Y Cyfarfod Llawn

Plenary

16/11/2022

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.

1. Cwestiynau i Weinidog yr Economi
1. Questions to the Minister for Economy

Prynhawn da. Dyma ni'n cychwyn ar ein cyfarfod ni y prynhawn yma. Yr eitem gyntaf ar yr agenda yw cwestiynau i Weinidog yr Economi, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Good afternoon. We are ready to open our meeting this afternoon. The first item on the agenda is questions to the Minister for Economy, and the first question is from Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Cau Pont y Borth
Closing the Menai Bridge

1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad ar effaith economaidd cau pont y Borth? OQ58714

1. Will the Minister make a statement on the economic impact of closing the Menai bridge? OQ58714

Yes. Officials are working closely with Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn and other stakeholders to monitor and understand the economic impact on the town of Menai Bridge specifically as well as surrounding areas.

Iawn. Mae swyddogion yn gweithio'n agos gyda Chyngor Sir Ynys Môn a rhanddeiliaid eraill i fonitro a deall yr effaith economaidd ar dref Porthaethwy yn benodol, yn ogystal â'r ardaloedd cyfagos.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Dwi wedi cadw mewn cysylltiad agos—mor agos ag y gallaf—efo busnesau, fel y gymuned i gyd wrth gwrs, ers y penderfyniad i gau y bont. Maen nhw i gyd eisiau sicrwydd y bydd popeth yn cael ei wneud i ailagor y bont cyn gynted â phosib. Mi groesawaf unrhyw newyddion gan y Gweinidog ar hynny a'r gwaith i ailagor yn gynnar yn y flwyddyn newydd.

Ond, o ran yr effaith ar fusnes, mae busnesau'n gyson iawn yn beth maen nhw'n dweud wrthyf i, yn sôn am fasnach i lawr rhyw 40 y cant—mwy yn rhai achosion. Dydy pobl ddim yn mynd i siopa neu am baned yn y ffordd yr oedden nhw. Gaf i yn gyntaf ofyn am gefnogaeth ariannol iddyn nhw? Mae angen meddwl sut i'w helpu nhw i'w cael nhw drwy y cyfnod yma a'r pwysau, sydd ddim wrth gwrs o'u gwneuthuriad nhw. Ond, wrth gwrs, does dim rheswm chwaith i bobl gadw draw. Gymaint â mae hyn yn achosi cur pen ar rai adegau o'r dydd, a gymaint mae angen trydedd bont er mwyn sicrhau gwytnwch y croesiad yn yr hir dymor, mae pobl yn gallu teithio i Borth ac i Fiwmares ac ati fel y lician nhw. Felly, a wnaiff y Gweinidog (1) wneud yn siŵr nad oes yna arwydd 'Menai Bridge Closed' yn unrhyw le, ac mae 'Pont ar Gau' neu 'Suspension Bridge Closed' ydy'r arwyddion? Ac a wnaiff o edrych ar gychwyn ymgyrch farchnata, yn bosib trwy Visit Wales neu gyrff eraill, i hyrwyddo pobl i deithio i Ynys Môn, i Borth, Biwmares ac ati, ar gyfer hamdden a siopa fel arfer?

Thank you very much. I have kept in close contact—as close as possible—with businesses, and the whole community of course, since the decision was taken to close the bridge. They all want assurances that everything will be done to reopen the bridge as soon as possible. I would welcome any news from the Minister on that and the work to reopen early in the new year.

But, in terms of the impact on business, businesses are very consistent in what they tell me—they tell me that trade is down some 40 per cent, and more in some instances. People aren't going shopping or going for a cuppa in the way that they used to. So, can I first of all ask for financial support for them? We need to think how we can help them to get them through this period and the pressure, which is not of their own making, of course. But, of course, there is no reason for people to stay away. As much as this causes problems at certain times of the day, and as much as we need a third bridge to ensure the resilience of the crossing in the longer term, people can travel to Menai Bridge and to Beaumaris and so on, as they please. So, will the Minister, first of all, ensure that there is no sign saying 'Menai Bridge Closed' anywhere, and that 'Pont ar Gau' or 'Suspension Bridge Closed' are the signs? And will he look at starting a marketing campaign, perhaps through Visit Wales or other organisations, to encourage people to travel to Anglesey, to Menai Bridge, Beaumaris and so on, for leisure and shopping as they normally would?

Yes, I think some of those are for my colleague the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, in terms of the signage, but I think it's a fair point to make clear that the island isn't closed—there is still the opportunity to go and, indeed, that businesses in Menai Bridge themselves are open and available as usual. And I would say in the list of places on the island that he's mentioned, I've been to all of them with my family and enjoyed being a part of the local economy when we've done so.

So, yes, I do recognise that there are real issues to understand what we can do with other agencies, including the council and, indeed, local elected representatives to understand what is actually happening as well as being really positive about the fact that all those towns and places are accessible, open and available, whilst we carry out the essential work, from a safety point of view, on the suspension bridge—the old, old Telford bridge—by making sure that there is a safe and easy passage for people to get on and off the island until then.

And we are considering the request for financial—. That's a little more challenging. We want to work with stakeholders to understand what we can do and, indeed, I think there was a constructive meeting earlier this week between the Deputy Minister and local stakeholders—I believe you took part in it—to try to understand what is being done in terms of progress as well as the immediate circumstances that businesses themselves are facing.

Ie, credaf fod rhai o'r materion hynny'n faterion ar gyfer fy nghyd-Aelod, y Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd, o ran yr arwyddion, ond credaf ei fod yn bwynt teg i egluro nad yw'r ynys ar gau—mae modd mynd yno, ac yn wir, mae busnesau ym Mhorthaethwy ar agor ac ar gael fel arfer. A byddwn yn dweud, yn y rhestr o lefydd ar yr ynys y mae wedi eu crybwyll, fy mod wedi bod ym mhob un ohonynt gyda fy nheulu ac wedi mwynhau bod yn rhan o'r economi leol pan wnaethom hynny.

Felly, ydw, rwy'n cydnabod bod materion gwirioneddol i ddeall yr hyn y gallwn ei wneud gydag asiantaethau eraill, gan gynnwys y cyngor, ac yn wir, cynrychiolwyr etholedig lleol, i ddeall yr hyn sy'n digwydd mewn gwirionedd, yn ogystal â bod yn wirioneddol gadarnhaol am y ffaith bod yr holl drefi a'r holl leoedd hynny yn hygyrch, ar agor ac ar gael, wrth inni wneud y gwaith hanfodol, o safbwynt diogelwch, ar y bont grog—hen, hen bont Telford—drwy sicrhau bod llwybr diogel a hawdd i bobl fynd ar yr ynys a dod oddi arni tan hynny.

Ac rydym yn ystyried y cais am gyllid—. Mae hynny ychydig yn fwy heriol. Rydym yn awyddus i weithio gyda rhanddeiliaid i ddeall yr hyn y gallwn ei wneud, ac yn wir, credaf fod y cyfarfod yn gynharach yr wythnos hon rhwng y Dirprwy Weinidog a rhanddeiliaid lleol wedi bod yn adeiladol—credaf ichi gymryd rhan ynddo—i geisio deall yr hyn sy’n digwydd o ran cynnydd yn ogystal â’r amgylchiadau uniongyrchol y mae busnesau eu hunain yn eu hwynebu.

Like others, I too was shocked at the sudden closure of the Menai bridge and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that there were repairs needed to that bridge long before the closure came. Now, there's the potential for this to be closed for up to four months. The closure in itself is impacting already on my local constituents in Aberconwy. Many work in the businesses there and work in various other businesses in Ynys Môn, and a lot have family there. The business owners who I speak to, who work on the island, are saying that the continued uncertainty about the status of the bridge is causing them now, as Rhun has quite adequately pointed out, a massive drop in revenue. So, this closure will affect people commuting to work and school and will be a blow for hauliers and families alike, with places in Aberconwy feeling now cut off from their neighbouring communities.

Another aspect has been about the other bridge, because I know there were some problems there the other week, where there were some concerns about whether that would actually be closed in terms of stormy weather and things. So, how can you also ensure that any messaging you put out, which Rhun has asked for, spreads more across other constituencies that are also affected so that they know that business on the island is still taking place? But also, more importantly, how soon can we get that bridge opened so that people travelling to work there are not in the situation that they are now? Thanks.

Fel eraill, cefais innau fy synnu wrth i bont Menai gau'n sydyn, ac nid yw’n cymryd gwyddonydd roced i sylweddoli bod angen atgyweirio’r bont honno ymhell cyn i’r bont gau. Nawr, mae posibilrwydd y bydd y bont ar gau am hyd at bedwar mis. Mae’r ffaith ei bod wedi cau eisoes yn effeithio ar fy etholwyr lleol yn Aberconwy. Mae llawer yn gweithio yn y busnesau yno ac yn gweithio mewn amryw o fusnesau eraill ar Ynys Môn, ac mae gan lawer deuluoedd yno. Mae’r perchnogion busnesau rwy'n siarad â hwy, sy’n gweithio ar yr ynys, yn dweud bod yr ansicrwydd parhaus ynghylch statws y bont yn achosi gostyngiad enfawr yn eu refeniw, fel y mae Rhun wedi’i nodi’n ddigon clir. Felly, bydd cau'r bont yn effeithio ar bobl sy’n cymudo i’r gwaith a’r ysgol ac yn ergyd i gludwyr nwyddau a theuluoedd fel ei gilydd, gyda lleoedd yn Aberconwy bellach yn teimlo eu bod wedi’u torri i ffwrdd oddi wrth eu cymunedau cyfagos.

Agwedd arall ar hyn yw'r bont arall, gan y gwn y bu rhai problemau yno yr wythnos o’r blaen, lle cafwyd rhai pryderon ynglŷn ag a fyddai honno’n cael ei chau oherwydd tywydd stormus ac ati. Felly, sut y gallwch sicrhau hefyd fod unrhyw negeseuon gennych, y mae Rhun wedi gofyn amdanynt, yn cyrraedd etholaethau eraill yr effeithir arnynt hefyd fel eu bod yn gwybod bod busnesau'n dal i fod ar agor ar yr ynys? Ond hefyd, yn bwysicach fyth, pa mor fuan y gallwn agor y bont honno fel nad yw pobl sy’n teithio i’r gwaith yno yn y sefyllfa y maent ynddi ar hyn o bryd? Diolch.

13:35

I think there were two questions there. There were a number of points that weren't questions, I think. But look, the reality is, in response to the constituency Member Rhun ap Iorwerth, I've made clear that, yes, we are working with local stakeholders, including elected representatives, including the council, including representatives from businesses that we know are being affected by a difference in footfall. We want to have the message that the island is certainly open for business, and to be really clear about that, though I recognise that that isn't just for the island; it's for people who move on and off the island in the normal course of business. So, yes, we do of course want to take account of—.

And I think your second actual question was about how soon the repairs will be completed, and that's a matter that the Deputy Minister is engaging with local stakeholders on, to understand what our experts are advising us on, and then we can see how quickly we can undertake and complete the repairs. It's in all of our interests for the suspension bridge to be repaired, for it to be safe and secure for everyone who uses it, and that is absolutely our objective. But I do think that it will be a matter for the Deputy Minister for Climate Change to give updates on that, rather than me trying to assume a range of his responsibilities. And I do believe he's intending on making a visit to the area in the coming immediate week. So, I think that will give a greater insight, and, hopefully, greater visibility on the steps we are taking, and the fact that the island is very much open for business.

Rwy'n credu bod dau gwestiwn yno. Credaf fod nifer o bwyntiau nad oeddent yn gwestiynau. Ond edrychwch, y gwir amdani yw fy mod, mewn ymateb i’r Aelod etholaeth, Rhun ap Iorwerth, wedi dweud yn glir ein bod yn gweithio gyda rhanddeiliaid lleol, gan gynnwys cynrychiolwyr etholedig, gan gynnwys y cyngor, gan gynnwys cynrychiolwyr busnesau y gwyddom eu bod yn cael eu heffeithio gan wahaniaeth yn nifer yr ymwelwyr. Rydym am gyfleu'r neges fod yr ynys yn agored ar gyfer busnes, a bod yn glir iawn am hynny, er fy mod yn cydnabod nad yw hynny ar gyfer yr ynys yn unig; mae ar gyfer pobl sy'n mynd ar ac oddi ar yr ynys ar gyfer busnes fel arfer. Felly, wrth gwrs, rydym am ystyried—.

A chredaf fod eich ail gwestiwn yn ymwneud â pha mor fuan y bydd y gwaith atgyweirio'n cael ei gwblhau, ac mae hwnnw’n fater y mae’r Dirprwy Weinidog yn ymgysylltu â rhanddeiliaid lleol yn ei gylch, i ddeall yr hyn y mae ein harbenigwyr yn ein cynghori yn ei gylch, ac yna gallwn weld pa mor gyflym y gallwn wneud a chwblhau'r atgyweiriadau. Mae'n fanteisiol i bob un ohonom fod y bont grog yn cael ei hatgyweirio, er mwyn iddi fod yn ddiogel i bawb sy’n ei defnyddio, a dyna’n sicr yw ein hamcan. Ond credaf mai mater i’r Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd fydd rhoi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am hynny, yn hytrach na fy mod i'n ceisio ysgwyddo ystod o’i gyfrifoldebau. A chredaf ei fod yn bwriadu ymweld â'r ardal yn ystod yr wythnos nesaf. Felly, credaf y bydd hynny’n darparu mwy o fewnwelediad a mwy o welededd, rwy'n gobeithio, i'r camau rydym yn eu cymryd, a’r ffaith bod yr ynys yn sicr yn agored ar gyfer busnes.

Technoleg Uwch yn y Sector Amddiffyn
Advanced Technology in the Defence Sector

2. Sut fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi datblygu technoleg uwch yn y sector amddiffyn yng ngogledd Cymru? OQ58704

2. How will the Welsh Government support the development of advanced technology in the defence sector in north Wales? OQ58704

Thanks for the question. North Wales has a strong manufacturing base and is home to some of our most productive companies, not least in the aerospace and defence sector. We continue to support these businesses in their creation of high-quality, high-skilled and well-paid jobs, and that includes the plans we are leading on for the development of an advanced technology research centre, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence.

Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Mae gan ogledd Cymru sylfaen weithgynhyrchu gref ac mae’n gartref i rai o’n cwmnïau mwyaf cynhyrchiol, yn enwedig yn y sector awyrofod ac amddiffyn. Rydym yn parhau i gefnogi’r busnesau hyn i greu swyddi medrus iawn o ansawdd uchel sy’n talu’n dda, ac mae hynny’n cynnwys y cynlluniau rydym yn eu harwain ar gyfer datblygu canolfan ymchwil technoleg uwch, mewn partneriaeth â’r Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn.

Can I thank the Minister for that answer? You will have seen the recent statement from the Minister for Defence Procurement about the Defence Electronics and Components Agency site in Sealand, and, of course, your plans for the advanced technology research centre are something I've spoken about a number of times in this Chamber. Can I ask you for some particulars of how the Welsh Government can support the development of an advanced technology research sector, with the support of the UK Government?

A gaf fi ddiolch i’r Gweinidog am ei ateb? Byddwch wedi gweld y datganiad diweddar gan y Gweinidog Caffael Amddiffyn ynglŷn â safle’r Asiantaeth Electroneg a Chydrannau Amddiffyn yn Sealand, ac wrth gwrs, mae eich cynlluniau ar gyfer y ganolfan ymchwil technoleg uwch yn rhywbeth rwyf wedi sôn amdano sawl gwaith yn y Siambr hon. A gaf fi ofyn i chi am fanylion ynglŷn â sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru gefnogi datblygiad sector ymchwil technoleg uwch, gyda chefnogaeth Llywodraeth y DU?

I think this is a good example of an area where, actually, the Welsh and UK Governments are able to do things constructively together. We're taking a lead on a range of the development areas, with the site itself, with some of the investment we even made in getting that ready. We need to work on what the future development partnership will look like. But we do know there will be opportunities here, because Minister Chalk's recent statement reconfirmed plans to go ahead with this development, and there's a point about skills in the wider region, significant employers and their interest in the product that will be taken, but also we've already appointed to take those matters forward in stages technical consultants, who are progressing with the master-planning of the preferred site. And we've concluded another round of detailed industry engagement, which, again, gives us more insight to help inform the design of the building and, actually, the jobs that will take place in and around it, and not just the centre of course, but the impact it will have on the wider economy.

Credaf fod hon yn enghraifft dda o faes lle mae Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU yn gallu gwneud pethau'n adeiladol gyda'i gilydd. Rydym yn cymryd yr awenau ar amrywiaeth o'r meysydd datblygu, gyda'r safle ei hun, gyda pheth o'r buddsoddiad a wnaethom i'w gael yn barod. Mae angen inni weithio ar sut olwg fydd ar y bartneriaeth ddatblygu yn y dyfodol. Ond gwyddom y bydd cyfleoedd yn hyn o beth, gan fod datganiad diweddar y Gweinidog Chalk yn ailgadarnhau cynlluniau i fwrw ymlaen â'r datblygiad hwn, ac mae pwynt ynghylch sgiliau yn y rhanbarth ehangach, cyflogwyr pwysig a'r diddordeb a fydd ganddynt yn y cynnyrch, ond hefyd rydym eisoes wedi penodi ymgynghorwyr technegol i fwrw ymlaen â'r materion hynny fesul cam, ac maent yn gwneud cynnydd ar y gwaith o uwchgynllunio'r safle a ffefrir. Ac rydym wedi cwblhau rownd arall o ymgysylltu manwl â diwydiant, sydd, unwaith eto, yn rhoi mwy o fewnwelediad i ni er mwyn helpu i lywio cynllun yr adeilad a'r swyddi a fydd yn cael eu cyflawni ynddo ac o'i amgylch, ac nid yn unig y ganolfan wrth gwrs, ond yr effaith a gaiff ar yr economi ehangach.

Like Jack Sargeant, I welcome very much these developments in north-east Wales, and feel very much that we ought to be doing much more in Wales to try and attract as much procurement opportunities as possible for the defence sector to our nation. What action are you taking, in conjunction with the UK Government, to try and ensure that Welsh businesses actually get a better share of the defence spending and procurement that's currently taking place at a UK Government level?

Fel Jack Sargeant, rwy'n croesawu'r datblygiadau hyn yn y gogledd-ddwyrain yn fawr iawn, ac rwy'n teimlo'n gryf y dylem wneud llawer mwy yng Nghymru i geisio denu cymaint o gyfleoedd caffael â phosibl ar gyfer y sector amddiffyn i’n cenedl. Pa gamau rydych yn eu cymryd, ar y cyd â Llywodraeth y DU, i geisio sicrhau bod busnesau Cymru'n cael cyfran well o’r gwariant ar amddiffyn a chaffael sy'n digwydd ar lefel Llywodraeth y DU ar hyn o bryd?

Well, that actually depends on choices that UK Ministers make, of course, in terms of some of the settings they make, but it also underscores why this development is important, and it does require us to work in partnership across a range of areas. And we're very clear, in our regular conversations with wider defence sector companies, but also ministerial colleagues in the UK Government, that we want to see a local return on procurement spend. Of course, it's a matter of public record that there's interest in future procurement around helicopters as well. So, we're very interested in supporting not just headline companies but the broader supply chain in getting as much work as possible. And that's why our responsibilities in the area of skills, to make sure the right workforce is there, is a key part of it. But I think we have a very good offer, not just in north-east Wales, but across the country, and I'm certainly keen that we get a good share of future procurement spend and the good jobs that that will bring with it. 

Wel, mae hynny'n dibynnu ar y dewisiadau y mae Gweinidogion y DU yn eu gwneud, wrth gwrs, o ran y penderfyniadau a wnânt, ond mae hefyd yn tanlinellu pam fod y datblygiad hwn yn bwysig, ac mae'n ei gwneud yn ofynnol inni weithio mewn partneriaeth ar draws ystod o feysydd. Ac rydym yn dweud yn glir iawn, yn ein sgyrsiau rheolaidd â chwmnïau yn y sector amddiffyn ehangach, ond hefyd â swyddogion gweinidogol yn Llywodraeth y DU, ein bod am weld gwariant caffael yn arwain at elw lleol. Wrth gwrs, mae'n wybodaeth gyhoeddus fod diddordeb mewn hofrenyddion hefyd o ran caffael yn y dyfodol. Felly, mae gennym gryn ddiddordeb mewn cefnogi nid yn unig y cwmnïau mwyaf ond y gadwyn gyflenwi ehangach i sicrhau cymaint o swyddi â phosibl. A dyna pam y mae ein cyfrifoldebau ym maes sgiliau, i sicrhau bod y gweithlu cywir yno, yn rhan allweddol o hynny. Ond credaf fod gennym gynnig da iawn, nid yn unig yn y gogledd-ddwyrain, ond ledled y wlad, ac rwy’n sicr yn awyddus inni gael cyfran dda o wariant caffael yn y dyfodol, a’r swyddi da a ddaw yn sgil hynny.

13:40
Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Lefarwyr y Pleidiau
Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Mae'r cwestiynau heddiw i'r Dirprwy Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiynau cyntaf gan lefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Tom Giffard. 

Questions now from the party spokespeople. The questions today are to the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, with questions first of all from the Conservative spokesperson, Tom Giffard. 

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Good afternoon, Deputy Minister. Last week, the climate change Minister told the Senedd that Welsh Government officials wouldn't make the 2,500-mile journey to Sharm el-Sheikh for the COP27 conference in an effort to limit their air miles. Can you confirm how many air miles you accumulated on your recent trip to New Zealand?

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lywydd. Prynhawn da, Ddirprwy Weinidog. Yr wythnos diwethaf, dywedodd y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd wrth y Senedd na fyddai swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud y daith 2,500 milltir i Sharm el-Sheikh ar gyfer cynhadledd COP27 mewn ymdrech i gyfyngu eu milltiroedd awyr. A wnewch chi gadarnhau faint o filltiroedd awyr a deithiwyd gennych ar eich taith ddiweddar i Seland Newydd?

I can't tell you exactly how many miles it is, but I think New Zealand is around 12,000 miles, is it?

Ni allaf ddweud wrthych faint yn union o filltiroedd awyr ydyw, ond credaf fod Seland Newydd oddeutu 12,000 o filltiroedd i ffwrdd, onid ydyw?

Not bad. [Laughter.] The total round trip was 22,000 miles. 

Ddim yn ddrwg. [Chwerthin.] Cyfanswm y daith yno ac yn ôl yw 22,000 o filltiroedd.

It makes me wonder though what you learnt by making the trip, and what you couldn't have learnt on Zoom if you followed the logic of your climate change Minister. Or is it just another example of the typical virtue-signalling hypocrisy we've become used to from the Welsh Labour Government? Nevertheless, one thing I hope you will have seen out there is that, in New Zealand, 47 per cent of boys and 51 per cent of girls participate in sport outside of curriculum learning, compared to 43 per cent of boys and just 36 per cent of girls here, according to the recent Wales school sport survey, and that figure is one that's declining too compared to past years. So, what do you think New Zealand is getting right there that the Welsh Government is getting wrong here?

Mae'n gwneud imi feddwl, fodd bynnag, tybed beth a ddysgoch chi drwy fynd ar y daith, a'r hyn na allech fod wedi'i ddysgu ar Zoom pe baech wedi dilyn rhesymeg eich Gweinidog newid hinsawdd. Neu ai dim ond enghraifft arall yw hyn o'r brolio rhinweddau rhagrithiol rydym wedi dod i arfer ag ef gan Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru? Serch hynny, un peth y gobeithiaf y byddwch wedi’i weld yno yw bod 47 y cant o fechgyn a 51 y cant o ferched yn Seland Newydd yn cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon allgwricwlar, o gymharu â 43 y cant o fechgyn a 36 y cant yn unig o ferched yma, yn ôl arolwg chwaraeon ysgol Cymru a gynhaliwyd yn ddiweddar, ac mae’r ffigur hwnnw’n un sy’n gostwng hefyd o gymharu â’r blynyddoedd a fu. Felly, beth yn eich barn chi y mae Seland Newydd yn ei wneud yn iawn yno ac y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud yn anghywir yma?

I wouldn't frame it in quite that way, Tom. What I would say is, certainly—if I deal with your first point first—going to New Zealand was a very valuable experience, and I've done quite a detailed report on the activities that I undertook while I was there. I think it was extremely important to support the women's team while they were out there, qualifying for the world cup, playing on a world stage, and it was important that we did that. We support the men's team when they play in the world cup, and it's quite right that we should support the women's team in a similar way.

But we didn't just go out there to watch the rugby. We went out there to have an engagement with a number of organisations around sporting participation, particularly amongst women, but wider participation as well. And when the culture committee did a recent inquiry on participation in sport—which you're a member of, and that report is going to be coming to the floor of the Senedd very shortly—one of the organisations or one of the schemes that was mentioned in that inquiry, was from New Zealand, and was called Active Me. And I actually took the opportunity to go and meet Active Me while I was there, because the work that they do is very much about participation and physical activity, and they have a scheme there that is funded on a kind of tripartite basis between health and education and Sport New Zealand and so on. And although that is a very successful scheme, and it has achieved the kind of statistics that you're talking about, it's not a million miles away from some of the work that we are already doing. But what I have done, and what I'm intending to do, is to have further conversations with Sport Wales to see what more we can learn from the Active Me project, and see how that can be developed, so that we can deliver much more cohesive participation and activity amongst children in particular. 

Ni fyddwn yn disgrifio'r sefyllfa yn y ffordd honno, Tom. Yr hyn y byddwn yn ei ddweud, yn sicr—os caf ateb eich pwynt cyntaf yn gyntaf—yw bod mynd i Seland Newydd yn brofiad gwerthfawr iawn, ac rwyf wedi cwblhau adroddiad eithaf manwl ar yr hyn a wneuthum pan oeddwn yno. Credaf ei bod yn hynod bwysig cefnogi tîm y menywod pan oeddent allan yno, ar ôl sicrhau eu lle yng nghwpan y byd, a chwarae ar lwyfan rhyngwladol, ac roedd yn bwysig ein bod yn gwneud hynny. Rydym yn cefnogi tîm y dynion pan fônt yn chwarae yng nghwpan y byd, ac mae’n gwbl briodol ein bod yn cefnogi tîm y menywod yn yr un ffordd.

Ond nid er mwyn gwylio'r rygbi yn unig y buom allan yno. Aethom allan yno i ymgysylltu â nifer o sefydliadau ynghylch cyfranogi mewn chwaraeon, yn enwedig ymhlith menywod, ond cyfranogiad ehangach hefyd. A phan gynhaliodd y pwyllgor diwylliant ymchwiliad diweddar i gyfranogiad mewn chwaraeon—pwyllgor rydych yn aelod ohono, a bydd yr adroddiad hwnnw'n dod i lawr y Senedd cyn bo hir—roedd un o'r sefydliadau neu un o'r cynlluniau a grybwyllwyd yn yr ymchwiliad hwnnw, yn dod o Seland Newydd, sef Active Me. A manteisiais ar y cyfle i gyfarfod ag Active Me pan oeddwn yno, gan fod y gwaith a wnânt yn ymwneud â chyfranogiad a gweithgarwch corfforol, ac mae ganddynt gynllun yno sy'n cael ei ariannu ar fath o sail deirochrog rhwng meysydd iechyd ac addysg a Sport New Zealand ac ati. Ac er bod hwnnw'n gynllun llwyddiannus iawn, a'i fod wedi cyflawni'r math o ystadegau rydych yn sôn amdanynt, nid yw mor wahanol â hynny i beth o'r gwaith rydym eisoes yn ei wneud. Ond yr hyn rwyf wedi’i wneud, a’r hyn rwy’n bwriadu ei wneud, yw cael sgyrsiau pellach gyda Chwaraeon Cymru i weld beth arall y gallwn ei ddysgu o brosiect Active Me, a gweld sut y gellir datblygu hynny, fel y gallwn sicrhau gweithgarwch a chyfranogiad llawer mwy cydlynus, yn enwedig ymhlith plant.

Thank you. You mentioned that the scheme isn't that different, but, as I've already demonstrated, I think the results are quite stark between New Zealand and Wales. It's interesting you mentioned as well foreign trips. We haven't heard from the Deputy Minister since the Welsh Government decided not to send you to attend Wales's game against Iran next week in the world cup in Qatar. First we thought you were attending and then we were told you weren't because of the ongoing human rights abuses and protests in Iran. But, given that we know there are ongoing human rights abuses every day in Qatar, surely the Government is drawing a line here by saying that human right abuses in Iran aren't okay but ones in Qatar are fine. I note too that your boss, the economy Minister, said yesterday that Ministers there would be attending to, quote, 'project our values.' So, if it's a question about our opponents rather than the hosts, as the Welsh Government's approach seems to suggest, can you tell me which of Wales's other group opponents—England or the USA—you will be projecting values on to?

Diolch. Fe sonioch chi nad yw'r cynllun mor wahanol â hynny, ond fel rwyf eisoes wedi'i ddangos, credaf fod y canlyniadau'n eithaf gwahanol rhwng Seland Newydd a Chymru. Mae'n ddiddorol ichi sôn hefyd am deithiau tramor. Nid ydym wedi clywed gan y Dirprwy Weinidog ers i Lywodraeth Cymru benderfynu peidio â’ch anfon i gêm Cymru yn erbyn Iran yr wythnos nesaf yng nghwpan y byd yn Qatar. Yn gyntaf, roeddem yn meddwl eich bod yn mynd, ac yna dywedwyd wrthym na fyddech yn mynd oherwydd y tramgwyddo hawliau dynol a'r protestiadau parhaus yn Iran. Ond o ystyried ein bod yn gwybod bod hawliau dynol yn cael eu tramgwyddo bob dydd yn Qatar, does bosibl nad yw'r Llywodraeth yn tynnu llinell yma drwy ddweud nad yw tramgwyddo hawliau dynol yn Iran yn iawn, ond fod gwneud hynny yn Qatar yn iawn. Sylwaf hefyd fod eich bós, Gweinidog yr economi, wedi dweud ddoe y byddai Gweinidogion yno yn mynychu er mwyn, ac rwy'n dyfynnu, 'cyflwyno ein gwerthoedd.' Felly, os yw hyn yn ymwneud â'n gwrthwynebwyr yn hytrach na'r wlad sy'n cynnal y gystadleuaeth, fel y mae ymagwedd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei awgrymu yn ôl pob golwg, a wnewch chi ddweud wrthyf pa un o'n gwrthwynebwyr eraill yng ngrŵp Cymru—Lloegr neu UDA—y byddwch yn cyflwyno ein gwerthoedd iddynt?

Well, I think it's been abundantly clear why the Welsh Government is attending the FIFA World Cup. I think all of us accept, and have said on several occasions, we would prefer not to be in Qatar for all the reasons that have been previously talked about. In fact, just answering this question is one of those reasons, because what I would like to be focusing on is the fact that, for the first time in 64 years, we have a national football team that's going to be playing on a world stage, and that's what we should be focusing on. And, unfortunately, the fact that this competition is in Qatar means that we're focusing on some of the other things. I find that disappointing, because I think we—. Anyway, I find that disappointing. But I understand why people are doing that, because I have, as has the Minister for Economy and as has the First Minister, similar concerns about us being in Qatar.

But the First Minister and the Minister for Economy have made it very clear that we are attending those two games in particular because those are the two games and the two nations where we will be able to get the most economic benefit from in terms of our relationships with them, whether it's on trade, whether it's on similar values and aims that we have. I think you have to make a judgment call on those things, and that was the judgement call that Welsh Government made, and those are the reasons why we're going to those games. We've already talked about, and you've heard the Minister for Economy and the First Minister say this on several occasions, that there will also be a programme of activities that will include Welsh culture and arts and language being promoted in those countries as well, and it's quite right that the Government of Wales does that.

Wel, rwy'n credu ei bod yn gwbl glir pam fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynychu Cwpan y Byd FIFA. Credaf fod pob un ohonom yn derbyn, ac wedi dweud ar sawl achlysur, y byddai'n well gennym beidio â bod yn Qatar am yr holl resymau y soniwyd amdanynt eisoes. Mewn gwirionedd, mae ateb y cwestiwn hwn yn un o’r rhesymau hynny, oherwydd yr hyn yr hoffwn ganolbwyntio arno yw’r ffaith y bydd gennym dîm pêl-droed cenedlaethol yn chwarae ar lwyfan y byd am y tro cyntaf ers 64 mlynedd, ac ar hynny y dylem fod yn canolbwyntio. Ac yn anffodus, mae'r ffaith bod y gystadleuaeth hon yn Qatar yn golygu ein bod yn canolbwyntio ar rai o'r pethau eraill. Mae hynny'n siomedig, gan y credaf ein bod—. Beth bynnag, mae hynny'n siomedig. Ond rwy’n deall pam fod pobl yn gwneud hynny, gan fod gennyf fi, fel sydd gan Weinidog yr Economi a'r Prif Weinidog, bryderon tebyg ynghylch ein presenoldeb yn Qatar.

Ond mae’r Prif Weinidog a Gweinidog yr Economi wedi dweud yn glir iawn ein bod yn mynychu’r ddwy gêm hynny’n benodol gan mai rheini yw'r ddwy gêm a’r ddwy wlad lle gallwn gael y budd economaidd mwyaf ohonynt yn ein perthynas â hwy, boed hynny mewn masnach, boed hynny yn y gwerthoedd a'r amcanion tebyg sydd gennym. Credaf fod yn rhaid ichi wneud penderfyniad gwybodus ynglŷn â'r pethau hynny, a dyna oedd y penderfyniad a wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru, a dyna'r rhesymau pam ein bod yn mynd i'r gemau hynny. Rydym wedi dweud yn barod, ac rydych wedi clywed Gweinidog yr Economi a’r Prif Weinidog yn dweud hyn ar sawl achlysur, y bydd rhaglen o weithgareddau hefyd a fydd yn cynnwys hyrwyddo diwylliant a chelfyddydau Cymru a'r iaith Gymraeg yn y gwledydd hynny hefyd, ac mae'n gwbl briodol fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud hynny.

13:45

Llefarydd Plaid Cymru nawr, Heledd Fychan.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Heledd Fychan.

Diolch, Llywydd. Ar 8 Medi eleni, dewiswyd 2,000 o artistiaid a gweithwyr celfyddydol ar gyfer cynllun peilot incwm sylfaenol i'r celfyddydau yn Iwerddon. Bydd pob artist neu weithiwr yn derbyn €325 yr wythnos am dair blynedd fel rhan o brosiect ymchwil fydd yn casglu data gan gyfranogwyr i asesu effaith y cynllun ar eu hallbwn creadigol a'u lles, gyda'r nod o'i gyflwyno i bob artist fel ymyriad parhaol. Nod y cynllun yw dangos sut mae Iwerddon yn gwerthfawrogi'r celfyddydau ac arferion artistig. Fel y gwyddoch, lansiodd Llywodraeth Cymru gynllun peilot incwm sylfaenol ar gyfer y rhai sy'n gadael gofal yn yr haf eleni, prosiect peilot rhagorol fydd, gobeithio, yn sicrhau'r holl fanteision disgwyliedig. Tybed felly a yw'r Dirprwy Weinidog wedi ystyried rhaglen debyg ar gyfer ein sector diwylliant ni i'r un a lansiwyd yn Iwerddon, ac, os nad yw, a yw hyn yn rhywbeth y byddai hi a'i swyddogion yn fodlon rhoi ystyriaeth difrifol iddo, o ystyried sut mae'r sectorau diwylliant, celfyddydau a threftadaeth wedi cael eu heffeithio gan y pandemig a rŵan gan yr argyfwng costau byw?

Thank you, Llywydd. On 8 September this year, 2,000 artists and arts workers were selected for the basic income for the arts pilot scheme in Ireland. Each artist or practitioner will receive €325 per week for three years as part of a research project that will collect data from participants to assess the impact of the scheme on their creative output and their well-being, with the aim of rolling it out to all artists as a permanent intervention. The scheme aims to show how Ireland values the arts and artistic practices. As you will be aware, the Welsh Government launched its basic income pilot scheme for care leavers in summer this year, an excellent pilot project that I hope will deliver all of the expected benefits. I wonder therefore whether the Deputy Minister has considered a similar programme for our culture sector to the one launched in Ireland, and, if not, is this something that she and her officials would be willing to give serious consideration to, bearing in mind how the culture, arts and heritage sectors have been hit by both the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis?

Thank you, Heledd Fychan, for that question, and I think it's a very fair point. As you quite rightly say, we do have a basic income pilot running in Wales and we do need to evaluate that. I think that evaluation will then inform where we take that scheme further, beyond the pilot. You'll be aware that, through the pandemic, we did have a support scheme for freelancers in particular that wasn't available in England, and we had a freelance partnership working arrangement agreement with local authorities. So, we are very well aware of the precarious nature of freelance work, in particular, in the arts and creative sector, so we did seek to protect them. What I would say is I absolutely would not rule out what you're putting to me today, but I can't give you any guarantees, because we clearly do need to evaluate that basic income pilot before we can make any future decisions around that. 

Diolch am eich cwestiwn, Heledd Fychan, a chredaf ei fod yn bwynt teg iawn. Fel y dywedwch, yn gwbl briodol, mae gennym gynllun peilot incwm sylfaenol yng Nghymru, ac mae angen inni ei werthuso. Credaf y bydd y gwerthusiad hwnnw wedyn yn llywio lle rydym yn mynd â’r cynllun hwnnw ymhellach, y tu hwnt i’r cynllun peilot. Fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol, drwy’r pandemig, fod gennym gynllun cymorth ar gyfer gweithwyr llawrydd yn benodol nad oedd ar gael yn Lloegr, ac roedd gennym gytundeb ar gyfer trefniant gweithio mewn partneriaeth i weithwyr llawrydd gydag awdurdodau lleol. Felly, rydym yn ymwybodol iawn o natur ansefydlog gwaith llawrydd, yn enwedig yn y sector celfyddydau a chreadigol, felly fe wnaethom geisio eu hamddiffyn. Yn sicr iawn ni fyddwn yn diystyru'r hyn rydych yn ei ddweud wrthyf heddiw, ond ni allaf warantu unrhyw beth i chi, oherwydd yn amlwg, mae angen inni werthuso'r cynllun peilot incwm sylfaenol hwnnw cyn y gallwn wneud unrhyw benderfyniadau ynghylch hynny yn y dyfodol.

Diolch, Dirprwy Weinidog. Mae hynny'n galonogol iawn. Mae'r argyfwng chwyddiant presennol hwn nid yn unig yn effeithio ar unigolion a chartrefi ar ffurf yr argyfwng costau byw, ond hefyd wrth gwrs ar lawer o fusnesau, yn enwedig y rhai yn y sector diwylliant, sy'n wynebu argyfwng costau busnes. Er enghraifft, rhybuddiodd Betsan Moses, prif weithredwr yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, fod yr ŵyl wedi gwynebu heriau o ganlyniad i Brexit eleni gan wneud mewnforio nwyddau yn fwy cymhleth a chostus, yn ogystal â phwysau chwyddiant cynyddol. Yn yr un modd, mae Cadeirydd S4C, Rhodri Williams, wedi rhybuddio bod chwyddiant cynyddol yn taro cyllideb y sianel ac y bydd hyn yn anochel yn cael effaith andwyol ar faint o gynnwys y gallant ei gomisiynu gan gyflenwyr. O ystyried hyn, pa drafodaethau sydd wedi bod ynglŷn â diogelu dyfodol yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn wyneb costau cynyddol o ganlyniad i Brexit a chwyddiant? Ac yn yr un modd, wrth i S4C ddathlu ei phen-blwydd yn 40 oed eleni, pa drafodaethau sy'n cael eu cynnal i warchod y sector cynhyrchu teledu, yn enwedig rhaglenni Cymraeg, yma yng Nghymru?

Thank you, Deputy Minister. That is very encouraging to hear. The current inflationary crisis is not only impacting individuals and households in the form of the cost-of-living crisis, but also many businesses, particularly those in the culture sector, who are experiencing a cost-of-business crisis. For example, Betsan Moses, the chief executive of the National Eisteddfod, warned that the festival had faced challenges this year as a result of Brexit, making importing goods more complicated and costly, and the festival is also facing increasing inflationary pressures. Similarly, the chairman of S4C, Rhodri Williams, has warned about soaring inflation hitting the channel's budget and that this will inevitably have a detrimental effect on the amount of content that can be commissioned from suppliers. Bearing this in mind, what discussions have taken place regarding safeguarding the future of the National Eisteddfod in the face of spiralling costs as a result of Brexit and inflation? And similarly, as S4C celebrates its fortieth birthday this year, what discussions are taking place to protect the tv production sector, particularly Welsh-language programming, here in Wales?

Okay. So, a number of points there. Obviously, what I would say—and I won't single out the National Eisteddfod specifically, because all of our cultural organisations and bodies are experiencing very, very similar issues and I'm having regular discussions with all of them. In fact, part of those discussions do form the discussions that I have with your colleagues Siân Gwenllian and Cefin Campbell in the co-operation agreement around how organisations like the national library, for instance, and the national museum, are meeting some of their inflationary pressures around fuel costs and so on. So, we're well aware of the impact that this is having right the way across the sector, and we are doing what we can to support those organisations, in financial terms where we can, and we have done something most recently with the national museum and the national library. Where we can't afford to give immediate financial support in those areas, we are having conversations with those bodies about how they can mitigate against some of those costs. I'm meeting also with the tv channels and film producers about the impact on them as well, and those are similar discussions across the piece.

What I can't stand here and say is that the Welsh Government is able to meet all of those increasing and spiralling costs. You will be aware that every Minister in this Government is currently having to look at their budgets and what we can do in terms of saving in our budgets, because the inflationary pressures on our budget are hitting us as well. So, it is an understanding of the situation. It is a continuing dialogue with those organisations about the situations that they're facing, and we will have a much better idea after the UK budget tomorrow about what further help, if any, and measures we can put in place to help all the organisations that are covered in my portfolio.

Iawn. Felly, nifer o bwyntiau yno. Yn amlwg, yr hyn y byddwn yn ei ddweud—ac nid wyf am sôn am yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn benodol, gan fod pob un o'n sefydliadau a'n cyrff diwylliannol yn profi materion tebyg iawn ac rwy'n cael trafodaethau rheolaidd gyda phob un ohonynt. Mewn gwirionedd, mae rhan o’r trafodaethau hynny'n rhan o’r trafodaethau rwy'n eu cael gyda’ch cyd-Aelodau Siân Gwenllian a Cefin Campbell yn y cytundeb cydweithio ynghylch sut y mae sefydliadau fel y llyfrgell genedlaethol, er enghraifft, a'r amgueddfa genedlaethol, yn diwallu rhywfaint o'r pwysau chwyddiant y maent yn ei wynebu gyda chostau tanwydd ac ati. Felly, rydym yn ymwybodol iawn o'r effaith y mae hyn yn ei chael ar draws y sector, ac rydym yn gwneud yr hyn a allwn i gefnogi'r sefydliadau hynny, yn ariannol lle gallwn, ac rydym wedi gwneud rhywbeth yn ddiweddar gyda'r amgueddfa genedlaethol a'r llyfrgell genedlaethol. Lle na allwn fforddio rhoi cymorth ariannol uniongyrchol yn y meysydd hynny, rydym yn cael sgyrsiau â’r cyrff hynny ynghylch sut y gallant liniaru yn erbyn rhai o’r costau hynny. Rwyf hefyd yn cyfarfod â'r sianeli teledu a chynhyrchwyr ffilm ynglŷn â'r effaith arnynt hwythau hefyd, ac mae'r rheini'n drafodaethau tebyg ym mhob maes.

Yr hyn na allaf sefyll yma a’i ddweud yw bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gallu talu’r holl gostau cynyddol hynny. Fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod pob Gweinidog yn y Llywodraeth hon ar hyn o bryd yn gorfod edrych ar eu cyllidebau a’r hyn y gallwn ei wneud i greu arbedion yn ein cyllidebau, gan fod pwysau chwyddiant ar ein cyllideb yn ein taro ninnau hefyd. Felly, mae hyn yn ymwneud â dealltwriaeth o'r sefyllfa. Mae'n golygu deialog barhaus gyda'r sefydliadau hynny ynglŷn â'r sefyllfaoedd y maent yn eu hwynebu, a bydd gennym lawer gwell syniad ar ôl cyllideb y DU yfory ynghylch pa gymorth pellach, os o gwbl, a mesurau y gallwn eu rhoi ar waith i helpu'r holl sefydliadau sydd wedi'u cynnwys yn fy mhortffolio.

13:50
Safleoedd Atomfeydd Niwclear Newydd
New Nuclear Power Plant Sites

3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am gyhoeddiad Rolls-Royce ynghylch safleoedd atomfeydd niwclear newydd a pherthynas hyn â Chwmni Egino? OQ58711

3. Will the Minister make a statement on Rolls-Royce's announcement regarding new nuclear power plant sites and how this relates to Cwmni Egino? OQ58711

Thank you. We welcome the commitment by Rolls-Royce to small modular reactors. Cwmni Egino is currently technology agnostic and is engaged in a market engagement exercise with a number of technology providers, including Rolls-Royce, to identify a preferred SMR technology for the Trawsfynydd site.

Diolch. Rydym yn croesawu ymrwymiad Rolls-Royce i adweithyddion modiwlar bach. Mae Cwmni Egino yn agnostig o ran technoleg ar hyn o bryd ac mae'n cynnal ymarfer ymgysylltu â'r farchnad gyda nifer o ddarparwyr technoleg, gan gynnwys Rolls-Royce, i nodi'r dechnoleg adweithyddion modiwlar bach a ffefrir ar gyfer safle Trawsfynydd.

Diolch yn fawr iawn i'r Gweinidog am yr ymateb, ond dwi am i'r Gweinidog esbonio, os gwelwch yn dda, ynghylch beth yn union ydy pwrpas Cwmni Egino bellach, yng ngoleuni y datblygiad yma. Yn flaenorol, mae Gweinidog yr Economi a'r Prif Weinidog wedi sôn am gynlluniau eraill ar gyfer Trawsfynydd, megis meddyginiaeth niwclear. Mae Egino eu hunain, yn eu trafodaethau efo fi, wedi gwneud yn glir bod ganddyn nhw feddwl agored ac yn edrych ar wahanol opsiynau, ac nad oedd Rolls-Royce yn flaenoriaeth iddyn nhw. Mae yna amser a phres cyhoeddus wedi mynd i mewn i Egino, ac yn parhau i fynd i mewn i'w gwaith. Ond eto mae'n amlwg mai bit-part player ydy Egino, ac mai'r Awdurdod Datgomisiynu Niwclear sy'n gwneud y penderfyniadau. Yn hytrach na chael Egino i ganolbwyntio ar ddatblygu technoleg hen a methedig fel niwclear, oni fyddai'n well buddsoddi yn y gweithlu gwych sydd yn gwneud gwaith datgomisiynu rhagorol, o dan arweiniad medrus Angharad Rayner a'i thîm, a datblygu Trawsfynydd fel canolfan arfer da datgomisiynu a datblygu diwydiant llewyrchus datgomisiynu yn yr ardal i'w allforio i weddill y byd?

I thank the Minister for that response, but I want the Minister to explain what exactly the purpose of Cwmni Egino is now, given this development. Previously, the Minister for Economy and the First Minister have talked of other plans for Trawsfynydd, such as nuclear medicine. Egino itself, in its discussions with me, has made it clear that they have an open mind and are looking at different options, and that Rolls-Royce wasn't a priority for them. There is time and public money being provided to Egino and continues to be invested in its work. But it has become clear that Egino is a bit-part player, and that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is making the decisions. Rather than having Egino focusing on developing old and failed technologies like nuclear, wouldn't it be better to invest in the excellent workforce doing excellent decommissioning work, led by the skilled leadership of Angharad Rayner and her team, and to develop Trawsfynydd as a good practice centre in decommissioning and develop a prosperous decommissioning industry that we can export to the rest of the world?

I don't think the two things are separate or mutually exclusive. Cwmni Egino are actually engaging in work with the NDA on decommissioning, and there's a significant amount of work that is being undertaken, and we do think the work that is being done there will give examples to other sites around the world in the decommissioning of nuclear sites. I don't think that prevents a new generation of nuclear technology on the wider Trawsfynydd site, and I think it's important to just tidy up and clarify the recent announcement by Rolls-Royce. 

They have identified four sites in the ownership of the NDA, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and two of them, Wylfa and Trawsfynydd, are in Wales. But that does not mean that they have reached agreement with the NDA for their technology to be deployed on those sites, and, for Trawsfynydd in particular, Cwmni Egino already have an agreement with the NDA about looking at options for the site, so Rolls-Royce aren't able to circumvent that. They need to continue to engage with Cwmni Egino and with the exercise they're undertaking. It may be that Rolls-Royce emerges as the preferred option, but that isn't guaranteed. That's why the exercise they're undertaking in the ongoing market engagement exercise is important, understanding the technology, and, crucially, an SMR could still take place on Trawsfynydd, together with or alongside the opportunities that exist for scientific research and the generation of radio-isotopes for use in our health and care system, and the opportunities to export. 

So, I hope that helps to clarify, because I understand that, otherwise, the press release from Rolls-Royce could be read in the way the Member suggests, but it doesn't reflect the reality of the site, and Cwmni Egino are very much fit for purpose and looking to engage on the future of that site to the maximum benefit.

Ni chredaf fod y ddau beth ar wahân neu'n annibynnol ar ei gilydd. Mae Cwmni Egino yn gweithio gyda’r Awdurdod Datgomisiynu Niwclear ar ddatgomisiynu, ac mae llawer iawn o waith yn mynd rhagddo, a chredwn y bydd y gwaith sy’n digwydd yno yn esiampl i safleoedd eraill ledled y byd ar gyfer datgomisiynu safleoedd niwclear. Ni chredaf fod hynny’n rhwystro cenhedlaeth newydd o dechnoleg niwclear ar safle ehangach Trawsfynydd, a chredaf ei bod yn bwysig tacluso ac egluro’r cyhoeddiad diweddar gan Rolls-Royce.

Maent wedi nodi pedwar safle sy'n berchen i'r Awdurdod Datgomisiynu Niwclear, ac mae dau ohonynt, Wylfa a Thrawsfynydd, yng Nghymru. Ond nid yw hynny’n golygu eu bod wedi dod i gytundeb gyda’r Awdurdod Datgomisiynu Niwclear i’w technoleg gael ei defnyddio ar y safleoedd hynny, ac ar gyfer Trawsfynydd yn benodol, mae gan Gwmni Egino gytundeb eisoes gyda’r Awdurdod Datgomisiynu Niwclear ynghylch edrych ar opsiynau ar gyfer y safle, felly nid yw Rolls-Royce yn gallu osgoi hynny. Mae angen iddynt barhau i ymgysylltu â Chwmni Egino a'r ymarfer y maent yn ei gynnal. Efallai mai Rolls-Royce fydd yr opsiwn a ffefrir, ond nid yw hynny wedi'i warantu. Dyna pam fod eu hymarfer ymgysylltu â'r farchnad parhaus yn bwysig, a deall y dechnoleg, ac yn hollbwysig, gellid lleoli adweithydd modiwlar bach yn Nhrawsfynydd o hyd, ynghyd â neu ochr yn ochr â'r cyfleoedd sy'n bodoli ar gyfer ymchwil wyddonol a chynhyrchu radioisotopau i'w defnyddio yn ein system iechyd a gofal, a'r cyfleoedd i allforio.

Felly, rwy'n gobeithio bod hynny'n helpu i egluro, gan fy mod yn deall, fel arall, y gellid darllen y datganiad i’r wasg gan Rolls-Royce yn y ffordd y mae’r Aelod yn awgrymu, ond nid yw’n adlewyrchu realiti’r safle, ac mae Cwmni Egino yn sicr yn addas at y diben ac yn awyddus i ymgysylltu ar ddyfodol y safle hwnnw i sicrhau'r budd mwyaf posibl.

13:55

I thank Mabon ap Gwynfor for submitting today's important but also timely question, because it was just last week I chaired a round-table discussion on nuclear energy in Wales, with representatives from Rolls-Royce, along with Bechtel and UK Research and Innovation. And I'm convinced that nuclear energy is not just an opportunity in terms of bringing jobs and investment into north Wales—and you mentioned a few moments ago, Minister, the opportunities in places like Deeside in terms of manufacturing and advanced manufacturing in particular—it's also absolutely necessary in complementing renewables in providing a baseline of energy for the country, and especially when those renewable energy schemes, such as wind and solar, aren't able to function at 100 per cent due to the elements. 

I'm also convinced that north Wales is a fantastic place to see this investment, because of the facilities that we have in existence, because of the workforce we have there with the skills, because of the sites that we have already, as you mentioned, at Trawsfynydd and at Wylfa as well, and also the supply chain to make nuclear energy a success in the region. So, I'm convinced on those parts, Minister, and I wonder what is your assessment of the benefits of nuclear energy in Wales and what discussions are you having with the leading figures within the nuclear sector to ensure that we can attract that investment and support carbon-neutral energy in the future as well?

Diolch i Mabon ap Gwynfor am gyflwyno'r cwestiwn pwysig ond amserol hwn heddiw, gan imi gadeirio cyfarfod bwrdd crwn yr wythnos diwethaf ar ynni niwclear yng Nghymru, gyda chynrychiolwyr o Rolls-Royce, ynghyd â Bechtel ac Ymchwil ac Arloesi yn y DU. Ac rwy’n argyhoeddedig nid yn unig fod ynni niwclear yn gyfle i ddod â swyddi a buddsoddiad i mewn i ogledd Cymru—ac fe sonioch chi ychydig funudau yn ôl, Weinidog, am y cyfleoedd mewn lleoedd fel Glannau Dyfrdwy i weithgynhyrchu a gweithgynhyrchu uwch yn benodol—ond mae hefyd yn gwbl angenrheidiol er mwyn ategu ynni adnewyddadwy i ddarparu cyflenwad sylfaenol o ynni ar gyfer y wlad, ac yn enwedig pan nad yw'r cynlluniau ynni adnewyddadwy hynny, megis ynni gwynt ac ynni solar, yn gallu gweithredu ar 100 y cant oherwydd y tywydd.

Rwyf hefyd yn argyhoeddedig fod gogledd Cymru yn lle gwych i weld y buddsoddiad hwn, oherwydd y cyfleusterau sydd gennym yno, oherwydd y gweithlu sydd gennym yno sy'n meddu ar y sgiliau, oherwydd y safleoedd sydd gennym eisoes, fel y dywedoch chi, yn Nhrawsfynydd ac yn Wylfa hefyd, a hefyd y gadwyn gyflenwi i wneud ynni niwclear yn llwyddiant yn y rhanbarth. Felly, rwy’n argyhoeddedig ynghylch y rhannau hynny, Weinidog, a tybed beth yw eich asesiad o fanteision ynni niwclear yng Nghymru a pha drafodaethau rydych yn eu cael gyda’r ffigurau blaenllaw yn y sector niwclear i sicrhau y gallwn ddenu’r buddsoddiad hwnnw a chefnogi ynni carbon niwtral yn y dyfodol hefyd?

I recognise there are different views in this area. I'm very clear that, from my own point of view and the Government's point of view, future nuclear developments are part of the future energy mix, together with the significant opportunities we have around Wales, including of course off our coast as well as onshore, in energy generation. There is a challenge about baseload, but we're also interested in what the future of battery storage technology will mean, to make even better use of our renewable sources of power. And of course, you've heard me and the Minister for Climate Change talk on many occasions not just about decarbonising the way that we produce and use energy but the economic opportunities that come with it and how far up the value chain we can get the Welsh supply chain, which is one of the things I am most concerned about and interested in, and that point about the wider economic benefit with the skills that would be required. 

Rolls-Royce are someone who have a current and proven technology, and part of their offer is that they say that that means they could generate energy quickly and more rapidly than larger nuclear developments. There are others who are interested in the field, and this is the exercise that Cwmni Egino are undertaking, to understand the different technologies that are available, rather than simply setting on one of those technology solutions. And of course, the size and the scale of any energy development will make a difference to how quickly it's deployed and also decision making. And we also need to see clarity from the UK Government on the future funding model for large nuclear projects. It's one of the undeniable fall-outs from the churn, to be as polite as I can, in Ministers: it means we haven't got a settled position. We do need that for the future of development in this area.

So, it's a balance in our future energy mix and, of course, when it comes to new nuclear of any size and scale, it must make sense that sites that have already housed nuclear facilities are the preferred options. And we also, of course, not just have communities that are broadly used to them but also the opportunity to re-engage wider supply chains and people who want to work in the industry. So, I remain optimistic about the potential, and I look for clarity at a UK level, and we will certainly do our part to make sure that we see the economic benefit as well as a reduction in carbon in the way that power is produced.   

Rwy’n cydnabod bod safbwyntiau gwahanol i'w cael yn y maes hwn. Rwy’n glir iawn, o'm safbwynt i a safbwynt y Llywodraeth, fod datblygiadau niwclear yn rhan o’r cymysgedd ynni ar gyfer y dyfodol, ynghyd â’r cyfleoedd sylweddol sydd gennym ledled Cymru ar gyfer cynhyrchu ynni, gan gynnwys ar y môr yn ogystal ag ar y tir wrth gwrs. Mae yna her ynghylch y cyflenwad sylfaen o ynni, ond mae gennym ddiddordeb hefyd yn yr hyn y bydd dyfodol technoleg storio ynni mewn batris yn ei olygu, i wneud defnydd gwell fyth o'n ffynonellau ynni adnewyddadwy. Ac wrth gwrs, rydych wedi fy nghlywed i a'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn siarad droeon nid yn unig am ddatgarboneiddio'r ffordd rydym yn cynhyrchu ac yn defnyddio ynni ond am y cyfleoedd economaidd a ddaw yn sgil hynny a pha mor bell i fyny'r gadwyn gwerth y gallwn gael cadwyn gyflenwi Cymru, sy’n un o’r pethau y mae gennyf fwyaf o ddiddordeb ynddynt, a’r pwynt am y budd economaidd ehangach gyda’r sgiliau y byddai eu hangen.

Mae Rolls-Royce yn rhywun sy'n meddu ar dechnoleg gyfredol brofedig, a rhan o’u cynnig yw eu bod yn dweud bod hynny’n golygu y gallent gynhyrchu ynni'n gyflym ac yn fwy sydyn na datblygiadau niwclear mwy o faint. Mae eraill â diddordeb yn y maes, a dyma’r ymarfer y mae Cwmni Egino yn ei gynnal, i ddeall y gwahanol dechnolegau sydd ar gael, yn hytrach na bodloni ar un o’r datrysiadau technolegol hynny yn unig. Ac wrth gwrs, bydd maint a graddfa unrhyw ddatblygiad ynni yn gwneud gwahaniaeth i ba mor gyflym y caiff ei ddefnyddio a hefyd o ran gwneud penderfyniadau. Ac mae angen i ni weld eglurder gan Lywodraeth y DU hefyd ynghylch y model ariannu yn y dyfodol ar gyfer prosiectau niwclear mawr. Mae'n un o anfanteision diymwad y newid cyson, i fod mor gwrtais ag y gallaf, mewn Gweinidogion: mae'n golygu nad oes gennym safbwynt sefydlog. Mae angen hynny arnom ar gyfer dyfodol datblygu yn y maes hwn.

Felly, mae'n ymwneud â chydbwysedd yn ein cymysgedd ynni yn y dyfodol, ac wrth gwrs, o ran datblygiadau niwclear newydd o unrhyw faint, mae'n rhaid ei bod yn gwneud synnwyr mai safleoedd sydd eisoes wedi bod yn gyfleusterau niwclear yw'r opsiynau a ffefrir. Ac nid yn unig fod gennym gymunedau sydd wedi arfer â hwy i raddau, ond mae gennym gyfle hefyd i ailgysylltu â chadwyni cyflenwi ehangach a phobl sy'n dymuno gweithio yn y diwydiant. Felly, rwy’n parhau i fod yn optimistaidd ynglŷn â’r potensial, ac rwy'n edrych am eglurder ar lefel y DU, a byddwn yn sicr yn chwarae ein rhan i sicrhau ein bod yn gweld y budd economaidd yn ogystal â gostyngiad mewn carbon yn y ffordd y caiff yr ynni hwnnw ei gynhyrchu.

Mae'r pwynt yna ynglŷn ag eglurder yn bwysig iawn, dwi'n meddwl, gan y Gweinidog. Roeddwn innau hefyd wedi nodi'r datganiad gan Rolls-Royce mewn perthynas â Thrawsfynydd ac Wylfa hefyd. Dwi'n digwydd bod yn cyffroi am y cynlluniau ynni adnewyddadwy sy'n digwydd yn y môr oddi ar Ynys Môn, yn meddwl bod niwclear bach yn debyg o ffitio'n well i gymuned fel Ynys Môn na niwclear mawr. Mi wnes i weithio'n galed i drio cael cynllun Wylfa newydd oedd yn delifro ar gyfer anghenion a dyheadau, a phryderon, hefyd, Ynys Môn. Ond y gwir amdani yw, oherwydd methiant Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig i ddelifro Wylfa newydd, rydyn ni nôl yn square one. Ydy'r Gweinidog yn cytuno efo fi fod yr ansicrwydd yna gan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol yn Llundain wedi creu niwed economaidd ac wedi creu niwed cymunedol, mewn ffordd, drwy arwain pobl i un lle ac yna tynnu hynny oddi arnyn nhw?

That point with regard to clarity is very important, I think, from the Minister. I also noted the statement by Rolls-Royce with regard to Trawsfynydd and Wylfa too. I happen to be excited about the renewable schemes, marine schemes, off Anglesey, and I also think that SMR nuclear technology is more suited to Ynys Môn than large-scale nuclear schemes. I tried to get a Wylfa newydd scheme that would meet the needs and the concerns, of course, on Anglesey. But the truth is of course that, because of the failure of the UK Government to deliver Wylfa newydd, we are back at square one, aren't we? Does the Minister agree with me that the uncertainty from the Conservative Government in London has caused economic damage and community damage, in a way, by leading people to go in one direction and then pulling the rug from under them?

14:00

It's undeniable that the failure to get the previous Wylfa option with Hitachi over the line has created a challenge. There's lost economic benefit, because otherwise, we would have seen significant activity already taking place. The people who did go through the skills training opportunity on the basis that there would be this development, they've still got work, but not all those people are local. I've met some people locally, actually, who have stayed and have got work in different sectors, but actually, I think there would have been much greater opportunity with even more people going through, getting those skills and having the opportunity to work. There's undoubtedly been an economic loss, but I think you're right to point out that going part way up the hill and then coming back down again does mean that there is an extra mountain to climb when it comes to trust, that people will believe it really will happen, and not just on the island, actually, but across north Wales. Some of the conversations I've had with the Member for Alyn and Deeside, actually, are about people who would have been interested right across the north Wales region in securing work there. So, it's important that if there is to be a future proposal, of whatever size and scale, whether at Wylfa or Trawsfynydd, that there is certainty from the UK Government about what will happen in terms of when decisions will be made and then that those are followed through. So, the funding model for nuclear is really important to make sure that investors and communities have options and opportunities to engage on a basis where there's much clearer understanding. And then of course, a Government that is prepared to follow through on the choices that it makes. I recognise the points the Member makes, and I have great sympathy with them.

Ni ellir gwadu bod y methiant i sicrhau llwyddiant opsiwn blaenorol Wylfa gyda Hitachi wedi creu her. Mae yna fudd economaidd wedi'i golli, oherwydd fel arall, byddem wedi gweld gweithgarwch sylweddol yn digwydd eisoes. Mae'r bobl a wnaeth fanteisio ar y cyfle hyfforddi sgiliau ar y sail y byddai'r datblygiad hwn yn digwydd mewn gwaith o hyd, ond nid yw'r bobl hynny i gyd yn lleol. Rwyf wedi cyfarfod â rhai pobl yn lleol, mewn gwirionedd, sydd wedi aros ac sydd wedi cael gwaith mewn sectorau gwahanol, ond rwy'n credu y byddem wedi gweld llawer mwy o gyfleoedd gyda mwy fyth o bobl yn cael eu hyfforddi, yn cael y sgiliau hynny a chael cyfle i weithio. Heb os, mae yna golled economaidd wedi bod, ond rwy'n credu eich bod yn iawn i dynnu sylw at y ffaith bod cerdded rhan o'r ffordd i fyny'r bryn ac yna dod yn ôl i lawr eto yn golygu bod mynydd ychwanegol i'w ddringo mewn perthynas ag ymddiriedaeth, y bydd pobl yn credu y bydd yn digwydd mewn gwirionedd, ac nid ar yr ynys yn unig ond ar draws gogledd Cymru. Mae rhai o'r sgyrsiau a gefais gyda'r Aelod dros Alun a Glannau Dyfrdwy yn ymwneud â phobl a fyddai wedi bod â diddordeb ar draws rhanbarth gogledd Cymru i gael gwaith yno. Felly, os bydd cynnig yn y dyfodol o ba bynnag faint a graddfa, boed yn Wylfa neu yn Nhrawsfynydd, mae'n bwysig fod Llywodraeth y DU yn rhoi sicrwydd ynglŷn â beth fydd yn digwydd a phryd y bydd penderfyniadau'n cael eu gwneud ac y bydd y rheini'n cael eu cyflawni. Felly, mae'r model ariannu ar gyfer ynni niwclear yn bwysig iawn i wneud yn siŵr fod gan fuddsoddwyr a chymunedau opsiynau a chyfleoedd i ymgysylltu ar sail lle ceir dealltwriaeth lawer cliriach. Ac yna wrth gwrs, Llywodraeth sy'n barod i weithredu er mwyn cyflawni'r penderfyniadau y mae'n eu gwneud. Rwy'n cydnabod y pwyntiau mae'r Aelod yn eu gwneud, ac rwy'n cydymdeimlo'n fawr â hwy.

Y Gronfa Ffyniant Gyffredin
The Shared Prosperity Fund

4. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cynnal gyda Llywodraeth y DU parthed perthnasedd y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin i awdurdodau lleol yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru? OQ58719

4. What discussions has the Welsh Government held with the UK Government regarding the relevance of the shared prosperity fund to local authorities in Mid and West Wales? OQ58719

The UK Government has put local authorities across all parts of Wales under immense pressure to try and make a success of a botched scheme beset by delays, inadequate funding and impossible deadlines. I have repeatedly raised these issues with a succession of UK Ministers and will continue to do so.

Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi rhoi pwysau aruthrol ar awdurdodau lleol ar draws pob rhan o Gymru i geisio sicrhau bod cynllun sydd wedi mynd o chwith oherwydd oedi, cyllid annigonol a therfynau amser amhosibl, yn llwyddo. Rwyf wedi codi'r materion hyn dro ar ôl tro gydag nifer o Weinidogion olynol y DU a byddaf yn parhau i wneud hynny.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Braf cael clywed hynny, achos fel ŷn ni'n gwybod, fe gafodd y cyhoeddiad yma ei wneud ddechrau’r flwyddyn, ac nid yn unig mae'r gyllideb newydd yma yn tanseilio'r setliad datganoli, mae e hefyd yn torri addewidion Brexit o ddim un ceiniog yn llai. Mae'r £585 miliwn sydd ar gael i Gymru dros dair blynedd yn brin o'i gymharu â'r £375 miliwn a dderbyniwyd yn flaenorol gan y strwythurau Ewropeaidd. Mae awdurdodau lleol, fel ŷch chi'n gwybod, wedi gweitho'n galed iawn ac o fewn amserlen dynn iawn i gyflwyno ceisiadau, ac mae'r psychodrama ŷn ni wedi gweld dros yr wythnosau diwethaf—beth yw e? Tri Prif Weinidog, pedwar Canghellor mewn mater o wythnosau—wedi arafu'r broses, wrth gwrs, ac mae'r awdurdodau'n dal i ddisgwyl clywed ydy eu ceisiadau nhw wedi bod yn llwyddiannus. Felly, dwi'n falch o glywed eich bod chi wedi bod yn rhoi pwysau, felly os gallwn ni gael sicrwydd eich bod chi'n mynd i barhau i bwyso ar Lywodraeth San Steffan i ryddhau'r arian yma sydd mawr ei angen ar ein hawdurdodau lleol ni dros Gymru.

Thank you very much. It's good to hear that, because as we know, this announcement was made at the beginning of the year, and not only does this new budget undermine the devolution settlement, but it also breaks Brexit promises of not a penny less. The £585 million available to Wales over three years is short as compared to the figure of £375 million available previously through the European structural funds. Local authorities, as you know, have worked very hard within a very tight timescale to present these bids, and the psychodrama that we've seen play out over the last few weeks—three Prime Ministers and four Chancellors in a matter of weeks—has slowed down the process, of course, and authorities are still waiting to hear whether their applications have been successful. So, I'm pleased to hear that you have been putting pressure on, but can we have an assurance that you will continue to urge the Westminster Government to release this funding, which is so badly needed in our local authorities across Wales?

I will continue to press the case with whoever the latest Ministers are with responsibility for this. The return of Michael Gove to the department of levelling up may mean that we don't have a significant delay in doing so, but it was supposed to be the case that within three months of submitting their plans, local government would then have answers from the UK Government. But actually, it isn't just the last three months, because that approval hasn't been made; it's actually even worse, because despite the fact that the shared prosperity fund was first announced in 2017, the fund has not yet got off the ground: not a penny of funding, not a single penny of funding from the shared prosperity fund has reached Wales, whereas the new EU funding programmes would have started almost two years ago, and money would already be flowing in a multi-year framework where you wouldn't have artificial deadlines for spending within financial years that would almost certainly mean money would be spent poorly at the end of one financial year, and if not, it would be unspent and returned to the UK Treasury. There'd be no top-slice for Multiply; again, another egregious transgression onto devolved responsibilities. The challenge is: is the UK Government prepared to meet even the pledges it has now made; the ones it made when it broke its manifesto promises; the ones that leave us over £1 billion worse off? I sincerely hope we have some clarity on the money coming so that decisions are made, but, more than that, so that the UK Government take the opportunity to walk away from the crazy rules they have imposed that will guarantee poor spending, and I believe it will certainly mean that money will go back to the Treasury, and it's certainly not what the promise of so-called 'levelling up' was meant to deliver.

Byddaf yn parhau i bwyso am hyn gyda phwy bynnag yw'r Gweinidogion diweddaraf sydd â chyfrifoldeb am hyn. Efallai y bydd dychweliad Michael Gove i'r adran ffyniant bro yn golygu na fydd oedi sylweddol mewn perthynas â hynny, ond roedd llywodraeth leol i fod cael atebion gan Lywodraeth y DU o fewn tri mis i gyflwyno eu cynlluniau. Ond mewn gwirionedd, nid y tri mis diwethaf yn unig ydyw, oherwydd nid yw'r gymeradwyaeth honno wedi'i rhoi; mae'n waeth byth mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd er gwaethaf y ffaith i'r gronfa ffyniant gyffredin gael ei chyhoeddi gyntaf yn 2017, nid yw'r gronfa wedi dod yn weithredol eto: nid oes ceiniog o gyllid, nid oes un geiniog o gyllid o'r gronfa ffyniant gyffredin wedi cyrraedd Cymru, lle byddai rhaglenni ariannu newydd yr UE wedi dechrau bron i ddwy flynedd yn ôl, a byddai arian eisoes yn llifo i fframwaith amlflwyddyn lle na fyddai gennych derfynau amser artiffisial ar gyfer gwariant o fewn blynyddoedd ariannol a fyddai bron yn sicr yn golygu y byddai arian yn cael ei wario'n wael ar ddiwedd un flwyddyn ariannol, ac os na, ni fyddai'n cael ei wario o gwbl a byddai'n cael ei ddychwelyd i Drysorlys y DU. Ni fyddai unrhyw frigdorri ar gyfer Lluosi; unwaith eto, trosedd ddybryd arall yn erbyn cyfrifoldebau datganoledig. Yr her yw: a yw Llywodraeth y DU yn barod i gyflawni'r addewidion y mae wedi eu gwneud; y rhai a wnaeth pan dorrodd ei haddewidion maniffesto; y rhai sy'n golygu ein bod ni dros £1 biliwn yn waeth ein byd? Rwy'n mawr obeithio y cawn rywfaint o eglurder ynghylch yr arian sy'n dod fel bod penderfyniadau'n cael eu gwneud, ond yn fwy na hynny, fel bod Llywodraeth y DU yn manteisio ar y cyfle i droi ei chefn ar y rheolau gwallgof y mae wedi'u gosod a fydd yn gwarantu gwariant gwael, ac rwy'n credu y bydd yn sicr yn golygu y bydd arian yn mynd yn ôl i'r Trysorlys, ac yn sicr nid dyna oedd yr hyn a elwir yn 'ffyniant bro' i fod i'w gyflawni.

14:05

I'm grateful to Cefin Campbell for tabling this question, specifically in relation to the significance of strong inter-governmental relations between the UK, Welsh, and, of course, local governments. Minister, on the topic of inter-governmental discussions, I'm sure you and your colleagues will be aware of the transformational bid for the Celtic freeport. If selected, freeport status in south-west Wales will accelerate major investment in Wales's low-carbon economy and offer a substantial development platform for new green industries. This vision won't just secure Wales and the UK's energy security, but it will unleash the economic benefits of floating offshore wind, hydrogen production and carbon capture, generating thousands of new high-quality and highly skilled jobs. Given that these are critical components to establishing a resilient decarbonised twenty-first century Welsh economy, can I ask if the Minister shares my passion for a Celtic sea freeport, and the subsequent benefits it brings? Diolch.

Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Cefin Campbell am gyflwyno'r cwestiwn hwn, yn benodol mewn perthynas ag arwyddocâd cysylltiadau rhynglywodraethol cryf rhwng Llywodraeth y DU, Llywodraeth Cymru a llywodraeth leol wrth gwrs. Weinidog, ar bwnc trafodaethau rhynglywodraethol, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi a'ch cyd-Aelodau yn ymwybodol o'r cais trawsnewidiol ar gyfer y porthladd rhydd Celtaidd. Os caiff ei ddewis, bydd statws porthladd rhydd yn ne-orllewin Cymru yn cyflymu buddsoddiad mawr yn economi carbon isel Cymru ac yn cynnig llwyfan datblygu sylweddol ar gyfer diwydiannau gwyrdd newydd. Nid yn unig y bydd y weledigaeth hon yn sicrhau bod ffynonellau ynni Cymru a'r DU wedi'u diogelu, bydd yn rhyddhau manteision economaidd gwynt ar y môr arnofiol, cynhyrchu hydrogen a dal carbon, gan gynhyrchu miloedd o swyddi newydd medrus iawn o safon uchel. O ystyried bod y rhain yn elfennau hollbwysig er mwyn sefydlu economi Gymreig wydn wedi'i datgarboneiddio ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, a gaf fi ofyn a yw'r Gweinidog yn rhannu fy angerdd am borthladd rhydd yn y môr Celtaidd, a'r manteision a ddaw yn sgil hynny? Diolch.

The freeports discussion was difficult, but it did ultimately conclude in agreement between the Welsh Government, with our responsibilities, and the UK Government. It's a model where there's shared decision-making responsibilities between equal decision makers, and the good thing about that is it moved on from a very unfortunate and unproductive scale of shouting, saying, 'It's all the Welsh Government's fault this hasn't happened.' When we actually had genuine decision-making Minister to decision-making Minister conversations, we were able to reach an agreement we could all live with, and that includes, of course, devolved concerns around fair work being part of the framework, and that's in stark contrast to the shared prosperity fund.

On your specific point and question around a specific bid for the freeports programme, I'm sure the Member will understand that I can't give him any kind of indication of support, because I will be the decision-taking Minister from the Welsh Government point of view, and I won't prejudice my decision, because I am aware that other bids are being made, and I look forward to seeing the detail of them.

Roedd y drafodaeth ar borthladdoedd rhydd yn anodd, ond daeth i ben y pen draw mewn cytundeb rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, gyda'n cyfrifoldebau, a Llywodraeth y DU. Mae'n fodel lle ceir cyfrifoldebau penderfynu ar y cyd rhwng penderfynyddion cyfartal, a'r peth da am hynny yw ei fod wedi symud ymlaen o sefyllfa anffodus ac anghynhyrchiol iawn lle mae pobl yn gweiddi ac yn dweud, 'Bai Llywodraeth Cymru yw'r ffaith nad yw hyn wedi digwydd.' Pan oeddem yn cael trafodaethau go iawn rhwng Gweinidogion sy'n gwneud penderfyniadau, roeddem yn gallu dod i gytundeb y gallai pawb fyw gydag ef, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys materion datganoledig ynglŷn â bod gwaith teg yn rhan o'r fframwaith, ac mae hynny'n wahanol iawn i'r gronfa ffyniant gyffredin.

Ar eich pwynt penodol a'ch cwestiwn ynghylch cais penodol ar gyfer y rhaglen porthladdoedd rhydd, rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Aelod yn deall na allaf roi unrhyw fath o arwydd o gefnogaeth iddo, oherwydd fi fydd y Gweinidog a fydd yn penderfynu o safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru, ac nid wyf am ragfarnu fy mhenderfyniad, oherwydd rwy'n ymwybodol fod ceisiadau eraill yn cael eu gwneud, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at weld manylion y rheini.

Gweithwyr yn yr Economi Nos
Workers in the Night-time Economy

5. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithredu i sicrhau hawliau gweithwyr sy’n gweithio yn yr economi nos? OQ58716

5. How does the Welsh Government act to secure the rights of workers who work in the night-time economy? OQ58716

We use our levers and influence to promote fair work across our economy, but only the UK Government has the powers to improve statutory workers' rights and their enforcement. We do, though, repeatedly raise these issues with the UK Government.

Rydym yn defnyddio ein hysgogiadau a'n dylanwad i hyrwyddo gwaith teg ar draws ein heconomi, ond dim ond Llywodraeth y DU sydd â'r pwerau i wella hawliau gweithwyr statudol a'u gorfodaeth. Er hynny, rydym yn codi'r materion hyn yn gyson gyda Llywodraeth y DU.

Thank you, Minister. When I was walking to the train last night, after the Senedd had finished, I was acutely aware that some of the walkways are a bit lonely, and it was dark, and I decided to take a slightly longer route, risking missing a train, because it would feel safer with more people around. The national survey for Wales has found that women don't feel as safe as men when it's dark. Fifty per cent of men feel very safe, compared with just 23 per cent of women. When we talk about the rights of women who work in the night-time economy and empowering them, I'd ask how we can tackle this problem. We want more people to use public transport for work, but getting to and from trains and bus stations can feel like taking a risk, particularly late at night. So, can I ask you, Minister, what you will do to reflect on this, to help ensure that more women, who work at night and have to travel in the dark, feel safe getting to and from their place of work? 

Diolch, Weinidog. Pan oeddwn yn cerdded at y trên neithiwr, ar ôl i'r Senedd orffen, roeddwn yn ymwybodol iawn fod rhai o'r llwybrau cerdded ychydig yn unig, ac roedd yn dywyll, a phenderfynais ddilyn trywydd ychydig yn hwy, gan fentro colli trên, am y byddai'n teimlo'n fwy diogel gyda mwy o bobl o gwmpas. Mae arolwg cenedlaethol Cymru wedi darganfod nad yw menywod yn teimlo mor ddiogel â dynion pan fo'n dywyll. Mae 50% o ddynion yn teimlo'n ddiogel iawn, o'i gymharu â dim ond 23 y cant o fenywod. Pan fyddwn yn siarad am hawliau menywod sy'n gweithio yn economi'r nos a phan fyddwn yn sôn am eu grymuso, hoffwn ofyn sut y gallwn fynd i'r afael â'r broblem hon. Rydym eisiau i fwy o bobl ddefnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus i deithio i'r gwaith, ond mae cerdded i ac o orsafoedd trenau a gorsafoedd bysiau yn gallu teimlo fel pe baech yn cymryd risg, yn enwedig yn hwyr yn y nos. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn i chi, Weinidog, beth fyddwch chi'n ei wneud i ystyried hyn, i helpu i sicrhau bod mwy o fenywod, sy'n gweithio yn y nos ac sy'n gorfod teithio yn y tywyllwch, yn teimlo'n ddiogel wrth deithio i ac o'r gwaith? 

I understand there are real issues about whether people feel safe when areas are not well lit. I understand that's a particular concern for women and whether they feel safe or not, especially if they feel that they are being followed or someone is nearer to them than they should be, and it isn't just the recognition of the issue, it's then what gets done about it, and the challenge of working with other partners. It's businesses, it's other stakeholders, it's also our conversation with local authorities about some of the responsibilities they have, and conversations with my colleagues with responsibility for transport here around the transport framework and the facilities we want to have. I think it's a fair question to raise, particularly at this time of year, and I'll certainly look forward to a conversation not just between my officials, but with colleagues in the transport ministry led by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change and colleagues outside of Government.

Rwy'n deall bod yna broblemau go iawn ynghylch a yw pobl yn teimlo'n ddiogel pan nad yw ardaloedd wedi'u goleuo'n dda. Rwy'n deall bod hwnnw'n bryder penodol i fenywod ac a ydynt yn teimlo'n ddiogel neu beidio, yn enwedig os ydynt yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu dilyn neu fod rhywun yn agosach atynt nag y dylent fod, ac nid yw'n ymwneud â chydnabod y mater yn unig, mae'n ymwneud â'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud amdano, a'r her o weithio gyda phartneriaid eraill. Mae'n ymwneud â busnesau, rhanddeiliaid eraill, mae hefyd yn ymwneud â sgwrsio gydag awdurdodau lleol am rai o'r cyfrifoldebau sydd ganddynt hwy, a sgwrsio gyda fy nghyd-Aelod sy'n gyfrifol am drafnidiaeth yma am y fframwaith trafnidiaeth a'r cyfleusterau rydym eu heisiau. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn gwestiwn teg i'w godi, yn enwedig ar yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn, a byddaf yn sicr yn edrych ymlaen at sgwrs, nid yn unig rhwng fy swyddogion, ond gyda chyd-Aelodau yn y weinidogaeth drafnidiaeth dan arweiniad y Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd a chydweithwyr y tu allan i'r Llywodraeth.

Minister, the night-time economy can sometimes be fragile employment, but it's crucial to our culture, communities and the economy. These workers faced the brunt of the pandemic lockdown, so it's crucial that they're supported to get back on their feet. What assessment, if any, has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the cost-of-living pressures on the night-time economy in Wales?

Weinidog, gall economi'r nos fod yn gyflogaeth fregus weithiau, ond mae'n hanfodol i'n diwylliant, ein cymunedau a'r economi. Mae'r gweithwyr hyn wedi wynebu'r gwaethaf o gyfyngiadau symud y pandemig, felly mae'n hanfodol eu bod yn cael cefnogaeth i gael eu cefnau atynt. Pa asesiad, os o gwbl, y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei wneud o effaith y pwysau costau byw ar economi'r nos yng Nghymru?

14:10

The cost-of-living pressures are significant right across the night-time economy and the broader visitor economy, hospitality; any area where discretionary spend is involved is under pressure. It's the pressure from those businesses and their own costs, of course, so the energy costs and the inflation that we've seen go up again today to over 11 per cent, and it's worse than that in some sectors, of course. Food inflation has gone up even further. So, that's a challenge to the costs of businesses as well as energy, and, actually, when you're rely on people spending, as I say, discretionary spend over and above essentials, it shouldn't surprise people to know that in this sector there are real pressures and a number of businesses are already reducing their opening days or hours or both.

It's been made very clear to me that some businesses are concerned that they may not get to the end of the year, never mind get into the new year. It's why the choices that are going to be made tomorrow are so important on a whole range of fronts, not just the funding of public services, but what this means for people, for their pockets and for businesses that are relying on them being able to go out and spend. So, I'm not sanguine about the future, I'm genuinely concerned, and it's why I look for not just the choices there are to be made, but the long-term nature of those and the support that can be provided, and how the Welsh Government can then review the levers that we practically have once the Chancellor has made his choices tomorrow.

Mae'r pwysau costau byw yn sylweddol ar draws economi'r nos a'r economi ymwelwyr, lletygarwch yn ehangach; mae unrhyw faes lle ceir gwariant dewisol o dan bwysau. Y pwysau o'r busnesau hynny a'u costau eu hunain ydyw wrth gwrs, felly y costau ynni a'r chwyddiant a welsom yn codi eto heddiw i dros 11 y cant, ac mae'n waeth na hynny mewn rhai sectorau wrth gwrs. Mae chwyddiant bwyd wedi cynyddu hyd yn oed ymhellach. Felly, mae honno'n her i gostau busnesau yn ogystal ag ynni, ac fel y dywedaf, pan fyddwch yn dibynnu ar bobl i wario gwariant dewisol ar bethau heblaw hanfodion, ni ddylai synnu pobl fod yna bwysau gwirioneddol yn y sector hwn a bod nifer o fusnesau eisoes yn lleihau eu dyddiau agor, eu horiau agor neu'r ddau.

Mae'n amlwg i mi fod rhai busnesau'n pryderu efallai na fyddant yn goroesi hyd ddiwedd y flwyddyn, heb sôn am y flwyddyn newydd. Dyna pam y mae'r penderfyniadau a fydd yn cael eu gwneud yfory mor bwysig mewn sawl ffordd, nid yn unig mewn perthynas ag ariannu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, ond beth y mae hyn yn ei olygu i bobl, i'w pocedi ac i fusnesau sy'n dibynnu arnynt i allu mynd allan a gwario. Felly, nid wyf yn hyderus am y dyfodol, rwy'n wirioneddol bryderus, a dyna pam rwy'n chwilio nid yn unig am y dewisiadau sydd i'w gwneud ond natur hirdymor y rheini a'r gefnogaeth y gellir ei darparu, a sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru adolygu'r ysgogiadau sydd gennym yn ymarferol pan fydd y Canghellor wedi gwneud ei benderfyniadau yfory.

Canlyniadau'r Farchnad Lafur i Fenywod
Labour Market Outcomes for Women

6. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am strategaeth y Llywodraeth ar gyfer gwella canlyniadau'r farchnad lafur i fenywod? OQ58707

6. Will the Minister make a statement on the Government’s strategy for improving labour market outcomes for women? OQ58707

I set out a range of actions within the employability and skills plan to maximise fairness and eliminate inequality. This includes improving labour market outcomes for women.

Rwy'n nodi ystod o gamau gweithredu o fewn y cynllun cyflogadwyedd a sgiliau i sicrhau cymaint o degwch ag sy'n bosibl a chael gwared ar anghydraddoldeb. Mae hyn yn cynnwys gwella canlyniadau'r farchnad lafur i fenywod.

Diolch, Weinidog. Bu menywod o bob rhan o Gymru'n gorymdeithio yn ddiweddar dros sicrhau newid mewn arferion gweithle sydd ar hyn o bryd yn creu anfantais i famau. A bydd y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o adroddiad newydd gan Chwarae Teg sy'n dangos bod y bwlch cyflog ar sail rhywedd yng Nghymru yn parhau i fod yn uchel ar 11.3 y cant eleni. Ar bron i 30 y cant, mae'r bwlch ar ei uchaf yng Nghastell Nedd Port Talbot, yn y rhanbarth dwi'n ei chynrychioli—cynnydd o 9.1 y cant ers y llynedd. Mae dynion yn ennill mwy na menywod ym 15 o ardaloedd awdurdodau lleol Cymru. Mae'r bwlch cyflog rhywedd ar gyfer gweithwyr llawn amser wedi cynyddu yng Nghymru o 4.9 y cant i 6.1 y cant. Fel ŷch chi wedi sôn, mae crybwyll cau bylchau cyflog lluosog yng nghynllun cyflogadwyedd a sgiliau'r Llywodraeth. Felly, a all y Gweinidog amlinellu pa gamau gweithredu sydd mewn lle er mwyn cau'r bwlch cyflog rhywedd, gan fod pethau'n amlwg ddim yn mynd i'r cyfeiriad iawn? A beth mae'r Gweinidog yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod y strategaeth bresennol i gau'r bwlch cyflog ar sail rhywedd yn cymryd i ystyriaeth effaith anghymesur yr argyfwng costau byw ar fenywod sy'n gweithio? Diolch.

Thank you, Minister. Women from all parts of Wales marched recently to ensure changes in working practices that create a disadvantage for mothers. And the Minister will be aware of the new report by Chwarae Teg, which demonstrates that the gender pay gap continues to be high, at 11.3 per cent this year. At almost 30 per cent, the gap is widest in Neath Port Talbot, in the region that I represent—an increase of 9.1 per cent since last year. Men earn more than women in 15 local authority areas in Wales. The gender pay gap for full-time employees has increased in Wales from 4.9 per cent to 6.1 per cent. As you've mentioned, mention of the closure of multiple wage gaps is made in the Government's employability and skills scheme. So, can the Minister outline what actions are in place to close the gender pay gap, because things clearly aren't going in the right direction at the moment? And what is the Minister doing to ensure that the current strategy to close the gender pay gap takes into account the disproportionate impact of the cost-of-living crisis on working women? Thank you.

I regularly reflect back on my time before coming to the Senedd, and the groups of people that I represented, including lots of women in equal pay claims, and understanding that, even in organised workplaces there are inequalities in pay outcomes, and some of those are structural and are about discrimination within the pay system. And then you have the broader challenge, of course, that part-time workers still receive less pay than full-time workers, and part-time workers are disproportionately women. So, I recognise there's a whole range of structures.

The Government has a role in doing something about it. Some of that is in the leadership space, in being clear about the fact that this is issue and then setting out some of the things we'll do, both in the intervention we want to make in the labour market and getting more people to be economically active, but then also in equipping those people to gain access to better paid work. That's both the skills training, but it's also some of the points that Julie Morgan has been outlining about the childcare offer and the expansion of that as well, to give practical access to people to paid work opportunities and for childcare to be affordable. So, it's a wide range of different measures that are required to genuinely transform and to tackle pay gaps, consistent action to transform organisational structures, policy and outcome. 

It also requires the private sector to play their part too. We don't have all of the legal responsibilities in this area, but, as I say, I think the leadership role we have really does matter, and that's why we profile people who do the right thing when it comes to the reward of their workforce and recognise the fact that everyone should be paid fairly. It's also, therefore, about why fair work isn't just something that goes into trade union representation and organisations. It's all of those things and the sorts of companies that we want to work with, and it's part of the requirement we expect of people who want support from the public purse here in Wales.

Rwy'n aml yn cofio am fy amser cyn imi ddod i'r Senedd, a'r grwpiau o bobl roeddwn yn eu cynrychioli, gan gynnwys llawer o fenywod mewn hawliadau cyflog cyfartal, a deall bod yna anghydraddoldebau o ran canlyniadau cyflog hyd yn oed mewn gweithleoedd cyfundrefnol, ac mae rhai o'r rheini'n strwythurol ac yn ymwneud â gwahaniaethu o fewn y system gyflogau. Ac yna mae gennych her ehangach, wrth gwrs, fod gweithwyr rhan-amser yn dal i gael llai o gyflog na gweithwyr amser llawn, ac mae nifer anghymesur o weithwyr rhan-amser yn fenywod. Felly, rwy'n cydnabod bod yna ystod gyfan o strwythurau.

Mae gan y Llywodraeth rôl i wneud rhywbeth yn ei gylch. Mae rhywfaint o hynny'n ymwneud ag arwain, a bod yn glir am y ffaith bod hon yn broblem ac yna nodi rhai o'r pethau y byddwn yn eu gwneud, o ran yr ymyrraeth rydym am ei gwneud yn y farchnad lafur a chael mwy o bobl i fod yn weithgar yn economaidd, ond hefyd drwy arfogi'r bobl hynny i gael mynediad at waith cyflogedig gwell. Dyna yw pwrpas yr hyfforddiant sgiliau, ond mae rhai o'r pwyntiau y mae Julie Morgan wedi bod yn eu hamlinellu am y cynnig gofal plant ac ehangu hwnnw'n bwysig hefyd, i roi mynediad ymarferol i bobl at gyfleoedd gwaith cyflogedig ac i sicrhau bod gofal plant yn fforddiadwy. Felly, mae angen ystod eang o wahanol fesurau i drawsnewid ac i fynd i'r afael â bylchau cyflog yn iawn, a gweithredu cyson i drawsnewid strwythurau sefydliadol, polisi a chanlyniadau.  

Mae angen i'r sector preifat chwarae eu rhan hefyd. Nid oes gennym yr holl gyfrifoldebau cyfreithiol yn y maes hwn, ond fel y dywedaf, rwy'n credu bod y rôl arweiniol sydd gennym yn wirioneddol bwysig, a dyna pam ein bod yn proffilio pobl sy'n gwneud y peth iawn wrth wobrwyo eu gweithlu a chydnabod y ffaith y dylai pawb gael eu talu'n deg. Mae hefyd, felly, yn ymwneud â'r ffaith nad yw gwaith teg yn rhywbeth sy'n ymwneud â chynrychiolaeth a sefydliadau undebau llafur yn unig. Mae'n ymwneud â'r holl bethau hyn a'r mathau o gwmnïau rydym am weithio gyda hwy, ac mae'n rhan o'r hyn rydym yn ei ddisgwyl gan bobl sydd eisiau cymorth o'r pwrs cyhoeddus yma yng Nghymru.

14:15

I thank my colleague for raising this question. The pandemic had a significant impact on the economic well-being of women. We know that, on average, women tend to earn less, have fewer savings, work more in the informal economy and make up the majority of single-parent households. If we are to refocus our attention on the outcomes for women in work, how does your strategy reflect the learning from the pandemic, which exposed some significant challenges and risks?

Diolch i fy nghyd-Aelod am ofyn y cwestiwn hwn. Cafodd y pandemig effaith sylweddol ar lesiant economaidd menywod. Rydym yn gwybod bod menywod yn tueddu i ennill llai ar gyfartaledd, fod ganddynt lai o gynilion, eu bod yn gweithio mwy yn yr economi anffurfiol ac yn ffurfio'r rhan fwyaf o aelwydydd un rhiant. Os ydym am ailffocysu ein sylw ar y canlyniadau i fenywod mewn gwaith, sut mae eich strategaeth yn adlewyrchu'r hyn a ddysgwyd o'r pandemig, a dynnodd sylw at heriau a risgiau sylweddol?

I think, actually, the pandemic made things harder. I think it saw a retrenchment back in many family and community groups where women took on more of the caring role and less of the economic activity role. That's taken us back. In my own family, we had real challenges at the time with home schooling, but it was part of my job to do some of that as well. I couldn't simply say, 'My job is more important than my wife's, so she needs to take care of our son.' He's my son too. And so, actually, it is about how we share those responsibilities, but I recognise the broader position has made it more difficult.

I think this is one of the points that Sioned Williams made about recognising some of the challenges in the differential impact of not just the pandemic, but the cost-of-living crisis as well. And our real challenge is not just understanding what the narrative and what the problem is, but the levers we have available to us. The changes that will be made tomorrow will undoubtedly have an impact. Because the unavoidable reality is that, if you're going to see a move back in the real-terms benefit of support that families are provided through the tax and benefits system, it will make this harder and a bigger hill to climb. So, leadership, but also choices, and who we get to work with, will be crucial parts of making this a reality, and not simply something we talk about and say we're all committed to in theory.

Rwy'n credu, mewn gwirionedd, fod y pandemig wedi gwneud pethau'n anos. Rwy'n credu ei fod wedi gwthio llawer o grwpiau teuluol a chymunedol yn ôl lle roedd menywod yn ymgymryd â mwy o rôl gofalu a llai o'r rôl gweithgarwch economaidd. Mae hynny wedi mynd â ni'n ôl. Yn fy nheulu fy hun, bu'n rhaid i ni wynebu heriau go iawn ar y pryd gydag addysgu gartref, ond roedd yn rhan o fy ngwaith i wneud rhywfaint o hynny hefyd. Ni allwn ddweud, 'Mae fy swydd i'n bwysicach na swydd fy ngwraig, felly mae angen iddi hi ofalu am ein mab.' Mae e'n fab i minnau hefyd. Ac felly, mewn gwirionedd, mae'n ymwneud â sut rydym yn rhannu'r cyfrifoldebau hynny, ond rwy'n cydnabod bod y sefyllfa ehangach wedi ei gwneud hi'n anos.

Rwy'n credu mai dyma un o'r pwyntiau a wnaeth Sioned Williams ynghylch cydnabod rhai o'r heriau mewn perthynas ag effaith wahaniaethol yr argyfwng costau byw yn ogystal â'r pandemig. A'n her go iawn yw deall beth yw'r naratif a beth yw'r broblem, hefyd beth yw'r ysgogiadau sydd ar gael i ni. Heb os, bydd y newidiadau a gaiff eu gwneud yfory yn cael effaith. Oherwydd y realiti anochel, os ydych am weld symud yn ôl mewn perthynas â budd termau real y cymorth a roddir i deuluoedd drwy'r system dreth a budd-daliadau, yw y bydd yn gwneud hyn yn anos a bydd yn fynydd mwy i'w ddringo. Felly, bydd arweinyddiaeth, ond hefyd dewisiadau, a phwy rydym yn gweithio gyda hwy, yn rhannau hanfodol o wireddu hyn, yn hytrach na'i fod yn rhywbeth rydym ond yn siarad amdano'n unig a dweud ein bod i gyd wedi ymrwymo iddo mewn egwyddor.

Cynhyrchu Ynni ar y Môr
Offshore Energy Production

7. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Gweinidog yn eu cael gyda'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd ar hyrwyddo manteision economaidd cynhyrchu ynni ar y môr yng ngogledd Cymru? OQ58717

7. What discussions is the Minister having with the Minister for Climate Change on promoting the economic benefits of offshore energy production in North Wales? OQ58717

I have regular conversations with my friend and colleague the Minister for Climate Change. We fully realise the economic benefits of proposed offshore energy projects in north Wales; this is significant for the whole of Wales. It is my responsibility to ensure that we try to maximise these opportunities for Wales, including those opportunities within the Celtic sea.

Rwy'n cael sgyrsiau rheolaidd gyda fy nghyfaill a fy nghyd-Aelod y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd. Rydym yn llwyr sylweddoli manteision economaidd prosiectau ynni môr arfaethedig yng ngogledd Cymru; mae hyn yn arwyddocaol i Gymru gyfan. Fy nghyfrifoldeb i yw sicrhau ein bod yn ceisio gwneud y mwyaf o'r cyfleoedd hyn i Gymru, gan gynnwys cyfleoedd yn y môr Celtaidd.

Thank you for your response, Minister. As you will know, I'm always interested in understanding the economic benefits, especially for my patch up in north Wales, in terms of offshore energy production. I'm sure, Minister, you'll agree with me that tidal energy has a great opportunity not just in supporting our climate, but also in bringing direct job opportunities and new investment into our local communities. This week, I had a very helpful meeting with TPGen24, whose technology uses a tidal lagoon-based system that harnesses and manipulates the immense power of our tidal ranges to generate green energy. I understand that they and others have engaged with the Welsh Government's tidal lagoon challenge, which, of course, is part of your programme for government, which I applaud in terms of its ambition in supporting ideas to make Wales a world centre of emerging tidal technology. I wonder, Minister, in light of their engagement with that challenge and other organisations' engagement with it, what discussions are you having with the climate change Minister regarding the progress of the tidal lagoon challenge, and how do you see the opportunities of tidal energy in terms of the economy here in Wales?

Diolch am eich ymateb, Weinidog. Fel y gwyddoch, mae gennyf ddiddordeb bob amser mewn deall manteision economaidd cynhyrchu ynni ar y môr, yn enwedig ar gyfer fy ardal yng ngogledd Cymru. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn cytuno â mi, Weinidog, fod yna gyfleoedd gwych mewn perthynas ag ynni llanw, nid yn unig i gefnogi ein hinsawdd, ond hefyd i ddod â chyfleoedd gwaith uniongyrchol a buddsoddiad newydd i'n cymunedau lleol. Yr wythnos hon, cefais gyfarfod defnyddiol iawn gyda TPGen24, y mae ei dechnoleg yn defnyddio system sy'n seiliedig ar forlyn llanw sy'n harneisio ac yn defnyddio pŵer aruthrol ein hamrediad llanw i gynhyrchu ynni gwyrdd. Rwy'n deall eu bod nhw ac eraill wedi ymgysylltu â her morlyn llanw Llywodraeth Cymru, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn rhan o'ch rhaglen lywodraethu, ac rwy'n canmol ei huchelgais i gefnogi syniadau i wneud Cymru'n ganolfan fyd-eang i dechnoleg llanw sy'n datblygu. Weinidog, o gofio eu hymwneud â'r her honno ac ymwneud sefydliadau eraill â hi, pa drafodaethau rydych yn eu cael gyda'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd ynglŷn â hynt yr her morlyn llanw, a beth yw eich safbwynt ar gyfleoedd ynni llanw mewn perthynas â'r economi yma yng Nghymru?

I think tidal energy has significant opportunities for Wales. Again, it's not just the power generation, but it's an area where there is a new technology and a new form of economic activity being developed, and I want to see Wales at the very leading edge of that. Of course, we've already invested £59 million of former structural funds to help progress matters in this area. There is more than one project. You'll be aware of Morlais as well, and the work we've done with them. Our challenge is how we take forward not just the tidal energy challenge, but then to understand where we get from demonstrator to commercial deployment, and the levers we have available to do that within the wider energy mix that we have the opportunity to see properly exploited for significant economic benefit. That's not just across north Wales, but, of course, there'll be tidal energy opportunities around the rest of our coastline as well. I look forward to myself or the climate change Minister giving a more purposive update when we're in a position to do so.

Rwy'n credu bod gan ynni llanw gyfleoedd sylweddol i Gymru. Unwaith eto, nid yw'n ymwneud yn unig â chynhyrchu pŵer, ond mae'n faes lle mae technoleg newydd a math newydd o weithgarwch economaidd yn cael ei ddatblygu, ac rwyf eisiau gweld Cymru ar flaen y gad yn hynny o beth. Wrth gwrs, rydym eisoes wedi buddsoddi £59 miliwn o hen gronfeydd strwythurol i helpu i fwrw ymlaen â materion yn y maes hwn. Mae yna fwy nag un prosiect. Fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol o Morlais hefyd, a'r gwaith rydym wedi'i wneud gyda hwy. Ein her ni yw sut i fwrw ymlaen â'r her ynni llanw, ac yna deall sut i symud ymlaen o fod yn arddangoswr i ddefnydd masnachol, a'r ysgogiadau sydd ar gael i ni i wneud hynny o fewn y cymysgedd ynni ehangach y mae gennym gyfle i fanteisio'n briodol arno er budd economaidd sylweddol. Nid ar draws gogledd Cymru'n unig y bydd hynny'n digwydd wrth gwrs, bydd cyfleoedd ynni llanw o gwmpas gweddill ein harfordir hefyd. Byddaf fi neu'r Gweinidog newid hinsawdd yn darparu diweddariad mwy pwrpasol maes o law pan fyddwn mewn sefyllfa i wneud hynny.

Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8, Peter Fox.

And finally, question 8, Peter Fox.

Y Sector Manwerthu
The Retail Sector

8. Pa asesiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o effaith ei gweledigaeth strategol a rennir ar gyfer y sector manwerthu? OQ58701

8. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of its shared strategic vision for the retail sector? OQ58701

14:20

Our shared vision for retail was launched in June, and it marked the start of a broader and deeper conversation with the sector. The Wales retail forum, made up of partners from business and the trade union side—and I'm sure that the Member and others have had the opportunity to see one of those partners, USDAW, in the launch of their Freedom from Fear campaign—have been working together on a delivery plan of priority actions for the sector. The plan is nearing its final stages and will, of course, be published once completed.

Lansiwyd ein gweledigaeth gyffredin ar gyfer manwerthu ym mis Mehefin, ac roedd yn nodi dechrau sgwrs ehangach a dyfnach gyda'r sector. Mae fforwm manwerthu Cymru, sy'n cynnwys partneriaid o fyd busnes ac undebau llafur—ac rwy'n siŵr bod yr Aelod ac eraill wedi cael cyfle i weld un o'r partneriaid hynny, Undeb Gweithwyr Siopau, Dosbarthu a Gwaith Perthynol, yn lansiad eu hymgyrch Rhyddid rhag Ofn—wedi bod yn cydweithio ar gynllun cyflawni o gamau blaenoriaeth ar gyfer y sector. Mae'r cynllun yn agosáu at ei gamau olaf ac fe fydd yn cael ei gyhoeddi ar ôl ei gwblhau wrth gwrs.

Thank you very much for that, Minister. The importance of the Welsh retail sector cannot be stressed enough. We know that over 110,000 people are directly employed by the industry. Recently, I met with chief execs of major businesses in the retail sector, all of whom expressed their serious concerns with vital detail missing from the Welsh Government's shared strategic vision.

Retention and recruitment are huge problems facing the industry, as they told me, yet the Government's strategy does not outline concrete steps to overcome that obstacle. The chief execs also maintain that freezing business rates next April, a step that the Welsh Government has not yet committed to, would provide a welcome boost, as would an adjustment to the multiplier. Unless these things happen, they warn that Wales will become even less competitive.

Businesses told me that they are desperately in need of stability and certainty. Minister, do you recognise their concerns, and will you do all that you can to look at business rates, including the multiplier, which currently make doing business here the most expensive in the UK? These things will ultimately determine the future of these businesses. 

Diolch yn fawr iawn am hynny, Weinidog. Ni ellir gorbwysleisio pwysigrwydd sector manwerthu Cymru. Rydym yn gwybod bod dros 110,000 o bobl yn cael eu cyflogi'n uniongyrchol gan y diwydiant. Yn ddiweddar, cyfarfûm â phrif weithredwyr busnesau mawr yn y sector manwerthu, a mynegodd pob un ohonynt eu pryderon difrifol am y ffaith bod manylion hanfodol ar goll o weledigaeth strategol gyffredin Llywodraeth Cymru.

Mae cadw a recriwtio staff yn broblemau enfawr sy'n wynebu'r diwydiant, fel y maent wedi'i ddweud wrthyf, ond eto nid yw strategaeth y Llywodraeth yn amlinellu camau pendant i oresgyn y rhwystr hwnnw. Mae'r prif weithredwyr hefyd yn honni y byddai rhewi ardrethi busnes fis Ebrill nesaf, cam nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo iddo eto, yn rhoi hwb i'w groesawu, yn yr un modd ag y byddai addasiad i'r lluosydd. Os na fydd y pethau hyn yn digwydd, maent yn rhybuddio y bydd Cymru hyd yn oed yn llai cystadleuol.

Mae busnesau wedi dweud wrthyf eu bod yn daer angen sefydlogrwydd a sicrwydd. Weinidog, a ydych yn cydnabod eu pryderon, ac a wnewch chi bopeth yn eich gallu i edrych ar ardrethi busnes, gan gynnwys y lluosydd, sy'n golygu bod gwneud busnes yma yn ddrutach nag unrhyw le arall yn y DU ar hyn o bryd? Y pethau hyn fydd yn penderfynu dyfodol y busnesau hyn yn y pen draw. 

Thank you for the question. I certainly do recognise the significant challenges that exist within the sector. I was recently with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership at the consultation event around the detailed plan. Again, the leading trade union, USDAW, together with other colleagues and the Welsh Retail Consortium, which you will be familiar with—your former deputy leader, Sara Jones—are actually representing and bringing together the sector.

They are raising a range of issues. They are certainly looking for stability and certainty from the Government, and they are getting it, because we have worked alongside them to develop the vision, and are working alongside them with the delivery of a plan. We'll then publish it, and there may well be things that we will commit to doing as a result of that. That's the work that we are doing at present.

I recognise the challenge about retaining and recruiting people. We have actually been really positive about wanting and encouraging people to see a career in the sector. And actually, the vision and the delivery plan should help to build on that. This isn't just seasonal employment. There is a real career to be had within these sectors as well. So, the consultation on the delivery plan isn't finished. We certainly will take account of the views that we have had recently.

The point around rates was raised there as well, but I would gently remind the Member that, given that tomorrow has yet to happen, the financial envelope that we have to operate in is not yet clear to us. Our commitment on business rates to the end of this financial year is there, but we really do need to understand what tomorrow is going to bring; whether it increases our ability to do more, or whether it actually makes the challenge even harder, as he will know in very practical terms from his time in leading a local authority and having to make these very difficult or practical choices.

Diolch am y cwestiwn. Yn sicr rwy'n cydnabod yr heriau sylweddol sy'n bodoli o fewn y sector. Yn ddiweddar, roeddwn gyda'r Dirprwy Weinidog Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol yn y digwyddiad ymgynghori ar y cynllun manwl. Unwaith eto, mae'r undeb llafur blaenllaw, Undeb Gweithwyr Siopau, Dosbarthu a Gwaith Perthynol, ynghyd â chydweithwyr eraill a Chonsortiwm Manwerthu Cymru, y byddwch chi'n gyfarwydd â hwy—eich cyn ddirprwy arweinydd, Sara Jones—yn cynrychioli'r sector ac yn dod â'r sector at ei gilydd.

Maent yn codi amryw o faterion. Maent yn sicr yn chwilio am sefydlogrwydd a sicrwydd gan y Llywodraeth, ac maent yn ei gael, oherwydd rydym wedi bod yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â hwy i ddatblygu'r weledigaeth, ac rydym yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â hwy i gyflwyno cynllun. Byddwn yn ei gyhoeddi wedyn, ac mae'n ddigon posibl y byddwn yn ymrwymo i wneud pethau o ganlyniad i hynny. Dyna'r gwaith rydym yn ei wneud ar hyn o bryd.

Rwy'n cydnabod yr her ynghylch cadw a recriwtio pobl. Mewn gwirionedd rydym wedi bod yn bositif iawn am fod eisiau pobl ac annog pobl i ddilyn gyrfa yn y sector. Ac mewn gwirionedd, dylai'r weledigaeth a'r cynllun cyflawni helpu i adeiladu ar hynny. Mae hyn yn ymwneud â mwy na chyflogaeth dymhorol yn unig. Mae gyrfa go iawn i'w chael yn y sectorau hyn hefyd. Felly, nid yw'r ymgynghoriad ar y cynllun cyflawni wedi dod i ben. Byddwn yn sicr yn ystyried y safbwyntiau rydym wedi'u clywed yn ddiweddar.

Codwyd y pwynt ynglŷn â chyfraddau yno hefyd, ond byddwn yn atgoffa'r Aelod yn garedig, o ystyried nad yw yfory wedi bod eto, nad yw'r amlen ariannol y mae'n rhaid i ni weithredu ynddi yn glir i ni eto. Mae ein hymrwymiad ar ardrethi busnes yn para hyd at ddiwedd y flwyddyn ariannol hon, ond mae angen inni ddeall beth a ddaw yfory; a fydd yn cynyddu ein gallu i wneud mwy, neu a fydd yn gwneud yr her yn anos fyth, fel y bydd yn gwybod mewn ffordd ymarferol iawn o'i gyfnod yn arwain awdurdod lleol a gorfod gwneud y dewisiadau anodd neu ymarferol hyn.

2. Cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol
2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Huw Irranca-Davies.

The next item, therefore, is the questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services, and the first question comes from Huw Irranca-Davies. 

O'r Ysbyty i'r Cartref
Hospital to Home

1. Pa asesiad diweddar y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i wneud o'r gwasanaeth ysbyty i'r cartref a ddarperir drwy'r bartneriaeth rhwng Gofal a Thrwsio Sir Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr ac Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru? OQ58690

1. What recent assessment has the Minister made of the hospital to home service provided through the partnership between Bridgend County Care and Repair and the Princess of Wales Hospital? OQ58690

The Hospital to a Healthier Home service in Bridgend has supported positive outcomes for service users. It has helped to reduce the number of bed days used at the Princess of Wales Hospital through supporting timely discharge, and has supported vulnerable people to maximise their incomes through access to relevant benefits.

Mae'r gwasanaeth Ysbyty i Gartref Iachach ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr wedi cefnogi canlyniadau positif ar gyfer defnyddwyr y gwasanaeth. Mae wedi helpu i leihau nifer y dyddiau gwely a ddefnyddir yn Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru drwy gefnogi rhyddhau amserol, ac mae wedi cefnogi pobl sy'n agored i niwed i gynyddu eu hincwm i'r eithaf drwy fynediad at fudd-daliadau perthnasol.

Minister, I welcome that really positive response. Sarah Murphy and I attended in the last month a celebratory event to mark the ten thousandth individual referred on to that pathway from Princess of Wales, through Bridgend Care and Repair. What it does is a wraparound service around that individual, which makes sure that the home adaptations are done, that the nursing and other clinical care—but also other support, including things such as benefits assessment—are done when that person goes home. It is groundbreaking. It has set the standard, I have to say, for other trust and hospital services and partnerships throughout Wales.

I wonder, would you join me in congratulating all of those people, like Meinir Woodgate, the service manager; people like Rena; people like Christine Beadsworth, the hospital-to-home caseworker, and all those who contribute to the successful partnership? Can you tell us what reassurance we can give that these sort of partnerships will continue not to do 10,000 people referred, but 20,000 and 30,000 and 100,000 people throughout Wales?

Weinidog, rwy'n croesawu'r ymateb cadarnhaol hwnnw. Mynychodd Sarah Murphy a minnau ddigwyddiad dathlu fis diwethaf i nodi'r ffaith bod 10,000 o bobl wedi cael eu hatgyfeirio at y llwybr hwnnw o Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru, drwy Ofal a Thrwsio Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr. Mae'n wasanaeth cofleidiol i'r unigolyn, sy'n sicrhau bod yr addasiadau cartref yn cael eu gwneud, fod y nyrsio a gofal clinigol arall—ond hefyd cefnogaeth arall, gan gynnwys pethau fel asesiad budd-daliadau—yn cael eu gwneud pan fydd yr unigolyn yn mynd adref. Mae'n torri tir newydd. Mae wedi gosod y safon, rhaid imi ddweud, i wasanaethau ysbytai ac ymddiriedolaethau eraill a phartneriaethau ledled Cymru.

Tybed a wnewch chi ymuno â mi i longyfarch yr holl bobl hynny, fel Meinir Woodgate, y rheolwr gwasanaeth; pobl fel Rena; pobl fel Christine Beadsworth, gweithiwr achos o'r ysbyty i'r cartref, a phawb sy'n cyfrannu at y bartneriaeth lwyddiannus? A wnewch chi roi gwybod pa sicrwydd y gallwn ei roi y bydd y mathau hyn o bartneriaethau yn parhau i atgyfeirio, nid 10,000 o bobl yn unig, ond 20,000 a 30,000 a 100,000 o bobl drwy Gymru benbaladr?

14:25

Thanks very much, and thanks for your interest in what I think is a really important programme. Because we're in a cost-of-living crisis, this is the time when we really need to be wrapping our arms around people who may be under a lot of pressure. We have an opportunity in the health service to make every contact count, and that's part of what we're doing here with this particular programme. It is quite remarkable, I think, if you look at the service—I think there have been 628 successful benefit claims since April 2021 with an average of £3,800 a year of extra income per patient. That is transformational for these families. That is a huge amount of money, and this is money that they're entitled to. So, we've got to make sure that people really understand that this service is available.

There are lots of other services available. I know Jane Hutt has been promoting services that we're promoting with Citizens Advice and all the others, but that has represented an income overall of £2,391,000. That's huge. That's money not just going into their pockets, but also into local communities after that. So, I would like to thank them for that. In Cwm Taf Morgannwg in particular we've seen 217 patients supported. It is quite remarkable. And it's not just about benefits assessment, as you say, it's about adaptation and everything. So, I would like to join with you in thanking Meinir, Rena and the others for their work, and I have made it clear that I'd be disappointed if these successful services and projects were to be decommissioned. We're all under massive pressure at the moment. Everybody understands the pressure, but obviously this is an area where these people are entitled to this support, and we need to give them a little helping hand to get there. 

Diolch yn fawr, a diolch am eich diddordeb yn y rhaglen wirioneddol bwysig hon. Oherwydd ein bod yng nghanol argyfwng costau byw, dyma'r adeg pan fo angen inni roi ein breichiau o amgylch pobl a allai fod o dan lawer o bwysau. Mae gennym gyfle yn y gwasanaeth iechyd i wneud i bob cyswllt gyfrif, ac mae hynny'n rhan o'r hyn rydym yn ei wneud yma gyda'r rhaglen arbennig hon. Mae'n eithaf rhyfeddol, rwy'n credu, os edrychwch chi ar y gwasanaeth—rwy'n credu bod 628 o hawliadau budd-dal llwyddiannus wedi bod ers mis Ebrill 2021 gyda chyfartaledd o £3,800 y flwyddyn o incwm ychwanegol i bob claf. Mae hynny'n drawsnewidiol i'r teuluoedd hyn. Mae'n swm enfawr o arian, ac mae ganddynt hawl iddo. Felly, rhaid inni sicrhau bod pobl yn deall bod y gwasanaeth hwn ar gael.

Mae llawer o wasanaethau eraill ar gael. Rwy'n gwybod bod Jane Hutt wedi bod yn hyrwyddo gwasanaethau rydym yn eu hyrwyddo gyda Cyngor ar Bopeth a'r lleill i gyd, ond mae hwnnw'n incwm cyffredinol o £2,391,000. Mae hynny'n enfawr. Mae hwnnw'n arian sy'n mynd i'w pocedi hwy, ond hefyd i gymunedau lleol ar ôl hynny. Felly, hoffwn ddiolch iddynt am hynny. Yng Nghwm Taf Morgannwg yn arbennig, rydym wedi gweld 217 o gleifion yn cael eu cefnogi. Mae'n rhyfeddol. Ac mae'n ymwneud â mwy nag asesu budd-daliadau'n unig, fel y dywedwch, mae'n ymwneud ag addasu a phopeth. Felly, hoffwn ymuno â chi i ddiolch i Meinir, Rena a'r lleill am eu gwaith, ac rwyf wedi ei gwneud yn glir y byddwn yn siomedig pe bai'r gwasanaethau a'r prosiectau llwyddiannus hyn yn cael eu datgomisiynu. Mae pawb ohonom dan bwysau aruthrol ar hyn o bryd. Mae pawb yn deall y pwysau, ond yn amlwg mae hwn yn faes lle mae gan y bobl hyn hawl i'r cymorth hwn, ac mae angen inni roi ychydig o help llaw iddynt gyrraedd yno. 

Minister, we know that hospitals are struggling to manage their bed capacity, with too many people medically fit for discharge but unable to do so, for a variety of reasons. The hospital-to-home scheme in Bridgend is one initiative from which we should learn, but what other steps is the Minister taking to help people move from hospital, such as more ambitious discharge-to-assess programmes to help not just our hospitals, but most importantly, the individuals whose needs could be better assessed away from the hospital environment?

Weinidog, rydym yn gwybod bod ysbytai'n ei chael hi'n anodd rheoli eu capasiti gwelyau, gyda gormod o bobl sy'n ddigon iach yn feddygol i'w rhyddhau ond nid yw'n bosibl gwneud hynny am amryw o resymau. Mae'r cynllun o'r ysbyty i'r cartref ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn un fenter y dylem ddysgu ohoni, ond pa gamau eraill y mae'r Gweinidog yn eu cymryd i helpu pobl i symud o'r ysbyty, fel rhaglenni rhyddhau i asesu mwy uchelgeisiol i helpu nid yn unig ein hysbytai, ond yn bwysicaf oll, yr unigolion y gellid asesu eu hanghenion yn well i ffwrdd o amgylchedd yr ysbyty?

Thank you very much, Altaf. I probably spend as much time on the delayed transfers of care, as you've pointed out, as anything else. There are blockages all along the system, we know that, but this is a particular blockage. I have regular meetings with local authorities—I had one yesterday—to really look at what we can deliver in this area. It's hard now, but winter is coming, and we've got to try and get as much capacity in our communities as possible. We are making some progress here, and I do hope that I'll be able to report to you very soon in terms of what that partnership working with local authorities has been able to deliver so far, and what we're intending to deliver over the course of the winter.

We know what the problem is. The solutions are not easy because it's all about care workers, and I was delighted to go and listen to what Unison had to say earlier. There are lots and lots of issues that are interconnected here, but delayed transfer of care is part of what's blocking the system. It's not the only thing. It's really important for us to understand it's not the only thing, but that is a significant part of the problem. 

Diolch yn fawr, Altaf. Mae'n debyg fy mod yn treulio cymaint o amser ar oedi wrth drosglwyddo gofal, fel rydych wedi nodi, ag ar unrhyw beth arall. Mae tagfeydd drwy'r system, rydym yn gwybod hynny, ond mae hon yn dagfa benodol. Rwy'n cael cyfarfodydd rheolaidd gydag awdurdodau lleol—cefais un ddoe—i edrych ar yr hyn y gallwn ei gyflawni yn y maes hwn. Mae'n anodd nawr, ond mae'r gaeaf yn dod, a rhaid inni geisio cael cymaint o gapasiti â phosibl yn ein cymunedau. Rydym yn gwneud rhywfaint o gynnydd yma, ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallaf roi diweddariad i chi'n fuan iawn ar yr hyn y mae'r gwaith partneriaeth gydag awdurdodau lleol wedi gallu ei gyflawni hyd yma, a'r hyn rydym yn bwriadu ei gyflawni dros y gaeaf.

Rydym yn gwybod beth yw'r broblem. Nid yw'r atebion yn hawdd oherwydd mae'n ymwneud â gweithwyr gofal, ac roeddwn wrth fy modd yn gwrando ar yr hyn oedd gan Unsain i'w ddweud yn gynharach. Mae llawer o faterion rhyng-gysylltiedig yma, ond mae oedi cyn trosglwyddo gofal yn rhan o'r hyn sy'n tagu'r system. Nid dyna'r unig beth. Mae'n bwysig iawn inni ddeall nad dyna'r unig beth, ond mae'n rhan sylweddol o'r broblem. 

Amseroedd Aros Ambiwlansys yn Nwyrain De Cymru
Ambulance Waiting Times in South Wales East

2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am amseroedd aros ambiwlansys yn Nwyrain De Cymru? OQ58685

2. Will the Minister provide an update on ambulance waiting times in South Wales East? OQ58685

4. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am amseroedd ymateb ambiwlans ym Mlaenau Gwent? OQ58699

4. Will the Minister make a statement on ambulance response times in Blaenau Gwent? OQ58699

5. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i dorri amseroedd aros ambiwlansys? OQ58708

5. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to cut ambulance waiting times? OQ58708

Dyw amseroedd ymateb ambiwlansys ar draws Cymru ddim ble ddylen nhw fod, ond ardal bwrdd iechyd Aneurin Bevan oedd â’r perfformiad gorau yng Nghymru ym mis Medi yn erbyn y targed cenedlaethol ar gyfer galwadau coch. Mae cynllun cenedlaethol yn ei le i sbarduno gwelliant ambiwlansys gyda chefnogaeth £3 miliwn o gyllid gan Lywodraeth Cymru.

Ambulance response times across Wales are not where they should be, but performance against the national target for red calls in the Aneurin Bevan health board area was the best in Wales in September. A national plan is in place to drive ambulance improvement, supported by £3 million of Welsh Government funding.

14:30

Diolch am yr ateb yna, Weinidog.

Thank you for that response, Minister.

Minister, nearly every week, there are questions relating to the unacceptable delays that patients face while waiting for ambulances, and every delay risks people's lives. I've been contacted by a constituent who witnessed one such delay in Abergavenny earlier this month. The constituent was in a wedding anniversary party and someone present became very unwell and fell unconscious. The emergency services were called and my constituent said that, to the shock and horror of those present, they were told that there was a seven-hour wait for an ambulance. Now, fortunately, the person in question recovered consciousness, but it could so easily have turned out very differently. The same constituent remembered how, when they witnessed a similar incident six years ago at Christmas time, an ambulance was requested and attended within minutes. They've said that the more recent incident has led them to feel that if they were to be suddenly taken ill, it would be pointless calling for help. So, Minister, what assurance can you give me, please, and my constituent, that the situation will improve?

Weinidog, bron bob wythnos, mae yna gwestiynau'n ymwneud â'r oedi annerbyniol sy'n wynebu cleifion wrth aros am ambiwlansys, ac mae pob achos o oedi'n creu perygl i fywydau pobl. Mae etholwr wedi cysylltu â mi ar ôl achos o oedi o'r fath yn y Fenni yn gynharach yn y mis. Roedd yr etholwr mewn parti pen-blwydd priodas ac aeth un o'r rhai oedd yn bresennol yn sâl iawn a syrthio'n anymwybodol. Cafodd y gwasanaethau brys eu galw ac er mawr syndod ac arswyd i'r rhai oedd yn bresennol, dywedwyd wrthynt y byddai'n rhaid aros saith awr am ambiwlans. Nawr, yn ffodus, dadebrodd yr unigolyn dan sylw, ond fe allai mor hawdd fod wedi bod yn wahanol iawn. Roedd yr un etholwr yn cofio digwyddiad tebyg chwe blynedd yn ôl adeg y Nadolig, pan alwyd am ambiwlans ac fe gyrhaeddodd o fewn munudau. Maent wedi dweud bod y digwyddiad mwy diweddar wedi gwneud iddynt deimlo pe baent yn mynd yn sâl yn sydyn, na fyddai unrhyw bwrpas galw am help. Felly, Weinidog, pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi i mi ac i fy etholwr y bydd y sefyllfa'n gwella?

Well, I can assure you that it's not just your constituent who's asking questions; I'm asking questions very, very consistently of the ambulance service in Wales. I met them on Monday, or yesterday, just to go through the detail of their performance. The irony is that they're actually getting to more people than they've ever got to before. So, actually, in terms of performance, their performance is improving. The problem is that the demand is going through the roof, and that's where the real issue is. And that is really, really challenging and obviously, we've already recruited 250 people over the past couple of years.

I was really delighted just now, I happened to be out on the street where I passed a couple of ambulances—whenever I see an ambulance, I go and check up and check out, 'Why aren't you picking somebody up?' and, love them, you can imagine their terror when they see the health Minister coming along—and, love them, they were people who were training; they're the next cohort, the next 100 people who are in training who are going to get out on the streets as soon as possible. They've got their test tomorrow and I was wishing them all the best, because, actually, we need them out on our streets. But I'm really delighted that that is really working through now.

And the other thing I think to bear in mind is, if we hadn't put lots of measures in place already, the situation would have been a hell of a lot worse than it is now.

Wel, gallaf eich sicrhau nad eich etholwr yn unig sy'n gofyn cwestiynau; rwy'n gofyn cwestiynau yn gyson iawn i'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans yng Nghymru. Fe gyfarfûm â hwy ddydd Llun, neu ddoe, i fynd drwy eu perfformiad yn fanwl. Yr eironi yw eu bod hwy mewn gwirionedd yn cyrraedd mwy o bobl nag y gwnaethant erioed o'r blaen. Felly, mae eu perfformiad yn gwella mewn gwirionedd. Y broblem yw bod y galw wedi codi i'r entrychion, a dyna lle mae'r broblem go iawn. Ac mae hynny'n heriol tu hwnt ac yn amlwg, rydym eisoes wedi recriwtio 250 o bobl dros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf.

Cefais fodd i fyw gynnau, roeddwn i'n digwydd bod allan ar y stryd lle gwneuthum basio un neu ddwy o ambiwlansys—pryd bynnag y gwelaf ambiwlans, rwy'n mynd i edrych i weld, 'Pam nad ydych chi'n codi rhywun?' a bechod, gallwch ddychmygu eu harswyd pan fyddant yn gweld y Gweinidog iechyd yn dod heibio—a phobl yn hyfforddi oeddent; hwy yw'r garfan nesaf, y 100 o bobl nesaf sy'n hyfforddi, ac sy'n mynd i fynd allan ar y strydoedd cyn gynted â phosibl. Mae ganddynt eu prawf yfory ac fe wnes ddymuno'r gorau iddynt, oherwydd rydym eu hangen allan ar ein strydoedd. Ond rwyf wrth fy modd fod hynny'n gweithio'i ffordd drwodd nawr.

A'r peth arall i'w gofio yw, pe na baem wedi rhoi llawer o fesurau ar waith yn barod, byddai'r sefyllfa wedi bod yn llawer iawn gwaeth na'r hyn ydyw nawr.

I'm grateful to the Minister for that earlier response. It's certainly true that people want that level of reassurance that an ambulance will be available should they, or a member of their family, become seriously unwell and require an ambulance. And it's important that we're able to provide that level of confidence to people. And one of the things that people raise with me isn't simply the waiting times, but also the structure of a service to deliver the sort of response that people require.

You will be aware that there's been a considerable debate about the rostering of paramedics and ambulance staff and also the movement of resources and assets to different locations around and across the country. You'll also be aware that my constituency has one of the more difficult waiting times, not just in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, but elsewhere as well. So, can you provide the reassurance that you are working with the ambulance service to ensure that we have the staff where they need to be and the assets and resources where they need to be to provide the most comprehensive response to people wherever their need happens to be or whatever their location? 

Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog am yr ymateb cynharach hwnnw. Mae'n sicr yn wir fod pobl eisiau'r lefel honno o sicrwydd y bydd ambiwlans ar gael pe baent hwy, neu aelod o'u teulu, yn mynd yn ddifrifol sâl ac angen ambiwlans. Ac mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n gallu darparu'r lefel hwnnw o hyder i bobl. Ac mae pobl yn sôn wrthyf am yr amseroedd aros, ond hefyd am strwythur y gwasanaeth i ddarparu'r math o ymateb y mae pobl ei angen.

Fe fyddwch yn gwybod bod cryn ddadlau wedi bod ynghylch trefniadau rotas dyletswyddau parafeddygon a staff ambiwlans a hefyd symud adnoddau ac asedau i wahanol leoliadau o gwmpas ac ar draws y wlad. Fe fyddwch hefyd yn gwybod bod fy etholaeth ymhlith y rhai sydd â'r amseroedd aros gwaethaf, nid yn unig ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Aneurin Bevan, ond mewn mannau eraill hefyd. Felly, a wnewch chi roi sicrwydd eich bod yn gweithio gyda'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans i sicrhau bod gennym y staff lle mae angen iddynt fod a'r asedau a'r adnoddau lle mae angen iddynt fod i ddarparu'r ymateb mwyaf cynhwysfawr i bobl ble bynnag fo'i angen neu beth bynnag yw eu lleoliad? 

Yes, thanks. And I think it's really important that people understand all the background that's gone into this. So, what you can't do is, week after week, come and tell me, 'You need to do this, that, and the other to improve efficiency'. We get an independent group in to take a really good look at efficiencies—how do we get more out of the system? The independent review looks at the analysis, tells you, 'Actually, you do need to restructure—you can make this system work better if you reroster', and actually, rerostering is going to improve the number of people equivalent to an extra 74 people on the front line. So, it may be a little bit uncomfortable for a little, while that rerostering is going on, but in terms of the overall system, I've got to make the overall system work better, and those 74 additional equivalent places is an efficiency as a result of rostering. So, you can't have it both ways—you can't tell me to restructure, and then I say, 'Right, I'm going to get efficiencies', and then tell me, 'Oh, we don't want it like that'. Those are the calls I have to make as health Minister, and I'm making that call.

Ie, diolch. Ac rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn fod pobl yn deall holl gefndir hyn. Felly, beth na allwch ei wneud yw dweud wrthyf, wythnos ar ôl wythnos, 'Mae angen i chi wneud hyn, llall ac arall i wella arbedion effeithlonrwydd'. Mae gennym grŵp annibynnol i edrych yn iawn ar arbedion effeithlonrwydd—sut mae cael mwy allan o'r system? Mae'r adolygiad annibynnol yn edrych ar y dadansoddiad, yn dweud wrthych, 'Mewn gwirionedd, mae angen ichi ailstrwythuro—gallwch wneud i'r system hon weithio'n well os ydych chi'n aildrefnu rotas dyletswyddau', ac mewn gwirionedd, mae aildrefnu rotas yn mynd i wella nifer y bobl i gyfateb i 74 o bobl ychwanegol ar y rheng flaen. Felly, efallai y bydd ychydig yn anghyfforddus am ychydig, tra bod yr aildrefnu'n digwydd, ond o ran y system gyffredinol, mae'n rhaid i mi wneud i'r system gyffredinol weithio'n well, ac mae'r 74 lle cyfatebol ychwanegol hynny yn arbediad effeithlonrwydd o ganlyniad i drefnu rotas dyletswyddau. Felly, ni allwch ei chael y ddwy ffordd—ni allwch ddweud wrthyf am ailstrwythuro, a fy mod i'n dweud, 'Iawn, rwy'n mynd i sicrhau arbedion effeithlonrwydd', a'ch bod yn dweud wrthyf wedyn, 'O, nid ydym ei eisiau fel hynny'. Dyna'r penderfyniadau y mae'n rhaid i mi eu gwneud fel Gweinidog iechyd, ac rwy'n gwneud y penderfyniad hwnnw.

14:35

Minister, you've constantly said that you're looking at a whole-system approach, from GPs to delayed transfers of care, and we'd agree with this. But it's been over a year now since you published your six goals for emergency care, and the situation has got worse. None of this, of course, is the fault of hard-working paramedics, but the poor planning from this Labour Government. Minister, we haven't forgotten that the last Minister said that it would be foolish to publish a plan for recovery whilst the pandemic was still going on, and now we're paying that price. Minister, we're coming up to winter, as you outlined earlier; we know the situation will deteriorate, even without the prospect of a nurses' strike. What urgent measures are you taking to ensure that our ambulance service don't pay the price of this Government's poor planning?

Weinidog, rydych chi wedi dweud yn gyson eich bod yn edrych ar ddull system gyfan, o feddygon teulu i oedi cyn trosglwyddo gofal, a byddem yn cytuno â hyn. Ond mae dros flwyddyn bellach ers i chi gyhoeddi eich chwe nod ar gyfer gofal brys, ac mae'r sefyllfa wedi gwaethygu. Nid bai parafeddygon gweithgar yw dim o hyn wrth gwrs, ond yn hytrach, y cynllunio gwael gan y Llywodraeth Lafur hon. Weinidog, nid ydym wedi anghofio bod y Gweinidog diwethaf wedi dweud y byddai'n beth ffôl cyhoeddi cynllun adfer tra bod y pandemig yn dal i fynd rhagddo, a nawr rydym yn talu'r pris. Weinidog, rydym yn agosáu at y gaeaf, fel y nodoch chi'n gynharach; rydym yn gwybod y bydd y sefyllfa'n dirywio, hyd yn oed heb streic nyrsys. Pa fesurau brys rydych chi'n eu cymryd i sicrhau nad yw ein gwasanaeth ambiwlans yn talu'r pris am gynllunio gwael gan y Llywodraeth hon?

Do you know, I'm not going to put up with this any more; I'm really getting fed up of it. The amount of work that we've put into this, the difference that the £25 million that we've put in to the six goals for urgent and emergency care—I stay awake at night, not just worrying about the future, but just worrying about what the future might have looked like had we not put all that investment in. So, just to give you a few examples: we've now got same-day emergency care services; we've seen emergency admissions in October, they were 20 per cent below pre-pandemic levels—that's because we've made the change, it's because we've put that investment in. So, I know it's bad; it's because the demand has gone up. But it's really important that people understand how bad it really might have been had we not put those systems in. The urgent primary care centres—we're seeing 5,000 people a month who might have been heading into accident and emergency—[Interruption.] Of course it's not enough. It would help if your Government wasn't going to cut our funding on Thursday, frankly, in order to help us to put more money into the system—

Wyddoch chi, nid wyf yn mynd i oddef mwy o hyn mwyach; rwy'n dechrau cael llond bol arno. Yr holl waith a wnaethom ar hyn, y gwahaniaeth y mae'r £25 miliwn a roesom tuag at y chwe nod gofal brys ac argyfwng—rwy'n effro'r nos, nid yn unig yn poeni am y dyfodol, ond yn poeni sut y gallai'r dyfodol fod wedi bod pe na baem wedi darparu'r holl fuddsoddiad hwnnw. Felly, i roi ychydig o enghreifftiau i chi: mae gennym wasanaethau gofal brys ar yr un diwrnod erbyn hyn; rydym wedi gweld derbyniadau brys ym mis Hydref, roeddent 20 y cant yn is na'r lefelau cyn y pandemig—mae hynny oherwydd ein bod wedi gwneud y newid, mae hynny oherwydd ein bod wedi darparu'r buddsoddiad hwnnw. Felly, rwy'n gwybod ei bod hi'n ddrwg; mae hynny oherwydd bod y galw wedi cynyddu. Ond mae'n bwysig iawn fod pobl yn deall pa mor ddrwg y gallai fod wedi bod oni bai ein bod ni wedi cynnwys y systemau hynny. Y canolfannau gofal sylfaenol brys—rydym yn gweld 5,000 o bobl y mis a allai fod wedi mynd i adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys—[Torri ar draws.] Wrth gwrs nad yw'n ddigon. Byddai'n helpu pe na bai eich Llywodraeth chi'n mynd i dorri ein cyllid ddydd Iau, a dweud y gwir, er mwyn ein helpu i roi mwy o arian yn y system—

Oh, come on. You're responsible for the—[Inaudible.]

O, dewch. Chi sy'n gyfrifol am y—[Anghlywadwy.]

I am responsible, but I'll tell you what, it hasn't helped that, actually, I have people now working in the NHS who, as a direct result—a direct result—of Liz Truss's Government, who didn't last very long, have their mortgages going up—[Interruption.] Their mortgages are going up, and that's your fault and your problem, and you've got to take responsibility for that.

Rwy'n gyfrifol, ond gadewch imi ddweud, nid yw wedi helpu fod gennyf bobl bellach yn gweithio yn y GIG sydd, o ganlyniad uniongyrchol—canlyniad uniongyrchol—i Lywodraeth Liz Truss, na wnaeth bara'n hir iawn, yn gweld eu morgeisi'n codi—[Torri ar draws.] Mae eu morgeisi'n codi, a'ch bai chi a'ch problem chi yw hynny, ac mae'n rhaid ichi gymryd cyfrifoldeb am hynny.

Presiding Officer, I would like to use my question to raise the issue of ambulance handovers at hospital, which contributes to increased waiting times. The Minister will be acutely aware of the recent report by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales into A&E services at Grange Hospital, which highlighted many shortcomings. And I'm not critical of the staff at all here; I'm critical of the systems. The report highlights that, on the day that HIW's inspection took place, the average offload time at the hospital was over four hours. One patient had waited 18 hours in the back of the ambulance, and another for 13 hours. And there are many other handover breaches in the report, i.e. using ambulance trollies for long periods of time, and it was just not suitable. And it highlights the real issue of handover. I know that that's going to be dealt with separately, but, Presiding Officer, it's clear that, if we do want to cut ambulance waiting times, then we need to improve handover procedures, which, in turn, means creating additional capacity at A&E facilities, so that people can be triaged quickly.

Minister, how confident are you that the additional money that has been announced by the Government to support urgent and emergency care services will lead to increased service capacity, particularly as we head into winter? And how is the Welsh Government working with local health boards to ensure that patients who have to wait in an ambulance before entering hospital receive sufficient care and support and dignity, and the medication and equipment that they need?

Lywydd, hoffwn ddefnyddio fy nghwestiwn i godi mater trosglwyddo cleifion ambiwlans yn yr ysbyty, sy'n cyfrannu at amseroedd aros hirach. Bydd y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol iawn o'r adroddiad diweddar gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru ar wasanaethau damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty'r Faenor, a dynnodd sylw at lawer o ddiffygion. Ac nid wyf yn feirniadol o'r staff o gwbl; rwy'n feirniadol o'r systemau. Mae'r adroddiad yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith, ar y diwrnod y digwyddodd archwiliad AGIC, fod yr amser dadlwytho cyfartalog yn yr ysbyty dros bedair awr. Roedd un claf wedi aros am 18 awr yng nghefn yr ambiwlans, ac un arall am 13 awr. Ac mae llawer o fethiannau eraill wrth drosglwyddo cleifion yn cael sylw yn yr adroddiad, h.y. defnyddio trolïau ambiwlans am gyfnodau hir, ac nid oedd hynny'n addas o gwbl. Ac mae'n tynnu sylw at broblem wirioneddol trosglwyddo cleifion. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd hynny'n cael ei drin ar wahân, ond Lywydd, os ydym am dorri amseroedd aros ambiwlans, mae'n amlwg fod angen inni wella gweithdrefnau trosglwyddo cleifion, sydd, yn ei dro, yn golygu creu capasiti ychwanegol mewn cyfleusterau damweiniau ac achosion brys, fel bod modd brysbennu pobl yn gyflym.

Weinidog, pa mor hyderus ydych chi y bydd yr arian ychwanegol sydd wedi'i gyhoeddi gan y Llywodraeth i gefnogi gwasanaethau brys a gofal argyfwng yn arwain at fwy o gapasiti yn y gwasanaethau, yn enwedig wrth inni agosáu at y gaeaf? A sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n gweithio gyda byrddau iechyd lleol i sicrhau bod cleifion sy'n gorfod aros mewn ambiwlans cyn mynd i mewn i'r ysbyty yn cael digon o ofal a chymorth ac urddas, a'r feddyginiaeth a'r offer sydd eu hangen arnynt?

Thank you very much, Peter. And you're absolutely right—the challenges around handover in health boards are something that I, as the health Minister, am really keeping the pressure on. What's interesting—. So, we've asked every health board now to demonstrate to us what is their plan. And it's really interesting, because the plans are quite different from health board to health board. And I'm going to give a shout out to Cardiff and Vale health board, because they've really focused and really said 'Right, these are the things we're going to do.' And we've seen, as a result of that focus, those four-hour handovers improve. And, so, what we need to do now is to make sure that everybody else learns from that example. So, we know what works; let's get everybody else to do it. And the benefit of having a Welsh health service is that we've got that kind of co-ordinating ability.

Diolch yn fawr, Peter. Ac rydych chi'n hollol iawn—mae'r heriau mewn perthynas â throsglwyddo cleifion mewn byrddau iechyd yn rhywbeth rwyf fi, fel y Gweinidog iechyd, yn cadw'r pwysau arno. Beth sy'n ddiddorol—. Felly, rydym wedi gofyn i bob bwrdd iechyd nawr i ddangos i ni beth yw eu cynllun. Ac mae'n ddiddorol iawn, achos mae'r cynlluniau yn dra gwahanol o un bwrdd iechyd i'r llall. Ac rwyf am grybwyll bwrdd iechyd Caerdydd a'r Fro, achos maent wedi canolbwyntio'n fanwl a dweud 'Iawn, dyma'r pethau rydym ni'n mynd i'w gwneud.' Ac o ganlyniad i'r ffocws hwnnw, gwelsom y trosglwyddiadau pedair awr yn gwella. Ac felly, yr hyn sydd angen i ni ei wneud nawr yw sicrhau bod pawb arall yn dysgu o'r enghraifft honno. Felly, fe wyddom beth sy'n gweithio; gadewch inni gael pawb arall i'w wneud. A'r fantais o gael gwasanaeth iechyd Cymreig yw bod gennym allu o'r fath i gydlynu.

14:40
Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Lefarwyr y Pleidiau
Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Gareth Davies. 

Questions now from the party spokespeople. Conservative spokesperson, Gareth Davies. 

I'm going to direct my spokesperson's questions this time towards my home area of Rhyl and the north Denbighshire community hospital up in that patch, or the lack of a north Denbighshire community hospital for that matter on the Royal Alexandra site. For 10 years now, this Welsh Labour Government, in the shadow of Nye Bevan, is depriving local people on the Denbighshire coast of a facility that will cater for many people's health problems, in a way that will take the emphasis off Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and reduce waiting times. 

Now, back in 2012, this was costed as a £22 million project, doubling to £44 million in 2017. Who knows what the cost of it would be in the current financial climate? So, will the Minister disclose today whether, if this rudderless Welsh Government had acted a decade ago, people in Rhyl, Prestatyn and north Denbighshire would now have a local health facility that would have been affordable?

Rwy'n mynd i gyfeirio fy nghwestiynau llefarydd y tro hwn tuag at ardal fy mebyd, sef y Rhyl ac ysbyty cymunedol gogledd sir Ddinbych i fyny yn yr ardal honno, neu ddiffyg ysbyty cymunedol gogledd sir Ddinbych o ran hynny ar safle'r Royal Alexandra. Ers 10 mlynedd bellach, mae'r Llywodraeth Lafur hon yng Nghymru, yng nghysgod Nye Bevan, yn amddifadu pobl leol ar arfordir sir Ddinbych o gyfleuster a fydd yn darparu ar gyfer problemau iechyd llawer o bobl, mewn ffordd a fydd yn tynnu'r pwysau oddi ar Ysbyty Glan Clwyd ac yn lleihau amseroedd aros. 

Nawr, yn ôl yn 2012, cost y prosiect oedd £22 miliwn, gan ddyblu i £44 miliwn yn 2017. Pwy a ŵyr beth fyddai ei gost yn yr hinsawdd ariannol sydd ohoni? Felly, pe bai'r Llywodraeth Cymru ddigyfeiriad hon wedi gweithredu ddegawd yn ôl, a wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatgelu heddiw y byddai gan bobl yn y Rhyl, Prestatyn a gogledd sir Ddinbych gyfleuster iechyd lleol bellach a fyddai wedi bod yn fforddiadwy?

Well, I wasn't even in the Senedd 10 years ago, so I can't tell you, but what I can tell you is that making—. You've got to take into consideration that a £22 million bill is very different from what the bill would be today, which is £80 million—is it £80 million, around £80 million; £74 million or so—which is a significant difference. And let's remember that this is when the capital budget is not increasing. So, that is a problem for us, and we can't do much about that capital unless we get more money from the UK Government. And I know what you're going to say; you're going to say 'Yes, take responsibility.' I will take responsibility if—[Interruption.] I do take responsibility, but if I don't have the capital budget, how on earth am I supposed to address those issues that you as Tories want me to address? 

Wel, nid oeddwn yn y Senedd 10 mlynedd yn ôl hyd yn oed, felly ni allaf ddweud wrthych, ond yr hyn y gallaf ei ddweud wrthych yw bod gwneud—. Mae'n rhaid i chi ystyried bod bil o £22 miliwn yn wahanol iawn i'r hyn fyddai'r bil heddiw, sef £80 miliwn—a yw'n £80 miliwn, tua £80 miliwn; £74 miliwn neu oddeutu hynny—sy'n wahaniaeth sylweddol. A gadewch inni gofio bod hyn pan nad yw'r gyllideb gyfalaf yn cynyddu. Felly, mae honno'n broblem i ni, ac ni allwn wneud llawer am y cyfalaf hwnnw oni bai ein bod ni'n cael mwy o arian gan Lywodraeth y DU. Ac rwy'n gwybod beth rydych chi'n mynd i'w ddweud; rydych chi'n mynd i ddweud 'Ie, cymerwch gyfrifoldeb'. Fe wnaf gymryd cyfrifoldeb os—[Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n cymryd cyfrifoldeb, ond os nad oes gennyf y gyllideb gyfalaf, sut ar y ddaear ydw i i fod i fynd i'r afael â'r materion rydych chi fel Torïaid am i mi fynd i'r afael â hwy? 

You speak to your bosses up in London, tell them to give me more capital and I'll put my thinking cap on in terms of what we can do in terms of north Wales. 

Siaradwch â'ch penaethiaid yn Llundain, dywedwch wrthynt am roi mwy o gyfalaf i mi ac fe wnaf ystyried beth y gallwn ei wneud yng ngogledd Cymru. 

Well, I don't accept that answer really, health Minister, as this has been devolved as your Government's responsibility for nearly a quarter of a decade. And it's interesting you say that, as, back in 2018, 2019, when you were hopelessly scraping around for votes, your predecessor, Vaughan Gething, and my predecessor, Labour's Ann Jones, posted a social media video—[Interruption.]

Wel, nid wyf yn derbyn yr ateb hwnnw, Weinidog iechyd, gan fod hyn wedi'i ddatganoli fel cyfrifoldeb eich Llywodraeth ers bron i chwarter degawd. Ac mae'n ddiddorol eich bod chi'n dweud, yn ôl yn 2018, 2019, pan oeddech chi'n crafu'n ddiobaith am bleidleisiau, fod eich rhagflaenydd, Vaughan Gething, a fy rhagflaenydd i, Ann Jones o'r Blaid Lafur, wedi postio fideo ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol—[Torri ar draws.]

No point of order. Let's carry on with the question please. 

Dim pwynt o drefn. Gadewch inni barhau gyda'r cwestiwn os gwelwch yn dda. 

As it should be. Labour's Ann Jones posted a social media video in this very Senedd saying that the Welsh Government would deliver on the north Denbighshire community hospital, and that Labour was working for the people of the Vale of Clwyd. Now, this video has been conveniently deleted and confined to the bowels of history, but I know what I've seen, Minister, and I have a good memory, unfortunately for you. So, will you now admit that you've failed my constituents in Denbighshire, and that you've broken trust with them in believing that your party was working for local residents?

Fel y dylai fod. Fe gyhoeddodd Ann Jones o'r Blaid Lafur fideo ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn yr union Senedd hon yn dweud y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru'n darparu ysbyty cymunedol gogledd sir Ddinbych, a bod Llafur yn gweithio i bobl Dyffryn Clwyd. Nawr, mae'r fideo wedi cael ei ddileu a'i anghofio, yn gyfleus iawn, ond rwy'n gwybod beth a welais, Weinidog, ac mae gennyf gof da, yn anffodus i chi. Felly, a wnewch chi gyfaddef nawr eich bod wedi gwneud cam â fy etholwyr yn sir Ddinbych, a'ch bod wedi eu twyllo i gredu bod eich plaid yn gweithio ar ran trigolion lleol?

So, all of a sudden, I am responsible for the social media content of everybody within the Labour group. I'm sorry, guys, I'm not taking it. I've got enough responsibility on my hands as it is. Ann was not in Government, and I think you've got to understand that. If that's the case, I'm going to hold you responsible for what Liz Truss said. You want to do that? I'll hold you to it. 

Felly, yn sydyn iawn, fi sy'n gyfrifol am gynnwys cyfryngau cymdeithasol pawb o fewn y grŵp Llafur. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, bobl, nid wyf am gymryd hynny. Mae gennyf ddigon o gyfrifoldeb fel y mae. Nid oedd Ann yn y Llywodraeth, ac rwy'n meddwl bod yn rhaid i chi ddeall hynny. Os yw hynny'n wir, rwy'n mynd i'ch gwneud chi'n gyfrifol am yr hyn a ddywedodd Liz Truss. A ydych chi eisiau gwneud hynny? Fe wnaf eich gwneud chi'n gyfrifol am hynny. 

Can I just make the point that Ann Jones is not here to defend herself? She is no longer a Member of this Senedd at this point. I suspect if she was, she'd have something to say at this point. But I'll ask you to ask your third question. 

A gaf fi wneud y pwynt nad yw Ann Jones yma i amddiffyn ei hun? Nid yw hi'n Aelod o'r Senedd hon mwyach ar hyn o bryd. Pe bai hi, rwy'n tybio y byddai ganddi rywbeth i'w ddweud ar y pwynt hwn. Ond rwyf am ofyn i chi ofyn eich trydydd cwestiwn. 

Well, as a constituency Member who's very interested in this matter, I think it's only dutiful for me, as the Member for that constituency, to highlight the track record of this situation—[Interruption.]

Wel, fel Aelod etholaeth sydd â diddordeb mawr yn y mater hwn, rwy'n credu mai fy nyletswydd, fel yr Aelod dros yr etholaeth honno, yw tynnu sylw at hanes y sefyllfa hon—[Torri ar draws.]

Carry on with your next question; you're already a quarter of a way into it. 

Parhewch â'ch cwestiwn nesaf; rydych chi eisoes chwarter ffordd i mewn iddo. 

Okay. You may say that, Minister, but I had a meeting with the chair and directors of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board just yesterday, and they categorically told me that they've done all they can on their side of the bargain in terms of submitting their business case to you, planning procedures and anything else that's pertinent to their remit. So, they are waiting for you, Minister. People in Rhyl, Prestatyn and north Denbighshire have been promised this for a decade, without a spade going in the ground or any tangible evidence that this Welsh Government is doing anything. People in my constituency have to travel as far as Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and even Bangor and Holywell at times to receive step-down treatment, and not all people have access to private vehicles, relying on an equally failing public transport system under this Labour Government. So, will you meet with the health board at the earliest convenience and thrash these problems out to give local people the assurances that this Government is on people's side? And if you can't guarantee that, will you now admit that you've failed the people of the Vale of Clwyd?

Iawn. Efallai eich bod chi'n dweud hynny, Weinidog, ond cefais gyfarfod gyda chadeirydd a chyfarwyddwyr Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr ddoe, ac roeddent yn dweud yn bendant wrthyf eu bod wedi gwneud popeth yn eu gallu ar eu hochr hwy i gyflwyno eu hachos busnes i chi, gweithdrefnau cynllunio ac unrhyw beth arall sy'n berthnasol i'w cylch gwaith. Felly, maent yn aros i chi weithredu, Weinidog. Mae pobl yn y Rhyl, Prestatyn a gogledd sir Ddinbych wedi cael addewid o hyn ers degawd, heb i raw fynd i mewn i'r ddaear nac unrhyw dystiolaeth bendant fod y Llywodraeth hon yn gwneud unrhyw beth. Mae'n rhaid i bobl yn fy etholaeth deithio mor bell â Bae Colwyn, Llandudno a hyd yn oed Bangor a Threffynnon ar adegau i gael triniaeth cam-i-lawr, ac nid oes gan bob unigolyn gar preifat at eu defnydd, ac maent yn gorfod dibynnu ar system drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus sydd yr un mor ddiffygiol o dan y Llywodraeth Lafur hon. Felly, a wnewch chi gyfarfod â'r bwrdd iechyd cyn gynted ag y bo modd a thrafod y problemau hyn er mwyn rhoi sicrwydd i'r bobl leol fod y Llywodraeth hon ar ochr y bobl? Ac os na allwch chi warantu hynny, a wnewch chi gyfaddef nawr eich bod chi wedi gwneud cam â phobl Dyffryn Clwyd?

14:45

I don't know—. It's true I did question before I walked in here why I'm answering questions from a spokesperson who's a spokesperson on care on issues that are related to health. I think that is something that perhaps the Presiding Officer might want to look at.

Nid wyf yn gwybod—. Mae'n wir i mi gwestiynu cyn imi gerdded i mewn yma pam fy mod yn ateb cwestiynau gan lefarydd sy'n llefarydd ar ofal ynghylch materion sy'n gysylltiedig ag iechyd. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n rhywbeth y gallai'r Llywydd edrych arno o bosibl.

No, the Presiding Officer doesn't want to comment on that. It is a matter for the Conservative group to decide how they want to position their spokespeople questions and whether they want to focus on a particular area of Wales.

Na, nid yw'r Llywydd am wneud sylw ar hynny. Mater i'r grŵp Ceidwadol yw penderfynu sut maent am rannu cwestiynau i'w llefarwyr ac a ydynt am ganolbwyntio ar ardal benodol o Gymru.

No point of order. You're trying your best, Huw Irranca-Davies, but I'm going to ask the Minister to respond to the question.

Dim pwynt o drefn. Rydych chi'n ceisio eich gorau, Huw Irranca-Davies, ond rwy'n mynd i ofyn i'r Gweinidog ymateb i'r cwestiwn.

Okay, let's carry on. Let's just carry on. We can take this up afterwards. We can take it up afterwards. Listen, let me tell you—[Interruption.]

Iawn, gadewch inni barhau. Gadewch inni barhau. Gallwn fynd ar drywydd hyn wedyn. Gallwn fynd ar ei drywydd wedyn. Gwrandewch, gadewch i mi ddweud wrthych—[Torri ar draws.]

The lot of you, grow up. Grow some backbone.

Tyfwch i fyny, bawb ohonoch chi. Magwch rywfaint o asgwrn cefn.

Can we have some order, please? Can we have some order?

A gawn ni rywfaint o drefn, os gwelwch yn dda? A gawn ni rywfaint o drefn?

Do you want to listen to the response from the Minister?

A ydych chi eisiau gwrando ar ymateb y Gweinidog?

No, just sit down and listen to the response.

Na, eisteddwch a gwrandewch ar yr ymateb.

If she's got the decency to respond, then, come on, let's have it. Let's have it. Come on.

Os oes ganddi'r cwrteisi i ymateb, yna, dewch, gadewch inni ei gael. Gadewch inni ei gael. Dewch.

Can I have some quiet, please?

A gawn ni dawelwch, os gwelwch chi'n dda?

Constant shifting of blame all the time.

Symud y bai drwy'r amser.

I'm sure we want to—. I think some people are leaving at this point. I'm going to ask the Minister to respond to the question, and I'll ask all Members to be quiet in order to listen.

Rwy'n siŵr ein bod ni eisiau—. Rwy'n credu bod rhai pobl yn gadael nawr. Rwy'n mynd i ofyn i'r Gweinidog ymateb i'r cwestiwn, ac fe ofynnaf i bob Aelod fod yn dawel er mwyn gwrando.

Okay, let's just—. Shall we try and—[Interruption.]

Iawn, gadewch inni—. A gawn ni geisio—[Torri ar draws.]

Can we just try and move on? I'm happy to move on.

A gawn ni geisio parhau? Rwy'n hapus i barhau.

There is no answer to this question. I'm not asking the Minister to respond to the question, because things have gone out of order. You had your chance, Gareth Davies. I'll ask you if you want to leave quietly now, if you want.

Nid oes ateb i'r cwestiwn hwn. Nid wyf yn gofyn i'r Gweinidog ymateb i'r cwestiwn, oherwydd mae pethau wedi mynd allan o drefn. Fe gawsoch chi'ch cyfle, Gareth Davies. Fe ofynnaf i chi os ydych chi am adael yn dawel nawr, os ydych chi eisiau.

I will leave, and it's an affront to democracy. It's an affront to democracy.

Fe wnaf adael, ac mae'n sarhad ar ddemocratiaeth. Mae'n sarhad ar ddemocratiaeth.

It's not. You've asked all your questions; it's in no way an affront to democracy. 

Nac ydy. Rydych chi wedi gofyn pob un o'ch cwestiynau; nid yw'n sarhad ar ddemocratiaeth mewn unrhyw ffordd.

I have, and there's no answer. There's no answer, so I will leave.

Ydw, ac nid oes ateb. Nid oes ateb, felly fe adawaf.

I am asking you to leave at this point.

Rwy'n gofyn ichi adael ar y pwynt hwn.

You will apologise to the Chair before you are allowed to re-enter this Chamber, and I will expect that apology soon. I am moving on now to question 3, Sarah Murphy. [Interruption.] I'll take a point of order at the end. Sarah Murphy to ask the question, please.

Fe wnewch chi ymddiheuro i'r Gadair cyn i chi gael ailfynychu'r Siambr, a byddaf yn disgwyl yr ymddiheuriad hwnnw'n fuan. Rwy'n symud ymlaen nawr at gwestiwn 3, Sarah Murphy. [Torri ar draws.] Fe gymeraf bwynt o drefn ar y diwedd. Sarah Murphy i ofyn y cwestiwn, os gwelwch yn dda.

Presiding Officer, there does need to be a point of order.

Lywydd, mae angen pwynt o drefn.

No. Alun Davies, sit down now, please. I can accept—

Na. Alun Davies, eisteddwch nawr, os gwelwch yn dda. Gallaf dderbyn—

When Members are afraid to sit in this Chamber—

Pan fo Aelodau ofn eistedd yn y Siambr hon—

Look, I am taking—. I'm asking you to sit down, right. I will take a point of order at the end of these questions. Sarah Murphy, question 3. Please ask the question, and I'm sure the Minister will respond.

Edrychwch, rwy'n cymryd—. Rwy'n gofyn i chi eistedd, iawn. Fe gymeraf bwynt o drefn ar ddiwedd y cwestiynau hyn. Sarah Murphy, cwestiwn 3. Gofynnwch y cwestiwn, ac rwy'n siŵr y gwnaiff y Gweinidog ymateb.

Llywydd, you've forgotten Rhun.

Lywydd, rydych chi wedi anghofio Rhun.

Ah, right. Sarah Murphy, you've got some time. 

A, iawn. Sarah Murphy, mae gennych beth amser.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, cwestiynau llefarydd.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, spokesperson's questions.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Can the Minister explain why she's refusing to engage in pay negotiations with the Royal College of Nursing?

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lywydd. A wnaiff y Gweinidog egluro pam ei bod yn gwrthod cymryd rhan mewn trafodaethau cyflog gyda'r Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol?

I'm not refusing to engage. In fact—

Nid wyf yn gwrthod cymryd rhan. Yn wir—

No. I'll answer the question if you'll let me. I'm not refusing to engage, I've got a meeting scheduled for the end of this month with all of the trade unions and they all want to talk about pay. So, I don't have a problem with that and I don't know where you've got that information from.

Na. Fe atebaf y cwestiwn os gadewch imi wneud hynny. Nid wyf yn gwrthod cymryd rhan, mae gennyf gyfarfod wedi'i drefnu ar gyfer diwedd y mis hwn gyda'r holl undebau llafur ac maent i gyd eisiau siarad am gyflogau. Felly, nid oes gennyf broblem gyda hynny ac nid wyf yn gwybod o ble y cawsoch chi'r wybodaeth honno.

The Minister knows that's not pay negotiations. She also said last week that she was meeting regularly with the Royal College of Nursing—that's not pay negotiations. The meeting that she has just referred to now is not pay negotiations. The last letter, I believe, that the Royal College of Nursing wrote to the Minister asking for pay negotiations was on 25 October. They still have not received a response to the letter that they sent to the Minister on 25 October.

I was struck with what the First Minister said yesterday. He said,

'all strike action ends in the end in negotiation',

but, surely, it's better to do the negotiation in a timely manner. Having failed to sit down to negotiate to try to avoid a ballot, will Government now give nurses and the nursing profession the respect they deserve by sitting down with them to negotiate in a bid to avert strike action, which nobody wants, least of all the nurses themselves? 

Mae'r Gweinidog yn gwybod nad trafodaethau cyflog yw hynny. Dywedodd yr wythnos diwethaf hefyd ei bod yn cyfarfod yn rheolaidd â'r Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol—nid trafodaethau cyflog yw hynny. Nid trafodaethau cyflog yw'r cyfarfod y mae hi newydd gyfeirio ato nawr. Roedd y llythyr diwethaf, rwy'n credu, a ysgrifennodd y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol at y Gweinidog yn gofyn am drafodaethau cyflog ar 25 Hydref. Maent yn dal i fod heb gael ymateb i'r llythyr y gwnaethant ei anfon at y Gweinidog ar 25 Hydref.

Cefais fy nharo gan yr hyn a ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog ddoe. Dywedodd

'mae pob streic yn dod i ben yn y diwedd wrth drafod',

ond mae'n well cynnal y drafodaeth yn amserol onid yw? Ar ôl methu eistedd i drafod er mwyn ceisio osgoi pleidlais, a wnaiff y Llywodraeth roi'r parch y maent yn ei haeddu i nyrsys a'r proffesiwn nyrsio nawr drwy eistedd gyda hwy i drafod mewn ymgais i osgoi streic, rhywbeth nad oes neb ei eisiau, yn enwedig y nyrsys eu hunain? 

14:50

Well, I can tell you nobody wants it less than me. I'm very worried about nurses going on strike in the middle of a very difficult winter. I understand their position, and I'm in a situation where I am trying to engage with trade unions. So, I met with the Royal College of Midwives this morning and pay came up, obviously, as an issue. I also had meetings with Unite representatives on Monday. Again, there's an understanding there. 

Wel, gallaf ddweud wrthych nad oes neb ei eisiau lai na minnau. Rwy'n poeni'n fawr am nyrsys yn mynd ar streic ynghanol gaeaf anodd iawn. Rwy'n deall eu safbwynt, ac rwyf mewn sefyllfa lle rwy'n ceisio ymwneud ag undebau llafur. Felly, cyfarfûm â Choleg Brenhinol y Bydwragedd y bore yma a thrafodwyd mater cyflog, yn amlwg. Cefais gyfarfodydd hefyd gyda chynrychiolwyr Unite ddydd Llun. Unwaith eto, mae yna ddealltwriaeth yno. 

That was not my question. I was asking about pay negotiations. 

Nid dyna oedd fy nghwestiwn. Roeddwn yn gofyn am drafodaethau cyflog.

I think it may be you, Sarah Murphy.

Rwy'n credu efallai mai chi sydd i fynd, Sarah Murphy.

Cwestiwn 3, Sarah Murphy.

Question 3, Sarah Murphy.

Profion Calprotectin Ysgarthion
Faecal Calprotectin Tests

3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am argaeledd profion calprotectin ysgarthion mewn lleoliadau gofal sylfaenol yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg? OQ58689

3. Will the Minister provide an update on the availability of faecal calprotectin tests in primary care settings in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board area? OQ58689

Making the faecal calprotectin test available to all GPs in Wales is a key action for the inflammatory bowel disease programme. Good progress is being made in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board area, as well as in other health boards across Wales.

Mae sicrhau bod y prawf calprotectin ysgarthion sydd ar gael i holl feddygon teulu Cymru yn un o gamau allweddol rhaglen y clefyd llid y coluddyn. Mae cynnydd da yn cael ei wneud yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg, yn ogystal â byrddau iechyd eraill ledled Cymru. 

Diolch, Minister. You and I both joined the Crohn's and Colitis UK launch of their new campaign 'Cut the Crap' last week, and we heard testimonies from those who are living with Crohn's, and overwhelmingly they stressed the importance of an early diagnosis. Last week, I also reached out to my residents and my constituents on social media and asked them to share any of their experiences of diagnosis, support and treatment, and, again, overwhelmingly people spoke about how they had faced misdiagnosis, with one woman saying that it actually took her 30 years before she found out that she had Crohn's disease. In order to make this better for people, we do need to ensure that healthcare professionals are given the tools to identify the symptoms of Crohn's and colitis, and access to the appropriate tests to avoid that misdiagnosis. So, Minister, what support can be given to GPs, in particular, in recognising the symptoms of Crohn's and colitis when people first come to see them? 

Diolch, Weinidog. Fe wnaethoch chi a minnau ymuno â lansiad ymgyrch newydd 'Cut the Crap' Crohn's and Colitis UK yr wythnos diwethaf, a chawsom glywed tystiolaeth gan y rhai sy'n byw gyda Crohn's, ac roeddent yn gadarn o'r farn fod diagnosis cynnar yn bwysig. Yr wythnos diwethaf hefyd, fe wneuthum estyn allan at fy nhrigolion a fy etholwyr ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol a gofyn iddynt rannu eu profiadau o ddiagnosis, cymorth a thriniaeth, ac unwaith eto, siaradodd llawer o bobl am y ffordd roeddent wedi cael diagnosis anghywir, gydag un fenyw'n dweud ei bod wedi cymryd 30 mlynedd iddi ddarganfod bod ganddi glefyd Crohn mewn gwirionedd. Er mwyn gwneud hyn yn well i bobl, mae angen inni sicrhau bod gweithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol yn cael offer i adnabod symptomau Crohn's a colitis, a mynediad at y profion priodol er mwyn osgoi diagnosis anghywir. Felly, Weinidog, pa gefnogaeth y gellir ei rhoi i feddygon teulu, yn enwedig, i adnabod symptomau Crohn's a colitis pan ddaw pobl i'w gweld gyntaf? 

Thanks very much, Sarah, and thank you for attending that event last week, which I thought was very useful. The Royal College of General Practitioners have funded an inflammatory bowel disease spotlight project, and that happened between 2017 and 2022. This produced really useful resources for those people in primary care, and those resources are still available on the royal college of GPs' website, and are also available on the Crohn's and Colitis UK website. I think they included a number of checklists, pathways and presentations aimed at primary care. So, I would encourage GPs and teams to use those resources. One of the other things that I thought was useful from the event was that they have their own symptoms checker, so you can check if you've got these symptoms. One of them—who knew—if you get up in the middle of the night to go for a poo, that's not normal. My mum will be disgusted that I'm talking about poo in the Chamber, but I think it's really important we start talking about these things. 

Diolch yn fawr, Sarah, a diolch am fynychu'r digwyddiad yr wythnos diwethaf, digwyddiad y credaf ei fod yn ddefnyddiol iawn. Mae Coleg Brenhinol yr Ymarferwyr Cyffredinol wedi ariannu prosiect sbotolau ar glefyd llid y coluddyn, a digwyddodd hynny rhwng 2017 a 2022. Cynhyrchodd adnoddau defnyddiol iawn ar gyfer pobl mewn gofal sylfaenol, ac mae'r adnoddau hynny ar gael o hyd ar wefan Coleg Brenhinol yr Ymarferwyr Cyffredinol, ac maent hefyd ar gael ar wefan Crohn's and Colitis UK. Rwy'n credu eu bod yn cynnwys nifer o restrau gwirio, llwybrau a chyflwyniadau wedi'u hanelu at ofal sylfaenol. Felly, byddwn yn annog meddygon teulu a thimau i ddefnyddio'r adnoddau hynny. Un o'r pethau eraill y credwn ei fod yn ddefnyddiol yn y digwyddiad oedd bod ganddynt eu gwiriwr symptomau eu hunain, felly gallwch wirio a oes gennych y symptomau hyn. Un ohonynt—pwy fyddai'n meddwl—yw os ydych chi'n codi ynghanol y nos i fynd gael eich gweithio, nid yw hynny'n normal. Bydd mam yn ffieiddio at y ffaith fy mod i'n siarad am gael eich gweithio yn y Siambr, ond rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn ein bod yn dechrau siarad am y pethau hyn. 

Faecal calprotectin tests are a really effective way of diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome, or the need for further examination for things such as Crohn's and colitis, which I know you've just been discussing. IBS is common, affecting up to 25 per cent of the UK population and, in general, it can be managed in primary care. However, as the symptoms can be difficult to differentiate from inflammatory bowel disease, many patients are still referred and account for 28 per cent of gastroenterology appointments—I've been practising that word all morning. These tests can help reduce these referrals by differentiating between the two conditions. Calprotectin is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in adults with a recent onset of lower gastrointestinal symptoms for whom a specialist assessment is being considered and when cancer is not suspected. But, in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, 38 per cent of those waiting for treatment on gastroenterology are waiting over 36 weeks for treatment, and 831 are waiting over a year for treatment. Therefore, what steps is the Minister taking to ensure that primary care settings are making more use of those tests where relevant, and what engagement have you had with stakeholders regarding that? 

Mae profion calprotectin ysgarthol yn ffordd effeithiol iawn o wneud diagnosis o syndrom coluddyn llidus, IBS, neu'r angen i gael archwiliad pellach ar gyfer pethau fel Crohn's a colitis, ac rwy'n gwybod eich bod chi newydd fod yn ei drafod. Mae IBS yn gyffredin, yn effeithio ar hyd at 25 y cant o boblogaeth y DU ac at ei gilydd, gellir ei reoli mewn gofal sylfaenol. Fodd bynnag, gan y gall fod yn anodd gwahaniaethu rhwng y symptomau a symptomau clefyd llid y coluddyn, mae llawer o gleifion yn dal i gael eu hatgyfeirio a dyna yw 28 y cant o apwyntiadau gastroenteroleg—rwyf wedi bod yn ymarfer y gair hwnnw drwy'r bore. Gall y profion helpu i leihau'r atgyfeiriadau hyn drwy wahaniaethu rhwng y ddau gyflwr. Argymhellir calprotectin gan y Sefydliad Cenedlaethol dros Ragoriaeth mewn Iechyd a Gofal mewn oedolion sydd â symptomau gastroberfeddol isaf a ddechreuodd yn ddiweddar lle caiff asesiad arbenigol ei ystyried ar eu cyfer a phan nad oes amheuaeth o ganser. Ond ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg, mae 38 y cant o'r rhai sy'n aros am driniaeth gastroenteroleg yn aros dros 36 wythnos am driniaeth, ac mae 831 yn aros dros flwyddyn am driniaeth. Felly, pa gamau y mae'r Gweinidog yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod lleoliadau gofal sylfaenol yn gwneud mwy o ddefnydd o'r profion hynny lle maent yn berthnasol, a pha ymgysylltiad a gawsoch gyda rhanddeiliaid ynglŷn â hynny? 

I think shining a spotlight on this is really important. That's one of the ways to make sure that GPs know about the resources that are available so that they can look for those symptoms and just be more aware. So, I think that's really important. And, as you say, we've got to differentiate between the two conditions, and it's really important. I think it's worth saying that the kind of bowel screening programme is slightly different, so we just need to make sure that people understand that there is a different approach going on here, and the bowel screening programme is being hugely successful. We've seen the uptake in that improve considerably. But this is slightly different and it's something where I think the focus needs to be on GPs looking out for those symptoms.

Rwy'n credu bod rhoi sylw i hyn yn bwysig iawn. Dyna un o'r ffyrdd i wneud yn siŵr fod meddygon teulu yn gwybod am yr adnoddau sydd ar gael fel eu bod yn gallu chwilio am y symptomau hynny a bod yn fwy ymwybodol. Felly, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n bwysig iawn. Ac fel y dywedwch, mae'n rhaid inni wahaniaethu rhwng y ddau gyflwr, ac mae'n bwysig iawn. Rwy'n meddwl ei bod yn werth dweud bod y math o raglen sgrinio'r coluddyn ychydig yn wahanol, felly mae angen gwneud yn siŵr fod pobl yn deall bod yna ddull gwahanol ar waith yma, ac mae'r rhaglen sgrinio'r coluddyn yn hynod lwyddiannus. Rydym wedi gweld y nifer sy'n manteisio arni'n codi'n sylweddol. Ond mae hyn ychydig yn wahanol ac mae'n rhywbeth lle rwy'n credu bod angen i'r ffocws fod ar sicrhau bod meddygon teulu'n edrych am y symptomau hynny.

14:55
Mynediad at Wasanaethau'r GIG yn y Canolbarth
Access to NHS Services in Mid Wales

6. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n sicrhau bod pobl sy'n byw yng nghanolbarth Cymru yn cael mynediad digonol at wasanaethau'r GIG? OQ58705

6. How is the Welsh Government ensuring that people living in mid Wales have adequate access to NHS services? OQ58705

Powys Teaching Health Board is responsible for providing services to its population. We're working with the health board on business cases for both the north Powys well-being development and refurbishment works at Llandrindod Wells hospital.

Bwrdd Iechyd Addysgu Powys sy'n gyfrifol am ddarparu gwasanaethau i'w boblogaeth. Rydym yn gweithio gyda'r bwrdd iechyd ar achosion busnes ar gyfer datblygiad llesiant gogledd Powys a gwaith adnewyddu yn ysbyty Llandrindod.

Thank you for your answer, Minister. The services provided by the Wales Air Ambulance to the people of mid Wales and other areas of Wales is invaluable. There is deep concern, as you know, Minister, with proposals to move the Welshpool base and how that will strengthen services in mid Wales. I find it difficult to accept that moving a helicopter and road vehicle further away from mid Wales will lead to an expansion in the service. The First Minister is yet to correct the record when he told me in this Chamber that the data that sits behind the proposals belong to the charity itself, when we know the data belong to the NHS Wales Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service Cymru. Do you agree with me that it is of great importance that all the information and data that underpins the proposals are made publicly available before the start of the engagement process?

We were more recently informed that the chief ambulance service commissioner is now leading on the process, but I was concerned yesterday that the Wales Air Ambulance charity has invited selected people to gatherings across mid Wales to explore, as they put it, 'the future of our service delivery'. The charity has made it clear that these sessions are by invitation only and should not be forwarded to other people to attend. I am concerned that this approach does not encourage equal opportunities for all to present their views and brings an element of confusion to the engagement process, which we are told is being led by the commissioner. I've got a strong view that there should be a formal public consultation on the proposals due to the change of delivery of a key service and the significant concern and public interest that these proposals have. Do you agree that there should be a full public consultation, and will you make sure that this is the case, Minister?

Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Mae'r gwasanaethau sy'n cael eu darparu gan Ambiwlans Awyr Cymru i bobl canolbarth Cymru a rhannau eraill o Gymru yn amhrisiadwy. Fel y gwyddoch, Weinidog, mae pryder dwfn ynglŷn â chynigion i symud canolfan y Trallwng a sut y bydd hynny'n cryfhau gwasanaethau yn y canolbarth. Mae'n anodd derbyn y bydd symud hofrennydd a cherbyd ffordd ymhellach o'r canolbarth yn arwain at ehangu'r gwasanaeth. Nid yw'r Prif Weinidog wedi cywiro'r cofnod eto pan ddywedodd wrthyf yn y Siambr hon fod y data sy'n sail i'r cynigion yn perthyn i'r elusen ei hun, a ninnau'n gwybod bod y data'n perthyn i Wasanaeth Casglu a Throsglwyddo Meddygol Brys GIG Cymru. A ydych chi'n cytuno ei bod yn bwysig iawn fod yr holl wybodaeth a data sy'n sail i'r cynigion ar gael i'r cyhoedd cyn dechrau'r broses ymgysylltu?

Cawsom wybod yn fwy diweddar fod prif gomisiynydd y gwasanaeth ambiwlans bellach yn arwain y broses, ond roeddwn yn bryderus ddoe fod elusen Ambiwlans Awyr Cymru wedi gwahodd pobl i ddigwyddiadau ledled canolbarth Cymru i archwilio, fel y gwnaethant ei alw, 'dyfodol ein darpariaeth o wasanaethau'. Mae'r elusen wedi dweud yn glir mai sesiynau drwy wahoddiad yn unig yw'r rhain ac na ddylid eu hanfon ymlaen i bobl eraill gael eu mynychu. Rwy'n pryderu nad yw'r dull hwn yn annog cyfleoedd cyfartal i bawb allu cyflwyno eu barn ac mae'n creu elfen o ddryswch ynghylch y broses ymgysylltu, y dywedir wrthym ei bod yn cael ei harwain gan y comisiynydd. Mae gennyf farn gref y dylid cynnal ymgynghoriad cyhoeddus ffurfiol ar y cynigion oherwydd y newid i'r modd y caiff gwasanaeth allweddol ei ddarparu a'r pryder sylweddol ynghylch y cynigion hyn a diddordeb y cyhoedd ynddynt. A ydych chi'n cytuno y dylid cynnal ymgynghoriad cyhoeddus llawn, ac a wnewch chi sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd, Weinidog?

I understand the strength of feeling on this, in particular in Montgomeryshire and in north Wales, where the air ambulance bases are based at the moment. This is an independent charity. It's an independent charity, and what you have asked us to do is to make sure that the data and the presentation is available. Now, my understanding is that that presentation has been offered to Senedd Members and, actually, lots of people have taken up that opportunity to have a look at the data. So, that data is available, and I think what's important is that we understand that, all of the time, when money is tight, you've got to look for efficiencies, and what the air ambulance services are telling us is that they can gain some efficiencies if they change the configuration. Now, they're an independent service. I think what we've got to remember is that there is an opportunity for consultation, and it is through the community health councils; they are the representatives, the spokespeople for the public. So, what I would do is encourage people to make sure that they communicate and make their views known to the community health councils and that they then can engage with that presentation by the air ambulance service.

Rwy'n deall cryfder y teimladau ar hyn, yn enwedig yn sir Drefaldwyn ac yng ngogledd Cymru, lle mae canolfannau'r ambiwlans awyr wedi'u lleoli ar hyn o bryd. Mae hon yn elusen annibynnol. Mae'n elusen annibynnol, a'r hyn rydych chi wedi gofyn i ni ei wneud yw sicrhau bod y data a'r cyflwyniad ar gael. Nawr, fy nealltwriaeth i yw bod y cyflwyniad hwnnw wedi'i gynnig i Aelodau'r Senedd ac mewn gwirionedd, mae llawer o bobl wedi manteisio ar y cyfle i gael golwg ar y data. Felly, mae'r data hwnnw ar gael, ac rwy'n credu mai'r hyn sy'n bwysig yw ein bod yn deall, drwy'r amser, pan fo arian yn brin, fod rhaid i chi edrych am arbedion effeithlonrwydd, a'r hyn y mae'r gwasanaethau ambiwlans awyr yn ei ddweud wrthym yw y gallant ennill rhywfaint o arbedion effeithlonrwydd os ydynt yn newid y cyfluniad. Nawr, maent yn wasanaeth annibynnol. Rwy'n meddwl mai'r hyn sy'n rhaid inni gofio yw bod yna gyfle i ymgynghori, a hynny drwy'r cynghorau iechyd cymuned; hwy yw'r cynrychiolwyr, y llefarwyr ar ran y cyhoedd. Felly, byddwn yn annog pobl i sicrhau eu bod yn cyfathrebu a datgan eu barn wrth y cynghorau iechyd cymuned a'u bod hwy wedyn yn gallu cymryd rhan yn y cyflwyniad gan y gwasanaeth ambiwlans awyr.

Good afternoon, Minister. I want to ask about teeth, and particularly the teeth of people in mid Wales. There are around 15,000 people waiting for an NHS dentist across Wales—that means that a wait of around two years for people to get an NHS dentist is the case. I do appreciate that there are problems and issues around waiting lists, and I've raised the issue a few times around the teeth of people in mid and west Wales. But I just wonder if you could tell us a little bit more about what your plans are around making sure that people in mid and west Wales get an NHS service, because, currently, what we have is a two-tier service where the rich can afford to go to a dentist, and those probably in the highest need, who are poorer, don't get that opportunity. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Prynhawn da, Weinidog. Rwyf eisiau holi am ddannedd, ac yn enwedig dannedd pobl yng nghanolbarth Cymru. Mae tua 15,000 o bobl yn aros am ddeintydd GIG ar draws Cymru—mae hynny'n golygu bod amser aros o tua dwy flynedd i bobl gael deintydd GIG. Rwy'n deall bod problemau a materion yn codi ynghylch rhestrau aros, ac rwyf wedi codi mater dannedd pobl yng nghanolbarth a gorllewin Cymru sawl gwaith. Ond tybed a wnewch chi ddweud ychydig bach mwy wrthym ynglŷn â beth yw eich cynlluniau i wneud yn siŵr fod pobl yng nghanolbarth a gorllewin Cymru'n cael gwasanaeth GIG, oherwydd, ar hyn o bryd, yr hyn sydd gennym yw gwasanaeth dwy haen lle mae'r cyfoethog yn gallu fforddio mynd at ddeintydd, ac nid yw'r rhai sydd â'r angen mwyaf, mae'n debyg, y rhai sy'n dlotach, yn cael y cyfle hwnnw. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

15:00

Thank you very much, and thank you for your perseverance on this issue. I think it is really important. It's quite marked, though, that, actually, what I've noticed is that the number of people complaining has actually reduced slightly recently, and part of the reason for that is because the new contract reform system is starting to bite. So, the contract reform system that we introduced, 90 per cent of dentists are now—of the value of their dental contracts—working under those new arrangements, and what that means is that we've seen that 89,500 new patients have gained access to NHS dental services this year. So, it's already gone a long way. There's still a bit more to go; I think we need to get up to about 120,000 in terms of the contract value, so there's still a bit of a way to go, but it will be interesting to hear whether you have noticed that slight reduction in volume on this issue, because it's certainly something that I've noticed.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, a diolch am eich dyfalbarhad ar y mater hwn. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn bwysig iawn. Ond mae'n eithaf amlwg, er hynny, mai'r hyn rwyf fi wedi sylwi arno yw bod nifer y bobl sy'n cwyno wedi lleihau ychydig yn ddiweddar, a rhan o'r rheswm am hynny yw oherwydd bod y system diwygio contractau newydd yn dechrau cael effaith. Felly, y system diwygio contractau a gyflwynwyd gennym, mae 90 y cant o ddeintyddion bellach—o werth eu contractau deintyddol—yn gweithio o dan y trefniadau newydd hynny, ac mae hynny'n golygu yw ein bod wedi gweld 89,500 o gleifion newydd yn cael mynediad at wasanaethau deintyddol y GIG eleni. Felly, mae eisoes wedi mynd yn bell. Mae tipyn mwy o ffordd i fynd eto; rwy'n meddwl bod angen inni godi i tua 120,000 o ran gwerth y contract, felly mae tipyn o ffordd i fynd o hyd, ond bydd hi'n ddiddorol clywed a ydych wedi sylwi bod gostyngiad bach yn y sŵn ar y mater yma, achos mae'n sicr yn rhywbeth rwyf fi wedi sylwi arno.

Iechyd y Cyhoedd
Public Health

7. Pa gamau y mae'r Gweinidog yn eu cymryd i wella iechyd y cyhoedd yng Ngorllewin De Cymru? OQ58698

7. What steps is the Minister taking to improve public health in South Wales West? OQ58698

Improving public health is identified as a priority within 'A Healthier Wales', our long-term strategy for health and social care. This is supported by plans such as our tobacco control and 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' strategies.

Mae gwella iechyd y cyhoedd wedi ei nodi'n flaenoriaeth yn 'Cymru Iachach', ein strategaeth hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Cefnogir hyn gan gynlluniau fel ein strategaeth rheoli tybaco a strategaeth 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach'.

Minister, there are several communities within South Wales West where we see a poor level of public health impacting not just on those individuals and their life chances, but on the health services that are expected to treat them. Poor public health has a significant impact on the ability of our health and care services, with significant proportions of our health budget responding to people's lifestyle choices. Our rate of smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, and lack of exercise are putting people's lives at risk. Is it now time to review the public health interventions to find better ways to tackle the poor level of public health and to make this a priority for the NHS and for our nation? Thank you.

Weinidog, mewn sawl cymuned yng Ngorllewin De Cymru gwelwn lefel wael o iechyd y cyhoedd yn effeithio nid yn unig ar yr unigolion hynny a'u cyfleoedd mewn bywyd, ond ar y gwasanaethau iechyd y disgwylir iddynt eu trin. Mae iechyd y cyhoedd gwael yn effeithio'n sylweddol ar allu ein gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal, gyda chyfrannau sylweddol o'n cyllideb iechyd yn ymateb i ddewisiadau ffordd o fyw pobl. Mae ein cyfradd ysmygu, yfed alcohol, deiet gwael, a diffyg ymarfer corff yn peryglu bywydau pobl. A yw'n amser nawr i adolygu'r ymyriadau iechyd y cyhoedd i ddod o hyd i ffyrdd gwell o fynd i'r afael â lefel wael o iechyd y cyhoedd a gwneud hyn yn flaenoriaeth i'r GIG ac i'n gwlad? Diolch.

Thank you very much, Altaf, for that question. Tackling the public health challenges you've outlined is absolutely a priority for Welsh Government. As you've highlighted, obesity and smoking are drivers of inequalities, given their impact on people's life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, and people who are from the most deprived areas are more likely to be obese or to smoke than those in the least deprived. That's why tackling health inequalities is at the core of our proposals to tackle obesity and to support people to stop smoking. On obesity, we are committing over £13 million of funding to our 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' 2022-24 delivery plan to tackle obesity, with action to reduce diet and health inequalities across the population at its core.

On smoking, earlier this year we published our tobacco control strategy, and our first two-year delivery plan for 2022-24, and, in recognition of the health inequalities that arise as a result of smoking, tackling inequality is noted as one of the strategy's core themes. You mentioned physical activity. We're also placing an emphasis on supporting physical and mental well-being and actions such as our forthcoming social prescribing framework will aim to connect people with community support to better manage their health and well-being. Our consultation on that draft framework closed on 20 October, and we're currently analysing responses.

Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn hwnnw, Altaf. Mae mynd i'r afael â'r heriau iechyd y cyhoedd rydych wedi'u hamlinellu yn sicr yn flaenoriaeth i Lywodraeth Cymru. Fel y nodwyd gennych, mae gordewdra ac ysmygu yn sbarduno anghydraddoldebau, o ystyried eu heffaith ar ddisgwyliad oes a disgwyliad oes iach pobl, ac mae pobl yn yr ardaloedd mwyaf difreintiedig yn fwy tebygol o fod yn ordew neu'n ysmygu na'r rhai yn yr ardaloedd lleiaf difreintiedig. Dyna pam mae mynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldebau iechyd yn greiddiol i'n cynigion i fynd i'r afael â gordewdra ac i gynorthwyo pobl i roi'r gorau i ysmygu. Ar ordewdra, rydym yn ymrwymo dros £13 miliwn o gyllid i'n cynllun cyflawni 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach' ar gyfer 2022-24 i fynd i'r afael â gordewdra, gyda gweithredu i leihau anghydraddoldebau deiet ac iechyd ar draws y boblogaeth yn ganolog iddo.

Ar ysmygu, yn gynharach eleni, cyhoeddwyd ein strategaeth rheoli tybaco, a'n cynllun cyflawni dwy flynedd cyntaf ar gyfer 2022-24, ac i gydnabod yr anghydraddoldebau iechyd sy'n codi o ganlyniad i ysmygu, nodir bod mynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldeb yn un o themâu craidd y strategaeth. Fe wnaethoch sôn am weithgarwch corfforol. Rydym hefyd yn rhoi pwyslais ar gynnal llesiant corfforol a meddyliol a bydd camau fel ein fframwaith presgripsiynu cymdeithasol sydd ar y ffordd yn ceisio rhoi pobl mewn cysylltiad â chymorth cymunedol i reoli eu hiechyd a'u llesiant yn well. Daeth ein hymgynghoriad ar y fframwaith drafft hwnnw i ben ar 20 Hydref, ac rydym yn dadansoddi ymatebion ar hyn o bryd.

Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda
Hywel Dda University Health Board

8. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad ar ddarparu gwasanaethau iechyd yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda? OQ58688

8. Will the Minister make a statement on the delivery of health services in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area? OQ58688

Mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda yn gyfrifol am ddarparu gwasanaethau gofal iechyd o ansawdd uchel, sy’n ddiogel a chynaliadwy, i'w boblogaeth leol, a hynny ar sail y dystiolaeth a'r cyngor clinigol gorau a diweddaraf.

Hywel Dda University Health Board is responsible for the provision of safe, sustainable, high-quality healthcare services for its local population, based on the best and most up-to-date clinical evidence and advice.

Diolch i chi am yr ymateb yna, Gweinidog. 

Thank you for that response, Minister.

Minister, you'll be aware that demand for an autism assessment continues to be high in west Wales, with waiting times of up to three years. Indeed, I understand that the health board met with Welsh Government officials in July to identify possible funding to assist in waiting list initiatives. Therefore, Minister, can you tell us what support the Welsh Government is offering to Hywel Dda University Health Board to help it reduce waiting times for an autism assessment? And can you also tell us how the Welsh Government is supporting children and their families who are waiting for an assessment? 

Weinidog, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod y galw am asesiad awtistiaeth yn parhau i fod yn uchel yng ngorllewin Cymru, gydag amseroedd aros o hyd at dair blynedd. Yn wir, rwy'n deall bod y bwrdd iechyd wedi cyfarfod â swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru ym mis Gorffennaf i nodi cyllid posibl i helpu gyda mentrau rhestrau aros. Felly, Weinidog, a oes modd ichi ddweud wrthym pa gymorth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei gynnig i Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda i'w helpu i leihau amseroedd aros ar gyfer asesiad awtistiaeth? Ac a oes modd ichi ddweud wrthym hefyd sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynorthwyo plant a'u teuluoedd sy'n aros am asesiad? 

15:05

Thank you very much. Well, I know that there has been an issue, in terms of waiting lists for autism, for a long time in the Hywel Dda area. There are initiatives that are under way, of course, and we've had the capacity review, which has identified exactly what we need to put in place. If you don't mind, what I'd like to do is to ask my colleague, Julie Morgan, who is responsible for autism, to give you a more detailed response. 

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Wel, rwy'n gwybod bod problem wedi bod gyda rhestrau aros awtistiaeth ers peth amser yn ardal Hywel Dda. Mae yna gynlluniau ar y gweill, wrth gwrs, ac rydym wedi cael yr adolygiad o gapasiti, sydd wedi nodi'n union beth sydd angen inni ei roi ar waith. Os nad oes ots gennych, yr hyn yr hoffwn ei wneud yw gofyn i'm cyd-Aelod Julie Morgan, sy'n gyfrifol am awtistiaeth, roi ymateb mwy manwl ichi. 

Plant sy'n Cael eu Geni â Phroblemau ar y Galon
Children Born with Heart Problems

9. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n gweithio i amddiffyn plant sy'n cael eu geni â phroblemau difrifol ar y galon? OQ58694

9. How is the Welsh Government working to protect children born with serious heart problems? OQ58694

All children are protected by a combination of screening and immunisations, as well as examinations at birth and six weeks, to promote early detection of abnormalities. For children with serious heart problems, the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee commissions a comprehensive range of services.

Mae pob plentyn yn cael ei warchod gan gyfuniad o sgrinio ac imiwneiddio, yn ogystal ag archwiliadau ar ôl geni ac ar ôl chwe wythnos, er mwyn hyrwyddo canfod abnormaleddau yn gynnar. Ar gyfer plant â phroblemau difrifol ar y galon, mae Pwyllgor Gwasanaethau Iechyd Arbenigol Cymru yn comisiynu ystod gynhwysfawr o wasanaethau.

Thank you for that important answer, Minister. I'm sure you'll be aware of the amazing work done by the Test for Tommy campaign, and they are looking to provide life-saving pulse oximetry machines in maternity wards across the United Kingdom. Minister, I understand that I've just brought this to your attention and I'm asking for your consideration to support the campaign. If you are not able to do that today, would you come back to the Chamber to see if you could make sure the Test for Tommy campaign could be installed and implemented throughout Wales? 

Diolch am yr ateb pwysig hwnnw, Weinidog. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn ymwybodol o'r gwaith anhygoel a wnaed gan ymgyrch Test for Tommy, ac maent yn ceisio darparu ocsifesuryddion pwls sy'n achub bywydau ar wardiau mamolaeth ledled y Deyrnas Unedig. Weinidog, rwy'n deall fy mod newydd ddod â hyn i'ch sylw ac rwy'n gofyn ichi ystyried cefnogi'r ymgyrch. Os na allwch wneud hynny heddiw, a wnewch chi ddod yn ôl i'r Siambr i weld a allech sicrhau y gellid sefydlu a gweithredu ymgyrch Test for Tommy drwy Gymru gyfan? 

Thank you very much. I'm very willing to have a look at what the opportunities are and the benefits of doing that. As I say, I met with the Royal College of Midwives today, and the one thing I'm that I'm very aware of is, if you get it wrong in maternity, the costs are absolutely astronomical. So, it's an investment for us to make sure that we don't get it wrong, because, if we get it wrong, it can lead to a lifetime of treatment for those children. So, early intervention—. This is about serious prevention and a situation where we could actually save ourselves a huge amount of money. I'll look specifically into Test for Tommy, and get back to you. 

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Rwy'n barod iawn i gael golwg ar beth yw'r cyfleoedd a'r manteision o wneud hynny. Fel y dywedaf, cyfarfûm â Choleg Brenhinol y Bydwragedd heddiw, a'r un peth rwy'n ymwybodol iawn ohono, os ydych yn ei gael yn anghywir gyda mamolaeth, yw bod y costau'n gwbl anferthol. Felly, mae'n fuddsoddiad inni sicrhau nad ydym yn ei gael yn anghywir, oherwydd, os ydym yn ei gael yn anghywir, gall arwain at oes o driniaeth i'r plant hynny. Felly, ymyrraeth gynnar—. Mae hyn yn ymwneud ag atal o ddifrif a sefyllfa lle gallem arbed swm enfawr o arian i ni'n hunain mewn gwirionedd. Byddaf yn edrych yn benodol ar Test for Tommy, ac yn dychwelyd atoch. 

Yn olaf, cwestiwn 10. Vikki Howells. 

Finally, question 10. Vikki Howells. 

Gwasanaethau Mamolaeth yng Nghwm Taf Morgannwg
Maternity Services in Cwm Taf Morgannwg

10. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud i wella'r ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau mamolaeth yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg? OQ58687

10. Will the Minister provide an update on work being undertaken to improve the provision of maternity services in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board area? OQ58687

Thank you very much. On 7 November, I issued a written statement providing an update on the considerable progress achieved by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board in improving its maternity and neonatal services since 2019. The health board maintains focus on delivering further sustainable improvements in leadership, culture and service integration.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Ar 7 Tachwedd, cyhoeddais ddatganiad ysgrifenedig yn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y cynnydd sylweddol a gyflawnwyd gan Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg ar wella ei wasanaethau mamolaeth a newyddenedigol ers 2019. Mae'r bwrdd iechyd yn cynnal y ffocws ar sicrhau gwelliannau cynaliadwy pellach mewn arweinyddiaeth, diwylliant ac integreiddio gwasanaethau.

Thank you, Minister. The announcement that you would be de-escalating Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board's maternity and neonatal services from special measures was very welcome indeed. I think this was testament to the hard work that has gone in from health board staff to deliver the service improvements that the local community, mothers, babies and families, who need to access these services, should rightly be able to expect. In your statement, you noted delivering the culture change that is so critical is an ongoing but longer term piece of work. So, I'd like to ask: how will oversight of this be built into the targeted intervention for the health board's maternity and neonatal services? 

Diolch, Weinidog. Roedd croeso mawr i'r cyhoeddiad y byddech yn tynnu gwasanaethau mamolaeth a newyddenedigol Bwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg o fesurau arbennig. Rwy'n credu bod hyn yn dyst i'r gwaith caled sydd wedi'i wneud gan staff y bwrdd iechyd i gyflawni'r gwelliannau i'r gwasanaeth y dylai'r gymuned leol, y mamau, y babanod a'r teuluoedd, sydd angen cael mynediad at y gwasanaethau hyn, allu eu disgwyl. Yn eich datganiad, fe wnaethoch nodi bod cyflawni'r newid diwylliant sydd mor hanfodol yn waith parhaus ond mwy hirdymor. Felly, hoffwn ofyn: sut y bydd goruchwylio hyn yn cael ei gynnwys o fewn yr ymyrraeth wedi'i thargedu ar gyfer gwasanaethau mamolaeth a newyddenedigol y bwrdd iechyd? 

Thank you very much. I would like to congratulate the staff on the immense amount of work that has gone into turning this department around. It really is quite remarkable; the leadership has been really transformed. And I'd also like to pay tribute to the bravery of the mothers who've really helped us to consider what changes needed to be put in place. So, a huge thank you to them, and it really is—. Their loss, I'm afraid, is dreadful, but I hope that they will get some kind of comfort from the fact that, actually, those services are now being turned around. 

In relation to the cultural changes that are needed, they are, of course, undertaking a reorganisation within Cwm Taf Morgannwg at the moment. Improvement Cymru, as part of their intervention, will be undertaking particular support in this area, and this will be assessed through the targeted intervention monitoring framework. So, they've come out of special measures, but they're still in targeted intervention. So, that's where we really keep that oversight, and we will specifically make sure that that cultural shift, that was so important, really continues. 

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Hoffwn longyfarch y staff ar y gwaith aruthrol a wnaed i drawsnewid yr adran hon. Mae'n rhyfeddol yn wir; mae'r arweinyddiaeth wedi cael ei thrawsnewid go iawn. A hoffwn dalu teyrnged hefyd i ddewrder y mamau sydd wedi ein helpu'n fawr wrth inni ystyried pa newidiadau roedd angen eu rhoi ar waith. Felly, diolch enfawr iddynt hwythau, ac mae'n wirioneddol—. Mae arnaf ofn fod eu colled yn erchyll, ond rwy'n gobeithio y cânt ryw fath o gysur o'r ffaith bod y gwasanaethau hynny bellach yn cael eu trawsnewid. 

Ar y newidiadau diwylliannol sydd eu hangen, maent yn ad-drefnu yng Nghwm Taf Morgannwg ar hyn o bryd wrth gwrs. Bydd Gwelliant Cymru, fel rhan o'u hymyrraeth, yn rhoi cymorth penodol yn y maes, a bydd hyn yn cael ei asesu drwy'r fframwaith monitro ymyrraeth wedi'i thargedu. Felly, maent wedi dod o fesurau arbennig, ond maent yn parhau i fod yn destun ymyrraeth wedi'i thargedu. Felly, dyna lle rydym yn cadw'r oruchwyliaeth honno, a byddwn yn gwneud yn siŵr yn benodol fod y newid diwylliannol a oedd mor bwysig yn parhau. 

15:10
Pwyntiau o Drefn
Points of Order

Diolch, Llywydd. I want to raise a point of order about the behaviour that we all witnessed in this Chamber just a few minutes ago—behaviour that one of my colleagues felt so threatened by that she had to move away from that individual. And also that same behaviour showed huge disrespect to you as the Chair of this institution, and therefore the institution itself.

I've been here for over 15 years, and you've been here a lot longer, and I've never, ever experienced behaviour like that in this Chamber. I just hope, and I'm sure everybody will join me, that it isn't going to be repeated ever at all. It is a place of work, and, when people feel threatened by the behaviour of others in their place of work, especially when it's an elected Chamber and the office of Parliament, I think it is very concerning.

So, I thank you for allowing me to make the point of order. I hope the individual reflects seriously on his behaviour. I know that you asked for an apology. The apology, I think, is owed to all who witnessed it, but not least of all to the individual who felt so threatened and so upset by it. Thank you.

Diolch, Lywydd. Rwyf am godi pwynt o drefn am yr ymddygiad a welsom yn y Siambr hon ychydig funudau yn ôl—ymddygiad a achosodd i un o fy nghyd-Aelodau deimlo cymaint o fygythiad nes y bu'n rhaid iddi symud oddi wrth yr unigolyn hwnnw. A hefyd roedd yr un ymddygiad yn dangos amarch enfawr i chi fel Cadeirydd y sefydliad hwn, ac felly i'r sefydliad ei hun.

Rwyf wedi bod yma ers dros 15 mlynedd, ac rydych chi wedi bod yma ers llawer mwy na hynny, ac nid wyf erioed wedi tystio i ymddygiad o'r fath yn y Siambr. Ni allaf ond gobeithio, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd pawb yn cytuno, na chaiff hyn ei ailadrodd byth. Mae'n weithle, a phan fo pobl yn teimlo dan fygythiad yn sgil ymddygiad eraill yn eu gweithle, yn enwedig pan fo'n Siambr etholedig ac yn swyddfa'r Senedd, rwy'n credu ei fod yn destun pryder mawr.

Felly, diolch ichi am ganiatáu i mi wneud y pwynt o drefn. Gobeithio bod yr unigolyn yn myfyrio o ddifrif ar ei ymddygiad. Rwy'n gwybod eich bod wedi gofyn am ymddiheuriad. Mae'r ymddiheuriad, rwy'n credu, yn ddyledus i bawb a dystiodd i hynny, ond nid yn lleiaf i'r unigolyn a deimlai dan gymaint o fygythiad ac mor ofidus o'i herwydd. Diolch.

Thank you, Joyce Watson, for articulating some of the thoughts that have clearly gone through a lot of people's minds and have been sent to me here on the front desk, following what was an unacceptable outburst by the Member, and I think shook us all at the time, not only those in close proximity. I spent most of the morning telling a royal guest how well behaved we were as a Chamber in comparison to elsewhere, and I was wrong in that, and I'm sure the Member himself will want to reflect on his behaviour on this day, as well as any other day.

As I said just following the event, I will expect an apology from Gareth—. Gareth Davies—not Gareth Bale, Gareth Davies—before he is called again in this Chamber. That apology will be to me, yes, but it will be for all of us, and our expectations are high in this place, and one Member failed to reach that expectation of behaviour this afternoon. As you've said, Joyce Watson, I'm sure he will be reflecting on that at this point, as we