and life chances of ethnic minority people. We want to make sure that we continue to walk in the shoes of people with lived experience, and that the experiences of individuals and communities keep shaping our thinking and the decisions we make. We developed the plan by involving people and communities and in collaboration with organisations across all parts of Wales, and this will continue as we move to implementation.
To provide the necessary and continuing confidence that this plan is being implemented an accountability group will be established, led by Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, from Cardiff University, and Dr Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary at the Welsh Government. It will mainly consist of ethnic minority people, and will be further strengthened by including experts with lived experience of racism, and will benefit from evidence and insight coordinated from our recently established race disparity unit.
We knew that we needed to shape the goals and actions with ethnic minority people, so we made valuing lived experience one of the values underpinning how we developed the plan. And, quite rightly, we were also asked to embrace the values of a rights-based approach and that of openness and transparency. Ethnic minority people’s expectations are clear: they want action that makes a meaningful difference to their lives. An anti-racist approach is a fundamental shift that we need to take. Adopting an anti-racist approach requires the Welsh Government, public services and us all to be proactive in identifying and tackling systemic racism in all aspects of how Wales works. It requires us to look at how racism is built into our policies, formal and informal rules, and the way we work and involve people in the decisions that affect them, and then do something about it.
This plan will play an important part in creating a united and fairer Wales for all. This is a commitment at the heart of the co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru, sharing a determination to tackle institutionalised and systemic racism now, as racism is a pernicious feature of the lived experience of black, Asian and minority ethnic people. The agreement with Plaid Cymru also commits us to ensuring that the justice elements of the action plan are as robust as possible and address these matters with the police and the courts. We continue to work with partners from the criminal justice in Wales board to develop and fully embed a collective anti-racist approach to criminal justice in Wales. We must also ensure that the experience of racism is not passed on to future generations. No-one should be held back or left behind.
Many people gifted their precious time and their experiences to shape the plan. Earlier today, I joined the First Minister for a stakeholder moment to thank everyone for their contribution to this work. I, with many of you, want to recognise the willingness of ethnic minority people to extend their trust in securing the possibility of change and in providing their leadership and sharing their lived experiences to help make this plan what it is.
I want to record my thanks to Professor Ogbonna and the Permanent Secretary as co-chairs of the steering group for this work and to all members of the steering group who have helped shape and guide this work over the last two years. The generosity of those contributions and what people were willing to share freely to bring about change was inspiring.
Through this plan, we're making clear the contribution this Government will take to tackle systemic and institutionalised racism. Achieving the more equal Wales well-being goal and an anti-racist nation by 2030 will require a collective effort. Tangible improvements will come as a result of change within public services and in those in positions of power.
We do this acknowledging the immense leadership within the ethnic minority communities and leadership at all levels—as individuals, as political leaders, as community activists, as academics and as leaders of organisations. Ethnic minority people, for generations, have contributed to all spheres of our economy, education, social care, and cultural and sport heritage, to name a few.
Visionary leaders and activists like Betty Campbell worked with passion to be a good example to the rest of the world about how we can live together regardless of where we come from or the colour of our skin. Professor Charlotte Williams's pioneering work means that learning about the cultural heritage and ethnic diversity of Wales is now a mandatory element of our national curriculum.
Many of our key services, like our health and social care services, would not be possible without ethnic minority people working in them, and during COVID-19 we would have been lost without this workforce.
We are committed to provide the leadership, our resources and our influence to tackle systemic and institutionalised racism within Wales. This is a whole-of-Government plan, with commitments and actions from across ministerial portfolios and within the Welsh Government civil service. This is reflected in the statements made today by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language and the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, and Chief Whip, taking forward key actions within the anti-racist plan.
We're asking everyone to work with us in creating an anti-racist Wales, a Wales in which we can all be proud to belong and in which each of us will thrive.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Fis Hydref diwethaf, cymeradwyodd y Senedd gyfan gynnig i gefnogi'n llwyr y frwydr fyd-eang i ddileu hiliaeth ac ideoleg hiliol ac ymdrechu tuag at Gymru fwy cyfartal, gan fynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldeb hiliol systemig a strwythurol. Yn dilyn ein hymgynghoriad y llynedd, rydym wedi parhau i gyd-ddylunio gyda phobl dduon, Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig ledled Cymru y camau y mae'n rhaid i ni eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â hiliaeth sefydliadol a systemig. Felly, rwy'n falch o fod yn cyhoeddi heddiw 'Gynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol'. Wrth ei wraidd mae gweledigaeth gyffredin i greu cenedl wrth-hiliol erbyn 2030, lle mae pawb yn cael eu trin fel dinasyddion cyfartal ac yn gallu ffynnu a llwyddo.
Mae'r cynllun yn nodi'r nodau a'r camau y byddwn yn eu cymryd dros y 24 mis nesaf, gan ymdrin â phob agwedd ar fywyd cyhoeddus sy'n llywio ac yn dylanwadu ar brofiad a chyfleoedd bywyd pobl o leiafrifoedd ethnig. Rydym eisiau sicrhau ein bod yn parhau i gerdded yn esgidiau pobl sydd â phrofiad bywyd, a bod profiadau unigolion a chymunedau yn parhau i lunio ein ffordd o feddwl a'r penderfyniadau a wnawn. Datblygwyd y cynllun gennym drwy gynnwys pobl a chymunedau ac mewn cydweithrediad â sefydliadau ar draws pob rhan o Gymru, a bydd hyn yn parhau wrth i ni symud tuag at ei weithredu.
Er mwyn rhoi'r ffydd angenrheidiol a pharhaus bod y cynllun hwn yn cael ei weithredu, bydd grŵp atebolrwydd yn cael ei sefydlu, dan arweiniad yr Athro Emmanuel Ogbonna, o Brifysgol Caerdydd, a Dr Andrew Goodall, Ysgrifennydd Parhaol Llywodraeth Cymru. Bydd yn cynnwys pobl o leiafrifoedd ethnig yn bennaf, a chaiff ei gryfhau ymhellach drwy gynnwys arbenigwyr sydd â phrofiad bywyd o hiliaeth, a bydd yn elwa ar dystiolaeth a mewnwelediad a gydlynir o'n huned gwahaniaethau ar sail hil a sefydlwyd yn ddiweddar.
Roeddem yn gwybod bod angen i ni lunio'r nodau a'r camau gweithredu gyda phobl o leiafrifoedd ethnig, felly gwnaethom sicrhau bod gwerthfawrogi profiad bywyd yn un o'r gwerthoedd sy'n sail i'r ffordd y gwnaethom ddatblygu'r cynllun. Ac, yn gwbl briodol, gofynnwyd i ni hefyd gofleidio gwerthoedd dull gweithredu sy'n seiliedig ar hawliau a bod yn agored ac yn dryloyw. Mae disgwyliadau pobl o leiafrifoedd ethnig yn glir: maen nhw eisiau gweld gweithredu sy'n gwneud gwahaniaeth ystyrlon i'w bywydau. Mae dull gwrth-hiliol yn newid sylfaenol y mae angen i ni ei fabwysiadu. Mae mabwysiadu dull gwrth-hiliol yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i Lywodraeth Cymru, gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a ninnau i gyd fod yn rhagweithiol wrth nodi a mynd i'r afael â hiliaeth systemig ym mhob agwedd ar sut mae Cymru'n gweithio. Mae angen i ni edrych ar sut y caiff hiliaeth ei chynnwys yn ein polisïa